Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 369 - 106: 3-2

When he lost track of Da Bai and Xiao Bai, Zhao Jincheng instinctively wrapped his Primordial Spirit around the protective talisman on his chest.

It was a life-preserving item given to him by his sister, Zhao Chenlu, containing an immortal technique from the world’s top cultivator, City Lord Golden Jade. It could instantly lock onto Zhao Jincheng in times of crisis and teleport him back to Golden Jade City, ignoring any distance limitations or magic interference, and if Zhao Jincheng were ever in life-threatening danger, even if the sky collapsed and the earth shattered, the immortal technique would suppress it just before his death, transporting him back to the city, with a mighty power capable of shaking causality.

With this talisman, the Eldest Young Master Golden Jade dared to venture boldly into the fiercely spirited Barbaric Southeast. Because even in Shen City, any danger he faced could be countered by the talisman ensuring his survival.

However, at the moment of activating the talisman, Zhao Jincheng hesitated.

Though his sister had told him, should he ever encounter danger, even without clear signs, he must not hesitate to activate the talisman for self-preservation. In this vast world, there might be masters capable of breaking her immortal technique... but the problem was, this talisman could only save his life.

Da Bai, Xiao Bai, and his two guides for many years, Ah Gong and Ah Zheng, would undoubtedly be trapped in the earth vein storm. Moreover, returning to Golden Jade City this way would make him lose his love.

Zhao Jincheng knew very well that this absurd marriage would never gain his sister’s support. All his actions in Shen City were characteristic of acting first and reporting afterward, returning to Golden Jade City would certainly lead to severe reprimands from his sister.

If his wedding with Shen Qingming were complete, the procedures finalized, and the deed done, his sister, despite her reproaches, would have to accept this marriage and help her brother deal with the aftermath. But if the wedding remained unfulfilled... then returning to Golden Jade City and hoping to go to Shen City or Cyan Cloud City to wed Shen Qingming would be nothing more than a fool’s dream.

Life could be forfeited, but love must be firmly in control, a teaching long instilled in Zhao Jincheng by his sister, which he held close to his heart, so even if his sister might not support him, he still decided to persist to the end.

Thus, after just a moment of hesitation, Zhao Jincheng released the talisman.

And it was in that moment of hesitation that thick fog rapidly enveloped the surroundings, rendering even the people nearby indistinct.

Zhao Jincheng instinctively employed Spiritual Vision, only to find his sight blurred, severely impeded by the Spiritual Qi erupting from the fractured earth vein, which hindered his vision.

At this time, Zhao Jincheng was not at all flustered, recalling the teachings of his lecturer from the academic hall.

While most of his peers were either dozing off or privately chatting, Zhao Jincheng, with a serious demeanor, attentively listened to the instructor’s explanation of the earth vein storm survival guide, which was theoretically useless.

Zhao Jincheng loudly shouted, his voice reverberating in all directions, causing the fog to ripple and distort.

"Ah Zheng, Ah Gong, hold hands!"

At the same time, Zhao Jincheng extended his arms to both sides, awaiting his companions’ response.

In this kind of earth vein storm, where thick fog pervades, sight is distorted, and space is chaotic... it is common for people to become separated, just like Da Bai and Xiao Bai. No matter how high one’s cultivation may be, it’s challenging to resist the might of the heavens and earth. Therefore, one must immediately connect closely with those nearby, gathering the strength of many to secure a sliver of hope.

He was a standard directionless person, to survive the storm and return to Shen City, his two guiding dogs were indispensable, so he needed them to extend their hands at once.

A moment later, Zhao Jincheng felt a sudden warmth envelop his extending palms, as if touched by someone, but the sensation was entirely different from Ah Zheng and Ah Gong, wholly another’s hands!

At this moment, Zhao Jincheng felt as if he were reading ghost stories in the deep of night, his heart pounding wildly; in this earth vein storm, two unidentified individuals suddenly grasped his hands...

In the next instant, Zhao Jincheng, without hesitation, detonated two spells in his palms, silver boiling flames rising on the left hand, a green whirlwind sweeping from the right. As the spells took effect, Zhao Jincheng felt a piercing pain tearing through his hands, as formidable power on par with his own mana tore through the flesh’s defenses, blowing both hands to bits, the shattered flesh vaporizing and scattering instantly.

Enduring the agony, Zhao Jincheng clenched his teeth to maintain his composure, quickly withdrawing his heavily injured arms while casting several more spells to sweep in all directions.

