Chapter 885: The Third Card

Chapter 885: The Third Card

Ye Wuming merged with the Heavenly Book, yet she could freely enter and exit it, traversing myriad worlds. If she had a physical body, wouldn’t that be exactly Ling Ruoyu’s current state?

Only, Ye Wuming couldn’t possibly fail to bring clothes, and Ling Ruoyu could also bring them, just lacking the skill.

When they returned underground, the trio of the Four Symbols Sect sat cross-legged around Ling Ruoyu, chins in hands, eyes gleaming green.

The girl sat there clutching her clothes, like a poor child just violated by a group of old women.

“How is it, how is it?” Zhao Changhe hurriedly asked. “Did the test yield results?”

“For now, I can only say it has a hint of one realm rejecting another realm’s items. Whether that’s really the case needs further confirmation,” Sanniang said. “If so, Ruoyu can, through training, bring things inside, since she is the master of that realm, and the rules are defined by herself.”

Huangfu Qing interjected, “With your past control over the Star River, defining it from the master’s perspective might also work.”

After each spoke, they fell silent.

Understood this way, it was a living, breathing version of the relationship between the Heavenly Dao and the Netherworld.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze fell on the Star River Sword, then circled around the Dragon Sparrow. In his heart, he wondered: if they no longer heeded him and sought independence, how would he feel?

To him, it might feel a bit like a daughter marrying off—bitter, but not unacceptable. But to others, they didn’t share this emotional bond of father-daughter or companion; it was master and servant, and they couldn’t accept the servant’s departure. They would want to suppress it, to make it obey again—that was entirely imaginable.

The slight difference was that the Heavenly Book might have originally been the Heavenly Dao’s artifact, but after the Netherworld’s awakening, it had never acknowledged a master. The Heavenly Dao tried to make it submit but failed, leading to a series of subsequent actions.

If seen this way… the Heavenly Book as an artifact was of very high grade, unwilling to acknowledge an ordinary master, much like when he first obtained the Dragon Sparrow. Back then, the Dragon Sparrow only had faint spirituality, not yet the twin-tailed brat. He was only recognized because of the Six Harmonies Divine Art, able to use its material to wield it. Later, when the Dragon Sparrow awakened, if that brat hadn’t acknowledged him, it might have fled.

Then he pinned it down, beat it, forcibly split off a twin, and customized the blade spirit—that was the relationship between the Heavenly Dao and the Ye sisters.

Seen this way, the Heavenly Dao might truly need the Heavenly Book, just as he needed the Dragon Sparrow. Zhao Changhe felt he could still fight without the Star River and Dragon Soul Bow, but without the Dragon Sparrow, he probably couldn’t. If it really ran away, he’d kneel and coax that stinky brat back.

The Heavenly Dao’s persistence should be based on this? Perhaps there were other reasons, but this significance was a heavy link.

Speaking of which, after an artifact awakens and doesn’t acknowledge its master… there’s only one possibility: their natures don’t match, their temperaments clash. That is, the Heavenly Book wasn’t forged by the Heavenly Dao; it was only obtained by chance. If forged to its own requirements, it couldn’t be mismatched.

Since someone could accidentally obtain the Heavenly Book artifact, it meant there were more artifacts to acquire in other realms. Roaming freely through the myriad worlds—that was Zhao Changhe’s ultimate dream.

Perhaps it was also Ye Wuming’s dream.

Ye Wuming defined the Star River sword blank as the night sky, not according to this world’s definition, but as the cosmic void. So in the previous era, Ye Wuming’s intent was insufficient, unable to complete it, until this era, when it was handed to him who understood the cosmos to finish its intent, giving birth to the Star River. The Star River’s innate ability to traverse space and break realms came from this.

Not to mention whether she could break beyond realms—perhaps the Star River’s power was still lacking, but reaching the Night Palace was certainly no problem.

The group watched Zhao Changhe pondering, thinking he was struggling over whether to redefine the Star River. Ling Ruoyu finally spoke timidly: “If Master’s Master needs help defining the Star River, I, I can do it.”

