Chương 218: A Different Perspective and Silent Shadow's Deduction

Hearing Jiying say that he had a different opinion, Ye Zixuan was slightly taken aback, and obvious confusion reappeared in her eyes.

She arrived at that logical conclusion based on her professional knowledge as an inspector and her understanding of the behavior patterns of the Void Realm Apostles.

But now, Xiaoying says she has a different opinion?

Had I overlooked some crucial information? Or perhaps—Xiaoying didn't fully grasp the seriousness behind my words?

The thought of this possibility filled Ye Zixuan with intense worry, and she immediately warned again in an extremely solemn tone: "Xiaoying, I know you are very strong and confident in yourself, but—you must never let your guard down because of this."

"Your unique existence poses an unprecedented and immense threat to the forces of the Void Realm. Mirror Lord has absolutely no reason to conceal this fact for you!"

Ji Ying smiled and nodded gently, saying softly, "Yes, thank you for your concern. Your analysis makes a lot of sense. If it were me in the past, without knowing certain inside information, I would definitely have come to the same conclusion as you."

"However, the reason I have a different opinion on this matter is because—it's something that can only be understood after truly fighting against Jingjue."

"As I said before," Ji Ying's gaze swept over the three girls in front of her, her tone calm, "before the battle with Jing Jue officially began, I actually didn't have the ability to distinguish between Zi Xuan after her true transformation and the mirror images created by Jing Jue."

"Although I can easily overwhelm his so-called perfect" mirror image in direct combat, and my speed is enough to catch him as he frequently jumps between mirror images, but—"

"When he controlled the mirror images of Yuexi and the others to launch a siege against me, I inevitably—fell into a fierce battle."

Upon hearing Ji Ying's account, Ye Zixuan's expression hardened slightly. She clenched her fists and said softly, "Xiao Ying, you—you really did encounter Jing Jue's methods."

"What methods?" Su Yuqing, who was standing to the side, was a little confused and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Since Xiaoying already knows that Mirror Lord can create mirror images of us magical girls, why is she still struggling? Could it be that—the mirror images of his predecessors that he created are stronger than his original self?"

This question perfectly aligns with Su Yuqing's current understanding. In her view, something like a "mirror image" should naturally be much weaker than the original.

Since Xiaoying could easily crush Jingjue's mirror image, she should also be able to easily defeat the combined attack of several mirror images of her predecessors.

Upon hearing this question, Ye Zixuan slowly shook her head, a complex expression appearing on her delicate face.

"No, Yuqing, you're completely wrong. That's not an ordinary mirror image at all, but a perfect copy from the inside out. Except for not having a real soul and will, they are almost no different from us."

"I can't sense any fluctuations of ethereal energy from them," and "they can not only control magic as freely as we can, but they can even perfectly replicate our unique spells and magical armor that are intimately connected to our souls."

"What?!"

This revolutionary fact caused both Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli to exclaim in disbelief.

"Even—unique techniques can be copied?!" Su Yuqing stammered, her voice slightly distorted with shock.

The unique spell is a power that is deeply bound to the magical girl's soul and is one of a kind. The magical armor is closely related to the laws that the person comprehends. How could such a thing be easily copied by a Void Apostle?

Ye Zixuan nodded gently, a trace of pain and resentment flashing in her eyes. She didn't want to recall that humiliating and desperate experience, but she also knew that this information was crucial to her companions.

"Nothing is impossible," she said, her voice filled with bitterness.

"The reason I lost to Mirror Lord was because he meticulously set up a trap for me."

Ye Zixuan briefly recounted her experiences in the mirror maze— From calmly analyzing the situation under the siege of countless mirror images and finding the key to breaking the deadlock, to Mirror Lord pretending to be defeated and releasing the mirror image of "Moon Tide" as bait to launch an attack.

Then there's the whole process of how he was forced to use the time-consuming magic armor to save his "comrade," and finally, how he was ambushed from behind by the "Moon Tide" mirror image he had saved, just when he thought victory was in sight.

"—At that moment, I was completely unprepared and simply—lost all my fighting ability."

Ji Ying nodded and added in a calm voice, "After I defeated Jing Jue and came out of that mirror maze, I immediately examined Zi Xuan's body and found that a large amount of illusory energy had been injected into her body."

"The ethereal energy and the magic in her body are annihilating each other, and the resulting pain and damage are enough to prevent Zixuan from performing even the simplest actions until the ethereal energy is completely exhausted."

"This is truly—the most despicable tactic imaginable."

After hearing this account, Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli fell into a brief silence. They finally understood why Ye Zixuan had been defeated so completely, and they also deeply realized just how insidious Jing Jue's methods were.

Then, Su Yuqing looked at Ye Zixuan and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Zixuan, I originally thought that you were too reckless and insisted on walking into Jingjue's trap, and that you were defeated when you fought him head-on—"

"So—that bastard actually used such insidious methods, it's outrageous!" She angrily waved her little fist, her face filled with rage at Jingjue's despicable behavior.

