Ask the Mirror
Chapter 171: Ethereal Transformation

Yu Ci possessed innate Qi, a form of true essence and Innate True Qi that typically only Core Refinement cultivators could wield. In terms of power, it wasn’t far behind that of a Core Refinement expert’s true innate Qi, but Xie Liang had once asserted that there was a fundamental difference between the two.

Before, Yu Ci had only vaguely understood this distinction. But now, facing the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens, he finally grasped it.

So many flaws!

As the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens brushed against his protective innate Qi, countless strands of gale force seeped through the slightest gaps in his defense. No matter how he adjusted the distribution of his innate Qi, the gale force found its way in—relentless and unstoppable.

Under the relentless assault of the gale winds, Yu Ci realized that his protective innate Qi was like a thin layer of burlap—seemingly capable of blocking wind and rain, but in reality, riddled with holes. Whether it was uneven distribution, sluggish circulation, or crude structural integrity, the flaws were glaring. It was utterly incapable of resisting the erosion of the gale force. Before long, Yu Ci felt a piercing cold seep into his organs, as if icy pellets were rolling inside him. His meridians stiffened—clear signs of gale force intrusion.

The root of the problem lay in how Yu Ci controlled his innate Qi.

After all, Yu Ci was only at the Divine Connectivity mid-stage, far from the level of a Core Refinement cultivator, where essence, Qi, and spirit fused seamlessly into an unbreakable unity. 

A Core Refinement expert could use their Core Refinement to command the vitality and energy of their entire body, naturally forming a flawless "circle." Yu Ci, however, could only direct his Qi with his will, still trapped within the constraints of the mundane.

"This is indeed a desperate situation, but if I don’t want to die here, I must force myself to do the impossible!"

Yu Ci took a deep breath of the frigid high-altitude air, steadying his mind. There was no way he could form a Core in such a short time. However, if it was just about "forming a circle," he had done it before.

Closing his eyes slightly, fragments of past experiences surfaced in his mind.

One was in Sky Rift Valley, where, under Tu Du’s overwhelming pressure, his Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent had advanced. His spirit, meridians, bones, and blood had all vibrated in unison around a single point within his body, naturally forming a circle. 

Another was at Southern Frost Lake, where Senior Sister Meng Wei’s flawless sword circle had inspired him to recreate the phenomenon from Sky Rift Valley, condensing his body and mind into a tightly knit sphere to withstand Nan Songzi’s devastating strike. 

The most recent instance had been after Xie Yan taught him the method of using sword Qi to break through illusions—he had tested it on a Yin demon, achieving similar results.

"Actually… it’s not that hard!"

Yu Ci freed one hand to grip the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, not to attack, but to reconnect with the sensation he had felt before. Soon, the sword trembled with a resonant hum. Using his sword intent as the central axis, he placed all his essence and energy under its control—substituting his exceptional sword intent for the function of a Core.

With the sword’s power gathered but not yet released, a deep hum resonated as his innate Qi actually converged under the guidance of his sword intent, transforming into sword Qi that coiled tightly together—successfully "forming a circle"!

Once the circle was formed, creating a barrier of sword Qi, the situation immediately changed. The effects of the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens drastically diminished. Even the gale force that had already infiltrated his body was neutralized—the results were instant.

Yet Yu Ci did not relax. He knew this situation was different from before. Previously, his sword-intent circle had lasted only a fleeting moment, appearing and vanishing in an instant. Now, however, he had to maintain this state to resist the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens. Achieving momentary harmony was difficult, but sustaining it indefinitely was far more challenging.

Yu Ci knew this better than anyone—his sword-gripping hand was trembling.

"Forming a circle" was a state that didn’t consume much energy, but it drained his mental strength and placed immense pressure on his body. Every muscle, meridian, bone, and organ had to adjust to meet the demands of this state—somewhat similar to the Light Concealment Escape Technique. The first eight movements of the Flying Eight Postures relied on explosive power, but the final "Still Posture" tested one’s ability to stabilize accumulated force and endure the strain on the body’s internal organs.

Yu Ci’s cultivation and physical strength were still lacking. Even though he was doing his best, the sword Qi circle he formed wavered slightly, oscillating between "perfect" and "imperfect," unable to completely block the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens.

But the most pressing issue was the reaction of the Demonic Beast beneath him.

Earlier, the Demonic Beast had seemingly forgotten about Yu Ci on its back, simply flying through the Gale Layer, its heavy breaths nearly drowned out by the howling winds. But when Yu Ci formed his sword Qi circle, the faint hum of the sword stirred some vague, terrible memories in the beast. The pent-up agitation in its body surged through its abdomen and chest before erupting from its throat:

"ROAR!"

A single roar scattered clouds for miles. The violent Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens were thrown into chaos, howling strangely. In mid-flight, the Demonic Beast reared up abruptly, flipping in the air against the gale winds—its target being Yu Ci on its back.

Yu Ci’s body lurched, nearly flung off. But now that his sword Qi circle was formed, even if his physical condition was lacking, his reflexes were at their peak. The moment his footing slipped, cold sword Qi burst forth naturally. With a sharp hiss, his body spun over a dozen times in mid-air, countering the centrifugal force with exquisite precision, keeping him firmly on the Demonic Beast’s back.

However, he had now slid from the beast’s shoulders all the way down to its tailbone.

Sensing the change, the Demonic Beast thrashed even more violently. It didn’t just shake its body—it unleashed its full speed, leaping hundreds of feet at a time, darting up and down, twisting and flipping relentlessly, determined to throw Yu Ci off.

