Chapter 29: The Unshakable Separation Stone

After leaving the World Association, Duan Fengyun quickened his pace to catch up with Bu Jingyun and the other two.

In order to wait for him, Bu Jingyun was resting at a tea stall with Chuchu and Jian Chen.

When Duan Fengyun arrived, Bu Jingyun stood up, and the two brothers, who had not seen each other for a long time, shared a big hug.

Chuchu, standing to the side, looked puzzled; the impression Bu Jingyun always gave her was one of coldness, and she had never seen such a side of him.

After the hug, Duan Fengyun teased, "Brother Yun, it's been many days, you look even more handsome."

Bu Jingyun punched Duan Fengyun lightly on the chest twice to respond to his teasing.

Although Duan Fengyun had guessed Bu Jingyun's recent experiences, he still asked him about them.

Bu Jingyun's answer was just as recorded in the original story; after Bu Jingyun finished recounting his experiences, he asked about Duan Fengyun's situation.

Duan Fengyun also spoke of his meeting with Jiansheng and Wuming, as well as learning Sword Twenty-Two and the Holy Spirit Sword Technique.

He still did not tell Bu Jingyun about Sword Twenty-Two; now that Jiansheng was dead, he was the only person in the world who knew it.

Bu Jingyun sighed, "With such an opportunity for both of us, if we practice diligently, we will surely be able to slay Xiongba and take our revenge one day."

Seeing Bu Jingyun's naive attitude, Duan Fengyun reasoned with him, "Brother Yun, our martial arts were all taught by Xiongba; he understands us too well. He also possesses the Three-Point Return to Origin Qi, which is specifically designed to counter us. We still have a long road ahead."

Bu Jingyun nodded in affirmation and said, "I wonder how Brother Shuang and Brother Feng are doing."

In this life, because there was no melodramatic love triangle between the three, Bu Jingyun held no hatred for Qin Shuang and Nie Feng; he considered Xiongba to be the culprit behind everything.

Duan Fengyun replied, "Brother Shuang and Brother Feng are both people of deep fortune; they must have had their own fortuitous encounters as well."

Bu Jingyun thought for a moment, looked at Duan Fengyun, and asked, "Junior Brother Duan, do you want to go see Kong Ci?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Fengyun felt a wave of distress, and Kong Ci's smile kept appearing in his mind.

He felt full of guilt toward Kong Ci. He had believed he could change everyone's Destiny, but in the end, he had not; Kong Ci had still left them.

Although Duan Fengyun knew that the current Bu Jingyun could not yet break the Separation Stone of the Imperial Mausoleum, he still wanted to go to the Imperial Mausoleum to take a look and pay his respects to Kong Ci.

With a sorrowful expression, he nodded and said, "Let's go, Brother Yun, let's go see Kong Ci; I miss her a little too."

Chuchu, standing by, was also very excited; she wanted to see what this Kong Ci, who kept Bu Jingyun so preoccupied and unable to forget her, actually looked like.

Seeing the three about to leave, Jian Chen looked at Duan Fengyun and said, "Duan Fengyun, my master told me to follow you and learn about the world; please take me along with you."

Duan Fengyun felt a wave of disdain in his heart: "If you want to chase girls, just chase them; don't put the blame on me, and don't use your master's orders as a pretty excuse, bah. But Chuchu is my Brother Yun's girl; I won't let the events of the original story happen again, so you'd better prepare to grow old alone."

Seeing Duan Fengyun remain silent, Chuchu took it upon herself to say, "That's great, Brother Jian Chen, it's better to have more people to look out for each other. In case Xiongba sends people later, you can also help us."

Bu Jingyun glanced at the two of them, ignored them, and walked side-by-side with Duan Fengyun toward the Imperial Mausoleum.

Arriving outside the Imperial Mausoleum, Chuchu noticed that Duan Fengyun and Bu Jingyun had strange expressions; both were filled with sorrow.

She did not understand the bond between the five who had grown up together. Through ten years of relying on each other for survival, they had long since come to view each other as an indispensable part of their lives.

Bu Jingyun took a step forward, walked to the Separation Stone, and said gently, "Kong Ci, I've come to see you, and Junior Brother Duan is here too."

Duan Fengyun also walked to Bu Jingyun's side at this moment and murmured, "Kong Ci, I'm here."

