While Yang Kai was at a loss, a sudden noise erupted from a short distance away, followed by a figure rising into the air and landing not far from him.
When he saw this man, Yang Kai’s face changed and he quickly took Liu Xian Yun and retreated, pulling some distance between them and the man.
It turned out to be Yao Chang Jun!
Yang Kai did not see Yao Chang Jun when they were being swallowed up by the vortex previously so he had no idea whether he had been swallowed in before or after him. Regardless, his appearance here meant that he must not have been able to escape that catastrophe just now either, and fell together with them in this place.
Yao Chang Jun’s current state was completely miserable. His clothes were in tatters and his white hair was messy, his body covered in blood and even his aura was a little unstable. He had clearly suffered a strong backlash from fighting against the suction force earlier.
Yang Kai had given up on resisting because of what Liu Xian Yun told him, so even though he wasn’t looking too good at the moment, he was undoubtedly in a much better state than Yao Chang Jun.
[This guy is actually alive!] Yang Kai had to admire this old man’s powerful cultivation. As expected of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even though his Soul was heavily injured, it still wasn’t that easy to kill him off.
“It’s you, vile animal!” Yao Chang Jun soon discovered Yang Kai and his face turned cold, murderous intent surging.
If not for Yang Kai, then why would he have taken the risk of chasing him into the Solitary Void Mountain Range’s depths? If he had not chased him there, then how would he have come across the Solitary Void Great Maelstrom? Right now, the one responsible for all his misfortunes was Yang Kai, so he was naturally red-eyed seeing his enemy.
Just as he was about to take a strike at Yang Kai, another noise came from some distance away and another figure popped out from under the dirt.
This took both Yang Kai and Yao Chang Jun by surprise; however, after looking over and having a clear look at the newcomer’s appearance, the two of them were quickly relieved.
That was because the third person to appear was none other than Marsh City’s City Lord, Pang Guang!
Yao Chang Jun had known about Pang Guang’s presence behind them, but he was so intent on finding Yang Kai that he didn’t pay any attention to him, ending up with Pang Guang also being caught in the disaster at Solitary Void Mountain Range. Naturally, Pang Guang was powerless to resist and was sucked into this place as well.
But Yao Chang Jun was slightly surprised to find Pang Guang in a better situation than he was. His body was only slightly messy and he wasn’t injured in the slightest, instead being filled with vigour.
“The two of you are alright too?” As soon as Pang Guang came out, he was surprised to see Yang Kai and Yao Chang Jun facing off with each other.
Yao Chang Jun coldly snorted, “Did you wish for something to happen to this Old Master?”
Seeing Pang Guang’s appearance, he knew that this man understood the way to avoid the engulfing force, and that was why he came out intact. On the contrary, he who had been living anonymously in Marsh City for two hundred years ended up in such a pitiful mess that his pride couldn’t bear it for a moment.
After suffering a big loss from Yao Chang Jun, Pang Guang did not dare to act recklessly in front of him anymore. Embarrassedly, he smiled, “Naturally, it can’t be better for Senior to be fine. This Pang was just asking casually, just casually.”
Yang Kai smirked, “City Lord Pang is being a bit too insincere. Since you knew how to avoid danger, why didn’t you tell Senior Yao? You clearly wanted Senior Yao to enter the cycle of reincarnation early. Senior Yao, if I were you, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. I’d definitely want to give him a beating to vent my anger.”
Pang Guang’s face sank and he carefully observed Yao Chang Jun; seeing that the latter appeared indifferent, with no emotion showing through on his face, he relaxed at once and shouted, “Shut your mouth, little brat! This King has not even settled the score with you for killing this King’s subordinates and robbing this King’s property! Senior Yao is a hidden Senior expert and his insight is clear as a flame. His vision is truly sharp, so how could he be riled by your instigations?!”
While speaking, he turned his head to look at Yao Chang Jun and cupped his fists, “Senior, though I have a grudge with this little brat, it is just a trivial matter. Senior is the respected one here so if you wish to kill him, then this Junior will only watch and will definitely not intervene.”
Yao Chang Jun glanced at him lightly and suddenly said, “You have been tailing this Old Master this whole time. Was that also just to watch?”
Pang Guang’s forehead was instantly covered in a cold sweat and his mouth was twitching, “Senior has misunderstood. This Pang entered the Solitary Void Mountain Range because this Pang had something to do, definitely not to follow Senior.”
Yao Chang Jun coldly snorted. He did not answer but instead kept up an arrogant look. Even though he had been injured quite a bit when he was sucked in by the vortex, he still didn’t put Pang Guang or Yang Kai in his eyes. Earlier, he had been injured by Yang Kai at the teahouse merely because he was not cautious enough.
But in his current state, it would be best not to start anything with Pang Guang if he could help it; after all, he was not in peak condition and Pang Guang was still a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator in the end. If they really were to fight, then even if he could kill Pang Guang, a price would have to be paid to do so.
“Senior, is this place the legendary Solitary Void Sealed World?” Seeing him remain silent, Pang Guang felt a little nervous and quickly changed the subject.
“Solitary Void Sealed World?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows when he heard that.
He was most interested in figuring what sort of damned place they were in right now. Unlike Pang Guang and Yao Chang Jun, he had only come to Marsh City recently, so these two were obviously better informed about local legends than him, causing Yang Kai’s ears to perk up and listen with interest.
“If you know, then why ask this Old Master?” Yao Chang Jun snorted, clearly not looking kindly upon him.
Pang Guang said embarrassedly, “This Pang really did not expect that the Solitary Void Sealed World actually existed. This Pang has been the City Lord of Marsh City for hundreds of years, but this Pang never expected to see this sight with his own eyes.”
“What place is the Solitary Void Sealed World, and how do we get out?” Yang Kai quickly asked.
Pang Guang’s face turned stiff and he shouted, “Why is a brat like you asking so many questions? Just stay here quietly and wait to die.”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “City Lord Pang. No matter what grudges we had before, we are now locusts on the same rope. If you know any information, why not share it? It’s not like I killed your father or stole your wife, so why act so petty?”
Pang Guang sneered, “Those on different paths do not counsel each other. This King has nothing to say to you. We can talk about that again if you can live under Senior Yao’s hand.”
After Yang Kai offended Yao Chang Jun, Pang Guang had long since regarded the former as a dead man in his heart, so how could he bother chatting with him? After he was done, Pang Guang looked at Yao Chang Jun and said with a fawning smile, “Senior, the Solitary Void Sealed World only exists in legend. It is easy to enter, but difficult to leave. This Pang wonders if Senior has any good ideas?”
The speed with which his face changed was faster than one could flip a book.
Yang Kai laughed, “So, you don’t know how to get out either?”
Pang Guang snorted, “What’s there to laugh about? Careful or your teeth will fall out while you laugh…”
As he was talking, Pang Guang suddenly frowned and sniffed the air, asking suspiciously, “What’s that smell?”
A strange aroma suddenly wafted out in the air, shaking one’s spirit.
Yang Kai and Yao Chang Jun had obviously smelled it as well, and both of them were very familiar with that smell. After exchanging glances, they coincidentally recalled something and called out at the same time, “Heavenly Restoration Lotus!”
At the end of their sentence, the two of them had already begun rushing towards the source of that smell.
Meanwhile, Pang Guang was stunned for a moment, but when he heard the words, ‘Heavenly Restoration Lotus’, his face changed and he followed them swiftly from behind as well.
Even though both Pang Guang and Yao Chang Jun were Emperor Realm Masters, they were naturally not as fast as Yang Kai in terms of the explosive speed his comprehension of the Dao of Space afforded him. In just an instant, Yang Kai had already arrived at the source of the fragrance.
This pile of mud was clearly transported over from the Solitary Void Mountain Range, and the soil was quite loose.
Yang Kai reached his hand right into a mud pile and grabbed something. After feeling the size of the object and the aura fluctuating around it, he was overjoyed and was just about to stuff it into his Space Ring.
“You court death boy!” Yao Chang Jun howled as he thrust his palm out, stirring up the air and sending it straight towards Yang Kai.
He didn’t dare to use his full strength for fear of damaging the spirit flower; however, this palm was still beyond Yang Kai’s ability to resist.
Yang Kai grunted and forcefully circulated his strength to teleport away once more.
*Hong…*
The mud pile was smashed into dust, leaving behind a huge crater in its place. The newly formed island shook a few times as if it were going to collapse at any moment.
Yao Chang Jun stood in place with an ashen face, looking towards one direction with cold eyes.
Pang Guang also paused, an incredulous look on his face. Yang Kai was actually able to evade Yao Chang Jun’s attack, which was something beyond what Pang Guang thought possible. Even he himself may not have been able to dodge that blow.
“What is Senior so angry for? That was really scary,” Yang Kai said while shaking the dirt off his hand, revealing the spirit flower’s true appearance.
The herb was quite clearly the Heavenly Restoration Lotus, and both its size and form were exactly the same as the one Liu Xian Yun obtained before. The only difference was that that one was pure white without the slightest flaw while this one was as black as ink.
The Heavenly Restoration Lotus had always come in a pair. Liu Xian Yun was able to chance upon one of them before this, but none of them knew why she wasn’t able to find the second.
Now, with the appearance of the Solitary Void Great Maelstrom, large amounts of spirit herbs and dirt have been devoured and sent to this island. By coincidence, the second Heavenly Restoration Lotus also appeared.
Looking at the Heavenly Restoration Lotus in Yang Kai’s hand, Yao Chang Jun suddenly felt short of breath.
He spent two hundred years waiting in Marsh City, and for what? Wasn’t it for none other than the Heavenly Restoration Lotus? If only he could get his hands on the Heavenly Restoration Lotus and have someone refine it into the Twin Heavenly Restoration Pill, then his injuries could finally be healed. Then, he would be able to restore his strength to peak condition and get revenge on his enemies.
But… After waiting bitterly for two hundred years, the Heavenly Restoration Lotus may have appeared, but his good fortune was ruined by Yang Kai over and over again.
The first one was snatched away by Yang Kai while he wasn’t paying attention, and the same went for the second one as well.
Yao Chang Jun’s lungs were bursting with anger. He seemed to have never suffered such a big loss since he advanced to the Emperor Realm. What’s more, these misfortunes were piled on top of him by a little brat in the Dao Source Realm.
Looking at the Heavenly Restoration Lotus in Yang Kai’s hand, and seeing him slowly stuff it into his Space Ring, Yao Chang Jun forcibly endured the notion of grabbing it now and quickly said, “Little brat, if you hand the Heavenly Restoration Lotus to this Old Master, then not only will this Old Master let the past be, this Old Master will also take you out of this place.”
Upon hearing this, Pang Guang’s eyes lit up and he quickly said, “Senior Yao must bring me along as well when you leave.”
Yao Chang Jun was furious and glared at him, “If you dare say one more word, this Old Master will kill you now!”
Scared, Pang Guang no longer dared to say anything.
“Take me out first, we can settle everything else later.” Yang Kai looked at Yao Chang Jun with a smile, “Otherwise, you can also just tell me how to get out of here.”
“Little brat, you dare bargain with this Old Master?!” Yao Chang Jun fumed.
Yang Kai said, “The only thing I’m afraid of is Senior tricking me!”
“Who do you take this Old Master for? How could I do such a shameless thing?!” Yao Chang Jun coldly snorted.
Yang Kai shook his head, “That’s hard to say. What if Senior also doesn’t know the way out? Then wouldn’t I be a fool to just hand over this spirit flower for nothing?”
Pang Guang was enraged, “Little bastard! Senior Yao is giving you face by telling you to hand out the spirit flower, yet you dare not comply?! You’re courting death!”
Yang Kai and Yao Chang Jun turned their heads together and shouted, “None of your damn business!”
Pang Guang’s face was burning hot. Trying to slap a horse’s ass, but landing on its thigh instead, he felt extremely awkward.
Yang Kai observed Yao Chang Jun for a while and snickered, “It seems like Senior is also a clay Buddha fording the river. You can’t even save yourself, so what are you shamelessly boasting for! You say you can take me out? Ridiculous!”
As soon as he saw Yao Chang Jun’s attitude at the moment, it was clear to him that he didn’t know how to get out of this damned place either.
If Yao Chang Jun really did know the way out, it would not have been impossible to trade the Heavenly Restoration Twin Lotus to him, but the key point now was the fact that the old man himself couldn’t get out, so how could he bring him along?
Being exposed by Yang Kai, Yao Chang Jun wasn’t annoyed at all but said indifferently, “With this Old Master’s cultivation, how can a trivial Sealed World trap me? This Old Master will be able to find the way out eventually.”
“Then let’s just wait till you find the way out!”
“Are you handing it over or not?!” Yao Chang Jun had clearly lost his patience, and his face was completely dark when he said these words.
“What do you think?” Yang Kai was unconcerned.
“Good!” Yao Chang Jun drew in a deep breath and his murderous intent surged.
But he did not make a move against Yang Kai that instant, instead turning his gaze to Pang Guang.
