Yang Kai punched landed, causing some stone chip to fly from uber stone statue (called it this just for reference). However, there was no response from the uber stone statue.
Yang Kai tried again and noticed that his True Yang Yuan Qi that he used to punch the uber stone statue was absorbed!
After a few more punches, Yang Kai could see a hint of red light coming out from the uber stone statue, as some of his stolen Yang Yuan Qi fluctuates inside it. Suddenly, the uber stone statue’s hand started to slowly move, causing Yang Kai to be startled.
It was absorbing his Yang Yuan Qi as a power source! Thankfully, it only had a little bit of Yuan Qi from Yang Kai, otherwise, Yang Kai expected it to be moving as quick or even quicker than the normal stone statues.
When Yang Kai finally uncovered this fact, instead of stopping his attacks, his attacks became more ferocious.
Let’s see if I will destroy you before you get the chance to move! Yang Kai’s eyes glimmered with stubbornness. Even with his fist covered with blood, Yang Kai was relentless.
As the Yuan Qi the uber stone statue absorbed becomes more and more, it’s movements also became faster. It managed to lift it’s hand up, stone eyes’ locked onto Yang Kai, preparing to strike down.
However, the uber stone statue’s chest was full of cracks; due to Yang Kai’s relentless attacks.
The uber stone statue’s hand slammed down as quickly as it could but Yang Kai managed to dodge the attack without a problem. Once the stone palm landed on the ground, a dust cloud formed as the strong wind currents produced by the collision made Yang Kai’s hair and clothing rustle.
*Rumble*
Quickly, Yang Kai’s two fists were coated in flames as the speed and power of his movements heightened.
*Bang*
Yang Kai’s fist collided into the uber stone statue’s chest, causing the deep cracks to finally break down into bits of rubble. The uber stone statue took a fatal strike as its body quickly developed cracks all over, turning rubble.
Inside the rubble, Yang Kai managed to find a stone baby.
He had wasted enough time here. Yang Kai could hear the stone statues that he lured away were about to come back.
Yang Kai complexion sank as he quickly placed the stone baby into his clothing, in the chest area, and ran away.
Yang Kai took a circular route to avoid all the stone statues and returned back to the group.
When he arrived, Du Yishuang was extremely happy to see Yang Kai. “Yang Kai! We manage to find one stone baby!”
“Hehe, it seems that my luck is quite good.” Yang Kai chuckled as he avoided looking at Lan Chudie. However, when the girl saw Yang Kai’s fist full of blood, she quickly grabbed his hands and asked with knitted brows. “How did you get this injury?”
Her appearance looked kind and gentle, as though she truly cared for the well-being of her Fellow Apprentice.
Yang Kai quickly withdrew his hands. “There were several stone statues that managed to catch up to me. In the end, I had to fend them off to escape.”
Lan Chudie was stunned for a moment but her composure quickly changed as she smiled. “As long as you’re safe, it’s alright.”
“Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s first distribute the stone babies and strengthen ourselves before doing anything.” Zuo An proposed.
Lan Chudie nods, “Yeah,” as she took out all five stone statues and placed them in front of the group.
The numbers of red veins within these five stone babies were the same. Thus, all of them were of the same grade of Martial Skill. Without obtaining the Martial Skills themselves, all group members would not know what type of Martial Skill the stone baby contained. Thus, their decision was entirely based up to luck.
After these few days of hard work, everyone’s eyes were glued onto the five stone babies. Their benefits, in the end, were based on luck. Nonetheless, even if they were to obtain something lesser than the others, they still obtained a Earth Grade Martial Skill!
“So, who should select first?” Nie Yong eagerly asked. Although he wants to be the first to choose, it was not good to self-proclaim it out loud.
“I think Yang Fellow Apprentice should get to choose first. After all, he was the one that took the most risk and also received some injuries. To be fair, he should be the first one to choose.” Lan Chudie smiled towards Yang Kai.
The priority to select was actually of unimportance. After all, the first one to select would not necessarily mean that the person would receive the best Martial Skill. This was the same for the last person to select. Hence, it did not matter who selected first. However, Lan Chudie proposed this just to seem as though she was fair and just. Planning for others to have a good impression of her.
How would Yang Kai not know her own thoughts? The boy impolitely nodded and said, “Since Female apprentice had said so, then I will be the first to choose.”
Yang Kai conveniently took up one stone baby and retreated back.
Lan Chudie and the others also went up and chose based on their individual’s strength.
“Since we have all chosen our Martial Skill, we will each find a place to cultivate the Martial Skill first. After one day’s time, we will gather here again.” Lan Chudie told everyone.
Everyone nods and was about to leave to their respective places.
Du Yishuang, who was a little worried for Yang Kai tapped on his shoulder and said “Yang Kai, let me help0 to wrap up those wounds.”
Yang Kai did not decline, “Thank you”.
Lan Chudie departs after hearing the two’s conversation. Her delicate eyebrows slightly wrinkled as she walked off.
Since Du Yishuang needed to bandage up Yang Kai’s wounds, there was only Du Yishuang and Yang Kai left at the meeting location. “I’ll wait a while for you to check the stone baby for the Martial Skills. If you don’t find it useful, I don’t mind exchanging mine with yours. I don’t really need an Earth Grade Martial Skill.”
Yang Kai smiled, “there’s no need. Since this is an Earth Grade Martial Skill, anything that came out will definitely be good.”
“Well, aren’t you aloof?” Du Yishuang no longer pressed the issue. Once she bandaged up Yang Kai’s hands, she stood up, “I will go and cultivate my Martial Skills then. We will meet again tomorrow!”
Looking at her back, Yang Kai spoke, “If there are any problems that occur in the future, you know that I will probably leave the group.”
Du Yishuang did not reply but secretly in her heart, she said, I know…
This group was not united. All members only participated in this group due to the unknown dangers inside a Heaven Cave Inheritance. What’s more, Lan Chudie is not a great leader. She is able to maintain the group in face value but for someone who only considers success and failure, the welfare of the group would not really matter to her. Hence, more than a group, we are mere tools for her to use. Even if this group were to continue, once they were to face a great danger, Yang Kai expects Lan Chudie and most of the rest to abandon him.
After everyone left, Yang Kai moved to a secluded location and took out the two stone babies from his clothe.
Yang Kai looked at both stone babies in his hands and smiled. The stone baby he found was extremely different from the one he chose from the group. The veins in the special stone baby were not only a lot more than the one he received from the group, it was also golden in colour!
What rank is this Martial Skill? Yang Kai wondered.
According to Lan Chudie, 30 veins would mean that the Martial Skill was at least an Earth Middle-Grade Martial Skill. Thus, the Martial Skill within this special stone baby could be either an Earth High-Grade Martial Skill or a much higher grade! A higher grade would mean a Heaven Grade Martial Skill!
When Yang Kai had thought of the possibility; his breathing became heavy and ragged. He was right to take that risk early on. The risk was truly worth its rewards!
However, which one to cultivate first? Yang Kai wondered.
The higher grade Martial Skill that he got with him will require more time than the other Martial Skill. That would also mean that it would take more time for Yang Kai to cultivate, learn and practice the higher grade Martial Skill. With the time limit of one day, he may not have enough time…
Yang Kai’s vision turned to the lower grade Martial Skill. Currently, the most important thing is to increase one’s strength in the shortest time possible to increase a person’s survival chances while having more opportunities to find more treasures.
Yang Kai started to concentrate on the lower grade Martial Skill. He poured his Yuan Qi into the stone baby as he memorized the flow of the Yuan Qi of the Martial Skill. After 2 hours, Yang Kai completely memories the flow of Yuan Qi to activate the Martial Skill but when he opened his eyes, he saw that the stone baby had completely turned to dust.
Yand Kai was not too bothered about the destruction of the stone baby. He had already gotten what he wanted. However, now he knew that the stone babies will only allow one person to learn its Martial Skill before turning to dust.
Yang Kai stood up and revolved his Qi around his body; similar to what he learned from the stone baby. As expected, since this was only the first time practicing a Martial Skill, he was unable to utilize the Martial Skill that he had learned. However, he was not discouraged as he immediately tried again after his first failed attempt.
After a few more tries, Yang Kai gradually got used to the flow of his Yuan Qi, within his 30 Meridians. He could feel his fist gradually becoming more powerful.
Finally, Yang Kai felt confident and focused all his might on an attack with this Martial Skill. He clenched his fist and it vibrated vigorously. Yang Kai continued to focus, trying to reach the most powerful state the fist can be. Suddenly, he slams his fist onto the ground!
*Bang!* a sound of a huge explosion occurred as the ground seemed the experience a miniature explosion. Yang Kai’s vision shivers as he could not believe the power of this Martial Skill!
What kind of Martial Skill is this? Isn’t this too powerful?
*Hey guys, check out the Major Announcement to know what’s up. An important message there!
This was the first Martial Skill that Yang Kai had obtained. So far, throughout all his battles, he had relied on the Yang Drops within his Dantian. However, such a method of battle was inefficient as it quickly depletes his Yang Drop deposit. Likewise, this method was incomparable to the effectiveness in a battle of a Martial Skill, which relied on Yuan Qi, instead of Yang Yuan Qi.
Although the Martial Skill was shown to be extremely powerful already, Yang Kai knew that this Martial Skill could be much stronger and more practical in the future. Naturally, after he had more practice with it. The first major thing he needed to improve on was the speed of the attack. It was not practical for Yang Kai to stand there and condense his energy to his fist.
However, this all takes time and experience to improve. There was no use rushing.
Yang Kai took a deep breath as he thought about the scene earlier and was choked with emotions.
Yang Kai looked at the dust on the ground and sighed. The stone statue did not provide him a name for this amazing Martial Skill. Hence, Yang Kai knitted his brows to think of one. [Burning Sun’s Blast] sounds nice…
When the 30 Meridians’ Yuan Qi gather and release in an explosive fashion, anyone who was hit by this strike will definitely suffer some serious injuries. However, Yang Kai estimated that he could only perform this move 3 times before his whole Yuan Qi is depleted.
Previously, Yang Kai would not dare show his skills to others when threatened. However, now, with so much spare Yang Drop within him, he was no longer worried. If he was against a group, he had enough Yuan Qi to deal with all of them.
With the use of Yang Drops, Yang Kai could use Burning Sun’s Blast consecutively, without stop! Thus it was extremely beneficial for him to have this.
It was truly fortunate that Yang Kai had gotten Burning Sun’s Blast. If he had gotten a Martial Skill Technique that was based on swords, it would be utterly useless to him!
Yang Kai focused on continuing his training to quickly increase his mastery over Burning Sun’s Blast. He spent the rest of the day arduously practicing to strengthen his battle capabilities.
After one day, Yang Kai managed to practice Burning Sun’s Blast, till he reaches a small level of mastery. However, he needed to stop and gather back to the meeting spot.
When he went back, he could see the satisfactory look on everyone’s faces; all except for Nie Yong.
It seems that nearly everyone’s harvest this time is not small.
Only Nie Yong was cursing with discontent. According to him, the Martial Skill that he had obtained was a whip law Martial Skill. A Martial Skill that was utterly useless to him.
Du Yishuang looked and smiled towards Yang Kai, “That evil boy has gotten retribution for all his evil doings. He only has himself to blame.”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
With a few comforting words from Lan Chudie, Nie Yong’s depression was greatly elevated.
The five members then started to walk again. However, while they were walking Lan Chudie noticed that Yang Kai no longer carried a big bag with him. “What happened to the Yang Stones that you’ve picked up?”
Yang Kai nonchalantly replied. “I’ve discarded them.”
Nie Yong saw Yang Kai’s aloof expression and felt sour. Nie Yong snorted. “It’s too late to regret later.”
Yang Kai did not bother responding to Nie Yong. After all, all the Yang stone’s energy had already been absorbed by him.
Since this place did not have a Sun nor Moon, Stars nor Clouds, Yang Kai was unable to tell how much time has passed. However, he could estimate that they had spent two days walking to exit the stone pillar area.
