"Ning Jiujiu?"
It sounds like a very common name... but it has a good meaning. Although the disciples had never heard of it, they all left an impression in their hearts.
Ning Xiaoling stood on the edge of the cliff, her blood-stained skirt dancing in the wind. When she said these words, she looked full of energy and felt high-spirited.
Zhu Ding looked at the little girl. For some reason, he suddenly remembered the portrait hanging in the deepest part of the sect.
They obviously look nothing alike...
The old man put one hand behind his back and rubbed his beard with the other. He sighed longly. The sigh was like the wind traveling in the valley, gently erasing the figure of the woman from his mind.
"The leader of this Linggu competition is Ning Xiaoling." Zhu Ding took a deep look at Ning Xiaoling and announced the result.
Ning Xiaoling bowed lightly and said, "Thank you, uncle."
Zhu Ding looked at the long knife hanging in her hand, and frowned again: "What you are holding in your hand..."
Ning Xiaoling looked at the knife that was connected to her heart, held it tighter, and said, "This is my knife."
Zhu Ding asked: "Do you know what kind of knife you have?"
Ning Xiaoling was a little worried, fearing that it would be confiscated in the name of returning the sect's important treasure to its original owner.
She thought for a while and said sincerely: "It is said to be Shen Tu."
Zhu Ding confirmed his thoughts. If Ning Xiaoling hadn't pulled out the sword, he would have even forgotten that the sword was still enshrined in You Pavilion.
His old Taoist heart was filled with waves: "Then do you know what Shentu is?"
Ning Xiaoling said: "It is said to be one of Lord Ming's swords."
Zhu Ding said in confusion: "You are not surprised at all...or are you scared?"
Ning Xiaoling said seriously: "Senior brother said that people only need to be afraid of the unknown, well... For example, if my uncle, who has an extremely advanced realm, stands in front of me, I won't feel afraid, and I will even feel very safe. Because we all know the uncle. It will not harm the disciples.”
Zhu Ding was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "He is a wonderful man. I wonder if I will be able to meet your senior brother in my lifetime."
Ning Xiaoling thought to herself that although these words were not said by her senior brother, any words that she thought were reasonable would be correct if a senior brother said them in front of them.
Jiang Xian registered Ning Xiaoling's name in the book and said with emotion: "I think the history you created will be difficult to break even in a thousand years."
Ning Xiaoling murmured in a low voice: "The last record of five was not that many..."
Zhu Ding's smile faded. He looked at Ning Xiaoling and said seriously: "Xiaoling, if you don't have this knife, can you try to find five?"
Ning Xiaoling was smart and knew immediately that the record must have been set by this uncle.
Zhu Dingjing looked at Ning Xiaoling and asked with emotion: "How old are you this year?"
Ning Xiaoling said: "Seventeen."
Zhu Ding nodded slowly and said: "Seventeen-year-old Ziting realm... Well, if it could be two years earlier, it would be unprecedented."
This sentence sounded normal from the old man's mouth, but to the other disciples it was shocking.
They could feel that Ning Xiaoling's temperament had changed a lot. When she stood on the cliff, her petite and cute appearance even had the demeanor of a master. That temperament mixed with her bloody clothes made her look more like a person who had not yet grown up. The devil.
But they didn't expect that Ning Xiaoling had actually entered the Purple Court Realm.
Seventeen-year-old Ziting realm is a rare thing in the whole of China-Earth.
Of course, the second half of the sentence also surprised them... The youngest person in the Ziting realm of the Ancient Spirit Sect is only fifteen years old? Who is that person, and why have I never heard of him before
Ning Xiaoling said calmly: "Disciples cultivate Taoism and pay attention to it being done naturally and not deliberately competing for speed."
Zhu Ding asked: "Did your senior brother say this too?"
Ning Xiaoling said: "This is Xiaoling's... truth."
