I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 4

After casting a Cleansing Charm to wash away the water vapor and grime, Shen Junyu felt his body become lighter and more comfortable. He stood up on the mountain rocks and looked up once more at the two suns and moons traveling together above him.

The sun and moon shared the same sky, reflecting one another with a soft glow. Spiritual energy radiated from them, and even a direct gaze did not feel piercing to the eyes. Although he had accepted the success of his rebirth, seeing this familiar scenery still caused Shen Junyu to lose himself in thought for a moment.

This secret realm was known as the Yin-Yang Secret Realm. The sun and moon in the sky were the two spiritual hubs of the realm; one represented extreme Yang and the other represented extreme Yin, which gave the realm its name. In the cultivation world, unique secret realms were countless, so this particular trait was considered ordinary. However, this was the place Shen Junyu remembered most vividly from his century of past memories.

It was here, in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm, that he had blocked a fatal arrow from a demonic cultivator for Shen Siyuan. From that moment on, his Golden Core shattered, and he spent nearly a hundred years as a disabled person in Yunmiao Pavilion.

The past was painful to recall. Even after so much time, the agony of the Golden Core shattering remained fresh in his memory. Yet, as he thought of this, Shen Junyu did not show a trace of resentment or pain. Instead, he was exceptionally calm, and his expression reflected only a sense of liberation. He picked up his spiritual sword and left the waterfall without looking back.

This time, he chose a direction completely opposite to the one he took in his previous life. This meant he would not encounter the scene of Shen Siyuan being hunted by that demonic cultivator. It was not that he lacked compassion; he simply never wanted to have anything to do with those people again.

Living a second life with his past memories, Shen Junyu naturally knew the locations of every treasure within the secret realm. Since he had chosen to sever all ties with his past, he had to make full preparations for his future. He intended to claim every benefit and resource available. The Shen Junyu of the past would not have easily laid hands on opportunities belonging to others, but now he could not afford to care about such things.

With a flick of his hand, the Phoenix Feather Sword rose into the air. He leaped onto it, and the sword carried him straight toward the location of a hidden treasure cave. The fresh wind brushed past his dark hair, and the air was filled with the rich fragrance of flowers and grass. Breathing in the air of the realm, Shen Junyu felt his mind clear and his lingering gloom dissipate.

Suddenly, a very familiar but slightly youthful voice reached his ears from nearby. It was a voice filled with malice and a touch of arrogance.

“I am the Young Sect Master of the Yuheng Sect. If you do not hand over the Red Flame Arrow, I will summon all the other cultivators in this realm. When your identity as a demonic cultivator is exposed, you will surely have no place to hide in death. Consider your options carefully.”

It was Shen Siyuan.

Shen Junyu frowned the moment Shen Siyuan spoke. His first instinct was to turn around and leave. He truly did not want any further involvement with these people. However, after Shen Siyuan finished speaking, Shen Junyu paused. His heart sank slightly, and he quietly brought his spiritual sword to a halt in mid-air to listen closely.

He had not known that the truth behind Shen Siyuan being hunted by the demonic cultivator was actually like this. It appeared to be another case of framing and false accusation.

Shen Junyu remembered that in his past life, Shen Siyuan had been hunted by that demonic cultivator, covered in wounds, and firing distress signals multiple times. When Shen Junyu arrived at the scene, he saw the demonic cultivator indifferently firing the Red Flame Arrow, which was a postnatal treasure obtained from the realm, toward Shen Siyuan. In his desperation and ignorance of the cause, Shen Junyu had thrown himself in front of the arrow. What followed was the agony of a shattered Golden Core and a century of endless, day-and-night torment.

He recalled that during his recovery, when he was frequently unconscious from the pain, he once heard Yuan Muzhou tell him that the demonic cultivator had been captured, torn to pieces, and his soul ground into dust. At that time, hearing the news did not make Shen Junyu feel relieved or happy. He only knew that he had become a cripple and could never return to his former self.

At this moment, having accidentally overheard truths he never knew and realizing the demonic cultivator who died for him might have been innocent, his heart stirred. That was why he stayed.

Nearby, the conversation continued. Compared to the forced bravado and threats of Shen Siyuan, the other voice was cold, calm, and carried a hint of laziness.

“If you want it so badly, come and take it. Why waste words on such posturing? Or is it that you are afraid?”

“You!” Shen Siyuan snarled in anger. “I see you are tired of living!”

