Chapter 209: Mythical Battle

Fate and time intersected, forming a point beyond words.

It was profound yet brilliant, tiny yet serene, like a speck of dust containing all creation, or a solitary cosmic river. All life was born and died within it, and all light and shadow intertwined and transformed, manifesting into the myriad, complex forms of existence.

It was like a compassionate yet indifferent eye, reflecting all things in the mortal realm from the very center of the world.

Ning Changjiu transcended the mysteries, his white robes like frost and snow, his sword energy like molten silver. The "Heart Sword," as Siming called it, slowly emerged from his chest. It was as if his body were a cast-iron furnace, finally pouring out scorching molten metal to fully forge this peerless divine sword.

Ning Changjiu held the pure silver sword, its blade adorned with intricate, symmetrical patterns resembling the Kui beast designs found on bronze artifacts. The sword was straight, its tip sharp, and its edge flowed like water, seemingly capable of cleaving through anything in the world.

Ning Changjiu had intended to summon the Spirit of the Sword Sutra, but received no response. A jolt of surprise went through him. He had reversed everything after gaining control over the authority of time, so why could he not locate the Spirit of the Sword Sutra within his Qi Sea?

"Ning Changjiu."

A familiar voice rang out.

The sword in his hand hummed, and the voice emanated from the silver blade itself.

Ning Changjiu frowned, asking in bewilderment, "Where is your book?"

"It was absorbed along with the Asura Divine Sword. I thought I was going to perish completely, but by a strange twist of fate, I instead merged with this sword. I suppose you could call it a housewarming," the Sword Spirit said, its voice a little dejected, as if still not quite accustomed to its new home.

The Sword Sutra was its true form. Logically, unlike living beings whose souls can exist independently of their bodies, an artifact spirit's soul is inextricably bound to its physical form; detachment inevitably leads to complete annihilation.

The Asura Divine Sword had fused all sword skill manuals, mistakenly incorporating the Heavenly Oracle Sword Sutra into its forging process. This should have been the ultimate destruction for the Spirit of the Sword Sutra, yet it miraculously detached from its original form and was reborn into this brand-new sword.

It had transformed from the Spirit of the Sword Sutra into a true Sword Spirit.

Ning Changjiu suddenly understood that this was also a consequence of the transformation within this nexus.

This nexus had broken free from the constraints of original fate, truly achieving the impossible and even disregarding the world's inherent rules.

Therefore, unless the Sinful Lord struck him with an attack that annihilated his very being, as long as he drew breath, he could use this nexus to fully recover from his injuries!

What an extraordinary power this was!

The former Lord of the Divine Kingdom here must have possessed such power, so why, despite having such divine might, were they ultimately slain?

Ning Changjiu could not comprehend it.

Siming stood behind him. From within her robe sleeve, she extended a finger, lightly brushing it over her blood-stained red lips. Her delicate mouth slightly parted, she placed the slender white fingertip into her moist lips, cleaning it with the tip of her tongue. In her profound gaze, the reflection of Ning Changjiu's white robes shimmered.

That figure was like a banner unfurled, its surface as white as snow.

Siming's heart trembled violently. She used the graceful gesture of licking her finger to conceal the profound shock she felt. With her jade-like teeth, she lightly bit her tender finger, grinding it, using the pain to bring herself back to awareness and suppress the overwhelming urge to kneel before that figure.

As she gazed at his back, she thought of the Divine Lord.

Though their forms were utterly distinct, the aura of power emanating from him at this moment shared a common origin with the Divine Lord.

While he was nowhere near as mighty as the Divine Lord, in this oppressed realm, he was like a celestial god. The official seal she had previously imprinted on his back suddenly seemed laughable; Ning Changjiu could effortlessly erase it at will.

"What is the name of this authority?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Siming's hand fell, a fresh drop of blood oozing from her fingertip. Her expression wavered between submission and clarity as she softly replied, "Infinity."

The Sinful Lord heard these two words.

The authorities of the Divine Kingdom Lords were mutually guarded secrets, unrecorded in the Twelve Edicts. However, he could roughly deduce its scope from the authority's characteristics.

This authority was certainly not among those of Tishan, Baizang, Jufu, Vermilion Bird, Mingzheng, or Konglie. Therefore, the headless Divine Lord, unknown to them, must have belonged to Yuanfu, Thunder Prison, Quanlin, Tianji, or Yuanjun.

He confirmed that Tianji was still alive. While Tianji's individual combat strength was not formidable, its Crimson Thread Divine Kingdom held the most profound influence over the world. Should the Crimson Thread Divine Kingdom collapse, the entire world would cease to function and plunge into silence.

