Chapter 421: Wildfire Cannot Be Extinguished

Ke Wenzhou's strike was both a sword and a command.

The divine sword, forged from starlight, could not contain the unprecedented sword intent of five hundred years, even after it had killed Ning Changjiu. It exploded in the sky, becoming the most magnificent display of fireworks.

These fireworks had erupted in the void, appearing as a vast, blurry light from the human world's perspective.

Yet, the Sword Pavilion, thousands of miles away, witnessed it.

Zhou Zhenyue gazed at the suddenly bright night sky, drew her sword, walked into the courtyard, and shook the bronze bell from which her sword hung.

The other disciples gradually arrived in the courtyard. Of the fourteen Sword Pavilion disciples, thirteen remained, excluding Liu Xiwuan. At this moment, Liu Junzhuo held the highest cultivation level among them.

“The sword light illuminates the night sky… Master’s command has been given; the final days are upon us,” Zhou Zhenyue said.

Of the Sword Saint's instructions to them, only Zhou Zhenyue possessed the full knowledge.

Furthermore, the Sword Saint’s instructions to her were not a mere transmission. Instead, he embedded his consciousness deep within her mind. Only when the events actually unfolded before her eyes would the hidden memories in her sea of consciousness awaken.

Liu Junzhuo asked, “What command did Master convey?”

Zhou Zhenyue replied, “Master said that once the sword light illuminates the night sky, the seventy-third Grotto-Heaven of the Sword Pavilion will open. This grotto-heaven holds the accumulated and flourishing sword intent of the Sword Pavilion from the past five hundred years. All disciples are to enter it for forty-five days of body tempering. After those forty-five days, we will depart together.”

The disciples were filled with doubt, prompting various questions:

“Why forty-five days?”

“Depart together? To where?”

“Where is Master now, and what exactly does he intend to do?”

Zhou Zhenyue raised a hand, silencing their questions. “You need not do anything but strictly obey the sect's instructions,” she said. “The grotto-heaven is now open; come with me… After forty-five days, we will depart for that place, and then…”

Zhou Zhenyue hesitated for a moment. To reassure the disciples, she chose to continue, “At that time, it will be the day of Master’s ascension to sainthood.”

This simple statement silenced the entire courtyard. Sainthood… those two words ignited a wildfire, burning their thoughts with fervent heat.

Consequently, the seemingly brief period of forty-five days stretched out endlessly.

They no longer questioned, and all followed their senior sister’s instructions, entering the grotto-heaven.

The senior sister paused slightly, looking at Liu Junzhuo. “Junior sister?”

Liu Junzhuo slowly returned to her senses, pulling her gaze from the fading light in the sky. She closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, then gently shook her head, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and softly murmured, “Hmm… it’s nothing.”

Above the Southern Sea, lightning suddenly rent the sky, and a torrential downpour began.

Shao Xiaoli sprinted through the heavy rain. In the vast, white rain-mist, it seemed as though only her solitary figure remained between heaven and earth.

She sometimes sped on her sword, and at other times stumbled into the mud… She could not maintain her composure; the wavering of her Dao Heart prevented her from stabilizing herself.

On the shores of the Southern Sea, the girl, having propelled herself with her sword in one great effort, collapsed from exhaustion.

Rainwater flowed into her mouth and nose, choking Shao Xiaoli. She coughed incessantly, a sudden sensation of faintness clouding her mind.

As faintness enveloped her, her most recent dreams surfaced one by one, assailing her sea of consciousness and causing her spirit to tremble.

She saw the winding river, the villages along its banks, and the small red building protected by a water-repelling pearl at the riverbed… Finally, she saw her own figure, standing in a wedding dress, leaning on a saber, facing the setting sun.

As memories flashed by, she suddenly recalled the Dao technique her master had instructed her to cultivate.

For months, from Duanjiec City to Nanzhou, she had been cultivating this Dao technique. Today, as enlightenment flooded her mind, she finally recalled its name: Luo Shen Fu, the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River.

This was a Dao technique unique to her.

In the torrential rain, Shao Xiaoli opened her arms.

As the streams of the Dao technique flowed through her body, they transformed into a grand power that resonated with heaven and earth.

The heavy rain gradually slowed.

Then, all the raindrops froze in mid-air. They connected, condensed, and converged into a complete river.

The great river surged, swirling around her.

This was the complete Luo River.

To the world, the Luo River was the great river in the northwest; however, to her, it was merely a concept. The place where the Goddess of Luo resided was the Luo River.

The Luo River was named after her.

At this moment, Shao Xiaoli ascended to the Five Paths.

But she could not find a trace of joy. She gazed at the empty expanse above the Southern Sea, at the broken wood drifting like a solitary boat on the surface, and remained lost in thought for a long time.

