1085 Blooming

The Universe Spiritual Map hovered before Zhang Ruochen, shining with green light.

He closed his eyes and put his hands together. Splitting his Spiritual Power, he entered the scroll world to communicate with the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree.

A moment later, Zhang Ruochen put his Spiritual Power away and opened his eyes. The look in his black eyes was heavy. Finally, he looked to the Carnivorous Flower.

"What did the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree say?" Blackie asked.

"It said that everything has two sides."

"What does that mean?"

"It can help me tame the flower," Zhang Ruochen continued, "and teach me the ancient way of cultivating origin plants. However, the Carnivorous Holy Flower is very fierce. If my cultivation and Spiritual Power can't suppress its ferocity, it may create a negative effect. For example, I may become a demon."

Blackie shook its head. "Since it's so dangerous, let's not tame it and just destroy it!"

"No." Zhang Ruochen walked toward the Carnivorous Holy Flower with his hands behind his back. Reaching the edge of the formation, he looked up, studying the Carnivorous Holy Flower's roots and veins. "I've already made the decision to tame the flower and make it into an origin plant."

"Are you crazy?" Blackie yelped.

Zhang Ruochen was still calm. "Where does motivation come from if there is no pressure? I need to use the Carnivorous Holy Flower's threat to force out my potential."

Since he'd already decided, he didn't waste any more time.

He reached out his right hand and lifted it up. Faint spatial ripples appeared above the scroll. A branch of the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree extended from the scroll world. It passed through the formation and approached the Carnivorous Holy Flower.

Rustle, rustle.

The leaves looked extremely green, as if it were carved from green jade. It radiated with the thick aura of vitality. This branch was only the tip of the iceberg, but it was already thicker than the millennium-old holy tree.

Any creature looked like dust below the branch.

Princess White Li raised her pale neck and looked up at the tree branch. She was shocked and impressed. Was this the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree of the legends?

"Wasn't the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree cut down in the middle ages?" She couldn't keep calm.

Zhang Ruochen ignored her. He just told Blackie to watch her and make sure she couldn't escape.

The Carnivorous Holy Flower felt the living Qi from the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree. It stopped attacking the formation and its sharp roots left the holy tree, sinking into the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree's branch.

It actually wanted to try eating the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree. However, the tree's power had far surpassed the flower. It dragged the flower directly into the scroll world.

Zhang Ruochen entered the scroll world too, appearing below the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree.

The Carnivorous Holy Flower had already become a small seven-foot-long vine. It curled up below the tree, trembling. It was like a peasant bowing to an emperor. It was in extreme fear.

A mighty voice sounded within the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree. "I've already tamed the Carnivorous Holy Flower. You can use an ancient spell now to turn it into an origin plant."

Whoosh!

A breeze blew past. A large leaf fluttered down, landing in Zhang Ruochen's hands. The next moment, an ancient passage appeared in his mind. It was the passage for growing an origin plant.

"Thank you, senior." Zhang Ruochen bowed politely.

"Thankfully, it hadn't bloomed yet," the mighty voice said again. "Otherwise, it would be unable to become an origin plant. You are just in time. I've already told you the pros and cons. Next, it will depend on whether your abilities can handle the Carnivorous Holy Flower."

Zhang Ruochen bowed again. Then he walked to the Carnivorous Holy Flower and used the technique from the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree to put the flower into his Sea of Qi.

Zhang Ruochen's Sea of Qi was extremely vast. It was thousands of times larger than an ordinary Half-Saint. It was like a rumbling sea with white steamy Qi. He materialized his saint soul and sat in the center of the sea as a saintly man in white. He cupped the flower with both hands and started refining it.

After a long while, the flower's saint soul melded with Zhang Ruochen's. It connected with his spine, extending from his tailbone to his head.

A youthful voice sounded in Zhang Ruochen's mind automatically.

"Zhang Ruochen, I don't submit to you willingly. I am only submitting to the Divine Tree. If your saint soul, Spiritual Power, and cultivation can't suppress me, I will choose to devour you."

Zhang Ruochen and the Carnivorous Holy Flower's saint souls were connected now. He could obviously sense its evil thoughts.

"You can try." Zhang Ruochen made a grabbing movement and a white sword was in his hands. "My saint soul won't be much affected even if I cut you."

The Carnivorous Holy Flower fell silent. After a pause, it said, "Now, you must supply me with enough nutrients and help me bloom. If you can't, I can only suck your energy until I am full."

The flower's nutrients indeed had to be supplied by Zhang Ruochen. It would only leave his power alone if it was full. Also, it could only help him fight if it was full.

The two were in a mutual-beneficiary relationship. Among them, Zhang Ruochen was the master. The flower was the servant.

The servant must listen to the master's commands. Of course, if the master was too weak, the servant may also affect the master's mind and even devour him.

