HSSB79: Enemies pressuring the border
Zhao Shicheng looked at Yan Zhaoge, “Could I take a look at your formation?”
Even before he finished his sentence, Yan Zhaoge was already pulling out a cloth scroll.
Where his aura-qi touched, the cloth scroll did not tear, but some marks were left behind. With a “Shua, shua” sound, a complicated looking formation schematic appeared in front of Zhao Shicheng.
Zhao Shicheng carefully examined the diagram, comparing it with the knowledge of formations that he already had. Immediately, a feeling of cheerfulness welled up within him.
“This method could work!” Zhao Shicheng exclaimed, “However, to set up this formation, it will still depend on whether or not the supplies are sufficient.”
Yan Zhaoge said, “We’ve stored some materials at the Spirit Wind Canyon. Even then, if there aren’t enough supplies, we can try to requisition some from the nearby Overlooking Abyss City.”
With respect to the necessary materials for setting up a large-scale formation, Spirit Wind Canyon would naturally lack them.
…Even supposing that there was no lack, in front of those of the Eastern Tang, they would have to lack those materials.
Without prior preparation, how could they possible have the materials stored up? They would have had to been preparing for such a situation for quite some time, and who was to say that those preparations were only directed at the Sacred Sun Clan?
When all was said and done, this reversal formation had to power to shake the Jingyang Grand Formation.
Even if Zhao Shicheng did not hold any misgivings of this sort, it was inevitable that other strong cultivators from the Eastern Tang would have some uncertainties about the intentions of Broad Creed Mountain.
After settling on this plan, they all immediately set off for Spirit Wind Canyon. On their way there, they continuously received news regarding the progress of the battle.
In the Eastern Tang, apart from Jingyang City, most places had not yet fallen into disorder. However, all of the areas controlled by the Broad Creed Mountain had encountered the menace of the Sacred Sun Clan.
This was also true of Spirit Wind Canyon, which was already under siege from the outside.
Yan Zhaoge and the rest of the delegation quickly swept through all obstructions. Having already received news of their arrival, Xu Chuan hurriedly came out and ushered Yan Zhaoge and Zhao Shicheng into the city.
Currently, Xu Chuan had been reassigned as the Acting Elder of the Spirit Wind Canyon. Compared to its previous status, Spirit Wind Canyon had become vastly more important—meaning that its defenses had also increased correspondingly.
“Elder Xu, please prepare the items on the list that I gave you. Whatever is missing, list it out.” Yan Zhaoge immediately spoke with no time for pleasantries.
Xu Chuan was likewise aware of the urgency of this mission, and immediately received the list that Yan Zhaoge had prepared. He immediately dispatched people to gather all the available materials, and made a quick report of all the unavailable ones.
“Overlooking Abyss City has all of the things that we’re lacking,” Xu Chuan instantly said, “It is unknown whether our clan’s warehouses have fallen, but even if we can’t get them from there, other places in Overlooking Abyss City definitely have those things.”
“Whether it is the Sacred Sun Clan or Infinite Boundless Mountain—their warehouses are definitely not lacking!”
Yan Zhaoge took a look at the list that Xu Chuan had compiled, then turned to Ah Hu, “Ah Hu, the situation is urgent; you’ll have to make a trip. Be mindful of your safety.”
Zhao Shicheng and Yan Zhaoge had to remain in order to set up the formation, and amongst the others, Ah Hu was the strongest.
Ah Hu gave a simple and honest laugh, “Young master can be assured, I will be there and back before you know it.”
Having said that, he turned and left. As soon as he exited the Spirit Wind Canyon, he made a beeline for Overlooking Abyss City.
Zhao Shicheng looked in the direction in which Ah Hu had departed, “Even though Yan Di did not pass down the core learnings of Broad Creed Mountain to him, whether it is the Black Nightmare Godly Wind or the Ghost Tiger Divine Claw, both of them are peak martial arts.”
Yan Zhaoge’s expression became warm, “That year, my dad actually wanted to take in Ah Hu as a disciple, but it was Ah Hu himself who refused.”
“Therefore, my father took out the direct lineage martial arts of the late Wind Domain’s Sacred Ground that he had collected and passed them down to Ah Hu.”
In recent years, Yan Di had actually wanted to take Ah Hu as a disciple even more, and Yan Zhaoge’s body’s previous owner had also looked upon Ah Hu more as a friend than a servant.
After Yan Zhaoge arrived in this world, he had also viewed the big fellow in the same way. Most of the time, he did not even think of him as a servant.
The two of them often poked fun at each other, possessing a cheerful and relaxed relationship.
Compared to some people whose faces he had never seen and he had never spoken to, existing only in the memories of his body’s original owner, Yan Zhaoge had a much deeper relationship with Ah Hu. As their friendship deepened, their relationship became closer to the relationship that had existed with his body’s original owner.
