Chapter 429: Send-off

Within the Jinwu Divine Kingdom, its construction was nearing completion.

The boundaries of the Jinwu World continuously expanded. Above the swaying sea of sunflowers, brilliant light bathed the creatures born from the Mother Well in gold.

The main hall, carved with sun symbols, stood at the center of the red sun, resembling a coiling Golden Crow or a dark chess piece.

Ning Changjiu wore white clothes, like floating snow.

He stood calmly at the entrance of the hall, gazing at the six towering mythical pillars in the distance.

He was still dissatisfied with them; in his mind, the story of the sun was far more than just a personal family affair.

But at least for now, these six mythical pillars were sufficient to support this divine kingdom.

In front of the main hall, Lu Jiajia also emerged from a divine temple. That temple was temporarily constructed from swords, appearing like a colossal sword tower, its brilliance rivaling even the sun in the sky.

Lu Jiajia carried a sword on her back, the Kunlun Sword she had won from Liu Junzhuo. In her hand, she also held a ray of sword light, an embodiment of her own sword intent.

Lu Jiajia stood before the sword tower, her white robes fluttering, like an immortal from a celestial sect.

Further ahead, Siming stood before the Snow Porcelain Hall. Her dark divine robe, brimming with light, transformed into golden silk, radiating immense sacredness. She gazed at the distant ancient kingdom below the divine hall, and in her ears, she seemed to hear the roaring waves from antiquity.

This was the first scene of the Jinwu Divine Kingdom truly reopening.

Yet, this vastness, compared to the entire world or even the vaster universe, might be merely a slender wisp. And how much higher could the Golden Crow, soaring on its wings, truly fly? Ning Changjiu wasn't even sure.

But as the golden light ascended to its peak, his gaze became resolute.

No matter what, he was far stronger than his previous life, which had passed in a daze for twenty-four years.

The end of his previous life was likely the final stage of the third 'Nation Hunt' plan, when he and the entire Unobservable declared war on the entities above the divine kingdom. But the outcome was clearly a complete failure. At the time, he had no idea what had happened or how they failed. Looking back now, the vanishing figures of his senior disciples must have faced terrifying and tragic ends.

Had he not hesitated for that moment, had he not turned back with that sudden intuition... perhaps they would have been utterly annihilated.

Now, he could at least control his own destiny. Regardless of the outcome, he would not live his life in a daze and die ignorantly. Even if the Golden Crow's light was slender compared to the entire world, it was at least real light that he could bring to them.

Ning Changjiu raised his hand.

From the red sun above, golden light converged towards his palm.

Lu Jiajia and Siming looked back.

Lu Jiajia watched the golden light pour into Ning Changjiu's body and suddenly thought that if he were a little more gentle in appearance, this scene would look like a Solar Saintess praying to the heavens.

Siming's gaze stretched farther.

She looked at the band of light forming between the red sun and Ning Changjiu and asked, "What do you think this looks like?"

Lu Jiajia tilted her head and said, "This... it's just a beam of light."

Siming said, "I think it looks like an arrow."

"An arrow?"

"Yes. People fell wood and bamboo for the arrow shaft, use feathers from giant birds for the fletching. Even with immense power, the arrows shot are limited..."

"Are you saying..." Lu Jiajia realized, "that it's an arrow formed from light? But... where is the bow that could shoot it?"

Siming said, "How would I know? It's just a guess."

At the end of their conversation, boundless light filled the divine kingdom, illuminating the ancient Underworld Kingdom with incredible brightness. The residents of the ancient kingdom, terrified, hid in the shadows, believing it to be a sign of the world's end.

The Fish King raised its head, glanced at the bright light, and after a long moment of bewilderment, closed its eyes again and lay back down to sleep.

Ning Xiaoling walked out from the inner hall, looking at the world outside.

The tide of light had passed, and the distant mountain mists, once swallowed by the light, reappeared in outline.

The Golden Crow flew back, stopping before the Underworld Divine Hall.

Ning Changjiu, Lu Jiajia, and Siming emerged one after another from the Golden Crow.

Ye Changong stood before the hall, looking up at Ning Changjiu, and asked, "Are you ready?"

Ning Changjiu nodded, "I am ready."

