Chapter 415: Lohe Red Mansion Jinwu Remaining Kingdom

The night was an impenetrable darkness. In the surging Luo River, currents clashed under the influence of spiritual energy.

Screaming hurricanes, laden with thunder, resembled wheels grinding over the Luo River's surface. The lightning tracks, upon contact with the water, continuously emitted light, covering the entire river. It looked as though a sun, forged from lightning and thunder, was about to ascend from the Luo River.

Siming held Ye Changong, wrapped in a pure white velvet blanket. The sun of lightning outlined their figures, yet the encroaching electric arcs could not reach them.

Siming looked at Ye Changong's tender face and slender hands, always feeling an unreality, as if holding the moon reflected in water.

Ahead, Baizang followed Ye Changong. The anger she had suppressed for so long finally erupted as she confronted the Bronze Divine Steed.

The river surface had become a deeply concave, colossal bowl. Baizang swung a pair of jade-like fists, unleashing immense force, like siege stones. Each strike was devastating, creating countless deep craters on the water's surface. The Bronze Divine Steed neighed loudly, fiercely resisting, but Baizang used a golden spear as a ladder, vaulted onto its head, and with hooked fingers, twisted its black helmet, forcibly pressing it down into the water.

A thunderous explosion erupted.

"Basking in the sun? What exactly counts as that?"

Siming found the phrase intriguing. She gazed at the Luo River ahead, wanting to assist Baizang, but seeing her master remain calm, she felt it was right to uphold the sect's composure.

Ye Changong said, "First, we must find a sun."

Siming immediately thought of Ning Changjiu, her soft lips slightly pursed. She subtly asked, "Then should we quickly head to the Ancient Spirit Sect?"

Ye Changong softly replied, "He is not at the Ancient Spirit Sect right now."

Siming, unsure of her master's exact intentions, voiced her concerns: "Three divine steeds have already descended, and what about the Nation Lord's personal projection? What exactly is Tianji's authority? Master, are you truly confident?"

Ye Changong gently shook her head. "Let's go take a look at the Luo River first," she said.

"To the Luo River?" Siming didn't quite understand.

Ye Changong faintly recalled, "Back then, Shao Xiaoli was the River God of the Luo River. At that time, the Luo River was vast and mighty, far from its current diminished state. There were once miles of palaces along its banks, though they have long been utterly destroyed. However, at the bottom of the Luo River, there was a Jade Water Pavilion. I wonder if its ruins still remain."

Siming wasn't sure what feelings Ye Changong harbored for the Luo God, but at this moment, as the Luo River surged with waves, wind, and thunder, the two of them could chat leisurely by its bank, entirely due to a large white tiger bearing the brunt of the battle for them.

"Which section of the river is it in?" Siming asked.

Ye Changong looked at the Luo River. "It's somewhere around here," she said. "We'll know once we enter the river."

Siming felt Ye Changong's increasingly cold body and asked, "Can your body truly endure this?"

Ye Changong replied, "The moon is inherently serene; it's fine."

Siming nodded gently, then stepped onto her black sword, carrying her master towards the surging river.

Above the Luo River, vast amounts of water evaporated, forming highly concentrated white vapor trapped within the lightning field. This vapor was extremely hot, making the electric field resemble a true sun.

Ye Changong extended her small hand into the chaotic field where furious lightning and steam coexisted. Moments later, she withdrew it; her hand was unharmed, though still cold.

This was not a true sun.

It was precisely then that golden light burst forth underwater. The centaur's divine steed, wielding a long spear, broke through the surface, slamming into Baizang and forcing her back.

Even if the Bronze Divine Steed was a lower-tier horse, it was still on Tianji's home ground. Baizang had lost her divine position and authority, and much of her power was sealed by the Dragonbone Dungeon. At this moment, she was unable to decisively destroy this seemingly antique copper horse in one go.

The Bronze Divine Steed forced Baizang back, then hurled its long spear, which whistled as it flew towards her.

In front of Baizang, shattered silver, like a swarm of moths, precisely enveloped the golden spear, devouring its gleam and progressively slowing its speed.

