AUOF - 11

As the array was completely destroyed, the disciples of the Celestial Pavilion began falling back into the real world one after another.

Some were critically injured; others had lost their mental faculties and could not move. Even as they were buried under rolling stones and wood, they were powerless to respond.

Sang Li was preoccupied with her own survival and naturally had no inclination to help them.

To avoid being caught in the chaos, she clung tightly to the tree trunk in front of her. The ground continued to shake violently, like an earthquake, as if the earth itself were a shattered piece of glass, with cracks spreading outward from the center.

At first, Sang Li felt panic grip her heart at the sight. But soon, her mind grew sharp.

Wait—this is wrong!

Why was she just sitting here doing nothing?

A quick turn of thought made it clear: this was the perfect opportunity to escape!!

The moment this idea struck her, Sang Li’s heart surged with excitement.

She cautiously glanced toward the man focused on controlling the array nearby. Ji Hengyu had his back to her, standing out like a transcendent figure amidst the shaking heavens and earth. He still maintained the hand-seal posture, his spine straight, seemingly unaffected by the upheaval. However, his face appeared slightly pale, indicating that he too had been impacted.

With favorable conditions all around, when else could she run if not now?

Sang Li loosened her arms from around the tree trunk and steadied herself.

To be cautious, she took a few small steps backward. Ji Hengyu didn’t turn around, appearing completely unaware of the commotion behind him.

Overjoyed, Sang Li realized this was her closest step yet to survival.

She dared not be careless and continued to inch backward.

One step, two steps, three steps… ten steps!

After retreating nine feet, she wasted no time and bolted in the opposite direction.

Only after her figure had completely disappeared did Ji Hengyu’s eyes shift slightly in the direction she had fled.

The Silent Return Array had been broken.

Ji Hengyu closed his eyes briefly, using the Kuí clan’s sensory abilities to survey the area within a hundred miles.

The sounds of trees, birds, and the scattered presences of the Celestial Pavilion disciples filled his awareness.

Including the dead, none were missing—they were all here.

The Three Realms Punishment Curse was an advanced forbidden technique among immortals.

Even though he had used a puppet to trigger the array, Ji Hengyu still suffered significant magical backlash.

He focused inward to regulate his breathing. Despite his efforts to endure, a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Wiping away the blood, he sensed the faint approach of someone behind him and said indifferently: “Have someone tend to them.”

Without further acknowledgment of Li Ningxi, he turned and prepared to find a secluded spot to rest and recover.

Sang Li only dared to cast the invisibility spell after running far beyond the forested hills. This time, there were no mishaps—the spell worked perfectly, transporting her successfully outside Xishui Town.

Gazing at the unfamiliar surroundings, Sang Li froze for a moment before realizing she had successfully escaped the control of that despicable man!

—She had escaped!

Overwhelmed with excitement, Sang Li couldn’t help but hop up and down on the spot.

But as calm returned, her excitement gradually cooled.

Though she was temporarily safe from Ji Hengyu, Yan Jinglou remained a problem.

He had painstakingly set up the array to trap Ji Hengyu, only to suffer a crushing defeat today. Even with the illusionary protection, he would surely vent his anger on her in the end.

In frustration, she crouched on the ground, tugging at her hair.

However, this negative emotion didn’t last long. With the failure of the array, Yan Jinglou would inevitably suffer backlash. While he recovered, he wouldn’t care about her life or death, giving her a chance to relocate her clansmen to safety.

The problem was finding a safe haven in the vast Nine Ling Realm—a daunting task indeed.

Ultimately, it all came down to her own inadequacy.

Sang Li couldn’t help but glance at her palm.

The original host hadn’t even fully grown her tail before Yan Jinglou abandoned her in the chilling and ghostly Cry Soul Mountain. She barely escaped after enduring forty-nine days of torment. Later, within a month, she learned various dances and instruments, even studying the art of seduction in human pleasure houses. Along the way, she disguised herself to infiltrate the Lust Sect, secretly learning numerous techniques for enticing men and women.

