Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 774 (1): Why Should the People of Today Chase After the Ancients

Chapter 774 (1): Why Should the People of Today Chase After the Ancients

The raging sandstorm was completely blocked by the Black Tortoise manifestation, ensuring that it no longer harmed the soldiers. But outside the divine protection, the storm still raged, reducing visibility and making it difficult to advance. Only Huangfu Yongxian, with his cultivation worthy of the Ranking of Earth, could see through the swirling sands and lead his forces northward. The manifestation followed alongside them, shielding the army as if it possessed an intelligence of its own.

This smart tortoise shell is awfully convenient.

The soldiers could only see within the range of Black Tortoise’s protection, but they paid it no mind. Wherever General Huangfu led, they would follow. That was the result of years spent fighting side by side; they had absolute trust in their commander.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Amidst the howling wind, barely perceptible sounds of bowstrings snapping rang out. It was an ambush! Arrows streaked toward them, concealed within the storm.

Naturally, Tngri would not have come alone with just his soul fragment. If his soul fragment was held back, other forces would be needed to harass Huangfu Yongxian. While Lady Three had to divide her attention to ensure the Black Tortoise’s protection followed the army, Tngri likewise had to split his focus to shield his own ambush force from the storm. The Black Tortoise’s barrier was strong enough to block the sandstorm, but it could not selectively intercept piercing attacks. These arrows were slightly weakened but still lethal. The soldiers would have to handle them on their own.

In the end, it was gods against gods, men against men.

“Shields!” roared Cui Yuanyong.

The soldiers around him swiftly lifted their shields. The weakened arrows clattered against them, deflected harmlessly to the ground.

Then, there was a sudden flash. A blade, swift and silent, appeared from an impossible angle, slicing through the air straight toward Cui Yuanyong’s throat.

Clang!

Cui Yuanyong raised his sword in an instant, precisely intercepting the strike. The gleaming edge of the blade was halted mid-swing and the attacker’s face was finally visible—a face that carried a trace of surprise, and also a face Cui Yuanyong had been longing to see.

They had never met before, yet they had known each other for years. The attacker was Fox Spirit Chi Li, once first on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons.

Many still remembered that legendary year: Chi Li ranked first, Yue Hongling second, and Cui Yuanyong third. They remembered how Cui Yuanyong had once challenged Yue Hongling for her spot, and how Yue Hongling had later clashed with Chi Li in Yangzhou.

That year, the jianghu belonged to the youth. Gallant warriors were on spirited steeds, clad in brilliant robes, brimming with ambition and pride.

But what people rarely recalled was the finer details, such as the fact that Cui Yuanyong was originally second. Back then, he had been Chi Li’s natural rival, and their duel had been long anticipated. But then, Yue Hongling had suddenly jumped the rankings after defeating Xue Canghai, pushing him down to third. Naturally, he had not been able to stomach that, so he had ridden all the way to Beimang to challenge her. Not because he wanted to fight her specifically, but because she’d ruined his grand showdown.

Indeed, Chi Li was someone Cui Yuanyong had wanted to fight for years now.

“Qinghe Sword Art? Cui Yuanyong?”

“The Fox Spirit Saber Art... So it’s you, Chi Li!”

Both spoke at the same time before pausing. Then, unexpectedly, they both chuckled.

Talking about the Ranking of Hidden Dragons now felt utterly ridiculous, but not because time had passed, but because their generation had produced two absolute freaks.

While the rest of their peers were still fighting for a spot on the Ranking of Man, those two lunatics had already made the Ranking of Heaven. And right now, they were standing before the man ranked first on it.

They were truly absolute freaks!

Being on the same ranking as those two rampaging freaks was a tragic fate. Everyone else on the rankings paled in comparison. It did not matter that their own progress was immense, far surpassing the standards of previous years. In the eyes of the world, their generation looked like the weakest one yet.

Even among themselves, their rivalries had started feeling like child’s play. While they were here skirmishing with their armies, those two were out there fighting gods. Competing against each other suddenly felt utterly meaningless.

No one even bothered with the old rituals of traveling to challenge one another anymore. There was no point; the excitement was gone.

But in this moment, on the battlefield, with armies clashing and nowhere to retreat, none of that mattered.

Ding, ding, ding, ding~

The sharp clashes of scimitar and long sword echoed through the chaos, mingling with the deafening cries of battle.

Cui Yuanyong’s long sword swung in swift arcs, clashing against Chi Li’s rapid strikes. Yet, amidst their high-speed exchange, he spoke as if they were merely conversing over tea, “Tell me, when you were left in the dust by Yue Hongling, did that crush your spirit? Did it make you question everything? I had a moment like that once. But then I let it go. Zhao Changhe, Yue Hongling, and maybe even my little sister... They aren’t here to compete with people like us. Their fates lie elsewhere. We were never meant to be their lifelong rivals. We were just fighting the wrong opponent all along.”

“So, you’re saying...”

“The real rivals were always you and me.”

His words made perfect sense. This was how normal martial artists should view their competition. If they simply accepted that the monsters of their era did not count, then they were actually a rather spectacular group!

Clang!