The half-human war god on the divine steed let out a majestic roar. The golden spear spun rapidly, attempting to dislodge the silver moths, but Baizang's body leaped nimbly like a cheetah. She used the spear as a bridge, leveraging herself with a jump to stomp it down, then revealed her sharp claws, once again pouncing towards the Bronze Divine Steed like a fierce tiger.

In Baizang's life, before she truly became a god, she had hunted countless warhorses. Even after a millennium of luxurious living, during which the convenience of authority and divine power had dulled her teeth and claws, making them less sharp than before, her hunting instinct remained etched in her bones.

Baizang reveled in the exhilarating battle.

Although her opponent was a monster she would have utterly dismissed half a year ago, she rediscovered the thrill of contending with ancient gods from her youth. Even when temporarily forced back, she only needed to imagine her adversary as Chang'e or Siming, and her killing intent would immediately surge, making her wish she could tear the horse limb from limb.

The silver maiden's fists exploded, silver fragments swirling around her like a myriad of swords wielded at will.

She and the Bronze Divine Steed traded blows, with the Bronze Divine Steed eventually losing the upper hand. Numerous small wounds appeared on its body, and the armor on its half-human rider even showed fine cracks.

Although Baizang was protected by snow-like blades, her energy reservoir was no longer an inexhaustible ocean; it could deplete, and she could grow weary.

Seeing Siming and Ye Changong arrive at the Luo River, Baizang relaxed slightly. "Why have you been watching for so long?" she said coldly. "Hurry up and help! This horse isn't that strong; let's finish it off in one go!"

As Baizang spoke, she watched them part the river water and sink beneath its surface.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you going? The horse is over here!" Baizang raised her slender forearm, pointing directly at the Bronze Divine Steed, and shouted loudly.

Siming's clear, cold voice echoed: "My master and I are going to visit the ruins of the Luo God's former residence. We'll be back later. Little white cat, you hold out for a while."

"You... you two!" Baizang stamped her foot in frustration. "With such a formidable enemy before us, can't you show a bit of urgency?!"

As she shouted, the Luo River's surface closed, leaving Baizang alone, staring blankly at the mountain-like Bronze Divine Steed.

The Bronze Divine Steed, previously knocked off balance by Baizang, now stood upright. Its hooves tapped lightly, and as its golden spear trembled, the golden eyes within its black iron armor lit up, emitting an eerie golden light.

Baizang grew even angrier, transforming her grief and indignation into strength. She roared at the Bronze Divine Steed, rolling up her sleeves and scolding it, "What are you staring at? What right does a lowly horse like you have to glare at me?"

After scolding it, Baizang once again swung her fists at the Bronze Divine Steed.

She couldn't shake the feeling that this scene was bizarre. What was happening? The main military force leisurely strolled while the fallen Lord of the Divine Nation fought a life-and-death struggle in a civil war? Who exactly was the steadfast, loyal warrior resisting the Dark Lord's rule?!

Baizang involuntarily recalled the ultimate technique of the Ten Thousand Tiger Gate: the Heart-Extraction Art.

She stared at the warhorse, unsure if its heart was located within the human torso or the equine body.

Their standoff lasted only a moment. Soon, overwhelming killing intent once again tore open the Luo River, and the battle between Baizang and the Bronze Divine Steed continued to rage.

The bottom of the incredibly deep Luo River, however, remained serene.

At this moment, Ye Changong, illuminated by the water's ripples, appeared even more ethereal, truly like the moon reflected in water.

They effortlessly cut through the underwater currents, moving swiftly through the murky waves.

Amidst the muddy sediment, the broken walls and ruins of buildings emerged. Buried in the earth, they were covered with algae and numerous snails. As the density of these ruins increased, something soon blocked their path.

Ahead, a hazy expanse stretched out, and the ruins seemed to vanish from sight.

"This is a cover similar to a peach curtain, but of a far superior grade," Ye Changong said. She extended her small hand from the white blanket and lightly touched the space ahead.

Ripples emanated from her fingertips.

Something was parted, and the hazy mist vanished. They passed through like a drop of water, permeating a vaster, clearer ocean.