The girl in the red dress who had been robbed of the bag before heard her speaking such words in a flat voice, her teeth itched with hatred, but there was nothing she could do.
Fortunately, he was not in the same group as Ning Xiaoling, otherwise Tao Xin would have been broken sooner or later.
Zhu Ding looked at her, nodded and said: "You will definitely be a talented person in the future. If you feel that Yu Ling's lineage is too small, I can also help you find another famous teacher. Of course, I also happen to be short of a close disciple."
Zhu Ding is a peerless master at the pinnacle of the Ziting Realm. He has superb Taoism and powerful cultivation. He has a high prestige in the Ancient Spirit Sect. Being able to become his disciple is what many people dream of.
Although Mr. Shuoling of Shimai Mutang is good at teaching, their own realm is not high. They are probably all in the longevity realm. Like Minglang, after entering Ziting, there are several masters with advanced cultivation. The secret competition to recruit disciples began.
Many people cast envious glances.
Ning Xiaoling thought for a while, shook her head and said, "Thank you, uncle, for your kindness. I think my husband is quite good."
Zhu Ding did not force it, he said: "It's okay, respecting the teacher is a virtue. You can follow your husband to lay down more solid foundations. When you figure it out, you can come to me at any time."
Jiang Xian looked at the girl, and he discovered a blind spot: "Ning Xiaoling, when you entered the valley earlier, you seemed to be in the longevity realm, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you trigger the thunder phenomenon when you broke through the realm?"
After Zhu Ding heard this, he realized that it was dark under the lamp, and he had almost forgotten such an important thing.
He also curiously asked: "Could it be that you broke through before entering the valley?"
Ning Xiaoling shook her head and explained: "I entered the Ziting by chance three years ago. If uncle is worried, I can tell him in detail later."
"Three years ago..." This was a very simple arithmetic, but Zhu Ding still pinched his fingers.
This uncle, a teacher, was always kind-hearted and calm when things happened, and boasted that he had never seen any big storms. But today he discovered that he was still short of life.
"From today on, the youngest person in the Ziting realm of the Ancient Spirit Sect will probably be fourteen years old." Zhu Ding laughed helplessly.
The other disciples listened to their words, and there was a rumbling sound in their ears. Some of them were envious, some admired, and some were depressed. The girl in the red dress listened to their irritating conversation, chopped off her little feet, and said: "You can really do that. Pretending...her senior brother is certainly not a good person!"
…
…
Sea Country, Dragon Mother’s Banquet.
It was a day later that Ning Changjiu and Lu Jianjian were received by the Dragon Mother.
The Colorful Immortal Palace floats on the sea, with the waves swaying and the colors gorgeous. The glazed fairy pillars are like strange hourglass collisions. If the sea water is the long river of time, then it is an art that can last forever in history.
The first person in Qin Dao is a woman holding the Qin. She is wearing a purple shirt and a long skirt, and her steps are graceful, like a fairy Lingbo. The soft and beautiful face of the woman can be vaguely seen in the gauze that half covers her face.
She is a female disciple of the Ziqi Sect and is quite famous in the Sea Kingdom. Many people come to this banquet and want to see her fairy face.
But now, not many eyes fell on her.
Everyone looked at the man and woman dressed in white.
It was Lu Marian and Ning Chang.
The beauty of Lu Yuanjian is different from that of the female disciple of the Ziqi Sect. She is like a sword that is pure and arrogant. It comes from the clearest water and is tempered by the purest fire. Therefore, it is clear and cold, and everything is beautiful. , all of which are shocking.
But what made people angry was that the young man next to her who was the best at chess held her hand that was supposed to be clean.
In one day, their deeds had already spread, but Ning Changjiu defeated Cao Rao and killed an unknown old man. Compared with the white-clothed fairy defeating Liu He, the seventh disciple of Jiange, the impact was much smaller. It makes people feel that they are not a good match.
Many people originally hoped that they were just soul lovers, but the inconspicuous little girl beside them broke everyone's last illusion.
