Lu Shaohua stood frozen. Her lips trembled as her eyes darted from the unconscious man on the ground to Wei Ji's calm figure.

The air was thick with the scent of crushed flowers and faint traces of blood.

The stranger lay sprawled on the dirt, his robes wrinkled, his sword half-buried in the grass. She blinked rapidly, her voice finally breaking the silence.

"What happened? Why… why did he just collapse like that?"

Wei Ji turned his head slowly, his expression unreadable. "No idea," he said, his tone calm, almost indifferent. Then he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

A faint rustle echoed from the garden.

The vines and roots beneath the soil trembled, then burst forth, wrapping around the man's limbs like living snakes.

Lu Shaohua gasped as the plant dragged the unconscious man backward, pulling him across the dirt. "Young master Han Ji—"

Wei Ji simply watched, his eyes half-lidded. "Don't worry. He won't die. The earth will keep him quiet for now."

The vines continued their slow work, dragging the man until his body sank beneath the ground. The soil shifted once more and sealed itself, leaving only a small mound and the faint sound of rustling roots fading away.

Silence lingered in the courtyard. Wei Ji's gaze drifted across the scene, his brows furrowing slightly. "What happened to this courtyard?" he asked softly. His eyes wandered across the space that used to be a simple, calm resting spot.

Now, it was covered in flowers of every color—roses, lilies, spirit orchids, glowing moonpetals that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The air was dense with spiritual energy.

"This used to be a quiet place," he murmured. "But now, it feels like a formation disguised as a garden."

Lu Shaohua looked down, her fingers nervously brushing her sleeves. "I… I wanted to make it beautiful, young master Han Ji. But I think I may have gone too far."

Wei Ji turned to her, curious. "You used the spells I taught you, didn't you? Tell me exactly what you did."

She nodded quickly, gathering her courage. "Yes, young master. I followed your instructions at first. The first one was the Spirit Root Binding Technique. You told me it was good for making the soil fertile and strengthening the life force of nearby plants. I memorized the incantation and drew the pattern exactly like you said. But when I did it… something strange happened. The roots started growing too fast. They began merging with the Qi lines underground, spreading farther than I expected."

Wei Ji crossed his arms, listening quietly.

"The second spell was the Floral Qi Enhancement Seal," she continued, her voice steadying as she spoke. "You said it would help flowers bloom faster and recover from damage. I used it at the edge of the garden. But instead of blooming once an hour, the flowers started cycling endlessly. They would bloom, wither, and bloom again. Each cycle released more Qi into the air. I didn't stop because I thought it might be normal…"

Wei Ji raised an eyebrow. "You let it run for how long?"

"Three hours," she whispered.

He sighed softly, shaking his head. "Three hours… no wonder the air here feels so dense."

Lu Shaohua bowed her head. "I'm sorry, young master Han Ji. Then I tried the last one, the Spirit Web Formation. You said it was a simple energy network that linked all plants together, so I thought it would help balance the flow. But when I drew the formation, it reacted to the flowers' Qi and turned into something else. I think it became… alive."

Wei Ji's eyes narrowed slightly. "Alive?"

"Yes," she said, her tone uncertain. "I can feel it breathing sometimes. When I walk through the courtyard, I can sense its presence. It's like the flowers are watching me. Their petals shift whenever I pass by. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but even now—"

She looked around nervously. The petals of the nearest rose trembled faintly, opening wider as if listening.

Wei Ji stared at it for a while, then finally smiled faintly. "So you combined three different techniques and let them merge on their own?"

Lu Shaohua looked guilty. "I didn't mean to. It just happened. I thought I could control it."

Wei Ji crouched and touched the soil. His fingers brushed against the roots hidden beneath the surface. A low hum vibrated through the ground, a pulse of life that was steady and strong. The Qi was rich, thicker than any mortal soil should be capable of holding.

"This shouldn't be possible," he murmured. "These roots are weaving together like a spirit network. Even I couldn't make something this stable before."

Lu Shaohua hesitated. "I only followed your words, young master Han Ji. But when I was chanting, I felt something inside me… guiding my hands. The words came easier. The symbols made sense. And when the spell completed, I could see the energy paths with my eyes. I thought maybe I was imagining it, but I wasn't."

Wei Ji stood up and looked at her carefully. "You saw the energy paths?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes. They looked like thin silver threads running through the ground and into the flowers. When I touched one, I could feel the pulse of Qi moving through it. It wasn't cold or hot. It just… flowed. Like water."

Wei Ji's eyes flickered with faint amusement. "You've awakened a special perception then. Most cultivators can't see that until they reach the Golden Core stage. You're still in the Body Refining stage, right?" he asked because he taught her the cultivation levels earlier. So she's aware.

She nodded again. "Third stage, young master."

He smiled faintly. "Then this isn't normal. You might have some unique connection to nature itself. The fut–" He stopped as he realized that he's about to blurt the Celestial Demon Empress, and then continued naturally to avoid confusion, "a special power must already be blooming within you because you're special."

Her cheeks turned red. "Please don't say that. I'm not anyone great. I'm just someone who likes flowers."

Wei Ji chuckled. "And yet your flowers nearly created a spiritual domain. You've reshaped the Qi flow of the entire courtyard. If someone steps here carelessly, they might get absorbed into the roots."

Her eyes widened. "I… I didn't know it was that dangerous!"

He waved his hand lightly. "It's fine. No one will enter without my permission. And besides, it's impressive work."

She looked at him in surprise. "You're not angry?"

Wei Ji smiled. "Why would I be angry? You took my lessons and made them your own. That's something even the best disciples rarely do. But tell me, how did you strengthen them so much? I can feel at least tenfold the normal energy output."

Lu Shaohua looked thoughtful for a moment. "When I was drawing the seals, I noticed that the Qi patterns you taught me had gaps between them. Small ones, almost invisible. But I felt that if I connected those gaps using my own Qi, the flow would become smoother. So I did. And it worked. The energy no longer scattered—it circulated perfectly. The more I practiced, the stronger it became."

Wei Ji blinked, stunned for a moment. Then he laughed quietly. "You rewrote the formation design. Without any reference."

She hesitated. "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No. You did something incredible. It takes centuries for cultivators to develop that level of intuition. You have a gift."

Her expression softened, a faint smile appearing. "Thank you, young master Han Ji."

Wei Ji looked around again, his mind spinning. The courtyard wasn't just a garden anymore—it was a living formation, pulsing with spiritual life. The flowers swayed lightly even without wind, glowing faintly as if they recognized him.

He took a deep breath and smiled faintly. "So, you made this by combining instinct and theory."

She nodded. "Yes, young master."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. Maybe I should try it too."

Lu Shaohua blinked in confusion. "Try what?"

Wei Ji's eyes gleamed faintly as he looked around. "Your method," he said softly. Then, as if speaking to himself, he muttered, "Should I try it also?"

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