When Yang Kai walked into the hall, the three new faces all cast their gazes towards him with a certain degree of scrutiny.
Although they did not deliberately release any of their power, the innate auras these three radiated were not weak. If an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master had been exposed to this kind of display, they would likely have been quite intimidated.
Yang Kai’s steps also paused slightly, but a light expression soon returned to his face as he casually walked in, like he was only exposed to a light breeze.
A hint of surprise flashed across the depths of the eyes of these three.
They had come here with Ye Xi Yun this time all in order to see just who it was that could win her respect and service, and the moment they saw Yang Kai, they immediately determined he was no simple character.
This boy had the makings of a great expert, but that alone was not enough to convince the three of them to support him. There were always young people with aptitude and talent, but whether they could truly mature or not was always questionable.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, just shot Ye Xi Yun a questioning look, wondering what these three people were doing here.
Of course, Yang Kai could guess where they came from.
Since they had accompanied Ye Xi Yun from that place, it seemed her plan was proceeding quite smoothly.
“Please have a seat!” Yang Kai smiled lightly before walking over to the head of the main table and sitting down himself, calmly calling out, “Junior Yang Kai, greets three Seniors, may I ask how to address three Seniors?”
“This old master is Yang Xiu Zhu!”
“This Mistress is called Lin Yu Rao!”
“This one’s name is Chu Han Yi!”
The three all reported their names.
“These three are all pillars of the Sect and have a high degree of prestige and connection amongst the other members,” Ye Xi Yun added.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and his smile became brighter.
If their prestige and connections were strong, it meant that dealing with these three would be equivalent to gaining the support of many of Star Emperor Mountain’s masters. Ye Xi Yun’s words were short but meaningful, a point Yang Kai understood well.
“Senior Yang, Senior and this Junior have the same surname, no wonder Junior felt a sense of familiarity with Senior even though it is our first meeting, like he was meeting a distant relative. Junior will have to ask Senior to show him some care in the future,” Yang Kai glanced over at the old man and smiled.
Yang Xiu Zhu, however, showed no reaction at all. Even the beautiful woman Lin Yu Rao and the middle-aged scholar Chu Han Yi only stared back at him stoically.
Yang Kai could not help feeling extremely embarrassed.
Understanding after this brief exchange that these three could not be won over by flattery or platitudes, Yang Kai immediately put away such thoughts and wore a serious expression, “Since three Seniors came together with Great Elder, you must already know what this Sect Master is planning to do next. What thoughts do the three Seniors have regarding this matter?”
“What Sect Master Yang plans to do next, we three have already heard about from Sect Master Ye, but if I may be so presumptuous, although Sect Master Yang has this tyrannical Starship, it may not be sufficient to defeat Star Emperor Mountain. Does Sect Master Yang believe this Starship can withstand a blow from the Annihilation Thunder Bead?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked in a deep voice.
“Probably not!” Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
Although this old man’s attitude could not be described as friendly, his vision was quite sharp, as were his words.
The Annihilation Thunder Bead was exactly what Yang Kai was worried about. Although he was certain he could personally avoid it, the Starship could not. The Starship’s size was simply too great, and once it was hit by the Annihilation Thunder Bead, it was highly likely to suffer severe damage.
It was even possible it would be destroyed directly.
The Starship was the primary reason Yang Kai had managed to defeat Heaven Battling Union, but it could not display the same effect against Star Emperor Mountain.
Unless Yang Kai could force Star Emperor Mountain to waste the one shot the Annihilation Thunder Bead could produce, the Starship alone would not be able to emerge victorious.
“Since this Starship cannot withstand such a strike, does Sect Master Yang believe that you can capture the Sect with the power of your current forces? Star Emperor Mountain has stood on Shadowed Star for over ten thousand years and is by no means weak. Is Sect Master Yang not underestimating this matter too greatly?” Yang Xiu Zhu coldly snorted, obviously not optimistic about Yang Kai’s ability.
“Haha…” Yang Kai didn’t take offence, instead just laughing lightly and saying in a compatible manner, “Senior prefers straight talk it seems. Very well, then I will be equally direct! This Sect Master just heard Senior call Great Elder Ye Sect Master, but according to what I know, the position of Sect Master on Star Emperor Mountain is held by someone else. It seems that in three Seniors’ hearts, Great Elder Ye is Star Emperor Mountain’s true leader!”
Yang Xiu Zhu nodded, “Indeed! Since that usurper stole the post of Sect Master a hundred years ago, he has been harshly suppressing dissidents and targeting all who dare question him. We three have been quite dissatisfied with him these past few years. Even when it comes to cultivation resources, we are now forced to seek everything on our own, delaying our cultivation greatly. We used to think that Sect Master Ye had fallen, so we were willing to accept such circumstances, but now that we know Sect Master Ye is still alive, we wish for her to return to power.”
“Junior is sincerely impressed with three Seniors’ loyalty and devotion!” Yang Kai said solemnly.
“There’s no need for frivolous flattery. We three have come here today only because of Sect Master Ye’s request, not because of you. Let us be clear upfront, even if you manage to convince us of your cause, we will not provide you with any direct assistance; after all, those you oppose, regardless of their current conduct, are our fellow Brothers and Sisters. We old masters have not taken up arms in many years, and do not wish to be stained in blood once more, particularly if that blood is from our own side.”
Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi nodded in agreement.
“Then what are you doing here?” Yang Kai was stunned and his expression became somewhat unhappy.
“If Sect Master Yang can persuade us three to your cause, then out of respect for Sect Master Ye, we will provide as much help with this matter within our abilities as we can.”
“Within your ability??” Yang Kai frowned.
“For example… convincing our fellow Brothers and Sisters to not be your enemy!”
“How many?” Yang Kai frowned.
“At least half!”
“A reasonable number…” Yang Kai pondered. If half of the masters on Star Emperor Mountain remained uninvolved, his chances for victory would rise dramatically. Moreover, even if just half stood by, presumably those who remained would not dare act easily.
“We all grew up on Star Emperor Mountain since infancy and are as close as true brothers and sisters. Most of us adhere to the same philosophy as Sect Master Ye, with only a few who are truly dissatisfied with our current condition. So, with the three of us acting as advocates, coupled with Sect Master Ye’s past prestige, Sect Master Yang may be able to achieve his wish this time,” Yang Xiu Zhu said again.
“Alright, there is some truth to what you say, but how should I convince you to support me? ” Yang Kai looked at the three of them.
“That will be up to Sect Master Yang himself,” Lin Yu Rao smiled.
“Understood,” Yang Kai gently nodded before furrowing his brow slightly.
From the previous discussion he had with Ye Xi Yun and the brief contact he had now, Yang Kai deeply understood that Star Emperor Mountain’s members were truly aloof from world affairs. Since they had lived their entire lives on Star Emperor Mountain and rarely had contact with the outside world, influenced by the environment they grew up in, they possessed almost no concept of greed or ambition.
As such, if Yang Kai wanted to convince them to support him, wealth was probably useless; instead, he would have to give them something else they desired.
On top of that, whatever he proposed should not bring harm to Star Emperor Mountain itself, otherwise, he would arouse their resentment.
After thinking for a while, Yang Kai smiled confidently.
Perceiving the change in his expression, Yang Xiu Zhu and others could not help frowning, not knowing what Yang Kai had thought of, immediately looking towards him intently.
“Three Seniors have already reached the peak of the Origin Returning Realm, so surely you have thought about going a step further on the Martial Dao, yes?” Yang Kai looked at the three with a smile.
“A step further!” Yang Xiu Zhu’s and the others’ expressions all lit up as they stared towards Yang Kai in amazement, asking eagerly, “Do you have a way?”
No cultivator did not want to climb to the peak of the Martial Dao. Now that they had chosen to tread upon this path, only by continuing to move forward and climb higher could they enjoy better scenery. No one was willing to remain stuck where they were.
“Haha, Junior doesn’t have the ability to break through the shackles of Shadowed Star’s World Principles, but three Seniors have surely seen that Junior possesses an Origin King Grade Starship. To be honest, after settling this matter, Junior was planning to embark on a long-distance voyage,” Yang Kai said without hesitation.
“A long-distance voyage?” Yang Xiu Zhu and others’ eyes sparkled, immediately understanding what he implied, a look of hope flashing across their faces, “You mean…”
“En, since Shadowed Star’s World Principles prohibit us from advancing any further, all we must do is leave. Junior doesn’t mean to boast, but with the quality of this Origin King Grade Starship, a long-distance voyage should not be an issue. En, I previously invited Elder Qian and City Lord Fei from Shadow Moon Hall, as well as members from Clear Sky Sect to accompany me, having three Seniors join us is a simple matter!”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others all became visibly excited and seemed to be on the verge of agreeing.
[Success!] Yang Kai grinned.
But soon, Yang Kai noticed that something was wrong. The excited looks on Yang Xiu Zhu and others’ faces calmed down extremely rapidly and were replaced with frowns containing what seemed like guilt.
“Are three Seniors not satisfied with this proposal?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
Yang Xiu Zhu glanced at him before shaking his head and smiling bitterly, “Sect Master Yang must be joking, such a good chance, presumably no Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator would refuse. It naturally has an unimaginable attraction to us, but… If we three were to really agree to Sect Master Yang’s request because of this condition, we would be no better than sinners who sold off their Sect for personal glory, so we must ask Sect Master Yang to forgive us, but we cannot agree to your proposal.”
[Damn it, these stubborn old goats!] Yang Kai cursed to himself.
Even currently, these three were actually still thinking about their fellow Sect Brothers and Sisters. To a certain extent, Yang Kai admired them, but because their attitude was hindering his own interests and goals, he could not help finding these three a bit irritating.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had other proposals ready.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai quickly said, “I heard from Great Elder Ye before that Star Emperor Mountain is descended from Supreme Profound Sect! Presumably, three Seniors know that my High Heaven Sect currently occupies Supreme Profound Sect’s ruins!”
Hearing this, Yang Xiu Zhu opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say anything and just sighed heavily.
He could not take back the inheritance of his ancestors and had now even allowed it to be occupied by outsiders. Naturally, he had nothing to say, let alone words to blame Yang Kai.
“Why does Sect Master Yang raise this point?” Chu Han Yi frowned.
“What if I were to say that after this matter has ended, I can allow all of Star Emperor Mountain’s population to return to Supreme Profound Sect?” Yang Kai smiled crookedly, “Since you have all strictly adhered to your ancestral teachings for over ten thousand years, you must want to return to your ancestors’ original home to have a look and seek out the hidden mysteries which remain there, right? I can satisfy this desire; not only that, I can allow all of you to live there in the future, to regain the original foundation and heritage of your ancestors, to breathe the same air and watch the same scenery as they and the Great Emperor once breathed and saw.”
Inside the hall, Yang Kai’s expression remained calm, but Yang Xiu Zhu and the other two masters from Star Emperor Mountain were extremely excited!
Since ten thousand years ago, when their ancestors had been cut off from Supreme Profound Sect by the Flowing Flame Sand Field, every generation of Star Emperor Mountain had dreamed of returning to their ancestral land. But with the impassible flame barriers of the Flowing Flame Sand Field baring their path, there was simply nothing they could do.
Yang Kai’s proposal had scratched the unscratchable itch Yang Xiu Zhu and the others had always felt.
If they belonged to some other great force, perhaps this offer would not have been of much interest to them. Their ancestors’ legacy belonged to their ancestors, ten thousand years had passed, their current Sect had developed well, and even their name had changed, so why worry about reclaiming their ancestral land?
However, for the people from Star Emperor Mountain, the situation was a little different.
Because of their ideals and beliefs, their very doctrine taught them to revere the Great Emperor above all else!
The Supreme Profound Sect was the Sect supported by the Great Emperor ten thousand years ago, the place where the Great Emperor lived. Star Emperor Mountain, which was founded afterwards, was not comparable to the Supreme Profound Sect.
That piece of land not only represented the heritage of their ancestors, but was the ultimate symbol of their devotion to the Great Emperor.
There was no Star Emperor Mountain cultivator who did not wish to return to their ancestral land to pay homage to the former residence of the Great Emperor!
Yang Kai’s proposal went straight to the hearts of Yang Xiu Zhu and the others and could even be said to be more attractive than the first one he made.
The first proposal was only aimed at the three of them, but this one was for all their Sect Brothers and Sisters.
The three of them looked at each other and clearly saw the intentions in the other’s eyes.
“En, now that Senior Ye is also High Heaven Sect’s Great Elder, and considering that you are descendants of Supreme Profound Sect, it is completely appropriate for you to enter and live there,” Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot.
“Are you not afraid that the guests will seize the role of host for themselves?” Yang Xiu Zhu looked at Yang Kai with gleaming eyes and asked straightforwardly.
“Senior jests, without even mentioning the fact that Great Elder is there, knowing the three Seniors’ conduct and character, Junior has great confidence you will not chase after fame and fortune in such a dishonest manner. There is nothing to worry about.”
“You’re certainly confident enough!” Yang Xiu Zhu nodded, “Fine, we old masters can agree to help you if these are your terms! But we must say in advance, if we and our fellow Star Emperor Mountain companions truly return to the ancestral land, we must request Sect Master Yang to divide a separate area for use to reside in. We will not be joining High Heaven Sect, please understand this, Sect Master Yang.”