Pang Guang who was watching the good show sensed Yao Chang Jun’s cold gaze at once and he couldn’t help but shudder, “Senior…”
“Scram!” Yao Chang Jun bellowed, “Otherwise, this Old Master will kill you as well!”
His voice converged into a wave that shot towards Pang Guang like a spear. Pang Guang was shaken and staggered back, face turning white.
“Senior, this Pang can help you catch that little brat!” Pang Guang quickly offered to show his sincerity. After suddenly landing in this Solitary Void Sealed World, he really couldn’t find any security with his First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation. He just wanted to hug Yao Chang Jun’s thigh, but the other party wouldn’t give him the face or opportunity, telling him to scram as soon as he opened his mouth.
Yao Chang Jun coldly snorted, “This Old Master doesn’t need your help. If you don’t go now… then you can stay here forever!”
Pang Guang was shocked. He looked at Yang Kai with gritted teeth, then back at Yao Chang Jun. With a kick of his feet, Pang Guang’s body rose up before he began flying out to sea.
Even though he had no idea why Yao Chang Jun was in such a hurry to drive him away, Pang Guang knew this old monster was truly at the end of his patience right now. If he continued pestering him, then he could only incur his murderous rage.
Pitting his cultivation against Yao Chang Jun, Pang Guang had no chance to win.
So, he could only run away for now.
Even though the sea did not look peaceful, it was a critical time and he didn’t even know which direction to run. It was better than staying here and waiting for death, right?
In just ten breaths, Pang Guang disappeared.
“Are you so eager to get rid of Pang Guang because you’re worried he’ll discover that your Soul is injured?” Yang Kai asked Yao Chang Jun with a smiling face.
Yao Chang Jun’s face changed and a dangerous glint flashed past his eyes, “As expected, it wasn’t out of luck that you tried that sneak attack on this Old Master!”
Yang Kai laughed, “The effects of the Twin Heavenly Restoration Lotus are only to repair broken meridians and the dantian, yet Senior looks full of energy. With how plentiful Senior’s Emperor Qi is, clearly your meridians and dantian are fine. But for you to be so enthusiastic about the Heavenly Restoration Lotus clearly means you wish to repair your Knowledge Sea.”
“So you actually know this much about herbs and medicines?” Yao Chang Jun was surprised that Yang Kai could deduce through that sliver of a hint that his Soul was damaged. This little brat in front of him clearly wasn’t so simple.
“This humble one is not that talented, I’m merely an Emperor Grade Alchemist!” Yang Kai smiled.
Yao Chang Jun’s face changed, but then he quickly snorted, “Are you trying to insult this Old Master’s intelligence?”
He obviously thought that Yang Kai was talking nonsense.
Yang Kai was not that old, so it was astonishing enough for him to have Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, but in terms of him being an Emperor Grade Alchemist, Yao Chang Jun found it completely unbelievable.
Yang Kai was likely an Alchemist, otherwise, he would not know his herbs and medicines so well; however, there was no way he was an Emperor Grade Alchemist.
He thought that Yang Kai was merely telling him that so that he would let him live; after all, even if he got his hands on the Twin Heavenly Restoration Lotus, he still needed an Alchemist to refine the pill for him, and an Emperor Grade Alchemist would be the best choice to do that.
[This little brat’s got a bellyful of evil tricks up his sleeve!] Yao Chang Jun became wary.
Yang Kai was astounded and smiled bitterly as he shook his head, “Senior, with your Soul damaged, your intelligence really does have some problems. This is a disease, and a disease has to be cured.”
He was telling the truth but the other party wasn’t having it, making him not know whether he should laugh or cry.
“No matter what you say today, I’ll still have you hand over the Twin Heavenly Restoration Lotus!” Yao Chang Jun coldly snorted.
Yang Kai’s face went cold, “I told you that you have to tell me how to get out of here first. If you can’t even do that, then don’t even think about it. I’d rather feed it to a dog than give it to you.”
“Little brat, you court death! This Old Master’s patience is limited!” When Yao Chang Jun heard him comparing him to a dog, he was instantly furious.
Yang Kai answered back leisurely, “Even if you’re a Third-Order Emperor, I’m not afraid of you, so don’t compel me. If you force my hand, then you’ll have to suffer as well!”
Yao Chang Jun was stunned and a feeling of absurdity rose up inside of him. To think a mere Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator dared wag their tongue in front of him was unbelievable enough, yet this little brat was still shamelessly boasting! He made it sound as if he really did have the power to fight against him, but from his expression, he seemed completely serious.
[What’s going on? This little brat doesn’t really think he can fight me, right? On what account? With his Space Principles? If so, then he can only run. It’s simply nothing to be feared.]
Yao Chang Jun’s heart was filled with mixed thoughts. He couldn’t figure out why, but he felt a little angry out of shame, “Since you can’t appreciate this Old Master’s kindness, then this Old Master will grant you your wish!”
He stomped his foot on the ground and his entire person flashed before Yang Kai like a spirit, suddenly pointing a finger towards Yang Kai’s direction.
His finger contained the boundlessness of Heaven and Earth, and gave one the feeling that they were being weighed down by the world itself.
After all, Yao Chang Jun was still a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even though his Soul was damaged, his vigorous Martial Dao foundation was very solid. Even though this move was not a renowned Secret Technique, it was extremely ferocious and contained his insight into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Even before his finger had arrived, the momentum of the sky being broken could be felt. All the Principle Strength in the surrounding region was wrapped around that finger, as if Yao Chang Jun was the master of this stretch of the world.
Seeing that he actually made a move towards him, Yang Kai’s face changed. Tossing all else aside, his Source Qi blasted out, shoving the unconscious Liu Xian Yun straight into the Sealed World Bead while performing his Dragon Transformation and Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art at the same time. Space Principles surged up as Yang Kai was just about to escape from the spot.
*Chi…*
With that sound, Yang Kai was already several dozen kilometres away when he reappeared, but there was a bloody hole on his shoulder where golden blood was pouring out. Immense pain washed through him at the same time.
“Hm?”
Yao Chang Jun was stunned.
He was not only surprised that Yang Kai avoided receiving a fatal blow, but also at where Liu Xian Yun had gone.
He had been paying attention to Yang Kai’s movements this whole time and didn’t care too much about the unconscious girl he was holding. Only, he did not notice how that girl had suddenly disappeared.
This was truly strange. Even though his Soul was damaged and he didn’t dare to simply use his Divine Sense, his eyesight still can’t be so poor to the extent where he couldn’t even see how someone disappeared.
“You old dog, you really want to fight with this Young Master?” Yang Kai’s aura turned violent as half of his body was soon soaking wet from the golden blood. Rather than instilling fear, this wound only seemed to have inspired a ferocity in Yang Kai, causing his entire aura to fluctuate like a vicious trapped beast.
Yao Chang Jun’s heart jumped for some reason. He had the faint sense that something bad would happen if he were to force this boy into a corner. He couldn’t explain where this feeling was coming from, but it gave him the chills.
But there was no turning back. He had already wounded Yang Kai so nothing he said would help now. If he suddenly stopped, wouldn’t he be admitting that he was afraid of him?
“Not bad, you little brat. To be able to dodge a blow from this Old Master is already enough to make you a dragon amongst men! The Heavens have good virtue and this Old Master is also appreciative of a talented man, so I’ll give you one last chance. Hand over the Heavenly Restoration Lotus obediently and I shall spare you!”
“In your dreams!”
“Very well!” Yao Chang Jun fumed, “Since you are so stubborn, then this Old Master will teach you how to show proper respect!”
He changed his hand posture and his Emperor Qi surged. While suppressing Yang Kai’s movements, his palm surged with the power of the wind and clouds, fiercely thrusting towards Yang Kai.
Yao Chang Jun didn’t hold back with this blow, clearly intending to kill Yang Kai on the spot.
*Hong…*
An explosion rang out. No matter how Yang Kai resisted it, he was still sent flying by that palm. Countless bones in his body were broken and his face was pale. As soon as he opened his mouth, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Hahaha! Little brat, you talk big, but is this all you’ve got? You’ve really disappointed this Old Master!” Seeing Yang Kai’s miserable state, Yao Chang Jun figured that he must have been overthinking things just now. This little brat was merely at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so even if he had some special tricks up his sleeve, it was impossible for him to be his opponent. He also had no idea what he was hesitating for just now. If he had made a move earlier, then he could have killed this boy long ago.
[How shameful! To think I was disturbed by a few words from this little brat. Sure enough, these are the drawbacks left behind from the damage I sustained to my Soul], Yao Chang Jun silently thought to himself.
Fortunately, his opponent was only a Third-Order Dao Source realm boy. If Yang Kai was as strong as him, then he truly would have to suffer.
On the island, Yao Chang Jun’s body suddenly disappeared. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Yang Kai who was thrown backwards from the hit, sticking to him like maggots on rotting bones.
He coldly snorted and grabbed at Yang Kai without much care, “If you had cooperated with this Old Master earlier, then this Old Master might still have let you live!”
His words implied that it was already too late for Yang Kai to beg for mercy.
After the sneak attack he suffered from Yang Kai, Yao Chang Jun had borne a grudge against him and regarded it as a great shame. How could he let Yang Kai off so easily now?
“Bullies are destined to have a terrible end. You’ve forced my hand!” Yang Kai shouted through gritted teeth. He didn’t dodge Yao Chang Jun’s grab and instead formed an extremely strange seal with his hands.
As soon as he completed this seal, the trepidation that Yao Chang Jun was feeling before suddenly reappeared. Alarmed, his face suddenly changed and he didn’t dare to have the slightest hesitation, accelerating the movements of his hands as he grabbed towards Yang Kai’s shoulder.
Right at that moment, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned calm. Eyes cold, he shouted, “Seal of Darkness, unlock!”
“Seal of Darkness? What the hell is that?” Yao Chang Jun was bewildered. He couldn’t understand what Yang Kai was saying at all, but in the next instant, his face changed dramatically as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes widening as if he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight while crying out strangely and backing away.
*Hong…*
A loud noise erupted as an indescribable aura suddenly burst out from Yang Kai’s dantian. This aura was filled with an extremely dark and malevolent feeling, as if the most brutal and fierce negative aura had been gathered into one place. It was so strong that Yao Chang Jun couldn’t help but feel lost, body trembling all over.
The dark aura was diffusing like a solid substance, instantly enveloping Yang Kai, and seemed to possess a life of its own, flowing around incessantly. A mysterious and profound set of patterns began appearing on Yang Kai’s skin.
Yang Kai’s aura was steadily climbing up.
Heaven and Earth trembled, the world collapsed, and the universe turned upside down. A power that seemed to be able to destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth burst out in all directions.
In just a few moments, Yang Kai disappeared, leaving behind only a dark figure in his place. The darkness seemed to swallow everything, even light. Only a pair of crimson eyes were visible, filled with bloody killing intent.
“De-Demon Qi!” Yao Chang Jun’s teeth were chattering and he almost bit his own tongue. He stared in disbelief at the sight before him. With his knowledge and experience, he could naturally see at a glance that the aura lingering around Yang Kai was Demon Qi, and not just any Demon Qi at that, but the purest, Ancient Demon Qi!
“How can this be?” Yao Chang Jun could not believe his eyes. To think that he would be able to set his eyes on Ancient Demon Qi in his lifetime, and it even came from a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior.
Ancient Demon Qi had the special properties of being extremely corrosive and infectious. If a Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivator like him were to be enveloped by this Ancient Demon Qi, he would definitely lose his mind in a short time and become a demon.
How could Yang Kai keep his sanity in such a state? How was he able to store such a terrifying Demon Qi inside his own body?
Remembering Yang Kai’s words from just now, Yao Chang Jun suddenly realized that this little brat had used some unknown means to seal this Demon Qi into his own body, and he would be able to unseal it when he needed to use it against his enemies.
But it would be much more difficult to seal the Demon Qi again. Wasn’t he afraid that the Demon Qi would devour his consciousness and turn him into a demon? No wonder this little brat was repeatedly telling him not to force his hand. It turned out he really did have the means to fight with him. Even though it felt like Yang Kai was playing tricks on him before, it now seemed he did have the liberty to talk big like that.
Yao Chang Jun felt extremely chagrined. If he had known this would happen, then he would not have used such aggressive words against Yang Kai. Right now, with the Demon Qi wrapped around this boy’s body, it was impossible to tell if the little brat still retained his sanity. The surging demonic energy and the frightening pressure wasn’t something Yao Chang Jun felt like fighting at all.
After carefully observing Yang Kai’s eyes, he realized that though they were red and bloodthirsty, there didn’t seem to be any sort of a struggle. Yao Chang Jun quickly said, “Little brother, wait! This Old Master has something to say!”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai glanced at him indifferently, “Anything you say is just a fart to me!”
Yao Chang Jun was furious!
If Yang Kai dared talk to him like this before, then he would have slapped him across the face, but now, Yang Kai had the liberty to speak disrespectfully to him.
