“…”

Had they misheard?

When Jian Chou spoke the word “cooperation,” they were still somewhat dazed. But when Xie Buchen glanced at Jian Chou and said that single word “good,” the three people here couldn’t help but doubt whether they had heard wrong.

Standing before them was indeed Jian Chou of Yashan and Xie Buchen of Kunwu—truly them, not any demon in disguise.

But what had they heard?

These two could actually cooperate?

Ever since everyone left Kunwu, whether on the road to the hidden realm or after arriving there, that subtle and indescribable atmosphere between Jian Chou and Xie Buchen was something everyone could sense.

A mortal feud, an irreconcilable hatred!

Now Jian Chou had spoken the word “cooperation” so calmly, instead of drawing her blade to strike down Xie Buchen?

Never mind Zuo Liu—even Young Master Ruhua was momentarily stunned.

As the person who had spoken these words, Jian Chou offered no further explanation.

In her view, this required no explanation whatsoever.

Nothing more than a temporary expedient.

She knew it, and Xie Buchen knew it too.

Seeing Xie Buchen agree and swallow the Stolen Spring Pill, Jian Chou wasted no more time and turned again to fly toward the formation.

She wasn’t worried about Xie Buchen at all.

First, Xie Buchen was a genius from Kunwu who could break through to Golden Core formation even when severely injured. Though his cultivation was damaged, he was still superior to ordinary cultivators.

Second, the Stolen Spring Pill was such a fine medicine that it was considered a sacred healing remedy even at Yashan. Fudao Shanren had prepared it for her early on. It dissolved upon contact, its medicinal power dispersing almost within a single breath.

Though Xie Buchen had no time to meditate and regulate his energy, being barely able to move was sufficient to meet the requirements for this cooperation.

After Jian Chou left, Xie Buchen moved his feet and followed.

On the spot, Zuo Liu held his booklet with a dazed expression, looking at the two figures’ retreating backs, feeling an impulse to have Young Master Ruhua pinch him a couple times or beat him up severely—

Was this really not a dream?

He pondered for a long time. Seeing those two had already re-entered the formation and probably couldn’t hear him, he finally muttered: “Senior Sister Jian Chou’s heart is really quite big…”

Previously fighting to the death, now able to cooperate calmly without any sense of incongruity.

How could her heart not be big?

However, Young Master Ruhua and Xia Houshe, hearing this, both developed different thoughts: A big heart?

“Indeed, very big…”

A big heart, a big world.

Rarely, Young Master Ruhua actually echoed Zuo Liu’s sentiment.

He then turned his gaze to look at Lu Xiangleng, who was nearly unconscious and still trapped, but began contemplating what positions the words “friend” and “enemy” each held in this “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou’s” heart.

Xia Houshe also caught Young Master Ruhua’s implication, shifting his gaze with almost no change in expression to look at the departing pair.

One from Yashan, one from Kunwu.

One in plain clothes, one in blood-stained green robes, walking one after the other.

There was no communication between them for now, yet walking through the void like this, they had an indescribable sense of coordination.

That was a kind of…

Feeling that only acquaintances, even closer than acquaintances, could possess.

Familiar with each other’s speed, familiar with each other’s style.

One through being opponents, one through being old acquaintances.

They maintained a small distance between them, showing their less-than-good relationship, yet that rhythm of coordination in their steps was hard to conceal.

To rescue someone in the shortest time, they had to pass through the formation at the fastest speed, or directly break the formation and bring the person out.

Lu Xiangleng’s condition was clearly not good.

Whether from personal friendship or companionship, Jian Chou had no reason to stand by and watch.

She stepped into the formation and took a deep breath.

When at the formation’s edge, one would only feel increased gravity, which for Jian Chou was relatively simple to handle.

Then, she instinctively looked toward Xie Buchen.

Xie Buchen was obviously not a body-cultivating cultivator, his physical strength not particularly formidable.

But he had once studied Earth Binding formations, even developing many variations. He immediately formed hand seals and arranged a “formation within formation,” reducing the surrounding pressure.

However, though the small formation within the large formation was good, its effect was quite limited. Though Xie Buchen’s injuries had recovered remarkably after swallowing the pill, it didn’t have the miraculous effect of raising the dead or regrowing flesh and bones—at most it restored some strength.

He absolutely couldn’t waste more spiritual power on arranging formations.

Immediately, his gaze swept around, pausing slightly at certain locations, then he pointed directly: “Left advance, first break the Exchange position.”

The most critical factor limiting their movement speed was the “binding” character of this Earth Binding formation. With even walking feeling difficult, how could they have good speed?