Ye Changong softly hummed, "Then..."

"Shall we depart? To Guhuang immediately?" Siming asked.

Ning Xiaoling stood behind Ye Changong, knowing that the moment of parting was truly at hand. She held the joy of that evening deep in her heart, then gently waved to Ning Changjiu.

Ye Changong, however, gently shook her head and said, "You've all been working hard for so many days. Let's eat together first."

Of course, Shao Xiaoli was in charge of cooking.

She was still sleeping but was woken by the light outside. After getting up in a daze, she saw everyone gathered at the entrance. Before she could ask, everyone looked at her in unison, and she was then sent to the kitchen to cook.

Shao Xiaoli stared at the firewood burning in the hearth, still a bit sleepy-eyed.

Ning Changjiu and the others sat in a circle outside, with only Ye Changong standing. This was because she needed to stand on a chair to be at the same height as everyone else when they were seated.

Liu Xiwang was not present; at this moment, she had transformed into a spiritual form, meditating within Ning Changjiu's pure white sea of consciousness, nurturing her sword intent in preparation for the final battle.

"Is Ke Wenzhou confirmed to be still alive?" Siming asked.

"Yes." Ye Changong nodded, "He's wandering in Guhuang... he should be waiting for us."

"Didn't the Dark Lord conceal his tracks?" Ning Changjiu was even more puzzled.

"No," Ye Changong said. "But Ke Wenzhou has been completely corrupted by the Dark Lord. Logically, he should now be one of the Dark Lord's incarnations, and we shouldn't be able to see him."

"Then why..."

"Perhaps the Dark Lord hasn't fully infused him with true power yet," Ye Changong offered as her explanation.

On the day of the decisive battle, once the Sword Saint truly inherits the Dark Lord's power, he will become a blind spot in their vision. Apart from the Eye of Taiyin, other visual abilities will find it difficult to detect his traces.

As they spoke, Shao Xiaoli suddenly approached and meekly said, "Um... I can't chop the firewood. Master, can you help me?"

Ning Changjiu paused slightly.

Everyone looked at him.

Ning Xiaoling, however, went first. She smiled, "Is Xiaoli really so delicate and weak? Come, big sister will help you."

"Who asked for your help..." Shao Xiaoli gritted her teeth, then was pushed into the kitchen by Ning Xiaoling.

Lu Jiajia propped her chin with one hand and lightly tapped the table with the other, saying, "This child, Xiaoling, is truly getting naughtier and naughtier."

Siming subtly mocked, "Well, a renowned teacher produces excellent students, after all."

Lu Jiajia's fair cheeks puffed slightly, but having no retort, she decisively turned her blade on the weaker party. She reached out and grabbed Baizang's chain, pulled her close, and kneaded and squeezed her in frustration, taking out her anger on the cat.

Baizang was kneaded awake from her sleep and let out an angry meow. "Lord Baizang, when you first came to the Underworld Kingdom, I was a bit worried you'd cause trouble. I never thought you'd be so docile," Lu Jiajia asked, pinching her round ears.

Baizang meowed a few times.

Siming translated, "She says, 'Try unchaining me first, then see how docile I am.'"

Lu Jiajia laughed, "It seems she wants to be cooked and served."

Baizang was slightly startled and darted out of her embrace.

These past few days, besides accompanying the idiot... well, besides playing with Jiuyou, she had been taking care of Ning Xiaoling and Shao Xiaoli, mainly by giving them back massages. This made her, as the former lord of the divine kingdom, feel incredibly aggrieved.

On the other side, Ning Changjiu looked at Ye Changong and asked, "Master's body... is there a chance it can recover?"

"What do you want to do if it recovers?"

Siming and Lu Jiajia asked in unison.

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath. If it weren't for Master's presence, they would have been punished by now.

Ye Changong paid no mind to their teasing. She stood lightly and steadily on the chair, saying, "Once the moon reappears and the moon branch is full of moonlight, I can return to my former self."

Listening to her words, Lu Jiajia and Siming even showed a hint of regret in their expressions.

"Hmm, I hope the black sun doesn't arrive prematurely before then," Ning Changjiu said.

Just then, Ye Changong suddenly sensed something.

