The result of this clash was actually a tie! But if one looked closely, they could see that Yang Kai received heavier injuries.
Even so, such an outcome was still shocking.
A Peak Separation and Reunion Boundary and a True Element Boundary First Stage had just fought almost evenly in a showdown of martial skills. Wouldn’t that mean that either the grade of his martial skill was greater than one of the Bai Family’s ultimate martial skills, the “Heaven Gathering Meteor”?
It really was a Mysterious Grade martial skill!
The two juniors were both bloodied, each glaring at the other, hatred and disbelief surging through Bai Yun Feng. He could not believe that Yang Kai could once again stand up and equal him. His thirst for battle was growing stronger.
“As I said before, today you must die! Even the King of Heaven cannot save you now!” Bai Yun Feng’s face contorted with rage as he roared.
He and Yang Kai had no previous grievances, but the results of today’s battle had gone far beyond his ability to admit defeat. As the Bai Family’s young master, Bai Yun Feng simply could not accept it. So many people have witnessed him repeatedly demean and confront Yang Kai. If he could not follow through on a single one of his threats, wouldn’t he have just been slapping his own face?
Bai Yun Feng’s hand spread a scroll-like object that he took up in his grasp. This scroll was covered in vivid pictures of numerous Monster Beasts.
“The Bai Family’s Earth Grade Mid-Rank artifact, Hundred Beast Scroll!” Dong Qing Han filled with shock as he cried out.
To others, it looked like he had inadvertently yelled this name but in reality, he was warning Yang Kai.
Bai Yun Feng chuckled, pouring his True Qi into this artifact. The various Monster Beast images lit up, leapt out from the scroll to become translucent visions floating around the young master of the Bai family. As the visions of the Monster Beasts converged, they suddenly flashed towards Yang Kai.
In order to condemn Yang Kai to death, Bai Yun Feng’s actions now could be described as desperate; this artifact was his greatest trump card, and also his last resort.
He firmly believed that the little High Heaven Pavilion disciple will be unable to keep his life once he unleashed this Hundred Beast Scroll!
As more and more images began to appear, the strange Monster Beast images also became more solid and lifelike, crashing forward trampling everything in their path.
Yang Kai screamed as a murderous light overflowed from his eyes. A blood red sword appeared in his hands.
Asura Sword, the hallowed artifact of the Asura Sect of the Endless Sea Islands!
With the Asura Sword, Yang Kai’s Yuan Qi grew more violent and aggressive to reach an appalling level. Everyone watching trembled as they stared at the glaring red sword.
They were all able to feel the thick murderous aura emanating from the weapon, and staring at its hilt produced an illusion of being sunk into a world painted over in death, where rivers of blood and mountains of corpses stretched as far as the eye could see. It was terrifying to behold.
Purple Fern Valley’s two Immortal Ascension Boundary experts and the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards all stepped forward to guard their respective young masters, fearing they may be affected by the raging murderous aura.
Even Meng Wu Ya and High Heaven Pavilion’s Sect Master were slightly discoloured. They did not expect Yang Kai to pull out such a terrible slaughtering weapon; it was completely beyond their expectations.
As the Monster Beast images approached, Yang Kai swept forward.
Like a raging wind smashing into a rotten tree, devastating sword waves burst forth, followed quickly by the sorrowful cries of the virtual Monster Beasts as they dissipated into thin air.
Yang Kai was filled with madness and bloodlust and yet was still and calm like death itself as he progressed towards every other Monster Beast image. Bai Yun Feng quickly felt fear take over his body.
He never imagined that not even his most powerful artifact could defeat Yang Kai; in fact, his Hundred Beast Scroll’s Monster Beasts were actually incapable of contribution into the battle.
One after another, his Monster Beasts were cut down, the distance between them rapidly shrinking.
Surrounded by an air of imminent death, Bai Yun Feng was rendered almost entirely immobile, only able to mechanically push his True Qi into his Hundred Beast Scroll, still desperately trying to block Yang Kai.
However, this action was simply meaningless, only serving to speed up the consumption of his True Qi.
In a flash, Yang Kai was already right before Bai Yun Feng. As he stared at him with his ice cold eyes he raised the Asura Sword up high, viciously slashing down at him.
Everyone’s heart jumped because they saw that Yang Kai’s target was not Bai Yun Feng, but his Hundred Beast Scroll!
He was trying to destroy the Earth Grade Mid-Rank artifact.
A scarlet sword wave that seemed to pierce the heavens mercilessly cut into the Hundred Beast Scroll.
All the remaining Monster Beast images flying about at that moment disappeared, and the Hundred Beast Scroll’s lingering radiance was sliced apart as the sword strike sunk into it.
Everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
This Hundred Beast Scroll, after all, was a Mid-Earth Grade artifact, and although its focus was not defence, how could it be this vulnerable? A single slash from a sword had reduced it to trash. Just how sharp was this crimson sword, and just how high was its grade as an artifact?
*Woosh*
The Asura Sword slashed upwards, expanding the already deep cut.
With one more fierce chop accompanied by a loud snap, the Mid-Earth Grade Hundred Beast Scroll broke in half. It floated powerlessly to the ground.
Three sword strikes! It only took three strikes to destroy a Mid-Earth Grade artifact! This result was simply impossible.
Yang Kai’s sword blade tilted as he slashed forward towards the dumbstruck Bai Yun Feng, seemingly wanting to end this contest once and for all.
“Young Lord please have mercy!” The two Immortal Ascension Experts from the Bai Family begged desperately in an effort to try and save their Young Master. Having been previously suppressed by Meng Wu Ya, they did not dare to move, but at such an intense risk of losing the family’s young master, they did not hesitate crying out.
While they shouted, they ran towards the two.
Meng Wu Ya did not stop them.
The two Immortal Ascension masters moved like lightning, one instantly appearing in front of Yang Kai and the Asura Sword while the other grabbed Bai Yun Feng, quickly pulling him back.
The Asura Sword’s slash was deflected away, allowing Bai Yun Feng to keep his life.
Yang Kai scanned the two Bai Family experts, slowly lowering his stance. With these two on guard, it would impossible for him to finish off Bai Yun Feng.
“Young Lord, this humble servant asks you to show mercy, you have proven that your skills are superior to our Young Master. He is defeated!” These Immortal Ascension masters cringed as they pleaded. Though their tone was mixed with dissatisfaction, they dared not show any disrespect.
Yang Kai stared at them and hesitated.
The battle from start to finish was never an even fight. But the end result was that the one with lower strength had won, thoroughly surprising everyone present.
“You came to High Heaven Pavilion as guests, and this old man has accepted your presence, but High Heaven Pavilion is not a place where you can act without consequences!” The Sect Master, although still appearing cordial and reserved, spoke firmly at this time; anyone listening could hear the wrath hidden beneath his casual voice.
The many gathered experts hearing this could not help but panic.
The name of the Bai Family was tarnished. The experts of the family no longer had any face to salvage. One of them grabbed Bai Yun Feng while the other picked up the fallen debris of the Hundred Beast Scroll. They cupped their fists and said, “For the past days we have imposed on your hospitality. We hope High Heaven Pavilion will forgive our rudeness, but one day our Bai Family will provide a satisfactory compensation!”
The two Immortal Ascension Boundary masters quickly left, dragging Bai Yun Feng along.
Watching the events unfold, the Purple Fern Valley’s people dared not stay. They had heavily underestimated this small and remote sect, coming here and acting like powerful and noble masters, wantonly snatching up prospective talents. Today, two terrifying old monsters had consecutively appeared while a High Heaven Pavilion Separation and Reunion Boundary First Stage disciple almost killed the Bai Family’s young master. All of this sent chills down the Purple Fern Valley cultivator’s backs.
The High Heaven Pavilion cannot be underestimated! There were powerful masters present, and a mere disciple turned out to be a monster to defy all odds. To the others, this was simply a group people playing pigs to eat tigers!
Fan Hong and his two Immortal Ascension guards quickly said their farewells and fled.
Dong Qing Han and the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards followed suit. As they departed, Dong Qing Han glanced at Yang Kai, still unable to recover from the shocking result.
Gathered nearby were many High Heaven Pavilion disciples. This battle, after all, was earth-shattering. It drew not only the attention of the five elders, such great movement had naturally drawn in all the nearby disciples as well.
Su Xuan Wu looked over the disciples, firmly saying, “All the disciples who have agreed to join these three forces over the past few months are to leave immediately. The High Heaven Pavilion is just a small Sect. We have no room to shelter those of you who are only seeking greater benefits for yourself.”
The announcement put shame on many prospective disciples in the crowd.
Many of them had already agreed to join one of the three forces thinking that by seeking refuge with them they could find a better place, but they had not thought their own Sect could be so prestigious.
They all saw that when their Sect Master and Treasurer Meng appeared, the Immortal Ascension experts became nothing more than frightened rabbits, their senses for good behaviour and courtesy instantly showing.
At the moment, those disciples’ hearts were filled with regret, but the Second Elder has already released them. How could they shamelessly stay?
On the battlefield, Yang Kai caught his breath and looked towards the Sect Master of High Heaven Pavilion. He was filled with doubt, but also somewhat relieved.
Meng Wu Ya also grinned and chuckled, disappearing quickly.
“Everyone disperse,” The Sect Master ordered. He looked at Yang Kai, his face showing a kind and understanding smile. He then told him, “Come with me!”
The five elders all looked surprised. They did not expect that the battle would rise the Sect Master’s opinion of Yang Kai so much.
Yang Kai nodded. He too had a lot of questions and doubts that needed answers.
Following closely behind, Yang Kai left with the Sect Master, all eyes on them. Before, they only looked at him with contempt and disdain, but now all their faces showed horror and panic.
The two soon came to a deep secluded land.
This land was where the Sect Master cultivated in seclusion. Typically, even the five elders could not set foot here.
A single house, a few additional cottages, the epitome of simplicity, only a small garden planted with many flowers decorated this plain scene. The Sect Master’s retreat seemed to be devoid of the slightest luxuries, exuding a clean and elegant life.
Leading Yang Kai into one of the cottages, the Sect Master took out a fresh set of clothes and a bottle of pills.
“First heal yourself, change your clothes, and then come and see me.” The Sect Master briefly stepped away.
Although he had many concerns, Yang Kai listened, settling into the cottage and then taking the healing pills.
The battle he had fought earlier today could be described as extremely difficult. A True Element master was not an easy foe to handle, and during their confrontation, he suffered a lot. If not for his trump card, the Star Mark, Yang Kai may have been defeated. The Bai Family’s Heaven Gathering Meteor had extraordinary power, no worse than his own Mysterious Grade martial skill.
Today’s battle was arguably sparked entirely by Yang Kai himself. Although his jealousy played a role, it was not the primary reason.
Yang Kai wanted to use the critical situation to confirm many of his own speculations.
Why did his father, The Yang Family’s Fourth Master (Yang’s Fourth Master), send him to High Heaven Pavilion? What was his relationship with this place? Was it simply about the time he spent on his own life experience here? Many possibilities crossed Yang Kai’s mind. In order to confirm for relieve his suspicions, he had caused a massive stir, so much that he was unable to clean it up himself, thereby forcing out someone from the higher-ups.
The only thing he could not expect was the man he drew out being the true key figure! Yang Kai hadn’t thought that the person paying the most attention to him would wind up being the Sect Master of High Heaven Pavilion.
A day passes. A rested, neatly dressed Yang Kai walks out of the cottage.
In the courtyard, the Sect Master stood under a plum tree, one hand behind his back, and his other stroking his beard, motionless, gazing off into the distance.
Yang Kai walked up, not disturbing him, then stood there, casually glancing around, observing the budding flowers adorning the tree’s branches, gently fluttering in the cold wind.
One young and one old, both stood silently for one day and one night, until the buds had completely bloomed, only then did the Sect Master turn to him, kindly inquiring, “How are your injuries?”
“They’re nothing serious.” Yang Kai grinned, “Should I call you Sect Master or Eleventh Elder?”
Standing before him was High Heaven Pavilion’s Sect Master Ling Tai Xu and also the mysterious Eleventh Elder he had me that day beside the Coiling Dragon Stream.
Yang Kai did not understand much about High Heaven Pavilion back then, so although he found that situation puzzling, he had not thought too deeply about it. It was only later after learning many things from his fellow High Heaven Pavilion disciples that he surmised the true identity of this Eleventh Elder.
High Heaven Pavilion had no Eleventh Elder; however, this Ling Tai Xu was its eleventh Sect Master, a significantly talented one at that, his fame had reached far and wide, but because of the two disciples he received both failing him, there was now no Twelfth Sect Master.
If more than ten years ago his two disciples had not suffered such bleak ends, Ling Tai Xu would certainly be much stronger than he currently was. For all his struggles since then, he could not break the shackles of the Immortal Ascension Boundary and ascend to a higher realm.
Ling Tai Xu simply smiled, “Up to you!”
Just as Yang Kai was about to open his mouth, Ling Tai Xu interrupted him, “I know you have many questions.”
“Disciple asks Sect Master to explain!” Yang Kai said, figuring that Ling Tai Xu knew what he wanted to ask, there was no need for him to speak any further.
Ling Tai Xu pondered, his expression one of someone reminiscing about long past memories, a good moment passed before he slowly spoke, his voice containing a hint of melancholy, “In this old master’s life, he had only received two disciples, the first was kind and forthright, the second was smart and cunning, if there were no accidents, these two would have become my High Heaven Pavilion’s twin pillars, leading it to never before seen glory. However, fate is impermanent, the second child’s desire for power was too strong, and he willingly fell into the Devil’s path, forcing this old man to end his life, for he could no longer be reasoned with!”
