Chapter 299: Such a Person

"You don't want it?" The Second Lord of the Underworld frowned and asked, "Why not? Your junior sister raised this cat herself."

Ning Changjiu replied, "Isn't the Regicide Sect gathering 300,000 people? Throw it in to make up the numbers."

The Fish King glared at him, grinding its teeth.

Earlier, while it was crouching in the stone house, it had vaguely heard voices from outside.

The man's voice sounded somewhat familiar.

It had assumed that since he was there to rescue Ning Xiaoling, he would naturally take it along too.

It wasn't until the Second Lord of the Underworld reached in and pulled it out that the face it would never forget appeared before its eyes.

Its mind went blank for a moment, with only the words "life is unpredictable" floating in the center of its consciousness.

"Ning Xiaoling..." The Fish King pondered the name, feeling increasingly uneasy.

So the senior brother she always missed was...

Why hadn't it realized this sooner?

Then, it immediately recalled the drawing on the title page of Ning Xiaoling's booklet, thinking it couldn't really blame itself too much—who could recognize him from that?!

The Lord of the Underworld observed their exchange of glances and asked, "Do you two know each other?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head and said, "Not well."

"Not well? What do you mean, 'not well'?! We've been through life and death together!" the Fish King roared.

Ning Changjiu said, "You still dare to bring that up?"

"That was what the Fish King did! I'm a cat now, and my name is Di Ting!" the Fish King retorted defensively.

"I don't care what you're called now," Ning Changjiu said.

The Fish King flew into a rage, bellowing, "I must have been blind to save your junior sister! Without me, how could she have comprehended the sword techniques? If she hadn't, she would have died during the Spirit Valley Grand Competition. Your junior sister wanted to be a lone hero to suppress the Underworld, but it wasn't enough. Wasn't it I who jumped in and risked my cat life to help? And the one I saved repeatedly turned out to be your accursed junior sister... Oh, right, on your wedding night, you let your first wife guard the city while you married your second wife. What kind of heartless man would do such a thing? What *wouldn't* he do?!"

The Fish King, held by the scruff of its neck by the Lord of the Underworld, clawed wildly at the air in front of it, weeping and wailing its accusations, utterly heartbroken.

In the final battle with Mu Lingtong, a swarm of snakes had pushed it and Ning Xiaoling off a cliff, and they were instantly engulfed by the cold, torrential rain falling from the sky.

Ning Xiaoling's power had been almost completely drained by Shentu.

She lay alone in the mud, her form swallowed by the dense white mist.

Even though this was a spiritual world, her body gradually became transparent from exhaustion. As the restless souls of the Underworld gathered, the Fish King stayed by her side, slaying any that dared to approach. Fortunately, the Underworld was desolate, and its ghosts couldn't stir up much trouble.

It was not until a young girl, calling herself the Second Lord of the Underworld, emerged from the hall.

The girl also stared at Ning Changjiu, the image of the first wife guarding the city while the second wife had her wedding night flashing through her mind. She subconsciously took two steps back, looking at him strangely.

Ning Changjiu, meanwhile, glanced at the Fish King's broken claw.

The emotions in its eyes were complex and intertwined.

"Is what you're saying true?" Ning Changjiu asked.

The Fish King declared indignantly, "If I'm lying, may I be a dog!"

Ning Changjiu wasn't sure if that was truly a dire oath.

The Lord of the Underworld clicked her tongue in wonder. "I didn't expect you two actually knew each other."

Ning Changjiu hummed in affirmation.

He held the girl tightly in his arms, slowly pouring spiritual power into her body.

Ning Xiaoling's body, which had been in a semi-transparent soul state, gradually solidified.

The Fish King retracted its claws and said, "Sigh, back then, outside the imperial city of Zhao, we fought to the death. If it weren't for the Vermilion Bird Divine Emissary intervening, I would have become a lost soul to your sword... But now, I am your junior sister's cat. In any case, let her wake up before making any decisions."

"No need," Ning Changjiu said, gently shaking his head while holding the girl. He looked at the Fish King and asked, "If you had known she was my junior sister, would you still have chosen to save her?"

The Fish King had initially wanted to utter something malicious, but it lightly nodded its cat head and said, "Perhaps. No matter how detestable a senior brother is, a junior sister is ultimately a good person."

Ning Changjiu was silent for a moment, then hummed in response.

He looked towards the Second Lord of the Underworld and said, "I want this cat."

Although the Second Lord of the Underworld didn't know his internal thoughts, the outcome was good. She smiled contentedly and said, "Then give me what is yours."

