Chapter 391: Innate Spirit

The summer breeze rattled a bell, its sound seeping into the room while the wind itself remained outside the window.

Ning Changjiu sat back in his chair. The simple hall, washed by rain and baked by the scorching sun, exuded the scent of grass and wood. Shao Xiaoli sat motionless beside him. When the light fell perpendicular to the wall, Ning Changjiu finally opened his eyes.

This brief period was, of course, insufficient for him to recall everything. He merely sketched the outlines of those past events in his sea of consciousness to prevent himself from forgetting.

His past entanglements and grievances with several fellow cultivators, under that burning, iron-like sky, seemed shattered and fragmented.

In the past revisited by 'Dustfall', he personally saw Yuanfu.

Before becoming a God-Lord, Yuanfu was known as Heavenly Lord Yuanfu. He seemed to like this title, so he kept it.

At that time, Yuanfu was almost an avatar of the Dark Lord, infiltrating the human realm, powerful and invincible. As seen in 'Dustfall', his appearance in white robes and battle armor, with wisps of immortal mist, exuded an arrogance that implied "those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish."

Yuanfu at the time did not foresee that many years later, a beam of moonlight would return to the human realm and sever his proud head with a single sword stroke.

As for the ape hiding under the tree, secretly watching with a straw hat, it should have been Jufu later.

That was his last disciple.

Before he was killed, he severed his divine bones and authority, granting them to that ape. That's why his last death was so effortless; when he died, apart from his divine soul, he was truly alone.

After Yuanfu killed him, the Yuanfu year had just passed. His divine soul was not captured by Yuanfu but instead fell into the hands of Leilao in the following year.

Leilao was also one of the first God-Lords to ascend to divinity.

He didn't have many memories of Leilao, only recalling that it was one of the ancient Dragon Kings. His deliberate death at the very end of Yuanfu's reign was very likely because he foresaw Leilao's betrayal of the Dark Lord.

Ning Changjiu speculated that this betrayal was related to the death of the Candle Dragon, as most of the ancient dragon clan had received favors from the Candle Dragon.

As for the Vermilion Bird... he didn't quite understand yet what the Vermilion Bird truly sought.

Afterward, his divine soul remained imprisoned in Leilao's Immortal Realm until five hundred years ago, when Jufu entered the Immortal Realm and made an unclear deal with Leilao, retrieving his soul and handing it to his Master.

Jufu was a spirit monkey born from the destiny of all demons. Its birth was earth-shattering, as was its 'death'.

Of course, God-Lord level beings cannot be truly killed, but Jufu's remnant soul is currently firmly suppressed beneath the eighty-one kingdoms of the Central Land, which, in the eyes of a God-Lord, is no different from death.

However, a legacy spanning thousands of years has not been broken. Now, he once again wields the battle saber that slays demons.

Ning Changjiu kept his eyes open, still as an ink painting. After a long time, the light in the room slowly began to shift.

"It's said that before I met Master in this life, my name was Zhang Jiu. Master said she didn't like that name, so she changed it to Changjiu. I chose my own surname; I felt the character 'Ning' resembled a sword, so I picked 'Ning'." Ning Changjiu finally spoke, his voice somewhat slow, like silt accumulating in a clear stream.

Shao Xiaoli sat upright beside him, just as she did four or five millennia ago when he lectured.

Shao Xiaoli asked, puzzled, "Zhang Jiu... Ning Changjiu, is there some meaning behind that?"

Ning Changjiu extended his hand, and golden light surged from his Purple Mansion, condensing into a three-legged Golden Crow at his fingertips. From the Golden Crow, he retrieved the divine bow. The bow was heavy, making the table unsteady.

Ning Changjiu looked at the bow and slowly said, "Zhang Jiu: The character 'Zhang' (张) is composed of 'bow' (弓) and 'long' (长). Master took the 'long' part and discarded the 'bow'. I then replaced this 'bow' with 'Ning' (宁), which resembles a sword. In my previous life, I used a divine bow as a weapon; in this life, it's a sword. Perhaps this is a coincidence. All these years, I've felt like something was missing, and now that I think about it, what was missing might have been the 'bow' radical from the left side of 'Zhang'."

Shao Xiaoli looked at the massive bow glowing with golden light and quietly asked, "Haven't you already found your bow?"

Ning Changjiu smiled and shook his head, "This is the Golden-Winged Great Peng's bow, not mine. My bow seems to be scattered somewhere, and I don't know how to find it."

