Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 589: The Door to the Third Layer of the Profound Mysteries

Lady Three and Chichi did not quite understand Zhao Changhe’s joke, but only he himself knew that it was a subtle test aimed at the blind woman.

He had two main theories regarding her identity: one was that she was a spirit of the Heavenly Tome, and the other was that she was... the Night Emperor.

The fact that she was responsible for the words in the announcements of the Tome of Troubled Times had already been confirmed. This seemingly confirmed the first theory and should have ruled out the second. Still, Zhao Changhe could not help but probe further. By claiming to be the Night Emperor’s cook, he was more so referring to his feeding her the cosmetic elixir. This was a line only he and she would understand, and he wanted to see how she would react.

She showed no reaction.

So, it seemed she really was just the spirit of the tome.

If that was indeed the case, it made sense. It would explain why she was bound by rules such as being unable to reveal the affairs of the world and forbidden from engaging in worldly disputes. When the ancient god or demon at Kunlun was stunned by her involvement, that made more sense now, too. If the Heavenly Tome represented the utmost treasure of the Heavenly Dao, then the spirit of the tome was, in a way, a manifestation of the world’s will. Who had ever heard of the world itself growing hands to beat someone up and snatch something away? The god or demon’s shock was thus understandable.

There was, however, one thing that still puzzled Zhao Changhe. Normally, an item’s spirit was passive, existing solely for the sake of the item—like how Dragon Bird had no will of its own, no personal intent or goals. For her to intervene directly and gather the fragments of the Heavenly Tome could be explained as her trying to reassemble herself or restore her body, but if there was no master directing her, it was odd that she would even be actively dragging people from another world or other worlds to this one. That part remained a mystery.

Of course, given that the Heavenly Tome was of such an extraordinary level, one could always justify it by saying that its spirit was unique, above all others. There was no need to overthink it.

Zhao Changhe did not offer the two women any explanations. Instead, he said, “Chichi, go ahead and pick the fruit. Remember to circulate your energy according to the Azure Dragon’s cultivation art. Otherwise, the fruit will reject you, and you won’t be able to pick it.”

Xia Chichi hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. She glanced at Lady Three out of the corner of her eye. “There’s only one fruit... Is it really alright for me to have it all to myself? Isn’t that a bit...”

Lady Three sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Xia Chichi! I’ve already told you, my sole purpose in coming out to sea was to act as your escort. Now stop hesitating and focus on advancing your cultivation!”

Xia Chichi muttered, “You’re actually kind of nice, huh.”

Escort, sure—but it seems you’ve been spending quite a lot of time escorting my man instead. Could you get off him, please?

Ultimately, though, she let it go. With more pressing matters at hand, Xia Chichi put aside her jealousy. She knew that there was no point in quibbling over the fruit, and she carefully stepped onto the surface of the pond.

Her inheritance of the White Tiger’s legacy had come entirely from her mother. She had not had to seek it out herself, and she did not know much about the legacies of the Vermillion Bird or the Black Tortoise. In contrast, the Azure Dragon’s legacy had been something she had sought herself, beginning at Beimang, and her understanding of it was much more complete. From looking at this pond, it became clear that the pond at Beimang was an imitation of this very place, while the star chart was a reflection of the boundary of the sea and sky seen here.

Xia Chichi felt as though she had returned to Beimang with Zhao Changhe... Everything seemed to have come full circle, beginning and ending seamlessly. In this way, the journey of seeking the Dao also became a circle.

She plucked the Extreme East Dao Fruit effortlessly, experiencing no resistance whatsoever. The pursuit of beginnings and ends formed a perfect harmony with the fundamental laws of existence. If the fruit had a consciousness, it would recognize that she was indeed the destined one.

As the fruit slid down her throat, a cooling sensation spread throughout her body, reaching her spiritual platform and bringing profound clarity.

It was as if she herself transformed into the Azure Dragon. Emerging from the waters as the sun ascended over the Eastern Sea. With her surging into the sky, she felt like the blazing sun illuminating the world at midday.

Force, nine in the fifth place, flying dragon in the heavens.[1]

It was not merely a dragon. It was the fundamental law of the world, the Dao itself.

Nearby, Zhao Changhe was reading the records in the Atlas of Mountains and Rivers concerning this Azure Dragon statue rising from the water.

“Force, nine in the fourth place, wavering over the abyss. Rigid yet impartial, it lies not in the heavens, nor on the earth, nor among men—hence uncertainty. It is uncertain, and therefore without blame.”

This entry explained why this place was connected to the mirages, the refraction of light, and why the page of light had fallen here.

The essence of this image carried an inherent sense of illusion. Its position was inherently ethereal—neither in the heavens, nor on the earth, nor among men.

So how were they to leave this place? The answer was also embedded in these words.

When the aspect of wavering over the depths transformed into the dragon soaring into the heavens, that was when they could leave.

And how was this transformation to take place? Well, the statue itself would not transform, but the environment and the people would. Once Xia Chichi fully comprehended it, they would be able to leave.

This understanding transcended mere martial arts, becoming deeply esoteric. From this point on, cultivation would become increasingly obscure, no longer as straightforward as before. Perhaps reaching the third layer of the Profound Mysteries may still be done through brute force, but achieving the Profound Control Realm would always remain as challenging as ascending the heavens.

Lady Three seemed to sense something too. Gazing at Xia Chichi, who sat before the statue on a lotus leaf, meditating and absorbing the effects of the fruit, she murmured, “Its meaning seems deeply esoteric. Do you think that Chichi can really break through?”

