His defensive techniques sealed off all attacks, not even letting a drop of water through, not giving the enemy any chance at all.
Even with his continuous barrage of mighty attacks, Sima Chui was unable to advance a single step.
However, Yan Zhaoge’s expression was calm and heavy, not having yet relaxed.
Ah Hu also stopped smiling, swivelling his head and looking in a single direction along with Xu Fei.
There, several shadows flickered, entering this world that was enveloped by red light.
Yan Zhaoge found some of these people familiar. Even if he did not, their garb of martial practitioners of Broad Creed Mountain also told him that these were the martial practitioners Broad Creed Mountain had originally stationed here at Lianhu County.
Their cultivation bases varied, some being Martial Scholars while some were still only Martial Artists.
However, the commonality of all of them was that their spirits were currently dulled, their forms limp as they had clearly been compromised.
Some of them were wounded, yet, unable to receive any treatment, were only able to watch as fresh blood flowed unceasingly from their injuries.
Beside these Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners was a group of martial practitioners with a bit of a devilish air on them.
Upon seeing one of them, Yan Zhaoge’s gaze hardened slightly.
His entire body covered in a black robe, a hood over his head, the only half of his face that could be seen covered by a dark black mask.
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 279: Someone who came back from hell
HSSB279: Someone who came back from hell
Like Zhang Yao, Ye Zhongzhou and the others who had been captured by Liu Shengfeng back during the Turbid Wave Pavilion incident, these Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners had evidently also been harmed and tortured.
Their captors had attempted to force them into despair, hatred and rage and, unable to easily extricate themselves from these negative emotions, they would finally lose control of their minds. With devilish intent rapidly being nurtured and born within them and under the influence of the aura of the Nine Underworlds, they would quickly fall to the dark side.
These Decimating Abyss martial practitioners were varied in their cultivation bases, but Yan Zhaoge paid special attention to five of them.
Amidst the breathing of the five, their breaths resembled thunder, the pulsing of their acupoints resembled true divinities, their aura-qis filled with spirituality yet having returned to simplicity-they were clearly all Martial Grandmasters.
The five Martial Grandmasters varied in their cultivation bases as well. Of those, Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei both recognised one of them, a white-haired old man, as a late Spirit Vessel Martial Grandmaster of Broad Creed Mountain.
However, his eyes were yellowed and they emanated a bloodred light; he had clearly already fallen completely to the dark side.
However, what drew Yan Zhaoge’s and Xu Fei’s attention the most was still the one beside that white-haired old man.
It was the masked man whom they had once clashed with.
The gazes of the other Decimating Abyss Martial Grandmasters were also fixed on Yan Zhaoge, Xu Fei and Ah Hu.
There was only that man, who was completely enveloped in a black robe, who now suddenly raised his head. His gaze burned as he looked at Shi Tie, who was currently battling with Sima Chui overhead.
His entire face was completely concealed by his mask, with only two yellowed eyes visible that emanated a piercing, bloodred light.
Though Shi Tie was busy suppressing the golden tower whilst also clashing with Sima Chui, he could still sense and observe the many things that were happening around him.
The arrival of the group below did not escape his eyes.
Looking at the pupils of that masked martial practitioner which seemed to be blazing at this moment, Shi Tie’s eternally firm, unchanging gaze abruptly flickered.
On the side of the Decimating Abyss, that white-haired old man was looking at Yan Zhaoge’s group.
The other Decimating Abyss martial practitioners were also looking warily at Yan Zhaoge, Xu Fei and Ah Hu.
Seeing Shi Tie, Yan Zhaoge and the others, the faces of the captured Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners regained their glow.
After glancing at that white-haired old man, Yan Zhaoge’s gaze came to rest on that masked person once more.
Gazing at him, Yan Zhaoge said slowly, “Got a new mask?”
“But it holds no significance at all. Whatever there was to see, I already saw it back in that foreign dimension.”
