Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 205: Frenzied Saber, Peaceful Sword

Clang!

The head-on collision of the broad saber and the heavy sword announced the end of the warm-up and the beginning of the official confrontation between the eighteenth hidden dragon and the second.

Everyone, including Wang Zhaoling, watched intently.

Although it was said to be an official confrontation, it was not entirely so, as neither side intended to overpower the other with brute force. Their main focus was simply comparing their techniques.

Due to Situ Xia’s prestigious lineage, it was hard to conceal that he was already at the eighth layer of the Profound Gate; it was a fact well known to the world.

On the other hand, few knew that Zhao Changhe had broken through to the sixth layer just two days ago. In everyone’s mind, he was still at the fifth layer, as that was the level at which he had killed the Maitreya Cult’s Fa Sheng just recently.

If Situ Xiao, with his cultivation at the eighth layer, were to overpower Zhao Changhe, who was believed to be at the fifth layer, then there was practically no point in sparring.. What attracted people to martial arts was the opportunity to broaden one’s understanding by witnessing others’ techniques while reinforcing and confirming one’s own insights. Martial artists grew through real battles.

Thus, one said that he hoped the other party would allow him to gain something from the battle, while the other said that he wanted to see how skilfully his opponent used the sword.

Consequently, Situ Xiao restricted his own strength to the fifth layer of the Profound Gate, while Zhao Changhe was happy to not have to reveal his recent breakthrough to the sixth layer and also fought with strength equivalent to the fifth layer.

In a battle between two combatants at the fifth layer, the outcome depended on one’s understanding and application of their techniques, as well as their combat acumen and intuition.

Swoosh!

The heavy sword slashed toward Zhao Changhe’s shoulder in a seemingly ordinary manner, almost as if it were chopping firewood. This strike did not seem particularly fast.

Dragon Bird roared out as Zhao Changhe relied on its longer blade to directly chop at Situ Xiao’s waist.

This strike also didn’t seem anything special.

It was as if they had lost their grandeur and became much less impressive than everyone initially imagined after constraining themselves to the fifth layer.

However, just as some began to think that these two fighters were nothing special, they were stunned to find that even before the sword and saber collided, and even before Situ Xiao’s sword could be seen to change into a defensive stance, the sound of an impact echoed. Those with particularly keen senses noticed that the hilt of the sword had gently tapped the tip of Dragon Bird, deflecting the saber.

“What just happened?” exclaimed the young master of the Dai Clan.

Wang Zhaoling watched intently as the scene unfolded and casually explained, “Situ Xiao’s sword was simply unstoppable... Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that they aren’t anything special just because they’re both fighting at the fifth layer of the profound Gate. There is still a difference in the way that each fighter expresses their skill and strength among peers, not to mention the differences in how each faction applies their strength.

“The Divine Brilliance Sect places focus on physical strength, with much better techniques for expressing explosive bursts of power compared to other forces. Situ Xiao’s slow sword movement just now was actually just him gathering strength. If you think that his sword is easy to block and try to parry it casually, the force that’s unleashed at the moment of contact could easily send your sword flying. This is an expression of skill, and it can also be seen as a way of overpowering one’s opponent with brute force.

“Zhao Changhe’s response is also the best option I can think of. By exploiting the difference in the length of their weapons, he attacked in order to force Situ Xiao to stay on the defensive, thereby dispersing the momentum that Situ Xiao was gathering. Interestingly, there are very few moves like this among saber arts, so he was actually making use of a sword art...

“In fact, what is much more interesting here is how Zhao Changhe incorporated the Tang Clan’s Ripple Refraction Intent into his move. It did not look very fast when he chopped toward Situ Xiao’s waist, but it was actually moving quite a bit faster than it looked. This was the trap he set for Situ Xiao. If Situ Xiao had underestimated him and thought that he could suddenly accelerate his own attack instead of defending, then he would have been the one to suffer injury first.

“In the end, both sides saw through the ideas that the other had and responded perfectly.”

Everyone was silent.

Not to mention finding the best response in an instant, there were probably many people who had ended up falsely thinking that the two of them were nothing special when only using strength at the fifth layer.

