My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 78 - 63 What is the relationship between Sword Armor and him?

Chapter 78: Chapter 63 What is the relationship between Sword Armor and him?

When leaving home, the final conversation was like this:

"From now on, you don’t have to call me ’Master’ anymore. You can call me Husband, Darling, or Lord."

"Then... can I just call you by your name?"

Among the terms he suggested, Yin Tingxue actually didn’t want to use any of them.

"That works too."

Chen Yi agreed.

Stepping out of the courtyard, Chen Yi exhaled deeply. Feeling the chill of the early winter wind, he realized that without noticing, winter was almost upon them.

Chen Yi finally turned his attention to the panel, injecting twenty years of True Qi into two cultivation techniques.

[After twenty years of effort, you have mastered the secrets of alchemy, capturing the Qi of Heaven and Earth to infuse into the pills. Though the path of the Alchemy Dao is long and arduous, the Purple Elixir Compendium now holds no further significance for you.]

[Purple Elixir Compendium (Perfected Supreme State)]

[Through twenty years of spring and autumn, with your deep understanding of blade techniques, cultivating the Bai Liu Blade has become highly efficient. In the faint moments of comprehension, you’ve glimpsed an insight within the Bai Liu Blade — likely the very realization that Huang Liuqing was about to achieve before his death. With further exploration, you might create something entirely new.]

[Bai Liu Blade (Proficient Entry-Level)]

"Could this be a brand-new cultivation technique? Not a bad gain."

Chen Yi chuckled.

However, seeing his remaining ten years of True Qi, Chen Yi held back from using all of his reserve Qi at once.

After infusing the cultivation techniques, Chen Yi turned to the newly unveiled talent tree on the panel.

It was an ethereal and ancient celestial great tree, reminiscent of the primordial Great Tree mentioned in the "Wanderer of the Beyond."

Chen Yi’s gaze fell on the two True Yuan granted by the Yin Yang Technique.

Through one month of dual cultivation with the Yin Yang Technique, one could condense a True Yuan. Each True Yuan could be infused into this ethereal Great Tree, solidifying a specific part of it.

Every Qi Refinement practitioner or cultivator had their own Great Tree. However, most could only vaguely sense it and needed to explore step by step across the river of time. Hence, the Great Tree was also known as the Longevity Bridge.

Currently, at the base of the Great Tree, only three roots were available for True Yuan infusion: "Fortify the Dao Foundation," "Open the First Cave Abode," and "Object Manipulation with Qi."

Without hesitation, Chen Yi injected the first True Yuan into "Fortify the Dao Foundation."

As the True Yuan flowed in, Chen Yi instantly felt his acupoints gently expanding. The Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth surged in, circulating through his body before being exhaled in one breath — a continuous cycle, never-ending.

At that moment, Chen Yi realized he could now wield Taoist skills using Primordial Qi.

Yet due to the limitations of the martial artist’s True Qi within his body, the circulating Primordial Qi was far inferior to that of ordinary Taoists, and even less comparable to those rare prodigies.

"I need to figure out how to acquire some Taoist skills; otherwise, I won’t be able to handle the possessed Grand Secretary Lin or confront the threat of Tushan’s emergence."

Chen Yi contemplated as he turned his attention to the two remaining roots.

Opening the First Cave Abode, as the name suggests, involves creating an intangible cave abode within the Dantian, allowing for the further absorption of Heaven and Earth’s Primordial Qi. Later, one might construct a microcosmic world within, akin to the Buddhist idea of "a flower contains a world."

However, there were pros and cons. Once the cave abode was formed, the Heart Lake within would stabilize. Yet a single misstep might cause the Heart Lake to become turbulent, leading to possession, which is why Qi Refinement practitioners emphasized tranquility and mental fortitude, even aspiring to transcend all emotions.

This was not a time for quiet cultivation. Chen Yi mulled it over and eventually fixed his gaze on "Object Manipulation with Qi."

Object Manipulation with Qi, simply put, was the Object Manipulation Skill. Although its potential extended far beyond, with his current cultivation, he could only achieve simple manipulation.

In martial combat, the key elements are cultivation level and weaponry. "An inch longer, an inch stronger" is an irrefutable truth in Jianghu. Chen Yi surmised that Object Manipulation with Qi would allow his weapon to extend three feet beyond his grasp, considerably expanding his attack range.

"Feels like... a flying sword..."

Chen Yi’s eyes brightened at the thought.

Imagine this: slaying enemies with a flying sword, beheading them in an instant — how dashing would that be?

Power? Not important. Looking cool is what matters.

A moment later, Chen Yi glanced at the Brocade Spring Blade at his waist and shook his head with a wry smile:

"But, more accurately... it’s a flying dagger."

In the end, Chen Yi infused his remaining True Yuan into "Object Manipulation with Qi."

With both True Yuan expended, Chen Yi’s attention returned to the Resentment Yin-Yang Technique.

"For each enemy turned into a Dao Companion, two True Yuan are gained..."

Chen Yi squinted slightly.

Carefully tallying it up, how many enemies did he currently have? The Min sisters, Yin Weiyin...

And even... the Empress Dowager — he could feel her hatred.

If that’s the case, it’s about time he figured out how to turn them into Dao Companions, one by one, just like Yin Tingxue.

"But... I must have a legitimate reason; otherwise, my conscience won’t allow it." When he said this, Chen Yi felt he had been influenced by Yin Tingxue.

He needed to have a cause, a justification...

If any of them intended to harm him or those he cared about, he naturally wouldn’t show mercy.

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

As Chen Yi stepped into the West Factory, Supervisor Wu approached him immediately.

Without waiting for Chen Yi to respond, Supervisor Wu clasped his hands in admiration and praised:

"Congratulations to Thousand-Household Chen for the merit of slaying the dragon with a suspended sword."