Ning Changjiu asked, "What do you want?"

The Second Lord of the Underworld replied, "I told you, hand over the golden figure behind you."

Ning Changjiu said, "Alright."

The Fish King was startled and exclaimed, "Ning Changjiu, are you mad?"

No sooner had it spoken.

Ning Changjiu was still holding the girl, but the golden Asura giant behind him had already stretched out an arm, enveloped in lightning, and sent a punch, trailing golden rings, towards the Lord of the Underworld.

The Lord of the Underworld's expression changed abruptly.

She was the ruler of this realm, the mistress of the Underworld Palace. For over four hundred years, no one had dared to attack her.

She shouldn't have been afraid.

But as the golden giant fist smashed towards her, the light eroded her dark pupils, and the merciless punch came straight for her face.

"How dare you!"

As the Asura's fist drew near, the Lord of the Underworld's form suddenly transformed into a black hurricane.

The Fish King couldn't see anything; caught between the golden and black forces, it felt as if its soul was being torn apart.

Within the hurricane, the Lord of the Underworld also unleashed a destructive punch.

Fists collided, and cracks like spiderwebs ripped across the edges of the palace gates.

The two lights clashed like armies engaged in close combat.

Soon, the Asura's golden light overwhelmed the black hurricane, engulfing it.

Bang, bang, bang!

A series of impacts rang out—the sound of two sets of fists colliding within the light.

Ning Changjiu, holding the girl, controlled the Asura to punch at will, precisely locating the Lord of the Underworld's figure within the black hurricane.

After three punches, the Lord of the Underworld's black hurricane dissipated, and her girlish form tumbled out.

A golden ray of light split open from Ning Changjiu's brow.

From the golden light, like an opened divine eye, swords flew out like white cranes, all striking towards the Lord of the Underworld's position.

The Lord of the Underworld's figure was pressed hard by the swords, forcing her to retreat repeatedly. She had no choice but to grab the dazed white cat and throw it as a protective magical artifact towards Ning Changjiu's incoming swords.

The swords bypassed the Fish King.

The Fish King's pupils turned golden from the swords' light; it was like a pitiful creature surrounded by piranhas, daring not to move.

Was this what they called "when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer"?

The Fish King trembled.

Ning Changjiu grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and said, "My willingness to save you doesn't mean I'll let you off the hook. Whether you live or not largely depends on your future conduct."

The weak, pitiful Fish King nodded mournfully.

The Lord of the Underworld sat in the Underworld Palace, gazing out with a deep, unsettling look.

The stone houses behind Ning Changjiu looked like a series of tombs.

The Lord of the Underworld no longer resembled Ning Xiaoling; she had transformed into a girl with black clothes and black hair.

"Why did you deceive me?" the girl asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "I never intended to make a deal with you."

The girl said, "Your junior sister was saved by me; she is my personal property. If you want to take her from me, you must, of course, pay a price. That's only right and proper, surely you understand that?"

Ning Changjiu said, "All you want is the authority within my junior sister's body."

Ning Changjiu held Ning Xiaoling, sensing her body.

Most of her authority had been taken, with only a few scattered remnants pitifully floating in her sea of consciousness.

The girl said, "This was originally mine, so of course, I'm taking it back! Moreover, your junior sister damaged my property, and she must compensate me for it. That's also only right and proper!"

Ning Changjiu asked, "What did she damage?"

The girl replied, "Mu Lingtong!"

"Hmm?" Ning Changjiu looked towards the depths of the hall.

The girl explained, "Four hundred years ago, someone named Mu Lingtong accidentally wandered in here. She roamed this place for a long time, enduring hardships, and was finally taken in by me. I offered her the chance for her soul to return to her original body, on the condition that she restart the Underworld."

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment and said, "But Mu Lingtong also betrayed you."

"What?" The girl asked, confused.

Ning Changjiu said, "She collected the Lord of the Underworld's authority for centuries, killed Tianzang, and wanted to claim the Heart of the Deity for herself. She never intended to revive you."

The girl's lips tightened, and an immense sorrow emanated from the hall.

Ning Changjiu quietly watched the main hall.

The ferocious Asura dharma body behind him bowed its head in silence.

"You... all of you were lying to me," the girl's voice came. Her voice, which should have been clear and bright, now carried a desolate sadness.

Ning Changjiu sighed, "Lord Second Generation, what exactly have you been trying to deceive me about all this time?"

He never believed that the one sitting on the Lord of the Underworld's throne could truly be a little girl.

