Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 410: Water and Fire, Two Extremes

It turned out that the secret realm was indeed within the mountain.

Even Zhao Changhe had to admire Tang Buqi’s unexpected and swift counterattack.

What was expected to be an incredibly challenging infiltration involving sneaking into the city and figuring out how to locate the secret realm amid heavy defenses suddenly became very straightforward. All they had to do was quietly follow along.

Without the watchful gaze of gods and Buddhas, Kuaiji was indeed the defenseless city that Zhu Huan and his men had believed it to be, full of gaps and chaos. While the battle outside the city raged on, their infiltration was practically unimpeded.

The main passage to Kuaiji Mountain appeared to be heavily guarded, but in the face of top-ranking experts on the Ranking of Earth, these defenses were as good as nothing.

The breathless messenger urgently reported to the guards, “Quickly inform the Great Buddha that Tang Buqi’s army is closing in from three directions, and they’re all less than ten li away!”

Of course, it was not that they had only noticed the forces when they were already closing in on their gates. Even the most incompetent defenders would not wait until the enemy was within ten li. But with just ten li left, the siege was effectively in place; at least, escape from the three sides where they were being attacked was impossible, leaving only escape through the south gate viable.

The guards were stunned but then quickly rushed toward the mountain, failing to notice the few light, floating shadows following them under the fading sunlight.

“Great Buddha, Great Buddha! Tang Buqi is attacking!”

Following their call, a thunderous wave of anger came from the mountain, shaking the surrounding trees.

“That Tang Clan brat dares to humiliate me like this?! Once I recover, I’ll exterminate the entire Tang Clan of Gusu, turning all their men and women into my cultivation vessels!”

Boom!

Rocks atop the mountain shattered as a beam of golden light burst forth.

Despite his mighty and imposing appearance, Maitreya was actually just fastening his belt. He had just begun his dual cultivation recovery session and had not even fully started yet when he was suddenly interrupted.

Perhaps no one was as adept at interrupting things as Tang Buqi. He was truly a professional when it came to timing interruptions.

“Great Buddha, Great Buddha!” Another messenger rushed in, stumbling over himself in panic. “Tang Wanzhuang has entered the city! Buddha Fa Zhen is in grave danger!”

“Tang Wanzhuang? Alone?”

“Yes, alone! Buddha Fa Zhen isn’t able to hold her off!”

“Excellent!” Maitreya stamped his foot, and a golden light shot off toward the city hall like a meteor.

When Maitreya arrived at the hall, it was already too late, and bodies lay strewn everywhere.

All the guards and Buddha Fa Zhen’s personal soldiers were either dead or dying. The only sight Maitreya managed to catch was Tang Wanzhuang’s sword lightly slicing across Fa Zhen’s neck.

She alone had wiped out the entire city’s defending force.

By this time, Fa Zhen had not even managed to issue a single order for the city’s defense.

Yet Maitreya had to admit, despite the sea of blood around her, Tang Wanzhuang was still stunningly beautiful, moving with the grace of a goddess walking on water.

With an enemy like her, Maitreya’s strongest desire was to capture her and indulge his every whim. The blood in his veins was boiling, almost to the point of exploding.

“Tang Wanzhuang!” Maitreya descended into the hall with a loud crash, laughing instead of raging. “I never expected you to come here to die alone... Do you think killing my soldiers will break the city? Is this the famed wisdom of First Seat Tang? Hahaha...”

Tang Wanzhuang turned to look at him, asking softly, “Have you recovered from your injuries?”

Her almost friendly tone momentarily took Maitreya by surprise. Then, with a cold sneer, he replied, “What do you think?”

“I don’t think you’ve fully recovered. You just forcefully suppressed your injuries with some secret technique and perhaps even enhanced yourself slightly... But that doesn’t matter.” Tang Wanzhuang’s gaze drifted past him, looking dreamily at the distant mountain. “Do you know why I’m here alone?”

A sense of foreboding rose in Maitreya’s heart. He glared at her coldly, saying nothing.

“You heard I was here alone and your first reaction was to capture me, this thought overshadowing all other thoughts. This led you out of the secret realm. It may have been difficult for me to face you inside, but here... you know it yourself.”

“The secret realm...” Maitreya’s expression darkened for a moment, and then he sneered. “So what if you know there’s a Buddha inside? You can’t get in, and even if you do, it’s suicide!”

Almost right after he said that, the guards outside the secret realm in Kuaiji Mountain lay dead, scattered on the ground. Ying Five placed his hand confidently on a rock, smiling with confidence. “When it comes to breaking into secret realms, if I claim second, no one dares claim first. Break!”

