Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 329: Blood Asura Body

Huangfu Qing had not expected this. She knew that he needed the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng to refine a certain physique, but she never really knew just what it was or how formidable it might be.

She had envisioned a serene scene of the two of them exchanging energy through kisses, cultivating together in a beautifully intimate environment. Instead, it quickly devolved into a bear-like man aggressively gnawing on her, almost as if he wanted to tear her apart.

Even with how well-informed she was as Vermillion Bird, she had never seen or heard of someone with such a powerful physique at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate.

His explosive muscles, overflowing blood and qi, and the oppressive and aggressive aura emanating from him were simply overwhelming.

Huangfu Qing had to quietly use more than the usual strength of someone at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate to resist him, yet he actually still easily pinned her wrists above her head with one hand.

He, who was at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, actually seemed like an adult holding down a child when facing her, leaving her utterly powerless.

Is he really only at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate?

Huangfu Qing realized that if she was going to only continue using her persona as the Fire Serpent of Yi, refraining from using the power belonging to Vermillion Bird, she would be no match for his strength.

Fortunately, they were not actually fighting. If they were, then she would really be forced to use her real strength.

She just needed to stare at him with a reproachful gaze, and he awkwardly backed down. “Uh, I didn’t mean it. This medicine was just really potent, and my strength is overflowing right now...”

Huangfu Qing’s face remained expressionless. “Let go, my wrists hurt.”

Zhao Changhe sheepishly released her.

Huangfu Qing clapped her hands. “And where do you think your other hand is touching?”

Zhao Changhe reluctantly pulled his other hand away.

“There’s really nothing I can do about you,” muttered Huangfu Qing. She knew that it really had not all been intentional. The effects of the medicine were indeed quite overpowering, but some issues still had to be addressed.

She pursed her lips and subconsciously glanced around. With the heart flame gone, the place had become pitch dark.

There’s no way Xia Chichi could be here.

In the dark room, her heartbeat echoed, adding a sense of wanton indulgence.

He’s in so much discomfort...

Huangfu Qing lowered her voice. “Would it be okay if I used my hand?”

Zhao Changhe did not dare refuse and obediently lay to the side. As Huangfu Qing leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, her delicate hands moved down. “Don’t move, be good, big sister will take care of you.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

The heart flame had been absorbed, and the secret realm was engulfed in darkness. Using his vision that could still somewhat see in the dark, he could see that Huangfu Qing’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were filled with tenderness.

Her hands, which were usually used for killing, now gently calmed his fire. Meanwhile, his hand moved underneath her clothes, but she did not pull away.

Just this psychological experience was already unparalleled. There was no need for him to push for more.

And it was not like he could push for more. Huangfu Qing’s willingness to do this much was already a significant step. Just a few hours ago, she was insisting that they had no such relationship.

Is she... acknowledging her feelings now?

Unfortunately, there’s still a considerable distance between acknowledging feelings and going further. In modern times, a girl might take a long time from agreeing to be someone’s girlfriend to actually getting intimate. How much more so for a noblewoman with much more traditional and dated values, especially one in a position of power and obligations to a cult?

How could she easily let go of everything? Even now, she’s maintaining the demeanor of an older sister in control...

“What are you thinking about?” Huangfu Qing looked into his eyes, half-smiling. “Are you enjoying being served by your big sister, or are you plotting how to coax this obstinate woman into bed?”

Zhao Changhe, no longer the clueless man he once was, now understood how to respond in such situations.

He said nothing, simply holding her gently and kissing her forehead.

The affection and encouragement conveyed in such a gesture were more powerful than any words.

Huangfu Qing pouted slightly. She had been growing tired of the repetitive labor, but now she felt happy again and continued.

“I must have been possessed...” she whispered softly in Zhao Changhe’s. “It’s all this heart flame’s fault. You can’t tell anyone about this when we leave.”

The corners of Zhao Changhe’s mouth twitched. Who would I even tell this to?

“Have you ever...” Huangfu Qing bit her lower lip and whispered in his ear. “done it with Tang Wanzhuang?”

I knew it...

Zhao Changhe said awkwardly, “No... no, I haven’t.”

“Not even this?”

“We really haven’t done anything...”

“So she’s all noble and mighty, while I’m just an easy woman, right?” Huangfu Qing’s hand tightened.

Zhao Changhe winced. “No, it’s not...”

Huangfu Qing’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “How about I help you get her?”

At this moment, she was finally looking more like a witch, but there was no good response to this. It was a trap.

Zhao Changhe was not stupid and responded righteously, “Not to mention that there isn’t even anything between Tang Wanzhuang and me, with you by my side, how could I think of other women?”

“Really?” Huangfu Qing knew that he was not being entirely truthful, but she was satisfied with his answer. She then playfully bit his ear and whispered, “Then... What about our saintess? Have you done it with her?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “No... That fierce venerable watched too closely. Sooner or later, I will... Ow!”

Huangfu Qing gritted her teeth from anger, but she knew that she could not show her true feelings. She pretended to speak in a seductive voice, “You’re still cursing the venerable? But wasn’t it her who sent me to your side?”

Hearing this, Zhao Changhe had to acknowledge that it was the truth, despite his misgivings toward Vermillion Bird. He could only say, “Unless she really approves, I suspect that she’ll create more trouble for us once we leave.”

