Chapter 216: Returning Home

The half-blade piercing his chest was condensed from countless rays of light, transparent like a finely polished piece of ice, imbued with sunlight.

Ning Changjiu had almost no time to react before the blade had already pierced his chest.

His spirit felt as if it had been swept by an extremely cold storm, a chill that naturally suppressed the soul. In an instant, everything in his mind and spirit crystallized into ice.

With his current state of mind, the Heart Demon Tribulation could not possibly trap him, unless his ultimate heart demon was his master from a previous life.

But his master was a memory from his past life, unrelated to this one, merely a dream, and would not manifest in the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Therefore, looking at the entire Heart Demon Tribulation, the only one who could kill his spirit was the administrator of the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Years ago, when he forced his way into Ning Xiaoling's Heart Demon Tribulation to protect her, he had encountered the administrator. They had several conversations; the administrator had lived for hundreds of years but appeared as a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl.

Their conversation had been pleasant, and they had even set a secret code, a line from a courtesan's song: "Tonight, the lantern feast in the small pavilion is filled with beautiful moments and companions."

He had spoken the first half of the phrase, but instead of the girl's joyful face, he was met with this blade.

Ning Changjiu immediately understood some things: if this Heart Demon Tribulation was also part of the Heavenly Dao, then the "shopkeeper" the girl mentioned earlier might be one of the twelve divine realm lords who stood above the world. And her kill order against him was likely issued by the Sin Lord before departing.

But it was too late.

In the Heart Demon Tribulation, the girl's level was far superior to his. After this stab, he would have little room to resist, unless he could, like his senior brother and sister, ignore the rules of the Heart Demon Tribulation and directly cleave the world with a single sword stroke.

However, the blade piercing his body was a nail that sealed off any other possibilities.

At that moment, he was on an ancient street in a small town not far from the Yujian Heavenly Sect.

He had originally planned to wait here for Jiuying's arrival.

Jiuying no longer needed to come; the scent of death was drawing near, and everything around him began to collapse.

Ning Changjiu sighed and spoke helplessly, "Fetal death, soul's demise..."

This was the method the Snow Fox had used years ago to force Ning Xiaoling into nirvana.

Today, he would have to use it to put himself into a deep sleep and preserve his spirit.

Sicheng had her sword across her lap, originally just resting with her eyes closed, intending to leave when Ning Changjiu was about to awaken.

But soon, she opened her eyes and stared at the young man in the cocoon, her expression surprised.

Ning Changjiu's cocoon threads suddenly turned a lifeless sandalwood-ash color, a sign of spiritual desiccation.

"How is that possible?" Sicheng uttered, puzzled as to what he had encountered in the Heart Demon Tribulation.

When a master dies, the owner of the slave mark also suffers a backlash. But even the greatest backlash will eventually heal; being a slave, however, could be a lifelong humiliation.

Ning Changjiu was likely to go mad from the tribulation, which should have been her great opportunity.

Sicheng hesitated for a moment, then reached out her hand just as the cocoon threads were about to turn completely to ash.

The power of time enveloped the entire cocoon.

Within the Heart Demon Tribulation, time flowed backward.

Before Ning Changjiu could even utter the word "demise," the ice crystals on his spirit instantly vanished, the blade simultaneously withdrew from his body, his wound healed, and everything returned to how it was moments before.

At that point, the little girl from the Heart Demon Tribulation had not yet arrived.

Ning Changjiu knew Sicheng had saved him.

He pressed the spot on his chest where the blade had pierced him, still feeling a faint phantom pain.

Ning Changjiu collected himself and looked at the ancient street. People came and went, carriages moved slowly, voices buzzed; it was as if nothing had happened.

He looked up at the sky, feeling a subtle unease, as if a sharp sword was suspended above his head, ready to fall and pierce his skull at any moment.

This feeling was very unsettling.

Ning Changjiu adjusted his spiritual breathing, pushed through the crowd, and headed outside. Jiuying had not yet arrived at this point in time, but he was unwilling to wait any longer.

He needed to find Jiuying as soon as possible, kill it, and break free from the tribulation.

