HSSB861: Yan Zhaoge enters seclusion
“Projecting and reproducing the Taiji Yin Yang Palm can only be done by you yourself. We others cannot help in it,” Yan Di said, “After all, there is only you who follow the path of simultaneously cultivating in the Three Purities, and only you who has seen the actual Taiji Yin Yang Palm of the Grand Clear direct lineage.”
“The difficulty of this can only be imagined. In your next trip to the Vast Ocean World, you will most likely have to enter death seclusion, fully separating yourself from the entirety of the world as you quietly comprehend things till you finally succeed.”
A rare look of worry could be seen within Yan Di’s gaze, “If you went down alone with no one to protect you, I wouldn’t be able to rest at ease.”
Those who entered death seclusion generally needed someone to guard over them lest external enemies make use of this chance to take advantage of them.
It would have been fine if he entered seclusion in their sect headquarters, heavily protected by all those layers of protection.
Yan Zhaoge would be going to the Vast Ocean World, where those of Broad Creed Mountain were actually merely guests of Changli Mountain and not gathered and residing there permanently.
Meanwhile, Broad Creed Mountain could not ignore the fact that there was another wound of the sky in the Vast Ocean World that led to the Royal Reed Sea.
This wound of the sky was in the Phoenix Bearing Region as it was a distance away from the Spirit Inheritance Region.
While the Phoenix Bearing Region was currently under the Dim Darkness Sect’s control, experts on the level of King Xuancheng would be able to head there whenever they wanted.
A long time ago, people from the Grand Xuan Dynasty had tried going to the Phoenix Bearing Region where Yan Zhaoge had first appeared, wanting to investigate Yan Zhaoge’s origins.
Those people were Madame Kang and her two sons.
In the end, they had coincidentally run into Yan Zhaoge as well as Luo Zhiyuan and the others of the Radiant Light Sect who had been returning from extradimensional space.
In the chaotic battle that ensued, Madame Kang had perished.
This had directly led to the major battle where the Radiant Light Sect had fallen to the assault of the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
It was just that following this battle, Kang Ping’s group had been trapped in the Clear Scenic Region while King Xuanmu had died in battle, the Grand Xuan Dynasty suffering a great blow to its vitality.
The Grand Xuan Dynasty had had not the time nor the energy to continue investigating the wound of the sky in the Phoenix Bearing Region and the Vast Ocean World.
The Phoenix Bearing Region had enjoyed peace and calm up till now.
However, the situation was different now. Following King Xuancheng’s return, the Grand Xuan Dynasty had gradually stabilised itself once more.
Even though they were currently keeping a low profile due to the Heaven Bearing Efficate Formation and not making any reckless moves towards any external forces, no one knew how long this current situation could be sustained.
The Vast Ocean World was not a completely secure place.
Over the past year, Broad Creed Mountain had actually been paying close attention to the state of affairs in the Phoenix Bearing Region as well.
Broad Creed Mountain still had people in the Vast Ocean World, after all.
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “You’re right. I do indeed intend to head down alone.”
“Firstly, we actually haven’t anyone to spare over here. Secondly, secrecy is really the most effective form of protection much of the time.”
Yan Zhaoge explained, “In heading down to the Vast Ocean World this time, I will not be notifying Elder Zhang and the others in the World beyond Worlds and those of Changli Mountain as well.”
“Secrecy will be the best form of protection for me here. While I will be going down to cultivate this time and have the possibility of entering death seclusion too, it is not that I definitely will not return throughout. When I am free, I will take some time and return to the World beyond Worlds, showing my face here and there.”
Yan Di understood what Yan Zhaoge meant.
Even if the enemy attacked and knew that Yan Zhaoge was in secluded cultivation due to him not making an appearance, that would still be fine.
They only needed to mislead them into thinking that Yan Zhaoge was in secluded cultivation in the World beyond Worlds such that they would not look for him in the Vast Ocean World.
Yan Di’s furrowed brows still remained creased.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, comforting him, “Relax, father. I know what I am doing.”