Some silently realized that even though they were at the fifth or sixth layer, if it was them in the arena instead, they would have been defeated during that very first exchange.

As they say, experts can see the truth, but the truth can hardly ever be explained in just a few words. Just during the time it took for Wang Zhaoling to explain that first exchange, the two in the arena had already gone through another twenty. Commentary from bystanders had completely lost its meaning.

Fortunately, everyone present was among the top tier of martial artists, and there were very few who actually could not understand anything. Most of them could somewhat grasp the ideas being put into play, and even if they did not get it right away, they could think about it later when they have time. They all watched intently and wordlessly.

The fight in the arena was no longer as slow-paced as it had been when it began. Their movements were extremely swift. One was like a drunken immortal gazing up at the moon, carefree and mysterious, while the other was treading water, elegant and graceful. Yet both of them were wielding heavy weapons weighing tens of jin, creating a stark contrast between lightness and heaviness that was difficult to comprehend. It was truly difficult to understand how these two managed to do it, but it seemed perfectly effortless and normal to them.

Swoosh!

Dragon Bird whizzed past as Situ Xiao twisted in an incredibly deceptive manner, sliding sideways at an angle that seemed impossible, then swiftly pivoting to deliver a sword strike toward Zhao Changhe’s ribs.

The howling wind generated by this strike felt like the wind in a mountain cave during a raging storm. He was no longer taking it easy. He was truly showcasing what it meant to unleash a transcendent sword strike that even someone at the sixth layer would not be able to deal with while only using the strength of someone at the fifth layer.

This was an explosive ultimate technique of the Divine Brilliance Sect: Divinity Descends!

Situ Xiao was simply not one to use all kinds of fancy tricks. He and Zhao Changhe were largely the same. If he were to unleash this strike with his true strength, there would undoubtedly be external manifestations, allowing him to truly display the awe-inspiring might of a divine presence.

At the same time, Zhao Changhe, who had seemingly missed with his attack, ingeniously transformed it from a horizontal slash into a downward chop, meeting Situ Xiao’s sweeping strike head-on.

Clang!

The hall was filled with the prolonged echo of the collision.

The onlookers were astonished to find that Zhao Changhe’s strength could keep up with Situ Xiao’s. He did not show any signs of weakness at all!

Seeing the bloody aura emanating from his saber, along with his eyes that had turned blood red, it was clear that Zhao Changhe was using Scattering the Gods and Buddhas.

He had infused the essence of this ultimate technique into his regular moves, and he was no longer restricted to its original method of operation. Vicious qi, bloodlust, true qi, and physical strength all merged, allowing him to unleash a strike that was no less formidable than the ultimate technique of the Divine Brilliance Sect.

If you summon the might of divinity... then I shall force it to scatter!

Boom!

The residual shockwave of their clash violently spread out, causing nearby cups and bowls to tremble and shake, giving the illusion of an earthquake.

They seem to be getting a bit carried away...

As the two combatants faced each other amidst the clash of blades, they suddenly burst into laughter. “Exhilarating!”

“So strong...”

“Are they really just using power at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate?”

“I’d believe it even if they said they were using power at the seventh layer or higher...”

“If it were me up there, I probably wouldn’t even last...I can’t even tell how long. I might have been able to handle some of the earlier exchanges, but this... Even if I went all out, I wouldn’t be able to manage.”

“It’s normal for Situ Xiao to have such a deep understanding of martial arts. After all, he isn’t really at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate. Also, he’s been famous for so many years... But Zhao Changhe is really just at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate, yet his understanding of martial arts has actually already reached Situ Xiao’s level. Moreover, he’s even got a large arsenal of techniques and seems to have almost no shortcomings...”

“Is this really a battle between the second and eighteenth hidden dragons, and not the second and third?”

Wang Zhaoling: “...”

The third hidden dragon is right here...

But as the two combatants stepped back three paces each, Zhao Changhe raised Dragon Bird and laughed aloud. “Brother Situ, I suppose you also have many ultimate techniques that you’re hesitant to use. I believe that you haven’t had enough yet... I’ll be trying a move out, and I’ll let you be the first to test it!”

