Bitter Realm: A Happy Person Traveling Across China

Chapter 87 I Acted in Self-Defense! (Seeking monthly votes and subscriptions)

He looked at the Unique Treasures of the Universe, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of comment: "Your swordsmanship is also quite unique. Unfortunately, while it's unconventional, its foundation is somewhat weak, resulting in a lack of overall harmony."

"You—" Huan Yu Qi Cang was so angry at Ye Jinming's condescending evaluation that his blood boiled. However, he knew that what the other party said was true. That sword strike just now had indeed exposed the weakness in his swordsmanship.

Enraged, he let out a fierce shout and abandoned his sword to use his palms. He moved again, his palms containing all his evil energy and tribulation power, transforming into two pitch-black palm prints, one on the left and one on the right, attacking Ye Jinming's shoulders!

The palm strike was fierce and chilling, containing the sounds of wind and thunder.

Ye Jinming neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed both palms simultaneously, surrounded by purple aura, with frost faintly forming on the edges of his palms.

"Bang! Bang!"

The four palms collided solidly once again, this time with neither of them holding back.

The violent energy exploded in a ring, forcefully lowering the ground by three feet in a radius of tens of feet!

Both of them swayed simultaneously, and were then pushed back several steps by the enormous recoil, each step leaving a deep footprint on the ground before they regained their balance.

A sudden gust of wind arose, bringing a bone-chilling cold.

The turbulent air currents gradually subsided, and the smoke and dust slowly settled.

The two stood facing each other, ten feet apart.

The killing intent reached its peak at this moment, and the air was so heavy that it seemed as if it would drip water.

Their gazes met in the air, cold, sharp, and neither would yield.

Both sides knew that the probing was over, and the next move would be the moment to decide the outcome.

Huan Yu Qi Cang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging blood and qi and the excruciating pain in his wrist.

He then slowly raised the Cataclysmic Sword, its tip pointing at Ye Jinming, and his true essence surged wildly into the sword.

The Cataclysmic Sword emitted an excited hum, and countless runes danced in the air. Strange, blood-red patterns began to appear on the sword's blade.

The Cataclysmic Sword flew out of his hand, but instead of landing, it hovered in front of him and began to spin rapidly!

As it rotates, the crimson patterns on the sword become brighter and brighter, as if it is absorbing the resentment and calamity of heaven and earth. The space around the sword begins to distort and collapse, forming a miniature vortex that emits an ominous blood light!

"Blood Calamity Across the Heavens!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sword was drawn. The Cataclysmic Sword, carrying the blood-red vortex, transformed into a dark red blood sword ridge that pierced through the heavens and earth, and crashed down towards Ye Jinming!

Faced with the final blow from the Universe Treasure Trove, Ye Jinming's eyes sharpened, and he also stopped holding back, simultaneously pushing the two completely different powers within his body to their limits!

With his left palm raised slightly, palm facing upward, the extreme cold power of the Sacred Heart Technique poured out without reservation!

"Mystic Ice Absolute!"

In an instant, extreme cold spread wildly from his left palm, freezing the air, condensing water vapor into frost, and rapidly covering the ground with a thick layer of mysterious ice that shimmered with a ghostly blue luster.

The chill was so intense that even the murderous aura of the Blood Calamity Sword seemed to be slowed down and frozen.

At the same time, Ye Jinming, sword in his right hand, unleashed one of Lin Wushuang Gu Yun's signature techniques, "Endless White Clouds!"

The overwhelming sword energy stirred the clouds in the heavens, transforming into an endless, milky-white sea of ​​clouds that raged down from the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within it, carrying a righteous aura. It resonated and amplified with the icy power above and below it!

The sky is frozen solid, and the sea of ​​clouds stretches to the heavens!

Although it is not as versatile as the Qi Shuang Liu (Double Flow of Qi) which combines two moves in one, it is still terrifying when activated.

