Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 621: The Shaman's Gift, Accepted

Bang!

Wang Daoning did not have time to wonder how Zhao Changhe had escaped so quickly. He desperately swatted the golden arrow aside, a tremor rocking his soul sea.

The power of that golden arrow was absurd. It had been loosed by someone at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, yet with the Dragon Soul Wood, the soul-annihilating power rivaled that of a Profound Control Realm attack.

Had he not perceived the threat posed by Zhao Changhe—especially in combination with the relentless Tang Wanzhuang—Wang Daoning would never have chosen to trap them and rush ahead to join the main battle. Now, he was paying dearly for that mistake.

Just as he deflected the arrow, Vermillion Bird’s fiery claws descended toward his neck. Even before the claws struck, the searing demonic flames licked his skin, scorching him. Worse, the fury in his heart was stoked to a blaze, sending his emotions spiraling into a volatile rage that clouded his thoughts.

The Four Idols Cult had spread rumors claiming that both the Venerables Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise possessed combat prowess of the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. After the battle at sea, Black Tortoise had indeed lived up to the rumors, and it turned out that Vermillion Bird was no less formidable—in fact, in terms of pure offense, she was even fiercer.

When Xia Longyuan had endured this onslaught, it had not seemed extraordinary. But now that Wang Daoning was the target, he finally understood the emperor’s resilience. Despite facing the storm of sword qi and a relentless mob, Xia Longyuan had still held the upper hand. Yet here Wang Daoning was, struggling to handle a single arrow from Zhao Changhe and one strike from Vermillion Bird, all while his own divine sword’s sword qi lashed out indiscriminately.

He barely parried Vermillion Bird’s claw when the glint of a saber flashed above him—Zhao Changhe’s sword was descending in a vicious arc.

A strange feeling prickled Vermillion Bird’s heart. This was the first time she had fought alongside Zhao Changhe as Vermillion Bird. Despite the chaos of the battle, despite her waning enthusiasm, the thought alone rekindled her fighting spirit. She could not let this “little man” think the Venerable Vermillion Bird was weak!

Determined, she unleashed a flurry of strikes with renewed vigor. Wang Daoning felt a surge of frustration as she seemed to be hitting him harder than she had Xia Longyuan!

In contrast, Zhao Changhe was not attacking with the same ferocity. A sense of unease gnawed at him, keeping his focus divided. His eyes flicked over the battlefield, taking everything in.

By all logic, Snow Owl should not still be here. A master assassin’s creed was to strike once and disappear. Staying to engage Xia Longyuan in prolonged combat made no sense. And yet, Snow Owl lingered, locked in a precarious duel.

Xia Longyuan’s appearance was deteriorating before their eyes. The once-vigorous elder now seemed frail, bent, and gray. His complexion had taken on the pallor of spent ash, his face marked with liver spots and deep wrinkles, resembling the withered Hai Pinglan who had burned through his own lifespan.

Why is Snow Owl still here?

Zhao Changhe’s unease deepened. Something about the entire situation felt off. It felt as if they were all being drawn into a trap they could not yet see.

Zhao Changhe’s heart sank as sudden clarity struck him. Xia Longyuan had lived for decades, having fought Hai Pinglan for supremacy over thirty years ago. By the time his daughter was born, he had already been the old emperor who had unified the realm long before. In truth, Xia Longyuan was old; it was as simple as that. His formidable cultivation had masked his age, but now that his cultivation was faltering, the frailty of his aging body began to show. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would be for him.

Did Snow Owl expect this? Is he biding his time, believing that the longer he delays, the easier the dragon would fall? But even with Xia Longyuan weakened, Snow Owl alone shouldn’t be confident enough to take him down. Where is his confidence coming from?

Is he relying on Li Gongsi and Yang Jingxiu?

Zhao Changhe’s eyes flicked toward them. Yang Jingxiu was inching toward the exit, clearly preparing to retreat—a sensible choice given the dire circumstances.

But Li Gongsi?

He was doing the opposite, moving closer to Xia Longyuan, seemingly to assist Snow Owl in flanking the emperor.

Something’s wrong. It’s understandable if Snow Owl has the confidence to face a waning Xia Longyuan, but Li Gongsi? He’s merely at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, so what gives him the courage to charge in now? If he had such courage, why would he ever conspire with the barbarians?