Ning Changjiu lowered his head slightly and gave a self-deprecating smile. In his previous life, Master had arranged everything for him, even trading with the Vermilion Bird to bring Xihe's divine soul back and promise her as his fiancée. Master might have simply wanted him to live a carefree life, but how could that be possible?

The carefree life of his previous incarnation had brought only tranquility, not much joy. In this life, having endured countless hardships and near-death experiences, drifting thousands of miles across north and south, he instead felt a sense of groundedness.

Shao Xiaoli saw the hidden worry beneath his calm demeanor and tentatively took his hand, smiling softly, "Don't overthink it. Perhaps Master simply intended the meaning of 'may we live long'."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps."

Ning Changjiu turned his face, looking at Shao Xiaoli's radiant and unparalleled face. Her large eyes seemed to hold an entire Luo River, ready to offer pristine white lotus flowers at any moment.

Shao Xiaoli was much calmer now. She quietly watched him, no longer speaking carelessly, her voice imbued with gentle emotion: "Boss, you've slept for so long. What did you dream about? Was it things from the past?"

"Yes, things from the past."

"When Bai Zang and I fought, I also saw some things. It seems I was once the goddess of the Luo River, and eventually... I died by the Luo River too."

"Yes, at that time, everyone called you the Goddess of the Luo, a symbol of beauty."

Shao Xiaoli lightly touched her face with her fingers and asked again, "So, what kind of person was the Goddess of the Luo?"

Ning Changjiu recalled what he had seen in 'Dustfall'. In the past, the Luo Goddess was somewhat selfish, a femme fatale. Even Chang'e, a person of such cold demeanor, had once lost her temper because of her. But these matters seemed insignificant and easily forgotten amidst the later conflicts between ancient immortals, ancient gods, and other powerful factions.

"The Luo Goddess..." Ning Changjiu reached out and flicked Shao Xiaoli's forehead, saying, "You surely know better than I what kind of person the Luo Goddess was."

Shao Xiaoli rubbed her forehead and said, "Boss is brushing me off again."

Ning Changjiu chuckled softly.

Shao Xiaoli asked, "Then, Boss, can you tell me stories about others? Like Master? Weren't she and you a married couple in your previous life?"

"Something like that."

"What do you mean 'something like that'?"

"For example, everyone believes two people are a perfect match, destined for each other, so you come together in accordance with fate or people's good wishes. Everyone is very happy, thinking you are an incredibly loving immortal couple. But in reality, you rarely speak to each other, more like partners in killing, like a bow and arrow—neither can exist without the other."

"Oh... I see." Shao Xiaoli thought of the phrase "united in appearance but separated in spirit," yet felt it wasn't quite accurate.

"What's past is history," Ning Changjiu said, glancing around the thatched hall. "After tidying up, we should start thinking about the path ahead."

Shao Xiaoli acknowledged him, smiling, "Anyway, I'll just follow Boss from now on."

Ning Changjiu nodded with a slight smile.

Shao Xiaoli moved closer, observing the subtle hint of worry on Ning Changjiu's cheek. She propped her right hand on her cheek and blinked, "So, what should I pay attention to from now on? For instance, with the various mistresses... um..."

Shao Xiaoli didn't know how to phrase it, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Ning Changjiu felt a bit ashamed thinking about it too.

He suddenly felt that Xiang'er was right: when he bestowed his authority, divine bones, cultivation, and fire seeds upon others, it seemed he only passed on some of his undesirable traits.

Yet, he also felt innocent, thinking he merely wanted to give them a home...

"Let's not talk about that. I'm hungry," Ning Changjiu forcibly changed the subject. "I miss eating the meals Xiaoli used to cook every day."

Shao Xiaoli asked, "What does Boss want to eat?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Just make whatever you're best at."

"Okay, good. I just happened to invent a new dish recently."

"What is it?"

"The Great Battle of Leilao, Yuanfu, and Flaming Mountain!"

"..." Ning Changjiu said against his true feelings, "I'm really looking forward to it."

While Shao Xiaoli was cooking, Ning Changjiu left the room. Blood Feather Monarch flapped his wings and flew to him, as if seeing a savior.

"Elder Ning, you're finally awake! These past few days, traveling through Southern Province, I've heard many rumors about you. But don't worry, as a demon, I'm discreet and won't spread them around," Blood Feather Monarch hopped on one leg, patting his chest as he spoke.

Ning Changjiu said, "Cause less trouble in the future, and give Xiaoli a break."

Blood Feather Monarch said, "Wasn't I thinking of you? I wanted to assemble an army of demons for you to command before you woke up!"

