HSSB742: The old man’s fortuitous encounters
He appeared slightly scrawny and skinny with the look of just a normal, unassuming old man.
However, he appeared incomparably large in Yan Zhaoge’s eyes.
His left sleeve dangled emptily as he moved, causing Yan Zhaoge’s heart to ache somewhat.
Before his eyes again appeared of the events that had transpired in the deep abyss of the Earth Domain that year. Within the black hole of time and space, the old man had broken his own arm.
In the great hall, the radiance in the eyes of Bai Ziming’s statue trembled slightly as a will emanated from within, “Grand Master…”
The old man smiled, feeling rather emotional though still mostly joyful.
While the carved features before him belonged to Bai Ziming, within his mind instead appeared Yan Zhaoge’s features.
“Zhaoge, I really had not imagined that we would be reuniting under such circumstances. This old man really has you to thank in having been able to escape from the geyser mouth of the West Sea this time.”
This one-armed old man here was precisely the former Chief of Broad Creed Mountain in the Eight Extremities World, the ‘Heaven Equalling Saint’ Yuan Zhengfeng who had ended up drifting into the Floating Gate World after having been lost amidst the chaotic flows of space!
Yan Zhaoge was also feeling rather emotional though mostly still joyful, “This disciple Yan Zhaoge pays respects to Grand Master. Seeing you safe and sound, it is like a great weight has finally been lifted off my heart.”
Yuan Zhengfeng asked, “I heard those of Great Snowy Mountain say that you are currently in the World beyond Worlds? Did you ascend after surpassing the third level of the Martial Saint realm or pass through the wound of the sky with the help of some treasure? Do you know how things are like in the Eight Extremities World now?”
Yan Zhaoge briefly surmised the various events that had occurred ever since Yuan Zhengfeng had vanished from the Eight Extremities World.
The main points were naturally Broad Creed Mountain’s current enmity with the Radiant Light Sect as well as how he was currently doing in the World beyond Worlds.
Yuan Zhengfeng had only just been feeling somewhat emotional over the destruction of the Sacred Sun Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Hall with whom he had been fighting for most of his life before his attention was immediately drawn by the Radiant Light Sect.
“You are all alone in the World beyond Worlds…” Yuan Zhengfeng’s expression turned solemn.
Yan Zhaoge quickly said, “You can rest easy, Grand Master. My current relationship with the lineage of the Southeastern Exalt is rather good. With that, it is sufficient in serving as a safety net for me.”
Yuan Zhengfeng nodded, “Even so, this old man will swiftly return to the Eight Extremities World to join forces with Yan Di, Fang Zhun, junior apprentice-brother Zhang and junior apprentice-sister He.”
“With this old man and Yan Di both in the Eight Extremities World, there will be no fear of experts of the Radiant Light Sect descending.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Sadly, Grand Master will have to remain at the late Merging Avatar stage for some time more.”
“After your battle with the Heavy Sun Sect, you would probably be on the brink of that final step?”
A hint of a smile appeared at the corners of Yuan Zhengfeng’s lips, “I did gain some benefits, and after analysis and accumulation, this old man indeed has some confidence. Still, there is no rush.”
Yan Zhaoge asked, “Do you have a treasure that you can traverse space with?”
One of the two matters which Yan Zhaoge had previously entrusted these Great Snowy Mountain experts with had been to assist Yuan Zhengfeng in escaping from the geyser mouth at the West Sea.
Secondly, there was also the matter of leaving markers for Yuan Zhengfeng in the World beyond Worlds and the Eight Extremities World to enable him to conveniently navigate the infinite space.
After having identified the direction, if there did not exist any dimensional tunnel between the two worlds in the first place and one did not cultivate in a supreme martial art like the Spatial Heavenly Scripture, martial practitioners beneath the Seeing Divinity Martial Saint realm would basically have to rely on some unique techniques or treasures if they wanted to move from one world to the other.
An example was how Yan Zhaoge had previously borrowed the Lofty Prestige Mirror and executed a dimensional traversing art in order to get to the Eight Extremities World and the Vast Ocean World.
Yuan Zhengfeng said, “Our friends from Great Snowy Mountain are currently trying to help this old man think of a way.”
