Chapter 108: Between Life and Death Your Eyes

Madam Bai stood suspended in mid-air. The throne behind her disintegrated, and fragments of bone and skeleton ants attached themselves to her body. Some coalesced into the jagged form of a flood dragon, others joined to create a bony tail much longer than her body, and some grew from her hair, supporting or adorning her luxuriant tresses like a crown. The majority of the remaining pieces adhered to her torso and limbs, forming a suit of bone armor.

On each of her shoulders hung a crescent moon, one pure black and one pure white, which drew a line across her exquisite, bewitching face, like the division between dawn and dusk.

At this moment, Madam Bai was like a being from a myth, poised between a beautiful woman and an ancient divine beast.

"Lord of the Underworld..."

Ning Qinshui, having reassembled his soul, looked up. A mere glance was enough to make him prostrate himself in worship.

The other Underworld officials likewise bowed their heads in unison.

Madam Bai did not pursue Zhao Xiang'er to kill her. Her power was now almost complete, making their demise an effortless task. Her current concern was whether the transcendent laws of the world would suddenly descend upon her, shattering her as they had done in the past.

Therefore, she had to establish a complete divine realm as quickly as possible.

"Many years later, a little girl who crawled out of a pile of bones finally survived after consuming her own body, boiled with sand and water. She kept moving forward, gradually forgetting everything, until she arrived in a small town, eventually making her way to the city with other refugees."

"The bone girl didn't know her origin, believing herself to be an ordinary maiden. She lived like a normal person until she was fourteen, when an old Taoist priest killed her."

"Of course, the maiden chosen by the Lord of the Underworld did not die. She gradually remembered everything. For years, the city's inhabitants had shown her little kindness, yet she chose to repay malice with virtue, intending to bestow eternal life upon the entire city."

"On the eve of the Lunar New Year, five years later, the girl did not disappoint the unseen sovereign's expectations. She regained her supreme cultivation, inherited the authority of the Lord of the Underworld, and from then on, Linhe City would be hidden from the world as the new Fengdu."

"Gods live among mortals, accompanied by eternal solitude. But one day, they will awaken, bringing with them power that transcends all."

"From now on, I shall wear this crown and endure as the new embodiment."

Madam Bai's voice was like a chant, completing the last missing piece of the mythological narrative.

In the wilderness outside Linhe City, scattered spirits gathered. They converged above the divine realm of Fengdu, like fleeting reflections on water. But instead of vanishing, they truly coalesced, forming an intricately patterned caisson ceiling.

Madam Bai looked up, her voice authoritative and proud: "Underworld officials, heed my command. Each to your stations."

On the Bridge of Helplessness, all the spirits responded in unison. Like shadows shrouded by darkness and dispersing, they appeared almost simultaneously in the Hall of Yama, the Judge's Office, the Impermanence Palace, and other buildings imbued with authority. All sat upright, their faces solemn and sacred, devoid of any emotion.

Only the maiden in plain white and Shu Bai remained by the Bridge of Helplessness.

The maiden was, in essence, the future Meng Po, and this bridge was her eternal dwelling.

Shu Bai, however, seemed forgotten, unable to move or speak. He watched, wide-eyed, as the horrifying scenes unfolded. He yearned to faint, yet his consciousness became increasingly clear. Everything that occurred felt as if his senses had amplified it multiple times, making it incredibly vivid and real.

Meanwhile, Ning Changjiu swiftly departed, pulling Ning Xiaoling along. He reached Zhao Xiang'er's side and grabbed her hand. From Madam Bai's casual strike, she had sustained injuries. If the city's buildings were not currently unreal, she would have been covered in dust.

"Let's go!" Ning Changjiu said.

Zhao Xiang'er nodded, tossed her long sword to summon Jiuyu, and was about to carry them towards the edge of Fengdu to escape.

Madam Bai glanced at them indifferently and said, "Trying to leave, are we?"