Yan Di was silent as he looked quietly at Yan Zhaoge.
Whether in terms of strength or way of handling things, there had not been a need for him to worry about the current Yan Zhaoge since long ago.
Yan Di had never been someone who was unable to let go.
Still, he was a father at the end of the day.
As a father, whenever it was, knowing that a risk existed, how could he not feel worried about his own son?
Still, Yan Di just considered this matter for a time as he said nothing more on this in the end.
Yan Zhaoge explained the situation to just a few select people like Feng Yunsheng, Yuan Zhengfeng and Fang Zhun, next bidding them farewell.
Apart from these mere few people, no one of Broad Creed Mountain knew where Yan Zhaoge would really be heading now.
Whether it was going adventuring outside or entering secluded cultivation in Converting Lake Peak of Broad Creed Mountain’s back mountains, all these reasons were merely to cover things up.
Yan Zhaoge travelled to the Eight Extremities World through the wound of the sky beneath Water Ridge Peak before heading to the Vast Ocean World through the Eight Extremities World.
At the Vast Ocean World, he again ended up in the Bewildering Maze Sea.
This was precisely the location that Yan Zhaoge had decided on.
He had never intended to leave the Bewildering Maze Sea or establish contact with anyone there.
This place was a great hiding spot. Despite the numerous martial practitioners in the Vast Ocean World, it would be very difficult indeed to find someone in this place.
No one knew that the Traceless Cloud Dragon King Yan Zhaoge who had formerly overturned the heavens and earth of the Vast Ocean World with his own power back in the Martial Grandmaster realm had descended upon this world once more.
Yan Zhaoge retracted his true essence and aura, circulating the Peerless Heavenly Scripture as all things turned illusory and unreal.
“Indeed, while I have yet to attain the Seeing Divinity stage, I am already unable to stay in the lower worlds now.”
The current Yan Zhaoge had to restrict his own power like those experts above the third level of the Martial Saint realm in order to remain in a lower world like the Vast Ocean World as he would otherwise be rejected by the power of dimensions of the heavens and the earth there.
Fortunately, unlike Yan Di who could only ever advance and not retreat, Yan Zhaoge was able to suppress and restrict his power very freely and easily.
It would be a very easy thing for he who cultivated in the Peerless Heavenly Scripture to suppress himself completely such that he resembled an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before.
Looking at the great sea before him, Yan Zhaoge inhaled deeply, “Well then, I shall now begin.”
He sat in the meditative position atop space, his figure descending into the great sea down below, no ripples forming as he had already directly sunk to the bottom of the sea, vanishing completely.
In order to pursue efficiency and focus his energies completely, Yan Zhaoge was going to employ the method of entering death seclusion just like Yan Di had predicted.
His first cultivation session lasted a whole three years.
After three years in secluded cultivation in the Vast Ocean World, Yan Zhaoge secretly returned to the World beyond Worlds a
nd showed his face, moving about a little.
At this point in time, less than two years had gone by in the World beyond Worlds.
While Yan Zhaoge no longer seemed as active as before as he apparently spent much time away from the public eye, instead holing himself up, this did not lead to the suspicion of others.
Still, there had been a unique visitor for him when he was in seclusion. This was expected whilst also unexpected.
A descendant of the Brocade Emperor, from Kunlun Mountain’s Ingenious Flying Peak of the central Jun Heaven Territory.
The other party had not appeared arrogant or rude as he abided by all the formalities.
Still, Yan Di, Yuan Zhengfeng and the others could tell that this person had come to probe and see if the Profound Sky Purple Gold Furnace had ended up in Yan Zhaoge’s hands that year.
With Yan Zhaoge in seclusion, Yan Di and the others handled the matter very appropriately, giving a watertight response. The other party was unable to find out anything as he soon left.
As for whether those doubts had been dispelled, this was something only he himself could know.
After showing his face for a bit, Yan Zhaoge returned to the Vast Ocean World and began his second session of painstaking secluded cultivation.
