HSSB417: The door opens
Yan Zhaoge had once witnessed the strange phenomenon of twin rainbows, one inside and one outside as they lined up perpendicularly, slicing across the horizon together.
While those two rainbows had both had seven colours, their order was the exact opposite, one moving from red to violet while the other moved from violet to red.
As Yan Zhaoge knew, that had been due to the refraction and dispersion of sunlight and water vapour. While it was rare, it could still be considered normal.
However, the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow before them consisted of two rainbows which were exactly the same intersecting amidst the horizon, one moving from east to west while the other moved from south to north, meeting along their paths.
It was the first time witnessing such a sight for even Yan Zhaoge as he could not help but click his tongue in wonder.
Arriving in the vicinity of the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow, the bewildering fog eased up as the power of the Marsh of Illusory Sea to bewitch one’s heart seemed to decrease greatly.
Before Yan Zhaoge, the figures of Xu Fei and the others appeared once more.
Looking down, the rope was still grasped in everyone’s hands, not showing any signs of having snapped.
Yan Zhaoge did not immediately set his mind at ease. Who knew if this scene before him was not an illusion within an illusion, a scheme within a scheme?
Sometimes, the illusions would simulate and show what one had always dreamed of yet had been unable to fulfil. Finding the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow was precisely one of the reasons for their party having entered the Marsh of Illusory Sea.
The persistence within their hearts would often come to confounder their minds.
Yan Zhaoge calmed down his mind, immersing it deep within the Peerless Heavenly Scripture that he cultivated in before stimulating his entire body’s true essence.
On the outside, Yan Zhaoge seemed to be like how he was usually. However, if one was carefully observing him at this moment, the feeling that he seemed not to exist would arise within their heart.
Yan Zhaoge faintly felt his perspective gradually breaking free of the restrictions of the Marsh of Illusory Sea, feeling as though it was going to transcend it.
Multiple layers of illusions seemed to rise and fall within the Marsh of Illusory Sea before him.
Still, in the vicinity of the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow, they indeed seemed much calmer.
After calming his mind and distinguishing his surroundings for a while, feeling the changes in spiritual qi, Yan Zhaoge could be certain that the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow before him truly did exist at this moment. He had not descended into yet another, new illusion.
However, there seemed to be something wrong with the Yin Longtu before him.
The little fella appeared rather dazed as he was currently smiling in a silly manner, a look of longing and affection on his face as he seemed to be interacting happily with a loved one.
Yan Zhaoge sighed. The young Han Long’er who was simple and pure was very easily satisfied, very easily made happy.
However, his short life thus far had not been smooth.
His parents had met with an accident when he was still very young, and this would inevitably bring him a lifetime of pain that he would be hard pressed to gain release from.
The death of his Master, Shi Tie, had been yet another massive blow.
While Han Long’er always appeared happy and worriless, seemingly not knowing what sorrow and anxiety were, these occurrences would always remain within his simple mind.
Yan Zhaoge slammed down heavily with a palm on Ying Longtu’s shoulder, the latter turning and looking at him rather blankly.
As his turned, Yan Zhaoge had already tapped the point between his brows with the index finger of his other hand.
Like he had been jolted by a bolt of electricity, Ying Longtu was startled, all his hairs on his body standing on end as his body unconsciously made to resist the attack of the one assaulting him.
However, in that instant, Ying Longtu snapped out of it, his gaze no longer blank and dazed as it had regained its usual brightness and clarity.
Seeing Yan Zhaoge, Ying Longtu reacted very quickly, saying slowly, “Senior apprentice-brother Yan, I…”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, waving his hands, “Stabilise your mind; distinguish between real and illusory.”
“False illusions can sometimes be very blissful, and one yearning for such happy things is a very natural thing. Still, this isn’t a reason for us to halt our footsteps. What is false is still ultimately false. They are derived from external things, not being something we ourselves can control.”
Looking at Ying Longtu, Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Still your mind, calm your breathing.”
Ying Longtu nodded, performing some breathing exercises as his breathing gradually calmed.