The girl was silent for a long time.

Sitting in the grand hall, she finally let out a long sigh.

"Whether you believe it or not, this is who I am now," the girl finally said.

In the Underworld Palace, the flame lamps on the copper pillars lit up one after another.

Ning Changjiu clearly saw the scene inside.

She sat on a massive throne, her gaze serene.

On the girl's snow-pale cheeks, faint blue veins were visible, and beneath her ears on her temples, delicate black scales subtly covered her skin.

Her dark, beautiful hair cascaded down her back, its ends like a vague, dark mist. She wore a completely black dress, appearing like countless layered lotus leaves, distinct in their tiers. The dress's high waistline, almost below her chest, made her figure appear even more slender.

Behind the girl, the terrifying bones of a colossal serpent seemed to come alive.

The snake bones, gathered into a pair of wings behind her, spread out dramatically, like a crown, perfectly shielding the girl's petite form, pale and rugged.

The Fish King slowly recovered its senses.

It looked towards the hall, its pupils slightly contracted.

The girl's demeanor had completely changed; she was no longer the naive young woman from moments before, but clearly the monarch on the throne.

"You..." The Lord of the Underworld looked at Ning Changjiu, thought for a moment, and then remarked, "You're so annoying!"

Ning Changjiu looked at her and asked, "Who exactly are you?"

The Lord of the Underworld smoothed the almost thousand-layered folds of her skirt. The ethereal aura of her snow-white skin resembled smoky makeup.

She spoke softly, "I am the Lord of Purgatory, an orphan of a lost nation, the poor girl you deceived, and also... the Lord of the Underworld."

Ning Changjiu watched her silently.

He didn't believe she was the true Lord of the Underworld.

The Lord of the Underworld said, "My existence isn't hard to understand. Gods don't die, do they?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "Did you devour the Lord of the Underworld's divine heart?"

The Lord of the Underworld replied, "Of course. Just as the Seventh Deity, upon its death, divided its essence into sparks of hope, the Lord of the Underworld, when it died, naturally left behind a seed of netherfire. These... are things that endure through the ages, coexisting with the stars."

Ning Changjiu asked, "What is your purpose, then?"

The Lord of the Underworld smiled faintly and said, "Everyone in the Underworld follows my will. What they are doing shows what I want to do."

Ning Changjiu looked at her, understanding that she too was a trapped beast in a cage, yearning to break free.

"Then why was Mu Lingtong able to leave back then?" Ning Changjiu asked.

The Lord of the Underworld answered freely, "Because her body was outside. This body is like your home planet; no matter how far you travel, you can always return to your own shell."

Just as the Lord of the Underworld, when it flew from Pluto, was not a feathered serpent but a divine heart. It found a suitable body on this planet and integrated into it.

The Fish King whispered from the side, "I don't think she's someone to be trifled with. Let's take a step back and have boundless opportunities; let's not engage in this pointless argument... Let's go back for now."

Ning Changjiu said, "I don't know how to get back."

The Fish King was silent for a moment, then burst out in rage, "Couldn't you have come more prepared?!"

However, its outburst was futile. The only one who truly understood the Underworld was Mu Lingtong, and she had left no records or texts for reference.

Ning Changjiu set Ning Xiaoling down from his arms and told the Fish King, "Watch over my junior sister."

The Fish King nodded heavily.

It had an inexplicable faith in Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu walked into the hall.

The Lord of the Underworld subtly raised an eyebrow and said, "This is the Underworld Palace. Do you truly wish to fight me?"

Ning Changjiu did not waste words.

He slowly drew his sword.

Beneath the throne embraced by snake bones, the pale-skinned girl unfurled her night-like skirts, placing her hands on either side of the throne.

Two blades were smoothly drawn.

Shentu and Yulei.

This was a spiritual world; both blades were simulated replicas, conjured by spiritual power.

Ning Changjiu's sword was merely for show; his dominance in Luoshu and this place relied solely on the overwhelming might of the Asura Divine Record.

The girl, with a serene expression, slowly descended from the throne.

The scales covering her snow-white neck, however, were unconsciously opening and closing.

The Lord of the Underworld slowly spoke, "Though your Asura body is strong, your own cultivation realm is only at the Violet Courtyard. How can you defeat me in my own domain?"

"I know you are powerful," Ning Changjiu said. "But even before reaching the Mysterious realm, I encountered a Violet Courtyard-level demon fox and Lady White Bone. In the Longevity realm, I met the Nine-Headed Infant, almost at the Fifth Path. Then I encountered the divine official of the Divine Kingdom, and later... the projection of the Sinister Lord himself arrived. Compared to them, the gap between us is the smallest it's ever been for me."

