The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 212 - 211: The Deceased Deity

Chapter 212: Chapter 211: The Deceased Deity

Yunxiao walked out and immediately saw Nezha holding back his laughter nearby.

Her two younger sisters lay on the ground, their faces pale, while the three little girls knelt there wailing loudly.

Yunxiao: "..."

Nezha’s illusion could fool the three little ones, but not Yunxiao. She glanced casually and instantly knew that her two sisters had only fainted, with no serious harm.

Rolling her eyes beautifully at Nezha, she pretended to ask anxiously.

"What happened? Why are Second Sister and Third Sister like this?"

The three little ones, upon seeing Yunxiao, immediately acted as if they’d found a lifeline, hastily kowtowing.

"Goddess, please save Second Lady and Third Lady!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Goddess, I’m begging you!"

Having grown up with them, Yunxiao couldn’t help but soften at their pleas and waved her hand to break Nezha’s spell.

No Brainer and Unhappy slowly woke up, holding the backs of their heads groggily.

As soon as they recovered, they were met with the abyss-like gaze of their eldest sister.

Swish!

The two of them dropped to their knees before Yunxiao in perfect unison.

The three little girls immediately threw themselves onto the two of them, laughing and crying at the same time, leaving the pair utterly bewildered.

No words were necessary from Yunxiao; the two sisters obediently recounted everything and handed a jade talisman to Yunxiao in the end.

After examining it, Yunxiao furrowed her brows tightly.

Nezha ignored the five pairs of angry, beautiful eyes staring at him and asked with a composed expression, "Sister Yun, is there something wrong with this jade talisman?"

Yunxiao shook her head. "The jade talisman is perfectly fine; it indeed carries the mana fluctuation of Lord Yunzhong."

In the Primordial Era, mana fluctuations were like fingerprints. Even if practitioners cultivated the same technique, their differences in understanding and Taoist body led to vastly distinct mana traits.

Yunxiao was well-acquainted with Lord Yunzhong and could not mistake his mana signature.

Nezha scratched his head, saying, "Could I have been mistaken?"

No Brainer and Unhappy pouted, glaring at Nezha with looks that could eat him alive.

Yunxiao sighed and explained, "Lord Yunzhong, as an Innate God and Water God of the Yun Meng Swamp, has struggled under the Heavenly Dao’s fickleness. Once a being of great cultivation, his Tao has gradually waned over the years, and he’s no longer as he was. Even so, his rich foundation allows him to live rather dignifiedly.

Unfortunately, when the Ten Golden Crows’ Great Sun emerged, drying up sixty percent of Primordial Earth’s terrain, the Yun Meng Swamp was among those scorched. The boundless waters of the swamp dried up almost entirely, leaving only a fraction. Subsequently, Lord Yunzhong was dealt a significant blow and has been living in reclusion ever since.

Given the ongoing upheavals in the Primordial World, he surely wouldn’t invite us sisters at a time like this."

Nezha was speechless. What bad luck indeed.

Still, with debts of cause and effect like that, it’s no surprise that losing nine of the Ten Golden Crows wasn’t enough to settle the score, leaving the last one hiding out constantly.

Given that he now bore some of the Golden Crow Clan’s blessings, this matter coming round to him wasn’t out of the ordinary.

"So what does Sister Yun plan to do?"

Yunxiao replied calmly, "Lord Yunzhong showed us great care back then, and I certainly won’t abandon him now."

Nezha wanted to say more, but Yunxiao interjected, "Some things simply cannot be avoided."

Looking over at her two younger sisters, who were whispering hurriedly about who knows what, she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. Nezha’s intervention had thwarted their current follies, but what about next time?

She could hardly imagine a future where, after emerging from seclusion, she found her sisters dead with their Tao erased.

Let everything come to me—I’ll bear it all. Do not seek out my sisters.

This was how Yunxiao felt right now.

Nezha, sensing her resolve, understood that Yunxiao might not necessarily be caught in the great catastrophe herself, but No Brainer and Unhappy were definitely bound to it.

He cultivated tirelessly to return home, to protect those close to him, and to pursue the Great Dao.

Yunxiao, perhaps, only sought to protect her sisters and her elder brother.

After pondering briefly, Nezha resolved to go along. The Golden Crow Essences of the nine slain crows resided within his Taihuangtian domain, placed under his control. Though most of the karma tied to the Golden Crow Clan fell on Lu Ya, Nezha knew he’d inevitably carry a trace of it.

If he left this situation unaddressed now, who’s to say in what form it might come back later?

Yunxiao tried to dissuade Nezha from joining them, but his explanation seemed logical.

Her gaze softened as she looked at Nezha more tenderly.

"Should we report this to Uncle Tongtian?"

"If we go to Biyou Palace, my brother is certain to find out. He has already passed his great tribulation and remains severely injured; traveling would not be suitable for him."

In the end, the team comprised four people: Yunxiao and her two sisters, along with Nezha.

Yunxiao brought her sisters to the meeting, hiding Nezha in the Mountain and River Map, which she carried close to her heart.

Hmm, truly worthy of being a transformation from white clouds—indeed quite soft.

...

Yunxiao, knowing this journey would be fraught with dangers, left her mount behind, tasking the three little girls to stay home and copy scriptures as punishment.

The three sisters ascended through the clouds and mists, arriving at a desolate wasteland. This was the site of the Yun Meng Swamp ruins, an area that once spanned thousands of miles in calm waters.

Sadly, nothing could withstand the Divine Power of the Great Sun Golden Crow. Even the Yunzhong Realm above, where they were birthed, now lay hidden deep within the Nine Heavens.

Guided by the jade talisman, the trio ventured further into the wasteland’s center, eventually stopping at a specific location.

Bixiao looked around curiously and asked, "Eldest Sister, where did Lord Yunzhong’s water swamp go? Why is it all gone?"

Yunxiao did not explain but instead said, "Wait."

...

Night fell, and the light of the Taiyin Star illuminated the earth.

The silver radiance spilled across the desolate plains as the vast expanse of yellow sand gradually transformed into shimmering waters rippling back and forth. Somewhere amid the shifting sands arose peculiar waves, first forming into a pool of water and then projecting the moon overhead.

The light of the moon in the water flowed endlessly, spreading far and wide. The myriads of yellow sands turned into boundless swamps—everything seemed to return to its former glory.

Amid light waves, a handsome figure wearing multicolored feathered robes appeared. He had no arms but bore wings, his body wrapped in ethereal, ever-changing blue spirit light.

"Little Yunxiao, Little Qiongxiao, Little Bixiao, it’s been such a long time."

His voice echoed through the quiet woods, ethereal and wistful, like telling a story or lamenting.

Nezha, observing this Ancient Great God from within the Mountain and River Map, noted his extraordinary demeanor. That natural elegance made Nezha feel even Hao Tian couldn’t quite compare.

Yunxiao bowed slightly in greeting. "Senior Yun."

Bixiao, unrestrained as usual, asked, "Uncle Yunzhong, what happened to the Yun Meng Swamp? Where did all your waters go? Last time there was still a small patch!"

Qiongxiao chimed in, "Second Sister is right!"

Lord Yunzhong glanced at No Brainer and Unhappy and offered a faint smile as he remarked, "Because I’m already dead. Naturally, the thousand-mile Yun Meng Swamp would vanish with me."

His words fell, and Yunxiao furrowed her brows.

Bixiao and Qiongxiao’s faces turned pale with shock. In their memories, Lord Yunzhong was always stronger than their elder sister—a powerful God despite his decline. How could he die so abruptly?