The little girl's motherly calls sounded real, and the fairy in white responded calmly.
He even has a child...
It's a pity that they offended the sword master. The sword master is famous for protecting his shortcomings.
, if they still dare to show off in Middle-earth in the future, they will inevitably be stumbling upon Jiange secretly.
Ning ignored the gazes of the people around him for a long time.
Liu He's appearance yesterday also surprised him, but what surprised him was only Liu He's sword intent.
That kind of sword intent is somewhat familiar, and it is quite similar to the sword body practiced by the Fourth Senior Sister.
Although he knew that Lu Yuanhui turned the tide of the battle with the Suzaku Feather drawn by his senior sister, he didn't feel it was inappropriate.
Because he knew very well that although the cultivation method of Jiange was strong, Lu Jianjian followed the path of true integration of man and sword. Even if he was inferior to the other party at the moment, the future would always be more long-term.
"When I meet the Dragon Mother later, about the question of evil, do you or should I ask?" Lu Jiaoyao gathered her voices together and asked quietly.
Ning Jiujiu put his ear to her ear and said, "If you have no other questions, you can ask."
In full view of the crowd, her earlobe was attacked, and Lu Marry's body became even tighter. She quietly pushed Ning Jiujiu away and glared at him faintly.
"Yeah." Finally, she responded calmly.
At the end of the banquet with silk and bamboo music and dance, light rain fell down from the gorgeous dome of Caijuan Immortal Palace along with the Dragon Mother's order.
There are six pieces of the most gorgeous light in the light rain.
They were like letters, floating like butterflies in front of the six leaders.
They will go up the stairs one by one in the order listed on the letter.
The fairy holding the piano stepped on the steps made of sea water first and climbed up the stairs with an elegant gait.
Not long after, the fairy came downstairs again. She couldn't help but vibrate a few strings, with a smile on her face, as if she was satisfied with the Dragon Mother's answer.
Next, is the leader of "Tao".
An old man went up the stairs with a worried look on his face, but when he came down he had a cheerful face, as if he had met a good teacher and confidant.
The same was true for the next few people. After coming down, they were full of praise for the Dragon Mother.
Ning Jiujiu was the last three.
He took the letter, climbed the stairs made of sea water, and slowly went upstairs.
Qiu Yue asked softly: "What do you want to ask, dad?"
Lu Marian shook her head slightly, she was equally curious about this matter.
Qiu Yue said: "Dad, don't you want to ask about me?"
Lu Marian was slightly nervous. She also didn't trust this little girl, but with their cultivation, they couldn't find any clues that could prove that this little girl was not worthy of her identity. When the little girl asked this question, she felt a little strange and wondered, was she afraid? Or maybe she knew about the fact that they knocked her unconscious...
But Qiu Yue added: "Hey, I know dad is very good to me. He must want to ask me about my origins and then send me home... But I don't even remember where I came from."
…
Ning Jiujiu walked through the steps of the sea water, and he saw the Dragon Mother in a magnificent hall that looked like a starry sky.
As soon as Ning Changjiu stepped into the main hall, he felt a sense of familiarity.
The structure of this hall seemed familiar. Back in Duanjie City, he had seen a dream-like scene in Siming's Star Palace.
Just like before, sitting in the most secret place of Caijuan Immortal Palace now is also a very beautiful woman.
On the dragon chair transformed by the surging sea water, the Mother of Dragons sits diagonally. On her head is a strange-shaped dragon horn carved from coral. The horns are staggered and cover her long ink-colored hair. Her skin is like snow, and her expression is like The girl is wearing a long dress that is extremely luxurious and beautiful. All kinds of unnamed decorations build a galaxy paved with gems on it.
When ordinary people see the Dragon Mother, they will inevitably feel far away. It is said that the original owners of Luoshu Tower were enamored with the Dragon Mother.