“Master… Xiaoli has reached the Five Paths. Xiaoli is qualified to fight alongside you…”

“Where are you…”

Meanwhile, on the vast Southern Sea, Lu Jiajia, who had been frantically soaring upwards, felt something press down on her shoulder. She snapped back to reality, looked to her side, and realized it was the very fragment of the sun that had previously absorbed most of the damage for her.

She picked up the fragment, vaguely understanding something.

Above, in the highest sky.

The sundered Sea of Ruins was slowly closing.

The Sword Saint’s world-shattering sword strike, along with Ning Changjiu’s body, vanished within it.

Ke Wenzhou stared at the Sea of Ruins. He had won too easily, which made him unsure if he had truly killed Ning Changjiu. After a moment of silence, he extended two fingers from his left hand, cleaved open the Sea of Ruins once more, and sent a surge of sword qi through.

Then, his brow furrowed even deeper.

The Sea of Ruins was empty; Ning Changjiu's body seemed to have vanished!

Ancient Spirit Sect.

Ning Xiaoling sat on the throne, feeling the ripples emanating from her sea of consciousness, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Through their ‘Concentric Hearts’ bond, she heard her senior brother’s instruction, a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time.

She was unsure if she could fulfill that instruction, but she knew she absolutely had to.

In recent days, Ning Xiaoling’s consciousness had already formed a connection with the Sea of Reincarnation. Now, she channeled all her power, almost merging herself with it.

Within her sea of consciousness, something seemed to lurk, poised to burst forth from the viscous darkness.

Ning Xiaoling’s heart pounded wildly.

The viscous darkness was pierced, and a terrifying entity emerged from it.

It was a pitch-black feathered serpent.

It was a tangible being, or perhaps a symbol of the Sea of Reincarnation.

The feathered serpent emerged from the darkness, unfurling its massive body. It tightly coiled around her consciousness, intending to strangle and devour her, to become nourishment for the Sea of Ruins.

Ning Xiaoling felt a suffocating pain. Her consciousness was constricted, and her body convulsed. She opened her mouth wide, struggling to gasp for air, while simultaneously raising her head to stare at the feathered serpent’s gaping maw, resisting the demonic nature of the Sea of Reincarnation.

When one is on the verge of suffocation, many illusions often flash through the mind.

Her master’s and senior brother’s faces flashed by, growing increasingly blurry… Sister Xiang’er’s valiant demeanor, Sister Xueci’s slightly mischievous smile, and even the poems of Jiuyou, which she usually despised, all flickered through her mind. Their visages and voices were like needles pricking her skin, striving to keep her conscious.

“Reaching the nine heavens above, and the nine springs below. Among all servants of the underworld, I alone am supreme…”

“Senior brother, you… you’re actually this kind of person!”

“I would go to the ends of heaven and hell to bring you back, Senior Brother!”

“Senior brother, let’s live here from now on…”

Ning Xiaoling seemed to grasp a saber in the darkness. She didn’t know its origin, but gripping it, she plunged it forward into the blackness!

Memories flowed backward like a long river, instantly returning to the moment they first met.

The small, thin, and pale-faced girl looked up, her eyes flickering with both wariness and fear. She tilted her head back, gazing at the white-robed boy who watched her, and asked:

“But… who exactly are you?”

Within her sea of consciousness, the feathered serpent’s roar echoed. The girl trembled all over as her arm and the blade sliced down, tearing bone from its flesh.

She didn’t know if these images within the sea were illusions, but at that very moment, as the Underworld Monarch, she finally grasped the true authority of the Underworld Kingdom—Reincarnation!

The Sea of Reincarnation truly recognized her at that instant.

Her consciousness rapidly expanded, traversing the void of the Sea of Reincarnation. In the vast ocean, she found a white figure, tattered like a piece of cloth, yet its Qi Sea and Purple Court remained intact—the dwelling places of the sword spirit and the Golden Crow.

His physical body was dead, and his fragmented divine soul floated alone, flickering in and out of existence.

“Senior brother…”

Ning Xiaoling’s heartbeat accelerated relentlessly, almost deafening her.

“Reincarnation!”

She spread her hands, roaring with a hoarse, trembling voice that was almost a croak.

The authority activated at this moment. The Sea of Reincarnation, dormant for a millennium, finally awoke, pouring all its power into the white-robed youth’s body!

After the Sea of Reincarnation activated, Ning Changjiu's damaged divine soul reformed within it.

In the long darkness, Ning Xiaoling's snow-white spiritual form held Ning Changjiu's hand.

At this moment, Ning Changjiu appeared as a mere child.

“Mama?”

“No, I’m not your mother. You can call me elder sister.”

“E-elder sister?”

“Mm.”

“What’s elder sister’s name?”

“Hmm… Ning Xiaoling, and you are Ning Changjiu, the Changjiu of 'everlasting'.”

