Chapter 300: You Are Such a Senior Brother

"I am the Lord of Purgatory, the lonely survivor of a ruined realm, the master of the Dark Sea, the helmsman of the Nine Netherworld... Do you know what you're doing to me? This is sacrilege! Those who desecrate the divine shall eventually fall into the deepest hell, their forms wasting away, condemned to eternal damnation!"

The girl was pinned to the throne by the golden Asura. Her furious roar echoed through the Underworld Hall, and the massive skeletal form behind her began to writhe.

Sensing the girl's rage, it opened its colossal, conical mouth, filled with sharp, hooked teeth, and let out a deafening roar.

The Asura lifted its head, its eyes blazing with fierce resolve, and met its stare, letting out a lion-like growl in return.

The Asura was terrifying, and the bone serpent was equally monstrous.

"If those who commit sacrilege are struck down by divine wrath, then those seated on the twelve divine thrones today should have long since faced retribution from the Heavenly Dao," Ning Changjiu said calmly.

The Asura held her down firmly.

Every wisp of nether energy that escaped the girl was ruthlessly snuffed out and dispersed by the Asura's large hand.

The girl's expression was one of struggle as she pondered whether to mobilize the full power of the entire Underworld to resist... After all, her mind, besides containing methods of escape, also harbored many... unknown, peerless secrets.

If these secrets were to be violated, she would truly exhaust every means to kill this audacious young man who dared to commit sacrilege.

However, uncovering the secrets deep within her mind was indeed one of Ning Changjiu's objectives.

This girl claimed to be the Second King of the Underworld. Regardless of whether it was true, she had inherited ancient legacies from the King of the Underworld and ascended to this Netherworld Throne. Her mind likely contained many hidden histories concerning the primordial deities.

She was like a living historical record.

The past events revealed within her could complement what he had seen and heard in the Luo Book, allowing him to perceive the true nature of this world more clearly.

The Fish King watched, blushing and with a pounding heart, listening to the roars of the skeletal feathered serpent and the golden Asura confronting each other. It thought about how it had lived for over a thousand years and witnessed many grand spectacles, encountering many who dared to slay gods, but this... this was truly a first.

It glanced at Ning Xiaoling beside it, responsibly thinking that Xiaoling was still a child and, if she woke up, it would have to knock her unconscious again to prevent her from seeing such a sight.

"You... let go..." Golden light permeated the girl's dark pupils, and her words became strained.

Ning Changjiu remained silent.

The golden pattern that had split open on his forehead, like a celestial eye, had already illuminated her sea of consciousness, beginning its search for useful information.

Scene after scene unfolded before his eyes.

"Am I the King of the Underworld's daughter, or am I the King of the Underworld herself? If the former, wouldn't I be an orphan? If the latter, then... am I male or female? Ugh, how annoying."

Within the sea of consciousness, a girl created by the Underworld sat on the throne, hugging her knees, pondering her origins.

"I don't remember anything... but it's okay, there are many books in the hall. Once I finish them, I should understand a lot!"

"Illiterate..."

"It's fine, I can learn slowly; there's plenty of time!"

"What clothes should I wear? White seems pretty, but black matches better... Sigh, no one will see me anyway, so what's the difference? Why are there men's clothes too... men's clothes... Hmm, I must be the King of the Underworld's daughter. I can't accept having worn such ugly clothes in my past life!"

The girl sat before a mirror that almost covered the entire wall, taking apart the men's clothing fabric and reshaping it into beautiful dresses. Scattered fabric scraps lay around her fair calves.

"So lonely."

"Counting days is too slow; there are still 540,000 days until the apocalypse... 540,000... Hmm, if I count every hundred days as one day, then there are only 5,400 days left until the apocalypse!"

"Still so long..."

"Let the apocalypse come quickly."

The girl sat alone in front of the empty grand hall, chin in hand, gazing forlornly at an edge where even imagination could not reach.

"No, I can't be so despondent. I need to understand these characters and start reading! Hmm... I'll start tomorrow."

One hundred days later...

"Not in the mood today, I'll start tomorrow."

