Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 50

[Vol. 6] Chapter 50: This Is Our Home

The Qilin shifted slightly, drawing Violet’s attention to something hidden beneath its curled-up body.

No wonder this mystical beast had remained crouched all this time, never standing or moving from its spot in front of others.

“What’s with all the secrecy… What are you hiding?”

As she spoke, a peculiar expression crossed her face.

“Don’t tell me you’re about to pull that cliché ‘my time has come, take care of my child’ routine. Hey, hey, let’s not recycle such overused plots, okay? If you’ve got kids, raise them yourself. I’m not becoming anyone’s nanny!”

[…?]

The Qilin’s movement paused briefly before it raised its head. Though Violet couldn’t decipher the expressions of a holy beast, it was obvious the Qilin was speechless.

[Your unrestrained and unconventional nature is perhaps why someone as headstrong as the Yazi accepted you. Rest assured, Violet, Qilin is celestial beings born of the heavens and earth. We have no offspring. What I wish to entrust to you is something else entirely.]

As the holy beast spoke, it revealed the object it had been protecting.

It was… a feather.

A colorless feather, no larger than an adult’s palm, was embedded in the island’s soil like a wedge.

“Colorless” was an odd and almost incomprehensible description, yet it fit the object perfectly. The feather seemed to absorb all light around it, creating an eerie effect.

However, the feather emitted no discernible aura. It seemed to be an ordinary, unremarkable object.

But for the holy beast of the West, the Qilin, to guard it so closely, there was no way it was truly ordinary.

“So, what is this?”

The Qilin fell silent for a moment, as though contemplating how to respond.

[Violet, have you ever heard of the [Divine Catastrophe]?]

“Hm?”

The girl furrowed her brow slightly but maintained a calm demeanor.

“If you’re referring to that war from over a thousand years ago, the one whose location is unknown, then yes, I’ve heard of it. But wasn’t that supposed to be a war of the gods from the Origin Realm? How is it that even beings from the [Ancient Spirit Realm] know about this?”

[How could we not know…]

The Qilin shook its head helplessly and sighed softly.

[You think it was a war among the gods of the Origin Realm only because that’s where you hail from, and your understanding comes primarily from that perspective. Moreover, the gods of the Origin Realm were the only ones capable of uniting to resist annihilation, making them the main force in that devastating conflict.]

[In reality, many other worlds, especially those powerful beings whose homelands were ruthlessly destroyed, also participated in that war. For example, the [Ancestral Dragon] and the [Supreme Sacred Fox God] of the Ancient Spirit Realm.]

[During your time in the Ancient Spirit Realm, you’ve surely seen the omnipresent traces of demonic corruption and heard the tale of the ‘Four Saints Calming the Calamity’ from a thousand years ago. But Violet, have you ever wondered where it all came from, and why it happened exactly a thousand years ago?]

“Are you saying…?”

Instinctively, the girl cast her gaze toward the colorless feather beneath the Qilin, her expression shifting to one of astonishment.

[That’s correct. While the divine war occurred in some distant, unknown place, its effects rippled outward and reached the Ancient Spirit Realm.]

The Qilin’s voice, transmitted through its mental link, grew somber.

[The Feather of Destruction.]

The priestess froze for a moment, but the Qilin continued its explanation without pause.

[In those days, the Ancient Spirit Realm’s first and oldest [Ancestral Dragon], once the world’s guardian, fell in that war against destruction. Perhaps as retribution for daring to resist, the [Feather of Destruction] descended from the heavens, drawn by karmic ties, bringing a calamity that overturned all life.]

[That unfathomable power twisted the laws of the [Ancient Spirit Realm], giving rise to the chaotic entities known as ‘Demons,’ which existed solely to annihilate life. This chaos disrupted the once-perfect and harmonious natural cycle, causing it to collapse. Demon forces spread across the land, disasters multiplied, and the original order of this world was entirely destroyed.]

