Chapter 169: Nine Deaths, Soul's Return to the Southern Wilderness

Jiuying's snake head was deeply embedded in the giant python's flesh, its jagged mouth dripping with blood.

Lu Jiajia, dragging her sword's shadow, leaped high into the air. As sword light flickered in Jiuying's pupils, she was already soaring above. When her sword, Minglan, descended, countless golden threads lit up on it, hissing like electrical wires wrapped around steel.

This was the power of the Golden Crow infused into the sword.

The sword fell from the sky with clean precision, like a guillotine blade descending.

This time, the sword resonated closely with the Golden Crow, unleashing an endless torrent of sharp sword qi. The contempt in Jiuying's eyes quickly turned to terror.

Jiuying released its grip on the Xiu Snake, twisting its head upwards and charging towards the white-clad woman who was descending with her sword.

Amidst explosive cracks like lightning striking colossal trees, Lu Jiajia instantly severed one of Jiuying's heads.

Necrotic energy gushed out like blood.

Lu Jiajia descended, abruptly stopping in mid-air. With a sudden shift, she dodged another giant head's attack and landed back on the Xiu Snake's back.

Ning Changjiu's hand, gripping the golden reins, trembled slightly. A deep red line of blood had already been etched into his fingertips.

After delivering that strike, Lu Jiajia's injuries worsened, yet her heart surged like an ocean tide, her body still brimming with unspent sword qi.

Before Ning Changjiu could speak, as another head attacked, Lu Jiajia raised her sword again. Though not as powerful as the first strike, this one still severed that head's spinal cord. Its head drooped limply, its eyes filling with overflowing necrotic energy.

Meanwhile, Ning Changjiu, controlling the Xiu Snake, tightened his grip on Jiuying's body even more. Jiuying's giant heads, thrashing like thunder, struck the Xiu Snake like whips. One head even directly slammed into the Xiu Snake's chest and abdomen after it raised its head, creating a bleeding wound on its already scarred body.

The Xiu Snake also swung its head, disregarding its injuries. Its massive conical head directly struck Jiuying's central head. After knocking it off balance, it launched a side attack, biting its neck and pinning it to the ground.

Jiuying's central head issued a command, and the remaining unsevered heads all attacked Ning Changjiu's position.

Amidst the thudding impacts, Lu Jiajia conjured several sword domains, intercepting Jiuying's assaults for Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu, one hand pulling the golden reins and the other pressing on the black snake's back, gritted his teeth, controlling the Xiu Snake, intending to bite off Jiuying's neck in one swift motion.

Lu Jiajia's sword qi was not yet spent. Before another giant head could descend to bite Ning Changjiu, she unleashed her remaining sword qi, severing its neck with a single strike from dozens of yards away.

The light in the serpent's eyes faded. Upon hitting the ground, its flesh turned to ash, becoming stark white bone once more.

Jiuying let out painful roars. Its frantic words were indistinguishable as it blindly charged into the Xiu Snake.

After that sword strike, the wound on Lu Jiajia's back tore even wider. Her white robe was now blood-soaked, and the blue veins on her snow-white arms became starkly visible, making her look like fragile porcelain.

Her throat moved slightly, a mouthful of blood rising, but she pressed her lips together and swallowed it back down.

She knew that if she fell now, both she and Ning Changjiu would surely die.

Lu Jiajia forcefully elevated her spiritual essence, vital energy, and spirit to their peak.

Jiuying had now lost three heads. These three hung limply to the ground, slowly regenerating.

The remaining giant heads now regarded Lu Jiajia with more fear. Already disunited, they subtly recoiled from the sword's sharpness. However, they also understood that if Jiuying's central head were killed, they would become mere livestock awaiting slaughter.

Lu Jiajia saw that they were merely feigning attacks and probing, and her own injuries could not be delayed. She actively leaped up, her Minglan sword once again imbued with the Golden Crow's radiance, striking towards one of the nearest heads.

They were also prepared. The authority of space activated, diverting Lu Jiajia's sword qi to the front of one head, while another launched a surprise attack on Lu Jiajia herself.

