The two of them were now inside a hall that gave off an ancient aura. Obviously, no one had trespassed this place all these years, and since no one had attended to it there were signs of damage all around the hall.
What’s more, over a hundred skeletons were sitting cross-legged inside the hall.
These withered skeletons had long lost their lives and flesh. Even the clothes on their bodies had been eroded by time, leaving white and withered bones behind. Some of them still maintained a human form, but some of them were just lying on the ground. It was really a ghastly sight.
After confirming that it was safe, Ai Ou finally focused his gaze on the withered bones in the surroundings. His eyes couldn’t help but become a little dull as he said, heaving a sigh, “These should be our Chamber of Commerce disciples who couldn’t evacuate in time back then.”
In the past, the Space Array stopped functioning all of a sudden and some of the cultivators that were still mining on this Ore Star didn’t have the time to return to Water Moon Star. Now, over ten millenniums had passed. Since an Ore Star was unsuitable for cultivation, they couldn’t make any advancements in cultivation, so all they could do was wait for their deaths.
Hundreds of people had died in the main hall alone. One could only imagine how many died outside.
At that time, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had suffered heavy losses. According to the ancient records, they had lost contact with more than 5,000 disciples!
In other words, about 5,000 Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce disciples had died on this Ore Star.
“Senior, restrain your grief,” Seeing the dismal look on Ai Ou’s face, Yang Kai was at a loss on how to comfort Ai Ou. All he could do was say this.
Ai Ou forced a smile, “This King knows that it happened tens of thousands of years ago. I just feel that the Chamber of Commerce has not done justice to them. They spilt their blood over here, but hardly anyone can remember them after ten millennia.”
“People will remember them in the future. I think that they are dead here mainly because they were protecting the array here, preventing the invasion of any outside force. This feat is a meritorious deed in and of itself.”
“Why do you say so?” Ai Ou asked, confused.
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a slight smile, “Let me put it this way, if one wants to teleport across stars, we must have two stars connected with Space Arrays. If any one of them was damaged, you cannot teleport. The one in Water Moon City was already damaged. But after I repaired it, we could teleport here. In other words, the Array here is completely intact. Previously, I was still a little worried. If the Array here was damaged, I would have to enter the Void Corridor alone to repair the transmission node. It’s a dangerous task for me, but I didn’t have to do that, which means that they had protected the Array here till their deaths. Haven’t they done a meritorious deed for the Chamber of Commerce? Senior, you should remember this. You should commemorate them for the future generations to worship.”
Ai Ou looked to be in a daze. He nodded again and again and said, “You are right. This King might have no idea about their names but they are indeed the heroes of the Chamber of Commerce. Our future generations should remember their merits.”
People in desperation, in the time of their deaths, become mad and irrational. They could do just about anything. Thankfully, the hundreds of people who died here didn’t go mad and damage the Space Array here. They probably hoped that someone from Water Moon Star would come and rescue them.
Unfortunately, this wait had lasted over ten millennia! They were already reduced to withered bones.
Ai Ou’s face suddenly became solemn. He got off the Array, made his way to those hundreds of skeletons, and said solemnly, “This one is the current Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce President, Ai Ou. This Ai Ou has etched everyone’s effort into my mind, so you can rest in peace. Although this Ai is late, I will take you home today. I have to lay everyone to rest. If I somehow desecrate you while trying, I hope that your dearly departed spirit can forgive me!”
While speaking, he took out an empty Space Ring and waved his hand and carefully circulated his Saint Qi, putting the withered bones in front of him into the ring.
Then the second, the third…
It took him half a stick of incense time before Ai Ou had collected all the bones.
He then turned his head to look at Yang Kai and said, “I’m going to see if there are other disciples out there. You can look around in the meantime. This is an Ore Star. If you will gain something, you are more than welcome to take it. If you discover anything, it will be your lucky encounter.”
“Alright, then we will meet here one month later. I still have something to discuss with Senior.”
Ai Ou nodded and disappeared from his place in a flash.
Yang Kai also followed him out of the hall.
[This Ore Star is very similar to the one I had accidentally discovered. It’s dark, damp, and cold with weak World Energy. It’s not suitable for cultivation, but it contains extremely rich minerals.]
[The High Heaven Sect has become extremely rich by relying on the deposits of that Ore Star. I believe that if the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce can develop this Ore Star, their financial resources will go up by another level.]
Thinking of that Ore Star, Yang Kai brow twitched. He immediately let Xiao Xiao and Firebird out with the wave of his hand.
“Master, what can I do for you?” Liu Yan was still in her fire form. Her white-as-lotus arms laid bare for everyone to enjoy. Her fiery red top, coupled with her exposed lower abdomen and belly button, looked quite tempting.
Yang Kai glanced at her and shook his head. He then turned his gaze to the Stone Puppet and asked, “Xiao Xiao, is there anything you like here?”
In fact, Yang Kai didn’t need to ask this question. As soon as he took out Xiao Xiao, his round black bean-like eyes started looking around. He looked extremely dumb but Yang Kai knew that this expression meant that he was extremely excited.
To the Stone Puppet Family, who were born to refine the essence of ores for themselves, this Ore Star was simply a paradise. As long as they were given time, they could devour the entire Ore Star.
Just as Yang Kai asked, Xiao Xiao’s head moved up and down like a chicken pecking rice.
Yang Kai curled his lips into a smile as he asked in a low voice, “Does this star have a residual Source?”
Last time, when they were in that Ore Star, Xiao Xiao entered into a deep sleep after having swallowed the residual Star Source. He might not have become stronger after he woke up but its Origin King Realm’s demon could not be underestimated.
This was another way of growing stronger.
If he could swallow some of the residual Source here, Xiao Xiao would surely grow stronger.
An Ore Star’s Source was different from a Cultivation Star’s Source. Because the Ore Star’s Source was severely damaged, the World Energy was sparse and the star was unsuitable for cultivation, so it didn’t matter if it had the Source or not.
As long the mineral deposits were still there, the value of the Ore Star would not be reduced.
But the same couldn’t be said for a Cultivation Star. Each Cultivation Star was inhabited by hundreds of millions of souls. Without its Source, it would soon be reduced into a Dead Star. At that time, all its residents would suffer.
The same was true for a Medicine Star.
A Medicine Star’s World Energy was quite rich, even far denser than an ordinary Cultivation Star’s. And because of its rich World Energy that the spirit medicines could mature so quickly.
Having heard Yang Kai’s question, Xiao Xiao seemed to be a little confused. It scratched its head while looking at Yang Kai, confused. He looked as if he had no idea what Yang Kai was asking.
“Stupid, it’s the thing you ate last time and fell asleep,” the nearby Liu Yuan knocked Xiao Xiao’s head hard.
Xiao Xiao seemed to have understood now and his eyes couldn’t help but light up. He hurriedly nodded.
“Go ahead and swallow it. If we come across a treasure along the way, we can’t let it go, can we!? When you are done, you can wait for me here,” Yang Kai waved his hand and said, smiling.
Having gotten the permission, Xiao Xiao flipped in the air before his short figure dived straight into the ground, disappearing in a flash.
Under Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he had actually dived a hundred miles underground in this short span and was still diving into the earth at an astonishing speed. Obviously, it was looking for the residual Source.
“Master, what do I do?” asked Liu Yan.
“You can also look around and see if you have a lucky encounter of your own. No one has entered this star for over ten millennia, so there should be some good stuff lying here. Maybe it’s been waiting just for you to collect it.”
“You don’t need me by your side!?”
“No.” Yang Kai shook his head. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized something, staring Liu Yan in surprise. “Your sentience…”
In the past, Liu Yan didn’t appear to be self-assertive. She didn’t ask these kinds of questions. But today, Liu Yan was behaving a little differently.
Liu Yan herself was dumbstruck. She furrowed her pretty eyebrows and appeared to be at a loss.
Yang Kai smiled. “I guess refining the Sun’s True Fire has been really helpful to your growth. Unfortunately… Xiao Xiao’s natural sentience is too low, otherwise, he would have become smarter. Keep working hard! If I get the chance someday, I will think of a way to shape your physical body. You don’t have to live in this energy body.”
Liu Yan’s pretty eyes immediately glowed with a dazzling light as she said, bowing elegantly, “Then, this Liu Yan would like to thank Master in advance.”
Yang Kai waved her off. Liu Yan immediately let out a cry as she transformed into a Firebird, shooting towards the horizon and leaving a tail of scorching fire behind.
After his two helpers had left, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and checked the situation of the Avatar inside the Sealed World Bead.
However, the Avatar was still digesting the floating continent. Its body was as huge as a mountain and was particularly daunting.
Seeing its current situation, Yang Kai knew that this wasn’t a suitable time to let it out.
The next moment, his figure jolted before flying straight into the sky.
This was a Dark Star, a star hidden by a natural Array. The ores here were worth nothing to Yang Kai, but the natural Array hiding the Dark Star was another thing. He wanted to have a glimpse of its mysteries.
If he could get some inkling from that strange Array, it would be extremely beneficial to Yang Kai.
The sky was dim and dark, unlike any Cultivation Star he had seen so far. There was no sun or moon, and not even the twinkling of stars could be seen, only a dim light cascading through the sky. God knows where it was coming from, but the entire Ore Star was barely visible because of this weak light.
The entire sky and earth seemed to be shrouded by an invisible lid, forming a world of its own.
After flying to a height of over a hundred thousand kilometres, Yang Kai didn’t go up anymore because he felt that the natural Array had some kind of effect here. If he went up again, he might trigger some kind of lethal trap.
Even he might not be able to escape from this kind of lethal track. It was the wrath of Heaven and Earth itself, the might of the Principles.
Yang Kai, sitting cross-legged in the air, let loose his Divine Sense and merged it into the surroundings. Then, he started sensing the Principles here.
Yang Kai came to know the importance of the power of Principles from Yang Yan.
A cultivator could only exceed the Origin King Realm by comprehending the power of the Principles, and only then could they get a chance to glimpse at the mystery of the higher realm.
That was also why Yang Yan said it was easier for the Star Master-level characters to grow up.
Because Star Masters were the masters of Cultivation Stars and fused with the Star Sources, they could easily comprehend the World Principles of the Cultivation Star, becoming proficient over time.
Yang Kai let Xiao Xiao devour the residual Source for this very reason.
He never gave up on helping his two helpers as he grew stronger. If Xiao Xiao could comprehend the Principles one day, his combat power would surely rise. At that time, he could not only ignore the power of an Origin King Realm’s Domain but could easily suppress it.
Very soon, Yang Kai entered a selfless state. All his thoughts were focused on his senses, what he was feeling.
He could clearly feel that there was a mysterious and obscure power flowing around him. Even he could not sense the depth of this power.
It was the Principles!
He wasn’t expecting to comprehend much from them, he just wanted to come in contact with them as much as possible, making preparations for the future.
Just like this, one month had gone by in a flash.
Today, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes. A faint, intelligent gleam could be found in his eyes. As he looked around, everything that was originally obscure seemed a lot clearer.
He had a slight glimpse of the power of Principles.
“As I expected, it’s stronger than Domain. If I can really comprehend the World Principles, everything I Will shall be strictly enforced.” Yang Kai sunk into his thoughts. “What could be the next realm? It can actually let one control such a strong power.”
Whether it was the Shi of the Origin Returning Realm masters or the Domain of the Origin King Realm masters, they were all exerted outwards with one’s own power as the core. They influenced the surroundings with their own ability.
But the power of Principles was different. It controlled the power of Heaven and Earth at the fundamental level. In just one glance, it was clear which was stronger and which was weaker.
Yang Kai stood in his place quietly, pondering for three whole days, but he was still a little confused.
He knew that it might be too early for him to consider all these.
[It can’t be forced.]
Yang Kai then flew down.
Yang Kai immediately sensed Ai Ou’s aura inside just as he returned to the palace. Obviously, he had already returned from outside. Along with him, there were Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan.
However, Xiao Xiao seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, again. His aura was steady. There weren’t any fluctuations.
When Yang Kai walked into the hall, he was surprised to find Ai Ou looking at Liu Yang suspiciously. He had no idea where she came from, but with Ai Ou’s insight, he could easily tell that Liu Yan was an intangible existence. She was an energy body.
At this moment, Liu Yan was hugging the Stone Puppet, sitting calmly on one side, waiting for Yang Kai.
“Senior.” Yang Kai stepped up and cupped his fists to greet Ai Ou.
