Chapter 526: Starlight Pendants
The Clairvoyant’s face grew solemn. He turned first to Lan Qing. “Prometheus. You have spared no effort in your work for the Eastern Alliance. You and people like you are the reason we persevere through these hardships. The future strength of our nation will rely on you. I have four protective talismans. To you I impart Aerius, and wish you calm seas and blue skies.”
The azure-green star descended unto Lan Qing. It flickered incessantly, from a dark jade to pale aquamarine and back again. They were buffeted by gusts of vigorous wind. Lan Qing was a spot of darker green against the blaze of jade until, suddenly, the light erupted out in all directions in an incredible supernova. The core of the store merged with the An Lun Super Soldier and vanished.
Lan Qing felt the center of his chest grow warm. A pendant sat against his sternum, feeling as much a part of him as blood or bone. For a moment it was as though he were in a place of nothing but stirring winds. He recognized it, the essence of wind he’d born on his heart for so long. Now it felt as though he were a part of it, tapped in to its elemental nature.
Next, the Clairvoyant turned to Chu Cheng. His smile was wide and pleasant like this was a weekend get-together, but underpinned with a quiet dignity. The man’s words were calm and sparse, but all of them could recognize the true weight of it all. This great man had used the last days of his life to create these for them!
“Hades, the Master of Death, so full of life. Of all those who held the title before, your heart is the kindest. Beneath your impetuous exterior is a heart that beats in defense of the righteous. You are destined to go far. Remember that the master of the underworld does not just command Death, but also that which comes after. I present Emberblossom, and hope that you continue to strive for that spark of life in the fires of the underworld.”
Everything around them was bathed in red light as the star approached. Flashes of crimson red interspersed with a rainbow of colors were ejected in violent bursts along with a gratifying warmth. Its corona soon engulfed Chu Cheng.
The others looked on as Hades burst in to flame, becoming a raging column of fire. He felt it sear all the way down to his soul, a cleansing ache. He understood it now – if he wanted to master the flame of Hades, he had to know it like he knew himself. Chu Cheng stood amidst the swirling clouds of ash, renewed!
The flood of understanding brought him to his knees. Emberblossom smoldered against his chest while inside, realization raged like a tempest.
The Clairvoyant nodded. His third gift was for Lan Jue.
“You have a languid nature, but an honorable heart. You have been touched by destiny, an old god reborn. You bear the hopes of mankind, future Paragon. There will come a day when you transcend it all, and will wield power that make the universe shake. However, you must never act against your nature, for when you stand at the precipice it is your essence that will bring you happiness. Look to it to keep you from losing your way. In that way you will control destiny – it will no more control you. Compassion, honor, courage, persistence. For you I have created Lumina. May it help you become a shining reflection of the heavens.”
The golden star approached, slowly entering in to Lan Jue’s chest. The intensity of its light surged for a moment, turning Lan Jue to gold. To the Jewelry Master the pendant’s power felt like a piercing beam through his soul. The deluge of energy was difficult to describe. He saw things with new eyes, like the frailties scarring her heart were washed away.
The resplendent light fell upon him. It illuminated his body, but also his heart and soul. The Arrow of Compassion, glittering and translucent, flickered with light. It fluctuated in reaction to the pendant. Lan Jue’s apprehensions about when and how to use the Arrow inexplicably eased. Meanwhile, a star-shaped talisman appeared upon his chest, pouring golden light.
A storm of light surrounded him. Zeus closed his eyes, and immersed himself in the current of power.
At last, the Clairvoyant came upon the final Monarch. However, his face did not bear the happy smiles he’d had for the other three. Instead, there was pity. “You are a reflection of what you command; as relentless, as soft, as pure as water. You possess its fragility and gentleness as well. If you were a woman, you would grow to be a great Queen of nations. Alas…”
Hua Li shook. His watched the Clairvoyant with wide, stunned eyes.
The Clairvoyant’s own twinkled like starlight. “You will bear Cerulea. May it lift your might and mind, and help to cleanse the ills of the world.”
A mollifying blue light arose as the star came to Hua Li. It entered through the performer’s chest and went supernova like the three before. Hua Li became a blue silhouette in the flood of light.
He was different than his companions, though. He looked through the blaze to the Clairvoyant beyond. Deferentially he spoke, “Please – show me the path.”
The seer hesitated, but his low voice eventually replied. “The tide of destiny needs you to proceed. There will come a time when you may…”
Pale blue light erupted from Hua Li, cutting the Clairvoyant off. Poseidon felt something within him give way, and like a dam the roaring tide of awareness swallowed him up. The Clairvoyant said something, too soft too hear. His face was full of sympathy.
The four Divine Monarchs stood suspended in the infinite expanse of space. Their pendants blazed with shimmering light – four lustrous stars in the sky. Lan Qing and Aerius; Chu Cheng and Emberblossom; Lan Jue and Lumina; Hua Li and Cerulea. The colorful lights surrounded them, infiltrated them, making them extraordinary.
“You’re quite the artiste,” Luo Xianni loudly commented.
The Clairvoyant chuckled. “This is the last of what I can offer. What use are tools and baubles beyond this, these days?”
Then, he looked to the Pharmacist. “It will be a little while before they snap out of it. I am delighted to see that you have shaken yourself from that haze, Pharmacist.”
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “That is because Jun’ers father has returned.”
The Clairvoyant nodded, knowingly. “Indeed. The two of you are very happy. Be wary of Occisus, for there is nothing sharper. As you strive to neutralize the danger, come to lean on the Jewelry Master’s Taiji to redirect it. Remain close to him, and you shall reap the benefits.”
