Among the women Yang Kai knew in his early years, Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang undoubtedly had the best aptitude.
After all, she had a Special Constitution, the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, that gave her an extraordinary advantage over ordinary people, as well as a limitless future.
Second place would have to go to the seductive queen Shan Qing Luo. This enchantress also possessed a Special Constitution, but her physique was slightly flawed and not as useful as Xia Ning Chang’s.
High Heaven Pavilion’s Eldest Senior Sister Su Yan would be ranked third.
This was simply an innate disadvantage though, not because Su Yan’s aptitude was poor in any way.
However, it now seemed like there was already no difference in terms of cultivation aptitude between these three women.
Needless to say, Xia Ning Chang had refined Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source and, coupled with her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, was now a Star Master. Her life was closely tied to Tong Xuan Realm, the two sharing both honour and disgrace.
The future of any Star Master was extraordinarily bright.
As for Shan Qing Luo, she had absorbed the Source of an Ancient Divine Spirit Variant, Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, not only making up for the flaws in her Special Constitution but also dramatically improving her own talent. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was no ordinary existence, it had the power to fight on par with Divine Spirits. In ancient times, it was also a hegemon that could not be underestimated.
As for Su Yan, with her Ice Phoenix Source and the Ice Heart Secret Art she cultivated in Ice Heart Valley, she had acquired an Ice Crystal Jade Body Special Constitution, and after entering the Heavenly Blessing’s Frozen Pond, she had obtained Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, Bing Yun’s, Profound Frost Divine Sword. In terms of capability and potential, she was no worse than the former two now.
The best proof of this was that the cultivations of these three women were now all equal at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
Shan Qing Luo was already preparing to break through to the Origin King Realm on Monster Emperor Star, and Yang Kai was confident that Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang were definitely not idling away in High Heaven Sect.
Now that Shadowed Star’s World Principles had been perfected, as long as they were sufficiently prepared, these two women would surely break through to the Origin King Realm smoothly.
Thinking so, Yang Kai showed a smile.
He suddenly found that the several women he was closest to had similar strength and aptitude, even including Xue Yue…
He even wondered who would come out on top if they were to fight…
Immediately after having such thoughts though, Yang Kai shivered and put such a terrifying scenario out of his mind. If these four were to really fight, Yang Kai imagined he would have no choice but to run away as far as he could.
Since Shan Qing Luo was at a critical moment in her breakthrough to the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai did not disturb her. After silently observing her for a moment and confirming that she was well, he quietly withdrew his Divine Sense.
Just as Yang Kai was about to adjust his breathing and calm his mind though, he suddenly raised a brow and looked towards the entrance to his room, flashing a light smile.
There seemed to be some movement outside, like someone was leaning against his door.
Yang Kai waved his hand and the door opened.
A soft cry came out as a figure stumbled into the room.
*Peng…*
The door closed again right after.
This visitor seemed to be a little wary and looked around hastily, but after seeing Yang Kai staring at her with a smile on his face, she could not help grumbling in annoyance.
“Since you wanted to come in, you should have just come in. Why wander around stealthily outside?” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he stood up and beckoned to the woman, pouring her a cup of tea before setting it down on a nearby table.
The visitor was surprisingly Bi Luo, who had been following Shan Qing Luo as her maidservant.
Bi Luo had been together with Shan Qing Luo since she lived in Fragrance City in the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land. After that, the two had passed through the altar in the Spider Mother’s Den and travelled to Monster Emperor Star. Now, Bi Luo still accompanied Shan Qing Luo and had even followed her to enter the Emperor Garden some years ago.
Yang Kai had a profound impression of this woman who disliked men and was only attracted to women…
“Who are you accusing of acting stealthily?” Bi Luo snorted as she stared at Yang Kai with her sharp eyes, seemingly about to attack him as she snapped, “If you were aware I was here, why didn’t you call out to me or something instead of suddenly opening the door? Were you trying to scare me?”
“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. Anyways, sit down and have some tea.” Yang Kai naturally was not stupid enough to quarrel with her over such trivial matters and instead just gestured to the seat in front of him.
Bi Luo took the seat in a huff, picked up the tea and drank it, then sat there without saying a word.
Yang Kai waited for a while, not knowing what Bi Luo was here for. Just as he was about to ask, though, Bi Luo suddenly raised her head and her beautiful eyes flashed with a kind of brilliance as she stared at him and asked excitedly, “I heard from Big Bear that you’re already a Second-Order Origin King. Is that true?”
“Big Bear…” Yang Kai had a strange look on his face, but suddenly that cheap elder brother-in-law of his, Yu Xiong, appeared in his mind as he smiled and nodded, “Yes.”
“No wonder you seem so much stronger than before,” Bi Luo stretched out her jade white hand carelessly and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder, a cheerful expression on her face. “Mistress’ vision is indeed exceptionally good, you’re a promising young man.”
Her expression and demeanour were completely natural at this moment, as if she was his elder and was paying him a comment for doing well.
Yang Kai just smiled warmly at this sight.
With his current identity and cultivation, except for a few old monsters who had not yet died of old age, only Bi Luo would dare talk to him like this.
But Yang Kai was not annoyed at this; instead, he was rather happy. After all, they had all come from the same tiny world, so there was a sense of comradery between them that was difficult to explain.
“You need to keep working hard to get stronger, otherwise, how will you protect Mistress in the future?”
“Yes, yes,” Yang Kai nodded nonchalantly, revealing a studious appearance.
Bi Luo squinted at him as her eyes flashed, seeming very satisfied with his performance.
However, Yang Kai keenly discovered that under Bi Luo’s seemingly happy face, there was some well-concealed sadness.
After a little thought, Yang Kai understood why Bi Luo was like this. Realizing this, he smiled and said, “You’re not bad either, you’ve already reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm.”
Bi Luo’s innate aptitude was actually not very good. Putting aside the Great Han Dynasty, where her talent was top-notch, her aptitude was at best mediocre when considering the standards of the Star Field.
However, after following Shan Qing Luo to Monster Emperor Star through the altar and encountering the remains of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, when Shan Qing Luo had absorbed its Source, Bi Luo had reaped some benefits as well. Supplemented with the wealth of Red Moon Territory, she was able to reach the Origin Returning Realm without too much difficulty.
If she had not had such an opportunity and environment, she might still be a First or Second-Order Saint King.
“So what if I’m First-Order Origin Returning Realm?” Bi Luo laughed at herself, “Mistress is about to break through to the Origin King Realm… I don’t know how much longer I will be able to follow her.”
[So that’s it!]
Listening to the frustration in her tone, Yang Kai immediately knew that his guess was right. Bi Luo was obviously worried about the gap between her and Shan Qing Luo getting wider and wider, which was why she had such a mirthless aura about her.
Although her friendship with Shan Qing Luo was not ordinary. If there was too much difference in their strength, she would only become a burden to Shan Qing Luo if she continued to follow her.
Just like the Blood Prison Trial, Bi Luo was unable to accompany Shan Qing Luo because she was too weak.
With how much she cared about Shan Qing Luo, how could Bi Luo be willing to let Shan Qing Luo worry about her? When the gap between Shan Qing Luo and her got big enough, perhaps Bi Luo would just silently disappear.
Understanding this, Yang Kai only thought about it for a moment before smiling slightly and asking, “Are there no suitable Secret Arts or Secret Techniques for you here on Monster Emperor Star?”
Bi Luo nodded and replied, “Exactly. This is Monster Emperor Star, so with Mistress bearing the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source, she can be considered a Half-Monster Race and the Supreme Secret Arts and Secret Techniques here meant for the Monster Race suit her perfectly, but I cannot find one that is suitable for me. Although there are some human Secret Arts and Secret Techniques in Chi Yue’s palace, they are not high grade. I’m already using the best one available, but its effects aren’t ideal.”
Bi Luo looked quite upset.
“I have some here,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Bi Luo immediately raised her head to look at him, her beautiful eyes bursting with amazing light as she immediately reached out her hand with no trace of politeness, “Give it to me quickly, I’ll remember your favour for a lifetime.”
Black lines filled Yang Kai’s forehead when he heard her say these words, thinking they sounded a bit wrong.
Bi Luo also seemed to have noticed she was being a bit abrupt and apologized by spitting out her tongue playfully and saying, “If it’s convenient, could you teach them to me? I’ll treasure this favour and will no longer speak ill of you in front of Mistress.”
“You still speak ill of me in front of Qing Luo?!” Yang Kai was furious.
Bi Luo curled his lips and said, “Mistress is completely set on you, so she just treats anything I say as a joke…”
“And what exactly have you told her?” Yang Kai asked with some trepidation.
“Everything. There are no secrets between Mistress and me,” Bi Luo looked at Yang Kai innocently, with a naive expression on her face.
“Including that time in the…”
“Don’t mention that again! That is the single greatest shame of my life!” Bi Luo glared at Yang Kai in annoyance, her face flushing as she spoke as she subconsciously licked the corner of her lips, as if there was something there…
“Ha… to be young and frivolous again!” Yang Kai sighed heavily.
Bi Luo suddenly became uncomfortable. If not for her desperate desire for Yang Kai to give her a Secret Art suitable for Humans, she likely would have flown out the door already. Whenever she thought back on that day, she could not help wanting to find a hole to crawl into and never come out again.
Although several dozen years had already passed, she could still clearly recall that unique flavour…
“Enough, enough, let’s stop mentioning this matter and just pretend it never happened,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Bi Luo shrank back into her chair and nodded fiercely, even the tips of her ears now burning a deep crimson red.
“Let me see which of the Five Elements your body aligns with!” Yang Kai said as he stretched out his hand and placed two fingers on Bi Luo’s wrist.
Bi Luo remained motionless, allowing Yang Kai to investigate.
Soon after, Yang Kai opened his mouth and said, “En… of the Five Elements your constitution is most suited to fire as I expected.”
Bi Luo has always been somewhat irritable and impatient, which matched with the Fire Attribute.
“I cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art before and felt that I could do so much faster than with any other element,” Bi Luo said.
“That’s natural. Everyone’s body is different and has its own affinity with the five elements. If you are aligned towards the Fire Attribute, you should naturally cultivate a Fire Attribute Secret Art. Let me see if there is anything suitable for you to use.”
After saying so, Yang Kai began rummaging through his Space Ring.
Bi Luo waited expectantly, not daring to interrupt.
The Secret Arts and Secret Techniques Yang Kai possessed were all collected from Purple Star’s Vault.
How could the things placed in Purple Star’s Vault possibly be bad? It could be said that every Secret Art and set of Secret Techniques was a part of Purple Star’s core inheritance.
Yang Kai originally planned to bring these things back to High Heaven Sect to broaden the number of choices High Heaven Sect’s disciples had, but since Bi Luo needed one, Yang Kai was not going to be stingy.
Not long after, an ancient book appeared in Yang Kai’s hand and he tossed it over to Bi Luo while saying, “This Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record should be suitable for you. Take a look.”
Bi Luo smiled happily, quickly grabbed it, and began flipping through it.
Yang Kai supplemented on the side, “This Secret Art has three parts to it and is exceptional. The first section alone is enough to support you reaching the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and forming pure Fire Attribute Saint Qi in your body. The second part will allow you to reach the Second-Order Origin King Realm. If you can find a Fire Crow Monster Core or Source, after refining it into your body, you’ll be able to improve your compatibility with this Secret Art further and reach the Third-Order Origin King realm. As for the third section of the art, it contains several associated Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. You can cultivate it at your discretion.”
When he was looking for a Secret Art just now, Yang Kai also glanced through this one and had a rough idea of its contents. Feeling it was quite suitable for Bi Luo, he had brought it out.
The strength of this Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record could only be fully realized if one could find a Fire Crow Monster Core or Source to increase its power.
The Fire Crow was a kind of Ancient Divine Spirit Variant, and although it wasn’t as famous as the Dragon or Phoenix, and was even weaker than the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, it was still on the same level as the Xie Zhi. Rumour had it that this ancient Monster Beast could trace its lineage to the Fire Phoenix, but whether that was true or not was impossible to tell.
With the help of a Fire Crow’s Monster Core or Source, the power of this Secret Art would increase by at least ten percent.
This was a massive improvement for such a high-grade Secret Art.
When Yang Kai’s words reached her ears, Bi Luo was overjoyed and began happily flipping through the ancient book, as if she could not wait to start cultivating.
A Fire Crow’s Monster Core or Source may be difficult to find elsewhere, but this was Monster Emperor Star, a paradise for the Monster Race, so there was a decent chance a Fire Crow or one of its bloodlines could be found here.
It was for this reason that Yang Kai specially chose this Secret Art for Bi Luo.
Bi Luo finished browsing through the Secret Art very quickly before solemnly placing the Fire Crow Heaven Piercing Record into her Space Ring, turning her beautiful eyes to Yang Kai, and gently saying, “Thank you!”
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “You have been accompanying Qing Luo this whole time, never leaving her side. It’s what I should do to thank you.”
