Chapter 2549: The Boundary of Trust
Ji Fanxin’s strength was beyond Zhang Ruochen’s expectations. Each sword was stronger than the last. Its power could destroy the moon and stars. Even if Zhang Ruochen mobilized the power of Qiankun and drove the demigod’s body to its full power, it was still not enough.
There seemed to be an abyss filled with Saint Qi in her body. The Qi power was endless and could topple mountains and overturn seas.
However, the moves she displayed were very shallow and had many flaws, as she stuck at the level of Saint King.
This was why Zhang Ruochen could use his marvelous Saint Technique and body movements to fight for a chance to survive from her continuous and uninterrupted sword moves.
She was too powerful!
Logically speaking, Ji Fanxin had broken through the Supreme Sainthood almost the same time as him. How could her cultivation have surpassed his without a time treasure like sundial?
The only explanation was that Ji Fanxin’s cultivation had been stronger than his since the beginning.
“It’s over. Your head doesn’t belong to you anymore!”
Ji Fanxin stopped where she was and radiated a dazzling light of Origin as if a huge moon hovering near the ground.
Her stunning body stood at the center of the moon. Her shapely curves were set off to perfection. With a twist of her wrist, she swung out a powerful sword and slashed horizontally.
The Sword Qi gushed out and filled the entire space. Zhang Ruochen had no way to retreat.
Zhang Ruochen only felt the Precepts of heaven and earth in this space were pushed aside by her precepts of Swordsmanship. The Sword Light in front of him was like the Ganges in the vast universe, giving him an irresistible and terrifying power.
He was like a paper man, about to be torn apart instantly.
Swoosh!
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the hilt of the Ancient Abyssal Blade with both hands, and the sea of stars rushed out of his body.
The light emitted by the sea of stars was not weaker than the light of Origin on Ji Fanxin.
The sword hacked down.
The ear-piercing and dense sound of the sword rang out, interweaving into a somber war song.
This sword strike was perfect. It struck precisely at the weakest point of Ji Fanxin’s Sword Qi.
With a bang, the majestic river of Sword Qi, like the Ganges, was cut in half by Zhang Ruochen’s sword strike.
A hint of surprise appeared in Ji Fanxin’s beautiful eyes. Then, she rushed in front of Zhang Ruochen with incomparable speed.
The bright and slender sword pressed against Zhang Ruochen’s neck.
Zhang Ruochen used all his strength to break her previous sword strike. How could he still have the strength to dodge this sword strike?
He looked down at the tip of the sword that was right in front of him. He was neither nervous nor flustered. After this confrontation, Zhang Ruochen understood Ji Fanxin did not use all her strength. Her cultivation was beyond imagination.
There was no point in fighting continuously.
He looked at Ji Fanxin sincerely and full of emotion.
Ji Fanxin’s veil fluttered gently, and her celestial beauty was faintly discernible. She said, “Do you think you deserve to die?”
“Yes,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Ji Fanxin asked, “Why should you die?”
“The hatred between Celestial Court and Infernal Court is as deep as the sea. I was originally a cultivator from Celestial Court, but I joined Infernal Court. It’s an unpardonable crime. On the battlefield of Celestial Hunting, I killed countless cultivators from Celestial Court. I deserve to die,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Ji Fanxin’s beautiful eyes showed disapproval. She snorted and said, “That’s not why I want to kill you! If you, Zhang Ruochen, can stick to your heart, what’s the difference between Celestial Court and Infernal Court?”
“My heart hasn’t changed,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Ji Fanxin asked, “What were you thinking when you killed those celestial captives?”
“I want to be alive. I can’t die,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
“You’re afraid of death?”
“I’m afraid of death, but it depends on why I die. If the meaning of death is greater than alive, I’m not afraid of death.”
Ji Fanxin carefully looked into Zhang Ruochen’s eyes and asked one last question, “Why did you frame me?”
Zhang Ruochen knew what she was asking. He said, “I had no choice but to use your name. I thought you won’t be angry since we were friends.”
It was Bai Qing’er who used Ji Fanxin’s name to start a massacre in the Infernal Court. It had nothing to do with Zhang Ruochen.
However, Bai Qing’er knew Kunlun cultivators’ plan to save the Lord of Nephilim Island, so she threatened Zhang Ruochen with it to keep her secret and continuously blamed everything on Ji Fanxin.
Ji Fanxin said, “You’re wrong. I’m very angry. Tell me, who is she?”
Zhang Ruochen did not hide anything. He told her everything about Bai Qing’er.
Even though Zhang Ruochen trusted Ji Fanxin, he still hid Kunlun cultivators’ plan to save the Lord of Nephilim Island.
Thus, he failed to explain many things.
For example, Zhang Ruochen had already escaped from Bai Qing’er. Why did he still point out Ji Fanxin killed Dan Qiu of the Fane of Death and Lu Baitou of the Fane of Barasingha?
