This time, Gu Jian Xin had set off from Sword Union’s Home Star for Azure Tree Star on some kind of business, and Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao had followed along. Never had they imagined they would get involved in such a battle and almost lose their lives.
After finishing her story, He Zao did not ask Yang Kai about his experiences over the years as she was aware her status and identity were not high enough to know.
Yang Kai nodded faintly and said, “By the way, how much do you know about your Young Union Master, Gu Jian Xin?”
“Young Union Master?” He Zao was startled, “Does Big Brother Yang want to know more about the Young Union Master?”
“En,” Yang Kai was satisfied seeing her understand his intent. “Tell me whatever is convenient for you to disclose.”
He Zao smiled lightly, “I don’t know much actually, so there’s nothing inconvenient to talk about. Young Union Master can be said to be the most talented genius in Sword Union in the past thousand years. He is currently less than sixty but has already reached the peak of the Origin Realm. There are also rumours that he will be able to break through to the Origin King Realm within three to five years!”
Yang Kai nodded while sipping his tea, motioning her to continue speaking with his eyes.
He had already learned this information from Liu Dong before.
“Young Union Master is humble, respectful, and righteous. He is the successor Union Master has placed his hopes on. Not only is his cultivation high, but his combat strength is also excellent as well. It seems that only Xue Yue, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Third Young Master, and Purple Star’s Zi Dong are able to compete with him among the younger generation of the Star Field.”
“Is that so…” Hearing this, another person suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s mind.
Xu Bin Bai!
The interesting young man Yang Kai met outside Green Mountains Star’s Blood Prison that day! It was said that he was the Disciple of an Origin King Realm master named Wu Dao. This Wu Dao’s cultivation was so profound that even Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai was extremely respectful of him, addressing him as Senior Wu Dao!
Wu Dao was no doubt a genuine Third-Order Origin King and one of the divine dragons who one could never catch sight of.
The disciple of such a person could not be worse than Gu Jian Xin, Xue Yue, or Zi Dong, perhaps even slightly stronger, but this thought lingered in Yang Kai’s mind for just a second, and he did not annunciate it.
He Zao had lived in Sword Union for a long time and her strength was not very high, so the things she had come into contact with were quite limited, making her vision somewhat narrow.
“Young Union Master’s reputation in Sword Union is also excellent. If not, Honoured Master would not have chosen to follow him. En, Young Union Master is always accompanied by his Left and Right Sword Servants. I’ve heard that they have cultivated together since childhood and are like brother and sisters.”
“Probably not just brother and sisters,” Yang Kai chuckled.
When the Left and Right Sword Servants looked at Gu Jian Xin, there was clearly more than just friendship in their eyes.
He Zao pursed her lips as a trace of crimson filled her cheeks. Squeezing her dress slightly, she didn’t respond to Yang Kai’s comment and instead continued, “The Left Sword Servant is called Ling Yue while the Right Sword Servant is called An Xing. Young Union Master and his Left and Right Sword Servants have cultivated a profound method together known as the Sun, Moon, and Stars Secret Techniques. Combined, the three of them can exert a combat power far beyond their own cultivation level. However, even without the assistance of his Left and Right Sword Servants, the personal combat power of the Young Union Master alone is very strong, and an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cannot possibly be his opponent.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
Whether a cultivator was powerful or not was often discernable at a glance. Gu Jian Xin gave Yang Kai a powerful feeling.
Clearly, Gu Jian Xin belonged to the elite of the elite!
“This is everything I know,” After He Zao finished speaking, she looked towards Yang Kai respectfully, as if waiting for his next instructions.
“Then Gu Jian Xin’s trip to Azure Tree Star this time, do you know what its purpose is?”
“I don’t, we were simply following orders. We didn’t even know where we were sailing to until Young Union Master mentioned it,” He Zao shook her head.
“Big Brother Yang, you are asking so many questions, so are you planning on being enemies with Young Union Master?” He Miao asked with some worry.
Yang Kai laughed and shook his head, “Why would I? There’s no grudge between us so how could I become Gu Jian Xin’s enemy? Besides, Gu Jian Xin should be a good person. However, since I have boarded his Starship, I naturally want to learn more about him. You don’t need to be so nervous.”
“Oh,” He Miao relaxed greatly while her little hand patted her rather well-endowed peaks, a relieved expression filling her face.
He Zao and He Miao were only Third-Order Saint Kings, and although they were somewhat young, they had a chance of becoming pillars of Sword Union in the years to come, but that was a matter for the future. With their current cultivation and status, they naturally did not have access to much high-level information.
To them, their current lives could be summed up in two words.
Follow orders!
There was no need to ask anything or even think too much, they simply needed to follow orders from above. Even if it was a task which would cost them their lives, they had no choice but to obey.
This was the sorrowful fate of cultivators at the bottom of great forces. These cultivators seemed to receive excellent shelter, but they lost some of their freedom in exchange. If Yang Kai really wanted to be an enemy of Gu Jian Xin, He Zao and He Miao would be put in a difficult position.
Afterwards, Yang Kai continued his conversation with He Zao and He Miao before asking them to leave.
“Big Brother Yang…” Before leaving though, He Zao suddenly turned around and called out.
“Is there something else?” Yang Kai looked at her.
He Zao bit her red lips lightly for a moment before shaking her head, “It’s nothing, please have a good rest. If you need anything, just summon us. We live in the fiftieth room of this wing.”
“Sure,” Yang Kai nodded suspiciously.
After sending the sisters off, Yang Kai stood there and pondered for a moment. He Zao must have wanted to say something to him just now, but ultimately decided not to.
Although he had only met these two sisters twice, after the experience back on the floating continent a couple dozen years ago, sharing adversity together, they could be considered quite close.
The encounter this time had reaffirmed their bond of friendship.
If He Zao really asked him for help, Yang Kai would not refuse, unfortunately, it seemed she had concerns of her own and decided not to say anything, making it tricky for Yang Kai to ask as well.
“Big sister, did you want Big Brother Yang to speak on our behalf?” He Miao asked He Zao when they returned to their own room.
“En,” He Zao nodded lightly as she said quietly. “Now, only Big Brother Yang can help us. Even Honoured Master is unable to solve this problem.”
“So why didn’t you say anything? Big Brother Yang is a good person, so he would definitely not sit back and watch if you asked.”
“I believe so too…” He Zao sat down on the edge of the bed. “But this matter has nothing to do with him; it’s our own affair.”
“Elder Sister…” He Miao lay down and rested her head on He Zao’s lap while whispering sadly. “If we don’t do something, we’ll really have to… with that person…”
He Zao reached out her hand a brushed He Miao’s hair, a trace of sorrow also appearing on her pretty face, “En, if it weren’t for Senior Qin’s shelter all those years ago, we and Honoured Master would not have escaped punishment and would perhaps not even be alive today. He is Senior Qin’s son, and it is precisely because of this that Honoured Master was unable to refuse Senior Qin’s proposal. It should be… our turn to repay him. Over the years, Senior Qin has done much for us after all.”
“I don’t want to!” He Miao stood up suddenly and displayed a fit of fierce anger as she clenched her fists and said firmly, “If that day comes, I’ll butcher that Qin Qi Yang brat first!”
He Zao was startled as she stared at He Miao in shock, quickly shouting, “You’re not allowed to talk such nonsense!”
He Miao pouted but did not speak anymore, sinking back down to the bed and falling into her big sister’s lap again.
Inside his room, Yang Kai had just sat down to meditate again when he heard another knock at the door.
This made him frown as he stood up slightly displeased and opened the door only to be met with a glamorous but slightly flustered face.
Yang Kai was stunned.
“Can I come in?” The visitor asked in a low voice as she looked around, seemingly afraid she would be discovered.
[What’s happening?] Yang Kai was even more at a loss; however, seeing the anxious look on the other party’s face, he did not refuse, moved to the side, and allowed this visitor to rush into the room, bringing with her a fragrant burst of wind.
After closing the door, Yang Kai turned to look at this beautiful woman and asked suspiciously, “Lady Yue, is there something you need to discuss with me?”
The person who had come was surprisingly the Honoured Master of He Zao and He Miao: Yue Xi!
Yang Kai was quite confused. The two sisters had only just left but now their Honoured Master had followed on their heels. What was happening here? If outsiders noticed this scene, it would certainly generate rumours about something unspeakable and shameful happening between him and these three.
“This Mistress greets Young Master Yang,” Yue Xi elegantly bowed and lightly opened her lips, saying, “This Mistress thanks Young Master Yang for his life-saving grace…”
“Speak frankly,” Yang Kai looked at her lightly.
Yue Xi’s face became stiff but soon she wore a bitter smile, bit her lips and hesitated for a moment before bluntly saying, “This Mistress wants to ask Young Master Yang to show mercy and save He Zao and He Miao from a miserable fate.”
“What’s happening to them?” Yang Kai frowned, “From what I can tell, they seem quite well without any signs of illness or injury. Is there some matter they need saving from?”
“It is true they are not ill or injured,” Yue Xi shook her head. “It’s just that they… one of them must marry a strange man, one who is not normal!”
Yang Kai squinted and stared straight at Yue Xi.
The force behind his gaze caused Yue Xi to feel quite pressured and her expression gradually became tense, a look of embarrassment and guilt flashing across her face, but soon, she raised her eyes again and stared straight at Yang Kai.
“Have a seat first, then we can talk,” To Yue Xi’s surprise, Yang Kai motioned to her to sit down then poured her a cup of tea.
“Many thanks,” Yue Xi took a deep breath and took a seat.
“I’ll need you to explain in more detail,” Yang Kai sat on the other side and asked.
Yue Xi nodded, “I should have made myself clearer. It’s like this.”
After listening to her speak, Yang Kai understood the whole story.
This matter was related to the events of that year. When Yang Kai had first met Yue Xi, she was a Third-Order Saint King and commanded a Saint King Grade Starship charged with performing some low-risk tasks in the Star Field.
During the events of that year, Sword Union had suffered huge losses. In the end, only Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao had survived. After returning to Sword Union’s Home Star, they faced a disaster they were unable to resolve.
According to the Union’s laws, the typical punishment would be execution to serve as a warning to others, or else to abolish her cultivation and expel her from Sword Union. As for He Zao and He Miao, they would likely degenerate into servants.
At the last moment though, an Elder from Sword Union named Qin Wu Hui had spoken on their behalf and saved their lives and status.
Qin Wu Hui was a master who followed Gu Jian Xin, and as such, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao became indirectly connected to Gu Jian Xin.
Qin Wu Hui was a good-natured person, and even after speaking up to defend Yue Xi and her disciples, he had not tried to threaten or abuse them in any way. In fact, he had taken care of the Master and Disciples over the years, causing the latter to be extremely grateful to him.
However, Qin Wu Hui had a prodigal son named Qin Qi Yang. This boy relied on his father’s prestige to run rampant on Sword Union’s Home Star. Although it could not be said he was completely lawless, he was certainly not a good thing either.
Qin Wu Hui accompanied and assisted Gu Jian Xin almost all the time and neglected to discipline his own son, simply allowing matters to drift.
On Sword Union’s Home Star, however, there were many people of high status and strength, and one day, Qin Qi Yang provoked an opponent he should not have. After falling into a trap, although he fought fiercely and managed to preserve his life, Qin Yi Yang suffered a serious wound to his Soul which essentially turned him into a fool.
Although his son had always been a good-for-nothing, he was still his son, in the end. When Qin Qi Yang degenerated into an idiot, Qin Wu Hui was extremely distressed, but surprisingly, his boy became much better behaved after the incident and no longer showed any of his previous delinquent tendencies.
After many years, Qin Wu Hui was now thinking about finding a marriage partner for his son so he could produce a few heirs.
But who would want to marry Qin Qi Yang, who had become a fool? Coupled with his previous miscreant reputation, no woman of status would be willing to marry him.
Qin Wu Hui’s status was not low, so he disdained to arrange a marriage with some ordinary women for his son.
Out of desperation, Qin Wu Hui could only target the two sisters He Zao and He Miao. Obviously, as long as either of the sisters could marry Qin Qi Yang and give birth to an heir for him, it would alleviate Qin Wu Hui’s concerns.
For this purpose, Qin Wu Hui even prepared a very generous amount of compensation!
He did not go directly to Yue Xi to discuss this matter though and instead reported it to Gu Jian Xin directly.
In a sense, this approach was quite despicable. Qin Wu Hui also agonized over the matter for a long time before ultimately deciding to put aside his face and act.
