AUOF - 92

The banquet of immortals ended in an extremely absurd manner.

At the Divine Realm’s Star Observation Platform, the Supreme Dao Master stood silently before the starry array for a long time. This array could observe celestial phenomena across the three realms, revealing that the entire star map was in chaos, swirling with countless vortex-like patches of dark mist.

—That was the Heavenly Gate.

The formation of the Heavenly Gate was rapid, with smaller gates merging together to form larger ones. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long for the Nine Spirit Realm to be overtaken by the outer domain.

Tianxing True Lord appeared silently at his side: ‘The malevolent influences are affecting the demon gods. With Ji Hengyu alone, it won’t be long before he can no longer suppress them.’

The Supreme Dao Master let out a faint snort, raising his hand to retract the star array: ‘Do you really think he’ll remain content with the status quo?’ Thinking of the chaos during the banquet, suppressed anger once again filled his chest. ‘He wants to rebel. How can I allow him to have his way?’

Tianxing True Lord was perplexed: ‘Then what does Your Holiness intend?’

The Supreme Dao Master turned to gaze at the dimly flowing stars beyond the heavens: ‘In ancient times, there was a forbidden technique that used divine souls as eyes to forge the Stone of Heaven’s Suppression.’

Realizing the implication, Tianxing True Lord was horrified: ‘Your Holiness intends to condense Ji Hengyu into stone?’

The Supreme Dao Master lowered his eyes, devoid of compassion.

His master, the All-Law Celestial Lord, had accidentally opened the Heavenly Gate and glimpsed the remnants beyond the void. To protect the Nine Spirit Realm from external disturbances, he extracted divine soul blood and a divine bone, fusing them with several ancient artifacts to enact the forbidden technique, creating the Stone of Heaven’s Suppression to mend the heavens.

The Stone of Heaven’s Suppression also served as the ‘key.’

Emperor Qi had stolen that key, causing chaos in the Heavenly Gate. Since the All-Law could forge the key, then finding the method would naturally allow them to transform Ji Hengyu, who possessed Fuxi’s blood, into a new Stone of Heaven’s Suppression.

Eventually, with the Gui Xu Sea as the array’s focal point, they would fuse the abyssal demons into the Stone of Heaven’s Suppression and seal it along with the Heavenly Gate.

Sacrificing one Ji Hengyu would eliminate all calamities and ensure peace for the common people.

Ever since the battle on the desolate mountain, Ji Hengyu had lain low in Gui Xu.

But today, the Supreme Dao Master saw a familiar ambition in Ji Hengyu.

It reminded him of the first time he met Ji Hengyu.

That young man had shattered the celestial steps, arriving at the foot of the divine palace. When he looked up, his eyes were filled with an indomitable ferocity.

If he could climb from the bottomless abyss to this position step by step, then surely he could endure and reclaim everything once again.

The Supreme Dao Master feared his Fuxi blood but also needed it.

He orchestrated the great battle to sever Ji Hengyu’s divine meridians, reducing him to a cripple. He didn’t believe that Ji Hengyu would truly remain as calm and complacent as he appeared, content to stay in Gui Xu forever as a ‘Demon Suppressing Stone.’

The Supreme Dao Master didn’t trust him, and likewise, Ji Hengyu didn’t trust the Divine Realm.

Since he had already bared his fangs, the only option was to cut off his path.

—This was the rule of the heavenly way.

‘Call someone,’ the Supreme Dao Master instructed his disciple. ‘Use Ji Hengyu’s karmic obstacle as the reason and send Shen Zheyou to Gui Xu to keep an eye on him. Tell your senior brother to be cautious and not cross the line.’

Ji Hengyu’s goal had been achieved.

He was always cautious, and the Supreme Dao Master didn’t believe Ji Hengyu would continue to act rashly.

He just needed to stabilize Ji Hengyu and find the method to forge the stone as quickly as possible.

**

Seven days later, Qi finally brought Ji Hengyu back to Gui Xu.

As the sedan chair came to a stop in front of the palace gate, Qi hurriedly prepared to go out and call for help.