“You are back.” Ai Ou nodded his acknowledgement.
“How did it go?” asked Yang Kai.
“I have collected more than two thousand skeletons. As for the rest… I couldn’t find them. But I found a few Starships that are still usable, mostly filled with mined out ores. After we go back, I will send people to continue mining.”
“That’s great! Since there is nothing else, let’s go back.”
“Alright!” Ai Ou didn’t make mindless talk and stepped into the Space Array first as he agreed.
Yang Kai waved his hand and put Liu Yan and Xiao Xiao away together.
He might not have asked Liu Yan about her gains, but judging by her expression, she had a bountiful harvest. After all, there was still unrefined and unstable scorching-hot energy in Liu Yang’s body, just happening to disturb her aura.
Presumably, Liu Yan must have found some Heaven and Earth Fire on this Ore Star.
Ai Ou parted his lips. He wanted to ask about Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan, but gave up this notion after a thought.
He had felt the power hidden in their bodies and both of them gave him jitters. In other words, if he fought them alone, he wasn’t sure that he could take down either of them.
Owing to this, he found Yang Kai more and more mysterious.
[He is not even sixty but he is already a Second-Order Origin King and an Origin King Grade Alchemist. He can also arrange Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays and even has such fearsome subordinates. All this at such a young age…]
[Can there be a human of such calibre? Can a human have all these powers alone?]
[Aren’t the Heavens being too partial?]
But when he thought of how Xue Yue had captured the heart of such a man, he was overjoyed!
[If someone like him became an enemy of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it would be a disaster for the Chamber of Commerce. No wonder Kuang Shi Zhong crumbled under Yang Kai’s hands and Purple Star suffered such a heavy loss.]
After a blinding flash, the two returned to the underground secret room of Water Sky City.
After regaining his senses, Ai Ou immediately said, “Yang Kai, I have personally verified your abilities. I will leave the Space Arrays between the eighteen stars to you. Whatever you need, you can ask Xue Yue. She will do her best to assist you. I will need to deal with the matter of Ore Star, so I won’t be available for a while.”
“It’s alright.” Yang Kai smiled. “However, this junior has a presumptuous request, I wonder if Senior can agree to it.”
“Why are you still being polite?” After everything, Ai Ou regarded Yang Kai as a member of his family. Would he still refuse Yang Kai’s request?
“I need your Chamber of Commerce’s Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai said in a low voice.
Ai Ou’s face turned cold. “How do you know that my Chamber of Commerce has Star Emperor Token?”
Immediately, he seemed to be in a daze. “Xue Yue told you about it, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me what you need that Star Emperor Token for? Although it was something left by the Great Emperor, the Divine Ability sealed inside had already been activated, so it’s of no great use. It’s now just a heritage, that’s all. If you can tell me the truth, I will give it to you.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before taking out a jade slip and pouring his Divine Sense into it. He then handed it to Ai Ou and said, “Senior, just look at this.”
Ai Ou took it sceptically and carefully started reading.
The information in the jade slip was exactly the same as the one Yang Kai had given to Red Moon Tribal Lord. It contained the secret of gathering nine Star Emperor Tokens to open the way to the Star Boundary.
Sure enough, Ai Ou looked shocked after reading it. He asked in surprise, “Is this true?”
“How can this junior dare make any jokes regarding this?” Yang Kai earnestly replied.
“No wonder you want that Star Emperor Token. If so, it doesn’t matter if I give it to you, but about those six Third-Order Origin King…”
“Senior, counting you, this junior already has four candidates.”
Ai Ou looked at him in amazement and said, smiling, “It seems you are already prepared.”
“Then, I wonder if Senior has any thoughts of going to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked, grinning.
Ai Ou fell into his thoughts. He wasn’t as fanatical as the Red Moon Tribal Lord, and after having pondered for a while, he said, “I can’t give an answer at the moment, but even if I don’t go, I think Martial Uncle Long will be very excited about this.”
“Senior Long!?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. He nodded and said, “He is a very suitable candidate.
Long Tian Shang was a peak Third-Order Origin King and fully met the requirement for opening the Star Boundary channel. For Yang Kai, it was like adding wings to a tiger.
“Martial Uncle Long has been studying the deeper secrets of Martial Dao over the years. If he is told about this, he would be overjoyed and would definitely not refuse.” Ai Ou smiled slightly.
No one had an idea about the persistent pursuit of Martial Dao by a Third-Order Origin King. Only when the cultivator reached this state himself did he come to understand it.
Therefore, Yang Kai had long reckoned that it was a piece of cake gathering the number of people. He only had to spread the news in his hand, then hidden old monsters would come looking for him themselves.
It was just that he didn’t want to work with unfamiliar people. So, he gave priority to familiar cultivators.
“You can rest assured. Either Martial Uncle Long or I from the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will certainly join you.” Ai Ou asked with a serious look on his face, “But kid, how many Star Emperors Tokens have you collected?”
“Counting the one at the Chamber of Commerce, I have already gathered eight.”
Ai Ou’s pupils couldn’t help but constrict. “Where is the last piece?”
“Sword Union!”
“Sword Union!?” Ai Ou raised his brow as he suddenly started grinning. Patting Yang Kai’s shoulder, he said, “That’s easy. Leave this to me. I will do it for you, take it as my repayment. Just wait for the good news.”
Watching him take on everything, Yang Kai was extremely pleased. Originally, he was planning on going to the Sword Union after dealing with things at the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and have a good talk with the Sword Union President. But now, with Ai Ou taking the matters in his hand, it had saved him time and effort. He believed Ai Ou could do it.
“Then, thank you very much, Senior.”
“Why are you being polite and all. We’re all one family.” Ai Ou broke into laughter, hugging Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately.
The more he looked at Yang Kai, the more satisfied he was. He felt that such a son-in-law would be extremely hard to find.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai rarely had free time.
Since President Ai Ou was busy taking people to the Ore Star to mine ores and Xue Yue was busy collecting materials for arranging the Space Arrays…
Yang Kai had no one to accompany him.
So, the extremely enthusiastic Alchemists of the Alchemist Pavilion visited Yang Kai from time to time, calling themselves disciples. They would cause a big commotion in the name of paying a visit, but it was rather clear what they really wanted.
Yang Kai was helpless. He had no choice but to take a trip to the Alchemist Pavilion and preach Alchemy again. After preaching for five days, he finally satisfied these shameless Alchemists.
And after five days, Xue Yue had also prepared everything. All the materials for arranging the Space Arrays had been collected, so the only thing left was for Yang Kai to arrange it.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t waste time. He immediately started assembling the first Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array hub at the most hidden location of Water Sky City.
The Array was finished in just ten days.
Next, Yang Kai and Xue Yue, together with a large team of cultivators, took an Origin King Grade Starship to the nearest Cultivation Star.
Time flew, and two years went by in a flash.
Over these two years, Yang Kai had been always on the go, arranging the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array on the eighteen stars of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
The stars owned by the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce were far away from each other. Yang Kai had really spent a great deal of time just travelling between stars. Otherwise, based on his skills, it would have taken him less than three months to arrange the Space Arrays alone.
Most of his time was wasted on Starships.
After two years, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s eighteen stars were completely connected. And with the hub in Water Sky City, the transmission between the stars was made easy.
Xue Yue had always been by Yang Kai’s side these two years.
Being accompanied by a beauty naturally made the travels far from boring.
Today, the team finally returned to Water Moon Star.
Ni Guang was responsible for Yang Kai’s grand reception. He kept thanking Yang Kai for his efforts over these two years on the behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Because of these Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array, the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would save a lot of time and money in transportation.
Ai Ou hadn’t appeared. When Xue Yue asked, only then she came to know that Ai Ou had already gone to a certain Cultivation Star to refine the Star Source.
This was a matter of great importance. In the entire Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, only Long Tian Shang and Ni Guang knew about it. The others only thought that Ai Ou had entered a retreat, that’s all.
When Xue Yue came to learn about it, she couldn’t help but look worried.
After all, refining the Star Source was dangerous. Generally speaking, only when the cultivators had reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm could they successfully refine the Star Source. A Second-Order Origin King would basically be unsuccessful.
Luo Hai, the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, was really an exception.
At present, Ai Ou only had the cultivation of Second-Order Origin King Realm. As a girl, Xue Yue couldn’t help but worry.
Yang Kai persuaded her and informed her of the power of the Star Refining Art, which finally put Xue Yue much at ease.
“Yang Kai, someone is here to see you,” suddenly, Ni Guang walked to Yang Kai’s side and whispered to him, acting all mysterious.
“Who!?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Ni Guang smiled. “You will know if you follow me.”
Yang Kai didn’t ask any more questions and followed Ni Guang into a secret room.
There were only three people in the secret room; a man and two women. The man was young. He had sword-like straight eyebrows and stars-like bright and shining eyes. He was quite handsome. And the two sisters were like flowers, serving him from left and right.
Seeing Yang Kai arrive, the man in the room broke into laughter and greeted, cupping his fists, “Brother Yang, we meet again.”
Yang Kai stood in a daze. He immediately asked in surprise, “Brother Gu, how come you’re here?”
He hadn’t expected to meet the Young Union Master of the Sword Union, Gu Jian Xin, at Water Moon Star.
He and Gu Jian Xin had met once, and they had lived together for a while. Although it couldn’t be said that they had a deep friendship, they still found each other pleasing to the eye. In the time they had not seen each other, Gu Jian Xin’s cultivation seemed to have improved a lot. He wasn’t that far from the Origin King Realm. Presumably, he got his lucky break and just needed some time to stabilize his cultivation before he could try to break through.
And the girls by Gu Jian Xin’s side were naturally his left and right sword servants, Ling Yue and An Xing!
The two girls grew up with Gu Jian Xin and the master-servants trio had developed a set of Secret Techniques. When they fought against an enemy together, their power was simply extraordinary. Furthermore, the trio had a very good relationship. Gu Jian Xin had never regarded the two sword servants as his subordinates. When he was attacked by Origin King Realm master, Li Ming Hai, Gu Jian Xin was even willing to sacrifice himself to save Ling Yue and An Xing.
This had left a good impression on Yang Kai.
Only people who valued love and brotherhood were worth making friends.
“Greetings, Young Master Yang!” Ling Yue and An Xing weren’t strangers to Yang Kai either. After seeing Yang Kai, they hurriedly bowed and greeted him in a crisp voice.
“Ladies, greetings to you too!” Yang Kai smiled and returned the greetings.
“Brother Yang, did this Gu catch you by surprise by waiting for you here?” Gu Jian Xin looked at Yang Kai, smiling.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment as various thoughts flashed in his mind. But then he said, “I was surprised but… it was within my calculations.”
“It seems Brother Yang knows why this Gu is here.”
“I can guess a little but I ask Brother Gu to make it clear,” Yang Kai said earnestly.
Gu Jian Xin nodded. “Talking with Brother Yang is really fun. If that’s the case, this Gu will shed some light.”
While speaking, he took out something from his Space Ring and said, handing it to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, look at this.”
“Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up. He hurriedly took it from Gu Jian Xin’s hand.
This was the last Star Emperor Token. It looked exactly the same as those he had collected before. With this piece of the Star Emperor Token, he had gathered all nine Star Emperor Token crafted by that Great Emperor back then!
Gu Jian Xin smiled. “My father asked me to give this to you. He said that you need it.”
“Union Master Gu?” Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment. He then carefully put the Star Emperor Token away before speaking, “I wonder what are Union Master Gu’s conditions?”
He didn’t have much contact with the Sword Union. He had just a little friendship with Gu Jian Xin. Yang Kai didn’t believe that Union Master of Sword Union, Gu Cang Yun would hand over the Star Emperor Token just because of this. Obviously, there were other conditions.
Gu Jian Xin broke into laughter. He looked to Ni Guang and said, “Conditions, of course there are conditions. I beg Senior Ni to elaborate.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Ni Guang.
Ni Guang lightly coughed and said, “Yang Kai, it’s like this: President had already negotiated this matter for you before entering the retreat. Union Master Gu is willing to give you this Star Emperor Token for use and is also willing to become one of the six people. But… the condition is that you have to go to Sword Union and arrange the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Arrays for them!”
“As I thought!” Yang Kai forced a wry smile.
He had already guessed it, but when he heard the request made by the Sword Union, he felt a little tired.
