“You cultivate the Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture?”
Kong Lanyou gazed at Zhang Ruochen, an incomparable look of anticipation appearing within those stunningly beautiful eyes.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart set off wild winds and waves, yet, his face was still very calm and colourless as he said, “Senior is indeed a tall person, I can’t hide it from you, you should have already seen through the technique I cultivate, right?”
“As far as I know, in the entire Kunlun Realm, there are only two people who have cultivated the Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture. One of them is one of the Nine Emperors from eight hundred years ago, Emperor Ming. The other person, is the son of Emperor Ming.”
Kong Lanyou’s words paused, carefully observing every subtle movement of Zhang Ruochen as he said, “Of the two of them, one of them has disappeared for many years and his life and death are unknown, while the other one has been dead for eight hundred years. Zhang Ruochen, don’t tell me that the Nine Heavenly Bright Emperor Scripture was also passed down to you from that one consciousness in the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword.”
Zhang Ruochen said in a firm tone, “That is the truth.”
Since he had made his decision long ago, Zhang Ruochen would continue to conceal it, there were still many things that he needed to spend time to corroborate, and he didn’t want anyone to know his true identity until he found out the answer.
As long as he didn’t let go, even if Kong Lanyou had some guesses, he couldn’t do anything about it.
In fact, Kong Lan You could have used the Soul Search Technique to forcefully plunder Zhang Ruochen’s memories and find out the truth of the matter.
However, she was afraid that this man in front of her really had an extraordinary connection with the one from 800 years ago. Using the Soul Search Technique would most likely traumatise his Martial Soul, thus causing him unrecoverable injuries.
Now, what to do?
While Kong Lanyou was pondering, Zhang Ruochen had already entered his cultivation state.
He closed his eyes and fully operated the Nine Heavenly Bright Emperor Scripture, his body tensed up, the 100,000 pores on his entire body completely closed, and his body turned into a leakless space.
The medicinal power of the Bikong Grass exploded out, and within a very short period of time, it surged towards the blood vessels and meridians of Zhang Ruochen’s entire body, eventually converging to the centre of the brain’s brow.
Under the medicinal power of the Bikong Grass, Zhang Ruochen’s brain was empty and clear, as if he had opened the door of wisdom, and the speed of comprehending the sword technique was accelerated by more than ten times.
The Heart of Sword Intent was in the Sea of Qi, rapidly rehearsing sword moves, causing Zhang Ruochen’s Sword Dao Realm to rise by leaps and bounds.
“With the help of the Bikong Grass, the Sword Dao Realm has definitely increased greatly, perhaps, tonight, I will be able to catch Kong Lan You for ten moves.”
Zhang Ruochen pushed his mental power to the extreme, fully comprehending the Sword Dao, making sure to make perfect use of this opportunity so that he wouldn’t waste too much of the medicinal power of the Bikong Grass.
“The Way of the Sword is by the heart, the mind is clear.”
“Follow the wind, follow the clouds.”
“The sun and the moon come together, the Sword Dao universe.”
“Taiji and Two Glyphs, all swords return to one.”
In Zhang Ruochen’s Qi Sea, a small white figure with a light sword in its fingers and true Qi in its feet rehearsed sword techniques, leaving behind a sword technique shadow in his mind.
The doubts and difficulties of sword techniques that were normally impossible to penetrate were, in an instant, completely realised.
A sword dao idea was born from his heart and shot straight upwards, as if it was going to fly out from the top of his head.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes opened, a sharp light appearing in his eyes as he cupped his hands into finger swords and quickly attacked Kong Lanyou, who was sitting on the opposite side of the room.
“Wow!”
Kong Lan You’s reaction was extremely fast, and he struck Zhang Ruochen’s wrists in both hands with a bamboo xiao as a sword.
Zhang Ruochen’s wrists turned, quickly changing his stance as his body stood up with a sudden burst of energy, his arms drove in with a sharp sword aura, striking at her chest.
“Boom Boom!”
The two of them made quick moves and clashed fiercely, each strike was like two swords clashing against each other.
Zhang Ruochen sometimes stood, sometimes sat down, sometimes moved his body quickly around the bamboo pavilion, attacking Kong Lanyou from different angles.
Kong Lanyou, on the other hand, was always sitting there, almost motionless except for his constantly moving arms.
After about three breaths, Zhang Ruochen was once again hit by the bamboo xiao and thrown away, falling to the outside of the bamboo pavilion.
Zhang Ruochen sunk his legs into a steady centre and landed on the ground with both feet so that he didn’t look too wretched. He covered his chest, only feeling that his body felt as if it had been pierced by the Bamboo C*ckerel, the pain was excruciating, and he couldn’t lift a single ounce of strength.
However, there were no wounds on Zhang Ruochen’s body, which showed that Kong Lanyou had used a dark power.
“To actually be able to fight me for thirteen moves already, you really are a heavenly genius.”Kong Lanyou said.
Zhang Ruochen endured the pain and said, “It’s all thanks to senior’s Bikong Grass, otherwise, it would be impossible for junior to progress so quickly.”
“You don’t have to be modest, even if the Bikong Grass is good, it’s still just a cup of tea, the key still lies in the martial artist himself.”
Kong Lanyou stood up, his hands behind his back, displaying a powerful aura as he proudly said, “Zhang Ruochen, are you interested in quitting the Martial City Academy and worshipping under me. I can provide you with the best cultivation environment, the best guidance, and the topmost elixirs. I don’t take on disciples easily.”
