Chapter 53 I pray to you for a marriage for her, as I adorn her with a hairpin.
53
Miaojue's palm caressed the tree trunk, and the tree trembled and shook, just like her mood at that moment, echoing the heartbeat of the ground beneath her feet.
How long has the heart been buried here?
What day did she forget? Was it the day they broke up?
Even with all the dust gathered, there was no answer; only the color in his eyes grew clearer and clearer.
Too many questions have been buried by time.
And time is precisely what the magic formula possesses now.
The air seemed to stagnate slightly. The Heavenly-level Spirit Bone began to operate slowly, and a lush, dense stream of spiritual energy emerged from the girl's slender fingertips, tracing the veins and rings of a tree along the lines of her palm.
The palace servants of Tianyan Kingdom were all stunned, crowding around in the distance, unsure whether the divine tree had manifested its power or the princess had become a deity.
The subtleties of the outside world are no longer perceptible.
Because this time, returning to the tree with the Heavenly Bone, she finally saw her own time as a tree...
It turns out it was much more than ten years; it turns out it wasn't just a matter of closing your eyes and opening them again to become a tree.
They've been here together for a while now.
Chen Jinshi stood close to her side, feeling parched by the guidance of fate.
The girl closed her eyes tightly, wielding her spiritual energy. The wood grain of the tree rings in her sea of consciousness began to be drawn out in circles, spinning like a roller, and a straight and continuous scroll was displayed before her eyes.
Looking back over the past century, it's like flipping through a long, folded-out book, allowing her to clearly see what cause and effect are, and what the reasons are.
Everything unfolds like a hidden thread, and to find that one and only her, one must have reached the realm of celestial bones; and only those with celestial bones can see the veins and trajectory of this marriage tree's hundred-year growth, and witness the starting point where she was cradled by a single heart—
Time is the footnote to a tree.
In the end, Miaojue almost embraced his own tree trunk, his bangs were blown aside by the breeze of time, and he closed his eyes to see page after page of the painting.
On this page stands a towering, sacred tree of marriage, supported by celestial bones.
Looking back, you see the slender saplings that were once shaded from the sunlight by the altar.
Further on, further on, she saw herself as she first sprouted. She saw the first drizzle as she broke through the soil. Further on, she saw that she was still just a seed…
Further ahead, she finally saw a heart buried deep in the soil, deep within the passage of time.
Right where she was standing.
Directly below her.
Miaojue's fingertips, which were clinging to the tree, began to tremble, only to be tightly grasped by a pair of warm, cool hands.
So... she thought that during the ten years she endured alone, his heart was with her.
The key was on that page.
The heart of the Golden Crow shines like the sun beneath the earth.
Even with my eyes closed, the light was so intense it almost brought tears to my eyes.
His heart and blood vessels extend like roots, and the flowing blood becomes her nourishment.
It was his feelings that made the seed sprout, and it was his destiny that made the two of them... seamlessly merge into the tribulations of fate.
Then they found a way for the families whose clans had been wiped out.
As the scroll of time gradually faded away, the secret technique slowly opened its eyes.
"You saw it?" Chen Jinshi lowered his eyes.
"Hmm..." Miaojue was almost completely exhausted when he supported her.
The Underworld race is immortal; as long as their hearts are still beating, they can be resurrected no matter the degree of suffering they endure. Therefore, the heart is the most important organ for all the diverse forms of the Underworld race.
...Only the golden crow with its ashes remains.
Even after a drop of his blood or a bone is removed from his body, he still exists. He is the ever-changing ashes, able to live even without a heart.
So when he wants to give her something that is most important to him, he can offer his chest with all his might.
But the magic tricks of that time were powerless to protect that heart, and the only thing that was understood was what the Eastern family would do in the future.
So she took the heart with her, and Yang Wu hid it underground in the Fourth Ring Road in her place, making Wei Yi completely disappear, thus preserving the last and most important force of the Underworld Clan... and beginning the century-long struggle.
But now that the secret is clear, the only thing that's uncertain is whether it will succeed.
Only when the secret technique reaches the Heavenly Bone, only when the tree in her heart truly grows, can she see where she stands and the trajectory of time along the way. Therefore, Wei Yi never mentioned himself in her sea of consciousness.
