Chapter 5: The Sworn Enemy’s Burden

Cheng Lan, with Qin Jinxuan on his back, moved swiftly through the colossal trees.

Muddy ground, slick rocks, and towering thickets – obstacles that would render ordinary people immobile – were nothing more than phantom barriers to him.

“Cheng… Cheng Lan-xuesheng…” Qin Jinxuan, finally somewhat accustomed to his astonishing speed, spoke cautiously from his back, primarily to avoid biting her tongue.

“You said you’re a reborn individual. Did we… know each other in our previous lives?” she whispered, her tone laced with a hint of trepidation, and a touch of curiosity and anticipation she herself hadn’t quite recognized.

“Heh.” Cheng Lan scoffed, “We weren’t just acquainted; we were as familiar with each other as could be!”

Qin Jinxuan paused, slightly taken aback by Cheng Lan’s reply.

She recalled how Cheng Lan had guided her through various dangers along the way, always teasing her with his words, yet constantly looking after her actions.

Coupled with his recent assertion of their extreme familiarity… could their relationship in their previous lives have been truly extraordinary?

At this thought, Qin Jinxuan felt a faint blush creep onto her cheeks, and her heart quickened a beat.

“So… what kind of relationship did we have in our previous lives?” she inquired softly, her voice tinged with shyness and a hint of curiosity.

“Sworn enemies,” Cheng Lan replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“Eh? What was that?” Qin Jinxuan feigned not hearing, asking again.

“Sworn enemies,” Cheng Lan reiterated.

He paused, then continued, “In my previous life, I was just one step away from completing the Stairway to Godhood and becoming the strongest, when, thanks to you, I was pulled down.”

‘Eh!!!!! Could it be—their relationship in the previous life was actually quite terrible?!’

“I… I’m sorry.” Qin Jinxuan was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say, so she offered an apology on behalf of her past self.

“It’s fine. My skills weren’t up to par; I conceded defeat.”

“Then why are you still saving me? Aren’t we sworn enemies?” Qin Jinxuan secretly glanced at Cheng Lan’s profile, a remarkably handsome combination of features, though she had never seen any rich expression on that attractive face.

“You are my sworn enemy, certified by me as the ‘strongest.’ If I don’t personally defeat you and then crush you beneath my heel, how can I prove the true worth of my ‘strongest’ title?” Cheng Lan stated nonchalantly.

“Besides, I’m not saving you for nothing.

Based on my judgment, it was precisely because you awakened your ability one day earlier than me in our previous life that I couldn’t decisively suppress you at the final moment.

Therefore, this time I’m personally intervening to resolve the crisis that would have made you awaken your ability, ensuring you won’t awaken it today.

Then, in our ultimate showdown, the title of ‘strongest’ will undoubtedly belong to me.”

“Still, to think that the future female Sword Immortal currently looks like such a little girl, I really should record this on my phone.I’ll play it back for you once you’ve grown up.Haha!” Cheng Lan chuckled to himself.

“Haha…” Qin Jinxuan offered a couple of dry laughs in response, her mouth twitching slightly.

‘Perhaps you should just leave me here to fend for myself.’

‘You saved me just to collect my embarrassing past, and then beat me up badly in the future?’

‘Haki Lan  you scoundrel.’

She muttered incessantly in her mind.

“Hearing you say that, was I… actually very strong in my previous life?” Qin Jinxuan blinked, shifting the topic.

“Compared to 99% of the people on Blue Star, yes, that’s true,” Cheng Lan nodded. “But compared to me, you were still just a little bit lacking.”

‘So how exactly did I manage to pull you down from that so-called Stairway to Godhood back then?!’

“Then what was your impression of me in my previous life?” Qin Jinxuan was also very curious about what kind of person she had ultimately become in her past life.

“Ermm,” Cheng Lan pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, “A peerless Ice Sword Immortal, ‘Three-Nos’ , and ‘Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic’ .”

‘That’s so different from how I am now!’

‘What on earth did my past self go through to be described by you as ‘Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic’!’

Qin Jinxuan inwardly complained.

“Tsk!” Just as Qin Jinxuan was still pondering what her past self had endured, Cheng Lan’s clicking sound suddenly reached her ears.

“Hold on tight! I’m speeding up!”

“What’s wrong?!”

“That little tyrant has caught our scent again and is giving chase.”

