Chapter One: The Lively Young Maiden

“Hey, little one, what interesting things have happened in the Spirit Qi Universe lately?”

At the heart of a sea where countless wondrous flowers bloomed, there stood a lofty immortal stone, rising several meters high.

A young girl, eleven or twelve years old, sat upon it. She was dressed in a pristine ancient-patterned white fairy dress, her beauty pure and otherworldly. Her tender, fair face still held the innocence of youth—she seemed like a spirit blossom just beginning to bloom in the realms of immortals.

Her eyes were striking, limpid and bright, as if filled with spiritual brilliance. She sat quietly atop the immortal stone, gazing up at the sky.

Her delicate, dust-free feet, bare of any covering, swung gently before the stone wreathed in radiant mists, paddling the air as if she were rowing a small boat.

As she idly swung her feet, the myriad blossoms around her swayed gracefully in the breeze.

“Could it be… you’ve fallen asleep again?”

The lively girl arched her fine brows in suspicion and slowly brought her hand closer.

Nestled in her rosy, petite palm lay a wondrous little sprout, no taller than a few grains of millet, easily fitting within her hand. Its leaves were fresh and lustrous, shimmering with gentle spiritual light.

She blinked twice.

The little grass slumped over, limbs sprawled in every direction, its sleeping posture exuding contentment. At the tip of one leaf, a crystalline bubble of snot swelled and shrank in the sunlight.

“Wake up, little one.”

Unable to suppress a smile, the girl called out in a voice as sweet and clear as a dream—but the spiritual grass remained oblivious.

“You slept the whole night yesterday, yet you’re still so greedy for sleep today.”

She stared at the little grass, and when it didn’t stir, she pursed her lips and blew a warm, fragrant breath over it.

Bathed in the scented breeze, the grass trembled, then its curled leaves slowly stretched open, its fine roots aglow.

“So sleepy... is it time already?”

To her surprise, a childish mumble came from her palm. The little blade of grass rolled over, still half-asleep.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

The drowsy grass responded, finally a hint of awareness dawning. It yawned lazily, and when it realized it had fallen asleep, it seemed startled.

“It must be that your body is so cozy and warm, little master. I couldn’t help but doze off for a bit,” it murmured.

“You really are too fond of sleep. You spend eight or nine hours a day dreaming,” she half-chided, half-complained.

At this, the little grass blushed shyly, hiding behind its leaves.

It peeked at the girl. Her face was so fair and soft, with a hint of plumpness, her eyes bright and seemingly reproachful as she gazed at it.

Judging she wasn’t truly angry, it decided to play cute and smooth things over.

“It’s said that the Wind Listener sleeps for nine millennia in one go, nine hours for a short nap, and learns of all the world’s affairs in dreams. I roamed the immortal realms yesterday—such effort! I just needed a little nap.”

Hearing this, the girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons and her lips arched in a beautiful smile. She hadn’t truly been upset before, and now, amused by this familiar refrain, she found it even more endearing.

She reached out with a slender finger and gently flicked the leaf waving at the top of the sprout, smiling softly.

“Wind Listener, I know all about your abilities. Now, tell me: what wonders have unfolded in the world outside?”

…

Beyond the shattered remnants of ancient universes, beneath the starry sky, there blossomed a magnificent continent.

This was the Divine Realm of Blossoms, the brightest jewel of the Spirit Qi Universe, a sacred land of ancient heritage.

An old man and a young boy had stopped here.

The elder’s hair was white as moonlight, his bearing vigorous, face gaunt yet dignified. Hands clasped behind his back, he gazed ahead, the depths of his eyes reflecting a starless night.

The youth yawned, restless and bored.

Suddenly, a breeze swept over from afar, carrying the faint scent of flowers and grass.

He breathed it in—it was subtle and refreshing, unique to this sacred land.

“In the sea of flowers dwells a beauty, peerless and aloof; her ancient fragrance stuns even the Emperor of the Universe, who comes in secret, hoping for some wondrous encounter.”

The old man’s eyes grew distant as he looked out at the splendid continent, a trace of nostalgia there.

The meaning of the lines was simple: amid the flowers there was a peerless maiden, enchanting even the Emperor, who would come quietly, yearning for intrigue.

The boy rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the old man’s poetic mood. He sized up the continent, so different from what he had expected.

“Old man, were you lying to me? Didn’t you say there was a sea here yesterday?”

“Where’s the sea?”

His voice was clear, tinged with unruliness. His delicate brows lifted in rebellion, unwilling to yield, while his bright blue eyes flashed with hidden sharpness—no one could underestimate him.

His name was Wind Xiang. Those who knew him often feared him, and when introducing him, would always add that he was a notorious scion of Star City.

The old man was called Da Jiuxing—an odd name with a mighty reputation. He was no ordinary being; on the day he was born, his belly swelled, and unable to hold back, he released a burst of gas that shattered nine stars.

Embarrassed, he simply took the name to mark the occasion.

To destroy nine stars in a single breath—an unparalleled feat, ranking him among the universe’s top hundred masters.

Yet he always prided himself on his low profile, never boasting of such things. Outsiders found his name odd and awkward.

Now, Da Jiuxing looked quite at ease, not responding until Wind Xiang’s impatient glare prompted a faint smile.

“This starry continent is the Sea of Flowers. Look at those dazzling colors, the surging spiritual energy, the grand spectacle—isn’t it a sea of blossoms?”

