The casino was brightly lit. People exchanged glances. The Second Senior Sister of Sword Pavilion's crown and sword lay on the table, their colors unadorned. Piles of money and chips beside them resembled worshippers at court, emitting an aura of decay.
The Second Senior Sister had vanished from the room, leaving no trace, not even a whisper of wind.
The long-brewing storm erupted moments later. The silence was shattered instantly, replaced by a sudden explosion of human voices so loud it seemed capable of ripping off the roof. This was what had transpired at the Heavenly Rankings building, and this sentiment would quickly spread in the coming days.
Xiao Qiu remained stunned for a long time. When his heart finally settled, he stepped over the threshold and onto the snowy street. There were no footprints on the street, and the Second Master's figure had vanished without a trace.
He looked up and saw a bright line, like a thread of rain connecting heaven and earth, sweeping down the center of the Heavenly Rankings. The Heavenly Rankings building shook incessantly, its golden aura shattering into countless fragments, as if a hundred thousand butterflies had simultaneously emerged from their cocoons, flapping golden wings and soaring into the cold, snowy night.
The boundless golden light dispersed into golden dust in the air, obscuring the surrounding buildings.
Yet, the golden light could not obscure the bright line in the center.
That was the Sword of the Second Senior Sister of Sword Pavilion. Its brilliance could not be stolen by heaven or earth!
A Sword Pavilion disciple had broken the rules of the Heavenly Rankings... This thought flooded Xiao Qiu's mind, its impact no less than when Ning Changjiu had previously defeated the fourteen disciples.
The Heavenly Rankings had stood in the Central Lands for a millennium, predating any sect existing today.
The Heavenly Rankings were universally recognized as something that had emerged naturally from the world; no one knew their origin. Yet, even the Sword Pavilion held them in respect. Throughout the Heavenly Rankings' history, there had been many instances of renowned figures being defeated by unknown juniors, but no one had ever truly challenged their rules.
And today, the Second Senior Sister had broken the rankings...
If such an ancient entity as the Heavenly Rankings were to clash with a behemoth like the Sword Pavilion, it was uncertain how it would end.
The events of these past days far exceeded Xiao Qiu's imagination. Only now did he realize that he seemed to be caught up in something significant, and he, who had always been self-assured, felt minuscule within it.
The Second Senior Sister had severed the Heavenly Rankings' restriction. She frowned, watching the sword light plummeting straight down from the sky.
She regretted her impulsiveness.
But since the building was already breached, she couldn't be bothered to think further and simply rode her sword upstairs.
Although the Heavenly Rankings building was majestic, it did not soar into the clouds like the Four Towers of the Central Lands. The Second Senior Sister landed on the first step and reached the rooftop in an instant.
The wind and snow on the rooftop platform had been shredded by the sword, leaving a chaotic mess. The door of the Command Tower was closed, and wind seeped through the cracks. Faint, indistinct human voices seemed to emanate from within.
Although the commotion outside was considerable, the Heavenly Rankings had multiple restrictions, and the Command Tower remained largely unaffected. Moreover, with the main door tightly shut, the young people inside had not sensed any disturbance.
For some reason, the woman, who had been boiling with rage moments before, felt her heart inexplicably calm down once she arrived here.
She reined in all her aura and slowly approached the door.
She turned her body slightly, peering through the crack in the door into the room.
The dueling hall in the Command Tower was paved with special ground stones. These stones were intricately forged and imbued with unique spiritual energy, making it difficult for even cultivators in the Purple Court realm to leave sword marks on them.
The candelabra in the Command Tower were lit, casting a soft, faint glow on the ground stones, which resembled a spread-out pool of water mixed with rouge.
Her Junior Sister was kneeling on the ground, head bowed, short hair disheveled, and neck slightly flushed. She had extended her hand forward.
In front of her, the Junior Sister's black cloak was spread on the ground, and a pale-faced boy in white lay upon it. The boy was handsome, with delicate features like a young master from a noble family. Even in unconsciousness, the heroic spirit in his brows resembled a sword sharpened countless times. He lay on the cloak as if an arrow in its quiver.
The Junior Sister was tending to him.
*Hmph*, just as expected. See a good-looking wild man, and she can't move her legs, groveling and serving him devotedly, completely forgetting her identity as a Sword Pavilion disciple... What nonsense!
