Chapter 375: A Lonely City Surrounded by Mountains

Even though it was summer, the Ruins of the Bone Tower remained very cold.

It was a mountainous region with complex terrain, deeply scarred and sunken by a terrifying explosion, with not a single blade of grass growing upon it.

The ruins were a monochrome landscape of black and white. The black consisted of rocks, while the white was made up of bone fragments and dust.

Most of these bones were dragon remains, though there were also scales and corpses of other ancient gods. Their hard texture had preserved them from the ravages of five hundred years of exposure to wind and sun.

At the very center, the remains of hundreds of ancient gods were piled high, forming a bone tower a hundred zhang tall.

Legends held that the ancient god tower was meant to suppress mighty demons. Thus, it was said that, long ago, these very Ruins of the Bone Tower were where Zhulong, one of the Six Primordial Gods, perished. The winding great river that flowed through Tianhu Peak to this spot was reputedly the deep furrow carved by Zhulong's scales as it fled.

Within this silent ruin, countless sounds of bone and stone cracking began to echo.

The initially insignificant cracks on the bone and stone rapidly widened, cleaving their respective materials as if struck by axes.

All of this was caused by Ke Wenzhou's sword.

Ke Wenzhou stood facing Tianhu Peak, his back to the Ruins of the Bone Tower. He drew his ancient longsword high and brought it down in a single strike. No visible sword light emanated from the blade; instead, only Ke Wenzhou's robes trembled incessantly, his sword intent flickering and intertwining like electric arcs, completely enveloping him.

This was a sword of ultimate simplicity, as if a supreme emperor, enthroned within the blade, reigned over countless nations, his grace extending to all corners of the world.

Ning Changjiu's eyes could not discern the sword. His Dao heart screamed a warning, granting him a deathly premonition: he had no room to resist, and in the next moment, he would be cleaved in two.

As the sword descended, Siming instantly stepped forward, wielding Yulei, to block it before him.

The Sword Saint's blade clashed against Siming's.

A tremendous gale instantly erupted. As the two swords met, sword qi exploded, sending both individuals, along with the surrounding river water and shattered rocks, flying backward, consecutively smashing through several mountain peaks.

The bamboo raft beneath Ke Wenzhou's feet was shredded by the sword qi. He stood steadily on the water's surface, temporarily sheathed his sword, and gazed ahead.

The previous sword strike, which had carried both the river and the individuals, had unleashed monstrous waves; the resulting wall of water was nearly as tall as the surrounding peaks.

Siming, having blocked the strike, stood poised on the crest of the colossal wave, her gaze fixed on the Sword Saint with murderous intent.

Ke Wenzhou regarded Siming, then remarked approvingly, "You are indeed formidable."

Siming's face was pale, and the hand gripping her sword was equally pallid.

Ke Wenzhou, the Master of the Sword Pavilion, was rumored to possess a special dispensation from the Heavenly Dao, making him the only cultivator in the mortal realm capable of entering the legendary Three Realms without needing to ascend.

Yet, at this moment, his cultivation realm remained at the peak of the Five Daos.

However, his cultivation realm could no longer be described by ordinary theories. It was like two soldiers of equal skill, one unarmed, while the other wielded heavy dark armor and a greatsword.

His heavy dark armor and greatsword were precisely the privilege granted by the Heavenly Dao; or rather, his very existence was a sword—a sword meant to cleanse the six directions on behalf of Heaven and Earth.

Ke Wenzhou sheathed his sword, but his hand did not release the hilt. As he continued to build momentum, he spoke, "Were you at your peak, perhaps you could engage me in an earth-shattering divine battle."

Siming retorted coldly, "You are merely a lapdog of the Divine Kingdom. Had I been at my peak, you wouldn't even be worthy of standing before me!"

Siming spoke fiercely, but deep down, she knew her strength was significantly depleted, having already fought Zhou Zhenyue and Liu Junzhuo. While she might still be able to contend with the Sword Saint for a time, a direct confrontation like this would inevitably lead to defeat.

