Kang Fei Rao could also see that even without the help of the strange stone giant, he was definitely not Yang Kai’s opponent. This young man had not used his full strength from the beginning!
[Since when was there such a powerful Origin Returning Realm cultivator on this star?] Kang Fei Rao thought he had reached the limit of what an Origin Returning Realm master could achieve, but today, he realized he was greatly mistaken.
“Tell me what the Sun’s True Essence has to do with any of this?” Yang Kai’s voice sounded, “Why do you say you want to thank me for your current achievements? I don’t remember doing anything for you.”
Kang Fei Rao glanced at him but did not answer immediately. Only when he felt a ruinous strength beginning to crush his Corpse Core did his expression change and he quickly said, “It was an accident! You probably didn’t even know about it.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Do you think that Sun’s True Essence was just randomly placed there? If so, you’re gravely mistaken. The reason the Sun’s True Essence was sealed in that place was to suppress an Underworld Well Spring.”
“Underworld Well Spring?” Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly.
Kang Fei Rao grinned, “Yes, it connects this world to the Underworld, where a thick Yin, Corpse, and Death Qi spring forth from. The Yin, Corpse, and Death Qi are all useless to living creatures, harmful in fact, but to my Corpse Spirit Race, it is nothing less than the finest resource! With an unlimited supply of it, our strength can rapidly grow to the limit of the Origin Returning Realm… en, perhaps even beyond!”
Kang Fei Rao thought he was at the peak of the Origin Returning Realm, but after fighting with Yang Kai, he realized he was still far from it.
“There was actually such a thing beneath Grand Burial Valley?” Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Kang Fei Rao chuckled and said, “How do you think that Corpse Cave was formed? My Ancient Yang Sect’s ancestors discovered that Underworld Well Spring long ago and used that piece of Sun’s True Essence to suppress it. However, the entire reason my noble Corpse Spirit Race could be born was because of the rich Corpse Qi which leaked into the Corpse Cave from it! Previously, we could not access that Underworld Well Spring, but after you took away that Sun’s True Essence, everything changed! Now, do you understand why this Protector must thank you?”
Yang Kai’s expression instantly turned ugly, and he said in a gloomy tone, “So, Shadowed Star becoming like this was my fault?”
“Hahaha!” Kang Fei Rao cackled towards the Heavens as he snickered, “Indeed, you are responsible! So… what do you think would happen if the people of Shadowed Star learned of this? Would they direct all their hatred towards you?”
“Are you threatening me? If you think this is enough for me to let you go, you are greatly mistaken,” Yang Kai sneered.
Kang Fei Rao’s expression flickered but he decided not to further provoke Yang Kai in the end.
Now that his Corpse Core was literally in Yang Kai’s hand, his life and death no longer his to control, naturally he would not do something so foolish.
“Who is your Religion Master? Is he one of the Corpse Generals I saw that day?” Yang Kai asked.
Kang Fei Rao shook his head, “No!”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as he tightened his grip greatly, causing Kang Fei Rao’s Corpse Core to crack slightly, as if it was on the verge of being crushed.
Kang Fei Rao trembled as he grit his teeth and snarled, “I really don’t know. Religion Master is not one of our Corpse Spirit Race at all, he just suddenly appeared inside the Corpse Cave one day and taught us some profound Secret Arts related to our Corpse Qi cultivation, as well as a method to convert others into our clansmen. Without him, it would have been impossible for us to leave the Corpse Cave already, we would likely still be groping around for a way forward in that subterranean cave; after all, none of us has cultivated like this before.”
While Kang Fei Rao spoke, Yang Kai was constantly using his Divine Sense to monitor his expressions and Soul fluctuations, but he did not notice any flaws. There were only two explanations for this, one was that Kang Fei Rao wasn’t lying and really didn’t know the identity or background of this mysterious Religion Master, or two, Kang Fei Rao’s acting skills had reached an astonishing level that could deceive even Yang Kai’s senses.
Yang Kai was more inclined to believe the former possibility.
“Then how strong is he?” Yang Kai asked again.
Kang Fei Rao’s face contorted a few times before he grits his teeth and muttered, “If I said I don’t know what his cultivation is, would you believe it?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai glared at him coldly.
Kang Fei Rao sighed, “But I really don’t know! He never took action in front of us.”
“Then how did he become your Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master? Don’t tell me that just because he taught you some cultivation and conversion methods, you all willingly submitted to him.”
“How could that be?” Kang Fei Rao sneered, a trace of irritation appearing on his face, “The reason why we brothers surrendered to him was that he…”
Kang Fei Rao had not finished speaking yet when his face suddenly changed drastically, as if something terrifying was happening to him, his eyes bulging as they filled with shock before a look of extreme pain filled his face.
A violent and unstable aura quickly spread from his body.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed as he hurriedly pulled his hand back.
The next moment, Kang Fei Rao howled miserably as a destructive aura burst from his Corpse Core. This aura rapidly transformed into a green flame that seemed to be burning Kang Fei Rao from the inside out.
Kang Fei Rao’s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears all sprayed out green flames, giving him a terrifying appearance.
In less than ten breaths of time, this powerful peak level Corpse General who had fought evenly against Ye Xi Yun was burned down by these green flames, leaving behind only a pile of black ashes.
Yang Kai watched this scene from the beginning to the end, a chill gripping his heart when it was all over.
He did not know exactly what happened to Kang Fei Rao, but he guessed that the mysterious Religion Master of Corpse Spirit Religion had placed some kind of terrible seal on him. Once Kang Fei Rao tried to reveal some key information, this seal would immediately activate, detonate his Corpse Core, and produce this corpse flame that would swiftly kill Kang Fei Rao!
Although everything was just his guess, Yang Kai was confident in his assessment!
[Such vicious methods! Such meticulous scheming!]
It wasn’t even clear what kind of sensitive information Kang Fei Rao was about to reveal that triggered the seal in his body.
Yang Kai thought back to the words Kang Fei Rao spoke just before he died, and although the other party did not articulate anything in particular, Yang Kai was still able to infer some information from it.
This mysterious Religion Master possibly had some kind of method or artifact in his hand which enabled him to control the Corpse Spirit Race!
This was the most likely scenario.
Kang Fei Rao was dead now, so it was impossible to get anything more from it. Pausing for a moment, Yang Kai could not help feeling somewhat wary of this mysterious Religion Master.
Being able to place such a seal onto one’s own subordinates proved that this Religion Master would not be someone easy to deal with.
As for Kang Fei Rao’s statement that Shadowed Star’s current crisis was at least partially his fault, Yang Kai did not attempt to deny it. However, while it was true that him taking away the Sun’s True Essence suppressing the Underworld Well Spring allowed the Corpse Spirit Race to grow much more powerful in a short period of time, the primary reason for this upheaval was no doubt the mysterious Religion Master teaching them the proper method to cultivate as well as giving them the knowledge to successfully transform others into members of the Corpse Spirit Race!
If they did not possess such a method, Corpse Spirit Religion would never have been able to expand so rapidly.
After Yang Kai mulled over these thoughts for a moment, he decided to set the entire issue aside for the time being.
Looking up, the black Origin King Grade Starship was still wantonly bombarding Corpse Spirit Religion’s army. Each Crystal Cannon volley was able to harvest at least dozens from the Corpse Spirit Race as well as those Human cultivators who had submitted to them.
During his battle with Kang Fei Rao, the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s periphery had become filled with dead bodies and scattered remains.
Letting out a light sigh, Yang Kai flew up into the sky, pushed his Space Force, and returned to the Starship.
“Return to the Sect!” He shouted sharply.
After the campaign of extermination the Starship just executed, more than half of the Corpse Spirit Religion army which was besieging High Heaven Sect had been eliminated. Even the White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao had been killed by Yang Kai, so pursuing the rest of these remnants was not a high priority.
What was most important now was to return to the Sect.
The people Yang Kai brought with him from Tong Xuan Realm needed to be settled in; after all, they had been waiting inside the Sealed World Bead for several years now and it was best for them to contact and familiarize themselves with the World Principles here as soon as possible.
Moreover, Yang Kai also wanted to know how High Heaven Sect was fairing now. It was rumoured that High Heaven Sect had suffered several losses over the past two years and that Great Elder Ye Xi Yun was seriously injured, making Yang Kai wonder if she had recovered or not by now.
The Three Blazing Flame Rings which formed the Flowing Flame Sand Field were so powerful that even an ordinary Origin King Grade Starship would be burned to ashes the moment it tried to intrude.
However, High Heaven Sect’s Starship was personally refined by Yang Yan and had her aura branded into it, so the Three Blazing Flame Rings would not harm it and easily allowed it to pass.
It was not until the huge figure of the Starship disappeared that the Corpse Spirit Religion remnants who had been running and hiding breathed a sigh of relief, but the looks of lingering fear did not leave their faces.
Under the tyrannical might of the Starship, they were not even able to summon the courage to resist as they stood there waiting to be slaughtered!
Now that the Starship had left, they felt relieved.
Without receiving any orders to retreat, though, no one dared escape far. After a short time, the Corpse Spirit Religion cultivators gathered from all directions again and began waiting for instructions from Kang Fei Rao!
However, none of them were aware that Kang Fei Rao had already fallen.
It was not until an hour later, when Kang Fei Rao still didn’t show up, that some who had grown suspicious went to investigate the small palace, only to discover that the White-Robed Corpse General was dead.
The entire army instantly went into an uproar.
One of the four Protectors of Corpse Spirit Religion had fallen, and with the reappearance of High Heaven Sect’s Origin King Grade Starship, it was like an omen of things to come.
High Heaven Sect’s headquarters was located in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
However, after Yang Yan took back the first of the Three Blazing Flame Rings that day, the Flowing Flame Sand Field no longer had six layers, instead only consisting of four. So strictly speaking, High Heaven Sect was located in the second layer while the first layer was formed by the second of the Three Blazing Flame Rings. There was another Flame Ring which then separated the second layer from the innermost sanctum where Yang Yan was currently sleeping.
After crossing the flame barrier, Yang Kai scanned the familiar scenery around him and could not help feeling a little excited.
Although Tong Xuan Realm was his native land, he had actually lived on Shadowed Star for longer since he entered the Star Field, and with High Heaven Sect being located here, Yang Kai held a strong affinity to this place.
After all, this was the Sect he created with his own hands, the place where High Heaven Pavilion’s legacy would be carried forward. There was no substitute for the kind of emotion one attached to their own creation.
No more than an hour later, High Heaven Sect, located amidst the rolling mountains, appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The mountain road paved in white jade was clearly visible.
At the top of the mountain road, there was a huge plaque emblazoned with the words ‘High Heaven Sect’!
“A truly beautiful place,” Standing inside the Starship, Ling Tai Xu looked down through the crystal glass and felt extremely satisfied with the environment of High Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Yang Kai stood to the side with a smile and explained to his Grand Master, “What you see now, can only be regarded as the entrance to High Heaven Sect. There are a total of eighty-one peaks in High Heaven Sect, nine main and seventy-two auxiliary. The scenery of each peak is unique; however, because the number of disciples until now has been quite small, we have only settled on this one. As for the other peaks, even I have not fully explored them. After we land, everyone will be able to find an appropriate peak to live on.”
“Amazing!” Chu Ling Xiao felt warmth in his old chest.
They had been a little worried about having enough space to live at their destination with Yang Kai bringing over ten thousand people from the Human, Monster, and Demon Races; after all, this was no small number and they would require a massive piece of land.
But looking around and seeing the lush, verdant mountains that towered up into the clouds, the myriad of elegant and palatial pavilions, and realizing this was but one of the eighty-one peaks, the masters from the Three Clans felt that fitting ten thousand people here would be a simple task, with plenty of space leftover when everything was said and done.
“We will live here in the future?” Thunder Dragon Great Senior looked out with excitement. This place was more than a hundred times better than Tong Xuan Realm’s Beast Sea Jungle.
Not only was the World Energy extremely rich, but the scenery was also first-class. Any Monster Race master who cultivated here would no doubt have great future achievements.
A headquarters was the foundation of a clan, and as a Monster Race Great Senior, Thunder Dragon understood the importance of a strong foundation.
“Yang Kai, my Demon Race owes you a great debt. In the future, whatever commands you may have of us, my Demon Race will do its utmost to fulfil.” Even someone as proud as Zhang Yuan felt grateful from the bottom of his heart, and even subtly indicated he wished for his companions and him to join High Heaven Sect immediately.
Yang Kai simply nodded.
Strictly speaking, bringing the Monster Race and Demon Race masters brought from Tong Xuan Realm was already a great favour to them; on the other hand, Li Rong and Han Fei of Ancient Demon Clan did not think so. Yang Kai was their Lord, and they had pledged to follow Yang Kai for life, so them being able to accompany him was simply their honour and duty.
