The two female divine manifestations were enveloped in a vibrant, endless aura of life-giving spiritual energy.
As this life-force rained down upon the earth, the parched, waterlogged ground was visibly revitalized. Under the nourishment of this spiritual energy, the impending pathogens and plagues completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, the two male divine manifestations carried a vast, stable earth and wood spiritual energy, raising their hands to draw upon the spiritual resonance of heaven and earth.
Spiritual light took shape as it touched the ground. Collapsed courtyard walls slowly closed up, tilted roof beams returned to their places on their own, shattered bricks and tiles pieced themselves together in mid-air, and the ruined homes and courtyards were restored one by one.
Spiritual energy danced and flowed freely, its various colors weaving and merging together to envelop a thousand li of mountains and rivers.
The lingering clouds dispersed completely, and sunlight blanketed the earth. Under the salvation of the four's spiritual energy, the devastated disaster area slowly returned to peaceful daily life.
The spiritual energy gradually quieted down, and the array beneath the four slowly withdrew all its brilliance.
Suspended in mid-air, the figures of the four swayed slightly, their faces turning pale and weak.
Their bodies, having exhausted all their spiritual energy, were already overwhelmed, with every limb and bone aching from a profound, draining weakness.
The four slowly looked down at the earth, gazing at the completely revitalized mountains and rivers beneath them.
Between their weary brows, a faint, relieved smile slowly spread.
In mid-air, the four magnificent shadows of the divine manifestations slowly became transparent and faint, dissolving bit by bit into the world.
In the next instant, Jiang Lu's cold, serene voice rang out, echoing across a thousand li of mountains and rivers, carrying a world-saving compassion that lingered in the air above every inch of land:
“The evil spirits have been slain, the wind and rain have returned to order, and life-force has reappeared. May the disasters here disperse entirely, may all illnesses be averted, may the people live in peace day and night, and may this homeland enjoy eternal peace year after year.”
As her voice fell, the grand array completely dispersed the last wisp of remaining spiritual energy, leaving not a trace of spell fluctuations between heaven and earth.
No longer able to maintain their balance without spiritual energy to support them, the four plummeted straight down from the sky.
Just as they fell halfway, a warm, gentle spiritual light suddenly flashed, softly enveloping their bodies.
In the blink of an eye, the four figures silently vanished into the vast light of the sky, leaving no trace behind.
Below, countless commoners stared up blankly in the direction where the immortals had quietly departed, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Once everyone came to their senses, boundless gratitude and reverence instantly surged in their hearts, their myriad emotions turning into a devout kowtow.
Innumerable citizens bowed and kowtowed one after another, their foreheads pressed against the cool earth. Cries of gratitude rose and fell across the fields, stretching on endlessly.
“The Goddess has descended upon the world! The immortals are merciful!”
“The Goddess has saved the world; her benevolence is as heavy as a mountain! We are willing to cast a divine statue for the Goddess, to make offerings for generations and worship her year after year!”
“We beg the Goddess to bless this region with peace and protect us, the common people, so that all may go smoothly!”
“We shall erect a shrine and carve a statue, never forgetting this life-saving grace for eternity!”
“Thank you, Goddess! Thank you, immortals!”
“...”
Tears welled in the eyes of the commoners, their voices filled with sincerity and earnestness.
Their eyes were filled with the awe and gratitude of having survived a disaster and gained a new lease on life.
There were many artists among the crowd. Their hearts swelling with emotion, they hurriedly and with trembling hands took out the paper and brushes they carried with them. Relying on the memory that had just been etched into their very bones, they quickly set pen to paper, wanting to sketch the peerless grace of the four immortals saving the world from mid-air and preserve this unprecedented miracle.
Their brushes flowed like water, outlining the eyes, postures, and sleeves one by one, their contours matching their memories as closely as possible.
Yet no matter how they mixed colors, sketched, or meticulously carved out details, the portraits on the paper remained stiff and ordinary, possessing only the physical form but lacking even a shred of their divine charm.
