Chapter 416: The Watch by the Luo River

The Golden Crow failed to pierce the waters of the Southern Sea, yet the silver warhorse, like a god, already dominated the space within the night and the ocean. The golden long spear was held high; even as the seawater churned, its reflection in the water remained unnaturally straight, defying all logic.

In the water mirror, its form suddenly became clear.

It was largely similar to the Bronze Steed, but coated in silver, it exuded a sacred beauty in its majesty and elegance. The silhouette of the Silver Steed was illuminated by the Golden Crow; its half-human upper body was still clad in heavy, black-iron armor, completely sealed. With the long swords fanned out behind it, from afar it looked even more like a centipede poised to attack.

Ning Changjiu saw it, his mind heavy—this warhorse had arrived faster than expected.

The Silver Steed stood still on the sea surface, yet the sound of hooves did not cease.

As the water mirror's view shifted upwards, countless startling white specks appeared in the sky. These white specks were arranged according to the stars' positions, but they were, in fact, vertical long spears.

The fast-moving Golden Crow on the sea surface was already enveloped by spears.

A rain of spears filled the sky, descending alongside the golden spear in the divine steed's hand.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia exchanged no words, but their figures moved almost simultaneously. Liu Xiwuan stood rooted, still marveling at the magnificent scene in the water mirror, when in a flash, she found herself alone in the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom.

She snapped back to reality, and without hesitation, immediately rushed out.

Inside the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, the sunlight was eternal, but outside, the Southern Sea's tides were chilling, and the winds gusted fiercely; everything exuded a terrifying killing intent.

The moment the golden spear crashed down, Ning Changjiu's figure had already charged forth.

That long spear appeared slender in the Silver Steed's hand, but it was actually the size of a tower.

Ning Changjiu collided with the golden spear. His Asura form emerged, golden arms seizing the long spear. He pressed his brow and drew the silver sword he had taken from Liu Junzhuo, then, with a powerful sword move, he pressed directly against the spear tip, extinguishing its relentless momentum.

Lu Jiajia stood on the sea surface, using her spiritual sword fusion ability to assimilate all the surrounding seawater into swords.

Lu Jiajia's thumb and ring finger formed a loose circle, and her wrist gently twisted. Thousands of swords responded, rising into the sky simultaneously.

When Liu Xiwuan rushed out of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, she just witnessed the scene of the sea-swords clashing with the silver spear rain. The sky was dyed silver-white, and a bitter, salty downpour, formed by thousands of sword intents, poured down.

This was a true sword rain.

Liu Xiwuan looked at Lu Jiajia's graceful silhouette amidst the ocean waves, her heart involuntarily stirred. She was inherently a sword, and being within the range of Lu Jiajia's spiritual sword fusion, her body also felt an inexplicable call, growing hot—it was the sensation of boiling blood.

During the time she was lost in thought, Ning Changjiu had already completed the first exchange with the Silver Steed.

According to the imprints in its memory, the Silver Steed executed a complete set of grand, open-and-close spear techniques. At the end, the black-armored warrior raised the spear, and the steed's horse-head upper body swung. In this motion, like twisting a waist, the long spear thrust out, shattering the sword formation Ning Changjiu had set up, piercing the Asura's hand, and temporarily forcing back its figure and thousands of swords.

Ning Changjiu was not significantly harmed. His figure drifted back, landing beside Lu Jiajia and Liu Xiwuan.

"Been pampered at the Sword Pavilion for too long, haven't seen a monster like this in a while, have you?" Ning Changjiu chuckled softly and asked gently, "Are you afraid?"

"You're the one who's been pampered; I've been diligently cultivating!" she retorted, then said earnestly, "What's there to be afraid of? Back in the Severed Realm, didn't we face the Sin Lord who had activated his mythical form together? They both wield spears; this horse can't be stronger than the Sin Lord, can it?"

Liu Xiwuan's sword-like eyes were also silver. She stood suspended in the air, raised her hand towards Ning Changjiu, and said coldly, "Draw your sword! Let's slaughter it together."

Ning Changjiu's fingers intertwined with hers.

Lu Jiajia turned her back, shielding them from the falling rain of silver spears, seemingly oblivious to the scene.

Liu Xiwuan let out a soft hum; she felt her body ignite—like a dormant volcano glowing, something about to erupt from within!

If all went smoothly, her body would rapidly spiritualize, transforming into a silver 'spirit' circling Ning Changjiu. But this spirit was not only one of the fundamental sources of the Asura path but also the concrete manifestation of the term 'sword intent.' She would coexist with Ning Changjiu; as long as a sliver of Ning Changjiu's sword intent remained, she would be immortal and indestructible.

