Chapter 198: Decision Eve

Night Chu and Ning Changjiu lived as long-time neighbors.

He no longer practiced fortune-telling, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to secluded cultivation at home. He trained in the Asura God Record, setting up countless fate bridges for himself. This ensured that every step of his cultivation progress followed the quickest and most fortunate paths, making his cultivation speed incredibly fast.

Ning Changjiu climbed over the wall into Night Chu's home, skillfully pushed open his front door, and pulled up a chair to sit opposite him.

He didn't disturb Night Chu, quietly watching him complete his cultivation before speaking, "Lord Night Chu, your current aura is truly magnificent and renewed."

Night Chu slowly opened his eyes. One pupil was dark, the other golden, with a sacred radiance streaming from the golden one, tracing paths like tears down his cheek.

With a faint smile, Night Chu asked, "What questions do you have today?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "I want to know what lies at the end of this world. I know you came from there after your rebirth."

Night Chu answered, "I once told you, that is the beginning and end of this world, and also the gate to the Divine Realm. Only by carrying a complete sundial can one leave."

Ning Changjiu continued, "Do you also possess half of the sundial?"

Night Chu shook his head, "The other half of the sundial is in the Divine Realm. It can never be made complete unless one returns to the Divine Realm."

But without a complete sundial, one couldn't return to the Divine Realm.

This was an unsolvable deadlock.

Ning Changjiu asked, "Then how do you plan to return? If I'm not mistaken, your Asura God Record should be nearing completion, right?"

Night Chu smiled faintly, "You should be very clear about what those outside do to ascend and leave this world."

Ning Changjiu replied, "Achieve the Great Dao and cleave the heavens to depart."

Night Chu nodded, "Indeed, the heavens originally had no exit, but one can be cut open with a sword."

Ning Changjiu glanced at the chaotic sky, thinking that if one's cultivation realm was suppressed below the Purple Court, how could there be any possibility of cleaving the heavens to ascend?

He didn't press further, knowing Night Chu wouldn't answer any more questions.

Ning Changjiu asked, "Why are you still alive after the collapse of the Divine Realm? Why didn't the one who killed the Headless God kill us, but instead exiled us here?"

Night Chu smiled, "Perhaps it was disdain, or perhaps they saw us as vessels to contain the scattered authority of time and fate."

Ning Changjiu continued, "If the ruined Divine Realm is directly above us, why hasn't this world been crushed?"

Night Chu looked at the sky, recalling, "The boundary between the two worlds was also forged from time — absolute time, flowing tens of thousands of times faster than here. This was also established by... that person; it can withstand the weight of an entire Divine Realm."

Ning Changjiu nodded and said, "Last question: why are you willing to answer so many of my questions?"

For the past month, Ning Changjiu had frequently visited Night Chu with questions, and the latter had been remarkably patient, answering almost everything.

Night Chu said, "Before my Asura God Record was complete, you sheltered me for quite a while. This is my way of repaying your kindness."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly.

He understood the look in Night Chu's eyes when he regarded him—a look that saw a dead man.

In Night Chu's perception, Ning Changjiu was indeed not far from death.

People are always tolerant and generous towards those on the verge of death. Moreover, he needed Ning Changjiu's trust; if that woman, Siming, truly went mad and attacked, Ning Changjiu would be a strong shield for him.

Similarly, Night Chu also had a premonition that Siming would indeed go mad before the true decisive battle arrived.

"Which layer of the Asura God Record have you cultivated to? Do you have any questions?" Night Chu initiated the conversation.

Ning Changjiu said, "I've reached the forty-fifth form. I wonder if there's still enough time."

Night Chu praised, "You are a genius rarely seen in a hundred years."

Ning Changjiu replied, "Still incomparable to you."

Night Chu smiled, "Actually, you are very interesting. I still can't comprehend your thoughts, but I always feel you're hiding something."

Ning Changjiu also smiled, "Lord Night Chu worries too much."

Night Chu said, "I'm growing increasingly eager for the final day to arrive."

The two exchanged a smile, saying nothing more.

After Ning Changjiu left his residence, his restrained aura gradually began to release.

Suddenly, he sensed someone standing behind him.

Ning Changjiu whirled around, but his vision showed only a desolate street, completely empty.

He returned to his house. Blood Feather Lord, looking disheveled, stood high on the rooftop, yelling, "Go teach Shao Xiaoli a lesson! That brat is getting increasingly disrespectful to her elders."

Inside him, the Spirit of the Sword Scripture scoffed, "You red-headed chicken, can't even beat a little girl now?"

Blood Feather Lord fumed, "When this Lord of Light recovers to full strength, I'll show you I can swallow the sun."

