Light Fortress
Chapter 356 - 47 The Boy Who Ate Flowers

Chapter 356: Chapter 47 The Boy Who Ate Flowers

Equivalent exchange.

That is the reason why the "Prayer Technique" can come true.

There are no free gifts in this world... and if a wish is placed on one side of the scale, then an equivalent sacrifice is inevitably placed on the other.

"Ten years..."

Gu Shen looked toward Li Qingci in the distant cave with a complex expression.

In a person’s life, how many decades can there be? Is it really worth it to exchange one for just a meeting?

He felt somewhat reluctant.

"Mr. Xiao Gu..." As if sensing Gu Shen’s thoughts at the moment, Li Qingci earnestly said, "If it only takes ten years to wait for you, I think it’s very worthwhile."

Divine Temple Mountain has countless Protectors.

They have given decade after decade.

Only to reach this day.

In the dark depths of this abyss, the Guardians of the Li family have offered countless sacrifices on the scales... Those are the lives of countless young people who perished prematurely, countless heroic spirits who dedicated themselves to the void.

"Perhaps, in this era... Divine Temple Mountain might not be able to incubate a Divine Embryo..." Gu Shen felt somewhat reluctant to crush her hopes, and he spoke to remind her, "Or perhaps, all of this is false."

"But what Qingci has offered is real," said Li Qingci with a smile. "I have come, I have offered, and that’s enough. If I am to return to the void, why look back at the past?"

Those who can wield the "Prayer Technique" must be such devoted individuals.

Hearing this.

A chord deep in Gu Shen’s heart was suddenly struck.

"These flowers... I will try to clear them, do my best," he said, taking a deep breath and speaking slowly. "But I don’t dare to guarantee, how much I can help Divine Temple Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingci was first taken aback, then hurriedly suppressed the joy in her heart and sincerely said, "Thank you."

She held her breath and watched intently.

On the distant mountain wall.

The youth slowly put down the extinguished [Lantern] and came to a cliff entangled with black. A wisp of Chi Huo twined, rising first from his brow, then swept down to reach his arm, and finally converged in his palm.

Gu Shen picked several black flowers.

Just as he had done on Yuan Dan Street, removing "black spots"... Chi Huo burst forth with a strong "devouring intent," except this time his control was much stronger, and there wouldn’t be a repeat of a "Transcendent loss of control."

The flame in his palm flickered eagerly, inquiring Gu Shen’s will.

If Gu Shen didn’t give the nod.

Then even if the "Black Flower" was in hand, Chi Huo wouldn’t devour.

Gu Shen’s expression was solemn as he closely examined the flowers in his palm... These black spots were merely oddly shaped, taking the form of flowers, but in reality, they were the chaotic congealments after the "collapse of order."

In other words.

These were "black spots," entirely consumable by Chi Huo.

He conveyed his will: "Eat."

Once he had Gu Shen’s permission... the wisp of flame no longer hesitated and began to devour frantically!

This scene left Li Qingci startled.

A hint of excited flush faintly appeared on that pale and wan face. Could these indelible flowers of Silent Annihilation really be eradicated?!

For six hundred years, the Li family had used the "Prayer Technique" to counter the curse and disasters of Divine Temple Mountain.

The "Protectors" guarding Divine Mountain would often pass down only a single message to future generations.

"Hope lies just after despair."

Prayer Technique brought hope, but a mere ethereal hope was not enough to sustain progress... Li Qingci had long been prepared for the worst, and she could accept any outcome.

If Gu Shen was powerless against the "Black Flower"... she had spent ten years, only to have sought the wrong person.

Yet, she held no resentment, no regret.

It proved that the words left by her predecessors, the Protectors, were true.

After despair, she saw hope.

Within just tens of seconds, where Gu Shen stood, the "flower bed" entwined with a vast patch of dark malevolence was swept clean... revealing the original bluestone cliffs of Divine Temple Mountain.

After a century’s "black spot corruption," this wonderland was riddled with holes.

The exposed boulder exuded an aura of devastation and deathly stillness.

The Chi Huo in Gu Shen’s brow frolicked joyfully in this land of Silent Annihilation; to it... the "dead zone" lethal to ordinary people was a "pure land of blessing."

"This rate of absorbing Extraordinary Essence... is much faster than when I was on assignment in Da Du,"

thought Gu Shen, also feeling a tinge of shock within.

The Extraordinary Essence he had collected over several months of assignments in Da Du, even when combined with the private hoard from wiping out the Changjiu Foundation’s Believers, was only slightly more than what Chi Huo was consuming at the moment!

Chi Huo was a tiny baby.

Its growth required a vast amount of Extraordinary Essence...

The "wilderness" that Gu Shen had just condensed needed massive amounts of Extraordinary Essence to nourish it, which was an abyss that seemed impossible to fill...

He had thought if there wasn’t enough Essence.

Then he would go to Qingzhong and discuss with the Tomb Guardians to draw a portion of the "Essence" for his own Extraordinary Cultivation... That would carry certain risks.

Although Qingzhong is a miraculous place in the East Continent, harboring seas of Essence, Wind Eye constantly monitors the extraordinaire phenomena outside the tomb. Once someone tried to "steal" Essence, they would immediately be discovered by the three institutes.

But now, the wildflowers on Divine Temple Mountain had directly solved Gu Shen’s greatest problem.

Chi Huo swam through the flower beds.

This large mass of dark flowering shadows rippled with "terror," but alas, they had become "food" at this instance, as Chi Huo opened its gaping maw, sweeping away the black spots wherever it passed!

This scene looked somewhat comical...

The hills and fields of Black Flowers, panicking as they swayed from side to side, trying to escape from the flower-eating youth.

Before Gu Shen, a large expanse of cliff face had been cleared.

The previously suffocating darkness that filled the space around him had now eased somewhat, no longer oppressive.

"...Burp!"

The little flame, having eaten its fill, contentedly made its way back, leisurely swaying to return to Gu Shen’s brow.

Gu Shen tried with his intent, hoping for it to eat a bit more from the opposite side.

Chi Huo remained indifferent, sprawling out lazily... Finally, the little flame made a gesture, shaking its head at Gu Shen, signaling that it was truly full and could eat no more.

About half an hour had passed... The stone wall before him had been eaten clean, but...

As he looked up.

Before him lay endless hills and fields of flowers, mountainous flower seas.

Compared to the one cliff wall, it was truly tiny, insignificantly so, pitifully tiny.

After urging twice more to no avail, Chi Huo completely gave in; Gu Shen felt a bit embarrassed as he turned to look at Li Qingci.

"...I’ve done my best."

Li Qingci fell into silence.

Just now, as she observed the process of Chi Huo devouring the black spots, she had spotted the problem.

Perhaps it was because the youth before her was not yet strong enough.

At this rate... the black spots of Divine Temple Mountain might be cleared one day.

But she, most likely, would not live to see that day.