“You won’t join?” Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he silently cursed this old dog for being so unamiable. Yang Kai had tried so hard to win them over, even bringing their ancestor into the discussion, because he was planning on merging the many masters of Star Emperor Mountain into High Heaven Sect, but his intentions had clearly been seen through and cut off right from the start.
This made Yang Kai somewhat disgruntled.
A mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Although Yang Kai was not worried about these people really having ill intentions towards High Heaven Sect, there being so many Origin Returning Realm masters from Star Emperor Mountain he could not control was not a scenario Yang Kai wanted to see.
If that were the case, it would be difficult to guarantee that there would be no friction and conflict between the two forces over time.
Thinking so, Yang Kai showed a look of regret, “Fine then, since Senior has made such a request, Junior naturally has no reason to refuse, but… it’s a pity!”
“What’s a pity?” Yang Xiu Zhu knew that Yang Kai was up to some kind of scheme, but he still couldn’t help feeling curious, so he asked suspiciously.
“It’s nothing,” Yang Kai chuckled, “I was just thinking that if you joined High Heaven Sect, in time, you may have an opportunity to see the Great Emperor, but if you insist on remaining separate…”
“What?” Yang Xiu Zhu was thoroughly shocked, while Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi also showed looks of astonishment.
“Sect Master Yang, what do you mean by this?” Lin Yu Rao’s tender body leaned in slightly.
“Didn’t Great Elder tell you?” Yang Kai turned his head to Ye Xi Yun, keeping the three of them in suspense.
Ye Xi Yun slowly shook her head, understanding Yang Kai’s plan but not planning on spoiling it, simply smiling as she said, “This is a matter of utmost importance, this Queen didn’t dare to reveal it lightly.”
“En, fair enough, this kind of secret really cannot be casually divulged. The fewer people who know the better,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Sect Master Yang, what you said just now… what do you mean?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked eagerly, an anxious expression filling his face, “Why does it sound like… the Great Emperor is now… in High Heaven Sect?”
When he spoke these words, even he found himself taken aback and quickly shook his head in disbelief.
“Senior is correct, the Great Emperor is indeed in High Heaven Sect right now!” Yang Kai grinned.
“How can that be?” Yang Xiu Zhu and the others suddenly jumped out of their chairs, their bodies trembling and looks of pure shock covering their faces.
“Junior has no need to deceive you, but you can just ask Great Elder if you don’t believe me,” Yang Kai motioned.
The three instantly cast their eyes on Ye Xi Yun, who simply nodded lightly.
Yang Xiu Zhu was flabbergasted, the shock of this news hit him like a ten-thousand-ton hammer to his forehead, causing him to completely lose composure and become unresponsive for quite some time.
After all, the Great Emperor was a legendary figure from ancient history. Although Yang Xiu Zhu and the others always believed that the Great Emperor was still alive and sleeping in some secret place, that was just a belief, in the end.
When beliefs become reality, even those who believed in them would have doubts. This was only natural when confronting a situation where all one’s hopes, or fears, could become true.
“Do you have proof?” Lin Yu Rao called out haltingly, “Is there some way we can prove your words are true? Even with Great Elder as a guarantor, this is not a truth we can easily believe. We must ask Sect Master Yang to show us some evidence.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and Chu Han Yi also seemed to recover from their shock and nodded firmly.
“What kind of proof do you want?” Yang Kai laughed.
“Anything is fine. As long as you can prove that this matter is true… This old master and his companions will agree to join High Heaven Sect, without hesitation!” Yang Xiu Zhu burst out with a ferocious expression that declared he would not let Yang Kai go easily if he did not produce sufficient proof of his words.
If the Great Emperor was truly in High Heaven Sect, would there be any shame in joining it?
If this was so, even if Yang Kai was not trying to win them over, they would take the initiative to beg him for the opportunity to join!
“Without even mentioning if I have any proof, even if I do and I took it out, could you recognize it?” Yang Kai smiled contemptuously.
“Whether or not we can recognize and accept is a matter we have the ability to judge, but if Sect Master Yang is simply making wild claims, this old master will not be forgiving!”
Yang Kai brow furrowed slightly, not having expected things to develop in this way, and for a moment he felt somewhat helpless as he did not have anything. He couldn’t think of anything he could use as evidence to back up his claims.
However, in a flash of inspiration, Yang Kai thought of something and let out a laugh, “If that’s the case, then I may be able to satisfy you.”
Saying so, something suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand and he held it high.
A potent Emperor Pressure suddenly filled the hall.
Everyone’s expressions changed dramatically when they saw this object.
After gawking for a moment, Yang Xiu Zhu called out in alarm, “Star Emperor Token! An actual Star Emperor Token!”
It was not that he had never seen a Star Emperor Token before. Star Emperor Mountain possessed two Star Emperor Tokens in the past, one of which was enshrined in Star Emperor Mountain’s grand hall and was treated as a symbol of the Great Emperor for all Star Emperor Mountain cultivators paid homage to.
The other Star Emperor Token served as the status symbol of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master and was passed down from one Sect Master to the next.
Of course, the latter Star Emperor Token was taken away by Ye Xi Yun when she was driven from Star Emperor Mountain and had now fallen into Yang Kai’s hands.
Yang Xiu Zhu had naturally visited the grand hall many times to worship the Great Emperor’s status symbol, so he was no stranger to Star Emperor Tokens.
However, the Star Emperor Tokens he had seen had all lost their power.
The piece in Yang Kai’s hand right now was complete, that is to say, the Divine Ability of the Great Emperor was still sealed within it, a legendary power great enough to easily kill an Origin King Realm master!
Yang Xiu Zhu’s eyes trembled violently.
Even Ye Xi Yun’s expression became solemn.
Both Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu’s eyes bulged as they stared.
None of them had imagined Yang Kai still possessed such a Heaven defying card!
With this token, he could easily wipe out Star Emperor Mountain and unify Shadowed Star.
Along with the shock they felt, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others became extremely frightened, as they could not help imaging what would happen if they had refused to help Yang Kai and forced him to use extreme measures. If he had decided to use this Star Emperor Token to deal with Star Emperor Mountain, it was likely that none of their two hundred Brothers and Sisters would have survived.
“This Star Emperor Token was handed to me personally by the Great Emperor, as for whether you believe me or not, it’s up to you. Yes, besides this thing, there are some secrets the Great Emperor told me that may serve as evidence to support my claim.”
“Please continue, Sect Master Yang!” Yang Xiu Zhu no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai, even adopting a respectful tone and expression.
“The Great Emperor explained to me that the Flowing Flame Sand Field is nothing more than one of her Emperor Artifacts, the Three Blazing Flame Rings! I’m sure many of you elders have been to the Flowing Flame Sand Field before and know about its details. The three flame rings combined make up a single Emperor Artifact. As for the first Flame Area disappearing some time ago, it was all because the Great Emperor collected it.”
The jaws of everyone in the room dropped.
When had they heard such sensational secrets?
Even Ye Xi Yun did not know that the Flowing Flame Sand Field was actually made up of a single Emperor Artifact, and her eyes couldn’t help lighting up.
The existence of the Three Blazing Flame Rings was mentioned in Star Emperor Mountain’s ancient records and was rumoured to have been the artifact the Great Emperor most relied upon.
With the Great Emperor’s unfathomable abilities, it was not unimaginable that she could transform her artifact into one of Shadowed Star’s Forbidden Zones.
“Sect Master Yang means to say… the disappearance of the first layer Flame Area was because the Great Emperor personally collected that ring flame?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked with a trembling voice.
“En, this Sect Master witnessed it with his own eyes.” Yang Kai nodded.
Gasps sounded throughout the hall.
Everyone present fully understood just how terrifying that Flame Area was. When the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, anyone who so much as stepped into the Flame Area would die, even if they were a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master.
When the first layer Flame Area disappeared, all of Shadowed Star went into an uproar as no one could understand why the outermost layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field would simply vanish. Almost coincidentally, High Heaven Sect became that region’s master a short time after.
Now, the people here had learned the truth of the matter from Yang Kai.
Despite how sensational this story was, it was difficult not to believe this story!
Even taking the entire Star Field into consideration, who else would have such immeasurable ability besides the Great Emperor?
At this moment, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were about eighty percent convinced Yang Kai was telling the truth, the remaining twenty percent simply being a measure of natural cautious scepticism.
“Dare I ask… the relationship between Sect Master Yang and the Great Emperor…” Lin Yu Rao asked cautiously.
“Would you believe me if I told you she was a close female friend?” Yang Kai laughed.”
“Haha…” Yang Xiu Zhu’s face twitched as he let out a hollow laugh.
Observing the room, Yang Kai knew that he had done enough to prove his point, continuing to bring out more would only cause everyone to lose their minds, so after keeping the Star Emperor Token, he slowly said, “Seniors, I believe I’ve proven myself. It’s time for the three Seniors to make a choice.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others glanced at each other for a moment before silently reaching a consensus, cupping their fists as they bowed politely, “Subordinates greet Sect Master!”
Yang Kai had indeed proven himself. Whether it was the Star Emperor Token that retained the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability or the secrets about the Three Blazing Flame Rings and the Flowing Flame Sand Field, none could be obtained by an ordinary person. Aside from the Great Emperor herself, who else could understand so many shocking facts?
There was much here that even Ye Xi Yun didn’t know!
Moreover, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others had great faith in Ye Xi Yun’s character and knew that she would not deceive them, so when she vouched for this matter, they had already more than half believed. All the other motions they went through just now were for the sake of prudence as this matter was of great importance.
Now that they knew that the Great Emperor resided in High Heaven Sect, how could they refuse to join?
Being a part of the Sect that the Great Emperor oversaw and living in the same world was the greatest of honours. They could wish for nothing more!
“Good!” Yang Kai laughed happily, waving his hand sharply as he called out, “Who has some good wine? Bring out a few bottles, this Sect Master wants to share a toast with these three Seniors!”
Yang Xiu Zhu showed a slightly awkward look on his face before waving his hand slightly, “I’m afraid we will have to refuse Sect Master’s kindness as none of us are good with wine. Moreover, this matter is far from settled, so we might as well wait before drinking freely.”
“Sect Master, all three of them are constantly in secluded cultivation so they really are bad at this,” Ye Xi Yun added.
Yang Kai simply nodded in understanding, saying freely, “Since that’s the case, then never mind. Junior deeply admires how three Seniors are not only indifferent to fame and fortune, but also to the temptations of appetite!”
“Sect Master is too polite,” Yang Xiu Zhu smiled modestly.
“This Junior is still confused about something though, so I would like to ask the three of you about it,” Yang Kai’s expression turned serious.
“Please ask, Sect Master. If the three of us know anything, we won’t conceal it,” Yang Xiu Zhu gestured with his hand.
“I want to know why Star Emperor Mountain suddenly decided to act against me, is it really just because of this Starship?” Yang Kai squinted at them, “Since the three of you live on Star Emperor Mountain, surely you must have heard some rumours regarding this issue. If you can dispel this Junior’s doubts, Junior will be very grateful!”
If it was just Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect that attacked him, Yang Kai could still understand; after all, whether it was the previous battle on Dragon Cave Mountain or the events related to the Emperor Garden’s opening, High Heaven Sect and these two Sects had some grievances.
Moreover, the rapid rise of High Heaven Sect was a threat to their status.
If they had chosen to attack him, they would have had some reasons, but why was Star Emperor Mountain the one to initiate hostilities? There was no intersection between himself and Star Emperor Mountain. Yang Kai had thought it over many times and all he could think of was the saying ‘an ordinary man is innocent but treasures make one guilty’.
“Sect Master’s speculations are mostly correct, the root of this conflict is indeed this Starship. This Origin King Grade Starship symbolizes hope, there is no great force that does not wish to possess it, and Star Emperor Mountain is no exception!” Saying so, Yang Xiu Zhu glanced over at Ye Xi Yun and continued, “If Sect Master Ye was still in power, however, I doubt this unfortunate series of events would have happened, but that usurper is different. However,…”
“However?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“This Starship is only one of the reasons!”
“There’s another?”
“According to what this old master has overheard, the other reasons Sect Master Yang was attacked was due to the Great Emperor’s legacy within the ancestral land,” Yang Xiu Zhu said solemnly.
“The Great Emperor’s legacy within the ancestral land?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Indeed. The Supreme Profound Sect’s ruin that is currently occupied by High Heaven Sect is the place where the Great Emperor stayed in the past. As Sect Master said before, perhaps there are other mysteries which remain hidden there! That usurper who holds the position of Sect Master wants to unearth these mysteries, but he had no way to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field; however, since High Heaven Sect can enter it, then you must know a way. That is why that usurper started this plot!”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai showed a look of understanding.
It seemed that these random words he had said only to win them over were the right prescription for the problem. Yang Xiu Zhu and the others agreeing so readily was likely because they also thought that there were hidden mysteries in High Heaven Sect just waiting to be discovered.
Unfortunately,…
There certainly were mysteries to be found, but they were likely located where the Great Emperor currently slept, so besides Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun, no one else could even approach them.
Whether it was the Starship or these hidden mysteries, in the final analysis, it was all because of the desire to reach the Origin King Realm!