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture suddenly realized, "So you want to devour the Golden Crow! I always knew you red-headed chicken had ulterior motives."

Ning Changjiu also looked at it.

Blood Feather Lord, startled, quickly retreated two steps and flew away under the pretext of patrolling.

Blood Feather Lord sighed about the decline of morality and how good chickens are bullied, as it circled high above the village.

It was quite interested in women, but unfortunately, the women here were mostly rugged in both appearance and character. Even the chieftain's daughter, the most beautiful among them, was like a drab sparrow next to a peacock compared to Zhao Xiang'er, let alone Shao Xiaoli.

This discouraged it greatly, making it unmotivated to patrol. It only fantasized about establishing its own territory someday and taking the most beautiful peacock spirit as its concubine.

Suddenly, Blood Feather Lord noticed something different.

Towards the south gate of the residence, a dark shadow seemed to glide silently.

It rubbed its eyes, but when it looked again, everything was gone.

"Sigh, this Lord of Light must be dizzy from hunger..." Blood Feather Lord thought of that brat Shao Xiaoli, sighed, and was about to fly off to scrounge some food and drink from the homes of its believers when it turned its head and almost had a chicken heart attack.

A dark shadow stood before it, making no sound whatsoever.

"Who placed the restriction in your body?" The dark shadow's voice was like ripples on the Time Abyss's screen, reverberating ceaselessly within its skull.

Blood Feather Lord stared blankly at the black shadow before it, wanting to step back but utterly unable to exert any strength.

This... who is this person?

A restriction in my body? This Heavenly Lord has long been free, what restriction could there be... Oh, could it be that the restriction from the former Lady Zhao still lingered in my body? Didn't Old Lord Red Tail already remove it for me?

Blood Feather Lord was utterly bewildered.

The dark shadow had already reached out a hand, touching between Blood Feather Lord's cross-eyes.

A scene unfolded before the Sin Lord.

In the scene, Blood Feather Lord knelt submissively on the ground, wings covered in blood, rolling and begging for mercy. Before it stood a tall woman in a fiery red dress. Her hair, like silk, flowed to the ground. Her red dress was intricately patterned with deeper red threads, depicting a magnificent, chaotic battle of gods and deities. She did not turn, but the striking contrast of her fiery red gown and exquisite silhouette, seen in a single glance, revealed a worldly elegance that could captivate all.

Under the crow-beaked brim of the Sin Lord's hood, a red light flashed.

Blood Feather Lord suddenly heard two words.

"Vermilion Bird?"

Heard and forgotten.

These days, Ning Changjiu had encountered many strange things.

On the first day, in a narrow alley, he met a beautiful woman with tattered clothes and enchanting eyes. She seemed drunk, leaning against a wall, and beckoned to Ning Changjiu. As her fingers slightly loosened, the clothes draped over her shoulder slipped, revealing her smooth, shapely shoulder.

Ning Changjiu initially thought she was a seductive demon, but when he extended his divine sense to check, he found no trace of demonic energy on her.

Yet, he still felt an incredibly strong allure. Although the woman before him was beautiful, she wasn't exceptionally stunning, so why did she give him the feeling of being the most beautiful woman in the world?

The Sword Scripture also sensed something amiss and quietly helped him sever the mental connection.

Ning Changjiu ignored the woman and exited the alley.

On the second day, he saw some scattered objects on an empty roadside.

Before he could react, the Spirit of the Sword Scripture inside him exclaimed, "Is that... is that Heavy Flame Stone? It's countless times more advanced than a Heavy Flame Box! Any sword forged with it can directly ascend from a common artifact to a divine one! And next to it, that looks like a Star Devouring Ganoderma! As the name suggests, the spiritual energy it contains is probably as immense as a star. If you consume it, you might directly break through Longevity and instantly reach the peak of Purple Court! These... these are legendary divine items, why are they here?"

Ning Changjiu looked at the scattered items on the ground. The ones called Heavy Flame Stone and Star Devouring Ganoderma were indeed the most prominent; they looked peculiar, instantly suggesting a connection to myths. The other few also looked extraordinary, clearly not ordinary at a glance.

Seeing Ning Changjiu hesitate, the Spirit of the Sword Scripture quickly urged, "This must be a leak from the heavens, falling from the Divine Realm above... These are divine artifacts rarely seen in thousands of years! Grab them quickly and leave! It's an offense against the heavens not to seize what they offer!"

Ning Changjiu once again demonstrated his self-restraint. He left without taking a single item, treating them as nothing more than scrap metal.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture was heartbroken.

On the third day, Ning Changjiu went to the wilderness at the edge of the village to help the tribe clear the land. During this time, they encountered a strange bird with three heads. The bird's feathers were black, with one iridescent feather being the most striking.