Zhao Changhe glanced at her, thinking that despite their squabbles, the unity of the Four Idols Cult was undeniable. Deep down, Lady Three genuinely hoped for Xia Chichi to succeed.

The Four Idols Cult is destined to accomplish great things.

Lady Three merely voiced her concern, not expecting Zhao Changhe to provide an answer—yet he did. “I can’t speak for reaching the Profound Control Realm, but reaching the third layer of the Profound Mysteries is certain. Even if she doesn’t break through now, it’s merely a matter of time. There will be no further obstacles obstructing her from reaching the third layer.”

Lady Three did not question how he could be so certain. Instead, she asked, “And you? Have you found your path to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries?”

Zhao Changhe nodded pensively, then shook his head. “I’ve made some progress, but it’s still vague.”

Lady Three said, “This place doesn’t belong to you or me, so what we gain is naturally less than Chichi. But it’s not entirely without benefit. The four idols have always been interconnected—what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. I have also gained some sense of the Profound Control Realm while here, and you can at least improve your Rejuvenation Art, can’t you? While Chichi absorbs her insights, let’s not waste time.”

Zhao Changhe nodded in agreement and handed her some herbs he had picked along the way. “At the very least, there are herbs here that can aid cultivation...”

Apart from the godlike Extreme East Dao Fruit, the lush vegetation here meant it was a haven for other miraculous herbs that could enhance cultivation and heal injuries. Insights into the Profound Control Realm might still be distant, but the tangible benefits of advancing their cultivation were undeniable. They could even gather enough to share with others later.

Lady Three accepted the herbs and, with a sigh, stretched herself out on another lotus leaf, lying down. “Honestly, the best part about this place is that it’s got a bed... Want to join me?”

Zhao Changhe could not help but chuckle, shaking his head. He took his own share of the herbs, then sat by the pond to meditate.

His path to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries was progressing, but there was still something missing.

He had made significant progress in the Rejuvenation Art, experienced considerable growth in both spiritual energy and life force, and his recent comprehension of controlling water and light had all greatly enhanced his combat power compared to before setting out to sea. But ultimately, these were peripheral gains. They served as reference points rather than directly advancing his Vicious Blood Art.

Breaking through to the next level had to come from his fundamental cultivation path, similar to how the first layer of the Profound Mysteries required him to seek guidance from the Blood God Cult, and advancing to the second layer involved developing the Blood Asura Body—both being unrelated to any peripheral skills or auxiliary cultivation.

Reaching the third layer of the Profound Mysteries was clearly no different. Light and water had little to do with his Vicious Blood art.

But now, unlike before when he could not even identify what was missing, Zhao Changhe had a much clearer understanding of what he needed.

The first layer of the Profound Mysteries was about beginning to touch upon the forces of nature, learning to harmonize and draw on the power around him. The second layer was about tempering his body, adapting and mastering the changes in power—in his case, forging the Blood Asura Body and learning to control his strength fluidly, moving from brute force to precise control.

Since these thresholds were not strictly defined and varied from person to person, mentors like Vermillion Bird, Tang Wanzhuang, and Yue Hongling could offer experiences but could never provide clear, definitive guidance.

Now, after all these experiences, even a complete dumbass would understand—reaching the third layer of the Profound Mysteries involved the soul. At the Profound Control Realm, the yin spirit could leave the body, so naturally, the third layer was about strengthening and cultivating the soul.

Vermillion Bird had broken through to the third layer by conquering the heart flame, thereby healing her heart and soul. Unfortunately, Zhao Changhe still did not know anything about that...

Thus, aside from accumulating cultivation, he also needed to temper his soul. The means were very clear. The wood and leaves of the Dragon Soul Trees had soul-tempering properties. These were his external aids. In addition, working within the illusory world of the Heavenly Tome to understand and manipulate light was an excellent way to refining his soul since his own spiritual sea bore similarities to the Four Idols Cult, being filled with starlight. This matched his cultivation perfectly, and this page of the Heavenly Tome felt like a pillow handed over to someone who was sleepy.

If there was any threshold here related to his Vicious Blood Art, it was that he very likely needed to have spiritual means to kill a powerful soul.

Killing to nurture vicious qi, it remained a stark truth, even now.

Slowly, Zhao Changhe opened his eyes.

The pond was enshrouded in spiritual mist, encircling Xia Chichi, who sat on the central lotus leaf. The moonlight bathed the scene in a hazy, dreamlike beauty.

She looked like a dragon maiden emerging from the water—or perhaps like Senior Brother Luo stepping into the pond in their youth.

Sensing his gaze, Xia Chichi opened her eyes as well, her gaze meeting his.

They looked at each other for a moment. Xia Chichi smiled, and then, with a spin, she moved effortlessly to Zhao Changhe’s side, bringing with her the coolness of the pond and her mild fragrance.

She sat down beside him, leaning naturally against his shoulder, her eyes turned upward to the faint, elusive moonlight filtering through the dense foliage. “Changhe...”

“Hm?”

She murmured, “It’s strange. I’m cultivating here in this blessed place, my strength soaring by leaps and bounds. Yet, I still feel as though you’re somehow slightly stronger than me...”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “It’s just your imagination.”

“Regardless of whether that’s true or not...” Xia Chichi whispered. “All I know is that the time when we can openly sit together under the moon is approaching...”

Zhao Changhe could sense that Xia Chichi was at least in the middle of the second layer of the Profound Mysteries—after only a single night.

When they set sail, she had just entered the second layer of the Profound Mysteries... Now, reaching the third layer was only a matter of time.

1. This is a reference to the Book of Changes. The term “Force (乾)” refers to the first hexagram. ☜