HSSB1114: Subtle, wondrous fate
Seeing this exceptionally hilarious scene, the disciples of Minor White Peak could not resist the urge to laugh.
Wang Shun and the others on the other hand, felt a bit dizzy amidst their embarrassment and rage. While they could simply remove and destroy the robes along with the words on them, the humiliation that they felt would not disappear just because they pretended it did not exist. Still, it would definitely be far worse if they flashed that calligraphy for all to see.
Yan Zhaoge did not make things difficult for Wang Shun’s group and prevent them from leaving.
In truth, he had not written those fourteen words entirely for Wang Shun’s group, instead looking to draw the attention of a different audience.
In the depths of the clouds in the distance, two gazes were currently focused on this area.
“Interesting. He could detect even this old man’s presence?” An ancient voice muttered to himself.
Another voice resounded beside him, “He should only have detected this disciple’s location rather than discovered you, Master.”
The old man murmured, “The descendant of Yan Xingtang and Di Qinglian is truly extraordinary. It is no wonder that he could stir up such great disturbances in the World beyond Worlds. He actually looks set to surpass his grandparents before him.”
“But he is frivolous and arrogant too. What does he treat the Roving Jade Heavens as?” The second voice questioned coldly.
“It is fine. He is even more unbridled in the World beyond Worlds,” The old man smiled, “Let’s go.”
The people hidden amidst the clouds disappeared, a sense of peace returning to the heavens and earth.
Yan Zhaoge retracted his gaze, wondering to himself, “True Immortal…Cloud Emperor? Liberal Emperor? Or someone else?”
Following the other side’s departure, Yan Zhaoge returned his attention to things before him.
“I heard that Fallen Deity is not a pure sword cultivator. However, you have such deep, intricate attainments in the sword as this Wen admires it greatly,” After watching Wang Shun and co vanish into the distance, Wang Shun sighed and cupped his hands towards Yan Zhaoge once more, “I apologise to Fallen Deity for any impoliteness on my part.”
He indeed felt defeated somewhat.
While the current Yan Zhaoge might not be able to dominate the Roving Jade Heavens with his sword as Yan Xingtang had in the past, Yan Zhaoge was also not a pure sword cultivator.
It was due to this that Wen Daihong felt even more lost. In addition, although his defeat had not been too embarrassing due to his opponent also utilising sword arts of the Prime Clear lineage, losing to a martial practitioner of the Jade Clear lineage cultivating in Prime Clear sword arts only added another layer to his shame as an orthodox descendant.
Besides a strange sense of dejection, the Prime Clear lineage martial practitioners, including the disciples from Minor White Peak, were feeling quite conflicted.
They all exchanged looks, forcing a smile, “Whatever the case, senior apprentice-uncle Yan still left them some face, at least.”
“It is Wang Shun’s lot from the Cloud Emperor’s lineage at Ashen Spirit Valley that has somewhat lost face. While Senior Wen was defeated, such a result would not affect the relationship between us and the lineage of Subtle Offensive Peak’s Purple Light Cave or enrage the Liberal Emperor and cause a change in his stance.”
The disciples of Minor White Peak all relaxed, “Everything is good then. As for anything else, we can simply report it to our elders and have them deal with it.”
While Wen Daihong was feeling conflicted, friction was not generated between them as a result.
After he had calmed down, his sword-loving soul acted up again as he ended up curiously asking Yan Zhaoge, “From my observations, your Immortal Slaughtering Sword does not seem to originate from our Roving Jade Heavens’ lineage?”
“Let us talk as we walk,” Yan Zhaoge smiled as he continued walking in the direction of Minor White Peak, speaking freely seeing as he had no reason to hide it, “False words are not said before the authentic. This Yan’s Immortal Slaughtering Sword Manual is indeed not from the Roving Jade Heavens. Instead, I fortuitously ran into it when adventuring in the outside world.”
