Chapter 394: To the Realm of Death, Seize Fate

Intense fist winds shattered a thousand-li barrier of qi, piercing through ten thousand li of layered clouds, the splintered cloud filaments exploding into a vast circular ring that roared outward in all directions.

Just as he was about to cast a curse upon the Little Mirror Master, Ku Ye let out a furious shout of “No!” and instinctively swung his arm to block—suddenly, he felt a colossal mountain slam into him, his body hurled violently out of the smoke.

The gaunt Shenyou’s eyes snapped wide open, revealed for the first time beneath the night, his face instantly twisted into a monstrous visage.

He had been fixated all along on the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain, convinced only the man could pose a true threat to him.

He never imagined that in an instant, a single punch from the breakthrough cultivator had exposed him completely.

Yet he had clearly been struck by two assassination curses.

Ku Ye had ample battle experience; in that single moment of shock, dark light erupted around him, swirling into a constellation of protective arts that clung to his body.

Amid the roaring heat of thunder magic, wind and rain coalesced into a solid shield that slammed head-on into Ji You’s lightning-fast straight punch—the resulting explosion of qi surged downward with crushing force.

Amid the gale, all present swept away the dust with their sleeves, staring in stunned disbelief at the blazing figure standing defiantly in midair.

That punch had come too suddenly, too swiftly, and utterly defied all expectations.

For in their minds, Ji You was either on the brink of death or had been crippled by his cultivation breakthrough’s backlash.

Yet none had imagined he would simply burst forth with a punch—vibrant, powerful, and utterly shattering the enemy’s hiding place.

But soon, all saw Ji You’s true condition.

He still wore the white robe he had donned when entering the cave to break through, but its front was now drenched in vast, spreading blooms of blood, soaking the entire front.

Wet blood continued to glisten between his tightly clenched lips, unmistakable proof of grave injury.

Yet after two assassination curses, with his breakthrough forcibly interrupted, Ji You should have suffered far worse backlash than this—yet his current state contradicted that.

Ji You’s physical body was formidable, nearly invincible to defense—but assassination curses targeted the soul, and breakthrough backlash originated from within, unrelated to his flesh.

They also did not believe the claim that a physical-body cultivator suffered no backlash upon failed breakthrough; if that were true, Ji You’s nature would never have relied on the Ancestors’ Sacred Ground’s leaking spiritual energy, nor brought so many spirit stones as safeguards.

The only possibility…

At this thought, the heads of the noble houses suddenly froze, their eyes sharpening into expressions far more complex than before.

“So that’s it—the second curse never landed…”

Qiu Hanyue blinked in confusion: “What do you mean the second didn’t land?”

Tang Minghao, Sheng Xiyu, Liu Qichen, and other central state scions were equally baffled, turning to their elders.

“The second assassination curse he cast never struck Ji You—it was concealed by deception.”

“?”

Hearing this, everyone grew more confused, for all had seen the second curse strike Dongshan, and Ji You’s breakthrough aura had ceased precisely at that moment.

All signs pointed to Ji You being struck by the second curse, causing his breakthrough failure—why then did their elders draw such a conclusion?

The young disciples racked their brains in vain, until the head of the Qiu family spoke softly, his gaze grave.

“Ji You calculated the timing precisely—he prepared in advance, interrupting his breakthrough just before the second curse struck. The curse didn’t hit him; he blocked it, and simultaneously suppressed his aura, feigning near-death.”

“Why would he do that…?”

“Perhaps from the moment the Little Mirror Master was trapped, he abandoned his breakthrough entirely—waiting until now, using the third killing intent to finally pinpoint the enemy’s location.”

As his words faded, all stared in shock at the blood-soaked man.

How could Ji You still have strength to strike after two curses and breakthrough backlash?

Because he had voluntarily abandoned his breakthrough—and had endured only one curse.

But why, before knowing whether the Little Mirror Master had any hidden countermeasures, had he already decided to abandon his breakthrough and timed everything so perfectly?

Because the Shenyou had targeted not only him—but first turned his killing intent toward Yuan Caimei, then toward Cao Jinsong, and finally toward the Little Mirror Master.

Even without breaking through, he would kill this man.

Once they understood this, they realized why the Little Mirror Master had not panicked when the second curse struck—why she had instead instantly redirected the killing intent toward the hidden mastermind, as if no longer fearing for her back.

Because she knew her consort—even without knowing what Ji You planned, she trusted he would never let her fall into peril, and would never sit idle on the mountain waiting to die.

They were true consort.

