Chapter 919: Captured Twice and Released Twice

Chapter 919: Capture Twice, Release Twice

Gazing at the Dragon Sparrow aimed at her, Ye Wuming was stunned.

She had known that sooner or later Zhao Changhe would formally challenge her, but she never expected him to choose this moment.

Luochuan’s divine soul was still struggling, the great matter unresolved; the Star Domain experts harbored their own schemes, and the situation remained volatile.

Zhao Changhe himself had just fought as the main force in the decisive battle, his wounds still fresh. Setting aside his injuries, psychologically he would naturally be in a period of post-climax lethargy—it was only human. At least she, Ye Wuming, had no will to fight at this moment.

No matter how she looked at it, this was not a suitable time for a challenge.

Yet there he was, at this utterly unreasonable moment, raising his blade and pointing it at her, issuing a public challenge! Beside him, Yue Hongling’s beautiful eyes had turned to water, and Ling Ruoyu’s eyes sparkled. This was the jianghu of chivalrous warriors, and to this day, their hearts remained unchanged.

Ye Wuming quietly gazed at Zhao Changhe’s eyes, blazing with battle intent, and after a long while, she asked, “Why choose now? You’re wounded—don’t say I’m taking advantage of you.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “The great enemy in your heart has just been captured, and your momentum has waned. But the enemy in my heart is still you, and my momentum is like a rainbow. If I don’t seize this chance to break the enemy and press the advantage, when will I?”

Ye Wuming said, “You weren’t planning to challenge me before this battle, were you?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “No, I wasn’t… But since the atmosphere has come to this, and I haven’t had my fill of fighting, will you join me in this bout?”

Ye Wuming gave a faint smile and finally said, “Fine.”

The women swiftly withdrew. Ling Ruoyu bustled about fetching small stools and snacks for the aunties, watching from afar. Only Ye Jiuyou remained, dragging the Star River to one side, focusing on suppressing and refining Luochuan within it, preventing any mishap.

Luochuan could sense the scene outside the sword. He never imagined that in Zhao Changhe’s mind, he wasn’t even the final boss—just a part of the play. The fury and frustration he felt were harder to bear than the scorching refinement inside the sword. If he still had a physical body, he would surely have spat out a mouthful of old blood.

His guess wasn’t wrong… It really was part of the play.

Because the implied meaning of this so-called challenge was quite similar to when Zhao Changhe had challenged Zhuque back then. It was a reversal of roles—from being looked down upon as a “little man,” someone to whom she had “condescended to marry,” to becoming a pillar worthy of her support, someone who could be elevated to the throne of the new Night Emperor. It signified a shift in dominance.

Challenging Ye Wuming carried a similar meaning.

From being a “chosen pawn,” unworthy even of discussing strategy against the enemy, to today, when not only was the lifelong enemy resolved with him at the core, but his strength had also surpassed hers.

—Sooner or later, I will lay the Dragon Sparrow against your neck.

Can you still remain as aloof and lofty as before, looking down from the clouds?

Can you still face this man with the attitude of a guide and mentor?

Between them, a conquest was needed.

Ye Wuming didn’t know if she would bow her head like Zhuque after defeat; she hadn’t even thought about it. But she understood Zhao Changhe’s intent.

Watching the trajectory of the Dragon Sparrow as it swept through the air, Ye Wuming was even a little dazed, not yet in a fighting state.

It wasn’t until the Dragon Sparrow was about to touch her neck that she moved, striking the side of the blade with her palm.

In Zhao Changhe’s first challenge at the Night Palace, when he had brought Ling Ruoyu, Ye Wuming had similarly struck the side of the Dragon Sparrow. Back then, Zhao Changhe had flown backward with blood at the corner of his mouth, and Ye Wuming had said, “Is this what you call being on the same level as me?”

But this time, though wounded, Zhao Changhe stood firm as a mountain. Ye Wuming, at her peak, instead felt her hand soften, barely managing to block the blade, allowing the edge to come three inches closer to her neck.

Ye Wuming’s heart tightened, and she swiftly dodged to the right.