[Though we holy beasts are not as powerful as the ancient Ancestral Dragon, we too were born from the essence of this land and entrusted with its balance. As guardians of order, how could we stand by and watch our home fall into ruin?]

[Under the call of Spirit Veil Immortal Island, we chose worthy champions, granting them parts of our bloodlines and powers. Together, we fought against the chaotic calamities unleashed by the [Feather of Destruction]. In the end, we managed to seal and contain that terrifying power, locking it within an ancient binding spell.]

“I see…”

Violet’s expression turned thoughtful as her gaze returned to the colorless feather partially buried in the ground beneath the Qilin.

“No wonder I felt the laws of this world were so strange. They seem to corrupt and rewrite pure forces like a form of contamination. Could it be that this small feather was the source of all the demons and evil spirits in the [Ancient Spirit Realm]?”

The Qilin shook its head slightly.

[Demons were born from the warped laws of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. They are not directly tied to the [Feather of Destruction]. It’s like the malevolent aura of Yazi, such a force would not inherently create evil entities. However, when the environment changes, so too do the outcomes.]

[We lacked the strength to erase the destructive element entirely. To preserve countless lives, we could only settle for containment…]

After a brief silence, the holy beast formally made its request.

[Violet, I wish to entrust the [Feather of Destruction] to your care.]

[For a thousand years, Yuan Qianqiu and I have used the power of the [Seven Stars Evil-Subduing Seal] that bound Yazi to disperse its influence across 9,999 overlapping spaces and personally suppress it here on this isolated island.]

[Even so, the Feather’s power has continued to erode my being. It is a force of pure annihilation, capable of altering even the fundamental laws. I can no longer sustain the suppression.]

[But destruction is too critical to be left unchecked. A successor is necessary.]

“…Why me?” Violet asked, her expression both wary and puzzled.

The Qilin’s gaze deepened with meaning.

[Because the Supreme Sacred Fox God said only the destined one can truly resist and eliminate the [Feather of Destruction]’s influence. My duty has been to suppress it at all costs, awaiting your arrival.]

“…Hah.”

To be honest, Violet wanted to refuse.

But she understood that this matter was on an entirely different level of significance compared to freeing Yazi. The Qilin did not try to coerce her with promises of gain or threats. To be honest, it was more like a plea.

The holy beast’s current state was obvious, even without Violet needing to activate her [Information Detection] ability.

The Qilin didn’t have much time left. It wasn’t suffering from a loss of vitality or the natural end of its lifespan. Instead, it was succumbing to a direct and existential form of erasure.

Though it wouldn’t vanish from memory like the [Vast Dream], it wasn’t something that could be treated by conventional means.

This was likely the “pure annihilation” the Qilin had referred to, brought upon by the [Feather of Destruction].

If the being that fought against the gods in the past possessed similar, yet far more powerful abilities than this feather, then perhaps the mystery of how it was able to kill gods, beings that were nearly eternal and indestructible, might finally be explained.

[Violet, I can sense your strength and your indifference to material desires. Although there are some treasures left here, I doubt they would hold much meaning for you.]

[The price we paid to construct the [Seven Stars Evil-Subduing Seal] technique was too great. At this point, I can’t think of anything that could truly match the weight of this responsibility.]

[But… if you don’t mind, after my death, you may freely take my body, my skin, bones, blood, and especially my horns. They all make excellent materials…]

“…Enough.”

The young woman abruptly interrupted, halting the Qilin’s almost funereal words, its desperate attempts to convince her to accept the [Feather of Destruction].

Her silver-blue eyes shimmered with an indescribable light as they met the Qilin’s dim crimson gaze. She seemed to be searching for something, perhaps to discern whether the holy beast was merely putting on a show.

But she failed.

This beast… the Qilin… was utterly sincere.

“To go this far for this world… is it really worth it?”

[…It is worth it.]

The Qilin closed its eyes slightly, a mix of sorrow and unwavering resolve emanating from its form.

[Because the Ancient Spirit Realm is our home.]