Qin Wu Hui had followed Gu Jian Xin for many years and was both hardworking and loyal. Now, he simply wanted to arrange a marriage for his son to extend his bloodline, so how could Gu Jian Xin refuse? After receiving this request, Gu Jian Xin directly summoned Yue Xi and told her to discuss with He Zao and He Miao about which of them would marry Qin Qi Yang.
With Gu Jian Xin interceding, there was simply no room for Yue Xi to manoeuvre.
For more than a year, Yue Xi had been stalling, and since Qin Wu Hui also knew that his actions were somewhat dishonourable, he did not try to urge her.
However, procrastination was not a solution. One day, either He Zao or He Miao would be forced to accept.
Yang Kai’s appearance gave Yue Xi hope! She couldn’t ask Gu Jian Xin to break off this affair, and Qin Wu Hui had treated the three of them quite kindly, so refusing was not an option, but Yang Kai was different. Yang Kai was not from Sword Union and it was obvious that Gu Jian Xin wanted to make friends with him, so perhaps just a few words would be enough to solve the tragic future of the two sisters.
Because of this consideration, Yue Xi had secretly visited Yang Kai to ask him to speak on their behalf.
After listening, Yang Kai nodded gently, “So that’s the situation!”
He somewhat understood what He Zao wanted to say before she left. It was likely she wanted to ask for help but was too embarrassed to speak of it.
“Young Master Yang, can you please show compassion and save those two girls? The two of them have lived a tragic life with no father or mother. This Mistress raised them both from infancy till now, treating them as my daughters and really cannot bear to see them forced into this fiery pit!” Yue Xi pleaded as she sobbed, “Senior Qin has been very kind to us, and if he wanted this Mistress to repay him in any other way, this Mistress would certainly not refuse, but this is about the future of those two girls, so this Mistress really cannot agree.”
“En, this matter is not your fault,” Yang Kai’s speech became milder. When he heard her request before, Yang Kai had misunderstood slightly, but after listening to Yue Xi’s explanation, he understood that this matter was truly beyond her ability to handle.
With Gu Jian Xin having spoken, how was she supposed to resist?
For Gu Jian Xin, satisfying Qin Wu Hui’s wishes was naturally the priority; after all, he was not familiar with He Zao or He Miao. What’s more, Qin Wu Hui had prepared plenty of compensation for them.
With his identity as a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, the compensation he came up with was surely extremely generous. For an ordinary woman, marrying into the Qin Family was akin to flying from the branch to become a phoenix.
It could even be said that Gu Jian Xin was being a bit inconsiderate in regards to this matter, but with his position and status, his decision was actually quite reasonable.
However, inserting himself into this kind of matter rashly also seemed inappropriate, causing Yang Kai to frown.
“Young Master Yang…” Seeing Yang Kai tapping his finger on the table, Yue Xi remained silent as long as she could, before she finally couldn’t help saying. “If Young Master Yang can let Young Union Master cancel this marriage, this Mistress swears that even if she must die the cruellest of deaths she will find a way to repay you.”
“There’s no need to act so seriously,” Yang Kai waved his hand. “It’s just that if I really come forward to resolve this matter, what do you plan to do in the future?”
Yue Xi was dumbfounded when she heard these words and was unable to react for a moment.
“Let me put it this way; you owe that Qin Wu Hui a great debt of kindness, so if this matter is truly resolved by me, then you three Master and Disciples will certainly bear the reputation of ingratitude. How do you plan on maintaining a foothold in Sword Union in the future under such circumstances?”
Not everyone knew or cared for the truth, and many only saw what was on the surface. What Yang Kai said was something that would transpire.
Irrelevant cultivators would definitely feel that Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao were repaying kindness with scorn…
“This…” Yue Xi thought about the cold glares and whispers behind her back she and her Disciples would need to endure from the people of Sword Union in the future and could not help shivering. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, grit her teeth, and declared, “If Young Master Yang does not object, he might as well directly ask Young Union Master for those two girls directly. They only have Third-Order Saint King cultivations, so the Young Union Master will not refuse you. In the future, even if you take them as maids or concubines it won’t matter.”
“Are you serious?” Yang Kai was startled.
Yue Xi smiled, “This Mistress can see that those two girls have favourable impressions of Young Master Yang, so I am sure they will not reject you. After all, Young Master Yang is a dragon among men like Young Union Master.”
“You’re their Honoured Master, how…” Yang Kai’s face twitched visibly.
“Then Young Master Yang, this matter…” Yue Xi looked at Yang Kai nervously. Before getting Yang Kai’s exact answer, she could not rest assured.
“This matter isn’t so easy to manage,” Yang Kai frowned.
Yue Xi’s heart sank.
“First, tell me what that Qin Qi Yang’s exact situation is, and who is Qin Wu Hui precisely. What is his character like, and what is his status within Gu Jian Xin’s ranks?”
…..
After half an hour, Yue Xi left Yang Kai’s room and the sorrow which had adorned her brow for the past year had disappeared. Even her footsteps seemed to have become much lighter. Obviously, she received a positive answer.
For the next two days, the Starship sailed towards Azure Tree Star without any more surprises.
Yang Kai cultivated quietly in his room while also taking the time to refine a furnace of pills.
Two days later, a knock sounded from the door.
After receiving Yang Kai’s permission, the door opened and the He Zao, He Miao sisters walked in.
“Big Brother Yang, Young Union Master has arranged a banquet. We’ve been instructed to invite Big Brother Yang,” He Zao said.
“Okay,” Yang Kai nodded and stood up. “Lead the way ahead.”
“This way please!” He Zao and He Miao immediately walked ahead.
After a quick walk through the Starship’s corridors, the trio arrived at a magnificent hall. Inside this hall were a number of cultivators sitting in two rows at a giant table with food and wine arranged in front of them.
Gu Jian Xin sat at the head position with a ruddy complexion and his Left and Right Sword Servants standing behind him.
It seems that after a few days of meditation, Gu Jian Xin had essentially restored himself.
Seeing Yang Kai enter, Gu Jian Xin immediately got up and greeted him with a smile. The other cultivators present also quickly stood up and cupped their fists.
Many of them only knew about Yang Kai’s existence and that he was the one who had slain Li Ming Hai a few days ago, but had actually not greeted him personally. Seeing even Gu Jian Xin greet this young man so enthusiastically though, none of them dared show a lack of courtesy.
Yang Kai did not lack etiquette either and cupped his fists to those in the hall with a smile on his face. Seeing the relaxed and friendly smile on Yang Kai’s face gave the Origin Returning Realm masters present a good impression, feeling that he was powerful but not arrogant. Everyone understood why their Young Union Master had taken an interest in him.
“Brother Yang, over here!” Gu Jian Xin beckoned.
He Zao and He Miao led Yang Kai to the head of the table where a seat was prepared just below Gu Jian Xin’s before they withdrew a step and stood respectfully.
After Yang Kai took his seat, Gu Jian Xin smiled heartily, “Brother Yang, this Gu has been recovering these past few days and been negligent in his duties as a host. I hope Brother Yang will not take offence.”
“Brother Gu is too serious, healing should naturally be a priority,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
“Many thanks for your understanding, Brother Yang! Today’s banquet is just a small event to thank Brother Yang for his saving grace. Without you, Ling Yue, An Xing, and I would have fallen to old dog Li’s wicked scheme. From now on, Brother Yang is this Gu’s friend and benefactor!”
Many Origin Realm masters sitting below had a sharp light flash across their eyes.
Gu Jian Xin was a bold and free spirit, but he would never easily utter the word ‘friend’.
Now that he had spoken so, it meant he was determined to forge a friendly relationship with Yang Kai.
Moreover, after the word ‘friend’, Gu Jian Xin even went so far as to add the title of ‘benefactor’. These Origin Realm masters naturally understood what this implied.
“This glass is to show my respect for Brother Yang!” Gu Jian Xin drank his full glass in one go.
He Zao immediately stepped forward and filled Yang Kai’s wine glass before stepping back while still holding the pitcher, fulfilling the role of a maid diligently.
Yang Kai picked up his glass and said with a smile, “With Brother Gu being so straightforward, this Yang won’t stand on ceremony.”
Raising his glass, Yang Kai also drank it down.
“Good, no one will leave here sober today!” Gu Jian Xin laughed.
Music played and some young girls walked in from outside the hall one by one and began to sing and dance while waiters carried in a rich assortment of delicacies.
The entire hall instantly became lively.
The cultivators gathered in the hall were constantly making toasts, and Yang Kai did not refuse any of them. With a gentle smile and a calm expression, he had created a particularly good impression of himself after exchanging drinks with everyone.
From time to time, he would chat and laugh with Gu Jian Xin while occasionally glancing at the beautiful dancers.
Time flew by, the wine flowed freely, and the atmosphere in the hall became more and more lively.
Most cultivators were bold and unrestrained people, so this kind of free banquet naturally became a good place for them to let down their guard and express themselves. The cultivators who followed Gu Jian Xin each drank and laughed heartily.
Although Gu Jian Xin drank a lot, he never became drunk. During this time, he was observing Yang Kai.
A dazzling star like Yang Kai suddenly appearing in the Star Field naturally drew Gu Jian Xin’s curiosity, and he naturally wanted to use this banquet to try to learn some more about him.
To his disappointment though, Gu Jian Xin was not able to learn much.
When Yang Kai looked at the young women below who were dancing and singing, his vision remained clear without any obscene desire, and when he drank and chatted with his subordinates, he always behaved following proper decorum.
All in all, Yang Kai was mysterious, but worth making friends with.
After drinking three rounds, Gu Jian Xin suddenly said, “Brother Yang, this Gu has an awkward request to make. I wonder if you’d be willing to listen?”
As soon as this remark came out, the noise in the hall suddenly decreased and although the cultivators present seemed to be drinking and chatting amongst themselves, all of them undoubtedly heard Gu Jian Xin’s words and diverted part of their attention to listen.
“Brother Gu can speak frankly,” Yang Kai put down his glass and smiled lightly.
Yang Kai was actually somewhat surprised. Throughout the banquet, he had been looking for a suitable opportunity to discuss He Zao and He Mao’s situation with Gu Jian Xin, but before he could find one, Gu Jian Xin had spoken up first.
He wondered what this ‘awkward request’ would be.
“It’s like this,” Gu Jian Xin wore a solemn expression, “This Gu was ambushed by Old Dog Li and suffered great losses. Although Old Dog Li deserved his death, he was still one of my Sword Union’s Elders in the end, and the Soul Breaker Spear he wielded is a treasure my Sword Union spent countless materials and hired a renowned Origin King Grade Artifact Refiner to refine. Rather than Old Dog Li’s personal property, it is more appropriate to say it belongs to my Sword Union. Now that he is dead, however, it is this Gu’s responsibility to bring the Soul Breaker Spear back to the Home Star and inform the Union Master about what has transpired.”
Having said that, he looked at Yang Kai with some embarrassment.
Yang Kai immediately understood what he meant.
“Brother Gu wants to take back the Soul Breaker Spear?”
“En,” An awkward smile appeared on Gu Jian Xin’s face. “This Gu knows that this request is truly somewhat shameless. Since Old Dog Li was killed by Brother Yang, the Soul Breaker Spear should belong to you, but… without the Soul Breaker Spear, things will be difficult for this Gu upon his return, which is why I must ask for it back. Of course, this Gu guarantees he will compensate Brother Yang appropriately, so he does not suffer a loss in exchange for the Soul Breaker Spear. As for everything else Old Dog Li had on him, Brother Yang is free to keep them. Those things don’t belong to my Sword Union.”
“So that’s it,” Yang Kai gently nodded as he wore a look of contemplation.
Gu Jian Xin did not urge him and simply waited quietly.
Inside the hall, at some point silence had fallen as everyone paid full attention to what was happening at the head of the table.
After a while, Yang Kai nodded, “Good, the Soul Breaker Spear is an Origin King Grade artifact, and its value is not low. Brother Gu, if I return the Soul Breaker Spear to Sword Union, what compensation can I expect?”
“As long as the value does not exceed the value of the Soul Breaker Spear itself, this Gu will definitely acquire it for you!” Gu Jian Xin replied solemnly.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Since Brother Gu is so sincere, then this Yang will oblige. In any case, this artifact is of no use to me.”
He did not use a spear and there was no one among his close acquaintances who did, so Yang Kai didn’t feel much loss returning the Soul Breaker Spear.
Saying so, Yang Kai took the Soul Breaker Spear out of his Space Ring and placed it in front of Gu Jian Xin.