Just like memories sealed away by the spirit bone, letting her know the truth when the magic technique is powerless to change anything is simply cruel.
All that's left is to wait.
Wait for her children to grow up and come back to find her. If the magic trick doesn't return, it means her celestial bones haven't reached the point where they could turn the tide and save the Azure Dragon.
Then she wouldn't need to know these... such heavy and painful memories.
Miaojue leaned against the tree trunk, her breath trembling for a few moments. She gently called her name in her mind's eye.
The system paused slightly, but the voice remained steady and normal, with a hint of cheerfulness in its tone, yet it still dutifully played the role of "system".
"The male and female protagonists have arrived! They discovered that the Celestial Court of Langhuan had sent people to destroy their marriage tree, mistakenly believing that their love was forbidden by the Heavenly Dao. While fighting against the Celestial Court, they were filled with despair..."
Miaojue couldn't touch her or see her; he could only nod in vain in his heart.
I understand, I understand, Sister Wei.
You completely disguised yourself as a link in the Heavenly Fate Tribulation, pretending to be a "system" because the system only needs to "broadcast" and "transmit," it is just an illusory existence... It never truly touches the cause and effect, so it will not resonate with the Heavenly Fate Seal and will not be discovered by Langhuan.
She succeeded.
Then, they simply watched their plans progress like the Foolish Old Man Moving Mountains, waiting for an unknown outcome.
When I was little, my eighth sister told me that in the very beginning, Wei Yi was actually a lively big snake.
When she was born from the ancestral stone, she had no companions. She explored the vast world step by step on her own. It wasn't until Bu Er was born that she learned she belonged to a race. However, she had no intention of raising Bu Er. This seemingly ferocious fire qilin was actually gentle and mild-mannered, and she bullied him until Cang San was born. From then on, the Netherworld Clan had the tradition of raising the next generation.
But this once lively snake could no longer be lively, and even its voice had completely changed, like a snake's camouflage, perfectly protecting itself for a hundred years.
The system continued its dutiful work, still smiling, though its voice carried a barely perceptible ache: "Please resolve the torture points as soon as possible—"
She had thought of everything, but she hadn't expected that she would be repeatedly scratched by the Chosen One during the process of creating the Time Bone for the little girl.
I never expected that brat to get involved so inconveniently, that we were originally on opposite sides, yet we met again like this.
But when she saw the youngest boy walking the world to find all his people, and the youngest girl achieving the Heavenly Time Bone, she watched them grow up with almost gratitude.
Miaojue smiled and covered her eyes, "Okay."
She completely concealed herself within the tribulations of destiny until the very last moment, yet the road ahead remained shrouded in darkness, and she remained merely a "system."
Like the snow-white hair that swept across the mountain peak in my distant memory, a bright face that always looked sad yet earnest.
And so, Miaojue seemed to hear the sigh in her heart.
—I'm sorry I can't use the most affectionate nickname for you, but Miaomiao, I know you are Miaomiao, and now you've found me too.
Do you remember the first thing I said to you?
That day, that terrible, guilt-ridden tree finally collapsed, and I finally came to your ear at the moment the tree rings began to turn, and said to you:
"Congratulations on finally dying."
Congratulations on finally starting a new chapter in your life.
Congratulations on finally stepping into a whole new world.
…
The secret lies in letting go completely, leaning against the heart where all dust has settled.
Her heart was still pounding beneath her feet as the young man in white looked down at her with deep, passionate eyes.
Their eyes met, beneath the tree of fate.
The youthful heartbeats suddenly surged before our eyes, gradually resonating in each other's chests.
Miaojue looked up into his peach blossom eyes.
She wondered, was she born from him, or was he living in her?
In short, they are destined to be intertwined like roots for the rest of their lives.
Miaojue sighed softly: "The only thing is under the tree, and so is your heart."
A simple sentence without any explanation was enough for the incredibly clever villain to figure out the whole story. Chen Jinshi lowered his eyes and chuckled softly.
Although there are still unclear details about the memory of that day.
For example, how Miaojue gave his heart to Weiyi, and how he became this tree... But at this moment, Chen Jinshi has completely woken up.
A light shone in his eyes, and the corners of his lips slowly curved upwards. "...Mm."
The brilliant idea, however, didn't elicit any laughter.
