Chapter 403: Star Sparks Flicker, Night Light Sinks

Liu Xiewan had left the alley a few days ago.

The day her Senior Sister left was sunny, but soon after, a heavy downpour began—an ominous storm. She watched the rain, hastily practiced her cultivation techniques for a while, but mostly felt restless.

The silver sword she had given to her Senior Sister weighed heavily on her mind.

She had a hidden motive for giving that sword to her Senior Sister.

Firstly, she hoped her Senior Sister would have a good sword to increase her chances of victory against powerful enemies.

Secondly, she hoped that when her Senior Sister faced Ning Changjiu, Ning Changjiu would have a slightly better chance of winning and wouldn't be killed by her.

She didn't know Ning Changjiu's current cultivation realm, but she believed that no matter how great his fortuitous encounter, he should still follow the rules of cultivation and couldn't possibly be stronger than her Senior Sister.

But after her Senior Sister left, Liu Xiewan had a strong premonition that her Senior Sister would encounter Ning Changjiu. She shared this thought with Zhou Zhenyue, who shook her head and said, "How could there be such a coincidence in the world?"

Indeed, how could there be such a coincidence in the world…

Liu Xiewan had initially thought the same, but her uneasy premonition grew stronger… It seemed all the events of these past years had long surpassed the realm of coincidence.

Finally, the next day, as the sudden downpour in the small town briefly ceased, she felt so anxious that she used it as an excuse to bid farewell to her Eldest Senior Sister and, guided by her premonition, frantically ran towards the mountains.

She had already reached the peak of the Violet Court realm, so her movement wasn't slow. Moreover, Ning Changjiu hadn't immediately attacked after meeting Liu Junzhuo but had observed for three days, so her timing was just right when she arrived.

Before her arrival, she had always thought she was overthinking things. She was prepared to accept her Senior Sister's scolding and punishment and promised never to overthink again.

However, when she saw the vortex-like elemental currents a thousand *li* away, and the devastation, thousands of mountains almost completely destroyed, ten *li* away, she knew her premonition had come true.

As she crossed the mountains, what she saw was her Senior Sister lying on her back, the tip of the silver sword pointed at her.

After that heartbreaking cry of "Wait!", Ning Changjiu looked at Liu Xiewan, also somewhat surprised, wondering why this young girl had come.

But after his initial surprise, he didn't hold back his sword. Instead, he gripped it with a reverse hand and plunged it straight towards Liu Junzhuo's qi sea.

The silver sword failed to pierce Liu Junzhuo's body.

Because Liu Xiewan spread her ten fingers wide, pressing down firmly on the sword.

Ning Changjiu held more mastery over the sword than Liu Junzhuo, but Liu Xiewan held a similar degree of mastery compared to Ning Changjiu himself.

Under Liu Xiewan's will, the silver sword rapidly melted, transforming into a slender ribbon that flew back to her side.

Ning Changjiu did not soften. In the future conflict of the Sword Pavilion, if Liu Junzhuo were to receive a gift from the Heavenly Dao, she would undoubtedly be an incredibly formidable enemy. He was determined to cripple her.

At this moment, the presence or absence of the silver sword made no difference to him. Liu Junzhuo had already fallen unconscious, lying silently in the mud, utterly defenseless.

His finger-sword plunged down, piercing Liu Junzhuo's skin. Just as blood spurted out, Ning Changjiu stopped his hand.

A warning, more potent than when Liu Junzhuo had received the remnant nation's gift, resounded within his heart.

He looked towards Liu Xiewan.

Liu Xiewan held the silver sword, pressing its tip against her neck. The sword had already pierced her skin, ready to be pressed deeper at any moment.

"If you dare to kill my Senior Sister, I will kill myself right now," Liu Xiewan's short hair was ruffled by the diagonal wind and cold rain, her words bursting forth. "If I kill myself, you will never be able to obtain the complete Asura Body. Let's see how you achieve your grand ambitions then!"

Ning Changjiu replied, "I won't kill her; I'll merely cripple her."

"What's the difference between that and killing her?!" Liu Xiewan tensed her body, roaring loudly, and pressed the silver sword a fraction deeper into her flesh.

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then slowly withdrew his finger. He looked at Liu Xiewan but said nothing.

Liu Xiewan closed her eyes, her thoughts racing as she made a decision: "I will protect her!"

"With what will you protect her?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Liu Xiewan calmly replied, "Release Senior Sister, and I will be your sword. Don't you want to kill Ke Wenzhou? I will help you kill him!"

Ning Changjiu glanced at Liu Junzhuo.

