Chapter 223: Sorrowful Saintess
“Crescent Frost Flower, can you share the images in your mind?”
Within the endless snowy plains of the Ice Soul World, the blue-haired woman with eight descending teardrops and a mermaid tail asked curiously.
After all, in her thirty-plus years of life, and with four children, she had never witnessed the True Spirit World.
Crescent Frost Flower, her Pet Beast, naturally obliged, sharing the images within its mind.
Instantly, a vast starry sky and a meteorite staircase appeared before the blue-haired woman. She could clearly see five graceful figures competing in a race.
Nether Concubine, Star Goddess, Ice Queen, Tai Yin, and… Lian Xing, the golden-haired woman trailing behind.
“That golden-haired woman possesses such a powerful life aura… Is this a Beast Tamer from the True Spirit World?”
“And this map, I can sense its potent corruption. Just looking at it makes my own Beast Taming system feel distorted…” the blue-haired mermaid woman said with a serious and solemn tone.
The golden-haired woman she referred to was the one with brilliant golden hair, starry eyes, and a beautiful, aloof demeanor. Flawless, dreamlike, like a constellation.
Yes, it was the renowned—
Star Goddess!!!
The aura of Sharp Edge Seven King Mother, one of the Shining Bipoles, was beyond the blue-haired woman’s comprehension. Even the Heaven Devouring Flower King they had defeated in the Cloud Soul World half a year ago seemed like insignificant dust compared to Sharp Edge Seven King Mother.
However, a feminine figure formed of water materialized behind the blue-haired woman, scoffing at her exaggerated words.
“Heh, it’s the Lunar Divine Festival. No wonder the time flow is synchronized.”
“But my dear, you’re overreacting. Beast Tamers from the True Spirit World are nothing special. Even if their True Spirits came to the Sea Soul World, they’d be suppressed to the point where I could slap them silly~~~”
“BOOM!!!”
Just as the graceful, blue water elemental finished speaking, the Legend-evolved Mist Colt, carrying the golden-bunned girl, stepped onto the fourth meteorite platform with earth-shattering momentum.
The sheer force of their initial burst nearly shattered the world constructed by the True Spirit.
Witnessing this awe-inspiring scene, the blue-haired woman looked at the water elemental with confusion.
Wasn’t this powerful enough…?
The water elemental coughed awkwardly.
“Uh, well, True Spirit World Beast Tamers aren’t a big deal, but those participating in the Lunar Divine Festival are the pinnacle of Beast Tamers. Naturally, they pose some threat~~~”
“But just enjoy the show. Don’t delve too deeply into their evolution system. We beings of the Sea Soul World have our own path, no less inferior than theirs~~~”
“Besides, Sorrowful Saintess, you’re one of the eight Saintess candidates of the Sea Soul World. Now that we’re free from the Divine Ruins’ suppression, in a few years, all these Lunar Divine Festival participants combined won’t be a match for you~~~”
***
Meanwhile, with the unexpected addition of new viewers, almost the entire Moon Soul World was stunned by Mist Colt’s evolution.
To rush from the latter half of the second step to the fourth platform in one go… what was this…?
Setting aside the increasing pressure of the True Spirit, the distance alone was equivalent to the length of three Droughts!
While everyone was still reeling, after a fifteen-second pause, the Legendary Mist Colt, Jade Soaring Firmament, erupted once more with explosive mist from its horn.
“BOOM!!!!!”
The next second, another resounding boom.
When the shimmering golden-haired girl reappeared, she stood firmly on the fifth platform.
Seeing this, Star Goddess frowned, unleashing the full force of her Shining Species’ aura.
With a flash of sword light—
“Whoosh!!!!!”
A golden flying sword, trailing explosive energy, lifted Star Goddess into the air. In an instant, she surpassed Ice Queen and Nether Concubine, arriving at the second platform.
Logically, they should have conserved their Pet Beasts’ full power for the later stages, where the True Spirit’s pressure was strongest.
But Lian Xing’s bizarre actions had forced their hand.
While theoretically, this was a competition of distance, what if Lian Xing maintained this speed and reached the finish line directly?
Wouldn’t they be utterly defeated?!
The moment Mist Colt began its mad dash, the nature of the competition changed. It was no longer about who had more hidden cards, but about who could endure the True Spirit’s pressure and reach the end.