Along the way, the group had run into the corpses of disciples from the three schools. Although the group did not know what these dead disciples encountered during their exploration here, these corpses became a strong reminder to stay alert and vigilant.
One the group entered a jungle area, they breathed out a sigh of relief. The number of corpses and possible hidden dangers of the previous area gave the group a sense of constant danger. Seeing this new location, and made them feel a short-lived sense of safety. Furthermore, in a jungle, the existence of Spirit Herbs is definitely not going to be a few.
The team quickly regained their vigilance as they walked through the jungle.
After walking for a while with Zuo An lead the path, Zuo An’s brow wrinkled as he concentrated on the floor. There were numerous footprints.
After a short moment, Zuo An exclaimed, “ There were definitely a group of people that passed by recently. What’s more, this group is big.”
Nie Yong Happily sounded off. “Then there should be guys from our schools!”
Zuo An’s brow wrinkled. “Let’s not decide so haphazardly. We can’t be sure that only disciples from the three schools are inside the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance.”
After hearing Zuo An’s words, the group became terrified. What kind of figure could possibly live here when the place has been sealed for more than a thousand years?
Zuo An quickly tried to calm everyone down, “I did not really think of what I just said. These footprints should belong to people from our schools.”
“Oh, then let’s chase up to them! If we meet that Su Female Apprentice or Xie Fellow Apprentice, they can protect us.”
Lan Chudie’s brow wrinkled as she nods in agreement. In this group, everyone’s cultivation level is not exactly the highest out of all the disciples in their respective schools. Although she has to give up her leadership role, it was much safer if she were to follow the stronger disciples from High Heaven Pavilion.
“Then let’s go.”
As the group followed the trail, they saw more and more footprint on the ground. After half a day, the group saw a small lake. Around the lake were numerous footprints that covered the place. Apparently, this had become a rest spot for many disciples. With so many disciples being willing to rest here and without corpses, this place must be a safe spot.
After a short discussion within the group, they decide to rest up first before proceeding with anything else.
All five dispersed around and sat in meditation to rest. After a while, Lan Chudie stood up from her meditation and sat beside Du Yishuang. She whispered to the frail-looking girl in a soft voice. Initially, Du Yishuang shook her head slowly but after contemplating for a while more she clenched her teeth and nodded while blushing.
Afterwards, Lan Chudie arrives in front of Yang Kai and pat on his shoulder.
“What’s the matter?” Yang Kai asked as he looks at Lan Chudie.
“Come with me”, Lan Chudie said while checking up on Nie Yong and Zuo An secretly.
Yang Kai’s brows wrinkled. Although he did not know what she was about to request, he followed her.
After walking for a while, Yang Kai saw Du Yishuang sitting down on a rock, waiting.
“What’s the matter?” Yang Kai was unaware of what they were planning and asked.
Lan Chudie blushes with a smile, “Little sister Du and I want to take a bath here…”
Yang Kai’s face immediately becomes strange and he sizes up both girls. Du Yishuang blushing became even heavier but Lan Chudie charmingly stomps her feet. “What are you thinking? We only want you to protect us and not let anyone close!”
Yang Kai cannot help but chuckle. “Lan Female Apprentice, why do you ask me of all people? For this matter, you should have asked Nie Yong. That boy will certainly agree to your request!”
Lan Chudie knew that Yang Kai was discontent with her due to the decisions she made over the past few days. However, she could not help but get angry, “Of course it’s because I trust you more than him.”
“Lan Female Apprentice, you trust me?” Yang Kai smiled. “If you shower, I will definitely peep”
Lan Chudie smiled back at Yang Kai. “If you did so, I don’t mind. However, what would Little Sister Du say?”
Yang Kai coughed, he was unable to decline her. Let alone, for Du Yishuang to bathe, he was indeed the best choice.
“Alright then. Just bath quickly.” Yang Kai nodded.
Seeing him comply, Lan Chudie smiled. “Thanks. Please stay here while we bathe.”
Du Yishuang pulled on Yang Kai’s arm and urged the boy. “You absolutely cannot peek!”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.” Yang Kai answered while looking at the lake. There was a small water body nearby, which has a giant stone by the side that acts as a natural wall. So long as the two girls hid behind the stone, it would be hard for anyone to peek at them.
*Splash* those two girls entered the water body as Yang Kai went to the place that could see them. Naturally, as they entered, both girls secretly checked if Yang Kai turned his head around to peek. Of course, Yang Kai did not pay attention to them. He sat down and meditated. As long as someone wants to peek, he would need to pass Yang Kai’s position.
Although Yang Kai does not like Lan Chudie, they currently do not have any enmity. Moreover, they are currently in the same group and those choices that would lead to disadvantaging him did not end up doing so. Yang Kai also wants to quickly leave this group and join us with Su Mu. Thus, he does not want any further trouble with Lan Chudie.
While meditating, Yang Kai could hear a faint sound of footsteps coming closer. When Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked around, he saw Nie Yong creeping up softly. He was breathing heavily as his slowly slid his head to peek behind the huge rock.
Noticing Yang Kai’s gaze, Nie Yong turned his head and returned a despising smile, threatening him. “You have seen nothing. If you dare say anything, I will personally make sure that you will no longer be able to walk!”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes and scoffed. Nie Yong actually thought that he was afraid. Without wasting much time, Yang Kai quickly ran forward.
The laughter of the two girls and the splashing of the water acted like demons whispering to Nie Yong’s ear. As he thought about Lan Chudie’s smooth skin and plentiful breast, his heart boiled; making it impossible for him to resist the temptation.
The boy then quickly walked, following the sound to see this huge rock blocking his view of paradise.
Yang Kai sneers as he breathed in as much air as possible and shouted “Nie Fellow Apprentice. What are you doing over there?!!!”
Yo, so I’ve received some feedback about my comments and it was kinda a distraction to some. So I think I will change the color of the words to make it hard to read. (Feedback on this please.)
Also, I’m glad that there are so many supporters for this novel.
MP2O – 16 votes!!
MP2E – 11 Votes!!
Alright. Many probably haven’t read the comments yet so I’ll take the opportunity to announce that I will be posting out both versions. Because MP2O is top, I will be posting that out a day earlier. However, you guys won’t get to see it too soon. Around Jan or Feb next year!
Okay next thing, so I’ve received some valuable feedback to addressing the Fellow Apprentices as Elder Sister or Junior Brother… etc
So, another voting shall commence for a week. Please only comment on this page. It’s tedious to flip through all the pages I will upload.
Just want it to stick with Fellow Apprentice, type FA.
Wish for it to be Elder Sister or Junior Brother, type SB
Finally, wish it to be Elder sister apprentice or Junior brother apprentice, type SSBB.
Abruptly, the sound of water splashing and laughter from the two girls paused.
With their silence and the blaring sounds of moving water, anyone could tell that the two girls were scuttling to get their clothing.
Nie Yong quickly reacted. The boy got startled and jumped. He hastily ran off, only leaving Yang Kai with a gaze filled with hatred. Never would he have imagined that Yang Kai would dare to offend him.
Yang Kai smiled and shouted out, “Coward!”
Soon after, Lan Chudie and Du Yishuang appeared from behind the rock. They were drenched but clothed. Du Yishuang was blushing while her eyes avoided his. Meanwhile, Lan Chudie looked at Yang Kai indifferently and muttered, “Thank You.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Yang Kai replied.
When the three were on their way to return back to the group, they could feel a large, sudden fluctuation of Yuan Qi.
They looked up, in the direction of the fluctuation and saw rays of light piercing through, above them. They could hear echoes of people shouting “kill!” alongside an enraged roar emerging from a powerful and furious beast.
The three’s faces paled as they started to realise what the source of the roar was. There are Monster Beasts here!?
What’s more, it sounded like there were hordes of people battling this one Monster Beast!
Nie Yong and Zuo An ran out from the bushes and joined the three. Their complexion was no better than Lan Chudie and Du Yishuang’s.
Du Yishuang stared at Nie Yong with disgust. Meanwhile, Lan Chudie kept calm and asked Zuo An. “What can you recognise from the sounds?”
Zuo An’s voice sank as he spoke. “There are more than a hundred people there. What’s more, from the power of its roar, the Monster Beast they are fighting is horrifically in the Sixth Realm!”
Everyone froze as their skin turned a shade paler. A Sixth Realm Monster Beast was equivalent to a cultivator in the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Those that entered the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance were disciples that were at most in True Element Boundary. How could they possibly face this Monster Beast? Even with a hundred people, this battle is nothing more than suicide for all of them.
“This Monster’s roar seems weaker than a usual Sixth Realm Monster Beast,” Zuo An brows furrowed. “It is likely that it was sealed previously and had just regained consciousness.”
The seal of the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance broke a few days ago. Although they do not know what the Monster Beast was doing here, it was definitely sealed for a very long time. Hence, it went into dormancy, waiting for a chance, for someone to break the seal. Being dormant for such a long time would certainly weaken it, rendering it unable to display its full strength.
Everyone felt a little bit relieved since the theory made sense. Otherwise, why would just over a hundred disciples be willing to battle this Monster Beast?
Suddenly, Zuo An’s brows jumped. “The Monster Beast is hurt!”
An odd change in its grumbling bellows could be heard. The Monster Beast gave another angry and unwilling roar and the people became silent.
“What happened?” Lan Chudie asked anxiously.
“I don’t know,” Zuo An said while he shook his head. “Should we go and have a look?
Lan Chudie’s eyebrows wrinkled as she contemplated for a long time before looking back at all four members. “Let’s go and have a look. There are bound to be disciples there who are in True Element Boundary, as well as Separation and Reunion Boundary. Since we are all from the same school, we are obliged to help. However, this is highly dangerous, so it is up to you to decide.”
“Naturally, we must go!” Nie Yong nodded. After the awkward moment, he wanted to quickly leave the group and join up with his other Fellow Brothers.
“I will go as well.” Zuo An added.
Lan Chudie peered over at both Du Yishuang and Yang Kai as they both nodded.
“Then we go!”
The five quickly sped through the jungle as they headed for the battle zone.
After a long time, they came across a large group of disciples gathered together.
The large group was split into two as a line separated them. Each side had equal numbers, but Yang Kai and the group could not identify anyone in the darkness.
Then, a familiar voice vocalised, “Fang Ziji! Do you and your Storm House believe that we are so weak to be taken advantaged by you? Do you believe that you have the skills to force us to do as you please?”
“Xie Fellow Appentice!” Nie Yong called out in delight.
Lan Chudie smiled while Yang Kai’s complexion darkened.
To think that of all people, Yang Kai had to encounter Xie Hongchen!
Du Yishuang expressed a similar countenance like Yang Kai. The group of five quickly split up as rejoined their respective schools. Although Du Yishuang had spent but a few days with Yang Kai, they developed a close relationship. Unfortunately, if the schools were to clash she would have no choice but to side with her own school and reluctantly battle Yang Kai.
Facing Xia Hongchen’s taunt, Fang Ziji scoffs, “Xie Hongchen, I do not wish to fight a fight that already has a clear winner. You were only just promoted to True Element Boundary and are not my match. Do not humiliate yourself.”
“What did you say?” Xie Hongchen said coldly.
Meanwhile, many of the High Heaven Pavilion Disciples were clamouring and shouting, telling Xie Hongchen to teach Fang Ziji a lesson.
Fang Ziji snorted. “Only Su Yan from High Heaven Pavilion can be considered my match!” he chuckled.
“Then how about you try me out?”
“If you persist, I do not mind. However, I do not wish for someone like you to be humiliated in front of all your Fellow Apprentices.”
Although Xie Hongchen knew that he was currently not a match to Fang Ziji, with the disciples watching him, he could not back down. Just when Xie Hongchen was about to attack, Nie Yong ran out from the jungle bushes and shouted. “Xie Fellow Apprentice!”
When Xie Hongchen heard his familiar voice, he immediately turned his head, frown transitioning into a smile. “Nie Fellow Apprentice! We finally meet again!”
Nie Yong quickly rushed to join the group of High Heaven Pavilion Disciples.