She was completely unconscious, showing no reaction to Liu Xiewan's rebellious words.

Ning Changjiu pondered for a moment. Although his face was calm, the alarm within his Dao heart was incredibly clamorous.

He was more concerned about her safety than about Liu Xiewan severing her own spirit, which would prevent him from ever achieving the complete Asura Body.

"Very well, put the sword down first," Ning Changjiu said, clasping his hands behind his back. "But I will plant a spell in her body to ensure she won't trouble me again. Once the Sword Saint is dead, I will release her from it."

Liu Xiewan pressed her lips together, her sword-holding hand trembling incessantly. "It absolutely cannot be a slave mark!"

"Why?"

"Senior Sister is proud and haughty; she could never endure such humiliation." She pressed the sword a fraction deeper into her flesh.

Blood streamed down, staining her clothes crimson. Her face grew increasingly pale, her lips even paler, as if the silver from the sword were flowing into her body along its edge.

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Alright, I promise you."

Liu Xiewan gazed into his eyes. She stared for a long time, and the world began to spin before her. The silver sword fell into the mud. She reached out, trying to grasp it, but her vision was too blurry, and she couldn't. Ning Changjiu immediately went to her side to stop the bleeding. Without a word, she crawled to her Senior Sister, removed her outer robe, and draped it over her Senior Sister's blood-and-rain-soaked body. Then, her vision went black, and she finally collapsed onto her side. Amidst their water-soaked clothes, their blood mingled.

Ning Changjiu watched them, his gaze troubled. He finally let out a long sigh and said nothing.

The Golden Crow flew out, enveloped them, and settled on his shoulder.

He turned around and walked into the broken mountains.

Liu Xiewan awoke to the sound of crackling fire.

She opened her eyes, watching the flickering golden flames before her, and instinctively touched her neck. It was as if time had reversed, and there wasn't even a single scar.

She looked at the silent white-robed young man by the golden campfire. After regaining her senses, she immediately got up and her gaze instantly found her Senior Sister's figure. She rushed over, lifted the clothes covering her Senior Sister, and her hands searched her body, confirming that there were no injuries in vital areas.

"Rest assured, I always keep my promises," Ning Changjiu said.

Liu Xiewan breathed a sigh of relief. Her outer robe had been given to her Senior Sister, so she was now only clad in a black close-fitting outfit. After seeing that her Senior Sister was alright, she leaned weakly against the cave wall, curling up her slender, delicate body and breathing softly.

Liu Xiewan's eyes were slightly closed. She hugged her shins, resting her forehead on her knees. After a long while, she turned her head to look at Ning Changjiu and asked, "Do you regret letting me go?"

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly and said, "As I've said, if I were given another chance, I would still make the same choice."

Liu Xiewan gazed at him thoughtfully. Their encounter on the Heaven Ranking List was nearly a year ago. Since then, major events had occurred one after another, overwhelming her. Whenever Liu Xiewan thought of it, a sense of unreality would involuntarily rise within her heart.

She pressed her thin lips together, unsure what to say. Her neck-length short hair resembled a watermelon cap on her head, but its edges were so messy that it looked less like it was cut with a knife and more like it was sawn open.

Ning Changjiu glanced at her and said, "I have stabilized her injuries; no need to worry. She should wake up by tomorrow at the latest."

Liu Xiewan asked, "What about the spell? What kind of spell did you place on Senior Sister?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "Nothing at all."

Liu Xiewan's expression was slightly startled, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Ning Changjiu calmly said, "Only this way can we truly see if your Senior Sister is worth what you did for her."

"Senior Sister is a good person!" Liu Xiewan declared emphatically.

Ning Changjiu gave a noncommittal response.

"Mmm… you're also a good person," she said, her voice a little softer.

Ning Changjiu said, "Alright, I've only helped your Senior Sister save her life. As for how much she can recover, that's up to you."

Liu Xiewan's eyes widened. "How… how can I save her?"

Ning Changjiu took out a piece of paper and handed it to her. "The Southern Barrens hold many natural treasures. Follow the directions on this paper to gather herbs and find treasures. Make sure to return in one day. If you're too slow in gathering the herbs and can't save your Senior Sister, don't blame me."

Liu Xiewan immediately took the paper. She quickly scanned it and mumbled, "This… this drawing…"

"Hm?"

"It's actually quite good…"

Liu Xiewan managed to understand the description on the paper. She immediately folded it neatly and tucked it under her wrist.

"While I'm gone, you're not allowed to do anything bad to Senior Sister!" Liu Xiewan said earnestly.

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "Didn't you just say I was a good person?"

