Chapter 463: Starfall Ancient Dragon's Lament

Ning Changjiu stood with his sword in the shattered divine kingdom, gazing at the sky. The light there grew increasingly brighter as meteors plunged, their fiery tails streaking straight.

The Dark Lord was originally the soul of a star. It had lingered in the void for countless years, having long lost most of its consciousness. The only thing that remained was its final command. If it possessed authority, then 'Stars' might be its ultimate authority.

The Dark Lord did not destroy the Thunder Prison and the Vermilion Bird Star, because Thunder Prison and Vermilion Bird had already been confirmed as traitors. The divine kingdom was more like a cage for them, and if the stars were destroyed, the cage would also shatter. Such an act of "letting the tiger return to the mountains" might not have a positive effect.

"I was worried they would destroy the Saint's stone Buddha," Ning Changjiu said, his pupils reflecting the firelight. "Fortunately, just as Master predicted, the Saint was too close to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord feared that the aftershocks of the stars would severely injure itself, so it chose to let them fall to the mortal realm."

"Why would it do that? Where will it find pure spiritual energy after destroying the mortal realm? It can never enter again in this lifetime!" Siming said coldly.

Ning Changjiu sighed and said, "Because the Dark Lord knows someone will stop them."

Everyone fell silent instantly, their gazes fixed on Ning Changjiu.

Lu Jiajia immediately recalled what the Sinful Monarch had said about the object from beyond the heavens... he would be killed by it...

An object from beyond the heavens!

"You... you knew all along?" Lu Jiajia asked, stunned, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu lowered his head and apologized, "I didn't want you to worry about this too early; it's meaningless. I wanted to see you happy... I'm sorry, this is my selfishness again. I had intended to tell you after killing Qiuyue, but I didn't expect it to come so quickly. But don't worry, I am prepared."

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes. Even though this scene had replayed in his mind countless times, when the inferno truly tore through the sky, everything still felt somewhat sudden.

"Impossible! Don't lie to us again!" Siming glared at him, speaking like a fierce lion cub.

Siming still vividly remembered the scene when Beiming pursued the Sword Saint.

At that time, all the pursuers were top masters, but when the meteor fell, they could only abandon their chase and scatter. That was just one. Now there were seven complete stars. Even Ning Changjiu could never stop them!

"Indeed, you absolutely cannot stop it," Baizang's words were equally cold and certain.

Ning Changjiu looked at them and said, "I can stop it."

Lu Jiajia shook her head repeatedly, her pink lips trembling, tears streaming down her face. "Even if you can stop it, can you survive?"

Ning Changjiu embraced her tightly, holding her close, and said earnestly, "As the Sinful Monarch said in his divine kingdom, I will return. When I return, I will still be myself."

Lu Jiajia's arms hung by her sides as she sobbed uncontrollably, her lips bleeding from being bitten.

Siming also didn't believe his words. "Master, though you possess the authority of life, even if your soul can be preserved, how can you guarantee you'll still be yourself when we meet again, possibly centuries from now?"

Siming found it difficult to control her emotions. She summoned her black sword and was about to rush towards the falling meteors.

"Come back!" Ning Changjiu stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and roughly pulled her into an embrace. He cupped her face, their foreheads touching as if colliding. He had no time to explain more, only saying, "Trust me one last time."

"How can I trust you?" Siming screamed hoarsely.

Ning Changjiu hesitated, then raised his hand, making a pinky promise gesture.

Siming looked at his hand, unmoved, but her icy eyes seemed to melt, and only tears continued to fall.

Ning Changjiu took her hand and gently comforted her.

Siming flung his hand away, but Lu Jiajia, her face streaked with tears, had already walked up to him, grabbing his wrist, her fingers almost digging into his flesh. "Give me a deadline."

Ning Changjiu gently touched her slender, bony hand and said seriously, "Eight years."

"Eight years?"

Lu Jiajia stared into his eyes and immediately understood the meaning behind "eight years."

"Eight years..." Siming's icy pupils were pale, devoid of any light. "Isn't that..."

"Yes," Ning Changjiu said, "I will be waiting for you at the end of destiny."

This was the last thing he said.

The rapidly falling meteorites had already pierced the atmosphere, turning a blazing orange-red. Compared to them, the Immortal-Suppressing Sword of the Mortal Realm's Immortal Slayer Tower seemed like a firefly encountering a burning forest.

