Talisman Emperor
Chapter 83: Friendship

The heaven swayed and the earth shook, suffusing dust and smoke into the air, and it only returned to calmness after a long time.

Silence!

A strange silence enveloped the surroundings, and only the sound of wind still whistled as it swept past.

The gazes of everyone had converged in midair, converged onto the figure that wore clothes tainted in blood, yet had a backbone that was ramrod straight. They seemed to be unable to believe it, as if the strike from before had muddled their heads. They gaped, yet were unable to make a single sound for a long time.

Their gazes were already filled with shock and astonishment.

Hiss!

It was unknown who gasped, but the originally weak sound instead seemed so ear piercing within this silent atmosphere.

“This fellow is simply not human!”

“A counterattack from a hopeless situation?”

“My god! The King’s Tidal Dao Insight was actually destroyed by him!”

The demons burst into an uproar as various sounds of surprised exclamations rose and fell, as if only by crying out in this way would they be able to vent the shock and astonishment in their hearts.

“He actually comprehended a complete Wind Dao Insight in a hopeless situation. This level of comprehension ability is a bit too terrifying…” The Nine-tailed Fox King muttered.

“Terrifying? I feel it’s extremely normal as he ought to be a person like this.” The Profound-vision Old Turtle King had an appearance as if what happened was within reason, and he seemed to feel it was extremely normal for Chen Xi to do such a shocking act.

Pu!

A figure abruptly appeared in midair. Shockingly, it was the Roc King. At this moment, his face was pale to the extent it was almost translucent, his figure shaky and his steps staggering, and he couldn’t refrain from violently spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“How can this be possible?! How can this be possible?!” The Roc King’s pupils dilated as he gazed upon the distant towering figure that seemed like a man made of blood, and his expression was as if he’d seen a ghost.

Not only did this strike of Chen Xi’s slash his Tidal Dao Insight into pieces, it even heavily injured him. If it wasn’t for him dodging in time, he would have lost his life. Even then, he didn’t have the strength to continue battling.

Flee!

This fellow is too abnormal! He was actually able to master a complete Wind Dao Insight in the blink of an eye! The Dao of the Wind is one of the Grand Daos within the heaven and earth, whereas my Tidal Dao Insight is instead a type of Water Dao, it’s virtually like a firefly competing in brightness with the moon, I’m completely unable to go against it! If I continue struggling, perhaps I might be killed by him…

These thoughts swiftly flashed past the Roc King’s mind, and in almost an instant, he’d already made a decision before turning around and fleeing.

Want to flee? Chen Xi raised his head indifferently as he commanded in his heart.

Swoosh!

A Netherezim Flying Sword tore through the sky, like a bolt of lightning concealed within the wind. The Roc King was utterly unable to dodge as it pierced through the back of his head, then the sword light revolved to accurately and cleanly cut off his head.

Splash!

Blood gushed out, and the Roc King wasn’t even able to let out a miserable howl before becoming a headless corpse that crashed down from midair.

Swoosh!

Chen Xi didn’t spare another glance on the Roc King’s corpse after doing all this, and he turned to plunge downwards, and his direction was shockingly the center of Moonhowl Ridge.

No one dared obstruct him, because at this moment, Chen Xi had already become a god of death in the hearts of the demons present, and an expert that annihilated the Roc King with a single sword strike!

——

Within the center of the mountain.

“What happened? What is there no movement outside? Chen Xi is fine, right?” Duanmu Ze was anxious and bewildered. Earlier, an extremely terrifying airflow had swept past, and it nearly crushed the center of the mountain into destruction. However, at this moment, there wasn’t a single sound from the outside world, and it was instead strangely silent.

Du Qingxi and Song Lin were similarly extremely bewildered and anxious.

“We’re finished… Chen Xi is dead, and we’re going to be refined into medicinal pills. If he knew this would happen, he ought to have saved us first then go battle that Roc King. But now, our hope is destroyed and even the opportunity to flee is lost.” Murong Wei was scared out of her wits and she grieved as if she’d lost her parents.