The other four took their time to follow. Since Du Yishuang and Zuo An were not High Heaven Pavilion disciples, it will be hard to join them. As for Yang Kai, he had some grudges with Xie Hongchen and could not easily join the High Heavens Pavilion group.
Knowing Yang Kai and Xie Hongchen’s relationship, Lan Chudie looked at Yang Kai with a weary smile and left the boy.
Du Yishuang whispered to Yang Kai. “I thank you for you kindness and support for these past few days. It’s regrettable that we must part…”
Yang Kai smiles and nods, “It’s alright. I understand. Go.”
Du Yishuang turned her head to Zuo An and asked. “So, Zuo An, do you want to join me or Sister Lan’s group?” Since Zuo An is from Bloody Battle Gang, he would be left alone. Hence, it was best for him to temporarily join one of the big groups here.
Zuo An quickly replied. “I believe it’s better to join you.”
Zuo An knows that Du Yishuang was a kind hearted and good natured girl. Although he does not know the characters of the other disciples within Storm House, Du Yishuang would protect him since she was the one to offer him to join. Compared to Lan Chudie, Zuo An trusts that Du Yishuang would take better care of him. At the very least, Du Yishuang would not scheme against him.
Du Yishuang nodded and brought Zuo An to the Storm House group.
Lan Chudie opened her mouth and said. “Let’s go.”
Yang Kai took a little while, his eyes scanning to see if Su Mu, Su Yan or Xia Ning Chang were within the High Heaven Pavilion Disciples here. Seeing that none of them was present, Yang Kai knew that he was bound to be ridiculed and bullied in rejoining his group with Xie Hongchen leading. “You go.”
Lan Chudie knew Yang Kai’s worries and quickly told him, “Fellow Apprentice. It’s best to just endure. It’s better to be in a group in this unknown place filled with danger.”
Yang Kai shook his head as he still stood resolutely.
When Nie Yong joined the group, he quickly conversed with many of the disciples there. They were all happily exchanging greetings and laughing. Obviously, most of these disciples were on friendly terms with Nie Yong. After greeting them, Nie Yong quickly went to Xie Hongchen’s side and began a conversation in whispers. The boy turned his head as he stared at Yang Kai with hostility.
60 metres away, Xie Hongchen looked at Yang Kai with disdain and disgust.
Fang Ziji, unbeknownst of the situation, spoke out. “Xie Hongchen, since you no longer wish to fight, let us both collaborate and kill that Monster Beast! We can split the treasure it yields amongst ourselves.”
Xie Hongchen turned his head, look at Fang Ziji and smiled. “This matter, we will discuss later. I have some other more important matters to deal with first.”
Xie Hongchen smiled at Lan Chudie and greeted. “Sister Lan Apprentice, it must have been very difficult for you. You have found us, so do not worry anymore. You are safe with our numbers now.”
Lan Chudie nodded gently and pulled at Yang Kai’s clothes. However, Yang Kai refuses to move.
Xie Hongchen smiled brilliantly, “Yang Fellow Apprentice! Since everyone is from the same school, it is my duty to protect you. Come and join us!”
At that very instant, Nie Yong shouted angrily, “Xie Fellow Apprentice! Have you forgotten what he has done? He humiliated you! Why must we allow him to join us?”
Xie Hongchen’s complexion turned cold. How could he possibly forget what had happened? While he was trying to enforce the rules within the school, Su Yan came to Yang Kai’s rescue and held his hands! Thinking about it, Xie Hongchen’s blood boils with rage.
Xie Hongchen took a deep breath and maintained his forced smile. “That time, Yang Fellow Apprentice was naïve and did not know any better. I believe he most certainly has changed. Right?”
When he spoke, Xie Hongchen’s lips twitched while he stared at Yang Kai’s cold face.
After hearing Xie Hongchen’s words, the High Heaven Pavilion Disciples all felt moved. To think that Xie Hongchen forgave Yang Kai despite the injustice! Xie Hongchen is magnanimous!
“Yang Kai! Quickly kowtow and apologise!” roared the disciples.
“Yang Kai! Xie Fellow Apprentice is kind enough to not pursue the matter any further. However, his forgiveness does not represent ours. If you don’t apologise, I will consider you an enemy!” one of the Fellow Apprentice screamed, with little concern for his own name.
“Yes! Yang Fellow Apprentice does not have any pride. He dares to woo Su Female Apprentice with one as weak as himself. He is simply a toad looking to eat goose meat! It’s best he looks into a mirror and gives up!” many Female Disciples clamoured together against Yang Kai. Similar to vixens, they nagged.
Yang Kai’s facial expression shows no change. He remained aloof.
Lan Chudie pulled Yang Kai aside and whispered to him, “Fellow Apprentice, if you are a real man, you must adapt to the situation. Just throw down your pride for a moment. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes.
“What?” Lan Chudie questioned as a frown stretched across her cheeks.
“You don’t have to explain to me. You don’t know Xie Hongchen’s true intentions. You don’t know what he’s done and will do to me later on.” Yang Kai snorted as he looked at Lan Chudie with a hint of resentment.
Lan Chudie claimed frustratedly, “How would I know what he did to you?”
“We may be Fellow Apprentices and, for the past few days, have been helping each other survive, but we are in no way friends. You don’t have to think that you have abandoned me and feel guilty about it. My matters do not require your care.” Yang Kai said coldly.
Lan Chudie clenched her teeth as her face turned slightly pale. “Why don’t you know what’s good for you?”
Lan Chudie stomped away. She no longer wanted to pay attention to him. Lan Chudie quickly paced to Xie Hongchen’s group and turned her head. “You are right. I don’t owe you anything. Seeing as how you are so carefree, I’ll let you deal with your own affairs.”
Xie Hongchen, within his group of High Heaven Pavilion Disciples was grinning slyly. He was enjoying the scene of Yang Kai suffering isolation and bullying from his very own supporters. As he smirked, he stood there pridefully and arrogantly, mocking Yang Kai.
Xie Hongchen thought to himself: To join my team to survive? Fine! You little boy first have to admit your mistakes and kowtow. If you are not willing, you can wander alone around this dangerous place. Let’s see if you can survive!
Xie Hongchen’s eyes glimmer as he awaits Yang Kai’s decision.
After a while, Yang Kai spoke. “This big group of disciples can only group up and act mighty against me. Urging me to apologise just to gain favour from those that are stronger. Why would I join you?”
While cutting deeper into the sea of disciples, Lan Chudie heard what Yang Kai said. Noticing how his words were also a response to her, her chest wells up with humiliation and discomfort.
However, Lan Chudie’s discomfort soon turned to self-convinced fury. If I do not earn the favour of the powerful, in this dangerous place, how am I going to survive? Naturally, I must earn the support of someone likes Xie Fellow Apprentice. How could I possibly choose to side with someone who is weaker than me? You still dare to complain about me after taking care of you for these past few days. If you were stronger, people, including me would naturally want to be your ally.
I have already urged you but you paid little to no heed to my words. This is the path you have chosen and yet you blame me? Thinking about this, Lan Chudie no longer felt remorse for leaving Yang Kai.
After speaking, Yang Kai wasted not a second longer and strode back into the bushes and away from these two groups.
Seeing how Yang Kai was walking away safely, Nie Yong wanted to quickly stir up more trouble. “Yang Kai is simply too much. He dares to speak like that to our Fellow Apprentices and we’re letting him walk away?”
From the darkness, a ball of flame were quickly conjured and launched towards Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai remained solemn and calmly dodged the attack. The boy pays no heed to the direction it came from and proudly vocalised, “Xie Hongchen, what is the meaning of this? I will make sure Su Female Apprentice hears about this and see to it that you will receive retribution for all that you have done!”
Xie Hongchen’s complexion sank. He knew that Yang Kai was referring to Long Hui’s matter. He had thought that Long Hui would be able to kill Yang Kai with absolute certainty. Unexpectedly, Yang Kai managed to survive and learned of his implications in the matter.
A few days ago after Yang Kai’s return to the High Heaven Pavilion, Xie Hongchen slept on pins and needles. His fear was not of Yang Kai, but of retribution from Meng Wu Ya after seeing them return to the school in each other’s company.
However, since Meng Wu Ya did not act against Xie Hongchen, he thought that he was safe. That both Yang Kai and Meng Wuya had no knowledge his involvement in the matter. In hearing Yang Kai’s words, he knew that the said matter would be exposed sooner or later. Rapidly, his murderous intentions transformed to reality as he signalled to Nie Yong hastily.
Nie Yong grinned with delight. Because of Yang Kai’s exposure of his plans to peep at Lan Chudie and Yishuang earlier, he hated Yang Kai! To earn the consent of Xie Hongchen to go after Yang Kai was a delightful discovery.
Nie Yong shouted angrily. “Yang Kai! Your bold impudence against Xie Fellow Apprentice requires more than punishment. I will teach you a lesson personally!” He raised his arm and started inciting. “Which Fellow Apprentice wants to join me in disciplining this arrogant boy?”
Immediately, a group of disciples rushed to Nie Yong’s side and started chasing after Yang Kai.
Lan Chudie half raised her hand, wanting to speak out. She could find not a single word leaving her throat as she helplessly observed the group pursue Yang Kai with the intention to draw blood.
Du Yishuang reacted without delay to try and aid Yang Kai, but was intercepted and impeded by Fang Ziji.
“Fang Fellow Apprentice, let me go! I need to help him, he saved my life not too long ago!” Du Yishuang urged.
“This is not a matter for you to interfere in!”
“But…”
Fang Ziji looked at Du Yishuang intensely and shifted his attention to two Female Apprentices and demanded, “Look after her and make sure she does not leave the group.”
“Yes,” the two Female Apprentices responded in compliance as they briskly secured Du Yishuang’s arms.
Fang Ziji looked at the vanishing figure of Yang Kai and leered happily. “To think that High Heaven Pavilion has such disgraceful internal problems. This is nothing short of laughable.”
Du Yishuang continued to struggle in vain. Meanwhile, Zuo An tried to console her, “You don’t have to be too worried. Although that boy is a mere Initial Elementary Stage 7, he had always made me feel threatened… It is entirely possible for him to come out of this unscathed.”
“Are you sure?” Du Yishuang stopped struggling and asked in a soft voice.
“My intuition implies as such.” Zuo An answered confidently. His intuition has also been the reason for his absence in provocations against Yang Kai.
Running deeper into the jungle, the numerous shadows trailing Yang Kai failed to disappear.
“Yang Kai, in these few days we’ve spent together, our friendship has deepened considerably. I’m willing to minimise your suffering, as long as you let me catch you!” Nie Yong gleefully taunted.
“Friendship?” Yang Kai sneered. “With someone like you? Don’t make me nauseous!”
“Good! Good! I love what you have said!” Nie Yong lividly howled in response, tilting his head back just a little. “Fellow Apprentice! This boy has received an Earth High Grade Martial Skill! If we can hold him down and get it out of him, all of us will be able to learn it!”
“An Earth High Grade Martial Skill?!” The group of pursuers called out in alarm. Quickly, their motivation turned into greed as they sped up. Being in such a large group over the course of the past few days made it necessary for them to split almost everything they had. In the end, the disciples did not obtain anything worthwhile. However, in light of hearing such a palatable opportunity, why would they ever give up?
“Yang Kai, why do you insist on resisting and being stubborn?” An apprentice swung his sword at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai instinctively felt danger behind him and quickly sidestepped, avoiding the blow and losing no speed.
In the same position, Yang Kai felt another sword strike approach his front, forcing him to stop abruptly. The hunting group took the chance and surrounded him.
Yang Kai looked around and counted five. Every single one of them was in the Qi Transformation Stage and worse, their cultivation level was greater than Nie Yong’s.
The five people who encircled Yang Kai scoff at him. “Yang Fellow Apprentice! You have done a crime and I am here to punish you in the name of justice,” jeers Nie Yong.
Yang Kai undauntedly snorted. “Is peeping on women bathe not counted as a crime?”
Nie Yong’s face flushed. The other four disciples looked at the embarrassed boy in confusion, which only made things worse.
