Chapter 304: Little Ling Is a Little Fox

In the Pluto's Hall, where rubble floated amidst the dim, shimmering light, the souls of the feathered serpents, having poured out, were long gone. Mu Lingtong, the most legendary Sect Master of the Nether Dao Spirit Sect, had also had his soul extinguished under the combined schemes of heaven and man. The corpse of the Dragon Mother lay on the ground, having been dead for a hundred years; her power had completely faded, and there was no longer any life within her.

The entire palace was like a mottled ancient painting.

The person in the painting slowly awoke.

After Ning Changjiu woke up, he immediately reached out and shook his sleeve. His fingers inside his sleeve formed a secret hand seal to gather souls, embracing Ning Xiaoling's soul into his arms.

Ning Xiaoling, though missing a part of her divine soul, still appeared whole, but some parts of her soul were translucent and appeared weak.

Ning Xiaoling's body still sat on the throne, with a slender waist and flowing white robes. The Pluto's Hall beneath her bare, tender jade feet seemed like a territory kneeling beneath her Taoist robes.

Ning Xiaoling's soul looked at her own body.

She felt this scene was very strange, a bit like looking in a mirror. But what was in the mirror was no longer an illusion, but a tangible reality.

Ning Xiaoling, curled up like a kitten in her senior brother's arms, reached out her hand towards herself. That body held a natural attraction for her, yet it could not accommodate her currently incomplete soul. Ning Xiaoling didn't hope to crawl back into it; she merely, under her senior brother's strange gaze, pinched many parts of her own body.

So... this is what it feels like.

Ning Xiaoling pondered.

The Fish King woke up, meowing once, and Ning Xiaoling immediately withdrew her hand.

The Fish King's mind was still a bit muddled at this moment.

It recalled Jiuyou's final words to it, and for some reason, a wave of profound sadness rose within its heart.

Perhaps everyone has a fish pond in their heart that they can't escape from...

The Fish King opened its mouth and yawned.

Pluto's Hall remained silent, and the Sacred Pillars remained silent.

"Who can live long and see eternity? In the mortal world, there is no one immortal..." The Fish King looked at the Sacred Pillars and spoke leisurely.

Ning Xiaoling listened, raising an eyebrow slightly annoyed. "Diting, why are you saying such disheartening things?"

The Fish King said, "This is a poem written by the Monarch of the Underworld; perhaps it's their elegy."

"The Monarch of the Underworld's poem..." Ning Xiaoling looked towards the Sacred Pillars and said somewhat angrily, "Why is this Monarch of the Underworld like this? We were clearly helping them, but they can't even write a more auspicious poem."

Ning Changjiu glanced at the Sacred Pillars and held his junior sister's soul even tighter. He smiled and comforted her, "Long life and eternity... what does that have to do with me? My name, Changjiu, refers to the eternity of Heaven and Earth."

"Oh, right, everlasting!"

Ning Xiaoling's eyes brightened as she immediately recalled the poem Mu Lingtong had mentioned earlier.

What was it again...?

Anyway, it was a very good poem.

The Fish King glanced upwards and asked, "How do we get back?"

After Ning Changjiu's soul returned to his body and adapted to it, the familiar cry of the Golden Crow immediately echoed from his Purple Palace.

The Fish King stole a glance, seeing the golden light emanating from his body and the three-legged divine bird, as if residing within the sun. It couldn't help but shiver.

This bird looked gentle.

But little did it know that inside this bird was an entire shattered kingdom... When it fought Zhao Xianger, it was pulled into this shattered kingdom and defeated.

Hmph, it was an unfair victory!

But that shattered Starfire Divine Kingdom, it seemed...

The Fish King recalled certain rumors.

"Senior Brother, the bird has grown so big!" Ning Xiaoling looked at the now magnificent Golden Crow, unable to help but exclaim in admiration.

She had practically watched her senior brother's bird being born. Now, after three years, it had grown so large she almost didn't recognize it...

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly and said, "Junior Sister, go ahead and sit on it."

With that, he carefully lifted Ning Xiaoling's soul and placed it on the Golden Crow's back.

