Hearing his words, Ling Yin Qin and her crew paled.
The two strongest Masters of the Solitary Void Sealed World were in front of them and about to come to blows, how could they not be scared? When Immortals fought, it was the mortals who would suffer the consequences! If these two started to fight here, everyone would become involved. At that time, Ice Heart Pavilion’s Pavilion Master wouldn’t have the time to worry about their safety, and a moment of carelessness would be enough to seal their fate.
Hearing Chi Ri’s threat, Bing Yun said coldly, “Chi Ri, although this Queen said that she doesn’t want you as an enemy, it isn’t because I’m afraid of you. If you keep being so forceful, this Queen will have no choice but to respond in kind.”
Chi Ri narrowed his eyes, his anger palpable.
He had known Bing Yun for many years, but it was the first time she had used this kind of tone when speaking to him. In the past, even if she was impatient, she wouldn’t make it too obvious. She was always as cold as ice and rarely revealed her emotions, but today, she was different. Her words were as sharp as a blade, and she didn’t seem to fear him at all.
This enraged Chi Ri, as he’d always had an edge over Bing Yun. Although their cultivations were almost identical, the same couldn’t be said for the resources at their disposal. For this reason, the difference between them kept increasing with time.
He felt that it was only a question of time before he subdued Bing Yun, making her his personal property, but now, that very same woman was rebelling! How could he not get angry?
“It seems you really want this King to seize you and drag you back!” Chi Ri’s face darkened as he decided that he would shatter Bing Yun’s spirit today, even if it meant getting injured. He wanted to let her know about the difference in strength between them.
“Yang Kai, take everyone and leave first,” Bing Yun didn’t talk nonsense and quietly instructed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gently nodded, handing over the High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills that he’d refined in the past few days as he whispered, “In that case, Junior will depart first and await Senior at the destination.”
He wasn’t worried about her safety as she’d already recovered to her peak thanks to the ten million High-Rank Source Crystals he had given her. Moreover, she had several High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills with her. How could Chi Ri possibly defeat her?
Bing Yun couldn’t lose!
Yang Kai turned and winked at Ling Yin Qin and the others. At the same time, he made a few hand seals, urging the sea ship to move forward.
Chi Ri didn’t care about what Yang Kai and the others were planning, neither did he try to stop them, he simply stood mid-air, gazing at Bing Yun. As long as he could stop Bing Yun, he didn’t care if the others lived or died.
Emperor Pressure filled the area above the sea, looking almost tangible as it clashed, setting off terrifying storms. The surrounding World Principles began to warp under this pressure, causing the world to dim.
Pang Guang, who was behind Chi Ri, felt so much pressure that his face paled.
Although he was also in the Emperor Realm, he was much weaker than Chi Ri and Bing Yun. The two Masters hadn’t even started fighting, but the pressure that exuded from their bodies was enough to make Pang Guang feel unwell.
He was shocked to realize that the disparity between them was so big.
Since staying was useless, he raised his head and looked in the direction Yang Kai had left, his figure flickering as he prepared to give chase.
As he couldn’t intervene in the battle here, he decided to catch up to Yang Kai and settle their old score.
But before he could take action, Bing Yun pointed at him from afar.
Ice Principles were unleashed with the movement of her finger, shrouding Pang Guang’s body.
Pang Guang felt a gust of deadly air blow across his face, one so cold that it seemed capable of freezing even his Soul, instantly immobilizing him.
If he were at his peak, he might have been able to resist a bit, but now, with his wounds still yet to fully recover, there was no way he could escape from Bing Yun’s pressure.
In desperation, he loudly shouted, “Sir City Lord, save me!”
Chi Ri didn’t really care about him, but as soon as Bing Yun made her move, he instinctively swung his sleeve, sending out a wave of hot air, dispersing the bone-chilling cold.
Pang Guang instantly felt much better and hurried to circulate his strength, retreating more than a dozen kilometres as he gasped for breath, fear still lingering on his face.
“This King is in front of you, and yet you’ve the mind to take care of others? Don’t look down on me!” Chi Ri shouted.
Bing Yun’s pretty face darkened as she said in amazement, “You’ve been concealing your strength all along!”
Although he merely swung his sleeve, Bing Yun instantly became aware of this detail. Each time he fought with her over that cup of tea, he wasn’t using his full strength! Only now was he revealing his real strength.
At the same time, she rejoiced once again for meeting Yang Kai, her lucky star. He had given her ten million High-Rank Source Crystals all at once, which allowed her to recover her strength completely. If not for his help, there was no way their plan would have a chance at success.
“You also seem to have recovered your strength,” Chi Ri was likewise surprised. Today, he was planning to completely crush Bing Yun and make her submit, but now, it was unclear who would come out on top! After realizing this fact, Chi Ri’s expression became ugly.
But even if the two of them were surprised, they were still Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, with extraordinary mental fortitude, so they swiftly regained their composure.
Bing Yun looked past Chi Ri, fixing her gaze on the deathly pale Pang Guang. Her jade white hand gently grasped at the void in the next moment as a snow-white sword appeared in her hand. This sword was just like her – pure and flawless, like the most exquisite piece of art in the world, devoid of any kind of murderous aura.
With this sword in hand, Bing Yun’s momentum skyrocketed and she slashed at Pang Guang, “Clear Sky Snowfall!”
When she slashed out, the sky itself dimmed, as the Heavens and Earth inverted.
Ice Principles filled the surrounding area, quickly freezing the churning seawater.
Then, snow began falling!
Goose feather-sized snowflakes came pouring down, turning the whole world a magnificent white.
Pang Guang, who bore the brunt of the attack, wasn’t able to react as he blankly gazed at the beautiful scenery, completely immersed in it. He revealed an intoxicated expression, and even stretched out his hand to catch the snowflakes drifting in the wind.
His exposed skin and hair were quickly covered in frost, with the rest of his body rapidly turning into an ice statue.
“Grand Sun Covers The Sky!” Chi Ri bellowed and a dazzling sun appeared amidst the world of ice and snow. The unparalleled heat it brought dispersed the snow in the sky and melted the frozen sea.
Two powers of completely different nature clashed against one another on this stretch of sea a hundred kilometres in diametre, quickly cancelling each other out.
No clear winner emerged from this contest.
Pang Guang returned to his senses at that moment, and when he recalled the beautiful scenery just now, bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and continually trickled down.
He understood that he’d been standing at the edge of the gates of hell, and if Chi Ri hadn’t helped him, he would now be dead!
The fact that a top Master like Bing Yun had sneak attacked him made Pang Guang angry; however, he understood why she’d done so. She was afraid that he would chase after Yang Kai and the others, so she made the first move to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, Chi Ri stopped her before she could succeed.
Seeing the situation, Pang Guang hurried to leave and chase after Yang Kai. This wasn’t a battle he could meddle in, and staying here was enough to put his life in danger. If he really got involved, he would die for sure.
The only thing he could do was to follow Yang Kai and the others in the hope of disrupting Bing Yun’s concentration.
Although he wasn’t Bing Yun’s match, he was more than capable of dealing with Yang Kai’s group. As long as he captured them, he could threaten Bing Yun with their lives and perhaps make her surrender.
If he made Chi Ri happy, he’d have a good life later.
“Do you think you can escape?” Seeing Pang Guang trying to flee, Bing Yun guessed what he was scheming, grit her teeth, and stabbed her sword out into the void.
A pure white ice flower shot towards Pang Guang from the tip of her sword. The ice flower bloomed midway, preparing to engulf Pang Guang.
Chi Ri’s figure flashed, appearing in front of the ice flower. Raising his fist, he violently punched, shattering the flower to pieces.
“Still trying to fight others while this King is here? You’re really looking down on me!” Chi Ri sneered.
Bing Yun furrowed her brow as she helplessly watched Pang Guang’s figure disappear. Fighting Chi Ri would require all of her attention; she didn’t have spare energy to deal with Pang Guang.
Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, and in the next moment, her anxiety disappeared, replaced by calmness and strong determination.
She knew that she had to deal with Chi Ri if she wanted to chase after Pang Guang, and if she wanted to deal with Chi Ri, she couldn’t afford to hold back or get distracted.
Seeing Bing Yun’s change, Chi Ri was surprised; however, he didn’t show it and continued, “Bing Yun, all the people on that ship will die because of you. If you obediently surrender now, this King will treat you well in the future.”
The reason he mentioned Yang Kai and the others was to disrupt Bing Yun’s concentration.
However, Bing Yun remained unmoved, simply lifting her sword as the surrounding Ice Principles surged towards Chi Ri.
Chi Ri loudly roared. Despite his anger, he didn’t dare to take Bing Yun lightly, using all of his ability to battle her.
Two figures moved back and forth across the sea’s surface. Principles clashed, Heaven and Earth trembled, oceans flipped, and all the World Energy within ten thousand kilometres became chaotic.
Even if the Star Boundary was taken as a whole, it was rare to witness a battle to the death between two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters. What was even rarer was that their strengths were well matched, and the Principle Strengths and Divine Abilities they possessed mutually restrained one another. The battle was absolutely breathtaking.
Even Yang Kai’s group, who was far from the battlefield, could sense the terrifying energy fluctuations.
All of them wore expressions of shock while Fan Xin and the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion were deeply worried about their Honoured Master.
They only knew that she seemed to fear Chi Ri, oblivious to the fact that she had recovered to her peak. Now that the two had started fighting, they didn’t know who would come out on top.
“Someone’s coming,” Liu Xian Yun exclaimed while pointing in a certain direction.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, frowning, “How did she fail to stop him?”
In her current state, Bing Yun should’ve been able to kill Pang Guang right under Chi Ri’s nose; after all, he was only a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator and was heavily injured on top of that. He couldn’t possibly survive a single attack from Bing Yun.
Yet, Pang Guang was alive and kicking, heading in their direction as they spoke.
Yang Kai didn’t know what had happened on Bing Yun’s side, but the reality was that Pang Guang had managed to slip by.
It was no longer possible for their group to leave in peace. If they wanted to do so, they had to deal with Pang Guang first.
“It’s that Emperor Realm Master!” Seeing Pang Guang, Ling Yin Qin’s beautiful face turned pale. She didn’t know who Pang Guang was, but as he was following Chi Ri, he had to be an enemy.
The Emperor Realm and Dao Source Realm were worlds apart, and an Emperor Realm Master could easily destroy their ship.
After seeing Pang Guang, everyone turned to look at Yang Kai, wondering what countermeasures he had prepared.
At a glance, Ling Yin Qin and her crew were surprised as Yang Kai didn’t seem anxious at all, simply standing there calmly, a mocking smile on his face. It was as if he wasn’t facing an Emperor, but a piece of trash who was seeking his own death.
“You guys should leave first, I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Yang Kai urged Ling Yin Qin and the others before turning around and flying off.
“Senior Brother!” Liu Xian Yun became anxious. She wanted to accompany Yang Kai, but was also afraid that she’d become a burden due to her low cultivation. She was in a dilemma.
“Senior Brother Yang, I’ll help you!” Ling Yin Qin said as she leapt forward. She was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and if she were to put her life on the line, she could exchange a few blows with a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. It was unknown what the outcome would be, but given the current situation, she was the only one here who could help Yang Kai.
“There is no need for you to intervene. I’ll deal with him by myself. A trivial First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator isn’t enough to give me trouble,” Yang Kai turned around, smiling at them.
Ling Yin Qin and the others were dumbfounded.
An Emperor Realm Master was just something ‘trivial’ in Yang Kai’s eyes?! Where did all his confidence come from?
“Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you soon.” Seeing that Ling Yin Qin and the others were no longer coming his way, Yang Kai grinned.
Then, he left the sea ship, and flew off to intercept Pang Guang.
Ling Yin Qin stood on the deck in a daze, but after a short moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Let’s go!”
“But Senior Brother…” Liu Xian Yun was so anxious that she was bordering on a panic attack.
