Chapter 377: Meeting at Lonely Cloud City

Duanjie City, Inner City.

The corpulent Blood Feather Lord was perched on the divine pillar exclusively used by the God of Light, preening its feathers and trembling like a quail incubating eggs, its gaze fixed on the shadow before it. The Blood Feather Lord, who had once strutted imperiously through the city daily, inspecting its domain, had now truly become an immobile idol.

Duanjie City was unusually quiet today.

In the square below, two figures stood apart; one belonged to Shao Xiaoli, and the other was a delicate, petite white figure. This white shimmered like silver in the light and appeared like snow in the dark. Her shadow, moreover, was extremely faint, resembling egg white spread across the ground.

Although the Blood Feather Lord's cultivation was not profound—a cultivator in the Purple Court Realm could easily annihilate it—it was nonetheless a creature that had seen much of the world. The terrifying aura emanating from this snow-white maiden was utterly soul-shattering, a power it had only witnessed in the black-robed figure two years prior.

Duanjie City is indeed a highly dangerous place. What happened to my promised retirement? Ning Changjiu is no longer here, and I doubt this little girl can manage. After two years of pampered living, I've practically lost all combat ability...

As the Blood Feather Lord resigned itself to a life of idleness and eventual death, the figures below stirred.

Today, Shao Xiaoli had exchanged her resplendent red gown for a simple, plain dress. Her dark hair was secured with a wooden hairpin, giving her an unexpectedly humble and unadorned appearance. Standing beside Baizang, she spoke gently, "The prophecy is true, then. You are the deity destined to rescue us from our plight, are you not?"

Baizang looked at her.

"What prophecy?" Baizang's tone was flat, indicating her bewilderment.

Shao Xiaoli immediately concocted a story: "There has always been a legend in Duanjie City: we are a people burdened with sin, banished here by a goddess. Only when our atonement is complete will the holy, snow-white goddess return to lead us away. For all these years, we have awaited your return."

Baizang listened quietly, her exquisite features obscured by a tiger mask. Paired with her petite frame, she resembled a little girl dressed for a festival. She couldn't be bothered to verify the truth of the legend, and with an unemotional hum, she walked forward.

Shao Xiaoli's breathing was measured. Her intuition told her that this deity, like the Sin Lord, was not benevolent. She then wondered what her leader would do if he were here. She hesitated for a moment, pondering Baizang's intention, then quietly followed.

"This is the Inner City."

"This district is reserved for the royal family. Beyond this street lies the Outer City. We have lived here for countless years, yet we've never found a way out. We... are a people untouched by divine favor."

"Esteemed deity, the Outer City is a place of filth; there is no need for you to set foot there."

Shao Xiaoli followed closely, making careful introductions.

Baizang gazed at the large gate. She extended her hand and picked up a broken feather from mid-air—a feather of the Sin Lord. The Sin Lord had once fought someone at this city gate. Shao Xiaoli felt a flicker of surprise. She lowered her head, concealing her emotions beneath the fine strands of hair across her forehead.

With a mere thought from Baizang, the heavy gate swung open.

Baizang walked into the Outer City.

"Who are you?" Baizang asked, posing her first question.

Indeed, within Duanjie City, no one possessed omniscience or omnipotence—neither the Sin Lord in his time nor she herself now. Shao Xiaoli felt a slight easing in her heart. With a straight face, she lied, "I am the monarch here, the illegitimate daughter of the previous king. Two years ago, this place plunged into inexplicable chaos, and I was inexplicably thrust onto the throne. To ensure my own safety, I deliberately relinquished my power, so I am merely a symbol of Duanjie City, holding no actual authority."

Baizang offered no comment, simply stating, "You are quite remarkable."

Shao Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat. Baizang's tone was utterly flat, devoid of inflection or emotion, making it impossible for Shao Xiaoli to discern if the statement was declarative or inquisitive. She pretended it was a question and immediately explained herself: "No, that's not it. My cultivation is ordinary, I am unproductive, and my governance is incompetent, making me deeply detested by the people. My only advantage is my appearance; I pose no threat whatsoever."

Baizang offered no reply. She took a step, effortlessly passing beyond the Outer City. Shao Xiaoli initially intended to follow, but recalling her supposed mediocre cultivation, she feigned panic, lifted her skirt, and scurried after her with small steps.

