HSSB93: Throwing dirty water, I can too
Yan Xu naturally couldn't contact the Sacred Sun Clan himself.
Otherwise, he would be giving the Sacred Sun Clan a hold over himself. How then would he be able to stay on in Broad Creed Mountain in the future?
Still, being a Martial Grandmaster itself was already Yan Xu's greatest leverage.
Having been a Principal Elder, he also grasped quite a lot of information.
But unless there was really no other choice, Yan Xu definitely wouldn't think of betraying his own clan and seeking asylum in the Sacred Sun Clan.
The foundation that he had built up would be completely lost, and all his resources and connections would have to be built up from scratch once again.
Arriving in the Sacred Sun Clan as someone who had entered from outside, even if the other party prioritising good talent and treated him well, there would be no hope of him ever truly entering their core circle.
Thus, in sending over information to the Sacred Sun Clan, Yan Xu had gone through quite a few measures in order to prevent his own identity from being discovered.
Even the Sacred Sun Clan who had received his information would be hard pressed to trace it back to him.
Therefore, even if he had to directly stand against that Elder of the Sacred Sun Clan whom Shi Tie had captured, Yan Xu still wouldn't be worried in the least.
Though, at the end of the day, all this still had to be carried out through Yan Xu's most trusted subordinates.
This manor was Yan Xu's own secret property but still had not managed to elude Shi Tie in the end.
Facing the sky, Yan Xu let out a long sigh. Since Shi Tie had unexpectedly appeared in the Eastern Tang, he already felt that it would be hard for him to get away this time. Still, he held on to hope, not willing to dismiss that slight possibility of making it through relatively unscathed.
As long as he was not killed by Shi Tie on the spot or imprisoned in the Heaven Sealing Gorge, there would still be hope for him.
The crimes of colluding with the Sacred Sun Clan and attempting to kill with a borrowed knife were left unproven, and the mere crime of planting evidence and framing Yan Zhaoge due to factional conflict was something that he still could survive being conviced of.
While he would definitely be removed from his post as a Principal Elder, he would most likely be given the chance to redeem his sins on the battlefield.
At that time, he would have a chance to escape.
He already held no hope of rising up once more in Broad Creed Mountain. At most, he would really have to betray Broad Creed Mountain for the Sacred Sun Clan.
But now, even that hope had been extinguished.
Yan Xu looked at Yan Zhaoge, his gaze deep and distant. At this moment, there was no way he could not have understood that Shi Tie's unexpected appearance was definitely Yan Zhaoge's work.
While he had been fixated on Yan Zhaoge, Yan Zhaoge had also been fixated on him!
He had specifically dug a great big hole and waited for him to jump into it on his own, falling to the point of eternal damnation!
Shi Tie looked at Yan Xu. "I too do not understand why you want Yan Zhaoge dead, and why you dragged Xu Chuan and the others as well as those from the Eastern Tang into this mess as well."
"Is your foresight so lacking and your vision near-sighted to this extent? Or are there some other secrets behind this?"
"Now, why don't you tell us why."
"At this point in time, there really is no further point for you to try to hide anything."
Under Shi Tie's gaze, Yan Xu fell silent for a moment, only able to feel a dryness within his throat.
Looking at Yan Xu, Yan Zhaoge suddenly laughed. "Earlier, I had still been unable to understand why Elder Yan wants me dead."
"But after having met with Ye Jing in person this time, I think that I understand it a little now."
Yan Xu was stunned. He had only used Ye Jing as a knife. It had nothing to do with his personal motive at all.
At this moment, hearing Yan Zhaoge say this, a bad premonition suddenly surfaced within his heart.
Ye Jing was also brought over by Shi Tie. Over this period of time, he had been suppressed by Shi Tie, not able to move or say a word. He was only able to gaze hatefully and resentfully at them of Broad Creed Mountain.
At this moment, he still felt extremely surprised to hear that he had something to do with Yan Xu. Even though he was not all that clear-headed, his gaze came unconsciously to fall on Yan Xu.
Shi Tie was surprised as well.
Shi Tie naturally harboured doubts about Yan Xu's testimony of having inadvertently come by an unconscious Ye Jing on the roadside.
But he did not believe that Yan Xu wanted Yan Zhaoge's life just to help Ye Jing vent his anger and take his revenge.
Everyone's attention came to fall on Yan Zhaoge.
Despite their attention all being on him, Yan Zhaoge was not flustered in the least. "From that Blood Soul Recollection Ceremony just now, everyone saw everything that happened previously in the Sealing Dragon Abyss."
"Regardless of the reason, Ye Jing's fleshly body was shattered, completely destroyed within the abyss."
"However, he had his fleshly body reforged. Such a technique is definitely not ordinary."
