Chapter 417: Green Colt Drives South

Siming always felt she couldn't quite keep up with her master's way of thinking.

"The divine steed pulling the carriage is outside?" she thought. "Are we really relying on that bronze divine steed to pull it? Her master's authority truly befits dreams..."

Siming watched Ye Changong for a moment, then helped her wrap the white fur blanket more tightly, afraid she might catch a chill.

On the Luoshen River, ripples from the intense fighting had already spread far, blocked by a barrier formed by water-repelling pearls.

Ye Changong’s hand retracted into the blanket. Standing in the small building, she looked back at its layout, at the double-happiness characters pasted on the walls. Most of them had been torn off, and combined with the desolate atmosphere, they evoked a sense of sadness.

Too much time had passed, and she couldn't clearly recall her grievances with Luoshen. If they were to meet again in the future, she decided, it would be like meeting anew. Thinking this, Ye Changong lightly extended a finger, and the authority of dreams flowed forth.

Within the little red building, under the influence of the dream, everything gradually returned to its original state. The eternal lamp was no longer the only red in the space; a feeling of warmth dispelled the loneliness and enveloped them.

“Let’s go up,” Ye Changong said. They had lingered here for too long.

Siming’s slender, jade-like fingers curled slightly as she pointed at the small building, confirming, “Are we really taking it with us?”

“Yes,” Ye Changong nodded, lightly retreating and settling back into the wooden chair.

Siming’s power was enough to move mountains and overturn seas, so controlling a red building was certainly no problem. Under Siming’s command, the building, embedded with water-repelling pearls, was lifted from its foundation and floated steadily upward.

Siming noticed the table lacked something to prop it up, so she thought for a moment and tucked the cookbook back underneath.

As the red building emerged from the Luoshui, wind and thunder rushed toward them, casually cut open by Siming.

Baizang and the bronze divine steed had been battling on the Luoshen River all night. The domain of furious lightning had long dispersed, and the silver barrier was shattered. The bronze divine steed's eyes were dimmer, and its body was covered in wounds, though no blood flowed from them.

Baizang’s body was hot, her silver skirt billowed, and her snow-white hair fluttered in the oncoming wind. Although she had gained the upper hand, she was also on the verge of exhaustion.

As the light of dawn appeared on the horizon, Baizang looked back and saw a small red building flying towards them. A stunning woman in a black robe stood at the entrance, her hair like silver.

“Hmph, you only show up when the fight’s almost over? Do you want to land the final blow and steal my victory?” Baizang glared, her rounded, beast-like ears twitching, revealing sharp fangs as she spoke.

Siming replied calmly, “Of course not. I want to see Lady Baizang kill it herself.”

Baizang grew even angrier. She had fought all night against the bronze divine steed without restraint, and though it had been exhilarating, her strength was reaching its limit. After a night of fighting, her qi sea was drained. She had severely injured the bronze warhorse but couldn't kill it; if they continued like this, she would be the one to lose.

Baizang clenched her fists and snapped, “Forget it! This divine lord is indifferent to fame and fortune. I’ll let you have the final blow. Go finish it!” She was mentally disoriented and truly couldn't hold on much longer.

Just then, inside the little red building, Ye Changong reached out and lightly pointed. Around Baizang’s neck, the dead prison dragon bone chain that had held her captive for so long suddenly loosened. Her heart trembled. Was this a reward for fighting all night? Then, her anger was sparked, and she wanted to resist and escape.

But her spiritual energy was completely drained at this moment, leaving her with no strength. When Siming approached, she furiously threw a punch, which the other woman easily caught, then abruptly pulled her over and flicked her forehead.

“Ah!” Baizang cried out. After taking the hit, her body was suddenly yanked up and violently tossed, causing her to dizzily revert to her original form and be thrown back into the red building. Baizang rolled twice on the ground, then lay limply, opening her eyes weakly to find herself at Ye Changong’s feet.

Meanwhile, Ye Changong gently tossed the dead prison dragon bone chain in her hand. Its target was, of course, the bronze divine steed. The bronze divine steed sensed danger and tried to flee, but Siming wouldn’t give it the chance. As the divine steed leaped into the air, a black sword intercepted it, extending the authority of time with its sword light, blocking the steed’s path from above.

The divine steed couldn't break through in such a short time, and the dead prison dragon bone chain quickly wrapped around it, ensnaring its body. This chain, which had once imprisoned the Yuánfú Divine Lord, could shrink to bind a single leaf or grow large enough to wrap around a mountain. With the steed’s body locked by the dead prison dragon bone chain, it couldn't return, even if its divine lord recalled it. The other end of the dragon bone chain was tied to the red building.

Ye Changong picked up the white cat from the ground and held it in her arms. Baizang’s claws were close to her heart; she knew that Heng’e was very weak now and that this was her indirect way of provoking her, but even with the imprisonment lifted, she had no strength left and only wanted to sleep soundly. So, her raised claws transformed into soft paws and dropped down. Baizang tilted her head and fell asleep.

Siming had also put away her black sword and flown back into the building. On the other side, the bronze divine steed was also bound by the dead prison. It whinnied and wailed but couldn't break free. This divine steed itself did not possess high intelligence, so influencing its consciousness was relatively simple. Ye Changong gently tapped the chain, transmitting her command through the dream as a medium.

The bronze divine steed’s eyes were blood red. Pulled by the dragon bone chain, it dragged the red building and galloped southward. It was like a carriage passing through the heavens.

Siming sat inside the ‘carriage,’ her admiration for her master growing even deeper. “Making Baizang and this horse injure each other, weakening Baizang’s power, thereby freeing the dead prison dragon bone chain. Master’s decisions are always simple and effective... And Master says she doesn’t scheme.” Siming praised with a smile, her long hair turning red with joy.

