Chapter 99 Searching for Him
Si Yao's shoulders trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Cifeng had already left, and by the time she came to her senses, it was already the middle of the night.
A cold night wind rushed into the room. Si Yao, wearing only a thin shirt and barefoot, walked weakly to the window.
With a wave of her hand, the destiny stone she had specially collected a few days ago lay quietly in her palm.
This is the one that Li Ye found in Wuzhou.
Si Yao bit her finger, and a few drops of blood flowed out. She then channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the Fate Stone.
Soon, the Fate Stone replayed her past with Li Ye once again, just as Jiang Cifeng had shown her earlier.
Li Ye and Si Yao, in their previous life, were Qu Xiang and Gu Sang, who loved each other to the death.
Because they had violated the divine punishment of their clan in their previous life, and were bound by fate, Si Yao could only accept Li Ye's body in this life as well.
At this moment, Si Yao understood everything. Before meeting Li Ye, her "pure maiden" philosophy was full of resistance to any man.
In her entire life, she only allowed herself to accept Li Ye.
"Is this what they call a tragic fate?"
Si Yao sighed and shook her head helplessly.
Recalling the day she married Jiang Cifeng, when Li Ye risked his life to save her, Si Yao felt a deep pain in her heart. Now, whether he was alive or dead, she did not know. Even though the two of them would have no further connection in the future, Si Yao still couldn't wait to know news about him.
Currently, she is no longer bound by a marriage contract with Jiang Cifeng, and she remains a free person.
"Let's go find him..."
But where exactly is Li Ye?
Now that the connection between their primordial spirits is gone, Si Yao and Li Ye are no longer linked.
In the days since leaving Tianchen Island, Si Yao has taken out the golden bell that Li Ye had given her from time to time.
Li Ye once said that she should remember to use the bell he gave her.
But Si Yao called his name with the bell again and again, only to find it all vanished without a trace, like a stone thrown into the sea.
These days, a rumor has started circulating in various states that Elder Si Yao of the Hehuan Sect has gotten involved with the Demon Clan.
Si Yao ignored these rumors.
She arrived at the boundary and looked towards the other side, where there was endless darkness.
"Si Yao, do you want to enter the Demon Realm?"
Suddenly, Yu Ke's voice came from behind.
How did you know I was here?
In response to Si Yao's answer, Yu Ke truthfully replied, "Yes, it was because of Master Jiang's guidance that I learned you would come to Ximang Mountain."
In that case, Si Yao was no longer surprised.
She asked again, "Are you here to persuade me to go back?"
Yu Ke withdrew her gaze from the boundary, her tone calm, "I never imagined that your disciple would be a demon, and moreover, he seems to be deeply in love with you."
On the day of Si Yao and Jiang Cifeng's wedding ceremony, everyone witnessed Li Ye's selfless act of shielding Si Yao from the ninety-ninth bolt of heavenly lightning.
This affection, if it were merely the bond between master and disciple, would not be entirely believable.
Yu Ke shook her head. "Tell me, if you have feelings for the demons, do you think our five major sects will tolerate you?"
A hint of wariness flashed in Si Yao's eyes, but then she smiled and said, "If I can't tolerate it, then I might not be able to be an elder of the Hehuan Sect either. Wouldn't that fulfill your wish?"
"Si Yao," Yu Ke snorted, "Stop arguing with me. I clearly..."
Before she could even speak, Yu Ke saw the open-mindedness and determination on Si Yao's face.
Si Yao said, "I do want to venture into the Demon Realm, no matter what the outcome."
Although she had made up her mind, the boundary was right in front of her, and the Demon Realm was not something she could enter at will.
This realm has remained sturdy for many years, originally fortified by the combined efforts of several powerful cultivators. Without strong cultivation, it is very difficult to cross this realm to reach the Demon Realm or the Monster Realm.
Yu Ke hesitated, then, as the wind blew by, she finally took out a crystal-clear pill. "This is the Invisible Pill. If you eat it, you can cross this realm and even move invisibly within the Demon Realm."
“You…” Si Yao didn’t expect Yu Ke to help her.
Yu Ke pulled Si Yao's sleeve over and placed the Invisible Pill in Si Yao's palm. "Fortunately, the boundary has loosened up recently, otherwise even with this Invisible Pill, you might not have been able to get in."
Why are you helping me?
"Because I believe in cause and effect, the cause of my helping you today may well become the result in the future."
Yu Ke put one hand on her hip and scratched her nose with the other, "Maybe it's still a good result."
Si Yao clutched the gift Yu Ke had given her, her expression complex.
Yu Ke, standing before him, added, "Remember, the effects of the Invisible Pill only last for three days. After three days, you will be automatically teleported back to Ximang Mountain."
"Thank you." Si Yao took a deep breath. Yu Ke in front of her was her adversary who had been "opposing" her for many years, but apart from that, she was also her childhood friend and fellow disciple.
Although they often bickered and teased each other, they never actually did anything to hurt each other.
Si Yao is truly grateful for Yu Ke's actions today.
The two did not say anything more. After Yu Ke left, Si Yao took the Invisible Pill, and her cultivation level began to surge. A solid energy barrier instantly formed around her.
It was because of this protective barrier that Si Yao was able to easily cross the boundary and enter the Demon Realm.
On the other side of the realm, the light dimmed completely.
