Chapter 021 Me and My Enemy Father and Brother

The stairs to the top of the tower spiral upward, like a dizzying whirlpool or an endless cycle.

The Master of the Sword Sealing Tower walked in front, his footsteps echoing like water waves in the long and narrow corridor, each one shaking Chen Wenjian's heart, with a strange and alluring power, stirring up his inner desire to kill.

He raised his eyes calmly and saw the defenseless figure of the Sword Sealing Tower Master right in front of him. As long as he drew his sword and swung it, he could easily chop off his head, foiling his plan and resolving his own crisis.

All he had to do was pull out the sword given to him by the Sword Sealing Tower Master and chop upwards...

Chen Wenjian blinked, and the enchanting voice in his heart shattered and dissipated like bubbles, without even his breathing and heartbeat being disturbed.

The Sword Sealing Tower Master tilted his head slightly, glanced at him quickly out of the corner of his eye, and breathed a sigh of relief almost imperceptibly.

A moment later, the master and disciple, each with their own agenda, walked into the blood-stained world atop the tower. The Sword Sealing Tower in daylight presented a scene like a dead, ancient battlefield, blood flowing, bones exposed in the wilderness, and broken swords buried among the corpses, energized by the blade's aura, rising hummingly into the air.

"Come in," the Sword Sealing Tower Master said, "Let me see the results of your training during this period."

"yes."

After Chen Wenjian agreed, he was about to go in when he heard him say "wait a minute". Then he took off the Wuwen Sword from his waist and handed it over.

Chen Wenjian frowned, revealing just the right amount of surprise and confusion: "This is..."

"Today you will practice swordsmanship with this sword." The Sword Sealing Tower Master pointed at the broken sword in mid-air, "Chop them all into pieces, and this training will be over."

"……yes."

Chen Wenjian took Wu Wen with both hands.

The sword spirit was dormant. This famous spiritual sword looked almost the same as an ordinary iron sword in his hand. The blade was even thinner and more brittle, and it could be bent like a soft sword. Even its toughness was average.

Since its creation, the Wuwen Sword has only been unsheathed twice. The first time was on the day it was forged. The forger cast it into the furnace, completing the sword's awakening process. The sword spirit drove the blade around the mountain gate, and wherever it passed, thousands of swords bowed their heads in submission.

The second time was on the day when Xinzhu Sect was destroyed. The sword spirit was forcibly awakened by the deaths of hundreds of Xinzhu Sect disciples. With the power of one sword, he severely injured hundreds of enemy cultivators, including many well-known strong men in the cultivation world. In the end, the sword was broken and the soul was lost, but he was still honored in defeat.

Today is the third time it has been unsheathed in its complete state, dying once again for the ambition of the descendants of its creator.

Chen Wenjian drew out the Wuwen Sword and stepped into the battlefield.

In an instant, thousands of sharp blades hung upside down, pointing directly at him.

Outside the tower, Chen Yunli sat under a jujube tree with his arms and legs spread out, staring at the entrance to the mountain, waiting for someone.

The tall tower in front of him made a clicking sound as its mechanism activated. The spire stretched out layers of iron walls like a blooming flower, revealing the strange space embedded within - a palm-sized ball of flame wrapped around the sword light and human figure. The true appearance could not be seen, only the silhouette, like a strange shadow play.

From the moment Chen Yunli and the Lord of Fengjian Tower entered the tower, this huge sword-making furnace started up.

Chen Yunli looked up and just as a little worry arose in his heart, he turned his gaze back because of the sudden sound of footsteps. Ning Bufan, the person Chen Yunli had been waiting for, walked up slowly.

He changed into new clothes, tied his hair neatly, and wore the colorful rope left by Ming Shaotu on his wrist. He walked steadily and looked calm.

As Ning Bufan walked towards Chen Yunli, he looked at the strange phenomenon in the sky and smiled meaningfully, "Such a big commotion, no one within a hundred miles could miss it. Mr. Chen Wenjian's master has really done something big."

Chen Yunli stood up and went to greet him: "Are you sure you want to go into the Sealed Sword Tower with me? It's very dangerous in there, you might lose your life."

A few days ago, Ning Bufan found Chen Yunli, hoping that he could inform him on the day when the master of the Sealing Sword Tower would start forging swords. Although he could not save Ming Shaotu, he had to at least give his brother a ride.

Chen Yunli initially thought about refusing, but even if he refused, Ning Bufan would not give up. Instead, he would take the risk to approach the Sword Sealing Tower in advance and keep an eye on the movements here.

In this way, he would most likely be discovered by the Lord of the Sealing Sword Tower and lose his life.

