Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 412: The Black Tortoise's Fist, the Second Mightiest

Zhao Changhe’s role in entering the secret realm was primarily to keep watch and prevent the potentially invulnerable fanatical followers from interfering.

If he did not do so, this hunt would have a much lower likelihood of success. Everyone was already prepared to risk their lives. If a group of suicidal followers charged in to disrupt the battle, it could easily skew the outcome.

He was not alone in this task; Yuan Cheng and Gui Chen were also responsible for keeping the followers away. However, these two old fellows were more interested in facing the Bodhisattva and wanted to exchange a few blows with her. Zhao Changhe was fine with that, as long as they did not get themselves killed in the process. He trusted that they knew when to pull back and return to help him keep watch.

Gui Chen used to be ranked twenty-ninth on the Ranking of Earth, but after He Lei and Cai Wenque’s deaths, he moved up to twenty-seventh. His level of power was perfect for keeping these protectors in check.

As for Yuan Cheng, Zhao Changhe did not have much expectations of him. He had only been acquainted with Master Yuan Xing of Huayan Temple, while Yuan Cheng was the abbot, someone Zhao Changhe had never met. However, after being reminded by Ying Five, Zhao Changhe figured that Yuan Cheng would likely be interested in matters related to Buddhism, so he sent a letter through the Demon Suppression Bureau. To his surprise, Yuan Cheng eagerly rushed over, even arriving before Gui Chen.

With them handling the watch, there would not be any unnecessary interference from the supposedly invulnerable protectors. The concept of being invulnerable was closely tied to Buddhist and Daoist spells, which they could counter.

But at this moment, Zhao Changhe did not feel the need for Yuan Cheng and Gui Chen to come help.

The protectors were much weaker than he expected, with only one, Fa Chi, being a skilled fighter. The rest were like shrimp soldiers and crab generals. Clearly, the Maitreya Cult was struggling for manpower after numerous defeats.

Ranked thirty-eighth on the Ranking of Man... Forty-fourth is too low, I’m here for you!

Swish!

A blood-red saber light sliced through the Realm of True Void, flying directly at Fa Chi’s head.

Fa Chi raised his staff, blocking the saber with a loud clang. After the clash, both of them were momentarily shaken.

In terms of strength, they were evenly matched—one with the Blood Asura Body, the other empowered by divine blessings.

Zhao Changhe’s eyes were filled with intense battle lust.

This is an opponent worth fighting!

“Blood Asura Zhao Changhe...” Fa Chi held his staff against the saber, his eyes brimming with deep hatred. “Since Yangzhou... the reason our holy cult has struggled in Jiangnan... is all because of you!”

“And what of it?” Zhao Changhe replied coolly. “My only regret is that my cultivation is too slow. Otherwise, I would have taken your dog heads long ago to honor the fallen in Jiangnan.”

“This is the path to enlightenment, the way to eternal life! You’ve witnessed the Bodhisattva’s power, and yet you remain so deluded?”

Zhao Changhe could not be bothered to argue with some brainwashed fool. Dragon Bird suddenly twisted, decapitating a Maitreya Cult follower who was trying to slip past him to reach the lotus platform, their blood spraying everywhere.

“I said your opponent is me!”

* * *

The Bodhisattva paid little attention to Zhao Changhe. Even though Fa Chi had mentioned him as the root cause of their failures, how could she fully believe that someone who had merely been at the fourth or fifth layer of the Profound Gate at the time had truly been the root cause of their failures?

She simply deemed it impossible for this group of Ranking of Heaven and Ranking of Earth experts to have been organized by such a young man from the Ranking of Man. From what she had seen herself, she believed that it was Ying Five who was leading the charge.

She only thought that Ying Five was quite bold, letting a mere Ranking of Man youngster handle the protectors. Zhao Changhe’s cultivation was not even higher than Fa Chi’s, so she could not see how he could hinder an empowered Fa Chi who still had other protectors by his side.

He should die fairly soon.

The Bodhisattva did not dwell on it. The attacks from the Ranking of Heaven and Ranking of Earth experts demanded her full attention.

The Mingfei quickly made a judgment. Yang Jingxiu and the other Ranking of Earth experts were merely distractions. She identified the true main force to consist of three individuals: Ying Five, Cui Wenjing, and Black Tortoise.

She did not recognize Ying Five’s techniques. This was understandable, as she had not seen everything back in the ancient era.

Cui Wenjing wielded the ancient Qinghe Sword, a legacy passed down through generations. The original swordmaster was stronger than she was back then, so his power was something she could accept.

Anyhow, although Cui Wenjing possessed the Qinghe Sword, he did not seem able to fully unleash its power.

But the one she could deliberate on was Black Tortoise...

