HSSB96: Slapping him flying!
Even a rotten boat contains three jin of nails.
Although Yan Xu's injuries were extremely grave, compared to the Yan Zhaoge who was currently still only in the outer aura Martial Scholar realm, his strength was still very much superior.
And suddenly erupting at this moment, he was vicious to the extreme, using all his power in that one strike!
Yan Xu had even the Black Nightmare Armour-clad Ah Hu within his calculations.
If Ah Hu dared to help Yan Zhaoge withstand this sword blow, both of them would be simultaneously slain with that one move!
Yan Xu had had his heart pierced through by that one sentence of Yan Zhaoge's, which had revealed the deepest, darkest secret as well as greatest fear within his heart.
A figure intermittently flashed within his mind, that of an imposing man who bore a striking resemblance to Yan Zhaoge.
Even as he just thought of that person coming to know the truth of what had really happened that year, Yan Xu felt almost as though there was a hand constricting around his throat.
Even as his mind was greatly shaken, the worries which plagued him turned into anger and violence, as he felt that he had been stripped of his clothes and thrown naked onto the very public streets.
After Yan Xu's sword-light paused, it quickly resumed its attack as it chopped down towards Yan Zhaoge even more vigorously and violently than before, as though it wanted to see this junior who had seen through his secrets, dismembered into ten thousand segments!
Yan Zhaoge's gaze shone with a brilliant light as he stared closely at Yan Xu.
Just when Yan Xu's sword-light was at its strongest, Yan Zhaoge suddenly took out a gourd.
Produced with Elder Qin's Nine Treasures Ice Gourd as a base, the Glacial Dragon's Roar!
Yan Zhaoge smiled coldly before abruptly shattering the gourd, releasing the power stored within.
The resonant roar of a dragon resounded, shocking the heavens and shaking the earth.
The temperature of the surrounding area abruptly decreased, as though they had once more returned to the extreme coldness of the Ice Age.
As white mist shrouded the area, countless particles of ice and snow quickly began agglomerating right before Yan Zhaoge's eyes, actually coming together to form a massive Glacial Dragon!
The Glacial Dragon roared, soaring into the skies, its voice penetrating through the clouds, transcending the nine heavens.
Riding the winds and the clouds, mounting the sun and moon, a divinity gazing down upon the mortal realm, roaring arrogantly at the nine heavens-now, that was a true dragon!
The Glacial Dragon soared, shooting straight up into the skies, displaying the true power of a hidden dragon in its full glory as it intercepted Yan Xu's Meteor Blade!
As the two sides collided in mid-air, that terrifying sword-light resembling a meteor plummeting towards earth, was instantly destroyed!
The Glacial Dragon also disintegrated in mid-air, transforming into frost which filled the entire sky, descending to envelop a large amount of the surrounding land in all directions, completely turning the world before their eyes into a world of ice and snow.
Yan Xu's figure reappeared before them, as frost converged, directly freezing and sealing him in mid-air.
As ice and snow intermingled, the figure of the Ye Jing who, wanting to rush towards Yan Zhaoge, had just been attacked and hindered by Ah Hu, also slowed.
The crimson flames on his body were also momentarily extinguished as his entire person was enveloped by a layer of frost, causing him to resemble a person of ice.
The dark red ring on his finger, having also been suppressed by Shi Tie earlier, now dimmed and ceased radiating light, fusing with his flesh and blood once again.
The Glacial Dragon's Roar which Yan Zhaoge had produced with a portion of the Glacial Dragon Bone Soul had erupted with an ocean's worth of freezing ice qi within that instant.
Even if it were a Martial Grandmaster, they would also be frozen for a moment.
The Hidden Clear Sunlight Sword within the hands of Yan Xu, surrounded by snow and ice in mid-air, flickered with a faint light.
The imposing sword-qi surged, repeatedly attempting to break out of all that ice and snow as the rigid Yan Xu too sluggishly moved his own limbs, attempting to break free.
However, Ah Hu now appeared before him, grinning. Raising his hand, a cylinder appeared within it.
One end was grasped within Ah Hu's hands, while the other was aimed straight at Yan Xu.
Yan Xu's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets, as the next thing he knew, his entire field of vision was filled with an all-engulfing golden light.
Like the shining rays of the sun, whilst also like a torrential rainstorm!
Unable to move, let alone evade, Yan Xu couldn't even move to block the blow. He could only open his eyes wide as he endured the full impact of the Sun Rain.
A hoarse, enraged, howl resounded as the Divine Sun Needles broke through Yan Xu's aura-qi defences, instantly riddling his entire body.
Some of the Divine Sun Needles sunk deep within Yan Xu's body while others remained only half-pierced through, as, illuminated by the dazzling golden light, Yan Xu now resembled a porcupine.
