The branches rustled and shifted, and the flowers in her hand gently pulled her deeper into the sea of flowers.
The fiery red camellias blooming amidst the mountains, surrounded by a peach-pink hue, would be an absolutely beautiful sight if not for the heavy sorrow they evoke.
Deep within the sea of flowers, there stands a massive, jet-black tree, its gnarled branches stretching towards the distant horizon, appearing from below to block out the sun.
Unfortunately, the once lush Kunlun trees have long been shrouded in deathly aura, devoid of life, leaving only their massive trunks.
Shu Yun reached out and touched the tree trunk. White spiritual light flowed from her palm and covered the tree, driving away the black death aura.
She pressed her face against the tree trunk for a long time, then softly called out, "Father."
Shu Yun searched around but found no trace of the Demon God. Just as she was puzzled, the still-living camellia sent her a memory.
The Kunlun wood formed a cage to imprison the demon god, while the vibrant red camellia blossoms seemed to ignite, using ancient divine magic to entangle and slowly devour the demon god's life force. A thousand years ago, the demon god's last vestige of power dissipated in the Demon Abyss; no wonder the celestial soldiers stationed there said they sensed the demon god's presence.
At the same time, the Kunlun wood also lost its vitality. The father used his last strength to save the mother, allowing the red camellia to gain the vitality to survive to this day.
I see……
Shu Yun leaned back on the Kunlun wood, which had been cleansed of death energy, and gazed at the red-covered mountains. Even in the Demon Abyss, where demons lurked, her heart was filled with peace.
Suddenly, all the camellias began to tremble, their red petals falling off one by one. A gust of wind appeared out of nowhere in the mountains, swirling up all the camellia petals and making them dance slowly in the air.
The Tai'a sword in his hand emitted a buzzing sound.
A woman in a purple dress appeared amidst the fluttering petals, her stunning face bearing the gentle smile familiar to Shu Yun.
"Mother..."
Shu Yun stood up and took a few steps forward to stand in front of her.
The woman in the purple dress reached out and touched Shu Yun's head in the air. She could not feel any warmth, but both of them had tears in their eyes.
"Yun'er has grown up..."
"Yes," Shu Yun nodded, "The people on Penglai Island are all very kind. People from the Demon Realm came but were driven away by Meng Qing and the others. Later, I also became more powerful and became a High God, so no one dared to bully us anymore."
The woman in the purple dress looked at her with heartache. Because of them, Yun'er was left alone to protect the little spirits of Penglai. Perhaps they should have been more selfish back then...
Yun'er, who was pampered since childhood, suddenly lost them and had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of Penglai. It was their parents who were too irresponsible.
Shu Yun rambled on about the things that had happened in Penglai over the years, as well as about herself, picking out the interesting and lighthearted parts and omitting the unpleasant ones.
The two talked quietly under the towering Kunlun tree, with Shu Yun tacitly pretending not to see her mother's fading figure.
"That little Zi'e has grown up. She's by my side now. She's steady and meticulous. With her taking care of me, Mother can rest assured..."
“When Feng Ziyi was undergoing his tribulation, Nanpu was afraid of being punished by the Jade Emperor, so he came to me for help, offering to refine elixirs for me for ten years in exchange for my assistance.”
"I also found a child named Jiang Yan in the human world. He can't be considered a child anymore. By the age of mortals, he is already an adult. He is very well-behaved and gentle, as well as smart and capable. He is also quite good-looking. I guess I was just lucky. I meddled in some trivial matter, and it turned out to be quite decent."
The woman in the purple dress looked at Shu Yun as she mentioned these things, her eyes sparkling. She felt somewhat comforted, as she was afraid that her beloved daughter wouldn't have someone she liked by her side.
“Yun’er,” the woman in the purple dress stroked Shu Yun’s face, “being born as an immortal always means bearing more responsibility than others, but if we could do it all over again, your father and I would both choose to stay by your side.”
"Penglai Shangshu is a sign of respect for us, but also a shackle. Now that you are a high god, the Jade Emperor and all the immortals will impose some responsibilities on you. If you are unwilling, you don't have to pay attention to them. Only now do I understand that nothing is more important than following your heart."
Shu Yun nodded emphatically, "I understand."
The woman in the purple dress looked at her daughter with lingering affection. "Your father would surely think the same way. Nothing is more important than your happiness."
She reached out and touched Shu Yun one last time, "Goodbye, my precious daughter. Your father has waited for me for a thousand years. Your mother is going to find him."
Shu Yun felt a pang of sadness. "Tell Father that Yun'er misses him very much."
"Your father will understand..."
The red camellias that have bloomed for thousands of years are slowly withering away, their vibrant red gradually turning into a dry brown, a sign of the passing of life and spirit.
Shu Yun stood alone amidst a shower of petals.
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