“I wanted to keep her there, but what eventually resulted was her killing move that resulted in injuries on both sides. I was only able to go all out, having no way to secure her life.”
Sikong Qing’s gaze gradually grew calm, only some slight dazedness within.
Yan Zhaoge asked, “When you killed her, were there any changes with yourself?”
Sikong Qing shook her head, “There were no changes, just that that feeling was very strange, just like…just like I was killing myself, just like I had killed myself somehow.”
“If I had to speak of something special, it was that at that instant, many scenes seemed to simultaneously appear before my eyes.”
A rarely seen vacant look appeared on Sikong Qing’s face, “It was as though I had been placed in many different environments. In every one, I saw many of myself, both male and female, their ages similar to mine, their faces also all just so similar to mine.”
Yan Zhaoge’s gaze grew slightly more focused as he glanced at Ouyang Qi from the corner of his eye. He saw that Ouyang Qi’s expression did not change much, as though he didn’t feel like there was any problem.
“Was it that you saw many of yourself, and not that you entered the visual standpoints of many different people, looking at various different scenes from their eyes?” Yan Zhaoge did not speak, instead confirming with Sikong Qing via sound transmission with his aura-qi.
Sikong Qing nodded.
Yan Zhaoge retracted the intense light within his gaze as he no longer spoke on this, instead turning and asking Ouyang Qi smilingly, “The person who fought with my junior apprentice-sister previously was your fellow disciple?”
Ouyang Qi was silent for a while before he replied, “That’s right, she was named Ouyang Ning.”
Yan Zhaoge asked mildly, “You were not true siblings, right? One of your surnames was changed?”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 361: As incalculable as the innumerable stars in the sky
HSSB361: As incalculable as the innumerable stars in the sky
Hearing Yan Zhaoge’s question, Ouyang Qi let out a long breath, “When Master brought her back, her name was Chang Ning.”
Nothing else had to be said. Yan Zhaoge actually already knew that to outsiders, to others, Chang Ning had become Ouyang Qi’s long-lost twin sister.
“Did the both of you grow up in the outer sea?” Yan Zhaoge asked.
Ouyang Qi answered this question rather readily, “From as far back as I can remember, I grew up in the Outer East Sea on Cloud Region Island about three hundred kilometres away from Verdant Pill Island. Chang Ning was also inadvertently discovered in her youth by my Master when he was adventuring in the Inner South Sea.”
Even when they had been young, the two’s appearance had been exactly the same. Seeing this, their Master would definitely take note of it.
Yan Zhaoge looked at Ouyang Qi, “The next question is; other than each other and my junior apprentice-sister, have you ever seen similar kinds of people?”
Ouyang Qi was silent for a while before he said, “There was one more, a man who was the same as me. His talent should also not have been low, but it was a matter of fate that he did not become a martial practitioner, rather having stayed a normal person, a normal fisherman.”
“When I first discovered him, I was greatly amazed and shocked. But when I wanted to take him back to see Master afterwards, he had already died out in a storm at sea.”
Looking at Ouyang Qi, Sikong Qing could understand Ouyang Qi’s mental condition at that time.
When she had first encountered Chang Ning, she had also been shocked to the point of not being able to speak, her situation not much better than Ouyang Qi’s had been.
Even with Sikong Qing’s usual coldness and aloofness, even despite her firm will, she had inevitably received a great shock.
In the battle afterwards, that the proceedings had finally transpired to the point of a battle of life and death had had a very great relation with her mental state being unstable.
Yan Zhaoge enquired further, “When was this?”
Ouyang Qi answered, “A year ago.”
Yan Zhaoge raised his head slightly, considering for a moment before asking, “Did you and your Master discover something on that dead person? Therefore, when seeing my junior apprentice-sister, even at risk of offending my Broad Creed Mountain, you wanted to capture her?”
Ouyang Qi fell silent.
Glancing at the corpse of Chang Ning by the side, he then sighed, “Master checked that person’s corpse. While he had never cultivated in martial arts before, some strange, wondrous information seemed to have been contained in his dead body.”
