Chapter 386: Sunrise in the East

Severed World City.

A sword pierced Ning Changjiu's chest, and the sealed authority enveloped him.

Baizang knew that merely destroying his physical body wouldn't kill Ning Changjiu; she had to kill him at every point in history.

In Ning Changjiu's consciousness, four millennia rewound. He heard a cry and knew he had been born.

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes to the world, his gaze not the primal chaos of newfound sentience, but the clarity of inherent wisdom.

This was nearly four thousand years ago.

In the blink of an eye, Ning Changjiu had become a young boy.

He sat quietly outside a courtyard enclosed by earthen walls, watching the neatly planted rice seedlings in the fields, silent.

An old farmer returned from afar, carrying a hoe and a basket of herbs.

"I've finished all those books," the boy said.

The old farmer was silent for a moment, then said, "Then there's nothing more I can teach you."

Since the boy's birth, everyone in the village had come to teach him to read and write, or some basic breathing and meditation techniques.

At seven, he had finished all the books in the underground cave. For the rest of the time, he mostly gazed at the sun, lost in thought.

When he was three, he told the villagers that a goddess resided in the sun.

Surprisingly, no one refuted such an absurd claim.

"Are these books all there is to the world?" the boy asked.

The old farmer replied, "This is not the world itself, but merely people's interpretations of it."

The boy pondered the statement, then asked, "A stranger recently came to the village. I saw him; he said it's chaotic outside, with dead bodies everywhere."

The old farmer nodded. "It's always been chaotic."

The boy watched the turning waterwheel and the murmuring stream. "Why is it so peaceful here?" he asked.

The old farmer seemed to be considering whether to tell him the truth.

The boy looked at the old farmer and said, "I overheard you talking that night. They said you are the wisest person here, the Grand Immortal Lord."

The old farmer's brows furrowed, and his expression grew serious. Slowly, he said, "It's time for you to learn martial arts."

"Learn martial arts?" the boy asked, puzzled.

The old farmer nodded. "Yes. Once you master your breathing techniques, the bearded man from the east of the village will teach you some moves."

"The east of the village..." The boy mused, "Uncle Pangu?"

He learned everything quickly. Pangu was his first teacher, mostly instructing him in broad, sweeping martial arts stances. Afterward, Nuwa, Zhuan Yu, and various Heavenly Emperors all became his teachers. They gathered in this secluded little village, seemingly untouched by the colossal disasters raging outside.

Yet, the boy noticed that some uncles who left the village never returned.

By the age of fourteen, he had mastered and integrated all three thousand types of divine arts, immortal techniques, and martial arts attacks taught to him.

"I've learned all the martial arts too."

On his fourteenth birthday, the boy closed his book and said earnestly.

The old master, sitting upright, looked at him deeply and said, "Then there truly is nothing left for us to teach you."

That day, all his teachers came: Pangu, Fuxi, Zhurong, Nuwa, Luoshen... all renowned figures in the village.

The boy bowed to them.

They all turned aside, avoiding the bow.

The boy was puzzled.

Nuwa, who was usually proud and strict, gently told him, "A thousand years ago, you said that from then on, we would be you. Now, we are still you."

The boy remained silent for a long time, then nodded softly.

He had actually remembered many things.

At fourteen, to know every character and cultivate all three thousand Great Daos was an impossible feat for a human. Yet, even so, he was still not the most talented person in the village.

He knew that there was a young girl in the east of the village, born on the same day as him, who had mastered everything he learned by fourteen, two years earlier than he did.

Much later, when the boy awakened his memories, he finally understood the reason: he had left many of his authorities with Xihe, and thus, he was not complete in his current state.

He had a child betrothal with the young girl.

They didn't follow the formal betrothal rituals; the boy learned her name when he was very young: Chang'e.

Chang'e was a quiet and reserved girl.

She liked to look at the moon.

When she looked at the moon, she would think of home.

The first time the boy saw her, it was in such a scene.

The slender girl was nestled in a chair woven from fine bamboo, wrapped in a thin cotton cloth, gazing at the moon by a low earthen wall.

When the boy arrived, she looked at him.

Perhaps it was the moonlight, but the girl's face was very pale. Her slender black hair fell beside her cheeks, and her large eyes shimmered. She slightly loosened her grip on her knees, the moonlight illuminating her as if she were made of ice and snow.

