HSSB436: Snow Crane Message
“Early outer aura Martial Scholar? That youth not even into his teens!”
Hearing Chang En’s words, the other Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners all let out a breath of cold air.
Unlike others of the Floating Life World, the Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners knew full well what the early outer aura Martial Scholar realm entailed.
The fourth level of the Martial Scholar realm, the early outer aura stage. This was the ultimate goal of most qi cultivation martial practitioners of the Floating Life World.
However, there were few who could achieve it.
Yet, Ying Longtu who was just around ten years of age was already an early outer aura Martial Scholar. How would they not feel dizzy and dazed at this?
Even Chang En himself was greatly shocked after having discovered this, only having managed to stabilise his mind after some time had passed.
In comparison to Yan Zhaoge’s identity, it was this discovery which left Chang En more shocked.
And very quickly, through Ying Longtu’s cultivation base, he also came to think about the strength possessed by Yan Zhaoge, Xu Fei and the others. With that, cold sweat trickled down his back.
Having earlier heard about Yan Zhaoge’s group causing great chaos in Kanghe City, Chang En and the other Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners had not paid much attention to it.
After all, the Furan Kingdom was but one out of thirty-six kingdoms under the Blood Cloud Clan. Let alone mighty existences like the Blood Cloud Clan and Green Dragon Mountain, even the Snow Crane Sect itself was already much more powerful than it.
However, after having met, Chang En now felt deeply that Yan Zhaoge and the others must not have felt anything about the Furan Kingdom at all. Otherwise, the Furan Kingdom would long since have been decimated.
The Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners beside him were unable to recover for a long time as one of them slowly asked, “Eldest apprentice-brother, I…I’m not doubting you, but this really is much too unbelievable.”
“Could you have seen wrongly?”
Chang En sighed. He did not doubt his junior apprentice-brother, for even he himself had initially felt that he had made a mistake, only having dared to be sure after verifying it several times.
“I can’t blame you for not being able to hear it, because most of your cultivation bases aren’t sufficient.”
Chang En said slowly, “The flow of that youth’s blood is slight and virtually inaudible, but it is not weak at all, instead being dense yet smooth.”
“Do you still remember? This is the phenomenon of blood flowing like mercury that Master once spoke of. It is a characteristic one only possesses after having undergone the second washing of the bone marrows as early outer aura Martial Scholar experts!”
As Chang En spoke, the remaining Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners with comparatively higher cultivation bases all bowed in unison towards Yan Zhaoge and the others.
Seeing this, the rest of them doubted it no longer as they all bowed as well, “Unlearned and ignorant, we greet Young Master Yan.”
Some vaguely had a sort of feeling in their hearts.
If that expert whom their Chief Su Yun had always respected like a divinity, the ancestral founder of the Snow Crane Sect, had a descendant, it was only logical that he would possess such an imposing manner as well as strength…
Yan Zhaoge smiled to them, nodding slightly in appreciation. Still, he quickly retracted his focus, looking at Su Yun once more.
“Aunt Yun, did my mother return to this Floating Life World around twenty years ago? Did you see her then?”
Su Yun ushered him, “This way, Young Master. Please come to my Snow Crane Sect as a guest. We can talk on the way.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded. He told Feng Yunsheng, Xu Fei and the others what was going on, all of them introducing themselves to Su Yun as they all got to know each other. Then, they began their journey.
Already having found Yan Zhaoge’s group, the Snow Crane Sect martial practitioners had no further reason to remain in the outskirts of the snowy mountains as they returned to their sect as well.
On the way over, Su Yun sighed as she said, “While Lady never mentioned it before, I can basically guess that she is not someone who grew up in our Floating Life World, instead having come from beyond the heavens.”
“It was all thanks to Lady that I did not freeze to death by the roadside. She even took me in to remain by her side, teaching me supreme martial arts as well.”
“As Young Master says, Lady never treated me like a maid. It was me who wanted to serve her; otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how I could have repaid my debt of gratitude to her.”
Su Yun looked a little forlorn, “Still, Lady wasn’t someone of this world. At the end of the day, she still ultimately had to leave. Thirty years ago, Lady still left. I don’t know where she went. I wanted to ask, yet dared not to.”
“Lady knew what I was thinking, but just smiled as we spoke. While she had considered bringing me along with her, she was also scared that she might bring me into danger as a result. Remaining in the Floating Life World, it would instead be safer and happier for me.”
“I believe that Lady wouldn’t lie to me. Therefore, I listened to her and stayed behind, just praying for her safety every night.”
At this point, Yan Zhaoge’s eyes narrowed slightly into slits, “Meeting some danger…?”
His mind spun, but he did not utter a sound as he continued listening to Su Yun’s words.
She was saying, “Young Master asks me whether Lady returned once more after she had left. I cannot say this for sure, because I have not seen her ever since thirty years ago when she left. Still, I feel that Lady did return.”
Yan Zhaoge raised his brows lightly, “Was it twenty years ago?”
Su Yun said, “I cannot confirm the specifics of it. It was sixteen years ago that I made a trip to the southern regions. There, in a primordial forest, I found some things which seemed to have been left behind by Lady.”
Yan Zhaoge’s spirits rose.
Beside them, having spent all this time in the Floating Life World, while Xu Fei, Feng Yunsheng and the others were still not proficient in their language, they were already basically able to understand a portion of it.
Hearing these words, they all involuntarily exchanged looks, thinking about that stone carving which had been half excavated away.
Indeed, Su Yun said, “It was on a cliff, a stone carving which had been left behind.”
“Because I had once gone there more than twenty years ago, I knew that this stone carving had not been there thirty years ago when Lady left. Therefore, I guessed that Lady must once have returned to this Floating Life World.”
“The meaning of the stone carving was hard to decipher, seemingly possessing infinite profundities, and I was unable to see through it. Now that I think about it, perhaps it was left behind by Lady for Lord and Young Master. Momentarily blinded, I excavated it and brought it away, holding up Young Master’s matters. Please do not blame me for that, Young Master.”
Yan Zhaoge shook his head, “While I had to come quite a long way, it was also because you missed my mother too much, not having known about this beforehand as well. How could I blame you?”
“Rather than that, is this stone carving still with Aunt Yun now?”
Su Yun replied, “It is worshipped in my Snow Crane Sect’s ancestral hall. When Young Master arrives at the sect with me, you will immediately be able to see it.”
They traversed the Jade Ridge Snowy Mountains, finally arriving at the main peak of this mountain range.
Here was established the headquarters of the Snow Crane Sect.
The sect was not large in scale. After all, qi cultivation wasn’t mainstream in the Floating Life World, and those like Su Yun who were able to go against the currents were few and far between.
“This is my husband, Shen Nuo,” Arriving at the door, Su Yun introduced a middle-aged man with a tough, resolute expression to Yan Zhaoge and the others.
This Shen Nuo, a demonic blood cultivator, bowed neither subserviently nor overbearingly upon seeing Yan Zhaoge, “Young Master Yan.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “Mister Shen.”
Su Yun said, “I’m bringing Young Master into the ancestral hall to look at the things Lady left behind. If people arrive from the outside world, please help me to entertain them for a while.”
Possessing a mature, competent personality, Shen Nuo nodded, “You can rest easy on this.”
“Young Master, please follow me,” Su Yun brought Yan Zhaoge and the others along in entering the ancestral hall of the Snow Crane Sect.
Raising his head and gazing over, what entered Yan Zhaoge’s sight was a carved statue of ice, a snow crane engraved on it that looked set to raise its wings and soar high into the skies.