Another day passed on the stone tablet.

She didn't know who had set up this countdown tablet for the apocalypse; what was the point of announcing endless days? It was so boring.

What a boring world.

So lonely... Who will play with me?

"Which will arrive first: the apocalypse or a friend?"

She picked up a pen and, using the characters she had just begun to understand, wrote this sentence on the ground.

She stared at it for a long time, filled with admiration. She thought that she was indeed a poet in her previous life, and in this life, she had surpassed herself.

"Ugh, it's too boring, I'll sculpt myself a husband!" The girl exclaimed, marveling at the cleverness of her own idea.

She began shaping a figure using the souls of the netherworld.

As she sculpted, she fell silent.

What should a man look like?

She kneaded the souls like dough, shaping a face. But once she reached below the neck, she was at a loss. She stripped off her clothes and stood before the large mirror, examining herself for a long time. Finally, she used herself as a reference and sculpted an exact replica.

She didn't find anything wrong with it. After all, her husband would surely be the most handsome in the world. And she, being the most beautiful she knew, couldn't go wrong by sculpting him in her own image!

The more she looked, the more satisfied she became, even having an impulse to mass-produce them.

At that time, the long-dormant Dark Sea finally revived, and countless souls poured into this solitary realm.

The scene of that day remained imprinted in her mind: above the land was a black sea, its waters breaking open into one hole after another, as if the word "deluge" described in books had finally revealed its true form. Souls, like shoals of dark fish, fell from the sky and sea, vast and magnificent. They came from nowhere, like rootless water washing over the ground, bringing a pathetic vitality to the lonely Underworld with the despair of death.

She finally had her own subjects.

Ning Changjiu browsed through the scenes in her sea of consciousness.

Thousands of years flashed by.

After that black deluge, the Underworld's Spirit Cradle Well was revitalized and began to nurture local beings.

The girl was both happy and fearful.

From some weak foreign souls, she learned about the outside world.

She began to hope.

She took her seat in the Underworld, proclaimed herself the King of the Underworld, and began to rule her country—those were her most anxious days.

For nearly a thousand years, the girl had no concept of cultivation, possessing only some innate divine abilities.

During the day, she used these divine abilities to bluff the ghosts and spirits, while at night, she trained diligently like never before, gradually growing stronger.

Before Ning Changjiu's arrival, the girl had once thought she was incredibly powerful, even musing that if the former King of the Underworld had been as formidable as she, he wouldn't have met such a fate.

Only today did she realize... it was merely because the Underworld realm was fractured, so the souls born there were too weak, and she also had the blessing of the Underworld's power, which made her appear invincible.

Until today, in the harmonious and warm Underworld, she finally experienced a brutal beating from this outsider.

The girl's slender hands looked as if they would snap with a twist, and her body struggled like a feathered serpent. Her black pupils, tainted by golden light, stared at the young man before her. Amidst her shame, indignation, and fury... she thought, "Hmm, he's quite handsome... No! What am I thinking?!"

Sadness welled up in the girl. She knew that once Ning Changjiu sifted through these superficial memories, he would uncover the secrets hidden deeper within.

"If you dare to look any further..." she choked out, "I will never let you go!"

As Ning Changjiu witnessed her solitary life, he couldn't help but recall his previous life's serene and tranquil cultivation years, his thoughts adrift.

The girl's sudden threat pulled his thoughts back. He snapped out of his daze, realizing he might soon touch upon her hidden true secrets.

The girl's consciousness was a sea.

His pupils were like a golden crow skimming across its surface.

In the deep, dark waters, scene after scene was illuminated, one after another.

"Humans cannot imagine a world without boundaries, so does that mean the spirit used for imagination has boundaries? If the spiritual world has boundaries, how can I cross them?"

As time passed, her thoughts grew deeper and more profound.

Below the Underworld realm, souls flowed ceaselessly, making her figure on the Underworld Throne appear even more solitary.

"This count... it's not quite right." The girl looked at the stone tablet and, using her authority, changed the hundred back to one. The counting unit on the tablet shifted, and the measurement of time instantly expanded.