But something went wrong with the progress.

Their fingers intertwined, and there was clearly a resonance, but it was always just short of a complete connection.

Lu Jiajia sensed the abnormality, looked over, and frowned.

Ning Changjiu was also puzzled by the reason. Earlier, on the way to the Ethereal Tower, he had tested the resonance of their Dao hearts with Liu Xiwuan, and there had been no problems. Why couldn't they achieve perfection now?

The Silver Steed obviously wouldn't allow them to dwell on this. It spun the long spear in its hand like a lightning whip; its lower half's hooves pounded, already rushing toward them at high speed.

Ning Changjiu and Liu Xiwuan temporarily released their hands.

The Silver Steed was indeed worthy of being a mid-tier steed. In terms of both strength and speed, it was much stronger than the Bronze Steed on the Luo River. With astonishing explosive power, the divine steed lunged forward; a single sweep of the spear created thousands of light points, as if ten thousand arrows were launched simultaneously, intending to pierce a person full of holes.

Ning Changjiu shielded Liu Xiwuan. He clenched his hand and firmly grasped the slender silver sword. The sword techniques were unleashed almost instinctively; three thousand distinct sword shadows were activated almost simultaneously.

Liu Xiwuan watched in surprise, not expecting his swordsmanship to have reached such a level after not seeing him for some time. Second Senior Sister's defeat was indeed not unfair.

The fierce struggle erupted above the sea surface.

Liu Xiwuan couldn't transform into a spiritual sword-qi form. With her Purple Court Realm, eighth or ninth floor combat power, it was insufficient in the current battle.

Behind, Lu Jiajia had already cut down most of the sky-filling spear rain. In front, Ning Changjiu's three thousand sword shadows also attacked alongside his main body.

But the Silver Steed was not only powerfully lethal, its body was also as steady as Mount Tai. It spun the long spear, also unleashing three thousand thrusts in a very short time. Every attack, without exception, struck the weakest point of Ning Changjiu's sword shadows.

The three thousand sword shadows were instantly shattered. With a clang, the silver sword Ning Changjiu swung at the divine steed was precisely intercepted by the golden spear. A burst of divine fire erupted from the collision.

The fierce fighting resumed.

Ning Changjiu felt that his past few months must have been too smooth. Heaven couldn't stand it and always had to find terrifying opponents to challenge him.

He could sense that if he could ascend to the Golden Crow's divine position, he would surely be able to slay this wild horse. Even if he gained a complete Asura body, he would have a chance to kill the opponent.

But both of these were just a step away.

This slight difference made the mountain-like divine horse incredibly oppressive in front of him. Every slash, every sharp edge forged by his sword moves, was parried by the long spear. His otherwise fluid attacks were repeatedly interrupted.

However, while the Silver Steed's spear techniques were fierce, they couldn't truly strike Ning Changjiu. Instead, it seemed to be controlled by the opponent's continuous sword shadows, appearing to be on the defensive.

While the two were still in a stalemate, Lu Jiajia had already cut through the sky-filling sword shadows and arrived.

Years of fighting side-by-side had given them a deep understanding.

Ning Changjiu simply gave up his offensive, only responsible for assisting with traction. In terms of sword intent alone, Lu Jiajia was purer and more suited for this kind of decisive attack.

Their combined sword qi rained down in a barrage.

The Silver Steed swung its long spear in a circle, indifferently fending off their combined assault. Its iron hooves trod in the seawater, yet its body remained perfectly still.

Liu Xiwuan squinted, unable to look directly at the dazzling light ahead. The fierce winds generated by their battle also pushed her back repeatedly, gradually moving her away from the center of the battlefield.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia's figures flickered erratically on either side of the Silver Steed, searching for any possible opening for attack.

Ordinary cultivators of the Five Paths would find it hard to resist under the power of a Divine Kingdom. But Ning Changjiu also had an ancient Divine Kingdom as his backing; as long as the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom's power didn't dry up, the Silver Steed couldn't destroy him.

Over the vast Southern Sea, sword qi erupted like tidal waves, one after another. Even if they fought for three days and three nights, they likely wouldn't be able to truly determine a winner.

On the distant sea, far from the Southern Sea, Ke Wenzhou was treading the waves, slowly making his way.

This place was far from being affected by the turmoil in the Southern Sea, but Ke Wenzhou could perceive a hint through the constellations. He stretched out his hand, and the falling starlight condensed in his palm, forming an ancient sword.

He strapped the sword to his back, closed his eyes, and entered meditation.

