HSSB951: Major gift from the onset
Staying in the front hall and having to constantly keep an eye on the formation diagram, not being able to cultivate, Ah Hu felt very bored.
Still, while he looked to be an easygoing person, Ah Hu was someone who knew how to weigh the seriousness of the situation.
While he felt bored, he still focused intently on that formation diagram.
After who knew how long, changes suddenly occurred with it which was on the yellow cloth.
The spirit patterns drawn with cinnabar seemed to have come alive as they shook non-stop.
Having been instructed by Yan Zhaoge, identifying the changes in them, Ah Hu understood immediately that someone was attempting to enter the Daoist temple.
While he did not know who it might be, Ah Hu would surely not care to encounter them.
They would definitely not be of Broad Creed Mountain, anyway.
Thus, he smilingly followed Yan Zhaoge’s guidance in adjusting the spirit patterns drawn on the yellow cloth.
Amidst their variations, streams of spiritual light flickered, intermingling in mid-air as numerous abstruse profundities were revealed.
While there was outwardly no change within the great hall, real trouble had come for those who were trying to enter it.
Not many had arrived at the Daoist temple after Yan Zhaoge and the martial practitioners of Three Foot Mountain had, but these were all mighty, supreme figures.
The cries of phoenixes resounded as a few fiery phoenixes shot straight towards the main door of the great hall.
Passing through the main door, the scenes before their eyes immediately changed.
They successively stopped, their true forms being revealed.
Of the two people at their head, one was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties while the other appeared to be a youth of around twenty.
The youth was handsome but had a cold, piercing look in his eyes.
It was none other than the son of the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen, the ‘Phoenix Prince’ Zhuang Chaohui.
Currently, his true essence surged in abundance along with a powerful aura as specks of light seemed to have lit up about his body, resembling the sea of stars in the horizon.
These specks of light actually seemed to be circulating stably with their own unique rhythm.
As the son of the Southern Exalt and a renowned figure of the World beyond Worlds’ younger generation, Zhuang Chaohui had not wasted the years away. Six years ago, when he had come looking for the phoenix bone in the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory’s Royal Reed Sea, he had still been a Seeing Divinity Martial Saint. Now, however, he had already successfully ascended the Immortal Bridge.
When he had been a late Seeing Divinity Martial Saint that year, Zhuang Chaohui had already dared to battle Immortal Bridge Martial Saints head-on.
Now that he himself was an Immortal Bridge Martial Saint too, his power had stably reached a whole new level.
So long as he was not up against figures like Long Hanhua, Shen Lingzi and Zeng Mo, Zhuang Chaohui would be able to clash head-on against most experts of the mid Immortal Bridge Martial Saint realm.
Zhuang Chaohui looked not much different from six years ago. Still, his gaze was deeper and colder.
His failure to acquire the phoenix bone in the Clear Scenic Region of the Royal Reed Sea back then was one of the few yet massive upheavals that he had experienced in his life.
When the battle had ultimately erupted between the southern Blazing Heaven Territory and the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory, despite having held the upper hand, they had still failed to secure their target in the end as they had been forced to retreat helplessly.
Whether the Phoenix True Form Scripture could reach a whole new level depended greatly on whether the Five Virtues were all present.
This might be a rare opportunity for the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen to push open the door to Immortality, advancing his cultivation base.
Even if he could not enter the Immortal realm, his strength would still improve by leaps and bounds.
It would be an immense boost to the entire lineage of Phoenix Ritual Mountain’s Wutong Slope.
Not only was the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen concerned about this, Zhuang Chaohui was too.
Still, it would not be easy for them to defeat the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory’s Golden Court Mountain. They would have to make plans for this in numerous aspects.
It would naturally be best if they had more forces and treasures aiding in their efforts.
A Wutong Slope disciple muttered to himself, “Grand Clear direct lineage? Ingenious Flying Peak and Golden Court Mountain seem to be of the Grand Clear direct lineage too.”
Zhuang Chaohui said slowly, “Therefore, this cave manor is even more valuable to us.”
Someone beside him said hatefully, “We will definitely topple that Golden Court Mountain one day.”
“Golden Court Mountain aside, there are also a few other powers of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory that are similarly hateful to the extreme.”
