Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 415: Qinghe Lianshan, Mountans and Rivers

The ancient Black Tortoise was known for using a sword. However, the supposed Bodhisattva had never expected the Black Tortoise in front of her to suddenly pull out Azure Dragon’s sword.

The lotus platform that she occupied was also a source of life force, but it was meant to sustain life. Dragon Emperor, on the other hand, was meant for battle.

Among the four idols, when it came to the ones that could most effectively counter her current form, Azure Dragon would be second only to Vermillion Bird.

One represented life, the other death.

The current holder of the Vermillion Bird title had not yet reached the point where she embodied the death aspect inherent in her constellation. She was still focused on the more conventional understanding of flames; otherwise, Maitreya would have long since been instantly annihilated.

But the sword that Black Tortoise had drawn was the true ancient weapon that once belonged to the ancient Azure Dragon himself! The life force it emitted was so overwhelmingly powerful that even the Bodhisattva found herself nearly unable to muster any strength when it came into contact with her.

Fortunately, the life force from the lotus platform counteracted much of it; otherwise, she would have lost without even being able to put up a fight.

Bang!

The demonic hand struck the sword, and the Bodhisattva let out a wretched scream. Lady Three also let out a muffled groan, staggering back from the impact.

Everything has two sides. Although the Bodhisattva’s current state was heavily restrained by everyone, the frailty of her previous Mingfei body was no longer an issue. The strike was immensely powerful, demonstrating the true strength of a corpse demon.

This was the purpose of her transformation. If not for the fact that she was being restrained, she would have been incredibly difficult to defeat.

Buzz!

A mind-shattering explosion reverberated in everyone’s minds simultaneously, causing each of them to groan. While some managed to handle it better, the weaker among those present, such as Zhao Changhe and Fa Chi, began bleeding from their orifices.

Zhao Changhe had come to fend off the protectors, but the ones with weaker cultivation did not even need him to stop them. They were all shattered by the explosion, leaving behind only dried corpses controlled by gu.

In the next moment, a flurry of golden coins filled the air as Ying Five freed his hands, dispatching all enemies with a single move. “Leave this place.”

No further prompting was needed. Both Zhao Changhe and Fa Chi understood the gravity of the situation, and they began retreating out of the secret realm while continuing their fight.

Why would they bother trying to fight in this place? This was not a battleground where those who were merely on the Ranking of Man could survive.

Before leaving, Zhao Changhe glanced back to see that the tactics being used in the battle had changed.

Ying Five no longer engaged the corpse demon up close. Instead, he was relentlessly throwing coins, filling the air with golden light that reminded Zhao Changhe of Risking It All[1]. He could only imagine what it was like to be on the receiving end of such an attack as a corpse demon.

Lady Three, with her eyes closed, focused on protecting herself, while Dragon Emperor flew on its own, hacking away at the corpse demon.

A monk and a Daoist priest formed a formation and chanted scriptures that continuously weakened the corpse demon’s aura.

There was even a golden bell in place, shielding everyone from the corpse demon’s area-of-effect attacks.

The corpse demon shrieked furiously, “You dare call yourselves the best of this era? Such cowardice! Fight me head-on if you dare!”

The group remained silent. How does one become the best of anything? By surviving.

The corpse demon was impervious to weapons and possessed immense strength, but what made it truly loathsome was that it did not feel pain when it was struck. Meanwhile, living humans like them would have their combat effectiveness severely diminished if they suffered even so much as a scratch, given the venom of the corpse demon. Who in their right mind would face it head-on?

Cui Wenjing and Yang Jingxiu exchanged glances and both sighed. Their sword spirits were not quite up to par.

How did we end up being overshadowed by a woman from a demonic cult and a gang member?! Are they the only ones with treasures?

In any case, they had to do what they could. Fortunately, even though their sword spirits had not fully recovered, they were strong enough to at least be somewhat useful in battle.

The Qinghe Sword and Lianshan Sword flew into the air simultaneously, targeting the lotus platform.

Why did the corpse demon always remain inside the secret realm? Because it was just a remnant soul without a true body, and its strength had not reached the level of true immortality like some other ancient entities. Without the support of the lotus platform, it was likely to dissipate on its own.

Even the significantly stronger four idols of the ancient era had perished back then, so how could the corpse demon have survived otherwise?

The key to this battle was to sever the connection between the corpse demon and the lotus platform. Otherwise, it was likely to remain indestructible, making all their efforts futile.

The two swords combined, following which purple and golden light intertwined and shot toward the lotus platform.

