Drip.
Water dropped onto the still surface of the lake, stirring up ripples. In this tranquil environment, you could hear every drop with the utmost clarity.
Su Yan was barefoot, her fair face seemed somewhat perplexed.
Her hands still clutched a scepter: her god-given artifact, the Scepter of Life.
She didn’t know where this was. As soon as she regained consciousness and opened her eyes, she found herself lying atop the lake.
“You’re awake,” a gentle, motherly voice echoed in her ears. Su Yan instinctively looked up, and saw a mature beauty.
How pretty!
Despite herself, Su Yan gasped.
The woman before her had the type of perfect beauty that drove the world insane. In front of her, all others lost their splendor. Even Su Yan was no exception.
But at the same time, she didn’t make others feel inferior; they had no desire to compare themselves to her at all.
“Big Sister, you sure are pretty.” Su Yan couldn’t help it; she was a bit jealous.
When the woman heard the title “Big Sister”, she froze, but before long, she wiped the surprise off her face and laughed. “So, you called me ‘Big Sister’? Well, alright. Go on ahead.”
Su Yan didn’t quite understand what she was trying to say. The pretty woman then patted her gently on the head.
“You must be wondering why you’ve appeared here.”
“Did you bring me here, Big Sister?” asked Su Yan.
“You could say that,” said the woman with a chuckle. “Actually, this is the Godhead of Life you just condensed. I am your predecessor, the godhead’s prior owner. What you’re seeing is actually just a fragment of my soul I left inside.”
The prior owner of the Godhead of Life?
Su Yan instantly started. As a member of the Fox Clan, she was keenly aware that the Godhead of Life’s prior owner was the Fox Ancestor.
“Fox Ancestor!” Su Yan hurriedly took several steps back.
The woman laughed and pulled her back. “You don’t have to be so nervous. You called me ‘Big Sister’ earlier, didn’t you? I rather liked that. You can just keep calling me that.”
“But you’re…”
“That’s all in the past.” The Ancestor smiled, but it was without emotion. “In the Great War of Demons and Gods, my godhead shattered and my soul dispersed. ‘Fox Ancestor’ is just an empty title. Now, I am nothing more than your guide.”
“My guide?” Su Yan didn’t understand.
“Your talent helped you condense the Godhead of Life, but more than that, I chose you. I decided to grant you its power,” said the Fox Empress. “This is perhaps unfair to you, but I’m out of time. I had to decide now.”
“The Goddess of Life? A master god? Me?” Su Yan was still lost.
“That’s right. You are now the new Goddess of Life.”
Only then did Su Yan notice the scepter she held in her hand. The verdant emerald at its tip contained endless life force.
She listened to the Fox Ancestor’s words in a daze. The ancestor continued, “Actually, I set my sights on you a long time ago, but you refused me. It wasn’t particularly urgent then, so I didn’t press the matter, but things are different now. You must succeed the Godhead of Life.”
“Why is it so urgent?”
“This era is nearing its end, and the Outsider gods have always eyed my godhead hungrily. I am now nothing more than a fragment of my former soul; I can’t possibly contend with them. The only way to stop them is to pass my godhead onto you,” said the Fox Ancestor. She met Su Yan’s eyes, then said, “In the future, you and Liu’er must serve the Emperor Star properly. Surviving the end of the era will be far harder than you imagine. You must use the power of the Goddess of Life well. Whatever you do, while it’s in your care, don’t let the Godhead of Life’s glory fade. Do you understand?”
Her words sounded like a dying request. Even though Su Yan still didn’t fully understand what the Fox Ancestor was trying to say, she didn’t want to disappoint her. “I’ll do as you say.”
“Excellent.” In the face of Su Yan’s determined gaze, the Fox Ancestor seemed gratified. “It’s truly wonderful that I got to see you again once last time, my child…”
As the words left her lips, the Fox Ancestor’s figure began to fade into nothingness, and the hands rubbing Su Yan’s cheeks gradually lost their warmth. Su Yan froze in place, replaying the Fox Ancestor’s words, as well as the way she’d looked at her.
“Mom…. Mom!”
Whoosh!
Su Yan suddenly sat up. She was drenched in sweat.
That gentle gaze….
Su Yan had never known who her mother was. Her memories dated back to the Modern Realm, but there, she’d only had her father and grandfather.
She’d dreamed about meeting her mother countless times. In her mind, her mother was a woman as soft and gentle as water.
Later on, she learned that she’d been adopted. It was only after meeting Su Liu’er and Su Zhu that she learned they were sisters, but she still didn’t know who her mother was.
It was only now that….
This feeling… This was clearly her mother.
She was currently lying in bed, Xia Keke sprawled out and fast asleep beside her. When Xia Keke sensed someone moving, she groggily dragged herself upright, but when she saw that Su Yan had regained consciousness, her sleepiness vanished immediately.
“Susu, you’re awake!”
When Ye Zichen and the others outside heard her exclamation, they instantly surged into the room. The room, empty as could be just movements before, was now jam-packed.
“Little Sister, you scared me half to death!” Su Zhu rushed inside and pulled Su Yan into her arms.
Although Su Liu’er’s reaction wasn’t as obviously excited, even though she simply stood off to the side with her arms crossed, her relief was clearly written in her eyes.
Now that she was awake, Su Yan’s room had turned into a sea of smiles.
Suddenly, there was a commotion. The crowd turned and saw Pu Jingwan pushing Ye Zichen into the room.
When they saw this, those who knew the nature of his relationship with Su Yan instinctively cleared a path. Su Yan looked at Ye Zichen too, her gaze complicated, but she quickly looked away.
Ye Zichen’s heart sank, and he smiled bitterly. “I’m glad you’re awake.”
“Mm!” Su Yan responded coldly.
“Hm… Well, I won’t disturb you any longer.” Ye Zichen smiled that same bitter smile and left.
Su Yan couldn’t take it, but before she could respond, she heard Pu Jingwan mutter, “Why are you acting so pathetic? What are you afraid of?”
In stark contrast with Pu Jingwan’s disdain, Yang Jian and the Great Sage simply patted Ye Zichen on the shoulder.
“Ye-zi, I’ll go back too,” said Su Yiyun.
As soon as he spoke, Su Yan’s head whipped up. She stared, wide-eyed, at Su Yiyun. She stared for quite some time, but said nothing.
Su Yiyun naturally sensed her gaze, but he was well aware that… she couldn’t see his face clearly. It was similar to how, when Gu Li and Ye Zichen spoke earlier, she hadn’t recognized Su Yiyun although he’d been standing right in front of her.
