Volume Two: Soaring Dragon in the Ninth Heaven Chapter One: Fulfilling the Appointment

After the Five Ghosts Gathering Soul case was solved, the past few days had brought nothing noteworthy for Celestial Sword. Yaoguang had returned to her villa, meditating, cultivating, chatting with the immortal she worshipped, and hardly leaving the house.

Huo Mingkun, however, was exhausted. Yaoguang had assigned him a task: intense training. This training involved shooting at flying targets and catching sparrows, mainly to sharpen his eyesight. The Black Pupils Yin-Yang Eyes demanded keen vision and swift reflexes as fundamental skills. No one knew who Huo Mingkun’s mentor had been, but he was clearly lacking the basics.

Yaoguang was lounging in a deck chair in her garden, lost in thought, when a spiritual talisman flew through the air toward her. She reached out and caught it, smiling knowingly. The talisman had been sent from the Netherworld of Fengdu, bearing only three words: "Come drink wine."

The sender was obvious—it was the Lord of the Underworld. The Netherworld held ten Yama Kings, but this Underworld Sovereign was not one of them; rather, she ruled over the ten Yamas, the Supreme Master of the Fengdu Netherworld. Normally, the Underworld Lord did not seek her out—this must mean something was afoot.

Yaoguang’s figure vanished from the deck chair and reappeared in her villa’s wine cellar. She surveyed the dazzling array of bottles, her gaze settling on several brightly colored ones: peach blossom brew, osmanthus wine. She took two bottles of each and another of plum wine, then returned to her bedroom, picked up a pair of Hetian jade earrings, and selected a silk scarf painted in ink wash. As she stepped out, she saw Yitian and said, “I’m heading to Fengdu.” Without waiting for a response, she disappeared.

Yaoguang swiftly moved toward the hills behind the coastline, vanishing into the barrier at the horizon. Upon entering, it was as if night had fallen, darkness pervading the space. A massive archway loomed ahead, exuding a chilling cold. Yaoguang walked forward calmly; the ghost sentries at the gate recognized her, saluted, and did not impede her. She proceeded directly to the Underworld Lord’s chambers. The Lord was as always—half reclining in a rattan lounge chair, dressed in broad-sleeved black palace robes, and wearing a smooth, black mask. Curtains hung all around, her silhouette shifting indistinctly within.

“You’re here,” the Underworld Lord spoke in a voice neither male nor female.

“Can you stop making things so strange? I brought you something new.” With a wave of Yaoguang’s hand, the surroundings changed; soon, the room transformed into a modern European style, platinum as the main color. The crystal chandelier overhead cast light as warm as sunlight, bathing the room in a golden glow.

“You always know what I like. How do you want me to appear before you?” The Underworld Lord looked around, satisfied.

“As a woman. Just as last time.” Yaoguang settled onto the sofa.

“Alright,” the Lord rose from the lounge chair and, with a turn, became a beautiful woman of thirty, delicate features, exactly the appearance Yaoguang had praised before. Her clothes shifted to a water-red leisure outfit. Yaoguang glanced at her, waved her hand, and the clothing became a gradient water-red two-piece dress: a vest top and a knee-length gauze skirt. The ink wash silk scarf hung casually around the Lord’s fair neck.

The Underworld Lord turned in front of the dressing mirror, nodded with satisfaction, and Yaoguang placed the jade earrings on her. Only after surveying her did Yaoguang smile and nod. The Lord sat down, looked up at the chandelier, and exclaimed with delight, “Is this sunlight?”

“Yes, sunlight. Make do for now. The Shadow Feather Robe will take some time to finish. Once it’s ready, I’ll fetch you and we’ll visit the mortal world.” Yaoguang placed the wine on the coffee table.

“Really? Are you serious?” The Underworld Lord joyfully sat beside Yaoguang, holding her arm.

“Of course. I promised you. But when we go, you must listen to me,” said Yaoguang.