There was a deep bitterness in Yao Chang Jun’s heart as he realized the source of his previous unease.
“It seems to have grown stronger…” Yang Kai clenched both his fists tightly, vaguely sensing his current situation. However, this increase in strength didn’t make him happy, but worried instead. That was because after unlocking the gold and silver seal of the Firmament Tree and releasing the Ancient Demon’s Demon Qi, Yang Kai could feel the demonic influence was even more potent than last time.
This was not because of his own strength was improving, but rather because his body had become more compatible with this Demon Qi.
Last time, he was only a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and after transforming, Yang Kai had fought a big battle with three First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, managing to escape safely in the end. This time though, Yang Kai felt even stronger after the demonic transformation.
This worried Yang Kai a little, because the greater the increase in strength after the demonization, the more difficult it would be to seal this Demon Qi up again. If it couldn’t be sealed completely, then Yang Kai really would be reduced to a Demon, losing his consciousness, damning himself for all eternity.
Yao Chang Jun had no idea that Yang Kai was worried about this, however, and when he heard him say that the Demon Qi had grown stronger, he even thought that the little brat was showing off and immediately got angry, “Boy, grievances should be resolved rather than settled. Both you and I are in trouble here so why fight and kill each other? Isn’t it better to find a way out together? What’s more, your current state is strong, but you may not necessarily be able to kill this Old Master. This Old Master isn’t made of clay after all.”
Yang Kai looked at him with cold eyes and snorted, “If you were able to exert the true power of a Third-Order Emperor, this Young Master would indeed be unable to kill you, but with the handicap of your damaged Soul, you still dare to flap your tongue in front of me?”
“Han… Handicap?” Yao Chang Jun’s eyes were almost bulging out of his face. He was extremely angry and ashamed. Nobody had ever dared speak to him like that.
Yang Kai said, “This Young Master doesn’t have much time, so I’ll end your life in three moves!”
“Preposterous! This Old Master wants to see you try!” Yao Chang Jun was shaking from anger. He felt that he had been looked down upon and a surge of pride rose up in his heart. He thought to himself that he definitely had to teach this little brat a lesson and show him that even an old dog had sharp teeth left to bite.
As soon as he finished that thought, Yang Kai suddenly narrowed his eyes and recited under his breath, “Black Eye Purgatory, Infinite Darkness!”
As soon as those words came out, the entire world suddenly turned incomparably dark. Not a single shred of light could be seen. No matter where Yao Chang Jun turned, he was unable to see anything, as if he were blind. Not only was he blind, but even the keen perception he had as a Third-Order Emperor was being suppressed to the limit.
It was impossible for him to have gone blind without a reason, nor was it possible for the world to suddenly turn dark. The only explanation would be that Yang Kai had just performed some sort of Heaven-defying technique.
Recalling the strange black glow coming from Yang Kai’s right eye just now, Yao Chang Jun cried out, “Pupil Technique!”
As soon as he said that, he was drenched in a cold sweat. That was because he realized that his voice was not being projected at all. The world he was in seemed to have deprived him of all his senses. He was unable to speak or see, shooting a sense of fear into him as if he were falling into an endless abyss.
The only thing he could vaguely sense was something floating above his head. When he looked up in alarm, though, and saw what it was, Yao Chang Jun froze.
There, in the dark and boundless sky, a huge eye had stretched across the void, staring coldly and emotionlessly at him.
That eye was like the eye of Heaven. Yao Chang Jun felt insignificant under the gaze of that enormous eye and his heart sank. He felt like all those countless years of hard work cultivating were for nought, and he was nothing more than a pile of withering bones in the end before this eye.
When those thoughts surfaced, Yao Chang Jun’s aura began to drop as an indescribable Death Qi haunted his person.
At that moment, a stream of light suddenly shot out from the huge eye, forming the shape of a long sabre.
Emperor Artifact, Soul Splitting Sabre!
After being refined by Yang Kai, he could control the Soul Splitting Sabre at will now. Even though Yang Kai couldn’t bring out the full might of the Soul Splitting Sabre with his normal cultivation, in his demonized state, he was no less powerful than a Third-Order Emperor, so the Soul Splitting Sabre’s current power was astonishing.
Moreover, in order to finish off Yao Chang Jun quickly, Yang Kai had even used the Secret Technique, Heaven Severing Slash.
The Heaven Severing Slash was a Soul Secret Technique that he learned from Tian Yan in the Divine Ascension Mirror World. During ordinary days, Yang Kai would nourish and refine the Soul Splitting Sabre with his Spiritual Energy, saving up strength in it so that when he faced an enemy, the first strike of the Soul Splitting Sabre, the Heaven Severing Slash, would be extremely powerful.
But that was only limited to the first strike.
A Soul Emperor Artifact used together with a Soul Secret Technique. Even if Yao Chang Jun was uninjured, he may still not be able to take it, let alone when his Soul was already wounded.
The blade slashed down viciously into Yao Chang Jun’s Knowledge Sea, tearing a huge hole into it as if it were crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.
Yao Chang Jun’s Knowledge Sea was already very badly damaged to begin with, so now that Yang Kai struck it so ferociously, it caused this Third-Order Emperor’s Knowledge Sea to all but collapse.
An intense pain came over Yao Chang Jun, causing him to wake up from his despair. He cried out in pain and a Five-Coloured Spear suddenly appeared in his hands, shining brightly and emitting the energy fluctuations of an Emperor Artifact with terrifying power.
It wasn’t surprising for Yao Chang Jun to have an Emperor Artifact as a Third-Order Emperor. It would actually be strange if he didn’t possess such a weapon.
As he cried out in pain, Yao Chang Jun poured his Emperor Qi madly into the Five-Coloured Spear. The spear buzzed and suddenly trembled in his hand before disappearing without a trace.
In the next moment, the giant eye in the sky was pierced through by the spear. At once, the darkness sealing off Heaven and Earth was shattered.
Like the last struggle of a trapped beast, Yao Chang Jun burst out with terrifying power and broke the Secret Technique of the dark world. This Secret Technique was unique to the Ancient Demon Race and not something Yang Kai could obtain through cultivation. He could only perform it while in his demonized form.
A rift was torn through the sky by the Five-Coloured Spear that stayed open for a long time.
“Little brat, you dare to hurt me? This Old Master will kill you!” Yao Chang Jun howled in rage, but as his Knowledge Sea was about to collapse, his entire body was trembling constantly, his face twitching as his Emperor Qi became extremely unstable.
Yang Kai’s red eye was covered in blood, and everything he saw turned into a golden colour, which was the injury sustained from having his Pupil Technique broken.
However, he just casually wiped it with his hand before coldly snorting, “I’ll send you off!”
As his hands opened and closed, a huge Moon Blade sharp on all edges formed, blasting towards Yao Chang Jun. The Moon Blade was just like the reaper’s scythe, crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood wherever it passed.
Yao Chang Jun, who was currently running berserk could sense a dangerous aura approaching, forcefully enduring the piercing pain in his head and raised his hand, the Five-Coloured Spear reappearing in his palm, and took a step forward. With one throw, the five-coloured light instantly shot out.
*Hong hong hong…*
As the light clashed with the Moon Blade, the violence of the impact was enough to make the world turn white. The newly-formed islands within a radius of several kilometres quickly crumbled under the impact.
The Moon Blade disappeared together with the profound five-coloured light. With an expression of madness on his face, Yao Chang Jun took advantage of this situation to make his move. His face was filled with deep hatred etched into it, and, with his Soul breaking apart, he had nothing to lose in the face of death at this moment.
Yang Kai frowned and bellowed, “Instead of resisting, why don’t you just be good and die?!”
He also did not expect Yao Chang Jun to be so resilient even after the collapse of his Knowledge Sea. It seemed like he had still underestimated the capabilities of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. If Yao Chang Jun were to really be in peak condition, then even if Yang Kai unsealed the Demon Qi, he would still not be his opponent.
Sure enough, no Master who could reach this level of cultivation was a simple person.
“Hammer!” Yang Kai reached out towards the air and a hammer suddenly appeared in his hand.
[Demonic Armament War Hammer!]
This Demonic Armament was supposed to belong to that Ancient Demon and had been sealed under Maplewood City’s Eighteen Stars Grand Array for millennia. It was filled with terrifying demonic power. Back when Yang Kai obtained it, he threw it into the Sealed World Bead and passed it to Embodiment for him to refine and use. Even as strong as Yang Kai was, he didn’t dare to have any ideas about this weapon lest its Demonic Energy agitate the Demonic Qi sealed in his body.
But this was the perfect moment to use it.
War Hammer in hand, a strange feeling came over Yang Kai.
This Demonic Armament War Hammer seemed to come to life in his grip, clearly conveying a hum of excitement and joy. It resonated perfectly with the Demon Qi inside Yang Kai’s body, allowing him to wield it as he wished without the need to refine it.
With the War Hammer in hand, Yang Kai seemed to be able to see the Ancient Demon standing alone and fighting a great war against mighty ancient human forces on its own, shattering Heaven and Earth, felling the ancient powerhouses one by one whilst the Ancient Demon stood with its head in the clouds and feet on the earth, eyeing the world surrounded by murderous aura, leaving no one standing but itself!
Yang Kai, who was originally feeling restless due to the influence of the Demon Qi, inexplicably calmed down, suddenly feeling a sense of superiority amongst all others.
Yao Chang Jun who was pouncing aggressively at him was as ridiculous to him as an ant.
Yang Kai looked down at his opponent with scorn as he slowly raised the War Hammer in his hand, a mysterious trace of Principle Strength stirring up with it.
Yao Chang Jun’s face suddenly paled.
He had no idea what had just happened to Yang Kai, but when he suddenly took out the hammer-looking artifact, his entire demeanour and aura changed.
In the darkness, he seemed to have seen an unsurpassable mountain spread out before him. No matter how hard Yao Chang Jun tried, he would not be able to see the view behind this giant mountain.
He panicked all of a sudden.
He wanted to retreat, but the arrow on the bow had no choice but to be released. The Emperor Qi in Yao Chang Jun’s body was rioting right now, so if he retreated at this point, then even without Yang Kai having to do anything, his Dao Heart would still instantly collapse.
A faint murderous intent lingered around his body that grew denser and clearer as he got closer, almost materializing into substance, cutting painful streaks over his skin.
[I’ll die! I’m definitely going to die!]
This thought inexplicably came into Yao Chang Jun’s mind, the chaos in his Soul which was already on the verge of collapse reaching a critical point and suddenly cracking apart.
“AHH!” Yao Chang Jun howled out in madness, “Even if I die, this Old Master will take you with him!”
With these words, he poured all his strength into the Five-Coloured Spear, enveloping his body with five-coloured light. His previous hesitation was completely gone, and he instead grew determined.
His peak strength was unleashed into this one blow, and Yao Chang Jun’s eyes which were originally clouded with panic now shone brightly at this moment.
Face devoid of emotion, Yang Kai slammed the War Hammer down.
The will of the War Hammer coalesced from the rampaging murderous intent and crashed towards Yao Chang Jun.
With a loud bang, a dark light erupted on this nameless sea as if it were devouring Heaven and Earth.
At the same time, another five-coloured light also bloomed, resisting the dark light.
Two different coloured lights collided and competed against each other. The wind and clouds above the sea were stirred up for a moment and the islands which were already in a state of collapse disintegrated into dust, leaving no trace behind. The waterspouts nearby were also impacted by the huge eruption and scattered.
Immense waves surged up around a radius of several thousand kilometres and countless fish-type Monster Beasts living in the sea were vaporized and disappeared.
A deep crater spanning several thousand meters appeared on the surface of the sea at the centre of those two colliding forces. The seawater within that crater seemed to have evaporated in an instant.
The deadlock lasted only ten breaths before the black light burst forth and devoured the five-coloured light.
“By what rights have the damnable Heavens allowed this!? This Old Master is unwilling!”
As a roar resounded through the clouds, the dust began to settle.
The dark and five-coloured lights filling the world were gone and the huge depression on the surface of the sea was gradually filled up by the seawater gushing over from its sides while a heavy rain poured down. Only the energy fluctuations still remaining served as proof that a great battle had just taken place here.
Yao Chang Jun had disappeared, and so did Yang Kai. Only a longan-sized bead was left that slowly sank into the depths of the sea.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai rushed towards the medicine garden at once. His body was as black as ink while indescribable Demon Crests were practically crawling over his entire body.
Liu Yan also rushed over at the same time. When she saw Yang Kai’s condition, she was so scared that she immediately ran away.
It wasn’t that she didn’t dare to stay, but rather that she couldn’t.
Even though Yang Kai was able to keep a shred of his consciousness, who knows how long that shred of consciousness could last? If she were to stay here, her presence would only aggravate Yang Kai’s condition.
Next to the medicine garden, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged while barely holding onto his consciousness. With a slight movement of his mind, he began stripping the gold and silver seals from the Firmament Tree.
