Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 785 (1): Sealing Langjuxu

Ye Jiuyou’s true body was engaged in idle chatter with the blind woman, while her clone found itself in a world of trouble.

If it were merely the rigid power of the array plate, then no matter how overwhelming it was, it would not have been an issue. She could have easily just evaded it. Yet, at this critical moment, her wrist was caught by Tngri. And that wretched fool, half-crippled and delirious, failed to retreat in time.

Because of that, she, too, was delayed, forced to turn back and defend herself.

A deafening explosion erupted as forces clashed. Amidst the thick vicious blood, a pair of cruel eyes emerged. “Jiuyou? Excellent...”

Boom!

Ye Jiuyou’s power, Tngri’s remnant power, and the force behind those eyes collided violently. All three were shaken. Ye Jiuyou could clearly sense that Tngri, who had been clinging to her, was completely drained of strength. He was already at death’s door.

The owner of those eyes did not fare much better. It seemed they had not expected to face two opponents of this caliber immediately after “awakening.” The vicious blood qi distorted and churned in disorder, though whether it was because of shock or injury was unclear.

Was Zhao Changhe’s arrangement also meant to deal with this force of vicious blood qi? Did he set this up so that all sides would suffer?

That thought flashed through Ye Jiuyou’s mind as she suppressed the blood rising in her throat, forcefully swallowing it back before retreating.

Unfortunately for her, a sharp blade of sword energy was already flashing behind her. Yue Hongling’s sword swept past her nape.

Ye Jiuyou flicked her fingers against the side of the sword, her feet igniting with ethereal azure flames that swiftly engulfed her figure.

Yet, the pain only worsened.

This was no ordinary fire. It was not even the same inner fire that had burned Tngri moments ago. Instead, it was yin fire, the gateway between life and death. It was a manifestation of the deepest conflict between her own understanding and that of the Night Emperor’s system.

According to the principles of the Vermillion Bird, Ye Jiuyou was, in a sense, one of the undead. This made the fire an exceptional suppressive force against her. If Vermillion Bird’s cultivation were at the level of the Night Emperor, she would likely have been utterly subdued. Even now, with Vermillion Bird far from that level, the fact that she was only a clone and already wounded made the effect unbearably intense.

The blood she had swallowed down finally broke free, trailing down her lips and staining the flawless white of her chin.

And then, saber light surged like a storm around her.

It was Zhao Changhe. Bloodied Mountains and Rivers!

At last, within this relentless assault, Ye Jiuyou caught a glimpse of the helplessness that the Dao Lord and Tngri had once felt. Under these circumstances, even she could not completely defend against the vast reach of Zhao Changhe’s saber wind. Her robes were sliced open in multiple places, revealing her fair skin beneath.

Ye Jiuyou could not even spare a thought for whether she was exposed. She knew that, at this moment, Zhao Changhe was actually the weakest link. Without hesitation, she lunged toward him, her fingers forming a sword as she thrust at his throat. “Move aside!”

Zhao Changhe blinked but did not even attempt to dodge. Instead, his left palm struck out viciously toward her chest.

Wind and thunder roared as a force that could topple mountains and overturn seas surged out!

For a split second, Ye Jiuyou could not even wrap her head around his reasoning. Li Shentong risking his life to stop Tngri made sense, but why was Zhao Changhe going all out to stop her? She had not even obtained the Heavenly Tome!

Has he gone mad?

In that instant, her finger sword landed at Zhao Changhe’s throat, yet it only pierced through an afterimage. She had failed to do him any harm.

Snow Owl’s Shadow-Splitting Technique Technique? No... it seems different.

That thought flickered in her mind as she instinctively rebounded with her protective energy, deflecting Zhao Changhe’s overwhelming palm strike just enough so it did not land fully.

But as everyone knows, some areas are rather... prominent. His deflected palm brushed past, causing an unmistakable tremor.

Above Hangu Pass, the two identical faces of Ye Jiuyou simultaneously flushed red as blood. Meanwhile, the blind woman suddenly burst out laughing. “Hahahaha!”

Ye Jiuyou shot her a glare. Her clone, however, had already curled her lips into a seductive smile. “So King Zhao is quite interested in my body, huh? We’ll discuss this in depth some other time...”

Clang!

With a deft twirl of her fingers, she deflected Yue Hongling and Huangfu Qing’s sword and spear, both of whom were furiously pursuing her. Then, in a wisp of motion, her figure vanished.

Only her teasing laughter remained in the air. “You two still need to train harder, or else you won’t be able to stop me if I wanted to snatch him.”

The blind woman clicked her tongue. “Shameless.”

Ye Jiuyou scoffed. “He touched me. You’re scolding me instead of him?”

The blind woman replied dryly, “...Did he also tell you to say those things?”

Ye Jiuyou’s beautiful eyes sparkled mischievously. “Oh? Are you worried?”

The blind woman folded her arms with an exasperated sigh. “You’re insane.”

Boom!

The thunder overhead still rumbled. Tngri’s battered body finally crashed to the ground, a testament to just how fast the previous exchanges had been.

He was still not dead. Even though he was drenched in blood and covered in wounds, he remained kneeling on one knee, one hand pressed to the ground, refusing to fall.

