Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 253: The Perfect Time

Leaving Xia Longyuan behind, Zhao Changhe took a detour to the northwest, heading straight for Yanmen.

Along the way, his mind was occupied with many thoughts, yet they were a jumbled mess, so much so that he might just as well not be thinking of anything. Fortunately, there were no accidents on the road.

When night arrived, Zhao Changhe decided to stay in an inn that was along the way. He looked out the window at the moon, his mood still indescribable.

Xia Longyuan had told him that he should have come earlier.

And indeed, for him, there was nothing he could not tell his “daughter and son-in-law.” There was not really any point to him having made blind guesses all this time, it was just laughable. Besides Zhao Changhe, even if Xia Longyuan were to tell Vermillion Bird, the Wang Clan, or Maitreya... what could they really do?

A person who had no desire for the throne or descendants was invincible. Anything others did was meaningless in his eyes.

He actually wished for him to have come earlier, to give him a boost, to advance faster... as he was too slow...

He wondered what Chichi’s reaction would be when he relayed this to her in the future. Presumably, she would also feel these indescribable emotions.

Of course, despite Xia Longyuan saying so much, he never elaborated on what exactly he was doing, such as why there was so much chaos and turmoil. It was probably not entirely a matter of being unable to control it; some things were clearly deliberate. He clearly saw through the Sea Tribe behind the Wang Clan. This meant that it was possible that the Wang Clan’s opposition was something that he had deliberately caused. Furthermore, when it came to the matter of whether or not he had killed his own son, he had been vague and unwilling to elaborate.

In the end, he was not really treating him as an actual son-in-law. Naturally, Zhao Changhe also could not treat him as some benevolent father-in-law who would answer all his doubts.

However, Zhao Changhe felt that Xia Longyuan’s closeness or sense of approval toward him might surpass what he felt toward his own daughter...

They both had the same origins and similar objectives, after all, it was just that their paths diverged.

Zhao Changhe began pondering over a specific detail.

Xia Longyuan asked why the blind woman sent him to Chichi’s side, and his response was basically that it was simply fate, which seemed to have greatly surprised Xia Longyuan.

Now that he thought about it more carefully, this behavior was quite intriguing.

Xia Longyuan must have thought that the blind woman had sent him to Chichi’s side because Xia Longyuan himself could no longer be controlled, so she had replaced him with someone else, that someone else being Zhao Changhe. But in reality, it was his own fate that drew out such a result. Xia Longyuan expressed surprise at this, as if he acknowledged that it was a stroke of fate, then it was not intentional on the part of the blind woman.

If it had been the blind woman’s plan all along, it was possible that Xia Longyuan would have beheaded him right then and there... But since it was the result of a draw, he became even more interested.

What exactly does that mean? I might have to ask the blind woman for an explanation in the future.

These things can only be left for later. This trip to the capital has indeed been “fulfilled.” I’ve got the answers that I wanted. Chichi’s father, who is rumored to be dying, actually wields such awe-inspiring power.

But... I still don’t think this world should be like this. It should not be anyone’s playground, whether it’s the ancient gods and demons or the current emperor.

Admiration and opposition were intertwined in Zhao Changhe’s heart, his expression was complex as he took out the strange fruit and observed it for some time before suddenly swallowing it in one gulp.

You want to see what I can do... I do too. Regardless of what it is that I want to do, I must first be strong enough.

Forcibly boosting one’s cultivation went against the principles of martial arts, but this did not apply to rare natural treasures. When it came to truly top-level treasures, achieving the impossible was not surprising.

The fact that Xia Longyuan took this fruit out to give to his “son-in-law” indicated that it was most likely extraordinary.

Zhao Changhe felt a rush of heat coursing through his body, and his blood and qi surged and boiled. This was not just a figure of speech; he could truly feel that his blood qi seemed to have doubled.

The concept of blood and qi was quantifiable, just like when comparing a healthy young man and an old man on the brink of death. The vitality, or the blood qi, of the former would simply be on a different level as compared to that of the latter. The reason why Zhao Changhe was able to practice the Vicious Blood Art so quickly before was because he was a young man with extremely vigorous blood qi. However, no matter how vigorous he was, it was still only within the limits of ordinary humans. When his cultivation reached a certain level, it was no longer enough.

The Blood God Cult’s method to advance further was to cultivate vicious qi, while the method that the golden foil and Situ Xiao suggested was the cultivation of a special physique. When one’s physique surpassed that of ordinary mortals, then their blood qi would also naturally surpass human limits, and their cultivation would break through on its own.