It was just re-acknowledging the master; it wasn’t like it hadn’t been done before.

Zhao Changhe snapped back and laughed. “No need. The Star River is the Star River’s Star River.”

Ling Ruoyu: “…”

A tongue twister is your tongue twister.

Zhao Changhe said, “I’ll step aside again. Ruoyu, enter the sword, and I’ll sense it later.”

With that, he left again. When he returned, Ling Ruoyu was gone, leaving only the Star River suspended in midair.

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged before it, reaching out to gently stroke it.

The Four Symbols Sect crowd: “…”

Ling Ruoyu within the sword: “…”

It was a perfectly normal sword-stroking motion, but now it looked utterly off. He wondered if Ruoyu felt anything special inside the sword…

Actually, Ling Ruoyu felt nothing, but the psychological sensation was too strange—she felt like she was being touched. How odd. When she was a sword spirit herself, she never felt this way when her master stroked the sword… She’d have to ask Queque later what she thought…

Zhao Changhe himself never thought of any of this. At that moment, he was thinking of going to the Night Palace—yes, sneaking off alone.

Earlier, discussing the Heavenly Dao with Chichi, he felt it couldn’t be delayed. He needed to meet with that blind fool soon to exchange information and opinions. Any more dawdling, and who knew what new changes might come. Actually, if Ruoyu had been willing to return to being a sword spirit earlier, Zhao Changhe, wielding the Star River, could have found the Night Palace long ago. But since Ling Ruoyu had become independent, he couldn’t do it for now. Now that the girl had accidentally returned to the sword, he could begin.

But this meant he could only go alone, not lead a group to attack.

As for danger, aside from the risk of losing custody, there was none.

Everyone had always treated Ye Wuming as an imaginary enemy, but thinking carefully, he couldn’t find any reason for Ye Wuming to kill Zhao Changhe, especially bearing the consequences of a war across three realms. If he had to find a reason, it would be that she didn’t want to be courted—did that count?

Zhao Changhe knew Ye Wuming wasn’t that shallow.

His mind gradually focused, tracing the causality from the Star River Sword. Gradually, time and space shifted, and the long river flowed backward.

In the misty clouds, the ancient Xuanwu traversed mountains and rivers, returning to the Night Palace: “Your Majesty, the materials for the Star River Sword are mostly ready. There are still some, like Night Drift Sand, that need prospecting.”

Ye Wuming took the materials and remained silent for a long time.

Xuanwu asked in surprise, “Your Majesty?”

“My intent is incomplete; time is insufficient. I am unworthy of the Star River…” Ye Wuming sighed softly. “I can only set a sword blank and leave it for the future.”

With her words, a great blaze of Li Fire rose in her hand.

She actually used her hand as a furnace to forge the sword directly.

Watching the materials melt and gradually take the shape of a sword, Xuanwu was quite impressed but still reminded her, “Your Majesty, the Night Drift Sand…”

“Night like flowing, space like sand.” Ye Wuming said softly, “The final awakening needs it, but without my intent, this sword cannot be forged. Keep it for now. Whether reincarnation or something else, only I can complete it in the future, not to be given cheaply to others.”

Xuanwu asked, “What should I do?”

“Take the sword blank, along with my token and the Mountain and River Atlas, and place them together. The future search for Night Drift Sand will rely on it.” Ye Wuming seemed to calculate for a while, then added with a strange expression, “If the sky collapses and needs protection, set up a simple concealment formation, nothing too difficult. As for the location, anywhere—only I can have this fate.”

Xuanwu was stunned. “Why is that?”

“If there is another era, it will be an era of humanity, likely with generally low strength. At that time, perhaps only the Xuan Pass level—don’t make it hard for yourself…”

Xuanwu acknowledged, watching the sword blank solidify.

Time and space trembled slightly. Ye Wuming frowned and turned her head, and the scene shattered like glass.

In the same place, an entire era later, now.

The complete Star River suddenly appeared in the void. Ye Wuming, elsewhere at the time, sensed it and flashed over.

The first thing she saw was that man holding the Star River, standing where Xuanwu once stood, looking back.