Xie Buchen’s plan was reasonable, but after speaking, he realized he hadn’t expressed his reasoning in words, fearing Jian Chou might not understand his intention.

Unexpectedly, when he looked up, Jian Chou had already stepped out as instructed, her form so fast it was only an afterimage—

This showed not a trace of hesitation.

Just because she had said “cooperation,” she gave this former enemy who had once betrayed her complete trust.

Though such trust would only appear this once, like a flash-in-the-pan epiphyllum.

Xie Buchen was distracted for a moment. When he came back to his senses, Jian Chou had already slashed toward the void with her blade—that was where the formation’s foundation lay.

“Crack!”

The blade energy didn’t scatter but precisely condensed into a line, striking the position without deviation.

Accompanied by shattering sounds, the entire formation’s pressure suddenly lightened!

Xie Buchen immediately knew his judgment was correct.

Jian Chou turned to look at Lu Xiangleng below for the first time. Without that terrifying pressure, her consciousness seemed to clear somewhat.

“Buzz!”

A light sound, and purple-gold light actually rose from that muddy quagmire, instantly becoming the brightest spot under the entire gloomy sky.

Lu Xiangleng opened her eyes slightly, knowing this was her protective seal finally activating.

As a medicine woman, though she had mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, in terms of combat she couldn’t even beat a somewhat stronger early-stage Golden Core cultivator. Her only reliance was the pills covering her body and protective magical artifacts.

When attacked earlier, she had already activated the Immobile Bell for protection. Now what suddenly activated was her personal protective seal.

The Earth Binding formation’s pressure was terrifying, previously suppressing her protective seal so completely that Lu Xiangleng couldn’t use it at all.

Now, with Jian Chou and Xie Buchen choosing to first break the Earth Binding formation’s pressure, it undoubtedly gained Lu Xiangleng considerable breathing time.

Seeing the situation improve, Jian Chou’s heart settled.

At this moment, Xie Buchen, who had been trailing behind her, had already come up directly, standing closer to Jian Chou: “The Earth Binding force draws on earth’s power, merely auxiliary. This great formation has ninety-six small formations, each one a killing formation.”

A great formation composed of ninety-six small formations nested together…

And each one was a killing formation?

Jian Chou’s heart sank, and she understood why Xie Buchen had moved to her side.

Without words, the two continued forward.

As Xie Buchen had said, the subsequent route became much more dangerous. Whether in the air or under the water, various strange things constantly emerged.

Some were blade energy and sword energy, some were oddly-shaped skulls, and there were even bizarre phantoms…

Trapping both Jian Chou and Xie Buchen.

However, whether it was her or him, neither showed the slightest abnormality or fear on their faces.

Even within illusion formations, when phantoms involving their past grievances or soul-stealing demons were about to appear, they would often just emerge and before saying three words, Xie Buchen would spot the flaw.

With a single word of guidance, Jian Chou’s next strike would shatter the formation—truly invincible.

…

“Heaven position advance forty-five, break the sixth.”

“Circle around Thunder position.”

…

One sentence after another, with almost no hesitation or pause. As Jian Chou’s speed increased, Xie Buchen’s speaking pace also accelerated.

His calm gaze rapidly swept across four directions, his lips still showing the bloodless, cold blue-green color. The thin upper and lower lips touched, moving rapidly in succession with prompt after prompt.

“Bang!”

The water surface on the left suddenly exploded, and a fiery red vermillion bird flew toward Jian Chou.

Jian Chou held the Deer-Cutting Blade in her right hand, having just swung it. Now with the vermillion bird flying over, it instantly transformed into a sheet of flames, seeming about to engulf her.

Xie Buchen frowned and raised his finger, about to do something.

Unexpectedly, without even turning her head, Jian Chou directly raised her left hand, and the Human Emperor Sword she had been gripping unused swept out in a sharp arc along with its sheath!

Horizontal sword block!

“Boom!”

The flaming vermillion bird, trailing a gorgeously colored fire tail, unexpectedly crashed head-on into the sword sheath, immediately exploding into scattered sparks.

In that instant, looking at it this way, it seemed as if Jian Chou held a giant fireball in her hands, or as if she had trapped a giant fire phoenix.

The dark black sword sheath appeared to have no special patterns, even looking somewhat old.

But after the flaming vermillion bird crashed into it, it remained completely unharmed.

On the contrary, the unlucky attack was affected.

As soon as the flames touched the sheath’s surface, they became sluggish and slow like crashing into a cold muddy sea, wanting to immediately escape but finding it difficult.

Thus, all the flames were absorbed by the sheath the moment Jian Chou raised her sword to block.

