Chapter 277: Husband and Master

A soft light gradually entered her eyes, carrying a faint, moist sensation.

A soft white glow diffused in her pupils. Si Ming felt her ears grow warm, and then her body, which should have been cold, gradually regained its temperature. She sensed something smooth and cool as jade touching her. It was...

Si Ming let out a soft groan, and her tense legs immediately constricted.

The other person stopped their hand.

She lay in a warm, soft embrace, feeling no killing intent from her surroundings, and the sudden surge of alertness in her heart began to fade. Yet, as she pressed her legs tightly together, the contact between her skin and the other's hand only intensified the sensation from the markings.

The dark red markings felt like flames burning from her inner thighs, scorching her body and gradually pulling her drowning consciousness back to the surface.

Her vision gradually cleared.

She saw that the woman holding her was the one in white.

The woman in white looked at her.

Si Ming met her gaze.

They were clear eyes, pure and serene, yet holding a subtle, gentle warmth deep within—a demeanor that offered a sense of reassurance.

"Are you awake?" the woman in white asked, gently withdrawing her hand.

Si Ming's body trembled, her voice slightly hoarse.

She could feel the sword qi embedded in her chest, and the other's hand, supporting the back of her head, gently grazed a vital point.

She was also wary of her.

Si Ming sneered inwardly.

Such a paltry trick to compensate for the disparity in cultivation levels? How foolish...

She could easily negate the sword qi in her chest and effortlessly kill the other person with her dominion over time.

Though this woman had committed no wrong and had even saved her life.

But in such a chaotic world, kindness can sometimes be a sin.

She wanted to kill her not because of kindness, of course, but because this woman had discovered her most private and humiliating secret—the slave mark.

This was her forbidden topic.

Si Ming slowly recovered her cultivation, leaning against the woman. Even though the other had subtly withdrawn the protective sword qi, Si Ming remained confident she could, with a single strike, breach her defenses and pierce that kind heart.

She imagined it would be something more beautiful than a 'seven-aperture exquisite heart'.

"I've already washed your clothes for you," the woman in white suddenly said.

"Here's water; drink if you're thirsty. Your external wounds have also stopped bleeding, so now that you're awake, you'll be fine..." The woman in white draped the soft black robe over Si Ming. "Your hand."

Si Ming was slightly displeased by the tone. She wasn't a child; how could she tolerate such meddling?

Lu Jiajia, thinking Si Ming was unable to move, gently took her arm, guiding her delicate, jade-like limb into the sleeve, and carefully wrapped her body in the black robe. Lu Jiajia's gaze swept over the scene, which felt like a snowy plain enveloped by night.

Si Ming leaned slightly against her, allowing the woman to help her dress.

Kill her after she's dressed...

Si Ming thought this.

Once Si Ming was dressed, Lu Jiajia noticed her dry lips. She then brought water, enveloped in sword qi, to Si Ming's mouth and gently helped her drink.

The water had even been boiled with sword fire.

Si Ming took small sips of water, and her body gradually relaxed.

She wielded her dominion over time, reassembling her shattered Dao Realm within her body.

This woman was exceptionally beautiful, with serene and gentle features, lustrous black hair, and an ethereal aura. The more Si Ming looked, the more enchanting she found her, even feeling a slight sense of wonder herself.

She must have hailed from a distinguished sect. Had it not been for this era of collapsing heavens and earth, she would likely have found a Dao companion to pursue the Great Dao with and achieved a good destiny.

Si Ming felt a sense of pity for her.

In this historical period, someone like her would surely meet a grim end, likely killed by that steel-clawed monster. Now, she was fortunately saved by Si Ming, yet she had inadvertently touched Si Ming's forbidden topic.

This was a boundary she would absolutely not allow to be crossed.

Si Ming, using her Five Dao Realm cultivation, effortlessly suppressed the sword intent in her chest, rendering it ineffective.

The woman in white, whose cultivation was too low, remained completely oblivious. She softly remarked, "Thank you for that earlier hint; I sensed someone there, and to my surprise, there really was... You're so beautiful, you must not be human, are you?"

Lu Jiajia wrapped one arm around Si Ming while using the other to tie her belt.