After all, helping the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce set up the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array wasn’t a matter of a day or two and the Sword Union had its own intelligence network. They would definitely get the news.
How could a great force not be greedy of the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array!
Yang Kai looked at Gu Jian and asked, frustrated, “How many Cultivation Stars does the Sword Union have?”
Gu Jian Xin replied with a grin, “It’s not that many, we have a little less than the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. It’s just seventeen stars!”
Yang Kai stretched his hand out and rubbed his forehead.
It took him two years to set up Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array for the eighteen stars of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Presumably, it would take him no less than two years to set up another seventeen for the Sword Union.
“Brother Yang, an able man is always busy. My Sword Union is counting on you,” Gu Jian Xin persuaded.
“Are there any other conditions apart from this?” asked Yang Kai.
Gu Jian Xin forced a smile. “There is one, a unanimous request by my Sword Union Alchemists. I hope Grandmaster Yang can come to the Sword Union’s Home Star to teach Alchemy at least once!”
“Is this matter out too?” Yang Kai was having a big headache.
“Brother Yang, I’m afraid you don’t know how big your reputation in the Star Field is now!” Gu Jian Xin looked at Yang Kai with a strange look in his eyes. His eyes were filled with endless envy. “Brother Yang’s name is on everyone’s tongue in the Star Field today! You are a Second-Order Origin King and an Origin King Grade Alchemist as well! Who can compare with you? You have also triggered the Grand Alchemist Dao Tone, a matter that will be known for ages to come!”
Ni Guang added, nodding sincerely, “Yang Kai, since you have been moving around over these two years, maybe you haven’t heard much about it, but everyone in the Star Field has indeed heard of you.”
Gu Jian Xin added again, “Of course, my Sword Union won’t ask Brother Yang to work in vain. Every time you arrange a Cross- Cultivation Star Space Array, we will give you satisfactory compensation. Brother Yang, please don’t refuse. This Gu is begging you.”
While speaking, he bowed to Yang Kai in a serious manner.
Before coming here, Gu Cang Yun had said that if he couldn’t invite Yang Kai to the Sword Union, he could forget coming back. His father’s words were still ringing in his ears. How dare Gu Jian Xin dismiss them?
Yang Kai thought for a moment and agreed, nodding, “Brother Gu, don’t do this. I agree.”
“Really!?” Gu Jian Xin was overjoyed. “Excellent. I wonder when Brother Yang is planning to set off? The Sword Union isn’t very far from here!”
“Tomorrow, we will head straight to Azure Tree Star.”
“Azure Tree Star!?” Gu Jian Xin was a little confused. But very soon, he seemed to have thought of something. He asked in surprise, “Brother Yang, have you set up a Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array on Azure Tree Star!?”
“Mhmm.” Yang Kai smiled and acknowledged it, nodding.
“That saves us a lot of time. Since that’s the case, this Gu will be waiting for Brother Yang’s good news.”
After coming out of the room, Yang Kai went straight to Xue Yue and told her about the next trip. Xue Yue was a little reluctant, but she couldn’t ask him to stay.
Furthermore, she knew that Yang Kai would be going to someplace called Star Boundary in the foreseeable future. If she wanted to remain by his side, she could only improve her cultivation. Otherwise, she would only become a burden.
“You don’t have to worry. I will enter a retreat after you leave, trying to break through to the Origin King Realm!” Xue Yue angrily said, “All your women are so great. I don’t want to be at the bottom.”
Yang Kai chuckled. “You don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself. You are also outstanding.”
Xue Yue immediately smiled sweetly.
“By the way, when Senior Ai Ou returns, be sure to hand this thing to him.” Yang Kai suddenly took out something from his Storage Ring and handed it to Xue Yue.
“What’s this!?”
“Star Chart, it will tell him where I am so he can look for me,” explained Yang Kai.
“I understand.”
“And one more thing, there is one last candidate left. Ask your father or Senior Long to be on a lookout. If they find anyone reliable, please invite him or her.”
“Alright, I will remember it.”
Staying up all night, Yang Kai explained the mystery of the Origin King Realm to Xue Yue, telling her how to form a Domain. Finally, he bid her goodbye in the morning.
Gu Jian Xin and his two sword servants, Ling Yue and An Xing had already finished their preparations. They were only waiting for Yang Kai to set off.
Yang Kai and his team went straight to the Cross-Cultivation-Star Space Array Hub at Water Sky City. Yang Kai tinkered with it a bit, connecting it to the Array on the Twin Shark Island of Azure Tree Star. Soon, their figures slowly disappeared under everyone’s gaze.
When their vision finally restored, Yang Kai, Gu Jian Xin, and the others were already in Yang Kai’s palace on the Twin Shark Island of Azure Tree Star.
Yue Xi and her disciples, He Zao and He Mao, who had been stationed at the palace, immediately greeted them. Over these few years they had not seen each other, Yue Xi and her disciples’ cultivation had also greatly improved with He Zao and He Miao entering the ranks of Origin Returning Realm masters.
The days spent in the Sword Union were almost the same as in the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. He was running around here and there, taking Starships to Cultivation Stars, Medicine Stars, Ore Stars, and setting up the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays.
Fortunately, as Azure Tree Star served as a transit, not much time was consumed.
In just a year and a half, the seventeen stars of the Sword Union had all been linked together.
Yang Kai preached the Alchemy Way to the Alchemists for the Sword Union before extricating himself.
At this time, there were only six years left before the ten-year agreement with Gui Zu.
Finally, Yang Kai returned to Shadowed Star!
When Yang Kai returned to the Sect, everyone in the High Heaven Sect was overjoyed. Tens of thousands of disciples lined up to welcome.
Yang Kai was stunned when he noticed that the level of the cultivators in the Sect was a level or more higher than before he left. Especially Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang. Much to his surprise, they had broken through to the Origin King Realm together!
After breaking through, Su Yan’s aura had grown purer and more flawless. She might have cultivated the Ice Crystal Jade Body postnatally, not being born with it, but this set of Secret Techniques from Scarlet Wave Star was still quite powerful. It was able to optimise her powers thanks to her physique.
Ice Crystal Jade Body, coupled with the Ice Phoenix Source Power in her body and the Profound Frost Divine Sword in her hand, made the current Su Yan far from an ordinary First-Order Origin King.
She would not fall leeward against an ordinary Second-Order Origin King, and if she were to join Yang Kai, it would not be difficult to kill a Third-Order Origin King.
Meanwhile, Xin Ning Chang’s aura had grown more and more natural after the breakthrough, as if her entire body was integrated with the world. Yang Kai studied her for a long time but couldn’t find any clues. He believed that this should be because of the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body returning to its original nature.
Combat was not Xian Ning Chang’s strongest aspect, but when it came to Alchemy, she was a peerless genius.
After having advanced to the Origin King Realm, her Alchemy Technique advanced by miles overnight. She had already surpassed the current Yang Kai in Alchemy.
She had gone back to Tong Xuan Realm several times over, and after witnessing the vigorous World Energy and the growth of the land, she knew that only by improving her strength could she bring a better and brighter future to Tong Xuan Realm. So, she spared no effort to cultivate.
What she cultivated was Alchemy!
That led to a huge stock of pills for the High Heaven Sect. No matter how many herbs flowed into the High Heaven Sect, they would all be refined into pills by Xia Ning Chang, which would immediately be sent to Shadowed Star for sales, changing back to even more herbs.
Except for these two, the others had also made considerable progress in cultivation.
However, Ye Xi Yun had just broken through to the Origin King Realm and couldn’t go any further anytime soon, while Gui Zu had been in a retreat all the while. He too had failed to take that crucial step and had been stuck in the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
Yang Kai took a one month break in the High Heaven Sect. During this one month, he accompanied his parents, Grand Master, Ancestor Founder, and other friends and family. Also, he was almost inseparable from Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang.
After one month, he disappeared from everyone’s sight all of a sudden.
Except for a few, no one knew where he went.
At night, the sky was dotted with stars.
At the top of the Medicine Peak of the High Heaven Sect, Xia Ning Chang was sitting on the stone steps outside the main hall, looking up at the sky with her cheek resting on her palm. Through the starry sky, she seemed to be able to see a familiar figure.
Sha sha…
Slight rustles of footsteps suddenly made Xia Ning Chang turn around. When she saw who it was, she couldn’t help but smile. “Senior Sister Su!”
Su Yan gently nodded as she made her way to Xin Ning Chang’s side and stood, looking somewhere in the sky.
With two peerless beauties sitting and standing side by side, it became the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Their hair danced along with the breeze like a waterfall.
Su Yan narrowed her beautiful eyes and asked, “Junior Sister, are you worried for him?”
Xia Ning Chang slowly shook her head. “I’m not worried. He returns safely every time.”
“Then, is it that you couldn’t bear to part with him!?” Su Yan asked again.
Xia Ning Chang couldn’t help but flush. She bit her cherry red lips and said, “Senior Sister, you don’t?”
Su Yan’s white as jade cheeks flushed red slightly. She shook her head and replied, “I hate to part with him, too. But… it doesn’t matter. It’s like this every time.”
“Yes, it’s like this every time.” Xia Ning Chang smiled. “I have already gotten used to it.”
Su Yan said, “Men! Sigh, they really make others worry! Back then, we were just insignificant cogs in the world, that’s all. Then, we went to Tong Xuan Realm, and then to the Star Field. Every time we changed places, our vision grew a lot higher, and every time, he would act as the vanguard. It’s the same this time around. Although we don’t know anything about the Star Boundary, how dangerous it is, we can do nothing apart from not fall too much behind him in cultivation and wait.”
“Senior Sister, aren’t you unwilling!?”
“I do want to experience the winds and storms with him!” Su Yan’s beautiful eyes flickered with sadness.
[Thinking about it, I was never with him when he was in danger. But every time I had a crisis, he would appear before me like a god, stopping all the violent storms by his brave and heroic body.]
While enjoying the feeling of being protected, Su Yan was a bit reluctant.
[Even if it’s a sea of swords or a Hell, I want to walk with you all the way, even if it’s just once. Even if I am bruised and bleeding, even if I have to sacrifice myself, even if my Soul is destroyed, I will not regret it.]
Silent, two pairs of beautiful eyes peered through the void, staring somewhere into the distance.
The area within a range of ten thousand kilometres of Shadowed Star was a Dead Zone with a tremendous amount of horrible energy remaining. It was the aura of destruction leftover from the battle between the Starry Sky Great Emperor and the Insect Emperor, as well as the oppressive Emperor Pressure and the chaotic principles. An Origin King Realm master dared not trespass here.
It was because of being wrapped in such a Dead Zone that Shadowed Star wasn’t discovered by the outside world for many years and remained in a semi-isolated state.
At this moment, Yang Kai was right in the centre of the Dead Zone, naked.
He was drenched in blood and was exuding a golden light. the outstanding healing ability of his own Golden Blood was constantly repairing his injuries, but the terrifying Emperor Pressure around him was constantly destroying it.
His body was going through destruction and reconstruction, again and again.
Yang Kai was under unimaginable pain and torture.
This was Yang Kai. He wasn’t using any power to resist the surrounding Emperor Pressure. He was only feeling the mystery of the Emperor Pressure and profoundness of the principles with his very own body.
Having cultivated the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, he had a strong physical body and had also taken countless Shadowed Heaven Pills, not to mention his pure Golden Blood. All these factors allowed him to survive in this terrible place.
Any other Origin King would have to circulate his energy to block the terrifying power of this Dead Zone.
But that extremely oppressive Emperor Pressure was something he still couldn’t block, so he had no choice but to burn through the accumulated Golden Blood to maintain his life.
With time, a layer of golden blood cocoon had formed around Yang Kai. He seemed to have turned into a silkworm. Only the resounding and powerful heartbeats coming from the cocoon showed his surging vitality.
Although it was unbearable torture, Yang Kai felt that it was also a rare experience and opportunity for him. It was an excellent opportunity to cultivate the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art.
Wrapped in the blood cocoon, he took out the five elements’ treasures and started madly devouring the five elements Yuan Qi from them, storing it in his body.
Not only that, but he also took out the Origin Essence Crystal he got from the Clear Sky Auction House of Purple Star, prying into the mysteries of the Third-Origin King Realm!
In the quiet Starry Sky, no one would have thought that someone would be breaking through their limits in this daunting Dead Zone, using its tremendous pressure to stimulate their own potential.
