HSSB663: Fanning the flames
Something having cropped up with the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation, the anti-Xuan forces and the Grand Xuan Dynasty were both concerned about it.
Now, news suddenly spread that the one who had thwarted the plans of the Grand Xuan Dynasty and greatly aided the anti-Xuan forces within the Grinding Hut Region was the number one expert of the Radiant Light Sect’s senior generation, the ‘Bright Starlight King’ Nong Yuxuan.
More and more people gradually came to accept this news.
The North Sea Sword Pavilion and the other anti-Xuan allies were all rather fearful of the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation. They would usually analyse it, wanting to grasp it well such that they might be able to come up with a plan to break it.
Nong Yuxuan’s name had spread far and wide before this as one of the leading figures in the field of knowledge regarding the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation.
While he was unable to set up a grand formation like this, his understanding of the formation even surpassed that of many of the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s own experts.
It could be said that apart from the experts of the Grand Xuan Dynasty in the Royal Reed Sea, if there was someone who could break this formation, the first person whom everyone would think of would likely by Nong Yuxuan.
After the news had spread to the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s side, Madame Kang of the Shenling Nine Swords first summoned Kang Maosheng.
“Maosheng, are you sure that it wasn’t the handiwork of that Nong Yuxuan?” Madame Kang asked.
Kang Maosheng answered calmly, “That Nong Yuxuan appeared for an instant back then, having arrived even later than me. However, what exactly happened before I arrived in the northern region of sea of the Whole Tower Region and whether Nong Yuxuan did appear then is something I cannot say.”
Madame Kang nodded, “I will have to ask Jinyuan.”
The two went to the room that Kang Jinyuan was resting in. Kang Jinyuan had already awakened.
Seeing Madame Kang, he instantly called joyfully, “Mother!”
However, seeing Kang Maosheng, his expression turned rather complex.
There was none who understood a son better than his mother. Seeing this, Madame Kang instantly sighed inwardly.
Kang Jinyuan pressed his lips together, shifting his gaze away as he was unwilling to look at his elder brother of a different mother.
He would be willing to owe anyone but Kang Maosheng.
Ever since young, his parents had admired Kang Maosheng more greatly than him, being full of praise towards his brother whilst only having criticisms for him as they often compared the two.
His father aside, it was he whom his mother had personally given birth to!
He would definitely be stronger than him!
Madame Kang was rather helpless. Her husband’s original wife had died young, leaving behind his eldest son Kang Maosheng. When she had married him, Kang Maosheng had still been young. It was actually equivalent to her who had brought him up.
Both being sons of her husband, she had not wanted to make life difficult for Kang Maosheng as she had even given him somewhat preferential treatment.
Kang Maosheng was also extremely respectful and filial to her. All these years, he had been directly addressing her as ‘mother’ just as Kang Jinyuan did rather than something else.
The relationship between the two of them was actually pretty good, not being much inferior to that of a true mother and son at all.
Of course, if one really had to compare, she would definitely still dote on her younger son Kang Jinyuan more, he who was of her own flesh and blood.
It was just that Kang Jinyuan’s personality was rather more rash and arrogant than his brother’s.
While their cultivation bases were similar at the present moment, as Madame Kang saw it, her younger son still lacked many things.
She wanted to be harsher on him, yet always felt unwilling to do so at crucial moments, thus having worried much over him.
Kang Jinyuan still acted with much propriety in front of his mother as he asked upon seeing that she seemed to have come because of something, “Is something the matter, mother?”
Madame Kang nodded, “That’s right. Jinyuan, Mother remembers you having mentioned after you awoke that the one who wrecked the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation was that same Yan Zhaoge who injured you?”
Kang Jinyuan instantly gnashed his teeth together, “It is precisely that lout!”
Madame Kang looked at him in earnest, “Jinyuan, can you be absolutely certain?”
Kang Jinyuan had already opened his mouth to say something, but could not but carefully reconsider for a time upon seeing his mother’s earnest expression, “I did not personally witness how exactly he did it, but he mentioned previously that he would be making use of the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation to break the Turbid Heavenly Mirror Armour that you gave to me.”
