Chapter 910: Setting Out on the Journey Again

Chapter 910: Setting Forth Once More

Ye Jiuyou returned the identity of "Book Spirit" to Ye Wuming, committing the same error Ye Wuming had made when she had abandoned herself.

Ye Wuming had nearly dissolved herself, handing all control to Ye Jiuyou, only to be toyed with so miserably that death would have been kinder.

Now Ye Jiuyou gave everything back, and Ye Wuming became the Heavenly Dao once more. With the power of the world backing her and the Night Palace's prohibitions integrated, everyone within this realm was no match for the Heavenly Dao.

When the rain ceased and the clouds scattered, the shameless pair hadn't even had time to dress before they were unceremoniously tossed out, putting an end to their month-long usurpation of the nest.

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged, hands tucked into his sleeves, floating midair. His mind was still savoring the insights from his breakthrough, and only when he came to did he realize they had been expelled from the Celestial Realm. He looked left and right—Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao were also floating nearby, hands tucked, lost in existential doubt.

The reversal had come too suddenly; none of them were used to it. They still felt they could savor the lingering pleasure of tormenting Ye Wuming, but in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

"Where's Ruoyu?" Zhao Changhe asked.

No sooner had he spoken than a broadsword was hurled out like trash, accompanied by Ye Wuming's icy voice: "Ruoyu is detained. Take this broken blade with you."

Longque wailed loudly.

Zhao Changhe caught Longque and laughed in exasperation: "Fine, fine. Just you wait."

Golden light flashed across the sky.

"On the sixth day of the sixth month, Zhao Changhe, accompanied by Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao, invaded the Night Palace. The Night Emperor expelled them all, sweeping them out the door. She also captured Ling Ruoyu alive and took her into her fold."

A commentary was appended: "An ant trying to shake a tree, overestimating itself."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao: "..."

"Can the Heavenly Book be used like this now?" Ye Jiuyou asked incredulously.

Zhao Changhe was equally incredulous.

The world had its own rules. The Heavenly Book was the world's essence; all outward manifestations had to follow those rules, like the sun rising and the moon setting, or water flowing downhill. Without a Book Spirit operating it, the words that appeared passively were absolutely objective, devoid of any bias. When Ye Wuming manipulated the writing, there was naturally some subjectivity, but that subjectivity only allowed her to play small tricks based on unchanged facts—she could never fabricate things against reality.

Ye Jiuyou had briefly acted as Book Spirit and tested it. She found that she could not manifest something that didn't exist or distort the truth; the words simply wouldn't appear, and forcing it would harm her.

Thus, when Ye Wuming once said she couldn't decide what the Book of Chaos wrote, she wasn't lying in principle.

But now, this statement was pure fabrication. Even if there was a shred of truth, it was at most one part truth to nine parts false.

This made it abundantly clear what the current Heavenly Dao meant—she could essentially define the rules of this world at will, her words becoming law.

No wonder everyone felt they had been expelled from the Night Palace without any resistance. Ye Wuming only needed to define a rule: "No entry without my consent," and it became a causal law.

On another level, Ye Wuming had once represented the world's order—the Four Symbols system, the celestial rituals—a strict order. In contrast, Ye Jiuyou represented chaos and annihilation. That meant, even if she could fabricate at will, Ye Wuming's nature would never allow her to do so. Yet now, she did it so casually, trampling the Heavenly Book's credibility into the dirt just for her own amusement.

This was her other shore—completely breaking free from her supposed constraints, acting as she pleased.

Ye Wuming sat on the Star-Gazing Terrace, chin in hand, watching the dog-and-cat couple discussing in midair. A thought stirred.

She defined: "Those named Zhao Changhe, Ye Jiuyou, and Piaomiao shall not wear a single thread of cloth."

The three felt a sudden chill, as if the clothes they had just put on were about to slip away.

This time, the sensation was clear enough for them to try to counter it. In truth, Zhao Changhe and Ye Jiuyou had already transcended this world's definitions; they were beyond the rules. With their divine consciousness protecting them, the definition failed instantly. They could even extend that protection to Piaomiao.

"So that's how it works," Zhao Changhe said, suddenly finding it amusing. He deliberately spread his divine consciousness to survey the world and indeed found others named Zhao Changhe who had been caught in the crossfire, standing naked and running home in disgrace.

Fortunately, names like Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao seemed to have no duplicates. Several Zhao Changhes were weeping as they fled.

Zhao Changhe laughed.

"You're laughing!" Piaomiao clutched her collar, her face flushed with anger. "No matter what she's become now, are we supposed to walk around in constant fear from now on?"

Zhao Changhe rubbed his chin, instead finding Ye Wuming oddly adorable. After being tormented for over ten days, she resorted only to such petty revenge. Compared to the Ye Wuming of old, the contrast was staggering.

"No rush." Zhao Changhe looked up at the ethereal location of the Night Palace and said with a grin, "Ruoyu is still in the Night Palace. I'll have to visit her sooner or later..."