Yang Kai knew that he didn’t have much time left. He had already wasted a lot of time arranging the Space Arrays for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and the Sword Union, so he could only make up for the lost time using this method.
Time went by, days, months, one year, two years, three years…
Today, the weather was bright and clear. The sky was blue and clear as a mirror.
But suddenly, a dazzling golden light flashed somewhere in the void before disappearing in the next moment.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure could be felt from a very far distance.
The World Energy of the entire Shadowed Star started growing denser all of a sudden. Countless beautiful rays of light shot towards Shadowed Star from the Star Field, each like a rainbow. They left a long tail behind them as they fell into the nooks and crannies of the Shadowed Star, leaving Shadowed Star cultivators shocked. They had no idea what was going on.
Soon, they discovered that wherever those colourful rays fell would turn into paradise on earth. The World Energy was dozens of times or even hundreds of times greater than usual.
The barren mountain that no one used to care about was filled with World Energy at the moment. Presumably, it would turn lush and green very soon, becoming beautiful and refreshing, like a spring.
The ordinary cultivation paradise with decent World Energy grew even better suited for a cultivator’s retreat.
Every cultivator felt their blood boiling. The comfortable environment around them made them ecstatic.
They thought that it was a gift from Heaven itself!
High Heaven Sect, Hundred Flowers Peak…
Ye Xi Xun saw through it clearly the moment the golden light flashed. She raised her head and looked up.
The next moment, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared beside her. The figure was surrounded by an unfathomable aura. It was Gui Zu, who had successfully advanced to the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago.
Seeing Gui Zu arrive, Ye Xi Xun nodded her acknowledgement.
Gui Zu pursed his lips into a smile and said, “That kid has exited his retreat!”
“Is all of this due to Sect Master?” Ye Xi Xun asked.
Gui Zu replied, “Beside the Lord of Shadowed Star, who can arouse this kind of fortune for the entire star? He has refined the Source of Shadowed Star, so his strength and Shadowed Star are closely related. You have lived on this star for a long time. Haven’t you noticed that every time his strength improves, it will bring huge benefits to Shadowed Star?”
Hearing what Gui Zu said, Ye Xi Yun also gently nodded, “The current Shadowed Star is indeed a little different from several dozen years ago, but that change happened quite subtly and very few people could detect it. This time, the change is obvious.”
“That only shows that this time, that boy has made great progress, perhaps he’s even reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm,” Gui Zu grinned as black Qi wrapped around him, making him look a little eerie.
The farther a Star Master’s strength increased, the greater the benefits the corresponding Cultivation Star would receive. It was a symbiotic relationship after all.
“Third-Order Origin King…” Ye Xi Yun muttered to herself, wondering when she would be able to reach such a height.
She was more eager to go to the Star Boundary than anyone because the Star Boundary was the Starry Sky Great Emperor’s home!
The last time the Great Emperor left, she had been unable to follow her, a reality that filled Ye Xi Yun with regret.
The movement in the distant void was not only noticed by Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu, but also by countless people across Shadowed Star.
Needless to say, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, and Qian Tong, the other three Origin Kings on the star who had far sharper senses than other cultivators, noticed, together with many Origin Returning Realm masters who turned their eyes towards the sky at that moment.
However, none of them was able to see much, only faint streaks of multi-coloured energy penetrating from the depths of the Star Field and falling onto Shadowed Star, causing the World Energy aura to seemingly become richer.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood stark naked in the distant Dead Zone, frowning slightly as he remained motionless.
For a moment, even he could not properly evaluate his situation.
Over the past few years, he had been cultivating in the Dead Zone to feel the ambient Emperor Pressure, the strength of Principles, and also refine the Origin Essence Crystal.
He thought he could break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm with ease!
But for some unknown reason, there was a thin line he had been unable to cross no matter how he tried, leaving him at the peak of the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
The most obvious clue was that he had still not been able to condense his own Origin Essence Crystal!
The Origin Essence Crystal was the crystalized essence and the perceptions of an Origin King’s lifetime of cultivation. Without an Origin Essence Crystal, one could not be a Third-Order Origin King.
Although he had failed to make a breakthrough in his cultivation, his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art broke through under the strong pressure of the Dead Zone, and among the Five Elements supreme treasures, all except for the Sun’s True Essence had been completely used up.
In addition, his Domain was on the verge of reaching the grand accomplishment stage!
So even though he failed to break through, Yang Kai felt that he was much stronger than before his retreat.
“Has the opportunity not arrived yet? Or is there something I’m missing?” Yang Kai could not understand.
A cultivator was destined to go through all kinds of hardships and some things simply could not be forced, so Yang Kai was not discouraged despite failing to break through this time. He was confident that his aptitude was no worse than anyone else’s, and since others could reach the Third-Order, he could too. All he needed was time.
“Forget it, let’s not worry about that for the time being. Anyway, my current strength is not much worse than any of the others and should be more than enough to open the road to the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai quickly relaxed and took out a brand-new set of clothes from his Space Ring. After dressing himself, his figure flickered, and he directly crossed the million-kilometre distance to Shadowed Star.
As a Star Master, this kind of thing was easy for him.
After returning to the Sect, Yang Kai did not disturb too many people, choosing to only meet with his relatives.
A few days later, he took Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array and left Shadowed Star.
For the next year, no one knew his whereabouts.
A year was not long, but also not short.
One day, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array in High Heaven Sect’s main square suddenly lit up, and two human figures appeared from the bright white light.
Ye Xi Yun and Gui Zu were already waiting here and after seeing the visitors, Ye Xi Yun cupped her fists towards one of the majestic men and asked, “Would Your Excellency happen to be Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s President Ai Ou?”
The man nodded slightly, smiled, and responded, “It is this Ai.”
“High Heaven Sect’s Ye Xi Yun, greets President Ai Ou!”
“So, it is Elder Ye, I’ve heard much about you!” Ai Ou cupped his fists quickly. He also learned about the situation in High Heaven Sect from Yang Kai.
Ye Xi Yun then turned to the next man and said with a smile, “Then this must be Senior Long Tian Shang.”
“Indeed, pleasure to meet you,” Long Tian Shang’s attitude was calm and gentle as he returned the greeting.
“The two of you came a little early,” Gui Zu laughed wickedly to the side.
Ai Ou and Long Tian Shang’s gazes landed on Gui Zu simultaneously, and although they felt his aura was a bit uncomfortable, they both knew he was a master who could stand on equal footing with them, a genuine Third-Order Origin King.
Not daring to show any neglect at the moment, both of them exchanged greetings one after another.
“What about that boy Yang Kai? Why is he not here to greet us?” Ai Ou grumbled a little unhappily; after all, he was still Yang Kai’s nominal father-in-law. How could a son-in-law not come to greet his father-in-law?
“Sect Master hasn’t returned to the Sect yet and I don’t know where he went, but Sect Master will definitely not miss the appointed time,” Ye Xi Yun explained.
“That damn brat!” Ai Ou spat disdainfully, “He is definitely out there gallivanting about and completely lost track of time.”
Long Tian Shang could not help laughing loudly, “A year ago, he came to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and took Xue Yue away. Didn’t he tell you where he was going?”
Ai Ou just grumbled with a sullen face, “That boy mysteriously appears and disappears as he pleases. Before I even agreed, he snatched up Xue Yue and left. En, he was accompanied by three women at the time, all of them Origin Kings. I really don’t know where he found all of them.”
“Three women?” Ye Xi Yun raised her brow slightly, “President Ai Ou must be referring to Sect Master’s Senior Sisters who are Origin Kings, but there are only two of them. Who is the third?”
As soon as Ye Xi Yun’s voice fell, she heard someone say, “She should be this Queen’s adopted daughter!”
As this voice sounded, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array’s light faded once more and an elegant, mature woman appeared, accompanied by a burly man who looked as gruff as a bear.
Ai Ou and Long Tian Shang were shocked when they heard this voice and quickly looked back. After seeing the face of the person who came, Ai Ou’s eyes almost popped out as he exclaimed, “Chi Yue! How could it be you, you old ghost!”
The person who had come was none other than Red Moon Tribal Lord Chi Yue: The only Monster King of Monster Emperor Star!
And listening to Ai Ou’s tone, these two obviously knew each other.
But that was not too surprising, as there were only so many Origin Kings in the Star Field, and even fewer above the First-Order, so even if they had never met face to face, they would have at least heard of one another.
Chi Yue simply sneered, “What? If you two old farts can come here, why can’t this Queen?”
Ai Ou snorted, “I haven’t seen you for many years, but your tongue is still as sharp as ever. I didn’t expect that brat, Yang Kai, to actually have connections to your Monster Race, and what’s more unexpected is that you actually reached Third-Order.”
“Didn’t you as well?” Chi Yue looked at Ai Ou with a light smile.
Ai Ou squinted his eyes, “So, you are one of the six?”
“Aren’t you?” Chi Yue asked back.
“Naturally. Yang Kai is this King’s son-in-law, so how could this King not agree to his invitation?” Ai Ou smiled triumphantly.
“Sorry, Yang Kai is also the son-in-law of this Queen,” Chi Yue sneered.
The two masters glanced at each other before suddenly grinding their teeth and cursing in synch, “Just how many women does that smelly brat have!?”
A year ago, Yang Kai went to the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and took Xue Yue away. Similarly, he had gone to Monster Emperor Star and snatched up Shan Qing Luo. Together with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, who were following him from the start, he now had four stunning beauties gathered around him.
Moreover, all four of them were masters at the First-Order Origin King Realm!
During the few years Yang Kai had been in retreat, Xue Yue had also broken through to the Origin King Realm, not disappointing her natural talent.
“Who was not once young and loose!?” Long Tian Shang laughed aloud to the side, “You two shouldn’t be dissatisfied, having a character like Yang Kai as a son-in-law is like picking up a big bargain.”
Ai Ou still frowned and muttered, “Nevertheless, I am a bit unwilling.”
Chi Yue added coldly, “When he comes back, we need to teach him a severe lesson first!”
Ai Ou nodded sharply, expressing his agreement, the two of them suddenly standing united because of this.
“Everyone is an honoured guest of my High Heaven Sect, and since Sect Master has not returned yet, everything in the Sect has been left to this Mistress’s management. Please allow me to show you your accommodations, where you can rest and refresh yourselves. The scenery of my High Heaven Sect is quite picturesque!” Ye Xi Yun saw that the greetings were finished and spoke before motioning to everyone.
No one raised any objections and immediately followed Ye Xi Yun into High Heaven Sect, towards the main peak.
More honoured guests arrived one after another.
Sword Union’s Union Master Gu Cang Yun travelled through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array together with Gu Jian Xin a few days later.
The hidden dragon who showed his tail but never his face, Wu Dao, also arrived in High Heaven Sect through the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array.
Ye Xi Yun had made proper arrangements before to ensure a respectful welcome was extended to all involved parties.
Today’s High Heaven Sect had six Third-Order Origin Kings gathered inside it.
This was a sight fundamentally impossible to witness in the past. Third-Order Origin Kings were rare existences, and most of them were constantly in secluded retreat to contemplate and study the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, but now, so many of them had arrived in one place.
After everyone got together, they began discussing the Martial Dao atop High Heaven Sect’s main peak, exchanging their cultivation experiences. The sound of their discussion inspired the surrounding World Energy, and a mysterious sound spread out in all directions, causing many High Heaven Sect disciples to benefit greatly.
The concept of time had already become extremely weak in the hearts of Origin Kings, and once these six Third-Order Origin King masters sat down, they did not move for an entire month. Within this one month, the voices of these six people atop the main peak constantly sparred with one another, their sound shaping the very world around them in a profound manner.
Even ten years later, this main peak would still retain traces of these Third-Order Origin King’s discussion about the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way. Many High Heaven Sect disciples would visit the main peak to enter retreat in order to gain insights from this residual aura.
One month later, the Cross-Cultivation Star Space Array, which had been silent for a long time, flickered again.
This time, five figures appeared.
One male and four females.
The one in the centre was Yang Kai, and the other four were naturally Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yue.
The Cross-Cultivation Star Space Arrays that Yang Kai had arranged over the past few years had nearly connected the entire Star Field together, making it extremely convenient to travel.
Over the past year, he took his four women to visit every famous mountain and river, walking every picturesque land they could. He also stayed in Nine Heavens Holy Land on Tong Xuan Realm for a period of time and visited many more familiar places, completing a tour of all the most beautiful sights to see in the Star Field.