Zhao Changhe followed like a shadow, pursuing with a slash.

The watching women paused, snacks halfway to their mouths: “Ye Wuming is at a disadvantage after one strike?”

“She’s not in the zone at all, moving as if in a dream. But Changhe’s momentum is overwhelming,” Piaomiao said with a smile. “Changhe choosing this moment to challenge is truly unexpected. Even we didn’t see it coming.”

Yue Hongling said, “But once Ye Wuming is in danger, she’ll get serious, right…”

Piaomiao blinked. “I won’t give her that chance.”

Yue Hongling: “?”

Just then, Ye Wuming retreated and sidestepped. Zhao Changhe’s Dragon Sparrow pursued, aiming for her ribs.

Ye Wuming twisted her body, closing in on Zhao Changhe’s chest, and drove her elbow toward his abdomen.

A hint of a smile appeared on Zhao Changhe’s face as he wrapped his arm around her.

Ye Wuming: “?”

Are you getting cocky? Do you really dare to embrace me in the middle of a fight? If I hit you with this elbow, won’t I shatter your chest and abdomen?

She instinctively pulled back some of her strength, striking his chest with her elbow while trying to break free from his encircling arm.

But to her astonishment, the force of Zhao Changhe’s embrace was incredibly powerful—far stronger than the wounded strength his earlier slash had suggested. It was the full force of the Other Shore, and her dazed struggle couldn’t break free. She was held tight. At the same time, her elbow struck his chest, but he seemed utterly unaffected, not moving an inch.

In a single move, Ye Wuming was captured, tightly bound in his arms, struggling in vain, her face flushed with anger.

The onlookers dropped their snacks, all stunned.

Before anyone could ask what had happened, Ye Wuming roared in fury, “You still have Piaomiao’s full power! You were hiding it in that first slash, tricking me! This isn’t fair!”

Piaomiao leisurely cracked melon seeds: “Changhe had my power transferred to him during the battle with Luochuan. I never took it back, and no one told you I had. You assumed it yourself—who’s to blame?”

Ye Wuming fumed, “You called it a challenge, but the two of you ganging up on me—what kind of challenge is that?”

Piaomiao said calmly, “We fought Luochuan together. Why shouldn’t we fight you the same way? You’re our enemy—surely you know that?”

Ye Wuming: “You…”

The words seemed right, but something felt off. In her mind, she had imagined a different kind of conquest… No, why was she thinking about being conquered by him! She struggled fiercely. “Zhao Changhe! Is this what you think too?”

Zhao Changhe gave a half-smile. “Otherwise? Have we ever had any other understanding between us?”

“I…” Ye Wuming was at a loss for words. She couldn’t very well say she thought their understanding was that he would single-handedly lay the Dragon Sparrow against her neck, giving her a way to step down. She hadn’t even decided.

Zhao Changhe lowered his head, looking into her eyes from inches away. “Why did you pull back your elbow just now?”

“…” Ye Wuming turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze, but seized on the lifeline: “You see me as an enemy, yet I still held back. Do you really have the face to count that as a victory?”

Piaomiao drifted over, smiling as she pinched Ye Wuming’s burning cheek. “Since you’re an enemy, and the enemy made a mistake, why shouldn’t we count it as a victory?”

Ye Wuming angrily turned her head the other way, refusing to respond.

Whenever Piaomiao sought revenge against her, she could never retort—whether back when she was used as a mattress or now. But though she said nothing, anyone could see she was far from convinced. Damn it, the two of them ganging up was bad enough, but that first slash had been a feint—too treacherous! No wonder a wounded man dared to challenge her. Despicable! Then Piaomiao said with a smile, “Look at you, all indignant… So you’re saying that without my power, you’d accept the embrace?”

Ye Wuming finally said, “What acceptance… If you fought fair, I could admit defeat.”

“Ye Wuming, who looks down on everyone and stands aloof from the world, actually asking for a fair fight one day…” Piaomiao smiled faintly and didn’t continue.

Zhao Changhe spoke for her: “Fine, then I’ll give you fairness.”

