Chapter 206: Breaking the Prison

His pupils and the golden light on the black sword ignited almost simultaneously. Golden flames engulfed the black sword, tearing through the night as thick as a swamp. The swarm of bats in his mind scattered like specters beneath a Buddha's light. His mental state and the Golden Crow complemented each other; after his mind became clear, the black specks that the Sin Lord had previously corroded onto the Golden Crow's feathers also shook free and dispersed.

The sword's tip, wreathed in golden flames, was the first to emerge from the inky black door. The blade slid out like scissors from soft silk.

The Sin Lord's robes were instantly illuminated, their pure black feathers plated with scorching gold. Only the space beneath his long-beaked hat brim remained utterly dark, as if no light in the world could penetrate it.

As the darkness broke, Ning Changjiu came cleaving down, both hands gripping his sword hilt. The Sin Lord, holding a lightning sword in his left hand, parried with a horizontal slash. The golden sword clashed with the Sin Lord's lightning sword, unleashing a deafening clang of metal! Both swords carried immense force, pressing against each other. Sword energy and electrical currents intertwined. As they fought, their faces drew closer. Ning Changjiu stared intently at the Sin Lord, the gold in his pupils like erupting dust. The air between them was torn apart by sword and electricity, exploding in a series of blasts.

Ning Changjiu's arm muscles were strained almost to their limit. "Ah!" he suddenly roared. On his sword's edge, golden flames transformed into the shape of a Golden Crow, shooting through the air in an instant. Simultaneously, the Sin Lord's lightning sword scraped past his, like sawing wood. Amidst the grating, tearing sounds, countless electric sparks flew.

The two swords, crossed in an X-shape, recoiled violently after their power was pushed to the extreme. Ning Changjiu stumbled back several steps, barely stopping his retreat by bracing himself with his sword. The Sin Lord's figure also drifted backward. He used his lightning sword to slice away several persistent wisps of sword intent, then landed lightly.

The golden flames on Ning Changjiu's sword had not extinguished. Although he hadn't gained any advantage from the Sin Lord's sword, this one strike had completely destroyed the power of judgment the Sin Lord had previously inflicted upon him. As the Sword Spirit said, authority was not truly invincible. Only an invincible state and power were invincible.

He gasped for breath, an infinite, god-slaying courage rising within him. But the Spirit of the Sword Scripture poured cold water on him again. "What are you dallying for?! Run! Are you waiting for the Sin Lord to activate his authority again and punish you for blasphemy a second time?" the Spirit of the Sword Scripture cried out. "Don't forget the original plan."

Ning Changjiu nodded softly, suppressing some of the fervor in his heart. He knew that without simultaneously possessing the authorities of Fate and Time, he had no chance of defeating the Sin Lord. Yet, the golden flames in Ning Changjiu's pupils burned even brighter.

The Sin Lord quietly watched the young man who had torn through the darkness with a single sword and forced him back. He sighed, a rare expression from him, "I didn't expect you to still be this strong after several millennia." Ning Changjiu thought, *Is the esteemed Sin Lord living in a temple? He's hinted at this so many times without revealing his identity; clearly, he doesn't want to tell me. If he doesn't want to say it, why play riddles?*

Ning Changjiu radiated killing intent, and the Asura Divine Record rippled outward from his body in waves, each one like the tolling of a great bell. The next moment, Ning Changjiu's figure abruptly vanished from his spot.

The Sin Lord quietly watched the spot where he had vanished, feeling no sense of being toyed with. He had just detected a subtle spatial fluctuation. This young man must have used a Daoist technique similar to a flying array. All his previous golden flames and killing intent were a disguise, meant only to conceal the points of light appearing around him behind a golden curtain.

Ning Changjiu had already appeared on a barren plain. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. He had made extensive preparations for this battle back when he confronted Black Feather outside the city. Here, there were formations, traps, and swords he had buried every hundred li, prepared for unforeseen needs. But now, it seemed these held little significance for the Sin Lord; they would barely even delay him for a moment.