This year had been an extremely fulfilling and joyful year for Yang Kai and the four young women.
There were no disputes, no battles, not even any cultivating this year, just travelling about together, hand in hand, forgetting about everything else and just cherishing what was right in front of them, and standing beside them.
But this had to end eventually, and today, Yang Kai returned to High Heaven Sect with the four girls.
When Yang Kai’s figure appeared, all the Third-Order Origin King masters who were discussing the Heavenly Way suddenly turned to look at the Space Array.
“That boy is back,” Long Tian Shang grinned.
“Smelly brat, you’re finally willing to show up,” Chi Yue snorted coldly as she looked rather unhappy.
Gui Zu just laughed wickedly, “Sect Master enjoys the blessing of having four wives, it’s already more than enough for him to remember to be on time. You shouldn’t complain too much.”
Ai Ou cut straight to the point and called out, “Brat, you have three days to finish up anything you have left to deal with. Three days later and we’ll begin.”
Atop the Space Array, Yang Kai’s expression changed as he cupped his fists towards the main peak where everyone was.
As soon as he finished, he turned and smiled at the four women, “I have three days left.”
No matter who among the four it was, they could not help wearing gloomy expressions.
Although they had already prepared themselves for this, when the day really came, no matter who it was, they felt extremely reluctant. But more than that, they felt worried about the unknown place Yang Kai was going to.
Over the next three days, Yang Kai handled all his business in High Heaven Sect, gathering the Elders to discuss the development of the Sect, as well as passing the position of Sect Master to Ye Xi Yun. Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang were also promoted to Elder status to assist her.
This way, even if he and Gui Zu left High Heaven Sect, with three First-Order Origin Kings assuming command, coupled with the myriad of powerful Spirit Arrays protecting it, the Sect would certainly be safe unless it encountered an attack from a Third-Order Origin King.
Even if a Third-Order Origin King were to appear though, High Heaven Sect would still have the strength to fight back.
After finishing the arrangements, Yang Kai was finally able to relax.
Next, he left a large number of Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, pills, and various other treasures in the High Heaven Sect’s Treasury for the disciples to use in the future.
Three days passed in a flash.
On this day, the atmosphere inside High Heaven Sect was extremely solemn.
Countless disciples had exited their retreat and gathered in the main square, looking up at the man who created High Heaven Sect single-handedly.
Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu shed tears as they bid farewell to Yang Kai.
Su Yan and the others also surrounded Yang Kai and spoke to him one after another.
“When you get there, if you meet someone who can take care of you, make sure to accept her. A man needs a woman to support him if he wants to achieve great things,” Su Yan said earnestly.
“Junior Brother, you have to take care of yourself, don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Xia Ning Chang entreated with puffy eyes.
“No matter how you conduct yourself out there, make sure you keep us all in your heart!” Xue Yue expressed faintly.
“If you dare to abandon us sisters, next time we meet…” Shan Qing Luo smiled wickedly as she made a slicing motion with her hand, real murderous intent leaking out from her body.
Yang Kai smiled dryly at this before putting on a serious expression and saying, “I’ll have to trouble you to look after my parents while I’m away.”
“That’s a given, go with peace of mind,” Su Yan nodded sincerely.
“It’s a blessing having all of you!” Yang Kai said affectionately.
The four women could not help blushing as Shan Qing Luo said in a sharp tone, “Just get going, don’t embarrass us in front of our Seniors over there.”
Yang Kai chuckled and took the four women into his arms one by one without any scruples about the eyes of others, hugging them tightly, as if trying to imprint the tenderness and warmth of their bodies onto his own before he turned around and soared up into the sky without looking back.
All four of the beauties standing down below opened their mouths, but none of them was able to make a sound.
“High Heaven Sect pays respect to Sect Master on his day of departure! May Sect Master achieve victory and success, enjoying prosperity and fortune, returning safely in triumph!” Ye Xi Yun’s voice sounded behind him.
The next moment, all of High Heaven Sect shouted, “May Sect Master achieve victory and success, enjoying prosperity and fortune, returning safely in triumph!”
The thunderous chorus of voices rang out through the sky.
“We shall take advantage of your auspicious words!” Long Tian Shang laughed loudly in a distant response.
Several streaks of light then swiftly shot towards Starry Sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Only once they were gone did many people shed tears in silence.
…..
Somewhere in Starry Sky, a group of seven stood together.
Besides Yang Kai, everyone else present was a Third-Order Origin King.
For Yang Kai, basically all these people were his acquaintances. Gui Zu, Chi Yue, and Ai Ou did not even need to be mentioned, and although Long Tian Shang and Yang Kai hadn’t interacted much, they had at least met one another. As for Sword Union’s Union Master Gu Cang Yun, Yang Kai had often exchanged cultivation experiences with this short old man during the year or so he was travelling around Sword Union. Gu Cang Yun had a friendly and free-spirited personality, so Yang Kai had gotten along with him quite well.
The relationship between the two was fairly pleasant.
As for the last person… Yang Kai actually didn’t recognize him.
Seeing him cast a curious glance towards the last master present, Long Tian Shang smiled and said, “Come here, Yang Kai. Let me introduce you. This one is the oldest and strongest amongst the Third-Order Origin Kings in the Star Field, Brother Wu Dao!”
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged in surprise as he asked, “You are Senior Wu Dao?”
Wu Dao did not have an eye-catching appearance and just wore plain grey robes, which matched well with his white beard. Although he had some sage-like features and aura about him, even that was somewhat unremarkable. If Long Tian Shang hadn’t introduced him as Wu Dao, Yang Kai would never have guessed that this living legend was the one who stood before him.
Wu Dao’s name itself was a type of symbol for this era.
Rumour had it that he had lived for more than five thousand years and had experienced countless major events in the Star Field, witnessing the rise and downfall of many great forces.
Although he was a hidden dragon who never deigned to show his face, all Origin Kings in the Star Field recognized him as the strongest!
Yang Kai had first heard the name Wu Dao when he visited Green Mountains Star.
At that time, Yang Kai had met a young man named Xu Bin Bai during the Blood Prison Trial, Wu Dao’s Disciple. Precisely because of this, Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai treated Xu Bin Bai, a mere Junior to him, with a great deal of respect; this was proof of just how famous and influential Wu Dao was.
He was like an Ancestor to the entire Star Field.
What was rarer still was that, although this man had astonishing strength, there were no instances at all of him acting wickedly or even arrogantly, maintaining a spotless reputation for his entire life and causing him to be worshipped by many cultivators.
“Junior Yang Kai, greets Senior Wu Dao!” Yang Kai did not dare to neglect and hurriedly offered a salute.
“Sect Master Yang is too polite,” Wu Dao smiled slightly. “Brother Long shows this old master too much favour, there’s no need to act so constrained. This old master has simply lived the life of a tortoise. Living longer simply gives one more time to accumulate experiences in life. On the other hand, Sect Master Yang being able to find a way to the Star Boundary and opening up an opportunity to spy on a higher Martial Dao is truly worthy of this Wu Dao’s admiration. This old master will have to ask Sect Master Yang to lead the way.”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head and declined such praise modestly before turning around and saying seriously, “All of you being willing to cast aside your own safety and help Junior open the road to the Star Boundary is a graciousness this Junior will never forget! Please accept Junior’s worship!”
Saying so, Yang Kai cupped his fists and bowed.
Chi Yue laughed lightly and shook her head as she said, “There’s no need for you to act so reservedly. We agreed to help you not just for you, but for ourselves as well. Having reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, if we ever want to advance a step further, we can only travel to the Star Boundary, and as cultivators, who among us can really stand to not take that leap? Wu Dao being here is the best example.”
Wu Dao smiled bitterly, “Yes, when Brother Long mentioned this, this old master knew that he had to come. If he didn’t, this old master would soon pass away from old age!”
As a Third-Order Origin King who had lived for five thousand years, Wu Dao could already be considered an extremely long-lived individual. Wu Dao himself did not have much of a life span left, and if he did not want to simply pass away in obscurity somewhere, he could only attempt to raise his cultivation once more, so travelling to the Star Boundary was his last and only hope. With this being the case, how could he not come?
“Be that as it may, Junior must still offer his sincere thanks,” Yang Kai still spoke while concealing a little guilt, because he had not told them everything he knew, like about the Star Field Guardians. However, this information was irrelevant to everyone else at the moment, so Yang Kai had decided not to explain it to them.
“Alright, enough idle chatter. Boy, just tell us what you want us to do,” Ai Ou urged impatiently.
“Is everyone here planning to travel to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked.
“Martial Uncle Long won’t be accompanying us, he is only here to offer his assistance in opening the way,” Ai Ou explained. “My Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has a vast empire to oversee, after all, so someone must stay behind to watch over it. This time, only I will be following you.”
Yang Kai nodded, expressing his understanding.
Even for High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had to make proper arrangements. Three Origin Kings being left to oversee the High Heaven Sect was barely enough, so Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce need not even be mentioned.
If there was no Third-Order Origin King assuming command of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, it would likely not take more than a few years for it to be carved up either from the inside or out.
“In that case, Junior will begin,” Yang Kai declared before he turned around and with a wave of his hand summoned out all nine Star Emperor Tokens.
The nine Star Emperor Tokens, which now appeared insignificant and unremarkable, had once sealed the Divine Ability of the Great Emperor. Now, they only radiated a slight Emperor Pressure, but when all of them appeared together here, they began to resonate.
Soon, various flickering patterns began to appear on the Star Emperor Tokens.
These patterns were extremely profound and complex, hiding untold mysteries. Without any need for outside control, the nine Star Emperor Tokens flew out and began to arrange themselves in a specific formation.
One Star Emperor Token assumed a central position while the other eight scattered around and formed a symmetrical eight-pointed array.
The Star Emperor Tokens began to hum even more noticeably as they seemed to draw in a kind of mystical energy from the infinite Star Field, and energy that caused the nine tokens to radiate a brilliant light.
At this moment, Yang Kai shouted, “Please take action together and pour your Saint Qi in!”
As soon as his words fell, he took the lead to push his Saint Qi into the eight-pointed formation.
Everyone else followed suit and with a myriad of shouts. They too began to pour out the strength they had condensed over the course of their lives.
At that moment, with this single point as a centre, a ten thousand kilometre region of the visibly Starry Sky shook.
If a Third-Order Origin King acted with all their strength, they could destroy a small Cultivation Star.
And in this region of the Starry Sky, a total of six Third-Order Origin Kings and one Second-Order Origin King were gathered. The seven of them taking action together, just how spectacular of a scene was that? If such a massive burst of energy were to be sent out, it could definitely vaporize everything within a million kilometres, turning this region of the Starry Sky into a shattered space.
But nothing close to that happened. The eight-pointed array formed by the gathering of all nine Star Emperor Tokens seemed to have transformed into some kind of bottomless pit at this moment, swallowing all the Saint Qi that these seven masters could pour out with ease.
Everyone’s complexion changed drastically as they realized that they had deeply underestimated the methods of the Great Emperor.
These Star Emperor Tokens were refined by the Great Emperor over ten thousand years ago, yet they still had such power even today. It was difficult to imagine just how astonishing the Great Emperor’s strength was.
Exchanging a quick glance, everyone silently understood what they needed to do and simultaneously pushed their strength even more fiercely into the formation.
As time passed, the light of the eight-pointed array became brighter and brighter, and the array itself also expanded out from its original washbasin size to become as big as a large dinner table.
By now, each of the Origin Kings wore a dignified expression as they madly poured out their Saint Qi like this was actually quite taxing on them.
However, they also felt somewhat inspired at the moment, because it had been many years for them since they had gone all out. Having stood at the pinnacle of the Star Field, who was qualified to make them exert their fullest?
The current eight-pointed array, this entrance, was a perfect target for them to let loose their strength!
Gu Cang Yun couldn’t help but laugh as he ignored the passing of his own strength and desperately squeezed out as much strength from his body as he could, as if trying to see where his limits were.
Naturally the others weren’t about to be outdone and each began using their own methods to add even more energy into the eight-pointed formation.
Some time later though, everyone’s expression became a bit difficult.
Because they found that even if they kept pushing their Saint Qi madly like this, there were no signs at all of the road to the Star Boundary opening. The only change that could be seen was that the eight-pointed array was steadily expanding.
All of them couldn’t help glancing over at Yang Kai, hoping to glean some clues from his face, but all they could see was his calm demeanour as he continued to pour out his strength at a rate and intensity no worse than anyone else present.
