My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion
Chapter 215 - 194: The Murderous Knife!

Chapter 215: Chapter 194: The Murderous Knife!

Chen Yi’s face was as calm as water as he raised his blade and stepped toward the three men.

Just ten steps away from Chou Gang, he suddenly surged forward, the chilling gleam of his blade cutting through the air as a fierce gust tore at his sleeves, making them whip and snap violently.

Chou Gang, a master of the blade himself, instantly perceived the overwhelming force of the attack.

The scene before him split into an imperceptible thin line.

Breaking Wind, Cleaving Rain!

Chou Gang, skilled in wielding the Horse-slaying Saber with the power to split mountains and shatter stones, showed a rare expression of terror as he was forced to retreat by this strike.

Chen Yi’s blade struck empty air, yet his momentum did not cease; instead, he used it to draw a sweeping arc, his figure leaping forward as he unleashed a second strike.

The chilling gleam aimed directly at the face, this successive attack was shockingly fast.

The blade’s sound was nearly explosive!

Pressed so closely, how could he retreat again? Chou Gang roared furiously, the energy surging through his meridians, as the black energy surrounding his Horse-slaying Saber climbed step by step to its peak.

The saber swung in a great arc, delivering a thunderous strike in mid-air.

Chen Yi did not dodge.

The blades clashed.

The Brocade Spring Blade, known for its clarity of purpose, bent momentarily the instant it collided, its blade seeming to retreat by a fraction of a second, but in the next instant, the wielder of the Horse-slaying Saber, Chou Gang, felt a tremendous recoil force surge through him.

A thunderous explosion rang in his ears.

The massive Horse-slaying Saber was violently split, its edge displaying a brutal crack, and Chou Gang, unwilling to relinquish his grip on its handle, was sent flying backward, his massive frame crashing along with the saber.

He hit the ground heavily, raising a cloud of dust.

As Chou Gang’s bulging eyes reflected his shock at Chen Yi’s rapid martial arts progression, and as he braced himself to face the blade closing in to claim his life,

A figure—a swift figure—attacked from the side.

A whip-like airborne kick, curved like a crescent moon, aimed to shatter Chen Yi’s seemingly iron-clad skull into dust.

In the instant the kick struck down, Chen Yi’s head abruptly disappeared.

In mid-air, Zhang Xuqu spun a near-perfect circle.

His narrowed eyes caught sight of Chen Yi’s slight sidestep, followed by a blade striking upward in a dazzling burst of light.

It was another crescent moon.

And this one, rising as if from the sea, was faster, brighter!

Zhang Xuqu twisted his body at an almost impossible angle; he had used only half his strength in the kick deliberately, preserving the other half for responding in case he missed his mark.

The blade’s edge grazed his cheek, slicing open a vicious wound.

With a sideways strike of his hand, Zhang Xuqu hit Chen Yi’s wrist, then used the momentum to retreat, creating distance between them.

The Tongbei Divine Ape landed with a light and graceful step, wiping at the blood on his face, his eyes focused.

How had his movements grown so monumental in such a short period?

Could it be that... he had grasped enlightenment and ascended to the Fourth Rank?!

In martial arts cultivation, the Fourth Rank serves as the gateway to the superior Third Rank, akin to having one foot already stepped into its realm. Countless martial artists stagnate at the fifth-grade, unable to advance further, simply because they fail to grasp the concept of enlightenment. And for someone like Chou Gang, whose name is recorded in the annals of history but is shackled by rules forbidding arbitrary killings, the chances of him comprehending his own enlightenment are even slimmer.

And upon first entering the Fourth Rank, a martial artist’s momentum often peaks dramatically.

Like an examinee in the imperial exams—a Scholar—who produces their best results in their first attempt, only to falter over time.

Chen Yi still pursued Chou Gang.

The black-clad woman known as "Ye Ming" moved.

As Chou Gang’s hands, both drenched in blood, struggled to lift the Horse-slaying Saber to meet the attack, Ye Ming—seemingly a step delayed—drew her blade at the moment Chen Yi raised his own to strike, flashing forward like a short sword unsheathing with a metallic clang.

She struck from behind Chen Yi, targeting his neck.

That most fragile area of the human body, where a mere accident—a fall, a twist—could bring instant death.

Chen Yi’s blade was already poised toward Chou Gang, and even if he managed to twist and block, his strength would falter.

Sufficient for her to exchange her injury for his life!

The short sword gleamed like a shooting star.

Chen Yi released one hand, his fingers spreading into a claw, striking horizontally with the back of his hand.

His sleeve crackled against the air, and his knuckles slammed against the sword’s edge, erupting in a sound like ringing metal, breaking through the ferocity of this strike.