The last time he transformed like this, he borrowed the Firmament Tree’s sealing power in order to lock away the Demon Qi. More than two years had passed since the last time so reasonably speaking, it was impossible that the Firmament Tree’s sealing power would have grown so quickly.
But there was a massive amount of Heavy Earth below this medicine garden, and five Earth Vein Crystals, so one year of growth here was equivalent to a hundred in the outside world.
In other words, the Firmament Tree had two hundred years worth of sealing power now, which should be enough to seal this Demon Qi.
Under Yang Kai’s control, the gold and silver-coloured energy were slowly stripped from the Firmament Tree before flowing towards his body, sinking into his dantian and suppressing the frenzying Demon Qi.
He had at least experienced this once before, so Yang Kai was familiar with the process.
As time passed, the Demon Qi was sealed more and more. Yang Kai also slowly got rid of the effects of the demonization and gradually restored his consciousness.
Three days later, as the last trace of sealing power was pulled into his body, the Demon Qi was finally sealed up without a single trace leaking out.
Yang Kai let out a long sigh.
He was really afraid that something would go wrong during the sealing process this time. The power he received from unlocking the seal was undoubtedly much stronger than last time, but it was a good thing that the sealing power of the Firmament Tree had also become much firmer. If not for this, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
After dealing with the snake in the grass, Yang Kai began checking on his own injuries.
During the battle with Yao Chang Jun, he seemed to have the absolute upper hand and was even able to deal with the old man in just a few moves after the transformation; however, Yao Chang Jun’s final counterattack before his death still caused a lot of damage to Yang Kai.
In the end, his opponent was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. If Yang Kai had not destroyed his opponent’s Knowledge Sea from the outset of the battle, then how could he have been killed so easily?
Who knows how many bones Yang Kai had broken in his body, but the blood on the surface of his skin had already dried as if he were wearing a layer of blood as clothes. But what saddened Yang Kai the most was the fact that his meridians were now damaged.
Fortunately, he had the Immortal Tree in the medicine garden. Even the Twin Heavenly Restoration Lotus was no match for the Immortal Tree in terms of healing power, not to mention that his own restorative abilities were extremely strong to begin with. Yang Kai didn’t need any other medicines.
Half a day later, Yang Kai regained his vigour. Shaking off the bloodied clothes on his body, he changed into a fresh set of robes.
Thinking back to his battle with Yao Chang Jun inevitably made Yang Kai feel a little anxious.
He was able to take this old monster out using the power of the Demon Qi this time, but what about the next? If he were to unlock the seal again, then it wouldn’t be something two hundred years of sealing power alone could deal with.
It may take three hundred, four hundred, or even more years of sealing strength.
In other words, the Firmament Tree would have to grow inside the medicine garden for at least three years before it had enough sealing power to allow Yang Kai to unlock the seal again.
With such a long time, who knows whether Yang Kai would encounter any powerful enemies.
If only he had a drop of Supreme Divine Water! Supreme Divine Water was a divine product of nature that could quickly mature spirit herbs without any drawbacks. One drop of Supreme Divine Water could definitely grant the Firmament Tree three hundred, or even thousands of years of sealing power…
Unfortunately, Supreme Divine Water was so precious that Yang Kai had only seen it once in his life. It was the drop found at the Flowing Time Temple which was ultimately acquired by Murong Xiao Xiao.
It was part of the inheritance left behind by the Flowing Time Great Emperor, so who knows whether Supreme Divine Water still existed elsewhere in the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai made up his mind that he would definitely not unlock the Demon Qi’s seal in the next three to four years unless he could find Supreme Divine Water to nurture the Firmament Tree.
Considering all this, his mind instantly cleared up and he felt refreshed.
He planted the two Heavenly Restoration Lotuses he found in his medicine garden and dusted his hands off before standing up.
Even though the white Heavenly Restoration Lotus had been picked by Liu Xian Yun quite some time ago, it was well-preserved, so the medicinal efficacies were not diminished, nor were the roots damaged. Once it was planted in the medicine garden and enveloped by the vitality of the Immortal Tree, it would definitely come to life again.
The Twin Heavenly Restoration Lotuses were very valuable and Yang Kai didn’t have any use for them yet, so he did not bother to refine the Twin Heavenly Restoration Pill at this moment.
Only after settling all these things did Yang Kai release his Divine Sense. Then, in the next moment, his body teleported and appeared in front of his Embodiment, Liu Yan, and the others.
“Master, are you alright?” Liu Yan asked with a happy face as soon as she saw Yang Kai appear.
A few days ago, she went to check on Yang Kai’s condition when she noticed him entering the Small Sealed World, but she never expected to see Yang Kai being plagued by Demon Qi, so she had been worried ever since.
The Embodiment and Hua Qing Si were also extremely worried.
Of course, when they saw Yang Kai alive and well, there was no way they didn’t realize that he had already dealt with the Demon Qi.
“En, I’ve come back to life!” Yang Kai grinned.
Hua Qing Si said with a serious expression, “Are you sure there are no after-effects? You can’t be too careless.”
“Rest assured, Sister Hua.” While speaking, Yang Kai took something out of his Space Ring and handed it to Hua Qing Si, “Here, this is for you.”
Hua Qing Si took it with suspicion, but then her pretty face paled and she called out in shock, “An Emperor Artifact?”
What Yang Kai handed her was the Five-Coloured Spear that Yao Chang Jun used before this. After that duel to the death, and before Yang Kai entered the Small Sealed World, he managed to snatch away this Emperor Artifact and Yao Chang Jun’s Space Ring.
Liu Yan already had the Annihilation Thunder Bead and Hua Qing Si had always been loyal to Yang Kai, so he felt relieved handing this Five-Coloured Spear over to her for her use.
“An Emperor Artifact is powerful, but the most important thing to a cultivator is still their foundation. Sister Hua, don’t put the cart before the horse,” Yang Kai said.
Hua Qing Si fiddled with the Five-Coloured Spear in her hands and looked completely overjoyed with it. She nodded and told him off, “I know that, do I still need you to teach me?”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and touched his own nose.
He did not have time to check Yao Chang Jun’s Space Ring yet; however, taking it out now, he found that there were quite a lot of good things inside.
There were hundreds of millions of Source Crystals alone. What’s more, most of them were Mid-Rank and High-Rank. But it was within Yang Kai’s expectations for a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like Yao Chang Jun to have amassed this much wealth.
He had such a high cultivation, so how could he be broke?
Besides the Source Crystals, there were also large amounts of Spirit Pills and Artifacts, but none of them were Emperor Grade.
After checking around for a bit, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and asked, stunned, “Where’s Liu Xian Yun?”
Liu Xian Yun had passed out earlier, so Yang Kai tossed her into the Small Sealed World in order to avoid accidentally hurting her during his fight with Yao Chang Jun. However, she was nowhere to be seen right now.
Liu Yan explained, “I placed her at the pavilion and she is already awake now, but she seems to be confused about her situation.”
“You didn’t explain anything to her?”
“No,” Liu Yan shook her head. Not to mention explaining, she didn’t even show her face to Liu Xian Yun.
“I’ll take a look.” As he spoke, Yang Kai’s figure had already disappeared.
Inside the pavilion, Liu Xian Yun had a serious expression and her eyes were filled with bewilderment.
She found herself in this pavilion when she woke up earlier, and she had no idea what this place was. Looking around, she found that there was no danger here, and nobody could be found nearby either. On the other hand, the World Energy here was absurdly dense.
Liu Xian Yun had never seen a place with such rich World Energy as this. This place must be a cultivation paradise, one where she didn’t even need to circulate her Secret Arts to absorb the World Energy around her as it would simply seep into her pores on its own.
If she could cultivate here for a while, then it may not take long before she was able to break through her shackles and advance to the Second-Order Dao Source Realm.
But she was so set on trying to figure out where she was right now that she didn’t have the heart to cultivate. What worried her the most was the fact that Yang Kai was nowhere to be found. After several days of searching, she even began to wonder if she had been abandoned.
But while she was staying mournfully in the attic at this moment, thinking about where she should go in the future, a figure suddenly flashed in front of her, and Yang Kai appeared mysteriously just like that.
“Senior Brother…” When Liu Xian Yun saw Yang Kai, it was as if she had found her pillar of support and rushed towards him, her anxious expression clearly relaxing a lot.
Yang Kai smiled, “Something happened and I was occupied for a few days.”
“It’s good as long as you’re okay, Senior Brother.” Liu Xian Yun swept her eyes over Yang Kai for a while and found that he was full of energy. Only then did she put her heart at ease and ask, “Senior Brother, do you know where this is? Weren’t we swallowed up by that huge vortex earlier?”
Her memory was still stuck at the unforeseen disaster in the Solitary Void Mountain Range. When she remembered how they were unable to fight back against the power of that vortex, her pretty face could not help but pale a little.
“We did get swallowed up, then we landed atop a sea.”
“A sea?” Liu Xian Yun was even more confused now. She had been exploring the surrounding area these past few days but she never saw any sea. Instead, the environment here was extremely pleasant. There were many buildings, and it was apparent that many people used to live here.
[If I could settle down here with Senior Brother, that would be nice.]
Yang Kai scratched his head. He had no idea how to explain the current situation to Liu Xian Yun, so he could only say, “I’ll show you around.”
While speaking, Yang Kai left the Sealed World Bead with Liu Xian Yun with a thought.
As soon as they emerged, they were surrounded by a fishy smell. Following that, they could hear a strange sound coming from all directions, and even the sound of a beating heart.
Just by sweeping through the place with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found where they currently were.
He previously ignored where the Sealed World Bead was going to land so that he could seal the Demon Qi. As such, he allowed the Sealed World Bead to fall into the depths of the sea. Only, after a few days passed, Yang Kai had no idea how, but it seemed it ended up in the stomach of a big fish.
It seemed that this big fish had swallowed the Sealed World Bead and then swam with them all the way to who knows where.
After understanding this, Yang Kai circulated his Source Qi and shot out a Golden Blood Thread. After a chaotic dance, he opened a hole right through the fish’s back and brought Liu Xian Yun up.
Even though the fish was quite big, it was not a powerful Monster Beast, so it could not bear the pain of Yang Kai tossing about inside it and was constantly rolling around in the sea as fresh blood spilled out. From the looks of it, it likely wouldn’t be able to survive.
In the next moment, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun sped out to the surface of the sea. Summoning his wooden boat, Yang Kai got on top of it with Liu Xian Yun in tow.
A faint fishiness wafted out from the sea and all they could see around them were blue waves and blue skies. Endless seas as far as the eyes could see and countless waterspouts all around. Whirlpools surrounded them as well, looking particularly dangerous.
Liu Xian Yun was stunned.
She still hadn’t managed to figure out where she was before, so appearing suddenly on top of the sea had put her at a loss.
“After we were swallowed by the vortex, this is where we popped up.” Yang Kai swept his eyes around the place and could not help but feel a little disappointed when he found no trace of land.
“Where is this?” Liu Xian Yun asked, shocked.
“From what Yao Chang Jun and Pang Guang said, this place seems to be some Solitary Void Sealed World,” Yang Kai frowned.
“Solitary Void Sealed World?” Liu Xian Yun looked bewildered. It seemed like she had never heard of such a place. She had only been in Marsh City for a few years and did not know too much about the deeper secrets of this place, so she naturally never heard of the Solitary Void Sealed World.
“Yao Chang Jun and Pang Guang are also here?” Liu Xian Yun suddenly realized the meaning behind Yang Kai’s words and was startled again.
“Don’t worry, I don’t know where they went,” Yang Kai answered casually. He did not tell her that Yao Chang Jun was already dead. On the other hand, Pang Guang had fled so Yang Kai really didn’t know where he was.
“So, what should we do now?”
“Well, since we’re here, let’s settle down first.” Yang Kai sighed, “First, we’ll find out if anyone else is living here and get some information about this place. Then, we can look for a way out.”
“En. Let’s go with your plan, Senior Brother.” Liu Xian Yun did not have any ideas, so she could only put her hopes on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai then picked a direction and flew off on the wooden boat.
The large sea looked endless. Yang Kai could not even tell north from south and could only keep flying in one direction, hoping to find something.
But the waterspouts present all over the surface of the sea were causing a huge obstacle to him.
The waterspouts had strong suction power, and if they really fell into them, even a Dao Source Realm cultivator may not be able to get out safely.
In order to get away from the suction force of the waterspouts, Yang Kai also consumed a great amount of energy.
Three whole days passed, and the two still did not find anything. It was as if the sea was truly endless. Even someone as calm as Yang Kai could not help but feel a little uneasy. If they really couldn’t find a place to settle down, then would the two of them have to keep on flying forever?
If that happened, the two of them would end up dead sooner or later. Even though they could avoid danger in the Sealed World Bead and rest and recuperate, they would still be trapped here for life if unable to find the way out.
“Junior Sister, come and take over for a while, I need to rest for a bit.” Yang Kai beckoned Liu Xian Yun over and passed the controls of the wooden boat to her.