His composure allowed everyone to feel at ease and after each of them popped a restorative Spirit Pill into their mouths, they continued on.
This situation actually lasted for three days and three nights, and during this period, the several Origin Kings lost track of just how many pills they had taken in order to maintain their power. Finally, on the third day, a dull hum suddenly rang out from the Starry Sky.
The shining eight-pointed array suddenly expanded greatly at this moment before shrinking down to the size of a house and stabilizing in place.
As a profound and mysterious light flowed out from the eight-pointed array, it stood silently in the void like the open mouth of a great beast. As for the Star Emperor Tokens, they had all seemingly vanished.
Everyone withdrew their hands and stood staring at the entrance the eight-pointed array in front of them had transformed into, none of them able to say a word for a long time.
“Is this the passage?” After a long silence, Gui Zu finally asked. He could feel the power of the Void coming from this entrance, similar to that of a Void Corridor, but also completely different. It seemed far more dangerous, causing even someone as strong as him to feel some chills.
“Do we enter or not?” Gu Cang Yun swept his gaze around.
No one was able to give him an answer though.
Quickly, everyone’s eyes landed on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned as he said, “I’m definitely going to enter, but… Let’s restore ourselves first.”
“Yang Kai is right,” Chi Yue nodded sincerely, “There may be some danger inside.”
“Then, we’ll take half a day to restore ourselves. None of us knows how long this entrance will remain open, so if we delay too long and it disappears, the benefits will not be able to make up for the loss,” Wu Dao said with some slight concern.
No one had any objections and quickly took out some Spirit Pills before finding a location to sit down, meditate, and recover.
Yang Kai directly took out a mountain of Saint Crystals from his Space Ring and crushed them, allowing their energy to flood the surrounding area to help everyone quickly restore themselves.
Half a day later, everyone gathered again in front of the entrance.
Yang Kai took the initiative without any fear and said, “Leave the vanguard up to this Junior, Seniors please bring up the rear!”
“How could we allow that?” Ai Ou snorted in objection. Yang Kai was his son-in-law, and as Xue Yue’s father, certainly couldn’t let Yang Kai take such risks. What if something happened? Wouldn’t that leave Xue Yue as a widow?
Saying so, he stepped forward, determined to enter first.
Yang Kai, however, quickly stretched out his hand to stop him and said lightly, “I am proficient in Space Force, and as this is a type of Void Corridor, it would be best if I take the lead.”
“Yang Kai is right. Ai Ou it’s best if you back down here, his mastery of Space Force makes him far more suited to this role,” Chi Yue nodded in agreement.
Ai Ou hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Then, act cautiously kid.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly at him before turning back to Long Tian Shang and saying, “Senior Long, I’ll have to trouble you to watch over Shadowed Star while we’re gone.”
“You may rest assured; I will come here from time to time. In any case, it’s quite convenient to travel around now. As long as my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce has not fallen, Shadowed Star will surely be safe and sound!” Long Tian Shang quickly pledged.
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fists before turning around and plunging into the entrance.
Following him, Gu Cang Yun, Wu Dao, and Gui Zu all stepped inside one by one.
Chi Yue followed suit.
Ai Ou bid farewell to Long Tian Shang before he brought up the rear.
In the blink of an eye, only Long Tian Shang was left. Staring at the glowing entrance before him, his eyes showed a look of incomparable yearning, but he simply sighed, turned around, and flew back towards Shadowed Star, in the end.
….
After Yang Kai crossed the threshold, he was immediately stunned by the sight in front of him.
He had expected that he would be greeted by the sight of a Void Corridor, an empty chaotic nothingness.
But on the contrary, when he walked inside, things were very different.
Instead of black chaos with vast emptiness, there was actually a rich and pure flow of mysterious energy.
There were also little fluorescent wisps of light all around, making people feel like they were being surrounded by an ocean of starlight. These wisps behaved almost like fireflies, moving as if they had their own sentience.
Looking around, to the front, rear, left, and right, everywhere was filled with a similar starlight scene.
It was really like staring at the starry sky reflecting on the calm surface of a lake.
Yang Kai couldn’t help taking a deep breath. Breathing out comfortably, it felt like the exhaustion he had built up over the past few days from opening the Star Boundary channel had simply faded away.
In the next instant, the little wisps of starlight were somehow drawn towards his body and soon sank into his form.
The pure energy contained in these wisps of starlight quickly began to penetrate into his flesh and bone, rapidly recovering Yang Kai’s strength.
Yang Kai was overjoyed, never having expected such a thing to happen.
“This is…” An exclamation came from behind, one filled with obvious shock from what the voice’s owner was seeing.
Yang Kai didn’t have to look back to know it was Sword Union’s Gu Cang Yun who had called out.
Immediately afterwards, the exclamations from Wu Dao, Gui Zu, Chi Yue, and Ai Ou followed, all of them tossing aside the aloof images they had built up over the years as Third-Order Origin Kings as they were unable to contain their shock and awe.
“Such rich World Energy… it’s so pure and clean. It can be absorbed directly even without trying to refine it.”
“If one cultivated here for a day, wouldn’t it be the same as cultivating for a year outside?”
“What is this place? Have we already reached the Star Boundary?”
“This shouldn’t be the Star Boundary!” Yang Kai shook his head.
“How do you know?”
“I’m not clear,” Yang Kai explained with a wry smile. “But I can somehow tell that this is a place between the Star Field and Star Boundary. Only after passing through here can we truly enter the Star Boundary.”
“The environment here is already so astonishing. How much better must the Star Boundary be?”
As such thoughts swirling in their heads, none of them was able to calm themselves. If everything they speculated was true, then breaking through to the next realm was just around the corner for them. Anyone able to cultivate to the Third-Order Origin King Realm was a genius among geniuses, so if they could find a suitable environment, they could steadily raise their cultivation.
“I don’t know what the Star Boundary’s situation is, but this place… we probably can’t stay here for too long,” Yang Kai didn’t get dazzled by everything in front of him and calmly analyzed.
“Why do you say so?”
“In the end, this is a passageway, so who can guarantee that it will remain stable forever? If some kind of turbulence happens, we may be lost here forever.”
Hearing what he said, everyone couldn’t help being shocked, only then realizing they were actually in danger.
Ai Ou nodded and said, “Yang Kai is right, this likely isn’t a place we can remain for an extended period.”
Yang Kai smiled and added, “But there’s no need to be too nervous. Since we need to pass through this place, it’s only natural to harvest as much benefit as possible along the way. It seems like the starlight here can not only restore Saint Qi but also cleanse and temper one’s physique and Soul. Everyone should try their best to absorb as much as possible.”
“A cleaning effect on the body and Soul!” Wu Dao’s eyes lit up and laughed, “If that’s the case, we certainly cannot miss it!”
Hearing this news, how could any of them not be moved? Hurriedly circulating their own Secret Arts, all of them began trying to gather the dense wisps of starlight around them.
But soon, everyone noticed an anomaly.
Among the group of six, the speed at which Yang Kai and Ai Ou were able to absorb this starlight seemed to be more than ten times faster than the others, with Yang Kai’s performance being particularly conspicuous. The wisps of starlight seemed to be naturally drawn to him, like moths to a flame, causing the path he walked along to be devoid of any wisps at all.
Although Ai Ou’s situation wasn’t bad either, there was still a noticeable gap between him and Yang Kai.
As for the others, their performance was even worse.
All of them had to work hard and use their own Saint Qi to draw in these wisps of starlight.
In terms of efficiency, they were a hundred times worse than Yang Kai!
“What Secret Technique are you two using?” Wu Dao asked curiously. Among the six people here, Yang Kai and Ai Ou weren’t the strongest, especially Yang Kai, who was only a Second-Order Origin King in terms of cultivation. Technically, it made him the weakest here, but he was actually able to absorb more of this starlight than anyone else, eliciting some confusion.
The others also quickly discovered this issue and looked at Yang Kai and Ai Ou suspiciously.
“I’m not using any kind of Secret Technique, I’m just absorbing them normally,” Ai Ou said with an innocent expression on his face, turning to look at Yang Kai for confirmation.
Yang Kai also nodded and said, “I haven’t used any Secret Technique either.”
Everyone present was a hegemon-level figure from the Star Field, but after arriving at this juncture together, they worked together without any kind of intrigue, so if Ai Ou and Yang Kai said they were not doing anything special, the others didn’t doubt them.
“That’s strange, then is there something… different about you two?” Gu Cang Yun frowned in thought.
Soon, Chi Yue’s beautiful eyes lit up as she muttered thoughtfully, “Could it be… because you’re both Star Masters?”
Hearing what she said, everyone could not help showing a stunned look before thinking this very well could be the case.
Among the six present, only Yang Kai and Ai Ou had refined a Star Source and become Star Masters. If there was a significant difference between the two of them and the others, this was it.
Thinking about it carefully, this was the only plausible explanation.
“Strange… does being a Star Master really grant such a mysterious benefit?” Wu Dao shook his head as he wore a slight look of regret on his face. If he had known this before, he would have found a way to refine a Cultivation Star’s Star Source before coming here; even if there was great danger, he still would have had to try.
The surrounding starlight had the effect of cleansing and tempering one’s body and Soul, and this was only what everyone had been able to sense so far. There may still be unknown benefits, so the more they could absorb, the better.
But now, the other four could only look on at Yang Kai and Ai Ou with envy, watching those wisps of starlight pour into their bodies and disappear.
Ai Ou could not help grinning smugly.
Yang Kai knit his brow for a moment before suggesting, “We should slightly separate. I’ll walk further apart from everyone else, and several Seniors should space themselves out somewhat as well, just don’t stray too far from each other.”
Wherever Yang Kai walked, no starlight remained, so he could not travel together with the others.
Fortunately, no obvious signs of danger were to be seen yet, so separating was not too much of a risk.
“Sounds good,” Wu Dao nodded and agreed with Yang Kai’s proposal.
The others also did not have any objections and quickly, the group separated into two, with Yang Kai on the right, and the others to the left. The group of six then continued forward unhurriedly.
Although Yang Kai did not know why being a Star Master gave such an advantage, he tell that the wisps of starlight flooding into his body had something to do with the Star Source he had refined, otherwise, he and Ai Ou wouldn’t have such different performances to the others.
It was probably the very existence of the Star Source’s energy in his body that drew in these wisps of starlight and allowed him to absorb them so easily.
Observing the situation on the left side for a while, Yang Kai confirmed that Ai Ou and the others were all in a stable condition, allowing him to relax and concentrate on analysing the benefits the starlight brought to him.
Yang Kai’s physique was already extraordinarily strong. After several years of tempering in the Dead Zone, he had already surpassed the level an Origin King Realm should have.
But as these wisps of starlight entered his body, Yang Kai could still feel his physical quality being significantly improved. Vitality burgeoned from every inch of his flesh, and his body seemed to now contain a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
Even the Pure Golden Blood flowing through his body was distilled to a certain extent.
This Pure Golden Blood was one of Yang Kai’s unique treasures, and he had long ago thought it had reached a state of perfection, but now he realized that he was short-sighted.
His Pure Golden Blood could still be enhanced!
His body was washed of all impurities, leaving him with flawless flesh and crystal-jade bones. Even his five viscera and six organs seemed to have been strengthened and now emitted a lustre.
This was a manifestation of his physical body’s enhancement.
His Soul also reaped huge benefits.
Yang Kai sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea, and through his Soul Avatar, he could see the tiny wisps of starlight flooding in from the outside. While his Knowledge Sea was absorbing some of these wisps though, many were also flying towards his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
The Soul Warming Lotus, which was accepting all the starlight coming to it, now gave off a dreamlike glow as faint ripples spread out.
This dazzling radiance seemed to contain a mysterious power that continuously strengthened Yang Kai’s Soul as it rippled forth.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai suddenly understood!
Him and Ai Ou being able to absorb the starlight here at a much faster rate than the others could be explained by their identities as Star Masters.
But even so, Yang Kai was still able to absorb the starlight almost ten times faster than Ai Ou!
This was a fact difficult to explain.
Yang Kai did not understand the reason for this at first, but now that he had seen the situation in his Knowledge Sea, he realized the truth.
The Soul Warming Lotus was causing this phenomenon! With the Soul Warming Lotus helping to absorb the starlight and merge it with him, how could Ai Ou compete?