At this very moment, on the other side of the Heart Demon Tribulation, in the domain of the Purple Heaven Dao Sect, the illusory Dao Master and Sect Master were still alive. They were busily piecing together Jiuying's remains in a forbidden area.

Jiuying's skeleton was made up of hundreds of thousands of complete bones, imposing and massive. Now, the bone fragments were too scattered, and their knowledge of ancient gods was not extensive. Even sketching out the basic structure would take a very long time. The effort required to sort them and piece them together completely was unimaginable.

They had been secretly working on this for sixty years.

Suddenly, astonishing commotion came from outside the quiet forbidden area.

"Who's there?" Sect Master Shiwu was the first to react, turning to look at the forbidden area's exit.

Just as he was about to fly out on his sword, the large door opened, and a small minion stumbled in, shouting, "Masters, this is bad! Someone has trespassed into the forbidden area, and we can't stop him..."

"Trespassing? Could it be someone from the Yujian Heavenly Sect?" Fourteen Yi asked doubtfully.

"The Yujian Heavenly Sect? Ha, we don't bother them, so why would they come looking for trouble? Which of their four peak masters is a match for our Sect Master?" Twelve Qiu gently shook his head.

Thirteen Yuchen worriedly asked, "Could it be True Immortal Hanchi has returned?"

"Absolutely impossible!" Shiwu responded coldly, full of confidence.

No sooner had they spoken than a figure abruptly appeared outside the chamber door. The candlelight from the stone platforms lining the forbidden area's corridor cast his shadow.

"Who is it?"

Twelve Qiu was already reaching for his sword.

But his sword remained in its sheath.

The white-robed figure at the entrance flashed past, leaving no trace.

A hand pressed down on his hand, pushing gently, and the sword, only half-drawn, was fully forced back into its scabbard, exploding within it. The resulting sword-wind shredded his robes and sent him stumbling backward.

Shiwu stared at the newcomer, murderous intent rising in his heart. He held nothing back, directly summoning his soul-bound Dao sword. The Dao sword transformed into a sword-boat, carrying countless strands of sword intent, and slashed towards the intruder.

The intruder remained unfazed by the astonishing sword strike, merely extending his hand naturally.

He extended two fingers and gently pressed the front of the sword-boat. The sword-boat then became like a fish caught in a massive net, unable to pull back or advance an inch.

As the Sect Master of the Purple Heaven Dao Sect, Shiwu's cultivation and sword mastery were considered peerless in Nanzhou; only True Immortal Hanchi could decisively defeat him.

Who was this white-robed young man who had suddenly appeared?

Ning Changjiu calmly surveyed them. Among these people, all except Thirteen Yuchen had long been dead. Now, in the Heart Demon Tribulation, they were vividly alive, unaware they were merely illusory shadows, still building a grand tower for the massive conspiracy to revive Jiuying.

Ning Changjiu said, "You're assembling it too slowly. Let me do it."

"What did you say?" Shiwu mentally manipulated the sword-boat, intending to pierce the young man's fingers. He had thought the youth was there to sabotage their plan, but hearing this, he was stunned.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, "Let's all calm down. I'm here to help you."

As he spoke, Ning Changjiu formed a sword seal before him. Several sword shadows swept around him, unfolding in layers, their sharp edges fully revealed.

Before this sword domain, even the strongest masters of the Purple Heaven Dao Sect found it impossible to move an inch.

Ning Changjiu approached Jiuying's skeleton. He looked at the culprit behind everything and let out a faint sigh.

He pointed his finger at the well-preserved boxes of bones on the ground. The bone fragments, like long snakes, swept up with the flick of his finger and flew towards the incomplete skeleton. These bone fragments, like butterflies drawn to a scent, greedily attached themselves.

Under the stunned and speechless gazes of the Sect Master and Dao Masters, Jiuying was completely assembled, with only its central head still missing.

"I told you, I'm here to help you," Ning Changjiu's words even carried a hint of sincerity.

Shiwu recovered from his shock, convinced that this was an enlightened master who had reverted to youth. He changed his demeanor and respectfully asked, "Venerable Senior, why are you doing this? Could it be that you intend to take this...?"

