AUOF - 90

Ji Hengyu was sleeping peacefully, his hair turning white, cascading like a waterfall beneath him.

She tiptoed and sat by the bedside, quietly observing Ji Hengyu. Perhaps because he was unconscious, all his imposing aura had receded. His face was as pale as snow, his lips colorless, his eyelashes lightly resting, exuding an air of frailty.

Sang Li gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth nearby. Seeing how deeply he was asleep, she figured he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

Just as she was about to leave, a sudden chill coiled around her waist, sending goosebumps all over her back.

Sang Li looked down to see a snake tail emerge from under the blanket, tentatively pressing against her waist. Confirming that Sang Li wasn’t moving, it gradually tightened its grip, slowly pulling her onto the bed.

Flustered at being mysteriously pulled onto the bed, Sang Li’s face turned red. She pinched his arm in frustration and anger: “Ji Hengyu——!”

However, the man lost in slumber couldn’t hear her protests.

The snake tail wrapped around her waist again and again, neither too light nor too tight to cause discomfort. It skillfully enveloped Sang Li and placed her on the inner side of the bed. When she tried to struggle, Ji Hengyu turned over, his arms locking her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his embrace.

It was strange.

His tail was icy cold; his chest burning hot. Embracing her was like being caught between ice and fire—one unbearably frosty, the other scorchingly hot.

Despite all her efforts, she couldn’t push him away. Not only did she fail to move him, but his hold on her tightened even more.

Sang Li began to suspect that he might be pretending to sleep.

She craned her neck to look up at him. Ji Hengyu’s breathing was heavy, and perhaps due to discomfort, his brows were furrowed deeply.

Sang Li: “...”

It felt like he was pretending, but she wasn’t sure. She decided to observe further.

Without hesitation, she pinched her own arm hard, yet the arms holding her didn’t loosen in the slightest.

“...”

Fine.

Sighing, Sang Li resigned herself to staying still.

Perhaps sensing her compliance, the snake tail audaciously slid up her leg under her clothing.

The smooth snake scales felt like cold jade, gliding along her calf. Her whole body stiffened, and upon realizing what was happening, she kicked fiercely, pressing her foot firmly onto the tip of the tail, grinding it with all her might.

“Mmm.”

A pained groan came from above.

Sang Li grabbed his arm and bit down hard, not letting go until her teeth ached.

The snake tail retreated pitifully, then coiled around her ankle again, its tip affectionately sweeping across her sole.

Sang Li was overwhelmed with ticklish sensations, unable to escape. She could only endure: “Stop pretending. Are you awake?”

Ji Hengyu hadn’t opened his eyes, but emitted some muffled mutterings: “Sang Sang...”

He called her name several times, then rolled over, burying his head into the crook of her shoulder.

“Get off me!”

His head felt incredibly heavy, and Sang Li couldn’t budge him after trying for a while.

“Get off! You’re crushing my neck!”

Still no movement.

Annoyed and clingy.

Sang Li huffed and panted, utterly giving up resistance and finally believing that Ji Hengyu truly had lost consciousness.

She stared at the intricate carvings on the ceiling above her and paused before saying: “No matter what you said to Si Tu, I won’t forgive you easily for hurting her so badly.”

He closed his eyes, his voice unclear: “...Sorry.”

Huh??

Curious, Sang Li flicked open Ji Hengyu’s eyelids to confirm he showed no reaction, then continued probing: “What are you sorry for?”

Ji Hengyu didn’t speak anymore.

Unexpectedly, he transformed out of human form. His enormous body filled the entire bed, enveloping Sang Li within. Only the plum blossoms fluttering from the horns atop his head scattered fragrant petals all over her.

Before she could react, his forehead pressed against hers.

Sang Li heard his thoughts—

[I want to possess you.]

The overwhelming tide of emotions flooded her consciousness. Startled, she quickly created distance between them.

Her breathing was uneven as she tried once more to break free from his embrace, grabbed her shoes, and ran out of Shuoguang Hall.

The giant snake let her go, and only when her presence faded did he slowly open his eyes, revealing golden irises—

—Clear and lucid.

He closed his eyes again, sinking all his awareness into his mind sea, soaring through the gates of the mind sea, and found Si Tu in a bright and abundant spiritual realm, forcibly pulling her into his consciousness.

This was the Spiritual Domain, the highest-level technique from ancient times.

It allowed the mind seas to connect and secretly destroy the opponent’s spiritual platform.

However, this technique was extremely draining; perhaps only one in ten thousand immortals would master it.

When Si Tu was pulled into the mind sea, she thought she was dreaming.

All around was black, void nothingness. In the void slept a giant snake, the darkness highlighting those golden eyes like a cold sun in the abyss.

Si Tu felt her scalp prickle, realizing this wasn’t a dream.

“It seems the goddess is recuperating well.”

Ji Hengyu’s voice echoed around her.

She shuddered in fright and immediately became alert: “Ji Hengyu! Do you really intend to kill me?!”

“This lord always keeps his promises.” Because they were in the void, his voice sounded somewhat ethereal. “The goddess need not worry.”

Si Tu’s face twisted with resentment: “You injured my senior brother and killed so many disciples of the Heavenly Gate. Do you expect me to continue trusting you?”

“How else to gain Shen Zheyou’s trust?” He sneered. “Did you really think they were so easy to deceive?”

Si Tu froze.

Ji Hengyu continued: “As for those Heavenly Gate disciples, they were merely spies planted by the divine realm. Killing them was also helping you. Could it be that the goddess truly harbored feelings of camaraderie towards them?”

That last sentence was particularly sarcastic.

