Two hundred years later, in a cave dwelling of a prominent figure in a city on a continent in the God Realm, a young and beautiful woman was tending to a small pool of water. The woman appeared to be no older than twenty-four or twenty-five, with no trace of spiritual power fluctuations around her, yet her demeanor indicated she was no ordinary mortal.
The small pool contained only a single, large blue lotus. It had not yet bloomed, but one could sense immense divine power within it, as if it were undertaking a significant task.
The woman sat to the side, playing a flute. The melody was melodious and pleasing to the ear, but for some reason, the sound was confined to the small cave dwelling, not leaking out at all.
Under the woman's flute music, the blue lotus, which had shown no signs of blooming for a hundred years, began to unfurl petal by petal, gradually revealing its inner lotus platform.
Seeing this, a hint of joy and relief finally appeared in the woman's eyes. She relaxed completely and continued to play the flute. With the flute's melody, the blue lotus finally bloomed, revealing the lotus platform at its center.
Lying on the lotus platform was a woman dressed in a lake-blue gown. She was in a deep slumber, her complexion rosy, her skin fair with a hint of red, and her overall appearance vibrant, though she did not breathe, like a living doll.
The flute music continued, and the divine power that had been surging within the lotus platform was guided by the melody into the body of the woman on the platform.
After an unknown period, the flute music remained as melodious as before, though it no longer carried the divine power. However, it still brought a sense of peace and comfort to anyone who heard it.
All the divine power on the lotus platform had returned to the woman's body. She began to breathe and slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing her surroundings, a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes before she quickly regained her composure.
The woman sat up and saw the woman playing the flute. The flute player had her eyes closed, as if unaware she had awakened. Recognizing her, the woman on the lotus platform smiled and said, "Master."
Sensing the calmness in her voice, the flute player lowered her jade flute and looked at the woman seated on the lotus platform with a questioning gaze. She asked, "You're not surprised at all to see me?"
The woman on the lotus platform retorted, "Master, if it was within expectation, why would I be surprised?"
Hearing this, the flute player paused, as if understanding something, and then burst into laughter. After a moment, she looked at the woman on the lotus platform and said, "I understand, I understand everything. Yi'er, you truly are a mad gambler, living up to your own description."
Upon hearing her master's words, the woman on the lotus platform smiled and accepted them wholeheartedly. "Yes, I am a gambler, and I'm not like other gamblers. I dare to gamble as long as there's a sliver of a chance."
"So? What's your win rate in this gamble?"
"Less than ten percent," the woman on the lotus platform replied truthfully.
"For you, that's quite a lot, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, what is your gamble this time? When did this plan begin? The plan to die outside Xia Ning City!"
That's right, the woman on the lotus platform was none other than Ling Luo Yi, the War Saintess, who was supposed to have initiated the sacrificial formation two hundred years ago and died outside Xia Ning City. And the woman playing the flute was Chu Xi, the first-generation War Saintess who had chosen Ling Luo Yi as her successor, and thus Ling Luo Yi's master.
Hearing her question, Ling Luo Yi sighed slightly and began to recount the entire story.
"Master, do you remember the day I returned to the Sacred Domain after breaking free from the ancient spirit continent's shackles? The Domain Lord sent me to open the barrier of the ancient ruins at the bottom of the Sacred Spirit Lake on Spirit Transformation Island. That time, I, along with Qiu Yuan Xi, the Medicine Saintess, accidentally entered the underground of the ancient ruins. I was taken away by Feng Shen Yao Feng and met her remnant soul..."
"Wait a moment, you've left someone out. Wasn't the Demon Emperor also present?" Chu Xi, having been tricked by Ling Luo Yi once, was a bit displeased. Seeing Ling Luo Yi's expression stiffen with satisfaction, she continued with a touch of haughtiness, "Continue."
Ling Luo Yi, who had never seen her master in this light before, stiffened slightly. Hearing Chu Xi's words, she continued as if nothing had happened, "Before I left, Feng Shen said something to me, asking if I was willing to die for the common people."
"That's right, I heard it too. But your answer then should have been no, right?"
At that time, Chu Xi had discovered Ling Luo Yi trespassing into the true ancient ruins. Given Feng Shen's volatile nature, she worried that Ling Luo Yi might provoke Feng Shen and be killed. She observed Ling Luo Yi's safety through the War Saintess's mark on Ling Luo Yi's forehead, thus overhearing their conversation. Ling Luo Yi had not responded at the time, but her actions had spoken volumes.
Ling Luo Yi did not deny it and admitted directly, "Yes, I am selfish at heart. The common people have never been kind to me, so why should I die for them?!"
Chu Xi was not surprised by her words. She had observed Ling Luo Yi for a long time before deciding to choose her as the Saintess, so she naturally knew her disposition.
Ling Luo Yi suddenly said, "However, although I was unwilling to die for the common people, I never forgot Feng Shen's words. I don't know why Feng Shen said that at the time, but I always felt it was related to my potential death due to my divine bones. I felt that this sentence hid a sliver of hope for me, but I couldn't decipher it."
"So, when the Domain Lord discussed with you about going to Xia Ning City, you deciphered it?" Chu Xi asked.
Ling Luo Yi shook her head and denied it. "No, I only had a general guess at the time."
"You dared to go to Xia Ning City with just a guess?! Yi'er, you are truly insane." Chu Xi believed she understood Ling Luo Yi seven-tenths, but upon hearing this, she realized it was only five-tenths.
Ling Luo Yi gave a wry smile. "Master, I'm not insane. If I had stayed in the Sacred Domain at that time, I would have just been waiting to die. Moreover, you would have been shamed by my desertion."
"If that's the case, then it's because of me," Chu Xi said, a little annoyed.
"It's partly due to you, but more importantly, I have accepted the identity of the War Saintess, and I should do something for it."
Chu Xi closed her eyes, suppressing her anger, and asked, "Yi'er, your gamble? This time, your stake is your life. What is your gamble?"
"I'm betting my life that the Heavenly Dao won't kill me! I'm betting that my third divine bone will grow in time! I'm betting that Master will save me!"
Hearing these three gambles, Chu Xi was stunned for a moment and asked, "You're so confident you'll win?"
"Master, the Six Realms are interconnected. If the Human Realm is breached, it's only a matter of time before the Outer Heavenly Demons invade the other five realms. I'm not dying for the Human Realm, but for the Six Realms. With this in mind, the Heavenly Dao shouldn't kill me, at least not obliterate my soul. As long as my soul remains, I still have a chance of reincarnation."
Chu Xi chuckled and said, "I remember you mentioned your past life to Feng Shen. Do you recall what you said then? You said that your past life had nothing to do with your current life. Why are you now pinning your hopes on the next life?"
Ling Luo Yi certainly remembered, but...
"Master, I truly don't care about my past life. It's just that if I lose the latter two gambles, I can only hope for the next life."
"The latter two gambles? You mean your third divine bone and me?"
"Yes," Ling Luo Yi slowly explained. "For the second gamble, my third divine bone. As long as it grows before I die, I won't die. The third gamble is you, Master. If you can save me, I can still live in this lifetime."
Chu Xi understood.