My enemies became my companions

Chapter 658 My Dao Companion Became My Enemy (Two Chapters Combined)

My enemy has become my Daoist companion...

My Daoist partner... has become my enemy...

Yin Weiying was at a loss for words, his heart filled with complex and indescribable emotions, and his brows furrowed with melancholy.

Women are often hesitant and indecisive, but they are always exceptionally perceptive when it comes to matters of the heart. She could see through Chen Yi's indifference.

The intimacy and indulgence of the past seemed to have vanished completely with what had just happened, leaving only scrutiny and alienation.

"Let's go."

Suddenly hearing a voice beside him, Yin Weiying came back to his senses. The colors of the world around him had faded like ink paintings. When he looked back, he had arrived at the celestial palace.

Looking back, the three of them found themselves inside that once magnificent and splendid celestial palace.

The celestial palace has become dilapidated.

The misty, ethereal atmosphere and dazzling lights were nowhere to be seen. The massive golden dragon pillar was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and in some places it had even broken in the middle. The collapsing pillar crushed the carved beams and painted rafters of the dome, revealing the eerie, gray, and stagnant light outside.

The entire palace was deathly silent and dilapidated, leaving only a mess, silently telling a story.

Yin Weiying's heart tightened, and she subconsciously raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with a faint celestial light, trying to achieve her wish and repair this "celestial abode" that belonged to her.

If we can fix one or two things, perhaps... perhaps we can salvage some of our reputation.

She suddenly thought that if she could be restored to her original state, she would definitely not force Chen Yi to comply again, but would make things clear...

She was doing it for his own good back then.

However, the moment the thought arose, the sword intent, like an invisible iron curtain, instantly enveloped Yin Weiying, completely severing her connection with this world.

hum!
The faint glimmer of light at her fingertips went out with a soft "poof," like a candle flickering in the wind.

Yin Weiying trembled violently, looked up in astonishment, and met Chen Yi's unfathomable eyes.

He stood there, and although Hou Kang's sword was not drawn, the sword intent that permeated the world had already made his words clear.

He didn't look at her; his gaze simply swept calmly across the ruins. But that silent gaze made Yin Weiying feel more suffocated and...humiliated than any rebuke.

She wanted to explain, to say she wouldn't do it again, to question why she wasn't even given this small chance, and even to beg... But all the words that came to her lips turned bitter when she met those indifferent eyes.

She opened her mouth, but in the end just let her hands fall slumped down, thinking that he was angry right now, but it was only temporary, so it was better not to argue with him.

He was so obsessed with himself, but they always ended up making up afterward.

Chen Yi withdrew his gaze, no longer wanting to look at Yin Weiying, and didn't say anything more about the dilapidated immortal palace, as if it were just an insignificant ruin.

He turned and left, his steps steady, without the slightest hesitation.

Qin Qingluo glanced coldly at the distraught Yin Weiying, a hint of mockery flashing in her snake-like eyes, before taking long strides to follow behind Chen Yi.

Her footsteps were exceptionally clear in the deathly silence, carrying the calm of a victor.

Yin Weiying watched the two figures leave one after the other, bit her lower lip, endured the still clear soreness in her waist and hips, and staggered after them.

The heavy palace doors slid open silently in front of Chen Yi, and the scene suddenly dropped from the clouds to the ground. Outside was not a fairyland, but that frozen, eerie city street.

The scene remained frozen, deathly silent, the colors dim, and the light gloomy.

Only the sound of the three people's footsteps on the stone path made the surrounding environment seem even more eerie.

Chen Yi walked at the front, his sharp eyes scanning the frozen scene on both sides of the street, as if searching for some clue or exit. His back was straight, but he carried a cold and unapproachable aura.

Qin Qingluo lagged half a step behind, her black python robe appearing particularly heavy in the stagnant air. She placed one hand on her waist, her snake-like eyes scanning her surroundings warily, as if ready to deal with any potential dangers at any moment. She had neither the time nor the inclination to pay attention to Yin Weiying behind her.

Yin Weiying lagged behind, her steps unsteady. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on her mud-covered skirt and broken shoes, her eyes momentarily glazed over.

The scene of the ruined celestial palace, the desperate chase in the lake of her heart, the sudden storm in the hall, and Chen Yi's cold indifference at this moment... all these images intertwined repeatedly in her mind, making her feel confused and restless, with an indescribable sense of grievance weighing heavily on her heart.

Occasionally, she would unconsciously raise her hand, her fingertips curling slightly, but she would eventually recite the Supreme Method of Forgetfulness to calm her mind.

The streets stretched on endlessly, and in this stagnant world, only three figures, each lost in their own thoughts, walked silently forward, their footsteps echoing in the deathly silence.

