Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 155: The Rightful Ruler of Today

Everyone was stunned. Nobody could understand how Zhao Changhe had come from below.

Tang Buqi thought to himself, Appearances truly can be deceiving. So while we were digging through brothels outside, you were actually digging underground? But why are you covered in so much blood? And who is that girl you’re carrying? Is she the maid I gave you? Why does she look nothing like her?

However, the person who was most shocked at the moment was actually Sisi.

Not only was Zhao Changhe injured and covered in blood, but he had just used a skill that would leave him in a weakened state. Normally, anyone in his condition would want to rest and recuperate, but he was now swinging his saber fiercely, as if his injuries and state of weakness were irrelevant.

This ferocity contrasted starkly with his previous calm demeanor when they were solving the case. Sisi could not fathom how these two incredibly different personas could coexist in a single person.

Bang!

With a resounding bang, Dragon Bird heavily struck the ancient sword. However, instead of the jarring sound of metal clashing, what reverberated was the crisp yet somewhat dampened sound of a violent collision of energy!

The ancient sword swayed slightly. Zhao Changhe flipped backward, then rebounded off of a rock, launching himself back toward the sword as he swung his saber once again!

Despite a slight difference in strength, he could still hold his own!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ancient sword surprisingly slashed horizontally and vertically, using simple sword moves. It was as if someone invisible was actually holding the sword as it engaged Zhao Changhe’s Dragon Bird in a back-and-forth battle. With each clash, sword qi scattered around them, as if the sword was a wild animal losing fur as it engaged another animal in battle.

Meanwhile, Tang Buqi and the others were struggling merely resisting the sword qi.

Is this how one man and one sword engage in battle against one another? Where is its weak point? Does it even have one? Hell, how is he even able to fight against it?

The ancient sword gave off a sensation that it was utterly undefeatable. It gave off the impression that it would crush anyone and anything that collided with it. Tang Buqi even doubted whether Tang Wanzhuang or Maitreya could face off against it, so how exactly was someone like Zhao Changhe, who was much weaker than them, able to be so evenly matched against such a fearsome sword?

However, Tang Wanzhuang and Maitreya, who were in the midst of a fierce battle, knew what was going on.

The power of this ancient sword really was not as great as everyone thought.

Firstly, it was not the personal divine sword of the Sword Emperor. Instead, this ancient sword was merely made up of the sword qi that was left in the tomb to protect it. Although it did contain the intent of the Sword Emperor, it was far from being able to reach his level of power.

Secondly, as Sisi had suggested earlier, while the sword qi may have indeed been extremely powerful in the past, with each individual stream of sword qi possibly even possessing the power of an expert on the Rankings of Man, Earth, or Heaven, the countless years that had passed had significantly weakened them. While the aggregate power of the sword qi was indeed still strong enough to break out of the dimensional fragment, the energy required to do that was no joke. How much could possibly remain after carrying out such a huge feat?

When looking at it this way, the ancient sword really wasn’t that strong at all.

The reason it felt unbeatable was mainly the thick vicious qi that surrounded it. This type of energy had always had the ability to affect the mind and induce fear in those who witnessed it. When in such a horrible state of mind, it would be nearly impossible to muster any will to fight back. Combined with the enormous size of the ancient sword and the terrifying disturbance caused by its emergence from a separate space, it created an overwhelming psychological pressure.

But as long as there was someone who could completely ignore the influence of the vicious qi, they could go head-to-head against it!

Apart from the two who were on the Ranking of Earth, the only person currently present who could ignore the influence of vicious qi and even feel like a fish in water around it was Zhao Changhe!

An area filled with vicious blood qi had long since become his best stage!

The ancient sword in the air swept at him violently.

Hwoaa!

Zhao Changhe held his saber with both hands and ferociously slashed downward.

The muscles all over his body bulged and his hair came loose, his long locks dancing in the wind.

From afar, it was unclear whether the sword was a vicious sword or if Zhao Changhe himself was a vicious god. Which one of them radiated a more violent energy?

Bang!

The sword and saber clashed once again, and Dragon Bird let out an excited cry.

With vicious blood qi and the might of an emperor, the sword possessed qualities that perfectly matched Dragon Bird’s, further stimulating its already eager fighting spirit!

Zhao Changhe exerted strength in his legs, shot forward like a cannonball, and pursued the sword once again.

In the eyes of the onlookers, this saber strike, which seemed to contain the ferocity of a thousand armies and the overwhelming aura that left the masses bowing their head, appeared much stronger than the intent of the Sword Emperor.

It was as if Zhao Changhe had always been suppressing Dragon Bird’s might, only releasing it without restraint at this moment.

Whether it was the madness of the saber or the majesty of the sword, new era dominance or the aura of the ancients, it seemed like the winner would be revealed in this final clash!

Boom!

A blast resounded as energy swelled and vicious qi surged like a tide, sweeping over several zhang.

With the energy wrapped in vicious qi, trees snapped and rocks shattered. The area within several zhang of the impact point had been reduced to flat ground.

