A drizzle pattered down, knocking countless faded blossoms from the trees.
At some point, everything around them had fallen silent.
The rain-streaked branches still swayed, yet all was hushed, as if an invisible force had sealed everything before them away from the world.
Princess Zhuangshu wore her hair in a white lily bun, with a jade hairpin slanting through it. Dressed in a pink jacket and red skirt, she stood with graceful poise, quietly watching Pei Ling as though patiently waiting for the "Yan" Immortal to agree.
Beneath his mask, Pei Ling's expression shifted several times. At last, he suppressed his intense longing to become a True Immortal at once and replied with difficulty, "No need!"
The Princess looked disappointed, but then she pressed on, unwilling to give up. "If Immortal 'Yan' is concerned that the Court-Appointed Attendants might not serve you well, why not try being a True Immortal for a while? If it doesn't suit you, you can leave then."
At that, Pei Ling was about to refuse again when a jumble of prayers suddenly reached his ears.
The prayers were as dense as needles, surging into his mind like a rising tide: "...We humbly pray... that Immortal 'Yan'... bowing in reverence... be honored as the orthodox sovereign... all under heaven shall worship... with utmost sincerity... respectfully beseech..."
"...We humbly pray... that Immortal 'Yan'... be honored as the orthodox sovereign... all under heaven shall worship... respectfully beseech..."
"...All under heaven shall worship... respectfully beseech..."
The prayers surged and repeated without end, gathering like storm waves until they gradually transformed into the Eternal Night Whisper.
Pei Ling's thoughts began to grow hopelessly chaotic.
His form shifted against his will. All his disguises vanished, revealing his true appearance.
Knowing the situation was dire, Pei Ling immediately set everything else aside