fter meeting with the Demon Queen in the abandoned temple, Aoki already had a clear plan in mind.
To track the clues of Lin Qiyou’s memories, Nongli’s power, and Yueqi, he had to create a special environment—a place that would intensely provoke the “Hero’s Will” within Yuelan, forcing it to manifest and release a powerful energy fluctuation.
And the best stimulus was none other than the thick and pure aura of the “Otherworld.” Lin Qiyou’s Immortal Sword Qi, Nongli’s demon power, plus his own soul force derived from the [Qi Formula]—the three combined were enough to produce an “abnormal” disturbance that the rules of this world could not ignore. For the Hero’s Will, whose very mission was to “eliminate the abnormal,” such a wave would be an irresistible provocation.
The key to this plan was Yuelan. He needed her to be caught completely off guard by this otherworldly aura, thus awakening the will hidden inside her. This was playing with fire and could bring Yuelan pain or even danger. But to uncover the truth and break fate’s hold, he had to take the risk. He would do his best to control the degree and ensure Yuelan’s safety.
He found Yuelan tending to the stubborn flowers that continued to bloom at the edge of the camp, even after the ravages of war. Sunlight poured onto her pristine Saintess’ robe, making the moment seem peaceful and beautiful.
Seeing Aoki seek her out, Yuelan’s face immediately blossomed into a surprised and warm smile, her eyes filled with overflowing kindness.
“You’re here?” She set down her small watering can and quickly came over, instinctively reaching out to tidy Aoki’s not-at-all-messy collar. “How come you’re free today? Worn out from tactical discussions? You have to remember to rest.”
Aoki resisted the urge to avoid her hand and forced as gentle and even, perhaps… affectionate a smile as he could manage. This was difficult for him, but he managed.
“It’s nothing, I just suddenly wanted to see you.” Aoki’s voice was as soft as possible. “You’ve been working hard lately…”
Yuelan was briefly stunned, then her face lit up with an incredible joy and a faint blush. Starlight seemed to twinkle in her blue eyes. Aoki had never been this “gentle” to her before! Almost flustered and flattered, she waved her hands. “It’s not hard, not at all! For everyone’s sake—for your sake—I’m willing to do anything!” Her words overflowed with sincerity, even a hint of excess emotion.
Aoki followed her lead, steering the conversation as they walked side by side in the garden, chatting about trivial things, occasionally showing a hint of “concern” for her. Yuelan was completely immersed in the kind of “closeness” she’d always dreamed of, her smile growing brighter, the wariness and Saintess’ reserve in her gaze melting away, replaced by a dizzy happiness and unconditional trust in Aoki.
She felt Aoki had finally “understood,” finally sensed her feelings. She didn’t notice at all that an invisible net was quietly closing around her.
The time was nearly right. Aoki secretly signaled Lin Qiyou and Nongli, who were hidden nearby.
Just as Yuelan’s heart pounded and her cheeks flushed from Aoki’s ambiguous “concern,” the unexpected struck!
Two powerful auras, utterly alien to this world’s energy, erupted without warning!
To the left, Lin Qiyou’s figure appeared, her cold face calm as still water, but sword qi burst from her body. That fierce and pure immortal force, holding the meaning of severing karma and transcending this world, instantly stirred the elemental balance around them.
To the right, Nongli’s tall figure materialized, nine fox tails wavering behind her. Majestic demon power surged out like a tide, carrying a wild, primal, yet refined vitality—a sharp contrast to the orderliness of holy light.
The two powerful otherworldly auras struck Yuelan, who was totally unprepared, like giant hammers!
“What?!” Yuelan’s happy smile froze instantly, replaced by utter shock and confusion. Sensing the two forces so full of “foreignness,” her instincts as a Saintess made her reflexively want to summon holy light to resist and purify.
But before she could move, Aoki’s eyes suddenly turned sharp as blades! No longer hiding, he activated the [Qi Formula] at full power, and a deep, soul-originating alien energy burst from his body! This power was neither as fierce as sword qi nor as overwhelming as demon power, but it was more fundamental, reaching the very base of the world’s rules, as if a deep-water bomb had been dropped into a calm lake!
Three mighty forces from different “otherworlds” wove together and resonated, forming a powerful field targeting “anomalies,” locking Yuelan at its center!
“Aoki?! You… What are you doing?!” Yuelan looked in terror at the transformed Aoki, then at the suddenly appearing Lin Qiyou and Nongli. Betrayal? A trap? Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but her most immediate reaction was that something inside her had been completely enraged!
“Ah—!”
