A magical journey of a sharp-tongued woman and a goofy man

Night falls, like a giant black velvet blanket, gently enveloping everything in the world.

Inside the cave, the campfire crackled, and the leaping flames cast swaying shadows on the stone walls, as if countless elves were dancing gracefully.

Ye Shuli sat cross-legged, her expression focused, like a priest performing some kind of sacred ritual.

A faint silver halo surrounded her, a tangible manifestation of the power of destiny flowing within her.

A piece of jet-black fragment floated on her fingertip, a lingering image of fate brought back from the altar.

Jiang Ye, like a dutiful guard, leaned against the cave entrance, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

But his mouth couldn't stay still: "Hey, Miss Ye, how long have you been sitting here? Isn't your butt numb? Do you want me to give you a full-body massage?"

Ye Shuli didn't even lift her eyelids, coldly replying, "Shut up! I'm warning you, be serious! I might be seeing the memories of the Lord of Destiny soon. If you disturb me and cause me to go berserk, you can expect to be collecting my corpse!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, why are you so fierce? I'm just protecting you seriously, aren't I? If some ignorant monster runs in, I'll have to be the hero and save the beauty, and put on a tear-jerking love story!" Jiang Ye shrugged, his tone flippant, but the seriousness in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Ye Shuli almost laughed out of exasperation, rolling her eyes in annoyance: "You? A hero saving a damsel in distress? What if you get swallowed whole by a monster, and then I have to save you instead!"

In the midst of their bickering, the power of destiny within Ye Shuli finally resonated with the fragments of the afterimage.

A powerful suction force, like a black hole, instantly pulled her into a bizarre and fantastical illusion.

The scene before my eyes flashed by like a carousel, colorful and with interplay of light and shadow, leaving me breathless.

Ye Shuli felt as if she were in a huge vortex, swept up by countless fragments of memories, spinning and sinking against her will.

She saw a series of shocking images:

The former master of destiny was not inherently evil, nor was he a cold-blooded demon.

He was once a human being with flesh and blood, with feelings and righteousness.

He has his own joys and sorrows, his own ideals and ambitions.

He was once the most inconspicuous member of the masses.

He struggled to survive, fought for his dreams, and fought to protect the people he loved.

However, fate played a cruel joke on him.

He was chosen, becoming a puppet of fate, a monster formed from the obsessions of countless people manipulated by fate.

He rebelled, struggled, and tried to break free from the shackles of fate.

He roared, he howled, he was unwilling, he was unyielding.

He once wielded a sharp sword to sever the threads of fate; he once burned his life to illuminate the darkest corners.

However, in the face of fate, that cold and merciless machine, all his efforts seemed so insignificant and powerless.

In the end, he failed.

He was completely swallowed up by fate, becoming part of the cycle of reincarnation and an eternal prisoner.

Ye Shuli's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and the suffocating pain made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She couldn't imagine what kind of despair a person had to experience to completely give up resistance and willingly become a slave to fate.

However, what shocked her even more was yet to come.

Deep in her memory, she actually saw what she looked like in her past life!

She was a woman dressed in ancient costume, with a beautiful and refined appearance and a noble and elegant demeanor.

Her eyes were filled with wisdom and determination, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.

She is……

A soul chosen by fate, a person who should have been the master of fate.

However, she escaped halfway through.

She was unwilling to be controlled by fate, unwilling to become part of a cold machine.

She used every means at her disposal to defy fate and finally broke free from its shackles, escaping that cage.

It turns out that her time travel was not accidental, but a "loss of control" of the power of fate, a helpless act made by fate to make up for its own defects.

"Shuli! Shuli! Wake up! How are you?"

An anxious voice, like a thunderclap, exploded in Ye Shuli's ears, abruptly pulling her back from that long-forgotten memory.

She suddenly opened her eyes and found herself lying on the ground, with Jiang Ye looking at her with a worried expression.

"I...I'm fine." Ye Shuli shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

"Nothing wrong? You've been unconscious for so long! And your face is as pale as a sheet. You call that nothing wrong?" Jiang Ye said irritably. "What did you see? Why are you reacting so strongly?"

Ye Shuli took a deep breath and told Jiang Ye everything she had just seen.

Inside the cave, a deathly silence fell.

After listening, Jiang Ye remained silent for a very long time.

He slowly walked up to Ye Shuli, gently patted her head, and said calmly, "It seems you were destined to come and end all of this."

Ye Shuli looked up at Jiang Ye's clear eyes and felt a surge of inexplicable emotion.

Realizing that things were far more complicated than she had imagined, Ye Shuli decided not to bear it alone anymore.

She told Jiang Ye about her discovery and proposed her plan: "We must find the other afterimages and completely destroy the foundation of fate."

“No problem, I’ll do whatever you want.” Jiang Ye nodded without hesitation, a bright smile on his face. “However, before that, I need to make you a little stronger first.”

As he spoke, he took out a jade slip that was entirely green from his pocket and handed it to Ye Shuli.

