Chapter Thirty-Three: Incredible Luck

For nearly a thousand years, Brahma Bamboo Heaven had dwelled within the Sea of Flowers, contemplating the cosmic way, cultivating her divine core, and only occasionally engaging in philosophical debate with the First Divine Lord. Her life was as orderly as clockwork.

Today, for the first time, she encountered the young Feng Shang. Yet, unexpectedly, she showed great concern and attention, not only taking the initiative to bestow upon him an Illusory Token, but also showing an unusual attentiveness in her words and actions.

Was this truly the same Brahma Bamboo Heaven who had never spared a glance at any man?

Just as she pondered this, the black fissure Brahma Bamboo Heaven had traced with her slender hand was about to vanish. Wu returned to her senses, a signature touch of curiosity and cunning playing across her moonlit, beautiful face.

“Sister Brahma,” she teased, “I simply must know—why are you so invested this time?”

The Black Prison World was deep and shadowed, ancient celestial remnants suspended in the void above, their age beyond reckoning. The atmosphere was saturated with the aura of annihilation, pervading all. Unlike its usual silence, the present scene was one of utter devastation—a terrifying tableau.

A pit, half a million miles wide, steamed with scalding heat and drifting ancient embers, filled with powdery dust. Rifts of destruction radiated from its edges.

Nine dreadful chasms had completely obliterated the black-and-white rivers that had flowed for tens of thousands of years, leaving the land sunken, a ten-thousand-fathom abyss where boulders tumbled silently into the depths.

“What is this…”

The Divine Lord Wu arrived, stunned by the ravaged, fearsome Black Prison World. Soon she sensed something amiss and looked into the distance.

Brahma Bamboo Heaven hovered aloft, surveying the world below. Her eyes flickered with an arresting brilliance, shimmering with the chill of utter frost and sorrow, while threads of dazzling blue flame danced about her ethereally.

“This is the work of the Nine-Tailed Snow Yao,” the Divine Lord Wu landed beside Brahma Bamboo Heaven, her tone grave. “She’s been in deep slumber and doesn’t awaken easily. For her to wreak such havoc here, she must have been driven to the very brink of rage.”

Wu’s expression grew troubled; she guessed most of the truth. Her original intention had been merely to let Feng Shang suffer a little hardship in the Black Prison, never expecting the supreme cosmic spirit to be driven to such madness.

Without a word, Brahma Bamboo Heaven teleported to the deepest recesses of the Black Prison World.

There, the Nine-Tailed Spirit lay serenely upon the ground, her nine snowy, fluffy celestial tails gently grooming their fur. Beneath her lowered lashes, a hint of magnificent violet light gleamed.

Sensing their approach, the Nine-Tailed Spirit opened her eyes, her demeanor languid and bewitching, her voice charmingly sweet. “Oh, it’s you two. What brings you here?”

The Divine Lord Wu asked, “Snow Yao, why is this place in such a state?”

The Nine-Tailed Spirit yawned, propped her beautiful head on a slender, snowy leg, and replied indifferently, “A little thief came by. I taught him a lesson, and he ran off.”

“Was he hurt?” Wu’s tone was tense.

If Feng Shang had merely suffered a setback, that was nothing; but if he’d been truly injured, that was grave. Jiu Zun was still forging stars for the Sea of Flowers atop World Mountain. If he learned that his most beloved young lord had been harmed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Nine-Tailed Spirit, still languid, said, “That little thief carried a powerful Divine Insignia, and another unfathomable divine aura. Even with all my strength, I couldn’t catch him. Still, he did take a blow from me. As for whether he was merely hurt, gravely wounded, dead, or unscathed—I have no idea.”

“Let’s go,” Brahma Bamboo Heaven frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the spirit’s answer.

“Wait—who exactly was that boy?” the Nine-Tailed Spirit asked offhandedly, her fluffy tails swaying lazily, violet eyes half-lidded.

“He’s a young lord from Nine Star City…” Wu sighed, a trace of regret in her voice. She felt she’d acted rashly and shouldn’t have sent Feng Shang to the Black Prison. Judging from the devastation, the battle had been unimaginably fierce.

