Chapter 854 (2): How Dare You Nearly Break It!

No ordinary strength could withstand this. Only those with deep comprehension of the very fundamentals of power could endure. Any weakness, any flaw in insight, and death would come swiftly, and this death would be a complete one, in body and spirit. Not a trace would be left.

This was a true demon. Every attack was the embodiment of the most sinister and terrifying laws of nature. And yet, outwardly, it was just a casual flick of the finger.

Only now did Zhao Changhe understand why, when Ye Wuming was tasked with suppressing Ye Jiuyou in the past, their battles seemed so still, so quiet. It was as if they were just sitting and chatting. Back then, he had not been able to perceive what was truly happening. He now realized fully that while their duels contained no fists or blades, there were momentous clashes of wills and principles, carried in glances and breaths.

But now, Zhao Changhe met that finger head-on. His blade was deflected, but in the very next instant, his left hand flicked, and River of Stars flew out.

From within the darkness, the sword surged forward, soundless, straight toward Ye Jiuyou’s chest.

It hovered just several cun away and stopped. It could go no farther. The sword hung there, suspended in air, like a little girl being held back by her aunt. No matter how hard the little girl tried to move further, she could not land a blow on her big aunt.

Bang!

Aunt Jiuyou flicked her finger again. The little sword flipped through the air, shielding its head in retreat.

It looked comical, almost cute, but the force behind that flick was enough to overturn the night sky—absolutely monstrous.

“Ugh, it reeks of Ye Wuming,” Jiuyou muttered coldly, preparing to strike again. The little sword, sensing it might end up with a cruel stepmother, erupted with fury.

In the next moment, the void blazed with starlight. Meteors rained from every direction, tearing through dimensional walls to appear directly above Ye Jiuyou, intent on burying her alive.

A broad saber swept across the field, blood-red light flooding the sky.

Shattering Heaven and Earth!

Boom!

The force of falling stars, the weight of heaven and earth, all converged at a single point... and missed.

Ye Jiuyou had vanished without a sound, reappearing behind Zhao Changhe with a silent palm striking toward his back.

In this darkness, she was everywhere and nowhere. Zhao Changhe had no way to track her movements.

But it was as if he had anticipated this. His saber angled upward, and the starfall that had just crashed down suddenly reversed, rewinding back into the heavens. The void surged, forming a new, glittering firmament above.

Ye Jiuyou’s palm crashed into the reconstructed sky, shattering it with a bang, but Zhao Changhe himself remained untouched. His blade turned, arcing back toward Ye Jiuyou’s neck.

For the first time, Ye Jiuyou stirred with a flicker of surprise.

This strike... is not bad.

Clang!

Her slender hand slapped the flat of the blade once again, sending Zhao Changhe staggering backward, blood at his lips. He crouched slightly, eyes sharp, brimming with fighting intent.

Ye Jiuyou clasped her hands behind her back. “What was that technique just now?”

“Restarting Creation. It’s the final move of Lie’s Vicious Blood Saber Art.”

“It didn’t feel quite like his style. This reconstruction of the starry sky is definitely not something that Lie would do; and even if he would, he isn’t capable of it.”

“I took inspiration from him, but my intent has long diverged.”

Ye Jiuyou tilted her head slightly, studying the light in his eyes. The warmth and tenderness of the past few days were gone, replaced with raw resolve, an edge that sought her weaknesses without flinching. And strangely, she found she did not like this look on him. He should be the one smiling faintly, reaching to wipe milk from her lip, not staring her down like a predator ready to strike.

She understood his urgency to break through to the third layer of the Profound Control Realm. Piaomiao could offer guidance, but her insights were just theoretical. On the other hand, hers could offer something more precise, more visceral.

Ye Jiuyou had once wondered if his emotional pursuit of her was at least partially driven by that need. If he could dual cultivate with her, it might grant an immediate breakthrough, not just from the sheer energy transfer, but from the intense resonance of spirit and soul it would provide. This was not speculation; it was real.

But after these few exchanges, she understood that this man had never seen her that way.

He did not treat emotions as a tool, nor did he use charm for gain. He had the pride of a true martial artist, of a warrior. He wanted to attain enlightenment through combat alone. And perhaps, he also wanted her to see that if he dared claim the title of her man, it was because he deserved it on every front.

“To think you’ve already reached half a step into the third layer... You really do have the right to be arrogant,” Ye Jiuyou murmured. “No wonder you survived Ye Wuming’s strike yesterday. She was not pulling her punches.”

Zhao Changhe exhaled. “We’re sparring, you know. Focus.”

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

“I’ve lost interest in continuing,” Ye Jiuyou said flatly. “One more move. I warned you before. If I don’t hold back, you will die. If you survive this blow...”