“It’s only natural for me to be with Mistress. I will not forget this favour. In the future, when I have the opportunity, I will thank you properly.”
Yang Kai did not say anything more.
Bi Luo obviously could not wait any longer and quickly got up while saying, “Then you have a good rest, I’m going to start comprehending this Secret Art.”
“En, go,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
After Bi Luo left, Yang Kai thought for a while before taking out his Purple Origin Furnace as well as a lot of precious herbs and began performing Alchemy.
Time flew by and soon a few days had passed.
On this day, Yang Kai was still in the middle of Alchemy when he suddenly heard Chi Yue’s voice in his ear, “Boy, come to my room!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed before he raised his head quickly, smiled, and called out, “I’ll be there in a moment, Senior.”
And so, after finishing the pill he was refining, Yang Kai packed up his things and headed towards Chi Yue’s bedroom.
He had visited Chi Yue’s residence once before so, naturally, he knew the way and did not need anyone to lead the way.
However, after he entered the central palace, Yang Kai found that the innermost room was blocked by a powerful barrier and a mysterious energy fluctuation radiated out from inside of it. Through this barrier, Yang Kai could vaguely see Chi Yue’s outline.
He knew immediately that Chi Yue was still in retreat and had simply split some of her attention to meet with him.
“I heard Yu Xiong say you came to Monster Emperor Star for a specific purpose? What did you want to see me about?” Chi Yue’s voice came from the front.
Yang Kai put on a serious look and said, “This isn’t something that can be made clear with a few words, but if Senior reads this, it should be sufficient for her to understand.”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out a jade slip from his Space Ring and used his Divine Sense to engrave some information into it before tossing it out.
The barrier in front of him opened slightly to allow the slip to pass through before it closed again.
Silence followed as Yang Kai knew that Chi Yue was investigating the jade slip, but he did not urge her and instead just stood by quietly.
After some time, the energy fluctuations from the room suddenly surged, becoming a bit unstable. It seemed that Chi Yue had been greatly stimulated by what she had just read, causing her Saint Qi to become slightly disordered, but she was a master who was on the brink of becoming a Monster King, so she only needed to focus for a moment to suppress these undulations.
A trembling voice soon came from the wing, one filled with shock and disbelief, “Have you seen the Starry Sky Great Emperor with your own eyes? And you lived with her for more than ten years?”
“I have seen the Great Emperor, but the one I lived with was her Embodiment, not her true body.”
“Although this Queen believes you would not deceive her, this is all too difficult to just believe. It’s not that this Queen suspects you, but… what evidence do you have?”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, “It’s only natural for Senior to be suspicious. As for evidence though… Is this enough?”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out seven Star Emperor Tokens as well as the Annihilation Thunder Bead!
As the Emperor Pressure spread out, Yang Kai tried his best to use his Domain to suppress it, lest it interfere with Chi Yue.
That did nothing to dampen Chi Yue’s shock though as she gasped, “You’ve collected so many Star Emperor Tokens already? And what is that bead which is giving off such terrifying Thunder Attribute aura?”
“An Emperor Artifact! The Annihilation Thunder Bead,” Yang Kai faintly explained, “It was one of the Great Emperor’s personal artifacts, but she gave it to me.”
“It’s actually an Emperor Artifact!” Chi Yue exclaimed. If it were not for her being at a critical moment of her retreat, she would have rushed out to get a closer look. Even so, her voice clearly portrayed her shock.
“Senior seems to have heard of Emperor Artifacts.”
“This Queen is many times your age, why wouldn’t she have heard of them?” Chi Yue coldly snorted, but soon, a voice filled with envy called out, “You actually possess one of the Great Emperor’s artifacts. It seems what you wrote down on this jade slip is true.”
“Junior naturally wouldn’t joke with Senior about this kind of matter,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
“En, so like you’ve said, there are many other Star Fields like our own but because there is a powerful barrier separating them, we cannot cross over to them or even detect them?”
“I haven’t confirmed this, but the Great Emperor told me about it herself.”
“Since the Great Emperor said so, it must be right. Above the Star Field, there is the Star Boundary? And above the Origin King Realm, there is a higher realm?”
“Indeed!”
“Haha…” Chi Yue laughed suddenly as she quickly said, “This Queen really did not guess wrong. There is no end to the Martial Dao, who can truly stand at its peak? There are still greater heights to reach after the Origin King Realm!”
Her tone was filled with enthusiasm and excitement, seemingly quite happy to be able to verify one of her long-held conjectures.
Yang Kai understood how she felt at this moment. Any cultivator who yearned for strength would suffer a devastating blow if they learned that the Martial Dao really had an end to it. Knowing there were still greater heights to strive for though, any cultivator who yearned to improve themselves would feel great stimulation in their heart.
“Boy, you came to Monster Emperor Star to find this Queen because you lack the manpower to open the road to the Star Boundary?” Chi Yue suddenly asked softly.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded and replied, “According to what the Great Emperor said, if you want to open the way to the Star Boundary, first you need to gather all nine Star Emperor Tokens; that shouldn’t be a big problem though as I already have seven.”
“What about the remaining two?”
“One is owned by Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and the other is in Sword Union!”
“Do you have any way to obtain them? You should know that those tokens are relics of the Great Emperor and neither of those two forces will let go of the one they possess easily.”
“Everything depends on one’s own efforts,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Yes. You should try to collect them first. If you fail, after this Queen breaks through to the Monster King Realm, she can go to those two force’s Home Stars and ask them for the Star Emperor Token. I’d like to see if they dare refuse,” Chi Yue said proudly.
Yang Kai’s face quickly turned black, “Just leave this to me, there’s no need for Senior to trouble herself.”
“What about the second requirement for six Third-Order Origin Kings? How many have you found so far?”
“En… I was going to ask Senior, but from your attitude, it seems Junior won’t have to make any attempts at persuasion.”
Yang Kai came to Monster Emperor Star because he wanted Chi Yue’s help. He knew that Chi Yue was already a master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, and after obtaining the Origin Essence Crystal of Mad Crocodile Monster King, Yang Kai knew Chi Yue would soon be able to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm. There was also still a long time to go before the ten-year period he agreed with Gui Zu on arrived, so one of Yang Kai’s original intention was to visit Monster Emperor Star and talk to Chi Yue.
He had prepared various arguments to try to persuade Chi Yue to help.
But from the meaning of Chi Yue’s words, Yang Kai understood that she was already extremely interested in this matter and there was no need for him to even try to convince her.
“En, you need not say anything more! The Origin King Realm is not the end of this Queen’s Martial Dao. The Great Emperor is the ultimate goal of this Queen. With such a good opportunity before her, how could this Queen possibly pass it up, but… even if you search the entire Star Field, you may not be able to gather six Third-Order Origin Kings. This is a bit difficult.”
Chi Yue understood that gathering six Third-Order Origin Kings was actually more difficult than trying to collect all nine Star Emperor Tokens.
Because no one knew where most Third-Order Origin Kings were hiding, making it all but impossible to find them.
Purple Star had Kuang Shi Zong, but judging from the grievances between Yang Kai and Purple Star, Kuang Shi Zong would definitely not agree to this matter, and even if he did, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to trust him.
“Things aren’t as bleak as they seem,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Senior is one, and Junior can probably fill another spot. In addition, at my Sect, there is another person who is trying to impact the Third-Order Origin King Realm. If he succeeds, there will be three people.”
“Three… that’s still only half!”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I believe that if the news in this jade slip was released, someone will definitely come to seek me out on their own. Senior should also understand that, in the Star Field, those old monsters who had secluded themselves from the world spent all their time searching for a higher Martial Dao, right? Now that I can show them the way, they will definitely be interested.”
“Seems you’ve been planning this for a while.”
“Of course. But this is only a last resort, I will only do this if I can’t gather enough on my own.”
Having such a productive and pleasant conversation with Chi Yue was an unexpected joy for Yang Kai.
Sometime later, Yang Kai informed Chi Yue of the timeframe he had set and then left her palace. Chi Yue also promised to do her best to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm before the appointed time as well as organize everyone on Monster Emperor Star so she could join him to explore a broader, higher world.
The next day, Ba He came to Yang Kai’s room, handed him a Space Ring, and said, “These are the supplies Lady Tribal Lord has promised you. The three Origin King Grade Monster Cores are also inside. This level of Monster Core is scarce even on Monster Emperor Star and are considered rare treasures in the outside world. As for the other materials, you can check whether there are enough, if there are not, I will find what you need.”
Yang Kai took the ring, swept it with his Divine Sense, smiled, and nodded, “Thank Lady Tribal Lord for me, the materials are more than enough.”
“En, okay, but…” Ba He looked at Yang Kai with a slightly dazed expression and asked seriously, “Can you really arrange such an ultra-long-distance Space Array?”
After discussing all the details of his upcoming plan with Chi Yue yesterday, Yang Kai decided to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array on Monster Emperor Star to connect it with Shadowed Star. This way, once Shan Qing Luo successfully broke through in the future, she could immediately go to Shadowed Star.
Chi Yue was also shocked when Yang Kai informed her of his intentions, and although she found it difficult to believe Yang Kai had such skill, she also had no reason to doubt him, so she quickly ordered Ba He to prepare the necessary materials.
“It’s nothing special!” Yang Kai grinned.
Ba He hurriedly said, “This old master must have a look then. En, come with me.”
For some reason, the news that Yang Kai wanted to arrange a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array was even known to Shen Tu and the others.
When Yang Kai arrived under the guidance of Ba He at a huge open space inside Half-Moon Mountain, Yu Xiong, Shen Tu, Li Nuo, Hua You Meng, Aunt Chun, and various others were all waiting for him.
After seeing Yang Kai, Shen Tu greeted him with excitement, and asked, “Yang Kai, can you really arrange such a magical Space Array that can even cross between Cultivation Stars?”
Everyone else present also looked at him eagerly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Shen Tu’s jaw dropped before his expression became incredibly excited.
“Don’t make such a big fuss, it’s just a Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array,” Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter.
“Just?” Ba He exclaimed in a weird voice from the side, “You underestimate the significance of this kind of thing far too much. All the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays in existence in the Star Field today are ancient relics, most of which are completely broken and useless, unable to be restored. You look down on just how significant a chance this can bring to the Star Field.”
“Indeed!” Shen Tu calmed himself somehow and nodded firmly, “Without mentioning anyone else, just my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has established businesses across the entire Star Field, but voyages between various Stars take anywhere from three months to five years, wasting a massive amount of time in the process. If there was a network of Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays to connect even just our major Cultivation Stars, our transportation costs would decrease to nearly nothing! The benefits that would bring to the chamber of commerce would be astronomical! Within just a few years, the savings alone would add up to a terrifying amount of wealth!”
“It’s more than just that!” Ba He slowly shook his head as he chimed in, “If Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays could be used, cultivators would be able to more conveniently and safely travel between different Stars. If there was really such a convenient thing, who would risk their life boarding a Starship? At that time, you would only need to charge a fee for using the array and it would still make a lot of money. Yang Kai, don’t underestimate this ability of yours, if this Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array can really be arranged, it would definitely cause earth-shaking changes to the entire Star Field, making you nothing less than a hero to the world!”
Yang Kai took all this in and just nodded lightly.
It was not that he had never thought about this kind of thing, but because it was his own ability, one he had used frequently before, he didn’t think too much of it anymore.
However…
“What are you all so excited for?” Yang Kai looked at Ba He, Shen Tu and others in amazement.
Ba He was taken aback for a moment, but soon smiled and said, “It is this old master’s honour to witness such a momentous occasion, so naturally this old master is excited. It is like seeing a true Dragon suddenly appear in the present. Isn’t it only normal to be excited?”
Yang Kai thought for a while before agreeing with the sentiment.
“Yang Kai, can you help me arrange a few such Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays for Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce? Rest assured, the materials and supplies required will be provided by our chamber of commerce and we can give you satisfactory reward,” Shen Tu sincerely asked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was about to simply nod and agree, when suddenly he thought of something, grinned, and said, “That’s naturally not a problem, but…”
“But what?”
“But I want to talk to President Ai Ou personally about this. I actually have something I want to ask him for, so this just happens to suit as a reasonable price for exchange,” Yang Kai smiled and said authentically.
From what Shen Tu said just now, Yang Kai also understood that these Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays he could arrange would have a huge effect on Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps arranging them could be used as a chip with President Ai Ou to exchange for the Star Emperor Token.
Although the Star Emperor Token was a relic left behind by the Great Emperor, it simply became a useless trophy after it was used. Yang Kai believed President Ai Ou should know how to choose.
What’s more, Yang Kai still had the Star Refining Art Ai Ou desperately wanted!
Thinking of this, Yang Kai felt confident that the Star Emperor Token in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s possession would soon be surnamed Yang.
Even the Star Emperor Token Sword Union had could be exchanged in this way.
Although Sword Union was not as big as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it still controlled many Cultivation Stars, and if Yang Kai offered to connect them via Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays, he believed that Sword Union’s leadership would definitely agree to his request.