An idea clicked in Zhao Changhe’s mind. Li Gongsi’s betrayal had been proven beyond doubt. Had the barbarians simply retreated after their raid? Or had some of them stayed behind, waiting to join this fight? Perhaps they had been lying low, to avoid provoking suspicion. But now that their treachery was out in the open, there was no need to hide.

Just as this thought formed, a chill ran down Zhao Changhe’s spine.

From the shadows, a figure sprang forth with the swiftness of a fox, a palm strike aimed directly at Xia Longyuan’s exposed back.

It was the second-ranked figure on the Ranking of Heaven, Great Shaman Bo’e of Tngri Temple!

Of course, with an insider feeding him information, there was no way Bo’e would miss this moment. He was the one who most closely rivaled Xia Longyuan. To say he had not reached the Profound Control Realm would be absurd. His strike now would decide the outcome of the battle.

Swish!

Zhao Changhe’s saber, intended for Wang Daoning, suddenly veered toward Bo’e’s back. It did not matter if his strength was enough to threaten Bo’e—he had to try!

This desperate move left him wide open. Wang Daoning’s palm strike was already descending on his chest.

Clap!

Vermillion Bird pivoted with lightning speed, switching from attack to defense. She intercepted Wang Daoning’s blow, taking the impact to her ribs. A muffled groan escaped her lips as she was knocked backward.

At the same moment, Bo’e’s attack struck solid iron.

Amid the swirling dust, Li Shentong’s steel-like frame shielded Xia Longyuan. Bo’e’s mountain-shattering blow made Li Shentong stagger back slightly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Yet his face showed a relieved smile. “You’re here. Good... very good.”

It seemed Li Shentong had anticipated this moment and had been waiting for it.

His big hand seized Bo’e’s emaciated wrist with the grip of a steel vise. Behind him, Zhao Changhe’s saber swept down toward Bo’e’s neck.

A perfect, synchronized assault, yet it failed completely.

Bo’e’s body twisted like a serpent, Zhao Changhe’s blade sliding harmlessly off him as if striking an octopus’s slippery limbs. The wrist Li Shentong held suddenly swelled with explosive force, and Bo’e’s palm struck Li Shentong’s chest.

Li Shentong grunted, blood bubbling in his throat, but his grip refused to loosen.

Li Gongsi’s sword was right at Zhao Changhe’s back—just a cun more, and it would strike true. But it failed to go in.

Stunned, he turned his head, only to meet the rare sight of Ying Five’s usually cheerful eyes twisted in fury.

“You lot... have made me lose face... a lot of face.”

Li Gongsi was horrified to find himself completely immobilized. The surrounding space seemed to fracture, slicing apart reality itself. He could not move, could not make a sound; he watched helplessly while the fragmented space tore into him. Was this what death by a thousand cuts felt like?

Li Gongsi’s screams should have echoed through the battlefield, but no sound could be heard. The sound was swallowed by the distorted space. In mere moments, he was reduced to a chunk of raw flesh, his body barely holding together.

If Wang Daoning had known what was going through Li Gongsi’s mind at that moment, he might have agreed wholeheartedly—these people might not have seemed so fearsome when battling Xia Longyuan. Only as he was on the receiving end of their attacks did he realize their true monstrous power. Just because Xia Longyuan could counter them did not mean anyone else could. Their strange techniques were utterly insurmountable for anyone beneath their level.

But that no longer mattered. What did matter was that Li Shentong and Zhao Changhe had still failed to stop Bo’e.

Bo’e had produced a curved blade at some point. Slipping past Li Shentong’s formidable defense, the blade carved across Xia Longyuan’s back.

Normally, such a strike should not have harmed Xia Longyuan. Facing Snow Owl alone, he should not have been so overwhelmed. Yet, to everyone’s shock, the blade connected.

Because Xia Longyuan had not moved. He had allowed the blade to slash across his back.

Even more shocking, though the attack visibly wounded him, the aura around him surged in strength, his power roaring back to life.

Bo’e’s heart sank as he watched Xia Longyuan whip around with blistering speed, delivering a palm strike with devastating precision.

Snow Owl, the elusive assassin who had plagued Xia Longyuan all this time, could not dodge the strike. Like a fly swatted mid-air, he was hit squarely, spinning violently and spewing blood before vanishing in a flicker.

