Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 211: Body of Gods and Demons

The premise of this alliance was somewhat awkward...

Both parties were “rebels,” and unlike the Maitreya Cult, there were no doctrinal or religious conflicts. Logically, this alliance seemed quite natural. The only thing that really needed to be discussed was how the profits were to be shared, such as whether the Four Idols Cult could become the state religion after the Wang Clan succeeds, and so on.

However, what ended up being mentioned instead was whether or not what they gave to Zhao Changhe would truly be useful.

Wang Zhaoling was still thinking that they would eventually have to kill Zhao Changhe, so he did not find much significance in what they were giving him.

Wait... Is Xia Chichi really saying that our attitude toward Zhao Changhe is a condition to the alliance?

Wang Zhaoling frowned and asked, “Does Venerable Vermillion Bird also acquiesce to that condition?”

Xia Chichi smiled and said, “Of course, if the venerable did not say anything, how could I represent the Holy Cult in making such grand decisions?”

Wang Zhaoling nodded. “Please come inside to meet with my father and further discuss the details.”

Xia Chichi looked at him deeply, said nothing, and followed him deeper into their residence.

In reality, even if the Wang Clan agreed on the surface and assassinated Zhao Changhe in secret, nobody would know. Even if they did, there would be no evidence. As more people began to suspect Zhao Changhe’s identity, the number of parties who wanted him dead would only increase.

Once their two sides allied with one another, this unsubstantiated matter was unlikely to affect the bigger picture.

Therefore, this condition could only be considered a form of pressure, urging the Wang Clan to be cautious in their actions. At the very least, they could not allow anyone identifiable as a member of the clan or collaborating with them to go out and kill Zhao Changhe recklessly. This indirectly filtered out a large number of experts from the Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man, reducing the pressure on Zhao Changhe considerably.

Meanwhile, Xia Chichi was quite puzzled as to why the venerable wanted to protect Zhao Changhe...

Standing in the distance, Vermillion Bird felt quite helpless. Of course she had to protect Zhao Changhe. After all, they had not yet figured out the meaning behind Zhao Changhe’s peculiar interaction with the star chart, so how could she allow for him to be killed so easily?

Given the situation, those unaware might think that the Four Idols Cult and Zhao Changhe already have some secret agreement.

No one was as anxious as Vermillion Bird right now. Although she knew who and where Black Tortoise was, the journey was long, and the area where Black Tortoise could be was vast. She had already instructed some people to contact Black Tortoise urgently, but it was proving to be too difficult to reach that stubborn reptile quickly. In the end, she had no choice but to focus on keeping Zhao Changhe safe for the time being.

Vermillion Bird was even worried that something might happen to Zhao Changhe while he was enveloped in that marine clay, feeling more nervous for him than she would have been for her own child.

*

Zhao Changhe, in the meantime, was quite fine. In fact, he was even feeling great.

While his entire body was wrapped in marine clay, he experienced a sensation of harmony and relaxation. It was as if countless small hands were massaging his body, providing him a refreshing coolness that nourished and repaired his hidden injuries.

To describe it more mystically, it felt a bit like returning to a mother’s womb... Well, Zhao Changhe did not really know what it felt like to be in the womb, nor did he know why his mind came to think this thought.

Under careful introspection, he discovered that he had accumulated injuries from his past battles and bursts of vicious qi, realizing that there were actually many minor issues in his body that were nigh-impossible to see. But with the help of the marine. clay, they were slowly being repaired.

Just this process alone made the experience worth it.

As for his meridians, they were not actually being forcefully widened. Rather, it was more like they were being repaired, giving them a slightly healthier and more robust feeling.

Therefore, as Wang Zhaoling said, the effect that the marine clay had in expanding the meridians could only be regarded as minor, but due to how low his expectations were, he found himself surprised by the supposed “slight” improvement the marine clay brought.

To put it in perspective.... Suppose the meridians of proud geniuses such as Yue Hongling were as thick as a finger. In that case, Zhao Changhe’s were more like a toothpick.

Therefore, even though he was cultivating using a peerless divine art, Zhao Changhe’s internal cultivation remained extremely difficult as the capacity of his meridians was just too small to accommodate the amount of true qi he could cultivate. This was why he had to rely on the method from the Four Idols Cult to even just break through to the fifth layer of the Profound Gate.

Worse still, the further he progressed, the more challenging it would become. While the clever technique of the Four Idols Cult allowed him to take shortcuts, it still required him to have a certain foundation. If things continued as they were, he might never break through to the eighth or ninth layer of the Profound Gate.

Meanwhile, Yue Hongling, who was younger than him and likely had a worse cultivation technique than he did, could reach the ninth layer of the Profound Gate at just twenty years old even though they had similar aptitude when it came to cultivation. This vast difference was solely due to the difference in breadth of their meridians.

If a finger were to grow by the size of a toothpick, then the improvement would indeed be regarded as slight, but if a toothpick were to grow by the size of a toothpick, that was a whole different story.

Zhao Changhe had never felt his internal true qi surge like this before. This is what it truly means for a river to flow vigorously, as opposed to the stagnant ditch that I had before!

