Chapter 138: This Woman Has Her Eyes on the Realm

The Heavenly Snow Peak was covered in pristine, shimmering silver, its icy vistas glowing with crystalline beauty.

A young maiden stood at the very summit, joyfully stretching her lithe body against the boundless expanse of snowy scenery.

She paused to playfully squeeze her fair, rosy, and tender toes. Mid-squeeze, she instinctively gave them a sniff, catching a faint, refreshing scent of ice and snow, before neatly tying her purple wind-chimes back into place.

"The weather is truly magnificent."

She exhaled a puff of mist that instantly condensed into tiny, glittering ice crystals, fluttering down like a cascade of diamonds.

Beside her, a man in white stood watching her with a calm and gentle gaze. He had followed her every step, never straying beyond a distance of ten feet, yet Bai Xiatian remained completely oblivious to his presence.

"If I hadn't witnessed her waking from the snow realms with my own eyes as a true spirit of ice and snow, I would honestly suspect she was our brother-in-law's own daughter," Goddess Wu remarked, standing upon a drifting cloud as her magnificent eyes shimmered incessantly.

For the past half-month, the man in white had not left the girl's side for even a single moment.

Throughout these two weeks, Goddess Wu had continually questioned whether a father-daughter bond existed between them. Yet, with the facts laid bare before her, she was forced to dispel the notion.

Firstly, the age gap between them was far too vast. Secondly, there was no doubt that Bai Xiatian had been nurtured and born of heaven and earth itself.

In the end, she could only attribute it to mere coincidence. Perhaps Bai Xiatian's facial features and expression bore a faint resemblance to the late Immortal Lord Min, making it entirely natural for the brother-in-law to show her partiality.

Coupled with the possibility of an egg hatching a tiny chick, the brother-in-law's attentive care toward Bai Xiatian was, after all, somewhat reasonable.

"I should be on my way."

Gazing out at the boundless sea of snow stretching across the heavens and earth, Bai Xiatian's desire to venture into the mortal world flared up once more. Because the celestial stone had shattered, she had behaved herself and stayed put for half a month. Now that the incident had passed, she was determined to leave the Sea of Flowers and roam the mortal realms.

Just like the predecessors of the Sea of Flowers—such as the Heaven-Rending Divine Grass—who had traveled across the vast cultivation domains, constantly establishing their divine status and erecting monumental steles, leaving behind indelible footprints.

Or like the third-generation Flower Lord, the Three-Life Heavenly Peony, whose single thought caused flowers to bloom while instantly nullifying all cosmic laws. Even supreme beasts could only wag their tails and beg for mercy in her presence, and the Nine Saints were required to bow in respect when they saw her.

"I, Bai Xiatian, harbor grand ambitions! How can I shrink back, cower in fear, and covet the comfortable ease of the Sea of Flowers just to seek cowardly peace in this snowy domain? The hidden dragon does not act, yet it leaps into the abyss! It is time to go out into the spiritual universe and write my own legendary chapter."

Bai Xiatian placed her hands behind her back, a surge of heroic spirit suddenly welling up within her. Puffing out her little chest, she delivered her grand declaration, her delicate, egg-shaped face turning flushed and red.

Yet, the young maiden quickly realized something and anxiously glanced around her surroundings.

Fortunately, not a single soul was in sight.

"Tee-hee-hee..."

Up on the cloudbank, Goddess Wu burst into a fit of vibrant laughter, holding her waist as she was thoroughly amused. Her shoulders shook as she muffled her giggles; this Bai Xiatian was truly a bundle of laughs.

Just as the young maiden was peeking around and rejoicing over the apparent absence of anyone, the man in white, having overheard her passionate monologue, revealed a look of profound surprise in his clear, serene eyes. He stared fixedly at the girl, even more determined never to let her out of his sight.

"Is she finally leaving the Sea of Flowers?" Ming Luo materialized beside Goddess Wu out of nowhere, watching the adorable young maiden below with keen interest.

Clearly, that little speech had been overheard by at least three people. If the girl ever found out, there is no telling how deeply her face would burn with embarrassment.

"Elder Sister, the moment this little bundle of joy was born, her yearning to explore the world was far stronger than any other young flower spirit. After holding back for half a month, I suppose she simply couldn't suppress it any longer," Goddess Wu said with a smile.

"Mm," Ming Luo nodded gently.

"Elder Sister, surely you won't agree to let her wander outside? Given how things are, if she goes out, Brother-in-law Bai will most likely follow right along beside her."

"This child's aspirations lie in the wider world, which is a rare and precious thing."

The First Goddess smiled faintly and replied, "You cannot trap her forever. Let her go."