Si Ming leaned against the woman's chest, enveloped in her white robes, and felt as if she were gazing at a sea of clouds from a towering peak.

She felt a pang of melancholy, involuntarily recalling many past events... She suddenly realized this was the first time in a millennium she had experienced such gentle intimacy with another woman.

Never mind... I'll lie here a bit longer before killing her.

Si Ming hummed softly in response.

She was indeed not human.

She was the finest creation nurtured in the Divine Kingdom, a born divine body. Even the ancient deities, half-beast and half-god, couldn't compare to her, let alone mere humans.

Lu Jiajia asked, "How did you get here, and why are you so gravely injured?"

Si Ming composed herself, then softly spoke, her voice tinged with helplessness: "With divine wrath descending, where is there to escape?"

Countless beings must have perished in that suddenly fallen great city.

Lu Jiajia nodded gently. When the stone city broke apart earlier, she had, in a moment of quick thinking, assimilated all the surrounding spiritual energy into sword qi. She then condensed this sword qi into a powerful thrust, forcefully propelling herself away just as the stone city approached the mountain peak.

She wondered if Ning Changjiu would survive...

But worrying was useless; she believed his fate was likely more resilient than her own.

"Fortunately, this section of the mountain peak wasn't crushed..." Lu Jiajia said, looking at the surrounding rock walls.

Si Ming's exquisite head, with its cascade of silver hair, also leaned against the mountain. She hummed softly, indicating her agreement.

Hmm... it would indeed be a pity if the mountain collapsed.

Never mind, she's a figure long dead in history anyway, and with such a low cultivation level, what harm is there in sparing her life?

The power of dominion Si Ming had condensed between her fingers subtly faded.

She leaned in Lu Jiajia's embrace, scoffing at her foolish kindness, and gently drifted off to sleep for a while.

Si Ming awoke again, and the sharp, piercing pain in her mind had subsided.

She found herself not lying in the woman's embrace, but placed instead on a cold, hard stone bed. Her brows furrowed, and a surge of displeasure rose within her.

She straightened up, adjusted her black robe, and tightened her belt.

She looked over.

She saw the woman in white sitting cross-legged on the ground, circulating spiritual energy to cultivate. Before her, snowy white sword shadows materialized, resembling small figures performing various intricate sword techniques mid-air.

Si Ming, now fully awake, carefully observed her.

The woman in white was a dignified and elegant immortal, her sitting posture meticulous, her back gracefully curved. Her white robe, draped from her neck, resembled a waterfall cascading down a cliff. Her pristine face, adorned with a tiny, faint tear mole, further enhanced her ethereal beauty, making her endearing.

However...

Looking at the high, bulging loose white robe, Si Ming bit her lip slightly, her gaze distant... *Hmph*, how vulgar. It ruined half of her immortal charm.

Si Ming watched for a while longer. This woman looked no older than twenty, making her, compared to Si Ming, truly a... well, a little girl.

Only a little girl would cling to such goodness in her heart.

She then thought of Shao Xiaoli and immediately dismissed this idea.

She watched intently for a moment, then offered guidance.

"There's a flaw in your sword execution."

After Lu Jiajia completed a full cycle of her sword moves, Si Ming spoke coolly.

"Hmm?" Lu Jiajia gently turned around, finding Si Ming already seated cross-legged on the smooth boulder, the fox mask resting flat on her lap.

This was the sword technique she knew best, having practiced it for over a decade. How could there be a problem?

Si Ming said, "The transitions between the third and fourth forms of your sword manual, as well as between the seventh and eighth, and eleventh and twelfth, are clearly sluggish and lack fluidity. While this might be acceptable against ordinary cultivators, such a gap would be fatal against a master."

Lu Jiajia replied, "I have long since mastered this sword manual; there shouldn't be any flaws."

Moreover, she was now a complete sword body.

Si Ming said, "Recite your sword manual's incantations for me."

Lu Jiajia paused, slightly startled. She hesitated for a moment, reasoning that since Si Ming was a figure long dead in history, nothing would be revealed. So, she softly recited the sword manual.

Si Ming listened intently, occasionally gesturing to interrupt and allow herself time to think.

After Lu Jiajia finished reciting the entire sword manual, Si Ming stated confidently, "This sword manual is incomplete."

