Chapter 260: White Snake Temple

In the Sword Pavilion, the lotus pond rippled countless times. The water surface gradually returned to its serene clarity.

Liu He looked at his reflection in the water. The red mark between his eyebrows was like a bead embedded in his skin, conspicuous and dazzling. The sword in his arms hummed incessantly, as if in defiance. It was the only sound in the silent Sword Pavilion.

Lu Jiajia stood opposite him. The strands in her hair, like extinguished flames, had returned to black, and her graceful, snow-like reflection stilled after wavering in the water. Recalling the cry of the fire sparrow in her ear, and envisioning Zhao Xiang'er at their farewell, she couldn't help but smile. This elegant, lotus-like smile seemed to carry a faint hint of sarcasm in everyone's eyes.

Liu He looked at her figure, utterly unable to believe his defeat. The people in the Sword Pavilion, recovering from their shock, stared at Lu Jiajia, suddenly realizing that what had transpired on the fourth floor today would quickly spread throughout the Central Plains in the coming days. A Sword Pavilion disciple being defeated by someone of the same rank, or even a lower rank, was unprecedented, and they had all witnessed it.

Liu He composed his sword heart and asked, "Who exactly are you? And from whom did you learn your skills?"

Lu Jiajia chose not to answer, merely stating, "Your Sword Spirit Embodiment is indeed formidable, but your sword spirit is not a living entity; it merely makes your sword sharper and more agile. You believe in the sword in your hand, while I believe in myself."

"So you forged yourself into a sword?" Liu He asked.

Lu Jiajia did not reply.

Liu He looked up, his eyes slightly reddened, and said, "If your sword body were pure, it would be one thing, but I couldn't have been mistaken... within your sword body, there is clearly a soft, human heart!"

"What of it?" Lu Jiajia replied.

This question briefly stunned Liu He. He earnestly stated, "The cultivation method for my Sword Spirit Embodiment was given to me by my master; it certainly cannot be wrong."

His master... was naturally the Sword Saint of the Sword Pavilion. Just hearing the Sword Saint's name caused many in the pavilion to waver in their conviction.

Lu Jiajia calmly said, "There's no right or wrong in a sword fight; only losing can mean death."

"Lost"... As Liu He heard the word, another drop of blood fell from between his eyebrows.

Liu He didn't believe he was wrong, nor did he believe his master could be wrong. He couldn't help but recall the final moments: his sword intent, in a king-like manner, suppressed all of the woman's sword intent. Yet, when he launched his winning strike, his own seal was suddenly broken through. Her sword intent, accumulated and unleashed, seized the initiative instead, moving a step faster than his own.

That streak of red light...

"Are you a practitioner of the Demonic Path?" Liu He's expression suddenly hardened.

Lu Jiajia also slightly frowned, saying, "Are you looking for a reason to kill me?"

Liu He stared at her; the thought had merely flashed through his mind and he had blurted it out involuntarily. But while he spoke without intent, others listened with purpose. As the words "Demonic Path practitioner" were uttered, many in the pavilion had already drawn their swords.

Lu Jiajia looked at them and said with disappointment, "Is this what the Sword Pavilion is like?"

Liu He gazed deeply at her, then extended his hand, signaling the others to sheathe their swords. He said, "Young lady, please don't misunderstand. I underestimated you in our sword intent contest. If we meet elsewhere in the future, I hope you will truly settle the score with me once more."

"I cannot," Lu Jiajia replied.

With that, she stopped speaking and walked towards the fifth floor.

Liu He turned and watched Lu Jiajia. Earlier, he had been willing to ascend to this floor, firstly out of curiosity about her Sword Spirit Embodiment, and secondly because...

"The Sword Pavilion is still lacking a fourteenth disciple," Liu He suddenly spoke. The unspoken implication was clear. This was an immense opportunity. No matter how powerful this woman was, she was merely in the Purple Court Realm. How could she give up the chance to become a Sword Saint's disciple over a mere contest of will?

Those present, hearing this, felt boundless jealousy surge within them. However, the woman who had surprised everyone once again made a decision they hadn't anticipated.

Lu Jiajia said, "Thank you for the Sword Pavilion's kind offer, but I already have a master."

"Who is your master?" Liu He asked.

Lu Jiajia did not answer and simply walked away. Liu He watched her retreating back until her white robe disappeared into the stairwell. The woman did not look back. It was the first time he had been treated with such indifference. Instead of anger, he chuckled, then gently shook his head a moment later, saying, "What a pity."

Many regrets.

