Chapter 2161

Soon, the blood monster was buried under a pile of countless golden coins.

Seeing this scene, Yang Kai vaguely foresaw what Kong Qi’s next move would be and quickly opened up some distance.

As he thought, just as he pulled back, Kong Qi suddenly shouted, “Death!”

As soon as this word fell, a buzzing sound rang out.

The countless golden coins all suddenly transformed into extremely sharp blades and swiftly cut through the body of the blood monster…

A moment later, the golden light dissipated, and the countless golden coins merged back into one again that was taken back by Kong Qi.

As for the blood monster, it had been sliced into innumerable razor-thin pieces, most of its body now just a puddle of liquid that flowed freely across the ground.

The hall quickly filled with a disgusting smell.

“Hmph, nothing much!” Kong Qi landed with dashing style as he coldly snorted, and if it weren’t for his pale face, his bravado would have been quite convincing.

The move just now obviously consumed a lot of his strength.

Yang Kai smiled slightly and was about to open his mouth to say something when suddenly, his brow furrowed and he began looking around intently.

“What now?” Kong Qi frowned when he saw Yang Kai’s actions.

“Brother Kong… haven’t you noticed that the barrier around this room still hasn’t been eliminated?” Yang Kai glanced towards the hall’s exit and asked.

After he mentioned this, Kong Qi also began looking around and soon muttered aloud, “You’re right… but why?”

“There are two possibilities!” Yang Kai’s complexion darkened as his expression became solemn, “The first possibility is that this barrier is somehow related to the room itself and has nothing to do with that blood monster, so even if it died, the barrier wouldn’t necessarily disperse.”

“And the other possibility…” Kong Qi was no idiot and clearly understood what Yang Kai wanted to say, his glancing down as he shouted, “It’s not dead!”

As soon as his words fell, the pool of blood-red pus on the ground began squirming towards the pool in the middle of the room, like a living creature.

“It survived that!?” Kong Qi was shocked.

The blood monster had been hit by his strongest Secret Technique and been cut into innumerable pieces.

“The blood pool is the key!” Yang Kai seemed to realize something and shouted.

As he spoke, the blood monster’s remnants continued to pour into the blood pool and soon began to boil up, as if it was re-constituting itself and about to be reborn.

“So troublesome!” Kong Qi couldn’t help taking a few steps back with a look of fear and anxiety, quickly suggesting, “We’d be better off joining forces and break through this barrier and escape!”

Kong Qi really didn’t want to fight against this peculiar and seemingly indestructible anomaly any further.

Yang Kai, however, just stood in place, turning a deaf ear to Kong Qi’s suggestion.

“Did you hear what I said?” Kong Qi frowned and shouted.

“En…” Yang Kai finally nodded with a grin, “There’s no need for that though. I suddenly have a good idea!”

“What?” Kong Qi asked in amazement.

But Yang Kai didn’t answer and instead flew over the blood pool before assuming a strange stance, stretching out his hands as he shouted, “Ocean Draining Divine Art!”

“What the hell?” Kong Qi’s mouth twitched, really wondering what Yang Kai was up to, because according to his knowledge and experience, there was no such thing as the Ocean Draining Divine Art, which either meant it was some kind of Secret Art Yang Kai made up by himself, or some obscure garbage Secret Art.

The next moment though, Kong Qi’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The squirming blood in the pool was actually being sucked up into Yang Kai’s hands, continuously flowing into his palm and disappearing without a trace!

The blood in the pool roiled even more fiercely as faint roars of struggle rang out; however, because the blood monster’s body had yet to fully re-form, it was simply powerless to resist and could only be sucked into Yang Kai’s palm.

Yang Kai’s palm was like a bottomless pit at this moment, accepting the blood pool filled with a rich malevolent aura.

Kong Qi was dumbfounded and couldn’t help feeling like a storm was raging inside his heart. Rubbing his eyes constantly, he kept wondering to himself if everything he was seeing was an illusion…

But no matter how he looked at it, the scene before him was entirely real.

At the same time, Yang Kai maintained his strange pose while keeping his Sealed World Bead in a blind spot of Kong Qi’s field of vision. Using his Divine Sense, Yang Kai asked his Embodiment once again, “Are you sure you can refine this thing?”

The Embodiment quickly replied, “There is a huge amount of energy contained in the bloody water, which is of great use to me. There is nothing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law cannot devour, so how could this trivial pool of blood be an exception? I’ve even refined two Dao Source Realm cultivators before!”

“Well, since you’ve said so…” Yang Kai didn’t ask any more questions. If it wasn’t for the Embodiment suddenly sending him a message just now, he would not have used the Sealed World Bead to suck this pool of blood into the Small Sealed World. Pausing for a moment, he warned, “Still, you should be careful to make sure this thing’s wicked aura doesn’t contaminate your Soul!”

“I know.”

Inside the hall, Kong Qi’s expression changed from surprise to shock, then shock to astonishment…

And as time passed, the pool of blood, accompanied by many howls and wails, was drained dry.

The moment the last remnants of the bloody water were drained, the barrier around the room broke.

Finished with the absorption, Yang Kai formed a series of seals with his hands, as if he was completing some kind of profound Secret Art.

Next, he turned around and patted his stomach before letting out a loud burp, as if he had just eaten his fill.

Kong Qi’s face turned green…

“Brother Kong, it’s been good cooperating with you! As expected of an elite from the Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce, that Falling Golden Coins technique you used really opened my eyes. As expected, Brother Kong is worthy of his illustrious reputation, I…” At this point, Yang Kai paused, tilted his head, and looked at Kong Qi curiously, “Why are you making such an expression?”

Kong Qi’s face was twisted and his mouth was twitching slightly, “I just want to ask, is there anything abnormal with your body…?”

“Nope!” Yang Kai replied, walking forward while talking.

Kong Qi stepped back a few steps and raised his hand, “Don’t come over, just stand there and speak.”

If Kong Qi’s attitude towards Yang Kai had previously been disgust and vigilance, it was now pure disgust… He looked at Yang Kai like he was some kind of maggot crawling out of a dung pit, not daring to stare straight at him.

“Brother Kong seems to enjoy clear, clean relationships,” Yang Kai grinned and said with deep meaning.

“This has nothing to do with whether I like being clean or not!” Kong Qi tried to endure the discomfort in his stomach as he replied sharply, closing his mouth firmly after he spoke.

“En, by the way, there is one more thing I should tell Brother Kong. About that spirit fruit, after you go back, you should consult with a senior expert to carefully identify it and its effects. Don’t consume it lightly,” Yang Kai warned.

After all, although the two Flowing Time Fruits looked identical, their effects were completely opposite, and the one that Yang Kai gave to Kong Qi… had a slight issue with it.

If Kong Qi were to suffer from this, Yang Kai would feel a bit responsible.

“You don’t need to remind me of such things,” Kong Qi frowned, secretly feeling that Yang Kai was being intrusive.

“That’s good.” Yang Kai grinned and said, “Now that the matter here has concluded, why don’t you and I…”

Before he could finish speaking though, Kong Qi cupped his fists and said, “Farewell!”

Turning around, Kong Qi flew out of the room.

He didn’t even bother to offer some polite parting words, as if he hoped to never meet Yang Kai again.

“Why so hasty…” Yang Kai looked at the direction where Kong Qi disappeared and muttered to himself, standing there for a moment to ponder before ultimately deciding to follow after Kong Qi.

Although he had accidentally chosen the same path as Kong Qi, it was too late to turn back now. The other cultivators had probably all escaped from the Illusion Array and flooded into the different forks.

Even if Yang Kai backtracked and chose a different path, it was still likely he would have to follow in someone else’s footsteps. Doing so would be a waste of time.

Following along the corridor dotted with light stones, Yang Kai saw a few barriers and restrictions, but all of them had been broken by Kong Qi who had gone on ahead.

As such, Yang Kai was able to proceed quite leisurely.

After walking for about half an hour, Yang Kai suddenly looked up and grinned at a figure standing in front of him, “Brother Kong, were you waiting for me here? Did you encounter some kind of trouble?”

“No.” Seeing him approaching, Kong Qi felt a sense of panic inexplicably and hurriedly stepped back a few steps before asking, “There’s a fork here, which one do you want to go down?”

Yang Kai heard this and looked forward to discover another fork in the corridor; this time, however, there were only two different paths.

As his eyes turned, Yang Kai immediately understood why Kong Qi was waiting here.

This guy obviously didn’t want to go down the same path as him, so he had paused here to confirm that they went their separate ways.

“Which one does Brother Kong want to take?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.

Kong Qi’s brow twitched as he said, “Whichever one you don’t take!”

“Is that so… I still think it would be best if Brother Kong and I…”

“Don’t mention that again!” Kong Qi hurriedly cut in, his face turning serious as he snapped, “Hurry up and choose!”

“Then I’ll go this way,” Yang Kai casually pointed his finger at the fork to the right.

As soon as these words came out, Kong Qi’s figure shot off into the left fork and soon disappeared.

“That guy is quite interesting!” Yang Kai stared in the direction Kong Qi disappeared, grinning wryly before he turned and stepped into the right fork.

In fact, even if Kong Qi didn’t intentionally wait for him here, Yang Kai would have chosen a different direction. Although it was convenient to have someone clear the way for him, if there were no benefits left behind to collect, there was no point.

Travelling forward, things were fairly uneventful. Although there were a few small restrictions here and there, Yang Kai successfully cracked them and moved on.

At a certain moment though, a ray of light suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai, surprising him. Looking up ahead, he found that there was a doorway at the end of the corridor, one that was emitting a bright light.

Chapter 2162

With a light finally appearing, Yang Kai couldn’t help speeding up.

After a while, he passed through the door.

What appeared before him was a white jade staircase, one that seemed pure and flawless, and went on forever, without a top in sight. Not even Yang Kai’s Divine Sense could see through this staircase.

At the base of the stairs, to Yang Kai’s right, there was a stone stele on which a line of large characters was engraved.

Yang Kai looked down and muttered, “Flowing Time Steps?”

Frowning slightly, Yang Kai wondered what kind of mysteries this white jade staircase concealed and didn’t dare to move forward rashly.

Fortunately, there were no others present, so after thinking about it for a moment, he directly called Hua Qing Si out.

Hua Qing Si was a disciple of Star Soul Palace, and had been preparing for the Four Seasons Realm opening for a long time, so there was no doubt she knew more about this Flowing Time Temple than him.

With a flash of light, Hua Qing Si’s figure appeared.

She looked around blankly at first, not sure where she was.

“This is the Flowing Time Temple!” Yang Kai explained.

“Huh?” Hua Qing Si responded in amazement before immediately exclaiming, “You actually found the Flowing Time Temple?!”

“En, it was more of a coincidence than anything. I’m not even certain why it appeared,” Yang Kai said. “In any case, take a look at this first…”

Saying so, Yang Kai pointed his finger to the white jade staircase in front and the stone tablet beside it.

Hua Qing Si glanced over at the stone stele and her tender body couldn’t help shaking, “The Flowing Time Steps?”

“You really know something…” Yang Kai observed her words and expressions and immediately understood that she knew about these Flowing Time Steps, immediately asking, “Quickly tell me, what is this thing?”

Hua Qing Si took a deep breath to calm the excitement in her heart before quickly explaining, “The Flowing Time Steps are said to contain Flowing Time Great Emperor’s comprehension of Flowing Time Force. Those who successfully mount these stairs can experience the Flowing Time Force for themselves, which is of great benefit to a cultivator!”

Her eyes gleamed as an eagerness filled her expression.

“What if one fails?” Yang Kai frowned.

Hua Qing Si was startled for a moment, but after thinking about it, she muttered, “I don’t know… but the consequences will probably be horrendous.”

Yang Kai nodded lightly. It seemed that Hua Qing Si didn’t know much about the Flowing Time Steps, but she at least knew more than him.

Seeing Yang Kai hesitating, Hua Qing Si pursed her red lips and said, “Whether you want to go up or not, I want to try!”

Yang Kai glanced at her and smiled, “Since this opportunity has appeared before us, naturally I can’t miss it. Hmm… I should call Ruo Xi out too.”

Saying so, he stretched out his hand again and summoned Zhang Ruo Xi.

Explaining the magical effects of the Flowing Time Steps to Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai looked at her seriously and reminded, “You can decide whether to go up or not. Although I don’t know the consequences of failure, it will no doubt be serious; however, you can rest assured that if anything happens, I’ll take you back into the Sealed World Bead.”

“I want to go up!” To Yang Kai’s surprise, after listening to his explanation, Zhang Ruo Xi did not even hesitate and instead seemed quite enthusiastic.

