“I want to help, but I’m really too busy and have no time to spare for this. Didn’t I already tell you that I’ll go there once I have free time?” Yang Kai explained.
Ye Jing Han mulled this over for a moment then said through gnashed teeth, “Young Master Yang, our Thousand Leaves Sect’s sealed world has a Restricted Area known as the Emperor Heaven Valley. If one can cultivate in that land for a few days, it will greatly increase one’s chances to reach the Emperor Realm.”
Yang Kai glanced at her with a meaningful smile.
Ye Jing Han’s pretty face got flushed, “It is not that I was distrustful of you, but this matter is very important and I cannot disclose more information to you, or else, innumerable Dao Source Realm Cultivators will begin targeting us. Our Thousand Leaves Sect isn’t powerful enough now and can’t defend against them.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “The Emperor Heaven Valley, what a grand name! But, what does this have to do with me?”
Ye Jing Han stamped the ground, “Young Master Yang, if you repair our Space Array and help us regain our Sealed World, I can let you go in.”
“What’s your status in the Thousand Leaves Sect?” Yang Kai squinted his eyes and looked at her.
Ye Jing Han said, “I’m the daughter of the current Thousand Leaves Sect’s Master, Ye Hen.”
“So you’re a Young Sect Lady,” Yang Kai cupped his fists at her. “Sorry for the disrespect.”
Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed, “Young Master Yang, don’t make fun of me.”
Yang Kai had beaten even the Young Palace Master of Flying Saint Palace, so he wouldn’t take the Young Sect Lady of Thousand Leaves Sect seriously. As such, Ye Jing Han didn’t believe that her status was anything special and that was why she didn’t disclose it to Yang Kai from the beginning.
But now, she had to tell Yang Kai her status to gain his trust.
“Young Master Yang, please, I’m begging you…” Ye Jing Han said entreatingly with an aggrieved look, “My father is already old, and if he cannot break through to the Emperor Realm, he will die in a few years. However, it isn’t so easy to reach the Emperor Realm and the Emperor Heaven Valley is his greatest chance. Young Master Yang, if you help our Thousand Leaves Sect, then I can agree to any requests you raise.”
Yang Kai was surprised by her statement. She had already thrown all caution to the wind.
Yang Kai descended into silence and Ye Jing Han also quieted, not daring to even gasp for breath. She only pursed her lips and stood there waiting for him nervously. Only her strong and fast heartbeat still reverberated in the room.
After a long while, Yang Kai sighed, “Fine, I’ll take a trip with you there.”
“Are you serious?” Ye Jing Han was so delighted that she wept and she looked in disbelief at Yang Kai.
“But not now, you also know what’s happening in Maplewood City. You’ll have to wait until I deal with this matter.”
“I’m not in a hurry, so I can wait,” Ye Jing Han quickly waved her hand and said, “I have already waited for so many years so I don’t mind waiting a little longer.”
“But I must still say this ahead of time,” Yang Kai looked at her grimly, “I’ll only give it a try and I’m not sure I can repair your Space Array.”
“That’s more than enough.”
“Go look for a room to rest. I’ll notify you when it’s time to set off,” Yang Kai waved his hand at her in dismissal.
“Young Master Yang, I’ll await good news from you.”
Saying so, she bowed to him then left without forgetting to close the door behind her.
After Ye Jing Han left, Yang Kai let out a sigh and sat down, mumbling to himself, “I’ve gotten involved in something troublesome…”
He wasn’t close to Ye Jing Han and he also had no contact with Thousand Leaves Sect, so he didn’t want to tread into this muddy water. But, Ye Jing Han had bothered him for so long that if he didn’t agree, then she might have followed him to the ends of the world, and that would have been even more troublesome for him.
If he was followed all day long by a young woman with a sorrowful look, then people oblivious to the situation would assume that he had thoughtless sex with her then abandoned her. That would have been too scandalous!
Moreover, he was also quite interested in the Emperor Heaven Valley mentioned by Ye Jing Han. Since it could help one advance into the Emperor Realm, it was surely related to the comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Yang Kai was still a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but deepening his comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao would still be beneficial to his future growth, and if he added the Extraordinary Treasure Pill to the equation, then he would be able to easily break through to the Emperor Realm in the future.
Yang Kai sat down and cultivated in the room in silence until midnight. He had just reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, and he obviously had to consolidate his cultivation base.
At night, Yang Kai pushed open the door and left. As his body flickered, he reached the City Lord’s Mansion in a dozen breaths.
The guards standing outside the City Lord’s Mansion weren’t any different than paper figures to him, but when he was about to enter the mansion, a chill suddenly ran down his spine as he felt several powerful Divine Senses sweeping his body.
They had swept him only for a short moment, yet his body still shivered uncontrollably and broke into a cold sweat. Those Divine Senses belonged to Emperor Realm Masters, which meant that Xiao Yu Yang and his companions were also residing in the City Lord’s Mansion.
Those Divine Senses had checked him only for a short moment then left him, but one of them still lingered on him.
Yang Kai took a breath and followed that Divine Sense towards its source. After a short while, he reached a room and he raised his hand to knock on its door, yet before he made contact, Gao Xue Ting’s voice suddenly reached him, “Come in!”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai pushed open the door and entered. He sighted upon Gao Xue Ting sitting cross-legged on the bed with her pretty eyes gazing at him.
Yang Kai grinned, “Greeting Elder Gao. I didn’t expect that we would reunite again in Maplewood City… Huh, Elder Gao, what are you up to?”
As he spoke, he suddenly saw Gao Xue Ting waving her hand. Her Qi surging out, closing the door and creating a formless barrier that enveloped the whole room, isolating it completely.
“She’s so prudent, does she have to make a barrier even for this?” A resentful voice reverberated in another room. Xiao Yu Yang’s eyes snapped open with a playful look apparent on his face, “What are you up to, Junior Sister Gao? I just simply wanted to see what is so amazing about this little brat, yet it seems my efforts are in vain.”
Meanwhile, the Emperor Realm Masters in the other rooms twitched their mouths. They were obviously all spying on Gao Xue Ting as well, yet they had now been blocked by the barrier.
…
In a short moment, the room had been isolated thoroughly.
*Gudong*
Yang Kai gulped as he suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
“Strip!” Gao Xue Ting instructed Yang Kai expressionlessly.
“Huh?” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he said in surprise, “This, this… This isn’t appropriate, is it?”
“What are you grumbling about?” Gao Xue Ting snorted, seemingly annoyed by Yang Kai’s objections.
Yang Kai couldn’t even see what happened before Gao Xue Ting suddenly appeared in front of him and stretched her hand towards him.
Yang Kai felt like Gao Xue Ting’s lily-white fingers weren’t any different than five mountains assaulting him, making her grasp impossible to avoid.
Soon after, Gao Xue Ting clutched his neck and lifted him. He was shortly sent spinning by a pulse of energy, while his clothes were quickly stripped off him. In the twinkling of an eye, he was left with only his underpants.
“Elder Gao… Stop…” Yang Kai let out a shrill cry.
Gao Xue Ting turned a deaf ear to him. She stopped spinning him then tapped several points on his body, her pretty eyes shining brightly as she observed closely.
Gao Xue Ting’s pretty eyes swept every nook of Yang Kai’s body and she examined him thoroughly.
After a long while, she nodded and said, “Pretty good, there are no issues to speak of.”
As her voice fell, the force confining Yang Kai suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai quickly crawled into Gao Xue Ting’s bed and covered himself with the quilt. He sat there shivering, as if he had just suffered some severe mental damage.
Gao Xue Ting sneered. “You’re still bashful?”
Yang Kai’s face was pale and he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, saying, “Elder Gao, what did you just do?”
Now, he understood why Gao Xue Ting had set up a barrier. If someone had seen this, then she wouldn’t be able to justify herself and clear subsequent misunderstandings.
Gao Xue Ting sternly said, “Your cultivation has advanced too quickly. You just reached the First-Order Dao Source Realm a short time ago, yet you’ve already advanced to the Second-Order. I was just checking if there were any hidden dangers or issues left behind. What did you think I was doing?”
As she spoke up to here, Gao Xue Ting’s gaze turned ice-cold and Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver.
“Even if you wanted to check my body, you didn’t have to do this…” Yang Kai said with a sullen look.
“If this was the sole reason, then I didn’t have to do this, but I heard that you were also chased by a Demonic Artifact Spirit that had appeared some days ago, so I had to make sure you weren’t corrupted by Demon Qi as well.”
“I’m not a child anymore you know.”
“I’m old enough to be your great-grandmother, so what’s the harm in seeing your body?” As Gao Xue Ting spoke up to this point, she curled her lips slightly and said mockingly, “Little brat, you’ve got some good muscles, en you’re pretty well built.”
“Elder Gao, thank you for the undeserved praise…” Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his forehead and said awkwardly, “What are the results?”
“Pretty good,” Gao Xue Ting said then took Yang Kai’s clothes and threw them to him as she said, “You broke through quickly, but your foundation is still as stable as ever, and it also looks like you haven’t been corrupted by Demon Qi.”
Yang Kai said weakly, “If I had been corrupted by Demon Qi… What would have happened?”
“You’d be a dead man by now,” Gao Xue Ting looked at him coldly, “What? Is there something else you’d like to tell me?”
“Nope, nothing… I have nothing to tell you,” Yang Kai quickly waved his hand, while he decided inwardly to hide the Demonic War Hammer and the Demon Spirit sealed in his body from her at all costs.
“Little brat, you’re acting strangely. Are you hiding something from me?” Gao Xue Ting said coldly.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly and said, “Not at all. Elder Gao, you’ve just misunderstood me.”
Gao Xue Ting gazed at Yang Kai for a long time then said, “That would be for the best. If I learn that you’re hiding anything from me, then I’ll give you a memorable lesson.”
Yang Kai didn’t dare to retort back as he quickly put his clothes on under the quilt.
After a short while, Yang Kai had finished putting his clothes on.
“How long do you plan to occupy my bed?” Gao Xue Ting looked at him coldly.
Yang Kai crawled out of the bed dejectedly and stood in front of Gao Xue Ting.
“Where did that Demonic Armament Artifact Spirit go?” Gao Xue Ting suddenly asked, “I heard that the Artifact Spirit was chasing after you, but I have already investigated its path along with Senior Xiao and the others today, yet its trail ends at Clear Jade Mountain, as if it had suddenly disappeared there. Even Senior Xiao couldn’t get any more clues about it. Where did it go?”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head in response, expressing that he had no idea about this.
“Then how did you escape from it safely?” Gao Xue Ting furrowed his brows.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Elder Gao, you also know that I have cultivated the Dao of Space, I’m an expert when it comes to escaping. At that time, I escaped to Clear Jade Mountain then used an aura concealing technique to hide in The Void. After the Artifact Spirit arrived and couldn’t find me, it left by itself. I also don’t know where it went.”
Gao Xue Ting observed him with her piercing eyes for a long while, as if she wanted to peer into his inner heart.
Yang Kai was quite diffident and he was afraid that she would notice any flaw.
After a long while, Gao Xue Ting nodded, “If I learn that you hid anything from me, then I won’t forgive you.”
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his head then said aggrievedly, “I wouldn’t dare!”
“I also know that you don’t have such gall,” as Gao Xue Ting spoke, she sat down at the bedside and let out a sigh, “Honestly speaking, I have also been quite careless. If I had inspected this place carefully after the battle against that Demon, then we wouldn’t have to deal with so much trouble.”
Gao Xue Ting sighed with her remorse apparent on her face.
Upon hearing her, Yang Kai felt quite insecure. If Gao Xue Ting learned that the Demon who fought against her on that day was standing in front of her, then who knew what she would do?
Yang Kai quickly changed the subject, “That’s fate, you don’t have to rack your brain over this.”
Gao Xue Ting cast a glance at him then snorted and swung her hand, sending a ray of light out toward him.
Yang Kai was surprised, but he didn’t try to dodge it, as Gao Xue Ting wasn’t trying to attack him. He just stretched his hand and caught the light ray.
When he opened his palm and took a look, he saw a palm-sized token. This token was refined from unknown materials and the back of a cultivator was depicted on its back. It was a large and lofty back, seemingly able to overlook everything under the Heavens. This was just a design, yet Yang Kai could still clearly feel the imposing manner of the man.
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth suddenly twitched when he noticed that the back depicted in the design resembled Wen Zi Shan’s.
As for the front side of the token, only two large characters were carved there.
Azure Sun!
The whole token had a bright and dazzling golden hue.
“This is…” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he looked skeptically at Gao Xue Ting.
“It’s an Identity Token of a disciple of the Temple,” Gao Xue Ting replied calmly.