After Lu Jiajia left, everyone turned their gaze to Liu He, feeling somewhat at a loss. One of them bowed and said, "Seventh Master, we are willing to keep today's events confidential and will certainly not spread anything that might tarnish the Sword Pavilion's reputation." The others quickly assented.

Liu He looked at the lotus flowers in the water and smiled faintly, saying, "There's no need. The Sword Pavilion disciples are not so narrow-minded."

In the Chess Pavilion, Ning Changjiu looked at the white-haired old man, observing his gradually weakening and shallow breaths. He said, "I won this game unfairly. If you have any questions, I can ask the Dragon Mother on your behalf."

The old man leaned back in his chair, not responding, seemingly asleep. Ning Changjiu watched the chess board for a moment longer, then slowly rose and said, "Farewell, Sir."

The old man slowly spoke, "Don't lose."

These were his last words.

Ning Changjiu nodded in agreement.

He ascended to the fifth floor.

Each Donghai Pavilion had eight floors.

He reached the fifth floor where the others were already seated. At the sole chess table, a person was drinking tea, waiting, and appeared quite patient. Ning Changjiu sat down opposite him.

"I know you," the person said as soon as Ning Changjiu sat down. Ning Changjiu looked at him with slight confusion.

The person opposite him was a refined young man with a gentle smile. He said, "Earlier, on the Haiyue pleasure boat, we were on the same vessel. I had the good fortune to witness your sword skills; they were extraordinary and unforgettable. With such prowess, why did you come to the Chess Pavilion instead of seeking fame in the Sword Pavilion?"

Ning Changjiu was still contemplating the previous game of chess. He had no desire to answer such a meaningless question, so he simply picked up a chess piece and said, "Guess for first move."

The person was not annoyed and continued, "Do you know what caused the disturbance on the pleasure boat earlier?"

"No," Ning Changjiu replied. He placed two pieces on the board and smiled, saying, "That wasn't an ordinary pleasure boat." Ning Changjiu nodded slightly, unsurprised. No ordinary boat would have hundreds of dead young girls.

He opened his hand; five chess pieces, an odd number. The person tapped his head lightly with a folding fan and regretfully said, "You guessed incorrectly."

The board was set, and Ning Changjiu played first with the white pieces.

Although Ning Changjiu didn't respond, the person continued to muse aloud, "Decades ago, no one would have dared to touch the Dragon Mother's vessel..."

Ning Changjiu's brows furrowed. "What are you trying to say?" he asked.

He smiled and introduced himself, his voice focused into a direct line: "To be honest, my name is Zhuo Yuan—Zhuo as in 'extraordinary chess skill,' Yuan as in 'center of heaven'—and I am from the Transcendent Sect."

The Transcendent Sect was one of the Eight Great Divine Sects of the Central Plains, not far from the Sea Kingdom, holding a transcendent status. Ning Changjiu had also heard a little about it. It was said that the Transcendent Sect lived up to its name: its practitioners cultivated arts that invoked celestial phenomena, using their bodies as a source, unleashing devastating, earth-shaking fist techniques and sword moves imbued with the wrath of heaven. This man, with his aristocratic demeanor, didn't quite match the typical image of the Transcendent Sect.

"Your sect also plays chess?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhuo Yuan replied, "Occasionally, but they're all terrible players, so it's not very interesting."

Ning Changjiu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then what is interesting?" he inquired.

Zhuo Yuan got straight to the point: "I want to commission you to kill someone."

Ning Changjiu looked up at him. "Why don't you hire professional assassins? Isn't the organization called the 'Slaughter King's Court' well-known here?"

Zhuo Yuan replied, "The one I want to kill is from the Slaughter King's Court."

Ning Changjiu frowned, then immediately smiled and refused, "I am not an assassin."

Zhuo Yuan said, "I was just asking casually. It would be best if you accepted, but... if you don't, then I won't be able to go easy on you in this game."

Ning Changjiu smiled calmly. He could feel that his opponent's chess skills were strong, but he believed that no one in the pavilion could defeat him now. After playing chess with that old man, his own chess skills had entered a new realm. Both men were confident.

Zhuo Yuan initially sat casually in his chair, occasionally joking. Then, his back straightened involuntarily, his brows gradually furrowed, and the smile on his face began to stiffen. Ning Changjiu placed his pieces quickly, at a speed that left people gaping. Moves that usually required long deliberation, Ning Changjiu executed in the blink of an eye. Since Zhuo Yuan had already made a big claim, he dared not lose too much momentum. His moves, whether intentionally or unintentionally, also became much faster. But this was a hurriedness that only disrupted his own strategy.

