From this point alone, it could be seen this young man had gained Her Highness Saintess’ full approval.
What was even more commendable though was this young man’s cultivation, he was actually already a Second Order Transcendent!
All this time, Xu Hui had been speculating about what kind of cultivation the future Holy Master currently had, feeling like it wouldn’t matter even if he was only reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary. With the Holy Land resources and dedicated cultivation, it would only take a few dozen years for him to reach the peak of the Martial Dao, but reality had given Xu Hui a pleasant surprise.
Such a young Second Order Transcendent was a rarity throughout the entire continent.
Thinking about the message left by Qian Ning before his death, Xu Hui couldn’t help but smile. The more he looked at Yang Kai, the more pleasing he appeared to the eye.
“Right, Your Highness Saintess, how did you escape from the Seven Family Alliance archipelago? As far as I know, that entire island chain was destroyed by Saintess Nan and there were almost no survivors!” Xu Hui asked curiously
An Ling’er glanced over at and upon seeing him nod, she began narrating what happened in the Ancient Ruins beneath the sea.
“A Void Corridor?” Xu Hui brow rose, celebrating in the next breath, “The Heavens truly must be blessing my Holy Land. So, when you came out of the Void Corridor, you found yourselves in the Demon Land?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded quickly, fearing An Ling’er would let slip what happened in the Mysterious Small World, “After arriving in the Demon Land, we accidentally fell into the hands of Xue Li and only managed to escape a few days ago!”
“Demon General Xue Li?” Xu Hui paled at the mere mention of this name, the other three Saints also showing looks of shock, as if they couldn’t believe Yang Kai and An Ling’er could actually escape from such a master, causing them to greatly admire this pair of juniors.
All of them couldn’t help thinking to themselves at that moment that if they fell into the hands of Xue Li, they would certainly have become prisoners for the rest of their lives.
Thinking so, the Saint Realm masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land treated Yang Kai, this future Holy Master, even more respectfully.
Flying past famous mountains and rivers, Xu Hui and the other Saints never once slowed down, crossing several tens of thousands of kilometers every day, having long escaped from Saintess Nan’s pursuit.
On the way, Xu Hui casually inquired about Yang Kai’s origins. Upon learning that he was actually from Soaring Heaven Sect, Xu Hui felt a little surprised.
Soaring Heaven Sect was also considered a powerful force; however, it was quite far from Nine Heavens Holy Land so they had next to no interactions with one another.
“Soaring Heaven Sect also recently experienced a massive increase in strength; it seems that they all of a sudden had four new Saints.” At the mention of Soaring Heaven Sect, one of the old men from the Nine Heavens Holy Land team couldn’t help shouting, “Right now, their overall strength may actually be above our Holy Land.”
“Four new Saints?” Yang Kai smiled slightly upon hearing these words, immediately thinking of Cang Yan, Fei Yu, and his other Martial Uncles. It seems like the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower from Floating Clouds City really helped them break through.
“I also heard about that, it is said that those four went to Floating Clouds City along with an Alchemist nearly two years ago to compete for the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid… If I remember correctly, the Alchemist who accompanied them was a young man. En, his description is somewhat similar to the future Holy Master!” Saying so, Xu Hui turned a meaningful look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression however remained indifferent, as if he simply hadn’t heard what was said. Right now, no matter what Yang Kai said, it would only cause more suspicion; this old man Xu Hui had obviously already had some guesses of his own.
However, this old man wasn’t malicious towards him, so Yang Kai was temporarily not worried.
Seeing Yang Kai not respond, Xu Hui just smiled lightly, “There’s no need to envy others. My Holy Land has a new Holy Master, so it won’t be long before our strength recovers to its peak, possibly even growing beyond that!”
“Yes, that’s right!” The crowd quickly shouted out in agreement, all of them seeming to have great expectations for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned at this and solemnly said, “Seniors, I have no desire to inherit the position of Holy Master. Once we reach a safe place, I plan to leave.”
“Ah?” Xu Hui was stunned, “You don’t wish to become Holy Master?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I have already spoken with An Ling’er about this many times. I learned three of your Nine Heavens Divine Skills without understanding the implications of doing so. From now on, I can swear not to use these three Divine Skills.”
“This…” A few people suddenly found themselves unable to say anything.
An Ling’er bit her lip lightly and added, “I have a lot of responsibility for this matter, he did not intentionally learn my Holy Land’s Divine Skills, if you wish to blame someone, please only blame me.”
Xu Hui frowned, glancing back and forth between Yang Kai and An Ling’er, his thoughts were unreadable. Suddenly smiling, he said, “Let’s not discuss this matter right now. Seeing how little brother is from Soaring Heaven Sect, we will not embarrass you. If it is convenient, let us first return to the Holy Land so we may properly entertain little brother. After having a look at the Holy Land with your own eyes, if little brother still insists on leaving, we won’t force you to remain!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and knew that in front of so many Saint Realm masters he couldn’t just refuse.
Once he rejected their offer, it was likely they would instead use forceful means to detain him. Although they wouldn’t harm him, they would definitely find a way to bring him back to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Xu Hui had already made the biggest concession he could here. Given his status and strength, if he really decided to force Yang Kai to come with them, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to resist, this alone illustrated Xu Hui’s sincerity.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, wanting to avoid any further disputes for the time being.
Seeing him agree like this, An Ling’er couldn’t help showing a happy smile.
The group continued forward.
Different from the previous harmonious atmosphere though, after learning that Yang Kai did not intend to become the new Holy Master, Xu Hui and the other three Saints suddenly fell silent, constantly meeting eyes while exchanging messages with their Divine Senses, seemingly discussing something.
Yang Kai noticed this but pretended not to.
A short time later, the four Saints suddenly began chattering incessantly, describing the power and heritage of Nine Heavens Holy Land, obviously trying to seduce Yang Kai by explaining all the benefits he could receive by becoming Holy Master.
Yang Kai allowed them to carry on until their tongues grew tired, treating their words like the passing wind, never showing the slightest bit of interest, causing Xu Hui and the others to feel somewhat helpless.
However, from their descriptions, Yang Kai gained a better understanding of just how monstrous this force was.
Although each Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master did not live a long life, every one of them became a peak Third Order Saint.
As long as it possessed a Third Order Saint, any force would be considered a top force.
Moreover, the way the Holy Master cultivated was different from ordinary cultivators. Inside the Holy Land, there were some places where only the Holy Master could enter. In these sacred grounds, the Holy Master’s strength would grow extremely quickly. How this worked though was something of a mystery to Xu Hui and the other Saints.
With multiple Saintesses assisting him cultivation, as many as eight and as few as three, it was difficult for each Holy Master’s strength to not improve rapidly. Every Saintess was carefully selected, each one possessing superior aptitude and beauty. These Saintess were also completely obedient towards their Holy Master.
It could be said that as long as one became Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, not only could he enjoy having three wives and four concubines, but he could also rise to the peak of this world in terms of strength and status.
The only drawback was limited longevity!
Not only was the lifespan of each Holy Master short, so too were the lives of his Saintesses.
The previous Holy Master originally had six Saintesses, but over the past fifty years, five of them had fallen, leaving behind only Saintess Nan.
When the old Holy Master died, Saintess Nan also fell.
The previous generation’s Holy Master and Saintess had all passed on, so now all hope for the Holy Land was pinned on Yang Kai and An Ling’er. How could Xu Hui and the others possibly allow Yang Kai to so easily leave?
“Great Elder, what about Xiao Lian and the others?” An Ling’er realized something from Xu Hui’s words and couldn’t help asking.
Xu Hui’s expression immediately became gloomy, and he hesitated for a while before replying, “All of them died. Of this generation’s four Saintesses, only you remain, the other three were killed by Saintess Nan!”
“Ah…” An Ling’er cover her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
She had held out some hope that her sisters had also found appropriate candidates to become the new Holy Master which would allow Great Elder Xu Hui to not force Yang Kai into the position, but those hopes were dashed now by this sad news.
But thinking about it carefully, none of the Saintess’ teams had a Saint Realm master with them, so once they were discovered by Saintess Nan, there would be no way they could escape.
She was extremely fortunate to have met Yang Kai and to have coincidentally learned about the existence of a Void Corridor. If not for those two strokes of luck, her fate would likely have been the same as her three sister Saintesses.
“I am deeply sorry, Your Highness Saintess!” Xu Hui quickly consoled, “As such, the Holy Land’s future depends on the two of you.”
Saying so, he quickly turned to face Yang Kai, “Little brother, please excuse this old master for being so frank, but if little brother refuses to accept the position of Holy Master, I’m afraid within a hundred years the Holy Land will disappear.”
Xu Hui’s words were spoken in a very earnest and dignified tone.
The other three Saints also quickly pleaded, “We too must ask little brother to accept our rude request, the Holy Land’s inheritance cannot end with our generation!”
Yang Kai gently sighed as he stared off into the distance, “The tides rise and fall, flowers blossom and wilt, such is the way of the world. No force can survive forever, even someone as strong as the Great Demon God has faded into the annals of history. And… someone suited to become Holy Master are not limited to just me are they? It’s just that An Ling’er has not found another candidate yet.”
“Little brother apparently doesn’t know the whole story, otherwise you would not say such words. Each of our Holy Land’s Saintesses can only choose one candidate to become the next Holy Master, once she had chosen, she will never be able to sense another potential candidate!”
“What you mean to say is that in this world, only I can become your new Holy Master?” Yang Kai frowned, suddenly feeling like the situation had become difficult.
Xu Hui and the others all nodded solemnly.
“If little brother does not agree, then our Nine Heavens Holy Land can only wait for its demise!”
“Little brother, we beg of you, please inherit the position of Holy Master!”
“Don’t try to force me, forcing me will make me angry!” Yang Kai shot them a stern look.
Xu Hui’s expression changed and quickly waved his hands, “We wouldn’t dare!”
Seeing Yang Kai growing impatient, An Ling’er quickly said, “Didn’t Great Elder just say we wouldn’t discuss this matter for now, why are you bringing it up again?”
Xu Hui smiled awkwardly as he said embarrassedly, “This old man was impatient just now, please don’t mind me. Little brother, let us first return to the Holy Land and allow little brother to experience our Holy Land’s culture and livelihood. This old man will certainly entertain you well.”
“En, at this pace we should arrive within three to five days,” Another person quickly chimed in.
Beautiful scenery all around, extremely rich World Energy, subtle barriers and formations scattered in and around the surrounding mountains, isolating this stretch of land from the outside world.
Nine Heavens Holy Land!
This ancient force had exited for countless centuries, leaving behind an illustrious history. Its strength was outstanding, with few Sects throughout Tong Xuan Realm being its equal.
However, when Yang Kai arrived here for the first time, he felt that this Holy Land was submerged in a somber atmosphere, probably because the old Holy Master had died and the new Holy Master had yet to appear.
Nine Heavens Holy Land, like Soaring Heaven Sect, was situated amongst a mountain range, but unlike Soaring Heaven Sect’s Hundred Peaks Formation, Nine Heavens Holy Land only had a Nine Peaks Formation.
Although this number was relatively small, the arrangement of these nine mountains had a great agreement with the Heavenly Way, so the Spirit Array based on them was no worse than Soaring Heaven Sect’s; in fact, it was even stronger.
Whether it was defensive strength, or the rate at which it gathered World Energy, this Nine Peaks Formation was superior to the Hundreds Peaks Formation.
Amidst these nine spirit peaks, beautiful palaces were scattered about, providing enough shelter for over ten thousand disciples. The entire Nine Heavens Holy Land was like a paradise, brimming with life and vitality.
When Xu Hui and the other Saints brought Yang Kai and An Ling’er back to the Holy Land, they didn’t bother concealing themselves and instead landed right in the centre of the Holy Land’s great square, as if trying to announce their presence. The old man then leading the way towards a magnificent palace.
On both sides of the road, a large number of the Holy Land’s disciples rushed over to respectfully greet Xu Hui and the other Saints.
Upon seeing An Ling’er’s figure, these disciples would all loudly and enthusiastically call her name while wearing near fanatically expressions regardless of whether they were male, female, young, or old.
As the only unfamiliar face, Yang Kai also gathered a fair amount of attention.
Such a young man, being respectfully escorted by Great Elder Xu Hui and the other Sect Elders, it was easy for these Holy Land disciples to infer this newcomer’s identity.
