Chapter 136: The Blossoming of Calamity

On the edge of a cliff at Green Bamboo Mountain, Gao Siyuan’s face betrayed a hint of surprise as he reviewed the latest reports from the outside world.

Most of these updates concerned disaster relief. As a faction supported by the Prefecture Governor, the Gao family naturally had to heed the Governor’s call. To maintain appearances, they had even repeatedly slowed their search for the Corpse Daoist, though they had secretly laid traps in the shadows, waiting for him to surface—only for the target to remain completely unresponsive.

Gao Siyuan did not place much stock in these reports; they were merely a way to exchange money and resources for the satisfaction of Governor Qi Xiuning. However, one piece of intelligence from Yanhuo Island caught his attention.

"The Corpse Daoist was spotted in Qinghe County, suspected of hiding within the Taiping Sect?"

Gao Siyuan frowned, gazing toward the direction of Qinghe County. He had originally intended to wipe out the Taiping Sect, but the matter of the Corpse Daoist had caused delays. Now, with this new information, hesitation took root in his heart.

"The Taiping Sect was fostered by the Lu family. If the Corpse Daoist is truly hiding there, does that mean he is a pawn of the Lu family?"

"Qingyuan Prefecture is not that large. With the backing of the Prefecture Governor’s office, only the Lu and Wen families have the power to make a man vanish into thin air, leaving my Gao family unable to find a single trace."

"That must be it. The old ghost of the Lu family is severely wounded, so he specifically sought out the Corpse Daoist and provided him with assistance, prompting him to strike at my Gao family to muddy the waters of Qingyuan Prefecture and keep both my family and the Governor’s office in check."

As his thoughts collided and linked together, a rough outline of a conspiracy took shape in Gao Siyuan’s mind. Although this news had come abruptly, he felt an inexplicable intuition that the Corpse Daoist was indeed inside the Taiping Sect.

"Based on the intelligence gathered previously, the Lu family’s Qi-refining experts have all withdrawn to their ancestral lands. Perhaps I really should make a trip to Qinghe County to see what is hidden within that Taiping Sect."

With his mind made up, Gao Siyuan’s resolve to travel to Qinghe County solidified. This time, he did not hesitate. After giving brief instructions to create the illusion that he remained on Green Bamboo Mountain, he slipped away alone, quietly heading toward Qinghe County. If the Corpse Daoist was truly a pawn of the Lu family, he had to keep his journey as secret as possible to avoid attracting their attention; for all he knew, there might be Lu family spies on Green Bamboo Mountain itself.

***

While Gao Siyuan made his way to Qinghe County, a strange transformation was unfolding at a water pulse node in the upper reaches of the Qingyuan River.

The original tranquility of the node had long since vanished. Endless grievances converged from all directions, evolving into chilling winds accompanied by mournful wails, turning the place into a living hell. A figure in black robes stood silently, protected by a veil of true energy, as if waiting for something.

At a certain moment, the wailing within the node reached a crescendo. The clear spring water surged and turned completely red with blood. An exotic flower took root and sprouted within the sanguine pool, blooming into a pure white blossom. It remained untainted by the filth, standing in stark contrast to the bloody spring from which it drew life.

Upon sensing the birth of this exotic flower, the black-robed figure, who had been standing with eyes half-closed, suddenly snapped them open.

"The Calamity Water Flower! Ha! It really is the Calamity Water Flower. It is done—it is finally done."

"With floods raging and the grievances of the people boiling over, this flower has finally matured by absorbing the boundless resentment of the masses. With this spiritual treasure, forging my Dao Foundation is no longer a mere fantasy."

Focusing his senses, he felt the immense spirituality within the Calamity Water Flower. He knew his schemes had not been in vain. His joy reached its peak; he had waited too long for this day.

Spiritual treasures are wondrous items derived from the desires of sentient beings, precipitated by heaven and earth. They are rich in spiritual essence and can be used by cultivators to forge a Dao Foundation. However, such treasures are rare and their natural formation is highly unpredictable, making them difficult to acquire. Thus, some had delved into the essence of these treasures, creating secret arts to artificially catalyze their birth. While these methods varied, they all shared one common requirement: a sufficient amount of human desire and resentment.

*Hum.* The moment the Calamity Water Flower fully manifested, a terrifying suction force erupted from its body, devouring the surrounding resentment and forming a massive vortex.

Standing within it, the man in black heard the hideous laughter of evil spirits and the wailing of thousands. It felt as if a demon were chewing on the souls of the people. Influenced by this, his mind wavered for a moment, but his will was firm, and he quickly shook off the effect.

Time passed in silence. After about the length of an incense stick, the resentment at the water pulse node had been completely devoured. The Calamity Water Flower emitted rays of spiritual light, showing signs of blooming. Seeing this, the final weight lifted from the man’s heart.

"My methods were limited, and the amount of human resentment I could channel was not vast. Fortunately, this disaster was widespread and lasted long enough, or else there might have truly been an accident."

***

The man in black stared at the Calamity Water Flower, his eyes filled with obsession, unable to see anything else.

It was at that moment, having absorbed enough resentment, that the flower finally began to bloom slowly. In an instant, a spiritual radiance enveloped the entire water pulse node. However, the moment it fully opened, a sliver of bone-deep hatred converged, forming a hideous, ghostly face branded onto the center of the flower, staining its pure spirituality with an ominous aura.

Noticing this change, the man in black’s expression turned grave.

"The secret art obtained by my family indeed has flaws."

His gaze fell upon that hideous face, and he felt a visceral sense of dread as the hatred seeped into his heart.

"If this hatred remains, there will likely be complications when using this item to forge my Dao Foundation. But regardless, it is a glimmer of hope—perhaps my only hope."

"Having reached this point, there is no turning back for my family."

With a soft sigh and without further hesitation, he channeled his secret arts and reached out to pluck the Calamity Water Flower.

The moment it was plucked, the water pulse node shuddered, causing the entire Qingyuan River to react. The river waters surged violently, showing signs of flooding once more.

This sudden turn of events shocked countless people. The floods in Qingyuan Prefecture had only just receded, and the aftermath had yet to be fully managed. If a new flood were to break out, it would truly create a humanitarian tragedy. More importantly, this upheaval of the Qingyuan River was more abrupt than the last, arriving without any warning.

Fortunately, the river's rampage came and went quickly, and no actual flood occurred. Countless people breathed a sigh of relief, but the anomaly drew the attention of many, who began to investigate the Qingyuan River.

Meanwhile, as the water pulse of the Qingyuan River trembled once more, a pair of dark blue eyes quietly opened within a hidden node that had yet to be discovered.