Gu Jian Xin gestured lightly, and the Left Sword Servant Ling Yue immediately stepped forward and collected this Origin King Grade artifact.
“For Brother Yang’s righteousness, this Gu is grateful. I wonder what kind of compensation Brother Yang wants in return? Although my Sword Union is not the strongest force in the Star Field, it is also not weak and possesses many rare cultivation resources and materials, pills and herbs. Even if Brother Yang wants some kind of profound Secret Art or Secret Technique, this Gu can find a way to acquire it for you!”
Yang Kai returning the Soul Breaker Spear without any hesitation was a great relief to Gu Jian Xin, so he was prepared to compensate him for his loss as much as possible.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and said, “There’s no need to rush this discussion of compensation, Brother Gu.”
“No rush?” Gu Jian Xin was taken aback.
“En, this Yang wants to ask: Who here is Senior Qin Wu Hui?”
*Shua Shua Shua…*
In the hall, almost everyone’s eyes turned towards a certain direction. Following these eyes, Yang Kai’s gaze landed on a thin old man wearing unremarkable grey robes who was sitting only a seat below Gu Jian Xin.
Being able to sit in such a position showed how high this man’s status was amongst this group.
Yang Kai suddenly calling his name caused Qin Wu Hui to show a puzzled look and he quickly stood up. Cupping his fists, this old man said, “This old master is Qin Wu Hui; there is no need for Young Master Yang to address this old master as Senior. What advice does Young Master Yang have?”
“Senior is too modest,” Yang Kai smiled. “Actually, I have something I wish to give Senior, and I hope you will not refuse!”
“You wish to give this old master something?” Qin Wu Hui was now completely confused.
He was certain he had never greeted or even met Yang Kai before today, and had no relationship with him, yet this young man suddenly wanted to give him something. Despite Qin Wu Hui’s vast knowledge and experience, Yang Kai’s actions left him baffled.
Before Qin Wu Hui could comprehend the situation though, Yang Kai tossed a jade bottle over to him.
There was no sign of any Saint Qi being used to send this jade bottle, so Qin Wu Hui simply caught it and asked in surprise, “Young Master Yang, this is…”
“Senior might as well open it,” Yang Kai smiled, “Naturally, you will know what is inside once you do.”
Qin Wu Hui furrowed his brow and turned his eyes towards Gu Jian Xin, but the latter just laughed loudly, “Since it was delivered to Elder Qin by Brother Yang, Elder Qin might as well take a look. This Young Master is also very curious about what Brother Yang is trying to peddle.”
Qin Wu Hui nodded and opened the bottle before everyone’s eyes before pouring out a pill onto his palm.
This pill was snow-white and only about the size of a bean, but when it appeared before his eyes, Qin Wu Hui’s suspicious expression suddenly became rosy, filled with surprise, excitement, and disbelief…
Immediately, he brought the pill to his nose, sniffed it carefully, and even licked it with his tongue.
He soon exclaimed, “This is… a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?”
“What?” Inside the hall, all the gathered cultivators called out in alarm as if an explosion had gone off, all of them gazing towards the pill in Qin Wu Hui’s hand in surprise before shifting to Yang Kai, seemingly eagerly waiting for him to answer.
Gu Jian Xin’s eyes flashed as well as he glanced towards Yang Kai thoughtfully and hesitantly asked, “Brother Yang, is this really a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?”
“Senior Qin’s vision is quite sharp; this is indeed a Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill!”
Receiving confirmation from Yang Kai, Qin Wu Hui was so excited that he almost jumped for joy.
Even Gu Jian Xin drew a deep breath and quickly said, “Brother Yang’s means are truly shocking!”
“It’s a mere pill,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Young Master Yang, why would you…” Qin Wu Hui came back to his senses and held the jade bottle tightly in his hand as he looked towards Yang Kai with a puzzled expression, wondering why this unknown young man had suddenly given him this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill.
“I heard that during a battle against a powerful opponent, Senior Qin’s son suffered a severe injury to his Soul. This Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill should be the appropriate medicine for this situation. Although I dare not say it is a miracle cure, if used in conjunction with appropriate treatment, it should be able to fully restore Young Lord Qin’s Soul over time,” Yang Kai looked at Qin Wu Hui with a smile.
Qin Wu Hui looked at Yang Kai with a face full of excitement.
What happened to Qin Qi Yang had become something of a heart demon to him, and he had been searching for a pill to treat his good-for-nothing son over the years. Unfortunately, even with his capabilities and Gu Jian Xin’s backing, Qin Wu Hui had been unsuccessful in his attempts so far.
Injuries to the Soul were far more difficult to treat than those to the body, and only some extremely special pills would be effective. If it was only a minor injury, things wouldn’t be quite so difficult, but Qin Qi Yang had been wounded so badly that he had degenerated into an idiot, which was a grave injury.
According to Qin Wu Hui’s research, there were only a few pills in existence that could completely heal this kind of injury, but most of those pills were extinct, with either their recipe having been lost to history or the materials required to refine them having disappeared.
The Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill was one such pill. Qin Wu Hui was able to recognize this pill immediately because he had been constantly searching through ancient books these past few years. He also knew that in order to refine this kind of pill, one needed to use the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk!
The Seven Coloured Elk was an ancient exotic Monster Beast that had long ago gone extinct in the Star Field; it was now impossible to find one anywhere.
Even if the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk could somehow be found, it was also an essential component in refining treasures like the Ten Thousand Year Incense, so who would use it to refine a mere Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill?
Yet now, Yang Kai had suddenly taken one out!
Qin Wu Hui gripped the jade bottle tightly as his lips trembled, now knowing what to say.
“Brother Yang, I heard that this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill is an ancient pill which can even enhance a cultivator’s comprehension and aptitude if taken. Is this true?” Gu Jian Xin suddenly asked.
Enhancing comprehension and aptitude would classify this pill as a Heaven defying treasure.
Generally speaking, qualities like aptitude and talent were innate and could not be changed by external forces unless one had some kind of extraordinary opportunity.
As such, after hearing Gu Jian Xin’s words, all the cultivators in the room were thoroughly shocked as they realized that the true value of this pill was actually far higher than the Origin King Grade Soul Breaker Spear!
An artifact was only an external tool and could not fundamentally change a cultivator’s ability like their aptitude or talent could. The more valuable item was obvious.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Brother Gu believes this kind of rumour? The Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill is indeed quite good, but it is not Heaven defying to such an extent. As far as I know, this pill does not affect one’s comprehension or aptitude, but it is the perfect medicine for healing one’s Soul.”
“So that’s how it is. If Brother Yang knows much about the Alchemic Way, could you perhaps also be an Alchemist?” Gu Jian Xin’s eyes lit up.
Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head, “I am not an Alchemist, this pill is something I obtained by chance in the Emperor Garden.”
He had already come up with an excuse for the origin of this pill.
“The Emperor Garden!” Qin Wu Hui gasped as he realized once again how precious this pill was.
“Is that so,” Gu Jian Xin also looked relieved, “Only in a place like the Emperor Garden would such an ancient pill exist. It seems that Brother Yang went to explore the Emperor Garden when it opened a few years ago, yes?”
“Indeed.”
A look of desire flashed across Gu Jian Xin’s face, but he soon sighed, “When the Emperor Garden opened, this Gu was in the middle of a critical retreat and could not enter. It’s a shame, if this Gu had gone, he may have been able to befriend Brother Yang a few years ago.”
“It’s not too late now,” Yang Kai smiled.
“True,” The regretful expression on Gu Jian Xin’s face disappeared and was replaced with a smile.
“Young Master Yang…” Qin Wu Hui stood tall with an expression of hesitation on his face. “This Qin is undeserving of such a gift!”
“Senior need not speak so,” Yang Kai interrupted him. “Giving this Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill to Senior Qin is actually because I need Senior Qin’s assistance with something.”
“Please name it, Young Master Yang!” Qin Wu Hui said hurriedly. He was actually afraid that Yang Kai would not ask him for something in return. There was no such thing as rewards for no effort. This Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill was invaluable and not something that could be given away casually, so hearing Yang Kai had something he wanted in return allowed Qin Wu Hui to relax somewhat.
“It’s like this,” Yang Kai mused. “As Senior knows, He Zao and He Miao are old acquaintances of mine that I met at got to know dozens of years ago. Meeting them again in this vast Star Field can be considered a kind of fate; however, I’ve recently learned that they have a somewhat complicated relationship with Young Lord Qin…”
Yang Kai did not go on because he believed Gu Jian Xin and Qin Wu Hui would be able to understand his meaning from just this.
As for the He sisters who were standing behind Yang Kai, their eyes widened after a moment of shock, and their faces filled with a pleasant surprise; even their breathing quickened slightly.
“So that’s it,” Gu Jian Xin grinned meaningfully as if he had learned some kind of special secret.
Qin Wu Hui showed a look of embarrassment and guilt on his face and quickly cupped his fists, “This matter stemmed from this old master’s selfishness, forcing He Zao and He Miao against their wishes into an unfortunate decision. On the other hand, Young Master Yang is so benevolent and righteous it brings shame to this old master’s heart. Having received this ancient pill which can help my good-for-nothing son recover, this old master guarantees that the previous agreement will be cancelled.”
“Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai picked up his glass and stood, smiling, “Senior is a straightforward and upright man, this cup is Junior’s respect for Senior.”
“I would not dare accept,” Qin Wu Hui also raised his glass quickly and with a solemn expression vowed. “My son was ignorant and the disaster he suffered was deserved. Now that Young Master Yang has provided a chance for him to recover, this old master has nothing but thanks to offer. This old master also promises he will discipline his son in the future and set him on the righteous path so as not to disappoint Young Master Yang’s benevolence!”
The two drank their glasses of wine before Yang Kai took his seat again.
In a seat in the corner of the hall, Yue Xi cast a grateful look towards Yang Kai.
She never expected that Yang Kai could solve this matter so easily. Originally, it seemed like a peaceful resolution had been impossible, as no matter how highly Gu Jian Xin regarded Yang Kai, it would be a huge loss of face to side with him over a loyal subordinate like Qin Wu Hui, while doing the opposite would not have yielded any good results either.
However, Yang Kai had managed to sweep this problem away without causing Qin Wu Hui to lose any face with a single pill, instead even gaining significantly.
It could be said that everyone was happy with this arrangement.
It’s just… this kind of price was something only Yang Kai could take out casually.
“He Zao, He Miao!” Qin Wu Hui did not immediately take a seat and instead called out to the two sisters before waving his hand and sending two streams of light towards them.
The two sisters had yet to recover from their excitement and joy and only reflexively grasped the two streams of light in their hands before turning their attention to Qin Wu Hui.
“This old master has troubled you this past year, accept these as compensation. I hope you can assist the Young Master with all your heart in the future and not bear a grudge against this old master,” Qin Wu Hui said sincerely.
“Disciple would not dare! Disciple thanks Elder Qin for his generous reward!” He Zao and He Miao bowed and spoke in unison before taking a look at what exactly they had been given.
After a glance, the two discovered that they were actually holding a pair of Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts! It was two identical scimitars that seemed to be capable of joining into one to form a single round flying blade.
With their cultivation and status, it was basically impossible for them to obtain Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts unless they were gifted by their Honoured Masters or an Elder.
However, Yue Xi herself was not rich, so how could she provide the two sisters with such powerful artifacts? Only someone like Qin Wu Hui could casually pull out and give away two Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifacts.
The two sisters understood that this kind of treatment was all due to Yang Kai! Without Yang Kai, how could Qin Wu Hui have given them two artifacts so freely?
Standing behind Yang Kai, staring at his back, both sisters’ beautiful eyes overflowed with gratitude.
“Brother Yang…” Gu Jian Xin smiled bitterly to the side as he rubbed his forehead lightly and said, “You doing this makes this Gu wonder how he is going to compensate you. We haven’t even finished discussing the Soul Breaker Spear either.”
He had to compensate Yang Kai for the loss of the Soul Breaker Spear, yet instead of making a request, Yang Kai had sent out another gift to Qin Wu Hui. While the exchange between Yang Kai and Qin Wu Hui might seem like a fair deal on the surface, as long as they were slightly discerning, anyone could see that Yang Kai had suffered a huge loss!
After all, whether it was Qin Wu Hui, He Zao, or He Miao, they were all members of Sword Union. Yang Kai had gifted a pill but received nothing in return; what’s more, the pill he delivered was an ancient one that could no longer be refined.