"I think you just want to throw your weight around."

"You... Elder Ning, don't let my current form fool you. I have grand ambitions, like the Golden Peng spreading its wings."

"Golden Peng, huh..." Ning Changjiu suddenly chuckled, a smile that seemed eerie to Blood Feather Monarch. "Alright, stop fussing. Just stay here, honestly guard this village, and be a good mascot. This world isn't kind to demons."

"Not kind to demons... hmm, that's true. After the five-hundred-year catastrophe, they killed or suppressed all the monsters, but were merciful to humans. It's truly unfair," Blood Feather Monarch said, deeply convinced.

Ning Changjiu asked, "Do you know why this is?"

Blood Feather Monarch asked, "Could there be a deeper meaning to this?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Suppose you're growing fruit in your orchard. One type ripens in a year, another in ten years, but when you sell them in the market, the price is the same. What would you do?"

Blood Feather Monarch pondered for a moment and then said, "I'd cut down all the fruits that take ten years to ripen and replace them with those that ripen in a year."

Ning Changjiu nodded with a smile and said, "That's why the demon race is suppressed by the Heavenly Dao."

Blood Feather Monarch stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded, his mind momentarily unable to process it.

"He means... chicken meat and human meat are the same price?"

Ning Changjiu walked alone through the Southern Wilds until he reached the banks of the Red River. The river's curse had vanished with the collapse of Severed Realm City. He looked down and saw not bones, but his own slender reflection.

He could even sense that the Red River still subtly repelled him.

Not just the Red River; the entire world was repelling him.

He had entered the Five Paths through the Asura Path, which was inherently incompatible with heaven and earth.

From here, Lotus Field Town and the Sword Discourse Heavenly Sect lay directly to the south, while the State of Zhao was to the southwest.

He currently had no desire to revisit old places and reminisce. Having entered the Five Paths, his understanding of himself and the world had reached a new level. He knew that true immortals should not be too entangled with worldly affairs, let alone being an Asura of the Sixth Path.

When he had just saved Lu Jiajia, he had repeated his second senior brother's words to her: "It's not that I shun the world, but that the mortal world shuns me."

His understanding of this statement had grown deeper.

Still, he wanted to go back and see the Sword Discourse Heavenly Sect, preferably with Lu Jiajia.

Of course, these were just fleeting emotions. What he thought about most was what his Master was doing at that moment, and what he himself should be doing.

On a whim, Ning Changjiu extended his hand.

The waters of the Red River churned, and rusted ancient swords flew out from it, hovering brokenly beside him, like a flock of crows with broken wings.

Not this feeling...

Ning Changjiu was silent for a long time, then sighed and released his hand. Hundreds of rusted swords sank back to the riverbed.

He raised his head, looking at the scorching sun directly overhead, his gaze somewhat bewildered.

If he were to find his past self, how should he do it?

Ning Changjiu calmed his thoughts and stood by the Red River for a long time, the hot summer wind making his face appear leaner.

Finally, Ning Changjiu understood something. He stretched out his hand, and a three-legged Golden Crow materialized at his fingertips.

The Golden Crow stared at him, unmoving.

"Master actually killed you back then, didn't she?" Ning Changjiu asked, looking at the Golden Crow.

This was a rhetorical question, as the Golden Crow could not give him an answer.

Only he had experienced and remembered his previous life, so the answer to Master's final sword strike could only be speculated by him.

Why do humans have innate spirits, and why are these innate spirits always in the form of animals or ancient divine beasts?

Ning Changjiu had a theory.

In the era of Dijun and Xihe, they already mastered the method of refining ancient beast mounts into spirits. For example, Xihe's spirit was the Fire Phoenix.

This should have been a unique cultivation method to aid practice, but now, innate spirits have become something many cultivators are born with.

This wasn't logical, so it must have been artificially implanted.

Ning Changjiu had once pondered a question: After a cultivator dies, where do their innate spirits go?

In the past, the mainstream belief was that innate spirits would perish along with the cultivator, but now, Ning Changjiu clearly understood the Dark Lord's intentions.

So, if he wasn't mistaken, after a person dies, their innate spirit must 'ascend' in an unknown way, carrying all the spiritual power the cultivator possessed in life.

They ascend to the heavens and transmit spiritual energy to the Dark Lord.

In historical records from five hundred years ago, there was very little mention of innate spirits. Innate spirits only truly gained importance after Jufu declared war on heaven five hundred years ago.

And in these five hundred years, there have been almost no reports of ascendants in the human realm...

