HSSB215: The Yan Zhaoge incomparable to the past
Because of its natural climate, the scenery of the Wind Domain was completely different from that of the Heaven Domain. Having come here, it was the scene of a great desert all around.
It was not just the Great Western Desert; more than eighty percent of the Wind Domain was comprised of desert.
It was only that although much danger also existed in those other deserts, they were still not as bad as the Great Western Desert, which was virtually a godforsaken land.
Feng Yunsheng gazed far into the distance, “The last time I came to the Wind Domain, it was still a few years ago.”
Yan Zhaoge asked casually, “When in the Sacred Sun Clan, coming out for tempering?”
Feng Yunsheng was similarly casual, “Right, although as a Maiden of Extreme Yin, my movements had to be kept concealed with the utmost secrecy, some tempering still had to be experienced by me personally.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Was it the Gan Region or the Qin Region?”
Before the War of the Eastern Tang, the Sacred Sun Clan’s dominance had been great. In the Wind Domain, other than the Qin Region which was directly bordered to the Fire Domain, the Gan Region north of it had also been under the Sacred Sun Clan’s control.
At that time, Broad Creed Mountain controlled the Sand Region north of the Gan Region, while Infinite Boundless Mountain controlled the northernmost Silver Region, the three Sacred Grounds dividing up the four Regions of the Wind Domain in this way.
In the War of the Eastern Tang, other than counterattacking the Fire Domain, they had similarly assaulted the Wind Domain.
In order to avoid disturbing Huang Guanglie, the Sacred Sun Clan had grit their teeth, taking several steps back.
Of the Qin Region and the Gan Region they had had control of in the Wind Domain, the Gan Region more to the north had completely fallen in Broad Creed Mountain’s hands.
Only after the Third Extreme Bout, when Meng Wan had won the Extreme Yin Crown, did the Sacred Sun Clan managed to stabilise their footing, emboldened to try to regain the territory they had lost.
Their lost territory in the Fire Domain had basically been completely regained, but in the Wind Domain, Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan had ended up in a conflict over the Gan Region once more.
Afterwards, because Yan Zhaoge had drawn Infinite Boundless Mountain in with the Thunder Element Revival Art, the Heaven Domain, the Mountain Domain and the Water Domain joining hands, with the Heavenly Thunder Hall suffering a setback, the Sacred Sun Clan had been unable to sustain its forceful stance, having no choice but to end their campaign in the Wind Domain.
Currently, the Gan Region and the Sand Region, in the middle of the Wind Domain’s four Regions, were both under Broad Creed Mountain’s control. The Sacred Sun Clan could only retreat behind the southernmost Qin Region. Currently, able to ensure that the Qin Region was not lost, they should already be praising the heavens and the earth.
Feng Yunsheng answered, “The Gan Region is close to the border areas of the Great Western Desert.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded. The Sacred Sun Clan also put in a lot of effort in grooming its disciples, willing to let them temper themselves, increasing their experience and knowledge with real sabres and real spears, stimulating their potential.
“Speaking of that, the Black Nightmare Mountain was destroyed by our clan. I wonder what state its remains are in now?” Feng Yunsheng suddenly realised, smiling as she asked.
The ‘our clan’ that she spoke of was naturally Broad Creed Mountain, and not the Sacred Sun Clan.
Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly, “When our ancestor the exalted Hantian was in secluded cultivation, the final Chief of Black Nightmare Mountain attacked my Broad Creed Mountain, that Zhang ‘Purple Sun’ of the Sacred Sun Clan also watching on greedily from the side.”
“In the end, the exalted Hantian emerged from seclusion, slaying the Chief of Black Nightmare Mountain on the spot, then going to the Wind Domain, attacking Black Nightmare Mountain himself. From then on, the seven great Sacred Grounds numbered six.”
“Zhang ‘Purple Sun’ should feel lucky that he didn’t really do anything then, turning tail and running immediately after the exalted Hantian emerged. Because of that, our ancestor only chased him into the mouth of a volcano and let things go just like that. Otherwise, it’s hard to say whether there would still be a Sacred Sun Clan now.”
The Purple Sun Martial Saint Zhang Chao was that Sacred Sun Saint, whether he was alive or dead still unknown today, whose legends circulated amongst the public, the most legendary, colourful expert in the history of the Sacred Sun Clan.
It was also precisely him who had led the Sacred Sun Clan in their rise to dominance after Broad Creed Mountain had suffered a great blow to its vitality, becoming the new number one Sacred Ground.