She was knowledgeable in astronomy above and geography below; skilled in composing poetry and prose, adept at assassination and covert operations, and even excelled in such delicate matters.

And yet—

Such a diligent and capable little fox had been cut down by Ji Hengyu in an instant!

Even if heaven granted her nine more tails, it wouldn’t…

No, she couldn’t afford to be so pessimistic.

Sang Li’s current priority was to protect the clansmen of the late fox spirit, focus on cultivating, and eventually merge with this body to relearn the skills the original host had honed to perfection. Of course, this didn’t include the Lust Sect’s secret arts.

With this in mind, Sang Li suddenly found renewed motivation to live.

She retrieved a travel scroll from her portable storage pouch.

This scroll resembled a modern intelligent navigation map but was far more advanced.

As the yellowed parchment unfurled slowly, it revealed a complete overview of the surrounding area. Distances between mountains and nearby routes were displayed, and a red warning signal marked areas of danger.

Sang Li studied it carefully. Crossing Xishui Town and scaling three large mountains would lead her to the main city.

She decided to head to the main city first!

If luck was on her side, she might encounter immortals training in the mortal realm and beg for their help to remove the dual-life curse from her body.

With her destination set, Sang Li didn’t linger and set off directly for Jueming City.

Jueming City was far away.

Even using flight magic would take over two hours.

And that was assuming Sang Li dared to use magic openly, which she absolutely did not.

She wasn’t completely safe yet, and any slight disturbance could attract Ji Hengyu. She had to be cautious—better safe than sorry.

She masked her presence and walked on foot from Xishui Town to Shimen Mountain.

Time passed, and the pale moonlight at the horizon was completely swallowed by darkness. The scroll updated with the cycle of day and night, and the sun in the upper-right corner of the travel scroll had turned into a moon, its color shifting from a bright sunset to pitch-black. At this moment, pairs of red eyes flickered near the landmark labeled “Shimen Mountain.”

This signified danger, warning travelers not to proceed.

Sang Li wasn’t reckless by nature. For her, escaping Ji Hengyu earlier today was already a stroke of luck, so caution was paramount. She decided not to continue onward.

Using the scroll, Sang Li found a concealed and relatively safe cave by the riverbank.

After setting up protective barriers around the cave, she lit a roaring fire. Its glow illuminated the entire cavern, gradually dispelling the previous chill.

Sang Li lay down in her clothes to sleep.

Today had been full of ups and downs.

Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to relax. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, growing increasingly awake with each passing moment.

An inexplicable sense of unease gripped her.

Suddenly, Sang Li sat upright on the makeshift grass mat and summoned the travel scroll again.

Before sleeping, she had set up an alert on the scroll.

Any non-ordinary animal life forms approaching would be displayed.

Now, she clearly saw a white dot moving rapidly in her direction.

What was it?

The object moved at incredible speed—it was at the mountain gate just moments ago, and in the blink of an eye, it was already within a hundred feet.

Not good!

Sang Li sucked in a sharp breath, hastily stowed the scroll, and decisively used her unpolished flight technique to flee into the mountains.

Her movements were clumsy, and she stumbled through the air, crashing into branches countless times along the way.

Her sharp hearing picked up the sound of something rapidly approaching from behind.

Ahead lay a roaring waterfall, with a bottomless abyss stretching far below.

With a determined resolve, Sang Li prepared to rush directly into the waterfall.

Just as she was about to leap forward, a longsword suddenly blocked her path.

The blade was icy blue, resembling frosted glass.

She gasped and collapsed to the ground, all color draining from her face.

Ji Hengyu stood at an angle, his figure framed by a cold, pristine moon. The moonlight swirled around him, casting his features in alternating shadows that rendered his expression inscrutable.

His profile was aloof, his eyes devoid of warmth.

