My enemies became my companions

Chapter 716 The Bright Lord (Two Chapters Combined)

Surrounded by this halo of light that seemed to cleanse the soul, Chen Yi did not feel uncomfortable or afraid; instead, he felt a strange sense of peace.

He stood before the open temple gate, as if he could hear the sound of water dripping from long ago.

The days were so long.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Looking back, it feels like a very long time has passed. And when you think back, the girl who resolutely burned all her silver notes at the Silver Terrace Temple seems so distant now. Back then, she was a princess who had fallen on hard times and was now his wife.

The past is the past. Unless the wounds are too deep, Chen Yi never really cares about the past. He is indeed a vengeful person. But since they are in love now, they should love each other well.

Chen Yi still remembered the grudge from his previous life when he died. Although he would use this as an excuse to bully and even humiliate her from time to time, his efforts, though seemingly insignificant, eventually wore her down to nothing.

The past is the past.

Even the momentary scattering of flowers is the same.

Just as love doesn't leave lasting resentment, Chen Yi didn't want to keep this sorrow in his heart. It was true that he would treat the little fox very well, and he would take extra care of her among so many women. Her pillow talk was always very effective. But all of this was because of their love at the moment.

That's true. The little fox suits his tastes, pleases him, and depends on him, which is why he takes such good care of her.

Chen Yi was enveloped in a halo of light, and a warm current flowed into his heart, as if the light came from outside and from where he was. His mind was as calm as could be.

He loves her enough now, the past is past, there's no need to bring it up again, just live in the present.

But when the night is deep and quiet, listening to the girl's even breathing and the occasional trembling of her shoulders bathed in the dim light, he can't help but think of the past.

Many details have become blurred, but Yin Tingxue's helplessness, confusion, and even sorrow seeped into his heart, growing deeper and deeper after he was regarded as a mother by Yin Tingxue.

This is not the pain of a husband who has hurt his wife, but more like the guilt of a mother who has betrayed her child.

On some days, when the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly, she would sit on the chaise longue, basking in the warm sun, and Chen Yi would casually bring up this matter with a smile.

"Little fox, what were you thinking back then? Did you have to cry so much? Think about it, how could I have ever hurt you?"

He had never mistreated her in life, and when she frowned, he would say some shameless things.

"What's wrong? You're not happy? Look at you, you've already gotten a taste for it and know how to enjoy yourself."

Yin Tingxue could only shake her head slightly, muttering a few words. She could never do anything about him. If he brought up the past like this, so be it, if it would make him feel better.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Chen Yi thought he would take her out for a walk, even just a casual stroll would be fine.
"Let's go, the sunshine is so beautiful."

So they went out, wandered around, and bought a couple of candied hawthorns, some miscellaneous books, and some small jewelry, which made Yin Tingxue happy all day.

Chen Yi always felt that he had been incredibly good to Yin Tingxue, but at this moment, he was also healing his own wounds.

Indeed, what he did to the girl not only left a scar on her, but also somewhere in his own heart.

Like a mother who has abandoned her child, when she finds her child again, she will buy her a lot of candied hawthorns. Even though she says she is disciplining her child, she is trying her best to make amends in her heart.

The temple gates opened wide, and more and more light poured out. The silent and formless world of ignorance seemed to be suddenly swept by a gentle breeze, blowing outwards.

Yin Tingxue stared blankly at the scene, the sunlight falling on the ends of her hair, giving it a soft golden hue.
Is he praying to the Venerable One, for a moment of enlightenment?
However, as the halo grew longer, what came into view was not as if the light came from the temple, but rather as if it came from him. The halo did not rise high, but slowly sank and merged into him.

The light shone brighter and brighter in this world of ignorance, and the dark sky gradually brightened, turning golden. All around, there was complete silence.

Yin Tingxue was at a loss. She had seen this scene before. When she opened the door, the light also covered her, but it was just a fleeting moment. This time, however, it was gradually embracing him.

A profound silence surrounded them, and the world of ignorance was bathed in a halo of light. It was an unimaginable sight. Yin Tingxue had not expected such a change after Chen Yi pushed open the temple door. She only vaguely felt that the blurry shadow shrouded in light was becoming more and more familiar.

...Ming...Mingzun?
The idea just came up.

The light slanted further toward her, growing warmer and warmer, not emanating from the temple, but from him. And so a golden sun seemed to rise from the lake of her heart, shimmering with golden light, rippling endlessly.

She saw the figure in the light slowly turn around and open its eyes.

And behind her,
From the endless depths of darkness, a deafening roar echoed, shaking heaven and earth.

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

Gaoliang Mountain.

The white light that pierced through the heavens and earth did not dissipate; instead, it became even more intense and surging, as if it were about to ignite the entire frozen world.

In the once lifeless and ignorant world, a sudden gale arose, howling across the mountains, causing the trees of the entire sorghum mountain to dance wildly in the wind, their branches and leaves emitting a mournful sound like the tides.

