HSSB170: Broad Creed Young Master and World Illuminating Young Master
Considering his identity, Huang Jie was already relatively low-key.
In fact, he was low-key to the point that his title of World Illuminating Young Master seemed not to fit him that well.
Rather than resembling the resplendent sunlight that captured the gazes of all under the heavens, he seemed to resemble the moonlight, quiet and secluded.
Yan Zhaoge looked towards Huang Jie just as Huang Jie turned towards him. Their gazes met, with neither betraying any emotions.
“Interesting.” Yan Zhaoge lightly raised his eyebrows.
Yan Zhaoge was unable to accurately gauge Huang Jie’s actual cultivation. The only measure he had to go on was his sense of hearing. By judging the almost imperceptible sound of the other’s blood and qi flow, he was able to form a rough guess.
Blood like mercury – this was a characteristic only possessed by those who had undergone a second washing of the marrow. By this measure, Huang Jie’s cultivation was at least at the early outer aura Martial Scholar realm.
Apart from this, Huang Jie had concealed his aura as its characteristics were also kept hidden, making it difficult for Yan Zhaoge to accurately assess his cultivation.
The characteristics of a mid outer aura Martial Scholar were being able to manifest a weapon with their aura qi and control their aura-qi from a hundred paces away. The characteristic of a late outer aura Martial Scholar was the power to take to the air. Without exchanging blows or displaying one’s martial skill, it was impossible to detect these characteristics.
Xiantian Martial Scholars were defined by their aura qi possessing spirituality. Without Huang Jie releasing his aura-qi, this was also unable to be determined. The second defining characteristic of Xiantian Martial Scholars was the spiritual light above their heads that was connected to the heavens. However, if a Xiantian Martial Scholar wished it so, he could hide it as well.
As a result, regarding Huang Jie’s cultivation, Yan Zhaoge could only place a lower limit of the early outer aura Martial Scholar realm.
In fact, with respect to his age, it would not be unordinary if Huang Jie was currently an early or mid outer aura Martial Scholar.
Yan Zhaoge aside, the other Martial Scholars near his age, including Jade Sea City’s Li Jingwan and Infinite Boundless Mountain’s Xiao Yu, were all around this cultivation level.
Huang Jie’s age was slightly higher, but not by much. All of them could basically be considered as being in the same age category.
However, Yan Zhaoge’s instincts warned him that Huang Jie was not so simple.
Rather than Tang Yonghao, whose cultivation was far higher than Yan Zhaoge’s, if the similarly-aged World Illuminating Young Master Huang Jie were able to best Yan Zhaoge in a battle, that would be the best case scenario for the Sacred Sun Clan.
However, it seemed as though Huang Jie himself had no intention of making a move.
Not only did he have no intention of fighting against Yan Zhaoge, even towards other people, Huang Jie would remain formal and distance himself.
This time, his appearance at the Heavenly Connection Meet seemed to be limited to spectating the matches.
The surrounding people all stopped what they were doing to watch the clash between Tang Yonghao and Xu Fei.
This battlefield was specially constructed by Turbid Wave Pavilion, allowing the two combatants free reign in their attacks. The aftershocks of their attacks would be contained by the formation, thus giving them the chance to go all out without having to worry about the spectators.
Previously, the exchange between Tang Yonghao and Song Chao had lasted merely a moment. In contrast, the battle between Xu Fei and Tang Yonghao now was truly a battle between a dragon and a tiger.
Amongst the crowd, even those Xiantian Martial Scholars had serious expressions on their faces. While their cultivation bases were comparatively inferior, watching the battle, they could roughly weigh and feel the great strength of the two combatants.
Just like how Yan Zhaoge had suddenly risen up in recent years to suppress all others with his overwhelming martial prowess, while the direct disciples of the Sacred Grounds were basically all at the same level in terms of talent, potential, and combat strength at the same cultivation level, going into it closely, there were still some divisions of strength amongst them.
Xu Fei and Tang Yonghao, were the peak existences amongst them!
Tang Yonghao brandished his sword, his sword-light illuminating the world as it seemed like it was omnipresent.
Not only was his opponent’s every movement within his predictions, even his various techniques and variations seemed all to be within his grasp.
Whatever his opponent tried to do, it seemed as if Tang Yonghao was able to preempt it a half-step before it happened and completely foil it.
