“Really? Junior likes to speak nonsense when he is unhappy, and might even compose a fantastical story about the events that happened today. I might pass on the story to the storytellers in major restaurants and tea shops in the Eastern Territory to let them publicize Senior Li’s majesty and prestige. I have even come up with a title. What does Senior Li think of ‘The Daily lives of Jiu Feng and her loyal servant on Spirit Beast Island’?”
Li Wu Yi was furious, “Didn’t you just say that you didn’t see anything? Junior, are you not a man of his word!”
“I suddenly remembered I saw something,” Yang Kai replied leisurely.
“Despicable!” Li Wu Yi was appalled.
“I was forced to be like this!” Yang Kai drawled lazily.
Jiu Feng was shaking with laughter, extremely entertained by them.
“Good, very good!” Li Wu Yi spoke madly and gritted his teeth at Yang Kai, “You leave this King no choice but to teach you a lesson. Little brat, take this!”
When the words fell, he raised his hand, and a stream of light shot towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai raised his brows in alert, but he did not evade. Instead, he stretched out his hand to grab this stream of light. He jolted slightly as soon as the stream of light touched his hand, but his eyes narrowed swiftly as he quickly put away the item he had just caught.
“Now, you know how powerful this King is. Don’t you dare to speak nonsense and corrupt the reputation of this King,” Li Wu Yi snorted coldly.
Yang Kai cupped his fists with a grin, acknowledging him, “Junior’s cultivation is nowhere near to Senior Li’s. Please forgive me for all of the earlier offences, Senior Li.”
Li Wu Yi waved his hand widely, “This King is very generous, and will not bother to argue with the likes of you.”
Jiu Feng looked at the two scornfully, grimacing, “You two sure are having a good time.”
Li Wu Yi snorted, “I just taught a Junior, who has an exaggerated opinion of his own abilities, to be a little more humble. If Great Aunt has any opinion, this Li would be glad to hear it.”
Jiu Feng snorted coldly, her sharp dazzling eyes staring at Yang Kai for a long time before revealing a trace of admiration, “You were only in the First-Order Dao Source Realm the last time we met, I did not expect you would break through to the Emperor Realm in just a few years. This Queen underestimated you.”
Undoubtedly, only a genius would be able to be promoted from First-Order Dao Source Realm to the First-Order Emperor Realm in such a short time, and to have such a solid foundation, radiating a pure and strong aura without any sign of instability.
“Senior is flattering me, it was merely a series of opportunities and coincidences that allowed Junior to progress at this speed,” Yang Kai said modestly.
Jiu Feng cautioned him, “But the First-Order Emperor Realm is just the first step to the peak of the Martial Dao. You still have a long way to go. Stay humble and focused.”
Yang Kai looked at her with a solemn expression, and quickly responded, “I will keep Senior’s advice deep in my heart.”
Although it was just a small comment, with her level of strength, if Jiu Feng was not optimistic about Yang Kai’s future, she would not even bother to say anything. Any encouragement or warning from her was already a great honour.
Jiu Feng nodded gently, obviously satisfied with his attitude, she then narrowed her sharp eyes at Yang Kai with a dangerous aura, penetrating through his body right at Mo Xiao Qi, who was hiding behind him as she snarled coldly, “Come out from there!”
Mo Xiao Qi stepped out from behind Yang Kai unwillingly, pouting. Her eyes darted around erratically, as if looking for a way to escape.
Jiu Feng wanted to laugh but was angry at the same time, “Did you think that Uncle Li and Aunty Feng could not see you hiding behind him? Do you think we’re blind, or are you blind?”
Mo Xiao Qi retorted angrily, “Wouldn’t it be the same wherever I hide when you’re so strong?”
“You dare talk back?” Jiu Feng raised her brow and yelled, “You’re so wilful, I think you’re itching for good disciplining.”
Mo Xiao Qi pouted and looked at Li Wu Yi pitifully, whining, “Uncle Li, Aunty Feng wants to beat me, you have to help me.”
“She dares?” Li Wu Yi was enraged and his aura suddenly surged. His lickspittle attitude was swept away, replaced by a ferocious demeanour dazzling like the sun.
Yang Kai was secretly awe-inspired, slightly aware of the huge gap between him and these top veteran Emperor Realm Masters.
“Hm?” Jiu Feng let out a light tone from her lips as she glanced sideways at Li Wu Yi.
Li Wu Yi snorted, “Don’t be afraid Xiao Qi, if she really hits you, I will, I will…”
“You will?” Jiu Feng looked at him scornfully.
Li Wu Yi immediately broke into a smile, “I’ll help you to grab Xiao Qi and let you beat her as much as you like!”
*Gezhi gezhi…*
Mo Xiao Qi stood beside Yang Kai, her teeth grinding violently.
At this moment, Li Wu Yi suddenly shot a pensive look at Mo Xiao Qi before his face changed drastically and he asked, “Xiao Qi, did you release the seal?”
“What?” Jiu Feng jumped, and flickered to Mo Xiao Qi’s side in an instant, grabbing her and examining her carefully.
Soon, Jiu Feng realized that Mo Xiao Qi had indeed released the Divine Soul Seal and blood drained from her beautiful face as she reprimanded, “Why did you release the seal? Were you in any life-threatening danger? Which bastard dared to lay his hands on you!?”
A burst of overwhelming Emperor Pressure suddenly exploded from Jiu Feng, one laced with extreme hostility and murderous intent, as if she was preparing to slaughter a hated enemy.
Yang Kai retreated several tens of metres shakily, his heart pounding hard in his chest, almost unable to breathe.
Zhang Ruo Xi exclaimed loudly, retreating even farther away than Yang Kai did.
“Who was it? Tell Aunty Feng! I will kill him and his entire family now!” The air burned around Jiu Feng as she released tangible murderous intent.
Li Wu Yi treaded down toward them from the air, his face so gloomy that one could shave a layer of frost off of it. Although he did not speak, his murderous intent was even thicker and more prominent than Jiu Feng’s.
Mo Xiao Qi’s Divine Soul Seal was her ultimate trump card, one that would be impossible to release if she did not face life-threatening danger. In other words, she must have been at risk of dying in the Shattered Star Sea at some point.
The two Masters had watched Mo Xiao Qi grow since she was born, so how could they tolerate someone bullying her? It was only natural for them to react so strongly when they noticed the Divine Soul Seal had been unlocked, releasing their murderous intent so violently as if no one else mattered.
Mo Xiao Qi did not dare to be up-front with them at the sight of their terrifying expressions, so she bit her lip and mumbled, “No one was trying to kill me, I just accidentally released it.”
“Impossible!” Jiu Feng snorted coldly, “Sir personally sealed the Heavenly Illusion Butterfly’s Soul with the Burning Moon Rainbow Flower Seal. There is only one condition to release it, and that is if your life is threatened.”
Li Wu Yi coaxed her, “Be a good girl Xiao Qi and tell Uncle Li and Aunty Feng clearly what happened.”
“It’s really nothing, it really was just an accident,” Mo Xiao Qi flailed her arms about repeatedly as she tried to explain.
Jiu Feng snorted again, knowing that there must be a reason behind Mo Xiao Qi persisting with this ridiculous story. She thus turned away from Mo Xiao Qi to question Yang Kai, “Boy, since you are here with Xiao Qi, that means that you were travelling together in the Shattered Star Sea. Tell this Queen what happened!”