Inside the main hall, Gongsun Guan slowly stretched out his hand, feeling the flow of the wind. His clothes swayed in the wind, making him look like an immortal in the world.

A strong wind rushed in through the open temple doors, but the eternal lamps inside did not go out because of the wind. Instead, they burst into a dazzling flame with a whoosh and burned brighter and brighter. The flames were steady and sacred, casting long shadows of everyone on the walls.

The sky changed dramatically once again.

The Mighty Saintess and the Wise Saintess exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised shock in each other's eyes.

The Mighty Saintess felt the howling power between heaven and earth, carrying a magnificent aura that cleansed everything. The wrinkles on her withered face deepened, and she sighed, muttering, "That kid really did succeed."

The wise saintess standing nearby immediately glanced at her, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Boy? What are you calling me?"

The Holy Maiden of Might was momentarily speechless, her old face flushing slightly. She quickly composed herself, bowing respectfully towards the brightest point of white light, and murmured, "My Lord."

She was filled with mixed feelings. She used to think that although that person had some skills, he was narrow-minded, acted unconventionally, and even bullied the little fox. He was a bit unreliable. How could he be associated with the Mingzun in the ancient prophecy?

But the earth-shaking changes before her eyes left her no choice but to believe it.

The light grew brighter and hotter, illuminating the world in pure white, as if it were about to tear this ignorant world apart completely at any moment.

Zhu E stared blankly at the bright sunlight. At first, her mind went blank, and all she could see was a vast expanse of white.

It wasn't until quite some time later that she seemed to wake up from a dream.

An indescribable ecstasy instantly seized her; her blood seemed to flow backward, rushing to her head and making her tremble slightly. She felt her heart beating so fast it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

He is truly a wise and enlightened ruler...

No, the official is rightfully the same as the Venerable One, and the Venerable One is the same as the official!
Her thoughts burned away all her previous doubts, anxieties, and worries, like a raging fire.

Even she, who had been so certain before, had had her doubts. But her husband, her husband, was truly wise and dignified. For a moment, she thought she was going to faint, so she dug her fingertips deep into her palms, using the pain to confirm that this was not a dream.

After the intense trembling and dizziness subsided slightly, Zhu E took a deep breath, turned to the two saintesses, her voice still slightly hoarse from excitement, but already regaining its usual composure:

“Two Holy Maidens, it’s about time you went to pay homage to the Venerable One.” Upon hearing this, the Mighty Holy Maiden’s eyes flashed with surprise, which quickly turned into a teasing remark: “Oh, just now you were so flustered that you couldn’t even utter a coherent sentence, but now you’ve turned the tables and are ordering us two old women around?”

Zhu E did not blush at the teasing. She simply smiled gently in response to her words. Under the brilliant sunlight, her smile had a serene and detached quality.

Despite their playful banter, both the Wise Saintess and the Mighty Saintess became serious, their auras swirling around them as if they were about to transform into rainbows and be cast into the towering pillar of light.

Just then, Gongsun Guan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it instantly stopped everyone in their tracks.
"and many more."

The crowd was puzzled and followed his gaze to the top of the towering pillar of light.

Within that pure, intense halo of light, something seemed to be slowly sinking down. Its outline was initially blurry, but then became clearer and clearer. It was the phantom of a majestic and imposing palace.

"That is...!" The Holy Maiden of Wisdom's expression changed drastically, her composure vanishing in response to utter astonishment. "The Bright Palace? The Brightness within the Ignorance, that is the Bright Palace! The legendary abode of the Bright Lord!"

Just as the magnificent phantom of the Ming Palace appeared, a faint, smoky white light suddenly shot up from the depths of the dark mountains to the side of the crowd, heading straight for the Ming Palace in the sky!

Gongsun Guan lowered his head, the shadow obscuring most of his face, and only a soft sigh could be heard as he spoke:

"So... he may not be the Mingzun, and the Mingzun may not be him."

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

As that roar resounded, the boundless tide of darkness surged forth once more.

As if someone's arrival had thoroughly angered that ancient being, the echoes of that earth-shattering roar had not yet faded when the thick darkness that had been dispelled retaliated with even greater ferocity.

The sea of ​​light that had spread out suddenly rolled back, like countless waterfalls flowing backward.

The dark tide surged in like a rushing torrent. Donggong Ruoshu, who had been swaying and drifting, was suddenly tossed up like a kite with a broken string in this wave, drifting helplessly, about to be swallowed by the darkness that surged in again.

She let out a barely audible whimper of fear, and with her last ounce of strength, she transformed into a barely perceptible shadow and darted behind Chen Yi.

Yin Tingxue, who was originally enveloped in a warm halo, suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness rise from her spine.

She turned around abruptly and saw an indescribably enormous shadow slowly approaching on the collapsing, dark horizon in the distance.

