HSSB681: A legend amongst legends
Yan Zhaoge said, “Actually, I myself had always been feeling it rather strange before this.”
Yan Zhaoge had not seen much of the World beyond Worlds. It had generally been limited to the Royal Reed Sea.
However, he had discovered a similar problem in the Eight Extremities World and the Vast Ocean World where he had previously been.
He had not seen any power or person who was of the Prime Clear lineage.
Let alone their direct lineage, he hadn’t even discovered someone who was of their branch lineage or even remotely related.
The legacy of the Jade Clear lineage could be seen slightly in his Broad Creed Mountain’s supreme martial art, the Heavenly Broad Creed Palm. Having come to the World beyond Worlds, Shen Lingzi’s lineage aside, the martial legacy of the Grand Xuan Dynasty too stemmed from a branch of the Jade Clear lineage.
The founder of the Dim Radiant Sect, an existence of pre-Great Calamity times, had once listened to the dao being expounded on Kunlun Mountain.
The other martial art legacies might seem not to have any obvious backgrounds. However, so long as they were martial arts of the great dao, aside from those which were definitely associated with the Jade Clear and Prime Clear lineages, all could be considered as being of the Grand Clear lineage.
The Grand Clear direct lineage was extremely rare. However, it had taken root and grown offshoots, spreading far further than the Jade Clear and Prime Clear lineages.
In the legends, the founder of the Grand Clear lineage, the Lord of Dao and Virtue, had once educated all, bringing the light of wisdom into the world. Therefore, he possessed the merit of enlightenment in having solidified the foundation and network of humanity’s martial civilisation.
For martial practitioners, aside from those who could definitively claim to be of the Jade Clear and Prime Clear lineages, all others could worship the Lord of Dao and Virtue as their ancestral founder.
Yan Zhaoge had noticed long ago that while he had seen descendants of the Jade Clear and Grand Clear lineages, regardless of whether they were of the direct lineage or a branch lineage, there was only the Prime Clear lineage of which no signs had appeared at all.
In that past, Yan Zhaoge had thought that this was because he had travelled to too few places in this current era, not having met many martial practitioners.
In the World beyond Worlds, even if there were no descendants of the Prime Clear lineage in the Royal Reed Sea, this did not mean that there weren’t any elsewhere. After all, the World beyond Worlds was so vast.
After having heard Nong Yuxuan’s words and connected these two issues, however, Yan Zhaoge felt that this was probably no coincidence.
What reason lay therein could only be wondered about.
If this decree of the Earthly Sovereign remained unchallenged and upheld without question in the World beyond Worlds, this would mean that it was not merely his will alone.
Three Sovereigns Five Emperors, Exalts of Ten Territories. The other major figures of the World beyond Worlds had tacitly approved of and allowed this decree as well.
At the very least, most of these peak figures were in agreement regarding it.
Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, “Interesting. This is likely not some personal enmity, but that between entire organisations…”
“The founders of the three Clear lineages already Transcended long ago. Why are the Jade Clear and Grand Clear lineages still constantly grabbing onto the Grandmaster of Heaven…no, that isn’t right, the Lord of Numinous Treasure? Why are they still making things difficult for his descendants?”
Yan Zhaoge’s current thoughts were rather random, but he was actually very serious.
After having come to this world for the first time in the pre-Great Calamity era, Yan Zhaoge had been surprised to discover that those legendary tales and strange stories he had heard in his previous life actually also existed here.
Such as the Investiture of the Gods, such as Journey to the West, and also many other legends, tales.
It was just that many things were somewhat different. Some legends were completely similar, while others were greatly different, even going towards the contrary.
This made it hard for him to tell if the stories he had heard previously were wrong or if it was those he had heard after having come to this world which were mistaken.
This was actually something which caused Yan Zhaoge to feel rather headached.
Many things could only be discovered gradually, with the known legends best just used as a reference. Otherwise, he might just end up digging a pit for himself unknowingly sometime.
