Chapter 64: The Azure Soul Lantern

Jueyi joyfully wrapped her arms around Muyun’s face and kissed him. “Father is the best!” she exclaimed.

After Muyun left, Jueyi couldn’t even wait to have breakfast before hurriedly running off to find Fengqing. At that moment, Fengqing was just stepping out of the thatched hut when Jueyi bounced up to him and laughed, “Father agreed! He really agreed!”

“Then you must study diligently to repay his trust,” Fengqing replied.

Jueyi nodded vigorously, then eagerly pulled at Fengqing, wanting to learn a new spell.

Fengqing smiled and, true to his word, began to teach her the incantations.

Time flew by like a fleeting white colt across a crevice, and in the blink of an eye, Jueyi had reached the age of fifteen. Throughout these years, Muyun remained as clan chief, which made things much easier for her. The few elders who had objected in the beginning eventually turned a blind eye and said nothing more. Jueyi trained under Fengqing, growing stronger and gradually becoming one of the most outstanding among her peers.

Fifteen marked the coming of age for the children of the Wu tribe. The clan’s “Tide Listening Pavilion” would refresh its records, and the entire tribe would hold a unified coming-of-age ceremony. Afterward, the youth could choose to travel and gain experience, continue their training in the ancestral land, or, if they wished to abandon the path of the warrior, settle down and pursue another life.

Jueyi’s coming-of-age ceremony was scheduled for half a month later, to be held at Crescent Bay in the center of the ancestral land along with fourteen other youths. As soon as she learned this, Jueyi ran to tell Fengqing and asked, “Master Fengqing, will you be able to come?”

“I probably won’t attend, you know they don’t look kindly on me. But perhaps I can disguise myself and come see the little princess of the Wu tribe,” he said with a wink.

Jueyi’s face, which had been crestfallen with disappointment, brightened into a smile. “Master Fengqing, you’re the best! I have to go back and prepare with Father, so I won’t be coming these next few days. On the day of the ceremony, I’ll wait for you at Crescent Bay.”

She waved to Fengqing and skipped back home, her heart fluttering with anticipation. The coming-of-age ceremony was complex and full of rituals, so there was much for Jueyi to prepare. Each day, she pulled Bili and Muyun along to practice with her. Of all the rites, the most important was the ancestral offering, which both honored the ancestors and tested whether each youth possessed a particular innate talent.

Bili explained that at that time, the nine elders would together bring forth the clan’s sacred treasure. Those with spiritual resonance could use it to obtain an item matching their essence—perhaps a weapon, a manual, or a precious artifact. The objects within the sacred treasure dated back to the tribe’s earliest days. When a member died, any objects of sufficient worth and character would be gathered into the treasure, which was one reason the Wu tribe had endured for so long. Over the ages, though, fewer and fewer youths managed to obtain something truly ancient; most now received relics from merely a few generations past, and many walked away empty-handed.

Jueyi was exhilarated by the prospect, longing for the day to come so she could try her luck.

Whenever Bili saw her so excited, she couldn’t help but laugh. “My little princess, I’m sure you’ll get something wonderful.”

“Don’t tease me, Sister Bili! If I end up with nothing, Father—the youngest and longest-reigning chief—will be utterly humiliated.” Jueyi pouted and gave Bili a playful punch on the shoulder, then drooped her head, nerves beginning to gnaw at her.

Bili, just as she had when Jueyi was little, ruffled her hair gently and soothed her, “Don’t worry. Your father loves you for who you are, not because you have spiritual gifts. Even if you receive nothing, you’ll always be his precious daughter. Besides, the gods above see your efforts; they would never treat you so unfairly.”

Jueyi let out a long breath and nodded, deciding not to dwell on it and to simply wait for the day to arrive.

When the day finally came, Bili woke Jueyi early. After getting ready, she was sent to the ancestral hall, where she and the other fourteen youths donned their ceremonial robes and arrived at Crescent Bay at the appointed hour.

When the time came, all fifteen were ushered onto the altar built for the occasion. Jueyi quickly spotted Muyun and Bili in the crowd below, but after searching the sea of faces, she couldn’t find Fengqing and felt a pang of disappointment, muttering softly to herself. Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the elder reciting the ceremonial prayers, and simply followed the others, kneeling and bowing as rehearsed.

What had seemed tedious during practice now felt less so when performed as part of a group, but when the critical moment arrived, Jueyi’s nerves returned with a vengeance. Because of her status, she was last in line. Each sigh from those ahead made her heart beat faster.

Just as she had expected, only five of the fourteen before her obtained anything from the sacred treasure. Finally, it was her turn.

Jueyi glanced down to see Muyun nodding encouragingly, with Bili beside him offering a reassuring smile. Taking a deep breath, Jueyi slowly placed her hand atop the incense burner-like artifact.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Jueyi’s heart sank heavier and heavier, her gaze lowering in disappointment. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, a violent wind swept through the sky, dark clouds churning overhead. Jueyi looked up in alarm, seeing flashes of lightning at the horizon, followed by rolling thunder. She didn’t understand what was happening, only that the wind was so fierce she could barely stand. The altar’s banners and offerings were snatched away by the gale. Suddenly, she found herself pulled into a warm embrace.

Turning, she saw Muyun’s calm, steady face.

“Father…” she called, but her voice was swallowed by the wind. Muyun didn’t seem to hear her; his eyes, like those of the elders, were fixed on the spot where the lightning struck.

Jueyi, still clinging to her father, looked up and seemed to see a crack open in the sky. Amid the swirling black clouds, the fissure widened, and a stream of dazzling light poured through—a sudden burst of radiance from the heavens. From within the crack, a nearly transparent crystal lamp slowly descended, pausing in midair above them.

The elders were the first to react, sweeping their sleeves to join forces and summon a massive spell, sealing the fissure through sheer magical might. When the last trace of the rift closed, the storm clouds vanished as suddenly as they had appeared, the sky returned to its former calm, and the crystal lamp settled gently into Jueyi’s hands.

The chief elder stepped forward, gazed at the lamp, and said, “This is the Qingli Soul Lamp, from the ancient Forbidden Realm. Treasure it, and use it wisely.”

The Forbidden Realm of Antiquity, while not as revered as the primeval era, far surpassed ordinary artifacts. It was the finest treasure any Wu tribe youth had obtained in a hundred years. Because of the chief elder’s words, excitement swept through the crowd below—even those who had received nothing stepped forward to congratulate her.

Such was the charm of the Wu tribe: jealousy was rare. If you had the strength, you could claim the soul lamp for yourself. But for now, none dared try, as the lamp had already chosen its master.

The elders nodded respectfully to Muyun before departing from Crescent Bay.

Jueyi leapt down from the altar and ran to Bili, laughing in disbelief, needing to confirm that it wasn’t all a dream.

“My little princess, didn’t I tell you? There was no way you’d leave empty-handed.”

Jueyi hugged Bili, leaping with joy. This outcome had far exceeded her wildest hopes; how could she not be ecstatic?

“Sister Bili, is this really happening? It feels even more unreal than a dream.”

Bili laughed aloud. At that moment, Muyun joined them. “You are now the master of the soul lamp,” he said. “You must learn to harmonize with it. But do not use it lightly, lest you cause unnecessary harm. For the next few days, stay home and focus on forging a bond with the lamp.”

Jueyi nodded, her mind reeling with the magnitude of her joy, forgetting Fengqing entirely for the moment.