"Mmm…" Liu Xiewan looked at the fine rain still drifting outside the cave, thinking that there was no time to lose. She dragged her aching body up and walked out of the cave.

"Your sword," Ning Changjiu grabbed the silver sword and tossed it to her.

Liu Xiewan caught the sword, thanked him, and her figure vanished into the continuous mountain range.

The young girl left soon after waking, so inside the cave, besides the flickering golden flames, only Ning Changjiu and Liu Junzhuo remained.

Liu Junzhuo lay on the flattened stone ground, her thick black hair spread dishevelled. Her features were dignified and beautiful, and while she possessed a gentle demeanor, she exuded more of a heroic charm. She felt less like a sword immortal cultivating in a tranquil mountain retreat and more like a chivalrous woman from the *jianghu* who rode horses and drank wine.

Liu Junzhuo's shapely body was covered in wounds of various sizes, which were mostly hidden by the thick, heavy black cloak draped over her.

Ning Changjiu watched her for a moment, then gently shook his head. He stood up and walked out of the cave.

He wore a clean white robe, condensed from spiritual energy clouds. It flowed slowly over his body, feeling very light.

The spiritual energy, scattered during the previous earth-shattering battle, slowly began to gather towards the center again.

The deep pool that had been drained quickly refilled with spiritual energy water, but the destroyed mountains could never be restored.

Ning Changjiu summoned the Golden Crow.

The Golden Crow swept beneath the clouds, like silent lightning.

His original purpose for coming here was simply to have the Golden Crow collect a large amount of spiritual energy. Yet, such a simple task was something he only now had leisure to do.

Ning Changjiu smiled wryly.

The Golden Crow opened its mouth, circling overhead. It devoured massive amounts of spiritual energy, feeding it into the operation of the divine kingdom within.

Meanwhile, Ning Changjiu sat in meditation by the cave entrance. He healed his injuries while gesturing with his hands, practicing the Sword Pavilion's sword techniques and deciphering their hidden mysteries.

Time flowed slowly.

The first chill of autumn was still far off, but August was truly, irrevocably passing.

A certain future turning point was relentlessly approaching him, and in comparison, everything he was experiencing now seemed insignificant.

An hour later, the Golden Crow, temporarily sated with spiritual energy, returned to his side.

Ning Changjiu entered the Golden Crow's divine kingdom.

The Spirit Fetal Well was already slowly operating. Although the spirits generated within it had not yet taken form, it at least demonstrated the feasibility of the Grand Yin-Yang Ascendance Ceremony.

The construction of the mythological logic, however, required more subtle and painstaking efforts.

He did not relax for a moment and stepped into the first pillar of mythological logic. Within the pillar of mythology, his figure began to shrink, eventually becoming as small as an infant.

This was the day of his birth; he became a figure within the scroll.

Within the scroll, he opened his clear eyes and calmly observed everything around him.

He was like a true painter, recreating the precise position of every person based on his long-sealed memories.

This process was extremely tedious and consumed a tremendous amount of energy.

It was only after dark that he emerged from the pillar of mythological logic, his footsteps so light they seemed weightless.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

As Ning Changjiu entered the cave, he heard a woman's faint voice.

Liu Junzhuo had woken up. Her eyes slightly open, she watched the white-robed figure approaching from outside the cave, clutching the clean cloak draped over her.

Ning Changjiu smiled and asked, "Miss Mu, do you wish to die so badly?"

Liu Junzhuo remained silent. She remembered nothing from before she fainted. All she could feel now was the pain and weakness in her body.

Ning Changjiu tossed a whittled wooden sword in front of her and said, "If you still feel unwilling or unconvinced, I can give you another chance."

Liu Junzhuo stared at the wooden sword, her lips trembling slightly, but she made no move to pick it up.

"What exactly do you mean?" Liu Junzhuo asked.

"I want to fully see the Sword Pavilion's sword techniques," Ning Changjiu said bluntly.

Liu Junzhuo was slightly startled, asking in confusion, "Is that why you didn't kill me?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "No, someone protected you."

"Who?"

"You'll know soon enough," Ning Changjiu said. "In any case, take this wooden sword. You can use it to defeat me, or even kill me, if your sword heart hasn't been extinguished."

Liu Junzhuo stared at the wooden sword.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare? We are mortal enemies! Don't imagine I'll be grateful for your softheartedness!" Liu Junzhuo finished, biting her lip. In front of her, the wooden sword trembled.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "Then you can try."

Liu Junzhuo looked at the sword, then at Ning Changjiu, and said coldly, "Are you insulting me?"