Yang Kai listened quietly, he had previously heard this series of events from Su Mu, but now listening to the Sect Master recount them, he felt there must be a deeper meaning to this story.
“The rumor outside is the senior disciple was killed, and the junior was sealed within the Coiling Dragon Stream, correct?”
Yang Kai inquired.
Ling Tai Xu chuckled, “This rumor is only half true. My second disciple was indeed sealed within the Coiling Dragon Stream, but the first did not die!”
Ling Tai Xu proudly said, “This old master’s first disciple was called Yang Ying Feng!”
Yang Kai could not help but shudder. A look of shock surfacing on his face, it was only after a long time that he gently exhaled, calming his mood. Suddenly, all the doubts that had troubled him for years had been answered.
Yang Ying Feng, was the Yang Family’s Fourth Master’s true name, in other words, Yang Kai’s father had revealed his true name while he had been out for his life experience.
It was truly unexpected, Yang Family’s Fourth Master really had come to High Heaven Pavilion during his years outside, and he had also been Ling Tai Xu’s first disciple, the unlucky senior brother the rumours said, had been killed by his junior.
No wonder all these years his father had suffered from a serious illness, unable to advance his cultivation, he must have suffered from severe hidden injuries when his junior brother had fallen to the Devil’s path.
No wonder he had told Yang Kai to specifically come to High Heaven Pavilion, it was all because of his former ties here.
“According to the proper generation, you should call me Grand Master!” Ling Tai Xu smiled.
“Disciple greets Grand Master!” Yang Kai somewhat reluctantly saluted.
Ling Tai Xu stared into his eyes, not moving, giving a light chuckle before saying, “You blame me for turning a blind eye to you even though I knew your identity, allowing you to suffer such bitterness, right?”
“Somewhat.” Yang Kai replied. During his first three years in High Heaven Pavilion, he really had suffered. The world had been a cold lonely place. But he was not too concerned about the hardships he had suffered because in the end he really had no ability. How could he blame others for his own ineptitude? The troubles he was born with were his own, why should anyone else take care of them for him?
“If you wish to blame this old master, you should first blame your Yang Family’s, Fourth Master. This old master still has some grievances with him.” Ling Tai Xu grunted.
Hearing this, Yang Kai could not help but shrink back slightly. He was not a fool, how could he not understand the meaning of Ling Tai Xu’s words?
The Yang Family direct disciples were just like cuckoo bird chicks, people who stole from others and gave nothing in return!
While Yang’s Fourth Master was here, he had certainly received much care from Ling Tai Xu, but after all that hard work and dedications for ten full years, his efforts were simply preparing wedding clothes for another. If his second disciple had not fallen to the Devil’s path, Ling Tai Xu would still have had some hope, but his first disciple turned out to be an ungrateful wolf from the Yang Family, while the second had become a Devil, making all of his efforts akin to scooping water with a woven basket, a complete waste which left a knot in his martial heart, leaving him unable to break past his own bottlenecks.
In other words, Yang’s Fourth Master had a great deal of responsibility for the problems in Ling Tai Xu’s martial heart.
As the saying goes, the debts of the father would pass to his son! Yang’s Fourth Master owed much to Ling Tai Xu, how could Yang Kai avoid taking responsibility?
Thinking quickly, Yang Kai hurriedly wore a smile, “Respected Grand Master should put down his burdens; that Yang’s Fourth Master was indeed too much, but you should not stoop to his level.”
Ling Tai Xu’s mouth twitched, seeing Yang Kai’s face change so fast, he couldn’t help but sneer, “My disciple was such an upright youth, how did he manage to raise such a sly brat?”
“A man must be flexible.” Seeing his expression, Yang Kai understood that was just joking and not truly angry.
Ling Tai Xu sighed, slowly recounting, “My disciple was not a liar, in fact, three years after his entry, he told this old master his true identity, and that one day he would have to leave High Heaven Pavilion. He had wanted this old master to understand and be prepared.”
Yang Kai nodded firmly, immediately sucked up to him. “Grand Master should rest assured when junior one day returns to the Yang Family, he will definitely teach your ungrateful disciple a lesson.”
Ling Tai Xu smirked, seemingly wanting to laugh, but eventually he managed to hold back.
“On the day you came to High Heaven Pavilion, this old master received a letter from your father, and the reason why I did not specifically care for you was also at your father’s request, because he said in the letter that your cultivation aptitude was extremely poor, and his only wish was for you to safely pass your ten year experience at High Heaven Pavilion so you could return to the Yang Family unharmed.” Ling Tai Xu explained calmly.
“Do you know why you were unsuited to cultivate?” Ling Tai Xu asked.
“Father said I was born this way.” Yang Kai frowned.
“Yes, because he had been seriously injured, and for many years was unable to heal himself, it eventually resulted in you being born with a congenital defect.” Ling Tai Xu nodded as he watched Yang Kai carefully, “One’s innate talent is supremely difficult to change, but now you are able to cultivate, your talent is also astounding and your strength has risen rapidly. This old master does not know what profound opportunity you encountered nor will he ask, just swear to me in the future, in addition to your parents, you will not discuss it with anyone.”
Yang Kai repeatedly nodded, although this was his first time meeting and talking openly with this old Grand Master, Yang Kai could still feel his heartfelt concern and care for him.
“In fact, if you were just an ordinary person, this old master really would not have appeared before you; you being alive would simply be enough, even if you had to endure hardships and bullying, you would still be able to survive, but now both your qualifications and cultivation have soared, so leaving you on your own would be negligent of this old master. The day before, you made so much noise it was able to draw this old master out was it not?”
Yang Kai sighed loudly, “I did not expect the one to appear would be Grand Master, I had thought that at most, one of the five elders had some past relations with my father.”
Ling Tai Xu chuckled, “It’s not surprising you could not understand, your father sent you here first of all for your protection, but also because he wanted to solve the knot in my martial heart. He is still too honest, thinking this old master’s bottleneck was born because of him when in fact, this old master never really blamed him.”
Hearing all this, Yang Kai simply sighed, unsure of how to comfort him.
“Well, have your questions been answered now?” Ling Tai Xu laughed as he smiled at Yang Kai.
“En.” Yang Kai responded somewhat embarrassed; after many days of pondering on his own, unable to understand, this brief conversation had finally enlightened him.
“Good, then it’s now this old master’s turn.” Ling Tai Xu suddenly said.
“What questions does Grand Master have?” Yang Kai looked at him slightly puzzled.
“Your aura!” Ling Tai Xu’s face became serious, “During your battle the day before yesterday, I witnessed your breath become bloodthirsty and violent, not any less than that year’s second disciple. This old master will only ask you once, have you stepped onto the Devil’s Path?”
“No!” Yang Kai decisively shook his head, he also knew once that activating his Golden Skeleton would cast this strange phenomenon would occur, quickly displaying this profound martial skill again.
His Yuan Qi bursting out, Yang Kai’s cultivation surged from Separation and Reunion First Stage directly to Peak Separation and Reunion Boundary, his energy swirling about, filled with a dense evil aura.
His murderous atmosphere became thick like he wanted to slaughter all living things in this world, leaving only one person left.
Ling Tai Xu stared deeply into Yang Kai’s eyes as if he wanted to peer straight into his soul.
“Take out your sword!” Ling Tai Xu commanded.
Suddenly, a crimson sword appeared in the hands of Yang Kai. With the Asura Sword in hand, his murderous air became so heavy it felt like it alone could take one’s life.
This artifact from the Asura Sect seemed to have a close relationship with Yang Kai’s Yuan Qi; thus making Yang Kai himself, seemed as though he had some kind of innate connection with it. Thus, they both complimented each other’s strength, like the sword was one with him and he was one with the sword, two entities but one body.
Ling Tai Xu stared at Yang Kai, carefully feeling the changes in his body and his emotional fluctuations. Over time, his solemn face gradually began to relax as his vigilance also dropped, immediately being replaced with shock and confusion.
After a long time, Ling Tai Xu nodded slightly.
Yang Kai stored the Asura Sword and dispersed Unyielding Will, returning to his natural state.
“It has all the appearance of a Devil’s practice, yet it is not.” Ling Tai Xu frowned, “Is your mind constantly aware?”
“En.”
“Strange, with such a violent bloodthirsty aura, even if it was this old master, after a long exposure it would undoubtedly draw out my inner demon and warp my mind. How can you not be affected at all?” Contemplating, Ling Tai Xu suddenly thought of something, “Of course, your secret art is a pure yang cultivation technique. Such Yang Qi is simply the nemesis of the hostile Yin aura; the Yang Qi in your body must prevent you from falling to the Devil’s Path.”
Finished speaking, Ling Tai Xu was again surprised for a moment, these two forces were contradictory, how could they perfectly coexist in a single person’s body?
Thinking again for a long time, although Ling Tai Xu wanted to know what amazing method Yang Kai was using to simultaneously use both these different types but he eventually refrained from asking.
Lifting his eyes, Ling Tai Xu continued, “During the battle two days ago you made too much of a commotion, and now many know you possess a powerful Mysterious Grade martial skill. I’m afraid you will encounter a lot of trouble in the near future.”
“That is… I was planning to travel outside and avoid the limelight.” Yang Kai had long thought about this.
Ling Tai Xu laughed, “Where can you go to avoid it? For the time being, do not run out, just remain in the Sect.”
“En…”
Gently asking a few more questions before sending Yang Kai away, Ling Tai Xu’s look gradually became dignified.
Although Yang Kai’s murderous aura was harmless to himself, Ling Tai Xu had to consider the more profound implications it might bring.
Pondering for a long time, Ling Tai Xu could only sigh, “Does this brat want to follow the martial path of slaughter?”
The kind of palpable violent atmosphere Yang Kai had radiated from his body before was already something deeply ingrained in his bones, in the future, if he wanted to explore the true profoundness of the martial path, he would have only two choices, one was to destroy his foundations and eliminate this practice completely, then change his Secret Art to a more harmonious one.
But Yang Kai had been born with a congenital defect, and had strove extremely hard to finally have his current achievements, if he was forced to start over by changing his Secret Art and he then became ordinary or worse yet returned to being a waste, how could he possibly bear it?
One who had always stood at the bottom of the mountain and could not see its height would at worst look up in frustration, but once one had stood at the top, the thought of being thrust back to the bottom was enough to make one prefer death.
If he could not change his Secret Art, then the only other path forward was to explore this bloody violent atmosphere to the extreme, allowing it to swell and grow alongside him as his cultivation rose, so allowing him to grasp the essence of martial arts along this path.
One method broke him then forced him to stand up again, following the orthodox path of righteousness; one was the road of slaughter, an ill-fated and treacherous path that the slightest carelessness would lead to a miserable end. An uncountable number of cultivators had lead tragic lives along the latter path with few, if any, having decent ends.
Because they traveled the path of slaughter, they would always have more enemies than friends and were more likely to lose their way and fall onto the Devil’s Path.
He was only a kid; could he truly walk this path and emerge unharmed?
After leaving the Sect Master’s retreat, Yang Kai returned to his secluded cave, taking out the pills refined by Xia Ning Chang and swallowing them to enhance his strength.
The old dusty incense burner had also been taken out again, emitting a fragrance which suppressed his True Yang Secret Art’s circulation speed.
For more than ten days Yang Kai had been in secluded practice within his secluded cave, every day he would swallow pills to enhance his strength and then temper his two refined artifacts. The Asura Sword had played a big role in his battle with Bai Yun Feng, and while he had not used the Thousand Blossoming Blood Begonia, since it was a similarly ranked hallowed treasure from a great Sect in the Endless Sea Island its power and prestige were certainly not bad.
Every day as the sun was rising in the east, the purple gas filling the air, Yang Kai would continue to practice the Tempered Body Record, and with the growth in his cultivation and physical strength, his ability to endure the Tempered Body Record’s training had also greatly increased, almost to the point where he could complete a third of the entire set of motions. However, the more he progressed the more difficult the motions became, every movement he made feeling more and more like his bones were snapping under an immense pressure.
In his quiet secluded cave, his Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang would visit from time to time, often brining a delicious meal along to share with Yang Kai, chatting with each other when they became bored to pass the time.
Occasionally, Xia Ning Chang would also take a nap on the stone bed, whenever this happened, no matter how Yang Kai called out to her she would never awaken.
One day, as Yang Kai was cultivating, he suddenly heard the Sect Master’s voice pass directly to his ear asking, “Are you willing to kill?”
Suddenly hearing this, Yang Kai was shocked, instinctively becoming alert and circulating his Yuan Qi until he confirmed that it was Ling Tai Xu’s voice, understanding that he could relax his guard.
“Grand Master!” Yang Kai looked around, unable to see Ling Tai Xu’s figure, he gradually became aware that it was only a thread of Divine Sense contacting him.
Ling Tai Xu repeated his question.
This time Yang Kai replied, “I am!”
“What kind of people should you kill?”
Yang Kai frowned and pondered for a moment, “I will end those people who plot against me, end those that dared to plot against my friends and family. Eliminate those who stand in the way of my martial path and those that dare steal from me! Those who do not provoke me, the innocent, I will not lay a finger on them!”
Unsure if Ling Tai Xu had heard him, it remained silent after Yang Kai had finished answering.
Until after half a day had passed, Ling Tai Xu once again spoke, “Prepare yourself, half a month later I will take you to a place!”