‘Wait.’

Before Qi could exit the sedan, Ji Hengyu grabbed him.

‘Master?’ Qi looked anxiously at the heavily wounded Ji Hengyu. ‘I’ll go find someone immediately. You can rest here.’

Ji Hengyu lay half-reclined on the bed.

He had endured eighty-seven thunder punishments.

The Divine Realm’s thunder punishments were different from the heavenly lightning of ascension.

These were the Five Elements Thunder Array; each bolt targeted vital meridians. If it were ordinary immortal bones, they would have long been obliterated. But Ji Hengyu was protected by Fuxi’s blood—he couldn’t die, though he suffered greatly. In the end, living was no different from dying.

His entire body was drenched in blood, his tendons and bones shattered. The clothes he initially wore had long been stained crimson, and the fresh set Qi had just changed for him quickly turned red again.

Even beneath the bed, blood continued to spread.

Ji Hengyu closed his eyes, coughing softly, struggling to swallow the metallic taste in his throat. ‘No need to make a fuss. It will only cause panic at the palace gates.’

‘But…’ Qi was at a loss for words.

In just seven days, Ji Hengyu was a completely different person from when he left.

The depletion of spiritual energy made it difficult for him to maintain his form. Qi watched helplessly as Ji Hengyu intermittently shifted between human and snake forms, unable to control his size. For an already gravely injured Ji Hengyu, the backlash was immense.

‘I’ll… I’ll call upon Wu Yan Zhao Xu True Lord!’

If Wu Yan Zhao Xu True Lord came, he could surely save Ji Hengyu!

Ji Hengyu shook his head in denial: ‘Go through the back mountain and return directly to Shuoguang Hall.’ After a pause, he added, ‘Call Sang Li.’

Qi was startled: ‘Does Miss Sang Li know medicine?’

Ji Hengyu lifted his eyelids, glancing sideways at him.

Qi paused for a long time, suddenly realizing, then revealed an expression of awkwardness and helplessness. ‘Your life is almost gone, and you’re still thinking about… that matter.’

He sighed, completely unable to understand his lord’s mindset.

However, Qi was always obedient and considerate. Without disturbing anyone, he quietly brought Ji Hengyu back to Shuoguang Hall and then went to Fumo Palace to fetch someone.

Unfortunately, Sang Li was currently training with Big Eyes in the Moon Forest.

She used Big Eyes as a sparring partner, practicing her long-standing weakness—physical combat.

After several rounds, both were exhausted.

Seeing it was getting late, Sang Li reluctantly bid farewell and turned to return to Fumo Palace.

But before she could return, she was intercepted by Qi, who seemed to have rushed over from somewhere.

Qi was frantic: ‘Miss Sang Li, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?’

Even though his senior brother wore a mask, Sang Li detected urgency in his tone.

Hearing that Qi had accompanied Ji Hengyu to the banquet of immortals, Sang Li didn’t expect him to suddenly appear. She was momentarily stunned, opening her mouth but not having time to ask further before her wrist was grabbed.

Qi moved swiftly, explaining as they walked: ‘Master is gravely injured. He doesn’t want others, only you. In short… please come with me to Shuoguang Hall.’

Gravely injured?

Ji Hengyu?

Sang Li’s mind hadn’t caught up yet. She was pulled along, unable to hide the confusion in her voice: ‘He doesn’t see the physician. Why does he want to see me?’

Qi’s ears reddened.

How to answer that? Telling the truth outright would be impolite.

Qi chose not to explain, stammering: ‘Anyway… please hurry to see Master. I’m afraid he won’t make it.’

Thinking of Ji Hengyu’s condition, Qi’s demeanor became somber.

He wasn’t the type to lie, and Sang Li gasped in shock.

There weren’t many things that could bring Ji Hengyu down. Just attending a banquet—how could it cost him his life?

Sang Li didn’t dare delay any further and allowed Qi to fly her directly to Shuoguang Hall.

Before entering the hall, a strong smell of blood hit her nose.