There were still 180,000 days until the apocalypse.

"The apocalypse is coming, who will save me?"

Her state of mind was now different from before.

Then, the Dark Sea, silent for ten thousand years, finally opened. A graceful figure, like a ship sinking into the ocean, slowly descended from the dark waters.

The girl watched her descend.

The apocalypse and a friend; the latter arrived first...

Ning Changjiu could feel the fluctuations in her emotions—like a delicate flower blossoming in the darkness.

The subsequent memories were buried deeper, seemingly secret and unknown.

The girl, pinned to the throne by the Asura, had boundless murderous intent surging in her dark pupils.

Ning Changjiu understood.

What followed were her inviolable secrets.

The one who fell from the Dark Sea was Mu Lingtong, who had mistakenly entered the Underworld. It seemed she had befriended Mu Lingtong and confided many past events and secrets about deities to her, which likely included methods to leave the Underworld Hall.

The Fish King, standing by, observed them intently for a long time.

"Does foreplay really take this long...? You certainly live up to your name!"

Ning Changjiu concentrated, and his consciousness, shaped like a golden crow, pierced deep into the girl's sea of consciousness like an arrow. The girl's body undulated, and she let out a soft moan.

Her most private and least desired memories to be known were illuminated by the golden light, like the sky opening up behind clouds.

The girl bit her lip tightly, and faint, thin streaks of blood oozed from her soft lips.

Her body began to tremble, and the bloody radiance from the blades in her hands intensified.

He... he saw it all...

She felt dizzy.

Ning Changjiu also fell silent.

So... this was the secret she spoke of.

Ning Changjiu watched as the weak, heavily injured Mu Lingtong was taken in by her and became her friend.

Those were the happiest years for the young girl in a millennium. Mu Lingtong told her many things about the outside world, outlining a vast, entirely new world in her mind.

Then... they did some...

Hmm... the scene was quite fragrant.

The girl knew what he had seen and gritted her teeth in rage.

Ning Changjiu knew that while the girl might have acted out of curiosity, Mu Lingtong must have wanted to use the opportunity to gather power related to the King of the Underworld.

He had originally intended to tell her this, to further erode her resolute will. But thinking of her slender figure, solitary for a thousand years before the Underworld Hall, he sighed softly and ultimately said nothing.

He closed his eyes, no longer looking at her secrets, searching only for information related to leaving the Underworld.

The girl became even angrier, thinking, "You've seen it, so you've seen it! Why pretend to be a gentleman? Even if you gouge out your eyes, it won't change anything!"

The later memories showed her secretly poring over books for days, then pretending to be omniscient and confidently telling Mu Lingtong how to leave the Underworld.

If he saw that...

The girl thought, "Taking advantage and then leaving? There's no such good thing! I am the King of the Underworld's cherished pearl, a second-generation ruler of the Underworld meant to be arrogant and overbearing. I absolutely cannot lose face for myself and the Underworld realm!"

"Open your eyes!" the girl sharply commanded.

As his consciousness approached that deep memory, a towering murderous intent suddenly surged beneath him, and the entire Underworld began to shake with the girl's words.

The previously faint candlelight instantly flared up, burning brightly like torches in the darkness.

Ning Changjiu subconsciously opened his eyes.

He looked at the girl.

She had originally intended to use the power of the Underworld's source to resist, but the cost would be too great, potentially causing the apocalypse to arrive prematurely.

In the past, she would have hesitated not at all. But now... only three hundred days remained.

She genuinely feared that if she even slightly touched the core, that number would whimsically turn into the shape of a goose egg for her.

In her desperation, a good idea came to her.

Ning Changjiu watched her, falling into complete silence—for the girl had transformed back into the appearance of Ning Xiaoling.

The Fish King was also stunned.

On the Netherworld Throne, it now appeared as if Ning Changjiu was pinning Ning Xiaoling down. Ning Xiaoling looked at him piteously, biting her blood-streaked lips, her expression full of grievance. Her pure white Daoist dress resembled a freshly bloomed lotus.