“Yes!” Yang Kai did not ask, but he had faintly guessed that Ling Tai Xu seemed to have thought up a plan, but had been hesitating to act on it, otherwise after he had answered his question, he would not have remained silent for so long.
For the moment, Yang Kai would just have to wait.
Ling Tai Xu was his Grand Master, and his cultivation was deep, if he really wanted to harm him there was nothing he could do. Half a month was neither long nor short; Yang Kai could only earnestly cultivate so he went back to swallowing his pills.
Time passed by and half a month had passed, during this half a month, Su Yan had visited him once at night and the two had passionately made love, indulging in one another again and again, followed by entering a state of dual cultivation.
Yang Kai had long ago realized the benefits of this dual cultivation as he was aware of just how astonishingly pure his body’s Yuan Qi had become. While he had not become a True Element cultivator, his Qi was not significantly inferior in quality to a general True Element Boundary master’s True Qi. If not for this, when he had fought that day with Bai Yun Feng, his palm knife would simply have been unable to break his Heaven Gathering Network.
Whether it was Yang Kai or Su Yan, they both instinctively understood this, and so they dual cultivated diligently, and although they had only done so a few times, the results were enough to frighten people to death.
In addition, over this half a month, Yang Kai had also completely consumed all the pills Xia Ning Chang had refined. Not only that, by cultivating next to the Coiling Dragon Stream he had accumulated a large amount of Yang Liquid in his dantian. Even his cultivation had risen to Separation And Reunion Boundary Third Stage.
That evening, Yang Kai sat at the entrance to his secluded cave, feeling the gentle night’s breeze. Suddenly the sound of the ruffled clothes immediately flew inside.
“Grand Master!” Yang Kai stood up and saluted, then noticed another man, inquiring, “Treasurer Meng?”
“Heh heh heh!” Meng Wu Ya laughed merrily, his old face squeezing into a ball shape.
Yang Kai frowned, unsure of why Meng Wu Ya was so happy.
Suddenly, Meng Wu Ya’s smile stiffened as he stared at Yang Kai, his eyes emitting a sharp light, placing one hand on Yang Kai’s shoulder and the other on his dantian, loudly shouting, “For this old master, roll out!”
Ling Tai Xu looked at Meng Wu Ya in surprise, apparently not understanding why he had suddenly rushed up and restrained Yang Kai, but he soon noticed that Meng Wu Ya carried no murderous intent, so he did not interfere.
Yang Kai was startled, his whole body unable to move, he was only a Separation and Reunion Boundary Third Stage, in front of Meng Wu Ya he was no different from a baby, totally unable to resist.
Suddenly, he felt a huge suction, and Yang Kai could hear Old Demon’s cries as he trashed about violently.
Earlier that Day, Yang Kai had already recalled Old Demon, but even if he had hid inside his body, he could not escape Meng Wu Ya’s perception.
While Sect Master Ling Tai Xu had not caught a hint of anything wrong, Meng Wu Ya had only taken a moment to see through everything, the difference in strength between the two could be clearly seen.
Meng Wu Ya’s hand formed a claw, like a powerful ancient dragon, ruthlessly ripping out a struggling black mass; it was Old Demon’s gas covered Soul Breaker Awl.
Aware of Meng Wu Ya’s murderous intent, Old Demon screamed in terror, the black gas becoming violent, taking on the appearance of a grim face while desperately trying to free himself from Meng Wu Ya’s bondage.
Ling Tai Xu suddenly went pale.
“Treasurer Meng wait, he is my henchmen!” Yang Kai said hurriedly, fearing that Old Man Meng would destroy Old Demon on the spot.
Meng Wu Ya looked at Yang Kai, coldly asking, “You know what this is?”
“A devil lord’s spirit!” Yang Kai nodded.
“You know what he is and you still let him reside in your body! Are you not afraid of him swallowing your soul?” Meng Wu Ya was stunned. He felt that that Yang Kai was being a naive junior who had been taken advantage of by this devil and was unaware of the impending danger.
“He cannot swallow me.” Yang Kai wryly smiled. “Old Demon has recognized me as his lord, a single thought from me can decide his life or death.”
“Recognized you as his lord?” Meng Wu Ya was now completely shocked, although he had easily pulled Old Demon’s spirit out, he could tell that when he was alive he had been very strong, it was just that right now he was too weak to use all of his strength; if he could restore himself to his peak, the entire strength of High Hall Pavilion would not be able to stop him. “How has he recognized you as his lord?” This matter was significant; Meng Wu Ya had to fully understand the circumstances.
Yang Kai quickly explained everything that had happened which resulted in Old Demon surrendering to him.
Meng Wu Ya expression loosened and nodded slightly, “Indeed, if this is all so, he really is under your control and will be unable to harm you.”
“Quickly release me, this old master has sworn his loyalty to young master before all the heavens and earth, with the sun and the moon as my witness, so why are you viciously suppressing this old master!? You little brat, if this old master was still at his peak, how could you dare be so presumptuous!” Old Demon, whatever he had been reduced to now, was still a ‘ten thousand year old devil’, just before he had been scared half dead, but now that he knew he was no longer in danger he suddenly began acting up.
Meng Wu Ya looked away from him, smiling deviously, “If this old master was still at his peak, I would like to see you dare be so presumptuous.”
Repeating exactly what Old Demon had just said, his words were not different, but if one paid careful attention, his profound meaning was very different.
Old Demon was stunned, immediately stuttering, “You… you must be…”
Meng Wu Ya coldy snorted once and then released the shackles, Old Demon trembled like a mouse that had just met a cat, quickly converged his black gas and fled back into Yang Kai’s body, no longer daring to speak.
Upon further thought he was very frightened, he was an old master and had hidden so deep but was completely unable to shield himself from this old man’s perception, this old man was definitely not as simple as he seemed.
Throughout this whole process, Ling Tai Xu had remained silent, only now adding a few words, “A Devil Lord cannot be trusted, you must be careful.”
“Disciple fully understands.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Are you ready now?”
“En.”
Some days ago he had explained the situation to Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, now there was nothing left to prepare.
“Then let’s go.” Ling Tai Xu said as he grabbed Yang Kai and flew out of the secluded cave, heading down towards the bottom of the Coiling Dragon Stream, followed behind by Meng Wu Ya.
The wind whistling past, the vast Coiling Dragon Stream seemed to be bottomless, even as Yang Kai focused and squinted down, he could not see the ground below.
The place Grand Master wanted to take him, it wasn’t the depths of the Coiling Dragon Stream right? No, when they had first spoke he had said that even he would not dare to rush into this gorge hastily, it was simply impossible that he wanted to drop Yang Kai here.
After falling a few thousand feet, Ling Tai Xu suddenly changed direction, flying towards the Coiling Dragon Stream’s embankment.
A moment later, the trio finally came to a stop.
In the middle of the night, Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya floated mid-air, staring at a flat stone wall in front of them.
“Is it here?” Meng Wu Ya asked.
“En.” Ling Tai Xu nodded, “You and I must act together, channeling our True Qi into it.”
“Good!”
“Then I must trouble you with this.”
“There’s no need to be so polite between us.” Meng Wu Ya smile reached from ear to ear, one could even see his exposed back teeth.
As long as he could send this little brat Yang Kai away, forget simply consuming his True Qi, this old man would happily even call his father to come help. So when Meng Wu Ya had listened to Ling Tai Xu ask him to help him send Yang Kai to a faraway place, Old Man Meng did not hesitate to agree.
“Let’s begin,” Ling Tai Xu said, starting to circulate his True Qi. His palm leant into the stone wall before him.
Meng Wu Ya similarly placed his palm on the opposite side of the wall, his True Qi also surging.
These two old monsters at the peak of Immortal Ascension Boundary were like an open floodgate, their True Qi ferociously pouring into the stone walls in front of them.
This seemingly ordinary stone wall, at the moment, has suddenly become a bottomless pit; the massive influx of True Qi did not even rumble the wall one bit.
Yang Kai stood to the side, silently observing, silently shocked.
This stone wall must hold some incredible secret; otherwise, it could not possibly act so strange. And it was inside the Coiling Dragon Stream – perhaps that is somehow related as well.
After enough time to brew a cup of tea passed, both Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya had a thin film of glimmering sweat covering their foreheads. Such unrestrained, continuous output of True Qi was more than strenuous.
“Bother Ling, you are sure this is the right place?” Meng Wu Ya frowned, unable to stop himself from questioning.
“It is here,” Ling Tai Xu stated with great confidence.
Finally, the stone wall reacted. On the surface of this seemingly plain cobbled wall was where a layer of dark ripples suddenly emerged, starting at the centre, then quickly spreading out to each corner.
It was a signal for both Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya to increase the output of their True Qi.
The ripples gradually became larger and more violent. It was as if a calm lake was being pelted by pebbles and small rocks. In the end, the layer of ripples revealed an expanding whirlpool of energy, dizzying anyone who stared at it.
Meng Wu Ya’s eyes lit up, exclaiming, “It really is a two-way void corridor! Brother Ling, your High Heaven Pavilion’s Ancestral Founder truly possessed extraordinary strength!”
Ling Tai Xu just smiled, pulling back.
Meng Wu Ya also hurriedly retreated.
Although the two had ceased the flow of their True Qi, the changes occurring on the stone wall continued. The rumbling and ripples peaked in violence. The layer of ripples had now actually become a physical phenomenon instead of simply an image, rotating steadily as they spread outward, the stone wall suddenly exposing a dark hole.
Staring into this dark hole, Yang Kai felt like his soul was being sucked in, becoming somewhat dazed and disoriented.
Meng Wu Ya smiled at him. Gently patting his shoulder, he gave an obviously fake heavy hearted look of reluctance and said, “Little Yang Kai, be sure to take care!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown. Treasurer Meng’s behaviour today was far too intimate.
“While I am absent for these next few days, I ask Brother Meng to watch over High Heaven Pavilion.” Ling Tai Xu saluted, then waddled into the black swirling hole along with Yang Kai.
Before entering, Yang Kai looked back and saw Meng Wu Ya wear a joyous smile, waving to him frantically and embarrassingly.
After Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai disappeared inside, the black hole in the stone wall suddenly vanished, once again restoring its original appearance.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Meng Wu Ya remained in place, waiting a long time before looking up and laughing.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
His roaring laughter shook the Heavens and the Earth, startling countless High Heaven Pavilion disciples awake, causing them to shiver in fear.
[The Heavens have mercy! They finally sent this smelly brat far away, now there is no one to disturb my baby apprentice’s heart. Good! Who knows how long it will be before this plague returns. A year, perhaps two? As long as he is gone, my baby apprentice will forget him!]
[With nothing to distract her, she will be able to cultivate more rapidly, growing up in peace and quiet.]
Celebrating his good fortune, Meng Wu Ya laughed out loud again.
The black hole contained chaotic surroundings, but the scenery only lasted for about three breaths of time. Looking forward, Yang Kai saw a great burst of light, suddenly appearing alongside his Grand Master in a strange land.
Ling Tai Xu looked around, then quickly flew towards the horizon, stopping a short while later in a secluded spot, setting Yang Kai down to then instruct him, “Stand guard for me, I need a moment to recover.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, guessing that consuming so much True Qi was a bit much even for his Grand Master.
Ling Tai Xu swallowed a restoration pill and then meditated for two hours. Finished with his recovery, he lifted Yang Kai up and flew forward again.
Flying with a passenger was a huge difference from flying on his own, with Ling Tai Xu using his True Qi to protect him, Yang Kai simply did not feel the harsh scrape of the wind.
“Grand Master, what is that black hole under the Coiling Dragon Stream?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“It is something the Ancestral Founder left behind many years ago, a void corridor connecting one place in this world to another; with it, one can easily move from that spot in High Heaven Pavilion to another place. How it works specifically, I do not know. After all, my strength compared to our ancestor’s is far too insignificant.”
“How far have we just travelled?” Yang Kai was shocked, he never imagined that such a wondrous thing like this void corridor had existed in this world.
“About ten thousand li (5000 km, 3100 miles),” Ling Tai Xu plainly said.
Yang Kai gasped. From the time Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya both began channelling their True Qi into the stone wall until their arrival, only about half an hour of travelling passed. Half an hour to cross ten thousand li was simply unbelievable.
Although Yang Kai’s mental strength was outstanding, such an experience trumped his thoughts and rendered him dumbfounded.
“Why have you not asked where I am taking you yet?” Ling Tai Xu looked towards him with interest.
“If Grand Master wanted me to know, you would have already told me. In any case, I trust the Grand Master would not act maliciously towards me.”
“You really are trusting and open-minded…” Ling Tai Xu wryly smiled, his eyes showing deep thoughts. He resumed explaining, “The place I want to send you to is a place of killing, where murder does not require reason or excuse. There, only strength is respected, where the law of the jungle in its most vivid and base interpretation is the only law. You had best be psychologically prepared!”
Yang Kai was taken aback. “What am I going there to do?”
“Cultivate, become strong, and explore the true profoundness of the martial path!” Ling Tai Xu took a deep breath, “If you do not want to go, I can take you back right now.”
“No, of course, I will go.” Yang Kai held a strong excitement towards cultivation. The desire for strength was something possessed by every cultivator. Only when one was strong would he not be insulted or bullied; only when one was strong would they be able to go further down the martial path and attain the better life they desire.
“You still wish to go, even if every moment you spend there would be in life-threatening danger?” Ling Tai Xu flashed a comforting smile.
“Of course.”
“Hahaha! You and your father really are opposite ends of the spectrum! This old master also asked him this question, guess his answer.”
