A faint blue aura enveloped Yun Qingxue.
She stepped forward again, extending her arms to embrace Lan Xuechen.
This time, her arms did not pass through Lan Xuechen’s body.
A glistening tear fell from Lan Xuechen’s eyes as she reached out, embracing her own flesh and blood for the first time in a thousand years.
“My dear child…” she murmured, trembling, as if praying for time to stand still for just a moment.
“Qingxue… Did Ningzi give you that ring?” she whispered in her ear after steadying her emotions.
“You know about the ring?” Yun Qingxue was slightly surprised. “It was Qiandai who gave it to me! Qiandai said that shortly after Elder Ningzi brought me back to the Floraclans, she was forced to death by Tongyun!”
“Tongyun…” A cold glint flashed in Lan Xuechen’s eyes.
Back then, the divine clan had suddenly turned against her and Yun Ye, leaving her no time to make proper arrangements for her daughter…
“Do you hold the authority over the Floraclans now?” she asked.
Yun Qingxue shook her head. “No.”
“Listen, child. That ring contains the most important secrets of our Floraclans. Your current magical power is insufficient to unlock it. When you grow strong enough, infuse a drop of your blood and your magic into the ring, and its contents will reveal themselves to you!” Lan Xuechen urged.
“The Starblue Peony has always been passed down through a single lineage. You and Yun Ye’s daughter, Yun Sisi, should have inherited your legacy as the Flower Queen.
But what about me? Where is the Flower Queen’s Seal? Who am I?”
Meeting the former Flower Queen in person, Yun Qingxue voiced the doubts in her heart.
Lan Xuechen froze. “There is no Flower Queen’s Seal anymore. You are the queen of the Floraclans!”
“Impossible!” Yun Qingxue pushed Lan Xuechen away, shaking her head. “The Flower Queen’s Seal contains boundless power—it’s the legacy of every past queen. How could it be gone… Unless…”
“Unless someone outside the royal lineage possesses the noblest blood of the Floraclans…
And you seemed to have known of my existence all along!
Is my body… a manifestation of the Flower Queen’s Seal?”
“Silly child, what are you saying? How could you be the Seal?” Lan Xuechen dismissed the idea without hesitation. “You are not the Seal! Nothing in this world is immutable—not even royal bloodlines!”
“Huantian is coming! You must leave now!”
At the last moment, Lan Xuechen’s expression changed.
Huanshi’s face paled as well. Without another word, he grabbed Yun Qingxue’s hand and pulled her away.
“Leave through the back of the temple!” Lan Xuechen instructed, then turned to Huanshi with a solemn plea. “Shi’er, you must ensure Qingxue’s safe departure from the divine realm. Aunt Chen… I entrust her to you!”
“Rest assured!” Huanshi replied, pulling Yun Qingxue away without looking back.
Yun Qingxue glanced over her shoulder one last time.
Lan Xuechen stood alone in a corner of the temple, watching them leave.
Her eyes held too many complex emotions, and Yun Qingxue’s heart ached.
For a moment, she wished she could take Lan Xuechen with her.
But it was just a fleeting thought…
Huanshi dragged her out of the temple and rushed her straight to the edge of the divine realm.
“Go, now!” Huanshi urged anxiously.
“Huanshi, thank you—ah!”
Before Yun Qingxue could finish her farewell, Huanshi pushed her straight out of the divine realm.
His urgency made it seem as though something was chasing them.
Before she could process anything, Yun Qingxue found herself back at Luoyun Mountain.
Meanwhile, in the temple she had just left, Huantian strode in, clad in white divine robes.
Inside, Lan Xuechen was dancing gracefully, as if lost in her own world.
When Huantian entered and saw her, his mind wavered in nostalgia…
He remembered the first time he had seen her, many years ago—standing amidst a sea of flowers, dressed in a pale blue gown, pure and ethereal, dancing just like this.
Back then, blossoms bloomed for her, and butterflies danced in her wake.
Almost instantly, he had fallen for her…
Lan Xuechen pretended to be lost in her song and dance…
Huantian’s power was too great. She had to distract him at all costs, ensuring he wouldn’t sense the unusual presence in the temple.
Only after a while did she feign noticing him, slowly stopping her dance and casting a cold glance his way.
But Huantian seemed lost in his memories.
As she halted, he murmured, “I remember… the first time I saw you, you danced just like this, captivating the world…”
Lan Xuechen sneered. “Had I known that dance would bring such calamity upon me, I would have crippled my own legs!”
“Xuechen, must you be so cruel to me?” Huantian snapped out of his reverie, his expression darkening.
“It is not I who am cruel, but the Divine King who clings to delusions!”
“Hmph! After all these years, you remain devoted to Yun Ye!
Since you miss him so much, once my cultivation reaches its peak, I will bring both him and that bastard child of yours before you! I will make you watch as I torment them—until you beg for my mercy!” A ruthless glint flashed in Huantian’s eyes.
“Madman!” Lan Xuechen spat coldly before reverting to her peony form.
Huantian suddenly sensed something amiss and turned to her. “Someone else was here just now!”
Lan Xuechen ignored him…
“I sensed another powerful presence from the Floraclans besides yours…” Huantian narrowed his eyes, then glared at her. “You were distracting me with that dance!”
A flicker of unease passed through Lan Xuechen’s heart.
By her calculations, Huanshi should have already escorted Qingxue out of the divine realm…
“And that bastard son of mine was here too!” Huantian’s eyes narrowed further as he flew out, following the traces of their aura.
Worried, Lan Xuechen transformed back into human form and chased after him.
But the moment she reached the temple’s entrance, an invisible force hurled her back to the center.
“Qingxue… You must escape safely. And Shi’er…”
Huantian soon reached the edge of the divine realm, following the lingering aura.
Huanshi stood there quietly, lost in thought.
The moment Huantian saw him, he seized him by the throat.
“F-Father!” Huanshi gasped in surprise, struggling to speak.
“Bastard! Who were you with just now?” Huantian demanded bluntly.
Huanshi frowned, feigning confusion. “I was alone…”
“Still lying!” Dissatisfied, Huantian tightened his grip.
“I… I swear, no one else!” Huanshi insisted.
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