Chapter 314: Sword Spirit's Weeping

The cold light from Ning Changjiu’s sword swept across the floor, filling the entire room with brilliance. His figure, clad in white, stood amidst the layered, obscuring light, as if he were in an ice and snow cavern where the light repeatedly refracted, falling upon his white robes. Standing in the dark hall, he appeared like a dreamlike illusion.

At his feet, several faint, pale sword marks appeared on the floor tiles, which were considered indestructible in the Purple Court Realm.

Liu Xiwuan looked at him with a complex expression.

Her gaze dropped to the cloak on the ground, then to her own rising and falling figure. Although her tight clothing was practical for combat, her senior sister had forced her to wear it, seemingly to make her acknowledge her gender. Thus, Liu Xiwuan usually covered herself tightly with a cloak, feeling this action was particularly wise after seeing Ning Changjiu.

She hadn't expected that after their first exchange, her cloak would be knocked to the ground.

As Ning Changjiu said, the victor was not yet determined. She had merely lost by half a move, with many techniques and sword arts still unutilized.

But losing her cloak felt like being stripped naked. Even though the other party wasn't looking at her, a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks.

“I’m disguised as a man!” Liu Xiwuan argued somewhat unreasonably.

Ning Changjiu said helplessly, “I know, Young Master Xitian.”

Liu Xiwuan took a deep breath and said, “Your swordsmanship has indeed improved greatly, beyond my expectations. Very good.”

Ning Changjiu finally turned his head, his gaze slowly settling on her face, then lightly sweeping over her figure.

The girl was originally based on the divine realm of silver, and her body naturally possessed a beauty of exquisite craftsmanship. With a perfect balance of slenderness and fullness, her slender waist beneath her tight clothes was particularly striking. Just looking at it, the winding curve seemed to contain an astonishing beauty of elasticity.

Ning Changjiu calmly said, “You have also exceeded my expectations.”

Liu Xiwuan felt he implied something else. She straightened up, holding her sword like a jade statue. Her short hair danced wildly in the sword wind, and in the faint vibration of the blade, white airflow already swirled into helical smoke trails.

“Don’t pretend to be calm in front of me, putting on airs. I know your inner thoughts better than anyone,” Liu Xiwuan said, looking at his calm face, wishing she could claw at him.

Ning Changjiu smiled and said, “Since it’s ‘know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated,’ then Young Master Liu must be brimming with confidence.”

Liu Xiwuan closed her eyes, pondering for a moment, recalling Ning Changjiu’s previous sword move. She opened her eyes, which shone even brighter, and said, “Go all out. Don’t disappoint me.”

Ning Changjiu slowly raised his sword, its tip pointing distantly at Liu Xiwuan. He sighed, “Don’t you understand? At this moment, you are not testing my depth; I am testing yours.”

As he spoke, Ning Changjiu’s sword edge turned. A vast wind flowed from his sash and sleeves, condensing into a white-scaled dragon, circling around him. The hum of his sword was like ancient dragon roars.

Above Liu Xiwuan, the void instantly cracked open, and pale lightning descended. The girl looked up, her pupils contracting slightly.

***

Outside the Ancient Spirit Sect, guests arrived ceaselessly today. All these people came from affiliated sects located close to the Ancient Spirit Sect, to offer the authority held by their respective sects.

Originally, after the Ancient Spirit Sect suffered a great disaster, many other significant affiliated factions had developed rebellious intentions. Although the Ancient Spirit Sect’s order to reclaim authority was issued, there was little response; most people chose to wait and see.

It wasn’t until Siming employed thunderous means, nailing one sect leader who sought to gather power and seize authority from the Ancient Spirit Sect to Thunder Cliff, and casually destroying that sect’s main hall, serving as a warning. Only then did everyone realize the ruthlessness of this new Sect Master, becoming as silent as cicadas in winter and no longer daring to act presumptuously.

In the Hall of Nine Nether, a large white gauze curtain hung.