“Fine, I’ll do as you say.” The Lord agreed. Since ancient times, after she became Underworld Lord, she had never seen the human world under sunlight. Only Yaoguang had promised to take her, and only Yaoguang could. Without a divine body, leading the Lord of the Underworld out of Netherworld would mean certain death by heavenly thunder. So she must obey; otherwise, she wouldn’t have so many new wonders. Life in the Netherworld was too long; no one cared to visit her, nor did she want them. Only Yaoguang suited her temperament, and Yaoguang enjoyed sharing wine with her.

“Why do you prefer me to appear as a woman before you? I can be quite dashing as a man,” the Underworld Lord asked, curious.

“Female friends feel more comfortable. Male friends always seem a bit odd,” Yaoguang replied.

“You’re certainly unusual.” The Lord rolled her eyes.

“You wanted fruit wine,” Yaoguang said, ignoring her comment and pointing to the table.

“Haha.” The Lord picked up a bottle, uncapped it, and took a swig. “Good wine. Is this from Qingqiu?!” She paused in surprise. Qingqiu’s fruit wine was renowned and hard to obtain.

“Yes, Qingqiu’s fruit wine is the finest. I traded a wood element spirit pill for it. You like it, so I made the effort.” As Yaoguang spoke, there was a touch of indulgence. The woman before her was older by countless ages—more than enough to be her ancestor—yet somehow she found herself doting on her.

“Thank you, Yaoya.” The Lord smacked a kiss on Yaoguang’s right cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. Ten years ago, when the male immortal’s soul entered Iron Mountain, it was thanks to the Underworld Lord; otherwise, he would have been ruined. Yaoguang remembered the favor well. Over these ten years, they had become close friends. Yaoguang could roam Heaven and Earth at will, but the Underworld Lord could not; her every move affected the Three Realms. That was why Yaoguang was painstakingly crafting the Shadow Feather Robe, which would allow the Lord to travel elsewhere for fixed periods without disturbing the realms’ spiritual energy.

“Yaoya, are you going back tonight?” The Lord took another sip and asked.

“No, I’ll stay with you tonight and leave tomorrow,” Yaoguang said, taking a sip of the peach blossom brew.

“Wonderful. Yaoya, do you visit me often just to repay the debt?” The Lord suddenly asked.

“Why the sudden question?” Yaoguang was surprised, then answered, “Yes and no.”

“How so?” The Lord regarded her intently.

“You know me—I repay even a drop of kindness with a spring. If not for you, my male immortal would have been ruined. You know he’s my reverse scale; you saved him and helped him on his immortal path. That’s equal to saving me. The debt is too great to repay, so great that thanks are insufficient. Now, I simply enjoy being friends with you—truthfully, I like being sisters. You’re far older than me, but I just like to spoil you. If you ask why, then I’ll tell you: nothing can buy my willingness.” Yaoguang spoke without calculation, simply answering instinctively.

“Your words are casual, but sincere. Thank you, Yaoya.” The Lord leaned into Yaoguang’s embrace, drinking contentedly. “I love this peach blossom brew.”

“I knew you’d say that. Don’t worry, Qingqiu’s latest batch of peach blossom brew is almost ready. I’ve already spoken to the Fox Emperor; from now on, you’ll have more than enough.” Yaoguang clinked glasses with her.

“More than enough?!” Now it was the Lord’s turn to be amazed. “Even Heaven’s supply of Qingqiu’s wine is limited. How can you drink at will? Why?”

“Because I sent the millennium peach blossom spirit from Phoenix Divine Mountain to Qingqiu. In just ten years, my peach blossom spirit cultivated a vast peach grove there. So Qingqiu’s peach blossom brew is endless for me.” Yaoguang looked pleased.

“A millennium peach blossom spirit—you are truly generous. Those spirits are hard to cultivate; reaching a millennium is rare. Peach blossoms gather spiritual energy, ward off evil, dispel misfortune, protect homes—they are a must for cultivators. A millennium peach blossom is top grade, its spirit energy strongest among plants. Even a hundred-year spirit is coveted, let alone a millennium one. How could you give it away so easily? Did she cry?” The Lord was even more astonished.

“No, Peach Shadow left smiling,” Yaoguang replied.

“Why?” The Lord was puzzled.

