Chapter 170
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Chapter 170: Ambush of a Different Clan
Ming He gazed down at Qin Chu Yi, her eyes brimming with sincerity and gravity, shimmering like peach blossoms, radiating warmth and tenderness.
Qin Chu Yi, nestled in her embrace, looked up into her eyes. One gazed downward, the other upward, and the already intimate distance seemed to shrink even further.
The winds swirled around them, the sunlight danced with the blue stones, and the woman’s lips, infused with Star Power, regained their color, glowing with a hint of radiance.
Ming He blinked, deciding to shift her right hand’s grip from a hold to an embrace, gently lifting Qin Chu Yi’s body by her shoulders. With a soft smile, she leaned down, pressing her forehead against Qin Chu Yi’s, then captured her lips, slowly caressing them, the scent of sandalwood filling the air.
Holding the warm, jade-like body of the girl in her arms, she lightly pulled away and noticed Qin Chu Yi’s slightly parted lips, her breathing quickened, and the tips of her eyes tinged with crimson. She appeared to be enveloped in mist, vibrant and beautiful, soft like a pool of water, seemingly wanting to say something: “Ming He—”
Yet Ming He didn’t let her finish, leaning down again to seal her lips with Qin Chu Yi’s, merging their quiet breaths and unspoken words between their lips. After a long moment, she released her, watching as Qin Chu Yi’s eyes flickered with emotions that couldn’t be hidden. She softly spoke, “Senior Sister, let’s establish a contract!”
Qin Chu Yi paused, looking at Ming He in surprise. Her eyes revealed a flash of joy and anticipation, along with confusion and curiosity.
The gentle breeze lifted her red garments, highlighting her exquisite features even more. That moment of daze shone like starlight in Ming He’s heart, making her feel as if her whole heart had softened like water.
Qin Chu Yi’s demeanor was usually cold and composed, so she had never shown such confusion or disarray.
All her emotions arose because of Ming He.
Having lived a solitary existence, upon finding feelings, it felt like fireworks bursting in the sky, a stunning and thrilling sight.
This Qin Chu Yi was undoubtedly one of a kind.
Ming He held onto Qin Chu Yi’s right hand, unwilling to let go, their fingers intertwined telling stories of their bond. Her voice was filled with emotional tenderness and a husky tone: “In this life, Ming He will only have Qin Chu Yi as my Dao partner.”
“We once promised that when the mountains and rivers are clear, we would establish a contract under the heavens, boldly declaring it to everyone.”
“Though we have yet to defeat the Tian Yan Tribe, the mountains and rivers of the Tianwu Continent are already clear and safe.”
Ming He reached out her right hand to catch the dappled sunlight filtering through the clouds, her palm turning to reveal the light refracting into a dazzling arc. She smiled, and at that moment, starlight filled the dark and gloomy corner.
“Daytime is approaching, the mist will disperse, and no matter what lies ahead, we will not part ways.”
“Therefore, I want to establish a contract with you, Senior Sister.”
Ming He grinned as she lifted Qin Chu Yi, slowly placing her down beside her. Bowing her head respectfully, she spoke earnestly:
“I am Ming He, a disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect in the Eastern Region. Having gained the trust of the Imperial Palace and my human race friends, I was appointed as the young leader of the human race at the age of twenty-four, with cultivation at the seventh level of the Human King stage, possessing the spiritual artifact Star Lock and seven swords named Xuanyuan, Shadow Strike, Blue Sea…”
Her gaze sparkled, not once leaving Qin Chu Yi’s face as she maintained her bowed position, diligently sharing her information.
As her words ended, a gentle warmth lingered in her heart, her clear eyes reflecting Qin Chu Yi’s slightly flushed cheeks and graceful form. Her voice, carrying the weight of her injuries, had a hint of undeniable weakness yet felt exceptionally strong and resolute:
“I sincerely wish to establish a Dao partnership with Qin Chu Yi, declaring it to the heavens, the five regions, sharing life and death, side by side without abandonment. Let the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flowers, and trees all bear witness.”
As her words fell, the battlefield of the heavens rumbled with wind and thunder; however, it was not the looming threat of enemy attacks but a celestial spectacle bearing witness to their vow.
The ritual Ming He held was not a meeting of friends but a sacred ceremony for establishing a Dao partnership among human race cultivators, symbolizing a heartfelt connection.