Worse still were the flames and smoke wreathing its body. Whatever this energy was, it grew hotter as the Demonic Beast’s rage intensified. Scorching heat penetrated Yu Ci’s sword Qi circle, searing into his skull, making him dizzy. The sparks within the flames seemed on the verge of merging into a continuous blaze—if they truly ignited, the consequences would be unbearable.

Squinting, Yu Ci forced his way back up to the Demonic Beast’s shoulders, stepping firmly despite the chaos. No matter how much the beast struggled, this area had the least movement. Moreover, there was one particular spot…

The Demonic Beast roared, preparing for another flip—but at that moment, Yu Ci crouched, gripping his sword with both hands. The Pure Yang Talisman Sword flared with crimson light before he drove it down with all his strength.

The Demonic Beast’s fur was tougher than steel, impervious to blades. But the wound on its shoulder, torn open by Ye Bin’s sword, was still raw and unprotected. The Pure Yang Talisman Sword plunged deep, sinking half a foot into the beast’s flesh!

With this strike, Yu Ci had effectively given himself a "handle" on the Demonic Beast’s back—far more reliable than clinging to its steel-like fur. The risk of being thrown off was greatly reduced, but the Demonic Beast’s situation took a turn for the worse.

The sword stabbed into the festering wound, its fiery blade searing deeper like a branding iron. A sizzling, grotesque sound erupted as the muscles around the wound convulsed violently—a spasm that quickly spread throughout the beast’s entire body.

The Demonic Beast froze for an instant before releasing a piercing, agonized shriek that shook the heavens—far more wretched than when it had been struck in its vitals earlier.

The wind pressure surged violently!

Amid its furious roars, the Demonic Beast charged forward recklessly, smashing through the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens in a frenzied dash. It didn’t fly straight but zigzagged wildly through the Gale Layer at an altitude of twenty miles, its body grinding violently against the atmospheric currents, using sheer brute force to dislodge the nuisance on its back.

Yu Ci’s pressure intensified.

With the Pure Yang Talisman Sword anchoring him, his body was more stable, but the Demonic Beast’s frenzied flight was not just violent—it was also an excruciatingly long ordeal. The crushing wind pressure, laced with strands of gale force, battered his sword Qi circle relentlessly, every moment a life-or-death struggle.

The dark sky gradually brightened. 

The sun emerged from the clouds, climbed to its zenith, then began its descent to the west—yet the Demonic Beast’s rampage showed no signs of stopping. 

One moment, Yu Ci was at an altitude of thirty miles; the next, he plummeted to the edge of the ten-mile-high Gale Layer. The violent ups and downs continued for ten full hours—enough to churn anyone’s stomach.

Then there was the Demonic Beast’s fiery smoke. The sparks within occasionally merged into a blazing inferno that engulfed its entire body, assailing Yu Ci’s sword Qi circle, the scorching heat searing his flesh, threatening to evaporate all the fluids in his body.

Yet Yu Ci endured.

His sword Qi circle was far from flawless now. The invasive gale force had accumulated inside him, eroding his vitality and blood. But he always managed to keep the circle just above the breaking point, ensuring that while the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens and the Demonic Beast’s flames could harm him, they could not destroy him.

However, ten hours of resistance had long surpassed the limits of his mental endurance. Now, all he could rely on was the instinct honed through this grueling ordeal—the ingrained reflex to maintain the sword Qi circle.

As for his consciousness, it had drifted into a strange, trance-like state.

At some point, his Inner Void opened.

But this was not the normal state of meditation. The difference was unclear, and perhaps unimportant. He simply entered it naturally, his mind locking onto the dancing Dragon Fish at the void’s center.

Then, he merged with it—becoming one.

The Dragon Fish had once soared freely amidst mist and drizzle, carefree and joyful. But now, the light rain was mixed with icy particles, disrupting the harmony between the Dragon Fish and the Inner Void. At the same time, flames ignited at the void’s periphery, their smoky tendrils creeping inward.

The nature of this fiery smoke was entirely different from the "mist" generated by the Dragon Fish’s rain-summoning dance. It did not coexist peacefully but aggressively seized territory within the void, attempting to devour the swirling clouds and moisture.

This immediately provoked the Dragon Fish’s retaliation.

At this moment, the Dragon Fish—the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon—activated its primal instincts.

*****

High above, the Demonic Beast’s speed suddenly slowed. At the same time, its massive form began to change. Dazzling flames erupted from within its body, dissolving its physical shape and transforming it into a pure mass of fire—a flickering, shifting blaze of eerie gray-white, ethereal as smoke.

This fiery mass began descending rapidly, soon leaving the Gale Layer behind.

Yu Ci, his mind merged with the Inner Void, was oblivious to these external changes. But the flames showed no mercy. Without a solid body to cling to, Yu Ci lost his footing and plummeted, engulfed by the fire.

His sword Qi circle still held, but a hidden force within the flames pressed down on it, bringing it to the brink of collapse. One more push, and it would shatter—leaving Yu Ci defenseless, just like the giant bear that had been reduced to ashes earlier.

Yet at this critical moment, Yu Ci’s body underwent an ethereal transformation within the flames. His physical form vanished, replaced by a dark void—and within it, the wildly dancing Dragon Fish.

As this sudden metamorphosis occurred, the surrounding flames trembled violently, as if startled. In an instant, they condensed into a streak of light that merged with the void’s Dragon Fish before streaking downward.

Beneath them, endless clouds churned.