Morning light filtered through the Crystal Prism, casting delicate Light Spots on the Nursery floor. Luna, wearing little socks embroidered with the Thorn and Six-Winged Griffin Emblem, suddenly grabbed Aelia's cascading silver hair.
The strands of Hair floated gently, gradually losing their color—an indication of the Lady of the Fortress's waning magic.
"Yi Ya!" Luna struck the Elemental Compass with her gold-trimmed Crystal Pacifier, and six beams of golden light suddenly wrapped around Aelia's ring finger.
The melted Wedding Ring, in its Crown form, Zhen Chan, unexpectedly bloomed a cluster of Ice Crystal Roses from its band.
Aelia stared in astonishment at the flowers blooming between her fingers, as Leonard's arguments from last night in the Judgment Bell seemed to fade into the distance.
Seizing the moment, Luna leaped into her embrace, the unique scent of a baby mingling with the cedar aroma carried by the reincarnated Great Mage, dispersing much of the lingering gloom.
"Madam, the Rainbow Iris in the Magical Garden has bloomed." Qin Si entered with a bowl of medicinal soup, and the Thorn Magic Pattern on her Ear flickered in sync with the starry embroidered shoes on the curtains.
This usually composed Maid moved to place a crystal vial into a Picnic Basket with an urgency that was unusual for her, the silver clasp of the basket clicking softly three times.
Suddenly, Luna blew a bubble toward the corner of the room.
The iridescent film enveloped a mechanical nightingale that her elder brother had just finished making. The Amethyst on its chest reflected chains swaying deep within Geomancy—those seals shattered by ancient powers last night were seeping out black mist.
"Does Xiao Luna want to be a flower messenger?" Second Brother cast an improved Suspension Spell on the stroller's handle. The Wheelchair, entwined with Golden Incantation, deftly avoided Brother San's Fire Dragon tail.
In the berry basket hanging from the Summoned Beast's horn, several blueberries suddenly burst into miniature fireworks, spelling out "Peace" in Ancient Demon Script before Luna's eyes.
As Aelia tied a sunshade cloak adorned with Moonlight Shells around her daughter, the Ice Crystal Rose on her Wedding Ring suddenly unfurled its leaves, wrapping around her Wrist to form a Guardian Bracelet.
The First Generation Fortress Lord Statue in the Nursery's porch stirred slightly; a stone Scepter lost half a Spider Web from its tip, which Lucius promptly picked up and tucked into Luna's Comfort Doll.
"Mother..." The usually reticent elder brother halted the floating stroller about to depart, his incomplete right hand tracing a three-dimensional Symbol Array in the air.
Twenty-Eight Stars reformed three times between his Pale fingers, ultimately condensing into a Thorned Crown the size of a Jade Pendant. "The geomancy magic essence is unusually active today."
Brother San's Fire Dragon suddenly unleashed a warning fireball towards the Judicial Tower, scorching the Tracking Talisman Paper that Second Brother had secretly tucked into Luna's Swaddling.
Qin Si discreetly divided the spare Magic Potion into the pockets of the three young masters, while the Silver Cutlery in the Picnic Basket suddenly stood upright, pointing towards the northwest.
Luna kicked her legs and laughed in her Mother's embrace, her chubby little hands grasping at the floating magical Dandelion.
The glowing pom-poms transformed into a sky full of Xing Zi as they brushed against Aelia's silver hair, filling the dull Xing Xu between her strands.
When Zhong Ming from the Thirteenth arrived at the castle's West Side, the Celestial Chart in the Nursery Dome abruptly flipped, signaling that Scorpio had reached its zenith seven hours early.
"It's time to set off." Aelia kissed her daughter's forehead, which carried the Milk Fragrance, and the Ice Crystal Vines on her Wedding Ring instantly spread across the entire Picnic Basket.
As Qin Si stepped forward to straighten the collar that Luna had wrinkled, his fingertip lingered on the Thorn Pattern Embroidery for two extra seconds—where the flowing Silver Thread should have been, it was now frozen like a Thorn's prick.
The moment Qin Si's fingertip touched the frozen Silver Thread of Aelia's Neck Pearl Necklace, a cold mist suddenly seeped out.
The tiny ice crystals climbed along the Thorn Pattern, re-coating the solidified Silver Thread with a flowing luster.
The Maid lowered her gaze to hide her underlying worries and, while adjusting the Blue Sapphire Brooch, quietly slipped three Protective Talismans into the folds of her lady's Peacock Blue Shawl.
"Madam, the Flying Carpet is waiting at the Stargazing Platform." Lucius entered holding Luna's Luna's Bottle Warmer, his collar's Gorse Button reflecting the unusual celestial movements outside.
The twelve-layer picnic box floating behind him suddenly tilted, causing the topmost Cherry Pie to slide towards Luna's waving little hands—but just as it was about to fall, it was securely caught by the tendrils of an Ice Crystal Rose.
As Aelia stepped onto the Gilded Flying Carpet with her daughter, Luna unexpectedly poked at the edge of the Flying Carpet's Defensive Formation with her jam-covered finger.