The corpse demon did not bother to block them. A loud clang echoed as the swords struck the platform, unable to leave even a scratch.

The corpse demon laughed mockingly. “Fools! Do you have any idea of the true might of ancient treasures?”

But its laughter abruptly got stuck in its throat. It quickly swatted away Dragon Emperor and dodged Risking It All, then looked down at the lotus platform in shock.

What’s going on?

It could feel that the flow of life force from the platform to itself was genuinely being interrupted. Yet, the lotus platform itself clearly remained unharmed.

How? Just what exactly are they doing?

Wait! They aren’t attacking the lotus platform itself!

The Qinghe Sword represents the vast rivers, while the Lianshan Sword represents the mountains. Together, what do they symbolize? The mountains and rivers of the mortal realm! They’re channeling the essence of the world’s geography, tapping into the deep-rooted connection of land and lineage passed down through millennia.

They were shifting the energy of the earth’s veins, disrupting the link between the lotus platform and the corpse demon!

If this continued, there would not even be any need to fight. The corpse demon would gradually fade away on its own. It would no longer be able to maintain its form. As for Maitreya’s body, which it had prepared for itself, it was being held out of reach.

The corpse demon was frustrated beyond belief. Not only were its opponents highly skilled, but the treasures they wielded were also devastatingly effective against it. One after another, their weapons seemed designed to exploit its weaknesses.

Even if it were someone as formidable as the Golden Horde Khagan Timur or the Divine Brilliance Sect’s Li Shentong, the corpse demon would not be as troubled as it was now. Those guys were straightforward brutes, but they were straightforward, first and foremost. Yet it had ended up facing this bizarre bunch! It felt like it had truly run into some supernatural beings!

In the midst of the chaos, the corpse demon extended its senses, and it realized something.

Maitreya was struggling along the fiery path, already nearing the base of Kuaiji Mountain.

If Maitreya was too far, the corpse demon might be intercepted by these demon-exorcizing, monster-slaying freaks if it tried to abandon its body and take over Maitreya’s. But if Maitreya just got a bit closer, then they would have trouble stopping it from taking over the body.

As long as it could successfully enter Maitreya’s body, not even this bizarre bunch could stand against its power then.

Just one more step.

* * *

Zhao Changhe and Fa Chi fought their way out of the secret realm and immediately saw Maitreya struggling through the dangers of fire and sword qi.

Despite everything, Fa Chi’s mental state was actually better than Maitreya’s. His spiritual platform had not been scorched by Vermillion Bird, and the gu had melded with his mind almost seamlessly. He did not even realize he was being controlled; his thoughts were as clear as ever.

Zhao Changhe finally spoke, “Seeing something like this, and the monster your so-called Bodhisattva has become, do you still believe in your faith?”

Fa Chi replied, “Only the foolish masses are deceived by appearances. The Bodhisattva is eternal and immortal—what else could it be but divine?”

Zhao Changhe replied with a harsh “To hell with that.”

Trying to reason with these brainwashed fools is a mistake.

He felt the urgency rising within him. Although he did not know the exact situation inside the secret realm, he could deduce that the corpse demon had prepared Maitreya’s body for itself so that it could escape its frail Mingfei body.

Maitreya’s cultivation was no joke. If the ancient remnant soul merged with his body, its third phase would not just be a tough fight; not only was there a distinct possibility that it would become able to kill them all, but even if they won, casualties would be inevitable.

I have to stop it.

He could not intervene in the intense battle within the secret realm, but Maitreya was still within his capabilities. From Maitreya’s current condition, it was clear that both Vermillion Bird and Tang Wanzhuang were fighting to the absolute limit, and they were just a hair away from tipping the scales.

And that tipping point?

It lay between him and Fa Chi.

The outcome of this duel between two masters on the Ranking of Man could determine the outcome of the Maitreya’s battle. Whether Maitreya reached the secret realm could, in turn, determine the outcome of the corpse demon’s battle.

But Fa Chi was not going to be talked down. Zhao Changhe would have to fight him.

Zhao Changhe had not been idle, of course. He had been battling Fa Chi all along, and it had been going on for a while now. It was a genuinely tough fight.

Fa Chi was ranked thirty-eight on the Ranking of Man, a formidable opponent even under normal circumstances. Now, with his strength boosted and defense reinforced, Zhao Changhe could hardly gain the upper hand at all.

But he had no choice; he not only had to win, he had to win fast! He could not allow Maitreya to get any closer!

Zhao Changhe’s eyes turned blood-red.

No Man’s Land!

1. The raws here use 乾坤一掷, which basically refers to the act of playing for all or nothing. ☜