Chapter 83: Paragon Chrysanthemum, Heavenly Flower
"Ah—"
A slightly effeminate shriek, sharp with a mixture of agony and ecstasy, cut through the quiet of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The sound immediately attracted the attention of Qin Xuan, Jingni, Ling Yuan, and Gui Mei. They all turned, their gazes locking onto the source.
When they looked back, they saw that Yue Guan had opened his eyes at some point, as if waking from a deep, transformative dream.
A pair of eyes, shimmering with an intense, overflowing golden light, slowly opened. In that same instant, a colossal, phantom-like golden chrysanthemum—his Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—bloomed with him at its center.
The phantom flower was so vast it seemed to fill the entire basin, its divine, golden petals unfurling in a wave of sacred, yet overwhelmingly sharp, Spirit Power.
Then, his spirit rings rose.
His spirit ring configuration, like Gui Mei's, was now yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black... and a final, soul-shaking, blinding red.
A 100,000-year spirit ring.
The imagined scene of Yue Guan preening, showing off, or perhaps breaking into a fit of arrogant laughter did not occur. The man who had been defined by his pride and vanity was gone, replaced by someone else entirely.
Yue Guan immediately stepped forward, his movements stiff but resolute. He crossed the distance to Qin Xuan and dropped to one knee, his head bowed deeply.
He pledged his loyalty, his voice thick with a profound, newfound sincerity that was utterly alien to him, "Many thanks, Your Excellency Qin Xuan. If not for your rescue last night, Yue Guan... I... would have likely exploded and died while absorbing the 100,000-year spirit ring."
"From now on, Yue Guan owes you a life. Should you have any commands, I will not hesitate to face death."
As the person involved, Yue Guan was not entirely unaware during the process of absorbing the spirit ring. In fact, no one was clearer than he about the sheer, suicidal danger of last night.
He had felt the 100,000-year energy, granted by the system, rush into his body. It was a tidal wave of power far beyond what his physique, even enhanced by the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, could handle.
He had felt his meridians tear, his Spirit Core crack, and his very soul begin to shred under the strain. He was, for a terrifying moment, truly dying.
Then, Qin Xuan had acted. He had felt his Lord's power—vast, warm, and controlling, like the sun itself—enter his body. He felt Jingni's icy, sharp power lock onto him, stabilizing his mind, and even Ling Yuan's fiery, fierce vitality being channeled into him.
They hadn't just watched. They had saved him.
If, before this, Yue Guan chose to pledge allegiance to Qin Xuan due to being intimidated by Jingni's overwhelming power, and his own greed for the Immortal Herb and the 100,000-year spirit ring, as well as the unremovable constraint of the mandatory binding of the recruitment card—then now, it was a sincere and heartfelt submission.
He was alive because Qin Xuan willed it. His new power, his new life, all belonged to him.
Upon hearing Yue Guan's words, Gui Mei, who stood nearby like a shadow, instantly understood the whole story. His spectral form rippled, and he couldn't help but feel an even greater, deeper respect for Qin Xuan.
Even the last trace of resentment he held—the humiliation of being strong-armed, the threat to their lives back in the forest—vanished like smoke.
Qin Xuan didn't just give them rewards; he guaranteed their success. He didn't see them as disposable pawns to be sacrificed for a failed upgrade. He saw them as assets to be cultivated.
At this moment, Qin Xuan's figure magnified infinitely in his heart. He seemed to see himself, he saw Yue Guan, he saw Spirit Hall... and for the first time in decades, he saw a bright, unified future.
At the same time, several system prompts sounded in Qin Xuan's mind:
[Yue Guan's Favorability +10]
[Gui Mei's Favorability +5]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Yue Guan's Favorability has reached 100, earning the 'Love Until Death' achievement. An additional reward of 1 million Emotion Points has been granted.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Gui Mei's Favorability has reached 100, earning the 'Blind Devotion' achievement. An additional reward of 500,000 Emotion Points has been granted.]