“Huh…” Yang Kai was surprised and he could only chuckle bitterly and said, “But, Elder Gao, I’m not a disciple of the temple, and it isn’t appropriate for me to take this Identity Token.”
“From now on, you’re a disciple of the temple,” Gao Xue Ting replied.
Yang Kai was taken aback and he could only say, “Elder Gao, this is coercion… Why didn’t you solicit my opinion?”
Gao Xue Ting looked askance at him, “Didn’t I solicit your opinion last time? A long time has passed since then, haven’t you finished mulling it over yet?”
Yang Kai quickly explained, “I need more time to ponder over this. This matter is too complex and I haven’t had time to properly consider it. Elder Gao, please give me more time.”
“How long?”
“Thirty years… maybe fifty…” As Yang Kai said so, he noticed that Gao Xue Ting’s expression turned cold, and he could only say quickly, “However, ten or eight years is also fine…”
“Hehe…” Gao Xue Ting suddenly sneered.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver. His whole body trembling as his feet cramped.
Gao Xue Ting said slowly, “It looks like you have misunderstood something due to my good temper. Do you think it’s so easy to deal with me and I have no prestige at all?”
“Surely not!”
“Then are you looking down on me, are you looking down on our temple?”
“Not at all!”
Gao Xue Ting coldly, snorted “Today, I told Senior Xiao and the others that you’re a disciple of our temple and I have obstructed Lou Chi from recruiting you. If you dare to refuse me again, then I’ll tell them tomorrow that you have been expelled from the temple. Are you aware of what you would face then?”
Yang Kai broke into a cold sweat. He had no idea that Lou Chi planned to recruit him. It looked like his actions had been too eye-catching lately and he attracted the attention of many people. If he wasn’t protected by the halo of his fake status as a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, then the other Masters would quickly begin fighting over him.
Yang Kai suddenly understood why Gao Xue Ting had given him an Identity Token. She didn’t do so to force him to make a choice, but rather to protect him.
A while ago, she had inspected his body carefully, mainly because she was worried that something went wrong during his cultivation.
As he thought of this, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He suddenly felt like it wouldn’t be a bad choice to join Azure Sun Temple, as long as he was in the care of such an Elder.
He let out a breath and cupped his fists with a relieved look plastered on his face, saying with a smile, “Then I’ll have to accept your invitation, many thanks for Elder Gao’s concern.”
Gao Xue Ting cast several glances at him then nodded, “You’re a sensible and promising young man!” She stopped for a moment then added, “But, your situation is quite special and you don’t have to follow the numerous rules of the temple. You can live as usual and the temple won’t interfere in your life too much. Understood?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai rejoiced, “Understood!”
“However, whatever you do in the future, it’s only your business and you don’t represent our temple. If you dare to make any trouble for our temple, then… hmph, you know what will happen to you,” Gao Xue Ting looked at him with her dignified gaze then snorted coldly.
“I know, I know…” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, while his face broke into cold sweat again.
“I have nothing else to say, you have already taken the Identity Token and you’re now a disciple of the Temple. If you face any issues in your cultivation, then I can help you resolve them in my free time,” Gao Xue Ting said in an amicable manner.
Yang Kai was taken aback and he quickly began asking her about some questions he had regarding his recent cultivation.
Gao Xue Ting was quite conscientious and she replied carefully, not concealing anything about her own experiences and comprehensions of the Heaven Dao and Martial Dao.
Gao Xue Ting had assumed that it would be easy to guide a Second-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, but after she chatted with Yang Kai for a while, she became far more serious. All the questions raised by Yang Kai were related to some crucial and profound points that even she had yet to understand thoroughly. And so, the teaching session quickly turned into an equal discussion about their respective Martial Daos.
Yang Kai stayed in the City Lord’s Mansion until dawn before leaving and returning to his courtyard in the Qin Family Residence, seeking Qin Zhao Yang and asking for a private room he could use for secluded cultivation.
…..
Time quickly elapsed and a month or more passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Yang Kai finished his secluded cultivation, having already consolidated his cultivation that had just reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm not long ago.
In his secluded room, Yang Kai had just inspected his body and he was very satisfied with his progress. Yet all of a sudden, he detected something and his expression turned strange. He quickly took out the Insect Enslavement Bracelet then entered it with his Soul Avatar to check it.
When he had been in Azure Sun Temple, he had asked for a lot of Facetless Profound Grass from Gao Xue Ting and he had used them to nurture his Soul Devouring Insects. Over the last period, the Soul Devouring Insects had been devouring each other in the large jar and engaging a kind of evolution.
But, it was only on this day that they finally showed some substantial progress.
The Soul Devouring Insects were ranked eleventh in the Heaven List of the Exotic Insect List, a very high place, and they had been very useful to him in the Divine Ascension Mirror. It was due to this that Yang Kai now placed more hopes on them.
After he detected some disturbance, he quickly went to check on them.
The jar was as peaceful as ever, as if all Soul Devouring Insects were still asleep, but Yang Kai had refined the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and he had a thorough understanding of all insects in its sealed space. That’s why he knew clearly that the stillness was only a facade.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn and he waited for a long time before he made up his mind. Weaving a seat of seals with his hands, he opened the jar.
When he peeked inside to take a look, he found out that it was filled completely with milky-white cocoons. There were cracks in many cocoons and evolved Soul Devouring Insects were crawling out of them, eating the remains.
As time elapsed, more Soul Devouring Insects emerged from their cocoons and a buzzing noise continued to echo inside the jar, as if a myriad of insects were gnawing on something.
“They’re so big!” Yang Kai was startled.
Originally, the Soul Devouring Insects were tiny organisms that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye and could only be discovered with Divine Sense. But, after they devoured each other and evolved this time, their size had increased greatly.
Each one was as big as a grain of rice and its body was covered by black patterns. These patterns had a demonic aura and it was obviously because they had once devoured an Ancient Demon’s Pure Demon Qi.
It wasn’t limited to just this, the Soul Devouring Insects looked more vicious than before and even Yang Kai was a little scared of them.
In less than a quarter of an hour, all of the Soul Devouring Insects broke free of their cocoons. Having gotten enough nutrition, those insects flapped their wings and flew out of the jar.
Yang Kai moved back warily and observed them from afar.
A cloud of insects quickly formed above the jar. The number of Soul Devouring Insects was obviously lower than before by a large margin, but their power and size were vastly improved.
Yang Kai was quite surprised. If he had travelled in the Divine Ascension Mirror with these insects, even if he ran into an Emperor Realm Master like Ban Qing, he wouldn’t have had to resort to cheap ruses and could have simply repelled him head-on.
After Yang Kai observed the Soul Devouring Insects for a long while, he suddenly issued them a command.
The flying Soul Devouring Insects flew towards Yang Kai, emitting a ceaseless buzzing noise. Yang Kai stood in place with a solemn look plastered on his face, raising his guard against them in preparation for any unexpected accidents.
In a short while, he was surrounded by Soul Devouring Insects, and one of them landed on him and stopped flapping its wings, laying there calmly, shortly followed by more of them.
A large mass of insects fell upon him, wrapping him completely and hiding his body, but these Soul Devouring Insects only laid there peacefully and didn’t mount an attack against Yang Kai. They all obeyed the orders Yang Kai issued due to the formless connection between them.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai laughed loudly. The Insect Enslavement Bracelet was really a precious treasure.
In the Divine Ascension Mirror World, he had detected that his original batch of Soul Devouring Insects was starting to resist his control, and he didn’t have any mental connection with the new batch he obtained from Tian Yan. Yet now, all of the Soul Devouring Insects that had evolved obeyed his commands and he was able to perfectly order them around. This was all thanks to the Insect Enslavement Bracelet!
This Emperor Artifact didn’t have any offensive or defence power, yet it could control all forms of Exotic Insects in this world. It was the fruit of the Insect Emperor’s lifetime of work. Naturally, it was supremely effective against the Soul Devouring Insects.
Now, Yang Kai didn’t have any more qualms, as even if he ran into a powerful enemy in the future, he would be able to deal with them with these Soul Devouring Insects.
It looked like the inner space of the Insect Enslavement Bracelet was able to nurture Exotic Insects. The Exotic Insects in it wouldn’t weaken and die, only grow stronger.
However, Yang Kai obviously had to feed the Soul Devouring Insects enough Facetless Profound Grass to raise their growth speed.
The Facetless Profound Grass wasn’t a precious spirit grass and many Sects could cultivate it, so it wasn’t difficult to obtain. However, Yang Kai needed a large amount and he would have to pay a large sum to purchase them.
If it was in the past, Yang Kai might not have been able to afford such expenses, but now, he had gotten his hands on a Source Crystal lode and he wouldn’t have to worry about a shortage of Source Crystals in the near future. Therefore, he could carry out large purchases without any restraints.
As he thought of this, Yang Kai quickly left the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and opened his eyes, then stood up and opened the door of the room. He planned to make a trip to the city and buy Facetless Profound Grass.
But, as he pushed open the door and left, he detected unusual World Energy in the vicinity. It looked like the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City had increased greatly during his secluded cultivation.
Yang Kai was very surprised by this. Lou Chi had used the Emperor Artifact, Unified Ceremonial Record, to seal the Spirit Lake, so the World Energy should have turned thinner, going back to its normal state.
But, the opposite had occurred. The density of World Energy didn’t drop, but rather it increased further. This was bewildering!
At this moment, a pretty silhouette rushed toward him and landed in front of him. It was Ye Jing Han!
“Young Master Yang, you finally exited your retreat!” Ye Jing Han sized him up with her eyes and she noticed that his aura had turned more stable and restrained. She couldn’t help but say out of envy, “Young Master Yang, it looks like you have made pretty good progress.”
“It’s not much.” Yang Kai grinned in response. He had already decided to leave for Thousand Leaves Sect with Ye Jing Han so he didn’t shun her as before.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he asked in surprise, “Did you stand guard here all along?”
Ye Jing Han smiled sheepishly, “In any case, I have nothing else to do.”
“You can set your mind at ease, I have already accepted your request so I won’t run away. I’ll surely take a trip to your Thousand Leaves Sect with you.”
“I wasn’t keeping watch on you…” Ye Jing Han quickly waved her hand with a flustered look, “It’s just… It’s just that…”
She stammered for a long while, yet couldn’t come with any excuse, and she only got more flustered, as she was afraid to incur Yang Kai’s wrath.
Yang Kai smiled, “Just forget it! Let’s go together to make some purchases. We’ll set off right away after I’m done with them.”
Delight appeared on the face of Ye Jing Han and she quickly nodded, then said, “Good, good…”
As such, they both rushed into the city. On the way, Yang Kai noticed that there were fewer cultivators in Maplewood City than before, and it wasn’t as lively as usual. But, every cultivator in the street was beaming, as if they all had a fortuitous encounter lately. He was puzzled by this and could only ask, “Why are they all smiling? Did something good occur recently?”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and said with a smile, “The current Maplewood City isn’t the same as before. Its World Energy is denser than before by at least three or fivefold, that’s why they’re all happy.”
“By the way, I was just about to ask about this,” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her, “What happened to the World Energy here? Why did it become so dense?”
Ye Jing Han said, “Young Master Yang, you have been in seclusion for the last month so you obviously have no idea about the latest changes of Maplewood City. A month ago, Star Soul Palace’s Senior Xiao and several other Seniors carried out a discussion that lasted several days and decided to turn the Spirit Lake into a public cultivation paradise.”
“They summoned manpower from each of their Sects for this project and finished the work ten days ago. The Spirit Lake has already made a name for itself in the Southern Territory as a wondrous cultivation paradise and many cultivators have swarmed over to make use of it. Numerous residents of Maplewood City have also gone there to observe it and that’s why the city is so deserted.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood why so few people were present in Maplewood City. They had all gone to observe the Spirit Lake and join in the fun.
“That land has been named the Spirit Lake Palace by Xiao Yu Yang and the other Seniors. The land has a large expanse and numerous rooms were built there, rooms suitable for secluded cultivation.”
“Spirit Lake Palace?” Yang Kai raised his brows
Ye Jing Han said with a smile, “That’s right.”
Yang Kai said with a pensive look, “Who is the manager of the Spirit Lake Palace and… Who is its owner?”
Ye Jing Han said, “The great Sects don’t plan to seize it and it is jointly managed by Maplewood City, Star Soul Palace, and the other great Sects. It is open to the entire Southern Territory. Anyone can enter it and cultivate there as long as they pay enough Source Crystals.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was surprised, “Even Maplewood City has the right to manage it?”
