Chapter 40: The Seal

Yang Yufei was vicious again. The gentle look below had been illusion after all.
Compared to the old vice-director—only an empty shell looked the same now.
Yang Yufei’s ability came from tools—weak at base.
Without the Spirit Tide jade pendant’s phantom, any bureau person could end her—let alone Yi Ke.
“Spare my life?” She mocked. “Besides the artifact phantom Jade Dust gave you—any other trick?”
“This one is enough.”
Yang Yufei drove ability and raised the pendant phantom.
She was not who she’d been—unafraid of pendant power, even drawn to it.
Like instinct carved in bone and blood.
She reached out and touched the immortal light.
The Spirit Tide Pearl at her chest resonated. All power the phantom released—she absorbed clean.
Yang Yufei’s eyes went wide: “You—you can absorb the pendant’s power! Impossible!”
She snatched the phantom back fast—only an empty shell left, not a trace of immortal power.
“Monster!” Yang Yufei clutched the hollow thing, mad. “Madwoman Mu was right—you really are a monster!”
“If you can use its power, why can’t I?” Immortal light on her hand. Qiyang Sword at Yang Yufei. “Yang Yufei, stop. Come back to SI with me. Turn from darkness—expose Jade Dust’s plot—and I’ll petition the bureau for leniency.”
Lost anyway—but Yang Yufei laughed: “The bureau? You still fantasize about them? Team Leader Yi, wake up. They want you dead more than I do—just waiting for timing.”
She kept the sword steady. “Too bad. Mu will never take my power in this life. Neither she nor Jade Dust has that skill.”
Yang Yufei sneered: “Team Leader Yi, how can you be so naive? You stayed at Mu’s side years—you know she always keeps a backup plan.”
True—years with Mu, every move watertight, every act calculated.
While she froze Yang Yufei went on, more frantic: “Ordinary people can use artifact power but not absorb it. Know what happens when you possess artifact power?”
Before she could answer Yang Yufei laughed wilder: “You’ll lose yourself in the power—end a mindless monster!”
“Yang Yufei, shut up!” The words dragged up the disordered space. Her face went pale.
“Team Leader Yi, you know best what out-of-control costs! Kill me—like in the disordered space!”
“Shut up!” Blade at Yang Yufei’s throat. “Don’t provoke me—your tricks don’t work on me. My business with the bureau isn’t your lecture!”
The words had barely left when mighty force struck her.
She leaped back. A red figure descended on immortal power—Jade Dust at the finals venue.
“Yang Yufei.” Jade Dust looked at her, displeased. “Didn’t I warn you to stop this stupid plan at once?”
Jade Dust’s voice gave no mood—but Yang Yufei went pale with fear. “My Lord, I sent the irrelevant people away—I’ll keep impact minimal—I won’t trouble you!”
“That’s your reason?” Still flat. “I thought you had some use. Same waste—even the tool I gave you got taken.”
Fear worse in Yang Yufei’s eyes. “Lord Jade Dust, mercy—one more chance!”
Jade Dust didn’t look at her. Eyes on Yi Ke, interested: “Team Leader Yi—every meeting you surprise me.”
“Giving you this pendant power—I’m less disappointed.” In a blink another tone. “But last time I said clearly—next meeting, we’re enemies.”
Yang Yufei panicked: “Lord, that girl ruined your plans again—last time hurt you—why give her chance!”
Jade Dust lifted a hand and slapped Yang Yufei through the air from a distance. “Who said you could speak?”
Elegant motion, brutal force—Yang Yufei flew meters, slammed the wall.
Blood at the corner of her mouth. Kneeling, biting her lip, eyes on Yi Ke—hatred deep enough to kill.
If looks could kill she’d be dead a thousand times.
She still believed disrupting the Cup was part of Jade Dust’s plan.
Yang Yufei had private spite but wouldn’t defy Jade Dust.
She hadn’t expected Jade Dust to forbid it either.
Jade Dust didn’t care if Yang Yufei lived—only a useful piece. Discard when spent.
She thought of Bai Yanci’s moon—power first, interest above all. Jade Dust embodied that training to the extreme.
Dream from days ago—she gripped Qiyang Sword, point at Jade Dust: “Who are you? What’s your tie to Milt?”
Dream clear—under Jade Dust’s mask, Milt’s bewitching face.
“Milt?” Jade Dust laughed. “Team Leader Yi jokes. I’m only a minor immortal of the moon—how would I tie to a legend evil god?”
The gods had truly fallen. Evil god consciousness scattered into the mortal world too.
But her dreams hadn’t lied. She leaned toward some link between Jade Dust and the evil god.
She struck first—Qiyang Sword tight, straight at Jade Dust.
Finish here fast—then she could go to the moon and find Bai Yanci.
She would not leave Bai Yanci alone in danger.
Red skirts flew. Jade Dust dodged flexible. After many exchanges the sword only grazed her hem.
“Team Leader Yi, you carry fallen-god power yet you’re this weak. Fallen gods are nothing much.” Jade Dust landed light, formed a phantom identical to Qiyang Sword. “That sword in your hands is waste.”
Phantom sword met real—evenly matched. Jade Dust far stronger than she’d guessed.
She’d checked—no barrier in the venue. Her power wasn’t suppressed.
Still against Jade Dust she struggled.
Jade Dust was at ease—barely serious, mostly dodging, occasional pushback so the real sword wouldn’t cut her.
After more exchanges she understood.
The moon had abundant immortal power. The mortal world didn’t—so she wasn’t as strong as fighting Qingxi on the moon.
On the moon power had felt endless—born to her, never dry.
Now whenever she tried to release power something equal blocked it.
As if someone had cast stronger art—sealed her power inside this human shell.
Break the seal—she could beat Jade Dust.
Eyes closed. She raised a barrier, shut Jade Dust out. Inside she turned immortal power, tried to shatter the binding seal.
“Team Leader Yi—hiding in barriers isn’t good habit.”
Jade Dust stopped holding back. Power into the phantom sword.
When the blade touched the barrier everything in the venue flew—Yang Yufei thrown hard aside too.
The seal was stubborn—human body as its vessel.
Unless she abandoned the body she’d never break free.
Barrier about to break—heart hardening—she left her body in spirit form.
In an instant the human shell and seal turned to ash under Jade Dust’s charged strike—vanished with the barrier.
Consciousness and soul were what gods rested on. The body was only where the soul stayed—not required for a fallen god.
“Team Leader Yi—you gave up the body willingly. No—now I should call you Xi Yue.” Jade Dust’s look shifted—interest at last. “You left your shelter to meet your true self. We were always the same kind on the moon—why not work with me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The name Xi Yue grated in her ears.
No more words. She gathered immortal power. Qiyang Sword flew at Jade Dust with shocking speed.
Power heavy. Angle vicious.
Jade Dust couldn’t dodge—blade cut red robes, tore a whole sleeve away.
Jade Dust’s face changed. She tried to hide with immortal light—but Yi Ke saw clearly—a deep wound.
That day at Qixie when the pendant’s power went wild.
At the critical moment Jade Dust had stepped between her and Zhen Yao and forced the pendant down.
That wound—from then.