A disciple from the left spoke out, “Yang Kai, if you consider yourself our Fellow Apprentice, we will not take your life. If you tell us the Earth High Grade Martial Skill Technique, not only will we leave you unharmed, we will also persuade Xie Fellow Apprentice to forgive you.”
“Fellow Apprentices, It’s not that I wish to decline, but I decline.” Feeling pressure, Yang Kai did not whimper. Instead, he held his head high and puffed out his chest. “If you would like to try and take it from me, then it will depend on your skills.”
A Disciple from the opposite side shouted angrily. “We proposed a toast and you did not eat. Instead, you choose to forfeit. Do you think that we won’t kill you, just because we are apprentices from the same sect? Since you have already offended Xie Fellow Apprentice, you can consider yourself dead. If we kill you here, no one would know and we will never be punished!”
Out of the five Disciples, Nie Yong was the one who hated Yang Kai the most. Unwilling to wait any further, he beckoned, “The time for idle chat is over! We just need to torture him for the Martial Skill Technique!”
When they were dividing the stone babies, Nie Yong was extremely envious of Yang Kai’s choice. Although he did not know what Yang Kai received, he was certain it must be useful from the boy’s smug face.
With a warcry, Nie Yong’s fist rushed ahead and a familiar cool breeze followed. A dangerous aura threatens Yang Kai!
Nie Yong had decided to use his strongest Martial Skill to incapacitate Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, the other four disciples stood there and watched. After all, the difference in the cultivation level between the two left them with credence of an imminent victory.
One of the Disciples casually commented, “Nie Fellow Apprentice’s cool breeze palm has reached such a high level of proficiency. He must have been training hard to perfect it.”
All the three other disciples gave an approving nod. The cold breeze palm is one of High Heaven Pavilion’s Earth Low Grade Martial Skill can only be obtained with 500 contribution points. It goes without question, that Nie Yong invested countless amount of hours and effort for it. Thus, it is also expected of him, and anyone else in that case, to train arduously with it. For the group, using such a Martial Skill with such a high levelled cultivator was enough to deal with Yang Kai. There was no suspense as the group simply waited for the inevitable.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, decided that he would welcome the palm attack with his very own!
As the palm approaches Yang Kai, he could feel the Yun Qi within his Meridians in his left arm become weaker and colder.
Nie Yong grins. “Yang Kai, I will make sure you lose an arm today and carve it into your head as a lesson taught by me!”
Yang Kai’s face darkened as he forcibly stimulates the Yuan Qi within his body to counter Nie Yong. Nie Yong realized instantly that his Martial Skill was not working out as planned.
“You think you can oppose me?” Nie Yong clenched his teeth. He cannot humiliate himself now. “Your Yuan Qi may be fierce, but you are still too weak to resist me!”
The cool breeze palm was inching closer to Yang Kai by the second. With no choice, he stimulated his 30 Meridians and demonstrated his proficiency in Burning Sun’s Blast.
“I said that you are too weak!” Nie Yong sneered after feeling a weak Qi condense into Yang Kai’s fist. With such weak Qi, Yang Kai will lose his arm!
As their palms collided, the Qi within Yang Kai’s fist erupted with a thunderous bang as a red, vibrant fiery ray of light was produced. It was so strong it was like staring at the sun, temporarily blinding all that were nearby.
“What?!” Nie Yong cried out. He did not expect Yang Kai’s Martial Skill to hide such lethality under the guise of weakness. Unexpectedly, their powers were evenly matched as the explosion pushed the two boys to retreat a few steps.
Nie Yong was forced back into a tree, as he vomited and spat fresh blood. He had retained severe injuries that he could not predict.
Likewise, Yang Kai did not feel any better than Nie Yong. With such a large difference in cultivation level, it was impossible to escape unharmed even with his higher level Martial Skill.
Using the blinding flash as cover, Yang Kai wasted no time in continuing his elude. He stimulated his Yang Yuan Qi and continued to run. Since the other four were of higher cultivation level than Nie Yong, Yang Kai stood no chance should he have stayed. The only option was to flee.
Meanwhile, the four were paralyzed by shock. To think Nie Yong was unable to defeat Yang Kai! When they regained their composure, Yang Kai was long gone.
From far away, Yang Kai shouted, “Nie Yong, we shall say goodbye for now. The next time we meet, I will take your life.”
Yang Kai’s voice echoes, leaving the group in disarray.
“Nie Fellow Apprentice!” One of the Disciples rushed to Nie Yong’s aid. He had blood flowing from the corner of his mouth as his eyes were dull with unwillingness and dread. His entire complexion pale as a ghost after the costly exchange.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m alright!” Nie Yong supported his own body to stand. “Yang Kai has been injured as well. We must quickly pursue him! We can’t let him escape!”
“We are still to pursue?” Some members challenged as they looked at each other with hesitation. They did not have any enmity with Yang Kai. They only planned to cheer for Nie Yong and look good in front of Xie Hongchen. Now that Yang Kai has run off in an unknown direction, it would prove to be dangerous to resume the chase, with potential for traps and the Monster Beast.
Nie Yong understood their thoughts and hurriedly stressed. “Did you not see the power of his Martial Skill? He had only got the chance to practice it for a few days and its power is immense! Don’t you want such a Martial Skill for yourself?”
The other disciples nodded in unassertive agreement.
However, the group found the need to add, “Even if we are to pursue him, we are only here for his Martial Skill. If you want to deal with him, do not count on us. This is your own grudge and we will not involve ourselves in it. If you are to kill him, you must be the only one to suffer the consequences.”
“That is only natural!” Nie Yong fiercely scowled at them. “He dares to threaten me! What is he to have the gall to take my life? When I get my hands on him, we’ll see who will the last one laughing!”
The four disciples thought Yang Kai worthy only of punishment, not death. However, now that he had completely enraged Nie Yong, they all knew that his capture would mean his death.
Meanwhile, over by the small lake where Lan Chudie and Du Yishuang bathed, Yang Kai expulsed blood from his mouth. Now that he knows his current level of strength, he knew extending the fight would only result in him dying.
The highest in the group is probably a Qi Transformation Stage Level 7 or 8! If he was only able to barely manage to hold Nie Yong off, he would have no chance against the rest.
This fight cannot be compared to the one at Nine Yin Mountain Valley. After all, all the cultivators who were present there were of almost the same level as himself.
If not for Burning Sun’s Blast, Yang Kai would most likely be dead.
The cold effects from Nie Yong’s Cold Breeze Palm are now lingering and setting in within his body. Yang Kai had to remove the effects posthaste to prevent further and more severe injuries.
Sensing that someone was closing the distance between them, Yang Kai bent his waist and held his breath and dove into the pond to hide.
Yang Kai does not have the means to cope with any kind of dangers right now. Thus, he could only follow the safest and most familiar route to escape. To end up at the small lake; which provided a good hiding spot. If the group were to dive into the lake to check, Yang Kai could deliver a surprise attack to send the attackers into confusion once more. Were they willing to risk taking on such an attack after watching Nie Yong suffer his blow?
Yang Kai continued diving deeper into the shroud of darkness.
Though the lake was not that big, Yang Kai was surprised at its deepness. After diving for some time, he had not reached the lake bottom. What’s more, the lake was so cold at the deeper levels it pierced his skin to the bone.
Yang Kai stopped and swum towards the surface instead. He listened to sounds around him, trying to locate the others.
As he had suspected, Nie Yong and the others caught up to him. Although he tried to hide his tracks, Nie Yong, who spent a few days following Yang Kai before, could get a vague sense as to where he would choose to go.
After hearing their faint voices, Yang Kai heard a large splash from above him. Panic started plaguing his mind as he thought he had completely underestimated Nie Yong’s contempt. He had never thought that Nie Yong would track him down so vigorously, going so far as to search deep in the lake.
Without any other choice, Yang Kai could only choose to continue diving, in hopes of not getting caught.
Fortunately, Yang Kai thinks and cultivates True Yang Secret Art. With True Yang Yuan Qi circulating, the icy cold water would not be as much a hindrance to him. Thus, he could dive even deeper than Nie Yong and the others.
After a while, the person who jumped in arose and left the water.
Unable to find a lead on Yang Kai, the group did not tarry and walked to search in other places.
Being in the water for so long holding his breath, caused Yang kai to feel dizzy. Even if he had cultivated to Initial Element Stage 7 and was stronger than a mortal man, he still has limits.
Thankfully, Yang Kai was able to get a breather without the group of Disciples around. Suddenly, he heard a whistling sound as he continued to surface. He looked around and scanned his surroundings, but strangely he could not find the source of the sound.
As Yang Kai continued to search, the sound became louder. From a soft whistle, it turned to a breeze.
Is it coming from the bottom?
Since there was nowhere else the sound could come from, Yang Kai refocused his attention to the darkness below him. He swam down. As he carefully looked around the area, the sound grew even louder. When he focused harder, a faint glimmer could be seen. He drew closer to the source and found a shiny but black cave entrance.
Yang Kai’s eyes glimmered with joy. To be able to produce such a sound meant that the cave would have to contain air. Seeing it as a chance to find a safe haven away from Nie Yong to recuperate, Yang Kai swam in.
Nie Yong would definitely still be searching for Yang Kai outside. Even if the group had gone somewhere else, resurfacing was still a risk.
The cave was considerably deep, probably more than a hundred meters. Initially, the cave tunneled downwards, then horizontally and later, vertically. When Yang Kai was nearly out of breath, he managed to arrive at a pocket of air.
Yang Kai used his hands to wipe droplets off his face. He looked around to find that the pocket of air was not just a pocket, but a large, empty space.
This should still be part of the cave, Yang Kai thought. The small lake was on top of a mountain peak, allowing it to have sufficient space for a connection. Since Yang Kai could hear a breeze from the cave entrance, he knew that there must have been a hollowed out area that contained air.
The cave was surprisingly dry. Yang Kai quickly got out of the water and inspected the dark area for signs of life. He realized that there was him and only him, and he sighed loudly with relief.
Sitting cross-legged, Yang Kai quickly revolved True Yang Secret Arts to dry his clothes and started to drive out the cold effect that was still in him.
Since Nie Yong was a few cultivation levels higher than himself, Yang Kai was not confident he could drive out the coldness completely within his body. Thankfully, Yang Kai noticed that his Yuan Qi was vigorous enough. If it was other Cultivators at his level, they could only helplessly wait for the coldness to spread and corrode their Meridians.
In such situations, a Cultivator’s strength is essential, determining life and death!
A hefty amount of time passed and Yang Kai vomited a puddle of black blood, which indicated that he has successfully dispelled the coldness from his body.
Although his face was pale, he was smiling. He no longer had to worry about his Meridians.
Cool Breeze Palm! Yang Kai noted. This Martial Skill’s might is strong. Especially with the effects of the injecting coldness into the opponent’s body, similarly to the Burning Sun’s Blast, with the only difference being heat instead of cold. It was only fortunate that this Martial Skill was not as strong as Burning Sun’s Blast.
Having meditated for half a day, Yang Kai set out to look around the cave.
Previously, he was in an emergency state and needed to remove the coldness that plagued his body. He could not fully explore the cave he resided in due to his injuries. Now that his movement is no longer impaired, he naturally decided to delve deeper into the abode that may have very well saved his life in the first place.
Yang Kai assumes that he was still in the middle of the cave tunnel. With only rumours and hearsay to guide him, Yang Kai reached out both his arms in opposite directions. His left palm just barely senses a draft coming from the direction it faced. As the rumours have it, the hand that feels the wind will lead to the exit.
Yang Kai thought for a moment and walked in the direction of the palm of his right hand. It was better to go deeper into the cave than outside, since the hunters may still be lurking around the pond above.
After a long and tiresome walk, Yang Kai detects the scent of a herb. In such a dimly lit environment, who would have thought that herbs would grow?
Yang Kai approached the herb but could not tell if this thing was uncommon or not, but since this cave has dense Yin Qi and this was within the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance, he thought it must have some value to it!
However, Yang Kai held off of picking the herbs now. Since he does not have a suitable container for them, he decided that it would not be a problem for him to come back to them later.