Ye Wuming clearly felt the strength of Zhao Changhe’s grip lessen. Piaomiao’s power had been completely withdrawn. Now Zhao Changhe was just an early-stage Other Shore, still wounded.

She struggled again, and this time she finally broke free from his grasp. Furious, she spun around and drove another elbow toward his chest. “If you weren’t going to hold back, then don’t!”

When Ye Wuming struck with full force, her elbow was no longer just an elbow.

It was a star explosion.

No matter how arrogant Zhao Changhe was, he wouldn’t dare take such an elbow to the chest. His figure flickered, and he was already far away. Ye Wuming’s elbow struck only an afterimage.

The next moment, Zhao Changhe leaped forward, raising his blade for a furious slash. Above, the stars converged, like a river of heaven pouring down, surging and mighty.

Ye Wuming’s eyes turned serious as she struck back with her palm.

She could see that this slash was the same move Zhao Changhe had used against Luochuan—the Milky Way Falls from the Ninth Heaven… Within the realm of the Heavenly Book, its power was enough to trigger another epoch-ending cataclysm.

But compared to Luochuan, she was more adept at countering such a technique. From start to finish, this move had been developed under her guidance, carrying a clear inheritance of the Night Emperor’s power to mobilize the stars. However, Zhao Changhe leaned toward the concept of the Milky Way, while she, Ye Wuming, mobilized the myriad stars to construct the wonders of the Four Symbols.

Thus, their duel in this move was essentially a contest of who had greater control over the power of the stars. In the cosmos, it might be debatable, but within the realm of the Heavenly Book, vying with her for control of the stars would clearly result in her victory.

The onlookers clearly saw the converging stars above begin to fall into chaos. The river lost its form, the array dissolved, and the momentum of the inverted Milky Way scattered by seventy or eighty percent.

A dull thud echoed as the broadsword clashed against her palm, energy vibrating through the air. The weapon, capable of sundering the very void, could not penetrate even three inches into Ye Wuming's palm.

Ye Wuming looked up at Zhao Changhe in midair, but before she could speak, her expression suddenly changed.

The power of the stars was no longer obeying her command, mysteriously blending once more into the intent of the Milky Way, doubling the broadsword's might as it violently tore through her aura.

Flustered and exasperated, Ye Wuming flashed backward, crying out, "You all are interfering again! Have you no shame at all!"

It was none other than the third sister Huangfu Qing, Xia Chichi, Yue Hongling, and the others, who had arrayed the Four Symbols Formation to seize control of their respective quadrants, handing the core command to the newly appointed Night Emperor, Zhao Changhe.

Ye Wuming was so infuriated she nearly spat blood. She had relinquished the title of Night Emperor with her own hands, and before the laws of the universe could be reconstructed, the system of Zhao Changhe joined with the Four Symbols represented the complete astral system of this world, which she, as the former Night Emperor, could not contest.

Due to this single miscalculation, the broadsword breached her defenses and was pressed against her neck just as she dodged.

Ye Wuming halted her movements, her face devoid of expression.

Munching on melon seeds, the third sister sighed, "We did not interfere. The Night Emperor bestowed the Four Symbols deities upon us. Just now, someone inexplicably disturbed the ritual, so we merely brought it back to its rightful track, responding to the Night Emperor's summons."

No matter how many words were spoken, they could not hide the truth of their hearts: Wasn't the spectacle of the Night Emperor's fall far more entertaining than the Vermilion Bird fighting her own disciple for a man?

Ye Wuming was left utterly speechless.

Back then, she had destroyed the Four Symbols herself and even transferred the title of Night Emperor to Zhao Changhe; now that the boomerang had struck her back, she could find no fault in their actions.

They were maintaining the ritual of the Four Symbols, targeting the stars of this world rather than attacking her directly, so what was the problem? There was no problem.

Yet, why did it feel so incredibly stifling?

Ye Jiuyou sighed, "Ye Wuming, you finally have your day."

