Chapter 299: Great Xia Dragon Sparrow VS Ancient Sword Dragon Emperor

Chapter 299: Great Xia Longque vs. Ancient Sword Dragon Emperor

The Four Symbols Cult had once plundered the tombs here.

It was the very cave where Fang Buping and his cohort had conducted their ritual—originally an underground mausoleum, excavated and emptied over a decade ago under the direction of the previous White Tiger Holy Maiden, leaving behind nothing but a hollow cavern. Zhao Changhe had stayed inside briefly when he first arrived and found nothing of substance; later, during his tenure as the bandit chief, he had repurposed the place as a storehouse.

In a place that had been so thoroughly ransacked by a cult that even the floor tiles were ripped up, leaving the earth literally dug three feet deep, there was truly nothing left behind.

The gold, silver, treasures, and martial manuals obtained from the tomb back then must have immensely bolstered the strength of the Four Symbols Cult, and the ancient records recovered were of paramount significance. According to Sanniang, the previous generation of the cult had been rather mediocre; that her own generation had grown so formidable over the past decade or so was largely tied to this windfall.

They had also left behind records of the Azure Dragon Seal, though its precise location was unmentioned, a secret the White Tiger Holy Maiden later passed down to her daughter. Having already reaped such a bountiful harvest, the cult never imagined anything else could remain until years later when a new clue accidentally surfaced, hinting that a true treasure ought to be hidden here, which prompted them to organize the Blood God Cult to search for the Azure Dragon Seal.

This was the genesis of the bond between Zhao Changhe and Chichi, both of whom were deeply entwined in its history.

By this count, the land had already been plowed through twice... Yet neither the Four Symbols Cult nor Zhao Changhe himself had ever expected that a true principal burial chamber still lay hidden beneath!

"To construct such a deceptive arrangement of true and false tombs is an extravagance regardless of cost," Sanniang explained with a touch of helpless self-justification. "The tomb excavated in those early years was indeed incredibly wealthy... it possessed the exact specifications a true tomb ought to have, and we benefited immensely."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Was there a corpse?"

"There was, the remains of a great expert," Sanniang confessed freely, anticipating his question. "But it likely hadn't reached the level of the ancient Azure Dragon... Had it truly been the Azure Dragon, the body should have remained whole rather than a mere skeleton. Yet our understanding of the previous era wasn't as advanced then as it is now, and we assumed an imperishable skeleton was impressive enough..."

Zhao Changhe nodded; it was only natural for people to be limited by their perception. His own understanding had been even cruder back then—he had ruled as the bandit chief here for so long without ever suspecting something lay beneath, so who was he to judge?

"I rather think that aside from the displacement of the principal burial chamber, the rest of the primary treasures were indeed plundered by you. This main chamber likely holds nothing but powerful restrictions; this Azure Dragon truly went to great lengths, knowing that once all the good things were taken, few would remain so relentlessly persistent."

Sanniang nodded. "It is highly probable that nothing remains but bones and restrictions, but we cannot rely on conjecture alone; I must go down and see for myself. Your strength is insufficient, so it is best you do not follow. I might not be able to protect you."

Zhao Changhe hesitated for a moment. "I suggest even you stay above. Let us keep it sealed and return after you make a breakthrough."

Xuanwu and Wanzhuang were evenly matched, and this ancient Azure Dragon was likely on par with the Sword Emperor. Judging by the scale of the Sword Emperor’s mausoleum, Tang Wanzhuang’s decision had been to investigate only the periphery and leave the core sealed and untouched, as it was exceedingly perilous.

Yet what was called the "periphery" here had long since been hollowed out; this was now the very core.

Sanniang had never witnessed the awe-inspiring might of the Sword Emperor's mausoleum, and whether for the sake of her cult or her own disposition, it was impossible for her to resist going down to look, nor was their relationship close enough for her to heed Zhao Changhe's counsel.

Zhao Changhe could only watch as Sanniang slipped into the passage, pacing above in a state of unease.

If it was a place that even the second ranker of the Earth Board could not handle, then his descending would merely be throwing his life away, perhaps even becoming a liability; it would be a mockery indeed if a peaceful situation turned disastrous because he rushed in blindly, so it was best not to descend recklessly.

He could only hope that if Sanniang sensed trouble, she would be decisive enough to abandon the endeavor and leave, rather than forcing her way through...