As Chen Yi continued forward, he heard Yin Weiying mention the "Light Candle Land," but he didn't know what connection it had with this world. Upon closer examination, it was even more bizarre than he had imagined.

It would be nice to have one's wishes fulfilled here, but looking at the situation, whether it was Wu Meng, Yang Chongwei, or Qin Qingluo and him, the outcome of their wishes not being as wonderful as they had imagined. Especially Yang Chongwei, Chen Yi thought to himself, if he were in Yang Chongwei's shoes, he certainly wouldn't have trapped himself in this puppet state.

In short, the art style is different.

Yin Weiying's wish came true, and he left the celestial palace. It was so magnificent and majestic that it was unimaginable. Even the lifeless paper figures were brought to life, like celestial fairies.

His family... No matter how much Yin Weiying fantasizes, she can't change the essence of this world.

Unless, of course, the "Light Candle Land" did not originate from this world but fell from the outside, it is certain that it is inextricably linked to the Cult of Light and Darkness.

Chen Yi suddenly recalled the doctrines of the Cult of Light and Darkness, which stated that the two factions, Light and Darkness, were constantly fighting each other. Looking around, he realized this was indeed the so-called "Darkness"...

That light illuminating the ground is "brightness".

Suddenly, a thought struck Chen Yi, and he felt as if he had been enlightened.

It wasn't a physical contact, but rather a faint, warm thought, like a candle flame in the wind, gently brushing against the edge of his senses.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Just ahead at the street corner, behind a stagnant alley, a tiny, pure, and soft glimmer of light, the size of a grain of rice, flickered like stardust, hovering between the half-frozen candlelight.

How similar it is to the little point of light I saw before.

"Stay close to me." He flicked his fingertips, and two extremely condensed sword energies instantly extended out. One wrapped around Qin Qingluo's wrist behind him, while the other, with an irresistible meaning, directly wrapped around Yin Weiying's slender waist. It was both a connection and a confinement, to prevent Yin Weiying from getting lost or causing trouble in this strange place.

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already transformed into a blurry afterimage, shooting towards the point of light. Qin Qingluo's snake eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, she exerted her strength to follow. Her black python robe stirred up a strong wind.

Yin Weiying was pulled by the sword energy threads and staggered involuntarily. The soreness in her waist and hips made her groan, but she dared not complain in the slightest. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to catch up.

The three moved with incredible speed, leaving three blurry trails on the stagnant street. However, the light seemed to possess a spirit; just as Chen Yi was about to touch it, it suddenly flashed away, like a fish swimming in water, and glided lightly into a narrower, darker dead-end alley.

Chen Yi turned and chased after him without hesitation.

The alley was narrow, with peeling brick walls on both sides, piled with solidified debris, and the light was less than ten feet ahead, flickering.

Pursue further,

The light flashed again, passing directly through a half-collapsed wall and disappearing behind it.

A flash of ferocity appeared in Chen Yi's eyes. Before the Hou Kang Sword was even drawn, a condensed sword aura had already slashed out fiercely.
boom!
Stone fragments flew everywhere, and a large hole was forcibly broken in the wall. Amidst the billowing dust, the point of light indeed hovered in the courtyard behind the wall, as if waiting quietly.

Chen Yi leaped through the hole, Qin Qingluo followed closely behind, brushing past broken bricks and rubble. Yin Weiying was pulled through by the threads of sword intent, awkwardly dodging falling rocks, his face even paler.

The chase continued, with points of light flashing in the dilapidated courtyard, the frozen well, and even under the overturned carriage, each time precisely at the moment Chen Yi was about to succeed.

It seemed to be playing with something, yet also guiding it, always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too distant.

"Someone is manipulating this?!"

Alarm bells rang in Chen Yi's mind. This was by no means the agility of the light spot itself, but rather some kind of will was secretly obscuring its true trajectory and interfering with his perception.

He abruptly stopped, no longer futilely chasing the fleeting light.

In a flash, he took a deep breath and tried to make his wish come true.

There must be a mastermind behind this place. Once we eliminate them, we can leave...

Looking back,
In an instant, a demonic aura shot into the sky from afar, breaking through the air.

"Go!" Chen Yi stopped looking at the light spot and followed the demonic energy. Then, Kang Jian was drawn half an inch from its sheath, accompanied by a shrill sword cry that tore through the air. He transformed into a stream of light and resolutely charged towards a certain place in the west of the city where the demonic energy was most intense!
Qin Qingluo's eyes instantly ignited with fighting spirit. Although she did not have the Purple Lightning Spear in her hand, the killing aura she had honed on the battlefield already resonated with the soaring demonic atmosphere. Without hesitation, she followed Chen Yi closely, her black-clad figure like a black lightning bolt tearing through the demonic clouds.