There were no sun, moon, or stars in the sky, only the eternal aurora borealis, a mixture of dark red and murky purple, like a huge, dirty curtain.
Occasionally, the curtain is torn apart, revealing the pure, unsettling void behind it.
Si Yao stepped onto this land, and even her breathing became more cautious.
After traveling several miles east, they finally saw the market, but it was sparsely populated, and there were still traces of a battle on the streets.
Si Yao blended into the market. One or two demons brushed past her without noticing anything unusual.
The Invisible Pill's effects indeed allowed Si Yao to conceal herself in the air.
Where is Li Ye?
This was the only question on Si Yao's mind.
A gust of cold wind swept by, and the demons who were scattered in twos and threes on the street began to run.
"You'd better go home quickly; the situation is not peaceful right now."
"Yes, yes, another bloody storm is about to break out in the Temple!"
"When gods fight, mortals suffer; let's just pray for our own good fortune."
The Temple, a place of bloodshed and carnage?
"The place where the Demon Lord resides must be the holy temple they mentioned, right?" Si Yao muttered to herself, and continued flying in the Demon Realm.
She wandered around the Demon Realm many times before finally arriving at the gates of the Demon Realm Temple.
The place is heavily guarded, and it would be difficult for ordinary people to enter. Fortunately, Si Yao is like a spirit and was not detected by the demon guards.
Si Yao passed through the gates of the Demon Realm Temple and flew directly towards the main hall.
Stepping into the Demon Realm's holy temple, one finds it desolate and the palace servants trembling with fear.
It seems that the royal family of the demon realm has just experienced a great upheaval.
Where is Li Ye? Where is Li Ye?
This question had been swirling in Si Yao's mind.
After wandering around the Demon Realm's Holy Temple for a day, she did not find any of the Demon Realm's elders, let alone the Demon Lord.
Is the Demon Lord of today still Zhao Chu, the younger brother of Li Ye?
If that's the case, then what is Li Ye's current safety?
I learned from Jiang Cifeng that after the heavenly tribulation that day, Li Ye was rescued by the demons.
If he returns to the Demon Realm, where will he be?
That night, Si Yao's golden bell rang out with a crisp sound, as if it had sensed something.
Si Yao bit her finger and sent a wisp of spiritual energy into the golden bell.
The night wind swept through the Demon Palace corridors, and Si Yao's figure vanished into thin air.
Si Yao stumbled and took a step to steady herself, only to find herself in an endless darkness.
There is no distinction between heaven and earth here, only distant specks of starlight floating in the air, and a familiar scent flowing through the air.
Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to what was ahead.
She had a strong premonition that the person she was looking for was probably just ahead.
She took three steps and then darted forward.
Soon, in the endless darkness, a huge piece of black ice came into Si Yao's view.
The ice exuded a gentle yet bone-chilling cold, and within the ice crystals slept a figure etched into Si Yao's very bones.
It's Li Ye!
He lay there quietly, his features still the same as she had depicted in her dreams a thousand times, only now all the vibrant colors had faded, leaving only a pale, jade-like appearance.
His dark robes, as black as ink, spread silently across the ice, making his serene face appear almost fragile.
Si Yao felt as if something had struck her chest hard, a dull pain spreading outwards, making it hard to breathe.
It's Li Ye, it really is him...
The memories of their past together flooded back like a torrent, and the longing that had been forcibly suppressed and buried deep in her heart surged and swept over every inch of her mind.
“Li Ye…”
A soft, choked cry escaped her lips, accompanied by a tremor she herself was unaware of.
He did this for her sake, didn't he?
If he hadn't withstood the powerful ninety-ninth heavenly lightning strike for her that day, he wouldn't have fallen into this deep sleep.
Unable to wait any longer, Si Yao rushed towards Li Ye inside the ice crystals, like a moth drawn to a flame.
Unexpectedly, a powerful force burst forth from the ice crystal, forcefully blasting Si Yao several feet away.
"Is it that you don't want me to come closer?"
Si Yao looked up and saw that Li Ye was still asleep inside the ice crystal. She didn't know whether that power was Li Ye's doing or came from the protective barrier of the ice crystal itself.
Even so, Si Yao still wanted to get closer to him.
She took a few more steps forward, and just as she was about to touch the ice crystal that sealed Li Ye, that force struck again.
Si Yao raised her hands to block, and a cloud of dark mist shot out.
It was a man dressed in black wearing a black mask.
Si Yao recognized him.
"How did you manage to get here without the temple guards?" Yan Ao looked Si Yao up and down, and quickly understood.
"You are a soul."
Si Yao nodded. "How is Li Ye now? Why is he still asleep?"
"It's all because of you!" Yan Ao's eyes were filled with endless resentment.
Even though she had guessed about 70-80% of what was going on, Si Yao's whole body still shook violently when she heard Yan Ao say it with her own ears.
"Your Excellency has not yet recovered to the level of cultivation before your fall, yet you insist on saving me."
Yan Ao glanced back at Li Ye inside the ice crystal, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "I have never seen such a Your Excellency."
Si Yao's heart felt like it was being violently squeezed, the pain making it hard to breathe. Her voice trembled as she asked, "How long will it take for him to wake up?"
"It could be a hundred years if it goes by quickly, but who knows if it goes by slowly."
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