Feng Yunsheng and Yu Ye both nodded in agreement.
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 1415 - Ten Years War Treaty
“The Vast Freedom Heavenly Devil hadn’t appeared for far too long. Does he still exist in this world or not?” asked Yu Ye, who was filled with curiosity.
Yan Zhaoge turned his head and looked towards Feng Yunsheng. Feng Yunsheng said softly, “Very likely. The Vast Freedom Heavenly Devil had yet to transcend and haven’t perished either. He’s still well alive within the world. As for how he currently is, I’m not too sure either.”
Among the Twelve Devilish Gods, the Vast Freedom Heavenly Devil was positioned among the Six Ancestral Devils. He was born during the Early Heavens and was one of the Devil’s Dao Ancestors. He was stronger than the Heart Devil, the Shadow Devil, the Water Devil, and the Earth Devil.
The Primordial Heavenly Devil was suppressed, while the Existence Creation Heavenly Devil had perished. As a result, the Vast Freedom Heavenly Devil was undoubtedly the number one expert among the Devils that could rival other Dao Realm bigwigs.
Although he hadn’t appeared for many years, no one could neglect this Ancestral Devil’s existence.
“The Heart Devil and the Wood Devil still exists, while the Water Devil is troubling the Astro Sovereign, and the Earth Devil is troubling your sect’s disciples.” Yu Ye asked again, “Then, how about the Devil of Aged Metal and the Devil of Fire?”
Yan Zhaoge replied, “I’m not too sure about the Devil of Fire. As for the Devil of Aged Metal, he’s still under the state of perishment, without any signs of being reincarnated.”
When he entered the Nine Underworlds to find Feng Yunsheng, Yan Zhaoge had come across the battlefield where his grandfather – Yan Xintang fought against the Devil of Aged Metal’s previous reincarnation, the Sword Devil – Yin Shiyang.
There, some of the Sword Devil – Yin Shiyang’s essence remained. However, they had mostly withered away, with everything remaining as history.
If the new Devil of Aged Metal was reincarnated, some transformations might occur by the remains of that location. After all, it was situated within the Nine Underworlds.
However, after leaving the World beyond Worlds, Yan Zhaoge had never entered the Nine Underworlds anymore to prevent leaking his whereabouts. Hence, he wasn’t sure what happened after that.
“At times, we can notice the traces of Great Devils reincarnating through others’ physiques. However, some are barely noticeable.” Yan Zhaoge helplessly said, “Or should I say, even if we noticed it, we wouldn’t have the time to deal with it. Of course, if the physique’s owner had a resolute will and could maintain his state of mind for a long period, things would turn out differently.”
For example, the Astro Sovereign – Chen Xuanzong, or Chu Lili under his care.
As for people like Ying Yuzhen and Shi Jun, their physique had some health problems, thus delaying the devil’s reincarnation.
However, there were many occasions where the Great Devil only took a short amount of time to reincarnate, which caught many others off guard.
This happened to the Sword Devil – Yin Shiyang and Chu Lili’s father, the Ice Devil – Chu Heng.
Precisely because of this, a top-notch Great Devil reincarnating through others’ physique and executing the Spirit Divinity Overflowing Lid would often catch people off guard.
Or, some devils might have a more extended period of lurking time. However, when they’re lurking, rarely any signs would be shown. At the moment they make their move, an unavoidable catastrophe would occur.
Otherwise, if the devils were exposed beforehand every time, and they required a long period of preparation, their goal of reincarnating would typically be stopped, with little to no chance of succeeding.
Even if it sounded somewhat cruel, there were stories of the physiques being exposed beforehand, resulting in them being disposed of on the spot, causing the devil’s efforts to go to waste.
Only, Yan Zhaoge and the others never considered such methods.
“Although we’re stuck in a passive state, we can’t be too rash. Otherwise, our enemies might find some way to take advantage of us.” Yan Zhaoge added, “Let us wait patiently for now.”
Feng Yunsheng and Yu Ye both nodded.
Yan Zhaoge looked towards Yu Ye and smiled, “Before senior apprentice-brother Nie returns, are you going to wait here, or at the Jade Capital Crag?”
