jdhmnovel Chapter 331 Reignition
Chapter 331 Reignition
On the winter solstice night at Xianyang Palace, auspicious snowflakes fell in abundance, transforming the majestic palace into a world draped in silver.
Xiao Qicheng and Shen Mingyue stood side by side on the observatory, watching Jiu Li Mao lead the princes in chasing and playing in the snow.
The magical snowballs in the hands of the young princes occasionally burst into dazzling light.
A flock of white doves was startled and flew up, tracing graceful arcs in the twilight.
"Your Majesty, look!" Shen Mingyue suddenly pointed to the night sky.
A strange green light streaked across the sky, trailing a long, fiery tail, like a burning dragon.
The nine raccoon cats stopped playing, and their nine tails instantly straightened.
His hair stood on end: "This is... a sign of the Netherworld's Decree appearing in the world! Impossible, wasn't the evil god sealed away?"
Xiao Qicheng looked grave and immediately summoned the important officials of the court.
The Grand Astrologer, holding the astrological chart, said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, this is an ominous sign."
Astrological signs indicate that a mysterious force is awakening in the West, potentially shaking the very foundations of the nation.
Before the words were finished, the guard hurriedly presented a secret report—strange phenomena had occurred in several countries in the Western Regions.
Overnight, the well water turned black, livestock died suddenly, and ghost face tattoos inexplicably appeared on the bodies of the people.
Shen Mingyue was flipping through the ancient books left by her great-grandmother when she suddenly discovered a yellowed piece of paper.
The inscription above, written in vermilion, reads: "When the Netherworld decree appears, the exquisite heart with nine orifices will return to the mortal realm."
Only by finding the three ancient spirit pearls can the crisis be resolved.
She handed the note to Xiao Qicheng, her gaze resolute: "It seems we are about to embark on another journey."
The following day, Xiao Qicheng and Shen Mingyue led an elite team on their journey.
They first came to the Kingdom of Kucha, hoping to get clues from Princess Ayina.
The Kucha Royal Palace remains magnificent, but a tense atmosphere permeates the air.
When Ayina saw them, she looked worried: "Your Majesty."
Our sacred spring suddenly dried up, and the priest said it was a warning from the gods.
Led by Ayina, the group arrived at the ruins of the sacred spring.
The jade pendant in Shen Mingyue's hand suddenly emitted a warm light, guiding her to find a crystal-clear blue spirit bead in the crevice at the bottom of the spring.
The moment the spirit orb was in hand, the Nine-Tails suddenly spoke: "This is a water spirit orb, capable of purifying all evil in the world."
After leaving Kucha, the group continued westward. In a desolate desert,
They encountered a mysterious caravan.
The caravan leader, his face veiled in black, spoke in a hoarse voice: "I am aware of your search for the Spirit Pearl."
To obtain the Fire Spirit Orb, one must pass three trials.
The first challenge is navigating a maze of flames.
Flames raged within the maze, and the intense heat made it hard to breathe.
Xiao Qicheng used mechanical arts to create an insulated cloak, leading everyone forward with great difficulty.
The second challenge is to break through the traps and mazes, with countless hidden arrows and boulders attacking from all directions.
With her exceptional wisdom, Shen Mingyue found the key point of the formation and resolved the crisis.
The final test is facing your inner fears.
Xiao Qicheng witnessed the tragic scene of the Nanzhao Kingdom being conquered by the Youming Pavilion.
Shen Mingyue then saw Xiao Qicheng lying in a pool of blood.
But they knew it was just an illusion, and together they broke through it.
The caravan leader removed his veil, revealing himself to be an elderly man with white hair.
He nodded with satisfaction and took out a red spirit pearl burning with flames.
Just when everyone thought they were about to collect all the Spirit Orbs, a piece of bad news came—the temple in the southern border was attacked, and the priests guarding the Spirit Orbs suffered heavy casualties.
Xiao Qicheng and his group immediately rushed back to the Southern Frontier day and night. The temple was in complete disarray.
Before dying, the last priest told them that the Wood Spirit Orb had been stolen by the remnants of the Netherworld Pavilion.
