Huancheng Shen Shen

Chapitre 48

Upon seeing the black robes on the road to the underworld, one is no longer destined to be connected with the Three Lives Stone.

Xuan Sheng didn't even glance at those people. He immediately turned around, intending to return to Shuang Jing's side before the wooden boat took on water. Just then, he heard the sound of planks cracking from the lake. Startled, he rushed forward.

Meanwhile, the four subordinates of the Seven Stones Sect and Chongchonglou had finished dealing with all the archers around them and were returning to the ship to remove the chains holding the two horns when they suddenly felt the chains being pulled hard. Everyone was startled, and before they could even reach out, the ropes nailed to the bow and stern of the ship were pulled apart in opposite directions, and the wooden ship immediately shattered into pieces!

Everyone leaped high into the air. Che Shui rushed forward to try and pull Shuang Jing up, but the chain seemed to be controlled by someone. It lost its balance and bounced off in all directions. He was focused on Shuang Jing and didn't notice. With a slap, he was hit in the face and lost his balance, falling into the water.

"Ah Che!" Shuang Jing stood up and exclaimed. The boat beneath her feet had already taken on water, and she was already standing on the edge of a precarious situation. She lost her footing and was about to fall into the water when she heard a violent gust of wind. When she turned around, two chains lashed down on her face with a whoosh!

"Sect Master!"

"Xiao Jing!"

Everyone cried out in alarm and tried to rush forward to help, but it was all too late.

The chains struck the boat heavily, instantly shattering the planks! The boat slowly sank into the water.

"Double Cleansing!" Xuan Sheng roared involuntarily, his whole body frozen.

But the wooden boat sank and then floated up again, and in the foamy water, there was no trace of Shuangjing.

"What... Sect Master?!" Ning Du and An Xing couldn't help but shout in alarm, looking around but finding no sign of their master falling into the water.

"Look, where is it!" Plum Blossom suddenly shouted, pointing to the air.

Amidst the drifting white mist and the faint outline of the deep forest, a woman in green robes danced gracefully in the air, her long hair flowing like silk. Her movements were elegant and natural, her bearing heroic and spirited. She landed a short distance from the water, and with a light touch of her toes, she leaped into the air again like a phoenix soaring into the sky. Only then did everyone realize that she had caught the chains that had just been swung at her with her bare hands.

Shuangjing gripped the iron chain tightly and pulled hard, only to feel someone else holding on tightly in front of her, refusing to let go. She smiled coldly, and without thinking, rushed forward, her toes barely touching the water as she glided forward, cutting two waves in her wake.

The other party was stunned and forgot to loosen the chains in his hands, and could only watch as the woman appeared in front of him in an instant.

Her eyes were clear as springs, seemingly both angry and smiling, with a shimmering light in them as she looked around.

Then he remembered that five years ago, Ye Shuangjing's speed was on par with Xuan Sheng, the fastest man in the martial arts world.

But...but...this doesn't look like someone who has long since lost all their martial arts skills!

Everyone was filled with surprise and doubt. In the blink of an eye, the woman had rushed up to the other party.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

The enemy held their breath, and even Xuan Sheng and the others watching from afar were stunned.

All movements were slowed down and prolonged indefinitely.

The woman floated in the air, her right hand outstretched, pointing at the enemy's neck. She smiled, her light green robe billowing in the wind, as if she had lost all her youthful beauty, and you could almost see the scattered petals falling to the ground behind her.

A strong wind rises, and the clouds fly.

The proud son of heaven has returned to his arrogance.

Then, it all happened in the blink of an eye!

Shuangjing lightly touched the neck of one person, and in the blink of an eye, she was behind another person, also touching his back to avoid the long sword attacking from behind. She grabbed the wrist of the person holding the sword with her backhand, and with a snap, someone cried out in pain. She lightly touched below his ear, and then gracefully rose again, taking several steps back. Facing the two lines of people rushing towards her, she smiled lightly, and with a light touch of her toes, she had already weaved between them!

Che Shui and the others were so shocked that they couldn't speak. After a moment of confusion, they saw Shuang Jing standing on the shore facing them, looking natural and unaffected.

The group of people behind her, who were about to rush forward and fight, paused for a moment and then fell to the ground.

The sect leader of the Seven Stones Sect stood quietly, his blue robes fluttering, like a fragrant lotus emerging from the water.

Bare-handed, without even a weapon.

But that was indeed... Ye Shuangjing, who for the past five years had been panting for half a day just walking.

At this moment, she frowned slightly, couldn't help but take a step back, and with a sway of her body, Xuan Sheng rushed forward.

"Shuang Jing!" When he hugged her, he felt her warmth, which lessened his shock. Seeing her pale face, he immediately reached out to take her pulse and carefully sensed her internal energy. He found no abnormalities, and then he felt a little relieved.

“Xuansheng, I’m fine…” At this moment, Shuangjing tugged at his sleeve slightly, opened her mouth as if to say something, but turned her head to the side and vomited on the ground with a loud waa.

Xuan Sheng was shocked and quickly patted her back to steady his heart, but he didn't feel any discomfort. He frowned and asked, "Jing...? You..."