As for the other four…

The Sinful Lord looked at Ning Changjiu, and understanding dawned on him instantly.

His soul had been extracted from the endless cycle of reincarnation in the Eternal Realm. If a Divine Kingdom Lord's territory was invaded, striking at their very essence, then only a battle to the death would suffice.

Though Thunder Prison was ancient, he had once been the leader of ten thousand dragons. How could he have fallen so easily...?

No wonder, then, that over the years, the dragon scales on the world's Dragon-Entwining Pillars had grown scarcer.

Ning Changjiu held the authority named Infinity. Fate and time converged and swirled around him, emanating the unique radiance of a deity.

After acquiring this authority, he should have been invincible.

Unfortunately, standing before him was the Sinful Lord, equally formidable and now almost complete.

At this moment, the Sinful Lord's black robes flared with raven feathers, like burning black flames. His wide, billowing sleeves, akin to wings, stretched out from his sides. His long, sharp, hooked claws glinted with silver light, and the thunder spear in his hand crackled erratically like arcs of electricity between the folds of his robe.

If this war were to erupt outside, it would unleash another great catastrophe akin to the one five hundred years ago, again leading to decades of upheaval across the land and the decimation of divine beings.

After that catastrophe, the heavens tilted and the earth skewed, taking centuries to settle back into equilibrium.

Yet now, this battle of lords, in a sense, had no more witnesses.

The supreme divine radiance within Ning Changjiu, after surging wildly, gradually settled into stillness.

Likewise, he sensed that this authority was still incomplete, which was also linked to the inherent incompleteness of Yechu's and Siming's authorities. However, even in its fragmented state, within this world where cultivation realms were suppressed, it was an artifact mighty enough to cleave open heaven and earth.

"Very good," the Sinful Lord said, his voice impassive as he looked at him.

Ning Changjiu held the silver sword and offered no response, yet all his killing intent and authority had already locked onto the Sinful Lord.

The laws of Infinity permeated the Asura Blade, while the laws of Judgment imbued the Thunder Spear.

Around them, everything was instantly pulverized into dust.

Their combined powers simultaneously exceeded the limits of what this world could contain.

Soon, all the world's clouds and winds, even space itself, would begin to tilt and warp towards their location. The once flat and uniform space would transform into an undulating, sloping surface.

And if the battle were to drag on, everything in this world would lose its original structure and mercilessly collapse.

After they each unveiled their respective authorities, Siming began to tremble violently.

Even she, when too close to them, could not endure the two diametrically opposed, supreme powers that pulled at her. This force seemed intent on tearing every fiber of her being into dust. Her body trembled incessantly, unable even to summon her own authority. She wanted to cry for help, but the shame and overwhelming pressure rendered her speechless. She had never imagined that someone of her stature would perish in the unintended turbulence of gods. Despair and unwilling acceptance, like bitter seawater, instantly flooded her chest.

Just before her body succumbed to the strain, a force suddenly enveloped her, alleviating the crushing burden that threatened to overwhelm her.

That force emanated from Ning Changjiu.

Siming's body relaxed, and her dilated pupils refocused. She parted her lips, about to speak.

Ning Changjiu's figure, however, suddenly transformed into a streak of white light, shooting upwards.

The Sinful Lord did not even spare Siming a glance. As Ning Changjiu's figure ascended, he too rose into the sky, cloaked in thunder and lightning.

After they departed, Siming's body hunched slightly, and she collapsed to her knees, vomiting a mouthful of blood. She lay half-prostrate on the ground, her robe sleeves splayed, her arms pressed against the earth, her arched body heaving violently with continuous gasps.

A feeling of utter helplessness washed over her... Before the complete Sinful Lord, she was so utterly insignificant.

Had it not been for Ning Changjiu's protection, she would now be either dead or severely wounded.

But she resented owing him this favor.

This power, after all, was clearly something she had bestowed upon him...

Siming lay prostrate on the ground, like a slave lashed by a whip. After her body trembled for a long time, the lingering pain finally subsided, and she scrambled to her feet, disheveled.

Fortunately, no one witnessed this scene here, or she would surely have gouged out their eyes and then slowly tortured them to death.

The wind around her intensified, making her shiver uncontrollably as it seeped into her. She pulled her clothes tighter, donned her hood, and, with a slight crouch, made her way deeper into the world. There, time flowed more swiftly, allowing her to await the conclusion of this epochal battle in a shorter span.

