When I Mistook My Arch-Rival for My Dao Companion - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Since Demon Venerable Wenren Qian was sealed in Wuying Mountain by Immortal Venerable Qingchen five hundred years ago, he had wished for nothing more than to eat his flesh and drink his blood for those five centuries.

However, now that the seal was lifted, that fellow who used to be cold, detached, and never smiled was actually giving him a gentle smile. No matter how one looked at it, something was fishy.

Wenren Qian, who was originally full of confidence and ready to start a massacre, felt his heart sink slightly. It seemed the other party had come prepared.

Fu Guzhou did not make Wenren Qian wait long, replying in line with his previous words: “I missed you too.”

Wenren Qian, who thought he had already seen through Fu Guzhou’s schemes, fell silent.

The crowd of cultivators was equally silent.

Uh, did they mishear a few words?

Aren’t they supposed to have a great battle? Aren’t they supposed to capture the demon head? Why was the conversation between these two so bizarre—so bizarre that everyone thought they had walked into the wrong place.

Fu Guzhou appeared as steady as a rock on the outside, but inside, he was panicking to death.

Wait, why does he have that expression?

There was nothing wrong with his answer. The other party said they missed him, and he said he missed them back. Isn’t that wonderful?

Of course, Fu Guzhou felt a bit guilty saying he missed the other party. After all, he didn’t remember his Dao companion at all. He had even sealed his companion under a mountain for a full five hundred years to be baptized by astral winds and have his demonic power washed away. That experience was definitely not pleasant.

“Miss this Venerable?” Wenren Qian chewed over those words, then suddenly let out a sneer. “Are you thinking about why this Venerable hasn’t died yet?”

As those words fell, Wenren Qian performed a demonstration of how changing one’s face is faster than flipping a book. The man who was smiling just a second ago turned his gaze fierce and ruthless in an instant.

The surrounding demonic energy grew increasingly dense, attacking everyone present without restraint.

In such overflowing demonic energy, Fu Guzhou felt as though even breathing had become difficult.

He could feel the other party’s fury from the demonic energy alone. It seemed he was very angry!

If anyone else lost their memory and suddenly saw their Dao companion, their first reaction would surely be “my spouse is so handsome” or “my spouse looks so good.” However, at this very moment, Fu Guzhou’s first reaction could only be: How on earth can I survive at his hands?

At this time, the cultivators could no longer be bothered by what they had just heard. All of them raised their guard. Those with weaker strength were still resisting that demonic power, while the powerful ones had already struck out to surround and attack him together. Wenren Qian had just emerged from the seal of Wuying Mountain; right now was surely his weakest moment. This was their golden opportunity.

Countless attacks surged toward Wenren Qian at the same time: ten thousand swords launched, various magical powers gathered, lightning flashed, and volcanic fires filled the sky.

Amidst those attacks, each of which was no simple feat, Wenren Qian dodged as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in a courtyard. When he struck, his fingers were like hooks, claiming lives.

With Fu Guzhou’s eyesight, he could even see clearly how those slender hands clawed into someone’s throat and twisted with force. With a “crack” of bone, a young talent famous for his nine-foot spear died just like that at his hands. Many people merely came face-to-face with him and didn’t even have time to scream before they were killed.

What brutal methods.

Wenren Qian was absolutely a veteran who had fought his way through countless battles. He had no hesitation, and he didn’t even have any pity for the fairer sex. In just a brief moment, the Wuying Mountain that had been peaceful and fragrant was turned into a river of blood, a living hell on earth.

Everyone knew the name of Demon Venerable Wenren Qian. A guy who could wound a Demon Emperor with three sword strikes—there was likely only one such person in this world. Unfortunately, he had been silent for far too long. The fact that Fu Guzhou had sealed him in Wuying Mountain gave them confidence; otherwise, they never would have specifically run over here to try and pick up the scraps.

Wenren Qian’s brutal and terrifying appearance made people want to retreat, but since they had already come, there was no reason to flee without a fight.

Among the crowd, a highly respected senior funneled spiritual energy into his voice and shouted encouragement: “Fellow Daoists, do not fear! If we work together, we can surely slay this demon head!”

Wenren Qian reached up to wipe the blood splattered on his face. A cold glint flickered in his eyes, faintly carrying an eerie blue light. “You all are nothing but ants. Why bother seeking your own deaths?”

These words directly ignited the fury of many young and brash cultivators, making them even more hot-blooded than the senior’s encouragement. They swarmed forward.

