Chapter 451: Sisters

Ning Changjiu woke up on the bed, catching a faint scent of cooking.

He tried to move his body, which felt completely drained of strength; his limbs were like nails pinning him firmly to the bed. He turned his head weakly and caught sight of Zhao Xiang'er's graceful back.

The strikingly beautiful maiden wore a new red and white pleated skirt. Her waterfall-like hair flowed down, her thighs beneath the skirt were slender and taut, and the bow tied neatly at her waist—everything showcased the beauty of youth.

Her body moved lightly; her originally porcelain-white skin now had a warm, supple feel. The girl took a spoon, scooped something from the boiler, which was made of thin ice, in front of her, and gently put it to her lips, seemingly testing its temperature and taste.

"Xiang'er..." Ning Changjiu called out, his throat a little dry.

Zhao Xiang'er turned her head and looked at him, surprised. "You're awake so early?"

Ning Changjiu felt she was mocking him. He asked, "How are you up earlier than me?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "I wanted to try cooking... You always tease me about my cooking not tasting good, so I want to prove myself."

*Prove it really doesn't taste good?* Ning Changjiu thought but dared not speak. He closed his eyes, momentarily unable to accept the fact that Xiang'er was not only awake earlier than him but was also making him breakfast.

He stated firmly, "Xiang'er, your body must be very weak right now, right? You should rest properly; I'll cook."

Zhao Xiang'er blinked, a cunning charm in her smile. She stepped aside and said, "Then you go ahead."

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath, managed to prop himself up, and slowly circulated his spiritual energy. Just as he was about to get out of bed and walk over to Xiang'er, Zhao Xiang'er pounced back like a wildcat, straddling his waist and pressing him back onto the bed.

"Are you really going to? Do you dislike my cooking?" Zhao Xiang'er asked, frowning slightly.

"No," Ning Changjiu gave up resisting. He gazed into the girl's eyes and said, "Xiang'er... you're delicious."

Zhao Xiang'er pressed her lips together and looked at his face. "Are you very tired?"

Ning Changjiu calmly replied, "Not tired at all."

Zhao Xiang'er smiled slightly. She released her hands from Ning Changjiu, saying, "It's alright. The Three Thousand Worlds are infinite and boundless. The Golden Crow traverses them like Jingwei filling the sea, so it naturally cannot reach the endless end."

Ning Changjiu recalled the events of last night, and a slight shiver ran through his body again. He said, "So the Three Thousand Worlds really exist."

Zhao Xiang'er hummed in agreement, her tongue lightly touching her fine teeth. "A year ago, if not for Xueying's interference, we would have already figured it out."

"The Three Thousand Worlds are indeed extraordinary and powerful," Ning Changjiu remarked, recalling the endless journey through worlds. He then asked, "What would happen if Xiang'er truly grasped the power of such authority?"

"I don't know either," Zhao Xiang'er tilted her head, stating seriously, "But by then, you definitely won't be my match."

"Yes, Xiang'er is the strongest," Ning Changjiu looked at her dotingly.

For some reason, Ning Changjiu again thought of his previous life.

In his previous life, when he returned the marriage contract, he never knew what he had missed...

Fortunately, time had rewound twelve years, and everything could start over.

But... was it truly a rewind of time?

Ning Changjiu could never get past this question.

As they spoke, Zhao Xiang'er's delicate nose twitched. She suddenly turned her head, regretfully saying, "It seems... it's burned?"

Ning Changjiu laboriously raised his hand and used the authority of time to reverse it slightly.

The smell of burning disappeared, but Zhao Xiang'er, instead of being happy, glared at Ning Changjiu with a hint of resentment.

Ning Changjiu belatedly realized that Xiang'er might have deliberately burned it—since it wouldn't taste good anyway, burning it would give her an excuse.

Ning Changjiu smiled slightly, "Don't worry, no matter how Xiang'er cooks, I'll finish it all."

Only then did Zhao Xiang'er nod.

Soon, Ning Changjiu regretted his audacious words.

He ate the rice cooked by Zhao Xiang'er little by little, maintaining a calm expression.