His killing intent grew stronger and stronger.

On this journey to the Southern Sea, this sword would surely drink blood and kill.

Three days remained until the Sword Saint arrived in the Southern Sea.

Meanwhile, dawn had not yet arrived over the Southern Sea. The besieged Silver Steed clashed back and forth amidst the waterfall-like sword qi, unable to achieve any decisive victory.

This was something the Silver Steed hadn't encountered in who knows how many years.

Before dawn, the divine steed, deep in battle, suddenly withdrew its spear. Beneath its black armor, its pupils turned a deep blood-red.

This bore a striking resemblance to the Divine Lords revealing their true mythical forms, exchanging sanity for power.

The Silver Steed willingly descended into a berserk state.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia both sensed the danger; their figures flickered, withdrawing their swords and dispersing.

In the Southern Sea, still enveloped by night, a large amount of white light surged up. The white light was uneven, layered and intertwined, flashing with sharp edges. In an instant, the sea area they were in was covered by an illusion.

The illusion presented an ancient battlefield. On the battlefield, tens of thousands of long spears were slanted into the ground.

From a high vantage point, this sea area instantly transformed into a spear cemetery.

The warhorse neighed wildly, and the black-armored warrior's mouth spewed ancient, profound syllables. As the warrior again drew its spear, its target was not Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia, but Liu Xiwuan, who was watching from a distance.

Liu Xiwuan, standing in the spear graveyard, also felt the sudden surge of killing intent, her cheeks turning pale.

Ning Changjiu moved to block the Silver Steed's advance, while Lu Jiajia transformed into a rainbow to rescue.

Everything happened in a flash of lightning.

Just as the killing intent surged, Liu Xiwuan's wrist was already grasped by Lu Jiajia, lifting her into the air.

The berserk Silver Steed radiated a deep red glow, like burning blood.

Amidst a snorting sound, the armored warrior held its spear-shadow like a cage, temporarily trapping Ning Changjiu, and simultaneously directly slammed its fist against Ning Changjiu's body.

Ning Changjiu merged with his Asura form, abandoning his sword, and simply clashed fists with the divine steed. But the divine steed's body, protected by the Heavenly Steed Year, was truly like an indestructible city wall, impossible to shake.

While the two were still fighting, the Silver Steed's front hooves suddenly moved, delivering a powerful kick to the slanted golden spear.

Too late to stop it, the long spear flew out, piercing directly towards Lu Jiajia.

Lu Jiajia, holding Liu Xiwuan with one hand, turned sideways to shield her, and pointed a finger at the incoming golden spear.

A human figure was minuscule compared to the golden spear. But Lu Jiajia cultivated the immortal path; now, as her white robes fluttered and sword qi surged, a much larger immortal body was faintly outlined behind her.

The golden spear stopped before Lu Jiajia.

Lu Jiajia's spiritual energy was rapidly depleting, and her face turned pale.

Her spiritual sword fusion was pushed to its extreme.

However, Lu Jiajia's realm was ultimately insufficient to suppress this berserk spear.

Just as her sword intent was about to be worn down by the long spear, she suddenly felt a pure and immense sword intent surge up beside her. Lu Jiajia's spiritual eye glanced over, finding that Liu Xiwuan, whose wrist she held, had closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and her body had turned silver.

The girl who had previously failed to resonate with Ning Changjiu was actually beginning to spiritualize under the catalysis of her spiritual sword fusion.

But it was still just a step away.

This last crucial step was quickly completed by Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu summoned the Golden Crow, and using the concealment of the divine kingdom's golden sun, broke free from the divine steed's entanglement. In a flash, he appeared beside Lu Jiajia.

He split off his Asura body to temporarily resist the golden spear, then took Lu Jiajia's other hand.

A brilliant white light erupted, and sword intent surged skyward.

Lu Jiajia's spiritual sword fusion was the final catalyst; with her help, Ning Changjiu and Liu Xiwuan's minds finally resonated as one, merging together.

It was precisely at this moment that dawn first broke, with a faint white light appearing in the east.

Lu Jiajia's right side was now empty.

The girl in the black combat attire had transformed into a silver spiritual form, circling Ning Changjiu like a flood dragon.

After Severed Realm City, Ning Changjiu's self-severed Asura body was finally made complete at this moment.

Ning Changjiu extended his arms.

The Asura, pierced by the golden spear, suddenly roared.

Amidst the Silver Steed's furious neigh, Ning Changjiu gripped the golden spear, pushed it back inch by inch, then effortlessly lifted it and hurled it towards the Silver Steed.

Over the vast sea, the illusion of the ancient battlefield was swept away.