"Why did you take so long to come? I've been waiting for you for two years," Chang'e's words were as clear and cool as a stream flowing through the village, mirroring her demeanor.

The boy lowered his head apologetically. "I won't make you wait so long again."

Chang'e smiled brightly and clearly. Her teeth were still childlike, yet her tone held an indescribable maturity. "How goes your comprehension of the Three Thousand Great Daos?"

"I've memorized them all," the boy replied.

Chang'e rose from the bamboo chair. She wore a simple, light-colored dress and had a long braid, making her appear particularly petite.

"Since you've memorized them, you may leave," Chang'e said calmly, looking at him.

"Aren't we supposed to get married first?" the boy asked with a smile.

Chang'e looked at him silently.

Ning Changjiu lowered his head with a smile and bowed. "Your disciple, Ning Changjiu, greets Master."

As he finished speaking, all the surrounding scenery faded away. They were enveloped in a watery silver glow, with only the two of them remaining.

Chang'e was no longer the simply dressed young girl but a maiden with black hair and white robes.

More precisely, it was Ye Changong.

"Was what I just saw our past story?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"Perhaps," Ye Changong said. "But I merely intended to use Baizang's 'Dust Sealing' ability to let you review the three thousand volumes of the Great Dao. That is all."

"Master, you don't need to explain to me," Ning Changjiu said.

Ye Changong calmly stated, "Do not be insolent."

Ning Changjiu did not disrespect her because of their past as husband and wife. He reined in his smile and stayed by his Master's side.

"Are we in your dream now, Master?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"Yes," Ye Changong replied. "Baizang has gone to the Headless God Nation, so this 'Dust Sealing' can no longer suppress me."

"Master, did you deliberately feign weakness earlier?" Ning Changjiu asked curiously.

Ye Changong's voice carried a hint of weariness. "As I am now, I am indeed very weak."

If she were still at her peak, how could Baizang dare to appear before her?

"I have finished reading the three thousand volumes of the Great Dao. When will I wake from this dream?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"The time is not yet ripe," Ye Changong said.

Ning Changjiu did not press the matter.

Ye Changong stopped, turned to look at him, and asked softly, "I hear you are skilled at forging swords?"

...Ning Changjiu met Ye Changong's gaze. After a moment of hesitation, he realized his mistake. Ning Changjiu nodded firmly, "I'm fairly skilled."

Ye Changong hummed in acknowledgment and continued, "Then for the remainder of this time, you will forge a sword, or rather... an arrow."

"An arrow?" Ning Changjiu looked at the petite girl giving orders, finding it difficult to adjust to the situation.

Ye Changong nodded gently. She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a Moon Branch, and handed it to Ning Changjiu. "Yes, an arrow. This is your mythological story; you must protect it."

Ning Changjiu took the Moon Branch, seemingly understanding yet not fully.

Ye Changong seemed truly weary. Her form turned into a wisp of smoke and dissipated within the dream.

Within the dream, Ning Changjiu sat cross-legged, summoning the Golden Crow. He quietly waited for the 'opportune moment' his Master had spoken of, while intuitively forging the Moon Branch.

In the center of the Headless God Nation, Baizang had arrived before the final temple.

Her path had been unimpeded.

Si Ming floated behind her, teeth clenched. Beneath her divine robe, blood continuously flowed. Her icy eyes gradually lost their color, becoming distinct shades of black and white—the black profound, the white lifeless.

"Reach out your hand," Baizang commanded again.

Si Ming struggled to resist, but could not prevent her arm from rising.

Baizang seized her scarred hand and pressed it against the great temple door. Blood streamed down the door, and Si Ming's slender fingers, suffering a backlash from the laws, gained many new cracks.

Moments later, her arm dropped limply, even paler than before.

Before Baizang, the great door slowly opened.

With vigilant silver eyes, Baizang's true ancient demon form expanded as she walked into the very center of the God Nation.

Si Ming was forced to follow, weakly gasping, her gaze already somewhat unfocused.

At the Ancient Spirit Sect, a minor punishment from Lu Jiajia would make her beg for mercy repeatedly, but now, despite being covered in wounds, she still clenched her teeth and uttered not a single superfluous word.