Even though the Fish King knew that Ning Xiaoling was impersonated by the King of the Underworld, watching Ning Changjiu press down on her still filled it with righteous indignation, and it couldn't help but curse, "Utterly depraved, worse than a beast!"

Given Ning Changjiu's current state of mind, he shouldn't have been disturbed by such an illusion.

But he hadn't seen his junior sister for many years, and the King of the Underworld's piteous appearance was truly deceiving.

She spoke softly, calling out as if from their first meeting years ago: "Senior Brother... it's been a long time."

Ning Changjiu knew it was fake but still replied, "It has been a long time."

"Senior Brother... can you, can you let me go? It hurts." The girl's voice was soft.

Ning Changjiu sighed.

Looking at Ning Xiaoling's face, a sense of morality indeed constrained his next move.

But ultimately, it was a ruse.

"No." Ning Changjiu cleared his disturbed consciousness, and his sea of consciousness returned to clarity.

The King of the Underworld said coyly, "Senior Brother... you're so naughty."

Ning Changjiu remained unmoved.

He continued to delve deeper.

At this moment, the girl ceased her struggles. The corners of her mouth curved slightly, revealing a relieved smile.

She had finally stalled for enough time.

Outside, an army of three hundred thousand was attacking.

Fate was unpredictable; this sect, which had originally called itself the Regicide Sect, could ironically buy her time.

The flapping of banners, the clash of weapons, the earth-shattering cries of battle... A cacophony of sounds approached from afar, sweeping in like a tide from beyond the hall.

Unable to find a way to leave the Underworld in a short time, Ning Changjiu temporarily released her.

He walked to a window of the Underworld Hall and looked out.

Outside the Underworld Hall, a dense, dark mass filled the view.

Thousands of troops had gathered outside the Underworld Hall, forming ranks and advancing.

"Three hundred thousand... they actually managed to gather that many?" Ning Changjiu was astonished.

The Second King of the Underworld lifted her delicate body from the throne. She rubbed her sore, slender arms, complaining plaintively, "This is what they call 'where there's a will, there's a way'..."

"It seems what you've done is truly detestable, inspiring such immense resolve in them," Ning Changjiu remarked.

The King of the Underworld said proudly, "Yes! Hard work pays off!"

Ning Changjiu looked at her cheerful expression and said helplessly, "They're here to kill you, you know."

The girl nodded, "I know. This is one of the outcomes of the current nationwide deliberation. After all, I encouraged them to think, so of course, I must bear the consequences. Besides... I once thought their decision was much wiser than that of the Ruin Sect or the Immortal Invocation Sect."

"That's true," Ning Changjiu agreed.

He continued, "So, have you thought of a way to deal with this situation?"

The girl shook her head. "I honestly didn't expect them to gather three hundred thousand."

"What will you do then?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Although these ghosts weren't particularly strong, they were numerous.

Killing three hundred thousand mosquitoes would require considerable effort, let alone ghosts.

The King of the Underworld tidied her disheveled hair, clutching her white Daoist dress. "Senior Brother, can you bear to watch me die?"

Ning Changjiu said coldly, "First, change back."

"Waaah, Senior Brother doesn't like me anymore." The King of the Underworld rubbed her eyes, pretending to cry.

Within their brief exchange, the earth-shattering cries of battle had already reached just outside the hall.

The King of the Underworld, having no other choice, pushed open the door and stepped out.

Ning Changjiu asked, "What do you intend to do? Kill them all by yourself?"

The King of the Underworld shook her head. "I'm going to negotiate for their surrender! You should come with me."

"What would I do?" Ning Changjiu asked.

The King of the Underworld said earnestly, "Just pretend that the Immortal Invocation Sect's sorcery worked, and you are the Great Immortal they summoned. Then, perform some acrobatics for them, make a few intimidating prophecies, and that should appease the ghosts."

"Will they believe that?" Ning Changjiu asked.

The King of the Underworld replied, "Not all of them need to believe it. Just sow discord among them, and they'll fall into disarray eventually."

Ning Changjiu was still hesitating whether to help her.

