Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 674: Fighting Desolate Calamity Once Again

Desolate Calamity hovered in the air, gazing down at the scene below with an ugly expression.

He had collapsed one side of the city wall, setting the stage for the Wang Clan’s forces to swoop in and claim the city. Instead, the situation had taken a bizarre turn. Rather than Wan Dongliu being slaughtered, he was gleefully leading his troops out for an ambush. The thought of how this would look—Wang Daozhong’s forces running headlong into a well-prepared strike—was almost too embarrassing to imagine.

It almost made Desolate Calamity feel like a traitor sabotaging Wang Daozhong’s efforts.

Yet he could not afford to disengage from his own personal fight to deal with Wan Dongliu’s army. Zhao Changhe stood before him, holding Dragon Bird in one hand and River of Stars in the other, his predatory gaze locked on Desolate Calamity. Any lapse in focus could lead to catastrophic consequences. He had to deal with Zhao Changhe first.

Zhao Changhe patted his Snow-Treading Crow, signaling it to retreat. Both man and god wore grave expressions, fully aware that this battle was different from their last encounter. This time, there was no room to retreat.

Previously, they both had fallback options. If Zhao Changhe lost, he could simply flee. The worst-case scenario was the Cui Clan pledging allegiance to the Wang Clan, a situation that could potentially be reversed later, perhaps even by killing Desolate Calamity in the future. Similarly, Desolate Calamity could retreat, get himself together, and finish off Zhao Changhe another day. The balance of power had not been so absolute.

But this time, if Zhao Changhe lost, the Cui Clan in the rear would face a brutal retaliation. As Cui Yuanyong had said, “You’d better make sure you keep getting stronger. If you mess up, the Cui Clan will be done for!” Likewise, if Desolate Calamity lost, the Wang Clan’s forces would be wiped out, and the entire clan exterminated. There were no second chances for either side.

Well, technically speaking, Desolate Calamity was slightly better off. He could abandon the Wang Clan and pursue his goals through other means. But for Zhao Changhe, there was no running.

In this era where gods and demons had descended upon the world, battles were increasingly determined by the deities and powers supporting each side. Conventional logic no longer applied, and this fight underscored that shift.

Desolate Calamity’s gaze shifted to the sword and saber in Zhao Changhe’s hands. Slowly, he said, “You shot that arrow, not because you were ignorant of the unspoken rules, but because you knew precisely how I would retaliate. You were waiting for me... It seems you were expecting me to come here.”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “So, you’re not completely stupid.”

Desolate Calamity’s voice turned icy. “Breaking these rules... Aren’t you afraid that others will follow suit, leaving the world in endless turmoil?”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “Have you been buried underground so long that your brain rotted? You fought me once, and you know I have the power of gods and demons. You might think I should adhere to these rules, but in everyone else’s eyes, I’m just Zhao Changhe, second on the Ranking of Earth. And the fact is, I am just second on the Ranking of Earth. A Ranking of Earth fighter participating in battles like this and shooting someone on the Ranking of Man—what rule does that break?”

Desolate Calamity: “...”

Zhao Changhe grinned, his tone turning playful, “So, doesn’t this bring us right back to where you imagined we’d be? Their victory or defeat has got nothing to do with us, does it?”

Desolate Calamity laughed out of sheer anger and exasperation. “You’ve taken every possible advantage. Your side is already on the verge of encircling Langya, and now you want to claim we’re just here for a duel, uninvolved in their battles?”

Then, his tone turned icy. “But for all your calculations, don’t you think you’ve overlooked one teensy weensy, but ever so crucial little, tiny detail? You are no match for me! And when you suffer a crushing defeat here, all of your careful planning will be nothing more than a joke.”

“I don’t deny that I lack absolute confidence in defeating you,” Zhao Changhe replied with a wry smile. “But tell me, when did it become necessary to believe you’d certainly win before daring to fight? Is it that your courage has been worn away over two endless eras, or did you lose your nerve entirely in the cataclysmic collapse of the last one?”

Desolate Calamity’s gaze grew colder.

“Let me remind the gods and demons of one simple, eternal truth,” Zhao Changhe continued, his grin widening. “When two warriors meet on a narrow path, victory belongs to the one with the courage to step forward.”

As he spoke, Dragon Bird quivered faintly, its blade vanishing into the darkness of the night. Desolate Calamity could not even see the path of the strike before a chilling sensation brushed against his neck.