Yang Kai continued exploring and discovered that there were actually countless herbs growing around the cave. This could only mean that this place has been out of contact with humans for a very long time. People would have picked this place clean in the blink of an eye.
After walking for two hours, Yang Kai could see a glimmer of light shining from deeper within. Suddenly, he could hear a faint sound calling out, as though to summon him towards the light.
Yang Kai turned vigilant and sauntered quietly towards it.
As he slowly but surely caught up to the little gleam which grew not brighter but bigger, Yang Kai found that the light was no exit nor sunbeam. Instead, the light was emitting softly from a circular bead the size of a fist like an oval lantern, and provided a reasonable amount of visibility.
When Yang Kai inspected the bead and its surroundings, he noticed an old, weathered skeleton. The skeleton sat cross-legged and wore an expensive and magnificent purple gown for males. His two empty eye sockets stared deeply at Yang Kai like a teacher dumbfounded by his student’s stupidity, giving him the impression that this skeleton was more than it seemed.
Who knows how many years has passed since the owner of the skeleton died.
The Yin Qi was denser here and it could very well be because of the skeleton’s presence. Yang Kai felt that it was once an evil person. The skeleton produced a sort of Evil Qi, striking fear in the arrogant boy.
Was he the one who made Heaven’s Cave Inheritance? Yang Kai suddenly realized that a cultivator must have created this place.
If that was the case, wouldn’t this cave hold the inheritance?
Suddenly, Yang Kai hears a resounding crash that snaps him out of deep thought.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately changed as he turned around to discover a gargantuan boulder blocking the path from which he came. He looked back at the bead and noticed that it was flickering as the space around him now resonates with a wild howl and loud shriek.
A cold wind struck Yang Kai’s body as the warmth he felt now chilled him down to his toes and fingers.
To counter this unwelcome change, Yang Kai quickly revolved his True Yang Yuan Qi once again. He paid full attention to his surroundings for dangers and enemies while he tried to evict the cold.
The shrieking and howling continued for a long time. Those sounds were meant to confuse and disturb the minds, but this trickery had little to no effect on the unyielding mind that Yang Kai’s head housed.
As time passed, the shrieking and howling started to irritate Yang Kai. Although it was subtle, Yang Kai discerned that the sounds were now different.
Yang Kai kept himself calm as he continued to stay on high alert. He could not risk making a mistake. He knew he had to stay calm and in control of himself, so he sat down cross-legged in a familiar meditation posture.
The sound and the bead’s flickering continued, making the environment look and feel gloomy. However, Yang Kai was unaffected. His aura and facial expression persisted.
After a few hours, the shrieks and howls dissipated. The bead’s flickering also reverted back to normal. Since he could no longer turn back, Yang Kai moved not one bit and yelled, “Why don’t you show yourself?”
Yang Kai’s lips confidently simpered as he yelled once more, “Whoever it is that dares to play these cheap tricks, show yourself!”
Yang Kai’s shout echoed through the cave when suddenly a strange cackle could be heard. When Yang Kai first heard this laughter, the hairs on his body stood. It was so petrifying and coarse that even Yang Kai’s five main internal organs shivered.
It was not just his body that felt uncomfortable. Even the bead trembled from the laughter.
Immortal Soul Attack? Yang Kai’s colour switched. He initially had thought that someone was trying to drive him away from this cave to monopolize the treasures here, but at this very instant, he knew that that was not the case.
An Immortal Soul attack was something that only a cultivator at Immortal Ascension Stage could perform. No disciples that entered could have done this!
“Young boy, your willpower is impressive. Your courage also surprises me. To think that you would dare to speak in such a manner in front of this old man!” the same coarse voice trailed and moved about, disclosing no information for Yang Kai for where it may be coming from. It was almost as though the walls spoke.
“Who are you?” Yang Kai maintained his solemn look and asked.
“Who am I? I don’t remember. I’m probably the master of this place,” the coarse voice chuckled almost comically.
“You are the master of the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance?” Yang Kai raised his voice to ask.
The three school’s disciples totaling over a thousand people gathered together in search of this mystical inheritance. It was said that whoever could obtain it and survive would one day be able to reach the prestigious altitude of its very master.
Yang Kai never thought that he would manage to obtain the inheritance. He only entered this place to explore and gather treasures and advantages. However, with the inheritance right up in his face, how could he not be interested?
Yang Kai felt excitement rush through his limbs, even though he wished to stay calm.
The coarse voice waited for the perfect opportunity to speak again. “That’s right. I was the one who created this place! Boy, do you want to obtain my inheritance?”
Yang Kai did not respond. Instead, he took some time to consider the proposition.
“I have been watching you and noticed that you are injured. Do you seek revenge? Do you wish to make sure that the person who injured you will be afraid of you? To know that you are no common pushover?” The coarse voice speculated. It sounded like a demon’s soothing melody playing it Yang Kai’s ears. He furrowed his brows and interrupted, “Hold on for a moment, I’m thinking!”
“You heart holds a deep hatred buried inside. A hatred others cannot see or imagine. You want to get stronger. You want to make sure that everyone who has ever looked down on you will regret their actions. Isn’t it?”
Yang Kai was trying to keep calm, but anger soon replaced it, driven and encouraged only by excitement from the thought of the sheer power he could receive. His forehead wrinkled and he looked as though he was struggling. Though what the voice said was somewhat wrong in terms of morality, it spoke correctly. Yang Kai truly felt as such deep down inside.
Yang Kai spoke in a soft but strong quivering voice, “That’s right…”
“If you wish so, just nod and this old man will give you my inheritance! Isn’t this a great opportunity for you to get back at them?” The voice continued. “Are you willing to decline such an opportunity? Just a simple nod.”
“If you let go of this chance, make sure that you will not regret it.”
The voice messages Yang Kai in consecutive pulses, causing him to feel confused as he was slowly being misled.
You could see the confusion in his eyes; as his head swayed slightly. His lips were opening and closing as though he wishes to accept this opportunity. Then, Yang Kai’s confusion turned to determination. His face now changed to that of a person who felt fear and on his forehead were droplets of cold sweat.
The opposing person with no knowledge of what Yang Kai has just done asked once again, “Well? What do you choose?”
Noticing that Yang Kai has no reaction now, the coarse voice sounded surprised, “To think you are willing to bite your own tongue to awaken yourself! What impressive willpower!”
“Who are you?! And what technique did you use to manipulate my mind just now?” Snorted Yang Kai.
“You are certainly an impressive young boy, to have been able to stay in reality. As for who I am? Who am I?”
“Even if you do not say, I know!” Yang Kai’s resolute gaze fell on the skeleton. “I have heard that cultivators of the Immortal Ascension Boundary and any above it, so long as they have developed their Divine Sense and keep it secure, they can stay alive even if their mortal bodies were to disintegrate and die. They can even seek another body to host them. You should be one of the many cultivators who died here years ago! And right now, you wish to take my body! Trying to mislead me into accepting you!” Yang Kai exclaimed with eyes full of dread.
After a moment of silence, the coarse voice laughed hysterically. “Fierce! To think some trivial young cultivator with only the strength of Initial Element Stage 7 is capable of figuring all this out! You truly are a talent worthy of praise. Even this old man admires you!”
The voice descended into one with gloom, “Do you not fear me despite this realization?”
Yang Kai gave a smile filled with ridicule. “Why should I fear you? If you had a method to control my mind with force, you would have no need for this conversation. You may have been a cultivator who exceeded my imagination, but that was before you died. Right now, you are only capable of tricks!”
“So remind me, why should I fear you?” Yang Kai derided. “On the contrary, aren’t you afraid? If I find and destroy the object that houses your Immortal Soul right now, won’t you die?”
“Young boy, aren’t you unruly?” The voice replied. “You think that I was speaking to you just to mislead you? HA HA! This old man just needs three seconds to completely erase your mind and take over your body. You won’t have a single chance to retaliate!”
Do check out the announcement that is made today!
Hearing the voice’s words, Yang Kai darkened. Without any hesitation, Yang Kai raised his fist and accelerated it towards the skeleton and shrieked, “Wishful thinking!”
How many years have passed since this man had died? When the blow Yang Kai’s fist impacted the skeleton, it effortlessly passed through its bones and shattered them into dust. Yang Kai did not waver from the seeming simplicity of the fight. Instead, he turned to be more vigilant.
“Enough. You may have been right, but you chose the wrong skeleton to attack!” The voice complacently gibed as the bead suddenly dimmed and an illusionary face emerged from the bead, brimming with Black Qi. The face looked terrifying; as though it was an evil spirit with little to no concern for life, as though it killed anything it wanted without blinking an eye.
The Immortal Soul was not inside the skeleton. It was inside the bead that created light!
Yang Kai was about to strike the menacing bead, but the new face opened its mouth as a piercing howl deafened Yang Kai. It made his mind feel like it was pierced with a million needles!
Yang Kai knew then that the skeleton did not lie. The result of the attack by the skeleton is only one piece of evidence of possibly countless more that proves his ability to forcefully take his body from him.
While the Immortal Soul continued to seep into Yang Kai’s body, he heard a maniacal laughter from his own chest.
Yang Kai’s body grew stiff and trembled with the struggle as he speedily lost control over it.
“Ha! Ignorant young boy, it was delusional to think that you can resist me. Watch as I wipe away your consciousness and occupy your body!” Chortled the invasive voice that now came from Yang Kai’s guts.
Yang Kai was startled, but he had no intention of yielding.
“Yes… Your body is, unfortunately, quite weak. I will use it to seek a better and stronger body later. Do not worry, when I have taken it from you, any hatred you may feel towards others will be settled by me. Just be obedient and stop resisting. It will save you the pain and save me the time!”
“Dream on!” Yang Kai thought.
“Why do you still revolt? It is good fortune to be liked by this old man. Why are you not content?” The face heard Yang Kai’s voice from within his heart and smiled. “Since you are not willing to concede, this old man has no choice but to erase your consciousness. You will realize how painful it is to have your consciousness wiped away. No average man can handle such pain and remain normal.”
Yang Kai’s head suddenly felt like it was hit by a sledgehammer. The pain was a million times as before. It was excruciating, so much that Yang Kai let out a shrill and ear-splitting screech! His clothes quickly turned damp from his sweat and his body convulsed like a seizure.
“Since you were who chose to suffer, you have no right to complain,” The old man snorted.
Yang Kai could feel his consciousness fade away like a waterfall flowing. His vision would flicker as he endured the pain. His eyes turned bloodshot as the boy held on, unwilling to give up.
“What?” The old man sounded off in surprise. “You are still able to resist me. How strange…”
While the old man spoke, Yang Kai could feel his own bones transmitting a warm sensation as his own Immortal Soul slowly stabilized. The pain was also greatly reduced.
Suddenly, a huge suction occurred in his mind.
“What is this?” The old man was struck by panic and squealed with confusion. “What is this?! This is not what I wanted! Nooo!”
The old man’s pitiful yell slowly fades as Yang Kai regained the senses in his mind. He could feel that something was imbued into his golden bones.
When the pain vanished and Yang Kai could feel his body again, he took a deep, long breath.
The Immortal Soul attack lasted only for ten seconds, but to Yang Kai it felt like a century. Putting up such resistance against the Immortal Soul attack only emboldened Yang Kai’s willpower.
A sad and miserable voice could be heard, and like a mouse meeting a cat, the shivering and frightened voice profusely begged for mercy.
When Yang Kai noticed the golden bones within his body, he found a face now within them, filled with nothing but fear.
“Young hero. Great young hero, this old man made a mistake. Please forgive me and let me leave and I will never do this again.” The old man sounded desperate as he pleaded. The old man did not know what happened to him, but could feel eyes filled with evil staring at him, waiting to devour him; just like how a ravenous neanderthal would stare at a delicious meal.
Yang Kai’s looked strange.
The last time he was in the Nine Yin Mountain, the golden bones absorbed half of the Nine Yin Congealing Yuan Nectar and stored it within himself, waiting to be used for when Yang Kai breaks through the True Element Boundary.
Today, the golden bones managed to absorb the old man!