Though the events at the Dao Forum had proven their bond, their stark social disparity had led many to disbelieve it—some even spun conspiracies linking it to the north-south immortal sects’ rivalry.

But now, at last, they confirmed: these two were truly consort.

Because heart-to-heart connection, since ancient times, has never been deception.

“His body taut, qi forced outward—Ji You’s punch was a desperate last effort.”

“Interrupting one’s breakthrough is tantamount to suicide; the aftermath of voluntarily abandoning a breakthrough may be even more severe. Thus, though the Shenyou has been exposed, his mission was accomplished well enough.”

On the slope, Huo Xingzhong and Chen Luo murmured softly.

In the thousand-year history of humanity, failed breakthroughs and their backlash were common—but never had a failed cultivator succeeded in a second breakthrough.

Because backlash always struck inward, damaging the core foundation of cultivation—just as a Dao-comprehending cultivator loses heavenly connection after backlash, Ji You’s hardened body might suffer even worse consequences.

If unlucky, he would become a cripple once his qi was spent; if lucky, he might retain his boundless combat power—but to the immortal sects, even that would be manageable.

At this thought, both men exhaled simultaneously in relief.

For such a Ji You would no longer be a demon in their hearts, no longer haunt them with the thought that they were inferior.

With a thunderous crash, Ji You, drenched in blood, landed atop the collapsed cliff, blood continuously seeping from his mouth.

His backlash was indeed severe—his internal spiritual fire raged wildly, scorching his meridians; the retaliatory qi had forced his internal organs to bleed continuously.

Though his exterior showed no wounds, his interior could be described as “pierced a thousand times.”

“Master.”

“My Lord…”

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, one supporting Yuan Caimei, the other aiding Cao Jinsong, all whispered his name upon seeing his condition.

Ji You turned to them, waved his hand—signaling he was not yet dead—and then looked toward the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain.

After a brief pause, he tilted his head in confusion: “Why have you gotten fatter?”

Yan Shuyi: “….”

Ji You instantly realized his mistake: “Being fatter is still adorable.”

Hearing this, Yan Shuyi’s sword qi stirred in her eyes—she thought, calling you a dog thief is still an insult—you’re a fool, little disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy.

Can he still flirt while bleeding to death?

The crowd was startled by Ji You’s audacity.

But what stunned them more was the Little Mirror Master—though still as icy and beautiful as ever—her eyes held only a faint trace of irritation, not revulsion; her cheeks slowly flushed pink.

Such ordinary feminine embarrassment was something she had never shown the world.

At the Dao Forum, all had assumed their relationship was female-dominant, male-submissive—until now, they realized they were wrong.

A Little Mirror Master in love is no different from any ordinary girl—her heart is small, her face cold, yet her eyes hold only his image.

At that moment, a sudden explosion echoed from the sky.

Ku Ye, his face twisted in rage after clashing fists with Ji You and shattering the cliff, shot upward like a meteor, turning to flee into the heavens.

He was not afraid of Ji You—he was a Shenyou, what did he fear from a boundless combat power?

What he truly feared was the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain—because once his concealment was shattered, he had no capacity to face the sacred artifact’s power.

Moreover, whether the target’s breakthrough was interrupted or voluntarily abandoned, his mission was complete—no need to linger.

Yan Shuyi’s eyes instantly locked onto him, ready to crush him into a rain of blood—but in that instant, she caught her dog-thief husband shaking his head.

“Don’t move.”

“Why—”

Before Yan Shuyi could finish, Ji You stomped on the shattered cliff, pulverizing it beneath his feet, then launched himself into the air.

The Ancestors’ Sacred Ground was riddled with fissures—anything near them was erased by void. Ku Ye, unfamiliar with the terrain, slowed his escape.

At the fissure’s edge, fragments of space peeled off like crumbling plaster, falling into the absolute void below.

He focused all his spirit to avoid the fissure beneath his feet—when suddenly, a searing, violent fist wind surged toward him, engulfing the entire sky above.

That fist did not bring wind—it brought a solid, pressurized wall of qi; the air was compressed to its limit, forming a milky-white fog that exploded before his eyes.

With a thunderous boom, his protective arts shattered like boiling water, dark light spraying everywhere—Ku Ye’s body lost control, flung like a stone from a catapult, smashing through thin clouds, and crashing back onto Dongshan.

Amid rising dust, flying debris, and howling winds, Ku Ye summoned every ounce of his qi, preparing to face the sacred artifact head-on.

But unexpectedly—the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain stood motionless at the mountain’s base, watching coldly, not moving at all.