“That’s not a problem, but my father is not someone easy to negotiate with, be careful not to get butchered by him,” Shen Tu chuckled.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Such matters can be discussed later. Right now, this old master wants to witness the creation of a new Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array!” Ba He urged from the side.
Yang Kai nodded and no longer delayed, asking everyone to step back. Next, he began to take out the various necessary materials from his Space Ring and proceed to arrange the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array.
This was a process Yang Kai had done more than once or twice, so he was already quite familiar with it.
Various precious materials were taken out, smelted in Yang Kai’s hands, and then formed into different components before being assembled in order. Two days later, a huge platform had been forged, one that everyone present could feel a mysterious and magical aura pulsing from. Faint ripples began to appear around Yang Kai next as he seemed to be engraving something into the platform with his Divine Sense.
The entire process was quite uneventful to watch because no one present was proficient in Spirit Arrays.
Moreover, even if a real Array Master was present, they may not have been able to understand what was happening.
After all, Yang Kai was using his Space Force to construct the Spirit Array, something which was nigh impossible for others to comprehend just by observing.
However, because they were witnessing the birth of something so extraordinary, no one showed a look of impatience and all just stood quietly to the side, waiting.
Pieces of Space Spirit Crystal flew up next under an invisible power and burst into dust before merging together with the platform.
Ba He was observing silently from start to finish and a quick calculation he made in his head put the value of the materials Yang Kai had consumed in the past few days at 100 million Saint Crystals!
Even considering the entirety of the Star Field, this was a massive expenditure.
However, thinking about the function and purpose of this array, Ba He quickly felt relieved.
By the fifth day, when everything had taken shape, Yang Kai observed silently for a moment with some slight dissatisfaction. Soon after, he took out some Space Spirit Crystals he obtained in the Severed World from his Space Ring.
These Space Spirit Crystals were the ones that were naturally formed in the Void and were completely pure, hundreds if not thousands of times more so than the ones given to him by Ba He.
These pieces of Space Spirit Crystal were also shattered by Yang Kai and turned into a powder that was merged with the Space Array, instantly causing some noticeable changes. From a distance, it looked like the space around the platform was now warping and sinking into the Void.
Yang Kai quickly began the finishing touches.
After another day, everything was complete!
Everyone had been waiting six days now, and after seeing Yang Kai’s finish, they all could not help stepping forward.
“Does this thing… really work?” Yu Xiong asked as he tapped the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array with his finger, “How far away can it teleport someone?”
“This one is directly connected with Shadowed Star where my Sect is located,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. “As for how far that is, I can’t say for sure, but if you were to try to fly there on your own, it would probably take four or five years.”
*Si…*
Yu Xiong drew a sharp breath.
Ba He and the others were equally shocked.
Four or five years was enough time for any cultivator to enter secluded retreat and comprehend a profound Secret Art, cultivate a special Secret Technique, or refine a precious artifact, but with this magical array, all that time could be saved! It was nothing less than shocking.
“Do you want to try?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
“Of course I have to try it!” Yu Xiong quickly stood in the centre of the platform, an eager and fearless look on his face.
“This old master also wants to go,” Ba He walked up without any hesitation.
“Take me as well,” Shen Tu also sprang out.
“Second Young Master!” Li Nuo was shocked and was about to stop him when Shen Tu simply motioned to her to stop.
“Rest assured, there’s nothing to worry about. Even if something really goes wrong during the transmission, I can bring them back safely from the Void,” Yang Kai smiled confidently before taking out a few materials and beginning to refine something.
After a short while, a set of small tokens appeared in his hand.
“What are those?” Ba He asked thoughtfully as he observed the tokens in Yang Kai’s hand.
“Transmission Tokens!” Yang Kai explained, “Anyone who wants to use a Space Array arranged by me must be holding one of these Transmission Tokens, otherwise they will be exiled to the Void.”
Ba He’s eyes flashed as he quickly understood and said in admiration, “You’ve considered this carefully!”
A Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array did not just bring convenience to one’s own people, it also did so to one’s enemies. If an enemy were to use such an array to launch an invasion, the situation would be dire.
However, with the existence of these Transmission Tokens, this hidden danger could be completely eliminated.
Unless the enemy could collect a large number of such Transmission Tokens.
“Prepare yourselves,” Yang Kai called out before waving his hand and inserting a hundred or so Saint Crystals into the grooves at the base of the Space Array. The next moment, the entire platform began drawing power from these Saint Crystals and activated.
A dazzling light bloomed, and everyone who stayed nearby couldn’t help squinting.
When the light dissipated, everyone looked around and saw that there was no one in the centre of the array. Yang Kai and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Shadowed Star, High Heaven Sect’s main square.
The Space Array flickered, and four figures appeared at the same time.
Yang Kai stood quietly in the centre, smiling at Ba He and the others.
This kind of super long-distance teleportation always brought some physical discomfort to the traveller, and the lower one’s cultivation was, the more obvious the effects were.
Besides Yang Kai, Ba He with his First-Order Origin King cultivation was the strongest, so he was the first to recover, taking about five breaths of time before his eyes cleared up.
After ten more breaths, Shen Tu and Yu Xiong gradually regained their balance.
No matter who it was among the three though, all of them had a look of lingering fear on their faces.
The sensation of ultra-long-distance teleportation was best described as feeling like one was falling into an endless abyss, powerless to resist. Anyone who tried it once would most likely never want to try it again.
“This is the Shadowed Star you mentioned?” Ba He looked around as he released his Divine Sense, looking quite surprised because he discovered that this place turned out to be a true paradise, filled with beautiful mountains and rivers and rich World Energy.
“En, this is High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Suddenly, a Divine Sense belonging to an Origin King Realm master swept forth from one of the mountain peaks. This Divine Sense was so strong that it could only belong to a Second-Order Origin King.
The expressions on Ba He and the others could not help changing slightly.
Things had not ended, yet, as another powerful Divine Sense soon swept across them, and although this second Divine Sense wasn’t as tyrannical as the first, it still belonged to a First-Order Origin King.
The first Divine Sense quickly withdrew.
Yang Kai knew that Gui Zu had sensed the movement here, so he released his Divine Sense to investigate, but after discovering that it was Yang Kai, Gui Zu naturally didn’t concern himself any further.
After all, he was in the middle of a retreat at this moment, so he had no time to spare for anything that was not an emergency.
As for the second Divine Sense, which naturally belonged to Ye Xi Yun, it too quickly withdrew.
“Aside from you, your High Heaven Sect actually has another Second-Order Origin King and a First-Order Origin King?” Ba He asked in shock.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, glancing over to see Ye Xi Yun rapidly approaching.
Ba He let out a light gasp after confirming the truth.
He completely had not expected that this High Heaven Sect he had never heard of before actually had such powerful heritage!
Two Second-Order Origin Kings, plus a First-Order Origin King. Although the total number wasn’t very high, Origin Kings were still the highest combat power in the entire Star Field and it was rare to have even a single one in a Sect.
Not only that, there were many Origin Realm masters here, and they also occupied an exquisite cultivation paradise. In time, this High Heaven Sect would likely rise to the same height as the three great forces of the Star Field.
Ba He glanced over at Yang Kai in awe, as if seeing the infinite possibilities of his future.
A beautiful figure flickered and soon landed, taking a quick look at Ba He and the other unknown faces before turning and nodding to Yang Kai, “Sect Master, you’re back!”
“Great Elder, you seem to be well!” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Ye Xi Yun nodded, “Many thanks for Sect Master’s concern, this Queen has been quite well. The Sect has also been calm and safe. These three are…”
“This is Senior Ba He and Yu Xiong from Red Moon Territory on Monster Emperor Star, and this is Second Young Master Shen Tu of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. They’re all my friends,” Yang Kai introduced them briefly to Ye Xi Yun.
The two sides then exchanged polite greetings.
Ye Xi Yun then asked, “How long will Sect Master be staying this time?”
“I’ll be departing right away, I just brought them here to test a new Space Array.”
Ye Xi Yun nodded gently, “Sect Master is busy it seems. Don’t forget to take care of your body when you are out.”
“I will, you can return to your own affairs.”
Ye Xi Yun nodded before flying off again.
While Ba He and the others were observing their surroundings, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to check on the current state of his relatives. After a short moment, a cheerful smile appeared on his face as he said, “The test was a success, so let’s head back.”
“Leave now?” Shen Tu’s face changed drastically, “Yang Kai, this can be considered our first visit to your home, so shouldn’t you provide some hospitality? Why don’t we spend a few days here before we leave?”
Yu Xiong nodded frantically to the side.
Even Ba He directed an imploring look towards Yang Kai.
The three of them had not yet recovered completely from the ultra long-distance teleportation yet.
“There’ll be a chance for that in the future,” Yang Kai grinned before immediately activating the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array beneath their feet. A white light flashed as Space Force surged upwards and the four figures disappeared.
The cries of Yu Xiong and Shen Tu were abruptly cut off…
By the time they recovered, they had returned to Half-Moon Mountain.
Li Nuo, Aunt Chun and the others all saw how pale Shen Tu was when he reappeared and quickly flocked to him with concern, their attitudes warm and caring, as if it had been dozens of years since they last met.
Ba He shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Your Space Array is indeed wondrous… but the side-effects of this teleportation are really…”
“Haha, for such convenience, there’s always a price to pay,” Yang Kai laughed.
This was not something that could be avoided unless one cultivated the Dao of Space like Yang Kai. Every teleportation via Space Array would cause discomfort when used, but there was not any permanent harm done.
“It’s as you say,” Ba He thought for a while and agreed with Yang Kai’s statement.
“Since my work here is done, it’s time for me to set off again. En, Senior Ba He, please pass this Space Ring to Bi Luo on my behalf. There are some pills and other things that I refined for her and Qing Luo inside.”
Ba He took it and swept the contents with his Divine Sense, his face immediately filling with shock once more, “You… so much!”
He was a First-Order Origin King and had extremely high status in Red Moon Territory, so the treatment Ba He enjoyed was absolutely one of the best, but he was still dazzled by the array of pills in this ring.
In particular, there were several Origin King Grade Spirit Pills that even he couldn’t help drooling over.
“Senior jests, it’s just a few pills.”
“Aren’t you afraid that this old master would pocket this for himself?” Ba He asked seriously.
Yang Kai just smiled and said, “If I didn’t believe in Senior, I wouldn’t have entrusted them to you.”
Ba He nodded and said with a solemn expression, “You may rest assured, I will safely transfer the contents to that girl, Bi Luo.”
Yang Kai thanked him again before walking towards the port where the Starship was waiting with Shen Tu and the others.
Ba He and Yu Xiong came to see them off.
Soon after, a hum came from the Starship and it slowly rose into the sky. After reaching a certain height, it began to rapidly accelerate and soon broke through into the clouds.
…..
It took at least half a year to travel from Monster Emperor Star to the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and if there were any delays on the road, that time would only grow longer.
So, after the Starship set sail, Yang Kai entered retreat.
In the previous battle with the two Monster Race Tribal Lords, he had not used any of his helpers or outside boosts, only relying on his own strength and methods. He had not even used his Space Force, yet was still able to decisively defeat his opponents in a one versus two situation.
After that great battle, Yang Kai clearly understood where his bottom line was.
Although he was currently only a Second-Order Origin King, no one in the Second-Order was his opponent anymore, and if he used all his methods, he wouldn’t even need to worry about facing two or three enemies at once.
When facing a Third-Order Origin King, he would need to be more careful, but with his Space Force, he was confident he could escape even if he could not win.
In the battle with the two Monster Race Tribal Lords, Yang Kai had summoned the Dragon Scale he previously refined to block Xue Jiao’s mortal blow, even managing to damage his Monster Core in return. This was a testament to the strength and sturdiness of that Dragon Scale.
However, that was only Yang Kai summoning that scale, not really using it, and a far cry from controlling the innate Divine Abilities of a True Dragon hidden within it.
The Dragon Scale itself was essentially indestructible, and his Soul could only be damaged by someone with Soul cultivation on par with his own, so if Yang Kai could fully comprehend and utilize the Divine Ability contained in that Dragon Scale, he would have unbreakable defences. When facing enemies then, he could simply ignore defence and focus entirely on offence.
So, during the following time, Yang Kai constantly warmed the Dragon Scale in his body with his own Golden Blood and Spiritual Energy, hoping to unearth its true power while at the same time doing the same for the Dragon Bone Sword in anticipation of refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead it was made from in the future.
Staying inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai secluded himself from the outside world and devoted himself to meditating, causing time to simply fly by.
Luck favoured them the rest of the journey and no major incidents occurred, only some small Starry Sky Storms and stray asteroids barred their way.
The Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce Starship was Origin Grade High-Rank. It could easily resist Starry Sky Storms and avoid asteroids, so everything went smoothly for the entire trip.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly noticed a knock at his door.
Leaving the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai put away this Emperor Artifact and opened the door.
