My enemies became my companions

Chapter 719 Kill the Fake Mingzun (Part 2)

Yin Tingxue looked up, unsure whether she was still shaken or trembling with fear. Emerging from the depths of ignorance, she suddenly saw the once stagnant world now as bright as day, feeling as if one wave of trouble had barely subsided before another arose.

Looking up, the woman holding up the palace was extremely dazzling. Behind her, a halo naturally spread out, vaguely forming a perfect, ethereal light. Within the light, it seemed that countless tiny scriptures were being created and passing away, but upon closer inspection, they were empty.

She simply stood there, without sorrow or joy, without good or evil, as if she were the ruler of the enlightened world, as if she were a true enlightened being.

Yin Tingxue felt her head turn slightly, as if she were glancing at her.

She instinctively shuddered, a chill running down her spine.

The Venerable One high above... did not resemble the Venerable One she knew.

Unconsciously, she turned her head and glanced at Chen Yi out of the corner of her eye, and subconsciously moved closer to him.

Just after cursing, Chen Yi quickly calmed down. The Pure Saintess had mentioned the Bright Palace repeatedly. He had a vague feeling that she was about to usurp the Bright Palace, but he didn't know that after having a moment of enlightenment deep in the Forbidden Land of Ignorance, he would immediately become the Bright Venerable.

Is it really that easy to be a sage?

Just then, the Lord of Resentment attacked, giving Chen Yi no chance to think things through. Thus, the Pure Saintess, who had been planning this for a long time, intercepted him.

They've fallen for their trick.

Chen Yi held his sword horizontally and tapped it lightly with his finger.
However, it's not like they're completely without a backup plan.

Beside her, Donggong Ruoshu, who had narrowly escaped death, gasped for breath. Having just returned to her body, she was not quite used to it. Having been a ghost for so long, her body felt like someone else's. She subconsciously touched herself everywhere, then forcefully lifted a corner of her clothes and vaguely saw a familiar mole on her chest, realizing that this was indeed her body.

I don't know what Chen Yi did...

In an instant, her body was teleported over and stuffed inside; perhaps... her wish had come true?
The silly girl didn't dwell on it. She looked up and was startled, not by the serene saintess who was like a god, but by a figure in green robes as insignificant as a drop in the ocean in the bright sky.

"...A true...celestial being?"

Yin Tingxue turned around abruptly, her pupils shrinking. Over the years, although she had been exposed to the secrets and scriptures of the sect, she was not completely ignorant of the outside world and naturally knew what the words "True Celestial Being" meant.

Even though she was far away on the southern border, she had heard the legend of this true celestial being.

It is said that he has been stationed at Mount Datian for sixty years without ever stepping down the mountain, yet he can command the respect of the entire martial arts world. During the sixty years that he has been in charge of the martial arts world, there is always debate about who is second, third, and even the next six. However, Xu Qi's position as the number one on the martial arts list is without any suspense. When he was the second in the world, he used his bare fists to knock Wu Buyu, who had been sitting firmly on the number one spot for sixty years, off the mountain peak along with his sword. After that, Wu Buyu disappeared from the martial arts world.

Wei Gang, now widely recognized as the second best in the world, climbed the mountain three times to challenge others, and the most suspenseful of those attempts was his defeat within three steps each time.

The martial world is vast and boundless, with countless talents emerging over the past century. The rankings on the martial arts list have changed like flowing water. Demonic cult leaders, righteous giants, and reclusive old monsters have all taken turns on the stage, creating countless magnificent and turbulent events. But no matter how the winds of change blow, the banners on the city walls have never changed. The Great Tianshan Mountain has always been there, and Xu Qi has always been Xu Qi.

He is like an insurmountable solitary peak, silently standing at the end of the line of sight of all martial artists. Looking back five hundred years, no one can match him.

Even with the boundless power of Buddhism, the Bodhisattva Sword Master Wuxiang, who once shared the title of the world's number one with Xu Qi, is now widely recognized as being completely outmatched and destined to lose if he were to fight Xu Qi again.

With such a figure in charge of the martial world, if it were the righteous path, it would surely suppress all the evil people and villains in the world, and the Ming and An Divine Sect was a demonic sect recognized by the martial world... When Yin Tingxue first entered the mountain gate and heard this, she couldn't help but feel scared. However, she soon calmed down because the sect leader, Gongsun Guan, later told her that Xu Qi was revered as a true celestial being only because he had established a rule at Da Tian Mountain that he would not interfere in worldly affairs unless absolutely necessary.

At this moment, the gaze of that newly born, formless deity passed over Chen Yi and his two companions, who had just broken through the darkness and were somewhat disheveled, and also silently met that of the blue-robed man who had stepped out from the river of time.

The man in blue remained simple and unassuming, his face still gaunt, as if he had merely strolled along a mountain path rather than having just pierced through the river of time with his bare hands.