Souls were normally afraid of light, but as Ning Xiaoling bathed in the golden light, she felt no discomfort. Instead, she felt a warmth that was so profound and fulfilling, she almost wanted to fall asleep.

The Golden Crow let out a cry and carried Ning Xiaoling upwards.

As the Fish King watched, its scruff was suddenly grabbed.

A shimmering silver immortal sword appeared beneath Ning Changjiu's feet. The sword carried him upwards, moving like a streak of light, and quickly caught up with the Golden Crow carrying Ning Xiaoling.

The Pluto's Hall receded far below them.

The Underworld beneath Jiuyou's hall was an abyss, but the abyss was not truly bottomless.

Covered by the Golden Crow's radiance, malevolent spirits hid in the nearby darkness, watching them depart with fear.

"Senior Brother, am I... going to see Master Jiajia now?" Ning Xiaoling asked.

"Nervous?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling said, "Not really. After all, I've only been apart from Master for less than half a year."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Then what is it?"

Ning Xiaoling covered her face and said, "I don't know... maybe it's just, strange."

"Hmm?" Ning Changjiu was first puzzled, then he realized.

He was Ning Xiaoling's senior brother, and now also Lu Jiajia's husband. So what position would Xiaoling, as his junior sister and Jiajia's disciple, hold?

Luckily, Xiaoling didn't know that he was also secretly Jiajia's master.

If calculated this way, Jiajia might even have to respectfully address Xiaoling as "Master-aunt"?

Ning Changjiu imagined the scene, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

Ning Xiaoling saw her senior brother's smile and felt he was up to something mischievous again.

The Fish King, held in Ning Changjiu's hand, looked at the innocent and naive girl in the white dress. The thought that she might one day also be taken in by this wicked senior brother made it sigh in suppressed anger. Alas, with Xiaoling's personality, how could she ever contend with those two? If that great villain Ning didn't protect her, she'd likely be bullied for life.

The Fish King worried for its provider.

Crossing the river-like darkness, the curtain of light appearing before their eyes was like the only undying star in the night sky.

Ning Changjiu breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side of the light curtain, he already vaguely felt eyes watching him.

Ning Changjiu rubbed Ning Xiaoling's head and gently chuckled, "Go see your master first."

"No... I want to hide behind Senior Brother."

The Golden Crow flapped its wings faster, and Ning Xiaoling seemed somewhat afraid of the light.

The distance between her and her senior brother grew wider and wider.

Ning Xiaoling, with a troubled expression, asked loudly and helplessly, "Senior Brother, who exactly is that mysterious person you mentioned that I know...?"

"You'll know soon enough." Ning Changjiu smiled without answering.

With a loud rumble, light poured down like a deluge, bathing Ning Xiaoling.

Ning Xiaoling closed her eyes.

The Golden Crow carried her, darting into the light curtain like an arrow.

Ning Xiaoling's soul instantly leaped into a soft embrace.

Ning Xiaoling hesitated for a moment, then squirmed within this embrace, feeling the faint fragrance lingering in her nostrils and the firm, full sensation of the body. She wrapped her arms around the other's body, instinctively clinging close, her head buried in something soft and furry, though she couldn't tell what it was.

"Ma... Master!"

Xiaoling felt this soft and graceful body and immediately knew that the woman holding her must be her Master.

Reuniting after a long separation, she thought of Master Jiajia's gently smiling face, and feeling the warmth of the embrace at this very moment, tears immediately fell.

"Master... Xiaoling was all alone outside... I missed you so much." Ning Xiaoling hugged the woman, burying her head in the other's jade-like shoulder, rubbing against it with tear-blurred eyes.

"Master, although this place is very big, it's not as beautiful as our Sword Sect, and the land and water aren't as good as ours..."

"Wuwuwu, Senior Brother and I were bad, making you wait for so long..."

Ning Xiaoling wrapped her arms around the neck, hugging the other, softly sobbing her complaints. Her arms were very strong, as if she wanted to meld herself into her Master's body.

