My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the woman before him.

The "Lady Prince" before him placed her hand against her cheekbone. With the clacking sound of shifting bones, her face seemed to crumble, like a layer of skin collapsing inward. Following this, she carefully pulled at the connecting point with her fingertips, peeling the mask away.

Zhu E's gaze grew hazy, her trembling lips betraying her nerves. Meeting Chen Yi's gaze, her cheeks flushed as she shyly lowered her face.

"Disguise Technique?" Chen Yi asked.

This time, his infiltration of the military camp had primarily been for Qin Qingluo. The preceding test had all been for her. Yet unexpectedly, the "Qin Qingluo" before him turned out to be Zhu E in disguise.

Zhu E answered with a soft, seductive tone, "Yes."

Her face on this body seemed entirely mismatched.

"And this body…"

Chen Yi examined the tall form. A face could be altered with disguise, but the Lady Prince's unique eight-foot stature—how was that achieved?

Zhu E chuckled lightly, her voice delicate as she explained:

"Bright Venerable, this is an Illusion Technique devised by the Sect Hierarch of the main altar, called 'Illusionary Body.' If Bright Venerable desires it, Zhu E will offer it to you with both hands."

As she spoke, Zhu E gently withdrew the illusion. Instantly, the clothing belonging to Qin Qingluo slackened, the silky fabric outlining her enchanting curves.

Chen Yi observed Zhu E silently for a moment.

The Demon Sect Saintess gracefully knelt to the ground,

"Zhu E offers obeisance to Bright Venerable."

Her sultry voice could not conceal her fervent devotion.

As she knelt, her posture lowered further, her forehead nearly touching the ground, while the curves of her body subtly arched upward.

Back at Medicine Temple, that Lady Prince knelt on the ground in the same manner.

Chen Yi gazed down imperiously at the Princess of Annan, his eyes drifting to the side in contemplation.

This time, he had come for Qin Qingluo. Across lifetimes, she was the first woman to bear his child—a bond difficult to ignore. Any person would care about a miscarriage; naturally, Chen Yi hoped for the child's safe birth, thriving and healthy.

Thus, the test was devised. It was meant to probe Qin Qingluo's nature, to determine his course of action accordingly. If the Lady Prince's character underwent a drastic change, utterly devoid of any affection, there might be grim consequences for the child post-birth.

Ultimately, fate took a twist, and the test fell upon the Bright Saintess Zhu E instead.

Zhu E, kneeling low, appeared even more alluring under the oil lamp's glow. The loosened fabric seemed to beckon; with a mere tug from Chen Yi, the soft, tender flesh would spring forth.

Yet Chen Yi remained unexpectedly calm.

The test intended for Qin Qingluo had now been unwittingly applied to Zhu E, revealing her true nature to him.

To her, the Bright Venerable would always be first in her heart; Qin Qingluo came second.

If this inclination were to appear in Qin Qingluo, it would pose a threat to him. But if it manifested in Zhu E, it was rather beneficial.

The only complication was…

He was not yet the Bright Venerable.

Chen Yi extended his hand, gently lifting Zhu E's chin.

The woman in crimson flushed even deeper, her eyes slightly dazed.

Chen Yi sneered briefly and withdrew his hand.

Her head dipped downward, and Zhu E gazed at him in confusion.

In her ears, Chen Yi's voice resonated.

"When will the Radiant Realm of the Dharma Body open?"

Zhu E's expression froze momentarily before she lowered her face once more, her voice trembling with excitement:

"The Sect Hierarch has made it clear—three to five years from now."

Chen Yi nodded subtly, keeping his composure.

According to his memories, the so-called Radiant Realm of the Dharma Body was the pathway to becoming the Bright Venerable; the guide was laid out in the "Heavenly Realm."

But if one chose not to become the Bright Venerable, the Radiant Realm of the Dharma Body would never open, and the Bright Venerable would never emerge. The vast Ming'an Divine Sect would collapse upon the Heaven's Gate splitting apart.

That nun once claimed he was not the Outer Heaven Demon. Then what did the so-called "Heavenly Realm" game represent?

She had said that everything was manifested by the Heavenly Vision in a form suitable for him.

Could it be that his original world never had the "Heavenly Realm" game?

That in his past life, he transcended into this world, and his mind, unable to process it, conjured the "Heavenly Realm" as a construct through the Heavenly Vision?

In other words, his body transmigrated, not his soul.

With this thought, Chen Yi chose not to dwell further. He had long abandoned any sense of detachment from this world—be it Yin Tingxue, Zhou Yitang, Min Ning, Yin Weiyin, or other women—they had become anchors tethering him deeply into this world.

Returning from his reverie, Chen Yi saw the Princess of Annan still kneeling submissively, resembling a concubine in a historical chronicle, pleading for favor.

Ordinarily, perhaps Chen Yi would have already indulged himself, yet now…

"Zhu E."

At the sound of her name, the princess gasped for breath, her scarlet gaze lifting expectantly.

However, her eyes met only icy indifference.

Zhu E's breathing hitched painfully.

"Do you wish for me… to favor you?" he asked with a sardonic smile.

"The Saintess belongs to the Bright Venerable, as do the other three Saintesses. Our lives are lived to serve the Bright Venerable," Zhu E said evenly, her head lowered in quiet certainty.

After these words, her body seemed to stir, as if she herself were on the verge of tearing her clothes to shreds.

"Do you know…" Chen Yi grinned. "That compared to you, I prefer Qin Qingluo?"