Ling Yin Qin only spoke in a grave tone, however, “If we remain here, we’ll just distract him. Your Senior Brother is far stronger than an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator. Since he is this confident, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Hearing her words, Liu Xian Yun recalled something. When a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master chased after them outside of Marsh City, Yang Kai managed to run away while carrying her along.
If even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t trouble him, what hope did a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator like Pang Guang have?
Considering all this, Liu Xian Yun relaxed. She turned and looked in Yang Kai’s direction, praying for his well-being before turning back and assisting Ling Yin Qin and the others to move the ship away from the battlefield.
Above the sea surface, Pang Guang suddenly stopped, the distance between him and Yang Kai about a couple dozen metres. He angrily stared at Yang Kai, and seeing the carefree smile on his mortal enemy’s face made him quite uncomfortable.
Becoming even angrier as time passed, Pang Guang roared, “Little brat, you actually had the gall to stay here and wait for this King!”
Yang Kai grinned, “Since City Lord Pang is trying to seek death with all his heart, I thought I’d give him a hand.
Hearing his words, Pang Guang laughed riotously, “Little brat, have you lost your mind? This King is an Emperor, killing you will be as easy as taking a breath!”
“What’s so great about the Emperor Realm?” Yang Kai curled his lips, “It’s not like Emperor Realm cultivators can’t die. If their heads are separated from their bodies, they’re as good as dead!”
Pang Guang was dumbfounded, sweeping his eyes over Yang Kai once more, re-examining him before nodding, “I have to admit that your courage is big, just like your tone.”
“Enough with this nonsense!” Yang Kai seemed impatient, “This Young Master is in a hurry.”
Flicking his wrist, he summoned the Myriads Sword and raised it up to point at Pang Guang, “You can either come here on your own or wait for this Young Master to come over and kill you. Choose whatever you prefer!”
“Waaah!” Pang Guang roared. He had never seen such an arrogant Dao Source Realm cultivator before. In the past, all the Dao Source cultivators he met were extremely respectful when dealing with him, none daring to even breathe without his permission. He was the one looking down on them. But today, the opposite happened.
Pang Guang seethed with rage, “If I don’t peel your skin off today, I am not surnamed Pang!”
After shouting, he shot toward Yang Kai, his momentum soaring as shockwaves spreading all around.
While in midair, he threw his fist toward Yang Kai. The fist’s shadow instantly filled the sky, locking onto Yang Kai’s figure.
*Zheng…*
A melodious sword cry echoed as a sword encased in light expanded out. Just like a dragon waking up from its slumber, bringing enormous power with it, causing Pang Guang’s body to tremble.
*Hong hong hong…*
The loud sound of explosions echoed as the huge fist shadow that filled the sky crumbled and a slash of light from the sword rushed towards Pang Guang.
“Zi…” Pang Guang gasped, his expression changing quickly. He moved his body sideways as the slash brushed past his flank, but the Sword Qi still caused his whole body to sting with pain.
[He… How can he be this powerful?]
Pang Guang couldn’t believe what had just happened. He, an Emperor Realm Master, had taken the initiative to attack; however, not only did he fail to gain any advantage over his opponent, he was even injured. Was this really the strength of a Dao Source Realm cultivator?
Pang Guang wished he could take his eyeballs out of his sockets and stick them to Yang Kai’s body to see if he was actually an Emperor Realm Master hiding his cultivation to toy with him.
While he was lost in thought, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of him, an evil smile on his face as he punched out.
Strange Principle Strength lingered on this fist, which made Pang Guang feel great pressure. He didn’t dare to be careless and threw a punch of his own, putting all of his strength behind it.
*Hong…*
When the two fists collided, Pang Guang’s whole body trembled as he felt a huge surge of power from the incoming attack, causing his blood to boil and his footing to become unstable. Reeling back from the blow, Pang Guang was forced to withdraw a thousand metres before managing to regain his footing.
Yang Kai also flew backwards like a broken piece of cloth. His realm was ultimately lower than Pang Guang’s, so it was commendable that their first clash ended in a draw.
*Chi…*
Both of them stimulated their Qi to disperse their momentum. Their expressions differed quite a bit at this time, with Yang Kai was still in high spirits but remaining calm, while Pang Guang’s cool was gone. He discovered that killing Yang Kai wouldn’t be as easy as he’d imagined. Yang Kai did truly qualify to exchange blows with him.
Things didn’t go like this when they fought in his cave mansion the last time. Although Pang Guang felt that Yang Kai was different from ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivators, he didn’t seem this outrageous. But now, just a few days later, Yang Kai’s strength seemed to have dramatically increased.
[Don’t tell me this is the effect of the Heavenly Restoration Lotus?] This thought suddenly flashed in Pang Guang’s mind.
This made him even angrier as that Heavenly Restoration Lotus should have been his! If he had gotten his hands on it, not only would he have recovered from his injuries, but he would have also advanced on his Martial Dao. Unfortunately for him, this little brat had swallowed the lotus flower whole.
“Let me tell you a secret!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly echoed beside Pang Guang’s ears.
Pang Guang was startled. Yang Kai was thousands of metres away just a moment ago, yet now he was standing right beside him. In that short instant, Pang Guang hadn’t even noticed him move!
[Just how fast is this brat!?]
As soon as he heard Yang Kai’s voice, Pang Guang summoned his Emperor Artifact, which took the shape of a copper gong. When he poured his Emperor Qi into it, the copper gong hummed and let out a strange noise that seemed capable of disrupting one’s concentration.
A pitch-black light shot from the copper gong, heading for Yang Kai’s waist. The speed of this beam of light was so great that it seemed impossible to dodge.
But even so, it did not catch Yang Kai off guard.
Pang Guang felt a fluctuation of Space Principles at that moment and witnessed Yang Kai disappearing from where he was standing. In the next instant, Yang Kai’s voice came from a different side, “Yao Chang Jun is dead!”
When he heard the name ‘Yao Chang Jun’, Pang Guang’s complexion changed and he subconsciously thought that Yao Chang Jun was nearby and didn’t even register the last part of the sentence at first.
After coming to his senses, he then blurted out, “How did he die?”
“Of course… I killed him!” Yang Kai laughed madly.
“Nonsense!” Pang Guang bellowed. He thought that Yang Kai was deceiving him. He’d rather believe that the Heavens and Earth had turned upside down than believe Yang Kai had killed Yao Chang Jun.
After all, the latter was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! Even Pang Guang had to bow his head before such a Master. The mere thought of Yang Kai, who was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm brat, killing such a powerhouse was beyond preposterous.
“You don’t believe me? In that case, why don’t you take a look at this?” Yang Kai retreated a dozen or so metres and spun his wrist, summoning the Five-Coloured Spear into his hand.
Pang Guang opened his eyes wide as he gazed at the Five-Coloured Spear in shock. Then, he started shivering.
He had never seen this Five-Colour Spear before, but he could feel its majestic aura.
To have such an aura, it had to be an Emperor Grade High-Rank Artifact! Even his copper gong was inferior to it. Someone who possessed this kind of Emperor Artifact was definitely a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but the most important thing was that he could feel Yao Chang Jun’s aura on this Five-Coloured Spear!
The Five-Coloured Spear was definitely Yao Chang Jun’s Emperor Artifact!
Emperor Artifacts were very rare, and even Emperor Realm Masters may not have one. Each of them was regarded as a treasure, and the owner wouldn’t easily part with it. Since his Emperor Artifact had appeared in Yang Kai’s hand, it meant that Yao Chang Jun had very likely fallen!
No wonder Pang Guang didn’t see Yao Chang Jun after coming to the Solitary Void Sealed World. He encountered Yang Kai, but not Yao Chang Jun. The reason was now clear… It wasn’t that Yao Chang Jun had been hiding too well, it was because he was no longer in this world!
However, Yang Kai was just a Dao Source Realm cultivator. How did he manage to kill Yao Chang Jun? And if he didn’t kill him, how did he get his hands on the Five-Coloured Spear?
Pang Guang looked at the Five-Coloured Spear in a daze. He was unable to determine if Yang Kai was telling the truth or not.
Just as he was lost in thought, he felt a chill from behind. This chill came out of nowhere, and by the time Pang Guang noticed it, it was too late to dodge the attack.
Light flashed, accompanied by what seemed to be a tiger’s roar. Pang Guang felt a sharp pain in his back, as well as an enormous force, which made him lose his balance. He was pushed forward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Before he could get a hold of himself, Yang Kai was already upon him, a wicked grin on his face. Yang Kai raised his hand and punched out, his fist covered in fluctuating Space Principle. Wherever this fist passed, black cracks were left behind, like space itself was being shattered.
Pang Guang gasped as he pushed his Emperor Qi madly into his copper gong to protect himself.
*Hong…*
With a loud explosion, light flickered wildly above the copper gong. From the looks of it, the Emperor Artifact’s spirituality had been damaged, which greatly pained Pang Guang.
However, it wasn’t the time to worry about his Emperor Artifact as Pang Guang’s face paled, borrowing the force behind Yang Kai’s attack to put some distance between them.
*Cila…*
A dangerous aura burst out alongside a muffled sound and the world seemed to flash as a bolt of lightning shot out from somewhere and accurately hit Pang Guang.
Pang Guang, an Emperor Realm Master, twitched nonstop after the bolt of lightning hit him. His hair stood on end, and the smell of burned flesh filled the air. He looked rather pitiful right now.
His expression seemed to crack as he forced himself to turn and look sideways, his eyes widening right after.
He saw an eight-year-old girl that looked like a piece of fine carved jade, her expression icy, holding a blue bead in her hand, riding a white tiger, staring coldly at him.
Whether it was the little girl or the white tiger, they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Pang Guang hadn’t sensed their presence at all, but it was now clear that the surprise attacks he suffered just now were this pair’s doing.
What surprised him the most was that the blue bead in the little girl’s hand was a Thunder Attribute Emperor Artifact! Perhaps because her cultivation wasn’t high enough, the little girl’s face was pale right now. It seemed she’d consumed a lot of energy to use this Emperor Artifact.
[What the hell is going on?] Pang Guang couldn’t make sense of the situation. Everything happening before his eyes was unbelievable.
At this time, someone shouted, “Pang Guang, this place is going to be your burial ground. Just hurry up and die!”
Pang Guang was startled; he no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai. Although he came here with the intent of settling their old debts, he didn’t expect to end up half-dead before even touching his enemy.
What’s more, the tiger-like Monster Beast gave off a Twelfth-Order aura, meaning it was on par with an Emperor Realm cultivator, not something he could deal with right now. As if that wasn’t enough, there was also Yang Kai nearby, looking at him menacingly. Pang Guang’s current situation was utterly hopeless!
Had he known earlier, he would have never come here. Staying behind and cheering on Chi Ri would’ve been better!
Filled with regret, Pang Guang turned around, ready to flee.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai shouted as he saw through his intentions. Space Principles converged, solidifying the surrounding space, making it difficult for Pang Guang to move.
This slight delay was enough to decide his fate.
The White Tiger turned into a beam of light under Liu Yan’s command, appearing beside Pang Guang, opening its bloody mouth and biting his neck.
Pang Guang was scared out of his wits as he pushed his Emperor Qi to protect his neck from being snapped into two halves. At the same time, he started to struggle in an attempt to free himself from the White Tiger’s maw.
“Get in here!” Yang Kai smiled coldly as he threw the Sealed World Bead in his hand at Pang Guang.
Pang Guang, the White Tiger, and Liu Yan were all sucked inside. In the next moment, Yang Kai also entered the Small Sealed World.
Somewhere in the Small Sealed World, Pang Guang used all of his strength and even burned his Blood Essence to shake off the White Tiger, but when he turned around, he was stunned.
The sea was nowhere to be seen. All around him was lush vegetation, singing birds, the fragrance of flowers, and rich World Energy. This place seemed to be a paradise.
[Am I already dead? Is this the next life?] Sweat dripped from Pang Guang’s forehead.
Luckily, he saw Yang Kai, which calmed him down.
