Chapter Thirty-Six: The Sealing of Xuan

The First Petal Unfolds...

The wind murmured, repeating itself, and his gaze gradually drifted. The words spoken by Brahma Bamboo Heaven seemed to possess a strange magic, abruptly seizing his mood and pulling it down, leaving him with a heavy sense of gravity.

Once more, the image of the spirited maiden appeared in his mind—sitting atop a celestial stone, blinking curiously at him. When she departed, she suddenly called him back and gifted him a seemingly insignificant petal...

“It’s not a flawless first petal, yet it’s astonishing enough,” Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s exquisite beauty was beyond reproach, her lips vivid, her star-bright eyes captivating, though her expression was somewhat complex.

Wisps of tea fragrance mingled with the freshness of crystalline spring water, permeating the surroundings.

Windshang snapped out of his reverie and said, “Explain in detail.”

“There’s no need for you to know the finer points.” Suddenly pausing here, Brahma Bamboo Heaven did not continue.

This left Windshang restless with curiosity—what mystery was concealed? Both Qing’e and Brahma Bamboo Heaven had touched upon it, but neither revealed the whole truth. Must he have profound strength to learn more?

After a moment’s silence, Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s beautiful eyes, seeming to pierce through hearts, gazed straight at Windshang, and she asked earnestly, “Let me ask you—did you take it by force, or did she give it to you?”

Meeting her gaze, Windshang was struck by a sudden intuition: if he gave a different answer, Brahma Bamboo Heaven would respond differently.

“She gave it to me,” Windshang replied honestly.

“Good.”

Having asked, Brahma Bamboo Heaven fell into thought, lifting her white jade teacup for a sip; the hesitation in her eyes vanished completely in that instant.

Her eyes were bright and clear as she set down the cup and spoke to Windshang, “Since it was gifted to you, I have nothing more to say. However, the Nine Lords will linger in the Sea of Flowers for some time yet. Aside from me, the First Divine Lord can also detect its fragrance.

The seal on your hand is skillful, but over time, the scent will gradually escape. I’ll add another seal for you.”

“You... trust me?”

Windshang looked at her in confusion, recalling what Qing’e had said. It wasn’t hard to guess that the petal held great significance and could not be allowed to circulate freely. If the Divine Lords of the Sea of Flowers discovered it, they would surely be furious.

He wanted to ask, why aren’t you angry?

Earlier, when the Dance Divine Lord was present, Brahma Bamboo Heaven had clearly noticed and deliberately brought him here.

The hesitation in her eyes was surely about whether to reclaim the petal. Yet with a single sentence—she gave it to me—the matter was resolved perfectly.

“Some things are destined to happen. To act against fate would break the will of heaven; sometimes it’s best to go with the flow,” Brahma Bamboo Heaven said lightly, casting him a carefree glance.

“Give me your hand—I will seal it for you.” Brahma Bamboo Heaven instructed.

Windshang’s expression was conflicted.

He felt unsettled; after all, it was just a single petal, yet the atmosphere was so tense and serious, and now he was to receive two seals on his hand. At the very least, shouldn’t he be told its origin?

In the end, he complied and extended his right hand.

Brahma Bamboo Heaven formed a hand seal; at once, swirling radiance surged like a tide, pouring down her slender form. Her snow-white, crystalline skin shone with sacred brilliance as peculiar runes leapt forth, branding the void.

Behind her, a dazzling divine halo arose, ancient chants resounding, profound and obscure. Divine energy flooded the space, making her appear as a goddess of starlight and radiance.

Windshang was stunned—the aura was formidable.

He was confident in his own discernment.

Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s cultivation of the revolving power had fully merged with the Dao, containing several supreme laws. Each one was a realm many gifted beings could only dream of understanding.

Among all the divine lords he’d encountered, she was surely at the very pinnacle.

No wonder her combat strength was said to be so great.

In the Spiritual Qi Universe, with her power unleashed, countless stars would be reduced to dust.

Buzz...

On the back of Windshang’s hand, a green vortex quickly formed, its terrifying energy spilling outward. The mountain bamboo sea was caught in a violent gale, the bamboo groves swaying wildly, leaves falling in droves.

Were it not for the protective array, the peaks of the bamboo sea would surely have been flung far away.

“This sealing formation is far grander than the innate Azure Fiend’s,” thought Windshang—not that Qing’e’s methods were lacking, but every sealing technique has its own style; some are grand, others subtle.

“All done.”

The celestial sound of Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s voice fell, and five sacred rays soared, merging into his five finger bones. The emerald vortex followed, slowly fusing into the back of his hand, falling silent.

Windshang felt his finger bones vibrate, a mysterious energy flowing inside, resonating with each other to form a secret formation that concealed all traces.

From the outside, it appeared ordinary, only he knew that Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s seal had perfectly masked the fragrance, and seemed to have granted him considerable power.

With a sweep of his hand, his five finger bones became extraordinary, divine light spilling forth, thundering like a storm.

“Impressive.”

Windshang withdrew his hand, flexing his fingers, quite satisfied.

Qing’e’s voice resonated in his mind, “Ask her if she’s interested in you. If so, hurry and form a pair. Just now, she gave you a small portion of her revolving power—it’s precious to her, accumulated over centuries.”

“Really? She shared her revolving power with me?”

Windshang grinned, though he didn’t dare ask outright. His gaze flicked to the faint mark on the flawless wrist of the peerless beauty—it was as he suspected, he had definitely seen it before.

“What are you smiling at—so happy?” Brahma Bamboo Heaven’s bright eyes and white teeth, elegant and serene, her three thousand strands of green hair falling smoothly to her waist, noticed the smile on Windshang’s lips and suddenly asked.

“You took such pains to mask that fragrance for me—I should thank you. By the way, at the Gate of Divinity I said we’d met before, have you remembered?” Windshang’s eyes shone as he leaned toward her expectantly.

“No. It’s getting late; I should send you to Dance now.” Brahma Bamboo Heaven replied coolly, indifferent, her expression unchanged from start to finish.

She was very direct; once the matter was settled, she was ready to see him off.

“No rush.” Windshang smiled, “Actually, I find your place quiet and refined, with a unique charm. Why not show me around?”

Brahma Bamboo Heaven looked at him in silence.

Under her calm gaze, Windshang felt somewhat awkward and said, “Is your seal secure enough? Will it fool the Dance Divine Lord? Maybe I should stay here instead—so the Sea of Flowers Divine Lords don’t discover it…”

Brahma Bamboo Heaven simply ignored him.

Windshang was astonished; as he watched, the graceful, understated figure soared into the sky, heading toward the World Mountain of the Sea of Flowers.

Clearly, she intended to leave him here alone.

“Explore on your own.”

From the distant horizon, her voice echoed back.