In the face of a true enemy, she always maintained her dignity and pride.

Baizang led Si Ming through the door.

Listening to Si Ming's suppressed moans of pain, Baizang said:

"These scars are the price you pay, for I allowed you to see the truth before your death."

Si Ming stared at her, her red lips trembling, her pupils filled with bitter hatred.

Baizang dismissed her gaze and continued to lead her deeper into the hall.

They saw the headless god's skeleton.

The skeleton stood in the center of the temple, obscured only by many moonlight-white veils, visible immediately upon entering.

Baizang's movements slowed. The secret lay behind the white veil; she would be the first to uncover it, filling her with a hint of tension and anticipation.

Baizang stretched out her hand. A low tiger's roar echoed in the hall as strong winds, like claws, descended through the air. The moonlight-white veils swayed violently under the immense force, tearing into countless openings.

Baizang let out a low cry, the temperature radiating from her eyes hot enough to melt any metal.

In the blink of an eye, the moon veils were ripped away, revealing the majestic divine skeleton of the headless god before them.

Si Ming's gaze involuntarily fell upon it as well.

She saw the iron-like bones. The divine skeleton was immense; her own body was perhaps only the size of a god's finger. She couldn't describe what the bones resembled. They expanded whitely in her vision, like a vast, sky-obscuring forest, or an open umbrella with a hundred thousand joints.

One of her eleven peers had died. Baizang took a brief moment to mourn.

Next, she needed to truly confirm the identity of the deceased and extract the power from the remaining body.

Baizang quickly moved to the headless god's severed bone. She extended her hand, placed it on the bone, and closed her eyes.

She uttered a surprised sound.

The divine bone clearly resisted and repelled her.

Baizang looked at Si Ming, reached out, and instantly pulled Si Ming to her side. Baizang then took Si Ming's hand and pressed it against the headless god's severed bone.

Like Baizang, the divine bone resisted Si Ming as well.

"What's going on? It doesn't even have a head; it should be ownerless by now. Why can it still resist?"

Confusion festered in Baizang's heart, giving rise to furious anger.

Rage needed an outlet.

Baizang stared into Si Ming's eyes. Once she confirmed that Si Ming could not possibly pledge loyalty to her, she raised her hand, and silver particles instantly gathered.

"No one can betray a God Nation. I'll help you fulfill your loyalty, so you'll still be considered virtuous."

The silver blade, irresistibly sharp, descended directly towards Si Ming's neck.

Si Ming's pupils constricted, but she didn't blink, instead staring fixedly at Baizang. She quietly whispered Ning Changjiu's name in her heart, calmly awaiting the blade's strike.

Then, Si Ming felt herself falling.

She thought her head had been severed.

But she looked around and saw no severed neck or mutilated body. Her head was still attached to her body; she had simply fallen from the headless god's divine bones.

Where she had stood moments before, Baizang's figure had vanished.

The moment was silent. The next instant, a sharp roar erupted, and a long river of moonlight shot past her eyes.

Many sounds echoed simultaneously.

The closing of the temple doors, the cracking of divine bones, the impact of a body against the hall, the rushing sound of the moonlight river...

Just as Si Ming was about to fall to the ground, a wisp of moonlight supported her delicate back.

The sensation was gentle, like a woman's hand smoothing away all her injuries.

The deafening sounds gradually subsided.

Si Ming turned her head, looking towards the billowing dust.

The thick smoke was rising from the great entrance.

A white shadow instantly tore through the dense smoke and rushed out.

It was Baizang.

Earlier, just as she was about to kill Si Ming, a river of moonlight, like a flying sword, thrust into her, pinning her against the temple wall.

"Who is hiding there?"

Baizang roared furiously, her body suddenly rising. Her tiger-tail whip lashed out like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, she was back atop the divine skeleton.

Only then did Baizang notice that at the far end of the temple, a moonlit curtain also floated. Behind the curtain stood the ethereal figure of a woman. She was the one who had unleashed the river of moonlight.

The woman settled back onto her divine throne, her gaze piercing the curtain as she looked at Baizang. "I was never hidden. You were simply blind, failing to notice me upon entering the hall."

Baizang was not significantly harmed; a Divine Lord's true form feared nothing.

She stared at the graceful silhouette, her cold voice filled with rage. "Who exactly are you? What is your purpose?"

