Falling Dreams Of Fang Hua

Chapter 65: Bonus Epilogue 1 - Scenes from Ancient Times

Auspicious clouds bore down on three grand palaces that glowed in the skies above. I think the memories that I lost from that time were thoroughly erased, so I spent many years in complete darkness.

Back then, humans didn't call upon celestial phoenixes. Not that it was very hard to call for one, but with their paltry cultivation states, they could only manage to call out a single phoenix with difficulty using two people. The one that came would have to be a bird that took pity on the humans and had the compassion to help them. If it was this hard for two people to summon a live phoenix, imagine how much harder it'd be for a single person to create one successfully.

Birthing a Fang Hua Beast from a piece of wood was similar to reviving a phoenix from nie wood[1]–two different approaches that produced equally satisfactory results. All across the Heavens, it was only the Nine Spirits Sovereign Goddess who could manage such artful magic. She was also the only one who could bring forth a live phoenix from nie wood.

I was none other than that Nine Spirits Sovereign Goddess. Even the esteemed High Immortal Zhao of Omens had to respectfully refer to me as 'auntie.' From seas to mulberry fields and back again[2] was just a blink of the eye for me.

I sprawled on the ground by the Immortal's Pool, peering at my reflection in the water. The face I wore now only resembled my original one slightly.

"The Jade Emperor said it was about time you woke up," the Immortal of Fates laughed as he stood to one side. "I calculated with my fingers. When I saw that they were preparing to burn your body, I brought your spirit here."

The High Immortal Zhao of Omens wiped a forehead full of sweat. "Auntie, I didn't know it was you. I'd rather burn myself than scorch a hair on your head."

To be honest, I didn't know I had the chance to find back my immortal roots, either. I didn't blame High Immortal Zhao for not recognizing me, especially when this body barely resembled my old looks. The rest of it was extremely pretty.

—

I remembered when I slept as the Nine Spirits Sovereign Goddess in a cave for tens of thousands of years during the era of Chaos. When I woke up, I had thoroughly understood the universe's mysteries and had climbed onto the path of immortal cultivation. Stretching lazily, my eyes blinked away tens of thousands of years' worth of gunk and I made my earth-shaking way to the Heavens.

At that time, things weren't as lively as they were now. A few ancient immortals always said it was rare to see Great Immortals in the courtyard, so there were no amusements. They spent their days staring at the clouds and wishing for another celestial being to appear and be their friend. It was nothing like now, where cultivation had to meet with a few strikes of tribulation lightning to continue.

Speaking of this heavenly lightning, I couldn't help but lodge a complaint. High Immortal Zhao was such a handsome youth before he became an immortal. Because of those three strikes of lightning, his looks were ruined in the time it took for me to open and close my eyes. Now he looked both hoary and old.

I'm getting off-topic...

Speaking of looks, I was more sloppy than others. My clansmen had naturally androgynous physiques, but I spent tens of thousands of years as a woman who couldn't stand those blushing and shy immortal types. Still, I was unmistakably female, down to my very bones. I didn't realize that the strange immortals who gathered to see me by the Southern Heavenly Gates would respectfully call me a sovereign instead. So it seems, that even a person born female could be made into a male sovereign god. You should see how refined I looked in the mirror, like a jade tree facing against the wind.

Remembering up to this point, my body couldn't help but shift as I gathered some pond water and cupped it in my hands like a mirror. My actions surprised the Immortal of Fates so much that he dropped his chin to stare at me with wide eyes. High Immortal Zhao had to deeply reconsider for awhile. My face turned red as I coughed and drew my hand back. "I've looked at this face for so long that I've grown used to it."