The suppression and restraint of the World Principles here only fueled the desire of those who had reached the apex of Shadowed Star to ascend further along the Martial Dao. This Starship and those ethereal mysteries provided hope of doing just that, so Star Emperor Mountain would certainly covet them.
“Now that these old masters are helping Sect Master in this matter though, that usurper won’t be able to cause any stir. However, Sect Master must still be wary of the Annihilation Thunder Bead. Sect Master also cannot count on our traditionalist faction in Star Emperor Mountain in regards to the Bead, as none of us are allowed anywhere near the Annihilation Thunder Bead. If we could simply seize it, Sect Master would not have anything else to worry about,” Yang Xiu Zhu looked ashamed.
“Senior’s consideration is more than enough. It’s just a simple artifact, this Sect Master has my own countermeasures,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Alright,” Yang Xiu Zhu gently nodded before suddenly thinking of something and saying, “Right, there is one more thing Sect Master should keep in mind.”
“Please do tell, Senior!”
“That usurper seems to have been cultivating a certain Secret Technique for several dozen years now. Unfortunately, Subordinate does not know any details about this Secret Technique, but for that usurper to spend so much time on it, it definitely cannot be trivial. If Sect Master encounters that man, you must make self-preservation his top priority,” Yang Xiu Zhu solemnly urged.
“I’ll remember,” Yang Kai agreed solemnly.
“En, if everything here is settled, the three of us will take our leave. We will head back to the Sect first to prepare for Sect Master’s arrival. I hope Sect Master can wait here for news from us; it won’t be too late to act afterwards.”
“Sounds good, I’ll entrust this task to you!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others returned the courtesy before hurriedly departing.
Inside the hall, Yang Kai smiled quite happily, secretly thinking that with Yang Xiu Zhu and the others assisting from the inside, this trip to Star Emperor Mountain would likely be much smoother than he anticipated. While success seemed to be within his grasp though, Yang Kai didn’t dare relax as he could not tell what other cards Star Emperor Mountain was hiding!
“Sect Master, this Queen will also retire for now,” Ye Xi Yun said goodbye and left.
Only Yang Kai, Qian Tong, and Fei Zhi Tu remained inside the hall.
Elder Qian and City Lord Fei stared at Yang Kai in a daze with cramped expressions upon their faces.
“What do you two want to say?” Yang Kai glanced at them.
“Ahem…” Qian Tong gave a light cough and asked earnestly, “Yang Kai, just now, you said that the Great Emperor… is in High Heaven Sect, is this news true or false?”
Qian Tong still couldn’t believe this earth-shattering news.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Yang Kai, it was just that this news was really too shocking.
“What does Elder Qian think?” Yang Kai didn’t answer the question directly, putting on a mysterious act.
“How should I know? I’m asking you!” Qian Tong grumbled.
“Hahaha,” Yang Kai laughed.
Fei Zhi Tu chimed in at that moment, “If what you say is true, then this old master wants to join High Heaven Sect.”
“Old Fei, you…” Qian Tong looked at him in amazement.
“Me what? In any case, this old master is just idling away as a lowly City Lord. Shadow Moon Hall won’t be affected whether I am there or not. If I can enter the Sect of the Great Emperor, that would be the greatest of honours!” Fei Zhi Tu snorted.
“Please don’t mention this again, City Lord Fei. Otherwise, this Junior is afraid the old Hall Master will want to go all out with me when he finds out!” Yang Kai waved his hand quickly.
Seeing Qian Tong also put on a look of contemplation, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling startled.
Yang Kai wanted to win over Yang Xiu Zhu and the others from Star Emperor Mountain, but he had no intention to snatch people away from Shadow Moon Hall as well.
Not only did High Heaven Sect have only a few disciples, but its high-end combat power was lacking even more!
There were only a few Origin Returning Realm masters in the Sect, most of whom were in the First-Order. Even Yang Kai was in this realm.
Only Ye Xi Yun could act as a true support for the Sect!
However, if Yang Kai could rope in all the members of Star Emperor Mountain, the situation would be very different; High Heaven Sect would become the top force on Shadowed Star in a single bound!
Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union were now gone, so only Star Emperor Mountain stood above High Heaven Sect. As such, after solving Star Emperor Mountain, High Heaven Sect would naturally become Shadowed Star’s leading force.
This would be of great benefit to future development.
This was also why Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to bring out that Star Emperor Token and expose the existence of the Great Emperor.
He was very enthusiastic about Yang Xiu Zhu and the others. These people were all aloof from the world and free of material desires, possessing pure intentions while lacking an interest in intrigue. Once they joined High Heaven Sect, they could immediately become the hope and support of the entire Sect.
…..
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others worked extremely quickly.
After just two days, Ye Xi Yun received a message from them. Receiving this news, Yang Kai immediately ordered the Starship to proceed to Star Emperor Mountain.
Star Emperor Mountain was situated amidst a grand mountain range that was both majestic and beautiful. These mountains were rich in World Energy and cloaked in mist all year round. Looking from a distance, it seemed like a paradise that was somehow separate from this world.
The survivors of Supreme Profound Sect choosing to establish their new headquarters here certainly had excellent vision.
Members of Star Emperor Mountain rarely left this mountain range and even interfered with worldly affairs even less, instead choosing to remain in isolated self-development. However, no one dared to underestimate this Sect.
Amongst the general populace, perhaps not many even knew of Star Emperor Mountain’s existence, instead more familiar with Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Coloured Glass Sect, Shadow Moon Hall and other first-class great forces.
However, all first-class forces revered Star Emperor Mountain as supreme!
For ten thousand years, Star Emperor Mountain had been the strongest force on Shadowed Star, with no outsiders ever daring to step within ten thousand kilometres of its territory.
But today, High Heaven Sect’s Starship flew in openly, without any hesitation, and proceeded towards its central domain.
At the same time, a crowd of cultivators that represented almost eighty percent of Star Emperor Mountain’s population had gathered atop Star Emperor Mountain’s main square.
Besides some who were in secluded retreat or others who were at critical points in their cultivation, every cultivator had assembled here.
There still weren’t many though, a mere two hundred or so in total.
However, if one looked closely, this gathering of two hundred people was still quite shocking.
Of these two hundred, more than one hundred and fifty were Origin Realm masters, with a full forty of them having reached the Third-Order! As for those below the Origin Realm, there were only a trivial few dozen.
No other great force would have such a lopsided disparity in population and strength. Although lower-level cultivators didn’t possess as much power, they were the hope of every Sect’s future, so whether it was Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Shadow Moon Hall, Coloured Glass Sect or any other big Sect, they would always have a massive number of low-level cultivators with a proportionally smaller number of high-level masters.
Star Emperor Mountain’s situation, however, was the exact opposite.
The reason for this was because of the strict requirements to join Star Emperor Mountain.
The threshold to worship Star Emperor Mountain as one’s Sect was so high it was nigh impossible to meet. One needed to have superb aptitude as well as be incredibly young. Most people brought to Star Emperor Mountain from the outside were less than ten years old. This age was the best for indoctrination, which was why through the generations Star Emperor Mountain’s reverence for the Great Emperor had not faded.
Because each new disciple would be instilled with this concept by the older generation as they grew from infancy to maturity.
However, once one joined Star Emperor Mountain, they would be able to enjoy the best cultivation environment and the most abundant cultivation resources on Shadowed Star.
Star Emperor Mountain would use all of its resources to pave the way for its disciple’s cultivation.
In exchange, one needed to break through to the Origin Returning Realm before they turned forty years old!
If one was unable to achieve this, their cultivation would be abolished and they would be expelled from Star Emperor Mountain.
These rules were strict and cruel, but the results they produced were remarkable.
By adhering to this doctrine, the cultivators of Star Emperor Mountain cultivated extremely quickly, allowing Origin Returning Realm masters to appear one after another.
Rising stars like Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, Wei Gu Chang, and other leaders of the younger generation on Shadowed Star all broke through around this age, as did Yang Kai.
However, as a cultivator’s strength advanced, they would age slower, allowing them to retain their youthful appearances.
Yang Kai was thirteen years old when he entered High Heaven Pavilion, and now looking back, it had been about twenty or thirty years since then.
Yet, he was now just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!
It was not an exaggeration to say that any randomly chosen cultivator from Star Emperor Mountain was comparable to Qu Chang Feng or Fang Tian Zhong.
Additionally, because Star Emperor Mountain had endured since ancient times, it possessed countless Secret Arts and Secret Techniques of the highest quality, allowing its cultivators to display combat prowess greater than outsiders in their own realm.
Once a Star Emperor Mountain disciple successfully broke through to the Origin Returning Realm before the age of forty, they would be able to descend from the mountain for life experience and to temper themselves; of course, this was done incognito.
The reason why the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed overnight by Star Emperor Mountain two thousand years ago was because one such wandering disciple had been murdered by them.
For various reasons, the number of mid and high-level cultivators in Star Emperor Mountain was unusually large compared to the lower level disciples.
Among these lower-level disciples, their cultivations were uneven, but each one was quite young and immature. The youngest one, who was just recruited into Star Emperor Mountain a year ago, was only eleven years old, but already had a Separation and Reunion Boundary cultivation, one step away from entering the True Element Boundary.
This was unimaginable in any other Sect. Perhaps Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect could cultivate such a disciple, but such cases were rare, while in Star Emperor Mountain, it was the norm.
At that age, Yang Kai had yet to even read up on the Martial Dao…
Today, two hundred members of Star Emperor Mountain gathered in the main square, but despite the crowd, there was no sound. All of them seemingly waited quietly for something with solemn expressions.
This crowd was naturally headed by Yang Xiu Zhu, Lin Yu Rao, and Chu Han Yi.
While waiting, the three met eyes and passed Divine Sense Messages between themselves frequently, as if deep in discussion.
After a long time, someone in the crowd could not help asking, “Brother Yang, didn’t you say that Sect Master had something important to announce? Why have we been waiting here for so long, yet not seen any trace of Sect Master? This old master needs to go back and enter seclusion to finish cultivating his Shocking Wave Burst technique, this matter cannot be delayed!”
“Yes, Brother Yang, you said that Sect Master has something important to tell us all, which is why this old woman left her cave mansion. This old woman’s White Dragon Pill is in the final stages of refinement. If something were to happen to it, are you able to compensate this old woman for her losses?” Another old woman yelled impatiently.
As soon as these two spoke up, everyone else began shouting as well.
Most of these people were in retreat in their secluded homes all year round, cultivating Secret Arts or Secret Technique, or practising Artifact Refining or Alchemy. Usually, they refused to go out, so it was quite rare to see so many of them gathered together at once.
Two days ago, Yang Xiu Zhu, Lin Yu Rao, and Chu Han Yi had sent out a joint message saying that the Sect Master was calling for an assembly to discuss an important matter.
Although the three of them weren’t in the current leadership’s favour, their reputations from the past were still apparent, so when all three of them sent out such a message, naturally not many dared to ignore them and arrived one after another.
After waiting for a long time though with the Sect Master nowhere to be seen, it was only natural that complaints would arise.
“Everyone please remain calm and wait a moment longer!” Yang Xiu Zhu shouted, raising his eyes towards the horizon but unfortunately not seeing what he was looking for still.
“Until when do you expect us to wait?” An old woman said with a disgruntled look, coldly snorting as she slammed her cane against the ground, “Let me state this clearly, this old woman will give you face and wait one stick of incense worth of time more. After that, if the Sect Master does not show up, this old woman will leave. Don’t blame this old woman for not telling you in advance.”
“Indeed!” Someone echoed, a slight look of suspicion appearing on his face a moment later, “Brother Yang, since when did your relationship with Sect Master improve so much? Why did he choose you to convey his instructions? Isn’t this kind of announcement normally Elder’s Bai responsibility?”
He vaguely remembered that Yang Xiu Zhu and the Sect Master did not see eye to eye.
“Yang Xiu Zhu, your courage isn’t small!” An angry shout suddenly came from the distance. Along with this shout, a red light shot over and soon landed in front of the crowd, dispersing to reveal three figures.
“Bai Xi!” Yang Xiu Zhu narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the leader of this group, a faint trace of fear flashing across his eyes.
This grey-haired old man wore brown robes and had a stoic look of indifference on his face while the powerful Shi and Saint Qi fluctuations which pulsed around his body demonstrated that he was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master.
If Yang Kai was here, he would definitely recognize this person.
This old man was the one who had attacked him with the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Fallen Emperor Mountain that day.
“Elder Bai!” Seeing this old man appear, many people in the crowd bowed and saluted.
Bai Xi held the position of Great Elder in Star Emperor Mountain, and although many people here had the same cultivation as him, it was natural to give him some respect due to his position. Additionally, Bai Xi was a crony of the Sect Master, so others had to take the initiative to salute him.
However, seeing Bai Xi’s raging appearance, everyone was puzzled and wondered why he was so angry.
“Yang Xiu Zhu, after not seeing you for just a few months, you’ve gotten much bolder, even daring to fabricate a command from the Sect Master! Tell me, what are you plotting here?” Bai Xi glared fiercely as he shouted at Yang Xiu Zhu.
“What? Faking the Sect Master’s command?” An exclamation came from the crowd and in an instant, countless stunned and suspicious eyes stared towards Yang Xiu Zhu and the others.