Zhu E purred seductively: "Zhu E can serve the Bright Venerable under her guise."

She was a vision of beauty, tender and irresistibly alluring.

"Now, let me ask you…"

Chen Yi posed an unrelated question: "Many are devoutly faithful to Buddha. Tell me this: are you devoutly faithful to me as well?"

Zhu E hesitated briefly but dared not shirk the query, softly replying:

"Zhu E has studied the divine sect's teachings since childhood. How could I not have faith in the Bright Venerable?"

Chen Yi simply gazed at her impassively, not uttering a word for a long moment.

Zhu E shyly lifted her face slightly, puzzled, only to hear him state:

"I am not the Bright Venerable."

She froze.

After a pause, she finally spoke, curling into a faint smile: "Bright Venerable, why… test Zhu E like this?"

Chen Yi smirked and replied cryptically: "Do you trust me?"

"…Of course, Zhu E does."

His voice sharpened abruptly: "Then if I say I am not the Bright Venerable, do you still trust me?!"

His sudden intensity made her tremble; Zhu E opened her mouth, but she didn't know whether to say yes or no.

For a fleeting moment, she appeared stunned. After a long silence, she stammered:

"I… I trust. Zhu E trusts."

But she heard the sound of his mocking laughter.

Since childhood, the devout Zhu E's hands and feet quivered. In desperation, she pleaded:

"If Zhu E didn't trust you, then how could I… how could we have shared intimacy?"

Chen Yi coldly swept her with his gaze.

The princess instantly fell silent, her head lowered even further.

"You're arguing, which means… you hesitated. You doubted."

"…I… I didn't… Zhu E trusts you." Her lips quivered under the crushing denunciation. Having worshipped the Bright Venerable as her very life, she now trembled uncontrollably, her delicate body shaking as she begged: "Zhu E is willing to prove it with my body."

"If you truly had faith, why would you need proof?"

Zhu E faltered, unable to answer, staggering in confusion as the man before her tested the very core of her devotion.

Chen Yi's words seemed imbued with mystical power, steadily revealing:

"So, you don't trust me. You trust the Bright Venerable in your mind."

Zhu E paled; spoken by the man she regarded as the Bright Venerable, this felt like a monumental denial.

Chen Yi waved his hand dismissively:

"If you don't trust me, then leave."

Was the Bright Venerable… expelling her?

The Saintess's mind went blank with a deafening roar. Her body trembled beyond control, her gaze frantic, and she lowered herself even further as though pleading for mercy.

Unable to bear the pressure, she finally broke down, stammering incoherently: "Bright Venerable, Bright Venerable… Zhu E had erred. You are clearly in front of me, and yet I trusted the Bright Venerable in my own heart. Yet no matter how wrong I am, Zhu E's devotion is unequivocal. I plead… I plead for your mercy."

Chen Yi regarded the scene with faint satisfaction.

Zhu E's allegiance was premised on the assumption that he was the Bright Venerable.

But he wasn't yet the Bright Venerable. If one day the truth about the Demon Sect came to light, this seemingly devoted Zhu E might betray him.

For this reason, Chen Yi needed Zhu E to trust not the "Bright Venerable" she believed him to be, but him as an individual.

Lowering himself halfway, Chen Yi gently stroked Zhu E's cheek,

"Enough, I merely wanted you to understand. Why must the Princess panic so?"

Feeling the man's tender touch, Zhu E's eyes grew moist, on the verge of tears. The kindness now, after the earlier ordeal, stirred her emotions to a fever pitch.

"If someday, others claim I'm not the Bright Venerable, would I truly cease to be the Bright Venerable in your eyes?"

Chen Yi spoke softly:

"Do not trust the Bright Venerable described by others. Trust the real me."

The Saintess froze briefly before contemplating his words and ultimately reached enlightenment.

She transitioned from tears to laughter, her voice trembling: "Thank you, Bright Venerable, for your guidance. Zhu E has gained clarity."

Seeing her epiphany, Chen Yi felt a greater sense of satisfaction.

Straightening himself, he asked:

"When will Qin Qingluo return?"

"Probably… not long. A stick or two of incense should suffice." Zhu E replied respectfully.

"Go fetch some wine." Chen Yi said lightly, "Let's have some flower wine together, Princess."

Hearing this, Zhu E's cheeks reddened slightly, yet her steps were light. She raised the curtain and moved deeper into the tent. Moments later, she returned with a fine pitcher of wine.

"Do you know why I asked you to bring wine?" Chen Yi asked with a half-smile.

"Zhu E doesn't know," she answered softly.

Chen Yi said casually: "Because soon, I want you to help me… harm Qin Qingluo."

Zhu E's delicate face froze; her fingers holding the wine trembled lightly. Her expression twisted with conflict as thoughts surged through her mind.

After all, Qin Qingluo was her kin, her husband in name.

As Zhu E prepared to speak...

"Don't you trust me?" With just a simple question, her protest was cut short.

Zhu E hesitated briefly before nodding slightly: "I trust you. It's just… Qingluo is Zhu E's only true family in this world…"

"I know that.

Chen Yi approached leisurely, his tone tender as he whispered into her ear:

"But did you know… I prefer Qin Qingluo over you?"

With that, his hand gently pressed against Zhu E's chest.

Zhu E froze in disbelief, staring at Chen Yi.

His expression remained calm, revealing nothing of his true intentions.

Chen Yi needed Zhu E's unwavering loyalty...

Loyalty so absolute that she would betray Qin Qingluo without hesitation…