“Because Qingqiu’s Third Prince sought the Marriage Elder in Heaven for Peach Shadow as his rightful consort. Peach Shadow was willing; they were well matched. Why wouldn’t I help them? I sent Peach Shadow off with her ascension as dowry, letting her marry grandly into Qingqiu. In return, I get a lifetime supply of peach blossom brew.” Yaoguang laughed. “The Fox clan of Qingqiu is proud and powerful; such a great fate shouldn’t be missed. Besides, you love peach blossom brew, so I asked for it as my return gift.”

“You cunning thing! That’s four birds with one stone—becoming kin with Qingqiu, fulfilling Peach Shadow, gaining endless immortal wine, and winning over my stomach. Truly worthy of your title, Phoenix Divine. Your calculations are flawless.” The Lord laughed heartily, pleased not just by the wine, but by Yaoguang’s thoughtfulness. Everyone knew Qingqiu’s most valuable asset was the Enchantment Fruit—a coveted immortal fruit for cultivators—but Yaoguang preferred the wine, simply because the Lord liked it.

“The Enchantment Fruit is useless to me. I am a divine being with a human body—a unique existence. No matter how good the fruit, I have other things to replace its effects. Besides, it attracts ghost sects; leaving it in Qingqiu is safest. As for peach blossom brew, Qingqiu’s is the best. We both love it, so why shouldn’t I want it?” Yaoguang saw the Lord’s thoughts and clarified directly.

“Haha, I love your temperament.” The Lord hugged the wine bottle, laughing until tears fell. Wiping her eyes, she said, “Speaking of ghost sects, I have another matter.”

The Lord rose from the sofa, took out a spirit pearl, and handed it to Yaoguang. “This is from the Dragon King. The youngest prince, Little White Dragon, was ambushed by ghost sects during his tribulation and lost his dragon pearl. His physical body is now trapped by the ghost sect. The Dragon King has searched in vain—they cannot easily interfere in the human world. Knowing your Phoenix Divine Mountain is at odds with the ghost sect and your special status, he sent this through the Earth God to me, asking you to find Little White Dragon. The reward: after rescuing him, you may keep him by your side. Little White Dragon is no ordinary dragon—he has a fate above. Will you consider it?”

“No need to consider; I accept. Tell the Dragon King I’ll handle this. After saving Little White Dragon, I’ll send him back to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. Whether he stays or leaves will be his own choice.” Yaoguang pocketed the pearl. “Not only will I rescue him, I’ll help him ascend as an immortal.”

“Send him back? Do you know, if he and your male immortal cultivate together, their spiritual power will greatly increase?” The Lord added, “You agreed so quickly, without hesitation. Are you confident?”

“Little White Dragon isn’t a bargaining chip; his opinion matters. And I’ll have to consult my male immortal as well. As for the ghost sect, I’m determined to eradicate them; otherwise, my resentment won’t be quelled. Ten years ago, I was powerless; that’s why I paid such a heavy price. But now, I dare say the ghost sect is no match for Phoenix Divine Mountain. Rest assured.” Yaoguang lay on the bed, gazing at the crystal chandelier.

“Alright, you have your methods—I trust you.” The Lord rolled her eyes. “Oh, by the way, Ghost Lie’s soul has arrived in the Netherworld. I let him cycle through the hells once, then sent him to Iron Mountain to push the stone ball. As for the accomplices, after they cycle through hell, they’ll be sent to reincarnation. Are you satisfied with this verdict?”

“Push the stone ball?” Yaoguang was momentarily stunned. This punishment meant pushing a heavy stone up the mountain; every time it reached the top, it rolled down again, forcing endless repetition. The mountain alternated between volcano, ice, and blades; during the ordeal, one suffered lightning strikes and vulture attacks. Reaching the summit marked a day; as the stone rolled down, a new day began. The battered body would be restored at the base, and the cycle repeated. Never-ending, never to be reborn. “You are indeed ruthless, but I am satisfied with this verdict. Thank you.” Yaoguang was genuinely pleased, though thinking of the stone ball punishment sent a chill through her. Who had invented such torment...