Ning Changjiu said, "You were already utterly defeated yesterday. Is there any dignity left to insult?"

Liu Junzhuo could no longer bear it. Her arm reached out from beneath her cloak, she grabbed the wooden sword fiercely, and struck towards Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu raised his eyes.

Amidst the hum of the sword, a streak of sword energy blocked the wooden sword.

Liu Junzhuo had just woken from severe injuries, her strength weakened. This strike held barely any power. Ning Changjiu parried it, then smoothly slapped her wrist. Liu Junzhuo let out a soft groan as the wooden sword slipped from her grasp and was seized by Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu, holding the sword, used its flat side to strike Liu Junzhuo's lunging figure to the ground. She rolled twice on the ground, hitting the rock wall, her black cloak wrapping more tightly around her body.

Even when Liu Junzhuo first began learning the sword, she would never have had her sword snatched in a single move. Self-doubt in her sword heart was fatal. She looked at Ning Changjiu, knowing that her sword heart now carried a shadow, and the only way to erase this shadow was to defeat him.

"If your sword is only like this, don't bother using it to stab me," Ning Changjiu said. "You can challenge me anytime in the future, but I won't hold back then."

Saying this, he tossed the wooden sword back to her.

Liu Junzhuo stared at the wooden sword, not uttering a word.

Her Eldest Senior Sister had once told her: "We sword cultivators are born to right wrongs and fight injustice. When facing powerful enemies, we become stronger with each setback. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must fight with our lives, until finally, the sky is vast and the sea is wide, and there is nothing but the single sword before us."

Liu Junzhuo bit her lips until they were crimson. She looked at the simple wooden sword, her head suddenly feeling dizzy. At that very moment, a young girl's clear voice rang out from outside the cave entrance.

"I'm back… I've gathered all the herbs. Oh, and by the way, the squirrels in the Southern Barrens are so fierce! Who provoked them, anyway…"

The short-haired girl in the black close-fitting outfit arrived at the cave entrance, riding her sword.

She held the silver sword, a package wrapped in broad leaves impaled on its tip.

"Xiewan?" Liu Junzhuo was startled. "What are you doing here?"

Only after asking did she suddenly realize that the black cloak draped over her own body belonged to her junior sister.

Liu Xiewan was delighted by her Senior Sister's awakening, and the fatigue on her face instantly faded. She tidied her hair and said with a smile, "I… I missed Senior Sister and wanted to cultivate with her, so I just happened to come."

Liu Junzhuo watched her actions, knowing she was lying again.

Liu Junzhuo asked, "Xiewan, tell Senior Sister the truth: How did you save me?"

Liu Xiewan knew that her Senior Sister was asking what she had given up.

"Ning Changjiu and I are old acquaintances. He originally intended to cripple your qi sea, but I stopped him. Recalling our past connection, he agreed," Liu Xiewan said without batting an eyelid. She knew that agreeing to help Ning Changjiu kill the Sword Saint was absolutely something she could not tell her Senior Sister.

Liu Junzhuo looked at her, then at Ning Changjiu for a while, her gaze profound.

"Anyway, it's good that you're alright, Senior Sister," Liu Xiewan smiled. She came to Liu Junzhuo's side, unwrapped the package, and counted the treasures, trying to keep her tone cheerful. "Senior Sister, I climbed up and down all day, finally gathering all these. I'll refine them soon and heal your injuries."

Although Liu Xiewan was covered in dust and grime at the moment, her delicate face radiated a lively smile. She took out each item one by one, vividly explaining their origins and effects to her Senior Sister.

Liu Xiewan was already knowledgeable. In the past, in Broken Boundary City, she had served as Ning Changjiu's guide.

Ning Changjiu listened quietly to the young girl speaking, not interrupting. Time seemed to rewind many years.

The fine rain drifted in from outside the cave, and the golden flames never extinguished.

Late at night, Liu Xiewan helped Liu Junzhuo deeper into the cave. She brought out the treasures she had gathered and gradually began healing her Senior Sister. Liu Junzhuo kept her head down, not mentioning the silver sword once. To this day, she still felt that taking in this junior sister was the most correct decision she had made in all these years.

Ning Changjiu stood outside the cave, looking up at the ethereal and pristine night sky.

In the night sky, silver-white stars burned with vibrant fire. They hung high on the deep blue curtain, spreading out profoundly and magnificently, like sea sand scattered with jewels, a beauty almost too perfect to be real.

He summoned the Golden Crow and began the second round of spiritual energy absorption.