Although Yang Kai knew that the golden bones were capable of absorbing energies besides Yang Attribute, he had not imagined that it was even remotely capable of absorbing others’ Immortal Soul!
The Immortal Souls of cultivators is also considered to be energy. In fact, they made almost entirely of energy. With regards to the golden bones, it should come as no surprise that such energy could be easily absorbed.
While the voice continued to beg and wail, Yang Kai revolves True Yang Secret Arts slowly. During the process, the old man began to feel his whole Immortal Soul burn with scorching, pure energy.
The old man pitifully exclaimed, “What are you doing? Stop. Please!”
Hearing a slight response from his voice, the old man knew then that Yang Kai was experimenting.
“Young Hero, please don’t do this. You will only be extinguishing my Immortal Soul…”
Yang Kai was dauntless. He continued to revolve True Yang Secret Art. As time passed, the pleading voice dwindled and became softer and weaker. The old man implored Yang Kai for the entirety of the revolving. He dared not stop, in hopes that Yang Kai would change his mind.
As he estimated, Yang Kai soon stopped revolving and returned his focus to the golden body.
“Many thanks, gracious Young Hero, for showing mercy!” The old man waited for some time to restore his Yuan Qi and shuddered with fear while expressing his gratitude.
It seems that he had become the opposite of what he was; from a robust, strong-willed man to a delicate flower; weak and fragile.
“What benefits would sparing you reap for me?” Yang Kai sniggered.
Since Yang Kai almost crossed the doorway to death, it was only fair that this Old Man experienced a taste of his own medicine.
Yang Kai did not wish to keep this old man with him. In the short amount of time they have met, Yang Kai could tell that he was as evil as the foulest demon. Yang Kai was fortunate that the old man’s strength was low; otherwise, he would have likely been dead.
The thought of absorbing and essentially devouring such an abhorrent character disgusted Yang Kai to his very core.
“Benefits? There are of course benefits!” The old man rapidly replied, knowing that his explanation was crucial.
“Speak, then,” Yang Kai calmly queried.
“I do not know what benefit this Young Hero wishes for. What do you want?” The old man poked.
“En?” Yang Kai responded, having expected a better reply.
“Young Hero, do not misunderstand! I have been dead for numerous years. Sealed in this place to only be awakened for a few days. With my extensive experience, I can certainly deliver benefits. Please, just give me a moment to recollect,” the old man corrected himself as he twitched with pangs of fear.
Yang Kai waited silently and patiently, knowing full that the old man spoke truthfully.
Moments after, the old man cried out in pleasant surprise. “Young Hero, I just remembered that at your present strength, you will need some high-level defensive Martial Skills. Please wait a moment and I’ll deliver one to you.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai straightened his body and enthusiastically promised, “I will spare your life if you bring me a satisfying Martial Skill.”
Hearing his words, the old man relaxes and quickly follows, “I will certainly make you satisfied. All the Martial Skills I know are at least of Mystery Rank.”
Yang Kai’s breathing spurred. Martial Skills were divided into ranks. From the lowest grade to the best grade: Earth Grade, Heaven Grade, Mystery Grade, Spirit Grade and finally Saint Grade. Naturally, as the grade scales so does the rarity of the Martial Skill. Even in the Great Han Dynasty, there were only a handful of Mystery Ranked Martial Skills!
A few days ago, Yang Kai had risked his life with Lan Chudie, taking much time and effort to obtain an Earth Grade Martial Skill. To think they were all satisfied with the grade of their hard work. But how could an Earth Grade compare to a Mystery Grade Martial Skill?
The Old Man could see the hope and delight plastering Yang Kai’s face, and slackened. He knew that in order to live, he had to please the boy. As a few minutes passed, the Old Man spoke slowly, “The Martial Skill is called Devouring Hearts.”
Yang Kai’s raised a brow in interest.
“It is simple to cultivate this Martial Skill. Every day for a hundred days, you must eat the hearts of three children and build up the blood. You will then achieve the Small Accomplishment Stage of Devouring Hearts, but this stage is more than enough to kill enemies by bursting their blood vessels!” The old man confidently promoted.
To the old man’s dismay, however, Yang Kai’s face turned black and sour. “This skill is unacceptable!” Yang Kai cut rudely into the Old Man’s explanation, disallowing him to continue.
“Okay, there’s another Martial Skill called Fallen Red.”
Yang Kai nodded. The name of this Martial Skill was nice and poetic. It must certainly be something graceful and majestic.
The Old Man smiled. “It’s even easier to cultivate this Martial Skill. All you need to do is to mate with a virgin maiden and collect her first drop of virgin blood. As long as you can collect female blood, you can cultivate this Martial Skill in almost any setting. Furthermore, the higher the maiden’s cultivation level, the faster your cultivation. If you just accumulate the virgin blood of a hundred females, you will undoubtedly achieve the Big Accomplishment Stage! Young Hero, you are both formidable and majestic. Spending a night with 10 virgin maidens a day should be a simple task for you. In just a mere 10 days, you can reach the Big Accomplishment Stage!”
Yang Kai looked uncertain and questioned, “Isn’t this just simply gathering Yin energy to supplement the growth of Yang Energy?”
“Yes! Young Hero is clever and knowledgeable! This is gathering Yin to supplement Yang.”
“Another one!”
The old man sank but continued at the thought of his life hanging in the balance. “The next Martial Skill is called Love Fist.”
“Another one!”
“No, another!!”
The Old Man’s was perplexed. If he had hands and skin, he would be nervously wiping sweat off his forehead right now. All these Martial Skills were, astonishingly, not to the tastes of Yang Kai.
To cultivate such evil was the same as waiting to be struck by lightning!
Yang Kai felt greedy at the thought of the power of these Martial Skills, but he refused to let it drive him.
After going through so many Martial Skills, the old man felt terrified that Yang Kai was not pleased.
“Young Hero, there is one Martial Skill that I cannot remember. I’m not lying!”
“If you are only able to give me such evil Martial Skill techniques, what’s the use of keeping you alive?” Yang Kai spoke in a foreboding voice. Whatever the old man has to offer would be evil since he himself is an evil cultivator.
“Young Hero, please repress your anger. I will try my best to remember! Having just woken up caused my memory to be chaotic. I need time to recall. Just give me a little bit of time. Just a little bit more and I will be able to remember something that is satisfactory.”
“I’ll only give you one more chance, so you best make good use of it!”
“Yes. I will certainly not disappoint.”
Yang Kai did not bother to respond to the old man again. The Martial Skills would require time to practice and he was in no rush to gain another. Likewise, the Old Man was too weak to escape Yang Kai now. Thus, he had no worries and could afford to wait.
Yang Kai took out the Golden Stone Baby from his bosom and revolved his Yuan Qi to feel the golden veins within; spying on its mysteries.
To know only the Burning Sun’s Blast places Yang Kai at a disadvantage. He needed to learn more Martial Skills for a variety of attacks. While Yang Kai was recuperating, he planned on cultivating his Second Martial Skill.
He needs to strengthen himself to fend off the bullies once he leaves the cave.
Within this Golden Stone Baby were 70-80 golden veins. This is very likely to be a Heaven Grade Martial Skill, maybe even a Mystery Grade Martial Skill!
Yang Kai took the daylight to memorize all the revolutions within the Golden Stone Baby. Similar to the previous Stone Baby, the Golden Stone Baby soon turned to ash once yang Kai took back his Yuan Qi.
For the rest of the day, the Old Man racked his brain to remember. Although he had thought of some other advantages he could provide, the Old Man did not dare interrupt as Yang Kai was in deep concentration. The Old Man could only panic in silence and wait within the Golden Skeleton.
Yang Kai did not bother with the Old Man as he was too busy concentrating on the Martial Skill technique he had received from the Golden Stone Baby. He sat cross-legged and revolved his True Yang Yuan Qi within his body, in accordance with the routes laid out by the Golden Stone Baby. Yet, after one revolution around his Meridians, Yang Kai had discovered that he did not experience the same sensation of discovery, unlike when he had first tried out Burning Sun’s Blast. Instead, he felt a faint backlash grazing the back of his hands, causing him to jerk in surprise.
Was the flow wrong? Yang Kai doubted.
That’s impossible. I clearly followed everything laid out by the Golden Stone baby without the slightest deviation.
Yang Kai revolves again and felt the same backlash.
What’s wrong? Isn’t this a Martial Skill? Why am I not feeling the same sensation as I did when I learned Burning Sun’s Blast?
Why does this Martial Skill seem so different from the rest?
Yang Kai thought as he inspected the mysteries surrounding this Martial Skill. He could not come up with an explanation, instead, only slowly practicing and feeling.
Yang Kai relaxed and revolved his Yuan Qi again. With each revolution, he felt the same exact backlash over and over, as though someone was beating it. However, he knew that it was harmless.
As more time was burned, Yang Kai had revolved his Yuan Qi 1000 times. On the 800th, he could felt soreness take over, but he could no longer detect the backlash.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes to look at the back of his hands, there was, shockingly, a myriad of designs. They were strange, and Yang Kai could only describe it as a starry night sky. When Yang Kai revolved his Yuan Qi, the little stars gloriously sparkled.
What’s more, Yang Kai could clearly feel an invisible space opening up below his hands.
With a Yuan Qi revolution, space opens up while the little stars on the back of his hands shine gloriously. It felt like space was for storage.
After practicing for a little while longer, Yang Kai could not imagine a useful function this Martial Skill would provide. He could not even use it to kill an ant, let alone another cultivator.
Yang Kai continued rotating his Yuan Qi. Unanticipatedly the Star Chart burst out from his hands, and his fingertips had a faint glowing light, though incomparable to the constellation on the back of his hand, which irradiated the entire cave as though it was bathing in sunlight. Yang Kai then submerged his hand into the ground, and poured his Yuan Qi into the space, causing a ferocious tremor.
Realising what he had done, Yang Kai brightened up.
Although this Martial Skill was exceptionally consuming, the eruption of power that this Martial Skill caused was definitely much more powerful than that of which is caused by an ordinary bomb explosion. It was at least twice the lethality!
Yang Kai estimated that if he did not invest as much Yuan Qi as he did, the explosion would have been much tinier.
This Martial Skill is too strange! Yang Kai’s brows creased as he tried to determine the uses of this Martial Skill.
Suddenly, from inside his body, Yang Kai could hear a cautious and flattering voice call out. “Young Hero… Young Hero…”
Yang Kai’s squinted further as he ignored the voice and focused on the Martial Skill.
“Young Hero, I think I know what that Martial Skill is capable of. Do you care to listen?”
Without an immediate response, the Old Man was forced to wait anxiously. He impatiently wished to show his value to Yang Kai to convince the boy not to eviscerate his existence.
The Old Man could tell that Yang Kai had a firm and resolute disposition that most cannot hope to compare with. Besides, Yang Kai has a tendency to hide his true intentions with a façade, which caused the Old Man to shiver in anxiousness.
Even more, time passed, then Yang Kai opened his mouth, “What do you know? Speak.”
The Old Man did not complain, as he had an opportunity presented to him. Instead, he sounded extremely grateful and promptly clarified, “I am not sure what this Martial Skill is called. However, I recall watching someone use it. When you activate it, it will open up space which you and you alone can access. I believe that the might of this Martial Skill highly depends on how much Yuan Qi is deposited into this space.”
“Young Hero, you should be able to store Yuan Qi into this space over time and use it in an appropriate situation. This Martial Skill has powerful destructive capabilities but is difficult utilise. If no Yuan Qi is stored within this space, it will be harmless. When the space is used, all Yuan Qi you have garnered in it will fuel a powerful explosion, then you will need time to refill the space to use it again.”
The old man pressed on as he noticed Yang Kai’s attentiveness. “Though this Martial Skill can, practically, be used only once every battle, it is unnecessary to continuously practice to bolster it. All you need to do is regularly store Yuan Qi and, maybe if you get caught in a desperate situation, use it. Its might and power will certainly aid you in those times.”
Once he finished, the Old Man went dead silent, so as to avoid annoying Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s lips slowly curved into a wide smile. The old man’s explanation was similar to his own conclusion. However, it was more comprehensive and in-depth, allowing the boy to gain a deeper understanding of this Martial Skill.