Ye Wuming stopped abruptly, staring silently.

Zhao Changhe looked at her bright and quiet eyes for a long, long time, then suddenly smiled. “Such beautiful eyes, on me for three years—feels like a waste of heaven’s gifts.”

In the underground sky, the Four Symbols Sect trio stared dumbfounded at the empty altar. Xia Chichi fumed, “I just told him we’d die together, and he turns around and does his own thing! Does he really think Ye Wuming won’t kill him?”

Ye Wuming also said, “Do you really think I won’t kill you?”

Zhao Changhe looked earnest. “A child can’t be without a father.”

Ling Ruoyu: “…”

Ye Wuming: “…”

Zhao Changhe said, “Actually, you’ve been waiting for me to come find you for days now.”

Ye Wuming said indifferently, “Nonsense, self-righteous.”

“Those words… should be returned to you.” Zhao Changhe’s face hardened. “At least I’ve always tried to communicate with you, but which thing you did wasn’t self-righteous?”

Ye Wuming turned her head away. “What’s there to communicate? In the end, wasn’t everything resolved perfectly?”

“Suicide is called perfect? What misunderstanding do you have of perfection?” Zhao Changhe sneered. “Suicide is one thing—at least it’s arranging your own life, no one else’s business. But I ask you, arranging others’ futures, deceiving the Netherworld, killing Piaomiao, forcing me and Old Xia to leave our homeland—did you ask us? Is it the lofty heart of heaven, using all beings as chess pieces? Are you any different from the Heavenly Dao you oppose?”

Night Nameless said indifferently, "Perhaps there is no difference. If there is a difference, it might be that I never planned to live, repaying with my life. When a person dies, debts are cleared—what is there to be angry about?"

"So that's how you kill the enchantress?"

"If you follow my arrangement, I die, and you become the Celestial Emperor controlling the three realms. Given some time, you can naturally cultivate to break through the boundaries and return. From start to finish, I haven't really deceived you."

"Of course you have deceived me."

"Oh?" Night Nameless showed no reaction: "What did I deceive you about?"

Zhao Changhe said word by word, "The Night Emperor card was drawn by me myself, not given by you. That was my own fate line."

"Is there a difference? Didn't the identity of the Night Emperor come to you step by step? Along with the entire Four Symbols Sect, handed to you on a silver platter—what more could you want?"

"But what I drew—was it the identity of the Night Emperor, or the Night Emperor himself?"

Night Nameless: "?"

Zhao Changhe suddenly stepped forward: "Is your desire for death a predetermined strategy, or is it because you don't want to end up in my hands?"

Night Nameless's eyes turned sharp: "I think you're asking for death."

"You cannot kill me." Zhao Changhe slowly drew the Dragon Sparrow, pointing it at her: "You haven't truly broken through the limits of the Imperial Realm; you can only be called half-step... So you haven't opened an absolute gap in level with me; all this time has just been bluster."

Night Nameless looked at his blade and suddenly smiled: "What makes you think I haven't broken through? Based on that one exchange above Tiger Hill?"

"Of course. Even if I can surpass anyone's level, I don't believe I can surpass yours. If you were at a level above the Imperial Realm, I couldn't have withstood those two palms of yours in the Tiger Hill battle. That's just one judgment." Zhao Changhe said calmly: "Another point: the Heavenly Dao still wants to break in—not because it's gone mad... but because it knows it still has a chance to win now. If you are given more time and truly break through, it will lose all opportunity, so it's anxious. That explains everything."

Night Nameless sighed: "Zhao Changhe, if you weren't so clever, you might be a bit more endearing."

"Because you want a pawn, not a husband?"

"..." Night Nameless really didn't want to argue these ambiguous words with him, and said coldly: "So you draw your blade at me, meaning you want to fight me?"

"Exactly." Zhao Changhe said coldly: "I am formally telling you that the pawn you manipulated now stands equal with you. In terms of power, I have already surpassed you. If you refuse to face this fact, then I will make you face it now."

Night Nameless squinted at him for a long while, then slowly said: "Then let me see."