Hua Qing Si smiled and commented, “This little girl isn’t very old, but she’s quite motivated…”

“If that’s the case, we’ll go together,” Yang Kai nodded and sternly said, “Don’t get too far away from me, or I may not have time to take you back into the Small Sealed World if something happens.”

Zhang Ruo Xi nodded nervously, her face flushing slightly because of the excitement. Hua Qing Si smiled when she saw this and said, “Then you should follow Elder Sister closely…”

Yang Kai glanced at her, laughed lightly, and stepped up onto the white jade staircase.

When Hua Qing Si and Zhang Ruo Xi saw this, they both wore solemn expressions as they too stepped up side by side.

Suddenly, a stream of white energy emerged from the white jade stairs, transforming into a cloud of mist that shrouded the feet of the trio, making them feel as if they were walking on clouds.

At the same time, Yang Kai’s body shook. He felt a peculiar power pouring into his body, and like a catalyst, it began washing through his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy, causing both to become purer and more vigorous.

This force was difficult to describe, making Yang Kai feel like many years were passing by and his strength was naturally increasing on its own.

Obviously, all of this happened in just an instant, but to the trio, it felt like a long time had passed.

A strange and indescribably feeling lingered in each of their minds.

Yang Kai glanced around and found that both Zhang Ruo Xi and Hua Qing Si looked safe and sound, and once he was certain they were alright, he took another step forward.

This time, a more intense feeling struck, causing Yang Kai’s spirit to shake. Opening himself up, he allowed the effects of the Flowing Time Force to purify his Source Qi and Divine Sense once again.

At the very beginning, Yang Kai was still able to leisurely observe the situation of Hua Qing Si and Zhang Ruo Xi, lest the two of them could not bear the Flowing Time Force and experienced an accident, but as he continued to climb higher, Yang Kai gradually became immersed in his own experience of seemingly slow but also rapid enhancement of his strength. Soon, it became difficult for him to extricate himself from this feeling.

“Is this Flowing Time Force?” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly as a look of admiration appeared on his face, “Such a mysterious power! Only a short time has passed, but this force can actually make one feel as if a lot of time has gone by… This kind of peculiar power is even more esoteric than the Dao of Space.”

Just as his mind was swirling with such thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly felt an unusual wave of power coming from in front of him.

Yang Kai suddenly awoke from his entranced state and glanced forward to see Zhang Ruo Xi actually walking upwards at a position seven or eight steps ahead of him, her clothes covered in sweat, showing a beautiful outline of her figure.

And as she stepped forward, a halo of energy would burst from her petite body and spread out to the surroundings.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Yang Kai eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He didn’t know when Zhang Ruo Xi surpassed him, and by so many steps at that, but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Zhang Ruo Xi had made a breakthrough just now to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm!

If he hadn’t seen this with his own eyes, Yang Kai wouldn’t have believed it was true.

After all, Zhang Ruo Xi had just broken through to the Origin Returning Realm a few days ago. Breaking through again in such short order, even if it was just to the next Minor Realm, was incredibly strange.

Although Yang Kai himself had gained a lot from these Flowing Time Steps, clearly it was incomparable to the benefits Zhang Ruo Xi had obtained.

[There’s really something strange about this little girl!] Yang Kai recalled the day when she broke through to the Origin Returning Realm and the giant female phantom had emerged from behind her, leaving him at a complete loss to explain. Yang Kai really wondered what kind of incredible Bloodline she had inherited that allowed Zhang Rou Xi to break through so smoothly and rapidly.

Yang Kai opened his mouth and wanted to call out to Zhang Ruo Xi, lest she get too far ahead of him, but he immediately found that he was unable to speak a single word. Even his Divine Sense couldn’t leave his body, as if it was firmly suppressed within himself.

Glancing back again, Yang Kai saw Hua Qing Si was sweating profusely at a position six steps behind him, her expression filled with obvious struggle.

The difficulty of climbing these Flowing Time Steps did not seem to be related to one’s cultivation at all. If this was a test of one’s cultivation, Hua Qing Si should have been at the forefront rather than Zhang Ruo Xi who had a far lower realm.

Yang Kai pondered for a while and decided to wait for Hua Qing Si to catch up. In his opinion, Hua Qing Si would probably be unable to last much longer, so he had to be ready to take her back into the Sealed World Bead at the right time!

As for Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai could only chase after her afterwards.

The situation turned out just as Yang Kai expected.

Soon after, Hua Qing Si became unable to bear the washout from the Flowing Time Steps. The benefits that could be gained from ascending these steps slowly transformed into a kind of torment, and the erosion of the Flowing Time Force caused her vitality to begin to drain. Flustered, Hua Qing Si quickly raised her head towards Yang Kai and tried to call out for help.

At the critical moment though, she found herself unable to utter a word and she began to grow anxious.

Fortunately, Yang Kai had been paying attention to her movements, and when he discovered this, he quickly reached out and took her back into the Small Sealed World.

Once he finished this, Yang Kai looked up again, only to see a vague outline of Zhang Ruo Xi’s back. In this brief period, this little girl had thrown off Yang Kai by at least several dozen steps and seemed to be completely immersed in the various benefits she was obtaining, unable to extricate herself as she continued climbing without pause.

Seeing this scene, Yang Kai did not dare to neglect and spared no effort to continue climbing, trying to narrow the gap between him and Zhang Ruo Xi.

…..

Somewhere inside the Flowing Time Temple, in a dark and seemingly boundless hall, a vague, low breathing, and strong heartbeat could be heard. There was an inexplicable coercion permeating this hall, and if any ordinary creature were to enter this place, they would likely immediately collapse to the ground from the intense pressure. Even an Emperor Realm Master would tremble when faced with this aura.

At a certain moment, two long and narrow red lights suddenly lit up in the darkness and accompanied by a heavy exhalation, these long and narrow lights suddenly widened into two giant eyes.

This was a pair of ferocious eyes that belonged to a beast and their red and golden hues contained a wild, murderous intent, filled with infinite violence.

“Oh? Some little ones finally found the Flowing Time Temple?” A muffled voice resounded in the dark hall as a dazzling fire erupted in the darkness.

The fire came from a peculiar beast. Even lying down, this beast appeared as tall as a three-story building and resembled a cross between a tiger and an ox. With red flames bursting from its body, two giant wings on its back and its red-scaled armour were majestically illuminated.

“It seems this Sir’s duty is finally about to be completed… after so many years… this Sir is finally going to be free!” The sound of this voice shook the entire hall and as the beast awoke from its slumber, its pupils began to sweep around, as if they could see across space.

While glancing around, the beast muttered, “Let’s see what kind of talent these little ones have.”

With its strength, none of the dozens of cultivators inside the Flowing Time Temple could escape its observation, and while watching, this beast didn’t forget to comment, “En, this guy’s aptitude is not bad, but… haa, it’s not enough to enter this Sir’s eyes. Oh… this girl isn’t bad. Her physique is quite good and her cultivation isn’t too high, but she has an Emperor Artifact on her. She must be the descendant of some Great Emperor, right? En, although she barely complies with the conditions… those Great Emperors aren’t good to deal with!”

Chapter 2163

Inside the Flowing Time Temple, because the routes each person chose were different, the opportunities they encountered were also different.

However, at that moment, no matter where they were, everyone inexplicably felt a terrifying sensation, as if a pair of powerful eyes was spying on them from the darkness…

This caused everyone to feel a chill shoot up their spine.

Fortunately, this sensation came and went quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye, making everyone feel as if it was just their own imaginations.

Inside the vast, dark hall, the strange beast was still observing its surroundings and commenting from time to time. Many of the elite cultivators had been cast aside by it as trash, but when it turned its gaze to the Flowing Time Steps, it showed a rare look of surprise, “What’s with this little one… one, two, three, four, five! A mere First-Order Dao Source Realm brat actually brought five Emperor Artifacts with him? What kind of background does he have?”

This strange beast had been alive for tens of thousands of years and had seen many great storms, but at this moment, it still couldn’t help feeling shocked by Yang Kai’s heritage, because it discovered that Yang Kai alone had brought five Emperor Artifacts with him!

Even an average Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t have so many Emperor Artifacts.

These five were the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Sealed World Bead, Insect Enslavement Bracelet, Soul Splitting Saber, and Myriads Sword! In this Flowing Time Temple, nothing could escape this strange beast’s perception.

“Is he also a descendent of a Great Emperor?” The strange beast secretly guessed. What other explanation could there be? Or had Emperor Artifacts suddenly become far more abundant?

Even someone as noble in status as Lan Xun only had one Emperor Artifact on her, and that was a defensive Emperor Artifact given to her by Bright Moon Great Emperor to prevent her from encountering any accidents.

“Forget it, although his aptitude and temperament are amongst the best, he smells like trouble, it would be best not to have any contact with him.” The strange beast babbled for a while before turning away from Yang Kai and focusing on Zhang Ruo Xi.

“Huh? This little girl… how could she only be a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm!?” A suspicious light flashed across this beast’s eyes as he muttered, “How could she get here with such a low cultivation? After this Sir fell asleep, it seems many strange things have happened…”

Suddenly though, the beast’s eyes went wide as he stared fixedly at Zhang Ruo Xi and exclaimed, “No, this little girl… she couldn’t be…”

At that moment, it seemed as if the beast had discovered something, its originally arrogant tone giving way to one filled with panic. Even its two giant eyes flashed with fright, as if it was terrified of Zhang Ruo Xi. 

From its massive head, beads of cold sweat began to leak…

Right then, Zhang Ruo Xi seemed to have reached her limit. The top of the Flowing Time Steps was not far ahead of her, but she was unable to lift her feet anymore. Stubbornly staring up, she tried to continue on, but the feeling of exhaustion was so great that she simply couldn’t move her legs.

The Flowing Time Force flooded out of the Flowing Time Steps suddenly and began invading Zhang Ruo Xi’s body, trying to swallow her vitality.

Behind her, Yang Kai, who had been chasing after Zhang Ruo Xi, was still more than a dozen steps away when he clearly saw her glossy black hair rapidly turn grey. Yang Kai was shocked and realized something was wrong. Pushing his Source Qi violently, he strove forward, desperate to shorten the distance between them.

But on these Flowing Time Steps, each step up was extremely difficult, and this short distance of a dozen or so steps was not a distance Yang Kai could cross with just willpower alone.

Immediately, Yang Kai became as anxious as an ant in a hot wok…

The strange beast in the dark hall, however, was even more anxious than Yang Kai. As the guardian of the Flowing Time Temple, the change in Zhang Ruo Xi’s status was naturally seen by it.

At first, it felt a burst of joy, thinking that Zhang Ruo Xi was bound to die, but after a moment of happiness, it realized how dire the situation truly was, because once Zhang Ruo Xi was driven to a dead-end, her slumbering Bloodline would surely manifest, and once it did, it would be a disaster for it.

Thinking so, the strange beast stood up, stretched out a giant paw and shattered the space in front of it. Crossing space, the massive paw reached out and grabbed Zhang Ruo Xi before immediately withdrawing.

As it did this, it muttered to itself, “Oh cruel fate… I hope this is the right choice!”

As soon as these words fell, it slowly opened its paws and placed the now blank-faced Zhang Ruo Xi in front of itself.

Zhang Ruo Xi obviously had no awareness of what just happened. A moment ago, she had felt like time was flashing before her eyes, as if several hundred years had gone by, causing her vitality to rapidly drain and death to approach.

She wanted to turn back and call out to Yang Kai, but she couldn’t even move her body.

And just when she thought that death was inescapable, a giant claw actually fell from the sky, pulled her back from the gates of death, and brought her to this dark hall.

Looking up, she saw a giant burning Monster Beast in front of her, staring at her with a pair of giant eyes.

When an ordinary person saw such a behemoth, they would instinctively feel frightened, possibly even screaming in terror as they turned to flee.

Zhang Ruo Xi didn’t think she was a particularly brave person. Her cultivation wasn’t high and her knowledge wasn’t very broad, so it wouldn’t have been a surprise even if she had fainted directly from terror.

But for some unknown reason, when her eyes met with those of this Monster Beast, she didn’t feel the slightest fear. On the contrary, she felt as if this beast was the one who should be afraid of her. This feeling was baseless and extremely absurd, but it seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. It felt as natural as breathing, which made it all the more unbelievable.

Pressing her red lips together, she continued to stare up at the huge Monster Beast, her tiny figure forming a sharp contrast with it.

When the four eyes met, it was the giant Monster Beast’s heart that clenched tightly as fear and panic consumed its thoughts.

“You… Why do you seem afraid of me?” Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly asked.

