Chapter 60: Old Lovers, Old Enemies

## Chapter 60: Former Lover, Former Enemy

"How is she here?" Ye Chen's brow furrowed, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

Though he had already severed ties with Ji Ning Frost the moment he was driven from the mountain, this former love, once so ruthless, had repeatedly appeared in his world – within the Heng Yue Sect, the Netherworld Black Market, and now, here.

"Is this fate's cruel jest?" The thought stirred within him, yet a flicker of sarcasm touched the corner of his lips.

"Junior Sister Ning Frost, why do you resist?" A sinister chuckle drifted from outside the cave, as a youth clad in purple robes pursued Ji Ning Frost.

Upon seeing the youth in purple, Ye Chen's eyes, hidden within the cave, turned instantly sharp. Was this not Lu Zhi, the very one who had crippled his dantian that day? He had encountered him in the Netherworld Black Market, but he never imagined they would meet again here.

"Is this irony?" Another thread of sarcasm wove its way across his lips. Ye Chen chuckled coldly.

His former lover and former enemy appearing together on this desolate mountain, with his former enemy pursuing and attempting to harm his former lover – this was indeed a bitter irony, a reminder that no matter where he went, he could not escape.

"Junior Sister Ning Frost, where else can you flee?" Outside the cave, Lu Zhi leisurely waved his folding fan, following a short distance behind Ji Ning Frost, a playful expression on his face, his eyes filled with lustful intent.

Ahead, Ji Ning Frost stopped abruptly, stumbling, nearly falling. She glared coldly at Lu Zhi. "If you hadn't plotted against me in secret, do you truly believe you had a chance of defeating me?"

"Junior Sister Ning Frost, why speak such words? I cherish you beyond measure," Lu Zhi smiled sinisterly, slowly advancing.

*Zheng!*

Ji Ning Frost instantly drew her sword, a chilling ray of light swift and fierce, aimed directly at Lu Zhi's throat.

"Overestimating yourself," Lu Zhi scoffed, immediately swinging his folding fan, drawing a purple vortex before him.

*Zheng!*

Ji Ning Frost's peak strike plunged into the purple vortex, but like entering mud, its fierce offensive was completely absorbed. As the purple vortex spun rapidly, her spirit sword was also drawn into its rotation.

*Pu!*

Reeling from the backlash, Ji Ning Frost was sent staggering back, spitting blood.

"How much longer can you endure?" Lu Zhi smiled coolly, taking a step, his body like a phantom, instantly closing the distance and unleashing a palm strike that tore through the air.

Ji Ning Frost tapped the ground with her toe, flashing backward. As she retreated, her slender jade finger wiped away the fresh blood from her mouth, then touched her brow.

Suddenly, a lotus flower mark materialized on her brow at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Forbidden technique," Ye Chen exclaimed in the cave, his fist clenching tightly.

As her former lover, he understood Ji Ning Frost well and instantly recognized the secret art she employed. This was a forbidden technique of the Zheng Yang Sect, one that demanded lifespan as the price.

Indeed, after the lotus flower mark appeared on Ji Ning Frost's brow, her long hair turned snow white at a visible rate, and her aura soared in an instant, becoming even more chillingly cold.

Opposite, Lu Zhi's brows furrowed involuntarily upon seeing Ji Ning Frost's transformation. He, too, seemed to recognize this forbidden secret art.

"Even with a secret art, do you believe you can defeat me?" With a sinister smile, Lu Zhi's aura also surged, his peak aura still comfortably suppressing Ji Ning Frost.

"Two months have passed, and he has actually broken through to the True Yang Realm," Ye Chen's brows furrowed in the cave.

*Ka cha!*

*Ka cha!*

While he pondered, Ji Ning Frost and Lu Zhi had already engaged in a fierce battle outside the cave, large swathes of ancient towering trees being severed at the waist.

Ye Chen could see that although Ji Ning Frost had employed a forbidden technique, due to her prior injuries and unstable aura, coupled with her cultivation being inherently lower than Lu Zhi's, she was suppressed from the outset.

They had only fought for less than a minute, yet Ji Ning Frost's body already bore several bloody gashes. Facing Lu Zhi's potent offensive, she was continuously forced into retreat.

"Junior Sister Ning Frost, just submit to me!" Lu Zhi's mouth was filled with lewd laughter, his attacks remaining swift and fierce.

Ji Ning Frost's expression was cold, neither happy nor sad. Despite being completely at a disadvantage, her graceful figure danced like a butterfly. Coupled with her snow-white hair and icy aura, it added a different kind of charm to her presence.

"Flower Snow Ice Lotus," she uttered a single word, her hands forming a seal, pointing directly at Lu Zhi.

Suddenly, it seemed to snow between heaven and earth. The falling snow, entwined with divine light, gathered into countless ice and snow lotus flowers. Though these lotuses were gorgeous, they were also incredibly dangerous. Ye Chen, during their sparring, had witnessed the extraordinary nature of this profound art.

"Wind Howl," Lu Zhi also employed a secret art, his hands rapidly forming seals.

