Before Lu Jiajia left, she gazed at the four peaks in the distance from the broken Ringfall Mountain, watching the last snowfall.
Draped in a snow-white cloak, she stood amidst the dancing snowflakes, shaping the wind and snow into a sword. Like a maiden just beginning to learn swordsmanship, she meticulously performed every sword move from the first half of the Imperial Sword Heaven Sect's manual, one by one, in order.
There was no spiritual energy emanating from the sword, nor did any sword light flash, cutting through wind or snow. Yet, the woman's graceful, dancing figure exuded an ethereal quality, as if she might ascend into the wind at any moment.
Ning Changjiu stood behind her, quietly observing her dancing sword posture. Where the sword moves soared, they resembled a swirling blizzard, and where they lingered, they were like the gentle murmur of an icy spring.
"Jiajia has truly achieved the unity of person and sword," Ning Changjiu sighed from the heart.
Lu Jiajia didn't respond but simply smiled faintly. She suddenly turned around and thrust her snow sword towards Ning Changjiu's throat.
Ning Changjiu didn't dodge or evade.
The tip of the sword stopped just before him, catching a single plum blossom.
The plum blossom dispersed the sword's form, causing it to revert to snow and scatter.
Lu Jiajia clapped the snow from her palms and asked, "Aren't you afraid I'd stab you, faithless man, with one strike?"
Ning Changjiu gently replied, "Jiajia, of course, understands what's truly important."
Lu Jiajia asked with a smile, "What if that sword strike came from younger sister Xiang'er?"
Ning Changjiu replied, "Then you'd probably have to dig me out of a snowdrift down the mountain."
Lu Jiajia scoffed, "Bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
Ning Changjiu did not refute her.
Lu Jiajia had nothing more to say.
They stood on Ringfall Mountain for a while.
Not until snow covered her shoulders did Lu Jiajia compose a "Sword Sealing Letter" and transmit it to Tianku Peak, informing Yazhu of her departure. As for any subsequent troubles, she left Yazhu to handle them.
She was the first "hands-off" leader in the history of the Imperial Sword Heaven Sect.
In the snowy weather, they traversed the snow-covered mountains, formally descending and heading north.
"Have you planned the path ahead?" Lu Jiajia asked.
Ning Changjiu replied, "We'll bypass the Southern Wilderness, travel north, cross the sea between Nanzhou and Middle Earth, stop for two days at the ferry crossing, and then proceed to the Ancient Spirit Sect in the east."
Lu Jiajia asked curiously, "How do you know the Ancient Spirit Sect is in the eastern part of Middle Earth?"
Ning Changjiu smiled slightly, "Because my junior sister and I are connected by heart."
Lu Jiajia rolled her eyes at him and said nonchalantly, "Stop lying."
Ning Changjiu indeed couldn't sense Ning Xiaoling's thoughts. They were separated by vast mountains, rivers, and oceans, and he wondered what expression Xiaoling would have when they finally met.
Lu Jiajia asked, "Are you sure you want to bypass the Southern Wilderness?"
Ning Changjiu said, "Yes, I always feel there's something ominous hidden there. It's not without reason that few great cultivators have set foot there over the years. We don't need to take that risk."
Lu Jiajia chuckled, "As expected of someone who's married; having a wife makes you cherish your life much more."
Ning Changjiu asked, "So, is Jiajia the wife or the beloved wife?"
Lu Jiajia paused her steps slightly. She turned her face to Ning Changjiu and said coolly, "Have you forgotten what we agreed upon?"
They had made an agreement earlier: during their journey to Middle Earth until they met Xiaoling, she would be Ning Changjiu's master, as long as they were outside an inn.
Ning Changjiu reluctantly stopped and gently massaged her beautiful shoulders, saying, "Yes, Master."
Lu Jiajia nodded, reasonably satisfied, finally regaining a hint of the authority she had when she first welcomed Ning Changjiu into the peak.
The snowy path wound tortuously. After they had walked for a while, a thunderous sound erupted from the snow-covered ground. Invisible sword energy soared through the air on the wind, shooting up into the sky from the snowy plains. Wherever it passed, the void faintly cracked, and it was a long time before snowflakes again drifted into that sword path.
The sky was vast and the sea wide. Traveling by sword, the sky was above them, and the mountains and rivers lay entirely beneath their gaze.
This was a unique blessing bestowed upon cultivators in this world.