"It's just mutual harm, isn't it?" Ye Jiuyou suddenly asked Piaomiao, "Didn't you make progress this time, even if you didn't reach the other shore?"

Piaomiao had cultivated alongside three other-shore beings, so she had indeed improved. Her cultivation was unique; theoretically, she didn't need to cultivate on her own. Two factors influenced her strength: first, it automatically increased as the world ascended; second, it flourished with the vitality of the land's veins. When the Ye sisters both broke through, the Heavenly Book's world showed signs of ascension, and she naturally improved.

If her vein coverage could extend beyond this world's limits—say, to the entire cultivation star domain—she might also break through to the other shore. But that required unifying the star domain, with the ruler being Zhao Changhe, to whom she was now bound.

Piaomiao had never imagined her cultivation would come to depend on her man's growing influence. When a goddess representing the world's rivers and mountains was bound, she became private, contrary to her original purpose.

But Piaomiao didn't regret it. After all, everyone was pursuing the breaking of their original settings—that was the point. Besides, once she grew accustomed to living only for one person, she never wanted to remember the old template of a goddess who didn't know why she existed.

But back to the progress—Piaomiao realized the biggest difference this time was that the scattered fragments of the Celestial Realm had once been lost in the void, forming various secret realms. People like Ying Wu had spent their lives searching and only found a few. The Night Palace, in particular, was so ethereal that without Xinghe's imprint, no one could find it. But now, Piaomiao could sense all the Celestial Realm fragments and even clearly perceive the Night Palace's location.

The entire Celestial Realm, including the Night Palace, seemed to have become part of the "world's rivers and mountains," with the veins now connected to the mortal realm.

This seemed to imply that Zhao Changhe had subdued the Night Palace... Piaomiao felt a strange sensation. If it were truly subdued, would they have been thrown out like trash? Clearly, there was still a long way to go.

Perhaps it meant, at least, an alliance. In dealing with Luochuan, Ye Wuming should cooperate with Zhao Changhe—or, to put it bluntly, she might even follow his orders.

After all, Ye Wuming had acknowledged the significance of Zhao Changhe's breakthrough.

Since they could now unite against external threats, it could be considered a unification of heaven and earth.

And since the veins were unified, Piaomiao was omnipresent. She could integrate all the Celestial Realm fragments into a new plane or even interfere with the Night Palace's interior. With a thought, she set aside the grand undertaking of creating a new realm and instead did something trivial.

Ye Wuming was lounging on the Star-Gazing Terrace, gazing at the night sky. The entire universe and star domain lay before her eyes, and she was lost in the sensation, too lazy to bother with what the dog-and-cat couple were up to. But as she watched, the mist around her slowly transformed into a large screen.

The screen was crystal clear, like a continuous drama, a compilation of four or five hours. It showed everything from Ye Wuming lying motionless and being toyed with, to waking up and being pinned down and humiliated, to being used as a mattress in various positions. Close-ups were extremely vivid—hair disheveled, eyes defiant, yet face flushed.

There were even split screens showing Ye Jiuyou's sea of consciousness, where two souls intertwined. The face belonging to Ye Wuming was unconsciously rolling its eyes.

Then came Zhao Changhe's soul-cutting, a process filled with endless intimacy. The later the cutting, the more explicit it became. Zhao Changhe was sandwiched between the two sisters like a meat patty, facing Ye Wuming directly, their bodies pressed together and rubbing.

Ye Wuming's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched herself on the screen. How had she not felt this at the time? Now, she was unconsciously kissing him, her own arms wrapped around him, actively so.

This part must be faked, right?

Could videos be faked?

She switched to the external view of her body, now serving as a mattress, with Ye Jiuyou lying on top of her. The hand she felt then—wasn't it Ye Jiuyou's, but Zhao Changhe's?

Where were you touching...

On the screen, both sisters twitched simultaneously—one lay flat, the other collapsed motionless. Off-screen, Ye Wuming also twitched, clenching tightly.

Then she gasped weakly, quickly glancing around... Fortunately, Yu'er wasn't here; she was sulking in her room over losing Longque.

On the screen, it started looping again. Was this going to play on an endless loop?

Ye Wuming's face flushed as she transmitted a message: "Piaomiao, are you done?"

Piaomiao's voice came from the surrounding mist: "I'm helping the Night Emperor review the details of her cultivation, lest she miss anything. Your Majesty, instead of thanking me, you reprimand me—what is the meaning of this?"

Ye Wuming couldn't be bothered with this passive-aggressive tone and said directly, "If you dare show this to anyone else, we'll fight to the death."

"Sorry, but the sisters already watched it live," Piaomiao said lazily. "Don't act as if we weren't already at each other's throats."

Ye Wuming: "..."

Piaomiao drawled, "Don't worry. Changhe won't let others see you. As long as you don't use your Heavenly Dao rules to mess with my clothes, I'll keep yours covered in front of the world."