As the masters from the Three Clans were immersed in shock and joy, Yang Kai commanded the Starship to land in the massive square below. At the same time, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, hoping to glean what High Heaven Sect’s current status was.
A moment later, however, his brow could not help furrowing.
Yang Kai quickly discovered that there were about a thousand people gathered in High Heaven Sect at this moment, but none of them had familiar auras.
Ye Xi Yun, Wu Yi, Chang Qi, Hao An, Huang Juan, and the others seemed to be absent, and even the auras of the masters from Star Emperor Mountain had disappeared.
What’s more, the Starship’s descent was by no means a subtle event, yet no one from High Heaven Sect had come out to greet them.
On the contrary, from the pavilions near the square, countless unfamiliar Divine Senses extend out and scanned them.
This discovery made Yang Kai’s face sink and his expression turn unsightly.
Noticing something was off, Ling Tai Xu leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “Yang Kai, is there something wrong?”
Yang Kai sneered softly, “There is indeed something wrong. Grand Master, please wait aboard the Starship for a moment, I’ll go and sort this situation out!”
“Understood!” Ling Tai Xu responded.
Yang Kai gestured for the High Heaven Sect disciples to open the Starship’s hatch and he quickly walked out together with Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others apparently also noticed something was wrong and after exchanging a few glances amongst themselves, Yang Xiu Zhu circulated his Saint Qi and gave a loud shout, “Sect Master has returned to the Sect!”
This shout echoed across all eighty-one of High Heaven Sect’s peaks.
Still, no one came out to greet them.
Instead, the Divine Senses that had been probing the Starship before seemed to entangle with one another, engaging in a silent exchange.
The atmosphere in High Heaven Sect suddenly became tense.
A moment later, the various Divine Senses retracted, their owners apparently reaching some kind of consensus. Only after this did people begin flying out from the various palaces and lofts.
Yang Kai stood on the square, his expression as deep and tranquil as an ancient well, a cold aura radiating from his body as he waited silently.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
One figure after another landed nearby, gradually amassing into an extremely terrifying force.
All of the people who appeared were Origin Returning Realm masters, with several of them being Third-Orders; however, when these people saw Yang Kai, their eyes would shift, as if feeling guilty. No one dared to confront Yang Kai head-on, but a number were casting him cold glances, as if looking at some kind of enemy.
Yang Kai glanced around, and his eyes quickly fixed on an old woman with white hair and a dragon head walking stick.
Beside this old woman stood a delicate and beautiful young woman. This young woman was a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, a rising star of Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai’s gaze fixed on this old woman because he knew her!
She was none other than Old Woman Feng from Myriad Beast Mountain! During the battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, she had appeared at that climax to try to snatch the Emperor Jade.
Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression of this old woman, and although she had not gone as far as the Great Elder of Demon Blood Temple Jin Shi at that time, she clearly didn’t have any good intentions towards him.
As for the beautiful young woman with a shrewd light in her eyes, Yang Kai recalled that her name was Feng Yan! She was the granddaughter of Old Woman Feng.
At this moment, Feng Yan was looking Yang Kai over with a pair of curious eyes and a kind of eagerness that made it seem she wanted to compete with him and determine who was the stronger between them.
Yang Kai naturally had no interest in her; the other party was just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, a weakling he could crush with a wave of his hand.
Continuing to scan the crowd, Yang Kai saw some familiar as well as unfamiliar faces, with the latter being more common. However, judging by the robes they wore, Yang Kai could tell that most of them came from first-class Sects or forces on Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai also spotted the current Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Ao Fu and her disciple Yin Su Die!
The previous Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Xing He, had fallen while exploring the Emperor Garden, so his daughter Gong Ao Fu had taken over as Sect Master.
Dai Yuan was nowhere to be seen though!
Yang Kai frowned when he noticed this. He did not know where that beautiful woman who insisted on disguising herself as an ugly one had gone. Strictly speaking, she was also a disciple of Coloured Glass Sect and should have been accompanying Gong Ao Fu.
Regarding Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai only had a favourable impression of Dai Yuan; after all, he had worked together with her several times.
Silence filled the square as Yang Kai looked around coldly, none of these outside Origin Returning Realm cultivators showing any intention to speak up.
After a long time, Yang Kai grinned and quipped, “Interesting, this Sect Master has just returned to the Sect yet none of the Elders or disciples have come out to greet him. Instead, all of you took the trouble to see me.”
As for why these people had appeared in High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had a fairly good guess.
When he was in Black Sea City before, he learned from Du Yan Ling that High Heaven Sect had been extremely active during the past two years. Not only had it frequently sent out masters to rescue the elites of the Human race, but under Great Elder Ye Xi Yun’s orders, High Heaven Sect even opened its doors to shelter the cultivators who had nowhere else to flee.
These people should be the ones who had taken refuge in High Heaven Sect. This was not a surprise, of course, as High Heaven Sect was the last pure land on Shadowed Star. Protected by the Three Blazing Flame Rings, no matter how powerful the Corpse Spirit Religion was, there was no way they could reach it.
No one could criticize Ye Xi Yun’s decision, even Yang Kai.
If he was in High Heaven Sect at that time, Yang Kai would have done the same. Regarding the cultivators who fled here with such difficulty, Yang Kai would not be so hard-hearted to condemn them to death outside.
However, the current situation made him extremely angry.
Although he was not clear what happened here, or why Ye Xi Yun and the others hadn’t shown up, it was obvious that these people had somehow managed to usurp control here through some malicious means.
The Origin Returning Realm masters on the opposite side continued looking at each other before everyone’s eyes finally gathered on Old Woman Feng from Myriad Beast Mountain. Old Woman Feng did not pass on this responsibility and took a step forward while putting on a kind smile and saying, “Sect Master Yang is too serious. Now that Shadowed Star has fallen into chaos, High Heaven Sect has become the last bastion of my Human Race. It is only reasonable that we come out to greet you.”
“The last bastion of the Human Race?” Yang Kai looked at Old Woman Feng with a sneer, keenly grasping the key point she was trying to make, “Is Senior Feng trying to say that High Heaven Sect now belongs to the entire Human Race? How come I, the Sect Master, know nothing about this?”
Old Woman Feng’s complexion cramped for a moment as she did not know how to respond, apparently not having expected Yang Kai’s words to be so sharp.
A burly man suddenly stepped out and interjected, “Sect Master Yang, right? High Heaven Sect can rely on its natural defences to keep Corpse Spirit Religion’s army at bay, so naturally, this treasured land has become the last bastion for our Human Race. Now that the Corpse Spirit Race is rampaging around the world, no place is safe. High Heaven Sect should think of what is best for the Human Race and share this paradise freely, or does Sect Master Yang want to object for some reason?”
“You are…” Yang Kai squinted at him.
The burly man coldly snorted, “Floating Mist Palace’s Palace Lord, Tang Fu Shui!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, he had heard Tang Fu Shui’s name before and knew he was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, comparable to Fei Zhi Tu or Qian Tong from before. Floating Mist Palace was after all one of Shadowed Star’s first-class Sects.
Tang Fu Shui continued, “If my Floating Mist Palace owned such a treasure, I would open the Sect’s gates wide to accept the elites of my Human Race as well as contribute our meagre strength to preserve that final hope. Sect Master Yang’s words just now, however, sound like he is trying to accuse us of some sin; could it be possible Sect Master Yang wants to drive all of us away?”
As soon as this statement was made, many people’s expressions changed drastically, anxiety filling their faces.
It had not been easy for them to escape here to High Heaven Sect, and if Yang Kai really drove them out, their good days would come to an end. In the future, they would likely have to face the constant chasing down and suppression of Corpse Spirit Religion with no one able to guarantee their own safety.
“When did I say anything like that?” Yang Kai sneered lightly as he looked around with sharp eyes, “What are you afraid of?”
No one dared meet eyes with him.
“What does this King have to feel guilty about?” Tang Fu Shui snapped back with a gloomy expression.
A peal of delightful laughter suddenly rang out as Feng Yan, who had been standing next to Old Woman Feng, stepped forward and elegantly bowed to Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes flashing slightly as she spoke, “Junior Sister greets Senior Brother Yang. Senior Brother Yang should be patient, you have not been back to High Heaven Sect for some time so you may not be aware of the situation and have some misunderstandings. Corpse Spirit Religion is currently causing chaos all across Shadowed Star and many have fled here to High Heaven Sect seeking shelter. Senior Brother Yang is indeed High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, the master of this place, but please consider the overall situation first. If possible, we might as well sit down and discuss this matter calmly.”
Old Woman Feng nodded slightly, clearly feeling that what her granddaughter said was very appropriate.
Even Tang Fu Shui, who had lost his temper a moment ago, wore an appreciative look on his face.
“What the hell do you count for? Junior Sister? Don’t even try to put yourself on the same level as this Sect Master!” Yang Kai glanced at her indifferently, clearly not giving her the slightest face.
Old Woman Feng’s face sank.
Feng Yan was even more furious and beautiful face twitched as she ground her teeth and clenched her fists.
Her Myriad Beast Mountain was not weak, she was the granddaughter of Old Woman Feng, and her aptitude is also quite good. Although she wasn’t as famous as Wei Gu Chang and the other first-class talents, she was still among the rising stars of Shadowed Star.
Coupled with her beautiful looks and sharp mind, she had always been sought after by young men from Myriad Beast Mountain and regarded as the goddess in their hearts.
Even the young men from other great forces flattered and courted her wherever she went.
She had lost count of how many men were fascinated by her beauty!
As such, she never put any man in her eyes, thinking that all of them were fools who she could manipulate as she willed.
Yang Kai’s reaction just now, however, made her angry out of shame. From when she was a child until now, she had never received such insults, like a cold slap had been delivered straight to her face, what’s more, in front of such a massive crowd!
Just when she was about to snap back, Yang Kai turned away and blatantly ignored her.
To Yang Kai, she was truly not worthy of his attention.
This made Feng Yan even more annoyed and her pair of beautiful eyes sprayed with anger, glaring at Yang Kai fiercely as if she wanted to rip him to pieces.
“I’ll give you the time it takes to brew a cup of tea to explain the situation here clearly, after that time is up, if this Sect Master still does not have a satisfactory answer, all of you can scram out of my High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai’s sharp eyes swept over the crowd as he declared coldly.
The crowd immediately went into an uproar and all of those who had been afraid to meet eyes with him now glared angrily towards him.
As for the masters who had originally been hostile to Yang Kai, the murderous intent in their eyes became obvious at this moment.
Yang Kai simply sneered as he stood straight like a spear, completely unmoved in the face of all this ill intent.
He had even fought against a character like Luo Hai, a Second-Order Origin King Star Master, so how could he possibly care about these people?
Although this group had many Origin Returning Realm masters, if Yang Kai really wanted to slaughter them, none would be able to escape from High Heaven Sect today.
Their ferocious eyes were as ridiculous as a blind man complimenting a woman for her looks.
After delivering his ultimatum, Yang Kai proceeded to ignore these people while instead spreading out his Divine Sense to look for High Heaven Sect’s disciples and elders, but after searching all eighty-one peaks he still couldn’t find any trace of them.
It was as if everyone from High Heaven Sect had simply vanished.
This discovery made Yang Kai’s expression more and more ugly.
He could vaguely guess what happened here.
One possibility was that everyone was killed by these guys, making it impossible for him to find them.
The second possibility was that High Heaven Sect’s members had withdrawn from the eighty-one peaks. As for where they went, Yang Kai had a guess.
The former scenario was highly unlikely. Although High Heaven Sect’s original numbers were small and their strengths were quite weak, after absorbing Star Emperor Mountain’s masters, High Heaven Sect’s strength had dramatically increased and was no longer a soft persimmon that could be crushed at will.
What’s more, these people weren’t able to kill Ye Xi Yun.
Then there was only the second possibility. Ye Xi Yun must have evacuated High Heaven Sect’s disciples to the deepest part of the Flowing Flame Sand Field! That was where Yang Yan slept, and with the innermost ring of the Three Blazing Flame Rings protecting it, no one could enter!
Yang Kai did not know why Ye Xi Yun had made this choice, but she had her own considerations.
Just as Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and cleared up his thoughts, an old man with a sagely temperament suddenly appeared and cupped his fists in a dignified manner, “Sect Master Yang, this old master is Medicine Pill Sect’s Great Elder Li Jian Ming. Sect Master Yang has just returned from afar and must be tired. Why not take a rest first and then we can discuss this matter in detail?”
Medicine Pill Sect! This Sect was another great force with a famous reputation on Shadowed Star. The reason was simple, this Sect was focused entirely on Alchemy, similar to Medicine Pill Sect in the Great Han Dynasty, granting it a special status on this star.
