Chapter 295: 冥君长诗

Antlered deer trod through the snow, and white cranes hung on the wind.

Midwinter’s frost seeped from the caves of Mount Xuanming, falling like goose feathers and spreading like a net of snow. On the suspension bridge that linked the mountain gate caves to the other peaks, snowflakes whirled like sword blades, resembling birds lingering among a thousand precipices.

The old man riding the antlered deer wore robes as white as snow, a cluster of plum blossoms embroidered on his right lapel.

The old man on the white crane wore deep green robes, his lapel embroidered with a single reed plume.

They emerged, treading through the snow. The deer walked across the snowy ground, and the crane glided through the wind and snow. The world became a pristine white, all things silent, and every sound seemed to be utterly absorbed.

They looked up simultaneously, their piercing eyes fixed on the audacious couple who had dared to destroy the Immortal Slayer Pavilion, murderous intent surging around them.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass upon my sect and destroy my ancient pavilion?” The old man remained silent, but the antlered deer beneath him spoke first, its voice aged and decrepit.

Ning Changjiu replied, “We only wish to pass through.”

The antlered deer said coldly, “Pass through? You destroyed our formation to enter the sect, stormed our peaks, and broke our pavilion. What a way to 'pass through'!”

Ning Changjiu emerged from the Immortal Slayer Pavilion, holding the precious Mountain-Sea Disk in his hand. The mountains and seas within the disk had already shattered completely, turning into scattered sand.

The antlered deer’s voice carried the oppressive power of the Fifth Path realm, yet Ning Changjiu’s resolve remained completely unshaken. His vital energy, spirit, and mind were at their peak, exuding an aura that suggested anyone who blocked his path from the Luoshu Pavilion to the Ancient Spirit Sect would surely meet their demise.

Ning Changjiu didn't want to waste any more time. Suppressing his anger, he calmly stated, “The Luoshu Pavilion has been destroyed, and Luo Cangsu is dead. There’s no point in fiercely guarding this place any longer. Both of you immortals should return to your residences.”

The antlered deer and the white crane exchanged glances.

Naturally, they wouldn't believe such a claim.

Luo Cangsu was nearing the peak of the Fifth Path. Who in the human realm, besides the Sword Saint, could possibly kill him? Furthermore, these words came from a young man who hadn't even entered the Fifth Path realm.

“Nonsense,” the White Crane Immortal said slowly. It carried the old man into the sky, its feathers blending with the snow, making it impossible to distinguish between them.

“Who could kill Pavilion Master Luo? Not only him, but even the Seventh and Eighth Pavilion Masters are true monarchs no less powerful than us. With the Sword Pavilion standing idy, who could possibly kill them?” The antlered deer echoed, “I presume you are also thieves who stole divine fortune, otherwise why would you be so desperate as to flee to this place?”

Ning Changjiu no longer wished to waste words with them, for the exquisite figure in silver hair and dark robes had already entered his peripheral vision, lightly treading on the snow as she stood atop an old peak.

The mountain gate's restrictions were as nothing to her.

A red and white fox rested on Siming’s snow-white neck.

It was not a fox fur, but a real fox, its eyes closed. This fox appeared to have died many years ago, yet its pelt remained perfectly preserved. Its soft, long fur gently covered her slender neck, providing exceptional warmth in the cold winter.

As she appeared with the wind and snow, True Monarch Antlered Deer and True Monarch White Crane simultaneously fixed their gaze upon her, as if confronting a formidable enemy.

“And who is this newcomer?” True Monarch Antlered Deer asked.

Siming replied indifferently, “One who wishes to pass through.”

True Monarch Antlered Deer and True Monarch White Crane exchanged glances and yielded the path.

Siming, however, reached into the wind and snow before her and drew out a sword.

True Monarch Antlered Deer sensed the murderous intent and glared, exclaiming, “Do not be ungrateful!”

Siming glanced at Lu Jiajia and said, “You two go ahead. I will kill them.”

