The Extreme Yin Crown and the Extreme Yin Bout.
When Feng Yunsheng had entered the Sacred Sun Clan at a young age, her life had come to take a whole different meaning.
From then on, obtaining the Extreme Yin Crown had become the goal of her life, the peak that she aspired to.
If it was merely so, perhaps it would still not be so deeply ingrained into her very core.
Perhaps those who had regained something after they had lost it would feel even more deeply about it.
This was so for Feng Yunsheng. In the past, she had been a Maiden of Extreme Yin who was superior to Meng Wan, the hopes of obtaining the Extreme Crown all placed upon her by the Sacred Sun Clan.
However, due to an accident, the Extreme Yin power in her body had virtually all dried up. Afterwards, the Sacred Sun Clan had had no choice but to get Meng Wan to replace her.
During the first Extreme Yin Bout, Meng Wan who had still been young at the time had engaged in a bitter struggle with Jade Sea City's Chen Suting, finally securing victory by just the slightest of margins.
That year, Feng Yunsheng had already fled the Sacred Sun Clan. However, whenever those in the clan who were in the know brought up the matter, they would all still feel that it was a great pity. If Feng Yunsheng had been fine, the Extreme Yin Crown would have stably entered the Sacred Sun Clan's grasp in this first Extreme Yin Bout. It would not have needed to be such a close thing.
Meanwhile, Feng Yunsheng herself had seen her Extreme Yin power drying up as well as been forced to leave due to having injured Xiao Shen. The glorious future before her had vanished as she had fallen from the highest peak into the deepest gully.
Feng Yunsheng would also sometimes wonder in recent years-if that accident had not occurred that year, how would her life have been like?
Perhaps there would have been the Sacred Sun Clan disciple Feng Muge, having long since achieved her goal and stood on that peak as she presided arrogantly over all her other competitors with the prided crown on her head.
However, in that case, there wouldn't have been the current Broad Creed Mountain disciple Feng Yunsheng.
How would things have been like between her and Yan Zhaoge?
Her temper was worse and more came more easily than Meng Wan. The conflicts between them would probably have been more intense as well?
Thinking about this, Feng Yunsheng could not help but smile as she seemed able to see Yan Zhaoge blinking towards her, "This girl, be more careful. I'm a very petty person. All my enemies come to no good end."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Feng Yunsheng murmured to herself, "I also know that you are capable, always able to give everyone a shock as you accomplish what others can't."
"Thus, this time, you will return peacefully as well, right?"
"Is it that you have already returned long ago, just having concealed yourself somewhere as you plan something, preparing to suddenly leap out and give everyone another fright?"
Yan Zhaoge's figure surfaced within Feng Yunsheng's mind. It was this person who seemed a little out of sync with the atmosphere who had helped her to stand back up once more from the deepest gully, gaining a chance to strive towards the peak once more.
It was true that even without her Extreme Yin power, with Feng Yunsheng's martial talent, her future accomplishments could still have been very high.
The feeling of regaining something that had once been held so precious, that feeling of the darkness dissipating with the light of day becoming visible once more, was just that exceptionally memorable.
Now, however, Yan Zhaoge had gone missing, with it even being unknown whether he was alive or dead.
Feng Yunsheng felt these to be the most worrying days of her life thus far.
She suddenly recalled the words that her Master, Fu Enshu, had said that year.
"If you are happy being together with someone and always think of that person, that's actually really nothing much."
"However, if there comes a time when you still keep on thinking about him even after you have parted ways, you will have to be cautious at that time."
Feng Yunsheng sighed softly.
It was already no longer a problem of merely continually thinking about that person for her.
It was not like they had never been away from each other before this in the past. However, it had never been like this before, with there completely being no news of him at all with even his life being in question to the point that one could not see hope, only being able to constantly reassure themselves.
"Senior apprentice-sister Feng?" Han Long'er waved his hand curiously before Feng Yunsheng's face.
Feng Yunsheng broke out of her reverie, shaking her head and smiling slightly.