Following the trail of the Netherworld Pavilion, the group arrived at a gloomy ancient castle.
The castle is riddled with traps and mechanisms; every step is fraught with danger.
With its keen sense of smell, Nine-Tanuki led everyone to avoid one trap after another.
Deep within the ancient castle, they finally found the leader of the Underworld Pavilion.
—A mysterious person shrouded in a black robe.
The mysterious man let out a chilling laugh: "Xiao Qicheng, Shen Mingyue, you've come at the perfect time. With the Wood Spirit Orb, I can awaken the Evil God and rule the entire continent!" The Wood Spirit Orb in his hand emitted an eerie green light, resonating with the other two spirit orbs.
A fierce battle ensued. The remnants of the Netherworld Pavilion, controlling an army of puppets, launched an attack on Xiao Qicheng's forces. Xiao Qicheng wielded his Xuan Tie sword, Shen Mingyue danced with her golden silk whip, and the Nine-Tails transformed into a streak of white light, weaving through the enemy ranks. A mysterious figure cast a dark spell, summoning a gigantic demonic shadow that opened its blood-red maw, seemingly ready to devour everyone.
In that critical moment, Shen Mingyue suddenly remembered the records in the ancient books. She threw out the Water Spirit Orb and the Fire Spirit Orb, which collided in mid-air, bursting forth with dazzling light. Within the light, a colossal giant of light appeared. The giant of light wielded a radiant weapon and engaged in a fierce battle with the demonic shadow.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Qicheng rushed towards the mysterious man, his Xuan Tie sword aimed directly at his throat. The mysterious man hurriedly defended himself, but revealed an opening. Shen Mingyue seized the opportunity, flicking out her golden silk whip, which wrapped around the mysterious man's wrist, and snatched the Wood Spirit Pearl.
With the three spirit orbs in hand, Shen Mingyue combined them into one. The light emitted by the spirit orb illuminated the entire ancient castle, and the remnants of the Netherworld Pavilion vanished in the light. The mysterious man also let out a scream and turned into a wisp of green smoke.
After the crisis was resolved, Xiao Qicheng enshrined the three spirit pearls in the ancestral temple of Xianyang Palace as national treasures. Following this ordeal, the ties between the Nanzhao Kingdom and the Western Regions became even closer, and they formed an alliance, vowing to protect the peace of this continent.
On a quiet night, Xiao Qicheng and Shen Mingyue sat in the palace garden, watching the children play under the moonlight. Nine-Tails lay on Shen Mingyue's lap, purring softly. Xiao Qicheng put his arm around Shen Mingyue's shoulder and whispered, "No matter how many challenges lie ahead, as long as we're together, there's no difficulty we can't overcome."
Shen Mingyue leaned on his shoulder and nodded with a smile.
In the third year after the three spirit orbs returned to their places, the peonies in Xianyang Palace bloomed exceptionally beautifully.
Shen Mingyue was leading the princes in studying mechanical arts in the Imperial Garden when she suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from afar.
The guard dismounted, his armor still dusted with frontier dust: "Your Majesty! A massive crack has appeared in the northern wasteland, and the black mist gushing from it is corroding weapons!"
Xiao Qicheng's hand, gripping the report, bulged with veins. The description on the secret letter was exactly the same as the doomsday prophecy in his great-grandfather's notes.
He looked towards the ancestral temple, where the spiritual pearls suddenly emitted a blinding light simultaneously.
A blurry image was projected into the air—a figure draped in black robes stood above the black mist, holding a shattered Xuanming Token in his hand.
"It's the Netherworld Pavilion!" Nine-Tails bristled and leaped onto the dragon throne. "They're absorbing the Yin energy of the earth's veins to reshape their physical bodies! The three spirit pearls are powerful, but..." Its voice trailed off as the jade pendant at Shen Mingyue's heart warmed, revealing the phantom of the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart.