Yin Weiying was tightly pulled by the threads of sword intent, and was involuntarily swept into this raging torrent.

Looking at the murderous figure ahead, feeling the cold and resilient sword energy binding her waist, she gritted her teeth, forcibly urging her remaining vital energy, and staggered to catch up.

........................

A fierce battle lasting half an hour.

The soaring demonic aura slowly dissipated like the receding tide, leaving only an overwhelming stench of blood and burnt flesh in the air.

This area has been completely turned into a battlefield of carnage. The ruins are littered with the remains of various demonic creatures: there are giant wolf demons that have been shredded by sword energy and separated from their flesh; there are snake-shaped demons that have been charred and smoking by the power of lightning and look like withered charcoal; and there are crustacean-like demons that have been crushed flat by an invisible force and are deeply embedded in the ground... Thick demonic blood meanders like a stream in the cracks of the broken bluestone slabs, gathering into dark red puddles and emitting a nauseatingly sweet and pungent smell.

Severed limbs, internal organs, shattered scales, and charred fur were scattered everywhere, mixed with the dust and rubble of collapsed houses, and even the stagnant rain seemed to be stained with a faint layer of blood.

Qin Qingluo leaned on her purple lightning spear, her black python robe torn in several places, stained with dark red demon blood and black smoke, revealing the soft armor underneath. Her chest heaved violently, and although the sharpness in her snake eyes had not faded, it was also covered with an undisguised weariness.

Sweat rolled down her forehead, sliding down her blood-stained cheeks and leaving several clear marks. The muscles in her arm holding the gun trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the fierce battle with several powerful demons had taken a heavy toll on her.

Yin Weiying fared somewhat better; she still retained her ethereal beauty, with a few strands of damp hair clinging to her pale cheeks, though her vital energy was nearly depleted.

Chen Yi stood in the center of the battlefield, slowly sheathing his sword.

On the blade of Hou Kangjian, the last drop of dark red demonic blood slid down the cold spine and dripped into the pool of blood at his feet, making a soft "tap" sound that was particularly clear in the deathly silence of the wreckage.

His breathing was slightly rapid, his chest heaving, and his eyes remained sharp, but even he felt a trace of weariness.

But as he thought, these monsters were indeed the key.

Everything went exactly as he had predicted.

Just then, that tiny, pure, and gentle white light, no bigger than a grain of rice, silently appeared in the void three feet in front of Chen Yi. It hovered quietly, as if it had never moved, nor been disturbed by the soaring demonic energy and the fierce battle. The light was warm and gentle, like a solitary lamp at the end of darkness.

Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and without any hesitation, he reached out and gently touched the faint light.

The moment your fingertips touch the light, there is no earth-shattering sound, only a strange, warm, jade-like sensation that feels as if your soul has been cleansed.

hum!
A soft white light suddenly spread, instantly enveloping Chen Yi, as well as Qin Qingluo and Yin Weiying not far behind him. The demon corpses scattered everywhere, the flowing pools of blood, the broken streets, the stagnant rain, the gray sky... were like a painting thrown into water, instantly distorted and blurred, and then quickly faded and dissipated.

A feeling of weightlessness washed over me, as if I were falling into an endless abyss, or as if I were being lifted up by a warm tide.

The next moment, feet firmly on the ground.

Chen Yi suddenly opened his eyes.

Before him was no longer the eerie, frozen city, but a familiar, tall, and heavy vermilion gate. Above the gate hung a plaque with four powerful characters carved in bold, iron-like strokes:
The Prince of Annam's Palace.

The rain was no longer a solidified curtain of crystal beads, but fell continuously from the gray sky, tapping on the stone steps in front of the palace gate and splashing up tiny water droplets.

The lanterns hanging at the entrance of the Prince's mansion swayed gently in the wind and rain, their dim yellow light dispelling the darkness of the rainy night. In the distance, the faint sound of patrolling soldiers' armor rubbing together could be heard. Everything was alive with the vibrant energy of human life.

They're finally back.

Yin Weiying raised her head and stared at the four characters "Annan Prince's Mansion" on the plaque. Her eyes were unfathomable. Suddenly, the shadows fell beside her. It turned out that Qin Qingluo had walked past her, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

The female Taoist priest was breathing heavily, but she kept her composure. Despite her recent setback, she remained calm and collected, as if she would not flinch even if Mount Tai collapsed before her.

However, as the Queen turned her head slightly, a mocking sneer appeared on her lips.

The female Taoist priest frowned slightly.

What's so funny about her?
(End of this chapter)