HSSB257: All thanks to you!
Pan-Pan suddenly rushed out, his frame that usually seemed chubby and clumsy quick as flashing lightning at this moment as he lowered his head and took the orb of thunder that laid before Yan Zhaoge in his mouth, before speeding off into the distance.
The next moment, a massive boom resounded as the area exploded with the dark light of thunder, surging into the air.
Yan Zhaoge stared as he saw that massive crater in the ground, filled with dense, roiling smoke.
The Nine Underworlds Yin Thunder exploded, filled with ferociousness and brutality, interfering with Yan Zhaoge’s sensory abilities as he could only wait there anxiously.
Having consecutively wielded the Eye of the Thunder Emperor and the pillar of the Divine Palace had taken an extreme toll on Yan Zhaoge, as a feeling of weakness swept down upon him like a tide.
Suddenly, Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu cried out in delight.
From within the dense smoke, a fat figure that carried the feeling of agility emerged.
Foolish and pure, Pan-Pan returned to Yan Zhaoge’s side, extending his tongue and licking him.
From the looks of it, he had thrown away the Yin thunder in time, not having been injured by it, the aftershocks of the explosion having brushed past him.
Yan Zhaoge instantly let out a sigh of relief, fatigue surging even more strongly within him, almost threatening to overwhelm him.
Still, Yan Zhaoge forcibly kept his mind alert as he swivelled his head and looked towards the other side.
There, combining forces, Shi Tie and the First Seat Elder of the Sand Region finally managed to completely suppress the crimson rift.
Yan Zhaoge sucked in a deep breath, forcibly standing, retracting his left hand to his waist as he exhaled, punching out with his right fist.
As his fist-intent surged, the originally dying Devilish Domain Grand Formation suddenly lit up once more, its power at its peak, seemingly having returned to its most flourishing state.
“Eldest apprentice-uncle, prepare yourself,” Yan Zhaoge said in a heavy tone.
Shi Tie nodded, before countless black spirit patterns, resembling chains, came entangling towards his body.
The black spirit patterns converged with Shi Tie at their centre. Yan Zhaoge abruptly knelt down, one knee on the ground, punching down onto the ground with his right fist.
The Devilish Domain Grand Formation flowed strongly in reverse, countless black spirit patterns reversing their flow with Shi Tie at their centre, leading the seemingly infinite, boundless bloodred devilish qi of the surroundings to surge madly towards Shi Tie.
Shi Tie’s expression was unyielding and unchanging as his entire body resembled Vajra, eternal and solid, firm and unshakable.
He was like the rocks on a beach, never moving despite the slamming of the waves and the assaults of wild storms.
When the black spirit patterns led the blood-coloured devilish qi to his body, Shi Tie suddenly formed a ring with his hands, slamming down towards the deep red abyss below.
A great amount of blood-coloured devilish qi instantly passed through his body, infused unceasingly within the deep red abyss.
Yan Zhaoge let out a long breath, then breathed in deeply once more, resembling a whale sucking in water.
He stood up once more, striding forward, arriving before Shi Tie with a single leap.
Yan Zhaoge’s left fist that was kept at his waist mightily punched out, landing on Shi Tie’s back.
Shi Tie took the punch, and accompanied by this punch of Yan Zhaoge’s, the Devilish Domain Grand Formation flowed in reverse, all the spirit pattern chains surging towards Shi Tie’s back with Yan Zhaoge’s left fist at their centre, transforming into a bewitching, complicated rune inscribed within the air.
And below, an unresigned will emanated from the deep red abyss, which still closed with a momentum that could not be stopped.
The fragmented earth healed, the distorted space returning to normal.
The Nine Underworlds that had been about to descend had been forcibly shoved back.
Yan Zhaoge let out a long roar, changes beginning to happen to that strange rune that hovered between his left fist and Shi Tie’s back.
The rune transformed into a streak of light, splitting into two as they landed on Yan Zhaoge and Shi Tie.
One of them transformed into a mark like a brand, landing on the back of Yan Zhaoge’s left palm.
