Failed to Woo the Deity: I Severed His Path to Love - Chapter 00

The Awakening of Insects. A full moon. The lingering chill of early spring.

Inside Moyang Palace, spiritual energy swirled in a dense mist. Shuo Qin used a silk handkerchief to wipe a strangely shaped piece of meteorite jade clean before slowly placing it into a soul-congealing furnace inlaid with glazed crystals. He then added a few grams of Mind-Awakening Grass to the mix.

As the first co-lord of the Nine Heavens, aside from the early chaos caused by demons and spirits, everything had remained peaceful for hundreds of millions of years. Within the Mirror of Dust, the world flickered through life after life in a restless blur, yet here, ten thousand years of leisure felt like a single day.

Not long ago, three beams of intense light had descended upon a certain corner of the Celestial Tribe before vanishing in an instant. Shuo Qin, who happened to be strolling nearby, unexpectedly retrieved three pieces of meteorite jade: the first was crystal clear, the second held a sharp, piercing edge, and the third was pure and flawless. Upon testing them with his magic, he found them harmless. Though their shapes were peculiar, their luster resembled that of the Immortal Tribe and they possessed significant spiritual resonance. Having nothing better to do, he showed great mercy and spent his days diligently infusing them with immortal power.

At that time, the night was deep and the full moon hung like a silver mirror, draping the world in silken light. The flowers of March were beginning to bloom in brilliance, their delicate fragrances swirling through the air. A gentle breeze brushed past, causing the shadows of the Meifeng trees to sway and tremble with spiritual life, shedding petals like falling rain.

In the deepest hour of the night, Shuo Qin dripped a few drops of fresh blood into the soul-congealing furnace and offered a slight bow.

The furnace, which had remained motionless for ages, suddenly released a wisp of curling green smoke. From its center, two flower-shaped clouds rose. Above the peach-blossom cloud, a pink spiritual root emerged; within the violet cloud, a golden spiritual root appeared. Both lay there quietly.

Shuo Qin held his breath, silently observing his masterpiece. After a moment, he reached out to catch the edges of the clouds, guiding them to two separate crystal couches to channel immortal Qi.

Another wisp of green smoke rose. A seven-colored cloud, brimming with immortal grace, bounced twice with a “gua-gua” sound before descending. The third spiritual root fell back into the furnace, pure and flawless.

Tens of thousands of years later, Ting Ning and Yu Ze had already cultivated human forms. Only that third piece, lacking seniority and experience, struggled through its cultivation. It remained nothing more than an unformed, crystal-like glutinous rice ball: delicate, soft, and bouncy. When Yu Ze poked her gently, she would actually giggle a few times, though it was estimated she had not yet developed her own consciousness.

When one has too much leisure, one tends to find trouble; thus, this little creature became the darling of the Celestial Tribe, a plaything to dispel boredom.

Whenever she giggled, ripples would spread across the ten-thousand-mile springs and the Snow Lotus Empress atop the Snow Lotus Mountain would bloom. Old Man Xuan Qing of the Snow Cat Tribe heard rumors of this and, overcome with excitement, hurried over to plead for her.

“Celestial Sovereign, you know that I am well into my years yet have no daughter. If the great Snow Cat Tribe has no one to inherit the position of Female Sovereign, what will become of our future? How tragic, how tragic!” He raised his sleeve to mask his tears while secretly inching toward the crystal couch where the little embryo was bouncing.

The little embryo gave a light hop and coincidentally landed right into the wide, drooping sleeve of Xuan Qing. He immediately stopped his tears, his gaze sharpening as he cradled her in his palm, feigning astonishment. “It truly is a case of ‘what one thinks of by day, one dreams of by night.’ My days and nights of kneeling in prayer have finally paid off! Look at how this chubby little thing clings to me, unwilling to part. Perhaps the Gods took pity on me and granted us this destiny.”

As he spoke, he reached out to tease her and she laughed.

The snow lotuses of Snow Cat Mountain possessed a heat-oriented nature; they required the infusion of feminine coldness to reach their full medicinal potential. Thus, Lord Xuan Qing was desperate for a daughter to succeed him. Unfortunately, despite the vastness of the world, ever since the former lord, Xi Yuan, passed away and the Gods left him to stand alone, he had spent years worrying over every little thing, save for his own personal matters. Now, watching the Snow Cat Tribe flourish daily while the snow cats under his command remained playful and immature, he could only pine beside that most beautiful Snow Lotus Empress on the mountain peak.

“This,” Shuo Qin looked conflicted.

“It is no wonder my Snow Lotus Empress, which had been in silent cultivation for a thousand years, bloomed recently. It turns out this little one was calling to it,” Lord Xuan Qing said, putting on a show of reluctant duty. “Celestial Sovereign, you exhaust yourself caring for the three tribes; we of the Snow Cat Tribe must naturally share your burdens. Since she and I share such an affinity, I shall take her off your hands.”

“She hasn’t yet,”

“Ouch!” Lord Xuan Qing suddenly cried out in feigned shock. “This little one’s spiritual root is so weak! No wonder she looks so skinny and shriveled. She urgently needs the snow lotuses to nourish her immortal Qi. Come, come, I will take you back.”

One moment she was chubby, the next she was skinny and shriveled. When soft persuasion failed, he moved straight to a hard bargain. Everyone present fell silent, thinking that this Lord really had thick skin.

Ultimately, amidst Lord Xuan Qing’s shameless nonsense and for the sake of lasting friendship between the three tribes, Shuo Qin endured the pain of parting. However, looking at the crystal rice ball that had failed to progress in cultivation for so long, he figured that since she could make the Snow Lotus Empress bloom, the snow lotus grace might indeed have a miraculous effect on her. If she truly managed to take form, it would be a good thing.

And so, as everyone knew, Old Man Xuan Qing and Shuo Qin saw eye to eye, and the old man departed joyfully with his newly acquired daughter.

Several thousand years later, on the 3,636th day since the crystal rice ball was brought back, the snow lotuses bloomed in clusters and she finally took on a human form.

With the grace of fragrant lotuses and a life born of auspicious joy, she was named “Qing Ningwan.”