The originally dull Magic Pattern suddenly shimmered with Rainbow Light, enveloping everyone within seven layers of Diamond Barrier.
The Spell Chain on the wheelchair armrest resonated with the barrier, weaving a light like Phoenix Tail Feathers behind the Flying Carpet.
"The Earth Vein Tide is seven and a half minutes early," the Eldest Brother suddenly spoke, his incomplete right hand pressing down on the Star Chart at the center of the Flying Carpet.
The Projection of the Twenty-Eight Constellations spun within the dome of the barrier, with Scorpio's poisonous stinger aimed at the swirling black mist of the Judicial Tower.
Brother San's Fire Dragon anxiously spewed sparks, incinerating the Liu Su on the right side of the Flying Carpet into a grayish-purple ash.
As the Rainbow Barrier of the Magical Garden came into view, Luna suddenly stood up, gripping Ailya's silver hair.
The Suspension Spell on the baby stroller's armrest automatically intensified, protecting the swaying Little One within a Spherical Shield.
At the garden entrance, Leonard's Night Owl Emblem on his cloak resonated with his Moonlight Cloak, casting entangled shadows onto the stone path.
"Father actually brought that Alchemist." Lucius clenched the Comfort Doll containing fragments of Spider Web, as magic seeped from his fingertips, causing the doll's eyes to suddenly turn Blood Red.
Leonard's Concubine leaned against him, her Amethyst Rose in her hair facing off against Aelia's Ice Crystal Rose from across the space between them, tearing an invisible Magic Vortex between them.
Suddenly, Luna let out a loud Lactation Burp.
The Golden Pacifier fell onto the Flying Carpet and bounced three times, each collision shattering the rubble at Leonard's Concubine's feet—those stones forming a Curse Symbol Array disintegrated into Powder before it could fully take shape.
Aelia's Ice Crystal Vines suddenly surged from her wrist, retrieving her daughter's fallen Crystal Shoe while simultaneously dispersing Leonard's prepared Silencing Spell.
"So this is what a Prodigy who can foresee Destiny looks like?" Leonard's Concubine chuckled softly as she stroked her Pregnant Belly, her Ailya's White Nails embedded with a Magic Core gliding through the air among floating Rainbow Irises.
The severed petals suddenly transformed into Poison Moths but were incinerated into Ashes in an instant as they lunged toward Luna, burned by the starlight emitted from Second Brother's wheelchair.
Leonard frowned as he looked at the Eldest Son reassembling the Astrolabe; the Thunderbolt Incantation condensing at the tip of his Scepter was gently dispersed by his brother's pale fingertip.
Lucius suddenly raised the doll embedded with Spider Web. "Look at my new magic!" The boy tossed the fragment of the First Generation Fortress Master Spider Web he had found last night into the air, and dark purple Magic Silk Thread instantly wove into a starry net that enveloped half the garden.
Brother San's Fire Dragon excitedly spewed flames, scorching the Spider Web into flickering Xing Xu rain, eliciting gasps of amazement from the surrounding elven maidens.
"Third Young Master Lucius's restoration of ancient magic rivals that of a Mage!" the Head Gardener exclaimed, holding a Record Crystal in awe.
The rose scissors hanging from his waist suddenly flew toward Luna, but as they approached the Ice Crystal Rose, they bloomed into a cluster of Moonlight Flowers.
At the moment Aelia leaned down to kiss her daughter's head, the vines on her Wedding Ring suddenly pierced the ground—those black mists wandering along Geomancy let out a piercing screech upon touching the ice crystal.
Luna laughed as she caught the falling Xing Xu, her infant's pure Magic Field dyeing some of them light gold.
As these mutated Xing Xu floated toward Leonard's Concubine's Amethyst Rose, that eerie flower suddenly closed its petals and exploded with tiny Electric Arcs near the woman's ear.
Leonard immediately raised a protective shield but failed to notice a speck of gold dust clinging to the Contract Gem embedded in his Scepter.
When celebratory Magic Fireworks burst overhead, Luna suddenly pointed toward the Judicial Tower and shouted, "Yi Ya!"
Aelia followed her daughter's finger and caught sight of Leonard's Concubine slipping a metallic object to a Gardening Fairy under the cover of fireworks.
The Lady of the Fortress's wrist, adorned with Ice Crystal Vines, unexpectedly bloomed a second Black Rose, its petal edges with Ice Spikes precisely severing the Teleportation Scroll hanging from the elf's waist.
As remnants of fireworks drifted down onto Leonard's shoulder, Leonard's Concubine caressed her pregnant belly and offered Luna a sympathetic smile.
Unbeknownst to her, an Ice Crystal Petal had appeared among her Amethyst Rose, refracting a blood-colored cold light under the moonlight.
The Night Owls swooping past the Judicial Tower suddenly turned en masse, diving toward the Nursery Dome where Scorpio and Star Map were flipping over.