"Oh, by the way, have you read the scroll from the Fish King?" Lu Jiajia asked.
Ning Changjiu replied, "I've seen it, but I don't understand it."
Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled, "Even you can't understand it?"
Ning Changjiu said, "Yes, the writing on it is too recondite. It doesn't resemble any era's script; it's more like a unique, self-created cipher."
Lu Jiajia asked, "How did the Fish King understand it then?"
Ning Changjiu gently shook his head, "I imagine he didn't understand it either, which is why he swallowed it in a fit of rage."
Lu Jiajia looked slightly surprised, "You should try it too?"
Ning Changjiu laughed with exasperation, "Are you that eager to be a widow?"
Lu Jiajia said indifferently, "Never mind. Disciple, you should cherish your life for your wife's sake."
Ning Changjiu sighed, wishing he could carry her to the snow and teach her a lesson.
As they flew through the wind, Ning Changjiu once again took out the small scroll. He unfurled it with one hand and handed it to Lu Jiajia, saying, "I've counted; there are only about a hundred characters on it. I find it hard to believe that a cultivation method could be fully explained with so few words; even a single sword move from the Heaven Sect would require more than that."
Lu Jiajia took the small scroll. She opened her sword-eyes and gazed intently, discovering a unique aura on the characters. "This aura..."
"The Underworld Lord," Ning Changjiu said, voicing the doubt in her mind.
This scroll should be related to the Underworld Lord. Perhaps it was one of the divine artifacts scattered across the human world after the collapse of the Underworld Divine Kingdom.
Lu Jiajia said helplessly, "You encountered Lady Bai in Linhe City, and Xiaoling went to Ancient Spirit. Now... are you just going to keep crossing paths with the Underworld Lord like this?"
Ning Changjiu replied, "Perhaps... it's just a coincidence."
Lu Jiajia's fingers traced the surface of the scroll, saying, "So what do you think the power of this scroll is? Creating a lot of fish?"
"The Underworld Lord wouldn't be that boring, would he?" Ning Changjiu said with a laugh. He pondered the Fish King's techniques, and said, "Perhaps it's related to the void."
Lu Jiajia gave him a doubtful look.
Nanzhou was vast, and they pressed on through wind and snow. Because they were taking a detour, a journey that would normally take a month would now only take two days to reach.
At night, Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia had a rich winter melon and pork rib soup at an inn. Stepping past the banners flapping in the cold wind, they walked into a snowy alley of the winter night.
On the warm-colored lanterns, snow clung like flowers, its outlines faintly gilded by the light.
"These small towns in the desolate wilderness certainly have a unique charm," Ning Changjiu said with a smile, looking at the dimly lit alley.
Lu Jiajia hummed in acknowledgment, saying, "I hear Middle Earth produces a continuous stream of talented cultivators. I wonder if it has the same peaceful atmosphere as Nanzhou."
"It will," Ning Changjiu said. "No matter where in this world, cultivators ultimately make up only a tiny fraction of the population. The world has always been sustained by ordinary people. Cultivators are favored by heaven, anomalies, potential creators of disaster at any moment, and also guardians of the human realm."
Lu Jiajia listened to his balanced and gentle words, reflecting that his actual years of cultivation were even longer than her own. This didn't quite match his youthful, handsome face.
Although she typically maintained the demeanor of a master, after Ning Changjiu's honest confession, she inwardly regarded herself as his junior.
She would, of course, never admit such a thought, but a sense of reliance always grew within her.
She walked softly beside him, passing through this unfamiliar place, conversing with him. Unconsciously, her hands, which had been behind her back, clasped together in front.
"Sometimes I wonder if Xiaoling would grow up faster if she weren't by our side," Ning Changjiu said suddenly.
Lu Jiajia said, "After you left, Xiaoling rarely smiled. If you don't go see her soon, she might not even recognize you."
Ning Changjiu remarked, "Perhaps that's how all female sword immortals grow up."
As they spoke, a strange sound suddenly echoed from the town.
"Mountain spirits are attacking the town! Mountain spirits are attacking the town!" The arrival was heralded by someone banging gongs and drums, running to spread the word.
"What's there to be afraid of with mountain spirits? Aren't they one hit, one kill with a hoe?" Someone poked their head out of a tavern and scoffed.
The newcomer said, "This time it's different! The Mountain Spirit King has come!"
"The Mountain Spirit King... it has returned?"