As quickly as they came, Brahma Bamboo Heaven and Wu departed.

In that instant, the Nine-Tailed Spirit’s gaze flashed brilliantly. Her earlier composure vanished, and she suddenly gnashed her teeth. “So that’s whose brat he is, carrying so many divine treasures! A young lord of Nine Star City… Daring enough to set his sights on me! If I see you again, you’ll regret it!”

With a thunderous crash, her snowy claws lashed out in frustration, toppling a swath of mountains.

…

“I’m actually about to lose…”

Before the Primordial Star Domain, Little Wild Grass sat in dejection.

The tides had turned against her. Fortune now wildly favored Feng Shang, who had effortlessly pulled ahead by eighty million stars—a runaway lead, and this was only the early stage of the star game.

“Bang.”

With grim determination, Little Wild Grass made her move, trying to shore up her weakening western front. But Feng Shang immediately sent his Star of Divine Calamity surging in, ruthlessly breaking her defense.

Having intercepted her move, Feng Shang did not forget to remind her, “Don’t just focus here. You need to reinforce the eastern side, too.”

“You scoundrel!” Little Wild Grass looked up in fury. His advice, clearly meant as mockery, was far too arrogant. She retorted, “You’re just lucky, don’t get too cocky!”

“Can’t take a loss?” Feng Shang arched an eyebrow.

“You…” Little Wild Grass seethed, suppressing her anger and continuing the game. Yet, by now, it was hardly worth going on; the gap was too vast, and any hope of a comeback was nearly zero.

To continue was simply to break her own spirit—in short, to be utterly crushed.

“Oh, little master, I’ve let you down…” Little Wild Grass was crestfallen, pitiful. She had been so happy before, winning back the Primordial Seed from Nine Dreams with ease, perhaps even earning a handsome profit.

Who could have foreseen this reversal? Feng Shang’s luck this round was otherworldly, establishing an overwhelming lead from the outset.

How could anyone’s luck be so good?

But just as Little Wild Grass was inwardly lamenting, despondent, a sudden change occurred in the star game.

Near Feng Shang’s Star of Divine Calamity, the void collapsed, and a black hole slowly formed, radiating a vortex of gravity in all directions. By the original distance between Feng Shang’s star and the black hole, there should have been no danger—but countless inexplicable accidents can happen.

Feng Shang noticed, his expression unchanging, calmly directing his star to withdraw.

Yet, at that very moment, at the black hole’s edge, a volatile, brilliant white dwarf star was pulled off course by the gravity and plunged into the black hole, tearing open a wormhole.

In the next instant, the white dwarf star reappeared.

And it materialized—directly in the path of Feng Shang’s retreat!

The two were less than ten thousand miles apart!

There was no time for the Star of Divine Calamity to decelerate!

Little Wild Grass held her breath. There was something she desperately wanted to shout, but feared that saying it would jinx her. She stilled every possible motion, eyes fixed on the spot.

The distance dwindled…

And then—

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two stars collided violently.

Explosion!

With a lead of eighty million stars, Feng Shang’s Star of Divine Calamity crashed into the white dwarf and was destroyed.

“I… I actually won?! Hahaha!”

Stunned at first by the explosion, Little Wild Grass then felt her blood surge with excitement. She all but leapt three feet from the ground, nearly shouting with joy.

What a rush! Such luck—who would have thought!

The Star of Divine Calamity’s sudden demise brought the game to an abrupt end.

Feng Shang looked slightly surprised, then shook his head. He had lost.

Only Nine Dreams seemed puzzled, her bright eyes blinking. A mysterious current had seemed to stir just now; that white dwarf should not have appeared on the Star of Divine Calamity’s retreat path.

And even if it had, with Feng Shang’s profound calculations and acute grasp of the void’s currents, it was impossible for him not to have foreseen and avoided it.

Had he lost on purpose?

Why?

Could it be… that he meant to return the Primordial Seed in this manner?