Chapter 12
The Prophecy
Tieu Ho no longer mentions anything about the word "steal" once or twice. Along the way, she remains utterly silent and does not give Vo Phong a single glance. The atmosphere calms down; except for that Hoa Nghi guard fellow, everyone breathes a sigh of relief.
That fellow occasionally throws out a few provocative remarks, hoping to infuriate Tieu Ho to death, as if he thoroughly enjoys watching people argue. But this girl does not mind, leaving the disappointed Hoa Nghi guard with no choice but to endure this heavy silence.
The group walks for two hours and arrives at the destination. This bridge brings them to a vast hill area that fills their entire field of vision. This hilly terrain is actually the summit of a massive mountain peak, whose body lies hidden within the mists and clouds.
Although this mountain is majestic, it appears very small compared to that ancient tree below the mountainside, which is holy and majestic with the color of ice and snow. It is the heart of Heart-Dream, the oldest ancient tree in the world, and also the earliest life in the world. Luc Chau says in a low voice:
- The Eternity!
The shade of "The Eternity" covers a patch of the sky, its canopy flashing with silvery light, blocking the sunlight behind it. The trunk is so thick that it requires about a thousand people to embrace it, and it is incomparably tall. Withered gray leaves rustle, completely covering the ground beneath the tree.
The Mother is extremely similar to the kind of tree growing on the mountain of Aurora village, but it is a hundred times larger. From "The Eternity" ancient tree, those rolls of giant roots wind and spiral, intertwining around the summit.
Vo Phong stares dumbfounded at this ancient tree he always curses. The "Thunder God" spaceship, compared to this gigantic object, is just a child. But despite both embodying the word "huge," he does not feel awed like when he initially faced "Thunder God."
Standing before The Mother, this red-haired guy's soul becomes light, his feet seemingly stepping into a fairytale land. Tieu Ho and Hoa Nghi are also seeing The Mother for the first time; the two are just as excited as Vo Phong.
Around "The Eternity," many small trees grow on the azure-colored ground. On the light brown, rough trunks, countless twigs of myriad shapes extend. Hundreds of flowers bloom in competition, presenting brilliant shades of vibrant red and pink, with those faded pink flowers occasionally flickering within the canopy. Tieu Ho asks:
- Oh, Clan Chief, what kind of tree is that?
- A "peach tree." A senior from the Xich Quy Kingdom on the Eastern Land donated it to the Holy Land.
Peach blossom petals drift with the wind, captivating the soul. Tieu Ho focuses on admiring the flowers, utterly unaware of boredom. Not until the princess calls her does the young girl temporarily suppress her love for flowers and grasses to keep up with the group.
Everyone walks through that narrow little path in the middle of the peach forest; the end of the path is the main gate leading into that great tree, where two people are waiting. Luc Chau recognizes Ha Dong and his personal secretary.
Different from when he appeared at the Skyborne Palace, this messenger has changed: his clothes are perfectly neat, his hair is smooth, except that he has a slightly chubby belly—an appearance that truly suits the word "venerable." Seeing the princess, Ha Dong skips the polite greetings and says hurriedly:
- Why is everyone delayed for so long? We will see the Goddess of Prophecy right away! She is about to wake up!
Ha Dong leads everyone into "The Eternity." Inside the ancient tree, the Sacred Fairies swoop down from the walls, taking turns flapping their wings to illuminate this oval room.
Around the room, eight stone statues guarding the eight directions represent the Eight Great Guardians. The statues stand six meters tall, their vivid and lively expressions looking just like real people.
Vo Phong notices that these statues are composed of two men and two women; the exotic appearance of the other three, compared to the rest, makes them seem to belong to other races, while the final statue is a creature with a beast's head and a human's body.
This place is the most sacred temple in the world; the Aurora tribe has protected The Mother and the Holy Land for tens of thousands of years. Beside them, there are also several Sacred Envoys sent from The Sacred Abyss.
The Hoa Nghi guard fellow grows tired of the dull atmosphere and says:
- I heard the Goddess of Prophecy has been asleep for a thousand years?
Mouyn replies:
- Correct.
- After announcing the prophecy, the Goddess... goes back to sleep?
- Correct. Do you have any questions?
The Hoa Nghi guard lets out a long yawn:
- At least the Goddess needs to eat or exercise a bit. Lying in one place all the time is so boring!
- You joke regardless of the occasion. You are the Sacred Envoy's guard; I think you should respect the Goddess! - The Clan Chief's voice turns stern immediately.