“That’s a matter of course. The Spirit Lake Palace is next to Maplewood City and it is best to have the City Lord manage certain aspects of it. Now, Maplewood City has already made a name for itself with this amazing exploit.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I can bet that City Lord Duan is thrilled right now.”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips, “Actually, even though City Lord Duan is still at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, his status has risen greatly thanks to the Spirit Lake Palace and he’s already on equal standing with the Sect Masters of first-class Sects.”
“His status is pretty high, but his cultivation base is still low and he can’t deter the masses,” Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He was quite worried about Duan Yuan Shan.
Ye Jing Han cast a glance at him. “Young Master Yang, you don’t have to worry about him. Senior Xiao has already taken care of this by accepting City Lord Duan and Vice City Lord Drunkard as Outer Disciples of Star Soul Palace. Those two have also gotten a sinecure in Azure Sun Temple, Heavenly Martial Holy Land, and the other top Sects.”
Upon hearing this, a startled look showed up on the face of Yang Kai, “Is that alright?”
Ye Jing Han covered her mouth and chuckled. She said, “They probably had no other choice.”
“Those Seniors are all quite sharp,” Yang Kai shook his head and smiled bitterly. “I have never heard about a similar occurrence, but I can still bet that none will dare to belittle City Lord Duan and Drunkard now, much less oppose them.”
The cultivations of Duan Yuan Shan and Drunkard weren’t high, but their backers were all the top Sects of the Southern Territory, so it wouldn’t be difficult for them to manage Maplewood City and the Spirit Lake Palace.
If anyone dared to violate their commands, it would be equivalent to opposing all the top factions of the Southern Territory. Which daredevil had the guts to attempt this?
“Senior Xiao is a virtuous and magnanimous person. As expected of Star Soul Palace, the overlord of the Southern Territory. They have outstanding bearing,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
If Star Soul Palace wanted to seize the Spirit Lake Palace, then none would dare to fight back; after all, Star Soul Palace was overseen by Bright Moon Great Emperor and the other top Sects couldn’t contend against them.
But Star Soul Palace didn’t do so and instead led the various factions to turn the Spirit Lake Palace into a Cultivation Paradise open to the entire Southern Territory. From this deed alone, one could see the magnanimity and integrity of this hegemon Sect.
Not every sect would do the same. If Azure Sun Temple’s Wen Zi Shan got his hand on this Cultivation Paradise, then he would likely hide it away and use it for just the disciples of Azure Sun Temple.
That wasn’t a strange matter, as people had different priorities and none would put thoughts into the issues of other people for no reason.
“Go on,” Yang Kai said.
“The Spirit Lake Palace has imitated the structure of the Cultivation Paradise of Star Soul Palace and is divided into three grades: Mortal, Earth, and Heaven. The Mortal Grade Cultivation Paradise is open to cultivators at the Origin Returning Realm or below, while the Earth Grade Cultivation Paradise is open to cultivators at the Dao Source Realm or below. As for the Heaven Grade rooms, they are only open to Emperor Realm Masters.”
As Ye Jing Han spoke up to here, a longing look appeared on her face, as if she yearned for the supreme Emperor Realm, “The entry fee of every grade is higher than the one below it, and it’s said that the Heaven Grade Cultivation Paradise costs a thousand High-Rank Source Crystals for a day and you can only pay with High-Rank Source Crystals. You can’t use an equivalent amount of Mid-Rank or Low-Rank Source Crystal.”
“This price is too… horrifying!” Yang Kai said with a distressed look.
A thousand High-Rank Source Crystals was tantamount to a hundred thousand Mid-Rank or ten million Low-Rank Source Crystals, and that was the fee for a single day. When someone entered secluded cultivation, the shortest it normally lasted was half a month.
Moreover, if they wanted to study and comprehend some Secret Techniques or Arts, they would spend an entire year or more in cultivation, and this was even more obvious for Emperor Realm Masters, as they might easily spend several or dozens of years in secluded cultivation.
The number of Source Crystals they would have to pay for this was almost immeasurable.
Moreover, they were still limited to only High-Rank Source Crystals. The conditions were quite severe.
“But, I guess most Emperor Realm Masters are wealthy, and if they wanted to advance further on the Martial Dao, they might not mind wasting mere worldly possessions to do so,” Yang Kai said with a pensive look.
“You’re right, the Heaven Grade Cultivation Paradise of the Spirit Lake Palace is probably on par with the Heaven Grade ones in Star Soul Palace, and all Emperor Realm Masters would want to give it a try. If they managed to make a breakthrough during their occupancy, it would be worth it no matter how high the price,” Ye Jing Han approved of the opinion of Yang Kai and she said. “But, there are only thirty Heaven Grade Cultivation Rooms.”
“Thirty rooms… Then those Seniors would have an intense fight over them.” Yang Kai nodded.
Thirty rooms seemed plenty, but it really was not. Emperor Realm Masters weren’t commonly seen, but even if there weren’t a thousand in the Southern Territory, there were at least eight hundred, and only those from Star Soul Palace wouldn’t be interested in the Heaven Grade Cultivation Rooms here. As for the rest, they would all covet a secluded cultivation in those rooms.
Once news about it spread out, thirty rooms wouldn’t be nearly enough!
“That’s those Seniors’ business and it isn’t something the likes of me has to agonize over,” Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and smiled.
“What’s the number of Earth and Mortal Grade Rooms?” Yang Kai asked next.
“It looks like there are 500 Earth Grade Rooms and 3,000 Mortal Grade Rooms…”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly. The number of rooms looked low and far from enough, but not every person could afford a cultivation session in the Spirit Lake Palace and could only observe those rooms from afar.
The income of Maplewood City would reach an astronomical figure thanks to those rooms, but it would likely be divided between the top Sects and only a little would be left for the city. Despite this, Duan Yuan Shan and the others would quickly get rich.
“It is as you say…” Ye Jing Han’s voice suddenly turned low and she spoke in a mystifying tone, “However, this is only a rumour, but it is said that the Spirit Lake Palace has some additional rooms left for the top Sects, which aren’t open to the public. Disciples of those Sects can use those rooms for free, and they can stay there as long as they want.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai raised his brows, “Is that true?”
Ye Jing Han said, “The source of this information isn’t known, but it seems to be quite reliable; after all, the Spirit Lake Palace was built by those top Sects, so it only makes sense for them to reserve some rooms for themselves.”
“That’s understandable!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Now, he was also a disciple of Azure Sun Temple and he had an Identity Token in his hands. If the news was reliable, then he could use the token to cultivate in one of those rooms for free.
“In addition, the great Sects arranged a powerful Spirit Array that would lead the World Energy leaking out from the Spirit Lake Palace into Maplewood City, which is why the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City has risen so much.”
“So that’s what happened…” Yang Kai suddenly understood the reason why the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City had risen greatly rather than decreasing. It turned out that it was because an array was leading the World Energy of the Spirit Lake Palace here.
Now, Maplewood City was also much more suitable for cultivation than before. Even if it wasn’t on par with the Spirit Lake Palace, it was still a good fortune for the cultivators residing in Maplewood City.
“Maplewood City will become one of the greatest cities of the Southern Territory in less than two years. I heard that the two great chambers of commerce will also establish branches here.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “The two chambers of commerce wouldn’t miss any chance to make money.”
As they chatted, they quickly reached Spirit Pill Plaza. The shop wasn’t any different from before and there weren’t many customers shopping at the moment. In fact, only the shop-hand was present while the shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen.
Since Kang Si Ran had been transferred, Yang Kai had not visited Spirit Pill Plaza again until now and he couldn’t help sighing inwardly upon seeing it.
After all, Spirit Pill Plaza was the first place he ‘settled’ in Maplewood City.
“Are you… Grandmaster Yang?” A surprised cry reached the ears of Yang Kai and pulled him out of his trance. He raised his head to take a look and saw the shop hand gazing at him excitedly.
“Shop hand, how have you been lately?” Yang Kai greeted him with a smile.
When he had been refining pills in Spirit Pill Plaza, he often contacted this shop hand so, naturally, they weren’t strangers. However, due to various circumstances Yang Kai never actually learned this young lad’s name.
“Good, very good!” The shop-hand said excitedly and incoherently from Yang Kai even remembering his appearance, “Many thanks, Grandmaster Yang, for your concern.”
After he spoke, he quickly ran into the store, shouting, “Grandmaster Yang has come back. Shopkeeper, Grandmaster Yang has come back!”
“Why is he acting like that?” Ye Jing Han looked in confusion at Yang Kai, wondering what was wrong with the shop-hand.
Yang Kai said, “I refined pills in this Spirit Pill Plaza for a couple of months in the past.”
“So that’s the reason.”
“Let’s go in,” Yang Kai gestured to her lightly. He had noticed that after the crazy shouts of the shop-hand, the few customers who were here to make purchases of pills all turned to give him strange gazes, which was why he urged Ye Jing Han to head further inside.
After he walked past the lobby, he ran into a fatty with a gleaming face clad in luxurious clothes on his way to the back of the store. This fat man looked about forty years old and had an impressive belly.
This was obviously the new shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza and he was also a Third-Order Origin King cultivator, the same as Kang Si Ran before his recent breakthrough.
The fatty wiped off the sweat from his forehead and said anxiously, “Where is Grandmaster Yang?”
As his voice fell, he suddenly raised his head and sighted upon Yang Kai. He quickly cupped his fists at him and said, “Greetings Grandmaster Yang, I am the current shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza, Zhou Fu, I apologize sincerely for failing to welcome you personally, please don’t take offense.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists to him and said with a smile, “Shopkeeper Zhou is too polite. It was I who came unannounced.”
As they exchanged greetings, two more people raced out from the back rooms shouting anxiously, “Who is Grandmaster Yang, where is he?”
One of them surveyed the surroundings before his gaze fell upon Yang Kai and he immediately asked, “Are you Grandmaster Yang?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at him. This man had dishevelled hair and sunken, bloodshot eyes, as if he hadn’t rested in a long while. The other man standing next to him was in similar condition.
What’s more, Yang Kai could smell a faint pill fragrance lingering around this pair’s bodies.
Yang Kai quickly realized their occupations and he smiled at them, “I don’t dare to call myself a Grandmaster, but this one is indeed surnamed Yang.”
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the two people shone brightly and they stared at Yang Kai with an ardent gaze. Cupping their fists, they bowed deeply, “Greetings, Grandmaster Yang.”
“Two friends are too polite,” Yang Kai smiled before he turned to Zhou Fu, “Shopkeeper Zhou, can we go inside to have a chat?”
He gestured lightly toward the people in the vicinity. The customers making purchases in the store were all observing them in confusion, making guesses about the identity of Yang Kai and why the members of Spirit Pill Plaza were so respectful to him.
Zhou Fu said awkwardly, “How negligent of me! Grandmaster Yang, please come in.”
“Yes, yes, Grandmaster Yang, please come inside,” the two men behind him quickly made way for Yang Kai respectfully.
“Have the best spirit tea prepared immediately,” as Zhou Fu said so, he kicked the shop-hand observing them, sending the latter scurrying to complete his task.
After a short while, Yang Kai sat down in the backroom with Ye Jing Han standing behind him like a bodyguard, while Zhou Fu and his companions stood before him.
“Friends, please sit,” Yang Kai said and gestured to them lightly.
“No, we don’t have the right to sit in the presence of Grandmaster Yang, we’ll just stand!” Zhou Fu quickly waved his hand in refusal.
“That’s right, that’s right.”
“Kneeling is also fine!” One of the two Alchemists suddenly suggested, drawing light laughter from Ye Jing Han’s lips. She simply couldn’t understand why Yang Kai had so much prestige here.
Yang Kai didn’t force them to sit down anymore and instead asked, “Have you received any instructions from Shopkeeper Kang?”
Zhou Fu’s expression turned austere as he said, “Shopkeeper Kang has contacted us multiple times, inquiring about Grandmaster Yang, but until today none of us had seen Your Excellency, nor could we obtain any information about you. Fortunately, news spread from the Four Seasons Realm about Grandmaster Yang, allowing us to give a confession to Shopkeeper Kang,” Zhou Fu said and chuckled bitterly.
Yang Kai nodded, “Shopkeeper Kang is quite considerate, how is he doing now?”
Zhou Fu explained, “Very good, I heard that he’ll shortly return to Maplewood City.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed and he said, “Is it because of the matter about Violet Source Chamber of Commerce setting up a branch here?”
Zhou Fu said, “Grandmaster Yang, you are indeed well-informed. Violet Source Chamber of Commerce decided to open a branch in Maplewood City and they decided to assign Kang Si Ran as a Manager. He has been conducting business here for many years and has an extensive network of contacts, making it easier to deal with diverse affairs in this city.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Brother Kang will finally be rewarded for his hard work.”
