HSSB554: Refutation
A great number of human martial practitioners gathered in the East Sea for a decisive battle against the Flame Devils.
This battle finally ended with the Chief of Broad Creed Mountain Yan Di, the Painting Saint Old Man Mo, the Grand Elder of the Sacred Sun Clan Huang Guanglie and the City Lord of Jade Sea City Song Wuliang joining hands and wielding the Taiyi Imperial Breaking Formation, sealing the Flame Devils along with the dimensional passageway to the Flame Devil World.
The human martial practitioners rejoiced. Not only had they slain a great many Flame Devil experts in this battle, they had even had a chance to seal the dimensional passageway. For a considerably long period of time thereafter, it would be hard for the Flame Devils to pose any threat to the Eight Extremities World.
The problem of the Flame Devils had been alleviated greatly this time.
The Taiyi Imperial Breaking Formation that sealed the Flame Devils had originated from Broad Creed Mountain, causing a great rise in their reputation.
However, amidst this great battle, the human martial practitioners had paid a great price as well. Most conspicuous of these was the number one young genius of the Eight Extremities World, the Great Rider of Dragons Yan Zhaoge.
While the Taiyi Imperial Breaking Formation had sealed the Flame Devils, when the seal had formed, it had led to immense destructive power both within and outside of the formation.
All under the Martial Saint realm would have been extremely hard pressed to survive.
Yan Zhaoge had been within the formation at the time as well. For some unknown reason, he had not retreated from inside it in time. He had also not showed up after seal had been completed.
After searching carefully and being unable to find any traces of him, everyone’s hearts turned heavy.
Logically speaking, Yan Zhaoge had likely met with disaster, being affected by the aftershocks of the formation of the seal as he had perished amidst this world-shaking battle.
All of Broad Creed Mountain was naturally greatly despondent at this. They never gave up on trying to find him. However, as time slowly passed and there was still no news of Yan Zhaoge, the hope that lay before their eyes seemed like a more and more ephemeral one.
Apart from Yan Zhaoge, of Broad Creed Mountain’s higher echelons, there was Fu Enshu who had been swept within the vicinity of the seal as well.
As a result, right after the great battle had ended, a conflict erupted between Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan which very nearly culminated in another major battle over the East Sea.
Fu Enshu’s disciples, Feng Yunsheng and Yin Liuhua, reported to their clan that during the formation of the seal in the East Sea, a peak expert of the Sacred Sun Clan had suddenly launched a sneak attack on the three of them, causing Fu Enshu to be swept within the vicinity of the seal.
The two sides fought irreconcilably. And over this period of time, a major incident happened there as well.
In the great battle with the Flame Devils, the Chief of Infinite Boundless Mountain, Chu Yan, had been heavily injured, returning to his clan to rest as a result. Because of this, he had entrusted their Grand Elder, Li Jingtu, with their clan’s Sacred Artifact, the Heaven Cleaving Axe.
While the Heaven Cleaving Axe had been heavily wounded as well, in order to deal with the attack of the Flame Devils, Li Jingtu had still remained on the East Sea with it.
After the seal had been formed, a period of chaos had ensued. After the situation had gradually calmed, the other Infinite Boundless Mountain martial practitioners realised to their great shock that Elder Li had been killed.
Meanwhile, the Sacred Artifact, the Heaven Cleaving Axe, had actually landed in the hands of the Sacred Sun Clan.
The Eight Extremities World was momentarily thrown into an uproar.
While the Heaven Cleaving Axe was damaged, possessing it along with the Extreme Yin Crown, the Sacred Sun Clan’s authority skyrocketed.
Yan Di, Old Man Mo and Song Wuliang were still trapped within the Seal of the East Sea. What also made things worse for Broad Creed Mountain, Jade Sea City and Infinite Boundless Mountain was the fact that the Chief of the Heavenly Thunder Hall Shen Li had appeared, still being allied with the Sacred Sun Clan.
With the two clans joining hands, even the Pavilion Lord of Turbid Wave Pavilion, An Qinglin, had to feel cautious regarding it.
Broad Creed Mountain felt especially stifled, because news had returned from the Earth Domain that while the threat of an invasion by the Nine Underworlds had already been eliminated, their Grand Elder, the ‘Heaven Equalling Saint’ Yuan Zhengfeng, had been lost amidst chaotic space, his current whereabouts unknown.
Meanwhile, this was to a very great extent due to Shen Li of the Heavenly Thunder Hall having fled in the face of danger.