Yang Kai sighed as he began, “Two Seniors, please don’t misunderstand, I was the reason that Little Sister Xiao Qi released her seal.”
“Because of you?” Li Wu Yi frowned in suspicion, “Did you try to kill Xiao Qi?”
[That’s impossible. Although Xiao Qi is naive, she is not a fool. If this boy had really tried to assassinate her, how could she still be together with him? She would have run away as far as she could.]
Jiu Feng coldly demanded, “Be specific!”
Yang Kai nodded, sorted out his thoughts a little before reiterating the situation from when Mo Xiao Qi lost control of her emotions when she had mistakenly believed he had died, relaying every detail of how the Divine Soul Seal was released and what happened subsequently.
When he finished, Jiu Feng and Li Wu Yi could not help exchanging astonished looks with each other.
They never knew that Mo Xiao Qi could release the Divine Soul Seal because someone else was in danger. However, they recalled that their Sir had once explained to them that Xiao Qi could only unlock the seal upon perceiving life-threatening danger, but did not specifically say that it had to be Xiao Qi’s own life.
If that was the case, Xiao Qi seemed to value this boy very much, placing his safety in equal importance to her own, which led her to release her seal when he was in peril.
When their eyes met, the two felt a strange feeling fill their hearts as they comprehended each other’s thoughts.
They turned their heads to throw a vicious look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai suppressed a shiver, not daring to say anything.
“How did the Divine Soul Seal get re-sealed? This sealing technique is not the same one as Sir’s, but it is an extremely profound technique. Was… it you?” Jiu Feng asked incredulously.
Yang Kai chuckled in reply, “Junior is not capable of doing something like that. It was someone else who re-did the seal.”
“Oh?” Li Wu Yi suddenly became interested, “Is there someone among the younger generation who could seal a Divine Spirit’s Soul? Let’s hear it, I would like to know who could be so capable.”
“That person was not a Junior, that person was…” Yang Kai twitched the corner of his mouth, hesitating. He then pursed his lips and mouthed the three words gently.
Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng were flabbergasted, looking at Yang Kai blankly.
Yang Kai continued faintly, “There is no doubt, he is that Sir who you’re both thinking of.”
“Impossible!” Jiu Feng shouted, “Emperor Realm Masters cannot enter the Shattered Star Sea. Even if that Sir has profound strength, he can’t bypass that restriction.”
Li Wu Yi also looked pensive, “That’s correct, that Sir has always been secretive in his whereabouts. Why would he show up in a place like the Shattered Star Sea? The Source Strength there is indeed a good thing, but it should be nothing in that Sir’s eyes.”
Yang Kai contemplated for a moment before his expression turned serious and he continued, “If it was anyone else that asked, I would not go into any further detail; after all, this matter cannot be spoken of lightly, but since two Seniors are from Spirit Beast Island, then I will disclose all that I know. Hopefully, two Seniors will relay the information from the Shattered Star Sea to Sir Martial Beast once you return to Spirit Beast Island. Perhaps Sir Martial Beast can help find a solution.”
“Find a solution? A solution to what?” Jiu Feng stared at Yang Kai suspiciously, looking puzzled.
“Boy, just what are you trying to say?” Li Wu Yi also looked at him in bewilderment.
While Yang Kai was communicating with Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng via Divine Sense transmission, Mo Xiao Qi and Zhang Ruo Xi could only see Yang Kai’s lips moving. The two top Emperor Realm Masters reacted to Yang Kai’s messages with a broad mixture of different expressions flipping across their faces; shock, surprise, curiosity, horror, solemnity, respect and pity…
From time to time, Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng would interject with a question, to which Yang Kai answered patiently.
“What are they talking about?” Mo Xiao Qi asked Zhang Ruo Xi secretly.
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, indicating that she had no clue either.
Mo Xiao Qi continued, “I’m actually very curious about what happened in the Shattered Star Sea after I fainted. Do you know anything?”
Zhang Ruo Xi still shook her head, whispering, “I also fainted at almost the same time as you. When I woke up, I was already here.”
The two little girls looked at each other as a subtle feeling of sympathy for each other grew inside them.
“How could there be such a thing?” After a long while, Li Wu Yi finally voiced out with a solemn face.
Jiu Feng looked awe-inspired too, “We really have to tell our Sir about this matter because that Sir’s condition doesn’t look optimistic. His life will be difficult in the future, having to share his body with the Soul of that devil.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Senior Duan has just left, but he didn’t say where he was going. It would be good if Sir Martial Beast could find him. This Junior really respects Senior Duan for his willingness to sacrifice his life for the common people of the world and cannot bear to watch him be tortured for the rest of his life.”
Jiu Feng replied solemnly, “Don’t worry. Our Sir won’t sit back and do nothing. When we return to Spirit Beast Island, I will report this matter to him in detail.”
Yang Kai was overjoyed, “Many thanks, Senior.”
They should be able to find Duan Hong Chen with the help of Martial Beast Great Emperor, and perhaps, the latter could find a solution for Duan Hong Chen’s current awkward condition.
“I didn’t expect that such a bizarre thing could have happened in the Shattered Star Sea. No wonder the elite disciples of the four territories were all suddenly ejected out of the Shattered Star Sea. Our Sir had already said that there must have been some unforeseen incident in the Shattered Star Sea before we left, but I didn’t expect that it would be this serious,” Li Wu Yi sighed.
“It is fortunate that they are all safe. If all of them died because of this…” Goosebumps filled Jiu Feng’s skin as she was unable to finish her sentence.
In the next moment though, her scorching eyes fixed on Yang Kai as she abruptly changed the topic, “Boy, just now, when we arrived here, there was one thing that made this Queen very concerned…” She pointed her finger in the direction of the Phoenix egg, and continued with a deep voice, “Why does this Queen sense the aura of the Phoenix True Fire from there!?”
Li Wu Yi was taken aback, in amazement, “Phoenix True Fire?”
After speaking, he instantly turned to the Phoenix egg and failed to suppress a gasp when he saw the mysterious patterns on the Phoenix egg, exclaiming, “The Phoenix Clan Inheritance!”
“Senior knows of it?” Yang Kai looked at Li Wu Yi in surprise.
He was only able to confirm this was the Phoenix Clan Inheritance when he tried to spy on the patterns on the egg and suffered an attack by a Soul Technique on his Knowledge Sea. He could not believe that Li Wu Yi could recognize it with just a glance.
Li Wu Yi stared at the Phoenix egg dumbfounded for a while, but when he regained his senses, he explained, “Spirit Beast Island has records about the Phoenix Clan, and…” Having said that, he stole a glance at Jiu Feng and stopped talking.
Jiu Feng questioned, “Is it really the Phoenix True Fire?”
Yang Kai nodded, “It is.”
“I heard that there was a remnant of Phoenix True Fire in the Shattered Star Sea, which was possessed by the Martial Flame Great Emperor back then… and you just happened to come out of the Shattered Star Sea. Could it be…” Jiu Feng thought carefully and quickly came up with a conclusion.
“Senior is correct. The Phoenix True Fire is indeed from the Shattered Star Sea, a relic left behind by the Martial Flame Great Emperor,” Yang Kai did not try to conceal it.