“I’m fine with both,” answered Yu Ye absent-mindedly.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Then, wait with us here. After senior apprentice-brother Nie returns, we’ll ask him to wait along with us. He should be arriving pretty soon.”
“I know. Before I came here, my uncle had asked me about the Jade Capital Crag, and said that senior apprentice-brother Nie would be returning soon. He then asked me to come over here,” said Yu Ye with a nod.
Yan Zhaoge asked with slight interest, “This should be your third battle, right? You’ve already had a tie twice. Did you come here to prepare something new?”
“Somewhat.” Upon saying this, Yu Ye’s eyes shone, and she displayed a seemingly proud expression.
“Then, I wish you a victory.” Yan Zhaoge smiled and clasped his hands together.
Yu Ye opened her mouth and was about to say something. Then, her feelings deflated like a balloon, “Victory… I can’t be too sure about that. Every time, senior apprentice-brother Nie would come up with something new as well.”
As she spoke, a smile appeared on her face, and she seemed to be looking forward to the battle, “Every time we fought, I’ll be rewarded greatly with knowledge and how profound his techniques are. Every time I dwell within, I’ll have a hard time pulling myself out of it.”
“Isn’t it fun to have a sword duel? In the past, even though senior apprentice-uncle Long’s words were a little too harsh, his intention of going to the Roving Jade Heavens was merely to duel with the Prime Clear sword cultivators. According to him, he has received boundless experiences after fighting against Senior Gao and grandmother.” Yan Zhaoge shrugged.
“Unfortunately, things worsened later on. The grudges held on both sides got even worse, which resulted in their current relationship.” He said with sincerity, “If this grudge could slowly disappear, that would be for the best.”
As the Roving Jade Heavens moved into the Awakened Sky Hall, the Vine Sovereign – Li Ying, who held the deepest grudge against the Jade Capital Crag, had left. As a result, the Roving Jade Heavens slowly reconciled with the Jade Capital Crag.
Even if the two sides weren’t on friendly terms and even had a vague sense of hostility in between, nothing too intense had happened.
However, discarding all their previous grudges against each other seemed highly unlikely.
After all, when the two sides were in a hostile state, casualties had occurred.
Even the Prime Clear Lineage’s Gao Qingxuan, who was the friendliest with the Jade Capital Crag, had never forgotten about Yan Xintang oppressing the Roving Jade Heavens with his sword.
One of her lifetime’s biggest regrets was that she couldn’t fight against Yan Xintang anymore to wash away the stain in her life – her defeat.
Even if her son Long Xueji possessed outstanding talents, Long Xueji’s Jade Clear sword arts’ teachings greatly influenced him during his uprising.
No matter if he won or lost against a Jade Clear sword cultivator, he wouldn’t be able to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the Jade Clear and Prime Clear sword arts.
Fortunately, an abundance of talented youths sprouted from both sides. Moreover, their age and cultivation were similar as well.
The Prime Clear Lineage had placed their hopes on Yu Ye and He Mian, in hopes that they could win over Yan Xintang disciple – Nie Jingshen, and wash away the shame of the past.
He Mian had fought against Nie Jingshen and ultimately got defeated under Nie Jingshen’s blade.
As for Yu Ye and Nie Jingshen, they fought against each ot
her once every decade. During the past decades, their battles resulted in a tie on both occasions.
Now that the new decade was coming once again, Yu Ye came here to fulfill her promise.
Previously, Nie Jingshen had left the Sky beyond Skies to adventure around the Awakened Sky Hall. However, he would return very soon to fulfill the promise of the war treaty between the two.
“It’s not about us winning or losing anymore. It’s just the older generation bearing the grudges until now.” Yu Ye looked towards Yan Zhaoge, “After all, both He Mian and I can’t win against you. You’re the Exalted Gold Luminary’s true bloodline descendant.”