“Oh?” Yan Zhaoge raised his brows slightly, his gaze also falling on Chang Ning’s body as it seemed to condense to take tangible form.
Instantly, a foreign, fragmented rune appeared within Yan Zhaoge’s mind.
The rune was fragmented and dispersed, not forming a system, causing one to be hard pressed to comprehend the meaning within.
However, Yan Zhaoge could vaguely detect an extremely profound and wondrous concept within. While it was from observation alone, the principles contained within were also rather deep.
It was just that after carefully analysing and experiencing it, Yan Zhaoge was left stunned.
With his vision far surpassing the normal person, he could tell that these scattered runes, as compared to their original whole, could not even be considered the tip of the iceberg.
In their overall complete form, the number of runes could be considered to be as incalculable as the innumerable stars in the sky.
If every single ‘Sikong Qing’ possessed one of these runes, in order to bring them together as a whole, that would imply the existence of innumerable ‘Sikong Qings’.
Just thinking about it alone caused one’s skin to grow numb.
With a single rune already so profound and wondrous, if all of them were gathered together, how much of a supreme, powerful existence did that entail?
After projecting this, even the greatly learned Yan Zhaoge had to click his tongue in praise at just how remarkable it was.
Sikong Qing came by Chang Ning’s side, reaching out and touching her body, yet just felt rather uncomprehending as it was blurry and indistinct, unable to be seen clearly.
Ouyang Qi said quietly, “One at least needs to be in the Martial Grandmaster realm to see it. If their cultivation base is insufficient, they will require the assistance of a Martial Grandmaster.”
Hearing his words, Yan Zhaoge shrugged, coming behind Sikong Qing once more whereupon he pressed his palm on her back.
Assisted by Yan Zhaoge’s aura-qi that was filled with spirituality and had returned to simplicity, Sikong Qing could also feel the extraordinariness exuded by Chang Ning this time.
Seeing that rune, she instead felt another feeling, as though she could not help but want to immerse herself within.
Yan Zhaoge snapped his fingers, snapping her out of it.
“Many days lie ahead,” Yan Zhaoge swivelled his head to look at Ouyang Qi, asking him smilingly, “I wonder if living people can also sense it between themselves?”
While a smile had blossomed on his face, as Ouyang Qi saw it, he felt a chill run through his entire body.
He smiled bitterly, “Others cannot see it, but we ourselves can. With Master’s assistance, Chang Ning and I could also sense it between ourselves.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded satisfiedly, Sikong Qing going forward and placing her finger upon Ouyang Qi’s brow.
His movements sealed by Ah Hu, Ouyang Qi could not resist, and also had no wish to resist as he just stood quietly there.
Yan Zhaoge came forward, pressing his palm on Sikong Qing’s back once more.
Gradually, Sikong Qing’s expression grew solemn, while Yan Zhaoge, who was assisting her, also benefited from this.
Ouyang Qi was rather more pitiful. Without the assistance of a Martial Grandmaster, he was unable to feel it on Sik
ong Qing’s side.
The image of rune fragments appeared within Yan Zhaoge’s mind once more.
This time, there were two runes, one originating from Sikong Qing and the other from Ouyang Qi.
They were obviously different from Chang Ning’s rune, but the concept within stemmed from the same source, all being related somewhat.
A connection existed between the three, but they were all individually independent.
It resembled an infinitely long iron chain, one iron link after another connected to each other.
And with the iron chain having broken apart now, these three iron links that had fallen from it were now laid out solitarily before Yan Zhaoge.
After a while, Yan Zhaoge retracted his palm, looking at Ouyang Qi, “Isn’t it just great this way; all of us sure can cooperate well, don’t you think?”
Ouyang Qi gave a bitter smile once more.
Unlike him, unlike Sikong Qing, while Chang Ning had been female, she had been impetuous and easily enraged, arrogant and reckless, feeling herself to be all important whilst also being hungry for short-term gains.