In just a blink, the previously fierce flames couldn’t even show a single spark.

Xie Buchen’s raised hand stiffened for a moment, then lowered.

Jian Chou raised an eyebrow, surprised that even the Human Emperor Sword’s sheath was so formidable, but her pace didn’t slow at all.

Still moving forward!

Outside the formation.

Jian Chou’s previous move of raising her sword to block the attack successfully focused everyone’s attention on this sword.

When they encountered danger this time, Jian Chou came to their rescue, and they hadn’t exchanged many words—barely even a proper meeting.

Therefore, during that period, everyone noticed her, noticed Lu Xiangleng, even noticed Xie Buchen, but paid no attention to the sword she held!

Until now, Zuo Liu stared directly at that sword for a long time, his heart pounding so hard it almost jumped out of his throat.

He felt his throat dry and burning, as if he’d just drunk some voice-killing poison.

“That, that sword… don’t we find it somewhat familiar?”

How could they not find it familiar?

What else could it be but the Human Emperor Sword that Xie Buchen had been carrying all along?

Previously, when watching the two fight, they had witnessed this sword’s amazing power!

Good heavens, in the blink of an eye it had gone to Jian Chou’s side!

Young Master Ruhua couldn’t help but ponder.

Looking at when this Kunwu genius reappeared, his body was full of holes. They say a woman’s heart is the most venomous, especially when she’s an enemy?

Xie Buchen’s sword was in Jian Chou’s hands, and among all those wounds on his body, to say Jian Chou contributed no strength—he wouldn’t believe it for a moment.

Hearing Zuo Liu’s question, Young Master Ruhua leisurely opened his gold-traced fan and fanned himself: “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou and Fellow Daoist Xie of Kunwu have deep friendship and are close acquaintances. Between fellow daoists, Fellow Daoist Xie lending a sword to Senior Sister Jian Chou is no big matter. What’s worth making such a fuss about?”

“…”

Zuo Liu was instantly speechless, already shocked by Ruhua’s shamelessness.

Xia Houshe listened but didn’t interject.

He wasn’t a talkative person, but his gaze watching ahead clearly told them he was still monitoring the situation in the formation.

The flaming vermillion bird was just a trivial interlude. Jian Chou still maintained high-speed advancement, while Xie Buchen remained exactly one to three steps behind her—not too much, not too little.

He pointed out the fastest formation-breaking methods one after another, his steps quite composed, though the seriousness in his brow and eyes was visible to all.

Undeniably, he was handsome and capable.

Even standing calmly in the formation, he didn’t give the impression of strolling leisurely in a garden with excessive detachment.

Looking at it this way, one wouldn’t develop feelings of disgust, only thinking their cooperation was perfectly coordinated.

When one spoke, the other would certainly understand the meaning and possess the powerful strength to carry it out completely.

One spoke clearly and accurately with confident judgment, making no mistakes thus far; the other struck ruthlessly and decisively without hesitation, never failing once.

These two people, one using words and one using action, quickly approached Lu Xiangleng in just a few moves.

If outsiders didn’t focus carefully, they could only see afterimages in the formation!

…

“Reverse yin and yang.”

“Water position forty-five, formation eye.”

“Soaring dragon.”

…

Sometimes Xie Buchen wouldn’t directly state the Eight Trigrams positions, but would indicate directions using trigram numbers and images.

This was because the positions were too complex—if described in detail, considerable time would pass, and who knew what changes might occur during that time?

What he could do was try to avoid changes, strangling them before they appeared.

The most minimal and refined language to quickly indicate positions.

However, this also placed high demands on the listener.

If unfamiliar with trigram images and numbers, just hearing “soaring dragon” would be confusing. Never mind saving time—being able to avoid death here would be fortunate.

Fortunately, Jian Chou knew everything.

Words that seemed unreasonable or even extremely obscure to others would automatically deconstruct in her mind, then rearrange into a feasible route.

She walked boldly yet carefully, often opening entirely new worlds in the most heart-stopping moments.

Jian Chou stepped forward, flashing past lightning striking down from above.

Xie Buchen understood formations completely and had long known where this “Five-Zhang Drum” would fall. His walking route directly avoided it, so the lightning scraped past his blood-stained wide sleeves and struck the broad water surface below.

Lu Xiangleng’s location was now in sight.

Countless quagmires compressed the purple-gold light raised by her protective seal, seeming about to burst like a bubble at any moment, and the already dim light had darkened considerably.

Both Jian Chou and Xie Buchen had clear judgment of the situation.

One stepped forward, one followed, and in a blink they entered the next formation.