By the time she caught up to Baizang, Baizang was standing on the city wall, gazing out at the wheat fields.

Baizang asked, "What is your name?"

Shao Xiaoli was slightly surprised but replied calmly, "Shao Xiaoli, 'Li' as in the dawn."

Baizang said, "Your surname should be Luo."

"What?" Shao Xiaoli paused, perplexed. "Please, esteemed deity, enlighten me."

Baizang did not reply. She took a light step from the city wall. A single step covered a thousand miles. The very limits of the world's laws were challenged, and the world responded with a cacophony of piercing sounds.

"Only below the Purple Court realm, then." Baizang attempted this several times, thereby ascertaining the power ceiling of this world. Her figure flickered ceaselessly throughout the world of Duanjie City, traversing desolate mountains, wild plains, swamps, and ice rivers, venturing ever further. She touched the air, sensing the changes in the flow of time, and thus did not delve deeper.

Baizang had broadly confirmed the principles and structure of this world, rendering further meaningless exploration unnecessary. In fact, the entire world of Duanjie City held little significance for her. She sought only the divine realm of the headless god, to claim the remnants of its authority.

After Baizang vanished from the city wall, Shao Xiaoli did not act rashly. She watched the direction Baizang had departed. Moments later, she swooped down from the city wall, hurried to the royal palace, inspected the mechanisms of the pool, then concealed all the blades and swords in the royal palace, thereby demonstrating her harmlessness. Afterward, she instructed the Blood Feather Lord to notify the royal family and prepare for battle. She then immediately rushed back to the city wall.

When Baizang returned, Shao Xiaoli was standing exactly as before, the dew having dampened the hem of her simple gown. Upon seeing Baizang, Shao Xiaoli feigned a sigh of relief, immediately curtsied, a smile gracing her features, and said, "Esteemed deity, I feared you had abandoned us. I have waited for you here for a day and a night… a millennium is nearing its end. I still hope that your divine guidance can lead us to the light."

Baizang did not reply. She gazed at Shao Xiaoli's face, still strikingly beautiful even in plain clothes, and remarked cryptically, "His requirements for women are indeed solely based on appearance."

Before Shao Xiaoli could comprehend, Baizang vanished from her spot once more.

In front of the Star Spirit Hall, Baizang's figure materialized. She gazed at the wall, adorned with strange patterns, and once again extended her hand. On the wall, the light barrier wavered, concentric ripples spreading as if in resistance. Even the Sin Lord had been unable to enter here back then.

But this could not trap Baizang. Because her authority was 'Sealing Away'. With a slight thought, she sealed away the barrier before her. It was like using one curse to nullify another.

She entered the Star Spirit Hall. On both sides, in the dark, silvery water, candle flames burned quietly, emitting a cool, icy aura. Baizang traversed the narrow path, reaching the end of the Star Spirit Hall. A broken sundial, shaped like a crescent moon, still lay there, its gnomon having lost its luster, appearing ancient. Baizang observed the cracks covering the sundial and gently shook her head. Unable to obtain the authority over time, she felt a slight regret. But this changed nothing.

In just one day and one night, she had learned everything about Duanjie City, and consequently, lost interest in it. She was ready to ascend to the heavens.

Before ascending, however, she decided to kill the girl who called herself 'Shao Xiaoli'. This wasn't because of her beauty, but because a single domain could not tolerate two gods. She had already confirmed the girl's identity and the origins of these royal family members.

In the royal hall, the girl in red, with her long hair unbound, was writing a letter. The moment she saw Baizang, she knew disaster was upon her. She held no hope that her clumsy lies would deceive the other party. Unsure what else to do, she began writing her last will, addressed to her leader.

Without any warning, Baizang appeared in the royal palace. Deities are known for their capriciousness, and Baizang's arrival was swifter than she had anticipated.

Shao Xiaoli immediately lowered her head, bowing respectfully to Baizang, then nervously scanned the royal hall, carefully avoiding looking at the central pool—the hiding place of the jade branch.

Baizang removed her mask. "Look at me," Baizang said.

Shao Xiaoli kept her head down, watching Baizang's hand holding the mask drop, her nerves instantly stretched to their breaking point. She knew what this meant: to behold a deity was blasphemy, punishable by immediate death.