Ye Changong’s fingers gently stroked the cat’s fur. “Actually, the main reason is that without this horse, we can’t reach the Ancient Spirit Sect.”

“Why?” Siming asked.

Ye Changong explained, “The Divine Kingdom of Red Thread has already opened. For us, it’s a defensive line; we need to use it to cross over.”

Upon hearing this, Siming looked at the girl holding the cat, and her admiration grew even stronger. She sat down beside her master. The eternal candlelight flickered slightly on the table.

Ye Changong stared at the candlelight for a moment and said, “I’m tired too.” With that, she gently nestled into Siming’s arms and quietly fell asleep.

Under the dim sky of the Underworld, Shao Xiaoli lazily stretched her body. She had just woken from a dream. Lately, she had been dreaming a lot about the past. In the last scene, she saw herself sitting in a small room with only one lamp, gazing out lonely, as if waiting for someone, but outside was also dark.

She thought, there was at least one candle in the room, but then she also thought, the candle’s existence was unrelated to the room; if she took it outside, there would be a glimmer of light outside, and the room would be pitch black. She only had this one candle, and its location didn’t matter... this faint light was her only comfort. She didn't understand why she was having such wild thoughts; perhaps it was a sign of mental weakness.

As she recalled her dream, the skirt of her pear-blossom colored dress caught her eye. Shao Xiaoli slowly came back to her senses and looked beside her to see Ning Xiaoling sitting on the steps beside her.

“What are you thinking about? Did you have a nightmare?” Ning Xiaoling asked.

Shao Xiaoli propped her chin and nodded, saying solemnly, “Yes, the feng shui in your Underworld is terrible, making me have nightmares every day... It must have something to do with you!”

Ning Xiaoling smiled and said, “What kind of nightmare? Come on, tell your Sister Ning.”

Shao Xiaoli snorted, but then began, saying faintly, “Hmm... lately, I keep dreaming of a river, and there seems to be a house in it. That seems to be my home.”

“Home?” Ning Xiaoling recalled her identity and said, “The Luoshen River is very far from here. At your cultivation level, it would probably take a month or two to get there.”

“Yes, I was just saying that casually.” Shao Xiaoli rubbed her cheek. She only wanted to be her current self and had no attachment to her past life... except, of course, for the identity of 'Master’s lover.' She was always clear about her choices.

Ning Xiaoling looked at her cheek and asked with a smile, “Are you very homesick?”

“Not really, I don’t remember those things very clearly either.” Shao Xiaoli spoke slowly. “Besides, what good would it do even if I were homesick? It’s not like it can fly over here, is it?”

Ning Xiaoling also smiled, looking at this Underworld that still felt strange to her. “Actually, I still envy you.”

“Huh?” Shao Xiaoli found this a bit sudden. She frowned and asked, “What is there to envy about me? My looks?”

Ning Xiaoling said, “I envy that you’ve known Senior Brother for thousands of years and truly loved each other.”

Shao Xiaoli replied, “Well, I envy you too, since you and Master are childhood sweethearts, after all...”

Ning Xiaoling’s voice softened. “What’s the use? Senior Brother is risking life and limb outside, but I’m trapped here, unable to do anything...”

Shao Xiaoli empathized, “Me too.”

Ning Xiaoling shook her head, retorting bluntly, “No, you’re not. I’m trapped here because I’m the Lord of the Underworld and cannot leave, while you’re just too weak. Even if you went, you’d only be a burden to Senior Brother...”

Shao Xiaoli pressed her lips together, looking at Ning Xiaoling’s pure and pretty little face, and said angrily, “Master always said how cute his junior sister was, hmph! He’s clearly been deceived. I’m definitely going to tell Master your true colors!”

Ning Xiaoling’s eyes, however, brightened slightly. “Did Senior Brother really say that?”

Shao Xiaoli truly wanted to pounce on the younger girl and give her a beating, but then she remembered this was the other's territory, and she couldn't beat her, so she felt even more wronged.

“Alright, alright,” Ning Xiaoling gently patted her elegant back. “Although I rule the Underworld, I can’t help much. It’s just dragon-slaying skills.”

Shao Xiaoli asked curiously, “So what exactly can you do as the Lord of the Underworld?”

Ning Xiaoling stretched her slender legs, looking up at the sky. “I can control this realm, control the flow of wind and the growth of flowers here... Recently, I’ve also been trying to control the back hall, the one connected to the Sea of Ruins. I can feel that the Sea of Reincarnation is showing signs of recovery. Perhaps it won’t be long until I can also have the power to decide life and death and bring people back to life, just like the King of Yama in the stories.”

Shao Xiaoli didn't quite believe it. She asked, “Then, if I unfortunately die one day, will you fish my soul out of the Sea of Reincarnation?”

Ning Xiaoling pondered, then said, “That depends on your performance!”

“How do I perform?”

“By pleasing me, of course,” Ning Xiaoling said self-righteously. “From today on, serve tea and water for your Sister Ning, give me shoulder rubs and back massages. When Sister Ning is happy, I’ll cross your name off the Book of Life and Death.”

“Hmph, is that how you talk to your Sister Shao? I’ve written down everything you’ve said, and I’ll tell Master exactly as it was later,” Shao Xiaoli threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Ning Xiaoling pounced.

As the two charming young girls were bickering outside the hall, an abnormal tremor suddenly appeared in the sky above the Underworld. They immediately separated, looking up at the sky together. Just now, something terrifying seemed to have passed over the Ancient Spirit Sect.