Chapter 155: Look To The Present Day

Chapter 155: Look to the Present Day

All were stunned, none could fathom how Zhao Changhe had emerged from below.

Tang Buqi muttered inwardly that appearances truly deceive—we dig tunnels in brothels, and you dig through the earth? And covered in blood at that. Wait, who’s this girl you’re carrying? Was the maid I sent you supposed to look like this?

In truth, the most shaken at that moment was Sisi herself.

This Zhao Changhe, drenched in blood, had just used a powerful move that would leave him weakened; any normal person would only want to rest and recover, yet the moment he emerged, he brandished his blade and slashed wildly, as if injury and weakness had nothing to do with him.

Such ferocity was a world apart from the calm detective he’d been moments before; Sisi couldn’t fathom how these two personas could coexist.

“Clang!”

A deafening crash rang out as the Dragon Sparrow slammed heavily into the sword shadow. There was no clang of metal, only a violent collision of energy!

The ancient sword’s shadow flickered slightly, and Zhao Changhe flipped backward, landing on a rock before springing forth again with another slash!

The power gap was minimal—only slightly inferior. It was a fight!

“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!”

The sword shadow began to slash horizontally and vertically, forming a crude sword technique, as if someone were wielding it, trading blows with Zhao Changhe’s Dragon Sparrow. Each clash sent sword energy scattering around, like beasts shedding fur as they tore into each other...

Tang Buqi and the others, while resisting the sword energy, felt their eyes nearly pop out.

Was this a man fighting a sword? Where was its vital point?

Wait, how could he even fight it?

The sword shadow felt utterly invincible, as if anyone who touched it would be crushed. Tang Buqi even doubted whether Tang Wanzhuang and Maitreya could handle it if they came down. How could Zhao Changhe match it evenly?

But Tang Wanzhuang and Maitreya, locked in fierce combat, understood.

This sword shadow’s power was not as strong as everyone had imagined.

First, it wasn’t the Sword Emperor’s personal divine sword, merely a sword-energy guard arranged within the mausoleum, condensed into a shadow. Though it carried the Sword Emperor’s intent, it was far weaker.

Second, as Sisi had judged, perhaps these sword energies were once extremely powerful—each alone might have rivaled a Heaven-and-Earth List expert. But after countless years, both their power and spirit had greatly degraded. The combined force might still be formidable, strong enough to tear space, but the cost of tearing space was no joke—how much could remain?

Calculated this way, it wasn’t strong at all.

What made it feel invincible was the dense baleful aura, which had always been able to affect the mind, instilling fear and sapping all will to fight. Coupled with the sword shadow’s massive size and the terrifying spectacle of it breaking through the barrier, the psychological pressure it exerted was overwhelming.

As long as someone could completely ignore the baleful aura’s influence, they could fight!

Among those present, aside from the two Earth List combatants, the only one who could not only ignore the baleful aura but even thrive in it as if it were his home ground was Zhao Changhe!

The land of blood and balefulness was his stage!

The void sword shadow swept toward him.

“Hah!” Zhao Changhe gripped his blade with both hands and brought it down furiously.

His muscles bulged, his hair came loose, and his locks flew wildly.

From a distance, one couldn’t tell if the sword was a baleful blade or the man a baleful god.

“Clang!”

Blade and sword clashed again. The Dragon Sparrow cried out in excitement.

Baleful aura and imperial might—the sword shadow possessed both, and they resonated perfectly with the Dragon Sparrow. Its battle lust had long been stirring!

This time, it wasn’t Zhao Changhe who was sent tumbling—it was the sword shadow!

Zhao Changhe kicked off the ground, launching himself like a cannonball, and chased after it with another slash.

To the onlookers, this strike carried a sharpness that could break a thousand armies and a dominance that commanded all to bow—it seemed even more potent than the Sword Emperor’s intent.

It was the might of the Dragon Sparrow, which Zhao Changhe had always suppressed, now unleashed without restraint.

Was it the blade’s madness or the sword’s reverence? The majesty of the ancient Sword Emperor or the gaze of the present Son of Heaven? All seemed to be decided in this single blow!

“Boom!”

A thunderous explosion erupted, energy surging wildly, baleful aura rolling like a tide, sweeping across several zhang.

The baleful aura carried the energy, felling trees and shattering rocks, leveling the space of several zhang into flat ground.