The Golden Crow flew out, engulfing Lu Jiajia and Siming within it. Bidding farewell to those two beloved faces, Lu Jiajia and Siming struggled fiercely, but could only watch helplessly as the Golden Crow formed a barrier, keeping them separated.

They had originally thought that after killing Baizang, they would enjoy a long period of peace, a time for recuperation until the day of the final battle.

But now the Dark Lord was the true King of the Sky. How could the heavens fulfill human wishes?

Ning Changjiu temporarily sealed the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom. He held the Golden Crow in his hand and handed it to Baizang, saying, "Please keep her safe for me."

Baizang took the Golden Crow. She looked at Ning Changjiu and said, "I still don't understand how you can survive."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly without answering. He turned, spread his hand, but did not summon Liu Xihuan.

In his hand was an intricately carved wooden token, the Sword Pavilion token entrusted to him by Ke Wenzhou.

Below the Silver Snow Palace was Mirror Lake. Earlier, the Senior Sister had stopped Zhou Zhenyue there. Now, under the command of the Sword Pavilion token, the mirror-like calm surface of the lake began to tremble. From the mud at the riverbed, ancient swords broke through the water and flew into the air, soaring towards the white-robed figure in the Silver Snow Palace.

The heavy snow in the Silver Snow Palace continued to swirl, these snowflakes being shattered by the distant incoming swords.

Ning Changjiu looked up, myriad swords floating behind him like a fleet of boats.

As the meteors crossed the Void Sea and swept through the illusory realm, Ning Changjiu's figure vanished into the fragmented snow of the Silver Palace.

The Golden Crow peeked out from Baizang's scarf.

The white robe bathed in golden fire, also like a meteor streaking against the sky!

The Asura Golden Body detached from his form, and the full power of his authority poured forth. White sonic booms appeared around him, flashing and vanishing instantly. He then soared into the air at several times that speed, like the leader of a school of fish in the ocean, with thousands of swords following behind him like burning iron needles.

This was the first day of May. The sun had not yet risen, but the world was as bright as day. Ning Changjiu's sword reflected the light, his eyes reflected the light, and in a short time, his entire being transformed into light and fire, rushing towards the meteors. Yet, even so, he still resembled a firefly plunging into a forest fire; the destructive inferno infinitely magnified in his pupils, his tiny speck of light seemingly about to be swallowed instantly.

In the Unobservable Realm, white gauze fluttered in an unseen wind. In the lotus pond, Ye Chan Palace, appearing as a young girl, gazed into a water mirror, her clear eyes reflecting a cool hue.

In the Western Kingdom, Zhao Xiang'er also watched the scene. Just as the impact was imminent, the space in the water mirror twisted violently, as if to shatter this mirror, thousands of miles away.

Amidst the intersection of many eyes, Ning Changjiu collided with the meteor.

The peaceful thousand years spent with Xihe in the Ancient Sun Kingdom, the imminent war between gods and demons in the mortal realm, countless deaths through reincarnation... in Ning Changjiu's sea of consciousness, thousands of years flashed by in an instant like lightning.

Finally, the curtain fell on the Sword Saint and the Saint.

He looked up at the colossal rock from beyond the heavens and murmured, "It's my turn."

The meteor and Ning Changjiu collided, and the air instantly ignited.

This was the first star. The Divine Lord of the stars had already died; this ownerless star burned with the fire of vengeance.

A human body collided with a star.

In the sky, the instantly exploding and spreading dust obscured everything, and Ning Changjiu's figure was engulfed within it.

But this was only the first star. How could this sky-obscuring dust be his grave?

At the impact point, Ning Changjiu's figure emerged from the shattered meteor. His delicate face was illuminated by the fiery iron. The Asura Golden Body repaired its damage, roaring silently like a lion. Ning Changjiu's white robe was tattered, blood seeping through, but he had temporarily severed all pain, his mind focused solely on ascending directly and tearing apart the meteor.

Then, the second meteor plummeted.

It was a silver-colored star.

The fiery debris from the previous explosion soared tens of thousands of feet into the sky. Ning Changjiu's figure seemed to be propelled upward by this debris. He gripped the Silver Sword tightly and slashed towards the silver star.