The Silver Steed caught the spear, gripping it with a backhand, but the spear tip still pierced through its black armor; the armor shattered into pieces under the immense pressure, falling into the seawater, revealing its already depleted body.

At the bottom of the Luo River, the water swayed continuously.

"Master, do we truly not need to worry about Bai Zang?" Sì Mìng was still a little worried.

Ye Chan Palace gently replied, "Though the three divine steeds are fierce, for the battles to come, they are merely appetizers at best... Moreover, Bai Zang is no kitten. You haven't experienced the Divine War of those years, haven't smelled the stench of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Every Divine Lord who ascended to their position saw hundreds of minor and major deities perish beneath them, let alone a god like Bai Zang, who presides over slaughter."

Sì Mìng nodded gently, no longer feeling much worry.

She lowered her head and continued to look at the booklet.

"September 21st. A long-overdue torrential rain fell over the Luo River. I woke up very early today. I know you won't get wet, but I still made an umbrella from dragon bones. Well... I actually made two, because I was afraid you wouldn't come alone... See, I'm not that petty."

"September 22nd. The rain over the Luo River still hasn't stopped, and I don't know how long it will last. Rainy days delay journeys, so I forgive your lateness... but you still have to come."

"September 23rd. Things outside are getting more chaotic. Rebels are killed, their corpses turn into vengeful spirits, still rebels. I've killed so many, but it's useless. The rules you told me about back then no longer apply... Today, I cooked porridge, following the recipe in that book. Back when we went to the Divine Palace, Xi He said you loved her porridge the most. I bought a textbook and plan to learn how to make it for you too. But this recipe is so simple, will you really like it?"

"September 24th. The rain is getting heavier. I know something big must have happened. If it's urgent, you should at least send a letter. I'm not that unreasonable..."

"September 25th. The rain has stopped. I know I'll never wait for you again."

"Because the sun has risen..."

"Nine suns."

Sì Mìng's expression trembled slightly, her eyelashes fluttered, and a bitter taste arose in her heart. She felt as if she could see a woman sitting there, writing these words in utter despair.

Nine suns appeared in the sky...

The diary and the myth intertwined, their timelines overlapping. Sì Mìng felt a trance, knowing that Yi was now far away in the Southern Wasteland, slaying the Nine-Headed Serpentine, Yaksha, and Cultivating Serpent, then rushing to the Central Lands to use a longbow that spanned the entire Central Lands to shoot down the suns in the sky.

At that time, Yi didn't know if he still remembered his promise with the Luo River Goddess.

But remembering or not, it was all in vain.

Xi He had died in battle, and nine suns were born. For the sake of the common people, no matter how heartbroken or desperate he was, he had to destroy them with his own hands. At that time, he must have cast aside all other matters.

Sì Mìng snapped back to reality, her gaze quietly tracing the notes. She looked at the woman's weak handwriting, thinking of Shao Xiaoli's innocent, carefree demeanor, and her heart was wrung with pain.

Ye Chan Palace stood quietly by, the candlelight illuminating her fingers, which glowed with a jade-like luster.

The next few pages of the diary were written very messily, incoherent. A large portion described the past events she had experienced with Yi. Those words transformed into faint images, fleetingly passing through her mind, then submerged by the sound of the Luo River's waves.

Sì Mìng gently turned the pages, roughly understanding the events of that time.

After Di Jun reincarnated as Yi, the Luo River Goddess became his first teacher. The Luo River Goddess taught him for many years, and feelings developed between them. Later, Yi married Chang'e, and the Luo River Goddess parted ways with them. A few years later, the Divine War fully erupted. The Luo River Goddess, whose combat power was not particularly strong, was besieged by gods and demons. Upon hearing the news, Yi killed several gods and demons with arrows spanning thousands of miles, then rushed back overnight to rescue the Luo River Goddess.

After that, the Luo River Goddess stayed by their side, experiencing life-and-death situations together. Although there were entanglements of love, hate, and misunderstandings, they ultimately forged a deep friendship.

Later, when the Luo River faced disaster, the Luo River Goddess had to return. At their parting, she gave Yi the Luo River Map as a token. Yi promised her a date, saying he would return to the Luo River to find her on October 9th.

Given their feelings at the time, this must have been their set wedding date. Chang'e knew their intentions, but being naturally indifferent, she did not object. As Sì Mìng's eyes flickered, she could deeply empathize with the sorrow between the lines.

As October 9th approached, the Luo River Goddess built a small building at the bottom of the river and buried a water-repelling pearl, intending it as their future secluded home.