Such a matter had never happened before on Star Emperor Mountain. With Star Emperor Mountain having so few members, everyone was as close as blood brothers and sisters, so while they quarrelled, there were rarely any true fights among them.
Why had Yang Xiu Zhu been willing to risk universal condemnation by falsifying a command from the Sect Master?
What did he hope to achieve by doing this?
Bai Xi was a close confidant of the Sect Master, so since he said the order was false, it definitely was.
“You believe this old master faked a command from the Sect Master?” Yang Xiu Zhu stared back angrily at Bai Xi and sneered, “This old master is not so bold as to ignore the ancestor’s decrees. All of Star Emperor Mountain reveres the Sect Master as our leader, this old master is well aware of this credence as well as the punishment which awaits all those who violate it!”
“Good!” Bai Xi also sneered, “This Bai met with Sect Master less than a cup of tea ago and rushed here straight afterwards. If Sect Master had issued any instructions to assemble, how could this Bai not know about them?”
“Because you don’t need to know!” Before Yang Xiu Zhu could answer, a tender yet resolute voice echoed through the air.
Immediately after, in a flash, the figure of a beautiful woman wearing noble and elegant robes strangely appeared and stood proudly mid-air, her pair of phoenix eyes gazing down like icy blades.
Bai Xi turned back abruptly, and when he saw this figure, he was so shocked he could not help calling out hoarsely, “Sect Master Ye!”
“Senior Sister Ye!”
“It’s Senior Sister Ye! Impossible, didn’t Senior Sister Ye already perish? Is this old master getting on in years and seeing things?”
“Is that you, Senior Sister Ye? It’s you isn’t it?” The old woman who had been arguing with Yang Xiu Zhu just now suddenly shot forward, her body trembling as she stared at Ye Xi Yun with a look of surprise and confusion.
Ye Xi Yun turned to this old woman and smiled, “I haven’t seen you in a hundred years, Junior Sister Lan’s heart seems to have matured much!”
Xu Xin Lan was shocked, and tears soon filled her eyes, but she still let out a burst of happy laughter, “Senior Sister Ye’s elegant demeanour has only grown stronger. Junior Sister did not expect that she would be fortunate enough to see Senior Sister once more in this lifetime!”
“Many thanks for Junior Sister’s concerns. Because of the machinations of certain individuals, I’ve had been forced to live in seclusion for the past hundred years.” Ye Xi Yun said softly.
“Someone dared plot against Senior Sister? Who dares!” Xu Xin Lan suddenly roared, her expression becoming cold and vicious. Suddenly thinking of something though, a touch of gloom appeared between her brow as she gloomily asked, “Could it be…”
“En,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded, “This Queen has returned to settle these old accounts and to clean up the Sect.”
“Good!” Xu Xin Lan grit her teeth and shouted, “Junior Sister will join you. Even if Junior Sister dies here, she must gnaw off a piece of that animal’s life!”
As these two spoke, the two hundred cultivators assembled on the main square all had their minds sharply turned.
Although most of these people were in retreat on Star Emperor Mountain all year round, even ignorant of Ye Xi Yun’s appearance in the outside world, participation in the Battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, and subsequent joining of High Heaven Sect, with just these few words, they were clear about what had transpired. They were aloof of worldly affairs, but not stupid, so with just a little thought, they understood the cause and effects of this matter.
Even if they didn’t know all the details, forming an educated guess which closely approximated the truth wasn’t difficult.
Conspiring against the previous Sect Master, driving her away from Star Emperor Mountain, seeking power to usurp the throne, rebelling against the Sect! These were unforgivable crimes on Star Emperor Mountain.
What’s more, among these two hundred people, many were notified by Yang Xiu Zhu in advance and understood that there would be such a big show today. Now that Ye Xi Yun had returned, these people were naturally overjoyed.
All of them had received some degree of favour from Ye Xi Yun in the past.
When Ye Xi Yun was in charge of Star Emperor Mountain, their cultivation environment was much better than it was now, and since Ye Xi Yun disappeared, their treatment had become noticeably worse.
Comparing the two sides, many naturally hoped that Ye Xi Yun would return to power again.
Moreover, such a return was more than justified!
A hundred years ago, Ye Xi Yun was already the strongest master on Shadowed Star. Now that a hundred years had passed, it was likely that her strength was even greater, so who else was more qualified to assume the position of Sect Master?
Even Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak Third-Order Origin Realm masters were inferior to Ye Xi Yun in terms of age and strength.
Atop the main square, Ye Xi Yun stood proudly mid-air with more than two hundred Star Emperor Mountain cultivators all looking up at her.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others glanced at each other, and feeling that the time was right, they quickly half-kneeled on the ground and shouted in a loud voice, “Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the mountain!”
“Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the mountain!” The others Yang Xiu Zhu had contacted in advance also followed up, half-kneeling and echoing loudly in unison.
Those who were not informed all witnessed this and, realizing the flow of events, also offered similar greetings.
A large part of these people had no opinion either way as to who should be the Sect Master, not preferring Ye Xi Yun or the current Sect Master. They belonged to the faction which simply wished to not get involved in any trouble, so seeing the trend of events flowing in a particular direction, they simply followed along.
The trio lead by Bai Xi who arrived earlier were now panicking, their faces going from red to blue, looking extremely disturbed and anxious.
“Bai Xi!” Yang Xiu Zhu yelled, “The Sect Master stands before you, why haven’t you kneeled!”
“She is no longer the Sect Master, that position is occupied by another now. Why must this old master bow to her?” Bai Xi coldly snorted. He was a sharp old fox and knew that the situation was hopeless, but what he hadn’t expected was that even after a hundred years of painstaking management, the current Sect Master still hadn’t been able to accumulate enough prestige. On the contrary, Ye Xi Yun only had to re-appear after a hundred years and the current Sect Master’s foundation collapsed to pieces.
The current Sect Master’s status looked quite ridiculous at this moment.
On the one hand, it was only natural for Ye Xi Yun to be held in such high regard considering her noble and fair character. On the other hand, it was also natural for the current Sect Master, who used a plot to usurp his position, violating millennia of traditions passed from by their ancestors, to be despised!
Regardless of righteousness or tradition, the current Sect Master simply couldn’t measure up to Ye Xi Yun.
Bai Xi was certain that even if he surrendered now, it would not help him one bit. After Ye Xi Yun took care of the current Sect Master, the next to be killed would likely be him.
That was why he refused to give in!
“Impudence!” Yang Xiu Zhu slowly got up, his eyes flashing a cold light as he glared at Bai Xi, clear murderous intent pulsing from his body.
Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi also moved at this moment, using profound movement skills to suddenly appear on the left and right sides of Bai Xi, cutting off all avenues of escape.
“Bai Xi, the ancestral precepts state that no Star Emperor Mountain disciple can kill another, but out of respect for our many years of brotherhood, I will give you one chance to cripple your cultivation and commit suicide!” Yang Xiu Zhu declared to Bai Xi indifferently.
“You want this Bai to waste his cultivation?” Bai Xi laughed, “Yang Xiu Zhu, are you perhaps sleep talking? Since the ancestors declared that we cannot kill one another, I’d like to see how you force this Bai to submit!”
He unexpectedly wore a confident and complacent look.
Yang Xiu Zhu frowned, his expression turning frigid.
A few days ago, one of the main caveats they had made when agreeing to help Yang Kai was that none of them would participate in the fighting or contaminate themselves with the blood of their brothers and sisters. The reason for this was precisely because of the restraints of their ancestral traditions. Now though it looked like Bai Xi was going to shamelessly take advantage of this point, making Yang Xiu Zhu feel somewhat awkward.
“Star Emperor Mountain disciples really can’t kill one another, but this Queen is now High Heaven Sect’s Great Elder, so there’s no problem if I take care of you,” Ye Xi Yun snorted coldly before lifting her jade hand, then lightly pressing her palm downwards, as if she was just gently brushing the air.
However, Bai Xi instantly went into a panic as his eyes bulged and his Saint Qi madly burst together with his Shi as he lifted both his hands towards the sky.
*Kacha…*
A silent explosion occurred deep in the depths of Bai Xi’s soul and, as if struck by lightning, his body trembled and staggered backwards. Opening his mouth, Bai Xi coughed up a bloody mist before he stared up towards Ye Xi Yun incredulously and shouted, “Your Shi has reached the grand accomplishment stage!?”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s eyes bulged as they stared towards Ye Xi Yun in shock.
Only when a cultivator broke through to the Origin Returning Realm would they be able to comprehend Shi, and only when one’s Shi reached the grand accomplishment stage would they be eligible to break through to the Origin King Realm.
This was a necessary condition, otherwise, no matter how much one cultivated as an Origin Returning Realm master, it would be impossible to touch the threshold of the Origin King Realm.
Origin Realm masters on Shadowed Star were as numerous as the hairs on an ox; the main square here actually had more than one hundred and fifty cultivators of this level gathered, but none of them had managed to cultivate their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, even Yang Xiu Zhu and the others all felt that they had yet to completely master their Shi.
This was a realm they simply could not reach.
But now, they had witnessed a true grand accomplishment stage Shi!
When Ye Xi Yun struck, it had been silent and invisible, but the fluctuations of her Shi were still obvious. Everyone had clearly felt the power which directly destroyed Bai Xi’s defences and seriously wounded him!
As Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, the gap between Ye Xi Yun and Bai Xi was clear.
However, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others present somehow felt that Ye Xi Yun’s Shi seemed to be somewhat qualitatively different from their own.
“Fool, do you think this Queen was using Shi?” Ye Xi Yun snorted softly. After that strike, she had not bothered following up immediately, instead just looking down below coldly with a mocking expression.
“That was not Shi… then…” Bai Xi’s mind turned sharply, and soon his face lost all coloured as he pointed towards Ye Xi Yun in terror, “Could it be that you…”
“Domain!” Yang Xiu Zhu let out a gasp, his eyes suddenly bursting with shock as his body trembled with excitement.
He immediately understood why he felt that Ye Xi Yun’s Shi was a little different from his own.
He recalled some secrets recorded in the Sect’s ancient books at that moment.
It was rumoured that when one cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, they would gain some comprehension of the mysteries of a Domain. This was a power that only Origin Kings could master and was many times more powerful than Shi.
Domain!
This was a height that Shadowed Star’s cultivators could never reach.
Could it be said that their Sect Master had reached this state? However, looking again, Ye Xi Yun was clearly still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so there could only be one explanation.
That is, Ye Xi Yun’s cultivation had reached the absolute limit of the Origin Realm and she now had the qualifications to break through to the Origin King Realm, but because of the suppression of Shadowed Star’s World Principles, she has been unable to break through.
[A harrowing reality!] Yang Xiu Zhu sighed.
Although they lived in an isolated place like Shadowed Star, Yang Xiu Zhu knew that even considering the entire Star Field, there were very few Origin King Realm masters, and each one was an extremely prestigious existence. Their Sect Master had the talent and aptitude to reach this level, but she was simply born in the wrong place. Shadowed Star had become a cage that prevented her from truly spreading her wings and soaring!
“Former Sect Master deserves her reputation as a genius only seen once in ten thousand years, this Bai is truly impressed!” Bai Xi clasped his, clenched his teeth and shouted fiercely, “But so what? Although this Bai’s strength is truly inferior to yours, if you wish to kill me, you must be willing to pay the price!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Bai Xi flicked his wrist and summoned a longan sized bead into his hand.
Emperor Pressure immediately filled the air!
Everyone present paled.
“Annihilation Thunder Bead!” Ye Xi Yun narrowed her eyes, “Is this what you’re relying on?”
“So what if it is?” Bai Xi laughed, “This Bai knows what former Sect Master is capable of, but can you block this Emperor Artifact? If This Bai must die here today, he will at least be able to bury you along with him! Now, why don’t we all sit down and have a good talk to come up with a way to resolve this conflict?”
“I refuse!”
An indifferent voice suddenly rang out from a short distance away.
This voice was strange and barely anyone on the scene had heard it before. Turning to look at the source of the sound, everyone saw a young man with a heroic look and a sardonic smile on his face walking over towards them unhurriedly.
“Yang Kai!” Bai Xi narrowed his eyes and shouted.
Many cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain wore strange expressions.
Who Yang Kai was, most of them had no clue; after all, they had not even heard the news of Ye Xi Yun resurfacing, so it was only natural for them to not know about Yang Kai’s existence.
Seeing that this young man was only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, yet he had dared to rashly intrude upon Star Emperor Mountain, many felt quite puzzled.
However, even in this tense moment, these people did not become confused and simply assumed that this Yang Kai boy must have followed Ye Xi Yun here. Not saying anything, they all just observed Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he did not show any fear towards the Emperor Artifact.
One had to know that this was an artifact that even Ye Xi Yun could not possibly resist head-on.
“Taking that thing out just to scare people again,” Yang Kai curled his lips with a look of disdain, “Old dog, if you’re ready to die, then go ahead and use that Thunder Bead, you will certainly be able to kill me or Great Elder, so you won’t suffer a loss, but… are you prepared?”
Bai Xi’s face sank as he glared towards Yang Kai savagely and shouted, “Little brat, don’t go too far!”
“Am I the one that is going too far?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully as he quipped, “Old dog, are you really so ignorant of your situation? This Sect Master is standing right in front of you, so all you have to do is use the power of that Thunder Bead. If I can’t avoid it, I will die, but you will die too. If I can avoid it though, I’ll live but you’ll still die. So what choice will you make?”