In the World beyond Worlds, everything still seemed calm on the surface, the potential happenings secretly moving towards actualisation alongside the passing of time.
Going by the timeflow of the World beyond Worlds, a year after Yan Zhaoge re-entered secluded cultivation, a change finally seemed to come to the situation.
A person who had once controlled the winds and summoned the rains in the Royal Reed Sea just like how Yan Zhaoge had once led to heaven-roiling, earth-overturning changes in the Vast Ocean World returned there.
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 862: Top defensive location
HSSB862: Top defensive location
As time passed, Broad Creed Mountain in the Royal Reed Sea’s Spirit Inheritance Region continued operating smoothly.
Currently, the basic operations and facilities there were already basically perfect.
Still, the entire sect did not let down their guard.
The day when Kang Ping, Luo Zhiyuan and the rest extricated themselves from the deep sea of the Clear Scenic Region was fast approaching.
According to Yan Zhaoge’s initial estimate, from the present moment, it would be one or two years at least and three years at most when Kang Ping and the others managed to escape.
The decisive battle would very likely happen then.
Up till now, King Xuancheng had guarded the capital of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, simply defending as he never left the area.
As a result, Broad Creed Mountain, the North Sea Sword Pavilion, Copper Men Island and the Dim Darkness Sect all felt very troubled as to how to deal with the situation on hand.
Having been fortified by three generations of Xuan monarchs with over a century of their efforts, the sturdiness of the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s capital was comparable to the North Sea Sword Pavilion’s sword domain in the Grinding Hut Region.
It was presided over by King Xuancheng of the mid Immortal Bridge Saint who possessed shocking power.
Also, while the King Xuan Spear which had been left in the Royal Reed Sea was lost to them, who knew if King Xuancheng had brought along another high-grade Sacred Artifact in returning to the Royal Reed Sea this time.
It was a fact that high-grade Sacred Artifacts were very hard to come by as not all Immortal Bridge Martial Saints possessed them.
However, the backgrounds of the likes of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, Shen Lingzi and Daoist Shi were clearly unordinary as the could not be evaluated by usual standards.
The anti-Xuan forces had to be cautious here.
Still, whatever the case, when Kang Ping, Gu Zhang and He Dongcheng extricated themselves from the deep sea of the Clear Scenic Region, the might of the Grand Xuan Dynasty was set to increase.
Dragging it out might not necessarily be for the best.
If they could take care of King Xuancheng before Kang Ping’s trio extricated themselves, that would inevitably have the effect of sealing the deal and deciding the situation for good.
Sufficient strength was needed for them to deal with King Xuancheng.
It was because of this that Yan Zhaoge had entered secluded cultivation this time.
Aside from him, the others of Broad Creed Mountain and the peak experts of the anti-Xuan coalition in the Royal Reed Sea were all in the midst of their various preparations in a race against time.
One day, in Broad Creed Mountain, in a secluded room.
A tall youth with a face like authoritative jade ended his cultivation, opening his eyes and standing up. It was none other than Yan Zhaoge’s Northern Ocean Clone.
Even as Yan Zhaoge was in the Vast Ocean World, his Northern Ocean Clone still remained here.
With the main body in death seclusion, the connection with the clone had gotten weaker as the Northern Ocean Clone’s movements and reactions had become slightly delayed.
Still, there was no real problem as he cultivated normally, receiving some guests.
Exiting the room, the Northern Ocean Clone saw that Ying Longtu had come, seemingly with questions for him.
After answering Ying Longtu’s queries, the Northern Ocean Clone casually asked, “My father has still yet to leave seclusion?”
Around half a year ago, Yan Di had entered Converting Lake Peak, entering secluded cultivation once more.
Ying Longtu answered, “Chief previously said that he should need around a year’s time in total.”
“Still half a year more…” The Northern Ocean Clone nodded, feeling rather anticipatory within.
Yan Di had previously already attained the peak of the fifth level of the Martial Saint realm, the mid Seeing Divinity stage. If he succeeded in his secluded cultivation this time, he was likely to advance further.