Yan Zhaoge waved his hand, “But I’m not a sword cultivator. My insights on the Jade Illusory Heaven Opening Sword pales in comparison to senior apprentice-brother Nie. I can’t represent my grandfather’s sword arts, and I can only be considered sub-par. If even senior apprentice-brother Nie couldn’t win against you with his Jade Illusory Heaven Opening Sword, I can’t possibly win against you.”
He smiled and said, “I feel like there’s no need for you two to fight against each other within a certain time period. As long as you’re interested, go ahead and duel with each other. It’s beneficial for both of your improvements.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 1416 - Take the Initiative Instead
The clash between youthful talents would often result in the spark of an inspiration.
Such a situation occurred, notably, when two warriors of similar cultivation paths originating from different lineages clashed against each other.
However, dueling with others was ultimately a matter of winning. The higher the pressure, the higher the drive, and the higher one could squeeze their potential out or even notice their drawbacks.
“It also takes time to reflect and accumulate.” Yan Zhaoge’s suggestion convinced Yu Ye. After contemplating for a while, she answered, “Actually, ten years is a good time period. It gives me enough time to study new stuff, perfectly shape my new knowledge, and show it to senior apprentice-brother Nie.”
Or, when she encountered a hurdle, she could even correct herself through dueling with Nie Jingshen.
Moreover, the two weren’t that close to each other. When dueling, the desire to win wouldn’t be influenced by anything, thus allowing them to display their own talents.
If people of the same sect didn’t bear a grudge against each other, they wouldn’t feel any restraints to perform normally during a duel. However, they would hardly display their capabilities to the fullest.
After Long Xingquan and Gao Qingxuan married each other, they had dueled against each other as well.
However, according to him, his rewards weren’t as great as when he fought against Gao Qingxuan at the Roving Jade Heavens with full strength in the past.
The Prime Clear Lineage and the Jade Capital Crag Lineage had been in dispute for thousands of years. Now, the two sides had already understood each other’s sword arts. Innovating their old sword arts and continuing to deepen their insights wasn’t an easy feat.
Nie Jingshen and Yu Ye were rare talents of the sword. As the two continued to clash against each other, the two would undoubtedly acquire insurmountable benefits.
Most martial art practitioners are competitive. Even Yu Ye and Nie Jingshen were of no exception.
While their consecutive ties allowed each other’s attainments to improve drastically, they also strongly desired to win against each other.
Due to the previous generation’s dispute, their older generation might remain attached to the duel outcome. However, to the younger generation, every single duel was a chance to improve themselves. It would further increase their insights towards the sword, allowing them to strengthen themselves.
“What senior apprentice-uncle Long said was right. After my grandparents fought against each other, the quality classified as the pinnacle of sword duel had finally appeared between you two.” Yan Zhaoge smiled and said, “We’ve agreed on this beforehand. During your duel this time, we husband and wife are going to spectate from the side. Don’t chase us away.”
Feng Yunsheng smiled and nodded with an interested look.
Most martial art practitioners that reached a higher realm would hold extreme passion towards martial arts.
Even if she didn’t practice sword arts, and her current cultivation far surpassed Nie Jingshen and Yu Ye, interacting with other martial arts forms would broaden her horizon.
“I’m fine with it. It depends on senior apprentice-brother Nie.” Yu Ye nodded.
Her saying that meant that there wasn’t any problem. As long as they wouldn’t interfere with the duel, Nie Jingshen didn’t mind others watching either.
Upon mentioning her duel against Nie Jingshen, Yu Ye slowed blanked out once again. The transformations of the two’s sword arts surfaced within her mind. She thought back to their previous encounters and predicted the process of the duel happening later.
Looking at her eyes gradually losing focus, Yan Zhaoge and Feng Yunsheng couldn’t help but laugh.
“I still have some preparations to make for the Nine Underworlds Evil Devils.” Yan Zhaoge decided to leave Yu Ye alone. He sent a voice transmission to Feng Yunsheng, “Accompany her here for a while, and arrange her residence. After senior apprentice-brother Nie returns, inform me.”
Feng Yunsheng nodded, “Go ahead; don’t worry about us.”
After Yan Zhaoge left, he returned to his residence by the Broad Creed Mountain.