Seeing Star Goddess and Lian Xing’s frantic rush, Ice Queen also released Cold Moon’s aura.
Chains of ice pulled her forward, accelerating her ascent. While far slower than Seven King Mother, with White Abode negating much of the initial pressure, she faced the least resistance.
Only Nether Concubine remained motionless.
After a brief simulation with Qianqiu, she remained calm, seemingly anticipating the outcome.
Meanwhile, Tai Yin, the silver-haired woman trailing at the back, wore a mocking smile.
“Trying to brute-force their way through the True Spirit’s pressure? They must be dreaming…?”
“No one can force their way past the twelfth step. Conserving energy is paramount~~~”
Moreover, judging by Nether Concubine’s calm demeanor after using Qianqiu’s simulations, it was clear which strategy was correct.
Under everyone’s gaze, Jade Soaring Firmament initiated its third acceleration.
“BOOM!!!”
“BOOM!!!!!”
Two consecutive bursts of acceleration.
Before the third even ended, a fourth burst followed seamlessly.
This double explosion propelled Lian Xing’s speed into a new dimension, beyond time and comprehension.
The trailing cloud of vapor stretched for billions of miles.
In an instant, when the golden-haired girl with twin buns opened her eyes, she stood firmly on the seventh platform.
Silence fell over the Moon Soul World.
Everyone, whether they knew Lian Xing or not, was dumbfounded.
Unfortunately, after two seamless accelerations, Mist Travel entered a temporary outage.
The surrounding Pet Essence condensed into sharp blades.
The True Spirit’s pressure on the seventh step was hundreds of times stronger than on the second.
The difficulty had increased exponentially, like going from faintly sensing a True Spirit’s aura to inhaling its fragrance up close.
Within Mist Colt’s viral shield, Lian Xing barely managed to stand, unable to take another step.
Seeing Lian Xing stalled, Star Goddess and Ice Queen, in hot pursuit, breathed a sigh of relief.
Reaching the seventh step in one go…?
Fortunately, it was still manageable.
Alarming, but ultimately, only the seventh step!
After pondering for a moment on the seventh platform, Lian Xing continued circulating the seventh step’s Pet Essence through Jade Soaring Firmament, the Monarch-Tier Legendary Mist Colt.
Jade Soaring Firmament’s Legendary strength wasn’t limited to speed; its defense was also top-notch. While not as potent as White Abode’s death-prevention ability, its advantage lay in its incredible mobility as a personal shield, not a cumbersome shell.
Once Jade Soaring Firmament reached Emperor-Tier, its Legendary rarity would soar to new heights.
Therefore, Lian Xing wasn’t in a hurry.
She planned to use the seventh step’s True Spirit pressure to further temper and refine Mist Colt, attempting a breakthrough to Emperor-Tier right here.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the golden-haired girl sat down, crossing her silk-clad legs, and closed her eyes to rest under the True Spirit’s observation.
Everyone, please turn off the lights for Lian Xing; she’s going to sleep…
Seeing this bizarre scene, Star Goddess, still in pursuit, remained expressionless.
Riding her silver, cascading flying sword, she shot forward like a comet, blasting through the seemingly insurmountable steps from the third platform with overwhelming force.
Even at Seven King Mother’s full speed, it took her two minutes to reach the seventh step, nearly a hundred times longer than Mist Colt.
But she didn’t stop…
Upon reaching the seventh step, the increased pressure had no effect on Star Goddess!
She had faced the Eleventh Zodiac directly; this meager pressure was nothing.
Without hesitation, she passed Lian Xing and continued charging towards the eighth step, her indomitable spirit stunning all who watched.
This was Star Goddess…
Unlike the seemingly unambitious Lian Xing, her resolve had been set from the beginning.
She wouldn’t just win the Lunar Divine Festival; she would become the thirteenth Moon of the Moon Soul World!
She would become a True Spirit, and then—
Reverse the past, mend her regrets!
From the start, her opponents weren’t the other Beast Tamers, but the unattainable, lofty gods at the finish line!
Gradually, watching Star Goddess’s unwavering figure, Nether Concubine, Ice Queen, and Tai Yin stopped, their gazes fixed on the brilliantly shining golden-haired woman.
It was as if they were witnessing her final destiny.