Outside, Hua You Meng stood quietly. After seeing Yang Kai appear, she took a step back and respectfully said, “Sir, Young Master Shen Tu asked me to inform you that we will soon reach Water Moon Star.”
“That quick!?” Yang Kai was stunned, feeling he had just entered retreat and then suddenly arrived at his destination.
Hua You Meng smiled and informed him, “Seven months have passed since Sir entered retreat…”
Yang Kai nodded, smiled, and said, “If that’s the case, let’s go to the bridge together.”
“Yes!” Hua You Meng nodded meekly before following after Yang Kai.
After walking for a while, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and asked, “By the way, Shen Tu said he would let your Five Paths Chamber of Commerce move into his territory and give you a position as a Head Manager in his place last time. Has there been any developments in this matter?”
Hearing this, Hua You Meng’s heart felt warm and gratefully replied, “Young Master Shen Tu said that once we arrive, he will immediately arrange a place for Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.”
“Have you agreed?”
“Yes, this is our chamber of commerce’s greatest opportunity.”
“Then I will have to congratulate President Hua. This Yang wishes President Hua and your chamber of commerce great fortunes in the future.”
“Many thanks for Sir’s kind words,” Hua You Meng thanked him in a low voice, but a somewhat lonely light flashed across her beautiful eyes.
A year ago, Hua You Meng would have been overjoyed at such good fortune befalling her, but after all her recent experiences, she didn’t know why there was a sense of loss amidst all the happiness when she thought about the future.
Looking at the broad back of the man in front of her, Hua You Meng knew that he would only be walking further and further ahead, and their paths would no longer intersect in the future.
Sniffling slightly, she was barely able to hold back her tears.
On Water Moon Star, there was a huge square in front of Shen Tu’s palace where the Origin Grade High-Rank Starship slowly descended and landed.
There were already many cultivators who had gotten word in advance and were assembled in a greeting party.
After the hatch opened and Shen Tu appeared, everyone shouted, “Welcome, Second Young Master! Second Young Master has worked hard!”
Shen Tu smiled and responded slightly.
The cultivators who greeted him below were his personal confidants and subordinates, so there was no need for politeness. Among them were many Origin Realm masters, but no Origin Kings.
These cultivators present all showed joy when they saw Li Nuo and Aunt Chun. Obviously, they had known each other a long time ago, but after seeing Yang Kai, they were a little surprised. They did not know where Yang Kai came from or who he was that he was actually able to accompany Shen Tu on his personal Starship.
Several people vaguely felt that Yang Kai was a little familiar, like a young man they had once met several decades ago, but after sensing Yang Kai’s powerful cultivation, they quickly dismissed such notions and began secretly speculating.
Shen Tu did not explain anything to them and simply ordered his people to arrange residences for Li Nuo, Aunt Chun, and everyone from Five Paths Chamber of Commerce. After that, he personally led Yang Kai to the room he had stayed in all those years ago.
“Brother Yang, you can rest here for a few days. Let me first go back and report what has happened to my Lord Father during this trip, as well as arrange a meeting for you.”
“Go ahead, I’ll be fine here,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Shen Tu nodded and left.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai stayed in Shen Tu’s palace awaiting news from him.
He came to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce this time first and foremost to ask for the Star Emperor Token in their possession, bringing his collection to eight. Secondly, he wanted to recruit President Ai Ou into his upcoming endeavour.
President Ai Ou had already broken through to the Second-Order Origin King Realm many years ago and was a peak-level figure in it, not far from the Third-Order Origin King Realm!
Yang Kai believed that Ai Ou should be able to break through within ten years.
If President Ai Ou agreed to assist him in opening the channel to the Star Boundary, the number of people Yang Kai would need to find would decrease by one.
As for Shen Tu’s report, Yang Kai believed it would only increase President Ai Ou’s interest in him.
After all, he had raised such a ruckus on Purple Star, it would be strange if Ai Ou weren’t celebrating. Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union were the top three super forces in the Star Field, and although there was some cooperation between them, there were also numerous points of contention. If there was a chance to hit Purple Star while it was down, Ai Ou would naturally not let it slip by.
So, Yang Kai was certain that Ai Ou would see him, and if he placed enough importance on him, Ai Ou might even come to visit him.
When the time came, he could have a good chat with Ai Ou.
He had the Star Refining Art in his hand and had close relationships with Xue Yue and Shen Tu, so Yang Kai believed it should not be difficult to exchange for the Star Emperor Token. As for whether he would agree to open the path to the Star Boundary with him, Yang Kai couldn’t tell, but everything depended on his own effort, so he had to try.
If Yang Kai was successful here, the chances of his ten-year plan succeeding would go up significantly.
Yang Kai felt that things would soon fall into place.
But to his surprise, he stayed in Shen Tu’s palace for eight days and still there was no contact.
This stunned Yang Kai and he began wondering if something unexpected had happened. During these eight days, even Shen Tu had disappeared, and when he asked some of the cultivators in the palace, all of them told him that Shen Tu had not returned after leaving for Water Sky City.
Water Sky City was the largest city on Water Moon Star and its status and function were essentially the same as Purple Star City on Purple Star.
This was where all the high-level masters of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce gathered and was the nexus of the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
According to the rumours, Water Sky City was the location of the strongest ambient World Energy in the entire Star Field and cultivating there would be faster than in any other cultivation paradise occupied by any other great force or Sect.
Finally, on the eighth day, Shen Tu appeared in Yang Kai’s room with a sullen face.
Seeing his sullen expression, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly sank, and he asked quickly, “Brother Shen Tu, what happened? How come you look so despondent?”
“Ha… it’s a long story.” Shen Tu sat at the table, poured himself a glass of water, drank it down in one go, then turned to Yang Kai with a guilty expression, “Brother Yang, I know you came to Water Moon Star this time to discuss some important matter with my father, but… I am afraid you’ve come at a bad time.”
It was not a surprise Shen Tu knew this as, back on Monster Emperor Star, Yang Kai had already mentioned he wanted to discuss an exchange with President Ai Ou. Shen Tu didn’t ask anything at the time, but he guessed that Yang Kai accompanying him all the way to Water Moon Star was because of something important.
Otherwise, Yang Kai, a Second-Order Origin King, would not have spent so much time to simply reminisce with him.
“Oh?” Yang Kai was surprised, “Has something happened that is… occupying all of President Ai Ou’s attention?”
“En,” Shen Tu solemnly nodded, “Something really has occurred on my father’s side. When I went to see him, I did not even have a chance to meet with him. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait a little longer here, and once this situation has been resolved, I can arrange a meeting for you.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and helplessly said, “If that’s the case, then there is nothing else to do. Don’t worry about it, it’s just waiting for a while.”
Shen Tu grinned, “I knew that Brother Yang would not make things difficult for me… but Brother Yang…”
Before Shen Tu could finish what he was trying to say though, he heard an angry shout from outside the palace, “Shen Tu!”
Hearing this voice, Shen Tu could not help turning pale as he began to tremble uncontrollable, as if he had just heard the reaper of death call out to him.
Yang Kai was also taken aback when he heard this voice and quickly released his Divine Sense with a weird expression on his face, one that soon gave way to a smile though.
Shen Tu immediately began to panic and smacked his forehead as he muttered, “This is bad, very bad, I was so absorbed explaining to you what happened I actually forgot that my third brother was still waiting outside. Speaking of which, do you know my third brother, Brother Yang? When he heard that you were with me, he dragged me back here to find you. He even beat me several times on the way over, blaming me for not telling him sooner! That damn boy simply doesn’t have any respect for his elders, just look at my eyes…”
Shen Tu leaned forward and pointed to the bruises around his eye sockets so Yang Kai could see them better.
“Haha…” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
“If you don’t come out now, don’t blame this Young Master for tearing down your palace!” Xue Yue’s voice called again, echoing throughout the palace, causing many to jump in fright.
In Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, who did not know Xue Yue’s name? It was all but certain she was the next successor to the President’s position.
When she was angered, no one would not be scared.
Shen Tu all but wept in depression as she said, “Brother Yang, please come with me quickly. I do not know what possessed that boy. From birth till now, he has only ever visited my palace three times, but for some reason, he insisted on coming today. Rest assured though, no matter what grievances there are between you and him, I will mediate them for you, and if he dares try to embarrass you, I’ll… I’ll… I’ll lead you away…”
Shen Tu seemed to want to say a few ruthless words, but in the end, he did not have the courage.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he realized just how frightened Shen Tu was. He must have been bullied by Xue Yue so much that all thoughts of resistance had long been beaten out of him.
“Don’t worry, Xue Yue… Third Young Master and I know each other, but there are no grudges between us. He won’t be tearing down your palace today,” Yang Kai lightly coughed.
“That’s good, that’s good!” Shen Tu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Having said so, the two of them got up and walked one towards a certain hall.
Inside that hall, Xue Yue was bristling with anger, her handsome male face practically frozen over with gloom as her Saint Qi fluctuated somewhat chaotically, like it was on the verge of erupting.
She was truly enraged right now.
Not only was she angry that Shen Tu did not tell her earlier that Yang Kai had come to Water Moon Star, but she was even angrier that Yang Kai had come here and not immediately come to see her.
Didn’t that bastard know just now anxious she had been these days?
Last time, she had waited outside the floating continent for half a year, but Yang Kai never appeared. Finally, she was forced to leave with Ni Guang first, so she had constantly been worrying about his safety since then.
Although Ni Guang had guaranteed her that Yang Kai couldn’t die with that old ghost Gui Zu around, Yue Xue had never truly been able to relax.
After returning to Water Moon Star, she had constantly been inquiring about the situation, but had never been able to learn anything.
However, today, she had casually overheard that Shen Tu had brought a friend named Yang Kai to Water Moon Star…
Xue Yue immediately questioned him and determined that this Yang Kai was exactly the one she had constantly been thinking about.
It was like a punch to the gut…
There really were no good men out there, he simply did not consider her worries at all. When she saw him this time, she vowed she would beat him senseless to release the pent-up stress she felt! Xue Yue had decided ruthlessly in her heart.
To the side, Li Nuo and Aunt Chun were doing their best to placate and persuade Xue Yue in the beginning, but both quickly ceased their attempts as both women found that this famous Xue Yue Third Young Master currently had a very complicated expression on her face.
It was a look filled with conflicting love and hate, like he was about to shed tears of blood and weep from joy at the same time. Excitement, anger, and even anxiety were all mixed in…
This look… was obviously one of a woman who was trapped in a whirlpool of sentiments and emotions and couldn’t extricate herself, but at this moment it happened to appear on Xue Yue’s face.
He looked like a lovestruck young girl who was about to see her negligent boyfriend…
Both Li Nuo and Aunt Chun found this incredibly strange and did not know how or why Xue Yue would have such an expression.
Suddenly, the two of them remembered a terrible rumour and were unable to stop themselves from shivering. Looking at the incredibly handsome young man in front of them, whose face seemed to have been carved from the finest of jade, the two women suddenly felt a deep sense of regret and grievance.
For the first time, the two women felt a little dissatisfied and angry with Yang Kai!
“Old Third, have you gone crazy?” With Yang Kai following, Shen Tu seemed to have gained a lot of confidence and upon entering the hall, he shouted out preemptively.
Xue Yue’s eyes flashed an ice-cold light as they swept over Shen Tu, causing his neck to shrink involuntarily and his tone to dampen significantly, “Um… This is not your territory, nor your palace, don’t raise such a fuss. If someone overheard, they might mistakenly think Second Brother was bullying you, haha.”
Xue Yue seemed to not hear Shen Tu at all as her eyes were currently focused entirely on Yang Kai behind him, her cold eyes suddenly becoming somewhat warm and anxious…
Li Nuo and Aunt Chun looked at Xue Yue, then at Yang Kai, and were immediately able to affirm their previous conjectures, both letting out a sigh as they pined about how unjust the Heavens were…
“Brother Yang…” Xue Yue suddenly grit her teeth and spat his name.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched violently as he felt the intense anger coming from her, but he could only smile and cup his fists, “Third Young Master, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!”
“Thanks to you!” Xue Yue replied coldly.
Inexplicably, after hearing the conversation between the two, Shen Tu shivered and instinctively sensed that there was some kind of terrible grudge between the two!
Glancing at Xue Yue, then at Yang Kai again, Shen Tu coughed and prepared to act as a peacemaker, but before he could say anything, Xue Yue suddenly gave him a cold glare and declared, “You leave, I have something to discuss with this Brother Yang!”
She stressed the ‘Brother Yang’ extremely hard.
Shen Tu choked down the words he was about to say as he fought an internal battle with himself. On the one hand, his friend who he owed his life to was facing a terrible crisis, but on the other hand, his own life was hanging by a thread. Perhaps escaping into the green hills now would be the best choice, at least there would be no need to worry about firewood…
After hesitating for two breaths, he solemnly declared, “Alright then, if that’s the case, Second Brother will wait outside. You two… have a peaceful chat!”
