Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 486: Seven-Day Blood Curse

At this moment, Yue Hongling was basically in a state of explosive growth.

Amusingly, the factor triggering her explosive growth was not the fighting spirit of a swordsman roused from fighting a formidable enemy but rather her determination not to become a burden to her man.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Zhao Changhe fiercely striking at the Blood Ao’s head. He seemed completely unaffected by the sea of blood; if anything, it even seemed to give him a slight boost. Although his strike appeared to fail to penetrate its defenses, it accurately disrupted the Blood Ao’s connection with heaven and earth.

The insights that Zhao Changhe had achieved in order to reach the first layer of the Profound Mysteries happened to align perfectly with this place. Originally, this wave of blood was not only meant to throw Yue Hongling’s blood and qi into disarray, it was also meant to use vicious qi as a blade, mercilessly tearing apart any lifeform within its range. Yet with Zhao Changhe’s slash, his saber halted the chaotic flow of blood, and the surrounding vicious qi calmed.

It was Bloodied Mountains and Rivers versus Bloodies Mountains and Rivers, both sides drew upon the power of blood and vicious qi. However, due to the corpse demon’s interference and suppression, the Blood Ao could not keep up with Zhao Changhe. Even its ability to absorb flesh and blood to heal itself had become significantly weakened. Its eyelid, which had been wounded by Yue Hongling earlier, was still bleeding.

However, Zhao Changhe frowned, unsatisfied with the power of his attack. This strike only limited the Blood Ao’s control over the environment. It ultimately failed to break through its defenses, and the outcome was far from ideal.

Regardless, Zhao Changhe had done his part, while she, Yue Hongling, had yet to truly achieve anything substantial. She had been his guide, and it had not been long since then. She found herself wondering if she would soon become a burden to him.

I’m not letting that happen!

The thought that her purpose had been reduced by half was unbearable. With this feeling burning inside her, she thrust her sword, and it truly felt as if the heavens were responding. It seemed that with her strike, the setting sun dipped beneath the mountain’s peak.

Although it was not quite enough to allow her to break through to the next layer in the midst of battle, this strike came very close to reaching the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. It not only wounded the Blood Ao physically but struck at its spiritual platform as well.

The sharp sword qi penetrated its forehead, causing the Blood Ao to howl in pain. A crack appeared in the connection between its spiritual platform and its physical body, which had never fully fused.

The corpse demon was overjoyed, and a wisp of black qi seeped out from the gu and into the Blood Ao’s wound.

The corpse demon was elated, yet Yue Hongling suffered. In the instant that the corpse demon’s hold on the Blood Ao was released, a wave of blood surged from the Blood Ao’s mouth. Yue Hongling, who was too close to avoid it, was hit hard. She was sent flying like a broken kite, her blood scattering across the sky.

“Damn it!” Zhao Changhe felt his heart clench and was about to rush forward to assist her when a massive force swept over, making it difficult for him to maintain his footing. He stumbled several steps before managing to regain his balance.

Raising his head to have a look at what was going on, he saw the Blood Ao thrashing wildly, its four legs pulling free from the Ao Pool and stomping onto solid ground as it rampaged around.

The mountain shook violently, and the ground quaked.

Deep within its spiritual platform, two souls were fighting madly for control of the Blood Ao’s body, and it had lost all awareness, attacking every living thing in sight with a primal urge to replenish its missing flesh.

Boom!

The Blood Ao crashed toward Zhao Changhe, who flipped through the air, narrowly dodging it as it slammed into the rocky edge of the pool, shattering giant boulders as if they were tofu.

Bang!

Meanwhile, Yue Hongling finally landed. As she looked up, she saw the Blood Ao frenziedly charging toward her.

She was in a terrible state right now; her blood and qi were in disarray, her insides churning, and even blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. With the condition she was in, how could she possibly dodge the incoming attack?

Zhao Changhe suddenly dashed over, scooping up Yue Hongling and carrying her away. The Blood Ao’s charge narrowly missed them, yet it still managed to unleash a wave of energy that sent them rolling across the ground, causing them to nearly crash into a massive boulder at the cliff’s edge. Zhao Changhe’s grip on Yue Hongling loosened from the impact, and they both coughed up blood, scattering to either side.