The spiritual energy in the valley had accumulated for too long; it was inexhaustible. This Southern Barrens alone could probably sustain hundreds of Five Dao Realm cultivators without issue. If the Southern Barrens were like this, what about the rest of the world? This made Ning Changjiu increasingly doubt the reliability of the theory of scarce spiritual energy.

As the Golden Crow flew back, Liu Xiewan also emerged from the cave. She held a few fruits and asked in confusion, "These are Pingqiu Fruits, wild fruits that grow in deep mountain ravines, and they taste sweet. Why did you ask me to gather these? They don't seem to benefit Senior Sister's sword body at all."

Ning Changjiu took two fruits from her hand, took a bite, and said, "I wanted to eat these myself, and I just had you gather them along the way."

"You… you're hateful!" Liu Xiewan said, a little annoyed.

"Open your mouth."

"Huh?"

The young girl paused in surprise, but Ning Changjiu had already put the other fruit into her mouth. Liu Xiewan took a bite, and sweet, refreshing juice immediately filled her mouth. She had been working hard all day and was already famished. After a moment of blank surprise, she quickly grabbed the fruit and began eating it in small, fast bites.

The two sat by the cliff for a while.

"Am I to follow you from now on?" Liu Xiewan asked, her words muffled by the fruit she was eating.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "No, you should follow your Senior Sister for now. I'll come find you in two or three months."

Liu Xiewan smiled, pressing her lips together. "Are you afraid Lu Jiajia and the others will have an opinion?"

"Don't be impertinent," Ning Changjiu said flatly.

Liu Xiewan looked at her own body. She sat on the cliff edge, supporting herself with her hands behind her, stretching her long, slender, taut legs.

"How is your Senior Sister?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Liu Xiewan replied, "Her condition has stabilized, and I helped her rest… You really hit hard, didn't you?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Life-and-death struggles are always like this. If I had been even slightly careless, I would probably be the one lying there."

Liu Xiewan hummed in acknowledgment and asked, "Why must you two fight to the death? Is the Sword Saint really a bad person?"

"Yes," Ning Changjiu said emphatically.

"How bad?"

"The kind who is ten thousand times worse than me."

Liu Xiewan nodded in deep agreement. "Then that's truly despicable!"

"You little brat…" Ning Changjiu chuckled angrily. "Didn't I beat you into submission back during the Heaven Ranking List?"

"You… don't you dare mention that!"

"Don't dare? Have you still not recognized your place?" Ning Changjiu said with a faint smile.

"What place?" Liu Xiewan blinked, looking very innocent.

"You are my sword, so what am I to you?"

"Coffin?"

"Hey, don't hit me, I was wrong… Senior Sister is still here."

"If your Senior Sister has an opinion, I'll hit her too."

"No! Hey, okay… Master… Master, alright…"

Liu Xiewan smoothed her fine hair, calling out "Master" a few times, feigning injustice. Not long after, Liu Junzhuo, wrapped in her cloak, walked out of the grotto, her face pale as she looked at her junior sister.

Liu Xiewan subtly covered her lips, wondering if her words from just now had been overheard.

She immediately changed her expression, moved away from Ning Changjiu, and declared indignantly, "Ning Changjiu! How dare you injure my Senior Sister! I will never forgive you!"

"…" Ning Changjiu, his hands tucked into his sleeves, watched her clumsy performance, at a loss for words.

"Alright, stop pretending," Liu Junzhuo said.

"Oh." Liu Xiewan was very obedient to her Senior Sister.

Ning Changjiu looked at Liu Junzhuo and asked, "Miss Mu, how much strength have you recovered? Are you unconvinced and wish to compete in swordsmanship again?"

Liu Junzhuo gently shook her head. She gazed quietly at Ning Changjiu and softly asked, "Four thousand years ago, ten suns appeared, causing crops to wither, scorching millions of *li* of land. Furthermore, the Nine-Headed Beast, the Yaoshou, and the Xiunao Serpent wreaked havoc in the ominous waters. Afterward, a great deity emerged bearing a bow, shot down nine suns from the sky, and slew the fierce beasts in the wilderness, earning the praise of countless people. That great deity who shot down the suns was named Yi. Are… are you him?"

Liu Xiewan was astonished to hear this. Everyone had heard the story of Hou Yi shooting down the suns, but…

"Senior Sister, what are you talking about? That Yi was a great deity from three or four millennia ago, long vanished without a trace, and his actual existence is impossible to verify. The story of his wife flying to the moon is even more bizarre; how could it be real…? Senior Sister, has your mind been…" Liu Xiewan looked at her Senior Sister with a worried expression, trailing off.

"It is I," Ning Changjiu said, looking directly at Liu Junzhuo.