If it was him, Ouyang Qi, he definitely wouldn’t have fought and come to be on bad terms with Sikong Qing.
It was just that this time, he had been dragged down along with her actions.
Ouyang Qi looked helplessly at Yan Zhaoge, who smiled, “Don’t look at me like this. You’re very cooperative; I won’t harm you. Still, in the following days, I will have to invite you to be a guest at my Broad Creed Mountain for a time. As for your Master, let him just take it as though you met with danger at sea as well.”
Ouyang Qi let out a long sigh skyward, not speaking.
While Yan Zhaoge’s face contained a smile, the three fragmented runes were constantly rotating within his mind, not vanishing.
His gazed moved between the trio of lookalikes.
“The scene that appeared before the eyes of junior apprentice-sister Sikong when she slew Chang Ning as well as the complete sigil as projected by basis of these three runes, in corroboration with each other, both point to the same thing,” Yan Zhaoge pondered, “People like them, including the one who died a year ago, far surpasses the number four.”
“Those whom we know of all are similarly aged, very possibly having been born into this world at the same time.”
Yan Zhaoge’s gaze flickered slightly, “While the population of the Eight Extremities World is great, if it were boys and girls of exactly the same, outstanding appearances as well as age, if there were too many of them, it is impossible that the attention of others would not be drawn.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 362: Winning without fighting
HSSB362: Winning without fighting
Not every young person could be like Yan Zhaoge, their names resounding throughout the entire Eight Extremities World, virtually known by all.
Even normal citizens who did not cultivate in martial arts, even while not knowing his appearance, had also heard of Yan Zhaoge’s name before.
As the most famed person of the younger generation, Yan Zhaoge’s name was as familiar as the sound of thunder to one’s ears.
Of the martial practitioners of the Eight Extremities World, other than those who remained completely hidden and detached from the rest of the world, even if they lived far out beyond the seas, most of them also knew of Yan Zhaoge’s existence, most having seen circulated portraits of Yan Zhaoge before.
Meanwhile, comparatively speaking, the number of people who knew Sikong Qing was much smaller.
However, this smaller was only in comparison to Yan Zhaoge, thus seeming that way.
In truth, with Sikong Qing having attended the Heavenly Connection Meet, as one of the newer rising stars of Broad Creed Mountain’s younger generation, the higher echelons of the various Sacred Grounds had already mentally taken note of her existence.
Meanwhile, the various first and second-rate powers had always closely followed the footsteps of the Sacred Grounds.
Sikong Qing possessed extraordinary talent, her appearance also outstanding, not something that one would forget easily.
Under such circumstances, if someone who looked almost exactly the same as her, even if they didn’t cultivate in martial arts, were to come before the eyes of these rather more important martial practitioners, whatever their gender, they would also be taken note of.
Excluding Broad Creed Mountain’s own Heaven Domain and the more than half of the Wind Domain that they controlled, elsewhere, other than in the Fire and Thunder Domains, if there were any such discoveries in the Mountain Domain of Infinite Boundless Mountain, the Water Domain of Jade Sea City of the Lake Domain where Turbid Wave Pavilion was, they would also communicate with Broad Creed Mountain on this matter.
With the outer seas such a distant place, at the same time also considering Old Man Mo’s existence, the Sacred Grounds were not inclined to spread their influence into the area, resulting in the area being comparatively enclosed.
Sikong Qing’s current influence was still insufficient that it might lead all the seafaring martial practitioners to know of her existence.
At the same time, if people like Ouyang Qi and Chang Ning appeared here, for those in the mainland as well as Jade Sea City of the Water Domain, it would be very hard to discover them.
Yan Zhaoge looked at Sikong Qing.
If it was as he had predicted and there really were countless similar yet also different ‘Sikong Qings’, many to an inestimable extent, and these people were all similarly aged and in the same generation, also placed within the Eight Extremities World, according to logic, it was impossible that no news had yet spread regarding this.
