Chapter 406: Starry Sky

Shao Xiaoli emerged from her seclusion just as the last rays of sunset streamed through the latticed window, painting her cheeks with a faint blue glow. The shimmering dust motes dancing in the light beam resembled fireflies.

The room had a simple layout. A wooden rack stood beside her, from which hung a blood-red dress.

Shao Xiaoli was dressed in simple white robes, a sash tied in a bow at her waist. She opened her eyes, feeling the light gradually fade from her pupils, and then came back to her senses.

She pushed open the door and stepped outside. Night mist was already rising over the cloud-piercing peaks, and the last remnants of light on the distant horizon appeared cold and stark.

The young woman walked for a while in the shadows cast by the tall buildings and grand halls. The night wind tinkled brass bells in her ears with a crisp sound. Feeling a bit cold, she returned to her room to put on a cloak. As her knuckles pressed against the lapel, she suddenly realized that summer was almost over.

Shao Xiaoli arrived at the front hall, glanced at the calendar placed there, and knew she had been in seclusion for nearly a month.

She paced for a moment in the chilly front hall before pushing the door open and stepping out.

In front of the magnificent hall, the "Thousand Swords Piercing Bone, Slaying Nine Infants" danced in the fading light, like silent, ancient thunder.

It was September 27th, and the world remained peaceful and serene.

Shao Xiaoli stood waiting in front of the hall. Soon, the moon rose. Dressed in her white outer robe, she leaned against the railing in front of the hall, gazing up at the moon. A door opened behind her, and Shao Xiaoli turned to see Ning Changjiu approaching, bathed in faint starlight.

They exchanged smiles.

Ning Changjiu raised his hand, and a Golden Crow flew out, perching motionlessly on the rooftop, alongside the other ridge beasts.

At that moment, he and Lu Jiajia had just finished their cultivation. Lu Jiajia was resting inside, holding a plush toy. His footsteps were heavy but silent as he walked, and his clean clothes, swaying gently with the rhythm of the wind, made him seem soft.

"Disciple greets Master."

Shao Xiaoli bowed.

"Alright," Ning Changjiu said, taking her by the shoulders.

They stood side by side in front of the railing.

"Has anything major happened recently?" Shao Xiaoli asked.

"When I went to the Southern Wilderness, I met Liu Junzhuo and Liu Xihuan... yes, the former Sword Spirit. Other than that, nothing else has occurred," Ning Changjiu replied.

"Liu Xihuan..." Shao Xiaoli said, a little surprised, "I really wish I could meet her."

"Mm, you will eventually."

"Is there really nothing else?"

"No."

"Then why do you look so unhappy, Master?" Shao Xiaoli asked, looking at him with concern.

Ning Changjiu touched his cheek, smiling casually. He explained, "Precisely because it's too peaceful, it's inevitable that one feels worried..."

"Oh." Shao Xiaoli didn't know how to respond and managed a reluctant affirmation.

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "Although I know that I only need to do my part and wait for the tides to turn, this passivity often brings anxiety."

Shao Xiaoli nodded and then asked, "How is the Divine Kingdom's construction progressing? Is it going smoothly?"

Ning Changjiu had a thought, and the Golden Crow from the eaves flew back, landing on the railing. Golden light enveloped both of them.

Shao Xiaoli followed him into the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom.

Compared to its former dilapidated and crude state, the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom now displayed clear stratification.

The entire Divine Kingdom was laid out like terraced fields, ascending tier by tier. Spiritual energy flowed steadily from top to bottom, like water in irrigation channels. The Well of Embryonic Spirits was the deepest pool at the lowest level, where spiritual energy gathered and, under the blessing of the Divine Kingdom's laws, independently created life according to the logic of the Grand Ceremony of Yin-Yang and Heaven-Reaching.

Now, some pale gray, transparent spirits had emerged from it. They floated and bounced around the lowest level of the Divine Kingdom like bubbles.

"These are all spirits," Ning Changjiu introduced. "They are the product of condensed spiritual energy of heaven and earth taking form. For every sixty-four cycles the Well of Embryonic Spirits completes, one spirit is born. These spirits possess innate laws; their law is 'construction.' They gain power by repairing damaged things."