This... this can happen?
Qin Xuan felt a shiver go down his spine.
Gui Mei's 'Blind Devotion' was perfect. It suited his personality. It was the loyalty of a shadow to his master.
But Yue Guan? Even though he had saved his life, this 'Love Until Death' achievement just felt wrong, no matter how he looked at it.
A deeply unsettling image of Yue Guan's effeminate, baby-like face looking at him with 'love' flashed in his mind.
Qin Xuan secretly resolved that when he became Supreme Pontiff in the future, he would absolutely, under no circumstances, let this guy be his personal guardian Douluo. Gui Mei could have the job. Yue Guan could go guard a gate. A very, very distant gate.
Ling Yuan, standing beside him, tapped her foot. She had been enjoying the moment, but now she wanted her own recognition. "Yue Guan," she said, her arms crossed. "I also contributed to helping you overcome your difficulties. Shouldn't you thank me too?"
"Thank you, Your Excellency Ling Yuan. Thank you, Your Excellency Jingni," Yue Guan said immediately, bowing his head to both women without a trace of his former sarcasm.
This made Ling Yuan feel like she was punching cotton. She had been bracing for a snarky comeback, a fight, or at least a begrudging, through-the-teeth acknowledgment. This polite, sincere submission was no fun at all.
Feeling that Yue Guan's Spirit Power had also stabilized at level 93—the exact same level as her—she felt even more imbalanced.
In reality, how could she understand Yue Guan's feelings at this moment?
Being able to live, to acquire the long-desired Immortal Herb, and to gain the 100,000-year 9th ring he had never even dreamed of... he had nothing more to wish for. His life's ambitions had been fulfilled in a single night.
Compared to that, bowing to Ling Yuan was nothing.
Moreover, Ling Yuan indeed had saved his life, and she was one of his future mistresses. Only a fool, a complete and utter idiot, would continue to go against her. Yue Guan was many things, but he was not a fool.
"I can sense that your Spirit Power has reached level 93," Qin Xuan said, breaking the silence and getting down to business. "Tell me about the two Spirit Abilities granted by this 100,000-year spirit ring."
"Yes, Your Excellency Qin Xuan." Yue Guan stood, his bearing respectful. He raised his right hand, palm open, and the 9th crimson light ring on his body lit up.
He uttered an extremely enchanting, sing-song incantation, "Qirong Chrysanthemum, Tongtian Flower, I have a little chrysanthemum."
As his words fell, an ordinary-looking, small golden chrysanthemum appeared in his palm, materializing from nothing.
"Pfft—BWAHAHAHA!" Ling Yuan couldn't help but burst out laughing, a loud, undignified cackle. "That's it? That's your 100,000-year Spirit Ability? 'I have a little chrysanthemum'?"
Qin Xuan, however, having read extensively in the Supreme Pontiff Palace's library, recognized the nature of the skill. His eyes widened slightly. "It's actually a food-type Spirit Ability!"
"Yes, Your Excellency Qin Xuan." Yue Guan was not offended by Ling Yuan's laughter; he was too excited. "This is the first Spirit Ability granted to me by the 100,000-year spirit ring: Paragon Indestructible Little Chrysanthemum."
He explained, "After consumption, one instantly becomes indestructible, immune to any attacks below the divine level for 5 seconds. In addition, strength is increased by 100% for 30 minutes."
"It can be used ten times a day and can continuously exist for three days before dissipating. Additionally, if a teammate consumes it, their next skill's attack power can be increased by 30%. If I consume it myself, my next skill's attack power can be increased by 50%."
"It's somewhat similar to the 100,000-year Soft Bones Rabbit's innate skill, Invincible Golden Body," Qin Xuan praised, "but it also has a powerful attack amplification effect, and the duration of the invincibility lasts longer. It's a pretty good skill."
"Yes, Your Excellency Qin Xuan!" Yue Guan grew more excited as he spoke. "But that is only the first ability."
