Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Silver Blood Remains

"Mmm." Xiaohuang let out a gentle sigh, her eyes shining as she raised her hands, within which a crane wrapped in white light fluttered gracefully—clearly a divine manifestation conjured by her arcane arts.

In the distance, atop the green cliffs, Ying’er sat astride a majestic black tiger, its form sleek and powerful. On her small shoulder perched a tiny white deer, radiating a lively spirit.

Petals swirled through the air.

A celestial maiden of the Ninth Heaven was dancing elegantly, her figure ethereal and jade-like, feet treading on lotus waves, her skin crystalline and snow-bright. A sheer white veil covered her face, leaving her features indistinct.

Qing watched, entranced.

If one did not know otherwise, it would be hard to imagine that this beautiful woman, perfect as though she had stepped from a painting, was conjured by Qing through the transformation of an ordinary book.

In recent days, the children had followed the young man, delving into this fascinating new discipline, and their progress had been remarkable.

Suddenly, a roar shattered the heavens.

The sound rolled out in waves, its energy crashing like a tidal surge, scattering rocks and rupturing the earth with a force not to be underestimated.

The crane, the celestial maiden, and the black tiger all trembled, pain etched across their faces. Under the force of the roar, the aura of these divine manifestations grew weak, their light rapidly fading before, with a soft bang, they shattered—becoming a feather, a book, and a black stone.

“Hahaha, how interesting!” Feng Shang laughed heartily. Before him, a domineering blue demon prowled, its eyes glinting with a cold, lifelike gleam. This was no mere spirit, but a divine manifestation conjured by his own arcane mastery, endowed with true combat power.

“Brother Feng Shang, you’re being mean again!” Xiaohuang’s face was pale and tender, her brows now furrowed in displeasure. This was the sixth time Brother Feng Shang had destroyed the manifestations they had worked so hard to create.

Even Ying’er, usually so obedient, now stood with Qing and Xiaohuang, all three unhappy.

Clearly, Feng Shang’s actions had provoked a public outcry!

It was no easy feat to conjure a divine manifestation; sometimes it took hours of effort to succeed.

“I’m helping you test your manifestations—a rare opportunity. You should reflect, learn from failure, find your weaknesses, and try again,” Feng Shang said with solemn earnestness.

The three girls were speechless.

Feng Shang was ahead in the art of transformation; his conjurations not only had form but a measure of lethality, while theirs remained fragile.

For this, they were often at his mercy.

The young man watched from the celestial platform, a gentle smile on his lips. These noble children possessed remarkable talent; in just a few days, they had crossed the threshold of understanding, far exceeding his expectations.

Hmm?

Suddenly, his expression changed.

Heat surged from his chest, a golden tablet emitting waves of warmth. It had been blank, but now, within two breaths, words began to appear.

Seeing the message, the young man’s face grew grave once more.

“Calamity at the Divine Shrine, assemble at once.”

Eight bold characters, forceful and urgent, as if infused with a sense of crisis.

“Master Nameless, what’s wrong?” Xiaohuang asked.

“A calamity has arisen in Ancient Origin. I must go,” the young man replied, his expression heavy. He had set out from the Ancient Origin Domain, taking six days to reach Nine Star City. With disaster now upon them, returning would not only take time but also interrupt their lessons.

“That’s an order tablet from the Starsea Sacred Court,” Qing said, approaching gracefully, her eyes shining as she revealed the tablet’s origin.

“What’s an order tablet?”

“The Starsea Heavens govern a thousand domains. When disaster strikes, messages are sent everywhere. Through this tablet, Master Nameless receives all such alerts and is duty-bound to answer. But…” Qing paused, then added, “But it’s said that the briefer the warning, the graver the calamity. ‘Calamity at the Divine Shrine’—that must be truly dire.”

“Ah?” Xiaohuang’s eyes sparkled—not with fear, but with excitement.

“A calamity at the Divine Shrine. That does sound intriguing,” Feng Shang said, rising to his full height, his eyes alight as he studied the eight golden characters, quickly discerning the young man’s concern.

Though their acquaintance had been brief, Feng Shang understood his teacher’s kind heart. When catastrophe struck the Starsea, bloodshed and loss would follow, and such a man could not bear to idle here giving lessons.

“Master Nameless, we’ve grown bored in the Star Sky Tower. Craving action after so much quiet, why not let us join you in Ancient Origin? There’s a domain array in Nine Star City; we could reach Ancient Origin in an instant,” Feng Shang said with a small smile.

The young man had not expected Feng Shang’s thoughtfulness and bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, young master.”

Qing nodded. “To conjure divine manifestations, it’s good to venture out and gain new insights.”

“You’re going too?” Feng Shang was surprised; Qing was famously reclusive, rarely leaving the Ninefold World.

“Yes. As you said—after stillness comes movement.” Qing smiled softly.

…

In a grand hall of the Star Sky Tower.

“You all wish to go to Ancient Origin?”

Da Jiuxing sat regally on his star throne, brows furrowed, fingers tapping the armrest as he regarded Qing and Ying with disbelief.

If it were just Feng Shang and little Huang, it would be one thing.

But now even the well-read Qing and the well-behaved Ying’er had changed?

“Grandfather, please?” Xiaohuang dove into the old man’s arms, her soft little hands mischievously tugging his beard, her innocent smile radiant as the sun, two rows of snowy little tiger teeth sparkling, pure enough to cleanse the soul.

“Hey, hey, easy now! Grandfather’s beard can’t take such abuse!” Da Jiuxing chided her, helpless in the face of her charms. Faced with such a sweet child, how could he possibly refuse?

“So you agree, Grandfather?” Xiaohuang’s pure eyes sparkled like stars.

“Very well,” Da Jiuxing replied, only half-reluctantly. He was simply too tender-hearted.

Then his gaze sharpened as it fell on Feng Shang. “Shang’er, all of you are venturing out. If there’s danger, you must protect the girls—understand?”

“I know,” Feng Shang replied, a bit impatient—he would do so without being told.

“Rest assured, senior. Though I go to quell disaster, I will first look after all the young masters and ladies,” the young man said solemnly.

“Very well, off you go,” Da Jiuxing nodded, waving them away.

Once they had left, the old man’s eyes narrowed. He sent a strand of divine consciousness to the fifth realm of the Star Sky Tower.

There, divine energy was abundant, radiance dazzling, gathering in a thousand waterfalls—grand and awe-inspiring, cascading like silver blades from the heavens, thundering with a deafening roar.

The air was thick with mist.

“Is Silverblood here?”