HSSB121: A tour that begins flightily
Having managed to successfully convince Fu Enshu, Yan Zhaoge’s mood was quite good.
After all, it really hadn’t been an easy thing to do; this senior apprentice-aunt Fu was one who often did things completely based on her own mood, based on whether she liked it or not.
A thousand gold cannot buy happiness; there were times where logic never worked.
If it was not completely necessary, Yan Zhaoge would also not want to waste time with her.
However, this time’s matter was rather complicated. From that time of his first encounter with Feng Yunsheng, he had already been making plans for it.
If not for Fu Enshu suddenly leaving seclusion, it would also not have been as troublesome as this.
Because the Great Calamity had resulted in the breaking off of legacies, many things had to start back from zero. The current world’s understanding of the Extreme Yin Physique, in Yan Zhaoge’s eyes, was still limited.
Even if they knew the rumour of the Extreme Yin True Scripture being beneficial to the cultivation of Maidens of Extreme Yin, there were still many things that the current world did not know.
Having read extensively the scriptures stored in the Divine Palace, Yan Zhaoge knew of other scriptures which were related to Maidens of Extreme Yin.
Amongst these, there were some which were not limited to Maidens of Extreme Yin, also similarly being of use to other martial practitioners.
Yan Zhaoge was very interested in this.
From his interactions with Feng Yunsheng, he had gained some real time feedback which had served as reference and verification for him, thereby having been of great help towards the comprehension of principles of the martial dao that he wanted to understand.
It was just that all this should not be let known by outsiders.
Moreover, there were many methods with which to strengthen Feng Yunsheng, and it was not something that just an Extreme Yin Scripture could completely explain clearly.
Having too many secrets, either he withheld some of them or he took charge of the matter himself, thereby aiding in their concealment.
If he withheld them, how could he guarantee that Feng Yunsheng would surely make up for lost time, catching up with Meng Wan and the others?
If she couldn’t win the Extreme Yin Bout, where would be the meaning in all that hardship?
It was true that Feng Yunsheng herself was already a genius in the martial dao. Even ignoring her Extreme Yin Physique, cultivating along normally, her future achievements would also be extremely great.
However, within a short period of time, her potential could not be converted to true strength, and could not play a decisive, strategic role in deciding the balance of power in this world.
To Yan Zhaoge who hailed from Broad Creed Mountain, whether it was himself or his father, they were both closely tied to its joys and sorrows. When Broad Creed Mountain saw glory, they saw glory too. When Broad Creed Mountain was harmed, they were harmed as well.
Whether for overarching or personal reasons, Yan Zhaoge had to ensure that all the developments played out within his grasp this time.
Luckily, as he had predicted earlier, while Fu Enshu was rather wilful and did as she like, at least in front of major matters regarding Broad Creed Mountain, she was still able to weigh their urgency and importance.
While she liked to win and loved her face, him even having heard about her sometimes reneging on her words and refusing to be held accountable for them, on the matter of the Maidens of Extreme Yin, at least, she had still candidly announced her own abilities to be inferior to his.
“I have also heard about the matter of Cloud Portent Mountain,” Regaining her spirits, Fu Enshu continued, “This matter; what do you view its success rate as?”
Yan Zhaoge answered with a serious expression on his face, “At least eighty percent. If I want to be clearer, I will first have to arrive at Cloud Portent Mountain and examine the area itself before I can come up with a more accurate figure.”
Fu Enshu raised the tips of her eyebrows, “If you are not blowing it out of proportion, an eighty percent success rate is already extremely high.”
“In that case, let us depart now.”
As Fu Enshu said thus, the surroundings moved whilst not under the influence of wind, countless streams of qi surging as they directly swept up Yan Zhaoge, Ah Hu, Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing.
“Yunsheng naturally has to head to Cloud Portent Mountain; Sikong, you go along with us as well. It will serve as a form of tempering experience, and I can guide you in martial arts along the way as well, not letting your cultivation be delayed.”
The water barrier that had been surrounding the island at the centre of the Cloud Pavilion Lake descended leisurely, as Fu Enshu directly swept along Yan Zhaoge and the others, shooting off into the distance.
Ah Hu stuck out his tongue a little as he silently sent over a sound transmission to Yan Zhaoge, “Young Master, this is also a little too much for lightning-quick efficiency, right?”
“Thinking of leaving and then leaving; saying ‘let’s depart’ and instantly departing!”