"I have no interest in it," Ning Changjiu interrupted.

"Then why did you offer your assistance?" Shiwu was puzzled.

Ning Changjiu said lightly, "I simply enjoy helping others."

Of course, they wouldn't believe such a childish excuse, but the power displayed by this young man was too great, and they dared not refute him or make any rash moves.

Finally, Thirteen Yuchen was the first to speak: "Senior, if you wish to wield the Purple Heaven Dao Sect as your sword, we would be greatly honored. However, Jiuying is the result of our Dao Sect's sixty years of effort, and our toil has been considerable. If Senior would show mercy..."

Ning Changjiu directly interrupted: "No need. Just finish assembling Jiuying as quickly as possible, then take it to attack the Yujian Heavenly Sect."

Shiwu was secretly startled upon hearing this, his thoughts racing. He figured this person must be an old enemy of True Immortal Hanchi, now returned to collect a debt of vengeance.

An enemy's enemy is a friend, so he immediately said, "I will go to Liantian Town to find Zhang Qieyu right away."

"No need," Ning Changjiu said. "What's in Liantian Town is a cultivation snake, not Jiuying. The real Jiuying is at the bottom of Tianku Peak. True Immortal Hanchi hasn't left the peak; if I hadn't come, you would have fallen into his trap."

The few of them exchanged glances, uncertain whether he was telling the truth.

Ning Changjiu briefly outlined Zhang Qieyu and True Immortal Hanchi's plan. It was logically sound and struck at their vulnerabilities, causing some of them to nearly lose their Dao hearts.

"You... how do you know all this?" someone asked tremulously.

Ning Changjiu didn't answer, only saying, "I will help you find Jiuying's last head. Once you have it, go attack the Yujian Heavenly Sect as quickly as possible."

As expected, several hours later, Jiuying's last head, along with True Immortal Hanchi's head, was brought over.

At this point, the people of the Purple Heaven Dao Sect were completely convinced. They bowed in succession, thanking the senior for his great kindness.

"Senior's divination reaches the supreme divine path, and your presence in our sect fills us with awe. May we ask your venerable name, Senior? So that in the future, we may spread your miraculous deeds."

Just before Ning Changjiu left, Shiwu couldn't help but ask.

For some reason, Ning Changjiu thought of the golden lotus in his sea of qi and said, "Asura."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished.

Shiwu stood frozen for a long time, then suddenly shook his sleeve and laughed, his spirits high: "With the protection of Senior Asura, the Purple Heaven Dao Sect will surely eradicate the Yujian Heavenly Sect, rise swiftly to power, and become the foremost sect in Nanzhou!"

Ning Changjiu returned to the Yujian Heavenly Sect, waiting for the Purple Heaven Dao Sect to attack.

For the remaining time, he stayed by Lu Jiajia's side.

Although the white-snow sword robe was an illusion in the Heart Demon Tribulation, it still made him reluctant to look away for a long time.

"Where have you been? Why are you back so late?" Lu Jiajia saw him and questioned him, her expression displeased.

Ning Changjiu looked at her fierce expression when her brows furrowed, finding it endearing. He said, "I went down the mountain to take care of some matters."

"You went down the mountain without permission?" Lu Jiajia grew even angrier: "Why didn't you inform me beforehand?"

Ning Changjiu smiled slightly, "It's a big matter, Master will know about it soon."

Lu Jiajia snorted, "What's with the mystery? If you've caused trouble, I won't let you off!"

Ning Changjiu looked at her tense face, couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, and smiled, "But you mustn't spare me."

"How dare you!" Lu Jiajia's cheeks flushed slightly as she immediately grabbed his hand. She looked left and right, afraid that a disciple might pass by, and said seriously, "I am your Master. Show some respect. Do I need to teach you such etiquette again?"

Ning Changjiu smiled, "When we cultivate our bodies and spirits in bed at night, why don't you let your disciple properly respect his Master then?"