“Shut up!” Duanmu Ze lashed out.

“Shameless!” Song Lin said in disdain.

…

For a time, a heated argument played out once again. Because of the unknown outcome of the battle and because of the silent and oppressive atmosphere, the gloominess and rage within the hearts of everyone couldn’t be restrained any longer and completely exploded out, like adding oil to a wok, becoming more and more intense by the moment.

It was at this moment that a wave of footsteps sounded out, causing the sounds of argument within the room to abruptly vanish to become extremely silent, and only the approaching sound of footsteps reverberated in the air.

“We’re finished, our blood and soul is going to be extracted.” Murong Wei didn’t dare watch and closed her eyes shut as she turned dreary from terror.

The others, including Du Qingxi’s group of three, were extremely panic-stricken in their hearts. As the footsteps approached, their heartbeats inexplicably quickened, thumping loud like striking a drum.

A figure slowly arrived before the door.

The figure had disheveled hair and clothes tainted in blood, and his entire body effused strands of the pungent smell of blood, yet his backbone was still ramrod straight. His facial features remained calm and indifferent as before, and the peaceful and calm aura on his body seemed to flush away the oppressive and depressing atmosphere in the prison, causing the moods of others to be unable to help from becoming calm.

“Chen Xi!’

“You… actually didn’t die!?”

“This is real?”

When they saw the appearance of the person clearly, Du Qingxi, Duanmu Ze, and Song Lin were all stunned, seeming to be unable to believe it. They only let out a wave of surprised exclamations after a short while, and their moods were already extremely excited.

Chen Xi laughed silently when he saw the heartfelt expressions of excitement and jubilance on the three of them, and he lifted the Seventhgold Swordbamboo to slash the thick chains on the iron pillars into pieces before rescuing Du Qingxi and the others one by one.

Due to their True Essence being sealed while locked up here, their bodies had become extremely weak long ago, and at the instant they obtained freedom, their bodies swayed and almost fell down on their butts.

“You… You wouldn’t have really killed the Roc King, right?” In the distance, Cang Bin’s face was full of suspicion and he seemed unable to accept this fact.

“Is this question very important? We’ve already been rescued. Once we return to Dragon Lake City, I’ll prepare more gifts to bestow upon Chen Xi, I can’t let him have done all this for nothing. Where there is service rendered, then there are rewards, right?” Murong Wei limbered up her muscles and recovered her reserved appearance, and the arrogance within her bones caused her to have a flavor of a superior person giving alms when she spoke.

Chen Xi didn’t pay any attention to the two and instead looked at Du Qingxi’s group of three as he nodded and said, “The Roc King is already dead, but the Azure Python King is probably nearby. We should quickly leave this place.”

There was one more thing that Chen Xi didn’t mention. After he utilized the final incorporeal wind sword, the True Essence within his body had already dried up, and his body was riddled with injuries, causing it to be impossible for him to be involved in another battle. At the moment, he was already like an arrow at the end of its flight, and he was purely relying on his immense will to forcefully support himself.

“Wait a moment first.” Du Qingxi suddenly arrived by Chen Xi’s side, then bent towards his ears. “Lend me the sword in your hand.”

Chen Xi was stunned.

Right when he was stunned, Du Qingxi had already taken the Seventhgold Swordbamboo from his hand in an extremely natural manner.

“Eh, Big Sister Qingxi, what did you take the sword for?” Murong Wei asked wonderingly.

Swish!

Right at the moment she finished speaking, Du Qingxi swung the Seventhgold Swordbamboo, directly slicing through her throat, and a huge hole was instantly sliced open on her throat and fresh blood sprayed out. She sprung her eyes wide open, seeming to be unable to believe it, yet her body had already fallen limply on the ground and ceaselessly convulsed before ceasing to breathe.