Whispers immediately spread throughout the crowd as the various disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land quietly pointed to Yang Kai, all of them spiritedly discussing whether this youth was the new Holy Master the Saintess had found, their faces filled with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
It was as if as long as Yang Kai succeeded the position of Holy Master, Nine Heavens Holy Land would be saved!
Those who had slightly better vision and had determined the truth of the matter even began respectfully cupping their fists and bowing to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai on the other hand showed no response, remaining as indifferent as always.
Xu Hui and the other Saints secretly nodded their heads upon seeing this, their evaluation of Yang Kai rising even further.
Although Yang Kai was a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect, he was still a young man; they had deliberately led him along this path to allow him to experience the wealth and prosperity of the Holy Land as well as evaluate the strength of its disciples. However, even in the face of all of this, Yang Kai had not shown any signs of panic or fluster and remained perfectly calm, as if he had experienced great winds and waves, allowing Xu Hui and the other Saints to hold him in high esteem.
This future Holy Master’s mental strength and temperament were both extraordinary!
Xu Hui and the others all silently exchanged glances, becoming even more determined to make this youth inherit the position of Holy Master.
The entire way was filled with great hustle and bustle.
In front of Yang Kai was a grand palace built of precious stone with many magnificent columns upon which were carved vivid images of dragons and phoenixes.
When they arrived here, Xu Hui turned around and waved his hand gently.
The spectating Holy Land disciples saw this and quickly dispersed, each of them still carrying much curiosity and doubt in their hearts, wondering who this unnamed youth was and whether or not he would inherit the position of Holy Master and save the Holy Land from its current predicament.
“Little brother, please!” Xu Hui lowered his head slightly in a respectful manner.
Yang Kai sighed reluctantly and frowned, “Senior, I have simply come to the Holy Land as a guest, is there any need to be so formal?”
Hearing this, Xu Hui understood that Yang Kai was still reluctant to accept the Holy Land, smiling lightly as he nodded, “What little brother said is right, let us go together.”
“En.”
Once inside the palace, under the arrangement of Xu Hui, everyone was seated around a magnificent table and soon, a grand banquet was prepared. Just from looking at it, it was clear that Xu Hui and the other Elders were giving Yang Kai a welcoming reception.
At the banquet, Yang Kai didn’t show any urgency or nervousness, as if he was just an ordinary passerby, only exchanging a few toasts with Xu Hui while enjoying the lively scene.
Yang Kai found that it was actually quite easy to get along with this old man as long as the latter didn’t mention anything about the Holy Land or Holy Master.
Xu Hui’s strength was high and his background was not shallow, but he was still friendly and approachable; however, Yang Kai knew that this was because this old man was trying to build a good rapport. If Yang Kai was just some other youth, it was unlikely Xu Hui would be behaving so patiently with him.
As wine was served, a group of young girls were called in to perform various songs and dances.
These girls were all quite beautiful and wore thin, yet tasteful robes, revealing just enough to entice one’s fantasies. With a variety of temperaments, yet all showing a refined grace, these young girls were a dazzling sight to behold.
Yang Kai appreciated this show very much but his vision remained clear throughout, without the slightest obscene light.
Sitting beside him, An Ling’er saw this and couldn’t help smiling with satisfaction.
After some excitement, the banquet wound down and Xu Hui and the others also took their leave, never once mentioning anything about the Holy Master position to Yang Kai, appointing a maidservant to lead him to his room.
Yang Kai was taken to a giant room in one of the palace’s wings, its floor covered in luxurious carpeting and its walls decorated with exquisite stones which provided soft lighting. There was an incense burner in its centre that gave off a gentle scent that caused one to relax and feel their tension melt away.
“Young Lord, do you wish to bathe? There is a large pool in the adjacent room with warm water already prepared,” The maidservant asked softly.
Yang Kai glanced over at her briefly before slowly shaking his head and signaling for her to draw back.
The maidservant politely nodded, bowed, and then retired.
After waiting for this young girl to leave, Yang Kai walked over to the door, opened it, and looked at the somewhat hesitant An Ling’er who was outside, “Why are you just standing out here, come inside?”
“Ah… en…” An Ling’er nodded and slowly stepped inside.
“You came at just the right time, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Yang Kai said, grabbing hold of An An Ling’er’s hand and bringing her over to the bed.
An Ling’er’s face blushed slightly but she didn’t put up any resistance and simply let Yang Kai lead her around.
A moment later, sitting on the edge of the bed, she wore a somewhat flustered expression but still managed to maintain her calm.
Yang Kai also sat down on the bed, turned to look at her, and smiled bitterly, “Xu Hui showing me off to your Holy Land’s disciples and bringing in a group of dancers to seduce me. Obviously, he doesn’t have any good intentions.”
“Great Elder just wants you to inherit the position of Holy Master, why do you make it sound so insidious? Also, those girls weren’t mere dancers, they are all excellent disciples of my Holy Land who have gone through a strict selection process. Only when the most distinguished of guests arrive will they be called out to perform,” An Ling’er bit her lip gentle, a slight bit of resentment appearing on her face as she asked once more, “You really don’t want to become Holy Master?”
“I don’t!” Yang Kai shook his head firmly before wrinkling his brow, “Tell me honestly, is what Xu Hui said before really true?”
“What?”
“After you chose me, you can no longer choose another.”
An Ling’er paused for a moment before gently nodding.
“Your Holy Land is really strange, regardless of how you think about it, I’m just an outsider; how can you hand over such an important position like Holy Master to a strange? Why don’t you just select a candidate from within your own ranks?”
An Ling’er simply smiled softly, “This has been our custom since ancient times. I think you’ve heard by now that every Holy Master of our Holy Land has been brought back by us Saintesses from the outside world, yes?”
“En.”
“While that is basically the case, there was one exception… If I recall correctly, the Holy Land’s ancient records state that about nine hundred years ago, the new Holy Master was actually a disciple of the Holy Land. At that time, several Saintesses reacted to him so he was chosen as the new Holy Master, but since then, such a situation has not occurred again. Haa… if a disciple of the Holy Land could become the next Holy Master, we Saintesses wouldn’t have had to go out searching for candidates, then Xiao Lian and them…” Suddenly recalling the fate of her sisters, An Ling’er’s eyes became slightly red.
“I’m sorry…” Yang Kai stuttered awkwardly, not knowing how he should comfort her.
An Ling’er rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “If you insist on not becoming Holy Master… I will help you speak to Great Elder and the others.”
“Don’t bother, you’ll just be wasting your time,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Since Xu Hui has already determined that I am the only possible candidate now, no matter what you say, it won’t work.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know…” Yang Kai sighed helplessly. Although Xu Hui wouldn’t dare use too forceful of an approach, he also wouldn’t give up no matter what, causing Yang Kai no small headache.
If it weren’t for the life of each Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land being so short, Yang Kai probably wouldn’t have any problem inheriting the position. After becoming Holy Master and increasing his strength to a certain point, he could just clean up Xu Hui to solve the grudge in his heart.
But the drawbacks of inheriting the position of Holy Master were enough to put Yang Kai off.
An Ling’er looked somewhat embarrassed, her brow knitting slightly as she whispered, “Regardless of anything else, you should stay here for a while. Saintess Nan may be waiting outside, it’s not safe for you to leave right now. Wait a few days and then take a look at the situation again.”
“Good, it seems that’s the only choice,” Yang Kai nodded, “Right, I’ll have to trouble you to send a message to Soaring Heaven Sect telling them that I am well so they don’t worry.”
“Rest assured, I’ll certainly relay your message,” An Ling’er nodded.
“Thank you.”
“No need to be polite…” An Ling’er smiled, her mood becoming slightly better, leisurely standing up as she said, “Then you rest for now, I’ll head back first. If you need anything, just tell me, I’ll let Xu Hui arrange it for you.”
After An Ling’er left, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he quietly released his Divine Sense into his surroundings.
As Yang Kai expected, the palace had a large number of masters hidden just outside, quietly monitoring his every move.
Yang Kai snickered but didn’t care, he knew that Xu Hui would make sure of such arrangements.
However, he had no plans to leave Nine Heavens Holy Land right for the moment. Just as An Ling’er said, Saintess Nan may be waiting outside. Leaving the Nine Peaks barrier now would be akin to walking into a death trap.
Before he could come up with some practical way to evade Saintess Nan, Yang Kai didn’t want to act rashly.
The people of Nine Heavens Holy Land didn’t have any malicious intent towards him, they simply wanted him to assume the position of Holy Master. So long as he continued to stubbornly refuse, they probably would have no way to force him. In short, this was a battle of wills.
In the meantime, Yang Kai felt he could take advantage of this opportunity to consolidate his cultivation after his most recent breakthrough. Having decided on his short term course of action, Yang Kai’s mood noticeable improved.
Using his Divine Sense to penetrate every inch of his body, Yang Kai carefully examined all the changes his True Qi and physique had undergone. After breaking through to the Second Order Transcendent Realm, Yang Kai felt that his True Qi’s density and purity had improved significantly once again.
In that last life or death fight, his physical body had also become sturdier.
His Spiritual Energy had also undergone a kind of sublimation. Under the constant nourishment of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, the growth Yang Kai’s Soul had experienced as a result of this breakthrough was quite gratifying.
Right now, Yang Kai felt that even in a frontal collision, his Spiritual Energy strength wouldn’t be weaker than that of a First Order Saint.
Coupled with the potency of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, if an ordinary First Order Saint really tried to fight with him in this way, Yang Kai felt he would be the one to come out on top.
This comprehensive rise in strength greatly increased Yang Kai’s confidence. This past year filled with setbacks and misfortune had been like a driving force pushing him to become stronger.
Any master, in a life or death battle, would be able to gain insights he would otherwise be unable to acquire. Only by pushing oneself to the edge of death could some things be understood.
It could be said that every true master had experienced many life or death situations, allowing them to temper their spirit, which in turn gave them the will to survive and pursue greater heights of the Martial Dao.
The spoilt children who grew up in greenhouses, sheltered from such trials and tribulations, would no doubt be able to advance smoothly and rapidly upon the road paved for them, but upon encountering even the slightest setback, would become lost and fade from glory.
Yang Kai obviously belonged to the former type. Since he began to cultivate, his path had been filled with thorns, and only by dragging his broken and bloodied body through many life and death crises had he achieved strength far beyond his peers.
Everything Yang Kai now possessed had been won through his own efforts, his strength the result of steadfast determination and hard work, not just luck.
Realizing all of this, Yang Kai’s mentality had gradually undergone some subtle changes, becoming more confident and feeling that as long as he was given enough time, he could rise to the peak of the Martial Dao and overlook all mortal beings.
Calming himself, Yang Kai continued to examine the changes in his body.
What surprised him the most was that the golden blood flowing through his veins seemed to be much more concentrated than before.
Both Li Rong and Han Fei had said that once his blood become completely golden in colour, it would be equivalent to him possessing the blood of the Great Demon God and would allow him to manifest the Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities.
The Great Demon God was a legendary figure, a man recognized by the Three Clans as the first master under Heaven. During his time, no one dared to challenge his majesty.
The wondrous uses of the Demon God’s Golden Blood were endless. It was because the Demon God’s Blood flowed through his veins that Yang Kai’s body was so study and his physical strength had reached such an astonishing height.
Yang Kai could hardly imagine how strong his physique would become once the transformation of his blood was complete.
The reason the Ancient Demon Clan’s bodies were so formidable was because they had inherited some blood from the Great Demon God. Compared to them though, Yang Kai’s golden blood was undoubtedly the most orthodox inheritance and was thus far purer.
As he immersed his consciousness into the Black Book space and communicated with the Divine Tree, Yang Kai’s simultaneously circulated his Secret Art and began cultivating.
Just as Yang Kai was constantly growing, so too was the Divine Tree evolving. With Yang Kai’s permission, the Divine Tree had been absorbing a drop of Myriad Drug Liquid every day. Thanks to this, its consciousness seemed to have become clearer and its intelligence was also rapidly increasing; now, not only could it communicate clearly with Yang Kai, it even began asking him questions.
Like he was caring for a young child, Yang Kai did his best to answer the Divine Tree’s inquires.
Time flew by and suddenly more than two months had passed since Yang Kai arrived in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
After spending so much time here, Yang Kai had gradually become accustomed to Nine Heavens Holy Land and aside from not being able to leave easily, the treatment he received was quite good.
Great Elder Xu Hui and the other Elders seemed to be receiving him as the highest grade of guest, not only sending him a large number of pills and elixirs to assist him in his cultivation, but also providing several young beautiful maidservants to tend to his day to day needs; they even brought Yang Kai a large number of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Martial Skills and Secret Arts for him to use as references.