With everything he went through earlier, on top of his previous injuries which had yet to heal, Pang Guang was in a rather sorry state at this moment. He’d long lost the demeanor of an Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai sneered as he stared at Pang Guang as if he was looking at a dead man.
Pang Guang’s eyes darted around, looking shaken as he muttered, “What is this damned place?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Of course, this is your grave. Aren’t you moved by this Young Master’s kindness? I chose such a wonderful place to bury you. Others can only dream of having such an opportunity. City Lord Pang, it seems your ancestors’ good deeds have paid off.”
[Paid off, your sister!] Pang Guang cursed inwardly. He was so angry that his stomach started to hurt; however, he didn’t dare to curse out loud.
He still continued to talk tough, though, “If you want to kill me, you’ll have to show some skills first!”
He then looked at the White Tiger, his expression was one of worry.
He wasn’t really scared of Yang Kai. The one that worried him the most was this White Tiger which gave off a Twelfth-Order aura. He still wasn’t sure what this thing was as although it seemed to be a Monster Beast, he couldn’t feel any vitality from it. It looked like a lifeless object, yet it was so lifelike.
Yang Kai laughed, “Now that you’re here, your life is in this Young Master’s hands. If I want you to live, you’ll live. If I want you to die, you’ll die.”
“You’re speaking as if you’re the ruler of this world! Boy, be careful not to get ahead of yourself!” Pang Guang said disdainfully.
Yang Kai snorted, “You said it right. In this place, I’m the absolute ruler!”
He then stretched out his hand, palming at Pang Guang from afar.
Pang Guang didn’t see him use any Secret Technique, nor did he sense any energy fluctuations, yet when Yang Kai palmed down, Pang Guang felt a huge pressure come from above. All the bones in his body crackled as he was pushed downward.
Pang Guang exclaimed in shock, “You can actually mobilize the World Force here?! That’s impossible!”
Not even the Ten Great Emperors could make use of World Force so easily! There should not be anyone capable of controlling this power in this world. Yet, Yang Kai was able to do just that. After the World Force struck his body, Pang Guang could barely lift a finger.
Pang Guang’s eyes trembled as he was absolutely terrified. Under this huge pressure, he couldn’t move at all, feeling like his body was about to be smashed to pieces.
He wanted to resist, but he couldn’t muster his strength.
“Don’t kill him. Give him to me.” A booming voice echoed, causing Pang Guang’s eardrums to tingle.
Still in a daze, he raised his head and looked in the voice’s direction. In the next moment, his heart skipped a beat.
A colossal, human-shaped stone giant was sitting cross-legged not too far from him, its eyes, which were bigger than a house, staring at him with great interest.
The voice just now belonged to this stone giant.
Even the soles of Pang Guang’s feet twitched. Earlier, he mistook this stone giant for a hill, but little did he expect that it was actually alive and could even speak!
Moreover, the stone giant looked at him like a hungry wolf, its expression instilling great fear in Pang Guang.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he gazed at his Embodiment, “You want to do that? Isn’t that a bit too cruel?”
Embodiment grinned, “I have to once in a while! You killed so many Emperor Realm cultivators, yet you sent none here. Since I managed to bump into one, I can’t just let him get away!”
Yang Kai pondered, then nodded, “All right, let’s do it your way.”
He looked at Pang Guang with some pity before disappearing, leaving the Small Sealed World.
“Where are you going?! What were you talking about just now?!” Pang Guang shouted. For some reason, he felt very uncomfortable, as if what was about to happen was something worse than death, causing his face to lose all colour.
He didn’t know what this stone giant wanted to do, but judging from Yang Kai’s words and the last gaze he gave him before leaving, it was obviously nothing good.
While he was panicking, he noticed that the light above his head was blocked. Turning his eyes up with difficulty, he saw a giant palm coming down on him. Pang Guang bellowed, “Stop, get away from me!”
The Embodiment ignored him, simply grabbing him and lifting him up, dropping him in his other palm before saying in a low voice, “Close your eyes. Children shouldn’t look, or they’ll be traumatized.”
Pang Guang, “…”
The Embodiment continued in a low voice, his expression solemn, “Heaven Devouring… Battle Law!”
As the ship kept moving at a fast pace alongside the sea surface, Liu Xian Yun and the others stood on the deck, looking into the distance with worried expressions.
Suddenly, Ling Yin Qin saw something and pointed in a certain direction, “There’s someone over there!”
Hearing this, Liu Xian Yun, Fan Xin, and the others steadied themselves and also looked in that direction. Sure enough, there was a beam of light over there, and it was moving towards them.
“Prepare for the worse. Be ready to fight!” Ling Yin Qin shouted. After her order, everyone focused and started to circulate their Source Qi.
If the one coming over was Yang Kai, it would be perfect, but if it was Pang Guang, they’d have to fight with everything they had.
Soon, the beam of light was close enough for them to see clearly and Liu Xian exclaimed happily, “It’s Senior Brother! It’s Senior Brother!”
When she saw that the one amidst the light was Yang Kai, she felt as if a huge stone was lifted off her chest.
As soon as Yang Kai landed on the deck, everyone hurried to greet him, their expressions joyful. Liu Xian Yun sized him up from head to toe, afraid that he might be hurt.
At first glance, Yang Kai didn’t seem to be injured. In fact, he was glowing with health and vigour, which made everyone feel slightly at a loss.
Earlier, he’d stayed behind to fight Pang Guang, who was an Emperor Realm Master. Even if he managed to escape, his condition shouldn’t be this good, right?
“What about Pang Guang?” Ling Yin Qin asked in confusion. At the same time, she glanced in the direction Yang Kai had come from, afraid that Pang Guang would come after them again.
Yang Kai grinned, “Don’t worry. He’s dead.”
“Dead?” Ling Yin Qin opened her eyes wide as she blurted out, “How did he die?”
Then, she realized that was a silly question. Yang Kai had stayed behind to fight Pang Guang; since he was here, and Pang Guang was not, it was pretty obvious what had happened. Yang Kai had killed him!
As she came to this conclusion, she was thoroughly shocked.
Although she’d previously seen Yang Kai kill other cultivators in the Dao Source Realm very easily, she did not expect that he could also kill someone in the Emperor Realm. What kind of Heaven-defying Secret Art or Secret Technique was he cultivating? What kind of artifact did he have that allowed him to accomplish such a thing?
Yang Kai explained, “That guy was already seriously injured and far from his peak condition. He overestimated himself and died as a result.”
Hearing his explanation, Ling Yin Qin heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out that Pang Guang was already injured! This made much more sense because Yang Kai slaying an Emperor Realm Master in peak condition was simply too strange.
Still, she had no choice but to acknowledge Yang Kai’s incredible strength. An injured Emperor Realm Master was still an Emperor Realm Master. As the saying went, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. The fact that Yang Kai managed to kill Pang Guang made him the greatest Dao Source Realm cultivator she had ever seen.
“Alchemist Yang, what about my Honoured Master?” Fan Xin asked, filled with worry, “Do you know what has happened on her side?”
Yang Kai glanced at Fan Xin and tried to console her, “You don’t need to worry about Senior Bing Yun, she will be fine. Let’s continue with our journey. Senior Bing Yun will catch up with us when she’s finished with her business.”
Seeing him so confident, Fan Xin and the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion calmed down. They now felt that their Honoured Master would be able to deal with Chi Ri without too many problems.
Everyone returned to the cabin, and the trip continued.
The next few days passed peacefully, and nothing major happened. They did encounter some Sea Beasts with poor judgement, but with Yang Kai’s help, these beasts were easily dispatched.
At this time, they were very far from Clear Sky Island, already in the depths of the Solitary Void Sea.
Yet, even after all this time, Bing Yun was nowhere to be seen.
Fan Xin and the others became anxious once again, wondering what might have happened to their Honoured Master.
Yang Kai was also puzzled. Bing Yun had recovered to her peak, and she had several High-Rank Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills he’d refined for her, so it should be impossible for her to lose to Chi Ri.
He thought that Bing Yun would make Chi Ri retreat fairly quickly, and then converge with them, but things didn’t seem to be going according to his predictions.
Chi Ri turned out to be tougher than he’d expected!
Yang Kai already knew the location of the exit to this Sealed World thanks to Bing Yun. Therefore, even if the latter didn’t return, he could leave this place with the others; however, Bing Yun was the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley, and they came from the same Star Field, so there was a certain amount of fate between them and Yang Kai didn’t want to leave her behind if possible. He hoped to return to the Star Boundary together with her.
These past few days, he’d been standing on the deck both to guard against the Sea Beasts’ surprise attacks and to spot Bing Yun at the quickest time.
But after five days, Yang Kai still hadn’t caught sight of her.
Later on the fifth day, he was standing on the deck and looking into the distance when Fan Xin rushed out of the cabin, “Alchemist Yang!”
“What’s the matter?” Seeing her worried expression, Yang Kai was startled. He didn’t know what might have caused her to be this flustered.
Fan Xin said in a hurry, “Honoured Master sent a distress signal. She’s in trouble!”
She then gave a communication artifact to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he grabbed the artifact and swept it with his Divine Sense. After confirming the information Fan Xin gave him, he turned around and flew out, “I’ll go meet her!”
Space Principles fluctuated and Yang Kai’s body quickly teleported away.
Fan Xin wanted to go with him, but Yang Kai was gone before she could even open her mouth to speak.
Three thousand kilometres away from the ship, a dim beam of light was flying over the sea. The light was flickering, as if it could go out at any moment. Shrouded in this light was the silhouette of a young woman. It was none other than Bing Yun.
At this time, she looked quite pitiful, her pure white clothes dyed red with blood, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper. The Qi in her body was flowing chaotically. She was clearly a lamp that was running out of oil.
A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like her would very rarely encounter such a dangerous situation. In fact, she’d never been injured so heavily ever since reaching the Emperor Realm. As she was in the middle of the sea, there was no place where she could stop to rest. The Sea Beasts below had even been attracted by the smell of blood and were chasing after her relentlessly.
As time passed by, more and more Sea Beasts gathered.
Bing Yun tried to hold on and pushed herself to move forward, but when she noticed that she was reaching her limit, she sent a distress signal to her disciples.
As the last wisp of energy left her body, Bing Yun gazed into the distance, her heart filled with desolation.
After leaving Heng Luo Star Field and arriving in the Star Boundary, she had cultivated diligently, eventually reaching the Third-Order Emperor Realm, but now it seemed she was going to become food for the fishes. Dying like this was truly unsightly.
But even at this critical moment, she hadn’t lost her calm and wasn’t flustered in the slightest. It was as if what she was facing wasn’t death but the journey of life.
The flickering light around her finally died out and Bing Yun no longer had the strength to move forward, her body gently swaying as it fell towards the sea head-first.
Down below, the Sea Beasts that had been chasing after her all this time noticed their prey’s condition and started to seethe with enthusiasm, opening their huge mouths and waiting for their meal to fall down.
Just as Bing Yun was about to fall into the jaws of a Sea Beast, a figure appeared beside her, catching her and flying away.
Yang Kai needed but a glance to see that Bing Yun was in terrible shape. Whatever part of her body he touched was ice-cold and soaked with blood.
He frowned, “How is this possible?”
He didn’t expect that Bing Yun would end up in such a state after her fight with Chi Ri. He wasn’t sure if Chi Ri was dead or alive, but if Bing Yun was reduced to such a state, Chi Ri couldn’t possibly have fared any better. Even if he was alive, he shouldn’t have the strength to pursue them.
While in Yang Kai’s arms, Bing Yun weakly opened her eyes and glanced at him. She seemed to have realized that Yang Kai had saved her and shot him a grateful look while saying weakly, “I want to treat my wounds. Bring me back with you.”
Her voice was extremely weak, and Yang Kai wouldn’t have heard her if they weren’t so close.
“Senior, don’t worry, just focus on recovering.” Yang Kai nodded, his expression serious. Then, he noticed that Bing Yun had closed her beautiful eyes and fallen unconscious.
