HSSB987: Circumference Mountain is a good place
Ah Hu looked in the direction that Yan Zhaoge was looking.
There was a broad river that flowed with a mighty momentum.
This river was broad as the sea, leaving one sighing in admiration.
“This river is known as the Dynasty River, being a major water vein which is renowned even in the World beyond Worlds,” Yan Zhaoge said as he looked at the river, “I once heard people of Golden Court Mountain talking about it back in the southeast.”
The source of the river was not at Circumference Mountain or within the southern Blazing Heaven Territory as it was instead in the central Jun Heaven Territory to the north.
Originating from the central Jun Heaven Territory, it travelled southeast, traversing billions of kilometres as it passed through many places of the central Jun Heaven Territory and southern Blazing Heaven Territory.
Circumference Mountain was one of these places, the entire mountain range being divided into two by the Dynasty River.
Then, after exiting Circumference Mountain, the great river continued flowing southward.
The great river amidst the mountain range could be considered a major defining characteristic of Circumference Mountain.
As this was at the border of the southern Blazing Heaven Territory and nearly adjacent to the Royal Reed Sea, Yan Zhaoge had naturally devoted quite a bit of time to earnestly analysing this location.
Besides the martial practitioners of the south who were active here, this also included the more well-known geographical characteristics of this place.
Yan Zhaoge had already long since known of the existence of the Dynasty River. It was just that this was his first time seeing it up close.
Having been so confident in rampaging unbridled all the way east from the Endless Mountain Range, Yan Zhaoge had naturally not intended to fight a war without any preparations.
Yan Zhaoge was aware that many troops were stationed by Phoenix Ritual Mountain’s Wutong Slope and the southern Blazing Heaven Territory at the border area at Circumference Mountain to defend against experts of the southeast.
However, he had still come.
If one were to say that he had been seventy to eighty percent confident of success before having arrived at Circumference Mountain, now that he was personally here and looking at this great, majestic river, Yan Zhaoge was already ninety percent certain of his success within his heart.
Xia Guang too felt greatly emotional as he appeared beside Yan Zhaoge now.
He had only been in high spirits earlier when Yan Zhaoge had said that they would rampage all the way back.
However, when all of this happened in actuality, besides his excitement, it was more of shock that Xia Guang felt.
From the Endless Mountain Range onwards, countless martial practitioners of the south had fallen before Yan Zhaoge.
The alliance meet had been organised to deal with Yan Zhaoge in the Announcing Peace Mountain Range. In the end, Yan Zhaoge had ascended Vast Spirit Mountain himself, virtually decimating the sect and leaving all the experts of the south fleeing helter-skelter.
Of the three great eighth level Martial Saints of the alliance, Yuan Xiancheng, Zhao Zhen and Daoist East Spring, two of them had perished with the other left wounded.
Even Zhang Shuren of the late Immortal Bridge Martial Saint realm had been unable to stand against Yan Zhaoge, having only been able to retreat hurriedly to Circumference Mountain and turtle up in the grand formation there, not daring to emerge.
A Seeing Divinity Martial Saint had rampaged through the southern Blazing Heaven Territory, with the numerous heroes all being scared into submission by him. This mighty feat was something Xia Guang yearned greatly towards, being so awestruck he felt like prostrating himself.
While Vast Spirit Mountain might be slightly inferior as compared to Three Foot Mountain, the difference between them was not all that great as they were sects of a similar level.
They had more than just a single Immortal Bridge Martial Saint, also possessing a high-grade Sacred Artifact.
Yet, such an existence which would be the hegemon of an area whether in the Consecutive Peace Mountain Range, the Royal Reed Sea or the Green Peak High Plains had been single-handedly decimated by Yan Zhaoge.
All its higher echelon experts, its Chief Daoist East Spring included, had virtually fallen, with the high-grade Sacred Artifact, the Dragontail Whip, having fallen into Yan Zhaoge’s hands as well.
The entire Vast Spirit Mountain was shattered with a stomp of Yan Zhaoge’s foot, thereon no longer existing in this world.
Just thinking about this, Xia Guang felt his blood vessels expanding as he just wished he had such abilities, in which case he would immediately then exterminate Three Foot Mountain for good.
“Young Master, this formation here is blocking our way back to the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory,” Ah Hu now said, “Although I do not know why no other experts of the south have intercepted us so far, if we are blocked here for too long, things might end up difficult then.”
Hearing his words, Xia Guang too grew alert.
