Chapter 364: Front Life and Present Life Truth

In his memory, this was the first time Ning Changjiu truly saw the grand hall.

The heavy doors slowly opened.

Bright sunlight from outside streamed in, and the ethereal glow hidden within the hall seeped out.

Two distinct lights met on the threshold, softly blending together. It looked like water paved with light, forming a shimmering curtain that hung before him, beyond which lay a dimly reddish, shifting world.

Ning Changjiu picked up the woman in his arms and straightened his stiff body. His head swam, his strength failed him, and he stumbled, almost falling into the grand hall in a dishevelled manner.

Ning Changjiu struggled to stand firm, his exhausted body trembling, only the hand cradling Si Ming remaining steady.

He entered the divine hall and looked up.

It was a world of glowing, ethereal glass.

Divine statues, their names unknown, stood around the hall, towering to the heavens. Each was lacquered in gold, some solemn and majestic, others gracefully posed as if dancing. Their lower halves were shrouded in darkness, while their upper halves were illuminated by the candlelight they held, revealing precious metallic patterns.

In the very center of the divine hall, several white silk drapes hung down.

These drapes were taller than the statues, layered and swaying without a breeze, seemingly like clouds imprisoned within.

Candle-lit pond water gently lapped at the edges of the white drapes, rising and falling with the ripples.

Between the white drapes, a figure was dimly visible.

The figure was faint, radiating an indescribable delicacy. In the bright light, the undulating lines of the woman's form seemed to reach the pinnacle of beauty; beauty might hold no inherent meaning, but such beauty was truly divine will.

Just like the fleeting glimpse Ning Changjiu had caught when he looked back on the day of his ascension.

It was Ye Chan Palace.

The person he could never forget was so close, separated only by a thin veil. Memories of his past and present lives cleverly overlapped, as if the statue's lamp-lit shadows and the ethereal figure behind the drapes were the destination of his long journey through countless mountains and rivers.

The hall doors slowly closed.

Ning Changjiu knelt and bowed his head, earnestly saying, "Disciple greets Master. Master... you've waited long."

The ethereal figure behind the white drapes quietly watched him and asked, "What do you seek?"

Ning Changjiu tried to answer, but his mind felt as if it were being cut by knives. He gently shook his head, bowed again, and said, "Miss Xue Ci was gravely wounded to save this disciple's life, and now only a breath remains. I beg Master to intervene and save her!"

Ye Chan Palace looked at Si Ming through the white drapes, her voice soft. "What is her relationship to you?"

"I..." Ning Changjiu paused, slightly dazed. "We haven't yet expressed our true feelings... In the past, this disciple was stubborn and ignorant. As long as she can awaken, I will surely declare my intentions."

Ye Chan Palace spoke faintly, "But the marriage pact I promised you was with Zhao Xiang'er, not her."

Ning Changjiu felt a lump in his throat. After a moment, he firmly stated, "When people discuss marriage, they must pay their respects to elders. So... I have brought her to meet Master! Xue Ci is the woman this disciple fell in love with during his earthly trials. She was once a divine official, kind-hearted, and a perfect match for this disciple in both family status and affection... I wonder if Master is pleased?"

Ye Chan Palace's voice remained even. "Hmm, were you like this in your previous life too?"

Ning Changjiu calmly replied, "In my previous life, this disciple cultivated Dao with a pure heart for twenty-four years, rejecting all marriage proposals, until the day of my ascension..."

Ye Chan Palace said, "On the day of your ascension, I struck you down with a sword?"

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded.

Ye Chan Palace asked, "Do you know why I struck you down?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "I do not know."

Ye Chan Palace asked, "Then do you hate me?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "No, I do not."

Ye Chan Palace asked, "Are you saying this because you need something from me?"

"This disciple has always respected Master. If not for the three-year dream, this disciple would have died at the foot of Tianzhu Peak long ago," Ning Changjiu said sincerely.

Ye Chan Palace's figure swayed behind the white drapes.

She looked at the dishevelled, blood-stained youth. Every word he spoke was uttered through immense pain, his teeth still chattering beneath his gaunt cheeks.

"Why do you believe I can save her?" Ye Chan Palace asked.

Ning Changjiu had already considered this question. He earnestly replied, "Xue Ci told me that within the Divine Realm, the solar crown is divided into two. The part belonging to the six nocturnal hours is in her possession, while the other half should be in Master's hands."