Deep in his heart, he felt profound guilt: "I'm sorry, it was I who failed to protect you. I knew the outcome, yet I lacked the ability to change it; I have failed you."

Bu Jingyun said to Duan Fengyun, "Junior Brother Duan, move aside, I am going to shatter this Separation Stone."

Duan Fengyun stepped aside and made a gesture for him to proceed.

Bu Jingyun slowly drew the Wushuang Sword from his hand and slashed wildly at the Separation Stone. But the Separation Stone was made from an Outer Space Meteorite; how could it be split open by the current Bu Jingyun?

Furthermore, the Wushuang Sword was now split in two; this lonely, broken Wushuang Sword had lost its status as a divine weapon, and under Bu Jingyun's wild slashing, it snapped in response.

Bu Jingyun looked at the broken Wushuang Sword in his hand in disbelief; he had not expected this Separation Stone to be so hard that even the Wushuang Sword was broken.

Duan Fengyun said, "Brother Yun, try my Fire Scale Sword."

Having said that, he threw the Fire Scale Sword in his hand directly to Bu Jingyun.

Bu Jingyun caught the Fire Scale Sword and slashed wildly with it, sparks flying everywhere from the Separation Stone.

Bu Jingyun's movements were as fierce as a tiger, but the Separation Stone remained unmoved.

Seeing that he could not open the Separation Stone and would never be able to see Kong Ci again, Bu Jingyun was suddenly filled with rage.

Frustrated and desperate, he threw the Fire Scale Sword aside, formed palms with both hands, and unleashed a barrage of Cloud-Dispelling Palms at the Separation Stone. Although the Separation Stone rang out with clanging sounds, it still remained unmoved.

Duan Fengyun picked up the Fire Scale Sword from the side; he was powerless in this situation, and with his current strength, the result of him hacking at the Separation Stone would likely be the same as Bu Jingyun's.

Bu Jingyun sat exhausted in front of the Separation Stone and shouted helplessly, "Why? Why is it so difficult for me to even see Kong Ci once?"

Jian Chen was moved by Bu Jingyun's devotion. He stepped forward and said, "Bu Jingyun, this Separation Stone is indestructible; it requires a peerless divine weapon to split it open. I know that a Peerless Sword, which can be called the king of swords, will soon appear in the world. With the power of this sword, splitting the Separation Stone should be easy."

At this, the helpless Bu Jingyun stood up abruptly, stared at Jian Chen, and said, "Are you telling the truth? Where is this sword now?"

Jian Chen replied, "Of course it is true. This sword has not yet appeared, but my master said it is about to appear."

Seeing this, Duan Fengyun also stepped out to calm Bu Jingyun's mood. He added to Bu Jingyun, "Senior Wuming's strength is unfathomable; if he says this Peerless Sword is about to appear, then it must be soon. Brother Yun, you should just wait a few more days."

Bu Jingyun nodded and replied to Duan Fengyun, "Alright, I will wait a few more days."

Seeing that there was nothing left for him to do, Jian Chen bid farewell to everyone; the first task of his journey was complete. Now he had to go find out the whereabouts of the Peerless Sword to complete his second task.

Duan Fengyun knew that the battle to seize the Peerless Sword would be fierce, and he needed to charge the Fire Scale Sword. The Fire Scale Sword needed to drink its fill of blood to unleash its maximum power. Duan Fengyun was never a soft-hearted person; in this bloody world of martial arts, having strength was the only way to survive. He prepared to start challenging various sects and schools, embarking on a killing spree to keep the Fire Scale Sword in its strongest state.

So he said to Bu Jingyun, "Brother Yun, the battle for the Peerless Sword will surely be a brutal one. I am going to embark on a killing spree to push the Fire Scale Sword to its strongest state. You had better take this time to recuperate and keep your strength at its peak. I am leaving now; we shall meet again when the Peerless Sword appears."

Bu Jingyun understood the logic in Duan Fengyun's words, nodded, and said, "Alright, Junior Brother Duan, we shall meet again then. As for the Peerless Sword, we will each rely on our own abilities; the strong shall possess it."

Duan Fengyun replied with an "alright," and the two parted ways at the Imperial Mausoleum; Duan Fengyun was also about to begin his own path of nurturing his sword.