Yuelan let out a cry of pain, clutching her head. Her body trembled violently. The kindness and gentleness on her face shattered like a mask, replaced by an expression of extreme agony and… a steadily rising coldness and ferocity!
In her blue eyes, the sacred light quickly faded, replaced by strands of icy green that spread like a virus, rapidly overtaking her pupils! Her entire aura transformed—no longer the gentle Saintess, she became sharp, cold, and suffused with destructive energy!
“It’s you… scum of the otherworld… viruses of the world…” An icy, utterly emotionless voice came from “Yuelan’s” lips. The tone was completely unlike her own, filled with majesty and indifference.
Yueqi! Or rather, the “Hero’s Will” that had replaced Yueqi, forcibly awakened by the intense stimulation of otherworldly energies! “It really showed itself!” Aoki’s gaze focused, and he barked, “Now’s the moment!”
His hands flashed through seals, [Qi Formula] running at maximum, his soul perception stretching out like the finest tendrils toward the body now dominated by “Yueqi’s” will. At the same time, he shouted to Lin Qiyou and Nongli, “Sense what you’ve lost! Use it as a guide!”
Lin Qiyou closed her eyes, heart like a mirror, focusing on detecting the ripples in the river of memories stripped from her in this world. Nongli let out a low growl, frantically urging her remaining demon power to resonate with her stolen core power.
And the body under the control of “Yueqi’s” will reacted even more violently to these three intense “abnormal” auras, especially the soul-originating [Qi Formula] of Aoki! Dazzling golden light burst from her, not the warm holy light, but an exclusive, absolute force of order, as if determined to purify and erase all “abnormalities” before it!
Amid this intense struggle, as the “Yueqi” will summoned all its power to eliminate the “viruses,” Aoki’s heightened soul perception finally caught it!
He “saw” it! Deep within “Yueqi’s” will, countless incredibly fine, almost imperceptible threads of pure energy and information pierced the void, connecting to unknown destinations! These threads controlled the body, transmitted so-called “Hero Power,” and… siphoned something away!
At the same moment, Lin Qiyou’s body trembled. She sensed a faint, familiar ripple belonging to her missing memories, coming from along one of those “threads”! Nongli gave a muffled groan as the core of her remaining power trembled violently, as if sensing the distant call of her stolen origin!
Three threads! From three different “sources,” yet all faintly pointing toward the same distant, blurry place!
Without hesitation, Aoki locked his whole being on the destination of those intertwining energy streams, his soul force like an arrow flying along that mysterious connection, crossing endless space—
Boom—!
It was as if he’d slammed into an invisible, incredibly tough barrier. His soul perception shook violently, but in that instant, he “saw” it clearly! It was an indescribable place, existing between reality and illusion, flooded with endless torrents of energy and information. Fragments of Lin Qiyou’s memories, the essence of Nongli’s stolen power, and the massive “crisis energy” drained from Yueqi all flowed into it like rivers to the sea, absorbed and integrated by some vast, unknowable will.
The vision lasted only an instant before his soul force was flung back.
“Ugh!” Aoki groaned, his face turning pale, soul wracked with pain. At the same time, with the loss of the intense otherworldly stimulation and the disruption to the “threads” from Aoki’s soul impact, the golden light in “Yueqi’s” eyes quickly faded. Her body went limp and collapsed to the ground. Lin Qiyou and Nongli also withdrew their auras, looking pale from the strain of the attempt.
Aoki rushed to catch the unconscious Yuelan, giving Lin Qiyou and Nongli a meaningful glance. They nodded and quickly vanished from sight.
After a while, Yuelan slowly woke up. She blinked in confusion, finding herself lying on a bench in the garden, Aoki seated nearby, looking at her with “concern.”
“I… What happened to me?” Yuelan rubbed her aching temples, her memory stuck at that “intimate” moment with Aoki. Everything after was a blur, save for fragments of a terrible, chaotic dream.
Aoki’s face showed just the right amount of worry. “You suddenly fainted just now—maybe you’ve been overworking. I brought you here to rest.” His tone was gentle, as if the harrowing ordeal had never happened.
“Fainted?” Yuelan stared blankly, trying to recall, but all she remembered were fragments—golden light, a cold feeling, Aoki’s stern gaze? She shook her head, chalking those vague images up to a dream. “Maybe… maybe so. Thank you, Aoki.” Seeing Aoki’s “concerned” gaze, her heart warmed again. She felt sure that the “dream” had been false—Aoki would never treat her that way.
“It’s fine. Just rest well.” Aoki soothed her, helping her to sit up straight.