Upon seeing this, the Second Senior Sister felt her anger flare up again.
She decided to storm into the room, give her a severe lesson, and while she was at it, teach that handsome but now half-dead boy a thing or two... Daring to touch a Sword Pavilion woman, he must be tired of living.
Just as she was about to enter, she heard voices from inside the room.
The Second Senior Sister pulled her foot back.
She focused and listened intently.
"What exactly did you see upstairs? Although I don't fully understand the Heavenly Rankings, I've heard things. Everyone who comes down is full of life; none are like you," Liu Xiwang said lightly. "You're not faking illness to gain my sympathy, are you?"
"I'm not that bored," Ning Changjiu replied.
Liu Xiwang persisted, "Then what did you see?"
Ning Changjiu said, "You'll know when I can pull out that sword."
"That sword?" Liu Xiwang was puzzled, then reached out and pressed her hand to her chest, seemingly understanding his meaning.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, she didn't bother to respond.
"Suit yourself," Liu Xiwang scoffed, then asked, "Why has your swordsmanship improved so much? Half a year ago, when we parted, I could still hold my own against you. Now, I'm much stronger, yet I'm still not your match."
The Second Senior Sister was slightly startled inwardly—they knew each other already?
She had once tried to inquire about her Junior Sister's true background, but the Junior Sister wouldn't say, and the Sword Saint gave no clear answer. So, she had kept her doubts hidden, not pressing further. Was this breaking of the rankings building actually a reunion with an old acquaintance for her Junior Sister?
She vaguely felt there was a secret involved, so she stayed put and continued to eavesdrop.
Ning Changjiu lay on the ground, eyes closed, and whispered, "Because you haven't fully awakened yet."
"Fully awakened?" Liu Xiwang was confused, thinking her sword heart was already enlightened.
Ning Changjiu said, "Your heart is still fragmented."
"Don't speak in riddles with me; we're not strangers. Just be direct," Liu Xiwang said.
Ning Changjiu thought for a moment, then said, "Your fragmentation has two aspects: first, between person and sword. You haven't truly decided what kind of existence you want to be; your independence and dependence are deeply suppressed, constantly clashing. Second is... gender. I know you can't accept your current self. Not just you, I'm still quite surprised myself."
Liu Xiwang scoffed and said with resentment, "It's all that hateful Second Senior Sister who tricked me. She gave me a sword manual and said it could only be cultivated by self-emasculation, and I, without suspicion, just..."
Outside the door, the Second Senior Sister's face instantly darkened. She squinted, frowned, and softly ground her teeth together.
Ning Changjiu couldn't help but let out two weak chuckles.
Liu Xiwang's brows shot up, and she angrily retorted, "What's so funny! If I were a man right now, how could you possibly defeat me! You villain, you only know how to beat women!"
Ning Changjiu mumbled, "I merely excel at forging swords..."
"Shut your mouth!" Liu Xiwang's cheeks burned upon hearing "forging swords," recalling how she had been pinned down and beaten. She glared at him through gritted teeth and said, "If it weren't for some lingering sentiment, I would have strangled you already! Hmph, I shouldn't have supported Lu Jiajia back then; I should have supported Zhao Xiang'er to beat you to death!"
"Xiang'er and I still... have our wins and losses," Ning Changjiu argued.
Liu Xiwang sneered, her tone sharp: "Oh, please. Don't I know you? You appear all calm and composed, but at your core, you're just an old lecher afraid of his wife!"
Ning Changjiu was very weak and couldn't be bothered to refute her.
"Anyway, thank you for staying," Ning Changjiu said softly. "Actually, you're quite cute like this now. Just consider it forgetting the past and starting a new life."
"Cute?" Liu Xiwang snapped, "Don't get any improper ideas! I was originally meant to be a man. If I were you, the thought alone would disgust me!"
Ning Changjiu, however, said, "It would be better if you were a man."
"?" Liu Xiwang stiffened, staring at him wide-eyed. "Ning... You, you don't actually have that kind of fetish, do you?"
As she spoke, she shifted her body backward.
Ning Changjiu said, "What I mean is, you'll always be with me eventually. If you were a man, it would be easier to explain to Jiajia and Xiang'er. As things are now, I doubt they'd believe any explanation I gave."
