Chapter 382: 断界

In summer, the Ancient Spirit Sect was bathed in the morning light, resembling a dark reef solidified in the southeast.

Great waves and undercurrents had raged across this vast land, sweeping both fish and dragons into the tides, where they either became part of the torrent or became corpses tossed among the spray.

The great upheavals in various parts of the Central Lands, including Luoshu Tower, the Ancient Spirit Sect, and Myriad Monster City, had subsided, but these disasters were unprecedented terrors for ordinary people over the past five hundred years.

They had all occurred within a single year.

The northwest, untouched by the disasters, was already desolate, with only a few larger cities near the northern kingdoms' ports. Due to its terrain, news in the northwest was slow to spread, and major events elsewhere were merely heard as rumors.

The true panic was felt in the Eighty-One Kingdoms of the Central Lands.

The term "Eighty-One Kingdoms of the Central Lands" was grand, but it actually referred to eighty-one steel cities that had descended from the sky five hundred years ago. Ning Changjiu had glimpsed this scene in the Luoshu.

Each of the eighty-one cities was only the size of an ordinary human city, but combined, they formed a magnificent scale. They resembled a colossal steel dragon sprawling across the center of the Central Lands, with the five largest cities acting as its mighty claws and fangs.

Yet, while the cities were impregnable, the hearts of their inhabitants were fragile.

In contrast, Luoshu Tower and Myriad Monster City were truly legendary places, gathering several peak Five-Path masters. Unlike the eighty-one cities of the Central Lands, which were merely grand in scale, they had never produced a figure as supremely skilled in Dao as the Sword Sage of Sword Pavilion or the Lords of the Four Pavilions.

The eighty-one cities were located in the center of the Central Lands, close to the Heavenly Rankings, and had advanced communication. When news of disturbances from all directions flowed into the cities, it quickly caused a great stir.

This turmoil was linked to a legend of the eighty-one cities: "Demons meet from all directions, Four Symbols slay the Dragon."

The origin of the legend was untraceable; some said it was a prophecy left by true immortals, others that it was a broken stele inscribed during the Sword Sage's first retreat. For centuries, this prophecy had been expanded many times, passed down by word of mouth, known to old and young alike.

And in the past year, the various major events in the Central Lands had unexpectedly validated many of these strange sayings. For example, "Luoshu swallows, the sorrowful dragon cries, the unlettered and ignorant shake their heads in vain." and "Lone city closes, lions weep, golden birds cry blood, the sages do not return."

The recent ambush in Lonely Cloud City also seemed to fulfill one line: "Lone cloud alone, lone man alone, the eternal Yangtze swallows white bones."

The northwest of the Central Lands was the last place of peace, but if a great disaster were to strike there as well, the "Demons meet from all directions" prophecy would be fulfilled.

Four Symbols slay the Dragon...

The world did not know what the Four Symbols were, but the "Dragon" most likely referred to the eighty-one kingdoms situated in the Central Lands.

The people were terrified.

Soon after, another saying spread throughout the eighty-one kingdoms at an uncanny speed. This saying was much simpler and easier to understand than the previous ballads: "Worship the Golden Dragon, and live."

But for now, no one knew what the Golden Dragon was.

At this moment, there was still one year, one month, and twenty-three days until the Year of the Thunder Prison, when dragons would be revered.

Ning Changjiu and Si Ming had already left the Ancient Spirit Sect.

Ning Xiaoling and the Fish King entered the light curtain, swimming towards the palace inscribed with the Underworld Lord's long poem.

Lu Jiajia bid farewell to Ning Changjiu and Si Ming.

They had been apart for several months, yet their reunion lasted less than a day and a night, with not many words exchanged.

At their departure, Lu Jiajia stood calmly in the courtyard, full of summer flowers, smiling and waving goodbye. Her expression was gentle, without resentment or anger; only the lush shadows of the leaves in the courtyard fell upon her, distinctly contrasting light and dark.

After seeing them off, Lu Jiajia returned to the house alone, warmed up the leftover eight-treasure rice from yesterday, and ate it by herself, chewing slowly, her gaze distant.

When she came back to her senses, a burnt smell wafted to her nose.

Lu Jiajia quickly went to extinguish the fire. She squatted in front of the small stove, hugging her knees, and lifted the lid, looking distressed at the burnt bottom of the pot, then poked her own head with a chopstick.