Then, her eyes sparkled as she said, "Speaking of which, Zixuan, you are really amazing! You were able to deal with those almost indistinguishable traps in that strange maze, while also dealing with that guy Jingjue, and you even managed to find a way out of that desperate situation."

"If that bastard hadn't used such despicable means to ambush you at the end, you definitely could have defeated Jingjue without relying on Xiaoying, right?"

Ye Zixuan looked at Su Yuqing with some surprise, seemingly not expecting the other party to say such a thing to her. This girl, who always argued with her so fiercely, would now so frankly admit her strength and praise herself.

But then, Su Yuqing belatedly realized the inappropriateness of her words—she had actually been sincerely praising her "love rival" who had just been vying for her affections!

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she abruptly turned her head to the side, avoiding Ye Zixuan's gaze. In an almost inaudible voice, she quickly muttered, "Hmph—anyway—you're not as useless as I thought—my opinion of you has changed a little!"

Hearing this arrogant statement filled with awkwardness, Ye Zixuan couldn't help but smile, finding the other person's unreliable manner somewhat—surprisingly cute.

But she didn't show her feelings. Instead, she gently shook her head and said in an extremely serious tone, "Thank you for your comfort, Yuqing."

"But no matter what the reason for the defeat, a loss is a loss. If I had been more cautious back then and had noticed Jingjue's conspiracy sooner, perhaps—none of this would have happened."

"Hey, they were clearly praising you sincerely, but you took it as just a consolation. You're so clueless!" Su Yuqing suddenly became a little upset and pouted in dissatisfaction.

But she also knew that this was a serious matter and not the time to continue fooling around, so she just complained quietly and didn't pursue the matter any further.

On the other side, Ye Zixuan turned her gaze to Ji Ying and continued the previous topic, saying, "In short, after I lost the ability to resist, Jing Jue immediately made his intentions clear—to use my abilities and identity for his own purposes."

As she said this, a hint of sadness and anger flashed in her eyes: "—Just like Yuexi and the others."

"Xiaoying, back then—it was because you couldn't determine whether those magical girls who were fighting you were just simple mirror images, or the real people controlled by Mirror Lord using some unknown means, that you were held back and ended up in a tough battle, right?"

"That's right." Ji Ying nodded slightly.

"At first, I was unable to distinguish between them as genuine and fake, and I was unwilling to kill those who might actually be my comrades when the situation was unclear, so I found myself in an extremely passive position."

"At that time, Jingjue was still trying to provoke me with his words, attempting to shake my will. It was in those arrogant and conceited words that I heard that crucial reminder—the power—that was crucial to me."

"This word suddenly gave me an unprecedented understanding of the nature of my own power, and made me realize that the power I possess is completely different from the power of Mirror Lord, which needs to be bestowed."

"It originates from myself, it is part of my soul, it is something I can—and must—absolutely control."

"It was after that epiphany that I truly awakened the Shadow Authority that was uniquely mine."

"And then?" Su Yuqing couldn't help but ask, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Jiying replied, "After that, I was able to easily distinguish the most fundamental difference between the magical girls themselves and the false images created by Mirror Lord."

"Because I cannot see any soul in those reflections," in my eyes, those reflections are completely inanimate objects, counterfeits that can be destroyed without any psychological burden.

"Shadow of the Soul—" Ye Zixuan murmured this unheard-of term in her heart, her eyes flashing with uncontrollable astonishment.

She knew that this was probably one of the most core and powerful abilities of the "Shadow Authority" that Xiaoying possessed.

Although curious about the specifics of what this power could accomplish, she suppressed the urge to ask immediately and instead steered the conversation back to the initial question: "However—I still don't understand, what direct connection is there between this matter and what you said about Jingjue not exposing your information?"

Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli also cast probing glances at Ji Ying, waiting for her to give an answer.

Ji Ying nodded: "Before answering that question, I need to tell you that before I awakened my power and was still at a significant disadvantage, Jing Jue made a certain deal to me more than once."

"A deal?" Su Yuqing's curiosity was immediately piqued.

"What kind of deal does that bastard want to make with you?"'

"He wants to know from me why I can still wield power without signing a contract with any virtual realm monarch."

"In other words, Mirror Lord hopes to break free from the constraints of the Void Realm Monarch who granted him authority, while retaining his own power, and thus gain true 'freedom.'"

"In his words, this was something far more important than defeating me or even completing that plan."

"And the price he was willing to pay—given that I was at a complete disadvantage at the time—was simply to leave that mirrored maze unharmed."

Ji Ying chuckled and patted Su Yuqing's head, then looked at Ye Zixuan and continued, "Zixuan, after hearing your explanation of 'authority' and 'the monarch of the Void Realm,' I instantly understood many things."

"I understand now. That's why Jingjue has such a strong obsession with 'freedom'."

"I also immediately made a judgment: Mirror Lord would never dare to, nor would he, disclose information about me to the monarch behind him, or to the other Void Realm Apostles in a short period of time. He would even desperately try to conceal everything about me."