Another example was that Zhang Ruochen had already come to the Royal City of Hundred Clans. Why didn’t he reveal the true identity of Bai Qing’er? Why did he let Ji Fanxin continue to be wronged? Why did he continue to let Bai Qing’er use Ji Fanxin’s name to offend the entire Infernal Court?
Ji Fanxin said faintly, “You’re in love with Ms. Bai. You want to help her cover everything up and even falsely accuse me, your so-called best friend?”
“No, there’s something else.”
Zhang Ruochen felt helpless. He thought Ji Fanxin was different from other women and that she was a reasonable person. He did not expect that women were all the same. She would not forgive him unless he explained the reason. Moreover, she was too picky.
The tip of the sword was closer to Zhang Ruochen’s neck.
Ji Fanxin said, “Every man says there is a hidden reason when he can’t argue. You told me to come to the Royal City of Hundred Clans to reminisce about old times. But in reality, you want to help her exploit me, right?”
“That’s a false accusation, a pure false accusation. I’m here for a serious matter, and it’s a big one,” Zhang Ruochen reached out to move the sword by his neck.
However, the tip had already pierced the skin on his neck before his fingers touched the sword.
A terrifying chill froze Zhang Ruochen’s neck.
Ji Fanxin said coldly, “Don’t tell me anything big. I can’t trust you anymore.”
“It’s not the first time you met me. Why can’t you trust me?”
Ji Fanxin said, “People change. After you go to the Infernal Court, who knows if you are still the same Zhang Ruochen? Unless you can bring me to meet Ms. Bai and confront her. I’ll believe you if you’re telling the truth.”
“She is a very dangerous and temperamental woman. You’d better not see her,” Zhang Ruochen advised.
With Bai Qing’er’s ambition, she would be very interested in the Lotus of Divine Reflection in order to practice the path of Origin. Ji Fanxin meeting her was like offering herself to her. What was the difference between that and a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth?
Ji Fanxin said, “You have told me all her abilities. If I still dare to meet her, it means I have the confidence to escape.
“Besides, if I don’t meet her, how can I know whether you’re telling me the truth?”
“Well, I’ll take you to meet her when the time is right.” Zhang Ruochen agreed and said, “You have no intention to kill me. You trust me in your heart. So there’s no point pointing your sword at me, right?”
A cold light flashed in Ji Fanxin’s eyes. She seemed to want to force out some killing intent, but she failed. She had no choice but to put the sword back.
“I didn’t make up my mind to kill you. It’s not because I trust you, but because I want to trust you.”
“Trust” and “Want to Trust” were clearly different.
Wanting to trust meant that her rationality told her to not trust him, but her emotions forced herself to trust him.
Zhang Ruochen knew clearly that his relationship with Ji Fanxin was like this. When they seemed close, they were very distant. When they seemed distant, they were close enough to trust each other.
However, there was a limit to this trust. It couldn’t be unreserved.
There was a mountain between the two of them.
It was a boundary.
After crossing this mountain, true love would emerge in each other’s hearts. Then, they could only trust each other without reservation. Their relationship will be sublimated. They would never forget each other and would give everything to each other from then on.
If they did not cross this mountain, they would always be friends. There would always be a distance between them.
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin were both cultivators who knew how to restrain their feelings. They wouldn’t easily cross that boundary.
They knew there was no such thing as “friendship” between men and women. Once they climbed it, their relationship could improve, but it also became a hindrance on their path of cultivation.
After a long time, Ji Fanxin broke the silence and said, “Your sword technique was exquisite. What’s the name?”
“The Song of Azure.”
Zhang Ruochen also questions, “How can your cultivation be so high?”
Ji Fanxin just stared at him without answering him immediately. She turned and walked up the stairs to the tower gate. Her back was indescribably beautiful.
She had not been wary of Zhang Ruochen’s sneak attack. She trusted him.
Zhang Ruochen followed closely.
“How much do you know about the Lotus of Divine Reflection?” she suddenly asked.
Zhang Ruochen straightforwardly said, “The Lotus of Divine Reflection was born in the void space of the universe. It has no roots or leaves. It’s a lotus flower formed by the power of the Origin of the universe.”
“Now, I’ll take you to the place I was born.”
Ji Fanxin came to the gate of the ancient tower and paused for a moment.
Zhang Ruochen walked to her side and stared at the pattern on the stone gate. He found it was made of interwoven dimensional inscriptions. Some of the dimensional inscriptions were so profound that even he couldn’t understand them.
Swoosh–
Ji Fanxin pushed the gate of the ancient tower open. The surging Qi of Origin gushed out of the gate instantly. The strong brilliance made Zhang Ruochen squint his eyes.
In the door, he saw a glittering ocean and a beautiful starry sky above the ocean.
The scene on the other side of the door was extremely beautiful and soul-stirring.