Medicine Pill Sect had five Elders, all of whom were Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists. They represented an extremely valuable resource to Shadowed Star and even Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect, back when they existed, would have to treat these five with respect, not daring to offend them in the slightest.
Li Jian Ming, as Medicine Pill Sect’s Great Elder, was also a prominent master of Shadowed Star, on par with the Sect Masters of other first-class forces.
He was naturally qualified to stand up and speak up here.
When this old man spoke, he stroked his grey beard and looked at Yang Kai with a confident smile on his face, as if silently saying he deserved face…
Yang Kai simply glanced at him and snorted coldly, “Half a cup of tea’s time remains. If you want to wait in silence with this Sect Master, this Sect Master is happy to accompany you, but after a half a cup of tea’s time, this Sect Master makes no guarantees with you about what happens next.”
After speaking, Yang Kai grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth like a beast waiting to pounce.
Li Jian Ming’s face changed as he said in annoyance, “Isn’t Sect Master Yang being too unreasonable? We came out to greet you, yet Sect Master Yang doesn’t give us any face, even going so far as to ignore basic decency and righteousness. Aren’t you afraid you’ll invite trouble by having such an attitude?”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed coldly, like a sharp blade as he stared towards Li Jian Ming.
Although this old man was an Origin Grade Alchemist, his cultivation was not that high, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm, so he was unable to withstand Yang Kai’s overbearing gaze and hastily retreated two steps.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had no intention to kill him, otherwise, Li Jian Ming would have suffered greatly just from this glare.
“Bold!” Tang Fu Shui suddenly yelled, a fierce light flashing across his eyes, “You dare take action against Elder Li? Boy, you need to be taught how to respect your Seniors! You may be a Sect Master but that does not give you the right to act however you please. Today this old master will teach you a lesson so you know how to behave in the future!”
As Tang Fu Shui shouted, he pushed his Saint Qi forcefully.
Possessing Fire Attribute Saint Qi, after Tang Fu Shui began pushing it, his entire body seemingly began to burn as flames surrounded his figure, making him look like a flame giant.
Stretching out his hand, he condensed a massive burning hammer before pounding it down towards Yang Kai.
An ordinary Origin Returning Realm master would likely not be able to handle this full-powered blow from Floating Mist Palace’s Palace Master.
Even Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao, who had been standing silently behind Yang Kai, showed solemn expressions, with Yang Xiu Zhu taking a step forward and preparing to respond.
Yang Kai, however, stretched out his hand to stop him and laughed, “Not bad, finally someone could not hold themselves back. Since you court death, this Sect Master will oblige!”
As soon as these words fell, Yang Kai leapt up and met this flame giant with a vicious expression.
Upon returning to High Heaven Sect expectantly, he suddenly discovered that the Sect he had built with such difficulty had been occupied by a group of completely unrelated people while his disciples and friends were all gone.
Yang Kai had a stomach full of grievances since the beginning.
But before he could figure out what was going on here, he had forced himself to hold back and communicate with these people.
Although unlikely, he wished that there was really some kind of misunderstanding here.
Now it seemed that his tolerance was regarded as weakness by these people and someone had stepped out to bring death to themself!
Yang Kai’s anger completely erupted.
“Courting death!” Tang Fu Shui sneered as he saw Yang Kai actually try to meet his attack with his bare hands and body. Not only did he not restrain his strength, but he instead increased his Saint Qi’s output.
In an instant, the flame giant expanded again, and its aura became stronger.
Everyone’s eyes flashed as they watched Yang Kai meet this hammer head-on with mixed thoughts.
The seemingly small figure finally collided with the huge flame hammer, and at that moment, Tang Fu Shui’s complexion changed drastically as he was knocked backwards, apparently suffering a heavy blow.
*Huala…*
The giant hammer, which was condensed from the pure Saint Qi of a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, was instantly shattered and turned into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.
Yang Kai’s figure continued forward unabated, his murderous intent so thick it was tangible, transforming into a streak of light that rushed towards the tumbling Tang Fu Shui.
Before Tang Fu Shui’s stunned eyes, Yang Kai threw a clenched fist towards his face.
Tang Fu Shui’s reaction was remarkably quick. Facing such a punch, he desperately pushed his Saint Qi to form a protective barrier around his body while at the same time he spread out his Shi and tried to escape.
However, as soon as his Shi left his body, it was shattered, as if it had met its natural enemy, and his body froze in place, unable to even move.
Yang Kai’s fist quickly enlarged in his eyes.
No Saint Qi fluctuations were coming from this punch, but that did not decrease the aura of death Tang Fu Shui felt coming from it. Before this punch even arrived, Tang Fu Shui felt his protective Saint Qi crumble and his face begin to cave in.
“No!” Tang Fu Shui yelled in horror. At this moment, he no longer possessed any of the poise a Palace Master should have and instead wore a look filled with panic as he desperately looked for a way to survive.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai punched landed straight on his face.
None of these onlookers was weak, but even they couldn’t help jumping in fright when they saw Yang Kai’s punch directly shattered Tang Fu Shui’s head.
They were even clearly able to see the whole process of Tang Fu Shui’s head exploding, as if it had been slowed down countless times, creating a memory they would never be able to forget.
Everyone fell silent as the look they gave Yang Kai changed dramatically.
Originally, some held contempt for Yang Kai, who was simply an Origin Returning Realm cultivator like them, but now, only fear remained.
What kind of strength Tang Fu Shui had? All of them understood it was not something trivial. Among the Origin Returning Realm masters present, Tang Fu Shui could rank among the top three.
But even such a master had his head shattered by a single punch from Yang Kai, dying a miserable death. During the entire process, Yang Kai showed no signs of using his Saint Qi, seemingly relying solely on his physical strength to accomplish this feat.
No one was foolish enough to think that Tang Fu Shui had underestimated his opponent, leading to his demise. Tang Fu Shui, as the Palace Master of Floating Mist Palace, was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator who had fought countless battles throughout his life. With such rich experience, how could he make the mistake of underestimating his enemy?
Judging from the attack he launched, it was obvious Tang Fu Shui was also going all out.
But in the end, he was still killed in one blow.
This could only mean that Yang Kai’s strength far surpassed Tang Fu Shui’s, enough so that the latter could not even last one exchange in combat.
Tang Fu Shui was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so was Yang Kai an Origin King?
Thinking so, everyone gasped and felt their lungs fill with frigid air.
“Execute everyone from Floating Mist Palace!” Yang Kai commanded angrily, clearly unwilling to simply let the matter drop.
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao had also been suppressing their anger for some time now, but without Yang Kai’s orders, they did not dare act on their own. At this moment though, having received Yang Kai’s command, they immediately dashed forward, pushing their Saint Qi furiously together with their Shi as they crashed into a group of a dozen people.
These dozen people had arrived together with Tang Fu Shui and were all wearing Floating Mist Palace’s robes, making them easy to identify.
Yang Kai obviously intended to act ruthlessly!
Like tigers descending the mountain, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others rushed into the Floating Mist Palace camp and after only ten breaths filled with cries for mercy, the dozen Origin Returning Realm masters from Floating Mist Palace had all been slaughtered, none of them even able to put up a decent struggle.
Strictly speaking, Floating Mist Palace was not a weak force, and other than the dead Tang Fu Shui, who was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, there was another Third-Order, three Second-Order, and eight First-Order masters present.
However, these masters had been terrified by Yang Kai’s overwhelming power, while Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were peak-level masters themselves who had survived the Blood Prison Trial, so how could these dozen or so cultivators possibly offer any noteworthy resistance?
After ten breaths, a dozen fresh corpses were lying on the square and a potent smell of blood filled the air!
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others did not say a word, simply returning to stand behind Yang Kai silently after completing this task.
The audience also remained silent, with the only audible sound being the violent heartbeats of the nervous crowd. Everyone stared at Yang Kai, Yang Xiu Zhu, and the others as if they were a group of reapers, their faces filled with shock and horror.
“You… you dare use such cruel methods!” Feng Yan’s tender body trembled as she pointed at Yang Kai and said in an incredulous tone, “These are the last high-end masters of my Shadowed Star’s Human Race. If you kill them, who will be left to fight against Corpse Spirit Religion’s army in the future? Are you trying to condemn my Shadowed Star’s Human Race to extinction?”
Listening to her self-righteous words, Yang Kai only sneered, “Oh? Since they have such great strength, why aren’t they out fighting the enemy instead of cowering inside my High Heaven Sect?”
Feng Yan was struck speechless for a moment, but just as she was about to retort, Old Woman Feng suddenly glared at her.
Only then did Feng Yan come back to her senses and realized what she had just done. She really did not know what insanity had come over her that led her to condemn Yang Kai’s actions. Having awoken thanks to Old Woman Feng’s glare, Feng Yan’s tender body could not help shivering as cold sweat began soaking her clothes.
“My patience is limited!” Yang Kai repeated.
Everyone’s complexion paled as they looked towards Yang Kai in dread, but none dared to speak.
They had been relying on their superior numbers to not take Yang Kai seriously, feeling that no matter how annoyed or angry Yang Kai was, he couldn’t tear face with them on the spot. They thought that Yang Kai had no choice but to compromise with them, but after witnessing his brutal methods and terrifying strength, they realized they were greatly mistaken.
This young High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master did not need to talk to them at all, he could simply kill all of them and be done with it.
In the face of absolute force, all schemes and plans were futile.
After a long silence, Old Woman Feng sighed heavily and spoke, “The talents from the younger generation will always surpass those from the previous, we acknowledge that punishment is deserved. Sect Master Yang, just tell us what you want to know!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I only want to know one thing, what happened to my High Heaven Sect!”
Old Woman Feng turned her head and glanced around, but everyone avoided her eyes, obviously not daring to be the one to explain what happened to Yang Kai. Old Woman Feng wore a depressed look and said desolately, “Sect Master Yang, this is a long story, but just know we were forced into this situation!”
“It looks like you still want to test my patience!” Yang Kai smiled wickedly as he began pushing his Saint Qi.
Old Woman Feng’s face changed drastically, and she hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
“I will explain what happened here in High Heaven Sect.”
At that moment, a new voice suddenly called out from afar. When Yang Kai heard this voice, he thought it sounded a little familiar, and after turning his head, he saw an old man with a black face walking over to the square.
By the side of this old man was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. When this middle-aged man saw the scattered corpses here, however, he could not help crying out in surprise.
Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Yan Pei and his Disciple!
Yang Kai had also dealt with this auctioneer known as Old Black Face and knew he had a good relationship with Qian Tong, so although he was still quite annoyed, he suppressed his anger and nodded, “So it is Senior Yan!”
“Sect Master Yang is too polite, this Yan will explain what transpired here,” Old Black Face Yan Pei cupped his fists before briefly summarizing what the situation was while Yang Kai listened solemnly.
Two years ago, when Corpse Spirit Religion first appeared, it began destroying great forces like a great snowball rolling down a hill, growing bigger and more unstoppable as time passed!
Many Sects and families were slaughtered ruthlessly down to their roots, and the more famous Sects were the ones Corpse Spirit Religion focused on first.
Facing this immense onslaught, no great force on Shadowed Star was able to resist.
Shadow Moon Hall, Floating Mist Palace, Coloured Glass Sect, Clear Sky Sect, Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect… all of them were destroyed one after another, resulting in countless casualties.
Because of High Heaven Sect’s special geographic location, however, Corpse Spirit Religion had no way to attack them directly.
With Yang Kai away, Ye Xi Yun was in charge of High Heaven Sect, and did not just ignore Shadowed Star’s crisis. Stemming from her sense of morality and justice, she frequently dispatched High Heaven Sect’s masters to rescue the besieged Sects.
Ye Xi Yun even personally took action.
However, though High Heaven Sect was not weak, it was still unable to reverse the situation when facing a behemoth like Corpse Spirit Religion. Not only did High Heaven Sect suffer heavy losses in the process, but it also failed to obtain any kind of decisive victory.
Finally, High Heaven Sect opened its doors to accept the cultivators who had managed to flee as a last resort.
The thousand or so people Yang Kai sensed when he first returned to High Heaven Sect were these survivors.
Upon entering High Heaven Sect, these people felt like they had suddenly arrived in Heaven from Hell, the contrast making all of them feel ecstatic!
Outside, they had to worry about the pursuit of Corpse Spirit Religion and were unable to even heal their wounds as they needed to constantly remain on guard. But inside High Heaven Sect, all these worries disappeared with the Three Blazing Flame Rings protecting them. Living here was extremely comfortable, and even if the Heavens fell outside, it would not affect this place.
What’s more, the World Energy in High Heaven Sect was the richest on Shadowed Star. Even Star Emperor Mountain could not compare to even the lowest quality peak in High Heaven Sect.
Everyone fell in love with this place!