This was beyond Zhao Changhe’s power. This was the power of Dragon Bird and the ancient sword!

Tang Buqi and the others retreated after hastily strengthening their defensive formation. They struggled to withstand the increasingly dense rain of sword qi and vicious qi, but their hearts surprisingly felt increasingly calm and stable.

This sword rain was becoming weaker. Previously, it had raged and killed people, but now it felt like nothing.

Moreover, the massive ancient sword in the sky was continuously shrinking. At this moment, it was almost the same size as Dragon Bird, and it was still shrinking...

Tang Buqi finally understood how to kill a sword coalescence like the ancient sword. In the end, it was still just a collection of sword qi. As long as it was repeatedly engaged, its energy would continue to weaken and it would naturally dissipate.

Swoosh!

A nearly invisible glimmer suddenly shot toward Zhao Changhe.

Maitreya had realized that the situation had become unfavorable. Even though he would place himself at a disadvantage against Tang Wanzhuang by doing so, he wanted to destroy Zhao Changhe.

Sisi forcefully lunged forward.

I’ve finally caught sight of the light at the end of the treasure trove, there’s no way I’m going to let a bald bastard like you ruin things for me!

Unfortunately, Sisi seemed to have completely forgotten that the other party was the person ranked fifth on the Ranking of Earth. Did she really have what it took to intercept even a casual attack from someone of such caliber?

The dagger seemed to cut through the glimmer, but it did not actually hit. It merely grazed past it, and the hidden weapon still continued on its flight straight toward Zhao Changhe’s sword, where it then emitted a crisp sound as it appeared to collide against something solid.

Zhao Changhe was thrown backward, but surprisingly, his chest was unharmed.

With a stomp on the ground behind him, he leaped up again, swinging his saber as he angrily declared, “I’ll remember this! I, Zhao Changhe, shall claim your head for this transgression!”

Swish!

Distracted from launching a sneak attack on Zhao Changhe, how could Maitreya still withstand Tang Wanzhuang’s attack? A sword light flashed across his chest and blood sprayed from it. Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe’s chest remained unscathed. It was a horrible trade.

Maitreya could not figure out what in the world was hidden in Zhao Changhe’s chest pocket that could actually withstand his attack. At this moment, if he did not retreat, he would die under Tang Wangzhuang’s sword.

With no time to think, Maitreya suddenly sprayed a mouthful of blood, forcing Tang Wanzhuang to step back slightly. He then swiftly retreated and fled. “When my holy cult eradicates all opposition, I will make sure that you two experience eternal damnation!”

As he spoke the last few words, he vanished from sight.

Almost at the same time, Dragon Bird struck the ancient sword once more, causing it to waver and finally dissipate.

The remnant vicious qi and imperial qi then swirled around Dragon Bird, then gradually got absorbed by it. Dragon Bird then emitted the roar of a dragon along with the long cries of a saber, as if proclaiming itself as the rightful ruler of today!

Zhao Changhe plunged Dragon Bird into the mud.

Dragon Bird: “...”

It wanted to react...but after shaking a bit, it quietened down.

That was because Zhao Changhe was now truly completely exhausted. Even when using it as a support, he still struggled to remain standing. It was as if it wasn’t for its support, he would collapse to the ground.

Tang Wanzhuang stood silently on a distant treetop, observing Zhao Changhe.

His entire body was riddled with wounds, evidence of the sword qi that had cut into his body again and again. Internally, his true qi, as well as his blood and qi, were completely exhausted. Externally, he was covered in blood, barely resembling a human.

Any child could come and push him over at this moment, and he’d fall on his face.

However, the aura of the vicious qi and the will of an emperor that lingered around Dragon Bird seemed to perfectly merge with him, making him appear like the ruler of heaven and hell alike.

Tang Buqi and the other onlookers felt their hearts trembling at this moment. Tang Buqi secretly thought that the title that the Maitreya Cult had given Zhao Changhe suited him still really well. He did resemble a bloodthirsty asura...no, actually, that somehow did not seem adequate anymore.

Perhaps the title should be elevated to something more apt?

Zhao Changhe had no idea that Tang Buqi was still capable of such thoughts at this moment. He found even lifting his head a bit strenuous as he slowly glanced at Tang Wanzhuang.

As the night breeze brushed past, her exquisite clothes fluttered. Under the moonlight, her beauty was incomparable. And when one stared at her captivating eyes, one could glimpse an unfathomable depth.

After exchanging a brief glance, Tang Wanzhuang was about to speak when Zhao Changhe turned his head, his gaze softening as he looked at Sisi beside him. He whispered, “Thank you for blocking that just now.”

Sisi also turned her head and looked at him, thinking to herself that her intention had not actually been pure, she just wanted the treasure. Furthermore, even though she had tried to block the attack, she had failed to do so.

But looking into his eyes, she did not say any of that, only murmuring, “Don’t even think about leaving me out.”

Zhao Changhe responded with a smile, “If she dares, I’ll fall out with her.”