Shao Xiaoli found it quite wondrous. She stared at the spirits, watching them use their small bodies to lift large shattered stones, reassembling disordered fragments like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

"This law is quite helpful... Is it random?" Shao Xiaoli asked.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "Generally, the spirits generated by a Divine Kingdom often embody what the kingdom lacks. Laws are created based on need, just as many storytellers create narratives by imagining things they lack or desire in their own lives."

"You mean the Divine Kingdom is also based on imagination?" Shao Xiaoli was slightly startled.

Imagination? Whose imagination? A sudden chill ran down her spine.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu said. "We can use imagination to construct a kingdom within our sea of consciousness. Those with higher cultivation can make this kingdom grand and concrete through a domain or barrier. A Divine Kingdom is far superior to mere barriers and domains, so..."

"Its origin very likely comes from the imagination of a higher-order being."

Ning Changjiu looked up.

"The Dark Lord?" Shao Xiaoli's thoughts stirred.

With stars as foundations, and imagination as prototypes...

"The twelve Divine Kingdoms encompass almost all powerful forces in the world. What does that signify? Is this also the Dark Lord's imagination based on desire?" Shao Xiaoli pondered aloud, speaking slowly.

Ning Changjiu was also considering her question.

"If these are all the Dark Lord's desires, then what does it truly possess?" Ning Changjiu mused. "Could it be an existence devoid of meaning?"

"Devoid of meaning?" Shao Xiaoli couldn't grasp the word for a moment.

Ning Changjiu inwardly refuted his own statement.

If it were a meaningless existence, how could it develop desires? Or was it simply a desire to plunder spiritual energy...

He temporarily buried this question in his heart.

In the sunflower fields, Shao Xiaoli paused for a moment. These sun-gazing puppets had shed their former blackness, gradually acquiring a silken gold hue. They swayed in the Divine Kingdom, their smiles becoming increasingly sincere.

"Master truly has great ability; even these vengeful spirit puppets can be reformed," Shao Xiaoli said.

Ning Changjiu, however, said, "What reform? Ginseng fruits were meant to be like this."

As he spoke, they crossed the Divine Kingdom's barrier and arrived at its second tier.

The second tier was the mythological logic.

The first pillar of mythological logic had already risen high, piercing the sky, shimmering with indestructible light. The scene of Yi's birth was materialized within it. Shao Xiaoli observed carefully for a moment and found herself among the crowd.

Back then, she had hidden in a corner of the crowd, her red dress exuding a cool elegance, a smile on her face, her thoughts inscrutable.

"Later, you were my first teacher," Ning Changjiu noted, seeing her gaze.

Shao Xiaoli paused, then chuckled softly, "It's merely returning what you taught me."

Ning Changjiu also laughed. "They say knowledge is passed down, but ultimately, it's always the same group of people reincarnating. If there's a next life, perhaps you'll be my master again."

Shao Xiaoli quickly said, "How dare this disciple presume such a thing."

Despite her words, Shao Xiaoli remembered many scenes from her previous life. Back then, she was one of Yi's teachers, specifically teaching him to play the zither. She was the Goddess of Luo River, proficient in all arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and possessed both talent and beauty.

When Yi was seven or eight years old, she stood in a long corridor, her tea-colored gown brushing against the wooden floorboards. Holding an ancient zither, she gently knelt before Yi. Yi knelt opposite her, bowed, and called her "Lady Teacher." The Luo Goddess smiled softly and began to teach him the zither.

Though Yi was young, his soul was deeply rooted, giving him a composure that children his age could not possess.

Even so, his hands still had a natural baby fat, lacking the dexterity to produce what was called "celestial music."

The Luo Goddess gently sat behind him, lightly pressed against the young boy, and taught him to play the zither hand-over-hand. Yi kept his head down, silent. Time flew by, and they spent three or five years like this. As the boy grew, he also acquired a heart that had already experienced thousands of years.

"The second mythological logic seems incomplete," Ning Changjiu remarked, looking at the scene within the divine pillar.

The second scene depicted his marriage to Heng'e.

Heng'e was only fourteen then, with braided hair and slightly plump cheeks, still retaining her initial youthful innocence, unlike the Divine Maiden now residing above the nine heavens.

They held hands and, under the gaze of onlookers, entered a modest but brightly lit room, where they pledged their vows to heaven and earth.