"I won't be your sword!" Liu Xiwang retorted coldly upon hearing this. "Besides, isn't your reputation ruined by yourself? Who's to blame? Anyway, my gender is fixed now... *Sigh*, I had already come to terms with it, but now that I've seen you, I'm even more annoyed!"
Ning Changjiu said, "Appearance is merely an external thing. Since you aim to comprehend the supreme Way of the Sword, such trivial external matters should naturally be transcended early on."
Liu Xiwang hummed faintly. "It's just annoying, and I thought after choosing to be a woman, *this* would be like Lu Jiajia's... Who would've thought..."
Ning Changjiu chuckled, interrupting her, "It's not small."
"It's still annoying!" Liu Xiwang clenched her fists.
Ning Changjiu said, "Speak softly. Family shame should not be aired."
"Bah! Who's your family?!" Liu Xiwang rubbed her fists together, ready to strike.
Outside, the Second Senior Sister watched, quite surprised.
How had her own Junior Sister become like this?
In the past six months, aside from a period of noticeable anxiety right after choosing her gender, the Junior Sister had always maintained a calm and worldly demeanor. This was why she was so fond of this junior sister: first, her good temperament, and second, her high talent—there was hardly a sword technique she couldn't master after two attempts.
But in front of this man, she had become like a young girl in love.
This made the Second Senior Sister very unhappy, as if something she felt she possessed had been forcibly taken away.
Inside the room, the two continued to trade insults for a while.
Ning Changjiu was completely drained of strength, lying weakly. Liu Xiwang transferred some sword intent to him, then threatened him verbally, stating she would only continue to transfer spiritual power if he begged her.
Ning Changjiu figured there were no outsiders present, so he didn't care about saving face. He simply repeated whatever the sword spirit instructed him to say.
Outside the door, the Second Senior Sister listened as their words grew increasingly outrageous... The image of her Junior Sister in her mind was slowly being shattered.
So, all this time, you were just putting on an act in front of me... The Second Senior Sister thought, grinding her teeth and silently making a mental note.
She rubbed her forehead, her delicate head slightly raised, and glanced at the top of the Heavenly Rankings building, suddenly feeling perplexed.
Why had the Ranking Spirit not yet made a move?
The Sword Saint had said that the Ranking Spirit was extremely powerful. Its strength lay not in its might, but in its near invincibility.
Of course, the Ranking Spirit's cultivation realm was also formidable; it should be even stronger than her own.
But the Second Senior Sister never believed in anything truly unkillable in the world.
Her nature was carefree, so she thought that since the rankings were already broken, it didn't matter if the incident became larger. After all, in the days to come, they had even greater things to do—to use the three-foot azure blade in their hands to scrape away the tumors and stagnant blood hidden in the dark corners of the world.
"Call me Master!" Liu Xiwang grew increasingly aggressive.
Ning Changjiu didn't respond. He lay on the bed, completely drained of strength, looking half-dead.
Liu Xiwang frowned. "Why are you feigning death? Do you still want me to take care of you?"
Ning Changjiu remained silent.
Liu Xiwang touched his forehead and then checked his pulse.
"He really fainted?" Liu Xiwang remained suspicious, complaining, "He really knows how to pick his moments."
Ning Changjiu fell into a deep sleep.
His consciousness transformed into a snowy white silhouette, floating upwards.
He passed through the ceiling, returning to the top floor.
"You've arrived," a voice spoke.
Before Ning Changjiu could answer, dozens of voices simultaneously repeated, like ten thousand specters in unison, "You've arrived."
The voices buzzed in Ning Changjiu's ears.
In his spiritual form, he opened his eyes. He had reached the top level of the Heavenly Rankings, but instead of a magnificent palace, he saw a colossal tree.
This was the tallest and largest tree he had ever seen, its roots reaching the earth's core, its branches overflowing into the sky. Its massive canopy spread infinitely, as if to obscure the heavens. However, the leaves on its branches were sparse, and the sprawling shadows of its boughs were desolate, like a void in the universe.
Many figures stood beneath the tree.
Ning Changjiu saw all the elders who had previously guided him. One by one, they turned to face him. Some had minor defects like clubfoot or stuttering, while others had horrifying disabilities such as severed limbs or gouged eyes.
Finally, these figures vanished one after another, leaving only the last, seemingly healthy elder.
The elder looked at Ning Changjiu, then suddenly raised a knife and cut open his own body.
Only then did Ning Changjiu realize that this seemingly intact elder also had severe deformities.