“She won’t,” Huangfu Qing smiled slightly. “The cult would be pleased to see the Fire Serpent of Yi and the Fire Pig of Shi become Dao companions. It might even give them a reason to discourage the saintess from having any further thoughts on romance...”

This provided her with a convenient excuse for being with him. In fact, originally, sending the Fire Serpent of Yi to Zhao Changhe was already with such intentions. The Fire Serpent of Yi had been supposed to foster an ambiguous atmosphere from the beginning. Now, she could simply follow through on that premise.

After all, he did not think she was Vermillion Bird, and the Fire Serpent of Yi was just a front for her. Why could she then not simply let the Fire Serpent be with the Fire Pig of Shi? It might even curb the saintess’ thoughts.

But Zhao Changhe, upon hearing this, opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.

Great, this is going to mess with my relationship with Chichi. How am I supposed to explain things to her when I leave this place?

Speaking of which, while Chichi does not dare lose her temper with Vermillion Bird, what can the Fire Serpent of Yi do if Chichi goes and tries to make her life difficult? Why doesn’t she seem worried about Chichi at all?

Huangfu Qing had not considered this at all. In her habitual thinking, why would she fear Chichi? Seeing Zhao Changhe’s confused expression, she felt a pang of jealousy and grumbled, “What’s taking you so long? My hand is getting tired. You should go and check if there’s something wrong with this lousy body of yours!”

Believe me, in the future, you’ll wish I could last even longer.

But Zhao Changhe was also somewhat concerned about whether his drug-enhanced body had any issues. He decided that he should indeed examine himself, so he let go of the conversation and focused inward.

Upon closer inspection, he confirmed that there was nothing wrong. The Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng was highly compatible with his cultivation, proving that the path suggested by the Heavenly Tome was indeed correct.

Furthermore, he realized that what he previously thought were different systems—a special physique and regular cultivation—were actually extensions of the same path.

External cultivation was inherently about training the muscles and bones to maximize the body’s potential. At the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, one theoretically reached the peak in this aspect. Subsequent cultivation was thus generally seen to be more focused on forming profound connections with the world and the understanding of laws. Did this then mean that cultivation of the body was supposed to just stagnate?

For most on the Ranking of Man, this was indeed the case.

Whether it was Chi Li, Yue Hongling, Hu Lie, or even Vulture Beak, none of them demonstrated an overwhelming physical power. At best, their breakthroughs into the Profound Mysteries allowed them to extend the limits of their bodies, thereby allowing them to accumulate a bit more strength. However, there was never really a qualitative change in their bodies. This was why even Zhao Changhe’s half-baked Blood Asura Body could survive a direct attack from Vulture Beak.

These long-lost special physiques likely represented the evolutionary paths that one could take after establishing a foundation in the ninth layer of the Profound Gate.

His Vicious Blood Art ultimately corresponded to the Blood Asura Body, and Xia Longyuan clearly knew this. That was why he had gifted him the Coagulated Blood Crimson Fruit, which was essential for refining this physique. Despite its name, the fruit did not actually coagulate one’s blood from eating it, but stabilized it for when the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng was consumed, as the latter would cause the blood and qi in one’s body to surge and boil. The Coagulated Blood Crimson Fruit served as the balancing agent, ensuring that the blood was stabilized, which was essential for integrating the powerful effects of the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng

Without the foundation laid by the Coagulated Blood Crimson Fruit, the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng alone would have caused his body to explode. But having first consumed the fruit, the ginseng merely made him a bit overly vigorous in certain respects. A single woman was enough to manage, and even without her, his own right hand would have sufficed.

With this, the foundation of the Blood Asura Body was formed. He could clearly sense that this physique’s path was toward immense strength, the so-called “Dragon-Elephant Power” or “Asura Divine Power.” His agility was not improved by much, but his resilience definitely did experience a significant improvement.

Of course, there was another extremely crucial enhancement—well, a certain specific aptitude had improved remarkably.

After all, what was the dragon-elephant? It had its tendencies.

On a serious note, however, Zhao Changhe suspected that his strength at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate might actually allow him to overpower someone like Tiang Lingzi, who had already unlocked a Profound Mystery, if they were simply competing in raw power. However, in actual combat, agility and martial techniques still mattered, and he might not be able to defeat him then.

After all, foundations were just that. The term “Blood Asura Body” implied an evolution far beyond mere brute strength, His future progress would likely involve developments along the path of vicious blood. He would have to see what the Heavenly Tome suggested next. For now, though, this chapter was complete. If he was not planning to seek a page of the Heavenly Tome in Kunlun, then this trip had already been incredibly fruitful.

Xia Longyuan’s gift, though seemingly inconspicuous, was actually more crucial than the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng.

Upon realizing this, Zhao Changhe felt a mix of emotions.

He did not agree with Xia Longyuan’s actions, but objectively, the man had indeed helped him. Xia Longyuan did not seem to care about his opposition, nor did he seek his gratitude. He simply did what he found interesting.

Is this like how a max-level player would casually boost a newbie, or is it a gesture of goodwill to his potential son-in-law? Or does he have other motives?

Ugh... I can’t believe I’m thinking about Xia Longyuan while the very imperial noble consort is right here helping me out...

Zhao Changhe shivered and finally let go of his worries, among other things.

This at least proved that his body had no problems.