HSSB202: The fortune that might exist
Yan Zhaoge looked at that damaged portion of stone pillar, his mind roiling like an overturning sea.
Yan Zhaoge had always kept the Great Calamity in mind. A chance to come into contact with legacies predating it was something he was extremely interested in.
But from what he knew, there had basically not appeared any legacies related to the Divine Palace in the Eight Extremities World up till now.
The only trace was his suspicion that the legacies of Broad Creed Mountain were vaguely related to the Divine Palace, but this was still yet to be confirmed.
Other than that, according to the information Yan Zhaoge grasped, from the time of the Great Calamity up till now, no other legacies related to the Divine Palace had surfaced.
This damaged stone pillar that had appeared in the great desert of the Wind Domain, however, had once been a pillar of the Divine Palace.
This caused Yan Zhaoge’s heart to blaze.
He had always wanted to find out about the specifics regarding the Great Calamity, and the legacies of the Divine Palace were more valuable than other legacies in that regard.
While from the looks of it, the stone pillar was already damaged extremely badly, as compared to other legacies, it most likely preserved many more clues as well as information.
After staring earnestly at the stone pillar within the illusory scene for a moment, Yan Zhaoge said to Yuan Zhengfeng and the others, “The patterns are indeed complicated and also ancient. Wanting to decipher them should prove very difficult.”
“However, I vaguely have some thoughts on this, just that I still can’t say of how much confidence I have of deciphering the patterns now. Can the stone pillar be brought back?”
“With the real object on hand, carefully analysing it, the chances of deciphering them would be greater.”
Elder He shook her head slightly, “You should also be aware of the Great Western Desert in the Wind Domain. The situation there is very complicated, to the extent that even Martial Saints cannot do as they like.”
She was also slightly troubled over this, “That stone pillar has become entangled together with the natural forces of the Great Western Desert, such that it is hard to remove. It could only be left where it was.”
The corners of Yan Zhaoge’s mouth twitched slightly.
Her meaning was: If you want to see the stone pillar, you will have to personally make a trip to the great desert and suffer sand?
Yuan Zhengfeng said, “It is good that you already have some thoughts on this. This matter does not have to be rushed; the current time of the year is when the Great Western Desert’s Black Nightmare Storm is the fiercest. Even Martial Saints, should they enter, would find it hard to deal with.”
“After another few more months, when the Black Nightmare Storm has gradually weakened, you can then go in.”
“Those remains being stuck within the Great Western Desert, it is hard to dig out and move them away. However, with us being unable to do it, it should also be the same for others. At the same time, there is also no need to worry about it being damaged by others.”
The old Clan Chief looked at Yan Zhaoge, “Zhaoge, you don’t need to rush too much on this matter; just keep it in mind.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, ceasing his infusion of aura-qi into the crystal. The illusory scene before him dissipated.
Looking at the stone pillar that was gradually disappearing before his eyes, Yan Zhaoge’s gaze was slightly distant and deep.
To others, this was a legacy of before the Great Calamity that was hard to decipher and understand.
But to him, this was a key to unlock mysteries, being beneficial to his future plans, at the same time also being a fortuitous opportunity.
Yan Zhaoge momentarily narrowed his eyes into slits. Perhaps, it wasn’t that there was completely no way to bring the stone pillar out of the Great Western Desert…
However, as Yuan Zhengfeng had said, there was no need to rush things. Natural disasters like the Black Nightmare Storm were oftentimes not something that humans could withstand.
Who knew how many Martial Grandmasters had been ripped apart by the Black Nightmare Storm in the past.
The past Wind Domain Sacred Ground, Black Nightmare Mountain, had always hoped to completely gain control over the Great Western Desert and the many natural disasters there.
However, till they were destroyed, they had never managed to truly do so.
In having divided up the territory of the Wind Domain now, Broad Creed Mountain, the Sacred Sun Clan and Infinite Boundless Mountain had actually also only taken control in the places which could be developed. In areas like the Great Western Desert, they only merely controlled the outskirts.