The scene's scope was small: a mountain village, a rustic inn, flowing water, and evening crows. Yet, standing within it were gods and immortals who would stir up storms in the future.

Yi and Heng'e entered the room.

The candlelight flickered red, and their silhouettes were cast upon the paper window.

"Hmm... what's incomplete?" Shao Xiaoli asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "The day after the wedding, Heng'e and I left the village together and went to the human world, but I can't recall the memory of that night..."

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything," Shao Xiaoli stated emphatically.

"How do you know?" Ning Changjiu was startled.

Shao Xiaoli said a little awkwardly, "Because I remember... that night, you secretly came out to find me, saying you wanted to eat the Xi rice I cooked."

Ning Changjiu found that sentence highly informative and was momentarily stunned.

"How do you remember?"

"It's a memory I saw when Baizang was sealed away. At that time, I was standing on that bridge, with a stove set up. You came wearing your wedding attire, and we played the zither by the stream while waiting for the porridge to cool."

"What about Heng'e? What was she... doing?"

"She came too."

"Huh?"

"She arrived later, and she even brought a blanket, asking if we were cold. Afterward, we wrapped ourselves in one blanket and sat by the bridge, watching the stars. She also said she liked listening to us play the zither," Shao Xiaoli recalled the scene.

At that time, she had grown into a graceful and exquisite beauty, while the young boy and girl still had delicate and pretty features.

"Such a thing happened?" Ning Changjiu once again fell into self-doubt.

"Yes," Shao Xiaoli nodded, struggling to explain, "It's perfectly normal for children to like older sisters."

At the time, she was that "older sister."

Ning Changjiu said, "It must have been a problem with your teaching methods."

Shao Xiaoli didn't budge. "Clearly, you lacked self-control."

Ning Changjiu wanted to retort, but Shao Xiaoli choked him with another remark: "Besides, didn't you, as a master, lead by example? Which of your female students did you let go?"

Ning Changjiu was speechless and could only sigh, calling her an "unfilial disciple."

Shao Xiaoli feigned grievance.

Following Shao Xiaoli's description, Ning Changjiu sketched out the preliminary form of the remaining myths. They discussed for a while, further refining the scenes.

Next was the shooting of the nine suns.

This was an unforgettable scene for him.

After he left Luoshu Tower and fought White Crane True Monarch, he had dreamt of shooting the nine suns after being gravely wounded. Now, he realized that it must have been evil secretly planted in his heart.

The third pillar of mythological logic was also nearing completion, and the last two had no significant deviations in memory.

If the essence of the Divine Kingdom was "fantasy," then mythological logic was likely a subsequent completion of that fantasy, explaining its origins and reasons for being.

All progress was relatively smooth.

Ning Changjiu led her into a deeper layer of the Divine Kingdom.

In the sky, scattered starlight was drawn by an invisible force, slowly gathering towards the center to coalesce into a light source.

Their figures swept past the divine palace, arriving at a higher elevation.

The light, having reached its zenith, then fell sharply.

They arrived at the boundary between the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom and the outside world.

Shao Xiaoli stood in this wondrous domain, looking up to see a brilliant sea.

"What is that? It's as beautiful as the starry sky," Shao Xiaoli asked.

"This is the starry sky," Ning Changjiu said.

In Myriad Demon City, on Mount Tianzhu, within the Demon God Hall, the Myriad Demon Queen, with disheveled hair, held a withered bone. She sat before the sea of stars, also gazing at the night sky.

This starry sky was what the "Stone Eye of Profound Depths" perceived.

This stone eye was one of the four sacred artifacts left by the Sage to Myriad Demon City, ranked alongside Nine-Spirits Primordial Saint's iron umbrella and the Golden-Winged Great Peng's divine bow.

"You've been watching for three hundred years. Have you understood anything?"

An eerie and weak voice sounded.

Beside the Myriad Demon Queen, a faint golden shadow floated ethereally, like a lamp about to extinguish at any moment.

That was the Golden-Winged Great Peng's divine soul.

On that day, after exhausting his power, he was struck by Ning Changjiu's full-force arrow. At that moment, the sea of clouds was pierced, and his physical body, cultivated for a thousand years, was also shattered by a single arrow.