Although it was as expected, Jiu Feng still could not help gasping at Yang Kai’s confirmation. She looked at the Phoenix egg in admiration and envy as she remarked, “This Queen has also visited the Shattered Star Sea to search for the Phoenix True Fire, but it was all in vain. I can’t believe that I would have a chance to see it now.”
After a pause, she frowned, “Since it has become a Phoenix egg, it means that someone refined the Phoenix True Fire. Who is this person that could convince the Phoenix True Fire to acknowledge his existence?”
Before Yang Kai could speak, Mo Xiao Qi interjected, “It’s Big Sister Liu Yan.”
“Oh?” Jiu Feng’s beautiful eyes lit up, murmuring, “That Artifact Spirit?”
Judging from her expression and tone, it seemed that Mo Xiao Qi had told her about Liu Yan, and she also knew that Liu Yan was an Artifact Spirit.
She could not help praising, “It must be fate for a trivial Artifact Spirit to actually be acknowledged by the Phoenix True Fire. Once she is reborn in nirvana, she will inherit the Phoenix Clan Inheritance in its totality and have the opportunity to become a member of the Phoenix Clan.”
“Senior Jiu Feng seems to be very knowledgeable about the Phoenix Clan,” Yang Kai was enlightened.
“Very knowledgeable?” Jiu Feng glanced at Yang Kai with a contemptuous look.
Flustered by her reaction, he asked “Did I say something wrong?”
Mo Xiao Qi smiled faintly, “Big Brother Yang, Aunty Feng possesses an extremely pure Phoenix Clan Bloodline. Other than those from the original Phoenix Clan, no one else would know the Phoenix Clan better than her.”
“What?” Yang Kai was appalled, “Senior Jiu Feng has the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline!?”
This was the first time he learnt about this, but when he thought about it carefully, the ‘Feng’ in Jiu Feng’s name actually meant ‘Phoenix’, and her scorching power was notably compatible with the Fire Phoenix’s, moreover, she came from a place like Spirit Beast Island…
Yang Kai was ecstatic and he hurriedly queried, “Senior, since you have the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan, may I know when my friend will be hatched from her egg and reborn again?
Jiu Feng frowned, “This is hard to say, but may I ask… If this Queen didn’t come here, what did you plan to do?”
“What did I plan to do?” Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before answering frankly, “I was just going to wait.”
“Wait?” Jiu Feng looked at Yang Kai with a weird face, “Wait for one or two years here?”
“One or two years? That long?” Yang Kai nearly jumped.
“Whether it is long or not, the whole process may take just a year, or even up to eight to ten years,” Jiu Feng sneered, “Do you think it is that easy to refine the Phoenix True Fire? Your friend’s success in being acknowledged by the Phoenix True Fire and turning into a Phoenix egg is just the beginning of her journey. To truly refine and master the Phoenix True Fire, one would need to pass through some dire challenges. If your friend can’t endure them, she will be burned to death; even if she perseveres, she will not succeed in a short time.”
“Even if she succeeds, it is still questionable if she will comprehend how to control the Phoenix True Fire. At the same time, would she know of the Phoenix Clan’s Secret Techniques from just the inheritance alone?”
Yang Kai listened with a heavy face.
He realized that he was too naïve. He was hoping that it would not take long for Liu Yan to reappear in front of him, but after listening to Jiu Feng, only then did he realize how much he had underestimated the risks.
Since Jiu Feng had the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan, she was certainly extremely knowledgeable of the Phoenix Clan, and what she said could not be wrong.
“Senior, this Junior asks for your advice,” Yang Kai broke out in a cold sweat.
Jiu Feng answered, “Even if you have my advice, you still can’t help her. You know nothing about the Phoenix Clan, or about the mysteries of the Phoenix True Fire. You can’t help her.”
Yang Kai pressed on, “Senior, please explain it clearly. This Junior should be able to understand.”
Jiu Feng rolled her eyes at him, and snorted coldly, “Can you cook a table of delicious food even if I give you the ingredients?”
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweats on his head, and replied unconfidently, “I think I still can make sure that they are cooked.”
Mo Xiao Qi approached Jiu Feng and shook her arm, “Aunty Feng, Big Sister Liu Yan is a very good person. If you can help, please help.”
Jiu Feng glared at her fiercely and smouldered, “Quiet, I’m still not done with you. All you want to do is run around and play and have fun, never paying attention to your cultivation at all. If it weren’t for me and your Uncle Li who came to look for you this time, weren’t you planning to run away again?”
Mo Xiao Qi pursed her lips, “How about this… If you help Big Sister Liu Yan this time, I will follow you back to the island to cultivate and will not leave until I break through to the Emperor Realm.”
“Oh?” Jiu Feng’s beautiful eyes brightened, checking Mo Xiao Qi with her scorching eyes, “You said it yourself.”
Mo Xiao Qi revealed a look of frustration, but she closed her eyes and declared, “Yes, I said it.”
“Deal!” Li Wu Yi chuckled slightly.
Jiu Feng chortled as well, and shared, “Since you’ve said so much, Aunty Feng would definitely not sit back and watch.”
Mo Xiao Qi growled, “Aunty Feng, you are so mean! You won’t do anything without benefits!”
Jiu Feng chuckled and looked at her with a cheerful face, “It’s okay even if you regret it now. Your Uncle Li and I can still take you back by force. The end result would be the same.”
Mo Xiao Qi stomped in fury, “I hate the both of you!”
Jiu Feng put her smile away and turned to Yang Kai, “If you are alright with it, I will take the Phoenix egg back to Spirit Beast Island and cast a Secret Technique from the Phoenix Clan to protect her.”
“Take her back to Spirit Beast Island?” Yang Kai felt slightly lost, and could not help glancing at the place where the Phoenix egg was.
Jiu Feng continued, “You can also follow us to Spirit Beast Island. Although Spirit Beast Island does not have many visitors, since you are Xiao Qi’s friend, it should be fine for you to live on the island for a while and I believe Sir will not refuse you.”
Mo Xiao Qi’s eyes instantly lit up and she squealed, “That’s right, Big Brother Yang! Come with me to Spirit Beast Island. Our Spirit Beast Island is really beautiful.”
Her face overflowed with expectation and her beautiful eyes glowed with hope.
Yang Kai did not look at her though as he could not bear to let her down. He instead turned to Jiu Feng and asked, “Based on Senior’s estimation, how long will it take for Liu Yan to refine the Phoenix True Fire?”
Jiu Feng disclosed, “At least a year. According to the legend, the Martial Flame Great Emperor spent five months refining the Phoenix True Fire, so one year is just the most conservative estimate, and this is still on the premise that everything goes well.”
“One year…” Yang Kai sighed, “Then Senior, please take her with you. About Spirit Beast Island… This Junior will visit another time because I still have something to deal with right now.”
After hearing this, disappointment was written on Mo Xiao Qi’s face.
Jiu Feng nodded in agreement, “You can rest assured that since this Queen has promised you to protect her, I will not snatch her away from you. This Queen just wishes to witness if the refining of the Phoenix True Fire by an Artifact Spirit would have any strange transformations!”
When she finished her sentence, she revealed an expectant and exhilarated face, together with an extremely dangerous brilliance in her beautiful eyes.
She performed a skill with her arm stretched and drew the Phoenix egg that was far away directly to her, wrapping it with her Emperor Qi. The Phoenix egg seemed to sense something, as the runic patterns on its surface started to move vividly, and a vague cry came out from it.