Yan Zhaoge sighed, “It is senior apprentice-brother Shi, Shi Songtao, isn’t it? While we hoped that you could return safely, we really never thought that it would be in this manner.”
That masked martial practitioner now finally retracted his gaze that had been on Shi Tie, looking indifferently towards Yan Zhaoge.
Yan Zhaoge shook his head, “Do you think that I was bluffing? Even if I had not been certain earlier, the way you looked at eldest apprentice-uncle just now has already made everything clear.”
Looking at the mask on the other party’s face, Xu Fei could not help but reveal a desolate look within his gaze.
Yan Zhaoge said quietly, “If I do not guess wrongly, in not using your original martial arts, it is actually not that you are afraid of us seeing through your identity. It is because you hate Broad Creed Mountain, hate the martial arts that eldest apprentice-uncle passed down to you, therefore purposefully discarding and not using them.”
“Using a mask to hide your face, it is also from not wanting to be recognised, but more from not wanting others to mention that you had once been a Broad Creed Mountain disciple, eldest apprentice-uncle’s son.”
Yan Zhaoge’s tone was complicated, “You hate everything of your past being mentioned; it’s not that you are ashamed of what you have become.”
On hearing his words, the Decimating Abyss martial practitioners here had various different expressions spring up on their faces, clear looks of shock evident within their gazes.
Swivelling his head to look at the one beside him, that white-haired old man also had a rather strange expression on his face, “You…you are Songtao, Shi Tie’s son? That year, didn’t you…”
That masked martial practitioner remained silent, but his gaze that was focused in Yan Zhaoge’s direction clearly held more anger.
Yan Zhaoge sighed, “Since your identity has already been exposed, why do you still continue wearing that mask? Within your heart, it is not that you have no face to meet people ah.”
The black mask finally came off, revealing a face that was familiar whilst also foreign to Yan Zhaoge and the others.
It was a youth who looked to be in his early thirties.
His features bore a great ninety percent resemblance to Shi Tie’s, as if they had been etched out on the same stone.
Xu Fei’s mouth was full of bitterness as his virtually forced out from the gap between his teeth, “Senior, apprentice, brother, Shi!”
This Martial Grandmaster who had nearly assassinated Xu Fei in the Devilish Domain Grand Formation at Clear Concealed Lake was, shockingly, precisely the long-lost son of Shi Tie, the past genius of Broad Creed Mountain’s direct lineage, Shi Songtao!
Shocking Sima Chui into retreat with a single fist, Shi Tie’s gaze fell on Shi Songtao, not shifting away in a long time.
Having removed his mask, Shi Songtao no longer cared that his voice would be recognised, as he finally opened his mouth and spoke, “Long time no see, how’ve you been. I’m back from hell.”
Those simple words of greeting instead caused chills to run down their bodies.
The venomous resentment and coldness contained within that mild tone seemed to cut right into their bones.
Xu Fei asked with great difficulty, “Senior apprentice-brother Shi, have you been in the Decimating Abyss all these years? Was it them who saved you that year?”
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Shi Songtao nodded mildly, “Otherwise, would it be you lot?”
He raised his head to look at Shi Tie on the tall golden tower, “Would it be him?”
Standing on the air, Shi Tie resembled a statue of stone as he remained completely unmoving.
“Junior apprentice-brother Xu, what do you want to say? Do you want to say that your Master, my father, had his own difficulties, and had no choice but to do what he did?” Shi Songtao’s tone was indifferent to the point that everyone was pervaded by a bone-deep chill, “Difficulties; everyone has those. However, this doesn’t mean that others would be able to understand them, to accept them.”
Shi Songtao raised his head to look at Shi Tie, “He chose to safeguard Broad Creed Mountain’s interests, choosing to take care of the many, whilst sacrificing me in the process.”
“Sacrifice me; he just sacrificed me.”
Shi Songtao said mildly, “But if it were just that, I would actually not hate him. As the one who gave birth to me, I could just take it as returning this life of mine to him.”
“However, the ones who were sacrificed, was not just me!”