"What?" Lu Jiajia was incredulous.

This was a sword manual passed down for centuries; how could it be incomplete?

Si Ming said, "Execute a sword strike against me according to your manual."

Lu Jiajia complied, delivering a sword strike. The sword qi was sharp, cutting through the air with a forceful slash.

Si Ming's finger-sword was equally swift as lightning.

She used a cultivation level slightly lower than Lu Jiajia's.

But this minute sword strike, when it met Lu Jiajia's seemingly robust sword qi, severed it clean through, shattering it instantly.

Lu Jiajia was startled; she couldn't even clearly perceive what happened.

"Again," Si Ming's voice was cool.

Lu Jiajia delivered another sword strike.

Si Ming severed it with a single finger.

After several more strikes, Lu Jiajia sat bolt upright, unable to conceal her astonishment.

"How could this be..."

"As I said, your sword manual is incomplete." Si Ming gently withdrew her finger.

Lu Jiajia's heart was filled with shock and doubt. She could clearly feel that what this woman said was not baseless; she could distinctly perceive the tiny fissures hidden within the seemingly beautiful and powerful sword intent.

Si Ming softly said, "If my Sea of Consciousness were unharmed, I could help you deduce the entire sword manual, making it even stronger than the original."

Lu Jiajia was silent for a moment, then withdrew the sword intent that had been lodged in her chest, saying, "You are truly powerful."

Si Ming calmly nodded.

She was originally second only to one... No, now she was second only to two.

That damned Ning Changjiu.

The next time she saw him, if he was no longer a Five Dao Realm cultivator, she could easily suppress his Sea of Consciousness, giving him no chance to manipulate the slave seal. Hmph, she would certainly torture him well then, and while she was at it, torment his beloved wife and Dao companion whom he never forgot.

Thinking of this, Si Ming's mood finally brightened somewhat.

No matter how powerful Ning Changjiu was, it was absolutely impossible for him to reach the Five Dao Realm in such a short time.

"Your sword body is also very strong, and your sword moves are the result of arduous practice. You must come from a prestigious family, right?" Si Ming said, engaging her in calm conversation.

Lu Jiajia replied, "I came from Nanzhou."

Si Ming nodded, thinking that with the heavens and earth collapsing, chaos reigned everywhere. Nanzhou was no different from the Central Lands.

Lu Jiajia looked at her and said, "You must be an important figure from the Central Lands. How should I address you?"

Si Ming replied, "I am not from the Central Lands. As for my name..."

She paused, then said, "Xueci."

"Xueci?" Lu Jiajia softly considered the hidden meaning behind the name, nodded, and said, "What a beautiful name."

Si Ming actually didn't like this name; it was too delicate, like a little girl's.

Si Ming said, "You don't need to call me by name. I've lived... for over a hundred years. You can call me elder sister or... senior."

Lu Jiajia nodded, though she had no intention of calling her "elder sister." She knew the other woman was older, but she felt a persistent reluctance.

The two rested and recovered from their injuries while regulating their breaths for a while.

Si Ming, possessing dominion over time, recovered from her injuries extremely quickly. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, almost everything except her damaged Dao Realm had healed completely.

Lu Jiajia glanced out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the other's physical condition and was astonished, realizing she had underestimated her.

Si Ming, having healed her own injuries, looked at Lu Jiajia and said, "Come here."

Lu Jiajia found her cold and arrogant voice somewhat unsettling.

Si Ming looked at her cheek, her tone softening slightly, and said, "I'll heal your injuries."

Lu Jiajia got up and walked to the edge of the smooth boulder.

"Lie down," Si Ming instructed.

Lu Jiajia asked, confused, "Why must I lie down to heal?"

It's not like forging a sword...

Si Ming said, "Because your sword spirit has already merged with your body, and you are now a true sword, your body must remain straight during healing."

Lu Jiajia was half-convinced, half-doubtful, but given the other's far superior cultivation, she assumed her understanding was deeper.

She obediently lay prone on the stone bed.

Si Ming placed her hands on Lu Jiajia's back and gently traced downwards, healing her injuries as effortlessly as dusting off a wall.

Si Ming secretly marveled.

