HSSB413: Yan Zhaoge’s new weapon
If one said that others had still had doubts regarding Feng Yunsheng’s ability prior to the fifth Extreme Yin Bout, after it was over, with her forcibly defeating Turbid Wave Pavilion’s Fan Qiu in a domineering manner, there was no longer anyone who suspected her ability and potential as a Maiden of Extreme Yin.
To the Sacred Sun Clan, this held additional significance, causing them to hold complex feelings, at the same time also wishing to get rid of Feng Yunsheng even more.
Having experienced the Fifth Extreme Yin Bout, Broad Creed Mountain had internally cemented its confidence in Feng Yunsheng as well.
The doubtful, dissenting voices of earlier had all vanished, with no one bringing up such things anymore.
Yan Zhaoge said mildly, “You already lost out once that year. You should remember that lesson.”
Feng Yunsheng answered, “You can’t just not eat because you choked once.”
She said slowly, “After winning the Extreme Yin Crown, it is not to be brought back to the clan as adornment. The opponents that I will have to face are not just Little Wan and the other Maidens of Extreme Yin; they also include the Flame Devils. More precisely, it would be the powerful Flame Devil Kings.”
“As well as…other powerful opponents.”
Feng Yunsheng’s gaze was calm and stable, apparently already having considered this matter very thoroughly.
Hearing her words, Yan Zhaoge nodded, “Good, looks like this is not a moment’s rashness on your part. Since that is so, I have no objections. Still, you are not an ordinary disciple. If you want to leave the Mountain, you first have to obtain the consent of my father and your Master.”
Feng Yunsheng said, “That is only natural.”
Yan Zhaoge took his leave, returning to his lodgings to rest.
Within his room, Yan Zhaoge sat quietly in the meditative position, moderating his breathing.
Like his father had said, most of the essence of that dead ice dragon’s flesh and blood had transformed into essential qi, being absorbed within his body.
Before he attempted his breakthrough into the Transcending Mortality Martial Grandmaster realm, he would not have to worry about the accumulation of his true essence at all. All he had to do was strive fiercely to improve, comprehending the martial principles.
Of course, the precondition was that he was able to effectively refine and absorb that large amount of pure, refined qi within his body.
As Yan Zhaoge sat in the meditative position, the chaotic qi mass in his body rippled, with a great amount of pure, refined qi in which ice and fire was merged appearing within.
As the fire and ice rotated, they were unceasingly absorbed and assimilated by the chaotic qi mass, gradually becoming a portion of Yan Zhaoge’s strength.
Yan Zhaoge refined this large amount of qi accumulated within his body whilst also perusing various martial arts, thereby passing his days in an incomparably substantial manner.
As time slowly passed, the strength of the illusory scenes within the Marsh of Illusory Sea weakened, the days gradually drawing near to when the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow was set to appear.
Just around this time, Yan Zhaoge’s Grand Master Yuan Zhengfeng completed his work as well, sending over a message calling for Yan Zhaoge to come and collect the item.
As Yan Zhaoge arrived at Yuan Zhengfeng’s lodgings, as he entered, he found Yuan Zhengfeng seated within the courtyard, a middle-aged man beside him.
“Grand Master, senior apprentice-uncle Gao,” Yan Zhaoge came forward, bowing to the two in greeting.
Yuan Zhengfeng and that middle-aged man both smiled as they nodded to him.
The middle-aged man was surnamed Gao. He was also Yuan Zhengfeng’s personal disciple, just that his accomplishments were slightly inferior to that of Yan Di, Shi Tie, Fang Zhun and Fu Enshu.
This man was rather proficient in the forging of artifacts. During the artifact forging this time round, it would not have been possible for Yuan Zhengfeng to do everything personally as he had only been in charge of the most crucial part, in the meantime leaving most of the work to this middle-aged man to perform on his behalf.
Still, the middle-aged man was currently also feeling rather emotional. It was fine that as Yan Zhaoge’s senior, he was forging an artifact for him.
Yuan Zhengfeng personally forging an accompanying weapon for Yan Zhaoge-if this piece of news spread, everyone would most probably be greatly shocked.
Ever since olden times, how many cases had there been heard of an exalted Martial Saint personally forging an accompanying weapon for an Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster?
But what was even more hard to come by was that after recovering from their initial shock, most would probably feel that it actually didn’t seem that hard to accept after all.