Bai Xi’s face went from blue to white as he gripped the Emperor Artifact in his hand, not daring to take any rash actions.
No matter what he chose to do, he would definitely die a miserable death, causing him to hesitate.
“Of course, there is a third option,” Yang Kai grinned extremely brightly.
“And what’s that?” Bai Xi became curious.
“Hand over the Emperor Artifact to me, and I’ll spare your life!”
“In your dreams!” Bai Xi exclaimed.
On Shadowed Star, Origin King Grade artifacts were few and far between, each one a hallowed treasure of a powerful Sect, not to mention Emperor Artifacts. After experiencing the power of an Emperor Artifact, how could Bai Xi be willing to just surrender it?
What’s more, he wouldn’t believe Yang Kai’s rhetoric. Likely, the moment he handed over the Emperor Artifact, he would become a fresh corpse.
“In that case, don’t blame this Sect Master for being ruthless!” Yang Kai declared impatiently before shouting, “Come out!”
With this shout, the clouds up above suddenly began to churn and a moment later, a one-hundred-meter-long, pitch-black Starship strangely appeared.
It was as if the Starship had always been there, yet no one had noticed it.
A great uproar spread among the numerous cultivators gathered below, all of them revealing looks of shock and disbelief.
There were many cultivators here, most of whom were Origin Returning Realm masters, yet no one had noticed this Starship hiding so close by, an astonishing revelation. If it had not taken the initiative to show itself, it was likely everyone present would have remained ignorant.
Moreover, this Starship seemed quite unusual, far more powerful than any Starship they had seen before, almost as if… it was an Origin King Grade Starship!
The sight of it made the audience dumbfounded!
As soon as the Origin King Grade Starship appeared, everyone was dumbfounded.
Almost without any pause, a shocking energy fluctuation appeared as the ship’s Crystal Cannons began charging and aimed directly towards Bai Xi.
“Yang Kai, you dare!” Bai Xi paled in shock, never expecting Yang Kai to be so decisive and ruthless.
Without even trying to discuss things with him, Yang Kai went straight for the kill, not leaving him any room to manoeuvre.
Did this boy really not fear perishing together with him?
“Kill him!” Yang Kai coldly shouted.
Bai Xi’s expression became flustered as he saw the Crystal Cannons aimed at him and the energy fluctuations growing stronger by the moment. When a white beam of light faintly formed and ready to fire, Bai Xi could no longer restrain himself and roared, “Little brat, you forced me to do this! Even if this old master dies here, you won’t feel any better!”
Saying so, he madly poured his Saint Qi into the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
The Emperor Pressure radiating from the bead swelled, causing everyone present to tremble.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn, as did Ye Xi Yun’s, the two of them staring directly at the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Bai Xi’s hand.
One after another, rice-grain sized runes emerged from the Annihilation Thunder Bead and as Bai Xi’s Saint Qi continued to flood into it, a small lightning arc suddenly appeared from its surface.
Although this arc was small and inconspicuous, it pulsed with an unfathomable power that seemed capable of extinguishing the soul of anyone it touched.
In the next instant, Bai Xi tossed the Annihilation Thunder Bead upwards, where it then split into two, then four, then eight…
In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with Annihilation Thunder Bead with lightning arcs flickering around each of them, like tiny lightning snakes.
Then, these arcs lased out in unison, shooting towards the Origin King Grade Starship.
Yang Kai could tear space, and Ye Xi Yun had extraordinary strength and experience, so Bai Xi wasn’t confident he could kill either of them with this blow, thus he decided to aim at the Origin King Grade Starship!
If he could destroy this Starship, then his goal would have been achieved. At that time, Yang Kai would likely shed tears of blood!
After using the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Bai Xi’s aura became extremely weak.
Although this Emperor Artifact had unmatched power, a trivial Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator needed to pay an enormous price to use it. Consuming almost all of his Saint Qi at once was the price Bai Xi needed to pay.
Although he knew he was bound to die, he was still laughing wildly at this moment.
Bai Xi’s cackling came to an abrupt halt though when he noticed both Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun directing looks filled with pity at him, neither of them seeming the slightest bit concerned about the Origin King Grade Starship.
[What’s going on?] Bai Xi heart clenched, suddenly realizing something was wrong, glancing up towards the Origin King Grade Starship instinctively.
Lightning arcs filled the sky, each one containing extraordinary destructive power as they crashed towards the Origin King Grade Starship, completely overwhelming it and shattering it in an instant, causing it to disappear without a trace.
Just as it appeared before, it vanished silently.
As if it had never been there in the first place.
Bai Xi was dumbfounded when he saw this and his face suddenly became extremely pale as he called out hoarsely, “An illusion?”
“Seems you’re not a complete idiot, old man!” Yang Kai laughed.
Accompanied by his laughter, another Origin King Grade Starship appeared mid-air. It was the same as the one from before, but this one was completely undamaged, as if the Annihilation Thunder Bead hadn’t left a scratch on it.
Bai Xi’s face filled with shame. At this moment, how could he not understand that he had been fooled by his opponent’s plot?
The attack he had placed all his hopes on had not hit anything, it was only an illusory Starship, which explained why it was destroyed so easily!
Being pressured by Ye Xi Yun and facing Yang Kai’s aggressiveness, Bai Xi’s judgement had become clouded and he was unable to distinguish between reality and an illusion.
But how did they create that illusionary Starship? And such a realistic one at that, capable of even deceiving his Divine Sense. It was simply incredible.
“Old dog, it’s time to send you on the road!” Yang Kai declared coldly as a Golden Blood Thread appeared between his fingers and transformed into a sharp golden arrow.
“Let me do it, it is this Queen’s duty to clean up her own Sect,” Ye Xi Yun suddenly called out.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her for a moment before nodding lightly, no longer insisting.
He knew that Ye Xi Yun was doing this for his benefit. Regardless of whether Bai Xi was helping a tyrant do evil or not, he was still a long-standing member of Star Emperor Mountain. If an outsider killed him, it would inevitably create some dissatisfaction.
But if Ye Xi Yun took action it was different.
She was simply cleaning up the Sect, just as she said.
Without any Saint Qi, Bai Xi was like a venomous snake without fangs, unable to even summon ordinary artifacts, so how could he oppose Ye Xi Yun?
Moments later, Bai Xi died by Ye Xi Yun’s hand.
“Are you two going to cripple your cultivations or do you want this Queen to deal with you personally?” Ye Xi Yun coldly glared towards the two who had arrived with Bai Xi.
The two of them didn’t dare to resist and immediately shouted, “Sect Master, please forgive us! We didn’t know that Sect Master was still alive and were deceived by that usurper. Please show mercy, Sect Master!”
“After reaching this point, do you think this Queen will believe your words?” Ye Xi Yun remained unmoved.
Since the two of them had come here with Bai Xi, they must have been aware of the news from the outside world, proving they had chosen to oppose her, so now they would have to pay the price.
But even though she killed Bai Xi, Ye Xi Yun didn’t want to act ruthlessly if it wasn’t necessary.
“This is the absolute truth, please understand Sect Master!” The two cried out in fear.
“Fine, since you insist on acting stubborn, this Queen will personally send you to reunite with Bai Xi!” Ye Xi Yun declared coldly as her Saint Qi surged up again.
“Wait! We’ll cripple ourselves! We’ll do it!” Seeing that Ye Xi Yun was really going to kill them while refusing to listen to their explanation in the slightest, the two men quickly made a decision.
In any case, it was better to live than to die. Although their fate after crippling their cultivations would surely be miserable, it couldn’t be worse than losing their lives on the spot.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were watching vigilantly from nearby, so these two didn’t dare play any tricks, honestly shattering their dantians and meridians, scattering their Saint Qi, and degenerating into ordinary mortals, forever unable to step onto the Martial Dao again.
“Get out!” Ye Xi Yun commanded coldly.
The two hurriedly helped each other up and scampered away.
After these two left, Ye Xi Yun turned her head to look at the crowd, took a deep breath, and declared firmly, “This Queen knows that some among you may have collaborated with that person in the past, but even so, you have not harmed the honour or foundation of the Sect, so this Queen will not insist on holding you all accountable. Now, this Queen has only returned to this place to clean up the Sect on behalf of the honoured ancestors, so I will only ask all of you to wait here while this Queen deals with that person before we speak any further.”
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s magnanimity! May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Yang Xiu Zhu bowed.
“May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Everyone followed suit. Now was their only chance to prove their allegiance, so how could anyone dare speak otherwise? Even if some people had indeed been won over by and worked for the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain, none of them had fully submitted like Bai Xi.
The law does not punish the public, and Ye Xi Yun did not want to take things too far, so she gave these people a way out. After all, there weren’t many of them, so there was no way they could resist Ye Xi Yun’s momentum.
“Sect Master, let’s go,” Ye Xi Yun looked over at Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded before glancing over at the two hundred gathered cultivators and sighing slightly.
If they were willing to help, this matter wouldn’t be so troublesome. Against so many masters, even if the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain had Heaven-defying strength and abilities, there would be no way for him to resist.
Unfortunately, these people were all Star Emperor Mountain members and were forbidden to kill one another.
This was a law passed down by their ancestors that all of them needed to follow.
Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun drifted away while the Origin King Grade Starship followed behind slowly.
Star Ascendance Peak was the highest summit in Star Emperor Mountain, towering up in the sky where the white clouds lingered, giving it a beautiful and mysterious scenery.
This was where, for generations, the disciples of Star Emperor Mountain would pay homage to the Great Emperor. There was an altar at the top of this peak engraved with the names of each generation’s Sect Master and Elders, atop which sat a Star Emperor Token.
The Divine Ability sealed inside this Star Emperor Token had already been expended.
Now, it was simply a symbol of the Great Emperor!
Every year, on a certain day, everyone in Star Emperor Mountain would gather here to make some offerings.
At this moment, two people stood in the wind on Star Ascendance Peak.
One was a spirited old man that, although appearing old, still had a ruddy complexion and tender skin. The other was a middle-aged man in green robes.
At this moment, the middle-aged man looked anxious while the old man looked relaxed.
Several dozen meters away from the pair was a young man with his head lowered.
If Yang Kai was here, he would definitely recognize two of these three people. The middle-aged man was Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Sect Master Fang Peng. He really came to Star Emperor Mountain to seek refuge.
As for the young man, it was Leng Qing, who was an acquaintance of Yang Kai’s.
In the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, outside the current High Heaven Sect headquarters, the two young men had met once. Both of them had been Saint Kings at the time, but were now Origin Realm cultivators, their respective cultivation speeds only describable as fast.
At this moment, the young man stood there motionless like a fossil, a cold and determined expression adorning his face.
Fang Peng’s anxious voice soon called out, “Brother Tian Che, they seem to have reached Star Emperor Mountain. Don’t we need to do something?”
The old man chuckled, “What does Brother Fang think we should do?”
Fang Peng frowned, “This Fang doesn’t know what Brother Tian Che has planned, but if we don’t act now, I’m afraid that the outcome will be decided before we even begin.”
“Haha, Brother Fang worries too much, the outcome is undecided until it is over. Calm down.”
“This Fang does not understand, please enlighten me, Brother Tian Che.”
“It’s not that Brother Fang is dull, it’s just… Before this King and Senior Sister Ye can determine a winner, nothing else will matter. The decisive factor will be whether she survives or I do, so in the end, this King only needs to fight Senior Sister Ye!”
Fang Peng frowned, thought for a moment, but eventually understood, hesitating briefly before asking “Then what does Brother Tian Che think his odds of winning are?”
The old man simply smiled without saying a word, acting mysteriously.
Seeing his expression, Fang Peng’s eyes brightened as he slowly calmed down. Although he didn’t know what this old man was relying on, it seemed that he was quite certain of his victory.
Star Ascendance Peak was extremely high and had many barriers surrounding it. It was the highest level Restricted Area of Star Emperor Mountain so it was naturally well-protected. If one wanted to arrive here, they could only do so by foot as the powerful Flight Inhibiting Array arranged here was enough to ground any cultivator.
On the trail between the peaks, Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun advanced swiftly and quickly climbed to the top of the peak.
The Origin King Grade Starship parked halfway up the mountain, ready to charge in at any time.
The tens-of-kilometres-long walk was nothing to the two of them, so it only took them about half an hour to reach their destination.
As the winds whipped about, the pair’s robes rustled lightly.
“Great Elder, it seems someone has come to welcome us,” Yang Kai’s eyes instantly focused on the old man and the middle-aged man in front of him, a grin creeping onto his face.
Ye Xi Yun narrowed her phoenix eyes as she stared at the old man with a slightly complicated expression, calling out a low voice, “Qi Tian Che!”
“Senior Sister Ye!” The old man made a light smile which seemed quite refreshing, as if there was no ill will between the two of them at all. “With your temperament, Junior Brother had not expected that there would be a day you would actually return to Star Emperor Mountain.”
“There are a great many things you didn’t expect. Junior Brother Qi, are you prepared?”
“And what is it Junior Brother should be prepared for?” Qi Tian Che maintained his smile.
“Prepared to fall here. I hope you’ve made appropriate funeral arrangements!” Ye Xi Yun coldly snorted.
