HSSB495: Immediate encounter
Yan Zhaoge flew above the surface of the sea. As he travelled, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Halting, standing within the air, as Yan Zhaoge gazed into the distance, he could vaguely feel an existence like a barrier blocking the path ahead of him.
With a flick of his fingers, a streak of light flew out of his fingertip, shooting into the distance.
Just before the streak of light was about to disappear beyond the distant horizon, it suddenly exploded and dispersed in mid-air.
Accompanied by this dispersion, the area where the sea and the sky intersected in the distance could clearly be seen swaying lightly, resembling the undulating ripples when a stone fell into the water.
The space shook like the rippling of water, the ripples expanding far into the distance and even past Yan Zhaoge’s head.
As Yan Zhaoge swivelled his head and gazed over, he saw the ripples persisting on for a long time.
“I actually seem to have landed right within a barrier?” Yan Zhaoge knew not whether he should laugh or cry.
Having been brought to this world through the Mirror Dimensional Traversing Technique, where exactly he would land was not something that could be determined.
Even with Xu Fei’s essence blood as a guide, this did not mean that he would land near where Xu Fei was. Instead, he would land wherever space was weakest in that world. Otherwise, if there was someone else also using a similar technique to shake the dimensional boundaries, with the two sides ‘working internally and externally simultaneously’, that was naturally where he would end up.
Having ended up within a large scale barrier, Yan Zhaoge felt rather conflicted at this.
Nearing the boundaries of the barrier, Yan Zhaoge felt it somewhat and found that its strength was not low. The person who had established this barrier must have been rather powerful.
With the Lofty Prestige Mirror currently slumbering, there was no way for him to use the Mirror Dimensional Traversing Technique again within a short period of time.
While Yan Zhaoge was worried about Feng Yunsheng back at the Eight Extremities World, as there was presently nothing he could do about it, he could only first calm his thoughts.
If it was usually, the incomparably courageous Yan Zhaoge would very interestedly turn and enter the depths of the region contained by the barrier, seeing what exactly was concealed within.
However, Yan Zhaoge wished more urgently to know whether this world he was currently in was truly the Vast Ocean World.
If it was the Vast Ocean World, where were Xu Fei and Shi Jun now, and how were they doing?
Having arrived at the edge of the barrier, Yan Zhaoge took out his Blood Devil Plate.
This was a consumable item that had to be replenished and forged anew from time to time. Many of the treasures required for it came from the Sacred Sun Clan’s Fire Domain, also being extremely rare.
Fortunately, Broad Creed Mountain and Yan Zhaoge had won the upper hand in their dealings with the Sacred Sun Clan in recent years, having earned various, many spoils of war off the Fire Domain.
As Yan Zhaoge opened the crystalline container, numerous streams of bloodred light that seemed evil and brutal shot into the skies, landing on the barrier before him.
The barrier was rather powerful such that it was hard even for the bloodred light to permeate it.
The screen of light that resembled ripples of water was dyed the colour of blood as it appeared filthy and tainted beyond compare. However, it actually didn’t shatter.
Yan Zhaoge’s expression did not change as he extended his finger and tapped lightly on that light screen. A hole finally appeared on the central area of the tainted barrier which began expanding unceasingly towards its surroundings.
Accompanied by Yan Zhaoge’s ceaseless infusing of true essence, the barrier broke apart unceasingly, a circular hole close to three metres in diameter finally forming within it.
Just as Yan Zhaoge was about to leave through this hole, he suddenly saw some people nearby, right outside the barrier.
There were people of both genders there. The oldest appeared to be around forty while the youngest looked only twenty.
Their cultivation bases varied as well. There were Essence Spirit Martial Grandmasters, Spirit Vessel Martial Grandmasters and Martial Scholars.
They had originally been in high spirits, conversing and laughing happily. A few of them even held small flags in their hands, looking like they were eagerly raring to do something.
All of their gazes held the same feeling of anticipation.
One of the women, whilst having a relatively low cultivation base amongst them as she was still only a Martial Scholar, appeared the happiest.
Fang Min’s heart was currently filled greatly with anticipation. By a stroke of fortune, she had first gained the specific location of this barrier before then obtaining the Zhongyuan Spirit Flags which would be able to break it apart.
While she still didn’t know what exactly it was that lay within the barrier, she knew that precious treasures would likely be concealed within just from its scale.
While her age and cultivation base were low, with her senior apprentice-uncles, aunts and brothers here to help, with her unique identity, it was likely that she would still be able to get what she deserved.
Even if there was not some heaven-defying fortune that awaited her, she should also not be returning empty-handed. There should also be sufficient treasures for the others who had come here with her such that they would not have made the trip here for nothing.
When Fang Min saw a hole having appeared within the barrier on its own as soon as they arrived there, she could not help but feel both shocked and excited.
However, seeing Yan Zhaoge’s figure arrive before the hole, Fang Min and the others were all instantly stunned, wanting to speak yet feeling as though their throats had been choked.
“Someone beat us to it?” This was the first thought that arose within their minds.
Yan Zhaoge too had not thought that he would have an immediate encounter with others.
As he appraised them slightly, he saw them swiftly recover from their initial shock as they now looked warily at him.
Receiving their gazes, Yan Zhaoge pondered for a bit. Looking at the barrier around him and realising what their group was thinking, he really didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry.
The two sides seemed like they were separated by a city wall despite the door that had already appeared in the barrier between them, just staring at one another as neither side moved.
The one amongst them with the highest cultivation base was a middle-aged man who was a late Essence Spirit Martial Grandmaster.
He strode forward, asking cautiously, “I’m Spirit Rhino Island’s Yang Chufan. How may I address you?”
Having heard him speak, Yan Zhaoge’s heart instantly eased completely.
It was the same language as the couple of Changli Mountain and those of the Blood Dragon Sect back then. This was precisely the Vast Ocean World. He had not missed his target in employing the Mirror Dimensional Traversing Technique.
“My name is Yan Zhaoge, a loose practitioner from beyond the seas. Greetings, everyone,” Yan Zhaoge said casually.
The language he used was one commonly spoken in pre-Great Calamity times. With the language of the Vast Ocean World being extremely similar to this ancient language, the other party would basically be able to understand what he meant.
While the language of the Vast Ocean World was similar to the ancient language of pre-Great Calamity times, not having interacted enough with Bai Jingkang and his wife previously, it had not been possible for him to completely learn all of it. Fortunately, it was already sufficient for use.
Seeing Yan Zhaoge’s extraordinary manner and leisurely mood, Yang Chufan was unable to immediately decide what to do about him.
It was instead Fang Min and the other Spirit Rhino Island martial practitioners who were all looking at Yan Zhaoge, the barrier before them and the world behind the barrier, worried expressions vaguely visible on their faces.
Yan Zhaoge said neither hurriedly nor slowly as he smiled, “To tell you the truth, I come from beyond the seas, not being familiar with the situation here. I came here this time looking for an old acquaintance, only having entered this barrier by accident.”
“Not being familiar with the people and the land, I feel greatly joyful meeting you here today. I would like to ask you for directions.”
“Do you know where Changli Mountain is located?”
Hearing his words, the Spirit Rhino Island martial practitioners appeared somewhat disbelieving. Yang Chufan had just been about to answer when now, his expression suddenly changed slightly.
Numerous streams of ferocious black qi whistled through the air over the great sea behind them, shooting in the direction of the barrier.
The black qi transformed into blades, ferocious to the extreme, filled with a sharp killing intent!