His retreat was also a huge gamble. If the Sin Lord were to turn now and kill Night Eradication or seize the Authority of Fate, Ning Changjiu would have no chance. Fortunately, soon after, his extended spiritual power sensed a ripple in the darkness behind him, rushing through the air like an arrow. This was also the Sin Lord's pride: in his eyes, Ning Changjiu was his only enemy at this moment, and the pursuit would not cease until he was dead.

A millennium ago, the Sin Lord's ability to seize one of the God Lord's authorities after the world's remaking was certainly not achieved through one-on-one duels like this. Back then, he had also calculated every scheme, even going so far as to kill his best friend. But now, the Sin Lord also felt a long-lost surge of passion. He had been lonely for five hundred years and equally yearned for a life-or-death confrontation where swords clashed. Of course, most importantly, the life or death of this projection had no bearing on his true body. He could use any move without reservation, without counting the cost or gain, with exhilarating freedom. But Ning Changjiu could not.

The city gates stood wide open. The black-robed figure left the city and entered the gorge, his form becoming an extremely dark line, merging with the night, drifting far away. The lightning energy shattered rocks and shredded vegetation, annihilating everything in its path. Ning Changjiu recalled his pre-planned escape route, also employing the Concealment Technique to blend into the silent night.

Ning Changjiu was unsure how long he could delay them. He knew he should be undistracted during battle, yet he couldn't help but worry about the royal city. The Authority of Fate was the most crucial link in this battle.

The already dilapidated royal city was now even more desolate. The night was pitch dark. Most people had fled the streets, where several terribly mangled corpses, casualties of the battle, lay strewn. The former stage had long been destroyed in the battle, its wood burning. Large red lanterns lay scattered on the ground, their paper coverings long since burnt away, some bamboo frames still smoldering, looking like tumbling fireballs rolling with the wind. Further away, the already crooked houses were now crumbling ruins, and most of the sheds in the open areas had been toppled. The successive disasters seemed to be cleansing the city of its fabricated sins, and wails and cries of sorrow could be heard everywhere.

Inside the golden cage in the center, Siming leaned against a stone pillar, her beautiful eyes slightly open, gazing forward. In front of her, Shao Xiaoli, gripping an iron sword, infused it with spiritual power and incessantly struck the golden cage. With each clang, the iron sword was repelled again and again, its blade even beginning to twist and deform.

"Don't waste your effort," Siming said faintly, still leaning against the stone pillar.

"Shut up! If you hadn't played tricks, would we be in this situation? Now look, neither of us can escape!" Shao Xiaoli turned around, glaring angrily at Siming.

Siming smiled and said, "Don't look at me like that. This isn't the gallows anymore. Do you really think you can still beat me?" Shao Xiaoli couldn't help but recall the terrifying pursuit that night. That beautiful, murderous deity had now broken free from her restraints, standing coldly behind her, watching her. And what Shao Xiaoli had done to her before was practically an unforgivable enmity...

Shao Xiaoli swallowed nervously, feigning composure. "We should work together now and find a way out. Otherwise, when the Sin Lord kills our boss, your fate won't be any better!"

Siming quietly leaned against the stone pillar, her eyes slightly closed, a nonchalant smile on her face. "Anyway, we're both going to die. But before I die, I can keep humiliating you, while you can only suffer abuse until you die, hmm... isn't that right?" These were words Shao Xiaoli had previously said to Siming. Now, they were returned to her.

Shao Xiaoli nervously watched the dazzlingly beautiful woman, her heart pounding. Her gaze darted occasionally to the bloodied hole in Siming's forearm, trying to discern whether Siming was truly confident or merely putting on a show of bravado. Shao Xiaoli hardened her resolve slightly. "Then if you've got the guts, get up and hit me! I'd like to see how much strength you, vixen, have left. If you can beat me, I'll have nothing to say, but if you can't, I won't show you any mercy. You'd better think carefully."

Siming's lips curved into a faint smile. She slowly rose to her feet and gracefully walked towards Shao Xiaoli. Her steps were light and soundless, yet they created an intense pressure for Shao Xiaoli.