"I swiped this before. It's said to enhance soul strength, so it might be useful to you." Jiang Ye chuckled, somewhat embarrassed.

Ye Shuli accepted the jade slip, feeling the powerful energy contained within it, and her heart was filled with gratitude.

"Don't worry, I will definitely become stronger." She said with a firm look in her eyes, "For myself, and for those who are controlled by fate."

"Hmm," Jiang Ye nodded, speaking in a relaxed tone, "But before that, shouldn't we find a place to rest? After all, we still have a lot of tough battles to fight!"

"Alright." Ye Shuli nodded, agreeing to Jiang Ye's suggestion.

She knew that the road ahead was long and arduous.

But she believed that as long as Jiang Ye was by her side, she would be able to overcome all difficulties and ultimately defeat fate!

"Let's go." Ye Shuli stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "Let's find a safe place to study this jade slip properly."

"Okay! I'll listen to you!" Jiang Ye replied, and followed Ye Shuli happily as they left the cave.

The two figures disappeared into the night, leaving behind a sense of vigilance and determination in the face of their unknown fate.

Ye Shuli gripped the jade slip tightly in her hand, feeling the powerful force contained within it, and silently said in her heart: Fate, this time, I will not let you control me again...

The night breeze swept through the cave, bringing a touch of coolness and dispelling the gloom of days of seclusion.

Ye Shuli slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the abundant spiritual energy within her body, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

"Mid-stage Spirit Master? Impressive speed, no wonder you're the chosen one!" Jiang Ye leaned against the cave wall, his tone slightly teasing, but his eyes were full of admiration.

In the past few days, he had personally witnessed Ye Shuli's cultivation speed, which was as if she had cheated, making him extremely envious and jealous.

Ye Shuli raised an eyebrow smugly: "Of course, look who your woman is!"

"Tch, who's your man? You're just being delusional!" Jiang Ye pouted, but his cheeks flushed slightly, making him seem somewhat hypocritical.

While the two were bickering, Jiang Ye didn't stay idle either.

He held a few spirit stones and carefully arranged something on the ground.

His hands flew, forming intricate hand seals, and golden runes, like snakes, darted among the spirit stones, eventually forming a profound magic array.

"What is this thing? It looks pretty powerful." Ye Shuli curiously leaned closer to observe Jiang Ye's movements.

"Sealing technique, how about it? Isn't it cool?" Jiang Ye smiled smugly, his tone tinged with a hint of boasting.

He's put a lot of effort into this these past few days, and he's really going all out to be able to help Ye Shuli at this crucial moment.

"He's handsome, but I don't know if he'll be of any use." Ye Shuli poured cold water on his enthusiasm without any mercy.

"Hey, don't doubt me, this is a sealing technique I specially tailored for you. It can temporarily suppress the enemy's spiritual power, giving you more time to counterattack!" Jiang Ye assured him, patting his chest.

"Is that so? Then I'll have to give it a try." A sly smile appeared on Ye Shuli's lips. Suddenly, she raised her hand, and a silver force of destiny shot towards Jiang Ye like an arrow.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you serious?!" Jiang Ye exclaimed in surprise and quickly activated the magic array.

Golden runes lit up instantly, forming a solid barrier that firmly kept the power of fate out.

The two of them were going back and forth, fighting fiercely.

Inside the cave, silver light and golden runes intertwined, erupting with booming sounds, making the entire space seem to tremble.

"Not bad, it seems these past few days of training haven't been in vain." Ye Shuli withdrew her power of destiny and nodded in satisfaction.

"Of course, don't you know who I am!" Jiang Ye smiled smugly, but fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The two stopped, looked at each other and smiled, a warm and sweet atmosphere filling the air.

However, at that moment, a muffled voice suddenly rang in Ye Shuli's mind: "Do you think you can escape? Your true destiny has only just begun..."

Ye Shuli's expression changed drastically, and she suddenly opened her eyes to meet Jiang Ye's gaze.

“Someone is manipulating all of this behind the scenes,” Ye Shuli said in a deep voice, her tone filled with seriousness.

Jiang Ye nodded in agreement.

He had sensed something was amiss long ago, and now it seemed things were indeed more complicated than they appeared.

Just then, they both sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching.

The aura was filled with evil and chaos, as if it came from the depths of hell.

Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye exchanged a glance, knowing that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

"Let's go!" Ye Shuli made a quick decision, grabbed Jiang Ye's hand, and rushed out of the cave.

However, before they could even see their surroundings clearly, they felt several equally powerful auras surging in from all directions, surrounding them completely.

"Oh no, we've fallen into a trap!" Jiang Ye said, his face pale.

Ye Shuli gripped the jade slip tightly in her hand, feeling the surging power of destiny within her.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it." Ye Shuli took a deep breath and said calmly, "If fate wants to play games, we'll play along to the very end!"

The next second, they sensed the aura of another lingering shadow of fate rapidly approaching...