Si Ming, however, instantly recognized that voice.

"Master..."

She knew it was her Master who had killed the headless god, but she hadn't expected her to have been inside the headless god's temple all along.

Was she... waiting for Baizang to arrive?!

Behind the curtain, the woman's voice was calm, her words pure and devoid of emotion:

"Don't you recognize me?"

She seemed to chuckle softly and continued:

"You may call me Immortal Lord Chang'e."

"You may call me Ye Changong."

"You may call me the Lord of the Unobservable Temple."

"Or you may call me Changxi..."

Changxi!

Baizang's heart jolted. Only today did she learn that Changxi and Chang'e were the same person!

But none of this was as shocking as Ye Changong's next sentence.

Ye Changong caressed the 'Shan Hai Cangliu Secret Scripture' beside her right hand and slowly spoke:

"However, here and now, perhaps you should call me Yuanfu Heavenly Monarch."

A sudden realization seemed to dawn in the hall. Si Ming's heart trembled, feeling that the mist shrouding her Taoist heart had been lifted.

Baizang had actually recognized the skeleton earlier, but her focus was on the residual power within the remains, so she hadn't given it much thought.

After seven hundred years, Ye Changong finally revealed the identity of this headless god.

Yuanfu.

She had killed Yuanfu, taken its divine scroll, and ascended its divine throne.

She should have known... Baizang realized with a jolt.

In the final battle three thousand five hundred years ago, Chang'e and Yi were both killed by Yuanfu. Although, for some unknown reason, the legend diverged, and Chang'e reportedly escaped. If she escaped, then upon her return one day, she would naturally seek revenge on Yuanfu.

Thus, Yuanfu died.

Baizang knew that this hunt was far from a simple matter of love, hatred, and impulsive action; there had to be deeper schemes hidden behind it. But for now, she had no time to ponder; she had to face the enemy before her.

Baizang stared at the silhouette behind the curtain, her body tense and alert. "You did all this just to lure me here?"

"Yes," Ye Changong affirmed.

"Do you have the confidence to kill me?" Baizang asked.

"No, I do not," Ye Changong replied.

Baizang narrowed her eyes, unable to resist glancing at Yuanfu's headless skeleton.

When the twelve God Nations were gradually established, apart from the late-rising Jufu, Yuanfu was undeniably the strongest among the Divine Lords, possessing 'Infinity,' one of the top authorities.

Yet, Yuanfu, who wielded Infinity, had been reduced to a pale skeleton seven hundred years ago.

"Who else, besides you and Suzaku, killed Yuanfu?" Baizang asked coldly.

Ye Changong smiled without answering.

But even without her answer, the truth was etched upon the headless divine skeleton.

Baizang looked at the bones entwined around the corpse below, her spirit jolting. "Thunder Prison?! It truly betrayed us!"

Ye Changong said, "Yuanfu was indeed very strong. I prepared for a long time before killing it, but the actual kill took only one sword strike."

A hundred years of preparation for a single year.

Ye Changong still remembered the scene.

With 'Death Prison' and 'World' confining Yuanfu, she used the moon as her sword and cleanly beheaded Yuanfu.

Even with 'Infinity,' Yuanfu was powerless to reverse its fate.

"Impossible!" Baizang roared. "The Lords of the God Nations rotate annually. How could two Lords appear in the same year!"

Ye Changong looked at her calmly and said, "Earlier, when you arrived, you told Xueci that the fundamental rules of this world are simple because the creator's mind is simple. Can you truly not understand such a simple reason?"

Baizang's eyes widened, still unable to comprehend.

"Do you know why the Godless Moon exists?" Ye Changong asked.

Baizang remained silent.

Ye Changong, as if explaining to Si Ming, spoke unhurriedly: "The gods of this world are connected to the stars, be it the Six Primeval Gods or the current Lords of the God Nations. Thus, each of the twelve God Nation Lords has a corresponding star."

Si Ming listened and nodded. Deities and stars were intimately linked; if a star extinguished, its Divine Lord would weaken or even perish. The Underworld Lord was the best example.