Furthermore, if the rumors were true, the Sword Saint could at any moment step into the legendary Three Realms, delivering a fatal blow.

"Indeed, before I met the divine, I held reverence. But having seen you, I am quite disappointed."

Ke Wenzhou's expression remained serene. He executed the same simple motion of drawing his sword.

In the twilight, sword light flared, and a second strike descended.

This sword strike appeared stationary, yet the river waters and mountain ravines seemed to move at an incredible speed, hurtling towards them like a barrage of meteors.

The sword and all other things remained distinctly separate.

But this was merely an illusion.

Through Ning Changjiu's Lunar Eyes, the world remained still, yet only this silent, high-velocity sword qi hurtled towards them.

Siming's hastily erected sword domain was instantly shredded by an immense gravitational pull.

The two resisted the furious sword qi and gale-force winds, retreating hundreds of zhang further.

Ke Wenzhou did not watch his sword; after delivering a strike, the blade would return to its sheath without him seemingly noticing.

His current swordplay was remarkably simple, no longer striving, as in his youth, to integrate with grand landscapes, or to manifest majestic phenomena like vast snow, crimson clouds, or a bright moon over the boundless sea.

He simply drew his sword and struck.

Before the residual power of the second sword had fully dissipated, the third sword was already seamlessly unleashed.

Siming and Ning Changjiu were driven back a thousand zhang by the oppressive sword qi.

Anger brewed in Siming's heart. She stared at the Sword Saint, and furious blizzards swirled within her icy eyes.

She knew that while the Sword Saint's sword was archaic, it followed the path of utilizing heaven and earth, and the Dao of myriad phenomena; in essence, it weaponized the world itself as a killing guillotine.

This was the very method she had most frequently employed in her past, during her time as a divine official, descending to slay demons.

Now, she was being targeted by this very method! How could she suppress the fury boiling within her heart?

Intricate silver tattoos glowed on Siming's divine robe. She was prepared to withstand another sword strike, but Ning Changjiu instantly grasped her hand and, with a grave tone, commanded, "Go!"

Siming's spirit was unsettled; retreating in a duel severely undermines one's resolve and could easily lead to an overwhelming defeat.

But trusting Ning Changjiu's judgment from his Lunar Eye, she immediately withdrew her sword and, simultaneously with Ning Changjiu, activated their time authority. Their respective authorities merged after colliding, forming a unique field that enveloped them, allowing them to rapidly traverse and evade before the sword light could reach them.

Ke Wenzhou observed the spot where they had vanished, then, with lightning speed, drew his sword once more.

The sword, which had seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth, now transformed into a sweeping tide.

Ning Changjiu and Siming traversed through layered, endless time and space. Meanwhile, sword qi swept through real space, causing continuous collapse. The sharp sword qi cleaved through everything, penetrating their domain, traversing both reality and illusion, pressing in on them.

At the juncture of Myriad Prison Ravine and the Ruins of the Bone Tower, space continuously fractured, revealing the invisible void beyond.

The void was swept clean.

Siming and Ning Changjiu were nowhere to be seen.

Ke Wenzhou sheathed his sword, unhurried. He sensed heaven and earth, pinpointed their landing place, and took a step.

Within the Ruins of the Bone Tower, Siming and Ning Changjiu's combined authority, having been invoked all at once, was temporarily depleted. Their figures tumbled out into the ruins, the pursuing sword intent behind them already swept away by Siming.

Ning Changjiu glanced quickly around.

The surroundings were strewn with skeletal frameworks like steel, each encased in iron-like rubble, beneath which lay countless hidden caves.

They pushed on, reaching the heart of the Ruins of the Bone Tower in a single sustained effort.

"What now?" Siming asked instantly.

Ning Changjiu countered, "What else can we do but flee?"

Siming shook her head, saying, "Such authority cannot be squandered. Against the Sword Saint in his current state, if I exerted my full power, I would have a twenty percent chance of victory."

Ning Changjiu replied, "Twenty percent is too slim a chance; it's not worth the risk."