Yan Zhaoge stroked his eyebrows, “I seldom hear this anymore, also only having coincidentally heard it being mentioned before, but amongst father’s generation, when they were young, there was actually a saying being spread around.”
“Fu Enshu’s thoughts are like the days of June, fickle and unpredictable.”
“As I see it now, despite the passing of ages, this senior apprentice-aunt Fu is still the same as ever, thinking of leaving and then leaving. It’s fine if one’s used to it; it’s fine if one’s used to it,” Yan Zhaoge grinned, “Let’s just consider it as a tour that begins flightily.”
Feng Yunsheng and Sikong Qing were also slightly taken aback, but they calmed their emotions very quickly.
While the former was not as mentally active as Fu Enshu, she also had a straightforward personality, liking to get straight down to things. Meanwhile, the latter was not really interested in anything other than martial cultivation.
Led by Fu Enshu, they passed high mountains and lofty peaks, hurrying to the Mountain Domain.
Their destination was first the Infinite Mountain Territory in the middle of the Mountain Domain, then Cloud Portent Mountain in the east of the Mountain Domain.
Unlike the Heaven Domain which was divided into five Regions, the Mountain Domain was separated into ‘Territories’.
Also because the Mountain Domain possessed many hills and mountains, all of these ‘Territories’ were mostly named after the various mountain ranges of varying sizes present there.
An example would be how the region where the Sacred Ground of the Mountain Domain, Infinite Boundless Mountain was, was named the Infinite Mountain Territory.
The Cloud Portent Territory was the region where the Cloud Portent Mountain Range was located. The main mountain peak of that mountain range was Cloud Portent Mountain.
The Cloud Portent Territory was in the eastern part of the Mountain Domain, being directly bordered at its east to the Thunder Domain. To its southeast was the Earth Domain, to its south was the East Heaven Region of the Heaven Domain and to its southwest was the North Heaven Region of the Heaven Domain.
The Sealing Dragon Abyss which originated from the Earth Domain passed through the East Heaven Region of the Heaven Domain, then extended into the Cloud Portent Territory of the Mountain Domain.
The Infinite Shadowy River which similarly originated from the Earth Domain, conversely, first entered the Cloud Portent Territory and then extended into the East Heaven Region.
Because of Cloud Portent Mountain’s relation with the Giant Spirit Magnetite, although this was a border area of the Mountain Domain, it was a region which Infinite Boundless Mountain viewed with the utmost importance, closely guarding it against the encroachment of Heavenly Thunder Hall of the Thunder Domain as well as Broad Creed Mountain of the Heaven Domain.
When receiving the news of the arrival of Yan Zhaoge, Fu Enshu and the others, Infinite Boundless Mountain was also not any slow in receiving them.
With Broad Creed Mountain having vaguely divulged that this matter had to do with Giant Spirit Magnetite, Infinite Boundless Mountain would naturally prioritise it greatly.
However, whether it was Yan Zhaoge or Fu Enshu, both of them also acutely detected that Infinite Boundless Mountain’s current attitude towards them seemed a little ambiguous.
Following the earlier war of the Eastern Tang, the current power balance of the world was indeed rather delicate.
Still, Yan Zhaoge could still more or less sense some unusual signs.
“Something’s odd…” Yan Zhaoge murmured within his heart, though not showing anything on the surface.
Together with Fu Enshu, accompanied by experts of Infinite Boundless Mountain, they set off for Cloud Portent Mountain together.
And on the way to the Mountain Domain, Yan Zhaoge and the others received a piece of news that, to Broad Creed Mountain, was definitely the stuff of nightmares.
In the third Extreme Yin Bout, the Sacred Sun Clan disciple Meng Wan, the phoenix awaiting Nirvana lying dormant in the dark, in a domineering show of a monarch returning to reclaim her throne, overwhelmed the rest of her competitors, reclaiming the Extreme Yin Crown!
As though affirming Feng Yunsheng’s past analysis.
As long as she herself did not meet with any problems, Meng Wan was currently the strongest Maiden of Extreme Yin.
The Extreme Yin Crown had returned to the hands of the Sacred Sun Clan.
The power balance of the world, instantly changed.
Although the East Coming Martial Saint Huang Guanglie had still yet to leave seclusion, the previous precarious predicament of the Sacred Sun Clan, was no more.
Hearing this news, Yan Zhaoge glanced at Feng Yunsheng.
Feng Yunsheng had a calm expression on her face, showing no signs of surprise in the least.
She also looked towards Yan Zhaoge.
With the general situation having changed, Yan Zhaoge’s current quest had become much more important.