Inside his body, his heart was torn open, a large portion missing, and his blood vessels were dislocated and broken, like countless entangled roots, many even tied in dead knots. His lungs had been cut open, revealing the blood vessels within. The edges of his liver, gallbladder, and kidneys appeared to have been finely sliced by a skilled chef, fragmented into tiny pieces. They lay in viscous blood that writhed as if countless worms were buried within, ready to devour these organs.
Ning Changjiu watched this revolting scene without a change in expression. He gently shook his head. "There's no need for pretense."
The elder dismembered himself expressionlessly, his body disintegrating into a handful of earth on the ground.
After the elder vanished, a black figure appeared beneath the great tree.
It was the back of a young boy.
The boy's hair was black, as were his clothes, but his skin had a bronze hue. His features were deep and distinct, as perfect and divine as Nightfall. Within that divinity, there was a subtle elegance, yet this elegance was also vast, like picturesque mountains and rivers: mountains of layered rock formations and waters like boundless rivers and seas.
Only his face was visible; his limbs were hidden within his dark clothes.
He stared at Ning Changjiu and asked,
"Have you seen my sister?"
Ning Changjiu nodded. "I have. Someone told me her name is Shi."
"Yes," the boy replied without concealment. "As you said, Evil is my name."
"Did you come specifically to find me?" Evil asked, seemingly unconcerned about Shi.
Ning Changjiu replied, "I came to write on the Heavenly Book Rankings, but I... guessed that 'Evil' might be you."
"Why?" Evil asked again.
Ning Changjiu said, "Someone once told me that one who is omniscient must also be known to all. Just as no one in the world is unaware of the God Lord's existence, in the Central Lands... no one is unaware of the Heavenly Rankings' existence. That's why I guessed that 'Evil' might very well be you."
"Who sent you to find me?" Evil asked.
Ning Changjiu replied, "I'm not sure if I can tell you that."
Evil didn't press further. In his current state, he seemed unwilling to get involved with other major secrets.
Ning Changjiu thought for a moment, then added, "You must have guessed I was looking for you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had those elders receive me."
"Indeed," the boy said frankly. "I noticed you as soon as you entered the building. You carry an aura that is very familiar to me."
"Familiar aura? What is it?" Ning Changjiu couldn't help but ask.
Evil said, "I cannot determine who you are, nor if you are friend or foe. State your purpose directly."
Evil's words were calm.
Ning Changjiu couldn't tell if he was a god, a demon, or some other being.
Ning Changjiu looked at the colossal ancient tree behind him and roughly guessed that it was the source of the boy's power and the key to his omniscience. Ning Changjiu felt that all mysterious existences in the world had some mythology that could be traced. But concerning this tree, he could think of no related myths; the only possible connection was the Years Bodhi...
However, the Years Bodhi had long been renamed Prime Lord, becoming one of the masters overseeing the Heavenly Kingdom.
"I came to ask questions," Ning Changjiu said.
Evil said, "You are the first to find me and speak my true name in five hundred years. The one who sent you must be an old monster who has lived for thousands of years."
An old monster... Ning Changjiu nodded silently.
Evil said, "Time is limited. Bringing you here has cost me considerable power. I can only answer a maximum of three questions, and these questions must not involve beings within the Divine Kingdom, or we will both suffer."
Ning Changjiu's heart stirred. He could ask three questions... He had only planned to ask one.
Ning Changjiu's view of Evil became considerably more favorable.
The first question, without a doubt, was the one his Senior Sister had asked him to inquire about.
"Where is the Unobservable?"
He asked his question, but he didn't hear his own voice.
His voice seemed to have been swallowed.
Evil silently looked up, his black eyes fixed on him. Those eyes were like both night and abyss, as if ready to consume him at any moment.
Ning Changjiu's spirit stiffened. Shadows instantly filled his vision. He had no time to resist as fear surged unexpectedly through his heart. Though in spiritual form, his mouth and nose felt submerged in water, the air in his lungs gradually emptied, and the dizzying sensation of death pressed down, making his frail body difficult to maintain, almost on the verge of collapse.
Death did not come. Evil withdrew his gaze, and his voice carried a sense of realization: "So, that place is now called the Unobservable."
Ning Changjiu calmed himself. He didn't question the previous encounter, but simply asked, "The Unobservable... what was it called before?"