Beneath the murky sky, white robes confronted black robes.

Ning Changjiu hovered in the air, already displaying the divine abilities of the Purple Court Realm. The surrounding space trembled ceaselessly since his arrival, like a distorted mirror on the verge of shattering.

"You're anticipating this battle too, aren't you?" Ning Changjiu suddenly spoke, his pupils like two suns, each reflecting the shadow of a Golden Crow. "If you truly intended to kill me, I would likely have perished in Severed Realm City long ago."

The Sinful Lord's voice was devoid of emotion: "Your escape was not mere chance; there's no need to underestimate yourself."

To receive such an assessment from a Divine Kingdom Lord was supreme honor, yet Ning Changjiu's face showed no hint of a smile; instead, he appeared even colder and more somber.

He asked, "This world has remained isolated for seven hundred years, undisturbed and safe from the outside, like a true paradise. Isn't it better for things to continue this way? Must you destroy this world to be content?"

The Sinful Lord said, "You needn't feign ignorance. Perhaps you know better than I what truly lies hidden behind this fragmented Divine Kingdom."

Ning Changjiu's eyes narrowed slightly, and the golden light within them intensified.

He also considered many things. If his master truly killed the Headless God back then, then she must have seized most of the authority over time. And his return to twelve years ago must have been her twisting the fabric of the universe using the Headless God's power.

Could it be that her original intention was not to kill him?

So why did she risk killing the Divine Kingdom Lord? Was it merely to steal the authority over time and send him back twelve years?

This was an event from seven hundred years ago... Even his master, he couldn't believe she could plan so far ahead.

He vaguely sensed she was orchestrating a plan, one so grand that it was beyond his current comprehension and imagination.

Then why was his death inevitable?

Could it be that in this grand scheme, he, of all people, was merely a carefully chosen sacrifice?

But when considering the entire incomprehensible domain, if a sacrifice had to be chosen, he indeed seemed the most suitable...

Ning Changjiu dared not delve deeper into his thoughts. He looked at the Sinful Lord and said, "The Lord of the Divine Kingdom resides high in the heavens and should cherish humanity. After our battle, when mountains crumble and rivers shatter, how can anything survive?"

The Sinful Lord, who preferred brevity, stated, "This is a no-man's land, perfectly suited as a battlefield."

The lightning surrounding the Sinful Lord once again coalesced into a long spear. The authority of judgment materialized into a golden essence, covering the spear like molten gold. He brandished the spear; between heaven and earth, fierce thunder and lightning flashed, storms roared, and the surrounding air surged like a violent tsunami, crashing towards Ning Changjiu's position.

Ning Changjiu moved, his silver-white sword plunging into the heart of the thunderstorm.

Within a radius of thousands of miles, the lightning resembled a grand symphony, playing furiously, transforming into earth-shattering waves that surged towards them.

The Sinful Lord's black robes merged with the night, their dark, sharp lines only briefly discernible when lightning flashed. Yet, none of these lightning bolts could strike Ning Changjiu; they were like frenzied, dancing serpents, spitting venom at an ethereal shadow.

Before Ning Changjiu, a cross-shaped nexus flashed, and his figure vanished within it, dodging every lightning strike. Then, with a single sword stroke, he tore through the temporal-spatial barrier, appearing without warning behind the Sinful Lord. The silver-white sword light cleaved open a breathtaking lunar arc, a vast spatial rift that instantly swallowed the Sinful Lord.

This was a domain symbolizing time and space.

Ning Changjiu sought a brief respite, waiting for his prey, when his expression suddenly tightened. He saw a black feather gently drifting downwards. Just as he realized something was amiss, that black feather had swapped places with the Sinful Lord. What Ning Changjiu had expended immense power to trap was nothing more than an insignificant plume.

Then, a spear tip gleamed directly before him.

Ning Changjiu had no time to unfurl the nexus again, but at this moment, he also possessed "Profound Armor." As the spear tip neared, he, like a madman, intended to directly intercept it with his hand.

A colossal flash of lightning, carrying the sharp edge of judgment, erupted between their palms, resembling a perpetually swirling vortex that radiated dazzling light.

Ning Changjiu suddenly understood: acquiring this authority merely granted him the qualification to wage an equal battle against the Sinful Lord. In reality, these authorities were simply the blades in their hands, and authorities of the same caliber would not shatter upon collision—nothing more.

In this world, the casting of any spell requires time.

And so too did authority.