None of them knew what the inside of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was like before, but after Ye Xi Yun accepted them in as refugees, they discovered that this place was simply an unparalleled cultivation paradise!
Who would not covet such a treasured land?
Every cultivator from every Sect was envious of High Heaven Sect.
However, none of them was foolish enough to tear face with High Heaven Sect right after they had been saved by them.
When Ye Xi Yun wanted them to join High Heaven Sect’s efforts to rescue other great forces, however, the situation changed.
They had finally managed to reach a safe haven, so how could they be willing to go out again and live the life of constant fear!
As such, none of the great forces cooperated.
Still, by doing so, they worried that their attitudes and behaviour would anger Ye Xi Yun and she would drive them out.
In order to avoid such an outcome, several Sects began to conspire and launched a pre-emptive strike against High Heaven Sect.
Since High Heaven Sect had absorbed the masters from Star Emperor Mountain, its strength was definitely not weak, but after two years of constant battles, High Heaven Sect’s forces had suffered numerous losses and everyone who had managed to come back alive was injured. With such greatly reduced strength, how could they resist the combined forces of so many of Shadowed Star’s masters?
With no other choice, Ye Xi Yun had taken High Heaven Sect’s remaining members and retreated to the innermost depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
This happened two months ago.
With Ye Xi Yun and the others having retreated, these people naturally took over High Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
Although they were also worried that Ye Xi Yun would launch a counterattack after she recovered, they were more afraid of Corpse Spirit Religion’s army which had gathered outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Staying here, they knew they could at least survive, but if they were forced out of High Heaven Sect, only death awaited them.
So, despite living on in shame, they still occupied prime locations inside High Heaven Sect headquarters and bided their time.
“That is the entire story,” Old Black Face Yan Pei finished his explanation and fell silent.
His Disciple, Ren Tian Rui, known as Little Black Face, opened his mouth at this point and added, “My Treasure Trove Pavilion did not participate in this matter and neither did many other great forces!”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and sneered, “Even if you didn’t participate, you didn’t try to stop it, did you?”
Ren Tian Rui’s face turned pale, and he argued back weakly, “We warned Great Elder Ye in advance!”
“Ho, then this Sect Master must properly thank you!” Yang Kai stared at him indifferently.
Being mocked by Yang Kai, Ren Tian Rui opened his mouth to explain, but Yan Pei raised his hand to stop him, “There’s no need to say anything more as this was indeed our wrong. Sect Master Yang, rest assured, this old master will bring the people of Treasure Trove Pavilion and leave High Heaven Sect!”
Yang Kai took a deep look at him but did not say anything more, simply turning his head to Old Woman Feng and the others before snickering, “How great! Great Elder Ye showed both righteousness and compassion but ended up only saving a group of ungrateful wolves, this is simply the best!”
The Origin Returning Realm masters on the opposite side all wore guilty and embarrassed expressions.
Their behaviour was indeed shameful. The cultivators present were all leaders of great forces and possessed great combat strength. Although each of them was cunning like a vox and vicious as a wolf, their actions really were something they felt ashamed of.
As such, when faced with Yang Kai’s mockery, they could not refute.
On top of that, they were afraid of arousing Yang Kai’s anger and provoking him into massacring them, so everyone held their tongues.
Old Black Face Yang Pei stood to the side, and feeling the murderous intent coming from Yang Kai, his expression was extremely solemn, opening his mouth a few times to speak, but ultimately just sighing and choosing to remain silent.
“Who took the lead!?” Yang Kai shouted sharply, his eyes flashing with cold light as he scanned the crowd.
Feeling this terrible anger, everyone involuntarily stepped back a few steps, and in the next moment, many eyes glanced towards Old Woman Feng of Myriad Beast Mountain.
Feeling these gazes, Old Woman Feng’s face changed drastically as she glanced towards Yang Kai with dread.
Yang Kai grinned back at her viciously.
Old Woman Feng no longer dared to remain and with a shout, her withered body suddenly burst out with incredible strength and she turned into a stream of light that raced outwards.
“You want to leave now? Not with your life!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before stretching out his hand towards the fleeing Old Woman Feng and clenching his fist.
Old Woman Feng, who was already a thousand metres away, suddenly felt the space around her solidify and saw innumerable tiny Void Cracks open around her, surrounding her like the sharpest of blades.
“Sect Master Yang, please wait! This old woman admits her wrongs and is willing to offer compensation!” Old Woman Feng cried out. She did not dare to fight and could only push her Saint Qi to try to resist the suction force of the surrounding Void Cracks.
“Too late!” Yang Kai remained unmoved and pushed his Space Force.
The Void Cracks hummed as they seemingly transformed into real blades and sliced through Old Woman Feng.
The next moment, the aura of Old Woman Feng, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master from Myriad Beast Mountain, disappeared and much of her figure was banished to The Void. What was left of her body fell to the ground in the next breath, leaving behind an eye-catching pile of hashed meat and bone.
Yang Kai next cast his gaze towards the others from Myriad Beast Mountain.
These high-level executives from Myriad Beast Mountain who had come together with Old Woman Feng turned pale and showed looks filled with terror and apprehension.
Some fell to their knees and begged for mercy while others let out desperate shouts as they tried to flee like Old Woman Feng. Others realized that there would be no escape and stood their ground. Their faces were ashen, but they were still pushing their Saint Qi, preparing to fight back.
Feng Yan only stood in place, her beautiful face filled with shock, as if she could not process what had just happened.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others did not need to wait for Yang Kai’s orders this time and shot forward, knowing what needed to be done.
Ten breaths later, all the Elders from Myriad Beast Mountain were wiped out, leaving only Feng Yan still standing stupidly in place.
The surrounding blood and the tragic deaths of her Martial Uncles and Aunts finally sobered up Feng Yan. Her tender body trembling, her thoughts in chaos, she actually chose the most unexpected action at that moment and shot towards Yang Kai while shouting, “I’ll take you down!”
Yang Kai stared at her blankly, showing no intention to stop her or even move.
Lin Yu Rao, who was standing behind him, took a step forward and waved her hand lightly, sending out a flash of light from her fingertips. A moment later, Feng Yan’s beautiful eyes instantly widened and after rushing forward a few more metres, she came to a halt just five steps from Yang Kai as a thin red line of blood appeared around her neck.
And so, Myriad Beast Mountain’s final bloodline died, and this Sect was completely removed from Shadowed Star.
“You can’t kill me!” A panicked shout suddenly came from the crowd, “This old master is the top Alchemist of Shadowed Star, he had made great contributions to the Human Race, so you can’t kill me!”
Yang Kai turned to the source of the voice and found it was Great Elder Li Jian Ming from Medicine Pill Sect.
Li Jian Ming’s complexion became pale after he witnessed Yang Kai’s ruthless methods and his spirit could not help collapsing somewhat.
“It seems that this matter is also related to your Medicine Pill Sect?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and his figure flickered, arriving in front of Li Jian Ming in the next instant as he stretched out a hand to grab him.
Although Li Jian Ming was the Great Elder of Medicine Pill Sect, he was only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm masters in the end. Having invested most of his life into the pursuit of Alchemy, Li Jian Ming had no spare energy to pursue the Martial Dao, resulting in his cultivation being quite low, and his combat experience being even lower.
When Yang Kai reached out towards him, Li Jian Ming did not even try to dodge and instead just continued to scream, “You can’t kill me!”
Yang Kai naturally did not pay him any mind and with a slap exploded his head.
“Stop!” A shout rang out too late, only reaching Yang Kai’s ears after Li Jian Ming’s head exploded.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai saw several other senior members of Medicine Pill Sect glaring at him.
As soon as Yang Kai’s cold gaze landed upon them though, the senior executives of Medicine Pill Sect felt as if they had been thrown into a blizzard and could not help shivering.
The leader of this group, another Elder from Medicine Pill Sect, was just about to continue objecting, but seeing Yang Kai staring at him like this, his jaw clenched up and he hesitantly said, “Sect Master Yang… we are willing to pledge allegiance to High Heaven Sect, all we ask in return is that Sect Master Yang show mercy to us.”
Everyone could not help showing a look of shock.
Although Medicine Pill Sect had only a few members even before the chaos, it had always been an arrogant and aloof Sect.
When Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect were in their heydays, they naturally had ideas about annexing Medicine Pill Sect. They wanted to have these Alchemists work solely for their Sects, but Medicine Pill Sect refused to compromise so despite Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect’s annoyance, they had no choice but to back down.
Eventually, they formed a cooperative relationship with Medicine Pill Sect and in exchange for a massive amount of materials and resources, Medicine Pill Sect would refine several pills for them.
But now, these Elders from Medicine Pill Sect declared their willingness to submit to High Heaven Sect.
Although Great Elder Li Jian Ming was already dead, there were still four Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists in Medicine Pill Sect! There were also more than a dozen Saint King Grade Alchemists present, a treasure that any force would salivate over.
Any great force that could control this many high-rank Alchemists would surely see its strength grow rapidly in the future.
Although the atmosphere here and Yang Kai’s previous methods had caused great fear in everyone present, when the Elder of Medicine Pill Sect made this offer, the others present couldn’t help looking at Yang Kai with some envy.
“We are willing to submit to High Heaven Sect. Please spare our lives, Sect Master Yang!” Seeing that their leader had already compromised, how could the other Elders dare resist? All of them immediately lowered their arrogant heads one after another, expressing their willingness to surrender.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others raised their brows as they looked towards Yang Kai with slightly expectant expressions, as if they wanted to suggest that he agree to Medicine Pill Sect’s request.
Yang Kai just snickered, however, and asked, “I just killed Li Jian Ming, do you not hold a grudge against me?”
The expressions of the people from Medicine Pill Sect changed slightly and the Elder who spoke first took the initiative and spoke up. “Wise birds choose the best tree to roost in, we are simply making the best choice we can.”
“Haha!” Yang Kai laughed lightly before his face sank and he commanded, “Kill them!”
Everyone from Medicine Pill Sect was stunned, and Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were shocked. They did not think that Yang Kai would issue such a ruthless order.
However, they also did not hesitate, rushed out, and executed his command.
The Elders from Medicine Pill Sect shouted, “Sect Master Yang, this old master and his companions are Origin Grade Alchemists, you…”
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Han Yi lopped off his head.
The people from Medicine Pill Sect did not have much fighting strength, so Yang Xiu Zhu’s trio didn’t need to exert much effort to send them all to the next life.
Unlike before though, there was some reluctance on their faces this time.
These people were all Alchemists capable of refining pills above Saint King Grade. Never had they been willing to submit to any great force, but now they were just corpses gradually growing cold on High Heaven Sect’s main square.
Yang Kai did not care in the slightest. If he were someone else, he might really have given these people a way out; after all, Origin Grade Alchemists were not easy to come across, especially in a place like Shadowed Star.
Every Alchemist above Saint King Grade was a precious resource.
However, Yang Kai himself was an Origin King Grade Alchemist while Little Senior Sister’s Alchemy skills were even better than his, so how could he care about a few trivial Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists?
Instead of wasting precious herbs on them, Yang Kai would rather kill them and do it himself.
After dealing with the two primary culprits, Myriad Beast Mountain and Medicine Pill Sect, the anger and murderous intent in Yang Kai’s heart finally calmed down somewhat, and under the terrified and anxious gazes of the rest of the crowd, he declared, “You now have two choices: Submit or die!”
Everyone here was an Origin Returning Realm cultivator and represented a powerful combat force.
While Yang Kai did have the ability to slaughter them all, considering his options, Yang Kai was more interested in subduing them.
Corpse Spirit Religion was a disaster for all of Shadowed Star, and High Heaven Sect’s original forces had suffered heavy casualties, so there was a lack of powerful masters who could be deployed in battle at this moment.
These people were more useful alive than dead.
Little Black Face Ren Tian Rui had also said that many great forces did not participate in the persecution of Ye Xi Yun and the others. Most of the great forces here probably just followed along with the flow of events.
So, after killing those responsible, Yang Kai did not intend to punish the others ruthlessly. Presumably, the blood of Myriad Beast Mountain and Medicine Pill Sect that he had spilt was enough to make these people understand their place.
After Yang Kai spoke, the square fell silent once more.
Everyone was exchanging glances, but compared to the anxious ones they were wearing just now, their expressions had eased greatly.
They had been afraid that Yang Kai’s murderous intentions would not be quelled until they were all dead, and with the strength he and Yang Xiu Zhu’s trio displayed, they knew they would not be able to resist.
No one was stupid enough to question Yang Kai’s overbearing command. Compared with his brutal tactics just now, being given a choice to submit was nothing less than a great benevolence, causing many to feel relieved but also somewhat complicated.