Soon, with his body as the center, a purple whirlwind formed. The incoming ice and snow lotus flowers were all shattered to pieces by the purple whirlwind. As the lotus flowers fell, his hand seal changed again, condensing the whirlwind into a killing sword that shot towards Ji Ning Frost.

Ji Ning Frost retreated a step, her crystal-clear jade hand entwined with spiritual light, smashing the incoming killing sword with a single palm.

"Don't rush, there's still more," Lu Zhi instantly closed the distance, raising his hand and unleashing a purple light palm print.

Seeing this, Ji Ning Frost did not retreat but advanced, a lotus flower mark materializing in the center of her crystal-clear jade hand. She also struck out with a palm.

The two seals clashed, and Ji Ning Frost again fell into a disadvantage, sent staggering back by Lu Zhi, spitting blood once more.

"Still want to resist?" Lu Zhi chuckled coldly, killing over again, seemingly unwilling to give Ji Ning Frost any opportunity to catch her breath.

Ji Ning Frost responded passively, with no room for the slightest counterattack.

In the mountain cave, Ye Chen's eyes flickered.

Finally, he still took out the ghost head mask from his storage bag and put it on.

He had originally not wanted to have any further connection with Ji Ning Frost, but seeing his former lover repeatedly injured and about to suffer humiliation at the hands of Lu Zhi, he absolutely could not stand idly by.

Moreover, that Lu Zhi was still his former enemy.

"I am not doing this out of lingering feelings for you, but to settle the past enmity with Lu Zhi. We are already done," After a sentence of self-deception, Ye Chen quietly walked out of the mountain cave.

*Pu!*

Ji Ning Frost spat out blood again, staggering backward, her aura weakening. The wound on her fragrant shoulder was also entwined with black light, making it unable to heal for a long time. It looked as if she was severely poisoned.

"What, still want to fight?" Seeing Ji Ning Frost stop fighting, Lu Zhi slowly walked over with interest.

Ji Ning Frost was cold and silent. Her delicate body staggered, but she finally didn't fall.

"Such a way to die is truly embarrassing," she said softly. Ji Ning Frost lifted her jade finger, preparing to end her own life before Lu Zhi could kill her.

Seeing this, Lu Zhi laughed coldly, "Want to die? It won't be that easy."

Immediately, he conjured a massive true qi hand that swept through the air.

Seeing Lu Zhi about to stop her, a thread of determination flashed in Ji Ning Frost's beautiful eyes. Her jade finger fiercely pointed towards her own brow. If this finger connected, she would die instantly.

But just at this moment, a large hand abruptly reached out from behind her, supporting her slender waist, then rapidly retreating.

This scene made Ji Ning Frost subconsciously turn her head, looking towards the one who saved her. She only saw half of a ghost head mask, but she clearly felt the warmth of the palm on her waist.

Suddenly, Ji Ning Frost's eyes became hazy. Although it was only half a ghost head mask, and she had not seen the true face of her savior, it nonetheless gave her heart a sense of safety and comfort.

This instant was silently etched in her mind.

Opposite, Lu Zhi's hand grabbed empty air, his face becoming extremely gloomy.

"A Qi Condensation Realm brat, also wants to play the hero and save the beauty?" He laughed coldly, striking out with a palm.

While Ji Ning Frost was in a daze, Ye Chen had already attacked. He stepped on the ground, leaving a footprint. His entire body's true qi gathered on his fist as he forcefully unleashed the Shaking Mountain Fist.

*Hong!*

Fist and palm collided, emitting an explosive sound.

Ye Chen stumbled backward, his entire arm numb.

On the contrary, Lu Zhi's expression held considerable surprise. He was a genuine True Yang Realm cultivator. Under a single strike, he had not only failed to subdue a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator but had also been hit by its fist, causing pain in his palm.

"I truly underestimated you," Lu Zhi smiled sinisterly, his steps becoming swift, his body even more like a phantom as he instantly lunged to kill.

"Underestimate me, and you will die a very miserable death," In order not to let Ji Ning Frost recognize his voice, Ye Chen deliberately altered it. As qi flowed under his feet, the Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions secret method was immediately displayed.

*Um?*

Seeing Ye Chen's mysterious body technique, Lu Zhi was surprised again.

He prided himself on his mysterious body technique, yet he never thought that Ye Chen's body technique was even stranger than his own.

Thinking of this, a fiery light appeared in Lu Zhi's eyes. He pointed a chilling ray of light, aimed directly at Ye Chen's chest.

Ye Chen dodged, but was still hit. Lu Zhi's attack pierced a bloody hole in his shoulder. However, he was not idle either. He unleashed another Shaking Mountain Fist, solidly hitting Lu Zhi's body.

In this confrontation, each had their victories and losses.

Especially Lu Zhi, who had taken a solid punch from Ye Chen, felt an extreme soreness. The qi and blood within his body surged, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood.

"Qi Condensation Realm, yet he can actually injure Lu Zhi," Not far away, Ji Ning Frost's beautiful eyes were filled with surprise. She never thought that the Qi Condensation cultivator who saved her would actually possess such strength. It was truly something she had not anticipated.

"You should die," Lu Zhi said coldly, his face becoming very gloomy. He unleashed a massive seal with a roar.

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