Heaven and Earth’s Dao, Let It Be

"No need to stand on ceremony, Empress Dowager," Azure Flame said. "What do you think of me?"

"Huh? What?" The Qilin Empress Dowager was baffled.

"If I became Divine Empress to Soren Lann, what would you think?"

Lily Bai honestly wanted to slap a hand over her mouth.

But it was too late—the words were already out.

The Qilin Empress Dowager froze for a full five seconds. "Wh‑what do you mean by that?"

"I mean I like him," Azure Flame suddenly smiled. "Do you think that's allowed?"

"Ah... well..." The Qilin Empress Dowager didn’t know how to respond. "Are you joking with me?"

"No—"

"She’s definitely joking." Suddenly, Soren Lann’s voice sounded from outside.

He walked in slowly, his figure elegant—like an immortal from a painting.

His gaze landed on Lily Bai, and he bowed to her. "Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Princess."

"Why are you here, Divine Lord?" Lily Bai asked.

"Keane Shui told me you all arrived. Since my mother is here too, I thought I'd come by and check in." Soren Lann kept his eyes fixed on her.

Lily Bai felt a bit uncomfortable under his stare and avoided his eyes.

"Lan’er… just now, Azure Flame said—what’s going on?" the Empress Dowager asked.

Soren Lann looked at Azure Flame, expressionless. "Azure Flame just likes to joke around! But your seniority is much higher than ours—it's really not appropriate to joke about things like that with us juniors!"

"I'm not joking with you," Azure Flame said seriously. "After the Crown Princess investiture, I went back to Drake Abyss, and I realized I missed you every single day. I wanted to see you—so much!"

Soren Lann had grown up surrounded by countless women who adored him.

But never had any of them confessed so bluntly, right in front of everyone, like Azure Flame just did.

Soren Lann, who almost never showed his feelings, actually scowled for once, a mix of shame and annoyance on his face. "Azure Flame, as a senior, don’t you feel any shame saying something like that?"

"If you like someone, you like them. If you don’t, you don’t. What’s there to be ashamed of?" Azure Flame shot back. "Since Lucia Lu and Luna Lian both refused to be your Divine Empress, let me do it! I promise I won’t lose to either of them!"

"Enough! I’m warning you—don’t come near the Radiant Palace again!" Soren Lann stood up. "Mother, let’s go!"

The Qilin Empress Dowager was still too stunned to react before Soren Lann dragged her away.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then Adrian Drake stuck up his thumb and hollered, "Whoa! Azure Flame, you’re fierce! I’m impressed!"

"Hey! Did anyone else notice Azure Flame seems different lately?" Ryan Lu chimed in, egging the others on.

"Yeah, I think so too," Ryan Lu said. "Her expressions are way more animated—and suddenly, I realized Azure Flame is actually a total knockout! She and Divine Lord Soren look pretty good together!"

"Ryan Lu, don’t you have some kind of foresight?" Azure Flame asked. "Can you predict if I’ll succeed with him?"

Ryan Lu said, "Azure Flame, as a priest with special intuition, I guarantee you’ll succeed!"

...

Watching them joke around, Lily Bai’s brows furrowed.

Mother once said: If Azure Flame ever fell in love, she would die.

Now, she really has fallen in love...

Is there still a way to stop it?

Once love has begun, can it be taken back?

That night, when Lily Bai was alone, she contacted her mother, Bianca Whitefan.

Bianca Whitefan replied with just eight words: "Heaven and Earth’s Great Dao—let things follow their natural course."

Lily Bai’s expression turned somber.

...