In a divine battle, their swords could clash hundreds, even thousands of times in a single breath. He dared not allow the slightest distraction, nor dared to employ his authority with too high a frequency.

The Sinful Lord was no different.

Although Ning Changjiu's authority was incomplete, it possessed a natural restraint over the Sinful Lord's destructive powers. No matter how severe the Sinful Lord's judgment, Ning Changjiu could utilize the nexus to escape predetermined fate, even erasing traces of his past.

Their true, deadly combat, however, would be decided by their respective weapons.

This earth-shattering battle was the eye of the storm for the entire world. In the history of Severed Realm City, and indeed the outside world, a conflict of this magnitude was virtually unprecedented.

This realm announced its defiance against these two unconventional powers with roaring sonic booms.

The world itself was like a colossal canyon. Now, the stone walls on both sides of this chasm began to converge towards the center. It would continue to narrow, raising mountains and shattering glaciers, until it crushed these two unconventional intruders into oblivion.

In Severed Realm City, Shao Xiaoli emerged from an alley. She could feel as if a hand were pushing her forward from behind.

The entirety of Severed Realm City felt as if it had been set upon a smooth sheet of ice, which then began to subtly sink, causing the city to slide towards a growing incline.

She leaned against the wall, gazing up at the dark night sky. Though she could not see, she could feel an earth-shattering battle unfolding there.

Her expression was devoid of panic; instead, it displayed a rare composure. She merely clenched her fists silently, silently cheering for her boss in her heart.

The Bloodfeather Lord, carrying Yechu, also emerged from the darkness. Together, they approached Shao Xiaoli.

The Bloodfeather Lord eyed Shao Xiaoli up and down, marveling, "When we first arrived at Severed Realm City, I told Old Master Ning that if you dressed up properly, you would be absolutely beautiful. It seems I was indeed right; you even possess some of our Princess's demeanor."

Being told she resembled Ning Changjiu's fiancée would usually have pleased Shao Xiaoli, but at this moment, she softly asserted, "I resemble no one. I am simply Xiaoli."

Yechu looked at her and smiled, "Miss Xiaoli, your boss is indeed a remarkable person."

Shao Xiaoli replied, "You're quite impressive too, even more so than Siming."

Yechu smiled faintly, "Weren't you two chatting and laughing when you were imprisoned together?"

Shao Xiaoli said, "I can tell the hatred in her heart hasn't diminished in the slightest. She is simply capable of enduring. If she had intended to retaliate, I would be a corpse by now."

Yechu, however, shook her head. "You probably don't know this, but Siming once considered taking you as her disciple."

"Take me as a disciple?" This time, it was Shao Xiaoli's turn to be astonished.

Yechu affirmed, "We've been in this world for over seven hundred years, after all. Gods are not like plants; when we depart, we always wish to leave something behind. I left Chong Sui, while Siming wished to leave you."

"Why me?"

"Because you are beautiful and highly talented. Those two qualities are enough. People are drawn to beautiful things," Yechu explained. "Your curse, in a sense, was also instigated by Siming. She conveyed it to Severed Realm City, but Severed Realm City chose you."

Shao Xiaoli was aware of her curse. It was exceptionally peculiar: she couldn't wear clothes while sleeping, or she would feel as if the garments were trying to kill her, plunging her into extreme panic.

Shao Xiaoli once believed this was a manifestation of her insecurity.

"She... how could she be so petty?" Shao Xiaoli said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Yechu smiled, asking, "If none of this had happened, would you have been willing to become her disciple?"

Shao Xiaoli considered this seriously, then nodded. "Of course. After all, she's noble and powerful. Even if she's a bad woman, that's not unacceptable. Before I met my boss, I never even considered being a good person, anyway. Hmm... never mind the past. If Siming is willing to forgive me now and let bygones be bygones, I'd kowtow and acknowledge her as my master right this instant! Unless, of course, my boss can protect me, then that's a different story!"

Yechu gazed into the distance. "Your boss is incredibly powerful now," she said, "far more so than Siming."

"My boss is that powerful now... Then, when the time comes, we'll capture Siming and make her our personal servant, serving us every day. If anything displeases us even slightly, we'll punish her severely!" Shao Xiaoli declared.

Yechu chuckled, "Your attitude changed a bit too quickly, didn't it?"

Shao Xiaoli gazed into the dark night, clasping her hands before her chest, and murmured a prayer: "Boss, you absolutely must win."

The entire Severed Realm City slowly slid into the canyon.

The city walls, which had stood firm for centuries, began to slowly crumble.

Siming's perspective differed from theirs.