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai’s brow suddenly twitched as he remembered what that master named Wu Sheng Feng from Star Boundary’s Falling Star Sect said back then.
Wu Sheng Feng said that the Soul Warming Lotus could still evolve further.
Yang Kai was extremely surprised at that time because he had always felt that the seven-coloured form was the final form of the Soul Warming Lotus, but now, he realized that Wu Sheng Feng was correct.
What would the Soul Warming Lotus look like if it was able to evolve further? Just what kind of benefits would it be able to provide? Yang Kai did not know, but now that the Soul Warming Lotus was actively trying to absorb this mysterious starlight, he knew it had a great nourishing effect.
Allowing the Soul Warming Lotus to do as it pleased, Yang Kai simply walked forward slowly.
His whole body was like a vortex, and wherever he walked, the starlight would converge towards him. Feeling the changes happening in his body, Yang Kai felt joyous in his heart.
Simply closing his eyes, he began to meander about in a leisurely manner.
Time slowly passed by, but with no sun, moon, or stars here, it was not long before everyone lost track of how long they had been walking. A rough estimate would say they had been travelling for at least a month.
Suddenly, a low shout came from Yang Kai’s side.
Yang Kai was stunned, and thinking that something had gone wrong, he quickly opened his eyes and looked over.
But soon, he knew his assumption was wrong as the other five were all safe and sound. It was only that Ai Ou showed a shocked expression on his face and was deeply frowning, seemingly pondering something.
The other four people also had similar expressions.
“Everyone, what happened?” Yang Kai asked.
Gui Zu raised his head and said, “Sect Master, feel the power in your body and see if there are any changes!”
He did not directly answer Yang Kai’s question but instead directed him to investigate for himself. Yang Kai immediately understood that this was an important matter, so he immediately began to inspect himself.
Soon, Yang Kai also showed a shocked look as his expression changed greatly.
“It looks like you’ve noticed too,” Gui Zu laughed gratingly. “It is precisely because we discovered this that we suddenly woke up.”
“What exactly is happening?” Yang Kai looked at everyone in amazement.
Everyone shook their heads, however, unable to explain.
Wu Dao pondered for a long time before offering a theory, “According to the observation of this old master, the Saint Qi in our bodies seems to be transforming into a higher form.”
“Transforming into a higher form?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Indeed,” Wu Dao gently nodded, “This is just this old master’s opinion, however, and I have no proof either way.”
He paused and continued to speak, “We cultivators start our cultivation journey with Yuan Qi. After cultivating to the True Element Boundary, Yuan Qi is transformed into True Qi. Only True Qi can support a True Element Boundary Cultivator’s Martial Skills and techniques, Yuan Qi is simply insufficient. This is similar to a child needing to wear bigger clothes when he grows up. The smaller clothes would only serve to hinder his movements.”
Everyone nodded lightly.
What Wu Dao said was common sense. Everyone who cultivated knew this, so there was no reason they would not understand.
“Then, when a cultivator reaches the Saint Realm, the True Qi in the body will transform into Saint Qi!” Wu Dao’s eyes flickered, “However, after the Saint Realm, there is the Saint King Realm, Origin Returning Realm, and Origin King Realm, but through those realms, Saint Qi shows no further transformations. This old master has considered this issue in the past and felt that there should be a higher form of power a cultivator can possess, but nothing tangible ever came out from my ponderings until today!”
The longer he spoke, the more Wu Dao’s eyes burst with excitement.
“Senior Wu Dao means…” Yang Kai’s brow rose, “The Saint Qi in our bodies is being transformed into a stronger form?”
“It should be,” Wu Dao laughed. “And the starlight here not only has the effect of cleanings one’s body and Soul but can also assist in this transformation process! This old master speculates that once all the Saint Qi in our bodies has undergone this transformation, we can take that next step!”
As soon as this remark came out, everyone’s body shook.
The masters here, besides Yang Kai, were all Third-Order Origin Kings, so they naturally understood what Wu Dao meant by taking that next step.
That was the step above the Origin King Realm!
It was a realm that no master from the Star Field’s history had ever been able to reach.
At this moment, the change in the strength of everyone’s body was not just an opportunity, it was a guiding ray of light.
This was definitely a brand-new force that they had never encountered before, one that was far more refined, condensed, and powerful than Saint Qi.
In other words, even if two Origin Kings had the same cultivation, but one of them had Saint Qi while the other had this new strength, the one with the latter would be able to triumph over the former with ease.
True Qi was stronger than Yuan Qi, and Saint Qi was stronger than True Qi, so this new power was naturally much stronger than Saint Qi.
“I just don’t know what this power is called,” Wu Dao said with some regret. This was not a surprise though as no one here had contacted a higher-level Martial Dao.
“I feel that this new power is closely linked to the essence of my life and Soul, my source so to speak!” Chi Yue said thoughtfully.
Everything in this world had an origin, a source. Stars had Star Sources and cultivators had their own sources as well, the root of their existence. Without that source, they would not be.
The power everyone’s Saint Qi was transforming into seemed to somehow be related to their own source.
“Yang Kai, you’ve absorbed the most starlight of all of us; how much of your Saint Qi has transformed?” Gu Cang Yun asked curiously.
As soon as this question was asked, everyone could not help turning their heads to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai checked quickly and said, “About one percent.”
“So much!?” Wu Dao called out in shock as everyone else looked at him with envy.
“Is that a lot?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Wu Dao smiled bitterly, “Indeed, the amount of this old master’s Saint Qi that has transformed is barely noticeable, but it has already provided some great benefits. Since you have already transformed one percent of your Saint Qi, it likely won’t be long before the conversion is complete!”
“En, I suspected that, at the rate my Saint Qi is transforming, it will take at least five or six years to complete, even if I stay here,” Chi Yue nodded.
“What about President Ai Ou?” Everyone turned their eyes to the other person who held an advantage in this regard.
“I’m much worse than Yang Boy, about ten times so,” Ai Ou slowly shook his head.
“That’s fast enough,” Everyone could not help feeling a little frustrated.
None of them had thought that being a Star Master would result in such benefits after entering here. The power in Yang Kai’s body was transforming so fast that they could hardly believe it.
After discussing this unexpected development for a short while, everyone deeply felt that they had no more time to waste; after all, such an opportunity was not one you met every day. Splitting into two groups again, everyone hurriedly began absorbing the starlight wisps while moving forward on the road.
…..
At a spot, some ten thousand kilometres ahead of where Yang Kai’s group was.
This place was also filled with starlight, the same as everywhere else in this strange corridor.
However, in this place, there were three figures.
Among these three people, two were men and one was a woman, none of whom seemed old, even dressed up as youths, but their auras were extremely powerful.
One of them, sat cross-legged in the sea of starlight with a gloomy face, like a dormant beast, his aura so daunting that the other two stayed as far away from him as possible, seemingly afraid to approach.
All three were Third-Order Origin Kings.
And where the three of them sat, there was a semi-circular energy barrier covering them. This barrier was quite profound and was able to block the intrusion of the surrounding starlight.
As such, in a ten-metre radius around the group of three, there was just a clean, empty void.
The imposing man had his eyes closed tightly and was slowly forming a series of seals with his hands, seemingly cultivating some kind of Secret Technique. From time to time, there would be a violent energy fluctuation from his body.
Although all of them were Third-Order Origin Kings, this man gave off a far stronger aura compared to the other two.
Suddenly, the bald man amongst the male and female pair opened his eyes and glanced around with an impatient look on his face before muttering, “We’ve already been here for five years. How long more do we have to wait?”
Hearing what he said, the woman next to him also opened her eyes and glanced towards the front before whispering, “Calm yourself Brother Feng De, is five years really a long time for you or me? Both of us have benefited a lot from staying in the Starlight Corridor with the help of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud provided by Senior Brother Yin Le Sheng.”
Hearing her mention Yin Le Sheng, Feng De, the bald man, looked towards the man in front of him who was releasing a thick malevolent aura with some fear and nodded, “En, we did take advantage of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud provided by Brother Yin in order to stay here for so long; if not for it, the Starlight Corridor would surely have expelled us after just a month or two, but… why are we waiting here anyway? What exactly is Brother Yin waiting for? Junior Sister Liu, do you know anything?”
Liu Xian Yun slowly shook her head, “I don’t know, but Brother Yin must have his own plans!”
Feng De smiled bitterly, “Fine, let us not mention this anymore. By the way, how much of your Saint Qi have you managed to transform, Junior Sister Liu?”
“About one-fifth,” Liu Xian Yun smiled wryly before turning to look at Yin Le Sheng with some envy and saying in a low voice. “I am incomparable to Brother Yin. In my opinion, the Saint Qi in his body should almost be completely transformed into Source Qi! Once we leave this Starlight Corridor, he will likely be able to break through to the Dao Source Realm immediately!”
“The advantages of being a Star Master are really extraordinary,” Feng De said, filled with jealousy, “If I had known this before, this Feng would have also gone and refined some Cultivation Star’s Star Source.”
“And how dangerous is refining a Star Source?” Liu Xian Yun slowly shook her head, “Without great luck, it is impossible to succeed in refining one. How many of our Grand Desolation Star Field’s Third-Order Origin Kings have died over the past ten thousand years trying to refine Star Sources? This Mistress never attempted it because she never had full confidence in succeeding. In any case, we will soon arrive at the Star Boundary, so it won’t be too late to look for a Star Source in the future.”
Feng De slowly shook his head, “That might be true, but I’ve also heard that Star Sources are extremely rare treasures in the Star Boundary. Many masters intentionally regress their own cultivation in order to access the Starlight Corridor and return to the major Star Fields just to seek such an opportunity. Since you and I have already missed the opportunity, I’m afraid it will be difficult to obtain a Star Source in the future.”
Liu Xian Yun looked somewhat depressed, knowing that Feng De was right.
“Can you two be silent? Your noise is disturbing this King’s tranquillity,” Suddenly, a gloomy voice sounded.
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help shivering slightly as they turned their heads fearfully towards the front, just in time to see Yin Le Sheng, who had been sitting cross-legged the whole time, open his eyes.
Those eyes were extremely cold and seemed to have no emotion in them at all, making any who gazed into them feel extremely uncomfortable.
Liu Xian Yun squeezed out a smile and apologized, “This Mistress was just chatting with Brother Feng casually and did not intend to disturb Senior Brother Yin. Please don’t take it to heart, Senior Brother Yin.”
Yin Le Sheng just glowered at them indifferently, not saying anything.
Feng De soon frowned though and asked, “Brother Yin, we’ve been waiting here for five years. How long are we supposed to linger?”
“Do you want to leave?” Yin Le Sheng glanced at Feng De lightly.
Feng De replied, “If Brother Yin could inform us what he is waiting for here, this Feng would be fine accompanying him for a lifetime, but… Since entering this Starlight Corridor, Brother Yin has been in meditative retreat, so this Feng is somewhat…”
“Dissatisfied with my attitude?” Yin Le Sheng’s voice sounded coldly.
Feng De wore an ugly expression, frowned, and said, “I wouldn’t dare, it’s just…”
Before he could finish speaking though, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. At some unknown point, Yin Le Sheng had already approached and Feng De could not help shivering under his icy eyes. Feeling the aura of death approaching him, Feng De instinctually punched out.
“Don’t!” Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face changed drastically as she cried out softly.
“Hmph!” Yin Le Sheng coldly snorted. Facing the terrifying blow that Feng De had just released, he did not even try to dodge and instead raised a single hand and lightly dispersed the incoming attack, before reaching out and pinching Feng De’s neck.
Suddenly, Feng De, who was also a Third-Order Origin King, was restrained, his Saint Qi unable to circulate properly. Yin Le Sheng then hoisted him up like a chicken to be slaughtered.
This scene was so incredible that even Liu Xian Yun was frozen in shock.
At this moment, she knew that she had been underestimating Yin Le Sheng. He had transformed all his Saint Qi in his body into Source Qi, otherwise he would never have been able to so easily overwhelm Feng De who had the same cultivation as him.
After all, before coming here, while Yin Le Sheng was indeed stronger than either of them, the discrepancy wasn’t so obvious.
But after coming to this place, the distance between him and them suddenly expanded.
This was directly related to his Saint Qi’s transformation into Source Qi.
“Brother Yin…” Feng De struggled but could not get rid of Yin Le Sheng’s restraint, a look of horror flashing across his eyes as he called out pleadingly, his face slowly losing colour.
