HSSB154: Aftereffect
Ruan Ping looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of age, spirited and handsome with an extraordinary bearing about him.
He was precisely one of the Lake Domain Sacred Ground’s, Turbid Wave Pavilion, direct disciples, proficient in the secret martial arts of the Lake Domain, and possessing extraordinary strength.
However, what caused Yan Zhaoge to take more heed was the fact that from what he knew, this person seemed to have intentions towards the Sacred Sun Clan’s Meng Wan, being somewhat enamoured with her.
Despite the fact that their age difference was close to ten years, this didn’t affect Ruan Ping’s passionate feelings at all.
It was only that over this past half year, with the general situation within the Eight Extremities World having suddenly changed greatly, the relationship between the Sacred Grounds had become much more tense.
Turbid Wave Pavilion which always stayed neutral had to be more sensitive in all of its actions.
While he was a young disciple, as a direct disciple of Turbid Wave Pavilion, if Ruan Ping did as he had before, it would appear extremely conspicuous.
Whether it was from having received special instructions from the Elders or having curbed himself, in recent days, Ruan Ping’s feelings towards Meng Wan seemed to have gradually calmed down.
His gaze sweeping over Liu Shengfeng, Yan Zhaoge and the others, Ruan Ping nodded slightly, “Please, everyone follow me.”
Laughing, Liu Shengfeng retracted his wolf-like gaze which had till now always been appraising Yan Zhaoge and Ye Zhongzhou.
His age close to Ruan Ping’s, Ye Zhongzhou and him were long since acquainted, as he immediately said, “Ruan Ping, it is rare that we have taken a trip here. You have to take us to see your long renowned Clear Concealed Lake ah.”
The Clear Concealed Lake, located to the northwest of the Lake Domain, was where this time’s Heavenly Connection Meet would be held.
This place was abound with lakes within the surrounding five hundred kilometres and covered in clouds all year round. However, the fluctuations in clouds on the lake’s surface made for an incomparably beautiful scene.
As the clouds swirled and rested, they seemed to contain the boundless laws of the heavens and the earth, and was able to birth many extraordinary scenes, which led to this world’s martial practitioners being greatly inclined to visit it.
Turbid Wave Pavilion often saw its martial practitioners come here to comprehend the dao and cultivate.
As the organiser and host of this time’s Heavenly Connection Meet, Turbid Wave Pavilion had also arranged this as its location.
Ruan Ping smiled, “This is only natural. You can all move about on your own; however, on the surface of this lake are formations set up by my clan’s Elders with the help of the geography here.”
“If you move about freely, you will have to take care not to set off the restrictions of the formation.”
Under Ruan Ping’s lead, Yan Zhaoge and Sikong Qing, along with those of Jade Sea City and Infinite Boundless Mountain, entered the domain of the Clear Concealed Lake.
Treading onto the surface of the lake, Yan Zhaoge surveyed his surroundings, his mind instantly feeling refreshed and happy.
As the clouds drifted, it seemed to incessantly change as it repeatedly came into contact with the lake water.
The boundary between the heavens and the earth seemed to become blurry. As Yan Zhaoge glanced over, the lake water seemed to hover within the sky, while the clouds seemed to transform into a lake.
“Could it be that Turbid Wave Pavilion’s Flowing Water Illusory Clouds is derived from this?”
Yan Zhaoge looked at the scene before him somewhat interestedly as the Sikong Qing beside him also did the same.
Ye Zhongzhou and the others who accompanied them smiled as they looked at Sikong Qing.
From beside Ye Zhongzhou, a girl of about twenty years of age sighed softly, “What devotion to the martial dao.”
This girl was named Li Jingwan, a Heaven’s favoured child of Jade Sea City alongside Ye Zhongzhou, her age similar to Yan Zhaoge and Xiao Yu.
Her features were beautiful like a picture. While she was not as elegantly beautiful as Sikong Qing, she was still a rare beauty.
In comparison to the loud, booming Ye Zhongzhou, Li Jingwan appeared very gentle. She looked curiously towards Sikong Qing.
All the way here, Sikong Qing had appeared extremely quiet, not uttering a word other than when she had greeted them.
If there was anything, she would just follow Yan Zhaoge along, but whether it was Ye Zhongzhou or Li Jingwan, both of them could see that Sikong Qing was not someone with no thoughts of her own, instead just seemingly wanting to avoid having to deal with troublesome matters.