“I am not clear if he brought me there with the prior knowledge that there was something up with the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation or if he personally did something to the formation afterwards. I was trapped in that palace of his that was filled with the qi of true dragons at the time. When I emerged from the palace, a problem had already cropped up with the grand formation.”
At this point, Madame Kang nodded slowly before saying, “To King Xuanmu and a few select others, you can narrate these events truthfully. However, to others, especially to the anti-Xuan forces, you must say that it was the Radiant Light Sect’s Nong Yuxuan who wrecked the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation.”
Kang Jinyuan was dazed, Madame Kang continuing, “Compose yourself. I will naturally explain the specifics to you.”
As she spoke, her expression changed as she turned over and looked.
A voice resounded from outside, “The Radiant Light Sect’s Nong Yuxuan should not possess this standard. It was someone else who did it, with the Radiant Light Sect currently trying to steal the credit. Let us fan the flames for him to let them properly war away with and whittle at each other.”
Madame Kang was rather taken aback, “Senior apprentice-brother Qi, what brings you here to the North Sea?”
Kang Maosheng and Kang Jinyuan were surprised as well as they hurriedly greeted, “Senior apprentice-uncle Qi.
A tall middle-aged man entered the room, his features yellowed and his gaze cold.
He snorted lightly, sending over via sound transmission, “Junior apprentice-brother Liao has gone missing. The Bearing Heaven Ceremonial Fragrance, Earth Ocean Lung Crystals and other materials that he was to have sent over have gone missing as well. I could only make a trip over to see what exactly has happened.”
Madame Kang was instantly stunned, “Who did it?”
Next, her face sunk as she clearly realised that the materials this time having been lost, it would be very hard for them to gather them again within a short period of time as their grand designs might be wrecked as a result.
The middle-aged man said in a heavy tone, “It may be that fella surnamed Yan whom you mentioned earlier. Junior apprentice-brother Liao seemed to have discovered him, leaving behind some marks to draw other Grand Xuan martial practitioners in the vicinity to hurry over. When they arrived, however, junior apprentice-brother Liao had already vanished, no further news of him being heard.”
Madame Kang was silent for a moment before she said in a tone of self-reproach, “I have been busy looking after Jinyuan and Maosheng these past few days. This is my oversight.”
The middle-aged man shook his head, “It is not the time for this now. If junior apprentice-brother Liao was really harmed by that person, we must think of a way to draw him out now.”
“I have also heard of the matter of those of the Radiant Light Sect running out to steal the credit. Perhaps we will see some unexpected gains. It would indeed be a good idea for us to help to fan those flames.”
His gaze was icy cold, “I heard that there is also enmity between him and the Radiant Light Sect. We can make good use of them now to find him. Then, we can save junior apprentice-brother Liao or take revenge for him, also wresting back the materials that he was in charge of transporting.”
“At the time, if we hurry back at full speed with those items, we should be able to prevent a delay from occurring. I am just afraid that there might already be a deficiency in the materials. Therefore, I personally made a trip here. If anything crops up, I would be able to make adjustments to our plans on the spot, asking King Xuanmu to help us to collect them as required.”
Madame Kang nodded, “Senior apprentice-brother Qi, your attainment in formations has always been recognised by everyone.”
This middle-aged man before her was Qi Wei. While he was not well-known, he could virtually be called the number one formations expert of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, of the entire Royal Reed Sea.
While he was an expert of the fifth level of the Martial Saint realm like Madame Kang, Madame Kang knew that if he was given ample time and space to set up his formations, he alone would be able to slay many experts of the same cultivation level.
Qi Wei was not of Shen Lingzi’s lineage. Instead, he was the descendant of another expert who had come to the Royal Reed Sea on conquest along with King Xuanwen and Shen Lingzi that year, Daoist Shi. As their three lineages came from the same source, they also addressed each other as members of the same sect.
It was usually Qi Wei who presided over the Bearing Heaven Efficate Formation. Him having personally come here this time, it was clear that things were definitely urgent.