vstars Chapter 535 An unexpected thing
Chapter 535 An unexpected thing
The midday sun poured down relentlessly, bathing the entire City of Flowers in a dazzling golden glow.
The square was bustling with people, and the heat and noise were intense, but around the towering white jade goddess statue, the air seemed to freeze, carrying a solemn and serene tranquility.
Unlike usual, the statue of the goddess radiated a holy and intense glow under the direct sunlight of the midday sun.
The white jade material became almost translucent, with countless fine, flowing golden threads of light surging inside.
Especially the goddess's lowered eyes, which were no longer looking down with pity, but instead were filled with an indescribable divine radiance.
Sunlight shines on the surface of the statue, subtly refracting a seven-colored halo, forming a hazy and sacred circle of light behind it.
Colorful flowers bloom on both sides of the mountain path, guiding the way to the statue.
Ten candidates for the title of "Daughter of a Hundred Flowers" ascended the steps of prayer to the sacrificial plaza amidst the attention of the crowd.
They were all dressed in the same moon-white sacrificial robes, with flower wreaths on their heads, and stood quietly on the circular platform in front of the goddess statue's base.
The midday sun shone down on them without any obstruction, making their gauze dresses seem to glow and highlighting their snow-white skin and jade-like faces.
A gentle breeze caressed their hair and clothes, making them look like fairies who might ride the wind and return at any moment.
The enormous white jade goddess statue radiates a soft and sacred golden halo in the sunlight, its face compassionate, its gaze seemingly fixed on each candidate.
An invisible wave emanated from the statue, and everyone could feel that the white jade statue, bathed in divine light, was "gazing" at the ten women.
This was not an illusion, but rather the increasingly powerful spirituality emanating from the statue, like a tangible gaze sweeping over each candidate.
The leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance stood at the foot of the statue and loudly recited the sacrificial text, praising the goddess's grace and vividly explaining the duties and glory of the Daughter of a Hundred Flowers.
His voice, amplified by the power of the elemental force, resonated clearly throughout the square.
But at this moment, everyone's attention was not on her, but on the statue that was radiating an increasingly powerful light.
The higher-level cultivators, on the other hand, paid more attention to the laws of heaven and earth and the circulation of primordial energy contained within the grand ceremony.
They more or less sensed an atmosphere of impending doom in the City of Flowers.
……
After the leader of the Hundred Flowers Alliance finished reciting, representatives of the four major families stepped forward. They stood at the four corners of the altar, holding the spiritual artifacts representing their respective families above the altar.
As the four magical artifacts emitted different colored lights beneath the statue.
The golden light surging inside the statue became increasingly active, and the entire jade statue emitted a deep and grand hum, like a pulse coming from the depths of the earth.
"Buzz—!" A clear, melodious sound, like jade striking jade, resounded in all directions!
A golden beam of light, condensed to the point of being tangible and imbued with boundless vitality and majesty, was projected from the void in front of the statue onto the circular platform.
The candidates, enveloped by the beam of light, were instantly dyed golden, and the light extended outwards to form different flower-like phantoms.
The pillar of light lasted for about ten breaths, but it did not stay on any of the candidates. Instead, it gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared without a trace. Even the light from the goddess statue gradually dimmed.
This scene stunned everyone around for a moment, and the entire square fell into absolute silence!
Then a cacophony of voices erupted instantly, engulfing the entire square.
"What's going on? This has never happened before at the Hundred Flowers Festival. Could it be that the Goddess is dissatisfied with all these candidates?"
"That shouldn't be the case! Last time, the Flower Maiden gained the Goddess's approval. There's no reason why no one should gain the Goddess's approval this time."
"Is it a problem with Hundred Flowers City, or a problem with the Goddess...?"
"Now there's going to be some fun to watch in Hundred Flowers City. Come to think of it, this shouldn't be the first time there's been a problem when Hundred Flowers City is selecting the Flower Maiden!"
"I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it. Including this time, Hundred Flowers City has failed to select a true Hundred Flowers Maiden for three consecutive times. I wonder what went wrong?"
Inside the Drunken Immortal Boat, Master Yanyang's gaze instantly darkened upon seeing this scene, and he gripped the armrests of his seat tightly.
The man in black robes beside him chuckled, “It seems Guo Yao understands the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers better than your Song family.”
