My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion
Chapter 197 - 176: Two Fists Against Four Hands

Chapter 197: Chapter 176: Two Fists Against Four Hands

The dusk tinged the forest, and the atmosphere suddenly tightened, growing somber and murderous.

Although the Tongbei Divine Ape has not made it into the top ten of the martial rankings, it is far from obscure. In fact, its fame rivals those at the top.

The reason is twofold: First, he is close friends with someone in the top ten. Second, his Qinggong is blazingly fast... unbelievably fast!

The wind swept in horizontally, and Zhang Xuqu made his move.

The scene before the eyes left only intermittent afterimages. By the time Chen Yi could discern him, Zhang Xuqu had already raised his leg to sweep horizontally toward Chen Yi’s face.

The wind howled, sweeping across with force—testing the strength of resilience like the gusts find in tall grass.

Chen Yi’s pupils contracted sharply. Relying on the Shangqing Heart Method, he caught the slight delay in Zhang Xuqu’s leg raise and leaned his head back by three inches in an instant.

Zhang Xuqu’s kick, ferocious in momentum, missed its mark but struck the rock wall, shattering it with a terrifying crack that sent crushed gravel tumbling down—a spectacle akin to a mountain split by an avalanche.

Missing his target, Zhang Xuqu stepped back rapidly with his other foot, making it impossible for Chen Yi to draw his blade for a slash.

Standing firmly again, Zhang Xuqu’s expression was relaxed:

"Indeed, you’re fast, but not as fast as me."

Chen Yi’s brows furrowed deeply. Though he wasn’t sure why Zhang Xuqu wanted to kill him, he fully understood how formidable this opponent was.

Slowly, he unsheathed Wuzanian, its silvery gleam bright in the fading light.

Chen Yi gestured for Yin Tingxue to retreat.

Having been reprimanded earlier, Yin Tingxue was now obedient and compliant. She quickly backed into the cave, nervously watching the unfolding battle with wide eyes.

The wind surged through the mountain forest as the two continued their standoff in the woods.

Zhang Xuqu didn’t rush to attack again but spoke in a casual tone:

"Within your sect, I went around asking about you and found that nobody seems to like you. Even your fellow disciples want you dead."

Chen Yi made no move, his gaze vigilant as he fixed on Zhang Xuqu.

"Which fellow disciple?"

"Chou Gang, the Zige Bureau Minister. I chatted with him for quite some time. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be arriving soon."

Zhang Xuqu’s eyes sharpened with a dangerous glint.

"Are you still not making a move? Do you really intend to take on both of us at once?"

Chen Yi’s toes shifted slightly but then stopped immediately.

The sparse fallen leaves drifted down, and neither of them made a move between them.

Zhang Xuqu was indeed fast. To maximize the potential of his Qinggong, he trained in hard-body techniques. But no matter how fast someone is, during the moment of close-range force exertion, there must always be a brief slowdown before power is fully unleashed. For ordinary people, such nuances are almost imperceptible. However, in the eyes of these two, that slowing is enough to be lethal.

Zhang Xuqu’s earlier missed kick made him realize that Chen Yi was capable of detecting that moment of force exertion. Thus, he deliberately used words to provoke Chen Yi into attacking first so he could respond with counterforce to gain the upper hand.

However, the Douli Swordsman before him remained completely unmoved.

The only plausible explanation was that Chen Yi had already anticipated a third step ahead—his thought process had turned in the instant, guessing Zhang Xuqu’s intentions.

Zhang Xuqu added a hint of respect to his tone: "You’re quite the talent."

Chen Yi didn’t respond.

He hadn’t thought it through as intricately as Zhang Xuqu imagined but had instead survived a calamity and lived a second chance. He knew Zhang Xuqu had a penchant for using words to provoke weaknesses in opponents before striking swiftly and accurately.

Seeing his unmoved demeanor, Zhang Xuqu grew even more cautious.

Yin Tingxue watched the confrontation with a mix of fear and confusion. She didn’t understand why neither man was making a move.

She recalled that Chen Yi had always been decisive in striking—often launching sudden attacks after just a few brief exchanges.

But Yin Tingxue didn’t stay puzzled for long before witnessing an utterly ridiculous scene.

She saw Zhang Xuqu supporting himself against the cave wall with one hand, while he randomly kicked forward with one leg—meanwhile, Chen Yi let go of Wuzanian, bent his knees slightly, and used his left hand to seemingly support Zhang Xuqu’s lower leg.

The sheer absurdity of the tableau almost made Yin Tingxue burst into laughter.

Chen Yi’s expression shifted unpredictably as he stared at Zhang Xuqu, while the latter had lingering fear in his eyes.