Yang Kai pondered a moment, then mimicking Yang Ying Feng’s forthright and honest look and his demeanour and tone and grunted, “I do not want to kill, I will not go!”
Ling Tai Xu took half a second to register what Yang Kai had just blurted out and immediately began laughing even harder, “Your impression is not bad! It is said that the father knows his son best; it looks like the opposite is also true.”
[Being unwilling to kill in the end, will only bring harm to oneself! You Yang Family people are not affectionate, each one behaving like a wolf or a tiger. If he cannot become strong, his return to the Yang Family would only cause him to be trampled upon!]
[This little Yang Kai is surrounded by an air of blood and violence. If he does not have enough strength to protect himself and his loved ones, he would be unable to resist bullies.]
[When that future comes and he falls to the Devil’s Path, he will become an enemy of the world! Ah disciple, do not say that this old master is being heartless and ruthless by not telling you I am bringing him here. It is all because of your temperament that this old master fears you will not agree.]
“Grand Master, in the end, where will we go?” Yang Kai smiled and asked.
“Not us, just you. This old master is only responsible for sending you there. You should have heard of this place: the Nether Mountain!”
Yang Kai’s smile suddenly broke as an expression of disbelief overtook it. Hesitating for a long time, he decided to probe further, “Grand Master, when you say the Nether Mountain, surely you do not mean THAT Nether Mountain?”
“Indeed I do!”
Yang Kai face became even more bitter.
The Nether Mountain was a fierce and notorious name for a Forbidden Zone, and it was a famous Forbidden Zone for cultivators at that. Many had entered this Forbidden Zone but none had ever returned alive.
Of course, this is only the most exaggerated rumour spread around the world and the reality in Nether Mountain was not one of certain death, but it was undeniable that entering the grim place was indeed arguably suicide. Compared to High Heaven Pavilion’s nearby Black Wind Mountains, the degree of danger was higher by dozens of times.
In the Black Wind Mountains, an average True Element Boundary Warrior could move about unimpeded, unless their luck is painfully terrible and they meet a particularly brutal Monster Beast. However, in Nether Mountain, even an Immortal Ascension master would have difficulty keeping their own life afloat. The gap of danger between both areas was painfully obvious.
Because it was so dangerous, it earned the label of a Forbidden Zone. It also happened to be the only such Forbidden Zone in the entire Great Han Dynasty.
Across the rest of the world, there were many other Forbidden Zones just like Nether Mountain. Yang Kai had heard that adjacent to the Great Han Dynasty in the Tang Liang Dynasty was a Forbidden Zone called the Abandoned Earth, filled with all kinds of deadly dangers similarly to Nether Mountain, even possibly somewhat beyond it.
Forbidden Zones are filled with strange Monster Beasts while the jungles hide many unknown dangers. Going inside haphazardly was simply courting death.
Yang Kai assumed that Ling Tai Xu had made his own plans, although knowing their destination was just a little more than intimidating.
Sure enough, Ling Tai Xu seemed to be watching his reaction, apparently satisfied with his response, “We are not venturing deep into Nether Mountain, only about five hundred li (two hundred and fifty kilometers, 155 miles) where there is a very strange place. It is suitable for cultivators of your level to gain experience.”
“What kind of place?” Yang Kai asked.
“It is hard to explain, but in short it is a very unusual place. This old master also visited it with his master for life experience. I wanted to send your father here many years ago but he refused, so now it is your generation’s turn.”
“This place is infamous, so there should be a lot of people who are already present there. We will have to see if we can grab a spot for you or not. If your entrance goes smoothly, you will have to remember one thing; everyone is an enemy. Do not trust anyone.”
“Disciple understands.”
“No, you do not.” Ling Tai Xu slowly shook his head, his tone becoming increasingly solemn, “This place creates a unique situation where everywhere everyone around you is a life-and-death enemy because inside when a cultivator is killed, their Yuan Qi and Blood Essence will condense into a Blood Bead. This Blood Bead can be absorbed by anyone, enhancing their own strength without any negative effects.
“What?” Yang Kai’s expression became serious.
“Now do you understand why I said that one does not require a reason or excuse to kill in that place? Obtaining a Blood Bead after killing someone is the best reason and excuse! Inside, another’s life is just a building block for one’s strength, especially someone like you that is only a Separation and Reunion Boundary Third Stage, you are even more likely to become a target.” Ling Tai Xu explained.
Yang Kai was shocked, but more out of excitement than surprise.
As Ling Tai Xu stared into Yang Kai’s eyes and studied his reactions, he could not help secretly sighing; this little brat’s heart really was set on the path of slaughter.
Most people who heard about this kind of thing would only react with fear and try to escape, but this kid’s face showed nothing but eagerness like he could not wait to immediately run to that place and drown himself in endless killing.
Inside there, there was no need to worry about harming the innocent, even if Yang Kai did not take the initiative to kill, someone would inevitably come to kill him, not to mention that there would be many Devil Path cultivators, people who revelled in killing even in the outside world.
Along the way, Ling Tai Xu told as much information about the inside as possible to Yang Kai, after all, he had once entered there himself many years ago; so his personal experiences could be described as invaluable treasures.
Yang Kai listened carefully, not daring to miss the slightest detail.
According to Ling Tai Xu, the place was in Nether Mountain, but it did not really belong to Nether Mountain, it was an independent space, and the entrance was a lake inside Nether Mountain.
Inside, there was some kind of strange energy and different Rules of Heaven and Earth; as long as a living creature died inside, its energy and essence would condense into a Blood Bead, including cultivators and Monster Beasts! These Blood Beads could be refined by oneself, or brought out and given to others; either way they were extremely valuable, and the more powerful the cultivator or Monster Beast that died, the higher the value of the Blood Bead it would produce, allowing one to have a greater promotion in strength.
In addition, in that place, all offensive and defensive artifacts would not play any role, it was as if they were being sealed by some invisible energy. Hearing this news, Yang Kai’s heart could not help but sharply twist.
His own cultivation was only Third Stage Separation and Reunion Boundary, who knows how many True Element masters would be inside. Facing these masters, without his Asura Sword or Thousand Blossoming Blood Begonia to help, he would be at a huge disadvantage, and would even likely be killed.
However, the circumstances would be the same for everyone else as well, giving Yang Kai a small bit of comfort.
The entrance would open every ten years, so it was lucky that Yang Kai had returned to High Heaven Pavilion when he had. If he had returned a few months later, he would certainly have missed this opportunity.
Finally, Ling Tai Xu solemnly gave Yang Kai a small bag.
This bag was only the size of a palm. It was engraved with a lot of colorful patterns and made of some unknown material; it appeared very exotic.
“What is this?” Yang Kai asked puzzled.
“I call it a Universal Bag. Do not be fooled by its small size, in fact, the inside is much larger than you think; easily capable of storing almost any item you wish to keep.”
Yang Kai was shocked once again. Staring at Ling Tai Xu in amazement, he had not imagined that Ling Tai Xu would actually be in possession of a legendary artifact which could store things in a separate space.
“All of these things were left behind by our Ancestral Founder. I’m afraid that it is the only one in the entire Great Han Dynasty, not even the Eight Great Families possess such a treasure.” Ling Tai Xu said seriously.
“Oh, no, that’s not right, Meng Wu Ya might also have one, but that old man certainly holds all his treasures inside it and keeps it hidden away, not showing it to anyone but his precious apprentice, he really is too stingy.”
“I also have some pills for you, keep them safe.” Ling Tai Xu said seriously.
“Good, thank you Grand Master! Once I return I will make sure to return this Universal Bag back to you.” Yang Kai tightly held onto this small bag before carefully tucking it away.
This thing was really a priceless artifact, in this world an artifact that could store things was only a rumour that had never appeared and never been seen.
However, inside Yang Kai’s body was the wordless Black Book which was made of a massive soul stone, it too was a type of artifact which could store many things inside it, and its grade was definitely much higher than this Universal Bag.
Unfortunately, although it was in Yang Kai’s possession, he had no idea how to use it, causing him no small amount of grief.
Flying forward for about a day, they came to a place filled with an eerie silence. All that Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai could see was an ominous mountain extending out forever.
Nether Mountain! Great Han’s one and only Forbidden Zone! A desolate and threatening air loomed about; it gave off the feeling of an ancient land where a primordial dragon might crawl out from at any moment, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Arriving here, before they had time to go in, from left and right two teams of people arrived.
From the left came six people, and to Yang Kai’s surprise, it was actually all women. The six were lead by an old woman, and a beautiful young woman, the remaining four appeared to be young girls.
These four girls wore some small bells on their hands and feet, so as they approached, a crisp and pleasant jingle could be heard, like the sound of a clear mountain stream spring, refreshing to the ear.
And this group of women were all born beautiful, that young woman was elegant but shapely, her glossy black hair tied up in a stylish bun, exposing her slender white nape of her neck, everywhere revealing a mature air of beauty, especially her dazzling pair of eyes which seemed to leak an amorous glow, fascinating one’s heart and charming one’s soul, they left one who stared into them breathless, making the sky seem bluer, and flowers more fragrant.
The four girls were also very pretty, like young blossoming flowers, delicate and graceful, floating to and fro, their pink lotus arms half exposed, their skin a pure white, like freshly fallen snow, and upon their small, jade like feet, their delicate toes portrayed an exquisite beauty. Thin tender waists accompanied by full graceful curves, their faces adorned with a sweet smile, a shy blush, a glamorous air, or a passionate gaze, the four of them together were enough to let any man become mad with desire. The only difference was that the temperament of these girls was a bit immature compared to the beautiful young woman, lacking a certain seductive and fascinating style.
As for the old woman, although she had now aged, but only could vaguely tell that when she was young, her appearance had been extraordinary, it was just that the ruthless years had carved their indelible traces upon her.
This group rushed towards Yang Kai and Ling Tai Xu before halting some three hundred feet away, the old woman faintly glancing at the two men before giving a light snort.
Anyone who had come to Nether Mountain at this time was obviously here for the same purpose.
The number of cultivators who could enter the strange space was limited; naturally, everyone else was a competitor.
As Ling Tai Xu smiled towards the old woman, he whispered to Yang Kai, “They are from the first-class Sect Ten Thousand Flower Palace, each of those young girls is one of their Sect’s geniuses. They tend to be slightly arrogant so be careful of them. Do not try to court them, or else they may just devour you whole, bones and all.
A light flashed in Yang Kai’s eyes as he took a long hard look at the four young girls, taking note of Ling Tai Xu’s warning, quietly responding, “Grand Master rest assured that I will be careful.”
After a moment, the group approaching from the right also arrived. Looking towards them, there was an old man of similar age to Ling Tai Xu leading them, and behind him there were three young people, two male and one female, all of them possessing extraordinary strength, but all of them had an evil aura about them.
The two men were far more presumptuous than Yang Kai, their eyes almost glued to the previous group of female disciples, making the girl who was accompanying them extremely unhappy as she coldly snorted.
“They are from the Ghost King Valley.” Ling Tai Xu frowned. “You may have trouble.”
“Why so?” Yang Kai asked.
“Because your Grand Master had fought with that old man more than a dozen times, they are an Evil Sect if you fight with them, be especially careful of their hand techniques.” Ling Tai Xu replied.
Yang Kai looked, and sure enough the three disciple’s hands were somewhat strange, unlike ordinary people’s they were deathly pale, almost like the hands of a ghost.
The leading old man suddenly sneered, “Ling Tai Xu! You’re actually not dead yet!”
Ling Tai Xu snickered as he retorted, “You also still live Gui Li!”
“Heh heh heh” Gui Li grinned, “This old master was worried he could not exact revenge upon a dead man, I had no idea I would be able to meet you again today, the heavens really have had pity upon me.”
“How so? Was the lesson fifty years ago not enough for you? Are you really so anxious to die today?” Ling Tai Xu sneered, clearly disdaining him.
Gui Li suddenly grimaced, “Things from the past, why bring them up now? Losing to you fifty years ago does not mean that fifty years later it will still be so!”
“Do you want to try?” Ling Tai Xu grinned arrogantly.
Gui Li’s eyes radiated a ghastly light, staring at Ling Tai Xu full of hatred, but there was a hint of dread in his gaze.
As these two confronted each other, the three Ghost King Valley disciples behind Gui Li also glared viciously at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai simply smiled back at them, an indifferent grin on his face.
*Peng!* A sudden noise broke the tension, it had come from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace’s old woman tapping her staff on the ground.
“If the two of you are not going to fight, we should negotiate how we are going to cooperate to enter Nether Mountain, hmm?” The old woman faintly looked towards Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li.
Although Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li had their resentments, but they did not really want to clash here, after all, their main purpose was to bring their juniors out for experience and cultivation. If something went wrong now, it would severely disrupt those plans. The old woman also understood this, and that both sides needed a way out, so she decided to speak out at this time.
Gui Li grinned wickedly, “This old master will give some face to Yan Palace Lord, I will cooperate with you for now until this task is over. Ling Tai Xu, once we are done, you and I must fight!”
“Anytime!”
Gui Li shifted his menacing gaze to Yang Kai, not bothering to hide his ill intentions, he openly instructed his three disciples, “Remember this little brat’s appearance, once you are inside, be sure to kill him!”
“Yes!” The three disciples said ruthlessly.
Yang Kai’s expression became cold, secretly memorizing these three’s faces.
With the mediation of the old woman, Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li for the time being put down their grudge, and the three consulted for a while before the old woman began leading the way, her four young disciples right behind her, the three Ghost King Valley disciples followed next, while Yang Kai and Ling Tai Xu brought up the rear.
