At last, the banquet gradually came to a close, and Yu Huang Palace began to empty.
One by one, divine guests rose, robes sweeping like waves of silk across celestial white marble as they offered parting bows to the Jade Emperor and Celestial Empress.
The various clans that had arrived bearing tributes were welcomed to Tian Xiu Hall, where they would reside for the duration of their stay. Among them was the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan.
Yet, one figure did not follow.
Bai Xiang stood alone, lingering at the entrance of Yu Huang Palace, her gaze fixed on the high arches, hoping—foolishly—for a glimpse of him.
Xingyao.
Yet he never appeared.
Word had already spread—Xingyao and Mo Chen had been asked to remain behind to discuss matters of divine importance. The Jade Emperor would not have made such a request lightly, not to men who despised courtly chatter. Whatever it was, it mattered.
Wenlan, ever tactful and perceptive, had assured him that she and Yanxia would escort Xiao Zhu back to Ling Yuan Palace.
Of course, Qingfeng had tagged along, much to Yanxia's irritation, intent on teasing her the entire journey.
They rode on the same spirit clouds that had carried them to the banquet, returning toward the distant peaks that housed Ling Yuan's serene halls.
Meanwhile, dejected and restless, Bai Xiang wandered into Peach Blossom Grove, her steps aimless, her thoughts troubled.
The petals fluttered in the wind like pieces of memory—like the day, nine hundred years ago, when she had first seen him.
Lord Xingyao. The most beautiful immortal she had ever laid eyes on.
Of course, she had heard of Lord Mo Chen, the famed reclusive deity whose beauty rivaled Xingyao's—but with him came rumors of his unapproachable nature, the sheer distance between him and the rest of the heavens.
Lord Xingyao was different.
Detached, lonely, perhaps—but never cold. Never out of reach.
He had been courteous to all—even her.
But now…
Had he truly forgotten her?
…
Bai Xiang lifted a fair and slender hand, fingertips brushing against her own exquisite features.
She was proud of her beauty—she had been born into the illustrious Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, after all.
Few could compare.
Yet… her heart tightened.
That disciple.
The one Lord Mo Chen had taken in—a mere pearl spirit, barely touching the path of cultivation—yet…
Her beauty, even Goddess Yunhua could not match.
Jealousy twisted like thorns inside her chest.
Her hands clenched. A nearby branch groaned. She crushed a fistful of peach blossoms in her palm, their petals torn and falling like tears.
"Stupid," she muttered, voice sharp with bitterness.
"Hateful little thing—"
Frustrated, irritated, she turned to leave.
But the moment she did—her heart gave a jolt.
From above, perched on a high branch like she'd always belonged there, was Goddess Yunhua.
Leaning lazily on one elbow, her fingers played with a peach blossom, her beautiful eyes half-lidded, amused.
Yunhua's beauty was art itself—every angle measured, every breath effortless.
"Your Highness!" Bai Xiang gasped, immediately dipping into a curtsy. "I didn't know you were here. Forgive me."
Her reaction was natural.
Yunhua only ever played the role of a gentle white lotus when Mo Chen was present—to others, she was far more difficult.
Especially around other goddesses and fairies.
She simply looked down on them all.
After all, she was born to be a High Goddess, one with unparalleled beauty, a lineage too grand to ignore.
Her pride was ingrained into her very bones.
As graceful as a drifting petal, Yunhua descended, her robes billowing like soft mist as her feet barely touched the earth below.
Bai Xiang watched in silent amazement as the beautiful goddess landed effortlessly before her, the sheer elegance of the moment rendering her breathless, frozen in place—she almost forgot how to breathe.
"It's alright," Yunhua said, her voice like sugar steeped in frost. "It was I who startled you."
Bai Xiang shook her head quickly. "It's my fortune to be in your presence. I'll leave now, so you may enjoy the blossoms in peace."
She moved to step away.
But before she could—Yunhua flicked her fingers, and Bai Xiang suddenly found herself pulled back.
The light touch of flower petals infused with spiritual energy swirled around her, stopping her retreat.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." Her voice dropped lower, sweet as poison. "In fact, I may have something that can help you."
Bai Xiang's eyes widened, her breath hitching as she lowered her gaze.
"I'm… not sure what Your Highness means."
Yunhua chuckled softly, her tone lined with cruel mirth, amusement steeped in schadenfreude.