The cold voice gave a dismissive scoff. Before it could settle, a thunderous explosion erupted. Clearly, Shen Siyuan had made a sudden move. Hearing this, the brow of Shen Junyu twitched, and he finally looked toward the source.

In the woods ahead, a furious Shen Siyuan had summoned a Heaven-grade artifact that resembled a lamp. The artifact was made of eight-colored glass and hung with thirty-six strands of jade tassels. It was incredibly magnificent. When activated, each tassel shot out golden light capable of pulverizing the hardest mountain stone.

Shen Junyu recognized the treasure immediately. It was the Eight-Treasure Glazed Lamp, which was a token of love that Shen Du had given to Yun Suyi. She had always cherished it deeply. He had not expected her to have given it to Shen Siyuan so early. It seemed the bias of the parents had been evident even then. It was laughable that he had been so oblivious, believing the favoritism of his mother was purely because Siyuan was physically weak. A mocking smile touched the lips of Shen Junyu.

Under the rain-like attacks of the Heaven-grade artifact, the demonic cultivator moved as if taking a stroll in a garden. He was dressed in black, and his upper face was covered by a silver phoenix mask that revealed only a sharp, well-defined jawline. His pale skin and thin lips were pressed together, radiating a cold aura. While dodging the attacks of the lamp, he occasionally pulled his bow to fire an arrow at Shen Siyuan, forcing his brother to dodge in a panic.

Clearly, at the same cultivation level, the demonic cultivator was far stronger than Shen Siyuan. Yet Shen Junyu remembered that when he first saw this man in his past life, the man was covered in blood and overflowing with demonic energy, looking terrifying and nothing like he did now. He wondered how Siyuan had managed to push him to that point.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the situation changed. As the battle dragged on, Shen Siyuan grew visibly exhausted and his face paled. Seeing this, the demonic cultivator closed in, intending to seize the Eight-Treasure Glazed Lamp. But as he neared the side of Shen Siyuan, the panicked expression on the face of Shen Siyuan shifted into something venomous and dark. He gave a haunting smile and suddenly struck out with his palm.

A strange, red-black light spilled from his palm and lunged toward the chest of the demonic cultivator. Shen Junyu, who had been watching quietly, underwent a sudden change in expression.

The Witch Ancestor Blood Curse. When had Shen Siyuan learned such a wicked technique?

The expression of the demonic cultivator also changed when he saw the curse. He used the Red Flame Arrow to try and block it, but the curse was formless. It passed through the arrow instantly and struck the demonic cultivator in the chest. This change happened in the span of a few breaths. Even if Shen Junyu had reacted to save the man, it would have been too late.

The situation reversed immediately. As the blood curse took hold, countless red threads spread through the body of the demonic cultivator like parasites. The man groaned, and blood leaked from his nose and mouth as he fell to one knee, his aura plummeting.

Shen Siyuan stood up slowly and walked over to the trembling man. He looked down and mocked him. “Fool. Do you still feel so arrogant? You refused to hand over the Red Flame Arrow quietly, so you had to suffer. Now, you deserve to become my demonic slave.”

Blood continued to pour out, and the demonic cultivator breathed heavily. His hand on the ground tightened into a fist, and his veins bulged. Shen Junyu watched this scene without moving, but coldness flooded his eyes. He was waiting for a specific moment. At the same time, his mind echoed with the scene from his past life where the man had hunted Siyuan like a bloodthirsty asura. He wanted to know if that scene would play out again now that things were different.

Seeing that the man remained silent, Shen Siyuan gave a cold laugh and prepared to use the curse to torture him further. Suddenly, the demonic cultivator reached out a trembling hand and grabbed the boot of Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan was confused, but he quickly chuckled. “What? Have you finally decided to submit?”

In the next second, the demonic cultivator looked up. A pair of black eyes behind the silver mask flashed with a terrifying cold light. With blood dripping from his lips, he spoke each word clearly. “Go. Die.”

Before Shen Siyuan could react, he was thrown backward by a sudden, staggering burst of energy from the man. The back of Siyuan hit a tree hard. Realizing something was wrong, he scrambled up and fled on his sword, firing a distress signal as he went.

The demonic cultivator stood up shakily and wiped the blood from his face. He picked up the fallen Red Flame Arrow, rose into the air, and pulled his bow toward the fleeing Shen Siyuan. Seeing this, Shen Junyu moved his sword closer to the back of the demonic cultivator, silently blocking any potential dangers from that direction.

Grudges must be avenged, and debts must be paid. Shen Siyuan deserved this arrow.

