Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 576: Battle of the Gods

Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi raced out from the island, plunging directly into the sea.

Xia Chichi was filled with joy, an overwhelming happiness that persisted despite the lingering danger of their surroundings. She had expected Zhao Changhe to be headed for Penglai, yet here he was appearing like a knight in shining armor just when she was at her weakest, just when she needed help the most. He had shielded her from every crisis, allowing her to explore freely, turning the tide from being forced into the role of bait to regaining some control.

Splash!

Their heads surfaced from the water, covered in seaweed. In the distorted moonlight, even Tang En, who was sailing close by, wouldn’t necessarily notice them.

The two glanced at each other, both on the verge of laughter, but given the tense situation, they knew they could not just burst out laughing.

Behind them, as they fled, the island began to collapse. Screams filled the air as the remaining fishmen on the island tumbled into the sea. Rocks shattered and smashed into the fishmen, and in just a moment, the sea became littered with corpses, evoking thoughts in Zhao Changhe of the cataclysmic end of an era.

But for now, neither of them had the leisure to dwell on it.

As the island collapsed and stones flew in all directions, a massive flood dragon revealed itself and surged into the sky.

The supposed island with a central lake and a statue within the lake had never truly existed.

The statue had always been drifting in the sea, or maybe it had actually been hidden in the depths before something eventually pushed it up to the surface. The massive flood dragon had coiled itself around the statue, perhaps guarding it or seeking enlightenment, and over time, its body came to accumulate thick layers of soil, forming what looked like an island.

With the flood dragon moving, the island ceased to exist.

As the flood dragon soared into the sky, a golden dragon-shaped fist shadow struck the water construct that had been fighting with Zhao Changhe earlier, shattering it to pieces, crystal core included.

Seizing the moment, the flood dragon bit down on the fist, as if a large dragon was devouring a smaller one. A deep, stentorian voice then reverberated from all around. “Xia Longyuan... I’ve been waiting for you.”

Xia Chichi’s heart sank, and even Zhao Changhe was startled.

Is this the Sea Emperor’s true form? A flood dragon... Who would have thought flood dragons truly existed?

He had expected the Sea Emperor to perhaps be a giant octopus, but he actually turned out to be a dragon, at least kind of. Then again, perhaps he had not always been a flood dragon; maybe it had taken over the flood dragon’s body. So far, Zhao Changhe’s experiences showed that the ancient gods and demons who remained active generally no longer had their original physical forms, whereas those with physical forms were either dead or in deep slumber—a divergence between those cultivating their spirit and those focusing on the bodies.

From the Sea Emperor’s tone, it seemed clear that he was aware that Xia Longyuan was trying to lure him out. This was only natural; after Xia Longyuan intervened in the battle with the Cui and Wang clans, Xia Longyuan’s intentions were clear enough, and it would have been odd for the Sea Emperor not to figure it out. Had the Sea Emperor remained oblivious, then his intelligence would hardly befit the title of emperor among the ancient gods and demons.

Just as Xia Longyuan was luring it out, the Sea Emperor was likely trying to draw Xia Longyuan away from the capital. Even if the latter’s true body remained in the capital, this confrontation, whether through a projection or some other means, could still impact it.

Xia Longyuan knew this and still continued, a testament to his arrogance.

In the end, strength decided everything. Only the victor could claim to have everything under control.

While Xia Longyuan was undeniably an unrivaled figure in this era, facing a top-tier god from the previous era, one even bearing the title of emperor, who could truly say who would win? Even Zhao Changhe, who had the utmost confidence in Xia Longyuan, was unsure of what the outcome of this battle would be.

The golden dragon-shaped fist clamped in the flood dragon’s jaws flickered and transformed into a humanoid figure resembling Xia Longyuan. Though his fist remained in the flood dragon’s mouth, he seemed entirely unbothered. Suddenly, the force in his fist surged, delivering a powerful blow deep into the flood dragon’s throat.

“You waited for me all this time, only to flaunt your weakness before me?”