Shao Xiaoli retreated two steps, her eyes downcast, saying, "Although I am not a good monarch, my sins surely do not warrant death. Perhaps I could draft a decree of self-reproach and imprison myself, thus upholding the law."

"Look at me," Baizang repeated, her words more a command than a request. As she finished speaking, Shao Xiaoli's neck stiffened, and she mechanically began to lift her head, inch by painful inch. Shao Xiaoli wanted to close her eyes but found herself unable to. She was already the highest cultivator in Duanjie City, yet even with the world's inherent restrictions, Baizang suppressed her instantly.

Shao Xiaoli, eyes wide open, slowly lifted her gaze. As death approached, the previously eloquent Shao Xiaoli instead pressed her lips together, offered no plea for mercy, no longer feigned ignorance, nor did she spare another glance at the pool. Her only comfort was that she had previously changed into her red gown, ensuring she would look more beautiful in death.

Shao Xiaoli lifted her head. She beheld an indescribably exquisite face, enveloped in divine radiance. Yet not only did she not perish, but she also caught a glimpse of a peculiar pain on Baizang's face. Shao Xiaoli didn't understand what had happened. She instinctively lowered her gaze and saw a segment of jade branch protruding from Baizang's lower abdomen.

A jade branch… Immortal Master?!

Shao Xiaoli staggered back several steps, finally discerning what had transpired. Behind Baizang stood a maiden, slender and petite, with soft dark hair and fluttering white robes. Her face was so ethereal and exquisite that it made even Baizang appear somewhat dulled in comparison.

Baizang asked, bewildered, "How could you possibly be here?" She knew she would eventually arrive, but she had constantly monitored Kunlun and couldn't fathom how the other party had managed to arrive stealthily without her knowing. Baizang looked at the jade branch, able to only roughly guess its significance. She also confirmed that the opponent was currently weaker than she had imagined; at her peak, a single strike from this sword could have caused Baizang to utterly dissipate.

Behind her, Ye Changong's voice rang out, equally indifferent. "This is my sword, and also my coffin. Since you have set foot here, do you intend to slumber eternally with me?"

Baizang sealed away her wounds. She pulled her body from the sword, turned, and coldly regarded the petite immortal figure. Shao Xiaoli found the scene before her somewhat bizarre. Were she merely a bystander, she might have thought it was a dispute between two little girls. But this was a confrontation between beings at the pinnacle of the mortal realm.

Baizang looked at her and asked, "Are you a projection too?"

Ye Changong replied, "Just like you."

Baizang said, "I didn't expect you to save her."

Ye Changong asked, "Why?"

Baizang said, "Back then, she considered you a formidable enemy. I haven't forgotten that, and surely, you haven't either."

"That was his fault, not hers," Ye Changong stated. "Furthermore, to me, there are no distinctions of closeness or distance among people, only old acquaintances."

"True, you even saved Xihe," Baizang said coldly. "Yet you can't even kill me. When the Dark Lord truly descends, your efforts will be no more than an egg striking a stone."

Ye Changong replied, "The corpse beneath your feet was once as arrogant as you."

Baizang looked at her and said, "I was born this small, but you shouldn't be this small. How can someone as weak as you possibly stop me?"

Ye Changong did not reply. Although she had ambushed Baizang and inflicted a severe injury, she might still not be enough for this moment. However, she was not alone in Duanjie City. She softly called out, "Shao Xiaoli."

The red-clad girl beside her eyes narrowed, and she immediately responded, "Here!"

Ye Changong asked, "Can you wield a sword?"

Shao Xiaoli's mind suddenly cleared. Memories that shouldn't have belonged to her flooded in, as the cultivation techniques and incantations her master had taught her over countless past nights washed through her consciousness like a flowing stream. For a moment, she couldn't distinguish who she was. Her heart opened wide, and relying solely on intuition, she blurted out, "I am willing to wield the sword for Master!"

The jade branch, like a sword, transformed into a fleeting shadow, bypassed Baizang, and settled into Shao Xiaoli's hand. Shao Xiaoli's clear pupils were as pale as the moon.

The Three Thousand Worlds. The space, beautiful as glazed glass, suddenly began to crack.