"Is this the divine bird Canglu, born when heaven and earth first opened? Shouldn't it have long vanished into the chaos? Quick, pluck that iridescent feather! Legend says this feather can grant any wish! This is the heavens trying to guide you out of here!" The Spirit of the Sword Scripture couldn't help but exclaim.

Ning Changjiu looked at the dazzling iridescent feather and indeed felt a slight temptation.

He also wondered if his luck was too good, or if some unseen hand was trying to guide him away.

But the moment he felt tempted, the Golden Crow inside him let out a shriek, a cry that brought him back to his senses.

He left the divine bird Canglu, born at the dawn of chaos, ignoring the heartbroken gaze of the Spirit of the Sword Scripture.

On the fourth day, they didn't encounter any extraordinary opportunities, but witnessed a brawl within the tribe. For unknown reasons, they had gone mad and started fighting. One of them, who had always been kind to Ning Changjiu, often bringing him fresh meat, called out for help upon seeing him, begging the God-King to intervene and pledging their obedience to his commands.

Ning Changjiu, as usual, paid no heed.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture also noticed something was wrong: "What's been happening these past few days?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Unusual occurrences always signal something sinister."

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture retorted, "That Heavy Flame Stone pulsed with immense spiritual energy, and Canglu radiated divinity; these couldn't be faked! I feel like you've exhausted all your lifetime's luck, yet you failed to seize the opportunity."

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head. He had once thought that meeting his master was the greatest fortune of his life, but it ultimately became his misfortune.

If one already knows their fate cannot be changed, then what good are the most magnificent flowers and scenery along the way?

This thought was also one of the reasons he could resist numerous temptations.

Ning Changjiu shook his head, "I don't think so. I'm just wondering, if those were deliberately arranged temptations, what would be the consequences if I had picked up those items?"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture didn't believe him at all, scoffing, "Deliberately arranged? The cost would be too great for that. As this Heavenly Lord surveys this desolate place, I don't believe such a generous benefactor could exist here."

Ning Changjiu did not regret his decision.

From that day on, he ignored everything that happened around him, turning a blind eye and even emptying his mind to prevent any unnecessary thoughts.

Another month passed unnoticed.

Night Chu had completed the first round of cultivation of the Asura God Record. He still looked like a young man, his vitality visibly soaring. His handsome face was once again adorned with a lustrous sacred glow, and golden light gathered and dispersed at the edges of his divine robes, like immortal cranes dancing ceaselessly among the clouds.

These days, he often gazed at the murky sky, envisioning certain things.

He knew that Siming in Broken Realm City had already begun her plan. In less than half a month, she would harvest all the gods in the city.

These gods were all imbued with authorities scattered from the Time Abyss.

She intended to use these gods to piece together a false, complete sundial, thereby deceiving the "Gate of Chaos" at the end of the divine path.

Women are liars...

Night Chu's lips curled into a disdainful smile.

He wasn't sure if Siming could deceive the laws, but he wouldn't give her the chance. He would appear just as she was about to achieve everything, directly casting her from the altar into the abyss.

As for this white-robed young man...

If his calculations were correct, in three days, he would reach the sixty-third scroll.

For some reason, he vaguely felt that this young man might be able to evade this catastrophe.

But even if he avoided this disaster, it would merely be an escape from death; he would have no opportunity to leave this place.

Night Chu gazed at the hazy sky and happened to see Ning Changjiu opening the door and stepping out of the adjacent courtyard. They greeted each other, then walked off in different directions.

Today, Ning Changjiu didn't encounter women, treasures, money, or fights.

The low courtyard walls on both sides of the road were somewhat dilapidated, with wild grass growing in the cracks of their dusty grey surfaces. The wind seemed to stir and yet remain still.

On the stone-paved road, there was only one shadow.

That was Ning Changjiu's shadow.

He looked at the suddenly appearing black-robed figure, and many previously empty spaces in his mind were filled.

Ning Changjiu couldn't immediately guess the identity of this person, nor could he sense any trace of an aura from him, but he vaguely felt that everything that had happened recently was connected to him.

"Who are you?" the black-robed figure surprisingly spoke first.

Ning Changjiu was stunned by the question.

He opened his mouth, and a strange thought suddenly appeared in his mind, as if any slight deviation in his answer would result in instant death.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture inside him, upon seeing the black shadow, felt an instinctive fear and immediately dove into his Qi Sea, not daring to show itself. The Golden Crow in his Purple Mansion, however, tilted its head and looked at it with fiery eyes.

The Sin Lord quietly watched him.

He needed a reason to condemn him.

These past few days, he had used many methods to tempt him, but this young man had remarkable resolve and hadn't fallen into any of the traps.

