“A bath and cleansing rituals, what's all this fuss about?”
The War Princess was impatient, eager to rush through the proceedings. Her temper was quick, and she loathed constraints. Yet, ironically, the Harmony Divine Palace was a place rife with rules and strictures.
This was only supposed to be a test of talent! The disruption caused by Chen Yue was aggravating enough, but the multitude of procedures was maddening.
“Master, can’t you just place it directly on my head like we did during the selection?” Feng Yao asked softly to Xue Yuening.
“Don’t be absurd. The Harmony Crown is a sacred and hallowed artifact. Those below the rank of Valkyrie Queens must cleanse their celestial bodies to remove any impurities before they can touch it.” Xue Yuening smiled wryly.
“So be it!”
If the rules were unchangeable, Feng Yao would have to accept them.
“Follow me.” Xue Yuening led the way, head bowed, while Feng Yao looked around curiously.
Her behavior immediately caused many a Valkyrie and Valkyrie Princess to frown.
“Devils will be devils, savage and untaught, ignorant of decorum.”
“What a waste of a 7-Star Valkyrie Queen talent...”
They thought to themselves how much better it would be if they or their daughters possessed such innate celestial brilliance. Their murmurs weren’t hidden. But for Feng Yao, it was hard to discern who said what.
“With such a temperament, where does Xue Yuening find the confidence to stake her future on this girl, so sure of her greater talent?”
“Who knows? But this time, she’s definitely done for.”
“Such folly at her age.”
These scattered words, though sparse, echoed piercingly within the Celestial Snow Palace.
Feng Yao was utterly annoyed. Unable to pinpoint the speakers, she wished she could just walk up and slap each one, sharing out her rage evenly among them.
"Yao Yao, this way."
By then, Xue Yuening had already stopped.
Feng Yao looked ahead where she pointed, and saw on the side of the Celestial Snow Palace, a pool of milky white water that emitted a scent of cream, clearly intended for purification.
And yet, the eyes of all the powerful figures in the hall still shone brightly upon her! It felt like layers upon layers of icy hell!
"Disrobe and enter the sacred pool," Xue Yuening instructed.
Feng Yao paused. "Disrobe?"
"Of course, how else to perform the bathing ritual?" Xue Yuening nodded.
"All these people..." Feng Yao grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, all present were pure women. Annoyed as she was, she bore it!
"You want to look, do you? Die of envy!" she thought viciously. In quick succession, she stripped off her jacket and leather skirt, standing there bare.
As her garments fell, her figure, which could be described as explosively perfect, was exposed for all to see. Her curves and proportions reached the physical peak of human capacity, at the very pinnacle of explosiveness. Any more, and it might start to look disproportionate.
Only sufficient height could carry such perfect curves!
Internally irked, Feng Yao deliberately turned a few circles to give the haughty old celestial women a clear view.
“It does make a difference!” She covered her eyes, while others were utterly clueless about her sudden frenzy.
At that moment, the Harmony Crown finally arrived!
The ceiling of the Celestial Snow Palace burst open, and above the sky appeared a dazzling crown entwined by two serpents, adorned with nine chilly, shimmering gems, its brilliance obscuring everyone’s faces!
“Yao Yao!” Xue Yuening called out to Feng Yao.
Feng Yao couldn’t wait any longer; she sprang from the Sacred Pool.
SPLASH! Water cascaded down her creamy curves, falling back into the pool.
Her eyes burned fiercely as she looked up at the Harmony Crown, her gaze unwavering and determined, devoid of reverence but full of conquest!
Such a look was considered highly disrespectful in the Harmony Divine Palace!
“Utterly disgraceful!” Chen Yue scoffed coldly, casting a lingering glance at Xue Yuening, as if foreseeing her fate.
In the Celestial Snow Palace, all eyes once again converged on Feng Yao and the Harmony Crown.
The crown seemed to lock onto her, descending from above.
She did not wait but rose like a conqueror, arms spread wide, as if to be crowned emperor of all!
The spectacle was breathtaking!
Feng Yao couldn’t wait another moment. “Yun Xiao is right, no need for caution. If you want to be fierce, go all the way. Silence those who scorn you with your might. After all, I’m not lacking the means!”
With that thought, a full smile spread across Feng Yao’s face, her actions resolute. She soared up and reached for the Harmony Crown before it could descend on its own.
“No! Let the crown descend...” Xue Yuening’s face changed as she shouted urgently.
However, her warning came too late.
Amidst the frowning crowd, Feng Yao grabbed the true Harmony Crown as if it were just an ordinary hat and firmly placed it on her head.
“Daring to disrespect the crown, this ignorant devil girl really is...” Chen Yue started to call her a fool.
But at that moment, the Harmony Crown transformed, perfectly fitting her head as the twin serpents seemed to come alive.
POP! POP! POP...! Nine resonant sounds echoed.
With each echo, a blinding column of light shot from the Harmony Crown, piercing the sky and reaching the heavens!
The brilliance was overwhelming!
Even through the clouds, standing afar, the pillars of light in the Celestial Snow Palace were vividly visible.
In just an instant, nine colorful beams lit the sky over 100,000 snow-capped mountains, turning the endless white snow below into a sea of vibrant colors!
The scene was explosively magnificent.
“Ah...!”
Below Feng Yao, Xue Yuening was engulfed in the colorful light, her expression obscured.
“Nine...” This number alone filled Xue Yuening’s mind, leaving no room for any other thought.