Chapter 166: Chapter 159: The Emperor of Eternal Life’s Suspected Tomb (Part 2)

"I can’t do it!"

Chen Ming gritted his teeth, suddenly reached out to grab the sword stuck in her chest, and pulled it out fiercely.

There was a splat.

A large amount of blood spurted out, splattering all over him.

Su Zhining’s body trembled violently, finally opening her eyes. Her face was still covered with a veil, revealing only her eyes, which were filled with confusion.

"Are you okay?"

Chen Ming felt a rush of joy as he tossed the sword aside and asked, "Are you okay?"

He noticed that the darkness constantly looming towards the center suddenly stopped, no longer shrinking.

Su Zhining’s gaze gradually focused, finally showing a hint of clarity, "You—"

With a roar, the entire space trembled and then began to collapse.

"What’s happening?"

Chen Ming was startled, instinctively holding Su Zhining tightly in his arms. In the blink of an eye, they were swallowed by darkness.

...

When light appeared once more in his vision, Chen Ming saw a somewhat familiar yet very strange figure.

"Is that me?"

He was a bit unsure; it looked a bit like him, but the more he looked, the more vulgar it appeared. Those leering eyes could serve as a textbook for film school acting classes.

The surrounding environment also seemed familiar.

Chen Ming quickly remembered, this was the Six Gates in Qingfeng City, Caiyue’s Yingyue Hall.

He also realized, this was the scene of his first meeting with Su Zhining.

The "he" standing in front of him was clearly the impression Su Zhining had of him.

Good grief, so this was the image of himself in her eyes during their first meeting.

Then, the scene shifted.

Chen Ming immediately recognized the outside of Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion, where he had just pushed open the door and turned around, still maintaining that leering, vulgar image.

The scene rapidly changed.

Chen Ming found it quite novel, seeing himself through Su Zhining’s perspective, his image changing every time.

Until that night when he brought up the "Trolley Dilemma," he finally stopped looking leering. He appeared normal.

Chen Ming thought, "So it was from this moment that my image began to turn positive in her eyes."

After this, his image continued to transform, sometimes slick, sometimes sinister, sometimes murderous...

Until that night when Su Zhining lost to him for the first time, his image underwent a huge transformation, with Sword Intent soaring to the sky, standing casually with the aura of a master.

"From this moment on, my image in her heart became tall and magnificent."

Chen Ming felt somewhat smug inside.

At first, you ignored me, and now you can’t reach me.

Finally, the scene shifted once more.

He knew this was the scene of their second duel.

In front of him appeared countless sword shadows, which ultimately transformed into a giant sword, piercing everything, causing the world to begin to collapse.

Chen Ming looked at this apocalyptic scene, feeling a bit strange. How could a disciple of the Celestial Dao Alliance be so fragile?

"Well, it’s not the time to think about these things."

He began to ponder what he could do next to piece this world back together.

Soon, the entire world was reduced to a small courtyard, with Su Zhining kneeling on the ground, her heart pierced through.

Everything returned to its original state.

...

In the bedroom.

The veiled woman had already left; Mudan stood by the bed, looking at the two of them, noticing a tiny crack appearing on the Lingxi Jade at their brows.

Her eyes showed pain as she murmured, "Boy, your time is running short."

...

In the dreamscape.

Chen Ming walked up to Su Zhining, without a word, pulled the Mingfeng Sword from her chest, blood splattering him once again.

Su Zhining woke up again, her gaze showing a hint of clarity, mouth moving as if wanting to say something.

Chen Ming noticed signs of collapse in the space, urgently saying, "Time is tight, listen to me. It’s just two losses, it doesn’t mean anything. I’m waiting for you to defeat me..."

Before he could finish speaking, the world collapsed again, plunging everything into darkness.

Damn.

He cursed silently, and after a moment, his vision returned. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

He saw that vulgar, leering version of himself again.

"Am I just meant to watch like this, unable to do anything?"

Chen Ming wracked his brains, tried all kinds of ways, but still couldn’t do anything, forced to see himself and her communication through Su Zhining’s perspective, his image continually changing.

Until she lost to him the second time, the world collapsed once more.

...

When the third cycle began, Chen Ming felt himself becoming much more illusory.

The Lingxi Jade probably couldn’t hold out much longer.

"There must be a way!"

He desperately pondered.

This was Su Zhining’s dreamscape.

He should be just a strand of thought; wanting to influence her dreamscape was entirely impossible. The problem was she was awake for too short a time, less than two seconds...

Does he have to sit and watch this dream world crumble?

He knew that at this rate, the complete collapse of the dreamscape was only a matter of time.

"Mudan girl really messed up, what’s the use of letting me enter the dreamscape? If a Second Grade expert were invited, maybe sword intent could influence this dreamscape..."

Sword Intent?

Chen Ming suddenly remembered the "Sword Jade" Elder Shang gave him, and his heart stirred. If he could evoke the sword intent from the Sword Jade, maybe he could...

Since he obtained the "Sword Jade," he comprehended its sword intent every night, even after mastering the Vermilion Bird Swordsmanship.

His idea was simple; if he could grasp a sword intent in advance, how many Experience Points could that save!

However, limited by his cultivation, he was far from mastering sword intent, needing at least to reach Third Grade.

"Come on!"

Chen Ming began to simulate the sword intent’s realm in his mind.

The closer his state of mind matched the sword intent’s realm, the more he could comprehend from it.

Gradually, he seemed to sense that sword intent.

"Succeeded!"

...

Within the bedroom.

Mudan saw three cracks had already appeared on the Lingxi Jade, frowned tightly, and thought with some disappointment, "Seems it won’t work..."

Just then, she suddenly sensed something, staring at Chen Ming’s chest.

She felt a terrifying sword intent there.

Her eyes slightly narrowed, "Sword intent of a Divine Treasure Realm expert?"

This boy actually has a Divine Treasure Realm expert behind him.

"Hmm?"

Mudan suddenly looked at Su Zhining, clearly feeling her weakening aura.

"So that’s it, borrowing sword intent to cut through her Heart Demon..."

...

In the dreamscape.

Their second encounter scene once again evolved.

When the giant sword appeared, Chen Ming finally sensed the sword intent again, shouting, "Break for me!"

Suddenly, the giant sword stalled momentarily, starting to crack from the tip, eventually turning into nothingness.

In the dreamscape, that murderous, hopeless atmosphere disappeared, transforming into an entangled, poignant, admiring sentiment.

This was precisely the power left by that sword intent just now.

After waiting for a while, seeing the dreamscape wasn’t collapsing and Su Zhining standing there unharmed, Chen Ming rejoiced, "Looks like it succeeded."

At that moment, he felt something shatter, and his whole being vanished like a bubble.

Standing there, Su Zhining finally had a reaction, raising her hand to touch her face, noticing blood on her fingers.

It was the cut she received in the air when Chen Ming unleashed that sword intent.

She closed her eyes, the air enveloping her with a sense of unrequited love and longing.

A tear fell from the corner of her eye.

...

Chen Ming opened his eyes, seeing the shattered Lingxi Jade.

He realized he had returned to reality, Su Zhining opposite him had calmed down, the blood marks under her skin disappeared, though her aura seemed weak, it was peaceful.

It seemed she was alright.

Turning around, he saw no one in the bedroom, Mudan girl nowhere to be found.

If not now, then when?

Chen Ming quickly got out of bed, quietly leaving the room.