Ye Changong continued, "Back then, the Six Primeval Gods came to this star to plunder its spiritual energy, to bring vitality back to their home planet. The Dark Lord later did the same. Unlike them, though the Dark Lord possessed unimaginably powerful strength, it could not truly enter this star. It coveted the spiritual energy but could not extract it itself. So, it created the twelve God Nations and the Immortal Court, appointed the twelve Divine Lords as overseers, and used all cultivators as miners, using their bodies as conduits to personally deliver the 'ore'—the spiritual energy—into the Dark Lord's mouth."

Baizang remained silent throughout.

She knew that what Ye Changong said was the truth.

Five hundred years ago, this very truth was exposed by the sage Jufu. Jufu personally revealed the Immortal Court to the public, plunging all cultivators into unprecedented fear. Fear ignited wrath and courage; they no longer trusted the Heavenly Dao and collectively drew their swords against the heavens.

This was a secret known to all Divine Lords.

Ye Changong paused, then continued, "Of course, creating the twelve God Nations required twelve stars. But originally, these stars didn't exist in the sky. The Dark Lord fabricated them... This process wasn't difficult; the Dark Lord simply needed to gather cosmic debris to create a simple star."

"These stars are not large, smaller even than the moon."

"This world is heliocentric. The mother star constantly revolves around the sun, while the moon revolves around the mother star. The twelve stars created by the Dark Lord were evenly placed outside the mother star's orbit around the sun. Viewed from above, they resemble twelve evenly distributed markers on a sundial. It takes one year for the mother star to traverse these 'twelve hours'."

"The Dark Lord created them this way because these stars are artificial and not stable enough to burn for extended periods; a single star can only burn for a maximum of one year. Thus, the Dark Lord made twelve, igniting one each year to distribute the burden."

"Once the twelve stars were created and evenly distributed outside the orbit, the Dark Lord attached itself to the mother star. As it passed a star, it would ignite it. The energy it bestowed upon the star was just enough to burn for one year. When the mother star completed its orbit and returned to that specific star, the star would have just extinguished."

"Then, the Dark Lord would need to ignite the next star, allowing it to burn for the following year."

"Just like the twelve marks on a sundial, moving from one mark to the next takes one *shichen* (two hours). On the sundial formed by the twelve stars, this *shichen* translates to one month."

"One month... this is the month when the old star has extinguished, and the new star has not yet been ignited."

"This is the origin of the Godless Moon."

Ye Changong's ethereal voice echoed through Yuanfu's God Nation.

Her voice was light and airy, yet it was revealing one of the world's greatest secrets.

Si Ming felt dizzy listening, but with her Master present, she pretended to understand regardless. With clear eyes, Si Ming nodded and said, "Master, your explanation is truly profound and insightful..."

Baizang still stared at her. "So what are you trying to say?"

"Hmm?" Ye Changong seemed surprised. "You still don't understand?"

Baizang concealed her fangs and sharp claws, refraining from acting for now.

Ye Changong said, "Lighting a star isn't that difficult. If a star were placed before you, you could ignite it yourself. The challenge is leaving this sky."

Lighting a star... If Ning Changjiu were present, he would realize that the first trial on Sky Cave Peak was star ignition. When a star was lit, light would descend, and a warrior would simultaneously appear within that light. The warrior could not leave the light. By defeating this warrior, one could receive a wisp of sword intent from the star. So, destiny had hinted at this ultimate secret to him long ago.

As for leaving this sky...

The Underworld Lord's poems were like historical records, clearly stating that after the Dark Lord obscured the sky, even Zhulong, the strongest of the Six Primeval Gods, could not escape.

Baizang understood. She said, "You secretly lit the stars and opened three God Nations in the same year!"

"You finally figured it out," Ye Changong said.

"How is that possible?!" Baizang couldn't fathom it. "Why didn't the Dark Lord discover you simultaneously igniting God Nations?"

Ye Changong said, "Because the Dark Lord is indeed simple and foolish; it didn't know I was still alive back then. I had already stored power on the Thunder Prison star. When passing the Vermilion Bird star, I lit both stars simultaneously for one *shichen* (two hours). During that *shichen*, I killed Yuanfu. When the stars extinguished, the Thunder Prison and Vermilion Bird God Nations quietly vanished, and I returned to the moon. Even if the Heavenly Dao wanted to inflict punishment, it would have nowhere to land it."