Putting it harshly, the Great West Desert was completely not a place for people to stay in.
Currently, like the deathly Earth Domain, it was also a land of grave dangers.
However, it was good that the natural disasters of the Great Western Desert were closely related to the season there, like that terrifying Black Nightmare Storm, with a cycle of around half a year, sometimes strong, sometimes weak.
When the storm was weak, martial practitioners would be able to make use of the chance to enter the depths of the desert.
Of course, the dangers and tribulations of the great desert did not merely consist of the Black Nightmare Storm.
Yan Zhaoge said, “I’ll first observe the patterns from earlier, attempting to understand the meanings within, waiting for the storm to weaken before entering.”
Yuan Zhengfeng nodded, “That should be the way.”
“Grand Master…” Yan Zhaoge, hesitated slightly for a moment before asking, “For what reason was Elder Wang corrupted and pulled over by the Decimating Abyss?”
Elder Wang was that spy revealed by the Heavenly Thunder Hall, their highest known operative of the Decimating Abyss Organisation that Broad Creed Mountain currently knew of.
A longtime Martial Grandmaster, of the same generation as Yuan Zhengfeng and Elder He, Elder Wang had been highly respected and looked up to in the past.
Yuan Zhengfeng and the others fell momentarily silent, regretful looks appearing on their faces. Yuan Zhengfeng did not answer as it was instead Elder He who said, “Senior apprentice-brother Wang became old…”
The sentence was simple and obscure, yet Yan Zhaoge still understood the meaning hidden within.
Degrading due to age, no longer having a hope of a breakthrough, with longevity nearing its end.
Elder Wang was very old, his longevity nearing its end with regard to his cultivation base. There was little hope of his cultivation continuing to increase in the future.
Yan Zhaoge sighed inwardly, feeling pity for Elder Wang, before he suddenly realised something, unconsciously raising his head as he looked to the front.
There, Yuan Zhengfeng remained peaceful as he sat in his chair.
While having long known that Yuan Zhengfeng’s will was extremely strong, having an enlightened, optimistic personality despite his great age, Yan Zhaoge could not help but feel a little worried.
Because of the injuries that he had suffered long ago, Yuan Zhengfeng had been stuck at the Transcending Mortality stage for many years, at the peak of all this world’s Martial Grandmasters, yet still always just that paper-thin distance away from the Martial Saint realm.
It must be known that when Yuan Zhengfeng had stepped into the Transcending Mortality Martial Grandmaster realm that year, it had been even earlier than Huang Guanglie, An Qinglin and the others!
In the end, he had instead been stuck there for many years, seeing those who had lagged behind him surpassing him one by one.
The reason was not because his talents had run dry, but because there were outside chains tethering him.
Also, Huang Guanglie was attempting a breakthrough yet again at the Sacred Sun Clan. This gave Yuan Zhengfeng yet more pressure.
No one knew how frustrated Yuan Zhengfeng truly was, or how unaccepting of his plight, how much pressure he had had to bear.
Moreover, because of his old injuries, Yuan Zhengfeng’s longevity was also shorter than other Transcending Mortality Martial Grandmasters.
Although thinking this was somewhat offensive against his Grand Master, casting aside his emotions, Yan Zhaoge had to consider the problems related to this.
If someone with as great a willpower as Yuan Zhengfeng were to lose their mental balance, they would be far more stubborn and extreme than the average person.
In actual fact, after understanding that there were those amongst the various Sacred Grounds who had joined the Decimating Abyss, outside of Broad Creed Mountain, those who secretly worried about Yuan Zhengfeng were not few.
Yan Zhaoge raised his head to look at Yuan Zhengfeng, meeting the old man’s gaze. He saw that it was clear and lively, with no signs of turbidity in the least, resembling a child’s.
Yuan Zhengfeng seemed to know what Yan Zhaoge was thinking as he smiled, “It would be a lie to say that I am not impatient; the whole world knows that the pressure this old man bears is immense.”
“However, for the present time at least, this matter-this old man still can bear it.”