Boom!

A burst of golden light erupted from the mountain, blooming like a lotus flower.

Maitreya looked back in horror, “Who broke into the secret realm?!”

He desperately wanted to rush back, but Tang Wanzhuang was blocking his path with her sword.

Tang Wanzhuang gently shook her head, “As a leader of a faction, your vision is probably the narrowest I’ve ever seen. Changhe was always puzzled as to why you dared to be the first to rebel, racking his brains over it... In reality, there’s no complex reason to it—it was simply because your capabilities were just that limited. You are utterly incompetent. The idea that the leader of a faction must possess great wisdom is a wishful misconception by the masses, and even Changhe was not immune to such thoughts.”

Maitreya was furious. He laughed in anger, “Zhao Changhe? You think he can enter the secret realm? Ha... Hahaha...”

Tang Wanzhuang looked at him as if he were a fool.

Maitreya’s laughter grew strained, and he stopped abruptly. “You’re clever, but did you not consider that bait gets eaten? I’ll see how your plans matter if you die here!”

Swish!

A jiedao slashed through the air, aiming straight for Tang Wanzhuang’s fair neck.

Clang!

The two long-time enemies, who had clashed four times over the past year, faced off once more in Kuaiji.

This time, Tang Wanzhuang was forced back several steps after parrying the blow, clearly struggling against Maitreya’s current strength. His power surpassed normal limits, reaching the peak level he displayed in the final moments of the Battle of Xiangyang.

Maitreya laughed maniacally, “Hahaha! You’ve calculated everything, but strength is lacking! Such futile effort!”

Before his words could fully settle, a cold sigh came from behind him, “As expected, outside the secret realm, you’re nothing special... I was hoping to see if you could force her to unlock her cultivation, but you can’t even do that—what a waste.”

Maitreya turned around in shock.

A graceful figure stood atop the wall, donning a Vermillion Bird mask and a crimson ceremonial robe. The setting sun cast a flow that made her appear like a celestial flame streaking across the sky.

It was Vermillion Bird of the Four Idols Cult.

Tang Wanzhuang could not help but purse her lips.

Maitreya was utterly bewildered, “Vermillion Bird! Have you been recruited by the imperial court?”

“Actually, both the Cui and Yang Clans wanted to take on this mission of saving this frail, tea-drinking invalid, but I was the one who ended up taking it in the end,” Vermillion Bird said lazily. “Of course, this has nothing to do with being recruited by the imperial court. Simply put, since you’re doomed to fail, I’d rather have this invalid owe me a favor...”

As she spoke, Vermillion Bird crossed her arms and looked at Tang Wanzhuang. “Hey, beg.”

Tang Wanzhuang really wanted to remind her, Venerable Vermillion Bird, you wouldn’t want people to know about that boy toy you’ve been keeping, right?

But duty called, and her responsibility outweighed the urge to start a spat. She sighed calmly and said, “Please, Venerable Vermillion Bird, lend me your assistance, and I, Tang Wanzhuang, will certainly repay you.”

Does having you blissfully glowing the other night count as repayment? Maybe we can just skip the whole daughter-in-law serving tea thing later?

Vermillion Bird, unaware of Tang Wanzhuang’s inner thoughts, felt immensely satisfied by her humble request. She felt an overwhelming surge of satisfaction, like a man in the peak of his most intimate moment.

A vast, fiery bird silhouette manifested in the sky, scorching flames crashing against the golden light that shielded Maitreya. “Since you asked so nicely, I’ll reluctantly show you how to fight... Watch closely and learn.”

Tang Wanzhuang had no interest in bantering with her. At the same moment, emerald waves rose as a relentless rain of sword strikes fell upon Maitreya.

Standing at the heart of the clash between water and fire, Maitreya felt as if he were in a surreal nightmare.

This was not some magical experience of a balance of ice and fire, it was an experience that would leave him dead in mere moments. No one in the world could survive this combined elemental assault.

Tang Wanzhuang and Vermillion Bird joining forces was something no one would have ever imagined even in their wildest of dreams.

If it were just a dream, it would not be so bad. But the most infuriating realization was that Vermillion Bird was no longer at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. She had already reached the third layer, entering the realm of the divine!

And she was working together with Tang Wanzhuang, who had already partially reached the third layer of the Profound Mysteries and was ready to unlock her cultivation at any moment!

In this world, aside from Xia Longyuan, who else could possibly withstand this?