As the Divine Sun Needles entered his body, the injuries which Yan Xu had had been trying so hard to suppress earlier now erupted completely.
Yan Xu let out a miserable howl towards the sky as mists of blood erupted from his body, his entire person riddled with thousands of wounds and hundreds of holes, his flesh and blood indistinct and mangled.
A rain of ice and a rain of blood simultaneously rained down from mid-air.
"You two beasts!" Yan Xu broke out cursing, yet was stopped as fresh blood constantly surged up his throat, spilling out non-stop.
Yan Zhaoge came before Yan Xu, looking at him calmly, "Looks like the matter that year really had something to do with you."
"The branch of the Yan Family I belong to was disliked by the main branch of the Yan Family, over at our ancestral home Zhaozhou. While what happened that year seemed like an accident, it was most likely somewhat connected to them."
"Seeing you scared to this extent, it must be that it had not been an unintentional failure on your part that year. Rather, you must be connected to the Zhaozhou Yan Family."
Yan Zhaoge gently stroked the blade of the Jade Dragon Sword which resembled a streak of light, "Actually, whether you had already been on good ties with them before or they just gave you some benefits, it's also not important."
"As long as I know that you're courting death, that's enough."
"Moreover, you still tried to render me dead?"
The Yan Xu before him hissed and let out a crazed roar, struggling with his body as he lunged towards Yan Zhaoge once more!
Expressionlessly, Yan Zhaoge slashed out with his sword!
An azure light flashed through the horizon.
Bringing along with it Yan Xu's head, flying directly up into the sky!
His two eyes, staring wildly forward, showed how dying at the hands of Yan Zhaoge whose cultivation was far inferior to his, he would never be able to rest in peace!
Having slashed out with that sword, Yan Zhaoge had long since turned away, turning over to face Ye Jing.
There, within the world of ice and snow, the glow of fire lit up once more, as a human figure moved himself about with much difficulty.
Although unlike Yan Xu, who had been hit straight on by the Glacial Dragon's Roar, he had only been hit by the shockwaves of the impact, Ye Jing was currently still struggling even to move.
Looking over, Yan Zhaoge saw that Ye Jing's entire body was currently completely surrounded by flames.
The crimson patterns of flame on his body were moving and coiling rampantly about his entire body as they liked.
Ye Jing exuded an intimidating aura, dissimilar to how he had been previously as power stemming from the qi ocean within his dantian erupted from all the orifices of his body.
At this moment, the source of his strength seemed to be the patterns of flame which had already completely enveloped his entire body.
A shocking heat rose up from him in an unending wave, clashing with the surrounding world of ice and snow.
White water vapour condensed all around, resembling mistlike clouds as the ice fragments as well as melted water descended to the ground in the form of a huge rain.
Looking at Ye Jing, Yan Zhaoge raised his brows slightly, "As I thought, your aura is close approaching that of the Flame Devil tribe."
"Accompanied by you falling deeper and deeper to that technique of yours, the changes in your physique have correspondingly become more and more obvious."
Ye Jing's five senses had already been completely overwhelmed by the pattern of flames enveloping his body as he radiated a sense of wild, aesthetic beauty, whilst also appearing ferocious and violent.
The wild fire seemed like it was left to run amok, it would incinerate the very heavens, expanding limitlessly till there was nothing further left in this world.
Ye Jing glared at Yan Zhaoge, "Yan—Zhao—Ge!"
Facing the sky, he let out a long howl, "You've harmed me time and time again, wishing to render me dead!"
"This enmity, this hatred- we cannot survive together under these same heavens!"
"On what basis was Yushao snatched away by you?"
"On what basis are you always loftily above?"
"On what basis is it that you don't have to put in any effort whatsoever, yet can achieve results that others would be hard pressed to reproduce in their entire lifetime?"
"On what basis is it that while you obviously tried to kill me in the Sealing Dragon Abyss, those of Broad Creed Mountain are all on your side?!"
"Was all of this fated? Is it all the arrangements of the Heavens? I spit on it!" Resembling two otherworldly clumps of ghostly flame, the light within Ye Jing's eyes flickered, "I don't trust fate! I don't trust the Heavens! I only trust myself!"
"I want to become strong; if I were strong, Yushao wouldn't have left with you!"
"If I were strong, I would definitely stomp you down within the mud!"
"If I were strong, others wouldn't all lean towards you just because of that dog Elder father of yours!"
"If I were strong, in the Sealing Dragon Abyss, I would have seen you dead, rather than seen myself harmed by you!"
"If you wanted to kill me, I'd kill you! If Broad Creed Mountain wanted to protect you, I'd destroy Broad Creed Mountain!"
"Either you'd die, or I'd perish!"
Ye Jing howled madly, transforming into a blazing figure as he hurtled towards Yan Zhaoge!
