Chapter Twelve: Taking a Disciple

“There’s no such thing as a perfect opportunity.”

The girl in white’s eyes curved into a smile, her pure and lovely face dimpled with two charming little hollows as she reminded him, “The Black Prison does hold treasures, but it’s equally perilous. Black and white rivers, razor-sharp astral currents, and the devouring tides of darkness are everywhere. In my Sea of Blossoms, there are extremely few spirit beings who can last a month inside and return with anything at all.”

“Oh?” Feng Shang’s eyes gleamed with unusual brightness. “What do I need to do?”

“There are Primordial Seeds hidden in the Black Prison, each guarded by the fiercest, most enigmatic dark star-beasts. If you can obtain one, I’ll exchange it for an immortal blossom from my Sea of Blossoms,” the girl in white said softly.

“I know you carry rare treasures, little brother, but avoiding all those dangers and also finding a Primordial Seed... That’s a slim hope, a truly difficult test.”

Her voice was ethereal and pleasant, and she laced her words with a hint of provocation. She laid out the risks and rewards in detail; if Feng Shang persisted in going and suffered for it, he’d only have himself to blame. After all, she was merely a guide.

If the Lord of the Blossoms heard of this later, he’d likely just shake his head and say the boy was always looking for trouble.

“I’ll go!” Feng Shang’s eyes shone, blazing with intense excitement—so much so that even the girl in white paused, realizing she’d underestimated the boy’s adventurous spirit.

She hadn’t expected him to be persuaded so easily.

A smile touched the corner of her lips.

With a soft tearing sound, the girl’s fingertips shimmered with white light, like a sharp stream of silver water. She traced a line through the air, and a rift appeared instantly.

“That’s the entrance to the Black Prison.”

The rift yawned with darkness, sending out a chill that bit to the bone.

The Ancient God of Sealing was renowned throughout the old epochs, and the treasures he left behind made many green with envy. This Black Prison was extraordinary—a small world unto itself, once used to confine the mightiest warriors of the star domains.

After the destruction of the Ancient God, the Black Prison was seized by a later Lord of Blossoms and transformed into a place of trial for the Sea of Blossoms’ spirit beings.

A fierce wind from the Black Prison howled forth, chilling to the core, making the very hairs on one’s body stand on end.

“How terrifying…” Little Lily shuddered violently. She’d heard the Black Prison had held the worst criminals of the star domains, its inner regions fraught with unspeakable dangers. Compared to this, the little patch of black soil that the flower spirits feared was nothing at all.

“Divine One, before I go, I want to know—what does the Primordial Seed look like?” Feng Shang was eager, barely able to contain himself.

“You’ll recognize it when you see it. In the Black Prison, it’s the most dazzling of all treasures,” the girl in white replied, withholding further detail.

“Is that so?”

With his curiosity satisfied, Feng Shang didn’t hesitate for a moment. He strode straight into the Black Prison—the place where his dream of immortal blossoms might be realized. The inky maw of the rift instantly swallowed his figure.

Some are blinded by profit, but he was often driven by the thrill of the unknown—a single word could move him to action.

Yet he had overlooked one thing.

He hadn’t asked the Divine Dancer, nor had she told him: the chance of finding a Primordial Seed was abysmally low.

When the Lord of Blossoms transformed the Black Prison, she’d taken nearly every treasure for herself. What few remained were exceedingly rare; thousands of years had passed since the last Primordial Seed appeared, and it was uncertain if any were left at all.

The girl in white smiled as she watched the young lord disappear. Just before he vanished, a flash of white light swept past his ear, severing the hapless Little Lily.

With a startled cry, Little Lily tumbled to the ground.

The crystalline green thread binding her unraveled, dissolving into strands of energy that quickly vanished.

Little Lily winced in pain, muttering to herself, just as the pure, beautiful face of the girl in white entered her vision—framed by the sky and the Sea of Blossoms. She saw the girl smile down at her.

“Little one, you’re free now.”

“M-Milady Dancer…” Little Lily’s voice quavered and stuttered.

She hadn’t dared speak before—not out of fear of Feng Shang or because she had nothing to say, but because she had just seen the divine being she adored above all others.

Now, to find herself so close to her idol!

The last time she’d glimpsed Lady Dancer was when her divine spirit form drifted across the sky above the grassy slope where Little Lily was rooted.

At that moment, Little Lily’s heart fluttered wildly; she felt that brief, dazzling glimpse would never fade from her memory.

The girl in white, breathtakingly beautiful, eyes bright and clear, long lashes softly curved, radiated an effortless grace. She picked Little Lily up in her palm and said gently, “You’ve been wronged, haven’t you? Little thing, from now on, you’ll cultivate at my side.”

“Not wronged, not at all!” Little Lily, overwhelmed by the honor, replied quickly.

Wait.

Suddenly, Little Lily’s heart thundered.

Lady Dancer had just said she would train at her side—could it be she was accepting her as a disciple?

In the Sea of Blossoms, the term “at one’s side” was full of meaning.

With so many flower spirits, the great ones would often bring the little ones to cultivate together, passing on their wisdom and the subtleties of spiritual training. For example, that sunstar flower as large as a star, surrounded by three hundred and sixty smaller sunstar blossoms—all of them her disciples.

Little Lily trembled from head to toe.

“Lady Dancer… are you really going to take me as your disciple?”

“Do you not wish it?” the Dancer replied with a question of her own.

This little one was adorable beyond words—stubborn and courageous in Feng Shang’s grasp, unwilling to yield even unto death. She’d made the Dancer laugh several times, and she was very taken with this cute and tender little spirit.

Little Lily stood dazed for a moment, then, shy and hesitant, said, “I do… but Lady Dancer, I’m a little slow—wouldn’t I just embarrass you as your disciple?”

The girl in white couldn’t help but laugh, gently patting her in encouragement. “Not at all. I think you’re actually quite clever. You’ll bring me honor, I’m sure. From today forward, you are my first and greatest disciple. Work hard!”

“Truly?” Little Lily’s joy knew no bounds at her master’s praise. She felt light as air, but suddenly grew worried and asked, “Master, will Feng Shang be alright in the Black Prison…?”

“He bullied you so, and you still worry over him?”

Little Lily shook her head. “He may be awful, but he’s not beyond redemption. He’s a guest too—if something happened to him, what then?”

At this, a sly smile touched the face of the Divine Dancer: “With the Seventeen-Sigil Divine Talisman protecting him, the Black Prison can’t harm him. Still, some suffering is inevitable—consider it repayment for your grievances.”

“Come, let’s go watch the star-forging. It’s a rare spectacle in our Sea of Blossoms.”

…

Within the dark fissure, Feng Shang’s expression was alight with excitement, a faint smile hovering on his lips. As if sensing danger, the ancient talisman floating above his head gave a soft tremor, divine light cascading down to enshroud him.

All around, somber peaks stretched in endless, undulating waves—lifeless, like monstrous beasts lying in dormant silence.

In the distance, shattered remnants of celestial bodies, nearly collapsed, drifted in the sky—so ancient, none could guess their age.

A roar erupted—deep and savage—from a black and white river a hundred yards wide, its surging, icy torrents chilling to the marrow. Somewhere in its depths, a wild, soul-shaking bellow echoed, making the darkness itself tremble.

The Black Prison was indeed a fascinating place!