As such, Gu Jian Xin suddenly felt that he owed Yang Kai greatly.
“Brother Yang, we should discuss this matter now. What kind of compensation do you want? Please do not hesitate, this Gu is ready to lose a pound of flesh to you,” Gu Jian Xin joked.
“There’s no need to worry so much,” Yang Kai smiled, “Actually, I have already thought about what I’d like as compensation and for Brother Gu. It should be a simple matter.”
“Oh? Please do explain,” Gu Jian Xin put on a serious face as everyone else in the hall also looked curiously towards Yang Kai. Everyone wanted to know what he would ask for, especially Qin Wu Hui who seemed determined to fulfil any request Yang Kai made.
“Our destination for this trip is Azure Tree Star, right?” Yang Kai asked.
“Indeed.”
“And this Azure Tree Star is under the direct control of Sword Union?”
“Yes! Azure Tree is under the jurisdiction of my Sword Union,” Gu Jian Xin said proudly, “Regarding Cultivation Stars like Azure Tree Star, my Sword Union controls three!”
“Then this will be simple,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I want a site covering a radius of ten thousand kilometres. En, I do not need it to be a particularly rich region, just so long as it is not barren, it will be fine.”
“Ten thousand kilometres?” Gu Jian Xin frowned.
“Five thousand kilometres is also fine,” Yang Kai added.
“Hahaha, Brother Yang is far too polite, forget ten thousand kilometres, even a hundred thousand kilometres is fine!” Gu Jian Xin laughed and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “A hundred-thousand-kilometre territory on Azure Tree Star is nothing. Good, it’s settled then, when we arrive on Azure Tree Star, this Gu will have someone arrange it. As for what site Brother Yang would like, you can make your own decision!”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment and unable to respond, but soon he smiled and nodded, “Since Brother Gu has said this much, this Yang will naturally accept.”
As the Star Master of Shadowed Star, owning a trivial hundred-thousand-kilometre territory did not have any big impact on him.
“There’s no need for politeness between us!” Gu Jian Xin stretched out and beckoned, causing Ling Yue to immediately step forward to fill his and Yang Kai’s glass.
“Brother Yang, might I ask what you want this site for? Do you plan on settling down on Azure Tree Star?” Gu Jian Xin asked with joy and expectation.
If Yang Kai really was planning to do so, it would undoubtedly be good news for Gu Jian Xin. He was still worried about having an opportunity to win over Yang Kai, but if Yang Kai wanted to settle on Azure Tree Star, how could there not be chances to recruit him in the future?
“I’ve no intention of settling down, but building a temporary residence might not be a bad idea,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Brother Yang is a man of great ambitions it seems!”
“Brother Gu, might I discuss another business deal with you?”
“Brother Yang, please speak.”
“I need a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals. I don’t know if Brother Gu could provide them? Of course, I will purchase them with Saint Crystals or exchange them for other valuables so your Sword Union won’t suffer a loss.”
“Brother Yang is too serious, since it’s a transaction, this Gu will naturally not refuse, but… Space Spirit Crystals are a scarce commodity in the Star Field, so it will have to wait until we reach Azure Tree Star before I can make some inquiries for you.”
“Then I shall trouble you.”
…..
The banquet lasted for an entire day with everyone only departing after becoming thoroughly drunk.
Yang Kai returned to his room and washed himself before scattering the effects of the alcohol.
Later, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao came to visit him together and thank him.
To Yang Kai, this was nothing more than a trivial matter. The materials used to refine the Seven Orifices Cleansing Pill were all part of his collection and the only precious item used was the Monster Core of the Seven Coloured Elk.
Yang Kai had obtained this Monster Core after killing the Seven Coloured Elk Variant in the Emperor Garden but he had no use for it until now, so it wasn’t a loss for him to refine a pill with it this time.
But for the Master and Disciple trio, this was an important matter that greatly affected their futures.
Yang Kai could perceive their gratitude, which made him feel slightly complex emotionally.
With differences in position and power, the things one could accomplish also differed greatly, just like how an ant could not shake an iron rod with all its strength, but an ordinary mortal could easily pick it up just by reaching out.
After seeing off the Master and Disciple trio, Yang Kai entered into secluded retreat to cultivate his various Secret Techniques.
Whether it was his Golden Blood Threads, Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, or Space Force, Yang Kai needed a lot of time to cultivate and consolidate them.
The road ahead was very safe. After being attacked by Li Ming Hai, the Starship did not encounter any disturbances and twenty days later, it arrived safely at Azure Tree Star!
In the Star Field, each Cultivation Star had its own World Principles, so there were inevitably differences between them.
Whether it was in terms of World Energy or materials produced, or the number of cultivators living on it and the heights they could reach, there was a huge contrast between different Cultivation Stars.
For example, Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy was extremely thin, so cultivators were limited to reaching the Saint Realm.
On some Cultivation Stars, the limit was the Saint King Realm, Origin Returning Realm…
Although Shadowed Star had rich World Energy, enough to support cultivators reaching the Origin King Realm, because of the World Principle suppression, it was impossible for cultivators to spy on the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
Among the many Cultivation Stars, the most bountiful ones would be taken as Home Stars of great forces.
For example, Water Moon Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Sword Star of Sword Union, Purple Star of Purple Star…
These Home Stars surpassed other Cultivation Stars in almost all aspects.
Azure Tree Star could only be regarded as an ordinary Cultivation Star with World Energy on par with Shadowed Star’s but with less than half the area.
In front of the Azure Tree Palace, Gu Jian Xin’s Starship descended slowly towards a square where a group of Sword Union cultivators were waiting to receive him.
The leader of this group was a beautiful woman with a stunning face and graceful figure. She was wearing a long black dress and had such abundant peaks that they nearly burst from their restraints. Her waist was slim while her legs were long and slender. On her face, she wore a warm smile that paired perfectly with her bright eyes while a mature aura lingered about her.
As soon as Gu Jian Xin disembarked from the Starship, he greeted this woman enthusiastically, “Aunt Lan, it’s been a long time.”
The beautiful woman called Aunt Lan smiled and said, “Greetings, Young Union Master. Subordinate has been anticipating your arrival.”
Saying so, she gave an elegant salute while the cultivators behind her also bowed in greeting.
“There are no outsiders here, so why must Aunt Lan act so politely?” Gu Jian Xin smiled and spoke. It was obvious that he had a good relationship with this beautiful woman.
“Courtesy cannot be abandoned!” Aunt Lan smiled sweetly before her pair of beautiful eyes swept the figures behind Gu Jian Xin, greeting Qin Wu Hui with a gentle nod then fixing on Yang Kai for a moment, a hint of suspicion flashing across her face.
She was naturally familiar with all of Gu Jian Xin’s important subordinates, but Yang Kai was a new face, which she found strange. Using her Divine Sense, she swept Yang Kai and discovered that he was actually a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, confusing her slightly more.
“It’s windy outside, let’s go inside before we talk further,” Gu Jian Xin did not immediately introduce Yang Kai to this beautiful woman and instead made such a proposal.
A gleam flitted across Aunt Lan’s eyes before she smiled and nodded, “Alright. This way, Young Union Master.”
Saying so, she led the way.
Azure Tree Palace was a symbolic building of Azure Tree Star, the headquarters established by Sword Union on Azure Tree Star to manage Azure Tree Star.
Yang Kai followed quietly while observing this beautiful woman named Aunt Lan.
Although he did not release his Divine Sense to investigate carefully, judging from the aura he felt from this beautiful woman, he was certain that she was an Origin King!
Thinking about it though, this was appropriate. Azure Tree Star was a critical Cultivation Star to Sword Union, so it was only natural that an Origin King Realm would be stationed here to preside over it. This beautiful woman named Aunt Lan should be a First-Order Origin King cultivator, because her aura had similar power to Li Ming Hai’s while it a far cry from Luo Hai’s.
The Azure Tree Palace occupied a wide area and after entering it and dispersing the miscellaneous people, Gu Jian Xin finally made introductions.
Through Gu Jian Xin’s introduction, Yang Kai learned that this beautiful woman was named Luo Lan, and she was indeed a First-Order Origin King as he suspected.
“Aunt Lan is the Star Master of Azure Tree Star and is responsible for all of Sword Union’s matters here!” Gu Jian Xin said.
“Star Master?” Yang Kai’s face changed slightly.
“Haha, it’s not what Brother Yang thinks,” Gu Jian Xin seemed to already know what Yang Kai was reacting to and explained with a smile, “This Star Master is not the kind of Star Master you imagine, it’s just a title.”
“So, it’s just a title,” Yang Kai felt relieved; after all, from what he knew, essentially all Star Masters were Third-Order Origin Kings, as only they seemed capable of refining a Star Source somewhat safely.
Luo Hai becoming Star Master of Green Mountains Star was entirely thanks to luck, and Yang Yan was the one who helped Yang Kai become Star Master of Shadowed Star.
Luo Lan was just a First-Order Origin King, so if she had managed to become a genuine Star Master, it could only be said that she obtained the greatest of opportunities!
However, if it was just a title given to her, it was not such a big deal. Any Origin King sent by Sword Union to oversee Azure Tree Star would receive the title of Star Master.
This Star Master was nothing more than a status indicator and did not come with the conveniences and advantages a true Star Master should have.
“Little brother seems quite surprised, could it be you’ve met a Star Master before?” Luo Lan was a woman with keen intuition and immediately inferred something from the changes in Yang Kai’s expression.
“En… I had the honour of meeting Sir Luo Hai on Green Mountains Star a few years ago,” Yang Kai casually explained.
“Sir Luo Hai…” Luo Lan murmured, “A few years ago? It seems that this brother had participated in the Blood Prison Trial.”
“En.”
“Brother Yang also participated in the Blood Prison Trial?” Gu Jian Xin was shocked as he looked at Yang Kai in amazement.
It seemed that Yang Kai having his current achievements was not simply a matter of luck. Gu Jian Xin learned from Yang Kai that he had explored the Emperor Garden, and now it seems he also underwent the Blood Prison Trial.
Surviving and returning from the two fierce lands one after another with just luck was not enough. It took true ability.
“Impressive!” Gu Jian Xin expressed his sincere admiration, cupping his fists in respect.
“Haha,” Yang Kai chuckled slightly awkwardly.
“Unfortunately, it seems that less than two years after the Blood Prison Trial, Luo Hai was killed. This incident shocked the entire Star Field,” Luo Lan muttered quietly.
“This Young Master also heard about that incident. Unexpectedly, someone like Luo Hai could be killed; who could have been responsible??
Yang Kai remained silent, his expression calm.
“By the way, Aunt Lan, I was ambushed by Li Ming Hai on my way here this time,” Gu Jian Xin changed the subject abruptly.
“What?” Luo Lan’s beautiful face paled, “Were you hurt?”
“My injuries have already healed. It was all thanks to Brother Yang’s help though, otherwise, I’m afraid I would have met disaster.”
“Him?” Luo Lan glanced at Yang Kai suspiciously. Although she was not sure what happened, since Gu Jian Xin said that Yang Kai helped him escape danger, she naturally would not question him and said with a serious expression, “Many thanks for offering your aid, little brother. This Queen will certainly repay you for your efforts.”
“Senior is too polite, Brother Gu and I are like old friends. It was just some trivial assistance, nothing worth mentioning,” Yang Kai said modestly.
“Trivial…” Luo Lan’s expression became extremely weird.
Being ambushed by an Origin King was no trivial matter, and she could almost imagine the great risks involved. If one thing had gone wrong, Gu Jian Xin would likely not be standing in front of her right now, already buried in a remote corner of the Star Field.
“Where is that bastard Li Ming Hai now?” Luo Lan turned her gaze to Gu Jian Xin again as a cold murderous intent flashed across her beautiful eyes, “Daring to do such a thing, there will be no place for him in the Star Field again!”
“He’s dead!” Gu Jian Xin quickly said.
Luo Lan’s jaw dropped and only after a short silence did she ask, “How did he die?”
Gu Jian Xin only glanced over at Yang Kai as a response.
Luo Lan once again turned a suspicious gaze towards him.
Yang Kai smiled harmlessly and said, “I only gave him a sneak attack while he was concentrated on fighting Brother Gu.”
Luo Lan was again a little speechless but soon smiled and said, “Little brother conceals himself quite well.”
“He simply let success get to his head at the time,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
Seeing his casual expression, Luo Lan immediately knew that Yang Kai did not want to talk about this topic anymore, so she smartly advanced the conversation, “Since even Li Ming Hai died, the situation can be considered closed; however, Young Master being able to escape this time was only thanks to a fortunate encounter with a noble person who provided assistance. You cannot act so recklessly in the future.”