They heard a “buzz” as waves of spiritual light burst forth all around. Xie Buchen looked around and understood clearly.

Spirit Snake Formation—all its attacks were spiritually transformed into snakes with snake venom infused within.

First, their speed was alarming with agile attacks; second, their poison was frightening, targeting not the cultivator’s body but the soul. Once contaminated, at minimum one’s cultivation would drop, at worst one’s mind would be confused, appearing mad.

Xie Buchen almost imperceptibly furrowed his brow, but when speaking remained calm: “Left six, star—”

When the words came out, his voice suddenly paused, and even he was stunned.

So natural and completely unexpected…

“Star” was no longer terminology from trigram images, but from Go.

He instinctively looked toward Jian Chou.

Jian Chou faced him sideways, and he couldn’t clearly see her expression. She seemed to frown slightly too, though it was unclear whether it was due to that momentary pause in his words or because of the word “star” he had blurted out.

In any case, everything happened in a flash.

Jian Chou, still advancing, unhesitatingly changed direction to the left. The instant she left her position, countless poisoned spirit snakes flew out in pursuit, but all struck empty air.

A Go board was square, with nine special points marked by thick round dots—the so-called “star” positions on the board.

The “Tianyuan” on the board was a “star” position at the very center of the board.

Now that Xie Buchen had blurted out “star” to indicate position, Jian Chou wasn’t confused.

Even…

She clearly knew exactly what this word “star” originated from.

The formation before them, due to its arrangement, only had one “star” position. Familiar with Go, formations, and even more familiar with Xie Buchen, Jian Chou easily deduced its location.

Thus, she flew up and struck down with one blade!

“Boom!”

Gorgeous blade light cut through the darkness, creating brilliant illumination.

Xie Buchen’s eyes were momentarily dazzled by this brightness, becoming briefly vacant.

Wherever his vision reached, all was blade light.

So his mind followed his vision in blanking for that instant.

He seemed to hear a voice from the distant river of time and space…

“So there’s no ‘star’ position in formations?”

…

“Say there isn’t and there isn’t; say there is and there is. If you accept it exists, then it’s here.”

A certain clean finger lightly pointed on the prepared sand table, indicating a specific position—a point calculated by overlapping the board’s positions with formation locations.

From then on, the Third Young Master of the Xie Marquis Manor occasionally used “star position” to refer to this complex location.

Even when watching her play Go with the Marquis’s wife, knowing she couldn’t win but also couldn’t lose too easily, he would seemingly casually hold tea and stand by the window, smiling as he said: “Your Go game is more perilous than my formation arrangements…”

Speaking thus, his finger would lightly tap the window frame.

“Tap.”

A light sound, struggling out from memory, instantly drowned by howling wind.

Xie Buchen was still in a daze.

Jian Chou shattered the formation with one strike, and all attacks not yet launched within the formation immediately stopped.

She had intended to continue forward but sensed Xie Buchen hadn’t followed, so she turned back to see him actually distracted at this crucial moment.

Xie Buchen always had everything under control, his schemes and methods first-rate—how could he be distracted?

She frowned and was about to speak.

“Whoosh!”

A remaining spirit snake appeared from thin air beside Xie Buchen!

Small and slender with a silver-white body, but with a deep purple mark on its head—clearly highly venomous.

It flicked its tail, tracing a phantom yet dangerous trajectory, heading straight for Xie Buchen’s skull!

With Xie Buchen lost in thought, how could he know what was happening around him?

Seeing the silver snake about to succeed, Jian Chou’s frown immediately deepened, frost and killing intent forming between her brows. Her wrist turned and the Deer-Cutting Blade gripped tightly in her palm.

The two-foot curved blade, its tip condensed with cold radiance like bright moon and frost, shot past Xie Buchen’s ear at an extremely tricky angle!

Wrist turned, blade flat!

The attacking spirit snake, just as it was about to drill into Xie Buchen’s skull, was deflected by Jian Chou’s blade!

The blade tip’s two-inch section positioned precisely in the spirit snake’s path.

“Ding!”

It was actually a crisp metallic collision sound!

The spirit snake, blocked by the Deer-Cutting Blade, had its light scattered and revealed its true form—merely a silver plum blossom needle!

The strike failing and the formation shattered, this plum blossom needle naturally flew back, disappearing in a blink.

The blade was ice-cold, projecting cold energy.

Jian Chou maintained that blade-holding posture.

The Deer-Cutting Blade remained beside Xie Buchen. His eyelids moved, his gaze flickering slightly, only feeling some coldness by his ear.

He had come back to his senses.