In the past, Maplewood City was just an insignificant city, the likes of which could be found anywhere, so Kang Si Ran had been eager to transfer away after reaching the Dao Source Realm. However, the current Maplewood City was on the cusp of becoming a great city, which was why Violet Source Chamber of Commerce was transferring Kang Si Ran back here. They obviously trusted his ability and the latter would surely obtain many benefits and a prominent status as a result.
As a matter of fact, this was really what happened. Kang Si Ran had stayed in this city for so many years and he had a good relationship with the City Lord’s Mansion and the Patriarchs of the various great families, which was why he was a perfect candidate to become a Manager in Maplewood City’s branch.
After they chatted for a while, Yang Kai suddenly changed the topic of discussion and said, “Shopkeeper Zhou, I visited Spirit Pill Plaza today to ask for your help.”
Zhou Fu’s face became rosy and he said in a deep voice, “Grandmaster Yang, what instructions do you have for me? Please feel free to speak. This Zhou will walk through fire and cross oceans for you!”
“Hehe, it’s nothing so grave.” Yang Kai chuckled and waved his hand, “I want to purchase some Facetless Profound Grass, you know of it, don’t you?”
“Facetless Profound Grass?” Shopkeeper Zhou raised his brows and said, “I am indeed familiar with it and our Spirit Pill Plaza has some in stock. If Grandmaster Yang has need of it, he may take all of it as a gift.”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “The stock in Spirit Pill Plaza is far from enough.”
Zhou Fu said, “How much do you want?”
“The more the better!”
“I’ll send people to collect it from the other shops in the city. Grandmaster Yang will not be disappointed by the results.”
“Many thanks, Shopkeeper Zhou,” Yang Kai said and cupped his fists.
Zhou Fu smiled, “Grandmaster Yang is far too polite. Grandmaster Yang is the saviour of our Spirit Pill Plaza as well as a former member of it, it is only natural that this Zhou fulfils your little request.”
Zhou Fu quickly went to handle matters related to the Facetless Profound Grass.
Actually, Yang Kai could have handled this and purchased them by himself, but he would have wasted a lot of time and energy on it; on the other hand, Zhou Fu was in touch with the shopkeepers of the other stores in Maplewood City and he could quickly get any materials from them, making him more efficient than Yang Kai.
After Zhou Fu left, the two men with dishevelled hair looked at Yang Kai excitedly, “Grandmaster Yang, do you need Facetless Profound Grass to refine pills?”
Yang Kai smiled, “You could say so. Friends, it looks like you are also Alchemists, aren’t you?”
“Indeed! We’re very honoured to undertake the same craft as Grandmaster Yang,” one of them replied with a fawning smile.
As for the other person, “Grandmaster Yang, we’ve looked up to you for so long, yet never had the chance to meet you and didn’t expect that we’d be fortunate to run into you today.”
The two Alchemists were both slick-tongued and they spoke one after the other with a respectful and humble look plastered on their faces. It was almost like they were worshipping Yang Kai!
Ye Jing Han observed this in shock. She felt like her worldview had been toppled and she almost couldn’t believe what she had just seen.
As far as she knew, Alchemists were arrogant and prideful people and she never got to see them praising and flattering someone.
But, as she gave more thought to this, she realized that Alchemists only gave respect to better Alchemists. Yang Kai had refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, so it wasn’t strange for two Origin King Grade Alchemists to treat him so respectfully.
Even at this moment, the two Alchemists were still showering Yang Kai with flattery and praising him to the highest Heavens.
Yang Kai let out a hollow cough, “Friends, don’t you have any questions for me? I have some free time now…”
Upon hearing this, the two Alchemists exchanged a glance and they could both see the excitement apparent in each other’s eyes. One of them then took the initiative to speak up, “Grandmaster Yang, you are indeed sharp and insightful! We have heard that the Source Condensing Pills refined by Grandmaster Yang when he worked at Spirit Pill Plaza were quite popular. But, since we took over, we noticed that our Source Condensing Pills lacked something and many customers were dissatisfied with that, which is why the number of our store’s customers has gone down lately.”
“We just want… Want to… Grandmaster Yang, if you have some free time, can you please share your insights into the Alchemic Dao with us?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai asked, “Does Spirit Pill Plaza still use the improved recipe for Source Condensing Pills? The one improved by Grandmaster Huang Fu?”
“That’s right, Grandmaster Huang Fu is an Emperor Grade Alchemist, and he is the foundation of our Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Alchemists.”
“Since you are still using Grandmaster Huang Fu’s recipe, then there is no issue with the ingredients or process, so the problem must be in your refining methods. It won’t be useful to just explain it to you in words… Why don’t you refine a batch of Source Condensing Pills while I observe?” Yang Kai proposed.
Upon hearing this, the two Alchemists became fired up. They had both realized that Yang Kai was planning to give them practical guidance, a rare opportunity far from the reach of most people, so how could they refuse his request? They both shouted at the same time, “We will obey Grandmaster’s instructions! Grandmaster, please come this way.”
Yang Kai nodded and stood up, allowing the two Alchemists to guide him to the underground Pill Room. Ye Jing Han also followed them closely out of curiosity.
She was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but she had never observed someone refine pills up close before so she was quite interested in this.
After a short while, the small group reached the blazing hot underground Pill Room. There was a Spirit Array here for drawing out Earth Fire used in Alchemy, and Yang Kai was quite familiar with it because he had worked here for a few months.
The two Alchemists took out a batch of materials and started refining pills, while Yang Kai stood in front of them and observed carefully.
It wasn’t difficult for him to guide two High-Rank Origin King Grade Alchemists with his current attainments in Alchemy. Refining technique, Spirit Array portrayal, heat control, each aspect could influence the quality of Spirit Pills.
During the process, Yang Kai offered suggestions frequently and the two Alchemists accepted his advice humbly.
In the twinkling of an eye, half a day elapsed. The Alchemists opened their furnaces and they had both refined five or six pills of decent quality. They were quite delighted by the results and were very grateful to Yang Kai.
At this moment, Zhou Fu passed a message to Yang Kai, telling him that he had acquired the Facetless Profound Grass.
Yang Kai excused himself, leaving the two Alchemists to digest the gains from this brief instructional session, and returned to the plaza’s backroom.
Upon seeing Yang Kai, Zhou Fu, who had been waiting, quickly took out a Space Ring, “I have fulfilled your task. This ring has 2,000 stalks of Facetless Profound Grass. Please accept it!”
Yang Kai raised his brows and nodded, “Shopkeeper Zhou, you work quite fast.”
2,000 stalks of Facetless Profound Grass would sustain his needs for a long time, and Zhou Fu had used only half a day to collect them. He obviously put a lot of effort into this. If Yang Kai had done it by himself, he wouldn’t have been able to purchase so much in half a day.
“About the price…” Yang Kai took the Space Ring then raised his head to ask.
Zhou Fu hurriedly replied, “The Facetless Profound Grass isn’t worth much, just take it as a token of my regards for you. Please don’t reject it!”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “You don’t have to do so, you deserve proper remuneration.”
Saying so, Yang Kai suddenly waved his hand and a small mountain of Source Crystals appeared on a nearby table.
Yang Kai didn’t wait for the response from Zhou Fu before his body flickered and disappeared from the room. Even Ye Jing Han had disappeared along with him.
But, his voice still reverberated in Zhou Fu’s ears, “Whenever Shopkeeper Kang returns to Maplewood City, please notify me. When we meet again, we’ll have to drink to celebrate.”
Zhou Fu stared in a daze at the Source Crystals on the table and let out a bitter laugh.
…..
In one of the city’s streets, Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han suddenly appeared.
When Ye Jing Han re-appeared, she stumbled on the ground and almost fell. Her face was quite pale as she looked aghast at Yang Kai and asked, “Young Master Yang, is this your… teleportation ability?”
“Are you alright?” Yang Kai didn’t reply to her question and instead inquired about her well-being.
“It is my first time experiencing such a teleportation and I could clearly feel the chaotic flow of the Void around me. I still feel some lingering fear,” Ye Jing Han said.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Then you’re still fine.”
Saying so, he took out a communication artifact and started sending his Divine Sense into it.
“Young Master Yang, who are you speaking to?” Ye Jing Han asked.
“Oh, I was planning to set out now so I need to leave a message for Patriarch Qin.”
“You don’t want to bid farewell to him in person?” Ye Jing Han looked strangely at him.
“There’s no need. In any case, I will return here in the future and Patriarch Qin is quite busy right now. Didn’t you tell me that the Patriarchs of Maplewood City’s families had all followed City Lord Duan to manage the Spirit Lake Palace?”
Ye Jing Han said, “If it’s only about Patriarch Qin, then I suppose that’s fine, but what about Young Lady Qin…”
“What’s about her?” Yang Kai turned his head and cast a glance at her, saying, “When I exited my retreat, I checked her aura stealthily and she seemed fine. Her state is already stable and her vitality is quite abundant.”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and smiled, “Young Master Yang, while you were in seclusion, Young Lady Qin came to your room daily and waited for no less than two hours each time. She probably has something she wishes to tell you, so why not give her a chance?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her and his mouth twitched slightly, “Are all women so gossipy?”
As his voice fell, he used the communication artifact to leave a message for Qin Zhao Yang, telling him he would be leaving Maplewood City for a while and would come back again if there was a chance.
The Myriads Sword of the Qin Family was still in his hands, but he already had an agreement with Qin Zhao Yang about it. Once Qin Yu reached the Emperor Realm, he would return the Myriads Sword to the Qin Family. He couldn’t break his relationship with the Qin Family due to this, but he didn’t know when Qin Yu would reach the Emperor Realm, or whether she ever would.
Soon after, he took out the Identity Token of Azure Sun Temple to inform Gao Xue Ting that he would shortly leave. This token wasn’t just proof of his status and identity, it also served as a communication artifact. As long as there was another member of Azure Sun Temple in the vicinity, he could communicate with them through this token.
“That’s…” Ye Jing Han’s pretty eyes stared at the golden token with a pensive look, but when she saw the ‘Azure Sun’ characters carved on it, her body shivered and she cried out in alarm, “An Azure Sun Golden Token!”
Yang Kai looked in surprise at her, wondering why she had such a strong reaction.
“Young Master Yang, it turns out you’re a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple! Please forgive me for my previous disrespect…” Ye Jing Han laughed bitterly while an envious look surfaced on her face.
“A Core Disciple?” Yang Kai raised his brows, “How do you know that?”
Ye Jing Han looked strangely at Yang Kai and said, “Young Master Yang, you’re a member of Azure Sun Temple, so how come you don’t know how they classify their disciples?”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched and he could only say awkwardly, “I’m only an in-name disciple of Azure Sun Temple, not a real disciple.”
“Then this golden token…” Ye Jing Han’s forehead filled with cold sweat as she felt her head spinning, her whole body shivering greatly. She couldn’t help but wonder whether Yang Kai had stolen this token from someone. If he had done so, then she would incur a disaster for Thousand Leaves Sect by inviting this man into it.
“Elder Gao forced it onto me,” Yang Kai said resentfully.
“She forced it… onto you…” Ye Jing Han almost fainted. Numerous talented youths of the Southern Territory fought with their lives on the line just to obtain the most common Identity Token from Azure Sun Temple, while a Core Disciples token had been ‘forced’ into Yang Kai’s hands by Elder Gao, as if he had accepted it only reluctantly.
Ye Jing Han suddenly felt quite unwell, while she got a dizzy spell and her vision turned blurry. She couldn’t help but wonder whether it was due to the previous teleportation or something else.
“Huh? Why is your face so pale? Did you eat something bad this morning?” Yang Kai cast a glance at her and spoke.
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han looked entreatingly at Yang Kai, “Please don’t make such terrible jokes, I’m quite excitable, so please stop trying to scare me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Young Master Yang, don’t you know what this Azure Sun Golden Token represents?”
Yang Kai said sternly, “I only received it a month ago and have been in seclusion since then. What’s so special about this token?”
Ye Jing Han took a deep breath, causing her tall peaks to heave up and down heavily, like they were about to break through her dress.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but cast some frequent glances just below her neck.
After Ye Jing Han calmed herself, she explained, “The Identity Tokens of Azure Sun Temple’s disciples are all made of the same materials, but they are divided into three grades, bronze, silver, and gold. In the Temple, only a few top disciples of the Inner Sect possess an Azure Sun Golden Token, and with it, they are able to command all disciples with lower grade tokens. A person with a golden token has status equal to an ordinary Elder and they can even mobilize the personnel of the various industries of Azure Sun Temple across the entire Southern Territory. Whether it is requesting support, issuing commands, or borrowing resources, this token grants such authority. It is incredibly precious!”