Everyone nodded simultaneously. The entire body completely shattered till only the soul was left, yet could still be successfully reforged-such a technique was indeed strange and unpredictable.
Coming before Ye Jing, Yan Zhaoge looked at him. "All of this originated from that ring of his, from that strange figure that suddenly erupted from within it."
"In the Sealing Dragon Abyss, I had already found it strange, yet couldn't confirm it. Thus, I didn't continue thinking further about it."
"But now, faced with the Ye Jing who obtained new life, the suspicions within my heart have grown even stronger."
Yan Zhaoge swivelled his head to look at Shi Tie. "Eldest apprentice-uncle, you've personally encountered experts of the Flame Devils before. Did you find it familiar?"
As these words left his mouth, everyone was shocked.
Yan Xu's entire body shuddered violently as he screamed, "While Ye Jing's technique helped him to reforge a body of fire, it is different from the body of a Fire Devil!"
While Shi Tie' gaze wavered slightly, he also nodded. "There are similarities, but they are not completely the same."
Everyone else nodded. If Ye Jing's body was really completely the same as those of the Fire Devils, they wouldn't have been so calm and composed before.
Yan Zhaoge said, "The Flame Devils that everyone is commonly familiar with are indeed different. However, eldest-apprentice uncle, you should know our Eight Extremities World's current conjectures on the origin of the Flame Devil world."
Shi Tie's gaze moved, a huge change surfacing for the first time in his expression that was normally sunken as tough as granite. "The Flame Devil Emperor?"
Yan Zhaoge nodded. "That's right. The Flame Devil Emperor, also known as the Heavenly Fire Emperor, was an expert of the legends whose fame shook the world before the time of the Great Calamity, though no news of him was heard after the event."
"Our Eight Extremities World's current most mainstream conjecture on the origin of the Flame Devil World is that it was brought on by the legacy of the Flame Devil Emperor."
"Just like how our own Eight Extremities World was formed with excavating the remnant legacies of the experts of before the Great Calamity as a basis, then unceasingly developed off of there."
Yan Zhaoge said leisurely, "The current martial arts of our Broad Creed Mountain, and also the other Sacred Grounds like the Sacred Sun Clan and the Jade City, in effect also all the other powers, are vastly different from before the Great Calamity, after having experienced so many years of development."
"So many long years having passed, the power of the Flame Devils gained through their legacy must definitely also have diverged from the direct lineage inheritance of the Flame Devil Emperor."
Standing by the side, the Disciplinary Elder of the East Heaven Region had now already regained his wits as he asked in a low tone. "You meaning is… that the legacy that Ye Jing received from that ring, is the direct lineage inheritance of the Flame Devil Emperor?!"
"His legacy, completely preserved from before the Great Calamity?"
Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly as he concluded his thoughts. "This is just my personal conjecture. How much of it is true still awaits investigation and verification."
"Other than that, is there any connection between Ye Jing and the current Flame Devil World? This also needs to be made clear…"
As Yan Zhaoge continued, he glanced at Yan Xu in a way that seemed intentional yet also unintentional at the same time. "…as well as why Elder Yan would help Ye Jing…"
Yan Xu's face completely changed colour at this as he roared in anger, "A load of hogwash!"
However intense the conflict between Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan, even if it were a full-out war, there would still be the possibility of things calming down afterwards. Whereas anyone who was connected to the Flame Devils, the common enemy of the entire Eight Extremities World, definitely wouldn't have it good.
Flame Devils consumed other lifeforms’ blood as meals and especially loved that of martial practitioners who had undergone cultivation!
Yan Zhaoge smiled, but did not speak.
Shi Tie said slowly, "The relationship between Yan Xu and Ye Jing is still not something that we can draw a conclusion on now, but Ye Jing's legacy very possibly has a connection with the Flame Devil Emperor."
Shi Tie's words caused everyone's hearts to grow cold.
He looked towards Ye Jing. "The scene depicted during the Blood Soul Recollection Ceremony of when Ye Jing's soul was taken in by that ring of his showed an incomparably strong aura being revealed."
"Even though we experienced it through the Blood Soul Recollection light rather than in person, I was able to feel how terrible and strong that aura was. From that, we can imagine how terrifying it would be if that thing really descended before us."
Shi Tie said with extreme certainty, "Comparing it with the analysis of the historical records, even the Flame Devil King who died in that hands of Founder Hantian that year was not so terrifying!"
Everyone's expressions turned grave. The Flame Devil King of that year was already the greatest expert of the Flame Devil World to have ever appeared in history.
Even more terrifying then him…
Yan Xu's face turned green.
Although Shi Tie had not silently gone on and allowed Yan Zhaoge to connect him and Ye Jing together in this matter, the way things had progressed now was already far, far worse than the worst case scenario he had thought of before!
Yan Xu suddenly thought of his own trusted subordinate, Wen Ningzhi.
