The Lord of Flowers had always been passive, or rather, had dealt with challenges with casual ease, as if merely playing a game. But now, for the first time, the Lord of Flowers attacked proactively, charging forward with a momentum that suggested mountains toppling, a terrifying sight that left no room for evasion.

Though Youxiang’s strength wasn't supreme, her combat experience was vast. Facing the Lord of Flowers’ sudden charge, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion. Even she could see that continuing the current course of action offered her a minuscule chance of victory. The Lord of Flowers surely understood this too; so why choose such an unconventional method of attack?

Even for Youxiang, knowing how to react in this moment was difficult. She even suspected it was a stratagem of the Lord of Flowers, but… did one truly need a scheme to deal with someone of her level?

The thought struck Youxiang as laughable even to herself.

Youxiang could not fathom the Lord of Flowers' true intentions, but she had no time to ponder, for his assault was swift and fierce. In an instant, he breached the myriad of demonic plant formations she controlled, his hands moving so fast she could barely track them, shredding the surrounding flora into pieces and closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Close combat was Youxiang’s specialty, yet seeing the Lord of Flowers’ attack, she didn't charge forward as usual. Instead, she rapidly retreated, simultaneously commanding more demonic plants to interfere… Though impulsive, she was no fool; engaging the Lord of Flowers in a melee would be courting death.

“Good judgment, but mere defense won't lead you to the strongest. Besides…”

The Lord of Flowers spoke as he moved, the terrifying demonic plants seeming like mere wisps of cloud to him, utterly incapable of halting his advance. Before he finished his sentence, he broke through the encirclement of flora and materialized before Youxiang, unleashing a palm strike.

Youxiang’s expression shifted drastically. Knowing evasion was impossible, she could only raise both arms in defense.

Boom!

“Too slow.”

As the Lord of Flowers completed his sentence, his attack landed squarely on Youxiang’s arms, instantly blasting her away. While demonic plants positioned behind her were ready to cushion the fall, preventing a truly disastrous landing, the blood staining the air as she flew suggested she had taken a severe blow.

“A living Lord of Flowers is hard to handle, but if you wish to become the strongest, you must pass me,” the Lord of Flowers said, remaining rooted to the spot instead of pressing his advantage.

Towards Youxiang, the Lord of Flowers’ initial disregard had morphed into genuine appreciation. Of course, this was the admiration a senior holds for a junior. Both were Flower Demons; in that regard, they were kin.

The Lord of Flowers felt a profound sense of emotion regarding Youxiang’s fighting spirit and ambition, as these were paths he had never considered or walked himself. He felt a slight anticipation for what the future held for this little Flower Demon.

Unbeknownst to him, he had transitioned from the challenged to the challenger—or rather, the tester.

Testing whether Youxiang possessed the inherent qualities to become the strongest.

However, this did not mean the Lord of Flowers would hold back.

On the contrary, he would exert even greater effort.

If she couldn't even pass this trial set by him, then the notion of becoming the strongest would be a mere farce, as he himself was only a second-tier Lord, with countless demons surpassing him. If she lacked sufficient strength and resolve, then she might as well die here; at least, dying by his hand wouldn't be overly painful.

The mechanics of the battle remained unchanged, but its meaning had shifted profoundly. Compared to simply dispatching a challenger at the outset, the Lord of Flowers now looked forward with greater anticipation to the moment of his own defeat.

But anticipation was one thing; the battle was another.

Listening to the Lord of Flowers, Youxiang sensed a subtle difference in him, though she didn't dwell on it. Immediately, she regrouped her forces… and resumed the fight!

This battle raged from morning until afternoon. Abandoning control over the demonic plants represented a massive loss of combat power for the Lord of Flowers, given that this was the Flower Field, teeming with countless flora.

Youxiang’s resonance had reached its limit—but only concerning the quantity of demonic plants she could control. It wasn't that she couldn't resonate with other plants. If some of her controlled plants were annihilated by the Lord of Flowers, new ones would instantly sprout due to the soul resonance. As long as she herself wasn't critically injured, her overall combat capability would suffer little loss.

It was this very resilience that allowed her to entangle the Lord of Flowers for this long.

Beyond that, however, the Lord of Flowers’ invisible restraint was also a factor. While he wouldn't actively conserve his strength, he was subconsciously holding back to some degree. At the very least, when Youxiang erred or grew careless and fell into a disadvantage, he would not press the advantage mercilessly.

Once or twice, this might go unnoticed, but after repeated instances, Youxiang naturally became aware. After all, at the Lord of Flowers’ level, failing to exploit such clear openings would be the true joke.

Thus, by this point, Youxiang had grasped the Lord of Flowers’ true intention.

This realization left Youxiang feeling complex emotions. Her purpose in coming here was to challenge the Lord of Flowers—or more bluntly, to kill him. Yet, he was intentionally holding back at every turn, even taking on the role of a tester, making her feel uncomfortably like a villain.