It was indeed no longer a problem of merely continually thinking about him. It had never been like this for her before, entering a daze from just having been thinking about someone.
Under such unique circumstances, with it being a parting after which it was unknown whether they would ever meet again, that acute feeling within her heart grew more and more intense, maturing steadily till it was finally irreversible, unable to overlook.
Feng Yunsheng did not resist it, did not feel embarrassed.
Whether this fluttering of the heart stemmed at its base from the gratitude from Yan Zhaoge having helped her to re-attain the peak, from her admiration of Yan Zhaoge's numerous miraculous feats, or if she had been attracted by that occasional feeling of loneliness and desolation that Yan Zhaoge emanated every now and then, feeling curious whilst also pained by it, this was not something that Feng Yunsheng was interested in distinguishing.
She just knew that while gratitude, adulation and empathy might be sprouts, they all weren't really love at the end of the day.
Not having had much experience with matters of the heart before, Feng Yunsheng couldn't clearly describe this feeling. She just knew for certain that this was not gratitude, nor adulation, nor empathy.
Currently walking on Broad Creed Mountain, she raised her head and gazed at the moon overhead.
Whenever she looked up and saw the moon, Feng Yunsheng would always think of the Extreme Yin Crown.
Now, that crown seemed to be getting closer and closer to her. However, ever since having returned from the East Sea, whenever she looked at the moon, what came now to Feng Yunsheng's mind was instead: In that unknowable place, when someone raised his head and gazed upwards, would he be able to see moonlight as bright as this?
Gazing focusedly at the moonlight, Feng Yunsheng's gaze gradually regained its calm.
Accompanied by her gradual increase in strength, she had been coming closer and closer to succeeding in the Extreme Yin Bout. Even Feng Yunsheng would instead feel a little worry at this point. This was only normal of human beings.
However, ever since having returned from the East Sea, this emotion had gradually disappeared completely.
The Extreme Yin Bout-I will win.
This thought had grown more and more intense, intense to the point that it overshadowed and suppressed all negative thoughts.
However, while Feng Yunsheng's will to succeed was strong as it had never been before, it was becoming less and less because of her lifelong wish.
Her source of motivation was currently more of a soundless vow she had made with someone else.
"Junior apprentice-sister Feng?"
Calmly swivelling her head, Feng Yunsheng saw a bunch of people currently walking over, meeting with her, Sikong Qing and Ying Longtu.
The one who had called out to her was Jing Yunzhi. Beside her were Zhao Ming and some others, all being fellow disciples whom Feng Yunsheng had gotten acquainted with upon just having entered the clan. They were familiar with each other and also on good terms.
They exchanged greetings before beginning to chat. Soon, the discussion came to the current global situation of the Eight Extremities World.
Everyone here being Broad Creed Mountain disciples, they were naturally filled with deep hatred and resentment towards the Heavenly Thunder Hall who had fled in the face of danger and distorted the truth as well as the Sacred Sun Clan who had stabbed them in the back when facing external enemies together.
Zhao Ming snorted, "So what if the Sacred Sun Clan has wrested away the Heaven Cleaving Axe? We'll have them hand it over sooner or later."
"Junior apprentice-sister Feng, after you've obtained the Extreme Yin Crown, the Sacred Sun Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Hall will no longer be able to do anything. When the Seal of the East Sea has been completed and Chief returns, that will be the time when we settle the full score with them!"
Everyone nodded. Even if Huang Guanglie returned from the East Sea as well, he would not be Yan Di's match at all.
Meanwhile, Old Man Mo and Jade Sea City's City Lord Song Wuliang would also not lean towards the Sacred Sun Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Hall.
Jing Yunzhi looked at Feng Yunsheng, "Junior apprentice-sister Feng, in cultivating diligently over this period of time, you've also got to take good care of yourself. Don't go out tempering again, lest you be attacked by some villainous characters."
Feng Yunsheng nodded, "You can rest easy, senior apprentice-sister. I know."
"For Broad Creed Mountain, for Grand Master, for Master, for senior apprentice-brother Yan, I will win."