Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 412: The Black Tortoises Fist, the Second Mightiest

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.

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. ☜