Lu Jiajia was also wary of their repeated use of spatial authority. The moment the spatial laws activated, she directly shattered a portion of the void with her sword. As her body moved, the sword qi did not break, extending forward along the void's cracks, still striking the serpent head.

The sword qi itself was not lethal; what was truly deadly were the golden threads attached to it. These golden threads cut open the serpent's head, leaving a massive wound.

Where Lu Jiajia's figure reappeared, Jiuying greeted her with another gaping, bloody maw. Lu Jiajia, embodying her sword, advanced instead of retreating, charging into its giant mouth. Then, she burst out through a bloody hole behind its head, trailing a white arc of light.

Though injured, these two serpent heads were not dead. Their wounds only fueled their rage, and they attacked again, one from above and one from below, in a pincer movement.

Lu Jiajia's attempt to strike was forcibly interrupted, and she had no choice but to withdraw her sword and defend.

The attacking serpent head slammed into Lu Jiajia, who held her sword horizontally to block – this scene lasted only an instant in mid-air.

Ning Changjiu's pupils suddenly constricted.

The moment the serpent head struck her, Lu Jiajia actually released most of her defensive power. After being hit, she plummeted straight down with terrifying speed.

Although Ning Changjiu understood her intention, such a move was far too risky. At that moment, his heart, along with his hair, seemed to splay open, as if about to burst.

Lu Jiajia's figure fell, her body like a sword, crashing into the main head that the Xiu Snake was biting and pinning fiercely to the ground.

Jiuying sensed the danger and tried to break free, but it couldn't disengage its body.

However, Lu Jiajia had previously relinquished most of her spiritual power. Now, her body was too weak to gather strength again. Even if this descending sword was swift, it was merely a pure blade, incapable of explosive damage. Simultaneously, without Lu Jiajia's protection, Ning Changjiu on the serpent's back was again attacked by the other serpent heads. After several evasive maneuvers, Ning Changjiu had to temporarily release the reins and retreat along the arched serpent's back.

Lu Jiajia plummeted, slamming hard into Jiuying's central head. Though that sword strike lacked intense sword qi, it was fast and sharp enough to pierce precisely into Jiuying's pupil, like cutting through rotten flesh.

Blood mixed with fragments of the pupil burst before Lu Jiajia's eyes, splattering her front gown crimson.

Jiuying thrashed violently in pain and fury.

Lu Jiajia's hand rested weakly on the sword hilt. This single strike had nearly depleted her last vestiges of spiritual power, yet it fell far short of her desired effect, only blinding one of its eyes.

As Jiuying thrashed its head violently, the Xiu Snake, temporarily freed from Ning Changjiu's control, couldn't restrain it, and Lu Jiajia's body was also flung high into the air.

As another head lunged to bite the falling Lu Jiajia, Ning Changjiu directly coiled his golden reins around her, then sharply tugged, pulling her back to his side. At that moment, Lu Jiajia was bound tightly by the golden ropes, her front gown feeling incredibly tight, as if her clothes were about to tear.

Fortunately, Ning Changjiu quickly retracted the ropes. Holding Lu Jiajia in his arms and softly telling her not to be afraid, he then used the reins to restrain the Xiu Snake again, directing it to attack Jiuying, which was trying to break free.

Lu Jiajia leaned against Ning Changjiu's chest. He could hear her rapid heartbeat, quick and agitated, like a startled small animal, making him want to soothe her.

Lu Jiajia reached out her hand, but found she had no strength. She was helplessly held by Ning Changjiu, her waist encircled, kept safe by his side.

"Don't be afraid…" Ning Changjiu whispered again, close to her ear.

Lu Jiajia's earlobe reddened, and she shivered. Her tightly pressed lips moved slightly; she wanted to say something but feared blood would spill out if she parted them.

She wanted to tell Ning Changjiu that she wasn't scared at all, but listening to his heartbeat, she suddenly understood: it was *he* who was afraid... He was afraid they would die here together.

At this moment, Lu Jiajia's blood surged. She suddenly felt an impulse: if they could survive today, she would give up her position as Peak Master of Heavenly Cavern Peak. She wanted to travel the world with this young man beside her, reliving all the scenes from their 'heart-devil' tribulation again: the mist and clouds among the mountains, the white snow on the wilderness, the clouds and rain of Mount Wu…

But now, even realizing that dream had become a luxury.