Zhao Xiang'er sat by his side, gently tapping chess pieces, playing a game against herself.

"Xiang'er, are you still upset about losing to me in chess back then?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er nodded without hesitation. "Over the years, whenever I had free time, I would play chess against myself."

Ning Changjiu said, "Aren't there two maidservants in the Three Thousand Worlds? Why don't you ask them to play with you?"

Zhao Xiang'er sighed faintly, "How is that different from me playing against the national master in the Zhao Kingdom? They would all try to lose on purpose, and I wouldn't improve my chess skills at all... Only I won't deceive myself, so I play with both black and white pieces, competing against myself. That way, my chess skill can improve twice as fast!"

Listening to her theory, Ning Changjiu thought, *Truly my wife.* After a moment of thought, he asked, "Then if you fight yourself, can your cultivation also increase exponentially?"

Zhao Xiang'er smiled, slowly placing a chess piece on the board. "Of course. Because the path of cultivation itself is a process of contending with oneself."

Ning Changjiu nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Zhao Xiang'er's point while quietly gathering the rice and pouring it into the shattered void.

He walked in front of Zhao Xiang'er, picked up a chess piece himself, and began playing an endgame with her.

"Finished eating?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu symbolically wiped his lips.

"Was it delicious?"

"Hmm... it was a memorable taste, in any case."

Ning Changjiu answered casually. As they played chess, Zhao Xiang'er's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and then, just like in the imperial palace back then, the crisp sound of a chess piece hitting the floor rang out.

"Oops, I accidentally knocked over the chessboard..." Zhao Xiang'er said with a hint of apology.

Ning Changjiu looked at her gently. "It's alright."

As he spoke, he activated the authority of time, and the chess game returned to its original state. He gestured to Zhao Xiang'er to continue.

The apology on Zhao Xiang'er's face vanished instantly, and the battle on the chessboard turned into a battle outside the chessboard.

Clouds swirled in the immortal pavilion.

By the time Lu Jiajia and Siming arrived, morning had passed. The Three Thousand Worlds were brightly lit, and looking out through the world's walls, one could see a vast, desolate yellow landscape.

Siming walked over to Ning Changjiu, squinted at him, and asked, "Bullied by the little tiger?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "I've escaped the tiger's maw."

Lu Jiajia said, "It seems my husband has met his match?"

Siming sneered, "Do you think everyone is as useless as Jiajia?"

Lu Jiajia's earlobes turned slightly red, and she hummed, turning her head away. "Says you, who are so mighty."

After friendly morning greetings, their exclusive two days finally passed. The four of them sat down to discuss future plans.

"Next month, we will pass by Vermilion Bird Star. I wonder if the Vermilion Bird Divine Kingdom will open," Lu Jiajia said worriedly.

"Probably not," Ning Changjiu speculated. "The Dark Lord's consciousness is slow due to its immense size, but when the Thunder Prison Moon passed, it didn't light up the Thunder Prison Star. This indicates that the Dark Lord has judgment; although its judgment is slow, it clearly knows who the traitors are."

Zhao Xiang'er agreed with him: "I also don't think the Vermilion Bird Divine Kingdom will open."

"After Vermilion Bird is Mingzheng..." Lu Jiajia counted on her fingers.

"Mingzheng is the strongest among the remaining Divine Lords. If I were the Dark Lord, I would try to stake everything on it," Siming said.

"The most worrying thing is that we still don't know the exact location of Mingzheng Divine Kingdom," Zhao Xiang'er pointed out the key to killing Mingzheng.

Ning Changjiu said, "Master once said that Mingzheng Divine Kingdom should be on the Highest Mountain."

Zhao Xiang'er wondered, "The true Kunlun Immortal Mountain has long collapsed. Where is there a highest peak in the world now?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head. After all, the Mingzheng Divine Kingdom had not yet opened, so all discussions were merely conjecture.

"I wonder how long the Saint can last," Lu Jiajia looked up at the distant sky, concerned. "Humanity has endured several great wars; everything needs to be rebuilt, and we don't have much time. Even the spectacle of hundreds of fifth-realm cultivators rebelling against the heavens five hundred years ago probably cannot be replicated."