“As expected, Kong Lanyou actually really wants to plan my path of cultivation… Luckily, she doesn’t know my true identity, otherwise, she would definitely take me away without hesitation.”Zhang Ruochen thought darkly.
Standing at different heights naturally led to different ways of looking at things.
Kong Lanyou felt that her taking the initiative to accept Zhang Ruochen as her disciple was a gift to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Thanks to senior’s kindness, senior has already decided to cultivate in the Holy Academy. Moreover, senior has already promised that he will worship the Master of the Xuan Gui Academy as his master.”
Kong Lan You nodded as if he had already figured it out and said, “Old Man Xuan Gui is known as one of the Three Great Sword Saints of the Eastern Region, his strength is naturally not bad, it’s not bad for you to be able to worship him as your master. Since you’ve already made your decision, I should also leave and return to the Central Domain.”
“About to leave?”Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou sighed, “I came to the Eastern Domain originally to see you for a while, and since you aren’t that person, there’s no need for me to continue staying. It’s been eight hundred years! His bones, I’m afraid they have all turned into ashes, it’s just that I have an obsession in my own heart that I can’t let go of. You won’t be him, nor can you be him.”
There was an indescribable sadness within her voice, not at all like a divine Saint, but rather like a tender and sentimental woman.
For some reason, a sense of loss also arose in Zhang Ruochen’s heart, and he didn’t know whether it was because Kong Lan You was about to leave or because of a kind of sadness that arose from the passage of time.
Eight hundred years had passed, Zhang Ruochen was no longer the Zhang Ruochen of that year, and Kong Lanyou was no longer the Kong Lanyou of that year.
Everything had become different!
In the sky, the rabbits flew away, and on earth, the past and present came and went.
All things turn to dust, only the green mountains remain unchanged.
“You caught ten moves from me, the Sword Dao realm should be close to reaching the middle stage of Sword Mind, according to the agreement, now this Half-Saint Mansion is your private property.”
Kong Lanyou stood up, outlining a slender and beautiful figure as she walked out of the bamboo pavilion and was about to leave.
Zhang Ruochen stared at her back, and in the end, he couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve heard you mention that son of the Ming Emperor from 800 years ago many times, did you guys once know each other?”
Kong Lanyou’s body trembled slightly, stopping in her tracks as she said ethereally, “More than knowing each other. His position in my heart can never be replaced by anyone. Yet I know that he never had me in his heart, he was Avray in love with another woman, and I could only stand in the distance and quietly watch them. Watching them practice their swords together, watching them laugh together, watching them embrace each other under the moon.”
“It was also because, that time, I stood in the distance and secretly watched him that I witnessed him being killed by that one woman with a sword. I desperately rushed out, about to stop it. But, in the end, I was still a step too late, and watched him fall into a pool of blood.”
“Even after eight hundred years have passed, that scene, however, still flashes through my mind from time to time, and every time I recall it, it is really painful.”
“In an instant, there are two heavens on earth and hell, and since then the deceased is a ghost.”
Kong Lan You didn’t know why, but she actually told the secret that was Avray hidden in her heart, telling it to a junior who had only met her twice.
Perhaps, for eight hundred years, she was really lonely, not having anyone to talk to, and it was only until she met Zhang Ruochen that she spoke out the words she had suppressed for eight hundred years in her head.
In the air, a long sigh resounded.
Hearing Kong Lan You’s words, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes were a little moist, and in his heart, he no longer wanted to hide it, wanting to immediately tell her about his identity. To tell her that the one deceased person of hers was still alive.
However, when Zhang Ruochen fixed his eyes and looked over, Kong Lan You had already disappeared, and at some point, left the Half-Saint Mansion.
Zhang Ruochen rushed over, using all his true qi to shout, “Lan You, Lan You ……”
However, with Kong Lanyou’s cultivation, at this point, he had already flown out of the Eastern Domain Sacred City, to the point where he was 10,000 miles away, and couldn’t hear his shouts at all.
“In a flash, two heavens of earth and hell, from now on the deceased is a ghost.”
Zhang Ruochen recited these words and closed his eyes, in his heart, it was as if he could feel Kong Lanyou’s misery and grief over the years.
All along, Zhang Ruochen had only treated Kong Lanyou as a little sister, but he didn’t expect that Kong Lanyou would have such feelings for him.
If Zhang Ruochen had known all of this, he shouldn’t have hidden it from her when he first met her. She shouldn’t have been allowed to continue living inside guilt, pain, and hatred, she should have been happier.
“In the future, sooner or later, there will be another chance to meet her. Right now, it’s all the more important for me to cultivate hard, and only the stronger my cultivation, the more things I can do.”
Zhang Ruochen put away the stream of complicated thoughts in his heart and rethought, how to quickly raise his cultivation.
His enemy, was the towering Empress Chi Yao, if he didn’t have a strong strength, how could he take revenge?
Drinking that cup of Bikong Grass Tea, Zhang Ruochen not only only had his Sword Dao Realm greatly increased, but also, his Martial Dao cultivation had also risen by a large margin, and he had vaguely touched the threshold of the Heavenly Extremity Realm’s Great Extremity Position.
If he was able to break through to the Heavenly Extremity Realm Great Extremity Position, Zhang Ruochen’s strength would climb another step, and even if he were to impact the top 30 of the Heavenly Ranking, it would never be a difficult task.