The curtain separated those offering authority from Ning Xiaoling.

Those who came to return their authority entered the hall, trembling with fear, and saw through the white gauze curtain the legendary figure of the revered Underworld Lord—a fox shadow so vast it almost filled the entire hall.

The nine tails of the fox shadow drifted, like flickering infernal flames. Even through the curtain, it was still soul-stirring, making them dare not look twice.

“So this is the revered Underworld Lord...”

“But legend says the Underworld Lord is a feathered serpent. How... how could this be a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox?”

“However, this Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox is so massive, having cultivated for who knows how many years. If it can rekindle the thousand-year-extinct legacy of the Underworld Kingdom, perhaps it will be their chance to rise to prominence.”

Representatives from various sects handed over their authority one by one.

Siming stood before the curtain, clad in divine robes and wearing a demon fox mask. Her eyes, visible beneath the mask, were like ice.

At this moment, this black-robed woman was like a god of slaughter in their minds; her face beneath the demon fox mask was surely terrifyingly grotesque.

After handing over their authority, everyone stood in a line, heads bowed, exchanging glances in private.

Time slowly passed. Many felt their composure waver, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

“Great Underworld Lord, these are the remnants of your crown. Please examine them.” Siming gently raised her hand, slowly tossing the authority items she held. The fragments of authority, like dandelion seeds, floated over the tall curtain towards the dark shadow behind it.

This god-of-slaughter-like woman appeared extremely humble and respectful towards the divine fox behind the curtain.

The divine fox accepted the authority fragments. That massive shadow was the fear trembling in everyone’s hearts.

After a long wait, the divine fox slowly spoke: “They are indeed relics of the Underworld Kingdom. They have not deceived me.”

Hearing this, Siming nodded gently. She turned back to face the crowd and said:

“The Underworld Lord commends your honesty. You may all return now.”

Everyone felt a great sense of relief, but they forced themselves to suppress the urge to turn and leave immediately. One by one, they bowed to Siming and bid farewell, only daring to quicken their pace after exiting the main hall.

After everyone had left, the Hall of Nine Nether returned to its quiet solitude.

From behind the enormous fox shadow on the curtain, the girl’s sigh of relief was heard.

Siming waved her hand gently, the curtain fell, the tall fox shadow disappeared, and the young fox girl behind it finally revealed her true form.

A small red-and-white fox sat on the chair, tiny and well-behaved. She blinked, looking at the woman with the demon fox mask, utterly without majesty.

Siming asked, “How does it feel to be a deity?”

Ning Xiaoling thought for a moment and said, “From the outside, it must look very majestic. But if they knew it was such a small fox hiding back here, they’d probably laugh themselves to death.”

Siming calmly said, “You’ll get used to it after a few more times. First, you must believe yourself to be a towering Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, one of the supreme beings of the demon realm. If you believe it yourself, why fear others disbelieving? Besides, your elder sister is here to hold the fort for you.”

Ning Xiaoling lowered her head and meekly said, “Thank you, Sister Siming, for always helping me.”

Siming removed her mask, revealing a face of captivating beauty. She ascended the steps and sat beside Ning Xiaoling. Ning Xiaoling understood and immediately jumped onto her shoulder, wrapping her soft body around the woman’s neck.

“So well-behaved.” Siming stroked the fox’s tail, a faint smile on her lips.

Ning Xiaoling was very good at reading the situation. She immediately retracted her sharp claws, placed her paws on Siming’s shoulder, and gently began to massage her.

Now, Sister Siming was the supreme bully here; no one dared to provoke her. She and her master had once conspired to rebel. She would distract Sister Siming, and then her master would use a slave-mark to suppress her, forcing her to draw another slave-mark. Unfortunately, their plot was easily exposed, not only failing completely but also resulting in both master and disciple being punished together.

Now, even her master had lost all rebellious thoughts, behaving like a meek little maidservant, enduring hardship and humiliation, just waiting for her senior brother to return.

