Chapter Ten: Extinguishing the Letter
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“Oh—he’s gone.”
“Where did that young man go?”
As the breeze vanished, the little flower spirits—Purple Flame Orchid, Seven-Colored Pansy, Green Chive—came bouncing out, glancing about in confusion, wondering where the young man had disappeared to.
A gentle wind stirred, filling the air with the brilliance of myriad blossoms and a delicate fragrance that brought a refreshing calm to the heart.
Little Lily was utterly astonished.
Clearly, the breeze had not left; he was less than fifty feet away from them, and yet they could not see him?
“Little one, I told you I wasn’t lying to you.”
“How did you do that?”
“Do you want to know?”
“I suppose I do,” Little Lily admitted, torn.
“Alright, today I’ll broaden your horizons. Watch closely.”
Catching sight of her dazed expression, the breeze gave a soft laugh, deciding to reveal his true abilities.
He turned his palm over, and a faint glimmer of cosmic light slowly emerged. Instantly, the surrounding void quivered, and an indescribable aura appeared.
Little Lily was about to speak, but for reasons she could not explain, the sight of that cosmic light made her fall silent, her heart pounding as if it would leap from her chest.
An ancient annihilation slip, exuding a scent of distant ages, hovered above the breeze’s palm, flickering with the cosmic light.
The slip was not large. Its edges were ink green, the center a vibrant jade, with both ends gently curved.
The surface was etched with the marks of time: seventeen sharp blue-green lines flowing and intertwining with exquisite order, composing a soul-stirring tableau known as the Azure Calamity Roaring at the Cosmos.
The Azure Calamity depicted was so lifelike—in high spirits, eyes blazing, roaring at the starry vault—that it sent a shudder of primal fear through any who beheld it, as though they faced a supreme, ferocious spirit.
Most of the slip’s aura was held in check by the breeze; otherwise, the space around would have shattered and collapsed under its ripples.
Little Lily’s heart leaped into her throat.
She recalled having seen something similar before...
The breeze admired the treasure, unable to conceal his satisfaction. Even one as fastidious as he could not find a single flaw.
This was an artifact coveted even by the lords of cultivation domains.
It was called an annihilation slip.
The more lines inscribed upon it, the greater its value.
Two years ago, three Longevity Annihilation Slips were lost from the Celestial Longevity Realm; a group of ancient guardians nearly tore the place apart, raising such a clamor that the Star Sea Sanctuary had to intervene. Yet even those slips bore only fifteen lines—far fewer than this one.
The slip in the breeze’s hand was a gift from a doting elder. If it were made public, it would spark a storm and plunge the star regions into chaos.
The Azure Calamity depicted was legendary—a once-invincible spirit that had rampaged through the spiritual cosmos, defying even the supreme immortal lords, fierce and violent, ultimately meeting its end in the netherworld. Its body was discovered by the breeze’s elder and forged into this annihilation slip.
Rustle, rustle...
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Little Lily’s whole body shivered with shock.
That peerless fiend on the slip had long since perished, yet the ferocity in its gaze was undiminished, as if it still looked down upon the cosmos, roaring its invincibility and glory of ages past.
A single glance nearly made her soul flee her body.
“Opened your eyes, haven’t you? Don’t stare at it— even I can’t gaze upon it for long. Beware, or you’ll lose your cultivation.” The breeze sent a wisp of clarity into Little Lily.
Her mind cleared, though she still felt lingering dread. In a small voice, she asked, “That’s an annihilation slip, isn’t it? I heard the seniors in the Sea of Flowers say that thirteen lines make it a divine slip, but yours has seventeen...”
“Haha, you’re quite discerning.”
“To tell you the truth, even the exalted gods of your Sea of Flowers could never possess a slip of this rank,” the breeze said with a laugh.
Little Lily was shaken, but in her heart, the gods of the Sea of Flowers were supreme and infallible—she could not bear others belittling them. At once, she was indignant.