Ning Changjiu noticed the subtle change in the woman in his arms. He lowered his head, looking into her eyes, which seemed to hold both snow and fire. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Jiajia had many things she wanted to say, but as the words reached her lips, she calmed down. She simply whispered, "After this is over, we… we'll go see the lotus flowers."

As she spoke, blood spilled from her mouth.

Ning Changjiu's heart ached. He pressed a finger to her lips, signaling her to stop talking, then nodded, "Yes, we promised."

At this moment, even conversation had become a luxury.

They had barely exchanged two sentences when suffocating attacks came relentlessly again.

Jiuying had been blinded in one eye. This strike significantly weakened Jiuying's original consciousness of body control. Master Hanchi, who had been suppressed beneath its consciousness, now took over. However, he was still an outsider, considered a tumor growing within the body, and Jiuying's entire physical form rejected him.

At Jiuying's brow, scales cracked, and Master Hanchi's body was slowly squeezed out.

This scene was quite bizarre. The old man, who had seemed almost completely integrated with Jiuying, now appeared to be sinking into a swamp. His hands clawed at Jiuying's ruptured flesh, most of his body still submerged in the indistinct mass of blood and tissue.

Master Hanchi's appearance was a mix of terror and absurdity.

He seemed to be struggling to break free from Jiuying's restraints, yet also appeared extremely reluctant to leave this residing nest.

The chaotic grappling and biting continued.

Both the Xiu Snake and Jiuying were covered in wounds, with exposed bones. It was hard to say who was more severely injured, but Jiuying's severed heads were slowly recovering. Before long, the balance of power would tip again.

Master Hanchi stared closely at the Xiu Snake as it tore at Jiuying. He shared consciousness with Jiuying, and thus shared its pain.

The merging and intertwining with Jiuying's original consciousness had driven him somewhat mad; for a moment, he couldn't even tell who he was.

Ning Changjiu, holding Lu Jiajia, dodged Jiuying's attacks while striking with his sword in the gaps.

He had originally intended to summon the Sword Scripture, but he had already done so once today. If he did it again, he might be directly devoured by it.

Even though he had exhausted his means and controlled the Xiu Snake to come, the situation was still gradually descending into an insoluble abyss.

Ning Changjiu's spiritual power was continuously being drained. His control over the Xiu Snake grew weaker and weaker; it was like the reins were about to snap, and the wild horse beneath him would go berserk, likely killing him first.

At this critical moment, a variable appeared.

This variable, however, came from Master Hanchi.

Master Hanchi's eyes were wide open. As he endured boundless pain, watching the Xiu Snake tearing at his body, his already disordered mind finally couldn't hold on. He felt that Jiuying was doomed to die today, and he didn't want to die with it. Suddenly, an incredibly insane idea surged into his mind!

"What are you doing?!"

"Stop!"

"Are you mad? You tumor!"

"Stop! Stop! Stop! You can have control of this body, just stop!"

But Master Hanchi, as if possessed, raised his arm and brought it down sharply, directly severing the connection between the main head and Jiuying's body.

At the bottom of Heavenly Cavern Peak, Jiuying's main head had existed independently for thousands of years. Its current integration with Jiuying was not perfect, and under Master Hanchi's full control, it detached from the body like a lizard shedding its tail.

"Associated with you fools, even if I survive today, I'll surely be struck down by heaven later!" Master Hanchi roared. By doing this, he essentially abandoned the other eight heads. Without Jiuying's central head as a core, the remaining serpent heads could no longer revive after being severed.

Ning Changjiu was also stunned by this sudden turn of events. He exchanged a glance with Lu Jiajia, and they both quickly realized that this was, in fact, even more disastrous for them.

The Xiu Snake was currently tightly coiled around Jiuying's body. But now that its neck was severed, it became an independent giant python once more. Without the influence of the other eight heads, Jiuying's original consciousness could no longer suppress Master Hanchi. Master Hanchi completely seized control of this head, and controlling Jiuying, he directly bit back at the Xiu Snake before it could break free.