"Impossible. She has already delayed the goddess's return twice, which is the limit. There must be another reason this time."
Moreover, the goddess would not refuse to choose the daughter of a hundred flowers. Master Yanyang stared intently at the goddess statue before him.
"Whether today's mission succeeds or not, you must pay us the reward we deserve." The man in black robes stood up with his hands behind his back and looked at Goddess Peak.
……
The Temple of a Hundred Flowers.
As the spirit of the palace looked at Shen Xu, who was enveloped by the cascading waterfall of light above the dome, a hint of tension appeared in his heart, which had remained calm and undisturbed for thousands of years.
The City of a Hundred Flowers is currently selecting the Daughter of a Hundred Flowers. If Shen Xu cannot establish contact with all the lotus platforms before the arrival of the Goddess, she will forcibly take the Pure Spirit White Lotus, even if the price for doing so is the disappearance of herself and the entire temple.
At this moment, Shen Xu's soul had been connected to the flowing waterfall above the spirit pool and the numerous white jade lotus seats around him for a whole day, and his spirit and will had reached their limit.
The memories of countless flower maidens surged wildly into his soul through the white jade lotus platform, and Shen Xu felt that his soul was about to be burst by the endless chaotic memories!
He could even feel his head swelling, spiderweb-like blood vessels spreading across his golden-red pupils, and the veins on the side of his neck bulging and throbbing like taut bowstrings.
Beads of sweat dripped from his throbbing temples, making it impossible for him to concentrate.
He lost big in this deal. He thought he could get something out of the Goddess's Spirit Pool, but the soul energy in the pool could barely keep him breaking even.
Most importantly, it gets more difficult as you go on, and the pressure on your soul increases with each different flower you connect with.
Like two ends of a scale, one end is the limit that his soul can bear, and the other end is the ever-increasing weight of the white jade lotus platform.
From initially handling things with ease to now struggling to move forward, each additional white jade lotus platform could potentially burst his soul completely.
If he hadn't been a spirit devourer, he probably would have perished the moment he entered the Flowing Light Waterfall. This made him grit his teeth in hatred for the spirit that had fooled him into thinking there was no danger!
But things have already progressed to this point, and he has no room to back down.
If he cannot remove the Crystal Lotus from his soul, the Crystal Lotus, which is now filled with countless chaotic thoughts, will be completely shattered within his soul.
Feel the crystal lotus heart becoming more solidified under the connection of the white jade lotus platform.
Shen Xu knew that this lotus flower did not belong to him at all; he was just a tool for delivering goods.
"Damn it! Who on earth has been plotting against me all along?!"
Clench your teeth!
Shen Xu once again extended his consciousness through the Flowing Light Waterfall to a white jade lotus platform, tracing its flow path from the Flowing Light Waterfall and connecting it to the Crystal Heart Lotus.
As time passed, the cascading light that enveloped him gradually shrank, eventually transforming into shimmering threads of soul light that connected with his own soul.
When the last stream of light transformed into threads and connected to the Crystal Lotus, Shen Xu's vision turned blood red, his mind went blank, and only his instincts pounded violently with his heartbeat.
All the white jade lotus platforms in the entire hall simultaneously shone brightly, and through those soul threads, they continuously pulled the crystal lotus, gradually drawing it out of Shen Xu's soul bit by bit.
The spirit saw the Pure White Lotus gradually appearing outside Shen Xu's body, and its face could not hide its joy.
But when she saw the numerous cracks on the lotus's body, her gaze immediately sharpened!
At this moment, Shen Xu was no longer able to think complexly, but he could feel that the Crystal Lotus was leaving his soul and gradually fading away its ice cracks, becoming flawless and immaculate little by little.
But two cracks showed no signs of healing, and he knew that one of them corresponded to the soul power of the last Flower Maiden.
The other one was the one that had cracked not long ago.
Corresponding to—the Love Flower!
He knew this because a phantom, blood-red flower slowly emerged from the Crystal Lotus.
The flower's color resembles congealed blood, crimson with dazzling gold veins, and its petals are layered like burning flames. The eerie color renders the entire lotus flower a blood red.
He only realized now that the Love Flower had been hidden inside the Crystal Lotus. No wonder he couldn't find it; it was blind to what was right under his nose!