HSSB282: Origins of the Decimating Abyss
Hearing Yan Zhaoge’s question, Shi Songtao was silent for a long time before he asked quietly, “You should already have guesses of your own?”
Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei looked at him, Shi Tie’s gaze also focusing on him.
Shi Songtao raised his head to meet Shi Tie’s gaze, saying in an indifferent tone, “Actually, I have never seen his true face. When he saved me and passed down the Dark Light Killing Arts and other martial arts to me included; I have never truly met him face to face before.”
“However, if you ask me, I feel that it is senior apprentice-uncle Fang.”
Hearing his words, Shi Tie’s eyes shone with a brilliant light as he fixed his gaze closely on his son.
Yan Zhaoge’s and Xu Fei’s gazes hardened.
“Since you have never seen his true face before, how can you be sure that that is second apprentice-uncle?” Yan Zhaoge asked in a heavy tone, “Based on voice? People with such a cultivation base can already disguise their voices, with it very difficult for us to distinguish at our level.”
Shi Songtao said mildly, “That’s why I say that it is just a feeling.”
“Of course, it is not baseless. This deduction of mine is based on the fact that the Abyss Lord, not relying on the Earth Domain, can still guide the Devilish Domain Grand Formation to cause the descent of the Nine Underworlds. Consolidating some clues, I arrived at this conclusion.”
His neck being held by Yan Zhaoge, he was unable to swivel his head around, but he still asked Yan Zhaoge, “Why do you think that senior apprentice-uncle Fang, Fang Zhun, originally of the moderate faction like the clan’s longtime Elders, later turned forceful and aggressive in style, becoming like our fathers?”
Shi Songtao looked at Shi Tie, “You don’t really believe that it is because he and Grand Master both lean towards toughness that senior apprentice-uncle Fang changed in direction?”
“A figure like senior apprentice-uncle Fang-is it possible for him to change so easily?”
Shi Songtao’s expression was indifferent as no despondence, sadness, happiness or mockery could be seen within it whatsoever, his tone mild as clear water.
Restricting his movements from behind, Yan Zhaoge asked, “Second apprentice-uncle is the Decimating Abyss’s Lord?”
From the higher echelon Decimating Abyss experts that they had captured earlier, Yan Zhaoge and the others of Broad Creed Mountain had come to know that their leader was internally known by them as the Abyss Lord.
In actual fact, the true leader of the martial practitioners who had joined the Nine Underworlds and the Decimating Abyss was the Nine Underworlds.
While the Abyss Lord was the peak expert amongst them all, with the greatest level of understanding towards the Nine Underworlds, grasping many secrets.
From a certain perspective, he was like the spokesman of the Nine Underworlds.
Guiding the descent of the Nine Underworlds and a grand formation to form a domain of devilish qi had been proposed by the Abyss Lord.
As for whether it had been created on his own or the method had been obtained through communication with the Nine Underworlds, no one knew.
At the same time, the Abyss Lord was also extremely mysterious, with no one knowing of his true identity at all.
“The Devil Saint Yuan Tian is not their Lord ah…” Yan Zhaoge looked at Shi Songtao, “Your meaning is that the change in second apprentice-uncle’s usual style and way of thinking is related to the Nine Underworlds and the Decimating Abyss?”
Shi Songtao said mildly, “You should also know of Broad Creed Mountain’s radical faction’s evaluation of the moderate faction?”
“Perhaps through senior apprentice-uncle Yan’s influence, I remember that you also have the style and way of thinking of the radical faction.”
While he was before Shi Tie, while it was words on some seniors of the clan, Yan Zhaoge still said calmly, “Conservative and delusional, impractical, placing their hopes on our enemies.”
A considerable portion of Broad Creed Mountain had lived through Broad Creed Mountain’s darkest ages back during that time. Those longtime Elders that still lived now hoped to avoid going into conflict with outside enemies, with the Sacred Sun Clan at their head, as much as possible, silently accumulating their strength till they grew powerful and rose up once more.
When it was necessary for such, some sacrifices and concessions could be made, in order to gain more time.
This form of thought was the same as the method of operation of the Heaven Diviner Zhan Xilou when he had been in power back then.