For a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped. All that remained in the world was the blade, cutting through everything—leaving nothing else.

No Man’s Land!

Desolate Calamity reacted swiftly, striking the side of Dragon Bird with his palm. Zhao Changhe felt the ground beneath him surge with energy as Desolate Calamity manipulated the earth’s veins. Not only did it amplify his mummified strength, but a strange, insidious pull emanated from the ground, seeking to drain Zhao Changhe’s very life force. It was as though the vitality of the living was being leeched away into the desolate earth.

This time, there was no testing the waters. Both of them unleashed their ultimate techniques from the start.

For Desolate Calamity, who could absorb the life force of fertile lands to nourish himself, draining the vitality of his opponent was second nature. It was a perfect countermeasure against someone wielding divine weapons but lacking sufficient cultivation to resist.

Clang!

The collision between Desolate Calamity’s palm and Dragon Bird sent both combatants flying backward. Zhao Changhe retreated slightly further, but there was no visible sign that his life force had been affected.

Desolate Calamity froze in disbelief. “You’re actually able to resist? That shouldn’t be possible...”

Zhao Changhe chuckled but did not elaborate. Between the vitality granted by the Azure Dragon’s essence and the foundational strength of the Rejuvenation Art, his life force was as solid as a mountain. Not to mention, his dual cultivation with Chichi was far from a waste of time. Maintaining the integrity of his life force was practically second nature. Moreover, Desolate Calamity had been defeated precisely by the Azure Dragon. This was not just resistance, it was a perfect counter.

He did not answer, but as he retreated, his left hand thrust forward with River of Stars. “I told you: you’ve slept too long to understand the heroes of this era!”

With the thrust of his sword, the moonlight above suddenly brightened, and a beam of radiance descended from the heavens. It struck a previously invisible strand of energy that Desolate Calamity had silently unleashed—a hidden attack Zhao Changhe had anticipated and intercepted perfectly.

The heavenly radiance clashed against Desolate Calamity’s hidden strike, neutralizing it. Without resistance, the River of Star’s sword qi surged forward, aiming directly at Desolate Calamity’s chest.

Desolate Calamity moved with lightning speed, vanishing from the sword’s path and reappearing beside Zhao Changhe in an instant.

His speed was not just faster but significantly faster than Zhao Changhe’s.

Zhao Changhe showed no trace of fear or surprise. His sword and saber spun in seamless arcs, clashing against Desolate Calamity’s strikes in rapid succession. In mere moments, they exchanged countless blows.

Even Desolate Calamity could not help but feel a grudging respect. It was said that Zhao Changhe had only been cultivating for just over two years, which initially made him expect the man’s skills to be riddled with gaps from hastened growth. Yet, after two battles, he found no glaring flaws. Zhao Changhe’s mastery of the sword and saber was as smooth and seamless as the circle of yin and yang. His techniques had already reached a state of returning to simplicity, fully aligned with his level of cultivation.

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Despite his own overwhelming advantage in cultivation, Desolate Calamity found himself frustrated by Zhao Changhe’s twin divine weapons, which neutralized much of his edge. Most troubling was the seeming futility of his innate domain over the earth—Zhao Changhe appeared completely unaffected, as if he embodied the essence of the Azure Dragon himself.

Still, the Profound Control Realm was not that simple. For example, his control over the earth was not just about absorbing life force or vitality to nourish himself, it also had another aspect to it...

As the fight dragged on, Zhao Changhe began to notice something unsettling. The power of the earth seemed to be unraveling around him. His sense of connection with the natural world—something he had painstakingly developed since unlocking the Profound Mysteries—was being severed.

This connection with heaven and earth was something he had sought wholeheartedly when he broke through to the Profound Mysteries Realm. First, he sensed the power of heaven and earth, resonating with the surrounding vicious blood qi. Second, he formed a bridge with heaven and earth, granting him a continuous flow of energy. Third, his five senses were enhanced—his Back Eye had evolved into a full birds’eye view, and even without it, his night vision, long-distance vision, and attention to detail had all been greatly improved.

Now, one by one, those abilities were slipping away. Even the vicious blood qi in his surroundings—a form of energy he had learned to manipulate so naturally—was fading from his perception.