But because this scene was so similar to when he first met Si Ming, Ning Jiujiu couldn't help but compare it.
After all, the beauty of the Dragon Mother has exhausted the extravagance of external objects, and cannot compare with the flowing shadow of Siming, who is dressed in snow and has silver hair, sitting quietly on the sundial.
"I've met the Dragon Mother." Ning Changjiu looked very polite.
The Dragon Mother also looked dignified, the stars under her feet began to flow, and the fairy voice flowed between her smiles: "Congratulations to Mr. Ning for winning the title. You can rest assured to ask the questions in your heart. Only you and I know, and I can guarantee that I will What you say must be true, this is a gift from the Sea Kingdom.”
Ning Changjiu nodded gently and said straight to the point: "How many years have you lived?"
The fairy palace is silent.
The Dragon Mother spoke slowly, she smiled and said, "It's not polite to ask a question like yours."
Ning Jiujiu said: "I met an old man playing chess earlier. He told me that my mother lived much more than three hundred years old, so I am very curious about how long you lived."
The Dragon Mother sighed vaguely, and the surrounding stars became still again, and the light from all directions reflected her beauty.
"The rest of the monks are asking questions that have troubled them all their lives, but you are wasting your time on this. Won't you regret it in the future?" Dragon Mother asked instead.
Ning Changjiu said: "I don't have any problems in practicing Taoism."
The Dragon Mother said: "If I hadn't watched you cross the sea, I would have doubted whether you were an undercover agent sent by Luo Shulou."
Ning Jiujiu frowned and said, "Has the empress been looking at me?"
The Dragon Mother said: "The ship Haiyuelou encountered a shipwreck. I used the Haihe Pan to take a look from a distance and felt two strong sword energies. One was you... I didn't expect you to come."
Ning Jiujiu nodded gently. He had the urge to change the question to Qiu Yue's origin.
But his intuition told him that even the Dragon Mother couldn't really answer this question.
The Dragon Mother asked again: "Are you sure you want to know this?"
Ning Jiujiu nodded.
The Dragon Mother smiled and said: "Five hundred and forty-six years old."
"I will not lie. This Immortal Palace is one with me. Lies can deceive others, but they cannot deceive myself. If I lie, the Milky Way under your feet will become dim." The Dragon Mother added.
Ning Jiujiu nodded gently.
This was different from the answer he originally expected.
Could it be that I thought wrongly
After answering the questions, Ning Chang went downstairs.
The next one is Lu Marian.
She met the Dragon Mother.
The colorful long skirt fell into her eyes, making her slightly dazed.
"Miss Lu, I heard that you defeated a disciple of the Sword Pavilion... The girl's swordsmanship is admirable, but although the sword master's swordsmanship is strong, he is not very powerful. Miss Lu should be more careful in the future." Long. The mother-in-law smiled and spoke.
The stars and rivers rippled to pieces, and Lu Jingjing was like the snow on the Milky Way.
Lu Marion originally wanted to ask her why she knew her name, but she was afraid that this question would not count, so she did not ask her.
After she expressed her gratitude to the Dragon Mother for the reminder, she asked directly: "I want to find someone."
"Oh? Who is it?"
"'Evil', where is he?"
The Dragon Mother was silent for a long time.
She supported her cheeks with her hands and laughed softly: "You are indeed a couple. The questions you asked are also difficult for me to answer."
Lu Marry was even more curious about what Ning Jiuchiu had just asked.
The Dragon Mother sighed and said: "I have indeed heard about 'evil', and I only thought it was a legend. He is an omniscient person who hides in the middle-earth, but no one has ever really seen him."
Lu Marian asked: "Doesn't even the empress know?"
The Dragon Mother said: "I can't answer his specific location, but over the years, I have also obtained some legends about him. If you want to change the question, you can always do it. If you don't change it, I have no choice but to tell you what I know. you."
Lu Marian wanted to ask some petty questions, but after all, this matter was of great importance, so she knew what was right and said, "I won't change it."