“Oh, really?”
Upon hearing all of this, a stupefied look appeared on Yang Kai’s face. He didn’t know that the Identity Tokens of Azure Sun Temple’s disciples were divided into several grades.
It looked like the Azure Sun Golden Token given to him by Gao Xue Ting was anything but ordinary, and it was a symbol of her trust in him, as well as her recognition of his potential.
“Young Master Yang, you really didn’t know anything?” Ye Jing Han laughed bitterly.
“It’s just a token,” Yang Kai replied casually before he infused his Divine Sense into the token then sent a notification for Gao Xue Ting before placing it back. “Let’s go!”
The complex look apparent on the face of Ye Jing Han was quickly replaced by excitement and she nodded, “Okay!”
As her voice fell, Yang Kai’s power had already enveloped her and they teleported outside the city. Soon after, Yang Kai took out the wooden boat Artifact and stepped on it then beckoned to her, waiting for her to get on before weaving a set of hand seals and setting off.
The wooden boat wasn’t big, but it was still more than enough to accommodate two people standing on it. Besides, this was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank Flight Artifact, an artifact close to Emperor Grade, so its speed was quite outstanding.
Prior to this ordeal, he didn’t even remember where he had once heard the name of Thousand Leaves Sect and he had no understanding of it. That’s why he briefly questioned Ye Jing Han about it on the journey.
According to what Ye Jing Han had said, the Thousand Leaves Sect had been one of the first-class Sects of the Southern Territory long ago. It hadn’t been on par with peak-level sects such as Azure Sun Temple and Heavenly Martial Holy Land, but it still wasn’t too far from them.
However, since the entrance to its Sealed World had been sealed, the Sect lost access to abundant World Energy, as well as numerous pieces of its core inheritance. As a result, it had quickly declined and it grew weaker with each passing year.
In the current generation of Ye Jing Han’s father, the Sect had already declined thoroughly and the only Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator remaining was Sect Master Ye Han. In other words, they were weaker than the Blue Feather Sect!
Blue Feather Sect didn’t have an Emperor Realm Master assuming command, but it still had four Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators the last time Yang Kai visited it.
In the previous opening of the Four Seasons Realm, Blue Feather Sect had still been awarded two entry quotas, while Thousand Leaves Sect didn’t even have one. One could clearly see the disparity between them from this.
Thousand Leaves Sect was located in Thousand Leaves Mountain Range in the Southern Territory’s Jiang Province, and it was around half a month’s journey away from Maplewood City.
Previously, Maplewood City had a Space Array leading to Jiang Province, but it had been destroyed by Drunkard during the desperate fight against the Demon Qi shrouding the city and it hadn’t been repaired since then.
After all, Maplewood City was quite small and the words of Duan Yuan Shan and his companions counted for little. They couldn’t invite competent Array Masters to repair the Space Array.
But, this wasn’t an issue any longer. After settling the Spirit Lake Palace’s affairs, Xiao Yu Yang and the other Emperors would surely dispatch Array Masters from their Sects to repair the Space Array.
Maplewood City would become one of the greatest cities of the Southern Territory and its Space Array would surely be connected to every major city it could.
Yang Kai reckoned that it would be easy for him to return to Maplewood City next time as he would just have to seek any medium-sized city and use its Space Array to instantly travel into Maplewood City.
Along the way, Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han spent their free time chatting, and he learned that the Thousand Leaves Sect was actually a Puppet Refinement Sect, and most of its disciples cultivated the Dao of Puppetry.
This was the first time Yang Kai had run into such a type of Sect in the Star Boundary. There were three thousand Daos which comprised the Martial Dao. Puppet Techniques weren’t weak, but they had strict cultivation requirements and refining puppets was a pretty complex process, which was why few people had any good achievements in this Dao.
But, if one cultivated the Dao of Puppetry to its pinnacle, then they would also be extremely powerful.
“Since your Thousand Leaves Sect mainly cultivates Puppet Techniques, why haven’t I ever seen you use them?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
When they had run into danger below the eighteen Spirit Springs, Ye Jing Han didn’t use her puppets once.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, an embarrassed look appeared on Ye Jing Han’s face and she said awkwardly, “If I tell you, then you would laugh at us. Our Thousand Leaves Sect is known for its Puppet Techniques, but we lost most of our core Puppet Control Techniques after the Sect Master of that generation brought numerous Secret Technique Manuals and books into the Sealed World. As a result, the puppets refined by our Thousand Leaves Sect currently… Aren’t very useful.”
Saying so, she pursed her rosy lips and weaved some hand signs, summoning a little blue bird into her palm.
Yang Kai observed the bird carefully. This was a perfect lifelike imitation of a bird and even had distinctive feathers that gave off a natural lustre. But, if one observed it with their Divine Sense, they would realize that this bird didn’t have a body of flesh and blood and it was just a puppet crafted out of various materials.
Amazement surfaced in Yang Kai’s eyes. If he didn’t observe the bird carefully with his Divine Sense, then he wouldn’t have been able to distinguish it from the real deal.
Soon after, Ye Jing Han weaved hand seals again and pointed her jade-white finger at the bird.
In the next moment, the bird shone brightly and it flapped its little wings, turning its head around and flying up into the air before it started circling around Ye Jing Han, letting out authentic-sounding chirps.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai gasped in amazement and nodded at her with praise, “Your Noble Sect’s Puppet Techniques are outstanding.”
Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed, “Many thanks, Young Master Yang, for the undeserved praise. Our Sect’s current Puppet Techniques could only craft puppets like the one before your eyes. They are useful for gathering intelligence and stealthily tracking, but they are pretty much useless in real battles. This is why… Some of the Elders of our Sect have already started cultivating other methods and Secret Techniques as they believe Puppet Techniques are useless.”
Yang Kai sneered and said, “They are all just too short-sighted.”
Ye Jing Han’s eyes lit up, “Young Master Yang, do you truly believe the Dao of Puppetry is good?”
Yang Kai said firmly, “I haven’t delved into this Dao, but I still know that powerful puppets shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s said that the Star Boundary has some pretty strong puppets, ones so strong that even Emperor Realm Masters would avoid fighting them if they could.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han smiled bitterly, “I don’t aspire to craft such strong puppets, I just wish to halt the decline of our Thousand Leaves Sect. But it’s a pity… The crux of Puppet Refining is the availability of Spirit Energy Hearts and our Sect doesn’t have any methods left to craft High-Grade Spirit Energy Hearts. If we could at least obtain such a method, then regaining our former glory wouldn’t be so impossible.”
“Spirit Energy Hearts?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he suddenly recalled something. Stretching out his hand, he summoned several egg-sized crystals which emitted a strange radiance into his palm.
Ye Jing Han cried out in alarm and without waiting for him to explain anything shouted, “Spirit Energy Hearts? Young Master Yang, why do you have such objects in your possession?”
“I obtained them in the Four Seasons Realm,” Yang Kai replied.
In the Flowing Time Temple, the first trial faced by the crowd was numerous puppets, and after Yang Kai had defeated said puppets, he collected their Spirit Energy Hearts. He only had a few of them though and hadn’t decided what to do with them yet.
“The Four Seasons Realm…”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s expression turned gloomy, but she quickly recovered and asked excitedly, “Young Master Yang, can I have a look at those Spirit Energy Hearts?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her lightly before tossing one of them over.
Ye Jing Han caught it in delight and started playing with it in her hands while observing it carefully like a little kid who had just gotten a new toy. The woman’s delight was apparent on her face!
“The Spirit Arrays engraved on this Spirit Energy Heart look very old, the techniques to engrave the Spirit Veins have already been lost, but this Spirit Energy Heart’s grade is pretty high. If I’m not mistaken, this should have belonged to a Dao Source Grade Puppet, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “That’s right, you’re still able to appraise and identify them accurately it seems.”
“Young Master Yang, please don’t make fun of me. I have been involved in the Dao of Puppetry since my childhood and I have studied it ever since then. If I have this Spirit Energy Heart, then I can craft a Dao Source Grade Puppet…”
Saying so, she clenched the Spirit Energy Heart tightly and looked expectantly at Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang, I have a presumptuous request.”
“Since you know it’s a presumptuous request, don’t raise it,” Yang Kai knew very well what she wanted to ask and swiftly snatched the Spirit Energy Heart back from her, grinning as he said, “I have only a few of these and I want to keep them.”
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han wore a sorrowful look, as if Yang Kai had now thoughtlessly abandoned her after casually sleeping with her, “Why don’t you sell it to me? This object is pretty much useless to you.”
Now, she was only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, the same as Yang Kai, but if she could refine a Dao Source Grade Puppet, then she would be able to raise her combat strength significantly. This wasn’t any different than a Heaven-sent blessing for a person who was engrossed in Puppet Techniques since her childhood.
Moreover, it wasn’t limited to just this. She could still study the internal structure of this Spirit Energy Heart and might be able to comprehend some of its secrets, ultimately enabling her to reproduce it. If she could achieve this feat, then she would be able to raise the power of Thousand Leaves Sect by several-fold.
“Young Master Yang, can you sell one of them to me? I beg of you.”
Upon noticing that Yang Kai was turning a deaf ear to her pleas, Ye Jing Han gripped Yang Kai’s arm and started shaking it repeatedly like a little girl throwing a tantrum.
Yang Kai curled the corners of his lips and revealed an evil grin, chuckling as he said, “Young Lady Ye, we’re now in a desolate area, so is it really appropriate for you to stick so close to me?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed and she immediately realized how inappropriate her current actions were. She quickly let go of him then asked piteously, “Young Master Yang, what do you want in exchange for one of them?”
“I won’t sell it for now,” Yang Kai replied.
“For now?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han raised her brow and she took keen notice of the implication behind Yang Kai’s words, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she asked, “Then when will you sell them?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “That depends on the situation. I may not ever sell them, or I may decide to sell them at a passing opportunity.”
“You’re so…” Ye Jing Han was so enraged that she stamped her feet. She had no way to deal with Yang Kai.
She didn’t get to finish her words though as Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned grave and he stopped the boat. Ye Jing Han who had been standing behind him almost knocked into his back, but she reacted pretty quickly and used her Source Qi to keep her balance. Afterwards, she couldn’t help but ask angrily, “Young Master Yang, what are you up to?”
Yang Kai didn’t reply and just looked coldly into the void in the vicinity with a mocking grin on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
Upon seeing this, Ye Jing Han couldn’t help but question him, while a chill suddenly ran down her spine, as if she was being eyed by some dangerous beast.
A light breeze blew over the serene wilderness and brought with it an austere air.
Ye Jing Han had noticed that something was amiss, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. She just wrapped her outer clothing around herself and stood there with a nervous look on her face.
“Friends, will you show yourselves obediently… Or will I have to make a move and pull you out?” Yang Kai sneered suddenly and shouted at the void.
“What? There is someone here?” Ye Jing Han was alarmed by what she had just heard and she suddenly understood why she felt nervous for no reason. She asked in surprise, “What’s going on?”
“Someone is staring at us,” Yang Kai said with a casual tone without even an ounce of nervousness.
Yang Kai waited for a long while, yet no one responded, so he could only sneer, “It looks like you’re quite confident in your Concealment Technique and you think that I’m just playing tricks with you.”
As his last word echoed out, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly turned fuzzy and he appeared in the next moment a hundred metres ahead of where he stood earlier, palming towards empty space.
*Hong…*
An explosion echoed out, closely followed by an alarmed cry. A silhouette suddenly jumped out of the void and moved back thirty metres before it could regain its balance.
After this one move, Yang Kai returned to the wooden boat and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly stating, “The rest of you should also come out. Don’t waste my time. I don’t want to expose you one by one. You’re not little children, so don’t play such games with me.”
Less than three breaths had elapsed since his voice fell when two more figures revealed themselves. If the one Yang Kai attacked was added to their number, it would make them a group of three.
Ye Jing Han observed in shock. If she didn’t get a warning from Yang Kai, then she wouldn’t have noticed that someone was hiding here. She already knew that Yang Kai was far stronger than her, yet she still didn’t expect that the disparity between them was this great.
After all, she was still a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet she did not manage to detect any danger lurking around them. If those three people had targeted her, then she would have been…
As she thought of this, Ye Jing Han’s whole body got drenched in a cold sweat.
“Hehe…” Yang Kai suddenly laughed and didn’t bother with observing the three that showed themselves, instead turning his head toward an empty region and asking, “Friend, you think your concealment skill is that good? Don’t you know that you’re standing opposite of where the wind is blowing and I can clearly sniff out your scent even though you’re standing that far away from me?”
After Yang Kai said so, another person showed up.
