My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 733 - 468: Zhou Yitang’s Inquiry of the Sword (2-in-1)_2

So, she sees him as a port in a storm?

...

Sleeping for only two or three hours, Chen Yi woke up early, surprisingly not feeling tired. He stretched lazily and turned his face to see Yin Tingxue's tranquil sleeping visage. Her breathing was calm, her hands overlapped, and her lips subtly moved as if murmuring something.

Carefully, Chen Yi lifted the quilt, revealing her familiar figure fully to his view.

His gaze wandered from one place to another, taking in everything. Her petite frame stirred a sense of guilt in him, yet he couldn't help but stare for a long while. The beauty of the sight—only he knew its value.

Perhaps disturbed by the cold wind, Yin Tingxue's brows furrowed slightly.

Chen Yi gently covered her with the quilt, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before freshening up and stepping out the door.

After many years apart, the scenery of Yin Sword Mountain returned to his sight. Standing southeast, Chen Yi gazed at the steep slopes lined with cold fir trees. The sunrise painted the layered mountains in stark black and white, no shades of gray intruding. The air seemed crystal clear, icy and pure. The sunlight illuminated the Nameless Academy; Zhou Yitang's lone residence stood elevated on the left side, half-hidden, half-visible. Tilting his head, he could see a vast expanse of clouds above; looking downward, he spotted the meditation mat on the stone cliff.

The cliff was overgrown with vines, now in the season of withering, their dense yellow interspersed with faint touches of green.

Chen Yi stared out blankly, his thoughts running unknowable paths in his head.

"Woof, woof!"

Suddenly, a few barks broke his reverie. Turning around, he saw a yellow dog barking warily at him.

Frowning, Chen Yi stared at the dog in irritation and said, "Where did this mutt come from? Looks so shabby."

"Huang Niang'er, you're awake?" Yin Tingxue, stirred by the barking, called out from the window.

"Oh, it's yours? Quite pretty!"

Chen Yi quickly retracted his impulse to kick and crouched down, his expression transforming instantly.

He recalled that Lu Ying had mentioned Yin Tingxue raising a dog, though he hadn't expected this moment.

Toward this unfamiliar man, Huang Niang'er barked anxiously and took a few steps back.

Yin Tingxue swiftly donned her clothes and stepped out of the door, scooping the yellow dog into her arms and soothing it repeatedly, "Don't be scared, don't be scared… He's not a bad person, not a bad person…"

"So, this is Huang Niang'er?" Chen Yi asked with a forced smile aimed at the dog.

"Uh-huh, she's very obedient."

"That much is clear. So yellow, so pretty," Chen Yi remarked, quickly growing fond of the dog, feeling it wasn't shabby at all, but rather endearing.

Yin Tingxue placed Huang Niang'er on the ground, who quieted down and circled Chen Yi, cautiously sniffing him as if accepting his presence.

In the distance, a one-armed woman slowly ascended the mountain.

Catching sight of her, Chen Yi straightened himself. In no time, Zhou Yitang approached him.

"Where's Lu Ying?" Chen Yi hadn't forgotten his senior sister.

When Chen Yi had snuck onto the mountain, he'd temporarily settled Lu Ying at an inn. It was almost certain Zhou Yitang had gone to fetch her earlier.

"Ancestor Hall," Zhou Yitang answered briefly.

Chen Yi understood. Lu Ying had gone to face inquiries from the Sect Leader and other senior members. Returning to the Chongyang Sword Pool alone was considered an exceptional opportunity, and naturally, it necessitated interrogation about her gains and progress. At Yu Yin Sword Mountain, a sect that distance itself from worldly affairs, every prodigious disciple was meticulously planned for, including examinations and assessments, akin to bureaucratic evaluations to influence resource distribution—cultivation techniques, pills, and opportunities—referred to as the "Daoist Sword Dual Assessment."

This was worlds apart from Taihua Mountain, where she might leisurely cavort with Yin Weiyin day in and day out.

But since Lu Ying wasn't here…

Chen Yi looked eager, taking a few paces closer.

Zhou Yitang shifted lightly, her aura hidden like a silent ancient pool, though her hand subtly raised.

Chen Yi halted.

Zhou Yitang spoke plainly, "Ask me with your sword first."

During these days, her mind had been utterly unsettled, often tangled in endless doubts. Although Chen Yi had reached new heights of comprehension, she felt no pride in his surpassing her. Instead, she was plagued by an indefinable anxiety—since the turmoil stemmed from the sword, then let the sword resolve it.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, guessing much of her intent. He teased, "Is the master bullying the apprentice?"