The princess frowns, glaring at the Hoa Nghi guard. This guy chuckles and waves his hand, showing a look of deep self-reproach. He turns around and winks at Vo Phong, as if saying that he also shares a penchant for mocking the divine.
According to "Heart-Dream World - Basic Knowledge", the Goddess of Prophecy was born from the only flower bud of The Eternity. She used all her power to disperse the darkness enveloping the world, bringing light to all things.
Since then, the Goddess fell into an eternal slumber, only waking up when a mutation occurs in the Heart-Dream World. Vo Phong originally thought that story was completely filled with absurdity. But after stepping onto the Holy Land, he is forced to change his view. "Is there really a goddess? Is she also as beautiful as the princess?" - He asks himself.
Clan Chief Mouyn leads everyone to gather in the center of the room, then chants an incantation. The ceiling of the temple splits into two, opening a passage directly leading to the summit of "The Eternity".
The Sacred Fairies cling closely to everyone's shoulders, and countless pure wings lift them into the air, heading straight toward the treetop where the Goddess of Prophecy resides.
A group of Sacred Fairies places everyone among the dense, soft, and smooth leaves that are filled with ample sunlight. A giant flower lies quietly in the center of the canopy, with its layers of exquisitely beautiful blue and white petals tightly coiled together.
The Clan Chief slowly paces around the giant flower, muttering an incantation in a low voice. When Mouyn stops in his tracks, space suddenly freezes, sound vanishes, and the bright sunlight also suddenly dims.
Each petal quietly separates, spreading fragrance throughout the entire Holy Land; "The Eternity" is more brilliant than ever before. The Aurora tribe people and the Sacred Envoys stop their movements, all bowing their heads to show respect.
The princess and everyone kneel down. Vo Phong also kneels down, but keeps raising his head, secretly glancing this way and that, then clicks his tongue, thinking:
"Is this the Goddess of Prophecy?"
As expected, the Goddess of Prophecy does not disappoint the red-haired guy. The Goddess leans against the soft petals, her ivory-white long hair reaching all the way to her heels, her eyes slightly closed, her countenance peerlessly beautiful, revealing graceful and charming body curves beneath her thin purple clothes.
The Goddess possesses a flawless figure; any girl who sees her would probably force herself to strictly control her diet. Vo Phong admits that no woman in the world can be this beautiful, including Luc Chau. "If only that garment were a bit thinner!" - The red-haired guy rubs his chin thoughtfully.
Mouyn sits with his back to the Goddess. He chants an incantation, the blue stripes on his cheeks shining intensely. The Sacred Fairies perch behind the Clan Chief, lining up to form an iridescent silver thread that connects him and the Goddess together.
Right at this moment, the Goddess of Prophecy trembles all over and opens her bright eyes, her gaze flickering and floating like a white flame. The Goddess's lips twitch slightly, and the Clan Chief opens his mouth at the same time:
- Who is before me?
The Clan Chief's voice does not change, but he is speaking on behalf of the Goddess of Prophecy. Luc Chau says:
- Respectable Holy Mother, I am Sacred Envoy Luc Chau. I am willing to listen to the Holy Mother's guidance!
The Goddess nods slightly, continuing to speak with difficulty:
- I... will guide. Find... Ghost King, bring back to... The Sacred Abyss.
The Goddess suddenly stands up, floating in mid-air, then begins to sing in a clear voice. The melody is as elegant and smooth as her own long hair, but unfortunately... no one can understand it.
Vo Phong guesses this is an ancient language. Contrary to the ethereal singing of the Goddess of Prophecy, Clan Chief Mouyn interprets this song with the low and hoarse voice coming from his aged throat:
"The demon's soul resides within a tiny soul
Extracting the life force
The tiny soul endures pain every day
Waiting to be liberated
Beneath the peaceful desert, the deep gaze of the blue sea
Unfulfilled wish
That is the place where the betrayer was once burned alive"
Luc Chau murmurs in a low voice, memorizing every sentence and every word. The Sacred Envoy's guards behind her also bury their heads, earnestly taking notes with pen and paper.
As the song ends, the Goddess of Prophecy lowers her body with a face full of exhaustion. Elder Ha Dong hurries to urge everyone to leave. Vo Phong walks slowly, his gaze lingering on the Goddess.
He discovers that this woman, who is worshiped by the whole world, faintly exudes a melancholy that seems to have lasted for a thousand years, a sadness full of anticipation. He wants to look closer to find an answer, but he cannot—the Goddess is already asleep again, and the petals begin to close.