Not even blinking once, the orifices of Yan Zhaoge's entire body shook as his aura-qi surged.
It transformed into a massive palm, sending Ye Jing flying with a single slap!
"Boom!!"
As the loud boom resounded, Ye Jing was directly slapped flying!
Yan Zhaoge rotated his neck a little, "The wind's too strong; what you said, I couldn't hear."
HSSB97: This Yan wants you dead at midnight, who can keep you alive till dawn!
The orifices of Yan Zhaoge's entire body shook together.
The chaotic qi within his dantian split into two, one yin one yang, one cold one hot.
The remnant Glacial Dragon qi still stored within his orifices and the power of the Li Yan fire intermingled, transforming into numerous ice and fire dragons, rushing out of his body.
The ice dragons and the fire dragons intermingled, forming bones, forming meridians, forming flesh and blood.
A massive palm appeared before Yan Zhaoge.
The Ye Jing who had just been sent flying by Yan Zhaoge with a single slap lay twitching on the ground, half of his body shattered.
Looking at him, Yan Zhaoge saw him crying out in shock as he struggled non-stop.
That dark red ring seemed to glow once again as from within resounded a wild howl that seemed to originate from ages long past, penetrating through the infinite spectrum of time!
Rather than gushing out with blood, large amounts of flame began surging out from the wounds on Ye Jing's broken half of his body.
The flames gradually converged, forming into the shape of Ye Jing's body once again.
Ye Jing's body shook before he quickly jumped up from the ground, rushing towards Yan Zhaoge with a speed even greater than before!
The low, manic voice which was emitted from his mouth did not utter the language of humans, being foreign while also ancient, strange while also profound.
Ye Jing's palm pushed forward, the flames surrounding his body forming a crimson light, violent and swelteringly hot.
Where the crimson light touched, every single thing within the heavens and earth, even the very air itself, actually seemed to begin burning.
All existences became fuel for these flames, assisting the fire in becoming more and more ferocious, expanding unceasingly as it continued to devour everything in its path.
The blazing fire was merciless, incinerating and exterminating all living beings!
As the crimson light shone, like the blade of a sword, it chopped down towards Yan Zhaoge!
This was already not one of the potent martial arts that Ye Jing had cultivated in before; it wasn't even a martial art possessed by this world of human martial practitioners!
While Ye Jing's innards themselves felt like they were on fire, at this moment, he could only feel that he was strong as he had never been before.
He had never felt as refreshing as this; his hopes of defeating Yan Zhaoge, were real as they had never been before…
"Peng!!"
But not even waiting for Ye Jing to continue relishing that taste, with the massive hand formed of his aura-qi with the help of the gourd earlier, Yan Zhaoge slapped out with his palm once more!
The next instant, Ye Jing sent flying by Yan Zhaoge with a single slap once more!
Yan Zhaoge tilted his head slightly, "Chosen One?"
Ye Jing lay on the floor, resembling a fish that had been separated from its water source as he flopped and struggled, glaring at Yan Zhaoge with a pair of fiery red eyes.
Even his pupils seemed as though they were about to begin blazing with flame.
Yan Zhaoge, however, did not look at him, instead surveying their surroundings.
"The Ghost Hatchet Elder you shouldn't have any hopes of, but at this time, do you think that another Martial Grandmaster will suddenly jump out to save you? Or a beautiful girl, the damsel come to save the hero?"
"Actually, I had wished since long ago for you to be taken in by the Sacred Sun Clan or Infinite Boundless Mountain, especially the former."
"Previously in the Sealing Dragon Abyss, seeing that ring of yours, I had already suspected that it was connected to the Flame Devil Emperor."
Yan Zhaoge smiled, "At that time, the differences between you and the Fire Devils were still rather great. If the Sacred Sun Clan had had an oversight and only looked highly upon you for your body of fire, good for cultivating in their martial arts, perhaps they would really have taken you in."
"At that time, the mine would have been successfully buried."
"However, you courted death more and more," Yan Zhaoge's smile turned colder and colder, "Leaving you in this world-seriously, it would be equivalent to tainting the very air itself."
"Since you court death, let me send you along on your path."
A cold, indifferent expression on his face, Yan Zhaoge walked towards Ye Jing step by step.
Every step that landed, the earth seemed to tremble as that massive palm formed of his aura-qi above him became more and more condensed and tangible, also more and more massive and terrifying!
Entities of power, some cold as ice, some blazing hot guarded by Yan Zhaoge's side as they resembled a horde of dragons, as it was like a divinity had descended upon this simple earth.
Decisiveness flickered within Ye Jing's eyes as he howled angrily, "Dog, even if I die, I will drag you down along with me!"
As he howled, Ye Jing struggled as he extended his palm with that dark red ring.
The ring had already completely transformed into a circle of red light, slotting itself on his finger.
