Chapter 450: Three Thousand Worlds, All Crows Slain

The edge of the western land was filled by the silhouette of the setting sun.

Siming and Lu Jiajia quietly disappeared. When Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xiang'er returned to the Three Thousand Worlds to watch the sunset, the world was so quiet it seemed only they existed.

The Three Thousand Worlds were bubbles filled with an orange-red light.

They floated within, their bodies weightless, gracefully rising and falling like whales gliding through water.

Zhao Xiang'er, with her long hair, had now changed out of Xihe's phoenix gown and into the ‘Thousand Pleated Fragrance’ dress.

This was her favorite attire.

The exquisite dance dress bared her delicate back, clinging thinly to her skin. Its upper part was a white garment intricately embroidered with golden flowers, and a simple white satin ribbon cinched her slender waist. Below, the skirt cascaded in layers like camellias, with soft fabric overlapping to combine elegance and grace.

This was the dress Zhao Xiang'er wore when she dueled with Ning Changjiu, wielding Canghuan. Back then, she stood in the hall, gracefully raising her sword, looking like a peerless songstress in magnificent attire.

Today, the girl wore no embroidered shoes, only extremely thin ice-silk stockings. She lightly stepped on air, her movements as nimble as a songstress's fingers plucking lute strings.

Ning Changjiu's white robe fluttered alongside hers. Holding her soft hand and gazing at her profile, he would often become lost in thought for a long time.

Their figures gently came to a stop.

“This is the center of the Three Thousand Worlds,” Zhao Xiang'er said, facing the enormous setting sun.

Bathed in the sunset's glow, the world resembled a grand kingdom, and they, within it, seemed incredibly small.

With a slight thought, a cloud drifted over, and they sat on it together.

Ning Changjiu looked at the mysterious and boundless world and asked, “Is this a world created by the Vermilion Bird's authority?”

Zhao Xiang'er shook her head. “At first, I thought it was a world fabricated by the Vermilion Bird's authority, but now I increasingly feel it's mine.”

Ning Changjiu looked at her and asked, “Is this Xiang'er's ability?”

Zhao Xiang'er replied, “Perhaps it's part of an ability.”

“Part of it?”

“Yes, recently, encountering and interacting with you, I've recalled more and more things,” Zhao Xiang'er slowly reminisced. “Many, many years ago, you said a true power was developing within me, but at the time, I hadn't yet mastered it.”

Ning Changjiu shook his head. “I can't recall clearly.”

He had undergone far more reincarnations than Zhao Xiang'er, and his memory was much more fragmented. Even if their reunion was a key, it might not unlock all the rusted locks.

Zhao Xiang'er said with regret and guilt, “Yet, even when I finally lost to the Vermilion Bird, I still seemed unable to awaken my true power.”

Ning Changjiu chuckled, “Xiang'er in your past life was truly delicate.”

Zhao Xiang'er gritted her teeth. “Even if it's true, this is the Three Thousand Worlds. You should be careful with what you say here.”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. “Please continue, Your Highness.”

Zhao Xiang'er hummed softly. “In short, I feel this power is related to the true authority over space.”

“Space?”

“Yes.”

There were many kinds of authority over space. Jiuying Yayu also controlled space, but that kind of space was absolute, seemingly different from what Zhao Xiang'er described.

The space she perceived was profound and mysterious, a relative spacetime constructed in conjunction with time.

“What do you think the authority of a divine lord is based on?” Zhao Xiang'er suddenly asked.

Ning Changjiu had discussed this with Lu Jiajia. He replied, “I speculate it's based on that divine lord's strongest desires. For example, the Six-Eared Macaque's authority is ‘mirror,’ because he knew he was weak and that the only shortcut to becoming a powerful deity like Jufu was replication. So the Dark Lord bestowed upon him the ‘mirror.’”

Zhao Xiang'er nodded. “I have similar thoughts. I believe this is very likely the main reason for the formation of authority.”

Ning Changjiu quietly watched her, waiting for her to continue.

Zhao Xiang'er also looked at him. “The Vermilion Bird's authority is ‘world.’”

Ning Changjiu's expression shifted slightly. “She yearns for a world?”

