Several days later.
Cangzhou, the peak of the Saint Mountain.
Yun Yi stood with a group of servants beneath the Ancient Tree, looking up at the sky where snowflakes danced in the air.
When a familiar surge of wind rose within the Sky and Earth, they all lowered their heads in a gesture of utmost respect to welcome the arrival of the visitor.
The Fengshen Litter slowly descended, and the white-robed beauty atop it stepped out with her long legs.
As she walked across the frozen land, the wind and snow tossed her long hair, making her look peerlessly beautiful.
“Greetings, Lady Yu!” the members of the Cloud Family shouted in unison.
Yu Yi gave a faint nod and walked toward the Ancient Tree.
She noticed that the place where Grandma Yao had passed away had formed a Soul Mound entwined with several roots.
It seemed to have merged with the Ancient Tree, faintly emitting an eerie glow.
Yu Yi gently brushed the fallen snow off the Ancient Tree, sensing that its life was nearing its end.
She then turned around and said to the Cloud Family,
“Everyone else, leave.”
Yun Yi understood that Yu Yi was preparing to fulfill her promise.
After the Cloud Family retreated to a safer distance, they watched Yu Yi from afar.
Yu Yi silently chanted a formula in her mind, and with a single thought, a streak of azure light shot out from her eyes.
A majestic wave of air rapidly expanded from beneath her feet, instantly kicking up a thousand layers of snow!
Although the power Yu Yi displayed was immense, it did not impose the suffocating pressure they felt when she faced an enemy.
Instead, it filled Yun Yi and the others with a sense of awe.
A servant who worshipped the heavens stared with wide eyes, unable to stop himself from murmuring,
“It is a god… the Great Goddess has manifested!!”
After bringing her Third Disciple, Ye Qingluan, back to Among the Colorful Clouds, Yu Yi had spent a great deal of time reflecting on the situation in Cangzhou.
She could not remove the Azure Wood Jade from Ye Qingluan’s body, as she would never trade her disciple’s life for Cangzhou’s four seasons.
She had also wondered if the Original Host had tried other methods to help Cangzhou five years ago, only to end in failure.
The most likely reason for the Original Host’s failure was that her cultivation at the time was not strong enough.
After awakening the memories of the Azure Wood attribute techniques from Ye Qingluan, Yu Yi came to Cangzhou alone, intending to use her own will to change the environment.
Back then, the Original Host was only a Grandmaster, which was why she failed.
But now, as a Martial Emperor, Yu Yi might actually succeed!
Aside from the Cloud Family, the wild beasts in the surrounding mountain forests emerged from their dens and stopped to watch.
Every living being remaining in Cangzhou focused their gaze on the Saint Mountain.
Next was the moment to witness a miracle.
“Gra… grass? Is that grass? Green grass!?”
“Master, look! The flowers are blooming! They are blooming!!!”
The members of the Cloud Family clearly saw the white snow covering the ground around Yu Yi gradually vanish.
Lush green grass appeared before their eyes, and several bright flowers even broke through the soil near them, blooming proudly!
Withered trees regained their vitality, flowering and bearing fruit.
Frozen waterfalls began to roar once more, and the snowflakes drifting between Sky and Earth gradually turned into a warm, gentle rain.
As the long-lost sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds to shine upon the land of Cangzhou, a beautiful rainbow hung in the sky.
“Spring… spring is here!!”
People wept with joy and embraced one another.
The cries of animals echoed in their ears.
For all the living beings of Cangzhou, they had waited far too long for this moment.
The winter that had lasted for ten years finally reached its end at this very moment.
With hearts full of gratitude and reverence, the Cloud Family ran toward the Ancient Tree.
However, they found that the woman who had changed Cangzhou with her will had already disappeared.
A bouquet of vibrant flowers had been left in front of Grandma Yao’s Soul Mound.
“Master, why was Lady Yu in such a hurry to leave? Did she not want to stay and receive our thanks, or perhaps enjoy the beautiful scenery she brought to Cangzhou?”
The servants asked Yun Yi in confusion.
Yun Yi did not understand why Yu Yi had left so quickly either.
But he soon thought of something and slapped his thigh, saying,
“You all have such a narrow perspective! So small!”
“What Lady Yu wishes to see is not our current gratitude, but the day we rebuild the glory of Cangzhou!”
“So… so that is how it is!”
Since the Ouyang Clan and the former State Preceptor of Great Yan had secretly conspired to awaken the Formless Evil, three of the Four Major Families were gone, leaving only the Cloud Family.
Now that Cangzhou’s winter had ended, those who had left their homeland would likely return soon.
After this, the Cloud Family would naturally lead those returning home to slowly make Cangzhou truly “alive” again!
“Lady Yu, since you have entrusted this mission to me, I will certainly not fail your expectations. Please watch over us!”
Yun Yi said, tears of old age streaming down his face as he made a vow toward the horizon.
Meanwhile, Yu Yi, who was leaving Cangzhou on the Fengshen Litter, was lying down and gasping for breath.
Her proud chest heaved rhythmically with her rapid breathing.
‘I didn’t expect… it would consume so much energy,’ Yu Yi thought to herself.
The reason she had slipped away so quickly was that she did not want outsiders to see her in such a weakened state.
Otherwise, the “cool” image she had just projected would be greatly diminished!
‘But…’
Yu Yi turned on her side and looked at the revitalized land of Cangzhou below out of the corner of her eye, flashing a faint smile.
‘This place truly is quite beautiful.’
***
Yizhou, Among the Colorful Clouds.
After Ye Qingluan returned to Among the Colorful Clouds and gathered with her sisters to celebrate, life did not change much.
Everyone went about their usual business, and Ye Qingluan was no different.
She built a tree nest in the forests of Among the Colorful Clouds and spent every day sleeping in.
Because of this, Blue Ling’er had picked up the old habit of leaving “late-night snacks” for her.
The reason it was called an “old habit” was that Ye Qingluan had always frequently missed mealtimes.
She would often run to the kitchen in the middle of the night to find something to eat.
Even after many occurrences, Ye Qingluan was still unable to change this habit, so Blue Ling’er began to set aside a portion for her.
It could be said to be very thoughtful.
Ye Qingluan was currently fast asleep in her tree nest.
But at that moment, a sudden, violent shaking woke her from her dream.
“What is it? An earthquake?”
Ye Qingluan poked her head out dizzily and looked down the tree.
She saw someone standing directly below.
A faint smile played on the person’s delicate face as they watched her with narrowed eyes.
“Su Cheng?”
After Ye Qingluan recognized the person as Su Cheng, she adjusted the leaves covering herself, put on her clothes, and slid down the vines.
“Third Senior Sister, sorry to disturb your sweet dreams,”
Su Cheng greeted Ye Qingluan with a bow.
“Did you come to see me for something, Su Cheng?” Ye Qingluan asked lazily.
“Master just left for Cangzhou. You should know that, right, Third Senior Sister?”
“Yeah, I know. So?”
“Changing the environment of an entire region with one’s own power is no easy feat,”
Su Cheng said with a meaningful smile.
“Even Master will enter a state of exhaustion after consuming so much energy. This is a rare opportunity. So, Third Senior Sister, do you understand what I mean?”
Ye Qingluan’s eyes instantly lit up.
“What should I do?” she asked Su Cheng urgently.
The smile on Su Cheng’s face deepened.
She leaned down slightly, moved close to Ye Qingluan’s ear, and whispered,
“First you do this… then you do this… and finally you do this… Do you understand?”
“Understood.”
Ye Qingluan nodded seriously and wiped the drool that had inadvertently escaped the corner of her mouth.