At this point, Ye Changong sighed softly. "If the Dark Lord had awakened a little later, I might have been able to use this method to kill all Divine Lords except Thunder Prison, Jufu, and Vermilion Bird. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord sensed the change and woke up in time to modify the rules..."

Ye Changong did not elaborate on this matter.

Baizang, however, raised a new question: "Chang'e, when the Dark Lord obscured the sky, you were already in the human world. How did you escape?"

This was her greatest doubt.

Ye Changong, however, chuckled. "I also don't understand why you refuse to believe the world-renowned legend of Chang'e's flight to the moon?"

"What?" Baizang was astonished again.

The legend of Chang'e's flight to the moon has many variations among humans, but the core of the story is always Chang'e secretly consuming the elixir of immortality and flying to the moon.

"Elixir of immortality..."

What then was this elixir of immortality?

A startling answer formed in Baizang's mind, and she realized things were amiss.

Even before Ye Changong appeared, Yuanfu's God Nation had closed, preventing even Baizang's true form from leaving.

But Baizang was not panicked. All her previous talk with Ye Changong was a means to establish a connection with the Heavenly Dao.

The Lords of the God Nations were appointed by the Heavenly Dao, and thus inseparable from it.

Now that she had guessed the nature of the elixir of immortality, she completely abandoned the idea of a head-on confrontation with Ye Changong.

She would use the Heavenly Dao's external rules to aid her, sever this God Nation, and escape!

"Oh no..." Si Ming also realized, crying out in surprise.

Baizang had already raised her hand.

The Heavenly Dao responded.

But soon, Baizang froze.

The Heavenly Dao's response wasn't directed here! Something else had drawn its attention away!

The Underworld Lord...

Baizang thought of the answer.

Only the Six Primeval Gods could have such a capability.

The Underworld God Temple.

Jiuyou knelt on the ground, earnestly writing poetry.

The Fish King cursed, "Stop obsessing over your nonsensical, rotten poetry! It'll be the same even if you write it for a hundred years! Just focus on recovering from your injuries!"

Jiuyou pouted and said, "What do you know, you evil cat? It's precisely when one is injured that one should write poetry. As the ancients said, 'Poetry hates those who are well-off.' I'm down on my luck right now, it's the perfect time to write poetry."

...The Fish King couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore.

Unbeknownst to them, another five days had passed.

Fortunately, the three-day countdown on the stone tablet earlier was false, a lie concocted by the bone serpent to make Jiuyou deceive Ning Xiaoling.

After the bone serpent vanished into the Ruined Sea, the number on the stone tablet reverted to ninety days. Jiuyou pointed at the tablet, inspired, and recited, "How abundant are the days of the Underworld!"

The Fish King occasionally looked at the Ruined Sea, waiting anxiously.

Suddenly, the earth shook violently.

The great door separating them from the Ruined Sea began to tremble.

At that very moment, outside the Ancient Underworld Temple, the numbers on the stone tablet began to decrease rapidly.

"What's happening..."

The Fish King leaped up, its fur bristling.

The Ancient Spirit Sect also sensed this disturbance.

As the Jiuyou Temple shattered, Lu Jiajia swiftly emerged on her sword, activating a grand formation to prevent the sudden explosion from affecting other disciples.

"What's wrong..."

Lu Jiajia was concerned for Ning Xiaoling's safety, but the commotion from the Jiuyou Temple was immense; even she couldn't approach.

In the sky, divine punishment lightning descended, thick as a temple column.

Within the Ancient Underworld Nation, the Sea of Darkness, as if receiving a command, ascended like a balloon towards the sky, resembling a whale surfacing from the deep ocean.

The Heavenly Dao's divine punishment struck the Sea of Darkness; lightning crackled and surged, and the water boiled.

This process lasted an entire day.

After a day, the Sea of Darkness, once formed from the former Underworld Lord's sea of consciousness, was completely shattered.

After the thunder subsided, the great gate to the Ruined Sea opened.

However, it wasn't the Nine-tailed Fox form of Ning Xiaoling who emerged, but Ning Xiaoling in a white dress.

Ning Xiaoling sat upon the Underworld Throne, one finger pointed to the sky, the other to the earth, and recited the motto her senior brother had once carved for her:

"Above, to the farthest Nine Heavens; below, to the deepest Nine Springs—among all subjects of the Underworld, I alone am supreme!"