As soon as she spoke, the giant Monster Beast couldn’t help stepping back two steps and staring at her in fear, a muffled voice then leaking from his wryly upturned maw, “Hehe… Yes, why should I be afraid of you?”

Zhang Ruo Xi did not try to get to the bottom of this question and instead just beckoned to the beast.

Seeing this, the Monster Beast actually obeyed, walking over to Zhang Ruo Xi and lowering its head down, its violent eyes becoming extremely docile at this moment, some faint fear and panic still apparent in its gaze.

“Did you save me?” Zhang Ruo Xi asked.

The Monster Beast thought for a moment before nodding, “Yes!”

“Thank you!” Zhang Ruo Xi smiled sweetly and stretched out her hand, as if she wanted to pet the Monster Beast’s head, but she hesitated for a while before asking, “I won’t hurt you, will I?”

She didn’t know why she would ask such a question, but something in her instincts was telling her that if she touched the Monster Beast in front of her, it would very likely cause some harm.

“The current you… probably won’t!” The Monster Beast replied.

Zhang Ruo Xi put her hand onto its forehead and touched it lightly.

The scorching flames burned around Zhang Ruo Xi’s bare hands, but did not cause her any harm for some reason. As for the Monster Beast itself, it made a purring noise, like a cat would when it was pet by its owner.

[So embarrassing… how could this Sir allow a little girl to touch him like this, simply shameful!] The Monster Beast thought to itself uncomfortably, unable to stop his body from responding honestly.

“What’s your name?” Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly asked again.

“I am Qiong Qi!”

“What a strange name!” Zhang Ruo Xi smiled lightly, some confusion flashing across her beautiful eyes as she said, “I don’t know why, but although I’m sure this is the first time I’ve heard this name, it sounds familiar to me… do you know why?”

“I don’t!” Qiong Qi shook his head like a rattle, thinking to himself that it would be best if she never understood for the rest of her life. [How could this Sir take the initiative to explain? If he did, this Sir’s end would be that much closer!]

“En… okay!” Zhang Ruo Xi withdrew her hand as she nodded before sincerely saying, “Thank you for saving my life just now, but can you please send me back now? I suddenly disappeared, so Sir will be very worried.”

“Sir?” Qiong Qi heard this and asked suspiciously, “Do you mean the young man who was following you?”

“En, can you see him?” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded quickly.

Qiong Qi proudly said, “In this Temple, nothing can escape this S… My observation! I saw you in trouble just now, which was why I brought you here.”

After a pause, Qiong Qi shook his head again and said, “Unexpectedly, even someone as powerful as you must receive protection from others…”

Although he deliberately lowered the volume of his voice, his words were still heard by Zhang Ruo Xi clearly.

Zhang Ruo Xi hurriedly waved her hands and said in an apologetic tone, “What are you talking about! Sir is amazing, how could I possibly be as strong as Sir.”

She only thought Qiong Qi was talking nonsense to appease her.

“One day, you will be strong,” Qiong Qi declared solemnly.

“En, Ruo Xi will work hard,” Zhang Ruo Xi said, full of enthusiasm.

“Good, you and I meeting today can be considered a kind of fate, so I will give you a gift,” Qiong Qi suddenly thought of something and stretched out his paw again, grasping towards the void.

When he took back his hand, an exquisite thin pink dress that exuded a potent Emperor Aura appeared in his palm.

“Your strength is still quite low right now, so this Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe will be of great use to you. As long as you wear it, ordinary people won’t be able to harm you.” Qiong Qi was extremely powerful, so the ‘ordinary people’ he was referring to were likely cultivators below the Emperor Realm.

“How could I possibly accept such a gift?” Although Zhang Ruo Xi was quite taken with this beautiful dress, her humble upbringing and good education made it difficult for her to receive something so precious, so she quickly waved her hands and tried to refuse.

“Don’t have any qualms about wearing this, this is your opportunity. On a cultivators journey, opportunities are part of their strength!” Qiong Qi said aloud while in his heart he was thinking quite differently. [If this Sir wasn’t afraid some blind fool would try to hurt you and cause your Bloodline to awaken in advance, how could he do something so meddlesome? This Sir had best take some precautions and make some plans in advance. En. When this Sir gets out of here, he should go to Dragon Island to find those old lizards and blackmail them with this knowledge… In any case, this Sir isn’t alone in this problem, those old lizards won’t be able to just sit back and ignore this…]

Chapter 2164

At the Flowing Time Steps, Yang Kai anxiously tried to climb upwards.

Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly disappearing in front of him had left him at a loss, not knowing what kind of danger this little girl was facing or whether something tragic had befallen her.

Yang Kai was secretly blaming himself, feeling that if it wasn’t for his whim of wanting Zhang Ruo Xi to climb the Flowing Time Steps, she would not have encountered such peril.

Just as his anxiety was boiling over though, a flash of light occurred and a figure appeared.

Yang Kai was startled, looked up, and was stunned by what he saw.

Zhang Ruo Xi was now standing atop the Flowing Time Steps, looking down at him with a smile, her hair which should have turned white now returned to its original glossy black.

“An illusion?” Yang Kai was a little dazed. He clearly saw Zhang Ruo Xi disappear strangely just as the Flowing Time Force was eroding her body and causing her to age rapidly, but now she had re-appeared before him, safe and sound, like nothing had happened.

Everything seemed too surreal.

Yang Kai quickened his pace once more and after a stick of incense worth of time, he pantingly reached the top of the stairs.

As soon as he reached the top, the Flowing Time Force lingering around his body disappeared. Looking back, the Flowing Time Steps had now become completely ordinary, seemingly lacking any semblance of mystical power.

“What happened just now?” Yang Kai took a breath and asked quickly.

“Ruo Xi was reckless,” Zhang Ruo Xi replied in a low voice that was filled with guilt, “Ruo Xi was immersed in the joy of gaining strength just now and completely forgot Sir’s instructions… By the time Ruo Xi reacted, it was too late.”

“Then how did you…”

“It was a powerful Monster Beast who saved me…” Zhang Ruo Xi replied timidly, carefully choosing her words, worried Yang Kai would become angry with her.

“A powerful Monster Beast?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Is there a Monster Beast in this Flowing Time Temple? What kind of Monster Beast?”

At this moment, Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked. The Flowing Time Temple had not appeared for tens of thousands of years. Even this time, its appearance was something of a strange coincidence. Yang Kai was certain nothing was alive inside this place, but now, according to Zhang Ruo Xi, there was actually a powerful Monster Beast here, one strong enough to instantly rescue her from the Flowing Time Steps. Such a powerful entity was enough to arouse Yang Kai’s wariness.

“I can’t say for certain…” Zhang Ruo Xi thought about it for a while, but didn’t know how to describe what she experienced, soon just smiling and saying, “However… he said he was called Qiong Qi!”

“What?” Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as cold sweat gathered on his forehead, gulping hard as he parroted, “Qiong… Qi?”

“En, that’s what he called himself,” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded and replied. After she finished speaking, she tilted her head and asked, “Sir, what’s wrong? Why is your complexion so pale… Are you uncomfortable somewhere? You’re sweating a lot… “

As she spoke, she took out a silk handkerchief, stood on her tip-toes, and gently wiped Yang Kai’s forehead.

“Ahaha…” The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he really didn’t know what to say.

“Sir, are you okay?” Zhang Ruo Xi asked softly.

“Okay?… en, I’m okay,” Yang Kai replied subconsciously before turning to stare at Zhang Ruo Xi and ask, “Are you sure he said he was called Qiong Qi?”

“En, that’s what he said.”

“Did he do anything bad to you?”

Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head blankly, “No!”

After saying so though, she smiled joyfully and added, “He did give me something though.”

“What?”

Zhang Ruo Xi smiled and began condensing her Saint Qi, soon causing a burst of light that could dazzle one’s eyes to radiate from her body.

Yang Kai squinted his eyes to get a better look, only to have his heart shake violently the next moment!

On Zhang Ruo Xi, he now saw a tight-fitting pink garment, one that was both lithe and beautiful. Its appearance was only secondary though as what truly mattered was the rich Emperor Aura that pulsed from it…

[An Emperor Artifact!]

[It’s actually a defensive Emperor Artifact!]

[What’s going on here?] Zhang Ruo Xi had suddenly disappeared from the Flowing Time Steps, and after she came back, she said she had met a Monster Beast named Qiong Qi. Not only did that Monster Beast save her and treat her well, it even gifted her a defensive Emperor Artifact!

Yang Kai was at a complete loss…

After Zhang Ruo Xi activated this defensive Artifact, the Emperor Artifact shone brilliantly, highlighting her budding beauty. Timidly, she asked Yang Kai, “Is it pretty…?”

Yang Kai gave a dry smile and said, “En, very pretty!”

[This is an Emperor Artifact! How could it be described simply as ‘pretty’!?] Yang Kai screamed wildly in his heart. Although he had five Emperor Artifacts on hand, none of them were of a defensive type, which showed just how rare such Emperor Artifacts were.

“Qiong Qi said it’s called the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe!” Zhang Ruo Xi explained, “I don’t like pink, but since Sir said it looks pretty…”

“En… it seems he gave you this with kind intentions,” Yang Kai tried to calm himself down. “Next time you meet him, be sure to thank him properly.”

“Ruo Xi will remember,” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded respectfully.

“En, put it away for now, and don’t expose it unless you have no other option, otherwise it will likely draw unwanted trouble.”

“Yes.” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded while moving her Divine Sense to take back the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe.

“By the way, Ruo Xi… did that Qiong Qi say anything else to you?” Yang Kai asked cautiously.

Zhang Ruo Xi thought for a while before saying, “He said to tell Sir that if he has a chance to enter the final room, Sir must choose the thing which seems the most useless.”

“Choose the thing that seems the most useless?” Yang Kai frowned, puzzled, “What does that mean?”

Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, “I don’t know, he sent me back after saying it.”

After getting along for so long, Yang Kai also understood how pure this little girl’s personality was and knew she couldn’t be hiding something from him. It was even more impossible for her to try to deceive him, so Yang Kai changed the subject to inquiring about the Qiong Qi she met, but he did not obtain much information.

This matter shocked Yang Kai greatly, and in the end, he could only chalk it up to Zhang Ruo Xi gaining a random opportunity. If that wasn’t the case, how could a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator like her return safe and sound after meeting an ominous beast like a Qiong Qi? What’s more, she returned with a gift like the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe!

Afterwards, Yang Kai let Zhang Ruo Xi return to the Sealed World Bead before he sat alone at the top of Flowing Time Steps, calming his mind a little.

After a long silence, he got up again.

At the top of Flowing Time Steps, there was a single door. Yang Kai had noticed it before and understood that if he wanted to leave this place, this was likely the only way.

Reaching out, Yang Kai slowly pushed the door open…

A dazzling light came from ahead, causing Yang Kai to squint his eyes. Only after releasing his Divine Sense to probe inside and confirm there was no danger did Yang Kai step through.

A feeling of weightlessness came immediately, as if crossing a single step had transported him to a different space.

A living aura suddenly appeared nearby, one Yang Kai was vaguely familiar with, and one that was emitting a strong hostility…

Yang Kai was startled, raised his eyes to look forward, and after seeing the situation ahead, he couldn’t help being startled.

The place where he now stood was a raised circular platform that was roughly a thousand meters in diameter. Around this stage was a dark abyss that one could hear faint howls coming from. It was a disturbing image, like staring into an endless purgatory from which there was no return.

However, when Yang Kai swept his eyes around, he found that the door he had just stepped through was nowhere to be seen.

On this high platform, one person stood holding a sword, waiting quietly.

When Yang Kai appeared, the eyes of this individual flashed like a hawk, fixing on him as they blazed with fighting spirit.

Four eyes soon met and both individuals were taken aback.

Yang Kai grinned and raised his hand to wave at this man, “Brother Xiao Bai, you’re here too, what a coincidence!”

He discovered that the person on this high platform was none other than Xiao Bai Yi from the Azure Sun Temple!

However, Yang Kai didn’t see Murong Xiao Xiao, who had been travelling together with Xiao Bai Yi this whole time.

As he called out, Yang Kai walked over towards Xiao Bai Yi while examining his surrounding environment, but what made him puzzled was that the stage seemed to be an isolated space with no way out.

Yang Kai frowned slightly, not knowing what mysteries were hidden here, but as he was lost in thought, he heard a buzzing sound from up ahead and a flash of light flew towards him at the same time.

Yang Kai paused in place, causing the blade of light to cut a line right in front of his foot, nearly hitting him.