Zhao Changhe asked, “Then what?”

“If you survive, you’ll likely break through into the third layer. Even if you don’t, I promise I’ll help you reach it.”

Zhao Changhe’s expression turned solemn. “Alright.”

Ye Jiuyou drew in a deep breath. Slowly, very slowly, she extended a fist.

Halfway through its arc, her fair skin turned jet black. The fist radiated a chilling, suffocating death aura. Wherever it passed, even the darkness around them was devoured.

There was no light, no shadow, no reflection. Nothing remained.

It was utter oblivion.

Zhao Changhe’s heart gave a sudden lurch. Instinctively, he withdrew both Dragon Bird and River of Stars.

He had a sense that anything that touched this strike, anything at all, would be consumed utterly and reduced to void.

I can’t let anything touch this strike...

Zhao Changhe let out a thunderous roar and launched a punch of his own.

At that moment, the Heavenly Tome hidden within his ring flipped open with a rustling sound, stopping on the page of light.

Blinding brilliance erupted forth, piercing through the pitch-black abyss, like a beam of pure radiance colliding head-on with the void that devoured all.

BOOM!

The cataclysmic impact rippled through the abyss, its aftershock stretching across countless li.

At the core of the clash, the light was quickly being overwhelmed and consumed by the darkness. Blood spilled from the corner of Zhao Changhe’s mouth, his teeth clenched tight as he struggled to endure.

In terms of raw power, the gap between them was immense. Ye Jiuyou stood at the very peak of the third layer of the Profound Control Realm; Zhao Changhe, at best, hovered just below the threshold. The difference between them was an entire chasm.

But Ye Jiuyou was not in her prime state. She had sustained injuries only yesterday, and although she had recovered, she had not returned to her peak. On top of that, light was the natural antithesis of darkness. A loss was inevitable, but death, not necessarily. As long as he could dilute enough of the strike’s force, the remaining backlash could be taken head-on, leaving him severely injured but alive.

Ye Jiuyou stared coldly at him as he pushed himself to the brink. His control was fraying; the beam of light was no longer steady. It was beginning to scatter, and some of it even spilled onto her wrist.

And on that wrist glimmered a bracelet of jade.

The bracelet!

Does this bastard not realize that if that light touched it, it would be destroyed?

Does he not remember that aside from that mountain, this bracelet was the first gift he ever gave me?

I already told him that it wouldn’t hold up well in battle. And still, he isn’t careful!

Instinctively, Ye Jiuyou withdrew a sliver of her power to shield the bracelet.

A wet splurt followed as Zhao Changhe spat blood and was blasted back several li, tumbling through the air until he hung suspended in the void, coughing violently.

Through the blood and ragged breathing, Zhao Changhe looked up at her. Ye Jiuyou walked toward him through the shattered void. He felt puzzled.

That... wasn’t as bad as I expected.

He had braced himself for mortal injury, and yet here he was, battered but far from broken.

Is she still too weak? Or... did she hold back? But didn’t she say she wouldn’t?

Ye Jiuyou stood before him, face expressionless. “Are you dead?”

“Alive.” Zhao Changhe managed a smile, still coughing. “Did you... hold back?”

“If I hadn’t, you’d be half-dead. I could save you... or finish the job,” she said coldly. “Were you really that reckless? You just had to take it head-on? If you’d simply surrendered, none of this would’ve been necessary.”

“I said I’d endure one strike. If I survived, I’d win. What’s a little serious injury?” Zhao Changhe laughed hoarsely. “You really didn’t have to hold back. If you did, it dulled the edge of my insight.”

Ye Jiuyou suddenly exploded: “If I hadn’t, that bracelet would’ve shattered! Zhao Changhe, you bastard! How dare you nearly break it!”

Zhao Changhe was stunned. In the heat of battle, he truly had not noticed.

Ye Jiuyou took several deep breaths, forcing her rage down. “Whether I held back or not, you survived the strike. As agreed, I’ll help you break through. Rest for now. We’ll talk when you’ve recovered.”

“Wait.” Zhao Changhe suddenly reached for her hand. “I can’t stand... help me up.”

Ye Jiuyou grumbled and gave him a pull, but Zhao Changhe, either by accident or design, stumbled and fell forward, landing right against her.

She frowned. She was about to push him off when she was pulled tightly into an embrace.

“Get off me!”

Zhao Changhe weakly wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. “If you hit me again, I’ll die... don’t move. Just let me hold you for a moment...”

Ye Jiuyou stood still for a long moment, then sighed. She finally helped him sit down, letting him lean against her shoulder. “Take out your medicine... You helped me recover last night, now it’s my turn.”