Du Qingxi didn’t notice all this as after she cut Murong Wei’s throat, the Seventhgold Swordbamboo in her hand didn’t slow down in the slightest as she stabbed towards Cang Bin.

“How dare you!?” Cang Bin noticed something was off long ago, and he fiercely retreated backward when he saw Du Qingxi’s actions. But his True Essence was sealed and his body fragile, so his speed of retreat wasn’t swift. Whereas on the side, Duanmu Ze and Song Li seemed to be in tacit understanding since before, and from left and right, they came at Cang Bin in a pincer, completely sealing off his path of retreat.

“You all…”

Swish!

His voice stopped abruptly. Cang Bin held his own throat until he fell onto the ground and died. His eyes still stared at Du Qingxi hatefully, seeming to have never imagined that this chilly woman that was always silent would actually be so vicious and ruthless.

Du Qingxi killing Murong Wei and Cang Bin successively with two sword strikes had struck the other three people with terror. They’d all followed Su Jiao to enter the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, and in other words, they and Du Qingxi’s group were from hostile groups. At this moment, they were naturally worried that Du Qingxi would silence them as well.

“Xue Jing, Mo Han, Di Hongtu, I won’t kill all of you today. Go back and tell Su Jiao and the clans of Murong Wei and Cang Bin that it was I, Du Qingxi, that killed them. If they want to take revenge, then come at me!” Du Qingxi coldly gazed at the three of them as she spoke word for word, her tone was icy cold, clear, and powerful.

“Me too.”

“Count me in.”

Duanmu Ze and Song Lin spoke out in unison, and they both smiled at each other when they finished.

Chen Xi was shocking in his heart, then raised his eyes to look at the three for a long time before saying, “Thank you.”

He naturally knew why Du Qingxi’s group of three acted in this way. It was because they wanted to prove themselves to him and they wanted to use this sort of resolute actions to help share the pressure the powers behind these people would bring upon him.

“I thought you would be extremely shocked, but I never imagined that you were far more composed than my expectations,” Du Qingxi smiled as he said, then wiped off the blood on the Seventhgold Swordbamboo before turning around the handle of the sword and returning it to Chen Xi.

“Since it has already happened, what good is surprise?” Chen Xi received the Seventhgold Swordbamboo and his gaze looked at the three as he said slowly, “Not to mention I killed Chai Letian and Yu Haobai a few days ago, I’ve been unafraid of everything since long ago.”

“What’s done is done. I let you down in the past, but I’ll absolutely not let you down again in the future. You took me as a brother, and if I, Duanmu Ze, let my brother down again, then I’m even worse than pigs and dogs.”

“Great! I wanted to kill them since long ago!”

“They’re dead? What’s done is done, there’s no big deal about it. We’ll face everything together.”

Du Qingxi’s group of three were stunned when they heard him, then spoke out at almost the exact same time. The content of what they said was different, yet all revealed intention to face everything together with Chen Xi, and as soon as they finished speaking, the three of them glanced at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Let’s go.” Chen Xi’s heart was warm, and he felt that rescuing Du Qingxi’s group of three this time was correct. Not only did he remedy the guilt in his heart, he even regained their friendship, and he obtained both their respect and trust.

This type of feeling was extremely comfortable, and it was the first time that Chen Xi had experienced the happiness of friendship since he was young.

He was alone and friendless for too long, and was mocked and ridiculed by his peers too much. So he naturally yearned even more for this feeling that was difficult to come by.

At this moment, Chen Xi was happy, but he was bad at expressing it, and he could only silently remember it and brand it within his heart.

Right at the moment when Chen Xi and the others were about to leave, the Profound-vision Old Turtle King and the Nine-tailed Fox King had arrived unexpectedly. The Old Turtle King grinned as he cupped his fist, and his voice was warm, causing one to feel as if bathing in spring breeze. “Little Brother Chen Xi, I’m Xuan Jing, along with my friend Qing Qiu, we’ve come to have an audience with you, Fellow Daoist.”