Lu Jiajia said, “There’s no need to delay here. Moreover, they are both Fifth Path cultivators, and it would be dangerous for you to face them alone, Elder Sister.”

Siming smiled, her lips curving, “Jiajia, you’ve learned to be naughty too. You usually tease me, but now you call me ‘Elder Sister’ so sweetly?”

Lu Jiajia remained silent, denying her any further opportunity for mockery.

Siming said, “Blocking our path, sealing the mountain, aiding evildoers… I heard that the pavilion ship you built also met with a sea disaster back then. I suppose Diahuan Sect was the culprit.”

Lu Jiajia nodded gently.

“Elder Sister will avenge you,” Siming said with a faint smile.

True Monarch Antlered Deer and True Monarch White Crane grew increasingly uneasy. “Who exactly are you?”

Siming waved a finger, and the black sword suspended beside her flew towards Ning Changjiu, who caught the hilt. Siming herself directly gripped the sword formed from wind and snow, as if using the black sword to kill them would be like using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken.

True Monarch White Crane stared at her, saying coldly, “Arrogant… This is Diahuan Sect’s mountain gate. We acknowledge your difficult journey to the Fifth Path realm and are disinclined to shatter the landscape with our power, so do not be ungrateful.”

Siming smiled faintly, saying nothing.

When she was a divine official of the God Nation, she had already been displeased with these overbearing cultivators. However, humans were too clever; they always found appropriate excuses before acting, or had already prepared scapegoats for their misdeeds. Thus, even knowing their guilt, the divine officials could not intervene.

But now, free from limitations, she had ample time to draw her sword at will. Were it not for her concern for Ning Xiaoling, she could have single-handedly cut a swathe through the entire Southwest of the Central Lands to settle scores for the Luoshu Pavilion conspiracy.

Siming said, “That crane is of a higher realm; I will kill it. You two work together to kill the antlered deer. Two Purple Court realm cultivators against a mere initial Fifth Path realm cultivator, that shouldn’t be a problem, should it?”

A Purple Court realm cultivator killing a Fifth Path True Immortal?

These words sounded like a joke to the antlered deer and the white crane.

Ning Changjiu walked out of the Immortal Slayer Pavilion, holding the black sword, and nodded seriously.

Back then, he and Lu Jiajia combined forces could not defeat the Fish King, an initial Fifth Path realm cultivator. However, their cultivation realms had advanced significantly since then, and after leaving Luoshu, Lu Jiajia had even entered the ninth level of the Purple Court.

They also wanted to test if their current combined strength could slay a True Immortal.

Siming, holding the sword, walked barefoot upon the snow, her toes lightly touching the snowflakes in the air, her steps so light they resembled an aerial dance.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia also advanced together, charging into the mountain with their swords.

True Monarch Antlered Deer sneered, stomping its hoof on the ground. The earth quaked and mountains shook, as countless avalanches cascaded. Simultaneously, the vast snow mist cleared, and the pervasive wind and snow condensed into a giant sword, pointing from afar at the presumptuous newcomers.

After Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia passed through the Immortal Slayer Pavilion and crossed the suspension bridge, True Monarch Antlered Deer’s domain silently unfolded, engulfing them.

True Monarch Antlered Deer’s authority was “Damage and Destruction.” Anyone who entered this domain would naturally find flaws appearing in all their techniques. Such flaws were unavoidable, for nothing in the world is truly perfect. True Monarch Antlered Deer could seize these flaws, break them down, and then, with continuous moves, exploit every fatal weak point, pressing closer inch by inch until the opponent was killed.

This was a battle between cultivators of the same realm.

At this moment, confident in his Fifth Path cultivation, he believed this would be an overwhelming victory against the audacious couple.

He was, in fact, more concerned about True Monarch White Crane’s safety.

Earlier, when she conversed with that female sword immortal, she had called herself a divine official… he knew she absolutely couldn't be one, but her audacity suggested she had a powerful backing.

Within Diahuan Sect, all disciples and those of lower cultivation realms were entirely dispersed by the elders, sent far from the center of the battle.