The corpse demon’s voice echoed through the blood waves, transmitting its thoughts, “That strike you aimed at its crown earlier—do it again! If you can wound its skull and sever its connection to heaven and earth, I can drive this bastard out for good! Rest assured, as long as I’m in this deadlock, the Ao won’t retract its head. It will just thrash around!”

The corpse demon’s voice echoed through the void, reverberating within Zhao Changhe’s head. He looked up and indeed saw the frenzied Blood Ao charging out of the mountain.

Outside the mountain, countless Spirit Tribe members and Xia soldiers were still engaged in battle. When they saw the Blood Ao charging toward them, they were all struck dumb with fear.

How many people would die, crushed by that monstrous charge?

Enduring the pain from her broken bones, Yue Hongling leaped back up, landing on the Blood Ao’s head, ready to stab it with her sword. But the Blood Ao violently shook, throwing her off.

Zhao Changhe sprang forward, seizing the moment when the Blood Ao was vulnerable, and slashed down with all his might onto its head.

The blood wave parted, and his saber cut into the Ao’s head, breaking through the skin but leaving the skull undamaged.

Not enough... My attack power isn’t enough...

Zhao Changhe gripped the folds of the Blood Ao’s head tightly, desperately maintaining his hold amidst the violent thrashing. Looking into the gash he had made, he could just barely see a narrow gap where the skull was exposed.

Breaking through that point might have been possible, but only if Yue Hongling had been uninjured.

He could not do it himself. It required gathering all his strength into a single point, and his control of sword qi was too coarse to achieve such precision.

To achieve such fine, pinpoint sharpness, he needed to reach the second level of the Blood Asura Body.

Li Shentong pointed out that body tempering had specific aspects it focused on for each level. The second level of the Blood Asura Body was tailored for this very task. Zhao Changhe’s practice of the sword was also aimed at this point. He had completed all the prerequisites, honed his sword intent, and had his blood and flesh improved by the Heavenly Blood Jade. Everything was ready, save for the Sharp Blade Grass that would sharpen sword intent and temper his blood and qi.

He had the pills containing Sharp Blade Grass in hand, but he did not dare to take it.

Looking at the people fleeing in panic before him and the sight of Sisi charging over desperately, madness appeared in Zhao Changhe’s eyes.

This Sharp Blade Sword Pill... Consuming it might result in my body being torn apart, but it’s a sliver of hope nonetheless.

On the other hand, not consuming it spells certain death, the Spirit Tribe would fall, and even Hongling will die...

There was no choice to be made here. Zhao Changhe quickly pulled out one of the pills and swallowed it.

Seeing him from afar, Yue Hongling rushed over, her face stricken. “Are you insane?!”

Zhao Changhe panted, murmuring, “It’s the final step. How could I give up so easily?”

Swish, swish, swish!

Countless strands of sword qi erupted violently inside his body, piercing outward. In an instant, Zhao Changhe became a man drenched in blood, his body riddled with holes.

He roared in agony, clutching the folds of the Blood Ao’s head tightly.

As Sisi rushed toward him frantically, she felt as if a heavy hammer had struck her heart, nearly causing her to stumble.

On the sacred mountain, across the plains, countless people stared in stunned silence. They could not understand why this foreign man was fighting so desperately for them.

Among the Xia soldiers that Sisi had brought from outside the secret realm, a few whispered, “Is that... Is that Blood Asura, Zhao Changhe, on that turtle’s head?”

“It should be, with that broad saber and the scar. But why is he so full of blood?”

“Isn’t he even more of a Blood Asura now?”

“He can’t be human, in any case; he must be a god or a demon! How can a person endure that agony? And he’s still fighting!”

Zhao Changhe could not see Yue Hongling or Sisi’s reactions, nor could he hear the awe of those around him. The pain of being pierced by countless swords had obliterated all other thoughts, leaving only a single obsession echoing within his mind: This is body cultivation. Soaking in medicinal baths used to be painful, too; this is just a bit more intense.