As they spoke, their figures did not pause, continuing their swift southward escape through the complex terrain of the ruins.

Siming continued, "But if we keep fleeing, even that ten percent chance will vanish." Ning Changjiu pondered for a moment, then said, "The Sword Saint's target is me. I have extensive experience with reincarnation..."

"Silence," Siming snapped angrily. "It's not yet a matter of life and death, why utter such disheartening words? Though I resent your philandering, you are not so sinful as to deserve death."

Ning Changjiu exhaled a deep breath and said, "Then let's continue fleeing. These Ruins of the Bone Tower are forbidden grounds; perhaps there's a secret hidden within that could turn the tide. My luck has always been rather decent..."

"Pah!" Siming scoffed furiously, her tone icy. "You dare claim good luck? Since you began cultivating, which enemy you've provoked wasn't of a world-ending caliber?"

"That's because I don't slay nameless nobodies," Ning Changjiu argued, feigning righteousness.

Siming grew even angrier. "Back in the Snow Gorge, I should have struck you dead," she said. "To die by my sword would have been far better than being slain by these malicious villains!"

Ning Changjiu, however, chuckled. "You see, if I hadn't been destined to constantly encounter enemies, how would I have ever met you? I think my luck has been quite good, actually."

"Stop trying to fob me off with such nonsense!" Siming snorted coldly, biting her soft lips until they were bright red.

Half an incense stick later, the two emerged from the deep gorge of the Bone Tower ruins, and the star-dusted night sky reappeared above them.

Ning Changjiu raised his head, looking up at the sky.

He saw no moon.

Ning Changjiu's pupils constricted sharply. He spoke:

"Be careful."

The moon had not vanished; rather, it was obscured by a figure.

It was none other than the Sword Saint, holding his sword.

He had already caught up, affording them scarcely any respite.

"Where else can you flee?" the Sword Saint asked coldly, raising his sword like a thousand-jin cauldron. As it descended, it was akin to a hundred peaks simultaneously collapsing.

Siming did not know how the Sword Saint had arrived so swiftly, but with the sword upon them, she had no choice but to block.

With a thunderous crash, the ground cracked open, and countless bones collapsed, plummeting into the unfathomable fissures.

Siming shattered the Sword Saint's sword with a single strike. She retreated no more, enduring the blast of sword qi and, wielding Yulei, thrust into the air.

The Sword Saint's expression grew slightly solemn. He gripped the scabbard with one hand and the sword with the other. The blade's hum resonated like a thousand bells and drums sounding in unison, grand and clear. A sword domain expanded with the sound waves, enveloping Siming within its confines.

This sword domain, of course, could not trap Siming to her death, but the Sword Saint's sole purpose was to delay her.

"You now possess a ten percent chance of defeating me. To me, that ten percent is too high, hence I have no desire to make an enemy of you," the Sword Saint stated truthfully to Siming.

Siming initiated battle with the Sword Saint, yet the Sword Saint actively chose to avoid it.

As Siming extended two fingers to stroke Yulei, preparing to cleave the sword domain with a single strike, she sensed trouble.

And after speaking, the Sword Saint raised his left hand, which held the scabbard, aimed it at Ning Changjiu, and slashed through the air.

The sword qi, though devoid of light, encompassed heaven and earth, leaving no path of retreat.

This was a pure suppression of cultivation realm, allowing Ning Changjiu no opportunity for a flashy counter.

A fierce gust of wind assailed him.

Ning Changjiu gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and braced himself, fully unleashing his Asura Golden Body to withstand that divine sword strike.

Though the Asura Golden Body was undeniably formidable, it was utterly insufficient to bridge the chasm in cultivation realms.

Instantly, the impenetrable Asura Golden Body was severed at the waist, collapsing and sliding downward like a toppled building.

He was also struck by the sword, the residual sword qi pressing his body, causing him to continuously plummet into the fissure.

"Ning Changjiu!" Siming's spirit trembled, and she cried out involuntarily.