After eating, Lu Jiajia went upstairs to tidy the room.

She pushed open the door and looked around, surprised to find that the room's furnishings were still tidy; even the bedding was neatly folded.

Lu Jiajia approached the bed, pulled back the curtain, and her slender fingers explored the sheet for a while, her gaze searching, but she didn't even see any "fallen red"... Strange, did they do nothing but talk through the night by candlelight?

That's not like Ning Changjiu's style...

Lu Jiajia thought for a moment and concluded that they had been considerate of her, so they had tidied the room themselves.

Thinking this, Lu Jiajia smiled contentedly, her normally serene expression becoming much warmer.

She pulled open the bamboo curtain, brightening the room, then stood by the window, gazing at the distant rivers and mountains, clenching her fists and silently wishing them well in her heart.

"Please come back safely..." Lu Jiajia murmured softly.

Traveling from the Ancient Spirit Sect to Nanzhou would ordinarily involve passing through the Sea Kingdom and crossing the Sea of Unfatedness via its ferry crossing. However, Ning Changjiu had now reached the Five Paths, so he was no longer bound by such rules.

He and Si Ming no longer needed a multidecked ship; they could cross the Sea of Unfatedness by wielding their swords from any port.

Before continuing their journey, the two first visited the Clothing Street.

Si Ming waited quietly outside the city. Soon, Ning Changjiu returned with a black hooded cloak for her.

Si Ming lightly touched the space in front of her with a fingertip, tearing open a void. She stepped in with the clothing, and when she emerged, she had already changed. The dark brim of the hood shadowed her forehead, and her iridescent long hair was concealed by the cloak, revealing only her striking beauty and a few slender strands of hair.

"Hmm, the clothes fit quite well," Si Ming praised him.

Ning Changjiu replied, "Of course, I measured every inch."

Si Ming bit her lip, gave a light hum, and put on the fox mask, leaving only her cold, beautiful eyes visible.

Ning Changjiu adjusted her cloak and hair, tidying her up, then smiled, "Xue'er, you look quite mysterious like this."

Si Ming said, "It's all because you two forced me. That Zhao Xiang'er has been idle for thousands of years, and she still causes so much trouble."

Ning Changjiu said sincerely, "Don't be angry. You actually look quite good like this too."

"It's not about whether I look good..." Si Ming's icy eyes flickered. She felt sad thinking that this hair color would expose her true feelings.

Ning Changjiu chuckled freely, thinking, *Silly girl, have you forgotten I have the Eyes of the Grand Yin? How could a simple hooded cloak hide anything from my sight?*

Ning Changjiu looked straight ahead, his gaze unwavering, yet his mind clearly perceived Si Ming's long hair turning frosty white.

"There, there, don't be sad anymore," Ning Changjiu cajoled. "When we see Master, Master will surely have a solution."

"I wouldn't be sad over this," Si Ming said calmly. "Anyway, even if there's no other way, I won't go begging Zhao Xiang'er."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Then what will you do?"

Si Ming said with conviction, "I'll wait for new hair to grow, then cut off the old. With persistence, it will eventually return to normal."

Her long hair turned red.

Ning Changjiu couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "Xue'er is truly resolute. Just... don't get too angry on ordinary days, don't mind it too much. You'll get used to it after a while."

Si Ming said coolly, "I have no reason to be angry about this."

Amidst the black robe, her long hair was like fire.

Ning Changjiu smiled and kept quiet.

The world was free,

With no one to obstruct them, the two flew swiftly on their swords. Before half a day passed, the rolling waves of the Sea of Unfatedness appeared before them.

Legend had it that this was where Xuanze had fallen. If one traveled southeast from here, they would reach Nanming.

Boundary City couldn't wait, and Ning Changjiu wouldn't detour to Nanming just out of curiosity.

"By my reckoning, it's been over two years since I last saw that girl, Shao Xiaoli," Si Ming said, and couldn't help but smile, her hair turning azure. "Back then, she kept calling herself 'Mistress.'"

Ning Changjiu thought of the outspoken, vibrant red-dressed girl, feeling a touch of melancholy himself.