The next instant, Ye Jinming combined his sword and palm, and thrust them out fiercely towards the descending blood-red sky!

With a deafening roar, a terrifying collision, beyond description, erupted in the sky above the dense forest!

Dark red, ghostly blue, and milky white light intertwined, annihilated, and exploded wildly!

The clouds in the sky were completely torn apart, revealing a distorted void behind it, as if the end of the world had arrived!

After the extreme, the light faded, but the aftershocks lingered.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the Universe's Wonder was seen kneeling on one knee, barely supporting his body with the Cataclysmic Sword, so as not to collapse completely.

He coughed up a crimson phlegm, struggled to lift his head, and looked at Ye Jinming, his eyes filled with resentment and a hint of disbelief and shock. "How could you be so strong!"

In contrast, Ye Jinming, though also slightly pale and with an injured arm, recovered almost instantly. If it weren't for the tear in his sleeve, no one could tell he had ever been injured.

You have lost!

The battle was over, but the loser was still terrified.

Looking at the surviving, dying, and powerless Huanyu Qizang kneeling on the ground, Ye Jinming's eyes were indifferent, showing no pity whatsoever.

He pointed his left hand towards the void of the Universe Wonder, and several condensed purple runes appeared out of thin air, coiling around the space like serpents and instantly disappearing into several major acupoints around the Universe Wonder.

"Uh—hmm?" Huan Yu Qi Cang groaned, feeling the last bit of true energy in his body instantly sealed off. His meridians felt as if they were bound by invisible shackles, and a heavy, sluggish feeling came from his limbs and bones. Even moving a finger became extremely difficult.

He was filled with shock and anger, and tried to struggle, but in vain the chain-like runes tightened, bringing waves of stinging pain.

"Let me go! Night Ember, do you want to make an enemy of the entire Shadow Stream?" The Universe's Strange Treasure roared in a low voice, his eyes filled with rage.

"Ha," Ye Jinming chuckled, walking leisurely to him and looking down at him, his black fan waving lightly. "Don't rush, I will release you naturally. However—when and how I release you will depend on how much your loyal Yiliu Sect Leader, Beichen Yuanhuang, is willing to pay to redeem his most important strategist."

After a pause, Ye Jinming said mockingly, "You should know that you were the one who struck first, right? This was self-defense!"

"You—" Huan Yu Qi Cang trembled with rage, but was powerless to resist or refute.

Just as he was consumed by rage and his mind was in turmoil, a glint flashed in Ye Jinming's eyes, and with lightning speed, the hilt of the Jinghong Sword in his right hand gently touched the center of Huanyu Qizang's forehead.

"Bang."

A muffled thud, not heavy, yet seemingly carrying a peculiar rhythm.

Huan Yu Qi Cang felt a gentle yet irresistible drowsiness instantly engulf his consciousness like a tide. His vision blurred, and then he was plunged into complete darkness.

Before he could even react, his head lolled to one side, and he lost consciousness, his body slumping backward.

Judging from the sound, it's a good start.

Looking at Huan Yu Qizang, who had instantly fallen into a deep, baby-like sleep and was breathing evenly, Ye Jinming couldn't help but shake his head and mutter a teasing remark: "Tsk tsk, at such an old age, he still falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow." His regular sleep schedule is truly enviable.

""

He casually sealed the unconscious Huanyu Qizang with magic, then cleaned up the traces of the battlefield, and left in a flash with the two Huangfu brothers.

Ashes remain, green pines stand tall, the courtyard is deep, and the wind rustles through the pines.

Ye Jinming, dressed in simple, elegant clothes, sat at a stone table in the courtyard, with an exquisite tea set in front of him.

He was intently imitating and learning the techniques he had observed from Qu Shitu, trying to brew a good pot of tea.

The wisps of tea aroma mingled with the fresh scent of pine wood, slowly permeating the courtyard.