If it wasn’t for Ah Hu’s cheeky style whereby he seemed to disregard social status, making it seem like he needed to be taught a lesson, he could basically be considered the first friend that Yan Zhaoge made since arriving at this world.
As he spoke with Zhao Shicheng, Yan Zhaoge began helping him as they assembled a brand new formation within the Spirit Wind Canyon.
From the looks of it, this formation somewhat resembled the Jingyang Grand Formation.
However, if one looked closely, the detailed markings in the formation seemed right but were actually wrong. Compared to the original grand formation in Jingyang City, it was as though everything had been reversed.
It was like everything had been reflected in a mirror.
The formation gradually took shape, already beginning to emit a brilliant light. The lines of spirit patterns lit up in all directions, covering all of Spirit Wind Canyon.
Zhao Shicheng sat in the centre of the formation, one hand clenched in a fist, while the other slapped at the ground.
As for the Jingyang Grand Formation which was also being controlled by him, the light emitted by that formation also began to grow more dazzling.
It was only that that light was constantly flickering, causing it to appear very unstable.
Yan Zhaoge knew that this was caused by Prince Jin, Zhao Shilie’s, revolt in Jingyang City.
Zhao Shicheng’s expression didn’t change as he meditated serenely. He directed the power of the grand formation whilst simultaneously drawing on the power of the Spirit Wind Canyon reversal formation to find a counterbalance between the two powers.
His eyes flashed as his dragon robe began to emit a golden light.
Golden light like the scales of a dragon- it was as though an armor of dragonscales was protecting his body.
This was the Eastern Tang’s number one treasure, the mid-grade spirit artifact known as the Imperial Golden Dragonscale Armor.
Most of the time, it remained inconspicuous, contained within Zhao Shicheng’s body. However, when the need arose, the armor would manifest itself and envelop his body.
Inside the Sealing Dragon Abyss, it was lucky that he had had the protection of this powerful mid-grade spirit artifact. Otherwise, with the sudden reversal of the grand formation and the recoil from the power of the Sealing Dragon Abyss’s abnormalities, even whether or not he could have secured his very survival was an unknown thing.
Yan Zhaoge formed a sword with his left hand, whilst making a guiding motion with his right. A jade-colored green light shot towards the sky, then landed directly in front of Zhao Shicheng in the center of the formation.
This was Yan Zhaoge’s personal spirit artifact, the Jade Dragon Sword.
Zhao Shicheng gently stroked the tip of the blade, as the roar of a dragon instantly resounded.
The Jade Dragon Sword hung in midair under the control of its consciousness.
On the sword’s blade, there was a brilliance circulating as the faint shadow of a dragon appeared and began travelling around.
The faint shadow of a golden dragon also materialised above the Imperial Golden Dragonscale Armor that Zhao Shicheng was wearing, also roaring mightily.
The Imperial Golden Dragonscale Armor worked to control and direct the flow of power from the Jingyang Grand Formation while the Jade Dragon Sword helped to control the reversal formation.
The twin dragons dazzled with a brilliant light as the two formations harmonized, the power they emitted growing stronger and stronger.
Just at this time, the Broad Creed Mountain and Eastern Tang martial practitioners within the canyon all frowned slightly.
A strong atmosphere suddenly descended upon the Spirit Wind Canyon from outside it.
A wheel of golden light rose up at the mouth of the canyon as a frightening pressure began pressuring down towards the formation within.
“The Sacred Sun Clan! A Martial Grandmaster!”
Yan Zhaoge knit his brows. Though the cultivation of the attacking martial practitioner was inferior to those like Zhao Shicheng and Yan Xu, this was still a real Martial Grandmaster!
Zhao Shicheng’s expression remained calm as he raised a fist and punched into the sky.
Backed up by the power of the formation, his strike shot towards the golden wheel of light in the sky.
The two powers made contact and burst apart in a brilliant explosion, making it hard for others to even look at it.
At the moment, Zhao Shicheng’s injuries had still yet to mostly recover. What’s more, the power of the grand formation was still being contested over in Jingyang City.
He was able to obstruct that Martial Grandmaster and prevent him from entering, but his attention as well as the power of the formation was also momentarily occupied by him.
Under the attack of the Sacred Sun Clan Martial Grandmaster, a rift suddenly formed in the formation’s defenses.
Multiple figures rippled as a crowd of Sacred Sun Clan martial practitioners rushed into the canyon.
Amongst those who rushed in, many possessed a frightening aura, seemingly causing the very space around them to roil wherever they went.
The people within the canyon felt their hearts sink, “So many Xiantian Martial Scholars!”
Yan Zhaoge fixed his gaze on one of the invaders who was dressed in a white robe, with a large beard and a gaze as venomous as a snake’s. That person was precisely Xiao Shen.
Xiao Shen’s gaze swept over the canyon as he entered, his attention instantly focusing upon Yan Zhaoge.
“Yan! Zhao! Ge!” Xiao Shen spit out each syllable as he stared at Yan Zhaoge with a burning gaze.
