Shattered Mirror

The hard stone beneath him was bone-chillingly cold, surrounded on all sides by an impenetrable, pitch-black darkness. The dizzying nausea of the teleportation's aftereffects made Xu Yuan feel like throwing up. After composing himself slightly, he sighed in his heart. They had been teleported after all. If Li Qingyan could have been as obedient and sweet as that giant block of ice, fleeing without hesitation, then with the sheer speed she displayed at the very end—speed so fast that even Nan Jinxi had failed to react—the two of them could have easily broken free from the Kunwu Mirror's lock-on range. Yet if Li Qingyan had obeyed without question, she wouldn't be Li Qingyan. At the thought, Xu Yuan suddenly felt an urge to laugh. He understood what this chest-bound princess was thinking. Lacking an omniscient perspective, she did not know the true might of the Kunwu Mirror, let alone that his own escape from its lock-on had been a life-or-death gamble exploiting the invincibility frames of Void-Stepping Slash. Although he had not been able to see every detail of what occurred in that flash of time, he could easily deduce how the clash between the two women had unfolded. Without the Kunwu Mirror’s two properties of absorption and reflection, that fox spirit Nan Jinxi would have been instantly slain in a single exchange by Li Qingyan, who had been empowered by the military array. Under such circumstances, why run? Seizing the fox spirit for interrogation was undeniably the optimal choice. Yet it was too late to dwell on that now. In the end, they had been outmaneuvered by Nan Jinxi—undone by the Kunwu Mirror. As for where Nan Jinxi intended to send them? Under normal conditions, the teleportation distance of the Kunwu Mirror was not excessively far. Converting it to the real world, it was perhaps a few hundred li. Given the current situation, Xu Yuan could guess the destination Nan Jinxi had chosen with his eyes closed. Fortunately, Li Qingyan had managed to drag Nan Jinxi along at the final moment; otherwise, their predicament would have been true despair. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Xu Yuan felt his wrist tighten slightly within the warm, jade-like grasp beside him. Looking up, a familiar husky voice tinged with a faint trace of apology sounded in his ear: "Prince Consort, if you and I are buried here together, would it count as dying for love?" "..." Xu Yuan was speechless. Why did he feel like swearing again? Using her jade hand for support, Xu Yuan pushed himself to his feet. With a chuckle, he replied through voice transmission: "Heh, I have no desire to die in a godforsaken place like this." A brief silence followed. Li Qingyan’s voice rang in his ears once more. Even in the face of death, she remained as aloof as frost. "Unwilling, are you? Then I shall do my utmost to carve out a chance for you to escape, Prince Consort." With that, she glanced out of the cave. Beyond the entrance lay not just wind and snow, but countless pairs of eerie blue eyes lurking within the snow-covered forest. Their arrival had already been detected by the barbarian commanders outside, and countless barbarian warriors were closing in noiselessly amidst the blizzard. "..." This time, Xu Yuan did not immediately reply. Scanning his surroundings, he caught sight of the pale-faced Nan Jinxi. The toll of activating the Kunwu Mirror had clearly strained even her second-rank Origin Realm cultivation. Soon after, however, Xu Yuan's gaze settled upon a pair of glowing blue eyes not far away. Blood-colored flames ignited within his pupils, bringing sharp clarity to the ink-black cave and allowing Xu Yuan to dimly discern the master of those eerie blue eyes. Sure enough, it was the Barbarian Heterodox King with whom he had struck a deal. A tower of a one-armed humanoid brute, his body covered in jagged, hardened barbs. He simply sat there in silence like a massive boulder. Yet in contrast to his mountain-still posture, a tumult of complex emotions flickered through his eyes at this moment. After watching him for a breath, Xu Yuan thought to himself that this Barbarian Heterodox King was probably thanking nature for its bountiful gift. With a quiet sigh, Xu Yuan asked via voice transmission, "Why didn't you strike right away?" This time, Li Qingyan did not reply through transmission. Holding her crimson demon blade in hand, her indifferent voice echoed through the cramped cave: "The residual array power within me is still enough to deliver a single strike. He did not summon his totem beforehand, and he is wounded. He cannot withstand this blade of mine." After her overt, cold remark, her tone softened slightly as she whispered into Xu Yuan's ear: "In a moment, I will take the Barbarian Heterodox King hostage and leave this cave. Changtian, flee toward the southeast. Luo Qingfeng and the others should be arriving soon. You have a chance to survive." "..." After hearing this, Xu Yuan had a general grasp of their predicament. Li Qingyan held a gun with only a single bullet. If she struck Nan Jinxi to seize the Kunwu Mirror, the Barbarian Heterodox King would erupt the very next instant and wipe them both out before the body even grew cold. If she killed the Barbarian King directly, the hundreds of thousands of barbarian soldiers outside would still slaughter them. As for why Nan Jinxi had not used the Kunwu Mirror to flee, the reason was even simpler: activating the mirror for teleportation required time. To Xu Yuan, it was only an instant, but to the other two powerhouses in the