Siming lightly landed, holding the young girl. Ahead, a small, two-story redwood pavilion, appearing almost new, stood constructed in the water. This was quite different from Siming's expectations; she had anticipated a magnificent Dragon Palace, but what stood before them was rather simple, certainly not what one would expect of the Luo God...

"Is this it?" Siming asked, somewhat unconvinced.

"Yes." Ye Changong nodded. Resting in Siming's embrace, she slightly opened her eyes and gazed at the small pavilion ahead. "This world is sustained by an ancient god's Water-Repelling Spirit Pill," she explained, "and has been concealed by a curtain for a thousand years, surprisingly undetected by other cultivators..."

"Perhaps it's due to the harsh conditions of the Northern Kingdom," Siming remarked.

The cultivation environment in the Northern Kingdom was far inferior to Nanzhou. They had traveled for days and hardly encountered any cultivators of the Purple Court realm. Furthermore, this area was close to the Divine Painting Tower. Although the Luo River had no clear boundaries, many assumed it was within the Tower's territory, so naturally, no one dared to excavate treasures openly.

For these reasons, the small pavilion had remained remarkably well-preserved.

"However, there are no astonishing magical artifacts inside," Ye Changong stated.

She knew that when the Luo God died, she had been alone.

"Then what is hidden inside?" Siming asked.

Ye Changong gently shook her head. "I don't know either," she said. "Let's go see."

Siming looked up at the sky, then asked worriedly, "Is it really alright to leave Baizang to deal with that horse alone? What if Tianji..."

She hesitated, unwilling to lose a valuable ally.

Ye Changong said, "In tales of chivalry, true masters often refrain from acting. Once a powerful figure makes a move, their mystique is lost. Even the most formidable techniques leave traces once revealed. Only when unrevealed do they possess unknown, infinite power."

Siming had an epiphany, realizing her master truly lived up to her title. Only by maintaining such composure could they deter Tianji, especially since Tianji would likely assess its timing carefully, given Baizang's previous setback.

Furthermore, given her master's capabilities, there must be astonishing, unrevealed techniques...

Siming whispered, "Then, Master... what technique are we concealing?"

Ye Changong calmly replied, "Nothing."

"..." Siming suddenly, and from the bottom of her heart, felt that her master and Ning Changjiu were indeed a perfect match in their previous lives.

Siming said no more, her toes lightly touching the river water. Her beautiful long hair danced and drifted in the gentle current. Sky-blue light illuminated her face, and within her exquisite features, the reflection of the red pavilion fell into her pupils, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty. It was as if she were the Luo River God, long departed from her home, now returning after a millennium to her elegant small abode.

The lightning and silver radiance from above illuminated the Luo River like a single, perfect emerald. In the softly flowing light, Siming's figure drifted towards the entrance of the red pavilion.

She glanced up and suddenly noticed lanterns hanging from the eaves. Their colors had largely faded, leaving them a faint, pale pink.

And on the wooden lattices of the windows, fragmented red paper still seemed to cling.

An unusual premonition stirred within Siming.

She gently pushed open the door.

With the creak of the opening door, a faint light seeped in. It was the glow of a red candle... Siming saw the candlelight on the table, which must have been an ancient everlasting lamp, still burning to this day.

Siming glanced at the room's layout and decor, already understanding. Ye Changong remained silent, slipping from Siming's embrace. Still wrapped in the blanket, she drew closer to the single candle flame, seemingly finding a trace of warmth in the faint light. Her tender hands reached out to warm themselves.

Siming walked softly through the small pavilion. She wished to go to the second floor but found the staircase blocked by various items. Although she could easily breach the void to reach it, she politely stopped, understanding that the Luo God likely did not wish anyone to ascend.

The small pavilion was not large, and contained no magical artifacts, nor even a single valuable item.

She returned to her master's side and approached the rickety wooden table, noticing that one of its legs was wobbly, propped up by a thin book.

Out of curiosity, Siming pulled it out and glanced at it.

