More commoners surged in from the back of the crowd.
Some carried clay pots, some held wooden basins, others clutched wooden buckets—every kind of container imaginable was represented.
They desperately threw water to put out the fire.
As the water hit the flames, thick plumes of white smoke billowed upward.
The burly man watched helplessly as the fire was suppressed, the expression on his face shifting from rage to sheer malice.
Then, that malice twisted into something bordering on madness.
He snatched a torch from someone beside him and hurled it viciously at the commoners trying to put out the fire.
“You want to save them? Then burn together with them!”
At the exact moment the torch left his hand...
A clear, resonant phoenix cry suddenly echoed from the heavens.
Before anyone could react...
Time froze, and even the wind ground to a halt.
The torch was suspended in midair, its flames frozen into a static shape like flowers preserved in amber.
Splashed water droplets hung suspended in the air, reflecting the firelight and glittering like countless tiny stars.
Everyone slowly realized a terrifying truth.
Their minds were perfectly conscious.
They could see.
They could hear.
But their bodies were pinned firmly in place.
After upgrading the Mirror of Retrospection Set, the skill of its robe piece, the Trace-Light Robe, could freeze time for a brief three minutes.
Yun Shu did not dare to waste a single second, her fingers flying at lightning speed as she switched back to the perfect outfit she had pre-coordinated.
The Floating Dream Set paired exceptionally well with most other outfit pieces, and their item slots did not conflict with each other.
Regardless, she utilized everything she possibly could.
She had even spent 60,000 Shock Value to upgrade the Peerless National Beauty Set to Level 2, allowing the phoenix manifestation summoned by its hair accessory piece, Phoenix with a Flower Branch, to become a physical entity.
With everything prepared, it was naturally time to harvest some Shock Value.
A moment later, the frozen crowd below saw a beam of white light descend from the heavens.
It was a silk ribbon, pure white as snow, with a texture like silk or satin that shimmered with a jade-like luster.
It cascaded down from the sky, looking as if someone had draped a snowy waterfall from the clouds.
The silk ribbon unfurled effortlessly in the air like a living creature, sweeping into the courtyard with incredible speed.
It wrapped around the elderly man who was about to be struck by the torch, a physician whose robes were on the verge of catching fire, and a woman who had fallen to the ground with flames already licking at the hem of her skirt.
With a smooth, seamless motion, the ribbon carried them to safety and quickly withdrew.
Watching this unfold, everyone was filled with absolute shock.
The other end of the silk ribbon reached high up into the heavens.
The crowd wanted to look up, but they could not move their heads.
They could only strain to roll their eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the approaching golden light in their peripheral vision.
“What is that?”
Before they could make sense of it, another phoenix cry rang out.
This time, it was closer, louder, and clearer.
Accompanied by the cry was the roaring rush of wings beating the air, along with a faint, ethereal fragrance as countless flower petals drifted gracefully down from above.
Then, they watched in a daze as a phoenix swooped down from the clouds.
The phoenix was pure crimson-gold, carrying a flower branch in its beak, its long tail feathers trailing behind as it scattered pure light and petals across the sky.
And upon its back stood a figure.
With robes white as snow, hair cascading like a waterfall, her celestial grace was peerless.
The color of her floor-sweeping gown appeared white from afar, but up close, it was an extremely pale green. Exquisite cloud patterns were embroidered on the hem, shifting with the folds of the fabric like mist churning beneath her feet. A white silk sash was tied around her slender waist, adorned with several translucent white jade beads that jingled with a crisp, melodious ring.
【Lu Sui Shock Value +100】
【A'rui Shock Value +100】
【Zhang San Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 287,100】
Looking at the "appearance fees" gathered on her system panel, Yun Shu felt highly satisfied, and she promptly retrieved Trailing Flowing Clouds.
Previously, she had only treated it as a flight tool.
Later, inspired by Nezha's Red Armillary Sash, she had tried using it to bind things, and to her surprise, it actually worked.
However, it required high mechanical skill to operate; it was easy to miss, making it rather difficult to control the direction.
A moment later...
The phoenix hovered in the air above the courtyard.
The Divine Lady stood atop the phoenix, looking down upon all living beings.
The time freeze dissolved, yet the crowd still dared not move, barely even daring to breathe.
As her gaze swept over the fire, the Divine Lady's brow furrowed imperceptibly, and she spoke in a calm voice, “Where is the Rain Master?”
As soon as her words fell...
A beam of azure light swept across the sky.
The light traveled with incredible speed, transforming into a soft, aqua-blue glow as it landed in the courtyard.
Within the glow, a figure slowly materialized.
It was a middle-aged man clad in a slate-gray, wide-sleeved robe. He had a lean face and a long beard gracing his chin.
Paying no mind to the mortals around him, he bowed deeply to the Divine Lady in the sky, his eyes filled with profound reverence.
“This humble immortal is the Rain Master of this domain. I wonder for what matter the Divine Lady has summoned me?”
The Divine Lady's voice was as indifferent as if she were ordering a trivial chore. “Call down rain immediately to extinguish the fire.”
The Rain Master fell silent for a couple of breaths, looking up at the sky as if sensing something imperceptible to mortals.
After a moment...
He spoke, his tone carrying a hint of hesitation.
“Divine Lady, it is not that I am unwilling to bring rain, but there is no rain destined for this place today. To force rain would be defying heaven and violating the laws of the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao will surely hand down punishment...”
“Simply bring the rain.”
The Divine Lady lowered her gaze, looking down at her believers trapped in the raging fire. “If the Heavenly Dao punishes, I shall bear it alone.”
She spoke as casually as the drifting wind.
Yet to the ears of her believers, those words were like a clap of thunder exploding in their chests.
Lu Sui forced himself up from the ground and cried out with all his might, “Divine Lady, you must not!”
The physicians behind him snapped out of their shock as well.
“Divine Lady!”
A white-haired old physician prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling. “We are but mere mortals, our lives are of no consequence! You absolutely must not defy heaven for our sake!”
The young female physician named A'rui had tears and soot smeared across her face, looking incredibly disheveled.
She choked out, “Divine Lady, coming to Yecheng was our own choice. Being trapped in this fire is our own destiny. We beg you to rescind your command!”
Standing to the side, the Rain Master joined in the persuasion. “When the Heavenly Dao hands down punishment, it often results in the scattering of one's soul. Since these mortals have already accepted their fate, why must you risk yourself?”
“During ancient times, when demons and monsters roamed the earth, I slew them under my master's orders. Which of those times was not far more perilous than a mere heavenly punishment?”
The Divine Lady's silver hair fluttered gently in the wind, her plain silk shawl brushing over her shoulders. “When have I ever been afraid?”
These words were both her script and what she told herself—even back when she worked undercover in narcotics, she had never known fear.
It was no different now. Since she had chosen to create a new world for the people of this realm, she would take full responsibility for the believers who followed her.
If the Great God dared to secretly sabotage her, she would do everything in her power to drag him down.
“Bring the rain,” Yun Shu commanded.
By the time Shen Yu and the others arrived, they happened to hear these exact words.
They froze on the spot.
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