My enemies became my companions

Chapter 625 All Feasts End (Part 2)

They did not pounce on Qing Li, who was in the molted snake body, nor did they rush towards the snake's tail, which seemed easier to attack.

Chen Yi pointed directly at the throat, a relatively weak vital point covered with dark gold scales, beneath the massive head of the Boundless King, which was slightly raised due to its roar.

With the ultimate technique of stepping on clouds, his movements became incredibly fast, like a gray lightning bolt skimming across the surface of a churning pool. Then, Kang Jian gathered all his strength, and the tip of the sword tore through the air, emitting an extremely sharp whistle.

The Boundless King sensed the threat aimed directly at its vital points. Its amber vertical pupils suddenly contracted, ignoring the excruciating pain from its exposed throat. Its thick, pillar-like serpent tail lashed out like a dark golden whip from behind, striking Chen Yi's back fiercely. At the same time, its massive head slammed down, attempting to use its hard skull to deflect this incredibly powerful blow.

The snake's tail and its collision were as fast as lightning, sealing off all of Chen Yi's space to dodge. If he insisted on stabbing at the throat, he would be whipped into a pulp by the snake's tail or smashed by its head.

Chen Yi made a hand seal with his other hand, and lightning crackled and shot out.

The three sacrificial animals they had previously enjoyed, along with the thunder talisman drawn by Yin Weiying, produced lightning as thick as an arm. It struck the sweeping snake tail directly, exploding in mid-air like a spiderweb of lightning. The spot where Min Ning had previously cut the snake's scales was now charred black.

Ignoring his pain, Wuliang Wang twisted his body and rose completely out of the pool. His figure was even faster than Chen Yi's by an instant, and the missing Extinction Zen Sword shattered the golden light-diffusing water curtain.

Chen Yi did not press his advantage; instead, he continued his advance. His target was not the Boundless King's enormous body, but the Bone-Shedding Pool itself, which churned with an eerie golden light.

With a swift movement, he reached the edge of the pool. Facing the viscous slurry containing the power of Buddha and demon, capable of destroying the soul, he not only did not retreat, but instead pointed his longsword diagonally at the surface of the pool, the tip of the sword trembling slightly and emitting a low hum.

The sword becomes heaven and earth.

In an instant, centered on the tip of his sword, an overwhelming and unstoppable sword intent suddenly unfolded, forming a vortex.

The boiling, churning dark golden nectar seemed to be drawn and restrained by an invisible force, no longer following the will of the Boundless King. Instead, it strangely rolled back and converged towards the tip of Chen Yi's sword.

It was as if an invisible vortex was forming at the tip of the sword. Large swathes of golden water were forcibly drawn away, flowing like rivers into the sea, continuously plunging into the "heaven and earth" that the sword tip pointed to.

The scene, much like Chen Yi's own obsession, was embracing this filthy pool of bones.

The pool water dropped at a visible rate. The golden light of the snake slough binding Qing Li also fluctuated violently and dimmed.

"How dare you steal my Buddha's fruit and destroy my foundation!"

The Boundless King roared in shock and anger, its massive head suddenly turning towards Chen Yi. Its snake eyes were filled with intense killing intent, and its extremely strange sword intent was actually devouring the foundation for its refinement of the Buddha Fruit.

It no longer cared about Min Ning. Its huge claw, covered in glazed Buddhist light, tore through the light slurry, and with boundless rage and a pressure strong enough to imprison space, it fiercely grabbed at Chen Yi by the pool.

Before the claws even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already solidified the air around Chen Yi like an iron plate, and the viscous liquid under his feet was forced to spread outwards, forming a depression.

Just as the giant claw was about to strike.

Min Ning made a move.

Her old temper had vanished, replaced by a new one. A fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and instead of retreating, she advanced, bursting forth with a sudden burst of energy.

Her longsword traced a mysterious and unpredictable trajectory, held back yet unleashed, when an invisible sword intent suddenly surged around her. The foul air of the underground palace seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, transforming into a turbulent vortex that swirled around the sword.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

The next moment, sword light suddenly appeared, the wind howled like a dragon's roar, and the clouds surged with sword energy. A huge sword aura, carrying immense wind pressure, arrived first after the attack, vast and majestic.