This fruit had nothing to do with vicious qi. It was a treasure of vitality. It practically remade one’s physique, enhancing it. As Zhao Changhe observed what was going on inside him, he could almost see his muscles breaking apart and being reconstructed, his blood vessels surging, and his strength increasing wildly. It was as if he was becoming something beyond human.

But despite the intense transformation of his body, he felt no pain at all. It was as if he had merely taken a sip of strong wine, feeling warm and a hint of burning inside but no other issues. It was much easier and more comfortable compared to when he soaked in medicinal baths.

From his understanding of body tempering that had been bolstered by Situ Xiao’s explanation, Zhao Changhe was almost certain that the fruit was tempering his body to a high degree, and the final result would perhaps even come close to a special divine or demonic physique.

The ultimate goal of the marine clay that the Wang Clan had was the Innate Dao Body, but what about this fruit?

Zhao Changhe’s mind connected to the golden foil, and he clearly saw six big words. “Blood Asura Body. Foundation establishment initiated.”

Zhao Changhe’s jaw dropped.

What body? Can you repeat that?

Is this some kind of joke from the Heavenly Tome or is this a joke being played by Xia Longyuan?

Regardless of whether it was a joke or not, this fruit was clearly on a higher level than the marine clay from before. Not only did the golden foil indicate that he had begun laying the foundation for this physique, but it even outlined the following step if he wanted to develop this physique. “The Coagulated Blood Crimson Fruit begins foundation establishment. To develop the physique further, materials to strengthen the muscles are needed... The most suitable material for this is the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng.”

Zhao Changhe instinctively asked, “I have never heard of it. Where can I find it?”

The golden foil said nothing.

Although it was not yet certain if the blind woman was the spirit of the tome, Zhao Changhe inexplicably imagined a scenario where the blind woman stood in front of him with her arms crossed and coolly said, “I’ve got no idea.”

Xia Longyuan never mentioned the Heavenly Tome, but he did mention that the blind woman might be a spirit... I wonder if the blind woman will come out and say something tonight?

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged, silently practicing his techniques, and entered a deep state of meditation.

Entering meditation was no different from sleeping. It allowed him to both digest the effects of the fruit and wait for the blind woman.

*

The rooster’s crow could be heard as the sun gradually rose from the east, lighting up the world.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes, somewhat surprised that the blind woman had not appeared during the night.

Zhao Changhe did not believe that the blind woman was unaware of his interaction with Xia Longyuan. She definitely knew, and Xia Longyuan definitely knew that she knew, yet he still acted freely and without reservation. Zhao Changhe did not know if the blind woman simply felt embarrassed or considered herself a being of a higher dimension, believing that his interaction with Xia Longyuan was not worth commenting on.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. The divine beings are distant, I simply need to walk my own path. What does it matter if she doesn’t show up?

Zhao Changhe stood up, extended his palm, and lightly clenched it, feeling the surging power within his body.

The results of his practice this previous night were extraordinary.

He had silently broken through to the seventh layer of the Vicious Blood Art, and there was not even the usual surge of vicious qi. This was likely due to his blood and qi having become so vigorous as a result of eating the fruit. Regardless, his basic attributes had experienced a significant boost, which led to the breakthrough in the Vicious Blood Art. With the foundation he had now, subsequent breakthroughs to the eighth and ninth layers should not be as difficult as they had seemed in the past. As long as he steadily cultivated, he should be able to reach those layers soon enough.

It was like a smooth road had been paved before him.

As for his internal cultivation, it had also experienced some benefits.

With a healthy body, everything was good. Although his meridians were still an issue, his internal cultivation had reached the upper boundary of the fifth layer. Zhao Changhe silently used the method of resonating with the stars on his star chart and broke through the sixth Profound Gate.

External cultivation at the seventh layer, internal cultivation at the sixth layer... Considering the boost that the Six Harmonies Art can provide my external arts, can I be considered an expert at the eighth layer?

When I left Jiangnan, I was merely at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate. At that time, Tang Buqi believed that such strength was not fit for the military. But what about now?

When Yue Hongling dominated the jianghu and challenged Cult Leader Xue, becoming the Second Hidden Dragon, she was at the eighth layer of the Profound Gate.

When Chi Li ventured to the Central Plains alone, challenging many famous experts, and laughing arrogantly at the hidden dragons of the Central Plains, he was also at the eighth layer of the Profound Gate.

Since he could come to the Central Plains to cause trouble, why can’t I go to the Grasslands to wreak havoc?

The war in Yanmen was in full swing. It was the perfect time to go.