Chapter 212: Battle Challenge

Night Exterminator’s body turned to sand and dissipated, blown away by the wind, little by little, until only his pierced heart remained, vividly beating on the sand.

Had it not been for the sudden appearance of the Sin Monarch, he would have already left this world, carried by the heavenly fire.

Now that Night Exterminator was dead, the authority of destiny, scattered across the heavens and earth during the battle with the Sin Monarch, would take who knows how long to collect again, piece by piece.

Sīmìng found herself involuntarily recalling the long millennia, time fleeting like a white colt glimpsed through a crack, blurring seasons into indistinction. The ruined divine kingdom, once their greatest pride, had become the shackles that continuously suppressed them.

Sīmìng used her black sword to pick up the exquisite seven-aperture heart, slicing open its crystal-like surface and severing tiny, delicate blood vessels to allow the liquid within to flow slowly into Níng Chángjiǔ's mouth.

“What are you doing?!” Shào Xiǎolí, who had been running without pause, finally arrived at that moment.

Sīmìng said coldly, “If you don’t want him to die, then shut up.”

Shào Xiǎolí looked at the boy in her arms, his skin withered and flesh ravaged. Her heart tightened abruptly, dizziness overcame her, and her steps faltered.

She watched Sīmìng holding the beautiful, seven-aperture heart, like glazed crystal, feeding it to Níng Chángjiǔ bit by bit, barely daring to breathe. She thought, "This thing looks so strange, it must be some kind of miraculous elixir." She dared not displease Sīmìng in the slightest; after all, there were still many unsettled scores between them.

“Want a taste?” Sīmìng suddenly used her sword to pick up the heart and offered it to Shào Xiǎolí.

Shào Xiǎolí was silent, like a cicada in winter, waving her hands repeatedly.

Only after Sīmìng had fed the entire heart to Níng Chángjiǔ did Shào Xiǎolí finally breathe a sigh of relief. She asked cautiously, “Oh, Sister Sīmìng, you living Bodhisattva, now that he’s eaten this heart, will our leader be saved?”

Sīmìng replied, “The last one who ate this heart was branded, had their bones melted, their belly slit, their corpse chopped, and their remains suppressed beneath the Fire Peak, suffering torment until now.”

Shào Xiǎolí’s head buzzed upon hearing her words. After a long moment, she forced a smile and said, “Sister Bodhisattva, Xiaoli is timid; please don’t joke with me.”

Sīmìng's lips curved upward as she said, “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

Shào Xiǎolí thought, "As long as he’s alive, that’s all that matters. Future matters can be discussed later."

“Let’s go.” Sīmìng picked up Níng Chángjiǔ’s body, cradling him in her arms.

Shào Xiǎolí quickly followed and asked softly, “Where are we going?”

"We’re not going to pick out a coffin, are we…?" she thought with a trembling heart, staring fixedly at Níng Chángjiǔ, hoping to remember his face for the rest of her life.

Sīmìng said, “Back to the Star Spirit Palace.”

“Oh…” Shào Xiǎolí breathed a slight sigh of relief. She clasped her hands, following Sīmìng with a proper and humble demeanor, like an obedient and sensible little maidservant.

Upon returning to the Star Spirit Palace, Sīmìng used the power of the sundial to protect Níng Chángjiǔ and finally began to truly heal him.

Shào Xiǎolí cautiously followed her into the Star Spirit Palace, obediently deferring to Sīmìng, addressing her repeatedly as “sister,” busying herself, coming and going at Sīmìng’s beck and call, working tirelessly and without complaint.

Time was like a soft, warm spring bathing him, gently lifting his body off the ground. The glowing radiance seeped into his flesh, little by little, accelerating the passage of time to hasten the regeneration and recovery of his flesh.

Even so, his body's recovery remained slow. His injuries had almost completely pierced through his entire body. Sīmìng didn't know what kind of power was still sustaining his life force; it couldn't be explained by the simple Asura Divine Record.

Was it an obsession? Or something else?

Sīmìng didn't know how to explain it, but she had to wait for Níng Chángjiǔ to wake up.

Firstly, the authority of destiny had dispersed throughout the heavens and earth, so if she wished to leave, she would have to find another way out. Secondly, there was a rift in her Dao heart, a rift caused by Níng Chángjiǔ. Only by openly and fairly defeating him could she truly mend this crack in her spiritual state.

Most importantly, even she felt that this young man should not simply die in silence.

After Shào Xiǎolí brought in hot water, she tiptoed behind Sīmìng, placing her fingers on Sīmìng's shoulders and massaging them, kneading and tapping with perfectly controlled strength.

