Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 601: Dragon Bird's Upgrade

At this point, something seemed to cross Zhao Changhe’s mind. With an unhurried air about him, he picked up the Heavenly Tome, now in the form of a silk scroll, and began to leisurely wipe himself down with it.

The blind woman: “?”

Lady Three and Xia Chichi stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by his audacity. Lady Three was the first to find her voice, “That’s... that’s the Heavenly Tome! And you’re using it for that?!”

“Hm?” Zhao Changhe raised an eyebrow, his expression one of genuine surprise. “Isn’t that what it’s for? Without its assistance, do you think I’d have been so... valiant just now?”

The blind woman: “......”

Xia Chichi burst into laughter, equal parts exasperated and amused. “Wasn’t it a golden foil before? Now that it’s taken the form of a silk scroll, it’s just more convenient for you to pull this nonsense, isn’t it?”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “Even if it were still golden foil, I’d have used it the same way.”

Xia Chichi was left without any words to say.

Lady Three, unable to hold back her annoyance, reached over and pinched him. “You were in the middle of saying something important—why are you changing the subject?”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “I already said what I needed to.”

Much of what he had shared was the kind of thing that could not be fully conveyed through words—concepts that were felt more than explained.

It was the same way Lady Three would struggle to articulate the essence of the Black Tortoise’s intent to Zhao Changhe, or how Xia Chichi’s journey from wavering over the abyss to flying in the heavens was something Lady Three and Zhao Changhe had witnessed from start to finish but could not replicate. That was Xia Chichi’s personal experience and hers alone.

What Zhao Changhe had spoken about might sound reasonable and comprehensible, but how he applied it, what he gained from it, and how it would manifest in battle or aid his future breakthroughs—these were things that could only be understood by him.

In truth, he had not shared the full picture. The most crucial insight—should the heavens be void of sun and moon, I shall take their place—had come to him during his time with Sisi. He did not dare bring it up in front of other women. Mentioning it now would likely result in both sides of his waist ending up bruised.

From the ancient records of the Black Tortoise, it was clear that the Night Emperor had been contemplating these very concepts until his final days. However, he had simply run out of time to pursue them fully. Zhao Changhe, on the other hand, still had plenty of time to explore and refine these ideas.

This understanding was not just for him. The hints he had dropped to Lady Three and Xia Chichi would help them avoid dead ends in their cultivation. For Xia Chichi especially—since she was branching into multiple paths, this guidance could prove invaluable.

Of course, all of this had little immediate application in combat. It was too abstract, too esoteric. But it was undeniably vital for breakthroughs—though not for the immediate challenge of peering into the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. Zhao Changhe was almost certain this was something meant for the future, for when he reached the Profound Control Realm. Right now, it was simply too early.

As for Lady Three’s complaint that he was not taking the forging of the Night Emperor’s sword seriously—she was not entirely wrong. He was not focused on it because he knew it was not something that could be achieved right now. The gaps were too vast and the essential materials nowhere to be found. Why waste effort worrying about something that clearly was not yet within reach?

Zhao Changhe could only continue to reassure them, “Night Flowing Sand remains an enigma. Even Ying Five, who specializes in obscure knowledge, has never heard of it. The territories across the sea are full of rare treasures, yet there’s not the slightest clue here either. I’ll make it a priority in the future, but whether or not I can even forge the Night Emperor’s sword, we’ll cross that bridge when we’ve gathered the materials.”

Lady Three nodded seriously. “I’ll have the Mounted Brigand Brotherhood and the entire Four Idols Cult mobilize people to search for it.”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “Don’t get your hopes up too much. It’s highly likely that Night Flowing Sand doesn’t exist in this world at all. It may be hidden in some unknown secret realm no one has ever discovered. The reason I haven’t been too invested in this is that I’ve always suspected it might not even exist. Chasing something so intangible is just asking for trouble and wasted resources.”

Lady Three pursed her lips, looking conflicted.

The so-called astral intent that Zhao Changhe was contemplating was still at a surface level at best. The day he could wield it in battle seemed impossibly distant. If they wanted to officially declare Zhao Changhe as the Night Emperor’s successor, they would at least need something tangible to support the claim and the Night Emperor’s sword was the perfect symbol for that.

Zhao Changhe understood what she was thinking. He turned and picked up the divine trident, handing it to Lady Three. “Take a look at this for now. Can it be refined into something useful?”

Lady Three did not even glance at it. “I don’t need to look. This weapon injured me heavily, so I know its properties better than anyone. It’s completely incompatible with anything related to the Night Emperor’s artifacts. Forget about using it to forge the Night Emperor’s sword, it’s not even particularly suitable for me.”

Zhao Changhe frowned, then asked, “But it’s still a treasure, isn’t it? Are we just going to leave it gathering dust?”

“A treasure? Barely,” Lady Three replied. “This weapon has no spirit. Neither of us can derive anything from it related to the Sea Emperor’s techniques—and not that we’d need to. My guess is that during the collapse of his era, the Sea Emperor failed to hold his ground and instead sealed himself within the trident, replacing its original spirit. When he emerged, the trident was left lifeless. Its only value now is in its materials.”

She paused before adding, “If you’re looking to upgrade Dragon Bird, you could consider extracting some components from the trident and imbuing them into Dragon Bird. That might be worthwhile.”

