Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Left hand forming a hand seal, right hand resting on a sword, eyes wide with fury!

The vertical pupil on his forehead, marked with blood, also gleamed slightly.

"Lixing Clouds and Mist..."

"Sitting here will transform mountains and rivers—!!!"

……

"boom----!!"

The clouds churned, and thunder roared.

The cloud blanket, thrown high into the sky, began to spin, resembling a giant silk canopy that covered the entire sky.

In the gloomy world, only a few glimmers of light can be seen in the instant when a few flashes of lightning tear it apart.

But then Zhu Kuilong put his left hand into his mouth and pulled out another sword from his cavity!

The sword is decorated with the Big Dipper pattern, which is integrated into one piece and emits a gleaming cold light.

He pressed the Seven Star Sword and the Fish Intestine Sword against each other, and with a gentle rub, both swords were engulfed in flames and burst into flames.

"Come on, Phoenix!" Zhu Kuilong almost roared, "This is the last one!"

"..."

Zhang Renfeng did not answer. In that instant, his gaze became extremely empty, as if he were looking at Zhu Kuilong, or even looking through him into the boundless void behind him.

Raise both hands slightly.

"boom--!!"

Instead of using the tips of his toes or the balls of his feet to generate power as before, he completely relaxed his body, as if he had turned into liquid and was about to detach from his physical form. With a formidable enemy at hand, and the most powerful strike about to fall, he entered a state of perfect tranquility.

The force generated by the slightest twitch of the ten toes shattered the ground!

Rather than saying he "jumped" over, it would be more accurate to say that Zhang Renfeng's upper body remained straight, as if he were using the Lingbo Weibu technique on the water, flying towards him.

"?!"

The ultimate... energy dissipation...

So, he actually got his hands on it just like that?

Zhu Kuilong's lips curled up slightly, revealing a somewhat self-deprecating smile.

----

"You want this? Are you sure? It's not cheap." The shopkeeper glanced at Zhu Kuilong sideways, then pouted. "Can you afford it?"

It's no wonder he had this attitude. When he wasn't performing, Zhu Kuilong dressed very simply, his clothes and trousers were full of patches, and he looked nothing like a wealthy person; he was practically a beggar in a clean shop. His hands were very large, and his fingers were covered in calluses, but the gift he chose was a hairpin that didn't quite suit him.

"Hmm... this is it, please wrap it up for me."

Standing in the shop, he hesitated for a long time before the owner's patience reached its limit and he was about to kick him out, Zhu Kuilong finally said those words.

Pay up.

Looking at the loose change, the shopkeeper finally sighed and changed his address, "Brother, let me give you a piece of advice: fish find fish, shrimp find shrimp, turtles find turtles. Don't bother with those high branches; they're not for you."

The money earned from street vending is all tips from the working class, so it's all loose change.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Kuilong could only shake his head with a wry smile.

He carefully put away the wrapped hairpin. Today was Senior Sister He's birthday. Although he didn't know how old she was, this notoriously stingy man had taken out his savings to celebrate her birthday properly.

Upon returning to the mountain gate, before even pushing open the door, he heard laughter from inside. The clear, warm laughter was so genuine and enthusiastic that it stopped him in his tracks and instantly cooled the warmth in his heart.

That was Senior Sister He's laughter.

He pushed the door open a crack and peered inside like a thief.

"Feng, isn't this... a little too precious, hehe..."

"Senior sister, don't drool over it, you can't eat it." Zhang Renfeng's voice was still very young, with a hint of helplessness.

"This is a gold and jewel-encrusted Ruyi hairpin, made by a master craftsman! It must be jewelry that came from the palace, right?" With a gesture, Senior Sister He acted like an ordinary girl, speaking eloquently and excitedly. "Look at this large piece of jade, the color in the sunlight is just perfect! Hiss... ha..."

“I don’t know anything about this.” Zhang Renfeng waved his hand. “It’s your birthday, so I’ll give it to you if you like it.”

"Hey wolf, this is for you, ta-da!!"

Zhang Renfeng picked up a basket of pastries, mimicking the sound of gongs and drums, and ran up to a little girl who was doing the splits. "Pastries from Simeizhai. Don't practice today, eat to your heart's content!"