“I wonder where your senior brother is now,” Siming suddenly said.

Ning Xiaoling, who had just been thinking of her senior brother, was startled, thinking her desire for him to avenge them had been seen through. Her tail twitched before she regained her composure, then she whispered, “How would I know? But Senior Brother is working so hard, he should be back soon, right?”

Siming pinched her fingers and said, “It’s been over a month, and there’s still no news from the Heavenly Ranking. Ning Changjiu can act tough in front of me, but when it comes to getting things done, he’s really not like a man.”

Ning Xiaoling listened to her defame her senior brother, making a mental note of it, while outwardly she could only agree, “Mhm, mhm. Next time Senior Brother returns, I’ll talk to him for you.”

Siming smiled faintly, “Your senior brother’s progress is so slow, perhaps he’s been held back by some pretty young girl, lingering happily in a land of comfort and forgetting his little junior sister who’s in grave danger.”

Ning Xiaoling mumbled, “That’s not something Xiaoling should worry about. Don’t Master and Big Sister worry at all?”

“What should I worry about?” Siming’s beautiful eyes shifted, landing on Ning Xiaoling.

Ning Xiaoling instantly felt a murderous intent. She dared not voice the thought that Sister Siming was her senior brother’s third wife.

“Third wife?” Siming let out a surprised “Eh?”

Ning Xiaoling’s soft body instantly stiffened. She once again felt the immense power of a Five Paths expert.

“No, no.” Ning Xiaoling immediately raised her paws in a gesture of surrender. “Not third wife…”

Siming sat on the throne, her slender, jade-like legs gently crossed, arms folded across her chest, her demeanor slightly somber, and asked coolly, “Oh? Do you have anything else to say in your defense?”

Ning Xiaoling knew misfortune was about to strike. She thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, “First wife?”

Siming had already extended her hand.

Ning Xiaoling immediately said earnestly, “Don’t worry, Eldest Sister, my senior brother has always stayed away from women. No one can shake your position.”

Siming’s expression, however, grew increasingly gloomy.

A moment later, the cries of the little fox echoed from within the Hall of Nine Nether.

***

Heavenly Ranking, Command Tower. Sword qi filled the air.

The thunderous sword qi was like unquenchable rage; it was the sword aura Ning Changjiu unleashed with each vibrate of his blade. His white robes fluttered like a vibrating zither, and in its melody, the flowing sword qi resembled a rustling northern wind, carrying rolls of thunderous sword aura that incessantly struck towards the girl’s position, forcing her agile figure to dodge and weave amidst the lightning.

She seemed to dance on the blade’s edge, always finding it difficult to approach the white-robed figure in her sight.

Ning Changjiu, however, was in no hurry. He merely stood still, his fingers constantly making gestures within his left sleeve, changing over ten different sword seals in a single breath. Small swords, each with a different aura, fell from the sky, like tiny arrows skimming across water, creating ripples of uneven distance in space, each charting its own trajectory, shooting towards the girl’s figure.

Liu Xiwuan’s vision was obscured by the opponent’s chaotic sword shadows. She tightened her grip, steadied her sword heart, and let go of her inherent pride. She now faced him as a stronger adversary, seeking a way to break through the adversity.

She knew that Ning Changjiu’s move was terrifying in its momentum and extremely oppressive, but it also incurred a significant toll on himself. Although he appeared calm and at ease, his divine consciousness must be taut, searching for her weaknesses.

Since that’s the case…

“I’ll give you a weakness!”

Where Liu Xiwuan moved, a sword-lightning struck down from the sky. She deliberately faltered slightly, her body colliding with the sword-lightning, her steps wavering slightly, her breath unstable, and a hint of surprise appearing in her pupils.

As expected, after she failed to completely evade the sword-lightning, Ning Changjiu, who had been standing calmly, finally moved.

When still, he was like a mountain; when he moved, he was like thunder. After his figure vanished from its spot, all the accumulated sword intent within the Command Tower seemed to explode instantly, crackling and resonating.