Looking at him, Yan Zhaoge curled his lips within his heart, "Throwing dirty water on someone else–I can do it too ah."
HSSB94: None of them can think of escaping!
Shi Tie said, "Whatever the truth of the matter, it is still not something that we can ascertain now. However, being related to the Flame Devils, we must investigate it thoroughly."
"The importance of this matter is such that it is even more pressing than the matter of the Decimating Abyss organisation."
While viewing the Blood Soul Recollection Ceremony earlier, upon seeing that powerful aura emanating from Ye Jing's ring, Shi Tie had already secretly noted it down within his heart.
It was just that he was someone who did not jump to conclusions lightly. Therefore, he had only buried these queries of his within his heart.
Although the abnormalities in Hell were something that everyone had to guard against, at the end of the day, the danger it presented was still not all that significant.
The Flame Devils, however, were the Eight Extremities World's longtime enemy, the two having clashed interminably all these long years, neither giving an inch to the other.
If Ye Jing had only obtained the Flame Devil Emperor's legacy by chance, it would still be fine.
If he had a connection with the current Flame Devil World, it would be an extremely serious matter indeed.
While Shi Tie still hadn't completely made this matter conclusive, its importance within his heart had undoubtedly risen by a lot.
His face a black as a pot's bottom, Yan Xu squeezed out a few words from the slits between his teeth, "About this, this old man was completely not in the know!"
Yan Zhaoge said neither hurriedly or slowly, "Then I really can't think of any other reason why Elder Yan wants me dead so much."
Yan Xu snorted, a complicated expression appearing on his face.
Everyone was currently focused on Ye Jing, appraising him all over.
At this moment, though, Ye Jing was totally stumped.
The enraged and temperamental him, currently being the focus of everyone's gazes, naturally had an extremely uncomfortable feeling well up within him.
His understanding towards the situation of this entire world was still limited.
However, he was naturally still familiar with what kind of existences Flame Devils were.
At this moment, hearing himself actually being lumped together with them, he was instantly startled and angered.
As he looked over, Yan Zhaoge saw the patterns of flame on Ye Jing's entire body becoming more and more dazzling, as though his entire body was really going to spontaneously combust.
Ye Jing howled angrily, "Yan Zhaoge! Having ended up in your hands, whatever you want to do to me, if you want to kill me or cut me up, just do it if you think you can!"
"In order to put yourself on the side of reason, you still want to continue making up accusations about me! You, this dog who distorts the facts!"
Yan Zhaoge said carelessly, "You've also already said that you are currently a fish within a net, a turtle within a jar. If I take care of you, it'd also be because you deserve it."
"Why do I still need to make up accusations about you?"
"Perhaps you yourself are unaware, but verification won't be hard. After taking you back to the clan, whereupon our experts will analyse that ring of yours, a conclusion will naturally be made."
Yan Zhaoge looked calmly at Ye Jing, "Don't have such an excessively high opinion of yourself. There are many things that I have to do; I've no time at all to waste on you."
Ye Jing was even more enraged by this, the patterns of flame on his body dazzling with an unprecedented brightness.
Soon, true flames actually began blazing!
The Ye Jing within the flames surveyed his surroundings, glaring at Yan Zhaoge, Shi Tie, the Disciplinary Elder of the East Heaven Region and the others.
"As I thought, your Broad Creed Mountain people are all in cahoots, covering up for one another!"
"Peoples' hearts are evil and treacherous, killing others without drawing blood, not spitting out bones from devouring others-you are even more vicious and malicious than the flame devils!"
"Being on the same team as people like you; I'd much rather be as refreshingly straightforward as the Flame Devils!"
Facing the sky, Ye Jing let out a crazed roar. On his hand, beneath his flesh and blood, a red light surfaced, forming a dark red circle of light that slotted himself on his finger. It was precisely that dark red ring.
The ring erupted with a dazzling light, an illusory scene being faintly projected in the air behind him.
Within that illusion, the entire ground was covered by lava; the entire sky was engulfed by fire!
It was as though a terrifying giant of flame had appeared within it.
It was a powerful aura far from what Ye Jing could possess at his current level, sometimes visible, sometimes unseen, shocking peoples' hearts.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge instead rolled his eyes, "Your brains must really have been fried by the heat."
It was different from the illusory figure that they had viewed through the Blood Soul Recollection Ceremony earlier. At this moment, they all saw it for real.
Looking at the current Ye Jing and feeling the power held by that illusionary figure, the spectators by the side, Yan Xu included, all began to mostly believe in Yan Zhaoge's earlier conjecture.
Seeing the dark red ring on Ye Jing's figure, Yan Xu thought, "So it had fused within his body; no wonder we were unable to detect it all along."
