Chapter Eleven: The Dance
The sea of flowers bore a prefix: Endless.
Such a description spoke of boundless vastness.
Legend had it that this sea of flowers was once the ancient Celestial Lands, a domain of unfathomable magnitude. Now, the continent’s diameter stretched beyond a light-year; a distance of ten thousand miles was scarcely worth mentioning.
Wind Xiang was in dire haste; with each stride, entire mountain ranges vanished behind him. He was not enamored with cultivation, yet his talent was so remarkable that even the slightest effort brought him to heights his peers could not dream of.
The elder stargazer of Star City once sighed with admiration: if only this young master would settle his heart, be it divine arts or the forging of celestial treasures, he could reach the loftiest realms.
Intent on his journey, Wind Xiang’s whole body gleamed; heat shimmered around him, white mists coiling about his legs where they nearly merged with the void. Within ten breaths, he had crossed ten thousand miles.
It brought to mind that day before the Gate of Ascension, when Brahma Bamboo Sky conjured the divine bridge; the expanse of the starry heavens, seemingly endless, was traversed in just seven or eight steps.
“How could this be?” Wind Xiang frowned, gazing at the scene before him.
Yellow sky and scorched earth, devoid of all life—a few wisps of pitch-black netherflame drifted slowly through the air, the scent of charred remains heavy all around. No spirit herbs, not even the humblest blade of grass, could be found here.
In the distance, a luminous hemisphere hovered—a dome inverted upon the ground. From its edges, searing black netherflames seeped out thread by thread.
An oppressive heaviness pervaded the place, as if some terrifying creature lay in wait.
Little Lily whispered timidly, “The Celestial Bloom is a Nether Undying Flower, and has a terrible temper. When she rages, it’s truly frightening. Perhaps we should just leave—catch something else instead?”
“No. I’ve no interest in other spirit beings right now. If I can obtain the Celestial Bloom, I might be able to cultivate a Miracle Cosmos Flower, or even a Flower Sea Divine Sovereign!” Wind Xiang refused firmly.
Little Lily was at a loss, trying once more to persuade him, “If you disturb her now, the Celestial Bloom will awaken from her slumber and surely erupt in fury. She won’t care that you have the Illusory Token. Nether undying, burning all things—it’s no empty boast!”
“All the better, then—a proper battle!” Wind Xiang nodded earnestly.
Little Lily’s face fell, sullen and worried.
What could she do to dissuade him?
The Nether Undying Flower was no ordinary being—perhaps the most unique bloom in the entire sea of flowers. She spent most of her time in deep slumber, easily angered, and each awakening brought a surging fire of death that scorched all nearby.
One was arrogant and self-assured; the other, irascible and brooding. Together, they could only spell trouble!
“Who’s there?”
Just then, Wind Xiang’s expression shifted. A serious look crossed his young face as he turned his head—first surprised, then bemused.
“Little one, you’ve already collected so many spirit beings. Now you set your sights on the Celestial Bloom—aren’t you being a bit greedy?”
A girl in white approached from afar.
She smiled at him gently, radiant as spring sunlight. Her sleeves fluttered as she walked, delicate and graceful as a lotus leaf swaying in the summer morning breeze—imbued with a sense of lightness and effortless charm.
Little Lily was struck speechless in awe.
How beautiful…
She was… she was… Lady Wu.
Wind Xiang was slightly dazed.
Brahma Bamboo Sky was ethereal and transcendent, her poise otherworldly, untouched by mortal dust. The girl before him, though, was pure and enchanting, laced with an undercurrent of allure; her smile was as if a divine bloom had just awakened, a new moon veiled in mist.
“Are you, too, a sovereign of the sea of flowers?” Wind Xiang studied the two women, each exquisite in her own way, and guessed they must be of equal standing. He did not consider that she might be some other spirit being in human form.
The girl in white smiled. “Yes.”
“My name is Wu.”
