Ask the Mirror
Chapter 172: Form Manifested

Yu Ci drifted through the void, the sensation indescribably strange.

He wasn’t the Dragon Fish, but at the same time, he was the Dragon Fish.

He spiraled through the misty drizzle, surrounded by the boundless void. The contrast in scale was immense, yet he had a crystal-clear sense that the outer void revolved around him as its axis. He was the center of it all—he could and must take control of everything.

At that moment, the icy beads ahead and the fiery glow beyond became particularly glaring.

The icy beads were likely innate Qi from the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens. They disrupted the flow of Qi channels and damaged his vital essence. There were countless threads of it scattered throughout his body—trying to dispel them one by one would be a major hassle. But that was under normal circumstances. Now that the inner void of his mind had been opened, all changes within his body transcended the limitations of the physical form, simplifying complexity and reflecting everything inside.

In the void, the Dragon Fish made one simple move—and hundreds of icy shards were instantly crushed. Threads of cold melted into the misty drizzle, absorbed and digested by the Dragon Fish’s breath.

Though the process seemed effortless, it touched every aspect of Yu Ci’s body—his muscles, bones, organs. In the blink of an eye, millions of subtle changes in vital energy unfolded throughout his system. It was so intricate that even cultivators one or two levels above him would be overwhelmed. Perhaps only the unique heart-visualization method of the Primordial Origin Qi Method could allow him to handle it with such ease.

With the innate Qi dispersed, the Dragon Fish turned its attention to the fiery glow on the outer edges. If Yu Ci was correct, this flame came from the Demonic Beast.

Though the innate Qi from the Nine Heavens’ wind and this fire both appeared in his "inner void," Yu Ci never confused the two. His mastery of the Primordial Origin Qi Method deepened with each passing day—these nuances didn’t escape him.

The difference was this: the Gale Wind of the Nine Heavens's innate Qi first acted on his body, then reflected into the “inner void,” implying a layer of transformation. The outer fire, on the other hand, bypassed that process entirely—just like the time when the True Form Qi of the Heavenly Dragon charged directly into his “inner void”!

And just like that Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon, the flame carried a faint yet undeniable sense of consciousness—or more accurately, a primal instinct of the same nature. That awareness or instinct gave structure to the scattered fire, allowing it to gather formidable power and challenge the Dragon Fish head-on.

“The void is opened, foreign Qi enters, the inner image manifests the outer, and heaven and earth become one… Elder Xie wasn't wrong. Somehow, my Primordial Origin Qi Method has entered its second stage. The shift between illusion and reality is beginning to show. It can draw in external Qi into the ‘inner void'—just like it did with the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon, and now, this flame.”

As the thought crossed his mind, the two forces collided.

Flames surged from all directions, bursting forth with blinding brilliance. A powerful force field seemed to form, and the licking tongues of flame bent inward toward the Dragon Fish in the center. Wispy fire smoke mixed with the misty drizzle—some rain was evaporated, but most absorbed the fire, making the two indistinguishable.

Then came the violent impact at the heart of the void.

It was far stronger than anticipated. Yu Ci felt the world spin and abruptly opened his eyes—he had been ejected from his "inner void." The roar of rushing wind and the thunder of blazing fire filled his ears. Only then did he realize—he was engulfed in flames!

No time to wonder how it happened—he let out a piercing cry: “Open!”

The barely-holding-together sword-qi barrier around him burst forth at high speed, breaking free from the fire’s grasp and propelling him into the void. In that instant, he felt something strange—the flames hadn’t tried to harm him. Instead, there was a faint repelling force, almost like they were… sending him off. 

Bizarre.

Once outside, Yu Ci paused.

All around him, in every direction, was thick, heavy fog. The unique dusty haze was unmistakable with just a single whiff.

“Sky Rift Valley!”

And it was the deepest part—cut off from heaven and earth. Yu Ci’s body hung suspended in midair, with nothing nearby to brace against. A hundred feet away, a twisting mass of flames roiled—forming a massive, all-too-familiar shape.

Somehow, the Demonic Beast had reverted to its flame form again. But Yu Ci’s recent sword burst had thrown him clear off its back—and that was the real problem…

Without a flying technique, he was falling fast.

Through layers of mist, he spotted the Demonic Beast again. The flames still burned. This time, its transformation was taking much longer than before.

Yu Ci’s mind raced. If he tried flying back now, he might get eaten midair. But if he used this window to escape while the beast was still shifting… that might just be the best move.

Decision made in a blink, Yu Ci stilled his breath, focusing his mind. The Pure Yang Talisman Sword in his hand still carried the Demonic Beast’s blood. Even as he plummeted, he grasped the hilt with both hands and assumed a formal holding-tablet-to-pay-homage posture. Though it held no attack power, it was perfect for calming the mind and steadying focus.

With this stance, Yu Ci pushed away his restless thoughts. In his clearest mental state, he activated the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror hidden in his sleeve!