“Here it comes…” Liu Xiwuan’s expression hardened, her pupils turning pure white, reflecting Ning Changjiu’s trajectory within the layers of sword shadows.

The moment before Ning Changjiu’s figure shot forward like an arrow, Liu Xiwuan evaded him with a ghostly footwork. The distance between them, which had closed, instantly reopened. Liu Xiwuan’s sword seal was already prepared in her hand, with only the final part remaining. After she dodged behind Ning Changjiu with quick, small steps, her sword seal was complete.

From Liu Xiwuan’s sleeve, several materialized long-rainbow sword intents shot out, striking Ning Changjiu’s back. At the same time, using these sword strikes as a diversion, she thrust her iron sword forward, aiming for his back.

Just as she thought she would succeed, she instinctively looked at Ning Changjiu’s hand, her expression grave—he was not holding his sword.

“Where was his sword?”

Her thoughts lasted but a fleeting moment. She instinctively looked up, and a sword, like a deity, was hovering three feet above her head, having descended with her upward gaze, its timing perfectly precise.

Liu Xiwuan’s heart jolted. Her toes immediately touched the ground, and she pulled back, narrowly avoiding the falling sword.

In that brief moment of distraction, Ning Changjiu had already turned. His left hand, clenched into a fist, struck out, using the ape demon’s mountain-shaking, earth-shattering move to directly shatter the incoming long-rainbow sword qi. At the same time, his right hand formed a palm, moving with a gentleness entirely different from his left fist, like an immortal crane riding the wind through the sky.

His fingers directly gripped the tip of the sword Liu Xiwuan thrust at him.

This treasured sword from the Sword Pavilion bent under the force, curving into a crescent moon arc.

After the blade was taut to its extreme, Ning Changjiu remained still, then flicked the sword tip with two fingers. Liu Xiwuan’s breakthrough was too rapid, and in a pure spiritual power contest, she ultimately lost the upper hand. The sword straightened, and the force contained within it pushed her figure backward, sliding across the Command Tower and crashing into the wall behind her.

Ning Changjiu casually grabbed the sword stuck in the ground and pursued her.

Between the two, sword qi exploded frequently, like lit firecrackers.

But after the surprise attack of that hovering sword, Liu Xiwuan’s momentum was lost, and now, being pushed back inch by inch, her footwork quickly became erratic.

After Ning Changjiu caught up, he did not use his sword but instead used the force of his palm, striking her directly on the forehead.

Liu Xiwuan could not evade the palm strike. Her body unbalanced, she fell heavily against the wall.

Ning Changjiu did not pursue. Instead, he stood still and slowly began, “Whether intentional or not, a flaw is a flaw. A fish lurking underwater, trying to deliberately bite the hook to drag the angler into the water? How foolish… This is the first lesson. Do you understand?”

Liu Xiwuan looked at his condescending tone, her heart burning with anger. She clenched her teeth and whispered, “Scheming villain…”

Ning Changjiu said, “It seems you still don’t understand. I’ll give you another lesson.”

Liu Xiwuan’s expression grew calm. She knew she was slightly inferior to Ning Changjiu, but the gap was by no means large. As long as she was careful, there was still a chance to defeat him in one move. If Ning Changjiu could defeat strong enemies across realms, why couldn’t she defeat him across realms?

With this thought, Liu Xiwuan’s sword heart became even firmer.

She leaned against the wall, taking a defensive sword stance. This was the unrevealed secret opening move of the Sword Pavilion.

Ning Changjiu didn’t even look at the sword in her hand. He simply stopped, standing with his sword in his right hand, his left hand’s index and middle fingers joined and held upright before his chest. By his side, strands of sword qi condensed into hiltless blades.

As soon as the sword edges condensed, they were thrown towards Liu Xiwuan.

These sword qis came from various angles, like leaves dancing in a gale, following ethereal, traceless arcs, each aiming for Liu Xiwuan’s ruddy brow.