Ye Chan Palace said, "You've already guessed that the matter of the Headless God was my doing?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "Throughout the world, no one possesses such divine power except Master."

Ye Chan Palace paid no mind to his flattery. She looked at Si Ming, and memories from seven hundred years ago slowly resurfaced. At that time, she had no time to create new divine officials and heavenly lords, so she spared their lives and banished them to Fractured Realm City, below the Divine Realm, to maintain order.

She had not expected that the woman she had glanced at inadvertently all those years ago would appear before her in such a state.

The karmic entanglements of the world were complex; even she could not truly calculate everything.

Ye Chan Palace said, "Leave her here."

Ning Changjiu paused slightly, then slowly loosened his grip on the woman. His arms were incredibly stiff, no longer feeling the softness of the body he held, but his movements remained gentle, as if cradling a precious porcelain cherished for a thousand years.

"This disciple thanks Master for the rescue. This disciple is willing to brave any danger and sacrifice everything for Master," Ning Changjiu said, his throat so parched it felt as if it would catch fire, having not drunk water for a long time.

Ye Chan Palace gently raised an arm.

The white drapes parted, and Si Ming's figure, supported by invisible moonlight, slowly floated up and drifted into the cascading layers of white drapes.

Like a small boat, adrift for years, finally returning to the sea.

Ning Changjiu's vision had completely blurred.

He felt his bones were as light as clouds, no longer able to bear the weight of his physical body. His obsession finally dissipated, and his expression relaxed. The suppressed injuries within him erupted in waves, the faint sound of bursting meridians audible beneath his skin.

Ning Changjiu's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, fresh blood spreading beneath his clothes.

The Three Thousand Worlds.

Zhao Xiang'er had a very long dream.

In the dream, she lived in a magnificent, golden divine realm, boundless in its scope. In the mornings, a hundred birds flocked to the phoenix, and cloud-fish arrived carrying official tablets. In the evenings, rainbow clouds were like brocade, and celestial maidens gracefully scattered flowers.

This place resembled the sun, yet it was not the actual sun.

It was the embodiment of the sun's authority, a divine realm positioned above the mortal world, on par with the Moon Palace.

From the current perspective, traceable time only extended back four thousand years—to when the Six Primeval Deities first arrived.

History from before that time had already been severed in repeated, world-destroying divine wars.

But the scale of the dream, at this moment, was from an even earlier time.

Back then, the mortal world was ruled by the Star God—now known as the 'Seventh God'—whose authority was 'life.' She was the Mother Goddess of all creation.

The divine realm where she resided, along with the Moon Palace on the moon and the Star God's world, formed a delicate balance.

Every day, she stood among the clouds, gazing at the world's most immense and magnificent beauty. She bathed in rosy clouds for her gown and plucked starlight for her candelabra. She was the most beautiful and noble being in this place, with skin like silk and sacred eyes. Looking across the world, no one could rival her beauty except the one in the Moon Palace.

Yet, she was not the true master of this realm.

According to the current structure of the Divine Realm, she would be a divine official or a heavenly lord here.

The authority of divine officials and heavenly lords was a portion of the divine lord's authority. For example, the Headless God's authority was 'infinity,' while Nightfall and Si Ming controlled 'time' and 'destiny' respectively, which constituted 'infinity'.

However, this divine lord clearly doted on her, entrusting both authorities into her sole possession.

Gods back then were not emotionless vessels of power; they also possessed the seven emotions and six desires, and all the joys, angers, sorrows, and delights of mortals. She was the divine lord's subject and also his wife. When they loved each other, the entire world's phoenixes were enthralled by them.

And the face of this divine lord... even after a thousand lifetimes, even if reduced to ashes, she would recognize it. Ah, so her story with Ning Changjiu was destined long before history itself began. No wonder she felt such familiarity upon their first meeting in this life.

At that time, he wore an emperor's crown, and his gentle smile carried the majesty of a ruler overseeing the world... Hmm, he certainly looked the part.

And she often wore a sweeping golden gown embroidered with countless birds, slowly pressing her exquisite, graceful figure against his, like a colorful sparrow leaning on someone.

Alas... if that woman in the golden gown hadn't looked so much like her, she truly couldn't have admitted it was herself. In any case... Ning Changjiu absolutely must not see this embarrassing scene, or she would never be able to hold her head up again.

At that time, she was not called Zhao Xiang'er.

Ning Changjiu called her 'Xi He'.

