What's this phrase "the blink of an eye turns an old hen into a duck" all about? This is exactly it.

It might not be entirely accurate to say an old hen turned into a duck. But when a cooked duck has flown the coop, only to be replaced by a fresh, spicy Tyrannosaurus Rex, Tianshi'ao found it hard to accept this shocking reality.

Reality, after all, is reality; he had no choice but to accept it, whether he liked it or not. Rather, while he was extremely unwilling to admit it, he accepted the outcome almost immediately. Then he turned around and left.

The Art of War states, "Retreat is not dishonorable…" Although the original saying didn't quite mean this, the Five Wheels Book states clearly: If you know there's trouble and still charge in recklessly, that's not fighting, that's serving yourself up on a platter.

Even the Yaksha Shizhou of old never fought a battle he wasn't sure of winning.

The enemy leveled up in the blink of an eye? What kind of damned logic was that?

The events unfolding before his eyes were too fantastical. It was hard to tell whether Tianshi'ao was naturally cautious or if the shadow Ye Xueya had left in the past was so immense that even now, with the Miracle Imprint in hand, Tianshi'ao had no intention of fighting to the death. He turned to leave, swift as the wind.

He spread his great wings and, with a couple of flaps, was about to flee, only to realize it was too late.

As Ye Xueya completed her advancement, the gloomy clouds over Ginza were slashed apart by piercing starlight and vanished without a trace. In their place, the North Dipper hung high, shedding its cold, iron-like light.

"Is the Dongxia Genealogy so sure of defeating us?"

Tianshi'ao turned back, his cold gaze fixed on Ye Xueya, unable to resist scoffing, "For the great Heavenly Court to resort to such despicable means over a piece of Hell... truly a disgrace."

By now, how could he not understand the Dongxia Genealogy's plan?

Even if I hadn't come, this trap was likely set for the Deer's Sing Hall. One could imagine: the people from the Yingzhou Phylogeny would fight tooth and nail to break in here, hoping to foil the Social Security Bureau's plans, only to despairingly find an unscathed Third Stage at Grand Completion lying in wait. Then, after they had played all their trump cards, they'd have the pleasure of facing Ye Xueya's power-up.

The only Fourth Stage in a competition with restricted entry!

At that point, whether Xiematai descended into chaos or not would be entirely her decision, wouldn't it?

"Speaking of underhandedness, isn't it a case of the pot calling the kettle black?"

Ye Xueya, hearing this, immediately began to mock, "I didn't ask you to come serve yourselves up on a platter. Besides, the competition rules are clear, and everyone started on the same footing. It wasn't us who broke the rules and brought in a Fourth Stage. Do you lot even have the nerve to call others despicable?"

Her words sounded magnificent and righteous, but every character practically screamed 'predator.' On Tianshi'ao's crow-like mask, his red eyes narrowed as he gave an enraged sneer.

"—I am nothing but a barbarian too!"

Even if the Chinese Nobility were incompetent and devoid of virtue, their upbringing from childhood was nonetheless of the strictest, highest caliber. His reply was a direct quote from an ancient Dongxia text.

It was unclear if his reply was aimed at Ye Xueya or was a mockery of the Dongxia Genealogy.

In the thirty-fifth year, Chu attacked Sui. Sui proclaimed, "I am without guilt!" Chu retorted, "I am but a barbarian!"

If you're determined to condemn someone, you'll never lack a pretext, will you? Beneath the veneer of splendor and integrity, who was truly cleaner than anyone else?

"Well said!"

Ye Xueya applauded in admiration. "I only discovered today that you, Stone Boat, actually have some backbone. But no matter how much you argue, might still makes right. I, however, prefer a different saying."

She paused for a moment, then spoke earnestly,

"—In e-sports, being a noob is the original sin!"

At that instant, the North Dipper hung high. Its harsh starlight burst forth from Ye Xueya's fingertips. The Soul Ability, having undergone a Metamorphosis after integrating two Stigmas, was ignited by the power of the North Dipper.

If her former power was 'Li,' the separation of all things, then this was 'Can Shang,' the fated impossibility of meeting!

The flames of the Ten Grip Sword surged, and it swung down in a flash.

From Ye Xueya's fingertips to Tianshi'ao's feet, a straight fissure silently appeared. This mark, as if it had been there from the dawn of time, slowly widened, spreading past Tianshi'ao's location and continuing backward, in an instant covering all of Ginza.

A straight fissure silently spread, and an unsettlingly cold wind erupted from within. But before the chilling breeze could sweep through, Tianshi'ao had already fiercely launched an Offensive!

The Crow Tengu's speed was fully unleashed, complemented by the Ten Grip Sword's indomitable, fierce might. Yet, for a time, he couldn't get the better of the newly advanced Ye Xueya.

The Miracle Imprint placed an immense drain on the Stigma. Even though he didn't need to invest any Source Substance, this excessively vast Divine Nature was not a weapon a Sublimator could wield lightly.

For Ye Xueya, it was still an undeniable threat!

Even if one couldn't see the originally earth-shattering columns of fire, if struck by this sword, imbued with endless lightning and raging fire, the consequences would undoubtedly be dire.

Alright then, the key is not to get hit.

Ye Xueya raised her hand, still performing 'Can Shang'!

The stars in the Sky Dome turned, their light cascading down. An immense repulsive force instantly surged between her and Tianshi'ao. No matter how Tianshi'ao struggled, he couldn't close the distance.

The North Dipper, pivot of creation itself!

Under the control of Tian Shu, the two were projected into the domains of the Shen and Shang Mansions, fated never to meet again!

Tianshi'ao roared, his hands lifting the Sword Blade towards the sky.

