Chapter 52: Fate Beyond Control

I cradled the Nine-Tailed Fox in my arms and leapt out of the cave. The sky was shrouded in darkness, so thick I could not see my own hand before my face. Where was the fireball? The enormous fireball I’d seen days ago—where had it gone? Murong Xue had said it would take a month to approach the surface, so why was it nowhere to be seen?

“Ling’er, did you see the fireball in the sky a few days ago?” I asked, hoping the Nine-Tailed Fox might provide some answers. After all, she was a fox demon who had cultivated for a thousand years, her time in the mortal world not far from Murong Xue’s. She called Murong Xue ‘elder sister’ only because Murong Xue was older.

Thousands of years in the heavens equate to a millennium in the human world; Murong Xue’s age was nearing ten thousand years. It left me marveling—beings here lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, while my mortal flesh would last only a few decades. When I die one day, will the Nine-Tailed Fox mourn me? But her answer disappointed me. “What fireball? I’ve been in the blood pool all these days and haven’t gone outside.”

“Did you feel any tremors?”

She smoothed her flowing hair and replied, “Yes, there was a slight tremor a few days ago.”

“Why did the fireball vanish?” I couldn’t grasp it—the blinding fireball present in the daytime was gone at night. What was happening? Could it orbit the earth like the sun? Impossible! Murong Xue said it would crash to the ground in less than a month.

“Yunfei, what are you talking about?” The Nine-Tailed Fox evidently had no idea what was going on. I didn’t want to explain too much just yet—better to return to Misty Forest to find Murong Xue, who knew more.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go back.” I scooped up her slender form and vaulted skyward. The sensation of treading on air was peculiar—I still couldn’t control my balance properly. Thankfully, the Nine-Tailed Fox guided me, and I managed to steady myself.

Below, dense trees stretched endlessly, and a chilling wind whistled past my ears. I summoned true energy to form a protective shield, keeping the cold at bay. It was the transition between autumn and winter; nights were frigid, but with the shield, most of the cold was blocked. The shield covered only half my body, leaving the back open, since sealing it completely would hinder breathing. It proved remarkably useful—not only against the wind, but also against most enemy attacks. Even flying against the wind, there was no resistance, though its defense was not yet formidable enough to repel powerful creatures. Ordinary bullets could be stopped, but stronger attacks were still beyond its capacity.

My flight was much faster than before. The journey here by foot had taken an hour at top speed, but flying back, I arrived at Murong Xue’s manor in less than half that time. The area was pitch-black, so I reluctantly utilized my internal demonic energy once more. The Nine-Tailed Fox had warned me that I was already halfway into the demonic path—if I didn’t suppress my demonic energy, one day it would grow uncontrollably and the consequences would be dire.

I’d deal with that later. I was not one to overthink; I lived by the moment, and excessive worry was futile. After surveying my surroundings, I flew straight into the manor, set the Nine-Tailed Fox down, and pushed open the door. In Yu Jing’s room, he was fast asleep, his body wrapped in white bandages. I didn’t disturb him and went directly to my own room, letting the Nine-Tailed Fox return to hers. I had no idea how to explain our situation to everyone, especially Xu Qinghuan. If she learned I was involved with the Nine-Tailed Fox, I wondered what she would think. I couldn’t bear to hurt those close to me.

Unable to sleep, I tossed and turned in bed, eventually sitting up cross-legged to meditate, once more perusing the Heavenly Demon Manual. Unaware of the passage of time, dawn crept in. I put away the manual, got out of bed, and felt no fatigue despite a sleepless night. Pushing open the door, I breathed in the crisp morning air and gazed at the towering trees in the distance, then leapt up and soared into the sky. Standing atop the treetops, surveying the vast world below, I felt a surge of pride—as if the whole world belonged to me.

I looked up at the sky; it was still a blinding white, neither the fireball nor the sun visible. Usually, the sun would have risen by now, so why wasn’t it there? There were no clouds either. What was going on? Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a haggard figure. Focusing on it, I realized it was Murong Xue. She seemed injured, clutching her shoulder with her left hand and walking with difficulty.

I jumped down from the tree and hurried to her side. “Miss Murong, are you alright?”

Murong Xue noticed me as I descended and stopped, her face full of puzzlement. “How did you get up there?”

“A few days ago, in the blood pool…” I recounted my experience in detail, omitting anything about the Nine-Tailed Fox.

“So that’s it. Incredible—you can absorb the spiritual energy of the blood pool!”

According to Murong Xue, the blood pool contained spiritual energy from heaven and earth, which mortals could not absorb. Even lesser gods were incapable of taking in its energy. Mortals could only use the pool to strengthen their bodies; even with Murong Xue’s constitution, she couldn’t fully absorb its energy. No wonder she looked so astonished—just as the Nine-Tailed Fox said, the blood pool was truly a treasure trove of concentrated spiritual energy.

“So it seems—perhaps this is fate!” Murong Xue gazed into the void as she spoke.

“Fate? Do you mean the Celestial Emperor?” She didn’t answer, instead continuing forward. Fate! I refused to believe in destiny; I would defy it! Celestial Emperor—one day, I’ll trample you beneath my feet!

“Miss Murong, wait for me.” Even injured, Murong Xue moved with ethereal speed; without any visible effort, she was dozens of meters ahead. Truly a goddess—her pace surpassed any mortal’s.

Back in the courtyard, Qin Tian and the others were already awake. Qin Tian was training his Azure Dragon Gang members in the manor; Yu Jing, Ke’er, and Xu Qinghuan were still sleeping inside.

“Brother Yunfei, you’re back,” Qin Tian greeted, handing me a cigarette.

I wondered where he got so many cigarettes. We’d been in this world for so long, yet his supply seemed endless. No matter—I lit it with my finger, serving as an impromptu lighter. The familiar aroma was intoxicating; I took a deep drag, smoke swirling around me, and Murong Xue coughed repeatedly, choked by the haze.

“Miss Murong, your injury…”

Murong Xue shot me a glare and retreated indoors.

“What’s wrong with her?” Qin Tian asked.

I shook my head and followed Murong Xue inside, while Qin Tian carried on training his troops.

“Miss Murong, what happened?” Murong Xue unbuttoned her shirt, took out a purple bottle, and poured white medicinal powder onto her wound. I quickly turned away.

“Help me apply the medicine,” she said coldly. I obliged, and after tending to her injury, she told me what had happened over the past few days.

“So that’s it! They still refuse to let you go?” Hearing her story, rage boiled within me, and I clenched my fists.

Damn the gods! Damn the heavenly laws! If Murong Xue chose to live as a mortal, why torment her so?

Murong Xue sighed, “In truth, we are all alike—our fates are not our own.” Our fates are not our own! Ha—I refuse to believe in destiny!

“I’ve long known you don’t belong to this time and space. Your arrival here—was it not already predetermined?”

Her words had a certain logic. Was it really as she said, all dictated by fate? No! I would defy the heavens and change my destiny! I felt like a data point designed by someone else, forced to follow their prescribed path. Who, after all, was controlling fate?