Chapter 631 - 638: The Competition Begins

Some of the Demon Cultivators, upon seeing so many beautiful women, even dared to cop a feel, grabbing at their hands as they accepted the Flower Honey Water.

They were immediately met with furious glares.

But those Demon Cultivators seemed oblivious, happily gulping down the Flower Honey Water. The next second, they were rolling on the ground, screaming in agony.

The surrounding Demon Cultivators jumped in fright. Holding the Flower Honey Water, they were stuck, not daring to drink it, nor to pour it out.

Song Wanning glanced back at the few Demon Cultivators collapsed on the ground and foaming at the mouth, her expression unperturbed.

She had already inspected it. The Flower Honey Water wasn’t the problem; on the contrary, it was rich with demonic power.

These Demon Cultivators had been poisoned.

’Looks like the Flower Clan is intentionally putting them in their place.’

’But this show of force isn’t particularly effective.’

Song Wanning lowered her gaze and continued walking deeper inside.

The others glanced at the Demon Cultivators on the ground before continuing on their way as well.

Few were willing to stir up trouble.

After rounding a sea of flowers, Song Wanning finally spotted an enormous blossom. Its petals were a pale orange, but its stamen was black with a faint golden sheen.

The starkly contrasting colors created a powerful visual impact.

Beneath the giant flower, countless vines intertwined in what appeared to be a random tangle. But to Song Wanning, who had some knowledge of Arrays, they possessed a certain special resonance.

She gave the massive flower a few more glances before following the path toward the plaza where the Flower Clan was holding its planting competition.

The plaza was already crowded. People were casually finding seats and chatting in small groups.

The moment Song Wanning entered, she instantly drew a great deal of attention.

But she seemed oblivious, heading straight for the nearest available seat.

After sitting down, she glanced at the person beside her.

This person’s aura was obscure, and they wore a wide-brimmed bamboo hat. The hand that was visible was exceptionally slender—clearly, she was a woman.

A glint flashed in Song Wanning’s eyes. She retracted her gaze and stopped looking around.

Beside her, Li Qingya was shocked and unsettled that Song Wanning had sat right next to her.

’Is this a coincidence, or has she discovered something?’

’Impossible!’

’No one knows about me and Gong Ye, so Song Wanning couldn’t possibly know either.’

’Besides, I’m wearing a disguise, and Song Wanning has never seen my face. There’s no way she could recognize me.’

’So, this must be a coincidence.’

She breathed a sigh of relief, but her mind was already churning, plotting how to lure Song Wanning away.

Ever since she had made that promise to Gong Ye, she had been trying to come up with a plan. But Song Wanning was a suspicious person with considerable skills, and Li Qingya worried she might get entangled herself, so she had yet to make a move.

It wasn’t until she heard the Flower Clan was holding a planting competition that she decided to come, certain that Song Wanning would participate.

’I’ll size her up first, then decide what to do.’

’Rumors are just rumors, after all. You can’t take them as fact.’

Li Qingya shot a sidelong glance at Song Wanning’s exquisite face, and an irrepressible surge of resentment welled up inside her.

’No wonder Gong Ye can’t forget her...’

At the thought of that man’s prowess, a faint blush colored her cheeks.

’Gong Ye is the man I’ve set my sights on. No one can take him from me.’

’Song Wanning must not be allowed to live. I have to find a way to get rid of her.’

...

As more and more people filed in, the flower demons of the Flower Clan began to appear in the plaza.

The flower demons all wore looks of wonder and curiosity, furtively sizing up the Demon Cultivators.

Having lived in seclusion for years, they rarely had the chance to see other Demon Cultivators and were intensely curious.

Ultimately, however, almost everyone’s gaze converged on Song Wanning.

The Flower Clan has an affinity for all things beautiful, and upon seeing Song Wanning, they found they couldn’t look away.

Even someone as thick-skinned as Song Wanning felt a bit uncomfortable under their scrutiny. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a few soft coughs.

Fortunately, the situation didn’t last long. As all eyes watched, the Flower Clan Leader descended from the sky.

"HISS—"

Everyone present was dumbstruck, gazing dazedly at the figure, unable to regain their senses for a long time.

Even Song Wanning was taken aback, a look of awe flashing in her eyes.

It was a face of ultimate, breathtaking beauty; from top to bottom, every feature was flawless...

The simple act of raising their eyes was beautiful enough to take one’s breath away.

Surprisingly, however, it was impossible to discern their gender; their appearance was utterly androgynous.

She raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.

"You have all come from afar, and for that, I am most grateful."

When the Clan Leader spoke, their voice was as androgynous as their appearance, flowing through the listeners’ hearts like a clear spring, making them feel pleasant and at ease.

Those words snapped everyone back to their senses, but their gazes, when fixed on the Clan Leader, were still filled with awe.

The Clan Leader smiled faintly and took a seat at the head of the plaza.

"I’m sure you all understand the purpose of this competition, so I won’t waste any more words. Let us begin!"

They gave a signal, and a group of flower demons immediately came forward, carrying numerous ordinary flowers.

They were all arranged neatly on the ground.

These were merely ordinary flowers that had not yet absorbed nature’s spiritual energy to gain sentience, so they could not be considered flower demons.

These were the test subjects.

"Those of you skilled in the art of planting may step forward. If you can successfully cultivate one of these flowers, you will advance to the second round."

The Clan Leader barely lifted their eyelids. They knew full well that many of these people were just here for the spectacle.

As soon as they finished speaking, a stir went through the Demon Cultivators, and soon, people began to stand up one after another.

Li Qingya stood up as well. She had removed her bamboo hat, revealing an unfamiliar face.

She had deliberately disguised her face so that Song Wanning wouldn’t recognize her.

After all, while Song Wanning had never met her, the other disciples of Chasing Cloud Peak knew what she looked like. It was possible they had even shown Song Wanning a portrait of her.

Therefore, she couldn’t take the risk.

Sure enough, Song Wanning glanced at Li Qingya before standing up as well.

The Clan Leader scanned the crowd. Less than half of the attendees were skilled in planting.

They were instantly disappointed.

"You may begin!"

’In truth, they didn’t hold out much hope. After all, if the Flower Clan, masters of cultivation, couldn’t even save Little Eighteen, the chances of these outsiders succeeding were even slimmer.’

’But they were out of options.’

’It was a last-ditch effort.’

Those who had stood up moved toward the flowers. Many of them took their time choosing, picking the ones that looked the healthiest.

They figured the survival rate would be much higher that way.

Song Wanning simply chose the flower directly in front of her. She then crouched down, carefully loosened the soil, and began to cultivate it.

She possessed a pure Fire Spirit Root, so she wasn’t naturally skilled at nurturing plants like those with a Wood Spirit Root.

Some with a Wood Spirit Root could even communicate with plants, understand their needs, and achieve doubly effective results when cultivating them.

That was why she had primarily come to join the fun and see the Flower Clan for herself.

Song Wanning’s expression was serious as she carefully began her work, following the same procedure she used for cultivating Spiritual Medicine.

Among the Human Clan, her technique might have been considered average.

But among a group of Demon Cultivators, it stood out.

The Flower Clan Leader quickly took notice of her.