However, he was the Grand Sage of Chaos for the demon race; Sages do not die, and the souls of demon kings are imperishable. Yet, even so, he had lost his true power. After his soul reformed in the Demon Sage Temple, his soul realm merely hovered at the Purple Court stage, no longer able to influence any major affairs.

The Myriad Demon Queen stared at the sea of stars and said, "I've seen many stars."

"..." The Golden-Winged Great Peng remained silent. He knew the Myriad Demon Queen disliked idle chatter, so he quietly waited for her to continue.

The Myriad Demon Queen paused for a long time before continuing, "I once wondered if the sea of stars we see is truly real."

The Golden-Winged Great Peng said, "Indeed, many people have spoken of the starry sky being an illusion. What is your conclusion?"

The Myriad Demon Queen replied, "I've observed the stars for three hundred years. I've deduced their patterns of movement and made predictions using spells. Coincidentally... they all move according to their predetermined laws. This indicates that the sea of stars we perceive is very likely real."

"Real?" This answer surprised the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

At this point, it was merely a remnant soul, unable to stir up any waves. He felt that the entire world was a deception, and all living beings were countless tragedies born within that deception. The starry sky, being so beautiful, should naturally be fake—perhaps just a cloth spread across the heavens that, if removed with immense power, would reveal the dark essence behind it.

"If the starry sky is real, what does that indicate?" the Golden-Winged Great Peng asked again.

The Myriad Demon Queen said, "What I mean by 'real' is that the stars we see genuinely exist... but this is actually meaningless. To put it another way, every star we can see is far larger than the sun, and the distance separating us is incredibly vast. To travel to even the closest one would take a cultivator in the three legendary realms at least one hundred and fifty thousand years."

Listening, the Golden-Winged Great Peng suddenly felt a deeper sense of solitude.

No matter how grand their history, it was confined beneath the starry sky and Divine Kingdoms. They had no neighbors in the universe.

"Therefore, this magnificent starry sky is meaningless to us. Whether real or not, it cannot affect anything here." The Myriad Demon Queen, for once, closed her eyes. Through the stone eye, she had seen countless unimaginable stellar aggregates—true behemoths—unconsciously rotating in the universe, hunting stars.

She had witnessed ripples in the starry sky and observed the cosmic voids carved out by stellar winds. She understood that they were merely solitary beings on a spiral arm of the galaxy.

For these past years, the Myriad Demon Queen had been indifferent to everything in Myriad Demon City. Her emotions had long been neutered by the starry sky; she wished to go there and die there.

The Myriad Demon Queen snapped out of her contemplative state and continued, "The vastness and beauty we perceive are impossibly distant and thus meaningless. But I suddenly realized... I cannot see the nearby starry sky."

"I cannot see the stars of the Six Primordial Gods, nor can I see others... In ancient legends, there was a dead star field in the sky, but I cannot perceive that dead star field with the Stone Eye of Profound Depths."

"Assuming the current Divine Lords also have corresponding stars, I should be able to see the Spring Scale Star directly opposite. That was the ancient Serpent Princess's star, and it should be beautiful... but I cannot see it. No one ever has."

The Myriad Demon Queen said this.

For much of the information about stars, she could only rely on fragmented ancient texts from four or five millennia ago.

"You mean our nearby starry sky is obscured?" the Golden-Winged Great Peng asked.

"Yes, there's only the sun, the moon, and many scattered rocks now... Although those rocks aren't small, I don't believe these are the only things floating around us," the Myriad Demon Queen said.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng had never considered such matters.

In the past, his vision was limited to a single city or kingdom, and he was ultimately outmaneuvered by Nine-Spirits Primordial Saint in countless ways.

Now, he could no longer pursue other matters.

"What's the use of knowing this?" the Golden-Winged Great Peng scoffed.

They were all just waiting to die in the human world.

"The obscured area must hold a great secret," the Myriad Demon Queen said.

"Can you unravel this secret?" the Golden-Winged Great Peng asked.

"No," the Myriad Demon Queen stared blankly at the stars for a moment, but her eyes quickly refocused. "But perhaps someone else can."

"Who?"

"The Fifth Master of Bukeguan."

Bukeguan lost its light.