She unleashed her full power, her sword shattering the confining domain. Yet, instead of striking at the Sword Saint, she immediately turned and surged frantically into the fissure.

The Sword Saint looked at the silver-haired divine official, shaking his head gently.

Indeed, 'love' can be deadly.

Fortunately, long ago, he had severed his seven emotions and six desires, sealing them away in a place of absolute secrecy.

"Now, you don't even have that last ten percent chance left."

Ke Wenzhou gazed at the woman who dared turn her back to him, sighing at her foolishness. Then he swiftly clenched his five fingers, gripping the sword hilt.

The ancient longsword hummed wildly.

Ke Wenzhou hurled the sword towards Siming's location.

If the sword plunged into that fissure, this ruin, already a graveyard for numerous ancient gods, would very likely claim the remains of another pair of cultivators.

The sword descended smoothly.

Yet, no sound was produced.

Ke Wenzhou's expression remained impassive, though he let out a sigh of regret.

The ruins, with bones like a forest, had somehow flattened into a two-dimensional plane; the undulations of the mountains now appeared as mere depictions within a painting.

Ke Wenzhou raised his head, gazing into the distance.

A figure in crimson approached from afar.

"Ji Xuan, you have indeed arrived." Ke Wenzhou showed no surprise.

The Impenetrable View and the Silver Snow Palace maintained a balance. The Abbot, Senior Sister, and Second Senior Brother countered the Lord, Divine Official, and Heavenly Monarch. As for the Fifth Senior Brother, though learned, his cultivation realm was not particularly strong; on that day, he had only managed to block Ke Wenzhou's sword by relying on the Saint's Ruyi Black Iron Divine Staff.

The Fourth Senior Sister of the View was suppressing demons in the Northern Kingdom, making it difficult for her to extricate herself. The only ones with a chance to provide aid were the Third Master and Sixth Master.

This was something he had long anticipated.

Ji Xuan, carrying a slender sword, descended into the void, his flowing crimson robes fluttering. His features were beautiful, like those of a noble young master. Though he possessed a languid, sickly appearance, any inherent effeminacy had been purged by his sword qi.

Ji Xuan stated, "Long before my Junior Brother ventured to the Heavenly Ranking, Master and I had already foreseen this day."

Ke Wenzhou sighed with emotion, "Indeed, were it not for Heaven itself, the Abbot would truly be unrivaled in this world."

As the two conversed, the painting below, which had resisted Ke Wenzhou's sword, had already collapsed. That very sword, having expended its power, could only return to Ke Wenzhou's hand, unable to pursue further.

Ji Xuan looked at the moon and said, "Master has already declared war on the Silver Snow Palace, yet you are still here hunting my youngest Junior Brother. What right do you possess to judge Master?"

Ke Wenzhou candidly replied, "The current me is indeed unworthy. But Third Master, when I emerged from seclusion and unleashed that single sword strike, you deployed eighty-one scrolls yet failed to block me. What confidence do you possess today that you can save your Junior Brother?"

Ji Xuan said, "Because that sword strike was always meant to be blocked by Fifth Senior Brother; I did not need to exert my full strength."

"Full strength?" Ke Wenzhou looked at his sword and said, "The Heavenly Ranking bestowed upon you the third rank in the world. I've always felt it was improper; the third disciple of that White Cloud View should not be weaker than my chief disciple. But the Heavenly Ranking does not lie..."

Ke Wenzhou paused, then sighed, "Thus, I am more curious about what you have concealed, Third Master. May your true identity be revealed to the world today?"

Ji Xuan stood suspended in the air, casting forth his slender sword. It danced casually, and wherever its blade passed, all the valleys transformed into two-dimensional paintings.

He looked at Ke Wenzhou and asked, "Can you not guess who I am?"

Ke Wenzhou replied, "I have indeed tried to guess, but I've scoured the ancient records of the Heavenly Court and listed every ancient immortal who rose during the Primordial God War, yet I could find no one who corresponded to you. Thus, for years, I've been greatly puzzled, even feeling the impulse to question the Sword God Painting Pavilion."