“Oh, Sister Bodhisattva, you've worked so hard! It’s been half a year since I last saw you, I really missed you,” Shào Xiǎolí said flatteringly.

“Oh? Really?” Sīmìng sneered and said, “How much did you miss me?”

“The kind where I couldn't think of tea, or sleep at night,” Shào Xiǎolí declared emphatically.

Sīmìng did not refuse her massage. She looked at Níng Chángjiǔ and said, “Your leader is barely clinging to life, but I cannot guarantee his survival. The rest depends on his own fate.”

Only then did Shào Xiǎolí finally relax significantly. She knew very well how resilient her leader was. Since Sister Sīmìng said so, he must be fine!

Sīmìng closed her eyes slightly, enjoying Shào Xiǎolí’s appropriately forceful hands. She said, “Where did you learn this technique?”

“It's a family tradition from my mother. I haven't even massaged our leader much, but I feel an immediate connection with Sister Sīmìng…”

Before Shào Xiǎolí could finish, Sīmìng interrupted her. With a gentle lift of her delicate hand, she placed it on Shào Xiǎolí’s smaller one and smiled faintly, “Such beautiful hands, about to become the hands of a dead person. Even I find it a pity.”

Shào Xiǎolí’s heart sank. She thought, "Is it finally time for reckoning?"

Sīmìng smiled as she stood up and said, “Shall we go?”

“Go… go where?” Shào Xiǎolí’s heart trembled.

Sīmìng said, “To pick out a well-feng-shui’d grave site for you, of course.”

Shào Xiǎolí pointed to Níng Chángjiǔ's ravaged body and said, “That was all our leader’s mission before! I’m actually very timid and afraid of trouble. If our leader hadn't instructed me, even if Sister Sīmìng, with your icy skin and jade bones, were right in front of me, I wouldn't even dare to touch you. I swear! If you don’t believe me, wait until our leader wakes up and ask him!”

Sīmìng's beautiful eyes swirled, and the reflection of her black robes in the pool looked even colder. She smiled faintly and said, “Why wait for him to wake up before killing you? If he truly ordered you to insult me, then saving him now would be like nurturing a tiger to cause trouble. It would be better to eliminate the tiger early.”

Shào Xiǎolí stood frozen in place, releasing her grip on the pillar. Recalling her leader’s past kindness to her, she gritted her teeth, hardened her resolve, and said, “Let’s go.”

“Hmm?”

“To pick out a grave site! It absolutely must have flowers and water, otherwise, I won’t be able to bear dying…” Shào Xiǎolí said with a choked voice.

Upon hearing this, Sīmìng’s smile grew wider. She said, “It truly would be a pity to kill such a mischievous girl like you. How about this: I’ll give you a way to live.”

Shào Xiǎolí clung to this like a drowning person to a straw, nodding repeatedly.

Sīmìng held up one finger and said, “First, become the new monarch of Broken Realm City.”

"This… such a good thing?" Shào Xiǎolí felt it was a little unreal.

Sīmìng extended a second finger: “Second, become my maidservant.”

Although the difference was quite large, it seemed not entirely unacceptable… Thinking that everything she did was for her leader, a surge of strength spontaneously filled her.

“What? You don’t agree?” Seeing that Shào Xiǎolí didn’t immediately answer, Sīmìng asked with a smile.

“Master!” Shào Xiǎolí immediately spoke, then meekly, in a gentle tone, said, “Sister Master, do you have any commands for me?”

Sīmìng suddenly turned her back, spread her arms, and said nothing.

Shào Xiǎolí seemed a bit slow, for a moment not knowing what Sīmìng wanted her to do.

“I wish to bathe and change,” Sīmìng said.

Shào Xiǎolí rushed to her side, carefully untying her black outer robe. As the robe opened, Shào Xiǎolí stood on tiptoe, gently sweeping the garment from Sīmìng’s shoulders. Sīmìng let her arms drop, and the black robe smoothly slid past her flawless skin, rustling as it fell to the ground. Shào Xiǎolí knelt to one side, holding the black garment. Her gaze occasionally flickered to the rippling pool water, her heart racing. She was somewhat unsure if this was truly a punishment for her.

The next day, after Shào Xiǎolí assumed the monarch’s position, the nightmare finally began.

Each day after court adjourned, as Shào Xiǎolí sat on the throne, with the regal aura still lingering on her face, she would see Sīmìng come before her and administer a series of punishments that were not painful but utterly humiliating. Shào Xiǎolí refused to recall the details, only silently vowing in her heart that once her leader awoke, she would definitely use his prestige to get her revenge and reclaim everything!