Si Tu didn’t speak.

At first, she thought only she would be injured in this plan. Now, she couldn’t tell how much truth or falsehood was in his words.

Ji Hengyu didn’t care what she thought, continuing on his own: “If there are no accidents, the divine realm will send someone before the third watch to take you back.”

Si Tu’s expression sharpened: “Are you so certain?”

Ji Hengyu chuckled softly: “Our marriage contract was originally meant to bind each other. You’re the best candidate to stay in Gui Xu. As long as you’re alive, even if your divine veins are severed, the Supreme Dao Lord will force our marriage.”

The Supreme Dao Lord was the most ruthless among Wan Fa’s disciples.

Back when the divine realm wasn’t yet established, he killed his fellow disciples for power. After Wan Fa fell, he smoothly ascended to become the divine realm’s overseer, arrogantly changing his divine title to “Supreme,” meaning he alone reigned supreme in heaven and earth. All his current benevolent appearances were just performances for the world.

Si Tu felt a chill down her spine.

Her father was an unforgivable sinner. Surviving was both fortunate and unfortunate for her.

As Ji Hengyu said, if only she were injured in this calamity, given the Supreme Dao Lord’s nature, he would absolutely conceal the matter, even using her severe injuries as a reason to force Ji Hengyu to take responsibility.

But with Shen Zheyou and the other Heavenly Gate disciples involved, the situation was vastly different.

Shen Zheyou was originally the favored child of the Heavenly Gate. With such significant matters at hand, how could the Supreme Dao Lord silence the public?

“If, as you deduce, the divine realm plans to imprison me, what can I do with my strength alone?”

“It depends on whether your senior brother sides with you or not.” Ji Hengyu said, “If he does, you simply need to stay out of it and wait for him to speak on your behalf to dissolve this marriage. If not, you make him speak. With the goddess’s intelligence, I don’t need to elaborate further. You know what to do.”

Indeed, this was the most perfect solution.

If Shen Zheyou spoke on her behalf before the Supreme Dao Lord to dissolve the marriage, the Supreme Dao Lord wouldn’t blame her, and she could continue being a powerless goddess.

Given Shen Zheyou’s nature, after witnessing Ji Hengyu’s terror, he would likely prevent her from sinking deeper into this mess. If she humbled herself and pleaded, it would definitely move Shen Zheyou.

Si Tu gazed directly into those glowing golden eyes hidden in the darkness.

Those vertical pupils shimmered faintly with golden light, exuding a cold divinity.

Even within the mind sea, Si Tu still sensed a trace of fear.

“At first, you actually intended to kill me, right?”

Ji Hengyu didn’t deny it: “Mm.”

“Why did you change your mind?”

He said: “I won’t let her feel sad.”

Upon hearing this, Si Tu sneered. “For someone like you to have feelings, I don’t know whether to feel sorry for Sang Li or happy for her.”

Cunning, selfish, despicable, and twisted.

Si Tu never held any goodwill towards Ji Hengyu from the start, and it was the same now.

Being liked by such a person was like holding a ball of fire.

Warm when loved; burning when hated, eventually reducing one to ashes.

Ji Hengyu’s tone was cold: “It has nothing to do with you.”

It indeed had nothing to do with Si Tu.

She couldn’t help but sneer: “Ji Hengyu, Sang Li is my friend. You’d better remember what you said today.”

She admitted she wasn’t a match for Ji Hengyu.

Though she couldn’t defeat him, hiding someone wasn’t difficult.

The wilderness waters were thousands of feet deep, the land vast, filled with countless isolated realms cutting off the outside world. Even if Ji Hengyu were extraordinarily powerful, it would be hard for him to find her.

Ji Hengyu grew irritated.

The little fox had no relatives or connections. Her words made it sound as if the little fox belonged to her.

Almost violently, Ji Hengyu flung Si Tu out of the Spiritual Domain. He instantly regained consciousness.

Forcing the karma to erupt earlier had already drained him of considerable energy, and opening the Spiritual Domain left him utterly exhausted.

Thinking of the upcoming Immortal Feast, Ji Hengyu took a deep breath.

Ji Wu noticed his heavy mood and couldn’t help but speak: [The divine realm has always been wary of Gui Xu. Now, with owner abruptly severing Shen Zheyou’s arm, the divine realm won’t let this slide.]

Ji Hengyu’s drooping eyes: [It’s fine.]

At most, he would receive a thunder punishment or lose an arm himself.

Such injuries were trivial to Ji Hengyu, unworthy of concern.

Compared to these, he was more worried that Sang Li harbored resentment towards him.

His chest felt heavy, and his brows furrowed with irritation.

Ji Wu was quite dissatisfied: [Owner is still too reckless. Even breaking one of his legs would be better than...]

Ji Hengyu suddenly interjected: “He held her hand.”

Ji Wu was dumbfounded.

Who held whose hand? Shen Zheyou held the little fox’s hand? When did this happen?

Ji Hengyu gazed at the distant flickering starlight.

Long ago, after investigating the Twin Sleepers with Sang Li, Shen Zheyou had supported her when they surfaced.

At that time, he didn’t understand his feelings, only finding their close figures irritating.

Now recalling, he realized it wasn’t irritation—it was jealousy.

He closed his eyes briefly: “If everything goes smoothly, find an opportunity to kill him after it ends.”

Shen Zheyou had seen Sang Li’s true form; keeping him alive was always a potential threat.

This person wasn’t as docile as he appeared. Since that day, he avoided discussing the secret realm, probably searching for a more opportune moment.

—Ji Hengyu didn’t plan to let him live until then.