Her voice was like a feather drifting over a winter lake.

A new ruler had ascended the throne.

Jiuyou and the Fish King remained dazed, while all the surviving subjects of the Ancient Underworld Nation prostrated themselves, bowing in unison.

Baizang received no response from the Heavenly Dao.

The Year of Baizang was about to end.

She could not wait any longer. She was in her true, supreme form; it made no sense to passively await death.

Baizang resolved to shatter the God Nation and escape, even if it meant expending most of her divine power.

Once she escaped, and the Year of Baizang passed, she would naturally return to her own nation.

Baizang transformed into molten silver and vanished from her spot.

Ye Changong did not stop her.

She looked at the 'Vast Ocean Current Secret Realm' on her right, resting her chin on her hand in thought.

"Xueci, come here," Ye Changong said softly a moment later.

The voice brought boundless peace to Si Ming's heart. She slowly walked to the curtain and knelt.

Ye Changong asked, "Xueci, do you have any more questions?"

Si Ming immediately said, "Changjiu... Is he alright?"

Ye Changong's gaze lowered.

Only then did Si Ming remember that, according to the identity revealed by Baizang, her Master and Ning Changjiu were husband and wife in their past lives...

"Master, I..." Si Ming's confidence immediately wavered.

Ye Changong waved her hand, indicating she didn't mind. She said, "Do you know what the elixir of immortality is in the legend of Chang'e's flight to the moon?"

Si Ming asked, puzzled, "Please enlighten me, Master."

"The Spark," Ye Changong said.

"What?"

On this day, Si Ming learned too many astonishing secrets.

Ye Changong smiled. "Before the Star God was split into good and evil, and poetry, it left behind the Spark, condensed from all its essence. That was the Spark of Hope, and it was originally meant for him... He forced the Spark upon me, then burned away his life to shoot an arrow. That arrow wasn't aimed at Yuanfu, but at the sky... He used his final arrow to cover my escape."

Ye Changong's words were very soft.

She slowly rose, her sorrowful words gradually firming. "I did not betray his choice back then. Now I have returned. I am the Spark, the Spark of the Moon Palace, and also the Spark of the Human World..."

Si Ming dazedly completed her sentence, recalling that her third senior brother had once said something similar to the Sword Saint:

"Master is the last Spark of human civilization."

Si Ming didn't ask further questions; many things became clear to her naturally.

Master had consumed the Spark, and naturally gained the Star God's authority: 'Life.'

Baizang had said that unless there was an authority comparable to Infinity, Ning Changjiu would surely die.

Life was an authority comparable to Infinity! With the protection of the authority of Life, Ning Changjiu naturally could not be killed.

Master not only held 'Dream' and 'Fate' but also the Seventh God's 'Life'... She wielded a total of three authorities!

It was precisely this realization that made Baizang flee without a fight.

Si Ming involuntarily thought of the Unobservable Temple.

The Unobservable Temple teemed with countless lives, vegetation, and ancient gods that should have perished in ancient times.

Yet, they flourished and thrived within the Temple.

Previously, Si Ming had puzzled over this, even thinking it was a mere illusion. Later, after growing accustomed to the Temple's environment, she didn't delve too deeply. Now, she finally understood: this was the authority of the Spark, this was the power of Life!

All the answers had long been before her, but only today did she finally grasp them firmly.

Si Ming was thoroughly convinced and involuntarily bowed once more.

"Master, it seems Baizang is about to escape..."

Si Ming felt the temple tremble.

Ye Changong smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter."

Baizang's true form had already torn through the God Nation's barrier and reached the void.

Just a little more, and she would have been out.

But at the same time, on the ground of Severed World City, Ning Changjiu's figure, clad in white robes, reappeared.

He was completely unharmed, his mind clear, and his cultivation realm significantly higher than when he first arrived in Severed World City.

He lifted his head, gazing at the sky. His Eye of Lunar Yin abruptly unfolded, as if the heavens and earth had truly become his colossal eyes.

He held the jade branch in his hand and placed it on his bow.

Long winds twisted around him.

He drew the divine bow to its limit.

Ning Changjiu looked up at the vast sky and calmly said, "Master, the peerless divine arrow