Instead of the usual cultivation, this Martial Skill simply required him to store Yuan Qi and use it for an explosion!
How fortunate must he be to obtain such a Martial Skill perfect for one like himself!
Yang Kai could not help but chuckle in delight. Others would need to restore their Yuan Qi through normal means. Meanwhile, Yang Kai can do it through Yang Stones and store them as Yang Liquids inside his Dantian.
“I need to investigate this Martial Skill further, so do not disturb me.” Yang Kai warned the Old Man.
“Yes… I understand…”
“What you said was not enough for me to let you live. So, continue to think of what you can offer me!”
The Old Man felt bitterness. The way Yang Kai conducts himself was no different from an old cunning fox.
How he regretted his decision for trying to steal Yang Kai. But right now, the Old Man could only sigh as Yang Kai continued to concentrate on pouring Yuan Qi into the special space.
The speed in which he poured was absurd and unscrupulous as he did not have to worry about running out of Yuan Qi.
The Old Man initially wanted to remind the boy not to consume his Yuan Qi too quickly, as it will burden his mortal body. However, after Yang Kai’s words rung in his head, the Old Man decided to not say anything.
Humph! It was you who ordered me not to disturb you. So, I will not bother to remind you!
It’s much better if your Yuan Qi depletes! Then, I will look for an opportunity to leave your damn body. Boy, you can only blame your own ignorance for what is going to happen.
If Yang Kai wishes to cultivate back every bit of Yuan Qi he spends here, it would take at least 35 days!
Right now, he has spent nearly all the Qi he had by storing it in the space.
The Old Man realized that Yang Kai was weakening and continued to wait excitedly for a golden opportunity to escape this body, but before he could even begin to plan, Yang Kai instantly recovered his Qi and vitality again!
Who would have thought Yang Kai would completely regain his Yuan Qi and vitality once it was depleted?
What happened? The Old Man nearly went insane from this strange situation. In all his years, he had never seen something like this. He felt his heart pulsate as he could not believe what he was witnessing. Was he being delusional? No, it couldn’t be. Everything was too real to be an illusion. But he clearly felt the boy exhausting his Yuan Qi! How is it possible for him to restore it in a flash? He must have misread his amount of Qi. The Old Man consoled himself while he attentively observed Yang Kai with full attention.
As even more time elapsed, the Yuan Qi within Yang Kai’s body was completely gone as the Start Chart at the back of his hand flickered.
The Old Man now pledged his own Immortal Soul that he had truly seen the boy completely deplete his own Yuan Qi. He waited for a few seconds to continue observing Yang Kai and convinced himself that he in no way mistaken. Before he could think of his next move, however, the Old Man was struck like a wooden chicken and would only stare at the scene. Yang Kai’s Yuan Qi must have been utterly exhausted, but it had restored itself again, and the old man thought he had an infinite supply of Yuan Qi!
The Old Man felt an indescribable shock. He thought that he had seen everything. It was general knowledge that the Yuan Qi within a person, regardless of their cultivation level, would at least require time to fully restore!
If everyone could restore themselves as Yang Kai did, what would happen to the world?
Just what kind of Martial Technique did this boy cultivate to go against heaven’s will?
The old man could only helplessly look at Yang Kai with dread and despair. With the ability to fully restore his Yang Qi whenever he likes, what kind of terrorist would this boy grow to be in the future? Coupled especially with the perfect Martial Skill, he could easily unleash explosion after explosion with no concern for his Yuan Qi! His battle efficiency would perhaps be greater than, if not equal to that of a hundred cultivators!
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The Old Man could not help but look up to Yang Kai.
The truth is, Yang Kai seemed to have endless Yuan Qi only because he has the ability to accumulate them.
The True Yang Secret Arts that Yang Kai cultivates and the Martial Skill that Yang Kai had just received both share similar abilities. Both are able to store an accumulated amount of Yuan Qi. True Yang Secret Art allows Yang Kai to absorb Yang Yuan Qi and turn it into Yang Liquid, storing it in his Dantian. Meanwhile, this Martial Skill allows Yang Kai to inject his Yuan Qi into a pocket of space, which can be used in the form of an explosion.
However, there are some differences between the two. In his Dantian, Yang Kai is able to store limitless amounts of Yang Liquid. Meanwhile, the space from the Star Chart on his hand was different. It had a limit.
Yang Kai spent two days converting 10 drops of Yang Liquid into Yuan Qi and injected it into the space. He could feel the saturation in it.
Once Yang Kai felt that it was enough, he began to revolve True Yang Secret Arts to restore his Yuan Qi once again. Whenever he felt the Star Chart on the back of his hand crave for more Yuan Qi, he would inject more into the space and rinse and repeat the process. It was an easy Martial Skill that took little time to master. It was the perfect Martial Skill for Yang Kai.
Two more days passed, and Yang Kai opened his eyes to find that the Star Chart now looked more lifelike. The constellations seemed as though it was real, and grew on his hand. It was now comparable to the stars of the night sky!
By simply concentrating, Yang Kai managed to make the Star Chart invisible, as it hides under his skin.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and exhaled. The Star Chart was an outstanding attention magnet. It would no doubt raise suspicions, causing potential problems. Thankfully, it is easy to conceal..
Yang Kai recalled something and asked the old man, “You said that you have seen this Martial skill before. Do you know its name?”
“I apologise for my incompetence, Young Hero, but I cannot recall”. The old man’s voice sounded as horrific as before but had a tad bit more obedience in it after two days.
Yang Kai’s eyes sparkled. Although he does not know what caused it, he could tell that the Old Man has gained a newfound respect for the boy.
“Alright. I’ll give you an opportunity. Help me give it a name.” Yang Kai remembered himself previously taking a while to decide on a name for the Burning Sun’s Blast. With the old man’s presence, why not make use of him to choose a name that may strike fear in enemies’ hearts? What’s more, the old man is seasoned. Surely, a simple task as thinking of a name is easy for him.
“Yes!” The voice that had been silent for a long time changed its tone. “Since there is a Star Chart on the back of your hand, why don’t we call it the Star Mark?”
“Star Mark… The mark of stars…” Yang Kai muttered before nodding, “Yes. Star Mark sounds good!”
The old man zealously congratulated Yang Kai. “Congratulations in mastering the Star Mark, Young Hero! With such unparalleled talents and matchless vigour, there will come a day when everyone will only look up to your figure in awe!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Humph!”
The Old Man shut up after realising that his flattery produced an undesirable effect.
“Have you thought of a means to save your life?” Yang Kai provocated.
The old man remembered how fragile his life is and petitioned, “Young Hero! If you spare me, I will certainly deliver you a sacred treasure!”
Yang Kai looked around the cave and spoke, “If you actually had a sacred treasure on you, its home would be this cave. All I have to do is to look around, meaning I don’t need you. So remind me, what is the point of keeping you alive with this information in hand? If you ask me, you living is against my personal interest. I’d rather build you up and absorb your strength.”
The old man wasted no time in begging once again for mercy, “Young Hero. Please have mercy! I will recognise you as my sole master for life! As long as you keep my Immortal Soul Brandmark on you, you can decide my death in an instant! Please! I beg of you! Show mercy, Young Hero!”
“Oh? Yang Kai’s opinion seemed to sway as he opened his mouth to answer, “How do I know if what you are saying is true?”
The Old Man made a forced smile. “I am currently trapped within your body and I have no idea how to escape. You can kill me with a snap of your fingers. Young Hero, how would I possibly dare to deceive you?”
Yang Kai didn’t say anything. Although the thought of keeping such evil around was revolting to him, he thought it’d be a waste to kill him, given his vast knowledge and extended experience.
Only because Yang Kai wished to obtain as much knowledge as he could this Old Man has, he hesitantly spared him.
Yang Kai’s silence only worsened the old man’s anxiety. He nervously spoke, “Young Hero. If you spare my life, I will show you how to use the Sacred Treasure I kept here. However, if you kill me, you will not be able to use this Sacred Treasure…”
“Why?” Yang Kai asked.
“Because my Sacred Treasure is an evil weapon! It pulls the Immortal Souls of victims when it makes contact! Young Hero, your Yuan Qi’s attribute is Yang. It is impossible for you to use it without me.”
Yang Kai took a deep breath as he responded naught once again, and a frown slowly formed over his cheeks.
The Old Man knew that the decision Yang Kai makes now would determine his life and death. Naturally, he dared not interrupt. His chances of dying were already fairly high, and he did not want to escalate it any further.
Only after a long time did Yang Kai speak again. “How do I get recognized as your master? What do I need to do?”
Instantly, the old man’s heart sank and he spoke like he was shivering in the cold, “Young Master, please relax. This old servant will enter your mind and pass to you my Immortal Soul Brandmark.”
The corner of Yang Kai’s lips curled.
The old man then elaborated, “Young Master, please understand. Even if you were in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, you do not have the means to use your own Divine Senses. I plead that Young Master believes in this Old Servant’s sincere intentions.”
“Then, hurry!” Yang Kai demanded and relaxes himself.
The Old Man stuttered in shock. As Yang Kai’s decision made him express more admiration towards the boy. If it was others, they would fear to take upon themselves such a risky endeavour. Yang Kai, however, was able to catch the bull by its horns and tame it like it was a timid little dog.
In actuality, Yang Kai did not need to feel worried at all. The last time the old man invaded his mind, he was able to prevent it by absorbing his Immortal Soul into his golden bones. If Yang Kai feels such an attack begin to occur again, he could quickly force the old man to stop by building up the Immortal Soul.
Sure enough, the old man had no evil intention in fear of Yang Kai. He submerges into the boy’s mind with a wisp of his Divine Sense, carefully and neutrally passing the boy his Immortal Soul Brandmark.
The old man then finally spoke, “Young Master, it’s done. From now on, this old servant’s life and death is all in your hands.”
Yang Kai opened his eyes and could feel a strong bond between himself and the Old Man. However, it was not a mutual relationship.Yang Kai had complete dominance over the old man.
“Do you need time to restore your Immortal Soul’s Spirit Essence?” Yang Kai asked in a gentle tone.
The Old Man replied. “After passing you my Immortal Soul Brandmark, I think I really do need to rest and replenish myself, but Young Master, you don’t have to be too worried. I will not make you lose anything. So, can you please take away your intention…?”
Yang Kai confidently grunted and spread out his intention.
In the next moment, a pitiful yell emerged. It was almost as though someone was being cooked in boiling oil.
“Young Master please forgive this Old Servant for his impudence! What I said was true!”
The Old Man kept begging for solace before Yang Kai let him off, “If you dare have any disloyal thoughts, I will torture you until you wished for death!”
“Old servant does not dare!” He sounded like he was shaking with fear. With what has happened, he has discovered that Yang Kai was a ruthless person.
After being able to completely subdue the Old Man, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
“What would I call you?” Yang Kai asked.
The Old Man hesitated, “… You can call this Old Servant anything you wish. However, I do vaguely remember others calling me the Old Demon! But, I cannot say for certain if that was my given name or not…”
Yang Kai’s forehead pressed against his brows, “Old Demon? You seriously are a devil incarnate!”
The Old Demon smiled awkwardly, “That is a thing of the past… a thing from a very long time ago. From this point onwards, this Old Servant will obey no one but your commands.”
“What about the Sacred Treasure that you’ve said?”
“Young Master, please redirect your attention to the Old Servant’s bleached bones…”
Following the Old Demon’s guidance, Yang Kai went back to the spot littered with the dust of his bones to find a piece that looked like a rib. However, this bone was entirely different from the other bones that crumbled like a cookie. This bone was jet black in colour! When Yang Kai listened closely to that very bone, he was shocked to detect a faint sound of shrieks and howls emanating from it!
“What strong Evil Qi!” Yang Kai commented.
The Old Demon explained, “This thing is called the Soul Breaker Awl. It was built up and chiselled into the Old Servant’s own bone. It has taken many lives before… so the Evil Qi is slightly overwhelming.”
“When you refined this, did you built up many Immortal Souls?” Yang Kai inquired further.