“Senior Sister does not need to worry, Junior Brother has already made all the necessary arrangements. Today, whether you die or I die, this boy will ensure that a proper burial is held,” Qi Tian Che gestured to the side where the indifferent faced Leng Qing nodded gently.
“In that case, Senior Sister will send Junior Brother on his way,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“Haha, Junior Brother feels that Senior Sister’s chances of losing are greater.”
The two failed to agree upon a single word. The Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair knew a fight was unavoidable so they were simply launching psychological attacks before they began exchanging blows. After the verbal confrontation, the atmosphere suddenly became solemn, as the expressions of both of them turned extremely serious, staring at one another like they were the greatest of enemies.
Suddenly, the two figures flickered, disappearing from where they stood at the exact same moment.
When they reappeared, the two were only separated by a couple dozen or so metres.
An indescribable force surged from both their bodies and enveloped one another.
In an instant, the space around the pair distorted. The invisible forces which filled the air were so condensed they were nearly tangible and observable to the naked eye as they surged and crashed into each other as the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair tried to overwhelm one another.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched while Fang Peng’s jaw went slack. Even Leng Qing who was standing in the distance opened his eyes wide.
All three were shocked.
Clearly, both Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che had cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage and had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
In the first confrontation, the pair were evenly matched!
Whether it was Ye Xi Yun or Qi Tian Che, both showed looks of surprise, the two obviously not having expected that the other party had reached such a level.
But soon, the two of them started to move again. The Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp was summoned by Ye Xi Yun and the Heaven rending flames were gripped with her bare hands as she sent a blast after blast towards Qi Tian Che, occasionally mixing in her own Secret Techniques.
Qi Tian Che naturally didn’t back down, summoning a golden wheel-like artifact above his head, like a small sun. As this wheel rotated, dazzling golden light lased from the artifact, each beam containing might equal to the bone incinerating flames.
Muttering words under his breath as he continued to form complex hands seals, Qi Tian Che launched a fierce assault that matched Ye Xi Yun’s blow for blow.
[Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!] Yang Kai looked at the artifact Qi Tian Che summoned and his eyes lit up.
He could recognize this artifact because Ye Xi Yun had informed him about it beforehand.
This was one of the two Origin King Grade artifacts left on Star Emperor Mountain and was of extremely high grade. It seemed this artifact was refined by the Great Emperor thousands of years ago and could absorb the essence of the sun and the moon, contain it, then release it endlessly when confronting an enemy.
There were two forms to the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel. Currently, it was displaying the first, where it radiated the scorching sun’s divine light.
When it assumed its second form, it would take on the appearance of a crescent moon and the beams it would release were extremely cold, enough to freeze the soul of a person.
In terms of power alone, the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel was actually above the Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp, but as with any artifact, the stronger the power, the more Saint Qi it required to operate.
Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che both stood at the apex of Shadowed Star cultivators, so even if their respective artifacts had a gap in power, a battle between them would not be decided quickly.
As Yang Kai was watching attentively though, he suddenly frowned, stretching out his hand and summoning his Purple Shield to protect himself in the next instant.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, Yang Kai’s body shook slightly and his expression became gloomy.
Glancing over, he saw Fang Peng standing there sneering at him.
“Sect Master Fang, launching a sneak attack at such a time isn’t in good taste, is it? If you want to fight, just say so, this Sect Master will gladly accompany you to your end!” Yang Kai snorted.
“Enough nonsense, Boy, since you dared come to this Star Emperor Mountain, don’t even dream of leaving alive. Today, this will be your burial place!” Fang Peng roared.
Because of Yang Kai, he was forced to abandon Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ten thousand year foundation, and even use that very foundation to set a trap to try to extinguish this boy. Now, since Yang Kai had appeared here unharmed, it was obvious his previous plot had failed, not only destroying his Sect’s headquarters in Thunder Typhoon Canyon but also wasting the lives of his five Martial Seniors.
If Yang Kai did not die here, today, Thunder Typhoon Sect would never be able to rise again.
Only by killing him could Thunder Typhoon Sect make a comeback.
“Your words are bold, Old Dog. If you want my life, you’ll have to come get it yourself, though I doubt you have the ability!” Yang Kai snorted as he stretched out his hand and summoned his Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A loud dragon roar also rang out as Yang Kai summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and transformed it into a giant dark green dragon floating above his head.
*Chi chi chi…*
A series of Space Blades appeared beside Yang Kai and flew towards Fang Peng rapidly under the control of his Divine Sense.
Fang Peng’s complexion changed drastically. Although he had spoken both aggressively and confidently, he was by no means underestimating Yang Kai. After witnessing Yang Kai’s many methods, he naturally didn’t dare to be negligent.
His body flashed brilliantly and a majestic looking Artifact Armour appeared.
Defending before attacking showed that Fang Peng was lacking in confidence.
At the same time, his wrist shook and a long whip suddenly appeared, the aura it pulsed with indicating it was an Origin King Grade artifact.
Thunder Typhoon Sect was one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, so it had a hallowed treasure of this grade. This Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was the most precious artifact Thunder Typhoon Sect possessed and had been part of its core inheritance for thousands of years.
Normally, it was never used, but Fang Peng had taken it away with him when he withdrew from Thunder Typhoon Sect. Now that he was confronting Yang Kai, he summoned it without hesitation.
This long whip was discovered by one of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ancestors in an Ancient Ruin when he was out for life experience. It was said that it was also quite famous in ancient times. Refining it had consumed countless rare materials and there were even the Souls of powerful bird-type Monster Beasts sealed inside it, allowing the whip to transform into the appearance of these monster birds.
Finally, it had been tempered in a Ten Thousand Year Thunder Fire Pool, which allowed it to absorb the power of thunder fire.
Any artifact below Origin King Grade couldn’t withstand its lashing as once it was contaminated by this powerful thunder fire, the spirituality of any lesser artifact would be greatly damaged.
As the long whip lashed, faint sounds of thunder resounded.
At that moment, the Firebird rushed to the top of Fang Peng’s head, opened its beak wide, and shot out a fireball larger than the washbasin towards him.
Holding the Origin King Grade artifact in his hand, Fang Peng was unafraid of this fireball and he simply waved the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip viciously towards the Firebird.
A sad, piercing cry rang out from the Firebird as it failed to evade this blow and its body suddenly dimmed, seemingly suffering some trauma.
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly when he saw this, but he soon calmed down.
He could sense that the Firebird was injured, but that it wasn’t a major problem and had only ignited its anger.
The series of Space Blades reached Fang Peng at this time. Facing this strange, esoteric force, Fang Peng did not dare confront it head-on, his body flickering as he dodged, reappearing an instant later only a dozen or so metres from where Yang Kai stood.
The Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip traced a beautiful and sinister arc as it lashed towards Yang Kai.
Worthy of being a master at the peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and the Sect Master of one of Shadowed Star’s greatest Sects, both Fang Peng’s strength and skill were far above that of an average cultivator. His Saint Qi was especially pure and dense, nearly exceeding the normal bounds of the Third-Order.
The opponent’s attack was timed and aimed perfectly, making it impossible to dodge, so Yang Kai could only resort to using his Purple Shield to defend himself.
However, the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip changed direction mid-air, avoiding the position of Purple Shield as if it had its own intelligence. Fang Peng shook his wrist and the long whip stiffened straight and thrust out like a long spear towards Yang Kai’s heart.
At that moment, the long whip transformed into the figure of a demon bird as it let out a faint cry.
This bird somewhat resembling an eagle with sharp claws and a wingspan of several tens of metres which could obscure the sun’s light.
A Heavenly Peng!
Yang Kai stared at this attack indifferently, as if he was unaware that disaster was approaching him, not even showing any intention to dodge.
A lofty dragon roar resounded from above as the dark green dragon shook its head and waved its tail as it intercepted the Heavenly Peng. In the next moment, the two collided together, dragon roars and bird cries filling the air along with violent energy fluctuations that distorted the surrounding space.
The Heavenly Peng’s manifestation dimmed at visible rate while on the contrary the giant dark green dragon only became more and more ferocious.
“Impossible!” Fang Peng was shocked as he stared at the giant dark-green dragon in a daze, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He knew that the Verdant Bone Sword in Yang Kai’s hand was quite powerful, but he never thought that it was an Origin King Grade artifact!
If it weren’t, there was no way it could clash with the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip for so long. Moreover, the thunder fire of the whip, which could corrode the spirituality of an artifact, did not affect the giant dark green dragon. Instead, it was the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip that seemed to be taking damage.
Yang Kai’s giant dark green dragon was actually an extremely poisonous and corrosive existence!
Fang Peng’s face changed drastically as he desperately urged his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy.
The Heavenly Peng phantom immediately disappeared, transforming back into its long whip form, breaking away from the entanglement of the giant dark-green, dragon-like snake, and returning to Fang Peng’s hand.
Although the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a high-quality artifact, it was still worse than the Dragon Bone Sword.
The Dragon Bone Sword was refined from a piece of True Dragon bone supplemented with a real Dragon Bead that contained a remnant wisp of a True Dragon’s Soul. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the highest-end materials were used in its refinement. Even if the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was also extremely good, it still wasn’t comparable to the Dragon Bone Sword.
What was limiting the Dragon Bone Sword from displaying its full power was actually Yang Kai’s low cultivation.
Additionally, the Dragon Bone Sword could swallow the physical essence of the enemies it slew to enhance itself, meaning it would only become more powerful in the future.
Yang Kai had great expectations for it, so saying it couldn’t even defeat this Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a bad joke.
Even after seeing the artifact he was most relying upon being suppressed, Fang Pang was not discouraged. Although the quality of artifacts was a major factor in a struggle between cultivators, Secret Techniques and cultivation realm were still the most important aspects.
Fang Peng believed that with his cultivation being two Minor Realms higher than Yang Kai’s, and with his many years of experience, even if his artifact was being suppressed, he could still emerge victoriously.
Continuing to swing the long whip back and forth, striking from impossible angles with extreme accuracy, Fang Peng managed to launch an assault that made it impossible for both the Firebird and the giant dark green dragon to get close.
Even Yang Kai’s Space Blades were being torn apart by the long whip.
Suddenly, atop Star Ascendance Peak, two great battles erupted into full swing. These were life or death struggles, making them extraordinarily thrilling.
Only Leng Qing, however, standing at a distance, was able to observe this magnificent scene.
He didn’t watch the battle between Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che though, as that fight was of too high a level for him, making it impossible for him to comprehend anything even if he tried to observe and emulate it.
The confrontation he was paying attention to was the one between Yang Kai and Fang Peng!
As an elite of the younger generation on Star Emperor Mountain, Leng Qing had always been quite proud, not even putting Qu Chang Feng in his eyes back in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
But he didn’t dare to despise Yang Kai.
Ever since he ran into Yang Kai in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Leng Qing had regarded him as an opponent on the same level as himself and had secretly been looking forward to the day when he could fight against him in a death-match!
But now, Leng Qing discovered that the young man he considered a potential opponent was actually far stronger than himself.
Yang Kai was able to fight against a character like Fang Peng on even terms, and even if he was relying on various external forces, he was still able to completely suppress Fang Peng’s momentum single-handedly.
Leng Qing was extremely shocked.
He had never imagined someone could achieve this kind of feat with only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation! He freely admitted that even he had no such ability. Leng Qing was a true genius, but wasn’t Fang Peng one as well?
Those that can be the Sect Master of their sects are those that stood out amongst their peers in the sect, and the Sect Master of Thunder Typhoon Sect is no exception. His skills must be no worse than those that stood at the pinnacle of Shadowed Star.
But such a character couldn’t gain any advantage over Yang Kai in a frontal confrontation, all of his methods being handled easily or suppressed as they fought!
Leng Qing estimated that, if he were in Yang Kai’s place, he wouldn’t even be able to persist for more than half a cup of tea’s worth of time against Fang Peng!
At this moment, Leng Qing felt somewhat depressed, somewhat lost, but more excited than ever!
He had found a target, a goal he could pursue, raising his enthusiasm greatly. Clenching his fists, Leng Qing stared at Yang Kai’s movements fixedly, secretly applauding every time he attacked and counterattacked, often drawing inspiration from even an inadvertent action by the other party.
“Fang Peng, if you had escaped far away earlier, you might not have died today, but since you chose to come to Star Emperor Mountain, you’ve sealed your own fate,” Yang Kai drove the Dragon Bone Sword and his Firebird Artifact Spirit towards Fang Peng as he laughed loudly.
Fang Peng’s expression remained cold as he held his silence.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to refute, but right now, he was truly at a disadvantage and didn’t have the spare capacity to argue with Yang Kai.
Throughout this hard fight, Fang Peng had realized that he couldn’t kill Yang Kai with his strength alone, but that it was also not going to be easy for his opponent to kill him.
As such, he could only pin his hopes on Qi Tian Che.
Fang Peng felt that Qi Tian Che must still have a hidden card to play, otherwise, he wouldn’t have acted so confidently before.
Realizing this, Fang Peng seized an opportunity to glance over at the other battlefield and was surprised to find that they too were engaged in a deep and fierce fight, but unlike his own, they were evenly matched, neither able to overpower the other.
This discovery made his heart jump and a chill shoot up his back.