Aside from not touching any of the maidservants, Yang Kai accepted what he could. He spent all his time diligently, allowing him to quickly consolidate his Second Order Transcendent cultivation.
Xu Hui and the other Saint Realm masters would also visit Yang Kai frequently to chat, though they tactfully avoided the subject of the Holy Master’s succession. Occasionally, when they supposedly had free time, Xu Hui or one of the other Elders would bring Yang Kai out to sightsee and allow him to experience the Holy Land’s rich heritage and natural beauty.
It was obvious they wanted to use such an approach to impress Yang Kai, hoping he would take the initiative to accept the position of Holy Master.
Unfortunately for them, even after two months of this, Yang Kai’s stance had not changed, causing Xu Hui and the others to grow somewhat anxious.
Atop one of the nine spirit peaks, inside a majestic building, the Holy Land’s Elders and Protectors gathered together for a discussion headed by Xu Hui.
Nine Heavens Holy Land’s original lineup was incredibly strong, with the old Holy Master standing at the top with his Third Order Saint Realm cultivation, followed by Saintess Nan and Xu Hui who were Second Order Saints, then finally the remaining Elders and Protectors Yu Ying, Luo Sheng, Shi Kun, Meng Tian Fei, and Cheng Yue Tong. These five people were all First Order Saints, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong being women.
A single force having so many Saint Realm masters was extremely rare throughout Tong Xuan Realm.
“Great Elder, what is the attitude of the future Holy Master?” A middle-aged beauty Yu Ying asked. She wore a bright red dress that perfectly outlined her rich, mature body. Her skin was smooth and tender and she possessed a graceful style that was complimented by a pair of bright and pure eyes.
Listening to her question, everyone gathered here cast their eyes towards Xu Hui with concern.
In response, Xu Hui frowned and sighed, “He still shows an abundance of reluctance. Although I have never deliberately mentioned this matter during our time together, it is obvious he has no intention of becoming the Holy Land’s next Holy Master.”
“This boy is really quite interesting…” Luo Sheng said with an astonished look upon his face, “Throughout the world, which young man doesn’t want to become the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? It’s like reaching the sky with a single step, yet since he arrived here he has always remained indifferent, as if we’re trying to force some unwanted burden onto him.”
“Pay attention to your words, that’s the future Holy Master you’re speaking of, not some random ‘boy’!” Cheng Yue Tong, who wore a sleek white dress, coldly said to Luo Sheng, the latter smiling awkwardly as he glanced over at Great Elder Xu Hui. Upon finding the latter not looking angry, Lou Sheng breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
“However, it truly is quite strange,” Cheng Yue Tong frowned slightly, “Is it possible he disdains to join our Holy Land?”
“How can that be?” Shi Kun snorted, “Although the old Holy Master has fallen, our Holy Land is still a great force, second to none in this world. Whether it is fame or heritage, it is far better than his Soaring Heaven Sect, how could he not understand that?”
“It is not impossible!” Xu Hui suddenly said, “I personally took him to visit the Holy Land’s various spirit peaks while showing him the heritage of our Holy Land, and although he listened carefully and offered his praise, he never once showed the shock a young man his age should show, as if everything in his eyes was just fleeting clouds.”
“Did that boy… *ahem*, the future Holy Master really show such a reaction?” Luo Sheng asked curiously.
“Great Elder, do you know what he likes? If so, we can try to approach him by offering him that,” Meng Tian Fei suggested, “The Holy Land cannot go one day without a Holy Master, yet it has already been over a year since the old Holy Master passed away. Fortunately we have sought a future Holy Master and brought him back to the Holy Land, causing quite a stir amongst the disciple. Many of them are wondering when the ascension ceremony will take place and have begun to ask questions. Such uncertainty has even started to affect their cultivation. The situation can’t be left as is for much longer.”
“En,” Yu Ying also nodded, “If we know what he likes, we can retain him. At the very least, we can let him have some sense of belonging to the Holy Land. Only by doing so can we guarantee the Holy Land’s future prosperity.”
“He likes strength!” Xu Hui’s eyes flashed, “After all my observations, I found that the only constant with him is his pursuit of power. Besides that, everything else for him seems superfluous. Even the maidservants I sent to serve him have failed to catch the slightest bit of his attention!”
“There’s actually a young man in this world who doesn’t like beauties?” Luo Sheng’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
“Do you think everyone is like you, obsessed with women?” Yu Ying coldly snorted, her expression becoming unpleasant, causing Luo Sheng’s neck to shrink up.
“Could it be he likes Her Highness Saintess and is putting on such a performance for her?” Cheng Yue Tong suddenly thought of a possibility. In front of a woman he favoured, no man wanted to show off his ugly side, many of them even often trying to appear noble and heroic in order to attract the other party’s attention. If it was because of Saintess An Ling’er, Yang Kai acting so would not be unusual.
Everyone gathered here was a seasoned person and understood this point.
However, Xu Hui just smiled bitterly, “It’s not like that. On the contrary, it is Her Highness Saintess who adores him, yet he seems to only treat her as a friend.”
“Poor Ling’er…” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both muttered, feeling somewhat mournful.
The two of them had watched over An Ling’er as she grew up, so naturally they had some sentiments towards her.
“The future Holy Master is no ordinary person…” Xu Hui suddenly said, “I have never met such a young Second Order Transcendent before, have you?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Soaring Heaven Sect… they’ve raised a rare genius. But it’s strange we have never heard anything about him up till now. Such an outstanding youth should be famous throughout the world yet he has somehow managed to remain hidden all this time, it’s seriously incomprehensible! Moreover, he actually brought Her Highness Saintess and escaped from Demon General Xue Li’s hands. I can’t even imagine how he accomplished that.”
“He also escaped from Saintess Nan’s pursuit…”
As these words were spoken, everyone’s heart quietly filled with shock one more.
Having never discuss the matter, no one had paid it much mind, but thinking about it now, it was really an unbelievable feat. A Second Order Transcendent repeatedly escaping from Saint Realm masters determined to capture or kill him, and even bringing another person along with him, this would only be possible with either Heaven defying luck or possessing astonishing methods.
The people gathered here were more inclined to believe it was the latter of the two possibilities, making it even more difficult for them to estimate Yang Kai’s real depths.
Those who became Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land had come from all different walks of life and their aptitudes had ranged from outstanding to below average.
Therefore, even if a particular generation’s Saintesses only brought back a low level Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, Nine Heavens Holy Land was confident it could cultivate them into a top level master, not to mention Yang Kai whose aptitude and starting cultivation were simply a hundred times better than that.
“In any case, we must find a way to let him inherit the position of Holy Master! Without the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring, many critical locations in the Holy Land cannot be opened. This matter cannot be delayed any further!” Xu Hui suddenly declared firmly.
“But isn’t he still unwilling?” Yu Ying frowned, feeling the situation was somewhat awkward.
“So what if he’s not willing? With so many Saint Realm masters here are you saying we can’t even accomplish this?” Shi Kun said, evidently growing impatient.
“Do you want to use force?” Yu Ying’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Shi Kun coldly.
“I also had such intentions!” Xu Hui let out a long breath, “His manner is very firm, and continuing to wait won’t help matters. Given that, we might as well take a gamble and send him into the Holy Tomb!” “
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s brow wrinkled. It seemed that this Holy Tomb contained danger that caused even Saint Realm master like them some anxiety.
“If… if he can’t come out?” Cheng Yue Tong asked, a hint of worry in her voice, “Ling’er is the only Saintess left in this generation and she has already chosen him so she won’t be able to find a second candidate. If he fails to come out…”
“If he can’t come out, then my Holy Land can only seclude itself from the world and wait for the next generation of Saintesses to mature.”
The next generation of Saintesses had not even been selected yet, so it would be at least twenty years before they could mature. Twenty years may not seem long, but if the Holy Land lacked a Holy Master, no one could obtain the old Holy Master’s Spirit Ring from the Holy Tomb and many important places would be inaccessible. Not having access to these critical locations would be enough to bring down even a colossus like Nine Heavens Holy Land.
This was the reason why for the past two months these Saints had not dared to act rashly, but seeing Yang Kai remain so stubbornly opposed had caused Xu Hui to think twice.
“But he has yet to fully comprehend all of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, how is he supposed to go inside? It is said that the Holy Tomb is the place where the Nine Heavens Divine Skills were created and one needs to be proficient in them in order to enter.”
“He has learned three of the Divine Skills, that should be enough. This is all for my Nine Heavens Holy Land. Even if he is the future Holy Master, if he must be sacrificed then we must not hesitate!” Xu Hui shouted, “If he can come out smoothly, presumably he will be grateful for our decision today!”
“Good!” Shi Kun, Meng Tian Fei and the others nodded in agreement.
No Holy Master had ever come out of the Holy Tomb and not had a sense of belonging to the Holy Land. The reason these Holy Masters who were brought back by the Saintesses dedicated their lives to the Holy Land was inseparable from the secrets contained inside the Holy Tomb.
Although no one here knew what exactly was hidden inside Holy Tomb, they were all well aware of this point.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, the two middle-aged beauties both had uncertain expressions on their faces, obviously not fully onboard with this idea, but under the circumstances they knew not to raise any objections here.
Having come to a consensus, this group of Saints quickly took action, preparing to send Yang Kai into the Holy Tomb.
The next day, Yang Kai, who was meditating inside the palace, opened his eyes upon perceiving Xu Hui and the other Elders approaching.
Yang Kai also noticed that something was a little different this time. This time, the ones who had come weren’t only the ones he had seen before, but even some he had never met before.
Although they did their best to conceal it, Yang Kai could sense a kind of solemn and serious mood from these people’s breathing and aura, causing him to become somewhat alert, not knowing what they were planning.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door. After Yang Kai allowed them to enter, the door was pushed open and Xu Hui and the other Elders and Protectors all stepped inside.
Yang Kai couldn’t help raising his brow, faintly feeling that Xu Hui was about to tell him something important related to the Holy Master’s position. If not, there would be no need to assemble all of the Holy Land’s masters here.
After exchanging greetings, Xu Hui introduced Yang Kai to the other Elders assembled here, Yang Kai politely greeting them in turn.
“What important matter does Great Elder have to discuss today?” Yang Kai asked bluntly, making no attempt to hide his own wariness.
“Today I want to ask little brother to accompany us to a certain place!” Xu Hui showed a faint smile and said kindly.
“I believe I have toured your entire Nine Peaks region, are there still other places I’ve yet to see?”
“En, my Holy Land has a number of restricted areas that little brother isn’t normally able to see. Today we wish to take you to one of them.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed and asked, “Since it is a restricted area, isn’t it inappropriate for an outsider like me to visit it?”
“Little brother is not an outsider, and on top of that, no one may enter this particular place except little brother!” Xu Hui replied solemnly.
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “No one but I can enter. Does that mean that only those qualified to become Holy Master may enter this place you speak of? Heh heh, this matter, can I refuse?”
Xu Hui’s expression became somewhat embarrassed as he cupped his fists and said, “I must ask little brother to forgive our forcefulness. Please accompany us!”
Yang Kai gently sneered, sweeping his eyes over the Saint Realm masters in front of him, secretly estimate what kind of chance he would have if he were to put up a resistance here, quickly dismissing the idea.
There were simply too many people here, and each of them was a powerful Saint. Yang Kai felt that even if he used his full strength he wouldn’t be able to escape from here.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s look relaxed and shrugged his shoulders, “Then… I must ask you to show me the way.”
Hearing this, everyone smiled happily, Xu Hui especially as he quickly motioned, “Please!”
Xu Hui had thought that today there would be have to deal with some unpleasantness with this future Holy Master and had made up his mind to use whatever means necessary should Yang Kai resist to bring the latter to the Holy Tomb.
So it came as a pleasant surprise when Yang Kai actually took a step back and agreed to go with them, allowing him to avoid an awkward situation. After all, if Xu Hui were to displease the future Holy Master today, there was no telling what kind of retaliation he would face in the future.
Once outside the palace, everyone surrounded Yang Kai and quickly flew towards one of the spirit peaks. This group appeared completely casual at the moment but in fact, they were all paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements; once he showed any signs of resistance, there was no doubt they would immediately take action against him.
“Great Elder, can you tell me where you’re taking me this time?” Yang Kai asked on the way.
Xu Hui hesitated for a moment before honestly replying, “The Holy Tomb!”