“You must be Wind Xiang, young lord of Star City?”
“I am,” Wind Xiang replied, frowning at her opening words.
“The Illusory Token was given to me personally by Sister Brahma—she said I could take whatever spirit being I liked. She never said the Celestial Bloom was forbidden, did she?”
“Sister Brahma?” the girl’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Hmm?” Wind Xiang stared at her.
“It’s one thing with other celestial blooms, but this one is special—prone to wildness. If you get hurt here, the sea of flowers would have a hard time explaining to the Grand Sovereign. There are gentler blooms, you know.”
“Oh?” Wind Xiang was a little taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to be concerned rather than accusatory, even offering to introduce him to other blooms.
How generous…
Looking at her exquisite features, her gentle smile, and the faint arc of her delicate lips, Wind Xiang suddenly felt a strange, fleeting daze.
He could not put his finger on what felt off, but an odd sense of unease lingered in his heart.
“A single celestial bloom is nothing for the sea of flowers to begrudge, but… I do find it strange that Sister Brahma would give you an Illusory Token.”
Her bright eyes danced with energy; within her rosy lips, a row of pearly white teeth flashed, her charm irresistible.
Such delicate beauty made her seem less like a divine sovereign and more like an innocent maiden unversed in worldly ways.
“Is that so strange?” Wind Xiang frowned.
“Of course it is. Not that it’s wrong for you to have it—just that it shouldn’t have been Sister Brahma who gave it. She’s never given anyone anything before. You’re the first.”
“Could it be… she really knows me?” Wind Xiang mused, suspicion in his voice. “Perhaps she’s taken a liking to me. After all, I am rather handsome.”
The white-robed girl’s eyes widened in surprise, then a moment later she burst into laughter, “Little brother, you’re quite amusing. What do you think Sister Brahma would say if I told her that?”
Who would have thought anyone would dare joke about Sister Brahma? The last suitor who confessed to her was sent flying from the Elemental World by a single tap of a green bamboo staff.
Truly, the boldness of youth.
Wind Xiang showed no interest in her teasing, but instead pressed on, “Where are the other celestial blooms? How many are there in the sea of flowers? If there are enough, I’d like three.”
The risk of spirit evolution was immense.
In Wind Xiang’s view, transforming a single celestial bloom into a divine flower was exceedingly difficult; one misstep and all would be lost. Only with three could he feel secure.
The girl’s graceful smile almost faltered—three celestial blooms? Even the Nine Sovereigns would hesitate to make such a request, and yet he could say it so shamelessly.
“Three celestial blooms from the sea of flowers—one Illusory Token won’t suffice…”
“How can I take three, then? Do I need three tokens?”
Wind Xiang pressed her, producing his petal-shaped token—soft in texture, delicate in pattern, light as a feather, yet nearly impossible to damage.
“Little brother, visitors to the sea of flowers usually take only spirit beings, never celestial blooms. The Grand Sovereign has shown us great kindness, so you may take one. But if you want more, you’ll have to make a trip to the Black Prison…” The girl’s smile was tinged with mischief.
“The Black Prison? What’s that?” Wind Xiang perked up at the unfamiliar term.
“It’s a place where danger and opportunity coexist—a treasure trove left over from the ancient Celestial Lands. Many relics from bygone eras are hidden within, of great power and mystery. Legend says that even half of the ultimate Cosmic Divine Weapon lies buried there, coveted by the Star Saints, yet still unfound to this day,” the girl coaxed gently.
“There’s really such a place?” Wind Xiang’s eyes shone with excitement.
He loved adventure best of all, and had explored many perilous realms across the cosmos, leaving his mark in countless divine worlds.
Hearing the girl’s words, he was all but ready to set off at once.
Still, Wind Xiang was not so easily fooled. He eyed her skeptically, “You folks of the flower sea, guarding such a treasure trove, would you really let me enter? And even gift me a celestial bloom—could there truly be such fortune?”