“Little what…?” Before Qin Jinxuan could respond, Cheng Lan spontaneously increased his running pace.

The young girl immediately clamped her mouth shut to avoid biting her tongue.

Boom! Boom! Boom! However, they hadn’t run far when heavy footsteps echoed from behind them, growing steadily louder.

“Oh, for Buddha’s sake!  We don’t have any ‘Jizhi Tangjiang’  on us, and our meat isn’t even good quality, so why won’t it leave us alone?” Cheng Lan couldn’t help but complain.

Cheng Lan, tracking the faint, flickering psionic energy fluctuations in the air, desperately sprinted towards the boundary of the World Rifts.

Yet, even with his current physical prowess, comparable to that of a top athlete, being hunted by a colossal creature moving at 34 kilometers per hour while carrying another person still left him feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The heavy footsteps grew nearer with each passing second.

Soon, accompanied by the crashing of trees, a black Tyrannosaurus Rex burst forth from the forest.

With its superior vision, it quickly locked onto its relentless prey.

“Roar!” After a deafening roar, it suddenly accelerated, charging furiously towards the two.

Qin Jinxuan, clinging to Cheng Lan’s back, repeatedly glanced over her shoulder, watching the massive silhouette draw incrementally closer, her heart pounding in sync with its approach.

“Cheng Lan-xuesheng, just leave me behind.

You’re so strong; you can definitely escape on your own,” she offered.

“Huh? Are you questioning my abilities?” Cheng Lan retorted, simultaneously tightening his grip on the girl’s legs, fearing she might actually try to jump off his back.

“But…”

“Enough.Watch me work.”

With that, Cheng Lan swiftly altered his strategy, weaving back and forth among the colossal trees in the rainforest, playing a game of ‘King Qin Circles the Pillar’.

Under his expert maneuvering, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was left dizzy and disoriented, allowing the two to put some distance between themselves and the beast.

‘Almost there!’

Cheng Lan sensed the psionic energy fluctuations in the air, mentally calculating the distance—they were less than a kilometer from the World Rifts’ boundary!

“Roar!” The Tyrannosaurus Rex suddenly burst out from the flank, its cavernous mouth agape, lunging to bite the two.

‘Damn it!’ Cheng Lan swiftly dodged, then resumed his frantic sprint towards the finish line.

‘No… no matter how flashy his footwork, he still couldn’t outrun the dinosaur while carrying someone.’

“Qin Jinxuan!” he suddenly called out, “I’ll put you down in a moment.

You just keep running straight down this path, and you’ll get back.

I’ll draw it away!”

“No!” she refused almost instinctively.

“Are you insane?!” Cheng Lan couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“With you on my back, I can’t even use my abilities; it’s practically impossible to maneuver!Be obedient, go home.Don’t meddle in adult affairs.”

Qin Jinxuan bit her lip tightly.

Although she knew Cheng Lan was right—she was currently nothing but a burden.

Yet, recalling how he had protected her throughout their journey, even at this critical juncture between life and death, willingly taking on the risk of drawing away the Tyrannosaurus Rex just to ensure her safe return… a profound sense of unwillingness welled up within her.

“If I had a decent weapon, would I be afraid of this little dinosaur of yours?” she heard Cheng Lan grumble.

“Cheng Lan,” she suddenly spoke, “if you had a weapon, could you defeat it?”

“What are you trying to do?” Cheng Lan asked irritably.

“You said that in the future, I’d become a peerless Sword Immortal, right?

So, is my ability related to swords?” Qin Jinxuan felt an unusual calm descend upon her at this critical moment.

“Stop spouting nonsense! My Lady Qin, hurry up and get down and go home!”

“Judging by your reaction, I guess I was right?” The young girl revealed a sly smile, then deliberately loosened one of her hands that had been tightly clutching Cheng Lan.

“Hey! Don’t tell me you’ve awakened your ability, or all my efforts along the way will have been for nothing?!” Cheng Lan frantically twisted his head to glance at the girl behind him.

“Hehe~” This was the first time Qin Jinxuan had seen such a vivid expression on his face.

“If it were that easy for your plan to succeed, would I still be worthy of being your sworn enemy?”

As her words faded, ice crystals rapidly condensed in Qin Jinxuan’s loosened right hand.

A pale blue longsword of ice slowly took shape in her grasp.