"You..." Lu Jiajia's chest rose and fell, the embarrassment in her heart transforming into anger. She glared fiercely at Ning Changjiu, and when words failed her, she resorted to using sect rules to assert authority: "If you dare to act improperly again, don't blame me for enforcing the sect's precepts."

Ning Changjiu, as if oblivious, simply spread his hands and said, "Master, please proceed. Whatever you hit me with, I'll get it all back from your true self later."

"True self...?" Lu Jiajia asked confusedly, "What's wrong with you? What nonsense are you talking? Are you possessed?"

As she spoke, Lu Jiajia reached out her hand worriedly and placed it on his forehead.

Ning Changjiu, however, reversed his hand, caught her fair wrist, and lightly tapped her palm, saying, "Master, you're taking liberties with your disciple. Shouldn't there be rules for that?"

Lu Jiajia grew even more annoyed. Although she and Ning Changjiu shared bodily cultivation every night, she still upheld her dignity as a Master. If she allowed him to be so presumptuous today, he would only become more egregious in the future.

Lu Jiajia retorted angrily, "It seems you really are asking for a beating."

As she spoke, Lu Jiajia grabbed his hand with one hand, while her other sleeve, white as snow, swept out sharply, revealing a ruler-like disciplinary rod. It flew out from the sword chamber, causing the eave bells to chime softly, and landed in her hand.

Ning Changjiu did not resist, merely smiling and holding out his hand, allowing the beating. His expression even held a hint of nostalgia. Of course, he was still keeping a mental tally; when he broke free from the tribulation and met Lu Jiajia, he would demand repayment. He wondered how she would view this "undeserved calamity" then.

"Jiajia, you're truly beautiful," Ning Changjiu said, smiling faintly as he looked at her delicate dark hair and her flawlessly elegant face.

Lu Jiajia's tone became even more stern: "Still daring to be impudent? How dare you call me by my name?"

"Aren't we like that at night...?" Ning Changjiu, seemingly oblivious to consequences.

"You're asking for a beating!" Lu Jiajia was furious with embarrassment.

This playful scolding was finally interrupted in time by the Purple Heaven Dao Sect.

The sky suddenly darkened, and lightning and electric fire intertwined like a net, covering everything.

Beyond the four peaks, the complete Jiuying roared at the heavens, and True Immortal Hanchi's head hung high on a banner.

The Purple Heaven Dao Sect's advance was ferocious and unstoppable.

This scene made all four peak masters tremble.

Shiwu stood atop Jiuying's head, gazing down at the world with the ancient deity, all things appearing as ants.

Lu Jiajia was equally stunned.

The aura emanating from Jiuying carried the essence of destruction. Wherever it passed, plants withered and giant rocks crumbled into dust. Its nine giant, thunderous heads spewed lightning and fire, roaring wildly between heaven and earth, like ancient dragons walking the earth, instilling a sense of invincibility.

What was most demoralizing was True Immortal Hanchi's severed head.

"Today, our Purple Heaven Dao Sect is under the protection of Lord Asura, making us invincible in Nanzhou! The Yujian Heavenly Sect has oppressed our Dao Sect for a hundred years, and I shall now claim all the humiliation endured during that time!"

Shiwu's words pierced through the heavens and earth, echoing relentlessly, overpowering Jiuying's roars: "Today, Jiuying has emerged, and the Five Paths are within our grasp. The path to immortality is right before us. If you are wise, dismantle your formations, lay down your weapons, and kneel for mercy to avoid widespread destruction."

Disaster struck suddenly, and the four peaks swayed precariously.

"Is that really True Immortal Hanchi...?"

"Asura? Who is Asura? Has another demon lord appeared in the world?"

"Isn't Jiuying a creature of legend? Why...?"

Lu Jiajia recovered from her shock, her eyes now filled with the resolve to face death.

"I'll send you away first," Lu Jiajia said, unbuckling her sword and placing it in Ning Changjiu's hand. Then she tried to lift Ning Changjiu to send him directly beyond the four peaks.

"You still like doing this," Ning Changjiu's words sounded like a complaint.

He took the sword but did not leave; instead, he held her hand.