After a short silence, however, someone stepped forward. It was a man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties. After walking up to Yang Kai, this man cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “This one is Extreme Path Sect’s Sect Master Wang Tai Zhen, I am willing to submit to High Heaven Sect and obey Sect Master Yang’s dispatch in the future!”
“My Flame Shield Union is willing to obey Sect Master Yang’s commands.”
“Extreme Martial Pavilion is willing…”
…
Within moments, more than a dozen Sects of all sizes expressed their willingness and stepped forward to salute Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stood in place, his attitude was neither warm nor cold, appearing quite unreadable.
As time passed, more and more great forces submitted.
In the face of absolute strength, if they still did not recognize reality, it was no different than courting death! These people had finally escaped to High Heaven Sect and found refuge, so how could they be willing to die here?
Although Yang Kai’s approach was a little overbearing and his attitude also made them somewhat uncomfortable, in the end, this was what they needed to do to survive.
“Coloured Glass Sect is willing to join High Heaven Sect. From now on, there shall be no Coloured Glass Sect on Shadowed Star. Please show kindness and accept us into your ranks, Sect Master Yang!” A beautiful woman walked in front of Yang Kai and her eyes flashed with a determined and sincere light.
As soon as this statement came out, the masters who had expressed their allegiance just now all gawked towards the one who had spoken, disbelief covering their faces.
Yang Kai also finally showed a look of interest upon noticing that he knew this woman.
It was none other than the current Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Ao Fu!
Strictly speaking, she was Dai Yuan’s Honoured Master, but for some special reasons, Dai Yuan was not favoured by Gong Ao Fu. On the contrary, Yin Su Die was treated quite well by Gong Ao Fu, always accompanying her, and was cultivated vigorously.
Even now, the beautiful Yin Su Die stood beside Gong Ao Fu, even daringly casting a few gazes of admiration towards Yang Kai.
With a slight grin on his face, Yang Kai stared at Gong Ao Fu deeply before slowly asking, “Does Sect Master Gong understand what she is saying?”
Gong Ao Fu smiled lightly as she lifted her hand and brushed her long black hair back behind her ear and said lightly, “This Mistress is not a child, so she understands. Sect Master Yang need not worry, this Mistress can take full responsibility for her words.”
Submitting and joining had completely different meanings. The Sects that had chosen to submit to Yang Kai would from now on have to obey his orders, but they would not truly belong to High Heaven Sect, they would retain their Sect name and keep their statuses within it. One day, when they left High Heaven Sect, they would also return to their own headquarters and continue the operation of their Sect.
But Gong Ao Fu said she wished to join. Joining High Heaven Sect meant she would need to disband the current Coloured Glass Sect. In other words, Coloured Glass Sect’s history would end with her generation. If Yang Kai was willing to accept them, they would become disciples of High Heaven Sect.
At that point, Yang Kai would be in full control of their destinies. In the future, they would never be able to leave High Heaven Sect or revive Coloured Glass Sect without Yang Kai’s consent. Leaving without permission would be the same as betraying the Sect, an offence none could tolerate.
This was an extremely bold decision. The Origin Returning Realm masters in the square were shocked, and their expressions fluctuated greatly; but soon, many showed looks of admiration.
They naturally understood what Gong Ao Fu was thinking. Yang Kai had returned and displayed astonishing personal strength. On top of that, only High Heaven Sect remained safe on Shadowed Star. Joining High Heaven Sect at this time was undoubtedly the right choice as they would undoubtedly receive much greater attention and care.
But even understanding this, if they were really asked to give up their Sect and join High Heaven Sect instead, most would probably be unwilling.
Cultivators always regarded their origin and its inheritance very seriously! All of them proudly wore their Sect’s emblems, which represented centuries, if not millennia of history and tradition.
Even Yang Kai was no different in this regard.
This was why when he established his own Sect on Shadowed Star, he had named it High Heaven Sect, not Nine Heavens Holy Land or Soaring Heaven Sect! Although the latter two Sects had close ties to him, and he was the Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, it was obvious how large his sentiments for High Heaven Pavilion were.
In the end, High Heaven Pavilion was his original home, and he carried a special affection towards it, one that Nine Heavens Holy Land and Soaring Heaven Sect could not replace.
Gong Ao Fu taking the initiative to disband Coloured Glass Sect and join High Heaven Sect showed that his beautiful woman had far greater vision that most people present, as well as firmer determination. If this were not the case, she would never have been able to make this decision which ran counter to all of her ancestral teachings.
Yang Kai looked at her directly, staring into her eyes, as if trying to see through to her heart.
Gong Ao Fu did not attempt to evade his gaze, seemingly not feeling the slightest guilt or fear, just continuing to meet Yang Kai eyes with clear and limpid vision.
“Does Sect Master Yang disdain my Coloured Glass Sect Shi for being too weak?”
Seeing that Yang Kai still hadn’t responded after some time, Gong Ao Fu couldn’t help feeling slightly anxious and said, “Coloured Glass Sect has suffered disaster and has very few disciples left. Those who followed this Mistress to High Heaven Sect only number fifty, but among them are ten Origin Realm masters, and the others have Saint King cultivations.”
“Being able to escape with fifty people, not bad at all,” Yang Kai casually complimented, but he still did not show any indication to accept or reject her.
Gong Ao Fu couldn’t help feeling a little awkward and continued, “This Mistress knows that there has been some unpleasantness between Coloured Glass Sect and Sect Master Yang before, but if Sect Master Yang is willing to forgive these transgressions and accept us, this Mistress will swear an oath that even if she dies the cruellest of deaths she will not betray Sect Master Yang’s trust!”
A woman needed incredible determination to make such a pledge as even most men would not have the courage to do so.
Having made this pledge, Gong Ao Fu called out suddenly, “Su Die, kneel down and apologize to Sect Master Yang! I know some of your actions in the past have angered Sect Master Yang.”
Yin Su Die’s tender body trembled when she heard this and she immediately directed a miserable look towards Yang Kai, one that could elicit pity from even the hardest of hearts; however, she did not dare disobey Gong Ao Fu’s command and really knelt in full view of this crowd before uttering in a weak voice, “Su Die was ignorant before and offended Sect Master Yang. Please do not take Su Die’s previous slights to heart, Sect Master Yang.”
She was now a First-Order Origin Returning Realm master, and if it were not for Gong Ao Fu’s order, it would have been absolutely impossible for her to humiliate herself like this.
Otherwise, once word of this spread, she would not be able to show her face in public in the future.
“Sect Master Yang, you…” Gong Ao Fu looked at Yang Kai tentatively.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before narrowing his eyes towards Gong Ao Fu before speaking, “I want to know where Dai Yuan is. Sect Master Gong should be clear about her whereabouts, no?”
Dai Yuan was one of Yang Kai’s few friends on Shadowed Star, and although their friendship was not too deep, it was not shallow. However, since Yang Kai appeared here, he had been unable to sense any trace of Dai Yuan. Logically speaking, if Dai Yuan had managed to escape here to High Heaven Sect, she should have appeared at this time.
Yang Kai had not seen her yet though, annoying him somewhat and making him worried about whether something had happened to Dai Yuan.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Gong Ao Fu actually relaxed and said with a smile, “If Sect Master Yang is worried about the safety of this Mistress’ Disciple, this Mistress can guarantee that she is currently well.”
“Why do you say so?”
“Dai Yuan followed Great Elder Ye to the innermost depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so she is naturally safe now.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he could not help feeling some surprise.
Yang Kai could guess why Dai Yuan had chosen to follow Ye Xi Yun into the deepest part of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It must have been because she did not want to associate herself with the people in this square, so she had chosen to abandon her Sect and side with Ye Xi Yun without hesitation. Yang Kai was also certain he was a driving force behind this decision.
If it were not for his friendship with Dai Yuan, she would never have taken such an action that could only be seen as a betrayal to her Sect.
Yang Kai could not help feeling moved.
While he did not have many friends on Shadowed Star, each one of them was a true companion he could trust whole-heartedly. There was no need to question Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er’s demeanours. To rescue Fei Zhi Tu, they had willingly thrown themselves into a trap, ignoring the life or death risk involved, and what Dai Yuan had done here was tantamount to treason to her Sect.
“I wonder if Sect Master Yang is satisfied with this Mistress’ answer?” Gong Ao Fu asked, but her face was already full of smiles. She had seen through Yang Kai’s thoughts, so she was no longer worried like before.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to help Yin Su Die up before nodding, “Since Sect Master Gong has such intentions, it would be too unkind if this Sect Master still refuses. From now on, Coloured Under Glass Sect’s survivors will be my High Heaven Sect’s disciples, sharing weal and woe together!”
Gong Ao Fu obtained the answer she wanted and immediately cupped her fists, “Many thanks, Sect Master. This Mistress greets Sect Master!”
She immediately changed how she addressed Yang Kai, narrowing the gap between them ever so slightly.
“Disciple greets Sect Master!” Yin Su Die also elegantly bowed, her pretty face blushing slightly, revealing a shy but enchanting light.
Yang Kai, however, knew her nature well and would not be deceived by this innocent act.
This woman cultivated Charm Techniques and it was an instinct for her to change her temperament to attract men’s attention.
She had not even tried to let go of Yang Kai’s hand, instead holding on to him tighter, like she was smitten with him.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly as he glanced at her deeply before withdrawing his hand silently. Turning his focus, he then announced, “Sect Master Gong has great strength, and since you have now joined my High Heaven Sect, you will take up the position of Elder. En, the original disciples of Coloured Glass Sect will also be under your command.”
Gong Ao Fu’s delicate lips parted as a wave of emotion flashed across her beautiful eyes.
After joining High Heaven Sect, not only were they not pushed aside or oppressed, Yang Kai was even willing to let the original disciples Coloured Glass Sect remain under her control while also granting her the status of an Elder. Naturally, this greatly moved this beautiful woman.
“Also, if there is a chance in the future, and Elder Gong wishes to revive Coloured Glass Sect, this Sect Master will not object!” Yang Kai thought for a moment before throwing out another shocking commitment.
This time, Gong Ao Fu’s eyes became slightly moist as she bowed solemnly, “This Mistress offers her sincerest thanks to Sect Master. From this day forward, this Mistress will do her utmost to contribute to High Heaven Sect so as not to disappoint Sect Master’s expectations!”
She truly surrendered to Yang Kai this time.
Originally, joining High Heaven Sect was just a stopgap measure to protect the last remnants of Coloured Glass Sect, but it had already yielded such incredible returns, so how could Gong Ao Fu not feel immense gratitude?
At this moment, the other Sects present showed looks of regret.
None of them had expected Yang Kai to be so generous, even allowing Coloured Glass Sect to rebuild itself in the future. If they had known this, how could they have bothered debating such minor pros and cons in their hearts, they would have straight up asked to join High Heaven Sect as well.
Unfortunately, it was now too late for regrets. Although Yang Kai apparently possessed a forgiving and amiable personality, he was clearly no fool. After they had already seen the treatment Coloured Glass Sect received, how could he accept others coming up and wishing to join now?
Many people wore bitter looks, but they quickly set such stray thoughts aside and moved forward to congratulate Gong Ao Fu.
Gong Ao Fu was now considered an Elder of High Heaven Sect, so they needed to fawn upon her.
Gong Ao Fu also seemed to be in a jubilant mood because of Yang Kai’s words and responded to everyone who came up to her with a smile and appropriate words. After all, she had previously been a Sect Master herself, so dealing with these trivial pleasantries was not an issue for her.
Yang Kai glanced around until his eyes finally fixed on Yan Pei.
Yan Pei’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, making it impossible for anyone to tell his thoughts from his expression, but seeing Yang Kai looking at him, he took the initiative to sigh and cup his fists, “Sect Master Yang please take care, this old master will take his leave!”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Where does Senior Yan plan to go?”
Yan Pei frowned as he replied, “I don’t know, we’ll just take one step at a time.”
The Corpse Spirit Religion army was everywhere outside, and although Treasure Trove Pavilion was not weak, it naturally couldn’t compete with the former. If this weren’t the case, Yan Pei would not have brought his people here to seek refuge inside High Heaven Sect. Now that he had to depart, he naturally felt the future was bleak.
“If Senior Yan does not object, he might as well remain here. Although my High Heaven Sect has nothing extraordinary about it, it has more than enough land to accommodate the people of your Treasure Trove Pavilion.”
Yan Pei’s body shook as his old black face glowed with a hint of excitement. Turning to Yang Kai gratefully, he lowered his head and said, “This old master is ashamed!”
When the masters from the various Sects were making trouble for High Heaven Sect previously, although the people from Treasure Trove Pavilion did not participate, they also did not stand up to stop them, only going so far as to warn Ye Xi Yun in advance.
Towards a benefactor who had saved their lives and given them asylum, this was undoubtedly ungrateful behaviour.