Within the circle of light were scenes of a burning hell of flowing lava, as an illusory giant of blazing flame was vaguely revealed once again, seemingly roaring angrily towards the sky.
Having been greatly damaged by Shi Tie, the power of this ring had also weakened greatly. Now, Ye Jing was actually planning to activate and unleash it with his own life force!
"Flame Devil leaves the body! Incinerate the Heavens and the Earth!"
With the hand on which he was wearing that dark red ring, Ye Jing actually pierced down directly towards his own chest!
The dark red ring sunk into Ye Jing's body which was now already almost completely composed of flame, before within his body, a dazzling radiance abruptly lit up!
It was no longer the red light of flames, but rather bright, white light!
A piercing white light was emitted directly from within Ye Jing's body that was composed of flame as these leaping flames suddenly seemed to solidify at this very moment.
Next, cracks began gradually appearing on Ye Jing's body as though it was made of porcelain.
Within the cracks, the white light grew more and more dazzling, the destructive force emanating from within becoming more and more distinct!
Seeing this scene, Yan Zhaoge chuckled.
Not avoiding or evading, the massive palm above his head formed of his aura-qi, still just descended as it slammed downwards!
"Boom!!!"
As the massive boom resounded, the white light that had yet to erupt, was extinguished!
With a single palm, Yan Zhaoge slammed Ye Jing's entire person down into the ground!
With the two of them at their centre, the surrounding hundred metres of land all collapsed, caving inwards as a deep, gigantic crater was formed!
Yan Zhaoge stepped into the air, silently standing in the sky above the deep crater as he lowered his head to look into it.
"A mere little ghost, and you still think fit to call yourself a devil?"
"You really think that you are the Flame Devil Emperor?"
At the bottom of the deep crater was a figure which almost didn't seem human any longer, as it resembled the remnant ashes following a huge fire.
His legs had completely vanished along with one of his arms, only leaving behind a single arm, a ring riddled with cracks still worn upon its finger.
His entire body's skin resembled burnt charcoal.
Only some dark red patterns could still be seen, glowing with light in intermittent intervals as they resembled an ember in the ashes that had still yet to been completely extinguished.
A Ye Jing whose face was black as charcoal glared at the Yan Zhaoge above him, weak and powerless as he had never been before, though the hatred as well as anger within his gaze was also intense as it had never been before!
Because of that palm of Yan Zhaoge's, the surrounding earth collapsed and sunk in all around, shaking and rumbling unceasingly as it seemed as though an earthquake had been triggered.
With that deep crater as their centre, a series of massive cracks began spreading out in all directions.
Amidst the quaking, the land beneath the deep crater seemed as though it was going to collapse a step further, the sound of flowing water audible as though there was an underground river surging beneath.
Ye Jing's body slumped downwards, about to fall into the underground river.
Streams of miasma surged up into the sky from within, seemingly able to consume metal and corrode iron as they obstructed Yan Zhaoge's path.
Ye Jing hissed, "You dog Yan Zhaoge, as long as there is breath left within my lungs, I will definitely have it out with you! I…"
Ye Jing's words not finished, Yan Zhaoge had already descended as he activated the Heaven-Thwarting Mantra, completely not fearing the miasma, instantly arriving right before him!
Yan Zhaoge shot him a sideways glance, "Main Character halo?"
"When someone wants to kill you, a situation arises. Failing in their attempt, you escape, successfully mastering a godly ability and coming back to exact your vengeance?"
"You didn't die in the Sealing Dragon Abyss because I had no intention of killing you in the first place. Now, however…"
The massive palm formed of aura-qi above Yan Zhaoge's head, slammed downwards once more!
"This Yan wants you dead at midnight, who can keep you alive till dawn!"
As his palm descended, Ye Jing's enraged howl, abruptly, stopped!
"Boom!"
As the massive boom resounded, completely and utter destruction!
The faint silhouette of a soul, completely and utterly destroyed!
The soul flying and the spirit scattering, to complete and utter, eternal, damnation!
HSSB98: (omitted for teaser purposes)
As that palm landed, it was as though strange scenes departing from the ordinary had appeared before Yan Zhaoge's eyes.
It was as though the qi flow of the heavens and the earth could be seen, all coming together to give their support to Ye Jing.
When the times, the heavens and the earth give power together, the luck of the heavens and the earth do converge.
And with that one palm of his, the qi flow of the heavens and the earth gradually dissipated, turning illusory alongside the surging of the clouds and the rising of the wind.
"When the times, the heavens and the earth give power together, which lucky hero doth not possess freedom?"
Yan Zhaoge let out a carefree laugh as he gently blew towards that ethereal scene.
The winds surged along with the remnant clouds, as that illusory luck of the heavens and the earth was blown away and scattered as easily as simple smoke.
…
…