"Really? You don't want to ask, does your husband love you more or other women?" the Dragon Mother smiled softly.
Lu Marian said: "Tell me about evil."
"The girl is really infatuated." The Dragon Mother always had a soft smile, and she told the legend about 'evil' one by one: "evil is a young man who has lived for who knows how many years. He likes to wear black Everyone knows about the clothes, but no one can remember him... If he really exists, then his current condition should not be very good."
"That's all?" Lu Marian was a little disappointed.
The Dragon Mother paused for a moment before continuing, "If I'm not mistaken, Evil is one of a pair of twins, and he also has a younger sister."
"younger sister?"
"Well, the record of his sister in ancient books is called 'Poetry'. Poetic and picturesque poems are exactly opposite to the evil that symbolizes sin. What they represent are two extremes... If we really want to trace this story back, maybe it can be traced back to No one knows whether the creation myth is true or false. But... "
The mother of dragons pondered for a moment and continued: "But according to rumors, more than five hundred years ago, the brother and sister evil and poetry appeared once in the world, and had an earth-shattering battle with an ancient god. After that, evil began Wandering alone.”
"Wandering alone?" Lu Jiaoyou discovered the key point.
"Yes, Shi is either dead or captured. In short, the brother and sister are separated, and evil is still wandering in the middle-earth... Many practitioners in the five realms believe in his existence, but no one knows which one is him. .”
The stars are still shining, which shows that the Dragon Mother is not lying.
"That's all I know." Dragon Mother's words were slightly apologetic.
Lu Marry nodded in thanks.
She left Caijuan Immortal Palace.
The Dragon Mother sat on the throne made of sea water, her narrow eyes gently closed, she pursed her colorful lips, and sighed to herself: "Why are you asking these things? Fortunately, the road is sealed, so don't make any mistakes. Already…”
The last person walked in slowly.
That man is the leader of the law.
He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with a young appearance, but he could not be said to be handsome. His temperament was not much different from that of ordinary masters, so even the leader who had obtained the law did not attract too much attention.
"Mr. Chu, I didn't expect you to come here. The last time you came to the Dragon Mother's Banquet as a favor was decades ago..." The Dragon Mother looked at him and laughed softly, but she rubbed her brow bones with her hand, looking very embarrassed. It's a headache.
The man known as Mr. Chu also laughed: "I haven't seen you for a long time, but your grace is still outstanding. No wonder the host was attracted to you when he saw you."
The Dragon Mother smiled and said, "The poster and I are just ordinary friends."
Mr. Chu said: "Ordinary? Ha... You and the host are life and death friends."
"The relationship between life and death..." Dragon Mother laughed: "What? Are you finally ready to take action?"
Mr. Chu did not hide anything and said: "The Dianhuan Sect has sealed the snow road, and there is no way out in Nanzhou. Now everything in the Valley of the Split Gods needs to be continued. I just have to wait for the owner of the building to invite the empress to enter the valley."
The Dragon Mother said: "You worked so hard to win the championship just to tell me this?"
Mr. Chu said: "I just came to inform you, the rest of the matter is not up to you."
The Dragon Mother laughed softly. In the main hall, the long river and sea where the stars gathered were ups and downs, as if a huge sea beast would emerge from the Milky Way at any time and swallow this man into its belly.
"Luo Shulou..." The Dragon Mother sighed softly, with all kinds of emotions flowing in her eyes: "My first child will be myself... How ironic, but I don't know, it will be me who wakes up then, Or Tenzo?"
Mr. Chu said calmly: "Dragon Mother doesn't need to worry about these things."
The tide of the Milky Way beneath my feet has not calmed down, like the uneasy mood of the Dragon Mother.
The laughter of the Dragon Mother echoed in the hall: "What a great person the master of Luoshu Tower is, why can't he escape from such a rut in the end? Resurrection, resurrection... What I think about in my mind is always those ancient gods who have died long ago, but they never escape from it. He has never thought about truly conquering the sky with his own strength. So no matter how strong he is, he will never be stronger than the one from Jiange."