Other than the Sacred Sun Clan’s direct lineage martial art, the Divine Sword of Dawn, Tang Yonghao also displayed proficiency in some other supreme sword arts. Having immersed himself in the dao of the sword for many years, he had gained a deep understanding of its essence, his sword variations unpredictable and innumerable.
Her full attention on the match, Sikong Qing knit her brows slightly, “Tang Yonghao, is so strange ah…”
“It isn’t strange. You only feel that it is strange because you don’t know that Tang Yonghao is a true genius in the sword,” Yan Zhaoge said, “It is rumored that in the current Eight Extremities World, other than the four supreme sword arts, Tang Yonghao can learn all other sword arts simply by observing them from the side.”
Sikong Qing’s eyes flashed as she turned around to look at Yan Zhaoge.
Profound sword arts were not just about simple stances and movements. The sword-intent contained within, the qi circulation method required for them as well as the many profound meanings contained within were all incomparably complicated.
And the martial arts of the six great Sacred Grounds-which of them would be weak?
Yan Zhaoge laughed lightly, “Don’t look at me, this rumor is actually true. For example, of our clan’s Great Heaven Earth Sword and Big Dipper Sword, without requiring their manuals, just by watching you or me practicing in the sword for a period of time, Tang Yonghao would already be able to comprehend seventy to eighty percent of it.”
“Only, Tang Yonghao has never acted this way. Even when learning sword arts not of the Sacred Sun Clan, he only learns those whose legacies have been discontinued.”
“For those sword arts which have owners, even though he can comprehend them, he does not cultivate in them.” Yan Zhaoge softly sighed, “Apart from the other five Sacred Grounds, even when it comes to those second and third-rate powers, Tang Yonghao restrains himself.”
Yan Zhaoge looked towards the arena at Tang Yonghao, “Therefore, I say that this is someone with his own persistence, even if that persistence is something that most people are unable to understand.”
Sikong Qing looked towards Xu Fei, “Senior apprentice-brother Xu is not any worse than him.”
Yan Zhaoge showed a faint smile, “This is only natural.”
Resisting Tang Yonghao’s fierce, ceaseless tide of sword variations, Xu Fei was like an unmoving reef that did not yield a single step.
From the start, he had been executing the Great Heaven Earth Sword to the utmost in both offense and defense. With its clumsy simplicity and boundless momentum, containing thousands, tens of thousands of profundities all in one, Xu Fei did not yield a single step.
Executing his self-created Great Heaven Earth Palm in combination with the Great Heaven Earth Sword, coming together as one, Xu Fei’s power multiplied, as he was able to keep Tang Yonghao’s innumerable sword-lights at bay with room to spare.
Just by watching the Great Heaven Earth Sword, Tang Yonghao was able to comprehend the profundities within it, allowing him to have an understanding of Xu Fei’s actions.
Even so, he was unable to gain the slightest advantage over Xu Fei.
Xu Fei’s attainment in the Great Heaven Earth Sword had already reached the pinnacle that was possible for Martial Scholars. Even if Tang Yonghao were to cultivate in it, it would also not be possible for him to do any better.
This competition between two Heavenly Connection Martial Scholars was a feast for everyone’s eyes.
Now, the disciples of Infinite Boundless Mountain and the Heavenly Thunder Hall ascended Hovering Island from two different directions.
On the side of the Heavenly Thunder Hall, neither the Thunder Rumbling Young Master Lin Zhou nor ‘Lightning Flashing’ Yan Shan was present. Instead, the leader of the group was a youth of higher cultivation who was of a similar age to Xu Fei, Tang Yonghao, and Song Chao.
Yan Zhaoge recognised him as Xie Ziyi, a long renowned Heaven’s favoured son who was currently a late Xiantian Martial Scholar.
Still, Yan Zhaoge knew that in clashing with a powerful enemy previously, despite ultimately having managed to prevail and slay him, Xie Ziyi had also received some long-term hidden injuries from their battle.
As a result, his cultivation had slowed down slightly. Otherwise, there was a nine in ten chance that he would have already broken through the bottleneck and stepped into the Heavenly Connection stage.
There were some younger disciples by Xie Ziyi’s side, likewise all in the garb of the Heavenly Thunder Hall’s core, direct disciples.
On the other side were Infinite Boundless Mountain’s direct disciples. Sure enough, Liu Shengfeng was nowhere to be seen, with the leading disciple being Ji Hanru.
At his side, a haughty Zhao Hao looked over the assembled disciples like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.