HSSB284: The Martial Repository does not simply contain an otherworldly expert
Accompanied by his death, Shi Songtao’s body transformed into black smoke, dissipating within the air.
Shi Tie shut his eyes, standing where he was, not speaking for a long time.
But very quickly, he reopened his eyes. While the wound on his chest was still there, he stood tall and unyielding once more.
Shi Tie swivelled his head to look at Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei, with Yan Zhaoge saying, “I have already asked Ah Hu to notify the clan.”
“The Devilish Domain Grand Formation at Lianhu Lake has already been taken care of. Let us hurry back to the clan, talking on the way,” Shi Tie raised his hand, air currents sweeping Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei along as he flew into the air, “I hope that we can still make it in time.”
Those three crystalline coffins had already been kept by Yan Zhaoge into Shi Songtao’s Shadow Shrinking Pouch before passing it over to Shi Tie, who had accepted it silently.
After instructing the other Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners come to perform the cleanup, bringing Ah Hu and Pan-Pan along, Shi Tie took to the air, speeding back to Broad Creed Mountain.
Yan Zhaoge and the others all looked worriedly at the injury on Shi Tie’s chest.
That injury was not a light one. More importantly, Shi Tie cultivated in the Vajra Body, his entire body perfect and without flaws, attack and defence in one, possessing great strength.
However, as soon as damage was incurred, there would be flaws in the Vajra Body, causing Shi Tie to see a notable decrease in strength. It was not merely a simple injury.
For some martial practitioners, they could forcibly suppress their injuries. While there might be negative side-effects, it would not affect the unleashing of their strength within a short period of time.
However, Shi Tie would be unavoidably affected by it now.
In clashing with enemies in this following period of time, his condition would only increasingly worsen.
Shi Tie, however, had on a calm expression, tough as granite, seemingly not affected in the least.
As they hurried, he said, “There are some things that you are aware of, but there are also some things that you are unaware of.”
“The existence that is the Nine Underworlds has been there since ancient times. However, people don’t understand many things about it, remaining conservative and wary of investigating Hell due to their fear of the Nine Underworlds, progress being extremely slow in this area.”
“Junior apprentice-brother Fang walked deeper in than others, some secrets indeed having first been discovered by him.”
“However, he very quickly grew aware of the bewitchment of the Nine Underworlds on human minds, therefore stopping before the cliff in a timely manner and giving up on going in any further.”
Hearing his words, Yan Zhaoge’s gaze flashed, “From the very beginning, second apprentice-uncle Fang was of the radical faction!”
Xu Fei also sucked in a deep breath, looking straight at Shi Tie, “And also, he was even more radical than you and senior apprentice-uncle Yan, perhaps even the toughest, most aggressive person of the entire Broad Creed Mountain, almost to the point of not caring about any means!”
Shi Tie nodded, “Junior apprentice-brother Fang indeed once thought to bring about the descent of the Nine Underworlds in the territory of the Sacred Sun Clan.”
“Appearing to be of the moderate faction was actually to conceal his plans whilst also creating the false impression of him and junior apprentice-brother Yan standing opposed to each other, with even their styles and way of thinking vastly different, causing the competition and tension between the two of them to look even greater amongst those of the outside world.”
“However, he very quickly discovered that that was actually the Nine Underworlds influencing his mind, attempting to turn him into a guide for their descent.”
Shi Tie said slowly, “Junior apprentice-brother Fang is no ordinary person. After discovering that he was gradually being led down the wrong path by the Nine Underworlds, he suppressed himself with an incomparably strong will, stopping what he had been working diligently on all this while before it was too late as he extricated himself from this pile of mud.”
“On the surface, junior apprentice-brother’s style began to change, switching from moderate to radical, but this was actually just him finally beginning to let his true thoughts show, just letting it proceed in gradual stages to avoid the change being too sudden.”
Shi Tie looked at Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei, “It is only natural that the two of you do not know of this. Of the entire Broad Creed Mountain, other than junior apprentice-brother Fang himself, only I, Master, and junior apprentice-brother Yan know about this matter.”