"..." The girl, with her delicate features and short blonde hair, looked like a porcelain doll. She stared at him for a while with her bright, sapphire-like eyes, then lowered her head timidly and whispered, "Thank you (in Russian)."

Zhu Kuilong stood in front of the door, holding the hairpin he had bought, unable to describe his feelings.

He had experienced poverty countless times, and he thought he had long since become numb to the scorn and disgust of others.

Yet, at this moment, he felt an unprecedented heartache—an insurmountable, inescapable, and inescapable sense of inferiority. It clung to him like a shadow, making his body heavier and heavier, as if he were being dragged into a swamp and torn apart.

Why... of all people? It had to be him.

Whether it's family background, lineage, or martial arts skills, what do I have that can compare to his?

……

"Taki, you're back? Why are you standing at the door?" Senior Sister He heard Zhu Kuilong's erratic heartbeat and called out, "Come in quickly, Master is cooking longevity noodles for me, have a few bites."

"..." With an unknown feeling, Zhu Kuilong put on a smile, pushed open the door, and slowly walked in.

The sunlight was weak, yet it felt like it was biting him.

"Ah, Senior Brother, you're back!" Zhang Renfeng hopped over to him like a lively little sparrow, her eyes sparkling. "Perfect timing, I have something for you too, this, clatter—!"

He imitated the sound of gongs, took out a stack of brand-new cloud blankets from his satchel, unfolded them, and smiled broadly.

The cloud carpet was very gorgeous, bright red, and embroidered with gilded auspicious cloud patterns.

“This is…” Zhu Kuilong’s expression changed slightly.

“When we were at the night market last time, my senior brother kept staring at this, so I bought it.” Zhang Renfeng’s smile was so bright, it was almost blinding. “The old one is broken, isn’t it? We’ll use this new one for magic tricks from now on.”

----

"Brother!"

"..." In a daze, Zhu Kuilong saw that innocent and naive child with a pure and flawless smile on his slightly chubby face, who opened his arms and pounced on him.

"what……"

He closed his eyes.

"boom----!!!"

The fist, which gained immense power by dissipating force, pierced through the center line from the front and smashed into his face!

Chapter 271: You are you, and I am me (Third update today!!)

Zhu Kuilong lay sprawled on the ring, his arms and legs spread out in a starfish shape.

As he was knocked down, the last ounce of his willpower dissipated, and the surrounding mist and clouds were slowly blown away like weathered sand.

"From the moment I saw the Immortal's Rope onwards, was everything just an illusion?" Zhang Renfeng looked at everything around him that was dissipating, feeling as if he had just woken up from a dream, and muttered to himself, "This is what they mean by a dream of wealth and glory."

"Don't worry..." Zhu Kuilong touched his nose, which had been knocked crooked, and pressed it with the heel of his palm. With a snap, he forced it back into place. He seemed to be used to the pain and didn't make any noise. Even his voice was the same as before. "That punch you just threw was definitely real."

"you win."

Above the vast sea of ​​clouds, these three words landed, carrying an incredible weight.

"Senior brother, are you alright?" Zhang Renfeng didn't show a happy expression, but instead became worried. "Why are you so obsessed with the Yellow Illusion Technique? You weren't like this before."

"..."

Zhu Kuilong supported himself on the ground and slowly stood up. He solemnly dusted off the dust from his knees and clothes.

Have I ever told you about my origins?

“…” Zhang Renfeng did not speak. Even though he was not good at reading the atmosphere, he knew that this was the time to listen.

"Now, I can't remember my parents' faces, or their names, or why they brought me into this world. Maybe they had their reasons, but it doesn't matter anymore... Before my master took me in, I had nothing, not even a name. People on that street called me 'Thief Bones' because I was quick enough to steal money from their bags when they weren't looking."

“When I was six years old, I secretly learned some magic tricks from some magicians on the street. They caught me and were going to chop off my fingers.”

“If I hadn’t met my master and senior sister at that time, I would have spent the rest of my life kneeling at their feet, surviving by begging for food.”

He spread his five fingers, tearing away the clouds to reveal a bright, clear moon. Its pure light shone upon him, creating a scene that was both real and illusory.

"You can't imagine how much I resent you, Feng."

Zhu Kuilong closed his eyes slightly, bathed in the purest beam of light in the world, and spoke frankly about his feelings for the first time.

