Chapter 324: Sword Qi Soars Like a Rainbow

Ning Xiaoling covered her eyes with her small paws, indicating she saw nothing.

Lu Jiajia's body trembled slightly. She paused, then turned to look into Siming's cool, clear eyes. "Is there anything else, Sister Xueci?" she asked.

Through her snowy robe, Siming pinched and tugged at a tail. Seeing Lu Jiajia's expressionless face, she scoffed, "How boring. I wonder what that shopkeeper made these things for."

Lu Jiajia thought for a moment. "Perhaps... they're just cute?" she suggested.

"Cute?" Siming said coolly. "Why wouldn't I just raise a real fox then?"

Ning Xiaoling, listening to their conversation, was shocked. "What's cute about that, Master's thing..."

Lu Jiajia shot her a subtle glare, and Ning Xiaoling obediently fell silent.

"What?" Siming asked, seeing her hesitate to speak.

Ning Xiaoling's fox ears perked up, and she quickly changed the subject. "Why would you raise a real fox? Don't you love me anymore, Sister?"

Siming looked at her fuzzy, twitching ears, giving them a gentle tug. Her heart softened. "If I didn't love you, why would I play along with you for so long?" she said.

Ning Xiaoling smiled sweetly, rubbing her small cheek against Siming's neck. Siming offered a faint smile, quite pleased.

As Ning Xiaoling snuggled, she immediately winked at Lu Jiajia. Understanding the hint, Lu Jiajia gently pulled away from Siming's hand. "I'll go tidy up the room first," she said.

Siming did not press the matter.

Lu Jiajia returned to her room, closing the door behind her. She looked at the calendar on the wall and sighed.

Hadn't he said he'd left the Celestial Rankings half a month ago? Why hadn't he returned yet after so long?

No, that's wrong. Returning from the Celestial Rankings takes at least a month... She was just anxious.

Lu Jiajia gently shook off her thoughts. She glanced through the door crack, ensuring Siming wasn't following.

She slowly walked into the room.

The bedding in the room was already neatly tidied, and the tea sets on the table were overturned, clean and orderly. Everything was in perfect arrangement.

In the dim room, Lu Jiajia slowly sat down at the table.

She lit the bronze brazier, gently warming her hands to ward off the slight chill of spring. Her gaze drifted straight ahead, past the latticed window, to the courtyard outside. There, plum blossoms had given way to pear blossoms, filling the entire yard with their fragrance.

Lu Jiajia continued her cultivation.

Cultivating day and night.

In a trance, she was transported back to the days of her hermitage by the abyss, where every day's cultivation was filled with purpose.

In the dim room, countless sword techniques flowed around her, like gentle mountain springs, gracefully moving. Lu Jiajia's face was serene as she entered a state of self-forgetfulness.

The shadows dispersed, and the room was brightly lit.

The shadows cast by the latticed window shifted from slanted to upright, then drifted to the other side. The light transformed from dim to bright, finally becoming a soft, diffused orange, like maple leaves piled outside a window in late autumn.

Night deepened.

Lu Jiajia exhaled softly. The semi-transparent sword shadows in the room gracefully flew back, settling into her shirt, sleeves, lapel, and hair.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

It was Siming's voice.

Lu Jiajia felt an unprompted sense of nervousness. "Come in, Sister Xueci," she said.

Siming pushed open the door, carrying a red-lacquered wooden box from which the aroma of pastries wafted. Outside the window, the pear blossoms had already fallen asleep, making the fragrance seem even more potent.

Siming placed the pastry box on the table, reached out, and lifted the wooden lid, releasing a puff of white mist.

"Cultivating all day," Siming said, "do you truly believe you're an immortal who doesn't need to eat mortal food?"

*She actually could go without mortal food*, Lu Jiajia thought silently. *It was you who didn't eat anything in Duanjie City, and now you can't stop eating!*

Lu Jiajia, daring not to voice her indignation, offered a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern, Sister," she said.

They sat facing each other, slender hands reaching into the box, gently picking up pastries and bringing them to soft lips.

After eating the pastries, Siming's mood brightened considerably. She stretched languidly, her icy gaze falling upon Lu Jiajia. "Are you still getting used to it?" she asked.

Lu Jiajia's heart skipped a beat. She immediately feigned ignorance. "Although the pastries here aren't as sweet as the last shop's, I'm used to eating them," she said.

"Playing dumb with me?" Siming countered.

Lu Jiajia pursed her lips and stammered, "The tail... it's quite cute too."

Siming let out a soft huff. "The shopkeeper made these fox tails so realistic. Are they really just decorative? If they're so impractical, why do people keep buying them in droves?"

Lu Jiajia composed herself and stated confidently, "Of course! A fox's tail extends from its tailbone, and since humans can't do that, they can only be worn as accessories on a belt."