This had surpassed Zhao Changhe’s own power—it was the combined force of the Dragon Sparrow and the ancient sword!

Tang Buqi and the others formed a formation and retreated, struggling to withstand the increasingly dense rain of sword energy and the violent energy impact. Yet their hearts grew calmer.

The sword rain was weakening. Earlier, it had been ferocious and deadly; now it felt like fine ox-hair needles.

Looking up, the massive sword shadow in the sky had also shrunk, now about the same size as the Dragon Sparrow, and still diminishing...

Tang Buqi finally understood how to kill a sword shadow—it was an energy construct; just keep draining its energy until it vanished.

“Whoosh!” A barely visible streak of light suddenly shot toward Zhao Changhe from midair.

It was Maitreya, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, risking a disadvantage in his fight with Tang Wanzhuang to sabotage Zhao Changhe.

Sisi lunged desperately to intercept.

Damn it, I’ve finally glimpsed the treasure vault—I won’t let this bald thief steal it!

But poor Sisi forgot that her opponent was an Earth List fifth-rank; even a casual strike was beyond her ability to block.

Her dagger seemed to cut into the streak of light but missed, grazing its tail. The hidden weapon still struck Zhao Changhe’s chest with a crisp “ding” of metal.

Zhao Changhe was sent stumbling backward, but oddly, his chest felt no pain.

He stomped the ground behind him, sprang up again to slash at the sword, and roared, “I’ll remember that strike! Your head, Zhao Changhe will claim it!”

“Shua!” Distracted by his attack on Zhao Changhe, Maitreya could no longer withstand Tang Wanzhuang. A sword light flashed, and blood sprayed from Maitreya’s chest. Zhao Changhe’s chest was unharmed, but Maitreya’s was wounded—poetic justice.

Maitreya couldn’t fathom what Zhao Changhe had hidden in his chest that could withstand his blow. Now, if he didn’t flee, he would die under Tang Wanzhuang’s sword.

Without further thought, Maitreya spat out a mouthful of blood mist, forcing Tang Wanzhuang to retreat slightly, and then fled swiftly: “When my holy sect levels the world, I’ll make you two dogs and bitches suffer eternal damnation!”

By the last words, he had vanished.

Almost simultaneously, the Dragon Sparrow struck the sword shadow again. The shadow flickered and finally dissipated.

Remnants of baleful aura and imperial might lingered around the Dragon Sparrow, gradually being absorbed. The dragon’s cry and blade’s howl rang out endlessly—the Dragon Sparrow was roaring, as if proclaiming who was the emperor of this day!

Zhao Changhe thrust the Dragon Sparrow into the mud.

Dragon Sparrow: “...”

It wanted to protest, but after a tremor, it quieted down.

Because Zhao Changhe had no strength left. He leaned on the blade, propping himself up with the hilt, barely staying upright only by the Dragon Sparrow’s support.

Tang Wanzhuang stood on a distant treetop, silently watching Zhao Changhe.

His body was riddled with wounds, all gashes from the sword energy. Internally, his true qi was depleted, his blood and energy utterly spent. Externally, he was drenched in blood, barely recognizable.

If a child came and pushed him, he would likely collapse.

Yet the baleful aura and imperial might swirling around the Dragon Sparrow seemed to merge perfectly with him, making him appear from afar like a god or a demon.

Tang Buqi and the other onlookers felt a tremor in their hearts. Tang Buqi muttered to himself that the nickname from the Maitreya Sect was fitting—he really did resemble a bloody Asura. But that term seemed insufficient in rank; what should he be called instead?

Zhao Changhe had no idea that this guy was still engaging in such mental gymnastics at a time like this. He could barely lift his head, slowly raising it to look at Tang Wanzhuang.

The night breeze blew, the peerless immortal’s robes fluttered, beautiful beyond compare under the moonlight. Her gaze, fixed on him, held countless meanings.

The two gazed at each other for a moment. Tang Wanzhuang was about to speak when Zhao Changhe turned his head, his eyes soft as he looked at Sisi beside him, and said in a low voice, "Thank you for that block just now."

Sisi turned her head to look at him as well, thinking to herself, "My intention was not necessarily to save you—I wanted the treasure vault... And I blocked nothing; it was all for naught."

But meeting his gaze, she ultimately did not voice these thoughts, only murmuring, "Don't you dare kick me away."

Zhao Changhe replied with a smile, "If she dares, I'll fall out with her."