If there had been a ranking in the ancient era, the Night Emperor would have undoubtedly been one of the strongest, perhaps even the very strongest! As for the Night Emperor’s four divine generals, they each ruled their own sizable territory, with the Azure Dragon even being an earthly emperor! Each of the four idols was an unstoppable force in their own right during that era, and she would have had to look up to them.

If she had encountered a true disciple of the Black Tortoise from back then, she might have had to kneel in respect rather than dare to engage in battle.

But someone merely claiming to be Black Tortoise was different, just like Maitreya calling himself Maitreya—who would recognize that?

Back in those days, the Black Tortoise did not use a whip. They wielded a sword and had an unparalleled, heavy, and fierce fist art. This whip art must be something this woman developed on her own. This means that her inheritance should be severely lacking.

These thoughts flashed through the Mingfei’s mind as she exchanged dozens of blows with her opponents. The golden light in her eyes intensified, and her bare, jade-like hand swiftly struck toward Black Tortoise’s chest.

Shifting her primary target from Ying Five to Black Tortoise, she targeted the one she deemed to have an incomplete inheritance, knowing she must have a blatant weakness.

A whip was versatile but could be suppressed by superior fist arts. it was effective in ordinary circumstances, but its limitations became apparent when being used against someone of higher rank. The Bodhisattva believed her fist art could suppress the whip, making it difficult to execute its intricate variations. If she could force out the other party’s flaws, the battle would be hers!

Lady Three’s usual playful smile disappeared, replaced by a look of serious intensity and sharpness.

The snake whip was being suppressed by her opponent’s powerful fist winds. Lady Three thus coiled it back around her pale wrist. But in that moment, her previously lazy hand clenched into a tight fist, and amidst the swirling whip shadows, she delivered a thunderous strike.

Snake shadows coiled around her fist, and it was as if a dragon’s head roared forth, letting out a deafening bellow!

Boom!

The golden light swayed and flickered and shockwaves shook the entire secret realm

Even Zhao Changhe, who was locked in battle with Fa Chi, felt the terrifying force behind him and nearly stumbled forward. He turned back in astonishment.

A memory flashed through his mind of something Xuan Chong had once said when describing the most powerful fist arts.

The second mightiest fist art in the world belongs to Black Tortoise.

If Xia Longyuan’s unparalleled strength is excluded, then the Black Tortoise’s fists might just be the strongest!

The strongest...

Damn... Is this really Lady Three?

The contrast was staggering. If he had seen this punch before meeting the lazy, seductive, slow-reacting Lady Three, he would have never guessed that she was Black Tortoise.

Amidst the golden light, the dragon shadow dissipated, and Lady Three was sent flying backward. She hunched down and bent one knee as her feet scraped against the ground, leaving deep tracks for several zhang before she finally stopped. She then raised her head, her eyes sharp and imposing, as the manifestation of a divine figure appeared around her—a giant tortoise anchoring the ground and a dragon’s head rising slightly, exuding an innate majesty.

She extended her index finger, lightly wiping away the blood that had seeped from under her mask at the corner of her lips, and she coldly remarked, “The power of the ancients... I now understand. This trip was worth it!”

Bang!

She stomped her foot on the ground, launching herself back into the fray. The Dragon Fist surged forward, crashing into the battle once again.

Zhao Changhe’s jaw practically dropped.

So cool... Black Tortoise is so cool!

The Black Tortoise was not just a tortoise. It had the head of a dragon. The tortoise and snake entwine, balancing movement and stillness, blending hardness and softness, firmly guarding the North Star[1].

The Bodhisattva had miscalculated, trying to target what seemed to be an easy opponent, only to find herself striking a spiked shell.

Though Lady Three had been pushed back, the strike had also disrupted the Bodhisattva’s energy flow. On her right, purple sword qi slashed at her neck.

She hastily deflected the sword with her hand, only for Ying Five’s fist to smash into her left side.

The Bodhisattva, who had been sitting serenely on the lotus platform, could no longer maintain her seated posture and was forced to rise and retreat.

The protectors were shocked to see that her once flawless, bare skin had begun to crack in several places, with blood flowing out uncontrollably.

Although the Bodhisattva’s power might be immense, her body could not withstand the combined might of three Ranking of Heaven experts. In the intense clash, her body began to break apart.

She had remained seated on the lotus platform because the life force within it allowed her soul to merge with the Mingfei’s body. Once she left the platform, the body was no longer able to hold up.

“You...” The Bodhisattva’s delicate face, now covered in cracks, spoke with a male voice. “Don’t force me...”

Threads of deathly qi seeped from her wounds, and in an instant, the bleeding stopped. The previously tender skin transformed into a steel-like texture before their eyes.

A corpse transformation?

Is this the second phase of the boss fight?

1. This star is also known as Polaris or polestar. ☜