Zhang Ruochen calculated carefully and came up with an idea. The flower wouldn't be able to affect him too much, even if it bloomed. After all, if a servant wanted to fight back against its master, it had to be at least ten times stronger than its master.

"Fine!" Zhang Ruochen agreed. "I'll help you bloom first."

The best nutrients for growing the Carnivorous Holy Flower were naturally divine medicine, Saints, and Grade Seven Beasts.

Grade Six Beasts, Half-Saints and spiritual medicine more than 6,000 years old could be used, but they wouldn't be as effective.

Zhang Ruochen wasn't stingy. He took out a Saintly Source and tossed it at the Carnivorous Holy Flower.

"That's…Saintly Source… I didn't think you'd have such good things…haha…"

The Carnivorous Holy Flower was ecstatic. The many roots quickly stretched over and surrounded the Saintly Source. It started absorbing the saintly power crazily.

Zhang Ruochen had two Saintly Sources. He'd gotten them when he'd killed the two lower Saints from the Demonic Sect.

After absorbing the saintly power, the Carnivorous Holy Flower cracked and popped. It thickened and grew longer. Electric currents flowed across the vines. The white flower bud at the top grew bigger.

The Saintly Source shrunk at a speed visible to the naked eye. If one had a Saintly Source, there was more than a 50% chance that one could become a Saint.

However, Zhang Ruochen had tossed it out as if it was a pebble for the Carnivorous Holy Flower. Any Ninth Level Half-Saint or Pre-Saint would cry if they saw this.

The vine was now as thick as a water barrel and completely covered in lightning. The flower at the top was huge. With a soft pop, it finally opened up a bit. White light shone from it, making the space below the Divine Sky-Connecting Tree as bright as daytime.

The flower opened up gradually and the Carnivorous Holy Flower's aura grew stronger. An hour later, it opened up completely. It was beautiful, like a divine lotus hanging up above. It had a fragrant scent.

The fragrance was mesmerizing and could produce hallucinations.

"The more beautiful a flower is, the more dangerous it is," Zhang Ruochen commented.

The Carnivorous Holy Flower's voice was still youthful as it said, "Zhang Ruochen, I'm only half-full. Give me another Saintly Source."

"You want more nutrients?"

"You're my owner. You naturally have to supply it."

Zhang Ruochen touched his nose and smiled. "I don't have any more, but I can take you to a dangerous battlefield. There should be many Half-Saint and Grade Six Beast corpses. We can collect nutrients together."

"A dangerous battlefield?" The Carnivorous Holy Flower didn't think so. "I already have one blooming flower. With my help, nowhere is dangerous to you in the Blue Dragon Void World."

"Then I'd like to see if you're truly that powerful."

With that, Zhang Ruochen put the Carnivorous Holy Flower back into his Sea of Qi and exited the scroll world.

Blackie immediately walked over. "How is it?"

Zhang Ruochen nodded. It had succeeded. Then he looked to Princess White Li. She was standing below the withered saintly tree by herself, exuding a cold aura.

"So you have the legendary Divine Sky-Connecting Tree. No wonder you have such great power as a Seventh Level Half-Saint." After a pause, she added, "You'll kill me after you save the humans, right?"

Since Zhang Ruochen had shown her the Universe Spiritual Map and Divine Sky-Connecting Tree, it was clear that he already saw her as a dead person. She couldn't be allowed to live.

Zhang Ruochen indeed planned on killing her after saving the humans so there weren't any future troubles. However, since Princess White Li had already guessed it, Zhang Ruochen decided to wipe her memory lest she try anything drastic.

"Look into my eyes," Zhang Ruochen said.

Princess White Li looked over and their eyes met. Specks of white light shot out of Zhang Ruochen's eyes and flew into Princess White Li's eyes. Gradually, her beautiful large eyes became dazed and empty.

If Princess White Li's cultivation hadn't been sealed, she could resist Zhang Ruochen's spiritual invasion. But now, with Zhang Ruochen's Spiritual Power at the 49th level, he easily wiped Princess White Li's memory.

At the same time, Zhang Ruochen wrapped up the rest of her memory into an egg-sized memory ball. It flew out of her forehead.

Whoosh—

Zhang Ruochen reached forward and caught the white ball of light. Thinking carefully, he put it away instead of crushing it.

"It seems like I still lack cruelty… I'll just keep it with me for now!" He sighed.

He'd already told himself that he had to kill Princess White Li so there wasn't any trouble in the future. However, when the time came, he probably wouldn't be able to do it.

He didn't hate Princess White Li, and she was quite innocent too. She hadn't done anything wrong. Zhang Ruochen still had some morals that didn't allow him to kill the innocent.

This kind of personality was a disadvantage. Many times, one had to choose between interest and principles.