“I know,” Gu Jian Xin nodded solemnly, “Oh yeah, Aunt Lan, I brought Brother Yang here this time mainly to consult with you about something.”
“Oh, what?”
“Brother Yang wants to build a palace on Azure Tree Star and needs a plot of land about a hundred thousand kilometres across, does Aunt Lan have any appropriate locations?”
“A hundred thousand kilometres…” Luo Lan pondered for a moment before saying, “There are many options, but I do not know what kind of location little brother would prefer, so why don’t we discuss this matter while consulting Azure Tree Star’s map tomorrow?”
“Sound good. I shall trouble you, Senior.”
“Little brother need not be so polite. You saved Young Master’s life, so a hundred-thousand-kilometre territory is nothing to Sword Union.”
“Junior will take his leave first then. I look forward to meeting you again tomorrow, Senior,” Yang Kai knew that Gu Jian Xin brought him over to meet Luo Lan and discuss his request for a piece of land, but now that introductions were finished these two certainly had other confidential matters to discuss which were not appropriate for him to overhear.
“I’ll see you out,” Gu Jian Xin gestured before leading Yang Kai out.
Outside, a maidservant was assigned to lead Yang Kai to a guest room in the Azure Tree Palace to rest.
After Yang Kai left, Luo Lan released her Divine Sense and opened the many barriers around the room to ensure no one could spy on this place before asking solemnly, “Young Master, that Yang Kai… is he credible?”
“En, according to my observations along the way, he has nothing to do with Sword Union and him appearing where Li Ming Hai was lying in ambush for me was simply a coincidence. It was Li Ming Hai who launched a sneak attack on him first.”
“He managed to survive a sneak attack from Li Ming Hai?” Luo Lan’s expression changed slightly.
“I don’t know how he managed that,” Gu Jian Xin slowly shook his head, “However, there is no doubt about his strength. What he said before was simply giving me face. Li Ming Hai dying was almost entirely thanks to him, and although part of the reason was him successfully launching a sneak attack…. Aunt Lan, you’ve lived many years, but have you ever heard of an Origin Realm cultivator killing an Origin King before?”
“No!” Luo Lan shook her head solemnly before glaring at Gu Jian Xin suddenly, “Oh? You said your ‘Aunt Lan has lived many years’? Are you saying your Aunt Lan is old?”
“Uh…” Gu Jian Xin scratched his head awkwardly and quickly wore a serious face as he tried to change the subject. “Moreover, according to my observations, he actually used Space Force to sneak attack Li Ming Hai!”
Luo Lan’s attention was on something important, so it took a while to process the additional information and asked, “Space Force? He’s able to use such a strange power in battle?”
“It’s more than that!” Gu Jian Xin recalled the scene at the time and his expression constantly fluctuated as he said solemnly, “His accomplishments in the Dao of Space seem to have reached an unprecedented level. He was able to condense his Space Force into a coherent blade that cut and exiled part of Li Ming Hai’s body to The Void!”
Luo Lan could not help gasping when she heard this.
“Suffice it to say, I only want to make friends with him, and definitely not become enemies, so I will have to ask Aunt Lan to pay some more attention to him in the future.”
“Rest assured, since he wants a hundred-thousand-kilometre territory here, there will always be opportunities for us to come into contact in the future,” Luo Lan’s beautiful eyes glowed with a strange light, as if she had become interested in Yang Kai, and continued. “Good, tell me in detail about the fight between you and Li Ming Hai. Aunt Lan is very curious.”
……
Either Sword Union always moved quickly, or Luo Lan was simply an efficient administrator, but Yang Kai had only stayed in the Azure Tree Palace for a single day before he was summoned by Luo Lan to discuss something.
Yang Kai naturally understood this was about the territory he asked for and did not delay.
Following the messenger who had come to summon him, Yang Kai made his way through the halls of the Azure Tree Palace for a short time before meeting a casually-dressed Gu Jian Xin in a certain corridor. The latter saw Yang Kai and beckoned to him with a smile.
The Left Sword Servant Ling Yue and Right Sword Servant An Xing were standing together with him.
“Brother Gu!” Yang Kai stepped forward and cupped his fists.
“How is Brother Yang’s accommodation?” Gu Jian Xin asked enthusiastically.
“Extremely comfortable!” Yang Kai replied.
“That’s good, this Gu was worried he was not offering good enough hospitality, but since Brother Yang says he is comfortable, I can feel relieved.”
“En, Senior Luo asked me to see her…”
“It’s as you think,” Gu Jian Xin grinned at Yang Kai before drawing him along with him. “Follow me.”
Walking down this corridor, the group of four soon came to a light curtain which shrouded the way forward, making it impossible for anyone to see past it. This light curtain was like a waterfall that flickered with countless tiny flowing runes which swam about like small fish, giving it a mysterious and complex appearance.
Gu Jian Xin did not even spare the light curtain a glance and walked straight forward, only pausing for a moment to tell his Left and Right Sword Servants, “You remain here. Execute anyone who dares try to intrude.”
“Yes!” Ling Yue and An Xing nodded firmly as they stood outside.
Gu Jian Xin then led Yang Kai directly past the light curtain.
After experiencing a flash of light, Yang Kai found himself in a seemingly entirely different world.
The whole place was silent and there was nothing of note except for a huge spherical object positioned in the middle of the space.
This sphere was almost two dozen metres in diameter and had irregular patterns covering it, some of which were yellow, some blue, some green, all of them occupying different areas on the sphere’s surface.
As Yang Kai got close, he noticed the sphere was spinning clockwise at a subtle speed.
Luo Lan was standing nearby and greeted with a smile, “Little Brother!”
“Senior Luo!” Yang Kai hurriedly returned the courtesy, but soon his attention was attracted to the sphere in front of him again.
Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin did not seem like they intended to explain and simply observed the changes in Yang Kai’s expression with interest.
Soon though, Yang Kai showed a look of understanding, turned to Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin, and said in surprise, “Is this a model of Azure Tree Star shrunk down countless times?”
“Little Brother’s intuition is sharp!” Luo Lan smiled and nodded, “This is indeed a tiny replica of Azure Tree Star. It took many cultivators from our Sword Union a hundred years to survey all of Azure Tree Star’s environments, measuring each region and categorizing them to complete this design.”
“Is this the map Senior mentioned yesterday?” Yang Kai asked thoughtfully.
“Exactly!” Gu Jian Xin smiled and nodded, “The map that Aunt Lan was talking about yesterday refers to this thing, which was why we had to wait until today to let Brother Yang see it.”
“There are many conveniences to this thing,” Yang Kai muttered in surprise as he circled the sphere, soon understanding what the different colours represented.
The yellow colours represented plains, while the blue was water and the green was forest.
There were a small number of other colours also present which obviously corresponded to rarer areas like swamps and deserts.
Sword Union’s methods were impressive, but… taking a hundred years to complete a project like this was something only a super force could afford.
Looking closer, there were many large and small city-like signs on this sphere, which were obviously settlements where cultivators on Azure Tree Star gathered.
With this, Luo Lan would find it much easier to manage Azure Tree Star.
While Yang Kai observed, Luo Lan took the initiative to explain to him. As Yang Kai expected, the different colours really did correspond to different geographical environments, and depending on the colour’s depth, one could tell the richness of the ambient World Energy in those areas.
The lighter the colour, the thinner the World Energy and vice versa.
After briefly explaining to Yang Kai about this map, Luo Lan said, “The piece of land Little Brother wants, a piece of land a hundred thousand kilometres is neither big nor small, so this Queen has selected a few locations for you to choose from. Of course, these are just areas this Queen thinks are suitable. If Little Brother is not satisfied, he is free to choose any other spot on Azure Tree Star!”
Yang Kai was grateful and cupped his fists, “Junior will be accepting Senior’s good intentions then. Please advise me.”
“Little Brother need not be so polite,” Luo Lan smiled, stretched out her hand towards the large spherical map in front of her, spun it slightly then halted it at a certain position. Luo Lan pointed to a certain place and said, “This is the first place this Queen selected. This area is surrounded by mountains and rivers and is rich in materials as well as World Energy. There is also a city nearby, which would fall under Little Brother’s jurisdiction.”
“A city? Is that alright?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
He only wanted a piece of land that was not too barren and never expected he would actually be given an entire city to control.
“It’s no big deal, it’s just a single city,” Gu Jian Xin grinned.
“Indeed, on Azure Tree Star, even if there aren’t ten thousand such cities, there are at least eight thousand. Having Little Brother assume command of it would be this place’s blessing,” Luo Lan also added with a smile. Yang Kai did not know what Gu Jian Xin had told her yesterday, but he could tell that Luo Lan’s attitude towards him had changed subtly and was much more enthusiastic.
“If Little Brother is not satisfied with this place, then how about here,” Luo Lan waved her hand and spun the map again, pointing to another spot and explaining, “This place is also quite good. This Queen has been here before and can attest to its beautiful scenery and numerous great beauties…”
Seeing Yang Kai remain indifferent, Luo Lan immediately introduced him to the next place.
After introducing seven places in a row, Yang Kai still had nothing to say.
Strictly speaking, the places Luo Lan selected for Yang Kai were indeed quite good, with rich World Energy and numerous other advantageous conditions, each one an extremely generous proposal.
But Yang Kai did not seem to be satisfied with any of them, causing Luo Lan to be a little puzzled, not knowing exactly what he was looking for.
“Senior Luo, is there a suitable place on the sea?” Yang Kai saw that she was about to introduce the next place and quickly asked.
“On the sea?” Luo Lan raised her brow before smiling, “So Little Brother would like to live next to the sea! What do you think about this position?”
…..
Half an hour later, Yang Kai walked out of the mysterious space with a content look upon his face.
After making a few comparisons, he finally chose a place called Twin Shark Island.
It was difficult to classify Twin Shark Island as a single island or two, because if one looked from above, they would see that, although narrow and shallow, there was a connection between them. When viewed from the side, this island, or islands rather looked like two sharks advancing side by side through the sea, a very vivid image.
Hence the name, Twin Shark Island!
The area was very in line with Yang Kai’s requirements, no more, no less, exactly one hundred thousand kilometres in total.
Additionally, there was a medium-sized sea-side city five hundred thousand kilometres away from Twin Shark Island!
This island was relatively remote on Azure Tree Star, and Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin could not understand why he chose such a place; after all, compared with the locations Luo Lan introduced to him before, Twin Shark Island’s only advantage was its rich World Energy aura.
It seemed like Yang Kai was going around the sun to reach the moon and intentionally took a bad deal.
But since Yang Kai had already decided, they did not try to persuade him otherwise.
And so, Twin Shark Island became Yang Kai’s territory from now on. As long as the faction Gu Jian Xin led still controlled Sword Union, no one would be able to take Twin Shark Island away from him.
This was also Gu Jian Xin’s commitment to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not care too much though; now that this site belonged to him, if someone dared try to take it from him in the future, they would first have to weigh the consequences.
The next day, Yang Kai bid farewell to Luo Lan and Gu Jian Xin and prepared to leave for Twin Shark Island.
Outside the Azure Tree Palace, Gu Jian Xin wore a slightly guilty expression as he said, “Brother Yang, unfortunately, this Gu cannot take you there in person. I have come to Azure Tree Star on important business, so my time is quite limited.”
“Brother Gu doesn’t need to pay it any mind, I can find my way to Twin Shark Island. Moreover, with this token given to me by Senior Luo, travelling and making arrangements will be convenient,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Gu Jian Xin nodded, “Indeed.”
Then, making a mysterious smile, he added, “But Brother Yang, there are a few people here who would like to travel with you to Twin Shark Island. I hope you won’t refuse.”
“Someone wants to go with me? Who?” Yang Kai frowned. He hadn’t heard anything about this beforehand.
Gu Jian Xin glanced to the side and after following his line of sight, Yang Kai saw three familiar faces.
“Young Master Yang!” Yue Xi walked over slowly and stood not far away.
“Big Brother Yang,” He Zao and He Miao also called out cheerfully.
Yang Kai looked at Gu Jian Xin, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “I’ve expelled them from Sword Union. As the Young Union Master, I have such rights.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed.
“Then, I asked them what they plan to do in the future, and they all said they wanted to follow you. I wonder if you’d be willing to take them in?” Gu Jian Xin added with a grin.
“Many thanks for your kindness, Brother Gu,” Yang Kai said seriously.