As for the beautiful woman, she assumed a position in the middle, along with Gui Li, one to the left, one to the right.
With four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters guarding them, the younger generation disciples could be considered extremely safe, of course, the premise being that Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li did not plot against each other.
Ling Tai Xu naturally was not so vicious, however the same could not be said about Gui Li, it was because of this concern that the old woman let Ling Tai Xu serve as rear guard, to prevent Gui Li from back stabbing them.
Fortunately, Gui Li was not a fool; along the way he did not engage in any mischief, honestly guarding his own position.
Nether Mountain was a fearsome place; this group of people who entered did so with extreme caution, remaining as quiet as possible, because even in the most peripheral zone, it was still possible to encounter a powerful fifth or sixth-order Monster Beast.
Even the women from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace had used some unknown means on their wrist and ankle bells so they did not make the slightest sound, allowing them to walk silently.
As they walked deeper into the jungle, the sounds of rustling suddenly came from in front of them, as if something was rapidly approaching.
The group of young disciples were all on guard, their nerves rather taut, but the four Immortal Ascension masters faces remained indifferent.
*Shua…* A ferocious head suddenly sprang from the jungle, dashing towards the old woman, its savage fangs gleaming from within its massive jaw.
This beast’s head was the two feet long; embedded with a pair of glowing triangular shaped eyes which flashed a brutal and desolate light. Displaying amazing speed, in the blink of an eye it was already upon the old woman.
However, the old woman only snorted, slightly raising her walking staff, gently swinging it forward and seemingly tapping the middle of the beast’s forehead and then again on the side of its jaw. Suddenly, it was as if that massive head had suffered a devastating attack, flying out to the side.
Before it had even landed, the whole head burst open, only leaving behind a bloody fog.
The beautiful woman’s body flashed as she sprang forward, her jade hand flickering as a coloured ribbon flew out from her wrist, like a snake striking from within its hole. The ribbon instantly seized the exposed Beast Core from within the blood fog and neatly retrieved it.
“Golden Eyed Silver-Back Python! A Peak Fifth Order Monster Beast!” Ling Tai Xu explained to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai carefully observed, and sure enough on the ground not far away there was headless python body, its back adorned with silver patterns, obviously it had been a very strong beast. Everything had happened too fast just now so he did not see how this big python had been killed, or even when the beautiful woman had retrieved its Beast Core.
Peak fifth-order beast, that was equivalent to a peak True Element cultivator, but in the face of this old woman it was effortlessly slaughtered. The strength of this old woman from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace was apparent, she was likely on the same level as Ling Tai Xu, if not even stronger.
The Ten Thousand Flower Palace really deserved to be called a first-class Sect! Its power was much larger than High Heaven Pavilion.
“Be careful, this thing is a social type Monster Beast!” Ling Tai Xu quickly warned.
His voice had hardly faded before waves of rustling sounds emerged from all around the group. From the dense surrounding jungle, everyone could vaguely see many pairs of triangular golden eyes staring towards them, rapidly moving closer.
The old woman did not remain idle this time, instead yelling loudly, “Move faster, once the smell of blood spreads it will only attract more Monster Beasts.”
The group quickly responded and dashed into the jungle.
*Shua Shua Shua* From every direction countless Golden Eyed Silver-Back Pythons leaped towards them, their bloody mouths ferociously snapping.
The old woman’s staff displayed unparalleled lethality, often with just a single tap, a big python would immediately be killed while Gui Li and the beautiful woman acted with great coordination, guaranteeing the safety of their own disciples.
Gui Li was truly a Evil cultivator, once he began circulating his Secret Art, a black gas filled with violent and bloody breath pulsed from his body. Holding a spear type artifact, he stabbed left and right, no enemy able to withstand a single blow, showing his strength to be superior to the beautiful woman. However, to deal with these fifth-order Monster Beasts, she was still quite relaxed, her graceful body danced in the wind while a hint of intoxicating fragrance lingered in the air. Often before one of the Golden Eyed Silver-Back Pythons even got close, they would be killed by some inexplicable means.
Ling Tai Xu never used any artifacts, his every move was simple and plain, but seemed to contain an infinite power, the speed with which he slaughtered these Monster Beasts was not much worse than the old woman.
Flesh and blood flew about as one by one these pythons were killed; it was akin to someone sweeping away the fallen autumn leaves, leisurely and unimpeded.
The disciples from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace were also employing their ribbon artifacts, not to fight with these Monster Beasts, but to retrieve their exposed Beast Cores.
These four girls were all sister disciples so their cooperation was flawless, three of them would together attack the head of any fallen Monster Beast to break it open, while the other would use her ribbon to extract its Beast Core.
These were fifth-order Monster Beast Cores; their value was by no means low.
These girl’s practices caused the three Ghost King Valley disciples to be extremely jealous, but since they had no method to compete with them, they could only watch helplessly and grumble to themselves.
As they collected more and more trophies, the happy smiles on these girl’s faces only grew bigger, each one like a blossoming flower full of charm mixed with a little pride.
On the other side, Gui Li attacked one of the Golden Eyed Silver-Back Pythons, piercing it with his spear and ferocious pouring in his True Qi, killing it instantly.
Flicking his spear, this Golden Eyed Silver-Back Python actually flew towards the crowd. It was clear that Gui Li also wanted his disciples to gain some benefits.
But intentionally or unintentionally, when he tossed this dead python he had exerted too much force, and the Golden Eyed Silver Back Python actually flew towards Yang Kai’s position.
Ling Tai Xu’s eyes flashed a cold light, but he did not attempt to block it.
At that moment, one of the Ghost King Valley male disciples rushed back, a faint grin upon his face, his ghostly white hands radiating a pale light as he concentrated his True Qi, forming a sharp blade which he stabbed towards the Golden Eyed Silver-Back Python’s head.
This strike seemed to be aiming for the beast’s Core, but in reality his stab had used far too much force and would no doubt end up impaling Yang Kai as well.
Yang Kai face went cold, instantly aware of the other side’s malicious intent, naturally he would not stand idly by.
Instead of directly confronting him, Yang Kai instead stretched out his hands and seized the dead Golden Eyed Silver-Back Python’s body, flinging it to the side with all his strength.
The Ghost King Valley disciple’s face which had been grinning until just now suddenly went stiff.
Yang Kai’s counterattack was beyond his expectation and a bizarre cry was heard as he and the python’s body were sent flying out several tens of meters.
But his reaction was also quite rapid; in mid-air he hurriedly removed his hand from the python’s head and kicked its body away from him, finally freeing himself.
However, before he had even landed, two new pythons leapt towards him, their giant jaws flapping as the stench of their breaths made his head spin.
His face instantly went pale and his hair stood on end.
His reaction was a stark contrast to the four Immortal Ascension masters who were killing these pythons like slaughtering chickens and dogs, after all, they had the strength to do so. An ordinary True Element Boundary cultivator could only wait for death if they were to encounter these pythons.
A crisis was approaching, causing this Ghost King Valley disciple to feel the breath of death; he had not thought that in plotting against Yang Kai, he would throw himself into this situation; it was really a case of harming oneself.
At this critical juncture, Gui Li finally reached him, his spear piercing out, quickly dispatching the two pythons as he grabbed the disciple’s shoulder and threw him back towards the group before quickly withdrawing himself.
However, in that moment, the disciples from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace had been attacked by another python, and if not for the beautiful woman’s quick reaction to protect them, the four girls may have suffered serious harm.
After Gui Li returned, the woman glared at him fiercely, furious that he had left his position and exposed her disciples to such mortal danger.
Gui Li knew that he was completely at fault here so he offered no complaints, instead coldly staring at Yang Kai and Ling Tai Xu.
In this subtle conflict, the older generation did not overtly intervene, but Yang Kai’s clever scheme had almost caused the Ghost King Valley’s disciple to suffer a great loss, sparking a flame of hatred in his heart and provoking him to find a chance to erase this shame.
Yang Kai obviously did not pay him any attention; the other side’s elder had already made it clear he wanted his life, why should he care about offending them? Being polite now was not showing goodwill but weakness.
The group continued fighting for quite some time, cutting down more than twenty of these Golden Eyed Silver-Back Pythons before escaping this predicament.
This was only the most peripheral region of Nether Mountain yet they had encountered such a crisis; this Forbidden Zone’s reputation was clearly not groundless.
After this battle, the older generation had obviously experienced some consumption, but the old woman still silently lead them forward, traveling a hundred kilometers or so before they found a relatively safe place to stop and rest.
The older generation wanted to maintain their condition at its peak while the younger generation had to restore their physical strength.
After stopping, the Ten Thousand Flower Palace’s old woman grumbled, coldly glaring at Gui Li, “That kind of farce, I will let pass this time, but this old woman does not want to see a repeat, if you cannot guarantee this then we shall part ways here, my Ten Thousand Flower Palace does not want to act together with unscrupulous people who put our lives at risk.”
Gui Li only laughed mischievously, “Please rest assured Yan Palace Lord, previously was this old master’s mistake. My disciple was just a bit too enthusiastic, it was all a misunderstanding.”
“Very well!” The old woman nodded lightly then stepped away to meditate and recover.
The three Sects put some distance between themselves, each remaining silent.
After a moment, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and saw the Ghost King Valley disciple who had previously plotted against him walking over.
As soon as he was ten steps from him he stood still and coldly stared at Yang Kai, grinning maliciously, “My name is Jin Hao, you’d better roll far away from me, if not, I’ll mercilessly slaughter you!”
He was clearly furious, and completely did not care that Ling Tai Xu was sitting nearby.
Ling Tai Xu also did not say anything, just continuing to meditate.
Yang Kai looked at him, suddenly chuckling loudly, “Brother Jin, dogs that bite normally don’t bark first.”
*Puchi* Several muted noises suddenly were heard; it was the Ten Thousand Flower Palace girls unable to hold back their laughter.
The young woman quickly stared at them and the girls quickly sealed their lips, pretending to meditate.
Jin Hao fumed, “You have a sharp tongue, but you’d better pray we don’t meet inside!”
He snorted then turned away.
Watching his back, Yang Kai’s heart also filled with murderous intent. These three Ghost King Valley disciples were destined to be his enemies, but their cultivation was higher and there were more of them as well, once he encountered them he would definitely be in for a hard fight.
After a while, the old woman stood up and Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li also opened their eyes.
Arranging themselves as before, the group continued deeper into Nether Mountain.
Along the way, they were often harassed by Monster Beasts. Nether Mountain’s Monster Beasts were numerous, and their distribution was also chaotic, they encountered third-order, fourth-order, fifth-order, and even two sixth- order Monster Beasts.
However, the two sixth-order Monster Beasts clearly knew that this group was not easy to mess with, only probing them a bit before giving up; they were obviously significantly more intelligent than the others they had met.
In killing these Monster Beasts, the Ten Thousand Flower Palace’s four girls reaped the greatest harvest, flourishing their ribbons and snatching up the Beast Cores that appeared. The trio from Ghost King Valley also worked together with Gui Li to obtain a number of Beast Cores, accumulating no small amount of wealth.
Only Yang Kai’s performance was shabby, collecting just two fifth-order Beast Cores along the entire journey, and this had only been because Ling Tai Xu deliberately threw the Monster Beast’s bodies to him.
However, Yang Kai did not care, his cultivation was the lowest, and now with his ordinary performance, the others would pay less attention to him, this way he could bide his time, keep a low profile, and avoid all kinds of danger, allowing him to slowly enhance his strength.
LRG: Blurazbeary
Under normal circumstances, to cross a distance of only five hundred kilometers on foot, this group of cultivators would only need about two hours of time; if the Immortal Ascension Boundary masters could fly, it would take them no more than half an hour.
But crossing five hundred kilometers in Nether Mountain had already taken them a full two days and they had still had not finished their trip. The dangers and attacks they encountered along the way had been far greater than everyone’s expectations.
“Yan Palace Lord, you bring your disciples here every ten years, has it always been this dangerous?” When the group was resting, Ling Tai Xu could not help asking, after all, the last time he came here was fifty years ago. At that time, although there had been Monster Beast attacks, the frequency was nothing compared to this time.
The old woman pondered then replied, “No, this time is very different, I’m afraid that some of the weaker Monster Beasts from the depths of Nether Mountain have rushed to the outer edge.”
Listen to her say this Ling Tai Xu and Gui Li both went a little pale.
“We should not linger here for long, we need to keep moving.” The old woman was also aware that something was wrong, immediately suggesting they increase their pace.
The group once again set out, and after half a day, they finally arrived at their destination.
In front of them lay a massive lake, its waters clear and sparkling, but the strangely calm atmosphere gave an eerie feeling, making Yang Kai uneasy.
Looking around, he saw that surrounding the lake were many groups of people, these groups belonged to the Great Han Dynasty’s forces that had all brought their disciples here for life experience. Their numbers varied a lot; some bigger groups had as many as seven or eight people, while the smaller ones numbered only three or four.
Each of these groups was separated by about three hundred meters and were all quietly waiting at the edge of the lake.
After Ling Tai Xu and the other members of the older generation saw this scene, they all showed a hint of displeasure and vigilance.
The Ten Thousand Palace’s old woman only slightly nodded to the group, and then led the beautiful woman and her four disciples towards the lake.
When this group of flirtatious and alluring women appeared they immediately drew the attention of countless young men. These girls were obviously used to experiencing such a scene and simply treated these gazes like a gentle breeze, ignoring them as they neatly follow behind the old woman, looking for an open position to claim.
Gui Li flashed Ling Tai Xu an evil grin before giving Yang Kai a look filled with profound meaning.
