Chapter 253: Right At The Correct Time

Chapter 253: Just in Time

Leaving Xia Longyuan, Zhao Changhe detoured northwest, heading straight for Yanmen.

His mind was a blur of thoughts along the way, and it was no small feat that he galloped without incident. That night, staying at an inn along the road, Zhao Changhe pushed open the window to gaze at the moon, his emotions still inexpressible.

Xia Longyuan had said, "You should have come sooner."

Indeed, to him, there was nothing he couldn't tell his "daughter and son-in-law." Why bother with wild guesses that only invited ridicule? Not to mention Zhao Changhe—even if it were leaked to Zhuque, to the Wang family, to Maitreya... what could they do?

A man who cared neither for the throne nor for heirs was invincible. Anything others did held no meaning in his eyes.

Instead, he wished you had come earlier, so he could boost you up a notch, make you faster—too slow...

I wonder what Chichi will feel when I relay this to her later. She'll surely be at a loss for words too.

Of course, Xia Longyuan had said much but hadn't elaborated on what he was actually doing. For instance, why so much chaos? It wasn't just that he couldn't manage it all; some things were clearly deliberate. Like the sea creatures behind the Wang family—he saw through it like a mirror. So was the Wang family's rebellion something he intentionally provoked? Even the matter of killing his own son was glossed over, left vague.

After all, he wasn't truly treating you as family. When it came to specific operations, don't mistake him for a kindly old father-in-law here to answer your questions.

In fact, Zhao Changhe even had a feeling that Xia Longyuan's closeness or recognition of him might exceed that for his daughter...

Because they came from the same place and were headed to the same destination, merely taking different paths.

Zhao Changhe pondered a detail.

Xia Longyuan had asked why the Blind Woman sent him to Chichi's side. He answered that it was drawn by lot, and Xia Longyuan was astonished.

Thinking it over, that reaction was interesting.

Xia Longyuan thought the Blind Woman had sent him to Chichi because he, Xia Longyuan, was losing control, and needed a substitute. But that wasn't the case—it was a "fate" drawn by lot. Xia Longyuan expressed surprise, as if he accepted that since it was drawn, it wasn't the Blind Woman's intention.

If it had been intentional, Xia Longyuan might have killed him... But since it was drawn, he became intrigued instead.

What did that imply? Perhaps he'd need to ask the Blind Woman later.

These questions would have to wait. His trip to the capital had indeed been "fulfilling"—he'd gotten the answers he wanted. Chichi's father, whom she thought was on his last legs, was actually still mighty and awe-inspiring.

But... this world shouldn't be like this...

It shouldn't be anyone's playground, whether ancient gods and demons or the current emperor.

Admiration and opposition mingled within him. Zhao Changhe, with a complex expression, pulled out the unknown fruit, stared at it for a long while, then suddenly swallowed it whole.

You want to see what I can do... I want to know too.

Whatever I plan to do, I need to be strong enough.

Forcible advancement went against martial arts, except with heavenly treasures. At a certain level, a single treasure could make you leap to the heavens.

What Xia Longyuan gave his son-in-law was clearly no ordinary grade.

Zhao Changhe felt a surge of heat rushing through his body, his blood churning, surging violently. That wasn't a metaphor—he truly felt his "vitality" had doubled.

Vitality was a quantifiable concept, like comparing a young man to a decrepit elder—the life force and blood energy were worlds apart. The reason Zhao Changhe had advanced so quickly in the Blood Fiend Art was that he was a young man with abundant vitality. But no matter how abundant, it was still mortal. Once his skill reached a certain level, it wasn't enough.

The Blood God Sect's next step was to cultivate fiendish energy; the golden foil and Situ Xiao offered another path: cultivating a special physique. Once your body surpassed the mortal, you'd have superhuman vitality, and the art would break through on its own.

This fruit had nothing to do with fiendish energy—it was a treasure of vitality, its transformative power akin to reshaping the physique. In his inner vision, Zhao Changhe could almost feel a sense of muscle reconstruction, blood surging, strength skyrocketing, as if becoming inhuman.

Yet despite such intense bodily transformation, there was no pain at all. It felt like drinking a strong liquor—a warm burn, nothing more. Easier than soaking in medicinal baths.

Combined with Situ Xiao's earlier explanation of body forging, Zhao Changhe was almost certain this was an advanced form of body forging, ultimately leading to a special divine-demon physique.

The Wang family's sea mud was said to ultimately lead to an "innate Dao body." So what was this direction?

Zhao Changhe connected his spirit to the golden foil and clearly saw four large characters displayed on its "VR": "Blood Asura Body. Foundation Laid."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

What body? Say that again?

Was this the malice of the Heavenly Book or Xia Longyuan's amusement?

Regardless, this time was clearly more advanced than the sea mud. Not only did it give the "foundation laid" evaluation, but it also listed the next step for body forging: "Coagulated Vermilion Fruit, sufficient for foundation. To go further, you need something to enhance muscle strength... The best match for this body might be Dragon-Elephant Blood Ginseng."

Zhao Changhe instinctively asked, "Never heard of it. Where to find it?"

Golden foil: "..."

Though he still wasn't sure if the Blind Woman was the book spirit, Zhao Changhe inexplicably imagined this: a blind woman folding her arms, saying in a cool tone, "I'm useless."

Speaking of which, Xia Longyuan hadn't mentioned the Heavenly Book, but he did say the Blind Woman "might be a spirit"... I wonder if she'll show up tonight to say something?

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged, silently circulating his technique, and entered a deep meditative state.

Meditation was no different from sleep—he was both digesting the fruit's effects through practice and waiting for the Blind Woman.

...

The inn's rooster crowed, and the east began to pale.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes, a little surprised. The Blind Woman hadn't come all night.

He didn't believe she was unaware of his encounter with Xia Longyuan. She must know, and Xia Longyuan knew she knew, but he spoke freely without restraint. Maybe she felt embarrassed, or maybe she considered herself on a higher plane and deemed it unworthy of comment?

Who knew? But it didn't matter. Gods and Buddhas were distant; he would walk his own path.

What if she didn't exist?

Zhao Changhe stood up, extended his hand, and gently clenched it, feeling the surging power within—that was real.

The effect of this night's cultivation was absurd.

The Blood Fiend Art broke through the seventh level, silently, without even the usual surge of fiendish energy. His vitality was too strong—he couldn't tell if it was a natural breakthrough or the result of the technique. In other words, the massive boost in basic attributes had driven the technique's breakthrough. With this foundation, the eighth and ninth levels wouldn't require as much struggle; he could smoothly advance when he reached the threshold.

It had paved a smooth road ahead.

As for internal cultivation, there were benefits too.

A strong body improved everything. Though it didn't help his meridians, his internal cultivation reached the sixth-level threshold. Zhao Changhe silently used the Four Symbols Sect's star-echoing method and broke through steadily.

External skill at the seventh level, internal at the sixth... With the Six Harmonies Divine Art converting internal power to boost external combat, could he be considered an eighth-level expert?

When he left Jiangnan, he was at the fifth level of the Profound Gate. At that time, Tang Buqi thought such strength wouldn't achieve the desired value in the military. What about now?

Back then, Yue Hongling roamed the martial world, challenged Sect Master Xue, and reached second place on the Hidden Dragon List at the eighth level of the Profound Gate.

Chi Du came alone to the Central Plains, challenged famous masters, and laughed among the Hidden Dragons of the Central Plains—also at the eighth level of the Profound Gate.

If you can stir up trouble in the Central Plains, I can go wreak havoc on the grasslands.

The battle at Yanmen is raging. This trip is just in time.