Blades clashed, their sounds reverberating across the sky.

The wind and snow shattered in an instant, a great wind in the expanse of the sky like a tornado, tearing fine snowflakes into a vast, swirling dust.

After the vast great sword pressed down, True Monarch Antlered Deer realized he had still underestimated the young man.

The wind and snow could not conceal their figures.

Behind the white-clad young man, a golden dharma body appeared, resembling both a Vajra Bodhisattva and an Asura Yaksha, embodying both compassion and karmic slaughter. The dharma body's flesh and blood were woven from countless golden threads, its bulging muscles like taut lines, and its surface burned with crimson fire. Yet beneath this majestic dharma body, the young man, with his indifferent expression, appeared slender. Dressed in white robes and wielding a black sword, the golden light shimmering on his collar and sleeves resembled the afterglow of sunset, radiating an ethereal quality that formed a contradictory beauty with the formidable dharma body.

The vast great sword collided with the Asura dharma body, which then forcefully tore it to shreds.

The Asura’s every move was riddled with flaws, yet it behaved like a ferocious beast—much like an ordinary person encountering a fierce, white-browed tiger with drooping eyes in the forest. It was the king that roared through the mountains, its attacks needing no consideration of sequence or correctness.

True Monarch Antlered Deer had intended to use a void sword, mimicking a mountain-cleaving strike, to cut the Asura in half. But the snow-clad woman’s speed surpassed even the young man’s. Her sword was light and mystical, leaving no trace, like snow fluttering on the wind. Yet the murderous intent that assailed him felt like needle pricks and knife cuts, causing his heart to pound.

This was certainly no ordinary Purple Court realm cultivator!

True Monarch Antlered Deer composed himself, activating his “Damage and Destruction” authority. Numerous flaws reflected in his pupils. He reached into the void, pulling a great white-feathered sword from it. As he swung it down through the air, scattered feathers seemed to transform into ten thousand cranes dancing across the sky. These cranes followed the flaws in their opponents’ techniques, burrowing in to tear them apart.

In the sky, True Monarch White Crane faced Siming, gracefully conjuring snow into a sword. His authority was tied to profound ice, a type of seal that caused everything visible to slow down for anyone trapped within it.

This was an authority akin to manipulating time.

True Monarch White Crane and Siming clashed swords in the air. For every sword he unleashed, he had planned its precise landing point, with these points connecting perfectly to form a formation. Within this formation, cold ice solidified into frost, and time slowed.

He intended to lock Siming’s time.

Siming’s movements indeed became increasingly slow.

True Monarch White Crane smiled calmly. His authority was of a very high rank, and he rarely suffered disadvantages when fighting opponents of the same realm. While this woman was undoubtedly mysterious, she could also lose her life directly due to her unfamiliarity with her own authority.

This was also why cultivators of the Fifth Path realm would conceal their authorities from each other.

Because authorities also have mutual restraints, concealment serves as a deterrent.

Within the profound ice seal, the smile in Siming’s icy eyes was colder than the wind and snow. Now, above and below, she was the true master of time. How could this flashy profound cold seal possibly contend with true time? True Monarch White Crane’s seemingly elegant posture was, in her eyes, merely an ugly display of showing off before a master.

Siming stopped pretending.

The long river of time accelerated.

She held the sword of vast snow, as if grasping an entire sky.

Siming’s sword swung into an arc. What she wielded was not merely a sword, but the sky and snow, mountains and seas.

As the blade swung down, the brilliant arc, no sooner had it shone, was shattered by darkness.

The Fish King stood before the Dragon Mother’s corpse, watching Ning Xiaoling fight amidst the dense encirclement of feathered serpents. She was surrounded by nether feathered serpents, a dark, overwhelming mass. Some feathered serpents were as enormous as pythons, coiling upwards, while others were as slender as ordinary snakes, coiling and flicking their tongues. This nether hall had no true door, and its floating stone crevices could not be sealed, allowing these feathered serpents to freely slither and invade.

