HSSB407: Further refining the dark green bamboo branch
First, as Yan Di had instructed, Yan Zhaoge went directly to collect the Internal Crystal Furnace that he had previously used.
Afterwards, Yan Di would forge a whole new Internal Crystal Furnace for himself.
Carefully appraising this Internal Crystal Furnace, Yan Zhaoge found that its effects were already getting closer and closer to the ones of before the Great Calamity that existed within his memories.
Of course, there were still deficiencies, but it had already gradually come to look somewhat good.
In the hands of Martial Grandmasters, as long as the materials were sufficient, mid-grade spirit artifacts could already be forged on a large scale.
If it could be improved yet further, the large scale production of high-grade spirit artifacts was also something that could be looked forward to.
Of course, due to the limitations in workmanship and the materials used for the Internal Crystal Furnace, for the furnace itself to be mass produced, there were still many difficulties that had to be overcome.
Still, Yan Zhaoge was already extremely satisfied with the current situation.
After all, Sacred Artifacts were hard to obtain, especially with the rare, valuable materials required for forging them. Them aside, when high-grade spirit artifacts could be forged in large amounts, with also sufficient materials being present for such, Broad Creed Mountain’s strength would thereby rise exponentially.
The invasion of the Flame Devils had caused the global situation of the Eight Extremities World to become somewhat subtle.
To the tripartite alliance of Broad Creed Mountain, Jade Sea City and Infinite Boundless Mountain, the birth of the Jade Sea Pill Heart Sword had caused their overall strength to rise as a whole, their advantage against the Thunder-Fire Alliance of the Sacred Sun Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Hall thereby becoming more pronounced.
However, a great tribulation had descended upon Jade Sea City, its City Lord Song Wuliang currently injured and requiring recuperation while its guardian grand formation, the Jade Sea Limitless Grand Formation, had been completely shattered and needed to be re-established.
Over this period of time, the overall strength of the tripartite alliance temporarily ebbed.
It would be very unexpected if the Sacred Sun Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Hall did not make use of this chance to seize the initiative.
After all, when Jade Sea City had recovered its vitality, the disadvantageous situation they were in would only become more prominent, and perhaps more pressing as well.
During this time when Jade Sea City was in the midst of recuperation, Broad Creed Mountain and Infinite Boundless Mountain had to increase their vigilance as well.
With the improvements in the Internal Crystal Furnace and the assistance of the pillar of the Divine Palace and the crimson pagoda, Broad Creed Mountain accumulated its strength more and more.
It was still that old adage: either you weaken you enemy or you strengthen yourself.
Yan Zhaoge having schemed in the Extreme Northern Snowy Plains and sent the Sacred Sun Clan a super long distance stifling rod that they would not be able to recover from for a long time was the former.
Meanwhile, having concocted a Heaven Returning Immortal Pill to assist Yuan Zhengfeng in recovering from his old injuries and breaking through, the development of the Internal Crystal Furnace and various other kinds of methods, as well as the discovery of the legacy site of the Glacial Dragon Martial Saint were all part of the latter.
Through unceasing accumulation, Broad Creed Mountain currently truly had the momentum of soon regaining its former seat as the number one Sacred Ground of the Eight Extremities World.
If no major unforeseen circumstances arose and things continued developing down this line, Broad Creed Mountain’s advantage would only grow further and further till it had directly thrown the Sacred Sun Clan and its affiliated powers far behind for good.
It was just that the enemies were neither dead people nor so easy to deceive. They would not be ignoring this situation before them.
Therefore, before them now lay the most critical period.
Yan Zhaoge stroked the Internal Crystal Furnace before him before patting it gently. As the lid opened, he placed a dark green bamboo branch that flickered with purple light within.
Back then, he had thrown in many treasures as well as a number of spirit artifacts, prematurely forging a strange, unique treasure for himself. Currently, it had already seen embryonic form.
He had even tested it out in the Extreme Northern Snowy Plains as well as the depths of the East Sea before.
While wielding it, Yan Zhaoge had also been experimenting unceasingly on at the same time, receiving its feedback to better enhance its future refinements.
As the bamboo branch entered the Internal Crystal Furnace, Yan Zhaoge pondered for a moment before sending the Radiant Sun Wheel and the Flying Thunder Sabre flying within.