However, Youxiang quickly suppressed this internal conflict because the Lord of Flowers wasn't entirely relenting; many of his attacks were still potentially fatal, signaling to her that this 'tester' was also a being who could easily end her life.

The Lord of Flowers didn't state it outright, and Youxiang didn't press the issue. She knew that having reached this stage, retreating was no longer an option. There was only one thing left to do… Defeat the Lord of Flowers!

The fight paused for no one, flowing from afternoon to dusk, from dusk to night, and from night back toward dawn. Both were invested at two hundred percent; by this juncture, the challenger was no longer just a challenger, and the tester was no longer just a tester. Beyond the fight itself, their minds were singularly focused.

As a Lord-level demon, it was hardly surprising that the Lord of Flowers could sustain fighting for a full day and night. As for Youxiang? In her original state, she certainly couldn't—

And yet!

The Natural Attunement had not only granted her the peak of recovery and the apex of defense, but it had also bestowed upon her the ultimate offensive power.

When the morning sun pierced the clouds and shone down upon the earth once more, everything revived, flowers bloomed in profusion, and the world seemed bursting with vitality… Youxiang seized this precise moment, this opportune timing. As she evaded an attack from the Lord of Flowers, she leaped skyward in a flash.

The Lord of Flowers sensed danger and immediately moved to pursue, but as he looked up, a ray of sunlight shot directly toward him. Youxiang’s body was positioned just before that beam of light, making her appear for an instant as if the entire sun were her silhouette… In that single moment, the Lord of Flowers was momentarily stunned.

And it was in this fleeting moment of distraction that the key to the battle’s outcome was decided.

Behind Youxiang, the light that had been a gentle warmth instantly intensified into a blinding brilliance that forced one to shut their eyes. It then seemed to coalesce into a flower, spreading rapidly outward… After a brief moment, the flower took form: a sunflower, but unlike any ordinary sunflower, for it was vast enough to inspire utter despair.

It blotted out the sky and continued to swell, seemingly without end.

If Lin Luo were present, he would instantly recognize this move. During his first entry into Gensokyo and his initial encounter with Youmu Konpaku, she had used this exact technique against him—a comprehensive, map-clearing bombardment… Lin Luo had jokingly dubbed it the "Kikyou Cannon."

Originally, even if Youxiang had learned this technique, her current strength wouldn't allow her to use it. But at this moment, aided by the Natural Attunement, she absorbed the power of every plant in the Flower Field, causing her magical power to surge past several levels, finally enabling her to unleash this technique prematurely.

As the Kikyou Cannon erupted, the Lord of Flowers’ face paled, but he had nowhere left to retreat. By the time he registered the danger, the bombardment was already descending, with all avenues of escape—front, back, left, and right—sealed off.

The Lord of Flowers had only one option left: defense!

Boom! Boom-boom!! Boom-boom-boom!!!

The bullet-hell battles of Gensokyo, centuries later, were pre-enacted at this moment. Countless projectiles rained down upon the ground. Though many missed their target entirely, firing wildly, the Lord of Flowers, caught within the map-clearing radius, endured the most concentrated barrage of fire.

This bombardment lasted for a full minute. When the sounds of explosion finally ceased, the entire Flower Field was a wreck. Looking toward the Lord of Flowers, he was still standing, but!

Youxiang drifted down from the sky, slightly unsteady. She made no further attempt to attack, simply gazing at the Lord of Flowers nearby.

The Lord of Flowers looked back at her, a faint smile touching his lips, and said, “You accurately targeted the weakness left by my excessive power drainage and executed an unavoidable map-clearing attack. Though the tactic itself wasn't sophisticated, in terms of outcome, you succeeded… Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Youxiang nodded, a trace of melancholy shadowing her face.

The Lord of Flowers understood the source of her melancholy. He smiled faintly. “Don't dwell on it. I never held much attachment to life anyway; being able to live one last time to this extent is satisfying enough. As for you… since you have successfully crossed this threshold of mine, continue forging ahead into the world. Don't just be a Lord of Flowers; be the eternal Lord of Flowers!”

With those words, the Lord of Flowers’ body instantly dissolved into sparks of fire and vanished completely.

The Lord of Flowers was defeated!

And yet, Youxiang, the victor, showed no joy of triumph on her face, for she knew that this victory was largely owed to the Lord of Flowers’ deliberate mercy. Otherwise, winning was out of the question; she wouldn't have lasted this long.

This battle taught Youxiang that she was still a significant distance away from truly impacting the wider world.

However, just as the Lord of Flowers had said, she had successfully stepped onto the world's stage!

“Master, Koishi… I did it.”

P.S.: I was rushed today, so there is only one chapter. I’ll strive for three tomorrow. Also, the arc concerning the inverse causality should conclude tomorrow, followed by the highly anticipated plotline concerning the shrine maiden. Please look forward to it.

Finally, I must ask for monthly votes. Please cast yours. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian () to cast recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)