cave, it was an eternity. Even if the Barbarian King did not realize it, Li Qingyan would immediately flash over and drag Nan Jinxi along the moment she sensed the mirror being primed for another escape. After a brief pause, Xu Yuan asked calmly, "Do you think you have no hope of escaping?" Li Qingyan glanced at him, a trace of amusement in her phoenix eyes. "Changtian, how does one escape a situation like this?" Xu Yuan paid no heed to the change in how she addressed him, merely casting a glance toward the Barbarian Heterodox King. "Wouldn't taking him hostage to escape work just as well?" Li Qingyan drew a deep breath, her slender chest rising and falling slightly. "Without the resonance of the soldiers' techniques, the array power within me is like rootless duckweed, dwindling continuously. In perhaps the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it will dissipate entirely. Once I lose the array's enhancement, I am no match for him, even wounded as he is." Xu Yuan smiled faintly and parted his lips to speak. Li Qingyan raised a finger and pressed it against his lips, half-joking, "Enough. Time is short. If there is anything you wish to say to me, there is no need to rush. We will have plenty of chances in the next life." With that, silence fell over the cave. *Hum—* The crimson blade in Li Qingyan's hand suddenly gave off a low vibration, its flames illuminating the pitch-black cave in brilliant light. Her tone was aloof: "Barbarian King, you are a clever man. I shouldn't need to explain further." "..." After a moment of silence, the towering giant stood up without a word. His massive, muscular frame made the entire cave feel stiflingly cramped. Taking a step forward, the Barbarian Heterodox King slowly exhaled. His unique anatomy produced no visible mist as he breathed. When he spoke, his Great Yan tongue was halting and raspy: "Wuyuan, I thought our next meeting would be on the battlefield in a few days. But it seems your internal strife in Great Yan has reached a point of absolute mutual destruction." "..." Li Qingyan did not reply. Keeping her eyes fixed on him, she calmly pointed the tip of her blade toward the cave entrance. The Barbarian Heterodox King’s hideous, dark face seemed to twitch into a fleeting smile. Shaking his head, he walked steadily toward the outside of the cave. Li Qingyan followed at a measured pace, simultaneously casting a sharp glance at Nan Jinxi, who seemed on the verge of condensing a snow spirit avatar to flee. Clad in tatters, Nan Jinxi let out a soft huff at the look and obediently followed behind the Barbarian King. Inside the cave, nothing remained except footsteps and the howling wind. Halting at the cave mouth, they looked out across the vast, swirling snow. Countless pairs of eerie blue eyes had already gathered like fiends from the underworld, blanketing the mountains and plains. The royal court tribes of the barbarians had assembled, and several Barbarian God totems emanating palpitating power had already risen among the ranks. Standing tall at the entrance, the Barbarian Heterodox King glanced back at Li Qingyan, then at the unfamiliar human man beside her. His deep voice carried a mix of amusement and a sigh: "Wuyuan, to abandon trading your life for mine just to secure an escape for such a male... you truly disappoint me." Li Qingyan held her blade against the Barbarian Heterodox King’s broad back, her crimson eyes devoid of emotion. "Barbarian King, overestimating yourself is not a good habit. Even if you live, the barbarians cannot escape their doom." The Barbarian Heterodox King fell silent for a moment, then chuckled as he looked upon his people. "A ruler across the ages must defy the heavens and oppose the prevailing tide. Even if I fail, I shall have no regrets." As the two finished speaking, Xu Yuan felt a gentle wave of qi wrap around him, lifting him into the air alongside the other three. High above, the wind and snow cut like knives, biting into their faces. At that moment, Xu Yuan suddenly spoke up: "Li Qingyan, are you planning to use the last of the array's power to throw me clear?" Li Qingyan’s answer was succinct: "Yes." Xu Yuan shook his head. "Listen to me. We won't die." Li Qingyan looked at him, a trace of helplessness in her crimson eyes. "Is there any point in saying this now?" "No. From this moment on, listen to me, and neither of us will die." "..." Li Qingyan’s expression turned peculiar before she smiled. "Prince Consort, have you changed your mind and decided you wish to die for love with me after all?" "..." Xu Yuan fell silent. He really wanted to curse. What kind of time was this? Did this prodigal woman truly want them both to perish here? Yet in the very next breath, Li Qingyan’s sighing voice reached his ear: "Since you say so, Prince Consort, I will listen to you this once. But make it quick. The array power within me will soon be insufficient to slay the Barbarian King. When that happens, he will act without hesitation." Xu Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and without missing a beat, he said, "That mirror." "What?" Li Qingyan’s delicate brows furrowed. "There's no time. No matter how gravely injured the Barbarian Heterodox King is, he has half a foot in the Saint Realm. Even if I kill that fox spirit—" "I mean, use that strike of yours to slash the mirror in her hands directly." "..." Li Qingyan fell quiet for a moment, took a deep breath, and asked, "Are you sure?" "When I finish my countdown, strike." "What countdown?" "..." Xu Yuan said nothing more, turning instead toward the