"Ah... I'm fine... really fine..." After spitting out, Shuangjing wiped her mouth, paused for a moment, then turned back to him with a grin: "I just... jumped too high, too far, too fast... so I got dizzy. You know... it's been too long since I... used my lightness skill, I... got dizzy... hehe."

"..." Xuan Sheng looked at her speechlessly, opened his mouth as if to say something, but only managed to utter a single sentence: "Oh."

LOL...

Sometimes he simply couldn't think of a better answer.

At this moment, Che Shui and the others also arrived at their side. The leader of Chongchonglou rushed to Shuang Jing's side, looking at her with surprise, joy, fear and worry: "Xiao...Xiao Jing? You...you...you...when did you?!" Next to him, Ning Du Anxing also looked surprised and almost cried, staring blankly at her waiting for her to continue.

“I don’t know either…” Shuangjing shook her head and spread her hands: “I just suddenly felt… much better.” When the ship split apart and the chains swung over, she didn’t think of anything, she just made a natural reflex.

In the years before she lost her martial arts skills, she would sometimes react this way, but after accepting the fact that she could no longer practice martial arts, she gradually became numb and could only watch helplessly as danger approached. This time, she really didn't know why she leaped so high. Perhaps it was because only she knew her own body best, and before Anxing and Ningdu arrived, she had vaguely sensed that she was getting much better.

"Could it be... your master?" Plum Blossom asked in surprise, "Did she restore your martial arts?"

“No…” Shuangjing shook her head, frowning in thought: “Master only saved me, he didn’t do anything else… could it be…?” She suddenly looked up and looked at Xuansheng.

"Is it the potion from that building?" Upon receiving her gaze, Xuan Sheng immediately understood and was also taken aback. "Didn't Miss Long Ye say that the building was built in the past to practice secret skills in seclusion, and sometimes it was also used to save people and heal injuries... Could it be that this potion, hidden for a hundred years, has... cured you?" He looked at Long Ye, who was silent as if she didn't exist, as if he wanted her to answer something, but the white-haired woman still stared silently into the distance without any expression, ignoring him completely.

"Perhaps..." Shuang Jing pondered for a moment and then said, "It's true that I feel much better. The weakness in my body is gone, so I can use a little bit of my lightness skill, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone except Xuan Sheng and Che Shui's expressions changed slightly.

Is this called 'using a little bit of lightness skill'?

Judging from the speed and skill just now, it was definitely no less than Xuan Sheng or Che Shui's. If that's the case, then what kind of power does Ye Shuangjing possess when she used her full strength?

Everyone was secretly amazed, and their gazes toward Ye Shuangjing were filled with even more admiration and respect.

"Ahhh, but this is already very good, very good, Xiao Jing!" Che Shui said excitedly. If Xuan Sheng hadn't been standing between him and Shuang Jing, he probably would have already hugged her tightly. "After we get out, you can take your time to recover, right?! Hahaha, I'm so happy! You'll have the time to fully recover one day!" He smiled brightly, revealing his snow-white teeth, and jumped around like a child.

Shuang Jing smiled faintly: "I hope so."

“In that case, let’s continue.” Jing Shan, who had been silent since Hua Wushuang left, suddenly said, looking ahead with a cold expression, as if everything around her was irrelevant: “We should get to our destination as soon as possible.”

"Ah, look..." Jin Guan exclaimed softly as he looked out at the lake.

Everyone turned their heads and saw the mist gradually dissipating, as if telling them that they had passed this test.

Before me, the lake was rising, its waters a vibrant green, reflecting the azure sky. The clear water shimmered in the hazy sunlight, obscured by clouds. Suddenly, the ripples widened, the water receded, and stones of varying sizes emerged from the surface, forming a winding path that led to the other shore.

"This..." Plum Blossom asked doubtfully, "There shouldn't be any more conspiracy, right?" But before she could finish speaking, Jing Shan had already walked forward, so she had no choice but to follow, "Hey, Catwoman, wait for me!"

"Let's go." Che Shui sighed and said to his subordinates, then led Bai Yun and Jin Guan to follow the two women who were skipping across the lake to the other side.

"Anxing, Ningdu, you go first." Shuangjing remained seated on the ground, waving her hand and saying, "I'll follow you right away..." Before she could finish, Xuansheng had already taken off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders, then hoisted her up and carried her away. She was taken aback: "Xuansheng?"

How did you know... I couldn't walk anymore?

She was actually just feeling a little better physically; the reason she was able to use her light-footed skills was because of the euphoric and exciting sensations within her. Now that the crisis was over, she seemed to have suddenly become exhausted. Although she didn't feel weak, she felt as tired as if she had been running all day.

"It'll probably be a long time before we reach the next level," Xuan Sheng said calmly. "Take a nap first. I'll wake you up when it's time."

Shuangjing was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled mischievously. Without realizing it, she tightened her arms around Xuansheng's neck and rubbed her head against his neck. She looked around and saw that the group in front of her was focused on getting on their way. She couldn't help but chuckle and then gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. She watched with satisfaction as Xuansheng's ears turned bright red.