"Hiss... 'Xihe's Culinary Masterpiece'?" Siming exclaimed, tsk-tsking in disbelief. *Did Zhao Xiang'er really have the nerve to publish a book with her cooking skills? No wonder it was used to prop up a table leg.*

She casually flipped through it, then decided the book should be renamed, "One Hundred Ways to Cook Xi Rice."

Siming kept the book, intending to thoroughly mock Zhao Xiang'er with it later.

Then, she noticed her master gazing at the candlelight, remarkably serene.

"Master... is something wrong?" Siming asked, approaching Ye Changong.

At this moment, Ye Changong was so petite that even standing, her head barely reached above Siming's forearm.

Ye Changong said, "There's a book here."

She picked up the candle holder and shone its light on the tabletop, revealing an old book with a blank cover.

Siming gently picked up the book. "Can I... read this?" she asked.

Ye Changong softly replied, "This belongs to the Luo God. I have no right to decide."

*Shao Xiaoli's things...* Siming nodded gently, thinking, *What of Xiaoli's haven't I already seen?* Without hesitation, she picked up the rather thin booklet and began to read.

Upon seeing the first page, Siming's brows gently furrowed.

"September 20th.

Three days have passed since the agreed date. Why didn't he show up? Did something happen to him? Or was the initial agreement merely a deception to put my mind at ease, and he never truly cared about it..."

In the Central Land, above the Southern Sea, outside the Misty Tower.

Yu Qing, adorned in a long robe painted with ink landscapes and wearing a lotus crown, appeared in an instant.

She observed the collapsed Sea-Viewing Platform, the massive crater where seawater continuously surged, and the sudden rise in winds and waves. Frowning, she immediately waved her whisk, calming the turbulent sea.

As one of the four tower masters, she was naturally attuned to divine beings and could not mistake this aura. Had a deity descended upon the Southern Sea?

If a deity had descended, such a display surely signified an intent to kill.

Was it to kill the young man, or Lu Jiajia?

Yu Qing had no time for further thought. At that moment, no one remained on the sea surface.

She immediately sealed the Misty Tower and announced that she would enter a death-seclusion, vowing not to leave unless directly ordered by the Lord of the Divine Nation.

Meanwhile, above the sea, a Golden Crow was flying at an unimaginable speed.

Ning Changjiu, Lu Jiajia, and Liu Xiwuan were inside the Golden Crow.

The moment Ning Changjiu saw the golden long spear, he understood. He then sat in meditation amidst the sea breeze, sensing an approaching storm. The distant sound of horse hooves echoed; if the sea were a drum, then those hooves were its rhythmic drumsticks.

Tianji...

Ning Changjiu didn't know much about Tianji, but he wasn't foolish. Though he was no longer the same as before, he wouldn't provoke the current twelve divine nations without absolute confidence. Moreover, with others to protect, his primary choice was to temporarily avoid conflict, first probing the opponent's true strength before looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

Inside the Golden Crow's divine nation, Liu Xiwuan looked up at the four shimmering divine pillars, catching glimpses of countless dazzling scenes within them.

"This is the bird you used to scare me with back then?" Liu Xiwuan said, amazed. "I never imagined such a colossal world was hidden inside."

"Yes, this is the Golden Crow Divine Nation," Ning Changjiu explained. "The sun above has forged countless divine swords. If you're disobedient one day, I'll throw you in there."

"Hmph, trying to scare a child?" Liu Xiwuan scoffed.

Lu Jiajia looked at the distant Fetal Spirit Mother Well and the increasingly orderly world. "Can you control this nation now?" she asked.

"I can draw a portion of its power for my own use," Ning Changjiu replied, "but I cannot truly control it."

"Because of the mythological logic?" Lu Jiajia surmised the reason.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu nodded.

"You have the clearest memory of the last divine pillar, so it shouldn't be difficult," Lu Jiajia said, slightly puzzled. "When will it be completed then?"

Ning Changjiu, however, shook his head. "I don't know either," he replied.

Lu Jiajia detected his subtle emotional shift. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Is there a problem with the mythological logic?"

