“Flower King!” The elder called out to her once more. “If you encounter trouble, flee to any edge of the divine realm. Most of the ascended clansmen of the Flower and Wood Tribe live on the fringes of the divine realm. They will do everything they can to help you!”
“I understand. Thank you.” Yun Qingxue turned to thank them once more before riding the wind toward the distant ethereal palace ahead. That place was adorned with drifting auspicious clouds.
And one of the two herbs she sought grew within one of those floating clouds!
Leaving the edge of the divine realm, Yun Qingxue did not immediately fly too close to the center of the territory. Instead, she landed on one of the outermost floating clouds, slightly farther from the divine palace, and began carefully searching.
The sun set, the moon rose, and night quickly descended.
Perhaps because the divine realm was in the heavens, standing among its auspicious clouds and gazing at the starry sky made the stars seem almost within reach.
After searching for a long time with no success, Yun Qingxue simply sat on the cloud, tilting her head to gaze at the vast sea of stars above.
Her thoughts began to grow hazy.
The vastness of the cosmos and the infinite overlapping of time and space made her suddenly feel so small.
Past lives, present lives—everything began to feel illusory and unreal!
It all seemed like a dream…
*”The bearer of the Flower King’s Decree commands boundless vitality…”*
A hoarse voice suddenly echoed in her ears just as her mind wandered.
The voice was deep yet ethereal, as if coming from somewhere within the endless starry sky above.
Yun Qingxue snapped back to attention and looked around.
The distant divine palace appeared even more sacred and solemn in the night, while auspicious clouds drifted leisurely. The world was so quiet it felt as if she were the only one left.
Perhaps it was just an illusion…
She thought to herself and sat back down on the cloud.
*”When gods bear demon hearts, the three realms shall fall into chaos, life shall wither, and all things shall perish.”*
*”The bearer of the Flower King’s Decree commands boundless vitality…”*
The moment she sat down, the hoarse voice spoke again.
“Who’s there?” She frowned, scanning her surroundings.
“Flower King.” The aged voice came from the heavens. “I am but one of the stars above you.”
A talking star?!
Yun Qingxue looked up in astonishment. Among the countless stars, one suddenly shone brighter—but only for a moment before dimming again.
“What… do you mean? What do you mean by ‘gods bearing demon hearts’? Do you know where the lost Flower King’s Decree of my Flower and Wood Tribe is? Who are you?” she asked, addressing the sky.
“Who I am does not matter. But a great calamity approaches for all living things… and you, Flower King, were destined from birth to be the only turning point in this catastrophe!” the voice echoed emptily.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying!” Yun Qingxue frowned.
“You will know one day.” The voice spoke kindly. “The Flower King’s Decree lies within your heart!”
*”You are the Flower King’s Decree, and the Flower King’s Decree is you…”*
“I… am the Flower King’s Decree?” Yun Qingxue repeated, then suddenly laughed.
She looked up at the sky. “Am I the reincarnation of the Flower King’s Decree, then?”
The hoarse voice did not respond.
“Are you still there?” she asked, then suddenly recalled a time when she had heard a mysterious voice say to her, *”The bearer of the Flower King’s Decree commands boundless vitality…”*
Back then, the voice had felt distant, and though she had doubts, she had no way to dwell on it.
But tonight was different—she had conversed with that aged voice. She didn’t know if it truly was just a star in the sky…
But since it had appeared, there must be a reason…
“Someone once told me, *’The bearer of the Flower King’s Decree commands boundless vitality.’* Was that you?” she asked again, still looking upward.
Only silence answered her.
With no further response, Yun Qingxue sat back down, but her heart was no longer calm. Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
The Flower King’s Decree of the Flower and Wood Tribe had vanished without a trace when the previous Flower King, Lan Xuechen, died.
And the royal bloodline of the Xuanling Continent had always been passed down through a single heir…
Yun Sisi was the daughter of Lan Xuechen and the Demon King, Yun Ye. She should have inherited Lan Xuechen’s power and bloodline as the Flower King.
But because the Demon King, Yun Ye, was wary and wanted to protect his only beloved daughter, he did not allow Yun Sisi to inherit the Flower and Wood Tribe.
At that time, logically, the Flower and Wood Tribe should have been left without a leader…
Yet, at that very moment, Ning Zi, one of the tribe’s elders, had brought her back from outside.
And because she possessed the purest bloodline of the Star Blue Peony, she naturally became the Flower King.
That meant she had appeared right after Lan Xuechen’s death and the disappearance of the Flower King’s Decree.
In *Journey to the West*, Sun Wukong was born from a stone that absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. So, was it possible…
That she was the Flower King’s Decree, transformed into a being with boundless power?
That would explain why, despite the Flower King’s bloodline always being passed down through a single heir, she had suddenly appeared as an anomaly!
Lost in her thoughts, Yun Qingxue suddenly sensed something amiss.
Instinctively, she leaped forward, turning midair to look back at where she had been sitting.
Under the deep blue night sky, a gentle breeze swept by. Standing proudly on the cloud where she had just been sitting was a figure.
The figure wore a long white robe, and silver hair fluttered lightly in the wind.
“It’s you?” Yun Qingxue was slightly surprised when she recognized the person.
“So it really is you? How did you return to the divine realm?” The figure also stared at Yun Qingxue.
Yun Qingxue landed gracefully after her swift retreat, staring at the divine youth who had once helped her, now standing on the cloud she had just occupied. She was momentarily at a loss for words.
Who would have thought she’d run into an acquaintance in the dead of night?
“If I recall correctly, the Yunhuang Illusory Realm has already closed. The next opening won’t be for at least several decades…” The youth’s pure blue eyes gleamed coldly in the night.
“Who… are you, really?”
“I…” Yun Qingxue hesitated, unsure whether she should confess to the youth before her.
But before she could decide, the youth’s eyes narrowed coldly. In a flash, he lunged forward, a streak of silver light shooting from his fingertips.
Startled, Yun Qingxue swiftly dodged and hastily explained, “I—I swear I mean no harm!”
After his attack, the youth landed back on the cloud, pressing further. “Then who are you?!”
“I am…”
“Such hesitation makes it hard for me to trust you!” As he spoke, silver light coiled around his fingertips once more.
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