Just as the thought crossed his mind, another earth-shaking tremor resonated from below, mingled with the explosive roars of clashing vital energy, indicating that Sanniang had already engaged in combat.

Zhao Changhe paced back and forth, his anxiety intensifying.

The Longque blade, which had long ceased to stir on its own, began to tremble once more, burning with the same boundless excitement it had shown when facing the phantasmal shadow of the Sword Emperor.

Zhao Changhe said testily, "Stop shaking. When Old Xia showed up, you didn't budge an inch, yet now you start acting up."

The Longque vibrated violently.

Perhaps because he had already touched upon the threshold of the Secret Realm... whereas before Zhao Changhe could only sense basic emotions like 'excitement' or 'displeasure' from the blade, this time he miraculously comprehended its full intent: I no longer have any interest in him, so why should I stir?

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred; this meaning was intriguing...

The surface personality of the Longque closely mirrored that of Xia Longyuan—equally chuunibyou, overbearing, and arrogant, always eager to test itself against anyone formidable—yet that was merely the surface. Its core essence was the Emperor's Saber; its overbearing nature meant never defying the Son of Heaven's mandate, and its arrogance dictated that the heavens could not endure two suns... Xia Longyuan's current demeanor was certainly still overbearing, but to call it the "intent of an emperor" was no longer entirely accurate.

Blades and swords possessed spirits that sensed the true essence of things, and so the Longque no longer truly acknowledged Xia Longyuan, treating him like a stranger.

Had it been a situation like the Qinghe Sword, its spirituality might have faded, but the Longque's fortune was not bad—it had ended up by Zhao Changhe's side.

Zhao Changhe's actions... perhaps he lacked an emperor's ambition, but the deeds he wrought made the Longque feel they were a perfect match.

Cui Wenjing had said, you ought to consider making it acknowledge you as its master...

The Longque conveyed another thought: There is an arrogant fellow down there, and I want to go beat it up.

In ordinary combat, Zhao Changhe rarely drew upon the Longque's power—in truth, the blade was unyielding and usually unavailable, only occasionally granting a sliver of its strength in a tsundere fashion; normally, he could only rely on its exceptional material as a weapon. Now he recalled that back when he traded strikes with the Sword Emperor’s phantom shadow at Tiger Hill, it was entirely by the Longque's power that the shadow was dispersed; he, Zhao Changhe, had done nothing at all, serving as a mere accessory to the blade.

In other words, if what lay below was also a sword spirit or a phantasmal shadow, the Longque was entirely capable of joining the fray.

Just as he reasoned this, a muffled groan drifted up from below, suggesting Sanniang had suffered a setback.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Zhao Changhe dashed into the passage like a shooting star.

The scene that met his eyes was indeed strikingly similar to the Sword Emperor's mausoleum; a divine sword was currently assaulting Sanniang, who stood beside a central jade coffin. Sanniang had produced a serpentine whip from somewhere, its countless afterimages swirling around her to form a light barrier resembling a tortoise shell, holding out against the sword's assault.

Unlike the Sword Emperor's phantom shadow, which had been entangled with bloody malice and corrupted into a demonic crimson—revealing nothing but pure violence and proving that the Sword Emperor had died with lingering obsessions and deep-seated rancor, justifying Sisi and Tang Wanzhuang's judgment that his revival would bring catastrophe to the Divine Land—the sword before him now was far more vibrant.

It exuded a faint, shimmering jade-green luster, and upon its blade was a golden dragon emblem so lifelike it appeared almost tangible... Wait, no, this damn thing was an actual, physical sword!

This blade was slightly broader and thicker than modern swords, ancient in design and devoid of any malevolence, radiating a majestic, grand dignity that subtly carried the intent of all things growing and reviving—the unmistakable traits of the Azure Dragon.

This was the personal sidearm of the ancient Azure Dragon; Zhao Changhe had seen this very sword hanging from the waist of the man in the illusions beneath the Sword Lake!

The Ancient Sword Dragon Emperor!

As for Sanniang... Zhao Changhe did not know why her weapon of choice was a whip; could this be the true meaning of the tortoise-shell bind?

In short, while such a weapon might work wonders against human opponents, it was at a severe disadvantage against a lone sword. Zhao Changhe could broadly imagine that with Xuanwu's dual nature of tortoise and snake, while she firmly maintained her defensive tortoise shell, she would surely seek an opportunity for her whip to strike like a viper and deliver a fatal blow—yet where was the opponent?

There was no wielder at all! How could she fight it?