The more Ning Changjiu thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He felt he had vaguely touched upon a secret: innate spirits appear to aid human cultivation, but are actually a sinister form of parasite. They will do their utmost to help you while you are alive, yet unknowingly limit your potential—the fewer peak Five Paths cultivators and demons there are, the less likely a catastrophe like the mass defiance of destiny five hundred years ago would occur.

Then, after the cultivator dies, the innate spirit silently carries most of the spiritual energy to the heavens, serving as food for the Dark Lord!

In the earliest era of cultivation, innate spirits didn't exist at all. What were then called innate spirits were actually obtained through one's own cultivation and refinement, sharing the same origin as what are now known as acquired spirits.

Cultivation is a conspiracy of the Heavenly Dao, and so are innate spirits!

Ning Changjiu stared at the Golden Crow, and as he reflected on the catastrophe, he gradually pieced these things together.

A few months ago, in the Unobservable Monastery, Ye Changong and her three disciples had a similar discussion. Their discussion was even darker, believing that innate spirits were the Dark Lord's blades—innate spirits are intimately tied to a cultivator's life, so as long as a cultivator who dares to defy has an innate spirit, the Dark Lord can easily destroy the innate spirit, thereby killing the defiant individual!

Ning Changjiu sighed.

Whether it was three thousand five hundred years ago or five hundred years ago, the instigators of the Nation-Hunting Plan had countless followers who bravely died for their beliefs. But now, most top cultivators possess innate spirits, and he couldn't possibly tell them the truth of the world and have them die a meaningless death.

This might be the loneliest Nation-Hunting War in five thousand years.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes and entered the Golden Crow.

The Golden Crow's world opened up to him.

Countless sparks floated in the sky, like burning jade palaces and ethereal towers. Black sunflower puppets swayed on the ground, staring at the sparks in the sky, mindlessly giggling.

Upon seeing Ning Changjiu, they immediately swayed and said, "Happy, we are very happy."

Ning Changjiu smiled.

He arrived in the Golden Crow Kingdom.

When the Arid River Dragon Sparrow killed Xihe in the ancient Sun Kingdom, she couldn't truly occupy it. So she planned to use the Golden Crows to split the Sun Kingdom and then refine each part one by one.

At that time, Yi was still in the human realm. He drew his bow and arrow, directly shattering the eight kingdoms.

The myth was peculiar—the Golden Crows were originally transformed from his golden arrows, yet they were killed by his golden arrows.

The last Golden Crow, fearing death, surrendered and acknowledged him as its master, taking with it the portion of the divine kingdom it occupied.

The Vermilion Bird, having just been reborn from fire, was still weak and did not stop any of this, leaving only Xihe's divine soul enveloped by the Fire Phoenix Acquired Spirit.

Ning Changjiu had originally thought that the fragmented Sun Kingdom might be controlled by the Vermilion Bird, but after experiencing 'Dustfall' and reviewing history, he had a new theory: the Sun Kingdom had split into nine parts. Eight of them had been destroyed by his own hand, and this Golden Crow world was the last remnant of the Sun Kingdom.

He stood within it, as if standing in his own tomb.

Following the direction of Xihe's temple, he arrived at the ruins of Dijun's former temple. He stood on the floating rubble, imagining a throne there, then sat down and calmly closed his eyes.

He made no superfluous movements, but the entire divine kingdom trembled at that moment.

The floating sparks converged towards the center, and hot streams of light slowly gathered in the sky. Light permeated the world, yet it dared not truly approach, more like a servant standing far off, observing the old master unseen for five millennia.

As evening approached, the Golden Crow flew into the house through the open window. Ning Changjiu landed on his feet and immediately smelled a rich aroma.

He had spent two full hours perceiving heaven and earth in the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom. Now, his mind was still a bit muddled, and his steps felt somewhat unsteady.

He opened his eyes, and a familiar back view entered his sight.

"Jiajia... why are you here?"

Ning Changjiu had guessed Lu Jiajia would come looking for him, but he hadn't expected it so soon.

He felt more at ease, opened his arms, and habitually embraced her, holding her from behind.

A moment later, Ning Changjiu realized something was wrong.

This isn't Jiajia!

He released his hands, leaving Shao Xiaoli standing there in panic. She hugged her chest and stammered, "Uh... Boss, I..."

Ning Changjiu looked at Shao Xiaoli, instantly sobering up. "Why are you wearing Jiajia's clothes?"

Shao Xiaoli also felt wronged and said, "Boss, you assaulted me and then blame me? Are you even human?"