Purple Mountain City, located near the Purple Mountain Range, was an unremarkable city among the thousands of cities in the Eastern Territory. Due to the harsh surrounding environment and barren land, it was not a bustling place.
It only served as a transit station for cultivators to enter the Purple Mountain Range. Many cultivators chose the Purple Mountain Range as their training spot, and therefore, Purple Mountain City became the ideal resting place for them.
The overall strength of the cultivators in the city was mediocre, though slightly stronger than in Maplewood City. The city was mostly populated by Saint Kings, but even though there were no Emperor Realm Masters here, there were still many Dao Source Realms.
Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi had travelled here all the way from the depths of the Purple Mountain Range, and worn out from the journey and covered in dust, they casually found an inn to lodge at for the night.
The Phoenix egg had been taken away by Jiu Feng and Li Wu Yi. Yang Kai did not worry about Liu Yan’s safety, as both Jiu Feng and Li Wu Yi were famous Masters of the Star Boundary, who also happened to be the Martial Beast Great Emperor’s subordinates. In addition to his relationship with Mo Xiao Qi, Yang Kai believed that Jiu Feng would definitely take good care of Liu Yan and would not harm her in any way.
His only worry was about the refinement of the Phoenix True Fire, which might not go well.
However, he was now anxious to find Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts and had no time to accompany Liu Yan, otherwise, he would certainly travel to the Spirit Beast Island together with them and stay there for a year or two.
This was the first time Zhang Ruo Xi travelled together with Yang Kai in the open. Before now, Yang Kai always kept her in the Small Sealed World wherever he went and allowed her to cultivate in solitude.
But now, Zhang Ruo Xi was a powerful Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator and was capable of protecting herself.
Cultivation was not just a process of remaining behind closed doors. Yang Kai, who had to sail through stormy seas and adversities his whole life, had a deep understanding of this concept. Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, he decided to take Zhang Ruo Xi with him. In this way, the little girl of the Zhang Family could gain more insights into the local customs of the Star Boundary, which would definitely benefit her future growth.
Needless to say, Zhang Ruo Xi was exhilarated, her face flushed with excitement along the entire journey, like a bird released from its cage, fascinated by every new finding.
Yang Kai had been sharing all of his cultivation experiences with Zhang Ruo Xi in the past few days, and despite the usual naïve look of this little girl, her talent in cultivation always took his breath away.
Zhang Ruo Xi often brought up numerous important questions that if not for his solid foundation, Yang Kai might not have been able to answer. Still, he had to rack his brains repeatedly in order to not make a fool of himself in front of her.
While teaching Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai did not neglect his own cultivation.
He had just broken through to the Emperor Realm and barely earned the title of ‘Master’. Although the Emperor Qi in his body has been fully transformed due to various previous accidents, he was ultimately just a newly promoted Emperor Realm Master, and there was still a world of difference between him and the veteran Emperors of the world when it came to the application of his power and comprehension of the Emperor Realm.
The more he cultivated, the more Yang Kai felt the boundlessness of the Martial Dao, and the greater his admiration and enthusiasm became.
This was especially true whenever he recalled the battle between the two Great Emperors. The monstrous power and astonishing control each of their moves displayed was such that even if Yang Kai wanted to, he would be unable to stop a single one.
He was looking forward to the day when he achieved the same level as them, and even surpassed them.
When Yang Kai reached Purple Mountain City, he randomly picked an inn and asked for two rooms to stay in. He then casually placed some restrictions in his own room.
There were not many experts in Purple Mountain City, and Yang Kai was the only Emperor Realm Master here, so he was not worried about anyone causing him trouble, but it was still unpleasant to be disturbed during cultivation, so arranging a barrier was still a standard procedure.
After arranging the barrier, Yang Kai took something out of his Space Ring.
It was a blue stone, approximately the same size as a longan with an extremely irregular shape. At first glance, there was nothing special about it, other than its slightly unusual colour. This stone even lacked any substantial energy fluctuations, looking like a small chunk of cheap Artifact Refining material.
But this blue stone came from Li Wu Yi.
The blue stone was the object Yang Kai grabbed previously from the stream of light Li Wu Yi had thrown at him.
During the journey from the Purple Mountain Range, Yang Kai did not have the time to examine what kind of mysteries were hidden in this stone. Only now did he have the chance to put down his burdens and try to figure this out.
With the stone sitting on the palm of his hand, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense with a solemn face. Soon, he was startled and his Divine Sense surged out like strands of formless filaments, enveloping the stone. His face changed drastically from shock to amazement, to excitement, to admiration.
Under the investigation of his Divine Sense, the surface of this blue stone seemed intact, but its interior was fragmented.
The reason for this was that its inside contained countless tiny hair-like Void Cracks.
It was almost impossible to detect these Void Cracks with just the naked eye. Fortunately, Yang Kai had an outstanding Divine Sense, otherwise, he would have missed them.
The Void Cracks in the stone were certainly not crafted by Li Wu Yi in advance. He probably only did this when Yang Kai asked him to teach him.
Even so, it was enough to astound Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was also proficient in the Dao of Space, so he naturally knew how difficult it was to form countless tiny Void Cracks in a stone without damaging it. This required exceedingly precise control of the Space Principles and a deep understanding of the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai possessed various Space Techniques, including Moon Blade, Exile, and Nihility. He could even use the local Space Principle to instantly freeze a certain region of space. He learned all these applications of Space Principles by himself without any guidance.
He thought he had profound attainments in the Dao of Space.
But after observing the blue stone, only then did Yang Kai realize that he was just someone with very limited insight; a frog at the bottom of the well.
At the very least, he could not emulate what Li Wu Yi had done to this stone.
He was not able to control Space Principles so delicately as to create so many Void Cracks in the stone yet not destroy its surface, keeping it intact.
[How amazing!] Yang Kai was thrilled. Even though he had long heard that Li Wu Yi from Spirit Beast Island of the Eastern Territory was the most proficient Master in the Dao of Space in the entire Star Boundary, Yang Kai always assumed that he was not far behind him.
However, he finally gained a true understanding today.
If their comprehensions of the Dao of Space were compared to painting, Li Wu Yi would be a famous artist whose paintbrush danced across the canvas with finesse and grace, presenting a masterpiece in front of Yang Kai. Each stroke was natural and smooth, yet powerful and profound. Yang Kai could not help beholding this work of art in awe. Of course, Yang Kai could paint too… but he was nowhere as good as Li Wu Yi.
He still had a long way to go!
Every tiny Void Crack in this stone contained Li Wu Yi’s comprehension of the Dao of Space, and the mysteries and profundities that lay within gradually intensified from the outside in. The Void Cracks on the outside were relatively rough and seemed dreadfully unstable, as if they might collapse at any time, but became more subtle and stable the deeper Yang Kai ventured into the stone.
Yang Kai inspected the stone layer by layer, prying into the mysteries of the Void Cracks. He soon realized that Li Wu Yi was presenting his own growth process in the Dao of Space perfectly in front of him without any concealment.
These Void Cracks were simply the fruits of Li Wu Yi’s lifetime efforts!
He unreservedly turned them into Void Cracks, branded the stone with them, and handed it to Yang Kai.