Having said so, like his heels were greased, he quickly escaped from the hall, beckoning with his eyes to Aunt Chun and Li Nuo who seemed to be in something of a daze at the moment, to follow him.
The two women got the message, glared at Yang Kai faintly, then left together with Shen Tu.
*Peng…*
The entrance of the hall closed shut.
Shen Tu, Aunt Chun, and Li Nuo all hurriedly stopped, turned sideways, and raised their ears towards the door.
There were no signs of movement from inside though, neither fighting nor quarrelling, simply silence.
After a long time, Shen Tu finally could not restrain himself, and said anxiously, “Third Brother won’t dare act too presumptuous and try to fight with Brother Yang, would he? Brother Yang is a Second-Order Origin King, and if he were to hurt Third Brother, how would I explain it to father?”
“Second Young Master, there’s no need to worry about that,” Li Nuo glanced over at Shen Tu, pursed her lips and said with a wry grin, “It didn’t look like they were about to fight to me.”
“They weren’t going to fight?” Shen Tu was stunned, “Didn’t you see the way Third Brother was glaring at us just now? It was as though he wanted to drink our blood? While he might behave politely in front of outsiders, I know full well how bad his temper is. From childhood, it’s clear to me that Third Brother has the heart of a devil, and it looks like he and Brother Yang have a lot of grievances between them…”
“They may be rivals, intense ones in some sense, but I’m afraid that has nothing to do with any kind of grudge, rather…” As Li Nuo spoke, her mood became more and more embarrassed, and her cheeks began to dye slightly red.
“Rivals, but not over some grudge?” Shen Tu frowned before suddenly the truth of the matter dawned on him, “Then, they must be rivals in love! Could it be that Third Brother is trying to snatch a woman from Brother Yang? Which woman is so blessed that she was able to attract both of those two at the same time?”
Li Nuo rubbed her forehead when she heard this, feeling a slight headache coming on as she whispered softly, “It’s not about a woman… Didn’t you see how Third Young Master was eyeing Senior Yang?”
“Like a vicious butcher? Why?” Shen Tu asked innocently.
Li Nuo immediately face-palmed, her headache getting much worse as she felt completely incapable of explaining to her thick-headed Young Master.
Shen Tu saw this look and grumpily said, “Speak clearly!”
To the side, Aunt Chun coughed lightly, and with blushed cheeks spoke, “Second Young Master, if you think about it, Third Young Master is a true dragon among men, but have you ever seen him seek out any women all these years?”
“No,” Shen Tu thought for a while before shaking his head, “This is one of the few points this Young Lord actually admires about Third Brother. When it comes to such affairs, he always maintains an impeccable sense of professionalism, but… what does that have to do with today’s affairs?”
“Then, Second Young Master, have you heard of the… rumour about Third Young Master?”
“Which rumour? There are far too many!” Shen Tu spat disdainfully, “With his status and aptitude, how could there not be a plethora of rumours about him? Some people say that he is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior god, some say that he is secretly actually a woman. Hell, there are even crazy rumours out there about how he does not like women and instead prefers men, hahaha…. How could I believe such nonsense that people gossip about in the street markets? All of those are clearly just made up stories.”
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo just stared at him solemnly and silently.
Shen Tu’s laughter stopped abruptly, as if he suddenly realized something, and his face sank as he murmured, “Third Brother is still a man, but I have never seen him take any interest in any woman, or even get close to one for that matter. In the Chamber of Commerce, there have been several Elders who have introduced him to the young ladies from their families, each of whom is a stunning and talented beauty, yet none of them were ever able to enter Third Brother’s eyes, but… the way that boy was just looking at Brother Yang…”
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo nodded together hearing this, thinking to themselves that it took Shen Tu long enough.
“It couldn’t be?” Shen Tu quickly began leaking cold sweat.
“I certainly hope not!” Aunt Chun also said solemnly.
If things were really as they thought, then how many young girls in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would fall into depression? How many young women would have their hearts broken? It would definitely cause an unimaginable disaster.
Inside the hall, Xue Yue and Yang Kai stared at each other for a long time before Xue Yue ground her teeth and shouted, “You bastard!”
Saying so, she punched him as hard as she could.
But by the time fist fell on Yang Kai’s chest, it only landed softly and powerlessly.
Yang Kai just stood on the spot and chuckled lightly, allowing her delicate fists to hit him a few times so weakly that even his clothes weren’t ruffled.
Xue Yue raised her head and stared at him stubbornly, biting her thin lip lightly.
Yang Kai quickly reached out and embraced her.
Xue Yue struggled symbolically for a moment before settling down and leaning her blushed face into his broad chest.
With her hair right at the tip of his nose, Yang Kai could smell the natural floral fragrance that wafted from her and could not help feeling relaxed and comfortable.
“Since you came here, why didn’t you come to see me the first chance you got!?” Xue Yue complained quietly.
“I was planning to see you shortly after I arrived, but I didn’t expect that the matter I asked Shen Tu to handle for me would actually delay me for so long.”
“Useless Second Brother!” Xue Yue snorted coldly, seemingly pushing all the blame onto Shen Tu.
“Tell me, how did you manage to escape from Zi Long last time?” Xue Yue raised her head and looked at Yang Kai eagerly, as if she could not wait to hear what had happened after they had parted.
Her glamorous red lips, which were now right in front of him, looked exceptionally alluring to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai could not help leaning in and taking a light peck.
Xue Yue’s face blushed red all the way to her ears and down to her neck.
Although she had some close contact with Yang Kai in the Severed World, that was during a life or death crisis. Xue Yue thought she was about to die and simply let go of all her inhibitions, but things were different this time.
Especially knowing that her Second Brother was still eavesdropping outside the door, she became incredibly tense as well as a bit excited.
Panicked, she hurriedly pushed Yang Kai away and quickly escaped from his embrace.
Yang Kai laughed at her behaviour, found a chair for himself, and sat down.
Xue Yue saw him acting so calmly and could not help angrily stomping her foot, her expression exactly like that of a wronged young girl.
In a huff, she sat down on the chair beside Yang Kai, poured a cup of tea graciously for him, then picked up a spirit fruit resembling a grape, peeled it, and popped it into Yang Kai’s mouth.
“Don’t keep me in suspense. How did you manage to escape? Wasn’t Zi Long dead set on killing you? Has the secret of the Immortal Divine Tree being in your possession leaked?”
Xue Yue asked a series of questions all at once, with clear worry on her face. However, after the last question she asked, she hurriedly added, “You can rest assured, I asked Uncle Ni not to tell anyone about the Immortal Tree.”
“I believe you,” Yang Kai nodded gently.
However, Xue Yue understood the nuance in Yang Kai’s words, how he believed in her, but as for Ni Guang… That had yet to be verified.
After all, Ni Guang was an executive member of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so the secret about Yang Kai carrying something as important as the Immortal Tree was not something a single request from Xue Yue could silence. Even so, Yang Kai was confident that even if Ni Guang did tell the others, the number would probably not exceed what one could count on a single hand.
Everyone wanted to monopolize the best treasures, so widely publicizing the existence of one was never a good idea.
And so, Yang Kai began narrating the story of what happened after he left the floating continent that day.
After learning that Zi Long and Zi Dong had died at Yang Kai’s hand, Xue Yue could not help gasping.
Until now, she had not bothered to probe Yang Kai’s cultivation. She was just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator right now, so it was basically impossible for her to see through Yang Kai’s depths if he did not want her to, but it was not an issue if Yang Kai didn’t block her Divine Sense.
“You’re already a Second-Order Origin King!?” Xue Yue was shocked.
Back in the Severed World, the two of them were both Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, yet now, after only a few years had passed, the man in front of her had arrived at the Second-Order Origin King Realm!
On the other hand, she was still languishing back in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Xue Yue suddenly felt a sense of crisis in her heart and almost wished she could go back right now, enter retreat, and breakthrough.
However, she was not a petulant little girl. Having dealt with so many matters for Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce on her father’s orders year in and year out, she had developed a tough and mature disposition, so she calmed her raging emotions after taking a deep breath and said cheerfully, “Since Zi Long is dead, and Zi Dong was buried with him, doesn’t that mean that Purple Star is now a dragon without a head?”
“En, not only is it a headless dragon, but it’s also… suffered some serious damage to its foundation.”
“Why do you say that?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai with a weird expression. Although Zi Long’s death was a huge blow to Purple Star, it was definitely not enough to damage its foundation severely, so she immediately realized that something else must have also happened to Purple Star.
“It’s nothing. I just went to Purple Star for a little trip and raised a bit of a fuss, injuring their Great Elder Gong Sun Liang severely during a bout of infighting they were going through. A lot of their masters also fell at that time!”
“Such a thing happened?” Xue Yue’s eyes flashed, “Tell me about it carefully.”
Yang Kai grinned and gestured to Xue Yue with his eyes.
Xue Yue glanced at him angrily but still reached out, peeled another spirit fruit, and fed it to him.
Yang Kai then began telling her what happened on Purple Star.
Xue Yue’s smile only grew brighter as time passed, eventually shaking her head and saying, “Right now, you’re probably the most hated enemy Purple Star has, but even a master like Kuang Shi Zong couldn’t stop you from destroying one of their Origin King Grade Starships. He’s probably feeling a deep sense of regret.”
“He was the one who insisted on killing ruthlessly, it’s not my fault,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“But how could Second Brother not report such a big incident to father? It’s too outrageous. Also, now I understand why Purple Star has suddenly begun acting so meek, even going so far as to withdraw a number of their businesses. It turns out it was all because of this,” Xue Yue showed a look of enlightenment. Many things she was unable to understand before now suddenly made sense.
“My father has been quite sad and distressed recently, so hopefully this news will bring a smile to him. I have to inform him immediately…” Xue Yue said with excitement.
Yang Kai looked at her in surprise hearing this and asked curiously, “If I remember correctly, don’t you hate President Ai Ou? Why are you so considerate to him now?”
Xue Yue smiled brightly as she replied, “That’s all in the past. I did hate him for forcing me to maintain this image all the time, never able to show people my true face, unable to live according to my own ideas, but things are different now. In this world… There is someone who knows my real identity and sees me for who I really am. That’s enough for me. What’s more, Father did everything he did to protect me, I don’t have a real reason to hate him.”
As she spoke these words, Xue Yue smiled sweetly, seemingly having broken free of all the misfortune and sadness she had to endure thanks to Yang Kai’s appearance.
Yang Kai also recalled that Xue Yue had told him in the Severed World that, as long as there was one person in this world who could treat her as an ordinary woman, she would be satisfied.
Yang Kai could not help feeling somewhat moved when he realized the powerful, stunning beauty, disguised as a man in front of him, actually had such a simple wish.
“What happened to President Ai Ou?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Yue’s expression immediately darkened as she whispered, “It’s about Little Mother…”
“Little Mother…” Yang Kai was confused for a moment but quickly realized that Xue Yue must mean President Ai Ou’s current wife.
Xue Yue’s mother had passed away long ago, so it was understandable she would call Ai Ou’s current wife by such a name.
Xue Yue smiled bitterly, “Although my father has always been a man who stands above and rules over others, he has also always attached great importance to matters of sentiment. This is especially true of Little Mother, whom he cares deeply about and always tries to protect. A year ago, Little Mother entered retreat to break through to the Origin King Realm, but something went wrong at the time, leading to a dissonance in her cultivation. Her meridians were torn apart and she almost died on the spot. Father used everything at his disposal to somehow suppress the crisis at the time, and while he managed to preserve her life somehow, since then, Little Mother has been unconscious, and her life is in constant danger. For the past year, my father has tried every means to wake up Little Mother, but nothing has worked so far.”
“Something went wrong during her breakthrough to the Origin King Realm…” Yang Kai was shocked and instantly understood the seriousness of the problem.
If something went wrong at such a time, no matter how strong a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator they were, death was almost certain. The only reason why Xue Yue’s Little Mother did not die on the spot was because of Ai Ou’s great strength and resources.
Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President was a veteran Second-Order Origin King master.
“At that time, Little Mother’s body was mortally damaged, but father used some Heaven-defying method to rescue her from the gates of death and maintain her vitality. Then, six months ago, he took out an extremely precious treasure to heal Little Mother’s physical wounds.”
Xue Yue gave Yang Kai a meaningful look when she said this, and although she did not say exactly what precious treasure Ai Ou had used, Yang Kai knew that there were only a few treasures in this world that could bring someone back from the brink of death.
Such as the Immortal Source Liquid!
Back in the Severed World, a total of three drops of Immortal Source Liquid had formed on the Immortal Tree. The three Second-Order Origin Kings who were present negotiated to divide these three drops evenly. One went to Ni Guang, one to Zi Long, and the last to Gui Zu.
But Yang Kai managed to take away the entire Immortal Tree in the end, and was also given that drop of Immortal Source Liquid belonging to Gui Zu.
The drop owned by Zi Long had also been obtained by Yang Kai.
The precious treasure used by President Ai Ou half a year ago was definitely Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s drop of Immortal Source Liquid.