Shi Songtao’s tone finally fluctuated, bloodred light shooting out from his yellowed pupils as there seemed to be flames blazing within, “My wife, my son, were also sacrificed!”
“Yuzhen, my wife. She was not a Broad Creed Mountain disciple, but just because she married me, just because she was the daughter-in-law of Shi Tie, she had to become a sacrifice for Broad Creed Mountain as well?”
“Jun’er, he was just three that year, just an ignorant child-he also had to lose his life because of this?”
Shi Songtao stared at Shi Tie, “There are some questions that I have always wanted to ask you.”
“If those who had encountered danger were other Broad Creed Mountain disciples, and you could safeguard the clan’s interests whilst also saving us, which side would you choose?”
“If two sides met danger, and one side consisted of other Broad Creed Mountain disciples, while the other consisted of our family of three, which side would you choose?”
Shi Tie’s face was expressionless like a statue, but his low, heavy voice reverberated within the air, “This has nothing to do with who it is.”
Hearing his words, Shi Songtao chuckled, “Indeed an answer befitting of you.”
“In your heart, the group is more important than the individual; the greater number is more important than the smaller number. Responsibilities towards the clan preside over individual feelings.”
As he said thus, Shi Songtao suddenly strode out, “Then, why don’t you try making another choice right now.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 280: Yan Zhaoge’s three sentences
HSSB280: Yan Zhaoge’s three sentences
Shi Songtao came to where those captured Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners were, raising his head to look at Shi Tie.
A low, hoarse voice resounded, “Now, there are seven on my left, and fifteen on my right.”
Shi Songtao raised his head to look at Shi Tie, “If I say that I will wipe out all of those on one side, which side do you think it would be better for me to choose?”
Shi Tie’s eyes emanated a cold, pressuring light, his palm that was on the surface of the golden tower moving slightly, but not shifting away.
He extended his free hand towards Shi Songtao, but was blocked by Sima Chui’s attacking lance.
Shi Songtao said in an indifferent tone, “With your cultivation base, if you stop suppressing the formation’s core, even with the ‘Scaly Dragon King’ blocking you, you would be able to kill all of us over from this distance.”
“However, you can’t not care about the grand formation guiding the descent of the Nine Underworlds, right?”
Shi Songtao swivelled his head to look towards those Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners, “Your predicament now is like mine that year.”
“As compared to the consequences that the descent of the Nine Underworlds would bring about, possibly killing twenty thousand, two hundred thousand, two million people or even more, the lives of you twenty or so people, in Shi Tie’s heart, appear insignificant.”
Of those Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners, some bore complicated expressions, while others stubbornly glared furiously at Shi Songtao.
Shi Songtao looked at Shi Tie, “In that case,, I already know your answer to my question.”
He looked left and right, “Seven people and fifteen people-you would definitely wish to secure the fifteen.”
Shi Songtao laughed lightly, “The side with more people, right?”
Looks of despair instantly surfaced on the faces of the seven Broad Creed Mountain martial practitioners to his left.
Still, Shi Songtao was not in a hurry to make his move as he instead swivelled his head to look towards his right, “But with these fifteen remaining people, if I were to split them into five on one side, and ten on the other, which side would you choose to secure?”
Shi Tie’s gaze hardened.
Shi Songtao said mildly, “Still the side with the more people? That means securing ten, and forsaking five?”
“Very fitting with your style, but…” Shi Songtao spread his hands towards the sides as he said coldly, “That way, the people who lived would be ten, and the people who died would be twelve. Which side would be more, and which side would be less?”
Shi Tie looked at Shi Songtao, not speaking for a long time.
Shi Songtao’s gaze similarly focused on that big figure hovering in mid-air.
“Senior apprentice-brother Shi, I’ll interrupt you for a moment,” Yan Zhaoge suddenly said, “My words are not many, only consisting of three sentences.”