“En.” Liu Xian Yun had been wanting to help Yang Kai for a long time, so she was happy to take over when he asked her to do so.
“Watch out for those waterspouts. If you find one that’s too big, then it’s better to go around it than to try and force your way through it. Those things are dangerous.” Yang Kai cautioned her before sitting down cross-legged. Tossing a few restorative Spirit Pills into his mouth, and silently circulating his Secret Art.
The World Energy inside this Solitary Void Sealed World was extremely dense, not more so than in the Sealed World Bead, but definitely higher than an average Sect’s cultivation paradises.
Yang Kai figured that he could recover quickly if he used Spirit Pills and cultivate here.
But only a short time passed before he realized that something wasn’t quite right.
The World Energy that was being drawn into his body seemed to be mixed with something else that Yang Kai could not identify. This strange energy felt like sharp needles that constantly pricked his meridians and body when it entered his body, causing immense physical pain.
The more he cultivated, the more of this stuff he absorbed.
An hour later, Yang Kai coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face looking terrible.
“Senior Brother, what happened?” Liu Xian Yun’s face suddenly changed. Yang Kai was clearly restoring his Source Qi, so how did he end up coughing up blood as if he had received a severe injury, especially when there were no enemies nearby.
“The World Energy in this place is strange, don’t absorb it. The more you do, the higher the chance you hurt yourself!” Yang Kai said through gritted teeth as he wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth.
“How can that be?” Liu Xian Yun asked, surprised.
“No idea!” Yang Kai was also confused, shaking his head, “Something’s not quite right with this Sealed World!”
He had never encountered World Energy that he could not absorb since he began cultivating. Something strange was mixed into the World Energy inside this Solitary Void Sealed World, and the more it was absorbed, the more damage it did to a cultivator. It would definitely ruin their meridians in the long run, causing them to lose their cultivation.
Fortunately, Yang Kai only cultivated for an hour before he stopped.
“What do we do now?” Liu Xian Yun was completely panicked. If they couldn’t absorb the World Energy here, then the two of them would run out of energy sooner or later. Not to mention finding the exit, they may never even get off the sea and would die of exhaustion in the end.
This situation was just like putting a whole table of delicious seafood in front of a hungry sailor, but it was actually poisonous. If they ate, they would die of poison, but if they didn’t, they would die of hunger…
“No matter, I have a solution,” Yang Kai wasn’t in too much panic and took out the Sealed World Bead, passing it to Liu Xian Yun. “Hold onto this. I’ll go in to recover for a moment.”
Saying so, he had already entered the Sealed World Bead.
Liu Xian Yun didn’t have the time to say anything before Yang Kai disappeared. She just looked at the Sealed World Bead in her hands, dumbfounded. Then, remembering the pavilion and that nice and quiet world, Liu Xian Yun seemed to have realized something and her pretty face could not help but fill with surprise.
A moment later, she quickly, but carefully put away the Sealed World Bead before putting her focus on steering the wooden boat, constantly moving forward while avoiding those waterspouts.
An hour later, Yang Kai reappeared, not looking as weak as he did earlier. He had a rosy complexion now and had clearly recovered his strength.
Liu Xian Yun did not say anything more, simply nodding at him and handing back the Sealed World Bead.
She was able to cultivate the Third-Order Origin King Realm in the Grand Desolation Star Field and had the prestige of being one of the strongest Masters there, so she was obviously a smart person and knew what to ask and what not to ask.
There was no doubt that Yang Kai entrusting the Sealed World Bead to her meant that he trusted her greatly. As for the mysteries of this Sealed World Bead, it was enough that she knew it in her heart.
Day by day, time passed.
Every two or three days, Yang Kai would enter the Sealed World Bead to recover and then come back out to steer the wooden boat.
During this period, Liu Xian Yun had also run out of Source Qi and had entered the Sealed World Bead twice, but she was very sensible and never asked any questions when she went in and out.
A month’s time passed in the blink of an eye, but Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun still never found any trace of land in this vast sea. The sea really seemed to be endless.
No matter how resolute Yang Kai was, he still could not help but feel a little impatient at this moment.
On this day, when Yang Kai returned from the Sealed World Bead, Liu Xian Yun called out to him with pleasant surprise in her voice, “Senior Brother, I think we’ve found something!”
“What is it?” Yang Kai was excited to hear this and quickly asked.
Liu Xian Yun pointed ahead, “Look, the waterspouts are appearing less and less frequently. The further we go, the rarer they become.”
Yang Kai focused his gaze and discovered that it was true. The number of waterspouts on the surface of the sea had decreased, and Yang Kai’s eyes could not help but brighten at this discovery.
Even though there was no sign of land yet, at least some changes could finally be seen in their surroundings.
Previously, Yang Kai was wondering if they were lost or if they were constantly going in circles, but now, it seemed that they were neither. The sea really was just extremely vast.
This discovery brightened up both Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun, and they sped forth on their wooden boat with even greater effort.
As time passed, the waterspouts around them were also growing smaller and smaller. Eventually, they disappeared completely. This gave Yang Kai the firm belief that he was flying in the right direction. If they kept going, then they might end up finding an unexpected harvest.
After another three days, Yang Kai was in the middle of steering the wooden boat when his face suddenly changed and he focused his gaze as far as he could in a certain direction. In the next moment, he was overjoyed and patted Liu Xian Yun on the shoulder, “Junior Sister, there’s a ship ahead!”
Liu Xian Yun was meditating with closed eyes. She did not dare to cultivate here, so she quickly woke up when Yang Kai called out to her. Standing up, she looked in the direction Yang Kai was pointing and saw that there was in fact a small black dot on the horizon.
That little black dot was, amazingly, a large ship.
Liu Xian Yun could not help but get excited. Looking over at Yang Kai, she could see that he was overjoyed as well.
It had been more than a month since they came to this damned place and they had been wandering the sea this whole time when they finally spotted a ship. The joy that they felt simply could not be described in words.
A boat meant people, and if there were people, it meant they could ask where this place was and where they should head to.
Yang Kai quickly sped up the wooden ship and flew straight towards the large sea ship.
As they got closer and closer, the image of the ship also got clearer and clearer.
It was an impressively large sea ship and even a relatively high-grade artifact to boot. This was a great surprise to Yang Kai as the refinement of such a large artifact ship would inevitably require a lot of energy and finances. Who knows how the cultivators aboard actually managed to achieve it while living in this damned place.
When the wooden bloat flew over, the sentries on the sea ship obviously spotted them as well. Before waiting for Yang Kai to come close, a dozen people scrambled onto the deck, standing there in a disorderly manner. They seemed to be very curious about Yang Kai’s arrival and were constantly pointing and whispering about them.
It didn’t take long before Yang Kai arrived a short distance away from the ship. Looking over, whether it be men or women, he could see that all of them had sturdy auras and were staring at them with some vigilance.
But what surprised Yang Kai even more was the fact that most of these people were actually Dao Source Realm cultivators!
How did they manage to maintain their cultivation in this place? After all, the World Energy here couldn’t be absorbed, so there was no doubt that one’s cultivation would regress if one lived here for a long time.
Even though these dozen people did look a bit short of Source Qi, clearly because they had not been able to cultivate properly, they indeed managed to maintain their cultivations.
The leader of these people was a woman with a voluptuous body, curvy and well-endowed both on her front and her behind; however, her skin was slightly dark, likely due to her being out at sea all year long. This did not take away from her beauty in the slightest though and instead added a wild air to her.
She was standing there like a powerful leopard, looking at the newcomers with sharp eyes.
Yang Kai did not board the ship rashly and instead cupped his fists from nearby, calling out, “Friends, please. I do not know which way you’re heading, but do you mind bringing us along as well?”
The dozen or so people looked indifferent, only their leader raised her head slightly and asked bluntly, “Where are you from?”
Yang Kai pointed in a certain direction and said, “From there. Our ship was destroyed. Only the two of us managed to escape.”
This was, of course, a lie; however, Yang Kai did not want to reveal his background when they had just arrived.
“A shipwreck?” The woman’s face changed slightly. Though, she did not ask too much about it and just sighed lightly. It seemed like getting shipwrecked was common on this sea. Nodding, she said, “The two of you are quite lucky to have survived such a disaster. I can let you on board, but you know the rules, right?”
[Rules…?] Yang Kai’s heart jumped. This was the first group of people they’d encountered since coming here a month ago, so how would they know the rules?
But just as he was about to ask for guidance, the woman frowned and said, “Five thousand Source Crystals per person. Ten thousand for the two of you.”
“Yes yes! Of course!” Yang Kai quickly nodded, thinking that the rules were that they had to pay a boarding fee.
This rule was acceptable, but what surprised Yang Kai the most was the fact that the price of these tickets was way too cheap. It only cost five thousand Source Crystals per person.
As he said that, he touched the Space Ring on his finger, wanting to take out the Source Crystals.
When the woman saw his actions, she couldn’t help but frown and said, “You’re not thinking of giving me the Source Crystals here, right?”
Yang Kai looked at her, bewildered, “Is something the matter?”
Upon hearing this, the woman’s face instantly turned strange. She was eyeing him incessantly, and it wasn’t just her. The other cultivators standing on the deck also had amused looks on their faces.
[What’s going on?] Yang Kai frowned slightly. He was wondering in his heart, [Is there something wrong with giving her the Source Crystals here?]
Just as Yang Kai was feeling suspicious, the woman took out an Access Token. Reaching out and swaying it, an opening immediately split on the ship’s barrier and she said, “Come in first.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai held back the doubts in his heart and rushed in with his wooden boat.
With their feet on the deck, both Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun could not help but heave a sigh of relief. The feeling of standing on steady ground was simply wonderful.
“Come with me.” The woman waved her hand and led the way ahead.
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun exchanged glances with each other before quickly catching up with her.
The cultivators on the deck also took the initiative to open up a path so the two could pass.
After walking for a short while, the woman suddenly asked, “How long have you been shipwrecked on the Solitary Void Sea?”
[So, it turns out this place is the Solitary Void Sea,] Yang Kai noted it silently in his heart. As for the other party’s question, he answered without hesitation, “It happened yesterday. Fortunately, we bumped into you, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. Truly, many thanks to this Young Miss for taking us in.”
His aura was stable at the moment and it obviously seemed as if he did not consume much Source Qi. Telling her that the shipwreck happened yesterday would be the best answer.
“Is that so?” The corners of the woman’s mouth rose slightly, revealing an intriguing smile.
Yang Kai frowned. He thought to himself, [Could it be that this woman realized something? But I shouldn’t have revealed any hint…] Both he and Liu Xian Yun looked at each other, both a little confused.
As they talked, the woman led Yang Kai to a compartment. Opening the door, she went inside.
Yang Kai looked around. Even though the place was not big, the environment was not bad. The nice bit about the compartment was how quiet it was. Also, a Spirit Array seemed to have been set up here, but he had no idea what for.
“Will we be staying here?” Yang Kai asked.
The woman glanced at him and said indifferently, “Not so fast.”
Yang Kai’s face turned dark. [This woman really is strange, if they weren’t going to let them stay, then why bring them here?]
“You can stay here if you want, but it’ll cost you a thousand crystals per day,” the woman continued.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched. He asked, “Didn’t we pay the ship fare already?”
Even though he wasn’t short on Source Crystals right now, he still couldn’t find this woman’s behaviour acceptable. Did she really have to charge them extra for the room? It seemed as though she was trying to milk them.
“The fare and the room fees are two different things. Would you want to stay in a free room if we had one?”
“What’s the difference?” Yang Kai was confused. [Even the rooms on this ship were divided between free ones and paid ones? But the room in front of us doesn’t seem to look decent, so why should we be charged for it?]
The woman explained, “This room is equipped with a special Spirit Purifying Array that can purify the Disruption Force in the Solitary Void Sealed World. Even though it isn’t a high-grade array, it can still be used to cultivate.”
[Used to cultivate?] Yang Kai finally understood why the cultivators on the ship were able to maintain their cultivation.
[So, it is because of this Spirit Purifying Array.] He had previously tried to cultivate in here and naturally knew what sort of damage the mysterious power in this world could do when it entered a cultivator’s body. It turned out that mysterious energy was called Disruption Force.
This one short sentence from this woman allowed Yang Kai to understand many things.
With that, it also made sense now for them to charge for the room. The Spirit Purifying Array could purify the strange Disruption Force in the air so the cultivator in the room would be able to absorb the World Energy without the impurities.
But Yang Kai soon realized that something was wrong, because the World Energy in this room was extremely thin, a far cry from the dense World Energy outside.
From the looks of it, this Spirit Purifying Array did not come without drawbacks. While it purified the Disruption Force, it also hindered the flow of World Energy.
Even though one would not be hurt by the Disruption Force if they cultivated here, it was still impossible to maintain their cultivation with such thin World Energy. Their cultivation could only slowly regress unless they could find another method to restore their Source Qi, such as Source Crystals or whatnot.