How to liberate the unique and reclaim the heart are all new problems. Because they have almost become one with the marriage tree, and are the source of the marriage tree, this has become a difficult choice between two options.
Chen Jinshi gripped her hand tightly, a smile playing on his lips. "What are you worried about? The solution is here."
Dongfang Yaotian roared into the sky above Tianyan Kingdom, his powerful wind spirit blades blocking the Langhuan group surrounding them. He also roared furiously at Dongfang Yehai, who was leading the group:
"You dare to shake our resolve, fine, but how dare you even think of harming the Tree of Marriage?!"
"This is the place where Qiu'er and I pledged our love. Even though our love and time have left us in ruins, only we can still move here...!!"
This is the final step in their destined love tribulation.
With the completion of the Langhuan Heavenly Mandate Seal imminent, it's no wonder the Celestial Court is in such a hurry to completely eliminate this huge variable, the power of time reversal.
Chen Jinshi reminded her, "When the tribulation of fate ends, your tree will have grown to its full potential."
The man's eyes held an indescribable smile, yet they shimmered with an unreadable light. At this moment, he no longer seemed like a villain trying to create obstacles for the protagonists' love, but rather like someone completely immersed in their own destiny, displaying their full power.
The brilliant idea paused for a moment, and then he realized what it meant.
Once all the tribulations of destiny and love are completed, her spiritual bones will advance to the final stage, crossing the threshold of the Profound Bone.
When the tree in her heart has fully grown, she herself becomes the giant tree, and the tree of marriage no longer exists.
At that time, the only way to find relief will be through this.
His heart is also capable.
The key lies in the relationship between Dongfang Yaotian and Gong Yuqiu, which requires the male and female protagonists to truly reach their happy ending. However, this time, the villain, who is keen on stirring up a tragic love story, completely ignores them.
Because Chen Jinshi already knew.
The important marriage wasn't with them, but with...
So even in this moment when he was regarded as a calamity, surrounded and intercepted everywhere, his heart was empty and his future was uncertain, he still felt full of vitality.
Dongfang Yehai felt a surge of anger.
He led the immortals into the Tianyan Kingdom, which was originally the best opportunity, but Dongfang Yaotian interfered. Frustrated, he could only force himself to patiently hint at it:
"Yaotian, calm down. The wise ruler has ordered that the tree of witchcraft that harms the common people be eradicated. Look, although you two pledged your love with this tree, your love has been full of twists and turns and hardships. Isn't that because of the tree's bad luck and misfortune?" Dongfang Yehai glanced at the two people under the tree with a gloomy look in his eyes. His elder brother had been directly crippled by the Azure Dragon, all because of this woman and this tree!
He has received the paper crane from the enlightened ruler and knows the reason behind it. The Heavenly Mandate Seal is about to be completed, and today he must deal with the Underworld Ten and eliminate this tree.
The elders of the Dongfang family, his uncles and aunts, were already highly respected and did not want to get involved in the karma of the Heavenly Mandate Seal, because that would affect the vision they had achieved within it.
In fact, Dongfang Yehai didn't need to take action, but he was unwilling to watch Dongfang Yuanshan turn into charred remains.
Why? Why can something that has been ground to powder come back to life? Why can something that has already been decided be overturned? Why can the Underworld Clan, after being tormented for a hundred years, still possess such power that shakes the world?
Only when the power to rewind is lost can everything be set right.
"Yaotian, look!" Dongfang Yehai pointed to the incense altar under the marriage tree. "This demonic tree has become a symbol of faith among the people, requiring offerings of incense, but it can't bring peace at all! It only harms the common people—"
He had figured out the righteous path of the chosen ones, and his words struck a chord with both of them.
However, Gong Yuqiu's gaze turned to the mainland, drawn by the numerous calamities: "At this critical moment, we should all help the people and ward off disasters. Since you immortals share this sentiment, quickly join me in this endeavor—"
Dongfang Yaotian's eyes were bloodshot as he raised the tip of his knife: "After this love is over, we will go our separate ways."
Gong Yuqiu, tears welling in her eyes again, said, "Dongfang Yaotian, can't you see how the people are suffering? Is your love more important, or the lives of ordinary people?!"
The chaotic wind and water spirits completely blocked them, making it impossible for them to attack the two people under the tree.