He frowned and headed in the ship’s direction, reaching it a few minutes later.
Fan Xin and the others had been waiting on the deck, filled with worry. When they saw the unconscious Bing Yun in Yang Kai’s arms, they fell into a panic.
Yang hurried to speak, “Senior’s life isn’t in danger, she’s just very weak. I gave her some pills to treat her wounds already. Junior Sister Fan, bring Senior to the cabin and take care of her.”
“Yes!” Fan Xin didn’t offer any objections or ask any questions. At this time, she was ready to follow his every order. After carefully taking Bing Yun from Yang Kai’s arms, she hurried to bring her to the cabin with the other disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion.
When they left, Ling Yin Qin stepped forward and asked, “What about Chi Ri? Do you know his current situation?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I didn’t see him, but if Senior Bing Yun was reduced to this state, Chi Ri isn’t going to be in better shape. Don’t worry, he won’t be able to chase after us.”
Hearing this, Ling Yin Qin heaved a sigh of relief.
If Chi Ri were to come after them, none of the people aboard would be able to stop him. Even if Yang Kai had killed Pang Guang, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Chi Ri; after all, Chi Ri was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!
The ship continued its journey. Due to Bing Yun being seriously wounded, everyone was in low spirits. The disciples of Ice Heart Pavilion didn’t leave the ship’s cabin for the next few days as they were busy tending to Bing Yun.
Yang Kai didn’t go to disturb them as Bing Yun’s recovery was likely at a critical moment. As she was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, she definitely had some profound methods to treat her wounds. There was no need for him to worry.
Three days later, Bing Yun regained consciousness. The first thing she did was to ask Fan Xin to call Yang Kai over.
Yang Kai knocked on the door and entered the side room. Bing Yun sat cross-legged on the bed, her face still pale. She’d spent three days adjusting her breathing and treating her wounds, so her condition was much better than before, but she still needed some time to completely recover.
Seeing Yang Kai, she smiled lightly and beckoned with her hand, “Come here.”
Yang Kai arrived beside the bed and asked with concern, “Senior, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine, but I’ll need some time to recover. This time, I must really thank you.”
If not for Yang Kai coming over at the right time, she would have become food for the fishes, which definitely wasn’t how she wanted to die. A Master like her would rather die at the hands of another Master than becoming food for Sea Beasts.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior was able to come back safely by relying on her own strength. I didn’t do anything.”
After a short moment, he asked nervously, “Is Chi Ri still alive?”
Bing Yun said calmly, “He’s dead.”
Despite already knowing that Chi Ri wouldn’t be in better shape than Bing Yun, Yang Kai still sighed in relief when he heard the news of the former’s death. With Chi Ri dead, no one could stop them from leaving the Solitary Void World. The only obstacle now were the dangers hidden in the sea. As long as they could get past these obstacles, they would reach the exit.
“Those Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills you refined for me are the reason I won this fight,” Bing Yun shot him a grateful look, “When Chi Ri revealed his real strength, we were equally matched. If not for your pills, which allowed me to recover my energy, I wouldn’t have been able to cut him down at the critical moment. Thank you.”
These words of gratitude came from the bottom of her heart.
Yang Kai was surprised. He didn’t expect that the Hundred Revolutions Emperor Yuan Pills he refined would decide the outcome of the battle. Back then, he refined those pills just to be on the safe side. In hindsight, it was a really wise move! Without the pills, it wasn’t guaranteed that Bing Yun could come back, and even if she did manage to kill Chi Ri, she would likely have had to perish together with him.
“For the next few days, I won’t be able to use my strength as I want to avoid leaving hidden dangers in my body. You’ll have to be a little more careful for the rest of the trip. Unless there’s really no alternative, I won’t be taking action,” Bing Yun said sternly.
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior, you can treat your wounds with peace of mind. I’ll make sure to bring everyone out safely.”
A smile appeared on Bing Yun’s pale face, “You are really reliable. I’ll be waiting for good news then.”
As Bing Yun had to treat her wounds still, Yang Kai didn’t linger for long. After chatting for a while, he excused himself.
Two days later, magnificent waterspouts appeared on the sea’s surface and Yang Kai summoned the Sea King Shuttle, moving everyone into it.
If they wanted to leave the Solitary Void Sealed World, the Sea King Shuttle was the only way. Without it, they wouldn’t be able to reach the exit.
Yang Kai had already refined the Sea King Shuttle, memorizing how to use its barriers and Spirit Arrays; therefore, they had no problem navigating.
Unlike the ship they were on before, the Sea King Shuttle traveled underwater, which was also how it avoided the powerful waterspouts on the surface.
Its speed wasn’t slow, either. In fact, it was slightly faster than the sea ship Yang Kai used earlier.
Sang De’s nameless Master was very attentive when refining this Sea King Shuttle; he’d engraved countless useful Spirit Arrays on it, so even if they were below the sea, they could easily sail forward. The people in the shuttle could also see the beautiful scenery outside, but as there wasn’t much light underwater, they couldn’t see too far.
The multi-coloured schools of fish and the big and small Sea Beasts shuttling back and forth amazed the people on board for the next few days. Although Ling Yin Qin and her crew would visit the sea all year round, it was their first time seeing the scenery underwater like this, so they were also looking with great interest.
They encountered no turbulence along the way, and the Sea Beasts that came to cause trouble once in a while were repelled by the Crystal Cannon installed on the Sea King Shuttle. The cannon’s power was huge, but so was its consumption of energy. Firing one round consumed ten thousand Mid-Rank Source Crystals. Luckily, Yang Kai didn’t lack Source Crystals, which allowed Jiao Yi, the one in charge of operating the cannon, to fire as much as he wanted. All the Sea Beasts that dared to approach were repelled, and those that were too weak were directly turned into minced meat; not even their bone’s remained intact. Even the strong ones were forced to run with their tails between their legs, none of them was able to get close to the Sea King Shuttle.
Everyone was in high spirits since the trip was proceeding well.
After navigating underwater for a month, no one knew how far they’d travelled; however, they had yet to reach the exit. The people on board couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.
One day, while revising the route, Yang Kai heard a crack. Startled, he released his Divine Sense to investigate.
Ling Yin Qin’s expression also changed as she asked in a hurry, “Senior Brother Yang, did the Sea King Shuttle just break? Why did I hear that sound?”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “There’s a crack in the hull.”
Ling Yin Qin was startled, “What do we do now? If the Sea King Shuttle collapses, we’ll have nowhere to escape!”
They were deep in the sea, and if the Sea King Shuttle broke, they could forget about reaching the surface. Even if they did manage to reach the surface, the countless powerful waterspouts would rip them apart, turning this place into their graves. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t get past this barrier, let alone mere Dao Source Realm cultivators like them.
“Don’t worry, the shuttle can still hold on for a while longer,” Yang Kai comforted Ling Yin Qin, but deep down, he didn’t feel so confident. He hadn’t built this Sea King Shuttle, so he wasn’t sure how long it could last.
“How far are we from the exit?” Ling Yin Qin asked.
“I’m not sure, but we should be close,” Yang Kai pointed at the projections formed by the Spirit Arrays in the cabin and said, “The number of Sea Beasts started to decrease yesterday, and in the last two hours, I didn’t see a single one. In addition, the pressure around us is getting stronger and stronger. There’s an abnormal current that is converging somewhere, so as long as we follow that current, we should reach the exit.”
Ling Yin Qin looked at him, “How confident are you?”
“Around seventy percent!” Yang Kai said solemnly.
Ling Yin Qin gently nodded, no longer asking any questions. She knew that it was pointless to continue with this discussion. The only thing they could do now was to pray that the Sea King Shuttle wouldn’t break until they’d reached the exit.
After listening to their conversation, the others also realized the gravity of the situation. The atmosphere in the shuttle changed, and everyone became anxious as they started to pray in their hearts.
Yang Kai operated the Sea King Shuttle and made it change direction to follow the current.
Half a day later, another crackle echoed somewhere in the shuttle, causing everyone to become even more uneasy.
As the Sea King Shuttle moved forward, the water current around them became more and more violent while the outside pressure increased as well, causing the ship to creak nonstop.
Yang Kai’s mind was connected to the Sea King Shuttle, so he knew that the vehicle was suffering more and more damage and it would last half a day at most before getting destroyed. He cursed Sang De’s Master in his heart. That old bastard didn’t put in enough effort when refining this ship, producing a defective product that might just doom them!
However, there was no turning back now so Yang Kai could only concentrate and make the Sea King Shuttle advance at full speed.
Almost half a day later, Yang Kai was closely watching the water flow around them when he suddenly shook. Staring at the projection created by an outside observation Spirit Array, he exclaimed, “We’ve arrived!”
Hearing his words, everyone followed his eyes and looked at the projection. There, in the depths of the sea, they saw a giant vortex spinning rapidly. The vortex seemed capable of devouring the Heavens and Earth, and just looking at it was enough to make them feel as if they were suffocating. If they really rushed into this vortex, perhaps not even their bones would be left intact.
“Senior Brother Yang… is that really the exit?” Ling Yin Qin’s pretty face paled as she gulped.
Yang Kai didn’t reply but turned to look at Bing Yun, who had come here after hearing the news.
Bing Yun nodded, “That’s the exit. As long as we can enter, we can leave the Solitary Void Sealed World.
Seeing her brimming with confidence, all the onlookers were freed from their worries. Even if they didn’t know where she’d gotten this information, she was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and it was unlikely that she would deceive them.
“I can feel Space Principle fluctuations coming from within that vortex,” Yang Kai added.
As he was proficient in the Dao of Space, he was much more sensitive to Space Principles than other people. The insides of this huge vortex seemed to be connected to another space, which made it impossible for his Divine Sense to investigate what lay on the other side.
“We’ll soon reach the location on the other side. We might appear anywhere in the Star Boundary, even somewhere dangerous, so it’s best to be extra cautious,” Bing Yun urged.
“Understood,” Liu Xian Yun and the others nodded.
*Kacha…*
At that time, a sharp noise echoed all around them.
Hearing the noise, everyone on board paled.
Yang Kai called out in alarm, “This is bad! The Sea King Shuttle is collapsing!”
At the same time, he tried his best to control the shuttle and have it plunge into the vortex.
As soon as they got close to it though, the Sea King Shuttle started spinning wildly. This artifact that Sang De’s Master had spent his whole life refining was quickly smashed to pieces, and the mental connection between Yang Kai and the shuttle vanished.
Screams echoed as Fan Xin and the others were scared out of their wits, frightened that they would fail and die after coming so close to succeeding.
At the critical moment, powerful waves of energy spread all around them, turning into an invisible barrier that protected them from the rampaging water current.
Yang Kai turned his head to see a serious-looking Bing Yun. The Emperor Qi in her tender body was flowing out rapidly, protecting everyone as she carried them toward the centre of the vortex.
Somewhere in the Star Boundary, a huge vortex appeared on the surface of the sea.
The vortex appeared out of nowhere, stirring up the seawater in an area of a hundred kilometres. Its power was astonishing, and all the Sea Beasts that were nearby scattered in a panic.
In the next moment, something shot out of this vortex, before it scattered in all directions. It was a group made of men and women with an uneven level of cultivation. Every person seemed to have gone through some kind of calamity and their faces were all pale, filled with fear.
All of them seemed to be in a daze as they looked around in confusion.
It was none other than Yang Kai’s group, who had just left the Solitary Void Sealed World. As the Sea King Shuttle collapsed, Bing Yun had used her powerful Emperor Qi to protect everyone, saving them from imminent death.
If not for her, no more than three people would’ve survived the trip.
“Ugh…” Bing Yun spat out a mouthful of blood. Forcibly using her Emperor Qi had caused her previous injuries to worsen.
Fan Xin and the others paled and hurried to check on her.
Yang Kai also hurried over and asked anxiously, “Senior, how are you?”
Bing Yun waved her hand. She didn’t speak and directly sat cross-legged in midair, forming a series of hand seals to activate some kind of Secret Technique.