Ignoring the rampaging sword qi, he sought the Sharp Blade Grass’s medicinal properties, guiding the sword qi into his blood and qi, refining his flesh little by little, transforming the raging river of energy within him into thousands of sharp threads. The river of energy within his body converged with the sword qi, rebuilding his body

I’ve laid a solid enough foundation with the Heavenly Blood Jade. I can pull this off. As long as I endure this pain and keep my mind from being distracted... but... it’s so difficult...

Zhao Changhe’s consciousness began to blur, his vision hazy with blood, gritting his teeth and holding on with sheer willpower.

Endure it!

At that moment, the pain suddenly eased.

Zhao Changhe glanced inward in surprise. It was not that the pain had reduced, but rather that his internal energy had dropped by more than half, weakening the raging sword qi so much that he could withstand it with just his physical body.

What happened? How did that hellish sword qi torture suddenly turn into a mild cold?

* * *

Far away in Wushan.

Ever since the Blood Ao emerged, the Blood God Array Plate in the secret cave had been trembling violently, as if resonating with something.

Xue Canghai, drenched in sweat, led the members of the cult in forming a formation to suppress it. None of the Blood God Cult’s members could understand what was causing the sacred artifact’s rampage, but they held it down as best they could. Otherwise, Wushan itself may be overturned.

In the midst of this chaos, a cultist rushed in anxiously and reported, “Cult Leader! Someone’s come to the mountain, and he’s extremely arrogant.”

A clear voice echoed through the mountains, “Where is Xue Canghai? Wang Daozhong from Langya has come to pay a visit!”

Xue Canghai was both furious and anxious. The sacred artifact was out of control, and he was already at his wits’ end. Most of his forces were in Xiangyang, leaving Wushan undermanned. Now, at this critical moment, a powerful enemy had arrived.

Is this the end of the Blood God Cult?

Before he could sort out his thoughts, he heard the screams of the guards outside, all of them kicked away by Wang Daozhong with ease.

Wang Daozhong entered with his hands behind his back, looking up at the array plate and smiling casually. “Looks like you’re having some trouble, huh? Hm, that wasn’t my doing, just a coincidence. There’s no need to glare at me like that.”

Xue Canghai coldly asked, “What is the purpose of your visit, Mister Wang?”

Wang Daozhong replied, “So this is the foundation of Zhao Changhe’s cultivation, huh? My Wang Clan wants it. If Zhao Changhe has the guts, he can come to Langya to take it back.”

“Fuck off!” Even Vermillion Bird doesn’t dare seize our sacred artifact! Who do you think you are, you piece of shit?! Xue Canghai was furious, and he immediately resorted to the Blood God Saber. “We’ll die together, then!”

“Die together? Are you even worthy?” Wang Daozhong chuckled, casually thrusting his sword at the weakened Xue Canghai.

But just then, Wang Daozhong’s expression changed dramatically.

Suddenly, his blood and qi surged violently. His internal organs felt like they were being wrung, and he nearly convulsed from the pain. His true qi scattered, leaving him extremely weak.

The power behind his sword vanished entirely.

The Blood God Saber effortlessly sent Wang Daozhong’s sword flying. Xue Canghai was momentarily stunned, then broke into an ecstatic grin. “Who’s the fool putting on airs here? Die!”

Clang!

Wang Daozhong mustered the last bit of strength, slapped the side of Xue Canghai’s saber, deflecting it, and staggered away.

He was utterly bewildered. “Who could have poisoned me?”

* * *

In Miaojiang, beside his sickbed, Lei Zhentang painstakingly donned a robe and chanted. In front of him was a straw doll, a red paper with Wang Daozhong’s name and birthdate affixed to it. The doll was smeared with Zhao Changhe’s blood, left behind in the lake. The curse had been chanted for seven days before it finally took effect.

At that moment, both Zhao Changhe and Wang Daozhong felt the effects of the shared damage, and their internal energy was simultaneously depleted.

Thanks to the preventive medicine given by Sisi, Zhao Changhe fared a bit better, only experiencing a drop in energy, with no harm to his body. Meanwhile, Wang Daozhong felt his insides burning. He coughed up blood, fleeing a thousand li southwest while being pursued relentlessly by the members of the Blood God Cult.