Although this was a historical illusion within the Luo Shu, the people here felt incredibly real; their touch and voices seemed utterly genuine.

Was the power of the Primordial Source of Creation truly so miraculous?

In truth, it wasn't that the sword body needed to remain straight for healing. It was simply that Si Ming's body had been seen by the other woman. Though they were both female, Si Ming still felt a need to reclaim some balance; only then would it feel fair.

Lu Jiajia's injuries also healed rapidly.

Her pretty face was slightly flushed, her ethereal aura, usually untouched by mortal concerns, had dissipated somewhat, and her earlobes were rather hot.

"You are no longer a maiden?" Si Ming observed her expression and asked softly, with a hint of disappointment.

Lu Jiajia hadn't expected the other person to discern such a thing merely from observing her, and to ask it outright. While not truly shameful, she still felt a slight blush, her expression abashed.

Lu Jiajia lowered her head, adjusted her collar and the hair by her temples, and calmly nodded: "Yes, I already have a Dao companion."

Si Ming was somewhat displeased: "A woman like you shouldn't concern herself with mortal affairs; it's detrimental to your sword. If your emotional ties aren't deep, I advise you to sever them early, lest they become a mental obstacle when you enter the Five Dao Realm. In this world, even among Dao companions, there are still many who scheme against each other, and it's not uncommon for people to kill their spouses to achieve enlightenment."

Lu Jiajia smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, my husband is a good man."

Si Ming looked at her as if she were a junior, and reprimanded, "A good man? Hmph, you possess such a pristine sword body, yet he took your maidenhood. What kind of good man is that? Now you're trapped alone in a perilous place; where is he?"

Lu Jiajia's voice grew quiet for a moment, and worry appeared on her face: "He and I encountered trouble together and were separated. I hope he is safe..."

Si Ming thought, how could anyone be safe in such a chaotic world? Disaster wouldn't show mercy based on the depth of their affection.

She looked into Lu Jiajia's eyes, and a trace of pity emerged.

Lu Jiajia also looked at her.

She always felt that this woman named Xueci looked at her as if she were a widow.

Feeling displeased, Lu Jiajia hesitated for a moment, then touched Si Ming's forbidden topic again: "May I ask what exactly the mark on the inside of your thigh is?"

Si Ming's icy eyes grew slightly colder.

She knew the other person was merely curious and wasn't truly angry. With eyelashes slightly lowered, she said, "Once, I fought alongside a man. We defeated a powerful enemy together, but he, being ungrateful, suddenly turned against me. He ambushed me when I was weak. I fell victim to his scheme and was defeated by him. He took the opportunity to plant this slave mark on me... As soon as he wills it, the slave mark will activate."

At this point, Si Ming paused slightly and offered a self-mocking smile.

Lu Jiajia nodded gently, already aware of what happened when the slave seal was activated, from when she had awakened Xueci earlier.

If it was like that when her consciousness was chaotic, what would it be like when she was fully aware?

Lu Jiajia looked at the incomparably beautiful silver-haired woman before her, unable to imagine what she would look like kneeling before someone, begging for mercy and acknowledging a master.

"The person who put that slave mark on you is truly despicable," Lu Jiajia said indignantly. "Not only ungrateful, but to humiliate you like this—he truly deserves to die."

Si Ming said coolly, "Yes, even though we had some grievances back then, we had also been through life and death together. I never imagined he would be such a person... even scheming against me in every conceivable way until the very end..."

Lu Jiajia felt that although this woman was cold and arrogant, her willingness to heal implied she was a good person. She didn't doubt Si Ming's words, and as she thought of the "master" described—ungrateful, humiliating towards women, and cunning—these were all qualities she most detested. For one person to possess them all was truly abominable. And someone as exquisitely beautiful as Miss Xueci must have suffered immense humiliation before. Fortunately, Miss Xueci had escaped his clutches.

Lu Jiajia felt pity, thinking how fortunate it was that her own husband was a very good man.

"Senior, you truly met the wrong sort of person," Lu Jiajia sighed. "Was that person's cultivation level very high?"

Si Ming gently shook her head and smiled: "Not high at all, far inferior to me. It was I... who was negligent."