Immortal Source Liquid was the ultimate healing elixir, one which could restore life and vitality to someone already halfway into the grave, a treasure even Third-Order Origin King would covet.
Carrying a drop of Immortal Source Liquid on you was like carrying a second life, so Ai Ou being able to take it out and give it to Xue Yue’s Little Mother without hesitation showed just how deep his affection for her was.
“Although Little Mother’s life was saved, she still shows no signs of waking up. During this time, my father has frantically sought out many Alchemy Grandmasters to diagnose her condition, and after much careful investigation, it was concluded that Little Mother’s Soul suffered a severe wound and she will never wake up again unless she can obtain a powerful Origin King Grade Spirit Pill used to heal one’s Soul. And… even if such a Spirit Pill is successfully refined and taken by her, it is still unlikely Little Mother will wake up. My father has spent almost all his time and effort trying to help Little Mother this past year, and even I… feel quite distressed about it.”
Yang Kai listened quietly to slowly understand the whole story before asking in a serious tone, “Did those Alchemy Grandmasters say which Spirit Pill is required?”
“The Soul Source Restoration Pill!” Xue Yue said in a deep voice.
After consulting his memories for a moment, Yang Kai understood what kind of materials were needed to refine this Spirit Pill and what effect it could play. Fortunately, the pill recipe for the Soul Source Restoration Pill was recorded in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, but because that was the case, Yang Kai could not help commenting, “Your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is really filled with talented people, you even know about such an ancient lost Spirit Pill.”
If he had not accidentally obtained the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture in the Emperor Garden, he wouldn’t know so many ancient Spirit Pill recipes.
However, someone at Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce knew of it as well, worthy of one of the three super forces of the Star Field, its heritage was not shallow.
“You also know of it?” Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai in surprise, her beautiful eyes lighting up in the next moment as she said, “That’s right, you’re also an Alchemist!”
When she had been poisoned by the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, rendering her unconscious, it was Yang Kai who refined a pill with Pill Clouds that had saved her. Although she had been constantly thinking of Yang Kai all these years, and been inextricably entangled with him numerous times, she had completely forgotten he had such an identity as well.
Only now did she remember.
But soon, the light in Xue Yue’s beautiful eyes dimmed again as her voice sank, “The Soul Source Restoration Pill is supposedly an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Spirit Pill, only an Origin King Grade Alchemist could possibly refine it. Although you are an Alchemist too, I’m afraid…”
Xue Yue did not finish what she was saying. It was not that she didn’t believe in Yang Kai’s abilities, it’s just that Origin King Grade Alchemists were far too rare. If one searched the entire Star Field, such Grandmasters were likely even rarer than Third-Order Origin Kings.
Yang Kai had reached the Second-Order Origin King at such a young age and had such incredible prowess in the Martial Dao, so how could his attainments in the Alchemic Dao also be so shocking?
Yang Kai did not try to explain and instead simply asked, “How does your Little Mother treat you normally?”
“Little Mother treats me exceptionally well. After my mother passed away, I grew up by Little Mother’s side… She taught me how to act and behave appropriately and also knows about all my secrets. When Father wasn’t around, she also secretly helped me dress up as a girl…” Xue Yue’s beautiful eyes showed a look of remembrance, a warm smile on her face as if he was thinking about something sweet, “But every time I dressed up like that, I would have to change back quickly. Father always became agitated whenever I appeared in my natural form!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, and from Xue Yue’s description, he could also imagine that this ‘Little Mother’ was a good wife and a loving mother.
“Why don’t I have a look?” Yang Kai suggested.
“Do you want to go?” Xue Yue looked at him in a pleasant surprise, “En, you’re also an Alchemist, perhaps you can communicate with the other Alchemists and see if there is some way to relieve Little Mother’s symptoms. Our chamber of commerce also a Foreign Elder Origin King Grade Grandmaster that my father sent someone to invite half a year ago.”
“He sent someone to invite them half a year ago, but they still have yet to come?” Yang Kai looked astonished.
“You greatly underestimate the arrogance of those Origin King Grade Alchemists. I said that the Grandmaster of our chamber of commerce was simply a Foreign Elder. You also have a Sect, so you should understand what the title of Foreign Elder means.”
“En, I understand,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
The status of Foreign Elder was almost equal to the Supreme Elder but didn’t come with any of the responsibilities a Supreme Elder would have.
Foreign Elders usually just loaned their name or identity to a Sect in exchange for generous rewards but weren’t actually attached to that Sect and did not need to contribute anything in return. Even if the Sect encountered a disaster, a Foreign Elder could simply stand by and do nothing, and no one would criticize them.
On the other hand, a Supreme Elder was vastly different. Although their authority was so high that no one in the Sect would dare disobey their command, a Supreme Elder also had to live and die together with the Sect. If the Sect encountered disaster, a Supreme Elder could not stand idly by.
In a sense, the status of Foreign Elder was even higher than that of the Supreme Elder, because Foreign Elders could obtain benefits without taking any risks.
It could also be described as a Supreme Elder being part of the family, while a Foreign Elder was someone hired from the outside.
With the huge strength of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, coupled with Ai Ou’s face, he had sent someone half a year ago to invite this Grandmaster, but even now that Grandmaster had yet to appear. From this alone, it was clear just how arrogant this Origin King Grade Alchemist was.
Even so, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce didn’t dare to complain, and Ai Ou could only politely urge the matter, lest he upset the Grandmaster.
However, although this Grandmaster had still yet to appear, apparently, he would arrive on Water Moon Star in the next few days.
Ai Ou was now waiting anxiously and in no mood to meet with Shen Tu. This was also why Shen Tu spent a few days in Water Sky City waiting before coming back.
During that time, he didn’t even get to meet with Ai Ou, so there was naturally no opportunity for him to bring up Yang Kai’s request.
“In any case, let’s go take a look first,” Yang Kai suggested.
“Yeah, I’ll take you there. I believe that if Little Mother knew about you, she would definitely be happy for me,” Xue Yue said as she gently rubbed the half-fallen tears at the corner of her eye.
It seemed her Little Mother occupied an extremely important position in her heart, even more important than her biological father.
“Don’t cry, if we go out and Shen Tu sees you looking like this, I don’t know what he would think happened between us here,” Yang Kai stepped forward and helped her dry her eyes.
His gentle movements and deep voice made Xue Yue’s cheeks flush…
Soon, the door to the hall opened and Yang Kai and Xue Yue walked out one after another.
Shen Tu’s trio, who had been eavesdropping in front of the door, hurriedly jumped back, and stood to the side, casting suspicious looks at Yang Kai and Xue Yue in front of them.
In that moment, Shen Tu’s heart sank…
He discovered that his third brother’s eyes were slightly red, as if he had just cried, and there was a faint blush on his handsome cheeks that even a woman would be jealous of…
[Heavens! How could this have happened!]
What exactly happened inside between these two? That Third Brother of his, the most demonic existence in this world, was putting on such an expression now, one that even Shen Tu could tell was mixed with both joy, relief, confusion, and charm!
Shen Tu wailed inwardly as the way he looked at Yang Kai also changed significantly.
To the side, Li Nuo and Aunt Chun were also dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.
Xue Yue clearly understood that these three were misunderstanding something, only causing the shyness in her expression to become more apparent and her eyes to dart about, a clear sign of a guilty conscience.
“Brother Shen Tu, I’ll be taking a trip to Water Sky City with Xue Yue.”
“Eh… ah… en…” Shen Tu responded purely on instinct, not even hearing what Yang Kai was talking about.
“Then I’ll take my leave,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, cupped his fists and said, “I’ll have to trouble Brother Shen Tu to look after Five Paths Chamber of Commerce.”
Saying so, he winked at Xue Yue and the two immediately summoned their respective Star Shuttles and flew off.
Only a long time after the pair had disappeared did Shen Tu and the two women finally recover.
Shen Tu gripped his head with both hands and cried out, “It’s over, it’s all over. How could Third Brother have so little propriety? How could it be like this…? And Brother Yang, he…. ha…”
He had to sigh, for both of them.
Aunt Chun and Li Nuo also wore similar expressions.
“It’s over for me now too,” Shen Tu collapsed to the floor and distress, clearly whelmed by the situation.
“Second Young Master, how is any of this related to you?” Li Nuo looked at him curiously.
“I was the one who brought Brother Yang here in the first place. If I had known he and Third Brother had such… preferences, I would have sooner died than brought him to Water Moon Star. It is all my fault… My father has always wanted me and my Third Brother to quickly get married so that we can have children and continue the family line, but with Third Brother like this now, how could he possibly have children? Doesn’t that mean this heavy burden falls completely on my shoulders now?” Shen Tu complained, clearly feeling immense pressure.
Li Nuo pursed her lips and said with a smile, “Extending the family line is a matter that will come naturally in the future. Second Young Master does not need to be worried about this.”
Shen Tu You suddenly raised his head and looked at Li Nuo seriously before saying, “Then why don’t we have a child!?”
Li Nuo blushed bright red before angrily glaring at Shen Tu before running off in embarrassment.
As she ran, she could hear Shen Tu’s shouts from behind, “Are you refusing or agreeing? Say something at least, don’t just run off! What am I supposed to think?!”
Aunt Chun watched the whole scene while shaking her head, a look of pure helplessness covering her face!
….
Water Sky City was the most prosperous city on Water Moon Star and it also had the strongest ambient World Energy. Any cultivator who wanted to enter had to pay a large amount of Saint Crystals as a toll, and if one wanted to stay in the city, they needed to pay an even larger amount.
Inside the numerous small residences had been opened up for rent to local and foreign cultivators.
Water Sky City itself was simply a money-making machine, earning innumerable Saint Crystals every day by simply existing.
Xue Yue brought Yang Kai into Water Sky City without even stopping to show his identification at the gates. The cultivators who were on guard duty also did not raise a single issue and let him pass, simply taking a glance towards Yang Kai curiously, wondering who he was that he could actually walk side by side with the Xue Yue Third Young Master.
Once they entered the city, wherever Xue Yue went, there were constant screams from women who would stop whatever it was they were doing to stare at him. Some pointed in joy, others showed looks of intoxication, still others who were bold enough sent winks and posed to emphasize their various assets. The most common reaction among these women, though, was simply adoration towards Xue Yue.
There were even some men who gazed at her obsessively.
The number of heads that would turn to look at Xue Yue as she passed through was at least ninety percent.
Xue Yue seemed to be used to this kind of scene, and after signalling to Yang Kai with her eyes, she immediately flew up into the air and soared towards the centre of Water Sky City.
Yang Kai smiled wryly before following behind her.
When the two of them left, a man rushed out into the middle of the street with some scrolls in his hands and shouted, “Selling portraits of Third Young Master made by a famous artist! They are life-sized and indistinguishable from the real thing! With them, one can gaze upon Third Young Master’s divine likeness all day and night! It will be as if Third Young Master is accompanying you wherever you go! One thousand Saint Crystals! Buy now while supplies last!”
As he shouted, he opened one of the picture scrolls in his hand.
On the scroll, there was a lifelike painting of a handsome man with a crown of jade upon his hand and a folding fan in his hand. Dressed in pure white robes and with long, jet black hair, it was a spitting likeness of Xue Yue. The corners of this Xue Yue’s mouth were slightly raised, as if smiling at those who were looking at the painting.
In an instant, countless women swarmed up and surrounded the painting seller. Some men also dove into the fray.
“Give me one!”
“I want two!”
“Quickly, here’s a thousand Saint Crystals, hand it over!”
“Wu wu, give me one please, my wife said that if I can’t buy one this time, she won’t even let me into the house! Wuwu, how I loathe you, Third Young Master!”
“Hey, who touched this Mistress’s chest just now! Show yourselves if you have the guts!”
“Cease your unsightly quarrelling! These portraits now all belong to Father here!” A tall middle-aged man with a thick beard dove into the crowd and pushed his Saint Qi, forcing everyone else back before he grabbed all the portraits the man was selling and stuffed them into his Space Ring. Sweeping his eyes over the crowd, this man snorted before declaring in a cold and domineering voice, “How could you vulgar plebeians possibly match Third Young Master? Only a hero like Father is a match for the glorious Third Young Master!”
*Ou…*
Up in the sky, Xue Yue staggered and almost fell.
Although they had already flown quite far, with her cultivation, she was able to hear all the voices down below and could not help shivering in both fright and disgust.
Yang Kai simply looked at her curiously and asked, “Is it like this every time you show up?”
“Almost…” Xue Yue said helplessly, “So under normal circumstances, I try not to appear at all.”
Saying so, she shot a faint glance towards Yang Kai and asked flatly, “You think it’s funny?”
“I didn’t laugh!” Yang Kai replied solemnly.
“Hmph! If you dare to laugh out loud, I’ll make you pay dearly!”
“I really didn’t laugh… BAHAHAHA!”
*Gabeng gabeng…*
Xue Yue ground her teeth so hard the grinding noise was audible.