It was truly a case of being deserted by all. As the Heavenly Dao of this world, she did not have a single ally to help her. Did everyone who became the Heavenly Dao eventually face such a day? Ye Jiuyou looked at the expressionless Ye Wuming with a blade at her neck, then at Ling Ruoyu, who sat beside her with her hands tucked away, thinking that perhaps the only young girl who would lean toward Ye Wuming was right here, but would Ye Wuming dare ask for her help? The girl probably wished more than anyone that her parents would reconcile, and it would be a blessing if she didn't undermine her own mother.

Ye Wuming was likewise glancing at her own daughter, but in the end, she let out a sigh and turned to Zhao Changhe, saying, "Do you think you have won?"

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly and pulled the blade away. "If you want to cheat, you can alter the world's rules, and I would suffer greatly. Therefore, why don't we change locations and fight beyond the realm?"

Ye Wuming looked askance as the broadsword was moved away, saying indifferently, "A battle beyond the realm? Aren't you afraid of attracting the Withered Wood Emperor and the others?"

"Does a battle between you and me still need to take place within this starry sky?" Zhao Changhe said softly. "We have another battlefield."

Ye Wuming looked into his eyes, and as their gazes met, their minds connected. After a moment of silence, she extended her hand. "Come."

Zhao Changhe reached out to clasp it, and in the next instant, both vanished from the Night Palace.

The onlookers, now deprived of their spectacle, all spat in resentment.

What frustrated them most about Zhao Changhe and Ye Wuming was that there always seemed to be little secrets belonging only to the two of them, which was also proof of Ye Wuming's exceptionally unique status in Zhao Changhe's heart. The battlefield they had chosen now was bound to be that "old place" exclusive to them, as if engraved with memories of a sacred, distant past, which made everyone highly displeased.

What are you so proud of? In the end, won't you still be the youngest sister? This time it's the second capture and second release, and things don't happen a third time; we'll just wait for the Lady Heavenly Dao to serve tea to each of us one by one.

As for whether Zhao Changhe could defeat Ye Wuming without relying on everyone's strength to cheat, no one had ever doubted it. Over the years, it seemed that as long as it was something Zhao Changhe wished to do, he had never failed.

With a dark expression, Huangfu Qing stood up, rubbing her fists as she walked toward the River of Stars Sword. "Changhe has no interest in him, but we do. How is the refinement going? Let me add some fire."

Blazes suddenly erupted within the sword, and Luo Chuan's agonizing screams grew even more piercing.

Displaying a sense of vengeful pleasure, Ye Jiuyou said softly, "Changhe's haste to challenge Ye Wuming actually holds another significance."

While keeping the fire burning, Huangfu Qing asked, "How so?"

"With our current power, we are actually inferior to Luo Chuan. Right now, we are taking advantage of his injuries and relying on the Heavenly Dao's definitions of law to temporarily trap him within the realm of the River of Stars. But none of us has the ability to obliterate him; we can only continuously refine him so that it is not so easy for him to escape, nothing more." Ye Jiuyou explained, "A stronger power must intervene to completely destroy his primordial spirit, and we cannot drag this out for too long. If it takes too long, no one knows if other variables will arise, and long nights bring many dreams."

Huangfu Qing understood. "Ye Wuming is the final link. Only by winning her heart can we achieve a power that surpasses Luo Chuan."

Piao Miao chimed in, "It is not just a power to surpass Luo Chuan; we also need the power to suppress the Myriad Manifestations Astral Realm, otherwise trouble will surely arise. Moreover, this matter is equally urgent and must be resolved quickly."

"In fact, Ye Wuming understands all of this in her own heart, but she needs a graceful way down." Ye Jiuyou sighed. "Since she harbors such a thought herself, she can never win..."

Every person present was a master who had fought for a lifetime; upon hearing this, they knew that when your own subconscious desires the opponent to defeat you, you can never hope to win no matter how you fight. Zhao Changhe was no amateur; on the contrast, his combat instincts were sharper than anyone else's, and that single flaw in her mind would be magnified a thousandfold in his eyes.

This second capture and second release was precisely reinforcing that flaw, like water continuously washing into a small ant hole on a dam. Even Ling Ruoyu could foresee at this moment what kind of ending her parents' distant battle beyond the realm would bring.