The lower realm, Canglan City.
Beneath the Phoenix Tree, the Flower Goddess, who was enjoying the offerings from believers and arranging the faint wishes on the prayer slips, suddenly felt the space around her freeze, and the next moment, the scene before her eyes spun around her!
The wisps of incense burning in her presence, the whispered prayers of her devotees, and even the vibrant life of the Phoenix Tree vanished without a trace. In their place came a supreme, chilling pressure that made her very soul tremble.
"Thump—"
The Flower Goddess didn't even see her surroundings clearly; her body's instincts preceded her consciousness, causing her to prostrate herself on the cold ground, trembling as if it could freeze her soul.
She was completely dazed, her mind was buzzing, and all that remained was a blank of fear.
no? !
What did she do?!
Isn't she just a lowly fairy who's content with her lot, diligently managing the affairs of flowers and marriage in a small area, and doesn't even know which direction the Southern Heavenly Gate faces?!
She didn't do anything!
Why was she dragged to... to this Nine Heavens Palace, whose very aura made her want to rebuild it on the spot?!
Or did she appear directly in front of Mo Yuan, the Immortal Venerable who supposedly controls the order of the Three Realms and could obliterate a minor immortal like her with a single glance?!
Waaaaaah?!
She hasn't even dared to eat much of the pastries offered by the believers lately!
What exactly did I do to offend the Emperor?!
Just as the Flower Goddess was so frightened that she was about to lose her divine status and collapse on the spot, a clear and cold voice, like the striking of jade chimes, yet carrying an indescribable emotion, came from above.
"Praying for Flowers Festival... On the Phoenix Tree, all the wishes tied today have been taken."
Flower Goddess: "...Huh?"
She looked up blankly, her face filled with bewilderment and disbelief, even forgetting her fear.
Take...take what?
Willing to sign?
Those wooden slips written by mortal cultivators with phrases like "Praying for advancement in cultivation" and "Hoping for a bountiful harvest of spiritual plants"?!
This lord, the supreme being who controls the birth and death of the three realms and the movement of the stars, suddenly dragged her up from the lower realm just to... inspect her grassroots work?
A thought flashed through the Flower Goddess's mind—had some bastard been discovered to have made a wish to destroy the three realms during the Flower Festival under her jurisdiction?!
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and her body trembled even more violently. She frantically held up a thick stack of wish slips that she had just collected from the Phoenix Tree that day, which she had stored in her divine power space, with both hands, her voice trembling with tears.
"Immortal, Immortal Venerable, may you bear witness... All the wish slips are here... This humble deity... has absolutely no ill intentions..."
Tears were already streaming down her face inside, and she was screaming wildly—what's wrong with this damn boss!
Why ignore all the important matters in the Three Realms and come here to inspect a lowly immortal like her?!
They even launched a surprise attack!
They're always looking for trouble!
Tui!
Completely ignoring the Flower Goddess below, whose face was ashen and whose heart was roaring with madness, Xie Linyuan's gaze fell on the pile of wish slips that emitted a faint fluctuation of wish power.
Long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles made a light stroke in the air.
The thick stack of wish slips seemed to be swept away by an invisible breeze, scattering and floating in front of him.
His gaze swept across the list quickly, finally settling precisely on one of the seemingly ordinary wish slips.
With a slight flick of his fingertips, the wish slip floated lightly into his palm.
On the rough wooden stick, two lines of text were casually written in the most ordinary ink. The handwriting was not neat, and even showed a careless and sloppy style.
May Xie Linyuan enjoy much joy, constant peace, and all his wishes fulfilled.
Xie Linyuan's gaze was fixed on those two lines of ink characters, as if he had been captured by an invisible spell.
He had imagined countless possibilities.
Perhaps Zhao Zhao will seek to improve her cultivation, then he can legitimately use the power of the stars to temper her body;
Perhaps she would ask for abundant wealth, in which case he could easily transfer the most precious mineral veins in the Three Realms to her name;
Or perhaps... she might write about trivial things, from which he could find some interest and then subtly fulfill her wishes.
He never expected that the rough wooden stick would carry a prayer related to him.
It's not about taking, it's about giving.
It's not about asking for anything for myself, but rather... wishing for what is best for him.
"May you have much joy, constant peace, and all your desires be fulfilled."
Each word was like a pebble thrown into a cold pond, creating ripples that were hard to quell on the frozen lake of his heart, which had been frozen by long-term anxieties.
He unconsciously stroked the slightly messy handwriting with his fingertips, as if he could feel the seemingly casual yet extremely solemn warmth of the person who wrote it through the wooden piece.
The lingering shadow in his heart, a shadow he himself was unwilling to delve into—the fear that Zhaozhao's indulgence towards him was merely out of helplessness rather than genuine concern—was completely dispelled by these simple and straightforward nine words at this moment.
So it turns out... Zhao Zhao really did have feelings for him.
Not only did she wish him happiness and peace, but she also prayed for his joy and tranquility.
An unprecedented, scalding warmth, like a thawing spring river, surged through his limbs and bones, almost breaking through his cool and aloof exterior and spilling out from the corners of his slightly upturned lips.
He forcibly suppressed that inappropriate curve, but the frost in his eyes, which were like a cold pool, melted away, leaving only a light that was astonishingly bright and pure to the point of being almost foolish.
Xie Linyuan handled the wish slip with utmost care, as if it were some fragile, priceless treasure, tucking it into his sleeve and keeping it close to his body.
After doing all this, he seemed to have finally regained some of the demeanor of the Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan. However, his slightly straightened back and the almost tangible smugness that he couldn't hide in his eyes and brows completely betrayed him.
He turned his head and looked at Yunji, who was standing to the side, looking down and trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
"Yunji".
Xie Linyuan spoke, his voice still clear and calm: "Do you know what Zhao Zhao wrote on her wish slip?"
The vein on Yunji Immortal Lord's forehead throbbed merrily. He raised his eyes expressionlessly and looked at his Venerable One's face, which was filled with "come and see how much people care about me." He felt the anger that had just been suppressed suddenly rise up again.
He took a deep breath and told himself, "This is my boss, this is the person who pays my salary... I can't hit him, otherwise no one will be able to work."
However, Xie Linyuan clearly had no intention of letting him off the hook.
The immortal leaned slightly closer and, in a serious tone as if exploring the profound mysteries of the Dao, continued, "Do you know what it feels like to be so cherished by your Daoist partner?"
"They probably don't know."
He asked and answered himself, his tone filled with increasing pity, and even a hint of barely perceptible boasting, "Alas, I am not a narrow-minded person. Your usual... well, small disrespect, I will not hold it against you because you are all alone and have no one to care for you."
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