Seeing that she wanted to treat her wounds, Yang Kai urged, “Everyone, disperse and keep an eye on the surroundings. Don’t let anyone disturb Senior.”
Hearing his words, the others quickly left Bing Yun’s side.
“Senior Brother, did we really manage to escape?” Liu Xian Yun asked, looking somewhat uncertain. As there was only water around them, she couldn’t tell if this was the Star Boundary or the Solitary Void Sealed Word. If their escape had failed, they might have to spend the rest of their lives in the Solitary Void Sealed World!
Yang Kai frowned. He was also unsure if this was the Solitary Void Sealed World or not, but very soon, he started to circulate his Source Qi and tried to absorb the World Energy all around him. Unexpectedly, his actions weren’t hindered at all, which made him very happy, “This isn’t the Solitary Void Sealed World!”
Hearing his words, Liu Xian Yun’s eyes shone.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “The World Energy here is thinner than the Solitary Void Sealed World, but that strange Disruption Force doesn’t exist!”
In the Solitary Void Sealed World, no place was free from that strange Disruption Force that made ambient World Energy impossible to absorb, forcing cultivators to rely on special Spirit Purifying Arrays to cultivate. Yet, Yang Kai could easily absorb the World Energy around him now, which was the best proof that they had left the Solitary Void Sealed World.
“We really managed to escape!” Liu Xian Yun rejoiced.
After overhearing their conversation, Ling Yin Qin and the others were dumbstruck.
Having lived in the Solitary Void Sealed World for so long, they had lost any hope of escaping and returning to the Star Boundary, but now, their impossible dream had come true!
This made them feel as if they were reborn and they were so excited that their bodies shivered involuntarily.
“If this isn’t the Solitary Void Sealed World, where are we?” Liu Xian Yun asked.
Yang Kai pondered, then replied, “Among the Four Great Territories of the Star Boundary… except for the Western Territory, the others all have large oceans, but if I had to guess… I’d say that we’re in the Northern Territory!”
“Why do you think so?” Liu Xian Yun looked at Yang Kai with some curiosity, wondering how he reached this conclusion.
Yang Kai said with a faint smile, “Haven’t you noticed that this place is unusually cold? The Eastern and Southern Territories have very few places with this type of climate. Only the Northern Territory is covered by ice and snow all year round, thus having this kind of cold weather.”
Although it was just a guess, Yang Kai felt that it was not too far from the truth.
After leaving the Thousand Leaves Sect, he wanted to go to the Eastern Territory’s Netherworld Sect, where he would look for Yin Le Sheng and make inquiries about Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts. Yet, he ended up in the Northern Territory first. The future was truly impossible to predict!
“Senior Brother Yang… did you just say that this is the Northern Territory?” Fan Xin looked at Yang Kai, a tinge of excitement in her voice.
“It’s just a guess. I don’t know for sure.” Yang Kai smiled.
“The Master Sect is in the Northern Territory!” Fan Xin and her Junior and Senior Sisters looked at one another, their eyes filled with joy.
Bing Yun had taken them in as disciples while they were in the Solitary Void Sealed World, so although outsiders thought that she was just another disciple of Ice Heart Pavilion, Fan Xin and her Sisters knew their true statuses and identities. They knew that their Honoured Master was the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley in the Star Boundary’s Northern Territory.
Fan Xin and the others longed for this Master Sect they had never visited, and they all hoped to spend the rest of their lives there with their Honoured Master, but as they were stuck in the Solitary Void Sealed World, this wish of theirs couldn’t be fulfilled.
Now that they had escaped, and happened to land in the Northern Territory, they were very excited.
“Someone’s coming over. I guess we can ask them if this is the Northern Territory.” Yang Kai suddenly looked in a certain direction.
Some time later, the others also saw someone rapidly approaching from that direction.
When the other party got closer, they noticed that it was a group of ten or so people led by an old man.
The old man had grey hair, and his expression was gloomy. When he looked at Yang Kai’s group, his eyes carried a tinge of hostility while the men and women behind him also looked at them with indignation, just as if Yang Kai and the others had offended them.
Yang Kai frowned, unsure as to what was happening; however, he didn’t dare to be careless. This old man hadn’t concealed his aura, so it was easy to tell he was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
The ten or so people behind him were all Dao Source Realm cultivators as well, none below the Third-Order.
[These guys definitely have strong backing. They seem to be from some big Sect,] Yang Kai mused.
In truth, he wasn’t afraid of them, and even if they were to come to blows, Yang Kai was confident he could escape unharmed and unhindered; however, the same could not be said for Liu Xian Yun and the others. There was also Bing Yun who was treating her wounds and couldn’t bear any kind of interference.
Thinking of this, Yang Kai hurried to greet the old man. Cupping his fists and saying, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior. May I ask for your honoured name?”
Yang Kai used a respectful tone; after all, this place might be the other party’s domain, so there was no advantage in picking a fight with them.
Unexpectedly, the old man didn’t appreciate the gesture and arrogantly said, “This King is Immaculate Island’s Vice Island Master, Jiang Zhou Zi! Who are you and what are you doing here?”
It was Yang Kai’s first time coming to this place, and he wasn’t even sure if this was the Northern Territory, so needless to say he had never heard of this Immaculate Island. Still, if someone like Jiang Zhou Zi, an Emperor Realm Master, was their Vice Island Master, it was obvious this Sect was not too weak. At the very least, their Island Master should be stronger than Jiang Zhou Zi!
“So, it is Island Master Jiang! Please forgive Junior’s lack of respect. We were just passing by and we didn’t mean to cause a disturbance. I hope Island Master Jiang will forgive us!” Yang Kai said respectfully, his face neither arrogant nor servile.
“You didn’t mean to cause a disturbance?” Before Jiang Zhou Zi could speak, a red-robed woman behind him sneered. This woman was quite attractive and had a good figure, but her facial features weren’t that exquisite, her high cheekbones giving her a mean look.
For some reason, she angrily shouted at Yang Kai, “You suddenly appeared here and scared off the Blue Infant Beast, yet you claim you didn’t want to cause a disturbance? Are you taking us for fools?!”
Encouraged by the presence of the Emperor Realm Master, the red-robed woman didn’t put Yang Kai’s group in her eyes and started to lecture them madly, which made Ling Yin Qin and the others frown.
“Blue Infant Beast?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
He knew of this beast. It was a Monster Beast that lived in the depths of the sea whose cry was similar to a baby’s wail. Due to its body being ice blue, it was called Blue Infant Beast. The Blue Infant Beast was a Twelfth-Order Monster Beast, which was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master. Moreover, it was very rare and its Monster Core was priceless as it could be used to strengthen one’s Soul, even giving them a chance to have an epiphany which might lead to a breakthrough. If this core was refined into a pill and taken, it could help cultivators obtain twice the result with half the effort when cultivating Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected this stretch of sea to be home to a Blue Infant Beast, and judging from what the red-robed woman had said, their sudden appearance had frightened it away.
Earlier, Yang Kai had noticed several Sea Beasts scattering away, but as he wasn’t paying close attention to them, he didn’t know if there was a Blue Infant Beast among them.
“Well said!” Jiang Zhou Zi said coldly, “We made arrangements for a whole month, and then laid in wait for another half a month before we finally caught a glimpse of the Blue Infant Beast, but before we could even take action, you scared it off! This matter can’t end like this!”
The red-robed woman added, “The Monster Core of the Blue Infant Beast was supposed to be a congratulatory gift for the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master’s auspicious day. Now that the beast is gone, what are we supposed to do?”
Yang Kai felt somewhat guilty at first. If these people were telling the truth, it was indeed his group’s fault that the beast had escaped. The other party had been preparing for so long, and had even lain in wait for half a month, but their sudden appearance ruined everything. Anyone would be mad in this situation.
However, the constant chatter of the old man and young woman, along with their arrogance, annoyed him.
There was no matter that couldn’t be solved with talking or negotiation, so why did they need to act so aggressively? Weren’t they just trying to bully them with their ‘superior’ strength?
Considering all this, Yang Kai straightened his back and said, “In that case, what do you suggest we do?”
Ling Yin Qin, who was nearby, frowned, “How valuable was that Blue Infant Beast? Perhaps we can give you something of equal value in return.”
She wanted to make concessions to avoid trouble. A few days ago, her crew had gotten a lot of nice things, which they later sold on Clear Sky Island. As a result, they had some Source Crystals with them. Besides, Yang Kai was very rich, so compensating the other party for the damage was a good solution.
“Something of equal value?” The red-robed woman looked at Ling Yin Qin and ridiculed her, “Even if we were to sell you lot, it wouldn’t be enough to compensate for the loss we suffered! Do you think that the Blue Infant Beast is that easy to find? In the whole Ice Sea, there are no more than three! How can you give us something of equal value in return?!”
It looked like she would blow her top at any moment.
Yang Kai frowned, “Since it has come to this, what do you want to do?”
Hearing his words, Jiang Zhou Zi coldly looked at Yang Kai before snorting and saying, “Given your tone, it seems you’re not putting our Immaculate Island in your eyes. Is that right?”
Silavin: Read a comment that was confused about World Principles and World Force. They are two different things. World Principles consist of the Space Principles and etc. World Force is above that. World Force is literally the power of the world in and of itself.
So, you can think of World Principles as a subset of World Force.
If you can control World Force, technically, you are manipulating the world itself. You basically will the world. Meanwhile, for World Principles, they are a combination of all types of Principles that help form up the world.
Yang Kai silently looked at Jiang Zhou Zi, wondering, [How did he conclude that I’m not putting his Immaculate Island in my eyes? Can this guy even listen properly?!]
Hearing their Vice Island Master’s words, the group of Dao Source Realm cultivators in the rear was also filled with indignation, just as if they’d suffered some great humiliation. They quietly pushed their Source Qi and looked at Yang Kai’s group with unveiled hostility, ready to attack at any moment.
Yang Kai remained calm, however, and spoke, “That was not my intention. I’m just saying that since the beast has already escaped, we should work toward a solution. If Island Master Jiang has any suggestion, we’ll be glad to hear it.”
Jiang Zhou Zi laughed out loud and sneered, “This brat sure can talk!”
The red-robed woman stepped forward and whispered something in Jiang Zhou Zi’s ear at that moment, and while speaking, she kept glancing in Bing Yun’s direction, a wicked expression on her face.
Seeing this situation, Fan Xin and her Junior and Senior Sisters frowned. Although they couldn’t hear the red-robed woman’s words, they knew it was nothing good!
Their Honoured Master was in the middle of treating her injuries, and she could suffer no interference! So, what were these people thinking?
Fan Xin and her sisters glanced at each other before they discreetly shifted their formation to keep guard in front of Bing Yun.
Jiang Zhou Zi coldly snorted as turned back to Yang Kai and said, “You scared off the gift this Old Master had prepared for the Seeking Passion Sect, which is an unforgivable crime!”
Since he kept mentioning the name ‘Seeking Passion Sect,’ Yang Kai could tell that it must be a Sect with great influence in the Northern Territory. Otherwise, these people from Immaculate Island wouldn’t go to such lengths to prepare a gift for them.
Yang Kai didn’t reply and merely stared at Jiang Zhou Zi, waiting for him to continue.
“However, since you said you’d compensate us, it’s not like we can’t discuss the matter.”
Yang Kai said calmly, “Island Master Jiang, what do you suggest?”
Jiang Zhou Zi coldly snorted before pointing his finger and saying, “Leave that girl behind. The rest of you can scram.”
When they first came here, he was so angry that he didn’t notice Bing Yun at all, but after the red-robed woman’s reminder, he saw that there was an extraordinary beauty among this group of people.
Jiang Zhou Zi had lived for many years, but it was his first time seeing such a pure and flawless woman. Bing Yun was heavily injured and treating her wounds at this moment, but her spotless, otherworldly aura was still enough to shock Jiang Zhou Zi.
He felt that it would be impossible to find another girl like her in this world.