The thought that all the beatings she endured were for her leader's sake somewhat balanced Shào Xiǎolí’s mind. Moreover, besides constantly ordering her around, Sīmìng would sometimes teach her some true magical secrets. Now that Shào Xiǎolí’s cultivation was not low, she greatly benefited from everything she heard.

In short, as the new monarch, she had to maintain her dignity during daily court sessions while also constantly being on edge. Once, Sīmìng even used a sound-gathering technique to force her to dismiss court mid-session, then bypassed the screens and partitions to directly administer punishment. Shào Xiǎolí, living under another's thumb, was tearless but wanted to cry, so she could only endure silently. She thought, "How many strange quirks does this demoness have? You torture me like this now, are you perhaps hoping that after our leader subdues you, I’ll torture you back…?"

What kind of divine officials does this divine kingdom even have?

No wonder it couldn't hold up and collapsed seven hundred years ago.

Shào Xiǎolí endured such days for a long time. Every day, after Sīmìng fell asleep in the Star Spirit Palace, she would gently fan her with a cattail fan. Once she felt it was enough, she would secretly go out to practice her sword, thinking about future revenge.

However, Shào Xiǎolí didn’t know that every day, while she practiced her sword, Sīmìng was silently watching from the darkness.

Sīmìng herself couldn’t explain why this girl, though clearly not resembling her own younger self, always seemed to reflect aspects of herself.

It was a month later when Shào Xiǎolí’s ordeal finally ended.

When Níng Chángjiǔ awoke, the Hoof Mountain Year had also begun in the outside world. When Shào Xiǎolí learned of Níng Chángjiǔ’s awakening, she was in the city's temple, praying, hoping that the new monarch of the divine kingdom for the new year wouldn't foolishly come to cause trouble like the last one.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no communication between the various monarchs. In the days following Níng Chángjiǔ’s awakening, the city was relatively peaceful.

After her leader awoke, Shào Xiǎolí immediately became much bolder. She even thought that now, with her cultivation perfected, she could perhaps challenge Sīmìng to a contest of strength. So, being someone who always dared to act on her impulses, she actually tried it once, and the outcome, naturally, was quite disastrous.

“I’ve long seen that you, girl, have a rebellious streak.” Sīmìng pinched her ear and lifted her off the ground. Shào Xiǎolí, with tearful eyes, desperately clutched her waistband and looked pleadingly at Níng Chángjiǔ.

Níng Chángjiǔ’s injuries were mostly healed, but his muscles had been torn so severely that repairing them under the authority of time was very difficult. Over the past month, he had shed his skin many times; much of the new skin that grew back was a burnt color, like roasted sweet potatoes. Only after layers of growth and peeling did his skin gradually return to its original color.

It was not easy to reattach all the severed tendons in his hands and feet. His shattered bones were like pieces of porcelain, difficult to glue back together.

After he awoke, his consciousness seemed a bit muddled. He merely stared blankly at his new clothes, saying nothing. Naturally, he offered no response to Shào Xiǎolí’s pleading gaze.

Three days later, he finally emerged from his dazed state.

He opened his eyes, looked at Sīmìng, and said, “Thank you.”

Sīmìng accepted it calmly, then asked, “Can you still use a sword?”

Níng Chángjiǔ nodded and said, “I can try.”

Sīmìng said, “If you can’t, don’t force it.”

Níng Chángjiǔ hummed, then said, “I’ll release our bond first.”

Shào Xiǎolí watched eagerly from the side, thinking, "Leader, are you crazy? If this bond is broken, how will you subdue this crazy woman? Do you even know she killed Night Exterminator?"

But she only dared to grumble internally, not speak aloud.

The process of breaking the bond was not complicated. Níng Chángjiǔ severed their connection, and the power of time flowed back into Sīmìng’s body.

Sīmìng felt many dried-up bloodlines flowing anew. She twitched her fingers, simulating threads of time, her gaze sweeping along with her fingertips as she frowned and said, “How is there so little left?”

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “It’s still decent. The authority of destiny was almost completely ground away. Within a century, there will be no more infinitude in the city.”

Sīmìng chuckled softly, “More than a century, I think.”

Níng Chángjiǔ asked, “So, have you figured out how to get out?”

Sīmìng said proudly, “If Night Exterminator could ascend by cleaving the heavens, why can’t I?”

Níng Chángjiǔ pondered quietly, offering no comment.

Sīmìng said, “How was your experience in the battle with the Sin Monarch?”

