Chapter 129: Successful Counter-Homology Invasion

Perhaps Sangsang’s disguise was too perfect; even Sena, fearing she had truly been bewitched by the Saintess of the Hundred Flowers, had warned her privately several times.

Every time Sena questioned her, Sangsang would speak well of the Saintess. However, she would later paint a piece titled "Drunken Hibiscus" and gift it to him. In the painting, time seemed to flow; the colors of the flowers changed from morning to night, and their attributes shifted accordingly. Amidst the hibiscus leaves, one could see a mantis stalking a cicada, with an oriole lurking behind. Though it was not an explicit explanation, Sena felt reassured, though the look he gave Sangsang thereafter was nearly identical to the one he reserved for the Heavenly Emperor.

Sangsang had no time to concern herself with the evolution of Sena’s thoughts. She was extremely busy. While her external disguise was simple enough, stealing the laws was not going smoothly. Perfect soul synchronization was difficult to detect, but if someone were specifically watching her, observing the fluctuations of her aura, the momentary ripples caused by her actions could easily be exposed.

The Saintess of the Hundred Flowers was not without precautions regarding Sena. In the few days they had been at the Palace of Hundred Flowers, both she and Sena were shadowed by a hidden expert, someone with a cultivation level of at least the Origin Grade.

Sena had not noticed them, and Little Gold only knew that the Saintess had hired an appraisal master, though it could not detect exactly where they were hiding. That Sangsang could detect them was entirely thanks to the Chronos Disk gifted to her by the Heavenly Emperor.

The Chronos Disk could freeze time and space. The foundation of this function was its ability to detect the intensity of nearby energy sources and, based on the magnetic fluctuations of those sources, determine whether the target carried murderous intent or posed a threat to its master. If the threat level exceeded a warning threshold, it would not only sound an alarm but also automatically absorb the master’s power to immobilize the target. It was this autonomous defensive capability that had earned it a place in Bishop Anthony’s collection.

The Chronos Disk had no spirit, so it could be used without complete refining. A simple soul-wave attunement was sufficient for ownership, much like an optical computer or a firearm; one only needed to know the operation method to use it.

The fifty time-slots arranged in a circle around the device were ordered from highest to lowest intensity based on the detected energy sources. Heaven Grade was blue, Star Grade was green, Void Grade was yellow, Profound Grade was orange, Origin Grade was red, and Universe Grade was purple—the deeper the color, the higher the rank. By projecting her consciousness into the disk, Sangsang could discern the exact location, basic attributes, and whether the energy source was active or passive. If the target was currently casting a skill toward the host, the time-slot would glow; if the skill was detected to be aggressive, the automatic defense would engage.

Sangsang kept the Chronos Disk within her sea of consciousness, and the levels of those around her were no longer secrets. The Saintess of the Hundred Flowers, rumored to be at the late stage of the Profound Grade, was revealed by the disk to be only at the late stage of the initial phase. However, she carried an Origin-grade magical artifact, and in her abdomen were two energy sources: one, an Origin-grade late-stage source, likely belonging to the Son of Void, and the other, a white source with a faint blue hue, belonging to the child.

Behind the Saintess were a cluster of yellow and orange dots, with a few red ones as well. Two of the red dots had been following them ever since they entered the Palace of Hundred Flowers. When they separated to return to the guest quarters, the dots followed as well. After she and Sena parted, the lighter of the two red dots followed Sena, while the deeper one followed her into her room, even trailing her into the bedroom.

Sangsang was thankful she did not have the habit of bathing, changing, or sleeping in public. She took out her portable study pod and spent the time alternating between meditation and catching up on her cultural studies. It was not until the fourth day that the red dot following her finally vanished. The one following Sena remained, though it would retreat whenever he was with the Saintess. During those moments, there wasn’t even a Heaven-grade individual nearby, finally giving Sangsang the opportunity she needed.

The other half of her divine soul, which had been hiding in the depths of her consciousness, slowly began to emerge.

When pouring juice, Sangsang half-deliberately and half-accidentally spilled it all over the Saintess of the Hundred Flowers. She nudged Sena, urging him to go help. The clumsy matchmaking attempt left both adults feeling awkward, and Sena’s proximity caused the Saintess’s aura to fluctuate unsteadily.

This was it.

Sangsang pretended to trip behind the Saintess, stumbling and pushing the Saintess into Sena’s arms. At the moment of contact, she withdrew her divine soul's self-awareness and wove it into the Profound power leaking from the Saintess. When the Saintess calmed her heart and retracted her power, Sangsang was pulled into her sea of consciousness along with it, silently diving deep toward the primal star core.

Deep within the sea of Profound power lay a beautiful flower, its form constantly shifting into shapes Sangsang had never even seen before. She restrained herself from causing any ripples in the flowing power, silently clinging to a petal and copying every law she came into contact with. She did not seek to comprehend them yet; her only goal was to secure them first.

Time passed quickly; in the blink of an eye, nearly half a month had gone by.

Late at night, the Palace of Hundred Flowers was illuminated by its one large and two small moons, casting a purple radiance that lent the sea of flowers a mysterious, enchanting air.

The Saintess of the Hundred Flowers was at her vanity. "What is Sang Hongye doing?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, Lady Sang has just finished watching a personal performance tutorial and is now painting in the studio. One of her logistics team members died unexpectedly, and she needs a resurrection portrait."

"How pitiful, to be unable to protect one’s own people. Weakness is the trait of a cub. Go to my incense vault, take a plate of Soul-Returning Incense, and send it to her. Oh, and include a jar of body-sculpting balm. It’s a pity to waste such high-grade items on someone not even at the Star Grade, but who can say I don't have a kind heart?" The Saintess curled her lips.

The attendant bowed his head humbly, hiding his disdain. She herself was a seated Saintess who had abandoned her own chief assistant and knight of many years to serve as scapegoats, yet she had the audacity to criticize others for failing to protect the weak.

"Go. And while you're at it, invite Sena to see me."

The Saintess waved her hand. Once the attendant left, she paced the room, changed into a dress she had worn as a young girl, and lit a piece of incense. Sensing someone approaching, she walked to the window, leaning against the floral woodwork to gaze out at the sea of flowers.

When Sena arrived, he could not help but raise an eyebrow at the scene.

The woman wore a look of sorrow, her eyes shimmering with tears, a sight that would usually evoke pity. However, the goose-yellow dress was meant for an innocent young girl; on someone whose every glance and gesture dripped with seductive charm, it looked rather strange.

The Saintess turned back, a smile of surprise blooming on her face: "Sena."

Sena lowered his head slightly and asked, "Bai Xing, is there something you need?"

The Saintess frowned slightly. The joy on her face faded bit by bit, and the sorrow in her eyes deepened: "Sena, are you still unwilling to help me?"

Sena shook his head: "You have the protection of the Son of Void now; why would you need my help?"

The Saintess walked toward Sena. She did not walk with flowers springing in her wake, but her steps were as light and ethereal as drifting clouds, graceful and alluring. She stood before him, one hand lightly brushing her chest. She tilted her head slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation and longing: "Sena, I do not believe that someone as clever as you cannot see my true situation. If the Son of Void truly wished to protect me, he would grant me a grand wedding, rather than keeping me locked away in this Palace of Hundred Flowers with nothing."