The King of the Underworld said, "Don't feel guilty. This is the Underworld realm; for them, death is just like going home. Anyway, they'll climb out of the Spirit Cradle Well again after a while and be good ghosts once more!"

The ghost army had reached the doorstep, shouting the loud slogans "Execute the King of the Underworld, open the Underworld Realm!" outside the Underworld Hall.

The King of the Underworld had already stepped out.

He sighed and reluctantly followed.

From the entrance of the grand hall, Ning Changjiu surveyed the scene.

Outside the hall, there was a vast crowd. Among the clustered groups of ghosts, all types were present: the scrawny ones formed a suicide squad at the front, while the burly ones held the line at the rear. Some waved banners, others shouted, and some played music with their weapons, creating a feeling reminiscent of a primal tribal assault.

"What... are they doing?" Ning Changjiu asked, pointing at a pile of ghosts lying asleep on the ground, being carried by other ghosts.

The King of the Underworld pondered for a moment, then said, "Those must be people from the Void Return Sect. They've realized that the world is fundamentally composed of spirit, so they seek a path of escape by delving deep into the spiritual realm, and the path they chose is... sleep. The entire Void Return Sect is asleep, which is why the Regicide Sect took advantage of their vulnerability and dragged them along to make up numbers."

"How miserable," Ning Changjiu sighed.

The King of the Underworld sighed, then walked to the very front and declared loudly, "I am very pleased that you have not disappointed my expectations. Through your own efforts, you have assembled such a force and come before me. You are the most resolute ghosts in the Underworld realm, and you are its future."

"You tyrannical ruler, cease your nonsense! The Underworld realm only has three hundred days left; what future is there? If not for your extreme incompetence, would the Underworld have fallen to this state, unable to find a way out for a thousand years?" The people below cried out accusations, their voices filled with anguish.

The King of the Underworld descended from the Underworld Hall, strolling leisurely and brimming with confidence.

"Who said I haven't found a way?" The King of the Underworld stood with her hands behind her back and said, "I anticipated your arrival today, and I wish for you all to bear witness."

"Witness what?" the leader questioned.

The King of the Underworld said faintly, "Your savior has arrived."

"A savior? Where is this savior?" the leader pressed.

The King of the Underworld looked behind her.

Ning Changjiu rubbed his brow.

"Him? That scrawny fellow dares to call himself a savior? We're not like those fools from the Immortal Invocation Sect; we won't believe your words!" the leader roared.

The King of the Underworld glanced at Ning Changjiu, blinking imploringly, signaling him to show off his skills.

Ning Changjiu, reluctantly coerced, stepped to the very front of the stage.

A golden, mountain-like Asura cast a magnificent shadow behind him.

It appeared to be a three-headed, six-armed demon, yet it exuded a vibrant golden divine radiance. Terror and sacredness intertwined, making Ning Changjiu's white-clad figure appear ethereal.

Asuras were supreme beings in the spiritual world, and these spirits, formed by consciousness, felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from it.

This pressure was like frost killing all vegetation, threatening to force them all to their knees.

"This is the divine being who will lead us out of the Underworld and back into the cycle of reincarnation in the true world!" The King of the Underworld looked at him, introducing him seriously and solemnly.

Ning Changjiu looked at their awestruck gazes, feeling as though he should say something profound at this moment.

Something like: "I am destiny's chosen, the harbinger who ends evil, the savior in times of calamity..."?

Ning Changjiu was too embarrassed to say it.

"Why should we believe your nonsense?" the leader thought. Gathering three hundred thousand people had taken immense effort; if they retreated now, wouldn't they become a laughingstock?

Ning Changjiu carefully recalled, using ostentation as his criterion, several sword techniques he had studied. With a thought, countless golden shadows spiraled upwards like rings, resembling frozen fireworks or myriad great suns. They shone brightly in the sky, as if poised to tear apart the darkness and bring forth light at any moment.

This was the technique that used the most spiritual energy to produce, yet had the lowest destructive power. It rarely had an opportunity to be used normally.