"Brother Zhuo, there's no need to go easy on me," Ning Changjiu said.

Zhuo Yuan's expression darkened slightly. He said, "Take on this task; there are immense benefits. You'll know in time."

Ning Changjiu said, "I haven't been married long."

Zhuo Yuan understood his implication: newly married people always prefer stability. He stopped wasting words and focused on the game. The situation on the board was now delicate, and he believed that as long as he proceeded cautiously, winning this game wouldn't be too difficult.

They took turns placing their pieces. The sound of the pieces striking the board was clear. Zhuo Yuan's movements grew slower and slower. After a long period of contemplation, Zhuo Yuan placed a piece. Ning Changjiu, with almost no thought, closed his eyes and dropped a piece onto the board. Zhuo Yuan looked at the board, his Dao heart somewhat shattered. He knew there was nothing he could do to turn the tide.

Three and a half eyes... this margin might seem small, but on the chess board, it was already a significant victory.

"Who exactly are you?" Zhuo Yuan asked.

Ning Changjiu bothered not to answer, and rose to go upstairs.

Zhuo Yuan, unwilling to give up, said, "If you decide to accept, you can find me at the Transcendent Sect. At that time..."

Ning Changjiu was already on the sixth floor.

The contests in the Sword Pavilion were much faster than those in the Chess Pavilion. Lu Jiajia had expended a great deal of sword intent in her battle with Liu He. She was also concerned whether she could complete all eight floors. However, she found that even those who had a chance to contend with her weakened state intentionally held back and conceded. She completed the next three floors with no effort at all. She suddenly understood that because she had defeated a Sword Pavilion disciple, others dared not win against her. The champion of the Sword Pavilion had already been determined on the fourth floor.

On the eighth floor, Lu Jiajia received the prize for being the Sword Pavilion champion: a exquisitely crafted, almost flawlessly perfect miniature sword, its hilt engraved with the totem of Xuanze. She descended the stairs with this sword. With it, she could proceed to the inner sanctum of the Caijuan Immortal Palace to meet the Dragon Mother, receive a large sum of wealth, and ask the Dragon Mother one question.

Knowing that Ning Changjiu's chess game was not yet finished, she decided to wait for a while below the Chess Pavilion.

Below the Sword Pavilion, someone else was also waiting for her.

In the twilight, Liu He, dressed in black and holding his sword, stood at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion. He only approached her when she appeared. Seeing him approach, Lu Jiajia frowned and asked, "Are you still trying to settle the score with me?"

Liu He shook his head. "No, I just realized I forgot to ask your name."

"Why should I tell you?" Lu Jiajia replied.

Liu He said, "In the Sword Pavilion contest, you won fairly and openly, and I lost willingly and sincerely. It is truly a pity that you are unwilling to become a disciple of my Sword Pavilion, but even so, I still wish to befriend you." Liu He's words were calm and earnest. Though he had been rejected repeatedly by this woman, he still couldn't believe that a sword cultivator could refuse the Sword Pavilion's repeated goodwill.

Lu Jiajia bluntly said, "No."

"Why?" Liu He frowned.

Before Lu Jiajia could answer, a little girl suddenly came running over, her eyes teary. As she approached Lu Jiajia, she slipped and fell. Lu Jiajia quickly helped her up and asked, "How did you wake up?"

The little girl rubbed her eyes and cried, "Mommy, Mommy, I don't know how I fell asleep just now, and when I woke up, you and Daddy were gone! I looked for you for so long and couldn't find you. Xiaoyue was so worried, I thought you didn't want me anymore..."

Lu Jiajia gently comforted her, "You kept smelling the flowers earlier and accidentally got enchanted by them. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you. Your daddy already smashed that flower; when the time comes, I'll have him demand an explanation from the Dragon Mother."

The little girl weakly hummed in acknowledgment and nodded, half-believing, "As long as Mommy didn't abandon me."

Liu He, standing nearby, could no longer suppress his emotions; his brows furrowed almost entirely together. "Is this... your daughter?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. Earlier, when he had first seen Lu Jiajia on the first floor, a fleeting glance had loosened his rock-like sword heart. This feeling had intensified after his defeat. He had initially thought it was destiny, but never expected... Liu He looked at the little girl and thought, 'How could a daughter born to such a celestial beauty be so ordinary-looking? How ugly must her husband be?' Liu He felt an urge to vomit blood. He had never felt so utterly humiliated in his entire life. How could a Sword Pavilion disciple, traveling the world, encounter such a situation?