Seeing this, Jiuying's remaining body fiercely denounced Master Hanchi's betrayal while seizing the opportunity to launch a final fierce assault on the Xiu Snake.

Whether or not this head of Jiuying left, the rest of it still had to fight for survival.

Ning Changjiu harbored no more illusions of luck. He hoisted the heavily wounded Lu Jiajia onto his shoulder, supporting her legs with his hand, and sprinted across the Xiu Snake's back, using a breath-concealing technique to flee.

Lu Jiajia lay on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck.

The Golden Crow flew back to his shoulder.

It also seemed to have expended considerable effort; its feathers had turned from dark gold to a darker, almost black hue, as if it had rolled in coal. Any more exertion and it would resemble an ordinary crow.

It lay weakly on Ning Changjiu's other shoulder, seemingly pleading with its unconscionable master to take it back into his Purple Mansion for proper rest.

But their escape didn't last long.

Without the Golden Crow's control and stimulation, the Xiu Snake's power was significantly reduced. Master Hanchi actually abandoned his relentless pursuit of the Xiu Snake, turning instead to chase the fleeing man and woman.

"Stop! Where are you going!"

"Come back! Kill the Xiu Snake, and our bodies still have a chance to merge!"

"If you leave like this, someday the power within you will have no source, and you will die and turn to white bones again!"

"Calm down!"

As Master Hanchi controlled that one head and departed, it was Jiuying's original body that became the most anxious.

Master Hanchi burst into maniacal laughter: "Three thousand years ago, you were butchered like pigs and dogs, and three thousand years later, you're still worthless. Today I finally understand that the only way to survive in this world is to become a truly supreme existence. You call yourself a god, but compared to a true god, what are you but an ant?!"

"What madness are you spouting?"

"Kill them, then come back quickly!"

"You'll never find another body this powerful in this world!"

Master Hanchi ignored the pleas and threats of the other heads.

A thought, long brewing in his mind for years, now rushed to the forefront, making him tremble with excitement. He had finally made up his mind at this moment.

Jiuying would die sooner or later, but what lay before him now was clearly a path to eternal life!

Ning Changjiu, fleeing with Lu Jiajia, was quickly overtaken.

Heaven and earth were enveloped in crimson.

Lu Jiajia glanced sideways, her pupils entirely filled by the less fervent sunset.

Their clothes were redder than the sunset.

Behind them, Lu Jiajia watched helplessly as the head of Jiuying, controlled by Master Hanchi, bore down on them.

She closed her eyes, her voice low and resolute: "Let me go… Run by yourself, you can escape…"

Ning Changjiu held her tightly, showing no sign of letting go: "Don't talk."

Jiuying drew closer, their fleeing figures engulfed by the giant serpent's shadow.

No matter how agile Ning Changjiu's movements were, he couldn't keep fleeing indefinitely.

Furthermore, his Breath Concealment Technique and Mirror Moon Technique could only protect himself. Because he had to flee with Lu Jiajia, these trump cards were now of no use.

Both Lu Jiajia and Ning Changjiu were well aware of this.

"Let me down! I am your master! This is my command as your master, how dare you defy me?!" Lu Jiajia's voice was cold and stern. She fought back tears, and in her blurring vision, Jiuying pressed closer. Her once dreamlike wish had now narrowed to just Ning Changjiu being able to survive.

Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded. Lu Jiajia let out a low groan, followed by a stinging pain from her soft posterior.

Her entire body was racked with tearing pain at the moment, so this particular ache shouldn't have been noticeable, yet it made her heart tremble violently, and her earlobes instantly turned a vivid red.

He... How dare he… Lu Jiajia clenched her fingers.

Ning Changjiu withdrew his hand, speaking just as sternly: "I said, don't talk!"

At this moment, the roles of master and disciple seemed to reverse. Lu Jiajia's composure as a master was shattered by that slap. Her hands clutched his neck, truly subdued by his authority. She didn't question his insubordination, merely pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Jiuying was right behind them.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, suddenly roaring in his mind: "Sword Scripture! Do you want to watch me die?"