Mu Lingtong had been resurrected in the body of a large white-scaled serpent. She had not yet fully adapted to this new form, merely using the “Emperor” authority she had acquired from the Underworld Lord to command these feathered serpents to attack.

Ning Xiaoling, her Daoist robe as white as snow, stood among these white-scaled feathered serpents, as if she herself were a charming maiden transformed through feathered serpent cultivation. If that were truly the case, it would be unclear whether she had betrayed the feathered serpents, or if the entire feathered serpent clan had betrayed her.

The lines on Ning Xiaoling’s blade appeared to be outlined with crimson flames.

She gripped the dark hilt with both hands, her gaze fixed on Mu Lingtong, who floated in the center, her expression one of intense focus.

Mu Lingtong exclaimed in shock, “How can you wield the Sword of Restraint and Disaster? Even if you are from the Heavenly Sword Sect, even if you’ve cultivated spiritual arts… how could your cultivation realm possibly decipher it?”

Ning Xiaoling would not be distracted to answer.

The Fish King, however, let out a meow.

Mu Lingtong could hear others’ thoughts. She had long suspected this cat was unusual, but never imagined it was *this* extraordinary.

“It’s you? You actually deciphered the Sword of Restraint and Disaster?” Mu Lingtong stared at the white cat, utterly shocked.

You? Who is that?

Ning Xiaoling, who had been focused, also became slightly distracted. Only then did she recall there was a cat behind her.

She didn’t look at the white cat behind her, only belatedly recalling the crooked handwriting in her notes. So that was it!

That was actually… Di Ting?!

How could that be?

The nameless master she had been searching for, who had been helping her, was actually her own pet cat… Ning Xiaoling found it rather bizarre. She immediately recalled how, just days ago, she had seen half a cat’s paw print on her notes and even confronted and warned the Fish King not to tamper with her belongings. At the time, the Fish King had looked at her with six parts contempt, three parts disdain, and one part impatience.

Thinking of this, Ning Xiaoling couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

The Fish King proudly raised its head.

Mu Lingtong angrily demanded, “Why are you helping this foolish girl? If you stay by my side, I can make you a truly worthy Di Ting Divine Monarch! Back then, Di Ting was the foremost divine beast under the Underworld Lord, just like divine officials and heavenly monarchs in the God Nation. Do you not wish to seize this opportunity now?”

The Fish King thought to itself, *I’ve lived for over a thousand years, I’m older than you, girl. How could I possibly believe the empty promises you’re making?*

“Over a thousand years?” Mu Lingtong was also shocked. “If that’s the case, you should cherish your life even more. You are no ordinary being; with the Ancient Spirit Sect destroyed, harm will not befall you. Why trouble yourself?”

The Fish King thought it was indeed shameful to be so old and still act impulsively, so it communicated through thought, *The Silent Moon Lake is rich in fish. I will not allow you to destroy it.*

“…” Mu Lingtong fell silent for a moment, then said coldly, “No matter how powerful you were in the past, you are now merely a neutered, useless cat. Once I kill her, I will send you to meet Di Ting!”

The Fish King thought for a moment, then hid behind the Underworld Lord’s throne.

Ning Xiaoling, holding Shentu, listened to Mu Lingtong’s words, her mind growing somewhat agitated.

From the crevices of the grand hall, feathered serpents surged in like a tide.

Ning Xiaoling twisted her blade. She stood before the throne, speaking for the first time, her voice firm: “I will win.”

Mu Lingtong frowned. “Why?”

Ning Xiaoling said, “All white-scaled serpents are traitors to the Underworld Lord. This is the Underworld Hall; I am here to execute the traitors on the Underworld Lord’s behalf, so of course the Underworld Lord will favor me.”

She wanted to take over the Underworld Lord’s scepter.

Many years ago, on the night her senior brother had just departed, as Ning Xiaoling stared at Han Xiaosu, this very idea had germinated in her mind.

The idea was too preposterous at the time, so she forcefully suppressed it.

Now, the throne of the Underworld was right behind her.