Jin Hao also coldy snorted, glaring at Yang Kai while making a swiping motion across his neck before following Gui Li and the Ten Thousand Palace people towards the lake.
“Come, let us also find a spot!” Ling Tai Xu said, leading Yang Kai towards the lake.
Most of the spots around the lake had been occupied by the forces which had arrived sooner, so Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai could only continue walking past these groups.
However, every time they passed a group of people, Ling Tai Xu would quietly explain which forces these groups belonged to, whether they were an Evil Sect, and the strength of the disciples who had come for this trial, making him to take note of which Sects to beware of.
Yang Kai also secretly observed these groups, making sure to remember every last detail he was told.
After walking around more than half the lake, the two finally found an unoccupied place, greatly relieving Ling Tai Xu.
After they had arrived, they both sat down cross-legged while Ling Tai Xu more meticulously described to Yang Kai the various Sects and forces around the lake. Yang Kai listened carefully as he continued to observe his surroundings.
The more he learned, the more he could understand just how dangerous this experience would be.
Each of these groups represented a major power from the Great Han Dynasty; most of them belonged to first or second-class Sects, while a few third-class Sects also appeared, each one of these powers had at least two or three disciples; Yang Kai being the sole disciple from his Sect was unique.
Ling Tai Xu had also wanted to bring someone else so that Yang Kai would have comrades, but High Heaven Pavilion didn’t have any good candidates.
Su Yan had the requisite strength, but because she cultivated the Ice Heart Secret Art, too much killing would do her more harm than good. Xia Ning Chang was also a good choice, but she was Meng Wu Ya’s disciple and he treated her more like a precious daughter than a student, how could he let her take such a risk? As for Xie Hong Chen, Ling Tai Xu did not even consider him, bringing him along would only lead to Yang Kai dying faster.
The strength of these juniors here were all higher than Yang Kai, at least Separation and Reunion Boundary Seventh or Eighth Stage. True Element cultivators were as numerous as clouds.
The only good news was that no one from the Eight Great Families had come.
“Only cultivators at or below the True Element Boundary can enter here for experience, so there is no risk you will encounter an Immortal Ascension Boundary master inside. With your strength, if you clash meet a True Element Boundary Second or Third Stage enemy, you should be able to compete, but if meet anyone of higher strength, Grand Master can only give you one suggestion, run! A man must know when the back down, do not blindly rush in without considering your own strength, make sure you use your head!”
“Disciple understands.” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
“Remember, you only have one task inside, survive. If you want to become strong, you do not necessarily have to fight with other cultivators; hunting Monster Beasts is also a means of increasing your strength. I imagine the number of people who hold this same idea are not a few, if there you really can find trustworthy people, you may also wish to act together, this way you can increase your odds of survival.”
“Understood. Grand Master, what Sect are those people from over there, they are dressed quite strangely.” Yang Kai suddenly pointed his gaze towards a group in the distance.
When Ling Tai Xu looked over, his brow could not help but wrinkle; this group of people, whether it was their clothing or their looks, were slightly different from the others.
As if they were aware of Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai’s stares, this odd group of people stared back, a cold and fierce look in their eyes, seemingly warning them to mind their own business.
“They are not people from our Great Han Dynasty!” Ling Tai Xu exclaimed, “They are from the Tian Lang Dynasty.”
“The Tian Lang Dynasty also sent people over?” Yang Kai was stunned, even though Tian Lang Dynasty was adjacent to the Great Han Dynasty, why would one of their Sects send people thousands of kilometers away to this Forbidden Zone?
“The culture in Tian Lang Dynasty is quite different from our own, rumor has it that most of their cultivators are both cruel and vicious, on top of that, they are not our countrymen, so you must be very careful inside if you encounter them. This group of cultivator’s strength is far from what you can resist.”
“Their style of dress is quite exotic.” Yang Kai commented as he stared at the two women in the Tian Lang Dynasty’s group. Their bodies were enchanting, and their clothes left little to the imagination as their arms were fully exposed and their tight fitting tops could barely contain their bountiful chests, seems like they would burst free at any moment. These two women completely exposed their thin, flat waists, allowing their exquisite navels to dance charmingly, and covering their lower bodies were skirts which barely reached above their knees, revealing much of their shapely legs.
“Ai…” Ling Tai Xu helpless shook his head, unable to understand; his first disciple was so simple and honest, how did he manage to give birth to Yang Kai this little bastard.
As time passed, more and more people arrived at this lake, each of them following some unwritten rule as they separated from each other by a fixed distance, quietly waiting.
Less than a day later, the lake had finally been completely surrounded.
Those who arrived later and could not find a position naturally began looking for weaker groups to replace, spitting out a few words then engaging in a fight.
In just an hour of time, more than four or five bouts had already been started. Many groups from smaller forces, whether it was their elders who had served as escorts or the disciples here for life experience, were slaughtered clean.
Such bloody cruel scenes actually did not cause any waves however, anyone who had dared to come here was fully prepared to engage in such conflicts. If one’s strength was inferior and they were slaughtered because of that, no one would complain on their behalf.
Fortunately, although Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai were only two people, no one seemed to be eyeing them so they had not encountered any trouble so far.
But as more and more forces arrived, it was not long before some people began to take notice of Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai.
Suddenly, an old man around Ling Tai Xu’s age walked over, along with his two disciples, one young man and one young women, and stopped not far from them.
Ling Tai Xu who was sitting on the ground, opened his eyes and looked towards them, remaining indifferent.
Yang Kai was secretly raised his vigilance, but was surprised to find that they were not emitting any hostile or murderous intent.
The old man seemed to ponder for a moment before cupping his hands towards Ling Tai Xu, politely speaking, “Reflecting Moon Sect’s Elder Zhou Wen requests this esteemed master’s name!”
“High Heaven Pavilion, Ling Tai Xu!”
“So you are Brother Ling!” Zhuo Wen had apparently heard of the High Heaven Pavilion, politely greeting him then getting straight to the point, “Brother Ling forgive me, this old man and his disciples have arrived somewhat late to this lake, I had not known that so many forces would appear this time for this experience, leaving us no entry place.”
Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai had instantly crossed thousands of kilometers to arrive here, so although they had departed late, they had still arrived here earlier than most. This Reflecting Moon Sect’s Zhuo Wen had left his Sect more than a month ago, experiencing all kinds of hardship along the road, not to mention the extreme danger of crossing Nether Mountain to arrive at this lake, so he had ultimately arrived two days later than them.
“Is there something Brother Zhuo wants to ask?” Since the other side displayed no malicious intent, Ling Tai Xu would naturally give him some face. Although the other side’s intentions were easy to guess, he still took the initiative to ask.
Zhou Wen gave a dry laugh before saying, “This Zhuo would like to strike a deal with Brother Ling. The lake’s duckweed can carry up to four people to enter the inside, but it looks like Brother Ling has only brought a single disciple; if it is convenient, could you allow this old man’s two disciples to accompany him? Otherwise this old man would have made this trip in vain; if I returned like this it would be quite embarrassing and these two disciples would undoubtedly be disappointed.”
Ling Tai Xu shifted his eyes to the two young disciples behind Zhuo Wen.
These two quickly stepped forward, the young man respectfully introducing himself, “Disciple Chen Xue Shu greets Senior Ling.”
Followed quickly by the young woman, “Disciple Shu Xiao Yu greets Senior Ling.”
While they performed this disciple’s ceremony, both of them were highly respectful, no showing the slightest dissatisfaction or arrogance. Seeing their behaviour, Ling Tai Xu secretly nodded. Reflecting Moon Sect was similar to High Hall Pavilion, both were second-class Sects and the strength of their disciples was also comparable. This young man and woman both appeared calm and gentle, the kind of cultivators who were not fond of fighting and bloodshed.
Seeing Ling Tai Xu pondering his request, Zhuo Wen quickly spoke, “Brother Ling, please rest assured that this old man’s two disciples’ hearts are kind, for this experience they are only here to kill Monster Beasts and search for opportunities. They will certainly not make things difficult for your disciple; this old man can personally guarantee it is so.”
Finished explaining, he again added, “If this little brother is currently alone, once inside he may wish to travel together with this old man’s two disciples, each of them would thus be able to take care of each other.”
Ling Tai Xu had already considered agreeing, but still looked to Yang Kai and asked, “What are your thoughts?”
Yang Kai nodded indifferently, “We can enter together, but once inside you do not have to look after me.”
They were not familiar, and although Chen Xue Shu and Shu Xiao Yu appeared good natured, but it was impossible to instantly know other’s hearts, naturally it was better to be cautious. Moreover, even if Yang Kai did trust these two, it was not certain that they would believe in him, Zhuo Wen’s words were ultimately just a courtesy, how could he take them completely serious?
“Since this little brat has no comment, Brother Zhuo please feel welcome!” Ling Tai Xu signaled Zhou Wen to take a seat.
Zhou Wen couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief, cupping his fists a smiling, “Thank you Brother Ling.”
“Brother Zhou is too polite.” Ling Tai Xu smiled, “In fact, it is I who should the Brother Zhou for solving our troubles!”
In fact, having these three from the Reflecting Moon Sect join them provided only benefits without any harm to Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai; after all, it had been just the two of them occupying a place, and with more and more groups arriving, they would likely draw the attention of someone they could not provoke and wind up losing their spot.
However, the situation was very different now that Zhou Wen’s group joined them, two instantly became five, and that included two masters standing guard, even if someone wanted their spot, they would have to carefully consider the consequences of attacking them.
Hearing him say these words, Zhou Wen also felt much more at ease, letting out a relaxed laughter while instructing his two disciples to take a seat.
Although this was their first time meeting, Ling Tai Xu and Zhou Wen were both old veterans; after speaking for just a few moments they had already started acting quite familiar with each other.
Thanks to Ling Tai Xu accepting his request, Zhou Wen tried his best to return the favor, revealing a lot of information about this site’s recent past.
Ling Tai Xu happened to be missing these things, after all the last time he was here was fifty years ago. Fifty years was a long time, many things could have changed here so naturally he was eager to inquire about it.
Zhou Wen patiently explained everything he knew without exception.
Yang Kai also paid careful attention to their discussion.
Through this conversation, Yang Kai learned that this experience site was originally inadvertently discovered by several cultivators who came to Nether Mountain, and as time went by, more and more people learned of its existence.
But in general, the people who knew of this place kept it a secret, not publicly sharing information about it. So after several thousand years, even if more people knew about this place, it was not as if the entire world had become aware.
This was still the case now.
Just how many Sects were there in the Great Han Dynasty? Though this lake was surrounded by so many powers, it had not even reached one-tenth of the total. It would be much more troublesome if the entire world knew, every decade would wind up being a bloody battle.
“Since this place was discovered, until recently, we did not have to compete for spots, but since the opening thirty years ago, more and more powers started to hear about its existence.” Zhou Wen sighed.
“What changed?” Ling Tai Xu asked thoughtfully.
“Because thirty years ago one of the disciples that entered here for life experience brought back something extremely valuable.” Zhou Wen lowered his voice low, and looked around as he paused dramatically, building up suspense before finally explaining, “Someone from the inside received a few drops of Brilliant Flame Liquid.”
A flash of shock appeared on Ling Tai Xu’s face, “There is a supreme treasure which can help purify one’s True Qi?”
Zhou Wen nodded, “Yes!”
When the three words “Brilliant Flame Liquid” were spoken, Chen Xue Shu and Su Xiao Yu could not stop their breath from becoming slightly rapid; obviously, they understood how precious this treasure was. Rather it was just Yang Kai whose expression remained indifferent, without the slightest waves.
When Zhou Wen observed Yang Kai’s reaction, he could not help thinking that this kid was simply too ignorant, or else how would his response be so dull?
Little did he know that although Yang Kai had never heard of this Brilliant Flame Liquid, he could still fully understand its value from Ling Tai Xu’s words.
However, Yang Kai already had the Nine Yin Yuan Condensing Dew, sealed away within his Unyielding Golden Skeleton. He only needed to reach the point where he could break through to the True Element Boundary so he could refine it, greatly aiding his Yuan Qi’s transformation into True Qi, so the appeal of this Brilliant Flame Liquid was simply too small for him.
Good things would generally draw in countless people looking to for a chance to snatch them up, but since he had the Nine Yin Yuan Condensing Dew, he did not need to pay attention to this Brilliant Flame Liquid.
Zhou Wen lightly coughed before he continued, “If it was only the Brilliant Flame Liquid, it would not be enough to attract so many people, but during that same experience, not only did someone obtain some Brilliant Flame Liquid, another person managed to find a few drops of Soul Cleansing Dew!”
This news once again shocked Ling Tai Xu.
Yang Kai’s curiosity was also finally piqued, “What kind of treasure is that?”
Zhou Wen smiled, carefully explaining, “Brilliant Flame Liquid can help cultivators refine their True Qi, so their True Qi becomes purer, while the Soul Cleansing Dew can assist them with opening their Knowledge Sea, allowing one to cultivate their Soul and Divine Sense. When one attempts to break through the True Element Boundary and reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, if they have a drop of Soul Cleansing Dew to aid them, their Knowledge Sea will easily be opened without any obstructions. If a cultivator who has already opened their Knowledge Sea takes a drop of Soul Cleansing Dew, their Knowledge Sea will widen, allowing it to become more robust. Such growth is worth years of penance.
Yang Kai nodded slightly.
Ling Tai Xu commented, “I see, no wonder so many people have come! Even juniors at the Separation and Reunion Boundary would be willing to take brave the risks for such a treasure.”