“Holy Tomb?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why does that sound like some kind of burial place?”
“You’re not wrong,” Xu Hui nodded heavily, “When each of my Holy Land’s Holy Masters realize their time of death is approaching, they will enter the Holy Tomb! So it is indeed a burial ground. It is the resting place for all of my Holy Land’s previous Holy Masters!”
“Is it dangerous?” Yang Kai asked with a smiling, seemingly just casually making conversation.
“For any of us, it truly is dangerous. Anyone who is not a candidate to become Holy Master will die if they enter, but for little brother, it can be thought of as a kind of final test!”
“What do you mean?”
Xu Hui once again hesitated to respond.
Seeing this, Yang Kai immediately said, “If you don’t want to say then don’t bother. I don’t have any interest in learning others secrets, especially ones of such importance. The more one knows, the more dangerous it is for them.”
To Yang Kai’s words, Xu Hui smiled awkwardly, “It’s not that it is impossible to say… Since things have reached this point, this old master won’t hide anything from you. Little brother only knows that each new Holy Masters is brought back by the Saintesses from the outside world, but what you may not know is that every time the Saintesses go out to make a selection, more than one candidate is brought back. This is because my Holy Land has several Saintesses in every generation and each of them finds a Holy Master candidate according to their own vision and Secret Art’s induction. Through the installment of each Saintess, these candidates comprehend the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and then enter the Holy Tomb. Only the one who can return from the Holy Tomb alive will then become the true Holy Master!”
“Then it seems I’m quite lucky, there’s no one to compete with me this time,” Yang Kai said sarcastically.
Xu Hui just laughed awkwardly and nodded, “You can say that.”
“What’s inside?” Yang Kai asked, his tone suddenly becoming serious.
“This old master doesn’t know… I only know that it is the place where all previous Holy Masters are buried. Other than that, I know nothing else about what is inside. Not only me, the other Protectors and Elders have no knowledge of what is contained inside the Holy Tomb because only those who have learned the Nine Heavens Divine Skills are eligible to enter!”
“So what you mean is, the Nine Heavens Divine Skills are the key to entering?” Yang Kai asked thoughtfully.
“Most likely; however, what is certain is that there are real dangers inside. Little brother, once you enter, you must be careful, negligence will only result in irredeemable accidents.”
Cheng Yue Tong quickly added here, “Although there are dangers, there are also many benefits.”
“Benefits?” Yang Kai turned to her, his interest immediately piqued, “What kind of benefits? Explain clearly.”
Cheng Yue Tong smiled and continued, “I can’t say for certain, but whenever they needed to enter secluded retreat, all previous Holy Master would choose to do so here, and each time they came out after, their strength would improve greatly. On top of that, each time the old Holy Master entered, he would obtain some fair gains from inside.”
“Indeed, the artifact used by the old Holy Master was brought out from the Holy Tomb. That was a Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact. There aren’t many such artifacts in the entire world!”
“Every artifact used by the previous Holy Masters was similarly powerful, and all of them are buried inside the Holy Tomb. So to speak, this is a big opportunity for little brother. Perhaps you may be able to obtain a useful artifact from inside,” Xu Hui elaborated.
“Saint Grade Top-Rank artifacts? Why didn’t you say so earlier! If you had told me that from the beginning, I’d have already entered that Holy Tomb, there would have been no need for all these games!” Yang Kai suddenly looked very excited.
Everyone was dumbstruck.
“Taking risks is one of the things I enjoy most,” Yang Kai grinned, an unreadable expression appearing on his face, “The more dangerous the place, the more I feel like visiting it, especially places like your Holy Tomb where even surviving is not a certainty!”
Xu Hui’s face twitched upon hearing this, suddenly finding that he couldn’t completely understand Yang Kai.
Xu Hui and the others soon brought Yang Kai to the base of one of the nine peaks.
Yang Kai looked around curiously for a moment but the only thing of note he could see was a flat stone embedded in the mountainside with two magnificent words carved into its slightly mossy surface.
Holy Tomb!
This was obviously the entrance to the Holy Tomb.
Yang Ka’s brow rose. Although he couldn’t see anything with his eyes, he noticed a faint energy fluctuation coming from this stone slab in front of him.
Xu Hui stepped forward and formed a few mysterious hand seals before patting his hand on the stone, causing ripples across its surface, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. A moment later, a hole appeared in the center of the stone.
Upon seeing this hole, Yang Kai couldn’t help calling out in shock, “A Void Corridor!”
Xu Hui gently nodded, “Good. Beyond this lies the Holy Tomb, the final resting place of all previous Holy Masters. Naturally, the inside of the Holy Tomb is a Mysterious Small World. Every perspective Holy Master has to pass this test before officially succeeding the position. Little brother, you must be careful inside. If nothing else, you must bring out the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring which should be with the old Holy Master, it is the key to many important places in the Holy Land.”
“En, you must surely come back alive!” Yu Ying said seriously.
“The Holy Land’s future rests in your hands,” Cheng Yue Tong whispered solemnly.
Everyone else also wore looks of anticipation and concern as they stared at Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai just glanced around at them and chuckled, “I think you should instead pray I never come out.”
“Why is that?” Xu Hui asked curiously.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light as he glared at them, “If I come out, I’ll make sure you pay for this!”
Everyone was startled by these words and only now realized just how angered Yang Kai was at being forced to enter the Holy Tomb, but before any of them could say anything, Yang Kai plunged into the Void Corridor and disappeared.
“This future Holy Master is clearly one to hold a grudge… It can’t be he really plans to seek compensation from us after exiting, right?” Shi Kun frowned.
Xu Hui’s expression also fluctuated, letting out a deep sigh a moment later, “It seems his disposition… isn’t very mature.”
“Well, in any case, all of this was Great Elders proposal, we just went along with it. If the future Holy Master really does intend to blame us, Great Elder will be here to shoulder the responsibility!” Meng Tian Fei said, clearly taking some pleasure in Xu Hui’s misfortune.
All the other Saints immediately cast contemptuous looks towards him.
…
Once Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb, the Void Corridor closed. All around him, fluorescent green wisps floated about, like tiny spirit. A cold breeze gently permeated this space, carrying with it indistinct cries and howls, causing one to shudder.
The ambient light was not bright, leading to limited visibility, but the density of World Energy was quite astonishing, so thick it had almost condensed into a white fog that filled this space.
This Mysterious Small World had richer World Energy than any place Yang Kai had ever seen with the exception of an Earth Vein. It was obvious why each Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Master would choose to enter retreat here.
With this kind of ambient World Energy, one wouldn’t even need to use any pills or Crystal Stones to cultivate; all they’d need to do is breathe.
This was indeed a cultivation paradise, the only drawback being its gloomy atmosphere.
As he observed his surroundings vigilantly, Yang Kai couldn’t help going slightly pale.
In his perception, several powerful energy auras had suddenly appeared and were rapidly moving towards him.
These auras were extremely strange. They seemed to have always been here but only when Yang Kai appeared did they become active.
Before Yang Kai had time to react, these energy auras had already engulfed him.
Yang Kai hurriedly condensed his True Qi into a protective barrier but soon he found that things weren’t what he had expected.
These strange energy auras that had gathered around him weren’t causing him any harm.
Wrinkling his brow, Yang Kai carefully examined these auras and a moment later a look of shock appeared on his face.
He found that there were a total of nine distinct energy auras, each of them containing a profound and abstruse sentiment, similar to a remnant Soul yet seemingly naturally produced.
Three of these energy auras also contained something which felt familiar to Yang Kai.
Carefully probing one of these auras with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai immediately recognized traces of one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
The Profound Heavenly Sword!
Yang Kai’s expression changed and a certain suspicion appeared in his heart. Quickly probing the other two energy auras he felt a sense of familiarity towards, he soon recognized them as insights of the Imprisoning Heaven Chain and Great Heavenly Attraction.
These three Divine Skills were exactly the three moves Yang Kai had learned from An Ling’er, yet now they had appeared in this place.
[So, these nine auras in front of me are the nine, Nine Heavens Divine Skills?] Yang Kai frowned slightly, almost certain of his guess.
That old fart Xu Hui had said that in order to enter the Holy Tomb, one must learn the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, because only if one comprehended the Nine Heavens Divine Skills could they enter safely.
The nine energy auras in front of him should be obstacles meant to test him. Without breaking through them, he couldn’t penetrate further into the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai instantly understood the mystery of this Holy Tomb. After thinking about it, he sat down cross legged in front of the energy aura that represented the Profound Heavenly Sword.
The Nine Heavens Divine Skills were all quite unusual, they could be displayed as Martial Skill with True Qi or as Soul Skills with Spiritual Energy, something Yang Kai had never encountered before.
If he wanted to break through this barrier, Yang Kai’s only choice was to comprehend and displays all of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense burst forth and his invisible Spiritual energy quickly transformed into a giant sword that cut towards the energy aura in front.
Nothing happened though!
Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense attack had vanished into the energy aura, like a drop of water sinking into a vast sea.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, using his Profound Heavenly Sword a few more times to attack the energy aura yet each time he failed to achieve any noticeable results.
Yang Kai suddenly felt that this test might not be as simple as he originally thought.
After carefully recalling what Xu Hui and the other Saints had said and reviewing everything he had learned about Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai suddenly thought up a possibility.
Could it be that he was not skilled enough at displaying the Nine Heavens Divine Skills causing him to fail to break through the blockade of this energy aura in front of him?
Yang Kai had learned his Nine Heavens Divine Skills from An Ling’er, so his comprehension of them was only as good as hers. An Ling’er was still young so her understanding of the Divine Skills was still somewhat immature. As such, it was reasonable that Yang Kai couldn’t display the full profoundness of the Divine Skills.
Yang Kai had witnessed Saintess Nan using the Profound Heavenly Sword, it was on a completely different level than his own. Obviously Saintess Nan’s comprehension of the Divine Skills had reached an extremely high level.
Moreover, each prospective Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master had to enter the Holy Tomb before he could qualify to inherit the position. What was most important though was that those who came before Yang Kai didn’t necessarily have higher strength yet they had passed through the Holy Tomb, so the conditions to clear this test had nothing to do with strength, it only depended on one’s comprehension of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills!
Considering all this, Yang Kai didn’t rush to show his poor Nine Heavens Divine Skills but instead immersed his consciousness in the Profound Heavenly Sword energy aura in front of him, carefully perceiving its mysteries.
As time passed, Yang Kai gained much, repeatedly comprehending the insights contained within the Profound Heavenly Sword energy aura, his understanding of its mysteries constantly deepening, soon becoming so familiar with it; it was as if it had been branded into the depths of his soul.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes again, he discovered he could perceive the various traces within the energy aura in front of him and all of its mysteries and hidden rules had become clear.
Spiritual Energy bursting forth once more, Yang Kai again displayed the Profound Heavenly Sword.
This time, Yang Kai used the purest form of this Nine Heavens Divine Skills, its profoundness several times greater than the one he learned from An Ling’er.
With a great cracking sound, the energy aura in front which was bombarded by Yang Kai’s Profound Heavenly Sword shattered.
A long winding road suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai, leading straight into the depths of the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai smiled slightly and instantly understood the mysteries behind this Holy Tomb.
For those who entered here that hadn’t practiced the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, they would likely be torn to dust by these nine energy auras, but those who had were different. As long as one could crack any of these energy auras, they could then find their way out.
On top of that, the more of these energy auras one solved, the clearer their path and the safer they would be!
What Xu Hui said was right, the Nine Heavens Divine Skills were indeed the key to entering the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai didn’t immediately rush forward but instead turned his attention to the other energy auras.
In any case, he had been forced into the Holy Tomb by Xu Hui and the others. If he didn’t fish enough benefits from here before going out, wouldn’t that be too much of a waste?
Each of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills was incredibly powerful and profound. After seeing Saintess Nan display them multiple times, Yang Kai had already had ideas about learning them. Now that such a good opportunity had appeared in front of him, how could he simply pass it up?
Not to mention that by solving more of these energy auras, Yang Kai would be safer in this place.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai immediately began to spy on the mysteries of the other two Nine Heavens Divine Skills he was familiar with.
Four days later, he cracked the Imprisoning Heaven Chain energy aura, then three days after that the Great Heavenly Attraction energy aura was solved…
After that point, Yang Kai’s pace slowed noticeably. The first three Divine Skills he had already learned a fair deal about from An Ling’er so his starting proficiency was quite high. The remaining six though, were Divine Skills he had never studied before, naturally this meant Yang Kai had to start from scratch. It was fortunate that these energy auras contained all the mysteries of the Divine Skills within them, so all he had to do was study and comprehend.