She was the vice-ruler of the divine realm, also known as the female prime minister or consort prime minister.

At that time, she seemed to have much leisure, and so she exhausted all efforts to create beauty unique to herself. The sash on her slender waist was moonlight cut from the sky, the starlight adorning her golden-red gown was a corner of the Milky Way, and her thin, upturned lips shimmered with dazzling radiance.

Her long hair, which should have been black, was predominantly golden, changing colors with the flow of the sun and moon, and appearing differently from various angles...

Zhao Xiang'er, who currently only wore white or black gowns, found it difficult to understand her past self's aesthetic. To her, such brilliance seemed a little extravagant.

However, that aura truly conveyed the sense of a divine empress ruling the world.

At that time, the people of the mortal world were still uncivilized, practicing slash-and-burn agriculture and consuming raw meat and blood. The divine realm, high above the heavens, was free from mortal rules, allowing entry and exit at will.

When Ning Changjiu, known as 'Di Jun,' had nothing to do, he would often transform into various identities and travel to the mortal world, enlightening its people. He had countless disciples, teaching without discrimination. When he lectured, mountain foxes and wild sparrows would often come to listen, motionless and engrossed.

People revered him as a sage.

The Seventh God was also on good terms with him. They often traveled the mortal world together, observing new and novel beauties and discussing the meaning of creating living beings and all things.

Princess Xi He at the time found this difficult to understand. She couldn't grasp what joy there was in the mortal world—all the world's exotic and great beauties could be seen in the Solar Divine Realm, while the mortal world was merely a collection of sand, rubble, flowing water, and vegetation, monotonous and repetitive. Even humans, the closest to them, were full of ugliness.

With infestations everywhere and hearts filled with suspicion, she, as a divine maiden, simply refused to set foot on such land.

Initially, she had no objection to Ning Changjiu's hobby. Later, when Ning Changjiu further delved into the heavenly principles of the mortal world and created the very first cultivation methods, she began to feel a sense of crisis, fearing that these mortals might rise swiftly and gain power equal to theirs.

But she didn't pay too much attention. When Ning Changjiu chatted with her about it, she even found it amusing.

For her, Ning Changjiu accompanied her on a journey to the mortal world, even carving out a Celestial Pool in a snowy mountain for her to bathe in. The water in the pool came from the heavens, pure and flawless.

Yet, she still found every excuse, unwilling to leave the divine realm.

Ning Changjiu did not force her.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Zhao Xiang'er increasingly felt that something was amiss.

If it were just traveling the mortal world, she naturally would have nothing to say, but why... why did he always bring back women?

Although this woman was still mortal flesh and blood, she was exceptionally beautiful, dressed in a vibrant blue gown like a soft mirror, as if she were the goddess of lakes.

"This is Luo Shen, one of my disciples," Ning Changjiu introduced calmly, wearing his emperor's crown.

Later, it wasn't just humans; every hundred years or so, he would bring back another woman. Eventually, he even brought back fox spirits and the like!

Although Zhao Xiang'er was currently an observer within the dream, this scene still made her teeth itch with resentment.

Oh, fine. All these years later, you truly remain true to your original intentions, seeing things through from beginning to end...

And Xi He at that time was indeed a gentle wife and consort prime minister. She didn't pay too much attention to these matters, but she had one bottom line: no visits to the Moon Palace! Ning Changjiu agreed with a smile, even claiming that bringing back only one person every few centuries showed extreme restraint and his devotion.

That irritating smile... it truly hadn't changed in a thousand years.

In the dream, Zhao Xiang'er rubbed her fists together, wanting to rip apart that deceptive mouth.

Such days continued for a long time.

Under the joint efforts of him and the Seventh God, the mortal world gradually prospered. People began to learn to fire pottery, use tools, weave clothes, and create many items like bone needles and bone knives. Moreover, the first group of cultivators emerged as circumstances required. They held special significance for this world, and thus their cultivation levels were astonishingly high, possessing the power to fight against the ancient gods who had survived the primordial era.

But later, the peace was shattered.

Beneath the golden divine realm, meteors streaked across the night sky.

This was a scene Zhao Xiang'er had witnessed in her dreams some days ago.

She now understood that these successive stars symbolized: Metal, Wood, Water, Wood, Earth, and Pluto, who are today known as the Six Primeval Deities.

The first to arrive was the Candle Dragon, symbolizing fire. Afterward, the other deities took their places one by one.

Xi He wasn't particularly concerned about this.