Ning Changjiu was momentarily speechless. "If you wore a red dress, how could I possibly mistake you?"

Shao Xiaoli was a bit angry. "If I wore a red dress, you'd mistake me for Xiang'er then."

"No, I wouldn't." Ning Changjiu shook his head, stating firmly, "How could I be so beastly?"

"..." Shao Xiaoli sighed, "Alright, Boss, don't always scold yourself. Come eat."

Ning Changjiu was pulled by Shao Xiaoli to the simple dining table.

Ning Changjiu stared at the spicy rabbit head stir-fry on the table, lost in thought.

"What's this next to it?" he asked.

"Eel strips," Shao Xiaoli replied.

"This is what you call 'The Great Battle of Leilao, Yuanfu, and Flaming Mountain'?" Ning Changjiu asked, shocked.

Shao Xiaoli nodded, "That's right! I just heard that in the human realm, there's a saying of the Rat and Ox, and coincidentally, there are twelve God-Lords. I checked them, and Yuanfu is the Rabbit, and Leilao is the Dragon!"

Ning Changjiu was convinced. He praised, "Xiaoli's cooking is as imaginative as ever."

Shao Xiaoli smiled gently, her eyes brimming with pride.

Ning Changjiu wanted to pick up his chopsticks but felt the table wobble. He looked down and saw that one of its legs seemed to be twisted.

Shao Xiaoli noticed too. She pursed her thin red lips and chuckled, "Boss, you put such a heavy bow on the table earlier, of course, it couldn't bear the weight... Oh, Boss, wait, I'll get something to prop it up."

With that, Shao Xiaoli got up to look for something usable in the room. After searching for a long time, she finally found a book.

She hesitated for a moment, then slid the book under the table leg.

"What book are you putting there?"

"A book of myths... I'll just make do with it for now. After we finish eating, I'll get some straw to replace it."

"Hmm, okay." Ning Changjiu didn't think much of it, casually assented, and began to eat with his chopsticks.

Shao Xiaoli's cooking was much more reliable than her dish naming, roughly the standard of three Xiaolings or twenty-four and a half Xiangs.

The Great Battle of Leilao, Yuanfu, and Flaming Mountain was quelled by them together.

Night fell.

Ning Changjiu returned to his couch to rest.

Shao Xiaoli removed the white outer robe she was wearing and cautiously walked over to Ning Changjiu's side.

"Boss... tonight, I..." Shao Xiaoli bit her lip and whispered.

Ning Changjiu looked at the graceful girl in the night. She was almost twenty now, having shed her girlish innocence, her intelligent features radiating with alluring charm.

Ning Changjiu paused slightly and said, "What's wrong, Xiaoli?"

Shao Xiaoli bit her silvery teeth and said seriously, "Boss, actually, I've been suppressing it for a long time. Now that you're finally awake, I feel I don't need to hold back anymore, Boss, I want to..."

Ning Changjiu watched the girl's trembling shoulders tighten, saw the delicate divine light in her eyes from her struggle. Her red dress reflected the moonlight, her slender neck like jade, a complex charm emanating from her cool demeanor.

He involuntarily thought of Shao Xiaoli in his previous life, standing by the Luo River, leaning on her saber, bathed in blood.

When he left Severed Realm City, he had said he owed her an "explanation."

In reality, it was an explanation owed for three thousand five hundred years.

Now, there were only the two of them in the world. Ning Changjiu looked at her and smiled gently, "Hmm, if Xiaoli truly wants to, tonight is fine."

Shao Xiaoli froze, then exclaimed, "Boss! What are you talking about?!"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I've been suppressed in the Longevity realm for too long. My spiritual power could have broken through ages ago, but because Boss was in a coma, I never dared to. I had to force my cultivation to stay at the peak of Longevity. Now that Boss is finally awake, I'm going to break through!"

"You... can you be clearer?!"

"Ugh... Boss always blames Xiaoli."

"I... you actually said that on purpose, didn't you?" Ning Changjiu realized.

"Boss is slandering me again..." Shao Xiaoli stuck out her tongue.

The cocooning threads of the Purple Court Realm wrapped around her. Shao Xiaoli's innocent and wronged expression gradually stiffened, her eyes still holding a sly smile. Soon, the threads enveloped her, and she entered her inner demon tribulation, as thunderclouds began to gather outside.

Ning Changjiu looked at Shao Xiaoli amidst her breakthrough and suddenly realized that he could use her inner demon tribulation to search for 'Poetry'.

Perhaps there were clues hidden there.