Meanwhile, falling into a set pattern of thinking had always been something very hard to conquer. Such might really get him into major trouble at any time.
As for the specific matter on hand, long before the Great Calamity had occurred, the legendary three Founders of the three Purities had already Transcended from this world. They had already not been seen for who knew how long.
According to the records in the Divine Palace of the Heavenly Court, it wasn’t even something that had occurred in that era.
In pre-Great Calamity times, the relationship between the Heavenly Court and the direct lineages of the three Clear lineages aside, the relationship amongst the three Clear lineages themselves had no longer been as tense as during those times of legend.
It was just that from the looks of it now, new enmity seemed to have sprung up following the Great Calamity.
Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips, “This is something that I had not predicted before having ascended to the World beyond Worlds.”
Swivelling his head, he saw that Feng Yunsheng had already retracted her gaze, being in the midst of diligent cultivation once more.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “I say, woman, weren’t you being worried about me just now? Everyone’s individually splitting up and running away on our own in the face of major danger now?”
Feng Yunsheng laughed, “I have already gradually grown accustomed to your habits.”
“When you are pondering matters, if you are rubbing your temples, that means that the matter indeed poses some difficulty, being something that even you would need to carefully ponder on.”
“However, if you are stroking your lower chin, then, hehe.”
Ah Hu gave a simple and honest laugh from the side before continuing, “That means that you, Young Master, already possess high confidence. Whether or not your plan will be effective, you would have thought of one already at the very least.”
As he spoke, Ah Hu even imitated Yan Zhaoge in stroking his lower chin.
Yan Zhaoge rolled his eyes upon hearing their words, “Do you have to understand me so well?”
Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu both looked at him, smiling but not speaking. Pan-Pan raised his front paws over by the side and brought them together as if he was clapping.
Yan Zhaoge could not help but laugh at this.
After laughing, he said, “The rumours are most likely accurate. Still, they would not be fatal.”
“The Numinous Treasure Four Swords are indeed of the direct lineage of the Prime Clear lineage. Still, the one amongst them that I cultivate in, the Ending Immortal Sword, is actually much better as compared to those three other swords.”
“Not copper not iron and not steel, once buried down beneath Mount Meru
Not refining it with reversed yin and yang, would fire and water still temper its blade?
Exterminating Immortal sharp, Slaughtering Immortal death, Trapping Immortal doth red light arise
Ending Immortal variations are infinitely subtle, stained in the blood of Divinities all round.”
Yan Zhaoge slowly recited, “The latter half actually concisely describes the external characteristics of the Numerous Treasure Four Swords.”
Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu spoke ponderingly, “…Ending Immortal variations are infinitely subtle?”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “Retracting the sword-intent of extermination, while it would lower the power of the Immortal Ending Sword, borrowing many other sword arts, even just martial arts, it would be sufficient to fool most people.”
“Sword daos are originally daos of slaughter. Possessing heavier killing intent is actually still fine. As long the Numerous Treasure Four Swords’ concept of sending all things into extermination, reducing them into nothingness is not exhibited, it would be fine.”
Now, the corners of Yan Zhaoge’s lips arched slightly upwards, “Of course, when the time really comes to go all out, that would naturally still have to be done.”
He smiled, “If there is a chance, we should first try to learn for certain why such a decree came from the Earthly Sovereign. At the current moment, there is no need to scare ourselves. Moreover, at the end of the day, I should not actually be considered a descendant of the Prime Clear lineage.”
As they conversed in high spirits, the Endless Magnetic Storms in the Clear Scenic Region before them gradually calmed.
This natural calamity had arrived quickly, but left quickly as well. What made it hard for others was that it came and left without any prior warning whatsoever such that vigilance alone was pointless.
As the Endless Magnetic Storms calmed, not just the Clear Scenic Region, even the spiritual qi flow in the surrounding regions of the sea stabilised greatly as well.
Yan Zhaoge’s ability to sense the external world returned to normal as well.
Therefore, he immediately felt an extremely powerful aura emanating from the west, seemingly currently in the midst of heading right over.