Upon seeing her pale face, Ji Hengyu retracted the sword, transforming it back into a fan and returning it to his hand.

“It’s you.”

Ji Hengyu’s tone betrayed no emotion.

A lump of frustration lodged itself in Sang Li’s throat.

She couldn’t understand how Ji Hengyu had found her so quickly; even more frustrating was that her escape attempt had failed, and she would be forced back to Gui Xu Palace to serve as their double agent once again.

She didn’t want to live like this for another minute!!

These emotions churned together, forming an indescribable bitterness that filled her heart, making her eyes sting with unshed tears.

Seeing the almost-tearful Sang Li, Ji Hengyu raised an eyebrow in sudden realization: “My youngest disciple asked me earlier where you had gone. So, you were planning to run away.”

Sang Li rubbed her eyes.

She wanted to cry.

She rubbed them again, sniffing slightly and forcing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Ji Hengyu waited silently for her reaction.

The little fox before him was filthy.

Her hair was disheveled, with strands sticking to her neck, and her face was smudged with dirt. In contrast, her large, round fox-like eyes, moistened by the mist, appeared even clearer.

She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, adopting an utterly resigned posture of surrender.

Ji Hengyu took slow steps toward her.

He moved deliberately, the faint sound of his silver-white boots against the ground barely audible. With each step, Sang Li’s heart trembled.

She closed her eyes, not daring to breathe.

In the darkness, the anticipated pain and bloody scene of decapitation did not come. Instead, Ji Hengyu passed by her like a shadow, brushing past without a word.

Sang Li turned to look at his retreating figure, confused. “Wait… does this mean you’re letting me go?”

This shouldn’t be right?

It didn’t align with his character at all!!

How could he possibly be the kind-hearted, merciful type?

Cruel, capricious, merciless—those were the traits that defined him!

Ji Hengyu paused mid-step, his sidelong glance briefly falling on her, though he didn’t fully turn his head.

“You seem surprised,” Ji Hengyu said. “Do you think you hold any value worth killing?”

Sang Li: “…”

Though alive and relieved, his words still felt like an insult.

“Or perhaps…” Ji Hengyu turned to face her, “in your eyes, am I a bloodthirsty, ruthless man?”

Sang Li fell silent. Well… wasn’t he?

Still, explanations were necessary. She stammered: “You chased me all this way, so I assumed…”

Ji Hengyu looked as if he’d heard something absurd, his brows furrowing tightly. “I chased you all this way?”

His incredulous expression didn’t seem feigned. This time, it was Sang Li who was bewildered. Could it be that she had misunderstood? If so, why had he come from Xishui Town to Shimen Mountain in the dead of night? Surely not for a midnight jog…

“Enough,” Ji Hengyu gave up on explaining, wearily rubbing his temples. “Before trouble arrives, if you wish to leave, do so quickly.”

Sang Li sprang to her feet, startled. “Really? You’re letting me go?”

Her eyes sparkled with joy, shimmering like stars in the night sky.

Ji Hengyu couldn’t help but slip up in his thoughts.

He had been born a celestial being, surrounded by others of his kind in the upper heavens.

Celestials regarded themselves highly, looking down upon the six paths of the mortal realm, yet they were no different from mortals. Some were devoid of desire, while others were consumed by greed, their interactions rife with schemes and calculations.

In five thousand years, Ji Hengyu had never encountered someone who expressed happiness so directly.

Was merely staying alive really something to be so elated about?

Within the nine realms of the spiritual world, life and death had long transcended worldly concerns.

To achieve immortality was to become a master of one’s soul.

Celestials could come and go as they pleased, even if their bodies perished. As long as their souls entered the six paths, a new cycle would begin in just a few years.

But what was so good about living?

All things were bound by the constraints of heaven and earth; the cycles of the sun and moon were merely another form of imprisonment.

Ji Hengyu couldn’t comprehend it. The only explanation he could think of was—

This wandering soul from another realm was cowardly, greedy for life, and not particularly clever.