Outside, the Mountain Spirit King's battle cry echoed mightily: "You despicable commoners, you don't know your place! You dared to injure my subordinates merely for abducting two girls. Today, I have carefully chosen what you call an auspicious day, to let you lowlifes witness the might of your Mountain Spirit King!"
Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia exchanged a glance.
Lu Jiajia chuckled, "He certainly picked an auspicious day."
Ning Changjiu, however, stopped her, gently shaking his head. "Let's observe first."
Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled, "Isn't vanquishing demons and devils our duty?"
Ning Changjiu replied, "Sometimes, perhaps we cultivators take ourselves too seriously."
Just as Lu Jiajia was puzzled, someone from a nearby house, armed with a knife, an axe, and a hoe, fearlessly charged out. A middle-aged man saw Ning Changjiu, and with clear dissatisfaction, threw him a hoe, saying, "Don't just stand there idly! Tell your wife to hide at home, and you come with us to get rid of these spirits."
Ning Changjiu took the hoe and weighed it in his hand.
Outside the town, a fierce battle thus began.
Lu Jiajia gained a good deal of insight that day.
These towns, able to survive in the desolate wilderness, indeed possessed extraordinary qualities.
The town had a total of four defense lines, inside and out, fully equipped with iron arrows, torches, shields, and catapults.
In the end, that batch of mountain spirits was completely wiped out before even breaking through the second defense line, and the Mountain Spirit King fled in disarray.
Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia secretly protected a few hot-blooded, impulsive young men, while everyone else sustained only minor injuries.
"It seems I worried too much," Lu Jiajia said with a self-deprecating laugh afterward.
Ning Changjiu said, "Because we are cultivators, we always tend to look down on the mortal realm. And..."
"And what?" Lu Jiajia asked.
Ning Changjiu said, "The vast difference between cultivators and ordinary people lies in the ability to control spiritual energy. The distinction between ancient gods and ordinary cultivators, however, is their authority, which is a whole new level of power. So I often wonder if those ancient gods, possessing authority, also look down on us the way we look down on the mortal realm."
Lu Jiajia walked behind him, listening quietly, and gently nodded her head, saying, "Perhaps so."
Ning Changjiu said, "If humans can resist evil spirits through various means, and we are far stronger and more resilient than them, then if one day the ancient gods try to enslave humans and demons again, perhaps we can unleash something even greater than authority itself."
Lu Jiajia nodded gently; she believed his words.
That night, they arrived at an inn.
After Lu Jiajia had fallen asleep, Ning Changjiu secretly took out the small secret scroll. After much hesitation, he put it into his mouth.
While chatting with Lu Jiajia earlier that day, an idea had sprouted in his mind.
He shouldn't have tried it, but...
Ning Changjiu felt the power emanating from the scroll within his body.
He closed his eyes and extended a finger forward.
Soon after, just as the Fish King had once summoned schools of fish, the void silently split open into a circle.
A moment later, Ning Qinshui's figure emerged from the void. He wore a Taoist robe and had a solemn expression.
Ning Changjiu then pointed towards another spot.
Lady Bai also emerged from it, carrying a porcelain bottle in one hand and an earthenware jar in the other, her figure graceful.
He then thought of the Old Fox's appearance. The Old Fox also stepped out of the void, its flames pitch black.
They were identical to their original forms, yet they were merely lifelike, black, illusory silhouettes.
Just as the Fish King had summoned those fish from its memories.
These were all deceased beings.
Their images were conjured from memory.
Ning Changjiu then thought of Tree Bai's appearance.
No image appeared.
He then thought of Siming's appearance; the void remained empty.
He felt a little relieved.
It seemed this scroll was indeed related to the Underworld Lord. He just didn't know what other uses it had besides summoning the forms of deceased individuals, that could allow the Fish King to enter the Five Paths.
He extended his hand, and lightly swept spiritual energy across Ning Qinshui; Ning Qinshui's illusion shattered instantly. He then used the same power to sweep across Lady Bai's body, but Lady Bai's illusion only trembled slightly.
Ning Changjiu had to raise his spiritual energy to the initial stage of Tongxian before he could destroy Lady Bai's illusion.
These illusions actually possessed cultivation levels!
And their cultivation levels should be determined by their cultivation levels in life.
Thinking of this, Ning Changjiu's heart warmed slightly.