The Sword Scripture, of course, sensed Ning Changjiu's change. It deeply felt it had chosen the wrong host, thinking it might have lived a few more years even with that old man named Yan Zhou. With this youth, after only a few hours, was it already going to be buried with him?

The spirit of the Sword Scripture lamented its misfortune, sighing helplessly: "I can't kill this monster either…"

Ning Changjiu said, "Even if you can't kill it, you must try! Lend me a sword!"

The spirit of the Sword Scripture nodded reluctantly.

When he opened his eyes again, golden light ignited once more in his unfocused pupils.

Jiuying's giant head smashed down heavily.

Ning Changjiu suddenly turned his head.

One hand supporting Lu Jiajia's thigh, the other holding his sword, he squatted slightly then leaped like a spring, striking directly at Master Hanchi with his sword.

Even though Master Hanchi was in a completely dominant position at this moment, he dared not take this certain-death sword lightly.

And he had long anticipated that Ning Changjiu would make this desperate struggle.

With his intentions predicted, the terrifying power of this sword strike was greatly diminished.

Before Ning Changjiu's eyes, there was only darkness, save for a tiny flicker of life. As usual, he used his sword tip to fill this light of life, like a celestial dog devouring the moon.

But that original point of light shifted.

Ning Changjiu's dark sword fell into darkness once more.

Darkness and darkness are inherently indistinguishable.

This sword strike fell into empty space.

The Sword Scripture had originally intended to completely seize Ning Changjiu's consciousness, but Lu Jiajia suddenly bit his shoulder hard. At the same time, she extended her fingers and swiftly tapped several of Ning Changjiu's pressure points, pulling his scattered consciousness back somewhat.

Inside Ning Changjiu, a creature—whether a crow or a Golden Crow, he couldn't tell—hissed. This hiss was like a centipede hearing the rooster crow at dawn.

Ning Changjiu, at that moment, turned his head and shot a resentful glance at Lu Jiajia. Then, his unfocused pupils re-converged, returning to normal after a brief daze.

Ning Changjiu gasped for air, his heart still racing.

He looked at the sword in his hand; it had veered off course, deeply piercing the Xiu Snake's body.

His last trump card had also fallen short.

Not far in front of him, Master Hanchi extended his hand, instantly restraining Ning Changjiu with the authority of space.

Lu Jiajia's sword body vibrated intensely, struggling fiercely, but her injuries were too severe, and she couldn't wring out a single trace of spiritual energy from her Qi Sea.

The tide had turned decisively.

Master Hanchi pulled Ning Changjiu forward, grabbing him by the throat and staring intently into his eyes. "You can't escape," he said.

Ning Changjiu's arm relaxed, and Lu Jiajia's body slid down. She quickly swept her hand across her front, tracing a phantom sword, then turned and struck Master Hanchi with a swift sword blow.

Master Hanchi's true strength was inferior to Lu Jiajia's at this moment. If Lu Jiajia hadn't been so severely injured, he might even have been directly assassinated by this single sword strike.

Even so, the sword intent carried by this strike still forced Master Hanchi to temporarily retreat.

Ning Changjiu gained a brief reprieve, but he was too weak to break free from the spatial cage.

"Go!" Ning Changjiu hissed at Lu Jiajia.

Lu Jiajia looked at him, then suddenly gave a soft laugh, tears streaming from her eyes.

She said nothing, but with just a glance, Ning Changjiu understood that she would not leave.

The world was always so dramatic. Just moments ago, it was clearly Lu Jiajia urging him to abandon her and escape alone…

"Master… please go…" Ning Changjiu's body trembled, his voice a weak murmur.

"Now you call me Master?" Lu Jiajia's lips were pale. She closed her eyes, her voice choked, and she trembled as she reached out, wanting to draw another phantom sword.

But Master Hanchi did not give her the chance.

"You are indeed the most talented woman of Heavenly Cavern Peak in a hundred years," Master Hanchi said, looking at her. "You shouldn't have come. Love is the tomb of every talented woman."

As he spoke, a great sword formed from space hurtled towards Lu Jiajia.

