The Bian Hua, also known as Manzhushahua, where the flower never sees the leaf, and the leaf never sees the flower.
At the moment the flower bud appeared, all the leaves instantly fell, turning into specks of fluorescent light, forming a blue mist that drifted away.
The flower bud, nourished by Ji Mo's blood, became increasingly crimson, blooming with layers of halos, dreamlike and ethereal, appearing utterly unreal.
Compared to the Bian Hua seen before, this one was clearly different. It was larger, its petals crystal clear, with mysterious runes drifting within, exuding a sinister aura that captivated the soul.
"You kid, you've got quite a lot of blood."
Li Er spoke, marveling at Ji Mo's ruthlessness in feeding the flower with his blood, and congratulating himself on his discerning eye.
Judging by the terrifying aura emanating from Ji Mo's blood, this young man had clearly grown to a level far beyond his imagination.
It had only been a little over a decade, and he had reached such a state. If he were to develop for a few more centuries, or even just a century, he might possess the capital to wage war against the source of darkness.
Alas, time was of the essence. The apocalypse was imminent, and Ji Mo had little time left to grow.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Ji Mo glared fiercely at Li Er.
His face was pale, his body having lost a significant amount of blood, and he was swaying precariously, struggling to hold on.
At this moment, he naturally hoped Li Er would lend a hand and perhaps contribute some blood to nourish the Bian Hua.
Li Er remained unmoved, feigning ignorance.
He naturally understood Ji Mo's intention, but he had to admit that even his saintly blood might not be as effective as Ji Mo's, and could potentially hinder the efficacy of this Bian Hua.
However, being too thin-skinned to admit that his saintly blood was less potent than Ji Mo's, he could only pretend not to hear.
"You old scoundrel, are you unwilling to save Kongxu..."
Ji Mo questioned loudly, but before he could finish, he was silenced.
"Hush, swallow..."
Li Er produced a handful of Nine Revolutions Golden Pills and, regardless of whether Ji Mo could handle it, forcefully stuffed them into Ji Mo's mouth.
At the same time, he covered Ji Mo's mouth with his hand, denying him any opportunity to speak.
Ji Mo was stunned, finding the words strangely off-key.
Were these suggestive words?
But the speaker was none other than the venerable Laozi Li Er, the Heavenly Venerable of Morality. It couldn't be that he was a seasoned player, could it?
He glanced at Li Er, struggling to swallow the Nine Revolutions Golden Pills. His pale face gradually regained its color, and he felt much better.
A intoxicating, subtle fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing the spirit.
Having absorbed enough fresh blood, the Bian Hua finally bloomed.
Amidst the blue mist, a crimson light coiled, and the Bian Hua seemed to ignite. Its petals, imbued with divine radiance, slowly unfurled, dazzlingly beautiful to the extreme.
"Let Kongxu be reborn."
Ji Mo held his breath and loudly voiced his heartfelt wish.
He trembled all over with nervousness, unsure if he could revive the Great Immortal Kongxu.
Li Er also held his breath, waiting for a miracle to occur.
*Bang...*
The vibrant Bian Hua exploded like fireworks, shattering into a shower of light.
The branches also crumbled inch by inch, turning into dust and vanishing.
"Did it succeed?"
Ji Mo asked Li Er, who did not reply, his gaze fixed intently on the shower of light.
The scattered light particles all landed on the Xuanyuan Sword. Fragments of time danced, and the lingering wisp of Great Immortal Kongxu's obsession on it gradually grew stronger, slowly coalescing.
White clothes as pure as snow, a graceful demeanor like jade, the figure of Great Immortal Kongxu actually materialized, enveloped in chaotic mist, transitioning from blurry to clear.
*Rumble...*
Thunderous roars erupted, accompanied by terrifying bolts of lightning and the cries of gods and demons. The surrounding void began to collapse.
An unseen force in the netherworld was preventing Great Immortal Kongxu's rebirth.
Li Er acted, his hands dancing, embracing yin and holding yang.