Zhou Yitang scoffed, "Better than you rebelling against your master and ancestors."

At that moment, Chen Yi was speechless. After some time, he muttered, "You… still dwell on the past."

Truthfully, he had little right to bring this up; who better than him to know what had transpired in the past?

Thus, Chen Yi chose not to dwell on the matter further, instead asking, "What are the terms for winning or losing?"

Zhou Yitang hesitated silently.

Her eyes lowered slightly, the thin lids reflecting the light with exquisite detail. Chen Yi stared straight at her, noting her refined beauty, reminiscent of their past life. Back then, when he was weaker than her, his reverence kept him from gazing too openly. But now that he matched her—or was even slightly superior—his thoughts turned uncontrollably bold. The title "master" felt more like an alluring forbidden charm to him.

He missed the way she used to purse her lips and endure silently.

Desire crept subtly within him. Chen Yi watched her with deliberate interest. Naturally, Zhou Yitang noticed, and her gaze grew colder as Sword Intent began to emanate unbidden.

Their auras suddenly clashed chaotically, whirling gusts flinging sand and stone as Chen Yi's garments rippled under the pressure. His hand moved to grasp the sword on his back.

Just as swords were about to be drawn,

Yin Tingxue popped her head between the two.

"What's going on? Why are you two about to argue again?"

Chen Yi suppressed his aura, looking at Yin Tingxue with surprise. She spoke to the two of them, "Be harmonious. We're family; we should act harmoniously."

Zhou Yitang glanced at her, managing to restrain her aura slightly, and said coolly, "To the stone cliff below."

"A duel?" Chen Yi asked.

"Yes." The one-armed woman replied before leaping away.

Chen Yi turned his face, only to see Yin Tingxue staring at him nervously. She was the one most unwilling for him to clash with Zhou Yitang. Smiling, Chen Yi reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Just sparring, nothing more."

With that, Chen Yi released her and strode forward.

Below the stone cliff stretched an expansive field, long used as the training arena of Cangwu Peak. The rocks formed its boundaries, while the grass and wood served as its stage. In his past life, when Chen Yi had just joined the mountain and participated in sect examinations, he'd been thrashed here often enough to be bedridden for days—perhaps it was anger from those times that spurred him on, eventually flipping the tables after breaking his sword and making Zhou Yitang unable to get out of bed.

Chen Yi steadied his thoughts.

Facing Zhou Yitang, her hand had already formed a sword gesture.

She was never one for small talk.

Chen Yi drew his sword and uttered one word: "Come."

In an instant, his aura transformed magnificently. Zhou Yitang witnessed firsthand as a towering Sword Intent surged upward, resembling a ferocious dragon roaring into existence! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Zhou Yitang stepped forward nonchalantly. There was no visible shifting of her aura, just a simple extension of her sword gesture.

The wind howled violently, blood splattered, and the massive dragon shattered into pieces! Scorching blood splattered across Chen Yi's face, revealing a deep wound on his shoulder holding the blade.

Yin Tingxue was startled by the sight, never imagining their sparring would draw blood.

Chen Yi remained steadfast, as if unaffected by pain. The scattered remnants of his Sword Intent continued cascading in all directions.

But Zhou Yitang showed no intention of pulling back. With a light leap, she appeared in front of Chen Yi, a streak of white slashing downward, as if splitting open the heavens and earth.

Bang!

The sword vibrated fiercely.

At the moment the sword tip was about to strike him, Chen Yi suddenly crouched, pressing his blade against her sword gesture. The sword qi dislodged from their collision carved out deep furrows in the earth.

Zhou Yitang's gaze dropped.

Once, she could cow Chen Yi into submission solely with her Sword Intent. But at this moment, no matter how her sword gesture descended, the Hou Kang Sword remained unmoving.

Blood dripped from Chen Yi's shoulder, yet his face bore a smile—one oddly terrifying.

"Do you remember what I said in our past life?"

Zhou Yitang's gaze narrowed dangerously, her Sword Intent growing fiercer, blue radiance exploding at her fingertips, rolling into a crescendo that rendered the Hou Kang Sword quivering violently.

Of course, she remembered...

And then, as if to remind her, or perhaps to drag out the humiliating memories she buried deep, that rebellious disciple uttered:

"Your sword… is outdated."