That was the Lord of Resentment.

It no longer seemed as dull and ignorant as before; now it was like a giant whale swimming in the deep sea, distorting and swallowing even the light in its wake.

It was surrounded by countless faces writhing in agony and shattered visions of ignorance, and its enormous eyes, devoid of pupils but filled with rolling gray-white light, stared indifferently at the source of the light.

At that very moment, Chen Yi, surrounded by light as if he had merged with it, slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were golden, piercing outwards, staring disdainfully at the approaching Lord of Resentment.

So... back then, it already recognized itself as the Venerable One?
The thought crossed my mind.

Endless darkness swept in like crashing waves.

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

A light drizzle was falling on the mountain path, making it muddy, and the mountain breeze that passed through the woods carried a strange smell.

A group of Shenxiao sect Taoist priests trudged through the rocks, finally stopping in a relatively open clearing in the forest. Several of them quickly set up an ancient Bagua compass, while another disciple tried to wipe a dusty bronze mirror, but the mirror remained dark, as if the spiritual energy of this place had been completely disordered and could not be channeled.

After parting ways with Chen Yi and the others, Zhao Deshan led the Shenxiao Sect to search for the great demon about to descend into the world. The warning from their patriarch in the dream was still vivid in their minds, so how could they dare to be negligent?

Moreover, if the Great Demon were to truly descend upon the Southern Frontier, those of them from the closest Taoist sects would undoubtedly be the first to be affected.

Zhao Deshan stood in the center of the Bagua compass, holding his breath and concentrating intently. His fingers moved in various hand seals, and he chanted incantations, attempting to deduce the secrets of heaven and pinpoint the demon's whereabouts. The disciples around him nervously gathered, not daring to breathe.

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept up from the ground without warning, making everyone's clothes flutter wildly and the trees rustle. The bronze mirror, which was already covered in dust, shattered into pieces without warning with a "bang"!
Zhao Deshan trembled violently, suddenly looked up, his face drained of color, and exclaimed in horror, "The Great Demon... has already descended upon the world?"

A single sentence struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in the minds of all the Shenxiao Sect disciples.

Everyone felt their heads buzzing, and their faces instantly turned deathly pale. Regardless of whether their patriarch had exaggerated, this great demon had already descended upon the world, and its ferocity was bound to be overwhelming. They, disciples with shallow cultivation, were probably...

A young disciple, his voice trembling, asked with a last glimmer of hope, "Master...should we calculate it again?"

Zhao Deshan shook his head, his face pale and bitter. Everyone understood that the previous calculation had been perfect, and the divination result was so clear that there was no doubt about it.

An atmosphere of despair filled the air. Suddenly, another disciple remembered something and asked in a trembling voice, "Where...where is that great figure that our patriarch spoke of? Where is he?"

Zhao Deshan slapped his forehead as if grasping at the last straw.

"Yes! Yes! There's still a chance!" He immediately suppressed his panic, made hand gestures again, and used the method of hexagrams to cast a divination, trying to find that glimmer of hope.

All the disciples held their breath, intently watching Zhao Deshan's every subtle movement and expression.

A moment later, Zhao Deshan froze, slowly lowering his head to look at the divination result. His pupils suddenly contracted, and his face was filled with disbelief: "The divination result... is not visible... there is only one... a straight celestial line falling from the Big Dipper..."

He muttered to himself, his voice trembling.

Seeing his strange expression, the young disciple beside him asked in a trembling voice, "Master, what does the divination show? Where is that important figure?"

Cold sweat poured down Zhao Deshan's forehead. As if in a dream, his voice trembled and he whispered, "Truly... the celestial being Xu Qi..."

The mountain wind suddenly stopped, and the withered leaves fell to the ground silently.

The rain continued to fall softly.

A true celestial being... Xu Qi.

After an unknown amount of time, a hoarse voice rang out from among the group: "How could we possibly have calculated... Xu Qi's whereabouts? The whereabouts of the number one in the world... is that something we could calculate?"

Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to wake from a dream, exhaled the half-hearted breath they had been holding, and looked at Zhao Deshan as if asking him to calculate it again.

Zhao Deshan was also incredulous. Could the great demon that emerged from this southern border region really be so terrifying that only a true celestial being could suppress it?
"Then... let's calculate it again,"

Zhao Deshan addressed the crowd:
"To be honest, even I, Master, don't believe it was calculated by the true celestial being Xu Qi. That's a good saying: how could we possibly have calculated Xu Qi?"

Seeing that everyone nodded slightly, he turned around and cast the divination again.

Yes, how could they have predicted Xu Qi's arrival? Even those skilled in Qimen Dunjia would deliberately conceal the divination results, let alone a dragon that is rarely seen. In that instant of distraction, a very soft voice came from behind:

"Because I just happened to be here."

(End of this chapter)