Ning Xiaoling cried for a while, feeling even more wronged. She choked out, "Master, why aren't you speaking? Don't you like Xiaoling anymore...?"

Ugh... Is it because you're afraid Xiaoling will compete with Master for Senior Brother? But how could Xiaoling ever win against Master?

Ning Xiaoling wiped away her tears, but saw a figure in white, like a snow shadow, standing before her, smiling and looking at her.

Her delicate body trembled too, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Xiaoling." The woman spoke softly.

"Master..." Ning Xiaoling looked at the woman before her, slightly startled.

Master is in front of me... then who am I holding...?

Ning Xiaoling was startled, and before she could think, her soul was suddenly lifted by the other person.

She let out a cry of surprise, and was then held in front of the other person, like a small fox.

"You... you are..."

Ning Xiaoling looked at the incredibly beautiful woman in the black dress before her, her mind feeling a bit slow. She felt the person was somewhat familiar, but couldn't recall who it was...

"Hmm? Who am I?" Siming asked with a smile.

Ning Xiaoling pursed her lips and thought for a moment. Although shocked, she still stated with certainty, "You are... Senior Brother's third wife?"

Siming gently raised her hand and let her sleeve fall, effortlessly delivering a flick to Ning Xiaoling's forehead.

Ning Xiaoling was currently a soul, much more fragile. After receiving the flick, she immediately covered her head, yelping in pain, and looked pleadingly at her Master. She thought, this woman, supposedly Senior Brother's third wife, though very beautiful, shouldn't bully people.

Lu Jiajia sighed with a smile, thinking that Ning Changjiu hadn't returned yet. If she were to oppose Siming, it might end up with both master and disciple receiving a ruler beating... That would be completely losing face.

She composed herself and said coolly, "Xiaoling, do you truly not recognize this older sister?"

Ning Xiaoling, still clutching her head, looked up at the elegant woman in the black dress.

A sudden breeze rose within the light curtain, gently blowing her beautiful silver hair.

Ning Xiaoling looked at this hair, beautiful as a dream.

It was as if silver lightning pierced through her mind, and the encounters outside the Thunder Nation rushed into her thoughts at lightning speed.

"Benefactor!"

Ning Xiaoling exclaimed, "You're the Benefactor Sister!"

"Ah, only recognizing me now? Big Sister truly saved an ungrateful girl." The woman in the night-black dress raised her hand again.

Ning Xiaoling immediately covered her forehead.

She reached out and rubbed the girl's head, her smile blooming like a flower in the night.

"I..." Ning Xiaoling said somewhat guiltily, "I didn't mean to not recognize you, it was... the mask..."

When Siming saved her, she was wearing a red and white fox demon mask.

"Is that your excuse for not recognizing Big Sister?" Siming casually took out the mask from the void beside her, gently placed it on her face, then bent down and leaned closer to Ning Xiaoling.

Lu Jiajia walked gently over and stood to the side, watching with a gentle smile as Siming teased Ning Xiaoling. Their vibrant figures shimmered and swayed in her eyes.

"No, I..." Ning Xiaoling didn't know how to explain. She looked at Siming's shoulder, wet from her tears, and said guiltily, "I'm sorry, I dirtied Big Sister's clothes and scarf... This scarf, it's very expensive, isn't it?"

Siming caressed the fox fur and smiled, "It's fine. You'll compensate Big Sister later anyway."

"Compensate..." Ning Xiaoling was a bit puzzled.

Siming didn't answer; she just gently placed her hand on Ning Xiaoling's forehead, silently channeling a stream of soul-protecting true qi into her.

She felt a little dizzy looking at her Benefactor Sister with the mask on.

The rescue, a chance encounter back then, had always been imprinted in her heart. She had speculated many times about who that sister with the fox demon mask was, where she came from, and how she would find her in the future. But that Benefactor Sister was so mysterious, coming and going without a trace.

She had originally thought she would never meet her Benefactor Sister again in this lifetime...

All the loneliness and hardship she had experienced in the past seemed to be rewarded at this moment.

Her senior brother and master had returned to