"Shuang Jing..." he could only say this helplessly yet affectionately.

"Oh dear, let's go, let's get to our destination quickly!"

With a clear blue sky overhead and surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, the group hurried along, occasionally glancing up to keep an eye on their surroundings.

As Xuan Sheng walked, upon hearing the steady breathing and familiar murmurs of the woman on his back, he couldn't help but smile gently and happily.

Fog is not fog, yet it can still stir up the vast ocean.

The sky was filled with stars, the moonlight was bright, and all was quiet. A group of people found a place that looked like ruins on the flat grassland. There were huge rocks all around, as if they had rolled down from the mountain and come to a stop there. They lit a fire among the large rocks and rested for a while. The huge rocks around them acted like walls, which blocked the wind. Considering that Che Shui had just recovered and Shuang Jing was still weak, they went to sleep early and prepared to continue their journey at dawn the next day.

Jing Shan remained silent, ate a little something, and then turned over and fell asleep, ignoring everyone. Bai Yun and Jin Guan, who would usually make a ruckus over food, also leaned against the rocks in silence, watching the flickering flames. After a while, they too fell asleep, one on the other's shoulder, exhausted. The two sisters from the Seven Stones Gate stood guard outside, while Mei Hua and Che Shui slept first, waiting to get up later to take turns guarding with them.

Xuan Sheng leaned against the wall, Shuang Jing sleeping soundly in his arms, who hadn't woken up since the afternoon. He didn't dare to sleep at all, checking her breathing every now and then, afraid that he would lose her if he closed his eyes.

But Shuangjing didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She even snored slightly. Sometimes she would pout and hug Xuansheng tightly, murmuring something in her sleep. Then she would turn over and sleep happily and leisurely in such a tense atmosphere.

The air inside the cave was dry, but the fire made it exceptionally warm. Occasionally, the whistling wind and Ning Du'an's footsteps could be heard outside. The steady breathing of the others drifted in, and warmth and drowsiness permeated the entire place. As he watched, Xuan Sheng's tense nerves finally relaxed without him realizing it. Shuang Jing, nestled closer to him, warmed his body with her body temperature, no longer icy cold. Xuan Sheng smiled faintly, sighed, and held her close, slowly closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The cave was warm as spring. As the group slept, they finally relaxed and drifted into a deep sleep, where they found a peace and tranquility they could no longer find.

Suddenly, a sound startled Xuan Sheng. He jumped up and stood up, only to find his arms empty. Looking around, he saw that everyone around him was still soundly asleep. Startled, a sense of unease immediately washed over him, and he rushed out.

"Shuangjing?! Shuangjing!!" He suddenly stood up and felt a blinding light. He shielded his eyes with his hand and squinted to see that huge piles of torches illuminated the night sky as bright as day.

"Who?!" he asked loudly, frowning, his eyes searching for Shuang Jing's figure. Suddenly, a scream pierced the sky. Before he could turn around, there was a loud thud as someone crashed heavily into the stone wall beside him, rolling to the ground and leaving a trail of blood.

An Xing's bloodied and mangled face turned around, his eyes wide and bloodshot, one hand weakly and trembling as he reached out to him: "...The...Sect Leader...she..."

"Miss Anxing!" Xuan Sheng was shocked and furious. He stepped forward to check her injuries, but then heard someone behind him shout in a shrill voice.

"You bastard, I'll fight you to the death!!" Looking back, she saw Ning Du, covered in wounds, being surrounded by a group of people dressed in black, fighting alone. She swung her double rings and leaped high into the air, but her feet were bound by chains in mid-air.

"What?!" Ning Du turned around in astonishment, but before he could break free of the silver iron chain, he fell to the ground from mid-air.

"Ningdu Girl—!" Xuan Sheng rushed forward immediately, but before he could get close, he saw the group of people raise their weapons at the same time. Swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, clubs, and maces all thrust at Ningdu at the same time!

Instantly, red blood splattered everywhere!

Ningdu didn't even utter a sound before his body was riddled with holes.

"Ningdu!" The second young master of Half Moon City's hand froze in mid-air. He stared in horror at the crimson blood that meandered down to his feet, his anger growing.

Just then, shouts came from behind: "Where is she! Where is she!"

Xuan Sheng was stunned, feeling as if all the blood in his body had suddenly frozen.

Turning around with the fear of loss, I saw a bright, white full moon slowly rising on the mountain peak at night, and a familiar slender figure struggling with two other people.

"Shuang Jing!!" Xuan Sheng shouted, and hurriedly leaped upwards.

Despite the extremely fast speed and ruthless moves, Shuang Jing gradually lost the fight because she couldn't hold out for long. As soon as she took a wrong step back, the person in front of her suddenly struck her chest with a palm!

That palm strike was silent.

In fact, suddenly the whole world went silent.

Xuan Sheng's eyes widened. He simply leaped forward and lunged forward, stretching out his hands with all his might, trying to catch the falling body.

He wanted to hug her and tell her not to worry, that he was here, so that even if the sky fell, he would hold it up for her.

But his fingertips did not touch her sleeve.

Just a single leaf separates us, yet it feels like an eternity of mountains and rivers.