Ning Changjiu gave a direct answer: "Eight years. The Saint should be able to last for another eight years."

Lu Jiajia frowned, then immediately understood... He had died at the age of twenty-eight in his previous life, which was eight years from now—the final day of the Third War of Nations, and the day of decisive battle that Master had already determined.

Ning Changjiu continued, "Ye Chu also said that when I turn twenty-eight, there will be a fatal calamity that I cannot escape as long as I remain within the cone of destiny's light. Eight years from now is likely a pivotal point for the world."

He spoke without any sadness, as if saying that he would inevitably break free from that cone of light.

But as for how to do it, he still had no clear answer.

Zhao Xiang'er, in her pleated skirt, bowed her head, seemingly deep in thought.

Lu Jiajia noticed the change in her mood and asked softly, "Xiang'er, what's wrong?"

Zhao Xiang'er looked up and said, "I'm still thinking about the Three Thousand Worlds."

"The Three Thousand Worlds?" Lu Jiajia and Siming were unaware of this.

Zhao Xiang'er glanced at Ning Changjiu, then softly revealed the secret of the Three Thousand Worlds.

"It can actually be like this..."

"Xiang'er truly is a precious artifact, transcending everything."

Lu Jiajia and Siming both exclaimed in admiration.

Zhao Xiang'er clenched her fists. "The main point I'm making is about the authority of space! The Three Thousand Worlds... well, that's just corroborating evidence!"

Ning Changjiu asked, "Has Xiang'er thought of anything else?"

Zhao Xiang'er nodded. "I heard you and Xueci talk about how you have another lifetime..."

"Yes, I've kept this from you for a long time," Ning Changjiu lowered his head, apologizing slightly. "During the three-year pact, I didn't know how to explain it, and later we were separated for too long, so I never had the chance to tell you."

But he didn't need to explain much more; when Xiang'er was in charge of the Three Thousand Worlds, she had learned about it through the water mirror.

Lu Jiajia, standing nearby, tattled, "Not only did he have another life, but in that life, he also rejected your marriage contract."

Ning Changjiu glanced at Lu Jiajia, marveling at Jiajia's newfound boldness.

"Rejected my marriage contract?" Zhao Xiang'er gasped. She stared at Ning Changjiu, saying coldly, "You really are capable of anything."

Ning Changjiu wanted to explain, but Zhao Xiang'er couldn't be bothered to listen. She waved her hand and said, "Forget it, I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Ning Changjiu rubbed his temples, sighing helplessly.

Zhao Xiang'er continued, "Perhaps that marriage contract wasn't important."

Ning Changjiu immediately stated his position: "I think it was very important."

"That's not what I meant! Don't interrupt!" Zhao Xiang'er took a deep breath, annoyed. "What I mean is, you rejected the marriage contract back then, and Master didn't force you, which suggests that the contract itself, whether you accepted it or not, wasn't important to Master."

Ning Changjiu nodded gently, agreeing with her perspective.

They were fated in their previous lives. Perhaps Master's arrangement was simply to give him the right to choose, allowing him to live a happy and peaceful life.

Zhao Xiang'er continued to ask herself, "Then why did Master trade with Vermilion Bird, using the authority of life to revive my divine soul?"

Siming twisted her fingers, thinking along. She then understood: "If Xiang'er's birth was a gamble between Master and the Vermilion Bird God, then what they were gambling on must be the same thing!"

"Hmm, I thought so too," Lu Jiajia belatedly added.

Zhao Xiang'er nodded and said, "Yes, I think they both wanted to possess the Three Thousand Worlds. Vermilion Bird had my divine soul but couldn't control its power, while Master had the authority of life to revive me and gain the chance to reactivate that power. So regarding me, the 'stake,' Master and Vermilion Bird were complementary. What they wanted to obtain should both be the spatial authority within my body that evolved into the Three Thousand Worlds."

Ning Changjiu said, "So, throughout Xiang'er's growth, Vermilion Bird was always trying to get Jiuyu close to you, to replace you, while Master used unseen power to protect you as you grew up."

"Mm."

Zhao Xiang'er sat upright at the cloud table, lowering her brows, recalling her life.