The scimitar swept toward Cui Yuanyong’s throat, only to be precisely blocked once more. A flash of purple qi burst forth as Cui Yuanyong countered, his sword flicking upward toward Chi Li’s throat.

Chi Li vaulted backward in an instant, letting out a sharp whistle. “Retreat!”

The ambush force had already done its job. The rear army was closing in, and Chi Li had no intention of getting entangled. With fluid efficiency, he led his troops away, slipping through the sandstorm and disappearing in a moment.

The skirmish had ended without any casualties. It was a fleeting clash. The enemies appeared and vanished like ghosts drifting through the storm.

Cui Yuanyong turned to scan the battlefield. The sandstorm still raged, swallowing the sky in its endless fury. The army stretched for a few li, their formations barely visible in the suffocating haze. How could they possibly guard against ambushes like this at all times?

So this is how they plan to keep us pinned down...

His gaze shifted forward toward Huangfu Yongxian.

Throughout the entire skirmish, Huangfu Yongxian had not even moved. He had merely turned his head, watching Cui Yuanyong’s performance. Now, as their eyes met, the veteran general gave him a small, approving smile.

Then, he bellowed out an order that carried across the battlefield.

“March as usual! Whether it be ghosts or demons, we fear nothing!”

“Commander! Commander!” A lone rider raced in from the rear, shouting from a distance. “Yanmen—!”

Before he could finish his message, Huangfu Yongxian’s hand flicked. A single arrow shot through the storm like a lightning bolt, piercing straight into the rider’s open mouth. The man toppled off his horse, dead before his body hit the dust.

Cui Yuanyong stared in shock.

Huangfu Yongxian said calmly, “Chi Li just launched an ambush in the middle of a sandstorm, so how could anyone have made it through from the rear to report? If he wasn’t one of Chi Li’s men in disguise, then he was someone Chi Li deliberately let through. Who has military intelligence this sensitive and shouts it for the entire army to hear instead of reporting it to me in person? Does he take me for a fool?”

Cui Yuanyong felt a surge of admiration and rode closer to Huangfu Yongxian, lowering his voice as he asked, “How do we deal with Chi Li’s constant ambushes? We can’t possibly guard against every direction at once.”

“They’re relying on the sandstorm.” Huangfu Yongxian looked up at the sky, where the battle between Lady Three and Tngri’s soul fragment was still raging in the distant sky. He muttered, “Venerable Black Tortoise was assigned to protect our route. It was planned. She isn’t here just because she happened to be nearby.”

Cui Yuanyong nodded in understanding. Given the speed at which Black Tortoise, Zhao Changhe, and Yue Hongling could traverse the battlefield, they could have swapped positions easily within a day. The reason Black Tortoise remained in this sector was simple: She was the most suited for it.

Huangfu Yongxian continued, “While Venerable Black Tortoise doesn’t have the spare energy to directly aid us in battle, her manifestation remains, and it slowly influences the environment. Do you feel that moisture? It’s not just for show. Bit by bit, the sand is being saturated with water. They won’t notice it immediately, but soon, their horses will start sinking into mud. And that... Heh. That’s when we make our move.”

Cui Yuanyong’s eyes lit up. “And Yanmen...?”

“They want to shake our morale by making us think something has gone wrong there. But we made our preparations long ago. There’s nothing to worry about. Keep marching.”

Boom!

High above, Black Tortoise’s fist crashed against the fist of Tngri’s soul fragment, sending it reeling backward, trembling slightly.

The quivering soul fragment locked eyes with Lady Three, who stood there, smiling seductively. Suddenly, he felt a chill creep into his heart.

It had only been three or four months since the battle at the Eastern Sea.

Back then, she had just broken into the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. Now, she was not just at the Profound Control Realm, she was already deep into its later stage. Back then, she could not even get close to the battlefield where Xia Longyuan was fighting. Now, with a single punch, she had shattered the earth and sky, and even his soul fragment could not withstand her strikes.

“The moment you came here as a mere soul fragment, you had already lost.”

She was not boasting. She was simply stating the truth.

Tngri could not help but mutter, “You must be the strongest among them.”

Lady Three tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment. “Maybe. But I get the feeling that if my man ever got serious, he’d spank me.”

Even if he didn’t get serious, you’d still lie down and let him spank you. Tngri wanted to retort but held his tongue. This woman was insufferable. Instead, he sneered coldly. “Deploying your strongest against a mere soul fragment of mine, meant only to harass? If this isn’t a miscalculation, then it must be an attempt to end this quickly so you can return to Yanmen for support. But unfortunately for you, you’re not going anywhere.”

Lady Three let out a soft, amused chuckle. “You’re overthinking things. The only reason I stayed here is that I was too lazy to move.”

Behind Tngri, another Lady Three appeared. This Lady Three was identical in every way, her presence just as alluring and dangerous. One looked at him with focus, the other with mischief.

Both spoke in perfect unison.

“For me, your soul fragment is nothing more than a springboard to propel me on the dual path of the Black Tortoise and Black Snake. Nothing more. So now, please guide me on my path to the second layer of Profound Control.”

Tngri’s soul shuddered.

She’s already mastered soul separation?! If so, then why isn’t she using it to support Yanmen? Where are they getting this level of confidence?