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"Yino, do you believe that the so-called fates and fortunes of this world are all orchestrated by someone behind the scenes?"

In her memories, Yuebai’s life wasn’t all that different from Jinyue’s.

As a child, she had been chosen by the elders of the white-fox clan to become the next Holy Maiden.

Back then, everyone in the clan considered her blessed, the chosen fox. Her cultivation speed was naturally exceptional, and at times, her luck felt downright absurd. She’d casually walk through the mountains and stumble upon ancient, long-lost techniques or priceless treasures.

When she officially inherited the title of Holy Maiden, even the previous Holy Maiden praised her as the most compatible candidate for the Soul Origin Pill in a thousand years.

But the little Yuebai hadn’t paid much attention to these details. She thought it was all how things were meant to be. To her, good fortune was simply second nature. She was the fated Holy Maiden, after all. Everything seemed to fall effortlessly into place.

That was, until one day, her personal desires clashed with her so-called destiny.

During that time, rumors spread of disturbances in the northern ice fields. According to the elders’ divination, the top-tier herb required to refine the Soul Origin Pill was about to bloom.

Determined, Yuebai took the Soul Origin Pill with her and ventured alone into the harsh northern ice fields in search of the Blood Jade Blossom said to be blooming soon.

Deep within the frigid, desolate secret realm, Yuebai misstepped and fell into an icy cavern.

The cavern was unimaginably cold—the ice beneath her feet shattered, plunging her into a freezing, rushing underground river.

Although her cultivation as the chosen daughter of the white-fox clan allowed her to break free, by the time she emerged, her body was soaked through, and the bitter cold had all but claimed her life. She was shivering uncontrollably, her consciousness fading as the unforgiving cold threatened to freeze her to death.

At the brink of losing consciousness, a group of fur-clad wildlings discovered her.

Yuebai, raised in the secret realm of the white-fox clan, had no experience with humans. She had only ever heard tales, and among them, humans were often described as the most greedy of all creatures. White fox pelts and inner cores were prized among human cultivators, with a fox’s inner core fetching astronomical prices on the black market.

When Yuebai saw the animal pelts on the humans, fear gripped her.

She lashed out, baring her teeth and claws, even managing to scratch and bite one of the elderly men among them. But there were too many of them, and despite her resistance, they subdued her and carried her back with them.

When Yuebai woke again, she found the wildlings kneeling in a circle around a fire, seemingly performing a ritual.

At first, she thought they were preparing some sacrificial ceremony.

It wasn’t until she observed more closely that she realized the object of their worship—the one they were kneeling to—was her.

Communication was difficult. They couldn’t speak her language and were illiterate, but through the simplest gestures and expressions, she gradually understood their intentions.

These humans offered her the finest cuts of roasted meat, cooked to perfection.

They wrapped her frostbitten body in layers of warm fur coats.

Eventually, they even presented her with various strange herbs.

At first, Yuebai remained wary, her guard up. But over time, faced with their unwavering enthusiasm and sincere eyes, she cautiously tried the herbs and food they offered.

The moment she swallowed the herbs, she felt a surge of energy.

To her shock, the herbs carried properties that helped refine the Soul Origin Pill. For someone of the white-fox clan’s constitution, they were a godsend, a miraculous supplement.

Confusion clouded her mind. How could such rare and precious materials be in the possession of these primitive humans? Then, it clicked.

The Blood Jade Blossom.

Yuebai guessed that these wildlings must know something about it. She tried desperately to convey the idea of the Blood Jade Blossom through gestures and expressions, but they struggled to understand, having been born and raised in this desolate land with no exposure to written language or cultivation techniques.

After much effort, an elderly, frail man stepped forward. He didn’t speak, but his gaze held a mysterious depth. He motioned for her to follow him.

He led her to a hidden underground ruin.

Inside the ruin, she was met with a breathtaking sight—an intricate ice-carved mural, glittering like starlight.

The mural depicted a story: there were human tribes, flourishing lands filled with plants and trees, a radiant sun, and in the center, a divine woman with silver hair and golden eyes, exuding an otherworldly beauty.

As the scene shifted, it showed a single Blood Jade Blossom standing tall amidst an icy, desolate wasteland.

"What is this?"

"Did this land not used to be a frozen wasteland?" Enjoy exclusive content from Lokepub

Yuebai stood beneath the mural, her eyes tracing the intricate carvings as she pieced together the story.

According to the mural, this land had once been a fertile paradise, harmonious and lush. The humans here led simple, peaceful lives.

That was, until the arrival of a divine woman with silver hair and golden eyes.

At the request of a scrawny, outcast human who knelt before her in reverence, the divine woman bestowed cultivation techniques upon him. This man, once weak and marginalized by his tribe, quickly rose to power, becoming a dominant leader among the humans.

Generations passed, and more humans encountered the divine woman.

As cultivation spread, the once-humble hunters of the tribe rose to the top of the food chain, dominating the grasslands.

But as the humans grew in strength and numbers, so did their greed. They hunted the nearby wildlife to extinction and stripped the land of its fruits, leaving the once-thriving earth barren.

The mural’s story turned grim—the land became desolate, its resources drained. Though the humans remained powerful, they faced famine, even resorting to cannibalism in desperation.

In this dire state, the divine woman descended once again.

This time, she brought with her a handful of mysterious seeds, her expression colder than before.

She told the humans that it was their greed that had destroyed their home.

If they wished to survive and rebuild, they would have to pay the price.

The seeds, she explained, were the key to their salvation, but they came with a condition: the humans would have to water them daily with blood through ritual sacrifices. Only then could the seeds grow into trees that bore edible fruit and restore life to the land.

The divine woman had also prophesied that in the distant future, a fated individual would come to claim the most fully bloomed Blood Jade Blossom.

When that day arrived—when the blossom was taken by the destined person—the humans’ penance would finally be complete, and the suffering of the people in that land would come to an end.