Ye Wuming's thrill of breaking through to the other shore and playing with the Heavenly Dao's rules was completely shattered by this little video compilation.

She thought of how, for eons, she had hung high above, observing the world, watching everyone like a movie. She never imagined that one day she would become the movie herself. Karma, indeed.

...

"The campaign is over?"

Zhao Changhe's landing point upon returning to the mortal world was still the Miao frontier, and tracing Luo Chuan's sorcery had to be done here. He arrived early in the morning; Sisi was at court, while Tang Wanzhuang reclined on a lounge chair in the palace garden, leisurely sipping flower wine and smiling as she watched the trio descend from the sky.

The adulterous pair had invaded the Night Palace, only to be "swept out the door" as announced by the Chronicles of Chaos, their faces lost to the entire world. Only the women who had watched the live broadcast knew how great a victory this truly was.

Yet this "campaign" had not used the Dragon Sparrow, but the Dragon Sparrow... and it remained unfinished, lending a touch of irony to the triumph.

Hearing Tang Wanzhuang's teasing question, Zhao Changhe cleared his throat and sat down across from her, taking a sip of the flower wine from the stone table: "Hardly a campaign, merely healing wounds."

Tang Wanzhuang's smile faded as she studied his hair.

In the earlier footage, it had turned white; now it had recovered, but the sight of him with that snowy mane had clenched everyone's hearts.

"Are your wounds healed?"

"Yes... It took less time than expected, only about half a month. Under normal circumstances, recovery on Luo Chuan's side wouldn't be this fast. Now is our best chance to strike proactively."

Tang Wanzhuang's expression soured: "You know that's not what I wanted to ask."

Zhao Changhe said awkwardly, "If I told you I deliberately took that blow from him to better experience the destructive power of the Other Shore, would you stop scolding me?"

Tang Wanzhuang was taken aback, and even Night Nine Nether and Piaomiao beside her were startled, nodding thoughtfully.

If he hadn't taken that hit, Zhao Changhe might not have been able to break through to the Other Shore solely through dual cultivation... Dual cultivation has always been a lubricant, not a direct key to breakthrough; the key must be sought on one's own.

Zhao Changhe risked his life to seek it, and in the end, his efforts were not in vain. The world only knows how fast he cultivates, but few know how hard he strives.

Tang Wanzhuang finally said, "If we are to strike proactively, it's not just about tracing Luo Chuan's location; we need a comprehensive plan to ensure victory in one fell swoop."

Zhao Changhe nodded: "I think so too. If an opponent of this level escapes, we'll have to guard against thieves every day without end. So we must be fully prepared to strike a fatal blow. Before that, don't recklessly trace him, lest we alert the enemy."

Tang Wanzhuang asked, "What do you have in mind?"

Zhao Changhe said, "I need to meet someone to understand the state of the star domain... and also to settle a score, to resolve a karmic debt."

"Who?"

"I used their clan's protective formation against Luo Chuan, and he nearly crushed me into pulp with a slap. The fault began with me, but enmity has arisen, and it must be settled. Moreover, they must also bear a grudge against Luo Chuan. I need to understand the distribution of power and opposition across the entire star domain and make use of it... I plan to go to their doorstep to assess the situation, to have a clear picture before making the next move."

Tang Wanzhuang said, "Going alone is too dangerous."

Zhao Changhe took Night Nine Nether's hand and smiled, "We have never been alone."

Night Nine Nether smiled faintly.

"Besides, I actually have allies." Zhao Changhe paused, then laughed, "This is also our first step out of the backwater of the Heavenly Book World... If we can break through, then the endless starry river will be ours to roam."

Night Nameless was also listening in the Night Palace and sighed softly upon hearing this.

Ruoyu had said that she placed her hopes on him, wishing he could accomplish what she had left unfinished.

As it turned out, without anyone telling him, he had already begun.

Originally, resolving the matter of the Heavenly Dao was necessary before taking this step. In the past, when venturing to other realms, he dared not lightly reveal his identity as the Heavenly Dao of another world, lest it cause trouble. Nor did he dare to bring in outsiders to deal with Luo Chuan, for fear of driving away the wolf only to invite the tiger.

But now, with Zhao Changhe... he could use his own strength to do all this without restraint, using the star domain as the stage to set up the final killing trap.

In comparison, the so-called schemes of the three realms with all beings as pawns were too small, only able to grit one's teeth and plan a desperate mutual destruction.

If, back when he summoned people from Earth, he had sought a helper rather than a pawn... could he have taken this step long ago?

His gaze inadvertently fell on the looping video.

The pawn had overturned the chessboard, reached out to grab his own short hair, and kissed fiercely. That aggression and oppression, as if right before his eyes.

"And allies," wasn't that referring to himself as a book spirit within the Heavenly Book, ready to respond to the artifact master's commands at any moment? In his heart, he had already settled into that role, as naturally as if it had been discussed.