"Don't come any closer!" Shao Xiaoli immediately exclaimed. "If you dare take another step, I'll draw my sword!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Siming watched the little girl, who was poor at pretending. She gently lifted her skirt slightly, and her delicate foot gracefully rose, like a young lady from a prestigious family carefully stepping over a threshold. Shao Xiaoli watched wide-eyed as Siming's exquisitely pale foot touched down, her soft sole gently resting on the brick surface. Then, her other foot followed.

Shao Xiaoli gripped the sword in her hand tightly, her heart in her throat. She said, "Don't move again. I... I'll tolerate one last step from you. If you dare move again, I'll strike with my sword!"

Siming watched Shao Xiaoli instinctively recoil slightly, then teased, "Heh? What's wrong? Weren't you so arrogant just now, lashing me with whip after whip, so impressive? What's the matter now? Come on, hit me again, with your sword, your scabbard, or your delicate little palm?" Siming laughed, appearing with a graceful charm that made her seem to sway like a flower.

In a short time, the roles were reversed again, which Shao Xiaoli found hard to accept. The more imposing she had been before, the more cowardly she felt now. She had truly witnessed Siming's formidable power and didn't believe her own rudimentary swordsmanship, honed over a few months, could threaten her opponent. Furthermore, she was more than half a head shorter than Siming, and even in sheer presence, she was mercilessly suppressed.

"Kneel," Siming suddenly said, standing before her. "Bow to me, and as you do, repeat all the words of surrender and apology until I am satisfied." Although Shao Xiaoli always prided herself on being adaptable, her swordsmanship was taught by her boss. If she knelt now, it would be as if her boss also knelt. Her own dignity being damaged didn't matter, but she absolutely couldn't implicate her boss! As she thought this, she looked at Siming's pristine, ethereal face and obediently knelt.

Siming looked at the red-dressed girl kneeling beneath her, slowly raised her foot, intending to step on her head and repay a hundredfold everything she had just endured. Her emotions raged within her, yet her brow remained cool and otherworldly.

Shao Xiaoli knelt trembling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Siming's slightly raised foot—its arch like a jade bow, its sole sculpted like jade. Her bare ankle was delicate and translucent, and on her smooth calf, there was a faint, almost imperceptible, alluring red mark. The red mark...

Shao Xiaoli's heart stirred. Her previously fearful expression abruptly turned sharp. With a clang, Shao Xiaoli's sword suddenly moved, slashing towards Siming's delicate foot that was about to step on her. Siming's expression also changed. She pulled her foot back, intending to step on the hand that dared to suddenly draw a sword. But Shao Xiaoli's sword was too fast. After Siming's foot missed, she made a swift decision, using the Star Constellation Steps to retreat quickly, avoiding the sweeping flurry of sword shadows.

Inside the golden cage, the red dress and white dress intertwined. Shao Xiaoli, holding a sword, had the upper hand. After a few exchanges, the sword in Shao Xiaoli's hand wove into an impenetrable net, pressing forward. Siming had not expected her disguise to be seen through by her opponent and inwardly cursed. She was relentlessly suppressed, without even time to activate her authority. She could only resist with spiritual energy. But after almost seven days of torture, Siming's strength and morale were largely depleted. How could she possibly withstand Shao Xiaoli's smoothly flowing sword techniques?

*Cling!* Siming was forced back against the stone pillar, a sword now embedded beside her snow-white neck. A few slender silver-white strands of hair drifted down from the blade. Shao Xiaoli gripped the sword hilt and finally let out a sigh of relief. She had regained her dominance.

She moved closer to Siming. Their faces were still a short distance apart, but their chests were already touching. "Boss really didn't lie to me; wicked women are all paper tigers!" Shao Xiaoli scoffed. "With just this much skill, you still thought you could trick me into kneeling? You're truly brazen." In truth, had she not accidentally glimpsed the red mark on Siming's calf and deduced that Siming couldn't even heal her injuries at that moment, she might have actually knelt and begged for mercy.

Siming sighed and closed her eyes. She could already foresee the humiliation she was about to face. But this was the price of her losing the gamble.