When the Red Flame Arrow was fired, the golden light was as brilliant as the sun, turning the woods as bright as day. In his final moments before being hit, Shen Siyuan screamed a piercing cry: “Brother, save me!”

Those words were so familiar. In his previous life, Shen Junyu had heard those words and thrown himself forward without a second thought. Unfortunately, the current Shen Junyu was no longer the man he once was.

With a dull thud, blood splattered as the arrow struck the dantian of Shen Siyuan without obstruction. The eyes of Siyuan widened. As he fell from the sky, he could almost hear the sound of his Golden Core cracking apart. Shen Junyu watched this from a distance, remaining indifferent.

As Shen Siyuan hit the ground, he seemed to sense something. He spat out a mouthful of blood and looked toward the dense woods where Shen Junyu was hidden. Their eyes met. The body of Shen Siyuan trembled in pain. His pale face was filled with disbelief. He opened his mouth, looking at the endless indifference in the light brown eyes of Shen Junyu, as if trying to say something. But only blood came out.

Soon, the sounds of angry voices and commotion came from the distance, drawn by the distress signal. The first to arrive was a brilliant, dazzling sword light. A figure in black official robes embroidered with star patterns descended from the sky. With trembling hands, he pulled the unconscious Shen Siyuan into his arms and desperately began to transfer spiritual energy. The sorrow and pain in his narrow, cold eyes could not be hidden.

It was Yuan Muzhou.

Yuan Muzhou had not expected to return to a century ago in such an absurd way, only to witness the very tragedy he most wanted to avoid. He held Shen Siyuan tightly, almost wondering if the heavens were playing a joke on him.

Seeing the look in the eyes of Yuan Muzhou, even Shen Siyuan was dazed for a moment. But then, Siyuan coughed up more blood and gestured toward the woods where Shen Junyu was, trying to alert Yuan Muzhou. Realizing something, Yuan Muzhou looked up sharply. He saw a figure in gentle white robes that he never expected to see there.

A surge of intense anger and unexplainable emotion flooded the heart of Yuan Muzhou. His gaze toward Shen Junyu became extremely sharp. Shen Junyu did not hide; he stood on his sword and met that piercing gaze. When he saw the sorrow, blame, and anger in the eyes of Yuan Muzhou, which were emotions he knew all too well, he understood. Yuan Muzhou had also been reborn.

However, that no longer had anything to do with him.

The calm and indifferent gaze of Shen Junyu stung the angry heart of Yuan Muzhou. The eyes of Yuan Muzhou darkened. Just as he was about to stand up with the unconscious Siyuan and move toward Shen Junyu, other disciples of the Sword Sect arrived. Blocked by the disciples, Yuan Muzhou pulled back his gaze. With bloodshot eyes and a cold voice, he commanded the others.

“Go over there. Follow the blood trail and find the demonic cultivator who harmed Siyuan. I want him found, dead or alive. Do not show him any mercy.”

After giving the order, Yuan Muzhou looked back at the woods, but the figure in white was already gone. His expression turned cold. He turned away and carried Shen Siyuan into the air, heading toward the teleportation point at the edge of the realm.

The disciples watched the extreme concern of Yuan Muzhou for Siyuan and looked at each other in confusion. They did not understand what was happening; only a few days ago, Yuan Muzhou and Shen Junyu had been traveling together at Caiyun Mountain, appearing very close. Why was he now acting so intimately with his brother-in-law, Siyuan? Even if Siyuan was injured, this level of concern seemed improper. However, the disciples did not dare to question their Young Sect Master. They swarmed into the woods to follow the order to hunt the demonic cultivator.

The demonic cultivator fled, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The blood curse continued to erode his body and consume his demonic power. Yet, his eyes held no fear of death, only a sharp coldness. He found it laughable that a man of his reputation had fallen at the hands of such a junior. Thinking that a prestigious sect like the Yuheng Sect produced a Young Sect Master whose methods were more sinister than a demon, he felt a sense of dark amusement.

Fortunately, he had only lost a clone this time. Otherwise, even destroying the entire Yuheng Sect would not be enough to satisfy his anger. The only regret was that it would be difficult to bring the Red Flame Arrow back with him.

Suddenly, a gentle and calm voice reached his ears.

“The Sword Sect has set an ambush ahead. If you do not wish to die, turn toward the southeast.”

The demonic cultivator was surprised. He coughed up blood and asked hoarsely, “Who is there?”

“The person who can save your life,” came the reply.