Since agreeing and refusing will only lead to the same result, and the result of refusing will even be worse, Chen Yunli has no choice but to agree.

"You're just an ordinary person, so you have to go in too." Ning Bufan shook his head. He didn't care about his own life or death, but was worried about him. "At least I have the five-colored rope left by Shao Tu to protect myself. You have nothing. Why don't you stay outside and wait for Mr. Chen Wenjian to come out?"

"No, I have to go in and watch him kill the Sword Sealing Tower Master with my own eyes."

"Why?"

Chen Yunli said, "To reassure myself, and so that I could get him out of this horrible place and that terrible situation as soon as possible. Humans are the most adept at cannibalism, but they are also the only creatures who feel pain when it happens. He must really need someone to accompany him through that moment of shock and grief."

Ning Bufan trembled all over, almost thinking that these words were directed at him.

However, Chen Yunli did not know his past, and his pain was left in the distant memory when Ming Shaotu called him "Brother".

"Yes." Ning Bufan said, looking at his back, "Mr. Chen Wenjian really needs it."

“clang!”

In the ancient battlefield, Chen Wenjian stood among the corpses, his body covered with scars and bleeding profusely. Under his feet was a puddle formed by his own blood, the bright red and sticky reflection of his miserable appearance.

His skin and flesh were turned inside out, his tendons and bones were broken, there was not a single piece of healthy flesh on his body. His brain had long been paralyzed and he could hardly even feel the pain. He could only rely on his willpower to straighten his spine and not fall down.

Today, the broken sword attack in the tower was particularly powerful and terrifying, but also particularly fragile. Usually, thirty swords could not make a dent in them, but now one sword could cut them off. In comparison, the "skin injury" on Chen Wenjian's body that was healing rapidly was simply a price not worth mentioning.

Only... the last broken sword remains...

Chen Wenjian wiped the blood from his eyelashes, and his blurred vision became clear again.

The broken sword broke free from a bony hand, and without any fancy moves, it cut through the sky and stabbed straight at him with almost crazy momentum.

Chen Wenjian raised his sword in his backhand to block his chest. The tip of the sword collided with the blade, making a rubbing sound. Accompanied by a crisp clang, spider-web-like cracks quickly spread on the two swords, and they were on the verge of breaking in an instant.

Wuwen Sword, this spiritual sword that was forcibly pieced together with crude techniques is about to break again.

This thought flashed through Chen Wenjian's mind. Without thinking too much, he suddenly exerted force to shake off the broken sword. When it stabbed at him again relentlessly, he raised his hand to cut off the sword tip and hit it at the place where the cracks were most concentrated.

There was a loud clanging sound that resounded throughout the area, and the broken sword shattered into pieces.

The next second, Chen Wenjian heard a sighing or wailing sound coming from the long sword in his hand. The blood-colored lines that joined the two halves of the sword were torn apart, and the entire sword broke in half again.

The silver-white sword blade was inserted diagonally into the ground, and the blade was spotless, like a pool of autumn water or a mirror, reflecting the bloody world and the blood-stained figure of Chen Wenjian standing in the middle of it.

And Ning Bufan who arrived late behind him.

Chen Wenjian's eyes, which had been slightly dazed due to his serious injury, suddenly focused and he suddenly turned around to look at the entrance of the Sword Sealing Tower - the master of the Sword Sealing Tower was no longer there, and the people who came were not only Ning Bufan, but also Chen Yunli.

"How did you get in?" He staggered towards the two of them, clutching the wound on his shoulder, a rare hint of anxiety in his voice, "Get out! Otherwise it will be too late..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw the tower gate quickly closing behind Chen Yunli, and then disappeared into the void, extending to a wider battlefield, with bones filling the field and the sound of the wind was mournful.

"Damn it! They actually pulled the door open! How shameless!" Chen Yunli cursed. "Luckily we caught up quickly, otherwise we would have been locked outside."

Ning Bufan: “…”

Is this the point?

As soon as Chen Yunli finished scolding him, Chen Wenjian stumbled over to his side and grabbed his shoulders tightly, "Didn't I... tell you to wait for me outside?"

He was gasping for breath, and his numb pain nerves seemed to be awakened by Chen Yunli's arrival. The pain made him frown, and his eyes were full of panic and confusion.

"We're friends. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would let a friend take risks alone?" Chen Yunli patted his hand, pried it apart with a little force, and held it back. "Don't clench your hand. Look at all these wounds on your body. You're almost bleeding, right?"

“…”

Now that things have come to this, getting angry is useless. Besides, Chen Wenjian can't get angry at him, so he can only control his emotions and calm down.