Yan Zhaoge felt that there wouldn’t be many like that fisherman, having been unable to enter the world of martial practitioners for some reason, silently remaining in the world of ordinary citizens.
If that was so, those many ‘Sikong Qing’s-where were they all?
Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, “After the Great Calamity, what exactly have things become?”
Not counting the invading Nine Underworlds, the Eight Extremities World was comparatively closed off. Other than the passageway to the Flame Devil World, it was not connected to any other worlds, causing Yan Zhaoge’s understanding of environments other than the Eight Extremities World to be limited.
Yan Zhaoge shook his head, focusing on Sikong Qing and Ouyang Qi before him once more.
Looking at Ouyang Qi, then at Chang Ning, Yan Zhaoge couldn’t help but pull back the corners of his lips.
As he saw it, the Master and disciples had actually only coincidentally discovered the problem, currently still in the midst of deciphering it, not actually already possessing a clear understanding of it.
Yan Zhaoge shook his head, letting Ah Hu release Ouyang Qi. Afterwards, they set off, leaving the North Sea and returning to the Water Domain.
In having come out for tempering this time, by Sikong Qing’s original plans, she was still a long time away from returning.
Being brought along by Yan Zhaoge like this now, it went against her original intentions somewhat.
However, having experienced killing Chang Ning and then meeting Ouyang Qi, Sikong Qing’s heart was currently still extremely conflicted as most important for her at this time was to find a place to have a good rest.
It was not that Sikong Qing had not killed before, but killing someone who had the same face as you was truly not something that one did every day.
Yan Zhaoge looked somewhat interestedly at Sikong Qing.
While she had still not come to terms with this, she had not been soft in that critical moment of life and death. Sikong Qing’s will was indeed praiseworthy.
After all, Chang Ning had grown up cultivating in martial arts alongside Ouyang Qi, also having seen that fisherman’s corpse before.
However, that had been the first time Sikong Qing had encountered someone like that.
In terms of mentality, Chang Ning had been much
better than Sikong Qing, not having hesitated to move at all, not finding it strange. However, it was not so easy for Sikong Qing.
Sikong Qing swivelled her head to look at Yan Zhaoge, hesitating silently for a moment before asking, “Senior apprentice-brother Yan, you have always been greatly knowledgeable. Have you heard of anyone with the same situation as me?”
Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly, “I have disappointed you, but I am not omnipotent and omniscient.”
“It’s just that the more you know, the more you will think about. At the current time, the clues we currently possess are still too few.”
Looking at Sikong Qing, many guesses flashed through Yan Zhaoge’s mind. However, most of them were rejected by him.
“Still, junior apprentice-sister, while this may be your personal matter, the matter might also involve the Painting Saint, Old Man Mo. Therefore, I will have to report to the clan on this.”
Hearing Yan Zhaoge’s words, Sikong Qing nodded, “I understand.”
As they proceeded, the purple light of thunder suddenly flashed within Yan Zhaoge’s right eye.
He swivelled his head to look into the distance, an expression which looked like he was smiling whilst also not surfacing on his face as he said mildly, “Ah Hu, you take them along first. I’ll be over shortly.”
Ah Hu gave a simple and honest laugh, “Yes, Young Master.”
Getting onto Pan-Pan’s back and leaving via the sea, they were far off in a matter of moments.
Yan Zhaoge’s hands were behind his back as he leisurely hovered above the sea surface.
Very quickly, a powerful aura appeared in the distance, a sword-light like a streaking rainbow slicing through the skies as it hurried over.
His hands behind his back, Yan Zhaoge asked mildly, “Are you of the direct lineage of the Verdant Pill Island’s Painting Saint, a disciple of ‘Collapsing Sea Long Rainbow’?”
His voice was not loud, but it seemed to reverberate between the surrounding heavens and earth, his aura high as the heavens. It was precisely a display of having cultivated Broad Creed Mountain’s direct lineage Clear Qi Profound Art to a very high, profound level.
History's Strongest Senior Brother c1-1474 Page 207