On the way back, he had already thought about what to do. As such, the instant he returned, he immediately started laying down a formation by his room.
Then, he took out the light strand acquired from the Crane Demon.
He cut another part of the stand and kept the remaining ones. Then, he wrapped the cut-off strand with a cinnabar talisman.
He took out a small bottle which contained the Devil Sealing Sacred Water.
The cinnabar talisman wrapped the strand and was placed within the small bottle. It was then soaked within the Devil Sealing Sacred Water.
He did a hand seal, and the small bottle imbued the formation’s powers. Then, the small jade bottle gradually turned transparent and disappeared without a trace.
As for the Devil Sealing Sacred Water, they transformed into cavorting embers.
Yan Zhaoge sat in a lotus position and pulled the embers closed to his chest. Then, his hand seals changed, and runes after runes flew into the ember.
A whole forty-nine hours passed just like that.
As the ember finally dissipated, only a talisman remained by the air.
The cinnabar talisman and the wrapped strand had disappeared as well.
Only the transparent talisman glittering with faint radiances remained.
Yan Zhaoge extended his palm, and the glittering paper laid flatly on his palm. Then, it disappeared by fusing with his palm.
He remained seated on the ground. Then, he adjusted his breath and continued cultivating.
After a night passed, Yan Zhaoge finally felt fatigued.
He continued cultivating in his room.
Later, Feng Yunsheng ordered a young disciple to report to Yan Zhaoge about Nie Jingshen’s return.
“Senior apprentice-brother Nie.” After seeing Nie Jingshen once again, Yan Zhaoge smiled and cupped his hands.
A smile appeared on the cold and silent teenage man in black, “How have you been, junior apprentice-brother Yan?”
“You even allowed my wife and me to spectate the duel between senior apprentice-sister Yu and you. Of course, I’m fine,” said Yan Zhaoge with a smile.
Nie Jingshen nodded, “Of course I wouldn’t mind.”
Feng Yunsheng laughed and said, “Then, we’ll be disturbing you.”
As they were talking, Yan Zhaoge’s expression changed slightly, “There’s news from my father and Senior Chen.”
Upon hearing that, Feng Yunsheng, Nie Jingshen, and Yu Ye both looked towards him.
They
were aware of what Yan Di and Chen Xuanzong were doing. They had also been paying attention while waiting for new information reports.
“Hold on…” Light blue radiances surfaced from his eyes. They intertwined with each other and formed into various complicated runes that flowed by his eyes.
After a long while, the blue lights dissipated. Yan Zhaoge’s gaze also returned to normal.
He let out a long breath and looked at everyone present.
“There’s news regarding Chu Lili.”
Upon hearing his words, everyone became excited. After calming down, they almost asked in unison, “Is Senior Chu still safe?”
“I’m not certain as of now. We’ll have to await further confirmation.” Yan Zhaoge shook his head, “The clue is related to the Exalted Solar Luminary.”
Feng Yunsheng asked, “Shall we go over now?”
“They’ve already gone ahead. There’s no need for us to rush.” Yan Zhaoge narrowed his eyes, “If Senior Chu had already fallen into the hands of the Nine Underworlds, she might be a bait that serves to distract us.”
“This implied that the Nine Underworlds’ plans had already reached its final stage. Soon, the Water Devil and the Earth Devil would make their moves together.”
Yan Zhaoge raised his hand and looked at his palm, “We shouldn’t remain a passive stance. We should take the initiative instead.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 1417 - Seize the Initiative
“The best possible outcome would be that Senior Chu was still safely venturing alone.” Yan Zhaoge rubbed his temples softly, “But, we should prepare for the worst outcome possible.”
Nie Jingshen looked towards Yu Ye, “Since something unexpected occurred, shall we delay our duel?”
“Naturally.” Yu Ye nodded, “I’ve met Senior Chu in the Roving Jade Heavens before. Hopefully, she’s safe and sound.”
Yan Zhaoge said, “Since the clue was related to the Exalted Solar Luminary, the Southern Extremity Longevity Emperor should be aware of it as well. Let’s try to contact Senior Suo and the Incongruence Divine Mother for now.”
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