As the supreme lord of the Divine Realm, he had cast his hook into this shallow fish pond, yet returned empty-handed every time.

But this also brought him a long-lost sense of enjoyment, so he was very patient.

Most importantly, he saw many shadows on this cunning "fish," including the ruler of the Vermilion Bird Divine Realm, who governed three thousand minor worlds.

He held no grudge against the other rulers, but he wanted to know what she intended to do.

So he also planned to make a move using this young man, and thus he sought an opportunity to legitimately link his "sin" to him.

It was a pity that for the past month, this young man had acted so devoid of desire, like an emotionless saint.

So he finally appeared before him and asked this question.

He was certain that the white-robed young man couldn't reveal everything he knew about himself, so he was waiting for him to "deceive the sovereign."

It was a bit shameless, but effective.

Ning Changjiu thought for a long time. Finally, before dusk, he slowly said, "I am an absolute, unique individual, the sum total of all my relationships to the world."

Ning Changjiu safely left the street.

Of course, neither he nor the Sword Scripture had any memory of their encounter with the Sin Lord at all.

Only on the Golden Crow's wings did black spots, like liver spots, appear, making it resemble a diseased dove.

The Golden Crow could devour any darkness, and no dark mark had ever remained on its body.

Ning Changjiu sensed the mold spots on the Golden Crow and vaguely guessed that he had encountered some terrifying existence.

But for some reason, that terrifying existence had not directly intervened.

The next day, Ning Changjiu climbed over the wall into the adjacent house. He found the house empty, all items neatly arranged, but Night Chu was nowhere to be seen.

A note lay on the table: "Sixty-three and sixty-four have swapped places."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, tore it up, and did not accept the gesture.

He knew Night Chu had left; he was going to cross the ice plains and return to that snow gorge, where Chong Sui had been waiting for him.

Meanwhile, in Broken Realm City, Siming bathed and changed, then walked out of the Star Spirit Palace with an enchanting grace. Her silver hair was like the ethereal sky, her dark robes like the vast, undulating earth, and the black sword at her waist embodied the supreme law of this place.

From the Star Spirit Palace, she observed the slowly moving star in the north.

She knew Night Chu was coming.

And the "wheat field" of Broken Realm City was now ripe. Today, her black sword would become a sickle, harvesting all the "wheat" to integrate into her own authority.

As for the backlash suffered by the royal descendants from losing their summoned spirits, she cared not at all.

She had not chosen to intercept Night Chu outside the city when he was weakest, partly because she suspected there might be more than one Chong Sui, or that Night Chu had other powerful experts stationed there. If she left the city, that person would freely slaughter the royal family within and destroy her "wheat field." She was a loyal guardian of this wheat field and would not tolerate any mistakes, even if it now seemed she had been overly cautious.

She stood on the high platform of the royal city, her skirt flowing like the soft, rolling night.

Below the platform were all her followers.

This was supposed to be a morning of scripture lectures and discussions, just like any other, but soon, screams erupted in the crowd. Some people's summoned spirits lost control, severing from their minds and transforming into slender streaks of light that flew towards Siming's location.

Siming extended her palm.

Beneath her tender palm, spiritual energy flowed like smoke and mist, like a spring breeze caressing willow branches, letting down a myriad of silken threads.

"God... God Child, what... ah!"

"God Child, what are you doing?!"

"My spirit! My spirit is gone! Help!"

"Run!"

Siming offered no further explanations.

In her mind, for these mere mortals to have heard her words and seen her face was already the greatest blessing she could bestow upon them.

A blessing that countless deaths could not repay.

Canxiang watched this scene, and his persistent ominous premonition had finally come true.

He hunched over, trying to slip away unnoticed.

But it was too late.

Siming extended her hand towards him.

Canxiang felt a terrifying force, like nails, pierce his limbs, pinning him firmly to the ground. Then, as if his entire network of meridians was being uprooted, his spirit was slowly extracted, transforming into a thread that flew towards Siming.

In the crowd, a young man desperately clutched his spirit, running wildly, trying to escape. Behind him, screams and wails resonated like the symphony of a purgatory.

His spirit was a large snake with a severed tail.

After he had tamed it, this large snake had become docile and powerful, even subtly possessing some control over space.

But he, too, failed to escape.

A man whose spirit had been drained screamed in agony. Unwilling to suffer alone, he suddenly reached out, grabbed the young man's ankle, and tripped him to the ground.

He knew all was lost.

That impossibly beautiful sister was a demon after all; she had been deceiving them. She wanted to devour all the spirits, and his big black snake would surely not escape either...

But for some reason, the large black snake did not dissipate.

The young man couldn't see the black-robed figure in front of him, who looked at the black snake—now a mere wisp of a soul, thin and small as an ordinary python—and let out an ancient sigh.