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned before coming to his senses.

"The one who slew the dragon wasn’t me, but..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Supervisor Wu interrupted:

"What are you saying? Your sword-slaying dragon feat has been the talk of the capital, spreading like wildfire. People near the Grand River in the northern capital have all seen the dragon’s corpse. Your achievement is clear for all to see. Why the humility? Even the Empress Dowager wishes to see you. Follow me to the palace later."

The feat of the West Factory Thousand-Household slaying the dragon with a suspended sword had long become a popular tale in the teahouses and taverns. Initially, no one took it seriously, but early this morning, upon seeing the split dragon’s corpse, who dared to dismiss it as mere hearsay? The well-informed storytellers had already begun crafting performances with clappers, captivating their audiences with just a few words.

The dragon-slaying matter wasn’t just talk for commoners. Even the Taoists had heard of it, and the Empress Dowager, who managed the Xique Pavilion, caught wind of it by daybreak the following morning.

The grand palace, warmed by the heated earth dragon system, was a haven against the chill as the Empress Dowager awaited Supervisor Wu to bring Chen Yi to Jingren Palace.

"Nanny, does he truly possess the power to slay a dragon?"

Frowning, the Empress Dowager pondered:

"To cleave a dragon in two — where does such incredible strength come from?"

Ordinary people, upon seeing the dragon’s corpse, might believe Thousand-Household Chen did the deed, but the Empress Dowager, with her high status and vast encounters with countless prodigies, had never heard of a mere fifth-grade martial artist with no understanding of Taoist skills capable of slaying a dragon.

"Your Grace, do you doubt his ability to kill a dragon?"

The nameless old nanny inquired.

"If he truly could slay a dragon, could it be that he is the Xuantian God incarnate to overcome tribulations?"

The Empress Dowager sneered and replied,

"There must be a hidden master aiding him. Have you uncovered anything?"

"Yes..."

The unnamed nanny paused before delivering words that made the Empress Dowager’s pupils constrict:

"The Sword Armor of Yin Sword Mountain — her Sword Intent was left all over the river."

The Empress Dowager’s eyelids twitched as she muttered lowly:

"Truly her... the ninth rank on the Martial Ranking... Sword Armor... Master Tongxuan, Zhou Yitang?"

The old nanny’s revelation sounded far more plausible than Chen Yi slaying the dragon. Yet, upon further thought, it evoked a chilling dread far greater.

The so-called Martial Rankings, initially compiled by some enthusiasts two centuries ago, had been met with scorn by the then-world-renowned "Dustless Thought" Wu Buyu. Influential figures in Jianghu often dismissed it as irrelevant, and few younger practitioners gave it any serious consideration. Over time, however, one highly esteemed Taoist celestial being took charge of the rankings, lessening its criticism. After Wu Buyu rebelled against the Shangqing Sect, succumbing increasingly to possession, his once-perfect and steady mental state was shattered beyond repair.

A fleeting century passed, and during the battle at Dangyang Lake, the once-promising rookie-turned-second-ranked "True Celestial" Xu Qi crushed Wu Buyu’s legendary Sword Momentum and Thunder Pool, utterly obliterating his illustrious Sword Immortal prowess along with his status as the world’s top practitioner. The Old Sword Demon vanished into the mortal world, leaving prominent Jianghu figures without reservations about the Martial Rankings.

Today, every one of the top ten on the Martial Rankings was someone the court approached with utmost caution.

"Your Grace, Xu Qi once declared that Zhou Jianjia possessed the aura of a Sword Immortal. If it was indeed Sword Armor who slew the dragon, it would hardly be surprising, but..."

The usually unshakable old nanny felt a rare tinge of fear.

"...If Sword Armor killed the dragon for him, then what in the world is their relationship?!"

Now, even the elderly woman couldn’t hide her instinctual retreat.

Though she commanded the capital city and stood atop the dragon veins, borrowing the power of Great Yu’s fortunes to ascend to the rank of a first-grade Grandmaster, if Zhou Jianjia — the Sword Armor — were to fight her way into the palace with all her might, she could only guarantee a seventy-percent chance of stopping her.

For Chen Yi to have someone like Sword Armor slay the dragon for him...

Today, it was a dragon. Tomorrow... could it be a phoenix and beyond?

The old nanny instinctively entertained this grim possibility.

This wasn’t just the acute sense honed from protecting the imperial city for years; it stemmed from the fact that... the Empress Dowager had planted an insidious poison on Chen Yi.

If Chen Yi were gravely injured or even died one day, and if Sword Armor were to embark on a vengeance-fueled crusade wielding her sword with desperation, the old nanny might not be able to stop her. In that case... how would she retaliate against the Empress Dowager?

The Empress Dowager pondered in wordless meditation. Moments later, she broke into a charming smile, saying:

"Nanny, your concern has left you flustered. A few months ago, he was nothing but an obscure figure, while Sword Armor has spent years in seclusion on Yin Sword Mountain. How could they possibly be connected?"

From my perspective, it’s likely just a coincidence. By all accounts, they’ve probably never met before last night."

The Empress Dowager rose to her feet, exuding poise and confidence as she concluded,

"There’s no need to fret about Sword Armor. He bears the poison only I can cure. No matter what happens, he cannot escape my grasp."

Hearing the calculated assurance of the Empress Dowager’s words, the old nanny felt her fears ease slightly.

As soon as the conversation waned, like a phantom summoned by name, the silhouettes of Chen Yi and Supervisor Wu appeared faintly outside the palace gates.

Gazing at Chen Yi, the Empress Dowager lowered her lashes and let her thoughts churn. Despite her earlier composure, a fleeting emotion flickered at the corner of her eye in this moment.

It was fear.