The Sword of Wind and Cloud.

The violent collision sounded like muffled thunder. The Wind and Cloud Sword Qi clashed fiercely with the Buddha Demon's giant claw. A violent shockwave exploded, stirring up huge waves in the pool. The Boundless King's claw, which he had poured all his strength into and was determined to win, was actually stopped in mid-air by this sword that had gathered all of Min Ning's essence and spirit.

The Buddha light in the claw's heart fluctuated violently, and the dark gold scales emitted a piercing friction sound. The massive claw body was pushed upward by the tearing and impact force contained in the sword energy.

It is this moment of obstruction, this fleeting instant.

Chen Yi, who had been focused on "Sword Forming Heaven and Earth" to devour the pool water, suddenly had a glint of light in his eyes the moment the giant claw was knocked away by the wind and cloud sword energy.

He turned around smoothly, maintaining the sword's momentum as it swallowed the pool water, and with a single thought, drew his left hand from its sheath, slashing it fiercely across his right wrist, which was holding the sword, with lightning speed.

"With my own blood and essence, I offer this sacrifice. The offering of three animals will ward off evil spirits."

The incantation was short, and the gushing blood did not spill. Instead, it was guided by his left-hand sword finger into the air and fell towards the blade. It burned fiercely without any distractions, and then transformed into a sword strike as fierce as a raging fire, slashing towards the throat and jaw of the Boundless King, which was exposed due to the giant claw being blocked.

The speed of the wind and rain-cutting technique was already extremely fast, and it also contained the increased cultivation of Chen Yi after consuming the three sacrificial animals. This kind of yang energy that wards off evil spirits is the nemesis of Wuliang Wang, a half-demon and half-god.

Wuliang Wang's snake eyes suddenly contracted, trying to dodge or block, but he was slowed down by the Wind and Cloud Sword.

With a soft sound, the blade pierced the gap in the scales of its lower jaw.

The golden-red flames instantly ignited, emitting a loud sizzling sound.

"Aow!" The Boundless King let out a deafening roar, and foul-smelling, scalding dark golden blood gushed out like a burst dam from the wound in its throat and the huge gash in its tail. Its massive head thrashed wildly, its power instantly spiraling out of control.

The excruciating pain caused the Boundless King's power to go berserk, and the palace shook violently as it twisted and roared wildly, with huge boulders raining down on it.

"Go." Taking advantage of the moment, Min Ning's left hand flashed into the crack in the snake's skin, grabbed Qing Li's icy wrist, and pulled her out into his arms. She felt light as a feather, and the golden light in her heart still throbbed faintly.

Chen Yi decisively stopped his sword strike, touched the edge of the pool with his toes, and used the momentum to fly back, landing beside Min Ning and supporting her as she swayed slightly due to her old injury.

The two exchanged a glance, without the slightest hesitation.

She pointed her longsword at a swollen wall on the side of the palace that had cracked due to the violent tremors. Chen Yi understood and thrust his sword straight out.

"Break!" the two shouted simultaneously.

A lingering sword aura and a Zen-extinguishing sword, like twin dragons emerging from the sea, slammed fiercely into the cracked wall.

Boom.

The already structurally unstable wall burst open like a punctured boil, revealing a huge hole leading to the darkness outside.

Protecting Min Ning and Qing Li in her arms, the three of them shot out from the gap like arrows, instantly disappearing into the darkness and mist outside.

Behind him, only the agonizing, frenzied roar of the Boundless King remained…

………………

The two traveled three hundred miles directly from the palace without stopping until several hours later, when they were certain that the Boundless King had not caught up, and then they paused briefly.

Min Ning gathered Qing Li's soul and used a hand seal to send it flying like a mustard seed. Chen Yi didn't know where she learned her Taoist magic, but although it wasn't profound, it was still practical.

Looking back, the demon's lair still seemed vivid in their minds. The fact that they had entered it unscathed this time was partly due to luck. King Wuliang had gathered demons and monsters here for three hundred years and had no shortage of generals under his command. However, the Southern Frontier had always been a place where military strategists did not contend. King Wuliang was used to being a local emperor and misjudged the two as mere petty thieves, which inevitably made him overconfident.