She turned her head and looked towards the door. Her black dress and white veil swayed without wind, and a faint white light appeared in her clear eyes.

She raised her hand, her slender, scallion-tip-like fingers slightly spread, and grabbed something from the air.

With a hum.

When Ye Changong's skirts settled, she held a slender small sword in her hand.

"A sword-letter?" Ning Changjiu was the first to react.

Ye Changong was not surprised. She peeled away the sword intent containing the message, her gaze falling upon it, and said, "This is from Sili... well, your Fourth Senior Sister."

"Sili..." Ning Changjiu murmured softly, "So that's Senior Sister's name."

For twenty-four years in his previous life, he only knew Senior Sister's surname was Si.

Siming found the name quite familiar and asked, "Li represents fire. Could the Fourth Master be the Fire God of old?"

Ye Changong nodded, "It is her."

Lu Jiajia asked, "Where is Senior Sister Sili now?"

Ye Changong said, "She's in the Northern Kingdom, slaying demons. Originally, if Xueci hadn't been here, I would have looked for her, but by coincidence, you were near Black Cliff."

Siming smiled faintly, "Master truly prefers me."

Lu Jiajia whispered, "You just happened to be closer."

Ning Changjiu was most concerned with the important matters: "What did Fourth Senior Sister say in her letter?"

Ye Changong had finished reading the entire letter. She said, "When the moon appeared, I immediately created a dream for you all. In fact, Little Si was also in that dream at the time. I used your presence as a cover to give her a task, and now that she has completed it, she has sent back a message."

"What task?"

"To explore the ancient site of the Cloud Kingdom," Ye Changong explained. "The Cloud Kingdom was also one of the locations marked by the Southern Sea's consciousness fragments, so I had her go check it out."

Ye Changong put away the sword-letter and said, "Little Si told me that Ke Wenzhou had already visited the ruins of the Cloud Kingdom. Not only that, but fragments of consciousness are also buried deep within the Cloud Kingdom's earth veins."

"What is it?" Everyone listened intently.

Ye Changong said, "This fragment of consciousness was able to manifest thanks to the Yuánfú star that fell from the sky. As for its content... the Cloud Kingdom's consciousness fragment is much simpler, containing only one sentence: 'In the abyss of Guhuang, my body rests.'"

This sentence was much more straightforward than the Southern Sea's – "My body is buried in the abyss of Guhuang."

The 'my' here clearly referred to Zhulong.

"So Ke Wenzhou truly hasn't given up on pursuing Zhulong's power?" Ning Changjiu looked in the direction of Guhuang.

Ye Changong said, "No one knows the exact burial location of Zhulong. Now it seems it must be Guhuang."

Lu Jiajia asked curiously, "Back then, Luo Cangsu went to such great lengths to revive Tianzang, so why is it that Zhulong, the strongest of the Six Primeval Gods, has been neglected?"

Ye Changong had stated this fact many times: "Because Zhulong is already dead. It, including its star, is completely dead."

Siming nodded gently.

Among the most powerful people and gods in this world, they all knew that Tianzang's remnants lingered beneath the Luoshu Pavilion, but no one knew where Zhulong was. The reason was simple: Zhulong was utterly dead, showing no trace of life. Without life, people could not sense its existence.

All clues regarding it had long been washed away by successive catastrophes and thousands of years of trials. Its very bones might have already decayed.

Ning Changjiu believed his master's words, but he was even more puzzled: "Since Zhulong is undoubtedly dead, what exactly is Ke Wenzhou looking for? Is he merely a dying man grasping at a final straw?"

Ye Changong gently shook her head, indicating she didn't know.

But strangely enough, no matter where the fragments of consciousness were left, their deciphered clues all ultimately pointed to Guhuang.

Perhaps once they reached Guhuang, Zhulong's death and the secrets it left behind would be answered, which might also help them unravel the ultimate mystery of the world.

"Oh, right, after we hunted Ke Wenzhou and the meteor shower fell, the four of us scattered. Where are the other three now?" Siming recalled.

Ye Changong said, "Ji Xuan has returned to the Divine Painting Tower, and as for Old Six and Jiuling Yuansheng... for them, there's something more important than anything else."

Ning Changjiu immediately understood: "Is it about the Saint?"

