In the cry of the phoenix, all the flags and sails on the stage of the blessing ceremony began to rise.
The four golden pillars surrounding the altar started to rotate at the same time, summoning gusts of wind from every direction.
Under that tremendous force, the scriptures carved into each pillar began to glow one after another, humming softly.
Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…
The sound was longer and deeper than the rotation from before, like the song of dragons and phoenixes circling in the sky.
One circle.
Two circles.
After six full rotations, the five pillars stopped at once.
"Long live! Long live! Long live!
Long live the Jin Kingdom, may its people know peace!"
Yun Qianyue stood among the crowd, raising her voice.
Her words were quickly echoed by thousands of voices across the prayer hall, filling the air with thunderous devotion.
But Ji Eterni's eyes were fixed on her.
It was her.
Her cultivation had reached the seventh level.
Yun Qianyue met his gaze neither humble nor arrogant.
She had begged for mercy in her past life.
Not anymore.
If he dared to destroy the Yun Family, she would drag him down into ruin with her.
Ji Eterni snorted coldly and sat back down. "It seems… a misunderstanding," he said lightly, as if the venom in his earlier words had never existed.
With the Third Prince silent, no one in Mu City dared to stir further trouble. The ceremony continued but Yun Qianyue knew better.
Ji Eterni never forgot a grudge. He would not forgive this humiliation.
So be it.
If chaos was coming for the Yun Family, then she would meet it head-on.
She looked up as Yun Qianyin descended the altar.The girl who once stood proud and radiant now looked pale and shaken — fear, jealousy, and unwillingness flickering in her eyes.
"Is it your turn to be afraid now?" Yun Qianyue whispered softly as she approached, her voice like silk. To the others, it looked like sisterly concern.
Yun Qianyin's lips trembled. "Your spiritual root won't last," she hissed. "Once it fades, your cultivation will vanish too!"
Yun Qianyue smiled coldly. "Then let's see who falls first. You dared to poison me once ; if you try again, I'll make you wish for death."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away. She had no time to waste. The poison within her body was spreading fast.
"Yue'er, what happened just now?" Her father, Yun Muqing, the head of the Yun Clan looked at her with confusion. "Why did you leave the ceremony midway?"
Avoiding the gazes of others, Yun Qianyue lifted her sleeve and revealed the faint markings of poison beneath her skin.
Instantly, Yun Muqing's face changed.
He understood.
"I see… Go. Leave the rest to me," he said gravely.
He trusted her completely. Just like before.
In her past life, when everything had fallen apart, her father had asked her only one question. "Did the Third Prince ever betray you?"
She had answered, "No."
And from that day, he never questioned her again.
Yun Qianyue's eyes burned with determination. She took her father's hand tightly. "Father, please be careful. Wait for me. I'll come back."
In her last life, her father had given up the position of clan leader to protect her and lost everything.
This time, she would protect him instead.
To do that, she needed strength.
She couldn't afford to lose her spiritual root again.
The blessing field soon fell into chaos once more. Yun Qianyin had vanished without a trace.
Not far away, someone watched with a satisfied smirk."Her face is ruined," they murmured. "Let's see if she can keep her spiritual root now."
On Green Rock Mountain, Yun Qianyue stood at the edge of the cliff. This was where she had come to die in her past life. She had jumped but death had denied her.
Now, she stood there again, poisoned, broken, but still alive.
Below, mist covered a deep, glimmering pool.
Last time, she survived. This time, she would live with purpose.
Without hesitation, she jumped.
Splash!
The cold water swallowed her whole.
The pain of the poison and the freezing chill tore through her body, but she clenched her teeth and swam deeper.
Her limbs burned. Her vision blurred.
But ahead a faint light shimmered at the bottom of the pool.
A stone gate.
Yun Qianyue's lips curled into a faint smile.
She forced her way toward it.
What lies beyond?
She didn't know.
But as long as she could live she would find out.