But Shao Xiaoli made no further moves. She tilted her head slightly, staring earnestly at Siming, and said gravely, "I'm willing to apologize for my previous actions. Let's put our grievances aside for now, and deal with them later. Now, let's not waste any more time. Let's work together to find a way out, okay?" Siming looked at her pretty face, now tensed with seriousness. Siming was now inferior in skill, so her aura was also suppressed. Shao Xiaoli was willing to compromise, and Siming, of course, couldn't agree more. But agreement didn't mean willingness.

Siming's left hand silently formed a hand seal within her sleeve. With an unchanging expression, she nodded slightly and said, "As you wish."

"Mmm, you're not allowed to trick me, okay?" Shao Xiaoli reminded her. She herself felt her words carried little weight. She wanted to mention making a blood oath, but she didn't know much about them and also worried Siming would trick her again.

"I can't beat you now, so how could I trick you?" Siming's spell formula was almost complete. She certainly knew that prioritizing was important now and that she shouldn't act impulsively. But no matter what, she still wanted to subdue Shao Xiaoli first and give her a good beating.

Just as her spell formula was about to be completed, her left hand, which was forming the seal, was suddenly grasped by Shao Xiaoli. Siming's heart jumped. *My movements were so small, how could she have noticed?* she thought. She saw Shao Xiaoli holding her left hand with her right, pulling their hands to their chests. With a serious little face, she said, "Let's make a pinky promise!"

Siming paused, then smiled helplessly. A strange emotion welled up in her heart as she sighed softly and extended her pinky finger, linking it with Shao Xiaoli's. Both girls recited the childlike promise in unison, then gently released their hands.

"You're not allowed to go back on your word now, okay?" Shao Xiaoli said earnestly.

"All right," Siming truly agreed. So they both temporarily suppressed their hatred and grudges and began to jointly explore ways to escape.

As a former divine official, Siming was knowledgeable and experienced. Having been nailed to a cross, she had a deeper understanding of cages like this. "Try striking it with your sword again?" Siming said.

Shao Xiaoli responded, put all her strength into it, and brought her sword down. The ringing sound was incessant. Siming gently rubbed her ear. She intently watched the golden cage vibrating under the sword's edge, her brow slightly furrowed in thought.

"Give me the sword," Siming suddenly said. Shao Xiaoli still had lingering doubts, yet she handed it over. Siming took the sword and slashed at the cage. At the point where the sword clashed with the cage, a reaction entirely different from Shao Xiaoli's previous strikes occurred: concentric golden ripples visibly spread outwards.

"Hmm?" Siming said, puzzled, and struck another blow. The same ripples appeared again. She handed the sword back to Shao Xiaoli and sighed, "Don't waste your effort. This must be formed by the power of laws. With our current strength, we cannot break it, nor can we destroy it." Shao Xiaoli knew that their lives were at stake and that Siming wouldn't lie to her at this moment. She lowered her head in disappointment, feeling even more disheartened. As her spirits drooped, the cage in the young girl's eyes seemed to grow a little thicker.

Shao Xiaoli noticed this change and said, "It couldn't be cut through anyway, and now this broken iron cage is getting thicker? Is it trying to kill us?"

"Thicker?" Siming asked, puzzled. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Shao Xiaoli thought Siming was deliberately messing with her and got a little angry. She reached out to the cage, encircled it with her thumb and forefinger, then gently released her grip, trying to maintain that size, and held it before Siming, demanding, "Isn't this thick enough for you?"

Siming looked at her gesture with a puzzled expression. Then she quickly understood and said, "What color is this cage in your eyes?"

Shao Xiaoli stated matter-of-factly, "Golden, of course."

Siming said softly, "In my eyes, it's white."

"White? How can it be white?" Shao Xiaoli was angry, thinking Siming must be trying to disturb her mind. If they hadn't made that pinky promise earlier, she would have wanted to punish her severely. Siming sighed, "That it's golden in your eyes means your Dao heart has no major obstacles and isn't deceived. My mental state, however, is covered by a huge shadow. My shadow is white... a woman in white clothes."

Shao Xiaoli recalled Night Eradication's words that provoked her earlier and couldn't help but glance at Siming a few more times. She couldn't imagine how beautiful someone more beautiful than Siming could be. In this world, perhaps only her boss's two wives could surpass her. Although she had never met them, she definitely had to say it that way.