So arrogant!
How dare he claim even the gods of the Sea of Flowers did not have one?
“Our gods in the Sea of Flowers are boundless in power and noble in status. Slips like that? Pah, they have seventy or eighty lines! Yours is nothing special,” she retorted, dissatisfied.
“Bluffing without even thinking it through, are you?”
The breeze flicked the green hair binding her, the little thing swaying near his ear but no longer hurting—he had already learned his lesson from her earth-shaking wails.
Her stubbornness amused him, and her spirited arguments were quite entertaining.
“Lead the way. Take me to the most formidable spirit around, and I’ll show you the might of a god-tier annihilation slip,” the breeze said, deliberately showing off with a sidelong glance.
Little Lily ground her teeth in secret.
She wished a senior of the Sea of Flowers would appear to put this arrogant youth in his place, leave him battered and bruised, unable to even crawl up from the ground.
But he held an Illusory Order, making him an honored guest of the Sea of Flowers. No spirit, no matter how mighty, would dare harm him; otherwise, it would be an affront to Lord Fan Bamboo Heaven.
What to do...
Little Lily was consumed by indecision.
“Why so silent? Did my treasure frighten you? Relax, this world-shattering artifact won’t be used on you. After all, a flick of my finger and you’re already bawling...” The breeze shook his head.
Bawling?
Little Lily was stunned, then quickly clenched her teeth in anger. What an outrageous description!
She was mortified.
She was indignant.
She, Little Lily, had never bowed to anyone in her life!
Her current predicament was only temporary—a brief period in another’s shadow, enduring humiliation to grow stronger, surpass herself in the future!
Bawl, my foot!
“If you’re not afraid of death, head north for ten thousand miles. There sleeps a Lord Immortal Blossom—but I warn you, Lord Immortal Blossom is in seclusion and has a terrible temper!”
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Little Lily’s temper flared, her sense of dignity deeply wounded; her tone grew bold and forceful.
“You said Immortal Blossom...”
The breeze narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of interest lighting up his handsome face. He licked his lips. “Could it be a spirit with defiant talent, destined to become a divine flower? There aren’t many Immortal Blossoms in the Sea of Flowers...”
A bucket of cold water seemed to splash over Little Lily as she realized what she’d just said.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Heavens, what have I told him!
Immortal Blossoms had special significance to the Sea of Flowers. If the breeze were to seize one and the gods found out, she’d be consigned to the black soil for all eternity.
“I’ll have you know, Lord Immortal Blossom is an Undying Netherflower—when the netherfire blooms, all things are consumed to ash!” Little Lily blurted, desperate to scare the breeze away.
“How intriguing. Let’s go.”
The breeze’s eyes sparkled with anticipation; the more extraordinary the being, the more his curiosity burned.
“Hey! Did you even hear me? You’ll die!”
Little Lily shouted after him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
The breeze assumed Little Lily was concerned for his safety.
She nearly choked on her own frustration.
Not only had she failed to deter him, she had only fueled his interest. This was a disaster!
I really wish you wouldn’t go...
Neither of them knew that at this very moment, high above in the endless clouds, a girl in white, about eighteen or nineteen, graceful and bright, was watching them.
Her eyes were exquisite—clear and shimmering with brilliant hues, reflecting the glitter of lakes and sunlight, bewitching and enchanting in their glances.
“A god-tier slip with seventeen marks, the Azure Calamity Roaring at the Cosmos… What a fortune this little prince of Star City possesses. It seems the Nine Lords truly dote on him.”
A mischievous gleam flickered in the white-clad girl’s eyes.
Even if he was the Nine Lords’ precious heart, this unruly young master needed some discipline.
The Nine Lords would be busy refining stars for some time yet.
How about luring him to the black prison?
Her gaze shifted to the Little Lily dangling by the breeze’s ear, and she let out a musical, silver-bell laugh. “Such a little fool—but rather adorable, too.”
The charm of her smile was different from before.