All the smooth cultivation from Ning Changjiu's previous life seemed to be a foreshadowing of the turbulent and disastrous events of this life.

His talent and realm were top-tier among human cultivators, yet ever since his rebirth, everyone he encountered was akin to a demon.

The Fish King stood by Ning Xiaoling's side, clenching its cat paws nervously.

Hearing Ning Changjiu say this, it nodded in deep agreement. Yet, it also felt a slight regret—he'd listed so many, but why didn't he include it? That wasn't fair.

The Lord of the Underworld stared at him.

"Sinister Lord?" She caught that phrase.

In mythology, after the Lord of the Underworld died, the character '冥' (Ming, meaning 'underworld') was claimed by Mingzheng, while '君' (Jun, meaning 'lord') was divided between the Sinister Lord and the Original Lord.

That name enraged her.

Red light flared from her two blades, seemingly containing her fury.

The lights on the copper pillars flickered.

Amidst the flickering candlelight, the sharp clang of blades meeting already rang in their ears.

Lu Jiajia walked along the cliff edge, her gaze distant as she looked out at the twilight.

Siming walked beside her and asked, "Why are you so restless? It hasn't been that long."

Lu Jiajia said, "I'm... not worried."

Siming looked at the tiny tear mole near her eye, then chuckled, not bothering to expose her. She merely said, "What a journey it's been—passing through the Sea Kingdom, destroying the Luoshu Pavilion, incidentally killing the Sect Master of the Heaven-Shattering Sect, galloping for thousands of miles, and now arriving at this Underworld sect..."

Siming recalled everything she had seen on their journey, shaking her head with a light laugh.

The strongest sects in the Central Kingdom were merely 'Eight Sects, Four Pavilions, One Grid,' and they had directly offended two sects and one pavilion to the extreme.

Lu Jiajia had never imagined she would experience such a life.

She had always believed she would remain in the Heavenly Sword Sect, living simply on wind and dew, gathering herbs and cultivating the Dao. After a life of solitude, she would either ascend with her sword or fade away amidst the beautiful mountains and rivers.

Everything changed after she met that white-robed young man.

The same was true for Siming.

Lu Jiajia said, "My mind has been in a constant flutter and turmoil throughout this journey, leaving me no time to dwell on these thoughts. Before I knew it... so many things had happened."

Siming asked, "So what exactly are you two trying to do? Is it just to find Ning Xiaoling?"

Lu Jiajia hesitated for a moment.

Siming asked, "Are you still keeping secrets from me?"

Lu Jiajia spoke softly, "Our original plan was to come to the Ancient Spirit Sect to pick up Xiaoling, and then... together, search for a certain evildoer."

"Evildoer?" Siming asked, perplexed, "Is there an evildoer greater than Ning Changjiu?"

Lu Jiajia nodded her head slightly, "It's a person called 'Evil'. My husband wants to return to a certain place, and only Evil knows its location."

"Evil?" Siming's eyes shifted as she heard the word, lost in thought.

"Sister, do you know anything about him?" Lu Jiajia asked.

"I don't know," Siming replied, "but that name reminds me of something else."

Seeing that she didn't continue, Lu Jiajia didn't press further.

Twilight enveloped them.

Siming thought for a moment, then gently closed her eyes.

Siming suddenly spoke, "Ning Changjiu... You've been with him for so long, have you never been curious about his true identity?"

Lu Jiajia said, "He has told me everything."

Siming pressed, "What did he tell you?"

Lu Jiajia pressed her lips together and shook her head, "This matter is of great importance. Unless my husband agrees, I cannot speak of it."

Siming looked at Lu Jiajia's somewhat guilty expression, then reached out and touched her cheek, a hint of mockery in her voice: "Right, you two are a proper married couple, and I'm just an outsider. How could such important matters be told to an outsider? If you accidentally let it slip, I'm sure when that 'Evil' person returns, you'll be reforged into a sword, and I'll suffer along with you."

Lu Jiajia knew she was speaking sarcastically, but she still earnestly defended, "My husband isn't that kind of person."

Siming said flatly, "I know what kind of person he is much better than you do."

The Fish King knew Ning Changjiu was strong, but it hadn't expected him to be this strong.

If not for the crookedly written characters "Underworld Palace" above, the Fish King would have suspected this was some Asura Palace.

Inside the grand hall, golden light pulsed like lightning striking through the world.