towering Barbarian Heterodox King beside them. "Hey, Barbarian King, how about we make another deal?" "..." The Barbarian Heterodox King’s pupils constricted, and he turned to Xu Yuan with surprise in his eyes. "Another?" A strange glint flickered in Xu Yuan’s narrow eyes as he chuckled lightly. "Heh, have you already forgotten those three hundred thousand sect elites?" "Oh?" The corners of the Barbarian Heterodox King’s chitin-covered lips pulled back, an undercurrent of murderous intent rising in his eerie blue eyes. "It seems there is a reason Wuyuan is willing to trade for your life. A high-ranking member of the Prime Minister's residence... Human, are you the third son of the Great Yan Prime Minister?" Pausing for a fraction of a second, the Barbarian Heterodox King was more than happy to stall for time. He murmured, "Speak. What do you intend to trade with me this time?" "Before I escape, kill her for me first," Xu Yuan said, pointing straight at the scantily clad fox spirit nearby. "This demon's Source Qi is thoroughly depleted. A half-Saint powerhouse like you shouldn't need the totems below to snap her neck with ease." "..." Nan Jinxi parted her lips, stunned. The Barbarian Heterodox King’s eyes flickered, and he replied immediately, "That is indeed not difficult. But what do you intend to—" "If you refuse, I will have Wuyuan strike you down right now." "..." Faced with the threat of death, the Barbarian Heterodox King remained utterly calm, even speaking with a hint of amusement: "If she strikes me down, both of you will die here as well." "That is true." Xu Yuan spoke rapidly, fixing his gaze on the king's eerie blue eyes. "Yet the decisive battle looms. If we die, Great Yan still has Marquis Wucheng, Zong Qingsheng, Yuan Hao, and a whole host of high-ranking generals. But if you die, I wager the tribes under your command will instantly scatter like loose sand. Once your elites fall, the women and children of your barbarian race in the Land of Utter Darkness will become lambs to the slaughter beneath Great Yan's blades. "If you live, leading these hundreds of thousands of barbarian elites into the coming battle gives you a slim glimmer of victory." Having said that, Xu Yuan stared at the Barbarian Heterodox King, enunciating every word: "You have ten breaths left to consider." The Barbarian Heterodox King listened intently, his blue pupils showing no trace of emotion. Raising a chitin-encrusted index finger, he pointed at Xu Yuan. "I do not believe a pampered noble like you possesses the resolve to face death without flinching." "Seven breaths," Xu Yuan counted down evenly. "Oh? Then I shall see whether you truly dare let Wuyuan strike me down." With that, the Barbarian Heterodox King stood quietly in the empty air, scrutinizing every minute shift on Xu Yuan's face. Yet the human man before him merely continued his steady countdown, his tone devoid of the slightest tremor. Five breaths. Three breaths. One breath. The Barbarian King moved. The intricate markings across his single arm suddenly flared with an eerie blue luminescence, and under its radiance, the arm instantly swelled to more than twice its original thickness. An unrivaled, earth-shattering force hurtled straight toward Nan Jinxi's face. Nan Jinxi clenched her fists, her fox eyes flashing pale. The Source Qi she had prepared in advance surged instantly into the Kunwu Mirror. The mirror floated up before her in an instant. A bizarre scene unfolded. The Barbarian King's punch seemed to strike the surface of water; his corded, muscular arm passed through an invisible barrier, a section of it vanishing into thin air. In the next instant, that fist—wrapped in a howling tempest—emerged from the transparent mirror surface in an uncanny fashion, driving back straight toward the Barbarian Heterodox King's own head. At the critical juncture, the Barbarian Heterodox King tilted his head slightly, narrowly dodging his own full-powered blow, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. *BOOM!!!!* The residual gale from the strike slammed into a mountain peak below. An earth-shattering tremor sent clouds of snow billowing into the air. A colossal fist print crushed thousands of trees, carving itself starkly into the mountainous terrain! Amidst that wild chaos, Xu Yuan’s calm murmur sounded right on cue. "Zero." Li Qingyan moved. A terrifying, crimson-glowing strike cleaved toward Nan Jinxi, its edge parting the swirling wind and snow as it fell! "..." Nan Jinxi’s breath caught in her throat. First the Barbarian King, now Li Qingyan. She wanted to drive the Kunwu Mirror once more to block it, but the force of the Barbarian Heterodox King's blow had left her Source Qi momentarily depleted and unable to sustain itself. Watching the blade light descend to engulf her, Nan Jinxi suddenly looked toward the direction of Beifeng City and smiled. That man would probably grieve for her. Heh. How foolish she was. *CLANG—* "?" Nan Jinxi froze. The crisp ring pulled her back from the brink of death, only for her to realize that the blade had not struck her at all. Instead, it had cleaved straight into the archaic little mirror before her. *Crack... crack...* A faint sound rose softly. A web of fractures quietly spread across the ancient mirror's surface, rippling outward like a spider's web. While everyone stared in dumbfounded bewilderment, Xu Yuan quietly took Li Qingyan’s jade hand in his. In the next instant, a blinding white light erupted from the shattered Kunwu Mirror, completely engulfing everything within a radius of one li.