Xu Qi stood at the edge of the long river hole, his clothes still stained with the lingering embers of his fist energy.

When his calm gaze swept over the pure saintess holding the Bright Palace, it was as if the entire world of ignorance seemed to freeze in place.

The raging, dark tide, the magnificent brilliance of the palace, and even the chaotic fragments of time were all forcibly smoothed and suppressed at this moment by an invisible yet boundless will.

She had deduced countless causes and effects, but she never expected that this intruding martial intent could withstand her world-changing finger strike across the boiling river of time.

“Xu Qi…” Her voice was no longer an empty echo, but a confirmation, or a soliloquy.

Buddhist scriptures say "all things are impermanent," and that's exactly what it means.

Xu Qi raised his eyes, his gaze not falling on the light source of the Pure Saintess, nor on the bright palace in her palm, but instead looking at the scene where Gongsun Guan of the River of Time publicly executed her.

His voice was not loud, and he said calmly, "You are a great demon. If you had stayed in a corner, that would have been fine. I have been away from the mortal world for many years. There are countless people in the world who slay demons and eliminate evil. Even if I can't stand it, I would not break my own rules and personally take action to kill you."

However, I and the celestial beings established a rule on Mount Tian: in my lifetime, no one, regardless of their status, may arbitrarily alter time or decipher cause and effect. Besides… since the Venerable One is before me, I may in this life witness what a truly malevolent god is.”

As he finished speaking, he raised his right hand, not making a fist, but just pressing it lightly.

The movement was even lighter than when the Pure Saintess pressed out the River of Time, yet it caused the surrounding space to tremble and ripple like the surface of a lake—not a violent tremor, but a tremor of returning to its place.

The chaotic and disordered phenomena and past scenes began to flow back into the river of time along with his martial intent, and even the hole that had been blasted open was slowly healing.

Xu Qi's gaze finally settled on the formless face of the Pure Saintess, and he smiled.
"This road is blocked."

The pure and holy maiden lowered her brows like a Bodhisattva, remaining noncommittal, and after a long while slowly said:
"You might not be able to keep me here."

Xu Qi laughed heartily, for he hadn't seen anyone speak to him like that in a long time. Then, his brows furrowed, and he made a gesture that was both extremely arrogant and exuded the air of a grandmaster.

The True Celestial raised his hand and said:
"please."

The moment Xu Qi uttered the word "please," the world fell silent.

The Holy Maiden's palm spun slightly, its light flowing and the countless strands of light hanging down suddenly straightened, no longer flowing gently, but transforming into thousands of sword shadows.

It had silently enveloped Xu Qi.

These rays of light do not harm flesh or skin, but are designed to sever existence; ordinary martial artists who touch them will instantly perish.

Xu Qi remained standing in the same spot, only raising his right hand slightly and making a light stroke with his index finger three feet in front of him.

hum!
The sword's shadow collided with the invisible barrier, melting and disintegrating silently like winter snow meeting the sun.

His body, three zhang in diameter, formed its own world, impervious to all laws.

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes.

The serene saintess's aura rippled slightly, stirring up the fragments of time that had not yet calmed down. In an instant, spacetime distorted, and countless past and future scenes trapped Xu Qi in the center like reflections in a mirror or the moon in the water.

Xu Qi laughed loudly and took a step forward, willingly disappearing into the turbulent flow of time.

His figure appeared and disappeared within it, yet remained as solid as ever. Despite the relentless erosion of time, he stood unmoved, throwing a punch at the still-unhealed river of time.

Boom!
The force of the fist pierced through time and space, causing the entire river to tremble violently. The Pure Saintess's spellcasting paused, and the light around her flickered uncertainly.

"What a truly divine being." For the first time, her voice carried a hint of coldness.

The radiance of the Ming Palace in the palm of the hand suddenly receded, and the majestic phantom seemed to come alive. The palace doors opened wide, revealing the primordial light of chaos that was being nurtured within, beginning to brew and accumulate.

She was about to use the essence of the Ming Palace to exercise the true authority of the "Ming Venerable". Xu Qi felt the gathering of that power. Instead of fear, his thin face showed a look of delight. The calm aura around him began to rise, not a surge of martial intent, but a deep and solid aura like a mountain. As he stood there, it seemed to fill the heaven and earth.

Before the two had even made a move, the entire world had already begun to wail.

The distant mountains trembled slightly, and even the towering pillar of light rippled.

Chen Yi protected the two women and retreated ten feet, only to feel a tightness in his chest.

Donggong Ruoshu said in a trembling voice, "They...this..."

Yin Tingxue gazed at the two figures facing off in the air and murmured, "It's like gods are fighting..."

Both women were stunned and shocked; it was the first time they had ever witnessed such a battle between those of the highest rank.