Cultivation knew no years. This saying was not false, as Yang Kai immersed himself in the Nine Heavens Divine Skills inside the Holy Tomb, he quickly lost track of time. On the other hand, the Elders and Protectors outside the Holy Tomb quickly began to worry.
For the first few days after Yang Kai entered, all of them held great expectations, hoping he would suddenly emerge from the Holy Tomb, bring with him the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring, and inherit the position of Holy Master.
Ten days later, everyone became slightly anxious, although none of them said anything out loud; all of them began wondering if Yang Kai had encountered some kind of difficulties inside.
A month later, everyone’s expression had become dignified.
Two months later, despair appeared on their faces and forlorn sighs could be heard frequently.
Three months, four months…
As time passed, fewer and fewer Elders and Protectors remained here, all of them now believing it was impossible for Yang Kai to appear before them again.
Every Holy Master candidate who entered the Holy Tomb had to pass this test. This was well documented in Nine Heavens Holy Land’s historical records.
Xu Hui and the other Elders naturally knew that this process would take some time.
The fastest time a candidate had cleared the Holy Tomb’s test was fifteen days, while the slowest one took two months.
However, it had now been four months since Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb and there was no sign of him, this led Xu Hui and the others to believe Yang Kai was already dead.
The various Protectors and Elders all sighed heavily as they departed one by one; they all held important positions and had many things to deal with, how could they continue to wait here in vain?
Even Xu Hui, who had initiated this matter, left after four months.
Only An Ling’er remained outside the Holy Tomb.
Three days after Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb, An Ling’er learned of this incident, but even though she immediately rushed over and openly complained to Xu Hui and the other elders, there was nothing that could be done.
These past four months she had been waiting here, but no matter how eager she was, Yang Kai never appeared.
On a certain day, two beautiful women, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, came together and saw An Ling’er still standing outside Holy Tomb, causing the two of them to sigh.
“This little girl, she’s still waiting here,” Yu Ying said faintly.
“We were too anxious, not only have we ruined our Holy Land’s one hope, we also destroyed a bright young man’s future,” Cheng Yue Tong’s pretty face also flashed a trace of embarrassment and remorse.
“What use is saying this now? When Great Elder made this proposal, we didn’t raise any objections, all of us carry some responsibility,” Yu Ying slowly shook her head. “Fortunately, the one this little girl sent to deliver a message to Soaring Heaven Sect was intercepted by Great Elder, otherwise, if Soaring Heaven Sect were to learn about this, they would certainly not let our Holy Land off.”
“En, such an outstanding young talent, no matter which Sect he belonged to, would be vigorously cultivated,” Cheng Yue Tong said with a hint of anxiety.
Right now, Nine Heavens Holy Land was now suffering from many external troubles, if they suddenly made enemies of Soaring Heaven Sect as well, it was likely they would need to immediately activate the Nine Peaks Array and isolate themselves from the outside world. If that were to happen, even if they raised a new generation of Saintesses, they would not be able to leave to seek out a new Holy Master.
“In the end, did we think too highly of him, or did he just happen to have bad luck?” Yu Ying sighed, “Each of the past Holy Master candidates received some advice and guidance from the previous Holy Master before entering the Holy Tomb, but this time he had to dive in completely unprepared, it must have been too difficult for him…”
“Let’s go take a look,” Cheng Yue Tong said, stepping forward.
A moment later, the two of them arrived in front of the Holy Tomb. An Ling’er, who heard movement behind her, turned her head and saw them arrive, nodding her head slightly to greet them before turning around again.
In the past, An Ling’er and these two female Elders were quite close, but the relationship between them had now grown a bit cold, obviously as a result of them forcing Yang Kai to enter the Holy Tomb.
Exchanging a somewhat depressed glance with one another, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong didn’t know how to comfort this young girl and instead stood there staring at the entrance to the Holy Tomb awkwardly.
After a long silence, Yu Ying finally spoke up, “Ling’er, don’t wait any longer, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to come out.”
An Ling’er just shook her head in response.
“Listen to us, go back and rest, you’ve been waiting here for four months already,” Cheng Yue Tong also advised.
“He will come out,” An Ling’er said solemnly in a firm tone.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong were stunned for a moment before the two of them wore forced smiles and asked, “How do you know that? No Holy Master has ever taken so long to return from the Holy Tomb.”
An Ling’er just confidently said, “Just because others couldn’t, doesn’t mean he can’t. None of you have witnessed his skill, so it’s only natural for you to think that way, but I know he will come out.”
The two beautiful women narrowed their eyes and tentatively asked, “What kind of skill does he possess to makes you evaluate him so highly?”
Although Yang Kai’s aptitude was obviously uncommon and his strength wasn’t bad, the two middle-aged beauties had never actually seen him take action so naturally they didn’t know his true depths. An Ling’er on the other hand was different, the time she spent with Yang Kai was not short, so she was obviously clearer on his details.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong suddenly became somewhat curious and wanted to find out more from An Ling’er.
“I can’t explain it too well, but he can always manage to pull off miracles one after another. Surprising those around him to no end. On top of that, he said… even if it doesn’t enter my Holy Land, he will reach the same height as the old Holy Master within thirty years!”
“The same height?” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both wore stunned expressions, “The peak Third Order Saint Realm?”
An Ling’er nodded sincerely.
Yu Ying smiled wryly, “He is now a Second Order Transcendent, wanting to become a Third Order Saint within thirty years… I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
“En, there aren’t many Third Order Saints in the entire world,” Cheng Yue Tong also smiled, the two women apparently thinking that Yang Kai was just shamelessly boasting.
Both of them were well aware of how difficult it was to improve one’s strength after reaching the Transcendent Realm. Their aptitudes were considered excellent, or else it would be impossible for them to have reached the Saint Realm, but even they had trouble progressing now.
Even if Yang Kai’s aptitude exceeded their own; impossible things were still impossible.
In this world, which Third Order Saint was not at least a hundred years old? Even if they looked young, each one of them had experienced the long passage of time and only through constant accumulation had they reached their current height.
Yang Kai seemed to only be in his twenties, saying he could reach such a level within thirty years, wasn’t that like saying he could stand at the top of this world at only fifty years old?
Reaching the Saint Realm before one turned one hundred was extremely rare, a fifty year old Third Order Saint was simply impossible!
[Youthful ignorance!] Both Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong pursed their lips, thinking Yang Kai was just a boy who didn’t understand the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
“Why are you smiling like that?” An Ling’er turned and stared at them angrily, “Since he dared to say that, he can certainly achieve it. Just you wait, within thirty years he will definitely become a Third Order Saint.”
“He needs to come out from inside the Holy Tomb first,” Yu Ying frowned slightly, turning a worried look towards An Ling’er, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Ling’er, do you like him that much? Otherwise, how could you speak like that about him?”
An Ling’er’s face immediately went bright red as she hung her head in embarrassment.
“I don’t hate him…” After a moment of silence, An Ling’er whispered softly, “But more than that, I feel guilty towards him. I was the one who involved him in all of this, if I hadn’t taught him the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, he wouldn’t have encountered so much misfortune and he wouldn’t have been forced into the Holy Tomb by all of you. He should have had a better future…”
“That was our decision, it has nothing to do with you,” Yu Ying sighed, assuming full responsibility here.
“Elders, can I ask something of you?” An Ling’er suddenly raised her head and spoke with a deep seriousness.
“Speak,” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong nodded lightly.
“If… if he can return from the Holy Tomb, can you let him leave? He truly doesn’t want to remain here,” An Ling’er smiled bitterly, “Perhaps for others, becoming Holy Master of the Holy Land is a dream come true, but for him, it is nothing but a shackle. Forcing him to stay here does not have any advantage to him, do you really want to obtain a Holy Master who so wholeheartedly rejects the Holy Land?”
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong’s brows furrowed, exchanging awkward glances with one another, unable to simply agree to this request, causing them to feel somewhat embarrassed.
An Ling’er continued, “Don’t both of you think he won’t ever come out? That since he died he won’t reveal any of the Holy Land’s secrets? Since that’s the case, what difference is that with complying with this?”
“This… this has to be discussed with Great Elder,” Yu Ying smiled reluctantly; “We can’t take responsibility for such a decision.”
“I can promise you!” A loud voice suddenly came from afar, a streak of light rushing over and the figure of Great Elder Xu Hui appearing in front of Holy Tomb.
“Great Elder,” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong greeted hastily.
Xu Hui nodded lightly before turning to look at An Ling’er, “Your Highness Saintess, what you just said, I can promise you!”
“Really?” An Ling’er smiled happily.
“En, Elder Yu and Elder Cheng can testify to it!” Xu Hui said, nodding firmly, “Of course, the premise is that he can come out, and he really does not want to become Holy Master!”
“He should not be willing.”
“That may not be the case…” Xu Hui smiled meaningfully, “Perhaps when he comes out, there will be no need for us to ask and he will take the initiative to inherit the position of Holy Master… no Holy Master candidate who has ever successfully left the Holy Tomb has not pledged their life to the Holy Land.”
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong eyes flashed slight as smiles appeared on their faces.
Although none of them knew what mysteries were hidden inside the Holy Tomb, what Great Elder Xu Hui said just now was true. Every Holy Master candidate who returned from the Holy Tomb wholeheartedly considered the Holy Land his home and worked tirelessly to support it, even if they had come from a completely different Sect or family.
“Does Great Elder also think he can return?” An Ling’er focused on this point, her eyes shining brilliantly.
“I hope so…” Xu Hui slowly shook his head, “But I don’t think there’s much of a chance.”
“Just wait; he’ll definitely give all of you a surprise!” An Ling’er gently clenched her fist.
The three Elders all looked at her curiously, not knowing why she was so confident that Yang Kai, who had entered the Holy Tomb for more than four months, could return safely.
……
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai let out a low shout and a burst of Spiritual Energy surged up from his Knowledge Sea before slamming into a mass of energy floating in front of him.
Accompanied by the crisp cracking sound, the last of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills energy auras shattered and all of its profound insights flowed back into Yang Kai’s mind, allowing him to thoroughly comprehend it.
Profound Heavenly Sword, Imprisoning Heaven Chain, Great Heavenly Attraction, Capturing Heaven Net, Heaven Covering Hand, Punishing Heaven Spear, Grand Heavenly Shield, Flickering Heavenly Shadow, Scarlet Heavenly Arrow…
All of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, now seemingly incomparably familiar. These nine Divine Skills were astounding, far superior to any Martial Skill or Soul Skill Yang Kai had previously encountered.
After such a long period immersed in their study, Yang Kai had mastered the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Also, with the World Energy aura in this place being extremely rich, by practicing here for several months, Yang Kai had not just become proficient in the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, but he had also made great progress in his cultivation.
Every time he broke through one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skill energy auras, the road in front of Yang Kai became clearer and more spacious. After fully comprehending all nine of them and shattering the last energy aura, the entire Mysterious Small World seemed to become brighter, allowing Yang Kai to see the full extent of the Holy Tomb.
Releasing his Divine Sense to explore his surroundings, Yang Kai suddenly showed a surprised expression.
The World Energy was so rich that Yang Kai originally thought that this Mysterious Small World was extremely vast, but from what he could tell, it was actually only about as large as a mid-sized town. This was without a doubt the smallest Mysterious Small World Yang Kai had ever seen.
Yang Kai couldn’t fathom where the near inexhaustible supply of World Energy was coming from in such a tiny space. It was almost as if there was some great source of World Energy which was constantly yet undetectably being poured into this Mysterious Small World.
Throughout the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai sensed all kinds of dangerous Spirit Arrays. These arrays all gave off potent energy fluctuations and radiated a dangerous aura. Once someone accidentally touched one, they would likely suffer a terrifying attack.
Yang Kai could now see through all of this, that was how clear his surroundings had become. It was likely related to the Nine Heavens Divine Skill energy auras he had shattered before, the more of them that were broken, the more traps were revealed.
Yang Kai had shattered all nine energy auras, so naturally he could see all the mysteries hidden inside the Holy Tomb.
Not far away, there were several skeletons scattered about, their flesh already completely gone and their possessions all turned to dust.
These skeletons should have been the Holy Master candidates who had entered the Holy Tomb in the past but had failed to pass the test and died here. From what Yang Kai could tell, these skeletons’ ages varied greatly and were spread out across the entire Holy Tomb, their number not small.