Siming narrowed her eyes, looking at her with skepticism.

Lu Jiajia remained calm and counter-questioned, "Otherwise, where else would you put it?"

Siming thought carefully. Aside from hanging it at the waist, there didn't seem to be any other place to put the fox tail.

*Sigh, how dull...*

She reached out, closed the pastry box, and glanced at the sword lying across the table. "Didn't you used to have a sword?" she suddenly asked.

Lu Jiajia nodded. "Yes, it was called Minglan. My husband took it down into the abyss, and then it was gone."

Siming smiled. "So that sword was called Minglan."

Lu Jiajia was slightly taken aback. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"When I saw that sword, it was already scrap metal," Siming said. "But ultimately, I was the one who broke it."

Lu Jiajia knew that Siming and Ning Changjiu had been enemies in the past, and she felt a mix of admiration and annoyance at Ning Changjiu's ability to turn people without drawing blood.

"You broke the Minglan sword, Sister?" Lu Jiajia feigned surprise.

Siming nodded slightly.

Lu Jiajia said, "The sword didn't hurt you, did it, Sister?"

Siming reached out and poked her forehead, chuckling exasperatedly. "What are you pretending for? Do you really think I'm an idiot?"

Lu Jiajia also laughed. "My sword body is complete now, so I don't need a sword anymore. You don't have to worry about me, Sister."

Siming disagreed. "No, you must. When it comes to a true life-or-death battle, you'll realize how vast the difference is with a divine weapon, especially... when fighting against gods."

"Gods?" Lu Jiajia was startled.

Siming hummed in affirmation. "Legend has it that in the mortal realm, immortal bows and divine blades were once forged, capable of slaying lofty deities."

Lu Jiajia involuntarily looked up, her gaze passing through the window to the vast night outside. "So many years have passed," she said, "I suppose those divine weapons must have been destroyed long ago?"

"Indeed," Siming said. "A great cauldron still remains in the Central Kingdom, said to be one of those divine weapons. However, it's heavily corrupted; even if one were to seize it, it would likely be nothing more than scrap."

An unbidden sadness arose in Lu Jiajia's heart. "If even divine weapons and immortal blades cannot withstand the test of time, how can humans?"

Siming smiled faintly. She casually tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and slowly rose. "Don't worry," she said, "since I destroyed your sword, I will compensate you with one far superior to Minglan. It might even... achieve immortality alongside you in the future."

When Siming spoke these words, her tone carried a hint of clarity.

Lu Jiajia wasn't sure whether to take her seriously.

"Thank you in advance, Sister," Lu Jiajia said.

Siming smiled subtly and walked slowly to the side of the bed. She casually unhooked a fox tail hanging from the headboard, her fingers tracing the sharp, smooth metal cone at its tip.

She had bought many fox tails, primarily because they were aesthetically pleasing.

She had originally thought they might have some marvelous use, but alas...

"Is this really just for hanging on the back of your waist?" Siming tried one last time.

Lu Jiajia slapped the table, declaring decisively, "Of course!"

Siming played with it for a while, found it uninteresting, and casually hung it back on the headboard. "Oh, by the way," she said, "after I leave, you must take good care of yourself. Don't always let that villain bully you, looking like a little resentful wife."

Lu Jiajia was slightly startled. "You're leaving, Sister?"

Siming nodded with a faint smile. "What's the rush? I can stay with you for another ten days or so."

"Why do you have to leave?" Lu Jiajia asked.

Siming chuckled. "Do you think that just because you've been with me for so long, your foolishness will rub off on me?"

...Lu Jiajia felt wronged.

"I know you're waiting for that villain to come back so you can team up and get revenge on me," Siming said. "That little bit of patient plotting is practically written all over your face."

"Not at all..." Lu Jiajia mumbled.

Siming smiled faintly. "In any case, your plan won't succeed."

A feeling of reluctance arose in Lu Jiajia's heart, and she said unhappily, "Are you really leaving just because of this, Sister? That's a bit petty, isn't it?"

Siming's voice was soft. "I have my own matters to attend to, very important ones. Ning Xiaoling should be fine. Perhaps I'll return to visit on the day of the Underworld Lord's enthronement... I've been very happy these past few months. Thank you for keeping me company."

"Then why leave in ten days?" Lu Jiajia asked.

Siming said with confidence, "It will take at least fifteen more days for Ning Changjiu to return, but he always manages to stumble upon strange opportunities and learns from his mistakes. Leaving in ten days is the safest bet."

Across the land of the Central Kingdom, a sword-rainbow streaked from west to east.

Ning Changjiu, standing on the Kunlun Sword, rode it through the air.

The sword, as if it had been sealed in a dusty sheath for too long, flew faster and faster, its light cutting through the air and wind. In an instant, its speed was almost double what it had been when he arrived.