Mr. Chu said without changing his expression: "Because this is the only remaining power in the world... Besides, what about the Master Sword Master? He can be as powerful as he is now, not because he has become a vassal of the way of heaven."
"Becoming a vassal of Heaven?" Dragon Mother narrowed her eyes: "Did the original poster say this?"
Mr. Chu said calmly: "I am obviously the winner, why did I become the Dragon Mother and ask me questions?"
The Dragon Mother calmed down her emotions, and the tide of the Milky Way fell again.
"Mr. Chu, please." Dragon Mother yawned slowly.
Mr. Chu said: "What did the pair of white-clothed Taoist couples ask before?"
This is his question.
The Dragon Mother looked troubled.
It was her promise to keep secrets, and it was her promise to answer any questions the guests had.
In such a dilemma, how should she choose
…
…
In the wing of the Caijuan Palace, Lu Jianjian conveyed the words of the Dragon Mother to him.
"Poetry?" Ning Jiujiu was surprised.
For some reason, when he mentioned this name, a figure with fluttering ribbons, like a jade carved by an immortal, immediately appeared in his mind - the little girl who was suffering from inner demons.
He wasn't sure whether his intuition was accurate.
More than five hundred years ago…
He recalled his past conversation with the little girl.
The time seems to be right.
If the poem is really her, then does she still remember evil? Who imprisoned her in the illusion of inner demon calamity, and who was the shopkeeper in her mouth
Many questions came flooding in.
Ning Jiujiu looked along the vein of nothingness, as if staring into an abyss filled with monsters.
Lu Marion smiled and said: "Are you distracted again? What woman are you thinking about?"
Ning looked at her soft and tilted lips for a long time. Her beautiful face was not as cold as in the past, and her smile still carried an unearthly beauty, just like the rays of light reflected unintentionally on the sword. She would never get tired of seeing it in her life.
Ning thought for a long time about her stern and proud look during the day, her mind was on fire, and she smiled and said: "Who else can I dare to think about?"
Lu Marian said: "The Dragon Mother is so beautiful, isn't it enough to make you dream about her?"
Ning Jiujiu said: "What's good about an old woman who has lived for hundreds of years? How can she be half as beautiful as getting married?"
Qiu Yue watched them eagerly from the side, looking forward to the subsequent development.
Ning Jiujiu took out the list and money that he had prepared, handed it to Qiu Yue, and said: "Little Qiu Yue, go to Cailou to help daddy buy these things."
Qiu Yue looked at the series of lists and was not stupid. She knew that this was to relieve herself.
She left angrily.
The warm candlelight melts all the ice and snow.
"Master, what do you want to do?" Lu Marry sat on the edge of the bed, supporting herself with her snow-white arms, and blinked: "You don't want to forge the sword again, my disciple did nothing wrong today."
In the daytime, the cold and unparalleled woman's smile is as gentle as the spring breeze.
Ning Changjiu saw her occasionally charming expression and found it hard to control himself. He pretended to be calm and leaned over, saying: "My disciple won the first prize today, so he should be well rewarded."
"Huh?" Lu Marion narrowed her eyes and leaned back slightly.
"Any comments?" Ning asked for a long time.
Lu Jianwen let down her long hair and said softly: "How dare I disobey my master?"
The night is endless.
The candlelight flickered and the red wax dripped.
Plum petals are blooming on the snow, and the clear stream below floats into the distance with a crashing sound.
The snow outside the window fell again.
The restrictions on the Caijuan Immortal Palace have been lifted. Tomorrow you can see the beautiful scenery of the frozen sea and the Immortal Palace covered with snow.
On the eve of the ancient god's sleep, the heavy snow in the sky withered as usual, seeming to be writing the sinful preface of the poem.