HSSB821: Deciding the battle in a single move
Aside from their puzzlement as to Yan Zhaoge’s martial foundation, there was another matter which left these Ingenious Flying Peak martial practitioners feeling even more shocked.
Even though they had not definitively agreed upon it, Fu Ting had said earlier that they would be exchanging a single move.
While Fu Ting had not met a loss just now, after having executed the Taiji Yin Yang Palm, she had drawn on the Grand Plainness Immeasurable Body for defence as well. This was equivalent to her having utilised another half-move.
Therefore, strictly speaking, she had executed more than just a single technique in exchange for Yan Zhaoge’s one palm.
If that battle was set to be decided in that one move, the victor was clearly naught but Yan Zhaoge!
Everyone could not help but feel rather dazed now.
It was not just those two Seeing Divinity Martial Saints. The remaining Ingenious Flying Peak martial practitioners here were all older than Fu Ting, with the age gap even being extremely wide for some.
They had watched Fu Ting as she grew up, defeating countless experts along the way.
It was not that there was no one who could defeat Fu Ting. Yet, Fu Ting was undefeated amongst those of the same age category and the same cultivation level, never having tasted a single defeat.
Many people whose ages far surpassed hers and had more powerful cultivation bases than she did had continuously met defeat against her.
This was the first time they of Ingenious Flying Peak were seeing Fu Ting meet a setback against an opponent of a similar level to her.
The other party’s cultivation base was even a level lower than hers, with him being younger as well!
Everyone’s gazes turned solemn as they simultaneously gazed at Yan Zhaoge.
After a short silence, Fu Ting said forthrightly, “It was my defeat in that exchange just now. You were the superior in skill.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Miss Fu is polite.”
Fu Ting looked at Yan Zhaoge even as she pondered.
Yan Zhaoge did not wait for her to ask as he directly said, “This Yan is not a direct descendant of the Grand Clear lineage. Still, the clan that I hail from previously established our foundation atop the basis of unearthed legacies from the past. Here, we benefited from the Grand Clear lineage.”
“This Yan admits that it would be rather shameless to claim to be of the Grand Clear direct lineage. Still, my clan’s founding was indeed thanks to a senior of the lineage from pre-Great Calamity times.”
“Apart from that, thanks to a stroke of fortune, I cultivate in some martial legacies of the Grand Clear lineage as well. I have dabbled in various things of all kinds, though it shames me to say it.”
The name of Broad Creed Mountain’s orthodox supreme martial art was the Clear Qi Profound Art, this being a direct allusion to the clear qi of the Grand Clear lineage.
Of course, it was a little embarrassing to speak of its name now. Towards irrelevant people, he might still be able to casually speak something of it with brevity.
Yet, faced with Fu Ting who was a direct descendant of the orthodox Grand Clear lineage, it really would be very embarrassing to utter its name.
This was actually a very normal thing. After all, the founder of Broad Creed Mountain in the past, the Heaven Establishing Old Man Qiu Yuan, had not known of the World beyond Worlds’s existence.
His old man’s vision had been limited to just that of the Eight Extremities World.
It could not be said that he was a frog in a well. It was indeed true that everything had had to start over from the beginning following the descent of the Great Calamity.
Without the foundation that Qiu Yuan and the rest had established, there would not have been the emergence of Zhang Chao and Yan Di thereafter who had finally attained a path connecting to the heavens and leapt out of the well, hence becoming able to see even broader heavens and earth.
Also, Qiu Yuan had indeed benefited from a former expert who had ties to the Grand Clear lineage.
Strictly speaking, from the Eight Extremities World’s standpoint, it could not be considered wrong to say that Broad Creed Mountain was of the Grand Clear direct lineage.
When Yan Zhaoge had Transcended Mortality and entered Sainthood, while he had not perused any supreme martial arts of their direct lineage for real, following some meticulous planning and effort, he had still successfully combined the Three Purities as one in the end. Broad Creed Mountain’s martial legacies had been a factor which enabled him to do so.
Hearing Yan Zhaoge say so, Fu Ting shot him a deep glance.
Just as she was about to say something, the expression on Fu Ting’s face suddenly changed slightly.