She had long known that several distant stars coveted the mortal world's unique spiritual energy. They too did not wish to remain desolate indefinitely; they also desired to possess their own lives.

Thus, the major stars developed consciousness, traveled countless miles, and transformed into plunderers.

However, the strength of the deities in the mortal world was related to their proximity to their respective mother stars.

Protecting the mother star were the Seventh God, Di Jun, and the Great God Chang Xi of the Moon Palace.

Chang Xi, the Moon Mother, had the deepest affection for the mortal world. She went to the mortal world without hesitation. Ning Changjiu also wanted to go, but Xi He, out of selfishness and fear that he and Chang Xi might develop feelings while fighting side-by-side, forcefully kept him back, saying only that Divine Lord Chang Xi was immensely powerful and the invading Six Deities were no match for her.

Afterward, Chang Xi became embroiled in a desperate battle.

The Moon Palace and the Solar Divine Realm were interdependent, like lips and teeth.

Ning Changjiu then disregarded all warnings and went to save her wholeheartedly. Xi He issued a harsh warning, saying that if he dared to go, she would not seek him out, even if he died in the mortal world.

Zhao Xiang'er remained silent for a long time... If it were her current self, she would have long since rushed in with a single blade, not dithered over emotions and desires. Hmm... indeed, many flaws stem from being accustomed to a life of ease.

Zhao Xiang'er felt she should draw a clear line with this woman; she didn't want to acknowledge anything about her except her beauty.

The years that followed were tumultuous and grand.

This war was even more devastating than imagined.

Ning Changjiu descended as a true god, battling the Six Primeval Deities alone and rescuing the severely wounded, near-death Chang Xi. In the eyes of the Six Deities, Chang Xi was already dead, and what Ning Changjiu carried back was almost a corpse. He passed by Xi He, who hesitated to speak, watching helplessly as he carried the exquisite moon-robed woman into the hall.

Later, he used unknown means to revive Chang Xi, but Chang Xi's foundation had been fundamentally severed, breaking her connection with the Moon Palace. Before he left with Chang Xi, the mortal world's order had been disrupted. The first cultivators established the Immortal Court, and the various deities took their positions, gaining the power to oppose the Six Primeval Deities.

At that time, the Seventh God, allied with the Immortal Court, was battling the Six Primeval Deities, vying for dominance over the world.

After Ning Changjiu and the Moon God recovered their strength, they planned to return to the mortal world.

The Moon Palace was already a masterless land, difficult to sustain, but the Solar Realm still needed someone to guard it, so Xi He had to remain behind.

But then, another anomaly arose.

An indescribable darkness descended.

It was a terror beyond evaluation.

No one knew what it was, only watching as the darkness spread like a plague across the mother star's sky.

They could have remained aloof, outside the worldly affairs.

But Ning Changjiu still decided to go. His disciples were still in the mortal world, and he also loved the mortal world. He did not wish for it to become a desolate place, devoid of spiritual energy and untouched by his radiance.

The mortal world was now unreachable directly. They could only transform into two souls, forge a bond, silently pass through the darkness, reach the Sea of Reincarnation, be reborn as mortals, and then restore their divine nature to save all living beings—this was, later, their second life.

However, this undertaking was fraught with danger, and Xi He disagreed no matter what.

He had a huge argument with Xi He.

Chang Xi, in her moon-robe, stood outside the hall, listening to the arguments and crying within, her face downcast, quietly waiting.

Eventually, Xi He was persuaded. She agreed to wait there and contact him once he regained his divine nature, so they could work together from inside and out to eliminate the invaders. For this purpose, he and Chang Xi even forged eighty-one immortal swords and gave them to her.

This was the end of their first life.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the weeping woman on the divine throne. Although she didn't approve of all her choices, her emotions still transcended three thousand years of time, giving rise to boundless pity.

Suddenly, she found herself no longer an observer but the consort prime minister on the throne, watching the man remove his crown, clad in white, and depart alone.

In his sleep, Ning Changjiu also saw the same scene as Zhao Xiang'er.

He realized he had fallen into a dream again.

He also realized this was his Master's divine power.

He witnessed this ancient epic in his dream.

Was this his original self from the very first life?

Ning Changjiu looked at the man, who wore an emperor's crown yet still possessed a youthful demeanor, and felt he had much of his own charisma.

And Xiang'er... no, perhaps she should be called Xi He.