And now, Yang Kai was even willing to retain them, repaying ingratitude with mercy and making Yan Pei feel quite ashamed and embarrassed.
He knew that there was not much friendship between Yang Kai and Treasure Trove Pavilion, only a few business dealings related to mutual interests. The reason why Yang Kai offered to let them remain was mainly because of Qian Tong’s face.
The personal relationship between Yan Pei and Qian Tong was quite good after all.
“Senior Yan is too serious. After this catastrophe passes, this Yang’s High Heaven Sect will no doubt receive help from Treasure Trove Pavilion regarding certain matters. When the time comes, I hope Senior Yan will not refuse!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Sect Master Yang need not worry about that. If High Heaven Sect has a use for my Treasure Trove Pavilion in the future, it only needs to say the word,” Yan Pei pledged solemnly.
Yang Kai smiled with satisfaction, thinking Old Black Face Yan Pei was someone who understood propriety.
While his taking the initiative to offer shelter to Yan Pei was truly related to Qian Tong, Yang Kai’s main reason for doing so was because Treasure Trove Pavilion could not be taken lightly. Perhaps their combat power was not worth mentioning in front of him, but Treasure Trove Pavilion had influence all across Shadowed Star and had developed many businesses and channels that High Heaven Sect simply did not have. If High Heaven Sect wanted to grow in the future, it would not be a bad idea to have such an ally.
Moreover, the culprits who forced Ye Xi Yun to withdraw from High Heaven Sect had all been punished, so the flames of anger in Yang Kai’s heart had been greatly extinguished. He was not interested in pursuing those who were left here for this crime.
It would be a huge loss for Shadowed Star to kill all the people present. Instead of dying by his hand, it would be better to have them redeem themselves by fighting Corpse Spirit Religion.
For a time, the square actually became quite lively; however, ninety-nine percent of the masters present were still acting cautiously towards Yang Kai, lest they upset him accidentally.
Only Gong Ao Fu and the former members of Coloured Glass Sect who had officially joined High Heaven Sect wore a more natural expression.
Yang Kai had not returned to High Heaven Sect for a long time, so he was quite concerned about the Sect’s affairs. He was also very concerned about Ye Xi Yun and the others, so he did not waste any more time than necessary chatting with these people. After sending them back to their respective residences, he summoned out the rest of the people aboard the Starship.
Yang Kai did not need to issue any orders to these people as Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were more than capable of organizing themselves.
Yang Kai then hurried towards the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, however, before he could even leave High Heaven Sect’s perimeter, he saw a large cluster of lights flying towards him. At the head of this group, Yang Kai felt a familiar aura that belonged to Ye Xi Yun.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment, but soon understood. Although he had only appeared in the square a short time ago, he had raised quite a ruckus, so it wasn’t a surprise that Ye Xi Yun had noticed and brought the original High Heaven Sect members out from the sixth layer.
Since they were returning on their own, Yang Kai simply stood in place and waited.
A moment later, a group of more than two hundred people, led by Ye Xi Yun, landed not far in front of Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could even examine Ye Xi Yun’s condition, he heard Great Elder Ye ask, “Finished processing everything?”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment but soon laughed, “Great Elder has such faith in me?”
Ye Xi Yun replied indifferently, “You are the Sect Master, who else can this Queen have faith in?”
Yang Kai sighed and nodded, “It has been handled.”
Ye Xi Yun turned in the direction of the square and asked lightly, “The smell of blood is quite strong, did many die?”
Yang Kai snickered, “Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect, and Floating Mist Palace have been wiped out!”
Ye Xi Yun did not react much, but the people behind her all showed uplifted looks, knowing they had obtained justice.
It was these three forces which had incited the others to begin with, leading to those many masters opposing High Heaven Sect and forcing Ye Xi Yun to withdraw.
“Sect Master!” Chang Qi suddenly walked out from behind and saluted Yang Kai, “Please understand, Sect Master, Great Elder had us withdraw from the headquarters not because we weren’t those thieves’ opponents, but because Great Elder was worried about the weaker disciples of the Sect. Our High Heaven Sect’s numbers are still quite thin so we cannot afford to lose anyone.”
“I know,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Chang Qi was taken aback but soon retreated without saying anything more.
Yang Kai originally thought that the reason Ye Xi Yun had retreated to the depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was that they were greatly outnumbered, and after seeing this group and their current states, he immediately confirmed his speculations.
Although the number of people in front of him was far smaller than when he left High Heaven Sect, and almost all of them had suffered varying degrees of injuries, Ye Xi Yun did not seem to be greatly affected. With her means, even if Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect, and Floating Mist Palace tried, how could they have possibly driven her away?
The reason she took the initiative to retreat was simply to take care of the others from the Sect.
She may have been able to defeat ten opponents by herself, but the others could not, especially the former disciples of the Hai Ke Family who were the first to follow Yang Kai. These disciples were currently all Saint Kings at best.
If Ye Xi Yun had not withdrawn, all these lower disciples would have died without complete corpses.
In other words, if Ye Xi Yun had chosen to fight to the bitter end, High Heaven Sect would certainly have suffered immensely while at least half of the people back at the square would have also died.
“Since Sect Master understands, this Queen won’t bother explaining anything more,” Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly, her expression as indifferent as ever.
“How are Great Elder’s injuries? I heard on the way back that you fought against two masters from Corpse Spirit Religion and suffered severe wounds.”
“En, I truly was not their opponent in a two on one, but my condition now is stable. After another month or so I should be fully recovered.
“That’s good, the Sect will soon be receiving a great many people so I will need Great Elder to help properly arrange them.”
Ye Xi Yun glanced over at Yang Kai and snorted, “You seem quite happy you can sit back and remain idle.”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “This is not my strong point. Moreover, I have been away from the Sect for nearly eight years now, so I really don’t understand its current situation.”
“Forget it, when the time comes, I’ll make the necessary arrangements,” Ye Xi Yun waved her hand and accepted.
The group of two hundred or so then quickly returned to the Sect’s headquarters.
When Yang Kai let out the ten thousand people from the Three Clans from the Sealed World Bead, even the always composed Ye Xi Yun could not help changing continence slightly.
Although she had been informed by Yang Kai that he had brought a large number of people to High Heaven Sect, she had not expected for there to be this many.
Fortunately, these people were all brought back by Yang Kai from his homeland, so there was no need to worry about issues of loyalty.
In other words, in terms of the number of people alone, today’s High Heaven Sect had completely eclipsed any great force on Shadowed Star! Of course, this was with the exception of Corpse Spirit Religion. Now, more and more people were submitting to Corpse Spirit Religion, and almost half Shadowed Star had fallen into its clutches.
With ten thousand people from the Three Clans, arranging them was definitely a problem.
However, Yang Kai was not worried about this problem at all.
After summoning the top masters from the Three Clans, Ye Xi Yun asked them about their respective requirements before quickly assigning them to various peaks.
There were ready-made palaces and buildings on each of these peaks, so the Human, Monster, and Demon Race clansmen only needed to clean them up a bit before moving in.
As for the original disciples of High Heaven Sect, they all went back to their original residences.
In just one day, Ye Xi Yun had processed these matters to an acceptable degree.
High Heaven Sect had absorbed nearly ten thousand new recruits all at once, so it was conceivable that it would truly become the greatest Sect on Shadowed Star at some point in the future.
After this new blood was injected into High Heaven Sect, the utilization rate of the eighty-one peaks increased to a little less than one-fifth, which meant most of the peaks still remained unoccupied.
The other masters from the outside Sects who had come here to seek refuge could only stare at these peaks with envy, helpless to do anything about it.
Most of them had offended High Heaven Sect, so although Yang Kai showed no intent to pursue their crimes, they still had to live cautiously, lest they irritate him and suddenly be expelled.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai spent some time patrolling and inspecting the various peaks to make sure the Three Clans were settling in properly.
The results of his investigation satisfied him greatly. No one from the Three Clans showed any dissatisfaction. Compared with Tong Xuan Realm, Shadowed Star was simply a cultivated paradise, not to mention that High Heaven Sect occupied the best location on Shadowed Star.
After the situation in the Sect settled down, Yang Kai began to deal with other matters.
The first priority was naturally to heal Ye Xi Yun and the others. Among the original members of High Heaven Sect, Ye Xi Yun was not the only one injured; in fact, a vast majority of the Origin Returning Realm masters of the Sect were suffering from wounds.
These wounds were left behind from the battles with Corpse Spirit Religion. The wounds themselves had traces of Corpse Qi in them, making them difficult to heal. The insidious Corpse Qi was not only corrosive, but also had the effect of hindering Saint Qi circulation.
It required a targeted type of detoxification pill to cleanse.
Before the Corpse Qi was purged from their wounds, it would be impossible to fully recover; until now, these masters had used their powerful cultivations to suppress this Corpse Qi, then slowly used their Saint Qi to expel it from their bodies, but this process was a long and arduous one.
After Yang Kai returned, this situation changed dramatically.
Working together with Xia Ning Chang, Yang Kai refined a special pill to detoxify the Corpse Qi. After taking a single pill, the Corpse Qi was rapidly dissolved.
Without the Corpse Qi hindering their recovery, it wasn’t difficult for the High Heaven Sect masters to heal themselves with their powerful cultivations, especially since Yang Kai provided them with a large number of high-grade healing pills to use as auxiliaries.
As such, within ten days or so, the problems which had plagued High Heaven Sect’s masters for months were solved and its high-end combat power was completely restored.
During the most recent incident, because of Ye Xi Yun’s quick decisions, there was no loss of personnel from High Heaven Sect. In addition, she took away all of High Heaven Sect’s most precious treasures before she had withdrawn from the Sect, including the Red Candle Fruit piece, the Ten Thousand Year Incense, and the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree. Basically, High Heaven Sect’s headquarters had not suffered any losses besides being occupied by outsiders for a time.
After Ye Xi Yun returned, the Red Candle Fruit, Ten Thousand Year Incense, and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree were returned to their original places.
The former was the key to refining a special Origin King Pill while the latter two provided massive boosts to those who were trying to break through. All these treasures had unimaginable value to the entire Sect.
And so, High Heaven Sect had completely settled down ten days later.
Inside the main hall, Yang Kai had summoned all High Heaven Sect’s Elders.
No one knew what he was going to do, but they had all gathered promptly.
To start the meeting, Yang Kai didn’t mention anything of great importance, simply expressing his gratitude to all of the Elders for their silent contributions over the years and also saying how he was looking forward to the bright future of High Heaven Sect.
Only after some time had passed did Yang Kai suddenly smile mysteriously and say, “During my expedition, I obtained some good things for everyone. Although these things may not be able to play a decisive role on Shadowed Star, it will still allow all of you to comprehend some of the mysteries of the Origin King Realm. I believe that as long as you accumulate enough strength, you will only need to escape from the suppression of Shadowed Star’s World Principles in the future before breaking through to the Origin King Realm!”
When these words fell, the entire hall went silent as everyone stared dumbfounded towards Yang Kai, somewhat unable to digest this fantastical news.
Even Ye Xi Yun was stunned and gave a curious look towards Yang Kai, wondering what he was talking about.
The Origin King Realm had always been an unreachable legend on Shadowed Star, with even a master like Ye Xi Yun unable to take that final step. Although she chose to remain on Shadowed Star instead of accompanying Yang Kai in his most recent journey, that did not mean she had no desire towards this realm.
On the contrary, her desire to reach the Origin King Realm was stronger than anyone else’s because she already possessed the qualifications to break through, her Shi having long ago reached the grand accomplishment stage!
The reason she chose to stay behind was simply that she wanted to protect Yang Yan, fearing that some accident might have happened if no one remained behind to command the Sect.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, she naturally was extremely interested.
“Sect Master, what kind of treasure has such amazing effects?” Gong Ao Fu asked with a smile.
Although she had only just become an Elder of High Heaven Sect, she quickly integrated herself and had managed to win the approval of most of the others in less than half a month with her steadfast personality and upright character.
As such, she had some say in such discussions.
Everyone looked towards Yang Kai curiously, waiting expectantly for him to answer.
“This!” Yang Kai did not keep them in suspense and quickly took out a dull crystal from his Space Ring.
As soon as this crystal appeared, a gentle yet profound aura filled the hall, causing all of the Origin Returning Realm masters present to wear looks of shock, bewilderment, and curiosity. Although they couldn’t quite grasp what this power was, they could tell it was some kind of deeper, more profound form of Shi.
“Domain Stone!” Yang Xiu Zhu’s eyes flashed as he quickly revealed the origins of this crystal.
Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao also recognized this treasure and exclaimed together with pleasant surprise adorning their faces.
“What is a Domain Stone?” Ye Xi Yun frowned slightly. Of everyone present, her cultivation was the strongest, so she realized how deep and profound the energy pulsing from this crystal was. She had only felt it briefly, but could already sense her soul being cleansed, so it was easy for her to imagine what kind of benefits she could obtain if she cultivated with this crystal for an extended period.