"Yes," Ye Changong did not conceal. "The five-hundred-year deadline is approaching. If the Saint cannot emerge from beneath the Eighty-One Cities, perhaps they never will."

Baizang meowed a few times.

Siming translated, "She says that although the Eighty-One Cities are scattered small towns, at least hundreds of thousands of people live there. If the Saint were to emerge, their lives would be instantly overturned. With the Saint's benevolence, even if there was an opportunity, they likely wouldn't choose to come out."

Moreover, as Baizang, she knew deeply how unbreakable the shackles beneath the Eighty-One Cities truly were.

She couldn't imagine any possibility for Jufu to escape.

After Siming finished translating, she immediately grabbed the cat's tail and said, "You remnant under the Dark Lord, stop talking nonsense."

Baizang kept meowing, urging them to stop fantasizing.

Ye Changong said nothing. In her memory, Jufu had told her something back then, but she had personally sealed that conversation, fearing it might be glimpsed by the Dark Lord. She would only see it again when the time was right.

From the kitchen, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

The meal would be ready soon.

Shao Xiaoli and Ning Xiaoling, dressed in clean white clothes, brought out the delicious-smelling dishes.

They exchanged glances, seemingly having a silent competition.

"This is our last meal together for a while."

As everyone was about to pick up their chopsticks, Shao Xiaoli spoke, offering her suggestion: "Let's all make a wish together."

Everyone felt a little sentimental, so they didn't refuse the suggestion.

While closing his eyes to make a wish, Ning Changjiu felt a light peck on the side of his face. He opened his eyes and saw Shao Xiaoli beside him, quietly with her eyes closed, but secretly smiling. He gave a helpless smile.

After making their wishes, everyone began to eat. Baizang was also allowed to return to her human form and eat at the table with them.

However, Lu Jiajia and Siming watched her human form for a while, then simultaneously voiced their objection, making her change back into a cat, lest 'someone' be captivated again.

After the meal, Ning Xiaoling and Shao Xiaoli even had everyone vote on which dishes were tastier.

The results were largely similar.

Shao Xiaoli's dishes received higher ratings. Only Ning Changjiu, out of personal sentiment, reluctantly cast a few votes for the less palatable dishes.

Ning Xiaoling, thinking her dishes were more to her Senior Brother's taste, felt secretly smug.

After the rating ended, Shao Xiaoli happily laughed, strutting triumphantly before Xiaoling. Amidst their joyful laughter, their gathering at Guling Sect gradually drew to a close.

With the dishes cleaned, the time for departure was drawing near.

Ning Xiaoling would remain alone at Guling Sect, while the others would travel together to Guhuang.

Everyone embraced Xiaoling one by one, bidding her farewell.

Shao Xiaoli and Ning Xiaoling had been secretly competing for a long time. Though they had come to appreciate each other, Shao Xiaoli still wanted to show off in front of her.

"Xiaoling, not only did I win the cooking competition, but just now, when we made a wish, I secretly kissed Master, too!" Shao Xiaoli declared proudly.

"Oh, you kissed Senior Brother?" Ning Xiaoling asked in surprise. "Just one kiss? Is that really worth getting so excited about?"

Shao Xiaoli looked puzzled: "It's not worth it?"

Ning Xiaoling smiled charmingly, revealing her pointed teeth, and said, "Oh, it's absolutely worth it! To actually kiss Senior Brother... Xiaoling is simply dying of envy for you!"

Shao Xiaoli pressed her lips together, looked into her eyes, and a terrifying thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"You... could it be that you and Master already..."

"Guess?" Ning Xiaoling's innocent face wore an even more alluring smile.

"Hmph, you're lying!" Shao Xiaoli declared, refusing to believe it.

She silently told herself that it must be false, that this little girl was just so jealous she was twisting things...

With this self-reassurance, she bid a faint farewell to Ning Xiaoling.

The bustling Underworld Hall soon became quiet again.

Ning Xiaoling sat on the throne of the Underworld Hall, her consciousness connected to the Sea of Samsara. She looked down and watched the rainbow-like golden light sweep northwestward, until it vanished from her sight.

