HSSB889: Southern Exalt
Inside the great hall, Yan Di was currently viewing at a light projection that depicted illusory scenes of the west.
Looking at that fiery crimson light that swept across the horizon, Yan Di asked, “The Southern Exalt, Zhuang Shen, has personally moved?”
Yan Zhaoge said, “There is no one aside from him in the Southern Blazing Territory who can create such a domineering scene.”
He crossed his arms, “Similarly, if Cao Jie is unable to act on the side of our southeastern Yang Heaven Territory, no one here will be able to stop him.”
“The Royal Reed Sea will fall, and the defensive lines of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory would have to be continually pulled back.”
Yan Zhaoge lightly rubbed his temples, “Still, he will definitely capitalise on his momentum and advance deeper in, pursuing and attacking till they successfully force Golden Court Mountain to hand over Tang Yonghao.
The ultimate, foremost goal of the southern Blazing Heaven Territory was Tang Yonghao and that phoenix bone which contained the dawn mist of moral virtue. Everything else was less important compared to that.
“Yes, and they might ask to hand me over too,” Yan Zhaoge paused for a moment before continuing.
Yan Di asked, “You said earlier that you want to collapse the wound of the sky here in the Spirit Inheritance Region?”
Yan Zhaoge answered, “Time is tight and I am not greatly confident of success. If we cannot succeed, I will suppress my cultivation base and descend to the Eight Extremities World to guard the entrance to the wound of the sky.”
If everyone’s cultivation bases were suppressed as they descended to the lower worlds, Yan Zhaoge would not mind it even in the Southern Exalt personally chased him all the way there.
Yan Di did not speak as he quietly looked at the western sky in the light projection which was all red.
The scene of light suddenly shook as if having been affected by an external force.
Then, the light projection soon distorted before it finally fell apart.
Yan Zhaoge said in a heavy tone, “He’s here.”
All-encompassing fiery light quickly swept through the border of the two territories before entering the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory through the westernmost region of the Royal Reed Sea, the Clear Scenic Region that directly bordered the southern Blazing Heaven Territory.
The Endless Magnetic Storms in the seas of the Clear Scenic Region were currently at their mightiest.
All-encompassing hurricanes swept along the seawater down below in surging to the heavens, the terrifying light of electricity flickering non-stop as it leapt about the hurricanes of water.
The entire Clear Scenic Region was like an image taken straight out of hell.
However, as the fiery crimson light arrived, those terrifying Endless Magnetic Storms all subsided in a mere instant.
The light of electricity faded, the storms quelled as the seawater returned to the sea.
There was only the fiery crimson light that swept through the heavens and earth, swiftly traversing the Clear Scenic Region.
A terrifying tribulation of nature thus seemed like it had been stomped underfoot by this fiery light.
Meanwhile, several powerful auras also appeared from two separate directions, pursuing that fiery crimson light as they simultaneously entered the domain of the Royal Reed Sea.
Above the Clear Scenic Region and Desert Mountain Region of the Royal Reed Sea, a massive vessel that was surrounded by seven-coloured light hovered in the sky.
It was precisely a Riding Wave Heavenly Vessel.
Atop the vessel, everyone had solemn expressions on their faces as they looked at the fiery light that was fast approaching.
The people here included the head disciple of the Southeastern Exalt, the Shadow Mountain Sword King Lin Hanhua, Mu Jun who was similarly a disciple of the Southeastern Exalt as well as another three peak experts of the ninth level of the Martial Saint realm, the late Immortal Bridge stage.
One of them was a white-haired old woman with a sword hanging by her waist like Lin Hanhua, Mu Jun and the rest. The martial practitioners of the World beyond Worlds habitually referred to her as the Southeastern Swordmistress.
She hailed from the same lineage as the Southeastern Exalt as the Southeastern Exalt too had to address her as senior apprentice-sister when seeing her.
While the younger Cao Jie had eventually caught up with and then exceeded her in terms of cultivation base, the Southeastern Swordmistress was still one of the peak experts of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory.
The other two experts of the ninth level of the Martial Saint realm were longtime experts of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory that Golden Court Mountain was close with. Invited by the Southeastern Swordmistress, Lin Hanhua and the others, they had provided their assistance in battling the opposing forces earlier.