He pulled a hairpin from his pocket that he had never given away, revealing a meaningful smile. The hairpin had been exposed to the sun and wind with him, and its surface had long since changed color.

Like his youthful days, it became worthless.

Zhang Renfeng didn't interrupt and continued to be a attentive listener.

"You have a wealthy family, parents who love you and are willing to support you, a fortune to squander, and martial arts talent that others can only dream of. From childhood to adulthood, your life has been smooth sailing, without any setbacks... but you don't really cherish it."

"That's how people are; they don't know the value of things that come easily."

"So, senior brother, you... worked so hard..."

“I’m not like you, Feng. If I want to live a life free from poverty, I can only rely on myself.” Zhu Kuilong turned his hands over and over, as if possessed, muttering, “I’ll rely on these two hands of mine!”

Zhang Renfeng couldn't immediately discern whether Zhu Kuilong's fervor for magic tricks stemmed from the tricks themselves, or from the fame and fortune they brought him.

Or perhaps, both?

Regardless, Zhang Renfeng may never truly understand these dark and somber feelings. The misfortunes encountered in childhood often require a lifetime of effort to heal. Zhu Kuilong's yearning for fame and status is perhaps a form of compensation for his childhood self; he is striving relentlessly for "money" and "respect" to soothe his perpetually insatiable sense of security.

"One magic trick after another, I went from a nobody street performer to a master magician who frequented the palace. Finally, money, status, respect... after so many years of hard work, these things that I had sought but could not obtain, opened their arms to me. When I walked down the street, everyone looked up to me!"

"It doesn't matter if my martial arts skills are inferior to yours; it doesn't matter if my talent isn't as good as yours. I'm the most popular magician in the young emperor's eyes. I don't even need to say a word directly; even if I just hint at it, people in the capital willing to do things for me will line up in long queues! Those might be the happiest days of my life... Haha..."

His smile faded.

"Unfortunately, everything changed in one fell swoop. The real thing was gone, and the fake thing was gone too. My first half of life was like a magic trick: before going on stage, it takes an unimaginable long time to prepare and practice repeatedly until everything is flawless. After the performance, there is a moment of amazement, followed by thunderous applause. Then comes the bow, the exit from the stage, and then everything returns to calm."

Zhu Kuilong stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed at the magnificent sea of ​​clouds churning on the horizon.

In his eyes, what is the difference between this beautiful illusion and a life full of hardships and setbacks?

“Senior brother…” Looking at his back, Zhang Renfeng was overwhelmed by the immense grief. This was perhaps the first time he had opened his heart to him.

A wave of suppressed emotions surged up, almost knocking him into the sea.

But Zhu Kuilong waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more.

“What’s the point?” Zhu Kuilong murmured. “I believe you truly regret it, and your guilt and remorse are genuine, but it’s meaningless.”

Even if the sun and moon were to turn back, and everything were to start over, I would still choose to help you, and you would still choose to do the same... That's you... That's me... There's no need for us to reconcile.

"You have already mastered the essence of dissipating energy. With a little effort, you may well be able to reach the level of Lesser Formless Skill. Just stay here and be a free and unrestrained wanderer."

at last.

This long battle came to an end the moment those words were uttered.

"And what about you, senior brother?" Zhang Renfeng blurted out.

"I have things to do, and you have things to do. There are some things that no one else can do, only you can do them."

Zhu Kuilong twisted his neck and ankle, then suddenly seemed to remember something and chuckled, "I was so busy talking to you that I almost forgot."

"How can a hero be without a fine sword?"

He tossed the Fish Gut Sword gently over, catching Zhang Renfeng somewhat off guard, but he still managed to grab the hilt. However, the sword was much heavier than he had expected, its blade glistening with moonlight, as if possessing a special suction force that pulled Zhang Renfeng's body in place, causing him to lose his footing and fall from the clouds.

"boom----!!"

A strong night wind whipped my hair, and the starry sky receded rapidly from view.

The last thing I saw was Zhu Kuilong's complicated smile.

----

"..."

In a daze, Zhang Renfeng came to his senses and found himself still standing in the courtyard of Angelo's mansion.

The crescent moon hung high, a cold wind brushed against his forehead, and the log he had forcefully pulled out still lay quietly on the ground. Its mass and size gave Zhang Renfeng a more certain sense of reality.