At that time, it was this way that Broad Creed Mountain had slowly made it past their darkest ages, finally inviting the light of spring once more.
However, with the old Chief Yuan Zhengfeng at their head, the senior generation of experts, led by Yan Di, Shi Tie and some others, held the opposite view.
Because as they saw it, at the same time that they were developing, the other powers, like the Sacred Sun Clan, were all improving in strength as well.
The other powers would not be as kind as to remain where they were, waiting for Broad Creed Mountain to develop and catch up to them, to the point of even surpassing them.
Not just that, suppression, restrictions and attacks would descend like a tide.
The current era now was already different from when the Heaven Diviner, Zhan Xilou, had been in power.
The greatest difference was that, Zhan Xilou was already no more!
A matter that all disciples of Broad Creed Mountain conceded was that when the Exalted Heaven Shaker Zhan Dongge had perished that year, with Broad Creed Mountain tragically suffering great casualties, taking a great blow to its vitality, if not for Zhan Xilou, Broad Creed Mountain would probably not exist today.
Because of Zhan Xilou’s presence, the Broad Creed Mountain of that time had been able to persist on amidst their sufferings and accumulate their strength, able to guarantee that their core interests were not compromised, having the background to remain unflinching at their bottom line.
And now, if they still remained fully conservative and willing to make concessions, that would be no different from blind observance.
Depositing their hopes onto the enemy was something that the radical faction was unable to accept.
Shi Songtao said, “Then, under what conditions do you feel that the moderate faction’s thoughts are feasible?”
Yan Zhaoge knit his brows, “Unless, the Sacred Sun Clan is like how our clan was that year.”
Broad Creed Mountain’s deterioration had begun from the invasion of the Flame Devil World, numerous casualties surfacing as countless Broad Creed Mountain experts surged to meet the Flame Devils in battle.
That had not happened on Broad Creed Mountain’s territory, in the Heaven Domain.
And as Yan Zhaoge saw it, if the thoughts of the moderate faction were not to remain as building castles in the air, it was only possible that something like what had happened with the invasion of the Flame Devils that year occurred once more, with the casualties definitely primarily having to be of the Sacred Sun Clan or the Heavenly Thunder Hall.
If it happened in the Heaven Domain, in Broad Creed Mountain’s territory, there would completely be no need to speak about what would happen afterwards.
Yan Zhaoge looked at Shi Songtao, “You mean to say that second apprentice-uncle who still had been of the moderate faction then moved his attention to Hell, to the Nine Underworlds? He wanted to lead the Nine Underworlds to descend on the territory of the Sacred Sun Clan, artificially inducing a great disaster for the Sacred Sun Clan?”
Changes finally appeared on Shi Songtao’s face as a rather mocking smile was revealed, “The history of the Decimating Abyss is not long. With the intense shaking of the Earth Domain, more and more people will be more and more easily affected by the Nine Underworlds, with it all being things that happened in recent years. It was from someone entering the depths of Hell, attempting to uncover the secrets within, opening that great, forbidden door.”
“Sadly, in the end, some stubbornness and evil thoughts within his mind were possibly guided by the Nine Underworlds, finally transforming into devilish intent. Originally having wanted to use the descent of the Nine Underworlds as a method, it instead became his goal.”
“Why did he lean towards the radical faction afterwards? It was because he discovered that the more intense the conflict between Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan, two Sacred Grounds of the Eight Extremities World, the greater the chance for the Nine Underworlds to strike ah.”
“Earlier, whether radical or moderate, it was all for Broad Creed Mountain. However, now, it is all for the Decimating Abyss, with radical or moderate no longer important. It is no longer ideology, rather being disguise and methods, because the goal for which he fights has already changed.”
Shi Songtao’s expression was also a little complicated, “The Decimating Abyss that has brought disaster onto Broad Creed Mountain and the Eight Extremities World today was precisely created by one of Broad Creed Mountain’s own ah…”
Xu Fei and Yan Zhaoge exchanged looks.
Shi Tie’s expression was calm and stern as he pressed down on the golden tower with his palm.
Now, the golden tower completely vanished, finally having been completely suppressed by Shi Tie.
Shi Tie’s expression was unchanging, not flustered in the least as he walked over towards them.