Outside Godwind City, emerald grass stretched as far as the eye could see.
A paper airplane rode the breeze, wobbling as it climbed higher and higher, until it dwindled to a tiny white speck and vanished deep among the clouds.
Venti lay on his back in the soft grass, hands pillowed behind his head. His emerald-green cape spread around him like a giant lotus leaf.
The breeze brushed the Cecilia Flower on the brim of his hat and tousled the strands of hair across his forehead.
Even after transmigrating to Douluo Continent and becoming the lord of Godwind City, he still couldn't change his carefree nature.
These days, Godwind City was renowned across the continent and prosperous beyond compare.
Outsiders said the lord of Godwind City was unfathomable, with power enough to move heaven and earth.
Only Venti knew how utterly "unconcerned with his proper duties" he was as a city lord.
He didn't concern himself with any of the city's affairs, great or small.
He dumped them all on his few obedient and capable disciples.
Shui Bing'er was steady, Shui Yue'er lively, Bai Chenxiang peerless in speed, and Dugu Yan a master of poison.
He had trained these four girls until they were formidable and efficient. That was what gave him the leisure to bask in the sun on this meadow outside the city and listen to the wind sing.
As for strength?
Venti squinted at the clouds drifting across the sky.
The so-called God Kings were, in his eyes, no more than ants that were slightly larger than the rest, carried on the wind.
If he wanted, he could have rewritten the continent's fate long ago.
But what would be the point?
Better to drink wine, play the lyre, and watch the clouds gather and disperse.
A faint patter of footsteps drew near, scattering dew from the blades of grass and breaking the peaceful silence.
"..."
Venti didn't open his eyes, but his nose caught a sacred, cool scent.
It smelled of sunshine—and angels.
A graceful figure stopped beside him.
Qian Renxue wore a golden palace gown. Its hem swayed gently in the breeze, revealing a glimpse of her jade-white calf, its lines exquisite.
She had inherited the Angel God Position only recently, and divine power surged through her. Her bearing was so noble that people hardly dared look at her.
Her golden eyes usually held the imperious majesty of one who looked down upon the world. Now, as she gazed at the boy on the grass, they held a rare softness and complexity.
She and Venti had met by pure chance.
It had happened during one of her outings to clear her mind, when she came across the boy beneath a tree, strumming a lyre and singing to passersby.
The pure, free-spirited air around Venti was like a breeze drifting into a heart long filled with hatred and duty.
She often visited Godwind City for a brief stay, escaping the oppressive atmosphere of Spirit Hall.
With each encounter, their relationship had grown increasingly subtle and intimate.
But now, the dream had to end.
Qian Renxue drew a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell slightly as she suppressed the reluctance in her heart.
The Spirit Hall Empire had officially launched its war.
She was the Angel God, a pillar of the Spirit Hall Empire. She had to return.
She didn't want the flames of war to reach this peaceful haven, nor did she want Venti, pure as a boy, to be swept into the conflict.
"I'm leaving."
Qian Renxue's voice was a little hoarse.
Venti kept his eyes closed, a blade of foxtail grass between his lips. He gave a muffled reply:
"Mm."
Watching his nonchalant manner, Qian Renxue felt a faint pang in her heart, yet also a measure of relief.
That was how it should be.
He was a free wind. He shouldn't be bound by mortal wars.
"The Spirit Hall Empire is at war with the two great empires."
Qian Renxue looked into the distance, her gaze gradually growing resolute.
"I'm the Angel God. I have to return and take charge."
"No matter what, I have to take part in this war."
She paused, then turned her head and stared fixedly at Venti's profile, as if trying to engrave his image into the depths of her soul.
"If I leave now, I may not be back for a long time."
Countless emotions surged within her.
She had only recently become a god. She could have taken Venti away by force, or simply told him how she felt.
But looking into his clear eyes, untouched by even a speck of dust, she just couldn't bring herself to speak.
Now, she was steeped in the reek of smoke from the battlefield she was about to enter, her hands poised to be stained with blood.
She felt she wasn't worthy of Venti as he was now.
She would put an end to the war as quickly as possible, sweep away every obstacle, and reunite the entire continent under one banner.
When that day came, she would wash the blood from herself and return here, to Godwind City, in her most perfect form.
Then she would confess her feelings to him in earnest.
She would stay forever with the person who had brought peace to her heart!
At the thought, the light in Qian Renxue's eyes burned ever brighter—a god's confidence, and a woman's determination.
"I'm leaving, and you have nothing to say to me?"
In the end, Qian Renxue couldn't hold back. She asked softly, a trace of barely perceptible hope in her voice.
Venti finally opened his eyes.
His green eyes were like the clearest gemstones, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, as well as Qian Renxue's breathtaking face.
He sat up and casually brushed the grass from his cape. The wind lifted his bangs, revealing a face so exquisite it could make anyone jealous.
Venti chuckled. His smile was like a spring breeze, so pure it made the heart tremble.
"Then... I hope you stay safe?"
His tone was natural and casual, as if he were bidding farewell to an old friend heading out to buy groceries. There was not the slightest trace of heaviness or sorrow.
Qian Renxue froze.
Then a clear note of disappointment flickered in her eyes.
Was all he had to say "I hope you stay safe"?
Had she been imagining things this whole time?
To him, was she perhaps just an ordinary passerby?
Qian Renxue bit her lower lip. The disappointment in her heart soon gave way to an even fiercer fighting spirit.
No.
He was just like this—carefree and unrestrained, never sweating the small stuff.
That was exactly what she liked about him.
When I return in triumph, I'll make you drop that careless attitude and look at me properly!
"Fine."
Qian Renxue nodded firmly, no longer hesitating.
"Then I'll take you at your word."
"Wait for me."
She spoke those last four words softly, but each one carried weight.
As her words fell, six enormous golden wings unfurled behind her, and sacred radiance lit up half the sky.
She didn't look back. Her figure became a streak of golden light and shot skyward, vanishing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Watching in the direction she had gone, Venti lightly plucked the lyre in his hands. It rang with a crisp twang.
"The wind will guide you on your way."
He murmured softly, then lay back down on the grass.
The very instant Qian Renxue left,
the clear sky suddenly changed!
Rumble—!
A deafening peal of thunder resounded across all of Douluo Continent.
It wasn't dark clouds gathering, but golden light filling the sky!
Above, the clouds churned as an enormous golden rift slowly tore open, like a heavenly eye opening wide to gaze down upon all living beings.
Boundless golden light poured from the rift, dyeing the entire world gold.