In addition, there were a number of large coffins which placed in different locations around the Holy Tomb.
These coffins were all different shapes and colours, but one thing they shared in common was the grim aura they emitted.
Yang Kai quietly condensed his True Qi to guard against any accidents and walked towards the nearest coffin.
Quickly arriving in front of this coffin, Yang Kai found that it was no covered and inside there was a neatly dressed, handsome, middle-aged male corpse.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as his eyes were attracted to a bronze ring on the corpses’ left hand.
Standing beside the coffin for a long time, Yang Kai eventually determined that there was no hidden dangers and reached out his hand to touch this ring.
If his guess was right, this ring should be the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring that Xu Hui had mentioned.
All previous Holy Masters would enter the Holy Tomb with the Holy Master Spirit Ring when they felt their time of death was approaching, and the next Holy Master’s first and most important task was to retrieve this ring from the Holy Tomb.
This was because this ring was related to the operation of the entire Nine Heavens Holy Land, without it, many important places were inaccessible.
Also, from the condition of this corpse, it was obvious it had died just recently.
It was absolutely the previous generation’s Holy Master!
A Third Order Saint Realm master, only living a short three hundred years before dying of old age, throughout the entire world, such a phenomenon could only be found in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Observing this man for a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning slightly, thinking that if he were to become the master of this place, three hundred years later this would be his fate.
A pitiful and lamentable prospect.
After removing the ring from the fingers of the previous generation’s Holy Master, Yang Kai examined it carefully but soon shook his head. He couldn’t recognize what this ring was made of and could only say that it was some kind of special artifact because inside the ring there some vague energy fluctuations which even after thousands of years did not seem likely to dissipate.
These energy fluctuations were odd and seemed to follow some inexplicable law Yang Kai couldn’t quite make sense of.
As he was staring at it, Yang Kai suddenly felt a powerful suction force emerge from the ring. It was as if a big invisible hand had appeared, broke through space, and dove straight into the depths of Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, causing his Soul to shudder slightly.
“Great Heavenly Attraction!” Yang Kai paled, instantly recognizing the burst of energy from the Spirit Ring as one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and quickly trying to resist, but before he could even blink, a dim light flashed and he felt something disappear from his Knowledge Sea.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt a subtle connection between himself and the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
Yang Kai’s face became gloomy as he stood there, staring at the Holy Master Spirit Ring in his hand, wishing he could immediately destroy it.
Great Heavenly Attraction could forcefully remove another’s Soul brand, allowing one to control it. Yang Kai had initially caught An Ling’er off guard and used this trick to obtain her Soul brand. With it, Yang Kai gained control over whether An Ling’er lived or died and could even spy on the changes in her mood.
However, at this moment, this Holy Master Spirit Ring had used the Great Heavenly Attraction to obtain Yang Kai’s Soul brand.
Needless to say, this was something the previous generation’s Holy Master had secretly arranged.
A move made by a Third Order Saint was not something Yang Kai could resist or dispel.
This also meant that if Yang Kai were to throw away this ring, he would also be throwing away his Soul brand. Once it was obtained by an enemy, it would be equivalent to seizing control of Yang Kai’s life.
Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing repeatedly. Originally he planned on taking this Holy Master Spirit Ring and use it as a bargaining chip to obtain his freedom from Xu Hui, but now, this Holy Master Spirit Ring was his and absolutely couldn’t be handed over to someone else.
Yang Kai’s mood suddenly became awful.
Before Yang Kai could compose himself though, from the body of the previous generation Holy Master in the coffin, a huge wave of energy rushed out.
At the same time, from all the coffins inside the Holy Tomb, similar waves of energy burst forth and rushed towards Yang Kai.
It was as if they were being drawn towards Yang Kai somehow.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt his Knowledge Sea’s defenses torn apart and these masses of energy pour into his head, causing his consciousness to become chaotic.
Yang Kai went pale and didn’t dare hesitate, quickly sitting down cross legged and immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
In his Soul Avatar form, Yang Kai swiftly examined his Knowledge Sea and found that it was now turbulent and stormy. It seemed that his Knowledge Sea had automatically responded to this invasion by counterattacking.
The sea of flames roared as waves crashed back and forth, battering these invaders which seemed to instinctively fear Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea and were fleeing in all directions.
While they were rushing about, these invaders were releasing invisible spiritual energy fluctuations towards Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
Yang Kai immediately wore a suspicious expression, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the energy masses which had rushed into his Knowledge Sea, his mind gradually stabilizes.
The roaring sea water and flames also calmed down.
From what Yang Kai could see, these energy masses were actually the wills of the old Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Masters. Strictly speaking, they were remnant Souls.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t sense any conscious thought from these Soul remnants; they seemed to only be autonomously completing some final task their previous owners had set at their time of death.
These energy masses didn’t have any hostile intent and were simply releasing continuous bursts of Spiritual Energy towards Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, seemingly trying to convey something.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to lower his Soul’s defences and accepting whatever it was that these Soul remnants were trying to instill into him.
After a while, Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
Unlike what he expected, these Soul remnants weren’t trying to teach him some kind of Secret Art or Martial Skill, but rather were trying to apply some kind of brainwashing to him.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s views towards Nine Heavens Holy Land underwent some subtle changes, suddenly feeling like staying here wouldn’t be so bad. By becoming Holy Master he would not only gain great wealth and status, he would be able to command thousands of disciples and arrive at the peak of Martial Dao in the shortest time. It was far better than trying hard on his own.
Such thoughts caused Yang Kai’s will to soften and a sense of laziness to take over. He also felt that the remnant Souls of the past Holy Masters were warm and friendly and that he wanted to hear more of their teachings.
However, a sense of deep repulsion soon emerged from the depth of his soul. His heart clenching from those thoughts and Yang Kai quickly cut off the connection of his Soul Avatar with them. He hastily expelled all these misleading thoughts, turning a cold eye to the Soul remnants floating around him.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai sneered, his eyes flashing a cold light.
Yang Kai had always been curious about why the Holy Masters brought back by the Saintesses would be so willing to join the Holy Land, even if it meant their lives would be greatly shortened. It turns out they were indoctrinated by these Soul remnants inside the Holy Tomb.
If not for his Soul being far stronger than normal, it was likely Yang Kai would have followed in these people’s footsteps and been completely brainwashed within an hour or two.
The Spiritual Energy bursts emanating from the Soul remnants of these previous Holy Masters had a strong enticement to them. Under their influence, anyone would quickly feel a sense of connection and affection towards Nine Heavens Holy Land, regarding it as their own home and a place they needed to protect.
Even the strongest of the previous Holy Master candidates who entered the Holy Tomb and passed its test were merely First Order Transcendents, so their Souls weren’t very strong. But Yang Kai was different, his cultivation was far stronger and his Spiritual Energy was even stronger than that, giving him a certain ability to resist this kind of spiritual attack.
Additionally, he had never wanted to become Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, allowing him to quickly come to his senses.
Understanding all of this, Yang Kai suddenly became fearless. If it was some other kind of restriction or technique, he might be worried, but the biggest mistake the remnant Souls of these previous Holy Masters was diving into his Knowledge Sea.
In this place, only he was the master!
Trying to communicate with the remnant Souls, Yang Kai didn’t receive any response. These previous Holy Masters had died long ago and these remnant Souls had simply been preserved in this place via some strange method, but none of their consciousness remained, they simply carried out this one task mechanically.
The mental attacks of these Soul remnants continued uninterrupted, using all kinds of appeasement and inducement, trying to shake Yang Kai’s Soul, causing him to gradually grow impatient. After failing to communicate with them, Yang Kai decided to put an end to this once and for all and opened the Demon Eye of Annihilation floating over his Knowledge Sea.
The golden eye stared down at these Soul remnants like a majestic king before shooting out a beam of golden light.
With a great whoosh, all the remnant Souls of these once powerful Third Order Saints were instantly purified.
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai spent a few days meditating as he absorbed the essence of the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s previous Holy Masters’ remnant Souls.
His harvest was unimaginably huge!
Although Yang Kai’s cultivation realm hadn’t changed at all, because he assimilated the sentiments and insights of so many Third Order Saint Realm masters, his understanding of his future path had become incomparably clear.
As long as his physique and True Qi could keep up, his cultivation would be able to advance without any worries. It could be said that before becoming a Third Order Saint, he would not encounter any bottlenecks when trying to break through.
Such fortune was something all cultivators could only dreams of.
The reason why it was so difficult to break through to higher realms was that every time one reached a critical point, they would encounter bottlenecks. If they failed to spy on the mysteries of the next realm, they would forever be unable to break through.
All cultivators encountered bottlenecks along their path, preventing them from advancing further. Even those favoured Sons of Heaven with incredible aptitude who rapidly progressed and caused the world to marvel at their talent when they were young, would often times later in life encounter insurmountable bottlenecks and find themselves unable to advance any further.
If they encountered some kind of opportunity or if their luck was good enough to break through that bottleneck though, their strength would increase sharply.
So, bottlenecks were something that every cultivator worried about, and no matter who it was, they would encounter at least some in their pursuit of the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai had also encountered several bottlenecks in the past and only after overcoming several life and death situations had he managed to surmount them.
But from now on, he wouldn’t have to worry about this problem. Before becoming a Third Order Saint, his cultivation path would be smooth.
Letting out a gentle breath, Yang Kai stood up and felt that his entire world had undergone some subtle changes, a sense of connection and understanding permeating his soul, giving him a wondrous and mysterious feeling.
Suddenly, from the coffin in front of him, Yang Kai felt some faint energy fluctuations, and after inspecting this anomaly for a moment, a smile appeared on his face.
Upon direction a thread of his Divine Sense towards the source of the energy fluctuations, a stream of light burst forth from the coffin and flew straight towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stuck out his hand and the stream of light landed on his palm; examining it, it turned out to be a small silver leaf.
The veins on this leaf were distinct and lifelike, as if it had just been plucked from a tree, but this seemingly simple and delicate leaf was actually radiating a shocking aura!
Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact!
Xu Hui and the other Elders had said that the artifact used by the previous Holy Master was of this grade, and that there weren’t many like it throughout the entire world.
This Silver Leaf artifact bore the Soul mark of the previous generation Holy Master, but since Yang Kai had purified all the remnant Souls of the previous Holy Masters with his Demon Eye of Annihilation and absorbed their essence, naturally he could control their leftover Soul marks.
In other words, if there were any artifacts left in any of these coffins, Yang Kai could easily obtain them without worrying about any kind of backlash.
Yang Kai had never seen an artifact like this one, but the variety of artifacts throughout the world were many and they came in all shapes and sizes. This Silver Leaf obviously possessed incredible power but since he had not refined it, Yang Kai couldn’t be clear about its use, so for now he simply stored it into his Black Book space.
Avoiding the various arrays and barriers inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai eagerly walked towards the second coffin.
He intended to sweep this place clean!
Making his way around, Yang Kai reaped a great harvest once again. These coffins all belonged to previous Holy Masters who were top level powerhouses, so naturally the artifacts they used were outstanding as well.
Almost every coffin had at least one Saint Grade artifact, most of them Mid-Rank with a small number only Low-Rank. Unfortunately, the only Top-Rank Yang Kai obtained was the Silver Leaf, showing just how rare such powerful artifacts were.
Although these artifacts were all not bad, Yang Kai actually wasn’t that interested in them. These swords, halberds, and spears weren’t suitable for him to use as he had never studied any weapon techniques, he was more accustomed to using his own hands and feet when it came to fighting.
The only item which drew Yang Kai’s attention was a dark red Armour Artifact. This armour was light yet dazzling and had a beautiful design. It could absolutely withstand the attacks of a lower level Saint Realm masters.
This armour was designed for a woman. Yang Kai was certain of this as he had taken it off a female corpse.
The coffin where he had found this armour was different from the others. There were two skeletons lying inside of it, one of them a previous Holy Master and the other one of the Saintesses from that generation. The two of them were embracing one another, even in death, causing even Yang Kai to let out a faint sigh.
This Armour artifact would actually make a good gift, whether it was for Su Yan or Xia Ning Chang.
Thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai decided to collect it as well.
Soon, Yang Kai stopped in front of the last coffin, but what made him surprised was that there was no trace of any artifacts inside, and unlike all the others, this coffin was actually sealed shut and encased in multiple layers of barriers. These barriers had obviously been in place for many, many years and were thus showing some signs of degradation.