His sword attendant looked at his young master and sighed faintly, thinking, 'Even someone like my master cannot escape this trial?'

To make matters worse, the little girl added, "Mommy, let's go. Don't pay attention to this person who isn't as handsome as Daddy."

Ancient Spirit Sect, Spirit Valley.

A day had already passed. Night had fallen. The deep ravines of Spirit Valley were filled with desolate mountains and ancient forests, concealing countless fierce exotic beasts. The darker the night, the more perilous it became.

Following the guidance of her Seeking Blade, Ning Xiaoling found a fishhook in a cave guarded by a Water Spirit. This hook was specifically designed for fishing out malevolent spirits from the water. Ning Xiaoling slipped the hook into her cloth pouch, then patted the broken blade in her hand and praised, "You truly are an old treasure knife that's still sharp!"

Then, she discovered something frustrating: the cloth pouch provided by the Ancient Spirit Sect was simply too small. The pouch was bulging high, stuffed with nearly twenty spiritual treasures. If she found any more large items, she would have to carry them by hand. Alas, the Ancient Spirit Sect was a renowned major sect after all; they really hadn't thought things through very well. If only she could have another pouch. Ning Xiaoling thought to herself.

She passed through an expanse of desolate ruins, heading in the direction indicated by the broken blade. She wanted to find as many spiritual treasures as possible before the Spirit Valley Grand Competition ended. After all, anything she found would be hers, and she was her elder brother's "little money pouch," so naturally, what was hers was also his!

As Ning Xiaoling's thoughts wandered, cries for help suddenly echoed from a distance. She immediately quickened her pace, her figure, blade in hand, slicing through the wild grass, and in a flash, she had covered dozens of feet. In the distance, a red figure was falling from a cliff. After landing, the figure began to run wildly, with a person dressed in green close behind.

"Junior Sister, stop running. Hand over the spiritual treasure," the man in green said, cornering her.

The little girl in the red dress fell to the ground. Clasping the cloth pouch to her chest, she lay prone, struggling to get up, and said, "I found this... you're not allowed to take it!"

The man in green looked at her and sighed, "Junior Sister, it would be better if you cooperated willingly. Don't force your Senior Brother to act."

The little girl in the red dress clutched it tightly. She turned her head slightly, glanced at the man's green clothes, and declared, "I won't give it to someone as ugly as you!"

The man burst into laughter. "What do you know? This is the safest way to dress! This one is for the desert, this one is for rock walls, and this one is for water..." As he spoke, he pulled out his pre-prepared jackets, one by one... After all, magical artifacts were restricted, but clothing was not. The man said, "Junior Sister, you just dressed too conspicuously; otherwise, I wouldn't have found you."

The little girl in the red dress also felt some regret. She choked out, "You shameless pervert!"

The man approached her step by step. Then, he stopped in front of the girl and promptly toppled over.

The little girl in the red dress was startled. Then, she saw another girl standing behind the man. That girl wore a white dress, her expression a frosty aloofness that kept people at a thousand miles' distance, yet her face was so adorable it made one want to reach out and caress it. The little girl in the red dress looked at her, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Earlier, outside Spirit Valley, she had seen this girl in white in their group. At the time, she had inwardly disliked her plain attire, but now, looking again, she seemed like a fairy descended from heaven.

The girl looked at her and said gratefully, "Thank you, Senior Sister. Senior Sister, what's your name? Were you here to save me?"

Ning Xiaoling simply stated her name, then opened the purse of the man she had temporarily knocked unconscious, and directly sent him out of the valley. Next, she extended her hand to the little girl in the red dress. The girl on the ground, deeply moved, looked at the slender, jade-like hand extended to her and offered her own.

Their hands bypassed each other. Ning Xiaoling snatched the spiritual treasure the girl was guarding.

"???" The girl in the red dress froze, her eyes wide. Only then did she realize that this wasn't someone who came to save her at all; this was clearly an even more domineering bandit!

"You... you..." The girl felt her trust had been misplaced. With teary eyes, she looked at Ning Xiaoling, wanting to denounce her with harsh words.

Then, an even stranger scene unfolded. The girl who called herself Ning Xiaoling examined the bell in the pouch for a moment. It was a bell whose tongue had been removed, producing a sound only ghosts and spirits could hear when shaken. Ning Xiaoling showed a look of disdain.

"I'll take this, and you can have this back," she said. She took the cloth pouch and threw the bell back to the girl.

