Chapter 703: Snowy Owl

Chapter 703: Snowy Owl

Whether in the Western Regions or Xiangyang, this was no place Zhao Changhe should have appeared at this moment.

Snowy Owl finally understood why Yue Hongling, who was always as cautious as a fox and more like an assassin than himself, had so blatantly walked into the trap this time—it turned out her man had arrived and was lying in ambush for him!

Having a man made her formidable, and the key was that her man truly was formidable.

Leaving aside everything else, the mere fact that he had lurked in the distance for so long without Snowy Owl sensing even a hint of anomaly—this level of control over his own energy fluctuations was beyond ordinary, a mastery that commanded every shred of power and every wisp of aura like an extension of his own will.

At this point, if Zhao Changhe claimed, "I am invincible below the Imperial Realm" or "The Heavenly Ranking is a sham without me," few would dare to object.

After all, he had decisively defeated two Imperial Realm experts, Huanghuang and Fengyin, in a back-to-back battle. No matter how much he relied on divine artifacts or how much his record might be inflated by intimidation, this was an ironclad fact. And as for borrowing the power of divine artifacts—he still had those artifacts on him, didn't he?

Take this blade strike, for instance...

Zhao Changhe did not even bother to respond to his words; the blade was already at his face. It was like the Milky Way pouring down from the Ninth Heaven, rushing to the sea with an unstoppable force!

"Clang!" Snowy Owl angled his longsword, half parrying and half deflecting, blocking the side of the Dragon Sparrow.

But he had just dodged the sneak attack from the Dragon Soul Bow and hadn't even adjusted his stance. He was never known for brute strength, and being forced to meet force with force put him at a severe disadvantage. The surging power erupted violently, and he could not deflect it at all. The bloodthirsty, murderous aura within him was stirred by this blow, churning and invading, making him utterly miserable.

Following the advice of the Vermilion Bird, Zhao Changhe focused on his own Milky Way Dharma Aspect, supplemented by the traits of the Blood Fiend Art, to forge a blade intent uniquely his own. This strike had already revealed its might! Perhaps this was also Zhao Changhe's first direct confrontation with a veteran Heavenly Ranking expert in this world—and he had the upper hand!

Snowy Owl, a seasoned Heavenly Ranking veteran, could not withstand the force of this blow and had to rely on his movement technique to retreat and dissipate the power.

But retreating was not easy.

Yue Hongling's combat experience was even richer than Zhao Changhe's. The moment Zhao Changhe delivered this strike, she had already anticipated Snowy Owl's next move. As his figure withdrew, her sword tip was already waiting behind him—there was no way to dodge!

Fortunately, he was not alone. Annihilation's Shadow Prison had also transformed into ten thousand shadow spears, thrusting straight at Yue Hongling's back.

As Zhao Changhe struck at Snowy Owl, he flung out the Star River with his left hand to deal with the threat to his wife. Thousands of sword gleams shone like stars, clashing and merging with the endless shadows. With a series of hissing sounds, the crisis chasing Yue Hongling was completely neutralized.

If this sword strike had not been used for this purpose but had instead been thrown at Snowy Owl, he might have been killed on the spot.

But as one of the top assassins in this world, Snowy Owl had his own tricks. His figure twisted eerily, and the next moment, the couple's blade and sword passed through him, only to find in astonishment that they had struck nothing but air—it was merely an afterimage!

His true body had already appeared a mile away, fleeing swiftly: "Everyone says Zhao Changhe is the true dragon of this generation—indeed, his reputation is well-deserved. Heh..."

Zhao Changhe stared in shock at the afterimage before him, which still bore the expression Snowy Owl had worn when he fled.

This was also the first time Zhao Changhe had seen Snowy Owl's face clearly. Though he had been famous for years, he still looked like a young man in white robes, tall and handsome, with a calm, indifferent gaze. There was none of the ferocity one would expect from a killer-assassin; instead, he seemed rather gentle. As his true body spoke, the afterimage began to waver and fade, and the twisting of its features as it dissolved now carried a hint of mockery, along with a savagery unseen before.

Zhao Changhe had no time to appreciate it. He swung his blade and sword together, viciously charging at Annihilation, who had sensed trouble and was already fleeing.

Yue Hongling's sword had also turned, thrusting straight at Annihilation.

Annihilation had been cooperating smoothly with his ally, but his ally had fled without even putting up a fight. His mind was filled with curses, and he had no desire to continue the battle. He instantly merged into the shadow of a rock behind him and vanished without a trace.

But just as he merged into the shadow, the Star River Sword stabbed into the darkness with a "clang." Though it only struck the rock, blood seeped out from the stone, and a muffled groan echoed from afar, as if from a distant dimension.

He was wounded!

Earlier, the Vermilion Bird's attribute had been a natural counter, and Annihilation still had unquenchable flames clinging to him, severely hampering his combat ability. That was why he had not displayed the power befitting an Imperial Realm demon-god in this fight—otherwise, how would Yue Hongling have dared to go out alone and step into the trap? But that injury was merely a hindrance, like a thorn stuck in a normal person's body, not enough to damage his core. This time, however, under the extremely special attribute of the Star River Sword, the blow had truly struck his very essence!

Because the Star River Sword truly symbolized night and darkness; shadows had nowhere to hide before it. It was only because its master was too weak to see the enemy's true form that this strike had not directly killed Annihilation.

