Hidden Mission Unlocked:
"Find the Crystal Flower."
Description: A flower that blooms once every hundred years in the Forgotten Realm. It holds the memory of the first dragon and the power to heal cursed souls.
Clue: "Where moonlight meets frozen flame, the crystal shall bloom."
Warning: This mission must be completed before the next lunar eclipse.
Reward: Truth, Power, and a Path to the Happy Ending.
Failure: Unknown consequences.
Do you accept?
Yunxi's heart pounded.
"The Crystal Flower… I never wrote that."
She hesitated only a moment before whispering, "Accept."
The glowing message faded.
But unknown to her, in a distant mountain under a glacier's heart, the flower stirred—for the first time in a century.
Yunxi stared at the fading system message, her mind swirling with questions. Before she could think further, a soft rustling sound stirred the air.
A paper crane—delicate and glowing faintly with golden runes—fluttered through her open window and landed gently on her palm. As soon as she touched it, the crane unfurled itself into a long scroll, its ink shimmering under the moonlight.
To the one bound by fate,
The Crystal Flower blooms where the sun never rises,
Guarded by silence and forgotten time.
Seek the Ruins of Yueliang Temple,
Hidden beneath the Glacier of Wushuang—
Where ice burns and secrets sleep.
Only one who carries both light and sorrow may enter.
Be warned: You are being watched.
— 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴
Yunxi's fingers trembled as she read the final words.
"Ruins of Yueliang Temple… Glacier of Wushuang…" She murmured.
Ice that burns. A flower that remembers. A deadline hanging in the stars.
Just then, Rou Rou knocked on the door. "Yunxi, are you alright?"
Yunxi quickly folded the scroll and hid it under her pillow. "Coming," she said, forcing a smile.
Inside, her heart knew—this wasn't just a quest.
This was a path tied to Chen's pain, her fate… and a story she no longer controlled.
The morning sun glimmered gently over the mist-veiled peaks. Yunxi was startled from her thoughts when the heavy wooden gates creaked open.
"Yunxi!" a familiar, confident voice rang out.
She turned, and there stood Jiner, poised atop a white mare, dressed in the elegant robes of the Shenang Noble Sect. A golden phoenix emblem shimmered on her shoulder—marking her as the sect's young master.
Jiner dismounted gracefully and held out a parchment.
"An invitation to the Temple of Eternal Peace. It's being reopened after decades. The royal family and all noble sects will be present."
Yunxi's eyes widened.
"Temple of Eternal Peace…
The Temple of Eternal Peace stood bathed in morning light, its freshly painted gates and silk-draped pillars welcoming nobles and cultivators from every corner of the kingdom. Soft chanting echoed within, as priests prepared for the long-awaited renovation blessing ceremony.
Yunxi stepped onto the sacred grounds beside Jiner, both cloaked in graceful robes fit for high-born sect leaders.
"It's been a long time since this temple was open to the public," Yunxi whispered.
Jiner nodded. "Legend says it was closed after a celestial omen. They say it hides something… forgotten."
As they walked through the blooming courtyard, Yunxi suddenly felt a strange shift in the air—a presence, watching.
She turned toward the ancient tree near the bell tower. A breeze stirred the blossoms, and for a split second, a figure in pale robes with a fan shimmered into sight, only to vanish like a dream.
Yunxi's eyes widened. "I… I saw someone."
Jiner followed her gaze, then let out a quiet sigh.
"That must be Cheonsa."
Yunxi spun toward her. "You know her?"
Jiner smiled faintly. "She's my cousin. Disappeared from the sect years ago. No one speaks of her now. They say she walks between shadows and light."
Yunxi's heart pounded.
Cheonsa… again. Always near, always distant.
Yunxi stared at the empty space where the figure had stood, her chest tightening.
"What cousin…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. She turned slowly to Jiner.
"Oh… so Cheonsa… you're always there… always watching, always vanishing when I turn."
She took a step toward the bell tower, her eyes scanning the falling petals. A breeze brushed past her cheek like a ghost's touch.
"Wherever I go, you're already there," Yunxi murmured, her tone laced with defiance and confusion.
She clenched her fist.
"But one day…" she whispered under her breath, voice trembling with resolve,
"one day, I will find out who you truly are."
Jiner watched silently, her eyes unreadable.
The temple bell rang in the distance—soft, ancient, echoing a fate slowly awakening.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Yunxi's eye.
A shadow slipped silently behind the prayer hall, barely visible beneath the flickering lantern light.
Yunxi stiffened. "Did you see that?"
Jiner narrowed her eyes. "I did."
Without another word, the two girls moved—swift but quiet—toward the spot. Behind a cracked statue of an old guardian deity, they discovered a narrow passage covered with creeping moss and timeworn carvings.
A faint breeze flowed from within… carrying a scent of ink and old blood.
Yunxi hesitated, her instincts screaming, but her curiosity—and the system's hidden missions—pushed her forward.
Jiner lit a small talisman and whispered a soft incantation. The flame glowed blue, casting eerie shadows on the damp walls.
"Stay behind me," Jiner whispered, slipping into the passage first.
Yunxi followed. The air grew colder as the walls narrowed. Their footsteps echoed faintly.
Deeper inside, they found symbols carved in old runes… and scattered petals, white as snow.
Suddenly—a flick of movement again.
The shadow darted around the bend. Jiner reached for her sword. "We're not alone."
They turned the corner—and there on the ground lay a folded paper crane, still fluttering.
Yunxi picked it up. Inside was a message in a flowing, ancient script:
"The crystal flower blooms beneath the veil of fire."
Yunxi's eyes widened.
The mission had just begun.
The flower didn't bloom yet, and it's hidden in between the fire.
Yunxi held the paper crane tightly, reading the words again:
"The crystal flower blooms beneath the veil of fire."
But as she looked around—there was no bloom, only ash. The walls of the secret channel were scorched, blackened by ancient flame. Embers still flickered faintly along cracks in the stone.
She stepped closer to the center of the chamber, where a strange circle was etched into the floor—half burned, half untouched.
Jiner frowned. "This isn't just a hiding spot. It's a seal."
Suddenly, Yunxi's system pinged in her mind:
Mission hint unlocked:
"The crystal flower is not a real flower. It is **a spirit locked in flame. Only one with pure intent can awaken it. Blood or warmth will reveal the path."
Yunxi's fingers trembled. She remembered something: a line she once drafted when writing the story—a forgotten piece.
"Only when fire and soul meet, the flower shall bloom."
She turned to Jiner. "This place isn't the destination. It's the beginning. I think… we have to awaken it."
Jiner looked at her sharply. "You mean—trigger the flame?"
Yunxi nodded slowly. "I'll do it."
She stepped into the circle, drew in a breath, and slowly placed her palm over the center, letting her blood drop onto the rune.
At first, nothing happened.
Then—a sudden burst of golden-red fire erupted in front of them, forming a glowing veil. Behind it, something shimmered like crystal—but not fully formed.
Yunxi stumbled back. The system whispered again:
"You are not ready. Find the missing fragment. Only then can the bloom begin."