Ask the Mirror

Chapter 169: Timing

Amid the howling, the elders inside the mountain cavern saw the flame-wreathed head of the Demonic Beast retreat from the massive boulder blocking the passage. Its head twisted violently before finally losing form and pulling back, leaving only a scorched mark on the rock—nothing else remained.

Immediately after, a massive tremor shook the outside. Though the main force of the impact wasn’t on their side, the elders still felt the entire mountain quake. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the formation at the Sky Rift Valley stronghold had clearly suffered serious damage and wouldn’t be easily restored in the short term.

That thought flashed through their minds and was quickly pushed aside. What concerned them more now was Yu Ci—that kid. Regardless of their personal opinions about him, he had successfully drawn the Demonic Beast’s attention away, buying time for those inside the mountain. But in doing so, he had thrown himself into danger.

If the creature outside was truly the Demonic Beast they suspected… then Yu Ci’s move was far too reckless!

The elder, hailing from the Great Passage—one of the most powerful mercantile forces in this realm—held a position of high status. Secrets that were mysteries to most ordinary cultivators were nothing more than common knowledge to him. For instance, he knew very well the connection between Demonic Beasts and the Rakshasa Demon King.

And Yu Ci had gone to provoke a monster with strength on par with a Void Stepping cultivator…

‘Kids these days!’

The elder grunted, forcing himself to focus on the present. He rubbed his fingers together and scraped a bit of powder from the Heart-Binding Horn. Though the artifact held spiritual efficacy, it wasn’t particularly sturdy. Fortunately, he didn’t need much—just enough to serve his purpose without compromising the item’s utility.

‘Let’s hope the kid doesn’t throw a fit about this later…’

As this thought turned over in the elder’s mind, he glanced down again—and suddenly froze.

‘Wait… all three Heart-Binding Horns on that Demonic Beast’s head… they’re gone?’

*****

Outside the mountain, the sky remained cloaked in dark clouds, the light dim to its limit. Yet within the Sky Rift Valley, the glow from the Demonic Beast’s fiery body lit everything brightly. 

Yu Ci also held a source of light—a glowing red energy drawn from between the hind legs of the Demonic Beast!

The Demonic Beast’s howls blasted through the mountain interior and echoed across the entire valley.

Using the “Light Concealment Escape Technique,” Yu Ci had shot silently and swiftly through layers of rock. Focused solely on burrowing into the mountain, the Demonic Beast had failed to react in time. Knowing how dire the situation was, Yu Ci didn’t hold back. He channeled the full power of the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, condensing a four-foot flame blade and driving it straight into the beast’s vulnerable rear.

‘Only half a tail left?’ The thought flashed by as he struck true.

Even though the fiery blade lost some power piercing through the Demonic Beast’s flame shield and its hide tough as fine steel, the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Qi infused in the strike was not something to be ignored—the pain was real and brutal.

Yu Ci had known from the start that this was a hornet’s nest. So once his strike landed and the Demonic Beast’s howl erupted, he immediately activated the reverse leap posture of the “Light Concealment Escape Technique,” dodging just as the Demonic Beast kicked out with its hind leg. The slicing wind pressure only helped propel him further.

By the time the Demonic Beast pulled its head out of the cliff wall and turned around in fury, Yu Ci had already crossed half a mile and was pressed flat against the opposite cliff. Empowered by the “Light Concealment Escape Technique” combined with earth escape arts, he phased into the rock once more.

But even so, he had still underestimated the Demonic Beast’s explosive power. At that moment, Yu Ci had fully merged into the rock and was retreating deeper when he glanced back—just in time to see the Demonic Beast’s massive, rage-twisted head expanding in his vision.

Everything went dark. Yu Ci surged backward deeper into the stone. Meanwhile, the Dragon Fish circling in the low sky relayed back what it saw: the Demonic Beast’s massive body had crossed the distance in a blink and slammed full force into the cliff wall Yu Ci had just entered!

By then, Yu Ci had already tunneled almost twenty feet into the rock. A sudden shock ran through his body as the beast’s immense impact sent waves of force through the stone layers.

The force was extraordinary—likely some kind of shockwave technique similar to “Striking Through the Mountain.” Though the cliff wall didn’t appear heavily damaged, the force transmitted through it struck Yu Ci directly.

He groaned, unsure if he was hurt, then suddenly felt his breath catch. Instinctively, he tried to inhale but was met with crushing pressure. His internal Qi turned chaotic, the barrier that separated him from the surrounding stone flickered out—and the pressure closed in from all directions.

That one strike had shattered the Earth Escape Technique enhanced by the “Light Concealment Escape Technique”!

In the blink of an eye, Yu Ci had gone from swimming through stone like a fish in water to being trapped in solid earth. Luckily, his recent cultivation gains had allowed him to emit natural Qi outward, slightly displacing the stone around him. Otherwise, the moment the escape technique failed, he might’ve been crushed into pulp!

“This beast has that kind of move too?!”

Unwilling to give up, Yu Ci tried again to activate the escape technique. But having just learned it that afternoon, he wasn’t yet proficient. Under the Demonic Beast’s interference and the overwhelming pressure of the surrounding stone, he failed twice.