"Do you still resent her?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Si Ming replied, "Regarding what happened back then, you two are the only ones with a right to resent me... After I lost that competition, you didn't truly make me your slave or servant. That was the greatest respect you could show me, and in truth... I have always been grateful."

Ning Changjiu, however, smiled faintly. "But I'm still your master."

"Hm?" Si Ming looked puzzled.

Ning Changjiu said, "The Lord of the Kingdom is also a master."

"Alright, master," Si Ming said with an alluring smile. "You promised to rename the palace. I wonder how you'll explain that to Zhao Xiang'er later."

Ning Changjiu was speechless, but he couldn't go back on his word.

Si Ming inexplicably pictured Zhao Xiang'er chasing Ning Changjiu around the world with a feather duster and couldn't help but laugh, full of anticipation.

And as they crossed the Sea of Unfatedness, within the Ancient Spirit Sect, Ning Xiaoling and the Fish King also returned to the Underworld Divine Palace.

Ning Xiaoling now bore the authority of the Underworld, and the Underworld's mini-world was benevolent towards her, without any rejection.

Ning Xiaoling came to the stone steps floating in the darkness. She sprang up with her paws, leaping from one step to another, and lightly reached outside the grand hall.

The Fish King, due to becoming increasingly fat, was much more clumsy.

Ning Xiaoling was the first to enter the hall. She immediately saw herself still seated on the throne—a serene, petite girl in a white dress, like a jasmine flower.

She watched for a while, wagging her soft tail, and tiptoed past herself, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping girl on the throne.

Ning Xiaoling came to the pillar covered with the Underworld Lord's long poem and thought of Jiuyou in her black cotton dress.

She hoped there would be no more unforeseen changes.

The Fish King approached. It also looked at the inscriptions on the black pillar, the messy handwriting still vivid in its memory.

"Who exactly is it..."

"Zhulong is dead, Taotie is dead, Xuanze is dead, Suizhen is dead..."

"I will die too..."

"Can't go back, all gone..."

The Fish King scanned again, finally settling its gaze on the end, where a sentence carried a profound, unclosed-eyes doubt:

"Into whose hands did the Tinder ultimately fall?"

Ning Xiaoling asked, "What's written on it?"

The Fish King replied, "Some last words of the Underworld Lord. Before facing death, it seemed to be searching for something called the Tinder."

"Tinder?" Ning Xiaoling was a little curious.

The Fish King said, "It seems to be something the Star God created before its death. The Underworld Lord called it 'Hope'."

Hope, then...

Ning Xiaoling's long tail curled around her sword, thinking that if there truly was anything in this world that could be called the last hope, it must be her senior brother...

Ning Xiaoling pulled back her thoughts and said, "Keep that ancient Underworld scroll hidden well. If something unforeseen happens, or if Jiuyou changes her mind, you might become the variable."

"Mhm, don't worry, no one will suspect a cat," the Fish King nodded, looking harmless. It thought for a moment and then added, "Or perhaps I should act even more useless?"

Ning Xiaoling eyed its current physique and quietly said, "Actually, you don't need to pretend anymore..."

"..." The Fish King was deeply struck.

Ning Xiaoling raised her sword and struck towards herself and the Fish King. As death was about to descend, the Underworld sensed it, and the deeper abyss revealed its true form, enveloping them.

The vast dark sea was like a whale floating above the ancient Underworld kingdom.

They moved through the whale's belly, descending into the depths of darkness.

At this moment, within the Underworld Hall, Jiuyou wore an elaborate black silk-edged dress. The dress resembled an inverted flower, with layers supporting each other, rising outwards, covered by a thin veil. The girl held up her skirt with both hands, looking left and right in front of the mirror, occasionally tiptoeing on her delicate, pinkish feet to admire her swan-like neck, arranging her black hair, adorned with spider lilies, neatly.

She was the sole princess of this place.

But now, she was incredibly nervous.

Not because the end of days was approaching, but because of the snake bones behind the throne.

The snake bones were mostly dormant but occasionally awoke, warning her and recounting many true historical events.

She was the Underworld Lord's maiden heart.

And these snake bones were the Underworld Lord's remains.

They were meant to be one...

But at this moment, Jiuyou felt little resonance.

She still agreed to everything the bone snake said, a compliance born of fear.

She stood before the mirror, changing into hundreds of different dresses each day, a frequency that was increasing.