“If you were not from the Grand Desolation Star Field, do you think this King would so kindly allow you to enjoy the benefits of the Netherworld Darkness Shroud? Not only are you not grateful, but you also actually dare to question this King’s actions? Even your death won’t be worth pitying!” Yin Le Sheng spat coldly, adding a little strength to his hand, causing Feng De’s life to shorten even further.
Liu Xian Yun to the side was completely pale right now and wanted to intercede, but when she thought of Yin Le Sheng’s cruel methods and manner, she couldn’t work up the courage to speak.
Because she knew that if Yin Le Sheng was truly angered, Feng De would die without a doubt.
She could only force a smile and say, “Senior Brother Yin, please show mercy. This Mistress and Brother Feng know our wrongs and apologize. Please spare Brother Feng, Senior Brother Yin.”
“You know your wrongs?” Yin Le Sheng asked indifferently.
Feng De nodded quickly.
“There will be no second chance!” Yin Le Sheng snorted coldly before tossing Feng De aside like some kind of rag sack.
Liu Xian Yun wanted to help Feng De but did not dare to move rashly. Instead, she only able to watch Yin Le Sheng nervously.
After punishing Feng De a little, the latter did not make another move. Instead, he folded his hands behind his back and said lightly, “This King does not want to take extreme measures, you are both from the Grand Desolation Star Field like me after all, and my Netherworld Sect has a base in the Star Boundary. After we arrive, both of you will join my Netherworld Sect and we will all belong to the same family in the future.”
Liu Xian Yun squeezed out a smile and said, “Since Senior Brother Yin has said so, this Mistress will respectfully obey.”
Netherworld Sect’s reputation in the Grand Desolation Star Field was terrible, so its base in the Star Boundary was not going to be anything good. However, with so many masters in the Sect, few dared to challenge it. After this trip to the Star Boundary, if they could really join an established force, perhaps their future cultivation would be much smoother.
However, that also meant being thoroughly tainted with the stigma of the Netherworld Sect, causing Liu Xian Yun to be a little bit displeased.
But with things as they were now, she had no choice.
Feng De, on the other hand, was just grateful for having escaped death, so he did not dare raise any objections.
Yin Le Sheng was very satisfied with the attitude of the two of them and took the initiative to say, “You want to know why this King hasn’t entered the Star Boundary for so long and instead chose to remain here?”
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De looked at each other, the former saying, “If it is not convenient for Senior Brother Yin to say…”
“There’s nothing inconvenient,” Yin Le Sheng said lightly. “Since you will both be joining my Netherworld Sect, you are not outsiders, so it won’t hurt to tell you. The reason why this King has been waiting here is to wait for others from different Star Fields who are also travelling to the Star Boundary.”
“Waiting for cultivators from other Star Fields travelling to the Star Boundary?” Liu Xian Yun and Feng De were stunned, not expecting that Yin Le Sheng was actually using the Netherworld Darkness Shroud to isolate them from the surrounding starlight and remain here for five years just because of this.
One had to know that the Netherworld Darkness Shroud was a core treasure of Netherworld Sect, said to have been passed down to it from the Star Boundary, its grade already surpassing Origin King Grade.
Only the Netherworld Sect, which had a foothold in the Star Boundary, could possess this kind of Heaven-defying treasure. What’s more, every time it was used, the Netherworld Darkness Shroud had to absorb countless Souls to fuel itself.
Liu Xian Yun suddenly recalled that Yin Le Sheng had gone to a certain Cultivation Star in the Grand Desolation Star Field five years ago and slaughtered the inhabitants of more than a dozen cities. At that time, everyone had thought he had fallen into depravity and was wantonly slaughtering to amuse himself, but now it seemed he was actually preparing the Netherworld Darkness Shroud for this.
“Do you understand?” Yin Le Sheng stared at the two faintly.
Liu Xian Yun shook her head and said, “Please dispel our doubts, Senior Brother Yin.”
Yin Le Sheng said, “I’m waiting for Star Masters!”
As soon as this remark came out, both Liu Xian Yun and Feng De showed a look of enlightenment, with Lin Xian Yun saying, “Could it be that the rumour about Netherworld Sect possessing a Secret Technique to seize Star Sources from others is true?”
Yin Le Sheng nodded and said, “Naturally.”
“So, Senior Brother Yin wants to snatch others’ Star Source?”
“No!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly, “I already have a Star Source, so I won’t be able to absorb a second for some time.”
“Then Senior Brother Yin, you…”
“I can’t make use of it, but now that I am heading to the Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, I must prepare a decent gift. If this King can prepare such a gift, this King’s future will surely become smooth after entering Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect! “
Only now did Liu Xian Yun and Feng De truly understand why Yin Le Sheng had been waiting here for five years.
Although Yin Le Sheng all but ruled over the Grand Desolation Star Field, he was still just a Third-Order Origin King. After entering the Star Boundary, such a cultivation would be worthless. Netherworld Sect had fierce internal competition, and it was commonplace for disciples to fight amongst themselves.
Yin Le Sheng was travelling to Netherworld Sect in the Star Boundary without a backer, and without support, one could only rely on themselves.
As such, he was here targeting Star Masters.
As long as he could bring a Star Source as a gift to the Netherworld Sect, what lack of support could he have?
For a moment, Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help but admire Yin Le Sheng’s level of vision. He truly stood higher and saw further.
Any Third-Order Origin King had an extreme yearning for the Star Boundary, so spending five years waiting here also showed how strong Yin Le Sheng’s will was.
However… this was all a gamble, one that could result in great gains, or complete losses.
After all, staying here was also delaying their progress. Even if the Saint Qi in Yin Le Sheng’s body had completely transformed into Source Qi, he was unable to break through here, wasting a great deal of time.
“As long as this King can obtain the attention of Star Boundary’s Netherworld Sect, he will not lack for resources in the future and becoming an Emperor will be just around the corner. Follow me, and the benefits you reap won’t be small.”
Liu Xian Yun and Feng De quickly thanked him.
“Now that you know this King’s plan, cease your incessant prattling. This King prefers silence!” Yin Le Sheng waved his hand.
“Yes,” Liu Xian Yun and Feng De nodded together.
After experiencing the scene just now, regardless of how they really felt, they knew they could not put up any resistance. If Yin Le Sheng wanted to kill them, it was probably as simple as waving his hand. The gap between them was too great now.
At that moment, a clear ringing sound came out.
Yin Le Sheng was startled and immediately took a small bell from his waist. This bell seemed perfectly ordinary, but right now it seemed to have been disturbed by something and was ringing softly.
“Someone is coming!” Yin Le Sheng’s eyes flashed brightly, and he couldn’t help grinning, “This King has not waited here for five years in vain! I hope these people don’t let me down too much, otherwise… heh heh heh…”
His low laughter was so harsh and grating that Liu Xian Yun and Feng De could not help cringing slightly, silently paying tribute to the people who were approaching.
It did not matter how powerful or what kind of status these newcomers had in their Star Field, they could only curse their own bad luck for facing Yin Le Sheng here.
If the ones who came had a Star Master among them, Yin Le Sheng might be willing to send them all off painlessly.
But if no such character existed, Liu Xian Yun and Feng De were certain that these people would soon understand what a life worse than death felt like! After all, Netherworld Sect’s torture methods caused the entire Grand Desolation Star Field to tremble in fear.
A hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai and the others were still casually strolling forward.
Yang Kai could not tell how the others were, but the Saint Qi in his body had been transforming into this new, higher form at a very fast rate. This power seemed closely related to his essence and was incredibly smooth to circulate and operate, on top of being far more powerful.
However, the speed of conversion still seemed a bit slow to him, and Yang Kai estimated that, at this rate, it would take him at least one or two years to finish the process.
The group of six people was silent.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his head and looked ahead with a frown.
Faintly, he felt some kind of life aura coming from the front, but the environment here was too strange so even with his powerful Divine Sense, he couldn’t probe too far, making him uncertain.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai pushed both his Space Force and his Divine Sense.
In an instant, his Divine Sense leapt across space into the distance up ahead.
“There’s really someone there!” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became strange. He never thought that there would be other people in this Starlight Corridor.
[Could they be from some other Star Field and were also preparing to enter the Star Boundary?]
He could only make this speculation.
At the same time, he quickly used his Divine Sense to tell everyone to pause.
On the other side, Yin Le Sheng, who was waiting quietly, narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a suspicious look on his face.
Just now, he felt a Divine Sense drifting by his side strangely, which was quite shocking to him as Divine Sense could not probe too far in this Starlight Corridor, not even one as strong as his own. Even seeing someone a few kilometres away was all but impossible, which was why he had to use the bell-like artifact on his belt to check for the life auras of nearby people.
“Did I imagine it?” Yin Le Sheng muttered to himself before grinning slightly, “If not, then it seems I’ve met a real master. Interesting, very interesting!”
He had been waiting here for five years and had already transformed his Saint Qi into Source Qi, so although he had yet to break through to the Dao Source Realm, his combat strength was now no longer comparable to that of an ordinary Origin King.
No matter who the approaching person was, since they were travelling to the Star Boundary from some Star Field, their cultivation would certainly not exceed the Origin King Realm.
As such, Yin Le Sheng did not put them in his eyes at all.
The movement of the bell in his hand stopped temporarily, causing Yin Le Sheng to be even more certain that he had encountered a cultivator with a strong Divine Sense, and that the other party had someone who discovered him already.
The truth was exactly as he thought. After Yang Kai stopped the other five people, he told them the situation there.
“There are people here? Three of them?” Chi Yue’s beautiful eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“Yang Boy, are you sure you didn’t sense wrong?” Ai Ou also had a suspicious expression on his face.
“Since Sect Master Yang has said so, he must be certain,” Wu Dao frowned. “Now it is just a question of whether these three strangers are friends or foes.”
“En, since we’re all new and unfamiliar with this place, it would be best to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yang Kai, what’s the exact situation, be more specific.”
Yang Kai knit his brow slightly as he said, “From what I could perceive, the three people up ahead are just standing in place, seemingly waiting for something. As for their cultivation, they are all Third-Order Origin Kings, but one of them… gives me an extremely dangerous feeling.”
“If even you feel a threat from them, they’re not weak,” Ai Ou frowned. “But since they are all Third-Order Origin Kings, they should be cultivators from a different Star Field and are probably trying to enter the Star Boundary just like us. Did they perhaps get lost here?”
“Why don’t we just ask?” Gui Zu laughed strangely, “There are three of them and six of us, what is there to be afraid of?”
“While that might be true, you also know that after entering this place, a massive gap can appear between different Third-Order Origin Kings. Take President Ai Ou as an example, I’m afraid that none of us is his opponent now!”
“En, the power our Saint Qi is transforming into is very powerful.”
“But we can’t just continue standing here, right? Each of us is an overlord in our own domain. Since when have we begun acting so timidly?”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone could not help feeling shocked and realized that since entering the Starlight Corridor and feeling the mysteries of this place, while looking forward to the Star Boundary, their mentality had also gradually changed.
They could no longer behave as they once did, standing aloof and dominating over all others.
“Alright, we’ll proceed carefully and let everything take its course. If they are really lost, it is fine to have a discussion with them, but if they are hostile, then we’ll fight!” Yang Kai said lightly.
“So be it!” Wu Dao nodded in agreement.
“Then Junior will take the lead!” Yang Kai smiled slightly and offered.
“I’ll go, you stand back!” Ai Ou snorted and stood at the forefront.
As an elder, how could he always allow Yang Kai to take the risks?
Chi Yue also smiled and said, “This time, you just follow along obediently.”
“Eh… en, alright,” Yang Kai did not insist. In any case, it was not clear whether the people up ahead were friends or enemies, so it didn’t make much difference who went forward.
And so, the group of six approached the direction where Yin Le Sheng and his group were waiting.
As they approached, the bell in Yin Le Sheng’s hand rang quicker and quicker.
A distance of a hundred kilometres was nothing to cultivators of their level, so after just a stick of incense’s time, the two groups of people met.
Ai Ou took the lead and stood still about three hundred metres away from Yin Le Sheng and looked forward intently.
The starlight around him flooded into his body uncontrollably as he absorbed and accepted it.
Yin Le Sheng’s originally dull gaze burst with a strong light when he saw Ai Ou and he couldn’t help laughing heartily, “Good, good, good! After waiting for five years, this King has finally found someone decent.”