Arriving at the region where the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow was, the group halted, then raised their head and gazed upon the wondrous scene in the sky above them.
Feng Yunsheng murmured to herself, “Such a scene truly is a rare thing.”
Quietly feeling the pulse of the spiritual qi in their surroundings, she then asked, “Is it because there are abnormalities in the space here?”
Those who hailed from Sacred Grounds as their core, direct disciples, regardless of cultivation base, were all elites of the Eight Extremities World in terms of their knowledge and discernment abilities.
Xu Fei said, “Right, that should be it. It must be because of the intense spatial distortions here that this unique phenomenon has been formed.”
“The weakening of the power of illusions in this part of the Marsh of Illusory Sea should also be a result of the spatial distortions here. If the skin exists not, where can the fur lie? Let alone the layers of illusions here, even the surrounding heavens and earth here have all turned weak and distorted.”
Ah Hu scratched his head, “Young Master, Brother Fei, other than the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow, don’t we also have to find the Empty Spirit Rain Mist this time?”
Yan Zhaoge said, “The Empty Spirit Rain Mist is extremely rare, the location at which it appears very hard to predict. Still, generally speaking, there is a chance of it appearing close to where the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow appears. Therefore, in coming here, it is actually to achieve both of our goals at the same time. Of course, some luck will also be needed.”
Xu Fei said slowly, “From what I know, it is the most probable for Empty Spirit Rain Mist to appear right before the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow appears and right after it has vanished.”
“I’ll try looking around the vicinity first. If there’s some, it’d naturally be best. Otherwise, we’d have to silently await till right after the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow finally dissipates.”
He looked at Yan Zhaoge, “Zhaoge, you should wait here and observe the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow as well as the spatial changes occurring here.”
Yan Zhaoge replied, “Since that is so, I will not be accompanying you, senior apprentice-brother. Still, you’ve got to be careful. Leaving the vicinity of the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow, the bewildering fog of the Marsh of Illusory Sea will thicken up once more, the strength of the illusions immediately skyrocketing.”
“You can rest easy; I know,” Saying thus, Xu Fei let go of the rope and began moving around the border of the region enveloped by the effects of the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow, searching for the Empty Spirit Rain Mist that they would be able to use to treat Ying Yuzhen.
Feng Yunsheng, Ah Hu and Ying Longtu helped as well. For Feng Yunsheng and Ying Longtu, moving on their own now could also be considered as going for their respective temperings.
Yan Zhaoge stayed where he was, gazing upwards and squinting as he focused his attentions on the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow.
After a long time of searching, Xu Fei and the others returned to where Yan Zhaoge was, all of them only able to sigh, “We can only wait till after the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow has disappeared before seeing if any Empty Spirit Rain Mist has formed. If there isn’t any, trying to search for it in other parts of the Marsh of Illusory Sea would be no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“The changes in space are indeed great, but a passageway that truly leads to another world has still not opened,” Not having seen success here as well, Yan Zhaoge calculated, “Still, it’s okay. The Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow will still persist for quite a bit of time; perhaps there’s still a chance.”
With that in mind, Yan Zhaoge and the others remained there, waiting.
Less than two days later, one fine afternoon, Yan Zhaoge’s heart suddenly jolted as he abruptly raised his head.
Now, he saw the spatial distortions where the two rainbows intersected grow stronger and stronger till they had become visible to the naked eye.
There, the sky was like a painting scroll that had been rubbed and twisted intensely as a hole suddenly broke apart in it!
“It’s appeared for real!” Yan Zhaoge’s spirits rose as he immediately told Ah Hu, “Speedily report back to the clan. Tell my father…”
Before his words had landed, Yan Zhaoge felt his Shadow Shrinking Pouch shudder intensely. The next moment, a streak of light in the form of a snow crane shot out from within!
As the snow crane flapped its wings, Yan Zhaoge and the others beneath the Ten Character Heavenly Rainbow were all swept up by it, next shooting towards the black hole in the sky at lightning speed!