A world…

Ning Changjiu immediately understood her thought. “She desires the Three Thousand Worlds?”

Zhao Xiang'er looked back at the setting sun, and the Three Thousand Worlds appeared gentle in its light.

“When I lost to the Vermilion Bird, she wanted to obtain my ‘Three Thousand Worlds’ ability, but for various reasons, she couldn't usurp it,” Zhao Xiang'er shared her conjecture:

“Over the years, she seems to have always coveted this power. So she made a deal with Master, having Master resurrect me with the authority of ‘life’ and using Jiuyu as my acquired spirit. She hoped to use the Vermilion Bird's illusion to stimulate my potential, letting me personally awaken the power of the Three Thousand Worlds, and then have Jiuyu seize that power.”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. “But the Vermilion Bird clearly underestimated Xiang'er's power in this life.”

Zhao Xiang'er swung her legs, lightly tilting her head. “Master saved me. Otherwise, it might have been Jiuyu, not me, who emerged from the Vermilion Bird's illusion.”

The wind of the Three Thousand Worlds blew, and the girl's Thousand Pleated Fragrance dress swayed in the breeze.

Ning Changjiu quietly looked at her and said, “It's alright. As long as your spirit remains, I will always find you.”

Zhao Xiang'er pursed her lips, looking at him. “You invited me to watch the sunset, why are you just staring at me?” she said softly.

Ning Changjiu replied, “The sunset is indeed beautiful, but scenery always pales in comparison.”

Zhao Xiang'er swiftly grabbed a cloud beside her, kneaded it like cotton, and shook it in her hand. “If you dare try to flatter me with sweet words again, I'll stuff this into your mouth!” she threatened.

“What flattery?” Ning Changjiu said innocently.

“I don't believe you,” Zhao Xiang'er said coldly. “Back in the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, how did you bully me? I'm already twenty, and you still hit me... Hmph, just like in your past life, it's truly a continuous trait.”

Ning Changjiu asked in surprise, “Was I like this in my previous life?”

Zhao Xiang'er formed her fingers into a chestnut shape and tapped his forehead. “Do you still have unrealistic expectations about your morality?”

Ning Changjiu said, “I remember treating Xiang'er very well in my previous life.”

Zhao Xiang'er had already started clenching her fists; she didn't care whether he was good or not.

Ning Changjiu wisely surrendered.

The enormous setting sun slowly sank in the distance.

Unconsciously, they began reminiscing about the past.

They spoke of the Old Fox's birth, of the lingering sunset over the Imperial City, of the three-year pact, the fish in the solitary boat, the birds in the phoenix tree—everything felt as if it happened just yesterday.

“Actually, what I remember most vividly is that day... when we came down from watching the sunrise on the mountain, and a heavy rain fell over the Zhao Kingdom.”

“Yes, Xiang'er's Vermilion Bird tattoo was beautiful.”

“...I was talking about us going on adventures together.”

“I remember that too. You made me call you ‘Auntie’,” Ning Changjiu said.

“...Why are your memories always so strange?” Zhao Xiang'er waved her small fists, glaring fiercely at him.

Ning Changjiu's gaze softened as he smiled. “I remember everything. That day, it was raining heavily, and I carried you as we ran in the rain, saying we'd find the edge of the clouds, a place where the rain couldn't reach. We didn't find it, so we ran back to the Imperial City together.”

Zhao Xiang'er hummed softly. At that time, she and Ning Changjiu lay on the soft palace carpet, soaked and chilled by the rain, but her heart was warm. It was at that moment that she decided to marry him.

“We also made a pact of defiance back then, agreeing to fight against destiny together,” Zhao Xiang'er recalled.

“Yes, you were only wearing a thin white dress then.”

“...” Zhao Xiang'er glared at him, gritting her teeth. “Your memory truly is good.”

Ning Changjiu said proudly, “Of course, we also played chess back then...”

Zhao Xiang'er silenced him with a fist.

Outside the Thousand Pleated Fragrance dress, wisps of clouds scattered. Zhao Xiang'er pinned him down on the cloud, sitting astride his waist, threatening him from above. Ning Changjiu obediently yielded under his fiancée's fist, no longer bringing up old memories.