The moon that once illuminated Bukeguan had now fallen into the Yuanfu Divine Kingdom. Bukeguan lost its primordial power and became shrouded in darkness. The ancient deity descendants of Dahe Town had all fallen into slumber, awaiting the moon's return, save for Fifth Senior Brother, who was still scribbling and drawing in his study in the dark.

At one point, he had a premonition, feeling that someone had mentioned him.

He was the earliest creator of written characters in the human world, and thus held a unique connection to all writings. If someone uttered his name and wrote it on paper using the primordial, ancient script, he would see it.

Regardless of the distance.

A few days after this premonition, he indeed received a letter. The content of the letter wasn't particularly strange, but his gaze lingered on the words "dead star field" for a long time.

Currently, everyone at Bukeguan was busy with their own affairs.

First Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother were assisting Master in suppressing Baizang. Third Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Brother had gone to sea to search for traces of the Sword Saint. Fourth Senior Sister, meanwhile, had gone to the demonic lair in the Northern Snow Kingdom to suppress a demon that sought to escape its seal—a river of blood frozen in the Northern Kingdom. Gonggong, after being corrupted by the Dark Lord, had engaged in a bloody battle with her there, and after being defeated and fleeing, was finally slain by Fourth Senior Sister in the Northern Kingdom.

Everyone was fulfilling their duties, and Bukeguan could not operate as a whole. Even if he had some ideas, he was powerless to implement them.

"We'll talk after the lunar eclipse..."

Fifth Senior Brother looked at the profound night sky, set his brush aside, and worried if his junior brother was prepared.

Time flowed across the world at a similar pace.

In the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, Ning Changjiu led Shao Xiaoli down from the kingdom's boundary and returned to the divine hall.

They then toured the other arrangements within the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom before returning to the grand hall on Ring Waterfall Mountain.

Night had deepened, but Lu Jiajia had just woken up. She emerged draped in a soft inner robe and, upon seeing Shao Xiaoli, inquired about what she had gained from her seclusion.

Ning Changjiu reached out and gently brushed away the fine lint caught in Lu Jiajia's hair.

"I'm well-rested. Shall we continue cultivating?" Lu Jiajia was still a bit sleepy.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "Not today. Let's take a walk in Nanzhou."

"Hmm?" Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled. "A walk? To where?"

Shao Xiaoli, however, was enthusiastic: "I want to accompany Master and Mistress."

"Mm."

Ning Changjiu took out a thick cloak and draped it over Lu Jiajia. In the dim night, the three left Ring Waterfall Mountain hand in hand.

Ning Changjiu brought them to White City.

White City was a city in the state of Zhao. Legend had it that someone once ascended here, and after their physical body dissipated, their white robes fell back to earth, staining all the bricks and tiles of the city white. Ning Changjiu, Zhao Xiang'er, and Lu Jiajia had all left many memories here in the past.

"You have the nerve to bring me here?" Lu Jiajia feigned annoyance. "It was here that you left without a word to fulfill your three-year appointment!"

"Such a thing happened? Master is truly awful," Shao Xiaoli said. Knowing Lu Jiajia's higher standing in the household, she naturally sided with her.

Ning Changjiu was unable to argue and could only plead for mercy.

The two reminisced about the past as they lightly ascended the Ascension Platform.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia had returned once before and had done certain things, but with Shao Xiaoli present, they naturally kept silent about it.

"What are we doing here tonight?" Lu Jiajia asked calmly.

Ning Changjiu replied, "To look at the stars."

"Why look at stars here and not on Ring Waterfall Mountain, which is even higher?" Lu Jiajia asked.

"Perhaps the stars here are more beautiful," Ning Changjiu said.

"Master is really boring," Shao Xiaoli said with a laugh.

Lu Jiajia, however, guessed something. White City was Zhao's territory, and this place was the most special location in Zhao besides the imperial city. Perhaps the Vermilion Bird Goddess had subtly left something behind here.

The three sat down on the Ascension Platform.

Ning Changjiu found a stove from somewhere and began to cook porridge on the Ascension Platform. This scene was quite similar to what was seen in the mythological logic.

The porridge bubbled, and the three chatted idly.

The night breeze was pleasant, and the sky was full of stars.

Ning Changjiu quietly held Lu Jiajia's hand, then closed his eyes.

His consciousness soared towards the starry sky.