Situ Xiao stared at the saber in Zhao Changhe’s hand with great interest, but he immediately made a judgment as Zhao Changhe flicked his wrist, sending Dragon Bird rushing toward him in a peculiar arc.

This was a modified sword art, and Situ Xiao immediately decided on a course of action.

It did not matter in what way the sword art was modified. The fact that Zhao Changhe solemnly issued a warning indicated that this was an ultimate technique. And given that he was willing to casually display it in public, it seemed that he had the confidence that onlookers would not understand the intricacies of the technique, much less know how to counter it.

Sure enough, when Situ Xiao solemnly blocked the saber strike, he discovered that Dragon Bird retreated at the slightest touch, not giving him a chance to land a solid blow, and delivered a second strike with astonishing speed.

As Situ Xiao moved to block the second strike, the third one already arrived.

The strikes came one after another, getting faster and heavier. It was as if he was caught in an endless river, with each wave surging relentlessly, constantly gathering momentum. Each strike seemed to absorb the power of the previous one, causing each following strike to become stronger than the last. By the fourth or fifth, the force had already surpassed even that of the Scattering of the Gods and Buddhas earlier... No, it was more like the power of the Scattering of the Gods and Buddhas was already contained within it.

Situ Xiao suddenly felt overwhelmed, in terms of both speed and strength.

What kind of weird move is this? Why is it allowing him to break through the limitations of his speed and strength?

The momentum is just growing and growing. It’s unstoppable like a raging river!

Suddenly, Situ Xiao remembered a line from the Tome of Troubled Times: “The long river rushes onward unstoppably...”

Isn’t that exactly what’s going on right now?

Yet Situ Xiao still felt exhilarated. The more he blocked, the more exhilarated he felt. He could not help but burst into laughter. “Incredible! This is amazing! Hahaha, what a brilliant sword art!”

As the continuous sound of clanging echoed like pearls falling onto a jade plate, Wang Zhaoling suddenly stood up with a solemn expression.

Beside him, Lu Bingcheng said, “Zhao Changhe’s endless saber momentum feels suffocating even for those of us who are merely watching. It’s truly terrifying... What kind of ultimate technique is this? How in the world is he able to achieve something like this...”

Wang Zhaoling could not answer. He had no idea how Zhao Changhe was doing it either...

This was because this technique was not from one of the martial arts of this era. Rather, it was an ultimate technique created by the Sword Emperor, chosen by Zhao Changhe from among countless other techniques. With that being the case, how could the people of this era recognize it?

“Brother Zhao! Be careful!”

Amidst the battle, Situ Xiao’s booming shout rang out. The onlookers only saw a dazzling brilliance flare at the point where the sword and saber collided, momentarily losing their vision.

This was another ultimate technique of the Divine Brilliance Sect: Divine Brilliance!

As the light faded, Zhao Changhe staggered back several steps. There was a clear bloodstain on his right shoulder, but the injury he had suffered did not seem that serious.

Situ Xiao stood quietly in place, unharmed and unperturbed.

Has the outcome been decided?

Wang Zhaoling was about to speak when he heard Situ Xiao sigh and say, “I’ve lost.”

Wang Zhaoling said, “Huh? But we can clearly see that you aren’t hurt.”

“But I just used power at the seventh layer of the Profound Gate. I could not figure out how to deal with his move while using the same level of power! A loss is a loss!” Situ Xiao laughed heartily. “Excellent saber arts, excellent sword arts! This was incredibly satisfying! Just battle alone makes this trip worthwhile!”

Zhao Changhe, clutching his wound, also laughed. “As I said at the entrance from the moment you slammed the gate open, I knew that I had not made this trip in vain.”

Situ Xiao grabbed a flagon of wine from the table. “Care for a drink?”

Zhao Changhe unfastened the gourd at his waist and gestured, “Please!”

Both of them lifted their flagon and gourd, raising their heads and drinking as if they were alone in this world.

It seemed as if they had not even just gone through an intense battle as the scene resembling the reunion of lifelong friends ensued.

Xia Chichi’s eyes flickered as she saw the old gourd, extremely incongruous with Zhao Changhe’s otherwise decent attire and certainly not befitting of his status.

She suddenly remembered why Zhao Changhe had such an old wine gourd.