If not for the Heaven Diviner Zhan Xilou releasing his brilliance which had been concealed beneath his brother’s shadow before, pressured by Zhang Chao and the Sacred Sun Clan, it would have been very difficult for Broad Creed Mountain to reach where they currently were today.
Feng Yunsheng had a look of remembrance on her face, “Ancestor exalted Hantian had already presided over the entire Eight Extremities World with his power, and there was still Ancestor Heaven Diviner deeply concealed beside him. Our clan was truly at an extreme peak then ah.”
“It was very likely the strongest Sacred Ground lineup ever since the time of the Great Calamity, still unmatched up till now.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “At least speaking from the historical records on hand, Ancestor Heaven Diviner did not intentionally conceal himself deeply. It was instead that his personality was indeed rather mild, as he was more willing to focus on researching the martial dao as well as the culture of before the Great Calamity.”
“Our clan’s records on before and after the Great Calamity were mostly sorted out by him.”
“If not for the exalted Hantian perishing, our clan having taken a great blow to its vitality, perhaps no one would ever have known of the extraordinariness of the Heaven Diviner.”
Hearing his words, Feng Yunsheng nodded, “What’s sad is that the two of them both died young with regard to the longevities that they should have had. Otherwise, who knows what heights they could have attained?”
Perhaps not as openly obsessed with it as Sikong Qing, but Feng Yunsheng was also enamoured with the martial dao.
Actually, Yan Zhaoge was also the same in this regard.
“The past is over, look to the now,” Yan Zhaoge pointed towards the north, where nothing lay on the horizon, just that there was the direction in which the Wind Domain’s Sacred Ground, Black Nightmare Mountain, had originally been located, “Black Nightmare Mountain was destroyed by the exalted Hantian, only its remains visible today. However, they has already been weathered very terribly.”
Feng Yunsheng glanced at Ah Hu, smiling, “I heard that Big Brother Huang cultivates in the supreme martial arts of Black Nightmare Mountain.”
Ah Hu grinned, “Family Head once obtained a rather complete portion of Black Nightmare Mountain’s legacies, passing them down to me.”
Yan Zhaoge seemed to have thought of something, “Oh, right. While Black Nightmare Mountain was destroyed all those years ago, some of its past members still remain concealed about, some even having escaped into the Great Western Desert.”
“While all these years, the descendants of Black Nightmare Mountain have been decreasing steadily, some still exist. Currently, travelling in the Wind Domain, as compared to the people of the Sacred Sun Clan, we should be more wary of them as well as those of the Decimating Abyss Organisation.”
Feng Yunsheng nodded, “I understand.”
They continued on without rest, passing through the West Heaven Region and onto the territory of the Sand Region.
Broad Creed Mountain had had a higher echelon expert take up office as the Sand Region’s First Seat Elder there.
Under this First Seat Elder were similarly Principal Elders as well as Acting Elders, in charge of the affairs in their various lands.
Along the way, Yan Zhaoge often had to exchange greetings with those in charge of the lands.
Although just over a year had passed, the current Yan Zhaoge was already completely different in status from before he had gone to the Eastern Tang.
Not speaking of the fact that his late Xiantian Martial Scholar cultivation base was already higher than most Acting Elders, even Principal Elders of the Martial Grandmaster realm already no longer treated him like a senior would a member of the younger generation.
Strictly speaking, the War of the Eastern Tang was still fine. It was following his journey to Cloud Portent Mountain that his position in the clan had truly become incomparable to how it had been in the past.
Having remained in Cloud Portent Mountain for a time, then headed to the East Strangling Snow Mountains, afterwards heading to Clear Concealed Lake before remaining in cultivation back at Broad Creed Mountain after having returned to the Heaven Domain, it was only now that he had finally come to travel in outer ring territory that was controlled by Broad Creed Mountain once more.
And the attitudes of these Elders of the clan, dispatched far from Broad Creed Mountain, had experienced a complete reversal.
Those who were affiliated to his father’s faction and those whose remained neutral aside, even those who were affiliated to his second apprentice uncle’s Fang Zhun’s factions, whatever their innermost thoughts, at least had to put up a passable show on the surface.
Those on the level of Acting Elders could even be described as reverential in their respect.
Because this youth before them was no already longer the person of the past whom they might be able to use to attack Yan Di, a younger generation disciple in whom they could search for faults.
The current Yan Zhaoge already had begun to grasp a position within the clan, which was clearly becoming more and more substantive!