Also, for some unknown reason, when Yang Kai stood in front of this coffin, he felt the blood stir and his heartbeat become stronger. It was as if something inside the coffin was calling out to his blood.
After staring for a while with a frown upon his face, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Because of the barriers, he couldn’t effectively investigate the inside of the coffin to figure out what was happening.
However, only this coffin was sealed, making it obvious that this particular Holy Master didn’t want others to open it and investigate the secrets hidden inside.
If it weren’t for his strange induction, Yang Kai also would have simply let things be as he didn’t sense any artifacts inside, but now he couldn’t bring himself to simply ignore it.
Even though he tried, Yang Kai couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai’s expression became firm and he lifted his hand and punched towards the coffin, sending out a burst of True Qi.
The barrier set up by a Third Order Saint, in theory, would be impossible for Yang Kai to break, but this Holy Master had died countless years ago so the barrier was now nowhere near its peak strength.
It took Yang Kai less than half an hour to break through all the barriers.
As the last rays of light faded, the final barrier sealing the coffin lost its effect. Yang Kai took a deep breath, reached out and unsealed it.
After a putrid gas leaked out, the skeleton that appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes causing him a great deal of shock.
This skeleton was severely damaged, with broken bones and fractures all over. From what Yang Kai could tell, over eighty percent of this skeleton’s bones had some kind of injury on them.
Yang Kai was astonished!
Every Holy Master lying here was a peak Third Order Saint, and this one was no exception. When one reached such a realm, their flesh and bones would become incredibly tough and very few attacks could damage them.
However, the scene in front of Yang Kai showed that this Holy Master had fought with a powerful enemy before he died and regardless of whether he won or lost, had actually taken a severe beating. The reason why this master had died was definitely related to these injuries!
What kind of person could kill a peak Third Order Saint?
Somewhat absent minded, Yang Kai’s gaze drifted over the broken skeleton and eventually landed on a jet black bottle.
Before he died, this Holy Master had folded his hands and tightly held this black bottle to his chest. This bottle also had several restrictions on it and was clearly trying to seal something inside.
A terrifying energy pulsed from this bottle, immediately making Yang Kai feel like his whole body was throbbing.
*Kacha…*
A crisp sound rang out suddenly. It seemed like when Yang Kai broke the barrier around the coffin, he had caused the contents of the bottle to become unstable and at this moment it was violently rampaging, trying to break free of its prison.
The black bottle couldn’t bear such strain and within moments countless cracks appeared on its surface while the light from the seals also began to fade.
Yang Kai stood by and watch, not making any attempt to interfere. He faintly felt that whatever was inside the bottle had something to do with him.
Together with the scene in front of him, he even had some guesses as to what was happening.
*Kacha…*
With a crack, the black bottle shattered and a brilliant golden light burst forth, brightly illuminating the entire Holy Tomb.
The various barriers and Spirit Arrays all over the Holy Tomb were smashed by this golden light and ceased to function.
A terrifying Demonic Qi, centered on the golden light, erupted into the surroundings, sending all the scattered coffins hurtling through the air before causing them to explode, turning all the skeletons of the previous Holy Masters into dust.
Yang Kai stared intently at the golden light, his expression fluctuating as he muttered under his breath, “Demon God Golden Blood?”
From the golden light Yang Kai could smell a strong bloody scent; there was no doubt this was a drop of blood. Moreover, this drop of blood was like the purest molten gold. It exuded a rich Demonic aura that made even Yang Kai fearful. To actually be grasped by a deceased Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, besides being a drop of Demon God Golden Blood, Yang Kai couldn’t think of any other possibilities!
Why was there a drop of Demon God Golden Blood here thought? What kind of relationship was there between his Holy Master and the legendary Great Demon God?
Before Yang Kai could organize his thoughts though, the drop of Demon God Golden Blood floating in front of him, as if having discovered its target, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a golden afterimage and it rushed directly towards Yang Kai’s brow, entering his forehead and disappearing before he could react.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s expression twisted.
The golden blood in his veins seemed to have been hyper-stimulated and was on the rampaging wildly. This quickly spread to his meridians and physique, causing multiple explosions all over his body. Within a few breaths, Yang Kai was covered in wounds and his whole body felt as if it was on fire, causing him unbearable pain.
A dazzling golden light shrouded Yang Kai. Unable to bear the pain, Yang Kai lifted his head and roared as this Mysterious Small World was filled with a thick bloody aura, transforming it into a strange red and golden space.
Yang Kai’s Unyielding Golden Skeleton squirmed and creaked as the Demonic Qi stored inside it burst forth and transformed into Demon Crests covering his skin, disappearing into his physique in the next instant.
The red and gold Mysterious Small World was suddenly submerged in a thick darkness without a single trace of light.
Inside this darkness, Yang Kai grit his teeth and trembled, his skin filled with cracks as red blood oozed out onto the ground.
However, in front of his eyes, a series of illusory scenes began unfolding, depicting an earth-shattering battle.
Yang Kai didn’t open his eyes nor did he use his senses to try to perceive anything, yet the scenes of this battle still vividly appeared in his consciousness.
Soon, Yang Kai found himself drawn in by this battle, even forgetting the extreme pain he was experiencing, all his attention focused on it.
The battle was between two extremely powerful masters, every move they made containing unimaginable power. It was as if these two really had the power to destroy the world.
One of them was a man who gave off a shocking Demonic Qi while the other was a temperate middle-aged man.
The appearance of the former was familiar to Yang Kai, and after thinking about it for a moment, his eyes lit up and immediately understood who this master surrounded by Demonic Qi was.
The Great Demon God!
This was the Great Demon God!
Yang Kai had seen the statue of the Great Demon God back in the Mysterious Small World where the Ancient Demon Clan lived; it was very similar to the person in front of him, practically identical.
The Great Demon God was a legendary existence; during his time, no one was his opponent, the recognized first master under Heaven! Under his command, the Demon Race reigned supreme and even the Human Race with its superior population had to bow and give way.
Since then, no leader of the Demon Race dared to use the title Demon God, all of them instead calling themselves Demon Commander, such was the extent of their worship and respect towards the Great Demon God.
It was said that there was once a Demon Commander who in his arrogance named himself Demon god, and as a result, within a few days, was besieged and killed by his own subordinates.
From this it was obvious just how much influence and prestige the Great Demon God still had in the Demon Race even after his fall.
However, the scene in front of Yang Kai was probably from before the Great Demon God matured and reached that peak. Even so, the masters who could fight one on one with him were still extremely rare.
This middle-aged man was one such person!
He was that era’s Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land! The one whose body Yang Kai had discovered broken and shattered within the sealed coffin.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling somewhat agitated. He didn’t know why he could see this battle which had occurred countless years ago, but he faintly felt it was related to the drop of Demon God Blood. Perhaps the Demon God’s Golden Blood carried with it some memories of the Great Demon God.
The Great Demon God and the Holy Master of the time were both Third Order Saints, it was truly a showdown between peak level masters.
What lead to this battle, Yang Kai didn’t know, by the time he began observing the two masters were already engaged in an intense struggle, both of them holding nothing back.
From the ground to the sky, the sky to the Starry Sky, and then back to the ground from Starry Sky, the scene changed rapidly as the two fought. Their strength seemed even, neither one of them gaining any advantage over the other.
The more Yang Kai watched, the more enthralled he became, unable to think of anything else.
Being able to witness such a high level battle had great benefits to his growth. The Juniors of great forces would often be taken by their Seniors to observe the battles of high-level cultivators so they could witness what true combat looked like, hopefully allowing them to gain some form of inspiration or insight in the process.
It could be said that the scene in front of Yang Kai was a rare opportunity!
The methods these two men used in their battle caused Yang Kai to sink into contemplation while fixedly observing them.
After an unknown amount of time passed, the stalemate between the two men was gradually broken.
Whether the Holy Master made some slight mistake or he couldn’t see a path to victory and his momentum faded, he suddenly found himself at a disadvantage.
The Great Demon God on the other hand was like a raging beast, taking this opportunity to ruthlessly suppress his opponent.
As Yang Kai watched this battle with great relish, the picture in front of him suddenly changed again. Probably because so much time had passed, the memories stored in the Demon God’s Golden Blood weren’t very coherent.
When the vision stabilized again, Yang Kai saw that the battle had already been decided. That generation’s Holy Master coughed up a large amount of blood and his face went pale, his figure quickly transforming into a streak of light as he fled from the Great Demon God.
Before leaving though, he took with him a drop of the blood from the Great Demon God.
The Great Demon God just stood in place, staring coldly and arrogantly towards the retreating figure, not showing any intention to pursue, a moment later his figure also fading away.
The scene in his mind was then cut off…
Yang Kai let out a long breath and slowly calmed his racing heart.
He had never expected he would one day witness the Great Demon God in such a way. Since coming to Tong Xuan Realm, he had heard many legends about this man from many different people and knew that he was somehow inextricably linked with himself.
The Unyielding Golden Skeleton was from the Great Demon God’s body and the Demon Eye of Annihilation was once his eyes, even the Wordless Black Book had been created by him. Unfortunately so many years had passed since the Great Demon God’s time so Yang Kai never had a chance to witness his true strength.
However, now he had.
The inheritance left behind by the Great Demon God had been of great help to Yang Kai’s growth, but Yang Kai felt that he would not be bound by the Great Demon God’s path. On the contrary, Yang Kai was convinced that he could one day exceed the Great Demon God and arrive at a height far surpassing his past achievements.
Only by doing so could he live up to inheritance he received and also prove that all he had obtained was not simply given to him by the Great Demon God.
After watching this great battle, Yang Kai finally understood what had happened to the Holy Master inside this last coffin.
The wounds this Holy Master’s bones suffered should have been caused by the Great Demon God. After that battle, the former had returned to the Holy Land and soon after passed away. The reason he had left behind a drop of Demon God Golden Blood was likely because he couldn’t accept this outcome.
This series of coincidences led to Yang Kai accidentally obtaining this drop of Demon God Golden Blood and being able to observe such a fierce battle.
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes. The darkness that had permeated this space had faded and the original gloomy atmosphere had been restored.
Examining himself, Yang Kai was slightly surprised.
Although he had suffered numerous injuries all over his body, with his powerful restorative abilities, such wounds were irrelevant. What he cared about though was that because he had absorbed a drop of Demon God Golden Blood, the blood flowing through his veins had undergone significant changes.
The amount of golden blood Yang Kai possessed increased noticeably and the Demonic Qi which filled his Unyielding Golden Skeleton had become even more potent.
Additionally, he had even comprehended one of the Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities!
Soul Fission!
By using one’s own Soul brand as a base and filling it with a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, one could nourish it using special methods to grow a second Soul. This second Soul could then be split from one’s body and move independently, essentially a Soul Clone.
The strongest of Soul Clones could display over eighty percent of all of its original’s abilities.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, remembering the Soul Clone of Demon General Meng Ge who he met in his previous world.
Inside the Evil Cavern, Yang Kai, without knowing anything, had used the Devil Sealing Chain to kill Meng Ge’s Soul Clone, and was subsequently threatened by the Demon General.
It wasn’t until coming to Tong Xuan Realm that Yang Kai understood just what kind of powerhouse Meng Ge was.
At that time, Meng Ge should have been using this Soul Fission Divine Ability and somehow sent his Soul Clone to the Evil Cavern. However, compared to the Great Demon God’s Soul Fission Divine Ability Yang Kai had just obtained, there was a big gap in performance.
Simply put, Meng Ge’s Soul Clone was far too weak.
Yang Kai guessed that Meng Ge had discovered some ancient books left behind by the Great Demon God and used them to replicate this Divine Ability, but it had turned out far inferior to the original.
Cultivating Soul Fission had many advantages. Once one’s Soul Clone was formed, one would have two Souls inside their Knowledge Sea. Having two Souls cultivating at once meant the growth of one’s Spiritual Energy would be twice as fast.
Of course, the price one had to pay in order to cultivate a second Soul was massive! Cultivating Soul Fission required a huge amount of Spiritual Energy.
However, for Yang Kai, this was not a problem. With the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus constantly nourishing his Soul, his Spiritual Energy could be recovered far more rapidly than others.
Sweeping his eyes around his surroundings, Yang Kai discovered that the Holy Tomb was now a complete mess. It seemed like because of his entry this time, this Mysterious Small World had been all but destroyed.
From now on, any Holy Master candidate who came here would likely not be able to gain any benefits, nor would they receive any brainwashing from their predecessors.