Because that Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster was Yan Zhaoge.
Someone who could not be measured in terms of seniority, in terms of age, in terms of cultivation base.
At the very least, the middle-aged man who was assisting Yuan Zhengfeng in helping to forge Yan Zhaoge’s weapon now appeared very composed, not getting caught up over the gulf in seniority or feeling that his talents had been put to waste.
Yuan Zhengfeng smiled at Yan Zhaoge, “Try it?”
Saying thus, a streak of light appeared before the old man, next coming to arrive before Yan Zhaoge.
As Yan Zhaoge looked over, he saw that a sword hovered in mid-air. The blade of the sword was jade green in colour, peaceful and distant, with only a speck of crimson light on the sword’s tip that revealed a sharp, baleful intent.
Powerful fluctuations of energy were kept within, resembling a sword being sheathed as they did not emanate to the outside.
However, observing it carefully, one would be able to detect how terrifying the power that was concealed within was, how it would definitely shock the heavens when it erupted.
Yuan Zhengfeng said, “The sword is named Green Abyss. Its primary materials are the Deep Abyss Green Iron that comes from the far oceans beyond the seas as well as the Nine Suns Crimson Gold that was obtained during our previous invasion of the Fire Domain. Other than that, some valuable materials that you brought back from the legacy site of the Glacial Dragon Martial Saint where he once resided were added in as well.”
Yan Zhaoge bowed towards Yuan Zhengfeng, “Thank you, Grand Master.”
Afterwards, he reached out, grabbing the hilt of the Green Abyss Sword from which a sharp sword-intent immediately surged and emanated.
A scene appeared within Yan Zhaoge’s mind. Amidst a vast patch of clear sky, flowing fire slid by, leaving behind a fiery red crack across the sky, resembling a great scar.
The fiery crack closed. However, focusing his gaze within, the heavens and earth seemed to be reversed.
He was clearly gazing at the sky, but, at this moment, it seemed like he was gazing at a deep, fiery red abyss down below.
The powerful sword-intent surged, almost wanting to first rip apart Yan Zhaoge’s sword-wielding hand.
Yan Zhaoge’s gaze focused slightly as he bore that boundless sword-intent, trying to instead integrate his own true martial intent within the Green Abyss Sword, striving to achieve harmony alongside it.
Yuan Zhengfeng and the middle-aged man silently watched on as Yan Zhaoge refined the Green Abyss Sword. Seeing the stability and order with which he did so, they could not help but nod in approval.
After a long time, Yan Zhaoge suddenly laughed, “Grand Master, I had still thought that you were going to forge a sabre for me, or a spirit artifact in which is integrated the concept of the Heavenly Broad Creed Palm. I had not expected that it would be a sword.”
Of Broad Creed Mountain’s Three Supreme Arts, Yuan Zhengfeng cultivated in the Heavenly Broad Creed Palm and the Immeasurable Heavenly Sabre.
When experts in the martial dao forged weapons, they would generally infuse their understanding and comprehension of martial principles within. Therefore, Yan Zhaoge joked with Yuan Zhengfeng like this.
Yuan Zhengfeng was not offended by this as he replied smilingly, “You were unlucky; this old man just happens to have been working on the Limitless Heavenly Sword in recent days. As I forged this Green Abyss Sword for you, I was casually exercising it for some training as well.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled as well, “See, I knew it.”
As Yan Zhaoge smiled, radiance suddenly flickered abruptly within his eyes, the Green Abyss Sword in his hand emitting the roar of a dragon before its sword-light was gone in a flash, disappearing within his sleeve.
“Very fast ah,” Yuan Zhengfeng nodded, “Even faster than this old man predicted.”
Seeing Yan Zhaoge successfully achieving his initial refinement of the high-grade spirit artifact, the Green Abyss Sword, Yuan Zhengfeng then said, “Yan Di and Enshu have already mentioned to me the matter of that girl Yunsheng. After discussing it, we decided to let her go out.”
“If jade is not tempered, wares cannot be forged. The disciples of our Broad Creed Mountain have to be able to take stumbles and falls.”
“However, we also cannot completely leave her be,” Yuan Zhengfeng said, “Yan Di said that you will very soon be making a trip to the Marsh of Illusory Sea. You can have Yunsheng travel alongside you. The Marsh of Illusory Sea is a good place for tempering; with you bringing her along, the clan will be able to rest at ease.”