“Is there anyone else?” Ye Jing Han’s pretty face turned pale. After she released her Divine Sense, she realized that the auras of these four were hidden but it was obvious they were all powerful. They were most likely Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators. Anyone among them could easily kill her, yet, they had to face four of them at the same time.
Even though she had a good understanding of Yang Kai’s power, she still got worried for him and she wondered whether he could contend against four of them.
Those four were strange. They did not utter a single word after showing themselves and they all wore hideous ghost masks that hid their facial features.
It still wasn’t limited to just this, the masks were obviously some kind of special artifacts that obstructed the probing of Divine Sense. When Yang Kai had released his Divine Sense to try and see their true faces, he was obstructed by the masks.
Other than the masks, the four wore the same clothing. They all looked capable and experienced and they wore the same black attire with the sole difference between them being the character embroidered on their chests. They were respectively Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain.
The aura emanating from these four was also somewhat unusual. It looked like they had some kind of subtle connection and resonance between them.
Upon noticing this, Yang Kai’s face fell. He had realized that those four people weren’t pushovers and they likely cultivated some sort of Formation Technique.
“Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain?” Ye Jing Han furrowed her brows and a pensive look appeared on her face, as if she had just recalled something.
“Friends, why were you waiting for us here? What do you want with us?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, they still stood there motionless for a long while, before the Ghost Masked Man with the ‘Wind’ character depicted on his clothes suddenly spoke, “Come with us!”
Yang Kai raised his brows and asked, “Who are you? And where do you plan to take us?”
The Thunder-titled cultivator said in a deep voice, “Don’t waste time questioning, you’ll know once you get there.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Sorry, but I’m quite afraid of strangers. I have never met you and I won’t go with you. Hope to see you again.”
As he spoke, he pushed his boat to try to escape, but a sizzling noise rang out at that moment and an arc of lightning flashed from the Thunder-titled cultivator, barring the path forward as he snorted coldly, “This isn’t up to you.”
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted. He was quite amazed by this person’s speed. His short distance movement speed wasn’t any weaker than his own teleportation technique, and from the looks of the Source Qi emitted from this man’s body, he obviously cultivated some sort of Thunder Attribute Secret Art.
Thunder was strong and swift, so it wasn’t strange for this person to possess such high speed.
Yang Kai’s face sank. Those people had obviously hidden here for a long while, and from their attitude and what they had said so far, it was obvious they were here for him.
But, Yang Kai had no idea about the origins of these four, nor their objectives.
The factions he offended lately were only the Flying Saint Palace and the Evil Moon Valley, but those two Sects didn’t have such powerful cultivators and they wouldn’t dare make a move against him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but wonder if it was the Myriad Swords that had brought trouble to him. But upon giving it more thought, he realized that it was quite unlikely. If they were simply after his sword, they wouldn’t have asked him to accompany them, they could just kill him and steal his treasures.
As Yang Kai mulled this over, he said with a smile, “Friend, you’re quite swift. May I ask what I’ll have to do for you after accompanying you?”
“We have nothing to tell you,” The Thunder-titled cultivator replied coldly.
“You’re all so haughty! I see that there is no more room for discussion between us.” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
“Don’t waste your breath with him, just take him down.” The Fire-titled cultivator had a hot temper, probably because he cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s blubbering, he let out a shout and a blood-red dagger appeared in his hand. Pushing his Source Qi, the Fire-titled cultivator sent a cloud of flames towards Yang Kai.
In an instant, the temperature of the area rose drastically and the sky had been dyed by a blazing scarlet colour.
“Blood Dagger!” Ye Jing Han covered her mouth with her little hand and cried in alarm while her pretty eyes flashed in fright!
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and moved away along with Ye Jing Han. He dodged that terrifying strike and appeared again dozens of metres from his former position, staring coldly at the four people around him as he asked, “Do you know the origins of these people?”
“The Blood Dagger, they are from Blood Dagger!” Ye Jing Han replied in alarm.
“Look, I’m asking what this ‘Blood Dagger’ is.” Yang Kai shouted impatiently.
Ye Jing Han took a deep breath, trying to calm down, “Blood Dagger isn’t a Sect per se, but rather an organization, yet it’s more powerful than most top Sects. It isn’t known where its headquarters is located, but its activities span all four Territories of the Star Boundary. They would frequently sell their services and help people resolve their troubles for a fee. As long as you can afford to pay them, they will assassinate anyone for you, and once they make a move, they won’t stop until they eliminate their target.”
As she spoke up to here, Ye Jing Han said in a shivering voice, “Young Master Yang, why is Blood Dagger targeting you?”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he replied, “I’m as confused as you.” He really didn’t even know an organization like Blood Dagger existed prior to this.
Saying so, he shouted at the four, “Friends from Blood Dagger, may I ask you who is after my life?”
“No one!”
Surprisingly enough, the Wind-titled cultivator replied to this question, “We have just received an order from our superiors to bring you to our headquarters. So, please cooperate with us.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “It looks like getting into the limelight is not such a good thing after all.”
“Young Master Yang, you’re still in the mood to joke around?” Ye Jing Han stamped her feet.
“Just take a look at me,” Yang Kai stared at Ye Jing Han earnestly and said in a deep voice, “Does it look like I’m joking around? Am I not in the limelight?”
“You… You… You drive me crazy!” Ye Jing Han was choking back so much rage that her face got flushed.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of something flying through the air suddenly rang out as the Wind-titled cultivator took the opportunity when Yang Kai was talking to Ye Jing Han to suddenly take out his dagger and make a move. He summoned several red blades of wind, which contained a sickening smell of iron, as if they had been formed by fresh blood.
Who knew how many people these cultivators had killed! Their attacks were all bloody and ruthless and had the same vicious aura.
Yang Kai’s body flickered again and he easily dodged the attack. He looked in mockery at the members of Blood Dagger, “If your powers are limited to just this, then go back home. It isn’t that easy to make a living in this world and you may lose your life at any moment.”
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s mockery, those four cultivators remained unmoved with the sole exception being the Fire-titled cultivator, who obviously showed anger in his eyes.
The Wind-titled cultivator nodded, “As expected, he’s proficient in the Dao of Space as the rumours say. It won’t be easy to deal with him.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator added, “That’s the reason why he’s so valuable. We have to take him back with us.”
“Let’s begin!” The Fire-titled cultivation shouted impatiently.
“Go!” As the Wind-titled cultivator shouted, his body shook and his wind surged. As the sound of the air being cut rang out again, a whirlwind started enveloping his body. The man was weaving hand seals with a heavy expression on his face as if he was using a powerful Secret Technique.
Meanwhile, the other three acted similarly, but the force surging out of their bodies was naturally different.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grave and he shouted at Ye Jing Han, “Protect yourself!”
As his voice fell, he flew toward his opponents with the Myriads Sword in his hand. An Emperor Pressure emanated from it while abundant Sword Qi and Sword Intent pervaded the region, as if it would shortly slice off a piece of the world. Yang Kai focused his strike towards the Wind-titled cultivator.
The opponents knew that he was proficient in Space Force, yet they still dared to obstruct him, so obviously they had a trump card up their sleeves and it was likely some Formation Technique.
Yang Kai had no idea about their power and skills, so how could he allow them to cast such a Secret Technique?
As he thrust out his sword, the world shook, like space itself was about to collapse.
The sword light had yet to reach the Wind character cultivator, but its bone-chilling murderous intent had already assaulted him. The man’s pupils contracted as he felt like death was looming over him, but he still didn’t dodge the strike and instead a resolute look flashed across his eyes and he started weaving hand seals at an even higher speed.
Meanwhile, the other three Blood Dagger Masters were still weaving their own hand seals with solemn looks on their faces.
*Weng…*
A faint yet strange noise suddenly echoed out, while the Source Qi of those people surged and a faint halo emerged around them.
Yang Kai’s expression changed. He suddenly discovered that the forces of those four cultivators resonated and connected tightly.
“Motionless… As Mountains…” The Mountain-titled cultivator who hadn’t uttered a word until now suddenly shouted with his face flushed. He patted the void below him with both his hands, letting out a loud slapping noise, followed shortly by a mountain phantom that appeared behind him for a brief moment before it disappeared into his body.
Formless ripples started spreading around the man and they turned into a peculiar power that sealed this region. Sitting cross-legged mid-air, the Mountain man closed his eyes like a monk in meditation, becoming deaf and blind to the outside world.
*Hong…*
In the face of Yang Kai’s Myriads Sword strike, the Wind-titled cultivator curled up the corners of his mouth and revealed a mocking smile.
*Pa…*
The sword strike stopped before the Wind-titled cultivator, but its sharp Sword Qi cut off his black bangs and left a bloody streak on his forehead, yet it still couldn’t take his life with one strike as Yang Kai intended.
The Myriads Sword was blocked by a formless barrier!
“What the hell is this?” Yang Kai’s pupils contracted as he stared in disbelief at the Wind-titled cultivator. He noticed clearly that the opponent didn’t even try to defend against his assault, yet his deadly strike was still obstructed.
The Wind-titled cultivator didn’t wait for Yang Kai to get over his shock before pointing his finger at his chest. A whirlwind containing indomitable power was formed at the tip of his finger.
Yang Kai could only place his sword in front of him in a fluster to defend against this assault, allowing the finger strike to fall upon the Myriads Sword’s blade.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed. He could feel that tremendous power was contained in this strike, as if a great mountain had slammed into him. He was sent flying away, the Source Qi flow within his body becoming disturbed.
A scarlet figure closed in on him silently. The Fire-titled cultivator attacked with his dagger in hand, bringing with him clouds of flames that swept towards Yang Kai.
“Young Master Yang, be careful!” Ye Jing Han’s pretty face turned pale and she cried out in alarm.
*Swoosh!*
The clouds of fire were assisted by a gust of wind. These two powers of different attributes overlapped and fused perfectly. In an instant, the whole sky was dyed in blazing scarlet colour.
Yang Kai could clearly feel the ferocious power contained in this move and his face fell. Just as he planned to teleport away, a sudden crackling noise echoed out, followed closely by the Thunder-titled cultivator who had appeared behind him and thrust his palm at his back.
The palm strike fell upon him directly before Yang Kai had a chance to dodge it. In an instant, arcs of lightning started dancing around him, while Yang Kai who had been obstructed by the lightning quickly got engulfed by the clouds of fire.
The Wind, Thunder, and Fire-titled cultivators cooperated skilfully and their timing was perfect. It was as if he was facing Soul Clones of the same person, rather than three different people. They had cornered Yang Kai with only a few moves.
Upon seeing this, Ye Jing Han’s face turned deathly pale, while her eyes shivered. She observed the raging clouds of fire in silence and asked herself inwardly, [Did he die? Did he die just like that?]
She couldn’t deny that Yang Kai was the strongest Dao Source Realm cultivator she had ever seen. He was prideful and arrogant, with an unyielding nature, but he also had many strange methods she could not begin to comprehend. She had always yearned to make some great achievements in the future like Yang Kai, yet such a great person was suddenly killed before her eyes.
He died so easily, to the point she couldn’t even believe it.
*Shua shua shua…*
The bodies of the Wind, Thunder, and Fire-titled cultivators suddenly flickered and they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the air. They were coldly observing the region below them.
“Did our superiors make a big fuss over nothing? This boy doesn’t amount to much,” The Fire-titled cultivator snorted coldly and said disdainfully.
The Wind-titled cultivator was still observing the clouds of fire with furrowed brows, yet upon hearing the words of the Fire-titled cultivator, he couldn’t help but reprimand angrily, “You attacked him too viciously. Our superiors asked us to bring him back alive! They don’t want a corpse. If he really died, then how are we going to report this?”
The expression of the Fire-titled cultivator changed, as if he just realized that this was anything but good news for them; however, he still said obstinately, “I didn’t know that he was so frail, he couldn’t even take a single move… What should we do now?”
The Wind-titled cultivator snorted coldly, “You should solve the trouble you have made by yourself. Once we get back, I’ll report everything to them truthfully.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator furrowed, “Don’t make a fuss here, we aren’t even sure if he is dead. That brat is quite tough and he probably just suffered heavy injuries. Fire, go down and have a look at him.”
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator got irritated, but he still rushed into the clouds of fire to inspect them.
The Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators waited nervously. They were all afraid that Yang Kai had really died; after all, their superiors asked them to bring him back alive, so if they killed him by mistake, it could very well be their final days in Blood Dagger. They all couldn’t withstand the punishment Blood Dagger would mete out.
The clouds of fire were still burning like before, as if they would continue burning until the end of the world, but the inner region was quite serene and the Fire-titled cultivator didn’t make a sound after he entered.
The Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators exchanged a glance, both realizing something was amiss.
At this moment, an incident suddenly occurred. A muffled groan transmitted from the clouds of fire. Shortly after, the Fire-titled cultivator flew out of the clouds, coughing up mouthfuls of blood mid-air.
“What?” The faces of the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators darkened.
*Shua shua shua…*
A peculiar noise transmitted from the clouds of fire, as if Sword Qi and Sword Intent were running amok there. Shortly after, the raging flames suddenly got scattered and were replaced by a single figure shrouded by a multi-coloured radiance.
“Young Master Yang!”
Upon seeing the silhouette shrouded by seven-coloured light, Ye Jing Han wept in delight.
“That’s impossible!”
Upon seeing Yang Kai’s current state, the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators cried out in alarm. They had noticed that even though it looked like Yang Kai was quite dishevelled, he didn’t sustain any injuries.
Moreover, the multi-coloured radiance emanating from him contained some great and mysterious power. They could clearly feel the power of the Five Elements around Yang Kai at this moment, causing his aura to rise sharply. The Five Elements coexisted in a single person body, supporting and nourishing each other in a virtuous cycle.
“Be careful, this brat isn’t easy to deal with,” The Fire-titled cultivator suddenly returned to his companions and wiped the blood at the corners of his mouth before turning an eager look towards Yang Kai.
“We don’t need your warning,” The Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators glared at the Fire-titled cultivator.
“Friends, many thanks for your concern,” Yang Kai swung the Myriads Sword and erased the Five Element Sword Qi around him as he revealed a grin. “I took a good rest and managed to learn the essence of your Formation Technique. Mountain, Thunder, Fire, and Wind. Your attributes resonate and fuse together, allowing you to enhance one another’s abilities.”
Saying so, Yang Kai cast a glance at the Mountain-titled cultivator sitting in the void who had turned a deaf ear to everything and said with an appreciative look on his face, “The Mountain man is in charge of sealing this region and protecting you, isn’t he? It’s no wonder my teleportation didn’t work a while ago. If I didn’t have a tough body, then I would have sustained some injuries already. The one who invented this Formation Technique is a true genius.”
The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed, “And you discovered all of that in such a short time?”
“That’s not quite right,” Yang Kai patted his clothes. “I also took some time to change into a new set of clean clothes. Do they look good on me?”
The Wind-titled cultivator’s expression turned unsightly as he suddenly noticed that Yang Kai had really changed into a new set of clothes and wasn’t just joking.
The Thunder-titled cultivator said with a gloomy look plastered on his face, “It looks like our superiors have their own reasons for sending all of us after him. This boy cannot be assessed with common sense.”
“No matter how strong he is, he’s only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm boy. If we join hands, we can contend even against an Emperor Realm Master, so we don’t have to fear him,” The Fire-titled cultivator flew into a rage out of shame.
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han, who had just calmed down, got nervous again.
If these four cultivators could really contend against an Emperor Realm Master, then Yang Kai had no chance of success. No matter how strong Yang Kai was, he was only a powerful Dao Source Realm cultivator and he couldn’t defeat an Emperor.
After the three chatted for a while, they suddenly quieted down and looked at Yang Kai with a grave gaze.
On the other side, Yang Kai only smiled in response, as carefree as ever.
An austere air filled the region.
Ye Jing Han suddenly shivered as if she had just fallen into a blizzard, feeling the tangible murderous intent pervading the air and assailing her skin, making her feel quite uncomfortable.
She was aware that she couldn’t provide any help to Yang Kai in a fight of this calibre, so she just hid far away to not cause more trouble to him.
Soon, their murderous intent suddenly collided in the air and burst out. The ambience changed and the Fire-titled cultivator shouted, “Charge!”
Following his shout, the Thunder-titled cultivator, who was the swiftest, suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai and raised his hand, which had been shrouded by Lightning to swat at him, while a sizzling noise ringing out loudly
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted, but he still just coldly snorted, “Three Thousand Sword Dao, Seal!”
As he made a move, Sword Light sliced the void open and spread to the surroundings to assail the Thunder-titled cultivator.
The Thunder-titled cultivator was still unfazed and he just raised the corners of his mouth in response. His body suddenly turned fuzzy and he disappeared from his former location, shortly replaced by the Fire-titled cultivator, who was dozens of meters away.
“Location swapping?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
The Fire-titled cultivator thrust his blade at him, followed closely by a cloud of fire, “Raging Flames Burn The Plains!”
*Hong hong hong…*
As the Sword Qi and flames collided, an intense explosion echoed out, while the World Energy in the region was stirred up chaotically. Space trembled as shockwaves spread far and wide.
“Thunderstorm!” The Thunder-titled cultivator appeared on the left side of Yang Kai at some unknown time and thrust his palm at him, while several thick arcs of lightning suddenly appeared atop Yang Kai’s head and descended upon him.
After Yang Kai had broken through the raging cloud of fire, several arcs of lightning fell upon him. His body couldn’t help but shiver, while a burnt odour emanated from him.
Lightning possessed great might, and if Yang Kai didn’t have a tough body thanks to his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, then he would have been knocked out on the spot. But despite this, the flow of his Source Qi was obstructed and wasn’t as smooth as before.
“Spring Breeze… Rain!” The Wind-titled cultivator suddenly appeared next to Yang Kai and thrust his dagger at him. The dagger brought with it a breeze that engulfed Yang Kai, one that contained a sleep-inducing power that would make one’s will to resist fade.
As the breeze invaded Yang Kai’s body, a confused and blank look appeared in his eyes, but at the critical moment, he bit his tongue and Space Principle swirled around his body.
Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out several large Moon Blades into the surroundings.
“Dodge them!” The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed and he shouted in a deep voice.
It looked like the Thunder and Fire-titled cultivators also had some understanding of Yang Kai and a grave look surfaced on their faces upon seeing this Space Secret Technique. All of them swiftly used their Movement Skills to dodge it.
*Huala…*
A soft sound echoed out as a pair of wings suddenly appeared on Yang Kai’s back. These wings contained the power of wind and thunder and they increased Yang Kai’s speed greatly.
The Wind and Thunder Wings!
Yang Kai hadn’t used them for a long time. Along with the increase of his strength, and his grasp over the Space Principles, his Wind and Thunder Wings weren’t as useful to him as before.
But, at this moment, with this region being sealed by the Mountain-titled cultivator, limiting Yang Kai’s ability to teleport around, he could only summon his Wind and Thunder Wings to compensate.
The wind hovered around him, while the thunder surged about. The Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators were both surprised by the appearance of Yang Kai’s wings, neither of them having expected him to possess such a treasure on top of his mastery over the Five Elements and Space Principles.
At this moment, the members of Blood Dagger realized that the number ‘Daos’ Yang Kai had touched upon had reached an astounding number.
*Shua…*
Yang Kai managed to increase his speed further with the Wind and Thunder Wings. As his body flickered, he suddenly appeared next to the Fire-titled cultivator and his face was almost stuck to his opponent’s.
The Fire-titled cultivator was startled by this, but upon seeing the mockery and murderous intent apparent in Yang Kai’s eyes, he flew into a rage out of shame and shouted, “What are you staring at!?”
“Isn’t it obvious that I’ll start with the weakest one?” Yang Kai chuckled.
The expression of the Fire-titled cultivator changed, “Are you implying that dealing with me is the easiest?”
“Who knows!?” Yang Kai grinned.
It was a fact that he decided to assault the Fire-titled cultivator first, mainly because it was easier to deal with him as he said.
The Mountain-titled cultivator was out of the question, as it could be discerned with a glance that he had exceptional defence. If this Mountain man was assisted by his resonance with his three companions, Yang Kai believed that it wouldn’t be possible for him to break through his defence in a short time. As for the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators, they were both endowed with high speed and could dodge easily, so dealing with the Fire-titled cultivator was indeed the easiest option.
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched his hand ahead and shouted, “Freeze!”
Manipulating the local Space Principles, even though they were affected by the Divine Ability of the Mountain-titled cultivator, Yang Kai could still lock the body of the Fire-titled cultivator in place somewhat.
When Masters exchanged moves, lives could be lost in an instant.
In this short moment, the Fire-titled cultivator felt death looming over him and his face turned deathly pale.
“Die!” Yang Kai shouted as he slashed out with his Myriads Sword.
The Fire-titled cultivator couldn’t even put a defence against this strike and the sword quickly reached him.
At this critical juncture, the eyes of the Mountain-titled cultivator snapped open.
A mountain phantom image suddenly appeared between Yang Kai and the Fire-titled cultivator and it quickly solidified. The Myriads Sword fell upon the mountain and let out a jarring metallic clank. The mountain quickly collapsed but managed to absorb all of Yang Kai’s strike.
The body of the Mountain-titled cultivator flinched slightly, but he quickly closed his eyes again as he sat cross-legged as before.
As for the Fire-titled cultivator who had just escaped death, his forehead was perspiring profusely and his body flickered, making a quick escape.
Meanwhile, the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators had also arrived. After this short confrontation, they had both realized that Yang Kai was far from ordinary. They both exchanged a glance then started pushing their strength while weaving hand seals.
As the force of wind and thunder surged out, they both swung their daggers and formed a thunderstorm that engulfed Yang Kai.
In an instant, Yang Kai found himself in a precarious situation. His clothes had been torn by the sharp blades of wind and his sturdy muscles were revealed. As for the sizzling lightning, it was swimming across his flesh, paralyzing him. He could move only with great difficulty and couldn’t fight back, leading to a situation where he had to passively defend against this move.
The Mountain-titled cultivator in the distance suddenly waved his hand and a mountain phantom image suddenly appeared above Yang Kai, threatening to fall upon him and trap him.
As a rumbling noise echoed out, the mountain phantom image descended upon Yang Kai and pushed him down, while the ground beneath his feet cracked open, forming many spider-web like patterns.
However, Yang Kai suddenly raised his hands to hold up the mountain.
The Mountain-titled cultivator’s composed look finally had a subtle change and shock flashed past his face for a short moment.
The other three wore solemn looks as well. After this short confrontation, they all didn’t dare to close in on Yang Kai again and they only observed him from afar.
“Is this brat really… Human?” The Fire-titled cultivator had just escaped death and his heart was still beating loudly because of it. He stared ahead with wide eyes and spoke, “He could withstand the Mountain’s Mt. Xumi Technique with his fleshly body. Mt. Xumi weighs at least a hundred thousand kilograms and even ordinary Emperor Realm Masters can’t lift it. What’s more, it has the ability to seal its targets.”
“His flesh body is too strong!” The Wind-titled cultivator spoke enviously.
The Thunder-titled cultivator sighed, “I now understand why our superiors want him alive… This person is worth studying. He’s only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet he’s already so strong. If we can learn his secrets, then we will gain unimaginable benefits.”
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Wind-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator lit up, as if they had suddenly seen a bright future awaiting them.
“But, it still ends here.” The Thunder-titled cultivator snorted, “No matter how much he resists it, he’ll still be suppressed by Mountain’s Mt. Xumi.”
The Wind-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator gave him an approving nod. They were both aware of the great power of the Mountain-titled cultivator’s Mt. Xumi.
“Ha… hahaha…”
Meanwhile, Yang Kai suddenly sneered. He had been surrounded and attacked by these four cultivators for so long and he was already in a sorry state, yet he still laughed as freely as before.
The Fire-titled cultivator shouted, “Little brat, laugh while you can, I’ll make you cry soon enough!”
“If this is the limit of your powers, then it will be you who is crying shortly,” Yang Kai cast a glance at the Fire-titled cultivator and calmly spoke.
The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed and he shouted, “Bad! We need to act now, he still has another trump card.”
Saying so, he already charged ahead, winder swirling around his body while a certain Principle Force started pervading the surroundings.
A loud Dragon Roar reverberated at that moment, accompanied by the manifestation of a giant golden phantom behind Yang Kai. The phantom quickly took the shape of a Golden Dragon, one that floated atop Yang Kai’s head and looked down on its surroundings disdainfully with its giant Dragon Eyes.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai didn’t wait for his enemies to reach him and roared madly.
The body of the Wind-titled cultivator who had been charging toward Yang Kai suddenly came to a stop and he couldn’t help but draw a sharp, cold breath as he was forced to retreat.
“This is…” The eyes of the Thunder-titled cultivator trembled.
“Dragon Pressure!” The eyes of the Fire-titled cultivator bulged as he shouted hysterically.
The trio wore shocked looks, as if they had just sighted upon an Emperor Realm Master. They all felt dizzy and their feet started cramping up.
