The white energy continued to surround Lin Qingcheng and hid her from view from the people around her. It also prevented anyone from hearing the conversation taking place inside.
Her two disciples immediately panicked, fearing for her life. Huang Ruyan attacked the swirling energy to try and rescue her master but it didn't work and she was blown backwards. Mo Yanmi had a clearer head and sent off her emergency talisman.
The ordinary nobles were confused but the three princes and other royals were all shocked by this sight. They knew that the tear had never reacted like this to anyone. Since the discovery of the tear and the hundred years of Revelry, not once had this happened.
While everyone was still frozen and unsure of what to do, it was the old priestesses that acted first. As one, they rushed in front of the swirling white mass and fell to the ground in worship.
"The sixth priestess has been chosen by our goddess!" They cried out. "Praise Goddess Chang Xi and her divine blessing!"
"Praise Goddess Chang Xi!" Everyone responded in kind and kowtowed, fearful of offending the goddess.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingcheng didn't hear any of this as she was completely blocked off from the outside world.
"Who… are you?" She spoke up uncertainly.
"Don't worry… I won't hurt you. Hurry, tell me… where is my daughter?"
The voice belonged to a woman and it was silvery and filled with a resonant force.
"I don't know your daughter!" Lin Qingcheng replied quickly, "I swear. I don't know what you are talking about!"
"You… don't know?"
"I swear, I don't know!"
"… I've waited centuries…" The voice became sad, "Am I mistaken… perhaps… perhaps…"
It let out a shuddering sigh, as if overcome by emotion.
Lin Qingcheng felt strange sympathetic for some reason and she couldn't help but ask, "Goddess, maybe I can help you search for her? What does your daughter look like?"
"She… she…" The voice said uncertainly, "Why can't I remember… it's been so long…"
Lin Qingcheng didn't know what to say. How could she help if the goddess couldn't remember what the daughter looked like?
However, before she could ask any more questions, a massive force struck the building. The white energy disappeared as the entire place was filled with loud crashing sounds. The floor shook like an earthquake as an entire side of the room collapsed inward. She looked around and saw a certain white-haired girl floating above rubble, looking extremely displeased.
"Elder sister!" Lin Qingcheng cried and ran to Jasmine, her two disciples following close at her heels.
The rest of the congregation stared at Jasmine mutely. Her white robe fluttered in the air. Her pale spiritual energy surrounded her like a holy aura. The light of the full moon illuminated her devastating beauty for all to see. She looked like divine being that had descended from the heavens. She looked like a goddess…
"Goddess Chang Xi!"
"The goddess has finally arrived!"
"Praise Goddess Chang Xi!"
Everyone collapsed on the floor and prayed to Jasmine. Some sobbed in happiness, some trembled in excitement. Their goddess had come down from the heavens and it was the most amazing moment of their entire lives!
Lin Qingcheng ignored these crazy people and arrived in front of Jasmine, giving her a warm hug. She liked to hug every one of her fellow sisters and Jasmine wasn't excluded despite her haughty nature.
"Jasmine! What are you doing here?"
"Come on, that's enough…" Jasmine muttered and finally pushed her away. "Qingcheng, you look fine. Why did you activate your emergency talisman?"
Lin Qingcheng was confused but Mo Yanmi spoke up, "Madam, Grand Elder, I sent off the talisman. At that time, Madam was surrounded by a strange white energy and I panicked. I'm sorry!"
"What energy?"
Lin Qingcheng explained briefly what had happened, including the incoherent voice from the tear. Jasmine nodded and took stock of the situation. The Revelry attendees were still hysterically worshipping Jasmine while the white energy had disappeared.
"Well, everything seems fine. Let's take a look at this so-called Tear of Chang Xi. I want to see if it dares to harass me." Jasmine said and flew to the pillar in the center of the room.
She came to a stop above it and extended her spiritual energy to wrap around the almond sized white gem. She tried her hardest to pry it from its setting in the stone but it wouldn't budge. The tear reacted once more with white energy which moved towards her. She immediately reacted to the incursion by the foreign spiritual energy like any immortal would, with force…
Boom!
A blinding ray of moonlight erupted from her fingertip and blasted the entire stone pillar into dust.
"Nooooo!" The people around it screamed in horror. "Goddess, have mercy!"
"Jasmine, stop!" Lin Qingcheng yelled, hoping Jasmine didn't kill anyone.
The dust cleared and revealed a pile of rocks where the tall pillar once stood. The people closest were covered in white dust but everyone seemed unharmed. They all stared up at Jasmine, who now had the perfectly unharmed gem in her hand.
She held the gem only briefly before her expression turned serious. Her spiritual energy erupted once more and engulfed the everyone.
"All of you are not allowed to move and nobody is allowed to leave until I return, or else suffer my wrath!" She said.
"Yes, Goddess!"
Jasmine then grabbed Lin Qingcheng and flew out the way she came. It was only a short flight and they landed on the roof of the grand ballroom.
"Jasmine, what was that?" Lin Qingcheng complained when she was let go.
Jasmine shushed her and held out her palm with the gem in the middle. She then gathered her moonlight powers in her palm and surrounded it. Instead of being destroyed by the divine power, the gem seemed to vibrate, as if excited. The white energy soon emerged once more and wrapped around both of them and this time, Jasmine didn't fight back.
"My dear, I have finally found you!" The voice was much more energetic than before. "Masked girl, thank you for finding her!"
Jasmine frowned, "I don't know who you are. Why are you in this gem and why are you able to absorb my power?"
The gem didn't answer for a while so Jasmine looked at Lin Qingcheng questioningly.
"Jasmine, I only spoke to the voice briefly and she was looking for her daughter." Lin Qingcheng said.
"Daughter, what daughter?" Jasmine asked.
A delightful laugh came from the gem. "You are. You are my daughter!"