From childhood until today, she had walked a thorny path. Man-eating monsters hid in the jungle, malicious hunters disguised themselves as her shadows, obediently following her, while guardians also hid where she couldn't see them, accompanying her from naive ignorance until she gradually grew up.

Zhao Xiang'er was no longer the girl who immensely admired 'Mother'; she was finally gradually understanding everything.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at Ning Changjiu and said, "So, who ultimately gained the authority of the Three Thousand Worlds at the end of the previous life?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head and said, "I knew very little in my previous life."

Zhao Xiang'er sighed, complaining, "Why were you so dull in your previous life? If you were half as smart as you are now, you'd probably be reigning supreme in the Unobservable Realm."

Ning Changjiu smiled, "If I wasn't foolish, why would I have rejected Xiang'er's marriage contract?"

Zhao Xiang'er turned her head away, ignoring him.

"Time, destiny, space..."

Siming pondered these three authorities, sorting through her thoughts, vaguely understanding something but not forming a concrete, complete idea.

They continued discussing future matters.

In the days to come, Ning Changjiu would remain the primary force in killing the Divine Rulers, while truly top-tier immortals like them would focus on writing secret manuals, developing alchemy methods, excavating earth veins for spiritual energy, and accelerating its purification and generation, laying the foundation for an explosive growth of human cultivators in the next eight years.

The shackles that had oppressed human cultivators were broken; the path from Profound Realm to Fifth Realm was now unhindered. Once the world's restoration was complete, this explosive growth would truly begin.

Of course, their primary enemy now was still Mingzheng, two months away.

"When Mingzheng Divine Kingdom first opens, we must learn its location as quickly as possible and not give it any breathing room," Ning Changjiu said. "So before then, we need to seal off all the highest peaks in the human realm."

"Seal off all the highest peaks?"

"Yes," Ning Changjiu said, "Leave marks on those peaks. When the Divine Kingdom opens, the marks will be triggered, letting us know."

Siming raised a question: "Even if we can detect the marks being triggered, we won't be able to get there immediately."

Zhao Xiang'er immediately said, "There is a way."

Her fingertips curled slightly. "The Three Thousand Worlds can rapidly traverse worlds; I already demonstrated this during the journey to Solitary Cloud City. However, each use consumes a lot, and after the Solitary Cloud City trip, the Three Thousand Worlds didn't recover for a long time. But... but today I discovered that this world seems much more vibrant than before."

Lu Jiajia and Siming looked at her with somewhat strange expressions.

"Don't overthink it!" Zhao Xiang'er said fiercely. "The recovery of the Three Thousand Worlds is due to my arduous and exceptional cultivation... Anyway, before the Mingzheng Divine Kingdom opens, the Three Thousand Worlds should be able to activate again."

Ning Changjiu nodded.

He knew Mingzheng was powerful and would not underestimate it.

The general matters had been discussed. They calculated the days, thinking that the evil letter should have reached the Underworld Ancient Kingdom by now, and the plan to raise the Dark Lord was also on the agenda. He needed to find time to return to the Underworld and help Xiaoling kill the Spirit Devourer.

After everyone finished discussing, Zhao Xiang'er was about to stand up, but Siming grabbed her wrist.

"Xiang'er, we should talk about important matters," Siming said with a smile.

Zhao Xiang'er asked, "Does Sister have something to discuss with me?"

Siming reached back, gathered her light-colored hair, and brought it to the front. She looked at Zhao Xiang'er and said, "Xiang'er, my hair..."

Zhao Xiang'er innocently widened her eyes and said, "Sister Xueci's hair is very beautiful."

Siming stopped being subtle and said directly, "Master said you could help me remove the color."

Zhao Xiang'er smiled like a kitten and said, "Is that how you ask me for a favor?"

Siming turned her head slightly, seeing that Lu Jiajia and Ning Changjiu were both watching her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she didn't want to beg in front of others, so she just stared meaningfully at Zhao Xiang'er.

Zhao Xiang'er took her hand and pulled it forward. Then, in Siming's confused gaze, the girl repeatedly wrote the character for 'ten' in her palm.