No wonder all the cultivators here looked to be lacking Source Qi. Despite being at the Dao Source Realm, Yang Kai could tell that these people simply wouldn’t be able to display their full strength at all.
“Are you staying or not?” The woman asked impatiently when she saw Yang Kai’s mind wandering.
“Yes, of course we’ll stay!” Yang Kai nodded hurriedly. Even if the grade of the Spirit Purifying Array here was poor, and the room was mediocre, the fact that the Disruption Force could be purified here was better than nothing.
Anyway, it’s not like he was short on Source Crystals; after all, he had just managed to secure hundreds of millions of Source Crystals from Yao Chang Jun’s Space Ring after killing him.
“You’ll have to pay for a month in advance. You get your balance back if we reach land before then, or pay extra if otherwise,” The woman extended her hand towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai no longer objected, taking out 40,000 Source Crystals and handing them to the woman.
The woman put the Source Crystals into her Space Ring with great haste and instructed, “Don’t wander around if you have no other business. We came out here on a mission and we’ll bring you to Clear Sky Island once we’re finished.”
Yang Kai nodded, “We understand.”
Only then did the woman turn around and walk out. When she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped and turned her head to look at Yang Kai, “Are you curious as to why I brought you into this room to collect the Source Crystals?”
Yang Kai was stunned. He did not understand what she meant by asking this.
The woman snorted and did not continue speaking, instead just stretching out a hand to Yang Kai, “Give me one more Source Crystal and I’ll tell you the reason why.”
Veins started to pop on Yang Kai’s forehead. This woman was seriously obsessed with money, wanting Source Crystals for everything.
Though a little disgruntled, he took out a Source Crystal and tossed it towards the woman.
The woman caught it and sneered, “Watch carefully.”
As she spoke, she tossed the Source Crystal straight out of the room.
With a *ding*, the Source Crystal landed in the hallway.
Then, the next scene caused Yang Kai’s face to change. The Source Crystal had actually begun to dissolve at a rapid rate. In less than ten breaths, a whole piece of Low-Rank Source Crystal disappeared without a trace, dissipating into World Energy.
The woman coldly snorted, “If you’re new here, you’re new, don’t bother trying to act smart!”
After she said that, she went straight out and shut the door behind her.
Yang Kai’s face burned red. He knew that his lies had been seen through the moment he tried to take out the Source Crystals for her outside. Otherwise, if he was someone from here, how could he not even know this bit of common knowledge?
“Senior Brother…” Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face also changed slightly, “That Source Crystal…”
Yang Kai said frustratingly, “Source Crystals probably can’t be exposed outside of the Spirit Purifying Array, otherwise they’ll disappear quickly.”
The woman clearly wanted this last piece of Source Crystal to show him this.
“Does that mean they figured out we’ve just arrived here?”
Yang Kai smiled awkwardly, “Definitely, but that doesn’t matter. That woman seems a bit aloof, but I don’t think she’s a bad person. Let’s get some rest first. We’ll figure out how to get out of here once we reach that Clear Sky Island she mentioned.”
“En.” Liu Xian Yun nodded and found a place in the room to sit down in a cross-legged position.
…..
On the deck, two men immediately sprang up when the woman walked out and approached her on each side.
The man on the left had a huge scar on his face that ran from his cheekbone all the way down his mouth, appearing fierce and scary. The one on the right on the other hand had a rather stout round build and a fierce aura.
“Big Sister Ling, are those two… staying?” The man on the left asked softly, eyes flickering with a dangerous light. He could not help but stick out his tongue to lick his lips when he asked this question, as if there was a delicious meal placed in front of him.
“En,” Ling Yin Qin nodded. She looked at him and said coldly, “What’re you asking that for?”
The man on the right grinned meaningfully, “You already know the answer, Big Sister Ling. It was clearly that pair’s first time here in the Solitary Void Sealed World. Obviously, they’ve stumbled here by accident, but newcomers here always have a lot of good stuff on them.”
The man on the left nodded, “That’s right, Big Sister Ling. We only have several dozen Source Crystals left. If we don’t get any more, then our cultivations will start to regress. You also know how the situation on Clear Sky Island is. Now that two fat sheep suddenly stumbled onto us… Heh heh, we brothers just can’t help ourselves.”
“Is this what you two were planning, or is it the plans of everyone on the ship?” Ling Yin Qin paused in her steps and asked in a grim voice.
The man on the left scratched his head, “Even though they didn’t say anything, they’re definitely thinking the same thing. As long as Big Sister Ling gives the order, we’ll rush in there right now and tie them up!”
“What nonsense!” Ling Yin Qin shouted angrily, saliva spraying all over the scar-faced man’s face, “Control your greed and don’t give me any trouble!”
The scar-faced man wiped his face embarrassedly, “Big Sister Ling, we can just talk, no need to spit on me…”
Ling Yin Qin coldly snorted, “How about I throw you overboard so you can cool your head first?”
The scar-faced man jumped in fright and quickly waved his hands, “No, no, no thank you!”
Lin Yin Qin took a deep breath and said, “That man isn’t someone we should be messing with. Since you know they’re newcomers here, then you should know that nobody who just arrived here is to be underestimated. Unlike us who have lived here for a long time, their cultivations haven’t regressed yet, so they are able to use their full strength. That man is a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so who on this ship can fight him? If we really start a fight here, several of our men are going to end up dead at least. Do you really want to see that happen?”
The two men looked at each other and were instantly much more clear-headed. They both shook their heads.
Ling Yin Qin continued, “The first rule of the Solitary Void Sealed World is that we should never pick unnecessary fights, remember that. The Source Qi that we consume cannot be so easily replenished.”
“Yes,” The two men seemed extremely submissive to Ling Yin Qin and answered her seriously when they heard her say that.
“What’s more, we still have a mission to finish out here. Rest assured, once our task is done, all of you will receive Source Crystals and cultivation resources.” While speaking, Ling Yin Qin took off her Space Ring and passed it to the scar-faced man, “I got 40,000 Source Crystals from that man just now, take them and distribute them to everyone. Each of you should get a good share out of this.”
“40,000!?” The two men were overjoyed, as if 40,000 Source Crystals was an amazing fortune for them.
This was simply unimaginable in the outside world. Any Dao Source Realm cultivator wouldn’t even spare a glance at 40,000 Low-Rank Source Crystals, but Source Crystals were a rare commodity here in the Solitary Void Sealed World.
Cultivators who live here year-round would naturally need to consume Source Crystals, but there were no Source Crystals to mine here. There was simply no way to make ends meet in the long run. Only cultivators who end up getting caught and dragged into this place would bring some Source Crystals with them.
But not many cultivators ended up here each year, and the number of Source Crystals they brought with them was an even greater uncertainty. How could this be enough for the several hundreds of thousands of people living in Clear Sky City?
These 40,000 Source Crystals were a huge sum for the cultivators aboard this ship.
And yet, Ling Yin Qin had handed this over without hesitation to share with everyone. This was the reason why a woman like her was able to get the whole ship to yield to her and obey her orders.
Ling Yin Qin never hid anything for herself, and this kind of virtue was enough to gain everyone’s respect.
“Tell our brothers not to have any funny thoughts about those two, and don’t reveal their origins when we return to Clear Sky City. If you want Source Crystals, get it from them the proper way. Our mission is going to be a long one. If you use the right method, then you may be able to get some Source Crystals out of them.” Ling Yin Qin warned them again, still not completely assured. She was clear about the type of men she had working under her.
“Got it, Big Sister Ling.” The two were overjoyed at her words. After shooting a glance at each other, they immediately rushed into the cabin.
Not long after, the scar-faced man returned and handed the ring back to Ling Yin Qin, “Big Sister Ling, we left 10,000 Source Crystals for you. The rest we’ve split up with the boys. Heh heh, everyone said they’ll have to thank Big Sister Ling for this reward!”
Ling Yin Qin snorted, “I’ll be thanking the Heavens as long as you don’t bring me any trouble.”
“No, no, absolutely not!” The scar-faced man responded seriously.
Yang Kai had not been sitting in the room for long when a knock came at the door.
Liu Xian Yun looked at him and only opened the door when she received a nod.
The scar-faced man that was on the deck earlier appeared outside the door with a flattering smile on his face and immediately began fawning over them, “Greetings, dear guests. I’m not disturbing your cultivation, am I?”
Liu Xian Yun asked, “What is it?”
The scar-faced man laughed, “Big Sister instructed me to come over and see if our guests are in need of anything. If you do need anything, we will do our best to fulfil your needs.”
Liu Xian Yun was bewildered. She had no idea why this guy was being so polite all of a sudden. A saying came to her, ‘one who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions’. This man’s behaviour made her a little wary; after all, when she and Yang Kai arrived here, they weren’t even sure of the specific circumstances of this place, so it was natural for them to be cautious.
The scar-faced man then continued, “This is some food prepared by the brothers for the two of you. We have nothing else to offer on our ship, I hope you won’t mind it.”
Only then did Liu Xian Yun notice that the scar-faced man was holding a tray with two plates of dishes and a jar of wine. She had no idea what sort of strange meat the food was made of, but it did smell quite good.
[It couldn’t be poisoned, could it?] Liu Xian Yun’s face turned strange in an instant. She wanted to refuse him, but since he took the initiative to bring it over, it seemed a bit inappropriate to turn him away at the door. So, not knowing what to do, she could only look back at Yang Kai and wait for his opinion.
“Come in and talk inside.” Yang Kai did not seem to care.
When he heard this, the scar-faced man suddenly revealed a happy expression, “Pardon the intrusion.”
Liu Xian Yun then moved aside to let the scar-faced man enter the room. The latter put the tray on the table and looked towards Yang Kai with an eager face, the fawning smile on his face never disappearing.
Yang Kai smiled, “Is the food free or is there a fee?”
The scar-faced man grinned meaningfully, scratching his head as he said, “This is a little token of appreciation prepared by the brothers for our two guests, so naturally it’s free of charge. But… Heh heh… I’m sure you understand, friend.”
Liu Xian Yun let out a light snort and looked unhappy. She was thinking that all these people in this ship were all money-grubbers. To think they actually had the gall to charge for two plates of some unknown dishes and a jar of old wine that looked to be of poor quality.
She wouldn’t even have bothered to spare such dishes a glance if she was served them in the outside world.
But Yang Kai had his curiosity piqued by this behaviour and asked, “Are Source Crystals hard to acquire here?”
Instantly, a bitter expression appeared on the scar-faced man’s face, “Friend, if you live here for a little time, you’ll learn just how precious Source Crystals are in this place.”
If this wasn’t the case, why would he be so thick-faced as to try and find a way to ‘earn’ some Source Crystals from Yang Kai like this?
“Can you not mine Source Crystals here?” Liu Xian Yun asked suspiciously.
The scar-faced man shook his head and replied, “No, the Disruption Force is present all throughout the Solitary Void Sealed World, and once exposed to it, Source Crystals will dissolve and lose all the World Energy. So, there are no Source Crystals to mine in this damned place at all. This is also the reason why the World Energy is so dense in this Solitary Void Sealed World.”
Liu Xian Yun had also seen how the Source Crystal melted rapidly earlier, so she naturally understood when she heard the scar-faced man say this. With that, her disdain for the cultivators on this ship lessened a little. She understood now why all of them were so money eager for profits.
The scar-faced man sighed, “The Source Crystals in this Solitary Void Sealed World are all brought in by outside cultivators. There’s no chance to even find a single piece in here.”
Yang Kai nodded as it was just as he guessed. When he saw the Source Crystal dissolve earlier, Yang Kai already had some vague guesses, so when the scar-faced man explained this now, he instantly affirmed that his guesses were correct.
Source Crystals truly were valuable treasures in this damned place.
“What do we call you?” Yang Kai asked.
The scar-faced man quickly responded, “Jiao Yi. Big Sister calls me Old Jiao. Please feel free to call me however you please!”
“Please sit, Brother Jiao, I have some questions to ask you,” Yang Kai motioned to him while taking out a bag of Source Crystals from his Space Ring at the same time, placing it on the table and pushing it towards him.
Jiao Yi’s eyes lit up in an instant like a starved ghost seeing food. He pulled the bag to himself, opened it up, and was almost blinded by the lustre of the Source Crystals inside. Hurriedly, he stuffed the bag into his Space Ring and replied happily, “Ask away, friend! Old Jiao will even tell you what the colour of my underwear is!”
“Bleh…” Liu Xian Yun spat, face blushing slightly.
Yang Kai smiled, “To tell you the truth, my Junior Sister and I just arrived here and we know nothing about this place, so…”
“We already know. Who else besides newcomers would dare to take out Source Crystals in the open here in the Solitary Void Sealed World? As soon as we saw that, we all knew you weren’t familiar with the rules here, friend.”
He was referring to Yang Kai’s earlier attempt at making a deal with Ling Yin Qin above deck.
Yang Kai also knew he was definitely outed, so he didn’t try to hide it either. In any case, he wanted information and had Source Crystals, so he figured trading one for the other was a good deal.