Zhao Changhe knew it was his own fault and awkwardly tried to save face: "Damn it, what kind of name is 'Annihilation'? Why not call yourself 'Shadow Blade'?"

Yue Hongling looked at her man with admiration, her eyes filled with joy and an indescribable complexity: "You... are stronger than me."

Yes, today's Zhao Changhe was stronger than her.

She had only recently broken through to the Third Secret Treasury, while Zhao Changhe's momentum clearly indicated he was seeking to break into the Imperial Realm.

As their eyes met, countless scenes flashed through their gazes, stirring a myriad of emotions.

Buddha: "..."

Ever since he had blocked Yue Hongling's punch, this Buddha had been standing there in a daze, like a statue. Though his whole body was shining with golden light, brighter than any lantern, it could not stop the couple from locking eyes.

Suddenly, a female voice came from within the Dragon Sparrow: "Don't forget to pick up the arrows! I have to remind you every time, you wasteful fool!"

Yue Hongling: "?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

"From now on, if you can't hit the target, can you stop shooting? It gives me a heart attack just watching."

The couple finally broke their gaze. Zhao Changhe said irritably, "Do you even know archery?"

"Speak like a human."

"Whether to shoot or not—what does a brat like you know?"

"..."

Yue Hongling looked at the Dragon Sparrow in amazement: "Your blade can talk now? And it's a girl... Can you come out and let me see? My sword is also beginning to gestate a spirit; I could use some reference."

Zhao Changhe thought to himself that this was truly admirable. The spirits of his own blade and sword had foundations laid by others, but Yue Hongling's was a genuine spirit born from countless battles. Her sword's material was also somewhat special—after her original sword broke, she had chosen one from the ancient fine swords treasured by the Spirit Clan, likely with exceptional durability, allowing her to use it until now. But to go from no spirit to having a spirit—that kind of leap was truly remarkable.

He suddenly reached out, grabbed the Dragon Sparrow by the hair, and pulled her out of the blade.

Dragon Sparrow: "?"

She had never left the blade before. Suddenly seeing sunlight, she was a bit unaccustomed and shielded her eyes.

Yue Hongling studied her with great surprise: "This child's face is a bit... crowded."

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment before he understood what she meant, and he nearly burst out laughing. Dragon Sparrow said angrily, "What do you mean by 'crowded'? I've drawn from the best of many—what would a country bumpkin like you know?"

Yue Hongling smiled faintly: "Is there a part of me in it?"

Dragon Sparrow: "...Yes."

Yue Hongling patted her with a grin: "Call me 'Mother.'"

Dragon Sparrow was dumbfounded. Having left the blade for the first time, her mind was blank, and she didn't know how to respond. I have a face that's crowded, so my mother must be crowded too...

"Calling me a 'country bumpkin'—you must have learned that from Xia Chichi." Yue Hongling sighed. "That aunt didn't teach you well. From now on, I'll teach you myself."

Dragon Sparrow was stunned. Were they having a spat across the distance?

But Zhao Changhe's heart stirred. He sensed something different in Yue Hongling's words.

When had she ever bothered to argue over such things? But this time...

Was it fate that had brought them together, and she no longer wanted to leave?

"Are you tired?" he suddenly asked.

Yue Hongling looked at him for a long moment, then smiled faintly: "You're overthinking."

"You never keep your word!"

"Didn't I tell you back then? A woman's words can't be trusted."

"No."

Buddha: "..."

Are you two ever going to stop?

"Buddha!" The sound of wind and rushing air came from afar. Yuancheng, Yuanxing, and the others finally caught up. Seeing Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling here, they were equally stunned.

Isn't this our temple's secret realm? Why are you two here?

Dragon Sparrow slipped back into the blade with a whoosh. Zhao Changhe finally sighed: "It's a long story. Let's talk about it back at the temple."

Yuan Cheng steadied himself and instructed his attendants, "Go ahead and prepare a vegetarian feast and guest quarters to entertain the Prince of Zhao."

Zhao Changhe said, "No need for anything else. Do you have a hot spring here? That's the most important divine tool..."

Yue Hongling kicked him in the leg and turned away in fury.

Meanwhile, on the other side, on a distant mountaintop, Xue Xiao stood alone in white robes, hands behind his back, gazing from the peak toward this place—though it was unclear what he could see.

An Mie staggered out from the shadows and said bitterly, "Why didn't you hold out! If you had withstood just one more blow, I would have surely wounded Yue Hongling!"

Xue Xiao's gaze shifted from afar to him, looking at the dripping blood, a strange expression in his eyes: "I was wondering, if this place falls, will the Book of Chaos announce it?"

An Mie's heart leaped: "You..."

A sword tip suddenly pierced through his heart. Xue Xiao's expression was calm as he said flatly, "Chaos and shadow always lose to light because they are always too scattered... What use are you and that old zombie Huang Yang, really?"

An Mie stared in disbelief at the sword through his heart: "You... your strength is not what you showed just now... You faced a great enemy, yet you plotted against me?"

Xue Xiao did not answer him, continuing his own thought: "After much deliberation, your only purpose is to incarnate the chaos and destruction of the apocalypse into human form—the so-called primordial demon gods... Then, passed down to this day, to deliver this demonic intent to the present generation. Your historical mission... is thus complete."