With his shrewdness, how could Yang Kai not notice that Gu Jian Xin was doing him a favour? After all, he was just a lone wanderer on Azure Tree Star, and although he was strong, there were always some matters that would be inconvenient for Yang Kai to handle in person, so having competent assistants was a necessity.
With Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao following him, the situation would be different. Some of the trivial matters that needed to be attended to could be left to them, and if it was ever inconvenient for Yang Kai to handle something personally, he could ask one of these three to manage it.
This move also spared Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao from enduring some awkward situations in Sword Union in the future. As Yang Kai said before, after the matter regarding Qin Qi Yang was dealt with in such a manner, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao would find it difficult to remain in Sword Union. No matter where they went, they would be accused of ingratitude.
Now that they had been expelled from Sword Union though, this would no longer be an issue.
Gu Jian Xin was a sharp individual and was trying to make the best impression he could on Yang Kai, so he had not hesitated to make this move.
This was a kindness to him, so Yang Kai naturally had no reason to refuse.
Turning to Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao, Yang Kai asked solemnly, “Are you willing to follow me?”
“As long as the Young Lord is willing to give us shelter, this Yue Xi is willing to do her best to serve him!” Yue Xi quickly replied.
“We are willing!” The two sisters said in unison.
“Good, then from now on, you will follow me,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Many thanks, Young Lord!” Yue Xi elegant bowed, her face overflowing with joy.
“Little brother…” Luo Lan, who was standing next to him, only spoke up now and said, “As for the Space Spirit Crystals you need, for the time being, this Queen is unable to gather much, but she will do her best to collect some and have them sent to you later. Would that be acceptable?”
“En, I’ll have to trouble Senior with this matter then.”
After Yang Kai chose Twin Shark Island as his site, he asked Gu Jian Xin and Luo Lan to acquire a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals for him, but these things were too scarce, so Luo Lan was unable to acquire a large quantity of them in such a short span of time. However, with her promise, Yang Kai was assured he would get some sooner or later.
Afterwards, Yang Kai took Yue Xi, He Mao, and He Zao, summoned his Star Shuttle, and left the Azure Tree Palace.
Gu Jian Xin and the others watched Yang Kai leave before returning to the palace.
Going to Twin Shark Island would take half a month despite using the Space Arrays on Azure Tree Star.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had the token given to him by Luo Lan, and with it, all the Space Arrays of the major cities on Azure Tree Star were open to him.
Following the route given to him by Luo Lan, Yang Kai travelled through various Space Arrays for half a month before arriving at Twin Shark Island.
Although Twin Shark Island was remote, it still had a Space Array used to connect with the outside world, and when the figures of Yang Kai and his group appeared on the platform, the cultivator responsible for guarding this place immediately came forward and swept his eyes over them before performing his routine duties, “Travelers, what business do you have here on Twin Shark Island?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and found that this person was only a Third-Order Saint King while the other cultivators responsible for guarding this place also were not very strong.
From the level of these cultivators, it could be inferred that the total strength of Twin Shark Island was not very high.
Yang Kai did not answer directly and instead took out the token given to him and showed it to this guard.
“What’s this?” The cultivator’s eyes narrowed slightly as a blank expression appeared on his face.
“You don’t know?” Yang Kai frowned, “Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what it is, what is your Island Master’s name and where is he? Take me to see him.”
The cultivator was shocked by Yang Kai’s aggressive questioning and domineering attitude. Although he did not recognize what this token represented, he could faintly guess that Yang Kai had a powerful background.
Immediately fixing his previous careless attitude, he replied suspiciously, “Island Master’s name is Zhu Liang. Dare I ask where these friends come from and how they know Sir Island Master?”
Before Yang Kai could answer, Yue Xi coldly snorted, “Are you qualified to ask about my Young Lord’s identity? Hurry up and lead the way!”
As she spoke, she intentionally released a bit of her Shi, causing the guard to change in complexion and realize that this man and three women were not people he could contend with. As such, he quickly bowed and guided them.
This was another advantage of having confident subordinates. Yue Xi speaking up there would raise Yang Kai’s identity and status and avoid some troublesome inquiries.
Yang Kai shot Yue Xi an approving look, to which the latter responded with a smile.
The strength of Twin Shark Island’s Island Master Zhu Liang was not very high, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm. On such a remote island, it was quite rare for powerful cultivators to appear.
After Yang Kai showed him the token and Luo Lan’s handwritten note, Zhu Liang immediately acknowledged Yang Kai as this place’s new master.
Being able to assume command of Twin Shark Island so smoothly satisfied Yang Kai greatly.
“En, you will remain as Island Master in the future, and you will manage Twin Shark Island as before. I will not interfere in any of your affairs. If there are any problems you cannot handle, you can inform Lady Yue and she will convey it to me.”
“I understand!” Seemingly realizing Yang Kai was easy to get along with, Zhu Liang gradually became less nervous.
“Island Master Zhu…”
“I am just a subordinate,” Zhu Liang responded quickly, “Sir should simply call this Zhu Liang by his name.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “Okay, tell me about the situation on Twin Shark Island.”
“Understood!” Zhu Liang gathered his thoughts for a moment before explaining, “Twin Shark Island is approximately one hundred thousand kilometres across and has fairly rich World Energy; however, it doesn’t produce any notable resources, making supplies a slight problem. Currently, there are roughly two hundred thousand residents on the island. The average cultivation level here is not high. Despite his lack of talent, your subordinate here is actually the strongest master on Twin Shark Island at the First-Order Origin Returning Realm. In addition to me, there are three other First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators on the island who serve as the Deputy Island Master and Elders. This lowly one has set up an Elder Council to manage the matters of Twin Shark Island with several elders…”
“Five hundred thousand kilometres east of Twin Shark Island there is a city which is connected via Space Array. In the surrounding million-kilometre region, there are many other islands with similar situations to Twin Shark Island, and the relationship between the islands is fairly peaceful with only occasional contact. The biggest danger here comes from sea beasts. Every year, sea beasts will attack the island, resulting in much damage and loss of life; however, Twin Shark Island will certainly be much safer and more peaceful in the future with Sir here!”
While explaining, Zhu Liang also took the opportunity to flatter Yang Kai.
Yang Kai paid this no mind though.
Zhu Liang continued, “The biggest output of Twin Shark Island and the nearby islands are the Monster Cores from sea beasts. Every year, many foreign cultivators come to Twin Shark Island to hunt these sea beasts…”
After half an hour of questioning, Yang Kai had a cursory understanding of the situation on Twin Shark Island.
Overall, he was quite satisfied with this place and found it very suitable for his next plan.
However, he needed to find an appropriate location before implementing that plan.
Yang Kai decided to handle this personally.
After dismissing Zhu Liang, Yang Kai assigned Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao some tasks before flying off on his Star Shuttle alone to investigate the terrain of Twin Shark Island.
This survey took Yang Kai eight days to complete.
In the end, Yang Kai chose an area in the southeast that was close to the sea and had excellent scenery. Most importantly though, there was a large amount of open space here with few traces of cultivators ever visiting.
Yang Kai found Zhu Liang again and asked him to recruit some cultivators from Twin Shark Island to build a palace there.
Yang Kai naturally was not going to let others work in vain and offered Saint Crystals as payment.
Would Zhu Liang refuse this golden opportunity? Even if Yang Kai did not pay, he would still do his best to fulfil Yang Kai’s request.
There were two hundred thousand people on Twin Shark Island, so Zhu Liang casually gave an order to recruit a thousand people and had them begin constructing a large palace at the place Yang Kai designated.
The cultivators began immediately and worked at an incredibly fast pace. Within half a month, a magnificent palace was built that stretched across a more than ten-kilometre-wide area.
Zhu Liang even paid out of his own pocket to add some furniture and decorations to the palace.
Once it was finished, Yang Kai moved in with Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao.
The palace was huge and seemed quite quiet and lonely with only four people inside of it.
Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao did not understand why Yang Kai had built such a huge palace here, but knowing it wasn’t their place to ask, they simply obeyed his instructions and served him with dedication.
That night, Yang Kai called them into his room.
“What orders does Young Lord have for us?” Yue Xi asked curiously.
“It’s nothing so serious. Have a seat first,” Yang Kai motioned to them.
After the three women were seated, Yang Kai continued, “Since you have chosen to follow me in the future, then I will not mistreat you. Having said so, I will inform you now that I have a Sect called High Heaven Sect, of which I am the Sect Master. The Sect’s headquarters is on a very remote Cultivation Star. Would you like to join High Heaven Sect?”
The Master and Disciples glanced at each other before looking at Yang Kai and without hesitation nodding together, “Of course we would.”
“En, then from now on, you are members of High Heaven Sect,” Yang Kai smiled and said, “The Sect headquarters is a long way away, so you won’t have an opportunity to visit it in the short term, but rest assured, a day will come when I bring you to see it. High Heaven Sect… in the future, it will not be weak.”
Next, Yang Kai asked about the Secret Arts and artifacts Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Miao used.
The three of them explained to Yang Kai in detail, without concealing anything.
Regarding Secret Arts, Yang Kai could not give them too many suggestions and could only allow them to explore slowly on their own, but when it came to artifacts, Yang Kai wasn’t stingy.
Yue Xi originally had two Origin Grade artifacts, but both were Low-Rank, and although they could boost her combat power slightly, the effect was extremely limited.
Yang Kai gave her his Feather Spirit Arrow and the Array Plate which had the Spectral Cloud Array sealed within it.
With the improvement of his strength, these two artifacts had become useless to him.
The Feather Spirit Arrow required one to pour their Saint Qi into it to fill it to a certain extent before releasing it all in one extremely potent attack. Unfortunately, the Saint Qi capacity only allowed it to be activated twice, after which it needed to be charged again.
With Yang Kai’s current methods, he did not need to use artifacts when confronting Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, and when dealing with Origin Kings, the Feather Spirit Arrow could not provide him with much help.
As such, he figured he could give it to Yue Xi.
The same was true for the Spectral Cloud Array Plate. It had little use to Yang Kai.
However, if these two artifacts were used effectively by Yue Xi, their peculiar abilities could greatly enhance her strength. With these two artifacts, Yue Xi could still pose a threat to a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator’s life despite her First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation.
Receiving these two artifacts, Yue Xi was unable to contain her joy.
Although she had Qin Wu Hui’s support in Sword Union and followed Gu Jian Xin, she could have never dreamed of receiving such treasures. Yang Kai’s wealth and generosity were simply shocking to her, in a pleasant way.
Yang Kai did not give any artifacts to the He Zao He Miao sisters because the two had just received a pair of Origin Grade Mid-Rank scimitars from Qin Wu Hui and were already busy adapting to their use.
When the two scimitars were combined into one, they formed a large, circular flying blade which was comparable to an Origin Grade High-Rank and possessed amazing lethality.
Having more artifacts wasn’t necessarily better.
Yang Kai handed two Origin Condensing Pills to He Zao and He Miao instead. In their current state, they only needed a bit more accumulation before they could attempt to break through to the Origin Realm.
In addition, Yang Kai gave the Master and Disciples a large number of Saint Crystals and pills they could use to cultivate before sending them to enter retreat.
Next, Yang Kai began arranging the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array in preparation to connect it to the transfer point he had built earlier.
Yang Kai deliberately chose the innermost palace as the location for the Space Array.
Refining all kinds of materials in a familiar way, engraving the Spirit Array, pouring his Space Force into it…
A few days later, a new Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array had been formed.
The Space Spirit Crystals in his hand had all been used up to finish this last Space Array! In fact, the number of Space Spirit Crystals almost failed to meet the needs of this array, but fortunately, Yang Kai’s calculations had been correct and he managed to complete it successfully.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai checked on Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao quickly, discovering that they were still in retreat. Nodding, Yang Kai then inserted enough Saint Crystals into the array and activated it.
In a flash, Yang Kai arrived on the Ore Star.
Among the underground ruins discovered by Yang Kai before, there was a brightly lit area with countless cultivators bustling about.
Yang Kai was surprised to discover that not only were there High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall disciples here, but also people from Clear Sky Sect and Coloured Glass Sect as well as many cultivators from Sects that had good relations with High Heaven Sect.
Evidently, Ye Xi Yun and the others had finished making preliminary arrangements here and had begun inviting cultivators from other Sects to come and mine this place.
“Sect Master Yang?” As Yang Kai was observing, a surprised call came not far away.
Yang Kai turned his head and discovered that the one who called out to him was none other than Mo Yu from Clear Sky Sect!