The Tai Chi twin fish instantly appeared, yin and yang energies surging like a sea, and a colossal Bagua diagram materialized, directly blocking the encroaching mysterious power.
Then, with a point of his finger in the air, the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk spun madly, emitting an even more brilliant radiance. The six gates flickered, and the power of reincarnation spread everywhere.
"My dear precious Kongxu, go forth, reincarnate through the Six Paths, and return as a king."
Li Er vigorously waved his sleeve, and Great Immortal Kongxu, along with the Xuanyuan Sword, transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into the Six Paths gates.
Sensing a ripple of soul fluctuation fed back by the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, Li Er couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
It was a success. It was expected that his precious Kongxu would be able to reincarnate before long.
Ji Mo also revealed a smile of joy, but then realized something and shouted, "You old trickster, you made my elder brother Kongxu take the sword for reincarnation, wouldn't that mean he'd be a sword-person from birth?"
Li Er stroked his beard and chuckled, "He's not reincarnating into the Human Path, so how could he be a sword-person?"
Suddenly, the two looked at each other, both dumbfounded.
Ji Mo cursed, "Li Er, you actually tricked my elder brother Kongxu! This matter is not over."
Li Er looked utterly innocent, "The matters of reincarnation are profound and mysterious; it's not something I can control. You can't blame me. If Kongxu blames me in the future, you'll have to take the heat for me."
Ji Mo was speechless. Alright, as long as he could truly reincarnate, it didn't matter if he was human or not.
He quickly stopped his bleeding, and the wounds healed in an instant.
However, the lost blood would likely take a long time to replenish.
Li Er retrieved the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, as he still needed this treasure to find the reincarnation of Great Immortal Kongxu.
"Hahaha, in the next epoch, let's see if you can withstand my Kongxu Ji Mo Leng."
Li Er looked up at the sky, staring directly into the endless darkness, and let out an immensely exhilarating laugh.
In this epoch, they had lost terribly; all their people were wiped out.
Then, in the next epoch, with Kongxu Ji Mo Leng grown, it would be time to end the root of darkness.
"There really is a Immortal Leng?"
Ji Mo looked astonished.
He had speculated about this before and had not expected his guess to be correct. Li Er had indeed cultivated a third hope.
Li Er nodded, "Yes, you know that person well. She is your childhood sweetheart, Leng Baobao."
Leng Baobao, the esteemed name of Ji Mo's sister Bao'er.
The reason for this name was that the old院长 of the orphanage back then was exceptionally cultured.
To name Sister Bao'er, the old院长 had scoured ancient texts like the "Book of Songs," "Book of Changes," and "Songs of Chu," racking his brains and contemplating dozens of poetic and artistic names.
However, in the end, the old院长 felt that these names did not befit the girl who embodied the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Ultimately, he chose the path of simplicity, and Sister Bao'er was bestowed the grand name Leng Baobao.
"Li Er, it's one thing for you to trick me, but how could you involve Sister Bao'er? Do you want to kill her?"
Ji Mo's voice was filled with coldness, and a glimpse of heavenly secrets he had seen not long ago flashed through his mind.
He truly did not wish for Sister Bao'er to be entangled in this, lest she meet a tragic end.
Li Er quickly clarified, "Don't get agitated, listen to me. I plan to cultivate Leng Bao into my successor. In the next epoch, she will serve as support for you and Kongxu, assisting you. The three of you joining forces will greatly increase our chances of victory."
"The next epoch?"
Ji Mo was utterly confused. With the apocalypse approaching, unless one surrendered to darkness, everyone would be harvested. How could there be a future?
Li Er said, "The dark harvest is unstoppable, and this epoch is nearing its end. I have secretly built an apocalyptic sanctuary within the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, which can shelter a large number of humans from the catastrophe, preserving the seeds of civilization. In the next epoch, you will have ample time to grow, and our chances of victory will be very high."
As he spoke these words, Li Er was filled with melancholy. Despite his best efforts, he had ultimately failed to resolve the source of darkness, and could only place his hopes on Ji Mo and the other two.