She smiled disdainfully, and with a touch of her fingertip, she issued the first decree of the Fengdu divine realm: "All living beings with vital energy are forbidden from leaving the divine realm constructed by the Underworld."

As the first decree was pronounced, the three on Jiuyu immediately felt hostility.

This hostility did not emanate from a specific point but from the entire world in which they found themselves.

The desolate night seemed to instantly transform into a vast, endless sea. Even a great roc, capable of soaring through the void and traversing vast distances, would be unable to cross it.

Madam Bai did not immediately kill them. She reveled in the pleasure of wielding such authority. Her slender, snow-white fingers gently pierced the void, issuing the second decree: "Within this divine realm, all living beings and departed souls shall obey the will of the Lord of the Underworld and prostrate themselves before them."

The moment this decree was issued, Ning Xiaoling was the first to be affected.

She frantically clutched her head, trying to cover her ears to block out Madam Bai's bewitching words.

But this action was merely a futile attempt to deceive herself.

The law had been issued; whether she heard it or not was irrelevant. Ignorance was no excuse.

Within Ning Xiaoling's heart, her fighting spirit rapidly dissolved. A voice deep inside her kept telling her that the Lord of the Underworld was the master of all creation, and that she, born into this world, should naturally show respect and bow down.

"Ah..." she cried out in agony, her inner will struggling against it, but soon, the power of the decree would consume everything.

Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xiang'er were also struggling. They exchanged glances, and the same thought flashed through their minds. They spoke in unison: "Lord of the Underworld."

This address of "Lord of the Underworld" was not directed at Madam Bai, but at each other.

In their subconscious, they had just implanted the thought that the person before them was the Lord of the Underworld.

They simultaneously knelt and bowed to each other. Ning Xiaoling, mimicking their actions, also made a mental suggestion to herself and knelt before her Senior Brother, temporarily neutralizing the decree's effect.

Madam Bai paused, then smiled faintly. She understood that she hadn't explicitly defined the term "Lord of the Underworld," allowing them to find a loophole.

But what did it matter?

With another tap of her fingertip, she drafted the next command.

"Those who dare to defy the night shall suffer its thousand cuts and myriad slices."

After this command was issued, countless shadowy figures wielding swords and blades suddenly emerged from the darkness surrounding Jiuyu. They appeared without warning, their sharp weapons devoid of any glint, like executioners obeying an order.

From all directions within the encompassing darkness, the densely packed shadowy figures simultaneously brought down their swords and blades.

Zhao Xiang'er drew the red umbrella from her back, holding the ancient parasol and sweeping it open. Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling simultaneously drew their swords, their two flying swords circling around them, cutting down the shadowy figures attempting to close in.

"Get down first!" Ning Changjiu whispered.

Zhao Xiang'er assented, and Jiuyu folded its wings, diving like an arrow.

Madam Bai continued: "On the ground of the Underworld realm, executioners wielding swords and blades await those who blaspheme and fall from the night sky."

By the banks of the looping Yellow Springs, shattered skulls scattered across the ground were once again imbued with sentience. They reformed, their broken bones fusing into long, pale blades that precisely struck a spot in the night sky.

Zhao Xiang'er wanted to draw her sword and meet the attack head-on, but Ning Changjiu pressed her hand and said, "Get out of the city!"

Zhao Xiang'er disliked his tone, but the situation was critical, so she said nothing. Jiuyu turned sideways and narrowly dodged the bone blade's chop. Zhao Xiang'er said, "Later, you two must protect me with all your might. I need to focus on striking with my sword to cleave open Fengdu's domain."

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling both looked resolute and nodded in unison.

Madam Bai, seemingly unconcerned by their escape, gracefully stepped across invisible stairs in the void. Her mysterious figure, radiating a pale beauty, slowly approached the Bridge of Helplessness. She looked at Shu Bai as if he were one of her subjects, her authoritative gaze softened with a hint of tenderness.