Yang Kai looked up at Xiao Bai Yi, frowned, and asked, “Brother Xiao Bai, what are your intentions?”

“To fight!” Xiao Bai Yi’s long sword flicked and pointed at Yang Kai from far away, a fierce fighting spirit boiling out from his body.

Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he said, “There’s no need for that now… if you want to fight, just wait until we leave the Four Seasons Realm. Fighting here with you … it’s not right!”

Xiao Bai Yi slowly shook his head, his expression as cold as ice as he quickly said, “It is precisely because we are here that we must fight!”

Yang Kai heard this, seemed to think of something, and immediately became gloomy as he asked, “What Brother Xiao Bai means… is that only one of us can leave here?”

Xiao Bai Yi nodded, “It seems that you’re not stupid!” He shouted loudly, “This is a type of trial. Only the winner here will be qualified to move on!”

As he spoke, Yang Kai noticed that above this high platform, three large characters were condensed from pure energy, floating gently in the air, that read ‘One Path Stage’.

In an instant, he understood.

Xiao Bai Yi waiting here, was probably because he was waiting for an opponent! And now it just so happened that his opponent was Yang Kai.

Thinking so, Yang Kai wore a serious expression and said solemnly, “It looks like… we really must fight!”

“Yeah!”

“The winner advances, while the loser… what do you think?” Yang Kai asked.

Xiao Bai Yi shook his head, “I don’t know, normally the loser dies!”

After saying so, he coldly snorted and said, “Why, are you scared?”

Yang Kai smiled bitterly and shook his head, “No, it’s just that… I don’t want to kill you, Brother Xiao Bai! You and I have no grievances, and although you seem to have a bad opinion of me, at any rate, we entered the Four Seasons Realm together, so if I were to really kill you here, how could I explain it to Elder Gao and the others?”

Chapter 2165

“You, kill me?” Xiao Bai Yi sneered fiercely, “Shameless boasting!”

“Brother Xiao Bai…” Yang Kai spoke earnestly and eloquently, “I believe it best to calm down and carefully search for another way out of this damned place…”

“No need, before you came, I searched this place thoroughly. Between you and I… there can only be battle!” Before Yang Kai could finish speaking, Xiao Bai Yi interrupted him coldly, “To be honest, with your strength, being able to defeat Xue Yi and snatch his spot was already quite surprising. You do have the qualifications to enter the Four Seasons Realm… But this Xiao is a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and Xue Yi’s Senior Brother, so I cannot stand back and watch him be bullied. Junior Brother Xue’s grievance from that day will be avenged today by this Xiao. However, you may rest assured, given the difference in cultivation between you and I, this Xiao will not use his full strength. Sixty percent will be enough, and… if possible, I won’t kill you!”

As soon as these words fell, Xiao Bai Yi slashed his sword towards Yang Kai’s head, sending out a dazzling blast of Ice Attribute Sword Qi.

Yang Kai grinned in response and said, “Since this battle is inevitable, I ask Brother Xiao Bai to not take offence for what happens next!”

Saying so, the place where Yang Kai stood was covered in sword light and his body was pierced through, but oddly, no blood flowed out and the faint smile on his lips remained.

Xiao Bai Yi’s expression changed drastically as he pushed his Source Qi madly, creating a swirling snowstorm around himself while quickly lifting up his sword and condensing a giant sword light onto it, which he slashed out violently.

In the direction he slashed, Yang Kai’s figure appeared strangely, but instantly disappeared once more.

*Hong…*

The giant sword wave stirred up the surrounding aura as Xiao Bai Yi stood in place, his eyes darting around, tracing Yang Kai’s flickering figure.

“As I thought, you’re a little strange, it was no fluke that you beat Xue Yi!” Xiao Bai Yi quickly said.

Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Brother Xiao Bai, was that sixty percent of your power just now? If so, I advise you to use your full strength as soon as possible, otherwise…”

“Don’t worry, that was only thirty percent just now!” Xiao Bai Yi said proudly.

“Thirty percent…” Yang Kai murmured before nodding lightly and saying with some admiration, “As expected of an elite from Azure Sun Temple, you’re vastly different from the Dao Source Realm cultivators I’ve faced before!”

“It’s not too late to admit defeat now!” Xiao Bai Yi exhaled lightly as he lifted his sword once more, gathering sword light onto its blade before stabbing it out towards Yang Kai’s chest.

This thrust was fast, accurate, and ruthless, inspiring Ice Principles around it as it flew forward, causing a thin layer of frost to cover the stage. At the same time, any icy chill filled the air, once that caused all within its range to shiver slightly.

“Ice Principles!” Yang Kai commented as he felt these Principles began to affect his movements. The space around him became solidified, forcing him to release his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to restore his freedom while also summoning the Myriads Sword into his hands.

With a wave of this broadsword, Yang Kai shouted, “Myriad Sword Arts, One Man As A Mountain!”

A thousand blades of Sword Qi fell from the sky like a waterfall, blocking Xiao Bai Yi’s incoming attack.

“That Emperor Artifact again!”

Amidst the clash of sword lights, Xiao Bai Yi coldly snorted as he did not try to dodge the incoming wave and instead pushed his own Sword Qi harder, attempting to smash through this curtain-like defence.

*Chi chi chi chi…*

The wall of sword light from the Myriads Sword was pierced through, leaving Yang Kai exposed.

*Hu…*

Xiao Bai Yi’s figure reappeared suddenly, his eyes flashing a sharp light as an astonishing aura burst from his body and he swung his sword towards Yang Kai.

Yang Kai grinned fiercely and moved his own sword to parry this blow.

With a clang, a fierce shockwave burst out and the space above the battle stage collapsed as tiny blades of Sword Qi splashed out and disappeared in a flash.

Xiao Bai Yi’s figure froze up for a moment, but he quickly escaped from the suppression of the Emperor Artifact, leaving behind an afterimage as he swiftly cut towards Yang Kai’s from a dead angle.

Even now, he had the spare capacity to shout, “Although an Emperor Artifact is strong, just how much of its power can you exert with your cultivation? Xue Yi’s defeat at your hands was due to his own carelessness!”

Yang Kai responded like a fierce dragon, wielding his Myriads to block all assaults as he smiled and said, “Brother Xiao Bai seems to have a lot of opinions about this sword!”

Even as the two talked, their movements did not slow down, the clashing of metal adding a kind of grating music to their conversation…

“Hmph, is relying on the power of an artifact something impressive?”

“If that’s what you think… I can change swords!” As soon as Yang Kai’s voice fell, the Myriads Sword in his hand suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank sword.

Xiao Bai Yi frowned as he withdrew from the engagement, speaking in a cold tone, “Changing your weapon mid-battle, what are you trying to say…”

“It’s nothing really,” Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at him. “I just don’t want you to complain after I win that you only lost because I used my Emperor Artifact!”

“Are you looking down on me?” Xiao Bai Yi was so angered that his white robes began fluttering despite there being no wind. Slowly rising up into the air, he spat coldly, “If you change back now, I will pretend I never say anything, if not, it will be too late to regret it.”

As he spoke, he pointed his sword towards the sky. Suddenly, a swirling blizzard appeared, one that rapidly grew in intensity as it released Heaven destroying energy into the surrounding, overlapping with Xiao Bai Yi’s explosive momentum.

A cold, indifferent voice called out from inside the blizzard as Xiao Bai Yi shouted, “This is sixty percent of my strength. If you can’t block it, you’ll die! I advise you to withdraw!”

Having delivered his warning, he shouted, “Mortal Sword, Swirling Destruction!”

The vortex blizzard suddenly condensed into a swirling Ice Dragon that flew out with unstoppable force towards where Yang Kai stood.

Yang Kai finally straightened his carefree expression upon facing this technique. Feeling the power contained in this killing move, he couldn’t help commenting, “As expected of Azure Sun Temple’s second strongest disciple, Brother Xiao Bai lives up to his name. If this is just sixty percent of your strength, Brother Xiao Bai’s full strength must be even more astonishing…”

Although he was offering praise, Yang Kai’s hands did not remain idle. Lifting his sword, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he murmured, “Three Thousand Sword Dao, Flowing Flames Raging Fire!”

Instantly, Yang Kai’s sword turned crimson red, and as he thrust it out, a giant Firebird manifested from it, its figure identical to Liu Yan’s Firebird form. With a piercing cry, the Firebird and Ice Dragon met head-on.

*Hong Hong Hong…*

The Ice Dragon evaporated while the Firebird was annihilated.

Xiao Bai Yi was forced back a few steps as he uttered a low voice, “How is that possible?”

Staring at Yang Kai in a state of shock, he asked in a solemn tone, “What is the relationship between you and Senior Chen Wen Hao of Heavenly Martial Holy Land?”

As an elite disciple of Azure Sun Temple, Xiao Bai Yi naturally knew about Chen Wen Hao. The Three Thousand Sword Dao was a Sword Art that Chen Wen Hao had spent his lifetime comprehending, but now it was being displayed by Yang Kai.

Although the technique Yang Kai executed seemed slightly different, it was still incredibly powerful.

“None really!” Yang Kai flicked the sword in his hand and replied casually, “I just fought him once, and after witnessing his Three Thousand Sword Dao, I thought it was a pretty good technique, so I tried using it.”

Yang Kai was telling the truth…

When he was being corrupted by the Demon Spirit that day, he had really fought Chen Wen Hao. In fact, not only did he fight Chen Wen Hao, he also fought Gao Xue Ting and Feng Ming. Each of those three Emperors had executed their finest techniques, so they were naturally still fresh in Yang Kai’s mind, allowing him to gain some slight comprehension of them.

However, the Three Thousand Sword Dao Yang Kai displayed at this moment took a completely different form from Chen Wen Hao’s due to their different comprehensions. In order to display this technique, Yang Kai had used his Fire Sword Qi from his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi and Liu Yan’s form as a basis while the Three Thousand Sword Dao only served as a type of reference to execute the technique.

How could it be that easy to understand an Emperor Realm Master’s Sword Art? Only another Emperor could be able to slowly comprehend and display this Sword Art’s complete prestige.

However, this was more than enough to deal with the current situation. Xiao Bai Yi had only heard about the Three Thousand Sword Dao and had never witnessed it personally, so how could he judge whether Yang Kai’s technique was real or not?

“Enough!” Xiao Bai Yi yelled, enraged, “There should be a limit to shamelessness! Spouting such nonsense, who do you think will believe you? No matter what relationship you have with Senior Chen, nothing can save you today!”

His aura suddenly climbed, seemingly feeling that sixty percent of his strength wasn’t enough to win against Yang Kai. Xiao Bai Yi was now determined to use his full strength.

*Chi chi chi…*

Flashes of lightning suddenly emerged from Xiao Bai Yi’s body, and soon the battle stage was transformed into a terrifying storm of thunder and lightning.

“Even after comprehending Ice Principles, you can also use a Thunder Attribute Secret Technique?” Yang Kai was extremely surprised, “Brother Xiao Bai is really quite extraordinary. In time, you will certainly be an overlord in the Star Boundary!”

“Flattery is useless! Xiao Bai… Xiao Bai… happily shouting that damned name over and over again… Earth Sword, Falling Thunder!”

Lightning gathered at the tip of Xiao Bai Yi’s sword from all around before he slashed down and unleashed a torrent of violent arcs that submerged the place where Yang Kai stood. The power of this Falling Thunder was both sharp and violent, seemingly completely sealing off the surrounding space, leaving no path of escape.

Yang Kai’s heart moved as he shouted loudly, “So that’s how it is… It’s all because being called Brother Xiao Bai makes you feel so uncomfortable…”

As soon as these words fell, Yang Kai was wrapped up in a sea of lightning and a burnt smell soon filled the air.

Xiao Bai Yi blinked as he stared down from above, frowning as he declared, “Remember, my name is Xiao Bai Yi!”

“I just thought… calling you Brother Xiao Bai would be more cordial. Brother Xiao doesn’t need to be so angry, right?” Yang Kai’s voice leisurely responded from below, as if he wasn’t experiencing the slightest hardship.

Xiao Bai Yi’s eyes bulged as he gawked at the sight below him.

Inside the sea of lightning, Yang Kai’s whole figure seemed to have undergone a tremendous change. On the surface of his body, a five-coloured radiance that carried with it an aura of all five primary elements had appeared and was resisting the swirling lightning. At the same time, both his hands were now covered in a layer of golden scales, making them more closely resemble dragon claws.

Even on the exposed parts of Yang Kai’s skin, golden scales which exuded an intimidating aura had appeared.