Two streaks of light instantly shot out from within the mouth of the furnace as the Internal Crystal Furnace began to shake mightily.
Many great treasures of the Earth Domain that Yan Zhaoge had obtained from Xin Dongping as well as many treasures that he had obtained from the legacy site of the Glacial Dragon Martial Saint this time had also been thrown within.
A great amount of steam arose within the Internal Crystal Furnace, the light of treasure flickering unceasingly as it made for a phenomenal, shocking sight.
Yan Zhaoge pressured down on the sides of the Internal Crystal Furnace with his hands, stabilising it with his true essence as he circulated it as according to his own will.
After a long time, he patted the body of the furnace, its lid closing.
The circulation of the Internal Crystal Furnace seemed to stabilise, but it still let out muffled booms once in a while, shaking non-stop.
Yan Zhaoge smiled. Next, time would be required for the bamboo branch to be tempered and refined sufficiently.
After keeping the Internal Crystal Furnace, Yan Zhaoge left his room, walking amidst the mountains.
Following that, he did not first go to visit Feng Yunsheng, Ying Longtu and the others, instead heading elsewhere.
That place was where his eldest apprentice-uncle, Shi Tie, had originally resided.
Arriving at the door, Yan Zhaoge concentrated and listened closely, faintly hearing a voice, “The Great Heaven Earth Sword transforms extreme complexity into extreme simplicity, while the Big Dipper Sword conceals extreme simplicity amidst extreme complexity. While the two seem to walk extreme paths, they actually contain similarities.”
“Arriving profoundly amidst the world’s great daos, uniqueness does always converge towards similar roots. Consider that carefully.”
Hearing those words, Yan Zhaoge smiled. That was Xu Fei’s voice.
Xu Fei did not live here, instead having come here to give lessons to someone else.
Logically speaking, a disciple should head to his Master’s house rather than it being the other way round. Still, Xu Fei was clearly happier to personally come over here.
Yan Zhaoge did not conceal his tracks, and Xu Fei detected him immediately as he approached, pausing the lesson and asking loudly, “Is it junior apprentice-brother Yan?”
“It’s me; am I interrupting you?” Yan Zhaoge laughed as he asked.
The door before him moved on its own, opening for him. Looking inside, Yan Zhaoge saw Xu Fei currently standing in the open grounds of the courtyard, a youth beside him.
That youth was around ten years of age. Between his eyebrows, he had a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Shi Tie and Shi Songtao. However, the shape of his face was different, his lower chin being slightly more pointed rather than flat.
Seeing Yan Zhaoge, he instantly smiled, “Little apprentice-uncle Yan.”
The youth was precisely the grandson of Shi Tie and the son of Shi Songtao, Shi Jun. His facial features resembled his father while the shape of his face took after his mother, Ying Yuzhen.
“How do you feel; is there still anywhere that is uncomfortable?” Yan Zhaoge walked over, countless emotions within his heart as he appraised Shi Jun all over.
During his conversation with his father Yan Di earlier, Yan Di had specifically brought up Shi Jun once.
Yan Di could not be more satisfied with the results of Yan Zhaoge’s trip to the Extreme Northern Snowy Plains, one of the things he was most satisfied with being Shi Jun and his mother having been given a new lease to life.
Yan Zhaoge also felt joy at this.
Shi Jun shook his head, “I’m fine, but mother still hasn’t woken up yet.”
Yan Zhaoge patted his shoulder gently, “Relax; the fortunate will always prosper.”
Shi Jun nodded silently.
Yan Zhaoge swivelled his head to look at Xu Fei, extending his right hand that was clenched into a fist. Xu Fei did the same, the two fists coming into contact lightly within the air, with nothing that had to be expressed in words.
Without Yan Zhaoge having to ask, Xu Fei sent over a sound transmission, “Jun’er gained intelligence early. Having awakened, his mind has matured faster than I had predicted, being just like that of a little adult.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “I can tell.”
Xu Fei said, “I have already told him all there is to be said.”
Yan Zhaoge looked at Shi Jun from the corner of his eye, “He seems to be in a pretty good state.”
“That’s just how it appears,” Xu Fei pressed his lips together, “Currently, he is actually very sensitive. Early intelligence is not a bad thing, but what happened to Master’s family runs too deep, and it’d be easy for him to think too much about it.”
“He is like this now because one thing has always remained on his mind-the matter of his mother.”