This time, however, there was no retaliation, nor the sensation of magic hitting its target, but the fog around finally lightened a bit under his spell’s ravages.

Thus Zhao Jincheng could finally discern his surroundings.

A vast openness, no sign of Ah Zheng and Ah Gong, nor of the two mysterious attackers hidden in the mist. But, as his gaze fell on the severed arm wound, Zhao Jincheng involuntarily gasped.

The wound was charred black, crisscrossed with cuts... precisely the injuries from Moonstream Flame and Star Wind.

Recalling the strange yet vaguely familiar touch, Zhao Jincheng couldn’t help closing his eyes and shaking his head.

What he had just grasped was actually his own hands... as his arms extended left and right, each entered a twisted loop space, then clasped each other, causing mutual harm...

Zhao Jincheng had cultivated for thirty years, while not as battle-hardened as the Shen Family, he had experienced dozens of battles and adventures, never suffering such a humiliating wound. For a moment, the Eldest Young Master Golden Jade only felt a surge of anger boiling within.

But quickly he suppressed the anger. At this moment, blind fury was meaningless, the more urgent the situation, the calmer he needed to be. Only after safely navigating the threat would he allow himself to vent his anger.

Calming down, Zhao Jincheng simultaneously circulated True Essence to meld with Qi Blood, rapidly healing the severed arm wounds while surveying his surroundings to understand his predicament.

Healing progressed smoothly, despite the devastating spell he had unleashed on himself, since young he had diligently honed his physical body, his recovery ability far surpassing ordinary cultivators, and his shattered hands were regrowing from the severed wrists at a visible pace, seeming like it wouldn’t take more than half an hour to return to normal.

However, as he scanned the surroundings, Zhao Jincheng’s heart sank further, as expected, everything around had become completely unfamiliar.

Moreover, the strangeness was bizarre, as not only were there no surrounding mountains, but not even a shadow of a mountain in sight.

Only an expansive, endless plain, in whichever direction he looked, it met with the pale earth and blue sky at the distant horizon.

Where on earth is this place?

Zhao Jincheng gritted his teeth once again, trying with all his might to recall the knowledge from his academic studies.

Within an earth vein storm, though strange and varied, any scene is possible... yet over the years, some patterns have been summarized. For instance, just now, his hands clasped because the space had twisted into a loop, and the current scenery is clearly another case of spatial distortion. South of Shen City is all rugged mountains, how could there be such a vast plain?

With this thought, Zhao Jincheng suddenly had a vague idea.

Was this earth vein storm not a bit too coincidental? Fully erupting shortly after he and his group entered the mountains... and all phenomena within targeting him without exception.

First dividing him from his guards and guiding dogs, then utilizing fog and spatial loops to wound him, finally discarding himself, a severe directionless, into an exceedingly bizarre twisted space, this series of phenomena unmistakably appeared orchestrated by someone behind the scenes.

However, this is actually good.

For having an enemy is better than not being able to find one at all.

With a faint, elusive smile, Zhao Jincheng felt a clarity within, all the negative emotions prompted by sudden changes thoroughly suppressed.

Thereafter, the True Essence within, condensed like a torrential rain, surged along a specific trajectory thrice through his meridians, eventually exhaled through his mouth and nose, morphing into a silver-white, mirror-like disc.

The disc reflected Zhao Jincheng’s own face, momentarily forming a heavenly and earthly arrangement in the mirror. Subsequently, Zhao Jincheng tipped his head back, the disc abruptly ascending into the sky, hanging there like a bright moon, casting its sparse silver light over the vast land.

Simultaneously, Zhao Jincheng’s eyes also glimmered with silver light, resonating with the disc above, and in his sight, the endless plain transformed into pure silver, with a few red lines starkly interspersed among the silver.

A Secret Art of Zhao Family Golden Jade: [Bright Moon Shines on My Shadow].

Reflecting through the bright moon, it conspicuously marks any target harbored with malice towards the user on the battlefield. When the Zhao Family cultivator confirms the presence of enemies nearby, this secret art can instantaneously lock onto the opponent, unrestricted by any Illusion Technique.

Likewise, consistent with other Secret Techniques of Golden Jade City, it possesses Divine Techniques ignoring temporal and spatial constraints. When the bright moon ascends the sky, Zhao Jincheng finally beheld his enemies.

"Found you."