With only defense and no avenue for offense, the only solution was likely to bind the sword to death with the whip. However, the material of the whip probably could not withstand the blade, so she dared not wrap it around the edge, and binding the hilt was no easy task, leaving her at a terrible disadvantage.

Worse still, with every clash, the ancient sword unleashed stray sword qi that darted in all directions, and occasionally one or two rays would slip through the defensive network woven by the whip, leaving Sanniang hard-pressed. Thank goodness this was Xuanwu, whose defensive methods were peerless; anyone else would have fallen long ago.

The muffled groan Zhao Changhe had heard was precisely from a strand of sword qi grazing her arm, inflicting a minor wound.

Though this impression took long to describe, it occurred in a mere flash, and Sanniang was already shouting from across the chamber, "What did you come down for? Go back! I cannot protect you!"

Before her words could fully land, she saw Zhao Changhe hoist the Longque, leaping forward to chop down directly at the ancient sword: "Has no one told you that I am highly experienced in fighting weapons that move on their own?"

Sanniang: "..."

"Clang!" The Longque struck the ancient sword with sheer ecstasy, producing a crisp, ringing resonance.

A colossal force rebounded, sending Zhao Changhe flying back as the web between his thumb and forefinger went entirely numb... He realized that this time, the Longque seemed unable to overpower the ancient sword.

After all, the previous encounter had been against a mere phantom shadow, which was practically bullying, whereas this was a physical entity... Was it that the weapons of this era were inferior to those of the past, or was Xia Longyuan's strength eclipsed by the ancient Azure Dragon?

Screech... Zhao Changhe skidded backward, his feet carving long furrows into the ground before he managed to halt his retreat, while over there, Sanniang was already lashing out with her long whip, binding the ancient sword once more without pause.

Yet Sanniang did not drive him away again, her heart quite astonished that this fellow could clash head-on with the ancient sword and emerge unscathed. With such assistance, victory was truly within reach...

Just as she thought this, she heard Zhao Changhe slapping his saber and cursing, "You wanted to be excited, to be tsundere, to shake, shake, shake! When it's time for a team fight, where is your damage? Where! Is! It!"

Following his voice, the broad saber erupted in fury, turning into a streak of bloody light that charged straight at the ancient sword.

In Sanniang's eyes, that bloody light faintly bore the shape of a dragon, yet it also carried the intent of a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings. As for Zhao Changhe, who was being dragged along by the bloody light, he was purely an accessory...

Sanniang's heart stirred, but before she could register the thought, the ancient sword abandoned her and flew to meet the Longque.

Like the collision of a crimson dragon and a golden dragon, sword qi and saber light detonated instantly, filling the entire space.

Sanniang was also one of the top experts of this world; how could she miss such an opportunity? Her serpentine whip lashed out, accurately binding the hilt of the ancient sword.

A shameless two-on-one battle ensued; the ancient sword tried to struggle, but it could no longer break free, for Sanniang was no pushover either...

The Longque, however, seemed highly displeased, showing signs of wanting to hack at Sanniang instead, prompting Zhao Changhe to grip the hilt with all his might, nearly begging the blade to show some face...

The Longque trembled twice before finally falling silent, as if saying, "As long as you know how awesome I am, I won't bother bickering with you."

Sanniang gripped the ancient sword and found that, like other divine weapons, as long as someone held the hilt, it would quiet down.

A bizarre battle concluded just as bizarrely, and Sanniang exhaled a sigh, looking at Zhao Changhe with delight: "Not bad, little brother, you really can be of help..."

Zhao Changhe did not answer, silently planting the Longque into the ground and beginning to strip off his clothes.

San Niang: "?"

But then Zhao Changhe took off his outer robe and tossed it directly to her: "Put it on."

Having said that, he turned his back, facing the passage entrance, without a word.

San Niang caught the garment instinctively, then realized, and looked down.

The binding over her peaks had been cut by sword qi at some point, the cloth parted to either side, a coolness spreading.

Not only that, there were other rents and tears, white flesh peeking out everywhere, a riot of spring revealed.

San Niang looked up at his turned back, said nothing, but simply and naturally draped his coat over herself, then asked with a smile: "Want to take a look at the coffin?"

Only then did Zhao Changhe turn his head, as if nothing had happened: "Will he revive?"

"Probably not." San Niang leaned forward to peer at the jade coffin, murmuring to herself: "The Four Symbols of antiquity... perhaps they are all truly extinct."