While his understanding of the southern Blazing Heaven Territory was very limited, he was also aware that there was not just a single ninth level Martial Saint, Zhang Shuren, around this area.
“Someone would definitely have been pursuing us,” Yan Zhaoge replied casually, “I too felt this to be strange at first. Still, I came to understand it later on.”
“Those people probably first went off towards the north to prevent me from leaving via the central Jun Heaven Territory.”
Now, Yan Zhaoge curled his lips, “When they realised what was really going on, they would naturally have changed direction, heading east once more.”
“I rampaged all the way over here. While I did not waste a lot of time, it would definitely not be as fast as the other side as they rushed over at full speed. So, they should already be not far behind us.”
A worried look surfaced on Xia Guang’s face, “Young Master Yan…”
He remembered that Yan Zhaoge had previously mentioned than if he were not facing more than just a single ninth level Martial Saint opponent at once, even if there were people obstructing him, there would be nothing stopping him from rampaging all the way back.
Now, Yan Zhaoge had already proven that it had not been mere boasting.
Still, remembering the earlier half of that sentence now, Xia Guang inevitably felt rather worried.
There was Zhang Shuren blocking the way forward, and the experts pursuing them were most likely led by a ninth level Martial Saint too.
If he was caught in a pincer attack from in front and behind…
Yan Zhaoge, however, pointed lightly at that great river which connected north and south, smiling, “I would not be able to say this for sure elsewhere, not even in the Royal Reed Sea, but I will be able to properly stretch my muscles here at Circumference Mountain.”
“Huh?” Xia Guang was left perplexed.
Ah Hu’s eyeballs rotated before he gave a simple and honest smile, “Young Master, do you have an interesting idea again?”
“This is a good place,” Yan Zhaoge said, his figure flickering as he brought the two along in heading into the distance.
While Zhang Shuren and Yuan Xiancheng who were within the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation did not intend to leave the formation, they were also paying attention to Yan Zhaoge’s movements throughout.
As they saw Yan Zhaoge rise into the air before retreating, not only did Zhang Shuren’s mood not ease, he became more alert than before.
The Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation obscured the sky, shifting space as it blocked the path between the two Territories.
This was naturally not something that Yan Zhaoge could go past just by flying a little higher up.
Now, he headed west away from the grand formation, flying towards the Announcing Peace Mountain Range where he had come from.
Seeing this, Zhang Shuren pondered, “This person is arrogant, but it is also said that he is sly. However, if he wishes to bait us out of the formation, he would be thinking too simply, right?”
Yet, Zhang Shuren did not think that Yan Zhaoge was retreating and fleeing to elsewhere in the southern Blazing Heaven Territory as he knew he could not break the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation and was also worried about being caught in a pincer attack by him and Peng He.
“Senior apprentice-uncle, could he be preparing to contact the martial practitioners of the southeast, next attacking us from both sides?” Yuan Xiancheng asked.
Zhang Shuren nodded, “This is the most probable. This old man does not believe that he would give up just like that.”
“This old man will guard over the formation. Xiancheng, you go to check on the movements over in the southeast.”
“Whatever the case, when junior apprentice-brother Peng and the others arrive, he will not be able to escape even if he grows wings.”
Yuan Xiancheng responded in the affirmative and left while Zhang Shuren patiently observed things.
As time passed, Zhang Shuren suddenly felt changes vaguely occurring with the spiritual qi flow of Circumference Mountain where he was at.
While the changes did not seem great, he, a ninth level Martial Saint, was greatly startled by them.
The source of the changes seemed to come from the Dynasty River which ran across this mountain.
Zhang Shuren was unable to get his head around this.
Only a segment of the Dynasty River passed through Circumference Mountain. Its source was far away in the central Jun Heaven Territory.
Even a dam would not be able to flood them over at the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation.
Zhang Shuren could not understand what Yan Zhaoge might be able to do at the Dynasty River. It was most likely that he was actually just baiting him out of the formation, having set up an ambush for him.
Here, Zhang Shuren ultimately decided to simply do nothing and wait, remaining vigilant.
As if rewarding him for his caution, an all-encompassing fiery light suddenly appeared in the border areas where the Announcing Peace Mountain Range met Circumference Mountain.
A fiery phoenix spread its wings as a divine vessel traversed the skies, presiding over Circumference Mountain.
The ‘Blazing King’ Peng He and the others who had been rushing ceaselessly over had finally caught up!