Siming immediately understood. Surface emotions could be controlled, but inner emotions could not be hidden. Her long hair gradually changed color.

"Xiang'er... Sister," Siming looked at Zhao Xiang'er and earnestly called out.

Only then did Zhao Xiang'er withdraw her hand. She ruffled Siming's hair and said, "Later, Sister Xueci must be obedient, or else I'm afraid I might accidentally burn your hair off."

Siming chose to endure, softly saying, "Hmm, I understand..."

Zhao Xiang'er and Siming went into the inner room.

Clouds gathered into a tub shape, which was soon filled with clear, warm water. A black divine robe was piled on one side. Siming crossed her arms over her chest and slowly submerged herself in the water. Zhao Xiang'er fully immersed her hair to prevent the phoenix fire from harming her. Only then did she extend her jade finger, condensing flame at its tip, and strand by strand, began washing the color from Siming's hair.

The faint colors faded, and the silver-white wrapped within them reappeared, as if Siming was slowly shedding the worldly clamor, gradually returning to the divine official who sat alone in the Yuanfu Divine Kingdom.

Zhao Xiang'er occasionally teased her with words, observing the change in hair color. Although Siming maintained a cool and serene expression, she could clearly feel that Zhao Xiang'er's actions were delicate.

Once the light-colored long hair turned back to silver-white, Zhao Xiang'er sighed softly and said, "From now on, Sister Xueci can continue to be bold and say one thing but mean another."

Siming looked at her familiar silver hair and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Sister Xiang'er."

Zhao Xiang'er feigned surprise: "What did you just say?"

Siming closed her eyes, submerging most of her body in the water, and repeated, "Thank you, Sister Xiang'er..."

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia were outside, drinking tea and refining the details of their various future plans.

"Back in the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, we jointly forged eighty-one swords, a significant portion of which ended up scattered in the human realm. Now that Jiajia has become the co-lord of divine swords, it's time to retrieve them," Ning Changjiu said.

Those eighty-one swords were originally designed to defeat the Divine Lord and the Dark Lord. Some had become sword spirits integrated with cultivators, but most remained unclaimed. With the reconstruction of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, these famous swords, whose edges had not yet been tested, should now return.

Lu Jiajia nodded, "Yes, I've been planning for this recently."

Ning Changjiu smiled, "Jiajia is getting smarter and smarter. It seems her husband doesn't need to worry too much."

Lu Jiajia also smiled. She looked at Ning Changjiu's face and asked, "You seem a bit distracted?"

Ning Changjiu replied truthfully, "Today's discussion of my previous life made me can't help but overthink again."

Lu Jiajia asked, "Still thinking about that question?"

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Yes."

They had previously discussed why, when time rewound twelve years, he wasn't in the Unobservable Realm but became a small Taoist priest beside Ning Qinshui.

When porridge burns, reversing time for a moment only brings it back to before it burned, never to a state where the rice is still unharvested in the paddy field.

Was this truly time reversal?

Or... did Master change the entire timeline at the end of the previous life?

Ning Changjiu pondered these thoughts.

The door opened, and Zhao Xiang'er and Siming walked out together from the inner room. Siming gave Ning Changjiu a beautiful, clear smile. The silver-haired, ink-robed woman was restored to her former self; her serene and beautiful face was like an ancient painting hidden deep within a divine temple.

Zhao Xiang'er, in her pleated skirt and snow-white silk socks, maintained a constant smile on her face. Though possessing the demeanor of a goddess, she was like a mischievous little imp with hidden tricks.

"Although Sister Xueci looks even better now, I still miss her old appearance," Lu Jiajia looked at her and smiled softly.

Siming said faintly, "Otherwise, why don't you let Sister Xiang'er dye your hair too?"

Zhao Xiang'er also looked at Lu Jiajia and asked, "Does Sister Jiajia need it?"

Lu Jiajia quickly shook her head; she certainly didn't want her little thoughts exposed to the light.

Listening to their conversation, Ning Changjiu was astonished to realize that a brand new cycle of sisterly dynamics had subtly formed...

After a brief and warm period in the Three Thousand Worlds, they would journey together to the snow-covered human realm.