Chương 291: Moonlit Dew Flower Blooms

Time in Black Mist Valley seemed to flow differently than the outside world. The minutes stretched and compressed unpredictably as we waited for the Moonlit Dew Flower to appear. My inner world pulsed with discomfort, the lingering effects of the soul attack making each breath feel like drawing air through water. I maintained my outward composure, though I noticed Liu Chang glancing over at me with that concerned look of his every now and then.

"Any signs of activity at the spring?" I asked, scanning the area for what must have been the hundredth time. Su Yue shook her head, her eyes never leaving the pool at the center of the clearing.

"Nothing yet. But the spatial fluctuations are intensifying around the water's edge. It won't be long now." I took the opportunity to study our competition more carefully. Each sect had claimed their territory around the spring, maintaining a delicate balance of power through mutual wariness rather than any real respect. No one stood close to the pool's edge.

The reason was obvious to anyone with spatial awareness: the area immediately surrounding the pool was a maelstrom of unstable space, invisible to the naked eye but screaming danger to our spiritual senses. The Black Palm disciples, led by Lu Fang, occupied the high ground to the northwest, a tactically superior position that offered both visibility and the advantage of elevation. They made no attempt to hide their readiness for violence, casually displaying talismans and weapons.

The Morning Star Sect had taken a more measured approach, arranging themselves in a loose formation to the east. Unlike the other groups, they seemed almost contemplative, their gazes frequently turning skyward as if reading something in the stars. Their leader, a beautiful young woman with star-like freckles across her face, occasionally traced patterns in the air with her finger, leaving briefafterimages that faded within seconds.

"That must be Min Xiulan," Liu Chang murmured, following my gaze.

"Team leader of the Morning Star contingent. Don't underestimate her; those stargazing gestures are actually complex calculations. She's mapping potential futures."

"Divination during combat?" I asked, impressed despite myself.

"That level of concentration while maintaining situational awareness is... remarkable."

"The Morning Star Sect specializes in fate manipulation," Su Yue added.

"They don't just see potential futures; they subtly influence probability itself." Well, that was concerning. My plans typically relied on predictable cause and effect. If the Morning Star disciples could alter the probability of certain outcomes, it would introduce a dangerous variable into my calculations.

"They're waiting," I observed after studying Min Xiulan's team more carefully.

"Just like us. They have no intention of making the first move."

"Smart," Liu Chang nodded.

"Let the others exhaust themselves fighting over the flower, then swoop in during the chaos." I turned my attention to the Five Elements Sect positioned to the west. Their five-person team was arranged in a perfect pentagram formation, each member representing one of the core elements. The precision of their positioning suggested they intended to unleash some kind of combined technique when the flower appeared. To the southwest, the Green Willow Sect maintained a lower profile.

Their jade-green robes blended with the unusual foliage surrounding the clearing, making it easy to underestimate their numbers. I counted at least six disciples, all armed with flexible weapons: whips, chains, and ribbons that could strike from unexpected angles.

"The sectless cultivator is still here," Su Yue noted with mild surprise, nodding toward the path that led back to the valley entrance. Indeed, the young man Lu Fang had brutalized had managed to drag himself to a small alcove at the edge of the clearing. He sat with his back against the rock wall, clutching his injured arm, his face pale but determined. His spiritual essence had been severely depleted by Lu Fang's attack, leaving him in no condition to compete for the flower, yet he remained.

"Stubborn," I muttered, though I couldn't help feeling a grudging respect for his persistence. A hushed gasp rippled through the clearing, drawing my attention back to the spring. The water at its center had begun to swirl, forming a perfect spiral that rotated clockwise with increasing speed. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"It's beginning," Liu Chang confirmed, his voice barely audible. The vortex suddenly collapsed inward, sending a pulse of energy outward that momentarily distorted my vision. When the distortion cleared, there it was, emerging from the exact center of the now-still water, a slender silver stalk rising slowly upward. The Moonlit Dew Flower. Just as the sect mission briefing had described, it grew before our eyes, leaves unfurling in a precise spiral pattern around the central stalk.

The bloom itself remained closed, a tight silver bud that pulsed with inner light.

"Magnificent," I breathed, momentarily forgetting our perilous situation in the face of such natural wonder. The flower continued its growth until it stood approximately thirty centimeters tall, its silver stalk gleaming in the moonlight. Then, with an almost musical chime that resonated through the clearing, the bud began to open. Translucent petals unfurled one by one, each catching and refracting the moonlight in ways that defied normal optics.