Ji Xuan gazed at the bone mountains and stone seas within the painting. "Because among the View's seven disciples," he said, "only I am not from the former Immortal Court."

Ke Wenzhou grew even more perplexed. "Then who exactly are you?" he asked.

Ji Xuan closed his eyes. His crimson robes abruptly shifted to a pale blue. Simultaneously, the blood within him pulsed like a heartbeat; with each throb, his cultivation realm ascended further. Within this vast valley of corpses, the faint sound of ocean waves could subtly be heard.

Ke Wenzhou's expression subtly changed.

Yet, Ji Xuan slowly spoke: "Xuan is one of the two characters of my true name; the other was obliterated during the Primordial God War. I was fortunate to have a lingering wisp of my divine soul, which did not disperse for a thousand years, until Master saved me. I was reshaped into a human, granted the surname Ji. Compared to my former self, my power is significantly diminished; indeed, I am no match for you now. However, I dare not fail to repay Master's great kindness. If you intend to kill my Junior Brother, I can only stand in your way."

Xuan... Ke Wenzhou, upon hearing this, deduced the answer. It was far more incredible than he had ever imagined.

Ji Xuan gripped his sword anew, letting out a long sigh. "Four thousand years ago, my name was Xuanze."

Xuanze.

Xuanze, one of the Six Primordial Gods!

Ning Changjiu, oppressed by the sword qi, plummeted into the depths of the bone ruins.

The rift valley of the bone ruins seemed to be a bottomless abyss. He fell for a long time, smashing through countless layers of rock, his Asura Golden Body battered and fragmented.

Thud—

Finally, his descent abruptly halted.

His back seemed to have struck a water surface.

The surface tension of the water cushioned his fall.

What... is this?

Ning Changjiu couldn't discern it. He felt as though he had fallen into an illusion, yet this illusion differed from Master's dreams; it was more akin to a nightmare.

In that instant of hesitation, something invaded his sea of consciousness, threatening to explode.

A voice echoed in his mind, like murmurs and curses, slicing at him like blades, a thousand, then ten thousand times, relentlessly.

That voice repeated a single word:

"Nanming."

Nanming, Nanming, Nanming...

Countless identical syllables strung together, like an evil monk's ceaseless chanting.

Just as this voice threatened to destroy him, a hand embraced his body, pulling him from the chaotic whispers.

That was Siming's embrace.

This scene was strikingly similar to when Ning Changjiu had once dug Siming out of the mud and sand in the Flowing Sand River and carried her.

Ning Changjiu broke free from the nightmare.

His spirit trembling, he buried himself tightly in Siming's embrace.

Siming, holding him, felt much more at ease. She gazed at the darkness above, recalling that the Sword Saint had launched a strike at her at the last moment. Why had that sword vanished?

She refrained from dwelling on it, lowering her head to glance below.

Below, it appeared something was hidden, yet it was also utterly empty.

"This is... a sea of consciousness?" Siming arrived at an unbelievable conclusion.

Beneath the ruins, could a fragment of someone's sea of consciousness truly be hidden?

Above, the tremors of an earthquake resumed.

As the rift valley of the ruins collapsed, Siming, holding Ning Changjiu, swiftly traversed the chasm, escaping outwards.

The night wind blew, and Ning Changjiu finally broke free from that inexplicable nightmare, regaining some clarity.

He raised his head, gazing at the night sky, and his taut nerves slowly relaxed.

"Xue Ci." Ning Changjiu called softly.

Siming said coldly, "Silence. Focus on your recovery, and stop provoking me."

Ning Changjiu hummed in affirmation, and only after dispelling the distracting thoughts within his sea of consciousness did he inquire, "Where is the Sword Saint?"

Siming replied, "Someone is holding him back for us..."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Who?"

Siming snapped impatiently, "How would I know? Do you want me to take you back to see?"

Ning Changjiu obediently fell silent.

The Ruins of the Bone Tower, with bones as its canvas.