"Do you see? This is the power of authority. You too can possess it." Madam Bai extended her translucent, slender, and pointed finger, slowly touching it to his forehead.

Shu Bai clearly heard her words, but a strong resistance surged within him. He wanted to refuse, yet he was incapable of making any superfluous movement. He could only widen his pupils, watching as her finger precisely touched his forehead.

Shu Bai didn't know what was happening to him.

If there were a mirror at that moment, he would have seen how deathly pale his face had become. More importantly, his pupils were gone, replaced by two crescent moons, one black and one white.

Then, power surged into his body like a storm. Shu Bai trembled all over, feeling a sudden torrent within him that washed away everything. Yet, he didn't perceive the pain of his organs shattering; instead, he felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Madam Bai observed his body, which was both annihilating and regenerating, and was quite pleased with her methods. She calmly announced, "From now on, you shall be the Master of this Fengdu Hall, guarding this place on my behalf and repelling all who attempt to destroy the divine realm."

Shu Bai heard her clearly but didn't understand. He opened his mouth and found he could speak: "Master of the Hall?"

Madam Bai nodded. "This city is merely one of the Underworld Halls I have created. In the future, I will build nine more cities like this. When the Ten Halls are truly complete, this magnificent divine realm will truly transcend the mortal world, even capable of competing with the legendary Hidden Realm Lord."

With his current understanding, Shu Bai naturally couldn't comprehend her words about Ten Halls or the Hidden Realm Lord. He only vaguely sensed he had touched an untouchable line.

Madam Bai merely spoke to him; she didn't expect him to understand.

She released her finger from his forehead and said, "Observe carefully. See the true power of a deity, and what fate awaits those who attempt to desecrate divine majesty."

In the night sky, Jiuyu suddenly let out a long cry. It silently flapped its wings, stirring up a furious gale, yet its body could no longer move an inch forward.

Before Jiuyu, the pale, graceful figure suddenly appeared. She extended her hand, palm facing the three individuals on Jiuyu's back, and gently pressed down.

There was almost no sound or vivid color, but an immense impact suddenly sent Jiuyu tumbling. Zhao Xiang'er immediately opened her umbrella, but it was useless against this force. The power vibrated through the umbrella's surface, numbing her hand through the handle, and she was instantly thrown high back into the air.

The distance Jiuyu had just traveled was instantly erased. They crashed heavily beside the Yellow Springs, each sustaining varying injuries. Zhao Xiang'er, due to Jiuyu and the red umbrella, absorbed a significant portion of the impact. Although she crashed heavily to the ground, she sustained no fatal injuries. Before she could steady herself, Madam Bai's figure appeared before her.

Madam Bai looked down at the maiden, who was supporting herself while gripping her sword, and praised, "What a beautiful girl. Such looks can truly make the women of this world jealous and hateful."

As she spoke, she pointed her finger again. With a soft chime, as if a command had been fulfilled, a force suddenly pushed down on Zhao Xiang'er's umbrella, making her slide backward. Behind her, Madam Bai silently appeared. Her hand, carved like jade bone, pressed onto Zhao Xiang'er's back. The maiden groaned in pain, her delicate brows knitting together instantly.

The red ribbon tying her ponytail broke, and her long hair unbound. Madam Bai seized it in her hand, and as Madam Bai's figure ascended, Zhao Xiang'er was hoisted into the air by her hair.

"I hear you're the female ruler of Zhao?" Madam Bai twisted her hand, gazing at the exquisite, doll-like face. Her finger gently stroked it as she said, "What's wrong? Weren't you so imposing when you just slaughtered the Bone Demon? How is it that you're about to become a prisoner?"

Zhao Xiang'er was in excruciating pain. She wanted to summon Jiuyu to ambush from behind, but Jiuyu had been pinned to the ground by one of Madam Bai's bone needles.

