Chapter 535 ·The Rising Flame of Janna
Chapter 535: The Rising Flame of Janna
“Take this cactus, it’s a gift for you—and this Elemental Essence as well.”
Seeing that the Celestial Sparrow had misunderstood her intentions, Janna only smiled faintly before pushing the cactus and the Light Essence toward Aph.
“But I must remind you—this cactus thrives only in temperatures between twenty and thirty degrees. It won’t do well in the cold climate of the Heavenly Mountain.”
The Celestial Sparrow, who had just been overjoyed by Janna’s generosity, suddenly drooped its wings at her next words.
Each time the Celestial Sparrow mentioned Heavenly Mountain, it was actually referring to the Holy Realm of Heaven’s Aden Divine Mountain.
As the greatest snowy peak within the Holy Realm of Heaven, even its lower altitudes stayed between minus ten to twenty degrees year-round—hardly a suitable place for a cactus that feared the cold.
“Of course, you don’t need to worry too much. If you don’t mind, you can keep the cactus inside Zoe Star instead. That way, you can visit it anytime you wish.”
Because Zoe Star required the Celestial Sparrow’s constant purification of pollution, Janna had long granted it open “access” to freely enter and leave Zoe Star.
So, rather than having to wait for Janna’s summoning to descend into the Material Plane, it was far more convenient for the Sparrow—still in its “excited phase”—to tend to the cactus inside Zoe Star itself.
“Thank you, Master! Then I’ll take it back to Zoe Star. This way, even when I’m there alone, I won’t feel so lonely—”
Hearing this, Janna gently stroked the soft feathers atop the Celestial Sparrow’s head.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you stay lonely forever.”
The Celestial Sparrow had been Janna’s most faithful contract creature for the longest time, and unknowingly, she had come to regard it as one of her closest companions. Thus, any request the Sparrow made, Janna would try her best to fulfill.
However, given Zoe Star’s current environment, which was still inhospitable to most lifeforms, she couldn’t yet add new creatures there.
Janna had considered summoning her other contracted beings, but for Elemental Spirits like the Flame Guardian or the Frost Guardian, Zoe Star’s atmosphere simply couldn’t provide the extreme elemental conditions they needed to replenish their energy.
Even for plant-based Elemental Beings such as the Thornflower Sprite, surviving long-term inside Zoe Star was difficult without sufficient sunlight and sustenance.
“Master, then Aph will take her leave now.”
“Mm, go on.”
A soft white light flashed. After bidding farewell to Janna, the Celestial Sparrow disappeared within the Contract Array, carrying with it the cactus and the exquisite Light Essence Janna had given her.
“I wonder how long this ‘overexcited’ mood of Aph’s will last——”
Looking at the now-empty table, Janna sighed lightly, then turned off the lights and resumed her nightly routine of condensing Source Power and entering Deep Meditation.—
A few days later, in Dordogne.
《Janna-Roland, the Dark Horse of the Dordogne Opera Scene!》
《The Most Beautiful Angel—Janna-Roland!》
《Ticket Prices for the Nightingale Opera Troupe Soar—Audience Complaints Rise!》
《Withering Rose: The Most Rewatchable Opera of the Year!》
《Withering Rose VS The Bridges of Dreams—Who Will Have the Last Laugh?》
《The Bridges of Dreams: The Opera That Will Make You Cry the Most!》
Within just a few days, the headlines of every major newspaper in Dordogne were filled with articles about Withering Rose and The Bridges of Dreams, the two most talked-about operas of the season.
And among the discussions, the spotlight shone brightest on Janna-Roland and Alma–Silan, the leading actress of The Bridges of Dreams.
In terms of story, The Bridges of Dreams, a tragic masterpiece polished for years by Checkman–Chil, the chief director of the Tulip Opera Troupe, was clearly the more mature work in both narrative presentation and character portrayal.
The poignant love between Alma–Silan’s and Brand–Morey’s characters moved countless audience members to tears. Yet, despite this, The Bridges of Dreams still could not suppress the meteoric rise of Withering Rose, which galloped through the opera world like a dark horse.
Though Withering Rose had its flaws in storytelling, its overwhelming strengths in other aspects completely eclipsed them.
At the heart of this advantage—was Janna-Roland herself!
Her appearance, her performance—every detail of her acting was enough to stun, even shock, the audience. Especially her rendition of The Angel’s Symphony trilogy while portraying Isabelle left every soul trembling from the sheer impact.
Furthermore, Withering Rose’s unconventional plotline kept the audience’s emotions soaring and plunging throughout the entire performance.
Whether it was Isabelle’s mid-act fall into corruption or her climactic ascension to the divine throne as a twelve-winged angel, each twist offered the audience an incomparable sense of exhilaration.
Thus, though the Nightingale Opera Troupe had initially been dismissed by the media, it now stood on equal footing with Dordogne’s top troupes—such as the Tulip Opera Troupe—and even showed signs of surpassing them.
By contrast, other new productions championed by major opera houses—like Childhood Sweethearts by the Galaxy Opera Troupe, The Wolf Boy by the Floral Rendezvous Opera Troupe, and The Curious Case of Youth by the Bauhinia Opera Troupe—fared only mediocrely, both in box office and public reception, far behind Withering Rose and The Bridges of Dreams.
“Janna, I just heard from Director David—another brand has approached you. They specifically requested a deep endorsement collaboration.”
At that moment, Janna, who had just finished a stage performance and was in the middle of removing her makeup, slowly opened her eyes upon hearing Julie-Anne’s voice beside her.
“Really? What kind of endorsement is it?”
“I heard it’s for cosmetics, but I’m not sure which brand exactly. Director David should tell you later……”
Janna nodded slightly, then closed her eyes again, enjoying the soothing process of Julie-Anne removing her makeup and massaging her scalp.
Just as Julie-Anne had said, more than ten companies had already reached out to Janna for endorsement deals.
However, since Withering Rose was still in its peak run, most of these proposals had been intercepted—for now—by Roman-Roland.