As for Ye Jing Han, she didn’t look any less shocked than them. Upon seeing Yang Kai being pushed down by Mt. Xumi, she planned to go forward and help him, yet the situation changed again before she could make a move.
In an instant, Dragon Pressure filled the air and a pure Dragon Aura began pervading the surroundings. This was a lofty, noble aura that forced myriad beings to cower in fright, even evoking primordial fear in the hearts of the four from Blood Dagger.
*Kachaca…*
A cracking noise echoed out as Dragon Scales started emerging on Yang Kai’s arms, and even his exposed muscles were covered by dragon scales. As for the phantom image of the Golden Dragon, it rushed into Yang Kai’s body and disappeared. A moment later, a partially dragonized Yang Kai appeared.
Yang Kai’s aura rose markedly, touching upon that of a true Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai started slowly clenching one of his fists with an ice-cold look plastered on his face while he lifted Mt. Xumi with a single hand. It wasn’t a difficult feat for him like just now, seemingly as simple as lifting a brush.
Soon, he thrust his free fist and struck the bottom of Mt. Xumi.
As a rumbling noise echoed and Mt. Xumi, which weighed a hundred thousand kilograms, was sent flying into the air, flickering erratically.
The face of the Mountain-titled cultivator fell and he almost bit his tongue. He quickly weaved more hand seals, turning his Mt. Xumi into a ray of light which he quickly collected.
“You’re all going to die miserably!” Yang Kai wasn’t suppressed by Mt. Xumi any longer and he regained his freedom, not forgetting to taunt the three members of Blood Dagger with a nasty grin.
“Kill him!” The Wind-titled cultivator shouted, “Wind Dagger and Snow Sword!”
Using all of his Source Qi, he formed a large dagger and a sword, sending them after Yang Kai. The two weapons seemed to possess a might great enough to slice open the world.
Meanwhile, the Fire-titled cultivator and the Thunder-titled cultivator also used up their own trump cards to attack Yang Kai.
The Formation Technique used by the Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain men resonated with each other, strengthening and supporting one another, combining to reveal an indomitable might!
They were truly able to exchange moves with an Emperor Realm Master, but on this day, they witnessed an even more shocking sight.
In the face of their three Divine Abilities, Yang Kai simply charged ahead and faced them head-on.
As a cracking noise echoed out, the three cultivators could only look on helplessly as Yang Kai shattered the Wind Dagger and Snow Sword with his fists then continued making his way through the gales and thunderstorms.
In just several breaths of time, the three cultivators’ Divine Abilities had been broken and extinguished.
As the body of the demi-dragon Yang Kai flickered, he suddenly reached the three cultivators and thrust out his Dragon Claw, which could rival the sharpest Artifacts in the world, straight towards the chest of the Wind-titled cultivator.
“Wind Escape!”
At this critical juncture, the Wind-titled cultivator let out a shout and his body flickered, turning into a gust of wind that shortly disappeared and escaped somewhere else. This was a brilliant and profound Escape Technique.
Yang Kai sneered and stretched out his Dragon Claw to grasp the void. A formless power emanated off his claw and it sealed a region with the power of Space Principles.
The Wind-titled cultivator stumbled out, cutting a sorry figure. An astounded look was apparent on his face, as if he didn’t expect that Yang Kai could easily counter his best life-saving technique.
“Ah!” The Thunder-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator cried out in alarm.
“Die!” Yang Kai shouted and slashed his hand at the Wind-titled cultivator. A large Moon Blade suddenly appeared and shot towards the Wind-titled cultivator in an indomitable imposing manner.
The Wind-titled cultivator’s face suddenly turned pale and he gasped nervously. He had been locked in place by the surrounding Space Principles and couldn’t evade the strike. He could only look on helplessly as death rapidly closed in on him.
“A Mass of Soil Forms a Mountain!” The Mountain-titled cultivator several hundred metres away let out a shout and weaved a series of hand seals. Mt. Xumi appeared once again, precisely between the Moon Blade and the Wind-titled cultivator. A dense aura of the Earth Element emanated from the mountain and drew in rubble and soil towards it. In the blink of an eye, an indestructible barrier was formed in front of the Wind-titled cultivator.
*Hong…*
As the Moon Blade fell upon the earth barrier, it cut a path through it, but it lost most of its power in the process.
At this crucial moment, a crackling noise echoed out and the Thunder-titled cultivator turned into a bolt of lightning, quickly saving the Wind-titled cultivator and escaping away.
Yang Kai’s face fell and he could only look viciously at the Mountain-titled cultivator.
He had been fighting with the members of Blood Dagger for some time now, but each time he gained an advantage, the Mountain-titled cultivator thwarted his attacks. If they weren’t protected by the strong defensive methods of the Mountain-titled cultivator, then the three other members of Blood Dagger wouldn’t be a match for him and they wouldn’t have been able to persist for so long.
Yang Kai realized now that if he wanted to win this battle, he would have to kill the Mountain-titled cultivator first. As long as the latter was in charge of defence, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to kill any of the other three.
Moreover, the Mountain-titled cultivator was connected to the others and was overseeing this region, sealing it off completely, making it impossible for Yang Kai to teleport freely.
As this idea flashed, Yang Kai immediately made up his mind and revealed a profound grin, sneering as he said, “Friends, your means are truly outstanding and have widened my horizons today.”
“Brat, enough talk.” The Fire-titled cultivator had been stunned by Yang Kai’s great power; however, his side still had a numeral advantage so he wasn’t that afraid of him, “You still have a chance to surrender. We may not be able to guarantee your survival if this battle continues.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator gave a nod, “That’s right, if we go all out to kill you, then we won’t be able to complete our superiors’ orders, so just give up and surrender.”
The Wind-titled cultivator didn’t utter a single word as his face was still quite pale. He had just escaped death and was still somewhat unsettled.
“Haha…” Yang Kai sneered again.
The Fire-titled cultivator snorted coldly, “Bluffing again…”
Yang Kai’s smile disappeared and he glared at him coldly then snorted, “Open your eyes wide and see for yourself if I am just bluffing.”
Saying so, he pushed his Spiritual Energy madly and shouted, “Come out!”
As his voice reverberated, a small mountain suddenly appeared above the plain and fell to the ground, shaking it violently while kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
The four members of Blood Daggers were taken aback as they all looked up in confusion at the small mountain. They couldn’t understand what kind of Divine Ability Yang Kai had used and how he managed to summon this mountain.
“What the hell is that?” The Wind-titled cultivator gradually calmed down and he immediately waved his hand impatiently upon looking at the mountain. As a gust of wind blew over the mountain, the dust was cleared and they got a clear look at it.
In the next moment, the members of Blood Dagger stared wide-eyed at the small mountain with stunned looks plastered on their faces.
“Hey… I’m not seeing things, am I?” The Fire-titled cultivator couldn’t help but gulp, “Why does this small mountain look like… A human with four limbs.”
*Gudong!*
The other three people gulped as well as anxious looks filled their faces.
“What the hell is this?” The Wind-titled cultivator cried out in alarm.
“There’s also a woman up there!” The Thunder-titled cultivator’s pupils contracted as he spotted a beautiful figure sitting atop the shoulder of the small mountain.
“An illusion, it must be an illusion!” The Fire-titled cultivator was startled and his face had turned red as he shouted at his companions, “Did that mountain smile at me a moment ago? It must be a goddamn illusion.”
“En, that must be the case!” The Wind-titled cultivator frowned, “This boy must have used an Illusion Technique.”
Saying so, he turned his head to cast a glance at Yang Kai, only to see a meaningful grin appearing on the other side’s face. Upon seeing this look, the Wind-titled cultivator suddenly had a bad feeling fill his heart.
“You should have summoned us long ago,” Hua Qing Si sat atop the Embodiment’s shoulder and swung her legs lightly, curling her lips as she called out, “Why were you even fighting against them alone? You were just wasting time and energy.”
It looked like she had seen the whole fight from the Small Sealed World.
The Embodiment curled his mouth into a smile and spoke in a thunderous voice, “Didn’t we get out already?”
Upon hearing the woman and the mountain talking, the members of Blood Dagger were startled and their faces turned pale. They all felt like everything they could hear and see was real. It was as if the woman and mountain really existed, and they weren’t just some kind of illusion.
Yang Kai chuckled and replied, “I didn’t expect that these four would be this strong. I wanted to test my strength a bit by fighting against them alone.”
“And then you were almost beaten to a pulp,” Hua Qing Si snorted.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he muttered, “It wasn’t that bad… Just a few bruises here and there. Sister Hua, pick one of them.”
Hua Qing Si chuckled and checked the members of Blood Dagger with her pretty eyes before she settled on the Fire-titled cultivator and pointed at him.
“Seems everyone is fond of bullying the weakest one,” Yang Kai laughed involuntarily.
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator flew into a rage, “Boy! I’m warning you, if you say I’m the weakest one more, I’ll kill you!”
The Mountain, Thunder, Fire and Wind-titled cultivators had equal power and equal status in Blood Dagger, yet the Fire-titled cultivator had been repeatedly called the weakest by Yang Kai. He had been infuriated by this and felt like Yang Kai looked down on him.
Hua Qing Si said with a smile, “Out of the other three people, one is focusing on defence, while the other two have incredible speed, I don’t want to deal with troublesome characters, so I choose him.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded
“Then… You’ll be in charge of the Mountain-titled cultivator, alright?” Yang Kai looked at the Embodiment and spoke.
The Embodiment chuckled and replied, “That’s what I was hoping for!”
The Mountain-titled cultivator focused on defence, while the Embodiment was endowed with extraordinary strength but was lacking in speed, so the two were a good match.
“Make your move then!” Yang Kai spoke casually, as if he had just finished picking dishes and placing them on the table and was calling his friends over to ‘have a meal’.
Hua Qing Si chuckled and her body flashed, leaping off the shoulder of the Embodiment and flying towards the Fire-titled cultivator. A glowing Ribbon Artifact appeared in her hands and danced in her fingers.
“Little Brother, let’s play,” Hua Qing Si beckoned at the Fire-titled cultivator enthusiastically.
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator’s expression turned solemn and he cast a glance at the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators.
After the Wind-titled cultivator nodded at him, the Fire-titled cultivator pushed his Source Qi to engulf his whole body in flames, setting himself alight. He spoke sharply, “It doesn’t matter if you’re an illusion or not, since you dared to seek me, then prepare to meet your demise. I won’t show any mercy even if you are a woman!”
“Wu, so scary!” Hua Qing Si covered up her rosy lips with her hand and put on a frightened look, calling out sweetly, “Please don’t threaten me, I’m easily frightened…”
“Go to hell!” The Fire-titled cultivator was unmoved and he waved his dagger, sending a wave of flames out that condensed into a hideous fire dragon before pouncing towards Hua Qing Si.
Hua Qing Si’s face fell and she said through gnashed teeth, “Are you coming at me for real, even though I’m just a weak woman? Fine then!”
Saying so, she infused her Source Qi into the ribbon and it quickly began slashing it through the air, weaving a gorgeous dance that swiftly enveloped the Fire-titled cultivator.
In an instant, the two were locked in an intense battle and began exchanging vicious moves.
Meanwhile, the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators suddenly felt that their bodies had gotten heavier, as if a great mountain was weighing on them, while a buzzing sound emanated from the space around them and innumerable pitch-black Void Cracks flitted about like living creatures.
The two people both gazed at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai only grinned in response, “The two of you better not make a move. After I send off your companion, I’ll come back to exchange some pointers with you.”
The face of the Wind-titled cultivator darkened and he said, “You want to take our life with just illusions? Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Illusions huh… hah,” Yang Kai chuckled in response.
Upon seeing this, the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators were infuriated and they really wished to rush at him and viciously beat him up.
It wasn’t just the members of Blood Dagger who believed this was just a mere illusion, even Ye Jing Han thought so too. She had been observing the battle from afar and saw the moment the small mountain emerged along with a young woman. She had been taken aback and she stood there in a daze for a long while.
At this moment, she was rubbing her eyes and telling herself repeatedly that this was just an illusion.
But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find any flaw in this illusion. The small mountain and young woman simply looked too realistic.
*Dong dong dong…*
The Embodiment strode forward towards the Mountain-titled cultivator step by step.
The Mountain-titled cultivator had been telling himself repeatedly that this was just an illusion, but once the Embodiment started walking toward him, his face turned pale and he couldn’t help but gulp hard.
The colossal body of the Embodiment was too intimidating!
The Embodiment arrived in front of the Mountain-titled cultivator with only three steps.
If one looked at them from afar, it would seem that the Mountain-titled cultivator was sitting cross-legged in front of the Embodiment’s nose, and his little body formed a clear contrast with the colossus before him.