Níng Chángjiǔ gave a wry smile, “My authority is completely depleted, and my cultivation is shattered. What experience could I possibly have gained?”

Sīmìng said, “Then do you know why I saved you and waited for you to wake up?”

Níng Chángjiǔ shook his head and said, “No.”

Sīmìng said, “I want you to fight me.”

Níng Chángjiǔ gazed at her calmly.

Sīmìng slowly stood up and said coldly, “If you hadn’t trespassed here, the Sin Monarch wouldn’t have come. Night Exterminator would have already cleaved the heavens and departed, and I would have assembled the complete sundial to journey to the end of the world. Now, Night Exterminator is dead, and all the spirits I collected have been exhausted. From now on, the vast Great Dao offers only one path: ascension. And the crack in my spiritual state can only be mended by killing you.”

Níng Chángjiǔ listened quietly, then said, “Take me to see the sundial.”

Sīmìng suddenly remembered the Golden Crow, and a strange glint flashed in her eyes. She nodded and led Níng Chángjiǔ to the end of the path. In the quiet glow of water and candlelight, the incomplete sundial stood slightly tilted, resting peacefully.

Níng Chángjiǔ slowly raised his hand, touching the sundial’s delicate, jade-like surface. At its broken part, the fractured edge was smooth, subtly revealing moonlight.

With a slight shift of thought, within his Purple Mansion, the Golden Crow emerged from its shell, transforming into golden radiance that flowed through his fingers.

Níng Chángjiǔ extended a finger, as if dipped in golden ink. Using his finger as a brush, he completed the other half of the semicircle.

Sīmìng, standing behind him, felt her eyebrows and eyes tremble. She had originally thought of refining the Golden Crow to be the material for the other half, and had even cajoled Níng Chángjiǔ, saying she hoped he could be her sun. Now, after all the chaos, that idea had been buried deep in her heart. Witnessing this scene now, it was as if she were seeing a miracle unfold.

The incomplete sundial was like a mountain, behind which a sun arose. That sun perfectly fit it, completing it. At the center of the sun stood the shadow of a black crow.

Sīmìng had always been the deity in charge of the sundial. This feeling of sun and moon intertwining, of dusk and dawn merging, was most familiar to her.

The sundial was like a tree withered for a thousand years, finally sprouting new buds.

Níng Chángjiǔ released his finger, and the golden light of the Golden Crow receded back into it. He gently shook his head and said, “The Golden Crow inherently governs the sun. In the past, it must have illuminated this sundial for many years, so it can simulate a similar form. But what is simulated is ultimately just a phantom, and reality and illusion cannot merge.”

Sīmìng understood this point as well.

After Níng Chángjiǔ retracted the golden light from her eyes, Sīmìng's emotions quickly calmed, and she said, “It’s just a moon in the water, after all.”

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “If they are both moons in the water, then couldn’t they be pieced together to form a complete moon?”

Níng Chángjiǔ’s intention was for her to directly refine the remaining power within the sundial back into her own body, condensing it into a spirit like the Golden Crow, and then for the two of them to merge their spirits, forming a complete sundial.

In the candlelight, Sīmìng’s figure subtly shifted, like a tree swaying in the wind.

Within this absurd idea, she actually caught a glimpse of possibility. She said, “But this is ultimately artificial. How can it truly emulate the real thing?”

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “This world is inherently artificial.”

Shào Xiǎolí’s complete liberation happened three days later, as her "master," Sīmìng, had entered seclusion in the Star Spirit Palace, dedicating herself to refining the sundial.

To others, such a transcendent divine artifact would be like an intractable stone, but Sīmìng was spiritually attuned to it, so truly refining it was only a matter of time. However, once truly refined, the sundial would become nothing more than a useless stone, a mere husk. In this way, the sundial would never truly be reassembled.

Níng Chángjiǔ also used this time to recuperate his body properly.

Even though his body had shed and regenerated flesh, it still felt like forcefully glued porcelain.

He circulated the Asura Divine Record, beginning to repair and mend the minute details.

Shào Xiǎolí often sat by his side, telling him stories of what had happened over the past year. However, Shào Xiǎolí had actually spent most of the year daydreaming on the rooftop and hadn't experienced much. Thus, most of her stories were fabricated, but Níng Chángjiǔ was very cooperative, pretending not to know.

“Do you still remember Sister Sū Yānshù?” Shào Xiǎolí suddenly brought her up.

Níng Chángjiǔ asked, “What happened to her?”

Shào Xiǎolí said, “She opened a shop outside the city.”

“A shop?”