Chapter 2166

“Dragon Aura…” Xiao Bai Yi exclaimed, feeling the aura of a True Dragon from where Yang Kai stood. Although this aura wasn’t very strong, the majesty it gave off caused one’s heart to tremble.

Before his words even fell, a golden True Dragon phantom suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai and slowly opened its giant pair of eyes to stare at Xiao Bai Yi.

Instantly, Xiao Bai Yi felt cold sweat drop down his face and he unconsciously retreated a few steps.

“Brother Xiao Bai’s strength is profound, so I have to take this seriously as well… defend yourself well!” Yang Kai shouted as he slashed out with his sword. Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi overflowed from the slash and cut apart the lightning sea, revealing Yang Kai’s stalwart figure.

The Golden Dragon phantom behind Yang Kai roared to the Heavens, causing the world around him to tremble before its aura also poured into Yang Kai’s sword, enhancing the power of his slash.

At that moment, a thousand years seemed to flow by in an instant as the power of a True Dragon smashed the world itself.

Xiao Bai Yi’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he faced this seemingly unlimited pressure and was forced back once more; however, he quickly grit his teeth and stomped his feet to stand his ground, pushing his Source Qi violently to protect himself while simultaneously summoning a mirror-like defensive artifact to create a light curtain in front of himself.

*Hong…*

A golden light, containing a tyrannical power, slashed out, causing the entire space to tremble, as if the end of the world was nigh. Turbulent aura fluctuations continued for quite some time before finally subsiding.

Yang Kai’s eyes stared forward coldly.

A hundred meters away, Xiao Bai Yi stood mid-air, pale-faced. The light curtain of his mirror artifact which was protecting his body had already cracked in several places, and a moment after the dust settled, it shattered into countless fragments.

As his hand trembled violently, Xiao Bai Yi was barely able to keep his grip on his sword.

Looking out at the opponent in front of him, Xiao Bai Yi grit his teeth and shouted, “You’re just a First-Order Dao Source Realm… how could you possibly have such strength?”

Yang Kai replied indifferently, “Strength cannot be judged just by one’s cultivation, do you still not understand such a basic truth, Brother Xiao Bai?”

“I refuse to believe it!” Xiao Bai Yi roared as a violent aura suddenly broke out of his body. His Source Qi, which had just now depressed, erupted at this moment as he grabbed his sword with both hands and lifted it up high, “This will be the final clash. If you can take it, you win, if you can’t, you’ll die!”

Listening to him say this. Yang Kai couldn’t help turning serious as it was apparent Xiao Bai Yi was about to use his trump card. The ultimate technique of a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master could not possibly be simple.

Taking a breath, Yang Kai also began condensing his Source Qi.

With Xiao Bai Yi’s shout, his expression turned solemn as a look of absolute focus appeared on his face. Tightly gripping his sword, Xiao Bai Yi’s entire body began overflowing with radiant light.

An astonishing pressure burst forth as the surrounding space began to shake, like it would shatter at any moment.

The next moment, a low growl came out, “Heaven Sword, Broken Star!”

When these words fell, countless light clusters exploded in the sky before they crashed down, like a great meteor shower, intimidating and unavoidable.

Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a brilliant light seeing this attack, and instead of falling back to defend, he actually stepped in. Abandoning his sword, Yang Kai pushed his hands forward as he began pushing his Space Force to inspire the local Space Principles.

Countless pitch-black Moon Blades flew out to meet the falling lights, and together with a thunderous rumbling, black holes began appearing everywhere, exiling all the violent explosive energy from this clash to the Void, shaking the entire space to the point where it seemed ready to collapse.

Yang Kai’s eyes darted back and forth as this clash continued, searching for Xiao Bai Yi’s figure.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, pushed his Source Qi, and palmed towards a certain spot.

*Pa…*

At the same time as a loud thud and two muffled snorts rang out, Yang Kai’s complexion paled as he was forced backwards a few steps while Xiao Bai Yi pale figure re-appeared up above. Falling to the stage unwillingly, Xiao Bai Yi’s aura and face were incredibly pale.

The sky-covering explosions had disappeared at this moment, leaving only a faint tension in the air after the battle subsided.

Xiao Bai Yi hit the stage heavily, but immediately did his best to stand up. Unfortunately, he was unsteady on his feet and had to use his sword as a crutch to prevent himself from falling over.

His exposed skin was cracked all over and blood was constantly flowing out from his wounds.

There was also a palm print on the chest.

This palm print was the only sign of the damage Yang Kai inflicted on him. As for the other wounds, they had nothing to do with Yang Kai!

Yang Kai stood in the air, looking down at the palm he had just used to attack. At this moment, his palm was dripping with blood from several fresh, painful puncture wounds. There was also a strange Principle Strength lingering around these wounds which was hindering his injuries from recovering.

Flicking the blood from his hand, Yang Kai pushed his Source Qi to disperse the lingering Principle Strength before he said lightly, “Brother Xiao Bai, your Heaven Sword seems to be a bit beyond your ability to control. Was it really necessary to go so far?”

Although Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of Secret Technique Xiao Bai Yi had studied, the last sword move he used was obviously not something he could currently withstand. Using this move forcefully would inevitably bring harm to him, and Xiao Bai Yi’s current bloodstained state was the best evidence of that.

“Hahahaha!” Although Xiao Bai Yi looked miserable at this moment, he couldn’t help laughing loudly, his laughter filled with a kind of hearty joy. There was no regret or unwillingness in his voice as he shouted, “Of course it is necessary! When facing an enemy, one should use everything at their disposal to decide who will die, and who will live. To achieve victory, what does some trivial backlash count for!”

Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Brother Xiao Bai has the heart of a Master, this Yang is impressed!”

Xiao Bai Yi shook his head slowly and said, “Unfortunately, I was still no match for you in the end… A First-Order Dao Source Realm… Haha…”

A wry smile on his face, Xiao Bai Yi’s voice was filled with a myriad of extremely complex emotions. Before today, he would never have thought that he would one day be defeated by an opponent at the First-Order Dao Source Realm. He was a genius amongst his peers, a favoured son of Heaven. In this world, there were few who could enter his eyes and be treated as equals.

But today’s battle had made him realize a simple truth. He was just a young man standing in a waist-deep river thinking he had swum across the sea… It was truly laughable.

“Yang Kai!” Xiao Bai Yi shouted, dropping his sword and straightening his back, “Do it!”

Saying so, he lifted his head to expose his neck, showing no intention to fight back.

After all, even his strongest move was easily resolved by Yang Kai, so he had no more will or energy to fight at this moment.

“I didn’t say I wanted to kill you.” Yang Kai chuckled, “Only you kept clamouring for a life or death fight, right?”

Xiao Bai Yi frowned at this and said, “If you want to move forward, you have no other choice, otherwise you and I may be trapped here forever!”

“Not necessarily!” Yang Kai denied his opinion.

What Yang Kai had said at the beginning was true, between him and Xiao Bai Yi there were no grievances nor grudges, so there was no reason for them to kill one another. What’s more… During his fight with Xiao Bai Yi, Yang Kai had never sensed any murderous intent from his opponent, only extreme fighting intent.

It was obvious that Xiao Bai Yi didn’t intend on killing him, his objective from the start had just been to fight Yang Kai!

This was the exact mindset a cultivator who pursued the peak of the Martial Dao should have.

As he spoke, Yang Kai turned his gaze around, trying to find a way out of this space.

However, the only thing here was the floating battle stage, beyond which was nothing but a black, boundless abyss. 

“Could the exit be down there?” Yang Kai came to the edge of the platform and looked down, feeling a strange aura coming from below, one that caused his skin to crawl slightly. It was really uncertain what would happen if he were to jump down.

Yang Kai secretly decided to reserve jumping off as the last resort.

In truth, he had already thought of another way to leave this place.

According to what Xiao Bai Yi said, the exit from this place would only appear after one person died. In that case, as long as he put Xiao Bai Yi into the Sealed World Bead, the exit would probably appear.

However… Doing so would expose the secret of the Sealed World Bead.

Pushing his Space Force, Yang Kai thought about trying to teleport out of this place, but in the next moment, he shook his head.

Space Force could be used to teleport, but only inside of this space.

This place seemed to be a special sealed space, so Yang Kai wasn’t able to cross its boundaries and leave.

“You won’t find anything!” Seeing Yang Kai scurrying around, Xiao Bai Yi couldn’t help shouting, “I told you before, I’ve already searched this place carefully, and there is no exit at all. I’ve already lost, so don’t you think it’s about time to put an end to this?”

Yang Kai turned his head and looked at him, but just as he was about to say something, the whole battle stage began to hum.

Yang Kai’s expression changed dramatically as he quickly released his Divine Sense to survey the surroundings.

Xiao Bai Yi was also obviously taken aback, not sure what was going on.

But soon, a surprising scene occurred.

The three big characters which were floating high up above suddenly transformed into two rays of light, one big, one small. The small one shot towards Xiao Bai Yi and engulfed him before he could react; then, with a flicker, it disappeared.

At the same time, Xiao Bai Yi also disappeared!

The big ray of light transformed into a kind of light path that extended out from the edge of the battle stage into the darkness. At the end of this bridge, a closed door appeared; as for where this door led, it was impossible to tell.

Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling startled and frowned for a moment as he thought. After examining the light bridge for a time, he began to mutter, “This must be the way forward… and Brother Xiao Bai seems to have been sent out, so… the key was to have him admit defeat?”

Judging from the scene just now, it was only after Xiao Bai Yi surrendered that changes occurred, not only teleporting Xiao Bai Yi out but also providing a new path to follow.

Looking at it this way, it was clear what should be done next.

Chapter 2167

In the depths of the Flowing Time Temple, inside a certain room, many powerful people had gathered.

This was the inner sanctum of the temple, and those who were qualified to reach this place were all top Masters of the Southern Territory’s Dao Source Realm cultivators.

Lan Xun, Xiao Chen, Luo Yuan, Kong Qi, Murong Xiao Xiao, Gong Wen Shan, and Bian Yu Qing were all present.

Among these seven, aside from Lan Xun who was in the First-Order Dao Source Realm and Gong Wen Shan who was in Second-Order, the others were all in the Third-Order.

There was no need to comment on Lan Xun, as the prized gem of Bright Moon Great Emperor and the possessor of a Special Constitution, her strength was vastly superior to her cultivation, so she was absolutely qualified to stand here. The same was true for Gong Wen Shan as, although his cultivation was lower than most of the people present by a Minor Realm, as an Array Grandmaster, his methods were profound and his strength could not be measured by his cultivation alone. 

At this moment, besides Xiao Chen who had been guarding Lan Xun and stuck close to her, everyone else had found their own space to sit down cross-legged and restore themselves, seemingly waiting for something.

Murong Xiao Xiao would glance towards a certain spot from time to time, her beautiful eyes containing a trace of anxiety as she waited.

At a certain moment, a hundred meters or so behind where everyone else was waiting, a circular light-gate appeared and a figure slowly walked out.

Everyone noticed this disturbance and turned to look back.

“Finally…” Luo Yuan seemed to have become impatient and couldn’t help snorting coldly.

Murong Xiao Xiao stood up hurriedly, with a smile on her face, and walked towards that side, as if to welcome this newcomer.

The others also showed some interest, wanting to see who had come.

The figure slowly emerged from the light gate and revealed its face.

“Huh?” The smile on Murong Xiao Xiao’s face froze for a moment as she stared at this newcomer in astonishment, her expression extremely complicated as some disappointment and surprise were mixed together.

She never expected that the last one to emerge from this light gate would actually be Yang Kai rather than Xiao Bai Yi!

The faces of the others present also showed some slight differences. Kong Qi’s face twitched and he quickly turned his gaze aside, as if looking at Yang Kai would somehow tarnish his vision.

Bian Yu Qing smiled meaningfully…

“Oh… so many people!” After Yang Kai walked out of the light gate, he saw the silhouettes of seven people in front of him and couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised, “Why are all of you here?”

“We were waiting for you!” Bian Yu Qing smiled enchantingly as she spoke some suggestive words.

Yang Kai scratched his nose and said, “Please don’t joke, this humble one does not command such a big face!”

He thought Bian Yu Qing was cracking a joke.

But what he didn’t know was…

“It’s not a joke, we were really waiting for you!” Gong Wen Shan stood up from where he was sitting and looked at Yang Kai sternly, “But that’s only half right. We weren’t waiting for you specifically, but rather the last person we needed!”

Yang Kai frowned, swept his eyes around, and soon fixed his gaze on something ahead before muttering thoughtfully, “It looks like if you want to break this barrier, you need a specific number of people!”

“Yeah!” Gong Wen Shan nodded.

