Chapter 239 - 220: Tacit Understanding
Chen Ming’s right shoulder was injured, a self-inflicted wound, piercing right through.
He originally thought this would serve as an excuse not to make a move. After all, he had only exchanged a few moves with Liang Qi, at most he could only mimic those seen moves, and any real action would expose him instantly.
Unexpectedly, Liang Qi’s master, Zhou You, was so ruthless as to send him ahead to explore. He likely noticed Chen Ming’s injury was not as severe as it appeared.
This suggests there really isn’t much bond between master and disciple within the Demonic Sect.
He was half a step behind his junior brother Qian Jiu, holding the hilt of the "Breaking Army Sword" tightly, surveying the surroundings warily.
What a strange place.
The ground, the sky, the surrounding trees, and the manor ahead, all felt extremely bizarre, as if the whole world lacked color, only shadows and ink lines.
It was like this world existed within a black-and-white landscape painting.
The feeling this place gave was utterly creepy.
Suddenly, a sense of crisis surged within Chen Ming, coming from behind. He sidestepped, but the tip of a pitch-black sword had already emerged from his chest.
The sword was also black and white, and upon staining with fresh blood, it looked exceedingly eerie!
"Senior brother!"
Beside him, Qian Jiu shouted angrily and charged at the shadow that attacked his senior brother.
The shadow kicked out, sending Chen Ming flying off, rolling a few times before lying still.
The shadow then blocked Qian Jiu’s blade, sending him flying as well.
"What tremendous strength!"
Qian Jiu was astounded, feeling the sting in his palm. The opponent’s strength was simply inconceivable.
He finally got a clear look at the shadow, which seemed to be like a painted figure, dressed in guard attire, and the ink-drawn eyes held a keen, killer intent.
"Intruders will die!"
Saying that, it rushed at Qian Jiu again with a speed akin to a ghost.
Within a few moves, Qian Jiu became utterly flustered, precarious, deeply shocked at the almost Second Grade power displayed.
Is this a human or a ghost?
Just as Qian Jiu was about to flee, a flash of sword light appeared, slicing the ghost-like figure into two without any blood spilling, transforming into two puffs of black mist and vanishing swiftly.
He turned around in gratitude and said, "Thank you, Master, for the rescue."
Zhou You surveyed this world solemnly, and said, "Indeed, this realm is vastly different from the mortal world."
Fang Yong, accompanying him, added, "The laws here are strange, and that thing before seemed neither human nor ghost, likely a creature of this realm. Truly peculiar."
Zhou Yilan had entered too, remaining silent, her gaze pausing momentarily on the prone "Liang Qi" before shifting away.
Qian Jiu recalled his ambushed senior brother and quickly reported, "Senior brother was ambushed and severely injured, afraid that..." His tone carried a hint of sadness.
Zhou You looked to Zhou Yilan, "Little sister, could you treat him? After all, he’s your nephew. Surely you won’t let him die here?"
Zhou Yilan expressionless, still silent, approached Liang Qi, pressed her hand on his chest, finding his wound indeed severe, lung pierced, a critical part of the body. Even with Third Grade cultivation, without proper treatment, life would be endangered.
She was secretly shocked at such a ruthless act against oneself, knowing that had the sword been half an inch off, it could have meant instant death.
A white light glowed in her hand, immediately staunching the wound’s bleeding.
Retrieving her hand, she coldly stated, "After resting for ten days to half a month, he should recover, but during that time he must not engage in combat."
Zhou You said, "Why doesn’t little sister complete the good deed and fully heal Xiaoqi?"
Zhou Yilan turned her face away.
Fang Yong tried to smooth things over, "This Secret Realm doesn’t replenish Primordial Qi, and we don’t yet know what dangers lie ahead, naturally preserving some strength."
Zhou You then skipped the topic, instructing Xiao Jiu, "Carry him on your back, follow me closely."
"Yes."
Qian Jiu carried his pale, extremely weak senior brother closely behind his master.
This ghastly place, with an almost Second Grade apparition encountered upon entry, surely harbors greater dangers inside, only by staying close to the master is there a chance of survival.
...
After some observations, Zhou You said, "That manor should be the core of this Secret Realm, the Demon Sword likely suppressed within. Let’s go."
Fang Yong had no objections, taking the rear, guarding while asking, "Little sister, all these years not seen, I’ve often thought of you. Though the senior brothers don’t say it, I know they also worry about you..."
Zhou Yilan replied somberly, "So, you would have me ruined and estranged with my husband?"
Zhou You at the front suddenly enraged, "We are your real family! I should never have let you marry that Ruan back then, otherwise things wouldn’t be like this!"
Zhou Yilan said bitterly, "If you truly considered me family, you wouldn’t have done such a thing to my husband, ruining everything."
"Why? In your heart, does Ruan Caixiong matter more than your three lifeline brothers? What does that flirtatious playboy have that’s good?"