He didn’t want Bing Yun for himself, but rather wanted to give her to the Seeking Passion Sect. Although the Blue Infant Beast was gone, they might still gain the Seeking Passion Sect’s favour if they delivered them this girl.
Cultivators from the Seeking Passion Sect pursued the Dao of Passion, so their Secret Arts were all deeply related to it. The greater the passion, the greater their cultivation. Let alone their Young Sect Master, even ordinary disciples had countless beautiful women by their side.
If they delivered this beautiful girl to the Young Sect Master, he would certainly be overjoyed as she was the perfect person to fall in love with, and as long as the Young Sect Master was happy, their Immaculate Island would be treated well.
“Bold!” When Fan Xin and her sisters saw Jiang Zhou Zi pointing his finger at their Honoured Master and uttering such drivel, they all flew into a rage.
Jiang Zhou Zi’s face darkened as he said coldly, “What did you say? Say it again if you have the courage!”
Fan Xin gritted her teeth and just as she was about to snap back at him, Yang Kai waved his hand and stopped her.
He calmly looked at Jiang Zhou Zi and said with an odd smile, “Island Master Jiang… are you sure you want her to stay behind?”
He felt like laughing at this moment. Bing Yun was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but due to her Secret Art, she gave off a pure and innocent feeling, and her appearance was no different from that of a young girl. This Jiang Zhou Zi was really a blind dog who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! He unexpectedly wanted Bing Yun to stay behind!
He was someone who didn’t know how to write the word ‘death’!
“Except for that girl, the rest of you better scram now. I’ll give you ten breaths of time. If you haven’t disappeared from my sight by then, you can forget about leaving here alive!” Jiang Zhou Zi shouted as he cast a sidelong glance at Yang Kai, releasing overflowing killing intent, looking very intimidating.
“En, good, we’ll leave!” Yang Kai didn’t waste time and waved his hand, ready to bring everyone away.
“Waste!” The red-robed woman shot a disdainful look at Yang Kai. To save his life, he immediately abandoned his companion, the very definition of cowardice! Although she was the one who suggested having Bing Yun stay behind, it didn’t stop her from looking down on Yang Kai’s unsightly behaviour.
The other cultivators from Immaculate Island didn’t say anything, but the contempt in their eyes was evident.
“Alchemist Yang!” Fan Xin stamped her feet in anger as she looked at Yang Kai. She wore a disappointed look and was deeply shocked that he chose to abandon her Honoured Master so easily. Could he not tell that she was in the middle of treating her wounds?
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai winked at her, hinting that everything was under his control.
Hearing his words, Fan Xin didn’t say anything else, simply glancing at Bing Yun with worry before finally retreating with Yang Kai and the others.
Jiang Zhou Zi didn’t waste time and leapt forward, stretching out his hand toward Bing Yun. It seemed he wanted to subdue her and bring her back to Immaculate Island right away.
When his gaze fell on Bing Yun’s peaceful face, all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart. How could there be such a pure woman in this world? Even he, someone who wasn’t a womanizer, couldn’t help but be moved. He had the impulse to bring her back home and take care of her forever.
He was already imagining the beautiful scene of him and Bing Yun living a happy life together.
In hindsight, such a perfect woman was his to take. It would be a waste to give her to the Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master! He loathed the fact that they might have to part ways.
Bing Yun, who was healing herself even now, suddenly opened her beautiful eyes at that moment.
*Zi…*
Seeing her beautiful eyes, Jiang Zhou Zi felt as if someone had ruthlessly pounded his heart with a sledgehammer and he couldn’t move his gaze away.
[What a wondrous pair of eyes!] Jiang Zhou Zi could see his dazed expression reflected in her round, moon-like pupils. Her eyes were like a crystal-clear pond of water, capable of bewitching anyone who saw them, branding themselves in the depths of their soul.
Jiang Zhou Zi was now even more bent on taking this girl for himself. He had been cultivating for so long, but it was his first time being so moved after seeing a woman!
“Don’t move, this King doesn’t want to hurt you,” he tried to sound as gentle as possible, afraid that he might frighten this timid girl. At the same time, his hand moved toward her shoulder.
But right at that moment, Bing Yun slightly raised her jade white hand and gently tapped at Jiang Zhou Zi’s palm.
Her movements were extremely gentle and carried an otherworldly aura.
Jiang Zhou Zi was a little absent-minded while it was happening, but in the next instant, his expression changed drastically.
As Bing Yun moved her hand, he sensed the terrifying aura burst from her body.
[This young girl… is a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!?]
Yang Kai’s group had a varied level of cultivation, with the strongest of them being at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. As Bing Yun was treating her wounds back then, Jiang Zhou Zi didn’t pay her too much attention and mistakenly believed that her strength would also be around that level at best.
Only now did he realize that her cultivation was something he could never hope to match!
He had no one but himself to blame. How could he do something as stupid as asking this kind of Master to stay behind? Had he known earlier that Bing Yun was so strong, he would never have dared to be this rude!
Even Immaculate Island’s Island Master was only a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, which meant that in his Sect, no one was this woman’s match.
While still in shock, he tried to retreat at his fastest speed; however, an invisible force kept him in place.
Bing Yun’s movements seemed slow and gentle, but her tapping Jiang Zhou Zi’s palm happened in a flash.
“Senior, mercy!” Jiang Zhou Zi cried out in terror, his face pale.
While screaming, he felt a slight pain in his palm, as if it had been pricked by a needle. Then, a chilling cold spread from there.
He opened his eyes wide as his heart sank.
A pure white ice flower had blossomed at the centre of his palm. The flower was magnificent and looked as if it was carved from jade. It was flawless and formed a beautiful sight that mesmerized any who gazed upon it.
However, Jiang Zhou Zi had no time to appreciate this sight as the ice flower, as soon as it appeared, began radiating frost up his forearm at a speed visible to the naked eye. Soon, his whole arm became numb as the bone-chilling cold seemed capable of freezing even his Soul.
Seeing that the frost was about to spread to his chest, Jiang Zhou Zi bit the tip of his tongue and used his finger as a blade to cut off his arm at the shoulder.
*Puchi…*
Blood spurted out.
As his arm was cut off, the force keeping him in place disappeared. Terrified, Jiang Zhou Zhi hurried to put some distance between himself and Bing Yun.
When he returned to his senses, his forehead was covered in sweat and his face was as white as a sheet of paper. Without wasting time, he took out a healing pill from his Space Ring and threw it into his mouth before turning a panic-stricken gaze towards Bing Yun.
From the strength Bing Yun showed just now, he wouldn’t be able to resist if she decided to kill him!
He could only hope that Bing Yun wasn’t someone fond of killing and that she would let him go after seeing that he had suffered enough.
In the meantime, that group of Dao Source Realm cultivators from Immaculate Island was dumbfounded.
They only saw Jiang Zhou Zi moving toward Bing Yun, who gently raised her hand in response; and then, in the next instant, Jiang Zhou Zi retreated in a panic, cutting off his own arm!
Everything happened in an instant, which left the onlookers dazed. Before the red-robed woman and the others could even understand what was going on, Jiang Zhou Zi was already heavily injured.
All the people from Immaculate Island were scared out of their wits.
“Senior?” The red-robed woman murmured absent-mindedly. Just now, she heard Jiang Zhou Zi call this girl ‘Senior’!
[Senior Jiang Zhou Zi is a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, so if he is calling this girl ‘Senior’… Does that mean that she is a peak Emperor Realm Master!?] Considering this, her tender body began to tremble, all her arrogance from before nowhere to be seen.
“You’re quite decisive,” Bing Yun quietly looked at Jiang Zhou Zi, who had just cut off his arm. It didn’t look like she wanted to pursue and kill him. It was unknown if it was because she was kind-hearted or simply because she did not want to aggravate her injuries.
In any case, Jiang Zhou Zi was indeed a decisive man. If he had not cut off his arm in time, he would have died there and then. Although he looked rather pitiful right now, he was at least alive.
“Senior… This Jiang had eyes but failed to see! I beg Senior to forgive my rudeness and spare our lives!” Jiang Zhou Zi resisted the sharp pain in his phantom limb and pleaded for mercy.
Now, the lives of this group from Immaculate Island were in the hands of this woman. If she wanted them dead, they would all die here. Compared to one’s survival, dignity was nothing; moreover, there was nothing shameful in begging a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master for mercy.
Bing Yun calmly gazed at Jiang Zhou Zi, her face expressionless, causing Jiang Zhou Zi to grow ever more anxious as he couldn’t tell what kind of fate awaited him.
After a short while, Bing Yun parted her lips and said, “Leave!”
Jiang Zhou Zi was overjoyed as he hurriedly bowed, “Many thanks, Senior, for sparing our lives!” He then shouted at his group of disciples from Immaculate Island, “Let’s go!”
None of them dared to linger, pushing their strength to the fullest as they fled from this stretch of sea, afraid that Bing Yun might change her mind.
Yang Kai didn’t try to stop them either. He knew that Bing Yun was in no condition to deal with them. The enemy was still someone in the Emperor Realm, and driving them into a corner wouldn’t benefit them in any way. Since their group hadn’t suffered any loss, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Once the people from Immaculate Island were gone, Bing Yun turned her head and looked around, sighing with emotion, “I didn’t expect to return to the Northern Territory!”
“Senior, is this really the Northern Territory?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrow.
Bing Yun nodded, “Yes, this is the Northern Territory’s Ice Sea. Immaculate Island is one of the local forces, and their overall strength isn’t bad. Seeking Passion Sect also belongs to the Northern Territory, and it is one of the top-level Sects of this region.”
Bing Yun was the Ancestral Founder of the Northern Territory’s Ice Heart Valley. She had lived here for a long time, so it was normal for her to know the topography and forces of this place like the palm of her hand.
While speaking, she turned to look at Fan Xin and the others, “Do you want to go to the Master Sect?”
Fan Xin and her sisters nodded repeatedly. Although they were Bing Yun’s disciples, they had never been to Ice Heart Valley, so they naturally yearned for their Master Sect that their Honoured Master had founded. Since they happened to land in the Northern Territory, of course they wanted to take a look.
“Let’s go then. I, too, haven’t visited in a long time,” Bing Yun smiled faintly, “I wonder how those little girls are doing.”
These ‘little girls’ should be the first batch of disciples she accepted after founding Ice Heart Valley. Yang Kai guessed that many of them should be Emperor Realm Masters by now. Only Bing Yun had the qualifications to call them ‘little girls.’
“Senior, your injuries…” Yang Kai looked at her with some worry.
“I just need to recuperate, I’ll be fine as long as I avoid fighting,” Bing Yun replied.
Just now, although she severely injured Jiang Zhou Zi with a single move, she didn’t use much energy. The first reason was that Jiang Zhou Zi underestimated her, and the second was the difference in their cultivation. As a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, Bing Yun didn’t need to spend much effort when dealing with someone in the First-Order like Jiang Zhou Zi. Even if she was injured, a casual point of her finger had been enough.
Since Fan Xin and the others wanted to go to Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai could only follow. If Su Yan came to the Star Boundary in the future, it would be great for her to join Ice Heart Valley; after all, her Secret Art and Special Constitution could be traced back to Ice Heart Valley itself.
In addition, he planned to leave Liu Xian Yun there as well.
The relationship between them was similar to the one between a Senior Brother and his Junior Sister, and over the period of time they spent together, they shared hardships and helped one another. However, Yang Kai had many things he needed to do, and he couldn’t bring her along with him.
In any case, Ice Heart Valley was the best place for her. She was a woman, the only kind of disciple Ice Heart Valley accepted, and her cultivation had reached the First-Order Dao Source Realm. Although she came from a lower Star Field, her aptitude was extremely good. The reason her cultivation was not that high was that she couldn’t get enough cultivation resources, but if she could rely on a Sect, her future achievements would be excellent.
Cultivators that had come from lower Star Fields usually had good prospects. Although he hadn’t had an opportunity to ask her about this yet, Yang Kai was sure that Bing Yun would not reject his request.