Shi Tie said expressionlessly, "At the base of it, it may be the strongest that this Shi has ever seen in my life; even exterminating the entire Eight Extremities World might be a simple thing for it."
"However, it cannot even be considered a remnant portion of soul or even some remnant will; only a sliver of its aura still remains. It still cannot overturn the heavens."
Having said thus, Shi Tie extended a hand, that palm instantly transforming into a glassy, transparent state, a golden light being emanated from within, resembling Vajra.
As that one palm landed, Ye Jing and that illusory figure simultaneously let out screams of pain and rage.
As the light of the fire was instantly extinguished, Ye Jing was once again pinned down onto the ground, completely unable to move, only able to glare at Yan Zhaoge and Shi Tie with an unresigned expression on his face.
Originally about to speak, Shi Tie's expression suddenly flickered slightly as with a single stride, he was already outside of the manor.
At this moment, outside the manor where the sun had originally been blazing strongly high overhead, the sunlight suddenly dimmed.
The sky turned dark, as though it had descended into night in an instant.
Within the darkness of the night, a bright moon was sometimes visible, sometimes not.
Shi Tie's entire body was enveloped in a glazed golden light that seemed ancient and inextinguishable as he faced off with the enemy.
Light and darkness clashed between the heavens and the earth, neither giving way to the other in the slightest, causing numerous raging waves to be formed which directly shook the foundation of the manor below it till it caved in and collapsed!
Faced with these shockwaves, the Disciplinary Elder of the East Heaven Region as well as the other Broad Creed Mountain experts also felt great pressure.
"Twilight Dark Moon!" The Disciplinary Elder let out a muffled groan, "This level of cultivation; it's the Twilight Lord of the Seven Reigning Suns!"
Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, "As I remember, the Twilight Lord's cultivation is of a similar level to the Dawn Lord, the head of the Seven. His strength should be ranked second amongst them?"
The Disciplinary Elder nodded, "That's right; although his position is below the Dawn Lord's, his cultivation and strength are not inferior by much. He is a peak expert of the Sacred Sun Clan."
"Also, we know that of the Seven Reigning Suns, it is the Twilight Lord who is in charge of doing all the dirty as well as tedious work. While he usually keeps a low profile, he's killed the most people."
Yan Zhaoge chuckled, "They really think highly of me, huh. I've not killed off that Xiao Shen for nothing, then."
The Twilight Dark Moon was the most unique of the Seven Great Sun Arts. It formed an independent domain of its own, turning black into white and day into night.
Fluctuating between real and illusionary, switching between sun and moon, something that was between illusionary and fist techniques, different from all of the Sacred Sun Clan's other martial arts.
Currently, displayed by the Twilight Lord, it really had the power to alter the heavens and change the earth.
If not for the fact that Shi Tie stood there unyieldingly like an unmoving pillar, all those of Broad Creed Mountain here would have been instantly swallowed and engulfed by the moonlight.
"Iron Lion?" A low, deep voice resounded from within the moonlight.
Seeing the Twilight Lord blocked by Shi Tie, the other experts of the Sacred Sun Clan, concealed within the darkness of the night, launched an attack on Yan Zhaoge and the others.
The Disciplinary Elder of the East Heaven Region as well as the other experts of Broad Creed Mountain immediately went up to meet them, as a new, chaotic battle erupted.
Now, the Yan Xu who had originally looked like he had meekly accepted his fate, suddenly erupted!
Directing a final glance full of hatred at Yan Zhaoge, he did not linger, instead quickly escaping into the distance.
Meanwhile, Ye Jing had also managed to get himself out of danger. While he actually wanted to go trouble Yan Zhaoge instead, he was unable to determine the latter's position within all this darkness. Letting out a crazed howl in hatred, he could only escape towards the outside.
From mid-air, Shi Tie let out a cold snort.
A glazed golden light suddenly lit up within the darkness, striking Yan Xu's body.
Currently in the midst of escaping, Yan Xu's entire body shuddered intensely as a mouthful of blood spurted uncontrollably out of his mouth.
Bright red blood leaked out from all the pores of his entire body, as his entire person now resembled a man of blood.
Still, with the bulk of Shi Tie's attention fixed upon the Twilight Lord of the Sacred Sun Clan, while Yan Xu had been heavily injured by his blow, he had still barely managed to preserve his own life.
Yan Xu didn't dare to hesitate in the slightest, as, struggling, he continued escaping into the distance.
Yan Zhaoge sent a sound transmission over to Shi Tie, "Eldest apprentice-uncle, leave it to me. I will look for him and Ye Jing."
Shi Tie hesitated slightly before replying, "If the other party resists, you may kill them on the spot."
"Eldest apprentice-uncle can rest easy."
As he quickly began to move, a cold smile was revealed on Yan Zhaoge's face, "None of them can think of escaping."