“Upgrading Dragon Bird...” Zhao Changhe mused.

“Divine weapons are categorized into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Man,” Lady Three explained. “Your Dragon Bird is just a Man-grade weapon—the lowest tier. To put it bluntly, it’s like a fledgling in the world of divine weapons. Did you know that?”

Zhao Changhe pressed a hand against his ring, feeling the Dragon Bird inside vibrating furiously. “I’ve... heard as much.”

Lady Three continued, “Dragon Bird’s main material is a rare piece of meteoric iron, which is incredibly strong. But when Xia Longyuan forged it, he had not yet unified the land. He was merely a regional king with limited resources, so the supplementary materials he used were fairly average. That’s what’s been holding Dragon Bird back from reaching its true potential. The divine trident, however, contains materials that could be forged into Dragon Bird—like its soul-annihilating properties, for example. If you’re serious about upgrading Dragon Bird, keep the trident for yourself. It might also serve as good practice for forging the Night Emperor’s sword in the future.”

From within the ring, Dragon Bird’s voice seethed. “Practice? I’m just a test subject now? I’ll slash that sword blank to pieces!”

Zhao Changhe firmly suppressed the restless Dragon Bird, soothing it. “That sword blank is just lying around gathering dust—how could it compare to you, who’s been with me through life and death battles?”

Dragon Bird fell silent.

Deep down, it knew the truth. As Zhao Changhe’s battles grew more intense and his opponents more formidable, its usefulness was starting to diminish. Lately, it had been far quieter, no longer as lively as before. But could it really be blamed?

What’s up with the kind of fights he’s been getting into? Someone like the Sea Emperor isn’t someone who you just take on out of nowhere!

Dragon Bird wanted to grow stronger—it had to. With a master like this and enemies like his, it was only a matter of time before it ended up like... well, like when Xia Longyuan had set it aside for stronger weapons.

Zhao Changhe stowed the trident away. “Then I’ll keep this for now. As for the Night Flowing Sand... Don’t worry. You just have to trust in my luck.”

Luck... Lady Three, who had also studied the page of the Heavenly Tome, now possessed some ability to perceive and observe the qi around her. She could vaguely sense the dragon qi surrounding Xia Chichi but did not fully understand its significance. When she looked at Zhao Changhe, however, all she saw was an impenetrable fog. The only thing discernible was his lingering vicious blood qi—something she could see even before. Everything else was obscured, unreadable.

Lady Three did not dwell on it. She chalked it up to her own inexperience with these kinds of methods. Besides, Zhao Changhe’s luck did seem formidable enough. She asked, “So, what’s your plan now? Don’t tell me you’re planning to keep indulging in nonsense with us here forever.”

Zhao Changhe responded with righteous conviction, “What nonsense? This is clearly cultivation and healing!”

“Scram.” Now that her injuries were mostly healed, Lady Three was not falling for his excuses. She fixed him with a stern glare. “Even if this is cultivation, Chichi should be heading to Skyrim Island for her insights, while I’m best suited to stay here. You’re going to have to pick a side.”

Zhao Changhe immediately deflated.

He had thought that after breaking through the first barrier, things would get easier. Instead, he was met with Lady Three’s belated resistance.

I guess it's fine. I’ve got plenty of time to indulge myself in the future.

Xia Chichi, who had been silently listening to the exchange, finally spoke up. “How’s your cultivation coming along?”

Zhao Changhe understood what she was asking. Time was not on their side, and none of them could afford to linger aimlessly.

Xia Longyuan was injured, the barbarian god was gravely wounded, and the Sea Emperor had fallen. The world was in upheaval. What was the Wang Clan’s next move? What were the northern barbarians planning? How was Vermillion Bird faring in the capital? And what about Tang Wanzhuang’s condition?

They had been at sea for over two months, cut off from the mainland, each of them weighed down by their own concerns. None of them had the luxury of retreating from the world indefinitely.

But rushing from one battle to another without reflection would squander everything they’d gained. There had to be balance.

“Sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the chopping of wood,” Zhao Changhe said. “I’m not trying to keep you here for no reason. The fact is, Lady Three’s injuries aren’t fully healed yet—it’d be reckless to jump into another fight. As for you, your enlightenment on Skyrim Island was too rushed, like a pig gulping down a ginseng fruit without tasting it. You wasted the opportunity. And me? I’ve barely begun to study the two pages of the Heavenly Tome I acquired. Everything I learned was in haste, just enough to break through the secret realm and save Lady Three. No matter how urgent things are, we need at least three to five days here to consolidate what we’ve gained before moving forward.”

Xia Chichi knew he was right. She got up and casually draped clothes over herself, throwing him a playful smile. “If that’s the case, I’d better head to Skyrim Island. I wouldn’t want to disturb you and my aunt-master while you... nest together.”

With that, she bolted out of the room, laughing as she went. “I’ll be back in three days!”

Apparently, it was not just Lady Three who was feeling some delayed resistance—Xia Chichi, too, was eager to escape. She fled faster than a rabbit, leaving no trace of her usual clingy affection.

And these are the ones who are basically on the same side, Zhao Changhe thought with a wry smile. Is it even possible to have those from different factions share the same bed? Well, it looks like I’ve got a long and difficult road ahead of me...