The compassion of saving the world from above and that earth-shaking, peerless elegance were simply impossible to capture, no matter how superb their painting skills were.
They sighed, staring blankly at the brushes in their hands, their eyes hollow as they hesitated to make another stroke.
After a long silence of deep thought, they ultimately did not add the final, defining touch.
The matter of the southern floods, caused by three months of torrential rain, was finally presented to Gong Chenyue.
The candlelight on the imperial desk flickered, its bright yellow glow reflecting the seated figure of the woman.
Gong Chenyue lowered her eyes to stare at the dense text describing the disaster on the paper. A heavy frost blanketed her brow, and the atmospheric pressure around her plummeted. The entire hall fell dead silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
It had been less than three months since her imperial father passed away, yet several regional vassal kings had already staged rebellions one after another. Now, with the southern floods on top of that, the imperial court's military forces, provisions, and manpower were entirely tied down by the warfare, stretched to their absolute limits.
But the court was currently empty, with very few elite forces available to be mobilized. Trying to dispatch officials and provisions south for disaster relief was as difficult as ascending to heaven; she was virtually left with no options.
Just as the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and oppressive, a soft announcement slowly sounded:
“Reporting to Your Highness, an urgent message delivered by carrier pigeon from the south has arrived at the palace gates.”
Her personal maid walked into the hall with light steps, her posture respectful as she carefully removed the tightly sealed silk letter from the carrier pigeon's leg and presented it with both hands.
As the few brief words caught her eye, Gong Chenyue's tightly knitted brows suddenly relaxed.
The gloom and misery that had accumulated over the past days were swept away. A brilliant light instantly burst from her cold eyes, and a rare look of genuine joy emerged on her face, which had been solemn for days.
On the silk, the handwriting was concise, yet every word shook her heart:
【The Goddess has descended, and the floods in Jiangnan have been completely resolved. The disaster has subsided, and the mountains and rivers are at peace once more.】
She softly muttered this line over and over, her lips moving slightly. Warmth welled up in her heart, bringing her immense peace of mind.
The Goddess...
It would be soon.
Everything was about to get better.
She and the Goddess had made an agreement long ago. In just two years, she would surely suppress the internal rebellions of the vassal kings on all sides, calm the storms, stabilize the state, secure the realm, and restore a peaceful and prosperous world of order and tranquility.
Jiang Lu slowly opened her eyes, met with the sight of a deep, quiet mountain forest.
All was quiet, with only the intermittent chirping of insects and the crisp singing of birds echoing in her ears, making the entire forest seem even more serene.
She instinctively wanted to raise her hand to push herself up, but the moment her limbs moved, a dense, tingling pain spread throughout her entire body. Her muscles and bones were completely weak, and she could not muster even a shred of strength.
She wanted to open her mouth to call out for Senior Sister Liu and her two senior brothers, but the sound that came out was not her usual clear, refined voice. Instead, only a few soft, tender "ying ying" whimpers escaped, incredibly childish and weak.
Jiang Lu's pupils shrank in sudden shock, and she froze completely in place.
In disbelief, she lowered her eyes to look at her body. As the moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, she finally saw herself clearly.
What met her eyes was not her familiar robes, but a coat of fluffy, soft fur.
Her furry limbs were short and slender, and her frame was tiny and delicate.
She... had actually turned into a kitten?
Her mind instantly went blank.
Where were Senior Sister Liu, Senior Brother Lu, and the others?
They now were they now? Were they safe and sound?
With shock and doubt churning endlessly in her heart, Jiang Lu had not even had time to make sense of her bizarre situation before several women's calls faintly drifted over from not far away.
The voices were ethereal and muffled by the trees, making it impossible to hear the words clearly, but they were slowly approaching her direction.
The rustling sound of footsteps stepping on dry leaves drew closer and closer, becoming increasingly distinct.
A moment later, a gentle and slightly joyful female voice softly rang out:
“So you were here. Little fellow, you mustn't run off like this next time. I've been looking for you for ages.”
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