That night, Xiao Qicheng summoned envoys from various countries. Princess Ayina of Kucha brought news of strange occurrences in the Western Regions: a stone tablet covered in incantations had appeared in the desert, prophesying that "when the three beads resonate and the nine orifices return to their positions, the evil god will be resurrected." The mechanical masters of Nanzhao presented their newly developed "Demon-Suppressing Crossbow," but it rusted instantly upon contact with a sample of black mist.
Shen Mingyue went to the library alone and found a tattered half-roll of the "Heavenly Secrets Scroll" among her great-grandmother's belongings. Tucked between the yellowed pages was a piece of plain silk, on which was drawn a mysterious array, the key to which was marked "Use the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart as the guide, and the Three Pearls as the lock." Touching the jade pendant at her heart, she finally understood why she could always resonate with the spiritual pearls—from birth, she had been the "key" chosen by fate.
Urgent military reports from the border arrived like snowflakes. Xiao Qicheng donned his armor, while Shen Mingyue wrapped her improved golden silk whip around her waist, the tip adorned with a pendant made of three spirit pearls. The nine tails of the Nine-Tails ignited with eerie blue flames: "This time, I'm afraid we'll have to fight with all our might." Its pupils reflected the rolling black clouds on the distant horizon, within which a ferocious face vaguely emerged.
When the army arrived at the wasteland, the scene before them was horrifying. Vast fissures stretched to the horizon, and black mist surged like a living thing, instantly turning any vegetation it touched into withered bones. The remnants of the Netherworld Pavilion stood within the mist, their bodies semi-transparent, their weapons dripping with black venom.
"Hand over the Spirit Pearls, and spare the lives of the people of Nanzhao!" The man in black robes emerged from the mist, his voice sounding like countless people speaking at once. His face was indistinct, only the Xuanming mark between his brows was as red as blood. The Spirit Pearls in Shen Mingyue's hand suddenly flew up, forming a triangular formation in the air, enveloping her in light.
A fierce battle was about to erupt. Arrows fired from the Demon-Suppressing Crossbow exploded in the black mist, while the flames spewed by the mechanical beasts were instantly engulfed. The man in black robes raised his hand and summoned giant skeleton soldiers, their bones inscribed with incantations, each swing of their weapons bringing forth a storm of blood. Xiao Qicheng swung his sword at the skeleton soldiers' heads, only to find that they could reassemble themselves after being severed.
At the critical moment, Shen Mingyue remembered the formation from the "Heavenly Secrets Scroll." She bit her fingertip, letting her blood drip onto the spirit orbs, and chanted an ancient incantation. The three spirit orbs shone brightly, outlining a massive sealing formation in the air. Seeing this, the Nine-Tailed Fox transformed its nine tails into chains, binding the man in black robes. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Qicheng plunged the Xuan Tie Sword into the man's chest.
"Impossible... I clearly..." the black-robed man roared in despair, his body beginning to disintegrate. But the black mist within the crack suddenly surged, engulfing his remains. Shen Mingyue, forcing her spiritual power, pressed the sealing array against the crack. A sharp pain spread from her heart throughout her body; she saw her blood transform into golden threads, intertwining with the light of the spiritual pearl to form a net.
With a deafening roar, the crack slowly closed. The moment the black mist dissipated, Shen Mingyue collapsed, exhausted, and was caught by Xiao Qicheng. The Nine-Tails lay wearily on her shoulder: "Temporarily...sealed...but the power of Xuanming remains..." Its voice grew weaker and weaker until it finally fell into a deep sleep.
Back at Xianyang Palace, Shen Mingyue remained unconscious for a full month. Xiao Qicheng watched over her day and night, finally witnessing her awakening. Outside the window, spring rain fell softly. Looking at her husband's haggard face, she whispered, "Qicheng, this time I saw... Xuanming's true form is the resentment deep within the earth's veins. Unless..." She gripped her husband's hand tightly, "unless the dark side of this continent is completely purified."
Xiao Qicheng pulled her into his arms, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance: "Then let's begin in Nanzhao. We'll build roads, establish schools, and open trade routes, letting light dispel all darkness." He lowered his head and kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes. "No matter how many years it takes, I will be with you."