While clashing with the peak experts of the southern Blazing Heaven Territory at the border earlier, they had even vaguely held the upper hand.
However, as the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen personally ventured out, they of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory had only been able to helplessly retreat.
The all-encompassing light of fire transformed into a massive fiery phoenix in mid-air, expanding its wings as it obscured the sky and concealed the sun.
As that phoenix shook its wings slightly, a rain of fire descended which enveloped the heavens and covered the earth, directly enveloping Lin Hanhua, the Southeastern Swordmistress and the others who were on that Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel.
“The Southern Exalt is really too much,” Seeing this, the Southeastern Swordmistress wasted no time on words as she unsheathed the sword at her waist, sword-light instantly surging into the skies.
At this moment, illuminated by the sword-light which resembled the congregating of numerous stars, this old woman’s posture seemed to have become ethereal.
Amidst the starlight, the white-haired old woman vanished to be replaced by a beautiful, valiant woman.
As she hacked out with her sword, where the sword-light passed, wounds were unceasingly left behind in the original heavens and earth as specks of starlight flickered within the dark crevices, resembling a river of stars.
The river of stars reigned within the air, clashing unceasingly with the descending rain of fire.
The fiery light and starlight were intermittently extinguished, going out in a blaze of glory.
The Southeastern Swordmistress did not cease in her momentum as her sword guided the myriad starlight of the river of stars to converge at a single point, appearing incomparably dazzling as its target was none other than the phoenix of fire in the sky up above.
Her personality was fiery with her age and sharp as a sword as even facing the Southern Exalt Zhuang Shen, she would still launch a ferocious attack without question.
That fiery phoenix emitted a clear cry, its figure rotating in mid-air.
Countless streams of fire transformed into a terrifying vortex of flame which hung high up in the sky.
That vortex resembled a terrifying eye which gazed down indifferently on the world below. It also resembled the maw of a huge, deep abyss which, if opened wide, would devour all living beings.
The sword formed of starlight that pierced the heavens and penetrated the earth was unceasingly whittled down as it entered the vortex of flames.
Atop the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel, the other two late Immortal Bridge Martial Saints attacked simultaneously as well.
A streak of blue light shot into the skies, all falling silent where it passed with only frost left behind.
Where the frost was, not only was the lifeforce of living beings reaped, time and space seemed to have fallen still as well.
A massive hand of gold was clenched into a fist, punching upwards.
Where the golden fist passed, space exploded unceasingly with the heavy power contained within directly crushing space and time between the heavens and the earth.
Whether it was the sword of the Southeastern Swordmistress or the strength of the two who had attacked afterwards, they both exceeded the power of the Star Plucking Practitioner Guan Lide.
The icy blue radiance and the massive golden fist simultaneously struck down mightily upon the vortex of flames which was currently whittling away at the power of the sword-light.
The vortex of flames was momentarily distorted before it finally broke apart.
The phoenix of fire flew out from within, just that it was much weaker than before.
Now, a sword-light shot into the air, directly hacking at the fiery phoenix that was at the end of its tether!
Shadow Mountain Sword King, Lin Hanhua!
As an eighth level Martial Saint, he was able to challenge experts of the ninth level of the Martial Saint realm.
As the sword-light pierced into the body of the phoenix, the all-encompassing fiery light seemed to correspondingly dim somewhat.
However, the next instant, the flames grew bright once more.
As if having undergone nirvanic rebirth, the phoenix of fire again soared high into the air, a few tongues of flame that extended from its feathers even sweeping along Lin Hanhua’s sword, preventing it from moving.
The Southeastern Swordmistress and the rest had solemn expressions on their faces.
They had indeed exchanged blows with their opponent earlier.
However, the methods that the other party had used were merely the profundities of the fire phoenix.
The five virtues were the actual essence of the Phoenix True Form Scripture.
The other party had not fought seriously with them in the first place.
In the distance, the sea of fire parted as another Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel appeared.
It was the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel that belonged to the southern Blazing Heaven Territory’s Phoenix Ritual Mountain’s Wutong Slope.
Atop the divine vessel, a figure sat calmly in a chair as he said indifferently, “I gave you all a chance to display your talents just now. This can be considered a greeting.”
“Now, hand over Tang Yonghao and Yan Zhaoge. Otherwise, I will truly move against your southeast.”