“Over this period of time, this old man was borrowing Great Snowy Mountain’s help for three reasons. First was to experience and analyse martial arts, second was to get ready a dimensional traversing treasure with their assistance and third was as they said that you, Zhaoge, might contact them again after some time had passed.”
“Therefore, this old man simply waited here to communicate with you, getting to know the situation better before deciding on my next move.”
Yan Zhaoge laughed, “It was they who acted as mediator, persuading you and the Heavy Sun Sect to cease battling?”
Yuan Zhengfeng said, “That’s right. To them, the current global situation is already very good. More might be a bad thing, instead attracting trouble. Naturally, they did not want this old man to go on battling with the Heavy Sun Sect.”
“While it was mutually beneficial, with mainly you, Zhaoge, to thank for your methods, this old man should still express my gratitude for their part in my escape from the geyser mouth at the West Sea.”
Yuan Zhengfeng had slaughtered numerous experts in the battle of the West Sea, with the Heavy Sun Sect having had much of its foundations destroyed.
After trampling on the Heavy Sun Sect and slaying many of their experts, beating down those of them who had descended from the World beyond Worlds into submission, Yuan Zhengfeng had already vented his anger.
The reason why he had been unable to compromise was the destruction of Towering Wave Pavilion.
No matter what one said, Yuan Zhengfeng had been treated rather well by Towering Wave Pavilion, also having been attended to as their guest Elder. With Towering Wave Pavilion instead having been decimated by the Heavy Sun Sect, he was unable to not feel anything at this.
Afterwards, those of Great Snowy Mountain had come out as guarantors, helping the few surviving descendants of Towering Wave Pavilion to continuing propagating with their lineage re-established, henceforth continuing to live on without disturbance.
Yuan Zhengfeng thought of how he would eventually have to leave the Floating Gate World one day, yet the Heavy Sun Sect had a foundation up in the World beyond Worlds. It was due to this that he had agreed to not going all out against the Heavy Sun Sect in rejecting all possible reconciliation.
“This old man has had quite the gains in the Floating Gate World this time,” Yuan Zhengfeng said.
Yan Zhaoge had not thought that Yuan Zhengfeng would bring this up on his own accord. After all, fortune was a very individualistic thing, this being the same for one and all.
For Broad Creed Mountain, one could generally decide themselves whether they wanted to share their fortune with the clan and with others.
It was not just so for junior disciples. This similarly applied to Yuan Zhengfeng as a senior of the clan.
Yet, Yuan Zhengfeng continued, “I once heard Yan Di mention that the martial art that your mother, Chuqing, cultivates in is superior even to those of our Broad Creed Mountain in its profundities.”
“Having seen Chuqing in battle back then, I could not agree more with your father’s analysis.”
“The powerful martial art that this old man obtained in the Floating Gate World, upon careful analysis, feels extremely similar to the martial dao that Chuqing cultivates in.”
Hearing this, Yan Zhaoge felt quizzical, “…Life Creation Heavenly Scripture?”
While he could not know for sure if his mother, Xue Chuqing, cultivated in the Life Creation Heavenly Scripture as her martial foundation or whether she also cultivated in supplementary martial arts, the supreme martial art which she had taught to Xiao Ai and Su Yun was the direct lineage Life Creation Heavenly Scripture of the Ten Primordial Heavenly Scriptures.
Indeed, Yuan Zhengfeng said, “This martial art is the Life Creation Heavenly Scripture of the Jade Clear lineage.”
Yan Zhaoge asked, “Was it in the possession of Towering Wave Pavilion?”
Yuan Zhengfeng shook his head, “That isn’t the case. When this old man was solitarily adventuring once, I inadvertently came across a cave manor that had been sealed for a long time, having been left behind by an unknown senior. It was inside this cave manor that I discovered this powerful martial art legacy.”
Yan Zhaoge thought, “It should be unrelated to mother then.”
He laughed, “Who says that only youngsters can experience fortuitous encounters?”
Yuan Zhengfeng continued, “Apart from that, there was also a powerful thunder art. It was through analysing these two great martial arts that I benefited greatly and surpassed continuous bottlenecks, thus achieving my current strength.”
“Life Creation Heavenly Scripture…thunder art…” At this point, Yan Zhaoge felt slightly stunned as it was vaguely like he had grasped something, yet was like trying to see amidst a fog as all was blurry.