Fifty years ago, there were no Separation and Reunion Boundary disciples here, so when Ling Tai Xu arrived here he began to think the world had changed, and that this new younger generation was filled with daring risk takers, but now he knew there was no such thing.
Cultivators at the Separation and Reunion Boundary only had two tasks, one was to enhance their cultivation realm, and the second was to transform their Yuan Qi into True Qi. Brilliant Flame Liquid for any Separation and Reunion cultivator would naturally have a great attraction.
Likewise, True Element Boundary cultivators also had two tasks, once again to enhance their cultivation realm, while the second was to open their Knowledge Sea, in preparation to cultivate their Soul, whether it was the Brilliant Flame Liquid or the Soul Cleansing Dew, they would greatly desire both.
The existence of such treasures had lead to a massive increase in people coming here.
Even Yang Kai’s eyes now flashed with desire.
He did not care in the slightest about the Brilliant Flame Liquid, but the Soul Cleansing Dew for him was extremely attractive. Old Demon had once said that his Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus needed to absorb a lot of soul-nourishing Precious Treasures to evolve into its seven coloured form, and this Soul Cleansing Dew was obviously such a treasure, not to mention its own effects were certainly wondrous.
If he could get his hands on some, whether it was the Soul Warming Lotus or his own self it would be a great help.
Finished with this explanation, the two old began chatting amongst themselves, while the three young disciples were left to their own devices. Chen Xue Shu and Su Xiao Yu were better of than Yang Kai, after all, they were both from the same Sect, and it was fairly obvious they were also a couple, one could tell from the thick affection which flowed from their eyes when they looked at each other.
As if he was aware of Yang Kai’s embarrassment, Chen Xue Shu smiled at him, cupping his fists, “How should I address this Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai returned his smile and replied, “My surname is Yang!”
“Yang…” Chen Xue Shu’s eyebrows jumped, apparently considering if he was from the Yang Family, but soon felt it was unlikely, and even if it were true he did not particularly care.
“Junior Brother Yang does not seem to know too much about this place.” Chen Xue Shu intended to build a relationship with him, so he initiated a line of conversation.
“Yes, I was brought here somewhat abruptly without much explanation.” Yang Kai nodded.
Su Xiao Yu couldn’t help giggling, “Your master is still close by, be careful he doesn’t punish you.”
Chen Xue Shu also laughed, “If Junior Brother Yang does not mind, whatever questions you might have, this Senior Brother can help answer them for you.”
Listening to him say this, Yang Kai really did have something he was curious about.
“Then, why are these forces separated from each other? Is there some special reason they have chosen these positions?”
Chen Xue Shu smiled, “About this, Senior Brother knows a little bit.”
He then stood up and went to the lake, motioning Yang Kai over before pointing to down, “Can Junior Brother Yang see what’s there?”
Along the direction he pointed, Yang Kai was surprised to see that within the lake there was a green duckweed, but this piece of duckweed and an ordinary duckweed were not the same, it was around the size of a palm and covered in emerald green spots, and a clear meridian pattern could be observed.
“It is because there is a duckweed here that they picked this location.”
Yang Kai looked around and discovered that it was just as he had said, in front of all these forces there really was a duckweed.
“Junior Brother Yang must not underestimate this duckweed, it is actually the ship that will ferry us into the experience area,” said Chen Xue Shu. “Anyone who wants to go in must do so by riding this duckweed. Without this piece of duckweed, no matter how strong one is they will be unable to enter, and this lake also emits a strange force, making it impossible for anyone to fly over it. This duckweed also will not carry anyone at or above the Immortal Ascension Boundary, so the highest one’s cultivation can be if they wish to enter is the True Element Boundary.”
Yang Kai looked relieved as he nodded earnestly, gradually relaxing as he asked more and more questions, learning much about this place from Chen Xue Shu, Su Xiao Yu would also insert a few words from time to time, leading the atmosphere around them to become harmonious.
This continued on until night fell, when suddenly Zhou Wen’s face became serious, calling out, “It’s beginning.”
Just as his voice faded, all cultivators present began to stir as millions of lights blossomed from within the lake, suddenly pouring out, the entire scene illuminated in a brilliant splendor; it was truly a magnificent sight.
Immediately, a strange and heavy atmosphere descended, the Immortal Ascension Boundary masters who felt this breath all cringed, as if they were bearing some massive weight, all of them struggling and in pain, running their Secret Arts to resist the pressure.
The duckweeds by the lakeside began to rotate, instantly growing in size until they reached about three meters in length before they began to stabilize.
Once the duckweed in front of them had finished expanding, Ling Tai Xu and Zhou Wen both shouted, “Go!”
Yang Kai and the two disciples from Reflecting Moon Sect acted without the slightest hesitation, jumping up onto the duckweed.
It was clear why Zhou Wen had said that only four people could cross the lake on a single duckweed now that the three of them were standing on top of it, there was only enough room for one more person or else they would not be able to stand.
Zhou Wen solemnly warned Chen Xue Shu and Su Xiao Yu that they must be careful inside and not to easily argue with people while the two nodded again and again.
Ling Tai Xu also spoke to Yang Kai, “Whoever provokes you inside you should kill, do not be merciful, but also do not take the initiative to provoke those around you.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Ah yes, do not worry about those things inside your secluded cave, this old master will keep them safe for you, as for that little girl Su Yan, old master will help you look after her as well.”
Yang Kai’s face instantly went bright red; he had not thought that the matters between him and Su Yan had already been completely exposed to Ling Tai Xu.
Standing on the duckweed, Su Xiao Yu looked at Yang Kai with great meaning, unable to hold back her laughter.
After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, the duckweed suddenly began to move, like a ship sailing across the waves, it smoothly carried the three juniors towards the center of the lake, accelerating faster and faster.
Looking around, in every direction there were duckweeds full of people, many of these cultivators looked malicious and violent, ill-intentioned gazes could be felt from all around.
Yang Kai soon spotted the four from the Tian Lang Dynasty; whether it was the young men or women, they all wore fierce expressions, like at any moment they would strike out like savage beasts. Yang Kai also met eyes with the Ghost King Valley trio as Jin Hao once again made a neck swiping gesture towards Yang Kai.
As the duckweeds were traveling forward, a huge whirlpool suddenly appeared at the center of the lake, catching everyone here by surprise and pulling them in without the slightest chance to resist.
Cries of shock rang out but quickly disappeared as the scenery around them began to warp. Once Yang Kai recovered from this, he found himself transported to a strange new environment.
There was no separation between day and night, with the laws of yin and yang in complete chaos. These were the most startling features of this strange land.
“We’re in!” Su Xiao Yu said excitedly while Chen Xue Shu and Yang Kai hurriedly scanned their surroundings, breathing a sigh of relief after discovering there was no immediate danger.
This place occupied a vast area; every group of people that came in was randomly distributed and the only people initially placed together were those who rode on the same duckweed. This was part of the information Yang Kai had recently learned, and judging from his current circumstances, it appeared to be accurate.
Yang Kai quietly opened some distance between himself, Chen Xue Shu, and Su Xiao Yu. Although it was not too obvious, it did not escape Chen Xue Shu’s attention.
However, Chen Xue Shu did not mind, instead keeping a friendly smile on his face as he looked at Yang Kai and said, “Junior Brother Yang, do you want to travel together with us? Our relationship with each other is not bad!”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and cupped his fists before replying, “I appreciate the gesture, but I would like to try experiencing this place alone.”
Chen Xue Shu nodded slightly, not attempting to retain him further, “Then Junior Brother Yang must remember to be careful!”
“You two as well, be safe!” Having said this, Yang Kai turned and activated his movement skill to leave quickly.
“Does he have to run so fast? It’s not like we’ll try to eat him!” Su Xiao Yu pouted, somewhat dissatisfied with Yang Kai’s wariness of them.
Chen Xue Shu chuckled lightly, patting Su Xiao Yu’s head to console her, “That is exactly what he is afraid of!”
“But we had no malicious intentions towards him!” Su Xiao Yu was still puffing her cheeks, “He’s such a petty kid, he’ll certainly die quickly in here!”
Chen Xue Shu shook his head slowly, “Not necessarily. The way he acts is very calm and cautious; people like him generally live longer! Also, I always felt like he is somewhat unusual.”
“Unusual how?” Su Xiao Yu blinked her big eyes in confusion.
“He is only Separation and Reunion Boundary Third Stage yet he still dares to come here, he must have something to rely on which gives him great confidence in survival.”
“In other words…”
“He probably has some incredible means, or else his master would not be so comfortable letting him come here for life experience. Although, of the people who can enter here, which one does not have some skill? We must remember to be careful and try not to provoke conflicts with others.”
After Yang Kai and the pair from Reflecting Moon Sect separated, he continuously used his movement skill to sprint a dozen li, changing directions several times until he jumped up onto a particularly large tree, hiding himself, as he vigilantly observed the movements in his surroundings.
It was not that he wanted to be small minded and petty, it was just that being cautious in this place was necessary.
Moreover, this was also a test of whether Chen Xue Shu and Su Xiao Yu’s were wolves or sheep.
After concealing himself in the tree for a long time, Yang Kai did not notice any signs of people tracing him, and so he concluded that the couple from Reflecting Moon Sect really did not hold any malicious intent towards him.
Both of them were cultivators at the True Element Boundary. They were certainly both geniuses of the Reflecting Moon Sect, so if they really had wanted to act against him, they would not have bothered waiting this long.
Ling Tai Xu had also told him before, if inside he could really find people worthy of believing in, joining together with them was not a bad idea, so as of now, Chen Xue Shu and Su Xiao Yu could be added to the list of people Yang Kai could trust.
If they were fated to meet again, Yang Kai felt he would not mind working with them.
Hiding on the treetop, Yang Kai first tried to summon his two artifacts, letting out a long sigh shortly after when he found himself unable to call them out. It was as if they were somehow sealed inside his body.
“Old Demon!” Yang Kai shouted in his mind.
“Old Servant is here.” Old Demon quickly replied.
“Can your Soul Breaker Awl be used?”
“Old Servant must unfortunately disappoint Young Master, it cannot be used…”
Yang Kai suddenly cursed this damned place that even prohibited the Soul Breaker Awl, which was not his own artifact. Without the Soul Breaker Awl, Old Demon’s combat strength was basically zero; it looked like this time, the only thing he could rely on was his own strength.
Fortunately, before he had entered, Ling Tai Xu had given him the Universe Bag, which certainly contained many good things.
Before, he had not had time to check, so doing so now was a good idea.
Taking out this small bag from his chest pocket and unlocking its seal, Yang Kai reach inside, finding that there were indeed many things stored within.
He could vaguely feel about ten bottles of pills, most of them healing pills, while a few contained Yang property pills. Finding these made Yang Kai extremely happy. This Grand Master of his really treated him well; with these bottles of pills, he would not have to worry about having enough Yang Liquid to use.
In addition to these pills, Yang Kai also found a dozen sets of clean clothes inside, along with a sheathed long sword.
He could use the sword because it was not an artifact, and rather just a steel forged weapon. However, Yang Kai had never learned any sword type martial skills, so chopping blindly with this weapon would probably not be as effective as simply fighting unarmed. With the cultivation levels of the people inside here, a plain sword without any accompanying martial skills would not be able to add to Yang Kai combat strength.
After carefully storing these things again, Yang Kai jump from the tree and rolled up his sleeves, excited to start this life experience.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai met a Fourth-Order Monster Beast and after killing it in a brief battle, he quietly stood in place, waiting.
Sure enough, just as Ling Tai Xu told him, when the Monster Beast died, Yang Kai clearly felt its energy and essence begin to gather in the air in front of him.
At a rate visible to the naked eye, the Monster Beast’s corpse shriveled up as more and more red glowing energy poured out of its body.
The red light glistened for a while, and soon after it condensed into a pea sized Blood Bead.
Yang Kai eyes flashed, the moment this Blood Bead finished condensing he reached out his hand and grabbed hold of it, carefully examining it. He found that this Blood Bead contained a very strange energy. It was not much energy; after all, he had obtained it from just a fourth-order Monster Beast. However, it was also nothing to complain about.
In this strange isolated world, the laws of Heaven and Earth were truly incomprehensible, causing a once living creature to actually form such a thing automatically once it died.
Once he collected the Blood Bead, Yang Kai looked back toward the Monstrous Beast, only to see its corpse had actually turned into a pile of dust, all of its essence exhausted, only leaving behind some dregs.
Unsure how much this small Blood Bead could enhance his strength, Yang Kai was very much looking forward to refining it, but doing so right here and now was clearly not appropriate.
Happy with his gains, Yang Kai morale improved and his pace became more and more light.
This isolated world was really a good place for Separation and Reunion and True Element Boundary cultivators to obtain experience, Yang Kai had only been here for a day, but he had already beheaded five or six Monster Beasts, all of which were either Third or Fourth-order. This had not cost him much Yuan Qi, but his harvest had been quite generous. The only complaint he had was that the Third-order Monster Beasts’ Blood Bead were significantly smaller than the ones Fourth-order beasts produced. Obviously, they were lacking in energy.
Along the way, he had also encountered a Fifth-order Monster Beast. Yang Kai had debated a long time before eventually deciding to hold back; a Fifth-order Monster Beast had strength equivalent to a True Element Boundary cultivator. Only if he used all of his strength would he have a chance to kill it, but even if he could he would have to prepare himself for some injuries.
Because of this, unless it was a last resort, Yang Kai did not want to engage a Fifth-order Monster Beast right now.