What if Qi Tian Che couldn’t defeat Ye Xi Yun? What should he do then?
Qi Tian Che’s strength and methods were superb so he could definitely escape from this place if he wanted to, but there was no way for Fang Peng to do so. In front of a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space, trying to run away was the epitome of stupidity.
While thinking so, Fang Peng’s eyes suddenly shrank.
He found that on the other battlefield, Qi Tian Che made a feint to escape from Ye Xi Yun’s entanglement before transforming into a streak of light that shot towards his direction!
As Qi Tian Che flew through the air, he suddenly extended his hand and grasped forward ruthlessly!
Yang Kai, who was originally moving about freely, suddenly felt great pressure and couldn’t help his movements becoming somewhat sluggish.
Fang Peng was overjoyed and immediately understood what Qi Tian Che was plotting. Clearly, he was only pretending to fight Ye Xi Yun to the death when in fact his goal was to seize Yang Kai.
As long as Yang Kai could be captured, it wouldn’t matter how strong Ye Xi Yun was.
Instantaneously, Fang Peng grasped Qi Tian Che’s plan and now that he and Qi Tian Che were both grasshoppers on the same rope, naturally Fang Peng was going to contribute. Hastily, Fang Pen executed a Secret Technique that further suppressed Yang Kai in place.
“You think that you can suppress me by working together?” Yang Kai’s eyes went cold and sharp, “Seems you won’t show regret unless you see your coffin! Come catch me if you can!”
As he spoke these words, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and swiped forward, immediately opening up a Void Crack before him.
“Space Force is truly mysterious, but in front of this old master, your paltry methods are useless!” Qi Tian Che laughed and with a flick of his wrist threw out a small bead.
The bead looked extremely ordinary and gave off no discernible energy fluctuations, but when it appeared, Ye Xi Yun’s expression changed drastically and she couldn’t help calling out in amazement, “You actually managed to refine it?! Sect Master, dodge!”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched.
Although he didn’t know what kind of mysteries this bead hid, it was definitely no small thing if it could shock Ye Xi Yun this much.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai stepped into the Void Crack to escape.
But to his shock, a mysterious fluctuation burst out from the bead at that exact moment and, as this wave propagated forth, it actually destabilized the Void Crack and instantly sealed it.
It was as if it had been wiped away by a giant invisible hand.
Yang Kai only managed to take a step through the air in the end.
In the next moment, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
By the time Yang Kai recovered, he was already in another space.
Looking around, this space was extremely small, less than three hundred metres in radius, but it was also lush and green.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with surprise, not immediately able to understand what had happened.
What surprised him even more though was that this space was obviously incomplete! Because at the border of this space he could see partial pieces of vegetation, with the other half clearly somewhere beyond what was visible to him.
It was almost as if there was a barrier partitioning off the space.
Not far in front of him, Qi Tian Che stood wearing a smile while Fang Peng simply looked confused as he glanced left and right but was unable to see any trace of Ye Xi Yun.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit hovered overhead, crying out anxiously. It was also brought inside, but the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was left outside, and when Yang Kai tried to communicate with it with his Divine Sense, he was actually unable to establish contact, a discovery that caused his heart to sink.
A moment later, Fang Peng frowned and asked, “Brother Tian Che, what is this place?”
He was obviously kept in the dark too, not knowing what Qi Tian Che wanted to do.
“A Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che laughed.
“Small Sealed World?” Fang Peng’s eyes widened, almost thinking that he had heard wrong. Yang Kai’s face also couldn’t help becoming gloomy as he glared towards Qi Tian Che.
“Has Brother Fang not seen such a minuscule Small Sealed World before?” Qi Tian Che asked.
“Indeed,” Fang Peng nodded honestly, “I have explored numerous Small Sealed Worlds before, but even the smallest of them was far larger than this place.”
What confused him even more though was how the three of them had suddenly been transported to this Small Sealed World.
Small Sealed Worlds were usually only accessible through a Void Corridor, but just now, Qi Tian Che had only thrown out a small bead which then released a strange burst of energy before the three of them appeared here.
Was it possible that this Small Sealed World was somehow related to that bead? Fang Peng frowned slightly.
Yang Kai was also surprised.
Back on Tong Xuan Realm, he had been to a few Small Sealed Worlds before, but after arriving in the Star Field, he had not encountered any such places again until today.
“Sect Master Yang, I presume?” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai with a smile, his expression completely relaxed, “Come to think of it, you and I have not introduced ourselves have we? This King is Qi Tian Che and currently occupies the position of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master.”
“Sect Master Qi’s name resounds like thunder, this Junior has long heard of it,” Yang Kai grinned, not showing the slightest fear, “But this Junior would like to ask Senior, why did you bring me to this place? Do you want to blackmail Great Elder with me?”
“Sect Master Yang need not use such crass words,” Qi Tian Che slowly shook his head, “This King bringing you here was not to deal with Senior Sister Ye, but rather because this King wished to make friends with you.”
“Heh heh…” Yang Kai laughed, stroking his chin as he said, “Senior must be joking.”
Qi Tian Che shook his head once more and declared solemnly, “This King truly means what he says, this is no joke.”
“But this Junior has no interest in making friends with you!” Yang Kai snickered.
Qi Tian Che failed to stifle his laughter as he continued, “If Sect Master Yang insists so, this old master won’t force the issue; however, this old master still wants to consult with Sect Master Yang about something.”
“You have something you want to consult with me about?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
“Indeed!” Qi Tian Che nodded sincerely.
“And what is that? Seeking power by usurping the throne? Deceiving one’s master and dishonouring one’s ancestors? If it’s about such matters, this Junior has nothing to say, Senior has clearly already reached the peak of such arts,” Yang Kai snapped at Qi Tian Che sarcastically.
The other party didn’t become angry at all though and simply maintained a calm smile, “Naturally, it is not about such trivial things. What this King wants to ask about… is the Dao of Space!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed hearing this.
“The Dao of Space is extremely esoteric and difficult to cultivate, this King is untalented and has spent many years trying to comprehend it, but despite such effort, his achievements in the field are far inferior to Sect Master Yang, who can even condense a blade of pure Space Force or independently tear space! This King deeply admires Sect Master Yang’s profound methods! I simply wish to ask Sect Master Yang to resolve a few of the many quandaries this King is burdened with.”
“You’ve studied the Dao of Space?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Some trivial accomplishments at most,” Qi Tian Che nodded humbly, “This King has been in retreat for several dozen years just to study the Dao of Space and had some minor gains, but…”
Yang Kai was stunned.
He hadn’t expected that this old man had been in retreat for several dozen years just to study Space Force.
Yang Xiu Zhu had reminded Ye Xi Yun to be wary of Qi Tian Che because the latter had been in retreat to cultivate some kind of Secret Technique for the past several dozen years, but now it turns out he was actually trying to cultivate Space Force.
However, why would he do this?
Yang Kai’s mind turned sharply before suddenly a flash of understanding came to him. Turning a grin towards Qi Tian Che, Yang Kai asked lightly, “Senior, if this Junior is not mistaken, you cultivating the Dao of Space must be related to this Small Sealed World and that strange bead, yes?”
“Oh? Why did you say this?” Qi Tian Che raised his brow as his eyes flashed brightly, seemingly very interested.
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed, “I did not see a Void Corridor before being inexplicably brought here by Senior, so obviously that bead should be some kind of key to opening and accessing this Small Sealed World, but to use it, one must be capable of using Space Force, which is why you wish to cultivate it. Is this Junior correct?”
“That’s right!” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai approvingly, nodding as he asked, “I wonder what else Sect Master Yang can see?”
“I can see that this Small Sealed World is incomplete, probably because your comprehension of the Dao of Space is lacking. If you wish to complete this Small Sealed World, you must become more proficient in using Space Force…” As he said this though, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he suddenly became confused, not really able to see a specific relationship between Qi Tian Che’s proficiency in the Dao of Space and this Small Sealed World.
A Small Sealed World was a Small Sealed World, an independent world of its own, it should not have anything to do with anyone.
“Sect Master Yang’s vision is sharp; this old master deeply admires it!” Qi Tian Che nodded slightly, “But although Sect Master Yang is more than half right, he has made one critical mistake.”
“Oh? And what is that?” Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously.
“That bead was not the key to opening this Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che smiled meaningfully, “That bead is this Small Sealed World!”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned at him.
“Let me put it another way, a Small Sealed World was sealed inside that bead!” Qi Tian Che explained.
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked, and Fang Peng was also dumbfounded.
“A Small Sealed World contained within a bead? How is that possible?” Yang Kai frowned and shook his head, a look of disbelief filling his face, but soon, his expression became solemn as he stared at Qi Tian Che gloomily, hesitating before asking, “Could it be that bead… is an Emperor Artifact?”
Qi Tian Che laughed and stroked his beard lightly, nodding in confirmation, “Sect Master Yang is truly wise, understanding all the key points so quickly. Indeed, that bead is an Emperor Artifact! Normal artifacts could not possibly have such a profound function, but Emperor Artifacts are different, the secrets of Emperor Artifacts are beyond our comprehension! That bead is indeed one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, the Sealed World Bead!”
“Of the two Emperor Artifact beads!” Yang Kai said coldly snorted, “Then the other one is the Annihilation Thunder Bead?”
“En. These two beads are inheritances passed down personally from the Great Emperor and are the two most important treasures of my Star Emperor Mountain!” Qi Tian Che nodded and admitted, suddenly grinning as he said, “Sect Master Yang should not blame Senior Sister Ye for not warning you about this matter. Senior Sister Ye had no idea this old master was able to refine this Sealed World Bead. This thing has been passed down by my Star Emperor Mountain’s ancestors for ten thousand years, with each generation’s Sect Master attempting to refine it, but none have ever succeeded! As time passed, even the purpose and function of this Sealed World Bead became lost. This old master was only able to refine it and understand its mysteries thanks to a series of opportunities and coincidences.”
Yang Kai’s face was black and his expression was extremely difficult to look at.
If he wasn’t currently inside this incomplete Small Sealed World, he would never have believed that this strange Sealed World Bead, which contained its own independent world, could possibly exist.
Now that he was trapped inside, unable to even contact his Dragon Bone Sword, how was he supposed to fight? This old dog still had his Sun and Moon Golden Wheel Origin King Grade artifact.
“Sect Master Yang should not bother thinking about trying to tear space, this Small Sealed World is an independent space with its own World Principles, it is useless for you to tear space here,” Qi Tian Che also seemed to remind him kindly.
“I’d prefer to confirm that for myself; Senior doesn’t mind, right?” Yang Kai glanced over at Qi Tian Che faintly.
“Sect Master Yang, please, it just so happens that this King also wants to carefully observe how Sect Master Yang’s manipulates Space Force,” Qi Tian Che waved his hand lightly, showing no intention of stopping Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not waste any time, stretched out his hand, and swiped the air in front of him, opening a Void Crack in the next instant.
But before he could step into it, Qi Tian Che suddenly waved his hand and the Void Crack disappeared.
Yang Kai looked at him coldly with an unhappy expression on his face.
Qi Tian Che smiled and said, “The World Principles of this Small Sealed World are now controlled by this old master, Sect Master Yang should give up.”
“Old bastard!” Yang Kai coldly snapped.
“Sect Master Yang is young and vigorous, so this old master won’t care about your lack of decorum. This old master has already honestly explained his purpose and intent, now it is time for Sect Master Yang to make a choice. If you choose to work for this old master, this old master will treat you as a friend in the future, but if Sect Master Yang insists on being stubborn… Well, this old master has other methods to obtain your cooperation. I have given you the opportunity, whether you can grasp it or not depends on your actions.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Do you think you’re in complete control now that you’ve simply trapped me in this place? Cooperate with you? Senior should abandon such wishful thinking, as for cultivating the Dao of Space, you’d best try harder in your next life instead!”
At that moment, the Firebird Artifact Spirit, which had been hovering above Yang Kai’s head, screamed and transformed into a ball of flame that flew towards Qi Tian Che.
“Oh!” Qi Tian Che sighed deeply, “Since Sect Master Yang insists on doing this, then this old master can only press forward as well, please pardon my offence, Sect Master Yang!”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and pointed a finger towards the approaching Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A bizarre scene appeared next.
A vortex suddenly appeared in the sky, and as it rotated, it seemed to produce an irresistible suction force that pulled in the Firebird regardless of how the Artifact Spirit struggled to resist.
In just three short breaths, the Firebird plunged into the vortex and disappeared.
The connection between Yang Kai and the Firebird’s Soul was also cut off at that moment, causing his complexion to pale slightly.
“Sect Master Yang need not worry, this old master simply banished it outside, so it will not interfere in the fight between us,” Qi Tian Che said lightly before his expression suddenly became extremely solemn and he let out a loud shout as he stomped hard on the ground.
The earth seemed to tremble slightly and the sound of tearing silk rang out as Qi Tian Che’s robes were instantly shattered, blasting apart, revealing his upper body.
Yang Kai looked at him with a look of shock on his face.
This old dog looked old and frail, but his body was actually the exact opposite.
Rippling, clearly defined muscles which seemed to be filled with explosive power covered his frame.
It wouldn’t be a surprise for a young man to possess such a body, but it was a bit strange for an old man with grey hair and a long beard to have such a physique.