The sound of a thunderous explosion resounded, and the couple hiding amongst the seaweed in the water could barely make out what was going on in the battle raging above. They could not discern whether the flood dragon’s face was one of agony or delight. Soon after, muffled groans emanated, but the flood dragon’s jaws remained firmly clamped around the fist, refusing to let go.

Xia Longyuan’s voice, tinged with surprise, sounded again, “Your chest and abdomen are already injured, yet you still refuse to let go... I must say, your bite strength is rather commendable. You’ve recovered much faster than I anticipated. You must have benefited greatly from spreading your faith through the Wang Clan.”

Zhao Changhe, of course, understood that the Sea Emperor’s fast recovery was not necessarily due to the spreading of faith. The effects of such a system were gradual, requiring a large population and many years of influence to take hold. The Wang Clan did not yet have such reach. At the same time, even with Hai Changkong’s earlier actions that shattered the Sea Emperor’s faith, any effect would not be immediate, even if the message had spread by now.

If anything hastened the Sea Emperor’s recovery, it had to be the sacrifices. The naval battle just off of Dongan Island had left countless dead, and the offering had already taken effect.

Zhao Changhe could not shake the feeling that Hai Pinglan was pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Although Hai Pinglan, too, wanted the Sea Emperor dead, he seemed willing to help accelerate the Sea Emperor’s recovery temporarily, aware that the other party was still not strong enough to rival Xia Longyuan. Such cold and calculating tactics were beyond anything that Zhao Changhe could relate to.

This was a high-stakes game between three rulers... perhaps more.

These thoughts passed through Zhao Changhe’s head in an instant; meanwhile, as Xia Longyuan’s words fell, a crimson fist shadow descended from the sky, striking toward Xia Longyuan.

Xia Longyuan burst into laughter, “I knew it! You believe yourselves to be gods and demons, yet you’ve still been forced to conspire and cooperate with one another just to take down what you see as a mere mortal! Hah... Hahaha!”

With his laughter echoing in the air, Xia Longyuan’s left hand shot out, unleashing another dragon-shaped punch upward, clashing directly with the crimson fist shadow.

A terrifying explosion rang out, and the shockwave of clashing energies almost injured the young couple spying from afar. They were blasted back a few zhang before managing to stabilize themselves, still unable to make out who had gained the upper hand amidst the tumultuous chaos.

Xia Chichi asked softly, “Who is that?”

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment before replying, “I think it must be the barbarian god of the Grasslands, the one called Tngri. I sensed a vast and savage aura, quite similar to the feeling that Timur gave me.”

The Sea Emperor had probably used the Wang Clan as a medium to secretly contact the Grasslands’ barbarian god... It was no wonder he had been willing to endure injuries just to keep Xia Longyuan immobile.

Two beings from among the ancient gods and demons, ganging up on the strongest man of the current age!

“You call yourselves gods, but you resort to such tactics. You’re nothing but skeletons from the grave!” Xia Longyuan’s laughter echoed from the battlefield. “Had I been alive in your era, you would not have even had the chance to achieve godhood! You’re all nothing but trash!”

Though his words were scornful, his voice felt ever-so-slightly weaker. And since this was a projection of energy from thousands of li away, this indicated that he had sustained some damage.

Yet as the dust cleared, the flood dragon was revealed to be covered in blood, while the crimson fist shadow had nearly dissipated.

To face gods as a mortal, to fight two as one, and to leave all parties wounded with the ancient gods and demons on the losing end, Xia Longyuan proved that his title as the strongest in the world was well-deserved.

The crimson fist shadow transformed into a humanoid figure, but the voice that came from the figure was very faint. “Xia Longyuan, you are indeed powerful, worthy of your arrogance... But no one is all-knowing. Your obstinance has led you to countless mistakes, and yet you remain ignorant of them.”

Xia Longyuan responded indifferently, “What could you, a barbarian god, possibly know?”