Although these cultivation levels were far lower than what they had in life, theoretically, if he slayed enough demons, monsters, or ancient gods, he could assemble an army of the undead!
This undead army would be immortal and indestructible. Even if completely wiped out, they could be restored by simply reconstructing them with mental power.
Having cultivated the Asura God Record, his mental power was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.
He gently let out a breath, then tentatively conjured the image of the Fish King.
The void cracked open.
Ning Changjiu's expression became heavy.
Nothing emerged from within...
Ning Changjiu wasn't too surprised. The Fish King's corpse had vanished with the departure of the Vermilion Bird Attendant at the time. He figured she had intentionally spared its life, hoping to extract secrets about Baizang from its body.
Ning Changjiu didn't overthink it. He then imagined many demons he had killed, including even Jiuying and Xiushi. Jiuying only had eight heads, as its last head had died in Duanjie City, which seemed to be beyond the Underworld Lord's control.
Xiushi, on the other hand, had an extremely long body; just one of its heads appearing took up half the room. Ning Changjiu quickly pushed it back.
He looked around, feeling as if he commanded a vast army. He wanted to wake Lu Jiajia and show her this scene, but at that moment, a strange idea suddenly emerged in his mind. This thought was like a sheep on a hillside: the more he tried not to think about it, the clearer it became.
The thought surfaced.
Before Ning Changjiu's eyes, the void split open.
His expression twitched. He dared not look to see if anything would emerge from the void, quickly spat out the scroll from his mouth, and began coughing incessantly.
Lu Jiajia was startled awake by his coughing.
They looked at each other for a moment.
Lu Jiajia was still drowsy, her hair disheveled. She was very annoyed at Ning Changjiu for disturbing her sleep. Without waiting for him to explain, she pulled the blanket that should have been Ning Changjiu's entirely around herself, tightly wrapping her perfectly proportioned, exquisite figure, and turned to face the wall, falling back asleep.
In the last month, Ning Xiaoling had been very serious about the Spirit Valley Grand Competition.
"Ning Xiaoling! If you weren't so pretty, I wouldn't be friends with you!" Another female disciple stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the girl who was earnestly studying the cultivation techniques, and said aggressively.
Ning Xiaoling looked at this disciple. She didn't know why she was so popular with other girls. She had just managed to get rid of Lerou, and now here was another one.
This female disciple was named Yu Jin. She was said to be the daughter of a wealthy family. Although her talent was mediocre, because her family had donated an ancestral hall to the Ancient Spirit Sect, she successfully gained entry into the inner sect at the age of sixteen.
Of course, given her mediocre talent, her family merely hoped she could befriend some cultivators and broaden her horizons.
After Ning Xiaoling arrived at the Ancient Spirit Sect, this young girl became attached to her.
There were no other reasons. Firstly, Ning Xiaoling was indifferent to everyone, so becoming her friend would bring some prestige. Secondly, she was beautiful.
Ning Xiaoling propped her chin and said, "I really just filled in random answers."
"Random answers and a perfect score? Liar!" Yu Jin said angrily, "And I thought we were friends! You always trick me!"
Ning Xiaoling said helplessly, "Just tell me what you want."
Yu Jin immediately sat beside her, saying, "I'll give you a chance to make amends. Come with me to Cloth Street tomorrow to watch a play!"
Ning Xiaoling refused, "The Spirit Valley Convention is coming up soon."
Yu Jin said, "That Minglang has already entered the Purple Court stage, hasn't he? What's the point of competing then? Don't be discouraged. I'll go with Sister Ning in two years and just pick up treasures behind you!"
Ning Xiaoling tapped her forehead and said, "Lack of ambition."
Then, she sighed, "Anyway, I still have to try hard. What if I get lucky?"
"What good is luck?" Yu Jin said, "Are you saying you'll just walk into the valley and find spiritual objects lying at your feet?"
Ning Xiaoling smiled and said, "After the Spirit Valley Grand Competition is over, I'll go to Cloth Street with you."
Yu Jin snapped her fingers by Ning Xiaoling's ear and said happily, "It's a deal then!"
Ning Xiaoling watched her joyful demeanor, feeling as though she had been tricked.
The Fish King didn't know how it had survived.
After Ning Changjiu pierced its heart, its body had begun to dissipate. At that time, it felt certain it would die.
But later, a scorching wave of air enveloped it.
Enveloped by that air current, it quickly realized it must be the Vermilion Bird Attendant's flames.