Liu Xiwuan also calmed her mind. She stared at the swords. The inherited combat techniques from her memory and her recent sword path insights surged into her mind. Her sword domain immediately unfolded around her. Holding her sword in her right hand, like grasping a pestle in an array, with a clinking sound, all of Ning Changjiu’s sword qi was deflected by her sword domain.

She slightly bent her knees, pressed her right foot against the wall behind her, and suddenly exerted force. Her body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, instantly thrusting towards Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu’s sword met hers again. In the Command Tower, filled with sword qi, dazzling white light incessantly flashed. Affected by the sword intent, within dozens of yards around the tall building, not a single snowflake could drift in.

This scene unfolded before the eyes of countless people on the long street. Even the proud second senior sister was slightly astonished. For a moment, she couldn’t even discern the situation within the tower. Were it not for the rules of the Sword Pavilion, she would have directly ignored the Heavenly Ranking spirit’s warning and stepped onto the tower to see what was happening.

Within the tower, Ning Changjiu and Liu Xiwuan clashed blade against blade. Their two figures sometimes collided, sometimes separated, making it difficult to tell who had the upper hand for a time. Their figures became faster and faster; even their continuous afterimages blurred into flowing lines.

Neither had time for harsh words, pouring all their focus into their swords.

Liu Xiwuan unleashed her sword in a fierce, unhindered manner, sweeping away her previously suppressed sword heart. Within the impenetrable sword light, her figure darted like lightning, even slightly outperforming Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu remained silent. While parrying and countering with his sword, he conjured sword arts of the Imperial Sword Heavenly Sect with finger gestures inside his sleeve.

Liu Xiwuan was intimately familiar with these moves, countering each one. The two seemed to have a tacit understanding, performing moves familiar to each other, locked in a fierce, inseparable battle.

Amidst their well-coordinated sword moves, Liu Xiwuan’s sweeping horizontal strike suddenly halted, shifting instead to an upward thrust, aiming for Ning Changjiu’s chest.

Ning Changjiu extended his hand, again catching the blade empty-handed, his two fingers clamping the opponent’s sword edge. But unlike before, Liu Xiwuan now had the upper hand. She twisted the hilt, pressing down on Ning Changjiu’s fingers, driving the formidable sword towards his shoulder.

Ning Changjiu was forced to retreat further.

Liu Xiwuan pressed forward, pursuing her advantage with all her might.

Then Ning Changjiu’s figure vanished like a ghost. Her sword strike missed, causing her to stumble, almost falling again.

Ning Changjiu’s figure was reflected in Liu Xiwuan’s sword blade. He had used a mirror-like technique to enter the reflection within the sword, reappearing in her original spot after her attack missed.

That original spot was now behind Liu Xiwuan.

Liu Xiwuan finally understood how it felt to be Ning Changjiu’s opponent… Even though she knew he had such moves, she was still caught off guard… “Where did he learn such insidious techniques?!”

After her sword missed, Liu Xiwuan correctly anticipated he would press his advantage and immediately turned to preempt his sword move with her own.

But Ning Changjiu was no longer behind her.

A gust of wind swept past the corner of her eye.

Liu Xiwuan’s shoulder suddenly dipped.

Ning Changjiu’s hand was already on her shoulder, his five fingers like hooks, pressing on the girl’s delicate shoulder. With force applied through his fingers, there was a thud, and he directly pushed the sword spirit girl to her knees on the ground.

Liu Xiwuan gripped her sword with both hands to support herself, biting her silver teeth, making a clenching sound. But despite her struggle, her knees still touched the ground.

“My weakness was not a weakness, but a trap. This is the second lesson,” Ning Changjiu said calmly.

When Ning Changjiu delivered the first lesson, Liu Xiwuan had still pondered the meaning of his words, but now she realized that the other party was clearly just humiliating her.