The other passed through Shi Tie’s clothes and vanished without a trace, also having transformed into a similar brand, left on Shi Tie’s back.
It was only at this moment that Yan Zhaoge finally relaxed.
Surveying his surroundings, the surrounding devilish domain had already dissipated, gone without a trace.
That terrifying aura which bewitched people’s hearts had also vanished.
Above their heads was a clear patch of sky, with the sun visible once again, the original heavens back once more.
The Sand Region’s First Seat Elder came forward, asking, “Elder Shi, Zhaoge, how do you feel?”
Shi Tie shook his head, “I’m fine.”
“I’m also fine,” Yan Zhaoge answered, “However, in the following days, eldest apprentice-uncle and I will have to slowly resolve this devilish mark. Once it completely vanishes, no further trouble will remain.”
Now, it was as though Yan Zhaoge and Shi Tie were bearing the pressure of the opening of the Great Nine Underworlds Door between themselves.
Before the devilish mark vanished, if either one of them died, the other would have to bear even more pressure.
If both of them died and the devilish mark had not completely vanished by then, the Great Nine Underworlds Door here at Yunwu County of the Sand Region might open once more.
The First Seat Elder of the Sand Region said, “We will escort you back to the clan as soon as possible. Leave the resolution of this matter to this old man.”
Yan Zhaoge said, “In this battle, I used up quite a bit of strength, and I just have to recuperate properly. After that, carrying the devilish mark, it will not affect me too much in battle with others. As long as I do not die, the devilish mark will not reactivate.”
Able to resolve this great crisis, everyone here was currently smiling from the bottom of their hearts.
Shi Tie turned over, a seldom seen warm smile appearing on his usually cold, stern face as he looked at Yan Zhaoge, “Zhaoge, it’s all thanks to you this time.”
These simple words caused everyone around them to jump in shock.
Shi Tie praising someone was already an extremely rare thing. Him commending someone like this was even rarer.
Especially when the target of his praise was a member of the younger generation, a Martial Scholar.
When the news spread, it would truly be shocking to the ears, to the point of seeming unbelievable.
However, looking again at the Yan Zhaoge before Shi Tie, everyone here had their hearts relax as they instead felt that this was only natural, with it naturally meant to be this way.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Eldest apprentice-uncle overstates things. It’s thanks to you, thanks to every disciple of Broad Creed Mountain here, thanks to every single person.”
“This battle was incomparably dangerous-any little mistake and we would have to block off the Great Nine Underworlds Door, fighting to the death with the Nine Underworld Evil Devils, buying time for the reinforcements of the clan to arrive. Forcibly bearing the danger for the South Heaven Region on our own shoulders and taking the initiative to fight is not something anyone could have done.”
Yan Zhaoge cupped his fists in salute towards them all, “It’s all thanks to everyone.”
Elder Cong sighed emotionally, “No, it’s really all thanks to you, Zhaoge. Otherwise, we would not even have the chance to choose; we’d be left watching on helplessly as the worst case scenario played out.”
Looking at Yan Zhaoge, he sighed within his heart.
This youngster had actually borne immense pressure. Whatever the situation in the South Heaven Region, re-establishing the Devilish Domain Grand Formation here, as long as the plan failed, with the Nine Underworlds truly descending in this land, Yan Zhaoge would definitely be rebuked greatly.
Even if he saved the defenceless South Heaven Region, decreasing the overall losses, people generally unconsciously overlooked what had not happened, instead remembering more that Yan Zhaoge had caused the originally already destroyed Devilish Domain Grand Formation to recover, leading to the descent of the Nine Underworlds in the Sand Region.
Doing more, he could do more wrong. Doing less, he could do less wrong. Doing nothing-he would definitely not go wrong.
Standing out at the most critical of times originally required great courage as well as resolution.
The Broad Creed Mountain Martial Grandmasters all solemnly cupped their fists towards Yan Zhaoge, “This time, it was all thanks to Zhaoge, allowing for the reversal of the raging tides.”