Lu Jiajia grunted. She clasped her hands in front of her, trying to block the sword, but its qi shredded both her sleeves. Her body slid backward down the giant python, nearly falling off completely. Yet, Lu Jiajia dug her nails fiercely into the Xiu Snake's flesh. Her nails scraped against the scales, all of them flipping back, her ten fingers bleeding profusely, but she showed no intention of letting go.

In this short time, the Xiu Snake continued to move at high speed, crossing the Red River, which marked the border with the Southern Wilderness, in the blink of an eye.

When Jiuying crossed the Red River, everything became like white bones.

Bone-like shadows flickered across the water's surface.

Jiuying continued without pause, rushing towards the center of the Southern Wilderness.

Trapped in the spatial cage, Ning Changjiu's eyes widened. He stared at Master Hanchi in shock, as if looking at a madman, his gaze seeming to question what Master Hanchi intended to do.

Master Hanchi seemed to feel that his grand ambitions would be lonely if left untold.

His expression was fanatical: "Do you know what is buried in the center of the Southern Wilderness?"

No one answered him, so he spoke to himself: "In the center of the Southern Wilderness, there's a God-Burial Cavern… In that abyss, a true being comparable to a chief god is buried!"

Ning Changjiu had also heard Lady Bai speak of it, for she had climbed out of that very abyss. It was said that those with insufficient cultivation could not enter it; each time they leaped in, they would simply return to the shore.

Master Hanchi laughed wildly: "That god is now known as the Headless God! Back then, other chief gods must have betrayed him, conspiring with other beings to kill him… and even severed his head to prevent his resurrection! Otherwise, what existence in this world could have destroyed him… The Headless God… the Headless God…"

Master Hanchi kept muttering to himself, not bothering to consider the legend's veracity, and suddenly burst into maniacal laughter: "The Headless God! It's a god missing a head… What a coincidence in this world? It lacks a head, and I just happen to have a demigod's head to offer it!"

"The god will accept me…"

"A god never dies…"

"This is destiny."

"Destiny is with me…"

Master Hanchi was somewhat incoherent, speaking like a madman and an obsessed fool.

He stared at Ning Changjiu for a moment before suddenly remembering that this was the person he intended to kill.

He seized Ning Changjiu's throat again and said, "You will be my first offering to the god!"

Zhang Qiyu didn't know how long he had been following this weapon-wielding girl.

He didn't understand why, even though her cultivation was clearly among the Five Paths, she still chose the most time-consuming and arduous method of walking.

The girl named Si, carrying a massive weapon chest on her back, always walked ahead without a word.

At one point, she suddenly stopped and looked back.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Qiyu asked. He followed her gaze into the distance but saw nothing.

The girl named Si narrowed her eyes slightly, then suddenly said, "Let's go."

With that, the weapon chest on her back fully opened, and all the weapons scattered, assembling into a giant roc made of weaponry. The girl named Si leaped onto the weapon-roc, drew the knife and sword from her waist, and inserted them into the roc's eyes.

She gestured for Zhang Qiyu to come up.

Zhang Qiyu timidly climbed onto the bird's back.

The roc flew into the sky, quickly leaving Southern Province behind.

"Immortal Master… what exactly happened?" Zhang Qiyu couldn't help but ask.

Then, the girl spoke words that made Zhang Qiyu tremble all over: "The Sinful Monarch has personally projected himself into the human realm."

Master Hanchi had never visited the abyss of the Southern Wilderness, but his sect's patriarch had, leaving behind historical records. Zhang Qiyu had also once told him about the abyss's location and the legend of the Headless God.

Jiuying plunged deeper into the Southern Wilderness.

Everyone on Jiuying's back almost simultaneously heard chaotic murmuring. These low, evil whispers were like arms, trying to seize the soul hidden deep within every body.

Ning Changjiu's sleeves hung down.

From Lu Jiajia's perspective, his white clothes fluttered like those of a hanged ghost.

She regained some strength within a few breaths, and her figure suddenly surged forward, crashing into Master Hanchi, her body acting as a sword.

The clash was brief and swift.

Jiuying crushed countless colossal trees, scattering large numbers of beasts and strange birds, slithering rapidly towards the center.