She didn’t actually care much about the Sword Pavilion’s reputation or anything like that. After all, she had only joined for half a year, so where would such a strong sense of belonging come from? It was just that she was a little afraid of her second senior sister… After all, she couldn’t beat her yet.

But she didn’t want to lose to Ning Changjiu!

She wanted to prove that she surpassed her teachers, was colder than ice, and to demonstrate her strength, rather than being reprimanded presumptuously like a child by him.

Ning Changjiu felt the surge of murderous intent from the girl beneath his palm.

“This is a sword move I’ve always wanted to show you.”

The girl suddenly reached out and fiercely gripped the sword blade.

The blade cut her palm, and beads of blood rolled from between her fingers.

Beneath her, it was as if a blazing sun had emerged from the eastern mountains, slowly floating into the sky, brightly illuminating the surrounding peaks, radiating immense light.

This was the Heavenly Oracle Sword Scripture!

Ning Changjiu could not believe that this was the phenomenon displayed by the Heavenly Oracle Sword Scripture, an assassination sword art. Yet, the incredibly familiar sword move clearly followed the Scripture’s trajectory!

This was the sword spirit’s true trump card, the foundation of her Grand Dao!

After becoming one, and comprehending it for half a year, she had transformed the outward appearance of this sword!

The girl did not grasp the sword hilt.

Though the sword in her hand was a famous one, how could it compare to herself?

She was the most peerless sword in the world!

At this moment, Liu Xiwuan experienced enlightenment. Her sword heart shone even brighter, and rainbow light seemed to swallow the sky.

This was her first time unleashing this sword, and its significance was profound.

Ning Changjiu’s figure had already drifted back. As he retreated, countless light and shadow forms flickered around him; these were the Dao techniques he had learned throughout his life, now emerging one after another, each a resplendent glory.

Among them were Daoist seals, divine spirits sitting in meditation, true meanings of the Sword Sect, illusory swords, nether swords, crane swords, the cold edge of a sword sage’s flicked finger, the final move of a dying elder, sword shadows like brilliant flames soaring into the sky, sword qi gathering radiance and rising from death, an Asura extending three heads and six arms with golden glow, and the thunderous roar of a sword shaking a hundred miles, a deluge of ten thousand flames!

In this month, all the true sword path insights Ning Changjiu had comprehended and felt were unleashed. He was like a true divine scion, an immortal banished to earth, with myriad radiant shadows emanating from his clothes.

Liu Xiwuan, on the other hand, became the sword herself, her body like an expanse of silver fire, intending to melt away all of Ning Changjiu’s momentum.

This was her strongest sword, the root of her sword path.

Ning Changjiu let out a sigh.

“Still not strong enough…”

He could take this sword strike.

However, if the sword spirit’s first attempt with this sword were to fail, her sword heart would crack into countless fragments, and her once smooth sword path would become incredibly rough thereafter.

He sighed, extended his hand, and once again met the sword with his fingers.

His white sleeves were utterly shredded.

The myriad light and shadow forms exploded into a ball of fire.

Liu Xiwuan’s sword pierced his fingers.

All of their techniques collided.

The fireworks roared, ascended, and finally extinguished.

Ning Changjiu stood rooted to the spot, his face pale, his dark hair disheveled.

The girl looked at him, then at her own hand, her expression trembling.

Her fingers were her sword.

“You just… why did you… you!” Liu Xiwuan stammered, her eyes trembling, unable to finish her sentence.

Ning Changjiu smiled, too weak to speak.

Liu Xiwuan slowly withdrew her fingers, lowered her head, and let out a pained cry, “Is this your third lesson?”

Long after, she knelt on the ground. Biting her lip, she stammered, “If you want to be kind to me, why did you always provoke me with words before? If you want to be cruel to me, why did you deliberately let me win and help me achieve the Way of the Sword? You… you might as well change your name to Ning Lunatic!”

As she spoke, her former haughty arrogance vanished, and clear tears streamed down her pretty cheeks.