The surface of the blood-bladed Shentu was like a mirror, and the reflections of the feathered serpents within it were all skeletons.

Mu Lingtong’s injuries were also difficult to suppress. She led thousands of feathered serpents, charging forward, intent on tearing Ning Xiaoling into a beautiful skeleton.

Within the grand hall, Shentu swung out one crimson circle after another. The edges of these circles were glowing red lines of fire, all centered on Ning Xiaoling, spreading outwards with each swing of her blade, like a sun hollowed out by darkness, possessing a lonely beauty.

The feathered serpents surged towards her, but she charged into them instead.

This was a relentless, bloody battle. The enemy was a tsunami-like mass of dense serpents, while the thinly dressed maiden wielded only a slender, delicate blade. She was already in the Underworld, and thus faced death without fear. Instead, a murderous intent, unsuited to her countenance, ignited in her eyes.

The shadowy remnants of the feathered serpents, beneath Shentu’s blood-blade, were like white paper that could be effortlessly torn. Their hard, rough scales were sliced open with ease, revealing the shadowy marrow cavities and blood vessels within. Then their souls were devoured by Shentu, becoming nourishment for the blood-blade itself.

After instantly slaying dozens of feathered serpent remnants, Ning Xiaoling merged with Shentu. She found herself back in the White Serpent Temple where she had once battled Qu Wu. The feathered serpents rushing towards her were like roaring imps. Her blade’s tip pulled both herself and her opponents, drawing them before her. The red glow from the sharp edge was brighter than real flames, blooming like a crimson sun and spewing forth waves of heat.

Beneath the wheel-like crimson sun, all resistance was futile, like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot.

An ordinary carriage was already unstoppable, let alone the chariot the God of Death rode when walking among humans?

Everything that touched the blade shattered completely.

Ning Xiaoling swung her blade ceaselessly, tirelessly, oblivious to day or night. The attacking feathered serpents simply could not approach her.

The blood-red blade light painted patterns in the air. The remnant souls of the feathered serpents continuously clung to the blade, only to be shattered by the red light, transforming into ash-like embers. Beneath her white skirt, she was drenched in sweat. No matter how vast the spiritual power of the Purple Court realm, its absorption could not keep pace with its release. When it eventually depleted, she might not be killed by the feathered serpents, but rather have her mind directly possessed and devoured by Shentu.

But Ning Xiaoling had no other choice but to swing her blade. She swung from the opening stance of the Sword of Restraint and Disaster to its final move, then continuously cycled through the technique. Practice made perfect; once the feathered serpents adapted, she would then flawlessly execute the sword moves in reverse.

In the past, it had been her senior brother who would swing his sword like this before her.

At this moment, she deeply wished her senior brother could see this and praise her, saying, “Xiaoling has truly grown up.”

In the relentless slaughter, Ning Xiaoling retreated step by step.

The sounds of killing reverberated through the Underworld Hall. Even the Fish King, accustomed to bloodshed, silently turned its body.

It leaped onto the Dragon Mother’s knee, bit her shoulder, and began to absorb the remaining authority from the corpse.

Next, it leaped from the throne and approached the divine pillar.

It gazed at the writings on the divine pillar.

The writings on the divine pillar were identical to those in the Underworld Immortal Scroll it had swallowed previously.

It opened its mouth. It had only just managed to raise its cultivation realm slightly, and its speech was still a little unpolished, but it began to recite.

The words on the stone pillar resembled a long, lingering poem.

“I bore the faint stars, transforming into a star that pierces the cosmos. The earth beneath the firmament is like a spiritual ocean, containing endless spiritual treasures. They shall become the life force of the mother star, and from this point, darkness shall no longer be solitary.”

“At that time, the divine being of the sky had already descended. Its form was like a sky dragon, its pupils gazing upon the earth, and the wild winds between heaven and earth were its prolonged wail.”

“I observed the land-crawling serpents and the wings of flying birds, and used them as the divine being’s vessel. The spirits on this star loved to gaze at the sky; they named the stars, calling the mother star ‘Pluto’.”