Ferocious vicious blood energy was still gathering, forming into a humanoid shape that took large strides toward him.

“Lie...” Tngri muttered under his breath as if speaking to himself. “How strange. You were the one most devoted to tempering your body, so how did you end up like this?”

“Much like that woman earlier... as long as the world remains steeped in chaos and destruction, she will persist eternally. Such an existence is closer to the Dao than a mere fixed body. I only sought to test whether the world’s vicious qi is a part of me. And indeed, when vicious qi reaches its peak, I will awaken within it.” Lie, who had awakened from within the condensed vicious blood qi, then countered with his own question, “But what about you? What is this so-called tngri? Did something like that even exist in the ancient era?”

“We merely take different paths to the same destination. The faith of those of the Grasslands naturally manifests an existence. If it’s not me, then it will be someone else. I simply occupy this position. As long as they remain, in theory, I will never perish.”

“But you look like you’re about to die.”

“The Grasslands are too weak.”

“Is it they who are weak?” Lie sneered. “No, it’s you who are dependent on them, and the truth is that they don’t need you at all.”

Tngri took several deep breaths. “That’s none of your concern. Are you here for the Heavenly Tome page?”

“I just woke up. How would I know who has the Heavenly Tome?”

“Then what are you standing in front of me for, spewing nonsense? Mercy? Reminiscence? If you want to kill me, just do it. What’s with all the useless talk? And what about the others over there? Aren’t they all humans too? A murderer like you... Why aren’t you killing them?”

Lie fell silent for a moment, then lifted his gaze toward the rift above. “I originally intended to seize a body most in tune with my nature and be reborn... but suddenly, it all feels meaningless.”

Tngri was stunned.

“A few months ago, someone asked me why, if I once swore to scatter the gods and Buddhas, must I become one myself? That struck me as interesting, so I lingered a little longer.” Lie smiled faintly. “Those so-called followers of mine up there... they might end up being honored and respected by many, hailed as heroes. I’ve rampaged across the world my entire life, yet I have never once felt such... reverence. It’s a strange feeling. I don’t know why I should take their place.”

Tngri’s expression shifted from shock to contemplative silence.

“Let me take a look at the Heavenly Tome.” Lie extended his hand.

Without hesitation, Tngri retrieved the Heavenly Tome and tossed it over.

Lie chuckled. “At least you’re straightforward.”

Catching the tome, he immersed his mind into its contents, scanning it for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Reality and illusion, existence and emptiness... Everything you and I have done, in retrospect, has been nothing but a fleeting illusion, even this world itself. This highly coveted Heavenly Tome has been in your hands for so long, yet I see almost no trace of your personal understanding or application of it. What a waste.”

Tngri was unfazed by the remark. He simply responded, “If everyone could immediately grasp what they touch, that would be too much of a fantasy. Zhao Changhe appears to have learned widely, but most of his knowledge remains shallow... I’d wager that even if you studied it for a hundred years, you wouldn’t master it either.”

“Hm... You’re probably right.” Lie casually tossed the Heavenly Tome back. “It doesn’t suit my path.”

Tngri asked, “If you don’t intend to seize a body, are you planning to become a mere array plate spirit? Without anchoring yourself to a physical vessel, you’ll eventually fade away, dissolving into an abstract concept of vicious blood, losing all sense of self.”

Lie turned and strode away. “I have some things to investigate. Once I’m certain, I’ll decide my course of action. For now... time is on my side.”

He had once told Zhao Changhe, “When the Blood God Array Plate awakens, we will meet again, and then... we’ll see.” But this time, he left without saying a single word to Zhao Changhe. Perhaps something remained unresolved; perhaps there was simply nothing to say. Even when Zhao Changhe maneuvered events so that he and Ye Jiuyou clashed head-on, leading to mutual injury, making it clear that Zhao Changhe was both wary of him and actively weakening him, Lie did not take offense. He simply strode away without complaint.

Only a fool would not guard against someone like him. It was natural to be cautious.

The ability to seize the moment and turn him into a tool for his own purposes was something that Lie genuinely found impressive about Zhao Changhe. However, there was no need to go over and praise him. That would be pointless. Whether Zhao Changhe was truly worth commending would depend on the results of Lie’s upcoming investigations.

Outside, Xue Canghai and the others were kneeling en masse.

“Revered...”

Before the word “god” could even leave their lips, Lie had already vanished, leaving only his final words lingering in the air, “I only saw you as vessels, and you never truly saw me as an object of faith. There’s no need to pretend otherwise. I’ve never provided you with any guidance before, which feels rather inconsiderate of me, so let me leave you with just a sentence of guidance... A man may command vicious qi, but he must never let it command him. If you can replace me, then do so.”

Xue Canghai, Sun Hengchuan, and the others exchanged looks. Then, as if by silent agreement, they stopped kneeling and stood stiffly upright. “Why does this Blood God feel so different from what we expected?”

“Maybe he slept through an era and got muddled?”

“No, but... the Divine Temple is just a pile of dust, so what are we even standing here for?”

“Wait, who’s that charging up from the mountain?”

“Be careful, it’s Bo’e!”