Judging from the exchange just now, if the Boundless King, who was guarding the Demon Cave, had gone all out, his strength would be comparable to that of a third-rank expert, and third-rank experts in the martial arts world have always been extremely rare.

However, no matter how we review the situation now, there's no need to be apprehensive. The matter has been accomplished, and we can go back and report to Qin Xuzhi.

Qingli's soul was taken into Min Ning's cave. She leaned closer with her hands behind her back and stared at Chen Yi.

"What's going on?" Chen Yi was completely confused and subconsciously thought that he had not done anything to wrong Min Ning.

"Nothing much. Thinking back to your moves just now, your swordsmanship was a bit... eerie," Min Ning said.

Seeing that she wasn't questioning him, Chen Yi felt relieved and thought she had something else to say, so he followed up, "Back then in the Sword Pool, I comprehended a sword intent that was different from the ordinary one."

"I think so too."

Min Ning glossed over this, clearly not what she wanted to ask, and blinked before saying:
"You're still a fourth-rank official?"

There was a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"I once reached the third rank."

Her excitement vanished immediately.

Traveling westward into Sichuan, Min Ning followed Yu's advice to seek opportunities and obtain the inheritance. Her martial arts realm advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the fourth rank in just a few years, which was unimaginable in the past. The heroine was filled with pride, thinking that when they met again, she would not only be able to subdue Chen Yi, but also be able to stand on equal footing and make a great impression.

Man proposes, God disposes; he had already seen even greater vistas.

"...You once reached the third rank, what does that mean?" Min Ning asked after a long while.

"It's a long story, so it's best not to tell you. It's too complicated, and there are some secrets I can't reveal to you."

Hearing his perfunctory attitude, Min Ning was dissatisfied, but did not pursue the matter further.

She always believed him.

Compared to Min Ning's trust, Chen Yi was a little puzzled. He had just broken through to the third rank and comprehended the Sword Formation of Heaven and Earth. Wasn't she there at the time? How come she seemed to know nothing about it?

Could it be that when she first joined the Sword Pool, her limited perspective prevented her from recognizing her?
Min Ning didn't press Chen Yi about his sword intent. She had her own path to walk, and so did he. Asking would inevitably lead to comparisons, which would only cause unnecessary trouble. More than that, since their last parting, she had other things she wanted to ask.

"Chen Zunming".

"Ok?"

"Back then..." Min Ning hesitated, finding it difficult to speak, but still managed to say, "...did you take advantage of me while I was unconscious...and do it to me?"

Zhuo Yu: "..."

Chen Yi looked at him strangely and asked, "Am I that despicable?"

“Oh, then I must be dreaming,” Min Ning murmured. “It’s strange, I don’t dream often.”

Zhou Yitang silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"You missed me so much," Chen Yi said with a grin. "That's not surprising."

"How could that be?" Min Ning scoffed, already used to his shamelessness.

Having reached the fourth rank in martial arts, although he could not surpass him, he could be on par with him, and he no longer needed to show his fear as he had in the capital.

Chen Yi moved closer. After not seeing each other for a long time, they suddenly met again, and the corpses below began to stir.

A little farewell is better than a wedding.

"Min Yuechi, shall we find a place where your dreams can come true?"

He was still as frivolous and rude as ever. Min Ning raised her eyebrows slightly, not wanting this lecherous devil to succeed.

I don't think so.

Chen Yi reached for her hand, but Min Ning nimbly dodged it, then spun around and drew her sword, the blade pointing directly at Chen Yi.

Her brows exuded a free and unrestrained heroic spirit.

The heroine Min smiled and said:
"You'll talk after you beat me."

……

It won't take long.

Min Ning, sporting dark circles under his eyes, tilted his head back and kept chugging wine.

The sword hilt hit his face.

Chen Yi looked apologetic.

Frankly speaking, it's perfectly normal for two martial artists to have minor scuffles and injuries if they're not careful.