Jiao Yi sighed, “Just live here for a year and you’ll know how precious Source Crystals are. Let Old Jiao give you some advice. No matter how many Source Crystals you have, use them sparingly or you’ll use them up before you know it. Thinking back then, I used to have several million Source Crystals in my Space Ring. I was quite rich back then! But now, haa…”
He had a pained look, as if regretting how he squandered his money.
“How long have you been here, Brother Jiao?”
This question seemed to poke at Jiao Yi’s sore point. He poured himself a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp before wiping his mouth and speaking, “I never really counted, but probably about sixty years, maybe seventy?”
“Sixty or seventy years!?” Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face paled in an instant.
Jiao Yi looked over to her and revealed, “What do seventy years count for? Some people have been stuck here for hundreds or even thousands of years.”
“Is there no way out?” Liu Xian Yun asked.
Jiao Yi frowned, “I’m not sure about that. Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. As for me, this Old Jiao’s strength is too low, so obviously, even if there is a way out, I wouldn’t be able to reach it. If that wasn’t the case, those few peak-level powerhouses in Clear Sky City would have already left. Why would they stay here and suffer?”
Yang Kai said, “Then, did you come in from Solitary Void Mountain Range too, Brother Jiao?”
“Solitary Void Mountain Range?” Jiao Yi was befuddled at these words. After thinking for a while, he realized what he was saying, “Oh, that Solitary Void Mountain Range at the intersection of the Southern Territory and the Eastern Territory, right? No, I came in from the intersection of the Western Territory and the Northern Territory.”
“Are there a lot of points this place can be accessed from?”
“En, it seems to be so, since people from all four major regions are living on Clear Sky Island. Just on this boat alone, we came in from at least a dozen different places.”
“That many? How can that be?” Liu Xian Yun was amazed.
Jiao Yi shrugged, “I don’t know either.”
Yang Kai said thoughtfully, “The entrance of this Solitary Void Sealed World is either mobile, or there are many entry points. Brother Jiao, what’s the situation on that Clear Sky Island you mentioned?”
Jiao Yi replied, “Clear Sky Island is just that, it’s Clear Sky Island. All the cultivators in this Solitary Void Sealed World live there. The great forces on the island are complicated, so when we get to Clear Sky Island, Old Jiao advises you to join one of the more powerful ones. Otherwise, it will be difficult to survive here, especially for newcomers. Many people have their eyes on newcomers. I’m sure you know why, right?”
“Source Crystals?” Liu Xian Yun quickly asked.
Jiao Yi nodded, “That’s right, newcomers will more or less be carrying Source Crystals with them when they come here. Men die for wealth, birds die for food. That’s the immutable truth.”
Yang Kai asked, “Are there any Emperor Realm Masters staying on the island?”
“There are. More than a few actually,” Jiao Yi responded, “There are probably over a dozen, with the most powerful one being Clear Sky Island Lord who is a Third-Order Emperor Realm. I heard he’s been here for over a thousand years!”
“Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master is trapped here?” Liu Xian Yun’s pretty face paled, feeling like escape was becoming more and more hopeless.
Jiao Yi grinned meaningfully, “What’s so strange about that? If you can’t find a way out, then you won’t be able to leave. But after being trapped here for so long, I heard the Island Master’s cultivation has regressed a lot, possibly even dropping to the Second-Order Emperor Realm, but I don’t know if that’s true or not.” He sighed, “But I think it’s true. How could one keep their cultivation from dropping after living here for so long? Old Jiao used to be Second-Order Dao Source Realm, but I’ve already fallen to the First-Order after all these years.”
Yang Kai frowned, “If you don’t have Source Crystals, how do you cultivate here?”
Jiao Yi said, “With Spirit Purifying Arrays. The grade of the Spirit Purifying Array in this room isn’t very high, so the results aren’t that good. The higher the grade of the Spirit Purifying Array, the better. Once you reach Clear Sky City, I suggest you rent a secluded home with a high-grade Spirit Purifying Array. It will slow down the regression of your cultivation to the greatest extent. But of course, you can also take Spirit Pills besides using the Spirit Purifying Array, but Spirit Pills are ridiculously expensive here. There aren’t many Alchemists on the island, and the best ones have all taken refuge with the Island Master. A single Spirit Pill can cost more than ten times what it would cost outside here.”
“Then how do you live?” Liu Xian Yun couldn’t help but sympathize with Jiao Yi. The environment truly was harsh in this Solitary Void Sealed World, making survival anything but easy.
Jiao Yi smiled bitterly, “We go out to hunt sea beasts and look for other raw materials to trade for. The Monster Cores of sea beasts can usually go for a good price. This time, we’re out looking for something called Grey Feather Coral.”
“What is it used for?” Liu Xian Yun asked.
Jiao Yi answered, “It’s an important ingredient in refining Spirit Purifying Arrays. If you want to survive on Clear Sky Island, a Spirit Purifying Array is essential, so there is a large market for Grey Feather Coral.” When he spoke up to here, Jiao Yi’s expression changed. “Are you two interested in joining us? If you are, I can go talk to Big Sister. I don’t think she’ll refuse you. As for the share, you’ll get the same as us. The more you contribute, the more you get.”
Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun were both newcomers, so they were still in peak condition, especially Yang Kai. If they could drag him, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, into their group, then it would certainly help them return with a full load.
Jiao Yi tried his best to sell the idea, “We found a place with a large amount of Grey Feather Corals by chance five years ago, but it was protected by a Sea Beast back then, so we weren’t able to get it in the end. But based on Big Sister’s observations at the time, the Sea Beast was close to the end of its lifespan and it would definitely be dead within five years. In other words, we’ll be able to mine the Grey Feather Coral there to our heart’s content now, and once we do, we won’t have to go out to sea for at least a year with the harvest.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “My Junior Sister and I won’t be participating.”
He wasn’t short of Source Crystals in the slightest, so naturally, he had no wish to mine this Great Feather Coral. No matter what extravagant and colourful words Jiao Yi could bring up, Yang Kai still wouldn’t be moved.
Seeing this, Jiao Yi could not force him either and just felt that Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun would learn just how precious Grey Feather Coral was once they’ve lived here for a year or two. When that time came, he might not even need to try and persuade them and the two would join themselves.
“By the way, how long will it take before you return from this trip?” Yang Kai asked.
Jiao Yi said, “We are about three days away from our destination, then it’ll take another two or three days to mine the coral. As for our return trip… It’ll take at least a month before we can reach Clear Sky Island.”
“That long?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown.
Jiao Yi smiled bitterly, “Most of the materials around Clear Sky Island have already been dug up and harvested. If we want the good stuff, we can only go further away. The risks are proportional to the gains.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then I wish you all success.”
When he heard him say that, Jiao Yi also stood up tactfully, “Then, I won’t disturb your cultivation any longer. If there’s anything you need, just come and look for Old Jiao.”
“Alright.”
When Jiao Yi reached the door, he suddenly turned back, “By the way, once the two of you arrive at Clear Sky City, you must find a way to apply for an Identity Token, otherwise you won’t be able to enter the city. However, if you apply for an Identity Token, you’ll be exposed as newcomers. Why don’t I go and tell Big Sister and she’ll find a way to cover for you two? Even though we aren’t attached to any of the big forces, Big Sister is well-connected and has a wide range of contacts. She may be able to get it done.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and nodded, “Then I’ll offer my thanks in advance, Brother Jiao.”
Jiao Yi smiled, “I’ll let you know if there’s any news.”
After Jiao Yi left, Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun looked at each other, both of them able to see the worry in each other’s eyes. This damned place was able to trap even Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, so it was clear how little chance there was for them to get out. Moreover, Jiao Yi and his group clearly had no idea how to leave either, so they weren’t able to get any information from them.
The only thing they could do now was to head to Clear Sky Island first before making any plans.
The ship sailed for four days before suddenly coming to a stop.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and could feel that the cultivators on the ship had all come up to the deck, sleeves rolled up and filled with energy. It seemed like they had arrived at their destination and everyone was getting ready to go down into the sea to mine the Grey Feather Coral.
Yang Kai didn’t go and bother them, but on the contrary, Jiao Yi came to bother him. He came over again to ask if Yang Kai wanted to join them and head down to the sea or not.
After Yang Kai refused him politely, Jiao Yi didn’t press him anymore.
A short while later, most of the people on board jumped off the deck and disappeared into the sea.
Just as Jiao Yi said before, the powerful Sea Beast protecting the Grey Feather Coral had died, so Ling Yin Qin and her crew were very successful in their mission.
Cultivators were constantly coming in and out of the water, all of them looking ecstatic.
Four days later, all the cultivators returned from the sea and nobody went down anymore.
Yang Kai did not observe their movements too carefully, but when he probed the deck occasionally, he was able to hear some of their conversations. From the bits and pieces of chatter he overheard, Yang Kai learned that they were in fact able to score a huge harvest, even more than Ling Yin Qin had expected.
The crew suffered no casualties and gained so much without any effort just by going to sea, so the faces of the crew members were filled with smiles. Even the usually icy Ling Yin Qin had exposed a rare smile.
About half a day later, the ship turned in a different direction and set sail. It seemed they were on their way back.
Yang Kai also put down the last of his worries. He was really afraid that Ling Yin Qin and her ship would encounter difficulties at sea. If that happened, then there would be no one to bring them to Clear Sky Island.
Everything was going well at the moment, and naturally, this was what Yang Kai hoped to see.
There were peaceful days ahead. Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun were both holed up in their room and did not come out. Ling Yin Qin seemed satisfied with their cooperation and low-key behaviour, so she did not bother them either. On the other hand, Jiao Yi would bring them food and drinks occasionally.
Seven days later, the expression on Yang Kai’s face, who was meditating, suddenly changed and he opened his eyes.
Then, he released his Divine Sense and poured it into the Sealed World Bead to communicate with his Embodiment.
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked. He had no idea why, but the Embodiment suddenly messaged him and he appeared to be in a fluster.
“Ruo Xi, that girl… she’s breaking through,” the Embodiment responded immediately.
“Ruo Xi is breaking through?” Yang Kai raised a brow, “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“How is it good!?” The Embodiment shouted.
Yang Kai also suddenly realized something and his face changed, “Dao Source Realm?”
He remembered that Zhang Ruo Xi had already reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, which meant if she needed to break through, it would be to the Dao Source Realm!
“That’s right. I don’t know what happened with that girl, but the speed that she’s advancing is too frightening! How long has it been and she’s already breaking through to the Dao Source Realm.”
Yang Kai instantly understood the severity of the problem and immediately teleported into the Small Sealed World.
Somewhere in the Small Sealed World, Zhang Ruo Xi was sitting down cross-legged as World Energy circulated around her body, Saint Qi flowing like a river, so much so that one could actually hear it.
She clearly appeared on the verge of a breakthrough.
If this was the outside world, then there would be no problem for her to make a breakthrough like this.
However, she was currently inside the Sealed World Bead where the World Principles were not perfect. It was not an issue for Zhang Ruo Xi to cultivate here normally, but breaking through to the next Great Realm involved a World Energy Baptism. Comprehending Principle Strength while breaking through was not possible in this Small Sealed World.
In other words, it was impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to break through to the Dao Source Realm in the Sealed World Bead. If she was left alone, she would only fail.
Once she failed, Zhang Ruo Xi’s path on the Martial Dao would come to an end, and she may even be hit by backlash and perish.
Yang Kai’s face turned ugly.
It was a vast sea outside, and the environment of this Solitary Void Sealed World was so bizarre that he had no idea if Zhang Ruo Xi would be able to break through if she were brought out.
Even if he took her outside, where would they go for her to break through?
Next to Zhang Ruo Si, Hua Qing Si and Liu Yan were both standing there with grave expressions. When they noticed Yang Kai’s arrival, both of them hurried over.
“How long has this been going on?” Yang Kai asked.
“It just began,” Hua Qing Si responded, “But looking at her, I don’t think she can suppress it any longer. If she forcefully restrains herself any more, it will damage her foundation.”
“Master, what should we do now?” Liu Yan had no idea what to do at all. She knew what kind of situation Yang Kai was in currently and really couldn’t think of how they were going to help Zhang Ruo Xi with her current predicament.
“Watch over her for a while, I’ll think of a plan.” After he said that, Yang Kai left the Sealed World Bead.
Zhang Ruo Xi had just perceived the opportunity to break through, so she could probably hold on for a while longer, but it will be impossible to do so for too long. A solution had to be found before then.
Inside the compartment, Yang Kai’s figure reappeared and then flew straight out.
Liu Xian Yun was befuddled, having no idea what Yang Kai was in such a hurry to do, so she quickly followed after him.
Ling Yin Qin was currently cultivating inside her private cabin. It was really unexpected for them to have gained such a large harvest during this trip, so they would be able to stay home for at least two or three years before they had to come out to sea again, which put her in a rather good mood.
While she was thinking about which great force she should sell the Grey Feather Coral to when they returned, her door was suddenly opened with a bang.
