Chapter 23
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Chapter 23: This is Saint Bai Lian’s Spirit!
The story sounded too incredible to be true.
In a house surrounded by towering trees, Qiong Zhi, the Yaoguang Rabbit King, listened skeptically to the two flower demons recount Bai Lian’s deeds.
“Slaying dragons, vanquishing ghosts, eliminating demons… all while showing boundless mercy to the world,” one of them said.
“She sounds like a saint,” Qiong Zhi muttered to herself, her brow furrowing.
“Well,” the flower demon added excitedly, “she is a Natural Saint!”
Even if the larger-than-life rumors were exaggerated, the flower demons’ personal anecdotes were harder to dismiss.
—
“On the way back to Flying Fog, we boarded the flying boat of the Yuantong Sect,” one demon began.
“The Yuantong Sect’s flying boat was so slow. We should’ve taken the Guangtong Sect’s boat instead!” the other interrupted.
“Shut up! That’s not the point!” snapped her friend. “What matters is what happened next. On the boat, some cultivators started praising Bai Lian. She overheard them and went over to explain.”
Qiong Zhi leaned forward. “And then?”
“Something unbelievable happened!”
To this day, the flower demons still found it amusing.
—
Drawn by the commotion, they’d stepped out of their cabin and witnessed the scene for themselves.
The Yuantong Sect’s deacon was furious. “How dare you insult Fairy Bai Lian!” he bellowed at Bai Lian.
“Deacon Wang,” another chimed in, “your righteous actions will not go unnoticed. The sect leader will surely reward you!”
The deacon puffed up his chest. “Even if I’m punished, I won’t tolerate this blasphemy!”
Qiong Zhi raised an eyebrow. “And Bai Lian was thrown off the flying boat for this?”
The flower demons nodded earnestly. “Yes. All she did was try to clarify that she wasn’t as great as they thought. But the deacon accused her of slander and cast her out!”
—
Qiong Zhi’s expression grew grave.
At first, it seemed like a comedic misunderstanding, but as she thought deeper, she realized how terrifying Bai Lian’s influence was.
In the mortal realm, such power could easily topple a dynasty. Among cultivators, who were notoriously proud and difficult to impress, Bai Lian’s widespread admiration was even more remarkable.
“This is not mere popularity,” Qiong Zhi murmured. “This is the spirit of a saint.”
She thought back to her encounters with Bai Lian.
“No wonder she treated my daughter with such care. She didn’t even ask for anything in return. Truly remarkable!”
—
With newfound determination, Qiong Zhi strode to her daughter’s room.
“King!” The gatekeepers bowed as she approached.
“Leave us,” she commanded. This was a mother-daughter matter.
—
Inside, the jade rabbit, Princess Yao Ye of the Yaoguang Rabbit Race, lay quietly.
“Haw,” came a soft response when Qiong Zhi knocked.
Pushing the door open, Qiong Zhi entered, shedding her royal authority. She wasn’t here as a king but as a concerned mother. It was time to discuss her daughter’s future.
—
Meanwhile, Bai Lian was settling into her new quarters.
After thanking the cat demon for showing her the way, she retreated inside to examine the new Special Effect she had recently unlocked.
“The Yaoguang Special Effect,” she muttered, reading the system prompt. “What now?”
Her previous Special Effects had been more trouble than they were worth—one forcing her to wear earrings constantly and another making her avoid cultivating in public.
Curious yet cautious, she activated the new ability.
—
A white disk materialized behind her, floating gently and emitting an ethereal glow. Intricate patterns of stars and moons adorned its surface, connected by radiant lines.
For a moment, the room was filled with a gentle, otherworldly light.
“Is this… the Star Lord’s Blessing?” Bai Lian stared at the reflection in her mirror.
Her ★ mark, once an ordinary decoration, now pulsed with divine energy.
“Well, at least no one will doubt my ‘Natural Saint’ persona anymore,” she thought, suppressing a sigh.
Her moment of contemplation was interrupted by a loud voice outside.
“Bai Lian, come out! I know you’re in there!”
—
When Bai Lian opened the door, she was met by an imposing rabbit demon.
Its long ears stood upright, and its eyes burned with righteous fury.
“You bullied Yao Ye, didn’t you?” the rabbit demon accused.
“Yao Ye? Who’s that?” Bai Lian asked, genuinely puzzled.
—
The rabbit demon’s anger intensified.
“You don’t even remember her name?!”
Wait, what? Bai Lian’s confusion deepened.
Was this some kind of misunderstanding? Or perhaps a typical “enemy comes knocking” scenario?
—
Without further discussion, the rabbit demon attacked, summoning dark flames and sealing the area with a barrier.
Bai Lian narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Let’s settle this the old-fashioned way.”
She didn’t draw her sword, intending to go easy on her opponent. Instead, she channeled her energy into a single punch.
—
As her fist flew, the rabbit demon froze.
In that moment, it saw a vast, star-filled universe. The radiant galaxy mirrored the murals under the laurel tree where the Yaoguang Star Lord once meditated.
Stunned by the divine vision, the rabbit demon didn’t dodge. Bai Lian’s punch landed squarely, sending it soaring into the sky.
—
The impact painted a breathtaking image in the heavens—a streak of stars and moonlight stretching thirty miles.
From every corner of Flying Fog, beasts and demons alike paused to stare.
The jade rabbit pressed its face to the window.
The flower demons scrambled onto rooftops.
Qiong Zhi rushed out into the street.
And the rabbit demons guarding the laurel tree raised their forelimbs in reverence, shouting:
“The Yaoguang Star Lord has shown her holiness!”
“This is a miracle!”