She gazed into the far distance. Due to the asynchronous flow of time, all events unfolded before her eyes, accelerated severalfold.

Lightning tore incessantly across the sky, while cross-shaped nexuses, flashing into existence and vanishing like transient stars, appeared and disappeared. Chaotic colors perpetually churned, and the murky night resembled a sea spewing forth lightning fragments. Within this maelstrom, two colossal vessels ceaselessly collided, their impacts generating air currents turbulent enough to unleash world-ending storms.

Neither of them suppressed their power.

The Sinful Lord's judgment was like the world's sharpest spear, its emanating killing intent saturating all space. It carved through everything, inflicting countless fatal wounds upon Ning Changjiu. Yet, Ning Changjiu's authority was even more formidable: no matter the severity of his injuries, his form would instantly regenerate after flickering within the nexus.

Once time and fate converged, the nexus could only manifest as two intersecting lines, forming a cross parallel to his body, directly before him. As it could not extend forward, it effectively neutered its offensive capabilities. While Ning Changjiu could ensure his immortality and invincibility until his authority was depleted, if he wished to harm the Sinful Lord, he could only rely on the Asura Sword in his hand.

They unleashed their powers wantonly, like two world-annihilating hurricanes. When people witnessed hurricanes sweeping across the land, they could scarcely imagine such forces would one day dissipate.

Yet no matter how formidable a storm, there inevitably comes a moment when it must abate.

But even as it continued, the clashing forces of authority churned the entire world.

In the obsidian canyon, molten lava sprayed forth, fire snakes darting like panicked escapees from the earth's core. The colorful mists in the Poison Mist Valley were ripped away, exposing the vibrant, vicious venomous insects beneath. Stripped of their concealment, they became incredibly timid, frantically fleeing into rock crevices, crushed by falling debris, their vital fluids splattering. On the ice plains, snow elephants moved like migrating herds, shaking the earth, while between glacial rifts, colliding ice masses crushed together to form colossal mountains. Whale dragons erupted violently from the sea, only to be stranded on thick ice layers, their unbelievably massive bodies writhing like catfish.

The entire world seemed like an out-of-control puppet, performing a strange, shambling dance akin to a living corpse.

Ning Changjiu's objective was to inflict irreversible damage upon the Sinful Lord before his own authority was fully depleted. The Sinful Lord's objective, conversely, was to deliver a single, fatal blow to Ning Changjiu, thus preventing his "Infinity" authority from continuing to function.

The silver sword and the lightning spear were like two colossal dragons wrestling amidst the storm clouds. They tore at each other's scales and flesh, vying to rip out each other's hearts with bare claws.

Ning Changjiu unscrupulously unleashed all his most powerful techniques. Infinity allowed him to recover all his cultivation levels and strength. However, the depletion of authority power was irreversible and could only be naturally restored.

This operated on the same principle as a giant being unable to lift itself.

Ning Changjiu's closest brush with death occurred when the Sinful Lord pressed a hundred-zhang bolt of lightning onto his chest, slamming him directly into the seabed beneath a shattered glacier. The entire sea then boiled, and amidst the surging and cracking glaciers, he was nearly crushed, his internal organs almost shattered by the immense weight of the seawater and the force of the lightning.

Ning Changjiu, in turn, used his silver-forged sword to cleave the Sinful Lord, fracturing his shoulder blade and causing his divine radiance to dim. Ignoring the backlash on his own body, he unleashed dozens of consecutive fatal strikes from the Heavenly Oracle Sword Sutra, driving the Sinful Lord back several thousand zhang.

Such combat continued ceaselessly.

The thunder gradually subsided.

"Even if mortals gain the power of gods, they cannot transform from a chrysalis into a butterfly and soar into the azure," the Sinful Lord said coldly, halting his movements.

The world briefly fell silent, and Ning Changjiu and the Sinful Lord seemed to return to their initial positions.

The Sinful Lord bore many slowly healing, gaping wounds, while Ning Changjiu's white robes remained pristine, though the divine radiance around him had become exceedingly faint.

The battle was nearing its conclusion.

"You possess more secrets than I imagined," the Sinful Lord said, looking at him and extending his hand.

Ning Changjiu still intended to resist, but the golden mist in his pupils suddenly dispersed, and two streams of fresh blood trickled from his eyes.

His vision suddenly turned pitch black.

In the final moment as light shattered within his eyes, he witnessed the deity's true form.

The Sinful Lord tore away his black robes, revealing his mythical form.

How could a mere mortal possibly glimpse a deity?