"What are you doing? Your cultivation is too low right now, you'll only hinder my swordplay here!" Lu Jiajia said sharply. She tried to pull away, but couldn't free her hand.

The other person's cultivation seemed to be far superior to hers!

"You... what exactly are you...?" Lu Jiajia stared at him in shock, utterly bewildered.

Ning Changjiu said nothing. He suddenly cupped her face and kissed her smooth, jade-like forehead.

Unfortunately, the Heart Demon Tribulation was more like a dream, and he didn't feel much sensation from anything.

Yet, he still smiled.

"Wait for me to return to you," Ning Changjiu said. Then he drew the immortal sword Minglan, and under Lu Jiajia's astonished gaze, transformed into a white rainbow and ascended into the sky.

Ning Changjiu looked at the chaotic world, falling into that memory.

Back then, when Jiuying appeared and the four peaks were about to fall, his cultivation was too low. He watched helplessly as the overwhelming force crashed before him, and even with all his might, he couldn't resist.

That was the moment he was most disappointed in himself.

Now, in the Heart Demon Tribulation, the clearer his mind, the stronger he became.

At this moment, he had seen through to his true self, and his Dao heart was like a clear mirror. In this mere illusion, there was nothing he could not destroy.

He could now accomplish what he couldn't do back then.

He looked at the graceful figure of the woman in white on the snow-covered cliff. Back then, to save him, she had fought Jiuying alone, nearly coughing up her last breath.

To share life and death was certainly moving, but it was not the answer he desired.

Above the four peaks, lightning and fire surged, and a white figure pierced through the air.

Shiwu's wild laughter and Jiuying's roars still echoed illusorily in his ears.

"Who are you? How dare you come out on a sword? Jiuying has been hungry for a thousand years, you'll make a perfect snack!" Shiwu's angry and arrogant expression was like a classic white-faced character in a play.

"Wait, Sect Master, he... he seems to be..."

The sword strike Shiwu unleashed was effortlessly caught in the opponent's hand and extinguished with a gentle puff, like blowing out a candle.

The white-robed young man stood amidst the surging thunder, he thought of the Sin Lord, then stretched out his hand and gripped all the thunder and lightning of heaven and earth.

It was an incredibly bright sword, so luminous that no one could ignore its existence.

Ning Changjiu hovered before the Purple Heaven Dao Sect's formation, with the entire Heavenly Sect protected behind him.

The Dao Sect disciples' exclamations of shock suddenly erupted: "You... you are Asura! How can it be you?!"

"What in the world is happening? Lord Asura, why are you...?"

Ning Changjiu didn't want to hear their chatter anymore. He said lightly, "I'll send you on your way."

Wielding Minglan, Ning Changjiu swept a sword stroke from top to bottom.

Between heaven and earth, a white line of light appeared, reaching up to the sky and down to the valley floor.

His figure was illuminated by the sword light.

Lu Jiajia's pupils were sensitive to the light, yet she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes, staring fixedly at his back until tears streamed down her face.

This was a tide of sword qi that pierced through heaven and earth, overwhelmingly crashing down upon everyone from the Dao Sect.

The Sect Master and Dao Masters tried to flee but could not struggle at all. They turned to dust in shock and despair.

Jiuying's pained roars also sounded. It tried to escape, but from within the sky-obscuring smoke, a sword smashed through the gray mist, descending from the sky, pinning its central head to the ground.

He was like an old chef, hands moving swiftly, chopping off Jiuying's heads one by one, finally, unhurriedly, severing the central head as well.

The Heart Demon Tribulation was broken.

Ning Changjiu looked up at the sky. He was constantly on guard for another attack from the little girl, but that strike never came.

Was it not the Sin Lord's command?

His agreement with the little girl was made in the year of the Void Hunt; logically, the Sin Lord shouldn't have known about it. So what was her reason for trying to kill him?

Just as Ning Changjiu was about to exit the Heart Demon Tribulation, he made a final attempt.

"Tonight, the lantern feast in the small pavilion," he spoke the secret phrase.

This secret phrase seemed to be a kill order; the person who spoke it would be relentlessly hunted.