""

"Because to him," Ji Ying's lips curled into a meaningful smile, "I, a unique being who is not bound by any contract but still holds power that belongs solely to me, am no longer simply a threat that needs to be eliminated."

"In his eyes, I am more than just a key to his true freedom; I am a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"If a greedy, arrogant prisoner, desperately yearning to break free of his shackles, discovers a golden opportunity that could grant him his freedom, do you think he would easily share this secret with others?"

"Especially—sharing it with the monarch who granted him power, yet simultaneously bound him so tightly?"

Ji Ying's question caused everyone present to fall into deep thought, their eyes revealing a thoughtful glint.

"No—he absolutely wouldn't." After a brief silence, Ye Zixuan spoke first, her tone incredibly certain.

"If I were him, I would do everything in my power to conceal this secret, and then—find a way to seize this opportunity for myself!"

"Until I am absolutely certain that I can extract everything I want from you, Lord Mirror will never let anyone, especially the monarch who granted him power but bound him with a contract, know of your existence."

"That's right." Ji Ying nodded approvingly.

"Moreover, he just suffered a crushing defeat at my hands. Given his pathologically arrogant personality, there's absolutely no way he would easily utter such humiliation."

"So," she concluded with a reassuring smile, "our only enemy for the time being is that guy, Jing Jue."

"We still have plenty of time to prepare for the battle ahead."

After listening to Ji Ying's reasoned analysis, Ye Zixuan breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that the anxiety that had been hanging over her was finally completely put to rest.

She stared intently at Ji Ying, her eyes filled with admiration and respect.

Yi Xiaoying is amazing!

—It's astonishing that they could analyze the enemy's psychology and next move so accurately from such limited intelligence. — At this moment, Ye Zixuan felt genuinely fortunate for her decision to recommend Jiying as commander. She took a deep breath, a relieved smile on her face, and said, "Understood, Xiaoying, I trust your judgment."

"And also—thank you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have been living in fear ever since."

"It's alright." Ji Ying smiled and shook his head as he looked at Ye Zixuan, who finally seemed relieved.

She then reached out and gently stroked Ye Zixuan's smooth, long black hair: "Thank you for worrying about me, but as I said before, from the very beginning—" There's absolutely no need to feel guilty.

"Mmm————" Feeling the gentle and warm touch from above her head, Ye Zixuan was slightly stunned, and a cute blush involuntarily rose on her cheeks.

She was surprised that Xiaoying would suddenly make such an intimate gesture, and being patted on the head like a child in front of everyone made her feel a little shy.

but---- The thought that he had already made a fool of himself by crying loudly in front of Yuqing and Xiaoli made him realize that it was pointless to dwell on such a trivial matter now.

What's more—this feeling doesn't seem so bad, does it?

So she simply closed her eyes, like a cat being soothed by its owner, squinting slightly and quietly enjoying the comforting touch.

However, this seemingly warm and harmonious scene of "beautiful girls sticking together" made another person in the room completely unable to sit still.

Behind Jiying, a girl's cheeks swelled up at a visible speed.

The next moment, Ji Ying's face suddenly froze, and the movement of stroking Ye Zixuan's head also stopped instantly.

She could clearly feel a warm little hand silently reaching out from behind her, precisely finding the soft flesh on her side, and then—through her pajamas, mercilessly pinching it with its thumb and forefinger, and then rotating it 180 degrees clockwise.

Ouch!...

Ji Ying's body trembled violently, and she almost cried out on the spot. She endured the sudden pain and glanced behind her.

Sure enough, Su Yuqing was standing behind her, a sweet yet dangerous smile on her face, her hand pinching her soft flesh and applying pressure with just the right amount of force.

"Rain, Rain Clearing————" She turned her head with difficulty, looking at the culprit behind her with an almost pleading look. Her voice trembled because of the unbearable touch.

Su Yuqing simply maintained the position of pinching her soft flesh, tilted her head with a smile, and said in an extremely innocent tone, "What's wrong, Xiaoying? I just saw you and Zixuan having so much fun, so I wanted to join in the fun~" You call this "joining in the fun"?!

Ji Ying roared silently in her heart. She knew that if she dared to resist or complain now, the little hand that was "making trouble" on her waist would definitely increase its force without hesitation.

"Cough—cough cough!"

Driven by a strong survival instinct, she subtly withdrew her hand from Ye Zixuan's head, cleared her throat, and quickly steered the conversation back on track in an extremely serious tone, attempting to divert the attention of the little devil behind her by discussing serious matters.

"Zixuan," she tried to make her voice sound more steady, "I have one more question I'd like to confirm with you."

"Could you repeat in detail what Jingjue said and did to you after he completely rendered you unable to resist?"

"Huh? Oh, okay."

Although Ye Zixuan was somewhat confused by Ji Ying's sudden stiff reaction and change of topic, she quickly composed herself, nodded seriously, and recounted what had happened to everyone exactly as it had happened.

After listening to these words and combining them with all the information he had previously gathered, Jiying once again fell into deep thought.