The winter in the Green Prosperity Minor World was long and bitterly cold. After only half a day of snowfall, the entire world was blanketed in white.
The stark, desolate white was painful to the eyes.
The guards stationed at the temple entrance couldn't help but grow a little complacent. One of them said, "Hey, speaking of which, hasn't Emissary Cui been gone for seven days now?"
"Eight days," the other confirmed.
"Then why hasn't he returned? Could something have happened to the Goddess?"
"You wouldn't know this," another said with a scoff, "but Emissary Cui is probably looking for that escaped female slave. I heard that slave has quite the background and is incredibly daring. She used a willow wood puppet to impersonate herself, which is why no one discovered she had escaped at the time."
"What kind of background?"
"I heard... she's the beloved youngest daughter of the Lord of Donglin City..."
As the two gossiped idly, a spiritual beast carriage suddenly came into view. They immediately fell silent and stood at attention.
From the spiritual beast carriage, a familiar figure leaped down first.
"Emissary Cui!"
The two guards promptly greeted him, only to see Emissary Cui turn around expressionlessly and begin performing the duties of a servant, lifting the carriage curtain.
They then realized that Emissary Cui had actually been driving the carriage.
Just as the two found the scene somewhat peculiar, something even stranger occurred.
Emissary Cui, who usually paid them no mind, was wearing an eager smile and said softly, "My Lady, we have arrived at the temple."
Bai Shengyi awoke from her meditation, let out a soft "en," and slowly alighted from the carriage.
She looked at the two towering structures before her. They bore a resemblance to the ancient pagodas she had seen in the 23rd century, layered one upon another, narrowing as they reached higher.
"This is this year's Goddess. You must show her utmost respect from now on, understand?" Emissary Cui warned the two guards, pointing at them.
The two guards concealed their astonished gazes and nodded repeatedly. "We will certainly be respectful."
Emissary Cui smiled at Bai Shengyi. "Goddess, shall I show you inside?"
"Alright," Bai Shengyi said, casting him a smile. She saw through his eager attempts to please.
The moment she stepped into the temple, she felt an incredibly abundant surge of wood spiritual energy. It was as if, in an instant, all the pores on her body comfortably drew a deep breath.
"It smells so good!" Qing Meng Teng excitedly sprouted new leaves. "Master, this place is full of pure spiritual energy! It's too suitable for cultivators with wood spiritual roots!"
"Is the spiritual energy here alright?" Bai Shengyi remembered Qing Meng Teng mentioning that the spiritual energy Emissary Cui used was strange. She was a little worried about the spiritual energy here.
Fortunately, Qing Meng Teng, being a spirit-eating wood, was exceptionally sensitive to spiritual energy. It quickly replied, "No, it's very good! It's a place Little Vine Leaf likes!"
If it weren't for its remaining rationality, it would have wanted to plant itself directly into the soil.
"Goddess, here..."
"Just call me Goddess, or Goddess Bai. My surname is Bai," Bai Shengyi interrupted, reminding him. "This is to avoid attracting attention."
"I was remiss," Emissary Cui immediately corrected himself, smiling. "Let me introduce you. This is the Grand Temple, where the Divine Lord leads the emissaries and female slaves in their exercises. This is the Supreme Spiritual Hall, where spiritual plants are cultivated. Here is... we have three emissaries, one Divine Lord, and forty-eight female slaves in our temple. One emissary is in seclusion for cultivation, and the other..."
"Little Cui, why are you back so late? And you've brought unauthorized personnel into the temple?" a hoarse voice interrupted Emissary Cui's words, speaking in a booming tone. "You truly are paying less and less attention to the Divine Lord's commands."
"Emissary Bai." Unlike his subservient demeanor towards Bai Shengyi, when facing the white-haired old man holding a ruler not far away, Emissary Cui raised his head and retorted with full confidence, "If it weren't for Emissary Bai losing the female slave, this emissary wouldn't have wasted so much time."
Bai Shengyi saw the old man furiously strike his left hand with the ruler, as if he felt no pain.
"Oh, and Emissary Bai, this is this year's Goddess. Her surname is Bai." He then snorted, "I'm taking Goddess Bai to see the Divine Lord. Please, Emissary Bai, make way."
Despite saying this, Emissary Cui directly pushed past Emissary Bai and walked forward.
Bai Shengyi silently followed.
"Goddess, don't be fooled by that old man's age. His heart is very dirty. Emissary Yu, who was in seclusion, fell prey to him," he couldn't help but explain.
Bai Shengyi said indifferently, "I will not involve myself in your affairs."
Emissary Cui immediately understood. These words meant she would not get involved in the infighting among them, the emissaries.
The temple had a complex internal factional structure, with disputes rivaling those of the Four Great City Lord Mansions. The Divine Lord of the Eastern Temple was about to be transferred to the Central Domain Temple, and the competition among the three emissaries below had intensified, making them wish to trample on each other whenever they met.
Emissary Cui was even certain that the one surnamed Bai was deliberately waiting at the entrance to witness his embarrassment today, but how did he know that both the Goddess and the female slave could not be found?
Upon reaching the Divine Lord's residence, he immediately put his thoughts aside and knocked.
A voice came from inside, "Cough cough... Come in, cough..."
Bai Shengyi frowned slightly. In her mind, Qing Meng Teng softly grumbled, "That voice sounds like he's about to die."
Though the words were crude, they were not without truth.
Bai Shengyi sized up the Divine Lord before her. He appeared to be only forty years old, but his body was like a breached bag, constantly leaking vitality. However, the speed of this leakage...
"Lift your head, let this Divine Lord have a look," the Divine Lord commanded.
Hearing the Divine Lord's condescending tone, Emissary Cui's heart skipped a beat. He prayed that this Lady wouldn't falter at this moment!
As he waited with trepidation, he saw Bai Shengyi raise her head with a smile and directly ask, "Do you know where the Heart of the Divine Wood is?"
Bang!
Emissary Cui felt as if his head had been hit by a stone, buzzing loudly. He could hear nothing clearly, and his vision suddenly blurred.
Although Bai Shengyi was smiling, a string in her heart was taut. She could clearly feel that this Divine Lord's cultivation was far superior to that of the emissaries, likely at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
With her normal cultivation, she could easily control a person's mind. However, the internal injuries she sustained from her previous battle with the Azure Dragon had not yet healed, making her control efforts extremely strenuous.
She calmed her mind and repeated, "The whereabouts of the Heart of the Divine Wood."
The Divine Lord's face contorted for a moment, then his brows furrowed tightly before he spat out fragmented words: "Divine Wood... Central Divine Domain... bless... I want to be blessed! I want to gain new life!"