“Especially that Broad Creed Mountain-a mere minor sect from a lower world, and it actually dares to bear the name of the East Peak of Daoism?”
That Wutong Peak disciple exhaled, “It has only survived up till today with the protection of Golden Court Mountain and Ingenious Flying Peak, yet constantly buzzes around like an irritating mosquito, wrecking our important matters time and time again and even daring to kill disciples of our lineage. If they are not decimated, our hatred can never be quelled!”
Hearing his words, Zhuang Chaohui’s gaze turned even colder and sharper than before, “Wanting to decimate Golden Court Mountain would not be easy. Dealing them a heavy blow and forcing them to hand over the phoenix bone would really already be considered a success for us.”
“With Ingenious Flying Peak and Golden Court Mountain unable to stand up for them, it would be easy to decimate that Broad Creed Mountain.”
He recalled an earlier conversation with his father, the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen.
“Has the Dim Radiant Emperor’s Immortal Artifact become his guardian talisman?” Zhuang Chaohui had felt extremely unhappy.
“Killing that Yan Zhaoge and decimating that Broad Creed Mountain would be okay. Still, do not take that Immortal Artifact,” Zhuang Shen was calm indeed, “Before that, however, Ingenious Flying Peak and Golden Court Mountain are our primary problem.”
Zhuang Chaohui ceased in his thoughts, a solemn expression appearing on his face as he appraised the Daoist temple before him.
“This half-broken whisk landed in our possession for no rhyme or reason, aiding us in entering. Yet, we do not know who did it,” Another Wutong Slope disciple mused.
The middle-aged man beside Zhuang Chaohui was a longtime Elder of Wutong Slope and the junior apprentice-brother of the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen as he possessed a cultivation base superior to Zhuang Chaohui’s.
He said mildly, “It is right to raise our vigilance. Still, do not get needlessly flustered.”
“Yes, senior apprentice-uncle,” Zhuang Chaohui and the others followed that middle-aged man in venturing forth together.
Who knew that terrifying yellow sand would suddenly surge amidst space at this time!
A storm of death appeared, devouring all those of Wutong Slope who had just entered the great hall.
It was very normal for people to encounter protective restrictions when adventuring in cave manors.
It was just that this restriction here was exceptionally powerful!
Even as that middle-aged man of the eight level of the Martial Saint realm simultaneously executed the thick earth of meritorious virtue and the blessed purple light of fortuitous virtue, he already felt a little unable to resist it somewhat.
Fortunately, the high-grade Sacred Artifact that he possessed was a defensive one, a set of armour which consolidated the true intent of the Five Virtues in the Phoenix True Form Scripture. With that, he was still barely able to hold on. Still, he was hard pressed to advance even a single step right now.
While Zhuang Chaohui possessed extraordinary might as well, even he was nearly blown backwards now.
Just in terms of destructive power alone, that terrifying yellow sand was already comparable to the attack power of a ninth level Martial Saint!
Just having encountered this, Zhuang Chaohui was nearly impaled straight through.
His high-grade Sacred Artifact, the Fire Phoenix Bow, was meant wholly for attacking as it was not of much use now. There was only he himself whom he could rely on.
His thick earth of meritorious virtue was pierced through, his blessed purple light of fortuitous virtue shattered. Even his white qi of nether virtue was forced out now.
And still, Zhuang Chaohui very nearly died right there and then.
In the end, tongues of flame abruptly lit up about his body, forming a semi-circular protective shield. Only then was he saved from the fate of death.
This was a supreme treasure that was one of Zhuang Chaohui’s trump cards. It was his last defensive method, a life-saving treasure.
Still, it was a consumable and would be depleted after a single time’s use.
While he had guessed that the protective restrictions here were strong, Zhuang Chaohui had still not thought that he would very nearly die just upon entering.
The other Wutong Slope martial practitioners present were all in an even more tragic state, only still being alive thanks to the assistance of Zhuang Chaohui and the middle-aged man who had led them.
That middle-aged man frowned, “It is unexpectedly perilous. Stand back, all of you. I will try to enter alone.”
Immediately afterwards, another noise actually resounded amidst the deafening, howling sandstorm.
It was the roar of a surging, raging river.