At a time like this, Yuan Zhengfeng and the others had to raise their vigilance to the utmost lest Yan Di get disturbed, all his previous efforts becoming for naught.
The same principle also applied for Yan Zhaoge himself.
As he was thinking about this, beside his ear suddenly resounded the voice of his Grand Master Yuan Zhengfeng, “Zhaoge, come to the main hall at the Heaven Rising Peak.”
Yuan Zhengfeng’s tone was rather solemn.
The Northern Ocean Clone’s heart jolted slightly as he wrapped things up with Ying Longtu before immediately heading to the Heaven Rising Peak.
After entering the main hall, he saw that Yuan Zhengfeng and Fang Zhun were both there.
Aside from Fu Enshu who was observing the situation in the vicinity of the Phoenix Bearing Region, Xu Fei and the other experts of Broad Creed Mountain in the World beyond Worlds whose cultivation bases were on the high side were all present.
Seeing the Northern Ocean Clone enter, Yuan Zhengfeng cut to the chase, “Bad news, Zhaoge.”
……
In the east of the Royal Reed Sea, the Dragon Avatar Region.
This was where a long-standing peak power of the Royal Reed Sea, Copper Men Island, was located.
In contrast to the Sun Moon Peak of the Radiant Light Sect and the main altar of the Dim Darkness Sect which had already been destroyed as well as the North Sea Sword Pavilion’s Grinding Hut Region which had been encircled and attacked by countless experts of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, also nearly having suffered the terror of the Heavenly Fire Tribulation Thunder Formation, Copper Men Island of the Dragon Avatar Region had been totally safe and sound all these years.
Copper Men Island had three supreme heirloom treasures, three massive men of copper.
So long as they did not leave the isle, occupying the natural geography of Copper Men Island, those three copper men could unleash the mighty strength of three Immortal Bridge Martial Saint experts.
It was well deserving of the name of the Royal Reed Sea’s top defensive location.
This also resulted in Copper Men Island being the place in the Royal Reed Sea that was the easiest to defend and the hardest to attack as even the Grand Xuan Dynasty was unwilling to directly try such a tough foe.
This place had always been viewed as the final fortress and path of retreat of the anti-Xuan coalition.
It was just that while the Copper Men Island was more than sound defensively, it lacked sufficient offensive capabilities.
Chief Gongsun Wu was not someone who was satisfied with the current situation as he had always been striving to improve his sect’s strength.
Firstly, he himself yearned to break through that bottleneck that had constantly been hindering him, treading onto the Immortal Bridge as he stepped into the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm.
Once, of the Royal Reed Sea’s peak experts of the sixth level of the Martial Saint realm, it had been he, Gongsun Wu, as well as the Chief of the Radiant Light Sect Luo Zhiyuan, the Chief of the Dim Darkness Sect’s Zhou Haosheng and King Xuanmu of the Grand Xuan Dynasty who were the strongest.
Comparatively speaking, Gongsun Wu had been slightly weaker amongst them.
Now, however, Zhou Haosheng had previously been wounded by the Star Plucking Practitioner Guan Lide of the ninth level of the Martial Saint realm, his injuries only just having eased these past years.
Luo Zhiyuan was trapped by a black hole, his power and his will dwindling. King Xuanmu was even already dead.
Gongsun Wu had thereby become the one in the lead.
Still, he had no room to be complacent.
He could already feel the terrifying aspects of that newly arisen power from a lower world in the Spirit Inheritance Region.
Having been able to attain his current cultivation level, he would surely be remarkable somewhat.
Beneath both pressure and also motivation, Gongsun Wu had recently exhibited signs of breaking through that bottleneck as he was just a half step away from the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm, the early Immortal Bridge stage. He might be taking that step any time now.
Today, however, he could only feel despair.
He had a premonition that he would never ever be able to take that one step, conquering that trial.
History's Strongest Senior Brother c1-1474 Page 473