“The first sentence is that many a time, in many matters, it is not a simple choice of more or less. With eldest apprentice-uncle’s personality, if he really were to choose, I feel that he would not choose to sacrifice the greater number, nor sacrifice the smaller number, and would instead choose to sacrifice himself.”
Yan Zhaoge looked at Shi Songtao, “There is an old saying that it is none other than the father who knows the son best. Flip it around and it still holds some meaning. I feel that your understanding of eldest apprentice-uncle should be deeper than mine.”
Shi Songtao’s gaze moved from Shi Tie over to Yan Zhaoge as he remained coldly indifferent and silent.
Yan Zhaoge met his gaze calmly, “The second sentence, is actually a question.”
“Sister Yuzhen and Jun’er-are they already dead, or are they like how you are now?”
Shi Songtao’s wife, surnamed Ying, named Yuzhen, was a solitary practitioner by birth. Having gotten acquainted with Shi Songtao, the two had gotten on splendidly, eventually getting married, living happily together.
Afterwards, the son they had borne had been given the name Shi Jun. It was still a name that the old Chief, Yuan Zhengfeng had helped to come up with.
The days after Shi Jun had been born had been the happiest times for Shi Tie’s and Shi Songtao’s family.
Sadly, the good times did not last, as that disaster befell soon after.
Shi Songtao’s family of three all encountered danger, and disappeared without a trace, making recovering their bodies not possible at all.
Today, Shi Songtao had reappeared once more, but Ying Yuzhen and Shi Jun were still nowhere to be seen.
As Yan Zhaoge, Shi Tie and Xu Fei looked at Shi Songtao’s appearance which resembled that of a wounded lone wolf, their hearts all sunk.
Rather than Xu Fei or Shi Tie, this question was finally still asked by Yan Zhaoge.
Hearing it, Shi Songtao abruptly sucked in a deep breath, the rage and pain within his gaze more visibly intense than before.
Looking at Shi Songtao, Yan Zhaoge slowly said, “The third sentence…”
Now, Yan Zhaoge suddenly moved!
The cloak formed of the feathers of cranes on his shoulders abruptly flipped open, transforming into two massi
ve wings, which shook as he shot towards Shi Songtao’s group at lightning speed!
Yan Zhaoge’s right eye flickered with the purplish-green light of lightning. The next moment, a round purple orb appeared above his head.
An old, ancient aura emanated as flickering with the light of thunder, the orb suddenly moved!
Resembling a human eye, it lightly blinked.
Rumblerumblerumblerumble!
With the intense roar of lightning, the sphere of light transformed into a thunderbolt, instantly ripping space apart!
The speed of the thunderbolt was such that no one was able to react to it at all, as it shot towards that white-haired old man who was a late Spirit Vessel Martial Grandmaster.
Resembling the descent of heavenly thunderbolts, destroying all taint and evil!
The moment Yan Zhaoge moved, that white-haired old man was alerted to it.
The acupoints of his entire body pulsed as his aura-qi circulated, in an effort to flash away and evade.
However, the thunderbolt was truly too fast!
It was so quick that his mind and his body were completely unable to react at all. He was left with no time to think or make judgements, and not even the most instinctive of reactions were able to be executed!
Following Yan Zhaoge’s ascent to the Martial Grandmaster realm, when wielding the Eye of the Thunder Emperor fragment and fully blazing and unleashing An Instant’s Thunder, his power truly skyrocketed!
Rumblerumblerumblerumble!
The thunderbolt exploded over the white-haired old man’s head, shattering the aura-qi guarding his body, shattering the armour guarding him.
It went on to quickly reduce his highly-tempered fleshly body, even tougher than most metals, into a gory haze of blood!
Instakill!
Direct instakill!
A martial practitioner at the third level of the Martial Grandmaster realm, at the late Spirit Vessel stage, directly killed on the spot by An Instant’s Thunder!
From Yan Zhaoge having moved to the moment when the white-haired old man’s body was blown to smithereens, not even the time it takes to blink an eye had passed!
And extending the Immortal Crane Wings, Yan Zhaoge was instantly before them all.
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