As for Ling Yin Qin and her crew, Yang Kai had no idea what they planned to do.
Considering all this, he turned and asked Ling Yin Qin, “Big Sister Ling, have you decided what to do next?”
Ling Yin Qin thought for a moment before replying, “I’m thinking of going to the Eastern Territory!”
“The Eastern Territory?” Yang Kai frowned, unsure as to why she wanted to go there.
Bing Yun, who was nearby, said, “You are Yang Kai’s friend, and your cultivation isn’t half bad. You can join this Queen’s Ice Heart Valley if you’re interested.”
Overall, cultivators in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm were considered to be decent in strength, and with the right opportunities, such cultivators could even reach the Emperor Realm! Such cultivators were welcomed in all Sects. Still, Bing Yun said those words mainly for Yang Kai’s sake. As Ling Yin Qin was trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World until now, she definitely had nowhere to go for the time being.
Ling Yin Qin said with a smile, “Many thanks for your concern, Senior, but I will have to decline. Junior’s late husband comes from the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Sect, so Junior wishes to bring his ashes there. That was his dying wish.”
While speaking of her late husband, Ling Yin Qin’s face became gloomy. She seemingly recalled their time together, and her eye sockets reddened a little.
Bing Yun praised her, “You are a woman of pure and strong feelings! The road to the Eastern Territory will be full of hardships, so you have to be careful. After you find a suitable place for your husband’s ashes, if you ever need to, you are free to come back and join my Ice Heart Valley.”
Ling Yin Qin said gratefully, “Many thanks, Senior, for your kindness!”
With Bing Yun’s assurance, Ling Yin Qin could return to the Northern Territory and join the Ice Heart Valley if she had nowhere to go in the future.
“Let’s return to land first,” Bing Yun looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded and summoned his ship. Then, they followed Bing Yun’s instructions and headed toward the closest shore.
Compared to the Solitary Void Sea, the Ice Sea was rather safe, so the trip proceeded smoothly and they did not encounter any danger. Bing Yun stayed in the cabin to treat her injuries while at the same time, Yang Kai told Liu Xian Yun about his plan of leaving her in Ice Heart Valley.
Liu Xian Yun didn’t hesitate and agreed with his suggestion.
She was aware that she couldn’t keep following Yang Kai as the difference in strength between them was too great, and she would just be a burden to him. It would be better if she joined Ice Heart Valley and cultivated there.
After settling things with Liu Xian Yun, Yang Kai went to look for Bing Yun to discuss this matter.
Bing Yun didn’t even hesitate to agree. In her capacity as Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, she could accept disciples whenever she wanted without consulting with anyone else.
Five days later, they finally saw land.
Yang Kai called everyone on the deck and then glanced over at Bing Yun, forcing a smile, “Senior, perhaps it would be best if you disguise your appearance?”
A few days ago, Jiang Zhou Zi and his group were fatally attracted to her, so Yang Kai feared that Bing Yun’s beauty would cause them further trouble after they reached land.
Hearing his words, Fan Xin and her sisters pursed their lips. Although they also had good looks, they paled when compared to Bing Yun. No woman was as pure and flawless as Bing Yun. Every man that saw her would feel the need to protect her and have her all for himself.
“It is because of all those sanctimonious scoundrels that covet beautiful women that our kind has so much trouble!” Bing Yun coldly snorted, looking reluctant.
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off of his forehead, “Senior, why are you looking at me while saying these words? I’m innocent!”
“Hmph!” Bing Yun snorted. However, she didn’t refute his words. She was also aware that her beauty would cause them unnecessary trouble.
Yang Kai took something out of his Space Ring and offered it to Bing Yun, “Junior has this mask. If Senior likes it, she can use it.”
“This mask’s craftsmanship is pretty good, where did you obtain it?” Bing Yun praised as she looked at that exquisite mask.
“It should’ve been made by Sang De,” Yang Kai grinned.
When Sang De brought him out to sea back then, he wore this mask. If not for the fact that Yang Kai was already aware it was him, he wouldn’t have recognized Sang De at the time. Later, after Liu Yan and Hua Qing Si joined hands to strike Sang De down, this mask became part of Yang Kai’s spoils of war.
The hand that Bing Yun had stretched out retracted immediately as she said with a disgusted look on her face, “He made this thing? Did he wear it?”
“He did.” Yang Kai nodded.
Bing Yun glared at Yang Kai, “I don’t want it then.”
[What is this little brat thinking? He wanted to give me something that an old fogey had stuck to his face? Which woman wouldn’t be disgusted by this?!]
Bing Yun made some hand seals, and her face started wriggling.
After a little while, her appearance changed, and although she still looked pretty, it wasn’t as exaggerated as before.
“Senior seems to be skilled in such matters already!” Seeing Bing Yun so familiar with this kind of technique, Yang Kai guessed that she must have altered her appearance several times in the past.
Bing Yun replied, “How do you think I was able to wander by myself in the Star Boundary undisturbed all these years?”
Yang Kai’s group flew over the wilderness with his ship.
At this time, the only people on board were Yang Kai, Liu Xian Yun, and Ice Heart Valley’s disciples. Ling Yin Qin left as soon as the ship reached land, as she wanted to return her husband’s ashes to the Eastern Territory’s Heavenly Wolf Sect and bury them at his birthplace.
Jiao Yi and the others naturally followed Ling Yin Qin.
As for Yang Kai’s group, they were headed to Ice Heart Valley. Fan Xin and her Sisters had long yearned for this Master Sect of theirs, so now that they were in the Northern Territory, they absolutely wanted to take a look at it.
Ice Heart Valley was pretty far from the Ice Sea, so even with the high travel speed of Yang Kai’s ship, it would take from ten days to half a month to reach it. Luckily, Bing Yun was very familiar with the topography of the Northern Territory, so Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about getting lost.
A few days later, while sitting in meditation in the cabin, Yang Kai heard a commotion on the deck. Startled, he hurried to check what was going on.
Fan Xin and the others were standing on the deck, all looking in a certain direction.
“What happened?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Senior Brother Yang!” After seeing Yang Kai, Fan Xin pointed toward a certain place, “Someone’s fighting over there; moreover, it seems as if a group of people is ganging up on a single woman. How shameless!”
Yang Kai hurried to release his Divine Sense and sure enough, a dozen or so kilometres away from them, he spotted a group of people besieging a young woman. The woman’s cultivation wasn’t bad, Third-Order Dao Source Realm, and her Source Qi was quite vigorous. The artifacts she was using were also very high-grade, which allowed her to hold her ground even though she was outnumbered.
Among the people besieging her were two Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, but for some reason, they seemed reluctant to use lethal force. They surrounded her and kept attacking with the hope of wearing her down. It seemed they wanted to capture her alive.
At first glance, Yang Kai knew that the young woman was an elite disciple from some major Sect. She wasn’t much weaker than people like Xia Sheng and Wu Chang, and in a life or death battle, they would likely be equally matched.
Each of the top Sects in the Southern Territory had rising stars such as Xia Sheng and Wu Chang, so the Northern Territory should not be any different; obviously, this girl was one such example.
Yang Kai guessed that the people besieging her knew her real identity, which was why they did not dare to use too much force and wanted to capture her alive.
Considering all this, he said calmly, “In the Star Boundary, things like this happen every day, there’s no point in intervening in this fight.”
Although it was disgraceful for a group of men to gang up on a lone woman, scenes like this were very common in the Star Boundary, so Yang Kai didn’t feel like meddling in other people’s affairs. Moreover, he felt that if the woman put her life on the line and used everything she had, she might be able to escape from these people. The reason she was under siege was that she wasn’t ready to make this sacrifice yet.
“But Senior Brother Yang…” Fan Xin looked at him anxiously, “That girl is using the Secret Techniques and Secret Arts of Ice Heart Valley. She might be one of our Senior Sisters!”
“A disciple of Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai frowned somewhat surprised as he asked, “Are you certain?”
Fan Xin urged him, “Of course! We’ve been cultivating the Secret Arts and Secret Techniques our Honoured Master taught us for so long, we wouldn’t make such a mistake. Now that one of our Senior Sisters is in trouble, we can’t just stand by and do nothing!”
Yang Kai took another look at the woman and discovered that she was using Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, while the energy released from her artifact was also bone-chilling. It became clear that Fan Xin was right, this unknown young woman was indeed a disciple of Ice Heart Valley!
However, Ice Heart Valley was also one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. It was very rare for their disciples to be attacked while roaming the Northern Territory. How did this girl end up in this situation? Who were the people attacking her?
“Senior Brother…” Liu Xian Yun also looked at Yang Kai, a pleading expression on her face. She was a disciple of Ice Heart Valley now, and seeing a Senior Sister from the same Sect attacked by so many people, she was unable to keep watching. But as her cultivation was too low, she could only pin her hopes on Yang Kai.
“En, if she is a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, we can’t just stand here and watch,” Yang Kai nodded, making a hand seal and changing the direction of the ship, steering it towards the battlefield.
With its speed, his ship was capable of covering a dozen or so kilometres within a few breaths of time.
The two opposing forces reacted differently when they noticed that someone was approaching.
The woman furrowed her brows, a little worried, while on the other hand, the cultivators besieging her seemed displeased; however, both sides ceased hostilities and turned their attention towards the ship.
As he came closer, Yang Kai discovered that this Ice Heart Valley’s disciple was a rare beauty. Her long hair danced in the wind like the clouds did in the sky, and her willow eyebrows looked as soft as smoke. Her two beautiful eyes darted around, and perhaps due to the fight just now, she was slightly short of breath. Her jade cheeks had become bright red, glistening with sweat, while her skin remained white and flawless, not any different from freshly fallen snow.
Her aura was similar to Bing Yun’s as both were very pure, and the sweat dripping from her pretty brow only added to her charm.
There was no doubt about the fact that she was a disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai could confirm this much just from her aura. Standing on the deck, he nodded at her.
The woman frowned even deeper seeing this. Although she could feel Yang Kai’s kindness towards her, she couldn’t understand why he was helping her. This group of people besieging her were not to be taken lightly, and an average person wouldn’t dare to cross them.
“This is a Seeking Passion Sect’s matter. Loiterers should withdraw immediately!” A middle-aged man in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm shouted at Yang Kai.
[Seeking Passion Sect?] Yang Kai was surprised.
A few days ago, when they first appeared in the Northern Territory, they bumped into a group of people from Immaculate Island who were looking for the Blue Infant Beast in order to give it to Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, supposedly as a congratulatory gift for his auspicious day. Yang Kai didn’t expect to bump into people from Seeking Passion Sect right after.
According to Bing Yun, Seeking Passion Sect was also one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Back when she left, the two Sects were on par in terms of strength. That was why the Seeking Passion Sect’s disciples were so arrogant while roaming the Northern Territory, something that Yang Kai was able to confirm firsthand at this moment.
No one asked him who he was; the first thing they did was to order him around. From the looks of it, they didn’t put him in their eyes at all.
As they saw it, as long as they mentioned Seeking Passion Sect’s name, the other party should leave obediently.
At first, Yang Kai didn’t have much of an opinion regarding this Seeking Passion Sect, but after seeing how arrogant their disciples were, coupled with the fact that they were bullying this girl from Ice Heart Valley with their superior numbers, his opinion of them worsened.
“What’s so great about the Seeking Passion Sect?” Retorted Fan Xin, furious for what was happening to her Senior Sister, “You’re just a bunch of cowardly men bullying a woman. Do you have no shame?!”
“Cheap slut, you court death!” The middle-aged man flew into a rage and his murderous intent soared as he sent out a strand of pure Spiritual Energy towards Fan Xin, clearly intending to punish her severely for her insolence.
In the Northern Territory, not many dared to pick a fight with the Seeking Passion Sect. It was unknown where these people came from, but they unexpectedly wanted to meddle with their business. They were really courting death!
On the ship, only Yang Kai, who was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, could enter their eyes slightly; the others with uneven and low cultivations weren’t even worth mentioning. Given the situation, they took for granted that Yang Kai’s group didn’t have much of a backing. They should be the disciples of some average Sect.