Returning to the temple, everyone focuses on interpreting the prophecy. Hoa Nghi is the first to complain:
- How exhausting! Why doesn't the Goddess of Prophecy specify who the Ghost King is and where he is?
Ha Dong explains gently:
- The art of prophecy is very special. To use the art, one must pull close and merge "future time" into "current time" to be able to see the events that are about to happen. Because this magic reverses natural laws, the user loses consciousness. Prophecies are based on the blurry images they can see, so they are usually very difficult to understand. There are extremely few people who are proficient in the art of prophecy, only the Goddess possesses enough power...
Hoa Nghi finds the Sacred Envoy's words verbose and interrupts, saying:
- Then why does she not give us a prophecy about the five Ghost Kings?
- Just as I said, performing the art of prophecy is not easy. The Goddess can only concentrate her energy on finding one Ghost King. Of course, this does not mean the Goddess of Prophecy's strength is weaker. In essence, the Goddess's power originates from "The Eternity", and "The Eternity" is endless, and...
- Alright, alright! Thank you! Shall we return to the main point? - Hoa Nghi waves his hand.
The respectable Sacred Envoy instantly loses interest in continuing to speak.
- The demon's soul resides within a tiny soul, does this mean the Ghost King is a child?
- It is not completely like that. We humans are too insignificant before gods or Ghost Kings, so we are often called "tiny souls". This is a very common metaphor. - The princess answers.
- Then what is "The tiny soul endures pain every day, waiting to be liberated"?
- Ancient documents record that people infected with the Ghost King endure immense physical pain. - The princess answers - Perhaps the Ghost King wants to occupy their bodies.
- Just like a patient in the late stage of a terminal illness? - Hoa Nghi nods - The princess is always so profound yet simple, making it easy to understand! Then what about the fifth sentence? "Beneath the peaceful desert, the deep gaze of the blue sea"?
Luc Chau is thoughtful. The first four sentences are already obscure and difficult to understand, and upon seeing the fifth sentence, she can only raise her hands in surrender. This is too blurry, like a thick layer of mist, unable to find a way out. The air falls into silence, until Chien Tu opens his mouth — this is the first time Vo Phong sees this guy open his mouth:
- Go to Glorysand country first, and then we will ponder and understand this fifth sentence.
- Why is it that small country again? - Hoa Nghi asks.
- Twenty years ago, a traitor Sacred Envoy was burned alive in Glorysand. - Chien Tu answers.
Some people, such as Hoa Nghi, Tieu Ho, and Vo Phong, feel very shocked by this news, because the era of burning at the stake has long passed. The rest of the people are not surprised. Sacred Envoy Ha Dong raises an eyebrow and looks at Chien Tu:
- I appreciate your insight. But showing off your knowledge everywhere is not good.
- You are the one who likes to show off. If you do not want to show off, then do not say anything. - Chien Tu answers.
The calmness on Ha Dong's face vanishes, and his respectable appearance twists slightly after the brats from the Skyborne Country cut him off—not once, but twice. The princess hurriedly bows to the messenger:
- We set off for Glorysand immediately. Please assist us more, sir!
Ha Dong nods and returns the bow perfunctorily. His expression when leaving is just like that of a person who is busy handling thousands of tangled threads of affairs, or like intentionally avoiding the curious gazes of Hoa Nghi and Tieu Ho.
At the same time, the princess constantly taps Chien Tu's shoulder lightly, admonishing him in a low voice about the rules of human relations and face, but this guy disregards it completely. Clan Chief Mouyn does not care about those complex social relations between humans. He speaks:
- Our Aurora tribe also wants to contribute a humble effort. Still remember that guide named Kh'srak? Although he cannot be counted as the strongest Aurora warrior, he is absolutely the most enthusiastic. Do you mind letting him serve as a guard?
The princess lowers her head slightly:
- That is truly fortunate! Many thanks, Clan Chief!
The discussion quickly draws to a close. The princess's group follows Clan Chief Mouyn back to the village. Each person's mind keeps circling around, searching for a way to interpret the prophetic poem.
Vo Phong has absolutely no interest in this kind of brain-racking puzzle. His thoughts drift back to the Holy Land, his heart filled with reluctance to leave. This place is as beautiful as those dreams he once had — those dreams in the garbage market that he desperately held onto in order to escape cruel reality.
The red-haired guy turns his head one last time, gazing deeply at the Holy Land. His mind seems to sink along with those drifting peach blossom petals all over the sky. This Heart-Dream world, after all, is more beautiful than he imagined.
Life is not an illusionary dream — this is a truth that everyone knows clearly in their hearts.
But everyone still chases dreams, only to be able to forget life.