To establish a Dao partnership, it only required mutual understanding, allowing their inner spiritual energy to intertwine, binding their life paths together, symbolizing shared life and death, but it was not a true-life-and-death pact.
Instead, it was a ceremony representing their profound feelings and an unbreakable bond.
Afterward, the ceremony for the Dao partnership would follow, truly declaring it to the five regions.
Of course, if it were a family marriage without genuine feelings, it was unlikely that a Dao partnership would be established.
After all, the Dao partnership ceremony could also maximize the benefits of family unions.
Ming He desired to form a Dao partnership with Qin Chu Yi, seeking the deepest possible connection.
She aspired to forge a partnership contract, and even a life-and-death bond born from profound affection would be acceptable.
After completing the ritual to propose the contract, Ming He gazed at Qin Chu Yi with a tender smile. The woman, clad in fiery red attire, had a glimmer of moisture in her eyes but smiled radiantly, momentarily intoxicated with joy.
She then shook her left hand and asked with a soft smile, “Senior Sister, will you be my only Dao partner?”
Her right hand, concealed behind her back, clutched something enveloped in shimmering light, her heart tumultuous with emotion.
Even though she knew the answer, she felt an overwhelming anxiety at that moment, her delicate lashes trembling, her heart pounding like a stone struck by a clear spring.
Qin Chu Yi responded with a dazzling smile, placing her right hand over Ming He’s left, her voice gentle and imbued with boundless warmth: “Silly girl, why even ask?”
Ming He was elated, about to speak as she held Qin Chu Yi’s hand, but the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps interrupted them. Voices called out “Young Leader” and “Young Master Qin,” clearly signaling an urgent matter.
She exhaled in resignation, retracting her right hand and storing the glowing object in her storage ring. Meeting Qin Chu Yi’s playful gaze, her emotions steadied, and she chuckled softly, leading Qin Chu Yi out of the corner and calling out cheerfully, “Ming He is here. What urgent matter brings you, my friend?”
The heavy footsteps paused, then approached rapidly, accompanied by the clatter of black heavy armor. The figure’s breath was ragged, his face streaked with blood.
This shouldn’t have been happening.
Though the Ancient Formation of Heaven had been suppressed by the Absolute Formation of Mist, the human race had reclaimed half the light on the battlefield of the heavens, thanks to Nineteen’s formation mastery. Spiritual energy flowed in, and the natural order slowly repaired itself, reversing the human race’s disadvantage.
In the recent bloody battle, the Tian Yan Tribe had suffered heavy losses, leading everyone to believe that a period of calm would follow on the battlefield of the heavens.
“Young Leader, Ming He.” The rushing cultivator finally reached Ming He, his face vaguely familiar—it was Chen Huang, the young cultivator who had guided Ming He on the battlefield’s western front.
He gasped for breath, blood trickling from his lips, but he paid it no mind as he looked at Ming He and Qin Chu Yi with urgency: “Qin Dao Friend has been trapped by the Fifth Prince of the Tian Yan Tribe using array flags!”
With Qin Chu Yi standing safely beside her, Ming He knew the danger wasn’t directed at her.
Though the human race had many on the battlefield, they were all Human King stage cultivators from the Tianwu Continent. Since they were at the central pavilion and had come specifically to inform them, there was only one possibility.
Qin Huai Yuan!
Ming He and Qin Chu Yi exchanged a grave and solemn glance.
“Where is my brother?” Qin Chu Yi asked, her hand resting on the hilt of her Chi Li sword, ready to depart.
After swallowing the pill Ming He handed him, Chen Huang smiled gratefully. “In the northern battlefield, shrouded in mist, where sunlight cannot penetrate.”
He took a breath and recounted the events.
Due to the Ancient Formation of Heaven and the Absolute Formation of Mist, the centuries-long stalemate on the battlefield had been broken. After the Tian Yan Tribe’s army suffered setbacks, the city commanders swiftly responded.
During the bloody battle at the central pavilion, the demon race had also sent a large force to attack the four cities, aiming to dismantle them one by one. Thanks to the array flags crafted by Nineteen, the four cities held their ground for a long time.
Later, the demon lord Ji Wu Xu arrived with her forces to reinforce the city defenses.
Once the crisis was averted, the four cities adjusted their strategy. The Tianwu East City and Tianwu South City, bathed in sunlight, saw an influx of spiritual energy, enabling Human King stage cultivators to harness the forces of nature, bolstered by the natural order, significantly enhancing their strength. This allowed them to divert additional combat strength to the Tianwu North City and Tianwu West City to mount a counterattack.