In such a magnificent display, let alone the unsophisticated native ghosts, even the King of the Underworld was startled and secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

At the same time, from within the grand hall, an ancient voice echoed.

"After waiting for a millennium, I have finally awaited your arrival, Flame-bearer..."

The voice, melodious as an ancient bell, emanated from the Underworld Hall and reached everyone's ears.

"The Great Feathered Serpent God... it's the Feathered Serpent God!"

Everyone immediately reacted.

They knew there was a skeletal feathered serpent within the Underworld Hall, and that skeleton was the true King of the Underworld!

Many devout followers of the Feathered Serpent God had already knelt in worship.

Within the army of three hundred thousand, many who originally belonged to the Immortal Invocation Sect had already wavered. They believed the King of the Underworld's words, weeping bitterly and regretting their change of faith.

"Will you show disrespect to the Flame-bearer?" the voice from within the hall spoke again.

"Flame-bearer?" the leader questioned, puzzled. "The apocalypse is about to arrive; what can he change...?"

The voice from within the hall said, "Do you not yet understand? The apocalypse signifies rebirth. When the day of my prophecy arrives, the boundless heavens will open a sacred gate for you, and at that time, the Flame-bearer will lead you towards the light!"

The Fish King, impersonating the Feathered Serpent God, spoke these words with a strained voice, feeling utterly exhausted.

Fortunately, it had managed to completely bewilder those ghosts.

The apocalypse signifies rebirth... It chuckled self-deprecatingly, thinking, "Even I'm starting to believe it now."

Ning Changjiu and the King of the Underworld then continued their deceptive performance of acrobatics outside.

The already unstable morale of the three hundred thousand strong army was completely shaken. Meanwhile, ghosts loyal to the King of the Underworld also rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, coming to their lord's aid.

While there were many who had rebelled, those loyal to her were also a significant number.

The leader, seeing the army's morale shattered, knew that nothing could be accomplished today and knelt to beg for forgiveness.

The King of the Underworld magnanimously pardoned them.

The ghosts were filled with gratitude.

After much commotion, they finally returned inside the hall.

The King of the Underworld proudly settled back onto her throne. "Well? Wasn't I clever?"

Ning Changjiu sighed, "It seems you haven't been a tyrannical ruler for nothing these past few centuries."

The King of the Underworld folded her arms across her chest. "I am an enlightened monarch, which is why they all call me the King of the Underworld!"

Ning Changjiu didn't want to waste time. He looked at the King of the Underworld, summoning his Asura once more. "What we left unfinished earlier, it's time to continue."

"You... don't come closer!" The King of the Underworld thought, regretting that she shouldn't have dismissed the army; she should have kept them as her guards.

The King of the Underworld transformed again, once more taking on Ning Xiaoling's appearance.

"Senior Brother, are you sure you want to do this?" The King of the Underworld parted her lips to whisper, her gaze like water.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu affirmed.

With that, he once again pressed the monarch down onto the throne.

The Fish King silently turned away, covering its eyes, unable to bear watching further.

Although she had transformed into Ning Xiaoling's appearance, her Daoist dress as white as snow, it could no longer disturb Ning Changjiu's resolve.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes and began to search her consciousness.

"Senior Brother, don't be like this..."

"Senior Brother, please spare me."

"But I'm your junior sister, how could you... sniffle."

The King of the Underworld struggled futilely.

Ning Changjiu remained unmoved. "Stop struggling," he said.

"Senior Brother..."

Her voice suddenly became very soft, as light as willow catkins, carrying a mix of shock and joy amidst fatigue and weakness, like rain after many years.

"Hmph, she's quite good at pretending..." Ning Changjiu thought to himself.

The King of the Underworld fell silent.

Suddenly, he also realized something was amiss.

That "Senior Brother" just now... seemed to come from behind him.

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes and slowly turned to look.

Ning Xiaoling had awakened at some point. She stood weakly, leaning against the wall with one hand, her lips pressed tightly together. She gazed from a distance at him and the girl beneath him, silent for a moment before uncertainly saying:

"Senior... Brother?"