Her reason for doing so was simple: when her heart returned to her body, she would transform back into a man, and then she wouldn't be able to wear beautiful dresses anymore.

Jiuyou tiptoed to the hall's exterior to gaze out.

She looked at the dark sea in the sky, her thoughts conflicted.

"Why aren't they here yet..."

"Don't come..."

Night fell.

It was midnight when Ning Changjiu and Si Ming crossed the Sea of Unfatedness.

A crescent moon hung directly overhead, its light pale.

Along the way, Ning Changjiu and Si Ming had been chatting and laughing, but once they truly arrived in Nanzhou, their expressions instantly grew solemn.

"From here to the abyss north of Yu Sword Heavenly Sect, it will take at least seven days. We definitely won't make it in time," Ning Changjiu said.

Si Ming asked, "Are there any other entrances?"

"Yes," Ning Changjiu replied, "The place where we came out."

At that time, they had left the abyss through an ancient well. After they emerged, the well mysteriously vanished, and despite repeated searches, they found no trace of it.

Si Ming looked at the dark, sprawling wilderness ahead and asked, "Do you still remember its location?"

"No," Ning Changjiu said.

Si Ming frowned, "Then how will we find it?"

Ning Changjiu looked into her eyes and said earnestly, "I remember the location where I broke through into the Purple Court. The ancient well was directly to the east of that spot."

Si Ming also remembered the scene: a fine drizzle was falling, and she stood on a cliff, gazing at Ning Changjiu, only leaving after confirming his successful breakthrough.

However, Nanzhou was by no means a small place; even searching for that spot would require immense effort.

But Si Ming's mood settled somewhat as she looked at Ning Changjiu's calm face. She asked, "Do you have a way?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Yes!"

As he spoke, he closed his eyes, and his Grand Yin Eyes, like countless crisscrossing lines, stretched out with all their might in every direction.

He seemed to be searching for something.

Si Ming grew more puzzled and quietly asked, "Nanzhou is so vast. While your Grand Yin authority is powerful, how far can it extend?"

"It truly cannot extend too far," Ning Changjiu said. "But if... there's an anchor of mine sunk there, it will be different."

"An anchor sunk?"

"Yes... a part of my body," Ning Changjiu said seriously.

"A part of your body?" Si Ming listened with a hint of alarm. She looked at Ning Changjiu and said, "Aside from your Eye of the Heart, I haven't seen you missing any other parts."

Ning Changjiu murmured, "There is..."

At this moment, in the southwest direction of his sea of consciousness, a faint light suddenly glimmered. That tiny light was extremely distant, yet it far surpassed the limit of the Grand Yin authority's reach and resonated with him... This faint light was like a part of his body, extending towards him, grasping him.

Ning Changjiu exhaled softly.

"Found it," Ning Changjiu said. "No need to detour, just keep going forward."

Si Ming grew even more curious: "What exactly did you leave behind at the place where you broke through?"

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment and said mysteriously, "I'll tell you later."

Si Ming feigned disdain, "Tell me or don't, I don't care."

Ning Changjiu sighed inwardly... *Of course, I can't tell her. Back when I broke through, in that valley, I fought a battle with Liu Xiwang in my sea of consciousness. The fight lasted from dawn till dusk. I defeated Liu Xiwang, but instead of devouring her, I let her leave my body and become an independent entity.*

At that time, Liu Xiwang still had a full head of extremely long gray hair, so long it could envelop her entire being. She had been by a stream, using her sword to shorten her long hair.

Her entire head of grayish-white hair, which was all sword-strands, sank to the bottom of the stream.

Liu Xiwang was his Silver Sword, a true and actual part of him. Her sword-strands were still at the bottom of the stream, and upon hearing his call, they resonated.

In Ning Changjiu's sea of consciousness, Nanzhou was no longer a vast expanse of darkness. He simply needed to follow the light source in the southwest, continuing forward until he was level with it, to return to that original place.

"Ning Changjiu," Si Ming suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

Ning Changjiu asked, "What is it?"

Si Ming suddenly took off her hood and said, "It just occurred to me, this hood... it can't block your Grand Yin, can it?"

Ning Changjiu paused, then immediately said, "Boundary City is in dire straits. We don't have time to argue about this."