His body was nothing short of powerful! The rippling force that was contained in every one of his muscles was obvious to anyone who saw them.
Saint Qi surged wildly and Qi Tian Che’s momentum seemed unstoppable as a glow pulsed from his body.
Yang Kai and Fang Peng both stared blankly.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master will give you one last chance, it’s still not too late to see reason, but if you refuse, this old master will have to take action. If Sect Master Yang is wounded in the process, this old master will certainly feel some regret,” Qi Tian Che said as he stared down Yang Kai majestically.
“Enough nonsense, you brought me into this tiny space because you thought your physical prowess would give you an advantage, right?” Yang Kai smiled weirdly, “Whether you have such ability or not, we shall see!”
Seeing him refusing his kindness twice, Qi Tian Che’s expression also grew dark and he nodded, “Good, since that’s the case, then don’t blame this old master for being impolite.”
Saying so, Qi Tian Che’s figure flickered and he disappeared from where he was standing. When he reappeared, he was already above Yang Kai’s head.
Without using any kind of Secret Technique or summoning any kind of artifact, Qi Tian Chen fiercely threw a punch towards Yang Kai.
Fighting in this extremely small space, any kind of artifact or Secret Technique would be greatly restricted, while those who possessed superior physical capabilities would undoubtedly occupy a major advantage!
There was no sound, but the power contained in this fist was enough to break a mountain.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, however, seemingly unaware of the approaching danger.
Qi Tian Che frowned, wondering what kind of scheme he was up to.
It wasn’t until the fist wind began brushing Yang Kai’s face that he suddenly shouted, “Come out!”
A small and angular figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai mysteriously and in an instant grew into a massive stone giant several dozen meters in height.
Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao!
The Dragon Bone Sword had been left outside, and the Firebird Artifact Spirit was banished by Qi Tian Che, but Yang Kai still had Xiao Xiao!
Xiao Xiao hefted the pitch-black Heaven Shaking Pillar on his shoulders, and as he grew, so too did the strange stick-like artifact.
Gripping the Heaven Shaking Pillar tightly, Xiao Xiao swiftly swept it forward.
Qi Tian Che’s eyes shrank and a look of horror filled his face as he hurriedly withdrew.
He felt a fatal threat from this stick and understood that even with his great physical strength, he could not take a blow from it head-on.
*Hong…*
It seemed like even space was smashed and collapsed while Qi Tian Che only felt a numbness in his abdomen.
He had not been hit by the pitch-black stick, instead just being swept by the wind pressure it created, but even so, his blood roiled and his breathing became disordered. It was easy to imagine what kind of fate he would experience if he were struck by it directly.
Qi Tian Che’s expression changed dramatically as he leapt backwards without hesitation while reaching out and pointing his finger towards the Stone Puppet.
He intended to exile the Stone Puppet from this space too!
This was how he dealt with the Firebird Artifact Spirit just now.
To capture Yang Kai alive, Qi Tian Che had expended a great deal of effort and gathered a large amount of information, so he knew that Yang Kai possessed several terrifying helpers.
However, he was also fully confident in the Sealed World Bead.
The Sealed World Bead was one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, and since he had refined it, Qi Tian Che could control the Sealed World Bead’s environment and laws to a certain extent. As long as Yang Kai was isolated, Qi Tian Che wouldn’t have a problem subduing a mere First-Order Origin Returning Realm Junior. Once Yang Kai was captured alive, not only could Qi Tian Che learn the secrets of the Dao of Space from him, but he could also force Ye Xi Yun into a desperate situation and even return to the ancestral land of Supreme Profound Sect.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to fight a life or death battle with Ye Xi Yun, his goal had always been Yang Kai.
The vortex that had appeared once before appeared again, and the terrifying suction force began drawing in the Stone Puppet!
“Wishful thinking!” Yang Kai shouted angrily as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the vortex suddenly. Rich Space Force pulsed and collapsed the vortex, allowing Xiao Xiao to break free and regain his freedom of movement.
Yang Kai laughed riotously, “Old Dog, it seems your grasp of this place’s World Principles is too weak.”
Qi Tian Che’s complexion sank, and a faint feelings of ill omen couldn’t help rising in his heart.
He hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would be able to counter him in this place. It seemed that even if he had refined this Sealed World Bead, when it came to manipulating Space Force, he was still not Yang Kai’s opponent.
The Stone Puppet moved swiftly, slamming its stick again the moment broke free from the suction force.
Qi Tian Che didn’t dare face this blow head-on and hurriedly dodged.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar brushed past his body and another dull impact from the wind pressure assailed his waist and ribs.
Before Qi Tian Che could steady himself, a strong wind pressure descended upon him from above as Yang Kai’s shout reached his ears, “Old dog, taste my fist!”
“Very good!” Qi Tian Che’s face filled with surprise and happiness.
He hadn’t summoned any kind of artifact or used any kind of Secret Technique because he wanted to fight Yang Kai hand to hand. Firstly, this battleground was not conducive to any other form of combat, and secondly because he had full confidence in his physical strength. Now seeing Yang Kai actually approach him of his own accord, Qi Tian Che was naturally overjoyed.
He thought Yang Kai had become overconfident and was acting recklessly.
Qi Tian Che deeply feared the power of the stone giant, but that didn’t mean he feared a trivial Yang Kai.
Without even hesitating, he sent out his own punch to meet Yang Kai’s.
Two fists impacted and a loud bang rang out.
Yang Kai’s body flew out like an arrow from the string while Qi Tian Che couldn’t help letting out a grunt as his entire body sank halfway into the ground.
In that instant, Qi Tian Che couldn’t help but turn pale.
Although it was just a simple exchange of fists, with Qi Tian Che’s vast experience it was easy for him to see that Yang Kai’s physique and strength were just as intrepid as his own. In that blow just now, both sides had suffered a small loss with neither having any distinctive advantage over the other.
[How can this be?]
Qi Tian Che had lived for over a thousand years and ever since he first tread upon the Martial Dao, he had always paid special attention to his Body Tempering. Now, his physical body was far stronger than that of an average cultivator in the same realm and was even comparable to an ordinary Origin Grade High-Rank artifact in terms of resilience.
But how old was this little brat? How long had he cultivated for? How could he possibly have such a strong physique?
The astonishing amount of vitality he felt in that moment of contact shocked Qi Tian Che to an incredible degree.
Before he could collect himself though, the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar swept towards him again.
Qi Tian Che was unable to avoid the blow this time as he was half-sunk into the earth. Seeing that the pitch-black stick swept towards him, Qi Tian Che took a deep breath and the faint glow which had been radiating from his body suddenly increased in intensity several times. In an instant, Qi Tian Che’s body seemed to be covered by a rigid, almost metallic protective barrier.
Clenching his fists, Qian Tian Che lifted both his arms to protect his face.
In the next moment, the Heaven Shaking Pillar arrived.
*Hong…*
Qi Tian Che was knocked over and thrown out by the massive impact force, flying until he hit the edge of the Small Sealed World before smashing into the barrier and then crashing to the ground, his face going pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and looked up with solemn expression.
This time, he had suffered a heavy loss. The Heaven Shaking Pillar was forged from Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron in ancient times before it was brought out by Yang Kai from the Emperor Garden.
Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron was a top-level Origin King Grade artifact refining material and even a fist-sized piece weighed over ten thousand kilograms. If one incorporated even a tiny bit of it into an artifact they were refining, it would make said artifact many times more difficult to destroy.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar was completely forged from this peculiar material and was thus extremely heavy.
Yang Kai could barely lift it with all his strength, but he couldn’t swing it around.
Only strange creatures like the Stone Puppet could use this unusual artifact.
Even if Qi Tian Che cultivated a Body Tempering Secret Art for hundreds of years, he was still unable to withstand the violent blow of the Heaven Shaking Pillar.
“How did you like the taste of that attack?” Yang Kai shook his wrist as he stood a short distance away. Just now, he had exchanged a punch with Qi Tian Che so his hand was still stinging.
“Not bad!” Qi Tian Che did not lose his spirit and just gently nodded, “In time, Sect Master Yang would surely become the most dazzling master of Shadowed Star and have no difficulty unifying the entire world. Unfortunately, since you encountered this old Master here, you won’t be getting that chance.”
As the metallic lustre on his body increased, Qi Tian Che rushed towards Yang Kai solemnly.
A round of full sun suddenly appeared above his head, bursting with dazzling light.
The Origin King Grade artifact, Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!
Streams of hot Yang filled light shot from the golden sun, radiating a heat which seemed capable of burning all creation as they lased towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, Qi Tian Che also released his grand accomplishment stage Shi, covering the entire Small Sealed World in it.
The small space suddenly became extremely sticky, giving people the illusion of being stuck deep in the mud, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, knowing that this old dog was now going all out against him.
Qi Tian Che couldn’t beat the Stone Puppet in strength, so he could choose to target Yang Kai directly.
Not daring to hold back either, Yang Kai also released his Shi.
The space surrounding him suddenly became distorted and even began to collapse as innumerable tiny Void Cracks began to form, as if the world around Yang Kai had been shredded by a million blades. These tiny Void Cracks drifted about randomly for a moment before immediately being repaired by the World Principles of Small Sealed World, only to re-appear elsewhere in the next instant.
Yang Kai had condensed his Shi under the full impact of the Emperor Garden’s Emperor Pressure and incorporated his Space Force into it at the time, allowing his Shi to become far stronger than that of an average cultivator and even able to affect the surrounding space when he released it.
The constantly forming and collapsing Void Cracks around him were the best evidence of this.
Relying on this alone, however, wasn’t enough for Yang Kai to compete with Qi Tian Che’s grand accomplishment stage Shi which had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
A slicing sound rang out in the next moment though.
Hundreds of Golden Blood Threads spread out from Yang Kai’s body and constantly cut through the suppression of Qi Tian Che Shi.
The Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique originally had the effect of destroying Shi, so with Yang Kai using hundreds of them at once, the effect was naturally quite remarkable.
Using this two-pronged approach, the pressure weighing down Yang Kai suddenly disappeared and he was instantly relieved of the grand accomplishment Shi which was restraining him.
Manipulating them with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai sliced through the air with his Golden Blood Threads and intercepted every beam of radiant Yang light coming towards him, resolving the incoming danger without suffering any harm.
Qi Tian Che was deeply shocked!
He couldn’t imagine that the situation would develop to this point. All of the methods and strengths he was so proud of didn’t play any role against Yang Kai.
At this moment, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous.
But now, he was already an arrow in mid-flight, and Ye Xi Yun was waiting for him outside, so if he couldn’t defeat Yang Kai in this Small Sealed World, even if he fled outside, his situation would only get worse.
Only by capturing Yang Kai here could he regain control of the overall situation.
Understanding this, Qi Tian Che flew towards Yang Kai and threw out a fist carrying vast destructive power.
Yang Kai didn’t even try to evade, instead sending out a fist of his own, his Saint Qi pushed to its limits as his muscles flexed, launching into a tangled struggle with Qi Tian Che.
All plots and conspiracies were useless at this moment, only by overwhelming their opponent with pure power could either of them achieve victory. The two were like savages as they recklessly swung their fists, pummeling each other with one blow after another.
This kind of hand to hand combat was simple, direct, savage, and bloody!
Endless explosions rang out as golden and silvery light intersected with one another, mixed with the occasional shout or muffled groan.
In this battle of pure physical strength, the two sides were actually even.
Fang Peng stood to the side, dumbfounded.
He had been brought into this Small Sealed World by Qi Tian Che and thought that they would join forces to easily defeat Yang Kai. He believed that Qi Tian Che had planned this entire scenario out as such, but now, to Fang Peng’s frustration, he discovered he was actually unable to intervene in this fight at all, only able to stand idly by and watch anxiously.
Even Xiao Xiao stood back and waited for an opportunity, not daring to attack rashly.
He too couldn’t interfere!
*Peng peng peng…*
The body Qi Tian Che’s was so proud of suffered blow after blow from Yang Kai’s fists during the battle, each strike producing a metallic thud upon landing, but despite being comparable in durability to an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact, it could actually not withstand his opponent’s brute force. The violent bombardment shocked his physique and damaged his meridians and bones, giving him an almost unbearable ache.
While he hadn’t sustained any major injuries, Qi Tian Che was soon bleeding from his nose and mouth, looking extremely hideous.
The same was true for Yang Kai, but the blood he shed was golden and overflowed with vitality, giving it an astonishing regenerative and restorative property.
The wild battle seemed to arouse the ferocity deep in Yang Kai’s heart, and his eyes became cruel and bloody, like those of a starved beast which had just been set free of its cage and could not wait to feast on its prey.
Time passed by.
The two men were both covered in blood and their skin was cracked and lacerated, but the strength behind Yang Kai’s punches did not diminish, instead becoming heavier and heavier, each blow causing Qi Tian Che’s figure to shake violently.
On the other hand, Qi Tian Che’s momentum was gradually weakening.
The stronger one had been decided!
Perhaps the two were on the same level in terms of body tempering and strength, but Yang Kai had a massive advantage over Qi Tian Che: His Golden Blood!
The injuries Yang Kai suffered could be restored rapidly, but Qi Tian Che’s could not. Under such circumstances, it was natural for Yang Kai to slowly gain the advantage.