A mocking smile touched Wenren Qian’s lips. Red light erupted from his hand, and a longsword so red it looked like it was about to drip blood appeared in his grasp.

He held the sword, waiting for the ants to approach. His eyes held an undisguised look of tyrannical slaughter; his gaze alone was enough to make those with weak wills collapse.

Before the two sides had even fully clashed, Fu Guzhou had already predicted the flying flesh and one-sided slaughter that would soon follow.

He recalled the description of Wenren Qian in the records. He rarely used a sword, but every time he did, blood flowed in rivers, and the number of dead souls under his blade was countless.

Since the other party had manifested his Bone Sword, how many people present could withstand a single strike?

“All of you, stand down.” a cold, clear voice said slowly as the cultivators began to hesitate upon seeing the sword.

It was Immortal Venerable Qingchen!

The cultivators who had been influenced by the demonic energy and only thought of charging forward finally remembered their greatest trump card: Immortal Venerable Qingchen, Fu Guzhou.

At this moment, regardless of whether they had respected Fu Guzhou before, after witnessing Wenren Qian’s terror, Fu Guzhou was like a savior in their eyes.

Wenren Qian watched Fu Guzhou as he approached step by step under the gaze of the crowd. His eyes were cold. “Immortal Venerable Qingchen truly has the common people in his heart. Then let us see how many strikes you, having lost your life-bond sword, can take from this Venerable.”

With that, before Fu Guzhou could even fully close the distance, he swung his sword. It lunged toward Fu Guzhou like a startling swan.

That strike had no flourishes, yet such a sword was a true killing blade.

The sword-light flashed. Before it even reached him, Fu Guzhou felt a majestic, overwhelming murderous intent.

Fast, such a fast sword!

Among the myriad of cultivation techniques in the world, each with its own strengths, only speed was truly invincible. No matter what kind of great powerhouse it was, under this incredibly fast sword, if they couldn’t dodge, they would instantly become a dead soul beneath it.

How was he supposed to fight? From this one strike alone, Fu Guzhou knew he was absolutely not the other party’s opponent.

However, the sword had already arrived before him.

He had no choice but to take the strike.

Fu Guzhou immediately mobilized his Dao companion sword. That sword was a top-tier treasure, a rarity in Fu Guzhou’s life. At this moment, it was likely the only thing that could withstand the attack for a moment.

Amidst the endless aura of blood and slaughter, a “clash” of sword-cries rang out.

The two swords collided, sparks flying in all directions.

Fu Guzhou managed to catch that incredibly fast strike with the hands that used to swing a sword ten thousand times a day.

Wenren Qian was not surprised by this. He gave a deep laugh, and then the Bone Sword erupted with a burst of tyrannical power. Fu Guzhou was shaken back several steps, his entire arm going completely numb.

But that wasn’t the end. Just as Fu Guzhou began to feel uncontrollably excited by the power that exceeded his understanding, Wenren Qian flew toward him again. A strike that condensed the local power descended from mid-air.

The magnificent sword-light brought with it a power that was terrifying and bone-chillingly cold.

“One sword to bridge heaven and earth”—it was nothing more than this.

The excitement in Fu Guzhou’s eyes grew. He seemed to understand why he would choose someone who also used a sword as his Dao companion.

The mutual appreciation between swordsmen, and that desire to suppress and conquer the other, was something a soft and tender beauty could never give him.

Excitement aside, Fu Guzhou knew he absolutely couldn’t take this strike. Thus, he instantly retreated several hundred steps.

After narrowly dodging that strike, he took a risk and mobilized all the power in his body. The sword intent of the longsword in his hand suddenly surged. To show his respect, he used the “Common People’s Sword,” which he had comprehended at age seventeen while observing a celestial phenomenon.

The Common People’s Sword was Fu Guzhou’s strongest and proudest strike from his early years. Even his Master couldn’t take it easily. Now, combined with his Venerable Realm cultivation, it should at least slightly suppress this Demon Venerable. However, before his sword could fully land on the opponent, it was lightly pinched by a well-proportioned, slender, jade-white hand at the blade’s edge.

How is this possible!

This strike, which carried Fu Guzhou’s strongest sword intent from his early years, was caught as easily as picking a flower or brushing a willow. One couldn’t even say it was caught, the other party had completely seen through the path of his sword and then accurately pinched the sharp blade in the predicted position. He wasn’t even wounded by the sword-wind. To what level of strength must he have reached? Was he really so much worse than his pre-amnesiac self? The pre-amnesiac Fu Guzhou could seal the opponent, yet now he couldn’t even wound him in the slightest.