Ke Wenzhou stood upon the canvas, surveying his surroundings. "You immortal old relics," he remarked, "indeed possess extraordinary abilities."

Ji Xuan did not reply, but continued to wield his sword.

The sword did not strike the Sword Saint, but rather cleaved the surrounding heaven and earth.

Ke Wenzhou sighed, "Pity, this is not your ocean."

Ji Xuan replied, "My 'Ze' has long been lost. How is the boundless sea different from the verdant mountains?"

"Indeed." Ke Wenzhou clenched his five fingers around his sword, his voice suddenly heavy. "They are all merely burial grounds."

The Sword Saint unleashed another sword strike.

This was his fifth sword strike unleashed today.

A chilling aura permeated heaven and earth. The sword qi materialized, sweeping across the various paintings. The paintings, like ocean waves encountering a fierce gale, churned into a frenzy under the impact of his sword qi.

Ke Wenzhou stood within the painted landscapes of mountains and seas, like an emperor wielding a sword, directing the rivers and peaks.

He was not intrinsically part of the painting; how could he be confined within it?

"Shatter!" Ke Wenzhou commanded.

Heaven and earth resonated with him.

The internal sword and external phenomena resonated with each other. Under the immense, cooperative force, countless cracks appeared in the painting.

The Sword Saint unleashed another sword strike.

Like an old farmer swinging an axe to chop wood, it carried no deeper meaning, only the intent to sever.

The sword qi vanished into the painting, traversing its vast expanse. As the flat world was swept by the sword qi, the barriers encompassing them grew increasingly thin, until they could no longer resist and finally ripped apart.

The Sword Saint tore free from the canvas.

"You possess only your soul, nothing more. As you are, you are certainly no match for me," the Sword Saint declared, observing the scrolls falling around him like snow.

Ji Xuan's face was slightly pale. He said, "I am no longer Xuanze. The one standing in your way is merely the Third Disciple of the Impenetrable View."

The Sword Saint fixed his gaze on him, gripping his sword and raising it once more.

Ji Xuan held his sword horizontally.

The Sword Saint took a step, but his sword did not descend.

Ji Xuan's expression subtly shifted.

The Sword Saint's figure had vanished...

Ji Xuan suddenly understood: the Sword Saint did not wish to be entangled with him. His sole purpose was to kill his Junior Brother. He could even disregard Ji Xuan's own sword and go all out for the kill. Ke Wenzhou was sparing no effort, solely to eliminate future troubles permanently.

Ji Xuan's pale blue robes reverted to crimson.

He gazed in the direction where the Sword Saint had vanished and unleashed a sword strike.

Sword qi traversed a thousand li in an instant, transforming the vast distance into a painting.

He folded the painting, setting one foot on this end and the other on that.

He took a step.

The painting simultaneously unfolded.

With a single step, he traversed a thousand li.

Ji Xuan repeated this process, closing the distance between himself and the Sword Saint's vanishing figure.

Meanwhile, Siming and Ning Changjiu had already bypassed the towering white edifice in the center, formed by accumulated ancient god remains, and were speeding towards Lonely Cloud City.

Although the Sword Saint had not yet caught up, Siming's expression was far from relaxed.

Lonely Cloud City, an unclaimed city in the Central Lands, lay atop a colossal peak that had been leveled at its midsection by a deity. Centered around its core city, it stretched for a thousand li, resembling a hidden city wall nestled among white clouds, primarily inhabited by immortals.

It was highly probable that this was another blockade line already established by the Sword Saint.

Though Siming disdained the ordinary cultivators of the Central Lands, if they were to truly engage, it would inevitably impede their escape.

And at this very moment, within Lonely Cloud City, individuals with ulterior motives had already emerged.

On the city wall, a young man in white robes was drinking wine with a hulking man in a green shirt.

The two occasionally gazed out at the sea of clouds, as if awaiting something.

The man in white had empty hands, while the burly man in green carried a heavy, massive iron umbrella on his back.

High-speed text: Above the Divine Kingdom, Chapter List