Hmm, Xiang'er in the first life was truly well-behaved. How did she become so spoiled now?

He looked at his past self, who had disciplined Zhao Xiang'er to the point where she dared not speak, only cry, and felt utterly convinced. He thought, "Indeed, having one more life is not as good as one less." Now, Zhao Xiang'er even dared to ride on his back and beat him. Truly, a wife's heart has changed, a husband's authority shattered—what a disgrace!

Scene after scene flashed before his eyes.

The moment of farewell arrived.

That was the end of his first life.

When he opened his eyes again, he found he was no longer an observer. He stood in the grand hall, faint sobs rising behind him. He slowly turned, and the woman in the resplendent golden gown sat trembling on the divine throne, watching him with tear-filled eyes.

"Ning Changjiu!" The woman's gentle, delicate gaze suddenly changed, becoming bright and lively.

Ning Changjiu was startled, and tentatively said, "Xiang... Xiang'er?"

Zhao Xiang'er felt as if a nightmare and a beautiful dream had arrived simultaneously.

"You saw everything?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

Ning Changjiu hesitated. "Do you think... I should have seen it?"

Zhao Xiang'er, having discarded the cumbersome colorful robe and now wearing only a moon-white tunic, stepped down from the divine throne. "You were about to elope with another woman, and you're asking me if I saw it?"

Ning Changjiu immediately declared, "This was all Di Jun's doing; what does it have to do with me, Ning Changjiu?!"

Zhao Xiang'er actually agreed with this. "Then my later defeat to the Barren River Dragon Sparrow or whatever else was due to Xi He being too weak, and has nothing to do with me!"

Ning Changjiu was slightly surprised. "Barren River Dragon Sparrow? Did the Vermilion Bird kill you?"

"..." Zhao Xiang'er suddenly remembered that Ning Changjiu didn't know this. She felt like she had just exposed her own weakness and grew even angrier, reaching out to pull Ning Changjiu's ear. "Fine, if Di Jun has nothing to do with you, what about Lu Jiajia and Si Ming? Hmm?"

Ning Changjiu had no rebuttal.

Zhao Xiang'er crossed her arms and demanded, "You were born a proper Solar God, so why are you so impure?"

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment and seriously replied, "Perhaps the sun itself is not a pure thing to begin with."

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Don't try to be profound with me. I'm not Xiao Ling... Oh, speaking of Xiao Ling, how do you explain the 'eternal unity' matter?"

Ning Changjiu felt the girl's dagger-like gaze. He extended a finger and ignited a pure beam of light, saying, "Xiang'er, look."

"Hmm? Look at what? Trying to change the subject again?" Zhao Xiang'er asked curiously.

Ning Changjiu somehow produced a transparent triangular prism, placed it in front of him, and the light passed through it, casting rainbow-like colors on the wall.

Ning Changjiu said, "See, seemingly brilliant and pure light actually contains a kaleidoscope of colors... This is the very nature of a Solar God; you can't blame me."

Zhao Xiang'er stared coldly at Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu felt the girl's murderous aura and bravely continued, "Xiang'er, don't disbelieve me; this is no illusion. The rainbows we see daily are proof..."

Zhao Xiang'er displayed a menacing smile. "Of the seven colors of the rainbow, which do you prefer?"

As Ning Changjiu stammered, the girl pounced on him, claws out.

Inside the divine hall, the two wrestled, the boy's cries for help intermittently echoing.

The moon-robed woman outside the door listened to the sounds from within, quietly waiting.

"Wait for me to find you."

Finally, Zhao Xiang'er's lips gently parted from Ning Changjiu's.

The girl said softly.

Their clothes were dishevelled, their eyes hazy.

A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard trees, scattering petals and gathering their fragrance into a dream.

Ning Changjiu slowly awoke.

He lay in a familiar room—it was his residence from his previous life.

An unknown amount of time had passed.

He gradually adjusted to the light filtering through his eyelashes and opened his eyes.

The scent of medicine filled the air.

He turned his head slightly and saw the back of a silver-haired, black-robed figure facing him.

Ning Changjiu's heart suddenly jolted.

"Xue... Ci?"

He softly called out, holding his breath, afraid of breaking the beautiful moment.

The woman's hand, fanning the medicine stove, paused.

Time was utterly silent.

Si Ming slowly turned her head. Her eyes held no frost, only the profound, subtle shimmer of water.

Ning Changjiu quietly gazed at her, as if seeing the bright moon reflected in water.