When the Spiritual Energy burst was released, a burst of oppressive aura blew in their faces, causing Fan Xin to pale as she found herself short of breath. She felt as if a sharp sword was flying towards her and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move. She was so scared that her heart sank, and her limbs went cold.
Yang Kai gently pulled her back, placing her behind him while at the same time, he released his own Spiritual Energy to counter the incoming attack.
The collision of powers was soundless and Yang Kai didn’t move in the slightest, but the arrogant middle-aged man actually reeled back, with his face becoming slightly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
It was a sign that his Soul was damaged. Furthermore, it proved that the difference between his Spiritual Energy and Yang Kai’s was massive.
“Deacon Dong!” The Seeking Passion Sect group turned pale. Startled, they hurried to assist the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man seemed to be injured to the point where he couldn’t even speak, only able to lightly wave his hand as he hurried to take a pill from his Space Ring and stuff it into his mouth.
“Boy, you dare to sneak attack Dong Shan!? You’ll pay with your life!” The other Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator flew into a rage. While shouting, he summoned a sabre that seemed to have a ghoulish head attached to its grip. He then jumped up and flew towards Yang Kai like a great eagle and slashed down.
He believed that Dong Shan was injured because he was caught off guard, so he prepared to rely on his strength, which was slightly higher than Dong Shan’s, to kill Yang Kai and avenge this humiliation.
The strength of his blow seemed capable of shattering the sky.
Even though they were standing behind Yang Kai, Fan Xin and Liu Xian Yun paled as an aura of death blew across their faces.
Yang Kai stood on the deck and didn’t try to dodge. Only when the sabre was about to hit him did he counterattack. Violently punching out, in the blink of an eye, the vast sky was filled with the fist shadows.
The Sabre Waves, which was approaching from all directions, shattered like a mirror, collapsing at the first blow.
“What?” The face of the Seeking Passion Sect cultivator changed drastically. Seeing the terrifying strength of Yang Kai’s attack, he shifted the position of his sabre hurriedly, using it to protect his body. At the same time, he pushed his Source Qi and put his strength into his feet to quickly retreat.
However, it was too late.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
After a muffled sound, the man tumbled through the air before slamming into the ground some distance away, coughing up copious amounts of blood after the impact.
“Deacon Cao Yang!” The remaining Seeking Passion Sect disciples were shocked and hurried to Cao Yang’s side to check his injuries.
Cao Yang had to muster all of his strength to get up, looking at Yang Kai in fear and disbelief. Now, he was well aware that Dong Shan didn’t get injured because he was caught off guard. Even if it was a head-on fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance against this young man.
When did someone so extraordinary appear in the Northern Territory? Which Sect did he hail from? Although they were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, he couldn’t take a single attack from the other party. If this type of person cultivated to the Emperor Realm, what kind of strength would he have?
The names and faces of the rising stars from each of the top Sects flashed across Cao Yang’s mind; however, none of them resembled Yang Kai.
“Where is this friend from? If you leave your name behind, my Seeking Passion Sect will surely repay the kindness you have shown us today!” Knowing that he didn’t stand a chance against Yang Kai, Cao Yang brought up the name of his Sect, hoping that it’d deter him; after all, if Yang Kai decided to kill them there and then, there was nothing they could do but to accept their fate.
Fan Xin coldly snorted, “Weren’t you bullying a lone woman with your numbers just now? Your Seeking Passion Sect is really something!”
Her mocking words embarrassed the people from Seeking Passion Sect, but as their strength was lower than the other party’s, with their two strongest fighters already heavily injured, they didn’t dare to make a fuss. Despite their faces burning with shame, they had to bury their anger deep in their hearts.
“There is no harm in telling you. We’re…” Before Fan Xin could finish, Yang Kai waved his hand and stopped her.
He stood still on the deck, and since the beginning, he had yet to move his feet.
He looked at the people below and said calmly, “We’re just travellers who were passing by.”
“Passing by, huh?” Cao Yang clenched his bloodied teeth, aware that Yang Kai didn’t want to reveal his background. Since he was weaker than him, he couldn’t force him and could only glare at him as if to burn his image in his mind. He then cupped his fists and said calmly, “Friend, your way of doing things is exceptional. This Cao’s horizons have been broadened. Since this friend has taken a stand, we will retreat and leave this matter to you.”
After some polite words, he waved his hand and took his leave with the other Seeking Passion Sect disciples.
Fan Xin gritted her teeth, her expression indignant, but seeing that Yang Kai didn’t have any intention to kill, she spoke no more.
Once those guys were gone, Yang Kai explained calmly, “Seeking Passion Sect is one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Given your identities, it’s ill-advised to start an all-out confrontation with them.”
If they killed these people, a war might break out between Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect. If two Sects of this calibre started a war, the flames of said war would engulf the entire Northern Territory.
The only thing Yang Kai didn’t understand was why those Seeking Passion Sect’s disciples were harassing this disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
“Senior Brother, many thanks for lending your assistance. May I know your name? Zi Yu will definitely repay this favour in the future!” The girl below cupped her fists as she expressed her gratitude to Yang Kai.
Without his help, she would have had to spend a lot of effort in order to escape. By relying on her Forbidden Technique, she could indeed get away from Cao Yang and the others, but at the same time, she wouldn’t be able to muster any strength for the next three months, making it impossible for her to escape the Northern Territory.
“Senior Sister, we’re all one family, you don’t need to be so polite,” Fan Xin smiled, gazing at Zi Yu with a gentle expression.
“All one family?” Zi Yu frowned, unsure as to what Fan Xin meant.
Fan Xin put on a happy face and pointed at the other girls on the ship, “Everyone here is from Ice Heart Valley. Looking at your Secret Techniques and Secret Arts, you should also be a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, right? Therefore, we’re all one family!”
It had only been a few days since they’d arrived in the Northern Territory, and they’d already met a strong Senior Sister from the same Sect. Fan Xin was delighted and didn’t plan on concealing anything, so she directly told Zi Yu who they were.
What surprised her was that Zi Yu’s expression changed drastically in the next moment and she raised her guard while quietly retreating a few steps, biting her lip as she asked, “Are you here to capture me?”
Fan Xin was dumbfounded, “Senior Sister, what are you talking about?”
Zi Yu said, “Since we are members of the same Sect, I won’t attack you. Go back and tell Honoured Master that Zi Yu was unfilial and caused her much trouble, but one day, after I have cultivated to a sufficient level, I will return and fulfil my filial duties!”
Then, her tender body flashed, turning into a streak of light that shot towards a distant place, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai and the rest looked at one another in puzzlement.
“This Senior Sister… What did she mean just now?” Fan Xin furrowed her brow. They went out of their way to help her, but instead of thanking them, she became vigilant after discovering that they were from Ice Heart Valley then spoke some strange words, leaving them confused.
“It seems something foreboding has happened to Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai said gravely.
Fan Xin looked at Yang Kai in surprise, “Senior Brother Yang, how can you tell?”
Yang Kai replied, “Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect are both top Sects in the Northern Territory, so it is unlikely that they would fight openly. Yet, a group of people from Seeking Passion Sect was besieging that Zi Yu girl just now. Coupled with what she said before leaving…”
Fan Xin’s expression fluctuated as she seemed to have a better understanding of the situation now.
Zi Yu was besieged by people from the Seeking Passion Sect, and she became vigilant after hearing that they were from Ice Heart Valley… There was no doubt that something big had happened to Ice Heart Valley.
“Senior Brother Yang, we should hurry to the Master Sect!” Fan Xin urged. She didn’t know what was going on, but she wanted to hurry to Ice Heart Valley and take a look. Due to Bing Yun, Fan Xin really cared about this Master Sect she’d never visited and hoped that nothing bad would happen to it.
Yang Kai nodded, glancing towards the cabin.
He was sure that Bing Yun had overheard everything, but he couldn’t understand why she had completely ignored this matter.
Shaking his head, he steered the ship towards Ice Heart Valley and accelerated.
With Fan Xin urging him, Yang Kai could only increase the ship’s speed, and five days later, a large city appeared before them.
“That’s Ice Moon City. It’s a one hour trip from here to Ice Heart Valley. Let’s enter the city for now.” Bing Yun’s voice echoed in Yang Kai’s ears. Hearing her words, he nodded and controlled the ship, descending outside the city gate.
After a short while, Yang Kai and the group of women passed through the gate, entering Ice Moon City.
As they entered the city, Yang Kai frowned and asked in a low voice, “Senior, why are there so many Emperor Realm Masters in this city?”
He sensed the auras of seven or eight Emperors, which wasn’t normal at all.
Bing Yun, who had concealed her cultivation and was hiding among them, shook her head and said, “I’m not sure. In the past, Ice Moon City was the hub that connected Ice Heart Valley to the external world. Usually, it should be impossible for so many Emperors to be here. Perhaps something big is going on; however, we shouldn’t worry about this matter for now. I need a few more days to recover completely.”
When she made a move against Jiang Zhou Zi a few days ago, she had aggravated her injuries. If not for that, she would have completely recovered by now.
The next few days were critical for recovery, so she hoped that nothing unexpected would happen.
“In that case, let’s look for a place to stay first. After Senior recovers, we’ll head to Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai suggested.
Bing Yun agreed.
The group looked for an inn and settled in.
Although she was concerned about her Master Sect and wanted to go there as soon as possible, Fan Xin didn’t dare to do anything rash. As her Honoured Master was in the midst of recovering from her wounds, Fan Xin could only hole up in the inn with her sisters and wait.
Yang Kai didn’t go out, either. He was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator at the moment and needed only a slight push to enter the Emperor Realm. Thus, he cultivated even harder, hoping to glimpse the secrets of the Emperor Realm as soon as possible.
Three days later, Yang Kai, who was cultivating in his room, suddenly opened his eyes, a puzzled expression on his face as he stood up and exited the room.
After a short while, he arrived in front of another room. Before he could knock, Bing Yun’s voice echoed from inside, “Come in!”
Yang Kai opened the door and went in. After turning a corner, he saw Bing Yun sitting in meditation and asked, “Senior, have you recovered?”
Bing Yun shook her head, “I’ll need another two or three days.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “In that case, why did Senior summon me here?”
He came here because he heard Bing Yun’s call, so he thought that she had already recovered, but that did not seem to be the case.
Bing Yun frowned, not replying to his question and instead motioning to him, “Sit down. I’ll explain slowly.”
Yang Kai obediently sat down in front of her.
After hesitating for a short moment, Bing Yun began to speak, “Back when I arrived in the Star Boundary from Heng Luo Star Field, I was merely a Third-Order Origin King. As you also know, such a cultivation can allow you to move about unchallenged in the Star Field, but here in the Star Boundary, it’s nothing special.”
Yang Kai nodded, expressing his understanding.
People like Chi Yue and Ai Ou were true overlords in Heng Luo Star Field who could make the Star Field shake thrice just by stomping their feet, but after coming to the Star boundary, they were having a hard time just finding cultivation resources. Even the number one Master at the time, Wu Dao, eventually fell.
Bing Yun continued, “I encountered grave danger once and almost lost my life not long after arriving here; however, a great senior saved my life. That Senior did not hesitate to damage his foundation to rescue me back from the gates of death. Afterwards, under his care, I slowly recovered and learned many important things. I, Bing Yun, have always been an independent cultivator, never relying on anyone on my Martial Dao, but if there is someone I can consider my Master, it would be that person. It is a pity that the senior expert taught me for only half a year before leaving to wander the world.”
Yang Kai praised, “That senior expert was truly a magnanimous person. Helping others without asking anything in return!”
Bing Yun showed a faint smile, “Indeed. He didn’t save me because he had something to gain from it, and given my pitiful strength at the time, I was no different from an ant to him, yet that Senior was willing to go so far for an insect like me. Thanks to that half a year of guidance he provided, my path in the Star Boundary became much easier.”