Qin Huai Yuan was among those sent to the Tianwu North City.
As usual, he led a team of ten, scattered across the battlefield of the heavens, striving to eliminate the Tian Yan Tribe. However, the Fifth Prince, accompanied by Wei Rou, intercepted him, trapping him on a crumbling ancient platform using array flags.
Human cultivators fought in teams of ten on the battlefield, supporting one another, and they would never abandon Qin Huai Yuan’s team.
Yet He Lou Feng’s formation was exceptionally intricate; despite the presence of many formation masters among the human race, none could dismantle it.
The only hope lay with Nineteen, whom Ming He had rescued and who was now recovering with the aid of the Four-direction Compass.
But she had already sacrificed her cultivation to sustain the array.
Furthermore, He Lou Feng had trapped Qin Huai Yuan and the others but refrained from taking their lives, suggesting that her true targets were likely Nineteen, Qin Chu Yi, and Ming He.
This was a blatant scheme by the Tian Yan Tribe, and the human race had no means to dismantle it.
They could not abandon any of their comrades.
Thus, they dispatched Chen Huang through the overlapping mist to the central pavilion to seek the decisions of the Earth Emperor Realm experts, the young leader of the human race, Ming He, and the Young Master of the Qin Clan, Qin Chu Yi.
The Earth Emperor Realm experts had sustained severe injuries in their recent bloody battle; lacking a Star Lock to aid their recovery, they could only rely on their spiritual energy to slowly heal. Additionally, Nineteen was in seclusion, and the Ancient Formation of Heaven could not be left unattended.
They also needed the Earth Emperor Realm cultivators to channel their strength to communicate with heaven and earth to reinforce the formation, dedicating half of their focus to safeguarding the formation seals of Tianwu North City and Tianwu West City, making them far busier than Ming He, the young leader.
Unable to find anyone else, Chen Huang approached Ming He and Qin Chu Yi for an answer.
In truth, he already knew the answer without needing to ask.
Even if that person was not Qin Huai Yuan, not the brother of Qin Chu Yi, and not the Young Master of the Qin Clan, the human race cultivators and Ming He would never choose to turn a blind eye.
Although their time together had been brief, it was enough for him to understand this young leader’s mindset and sense of responsibility.
Moreover, they had been struggling for survival on the battlefield of the heavens for thousands of years.
Logically, they knew it was unwise, but emotionally, they could not bear to let go.
If they did not save him, their hearts would shatter, and their inner demons would ensnare them. How could they protect the Tianwu Continent and fight fiercely against the alien races?
Ming He exhaled deeply, her gaze toward Qin Chu Yi resolute: “Senior Sister, I will go with you.”
Since He Lou Feng had trapped Qin Huai Yuan without delivering a fatal blow, her real target was clearly either her or Nineteen.
She had to go!
Qin Chu Yi met her unusually determined gaze, her expression serious, and she slightly parted her lips, wanting to tell Ming He that her injuries were severe and she should not act rashly, that she could handle this matter alone.
But all her words vanished under Ming He’s bright, unwavering look, and finally turned into a helpless smile at the corner of her lips: “Alright.”
Through the overlapping mist and treacherous depths, they would venture together.
In Sharing Life and Death, both she and Ming He were serious.
Chen Huang hesitated for a moment but still quietly interjected: “That array flag looks quite complex and strange; even the North City commander cannot do anything about it. I’m afraid—”
Afraid Ming He and Qin Chu Yi would also be helpless.
The Fifth Prince of the alien race had mastered formation techniques that were truly exquisite; the Earth Emperor Realm experts among the human race could not act recklessly, and the only one with hope of breaking the formation was Nineteen.
Ming He, with her clear thoughts, certainly understood Chen Huang’s implication, yet even if her injuries were profound, she was still a cultivator at the Human King stage. Nineteen had lost all her cultivation, and this—
Feeling indecisive, she heard a clear voice slowly rise, carrying a determination and steadiness: “I will go with you.”
Ming He turned to see a girl dressed in black clothes, her figure swaying yet unyielding, her posture upright and her expression spirited, holding a tiny array flag in her hand.
“The Great Path has three thousand ways; the Spiritual Path is merely the foundation.” The calm and composed words of the girl echoed faintly in her ears.
Ming He turned her gaze to Nineteen, slowly bringing forth a smile: “Alright.”