“Would anyone care to explain to me what the situation is?” Yang Kai smiled and looked around.

Gong Wen Shan snorted, “I don’t want to explain such a troublesome thing twice!”

After saying so, he ignored Yang Kai entirely.

Murong Xiao Xiao pursed her red lips and said, “I’ll explain. Junior Brother Yang, please come here.”

She beckoned to Yang Kai.

Yang Kai nodded and walked over.

Murong Xiao Xiao immediately explained the situation to him.

After listening to her, Yang Kai understood that the entrance to the large hall in front of them was protected by a Spirit Array called the ‘Eight Points Yuan Returning Array’. This Spirit Array was actually not that complicated and cracking it was extremely easy.

Just gather eight people and stand in specific positions to force the Spirit Array to de-activate. There wasn’t even a need for the ones cracking the array to use their strength.

Of course, if there was not someone proficient in Spirit Arrays present, seeing through the intricacies of this Spirit Array would be difficult, but that was not an issue to Gong Wen Shan’s eyes.

“So, you could only wait for the arrival of another person here?” Yang Kai asked after listening.

“En,” Murong Xiao Xiao nodded lightly and smiled, “I didn’t expect Junior Brother Yang to be the last to come.”

Yang Kai glanced at her and whispered in a low voice, “Don’t worry, Brother Xiao Bai is only a bit injured, there’s no need to worry about his life!”

Murong Xiao Xiao heard this and her eyes lit up, “Junior Brother Yang, have you seen Senior Brother Xiao?”

“En,” Yang Kai nodded.

“Then where is he now?” Murong Xiao Xiao asked nervously.

“I don’t know, probably teleported out of the temple, maybe somewhere else inside,” Yang Kai shrugged.

Murong Xiao Xiao seemed to have realized something from Yang Kai’s words and couldn’t help covering her mouth in shock as she asked, “Junior Brother Yang… did you defeat Senior Brother Xiao?”

“Hm?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Does that mean… everyone here had to pass through the same test?”

“En…” Murong Xiao Xiao replied, “I ran into an opponent on that stage and only after winning did I come here.”

“It looks like everyone’s experience was similar…” Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully.

If everyone had to pass the Flowing Time Steps and the battle stage, then, there only being eight people left at this moment would make sense.

It was not easy to pass these two tests, so naturally, many were eliminated.

While they were talking, Yang Kai glanced around at the others present and soon found that some Star Seals had appeared on the backs of their hands. Even Murong Xiao Xiao had one.

It seemed that everyone had their own opportunities inside the Flowing Time Temple. Unfortunately for Yang Kai, he only managed to obtain a Flowing Time Fruit inside the temple while his Star Seal came from when he just entered the Two Seasons Mountain Range, since then he had not seen another.

“Are you done yet? If so then hurry up, I don’t have time to waste here!” Luo Yuan urged impatiently.

If it wasn’t necessary to gather eight people to crack this Spirit Array, how could Luo Yuan have idled here for so long? Instead of waiting, he would have just started a fight and driven out as many others as possible.

Yang Kai glanced at him lightly but didn’t say anything, instead turning to Gong Wen Shan and saying, “Brother Gong, I understand the general situation. What should I do?”

Gong Wen Shan nodded and explained, “If that’s the case, then everyone just needs to follow my instructions and stand where I tell you to. Although this Eight Points Yuan Returning Array is simple to crack, if something goes wrong… heh…”

Although he didn’t finish what he said, everyone understood what he meant.

Xiao Chen smiled and said, “Brother Gong, please give us your advice. I don’t believe anyone here will be ignorant enough to ignore your instructions.”

As he spoke, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he glanced over at Luo Yuan.

“Very good!” Gong Wen Shan heard this and smiled lightly before stretching out his hands and forming a seal.

Ripples of visible Source Qi were sent out from his figure and before Gong Wen Shan, a circular seal appeared on the floor.

Immediately, Gong Wen Shan pointed and instructed, “Friend, stand here!”

He was referring to Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan didn’t say a word and just stood in the spot that Gong Wen Shan pointed to.

“Madam, please stand there!” Next, he pointed to Bian Yu Qing.

“Calling me madam makes it seem like I’m old…” Bian Yu Qing pouted under her breath as she moved to her spot.

“You stand there!” Gong Wen Shan pointed to Yang Kai next.

Yang Kai nodded and flew over to Bian Yu Qing’s side.

Under Gong Wen Shan’s guidance, everyone stood in a different position.

While they were waiting, Bian Yu Qing turned to Yang Kai and smiled, “Smelly brat, I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“What’s wrong? Are you looking down on me?” Yang Kai raised his brow and coldly snorted, “This one’s power is beyond what Protector Bian can imagine.”

“Is that so…” Bian Yu Qing smiled with interest, “If that’s true, I’d like to take a closer look.”

“There’ll be a chance!” Yang Kai gave her a blank look before asking, “What about Senior Brother Kou? Isn’t he with you?”

Bian Yu Qing heard these words and her expression dimmed.

Yang Kai was surprised and asked, “He couldn’t have…”

Bian Yu Qing composed herself and shook her head, “It’s not what you think, Kou Wu knew his limits and stopped at the Flowing Time Steps!”

“Oh, that’s a pity.” Yang Kai sighed.

Although the Flowing Time Steps were extremely perilous, if one could surmount them, they would gain incredible benefits. Yang Kai’s strength had been greatly tempered even in that short time, and from the looks of it, the other seven people present clearly gained similar benefits from the Flowing Time Steps.

However, what Bian Yu Qing said confirmed Yang Kai’s previous guess that everyone’s chances had basically been the same, especially in the later stage. After passing the Flowing Time Steps, one simply needed to overcome the elimination battle before arriving here.

As the two talked, everyone was placed appropriately, with only Gong Wen Shan left.

Gong Wen Shan stood outside the runic circle and carefully checked to make sure everyone’s position was correct before he flew over to the last spot.

When he landed, he quickly shouted, “No one move, no matter what you sense, no matter how abnormal it might feel. Also, do not circulate your strength, otherwise, you will risk everyone’s life!”

Seeing how he spoke so solemnly, how could those gathered here not listen to his advice? One after another, they withdrew their strength and entered into a kind of meditative state.

Soon, a faint humming was heard.

The surrounding World Energy seemed to be swirling, causing a kind of chain reaction.

As the World Energy movement became more intense, the humming sound grew louder.

Soon, a strange sound, like something crumbling, reached everyone’s ears.

Only now did Gong Wen Shan, who had seemed quite anxious before, let out a sigh of relief. He knew that this Eight Points Yuan Returning Array was collapsing.

*Kacha…*

Along with this sound, a crack began to appear in the array ahead, releasing a bright light. As the crumbling sounds grew louder, the crack also slowly expanded.

Just as the crack became big enough for a single person to pass through, Gong Wen Shan shouted, “Don’t move yet!”

Everyone was taken by surprise by this shout and immediately halted their movements.

However, at that moment, Gong Wen Shan shot out towards the opening like an arrow from a string.

“Damn it, that bastard!” Kong Qi yelled angrily and hurried to catch up.

Chapter 2168

*Xiu xiu xiu…*

At the entrance to the main hall, the remaining seven people all used their own methods to rush forward. As the saying goes, those who arrive first get the best bargains; Gong Wen Shan had already rushed in, so no one remaining wanted to be left far behind.

In the blink of an eye, everyone had already rushed into the hall and were now sweeping their eyes around.

In front of everyone was a brilliant glow that was mixed with a rich aura, a clear sign that precious treasures were present and just waiting to be claimed.

*Hong long long…*

Just after everyone came in, the crack through which they entered made a muffled sound and shut.

Everyone was slightly startled, but soon they adjusted and stopped paying attention to this. Instead, they raised their eyes and swept them around the hall to inspect the situation.

As far as they could see, at the far right of the hall, there is a circular light gate. From this light gate, Space Principle fluctuations could clearly be felt, but where this portal led, no one could tell.

Three hundred metres in front of everyone, at the head of the hall, there was a high platform.

On this high platform, several items of different shapes were quietly sitting.

“This is…” After seeing the few things on the high platform, everyone was shocked and desire began filling their eyes.

There weren’t many things, only five.

A black lacquered oval shield that had dragons and phoenixes embossed on its surface and mysterious runes constantly pulsing around it.

A single cherry-sized droplet that looked like a drop of water…

A seven-coloured glowing mass that seemed like a mix between steam and water…

A pill that looked like a Spirit Pill but was clearly not…

And a fiery red coloured longan sized bead…

There were a total of five treasures, all of them placed atop the high platform and each covered by the semi-circular light curtain.

Everyone’s eyes swept over the five treasures one by one before finally landing on a sixth semicircular light curtain that was… empty. Clearly, something had been here before, but now it was gone.

In other words, there were originally six treasures on this high platform, but at this moment, only five were left. It was a complete mystery where this last treasure had gone.

*Gump…* 

Kong Qi gulped hard as he stared at the dark oval shield and said grimly, “This is a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, right? I can feel traces of Emperor Pressure from it!”

Everyone was equally stunned to see such treasures hidden in the depths of the Flowing Time Temple. For a moment, everyone’s enthusiasm grew to new heights as they stared at these five treasures, all of them barely able to hold themselves back.

Although all of them wanted to rush up and seize these treasures, no one dared to move.

Because everyone knew that since there were eight people here, and only five treasures, which was clearly not enough for everyone, once someone made the first move, they would likely become everyone’s target. When two fists can’t block four strikes, the first person to stick out would likely be eliminated.

Even someone as strong and arrogant as Luo Yuan had to suppress himself while constantly monitoring the others around him.

“Your Highness, you are very knowledgeable. Do you know what these are?” Gong Wen Shan asked as he turned to Lan Xun suddenly.

Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes filled with a kind of soft brilliance as she smiled and said, “I recognize a few…”

“Please enlighten us, Your Highness!” Gong Wen Shan said sincerely.

Lan Xun lightly nodded before pointing to the dark oval shield and saying, “Brother Kong is right, this is probably a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact.”

“Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, what’s that?” Yang Kai asked without any hesitation.

As soon as he said this, everyone cast him a weird look, seemingly wondering why he didn’t even know something so obvious.

Bian Yu Qing was the only one who understood why Yang Kai was so ignorant and uninformed him; after all, she knew he was from a low-level Star Field, so she took the initiative to kindly explain, “Not all Emperor Artifacts are refined as Emperor Artifacts. You should know this, yes?”

Yang Kai nodded lightly.

Most Emperor Artifacts were not originally refined as Emperor Artifacts and instead were the result of artifacts being nurtured for many years by powerful cultivators. When such a cultivator broke through to the Emperor Realm, they could use their own comprehensions of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao to infuse Emperor Intent into such an artifact and possibly refine it into an Emperor Artifact.

“Some Emperors are unable to succeed when they temper their own artifacts. There are various reasons for this, but that doesn’t mean that the artifact’s power is completely lost; in fact, most often these artifacts receive a significant increase in power. Artifacts refined under such circumstances are known as Pseudo-Emperor Artifacts, surpassing the level of a Dao Source Grade artifact, but failing to reach the Emperor Grade. They are semi-finished products!” Bian Yu Qing said softly with a solemn expression, “Excellent Pseudo-Emperor Artifacts are not inferior to the ordinary Emperor Artifacts, while some Pseudo-Emperor Artifacts are only slightly better than Dao Source Grade.”

“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded in understanding.

Bian Yu Qing continued, “But… this is a defensive artifact, so even if it’s only a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, it is still a rare treasure! This shield’s value is certainly far greater than an ordinary Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact! If someone can obtain this shield and refine it, most likely no one below the Emperor Realm will be able to break their defences!”

“It really sounds like a treasure!” Yang Kai echoed as his gaze became slightly hotter.

Although Yang Kai already had a large number of Emperor Artifacts, none of them were defensive types. If he could obtain this shield, he could make up for his own shortcomings and when he encountered a strong enemy, he would be able to resist for a while longer.

“Your Highness, please continue!” Kong Qi glared at Yang Kai from the side, seemingly blaming him for his ignorance for interfering with Lan Xun’s explanation.

Lan Xun didn’t mind, however, and simply smiled and pointed to the cherry-sized drop of water, “If I am not mistaken, this should be a drop of the legendary Supreme Divine Water!”

*Si…*

A sharp breath sounded as everyone reacted in shock.

“As I had guessed, it really is the Supreme Divine Water…” Gong Wen Shan’s expression flickered as he seemingly had such a guess before but was uncertain. Hearing Lan Xun’s words, he was able to confirm his speculations.

Murong Xiao Xiao was also shocked as she muttered, “The Supreme Divine Water which allows spirit herbs to rapidly mature with just a single drop?”