Ning Changjiu was silent for a moment. "For some reason," he said, "I can never perfectly construct the last pillar of mythological logic. I originally thought this wouldn't be too much trouble and didn't mention it, but the further I got, the more I realized how thorny the issue is."

Lu Jiajia's clear eyes flickered. "Are there any flaws in the preceding myths?" she asked.

"Probably not," Ning Changjiu replied. "Rather than a flaw, it's more that the preceding myths lack sufficient power. Their logical chain with my final rebirth is broken."

"Rebirth? What rebirth?" Liu Xiwuan was startled. She had once glimpsed some of Ning Changjiu's deeply buried secrets, but at the time, she had assumed they were merely memories of his past life in this current existence, never imagining something as profound as time reversal.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia exchanged a solemn look.

Aside from the time the senior sister descended, he had only revealed his secret of rebirth to Jiajia.

Lu Jiajia immediately recognized the gravity of the problem and its core issue.

They had originally constructed the mythological logic based on several critical junctures in his life. Ning Changjiu's awakening in the Zhao Nation's Imperial City great hall was an indispensable link, marking the boundary between destruction and new life, and symbolizing the beginning of this life. But...

Was there any inevitable connection between Ning Changjiu's awakening in this life and the four preceding myths?

They knew clearly that there was none.

Ning Changjiu had awakened in the Imperial City that day because, at the last moment of the previous life, just as he was about to ascend, Ye Changong had pierced him with a sword, hiding the Moon Branch in his body, while simultaneously reversing time by twelve years to achieve that outcome.

Yet...

Time reversing twelve years... this was not only too mystical, but more importantly, it was an event that simply did not exist for the current world! How could it possibly be clearly expressed using mythological logic?

Consequently, between the fourth and fifth divine pillars, there existed a clear, yet insurmountable, discontinuity.

Therefore, even if Ning Changjiu managed to construct it, the separation between the last divine pillar and the preceding ones would very likely be a hidden danger.

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head. "Don't think about these things right now," he said. "That thing has already caught up."

"That thing?" Lu Jiajia asked. "What is it?"

"If I'm not mistaken," Ning Changjiu replied, "it should be Divine Lord Tianji..."

Liu Xiwuan was startled once more. She had assumed the long spear was some kind of sea god's trident, but upon hearing the truth, her mind was more tangled than her hair. "I... I'm just starting out, and I'm already going to be an enemy of a Divine Lord? How is this even more dangerous than the Sword Pavilion?"

Ning Changjiu sighed, then offered a helpless smile. "This is what you get for being a traitor."

Liu Xiwuan looked up at a water mirror rising within the Golden Crow, reflecting what the Golden Crow's eyes perceived.

They were currently flying above the Southern Sea. The sky was devoid of stars or moon, completely dark, and the world was tinged with a strange silvery-gray hue.

"Where are we going?" Liu Xiwuan asked.

"To the uninhabited depths of the Southern Sea," Ning Changjiu replied.

"Why?"

"Divine Lords are born to protect order and should care for all living beings," Ning Changjiu explained, "but at this moment, the command to kill us overrides everything. He won't care about the lives of other creatures. Although we act in the name of righteousness, we should still avoid disturbing the common people."

When the Saint initiated the divine war five hundred years ago, to prevent innocent casualties, he painstakingly moved mountains and cities to clear out a battlefield.

Liu Xiwuan looked at him, involuntarily recalling what Ke Wenzhou had once said: *a Saint emerges in the human world every five hundred years...*

Lu Jiajia, however, was not listening to Ning Changjiu. She stared at the water mirror, her sword-like eyes narrowed, and a cold glint emanated from them.

"We seem to be trapped," Lu Jiajia said.

Before she finished speaking, outside the Golden Crow Divine Nation, thousands of horse hooves sounded almost simultaneously, like a sudden downpour tilting overhead.

On the water mirror, a ghostly shadow appeared.

It was the figure of a pale, tall, and handsome centaur. In its hands, it held a straight golden spear. Its body shimmered with the color of silver, and from its spine, hundreds of silver blades pierced out, half-drooping and half-extended, like wings formed from blades.

The Silver Divine Steed blocked their path, its golden spear already raised high.