On one hand, the more people knew, the more possible it was for them to be bewitched by the Decimating Abyss.
On the other, it was also to protect Fang Zhun’s reputation. After all, it was not much of a glorious thing.
Shi Tie said, “When we first learnt of the existence of the Decimating Abyss, Master and I both immediately thought of junior apprentice-brother Fang, performing checks on him not just once.”
“The investigations revealed that junior apprentice-brother Fang did not re-walk that old path, that the birth of the Decimating Abyss should not be related to him.”
Shi Tie’s voice grew low and heavy, “While junior apprentice-brother Fang stopped in time, someone picked up what he left behind, proceeding down this path.”
Yan Zhaoge said slowly, “It is not possible for Grand Master or father to be the Abyss Lord. Otherwise, it would not be so troublesome; Broad Creed Mountain would already be destroyed.”
“You are clearly also not him, eldest apprentice-uncle, and it is also most likely not second apprentice-uncle. With his previous experience, even while he had turned back from his mistakes, with the three of you paying careful attention to him, it wouldn’t go to the extent of him walking back down that path once more.”
“Therefore, eliminating the possibility of second apprentice-uncle managing to deceive all of you, that only leaves one person.”
Yan Zhaoge’s gaze turned cold, “With such high attainment in the Limitless Heavenly Sword, there are only two people under these heavens. One is second apprentice-uncle, while the other is Xin Dongping!”
Shi Tie said, “Junior apprentice-brother Fang indeed might have splendidly deceived us all.”
“Therefore, without sufficient evidence, we could not be sure exactly who the Abyss Lord was. There was also the possibility that he was not of our Broad Creed Mountain.”
“However, taking that sword today, I can be absolutely certain that if it is not junior apprentice-brother Fang, it can only be senior apprentice-uncle Xin.”
Shi Tie’s gaze was stern, “Perhaps it was that senior apprentice-uncle Xin inadvertently discovered junior apprentice-brother’s Fang past research, continuing to proceed deeper in, or perhaps it was that he discovered it on his own. Regardless, at the end of the day, he still continued walking down this path, establishing the Decimating Abyss.”
“Wanting to let the Decimating Abyss descend into the Eight Extremities World, to the point of creating all the chaos that has transpired.”
Shi Tie gazed towards Broad Creed Mountain in the distance, his gaze virtually solidifying.
Xu Fei’s brows were tightly knit, “In concealing his sword-intent within senior apprentice-brother Shi’s body to harm you, it means that Elder Xin does not fear you finding out his identity.”
“This means that our warning might already be too late. When we arrived at Lianhu County, beginning to deal with the Devilish Domain Grand Formation and encountering senior apprentice-brother Shi, I’m afraid that Elder Xin must already have begun making his move back at the clan!”
As he said this, in mid-journey, they received urgent news sent over from the clan.
The message was rather vague and unclear, but it caused all their hearts to tense.
An incident had arose in the Heaven Sealing Gorge, beneath the Water Ridge peak!
A domain of devilish qi, with the Heaven Sealing Gorge as its centre, was expanding within Broad Creed Mountain!
They all exchanged looks, as Yan Zhaoge let out a long breath, “While Xin Dongping has always concealed himself well, eldest apprentice-uncle, our clan shouldn’t be unguarded towards him at all, right?”
Too much monitoring with a lack of trust could instead cause those who had originally been fine to rebel; Broad Creed Mountain naturally wouldn’t employ such methods.
However, people like Xin Dongping and Fang Zhun whom they clearly should worry about should naturally be observed more by them.
Shi Tie raced ahead at full speed, his gaze always focused in the direction of Broad Creed Mountain, not leaving it for a moment, “While we have been guarding against him, it is currently a volatile time of many matters.”
“Especially with junior apprentice-brother Fang’s current whereabouts unknown, the experts of our clan are stretched thin.”
“With Master in seclusion, we can only depend more on junior apprentice-brother Yan this time.”
Yan Zhaoge was also looking in the direction of Broad Creed Mountain, his brows knit, “Who says that Martial Repositories only contain otherworldly experts, a clan’s foremost guardian treasures? They might also possibly contain something else ah…”