Goddess Wu looked slightly startled, her brows furrowing as she said, "But Elder Sister, Bai Xiatian is still inexperienced in the ways of the world, and Brother-in-law is only a residual soul. If the two of them just appear like that in the spiritual universe, I'm afraid..."

"You're just reluctant to let her go, aren't you?"

As if seeing right through Goddess Wu's thoughts, Ming Luo smiled and said, "You watched this child being born and accompanied her as she grew, naturally developing an attachment to her. If you're truly worried, you can follow them in secret along the way."

"You want me to follow them?"

Goddess Wu seemed surprised by Ming Luo's suggestion. Pausing for a moment to consider it, she replied, "Very well. If any trouble arises along the journey, I can lend a hand or two."

***

Before the Divine Sealing Gate of the Sea of Flowers.

Bai Xiatian was setting off today. A large crowd of flower spirits stood behind her, wearing expressions of deep reluctance and lingering affection.

"Sister Bai, when you go out to the outside world, remember to bring back some delicious treats and novel trinkets when you return. I will miss you terribly here in the Sea of Flowers," a tiny green chive stalk said in a milky, childish voice.

"Alright, alright, I promise you! This time when I venture out, I'll turn all my experiences and sights into a book and share it with all of you when I come back," Bai Xiatian said with a radiant smile, waving goodbye to the little flower spirits.

"Oh, Sister Bai, I don't want food or toys! Just bring me back some high-grade floral fertilizer; I want to try rooting myself in the soil outside."

"..."

After bidding farewell to the group of little ones, Bai Xiatian produced a scroll of a star map, which marked numerous vast cultivation domains and their exact coordinates within the entire spiritual universe.

This star map was the fruit of generations of exploration by the predecessors of the Sea of Flowers, containing records of even ancient ruins and hidden treasures. Following its routes would almost certainly yield bountiful rewards, making it an item of incalculable value.

"Our Sea of Flowers is adjacent to the Ancient Ruins; once we pass through that, we reach the Starry Firmament. Feng Shang once said that the Starry Firmament is the most prosperous place in the entire greater cultivation universe, with none to rival it. That is where I am heading this time!"

Clutching the map, Bai Xiatian quickly locked in her destination.

If she was going to travel, she would go straight to the Starry Firmament.

During his time in the Sea of Flowers, Feng Shang had recounted the wonders of the starry skies more than once. It was a land of ancient miracles, hosting the grandest auctions in the spiritual universe and housing the most terrifying saints.

However, what caught Bai Xiatian's interest was that whenever Feng Shang spoke of it, a trace of lingering resentment always laced his words, for he had once suffered a massive defeat there.

Deep within the starry sea lurked an old turtle whose sole hobby was preying on young maidens.

If it encountered an injustice on the road, it couldn't be bothered to care; if it laid eyes on a fairy maiden, its gaze would lock on in a fixed stare; if it spotted a precious treasure, it would launch a direct raid. Stealing a moment of leisure amidst the floating world, it would routinely ransack the sanctuaries of the starry skies.

When Bai Xiatian had first heard that tale, she had laughed so hard she doubled over, naturally sparking an intense curiosity: what on earth did this turtle, so uniquely described by Feng Shang, actually look like?

With a flick of her slender hand, spiritual light burst forth, and a miniature light-boat appeared in her fair, rosy palm. Tossing it into the starry expanse, the vessel rapidly expanded until it transformed into a massive flying ship.

For this journey, Goddess Wu had provided her with plenty of equipment.

This ship was precisely one of those treasures. By burning cosmic crystals at full capacity, it could cross an entire cultivation domain in just ten days—making it the ideal vehicle for her voyage to the Starry Firmament.

"Swish, swish, swish."

Bai Xiatian produced a vast quantity of cosmic crystals. Crystal-clear and luminous, they burned away into pure energy that poured into the treasure ship, causing the hull to erupt with a dazzling brilliance and its aura to surge dramatically.

"Let's set off!"

At Bai Xiatian's command to the ship's spirit, the vessel shuddered slightly, transforming into a beam of light that sprinted rapidly toward the Ancient Ruins.

"He truly went along with her."

In front of the Divine Sealing Gate, several graceful figures stood in quiet contemplation.

Ming Luo watched the departing treasure ship and let out a gentle sigh. Seated cross-legged at the very stern of the vessel was a man in white, looking completely leisurely and at ease.

"Your beauty is buried beneath the springs where bones turn to dust, while I wander the mortal world with snow-covered hair. Brother-in-law Bai, if you encounter people from the Immortal Lineage along the way this time, will you once again turn the universe upside down?"