Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 328: Vermillion Bird Reborn

As the morning sun rose outside, time seemed to stand still inside the secret realm.

Huangfu Qing had been refining the sword pellet for most of the night.

If Zhao Changhe were awake, he would realize just how formidable Huangfu Qing actually was.

The people of this world had yet to reach the level of immortal cultivation. What everyone referred to as fire-attribute cultivation typically referred to true qi with a fire nature. True qi could generate effects similar to those of fire, but it did not mean that someone could casually create a fireball. Even if strong cultivators might be able to produce a ball of fire, that did not mean they could sustain true fire in their palm for hours, especially not with such intensity.

Previously, the burn marks outside could still be regarded as being caused by the effects of the heart flame, but now, there was no question that this was Vermillion Bird’s own power. It could be seen from this just how different of a level she was from ordinary martial artists. Even He Lei, who had once been ranked seventh on the Ranking of Earth, could not remotely do what she was doing. If Vermillion Bird had been the one under attack back then, the assailants would have been the ones dead long before their formation broke...

Touching upon the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, that was the difference between those on the Ranking of Heaven and the Ranking of Earth. This just went on to show how the difference of a single layer could be likened to the gap between heaven and earth.

Breaking through meant entering a vast sky.

However, she had yet to break through.

The flame in her palm, once stable, was beginning to waver. Huangfu Qing’s face grew paler, and it was apparent that she would soon be unable to sustain the prolonged refinement process.

Extracting specific components from an already completed sword pellet required not only sufficient fire but also incredibly precise control. The loss of true qi was secondary to the far more demanding mental strain of such a task.

Just a little bit more...

Huangfu Qing could almost see the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng component within the sword pellet condensing into a drop of blood-red ginseng liquid. She could sense that it would soon be extracted from the sword pellet.

Just a little more...

But while physical exhaustion could be endured, mental fatigue and a scattered focus could not be resolved by willpower alone.

Especially with the heart flame burning nearby, which already required a significant portion of her energy to resist. Under normal circumstances, maintaining a calm mind was manageable, but in this state of mental exhaustion?

Once her concentration wavered, the external influences of the heart flame could easily infiltrate her mind, leading to a flood of distractions.

One moment, she was thinking about how she, the mighty Vermillion Bird, had actually been kissed by such a scoundrel. In the next moment, she wondered if this counted as seducing her disciple’s man. She then also wondered if others would die laughing if they were to find out.

Then, she wished that he really was the Night Emperor, wondering why he was apparently not...

If he was actually the Night Emperor, then all these thoughts would not matter. She could simply tell herself that she was serving a god, and that would serve as the perfect excuse.

Then she questioned why she thought this way.

Do I actually have feelings for him?

Her inner fire wavered, bringing forth countless thoughts.

Ironically, she was unintentionally doing what was needed to understand the essence of the heart flame. The heart flame’s purpose was to refine the heart by igniting a person’s inner fire. If one rigidly resisted, what could they possibly stand to gain?

It was precisely in this state, where one did not intentionally seek enlightenment, where one did not so rigidly close off one’s spiritual platform, allowing one’s mind to wander, that they would then be able to find the deepest obstacles within their heart.

What fires lie deepest within a person’s heart besides anger?

Love? Desire? These were things Huangfu Qing had never experienced.

What else?

Huangfu Qing did not dwell on these thoughts. Her mind wandered naturally to this point: He worked so hard to find something so rare for Chichi, and the things they found can perfectly be used to help each other. It really is as if they were made for each other. What about me?

I’m helping him extract what he needs from this sword pellet, exhausting my true qi, utterly exhausting myself both physically and mentally. What am I doing? Why am I doing this?

—Jealousy.

The heart flame behind her suddenly flared up, drawing from within and manifesting outwardly.

Huangfu Qing’s eyes unknowingly began to transform into the shape of a flame once again.

Fortunately, she was not an ordinary person. As soon as the negative emotions arose, she immediately realized it, quickly composing herself and stabilizing her spiritual platform. She managed to retain some rationality, even though, from the outside, it very much looked like she had been possessed.

She glanced down at the sword pellet. A drop of golden-red ginseng liquid had already emerged. She really did just need to last a bit longer.

Should I just give up?

It’s not like this is for me, and it’s not like I’m the one in a relationship. What am I doing? Exhausting myself and even possibly harming my potential for these two?

Jealousy burned within her, and her eyes flickered.

“I’ve never given up halfway in my life. Am I really going to let a mere heart flame stop me?” She urged the last bit of energy in her dantian, pouring out everything she had.

Boom!

The flame from her palm roared, and a drop of ginseng liquid floated up.

Huangfu Qing spat out a mouthful of blood, which seeped into the ginseng liquid and the sword pellet.

What flames of love, desire, or jealousy... None of them can compare to my proud and relentless martial arts heart. What inner fire, what inner demons? None of them mean anything. I understand now.

The commotion was so loud that Zhao Changhe abruptly woke from his sleep. The first thing he saw was Huangu Qing spitting out blood.

His heart skipped a beat. He quickly rushed over and caught her before she fell to the ground. “What happened?”

His words got caught in his throat as he sensed the state of Huangfu Qing’s meridians. Her dantian was depleted, her meridians dry, and her blood and qi were severely weakened. In the state that she was in, her very foundation was even under threat.

“How did this happen...” Zhao Changhe became frantic. He had not practiced the Rejuvenation Art to a high enough level to handle such severe damage. At the moment, he could only use the Rejuvenation Art for minor injuries and poison resistance.