She didn't want it to die immediately; she hoped to extract something about Baizang from its body.
But how could a divine envoy of Baizang leave any weakness within it?
Ancient proverbs often say cats have nine lives. On its journey, it had faced more than nine perilous situations.
So it always felt like it was living on borrowed time.
One day, that ledger would crush every one of its bones.
That Vermilion Bird did not kill it.
When they were in Middle Earth, she threw it into the ruins of the Thunder Kingdom.
Snow now fell in the Thunder Kingdom too, covering its dry, matted fur.
Its divine scroll had been taken, its demonic power completely lost, and a millennium of cultivation had gone to waste. Though it had miraculously survived, its life now held no meaning.
It was impossible for it to resume cultivation; it had neither the will nor the ability.
It couldn't even live as a wild cat and raise offspring.
Was a grand demon of the Five Paths realm to meet such an undignified end?
Baizang and the Vermilion Bird had both abandoned it, which meant the world had forsaken it.
The snow stopped, and it struggled to pull itself out of the snow.
This was the Thunder Kingdom; it recognized it. It was also because of it that the Empress here had died, and many house cats had become strays.
And as if by fate's judgment, shortly after it crawled out of the snow, a group of stray cats surrounded it.
Those stray cats naturally didn't know it was the culprit behind the Thunder Kingdom's decline, but they were always wary of this newcomer, this ugly creature with burnt fur.
The Fish King had never imagined that one day it would confront a group of stray cats.
After all, it had been a grand demon for a long time, and it still had a suppressing aura over this group of stray cats.
But this suppression was now merely a cat borrowing a tiger's prestige.
Soon after, a sharp cry erupted from among the stray cats.
The Fish King could understand their words.
They had seen its disfigurement—with its fur burnt off, there was nothing to conceal its ugliest scars.
It felt humiliated, furious, and enraged.
But it was no use; it only provoked more brazen mockery from them.
Then, the mockery turned into a collective, vicious beating.
The Fish King's body was extremely weak at this moment. It felt as though its heart was shattered; even a slight vigorous movement would cause it to split into countless pieces.
But to be bitten to death by stray cats was worse than being stabbed to death by Ning Changjiu in the first place.
It gathered all its strength and pounced.
The Fish King, with its frail body, began tearing and fighting with them. Its paws, from long training, were larger than those of ordinary cats, and even without demonic power, its muscle flexibility and density far surpassed those of common stray cats.
However, its body was in too much pain to exert its full strength and contend with them.
Although the Fish King had bitten two stray cats to death, much of its already damaged fur was ripped off, leaving countless bloodstains on the exposed flesh.
The stray cats surrounded it, looking at the two corpses under its paws. They subtly showed fear, hesitating whether to charge again together.
The Fish King dug its claws fiercely into the corpses of the stray cats.
These bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong... It was actually the same species as them.
The Fish King thought with sadness.
The blood-red setting sun shone upon the snowy ground. It suddenly felt that it should have been a lion.
Unfortunately, where in the world was there a lion besieged by stray cats?
Its heart tore, and blood surged forth. In its eyes, the setting sun split into two halves.
The Fish King swayed and collapsed into the snow.
The stray cats were silent for a moment, then prepared to charge.
Suddenly, hoofbeats rang out.
The rustling footsteps of people treading on snow followed.
The Fish King's consciousness was blurry. It knew someone had arrived, but it held no hope.
Because such footsteps felt familiar in its memory; its former mistress had footsteps similar to these.
The Fish King gradually lost consciousness. Before it fully fainted, it heard a woman's voice.
"I wondered what it was. I thought it was a valuable young ice leopard. Never thought it was just a dying cat. Hmm... killed two stray cats, quite fierce."
"Ah, since it's just a cat, let's leave it be. Let it fend for itself."
"Hmm."
"Wait! Look... look what this cat is doing?"
The Fish King was still unconscious, but its paws were still moving—it was snapping its fingers!
This was a unique skill it had practiced diligently for ten years.
"Why don't we take it to Cloth Street and try to sell it?" Someone suggested.
[29 seconds from now] Chapter 377: Varying Demonic Body, Ninefold Thunder Tribulation
Starting My Demonic Cultivation with a Crippled Spiritual Root
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 1115: Shock
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 325: I Nine, You One
[4 minutes ago] Chapter 658: Breaking the Yin-Yang Divine City
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