In the distance, only a small crescent of the setting sun remained.

Zhao Xiang'er suddenly covered her forehead, her brow delicately furrowed.

Vaguely, she seemed to feel that a similar scene had occurred in the past.

A familiar young voice drifted faintly across time and space.

“Xihe is the most precious vessel in the Sun God Nation and even the entire human realm.”

“Vessel? Am I... a container?”

“Of course not. Xihe is a female minister, and the word ‘xiang’ itself implies a broad mind. Xihe should be all-encompassing.”

“Hmm? What exactly are you talking about? Is it the so-called Three Thousand Worlds? I can't feel its existence at all.”

“Its existence is reflected in every aspect. I can feel it...”

“...” Zhao Xiang'er rubbed her forehead, murmuring, “Precious vessel?”

Ning Changjiu stood up and embraced her waist, asking worriedly, “What's wrong, Xiang'er?”

Zhao Xiang'er replied, “Nothing, just recalling some past events.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “Are you troubled by this, Xiang'er?”

Zhao Xiang'er shook her head. “No, hmm... I'm just taking it as if I'm watching someone else's story.”

Ning Changjiu looked at her and said calmly, “Yes, our story has just begun.”

Zhao Xiang'er looked at him too. They were very close, their breaths mingling.

“The sun is about to set,” Zhao Xiang'er suddenly whispered.

Ning Changjiu held her soft hand, their fingers intertwined. He began softly, “A year ago...”

But Zhao Xiang'er extended her other hand, pressing a finger to his lips, and directly asked, “May we be a perfect match?”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, taking her other hand and intertwining their fingers. “May our hearts be forever united,” he whispered.

The tenderness on Zhao Xiang'er's face faded slightly. “‘Forever united’?”

Ning Changjiu pleaded, “Let's settle old scores tomorrow, Xiang'er.”

“Hmph, you can't run anyway.” Zhao Xiang'er temporarily let it go, not pressing the issue of the words ‘forever united’ on the marriage contract.

Their fingers intertwined, they spread their hands open.

The cloud beneath them vanished.

In the Three Thousand Worlds, they thus fell freely.

As they plummeted at high speed, strong winds surged, making the boy's clothes and the girl's skirt flutter gracefully, purely beautiful.

Their cheeks were almost touching, and their long hair intertwined like seaweed.

They fell from the world's center, landing among flowers and grass, then plunging into a world of flowers. Within the flower world, there was another unique realm, vast and complete, and they then fell into a world of dust.

The two, with fingers intertwined, occasionally flipped. Zhao Xiang'er insisted on being on top. Ning Changjiu, unable to resist her, calmly lay on his back, gazing at the eyes so close to his.

It was a straight, endless descent.

In this unrestrained fall, they felt an ineffable sense of freedom.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the clear eyes on the boy's handsome face. After a moment's gaze, she felt as if she were falling into the depths of his eyes.

Her cheeks also warmed slightly, a heat gently carried away by the oncoming wind.

The world, in their peripheral vision, moved at high speed, as if composed of lines.

Flowers, dust, splashes of water, leaves... worlds were hidden within the veins of all things. This was a true bottomless pit.

“Before, the Vermilion Bird told me I absolutely had to return to Zhao unscathed,” Zhao Xiang'er said, her cherry lips slightly parted against the wind. “At the time, I thought it was because a goddess must be flawless.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “And now?”

Zhao Xiang'er replied, “I think she was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Yes.”

“What was the Vermilion Bird afraid of?”

“How would I know?” Zhao Xiang'er said. “But perhaps there's a secret that can only be unveiled when we are truly together.”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. “So, am I the key, and Xiang'er the lock cylinder?”

Zhao Xiang'er gave a slight scoff. “How do you qualify as a key? Keys and locks are unique to each other, but you... Hmph.”

The sun completely set. The orange-red light no longer caressed them indulgently, and the cool, dark night enveloped them.

They stopped in a sea of flowers beside a stream valley. It was a false flower sea within the Three Thousand Worlds; when crushed, it transformed into swirling clouds.

They lay together amidst the flowers, gazing up at the infinitely high night sky.