Ye Ming’s pupils shrank momentarily.

Amidst the clash, her sword twisted unnaturally in her hand, creating an enormous opening in her defenses.

And Chen Yi could release his other hand from the blade’s hilt, exploiting this weak point to deliver a punch to her abdomen.

As an experienced combatant, she realized this was a technique that manipulated objects using energy. Ye Ming promptly abandoned her short sword, her entire body leaping backward to retreat.

Meanwhile, the unstoppable Chen Yi surged toward Chou Gang.

Chou Gang roared and hoisted the Horse-slaying Saber high, channeling all his energy into one final strike.

Chen Yi’s blade moved without hesitation.

In his hands, the Brocade Spring Blade gleamed sharper and more relentless than ever.

From the beginning to the end, he had not spoken a single word to the three adversaries,

only struck with his blade.

Zhang Xuqu’s gaze turned piercing as he tilted his head, meeting Ye Ming’s eyes in a fleeting instant.

In that moment, two martial artists who were strangers until now reached an unspoken agreement.

They would wait for an opening—a fleeting moment when Chen Yi, after attacking, slowed down just enough, his movements slightly less swift than before.

This weakness would transform the sacred chamber into Chen Yi’s burial site.

Chou Gang let out a roaring cry of rage, a sound closer to the mournful wail of a trapped beast facing imminent death.

The Brocade Spring Blade sliced through the air, colliding with the Horse-slaying Saber.

Chou Gang’s bulging eyes nearly popped from their sockets; his muscled wrists, sinewed with veins, could barely withstand the tremendous force of the blade’s impact. The savage intensity shook his palms, and the heavy Horse-slaying Saber trembled uncontrollably, its handle splintering his finger bones with snapping sounds!

The black energy surrounding the Horse-slaying Saber faltered and retreated under the radiant glow of the Shariputra’s golden brilliance.

The man bore the Buddha Light!

By the time realization struck, his head had already separated from his body, flung skyward like a lump of charcoal, blood splattering everywhere as his bulging eyes fell lifelessly to the ground.

The Zige Bureau Minister who sought Chen Yi’s last words did not even leave his own.

As Chen Yi’s blade momentum waned, his figure showed a faint and almost imperceptible hesitation.

Ye Ming and Zhang Xuqu moved swiftly.

Like a butterfly fluttering through branches, Zhang Xuqu dashed to Chen Yi’s right side in a flash.

Ye Ming drew yet another short sword, her movements swift and predatory like a hawk.

The intense energy fluctuations rippled like waves between the three combatants.

Ye Ming’s strike was seamless, her blade flashing like lightning—a movement so fast it disappeared from view, leaving only a fleeting gleam to mark its path.

She aimed to deliver a decisive strike to the throat.

Zhang Xuqu deliberately slowed his retreat by half a step. Even if Chen Yi exploded with newfound power and Ye Ming sacrificed her life, Zhang Xuqu could land a fatal blow in the split-second when Chen Yi’s strength diminished afterward, ensuring their orchestrated attack concluded perfectly.

There was no way he could react in time.

Kill intent coiled tightly; the trap was set, and death approached swiftly.

Chen Yi raised his blade to meet the attack head-on.

He did not pause to consider whether not saving her would save himself from peril.

He did not dwell on the thought that she was nothing more than a crimson skeleton.

He did not wonder why she tried to kill him, compelling him to nearly take his own life in defense.

All of these were distractions.

And the blade in his hand bore the name "No Distractions."

Blood sprayed forth.

Chen Yi saw the burst of crimson first, followed by the sound at his ears—a splashing roar.

Ye Ming’s expression filled with incredulity before death extinguished her gaze like a lamp ceasing its light.

After the single strike, Chen Yi paused again for a brief moment.

Zhang Xuqu struck without hesitation, his fist charging like a dragon surging from the sea.

Chen Yi’s sleeve flared loudly, tearing through the air with radiant brilliance, as waves of energy surged forward.

He had to be faster, faster still,

extremely fast!

Even in the instant he paused, he had to be faster than anyone could imagine!

As the blade’s gleam slashed forward, Zhang Xuqu’s eyes widened, his face turning pale as a sheet.

His footwork was the envy of the world, reputed to be faster than the Broken Swordman’s sword. Though he knew the truth behind the claim, he believed no one except the Broken Swordman could exceed him in speed.

But this blade—it was faster.

Zhang Xuqu’s punch had not yet landed when a loud "crack" like the sound of shattering bone reverberated through the air.

The Tongbei Divine Ape’s face was frozen in pure astonishment.

He knew Chen Yi shouldn’t have been able to respond in time...

But that killing blade...

Was far faster than Zhang Xuqu could ever have imagined!