“You unified the world to experience the process of ruling, to use it as your stepping stone to the Profound Control Realm. Now that you’ve mastered the power of controlling rivers and mountains, you no longer care to maintain your rule. It is as if unifying the land was nothing more than a key to you, one that you have chosen to cast aside after opening the door. The only reason you keep the throne now is the conveniences it affords your plans,” Tngri said slowly. “Now, your focus lies solely on gods and demons, on your cultivation, on surpassing all. The world falls further and further into chaos, yet you remain indifferent. Instead, you even seize the opportunity to lure out the gods and demons. The Maitreya Cult, the Four Idols Cult, the Wang Clan... You await the shadows behind them, only to crush them for your amusement.”

Xia Longyuan scoffed but offered no response.

Zhao Changhe, however, knew that this assessment was largely accurate. Xia Longyuan’s ultimate target was never these gods and demons. It was likely that his true target was the blind woman or an even greater entity. But how was he supposed to level up? In this era, he had no real rivals. As emperor, he could not just wander around exploring secret realms, could he? Doing so would not be any different from isolating himself in the palace and ignoring worldly affairs.

He might as well stay in the palace, where at least he could maintain control over the larger picture.

To him, the chaos spreading across the world was nothing more than a performance, something to observe with amusement. In fact, part of it was deliberately orchestrated by him. His eyes were only on the gods and demons lurking in the shadows, viewing them as stepping stones for his next level, each one a boss in a game to gain experience from.

Just like now.

Xia Longyuan did not respond, and Tngri did not care. This avatar of his was on the verge of dissipating, and it was clear that his true body, wherever it was, had also suffered considerable injuries. If he did not finish speaking now, he would not get another chance.

Slowly, Tngri continued, “But Xia Longyuan, you are mistaken... To treat your path to the level of gods and demons with such disdain and disrespect, discarding it as worthless once crossed—you will inevitably suffer the consequences. You gained enlightenment through your dominion over the world, but when you lose control, your foundation will crumble. Do you not realize this? Do you truly believe that reclaiming the world is as easy a task as the flipping of your hand?

Just as Xia Longyuan was about to respond, his expression suddenly changed.

Far away in the capital, Tang Wanzhuang hurried into the palace to report, “Your Majesty, the northern barbarians have bypassed Yumen Pass[1], and the defending general has surrendered. The barbarians have made it far into the empire. Chang’an has fallen.”

“A rebellion has risen in Jiaozhou. The rebel leader calls himself the Southern Heavenly King and has declared independence.”

“Turmoil has erupted in Jinzhong...”

“Wan Tianxiong of Jianghuai has advanced westward into Nan Commandery!”

Meanwhile, Tngri continued, “Even the Tang Clan harbors disloyalty. The hearts of your officials are divided—some conspire with us, others the Wang Clan, and yet others with Li Shentong in the southwest. There are as many traitors as there are cattle in the fields. Cui Wenjing lies bedridden by the wounds you allowed him to suffer; Cui Yuanyong and his sister bear resentment toward you. Yang Jingxiu only cares about his own clan. Soon, you won’t even be able to hold your own palace together, much less rule the world.”

With these final words, Tnrgri suddenly laughed, and the last bit of energy he had left exploded violently in Xia Longyuan’s face. “Let me make it even harder for you to reclaim your land!”

Boom! n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The detonation of energy from a god at the Profound Control Realm, no matter how diluted, was anything but trivial.

Taking advantage of Xia Longyuan’s momentary distraction, the Sea Emperor fiercely lashed out at his waist.

From the dark mists behind, an aged fist emerged from the crashing waves, striking directly at Xia Longyuan’s back.

Hai Pinglan seized the opportunity to strike. With his attack, the sea erupted in massive waves, the entire ocean churning as if heaven, earth, and man had aligned in perfect harmony.

He, too, was at the Profound Control Realm!

1. This may be just a mistake and this could be the Yanmen Pass heretofore mentioned, but the Yumen Pass does exist and it is in fact a place the northern barbarians may bypass in order to enter the empire, so we’ll assume this is correct and they just took a different route. ☜

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