On the other side of the courtyard, leaning against a bamboo couch covered with soft cushions, Huangfu Xiaochan, the master of the remnant forest, slowly opened his eyes.

-

He blinked blankly at first, then warily scanned his surroundings—an unfamiliar courtyard with an elegant layout, and a white-clad figure not far away, his back to him, intently brewing tea.

"Where is this?!" He propped himself up and felt that his internal injuries had been properly treated. Although he was still weak, he was fine.

However, the unfamiliar environment made him instinctively wary.

At this moment, Ye Jinming's calm voice rang out, accompanied by the gentle sound of tea being poured: "Master Lin, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Huangfu Xiaochan's tense nerves immediately relaxed.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ye Jinming turn around, holding a cup of freshly brewed tea in his hand, with a gentle smile on his face.

Huangfu Xiaochan breathed a sigh of relief, then recalled the scene before he fainted, his expression complex, "Did you save me?"

Ye Jinming pushed a cup of tea onto the stone table in front of him, picked up a cup himself, gently blew on it to cool it, took a sip, and asked casually, "Besides me, was anyone else present at the time?"

"Uh—" Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xiaochan's eyes were filled with a mixture of gratitude and helplessness. He struggled to get up and bow. "Including this time, you have helped me several times. I really don't know how to repay this kindness."

Ye Jinming raised his hand and pressed down, a gentle force preventing him from rising: "Master Lin, there's no need for that. I was just doing my duty when I saw injustice."

The more casually he spoke, the more guilty Huangfu Xiaochan felt. He remained silent for a moment before saying, "Though that's true, the kindness is real. If you need anything, Jinming, as long as it doesn't violate the code of chivalry, Huangfu Xiaochan will do his best to help."

Ye Jinming put down his teacup, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as if deep in thought. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes lit up, and he said in a half-joking, half-serious tone, "If Master Lin truly feels guilty—how about giving me the Crystal Lake area as compensation?"

"Crystal Lake?" Huangfu Xiaochan paused for a moment, then nodded without hesitation, his tone sincere and generous. "Jinming, if you like it, why not give it to you!"

"Ha, Lord Lin is so straightforward!" Upon hearing this, Ye Jinming's lips curled into a slight smile, and his mood instantly brightened.

They've acquired another piece of land in Kujang, and it's even a scenic spot!

Not bad, not bad. From now on, those guys who want to freeload at the hot springs, like that old man, that pharmacist, that idle person or whatever, if they want to go to Crystal Lake for healing, they'll have to pay an entrance fee. Otherwise, nobody can get in!

Hmm, perhaps it could be developed into a high-end wellness club?

Countless ideas about "making money" flashed through his mind in an instant, and his smile grew even brighter.

Afterwards, Huangfu Xiaochan sat for a while longer, drank a cup of tea, thanked him solemnly again, and then got up to take his leave.

Ye Jinming escorted him to the door, watching his somewhat heavy-hearted figure, and suddenly spoke, his tone less playful and more serious: "Master Lin, the world is turbulent, and people's hearts are more treacherous than mountains and rivers. Some things and people cannot be forced. Take my advice: once this matter is settled, if you have the opportunity, find a truly peaceful place and retire into seclusion."

Huangfu Xiaochan paused slightly, but didn't turn around. He simply nodded gently, his voice low and deep: "I understand what you mean. Thank you—take care."

After saying that, his figure slowly disappeared at the end of the mountain path, which was shaded by green pines.

After seeing off the Lord of the Remnant Forest, Ye Jinming sat back down at the stone table. Instead of tidying up the tea set, he poured himself another cup of tea and quietly savored it.

His gaze was calm as he looked toward the entrance to the courtyard, as if he were waiting for something.

As noon approached, sunlight filtered through the pine needles, casting dappled shadows.

Just then, a series of steady, powerful footsteps, carrying the clear air of someone in a superior position, echoed from the stone steps outside the courtyard, growing louder as they approached.