The flames blazed like a torch as he slashed!

A scorching bolt of lightning streaked across the celestial sphere where the constellations moved, causing the North Dipper's rotation to pause for an instant. The impact of the divine power smashed a brutal fissure into the starry sky.

Most of the repelling force dissipated.

However, Ye Xueya had already closed in, smiling.

"So cautious, aren't we?"

She said, "Don't worry, this version of the North Dipper has been nerfed. It's not strong."

But her fingers, following her words, had already swept forward, carrying the fate of separation, the sundering of all existence.

One of Tianshi'ao's arms suddenly flew off, yet the stump showed no wound, no trace of blood, as if it had been severed from birth.

Tianshi'ao's expression didn't change; there wasn't the slightest hint of shock or terror. His face was cold as iron as he took a step back, creating space for his sword-swing.

At this extreme range, the Ten Grip Sword slashed down.

Ye Xueya's figure abruptly dissolved into illusion, allowing the Ten Grip Sword to pass through harmlessly, then solidified once more.

Truth and illusion as one: this was the Heart Moon Fox's signature skill. Just because she had advanced didn't mean she could no longer use it. However, as the Ten Grip Sword passed, the constellations above grew even more ethereal. Countless stars wobbled, on the verge of falling, and the North Dipper's light flickered and dimmed.

The sacred sword that had once slain the Giant Snake could not be so easily negated. Its divine destruction acted directly upon the Stigma, leaving a crack on Ye Xueya's newly advanced Stigma.

Both were wounded.

But Ye Xueya did not retreat; she advanced again. Between her outstretched fingers, the light of the North Dipper surged—Tian Shu, Tian Quan, Tian Xuan... Nine Stars, Seven Appears Two Hidden—converging as her fingers swept down again, forming a light so cold it pierced the Soul.

Instantly, layer upon layer of Fate converged at her fingertips. Amidst the shifting constellations, the blessing of destiny infused her most proficient ability, 'Can Shang,' causing a qualitative transformation.

Attired in triple purity, she spun the celestial axis and trod upon the nine stars!

This was the fundamental application of the North Dipper's Stigma, purely channeling her essence into her attack. A seemingly simple slash contained countless stacked effects—armor penetration, Must Hit, death curses, soul-jarring impacts... In the end, only one undeniable result remained: North Dipper's Death Notice!

Tianshi'ao was horrified.

Even with the Divine Imprint in hand, he didn't dare stand still and let Ye Xueya freely dictate his Fate. The Tengu Feathers quivered, and he vanished into thin air, reappearing ten paces away, a fresh 'Can Shang' slash mark already on his chest.

This time, the piercing starlight clung to the wound, refusing to dissipate. Wisps of blood continuously vaporized from it, a truly ghastly sight.

"You really are crazy..."

The Crow Tengu gasped heavily. Even with the Miracle Imprint at his disposal, Ye Xueya had driven him into a corner. But what he found even more unbelievable was Ye Xueya's resolve.

"You rushed your advancement; your foundation was already unstable. And now you dare to fight me? Aren't you afraid your Divine Nature will run rampant and turn you into a Solidifier?"

"I'm not afraid. Are you?"

Ye Xueya smiled, stepping forward, closing in.

This woman was completely insane.

No, who in their right mind would choose to advance right in front of an enemy? Such a crude advancement almost certainly meant she had severed her own future path!

After struggling for so many years, how could he not know Ye Xueya's depths? This path of sublimation seemed to reflect the constellations, but its essence had nothing to do with astrology; it corresponded directly to Fate. Each Stigma corresponded directly to a particular Fate. It was as if the moment she advanced to Heart Moon Fox, the Social Security Bureau had tossed her into the Border. The Heart Moon Fox was an omen of disaster and chaos; her specialty was inciting conflict. Wherever she went, she'd stir up trouble even when there was none. And indeed, this woman hadn't disappointed, wreaking havoc wherever she passed, causing countless incidents in the Border. Her destructive power was terrifying. It was just a pity that with no dragons in the world, her path of sublimation was effectively cut short. The Heart Moon Fox of the Shang Mansion, upon breaking through, should have become the Azure Dragon of the East. Otherwise, why would she have been stuck at the Third Stage for so long?

Sending her here to advance was a brilliant move, but wasn't it also born from the desperation of having no other path forward?

Relying on long-term accumulation of Source Substance and using her Soul Ability to forcibly unite Can Shang, she had impressively broken through the Third and Fourth Stages. However, once Tianshi'ao calmed down and considered it carefully, he realized this woman had completely run out of road.

Her path forward was severed. This road was even more desperate than that of the Heart Moon Fox.

Even setting aside her insufficient foundation, advancing beyond the North Dipper led to Zwei, which required supreme central authority, the status of an Emperor. In other words, for her to reach the Fifth Stage, either she would have to become the Emperor of Dongxia, or Xuan Niao would have to relinquish the position of Owner of the Genealogy to her. Even if Xuan Niao were willing, all the others would definitely not agree. In other words, in this lifetime, she was stuck at the Fourth Stage...

As if guessing his thoughts, a cold smirk touched Ye Xueya's lips.

"You see, this is the difference between us. Our perspectives are not the same."

Behind her, the star chart of the nine stars of the North Dipper reemerged. Starlight converged, transforming light into iron, forming a pitch-black Longsword in her hands. The spine of the sword reflected the Crow Tengu's astonished face, as if to draw him into this inescapable Fate.

"Some things, you cherish them to death..."

A chilling voice suddenly echoed beside Tianshi'ao's ear, laden with disdain from on high,

"—But I... don't give a damn."

The next moment, the Sword Blade plunged down.

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