Wenren Qian didn’t show any joy at catching Fu Guzhou’s sword. Instead, he frowned and said, “Fu Guzhou, you’ve become weak.”

Ah, about that… Fu Guzhou didn’t deny it at all. After all, he had felt it firsthand; there was no need for the other party to specifically point it out.

“Though it’s a bit of a pity, this is for the best. Rest assured, this Venerable will simply return everything from these past years twofold.”

Saying this, he applied force with his hand. He originally intended to just blast the sword away and severely injure Fu Guzhou in the process, but unexpectedly, he saw the three words on the sword.

“Gift to Beloved.” What a “Gift to Beloved.”

The other party had sealed him in Wuying Mountain for a full five hundred years, and yet he had used that time to find himself a Dao companion.

He had been baptized by astral winds daily, while the other party spent every day in romantic love. Excellent, truly excellent!

Wenren Qian applied force, intending to snap the sword directly.

Fu Guzhou, noticing his actions: “!”

This won’t do!

Even though this was something his pre-amnesiac self had forged and he intended to give it to the other party anyway, he couldn’t let such a peerless sword die young just because of a couple’s quarrel.

Fortunately, that group of cultivators was observant. Seeing the two in a stalemate, someone immediately stepped forward to help.

Although the person was easily swatted away several hundred meters by a wave of Wenren Qian’s hand, it provided Fu Guzhou with the perfect opportunity to create distance.

Fu Guzhou squeezed the power from his body—vast as an ocean—and relied purely on strength to shake off Wenren Qian’s hand before hurriedly retreating dozens of steps.

As Fu Guzhou retreated, Wenren Qian had already flown forward. He was incredibly fast, arriving before Fu Guzhou’s face like a startling swan or a bolt of lightning.

At this time, more cultivators attacked Wenren Qian. No matter how much Wenren Qian disregarded these people, he was now annoyed. He stopped chasing Fu Guzhou and instead swung his sword behind him. Such a strike, carrying bloodthirsty killing intent, would surely cut those fellows in half if it landed.

Fu Guzhou hurriedly flashed forward to stop it. Otherwise, if his Dao companion committed too many murders, they wouldn’t be able to find anyone to invite to their Dao companion ceremony later.

Because it was a hurried defense, after blocking that attack, Fu Guzhou appeared calm, but his internal blood and Qi were already churning.

Before Fu Guzhou could recover, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist, locking onto his vitals.

Fu Guzhou looked up and met that soul-snatching, cold, and handsome face. The man looked at Fu Guzhou with a thoughtful frown. The hand gripping Fu Guzhou’s wrist investigated his meridians without restraint. Finally, he gave a mocking laugh: “You can’t even resist being restrained. I haven’t heard of Immortal Venerable Qingchen practicing the ‘Path of Heartlessness,’ so why have you made such a mess of yourself?”

Suddenly seeing his Dao companion’s handsome face so close, Fu Guzhou’s heart skipped several beats. He couldn’t quite catch his breath and didn’t respond immediately.

Wenren Qian took it as a tacit admission and said enticingly, “This Venerable naturally knows the Immortal Venerable is happy to do this. I just wonder which beauty was able to draw the Immortal Venerable into the mundane world.”

If Fu Guzhou was feeling ‘my Dao companion is so close, I’m so nervous’ a second ago, then the next second he was full of confusion.

Uh, wait, did his Dao companion misunderstand something?

It seemed like he was jealous.

Fu Guzhou, realizing this late, felt a bit shy. He kept a stiff face to try and hide his discomfort while not forgetting to explain: “Actually, this sword is for you.”

Upon hearing this, Wenren Qian acted as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous. “What? Are you afraid this Venerable will strike at your precious Dao companion?”

“You’ve really misunderstood.”

“How could it be a misunderstanding? The former Number One Combat Power is now nothing more than an empty shell. Excellent, truly excellent. Heaven is truly on my side.”

Saying this, the hand gripping his wrist suddenly increased its pressure, as if it wanted to crush his hand bones.

Fu Guzhou: “!!!”

No! This really is a misunderstanding.

Even though he had amnesia now, he absolutely had no intention of looking for anyone else. This sword wasn’t for some other “little demon”!

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