The gazes of Yan Zhaoge and those two Seeing Divinity Martial Saints experts had flickered as well.
Everyone’s gazes were simultaneously directed at the area beneath their feet.
While no changes were occurring in the heavens and earth before them, everyone could indistinctly feel vibrations emanating from down below.
While they were mild at first, they had become extremely intense just an instant later with all the heavens and earth shuddering vigorously as a result.
The shuddering did not originate from this level. Instead, it originated from the one right below.
Yan Zhaoge spread his palms apart, “The stability of this foreign dimension far surpasses the norm. It is even stabler than many worlds formed of Creation itself.”
“Being able to create such a huge disturbance here, it is undoubtedly from Immortal Bridge Martial Saints. One side should consist of your seniors, Miss Fu. Just as you said, they have indeed arrived very quickly. Still, it is hard to tell for the other side.”
He looked down and sensed things for a while, “Without witnessing it in person, the winning side cannot easily be determined. Still, from the fluctuations of power, they appear evenly matched.”
Yan Zhaoge looked back up, pointing up ahead, “This Yan intends to make use of this chance to head up to a higher level. I wonder if Miss Fu intends the same?”
After glancing at Yan Zhaoge, Fu Ting suddenly laughed, actually revealing some cunningness as she said, “The views of heroes do converge.”
After saying so, golden radiance abruptly lit up about her entire body, transforming into the wings of a phoenix that spread its wings, sweeping along she and the remaining Ingenious Flying Peak martial practitioners before directly turning and shooting off into the distance.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge smiled, bringing along Feng Yunsheng and the others in pursuit.
Seeing that golden phoenix silhouette, Feng Yunsheng, Ah Hu and Xiao Ai were all taken aback, “She has actually successfully cultivated in and accomplished the true intent of the phoenix as well?”
Even though it was different from the fire phoenix of the Southern Exalt’s lineage, in that golden phoenix was similarly manifested the true intent of the phoenix.
Even more astonishing was the fact that this golden phoenix vaguely seemed to possess all the Five Virtues behind it, emanating a shocking aura which seemed able to decimate the heavens and earth.
“That is not a martial art that she cultivates it. Instead, it comes from a Sacred Artifact of hers,” Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, “It should be a mid-grade Sacred Artifact that possesses shocking defensive power. In terms of defence, it far surpasses the Precipitous Golden Armour and the Immortal Talisman Embroidered Robe.”
As Fu Ting was still not a Seeing Divinity Martial Saint yet, she was still unable to exert the full force of that Phoenix Woven Plume.
If she stepped into the Seeing Divinity stage and simultaneously cultivated in the Grand Plainness Immeasurable Body and the Grand Beginning Bright Emptiness Form, next drawing upon the full might of the Phoenix Woven Plume, with the two Grand Manifestations combined and the Five Virtues present, just defending and not attacking, her defensive power would have attained a shocking level.
Even most early Immortal Bridge experts of the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm would be unable to break through her defences.
Yan Zhaoge possessed the Extreme Yang Seal. Still, him wielding this treasure as he was now was totally different from the might he would exhibit upon finally attaining the Seeing Divinity stage.
“No wonder she can be so confident even though she knows that we have the Extreme Yang Seal and the Extreme Yin Crown,” Ah Hu scratched his head, “The Brocade Emperor is really something. The Southern Exalt spent so much effort yet still failed to gather the true intent of all the five virtues, yet he actually managed to gather all of them.”
Yan Zhaoge shook his head, “They are not all gathered. This is merely a Sacred Artifact that can simulate the concept of the five virtues all being present. It should be because the essence blood of a true phoenix was added when this artifact was forged. The intent of the true phoenix can be unleashed from that. Still, it is impossible to comprehend and sort it all out to be later reproduced.”
“This is thanks to the Five Virtues and Five Grands being related. Otherwise, the Brocade Emperor would not have been able to manage such a thing. Even if he gave away this Sacred Artifact to the Southern Exalt, it still wouldn’t be of any real help at all.”
Yan Zhaoge said, “The Southern Exalt must know this as well. Otherwise, he would long since have thought of something.”
Now, light appeared up ahead in Yan Zhaoge’s field of vision.
Off in the distance, the pagoda that led to a higher level had already appeared before them.