Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 552 Deceiving Cause and Effect, Concealing Fate

"You're awake? I made lotus leaf cakes today, would you like some?"

came a gentle voice.

Huang Feng turned his head to look.

It was the older sister who was sleeping among the flowers. She was carrying a basket of beautiful pastries and walked up to me. With her slender fingers, she picked up a piece of flower cake and handed it to me.

The nails were dyed a light pink from flower and herb juice and adorned with beautiful patterns.

Huang Feng saw her smile, her gaze was gentle, her black hair was tied up and decorated with flowers and plants. He took a bite of the flower cake and tasted its sweetness.

Suddenly, I felt like crying.

But she forced herself to hold back her tears, afraid that it was all a dream and that crying too loudly would wake her up.

"Sister Hua, Sister Hua, look! This is a little rabbit I made!"

"I wrote two pieces of calligraphy today!"

Children chatter all around; this is a carefree place.

There was no war, famine, desolation, or crying; only vibrant flowers and plants, a spring-like climate all year round, unchanging stars, and joyful laughter.

And then there's the sleeping fairy among flowers.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

All the children were sent inside.

Xu San'er sat outside the light membrane and sighed deeply.

He gazed quietly at Hua Yingting, who was sleeping peacefully amidst the flowers and plants in the dark cave, and at the hundreds of children scattered around, also sleeping soundly.

Desolate and quiet.

Unlike the splendor in dreams, the outside world is always cold.

How did it come to this?

Back then, Xu San'er sensed that the world was about to descend into chaos, so he encouraged Hua Ying to stop and travel down the mountain, so that they could travel together and look out for each other.

Huaying has completed its repairs and become the Great Luo Heaven, but it still needs to undergo trials.

Moreover, with cultivators fighting endlessly down the mountain, it was the perfect opportunity for her, as a pill refiner, to earn spirit stones.

Both of them dreamed of making a name for themselves in the chaotic world, seizing opportunities, making a fortune, and improving their cultivation level.

But life down the mountain is too tough.

In the chaotic south, the various horrific and inhumane events were truly appalling.

The two rescued the first child.

But soon, Hua Yingting and Xu San'er discovered that the child seemed destined to die. In a sudden outbreak, Hua Yingting, a medical cultivator, was unable to save her life no matter what she did.

The little children called out "sister" and "brother," said thank you, and said the flower cake was delicious.

It gradually lost its warmth.

Hua Yingting and Xu San'er both had tears in their eyes.

The two finally realized that the countless sufferings in the South were both man-made disasters and fate.

The karmic fire burns endlessly, filling the chaotic southern lands with cries and forbidding laughter, pushing everyone to their doom—only when life is worse than death can mortals not fear death.

Thus, Hua Yingting and Xu San'er also became the protagonists of the story, and learned that "everything is predestined and nothing is up to us."

The journey has begun.

The Great Luo Heaven is more than just a dream.

It is the gap between dreams and reality, where one can even glimpse the possibility of different storylines; it is the truth beyond destiny, within illusion.

Everyone in the "Great Luo Heaven" exists between reality and illusion.

Children can taste the sweetness of the pastries, smell the fragrance of the flowers, and feel the temperature of the breeze.

Even the Heavenly Dao could not find the existence of these people.

So, in this small corner, a safe house was built, and all the children who traveled by carriage, braving poisonous miasma, snakes, insects, fog, and leaping off cliffs would come to this carefree place.

Xu San'er sat there for a long time.

Originally, he wanted to go down the mountain to earn spirit stones and seek opportunities, but instead, he lost spirit stones every day and fell into a deep sleep.

He recalled the scenes in the water mirror when he broke through the mountain gate, which seemed like a prophecy, sealing his fate. He started a business of buying and selling human lives, and Hua Yingting shielded him from the calamity with his own body.

Deceiving cause and effect, concealing fate, preordained by destiny, not by fate.

One squandered his fortune, the other was lost in a dream.

Hey!

He and Hua Yingting joined forces and actually managed to deceive the Heavenly Dao, secretly transporting these unfortunate brats from the chaotic south to Hua Yingting, who then hid them in a place unseen by the Heavenly Dao.

I've had the worst luck imaginable.

This matter cannot be discussed with outsiders, lest Heaven hear it.

Xu San'er's biggest fear was that he would travel to the chaotic southern lands and one day fall down and die, not only without spending all his money, but also without anyone to wake him up until his lifespan ended.

Everything vanished in an instant.

He stood up, walked to the light barrier, looked at the sleeping Hua Yingting, and said:

“The poisonous miasma outside is still there, but the flowers and plants you planted are growing very well, and no one can break in.”

"Sister Hua, you can sleep peacefully. Things are in complete chaos outside. It's said that a group of cultivators in Licheng have carved out a territory with the Juque Sect."

"Those people are all reckless. They even killed a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Giant Sword Sect a while ago. They've become quite a force to be reckoned with."

"Over the years, I have only occasionally heard news of Sister Zhu. She has had a very difficult time. Whenever she shows her face, a large group of people will swarm to her to ambush and kill her."

"It is said that she possesses something extraordinary that can influence the course of the world."

"But Sister Zhu is very capable, so you don't need to worry."

"Do you remember the rumors about divination cultivators we heard before we entered the Star-Picking Tower? They said they could make people die without them even knowing how they died. Sister Zhu really did become one."

"I remember a Nascent Soul stage cultivator tried to harm her by teaming up with many other cultivators, but Sister Zhu escaped. Three months later, that Nascent Soul stage cultivator went to visit someone else's family and died in a bizarre and coincidental way!"

Outsiders all say that it was "Fallen Leaves Inviting Autumn" who killed him.

"Guess what? Sister Zhu was beating up Senior Brother Song outside the three cities when someone happened to run into her!"

"..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Aaaaah! Zhu Wuyao, don't you dare lay a hand on me in public again!"

"Those despicable book reviews, they're absolutely awful!"

Song Kezi was filled with righteous indignation.

He rested his chin on the table, his hands outstretched, with the latest issue of "Ten Thousand Book Reviews" laid out in front of him, feeling hopeless about life.

But don't worry, even if life seems hopeless, he would never die easily!

Zhu Wuyao opened the window in the inn and carefully observed the pedestrians coming and going on the street. Because of the commotion she had caused and her repeated victories, the rumors about her "possessing a secret treasure that can influence the world's affairs" were becoming more and more rampant.

However, she can attest that the rumors are true.

It possesses a corner of the Heavenly Dao, a spiritual brush, and purple aura, all of which can serve as treasures for the sect, as well as Song Kezi, a devastating weapon capable of destroying everything in its path.

As a result, news of the loss of the treasure of the Zhaixing Tower began to spread like wildfire. However, what surprised the cultivation world was that the Qingyun Sect and Taibai Sect on the left and right sides did not take the opportunity to kick them while they were down.

Thus, news began to circulate that all the treasures of the four sects had been lost.

Rumors pointed directly at Zhu Wuyao—it was said that the most treasured artifacts of the four sects were all on her.

Zhu Wuyao: ...

She admitted that Lu Tiaotiao of the Qingyun Sect was indeed eaten by her spirit brush, but she hadn't even seen a trace of the Taibai Sect's treasured artifact!

Not to mention the treasured artifacts of the Juque Sect.

However, if half of the rumor is true and the other half is false, it becomes quite credible.

I wish you well without being invited.

A person coveted by all cultivators, and desired by all sects to possess Luoye Yaoqiu.