The girl looked at the bell in her hand, feeling an unprecedented blow to her spirit. "How can you bully someone like this?" she exclaimed in shame and indignation. "If you're so capable, then don't give me anything at all!"

Ning Xiaoling looked at her and remained silent for a moment. The girl quickly clutched the bell tightly. "I... I was just joking."

"Thanks!" Ning Xiaoling felt much lighter with an extra cloth pouch and turned to leave.

"What kind of disciples does the Ancient Spirit Sect even accept?" The girl in the red dress was somewhat distraught.

Ning Xiaoling continued onward, entering one domain after another within the rift valley, systematically searching for spiritual treasures. Soon, the empty cloth pouch was also filled with a little less than half its capacity. The subsequent treasure hunt was not very arduous. Along the way, she encountered another pair of senior and junior siblings. Unfortunately, they were poor and she gained nothing from them. As she left, she even heard the senior brother comforting his junior sister, "Don't worry. Once we find the other three senior brothers from the Underworld Lineage, we'll definitely teach that wretched girl a good lesson."

Through a day's effort, Ning Xiaoling had virtually become the overlord of Spirit Valley. The senior and junior siblings she had robbed spread tales of her deeds after encountering her. Now, her deterrent power even surpassed that of Ming Lang. After all, Ming Lang was a dignified chief disciple and wouldn't stoop to such despicable acts as robbing others of their treasures.

It was nearing midnight.

Ning Xiaoling was enthusiastically searching for treasures when suddenly, the broken blade in her hand glowed red again. This time, the light was brighter than before. Ning Xiaoling pondered for a moment, then immediately considered a possibility: the number one exotic treasure was about to appear! At this thought, her spirits became taut. Had Ming Lang not found it yet? Previously, she had tried to win by quantity, but the strongest spiritual treasure alone was worth dozens of ordinary ones... With this in mind, she no longer hesitated, running directly towards where the blade was pointing.

Ning Xiaoling traversed a rocky stream valley and crossed an ancient forest. Before her lay a massive, dried-up riverbed. The riverbed was very deep, filled with colorful poisonous mist at the bottom, and a broken bridge spanned across it above. Moonlight from outside Spirit Valley softly illuminated the scene. The broken bridge seemed veiled in mist, its part that vanished into the fog appearing to lead to hell. Ning Xiaoling paused outside the broken bridge. She had seen similar sights in Linhe City before and was not unfamiliar with them. She stepped onto the broken bridge and used her blade to cut through the mist shrouded in nether energy. The view before her gradually became clearer. She crossed the seemingly eerie bridge, and nothing strange occurred.

Beyond the Bridge of No Return lay a labyrinthine forest. Ning Xiaoling easily navigated through it with the aid of her guidance. After the forest, there was another vast ruin. This ruin was even more intact than that of the Medicine King's Hall. However, its architectural style differed from that of the old Fengdu site.

"White Serpent Shrine?" Ning Xiaoling read aloud, looking at the large characters on the snow-white palace. She did not proceed further. Because the broken blade suddenly emitted alternating red lights—a sign of impending danger.

Ning Xiaoling looked at the remnants of the White Serpent Shrine, hesitating, when suddenly, the shrine's main doors opened. A blood-stained disciple stumbled out, his face still etched with shock. He had only taken a few steps from the entrance when he spotted Ning Xiaoling and frantically waved at her.

"Quick... come help!" the disciple cried out to Ning Xiaoling, clutching a broken sword.

Ning Xiaoling quickly walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Inside... inside, cough, cough, cough." The man coughed up a mouthful of blood and said, "There's a white serpent that has come to life inside, and our junior brothers and sisters are still in there... Junior Sister, you've arrived at just the right time. That white serpent has already been cornered by us. They're confronting it inside, and I, being the most injured, came out first to find help..."

Ning Xiaoling frowned. "A white serpent?"

"Yes, a feathered serpent with black feathers and white scales came to life. It's said to be a descendant of a mutated Feathered Serpent God; it's very powerful... But fortunately, Senior Brother Ming Lang arrived in time and turned the danger into safety," the man said. "Junior Sister, your cultivation realm should be impressive. Let's go back together and slay that white serpent."

Ning Xiaoling glanced at her black blade. Because there was an outsider present, the black blade did not glow. She looked at the deep White Serpent Shrine and, distrustfully, told the disciple, "You go in first." To dispel her doubts, the disciple turned and walked back into the shrine. Only then did Ning Xiaoling follow him in.

In the depths of the grand hall, a white feathered serpent lay on the ground, its scales and flesh bloody and mangled, on the verge of death.