Lan Ge stared at her in surprise. “There’s still something else?”
A flicker of light passed through Sheng Lian’s eyes. A faint silver glow rippled outward from her body, forming a translucent veil that enveloped the small table where the three of them sat.
“Of course,” she said calmly. “Judging by how instinctively you grabbed each other’s hands just now, your control over the Peerless Pearl must already be quite deep. To break through to Seventh-Rank or above in such a short time… the help it’s given you can’t have been small, can it?”
Her gaze was sharp, probing.
The corner of Lan Ge’s mouth twitched. “You know far too much.” He paused, then added, “But we’re all human here. You’re not going to run off and report us to the Demon Domain, are you?”
Sheng Lian shook her head. “To be honest, you might not believe this, but the Demon Domain doesn’t value the Seven Divine Pearls as highly as you think. In fact, there’s even some resentment toward them.”
She continued evenly, “Before the Great Cataclysm, there were two competing plans within the Demon Domain. One relied on the Seven Divine Pearls to resist it. The other was an entirely different approach, also already in preparation. In the end, they chose the former—and it failed.”
“The great demons and nymphs who survived were mostly supporters of the other plan. As a result, the current upper ranks of the Demon Domain tend to view the Seven Divine Pearls with disdain rather than reverence.”
Sheng Lian truly knew far more than they had expected. From her words, Fa Hua and Lan Ge gleaned details that had always been murky before.
“Have you heard the stories of the Seven Holy Ancestors?” Sheng Lian asked suddenly, her expression turning solemn.
“We have,” Fa Hua replied calmly.
She froze for a moment.
Sheng Lian had already prepared herself to recount the tragic and heroic tale of the Seven Holy Ancestors, to use it to move them. She had not expected that humanity’s greatest secret was something these two already knew.
Silence fell over the table.
After a long moment, Sheng Lian took a deep breath. “Since you’ve heard it, then tell me—do you know that although the Peerless Pearl was forged by the ancestors Fa Chu and Lan Qiong, the heart used as its core did not belong to either of them?”
That was something neither of them knew.
Lan Ge frowned slightly. “Then whose was it…?”
Sheng Lian lowered her head. Deep sorrow surfaced in her eyes. “One of the Seven Holy Ancestors was the saintess of my generation of the Silver Lotus Clan. In truth, there should have been eight Holy Ancestors, not seven.”
She looked up again. “That generation’s Silver Lotus saintess was actually a pair of twin sisters—twin lotuses born together. But before the world, only one of them ever appeared. Almost everyone believed they were a single person.”
At that, a realization stirred in both Fa Hua and Lan Ge. The Silver Lotus Clan’s innate ability was spatial control. If that was the case…
Sure enough, Sheng Lian continued, “The forging core of the Peerless Pearl was the hearts of those two twin-lotus ancestors of our Silver Lotus Clan. That is why, back on West Island, we were determined to reclaim it. Inside the Peerless Pearl flows my ancestors’ bloodline.”
Fa Hua and Lan Ge fell silent.
The legend of the Seven Holy Ancestors had always filled them with awe. That generation of humanity had borne the greatest burdens. It was they who carved out a future for those who came after.
Now that the Seven Divine Pearls had begun to reappear, two were already known—one in their possession, another in Lu Yuan’s. More would undoubtedly surface in the future, and they could only ever belong in human hands.
They had already experienced the Peerless Pearl’s power firsthand. No matter how treacherous it could be, the fact that it had carried them to Eighth-Rank was undeniable.
Sheng Lian’s sorrowful words made her purpose clear. She wanted the Peerless Pearl back.
Seeing that neither of them spoke, she let out a quiet sigh. “I understand how you feel. Anyone who obtains a divine artifact would be reluctant to part with it. First, I owe you both an apology. During the Tri-Domain Tournament, we acted out of desperation and chose an improper method. Please forgive the offense.”
She rose to her feet and bowed deeply.
Lan Ge instinctively started to stand, intending to avoid accepting her bow. But when he saw Fa Hua remain seated, steady as a mountain, without the slightest intention of rising, he hesitated—then sat back down and accepted it as well.
“Get to the point,” Fa Hua said calmly.
Sheng Lian straightened and drew a slow breath. “I still hope the two of you can relinquish the Peerless Pearl. I can represent the Saint Domain and guarantee this: whatever you desire, as long as the Saint Domain can provide it, we will exchange it for the Pearl.”
“The Peerless Pearl was forged using the hearts of my Silver Lotus Clan’s ancestors. Only we can truly bring out its full potential. In our hands, it can secure greater opportunities for humanity.”
Lan Ge snorted softly. “That’s not quite right, Sheng Lian. Why wouldn’t it work in our hands?” He leaned back slightly. “And to be honest with you, if there were any way to give it up, we wouldn’t be clinging to it like this. The problem is simple—we can’t take it out. Do you believe that?”
She froze. “You… can’t take it out?”
Fa Hua said calmly, “In truth, you don’t actually know what form the Seven Divine Pearls take, do you? Or how they’re used. So there’s no need to claim they would be more effective in your hands.”
Sheng Lian’s brows drew together. “What do you mean, Brother Fa Hua?”
Fa Hua met her gaze. “Then tell me—what is the activation incantation of the Peerless Pearl?”
She stared at him blankly. An incantation?
Fa Hua continued, “You don’t know. So how can you prove it would be more useful with you?”
