In a remote corner of the Northern Region, which occupied barely a tenth of the vast North, countless small factions existed, each vying for dominance.
Here, one could find the Divine Pavilion, Netherworld Palace, Myriad Saint Peak, and Demon Gate—innumerable minor forces where even a Lower Earth Sovereign could reign supreme. Compared to them, Liu Xi's presence was like that of a giant among ants.
Among these powers, one particular domain stood out—the Great Havenlaw Domain. Within it dwelled a mysterious Domain Lord, a figure rarely seen and shrouded in secrecy.
Inside a shadowy palace of the Great Havenlaw, a young man sat high upon a throne, his handsome face bearing a faint smile—he looked almost identical to Liu Xi.
Beside him stood a petite girl in a black gauze dress, her delicate, doll-like face lovely yet tense, eyes filled with guarded wariness despite her polite posture.
Bodhisattva smiled gently. "No need to be nervous. I mean you no harm."
"Senior, I—" The black-clad girl, Mandala, froze. Her pupils contracted sharply, her heart sinking in shock as she hurried to speak.
Mandala's origins were ancient, traceable back to the Ancient Heaven Palace. Her insight far surpassed ordinary beings; she knew the young man before her was anything but normal. She immediately regretted leaving the depths of the Greatlaw Goldpond where she'd been suppressing the curse within her body. A brief flicker of a familiar, comforting aura had drawn her curiosity—only for her to invite this terrifying star of calamity.
That unfathomable aura… it wasn't something even a High Earth Sovereign could compare to. Perhaps not even a Perfect Earth Sovereign.
There was only one explanation—a Heavenly Sovereign.
Such a being was far beyond her reach. Even if every expert in the Great Havenlaw Domain attacked together, they wouldn't last a single exchange. Thus, Mandala chose to feign calm and cooperate.
Bodhisattva's eyes glimmered as he observed her. A soft smile curved his lips—he could tell with one glance that she wasn't human, nor even a divine beast. She was a living spirit, born from the convergence of heaven and earth itself.
That alone filled him with warmth and familiarity.
"I only wished to meet you," he said softly. "You don't need to be afraid. I will not harm you."
Mandala's vigilance only deepened. 'A Heavenly Sovereign saying he "just wanted to meet you"? Who would believe that?'
'Please don't tell me I've run into a pervert…' she thought, panic creeping in. Though she had lived for ages, her growth was slow, leaving her in a small, fragile body. The thought alone filled her with dread. Her face reflected her inner turmoil—a trace of tragic resolve flickered across her delicate features.
"Bodhisattva, look at what you've done—she's terrified."
A teasing voice came from beyond the hall. Two figures entered casually, unseen by the countless guards and soldiers stationed outside.
Mandala's beautiful eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. The Great Havenlaw Domain was one of the most powerful forces in the North, yet it had been breached without a sound. The humiliation was almost unbearable.
Bodhisattva turned toward the newcomers. The face of one of them resembled his own, but Bodhisattva ignored Liu Xi's teasing tone and smiled instead.
"You're here. Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I did," Liu Xi replied lightly, "but I've no intention of entering it. It isn't time for it to appear yet. Forcing it open would be pointless."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted from Bodhisattva to the small black-clad girl. Mandala's cute, dollish face now looked somewhat grim, her large eyes brimming with faint defiance—but her puffed-up cheeks only made her look more adorable than intimidating.
Liu Xi chuckled. Just as he suspected—any being whom the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree regarded as kin could only be one thing: the Primordial Mandala Flower, Mandala herself.
He had only been half sure before, but upon arriving in the Great Havenlaw Domain, he was certain.
Mandala, once the Primordial Mandala Flower, had been personally planted by the Heavenly Emperor himself and regarded as his adopted daughter. When the Ancient Heaven Palace fell, she and the Emperor's mount were the only ones who survived.
Liu Xi tilted his chin toward her with a smirk.
"She doesn't trust you. Why don't you show her your true form?"
Bodhisattva thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. A tremor coursed through his body as pure azure radiance burst forth. Behind him, the vast silhouette of a colossal Bodhisattva Ancient Tree took shape, releasing an overwhelming, majestic aura that filled the entire hall.
Mandala staggered backward repeatedly. As a Lower Earth Sovereign, she could barely withstand the sacred pressure—an instinctive reverence rose from deep within her being.
"You are…" Her voice trembled with awe and excitement. The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's presence was suffocating, yet she felt no fear. Instead, a long-lost warmth spread in her chest as she finally understood the source of that inexplicable familiarity.
"Like you," Bodhisattva said with a smile. "Your kin."
Seeing Mandala relax, his gentle expression deepened. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a fruit radiating pure spiritual light—the Bodhisattva Fruit. Turning to Liu Xi, he said, "Mandala carries a strange curse within her body, one that constantly erodes her life force. It's similar to what I once suffered. I want to help her."
Mandala's face changed slightly—her curse was her deepest secret, yet it had been exposed effortlessly.
"Do it," Liu Xi said simply, raising a finger. A streak of azure flame appeared, its heat distorting the very air. The flame wrapped around the Bodhisattva Fruit, burning it until it melted into streams of luminous energy that drifted toward Mandala.
Mandala hesitated but quickly steadied herself. If they had wanted to harm her, there would be no need for such a roundabout method.
The moment the pure light enveloped her, it seeped into her skin through every pore, filling her body with a cool, soothing sensation. But then the curse within her rebelled violently.
"Ah—!" she cried out as black thorns burst from her flesh, covered in intricate runes that exuded a strange, bewitching beauty.
Her consciousness blurred—this was the aftermath of the curse's eruption. Usually, she would retreat to the depths of the Great Havenlawly Pool to endure it.
But this time was different. Though the pain persisted, she felt the malevolent curse dissolving, eroded away by the Bodhisattva's pure energy until it faded into nothingness.
A lightness she had never known filled her soul. In her fading awareness, she heard a gentle voice echo softly—"Adopted daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, may his blessing shield you still."
Mandala's nose tingled with emotion. A single tear slipped down her cheek before consciousness faded into peace.
(End of Chapter)
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