There was no point in chasing now.
They might as well enjoy the show.
If Star Goddess reached the finish line like this, she would become an unprecedented, dazzling figure in the history of the Lunar Divine Festival, transcending the comprehension of all beings in the Moon Soul World.
Eighth step.
Ninth step.
Sweat beaded on Star Goddess’s forehead.
Her silver flying sword began to crack.
Just as she neared her limit, a miraculous light erupted from her.
“Whoosh—!!!”
With an explosive roar, six more flying swords of various shapes burst forth, accompanying her flight.
The six swords cleaved through the True Spirit’s pressure and aura, allowing her to traverse the distance almost unimpeded.
Tenth step…
Eleventh step…
Under everyone’s anxious gaze, upon reaching the eleventh step, Star Goddess finally slowed, almost coming to a complete stop.
This wasn’t intentional; the surrounding True Spirit aura had solidified into a dense, gelatinous pressure, like a gateway to another dimension.
All of Star Goddess’s Pet Essence was compressed to its limit.
She looked up, her starry eyes contracting sharply as she stared in disbelief at the illusory figure at the finish line.
So close to the end…
Why was this happening…?
A “True Spirit” blocked the gateway.
It was a blank, ethereal, humanoid elemental figure. Unlike Snow Flower’s pure white, this being was colorless, hence the term “blank.”
It lacked any color on a biological level, but to living beings, it was perceived as “white” because its concept was emptiness.
This was the last of the Twelve Moons.
She had achieved True Spirit status later than the Eleventh Zodiac, but she had erased all traces of her existence, creating a vast void in the Moon Soul World’s spacetime.
Now, this True Spirit stood before the finish line.
Anyone attempting to pass had to face her directly.
“It seems this is as far as I can go…?”
“…”
“…”
The instant she saw the True Spirit, Sharp Edge Seven King Mother’s seven flying swords shattered.
Star Goddess smiled bitterly, the starry markings in her eyes dimming.
As expected, no one could reach the end…
***
“Heh…”
Meanwhile, at the back, First Emperor, Lotus Concubine Tai Sui, within Tai Yin, scoffed.
She wasn’t mocking Star Goddess, but expressing disdain for the blank True Spirit.
A mere Fallen Species had become one of the Twelve Moons of the Moon Soul World, a disgrace to all its inhabitants.
The Four Great Calamities had merely disrupted the environment and reduced the population.
But what had this one done?
Upon becoming a True Spirit, to erase all traces of her existence, she had turned millions of years of the Moon Soul World into a blank slate, causing many Emperor Pet Beasts to awaken to a world utterly transformed.
Compared to this most disgusting of Fallen Species, Storm was practically a virtuous woman…
But Dao Yao, Tai Yin, and Lotus Concubine Tai Sui remembered her well.
They were the participants in the Eleventh Zodiac’s Lunar Divine Festival. She could erase everything, but not the Eleventh Zodiac’s existence…
As if sensing Lotus Concubine Tai Sui’s hostility, the blank True Spirit’s lips curved into a subtle smile.
Ten days passed as everyone continued their ascent.
Under the constant scrutiny of the True Spirit, Star Goddess was drenched in sweat, pale and exhausted, yet she persisted, taking a difficult step every few hours.
Ice Queen followed, reaching the eleventh step, trailing Star Goddess by tens of thousands of meters. Even with White Abode’s protection, it was arduous.
Tai Yin and Nether Concubine slowly reached the ninth step.
Beyond the eleventh step, the True Spirit treated everyone equally.
Now, the competition wasn’t about speed or skill, but about endurance and resilience, about who could progress further under the True Spirit’s gaze.
The audience couldn’t see the True Spirit.
They only saw the participants struggling on the eleventh step, barely able to move.
And then…
Lian Xing, who had remained on the seventh step for ten days, finally stood up.
She calmly examined her lineup panel and then glanced at the blank, higher-dimensional being at the finish line.
Its presence was like a blank sheet of paper, devoid of anything, yet eerily terrifying, as if a single glance could erase one’s existence.
This was the first time Lian Xing had seen a True Spirit.
Yet, for some reason, she felt strangely calm.
After a few seconds of silence, she sighed softly and spoke in a flat tone.
“Let’s go, to the finish line…”
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