At the point of contact, everything expanded rapidly in chaos, emitting brilliantly lit explosions amid the expansion, with deafening roars that shook the heavens and earth.

A magnificent explosion occurred again, and a vast, sky-covering swirl of dust and debris swept through once more. The flames within were still burning, and Ning Changjiu's silhouette in the light was pitch black.

Fiery debris flew past the corners of his eyes and through his hair.

Ning Changjiu gritted his teeth, holding his breath with spiritual art. He dared not breathe, as the terrifying high temperatures entering his body would be like sharp blades cutting through him.

He had no energy to be distracted; the next meteor was about to arrive.

Although the Golden Crow was not physically inside him, he was the lord of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, and its power still supported him. Spiritual energy surged out at maximum speed; he could not and dared not falter, pushing upward solely by will. The tightly gripped Silver Sword twisted upon impact, losing its edge, looking more like a serpent spear.

This was a heavenly tribulation descending upon the mortal realm, only instead of lightning, it was a cascade of stars.

The third star rushed towards him.

This star was larger and faster than the previous two. It bore down on him, colliding with Ning Changjiu's fire-bathed shadow. The web of Ning Changjiu's hand was instantly torn, the Silver Sword softened from melting, and amidst the deafening roar, Ning Changjiu's eardrums were also shattered. An unreal silence descended like death, the starlight serving as a farewell ceremony for him.

Ning Changjiu's figure was pushed rapidly downward. He couldn't hear sounds, only connecting with the world through his divine consciousness. Behind him, over a thousand swords, having pierced through the dust, hurtled towards this star.

The swords crashed into the star, exploding together.

Ning Changjiu struggled out of the rubble. His white robe was gone, and he held no sword. His entire body was covered in burn marks, and the Asura Golden Body was twisted like a malevolent spirit.

His pain could no longer be suppressed; agonizing pain, like knives, tore at his body.

The next star was already coming.

Ning Changjiu's expression was contorted, his teeth clenched tightly. Ye Chan Palace's face involuntarily appeared in his mind, along with their recent conversation in a dream.

In the pure white heart lake, Ye Chan Palace, in the form of a young girl, looked at him, her moon-white sheer silk brushing over the water.

"I am connected to the moon; I can block the stars without harm," Ye Chan Palace said.

"No," Ning Changjiu flatly refused, saying, "The moon would slow down because of it... In eight years, it must be in that position. That is the culmination of everything; there can be no deviation."

Ye Chan Palace lowered her head slightly. She was also unsure of the meteor's power and dared not give a definite answer.

Ning Changjiu stared into her eyes and continued, "There can't be even a slight deviation, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain."

Ye Chan Palace finally nodded. She looked at Ning Changjiu and asked, "How confident are you that you can stop it?"

Ning Changjiu said, "A year ago, I had no confidence at all, but now, I think I can do it."

Ye Chan Palace said, "No matter how meticulous the plan, you are still gambling with your life. I cannot guarantee everything afterward, even if I personally manage it, will be foolproof."

Ning Changjiu nodded and said, "I understand."

Ye Chan Palace said, "You could let Shenyu and..."

"No need," Ning Changjiu said. "Senior Sister and Senior Brother have already toiled enough. The power of the meteors is unpredictable; there's no need for others to risk themselves. Let me handle everything."

Ye Chan Palace looked at him serenely, unsure what to say, just as she had thousands of years ago.

Ning Changjiu, however, smiled. He looked at the girl, performed a disciple's bow, and said, "I know that even Master thinks I can't do it, but I can. If the Asura body is destroyed, there's still the physical body. If the physical body is completely destroyed, there are still the bones."

The scene in his memory violently shook.

The raging fire charged, crashing into Ning Changjiu's chest. His flesh was forcibly stripped away by the rapidly rotating meteor, revealing the bones beneath.

Ning Changjiu was pressed downward by the meteor, plunging through the sea of dust created by the earlier explosions. His long hair was rapidly burning, his forehead a deep red, like a moldy seal dug out of the earth.

Ning Changjiu dared not look down. He knew that if he did, he would see his vigorously beating heart through torn muscle fibers. He turned his body, using his left side to resist. The meteor pressed him down, like crushing an insect. The remaining swords struck the stone, causing countless cracks but not enough to destroy the star. And behind Ning Changjiu, the Asura Golden Body had dissolved; there was nothing left.

