In the center of a half-formed lake, surrounded by cracked earth and lifeless dust, a single flower stood.
It pulsed faintly with light, beautiful and unreal, its petals rippling like soft silk in a wind that didn't exist.
There was not a single blade of grass around it. No roots. No explanation.
If that wasn't suspicious, nothing was.
Wang Xian narrowed his eyes. "Huh… is this a phantom?"
The flower shimmered like a mirage. After watching it closely for a moment and sensing no danger, he reached out cautiously.
His fingers passed right through it.
An illusion.
"Strange," he muttered.
"Ooh!" Cheng Yao stepped up beside him, her curiosity piqued. "Lemme try!"
To both their surprise, her hand didn't phase through.
It touched the petals.
The flower bent slightly beneath her fingers.
Wang Xian: "…"
Cheng Yao: "…"
"Uncle?" she blinked at him. "What's going on?"
Wang Xian didn't answer. He tried again—but just like before, his hand went through thin air.
He stared at the flower now cupped in Cheng Yao's palms. She could touch it. He couldn't.
And suddenly, he knew.
"…Yaoyao," he said slowly, trying to keep the rising anticipation out of his voice. "See if it has attributes."
Everything had attributes now. If Cheng Yao could see them...
"Oh wow! Uncle, it does!" she squealed. "Listen to this!"
[Flower of the Gods]A divine bloom formed by the last remnants of a fallen god. A rare marvel of heaven and earth.Consumable.
Wang Xian's lips twitched.
Yep. Just as he'd guessed.
The Flower God transfer item.
Falling out of the freaking sky like a scene from a fantasy novel. And it only responds to her. She's the chosen one.
Ridiculous.
"Uncle, here!" Cheng Yao held the flower out to him.
Wang Xian stared. "What are you doing?"
"I'm giving it to you, of course!" she beamed. "It's super powerful, right? You eat it. You'll definitely get stronger!"
Wang Xian blinked. "You're seriously giving up a once-in-a-lifetime treasure?"
Cheng Yao nodded earnestly. "Uncle's already awesome. I'm just a newbie. If you use it, it'll be way more valuable. And I can keep hugging your thigh, so win-win!"
He stared into her eyes.
No hesitation. No false modesty.
Just trust.
"…Okay then," he said softly.
And then flicked her forehead. Hard.
"Oww!" she yelped, clutching her head. "Uncle! That hurt!"
Wang Xian smirked. "You brat. Trying to scam me just because I can't touch it? You trying to make me cry from gratitude?"
"I was being serious!" she pouted. "You're the worst!"
"Just teasing," he said with a chuckle, patting her on the head. She flinched like a startled deer. "Relax, I'm not gonna flick you again. Not right now."
"You're really the worst uncle ever," she grumbled, cheeks puffed.
"Better grow up fast, then," Wang Xian grinned. "Hurry up and eat the flower. Let's see what happens."
"Okay~"
She plucked a petal and popped it into her mouth.
"…Well?" he asked.
"Mmm. Tastes great!"
"…That's not what I meant."
He waited a moment.
No aura. No skill prompt. No glowing light.
"Again," Wang Xian said.
Cheng Yao shrugged and ate another.
Still nothing.
"Okay, all of it," Wang Xian sighed.
This time, she didn't hold back.
She stuffed the entire flower into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed with a satisfied sigh.
And then—everything changed.
Petals erupted from thin air, massive and iridescent. They whirled around her like dancers, forming a towering blossom two meters high.
The petals folded inward.
Cheng Yao vanished inside.
"Definitely the Flower God transfer," Wang Xian muttered, eyes gleaming. "No doubt."
He stepped back and stood guard, casually smashing a few nosy monsters who came too close.
After what felt like an hour, the flower began to bloom.
Gently. Grandly.
Cheng Yao stood in the center, her eyes still closed.
And she had changed.
Her aura shimmered with divine radiance. Her skin glowed like the surface of a pearl. Her hair flowed longer, glossier. Her body—taller, curvier, more ethereal.
She looked like she'd stepped out of a dream.
Wang Xian blinked.
Then his nose started bleeding.
-1-1-1
Tiny white numbers floated up from his head.
"Uncle? What's wrong?" Cheng Yao opened her eyes and saw him bleeding.
She rushed forward in concern.
The motion caused… a certain bounce.
Wang Xian's nosebleed intensified.
-1-1-1
And then Cheng Yao noticed the problem.
She glanced down.
Her eyes widened.
"AHHHHHH!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around herself.
Wang Xian spun around so fast he almost dislocated his neck.
"Crap, crap, sorry—didn't mean to look!"
Behind him, frantic rustling sounds followed.
"Why didn't you say something?!"
"I was bleeding out of my face! What more of a warning do you need?!"
"You're such a perv!"
"I'm not the one who exploded out of a divine flower looking like a goddess after a beach day!"
Cheng Yao, red-faced and flustered, eventually emerged fully dressed—sort of. The flower's transformation hadn't included much in the way of armor.
Still, she looked more radiant than ever.
"Uncle," she said coldly, arms crossed.
Wang Xian winced. "Yeah?"
"…Did you at least think I was pretty?"
He hesitated.
"…I thought you were an angel. So yes."
Her face softened slightly.
"…Still not forgiving you."
"Fair," Wang Xian sighed.
But as the tension faded, he grinned to himself.
The Flower God had bloomed.
And the world had no idea what was coming next.