This time, he clearly saw the trajectory of the little girl's strike.

The void shattered before his eyes. The long blade, like an ice blade, pierced through space and slashed towards him. The little girl holding the blade was exquisite, like a spirit born of heaven and earth, but her perfection was almost cold, admirable yet unable to evoke even a hint of pity.

Her pupils were completely black.

The Heart Demon Tribulation was her domain, like her divine realm; no one could defeat her here. Not even the current Ning Changjiu.

In a brief exchange of glances, Ning Changjiu knew that she was being controlled by something. Someone had instructed her to kill whoever spoke that secret phrase.

But this was a secret between them; who else could have known?

Ning Changjiu was bewildered.

Before the blade could pierce his chest, his consciousness had already thrown him high up.

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes.

Tribulation lightning rumbled in the sky.

He sat up and looked around, but found that Sicheng was already gone.

"That slave is bold indeed, daring to leave her master without a word," Ning Changjiu chuckled, his smile tinged with self-mockery.

He had originally intended to remove Sicheng's slave mark to repay this kindness.

Although encounters are inevitable in life, he wondered what their next meeting would be like.

He walked towards the tribulation lightning, doing nothing, allowing the lightning to fall like rain, cleansing his Asura physique.

He treated himself as a sword, and this tribulation as the heavenly thunder and earthly fire to temper his body.

Ning Changjiu tilted his head up. After the cleansing of lightning and fire, his skin became even fairer, like that of a newborn reborn, yet this seemingly delicate skin was impenetrable even by blades and swords of the Purple Court realm.

Tribulation lightning enveloped him, and his soul bones were reshaped.

Ning Changjiu stood still, and the whole world seemed to embrace him.

The profound insights of the Purple Court realm surged into his mind like a storm of fragments. Power vigorously grew within his blood and bones; his senses and divine consciousness became vaster and sharper. His connection with the world deepened; every blade of grass, every tree, and the waters of the Heavenly Cloud Lake were clearly reflected in his sea of consciousness, as if he could trigger phenomena with a mere flick of his hand.

The full name of Purple Court is Profound Purple Heavenly Court.

It was the divine court of the ancient Celestial Emperor in myths and legends. Only by entering the Purple Court realm could one be considered a true immortal, a minister qualified to join the divine court.

Ning Changjiu was enveloped by the rolling tribulation lightning. His Asura body grew tougher in the lightning and fire, and the golden lotus within him blossomed petal by petal, magnificent and beautiful.

On a distant cliff, Sicheng, clad in black robes, watched this scene from afar.

She stood barefoot and gracefully, her gaze piercing through the rolling mountains.

In the distance, Ning Changjiu was still not content with the tribulation lightning. He directly ascended into the sky like a sword, immersing his entire body in the tribulation clouds.

Sicheng watched this scene and smiled faintly.

She concealed all her aura and finally departed silently.

She had once overseen the entire land from the divine official's throne, and when occasionally walking among mortals, it was as an invincible divine being.

This was her first time traveling among mortals as a cultivator.

This place was located west of the Southern Wilderness's edge. The Southern Wilderness's edge was at the extreme north of the Yujian Heavenly Sect, almost forming a straight line across Nanzhou.

Sicheng was heading to the largest central land, while Ning Changjiu would have to bypass the Southern Wilderness to return to the Yujian Heavenly Sect or Zhao State.

They were not going the same way.

Sicheng quietly departed.

A long time later, the clouds in the deep gorge dispersed, the fiery streaks vanished, and the furious roaring of thunder gradually subsided, becoming as soft as a lamb's whisper.

The tribulation clouds dissipated.

Ning Changjiu had reached the Purple Court realm.

Soon after, a soft drizzle began to fall from the sky.

Duanjie City never had rain.

He felt the fragmented raindrops lightly touching his cheeks and smiled.

In the rain, Ning Changjiu stood still, turning to look south.

He knew that someone there had always been waiting for his return; no matter how long it took, she would always wait for him.

He didn't know where he truly came from, but the books said that where the heart finds peace, there is home.

It was time to return home.