He could now be certain that with his meridians now “doubled” in size, his internal cultivation could break through to the sixth layer of the Profound Gate without relying on the technique from the Four Idols Cult. All he needed to do now was accumulate enough true qi to reach the threshold.

While the poor condition of his meridians affected his output, including bursts of power in combat and breakthroughs, it did not hinder the speed at which he could accumulate true qi using the Six Harmonies Art at all. In regard, he had always been fast. It was very likely that in barely any time, he would be able to break through to the sixth layer without any assistance.

Zhao Changhe was almost in tears.

What kind of miraculous substance is this marine clay? Right, can the Heavenly Tome analyze it?

Zhao Changhe’s mind turned to the golden foil on his chest.

The golden foil isn’t reacting... What a pity. This page of the Heavenly Tome should just be related to martial arts rather than miraculous substances. There must be another page of the Heavenly Tome that corresponds to such substances.

Wait...

Zhao Changhe was surprised to find that the energy in the marine clay seemed to be “repairing” the Heavenly Tome as well. The previously dull and unremarkable golden foil began to emit a faint glow.

Is the seal going to loosen up a bit? Wait, if this thing IS unsealed, is it gonna kill me?

Not long after, golden light shone brightly, and three words emerged in the manner of a VR display: “Innate Dao Body.”

That was all.

Zhao Changhe pondered silently. Considering that this page of the Heavenly Tome was only related to martial arts and cultivation, these words likely indicated that the ultimate goal of this kind of body modification and repair was a level of cultivation called Innate Dao Body. However, since this clump of marine clay was so basic, the Heavenly Tome could only interpret a name, without providing any specific methods of cultivation.

This concept was quite intriguing because Zhao Changhe had never heard any mention of concepts such as Dao Bodies or Demon Physiques, which were found in various fantasy works in the modern world. Now, it appeared that such concepts had in fact existed in the previous era, but were now lost to the annals of history.

Could it be that the greatest divide between the two eras lies in this aspect? When it’s said that Xia Longyuan, Wang Daoning, and others unlocking the three great Profound Mysteries is not the end of cultivation, is this the next step? When the body transforms into another kind of body, is that the boundary between humans and gods or demons?

Just as he pondered this, a faint ice-blue energy seeped out from the golden foil, as if it were repelling something.

It seemed to absorb the energy and partially lift some of its seals, but it also expelled the residue, as if saying, You are not qualified to merge with me.

Then, a new message appeared on the VR display: “It is recommended to prevent the infiltration of special energy related to the Sea Clan.”

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat.

In other words, the marine clay had two purposes. It could help improve one’s body, but at the same time, they might be infiltrated by some kind of foreign energy. It was then possible that the infiltration of that energy could lead to them being controlled or assimilated.

Zhao Changhe immediately made use of the poison resistance quality of the Six Harmonies Art to scan his body for any unusual energy. Sure enough, he soon detected traces of ice-blue energy lurking in his dantian, meridians, and even cells. It was almost indistinguishable from his own internal energy, and he would not have noticed it if not for the warning of the Heavenly Tome.

Zhao Changhe broke out in a cold sweat. He carefully and slowly expelled the energy, then heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness for the Heavenly Tome...

Judging from Wang Zhaoling’s attitude, they probably don’t know anything about this, and it did not seem like they were plotting anything, at least not in this manner. Either way, I wonder about the urgency in the Wang Clan’s actions. Could this be somehow related to it? Perhaps the Wang Clan has unknowingly been infiltrated by this energy, but they’re just unaware?

Zhao Changhe wiped off the marine clay from his face and opened his eyes to see Cui Yuanyang sitting in front of him with her knees against her chest. She was gazing at him with sparkling eyes and a gentle expression.

Zhao Changhe’s heart softened. The little girl was really sitting there motionless in the bone-chilling ice cave, guarding him like a loyal sentry.

Seeing the way he poked his head out, Cui Yuanyang could not help but smile and ask, “Are you all good?”

“Mm-hm.” Zhao Changhe shifted around, causing the marine clay to scatter in all directions. The energy contained in it had now completely dissipated, rendering it nothing more than meaningless and unappetizing ice cream.

He gently embraced Cui Yuanyang, “How long was I wrapped up? Are you cold?”

With her cultivation reaching the fifth layer through the Qinghe Purple Qi Art, how could she be afraid of the cold in a mere ice cave... But instinctively, Zhao Changhe still saw her as the trembling little rabbit from that rainy day, so he naturally came to ask her such a question.

“It’s been over an hour,” Cui Yuanyang snuggled into his embrace. Her eyes darted around mischievously as she said sweetly, “I’m cold. Can you hold me?”

The big bear dared to ask, and the little rabbit dared to answer.

Neither of them realized that if they were cold, they could just leave. Their minds were both preoccupied with holding each other tighter.

And then, as they cuddled, Zhao Changhe could not help but lean in for a kiss.

A triumphant gleam flashed in the little rabbit’s eyes.

This feels so nice. Ever since that kiss the other day, I’ve been wanting to kiss him again...