Shao Xiaoli said, half-believing, half-doubting, "Are you serious?"

Siming nodded, "I have no reason to lie to you."

"I suppose you wouldn't dare..." Shao Xiaoli muttered, then asked, "So what should we do?"

Siming said, "People in your world might not know, but in the outside world, beyond this world's highest realm, there is also the Purple Court Realm. Breaking into the Purple Court Realm requires overcoming a heart demon tribulation. Although this cage doesn't give rise to the ultimate heart demons, in a sense, it's very similar." Shao Xiaoli wasn't stupid and quickly understood. "You mean I have to conquer my own inner self? That sounds so bizarre."

Siming shook her head and sighed, "Actually, I shouldn't have told you this. If your mind were undivided, free of distracting thoughts and fear, you might have been able to cut through it directly. By revealing the nature of this 'heart cage,' I've, in a sense, added another mental obstacle for you." Shao Xiaoli said, "Then what if I just don't believe it?" Siming gave a speechless laugh. She hadn't expected this little girl's spirit to be even greater than she imagined.

Shao Xiaoli said dejectedly, "I can't believe we've gone through all this trouble just to end up back at the beginning... It's really frustrating." As she spoke, in Shao Xiaoli's eyes, the golden frame of the cage grew a little thicker again. Shao Xiaoli gasped, instinctively reaching out to grip the iron frame, hoping to stop it from getting thicker with her hands.

Siming looked at Shao Xiaoli and said seriously, "If you can unleash that one sword yourself, you might have a chance to get out." Shao Xiaoli nodded lightly, "I'll try."

Shao Xiaoli recalled what Ning Changjiu had taught her. Spiritual energy flowed through her body as she coordinated herself and her sword in an unusual posture, thrusting it out. She tried dozens of strikes, but none worked. Her spiritual energy was rapidly depleting, becoming unsustainable. Siming stood behind her, arms crossed, watching Shao Xiaoli's increasingly absurd sword strikes. Her eyelashes drooped, and she sighed softly.

Shao Xiaoli heard her sigh and retorted irritably, "You're so amazing, why don't you try it?"

Siming shook her head, "My Dao heart's shadow couldn't be destroyed even by myself seven hundred years ago, let alone now?" Shao Xiaoli showed a look of disdain. After trying several more strikes, Shao Xiaoli ran out of strength. She leaned on her sword, wiping sweat from her forehead, her expression despondent.

Siming calmly watched her and unexpectedly began to make small talk: "Actually, when you're dressed up, you're quite a beauty. It's one thing not to wear makeup on ordinary days, but why don't you even comb your hair?"

Shao Xiaoli rolled her eyes at her. "What do you know? My mother told me when I was very young that beauty is fleeting and brings misfortune. So I only want to be an ugly girl, not a beauty. If it weren't for boss's mission this time, I wouldn't even bother with makeup or dressing up."

"Beauty brings misfortune, does it?" Siming had thought she was merely lazy in the past but hadn't expected this answer.

"Yes, see, as soon as I got a little prettier, I was locked in here. And you too, you're so beautiful, your fate..." Shao Xiaoli trailed off, remembering they were fragile allies now.

Siming said dismissively, "I've lived for over a thousand years; that's not short."

Shao Xiaoli grew even sadder. "But I'm only seventeen."

Siming asked, "Do you like Ning Changjiu?"

Shao Xiaoli said emphatically, "Boss and I are always good buddies."

Siming smiled slightly, "If we were about to die and you had a chance to say one last thing to Ning Changjiu, would you still say that?" Shao Xiaoli changed the subject, "If we keep wasting time talking, Boss really won't survive!" Saying this, she picked up her sword again and struck at the cage like chopping wood.

Siming watched her sword, then asked herself, "What is the most hateful thing in your life?" Shao Xiaoli recalled the first time her mother told her she wasn't of royal lineage, but an illegitimate daughter. But she didn't reply.

Siming didn't wait for her answer but continued to ask slowly, "And when was the happiest moment in your life?" When that white-robed figure walked out from the curtain of light in the Time Abyss.