“Senior Mo,” Yang Kai said hello with a smile.
“It really is Sect Master Yang!” Mo Yu was overjoyed and quickly walked over, “I thought I had recognized the wrong person, but it turns out it really was you. Sect Master Yang, where did he come from?”
“Azure Tree Star!” Yang Kai replied casually.
“Sect Master Yang’s abilities are astounding!” Mo Yu said with admiration, “If it weren’t for you, my Shadowed Star’s cultivators would have remained trapped forever, but now we can quickly and easily travel to other Cultivation Stars. I’m afraid no one other than our Shadowed Star cultivator’s can enjoy such convenience.”
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed without denying it.
It was true. Without the Space Array based on his comprehension of the Dao of Space, ultra-long-distance teleportation was not possible. There may be so few Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Arrays in the Star Field, but those were definitely relics leftover from ancient times and did not have the stability and safety of the ones Yang Kai personally arranged.
No one dared to use those ancient Space Arrays unless absolutely necessary.
“Did Sect Master Yang come here to look for Great Elder Ye?” Mo Yu asked again.
“En, where are Great Elder and the others?”
“Come, I’ll take you there,” Mo Yu quickly led the way.
Because of the rise of High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star, countless Sects and families had begun forming closer ties with it. It was High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall who turned the tide of war when Corpse Spirit Religion was running rampant. This time, because Clear Sky Sect had a close relationship with High Heaven Sect, they were able to obtain an opportunity to come to the Ore Star to mine rare ores.
Mo Yu and Yang Kai shared a close friendship, so they chatted happily upon meeting once again.
Soon, Yang Kai saw Ye Xi Yun and Qian Tong, who were assuming command of the overall situation on the Ore Star.
After learning that he, Yang Kai, now owned a large territory on a Cultivation Star called Azure Tree Star and had connected it to the Space Array network, everyone was extremely excited.
This meant that the cultivators who had reached the limits of Shadowed Star now had a place where they could escape from the shackles of its World Principles and spy on the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
Especially for Ye Xi Yun, she had been waiting for this day for a long, long time!
“When does Great Elder plan to leave?” Yang Kai looked at Ye Xi Yun and asked.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Ye Xi Yun shook her head and said, “I won’t be going there for now.”
Yang Kai went silent for a moment before quickly reacting, “Because of Yang Yan?”
“En!” Ye Xi Yun lightly smiled, “If I were to really break through to the Origin King Realm on Azure Tree Star, it would become difficult for me to stay on Shadowed Star for an extended period of time. Sect Master Qian’s circumstances are the best example. I think… only after she awakens, will I attend to my own affairs.”
“I see,” Yang Kai heard this and did not try to persuade her otherwise.
Ye Xi Yun had done much for Yang Yan. Last time, she had the opportunity to leave Shadowed Star with Yang Kai, but because Yang Yan was still slumbering, Ye Xi Yun chose to stay behind and stand guard. This time, she had made the same choice.
“Alright then,” Yang Kai smiled. “In any case, since it’s Great Elder, as long as the time is right, it shouldn’t be too difficult to break through to the Origin King Realm.”
“Sect Master thinks too highly of me,” Ye Xi Yun laughed lightly. “Throughout the ages, the Origin King Realm has always been the highest ambition of us cultivators. Countless Origin Returning Realm masters have been stuck at this juncture for their entire lives. It certainly won’t be that easy for me to reach that boundary.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, knowing that Ye Xi Yun was simply being modest.
If the previous Ye Xi Yun did not have complete confidence, the current Ye Xi Yun who had refined several Domain Stones and comprehended the mysteries of Domain had at least an eighty percent chance of smoothly breaking through to Origin King Realm.
“In any case, I came back this time just to tell you the good news,” Yang Kai turned his head and looked around, “As for when you will go to Azure Tree Star, you can arrange that amongst yourselves.”
“Don’t worry about this. When the time comes, Great Elder Ye, Brother Mo, and I will definitely organize a group of people to travel to Azure Tree Star,” Qian Tong laughed heartily. “How could we not grab hold of such a wondrous opportunity? Even if we break through to the Origin King Realm, it does not matter if we can’t remain on Shadowed Star for a long time. With the Space Array available, we can come and go freely, so Shadowed Star shouldn’t have any accidents.”
“Alright, when you go there, someone will be waiting to welcome you,” Yang Kai nodded, “By the way, you’ve been mining here for some time now. Have you found a Space Spirit Crystal mineral lode?”
“No,” Qian Tong shook his head and said. “This old master, Great Elder Ye, and Brother Mo have gone out several times to search for mineral lodes, but although this Ore Star is extremely rich, we’ve yet to discover a Space Spirit Crystal lode.”
Yang Kai was not surprised about this and had just been asking casually about Space Spirit Crystals, so he wasn’t disappointed with the negative response.
Yang Kai did not remain on the Ore Star for very long, and after explaining a few things while also getting some updates on the situation, he used the Space Array to return to his palace on Azure Tree Star.
This trip only took him half a day, so when he returned, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao were still in secluded retreat.
The rest of the day was spent without any surprises.
Zhu Liang brought the few Elders of Twin Shark Island to visit Yang Kai mainly to introduce themselves, but this was not surprising. Twin Shark Island was now Yang Kai’s territory and they would have to rely on him in the future, so how could they be negligent in such courtesies?
Yang Kai did not need to pay these few First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators much mind, simply entertaining them briefly before sending them away.
What Yang Kai was waiting for was word from Sword Union; he believed that, as a super force, they would surely be able to collect some Space Spirit Crystals for him. As long as he had enough Space Spirit Crystals, Yang Kai could set off again to arrange more Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, eventually covering the entire Star Field, allowing Shadowed Star’s cultivator to travel wherever they wanted without worrying about the vast distances of the Star Field.
Tong Xuan Realm was especially important to Yang Kai!
He was eager to connect Shadowed Star to this homeland.
Unfortunately, there had been no news from Sword Union so far.
It was not until two months later that Yang Kai, who was cultivating, received a message from Yue Xi, “Someone from Sword Union is here.”
Yang Kai was very excited and got up quickly, going out to meet with this messenger as he secretly looked forward to how many Space Spirit Crystals he would be able to get this time.
He thought that Luo Lan would dispatch a subordinate of hers to complete this exchange, but Yang Kai was shocked to discover that Luo Lan had come herself!
“Why has Senior Luo come here in person?”
After inviting Luo Lan into the palace and offering her a seat in the greeting hall, Yang Kai could not help asking.
“Little Brother is Young Master’s friend. This Queen should naturally come here personally,” Luo Lan pursed her lips and smiled. “Why, am I not welcome?”
“Nonsense, Senior being able to visit my humble home is a great honour,” Yang Kai laughed heartily.
Of course, he did not believe that someone like Luo Lan would be so idle that she had time to come sight-seeing here, which meant that the reason she gave him was not the real one!
For a simple trade on behalf of Sword Union, Luo Lan could send any of her subordinates to complete it. Why would she need to come out in person?
Yang Kai faintly sensed that Luo Lan had some other purpose in coming here, but since the other party did not say anything yet, he didn’t ask.
“It’s quite quiet here,” Luo Lan turned her eyes around as she spoke. This palace stretched over ten kilometres in radius, but only Yang Kai, Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao lived here. With the three women in retreat though, it was almost like Yang Kai was the only one who was present.
In normal times, the palace was indeed all but silent.
“Why not have Zhu Liang find some servants to take care of this palace?” Luo Lan asked, seemingly concerned.
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “That’s not necessary, I can handle things here myself, what would there even be for servants to do?”
“Fair enough, peace and quiet are best,” Luo Lan smiled before suddenly saying. “En, these are the Space Spirit Crystals that Little Brother requested. Although this Queen tried her best to collect them, as you know, Space Spirit Crystals are very rare so I don’t know if this quantity can meet your requirements.”
Saying so, Luo Lan took out a Space Ring, flicked her wrist, and sent it over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and caught it before sweeping its content with his Divine Sense, only to frown lightly at what he saw.
Luo Lan was observing carefully and couldn’t help asking in surprise, “What’s wrong? There are many Space Spirit Crystals in this Space Ring. Is it not enough for Little Brother?”
Yang Kai frowned and nodded, “It’s not much.”
Luo Lan wore a solemn look and asked, “What do you need so many Space Spirit Crystals for? These things don’t really have another purpose other than refining Space Rings, right?”
Yang Kai chuckled but did not answer.
Luo Lan seemed to realize she had asked something she shouldn’t have and apologized, “This Queen was simply curious, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Alright, if you wait for a while, I can contact the Home Star and have them collect some more for you.”
“How long would that take?” Yang Kai asked.
“The Home Star is not close to here, so even if they manage to collect some Space Spirit Crystals, it will take some time to deliver it. It would be at least a year, but even so, I don’t know how many Space Spirit Crystals they would be able to collect.”
“Forget it then,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
The Space Spirit Crystals that Luo Lan brought this time were not few, but for Yang Kai’s goal, they also weren’t many. These Space Spirit Crystals would only be enough to arrange a single Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, which obviously could not meet Yang Kai’s needs.
If he wanted to connect Tong Xuan Realm to Shadowed Star, he would need to build at least two or three Space Arrays to serve as transfer points in between!
“The formation of Space Spirit Crystals is quite difficult, and generally speaking, they only appear as by-products in different mineral lodes, making their number quite scarce. However, this Queen has heard of a place where numerous Void Cracks form large numbers of Space Spirit Crystals…” Luo Lan suddenly began speaking about a seemingly unrelated but associated topic, immediately acting mysterious and asking. “Is Little Brother interested in perhaps looking for Space Spirit Crystals on his own?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes before chuckling, “This is the real purpose of Senior coming here in person, right?”
Luo Lan smiled and did not try to deny it, “Since you’ve seen through me, then I won’t bother hiding.”
“Senior knows of a place where there are Void Cracks which form Space Spirit Crystals?” Yang Kai asked.
“En,” Luo Lan nodded. “I wonder if Little Brother is interested in going there?”
“And if I say I’m not?” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Luo Lan didn’t seem surprised and simply laughed lightly, “Well… In addition to Space Spirit Crystals that may exist there, that place is also home to Shocking Void Beasts!”
“Shocking Void Beasts?” Yang Kai muttered under his breath as his eyes fixed on Luo Lan deeply and said, “It looks like Senior knows I am proficient in the Dao of Space. Was it Gu Jian Xin who told you?”
“If this wasn’t the case, do you think this Queen would come here in person?” Luo Lan smiled, “Since you used Space Force in front of the Young Master, you should have already known this would happen; however, you may rest assured, only I and Young Master know of this. No one else will.”
“It doesn’t matter if others know or not,” Yang Kai shrugged. “If I was afraid that people would know, I wouldn’t have used Space Force to kill Li Ming Hai.”
Luo Lan was startled, then smiled bitterly.
She could not help but feel like all the initiative she had in this situation was shattered by Yang Kai’s few words, making her feel somewhat weak.
After pondering for a while, she said in a serious tone, “Little Brother, since you cultivate the Dao of Space and have significant achievements in this domain, you must be aware of the benefits a Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core would have for you. This kind of exotic beast which can freely shuttle The Void is said to have gone extinct long ago, but there is one place where they still survive. If you can obtain one of their Monster Cores, I think your comprehension of the Dao of Space will increase a level. On top of that, there is a huge possibility that there are many Space Spirit Crystals in the place, more than enough for your needs. If I am not mistaken, you need Space Spirit Crystals to cultivate Space Force too, yes?”
Yang Kai neither confirmed nor denied her guess, simply asking, “And where would that be?”
Seeing him finally showing some interest, Luo Lan’s expression brightened but did not directly answer, instead asking, “If I told you that there is a higher realm above the Origin King Realm, would you think I am lying to you?”
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Luo Lan was stunned by his immediate response.
“Someone once told me that the Martial Dao has no peak! The Origin King Realm can naturally not be the ultimate goal of us cultivators,” Yang Kai explained casually.
“So that’s how it is!” Luo Lan relaxed and smiled; she had thought Yang Kai knew some terrifying information, but it turned out he just had his own dreams and aspirations.
In truth, Yang Kai really had this startling piece of information, but he had no intention of letting that be known.
Luo Lan added, “No one knows whether the Origin King Realm is the highest realm a cultivator can reach, but with a legendary character like the Starry Sky Great Emperor having once appeared, many Origin Kings feel that there must be a realm above the Origin King Realm. Additionally, above the Star Field we live in, there must also be a higher realm.”