Dongfang Yehai's face turned ashen; he really didn't have time to argue with Dongfang Yaotian and Gong Yuqiu.
He couldn't help but grit his teeth and declare, "Yaotian, the wise ruler has been waiting for you all along. The high hopes he has placed on you are something even I haven't..."
"What enlightened ruler, what father!" Dongfang Yaotian suddenly roared, "Langhuan has no walls besides him, and I will eventually remove his last barrier of immortality, bringing equality—"
Chen Jinshi's eyebrows suddenly lifted.
He did obtain a crucial piece of information.
Dongfang Qianye never truly manifested itself.
He so desperately craved the power of the One Primordial Being. If the One Primordial Being were present, his control over the Ancestral Stone would be a hundred times greater. Yet, despite knowing the origins of the Marriage Tree, he still only sent these worthless bastards.
Was he too confident that Jinwu's strength had been weakened, or... was he simply unable to escape the Zero Ring?
"We can go kill Dongfang Qianye now." Chen Jinshi thought for two seconds, then whispered to Miaojue.
Miaojue leaned against the tree trunk, looking very anxious: "But the only thing is still here, and so is your heart."
"I know, of course I know."
“You are the sapling that has grown in my heart.” He smiled radiantly, his lips red. “Of course I have to take responsibility for you.”
I had already decided on the way here.
Dongfang Yehai had been closely observing Ming Shi's reaction, and he couldn't afford to miss another opportunity. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly exclaimed to Dongfang Yaotian and Gong Yuqiu, "Look, the disaster is getting worse!"
As fellow wind spirits, Dongfang Yehai was at the Xuan Bone level. He gently flicked his fingertips, and a continuous buzzing sound suddenly came from mid-air.
It drew closer and closer, shrouded in the night.
"It's...it's an insect plague!"
"An insect plague has descended?!"
Gong Yuqiu and his companion's expressions hardened. Seeing the people fleeing in panic, their attention was finally diverted.
The chosen one no longer blocked their way, and many members of the Dongfang family rushed towards Chen Jinshi under the Marriage Tree, their swords pointed, aiming directly at the hole in his heart.
With another flick of his finger, Dongfang Yehai sent thousands of locusts rising from the continent rushing toward the Marriage Tree in the wind, forming a raging eye of wind like insect wings, and in the blink of an eye, they surged toward the tree like a thick cloud.
Dongfang Yehai squinted through the swarm of insects. Ming Shi was clearly incomplete and injured in his internal organs, so why was he still so calm and composed?
The magic technique focused on the tip of the crown of the mind, but then the white-robed youth beside him raised a fingertip and said casually, "What are you doing? I don't eat this kind of insect..."
Dust settled calmly as he clasped his hands together, muttering to himself, "Because I only have one insect to eat..."
The fingertips that had lost their red birthmarks appeared unusually pale.
Miao Jue was about to say something, somewhat annoyed, when a cluster of burning, dark red feathers appeared in his palm.
A deafening buzzing sound filled the air, creating an extremely ominous atmosphere.
The handful of dark red feathers flew to the top of the tree, and then instantly poured down like feathers, dressing the entire tree from top to bottom, enveloping the century-old tree, the soul beneath it, and his heart.
The day this tree disappears as a complete Xuanling bone, this feather will be worn on her body.
"So little sapling, grow a little taller—"
Then I can wear my feather robe.
"What's so special about Beiling Ice Robe? It'll make you shiver..." Chen Jinshi muttered under his breath, not caring at all whether Wei Yi on the ground could hear him.
His eyes and brows radiated the spirit of spring's revival, his gaze sparkling with light, as he made his life's decision today.
Miao Jue seemed to have figured something out. Could that feather be related to the red mark on his fingertip?
Chen Jinshi offered no explanation, only looking at her in the dim light, "Now I'll kill them all, then take you back to Langhuan. It will probably take about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
He wanted to kiss from one end to the other.
Miao Jue's heart skipped a beat, then beat faster and faster, as if he had kissed her with his eyes several times over. "W-what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
After seeing through the sincerity hidden beneath the blood and tears, the villain once again revealed a sinister smile, though his tone concealed a hint of piety.
"I am asking you for a marriage proposal."
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