Siming then asked, "What about the loneliest time?" When that white-robed figure walked out of the Time Abyss, brushed past her, and continued on their way.

"The most solitary time?"

"The most exhilarating time?"

"The most triumphant time?"

Siming asked question after question. In Shao Xiaoli's mind, scenes flashed by in alternation, distracting her so much that she couldn't focus on her sword strikes. She said angrily, "I'm only seventeen! Why does it sound like you're writing my biography?" Even so, each time Siming asked a question, the cage genuinely seemed to become a little thinner. But it was still not enough, far from enough.

"What about the most unforgettable time?" Shao Xiaoli scoffed with a smile, thinking, *What's there to answer for this question? It must be the times with Boss...*

No! Shao Xiaoli suddenly widened her eyes. The first image that flashed in her mind was not that. Instead, she thought of the scene when Night Eradication calculated her fate that day. At the very tip of the tower, on an arched scroll, a unique stellar map belonging to her was displayed.

"You are not the daughter of the royal family." This was his first sentence then, like a clap of thunder. But what left an even deeper impression on her were the words that followed. "At your birth, the White Ape Star and Jade Rabbit Star were companion stars; this is the star of wisdom." This 'wisdom' is the wisdom of intelligence. It was then that she truly became certain she wasn't a clumsy girl. Her mother had told her that extreme wisdom leads to injury, so she had been deceiving herself for years, almost successfully.

Siming raised an eyebrow slightly. She noticed two glowing white points of light hovering beside Shao Xiaoli. They were the ethereal White Ape Star and Jade Rabbit Star, revolving around Shao Xiaoli as if she were the center of the world. "And the Luo River Goddess Star is in its rightful position!" In front of Shao Xiaoli, a faint, ethereal immortal energy rose gracefully, vaguely outlining a human form. It was as if a goddess emerged from the Luo River, a fleeting, stunning vision. The Luo River Goddess Star was in its rightful position.

Because her mother had told her that beauty brought misfortune, she had always tried to avoid being a "beauty." But in the destiny Night Eradication had described, this was never something she could control or escape. White Ape, Jade Rabbit, Luo River Goddess. The three constellations each settled into their respective places.

Inspiration struck. Shao Xiaoli swung a sword strike guided by her true self. That sword strike was neither a move from the Heavenly Oracle Sword Scripture nor any sword Ning Changjiu had taught her. The sword struck the cage. The iron sword shattered, and the cage shattered with it. Her body, unable to bear the strain, also stumbled outward with the sword's momentum, kneeling on the ground, her expression blank.

"That's enough," Night Eradication said from the darkness not far away, withdrawing his finger. He then smiled and retreated with Blood Feather Monarch deeper into the shadows.

Siming walked behind her. She extended her hand, aiming for her neck. "Are you going to kill me?" Shao Xiaoli asked. Siming's hook-like fingers suddenly softened. She smiled, adjusted her skirt, and said, "Let's go."

"Where to?" Shao Xiaoli asked.

"The Star Spirit Temple."

"I'm not going," Shao Xiaoli said stubbornly. "That's your territory."

"Heh, you really have gotten smarter," Siming said, gently rubbing her head. "Then wait for me here. Don't run off."

"Okay," Shao Xiaoli agreed.

Siming walked into the Star Spirit Temple. This was her only place of comfort. After a long time, she sat upon the gnomon, like a girl on a swing. The sundial truly lived up to its name as a divine artifact protecting the nation. In an extremely short time, her injuries, cultivation realm, and authority were all healed. She stepped down from the gnomon and descended the steps, shedding her white dress and thin undergarments along the way. Naked, she entered the silvery-white pool, its candlelight shimmering, her jade-like form gracefully swaying. Rippling water embraced her graceful silhouette.

After bathing, she wore no undergarments, only a black cloak, and walked out of the temple. The cloak concealed her face and hair. She looked around and found Shao Xiaoli was gone.

"She really is clever... ran away fast, avoiding a beating," Siming said with a touch of regret. "I'll deal with you when you get back." Saying this, she looked north, and then her figure shot towards that direction. "I hope you're not dead yet," she said faintly.