Ning Changjiu… everlasting…

Soon, Ning Changjiu's divine soul transformed into the appearance of a seven- or eight-year-old boy.

“Where are we going?”

“To a place where you can see light. Stay close to elder sister, don't get lost.”

“What happens if I get lost?”

“If you get lost… elder sister will be very sad.”

The Sea of Reincarnation carried the two rapidly upwards.

Ning Xiaoling's spiritual form remained unchanged, but Ning Changjiu, in the blink of an eye, was thirteen or fourteen years old.

“I keep having a dream lately.”

“What do you dream about?”

“I often see a Daoist temple, it feels very familiar, like I’ve lived there since I was a child. There are people inside too, seven… no, eight people!”

“Mm, elder sister will take you there someday.”

“Elder sister… have you known me for a long time?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well… I just feel a deep connection. In our previous life… were we husband and wife?”

“Hmm… yes. When little Changjiu grows up, will you marry your elder sister?”

“Uh…”

The youth, blushing, nodded imperceptibly.

The Sea of Reincarnation accelerated its ascent.

Ning Changjiu was now a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth.

He and Ning Xiaoling held hands, looking upwards together.

“Are we there yet?” Ning Changjiu asked.

“Yes,” Ning Xiaoling nodded. “Almost there.”

“Actually, I’ve remembered everything.”

“Remembered what? Elder sister is…”

Ning Xiaoling stopped mid-sentence, seeing that Ning Changjiu had returned to his original appearance. He was looking at her gently, a smile on his face.

“Elder sister?” Ning Changjiu chuckled softly.

“Ah… Se-senior brother.” Ning Xiaoling bit her lip, lowered her head, looking as if she were both crying and laughing.

Ning Changjiu embraced her.

“Xiaoling is the one who has truly grown up,” he said.

“Senior brother, you’re not allowed to get such serious injuries anymore…” Ning Xiaoling said, slightly choked up. “If you get hurt any more severely, Xiaoling might not recognize you.”

“Mm, senior brother promises you,” Ning Changjiu said.

They stood in silent embrace.

At the end of the Sea of Reincarnation, Ning Xiaoling seized the opportunity to kiss his cheek, whispering softly:

“Senior brother, I brought you back.”

In the temple of the Ancient Underworld Kingdom, the Sea of Reincarnation surged through the large gate at the back of the hall.

Inside the hall, the great door was tightly shut, and the figures of Fish King and Jiuyou were nowhere to be seen.

The solitary red building stood at the entrance of the Ancient Spirit Sect. The bronze divine steed was gone, and the dragon bone shackles of the death prison were re-fastened around Baizang’s neck. Siming waited in the small building, holding Baizang. She stared at the extinguished eternal candle on the table, the worry in her icy eyes as dense as fog.

At this moment, the cold-limbed Ye Changong stood at the grand entrance of the Ancient Underworld Kingdom, her ill-fitting white dress appearing somewhat loose.

Jiuyou and Fish King watched this uninvited guest nervously.

The petite girl extended a finger towards the tightly shut door and gently touched it.

At her fingertip, a point of pure authority condensed.

Life.

Ning Xiaoling's 'Reincarnation' could bring Ning Changjiu's divine soul out of the Sea of Ruins, while Ye Changong's 'Life' could fully restore his shattered body.

The great door to the rear hall swung open. From the profound darkness, a white figure was carried forth by the currents of the Sea of Reincarnation and gently deposited into the hall.

The youth, clad in snow-white robes, lay still in the center of the main hall.

On the Underworld's throne, Ning Xiaoling also opened her eyes.

Her spirit had experienced a brief and hurried lifetime within the Sea of Reincarnation.

The girl suddenly came back to her senses. Seeing the youth lying in the hall, she immediately rushed to his side.

In the hall, where light and shadow flickered, the girl in the pear-blossom colored dress knelt by his side, gently calling his name.

Within the Purple Mansion, in the Golden Crow’s divine kingdom, from the ruins of the last divine pillar, a beam of bright light, infused with images from before its collapse, suddenly ascended.

The scenes within the divine pillar overlapped with what was happening in the Underworld Temple at this very moment!

For this world, reversing time by twelve years was impossible. Thus, the logical flaw in the original 'rebirth' divine pillar was something he could never compensate for.

Therefore, he simply chose to be reborn again.

This was a rebirth witnessed by heaven and earth, with discernible traces!

The brand-new divine pillar was incredibly bright. Along with the previous four, it seamlessly supported the entire divine kingdom, leaving no further flaws!

The sky grew dim, and candle flames flickered wildly.

In the Underworld Temple, the youth who should have been dead opened his eyes.

Meanwhile, on the Southern Sea, the Sword Saint, who had searched arduously to no avail and was about to sheath his sword and depart, halted. He turned his head and looked into the distance, as if facing a formidable enemy.