Ling Yin Qin was shocked and stood up immediately, shouting, “Who’s there!”
She was the captain of this ship, so there wasn’t anyone on board who dared to rush in without even greeting her, so Ling Yin Qin’s first reaction was that it must be an enemy.
But when she got a good look at who it was that entered, Ling Yin Qin gritted her teeth and snapped, “What are you doing?!”
She was naturally angered. She was only glad that she wasn’t comprehending some Secret Art or Secret Technique, otherwise, this disturbance by Yang Kai would have rendered her efforts meaningless.
This person had been quiet since he came aboard her ship, and Ling Yin Qin had a good impression of him, but now, the sight of him disgusted her.
Yang Kai also knew that he had been too abrupt, but this matter concerned Zhang Ruo Xi’s life and future, so he could only cup his fists and say, “Big Sister Ling, is it? I have an urgent matter so I hope you can forgive me.”
Ling Yin Qin’s name was something he learned from hearing the conversations of the other crew members on the ship.
“What happened?”
There was a cry of alarm from outside. Apparently, the crew had been attracted by the noise of Yang Kai hurling the door open.
They all saw Yang Kai standing outside with Ling Yin Qin’s face covered in fury. All of them were shocked. Jiao Yi, who was standing among them, blinked his eyes and said, “Brother Yang, why did you barge into our Big Sister’s room?”
“You little brat, you’re not coveting the beauty of our Big Sister and deciding to take her by force, are you?”
“What? Seriously? You bastard, how dare you!”
“You’re courting death, you little brat! You have a Junior Sister and you’re still not satisfied? You even dared to eye our Big Sister!? See if I don’t cripple you today!”
The group of people outside became all stirred up and shouted madly, making the scene quite lively.
Yang Kai was speechless at their reaction, but still quickly cupped his fists to Ling Yin Qin, “This one really does have an urgent matter to deal with, so please forgive me, Big Sister Ling!”
Ling Yin Qin glared at Yang Kai with gritted teeth. Even though it was hard to dispel her anger, his expression did not seem fake, so she coldly snorted and asked, “What matter is so urgent that you can’t even knock? Didn’t your mother teach you anything about manners?”
Yang Kai did not dare to talk back after being reprimanded like this either and could only say, “I wish to ask Big Sister Ling’s advice. If one needs to make a breakthrough here, how should they go about it?”
“A breakthrough?” Upon hearing this, Ling Yin Qin’s face changed, “Breaking through to a new Great Realm?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded.
When she heard this, Ling Yin Qin’s mind buzzed for a moment and her face filled with shock.
She naturally thought that Yang Kai needed to break through.
Yang Kai was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so if he broke through, wouldn’t that mean advancing to the Emperor Realm?
There were only a few Emperors in Clear Sky Island, so Ling Yin Qin did not expect that the person she randomly bumped into during her trip would have the potential to break through to the Emperor Realm.
Once this Yang Kai made a breakthrough, he would certainly be able to occupy a seat in Clear Sky Island, and could in turn shelter her whole crew. However… only those who have lived in the Solitary Void Sealed World for a long time would understand that this place was simply a grave for cultivators. A cultivator whose cultivation did not regress with time here was already considered blessed, and even if one was lucky enough to sense an incoming breakthrough, there were very few who could succeed.
Ling Yin Qin had seen too many people who failed to break through in this damned place, causing them to lose all their cultivation and become crippled.
So, after her initial shock, the gaze which Ling Yin Qin directed at Yang Kai became sympathetic. She could tell that Yang Kai was still young, so to be able to reach Third-Order Dao Source Realm proved his aptitude was exceptional. He should be the young rising star of a great Sect outside, and given time, it may not be impossible for him to get a glimpse of the mysteries of the Emperor Realm.
But here… The possibility of failure was very high.
Yang Kai’s face turned anxious. He had no idea why Ling Yin Qin was looking at him full of sympathy. Receiving no answer from her for a while, he pursued the question again, “Big Sister Ling, do you know anything that can help?”
“Are you really going to break through?” Lin Yin Qin couldn’t help but suggest, “If you’re absolutely confident you can do it, then never break through in this Solitary Void Sealed World! You’re better off cutting off your own cultivation!”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded and he subconsciously asked, “Why?”
Jiao Yi said, “Brother Yang, the Solitary Void Sealed World is not a suitable place for a breakthrough. You know as well as us that the endless stream of Disruption Force that flows in this world. Ninety-nine percent of the people who dared to break through here have failed. Big Sister is just watching out for you.”
Yang Kai was truly shocked now. He had previously thought that this was not a good place for a breakthrough, but he didn’t expect it to be so serious. It did not seem like Zhang Ruo Xi’s Qi fluctuations could be suppressed at all, and if she cut off her cultivation as Ling Yin Qin suggested, then Zhang Ruo Xi would never be able to advance to the Dao Source Realm in her life and could only remain at the Origin King Realm.
Since she would be extinguishing her own Martial Dao, no pill or treasure would be able to help her recover.
The rest of the crew members were looking at Yang Kai with sympathy, as if he had suffered a great misfortune. They did not care about him crashing into Ling Yin Qin as much anymore either. It would be too cruel to focus on such petty matters as that when a young man before them was about to come to the end of his Martial Dao.
Yang Kai was only taken aback for a moment before his look turned into one of resolution, “Please, I still wish to seek Big Sister Ling’s guidance.”
When Ling Yin Qin saw how insistent Yang Kai was, she knew it was useless to dissuade him, so she could only say, “I have a High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array here. It may be able to help you.”
There were four grades of Spirit Purifying Array; low, medium, high, and peak.
These days, during his chats with Jiao Yi, Yang Kai got to know that the Spirit Purifying Arrays set up in the ship rooms were all low grade, because the higher the grade of the array, the more expensive it became to arrange. The price of each higher grade array would be at least ten times that of the previous grade. Ling Yin Qin’s group were struggling cultivators in this Solitary Void Sealed World and did not have the financial resources to hire someone to set up a more powerful Spirit Purifying Array.
Yang Kai also did not expect her to actually have a High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array.
The more advanced the grade of a Spirit Purifying Array, the greater its effects were. Spirit Purifying Arrays were like a net that filters out the Disruption Force from the world while also hindering the flow of World Energy. So, regardless of how dense the World Energy was, places with Spirit Purifying Arrays set up would have less dense World Energy available. The higher the grade of a Spirit Purifying Array, the less World Energy it blocked out, so the World Energy available within would become denser, making cultivation inside much more effective.
Yang Kai was in great joy, “Many thanks, Big Sister Ling!”
When Ling Yin Qin said she was going to take out her High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array, the other crew members on the ship could not help but pale in response. Jiao Yi even whispered, “Big Sister Ling, that Spirit Purifying Array…”
Ling Yin Qin interrupted him with a wave of her hand and took out a set of array flags before handing them to Yang Kai, “If you can’t do it, then don’t force it.”
Then, she stuffed a jade slip into Yang Kai’s hands as well, “This is how to set up the array. It’s very simple, you’ll understand if you look through this.”
“I’ll remember it.” Yang Kai nodded sincerely. Even though he had no idea where this High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array came from, he knew how immensely precious it was to Ling Yin Qin just from the looks of the crew members alone. Otherwise, it was impossible for her not to take it out to use normally.
Based on what Yang Kai knew, the Spirit Purifying Array set up in Ling Yin Qin’s room was also merely a low-grade one.
He also had no idea what the story behind this High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array was; however, he decided inwardly that he was going to give Ling Yin Qin compensation after the matter was over.
“I still need to bother Big Sister Ling with one more question. Are there any islands nearby here?” Yang Kai asked.
Ling Yin Qin looked up and said to a cultivator whose face was covered with a big beard, “Hand me the map.”
The cultivator took out a piece of beast skin from his Space Ring and immediately spread it out in front of Ling Yin Qin. Yang Kai also went over to take a look, but he couldn’t read it properly.
Ling Yin Qin’s gaze swept over the map for a while before pointing to a certain spot, “Southeast, five hundred kilometres from here is a small island.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Many thanks!”
By the time he finished speaking, his body had already teleported and disappeared from sight.
The entire crowd was shocked, and even Ling Yin Qin’s beautiful face paled as none of them saw how Yang Kai left.
Even though she knew that Yang Kai’s cultivation was at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, she never expected him to be so powerful. Just from his Movement Skill alone, Ling Yin Qin was unable to find any traces of Yang Kai at all. If a man like this wanted to kill her, she would be completely defenceless.
Instantly, Ling Yin Qin was feeling thankful that she had strictly forbidden her crew from picking a fight with Yang Kai. Otherwise, nobody would even know how their entire crew ended up dead.
“Senior Brother, he’s… actually going to break through to the Emperor Realm?” Someone murmured quietly from the side.
Ling Yin Qin looked over and saw Liu Xian Yun standing there worriedly.
She followed Yang Kai out of the room and heard the conversation clearly, so she was a bit shocked. Unlike Ling Yin Qin who did not know Yang Kai well, Liu Xian Yun had been cultivating next to Yang Kai these days and she did not notice any signs of him breaking through at all, so how was he suddenly breaking through to the Emperor Realm?
But after the shock passed, she only felt concerned because Ling Yin Qin had put it very clearly that breaking through in the Solitary Void Sealed World was extremely risky.
“Big Sister Ling, my Senior Brother, he…” Liu Xian Yun looked towards Ling Yin Qin.
The latter sighed and said truthfully, “There is little hope, and it is basically impossible to accomplish.”
Liu Xian Yun’s face paled, and she almost toppled over from shock. An amazing talent like Yang Kai was going to be ruined here in this damned place? And the root cause of this was her. If they had not encountered each other in Marsh City, then Yang Kai would never have stood up for her, much less attracted the attention of an old monster like Yao Chang Jun. Then, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been chased all the way to the depths of the Solitary Void Mountain Range and gotten swallowed up by the Solitary Void Sealed World.
The more she thought about it, the guiltier Liu Xian Yun felt towards Yang Kai. If he failed to break through here, then whether he became crippled or died, it would all be her fault.
“Big Sister, that Spirit Purifying Array was what Big Brother Zhou gave you back then. How could you…” Jiao Yi looked at Ling Yin Qin with lament.
Ling Yin Qin answered, “He’s in urgent need of it, so what’s the harm in lending it to him?”
Jiao Yi said, “But if he damages it…”
“If you needed to break through, I would also lend it to you.”
The crew knew that Ling Yin Qin was not lying, her character was just like this, cold on the outside, warm on the inside. Yang Kai was just a hitchhiker who had nothing to do with her, but she still lent such a precious Spirit Purifying Array to Yang Kai.
But the preciousness of that Spirit Purifying Array was not in value, but rather the sentimentality of it for Ling Yin Qin, so even though everyone knew that Ling Yin Qin had a high-grade Spirit Purifying Array, they never asked her to take it out for everyone to use. Everyone just used their own meagre Spirit Purifying Arrays, slowly cultivating to stem the speed of their cultivation’s regression.
“Spread the order, we will anchor here for a few days. You should all disperse as well,” Ling Yin Qin waved her hand and excused everyone.
The dozen crew members all looked at each other, not daring to say anything more and left.
“Senior Brother Jiao, that Big Brother Zhou you mentioned just now… Who is he?” Liu Xian Yun followed Jiao Yi towards the cabin and asked.
Jiao Yi said, “He was Big Sister’s partner. When Big Sister and Big Brother Zhou both fell into this damned place, he brought us together to scrape out a living, but one time at sea, Big Brother Zhou was killed by a Sea Beast while protecting everyone. The only thing he left behind before his death was that Spirit Purifying Array. He sold off his own artifact to buy it, and if he still had that artifact, then Big Brother Zhou might not have died.”
When the past was mentioned, Jiao Yi’s emotions began to fluctuate and his fists were clenched, clearly showing that he received a lot of care from the man surnamed Zhou and had long recognized him as a family member.
“Big Brother Zhou really did treat Big Sister Ling well,” Liu Xian Yun muttered. For the sake of his partner, he was willing to sell off his artifact in order to buy a Spirit Purifying Array. It seemed like a stupid thing to do, but who could criticize him?
“Now you know how precious that Spirit Purifying Array is to Big Sister, right?” Jiao Yi gritted his teeth, “If your Senior Brother damages that Spirit Purifying Array, I, Old Jiao, will be the first one to not let him off!”
Even though Jiao Yi had great conversations with Yang Kai and Liu Xian Yun during these days and received a lot of Source Crystals from him, he still stood firmly on Ling Yin Qin’s side when it came to that High-Grade Spirit Purifying Array.
But after the fierce talk, Jiao Yi added a little vexingly, “I apologize, Old Jiao’s temper is bad. I shouldn’t be saying this to you. We don’t even know if your Senior Brother can return safely.”
“It’s fine, I understand how Senior Brother Jiao feels.” Liu Xian Yun waved her hands. She couldn’t help but fantasize about Yang Kai leaving something behind for her too. It didn’t matter whether it was valuable or not, she would still treasure it.