Si Ming looked at him languidly, *Indeed, it's the Grand Yin...*

No longer deceiving herself, she removed her hood and mask. She reached behind her neck, drawing out the hair hidden within her cloak; it cascaded out like water, vividly colored.

Together, they flew straight through the air.

Her long hair in the night was like silk, gently fluttering—Nanzhou's most beautiful rainbow.

Boundary City.

Beneath the void realm, the long winds of time continuously whirled around them.

The higher one went, the faster time flowed.

Days had passed outside, but here, only a few hours.

But Baizang didn't mind.

As long as she wasn't dragged into the void realm, she was absolutely confident she could defeat Heng'e before the end of the Baizang Year.

In her view, Heng'e had misunderstood one thing.

Heng'e believed her goal was to enter the Headless God Kingdom, but this was not the case.

If she could destroy Heng'e's projection and thoroughly absorb the power of authority within it, she would be perfectly content.

Heng'e's existence was her only concern; as long as Heng'e's power was weakened, she could rest easy. As for a future day when the world might again fall into chaos and the twelve god kingdoms vied for power, that was a distant matter she didn't dwell on.

In the vast sky, this divine battle, which should have been earth-shattering, seemed somewhat lonely.

Baizang's petite form emanated a molten silver light. Her figure was like a sword, crisscrossing the sky, transforming into swirling lines. These lines were smoothly curved, each tens of thousands of miles long, and Boundary City was a temporal cross-section; these lines had also flowed for millions of years across the span of time.

This was her sword.

This slender, elongated sword was imbued with profound meaning in this special space-time.

And at the center of the sword-like lines was the silhouette of Shao Xiaoli in her red dress and ink-black hair.

Her figure floated in the sky, like a cloud trapped in the wind.

Ye Chan Palace, using Shao Xiaoli's body, held a withered branch and swung sword after sword. The silvery sword light flowed gently around her, yet it couldn't break through the iron wall formed by Baizang's sword light.

"Dreams hold no real power, and the Headless God's authority over time is already incredibly fragmented..." Baizang would occasionally pause, watching her calmly: "I'm curious, what exactly did you do to erode the authority over time to such an extent?"

Ye Chan Palace, of course, did not answer.

Her figure wove through the chaotic sword light, using dreams as a shield and creating possibilities of life through fate. She moved through these possibilities, evading many seemingly desperate killing blows.

But Baizang's swords became increasingly dense.

The possibilities that fate could manifest grew ever smaller.

Finally, a line of sword energy grazed her wrist.

Fresh blood seeped from beneath her fair skin.

Baizang spread her ten fingers.

Beneath the sky, Baizang's already petite figure seemed even smaller, yet this tiny silhouette possessed the power to control the world, unmatched and supreme.

The chaotic swords drew closer and closer to Ye Chan Palace.

Shao Xiaoli's red dress was torn every few moments, seeping crimson blood.

Ye Chan Palace's coughing grew more frequent.

Baizang watched the woman resisting desperately, feeling no pleasure that a great enemy was about to fall. She was constantly vigilant for changes, guarding against any hidden moves from her opponent.

She had a trump card.

She believed Ye Chan Palace also held a trump card, but she didn't know when it would be revealed.

Yet Ye Chan Palace truly seemed like a lamb to the slaughter, only ceaselessly parrying with the Moon Branch, without any power to counterattack.

The sword light illuminated the nearby void realm with a stark white color.

Shao Xiaoli's injuries grew increasingly severe.

"Master?"

A part of Shao Xiaoli's consciousness returned to her body.

She could empathize with Ye Chan Palace's current weakness.

This made Shao Xiaoli very sad.

Baizang's swords ceaselessly struck. With one hand, she wielded Dust Seal, and with the other, Collapse. Bearing two authorities, her destructive power far surpassed Ye Chan Palace's.

"Master... Master..." Shao Xiaoli felt the pain radiating from her body, and she kept calling out for her master.

She could feel Ye Chan Palace's body being slowly peeled away from her own.

The other party's aura was also growing weaker...

"Master!" Shao Xiaoli suddenly cried out.

"Hmm?" Ye Chan Palace seemed to finally hear her.

Shao Xiaoli sensed her hand, gripped the withered branch tightly, and said firmly, "Master, let me take over."