Baizang watched the scene from afar, her silver eyes burning red. The Golden Crow in her scarf broke free from her hand and flew over recklessly.

The sealed pain, like an escaped demon, revealed its ferocious face, its claws twisting his spine tightly. Ning Changjiu opened his mouth wide, unable to scream. He felt his flesh was glued to the stone, while his spine was being forcefully torn from his flesh by another power.

In his sea of consciousness, intense pain once again brought forth illusions.

"This is the eighty-seventh. Why are there so many demons of this realm? How long will we have to keep killing?" Ye Chan Palace stood on a shattered skeleton, her voice carrying a hint of occasional weariness.

"War is inherently mutual hunting. Humans, when weak, hunted livestock, then gradually developed tools, turning rocks and trees into killing weapons, plunging them into the bodies of lions, tigers, and elephants. After that, the ancient gods on earth would also become targets of hunting. There has never been a stable throne in this world, only continuous bloodshed. It is cruel, but it is also the necessary path for survival." He plunged his sword into the ancient god's body, extracted the inner core, and split it in two.

Ye Chan Palace looked at the gods and demons underfoot, still lacking confidence. "How far can the human flesh and blood body conquer? How far can we... really go?"

He said: "Flesh and blood bodies are weak, but humans are not weak. We may have a day when we die, but the fire of civilization will continue to burn. Perhaps one day we will awaken from slumber, and humanity will have entered a new era, an era where they have become the true masters of all spirits, conquering land, sea, and sky, and coexisting peacefully with them. They might even journey to a wider sea, hunting stars from beyond the heavens." "Hunting stars?" Ye Chan Palace's mind flashed with that image, imagining people surrounding stars in boundless darkness, then gently shaking her head. "How could such a thing happen?"

The voices of their conversation echoed through a thousand years in his memory.

The Golden Crow flew from behind, entering his Purple Mansion. Lu Jiajia and Siming's anxious shouts echoed in his ears. Ning Changjiu couldn't make out what they were saying, but he desperately responded with his consciousness: "Don't leave the Golden Crow!"

A boundless surge of spiritual energy erupted from his body again. Ning Changjiu roared. His backward movement, pushed by the meteor, slowed down, and he actually held it, suspending it in mid-air little by little.

Hunting stars...

The prophecy from back then was now coming true for him. He looked up, as if asking Ye Chan Palace if she saw it?

As the next meteor struck, Lu Jiajia, Siming, and Ning Changjiu together exerted their full power. No one spoke, and no one had time to speak. Immense amounts of dust stirred up a frenzy. Ning Changjiu tore the meteor from his flesh, pressed it down with one arm, and hurled it away!

This meteor was tens of thousands of times larger than Ning Changjiu, yet it was truly pushed away like that, colliding with the next incoming star.

The two stars collided in the illusory realm. The world-shattering shockwave blasted Ning Changjiu backward, sending millions of fragments flying. Countless sparks showered densely across the long sky.

Ning Changjiu was powerless to defend. His body was flung back by the impacting debris. Almost all his bones were broken. He didn't have infinite authority; it was simply impossible to repair such injuries. The handsome youth was gone; what was now falling towards the earth was more like a burning pile of shattered bones.

But there were still two more meteors!

In the ruins of the collapsing Silver Snow Palace, Baizang suddenly discovered that the dragon bone chain around her neck had loosened at some point. Simultaneously, another familiar power surged into her body.

That was... Dust Seal?!

Baizang looked up, instantly understanding Ye Chan Palace's intention.

Unwilling to let other disciples risk themselves, so she wants me to take the risk...?

Baizang's expression turned cold. She stared at the sky, at the towering inferno and the sky-obscuring dust. Within her small body, an unspeakable tremor arose.

She had always been calm, but she couldn't lie to herself. The traitor Qiuyue was sealed, the Silver Snow Palace shattered, and thousands of years of faith crumbled in her mind. Such a violent collision could not be suppressed by feigning composure. She also had power and emotions that needed to be unleashed!

Baizang gazed at the starry sky.

The sky where starlight fell.

She untied her scarf, folded it neatly, then propelled her body with spiritual energy, transforming into a rainbow and soaring away.

Before Ning Changjiu's broken body, Baizang, in her snow-white hair and silver dress, stood in his path.