Wen Daihong and the others were illuminated by this.
They had already long since known that Yan Zhaoge would probably be versed in the sword arts of the Prime Clear lineage.
While Di Qinglian had already died long ago, the Profound Sovereign would naturally look after her descendants. It was not surprising at all that Yan Zhaoge had obtained sword art legacies of the Roving Jade Heavens.
While everyone else was unable to tell with their relatively lower cultivation bases, having battled Yan Zhaoge head-to-head and also being an elite amongst his peers of the Roving Jade Heavens, Wen Daihong was naturally able to notice such a thing.
“It is no wonder then. Fallen Deity’s Immortal Slaughtering Sword seemed to resemble the legacy of the Lord of Plentiful Treasure’s lineage from the legends,” Wen Daihong said admiringly.
While the Roving Jade Heavens’ Prime Clear direct lineage had their various lineages, most could be linked back to the Incongruence Divine Mother, another personal disciple of the Lord of Numinous Treasure.
While other lineages existed, these were few and far between and generally less orthodox too.
Meanwhile, Yan Zhaoge’s Immortal Slaughtering Sword originated from the lineage of the Daoist temple’s Daoist Origin Peace, someone who was ultimately descended from the dao tradition of the Lord of Plentiful Treasure.
The same martial art cultivated in the hands of different people was sure to give birth to countless variations.
While both the Lord of Plentiful Treasure and the Incongruence Divine Mother had been personal disciples of the founder of the Prime Clear lineage, the Lord of Numinous Treasure, there naturally were differences in their legacies as well.
Even more variations were prone to arising as the martial arts were passed down from generation to generation, all with their slightly differing interpretations.
Ever since the Lord of Plentiful Treasure had disappeared somewhere after the era of the Investiture of the Gods, very few of his descendants had appeared in the world. Thus, Wen Daihong was only certain of his hypothesis after Yan Zhaoge had personally confirmed it. “Fallen Deity is indeed fated greatly for my Prime Clear sword dao!”
He was saying this from the bottom of his heart, having no hidden agenda or thoughts.
Still, others who heard it might feel that it strangely sounded like advising Yan Zhaoge to forsake the World beyond Worlds and join the Roving Jade Heavens.
Hearing this, the Minor White Peak disciples said nothing but all perked up their ears.
“I too feel that something like fate is indeed very hard to say,” Yan Zhaoge just smiled nonchalantly.
After a while, they arrived at Minor White Peak and saw Long Hanhua waiting there.
Seeing Wen Daihong, Long Hanhua was slightly taken aback, thoughts flashing through his mind as he seemed to have thought of something.
“Fellow Daoist Long, this Wen is here to apologise for my wrongs to Exalt Spirit Leaf,” Wen Daihong immediately said.
Exalt Spirit Leaf was the title of Long Hanhua’s eldest uncle, the Lord of Minor White Peak Gao Xuebo.
Some disciples of Minor White Peak narrated the earlier incident to Long Hanhua via sound transmission. After glancing at Yan Zhaoge, Long Hanhua exchanged some basic pleasantries with Wen Daihong.
Only as they began to ascend the mountain together did Long Hanhua ask Yan Zhaoge via sound transmission, “While senior apprentice-aunt was versed in the Four Swords, I heard that only the sword-intent of the Immortal Exterminating Sword was left atop Pillglow Peak. It seems that this Immortal Slaughtering Sword of yours was something you inadvertently obtained yourself?”
“I was just telling them about it earlier. Fate is a wondrous thing indeed,” Yan Zhaoge smiled and replied.
Back at the Daoist temple, he too had been very surprised to find that it was of the Prime Clear direct lineage and not of the Grand Clear direct lineage as he had originally believed it to be.
“Right, there is something that requires your attention now that you have returned from Pillglow Peak,” Long Hanhua said, “Father is currently at Minor White Peak too. He and Eldest Uncle will tell you the specifics later.”