Among the group, Ning Changjiu's cultivation realm was the highest, so he had everyone stay within the Golden Crow while he steered it, traveling by sword.

On this journey to Guhuang, no one in the mortal realm could stop him anymore.

In the lake of his mind, Liu Xiwang, who had been silent for a long time, opened her eyes, her lips slightly parted: "The sword intent is fully nurtured."

"The Inevitable Kill Sword?"

"Yes."

"Since leaving the Decree Sword Heavenly Sect, this Inevitable Kill Sword has rarely killed an enemy with a single strike," Ning Changjiu self-mockingly said.

"Don't worry, whoever is struck by this sword will surely die this time," Liu Xiwang said confidently.

Sword Pavilion, Seventy-Three Grotto-Heavens.

Back then, Siming and Lu Jiajia had come to investigate the whereabouts of the Sword Pavilion disciples, but they found nothing, even after searching all seventy-two Grotto-Heavens.

This last Grotto-Heaven was hidden within the Sword Saint's armory. He used hundreds of thousands of weapons as a cover, betting that they wouldn't meticulously investigate each one.

The space within the Seventy-Third Grotto-Heaven was vast, and the sword intent contained within it was even more potent than that of the other seventy-two combined.

Fourteen disciples meditated within, as sword intent surged into their bodies, subtly transforming them utterly.

This transformation was painful, but its effects were immediate.

Most of them had been stuck at the peak of the Purple Court realm. This mere month of meditation had, imperceptibly, allowed them to cross that threshold and touch the edge of the Five Paths.

Of course, this forced breakthrough using external power was most effective in expanding their Qi Sea and strengthening their bodies. As for the Five Paths realm, it was still a pseudo-realm. Even if all fourteen of them broke through together, their combined strength wouldn't be able to withstand a single strike from Ning Changjiu.

The first to awaken was Liu Junzhuo.

Among the thirteen, her cultivation realm was unmatched. Furthermore, she was fortunate enough to assimilate the power of the shattered kingdom before the Yuánfú star completely disintegrated. Against any enemy other than Ning Changjiu or a disciple of the Unobservable, she was practically invincible in the world.

But the higher her cultivation, the more Liu Junzhuo understood how small the "world" truly was in "invincible in the world."

How many people were there beyond this world...

Liu Junzhuo softly exhaled. She silently rose and looked around.

The Seventy-Third Grotto-Heaven was less a grotto-heaven and more a narrow, ancient corridor.

The corridor contained fourteen alcoves, each lit by an eternal lamp. Legend had it that these lamps were fueled by the oil of whales and dragons.

Liu Junzhuo lightly stepped into the corridor.

These past few days, the scenes of her great battle with Ning Changjiu in the center of the Southern Barrens still lingered in her sea of consciousness: herself lying in the rain, the sword before her brows, and finally, their sword duel outside the mountain cave... At the end of each contest, she was always knocked to the ground. Oh, and the final bet...

Scene after scene replayed like a revolving lantern; even when she deliberately meditated, she couldn't shake them off.

Liu Junzhuo sighed, shook her head, looked at her junior disciples still in secluded cultivation, then walked forward.

This corridor was very long, seemingly straight, but walking forward indefinitely would always bring her back to the starting point.

She felt as if she were walking on the back of an Ouroboros.

Liu Junzhuo stopped, looking intently around her. For some reason, the power of the shattered kingdom within her body reacted. She channeled this power into her eyes and looked around once more.

Liu Junzhuo was startled.

She discovered that this ancient corridor was not empty; not only was it not empty, but many ghostly figures floated within it.

These ghostly figures wore long hats and silver-gray, floor-length robes, holding jade tablets in their hands, like officials. They walked straight forward, one after another, circulating repeatedly in this ancient corridor.

"Who are you?" Liu Junzhuo tried to communicate with them.

No sooner had she spoken.

All the ghostly figures stopped and looked at her in unison.

They had no facial features; their faces were blank.

Only after they stopped did Liu Junzhuo realize that from one end to the other, there were also fourteen ghostly figures...

They 'looked' at Liu Junzhuo and replied numbly, "We are the funeral ministers."

Liu Junzhuo asked, "Whose funeral are you attending?"

The ghostly figures replied in unison, "The True Dragon's funeral."