Desolate Calamity’s strategy was brutally effective. No matter how powerful Zhao Changhe’s sword and saber were, their true potential depended on their user. If the user lost control—unable to sense or react to threats in time—then even the finest weapon would become a liability. And for someone with Zhao Changhe’s relatively limited cultivation, severing his connection to the natural world would leave him blind to Desolate Calamity’s movements, forcing him to rely entirely on the weapons’ protective instincts.

For days, Desolate Calamity had pondered on this approach. And now, it was paying off.

Clang!

Desolate Calamity’s palm struck Dragon Bird, forcing Zhao Changhe back. In the same instant, his other hand lashed out soundlessly toward Zhao Changhe’s abdomen.

It was fast, faster than anything Zhao Changhe had faced before.

There was no visible trajectory, no telltale signs. It was swifter and more elusive than even Zhao Changhe’s prized No Man’s Land.

With his connection to heaven and earth severed, his heightened senses dulled, there was no way Zhao Changhe could perceive this attack. Only the automatic protective instincts of his divine weapons could respond.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, River of Stars moved on its own, slashing toward Desolate Calamity’s wrist and deflecting the strike.

Zhao Changhe’s expression betrayed a flicker of shock—clearly, he had not registered the attack in time. River of Stars had acted entirely on its own.

The strategy was working.

If Desolate Calamity kept the pressure on, Zhao Changhe would inevitably falter.

Strength is strength—relying on external tools is futile... and relying on some so-called courage is even more laughable.

Desolate Calamity allowed a faint smile to creep across his face as he raised a hand. Out of nowhere, countless attacks materialized, converging on Zhao Changhe from all sides.

Zhao Changhe’s sword and saber moved in a dazzling display, deflecting the barrage of strikes with swift precision.

However, hidden among the attacks were several soundless, invisible blows. Zhao Changhe failed to notice them entirely, grunting as they struck him squarely. A faint shimmering barrier emerged around him, neutralizing the sneaky assault.

It was a barrier of vigorous qi taught by the Divine Brilliance Sect, something Zhao Changhe rarely used due to its short duration, reserved only for emergencies. And now, even that trump card had been forced out.

But as the barrier of vigorous qi dissipated, yet another silent, formless attack surged from beneath the ground—a spectral hand that lashed out, clawing viciously at Zhao Changhe’s ankle.

This was Desolate Calamity’s true trump card: merging with the earth to launch an almost undetectable assault, exploiting the moment Zhao Changhe’s focus was elsewhere.

If this blow landed, Zhao Changhe’s leg would be rendered useless!

From beneath the earth, Desolate Calamity’s lips twisted into a cruel grin. His hand made contact, clutching Zhao Changhe’s ankle firmly. But then, his grin froze.

River of Stars had somehow slipped into the ground without a trace, cleaner and quieter than even Desolate Calamity’s own movements. While he concentrated on his ambush, River of Stars suddenly erupted from the soil, thrusting viciously toward his abdomen!

Desolate Calamity retracted his hand with lightning speed, but Zhao Changhe seized the opportunity. He reached toward the ground with his free hand, unleashing a mighty force that gripped Desolate Calamity’s wrist like a vice, holding him in place for a critical instant.

That momentary lapse was enough.

River of Stars struck true, cutting into Desolate Calamity’s left shoulder before he broke free from Zhao Changhe’s grip and retreated from the earth. As he held his wounded arm, his expression was a mix of shock and disbelief. “You were pretending all along?”

Zhao Changhe was catching his breath after the rapid exchange, subtly recovering his strength. He smirked, using the conversation to buy time. “Correct. Your entire performance looked like a clown act to me from the start.”

Desolate Calamity’s disbelief deepened. “It’s one thing for you to resist my life drain, but how could you possibly withstand the disruption of the earth’s veins? If you truly could, you’d already be at the Profound Control Realm!”

Zhao Changhe sighed dramatically. Damn it... You forced me to use the Back Eye. That’s something I should never have had to resort to. I wonder if that blind woman will laugh her ass off when she finds out.

It was not just the Back Eye. Even the Heavenly Tome, which Xia Longyuan had advised him to rely on sparingly, had been heavily used this time.

Without countless simulations of this fight in the illusory world of the Heavenly Tome, there was no way this battle could have gone so smoothly.

What came next did not matter—he could not afford to think about the cost for now. Against an enemy at the Profound Control Realm, especially one who had figured out how to counter his divine weapons, Zhao Changhe knew his own raw power alone would not be enough.

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