When Broad Creed Mountain publicly rebuked Shen Li for having fled in the face of danger, Shen Li instead refuted them, saying that while he had been in the midst of preventing the descent of the Nine Underworlds, Broad Creed Mountain’s Yan Zhaoge had greedily moved the rare treasure within the Earth Domain, leading to the collapse of the seal as the devils had very nearly succeeded.
It was because of him, Shen Li, that the crevice to the Nine Underworlds had finally been sealed successfully with the true Devils being prevented from descending.
Broad Creed Mountain was naturally unhappy with that. However, almost all of the Eight Extremities World martial practitioners who had been present in the Earth Domain at the time had died in battle.
Of the survivors, Fang Zhun was in a coma while Yan Zhaoge’s fate was unknown with him having vanished without a trace. There was actually only Shen Li who could speak legitimately about what had happened back then.
As a result, even if Broad Creed Mountain wanted to counter his words, they seemed rather ill-equipped to do so. Their claims against each other gradually became undistinguishable as to who was in the right.
The Flame Devils and the Nine Underworlds having been suppressed simultaneously, the Eight Extremities World had been cleared of its external threats.
However, the global situation did not calm as a result. The smell of gunpowder evidently suffused the air between the Sacred Grounds.
All of them had suffered harsh losses due to the great battles with the Flame Devils and the Nine Underworlds. Even the newly-acquired Heaven Cleaving Axe of the Sacred Sun Clan was damaged, Meng Wan who wielded the Extreme Yin Crown having been injured in combat with the Flame Devils as well.
While assaulting one another, the various clans were also making use of this time to recover from their wounds, accumulating their strength anew.
“Junior apprentice-niece Feng, your injuries are already basically not much of a problem. They will not leave behind any negative effects.”
Within Broad Creed Mountain, Elder Feng Chi looked up and said, “They won’t influence your upcoming cultivation as well.”
Feng Yunsheng nodded before asking, “What about junior apprentice-disciple Yin?”
Feng Chi said, “She’s okay as well. Both of you only suffered superficial injuries.”
Feng Yunsheng bowed towards Feng Chi, “Thank you, senior apprentice-uncle Feng.”
Feng Chi’s son, Feng Moyang, handed her a small, intricate white jade bottle, “For the pills in here, take one per day for a total of three days.”
“Thank you, senior apprentice-brother Feng,” Feng Yunsheng accepted the bottle after which Feng Moyang said brightly, “Zhaoge and senior apprentice-aunt Fu will definitely come out of it safely. I believe that fortune will favour them. There is no need for you to be worried about them. If they knew that you and junior apprentice-sister Yin were safe, they would feel very happy as well.”
Feng Yunsheng nodded, not speaking.
Feng Moyang looked at Feng Yunsheng, “I will prematurely congratulate you, junior apprentice-sister Feng, on dominating and suppressing all heroes elsewhere in the Seventh Extreme Yin Bout, returning in glorious victory.”
Hearing his words, Feng Yunsheng’s gaze shone brightly as she did not say anything like she would try her utmost, instead nodding solemnly, “I will win.”
There was no arrogance or self-pride, no panic or fear. She was stable as the great earth, firm as the rock of a mountain.
Feng Chi also said, “You are really not fearful of expectations. This old man will not be afraid of heaping pressure onto you then. It’ll all be on you this time.”
“By your auspicious words,” Feng Yunsheng took her leave from Feng Chi and Feng Moyang.
After having exited, she saw Sikong Qing and Ying Longtu both waiting for her there.
Feng Yunsheng first nodded towards them in indication that her condition was already basically fine.
As the three walked together, Sikong Qing was the first to speak, “Might the Sacred Sun Clan forcibly hold onto the Extreme Yin Crown just with this, abolishing the Extreme Yin Bout?”
Feng Yunsheng said, “No, they won’t. That would push Turbid Wave Pavilion completely over to the side of our clan, and the Heavenly Thunder Hall might not agree to it as well. While the Sacred Sun Clan has obtained the Heaven Cleaving Axe, they are still far from being able to dictate everything as they would like.”
Sikong Qing nodded, a cold light flickering within her clear eyes, “That’s good then.”
Feng Yunsheng inhaled deeply, “That’s right. That’s good.”
Before her eyes flickered one face after another. There was her Master Fu Enshu, her Grand Master Yuan Zhengfeng…
It finally stopped on the smiling face of Yan Zhaoge, which, whilst seeming refined and well-mannered on the surface, was actually show-offy and boastful.