“Indeed!” Lan Xun smiled and nodded, possibly showing consideration for Yang Kai again as she took the initiative to explain, “With a drop of Supreme Divine Water, one can increase the maturity of any spirit grass or spirit medicines by thousands, if not ten thousand years in just a single month.”

Yang Kai gulped hard as he asked, “What Princess means to say is that… as long as this drop is sprinkled onto a spirit grass or medicine, that spirit medicine’s medicinal age will reach ten thousand years in just a single month?”

“Exactly!” Lan Xun nodded and said lightly, “Although Supreme Divine Water is not among the Three Great Divine Waters, in terms of efficacy and function, it is sometimes much more precious than them. When I was young, I was fortunate enough to see a few drops of Supreme Divine Water, which is why I can recognize it now.”

If someone else had said that they saw a few drops of Supreme Divine Water when they were a child, others might be sceptical, but coming from Lan Xun, the story was different. With her status and background, she would certainly not tell such a boring lie. If she said she had seen it before, it was basically certain she had.

Yang Kai’s heart rate suddenly accelerated.

With so much Heavy Earth in the medicine garden inside his Sealed World Bead, herbs would mature a hundred times faster than normal. So after one year, herbs planted in it would have medicinal ages of a hundred years.

However, this drop of Supreme Divine Water could actually increase the medicinal age of a spirit medicine to ten thousand years in a month!

The gap was clear and obvious…

If this drop of Supreme Divine Water could be absorbed by the gold and silver tree, wouldn’t its sealing power also increase many times over? With so much sealing power, Yang Kai could lift the seal on his dantian anytime or anywhere to fight powerful enemies without worry.

At that time, he would only need to re-seal the Demon Qi and Demon Spirit with the power of the Firmament Tree.

“Supreme Divine Water is the source of all spirit waters, so its role is not just that. For a cultivator who cultivates Water Attribute Secret Arts or who possesses a Water Attribute Special Constitution, the benefits are incalculable, and… it can also be refined into a Water Attribute artifact. It has endless uses!” Lan Xun continued her explanation.

Gong Wen Shan breathed out slowly as he cupped his fists and said, “Many thanks for sharing your wisdom, Your Highness!”

“Hmph, the Princess is explaining to you out of pure goodwill, there’s no need for you to offer pointless flattery!” Xiao Chen snorted coldly from the side.

No one paid any attention to him…

Lan Xun pointed to the seven coloured flowing light treasure and said, “I don’t believe I need to say anything about this. Doesn’t everyone already recognize it?”

Kong Qi’s brow twitched as he said roughly, “It’s an Emperor Aura…”

“It’s definitely an Emperor Aura!” Gong Wen Shan seemed to also know what it was and said solemnly.

Lan Xun smiled lightly and nodded, “Yes, this is an Emperor Aura! If one possesses it, they can integrate it into their own precious artifact, and there is a good chance an Emperor Artifact will be born with time!”

Emperor Auras were the key to refining Emperor Artifacts. An Emperor only needed to merge this Emperor Aura with their own artifact and if everything went well, they would obtain a new Emperor Artifact. Even if something went wrong, a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact would at least be created!

Generally, when an Emperor Realm Master wanted to refine their artifact into an Emperor Artifact, they would directly pour their own Emperor Intent into it. Emperor Auras, which contained the essence of an Emperor Realm Master’s Emperor Intent, were rarely created.

Emperor Auras could not be condensed into a physical entity outside an Emperor’s body by ordinary Emperor Realm Masters. Even someone as strong as Xiao Chen’s father, the Silver Star Envoy Xiao Yu Yang, did not have such ability.

Only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master could achieve this!

Condensing an Emperor Aura would result in a great loss to any Emperor Realm Master, one that would take hundreds of years of hard cultivation to make up for. Therefore, under normal circumstances, no Third-Order Emperor would condense an Emperor Aura and place it outside.

But this Flowing Time Temple actually had one such treasure!

There was a fundamental difference between this thing and the pitch-black shield. The black shield was already fully formed, and as a Pseudo-Emperor Artifact, there was no possibility for it to be further refined into an Emperor Artifact. However, this Emperor Aura represented infinite possibilities, all that was required was time, effort, and luck. It was really quite difficult to judge which of these two was more valuable.

If one preferred immediate worth, they would choose the dark shield; after all, a defensive Pseudo-Emperor Artifact was extremely precious and valuable.

If one had the ambition to refine their own Emperor Artifact, however, they would undoubtedly prefer the Emperor Aura.

Chapter 2169

“This is…” Lan Xun cast her gaze onto the fourth treasure, which resembled a pill but was clearly not one, making for a strange scene.

Lan Xun frowned slightly, as if she was a little dazed, but soon her eyes widened as she shouted, “An Emperor Authority Bead!”

“What!?” Luo Yuan, who had yet to speak the whole time suddenly exclaimed, “An Emperor Authority Bead? Are you certain?”

As soon as this remark came out, Xiao Chen couldn’t help coldly snorting, “Pay attention to your words, it is the Princess who is before you!”

Luo Yuan turned his head and glared at him, his two eyes smouldering with fighting intent.

Lan Xun just smiled though and said, “This should be an Emperor Authority Bead. If Brother Luo doesn’t believe me, he can simply break the barrier protecting it later and see for himself.

“I believe you!” Luo Yuan declared, “It’s just… I didn’t expect such a treasure to appear here.”

Lan Xun nodded. “I too did not expect an Emperor Authority Bead to appear… I also have not seen one before. I’ve only heard about them from my father in the past, so I did not recognize it at first, however… An Emperor Realm Master’s full-powered strike is sealed inside an Emperor Authority Bead, so obtaining this thing is tantamount to having a certain kill life-saving card!”

Listening to what she said, Yang Kai immediately understood what this ‘Emperor Authority Bead’ and its function were.

This thing turned out to be a full-powered blow of an Emperor Realm Master! In other words, it was similar to the Star Emperor Tokens from his native Star Field.

The Starry Sky Great Emperor had also sealed her Divine Abilities into those ten tokens!

Everyone here was a Dao Source Realm cultivator, so if they could obtain this Emperor Authority Bead, they would never need to fear facing others in the same realm. Even if they were to encounter an Emperor, they would still be able to fight back!

As Lan Xun said, this thing could be regarded as a trump card, one that would deliver a certain kill blow!

Which cultivator had not experienced several life or death moments? At a critical moment, an Emperor Authority Bead would undoubtedly be a life-saving tool.

Everyone’s breathing became rapid again as their eyes turned hot…

“As for the last item…” Lan Xun frowned again as she examined the longan sized, fiery red bead for some time before she slowly shook her head and said, “Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t recognize it. Does anyone else have any idea what this is?”

Even a character like Lan Xun didn’t recognize the fiery red bead, so the others present could only shake their heads, declaring they didn’t know what it was.

Lan Xun smiled slightly and said, “No matter what it is, since it can be placed here with these other treasures, it is definitely extraordinary.”

Her remarks were not without purpose.

Among the five items placed on the high platform, there was a defensive type Pseudo Emperor Artifact, a drop of Supreme Divine Water, an Emperor Aura, and an Emperor Authority Bead. Which one of these was not a rare and priceless treasure? In terms of value, it really just depended on whose hands these treasures were in, so it made no sense that the fifth item was useless. This fiery red bead was at least on the same level as the other treasures, it’s just that its function was unknown.

“Actually…” Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes narrowed as she fixed them on the centre position of the high platform where an empty barrier remained, “I care more about what… was originally here.”

“What does Princess mean?” Kong Qi asked.

Lan Xun explained, “Within this barrier, there is a strong residual Emperor Pressure. If I’m not mistaken, there should have been an Emperor Artifact here…”

“An Emperor Artifact?”

“Really?”

“No way!”

Everyone present had seen great winds and waves, but they were still shocked that an Emperor Artifact had once been here as that was not a treasure one could obtain casually.

“I’m fairly certain that was the case…” Lan Xun said firmly, “And it was still here not long ago. As for why it suddenly disappeared, I cannot say; however, if it wasn’t here just a short time ago, the remnant Emperor Pressure would not be so apparent.”

“Did someone get here before us?” Gong Wen Shan’s expression sank.

“Damn it, who managed to sneak in here first!” Kong Qi also cursed angrily.

Lan Xun, however, shook her head and said, “That shouldn’t be the case. If someone really got here before us, why would they only take one treasure? The rest of the things here are also rare and precious, so it’s unreasonable for them to simply leave them… not to mention, the barrier here is completely undamaged…”

“En, Your Highness is right, what’s going on?” Kong Qi was confused.

“I don’t know either,” Lan Xun smiled helplessly.

While several others were talking, Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe suddenly…

Recalling the Emperor Pressure that Zhang Ruo Xi gave off when she was wearing that Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe before, and then feeling the residual aura on the high platform… Yang Kai immediately coughed and said, “Whether there was an Emperor Artifact here or now, now that it’s missing, there’s no point worrying about it. Why don’t we discuss how to distribute these items instead?”

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere that was still a little harmonious suddenly became tense as everyone present secretly began condensing their Source Qi while vigilantly sweeping their eyes around.

There were five treasures, but eight people, so obviously they could not be evenly distributed and there were bound to be some people who gained nothing.

Everyone here was a favoured son or daughter of Heaven, a genius among their generation, so none of them wanted to come back empty-handed.

“Friends, this Xiao has a suggestion, I don’t know whether you’d be willing to consider it!” Xiao Chen suddenly smiled and said.

Kong Qi had no idea what he was going to say, but since Xiao Chen had already spoken, it wouldn’t be appropriate to refuse outright, so he simply spoke, “If Brother Xiao has any good ideas, please enlighten us!”

The others also turned to look at him.

Xiao Chen smiled heartily when he saw this and continued, “In this Southern Territory, my Star Soul Palace is heralded as a virtuous leader filled with righteous talents. Her Highness is the model example of this and did not hesitate to share her wisdom with all of you, yes? Do you not feel that she deserves some form of thanks in return?”

When he said this, everyone suddenly had an unpleasant premonition.

Sure enough, Xiao Chen proposed, “This Xiao feels that with Her Highness’ status, she should be allowed to take one of these treasures first. What do all of you say?”

Everyone immediately cursed Xiao Chen in their hearts as they really couldn’t curse him out loud; after all, doing so would be akin to slandering Lan Xun as well, an offence none of them wanted to commit. For a moment, everyone felt incredibly gloomy as they held their tongues.

From the start, there were not enough treasures here to divide among them, but now Xiao Chen even suggested that Lan Xun take one away first. This was nothing short of shameless robbery. If someone else had proposed such an outrageous notion, they would have been drowned in other’s spit and curses by now, but with Xiao Chen putting forward Lan Xun’s identity, none dared act presumptuously.

With Lan Xun’s status, who would dare have any opinions about her actions? Did they not want to live in the Southern Territory in the future?

Even someone as strong and arrogant as Luo Yuan could only glare gloomily at that moment, unable to say a word.

Even though he didn’t flinch when facing Wu Chang, he also knew that some people in this world could not be offended no matter what, and Lan Xun was one of them…

“What’s wrong? Do you think this Xiao’s proposal is unfair?” Xiao Chen continued pressing his advantage. Seeing that everyone did not say anything, he coldly snorted and said, “Or… are you looking down on my Star Soul Palace?”

When such an unfair charge was levelled, Kong Qi immediately glared at Xiao Chen as if he was his parent’s murderer, cursing his eighteen generations of ancestors in his heart…

“Well…” Murong Xiao Xiao was too kind-hearted for her own good, and seeing the atmosphere becoming so charged she wanted to speak up, but not knowing how to calm things down, her face flushed with anxiety.

The others also remained silent, unable to say anything.

Yang Kai observed carefully and quickly saw that Lan Xun’s brow was slightly furrowed, obviously displeased with the current mess. Clearly this was something Xiao Chen had decided to do on his own without consulting her, allowing Yang Kai to nod secretly to himself.

His impression of Lan Xun was still quite good. If Lan Xun really wanted to take advantage of her father, Bright Moon Great Emperor, and Star Soul Palace’s prestige to snatch these treasures, likely no one would be able to object, only her public image and reputation would take a hit.

On the other hand, these items, while extremely precious, given Lan Xun’s identity, might really not be of much interest to her.

The pitch-black shield was useless to her because there was no doubt she had a defensive Emperor Artifact bestowed to her by the Great Emperor.

The drop of Supreme Divine Water was also useless to her as there was no spirit grass or herb that Star Soul Palace didn’t possess or could easily acquire. 