“Yes, selling time.” Shào Xiǎolí said, “But one must exchange it for something precious.”

“Is she going to sell all her time?”

“No, she said she would only sell what Night Exterminator gave her. After that, she wants to live anonymously and peacefully for the rest of her life.”

There wasn’t much emotion on Níng Chángjiǔ’s face. He looked at Shào Xiǎolí and suddenly said, “The time that Night Exterminator bought from you has been restored.”

Shào Xiǎolí was stunned. She seemed to have no idea about this.

In the past, she had spoken of this matter under the influence of the Golden Crow, and had completely forgotten about it upon waking.

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “Originally, you only had a few years left to live. Now, you can live normally.”

Shào Xiǎolí received both bad news and good news at the same time, her emotions complex. “H-how could this be? Is it because Night Exterminator died?”

Níng Chángjiǔ gently shook his head and said, “Sīmìng helped you.”

Shào Xiǎolí’s eyes widened. She had always felt a mixture of love and hate for Sīmìng. She loved Sīmìng’s appearance, but hated everything else about her.

Upon hearing Níng Chángjiǔ’s words, Shào Xiǎolí’s heart softened, but she said dismissively, “That bad woman… who asked for her help? Self-important!”

The two fell silent for a moment.

Shào Xiǎolí suddenly asked, “Leader, are you leaving?”

“Yes.” Níng Chángjiǔ said, “All encounters in this world end in separation.”

“Will you take me with you?” Shào Xiǎolí asked pitifully.

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “According to Sīmìng, only those holding the sundial can leave.”

“Holding the sundial…” Shào Xiǎolí became even sadder and said, “Leader, are you eloping with that bad woman?”

Níng Chángjiǔ said seriously, “I will definitely come back and take you out in the future.”

Shào Xiǎolí let out a soft “Oh.” Even though these were her leader’s words, she didn’t quite believe them.

This world was simply too vast. What could possibly pierce a hole through it?

Shào Xiǎolí said, “Leader, you absolutely must not get involved with that bad woman. She’ll strip you bare, leaving nothing left.”

“By the time Leader comes back, I should be grown up, right?” Shào Xiǎolí said.

In truth, she was already a graceful eighteen years old this year. Her lustrous hair cascaded over her shoulders, her delicate cheeks were rosy, and her figure was equally beautiful. Though not yet fully blossomed, she was already beautiful enough to overshadow countless beauties.

Ever since Níng Chángjiǔ awoke, he had carried a faint sense of weariness. This weariness was elusive, like clouds beyond the human world. He was like a bird with injured wings, bound to fly into the sky and return to the clouds sooner or later.

A rare, faint smile appeared on his face. “Yes, grow up slowly.”

Another month passed in the blink of an eye.

When the long-closed doors of the Star Spirit Palace finally opened, Shào Xiǎolí was recounting to Níng Chángjiǔ how she had remained neither humble nor overbearing in front of Sīmìng. As she spoke fluently, Níng Chángjiǔ looked behind him. Shào Xiǎolí, following his gaze curiously, looked over, then her pretty face turned pale, and she instinctively stepped back a little.

“Master!” She rubbed her face and instantly adopted a docile expression.

After all, she wasn't sure if her leader could defeat her.

Níng Chángjiǔ’s injuries had also largely healed.

“Shall we go?” Níng Chángjiǔ asked.

Sīmìng slowly said, “I said, I want to fight you.”

“Why bother?” Níng Chángjiǔ said, “If you accidentally kill me, we’ll be completely trapped here.”

Sīmìng said, “Don’t worry, I know my limits. This battle is only to determine victory or defeat. Once we are out, we can then determine life and death.”

Níng Chángjiǔ said, “Then I’ll concede directly.”

Sīmìng said, “If you don’t fight, then I won’t leave either. I’ve already waited over seven hundred years; I can wait. What about you?”

Níng Chángjiǔ was silent for a moment, then said with slight annoyance, “Are you really that eager for a beating?”

Sīmìng, however, did not get angry. She walked past him, her black robe fluttering. Her clear, icy eyes gazed forward. With one hand, she handed Níng Chángjiǔ a challenge, and with the other, she unfastened her black sword, placing it on Shào Xiǎolí’s open palm, and said, “I won’t bring this sword, or you might actually die.”

Níng Chángjiǔ slowly stood up as well. He accepted the challenge.

A wind blew in from outside the palace.

It was the wind blowing from the end of the world, the place they were about to reach.

“I have one more condition,” Níng Chángjiǔ said.

“What?”

“The loser becomes the servant.”