In the central district of Water Sky City, the World Energy aura was so thick it was tangible, only one step away from forming Spirit Qi Wisps.
And at the heart of the central district, there was a majestic palace ground which was home to the headquarters of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. This was not only a centre of power, but one of wealth.
In the northwest corner of the complex, atop a certain palace, a burly, lion-like man stood with a deep frown on his face, pacing back and forth, from time to time looking outside expectantly, as if he was waiting for someone.
This man’s anxiety was written all over his brow which was furrowed so strongly it looked as if it would never relax again.
There were other people in the hall behind this man, and judging from how they were dressed, it was clear they were a group of Origin Grade Alchemists, one of the noblest existences in the entire Star Field.
However, none of these Alchemists dared to speak, lest they upset the burly pacing man.
This was understandable though, as this man was the leader of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, President Ai Ou!
Although Origin Grade Alchemists held a noble status, they were still far below the President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. What’s more, all of them had been helpless in their attempts to treat President Ai Ou’s wife, leaving them quite a bit embarrassed. How could they possibly take the initiative to draw fire to themselves now?
Ai Ou had a naturally tough and sturdy build, and with his grand stature, he put an imposing pressure on any who stood in his presence. At this moment, he was also quite irritable, and his Second-Order Origin King Saint Qi would fluctuate from time to time, causing many Alchemists in the hall to complain in their hearts, but none of them dared utter anything out loud.
Suddenly, Ai Ou stopped, and his eyes burst with astonishing light as he turned towards the hall’s entrance.
The next moment, he beamed with joy and hurriedly called out with an anxiety-filled voice, “Is Grandmaster Zuo De here?”
In front of the main hall, two streams of light landed and dispersed to reveal two figures. One was Xue Yue, and the other was Yang Kai.
Hearing Ai Ou’s words, Yang Kai glanced back subconsciously but found that there was no one behind him. Xue Yue seemed to realize what was happening and quickly explained, “Lord Father, it’s not Grandmaster Zuo De who has arrived.”
“It’s not Grandmaster Zuo De!” Ai Ou’s face darkened, and he glanced coldly at Yang Kai before turning back and yelling at Xue Yue, “Since it’s not Grandmaster Zuo De or his entourage, why did you bring him here? Do you think you can bring just anyone here at such a time?”
After being scolded by Ai Ou, Xue Yue did not dare to refute, but instead just bowed her head to apologize, “Forgive me, Lord Father, but my friend is also an Alchemist, so…”
“An Alchemist!?” Ai Ou’s expression immediately cleared up upon hearing this and turned to look at Yang Kai again, only now noticing the other party’s cultivation and calling out in shock, “Second-Order Origin King!?”
He had not realized until this moment that Yang Kai’s cultivation was actually on par with his own.
Somewhat unable to believe his eyes, Ai Ou examined Yang Kai again more carefully, but confirming his initial reading wasn’t wrong, he could not help asking suspiciously, “Yue’er, since when did you have such a friend?”
Yang Kai didn’t look familiar at all, and although Xue Yue’s aptitude was incredible, she was still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator now, it should be impossible for her to have a friend who is a Second-Order Origin King, making Ai Ou quite curious.
“He is the one I told you about… Yang Kai!” Xue Yue replied in a low voice as she stole a quick glance at Ai Ou’s expression to see what his response would be.
“Junior Yang Kai greets President Ai Ou!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and greeted him flatly.
Although he was a little unhappy that Xue Yue was reprimanded just now for no reason, it was Xue Yue and Shen Tu’s father who stood in front of him, so Yang Kai could not simply ignore courtesy.
“Yang Kai?” Ai Ou frowned for a moment, but suddenly seemed to think of something and asked, “You’re that Yang Kai?”
“It seems President Ai Ou knows something about me,” Yang Kai frowned slightly as the expression on Ai Ou’s face currently gave him a slightly uncomfortable feeling.
“Of course I do!” Ai Ou responded in a deep voice before suddenly pushing his Saint Qi madly and grabbing towards Yang Kai.
From his actions and posture, it was obvious he wanted to capture Yang Kai!
“Father!” Xue Yue’s face changed drastically as she could not understand why her father would suddenly just attack Yang Kai the moment he arrived.
As for Yang Kai, his face became cold as he stretched out his hand to push Xue Yue aside while at the same time condensing his own Saint Qi and sending out a powerful palm of his own towards the approaching claw.
*Hong…*
A thunderous bang resounded in the hall as the two Origin King’s clashed, sending out a violent burst of wind that made a mess of the surrounding.
Soon after, when the dust settled, Yang Kai had been forced back three steps while Ai Ou had only retreated two.
In this match, Ai Ou had come out slightly ahead.
In the main hall, a violent wind blew up and besides Xue Yue, who was being protected by Yang Kai, everyone else staggered and complained.
“President Ai Ou, what’s the meaning of this?” Yang Kai squinted at the bearded man in front of him and asked indifferently.
Ai Ou wore a look of surprise, his eyes narrowed slightly like a tiger ready to pounce, giving him an even more intimidating presence than normal, but soon, he burst into laughter and said, “As I suspected, a true young hero straight out of ancient times. Boy, Ni Guang told me much about you, but I did not believe half of it. However, it seems Ni Guang was actually underestimating you greatly. Your aptitude is even higher than Yue’er’s.”
“Senior is too polite, Junior simply had some opportunities,” Yang Kai replied flatly, his expression was neither humble nor overbearing.
Ai Ou nodded before suddenly stretching out his hand and declaring, “Hand it over.”
Xue Yue stood to the side with a pale face, not understanding why her father had attacked Yang Kai as soon as he entered, but upon hearing this, she suddenly understood.
Yang Kai frowned slightly but also quickly realized what all this was about and smiled, “What exactly is it that Senior wants to ask from me?”
“You know it in your heart!” Ai Ou said slightly impatiently.
Yang Kai shook his head, “If Senior wants that drop from me, I can tell Senior now, even if I gave it to you, it will be of no use. Madam Gu’s Soul is what is damaged now, and that thing can only be used to repair physical injuries. Senior should also know this in his heart. “
Xue Yue’s Little Mother was named Gu Bi Hu, a fact that she informed Yang Kai about on the way over, so Yang Kai addressed her as Madame Gu.
“Naturally, I know,” Ai Ou quickly said.
“Then does Senior want that thing?” Yang Kai raised his brows and said with a smile, “Please forgive this Junior for not being able to agree.”
Inside the hall, the crowd of Origin Grade Alchemists listened to this vague and nonspecific conversation with looks of curiosity on their faces, none of them knowing what this ‘drop’ Yang Kai was referring to was.
However, whether it was Yang Kai, Ai Ou, or Xue Yue, they all understood clearly what this was about.
The Immortal Source Liquid and the Immortal Tree!
Ai Ou attacking Yang Kai as soon as he came in was because he wanted to snatch the Immortal Tree to use to heal Gu Bi Hu. Immortal Source Liquid could not restore Gu Bi Hu’s damaged Soul, but the Immortal Tree was different. Refining the Immortal Tree could grant one an immortal and indestructible body, so repairing a damaged Soul would be a breeze.
“Don’t tell me you already refined it?” Ai Ou’s eyes flashed a terrifying light as he glared at Yang Kai in a near predatory manner.
Yang Kai simply laughed and said nothing.
Ai Ou’s heart suddenly sank as he felt this was a real possibility.
After all, according to Ni Guang, Yang Kai was still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator like Xue Yue when they entered the Severed World, but what about now, only a few years later? This little brat had become a Second-Order Origin King!
Even if a cultivator had incredible opportunities, it was highly unlikely for their strength to increase so dramatically in such a short period of time.
The only explanation was that the opportunity he had was truly extraordinary!
Refining the Immortal Tree would obviously count as such an opportunity.
Ai Ou was not willing to give up and quickly pushed his Divine Sense, scanning Yang Kai’s body thoroughly only to be shocked at how monstrous the vitality contained within it was. The surging life aura coming from Yang Kai was potent enough to even frighten a master like him.
“You really merged with it!” Ai Ou exclaimed, as his face turned grey, the hope that remained in his eyes suddenly disappearing.
He was not depressed because he no longer had a chance to obtain a supreme treasure like the Immortal Tree, but rather because he couldn’t use the Immortal Tree to treat Gu Bi Hu.
Yang Kai did not explain anything though and simply let Ai Ou misunderstand.
After falling silent for a while though, Ai Ou suddenly muttered in a low voice, “Even if you have fused with it, it doesn’t matter, it’s precious energy should still flow through your blood. I just need to obtain your blood and she can be saved!”
Right now, he was like a man at his wit’s end, seeking any solution no matter how impractical or implausible.
Hearing what he said, Xue Yue’s face changed drastically, and she rushed out hurriedly to stand in front of Yang Kai and called out, “Father, you can’t be…”
“Stand aside, there’s no place for you to speak here!” Ai Ou roared.
“The dignified Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President, an overlord of the Star Field, turns out to be nothing more than this. Just as the saying goes, one cannot judge a man by his reputation alone!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Boy, what did you just say? You should take care of how you speak!” Ai Ou narrowed his eyes and snapped.
Yang Kai sneered, “If it weren’t for Xue Yue’s face, would I even be standing here talking to you still? Just you acting against me just now was more than enough for me to raze your Water Sky City to the ground. If not for the fact that I can see your mind is unsteady because you are seeking treatment for your woman, today your Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would be ground to dust and lost to the ages!”
Xue Yue’s face turned pale suddenly as she hurriedly tugged at Yang Kai’s clothes and whispered, “Have some discretion!”
Yang Kai smiled faintly and declared, “I will speak with discretion when your father calms down.”
Ai Ou also suddenly recovered, realizing that the one who stood in front of him was not some soft persimmon he could knead at will, but a Second-Order Origin King who could stand on equal footing with him and had almost the same strength!
If such a master really became enraged, then the situation could really deteriorate beyond redemption today. At the very least, the destruction of Water Sky City was almost assured.
“You’re certainly crazy enough, boy,” Although he had calmed down a lot, Ai Ou was still concerned about losing face and snapped back.
“I just came from Purple Star,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, only saying so much, but he believed that Ai Ou should understand his meaning.
Ai Ou was immediately stunned and stared at Yang Kai in amazement, as if he really understood something and whispered, “So, it was you.”
Although Xue Yue had not been aware of the great upheaval Purple Star experienced, Ai Ou, as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President, had eyes and ears all over the Star Field. How could he not know about such a huge event?
After Yang Kai said this sentence, Ai Ou immediately understood that the instigator of the incident on Purple Star half a year ago was actually standing right in front of him.
Even a peak level powerhouse like Kuang Shi Zong took action personally but failed to stop him! Even if Ai Ou were to fight here personally, he couldn’t guarantee that he would be any more successful.
After understanding all of this, Ai Ou took a deep breath and nodded, “It was this King who was rude just now, please don’t take it to heart, Friend!”
Friend… Xue Yue’s face twitched when she heard this word, wondering how her father had suddenly become something like a peer to Yang Kai. Wasn’t this just causing chaos in the generations? Quickly glancing at Yang Kai, she shot him a rueful look.
Yang Kai also chuckled awkwardly as he said, “Senior is too serious, Senior is desperate to save his wife, it is only natural for him to act somewhat impulsive. Junior can understand.”
“If so, that is good. This friend is indeed a generous person. I have heard a lot about you and even Ni Guang had much praise for you. Since you’ve come to Water Sky City today, please feel free to relax here for a few days. When I have finished dealing with the matter at hand, I will speak with you again.”
Yang Kai listened to the tone of his words, and immediately understood that Ni Guang had not told Ai Ou about his and Xue Yue’s ‘relationship’. Otherwise, Ai Ou would definitely not be speaking to him like this.
“Father, Yang Kai is also an Alchemist!” Xue Yue saw her father calling Yang Kai ‘friend’ over and over again and felt incredibly uncomfortable, so she quickly changed the subject.
“Oh?” Ai Ou looked at Yang Kai in surprise, “Friend’s cultivation is so deep, but you are also proficient in the Alchemic Dao?”
“I’ve dabbled in it slightly!” Yang Kai said modestly.
“Isn’t it a bit more than that? Brat don’t act so humble,” A voice suddenly came from the side.
Ai Ou frowned as a hint of displeasure appeared on his face. There were not many people in this world who would dare to interrupt him when he was talking, but when he saw who it was who spoke, his expression could not help relaxing again. It seemed the one who spoke had some weight in his heart and Ai Ou was not willing to blame him.
Yang Kai also turned his head and looked but shock soon filled his whole facial expression.
Over there, where the crowd of Origin Grade Alchemists had gathered, a familiar face was smiling towards him.
“Grandmaster Zong Ao!” Yang Kai beamed happily and hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his fists.
The one who spoke was shockingly the Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist Zong Ao! When Yang Kai and Xue Yue went to Rainfall Star together, they had lived in Zong Ao’s house for quite some time.
At that time, Yang Kai’s strength was quite low and his accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao were also not high, while Zong Ao, on the other hand, was already an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist.