This girl seemed to have poured all of her effort into cultivation, not intending on or even disdaining allocating her time in other areas.
Although she still at least understood the ways of the world, she was not someone who liked interacting with others-her mind was simply not in the same dimension.
Ye Zhongzhou laughed, “Possessing outstanding talent and devoted to the extreme-the heavens will not mistreat her.”
Li Jingwan said, “That’s right; already having reached the peak of the late inner aura Martial Scholar realm despite being so young. I heard that when facing Infinite Boundless Mountain’s Hou Xiang around half a year ago in the Mountain Domain, she was still a mid inner aura Martial Scholar. Such a rate of progress is truly shocking.”
The place here was broad, the islands on the lake numerous like stars in the sky. As they walked on the lake’s surface, they arrived at its central region very quickly.
Of the biggest few islands of the Clear Concealed Lake, the main island here, Clear Concealed Island, was where this Heavenly Connection Meet would be held.
Having arrived on Clear Concealed Island, some disciples of Turbid Wave Pavilion acted as ushers, arranging and leading them to their various lodgings.
The architecture style of this place was filled with the air of the Lake Domain as small intricate buildings of bamboo had been erected one after another in an ordered manner.
Having settled down, Yan Zhaoge left his bamboo house, heading out onto the lake once more.
On the lake, passing through the clouds, Yan Zhaoge gradually closed his eyes, strolling leisurely on the lake’s surface.
Standing behind Yan Zhaoge, Ah Hu did not interrupt him.
His attention was mostly fixed on their surroundings, preventing anyone from coming to interrupt Yan Zhaoge as well as looking out for any dangers that might suddenly descend.
At this moment, he had not the leisure to comprehend the profundities of the Clear Concealed Lake.
It was only when tomorrow’s Heavenly Connection Meet officially begun with Yan Zhaoge a participant that Ah Hu would come out to roam alone.
Although his eyes were tightly closed, Yan Zhaoge’s spiritual awareness was still raised to its maximum, all the pores of his body pulsing lightly, inhaling and exhaling the spiritual qi of the surrounding heavens and earth as he was also feeling the spiritual qi pulse of this Clear Concealed Lake and the unique, remarkable areas of this precious land.
After walking for a while, Yan Zhaoge halted, standing silently where he was and not moving. He extended his arms, making slow, drawing motions within the clouds.
A while later, Yan Zhaoge resumed his footsteps, continuing to walk on water as he proceeded for a set distance, before then halting again.
Walking and halting like this, with those motions of his arms ceaseless.
The clouds surrounding Yan Zhaoge was made to stick by his side, gradually coming to form an increasingly large mass of qi which moved alongside him.
“Viewing the changes of the Clear Concealed Lake has indeed caused me to have some other thoughts on the martial dao.”
Yan Zhaoge pondered, “Stepping into the Xiantian stage with spirituality forming in one’s aura-qi; having reached the mid Xiantian stage, the aura-qi can form an illusory heaven and earth, birthing the changes between true and false a step further, seeking the secrets of the heavens and earth.”
“Within this, perhaps there are some things that I can use.”
As he pondered, Yan Zhaoge was suddenly taken aback slightly, “Hmmm?”
Following alongside him, Ah Hu asked, “Young Master, what is it?”
Slightly narrowing his eyes, Yan Zhaoge surveyed his surroundings, “This formation, seems to have changed ah.”
Ah Hu was baffled as an uncomprehending expression appeared on his face.
Yan Zhaoge didn’t continue saying anything. Like alchemy and artifact forging, formations were a comparatively independent field of study on its own. While being closely related to the martial dao, attainment in formations was not completely dependent on a martial practitioner’s cultivation base.
And the spirit formation that enveloped the Clear Concealed Lake before them had only changed very slightly, such that it was not very obvious.
While Ah Hu had already reached the Heavenly Connection stage, never having studied about formations before, him not being able to detect this change was not surprising at all.
To Yan Zhaoge, formations were also his weak point. However, that was only in comparison to his abilities in other areas.
In comparison to other Martial Scholars, Yan Zhaoge’s attainment in formations was similarly outstanding.
Moreover, in recent days, Yan Zhaoge had just happened to be intentionally making up for this and raising his proficiency in formations, thus being extremely sensitive in matters relating to them.
At this moment, he very quickly detected this anomaly.
Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, “Cough, is this an aftereffect of Infinite Boundless Mountain previously spreading news as they thought to overpraise me to death?”