He waved his hand to summon the blade of Wuwen Sword and handed it to Ning Bufan along with the hilt.

"Sorry." Chen Wenjian said.

"No need to apologize. I said, if it's inevitable, don't force it." Ning Bufan had already expected this result. Without extravagant expectations, he would not be disappointed. After taking the Wuwen Sword, he wiped it with his sleeve and held it in his arms.

"Oh right." Chen Yunli looked around, frowning as if thinking of something. "Aren't the sword forges already started? Where's the Sword Sealing Tower Master? Is he...about to start forging swords?"

Chen Wenjian's eyes dimmed slightly, and just as he was about to answer, a thunderous laugh suddenly exploded in the air:

"Hahahaha, it's done! The divine sword I envisioned will be completed today! Hahahahahahahaha!"

The laughter was like an iron curtain falling, followed by a sudden burst of fire from all directions. The golden flames rushed towards Chen Wenjian as if they had life, gathering into a torrent of waves that suddenly swallowed him up.

"Chen Wenjian!..."

Chen Yunli was horrified and subconsciously rushed over to grab his hand, but was shaken away the moment he got close.

At the same time, the other half of the flames rushed towards Ning Bufan - to be precise, it rushed towards the Wuwen Sword in his arms, but because he held the broken sword and refused to let go, the flames entangled and engulfed him.

"Mr. Ning! Ning Bufan! Let go!"

Chen Yunli was the only person avoided by the flames, probably because the Lord of the Sword Sealing Tower did not want impurities in his forging materials. It was also because of this that Ning Bufan was not immediately burned to death by the fire.

He stood in front of the fireball and tried in vain to persuade him: "Mr. Ming wouldn't want you to die here!"

Ning Bufan chuckled and raised his wrist to look at the colorful rope on it. Colorful light continued to flow out from it, trying to cover his entire body and block the damage of the flames for him.

But the power it carried was limited, and it soon ran out of power, broke in the fire, and was burned to ashes.

"Haven't you already guessed my real purpose for entering the Sealed Sword Tower, Mr. Chen Yunli?" Ning Bufan looked at the handful of ashes that fell with regret. He had put a lot of effort into making it up. "Why are you trying to stop me now?"

"Everyone should have dreams, right?" Chen Yunli smiled, a smile uglier than crying. "What if you listen to me?"

Yes, of course he knew why Ning Bufan came, and he also knew that Ning Bufan was ready to live and die with Ming Shaotu.

The moment Chen Yunli decided to take him into the tower, he knew he would see this scene.

Ming Shaotu and Ning Bufan had been dependent on each other for so many years, and she had long been the most important pillar of his life. Without Ming Shaotu, he could not survive alone. So rather than let him commit suicide or die at the hands of the Sword Sealing Tower Master, Chen Yunli was willing to fulfill his wish and let him die with his beloved brother.

Chen Yunli was conflicted about this matter and hesitated for a long time. Even though he knew that this was a fake world, Ning Bufan standing in front of him was a flesh-and-blood person. If he watched Ning Bufan die, he would be no different from an accomplice.

But what would change if he didn't help? Ning Bufan would only die with a huge regret. Was that really for his own good? Or was it just a self-deceptive escape to comfort himself?

Chen Yunli thought about it for three whole days, suffering greatly, and finally decided to agree to his request.

Just treat this as a game, he is fulfilling the paper man's last wish.

Even without rewards.

Ning Bufan curled up on the ground, holding the two broken swords completely in his arms, maintaining this protective posture, allowing the flames to break through the colorful rope - the last bit of protective spiritual power left by Ming Shaotu, burning his skin and flesh.

"I listened to him, but I decided to do it anyway."

"Thank you very much."

"boom--"

A majestic roar broke through the clouds, and two torrents of flames merged in front of Chen Yunli. The magnificent golden light filled the entire world, and then rose from the ground, like an inverted waterfall, tearing open the alien space and going straight into the sky.

Chen Yunli saw Chen Wenjian's figure flash in the flames, and reflexively stepped forward, but was forced back by the high temperature and sparks. He could only watch from a few meters away as his body melted in the brilliant gold and flowed into the sky.

"What else can I do?"

Chen Yunli murmured, he knew he should believe Chen Wenjian, but if he didn't do something, he would probably be driven crazy by the long wait and the anxiety in his heart.

Then he remembered that he had not given Chen Wenjian the blood mixed with molten iron that he had collected yesterday.

Chen Yunli pursed his lips, took out a porcelain bottle from his arms, and threw the bottle with blood into the waterfall of fire in front of him.

"Fuck you!——"