Shi Yu, with golden hair, was kneeling on the clouds, orchestrating celestial phenomena, when she suddenly noticed fine cracks appearing on the porcelain-like clouds. "What's happening...?" Shi Yu murmured softly. She immediately rose and flew toward Zhao Xiang'er's bedchamber. When she arrived at the entrance of the bedchamber, she found Xueyuan already standing there, looking distraught.

"What's wrong?" Shi Yu asked.

Xueyuan replied, "Zhao Xiang'er is gone."

"Gone?" Shi Yu was shocked. "For how long?" she asked.

"It must have been for some time now," Xueyuan replied.

Shi Yu asked, puzzled, "What... what did she go to do? The Handmaiden Empress is gone now; if she doesn't return, these Three Thousand Worlds will not be able to sustain themselves..."

"Come with me," Xueyuan said, leading her to a long table and pointing at the water mirror on its surface. Within the water mirror, an unknown city appeared. Bright sword arcs illuminated the long night, shattering the streets and sending rubble flying. Amidst the magnificent sword light, a white-robed young man was struggling to hold on.

The Sword Saint's every calculation was flawless. Although the external body was far less powerful than the main one, it was sufficient to kill Ning Changjiu, who was still in the nascent stages of the Five Paths. When others performed assassinations, they typically relied on overcoming the strong with the weak, but he did not subscribe to this philosophy. He sought only certainty in killing, and assassination was merely a means to ensure greater certainty.

When the Sword Saint's first sword fell, the small alley was shredded like paper, and the hard stone-paved ground would kick up dust with just a single step. Had Ning Changjiu been struck by the sword without warning, he would very likely have been slain. Fortunately, he had anticipated this sword strike. But the gap between the two of them was simply too vast.

Amidst the blazing golden flames, Ning Changjiu leaped high. His figure, like a hawk swooping for prey, was intercepted by the Sword Saint's sword. The Sword Saint's blade appeared precisely at the weakest point of Ning Changjiu's sword intent. The Sword Saint gripped his sword, cleaving through the golden flames as effortlessly as cutting tofu. He smoothly sliced into the colorful sword, then, exerting force with his arm, violently sent Ning Changjiu's figure flying.

The Sword Saint sheathed his sword, and the hum of the first strike abruptly ceased. Gripping the scabbard tightly, he drew his sword once more. Ning Changjiu swung his sword to block, but the blade, which the white-robed Daoist had nurtured for a lifetime, was immediately severed in two. The lingering sword energy, still potent, pushed Ning Changjiu's body backward, sending him crashing through several wooden buildings. Ning Changjiu's white robes were covered in blood and wood chips. His throat bobbed as he swallowed a mouthful of blood, and he struggled to rise, feeling as though his internal organs were being gripped, twisted, and churned by an unseen hand.

He forcibly suppressed his injuries and still retained some strength. However, the moment this colorful sword shattered, in a distant corner of the city, the white-robed Daoist, who had believed he narrowly escaped death, let out a shriek. His soul had been intrinsically linked to the sword, and now, with the sword broken, he died, utterly perishing in an unforeseen calamity.

The Sword Saint was about to unleash his third strike. In his plan, regardless of Ning Changjiu's methods, this third sword was destined to be a killing blow. The Sword Saint drew his sword; the blade moved both heavy and slow. Heaven and earth seemed to react, emitting muffled sounds, like the mournful tolling of a funeral bell.

At this moment, outside the city, Ke Wenzhou's ancient robe was tattered, and his body was covered in wounds. Blood stained his clothes and forehead; barely an inch of his body was unblemished. In particular, a deep wound on his lower abdomen revealed even some wriggling intestines. Yet his expression remained rigid and solemn, as if he were performing a sacred duty, utterly disregarding all suffering. The encirclement by the four continued relentlessly; the net of heaven and earth had already been cast. If Ke Wenzhou continued to fight at this level, then every subsequent sword strike held the potential to sever his head.

However, the mournful tolling of a funeral bell echoed from within the city.

Siming was the first to react. She glanced at Guyun City and saw the sword energy above the isolated city—sword energy so condensed it was almost solid. Siming's pupils constricted sharply.

"An external manifestation?!" Nine Spirit Primal Saint and Baize reacted simultaneously. As they exclaimed,