Yang Kai simply smiled and motioned to Yang Xiu Zhu to explain.
Yang Xiu Zhu did not refuse and immediately explained the origins and purpose of this Domain Stone.
When they heard that this thing was actually condensed from the Domains of fallen Origin King Realm masters, the eyes of everyone in the hall lit up brightly.
When next they heard that one could comprehend the mysteries of Domain by refining this Domain Stone, every Elder in the hall began breathing heavily, staring towards the Domain Stone in Yang Kai’s hands unblinkingly, as if they were a pack of feral beasts who had just found a luscious feast.
Everyone’s eyes flashed with naked desire.
“Domain Stones are a unique product formed in the Blood Prison on Green Mountains Star. Every piece is invaluable. Although this Yang also entered to explore the Blood Prison, he was not fortunate enough to obtain such a treasure. Elder Lin, on the other hand, managed to harvest a single piece,” Yang Xiu Zhu looked at Lin Yu Rao with envy.
Lin Yu Rao smiled and took out a Domain Stone from her Space Ring so that everyone could see.
Chu Han Yi wore a blank but clearly envious look as well.
When the three of them journeyed deeper into the Blood Prison, they had gone their separate ways, and although they did not encounter any calamities thanks to their tyrannical cultivations, they also did not gain many benefits. On the contrary, Qian Tong had managed to take a step further and after leaving the Blood Prison broke through to the Origin King Realm.
If they had enough Domain Stones, they could unscrupulously consume them to comprehend the mysteries of Domain, it was nothing short of the greatest treasure a peak Origin Returning Realm master could obtain.
“Elder Lin’s luck is truly amazing!” Chang Qi sighed.
However, Chang Qi, Hao An, Ning Xiang Chen, Huang Juan and many of the others present did not have the same feelings of envy as Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak level masters as they had only reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm. Even if they obtained a Domain Stone, it would not be of much use to them with their current cultivation. At most, they would be able to use a Domain Stone to help them comprehend the mysteries of Shi.
After all, Domain was the evolved form of Shi, so studying the mysteries of a Domain Stone would naturally be helpful to one’s Shi cultivation.
That being said, Domain Stones still held an undeniable attraction to any Origin Returning Realm master!
After Ye Xi Yun fell silent for a time, she suddenly declared, “Sect Master, if it is convenient, this Queen wants ten Domain Stones!”
Gasps sounded throughout the hall as Yang Xiu Zhu and the others turned their heads to look at Ye Xi Yun in confusion.
Others may not know the preciousness of Domain Stones, but Yang Xiu Zhu and the others who had joined Yang Kai did. All three of them had participated in the Blood Prison Trial, but only Lin Yu Rao managed to obtain a single piece. Now, however, Ye Xi Yun actually asked for ten all at once.
This was more than just asking for the lion’s share!
It was also completely incompatible with Great Elder’s normal style!
Was this really the always benevolent and generous Great Elder? Why did she suddenly seem no different from a marketplace thief?
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others could not help feeling dazed.
Ye Xi Yun just snorted lightly, “Do you think Sect Master only had this one piece? With Sect Master’s personality, if he did not have many in his possession, how could he make such a big show of it here? He’s not the type that likes to show off his wealth to others.”
Hearing this, Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Elders suddenly understood and immediately turned scorching eyes filled with hope and expectation towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he shook his head and said, “Great Elder truly understands people’s hearts, it seems I cannot hide anything from you.”
“Sect Master…” Yang Xiu Zhu gulped audibly, his lips feeling slightly dry.
“Indeed! I did gain a lot of Domain Stones during the Blood Prison Trial… en, many!” Yang Kai didn’t try to hide anything as he smiled at everyone.
“How many… is many?” Chu Han Yi asked with a trembling voice.
“Enough for each of you to have ten!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
*Si…*
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others drew sharp breaths as they stared at Yang Kai in admiration.
There were not many people in the hall, only about fifteen in total, including Gong Ao Fu and Dai Yuan who had recently joined High Heaven Sect.
Gong Ao Fu knew that Yang Kai did not like Yin Su Die and instead cared deeply about Dai Yuan, so she had recently started bringing Dai Yuan to accompany her instead of Yin Su Die, who seemed to have fallen into a bit of disfavour.
“Hmm… It seems that this Queen underestimated Sect Master’s capabilities, I should have asked for more,” Ye Xi Yun frowned slightly, her expression a little annoyed.
Yang Kai simply laughed loudly, “If Great Elder wants more, I can naturally satisfy her, but with Great Elder’s cultivation and comprehension of Shi, I think that two or three would be more than enough. Any more and you would have no use for them.”
“Even if this Queen cannot use them, she can keep them for others,” Ye Xi Yun said lightly, “But forget it, ten it is.”
Yang Kai did not say anything more, simply waving his hand and sending ten Domain Stones over to Ye Xi Yun.
Without even moving, Ye Xi Yun’s Space Ring flashed, and the Domain Stones were pocketed by her.
She truly displayed the skill and composure of a true master.
“Sect Master…” Yang Xiu Zhu blushed slightly as he rubbed his hands and stared at Yang Kai eagerly.
He was not the kind of person to flatter others, maintaining his upright and honest personality from his many years of cultivation on Star Emperor Mountain even after entering High Heaven Sect, but he was determined not to lag behind anyone else this time.
Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters valued Domain Stones far more than others, and although Yang Xiu Zhu had failed to break through to the Origin King Realm this time, he was fully confident he could successfully advance the next time he left Shadowed Star as long as he had enough Domain Stones to use!
What’s more, High Heaven Sect could launch long-distance voyages, so he firmly believed that Yang Kai would take them away from Shadowed Star again in the future!
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao got ten Domain Stones each as they wished.
All of them believed that with so many Domain Stones, they would be able to comprehend the mysteries of Domain. Coupled with their experiences in the Blood Prison Trial, their chances of breaking through to the Origin King Realm would not be small when they left Shadowed Star next time.
The others in the hall were also given different numbers of Domain Stones according to their cultivation.
Yang Kai gave five to each Second-Order Origin Realm, and three to each First-Order.
As long as they could make good use of the gentle energy in these Domain Stones, it wouldn’t be a problem for them to condense their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage.
It was not that Yang Kai was being stingy or was unwilling to give them more, it was just that giving them more would be pointless. Although Domain Stones were consumable resources, they were very different from Saint Crystals as they could each be used for an extended time.
The Domain Stones given out by Yang Kai would be sufficient for their use for quite a while.
After distributing these Domain Stones, Yang Kai took out a large number of artifacts with different appearances and superior grades from his Space Ring.
These artifacts were all trophies Yang Kai obtained from his exploits, most of which he had taken from the Monster Race masters he had killed from Monster Emperor Star. All the artifacts he took out were Origin Grade, with no lack of those at the High-Rank.
With these artifacts, Yang Kai believed that the strength of everyone present would greatly improve, and their chances of survival in the coming battle with Corpse Spirit Religion would also increase. As for how to distribute these things, Yang Kai did not need to consider it, simply handing everything over to Ye Xi Yun to process.
There were also all kinds of pills and auxiliary resources.
Yang Kai’s Space Ring was a veritable treasure trove, and everything he took out shocked and moved the people in the hall.
After finishing this, Yang Kai brought Xia Ning Chang and Su Yan back to First Heavenly Palace.
Since establishing High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had been living in First Heavenly Palace, and although the area of this palace was not too large, it was not small either, with many different rooms and courtyards available to use. In the past, only Yang Kai lived here, but now, Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang would naturally be accompanying him.
Although High Heaven Sect was perfectly safe and there was no need to worry about any kind of danger befalling them, Yang Kai still hoped to improve the strength of his dearest people.
There was no need to worry about Su Yan as she now possessed the power of the Ice Phoenix Source as well as Profound Frost. With her Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, no one on Shadowed Star could be her opponent unless Qian Tong personally made a move.
And naturally, Qian Tong attacking Su Yan was impossible.
Xia Ning Chang had just recently broken through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm. Since becoming the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, her cultivation speed had become even faster than before. Over the years, she had immersed herself in Alchemy, and with her Special Constitution, her strength would continue to increase even if she did not deliberately cultivate.
However, Second-Order Origin Returning Realm was still too weak in the end.
Yang Kai took out a deep green coloured Artifact Armour and a wheel-shaped artifact before handing both to Xia Ning Chang, “Little Senior Sister, find some time to refine these two things, I believe they will be very helpful to you.”
“This Artifact Armour is quite beautiful,” Xia Ning Chang did not pay any attention to the wheel-shaped artifact at first and instead became engrossed with the green Artifact Armour.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Although I don’t know the specific grade of this Artifact Armour, it is definitely Origin King Grade. With it, few people in this world will be able to break your defences.”
Xia Ning Chang was not very proficient in combat, so this defensive Artifact Armour was undoubtedly best suited for her.
“Where did Junior Brother obtain this from? Isn’t it quite precious?” Xia Ning Chang held it and looked it over a few times, seemingly quite fond of it.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s precious or not, the important thing is whether it can protect you for me.”
Xia Ning Chang looked up at Yang Kai and smiled with a satisfied expression.
This Artifact Armour was something he obtained in the Blood Prison. When Yang Kai retrieved Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Origin Essence Crystal, he had also obtained his Space Ring along with its contents.
Mad Crocodile Monster King was a peak Third-Order Origin King before he died, so how could the items in his Space Ring possibly be ordinary?
It was not an exaggeration to say that most of the artifacts and pills that Yang Kai had distributed in the hall earlier came from Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Space Ring.
Compared with this Origin King Grade Artifact Armour, however, the rest of the wealth in that Space Ring was not worth mentioning. Of course, this wealth was not anything to scoff at either and would be enough to support the current High Heaven Sect for a few years at the very least.
“Take this one too,” Yang Kai pressed the wheel-shaped artifact into her hands again.
This wheel-like artifact was also an Origin King Grade artifact and originally belonged to Heaven Battling Union: the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!
When Yang Kai fought with Heaven Battling Union Master Qu Zheng and killed him, this Sun and Moon Golden Wheel was the greatest trophy he obtained and he had been holding onto it since then.
As long as Little Senior Sister refined these two Origin King Grade artifacts, she would no longer need to fear any enemy below the Origin King Realm.
Xia Ning Chang did not raise any objections and obediently accepted the green Artifact Armour and Sun and Moon Golden Wheel from Yang Kai. Casting a quick, nervous glance over towards Su Yan, who had been sitting nearby, Little Senior Sister quickly arrived in front of Yang Kai and kissed him on the cheek before scamping away like a frightened rabbit.
She moved extremely fast, as if running away after doing something shameful.
Su Yan looked at Yang Kai with a smile and said meaningfully, “Ning Chang has become far more courageous, it must be your bad influence!”
Yang Kai could only let out a burst of hollow laughter.
He had nothing to give to Su Yan now as back in Ice Heart Valley, he had given her the most important Ice Phoenix Empress Inheritance. At the same time, Yang Kai had given her the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal.
With the assistance of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, Su Yan’s cultivation speed had greatly increased, and with Profound Frost, there was no point in giving her additional outside boosts.
Yang Kai suddenly remembered Shan Qing Luo, about how he had separated from her in the Blood Prison and given her two hundred Domain Stone as well as the Origin King Grade Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip.
He could not help wondering how that enchantress was doing now and whether her cultivation was going well.
Yang Kai then thought about Yang Yan…
“Senior Sister, please cultivate first. I’ll be going out for a bit,” Yang Kai suddenly got up.
Su Yan nodded lightly, took out the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, sat cross-legged in front of it, held a Domain Stone in her palm, closed her eyes, and began to cultivate.
Yang Kai left First Heavenly Palace and flew straight towards the centre of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Although he had learned from Ye Xi Yun that Yang Yan was still in a state of deep sleep, her condition not having changed all these years, Yang Kai still wanted to see her with his own eyes.
On Shadowed Star, Yang Yan was no doubt his closest friend, and if there had been no accidents, that friendship would likely have lasted a lifetime.
However, the events surrounding Yang Yan’s life were much too grand for that to happen now, and it was impossible to say exactly who she would be after she truly awoke. Even Yang Kai was uncertain about the future.
The original sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was not large, only a dozen kilometres or so in diameter.
Holding a Star Emperor Token in his hand, Yang Kai easily crossed the fifth-layer Flame Area and reached the small bamboo forest.
Yang Kai then landed and walked through the bamboo forest to the small loft at its centre.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field’s sixth layer had always been a restricted area of High Heaven Sect. Previously, only Great Elder Ye Xi Yun could set foot here, with no one else being allowed to enter. It was only after the upheaval in the Sect headquarters that Ye Xi Yun had no other choice but to bring the others to the sixth layer, finally allowing the rest of High Heaven Sect to learn of the existence of this place.