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Because the place I spoke of to you is actually a fragment that was severed from that higher realm,” Luo Lan said solemnly. “We call it the Severed World, and the World Energy and World Principles of that place are somewhat different from those of any Cultivation Star in the Star Field. Not only that, but that place contains countless opportunities. Without even mentioning the various rare and precious cultivation resources there, some people even managed to bring back herbs and ores which surpass the Origin King Grade from it. These precious resources allowed some to easily enhance their cultivation. We Origin Kings have an exceedingly difficult time enhancing our cultivation, but if one is lucky enough to find some rare resource from that place, it may be enough to break through one’s shackles and reach a higher level.”
“The Severed World?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, the World Principles there are more suitable for cultivators to cultivate in.”
“And that’s the place you want me to go to?”
“Yes,” Luo Lan nodded.
“If what you say is true though, wouldn’t those Third-Order Origin Kings who have secluded themselves from the world and go there to attempt to break through to a higher realm?”
“No,” Luo Lan smiled, “After all, that place is only a fragmented world, and although it comes from a higher realm, it still exists within the Star Field, so it cannot satisfy the needs of those Third-Order Origin Kings to make a breakthrough. There have been a few Third-Order Origin Kings who entered that place before, but the result was that none of them could enhance their cultivation further. Also… how many Third-Order Origin Kings do you think there are in the Star Field? Most of them are old monsters that no longer appear unless something sensational occurs.”
“But there will be Second-Order Origin Kings there, right?”
“Possibly,” Luo Lan nodded.
“Since it is a place where Origin Kings go to seek opportunities, why ask me to accompany you there? I’m only a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator,” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“You may be a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, but you’re anything but normal, right?” Luo Lan asked, “This Queen has never heard of any Third-Order Origin Returning Realm that can kill an Origin King, and don’t say it was because you made a sneak attack. If an Origin King could be casually killed just because they were sneak attacked, they would not be an Origin King. I came to you first because you are not weak, so you shouldn’t be a burden for me, but more importantly, I need your help specifically for something in that place!”
“You need my help specifically?” Yang Kai raised his brow thoughtfully but quickly understood, “Because I cultivate the Dao of Space?”
“Exactly!” Luo Lan nodded, her expression saying that it much easier dealing with a smart person, “The Severed World is filled with Void Cracks, some visible, some not, but all of them extremely dangerous, even to Origin Kings. Every time that place opens, several Origin Kings get lost to those Void Cracks, I do not want to suffer such a fate! Since you are proficient in the Dao of Space though, it should be easy for you to sense those Void Cracks.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded, “But… will it be alright for you to bring in an Origin Returning Realm cultivator like me?”
“Why not?” Luo Lan chuckled, “Any Origin King that is qualified to enter can bring another person with them, so you won’t be the only Origin Realm cultivator there!”
“There will be others?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Yes, but not many; however, since that place is extremely well suited for Origin Kings to cultivate in, it is naturally an excellent place for Origin Realm cultivators to cultivate as well. Some people even enter that place in order to break through to the Origin King Realm.”
Speaking until here, Luo Lan said, “That’s all the information I know about this. I came here today to ask Little Brother for his help; of course, this is also a good opportunity for you.”
“Opportunities are accompanied by risks.”
“You’re already a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator at such a young age, so you must have already experienced more than your fair share of risks, no?” Luo Lan giggled lightly, “Cultivation itself is a process of competing against others, the Heavens, and oneself. Only by going all out will one succeed!”
Yang Kai took a deep breath, pondered for a while, and said, “I need to think about this.”
“Naturally. In any case, there’s still time. Please give me an answer after careful consideration.”
Luo Lan being able to say so already showed her sincerity.
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Good, then I’ll have to ask Senior to remain here a few days. I will have an answer for you three days later.”
“Then this Queen will wait for good news. If you can accompany this Queen, I believe the journey will be much safer.”
…..
Three days later, Yang Kai and Luo Lan left Twin Shark Island together and set off for the Azure Tree Palace.
In all honesty, Space Spirit Crystals that Luo Lan mentioned being formed in the Void Cracks did not have much attraction to Yang Kai. Although these things were scarce, Yang Kai only needed to travel to a few more Cultivation Stars and he would be able to collect a sufficient amount.
With the financial and material resources he currently possessed, he did not have any problem purchasing a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals, it would only take him some time.
What really attracted Yang Kai’s attention was the Shocking Void Beast which could freely shuttle The Void!
This was an exotic ancient beast that lived in The Void, and its Monster Core was of great help to those who cultivated the Dao of Space. Currently, Yang Kai had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation of the Dao of Space and opening the Sealed World Bead had become extremely slow; however, if he could obtain the Shocking Void Beast’s Monster Core and use it as the primary material in a Spirit Pill, it would allow him to make a qualitative leap in his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
Since there would not be any Third-Order Origin Kings in the Severed World, Yang Kai had nothing to worry about.
He was confident that he could escape from a Second-Order Origin King with his current abilities.
As such, after three days of consideration, he agreed to Luo Lan’s request and decided to go with her to the Severed World.
Before leaving, Yang Kai ordered Yue Xi, He Zao, and He Mao to remain in the palace and told them that if a cultivator holding a token with the character for ‘High’ on it appeared suddenly, there was no need to panic because they were from High Heaven Sect. Just receive them courteously.
Although the Master and Disciple trio were confused, not understanding how someone would suddenly just appear in the palace, they did not ask anything and just accepted their task.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Luo Lan came to the Azure Tree Palace.
After arranging a room for Yang Kai to rest in, Luo Lan started making preparations. Since she was leaving Azure Tree Star on this trip, so naturally had many affairs to settle. She also had much to prepare to enter the Severed World.
As for Yang Kai though, he just sat in meditation in his room.
Gu Jian Xin was no longer here. According to Luo Lan, the Young Union Master of Sword Union had left more than a month ago, but he had repeatedly told Luo Lan to treat Yang Kai carefully.
Time flew by and soon a month had passed.
Yang Kai, who was meditating, received a Divine Sense Message from Luo Lan suddenly and immediately ended his retreat, opened the door, and walked out.
Outside the door, Luo Lan was waiting for him, and after seeing him come out, she gently nodded and led the way.
Outside the Azure Tree Palace, an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Starship had been prepared. The two entered the Starship, and not long after, it took off and headed towards the Star Field.
“The Severed World is located in a certain remote region of the Star Field and its entrance is wrapped in countless Void Cracks. Normally, it is impossible to enter, but once in a while, the surrounding Void Cracks stabilize, and the entrance can be opened. At that time, it is necessary for multiple Origin Kings to jointly execute a special Secret Technique. Once we get there, we will have to wait for some time before we can enter,” Luo Lan explained to Yang Kai as she led him through the Starship.
“Do you know the other Origin Kings who will be entering?” Yang Kai asked.
“I know some of them, and I will recognize the names of others even if I’ve never met them before; however, I won’t know all of them as the entry time for the Severed World isn’t fixed, so only those who receive the news and are hoping to search for opportunities or to break through will appear,” Luo Lan stopped in front of a certain room and said. “You can live here for the time being. If you need anything, just ask. We’ll arrive at our destination in about a month.”
Yang Kai nodded and entered the room.
Upon entering, Yang Kai walked over to the bed, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
Nothing happened over the next month, which Yang Kai spent entirely in meditation. Luo Lan did not come to visit him during this time, nor did any of the Sword Union cultivators disturb him.
It was not until one month later that Yang Kai felt the Starship stop.
Luo Lan’s voice sounded outside his room soon after, “Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai’s figure flickered, and he opened the door, nodding to Luo Lan lightly before the two of them walked out.
The Starship’s main hatch opened, and the two rushed out like lightning.
After the two left, the Starship turned around and sailed back along the path it took.
Standing in the void, Luo Lan looked left and right to get her bearings before speaking, “Follow me.”
Saying so, she summoned her Star Shuttle and began leading the way.
Two streams of light, one in front and one behind, soared through the vast, empty Star Field.
Yang Kai remained silent as he followed behind Luo Lan, avoiding the occasional asteroid and Starry Sky Storm they encountered.
He did not know how much time passed, but at a certain point, Yang Kai suddenly saw a circular object floating in the void up ahead that exuded a dazzling brilliance.
Even from far away, Yang Kai could feel the fluctuation of Space Force coming from this object.
“Is that…” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at Luo Lan.
“En, that’s the entrance,” Luo Lan relaxed after seeing the scene ahead. “It seems that we’ve arrived early. The entrance has not stabilized yet and cannot be opened temporarily.”
“The Space Force fluctuations coming from it are indeed chaotic…” Yang Kai muttered to himself.
“You can feel them?” Luo Lan looked at him in surprise.
“You know I am proficient in the Dao of Space. Why wouldn’t I be able to feel them?” Yang Kai chuckled lightly.
Luo Lan’s eyes lit up, “It really was a wise choice to bring you here. At this distance, I can only feel that there is danger up ahead. Even if a Third-Order Origin King wanted to break in, I am afraid they would meet a terrible end. I don’t know what will happen next, but Yang Kai, you have to remember, don’t expose your ability in front of other people here, otherwise…”
“I know,” Yang Kai interrupted her, how could he not understand the truth that an ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make one guilty? If his ability to read Space Force fluctuations was really exposed, he would instantly become the target of every Origin King present.
Luo Lan gently nodded and continued flying together with Yang Kai.
The closer the pair got to the entrance, the clearer Yang Kai could sense the Space Force fluctuations, his eyes gradually revealing a trace of excitement. Originally, he had followed Luo Lan on this trip primarily to hunt a Shocking Void Beast and obtain its Monster Core, but what he had not anticipated was that he would have some gains even just by reaching his place.
Others could only sense that there was danger surrounding the entrance, but Yang Kai could feel the essence of the Space Force coming from it. The chaotic fluctuations here helped him comprehend the mysteries of the Dao of Space and it was not long before he reached a state of enlightenment.
A few hours later, the two had already arrived not far from the entrance.
Observing from a close distance, this entrance was about five kilometres in length and exuded a white brilliance, but in front of the entrance, a pitch-black Void Crack would flit about like a fish from time to time.
These swimming Void Cracks blocked anyone from attempting to pass through the entrance and were no doubt the most dangerous barrier here.
Near the entrance, there were already several figures waiting. There were not many people present, only seven or eight, most of them alone, with only a few clearly in pairs.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to investigate too presumptuously because he knew that these people were basically all Origin Kings!
These people stood far apart, indicating that they were from different great forces and had no plans to join forces. Some had closed their eyes and were resting while others were looking about, their outfits all quite different.
When Luo Lan and Yang Kai arrived, they immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“Elder Luo dares to come to this place?” Not far to the left, a hoarse voice suddenly called out with a hint of frivolousness.
Luo Lan heard this voice, furrowed her delicate brow, and glanced over towards its source, her expression fluctuating a few times before she quickly said, “So it is Elder Cui! Since Elder Cui can come, why can’t this Queen come?”
The man surnamed Cui chuckled, “This Cui certainly didn’t mean to imply that, but… the Severed World is extremely dangerous. Is Elder Luo not afraid she might accidentally perish inside?”
“Elder Cui need not concern himself with this Queen’s safety, he should instead worry about his own,” Luo Lan snapped back.
As soon as these two met, they began bickering like this, so obviously, they were quite familiar with one another and had grievances between them. Yang Kai stood beside Luo Lan, observing this man’s words and expressions but remaining silent, simply taking note of him in his heart.
The man surnamed Cui nearly choked on Luo Lan’s blunt remarks, but he did not show any annoyance, instead, just grinned lightly, “Elder Luo, although there are some misunderstandings between you and me, in the end, we’re both Elders of Sword Union. Since we’ve both come here, why not work together? That way, it will be much safer for everyone.”
“This Luo Lan will take Elder Cui’s kindness to heart, but… this Queen is not alone this time. Elder Cui should invite someone else,” Luo Lan replied lukewarmly, rejecting the other party’s proposal.
Yang Kai’s expression changed, only now realizing that this man surnamed Cui was also an Elder of Sword Union.
It seemed that he was an opponent from Sword Union’s Vice Union Master’s faction, otherwise, Luo Lan would not have treated him so coldly.
The man surnamed Cui glanced at Yang Kai thoughtfully as his eyes flashed like a poisonous snake and he said, “Elder Luo brought this little boy with her? Why has this old master never seen him before? Elder Luo bringing a Junior here… do you want him to gain something from the Severed World, or perhaps expect him to break through to the Origin King Realm?”