Yang Kai and Zong Ao had had several exchanges about Alchemy and both had reaped many benefits. The pill which was necessary to rescue Xue Yue was elucidated by Zong Ao, and then refined by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not expect to meet Zong Ao here.
However, when he thought about it carefully, it made sense because although Zong Ao had not formally joined Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, he had been living on Rainfall Star for over a century and could be considered at least an honoured guest of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Now that there was a problem with President Ai Ou’s wife, Zong Ao would naturally be invited over.
“Brat, don’t flatter me,” Zong Ao snickered wryly, “It’s only been a few dozen years yet you’re already a Second-Order Origin King while this old master is still lingering about in the Origin Grade High-Rank. It’s nothing less than a tragedy!”
“Grandmaster is too humble, back then your attainments and knowledge of the Alchemic Dao were already profound, and now they can only have advanced further. Clearly, you’re not far from reaching the Origin King Grade.”
Zong Ao smiled slightly with a hint of pride appearing on his face.
“Do you know each other?” Ai Ou asked in surprise.
Zong Ao grinned, “En, I had a few exchanges with him about the Alchemic Dao several dozen years ago. I also had a number of my Alchemy Furnaces snatched by him!”
Yang Kai laughed fondly and said, “Those Alchemy furnaces are no longer useful to me. If Grandmaster wants them back, I can return them to you.”
“No need, they’re useless to me as well,” Zong Ao waved his hand, “Just keep them as a memento.”
A light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes when he heard this and he speculated out loud, “It seems that Grandmaster really is about to reach the Origin King Grade. It also must have been you who provided the pill recipe for the Soul Source Restoration Pill.”
“En,” Zong Ao’s expression suddenly became solemn, “Madam Gu’s condition is easy to diagnose, but there are very few ways to cure it. Refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill is the easiest and most reliable method.”
“Have the materials been gathered?”
“Most have. All of the materials are precious and difficult to find, but with the financial resources of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, collecting most of them isn’t difficult. Unfortunately, the Monster Core of a Seven Coloured Elk is another story…”
“The Monster Core has already been found and was delivered to this King ten days ago!” Ai Ou interjected.
Seven Colored Elk was an ancient species that had long been extinct.
Its Monster Core was one of the main ingredients for refining the Soul Source Restoration Pill. And its heart was one of the main ingredients for refining the Ten Thousand Year Incense.
The Ten Thousand Year Incense had the effect of calming the Qi and Soul. Just one incense could last for ten thousand years. If the Ten Thousand Year Incense was lit when a cultivator was cultivating, his or her heart would not be consumed by their heart demon; his or her mind would remain clear. It was extremely useful for cultivation.
Now, the Rising Dragon Palace of the High Heaven Sect had a part of the Ten Thousand Year Incense burning continuously. Naturally, it was brought by Yang Kai from the Sixth Stage of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
If any High Heaven Sect disciple needed to break through, he or she could go to the Rising Dragon Palace and cultivate there. There wasn’t just Ten Thousand Year Incense but also the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, a Martial Dao precious treasure in itself that could help the disciples understand the True Essence of Martial Dao Heavenly Way.
As a matter of fact, Ten Thousand Year Incense and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree had contributed a lot to the rapid progress of High Heaven Sect disciples over these years. Had it not for these two treasures, the overall strength of the High Heaven Sect would have been a level lower.
The Seven Colored Elk’s entire body was a treasure. Whether it was the Monster Core or the heart, they were very hard to find.
But who would have thought the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would actually found a Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core. Even someone like Yang Kai could not help but be shocked.
Ai Ou took out the round and glittering Monster Core from his Space Ring while speaking.
“It sure is a Seven Colored Elk’s Monster Core!” Zong Ao cried in a low voice. His eyes were glued at the Monster Core, flickering with a fervoured look.
This kind of ingredient would pique any alchemist’s interest. There wasn’t any alchemist who didn’t want to use rare ingredients to refine pills, watch various ingredients refined and merged into a pill in their own hands. Every alchemist would be grateful to have a chance like this.
“Alas, this Monster Core should have been stored for a long time. A lot of its potency is lost.” Zong Ao heaved another sigh. Many alchemists nodded one after another, expressing their agreement.
Because the seven-coloured glow around the Monster Core felt a little dim, like a candle flickering in the wind that could go about at any moment.
“Yeah! Moreover… only one Monster Core was found. Even the Seven Colored Elk’s heart wasn’t found. If we had the heart, the effect would have been better with its assistance.” Ai Ou sighed continuously.
All the ingredients gathered all that was left was for the Origin King Grade Grandmaster Zuo De to arrive and refine the pill. Gu Bi Hu could be treated then.
“Senior, did Grandmaster Zuo De say when he would come?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Ai Ou.
Ai Ou forced a smile. “The message said that he will be in Water Sky City in the next few days. As for exactly when… I’ve no idea. But since so much time has already passed, I’m not in a hurry.”
He might have said this but everyone could see the impatience in his eyes.
He was a revered Second-Order Origin King Grade master, as well as the President of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. It was always others who waited for him; when did he have to wait for others? Only an Origin King Grade Alchemist could make Ai Ou lower his head. Even if he was feeling frustrated, all he could do was cool his head and keep on waiting patiently.
“This Grandmaster sure is putting on a lot of airs.” Yang Kai chuckled.
As soon Yang Kai said this, Ai Ou couldn’t help but glanced at Yang Kai, like Yang Kai spoke what was on Ai Ou’s mind.
But right then, an inopportune voice suddenly echoed in the room, “Your Excellency, what do you mean by this? Are you accusing Grandmaster Zuo De?”
“Huh!? I’m not.” Yang Kai innocently turned his head to look at the source of the voice.
Immediately, Yang Kai saw a crooked-nosed middle-aged man wearing an Origin Grade Alchemist robe let out a cold snort and continued, looking at Yang Kai with dissatisfaction, “As an Origin King Grade Alchemist, Grandmaster Zuo De is naturally neck-deep in work. It’s natural for him to be a bit late. Your Excellency, aren’t you being disrespectful to Grandmaster by saying so?”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He immediately understood that this Alchemist must admire Zuo De very much, so he couldn’t bear to hear anyone speak ill of Zuo De.
He took a second look at the insignia on his robes and confirmed that this guy was an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist. Yang Kai didn’t bother to argue with him. He just chuckled and said, “This one apologizes for my slip of tongue.”
Just as cultivators revered stronger masters, the same was true in Alchemist circles. An Origin Grade Alchemist was already very high up the ladder, and an Origin King Grade Alchemist was even more remarkable. There were only a few of them in the entire Star Field.
Grandmaster Zuo De had countless admirers. This hooked-nosed middle-aged man was one of them. He couldn’t tolerate the sand in his eyes, so how could he let it go. “Your Excellency might be an Origin King Realm master but slandering Grandmaster Zuo De is still a pretty big mistake, even for you. This matter cannot be put to rest just like this. Or else, it would be pretty detrimental to Grandmaster’s reputation if the word got out. Can you really afford it if it really happened?”
After having labels unjustifiably pinned on him, Yang Kai’s face immediately sank. “Then what would you like me to do?”
“Apologize! After Grandmaster Zuo De arrives, you must apologize to him!”
“Hehe!” Yang Kai let out a grim laugh. “What!? So Grandmaster Zuo’s reputation is reputation, but this King’s reputation is nothing!?”
In any case, Yang Kai claimed himself to be a Second-Order Origin King. He had identity, status, and strength. How could he apologize to an Alchemist whom he had never met just for a slip of tongue?
Yang Kai suddenly found this hook-nosed middle-aged man to be a bit ridiculous.
“How can a trivial cultivator like you compare yourself with Grandmaster!?” The hook-nosed middle-aged man wasn’t the least bit afraid of Yang Kai’s Origin King Realm identity. Rather he was looking at him contemptuously.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and threatened, “This trivial cultivator can easily take your life!”
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s expression immediately turned to worse. He hurriedly looked to Ai Ou and spoke, horrified, “Sir President, this person is arrogant and domineering; not only did he look down on Grandmaster Zuo Debut also dared to threaten me. I ask Sir President to uphold justice!”
Yang Kai immediately said, “President Ai Ou too is a… trivial cultivator!”
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s jaw immediately dropped.
Ai Ou pursed his lips into a smile and looked up at the sky!
The hook-nosed middle-aged man’s words made him very unhappy. He was already terribly upset because of Gu Bi Hu’s injuries. How could he pay any attention to this Mid-Rank Origin Grade Alchemist?
Not to mention, Yang Kai’s words resonated with him very much. As a matter of fact, Zuo De was already in the habit of putting on a lot of airs. Their Chamber of Commerce had bled a lot whenever they invited him to refine pills over the years.
Having noticed Ai Ou’s thoughts, the hook-nosed middle-aged man’s face turned ugly. He knew that he had gone a bit overboard just now. Not only did he scold Yang Kai but also offended Ai Ou. His intestines turned blue in regret. He still insisted, nonetheless, “So what if you can take my life!? I have no grudge with you, if you dared to do it, you will only be smearing your own name; you will be scorned by the entire world! Don’t forget, I’m an Alchemist, if you killed me, who would refine pills for you in the future!”
“Oh, I’m sorry but I too am an Alchemist!” Yang Kai smiled.
“You!?” The hook-nosed middle-aged man sneered. “I admit that you are highly talented when it comes to Martial Dao. You can fight on par with President Ai Ou without falling in a leeward position. But so what!? All your time and effort were spent on Martial Dao. You won’t have made much progress in Alchemic Dao! Even I can walk all over you with my one-hand behind my back!”
It might not have sounded pleasant but it was what was going in everyone’s mind.
Even though everyone knew Yang Kai was an Alchemist, no one believed that he had achieved much in Alchemic Dao. Even Zong Ao didn’t think that Yang Kai’s Alchemist level was much higher. After all, everyone’s energy was limited. It was already remarkable that he had achieved such a high level in Martial Dao.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “Forget it, I’m not wasting my words on you anymore. Think what you want!”
He truly didn’t want to squabble with someone like him.
“Hmph, don’t be so presumptuous!” Seeing Yang Kai back down, not only did the hook-nosed middle-aged man fail to restrain his arrogance but even grew even more arrogant. He thought that Yang Kai had gotten afraid of his Alchemist’s identity and didn’t dare to make any move on him. He continued, feeling even more reassured and emboldened, “We can put the matter between you and me to rest but you still have to answer for slandering Grandmaster Zuo De!”
“You are not finished yet!?” Yang Kai’s expression immediately turned colder. “Why would I need to answer you? Is Zuo De your father or grandfather? I just said that he is putting on airs and that’s all you have been going on about! Did I say anything wrong? As far as I know, President Ai Ou has already sent someone to invite him half a year ago, but he hadn’t shown up till today. If he is not putting on airs then what is it?”
Yang Kai spoke Ai Ou’s thoughts.
He might have been annoyed and frustrated by the delay shown by Zuo De, but when all was said and done, he was the one with the request. He could only keep his frustration hidden in his heart. He didn’t dare to voice it out. God knows how many times he had cursed Zuo De and his forefathers in his heart over these days.
When he heard Yang Kai, he felt a lot of his frustration vented. He found Yang Kai a lot pleasing to the eyes.
“How dare you address Grandmaster by his name directly!?” The hook-nosed man shouted in anger.
Yang Kai could not help but burst into laughter. He sneered and said, showing no respect to an Origin King Grade Alchemist that he should have, “So what if I called him by his name, isn’t he just an Origin King Grade Alchemist!?”
“You… you… you…” The hook-nosed man blew his top. His hand pointing at Yang Kai kept trembling in anger. He turned to Ai Ou and said, “Sir President, don’t you care that he is being disrespectful to Grandmaster so blatantly? If Grandmaster Zuo came to know of this, it would really make him angry.”
“Um…” Ai Ou stiffened upon hearing this. He looked at Yang Kai and requested a bit, “Friend, can you try to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all.”
The nearby Xue Yue looked at Yang Kai imploringly as well.
They were afraid that if this matter really reached Zuo De’s ears, that old guy with his temper would take advantage of it and try to exaggerate this. He might not turn around and leave but he would surely make the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s bleed.
Yang Kai nodded. “Since its Senior’s request, this junior will put this matter to rest here but if someone keeps on rambling, don’t blame this junior for teaching him a lesson.”
“That’s natural.” Ai Ou nodded slightly, giving Yang Kai a glance of gratitude.
The hook-nosed man’s face turned dark as he resentfully looked at Yang Kai. He looked as if he had something to say but when he saw the sharp gleam in Yang Kai’s eyes, he didn’t dare to be anymore presumptuous. He could only add, “Just you wait! When Grandmaster Zuo De arrives, you will be in serious trouble.”
“Hmm, I’m waiting!” Yang Kai nodded.
The original amiable atmosphere had been destroyed by the hook-nosed man. It rather grew stiffer, making it a bit awkward for everyone.