Even Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward. Although he had been forced to enter this place by Xu Hui and the others, the Holy Tomb was also one of the pillars of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s foundation. If the Elders and Protectors of Nine Heavens Holy Land were to learn that he had ruined this place, they definitely wouldn’t let him off easily.
At the very least, they would force him to accept the position of Holy Master to take responsibility.
On top of that, the Holy Master Spirit Ring had absorbed Yang Kai’s Soul brand.
Yang Kai suddenly felt things have become complicated and unless he was willing to go to war with Nine Heavens Holy Land, the situation had become set.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Yang Kai didn’t rush to leave the Holy Tomb and instead began cultivating the Great Demon God’s Soul Fission.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai condensed a Soul brand and then using some special methods began injecting his Spiritual Energy into this brand, building and nourishing his Soul Clone.
The Spiritual Energy required for this process was immense and even with the help of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus Yang Kai couldn’t keep up with the consumption. Fortunately, there were many pills inside the Black Book space, including those for restoring Spiritual Energy.
Yang Kai also had a large amount of Myriad Drug Liquid left so he wasn’t worried about his Spiritual Energy running dry.
Days flew by.
Yang Kai had no intention of quickly leaving the Holy Tomb, hoping that with the passage of time, he could fade from the memories of Xu Hui and the other Nine Heavens Elders. And so he continued to cultivate.
Only when he had reached the minor accomplishment stage of the Soul Fission Divine Ability did Yang Kai decided to stop.
From now on he didn’t need to actively cultivate this Divine Ability as his second Soul would now continue to strengthen itself all on its own. Unfortunately, until it reached full maturity it would not have its own consciousness and could not provide him with any assistance. Once it reached maturity, Yang Kai would also need to find a suitable container to implant it into in order to create a true Soul Clone.
Right now, his Soul Clone lacked the ability to think for itself and could only be manipulated directly by Yang Kai. But sending it into places that were inconvenient or dangerous for him to go might prove useful at some point!
Slowly standing up, Yang Kai looked around for the Holy Tomb’s exit.
Moments later, Yang Kai sensed a faint energy fluctuation and moved towards it, soon arriving in front of a stone wall. After pouring his True Qi into this wall, a Void Corridor appeared in front of him and he stopped through, returning to the outside world once more.
Yang Kai arrived in front of the same blue stone entrance to Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Tomb he had entered from.
As soon as he appeared, Yang Kai immediately concealed his aura and quietly probed his surroundings.
He wasn’t sure how long he had stayed inside the Holy Tomb but he knew it wasn’t a short amount of time. Since there wasn’t anyone around anymore, obviously Xu Hui and the others had left long ago.
This was the perfect time for him to sneak away.
As long as he left Nine Heavens Holy Land, he would be like a bird returning to the sky, a fish swimming through the sea. It would be incredibly hard for Xu Hui and the others to bring him back once more.
However, after carefully examining the situation around him, Yang Kai’s expression became somewhat strange.
The entire Nine Heavens Holy Land was in a state of confusion. It seemed like a big battle had just occurred as traces of destruction could be found all around. There were many houses and buildings among the Nine Peaks that had broken walls or collapsed roofs.
Yang Kai also smelled a faint scent of blood in the air and cries of pain reached rang in his ears.
Suddenly, Yang Kai sensed a familiar life aura. This person seemed to have noticed his presence causing their aura to fluctuate wildly.
Yang Kai turned his head just in time to see An Ling’er.
This Saintess, a symbol of purity and nobility, currently had a blue cloth wrapped around her head and her white dress was covered in dust and blood, clearly she had just been involved in a fight.
When she saw Yang Kai, a look of joy and disbelief filled An Ling’er’s beautiful face as she stood there dumbfounded.
Before she could open her mouth to speak though, An Ling’er saw Yang Kai’s figure flicker and in the next moment appear in front of her. Her mouth was covered and her movements sealed, causing her to be unable to resist as Yang Kai quickly brought her to relatively secluded pavilion a short distance away.
“I’m letting you go now, don’t shout!” Yang Kai whispered.
A hint of panic flashed across An Ling’er’s pretty eyes before she quickly nodded.
Yang Kai released her and then quickly backed away, lest she misunderstand his actions as an attempt to silence her.
“You came out?” An Ling’er glanced around nervously before whispering.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “Just now.”
“You really came out!” An Ling’er breathed out a sigh of relief, a light smile appearing on her face. She had been worried about Yang Kai this entire time so seeing him now, safe and sound, it was like a large stone had been lifted off her heart, causing her to relax.
Yang Kai being forced into the Holy Tomb was something An Ling’er always felt she carried a large responsibility for. During this time, she had always been blaming herself to the point where it had affected her health.
Now though she could finally feel at ease.
“It’s good that you’ve come out!” An Ling’er gently patted her chest, “Since you’ve come out, you should quickly leave before Great Elder or any of the others find you.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he stared towards An Ling’er and asked, “Are you willing to let me just leave?”
“En,” An Ling’er revealed a forced smile, “I know you don’t want to be here, trying to force you to stay would only make you hate me. Since that’s the case, I might as well just let you go.”
Yang Kai expression softened and a hint of gratitude appeared on his face.
“What are you staring at me like that for? If you’re discovered you won’t be able to get away!” An Ling’er frowned.
“I was just thinking you look much more attractive now!” Yang Kai flattered shamelessly.
An Ling’er’s face blushed bright red as she angrily spat, “Don’t try to sweet talk me now, I’ve known you’re not a good thing since long ago. Don’t think you can win my favour after all this time.”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly before putting on a serious face and cupping his fists said, “This is goodbye then, I hope there’s a chance for us to meet in the future.”
“En, go quickly. Head south, Great Elder and the others are currently north of this place,” An Ling’er urged.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, quickly found his bearings and then quietly flew off towards the south.
Shortly after Yang Kai’s departure, a figure emerged from the shadows and walked towards An Ling’er.
“Ah, Elder Yu Ying!” An Ling’er was startled and called out unconsciously.
Yu Ying stared in the direction Yang Kai disappeared for a while before letting out a sigh and faintly asking, “Are you really willing to just let him go like that?”
“You saw?” An Ling’er’s expression became somewhat awkward. She didn’t know when Yu Ying had arrived behind her but from the latter’s tone of voice it obvious she had seen and heard everything just now.
“I only saw him hurriedly leave, without any hesitation.”
“There’s nothing here that would cause him to hesitate,” An Ling’er said with a forced smile.
“What about you? You exhausted yourself worrying about him, spent so much time together with him, shared so many hardships together with him, even admired and respected him. Aren’t the two of you at least more than friends?” Yu Ying looked faintly towards An Ling’er.
An Ling’er shook her head gently, “While he is certainly somewhat hateful, I don’t think I’m worthy to be joined together with him. Moreover, I truly don’t think of him in that way, just being friends with him is probably for the best. En, undeniably, following beside him I felt a deep sense of security, making me mistakenly feel like I was the younger one, and I would always be protected by him… but with the current position the Holy Land is in, I don’t think it’s right to implicate him. Elder Yu Ying, can you not mention this to Great Elder? We might as well just say he died here.”
Yu Ying’s brow furrowed deeply, seemingly weighing the decision.
An Ling’er quickly hugged Yu Ying’s arm, acting the part of a spoiled child.
Faced with this combination of soft and hard sell tactics, Yu Ying could only smile bitterly and rub her forehead, “Alright, alright… Nothing happened here and I didn’t see anything… I won’t say a word about this to anyone. Ling’er, you’ve exhausted yourself these past few days, you should quickly go back and have a rest. We Elders will take care of the problems outside, you don’t need to worry about them. All the Holy Land’s hopes now can only be pinned on you. You must diligently cultivate the Saintess’ Secret Arts for now. If the Holy Land can survive this crisis, it will be up to you to train a new generation of Saintesses.”
Seeing Yu Ying agree to her request, An Ling’er immediately became joyful.
However, when the two of them remembered the Holy Land’s precarious situation, their eyes noticeably dimmed. Whether the Holy Land could survive the current catastrophe or what the future held, neither of them could say.
Perhaps, within a short time, everyone here would die. If not for this cruel realty, it would have been impossible for Yu Ying to so easily agree to An Ling’er’s request.
“Elder Yu Ying is apparently quite amenable,” A light voice suddenly reverberated throughout the pavilion, making it impossible to determine exactly where the person speaking actually was.
Yu Ying’s beautiful face paled as she quickly condensed her True Qi, shouting aggressively, “Who goes there!”
As soon as these words left Yu Ying’s lips, a figure emerged a few steps away from her, a somewhat teasing smile upon his face.
“Flickering Heavenly Shadow?” An Ling’er cried out, immediately recognizing this Nine Heavens Divine Skill. This was a very profound movement skill that was equally useful for concealing one’s presence or escaping from an enemy.
Recovering from her shock, An Ling’er stared at Yang Kai who had suddenly returned and couldn’t help asking, “Why didn’t you leave?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders before seemingly unintentionally shooting a glance towards Yu Ying.
When he had left just now, he noticed that this woman was hiding behind An Ling’er, so in order to insure news of his re-appearance was not leaked, he had concealed himself in order to monitor these two. By doing so though, he had overheard the conversation between the two women and suddenly felt that simply disappearing on his own would leave a sour taste in his mouth.
“How did you deceive my Divine Sense? I clearly noticed that you had already traveled far away, just when did you come back?” Yu Ying stared at Yang Kai, a look of incredible disbelief spread across her face.
She was a genuine First Order Saint, but Yang Kai was still able to silently approach this close to her without her noticing. That meant that if Yang Kai had harboured any hostile intent towards her, it was quite possible she would be a corpse right now.
Immediately realizing this, Yu Ying’s tender body shivered as a cold sweat dripped down her back, suddenly discovering that this future Holy Master was somewhat beyond her ability to understand or control.
“No need to be so nervous, it’s not like I’m going to eat you,” Yang Kai grinned, intentionally not answering Yu Ying’s question, his expression then quickly becoming serious as he asked, “On the other hand, I’m somewhat curious about what you two were just discussing. What exactly happened to your Nine Heavens Holy Land while I was gone?”
An Ling’er opened her mouth to explain but before she could get a single word out, Yu Ying quickly cut her off, “Does that have anything to do with you? Since you’re unwilling to inherit the position of Holy Master, is there any point in asking about that?”
Yang Kai knit his brow and felt somewhat confused.
The last time he had seen her, this beautiful woman had spoken and acted very respectfully towards him, yet this time it was as if she had encountered an enemy and was harshly rejecting him.
Yang Kai had no intention of haggling over the issue with her though so he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded, “If you don’t want to say that’s fine too, I don’t have a habit of prying into other people’s business. Farewell.”
Saying so, he really turned around to leave.
“Wait!” Yu Ying suddenly called out again.
“What now?” Yang Kai shot an impatient look towards her.
Yu Ying’s expression became a complicated mix of embarrassment and reluctance, only speaking again after a long silence, “Don’t rush off, I’ll explain everything to you.”
“Sorry, I don’t want to know anymore. The more I know, the more trouble it will be!”
“You…” Yu Ying gawked at him, her face turning from green to red to blue as she grumbled, “How can you like this?”
This boy was acting completely like a delinquent, without the slightest majesty or nobility a Holy Master should have. Didn’t he enter the Holy Tomb? How come his attitude was still so defiant?
In the past, everyone who had passed the Holy Tomb’s test and re-emerged had treated the Holy Land as their home.
Yu Ying simply couldn’t understand.
Seeing this beautiful woman at a loss, Yang Kai’s mood suddenly became excellent, sitting down on a nearby stool in the corner pavilion before turning to An Ling’er, “You tell me.”
An Ling’er snuck a glimpse towards Elder Yu Ying only to see her glaring towards Yang Kai viciously, as if she couldn’t wait to peel his skin, eat his flesh, and drink his blood. Understanding what Elder Yu Ying was feeling all too well as she had experienced similar incidents many times in the past when it came to Yang Kai, An Ling’er did her best to stifle her laughter for a while before pursing her lips and saying, “Why do you want to know about this? Once you know, it will only bring you trouble.”
“From what you two discussing just now, the situation is quite serious, of course I’d want to know. Besides, you just said we’re friends… I don’t have many friends,” Yang Kai suddenly said solemnly.
An Ling’er’s expression changed greatly upon hearing these words, a meaningful smile soon appearing on her face as she said, “That Gou Che will definitely regret not treating you sincerely in the future!”
“En, he will,” Yang Kai grinned, his face filled with confidence.