This stone was more precious than any lesson from Li Wu Yi as it was equivalent to Li Wu Yi passing down his own mantle to him, but how much Yang Kai could understand from it depended on his own talent and effort.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s expression changed as he used his Divine Sense to explore the most central part of the stone.
His breathing stopped at once and his heart beat wildly.
He discovered that there was a tiny black hole in the centre of the stone.
It was similar to the black hole that he formed with his Exile Secret Technique, but its size was shrunk countless times.
Although this black hole was so small that it was invisible to the naked eye, it still managed to create an image of a beast, devouring everything in sight. Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was also being devoured completely as it approached.
Such incredible skill!
If the previous Void Cracks were enough to stun Yang Kai, the appearance of this black hole truly horrified him. He truly acknowledged the huge gap between himself and Li Wu Yi at this moment.
In the Dao of Space, Li Wu Yi was indeed far ahead of him now, and Yang Kai had no hope of matching him with his current achievements.
Yang Kai was awestruck.
An inconspicuous stone could actually contain so many mysteries that were beyond his wildest imagination.
After his astonishment, Yang Kai focused his full attention on studying the stone like a madman.
He wanted to peel off each and every layer of mystery that was held in the stone to absorb all of Li Wu Yi’s accomplishments in the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai immediately put all distractions aside and immersed himself in the mystery of the stone, unable to extricate himself.
He examined the Void Cracks one by one, feeling their stability and hidden mysteries, experiencing their formation process.
It was as if he was dissecting Li Wu Yi’s Soul, studying whatever he wanted.
One day, two days, five days, ten days…
While studying the stone, Li Wu Yi’s own comprehensions of the Dao of Space seemed to appear vividly in front of Yang Kai. It was as if he was inside Li Wu Yi’s head, witnessing him display his prowess first hand. During the process, Yang Kai felt that he was growing stronger, gradually reaching the same level of mastery as Li Wu Yi.
At the very beginning, Yang Kai was still comprehending Li Wu Yi’s attainments in the Dao of Space and learning his subtle techniques, but as time passed, Yang Kai was no longer content with learning from others.
He would first comprehend Li Wu Yi’s attainments and understanding embedded in each Void Crack, then throw himself into emulating and improving in order to turn this new knowledge into his own capital.
Yang Kai skipped meals and sleep, completely neglecting everything else around him to study the stone.
Although his cultivation did not grow stronger, and there was now a deranged look on his face with dark circles under his tiring red eyes, his vision was exceptionally bright and sharp, unable to conceal the excitement he felt.
During this period of time, the growth in his comprehension of the Dao of Space had surpassed his growth in this Dao for the previous ten to twenty years.
He clearly felt that he had taken a huge step forward.
The thought of never accepting defeat lingered in Yang Kai’s mind. He researched the blue stone day and night, neglecting everything else.
At the very beginning, Zhang Ruo Xi, who lived next door, would come over to see Yang Kai from time to time, wanting to ask when they were leaving Purple Mountain City. However, as time passed, she assumed that Yang Kai’s seclusion meant that he was cultivating something of importance, so she dared not bother him.
Bored, and with nothing to do, she decided to leave the inn to take a walk around the city.
With her Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, she was not afraid of wandering around, even if there were other cultivators in the same realm as her. During her walk, she found something novel so she decided to pluck up the courage to give it a try and instantly fell in love with it. During this period when Yang Kai was still researching the stone in retreat, she would go to this location everyday, and stayed there for a long time before returning to the inn.
Time flew and one month soon passed.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai took a deep breath, lifted his head with a face as tranquil as an ancient well, and withdrew his Divine Sense from the stone.
Blood vessels were prominently covering both of Yang Kai’s eyes, as if he was dreadfully exhausted, but his gaze was still bright like the stars.
After a month of sleepless research, Yang Kai finally absorbed all the mysteries contained in the stone. He witnessed Li Wu Yi’s growth with his own eyes and gained a lot from it.
He had made a huge step forward in the attainments of the Dao of Space.
Only now did he realize that the various Space Secret Techniques that he had comprehended previously were imperfect and there was still room for improvement. Yang Kai was ecstatic; being able to improve meant that he could still enhance the power of his own Space Secret Techniques, which was exactly what he needed now.
As an Emperor Realm Master, he would definitely encounter stronger enemies in the future. Space Techniques had always been one of his most important weapons, so any enhancement to them was of pivotal importance.
*Kacha!*
The blue stone in his hand suddenly broke apart and turned into dust, slipping through Yang Kai’s finger like a pile of sand.
The stone was packed with countless Void Cracks and a tiny black hole. During the process of researching, Yang Kai unceasingly released his Divine Sense to investigate the stone and it had finally reached its limit.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had absorbed all the essence that Li Wu Yi left in the stone, and felt no regrets at it being broken.
Suddenly, Yang Kai slapped his forehead and muttered, “Oh no!”
He has just realized that he was too engrossed in the mysteries of the Dao of Space and had completely forgotten about the time and the initial purpose of coming here.
After calculating the days, Yang Kai was surprised that one month had passed during this retreat.
He hurriedly released his Divine Sense to inform Zhang Ruo Xi to get ready to leave Purple Mountain City with him.
However, the room next door was empty.
There was still a cup of hot tea on the table, producing steam.
With a flicker, Yang Kai leapt across space and appeared directly in the next room. He felt the temperature of the cup of tea with his hand and muttered to himself, “She should have left not too long ago. Where did that little girl go?”
He had spent one month in retreat, so it was natural for Zhang Ruo Xi to go out for a walk.
But since he confirmed that she was not in danger, Yang Kai was not too worried.
He released his Divine Sense, and enveloped the entire Purple Mountain City in the blink of an eye.
Shortly after, Yang Kai found the figure of Zhang Ruo Xi on a high platform in the city, but her figure was moving around vigorously.
“Huh…” Yang Kai was bewildered. After a thought, he dropped some Source Crystals on the table for the inn fees and teleported out of the room.
Subsequently, Yang Kai’s figure reappeared beside a fighting arena in Purple Mountain City, named Rising Dragon Arena.
Except for a few cultivators nearby, no one noticed his sudden appearance.
They glanced at him with a puzzled look but immediately turned away afterwards.
This arena was well built; it was surrounded by light curtain barriers, allowing the cultivators to fully enjoy the fights within.
Such arenas existed in many cities. Every cultivator strived to improve themselves, and where there was camaraderie, there was often also hatred, and it was natural that conflicts would arise.
If it was in the wild, cultivators would just fight to the death and the winners would trample on the losers.
But in a place like a city, one could not simply take others’ lives unless it was unlawfully.
Each city had its own set of rules. Without rules, there would be chaos. Although Purple Mountain City was located on the edge of a desert, it was still inevitable that there would be conflicts between the cultivators in the city. In order to settle their conflicts, they could go to the arena, sign a consent form and fight with each other to the death.
Furthermore, one could compete with others in the arena even if there were no grudges between them.
As time passed, the arena gradually became a recreational place for various cultivators. Cultivators would compete with each other to improve their fighting ability in the arena.
For those who did not fight on the stage, they could still watch the battle from the seats around and learn from the experience.
When Yang Kai arrived, the seats in Rising Dragon Arena were all occupied, and many were without a seat. The cultivators who had no place to sit simply watched the battles in the arena while standing around the edges.
