Her golden eyes suddenly sparkled, memories flooding back like a tide, those joys, those laughs, all came back to her. They became a bonfire burning in her heart, a fire of light, a fire of faith… Illuminating her gradually darkening spirit, giving her will, giving her resolve; she still had so many things to accomplish. That sudden “fire” caught Papaver off guard. How could this be? Her will was supposed to be drained, she was on the brink of falling, yet how could she suddenly have hope again?
A crisp sound rang out as she swatted away the menacing hands above her head with all her strength, turned around to face Papaver, her white hair in disarray, gently combed back, her golden eyes filled with determination. “Do you think you can easily control me again?” Her voice was full of authority, her gaze locked onto the person before her, who looked just like her. There was a moment of surprise; it seemed she had underestimated her. Despite the reincarnation and slight changes in personality, the essence of Lingying still flowed in her veins. “Is that so? You really think I can’t control you?” Papaver scoffed, her surprise at the transformation was evident, yet she showed no fear, treating it as nothing. “So what? You think you can truly control me? Millions of years ago, if I could subdue you then, I can do it now! Maybe not now, but in the future, I will subdue you again!” Facing her, without fear, their battle of time had truly begun.
Papaver was suddenly alarmed. Had she recalled something? She couldn’t help but worry; it seemed she needed to act first, to strike before Lingying could recover, to take over her body. This was the only way she could achieve her ambition, for now, she was just a spirit without a physical form, unable to withstand sunlight. The only body in this world that could complement hers was Lingying’s because they were twin sisters from the same origin, naturally the most suitable.
“Millions of years ago, you subdued me, so what? It doesn’t mean you can do it now. You now and you then are not even comparable.” Papaver looked down at Xiaotu with blatant disdain. Seeing her contemptuous gaze, Xiaotu understood what she was thinking. She hadn’t expected to guess right by chance; centuries ago, she had indeed subdued her, which was why Papaver held such resentment now. Currently, Xiaotu knew nothing of their past entanglements, not even who she was; her only impression was from a long-ago dream, which reminded her of a woman in white, exuding the fragrance of lilies, who claimed to be the lily brought back by the Hundred Flowers from the Misty Forest.
While lost in thought, something suddenly yanked her shoulders, something tightly gripped her neck, making it hard to breathe. Her body was dragged backward, “Bang!” her back hit the wall hard, causing her to grunt in pain. Upon closer inspection, she found her entire body wrapped tightly by a long red silk, definitely not an ordinary item; it gave her a feeling of exhaustion, mixed with the scent of blood, suffocating her. “Now, let me show you who can really subdue whom?” The long silk tightened around Xiaotu, like a river of blood between them, and bits of energy transformed into pink essence, slowly flowing into Papaver’s body through the silk. One could see that with each influx of energy, her once translucent form became clearer, and the black poppy pattern on her forehead deepened in color, emitting a piercing light.
Stay calm, she told herself, must stay calm. Gathering the remaining magic in her body, she concentrated it to deliver a lethal strike. Suddenly, streams of river-like ribbons slid down from the Nine Heavens, carrying essence and energy from the Milky Way beyond the heavens, converging into the golden glowing mark… like the most beautiful silk ribbons in the world, they traced across the sky, drifting from the beautiful Milky Way beyond the Nine Heavens, gently descending upon the mortal realm. The beautiful starlight ribbons passed over the skies of the demon realm, so bright and clear, like the purifying water of Guanyin washing away the demonic nature of its inhabitants, resolving the fury between the two combatants. A cool breeze, carrying a touch of comfort, a hint of chill, and a poetic ambiance, brushed past everyone’s face, as if to dispel the unique atmosphere of the demon realm—the scent of blood and death. In that instant, the battle ceased; the raised dragon claw naturally lowered, its gaze fixated on the peculiar, ethereal sight, the water-blue eyes filled with a tender affection like a clear spring. The Milky Way from beyond the Nine Heavens stirred the softness in his heart. In that very moment, the bloodthirsty golden eyes calmed, as if influenced by the Milky Way, the demonic nature receding, the heart suddenly at peace. What am I doing? He awoke abruptly, recalling his misdeeds one by one. The cool breeze caressing his face felt like a mother’s gentle touch, stirring his true love, awakening the genuine emotion within. His golden hair fluttered, his cold visage softened, a tear of true emotion at the corner of his eye…
The demons began to stir; the purest water in the world had come to this place of utmost evil, stirring the tiny remnants of conscience in their hearts. Piercing cries split the sky, the dazzling light overwhelming them, carrying an aura of sanctity, the starlight gliding past their sides. Would this awaken their latent goodness, or would the demons remain demons, their innate demonic nature too profound for even the waters of the Milky Way to dissolve?
The Dragon Lord watched the brightest stream of starlight drift towards the secret chamber, a foreboding feeling enveloping him, his water-colored eyes suddenly tightening. “Roar…” With a dragon’s roar, the ten-foot-long dragon landed on the ground, immediately transforming into a handsome young man, his steps hurried and anxious as he headed towards the chamber. Above, the threads of starlight still swirled around Wang Xie, the figure standing rigidly in mid-air, his silhouette broad yet desolate, soul lost, heart shattered. Tears flowed freely, yet he felt nothing, the tears scattered by the wind, drifting with the intoxicating cool breeze…
The spiritual power from the Milky Way beyond the Nine Heavens seeped drop by drop into Xiaotu’s forehead, spreading a strange sensation throughout her body, refreshing and comforting, as if bathed in sunlight, yet also like being immersed in a warm spring, her mind and body relaxed. In that moment, she seemed to forget all troubles, all… Her golden eyes slowly closed, and she heard the cry of the phoenix from beyond the Nine Heavens. What did she see? Flames filled the sky, so enchanting, leaping and dancing in their most beautiful moment, accompanied by a phoenix’s cry, so loud and inspiring. From the flames, a phoenix dog emerged, its wings spread with such vigor, as if leading an army, inspiring awe. The Fire Phoenix was like a blazing flame, the king of all birds, its cry summoning birds from all directions to this place of burning fire, like moths to a flame, heedless of the cost. Batch after batch of birds were consumed by the sacred flames, turning to ash, yet their high-pitched cries showed no fear of death but reverence, a sense of dying without regret, a loyalty unwavering. It was breathtaking; she stood within the flames, enduring their baptism yet unharmed, how could she not be astonished? She was so close to the Fire Phoenix, even seeing its eyes aflame like lightning, sharp and divine. All this seemed like a dream, so unreal; moments ago, she was battling with Poppy, how had she come here now?