Chen Yi lowered his eyes slightly and tapped the sword blade lightly with his fingers, quickly grasping its subtleties.

Xu Qi gained three-tenths of his understanding, while the Pure Saintess gained five-tenths.

As Chen Yi was lost in thought with his eyes lowered, a gentle breeze suddenly swept through this lonely, frozen world of ignorance.

The wind rises without a source, yet carries the refreshing freshness of morning dew from the mountains, gently brushing across this land that has just undergone tremendous changes.

"Master!" Yin Tingxue exclaimed.

His voice was filled with undisguised astonishment.

Chen Yi turned around and saw the simple white robe fall to the ground, followed by three holy maidens: two old women and one young woman.

The Demonic Cult Leader, Gongsun Guan, had quietly appeared not far away, still wearing his spotless white sacrificial robe, his expression as calm as a deep, ancient well.

Behind him, the Holy Maiden of Wisdom and the Holy Maiden of Might stood on either side, their gazes sweeping across the scene with complex emotions before finally settling on Chen Yi. Zhu E stood slightly behind, her head bowed and her fingertips slightly curled.

The Demonic Sect Leader, Gongsun Guan, gazed at Chen Yi and slowly said, "I have said before, the Bright Venerable is not necessarily you, and you are not necessarily the Bright Venerable."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a calmness that suggested he had long understood his destiny.

Chen Yi sneered, "Not necessarily."

He held his sword horizontally in front of him, his fingertips still unconsciously tapping the spine of the blade, producing a faint, clear sound, with wisps of light hidden within.

The old saintess frowned, about to reprimand him, but after glancing at the Pure Saintess who was suspended in the distance like a god, confronting Xu Qi, she shook her head and remained silent.

The wise saintess's lips moved, but she swallowed back her words. The current situation was so turbulent and unpredictable that she could no longer see clearly.

Chen Yi walked past the two old women, his gaze inadvertently falling on Zhu E. Zhu E lowered her eyebrows to avoid his gaze, but a moment later, she suddenly raised them, revealing a resolute look. At the same time, she slightly turned her gaze to Gongsun Guan.

That glance was incredibly fast, yet it was like a flash of lightning, containing far too many unspoken words.

Without needing to say more, Chen Yi understood her meaning.

They struck first to kill Gongsun Guan.

Chen Yi couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

That's a top-tier expert, ranked seventh in the world. Only someone who's lost their mind would think of striking first. But even someone like Zhu E has such a desperate and reckless thought, which shows just how dire the situation is.

A self-deprecating smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Facing a top-tier expert, no matter how preemptively they strike, it's like an ant trying to shake a tree. But Zhu E's actions precisely demonstrate that she felt they were now nearing their end.

But in the end, she didn't deny that she was the Bright One, did she...?

Chen Yi's heart stirred slightly. In the depths of Zhu E's resolute eyes, there seemed to still be a trace of unspeakable...love.

He turned his head and asked, "Is the cult leader coming here to give me a hard time?"

"That's not necessary."

"help me?"

Gongsun Guan shook his head.

"Add insult to injury?" Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and asked.

Gongsun Guan shook his head again.

Since he was neither offering help in times of need nor taking advantage of a crisis, his intentions seemed all the more unfathomable and profound.

His gaze passed over Chen Yi and fell once more upon the distant battlefield, as if he were waiting for something, or as if he had foreseen everything.

Chen Yi pursed his lips. No one could fathom the thoughts of a riddle teller, so he asked directly:
"Then why are you here?"

"The Venerable One sent me."

This statement is cryptic and makes it even harder to understand.

Chen Yi simply stopped asking questions and didn't even consider whether it was due to the future Pure Saintess changing the river of time. He was just slowly developing his own ideas.

At this moment, seeing him still leisurely watching the two celestial beings fight in the sky, the old saintess finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up:
"You're just going to stand there and watch?!"

His voice was filled with obvious anxiety and dissatisfaction. The religious order was on the verge of collapse, yet this kid was still leisurely watching from the sidelines.

Chen Yi turned around, his gaze calmly landing on the old saintess's wrinkled face, which was now made even more pronounced by her urgency.

The old saintess pursed her lips and continued, "I have no intention of bowing down to these schism-ridden people."

Ideas… Of course he has ideas.

Chen Yi's eyes flickered slightly. How could he really be without any plans? From the moment he sensed his power being cut off, to witnessing Xu Qi's arrival, and then to Gongsun Guan's appearance, he appeared silent, but his mind was already racing.

Chen Yi lowered his eyes and tapped the sword in his hand lightly with his fingers once more.

Then Kangjian emitted a faint, clear sound, and the blade trembled slightly, as if responding to his thoughts.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, once again looking at the figure high in the sky holding up the Ming Palace, its light illuminating heaven and earth, and slowly said:

"If I kill the fake Mingzun, I will become the true Mingzun."

(End of this chapter)