“Thus, I took death as my authority, for it is the ultimate destination beyond the five great elements.”

“When humans first beheld the vast seas and the stars, they always regarded Pluto as a great entity. Later, when larger stars were crowned with names of origins, Pluto was expelled from the ranks of star lords.”

“The gods from those stars also arrived one after another.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“This is not my homeland; I shall eventually depart.”

As the Fish King recited, images of the Underworld Lord appeared in its mind: after arriving at this star, taking a serpent’s body and bird’s wings. At that time, he might have transformed into a human, traversing this land like a poet, his words distant and lingering like the wind.

But the handwriting following the divine lord’s passages lost its poetic gentleness, becoming messy and resembling a diary.

“Who exactly is it…?”

“The Candle Dragon is dead… That King of the Dragon Race, the supreme venerable of the sky, died first…”

“Will I die? Or am I already death itself?”

“I cannot go back… I cannot go back…”

“The sky has been obscured; I will die, and so will the ascended ones…”

“I glimpsed the apocalypse.”

“Where is the spark? Which deity seized it? I do not know, nor does Tianzang. Yet this is the last hope… how laughable. The very star gods we jointly executed back then, we now place our ethereal hope in them.”

“Xuanze is dead, Taotie is dead, Suizhen is dead. They did not come here; I am no longer their destination… Yuanfu, it actually killed the strongest human… Sin Lord… How can such a despicable old god attempt to usurp the supreme divine position?”

“Into whose hands did the spark actually fall?”

“Who can live forever and witness eternity? In the mortal world, none are imperishable.”

These were the final words. He had rediscovered his former poetic inspiration, but the handwriting was extremely messy.

Over the span of a thousand years, the Fish King had already deciphered the Underworld Immortal Scroll. It could be said to be the only one in the world who understood the Underworld Lord’s handwriting.

Its gaze swept down the divine pillar, its voice growing increasingly horrified.

The handwriting of these words differed too greatly from the records found in the Underworld Immortal Scroll.

It was certain that when these words were written, the Underworld Lord was already half-mad.

Even with feathered serpents pressing into the hall, a matter of life and death, the Fish King still couldn’t help but ponder the meaning of the words on the divine pillar.

Who was obscuring the sky?

And what was the “spark” that the Underworld Lord had yearned for before his death?

As the Fish King sat beneath the divine pillar in contemplation, beyond the throne, a blood-red radiance had already surged. The shattered souls of the feathered serpents splattered everywhere, their fragments clinging to the floating stone pillars of the divine hall like dense black nails.

Ning Xiaoling’s pupils grew increasingly hollow.

The feathered serpents had not yet worn her down, but Shentu was about to seize possession of her first.

She forcibly focused her vision in the gloom, tightening her grip on the blade and thrusting it forward.

This was not a move from the Sword of Restraint and Disaster.

This was a move from the lower volume of the Heavenly Oracle Sword Scripture, a sword strike she had never been able to execute in the past.

This was an assassination sword meant for one-on-one combat; using it now made her riddled with flaws.

The Fish King was shocked and let out a sharp roar.

It had no time to wait for the authority to be fully digested and immediately pounced into the darkness.

Ning Xiaoling stabbed a feathered serpent.

It was Mu Lingtong, hidden among the serpents.

Mu Lingtong couldn't believe she had been stabbed. When this sword arrived, she distinctly felt no murderous intent.

Mu Lingtong let out a shrill scream.

The raging tide unleashed by the feathered serpents also engulfed Ning Xiaoling.

A black wind suddenly rose in the grand hall. Ning Xiaoling lost her last vestiges of strength, pushed by the fierce wind, and plummeted into the dark abyss behind the throne.

That was the underworld, a purgatory from which survival was a slim chance.

It was there that Mu Lingtong had, by sheer luck, gained new life before.

The Underworld Lord’s poem still whispered in her ear.

Who can live forever and witness eternity? In the mortal world, none are imperishable.

“Senior brother…”

Ning Xiaoling softly called out.