Zhao Xiang'er rose from the sea of flowers and walked to the stream. She lifted her elaborate skirt, and her fingertips slipped into the gap between her skin and the thin white stockings, which she then delicately peeled off her slender feet.

The girl's small feet, perfectly illuminated by moonlight, were delicate and translucent.

She seemed not a goddess of the sun, but a spirit of the moonlight.

Ning Changjiu embraced her from behind. The faint fragrance of the girl's hair lingered at his nose. She gently waved her hand, and the thin stockings entered the water, dissolving like snow and flowing away with the current.

By the stream in the sea of flowers, the boy and girl nestled close.

“Xiang'er, tonight, let's unveil this secret,” Ning Changjiu whispered.

The bow at the back of the Thousand Pleated Fragrance dress came undone.

Zhao Xiang'er closed her eyes and slowly lay down, as if a stream flowed over her body.

Time also quietly flowed past them.

Zhao Xiang'er saw that many years ago, in the Sun God Nation, a still-innocent version of herself, seemingly not long born, knelt before a giant fireball, with a young boy standing beside her.

“Was I born from here too?” the girl asked.

“Yes, this is our eggshell,” the boy said, looking at the sun.

The girl's hand touched the surface of the sun, unharmed, feeling only warmth. “Are we siblings, then?”

“No,” the boy replied. “We weren't born together. We are simply both children of the sun.”

The girl murmured, “Oh,” and tilted her head, looking at the sun.

“I feel it gave me something,” the girl said softly. “It... seems like a flower.”

“A flower?” the boy asked, a little confused.

“Yes,” she nodded.

The boy didn't press further, simply saying, “In this world, only two powers are truly mighty.”

“What powers?”

“Time and space,” the boy said.

The girl didn't understand, but she quietly noted it.

“Come with me,” the boy extended his hand.

“Go? Where to?” the girl asked.

“To build our own divine kingdom, to seek our own power. We are children of the sun, and gods of light. We will be together forever, always moving forward. This is an endless promise, until the very end when light fades.”

“Together forever?” The girl, kneeling before the sun, turned her head and extended her own hand. “Okay.”

Together forever...

The Thousand Pleated Fragrance dress lay spread on the sea of flowers, and the sound of flowing water echoed beside their ears.

The girl tilted her head back, her hair fanned out. Her thin, upturned lips trembled, and in her clear black-and-white eyes, the starry sky seemed like fireflies.

Ning Changjiu held her tenderly.

Memories of her past life and sensations of the present thus merged and filled her.

Among the white sea of flowers, a few blossoms were stained bright red.

At this moment, the ‘precious vessel’ Zhao Xiang'er spoke of became real; in other words... it should also be called the Three Thousand Worlds!

Or rather, it was one manifestation of the Three Thousand Worlds' power.

Perhaps it was due to this perception that his past self was certain the girl's body contained the power related to the ultimate authority over space.

Ning Changjiu's ‘Golden Crow’ flew into the Three Thousand Worlds, deeply immersing itself within.

This was a feeling the Golden Crow had never experienced before.

This was clearly a single world, yet each time the Golden Crow entered, it felt completely different, as if three thousand splendid pocket worlds, big and small, were hidden within a single world.

The Golden Crow flew into the first world.

It was a fiery world, with endless flames swirling within. The flames tightly enveloped the Golden Crow, each streak of fire like a girl's passionate hand, pulling him deeper. The path formed by the flames grew narrower and narrower. At the end of the path stood a girl, smiling sweetly, with her hands behind her back, revealing a pure smile.

The Golden Crow moved on. When it entered the world again, the flames had vanished. It felt as if it had squeezed into a small hot spring, where streams seemed to flow around it, and small fish pecked at it playfully. A girl in a thin bathing gown sat by the spring's source, her feet in the water, quietly waiting.

The Golden Crow left the world again, and in an instant, re-entered.

It traveled through the Three Thousand Worlds.

They were truly beautiful worlds.

This time, he seemed to have arrived in an autumn night where frost danced. A bonfire glowed ahead, and a girl sat quietly beside it, warming her hands, smiling as she watched him.

Every girl looked like Zhao Xiang'er, waiting at the edge of the Three Thousand Worlds.