Leonard's Concubine traced her fingertip over the surface of her pregnant belly adorned with Dark Purple Magic Patterns. The heel of her shoe, inlaid with black Obsidian, crushed the last Xing Xu. "Poor little thing, even Father can’t be bothered to grant you a Blessing spell?" Two maidens behind her wearing silver-threaded veils immediately snickered. One intentionally knocked over a Cursed Crystal Bowl filled with Cursed Berries, causing Dark Red Blue Blood Fern Juice to snake beneath Luna's Moonlight Cloak in a serpentine pattern.
Aelia's Ice Crystal Rose suddenly erupted with spikes, and the silver hair of the Lady of the Fortress fell gracefully, moving as if stirred by an unseen wind. The tips of her hair glimmered with an ice blue light.
On the nursery floor, faded light spots gathered beneath her feet, forming a thorned crown, while the edges of the gilded flying carpet emitted a defensive formation that resonated like a long melody.
"Mind your identity," Aelia's voice wrapped around the chill of the Extreme North Land. Ice Crystal Vines spread from her skirt throughout the Magical Garden's Rainbow Barrier.
The previously drooping iris suddenly straightened its stem, and all the buds facing Leonard's Concubine closed in unison.
Luna reached out to grasp the sparks floating in the air; those crimson fragments splattered from the Fire Dragon's horns coalesced into a miniature sun in her palm.
The infant stuffed a glowing orb into its mouth, chewing it with a crunch, while golden-red light spilled from its lips, illuminating the gradually emerging ice cracks on Leonard's staff.
"Oh dear, even the Elemental Sprite despises this little brat." Leonard's Concubine's maid covered her mouth with a fan embedded with enchanted feathers, and the bells hanging from its ribs suddenly screeched in unison.
The ground of the Magical Garden erupted with hundreds of curse bubbles, each reflecting Luna’s growth without her father by her side.
The spell chain on Second Brother's wheelchair armrest suddenly snapped, and golden runes rained down upon the curse array like a storm.
Eldest Brother's mangled right hand traced an incomplete star trail in the air, while the projection of twenty-eight stars sealed the maids' derisive laughter within an amber barrier.
Brother San's Fire Dragon angrily whipped its tail, shattering three bubbles, but the exploding toxic mist was incinerated into clear smoke by the solar embers Luna exhaled.
"Enough!" Leonard’s scepter struck heavily against the ground, and a giant hand formed from sharp black mist lunged toward the flying carpet.
Aelia’s wedding ring was instantly overrun by ice crystal vines, and the black magic shockwave generated from their collision overturned three gardening fairies' carts.
Colorful magic berries rolled across the ground and automatically arranged themselves into a guardian array under Luna’s gaze.
Leonard's Concubine stumbled back while holding her pregnant belly; a transparent little snake emerged from an amethyst rose. "I hope this child doesn’t take after her mother, who couldn’t even..." Before she could finish her sentence, Aelia’s hair transformed into an ice blade that shattered upon contact with the amethyst rose, struck down by Leonard’s thunderbolt incantation.
Luna suddenly slapped the floating barrier with her jam-covered hand, and the sticky marks automatically expanded into the Ancient Prophecy on the Light Barrier.
As the last strawberry imprint transformed into the Burning Phoenix Totem, the Contract Gem atop Leonard's Staff suddenly shattered—within the emerald embedded with the Family Crest, a dark purple Magic Pattern emerged, identical to that on Leonard's Concubine's Pregnant Belly.
The vines of the Ice Crystal Rose suddenly pierced Aelia's wrist, and the Lady of the Fortress's light gray pupil turned ice blue.
The entire Magical Garden's Rainbow Iris grew wildly, intertwining above everyone's heads to form a massive Judgment Scale.
Seizing the opportunity, Lucius stuffed a Spider Web doll into Luna's swaddling. The remnants of Xing Xu on the boy's fingertip unexpectedly revealed the Demon Totem sealed by the First Generation Fortress Master upon touching the baby's skin.
"Father, your Contract Gem is bleeding," his elder brother suddenly whispered, pointing at the Scepter.
What seeped from the Emerald Rift was not Blood Pearl but rather a liquid Magic Core wrapped in black mist.
The Fire Dragon suddenly whimpered and curled up at Brother San's feet; from its tail's flame emerged Leonard's Last Night, when Leonard swore at the Taboo altar twenty years ago.
An Amethyst Rose from Leonard's Concubine's hair suddenly fell, blooming into a thorny bush covered in spikes upon hitting the ground.
Aelia’s Awareness lifted Luna high, but Ice Crystal Vines rushed ahead to wrap around the baby's ankles—those sharp Ice Spikes transformed into soft petals upon touching Luna’s skin, gently cradling her as she landed steadily in the center of the reactivated Defensive Formation.
Cracks at the top of Leonard's Staff began to ooze threads of gold, creating a strange resonance with the pollen from his sleeve’s Ice Crystal Rose.
As the Judicial Tower’s sharp black misty hand withdrew, it inadvertently left behind three pieces of debris tainted with Xing Xu in Luna’s Picnic Basket.
When the Concubine Maid bent down to pick up the broken Amethyst Rose, no one noticed a single Ice Crystal Petal quietly merging into her rounded Pregnant Belly’s Magic Pattern.
Comment 0 Comment Count