At the same moment, the four divine swords abruptly stopped their indiscriminate attacks. They neither targeted their former masters nor Xia Longyuan. Instead, they seemed to respond to his summons, converging as one and hurtling toward Bo’e.

In that instant, Bo’e realized why Xia Longyuan had allowed himself to be struck.

Until now, Xia Longyuan had not taken a single wound. The first injury he suffered was at the hands of a barbarian.

In that moment, he became once more the embodiment of the Great Xia’s qi veins!

The severed connection to the land was momentarily restored. The rebellious swords, forged to protect the realm, could no longer resist him. Their allegiance shifted, and their new target was clear: Bo’e.

“You shouldn’t have come.” A wry smile tugged at Xia Longyuan’s lips. “This dragon-slaying gambit of theirs—without Li Gongsi’s betrayal and your collusion—I would have lost. Truly, I would have. Because it was not them killing me but the will of the people, the understanding that I no longer belonged on this throne. But unfortunately for you, the moment you arrived, they had no choice but to begrudgingly recognize me. For this fleeting moment, they still see me as their emperor."

Clang!

The terrifying brilliance of the four swords struck Bo’e, producing a sharp ring of metal on metal.

Bo’e’s calm voice echoed through the chaos. “So what? You’re merely burning your last reserves. They pose no real threat to me. And while your Central Plains have divine swords, do you think the plains have none of their own?”

The four divine swords clashed against a massive battle axe, the weapons locked in a fierce and thunderous melee.

Bo’e’s figure vanished. In a blink, his curved blade reappeared behind Xia Longyuan, poised for a deadly strike.

“Burning my last light is enough!” Xia Longyuan seemed to anticipate the move, spinning and launching a powerful punch. “Let’s see if my fist can defy your gods!”

Rumble!

The subterranean sky, long unresponsive, suddenly flared with brilliance. Stars blazed across the vault, lightning crackling through the darkness, the brilliance blinding everyone present.

Xia Longyuan’s God-Slaying Fist descended once more upon the world!

Faced with a punch no mortal could withstand, Bo’e showed no fear. From his robe, he drew a blood-red talisman and hurled it forward.

As a great shaman, Bo’e’s power was more than just his own; he was a servant and conduit of divine forces. Tngri, though struck in the battle at sea and left grievously wounded, had sealed a fragment of his strength within this blood talisman. As Bo’e cast it forth, a phantom fist emerged, clashing head-on with Xia Longyuan’s blow.

Boom!

The resulting explosion of raw power was devastating. All combatants, realizing the scale of the collision, swiftly shielded themselves and retreated from the blast’s epicenter.

When gods clash, there is no place for bystanders.

The shockwave swept through the battlefield, and both Xia Longyuan and Bo’e coughed up blood.

Xia Longyuan’s punch, fueled by his waning strength, could not match his peak power—it was a shadow of its former self. But Tngri’s strike was not at full strength either. The combination of Bo’e’s Profound Control Realm power and divine force left both combatants grievously injured.

Bo’e felt a grudging respect for Xia Longyuan, but it did not overly concern him. He knew that once Xia Longyuan’s borrowed strength dissipated, he would be nothing more than a frail old man. Defeat was inevitable. There was no need to risk his life now; if he lingered, Li Shentong and the others might close in, trapping him.

With that thought, Bo’e flashed toward the massive battle axe still clashing with the four divine swords. The Axe of Tngri could not be left behind; retrieving it and retreating was the best course of action.

But before his hand touched the axe’s handle, a breeze swept past.

A wiry old man darted in, hefted the massive axe onto his shoulder, and dashed away into the shadows.

The wind carried his gleeful laughter. “A gift from the shaman? How could I refuse~ This is much more fun than Xia Longyuan’s underwear... Pfft! Cough, cough...”

His laughter faltered, choked off by the axe’s residual power. The coughing grew fainter, and it was unclear if he had escaped or succumbed to his injuries.

Bo’e’s fury surged. Blood threatened to spill from his lips, but before he could pursue, Xia Longyuan’s fist was once again bearing down on him.

If he tangled with the thief now, he risked losing everything.

Bo’e hesitated for half a second before vanishing in a blur of motion.