Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2864: The Cradle Of Lotuses

Lin Mu reached the end of the narrow tube and felt the ground suddenly open up before him.

SHUA

With a small flick of his fingers, a wisp of immortal flame illuminated the space, revealing a massive cavern stretching far into the distance.

His eyes widened.

A colossal underground lake shimmered beneath him, its surface calm and mirror-like, disturbed only by faint ripples of Qi that danced atop the water.

The cavern ceiling arched high overhead, covered in faintly glowing moss that bathed the entire area in a serene green-blue light.

And there, floating atop the lake, were hundreds of lotuses.

Each one resembled the mutated lotus he had seen earlier—violet petals etched with green veins, glowing softly as if imbued with a living essence.

The air was thick with Wood Elemental Qi—no, more than that. It was as if the very laws of nature here bent toward growth and life.

Lin Mu took a slow breath and immediately felt his body respond.

His Wood Core stirred gently, resonating with the Qi around him.

”This place…” Lin Mu muttered under his breath. ”Itʼs like a hidden paradise.”

The lotuses bobbed gently with the rhythm of the lake, seemingly aware of his presence. A few turned subtly in his direction, as if peeking at him through unseen senses.

Lin Mu floated above the lake and released his immortal sense again, sweeping across the entire cavern.

There were precisely three hundred and twenty-four lotus plants, each deeply rooted in the lakebed.

Some of them were small, no larger than his palm. Others were massive, spanning several meters wide, their petals opening like ancient scrolls revealing secrets.

Each one radiated a unique pattern of Qi—some purely Wood, others mixed with Water or Earth. A few even had faint traces of Light Dao in them.

It was no ordinary cultivation ground.

It was a living domain.

Lin Mu descended slowly and landed on a natural stone platform at the edge of the lake. He crouched down and placed a hand on the ground.

The stone was warm. Qi coursed through it like veins in flesh, pulsing in harmony with the rhythm of the lake.

”This must be the origin of the Green Petal Urim Lotus…” Lin Mu murmured. ”Theyʼre different from the Violet Petal Urim Lotuses too.” he saw.

Normal Violet Petal Urim Lotuses were wood elemental plants. So far Lin Mu hadnʼt seen them show affinity to the other elements. But now Lin Mu was seeing something entirely else.

The mutated Urim Lotuses here seemed to have varied affinities. While they all had the base affinity to the wood element, a few among them had taken on a liking for other elements too. Lin Mu saw Earth, Water, Wind and even Light!

It was unknown how they had done this or if this was even normal. This made Lin Mu think back to what he had learned about the Green Petal Urim Lotus before.

ʼThe Abbot didnʼt mention anything about its elemental affinity.ʼ He realized. ʼDoes this mean they can have multiple affinities? Then what can these even be called?ʼ he wondered.

His heart stirred as he realized the truth—this lake wasnʼt merely the hiding place of one lotus.

It was the cradle of all of them.

A sacred grove hidden beneath the mundane farmland of a nameless peak.

No wonder the Abbot had never found it. No one wouldʼve thought to look here.

He stood and extended his hand once more. A faint flicker of green light echoed in response from the lotuses.

They were watching him.

Testing him.

But they werenʼt hostile.

They were… waiting.

Waiting for something.

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, then sat down cross-legged at the edge of the platform. He closed his eyes, letting the environment flow into him.

Wood Qi surged in gently, like the tide of a nurturing ocean. His breathing slowed. His thoughts stilled.

A connection formed.

Not just with the lake or the cavern—

—but with the lotus field itself.

He saw a vision.

A giant lotus standing alone in the void, its petals cycling through colors—violet, green, gold.

It opened slowly, revealing a radiant core of Qi so pure it made his own cores tremble.

A voice echoed faintly within his consciousness.

”Root yourself… in patience. Let the world bloom.”

Lin Muʼs eyes opened, but he did not stand.

Instead, he sat still, heart calm, as the lotuses gently swayed in acknowledgment.

This was no longer just a discovery.

It was a calling.

The lotuses began to move.

Not from the wind—there was none here.

But as if in response to Lin Muʼs stillness, the blooms swayed in unison, petals curling and unfolding rhythmically.

SHHHAAA

A soft rustling echoed across the cavern, like leaves whispering in ancient tongues.

The entire lake shimmered, each lotus glowing faintly in hues of violet and green. The light wasnʼt harsh; it pulsed gently, forming ripples of energy that flowed across the cavern like a heartbeat.

Lin Mu watched with awe as the petals shifted in patterns, forming runes and shapes he had only seen in ancient texts. It was not language, yet it conveyed intent.

The intent of growth.

Of renewal.

And of balance.

Without realizing it, Lin Muʼs breathing slowed even further. His mind became weightless. The Wood Core in his body pulsed in harmony with the lotus field, and a golden thread of Qi rose from his chest, floating upward.

His vision blurred.

WOOM

Suddenly, his mind was no longer in the cavern.

He was standing in a vast, endless forest—so old and so deep that the sky could not be seen. Immense trees towered like mountains, their canopies blocking even divine light.

And in this place, the ground breathed.

Vines crept gently around his legs, not to trap, but to welcome. Leaves swirled overhead like butterflies, releasing a calm fragrance that settled into his soul.

From within the trees came a hum.

It was not sound—but something deeper.

A Litany.

And with that, something stirred within Lin Mu.