"You are all my closest ones, both the palm and the back are flesh..."
"Ultimately it’s not the same. In your heart, that Ruan means more than your three brothers, isn’t it? I regret not killing that Ruan then..."
Chen Ming lay on Qian Jiu’s back, listening to their quarrel, finding it somewhat laughable given the timing, tangled up in such love affairs.
Already First and Second Grade power, yet still so childish.
Those who practice demon cultivation techniques often lack proper temperament, progressing too quickly without honing their disposition.
"So Zhou Yilan’s Lifebound Object is related to healing. It seems she was positioned as the healer of the team. This restorative power differs somewhat from the Wood Attribute. I wonder what object it originates from."
"The Sword Qi Zhou You just unleashed is very powerful, likely because his Lifebound Object is a Divine Weapon. He’s an extremely dangerous individual."
"I just wonder what Fang Yong’s Lifebound Object is."
Chen Ming suddenly felt a sharp pain in his wound, almost passing out, as Qian Jiu suddenly jumped, jostling him unexpectedly.
At this moment, they finally entered the manor.
He suddenly sensed something, looked up, and saw a sword perched on the highest building of the manor, appearing like an ordinary Cyan Steel Sword, yet its presence clashed with the ink-painted architecture.
It was a real sword, with a deep brown hilt and a red tassel, indicating it didn’t belong to this world.
Zhou You excitedly exclaimed, "There it is!"
Fang Yong murmured, "It’s the Demon Sword left by the Ten Thousand Swords Demon Venerable!"
"What audacious intruders dare trespass into my Duba Manor!"
Suddenly, a dozen figures leaped out from within the manor, shouting fiercely and charging toward the outsiders.
"Hmph!"
Zhou You waved his hand, and several strands of Sword Intent shot out, meeting those ink-drawn "people." The invincible Sword Intent pierced through them in one go, their corpses dissolving into black mist and vanishing into the air.
"What formidable Sword Intent!"
Chen Ming was inwardly startled, thinking this person’s strength might be even greater than that "Senior Brother" from the Blood Demon Sect encountered at the Fire Element Cave Mansion.
"How daring!"
Just then, a thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears.
A tall, middle-aged man in a brocade robe appeared, his features sharply outlined, clearly different from the "people" they’d faced earlier.
The BOSS has appeared!
Chen Ming felt a surge of excitement.
To him, this so-called Secret Realm was like a dungeon, with the earlier encounters being mere small monsters. This person seemed to be the BOSS.
Unfortunately, defeating these small monsters yielded no equipment or the like.
This place, therefore, wasn’t truly a game dungeon.
What intrigued him more was whether defeating this world’s small monsters could yield Experience Points.
However, being gravely injured, he couldn’t act and thus couldn’t test the theory.
He told Qian Jiu, "Xiao Jiu, put me down."
"But your wounds—"
"Cough, cough, I can walk now, don’t let me become a burden to you."
Qian Jiu hesitated but still put him down.
Then both of them watched Zhou You fighting the middle-aged man mid-air.
This world seemed to lack True Qi and the like, focusing on physical cultivation—if one could cultivate at all. The middle-aged man’s physical strength was extremely formidable, his speed ghostly quick, his combat strength on par with First Grade.
For a while, Zhou You couldn’t best him.
After more than ten moves, Zhou You finally summoned his Lifebound Object, retrieving a sword from somewhere, pitch-black like ink, resembling the world’s style.
Chen Ming immediately recognized it, thinking, "It’s not an Unparalleled Divine Weapon."
As soon as that sword appeared, it injured the middle-aged man.
"Help! The intruder is formidable, come at once!"
The middle-aged man’s furious shout was followed by numerous figures flying out from the manor.
Fang Yong’s expression was solemn as he said, "Junior Sister, be careful." Then he rushed to confront the three fastest figures, quickly engaging them in battle.
Zhou Yilan, expressionless, also drew a short sword she had with her.
"Three elite monsters!"
Chen Ming quickly assessed that the three people Fang Yong was facing had the same First Grade strength but somewhat weaker than the BOSS, generally with less health.
The remaining small monsters.
He smiled wryly, thinking that while they might be considered small monsters to a First Grade expert, they posed a significant threat to them. These small monsters, akin to when they first entered, were on par with Second Grade.
However, this was a rough comparison, and compared to a true Second Grade, these small monsters were much weaker.
What to do?
Chen Ming watched as a Second Grade "small monster" charged at him, reaching for his Breaking Army Sword.
In this moment, Zhou You and Fang Yong had no time for him. Qian Jiu was also occupied with his own troubles.
Just as he was about to act, a streak of light flashed by, piercing the "small monster" charging at him.
He turned to see Zhou Yilan retrieving her short sword. Their eyes met, and he understood—this woman had already seen through his true identity.
Chen Ming felt assured, knowing with her help, he didn’t need to worry about his identity being exposed for now.