Moreover, Chen Yi's cultivation level dropped after he suffered a qi deviation, and he was still only at the fourth rank, so it was even more difficult to hold back. He was also naturally unwilling to bow down to others.

"I'm not angry," Min Ning said calmly after finishing her drink.

"I believe you." Chen Yi leaned closer.

"Those moves you just made really left me feeling powerless and outmatched, but I'll catch up to you soon," she said, enunciating each word clearly.

"You'll definitely catch up with me."

"It's good if you know."

"Then now..."

"Now?"

Min Ning looked utterly dejected. She stretched and slumped against the cave wall.

"I'm exhausted. Are you trying to kill me?"

"I'll be gentler and more lenient," Chen Yi said, feigning concern.

Min Ning gave him a disdainful look, but helplessly let him slowly lift his clothes.

"Corrupt official... um!"

…………

"You still have my knife with you."

She lay half-lying on Chen Yi, breathing softly.

Chen Yi said softly, "I've been carrying it with me ever since I left the capital."

"True?"

"Whether I'm going to Shantong City or entering southern Xinjiang, haven't I always brought it with me?"

Min Ning gave a noncommittal laugh, feigning nonchalance, but Chen Yi knew the heroine was overjoyed.

She got up and changed her clothes. Having traveled the martial arts world for many years, the female knight-errant quickly changed her clothes and tied her hair back in a ponytail with a hair ornament, leaving only the smell of sweat on Chen Yi.

Chen Yi slowly propped himself up, feeling inexplicably melancholy.

She's leaving again.

Like the wind that can never be held back.

"By the way, are you in southern Xinjiang?"

She turned her head, her eyes lighting up.
"I might go to southern Xinjiang later."

She is very straightforward, and her eyes are always filled with the joy of looking forward to seeing him again.

Chen Yi, however, had a bad feeling and was under pressure. After all, from Min Ning's perspective, his relationship with Qin Qingluo was at most a matter of borrowing a seed. Their friendship was as light as water, and they had no further connection since they parted ways in the capital.

The facts are similar; only the two of them know what they are thinking, and sometimes even they can't say for sure.

However, Chen Yi firmly believed that Qin Qingluo would have feelings for him, and even if she didn't, he would force this woman to have them.

Min Ning stared straight at him, seemingly wondering why he had suddenly fallen silent.

In fact, before going to the southern border, Yin Tingxue had worried about this for him. If these two very heroic women fought for him, and both sides were very strong and unwilling to back down, what would he do if he was caught in the middle?
At that time, Chen Yi felt that the little fox was meddling too much, so he told her not to worry about it and that the immortal had his own clever plan.

As the little fox continued to plead with him, Chen Yi forcefully shut her up, and after teasing her for a while, she dared not try to persuade him anymore.

But I digress. It's clear that Chen Yi is neither an immortal nor does he have a brilliant plan for the time being.

"Then Yuechi, come soon, I really want to see you." Not wanting to give himself away, Chen Yi grabbed her hand and said.

"That's so cheesy." Min Ning broke free, smiled, raised her hand to pinch his cheek, stretched it out, and then snapped it off.

No wonder he was silent; it turns out he missed her too much.

Chen Yi felt a slight pain on his cheek and raised his eyebrows. Min Ning had done this before, but it was usually a retaliatory act after Chen Yi had made advances towards him. Now, however, she was making advances towards him instead.

Slightly dissatisfied, he grabbed Min Ning's chin and suddenly kissed her.

She stiffened familiarly for a moment before recovering and retaliating against Chen Yi's aggressive advances. Her words were sharp and forceful; she was always unwilling to admit defeat. Whenever Chen Yi was assertive, she would confront him head-on, regardless of whether she could withstand it.

The heroine Min always manages to stir my heartstrings in a unique way...

After a short while, they parted. Chen Yi was filled with longing and couldn't let go of his feelings. He wanted to keep her a little longer and kiss her one more time, but she patted his shoulder and turned to leave.

"gone!"

All good things must come to an end.

Even though we hadn't seen each other for a long time, it was only a fleeting glimpse.

Min Ning carried her sword northward, flicked her ponytail, and drifted away.

Chen Yi watched her figure gradually disappear, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses...
(End of this chapter)