The speed of the earlier exchange was so rapid that it nearly defied perception.

Zhang Xuqu, without weapons, relied on hard-body techniques like Copper Bone Skill for defense. However, apart from critical moments, he avoided direct slashes.

In the moment just prior, a fleeting afterimage had passed. Zhang Xuqu’s left hand, seemingly poised to punch toward Chen Yi’s face, shifted as Chen Yi prepared to unleash his "Wind-Cleaving Rain-Crushing" strike.

Suddenly, Zhang Xuqu planted his feet and grabbed the cave wall above with his left hand, leveraging himself to kick downward with mountain-shattering force!

Had the kick landed, Chen Yi’s head would’ve been completely obliterated.

Thanks to the Shangqing Heart Method, Chen Yi narrowly halted his blade mid-strike. In desperation, he let go of his sword and raised his arm, catching Zhang Xuqu’s leg just in time.

And so, Chen Yi appeared as though he had randomly tossed aside his weapon.

Zhang Xuqu didn’t have enough time to adapt his move, which ended up looking like a haphazard kick.

The two men remained locked for a single breath before Zhang Xuqu clenched his fingers, pushing down from above to break free of Chen Yi’s hold. Chen Yi also stepped back, tapping the hilt of Wuzanian with his toes. The Brocade Spring Blade flipped with precision, landing back in his hand.

Zhang Xuqu gazed at the former West Factory Thousand Households. Unarmed, Zhang Xuqu had always relied on his rapid body movements like those of Mongol cavalry charging through the Gobi Desert during the fall of Song—all to execute precarious surprise strikes and survive.

Every time he executed a risky maneuver, he managed to live to fight another day.

But not taking advantage of his opponent—this marked the first time.

"You carry a sword and wear a Douli. You remind me of an old acquaintance," Zhang Xuqu remarked casually.

"The Broken Swordman?"

"He was extremely fast. At your current level, he was leagues quicker. But you share one similarity: Both of you find those fleeting moments of opportunity," Zhang Xuqu replied faintly.

Chen Yi said nothing, unaffected by the praise, having slain both lower-ranked and mid-ranked corpses numerous times.

Seeing no response, Zhang Xuqu resumed, "But you lack something he had."

"What is that?"

"Focus. When you hold the sword, it’s one style. When you fight without it, it’s another. You’ve mastered every technique as though you’ve trained for decades. Truly exceptional."

Sounding like an elder of the Jianghu, Zhang Xuqu shifted his tone:

"But, it’s only exceptional."

Chen Yi’s gaze narrowed slightly.

"There are countless prodigies in Martial Arts, like fish swimming endlessly downstream. I’ve encountered many like you—talented people fighting, struggling, relying on their gifts to learn more techniques and stockpile trump cards, often saying ’the more skills, the better.’ But how many realize that too many skills can weigh one down?"

Zhang Xuqu’s tone shifted again, laced with reflection:

"Prodigies like you love to depend on this. You see the vast heavens but fail to see yourself; you see the boundless seas, yet miss the solitary boat within. In the end, you fail to grasp your true essence.

Martial Arts is a high mountain—but you... cannot ascend it."

Upon hearing "essence," Chen Yi discreetly asked:

"Then tell me, how should one come to understand it?"

"There’s a role model."

Laughing with sarcasm, Zhang Xuqu replied:

"But let’s not forget—whether you can even survive to reach there is doubtful. Even if you do, such heights remain unattainable for you, far beyond what your eyes can follow.

This person has withdrawn from the world for twenty years, focusing on perfecting a single sword technique."

Chen Yi’s gaze grew peculiar as he asked:

"Who is it?"

Zhang Xuqu remained relaxed yet confident:

"The Sword Armor of Yin Sword Mountain, ranked ninth under heaven—Zhou Yitang."

Chen Yi’s expression shifted.

Well, asking was pointless.

Chen Yi glanced casually at Zhang Xuqu’s attempts to impress.

Unattainable heights? Beyond my reach?

I’ve already scaled, and I’ve already seen.

Zhang Xuqu didn’t perceive Chen Yi’s silent retort. Instead, he turned to glance behind him and asked casually:

"By the way, have you wondered why I’ve been talking to you for so long?"

Chen Yi didn’t reply, prompting Zhang Xuqu to continue:

"Chou Gang is here. Did you really think I was lying?"

The wind roared past, and in the dense forest at dusk, a Horse-slaying Saber materialized, brimming with raw force.

Chen Yi squinted his eyes.

It seemed he really had to face two at once.

Four hands against two fists?

Chen Yi hadn’t yet felt the tension, but Yin Tingxue was already stomping nervously.

A trace of worry crossed her mind:

If he dies, what will I do?