In a flash, countless starlike sparks of divine will burst outward, scattering in all directions. Since recovering the treasured mirror, Yu Ci rarely used this flooding-starburst method. Too many perspectives muddied his senses, drained energy, and slowed reaction time. But right now, the urgency left him no choice.

Starlight rained down—each spark filled with awareness. They instinctively sought nearby lifeforms, infiltrated their minds, and fed information back.

Hundreds of perspectives flashed before Yu Ci—rich and chaotic, overwhelming to the eye. But he didn’t care about the details—he only needed environmental positioning. Ignoring what the views showed, he focused solely on direction. In moments, he had a clear sense of his surroundings.

He drew a talisman—again a Divine Movement Talisman—this time strengthened with Qi-infusing techniques. But instead of using it right away, he activated a Thousand-Pound Drop technique to accelerate his fall. He plunged through a dense fog layer, losing sight of the burning Demonic Beast.

Then, Yu Ci activated the “Light Concealment Escape Technique”—a stealth method from the Heavenly Escape Sect. Its basic use was concealing one's presence—perfect for this situation.

Even after activating the technique, Yu Ci didn’t try to lighten his body. He dropped nearly two miles—over three hundred zhang—before his internal organs nearly gave out. Only then did he trigger the Divine Movement Talisman.

Infused with Qi nine times, the talisman finally achieved its miraculous effect: “White smoke and crane feathers, roaming spirit soars—clouds underfoot, swifter than wind.” Though Yu Ci had fallen over two miles, the talisman power wove a dense net of fog to catch him, layer by layer. It couldn’t stop gravity instantly, but it slowed him significantly.

Moments later, Yu Ci transformed from a falling boulder into a near-weightless specter. One gentle flick through the mist, and he glided sideways. Locking onto a direction, he stepped through the air and quickly covered almost a thousand feet. The talisman’s power expired, and he began to fall again—but this time, less than twenty zhang before landing on dark stone.

His Pure Yang Talisman Sword buzzed in his hand. At the last moment, he used sword-riding to cancel the impact. One roll, and he safely hit the ground.

From where he had started on the Demonic Beast’s back, Yu Ci had descended at least seven or eight miles. Though it seemed smooth and orderly, it had exhausted every ounce of his strength. Just a breath would reveal how empty his body was—weakness rushed in like a tidal wave.

Knowing he couldn’t force himself any further, Yu Ci sat down and began circulating the Primordial Origin Qi Method to recover his strength.

His inner void opened naturally. As his mind entered it, he noticed something different. The rain that had fallen for months had finally stopped. A bright full moon shone above, and the endless void was now fresh and clean, like a stretch of black silk unfurled to the horizon.

The Dragon Fish was no longer dancing wildly through the void—it had returned to the small lake at the center, calmly swimming.

Had the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon been damaged by the clash with the flames?

With no rain or mist, Yu Ci actually felt a little uneasy. He focused his attention on the central lake. As soon as he did, he naturally fused with the Dragon Fish once more.

And in that instant, a marvelous sensation filled his soul.

It wasn’t pain or weakness—but perfection. 

Wholeness. 

Peaceful joy. 

As if the Dragon Fish had completed some grand task and was now resting with deep contentment.

Perfect?

Yu Ci’s heart stirred—and at once, the entire inner void stilled.

Suddenly, he sensed a critical "opportunity" inside—a natural flow, almost as if that opportunity sought him out.

Then, the “opportunity” transformed into a massive brush, dipped in black ink. The brush tip touched the Dragon Fish’s head as it swam in the lake. Without hesitation, Yu Ci followed its form, from head to tail, completing one unbroken stroke.

The ink spread, but along a prearranged path. Threads and droplets, every stroke precisely placed—nothing more, nothing less. Occasionally, he made small adjustments as his intent dictated, but they flowed naturally, without resistance.

As the brush lifted, the "inner void" boomed and shook. The Dragon Fish burst from the water, soaring into the sky. Moonlight poured down. The lake below shimmered, and the boundless void rippled in reply. In that moment, the entire “inner void” became one—Qi linked and merged, perfectly unified.

Yu Ci’s eyes snapped open. He sprang to his feet. Though his physical energy had recovered less than twenty percent, his spirit was brimming with vitality.

After a moment’s daze, he lifted his right hand, extended it straight, and slowly curled four fingers inward—leaving only the ring finger pointing forward, sharp like a sword.

He hadn’t done it intentionally. 

He just stared at it. 

And in the next moment, the fingertip lit up.

Not literally glowing—it was more like…

All the weight in his body, all his blood and Qi, all his thoughts and soul had gathered at that single fingertip—everything, poured into one point, without reservation.

That ring finger now carried the weight of mountains, while the rest of his body felt light enough to float away.

Then, as if from memory, Elder Xie Liang’s calm, unwavering voice echoed once more:

“When the ring finger extends fully and draws essence, Qi, and spirit into a single unimpeded point—that is called True Linkage. At that point, the mental image commands the Physical Form. With high governing low—nothing remains out of reach.”