HSSB896: The guest comes but the host is missing
Lin Hanhua had been rather encouraging towards Yan Zhaoge.
In terms of attitude, he treated Yan Zhaoge no differently from Yan Di and Fu Ting.
Still, as Yan Zhaoge and Lin Hanhua exchanged looks, it was like a tacit understanding existed between them which did not have to be voiced out loud.
Lin Hanhua had come to stay in the World beyond Worlds more because of the wish of the Dragon Spring Emperor to return to his hometown than to be a spy for the Roving Jade Heavens.
Therefore, Yan Zhaoge guessed that due to considerations of safety, because there was no need to, Lin Hanhua might not have had much contact with the Roving Jade Heavens.
He had lived here generally as a disciple of the Southeastern Exalt.
It was only with the major matter of him having been forced to leave the World beyond Worlds now that he had tried to get into contact with the Roving Jade Heavens.
While he and Yan Zhaoge were totally unrelated, Lin Hanhua had continually taken rather good care of him partially because he had once discovered that Yan Zhaoge was versed in the Immortal Ending Sword Manual.
It was just that Lin Hanhua had been unable to confirm Yan Zhaoge’s background all along.
Still, this time, Yan Zhaoge could see an additional look of surety within Lin Hanhua’s gaze.
This caused Yan Zhaoge to wonder, “When he contacted the Roving Jade Heavens, did they tell him something?”
Here, that initial doubt arose within his mind.
Why had the Roving Jade Heavens given him the Immortal Trapping Sword Manual?
It was still a secret to most that he simultaneously cultivated in the Three Purities. With him having not clashed much with descendants of the Prime Clear lineage, it should not have been possible for them to notice this.
First not speaking of how he had precisely been in need of a supreme martial art of the Prime Clear lineage for a breakthrough into the Seeing Divinity stage, with the Immortal Trapping Sword Manual being exactly what he had needed, if Yan Zhaoge did not cultivate in the Immortal Trapping Sword, it would unquestionably have been much more difficult for his side to obtain victory in the previous battle of the Royal Reed Sea.
Victory and defeat might even have been uncertain.
After all, clashes at a high level were often decided by the narrowest of margins.
Shen Lingzi and Kang Ping were two major sword cultivators, yet had seen their Time Flowing Sword perfectly countered and restricted. They would surely have felt unresigned to their fates.
After all, these two people were both heaven-defying geniuses as martial practitioners who could still challenge experts of a higher cultivation level even amongst Immortal Bridge Martial Saints.
They had generally been able to beat experts with higher cultivation bases than them. Yet, before the Immortal Trapping Sword, they had been the ones who were beaten back.
The discrepancy between peak and trough was great indeed.
Yan Zhaoge could not help but ponder, “While the Roving Jade Heavens might not have known about the return of Shen Lingzi and Daoist Shi, having gathered information on me and the Royal Reed Sea, it would not have been difficult for them to know that those who posed a greater threat to me over the past few years were the three Immortal Bridge Martial Saints Kang Ping, Gu Zhang and He Dongcheng who cultivated in the Time Flowing Sword.”
Of course, those of the Roving Jade Heavens would surely also have underestimated Yan Zhaoge and Broad Creed Mountain to some extent.
Whatever the case, though, the other party had aided Yan Zhaoge in having gifted him the Immortal Trapping Sword.
If it were said that they had done so to redeem Sun Zhongda, even Sun Zhongda himself would not believe it.
Yan Zhaoge had already profited off this.
Whether there were any detriments here still remained to be seen.
Still, whether it was the Roving Jade Heavens or Lin Hanhua before him, it was vaguely more of goodwill that Yan Zhaoge was able to sense.
This instead caused him to feel puzzled.
“Strange…” Yan Zhaoge shook his head, doubts arising within his heart.
Lin Hanhua seemed to have sensed Yan Zhaoge’s puzzlement.
Still, looking at Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di, he just smiled, saying nothing.
Perhaps he had already long since been mentally prepared for this day as even though he was being forced to leave the World beyond Worlds, Lin Hanhua’s mentality was calm indeed.
The invasion by the southern Blazing Heaven Territory had been repelled while Shen Lingzi who had led to his identity being divulged was dead too.