Madam Bai scrutinized the face, then lifted her hand and slapped her pale, beautiful cheek. With a sharp crack, the maiden's head snapped to the side, revealing a prominent red handprint on her left cheek. A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her delicate lips.

Ning Changjiu, who had been slammed to the ground and was barely able to move, heard the sound. It struck him like a blow to his very heart. His body trembled, and an unnamed power surged within him. Without thinking, he instinctively raised his sword, draining all his strength as if emptying a pond to catch fish, and struck out at Madam Bai.

A flicker of an unusual color passed through Madam Bai's pupils, followed by her continued contemptuous smile.

With a push and a downward motion of her palm, Ning Changjiu's heavily-charged sword attack was pulled by an irresistible force. His body lost balance, and he crashed back down, falling into a deep pit.

Madam Bai looked at him and tsked, "This young man seems quite fond of you. Well, it's understandable; a beauty like you, capable of toppling kingdoms, could even stir my heart. But you, little girl, are rather rude and unruly. Shall I perhaps discipline you on behalf of your future husband?"

Under her immense oppressive power, Zhao Xiang'er's body trembled uncontrollably. She wanted to speak but couldn't open her mouth.

In a daze, she recalled that day and night in the underground palace long ago. She had stumbled into it and had been forced to prostrate herself under the old fox's oppressive aura, her bones feeling several times heavier, her chest crushed by what felt like a massive stone, making it impossible to breathe. That agony had caused her to repeatedly fall unconscious and awaken, until her mother rescued her a day and a night later.

Now, despite possessing immense power and the sharpest of swords, that agonizing torment had returned, trampling her dignity.

Back then, her mother could take her away. Now, who could save her?

She never feared death, only regret.

Madam Bai lifted her body, admiring her exquisite curves, encased in the tight black attire, as if she were a priceless porcelain artifact. Every line and undulation of her figure seemed divinely crafted, approaching perfection.

However, the admiration in Madam Bai's eyes transformed into ruthlessness and rejection. She liked this beauty, yet she also wanted to destroy it. How could the blooming splendor of petals compare to the captivating sight of fallen blossoms scattered across the ground?

She seized her by the neck, intending to tear her clothes first, then gradually cut her.

"Let her go..."

Ning Changjiu's voice rang out again. Madam Bai glanced sideways, wondering why the young man still had the strength to confront her.

Of course, it didn't matter. How utterly powerless was this ineffective threat.

With another tap of her finger, she struck Ning Changjiu down again. She looked at the young man and said, "It seems you truly like her. But do you like her heart or merely her skin? If it's her heart, I can cut it out and give it to you. If it's her skin, I can strip it off and drape it over your junior sister. That way, you'd have double the affection..."

Madam Bai was highly pleased with her idea.

However, the young man seemed to have been knocked unconscious in the deep pit, so she wondered if he had even heard her "beautiful" suggestion.

Madam Bai suddenly felt that this scene seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't be bothered to ponder it.

She looked at the exquisitely beautiful maiden before her and lost her last shred of patience.

The world turned utterly dark.

Jiuyu, pinned to the ground by a bone spike, struggled desperately but couldn't break free, only letting out mournful cries.

Ning Xiaoling, too, had been severely injured and knocked unconscious by the previous attack. Her eyelids twitched incessantly, yet she remained unable to awaken.

Only the red moon, like an eerie eye, bore witness to all of this.

Madam Bai extended her knife-like finger, pressing it against Zhao Xiang'er's chest and gently slicing open her tight black attire.

At that moment, in the deep pit where he had crashed, Ning Changjiu, covered in blood, opened his eyes once more.

He did not look at Madam Bai but gazed instead at the first heaven-reaching pillar of mythology. He stared intently at the divine pillar, his pupils turning into an incredibly bright gold, like molten gold flowing with scorching heat.

Madam Bai sensed something amiss and frowned as she looked.

Then, that divine pillar, symbolizing mythological logic and seemingly capable of standing for millennia, began to slowly collapse.