Lu Jiajia immediately imagined the scene where Xueci trusted the other person, only to be ambushed and backstabbed. She grew even more indignant, saying, "When my cultivation level is higher, if I see the person who harmed you, I will certainly help you get revenge and remove this humiliating mark from Miss Xueci."

Si Ming said, "Thank you for your kindness, but rest assured, I will personally slay him."

Lu Jiajia nodded earnestly.

Si Ming looked at her, seeing her passionate hatred for evil, and suddenly offered a faint smile, unable to resist reaching out to smooth her hair.

Beautiful and kind-hearted, she was indeed a very good girl.

If possible, before ascending back to the Divine Kingdom in the outside world, she would be willing to impart her unique skills and arts to her.

Si Ming had always wanted to leave some trace in the mortal world when she became a True Immortal, which was why she had once considered taking Shao Xiaoli as a disciple.

Unfortunately, she had misjudged. What Shao Xiaoli did to her on the Sin King's torture rack had, of course, severed their path as master and disciple.

Although she wouldn't misjudge this time, this was ultimately within the Luo Shu illusion, and ephemeral bubbles would eventually return to dust...

Lu Jiajia's injuries had healed. She looked at the surrounding rock walls, their thickness unknown, her expression hesitant.

"Beyond this mountain peak, there should now be giant cities, and the Five Dao great demons and ancient gods outside have almost all poured out. With your cultivation level, you'd die very quickly. It's safest to stay here," Si Ming said, knowing she wanted to leave.

Lu Jiajia shook her head firmly: "My husband is still out there."

Si Ming gently shook her head and said, "Why care so much about a faithless man?"

Lu Jiajia insisted, "He is not faithless."

Si Ming said, "Not being able to protect you at all times, letting you endure calamities alone—that is being faithless."

Lu Jiajia remained silent. She had already begun accumulating sword qi, preparing to cut through the mountain.

Si Ming looked at her, unable to comprehend this kind of love, which was almost a hindrance on the path of cultivation.

Si Ming still couldn't help but advise, "You'll die."

"I must go, and there's a deeper reason... it's hard to explain," Lu Jiajia said stubbornly.

Lu Jiajia sighed inwardly, thinking that Si Ming, as a historical figure lost here and unaware, was naturally unconcerned with life or death. But she herself had to get out eventually. If she couldn't escape and remained trapped, how was it any different from dying?

As she spoke, Lu Jiajia slowly stood up, opening her sword-eyes to search for the weakest point in the rock wall, preparing to cleave open the mountain.

Si Ming looked at her back, clad in white, and felt even more hatred for her Dao companion.

Originally, she had wanted to take her as a disciple, but now it seemed that even if she did, she wouldn't be able to retain her heart.

Thinking this, she felt a surge of anger.

Meanwhile, Lu Jiajia had already located the weak point in the rock wall and was ready to unleash her sword.

Si Ming hesitated for a moment, then stood up. She took a light step, covering distance as if shrinking space, and appeared beside Lu Jiajia. She took hold of Lu Jiajia's sword-holding hand and said, "If you strike with your sword like that, this entire mountain will collapse."

She gently lowered Lu Jiajia's hand and said, "Let me... After all, we've met. Once we're outside, I can protect you for a while and help you find that faithless husband of yours."

Lu Jiajia smiled and said sincerely, "Senior Xueci is truly a good person."

Si Ming looked at her smile, and her own mood was uplifted, a faint curve appearing on her lips.

She drew her black sword.

The moment the black sword was drawn, Si Ming's expression changed abruptly. After a low cry of "Be careful," she pulled Lu Jiajia into her embrace, enveloped both of them with her dominion over time, turned the black sword, and in an instant, cleaved a large hole in the rock wall, vanishing through it immediately.

The next moment, the sky tore apart, mountains collapsed, and a colossal entity instantly shattered the peak.

After breaking through the peak, Si Ming looked back.

Although the giant peak had completely collapsed, she saw nothing.

What had collapsed the mountain seemed to be a vast, invisible entity.

She unfolded her Sea of Consciousness, but it yielded no projections.

How could she not see it...

Her Sea of Consciousness resonated, and a terrifying thought emerged—that might be the Lord of the Divine Kingdom, a being not revealed by history.