Chapter 193.2: They Shut Themselves Off
As the ancient gods listened, each came to an understanding. It dawned on them that the flowers likely closed due to the Lady of a Hundred Flowers herself. She did not wish to see blossoms bloom in disorder. Seen that way, it made perfect sense. However, that didn't change what had happened.
The palace master was so grief-stricken that she couldn't utter a word.
In the next moment, an ethereal voice echoed through the air. "Thank you, Heavenly Sovereign [1], for imparting the Dao."
Every ancient god felt their heart skip. From deep within the palace, a stunningly beautiful woman emerged, walking forward with graceful steps. All traces of chaos had vanished from her eyes, replaced by lucidity. A golden floral ornament hung around her neck. Three extraordinary flowers and rare grasses were embroidered upon her flowing white gown.
With her arrival, it was as though a hundred flowers bloomed anew. The sky grew bright and pure, and a subtle fragrance swept through the air.
A Second Step god gawked in disbelief. "Great Venerable Qionghua!”
Indeed, she was none other than the legendary woman who had slumbered for thousands of years.
The palace master froze, staring at the familiar figure with eyes filled with emotion. "Master!"
It was truly her master, Great Venerable Qionghua. But how had she awakened?
Qionghua walked toward Qi Yuan, placing her left hand over her right in a formal bow. "I have long been stuck at Fourth Step to Heaven, and was unable to condense the Flower Goddess’ divine authority. Upon hearing your words, enlightenment struck me at once."
For countless years, Qionghua had remained wounded and asleep. To awaken, there were only two possible paths. The first was for the flowers here to bloom in full, allowing her sealed memories to return. In that case, her injuries would still remain even after she woke up.
The second path was for her to break through and comprehend the divine authority of the Flower Goddess. The Qionghua Palace had never even considered this path. After all, not even another Great Venerable could help her grasp a divine authority. In fact, even if Qionghua had been awake, achieving such comprehension would have been extraordinarily difficult.