At least tens of thousands of people gathered here, all of them completely absorbed in the competition between two cultivators who were currently fighting with each other in the arena. Cheers and hurrahs rose from the audience from time to time, other times expletives and jeers were hurled.
A battle between normal cultivators would never attract such a large audience. Only the battles of those cultivators with high prestige and great reputation would attract the interest of tens of thousands of people.
At this moment, one of the two competitors in the arena was Zhang Ruo Xi.
However, unlike the soft and weak image that she usually presented in front of Yang Kai, Zhang Ruo Xi seemed more independent and resilient now, revealing the delicate curves of her well-developed body with her hair tied up behind her head, giving her a vigorous look.
Her aura was extremely ferocious, like a beast released from a cage, permeating a malevolent spirit all over her body.
Her opponent was a middle-aged man, who also had Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation. The middle-aged man had cultivated some unknown Secret Technique that shrouded himself in a blood-red radiance, giving him a strong and domineering appearance.
The both of them were fighting fiercely in the arena. Loud clangs erupted with each collision of their Source Qi, and the barriers surrounding the arena flashed crazily from the fallout of their attacks.
This little girl from the Zhang Family actually came to a fighting arena.
If Yang Kai did not see it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it.
Where did her courage come from? She was the kind of girl who blushed even when talking to a stranger, so since when did she have the guts to come to this kind of place and be in the spotlight of such a large crowd?
Furthermore, her aura was completely different from usual, which seriously concerned Yang Kai. Yang Kai understood that Zhang Ruo Xi’s Bloodline Power was profound, and all her changes were related to that bloodline.
Her opponent seemed to be a powerful and famous character in Purple Mountain City. Otherwise, how could he attract such a large audience?
As expected, when Yang Kai was secretly speculating, he overheard some comments from the crowd.
“Today is pitting a dragon against a tiger, I wonder who will win in the end!”
“There’s no doubt about it, the winner will definitely be Bloody Hand Gu Shan. Although Gu Shan doesn’t hail from a Sect, he has been dominating Purple Mountain City for fifty years with a notably high reputation and strength, especially in the arena. He defeated all his enemies who challenged him and has never lost a single match until now. He is like a golden signboard of Purple Mountain City.”
“How could a Sect-less cultivator reach the Third-Order Dao Source Realm? This Gu Shan is really amazing. If he ever joins a big Sect, wouldn’t it be just around the corner for him to break through to the Emperor Realm?”
“Heh heh, I’m sure you don’t know about this. I heard that Gu Shan found an ancient cave mansion in the Purple Mountain Range and obtained an extremely mysterious inheritance, that’s why he didn’t need to join any Sect. A few years ago, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator from Ahan Temple passed by here and had a conflict with Gu Shan. The two of them fought in the arena, and guess what?”
“What?”
“What else could it be? Gu Shan won! He completely beat the senses out of the cultivator from Ahan Temple and knocked him out of the arena in less than ten moves.”
“Tsk… Is Gu Shan that strong? Even a disciple of Ahan Temple was no match for him?”
Ahan Temple was one of the top Sects of the Eastern Territory, its status second only to the Serene Soul Palace. The cultivators who came from such a Sect were undoubtedly strong, let alone an elite disciple with a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation.
“Of course! Since he defeated that elite disciple from Ahan Temple a few years ago, his strength seems to have improved greatly in the following years. How hard would it be for him to take down this weak little girl? Why do you think there are so many spectators here? Everyone came here for Gu Shan’s reputation.”
“Weak little girl?” Another person snorted, “Friend is really funny. Do you dare call her a ‘weak little girl’ directly in front of the Asura Girl? If you dare, I will call you my ancestor.”
“Ahem ahem…” The Gu Shan fan coughed so hard that he almost cried.
“Asura Girl?” Someone turned to the speaker after hearing this unfamiliar name and questioned in a confused manner, “Is this young lady famous?”
The third person glanced at him and asked, “Friend, are you new to Purple Mountain City?”
That man grinned, “I arrived three days ago. I heard that there are a lot of opportunities in Purple Mountain Range, so I came here to try my luck and was just in time for this event, so I just joined the crowd.”
“Three days, no wonder you have no idea about her,” the third person nodded lightly, “The lady in the arena is not simple. I don’t know her real name but everyone calls her the Asura Girl.”
“Is she strong?”
“‘Strong’ is an understatement!” The third person snorted coldly, “She is invincible! She suddenly appeared in the arena twenty days ago and beat the life out of a cultivator in the same realm as her. He was knocked out in just three moves, coughing up a pool of blood. Her moves were simple but brutal.”
“Wasn’t that… a crushing victory?”
“Yeah. It was crushing alright!”
No doubt, it could be described as ‘crushing’ if someone could win within just three moves in a match between two cultivators in the same realm.
“Since then, this little girl has come to the Rising Dragon Arena to fight everyday. No one could stand against her for more than a cup of tea’s worth of time. With her ferocious aura and brutality, everyone began calling her Asura Girl.”
“I’m surprised that this little girl is so powerful.” The first man’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed again and again, watching the arena with great interest.
“Asura Girl is really good, but Gu Shan is not bad either. I still think Gu Shan will win.” The previous Gu Shan’s fan insisted with an unwavering gleam in his eyes.
The third person sneered, “Gu Shan is indeed strong. He has a solid foundation, his Source Qi is vigorous, but he is definitely no match for Asura Girl.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Yeah, I think this friend is too subjective. Looking at the situation now, it is obvious that Gu Shan has an upper hand against her, he is no less brutal than that little girl.”
The third person glanced at the arena leisurely, and replied faintly, “I definitely have my own reason for saying that.”
“What’s your reason? Let’s hear about it.”
“Gu Shan’s strength has reached its limit. Unless he breaks through to the Emperor Realm, he won’t be able to improve any more in his life. But Asura Girl is different. She has an astounding cultivation, but it seems like she rarely fought before. However, she is constantly improving through each battle, and she is a lot more powerful than she was twenty days ago. Didn’t you guys notice that in the beginning of their battle, Asura Girl was put at a disadvantage, but now, she’s already capable of finding opportunities while defending, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack? If I’m not mistaken, she will continue to grow rapidly in this battle and I’m afraid it won’t be too long before she surpasses Gu Shan and takes him down.”
After listening to his analysis, the other two people thought about it carefully and found that he was right. They could not help praising him, “You have a point. It looks like Gu Shan really might not be able to defeat her.”
“Where did this little girl come from? She seems to be only in her early twenties. Could she have cultivated some Secret Technique that froze her age?”
“Humph, although the aura of this girl is ferocious, she still has the air of a child. It is obvious she is still young.”
“This friend seems to know this Asura Girl very well. Do you observe her a lot?”
The corner of the person’s mouth twitched, “Yes, because… the opponent of her first battle was me!”
“Ah?” The other two people gaped at him in shock. They did not expect that he was the cultivator who spat blood and fainted after being beaten by Asura Girl in three moves. The atmosphere of their conversation instantly turned awkward.
Around the stage, numerous audience members were commenting about this Asura Girl, wondering which Sect she hailed from. Nevertheless, they couldn’t find out as the way she fought was strange and unpredictable.
Furthermore, she did not use any artifacts at all, so people could not guess her identity from them.
This subtle sense of mystery intensified their interest in her.
Yang Kai looked at the arena indifferently, a weird feeling nagging at him.