Lan Ge felt a surge of satisfaction. He hated it when Fa Hua turned that sharp tongue on him—but watching him dismantle someone else’s argument was immensely gratifying.
“Exactly!” Lan Ge jumped in. “To be frank, the Seven Divine Pearls fuse with their hosts. As the hosts, we can’t extract them at all. Do you know why I even teamed up with this annoying fellow for the Tri-Domain Tournament?”
“Our original goal was the pair competition’s champion prize—the Spirit Breaking Seal. We hoped it could sever this improper connection between us. But it was useless. The seal shattered on the spot. Completely worthless.”
He spread his hands. “Do you think I wanted this cursed Pearl? If you have a method that can remove it without harming us, we can talk. But first, show us the method.”
Sheng Lian was clearly stunned. In truth, no race had ever passed down a method for using the Seven Divine Pearls. Of course she didn’t know either.
After a moment of thought, she said, “Then… how about this? Come with me to the Saint Domain. We have artifacts there capable of lifting seals. We could try—”
Lan Ge burst out laughing. “You’re thinking too much. Setting aside the fact that you’ve already tried to capture us once, why would we cooperate?” His tone sharpened. “Do you expect us to walk into the Saint Domain and lie down on the chopping block?”
Even as she made the suggestion, Sheng Lian had known they were unlikely to agree. Still, she had to try.
Fa Hua calmly picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
Lan Ge glanced at him, then followed suit, refusing to be outdone.
The food wasn’t particularly good, but it beat gnawing on dry flatbread in the wild.
Sheng Lian sat there in silence, her brows tightly knit as she thought.
Lan Ge ate quickly, deliberately snatching dishes from in front of Fa Hua. In short order, he was nearly full. Seeing that Fa Hua hadn’t even eaten half as much, he felt a small surge of smug satisfaction.
He picked up the soup bowl, leaving Fa Hua’s spoon dipping into empty space, and drank straight from it.
Childish, Fa Hua remarked inwardly.
I enjoy it, Lan Ge shot back, delighted.
Just then, Sheng Lian seemed to make a momentous decision. She lifted her head abruptly and said, “If you’re willing to go to the Saint Domain with me… I can marry one of you.”
“Pfft—!”
Lan Ge was mid-sip. He choked instantly, spraying a mouthful of hot soup.
At least he still had some manners. He twisted his head aside at the last second, narrowly avoiding splattering Sheng Lian.
Fa Hua sat perfectly straight. Slowly, he turned his head toward Lan Ge.
Soup dripped down his face.
With deliberate calm, he peeled a stray leaf of vegetable from his cheek and placed it on the table. His gaze turned glacial.
“Cough—cough, cough! Misunderstanding! It’s a misunderstanding! I didn’t do it on purpose!” Lan Ge protested between coughs, looking utterly aggrieved.
Fa Hua didn’t believe him for a second. If it were truly an accident, why had the soup gone in his direction?
So satisfying. Lan Ge hadn’t felt this kind of exhilaration in a long time. Watching Fa Hua suffer—even a little—was a rare pleasure. He was laughing inside, though he did his best to suppress it, his face flushing red from both laughter and coughing.
Sheng Lian hadn’t expected this reaction either. She looked at them with a strange expression but pressed on. “I’m serious. I can even marry one of you first, then return to the Saint Domain. I wouldn’t harm my own husband.”
“As far as I know,” Fa Hua said coldly, “the Silver Lotus Clan’s saintess is forbidden to marry.”
The gravity of his expression stood in sharp contrast to the soup still dripping from his face.
Lan Ge hastily condensed a sphere of water and offered it to him. “Uh… want to wash up?”
Fa Hua took it—and slapped it straight into Lan Ge’s face.
“Get lost.”
Sheng Lian gave a bitter smile. “For the Peerless Pearl. For the Silver Lotus Clan. I no longer have the luxury of caring about such rules. To us, the Peerless Pearl matters far more than I do as a saintess. If Sheng Lian is gone, another can be chosen. But there is only one Peerless Pearl.”
Fa Hua took a napkin and wiped his face. Lan Ge, sensing the danger, wisely kept his mouth shut. He could feel it clearly—Fa Hua was like a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption. And Lan Ge knew very well how obsessive he was about cleanliness.
“I’m sorry,” Fa Hua said calmly. “I won’t accept such a marriage.”
He turned his gaze to Lan Ge. His eyes were tranquil—so tranquil that Lan Ge felt a suffocating pressure build in his chest.
“I can’t accept it either. I won’t. I really won’t,” Lan Ge said quickly, nodding twice in emphasis.
Sheng Lian’s voice softened, tinged with sadness. “Is it because I’m not beautiful enough? I’ve never been with any man. I admit we have no emotional foundation yet, but I will do my best to become a good wife and mother.”
“Yes,” Lan Ge said suddenly.
She froze.
Before she could ask what he meant, she noticed that both Fa Hua and Lan Ge were staring toward the doorway. Their auras had shifted completely—and their hands had already clasped together again.
Following their gaze, Sheng Lian turned around.
A woman stood there.
An incomparably beautiful woman, with dark red hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. Two locks draped over her shoulders, falling nearly to the ground. Her deep crimson eyes were mesmerizing beyond words.
In that instant, Sheng Lian understood exactly which sentence Lan Ge had agreed with.