The Old Demon gave a hallowed laugh, “Young Master is wise. But because of that reason, it is not suitable for you to wield. If you were to build it up and exude your control over it, I fear that the weapons will greatly diminish in power. However, with the Old Servant’s Immortal Soul to act as a bridge for you, you do not have to worry. Unfortunately, this thing consumes much Yuan Qi and with my current strength, I will not be able to display its full might.”
The news did not perturb Yang Kai. He could tell that one day, he will be able to fully utilise this weapon with all its potential. Currently, its power was equal to that of an Earth Low Grade Attack Treasure.
“How do I use it?”
The Old Demon taught Yang Kai the methods of control and within another few days’ time, Yang Kai managed to learn how to use the Awl. Black Qi spawned out from Yang Kai’s fingertips, linking to the Soul Breaker Awl, causing it to encircle him. Yang Kai could also feel that he had a light relationship with this weapon, with the Old Demon’s Immortal Soul acting as a middleman between the both.
With a few experiments, Yang Kai felt satisfied. Although it consumed a lot of Yuan Qi due the need for it to pass through the Old Demon as a proxy, Yang Kai still managed to receive an Attack Sacred Treasure.
The Old Demon mentioned, “Young Master, if you wish to build it up thoroughly, it will require a lot more time.”
While saying his piece, the Old Demon felt extremely uneasy. He still fears annoying Yang Kai.
“I do not intend to fully build it up. It will be controlled by you.”
“Many thanks, Young Master!” The Old Demon gratefully replied.
Yang Kai did not wish to waste time to build up the Soul Breaker Awl. After all, he could already use the Old Demon to control it. Why would he need to waste any more time to build it up? The Old Demon’s life is his, anyway.
Strings of black gas oozed from Yang Kai’s fingertips and moved towards the Soul Breaker Awl. It was none other than the Old Demon, placing his Immortal Soul within the Soul Breaker Awl.
Yang Kai then took a look around the place again and expressed some disappointment, “You only have this one Sacred Treasure?”
The boy knew that the Old Demon was a high-level cultivator in his life before death. For such cultivators, there was almost no chance for them to have only one Sacred Treasure.
The Old Demon forced a smile, “Young Master, you know that this place previously had a war that changed everything. When I was involved in the fight, all my other items were completely destroyed. The only thing that I could salvage was this Soul Breaker Awl…”
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“A War?” Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat. “Tell me more.”
“Yes!”
The Old Demon narrated as Yang Kai listened, working the cogs in his brain to link together different chunks of information and history like a crossword puzzle.
Although the Old Demon could not recount much as all his memories were still fragmented, the data he did contribute into the pool of remembrance was proof enough of his involvement in the war. What’s even more interesting was the fact that it was a war dictating an army against just two people, a man and a woman! Although the couple died in battle, they still decimated the majority of ranks of the opposing cultivators.
“…Old Servant flees with a fatal wound from the battle. Unfortunately, I was unable to recuperate and I died here…” The Old Demon’s voice seemed to be both hesitant and terrified.
“Do you remember anything else?”
“There was a dragon and a phoenix! When they both combine and complement each other, their might surpasses all imagination. It was because of their attack, that the Old Servant fell…”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. He recalled that a few days ago, above the entrance of the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance, there was a dragon and phoenix encircling the sky.
The Old Demon silenced himself and seemed frightened.
“So, according to you, this place wasn’t made to contain your inheritance.” Yang Kai wanted to reaffirm.
“Young Master, please calm down. Earlier on, I was thoughtlessly speaking. However, I truly possess an Inheritance. If the Young Master wishes, I will be glad to pass it to you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have no interest in it.”
The Old Demon was disconcerted with Yang Kai’s reply. Although his status in life was still a blur to himself, he knew that he was at least a ludicrously high levelled cultivator. It was, in fact, normal to him for cultivators to wish to be taken under his wing, but in the eyes of Yang Kai, he was nothing.
[Yeah… it’s true that once a phoenix loses its fire, it turns into a chicken…] The Old Demon sobbed.
The bead that accompanied the Old Demon’s now crumbled skeleton had also turned useless. It would disintegrate easier than the bones did should anything even graze its surface.
Having looked around the cave again, Yang Kai did not discover anything else. With a sigh, the boy decided to leave the place.
Since this place had been his home for some time, he could not assess what was happening within the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance. How much treasure was left for him would now depend on luck.
Before arriving at the sealed stone gate, the Old Man had taught Yang Kai the technique unseal it. As the gate was removed, a sudden ray of light, alternating between red and white launches at him.
Yang Kai’s demeanour changes as his instinct makes him launch his fist against the bolt. [Who is attacking me?!]
Instead of blindly following its given path, the bolt seemed to have some form of awareness and dodged the boy’s futile attack. It quickly flew around his arc of attack in an attempt to close distance.
Immediately, Yang Kai retreated. He anxiously readied his other hand to grasp the flare.
Yang Kai, readier than ever then manages to grab the unknown matter, but his face showed not victory but confusion.
The thing that flew towards him was not an attack. At this point in time, it was struggling to escape his palm like a worm.
When the boy first felt the thing on his hand, he had doubts. Bashfully, he opened his palm slightly to get a closer look. This thing turned out, oddly enough, to be a ginseng that had the shape of a human! The ginseng was strange to look at, with red and white each occupying half of it, like it was celebrating a wedding and mourning at a funeral at the same time. When Yang Kai inspected the energy within it, he could sense two different types of energy. The red energy was burning hot while the white was cold. Both energies are of two different worlds, but they seemed to perfectly coexist within the ginseng. It seemed nothing short of magical.
It continued to wiggle and strain to escape Yang Kai’s hand, but to no avail.
“Yin Yang Monster Ginseng!” the Old Demon screamed in shock.
“You recognise this thing?” Yang Kai asked.
“It is a wonderful treasure! This is a Mystery High-Grade Sacred Treasure!” The Old Demon shouted in enthusiasm for the first time, startling Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could inquire further, he heard footsteps ahead of him.
“There are some people here!” Yang Kai looked intensely in the direction of the footsteps and tightened his grip on the Yin Yang Monster Ginseng.
When Yang Kai pocketed the Yin Yang Monster Ginseng, it stopped struggling and grew docile.
As Yang Kai prepared for the worst, he could hear a familiar voice, “Elder sister, did it really run into this cave?”
A female voice replied, “Em, it definitely snuck inside. If it hadn’t I wouldn’t have bothered entering this place.”
The two voices hardly sounded different but one was gentler and charming, giving a person a sense of comfort.
Yang Kai’s squinted his eyes. He did not anticipate meeting those two here.
“Wow! There are many different types of herbs here!”
“Yeah… but let’s not harvest them first. We should look if there’s any danger inside.”
The sisters moved closer and closer to Yang Kai. He did not avoid them but instead started walking forward to greet them.
“Who’s there?”
Yang Kai coughed, “we meet again…”
After hearing Yang Kai, the gentler voiced person took a step back in surprise. “Yang Kai?!”
“Lady Mei’er!” Yang Kai gave a slight bow and turned his attention to the other girl, “Lady Jiao’er, long time no see.”
The two girls were none other than Blood Battle Gang’s top beauties, Hu Jiao Er and Hu Mei Er!
Hu Jiao Er frowned at meeting Yang Kai. “Brat! To think that I would meet you here!”
The previous time, Yang Kai had felt up both sisters’ buttocks to compare their sizes, to which Hu Jiao Er took to heart.
Hu Mei Er was more surprised than anything jumping to question, “Why are you here?”
“I actually found this place accidentally.” Yang Kai did not wish to inform them of the events that transpired.
During the chat, the two sisters walked closer to the boy, as Hu Jiao Er stared at Yang Kai indifferently, throwing out her chest and raising her hind legs.
The Old Demon quickly spoke to Yang Kai, “To think that in this world, there would be two girls who look so similar but aren’t twins! Young Master, if you cultivate the Fallen Red with these two, it’d be half the work for twice the results!”
“You! Shut up!” Yang Kai shut out the thought.
The Old Demon was put in his place, daring to utter nothing but a quiet sigh.
“Did you anything enter just moments ago?” Hu Mei Er opened her mouth to ask.
Having eavesdropped on their conversation, Yang Kai knew Hu Mei Er was referring to the Yin Yang Monster Ginseng. The boy did not try to conceal the fact and nodded, “Yeah I’ve seen it.”
“Where is it?” Hu Jiao Er hastily asked.
Yang Kai points to his chest as the two sisters widened their eyes in surprise. “Did you actually manage to collect it?” Hu Jiao Er probed.
“Yeah, although I’m not sure why. Once it was placed on my chest, it became incredibly docile.”
Hu Jiao Er’s chest puffed and puffed as she took deep breaths trying to calm herself down.
The two sisters had actually been pursuing that thing for days, scaling several mountains braving the wilderness to finally end up in this cave, just to have Yang Kai receive it without putting in a lick of effort!
How unlucky it was for the sisters! Hu Jiao Er nipped on her lips. She considered taking the Ginseng by force but decided otherwise due to her sister’s presence. For some reason, her sister felt guilt towards Yang Kai, so she would interject should she start a fight.
“Make sure you keep it safe.” Hu Mei Er felt like a heavy weight was lifted off her chest.
“What’s so good about this brat?” Hu Jiao Er sized up Yang Kai and suddenly asked with disbelief. “You are already in Initial Element Stage 7?”
Hu Jiao Er’s face was riddled with shock. The last time they met, Yang Kai was still in the Tempered Body Boundary. How is it possible to break through to Initial Element Stage 7 within such a short span of time? Even if he had some fortuitous encounter here, isn’t this too huge a jump of cultivation level?
Hu Mei Er is only in Initial Element Stage 2!
“Compared to Lady Jiao Er, what is a mere Initial Element Stage 7?” Yang Kai was amazed by the magnanimity of the two girls. It was strange that they did not ask for the Ginseng from him.
Hu Jiao Er snorted to show her displeasure towards Yang Kai.
“Since there are so many different types of herbs here, don’t hesitate to collect them.” Yang Kai did not wish to owe them any favours. The value of the Yin Yang Monster Ginseng was definitely much higher than any herb found within the cave. It was only fair for them that Yang Kai to let them have all the herbs they want, since he had accidentally taken the Ginseng from them.
“Like I need you to tell me that!” Hu Jiao Er stared knife and daggers towards Yang Kai.
“Elder Sister!” Hu Mei Er knew her elder sister’s irritation towards Yang Kai and shook her arm.
“Fine… I understand…” Hu Jiao Er helplessly replied as she surveyed the area. She reached the dead end of the cave entered shortly and decided to mention, “For the past few days, both of us have climbed countless mountains in chase of that thing. Right now, we must rest and recuperate. So you, help guard the place.”
“ I understand.” Yang Kai nodded his head.
The two sisters then walked hand in hand, towards the end of the cave. While they were walking, Hu Mei Er looked back with a smile, trying to apologize for her sister’s behavior.
When they arrived saw the Old Demon’s bleached bones, their face was filled with surprise. Simultaneously, the two sisters looked towards their left. They looked at each other and winked.
Yang Kai noticed the wink and was puzzled at what they had discovered. He could not see what they saw.
“What are you two looking at?” Yang Kai could not help but ask. He wondered what had caught their attention.
The two girls did not respond as their minds were immersed in something.
Yang Kai’s felt frustrated by the lack of knowledge.
After half a day, the two sisters sat down cross-legged and began their meditation. They closed their eyes and began meditating.
When Yang Kai looked, he thought that he was starting to see things. He saw one person, then two people.
The boy shook his head in surprise, rubbing his eyes and clearing his vision. Meanwhile, the Old Demon gave his observation, “Perhaps, this is their opportunity…”
“Will they succeed?”
“It depends on them… I cannot tell…”
“That isn’t the inheritance you left behind, is it?” Yang Kai held his breath.
“Of course not.”
The whole situation was strange, but since they have discovered something, Yang Kai could not leave them alone while they meditated. Since they were somewhat considered friends of his, he could only stand by the entrance and calmly wait for them to finish.