She decorated the wedding room, shed her azure robes, put on a red wedding gown, and then waited day and night.

She might have held a sliver of hope then, but Sì Mìng had already guessed the story's ending.

"This candle is called 'Everlight'," Ye Chan Palace suddenly said.

Sì Mìng looked at the last candlelight in the room.

"Everlight?"

She knew the concept of 'ever-burning lamps.'

"Yes," Ye Chan Palace said. "Di Jun's authority is also called Everlight."

Sì Mìng sensed a hint of sadness.

She lowered her head, her gaze sweeping over the end of the diary... In the diary's final entry, the Luo River Goddess sat in the lonely little building, still unable to await Yi, but she saw the nine suns shattering one by one, and knowing Yi was still in the world, she still smiled.

The nine suns shattered, raven feathers exploded and drifted towards the human world.

"Consider them the fireworks you sent me..."

On October 9th, Yi shot down the nine suns. The conflicts between gods and demons, ancient spirits and ancient immortals, and all forces in the world entered their next turning point. On the same day, the massive forces of the Six Primal Gods swept in, and the Luo River fell into peril. Wearing her wedding gown, she drew her battle saber and swore to defend the Luo River to the death... and truly died in the Luo River in the end.

Mythological stories mostly embody humanity's beautiful aspirations.

Thus, the tales of Yi shooting the nine suns and Chang'e fleeing to the moon have been passed down to this day, but the woman in the wedding gown who died by her saber on the banks of the Luo River is rarely mentioned.

Perhaps even Shao Xiaoli herself no longer remembers.

"Xiaoli... Fortunately, Xiaoli's divine soul was preserved. The regrets left behind back then should be somewhat compensated for, right?" Sì Mìng said.

Chang'e gently hummed in affirmation and said, "The Luo River Goddess's soul was protected by me and Jufu. Later, when I killed Yuanfu and established Severed Realm City, I preserved her soul there. Then, when I decided to take Ning Changjiu as my disciple, I also allowed the Luo River Goddess's soul to enter reincarnation, so they are almost the same age."

However, unexpectedly for Chang'e, she initially couldn't find Ning Changjiu in this lifetime.

Sì Mìng nodded and closed the book.

Earlier, in the Snow Gorge, Ye Chu had already said that Shao Xiaoli had the White Ape Star and Jade Rabbit Star as companion stars, with the Luo River Goddess Star in the primary position.

The ape and rabbit were the images of Jufu and Chang'e, and the Luo River Goddess Star was the symbol of her identity.

"Shall we go upstairs and take a look?" Sì Mìng asked.

"No need," Ye Chan Palace said softly. "Later, let Xiaoli return on her own."

"Mm, that's fine too."

Sì Mìng put the book back in its original place, only keeping Xi He's recipe book.

Ye Chan Palace glanced at the recipe book and suddenly said, "This was the only one Xi He ever sold back then."

Sì Mìng paused, then smiled. "That makes sense."

Ye Chan Palace pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to smile faintly, but her emotions eventually faded.

Sì Mìng looked at Ye Chan Palace and mused, "I wonder how the battle is progressing there now."

Ye Chan Palace said, "No need to worry, Ning Changjiu is not the weakest."

"Hmm?" Sì Mìng didn't quite understand.

Ye Chan Palace continued, "In Yuanfu's Divine Kingdom, the Divine Emissaries and the Five Emperors expended immense energy to suppress Bai Zang, and their existence relies on the unobservable; at this moment, they are like rootless duckweed... My two disciples are currently weaker than Ning Changjiu."

"If Ning Changjiu can obtain a complete Asura body and Divine Kingdom, then he and Lu Jiajia combined should be stronger than us," Ye Chan Palace said.

Sì Mìng thought for a moment before realizing.

Tianji's strategy was to use the upper tier to suppress the middle, the middle to suppress the lower, and then sacrifice the lowest.

But Tianji's perceived upper, middle, and lower tiers were incorrect.

In reality, Ning Changjiu was the hidden upper tier, they were the middle, and the Divine Emissaries and Five Emperors were the lower...

After this comparison of the arrangement, the situation was completely inverted! The only ones truly in danger were the Divine Emissaries and Five Emperors of the Western Kingdom, but the Western Kingdom was close to the Three Thousand Worlds, which offered them potential options.

"Master is wise," Sì Mìng said with heartfelt admiration.

"Alright," Ye Chan Palace said. "Let's go back... and take this little red building with us."

"How can we take this building?" Sì Mìng asked, perplexed.

Ye Chan Palace looked outside the door and said, "Isn't the divine steed for pulling the carriage already out there?"