With the words, a pair of jade hands suddenly appeared before Zhao Changhe's face, as if to slap him.

Zhao Changhe flipped his long blade, slashing at Night Nameless's neck.

Night Nameless suddenly felt time and space freeze; her movement failed to strike, and the Dragon Sparrow was already at her neck.

—Since Night Nine Nether would be caught for a moment when suddenly encountering such time-freezing, Night Nameless should also fall for it.

But though Night Nameless fell for it, Zhao Changhe's slash also failed to take effect, similarly frozen in time. The two stood like petrified statues, face to face, stuck for a moment, then quickly broke apart, each retreating.

In the instant of retreat, Zhao Changhe's foot paused, then he leaped back like a fierce tiger, thrusting his blade in a furious slash.

Night Nameless reached out like lightning, striking the side of the blade.

"Boom!" A terrifying, unmatched force erupted at the point of impact. Zhao Changhe tumbled back, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.

But Night Nameless was unaffected, continuing to fly forward, her jade hand striking straight at his chest: "Is this what you call being on the same level as me?"

Zhao Changhe smiled slightly as he retreated: "Of course."

Being able to take one blow and only retreat instead of collapsing outright was itself a sign of having a health bar—this was the same level. Only the power gap within the same level was such that he couldn't win in single combat, but a group fight was no longer an issue.

Night Nameless was, in truth, just stubbornly clinging to the dead face of being his guide, unwilling to admit they were equals.

But at this moment, Zhao Changhe had no intention of ganging up. With his words, his figure flickered and vanished. Night Nameless's palm struck empty air, and behind her, blade light surged like mountains and seas, slashing at her back.

Yet this slash seemed separated by a thousand mountains and endless dimensions, unable to reach Night Nameless no matter how it struck.

Night Nameless turned leisurely, pointing a finger at the blade's tip.

"Boom!" Energy erupted again. Night Nameless swayed slightly, then appeared behind Zhao Changhe.

Both of their minds flashed back to that dream: the little enchantress holding a dagger, toying with the broadsword-wielding man, stabbing his back, then drifting away, leaving only a trace of fragrance.

Back then, Zhao Changhe had been "killed" by her countless times, each pain utterly real.

With this thought, Zhao Changhe executed a textbook spinning backslash, sweeping at Night Nameless's ribs. That finger lightly withdrew, then struck the blade's side again. Zhao Changhe spat another mouthful of blood, stumbling back several steps.

Zhao Changhe slightly hunched his body, as if about to spring up again—a very standard starting stance of "All Gods and Buddhas Scatter."

Night Nameless raised her palm.

Regardless, three moves had passed, and he was only at a disadvantage. If proof of a level was needed, it was already proven.

Now it was just about making this wretched man know who was boss.

"Whoosh!" A black shadow flashed, and a galaxy hung between the two. From the sword came a young girl's voice: "Dad, Mom, stop fighting..."

All the killing intent Night Nameless had gathered dissipated completely. Her mouth hung half-open as if stuffed with a stinky duck egg.

The battle intent in Zhao Changhe's eyes also gradually faded. He suddenly smiled: "Though I can't win... it's an honor to truly stand before you as a challenger. After... thirty-three years."

Night Nameless said nothing.

Though neither had used any earth-shattering ultimate techniques, only ordinary exchanges... they had already contained many profound laws—time and space, truth and illusion—swift and fleeting, revealing the true essence.

Back in the dream, it had seemed like a game; no one had imagined such a day would come. That green youth, pointing his blade at her, the challenge and conquest in his eyes utterly unconcealed.

Zhao Changhe said: "Can we now speak openly and honestly? Whether about the child's school district or everything related to the Heavenly Dao."

Night Nameless was silent for a moment, then finally turned and walked toward a certain corridor: "Since we're discussing matters, how can there be no wine? Come with me."

Zhao Changhe sheathed his blade and followed, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, saying word by word: "Night Nameless... one day, I will lay the Dragon Sparrow across your neck."

Night Nameless did not stop walking, replying calmly: "I'll be waiting."