However, the central loft was still off-limits to everyone.
Yang Kai was the only exception!
Crossing the bamboo forest, Yang Kai soon arrived in front of the loft, and after sweeping it with his Divine Sense, he went straight inside and ascended to the second floor.
The second floor was quite sparse, only having a simple wooden bed and nothing else.
On the wooden bed was a black-robed woman with a slender waist and a stunning figure. It was Yang Yan, whom Yang Kai had not seen for many years. She did not appear physically different from his memories, but her temperament was somewhat different.
When Yang Kai approached to look, he felt a sense of oppression coming from her Yang Yan. Even in a deep sleep, a frightening aura radiated from her figure.
It was as if just looking at her was blasphemy towards an immortal fairy.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before his face suddenly changed.
His vision clouded and Yang Yan’s face unexpectedly began to blur, making it impossible for Yang Kai to see her clearly. It was as if she had somehow become ethereal and illusory at this moment.
His own Divine Sense was also dragged into an abyss by an invisible force, spiralling down and out of his control.
Yang Kai hastily bit the tip of his tongue and gave a small shout, the pain which allowed his Soul to break free from this whirlpool and his vision to re-focus.
A cold sweat leaked out and began soaking his clothes.
“Emperor Pressure… truly frightening!” Yang Kai muttered in lingering fear.
Even in an unconscious state, the Emperor Pressure emanating from Yang Yan was able to warp Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, making him wonder just what would happen once she awoke.
However, he had only come here to check in on Yang Yan; after all, he had not seen her for many years. When he was still quite weak, Yang Yan had helped him immensely. Without Yang Yan, there would have been no Dragon Cave Mountain or High Heaven Sect.
Yang Kai was incredibly grateful to her.
Understanding that Yang Yan was fine, just sleeping still, Yang Kai nodded lightly and was about to turn around and leave.
However, at that moment, he noticed Yang Yan’s fingers move ever so slightly, causing his body to shake as he froze in place and stared towards the wooden bed breathlessly.
An invisible force emerged from Yang Yan’s body and like the giant maw of a beast engulfed Yang Kai, not giving him any time to react or resist.
Immediately afterwards, a flash of light blinded Yang Kai’s eyes and he found himself in a familiar-looking environment.
A sea of flames rolled down below, containing terrifying energy that seemed capable of destroying Heaven and Earth. In the sky, there were various balls of multi-coloured light inside of which different scenes flashed by at such rapid speed that even Yang Kai was unable to see them clearly.
“This is…” Yang Kai frowned, looked around, and quickly understood what exactly this place was.
“A Knowledge Sea?” Yang Kai exclaimed.
“Yes, this is my Knowledge Sea,” A voice came from the side.
Yang Kai turned his head and saw Yang Yan sitting cross-legged in the void, forming a series of strange seals with her hands, her face extremely solemn as various halos of light flashed around her, giving her an almost sacred aura.
She looked at him with a smile, no different from the Yang Yan in his memory.
“Is it you, or her?” Yang Kai frowned, uncertain of the answer.
Yang Yan pursed her lips, “Is there a difference?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “It might not make a difference to you, but it does to me. I don’t want to be killed after angering the Starry Sky Great Emperor!”
“I am the Starry Sky Great Emperor!” Yang Yan snorted.
“Good, seems like it’s still you,” Yang Kai relaxed. As long as it wasn’t the legendary Great Emperor he was talking to, there wouldn’t be any problem. Having made this determination, he then asked, “Did you need something from me?”
“Not really,” Yang Yan shook her head slowly, “I just felt your aura and decided to bring you here.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
Even he felt that he was no longer a weak Junior. His strength had grown rapidly over the years and he was now invincible below the Origin King Realm. Even if it was against an ordinary First-Order Origin King, Yang Kai was confident he could fight back.
But compared to Yang Yan, he was still nothing but an ant she could squash at will…
Yang Kai could not help feeling depressed.
Seemingly aware of what he was thinking, Yang Yan just giggled, “You don’t have to belittle yourself. To be honest, I have never met anyone with such rapid cultivation as you. Even in that place, you would be considered a peak genius. All you lack is the tempering of time. As long as you have enough time, you will be able to stand at the same height as me one day.”
“Are you trying to comfort me?” Yang Kai glanced at her, frowned, and asked, “Where is ‘that place’ you mentioned?”
Yang Yan laughed lightly without answering, appearing mysterious.
Seeing that she did not have any intention to explain, Yang Kai waved his hand, “Forget it, just pretend I didn’t ask.”
Yang Yan gently nodded before her expression suddenly became serious, “Although I have been sleeping, fusing my Embodiment and Soul, I am not completely ignorant of the outside world. I have felt that something big has happened to Shadowed Star in recent years, and just two months ago Ye Xi Yun even brought a number of people here. What happened? Is High Heaven Sect alright?”
“High Heaven Sect is fine, but Shadowed Star is in great trouble.” Yang Kai sighed and flew over to Yang Yan before sitting down cross-legged and telling her about Corpse Spirit Religion’s rise.
Yang Yan listened attentively, and after Yang Kai was finished, she nodded lightly, “It turns out that there was a suppressed Underworld Well Spring under Grand Burial Valley. This really is partially our fault then. If we had not taken that Sun’s True Essence away, that Underworld Well Spring would never have reappeared.”
“And that’s why I am troubled over this. If it was something else, I wouldn’t care as it did not involve High Heaven Sect. No matter what kind of chaos is raised outside, it has no way to affect High Heaven Sect’s headquarters, but in the end, this is related to me, so I cannot just feign un-involvement,” Yang Kai sighed.
Yang Yan agreed with Yang Kai’s point of view and after thinking for a moment asked, “Can you go confront that Corpse Spirit Religion Master?”
“Are you interested in him?” Yang Kai frowned.
“It’s not interest per-say, it’s just that I feel his methods of creating Corpse Spirits, and the methods he’s using to control Corpse Spirit Religion are quite similar to someone else I know.”
“Who?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“He called himself the Corpse Emperor, and he also controlled a race back then called the Corpse Spirit Race, which is why I asked.”
“Corpse Emperor…” Yang Kai drew a sharp breath, his expression fluctuating as he asked, “Is he on the same level as you?”
Yang Yan was the Starry Sky Great Emperor, and since this guy dared to call himself the Corpse Emperor, he was obviously a cultivator of the same rank as Yang Yan.
Yang Yan nodded gently.
Yang Kai’s complexion instantly became extremely ugly.
Yang Yan saw this and smiled, “You don’t need to be so anxious, the Corpse Emperor can’t come here, so there’s no way that Religion Master is the Corpse Emperor; instead, I suspect he is only somewhat connected to the Corpse Emperor, perhaps that one old acquaintance of mine as that fellow was also acquainted with the Corpse Emperor. Their friendship was quite good, so it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to know how to transform corpses!”
Yang Kai grit his teeth as he stared at Yang Yan, “Even if that person is not the Corpse Emperor, since he is your old acquaintance, he is not someone I can face. Wouldn’t rushing to confront him be courting death?”
“Of course, I’m not going to send you out there just to die!” Yang Yan glared at Yang Kai angrily, “If that person is really who I suspect he is, his strength will definitely not reach the Origin King Realm. At most, he will be a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator now. Shadowed Star has its own World Principles, so as long as he is stuck here, it is basically impossible for him to have broken through!”
Yang Kai’s expression instantly cleared up. If this mysterious Religion Master was truly just a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, then there was nothing to be afraid of.
However…
“What kind of story does that old acquaintance of yours possess that causes you such concern?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.
Yang Yan went silent for a while before explaining, “You should know that the reason my true body fell into a long slumber was that it was severely injured in a great battle, forcing me to retreat to the Emperor Garden to recover. That old acquaintance… is the one who injured me!”
Yang Kai had to try extremely hard to maintain his composure as he asked, “Didn’t you say that in that battle that person died?”
Yang Kai also had some knowledge of these long-past events. The reason why the Starry Sky Great Emperor had fallen into a deep slumber was that the damage to her body was too great while her enemy had been exterminated.
But now, Yang Yan mentioned that her enemy might still be alive.
Yang Kai could not help feeling anxious.
Anyone who could harm Yang Yan was undoubtedly like her and the Corpse Emperor, a master on an incredible level.
“I destroyed his body and crushed his Soul, but that guy’s methods of escaping are first-class. Perhaps he found a way for a portion of his Soul to escape without me noticing. However, you can rest assured that his situation is quite different from mine. I was injured heavily, but as long as I had enough time and resources, I would be able to recover while his body was completely destroyed, so even if he wants to return to his peak, it won’t be that simple, especially on Shadowed Star.”
Yang Kai frowned and nodded, “If that’s the case, I can go look for him now, but even if it is like you said, and that Corpse Spirit Religion Religion Master is your old enemy, what do you plan to do about him?”
Yang Yan shook her head, “Not me, you! If that Corpse Spirit Religion Religion Master is really him, you must kill him in the shortest time possible, otherwise, the entire Star Field will suffer greatly once he manages to restore himself to a certain degree.”
“You are the Starry Sky Great Emperor, can’t you just wave your hand and consign him to oblivion?” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan with a somewhat frustrated look.
Yang Yan shook her head, “I can’t act temporarily.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt like cursing, but after holding his tongue for a long time, he nodded fiercely and said, “Fine. I’ll go confront him.”
“Be careful. He is extremely cruel and specializes in controlling others to do his bidding. He rarely shows up in person, so if you find an opportunity, make sure you go for the kill!”
“I know!” Yang Kai answered casually.
“Then, return!” Yang Yan waved her hand and in the next moment, Yang Kai felt a repulsive force coming from the Knowledge Sea around him.
When he came back to his senses, Yang Kai found that he was still standing at the edge of the wooden bed while Yang Yan’s eyes were still closed tightly, sleeping in front of him.
Turning around, Yang Kai strode out of the loft.
Although he had promised Yang Yan to go confront the mysterious Religion Master as soon as possible, considering how secretive the other party was acting, even keeping the White-Robed Corpse General Yang Kai had killed in the dark about his true cultivation and face, finding and killing him would undoubtedly be a very difficult task.
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not intend to act alone.
After returning to High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai immediately sent someone to send a message to Qian Tong.
Now, Qian Tong was the undisputed strongest master on Shadowed Star with his Origin King Realm cultivation, so he would be able to play a critical role in this upcoming action.
Shadow Moon Hall should have stabilized by now, and if they wanted to solve the problems of Shadowed Star once and for all, eradicating Corpse Spirit Religion was an absolute necessity. Qian Tong should be more than willing to join hands with him to deal with the mysterious Religion Master.
Shadow Moon Hall was quite far from High Heaven Sect though, so even if Qian Tong were to come, it would take at least a month for him to arrive.
As such, Yang Kai decided to wait patiently while improving his strength.
In Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai used the Star Emperor Token to fight Luo Hai, breaking through his own shackles and reaching the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, only one step away from the Origin King Realm.
On the way back, his cultivation had continued to consolidate and grow, gradually approaching the limits of his current realm, while his Shi had reached the grand accomplishment stage.
Also, thanks to the numerous Domain Stones in his possession and his experiences inside the Blood Prison Trial, Yang Kai also had a decent understanding of Domain.
In other words, if not for the current conditions not permitting it, Yang Kai could already begin breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
However, he was not in such a hurry. His Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation was the foundation upon which he would strive for the Origin King Realm, so the more he consolidated and strengthened it, the easier it would be for him to form his Domain after breaking through.
Yang Kai intended to wait until after Corpse Spirit Religion had been dealt with before leaving Shadowed Star again to break through, as well as deal with several outstanding issues he had in mind.
These few issues were crucial to improving his strength as well as his understanding of the mysteries of the Star Field.
Time passed day by day, with nothing of great surprise happening in High Heaven Sect. Almost everyone was immersed in cultivation.
Everyone understood that such peaceful days would not last long. Once the time was ripe, Yang Kai would launch a grand campaign against Corpse Spirit Religion. At that time, even if they wanted to cultivate, they would have no time.
It was for this reason that the masters of High Heaven Sect cherished the current calm and used every moment of it to increase their strength. The stronger they were, the better they could preserve their lives and the more enemies they could kill in the war to come.
One month later, Qian Tong rushed to High Heaven Sect and was immediately welcomed into the headquarters by the High Heaven Sect disciple posted outside.
Ever since Yang Kai beheaded White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao, the Corpse Spirit Religion army that was besieging High Heaven Sect had scattered. Now, High Heaven Sect had finally restored its connection with the outside world and begun gathering intelligence from all around the star. As a result, Qian Tong’s journey had gone without any incident.