The interior of the bloom shifted between patterns of blue and silver light, creating the illusion that the flower contained its own miniature galaxy.

"The crystalline structures," Su Yue whispered, her eyes fixed on the flower's center where tiny, diamond-like formations were becoming visible.

"That's where the spatial energy is concentrated." I nodded, taking in every detail of the flower's appearance to ensure our substitute would be as convincing as possible. The bloom was even more beautiful than I'd anticipated, not just visually stunning but possessing an almost hypnotic quality that made it difficult to look away. The flower fully opened, releasing a wave of stabilizing energy that washed over the clearing.

The air around the pool, which had been distorted and dangerous, now settled into normal space. The window had opened.

"Now!" someone shouted, and the stillness shattered. Three teams lunged forward simultaneously: Black Palm, Five Elements, and Green Willow disciples all abandoning caution in their rush to claim the prize. They collided near the pool's edge in a tangle of limbs and flaring spiritual energy, techniques activating mid-sprint as each tried to gain advantage.

"Hold," I commanded, placing a restraining hand on Su Yue's arm when she tensed to move.

"This is exactly what we expected. Let them weaken each other first." Across the clearing, I noticed the Morning Star Sect disciples remaining in position as well. It seems they really did have a similar plan to us. When I turned my attention back to the pool, I saw that the battle had grown more frenzied. A Five Elements disciple sent a gust of wind cutting through the Green Willow ranks, scattering them momentarily.

A Black Palm cultivator countered with a corruption technique that turned the very ground under his opponents' feet into crumbling black sand. Through it all, the flower stood untouched, seemingly protected by the very violence surrounding it, no one could get close enough through the tangle of bodies and techniques to actually claim it. Among the chaotic brawl, a Green Willow disciple suddenly broke free from the pack.

With a burst of speed that spoke of a high-level movement technique, he darted past his distracted opponents and lunged for the flower.

"Someone's making a move," Su Yue warned unnecessarily. The Green Willow disciple reached the pool's edge and extended his hand, fingers just brushing the silver stalk of the Moonlit Dew Flower. A victorious smile began to spread across his face... only to transform into a mask of shock and pain as a massive, corruption-shrouded fist punched straight through his shoulder.

Blood sprayed across the surface of the pool as Lu Fang appeared behind the Green Willow disciple, his corrupted right arm buried deep in the young man's flesh.

"Too slow," Lu Fang sneered, yanking his arm free with a sickening sound. The Green Willow disciple went flying, his body carving a furrow in the rocky ground as he tumbled limply to a stop near his horrified teammates. He wasn't dead, I could see him struggling to rise, but the wound was severe, corruption energy already spreading through his spiritual pathways like poison. Lu Fang didn't spare his victim a second glance.

With a triumphant laugh, he snatched the flower from its place, cradling it almost gently in his massive hand.

"The Moonlit Dew Flower belongs to the Black Palm Sect!" he declared, already reaching for his storage ring with his free hand. But something went wrong. When he tried to place the flower into his storage ring, there was no reaction, no spatial fluctuation, no absorption of the item. The flower remained stubbornly in his hand. Confusion flashed across Lu Fang's face. He tried again, more forcefully this time, but with the same result.

"It's not stabilized yet!" he snarled to his sect brothers.

"Form a perimeter! Protect me until I can secure it!" Immediately, the other Black Palm disciples formed a protective formation around their leader, their crimson robes blurring as they moved into defensive positions.

"Of course," I murmured, more to myself than my companions.

"The spatial fluctuations within the valley would interfere with the ring's dimensional pocket. The flower is still connected to the valley's energy matrix."

"So it can't be stored until that connection stabilizes," Su Yue concluded.

"Exactly," I nodded.

"And I'm guessing none of us can simply run off with it either. The valley's spatial distortions would tear apart anyone attempting to move at cultivation speed right now." Liu Chang's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation.

"Which means whoever holds the flower must defend it until the valley stabilizes enough for transport or extraction."

"How long?" Su Yue asked. I calculated quickly.

"Based on the energy patterns... five minutes, perhaps ten." What had started as a simple grab-and-run mission had just become significantly more complicated. Whoever claimed the flower would need to hold their position against all comers for what was basically an eternity in combat terms.