As for the Emperor Aura, she was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator now, so it was completely useless to her.

As for the Emperor Authority Bead…

If she really wanted one, all she’d need to do is beg her father, Bright Moon Great Emperor, a little and the Great Emperor would definitely give her one. In any case, with the Great Emperor’s strength and skill, consuming a few hundred years of strength was not even worth mentioning.

Just as the tension was becoming unbearable, Lan Xun suddenly smiled and said, “Since no one has any objections, then Xiao Chen and I will take one.”

“Huh?” Gong Wen Shan heard this and couldn’t help raising his brow and staring at Lan Xun in amazement, as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard, but soon, a knowing grin formed on his face.

After frowning, Kong Qi also understood the meaning of Lan Xun’s words and nodded happily, “If Her Highness wants to take one first, this Kong naturally has no objections.”

“Neither do I!” Bian Yu Qing agreed immediately.

Everyone present was a sharp individual, and although Lan Xun’s words sounded similar to Xiao Chen’s, how could they not understand that their true meaning was completely different?

“What about you?” Lan Xun turned to look at Luo Yuan and the others.

“Your Highness should act freely. This Luo does not trust others here, but Your Highness is still trustworthy.”

Lan Xun gently nodded, “Many thanks, Brother Luo, for your trust.”

With Luo Yuan not expressing any disagreement, the remaining Yang Kai and Murong Xiao Xiao naturally had no objections.

When everyone nodded in agreement, Xiao Chen turned anxious as he whispered to Lan Xun, “Princess…”

The light smile on Lan Xun’s face receded as she turned a cold stare to him and declared, “Brother Xiao Chen, since everyone has agreed, I will have to bother you to…”

At this point, her beautiful eyes swept over the high platform briefly before she pointed and said, “Retrieve that Pseudo Emperor Artifact!”

The value of these five treasures really couldn’t be judged because everyone’s needs were different and these five things had vastly different functions…

But for Lan Xun, among the five things here, the least valuable was definitely the shield Pseudo Emperor Artifact.

Because this thing was completely useless to her! Even the flaming red bead that she couldn’t identify would have had slightly more value to her.

But she still chose the Pseudo Emperor Artifact!

Chapter 2170

Lan Xun’s choice undoubtedly gave a distinct message…

Although she did not want to bully others using her status, she also wasn’t willing to just return empty-handed. Regardless of whether these things were useful or useless to her, she deserved a trophy since she was able to arrive here using her own ability, and with her and Xiao Chen’s strength, they were also absolutely qualified to snatch at least one of these treasures. 

However, Lan Xun also wanted to avoid conflict with others, especially if it would be a fight over something useless to her, so she simply chose the least useful treasure for herself.

This way, she could directly show what her stance on this issue was!

“Princess!” Xiao Chen shouted in a low voice, as if he wanted to persuade her otherwise.

Lan Xun’s face remained indifferent as she calmly said, “Brother Xiao Chen, do you want me to get it myself?”

Seeing her sharp gaze, Xiao Chen’s heart sank as he realized that if he tried to press this issue any further, he would only anger Lan Xun. Immediately gritting his teeth, he squeezed out an ugly smile and said, “Your Highness… please wait a moment, I’ll be right back…”

Saying so, he leapt up to the high platform.

With someone stepping forward to test whether there were any dangers on the high platform, everyone else paid close attention.

Fortunately, apart from the barriers covering the different treasures, there didn’t seem to be any other traps or hazards present.

Xiao Chen stood in front of the Pseudo Emperor Artifact shield, and although there was a hint of unwillingness on his face, he could only summon his sword, push his Source Qi, and cut towards the barrier.

Even if he didn’t use his full strength, he used at least half of his power in this blow, as well as the accumulated anger he felt, so the power he displayed was extraordinary.

In the next instant, the light from his sword fell fiercely on the light curtain.

But the light curtain was far stronger than it appeared and the only result of Xiao Chen’s slash was the barrier bending slightly before bouncing back, completely unscathed…

“Oh?” Seeing this scene, everyone was shocked as they also quickly examined the strength of the barrier and calculated just how much force would be needed to smash it to snatch the treasures.

Xiao Chen’s first attempt having no effect embarrassed him greatly, so he wasted no time in lifting his sword up again and chanting, “Plum Flower Sword, Showering Blossom Sword!”

Releasing this Secret Technique, a storm of plum blossoms seemed to fill the air.

This move was both elegant and dignified.

A fresh fragrance seemed to fill the air and linger at the tip of everyone’s nose before the plum blossoms suddenly transformed into countless points of light and fiercely bombarded the light curtain.

A violent shaking took place as the light curtain flashed wildly.

Although the radiance of the barrier was constantly dimming, there was still no sign of it breaking.

Xiao Chen’s expression became enraged as he turned his sword and activated another Secret Technique, “Waning Moon Pierces The Mirror Heavens!”

Another dazzling sword skill was displayed as a violent power struck the light curtain…

*Kacha…*

A crack finally appeared in the light curtain, and seeing this situation, Xiao Chen pushed his Source Qi violently and thrust his sword forward.

With a loud bang, the barrier completely broke and Xiao Chen grabbed the Pseudo Emperor Artifact shield before leaping off to land next to Lan Xun’s side, “Your Highness, I’ve retrieved the item.”

“En,” Lan Xun nodded lightly, not even sparing the Pseudo Emperor Artifact shield a glance and instead smiling to the others, “Then… Lan Xun will take her leave. Everyone… good luck!”

After that, she turned and walked towards the light gate standing on the right side of the hall.

Although Xiao Chen was unwilling, his duty was to follow Lan Xun, so he had no choice but to follow her as he shot the others in the room a fierce look, as if to say that they were lucky this time…

A moment later, the two Star Soul Palace disciples disappeared through the light gate.

“The Princess… is quite commendable!” After a short silence, Kong Qi suddenly said.

“En,” Gong Wen Shan nodded in agreement. “The daughter of the Great Emperor has temperament beyond compare, it makes this Gong embarrassed…”

“You should be ashamed!” Kong Qi grimaced at him.

At that moment, a burst of laughter rang out as Bian Yu Qing glanced around elegantly, “Her Highness and her escort are gone now, but with those who remain and the remaining treasures… it seems that there’s still not quite enough!”

Atop the high platform, there were originally five treasures, but now the Pseudo Emperor Artifact shield had been taken away, leaving four treasures to split among six people…

“I claim one of them!” Luo Yuan suddenly declared.

Gong Wen Shan cast his gaze over, and said, “Why should we agree?”

Kong Qi chimed in, “If you want to win these treasures, it should naturally be done with your own strength. I have no opinion about Her Highness claiming one, but if you want to claim one first, I’ll have to object.”

Luo Yuan’s Eight Paths Sect was only a second-class Sect in the Southern Territory while Kong Qi was from Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce, the difference in their backgrounds was profound, so how could Kong Qi possibly be afraid of Luo Yuan here?

Luo Yuan smiled proudly as his eyes swept across the crowd, “If anyone refuses to accept, they’re welcome to object!”

Kong Qi couldn’t help showing a cold look on his face as he slowly nodded and said, “This friend’s attitude makes this Kong quite uncomfortable, so this Kong intends to teach Friend a small lesson, I just don’t know… hm? Bastard, what are you doing!?”

Before Kong Qi finished what he was trying to say, his face suddenly changed and he couldn’t help roaring furiously.

The next moment, everyone else’s anger also flared up.

Because while all of them were talking, Yang Kai had secretly slipped away and landed on the high platform. Reaching out, he palmed towards one of the barriers.

“Bold! Who gave you the courage to do this!?” Luo Yuan roared as he leapt out.

When the others saw this, all their hesitation vanished and they swiftly used their Movement Skills to catch up, lest they fall behind.

However… It seemed that when Lan Xun asked Xiao Chen to take the Pseudo Emperor Artifact shield, everyone else had already decided what treasure they would target; after all, the remaining four treasures had different functions and everyone had their own preference.

So when the six people rushed to the high platform, the targets they chose were also completely different.

Yang Kai’s goal was the flaming red bead that even Lan Xun couldn’t recognize or identify.

He chose this not because he recognized what this bead was, but because of what Zhang Ruo Xi had said before.

She told Yang Kai that Qiong Qi said that if he had the chance to enter the final room, he should choose the most useless thing!

Among the remaining four treasures, whether it was the Emperor Aura, Emperor Authority Bead, or Supreme Divine Water, none of these treasures were useless; however, the fiery red bead that no one could identify was, on the surface, the most useless.

Qiong Qi was an Ancient Divine Spirit and had also given Zhang Ruo Xi the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe, so it made no sense for it to deceive him by saying such things.

So, Yang Kai’s goal was this fiery red bead from the beginning!

What’s more, by choosing this bead, Yang Kai also avoided all competition as no one else present wanted it. Although many thought that this bead had some extraordinary use or purpose, without knowing its specific role, trying to snatch it while giving up on the other treasures present simply wasn’t worth the risk. 

Therefore, the remaining five people set their goals on the other three treasures.

Among them, Luo Yuan and Kong Qi focused on the Emperor Authority Bead! Their thinking was quite simple. The Emperor Authority Bead had a full-powered blow from an Emperor Realm Master sealed inside of it, which was an overwhelming trump card that could save one’s life in a critical situation! As long as one still had their life, there was hope for everything else.

What Bian Yu Qing and Gong Wen Shan chose was the Emperor Aura! This thing was the source of an Emperor Artifact, so its value was simply incalculable.

Murong Xiao Xiao had wanted to grab the Emperor Authority Bead too, but seeing Luo Yuan targeting it as well, she grit her teeth and immediately changed direction, rushing to the Supreme Divine Water drop that no one was paying attention to and began breaking its barrier.

Xiao Bai Yi had once told her when they were alone that she should avoid any conflict with Luo Yuan because he was incredibly dangerous. Xiao Bai Yi even went so far as to say he wasn’t confident he could defeat Luo Yuan!

Murong Xiao Xiao trusted Xiao Bai Yi so she seriously followed his advice.

The six people were immediately divided into several areas where Yang Kai and Murong Xiao Xiao focused on breaking the barriers to the treasures they wanted while the other four engaged in heated battles of two.

Among them, the battle between Kong Qi and Luo Yuan was particularly fierce, with neither side backing down in the slightest while simultaneously using their own methods to try to break the barrier. Their struggle caused chaos and destruction around them.

As for Bian Yu Qing and Gong Wen Shan…

It should be said that Gong Wen Shan was worthy of his title as a Spirit Array Grandmaster. After he landed on the high platform, he directly summoned an Array Plate that caused a ripple to spread out and directly envelop Bian Yu Qing in a layer of fog.

No one could see what happened inside this mist.

However… Having fallen into the opponent’s Array Plate, Yang Kai estimated that Bian Yu Qing was probably powerless and could only silently pay tribute to her in his heart.

The scene of Xiao Chen cracking the barrier before was still fresh in people’s minds, so they all understood that this light curtain was extremely tough and could not be broken at will. As such, no one held back.

Yang Kai directly used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and condensed his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi onto his claw before he smashed his fist onto the barrier fiercely.

Without anyone interfering with him, Yang Kai used five strikes to break the barrier.

As soon as the light curtain shattered, Yang Kai stuffed the fiery red bead into his Space Ring.

He then turned his head and saw that Luo Yuan and Kong Qi were still locked in a fierce melee, both of them pushing their Source Qi wildly to suppress the other while using other methods to smash the barrier protecting the Emperor Authority Bead.

The light of the barrier faded at a speed visible to the naked eye and seemed to be on the verge of breaking.

Nearby, Bian Yu Qing and Gong Wen Shan were still surrounded by a layer of fog, with neither of their figures anywhere to be seen. There wasn’t even any sound coming from this fog bank.

On the farthest side, Murong Xiao Xiao was anxiously using her Heavenly Feather Ring artifact to bombard the barrier protecting the Supreme Divine Water.

Although she was trying her best, she still needed at least a few breaths if she wanted to crack this barrier.

Yang Kai’s figure flickered when he saw this and arrived directly next to Murong Xiao Xiao.

“Junior Brother Yang…” Murong Xiao Xiao pursed her lips lightly as she wore a complex expression.

Yang Kai didn’t say anything and simply urged his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi wrapped dragon claws to match the timing Murong Xiao Xiao’s Heavenly Feather Ring impacted the light curtain.

Combining the power of the two blows, the barrier buckled and broke apart.

Yang Kai’s hand flashed rapidly as he took out a jade bottle, stored the drop of Supreme Divine Water into it, then immediately threw it to Murong Xiao Xiao as he shouted, “Go!”