He could not believe that Zhang Ruo Xi was actually participating in arena fights, and even had a renowned name that scared the cultivators in Purple Mountain City.
His impression of Zhang Ruo Xi was completely different from the little girl that he saw in the arena now.
He suddenly felt like he had raised a dormant beast in the past few years. It usually behaved very well in its cage, but once it was released, it could set off a reign of terror.
Meanwhile, the arena fight was heating up.
Although the previous cultivator lost miserably to Zhang Ruo Xi in the first battle due to his weak foundation, he had a keen eye for observation.
Perhaps, he had closely observed Zhang Ruo Xi for the past twenty days in endurance of his humiliation and clearly witnessed her terrifying growth.
The battle between Gu Shan and Asura Girl progressed from Gu Shan being at an absolute advantage in the beginning to an equally matched battle, then Gu Fang fell into a disadvantage. Gu Shan’s shift from an offensive stance to a defensive stance was obvious.
Neither of the pair used artifacts. Zhang Ruo Xi in fact did not have her own offensive artifact, only the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe that she always wore. However, she did not activate the defensive power of the Emperor Artifact, so from Gu Shan’s perspective, since he was already a famous figure in Purple Mountain City, it would be embarrassing for him to summon his artifact to fight a little girl who had not summoned hers.
Various Secret Techniques collided with each other, and the light barrier rippled endlessly from each collision.
Compared to Gu Shan’s firm and steady tactics, Zhang Ruo Xi’s movements were flexible and agile. Her fighting style was unique and peculiar. It also seemed that she possessed an exceedingly keen fighting instinct. Yang Kai had never seen or even heard of those various Secret Techniques that performed so outstandingly in her hands and he had no idea when or where she learned them.
The bloody red radiance on Gu Shan’s body was quivering constantly and gradually dimmed, even his aura was fluctuating unstably.
[How strong!] Gu Shan shivered in his heart. Although he had long heard about this little girl who brought torment to the cultivators in Purple Mountain City, he realized now that he had still underestimated her.
Her growth in the battle had also deeply horrified him.
It only took a short time for her to turn the tide of battle; from a total disadvantage to taking control of the flow. Perhaps with a little more time, she would eventually win the match.
Seeing that the bloody red luminance of his body was about to shatter completely, Gu Shan gritted his teeth, took a step back, and opened his hand. A tiger head war hammer abruptly appeared in his grip as he bellowed, “Little girl, summon your artifact. If you don’t, you won’t stand a chance.”
He looked determined, obviously preparing to fight to the death.
Although he had no grudges against Zhang Ruo Xi, he had been fighting in Purple Mountain City all year round and gained a renowned reputation, being spoken of as the top cultivator below the Emperor Realm. If he was defeated by a weak little girl, how could he still have the dignity to stay here?
He had no choice but to pull out his ace, his victory-securing move.
However, he still kindly persuaded Zhang Ruo Xi to summon her artifact so that they could have a fair fight.
Surprisingly, Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head slowly, replying, “I don’t have an artifact!”
“What?” Gu Shan glared at her and burst into rage, “There should be a bottom line for you to look down on others!”
He thought that he was being despised by Zhang Ruo Xi as how could a cultivator not have his or her own artifact? Given that Zhang Ruo Xi was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator with this level of strength, it was impossible that she did not possess any artifact.
He did not know that Zhang Ruo Xi was actually telling the truth.
This little girl from the Zhang Family had her strength improve too quickly, so as much as Yang Kai wanted to give her an artifact, they had yet to find one that was suitable for her and could keep up with the growth of her strength. The problem with a low-level artifact was that it could not catch up with her cultivation speed, while for the high-level artifact, she would be unable to refine it.
Furthermore, Zhang Ruo Xi had always been cultivating safely in the Small Sealed World, so there was no need for her to use any artifacts.
As a result, she had only the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe.
However, it was humiliating for Gu Shan, seeing that his opponent was going to fight him with her bare hands despite him already summoning his artifact.
Gu Shan fumed in rage, “Don’t complain that I didn’t give you a chance. Since you are so arrogant, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Zhang Ruo Xi pursed her red lips. She did not intend to explain anything and decided to say nothing, her face turning solemn as she looked like she was ready to go all out at any time.
After a loud roar, Gu Shan’s body suddenly expanded, turning into a giant of a man as he madly surged his Source Qi, and poured it into the tiger head war hammer.
The roar of a tiger caused the whole arena to tremble, as if the king of the jungle leaped out of a deep forest, swearing to defend his territory until its death.
“Are you still not summoning your artifact!?” Gu Shan yelled again while surging more power into his artifact.
Again, Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head slowly.
“You asked for this!” Gu Shan was maddened. He let out a breath and his bulging body shrunk down again as all his power was poured into the war hammer. The wind and clouds collided in the sky forming a storm, and following a blinding light which exploded in the arena, a gigantic tiger as vivid as a real beast, carrying a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering aura, pounced straight at Zhang Ruo Xi.
Zhang Ruo Xi seemed to be aware of the ferocity of this skill as her face turned solemn. She joined her palms together in a strange fashion and charged towards Gu Shan’s monstrous attack.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
The continuous sounds of explosion and dazzling light filled the arena. No one could see what was happening in the arena, but they all knew that this competition had escalated to a battle of life and death.
The tremendous impact of energy completely deformed the light curtain restrictions of the arena and the audience all cried out. They were astounded by Gu Shan’s astonishing attack, but at the same time, they were secretly looking forward to how Asura Girl fared. Did she manage to counter this skill? Or was she decimated by it?
The audiences’ eyes widened, staring at the arena.
After a long time, the terrifying energy gradually dissipated, the light vanished, and the scene in the arena captured everyone’s eyes.
“Huh… Why is Gu Shan alone?”
“Where is the Asura Girl? Where did she go?”
“Is she hiding somewhere and preparing to ambush Gu Shan!?”
“The arena is so small, how could she have escaped?”
“Look, there are fragments of clothes on the floor. It’s the clothes that Asura Girl wore before.”
“Is Asura Girl dead? Blown to pieces?”
“Gu Shan won!”
Noises from the audience came up one after another like sea waves hitting the shores. There were exclamations, excitement, regret, pity, and curses…
Asura Girl was like a brilliant comet that suddenly appeared and just as quickly vanished. It was a real pity that a rising star in Purple Mountain City could only shine for just twenty days before being blown to pieces by Gu Shan. Many cultivators who supported Asura Girl secretly cursed Gu Shan for his undeserved win and blamed him for being cruel towards a young girl by using such an artifact on her.
Gu Shan, however, just stood on the stage, his body feeling dreadfully feeble. After unleashing that skill, he was no longer able to fight.
He stood in place with a weird expression, staring blankly at the fragments of clothes over the ground, without the slightest joy in his victory.
The victory of this battle was too odd.
Gu Shan clearly felt that his attack was mostly resolved by Asura Girl, and the remaining power was not sufficient to kill her. Moreover, even though there were fragments of clothes in the arena, there was no trace of blood.
If she were really blown to pieces by him, there should be at least some residual bits of blood and flesh.
But in reality, nothing else was left.
[That girl is not dead!] Gu Shan concluded in his heart.