While he could not really bear to leave, he had no regrets.
Two days later, Lin Hanhua left Golden Court Mountain, leaving the World beyond Worlds and fleeing into extradimensional space, his whereabouts hence unknown.
On the mountain peak of Lin Hanhua’s cave manor, Yan Zhaoge’s group along with Mu Jun and the others of Golden Court Mountain watched the former head disciple of the Southeast as he departed.
While their emotions were complex, and a few of them even felt resentment and hatred at having been deceived, most of the Golden Court Mountain disciples were still rather unwilling to part with Lin Hanhua.
My Jun forcibly left Lin Hanhua’s dwelling on the shadow mountain intact, also dispatching people to maintain and upkeep its condition at regular, fixed timings.
As for the Southeastern Exalt Cao Jie who had not appeared throughout, he said nothing about this, tacitly allowing this action.
The Southeastern Swordmistress and the other longtime residents of Golden Court Mountain all maintained their silence as well.
“Miss Fu, we should be on our way as well,” After seeing Lin Hanhua off and meeting with the Southeastern Exalt, Yan Zhaoge ceased in his thoughts and said to Fu Ting.
Fu Ting nodded, “Young Master Yan, Chief Yan, please.”
After taking their leave of the Southeastern Exalt and exiting Golden Court Mountain, Fu Ting took out a Shadow Shrinking Pouch.
She retrieved a large amount of treasures from the Shadow Shrinking Pouch, quickly setting up a formation amidst space.
While the formation did not look complex, it was rather profound and abstruse as it contained unique principles.
With the formation as a basis, a simple yet majestic altar was established.
Fu Ting ascended the altar, simultaneously extending her palms, one placed before her while the other clapped down on the altar.
A pillar of light was instantly emitted from the peak of the altar, shooting up into the skies.
A hole was opened up in the skies up above by this light pillar which led over to extradimensional space that seemed boundless and without end.
Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di followed Fu Ting and the other Ingenious Flying Peak martial practitioners in entering that pillar of light, thereby heading to extradimensional space.
Guided by the light pillar, their figures seemed to have merged as one with the light as they instantly traversed countless layers of space.
At this moment, time seemed to have no significance as it resembled an instant whilst also eternity.
When the chaotic phenomena had vanished before the eyes of Yan Zhaoge and the others and light re-emerged, they saw a place which resembled a grand immortal realm before them.
There were no other special characteristics about this place apart from the fact that it was entirely composed of the pure, primordial qis of yin and yang.
The qis of yin and yang were independently separated into bright and dim as they unceasingly circled amidst space.
Gazing far off into the distance, at the centre of this space where the twin qis of black and white intermingled, there existed an ancient, rustic palace.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di both thought, “That should be the Minor No Hatred dao arena of the Brocade Emperor’s.”
As Fu Ting and the others guided the two over, this was immediately detected over at the Minor No Hatred dao arena.
The door of the palace opened, someone emerging who first bowed to Fu Ting, “Senior apprentice-aunt Fu.”
This was a disciple from Ingenious Flying Peak who cultivated at the Minor No Hatred dao arena, being a generation younger than Fu Ting whilst actually also much older.
Being acquainted with him, Fu Ting immediately said, “These two are Chief Yan Yan Di as well as Young Master Yan, Yan Zhaoge of Broad Creed Mountain of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory’s Royal Reed Sea. They have come to the dao arena at father’s invitation.”
That Ingenious Flying Peak disciple hurriedly greeted Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di as well as the other Ingenious Flying Peak disciples who had come alongside Fu Ting.
Still, after the greeting, glancing at Yan Zhaoge and Yan Di, the other party then secretly sent to Fu Ting via sound transmission, “Senior apprentice-aunt, Grand Master is not in right now.”
Fu Ting was surprised, “How can that be? It was father who told me to bring them here. Could it be that he has returned to Kunlun Mountain in the World beyond Worlds due to some urgent matters?”
That Ingenious Flying Peak disciple forced a smile, “Grand Master actually only just left not long ago. I am not clear of the specifics too. Still, he did leave behind a letter for you, senior apprentice-aunt.”
“Make arrangements for our two guests,” Fu Ting frowned slightly, “Where is the letter? Bring it to me.”