He couldn’t help but nag further: “I told you to study the history of the cosmos more, but you always run wild; you’ve scared off five or six masters, and even Huang’er has suffered for it. Now you can’t even recognize the endless sea of flowers. It’s good I brought you out alone this time. Huang’er is recuperating by the Myriad Trees—at least she’ll learn some sense. When you return, you’d better rein yourself in…”

“Enough,” Wind Xiang cut him off impatiently. He gazed out at the sea of flowers, and suddenly his blue eyes shone. “Old man, isn’t there some supreme spiritual being here? The Divine Flower? That scruffy fellow you worship said this place is crawling with flower spirits and grass sprites. Even tree bark yearns for love and can turn into a beautiful woman, seducing men and flying off together.”

Da Jiuxing’s face darkened. “Seducing men, flying off together—what nonsense! The Sea of Flowers has always been pure. That drunkard spouts rubbish.”

“Aren’t you always praising him for his foresight, telling me to learn from him? Why mock him now?”

Da Jiuxing choked, realizing that the drunkard had filled Wind Xiang’s head with nonsense, and all he’d learned was unruliness. He snorted.

“He’s biased about the Sea of Flowers.”

“Biased?”

“You asked about supreme spirits. Here, the goddesses themselves are such beings. Their immortal bodies are rare even in the whole Spirit Qi Universe.”

“And the Divine Flower?”

“There’s only one per era, and it withers at the end of a cosmic epoch. Now, as a new age begins, the last Flower Sovereign is still subject to fate, not yet…”

Da Jiuxing fell silent, suspicion flickering in his wise old eyes. “Could it be they summoned me for that matter?”

…

“A thousand domains beam with treasure light, immortal lands conceal rare troves; if the young don’t seek fortune, the old will weep in vain. Little master, there’s so much out there! The Mind Sea festival that occurs once every fifty millennia, the chubby boy who soared away after stealing a Celestial Crystal Seed, the mysterious sword maiden who ripped the River of Time—what do you want to hear about first?”

The Wind Listener danced across her palm, recounting the most sensational recent news.

“Hmm…” The girl pondered, then shook her head—none of it interested her. She’d heard much the same before.

“None of these interest you, little master?”

“These stories are the talk of the realms—even the venerable goddesses sent flower spirits to investigate. How can you not care?”

The little grass cried out, making an exaggerated face. A faint pulse of spiritual energy flashed in its veins, forming a childlike face before the girl.

“Naughty thing, if you call the goddesses ‘aunties,’ they’ll be angry. I’ll tell them on you,” the girl teased, squeezing the face the grass had conjured.

The face gaped in shock, then looked aggrieved.

“Please, little master, don’t tell! The Dance Goddess always threatens to roast me like chives.”

“Alright, I was just teasing you. Did I really scare you?” She laughed, delighted.

“Aren’t there any fun stories outside?”

After laughing, her sparkling gaze pierced through the glittering sea of flowers to the boundless stars beyond—a faint yearning flickered within her.

Her crystal feet swung unconsciously in midair, toes clean and delicate, slim ankles traced with faint blue veins.

“Fun stories… well, there are. I just don’t know if you want to hear about the universe’s number one troublemaker,” Wind Listener muttered.

“Troublemaker?” The girl was taken aback.

Her gaze, falling on the little grass, was filled with puzzlement.

Born and raised in the Sea of Flowers, she had been doted upon by the goddesses since before she could remember. She had always been obedient and clever, never once causing trouble.

She had never left the Sea of Flowers, only heard stories about the outside world, so her knowledge was limited. She’d never even heard the term “troublemaker.”

To cause trouble—to bring disaster—was certainly a criticism.

To be called a “troublemaker” was even worse.

“What is a troublemaker?” she asked.

“He’s a dreadful little rascal,” Wind Listener grumbled, leaping onto her slender shoulder.

“Why say such things?”

“It’s not me—everyone says so! That rascal stirs up so much trouble,” the grass pouted.

“Last month, he mocked the Piercing Pillar of the Inverse Sun Sea for being overrated, then detonated a super-core, blowing up the Dao Sea. As a result, a bunch of powerful beings meditating on the laws there got caught up in a disaster—they’re still up in arms about it.”

“Inverse Sun Sea… Piercing Pillar… the forbidden land of the Ten Ancient Stars?” The girl was stunned.

To think someone would blow up the Dao Sea just because he thought the Piercing Pillar was undeserving of its name, and with a precious super-core at that—what a waste…

What kind of person would do something so strange?

“That’s right, the forbidden land of the Ten Ancient Stars. Now the Inverse Sun Sea is in chaos, storms of law raging without end. Those mighty ones have to fight their way out, and it’ll take years. Luckily, the goddesses weren’t there—or our aunties would be in real trouble,” the grass sighed.

As she listened, the girl’s mind conjured a mischievous scene: the beautiful goddesses trapped in the stormy Inverse Sun Sea, faces dark and spirits foul.

Though amusing, the thought was disrespectful, and she blushed, quickly banishing it. She resumed swinging her tender, jade-like feet before the immortal stone.

“The Inverse Sun Sea is a forbidden zone for immortals, extremely dangerous. I’ve heard even the mighty of the last era never ventured deep—if you’re trapped, isn’t your life in peril?”

“Exactly. It’s said those powerful beings looked utterly dejected, crossing the sea with red eyes, vowing a thousand torments on the troublemaker when they get out.”

“So terrible?” Her beautiful eyes widened in shock.

“That’s not all.”

“Two years ago, he snuck into the Realm of Longevity and stole three Longevity Death Charms, treasures refined over countless generations. The old masters raised such an uproar before the Nine Saints.”

“The Realm of Longevity? The one famed for its Death Charms—who would dare provoke them?”

The girl’s face was filled with disbelief, finding the tale both absurd and incredible.