Jian Chou’s furrowed brow didn’t relax, her eyes still seeming to hold some confusion, but she didn’t ask about the reason for Xie Buchen’s distraction.

Her wrist shook, withdrawing.

The Deer-Cutting Blade returned to her hand. She turned around, facing the formation again, speaking lightly: “It seems that after entering Shijiu Zhou, your research into formations and Go boards continues.”

Xie Buchen knew this sentence referred to the word “star.” He didn’t explain why he had been absent-minded, remaining silent for a moment before simply nodding: “Yes.”

A simple “yes,” appearing light as clouds yet seeming to contain countless turns…

Jian Chou stood almost shoulder to shoulder with him, separated by only that short three-foot distance.

But these three feet were like an insurmountable chasm.

Xie Buchen lowered his eyes, only saying: “Only the last formation remains. Break it open and we’re done.”

Having dismantled formations all the way, he thoroughly understood this great formation.

From the choice and combination of formations, the person who set this formation was a master, but his strongest point was definitely not formation mastery but his own cultivation.

All the formations along the way with their various mechanisms and clever changes were “techniques.” Only the final formation was “force”—all mechanisms and clever changes were mere decoration. In the end, if one couldn’t break it with pure “force,” all previous efforts were wasted.

Understanding Xie Buchen’s meaning, Jian Chou raised an eyebrow and thought more highly of this formation arranger.

Undoubtedly, the final formation was Jian Chou’s favorite type.

Standing before the formation, she could see a vague circle trapping Lu Xiangleng in the center.

Breaking this “circle” would resolve the current minor crisis.

Putting away the Deer-Cutting Blade and bringing out the Ghost Axe, Jian Chou gripped it tightly, feeling the battle intent it transmitted to her. She leaped high while circulating her spiritual power throughout her body, striking down ferociously!

Overwhelming red swept forward again.

When the axe’s sharp radiance touched the formation’s edge, they heard a light “pop.”

The hidden realm originally lacked much spiritual power supply, formations consumed spiritual energy enormously, and with the hidden realm now shattered, this final formation’s power was naturally diminished.

Jian Chou didn’t underestimate it, directly using one of her killing moves, “Red Sun Slash,” naturally breaking through the entire formation at this moment!

A gap opened toward Jian Chou at this moment.

Lu Xiangleng below had completely reached her limit of endurance.

In that instant when the overwhelming red light shattered the formation’s boundary, she looked up amid the flickering purple-gold light and saw that familiar figure.

In Lu Xiangleng’s understanding, Jian Chou was different from others.

She had believed this from their first meeting.

A temperament completely different from all female cultivators in Shijiu Zhou, not even like ordinary women from isolated islands—she was unique and powerful.

Everyone naturally viewed her as their leader, with her as the center.

Though Lu Xiangleng was the famous medicine woman, she was actually no exception.

The moment she saw her coming, many things flashed through Lu Xiangleng’s mind.

The disgusted look in an old woman’s eyes when she looked at her wrists after Lu Xiangleng had brought her water, the stones thrown at her by a little beggar after she had bandaged him, the cold gazes when she was surrounded and attacked with no one offering help when her cultivation was still low…

Who would extend a hand to her?

Did she truly have an emotional path?

Or…

Were her choices really correct?

…

All these questions emerged completely as her consciousness loosened.

The purple-gold light wavered and completely scattered!

Lu Xiangleng’s entire body was pulled downward by that force.

Below was filthy quagmire, a bottomless abyss, filthy quagmire…

Lu Xiangleng was actually a bit confused, even having an absurd thought in her mind: It might be good to just fall like this.

But the next moment, that familiar figure had already swept over.

Simultaneously, a pale white palm reached out toward her from afar!

In that instant, Lu Xiangleng raised her plain eyes and met Jian Chou’s gaze: no confusion, no hesitation, no fear.

Her eyes were the purest among all the people she had ever seen.

Only determination.

So she suddenly smiled.

Unstained by mud, pure lotus without enchantment.

As Jian Chou swept past, she extended her own hand toward her, maintaining dignity and calm.

“Clap!”

Two palms clasped together.

Jian Chou pulled her up, instantly breaking free from the quagmire above this great marsh, falling toward the flat ground not far ahead.

…

At this moment, the hearts of Young Master Ruhua and others finally settled down securely, smiles appearing on their faces.

Even Xia Houshe seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Xie Buchen stood neither with Young Master Ruhua’s group nor with Jian Chou and Lu Xiangleng’s side, only suspended in the middle, looking at the entire broken formation.

No one knew if he was absent-minded and distracted again.

Wind moved his robes, but his entire body didn’t sway at all, remaining steadfast and unmoved.