Lu Jiajia was no match for Master Hanchi at this moment. She had lost too much blood and by rights should have long since fainted. It was unclear what was still holding her up.

Her bloody, mangled hand once again clutched Jiuying's severed tail, refusing to let go no matter what.

Ning Changjiu's fists clenched inside his sleeves.

He mustered a breath, intending to use the Mirror Moon technique to escape, but Master Hanchi seemed to regard him as the most precious sacrifice, suppressing him with layers of spatial cages.

Trees snapped in rows as the Xiu Snake trampled over them, carving out what seemed like an endless path.

The entire world seemed to have gone mad.

Ning Changjiu no longer resisted at all, while Lu Jiajia clung desperately to Jiuying's body. Her head was bowed; it was unclear whether she had fainted or was stubbornly determined to share life and death with Ning Changjiu.

Master Hanchi also made no superfluous movements.

He was like someone sailing to distant seas, heading towards a new land teeming with treasures. From now on, the past was behind him; only a withered throne called to him in destiny.

A long time later.

Lu Jiajia raised her head.

Ning Changjiu also opened his eyes.

Master Hanchi looked back.

It was an abyss as vast as a great lake.

Around the abyss, the ground dipped inward, its surface appearing to be densely composed of countless lines that ceaselessly flowed, yet it was impossible to tell if they moved upwards or downwards.

At that moment, as Master Hanchi saw the abyss, a feeling of regret arose in his heart.

This emotion vanished in an instant.

Everything was irreversible.

Suddenly, Ning Changjiu raised his hand.

The Sword Scripture in his mind sighed: "Beautiful women are the graves of heroes, and you're not even a hero yet, but you insist on falling prey to this affliction…"

Ning Changjiu neither confirmed nor denied it.

Lu Jiajia suddenly cried out, "No!"

Master Hanchi frowned.

Ning Changjiu unleashed a streak of sword qi. He had accumulated a little strength along the way, just enough for this final strike.

The sword qi grazed Jiuying's scales, then suddenly slanted, precisely severing the part Lu Jiajia was clinging to. Her grip lost, she was flung from Jiuying's body. She reached out in the air, like a drowning person helplessly flailing their arms in water, while that white-robed figure became distant and unreachable.

He was the one truly about to drown.

Jiuying, like a divine vessel, cut through the wind and waves, surging towards its final destination.

Ning Changjiu looked at Lu Jiajia from afar.

He knew what she was saying, but he couldn't hear her anymore.

Jiuying plunged into the abyss, chasing a vague dream of the Headless God.

The world turned completely dark.

Everything vanished from sight.

Lu Jiajia, drenched in blood and her face streaked with tears, dragged her severely wounded body listlessly to the edge of the abyss. She knelt at the edge, her heart like dead ashes, and then fell in.

A few breaths later, her body reappeared on the bank.

She remembered the legend of the abyss, utterly incredulous.

The abyss accepted them, so why did it reject her?

She repeatedly fell into it.

But each time she fell, she would ultimately return to the starting point, like an inescapable fate.

Heaven and man were separated.

The sunset completely sank into the valley.

All hope was lost.

"We… we clearly promised…"

She knelt by the abyss, weeping inconsolably.

She didn't know that, at that moment, a late-arriving shadow stood beside her.

The shadow was draped in a black cloak, and from the front of the hood, something like a giant crow's beak protruded, resembling a bizarre brim.

Countless black feathers adorned the edges of his cloak, a profound black that had only ever appeared on the Nine Feathers.

He paid no heed to the woman's cries, nor to anything else in the world, simply gazing silently into the abyss.

The abyss also gazed silently back at him.

They looked at each other without a word.

The shadow in the black cloak finally retreated silently into the night, as if it had never been there.

Before Lu Jiajia, several black feathers drifted down.

Those fallen feathers were like scattered bookmarks in a historical text.

(End of Volume 2: Nine Deaths in the Southern Wilderness, Where the Soul Returns)

(I thought this would be a short chapter, but it turned out so long. I'm a bit delirious now, so I'll revise it tomorrow. Going to sleep first! Please forgive any typos or errors!)

Fast Text: Above the Divine Kingdom - Chapter List