For three days, Yang Kai had been constantly seeking out and slaughtering Monster Beasts. Tired from his repeated battles, he wanted to find a relatively safe location to rest and restore his physical strength before continuing to kill.
These past few days, he actually had not met any other people.
No wonder so many Separation and Reunion cultivators dared to enter here, if these three days were a sign of how things were here normally, then aside from having to avoid some of the stronger Monster Beasts, even Qi Transformation Stage cultivators could explore this place without much trouble.
Three days later, Yang Kai was hiding amongst the jungle plants like a panther, secretly observing the prey before him.
Not far away from him were two Fourth-Order Phantom Lightning Wolf Monster Beasts.
Fourth Order Monster Beasts were equivalent to Separation and Reunion cultivators, the same as Yang Kai’s current strength. Two of them acting together might cause trouble for him.
But after considering carefully for awhile, Yang Kai still decided to attack.
Of the Monster Beasts he could handle, the highest were Fourth-Order, so having met two but instantly giving up would be a bit unreasonable.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai leapt out from his hiding place, quickly dashing toward the two nearby wolves. Originally, Yang Kai, who had focused entirely on these two Monster Beasts, had crossed half the distance between them when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a fluttering in the trees not far away in the corner of his eye.
Yang Kai’s heart sank as he quickly looked more carefully, and sure enough, roughly three hundred meters out, a person wearing a dark red robe hastily concealed his figure.
Seeing this, Yang Kai instantly understood what had happened.
The other side had clearly been observing these two wolves from the jungle just like him, but neither of them had discovered any trace of the other until now, and it was purely coincidentally that both of them had actually chosen the same moment to attack.
Maybe because his speed was faster, when Yang Kai had rushed out, the other side had only just appeared.
Because Yang Kai was a step ahead, the other side had discovered him first and quickly retreated, concealing himself once again.
But this man’s clothes were too conspicuous, accidentally exposing him.
Everything happened so fast that it was now too late to retreat; the two Phantom Lightning Wolves had already become aware of Yang Kai and were baring their fangs at him, rushing over to attack.
Yang Kai cursed inside as he considered how to deal with this ‘mantis stalks cicada while the oriole lurks behind’ (In pursuit of a small gain, he neglected his own safety and landed in a precarious) situation, while at the same time desperately trying to recalling the identity this person.
After a brief moment, Yang Kai steeled his heart as he increased his speed, pretending he was completely oblivious to the threat behind him as he faced the two wolves head on.
These two Fourth-Order Monster Beasts were as swift as the wind. Their bodies emitting sparks of lightning, they dashing towards him and split to his left and right, instantly appearing in front of Yang Kai.
The two Monster Beasts were apparently very experienced hunters, as they executed their staggered attacks from both his left and right perfectly.
Yang Kai hurriedly dodged, managing to avoid one of the wolves’ attacks, but he was unable to stop the other from sinking its teeth into his shoulder.
An electric current spread throughout his body, causing Yang Kai to spasm in pain. Quickly circulating his Yuan Qi to resolve this, his muscles tightened as he punched the wolf’s still-biting jaw, taking advantage of the fact that it had yet to rip off his flesh, and managed to send it flying out.
*Awoo!!* A howl of pain rang out as the Phantom Lightning Wolf rolled on the ground several times.
Yang Kai had not used his full strength in this strike, and so did not actually hurt it. After it had once again stabilized itself, the two wolves exchanged a look and, howling even louder than before, they once again attacked.
Yang Kai dashed forward, arriving right between the two Phantom Lightning Wolves’ bellies, and kicked one to the side as he sent a palm strike to the other’s head, forcing it back while blocking its bite.
While they had yet to recover, Yang Kai attacked again, engaging in a desperate close combat struggle with these two Phantom Lightning Wolves.
In fact, if Yang Kai used his full strength, he would not be having such a difficult time handling these wolves, but since he knew someone was quietly observing him from behind, he intentionally put on this show, preparing for what would inevitably come next.
Fighting with the two lightning wolves was very difficult and dangerous since his strength was at the Separation and Reunion Boundary third stage and he did not dare to use his full strength. Therefore, Yang Kai repeatedly encountered situations where he turned danger into safety by a hair’s breadth; similar to walking a tightrope where he would lose balance then stabilize miraculously. Just a short moment of carelessness could mean the two Monster Beasts rip him apart.
Fighting with the two Monster Beast and killing them through hurting them little by little consumed almost an hour, and Yang Kai was finally able to kill them with the last of his strength.
Fresh blood flowed from lightning wolves’ bodies and scars, numbering at least seven or eight, covered Yang Kai’s body as well. The wounds left on his body by the wolves were cuts, bruises, and in some places even torn off bits of flesh. Overall, he looked very miserable.
Those wounds were not camouflage, but actual wounds and injuries. After all, a fourth step Monster Beast was also equal to a Separation and Reunion Boundary martial artist, and Yang Kai fought against two at the same time. This was quite a commendable job and he could be very proud of himself.
Nevertheless, the hidden person was also very patient and quietly watched the fight between Yang Kai and the Lightning Wolves, neither making an appearance throughout the fight nor at this moment.
Yang Kai breathed in large gulps and moved to a side quietly, then sat on the ground and started to rotate his merit law, waiting calmly for the condensation of blood beads from the wolves.
Perhaps Yang Kai’s play was too realistic and the hidden person finally made his move after carefully confirming the surroundings.
Yang Kai heard the blatant rustling of footsteps.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and a hint of killing intent flashed in them.
Looking up, he saw not far away, three figures staring at him haughtily. They were three men who wore dark red gowns and looked like they were taking a stroll.
The man leading them was giving an unusually loud and harsh laugh while looking at Yang Kai’s expression with interest.
Yang Kai showed a look of panic, his eyes filling with hatred and unwillingness. He slowly got up and looked alert.
Three men winked at each other, then surrounded him.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Yang Kai licked his day lips and asked in a quivering voice. This small action showed the fear in his heart.
“Your words are quite interesting!” the man who laughed before looked at Yang Kai, “What we mean, can’t you see it?”
Yang Kai frowned then said, “Several friends, if you want these two blood beads, you can freely take them and please don’t embarrass me anymore.”
That man gave a cold smile, “those two blood bead are just nonsense. Don’t you know that when a person dies they also condense a blood bead that is higher in quality and grade than the Monster Beasts’ blood bead? And for that, we want your life.”
Yang Kai said with sigh, “Friends, don’t you think it’s going too far? I am a disciple of High Heaven Pavilion, and if you kill me they will send someone to hunt you for sure.”
“Hahahaha!” That person, upon hearing this, gave a laugh, “If we were outside, we would have been wary of the sect, but here, even if you die, no one will know that we killed you!”
With that man’s voice, Yang Kai replaced his panicked face with a cold and murderous look. His Yuan Qi gushed out from his body to his right arm where it became a thin blood-red blade that quietly aimed at the man trying to get behind him. Without giving him time to react, Yang Kai sliced through his neck.
These three were also very careful, starting to surround him instead of immediately attacking him. After all, their strength was not much higher than Yang Kai and was yet to reach True Element Boundary. However, they were confident in their strength; as a single person attracted his attention, the other two were surrounding him.
Yang Kai had long been aware of their petty actions and just feigned ignorance.
When the warrior was close enough, Yang Kai suddenly moved behind him and was able to kill him with a surprise attack.
With the sudden attack, the three people became shocked and the man whose back was now facing Yang Kai did not have any time to react. When the blood-red blade sliced through he only felt a little heat, but when he touched his neck, warm liquid flowed out without control.
Yang Kai was like the wind, the blade condensed from the Yang liquid cut through that person’s neck and with the help of his home made movement skill he was just like a wild cheetah, rushing in front of the second person.
This man countered hurriedly, and with a loud voice, his whole fist began to shine in the golden light.
Yang Kai directly pierced the blade of his condensed Yang liquid through the middle of the fist.
With a pitiful yell, blood flowed from his fist. While the pain distracted him, Yang Kai moved near his body and ruthlessly struck his abdomen.
This attack was like a wave as a lot of Yuan Qi poured into his body; he immediately became pale, accompanied by a muffled sound as his mouth became bloody and he staggered back.
Yang Kai was like a spirit, elegant and light in his movement. Jumping to his opponent’s shoulder, Yang Kai sandwiched his head and suddenly turned in a half circle.
With a crack, the second warrior’s neck was broken.
In this sudden fight, he had killed two out of the three, while the remaining one became rooted to the spot due to shock. It was only after Yang Kai floated to the ground that he recovered.
“You…” The warrior was confused and shocked, frightened by the sudden change of the situation, as well as Yang Kai’s ruthless and brutal attack.
With a loud laugh Yang Kai said, “Friend, when you talk so big next time, you should first confirm who you are talking to, so as to avoid lifting a stone only to smash your own foot.”
Looking at Yang Kai, covered in blood, and feeling the violent and ferocious Yuan Qi fluctuation emanating from him, that person went pale. Now he knew that Yang Kai had not used his full strength while fighting the Lightning Wolves. With his strength and surging Yuan Qi, he would have killed the two Monster Beasts within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, yet he used an hour. This was clearly to mislead the three of them.
“So you already knew that we were hiding on the side!” This person’s expression was complex as he looked at his two companions who had died in almost an instant. Although he was panicking, this situation also roused his killing intent and anger.
“You used the method of mantis praying on the cicada…… tut…. You played such a good play, so am I not allowed to play something too?” Yang Kai said with a sneer.
This man gave a roar and his Yuan Qi gushed out with a golden light that formed a seal in front of him. This should be some kind of martial skill, and its level definitely was not low.
Seeing this, Yang Kai also became serious and no longer retained his strength. By using his Unyielding Will and the Golden Skeleton, more Yuan Qi gushed out from within his body while a strange and Evil Qi surrounded him. This Qi contained infinite killing intent, and with this release his strength reached:
Separation and Reunion Boundary Peak!
Unyielding Will was Yang Kai’s final trump card, and he could not use it too often in order to avoid exposing it. However, in this place, in front of this enemy, Yang Kai did not want to hide his card.
As long as he killed the enemy quickly, there will not be any extra worries. This is why he felt relieved and boldly displayed his trump card.
On the opposite side, the enemy looked at him in shock. Yang Kai’s sudden surge in strength made him surprised. However, he also was not holding back. Lifting the golden seal in one hand, he roared and attacked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai also stood his ground, turning one hand into a claw that caught the seal.
Yang Kai’s body moved back slightly. After all, it was a moving martial skill and was not easy to block. The opposite party revealed a slight grin and poured more Yuan Qi into his move, thus increasing the power.
Suddenly, True Yang Yuan Qi burst out from Yang Kai’s body and poured into the shining seal. In less than a moment, a cracking sound resounded.
The great seal burned while large fissures became visible on it.
Yang Kai’s True Yang Yuan Qi was very pure and dense, in no way inferior to a common True Element Boundary expert, while his opponent was only a Separation and Reunion Boundary eighth stage martial artist. His Yuan Qi has not even started to transform into True Qi, so how could he possibly be Yang Kai’s opponent?
The cracking sounds continued.
The opponent became pale and, discovering that he was not Yang Kai’s match, he quickly said, “Friend, show mercy, I am Golden Light Palace’s disciple. Before, I had eyes but failed to see and offended you. Friend… Senior, please don’t kill me.”
Yang Kai sneered, his eyes becoming even more crazy and bloodthirsty. “I know that you are a Golden Light Palace disciple!”
Because he knew, Yang Kai had no fear and played with them, leading them by the nose. If not for the fact that they had exposed their dark-red gowns, Yang Kai would not have risked this play.
Golden Light Palace was just a third class sect, and from it came three disciples who had the strength of Separation and Reunion Boundary. Ling Tai Xu told him this point before they entered here.
Crash…. The golden seal of the Golden Light Palace disciple shattered.
At this moment, the opponent suddenly attacked, and from his sleeve popped out a sharp blade just like a snake attacking from the hole and was aimed at Yang Kai’s throat.
Looks like begging for mercy was polite, but insincere. Yang Kai had killed his two Junior Brothers and he hated Yang Kai so much that it could not be solved until one of them died.
However, this weapon was unable to hurt Yang Kai. After making it halfway to Yang Kai, its movement stopped. The Golden Light disciple’s mouth gaped as his eyes wandered down to see that a hand had pierced into his chest; holding his heart hostage.
His heartbeat suddenly became violent before all movements stopped.
Yang Kai took out his hand from inside, with blood covering it, and looked coldly towards his dead enemy.
Killing three Separation and Reunion Boundary experts who were at the seventh and eighth stage alone easily, Yang Kai finally got a new measure and understanding of his real strength.
Waiting for a few moments in the same place, the warriors’ Yuan Qi, flesh, and blood essence condensed into blood beads.
As Yang Kai took a few steps forward and collected them, he was surprised to find that the three Blood Beads that formed were much larger than that of Monster Beasts.
These three Blood Beads were thumb-sized.
When a fourth order Monster Beast died and a Blood Bead formed, it is only pea-sized, but a Separation and Reunion Boundary warrior’s Blood Bead was many times larger.
Without checking it clearly, Yang Kai also took the Blood Beads of the Lightning Wolves and stored them away. Then, he searched the three for anything valuable before hurriedly leaving that area.
After an incense stick worth of time, many Monster Beasts had gathered, attracted by the smell of blood in air.
At this moment, Yang Kai was already more than a dozen miles away.
Today, Yang Kai harvested many Blood Beads, so he wanted to find a safe place to absorb them. He could only use this method in order to cope with a more powerful monster beast or enemy.