"Stop pretending."
She tilted her head, watching Bai Xiang with quiet knowing.
"I know you have feelings for Xingyao. But…"
Her voice dragged out the pause, stretching the moment between them with deliberate slowness.
Then, she spoke again.
"That little girl—Xiao Zhu—has bewitched him."
Her words slithered through the air like honey laced with venom, curling effortlessly into Bai Xiang's ears.
"Think about it," she added. "A pearl from an unknown origin. No clear background. And yet Mo Chen—of all gods—takes her in as his first disciple? And now even Xingyao looks at her like she is the moon in his sky."
Her lips curled slightly.
She stepped back, letting the words settle, sink, and burn.
Yunhua didn't need to say more.
She could see it—the shift in Bai Xiang's expression.
The darkening of her gaze, the curling of her hands into fists, the way hatred and envy poured into every inch of her stance.
Silence stretched between them.
Then, finally, Bai Xiang took a deep breath—sharp, measured, resolute.
She lifted her head, her eyes clear, brimming with determination.
"How can Your Highness help me?"
Her voice was quiet.
"What do I need to do?"
Yunhua simply smiles, a glint of amusement flickering beneath her gaze.
She tilted her wrist, letting celestial light shimmer between her fingertips, and from its glow, the flower appeared.
It was delicate, breathtaking—its petals shifting between holographic hues of silver, violet, and celestial blue, like woven starlight caught in a dream.
Under the soft lantern glow, it pulsed faintly, an illusion of purity, a temptation that even the gods themselves might covet.
Bai Xiang's breath hitched at the sight.
Something so beautiful, so rare—surely it held great spiritual power.
Yunhua's lips curled into an indulgent smile, watching the quiet hunger flicker in Bai Xiang's eyes.
"A Thousand-Year Veil Blossom," she murmured.
She twirled the stem lightly between her fingers, watching the way its colors danced across dimensions, as if it were barely bound to this realm at all.
"Few have ever laid eyes upon it, let alone held it."
Bai Xiang's gaze locked onto the flower, her fingers itching to touch it.
Yunhua extended her hand, placing it deliberately into Bai Xiang's palm—but the moment she did, an invisible shimmer spread across it, encasing the bloom in an energy barrier.
A protective ward.
Bai Xiang blinked, confused.
"This barrier…?"
Yunhua chuckled, her gaze dark with amusement.
"A precaution."
She took a step closer, her voice lowering to something smooth, deliberate, woven with quiet malice.
"This flower is a gift… but not just any gift."
Bai Xiang swallowed, her fingers curling around the unseen shield.
Yunhua's tone softened, almost affectionate—but behind it lay something far sharper.
"A gift to kill."
Bai Xiang's breath caught in her throat.
"Kill…?"
Yunhua nodded, fingering a loose strand of her silken robes, as though this exchange were nothing more than a casual conversation over tea.
"A rare poison, veiled behind unparalleled beauty. Elegant, isn't it?"
She let the words settle, soaking into Bai Xiang's mind like the venom she was about to teach her how to wield.
"It holds no threat to you—not yet. But once the barrier is undone, its effects will take root within the soul of whoever receives it."
She tilted her head. "No one will suspect a thing—until it's too late."
Her beautiful eyes flickered—watchful, knowing.
"Especially fairies… ones who are not yet fully cultivated."
Bai Xiang sucked in a quiet breath, realization unfurling like smoke curling through her thoughts.
Her grip tightened.
Yunhua smiled.
"Don't worry. I will teach you the spell to break the barrier."
Her fingers lifted, tracing a small arc in the air, and the glow around the flower shifted ever so slightly, as though responding to her will.
"Once you give it to Xiao Zhu, the spell can be activated with the slightest whisper… the moment you have the chance."
A silence stretched between them—heavy, dark, pregnant with quiet intent.
Bai Xiang felt the weight of the flower settling into her hands, light yet oppressive, a perfect deception wrapped in silver silk.
Yunhua watched her closely, waiting, assessing—pleased.
Then, with a final tap of her fingers against Bai Xiang's wrist, she murmured, "Use it wisely, don't disappoint me."
With that, Yunhua turned, her form dissolving into a cascade of blossoms, drifting on the wind as if she were never truly there—leaving Bai Xiang alone, lost in quiet contemplation.