"Dust Seal!!"

Baizang roared.

Time seemed to rewind to a thousand years ago. Back then, she had carried her Master Cat's remains to a tree, then leaped from the tall tree, over the high courtyard wall. She raced through the night, sounds of battle clashing behind her. In the dense darkness, she stood on a hill, gazing at the distant fires, no longer meowing like a cat, but letting out a roar unique to a fierce tiger!

At that time, night birds were startled away, and all beasts retreated. Though she had not yet truly cultivated, the "King" character on her forehead glowed brilliantly!

This was the blood that had flowed in her veins all along...

Baizang roared again.

The authority of Dust Seal manifested like sound waves from her furious roar, reverberating in the dust-filled sky. She tore the dragon bone chain from her neck, twisted it into a long whip, and lashed it forward!

The meteor collided with it.

This was an explosion, the count of which was lost.

Baizang had lost her divine kingdom. Though her power was still top-tier, it was still difficult to withstand the meteor. The maiden's silver dress was consumed by the firelight, peeling away. The impact was like a giant hammer, slamming her bare body down from the sky. Her consciousness blurred, like snow in flowing flames, ready to melt at any moment.

Yet, this terrifying meteor was indeed hindered in its advance by the young girl.

Baizang gritted her teeth, falling from tens of thousands of feet. The shattered silver was carried by the wind, little by little reattaching to her body. Blood streamed from her hands, and the dragon bone chain was shattered to pieces.

She knew she hadn't truly stopped the meteor.

A fruit falling from a tree would hit her head, a feather drifting from the sky would land on her shoulder. There was an invisible force in this world, a force that would pull the meteor, now freed from its 'Dust Seal,' back to the ground. If stars were living beings, this scene would look like self-destruction... Such foolish stars...

The meteor quickly broke free, striking at Baizang like a sharp sword.

Baizang realized she might die.

Just then, she felt someone grasp her. It was a figure no longer discernible as human. With one hand, he held her, and with the other, he dug the Golden Crow from his own flesh and placed it back into her embrace.

Baizang suddenly felt absurd, as if she were an old hen, and a giant blood-soaked swan was handing her a swan egg, saying, "The Way of Heaven has collapsed, I'm leaving the village to save the world; please hatch this egg." Baizang didn't know why she was having such wild thoughts, like a little girl who hadn't grown up yet.

She hugged the Golden Crow tightly.

And that blood-soaked swan-like figure, taut as a bowstring, flapped its wings towards the sky, uttering a high-pitched "Goo-goo-goo" lament, and charged towards the deadly starlight.

In Baizang's eyes, the swan vanished. The fire surged again, waves of flame rushing towards her, incinerating everything.

In the thick dust clouds, countless fragments of stone, trailing fiery tails, plummeted towards the mortal realm.

Like streaks of smoke from fireworks.

"Dust Seal."

Baizang instinctively called out again.

The heavily depleted authority did not respond.

She held the Golden Crow and plunged towards Mirror Lake.

Another explosion rang out in the sky.

This time, she was certain Ning Changjiu was dead.

The silver dress exploded in Mirror Lake, the scorching lake water engulfing her. In the sky, Ning Changjiu's physical body perished with the last meteor. His fragmented soul was enveloped by the high-temperature dust, like butterflies fluttering in flames.

Inside the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom, the earth shook violently.

Lu Jiajia, being of a lower cultivation realm, had already fallen unconscious during the previous impacts. Siming bit her own wrist, forcing herself to stay awake through the pain. In her eyes, the divine pillars of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom collapsed one after another, until only the precarious fifth pillar remained.

Siming's emotions collapsed along with the divine pillars. Tears streamed down her face like a bursting dam. She looked up at the sky, murmuring hoarsely, "Liar..."

Siming recalled a scene on Mount Tianzhu: he had held her, near death, and after the downpour, a boundless moonlight descended from the sky.

But what could she wait for now?

Even Master couldn't save him now, could she...?

Siming knelt on the ground, her long hair like a flowing river of mercury. Her hands were deeply embedded in the cracked floor tiles of the divine hall, her fingernails breaking off one by one, blood flowing freely, yet she was oblivious to it.

Just as Siming was about to pass out, whether it was an illusion or not, a deep, prolonged dragon roar suddenly echoed from the vast ocean of dust covering the sky.