With no time to worry, he quickly pulled out a pill and stuffed it into Huangfu Qing’s mouth, while also pouring all his effort into his Rejuvenation Art, trying to revitalize her dantian.

Huangfu Qing gazed at him unblinkingly, her eyes flickering.

She could feel his anxious urgency. She could sense how he was exerting all his power yet achieving so little...

“Ha...” She smiled faintly. “Don’t waste your effort. Haven’t you noticed the drop of ginseng liquid beside you?”

“Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng?” Zhao Changhe was both angry and anxious. “You hurt yourself for this? I’d rather not have it! Wait, right!”

In her current state, where her blood and qi is severely lacking, isn’t this the perfect remedy?

He swiftly grabbed the ginseng liquid and, with one swift motion, stuffed it into Huangfu Qing’s mouth.

Huangfu Qing’s eyes widened. “That’s what you came to Kunlun for! By giving it to me, you might never be able to see another drop of Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng again! My injuries can still be treated using other means!”

“Who cares about that? I just want you to be well.”

Huangfu Qing looked at him steadily, keeping the ginseng liquid in her mouth.

She could still feel the effects of his Rejuvenation Art, permeating her depleted dantian and meridians. The sensation of rebirth, though faint, was intricate and profound.

Right, earlier, he also weakened the effects of the heart flame on me with this. It’s just that I was too confused at the time to fully realize it.

Now, as she focused on it, she realized that he was using the power of rejuvenation, one of the fundamental laws of the Azure Dragon.

Combined with the ginseng liquid, immense vitality spread through her body, reviving her depleted dantian.

With this, what was there to be jealous about?

Huangfu Qing’s gaze, which had been flickering and turning into flames, returned to its original brightness.

The flames of jealousy were extinguished, replaced by a gentle flame of affection.

Inner fire was just that, a flame within one’s heart.

No matter the kind of fire, it can’t dominate me. I shall always be its master.

Zhao Changhe, still anxiously using the Rejuvenation Art, suddenly noticed something astonishing. The heart flame, which Huangfu Qing had claimed that she could not take with her earlier, began to shrink. It became a tiny flicker before merging into her spiritual platform.

Her once-depleted dantian, initially revitalized by the ginseng liquid and the Rejuvenation Art, suddenly transformed. The essence of rebirth surged in her dantian, igniting a spark and going on to become a full blaze.

If Zhao Changhe’s spiritual sense had been sharper, he might have been able to hear a vermillion bird’s cry come from the depths of Huangfu Qing’s spiritual platform. In her vast sea of consciousness, a vermillion bird was reborn, soaring across the sky, its flames covering the sky and the earth.

The Azure Dragon’s rejuvenation and the Vermillion Bird’s rebirth from fire naturally validated and transformed each other.

On a cloudy peak, the old woodsman paused his work to look far into the distance.

In the distance, there seemed to be a vermillion bird piercing the clouds and soaring into the sky.

“Kunlun Jade shatters, the Vermillion Bird is reborn, and the heart flame submits... The third layer of the Profound Mysteries is achieved.” The old woodsman sighed. “There is another person on the path of gods and demons.”

Inside the secret realm, Zhao Changhe stared blankly at Huangfu Qing, who had recovered completely. Who exactly do you believe in? The four idols or Chun Ge[1]?

Moments ago, she had been leaning weakly in his arms, delicate and frail. Now, she was brimming with vitality, effortlessly pinning him down.

Zhao Changhe felt utterly outmatched. Being held down by her so effortlessly made him feel weak, pitiful, and helpless.

“Little brother, don’t always think that you’re so mighty...” teased Huangfu Qing. She stretched out her white jade-like fingers and gently lifted his chin, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Do you still want the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng?”

Zhao Changhe stammered, “W-wasn’t it used up?”

“My recovery was not due to the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng, nor was it because of your Rejuvenation Art.” Huangfu Qing murmured softly, her lips brushing against his. “I never absorbed its medicinal effects, so I can just return it to you... I can even give you a bit more...”

“Ah? You can mmffff....” His lips were sealed and he was not able to say another word

The medicinal effects of the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng were transferred into his body, perfectly matching his need for vast and vigorous blood and qi. The immense energy spread throughout him, complementing the foundation laid by the Coagulated Blood Crismon Fruit he had received from Xia Longyuan, and developing his Blood Asura Body. The power of the dragon and elephant permeated his entire being.

Both his internal and external cultivation surged forward, breaking through to the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, reaching a crucial barrier.

“Idiot...” Huangfu Qing murmured indistinctly as she kissed him softly. “Don’t you know how to practice dual cultivation? Do you not know how to carry out dual cultivation through mouth-to-mouth contact? Or are you afraid?”

“Damn it...” Zhao Changhe suddenly pushed her over, pinning her beneath him, and kissed her fiercely. “If it’s dual cultivation, then I’m in charge!”

Huangfu Qing did not resist, closing her eyes to feel his kiss, slightly parting her lips to harmonize the transfer of energy.

She could clearly feel his explosive muscles, filled with the power of a dragon and an elephant.

Both internally and externally, he had entered the ninth layer of the Profound Gate without any hindrance.

Who said only he and Chichi complement each other? We do, too.

“Hey, wait! Who gave you permission to undress me?!”

“We’re not done, are we?”

“Stop... stop... Ah... Just what kind of strange physique do you have? Who taught you this kind of thing?!”

“Tsk, it seems like I really can’t overpower you. I’ll just use my hands then...”

1. This is a reference to Chun Ge (春哥), a nickname for the singer Li Yuchun, whose ultimate move is full health resurrection. I know that this might not make much sense, just know that the author was referring to that ultimate move here. ☜