With his experience from Luoshu, Ning Changjiu was now adept at combat in the spiritual world.

The girl, the Lord of the Underworld, who had drawn her two blades, was actually put on the defensive by Ning Changjiu's fierce assault.

The blood-red sword light was suppressed by the golden aura, and golden crows seemed to flap their wings and fly in formation within the grand hall.

The girl frowned.

She wasn't the true Lord of the Underworld, but she possessed a divine heart and was the new Queen of the Underworld.

The divine heart ensured her immortality. However, for the Queen of the Underworld to be defeated in her own palace was, ultimately, very humiliating.

A humiliating event isn't humiliating if no one sees it. But now, an annoying white cat was observing from the sidelines.

Blades clashed, and golden fire intertwined with blood-red light.

The flames on the copper pillars in the hall flickered on and off repeatedly.

Ning Changjiu's expression was calm and focused. There were no longer any distracting thoughts in his mind; it was as if he were the true harbinger of death, unleashing flying swords and golden light upon this supreme being of the Underworld.

The girl gripped her two blades.

Her most common stance was crossing her blades in front of her to block his attacks.

Her small body was sent flying again and again, yet Ning Changjiu couldn't inflict a fatal blow upon her.

"It's useless," the girl said. Her blades traced one exquisite arc after another. Her figure danced in the air, her toes balancing on a thin red line, like a circus performer walking a tightrope.

The girl said, "Your moves may seem impressive, but at most, you can suppress me; you can't kill me. Why don't we sit down peacefully and discuss cooperation?"

Ning Changjiu knew that this was the same principle as why he couldn't kill Qiu Yue back then.

Like deities, their bodies were sustained by a true 'mother body.' Only by destroying that mother body could they be truly killed.

But Ning Changjiu had no intention of killing her.

He simply wanted to take Ning Xiaoling out of here.

The method to leave was hidden within her.

The golden Asura was like a roaring lion in the darkness, its awe-inspiring roars reverberating like tidal waves through the grand hall of the Underworld.

The girl repeatedly cried out in distress.

This young man was not to be feared; it was the Asura that was terrifying.

Was this Asura formed by some kind of spiritual energy cultivation method?

Why could spiritual energy surpass cultivation realms by so much?

Impossible. How could such a cultivation method exist in the world? Whoever created it must be either a deity or a devil... What cult had he joined anyway?

The more the girl thought, the angrier she became.

The golden fist, trailing a continuous blur of sword shadows, had already smashed before her.

She no longer dodged, directly meeting it with her body.

Although the divine heart possessed less than a thousandth of its original power, her divine nature would not allow her to retreat.

Which great nation in this world ever perished in its second generation?

The girl charged forward fiercely, only to be sent flying once more. She was like a cannonball crafted by the Sect of Annihilation, blasted backward onto the ground after misfiring.

The girl was slammed back into the Underworld throne.

The aura of the Underworld enveloped her.

Her battered fists immediately mended perfectly.

She wanted to fight again, but Ning Changjiu's figure was already bearing down on her.

The Asura's arm pressed down on her slender wrist, pinning her against the throne.

"You... what are you doing?" The girl exclaimed in alarm, only then remembering her stunning beauty.

Ning Changjiu looked at her expressionlessly.

A slit appeared again on his brow.

Golden light shone into the girl's pupils.

Beneath the thousand-pleated black dress, her small, tender body writhed in agony like a feathered serpent.

He intended to delve deep into her sea of consciousness, steal her memories, and find the way out.

The Lord of the Underworld resisted, preventing his intrusion.

Ning Changjiu pressed down on her body, continuing his intrusion.

The girl struggled, shaking her head wildly, her hair disheveled.

The Fish King didn't understand what was truly happening; it just observed their posture and let out an exclamation of humble admiration.

Is this... reasoning with someone?

Just then, a spirit ran in from outside the Underworld Palace gate, shouting, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Regicide Sect's army of 300,000 has already assembled and is advancing towards the Underworld...!"

The spirit's frantic words trailed off into stunned silence.

It looked at the scene in the hall, utterly disbelieving.

It seemed... 300,000 troops wouldn't be needed after all, the spirit thought.

"I won't disturb Your Highness," the spirit said, bowing deeply before quickly fleeing.

The girl, humiliated, cried, "You, how could you do this? I... I used to be a man!"

Ning Changjiu thought, what does stealing consciousness have to do with gender? He calmly said, "I don't mind."

The girl, heartbroken and furious, exclaimed, "I can't believe you're this kind of person!"