"Before..." Evil showed a nostalgic expression. "That was a very, very long time ago. Back then, I called it 'Prison'."
"Prison?" Ning Changjiu wondered.
Evil said no more, his voice indifferent: "The Unobservable is hidden within the Kunlun Celestial Pillar."
Ning Changjiu asked, "And where is the Kunlun Celestial Pillar?"
"The Moon Kingdom," Evil said. "The Kunlun Celestial Pillar was severed three thousand years ago, but the Moon Kingdom still exists. My memories of the Moon Kingdom ceased many years ago; had you not come today, I wouldn't have known that a new master now resides there."
*Even if you tell me it's in the Moon Kingdom, I still don't know how to get there*, Ning Changjiu thought to himself.
But he dared not ask aimlessly again. With only one question left, he pondered for a moment, then asked, "What is the path from the human realm to the Moon Kingdom?"
Evil replied, "The Moon Kingdom's only gate is hidden in the City of Ten Thousand Demons."
Ning Changjiu exhaled in relief, finally having received some useful information.
Evil said no more. He stood beneath the tree, gazing at the colossal ancient tree, lost in thought.
Ning Changjiu sincerely said, "Thank you, senior, for dispelling my confusion."
Evil hummed in acknowledgment.
He remained motionless where he stood.
He said nothing and didn't tell Ning Changjiu to leave.
Ning Changjiu could sense that he seemed to want to tell him something, yet was hesitant.
"What is the name of the current master of the Unobservable?" Evil finally spoke.
Ning Changjiu shook his head. "I don't know."
After twenty-four years of cultivation, he didn't even know his master's name.
Evil said, "It doesn't matter. You will see her again eventually. When you do, please deliver a message for me."
Ning Changjiu frowned slightly, vaguely sensing this was a matter of great importance. "What message?"
"I..." Evil hesitated, then finally said, "I'll tell you a story. You must relay it to her exactly as I tell you."
Ning Changjiu's consciousness returned to his mind.
Liu Xiwang was still kneeling beside him, transferring sword intent to him and protecting his body.
Suddenly, she withdrew her hand.
"Stop faking it! I saw your finger twitch!" Liu Xiwang declared righteously, observing him keenly.
Ning Changjiu slowly opened his eyes.
Liu Xiwang looked at him and demanded, "How long have you been pretending to sleep?"
Ning Changjiu didn't answer. Still somewhat dazed by the story Evil had told him at the end, he instead softly asked, "How long... did I sleep?"
Liu Xiwang said coldly, "Less than half an incense stick's time."
Ning Changjiu hummed in acknowledgment.
Liu Xiwang looked at his pale face, sighed, and said, "You could actually sleep a bit longer. Don't worry, I won't leave... And you're not allowed to break your word. When you're more awake, tell me how to defeat you."
Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, his chaotic consciousness slowly calming.
"Your Senior Sister must be very worried about you now," Ning Changjiu said softly, recalling her sect.
Liu Xiwang rubbed her cheeks and slowly said, "Don't worry, my Senior Sister is actually very soft-hearted. If I go back now, she'll definitely be angry, but if I wait two more days, she'll start worrying about my safety, thinking 'it's fine as long as Junior Sister comes back, winning or losing isn't important' and so on... Then I can make a clean escape!"
Ning Changjiu chuckled weakly, "So you exploit your Senior Sister's kindness like this?"
Liu Xiwang said, distressed, "I can't help it. My Senior Sister is usually so lawless, so I just have to go along with her."
"Your Senior Sister sounds like an interesting person," Ning Changjiu commented.
Liu Xiwang's resentment grew as she spoke. "What's so interesting?! Hmph, the Second Senior Sister is only fierce to us. In front of the Eldest Senior Sister, she's just as obedient and docile, not daring to raise her voice."
"It's not good to badmouth people behind their backs," Ning Changjiu quietly said. "Aren't you afraid your Second Senior Sister will come over?"
Liu Xiwang confidently replied, "Don't worry, Sword Pavilion respects the rules of the Heavenly Rankings. If Second Senior Sister dares to force her way in, Eldest Senior Sister will definitely beat her!"
Liu Xiwang imagined the unruly Second Senior Sister returning to the pavilion and getting a beating, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
The wooden door of the Command Tower was suddenly knocked upon.
The knocking was very cold.
Liu Xiwang's smile froze instantly.
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