Qi didn’t enter. After giving her some instructions, he thoughtfully stood guard outside, even casting a silencing spell on himself to avoid hearing anything he shouldn’t.

Inside the hall, candles flickered softly.

Behind the screen, the bed was silent. The closer she approached, the stronger the smell of blood became.

Sang Li couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose, tiptoeing around the screen and slowly lifting the curtain.

Then she was startled by the scene inside.

Ji Hengyu was covered in blood, some dried and some still warm, staining his entire body. At a glance, it was hard to distinguish where the blood ended and where the original color of his robe began.

Yet despite his severe injuries, his face was extraordinarily clean and pale, his lips bloodless, his eyelashes drooping lifelessly.

Sang Li saw the ashen aura of death on him.

Her heart sank abruptly. Before her mind could process the situation, tears spilled from her eyes.

Warm tears dripped onto his face, sliding down his cheeks and mingling with the blood on his neck.

Though she cried silently, her tears woke Ji Hengyu.

When he opened his eyes, Sang Li saw warmth and gentle laughter in those overly hollow eyes, dulled by blood loss.

‘Why do you cry at the sight of me?’

Ji Hengyu raised his hand, gently wiping away her tears.

His throat tightened.

Sang Li didn’t know why.

She admitted to harboring a slight fondness for him, but not enough to shed tears so deeply.

She just felt… Ji Hengyu shouldn’t be lifeless.

His fingertips were icy, colder even than the temperature of his snake tail when he transformed.

Sang Li felt inexplicably distressed, sitting slowly on the edge of the bed. Her tear-washed eyes were clear like the moon, reflecting his weary face.

Ji Hengyu wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his fingers gently tracing her brows and eyes, his heart softening.

He wanted to hold her.

Best of all, kiss her.

Then tell her—

He liked her.

‘The engagement between me and Situ has been dissolved.’ Ji Hengyu’s throat burned. ‘From today on, there will be no second engagement for me.’

His voice didn’t fluctuate much, but it fell like a meteorite, leaving a deep scar in Sang Li’s heart.

Ji Hengyu looked at her.

In the past, his eyes were often cold and distant, but now the chill had receded, revealing a gentle undertone. ‘You once said that if our issues could be resolved, you’d reconsider being with me.’

Sang Li clenched her fingers, her thoughts burning.

She had guessed it before.

She guessed this might be Ji Hengyu’s plan to dissolve the engagement, but she never imagined he would go this far.

Sang Li saw the gaping hole in his abdomen, clearly exposing the bone. Just breathing seemed excruciating. Yet his expression remained calm, showing no pain, his eyes filled only with her.

Her voice was dry: ‘You originally had other options…’

He was skilled at scheming. Sang Li didn’t believe he lacked a better solution.

‘Yes,’ Ji Hengyu smiled faintly. ‘I did.’

He said: ‘But none of them were what you would like.’

Sang Li was speechless.

Ji Hengyu reached out to touch her damp lashes: ‘I’ve never liked anyone else, nor do I know how to win your affection. I’m well aware of my difficult nature, how I repel others. All I’ve done now is strive for a sliver of your liking. Even if I can’t have it all, a little is enough.’

From a very young age, Ji Hengyu wanted to ask himself, his mother, and others—what was the meaning of his survival?

Was it to remain in the endless abyss day after day? Or to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, sacrificing themselves and becoming offerings trapped between heaven and earth?

There were many paths of suffering in the world, and Ji Hengyu happened to walk the darkest one.

He originally thought it would continue like this forever.

He originally believed so.

Ji Hengyu conjured a sharp, delicate ice blade, gently lifting her hand. Ignoring the astonishment in her eyes, he slowly placed the blade in her palm. ‘Once, wanting to kill you was real; now, loving you is real. If you still hate me for the past, kill me again.’ He said, ‘As you can see, I am now vulnerable and weak, the easiest target. But after killing me, could you…’

He paused for a few breaths, his voice low and restrained as he leaned close—

‘Let go of the past, and keep me in the present.’