The Demonic Beast hadn’t stopped crashing against the cliff either. With its monstrous power, Yu Ci could feel that the stone between them had nearly crumbled. A few more hits, and it might completely collapse.

Then—suddenly—the impacts stopped.

Yu Ci was surprised, but he didn’t waste the opportunity. He activated the escape technique again. Though the pressure from the stone still interfered and he couldn’t ensure smooth Qi circulation, he took a different approach—starting from the only stationary posture among the technique’s nine basic forms.

Earlier, he’d tested it and found that while the stationary form lacked burst power, it excelled in stabilizing and accumulating strength.

As he activated the posture, internal pressure gradually built up, creating a ripple effect in the surrounding earth. After just a few seconds, the weight pressing down on him suddenly lightened—the earth escape effect returned. His body naturally reconnected with the rich earth-element Qi around him, and the crushing pressure vanished.

Even more intriguing, the previously faint external glow became more prominent. In the silence of the depths, Yu Ci could sense a faint direction in that outer light—it seemed to connect to…

The Eight Dynamic Postures?

Suddenly, Yu Ci understood: this was the true way to use the “Light Concealment Escape Technique”—store power with the stationary form while linking internal Qi pathways to the eight dynamic forms. The stationary form was like a reservoir, the eight forms like river channels—the more power you stored, the more forceful the flow, and the better the result.

With a thought, he cycled through the eight dynamic postures in his mind, preparing multiple escape routes. Though he hadn’t yet moved, his internal Qi began to circulate smoothly, slowly sanding down the sharp edges between motion and stillness.

As he grew accustomed to this new sensation, a faint light appeared ahead.

The stone should have remained sealed, even where it had been weakened—there shouldn’t be any light.

Startled, Yu Ci nearly lost control of his Qi again. He squinted but couldn’t see clearly. Switching to the Dragon Fish’s perspective, he saw something that made his heart lurch: the Demonic Beast had already phased halfway into the cliff wall in front of him. It had once again taken on a flame form and was barreling through solid stone.

But this time—it was moving much faster than before!

What kind of escape technique was this?

He’d seen the Demonic Beast a few times but never witnessed it do this.

No time to think. Just as Yu Ci was about to shift to a backward escape posture, a faint voice reached his ear:

“Kid, pay attention!”

It was Elder Zhu’s voice. Somehow, the man had transmitted his voice through the mountain. It was clearly a one-way channel—the elder wasn’t waiting for a reply. His voice was anxious:

“Listen, the Demonic Beast’s three Heart-Binding Horns are all broken. It may no longer resist the Rakshasa illusions…”

Yu Ci heard no more. The firelight had already engulfed him, forming a solid outline—most likely the Demonic Beast’s massive maw. 

No time!

The power he’d stored using the “stationary form” burst forth like a dam breaking. Though some of it was wasted due to his lack of skill, enough remained to activate one of the escape technique’s nine postures—specifically, the backward leap. A sharp hiss accompanied his burst of motion.

Yu Ci’s body became ethereal. The surrounding stone no longer resisted him but flowed like Qi, allowing his escape speed to soar. Within a breath, he had retreated nearly a hundred feet into the mountain depths.

Yet the Demonic Beast was still advancing—fully transformed into that fiery semi-illusory form and speeding toward him.

Yu Ci didn’t need to see it. The intense heat closing in from ahead was enough—any second now, it would swallow him whole.

Suddenly, the earth behind him dropped away. Using the backward leap, Yu Ci pierced through the mountain and emerged on the other side. But before he could assess his surroundings, a rush of wind came from the side. 

In the dark, a massive bear-like beast, taller than two men, charged toward him—face to face!

Neither the giant bear nor Yu Ci expected this encounter. But Yu Ci’s reflexes were exceptional. Guided by instinct, the Pure Yang Talisman Sword swept horizontally.

The blade, carrying the cold intent of the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword and enhanced by the escape technique’s bonus against innate Qi, burst forth in fiery red light—then stained with a deeper hue of blood, which evaporated instantly. That was the fluid from the bear’s shattered eye.

But the bear’s charge was too close. Yu Ci couldn’t dodge. In a split-second decision, he channeled his sword momentum to redirect the force upward and was knocked into the air like a great bird. Just a few feet up, heat surged beneath him.

Blinded and frenzied, the bear had no chance. Behind it, the Demonic Beast—ten times madder, a hundred times fiercer—exploded through the cliff wall in a storm of fire. The timing was perfect. The blast of flame engulfed the bear, and a stench of burning flesh filled the air as it was incinerated into charcoal.

After killing that unfortunate beast, the Demonic Beast reverted from flame to physical form. The firelight around it receded, revealing its blue-gray hide. Its body expanded rapidly, smashing apart a protruding boulder. Once back to full form, it unleashed a roar that shook the valley and turned its head to find the one who had injured its weak point—only to pause.

A faint but clear voice echoed above its head: “Kid, calm your spirit. Don’t resist. I’m sending you a message—it’s important…”

Above, Yu Ci gave a bitter smile.

“I know it’s important. But Elder, could you maybe pick a better time?”

As he spoke, he gripped the Demonic Beast’s fur—now as hard as steel—tightly. Though it burned like fire, he refused to let go.

The next moment, the Demonic Beast let out a roar like thunder, shaking the mountains to their core.