Suddenly, he shot into the sky, his movements faster and more powerful than Ling Yuan had ever seen from him. "Please follow me, everyone."
Gui Mei, Ling Yuan, and Jingni looked at Qin Xuan. Qin Xuan nodded, summoned his Changming Sword, and flew into the sky. Jingni and the other two followed closely.
The five of them arrived outside the fog-shrouded basin of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Yue Guan raised his right hand high, and a giant, terrifyingly dense golden chrysanthemum, made of pure energy, appeared above his palm.
He turned his back to the others and said, "Your Excellency Qin Xuan, my second Spirit Ability is called 'Chrysanthemum Withered, Wounds All Over, Flowers Fall, Hearts Break.'"
"It is an area-of-effect skill with extremely strong destructive power. It shatters the energy construct of my Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum into tens of thousands of tiny crescent blades."
He continued, his voice growing cold and sharp, "These blades can ignore 100% of the opponent's physical defense and 50% of their Spirit Power defense. Once hit, the wound will be continuously cut by the sharp qi of the crescent blades. The victim can only resist with their own Spirit Power until it is exhausted, at which point their body will be shredded by the sharp qi."
Ignoring 100% of physical defense and 50% of Spirit Power defense?
Gui Mei and Ling Yuan were simultaneously startled.
Ling Yuan was even more shocked, her blood running cold. She was a power-attack Titled Douluo who relied on her formidable defense and overwhelming offense. This move... this move was her bane.
Using this move, Yue Guan, a man she had always considered her inferior, almost had the power to instantly kill her.
"However," Yue Guan said, a smug smile returning to his face for the first time, "if you eat the Paragon Indestructible Little Chrysanthemum beforehand, you won't be affected by this move."
He swallowed the small chrysanthemum he had just created. His entire body was instantly enveloped in a divine, golden light as he flew towards a barren mountain not far away.
Then, he remotely controlled the giant golden-yellow chrysanthemum from earlier, releasing his 9th Spirit Ability... at himself.
The golden-yellow chrysanthemum instantly shattered into countless, invisible crescent blades, a silent storm that covered both him and the massive mountain behind him.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
The entire colossal mountain, composed entirely of granite, was instantly riddled with millions of holes, as if it were a sieve. A perfect, human-sized shape was outlined in the solid rock directly behind Yue Guan.
Moments later, the mountain... collapsed.
It didn't just crumble. It disintegrated with a deafening roar under the infinite, continuous cutting action of the sharp qi, turning into a massive pile of rubble and dust.
Yue Guan, on the other hand, hovered in the air, completely unharmed, protected by the golden light of the Paragon Indestructible Little Chrysanthemum.
"Formidable," Gui Mei couldn't help but exclaim, his hoarse voice filled with genuine admiration.
Even Jingni, whose Spirit Power was as high as level 97, gave her rare approval, "Not bad."
"What a terrifying skill." Ling Yuan swallowed hard, her face pale. Amidst her shock, she didn't forget to give Qin Xuan a pitiful, jealous look. Needless to say, she was feeling sour again.
"Don't worry, bread… oh no, 100,000-year spirit rings, you'll get them eventually."
Qin Xuan lightly patted Ling Yuan's shoulder, as if to comfort her.
At the same time, he was secretly speculating.
It's somewhat similar to Bibi Dong's Eternal Creation in the original work. Since Yue Guan's Paragon Indestructible Little Chrysanthemum can block this move, then my 100,000-year Vermillion Bird Left Leg Bone's skill, Elementalization, which can also ignore all physical and Spirit Power attacks below the divine level, should also be able to block this move, right?
This thought had just flashed through his mind when Qin Xuan quickly dismissed it.
Unless he had gone insane, he wouldn't run over and use Elementalization to take an opponent's skill.
He didn't have the bizarre, ingrained 'knightly spirit' of the Douluo Continent, where everyone seemed to love playing turn-based combat and announcing their skills. He preferred to strike first and win.
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