The Golden Crow flapped its wings to seek her. As it reached the depths of the world, the warm world would resist its entry. The walls of the Three Thousand Worlds would then constrict, becoming tight and difficult to navigate. Yet, the girl would always reach out and grab him; their clasped hands created a powerful suction, like that of a whirlpool, allowing the Golden Crow to break through obstacles and reach her. The Three Thousand Worlds, in this slow, undulating motion, propelled them forward, sending them to the final secret place.

Within the Three Thousand Worlds, myriad fragrances wafted exquisitely. It flipped and inverted with the girl's form, facing the mortal world with a resplendent grace. The Golden Crow flew in and out, back and forth, appearing less like a divine golden bird and more like a bee carrying nectar.

The faster it flew, the faster the world transformed.

Among those worlds, some were like soft, muddy ground covered in kapok flowers, some like cocoons woven by snow silkworms, some like solidified white cloud realms, and some like softened jade kingdoms...

Such beauty could not be witnessed even if one embraced for ten thousand years, let alone a thousand.

“So, this is also the Three Thousand Worlds,” Ning Changjiu said, looking into the girl's eyes, which seemed to contain a world of twinkling stars and moving lights.

The girl also reveled in the beauty of the Three Thousand Worlds. The boy's Golden Crow solidified this beauty into genuine emotion, painting it vividly.

She too felt regret at not having seen such beauty sooner, and so her thin, upturned lips became an instrument, emitting a youthful and enchanting hum.

“Yes, the Three Thousand Worlds,” Zhao Xiang'er said, gazing at the night sky. “Or perhaps even more. There are three thousand times a thousand, and three thousand times three thousand times a thousand worlds. You can count them.”

Ning Changjiu said gently, “No wonder the Vermilion Bird wanted you to return unscathed to Zhao. At the time, you didn't know about the existence of the Three Thousand Worlds. But once we truly married, you would discover proof of the Three Thousand Worlds' existence and regain some memories. This is not what the Vermilion Bird wanted to see; she wished Jiuyu to secretly replace you without anyone knowing.”

Zhao Xiang'er said, “When I see the Vermilion Bird again, I won't lose.”

Ning Changjiu said, “And I won't let you face danger alone again.”

Zhao Xiang'er asked, “If the power of the Three Thousand Worlds is the ultimate authority over space, what exactly can it accomplish?”

Ning Changjiu replied, “You'll understand once you truly awaken that power.”

Zhao Xiang'er hummed softly. “Let the Golden Crow fly faster.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “Can Xiang'er's world withstand it?”

Zhao Xiang'er said proudly, “The world is immortal. I only fear the Golden Crow might falter.”

“Alright,” Ning Changjiu assented, equally confident. “Xiang'er can also surrender anytime to save your fragile world.”

Zhao Xiang'er said, “Hmph, stop boasting.”

“Is Xiang'er ready?”

“Yes, no need to be gentle with the flowers.”

The Three Thousand Worlds completely opened its embrace to him.

White snow dispersed, streams surged, and the Golden Crow's figure darted through the gentle world, as if searching for its final resting place.

This was a reunion spanning a thousand years.

Starlight enveloped the scene. Lu Jiajia and Siming looked up from afar. They could feel that the previously silent Three Thousand Worlds seemed to come alive with the will of a certain girl.

It was a long night.

Time flowed slowly.

The Milky Way rotated above. Sometimes it was Zhao Xiang'er, sometimes Ning Changjiu, who gazed upon it.

They seemed to be engaged in a final battle, not knowing whether the Three Thousand Worlds would be utterly vanquished by the Golden Crow, or if the Golden Crow would first exhaust its strength.

In the long night, it was as if a dandelion field had been swept by a strong wind, all its petals scattered.

After an unknown time, light burst forth from the eastern horizon.

It was as if curtains had rolled up, allowing light to pour in.

The Three Thousand Worlds embraced countless lights.

Light permeated them.

Lu Jiajia and Siming, Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xiang'er, from different places, vaguely gazed at the same sunrise.

Their long night, uniquely theirs, would eventually pass, but the future was still distant, always holding infinite possibilities.

This was the dawn they awaited while sleeping by each other's side.

Fast text, chapter list for "Above the Divine Kingdom."