[But if she is not dead, where could she be? Is it really like what the audience said and she is hiding somewhere, preparing to ambush me?] Considering all this, Gu Shan’s face changed drastically and he hurriedly searched around, but he could not find even the shadow of Asura Girl.
After a long time, Asura Girl did not appear, only then did Gu Shan accept the victory cheer for him with a puzzled face.
……
Ten thousand kilometres outside of Purple Mountain City, Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi sat on his wooden boat, flying away as fast as lightning.
After Gu Shan unleashed his final skill in the last fight, Yang Kai stepped into the arena and brought Zhang Ruo Xi out.
The outcome was already decided, there was no need to carry on the fight. Gu Shan was already spent, while Zhang Ruo Xi was not in jeopardy. Zhang Ruo Xi would have easily destroyed Gu Shan in the next move.
Yang Kai was already in the Emperor Realm, and with his proficiency in the Dao of Space, the cultivators in Purple Mountain City were not sharp or strong enough to notice anything when he came and went, which led to the illusion of Zhang Ruo Xi being blown to pieces.
After being taken out of the arena, Zhang Ruo Xi’s ferocious aura immediately dissipated and she became extremely well-behaved, sitting quietly on the boat, constantly looking at Yang’s back with a timid look, afraid that he would be mad at her due to her previous reckless behaviour.
She did not know what was wrong with her. She had never fought with people before, but after she stepped into the arena, she was filled with passion. Every bit of pain on her body and every drop of her blood she shed brought her an incomparable satisfaction. It seemed that fighting with people had become her favourite hobby.
She regretted it every time she returned from the arena, knowing that she needed to follow her Master obediently and not fight with others. She even secretly warned herself that she must not go to the Rising Dragon Arena again.
But the next day, she could not resist the temptation and went out again, heading to the arena with the identity of ‘Asura Girl’, accepting more and more challenges from the cultivators, and beating all of them. She took great joy in fighting with others. Victory or defeat was not what she cared about, what she relished was the heat of battle itself.
She was a little afraid of herself and felt that there was a devil sealed within her heart.
“Do you like to use swords?” Yang Kai broke the silence with a question, without looking back.
“Hm?” Zhang Ruo Xi jumped, but she quickly reacted, “I don’t know.”
“I noticed that you favoured a sword hand style during your battle with Gu Shan, and your body released a strong Sword Intent unconsciously,” Yang Kai paused for a while, and continued, “Have you ever used a sword artifact before?”
“No,” Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head slowly, and murmured, “I have never used any offensive artifacts before.”
“That’s strange,” Yang Kai revealed a dubious look. Although Zhang Ruo Xi was not proficient in using her sword hand, it was still exceptionally powerful, and the Sword Intent unleashed from her body was genuine. A cultivator couldn’t have such power unless one immersed themselves in swordsmanship for many years.
Among the Masters Yang Kai knew, Chen Wen Hao of Heavenly Martial Holy Land had the strongest Sword Intent. He possessed the Emperor Artifact Flowing Water Sword, and his Three Thousand Sword Dao still appeared vividly in Yang Kai’s mind.
Yang Kai occasionally used a sword too, like the broadsword, Myriads Sword, but this was not his strength. All the tricks that he performed were the Secret Techniques which paired with the Myriads Sword itself, and they were incomparable to Chen Wen Hao’s techniques.
Nevertheless, Zhang Ruo Xi’s Sword Intent seemed natural and powerful. She was like a piece of unpolished jade, but once her full potential had been developed, the greatness that she could bloom into would absolutely be terrifying.
Suddenly, Yang Kai recalled a specific memory.
During Zhang Ruo Xi’s Great Realm breakthroughs, a giant figure of a woman would always emerge behind her. Yang Kai had no idea who this woman was, but every time she opened her mouth, she absorbed the Heavenly Manifestation from Zhang Ruo Xi’s breakthrough and surprisingly, it made Zhang Ruo Xi’s breakthrough effortless.
When that phantom woman appeared, she was holding an exceedingly astounding and broad sword in her hands.
[Perhaps, the reason why she has Sword Intent and instinctively used a sword hand has something to do with that phantom?]
Although it was just a guess, Yang Kai believed it must be the case.
Since Zhang Ruo Xi liked to use swords, Yang Kai thought that he should hand over the Myriads Sword to her.
The broadsword that was held in the hands of the giant woman phantom was similar to the Myriads Sword, so Zhang Ruo Xi would like it.
It was just that… the Myriads Sword did not belong to Yang Kai. It was an ancestral treasure of the Qin Family in Maplewood City. Old Patriarch Qin made it very clear when he handed over the Myriad Sword to Yang Kai, that he hoped Yang Kai could take care of it for him and return it to Qin Yu when she became an Emperor Realm Master.
Therefore, after a few thoughts, Yang Kai decided not to give Zhang Ruo Xi the sword as he believed that giving away an item that belonged to others was something that went against his principles.
It looked like it was time for Yang Kai to find a broadsword type Emperor Artifact. Among his companions, Liu Yan obtained the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Hua Qing Si wielded the Five-Coloured Spear, and even his Embodiment obtained the Demonic War Hammer. All of them were Emperor Artifacts.
Yang Kai naturally could not be biased.
“Sorry, Sir. Ruo Xi shouldn’t have caused such a big mess without your permission!” Zhang Ruo Xi lowered her head and finally plucked up her courage to admit her mistake.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Why are you sorry? I am not blaming you.”
Zhang Ruo Xi lifted her head in befuddlement, “Sir, are you not angry?”
Yang Kai smiled gently, “Choose your own path and don’t be bothered by what others think, as long as you feel no shame in your heart. Let me ask you, do you feel happy fighting in the arena?”
“I was very happy!” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded her head like chicken pecking rice, without even needing to think about it.
“Then, did you kill anyone?”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, “I just knocked them down every time, but I didn’t kill them.”
“Do you feel guilty?”
Zhang Ruo Xi pondered seriously and shook her head again. “No, they were not as skilled as their opponent yet decided to challenge them in the arena. It was only natural that they were prepared to be defeated. Ruo Xi also went in knowing the risks.”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded, “If you think it was correct, it is correct. There will no doubt be people who point fingers at you and make irresponsible accusations against you in the future. If the advice is reasonable, listen to it humbly and accept it with an open mind; but if they are simply trying to find trouble, just let them bark as much as they want. The key is here…” Yang Kai pointed at his heart.
“Ruo Xi understands!” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded gently, smiling like a flower and cheered, “It is wonderful to travel together with Sir.”
……
After travelling around for half a month, Yang Kai reached the central region of the Eastern Territory.
During the journey, he and Zhang Ruo Xi had travelled across countless mountains and rivers together. While appreciating the local customs, Yang Kai also guided Zhang Ruo Xi in cultivation, making the journey a lot less dull and lonely.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s growth rate was insanely quick. Even though she did not improve much in terms of her cultivation, she made great progress in controlling her strength, which certainly had something to do with her twenty days of battles in the Rising Dragon Arena.
Intense battles could often make one realize one’s own flaws and potential, and further promote their growth.
Zhang Ruo Xi had not only grown stronger, she had also gained more experiences and learned lessons through her previous fights.
During the trip with Yang Kai, she kept recalling the battles in the arena, turning all those accumulated experiences and lessons into nutrients, constantly growing herself.
Yang Kai witnessed this, but he did not comment on it.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly stopped, bringing the boat to a halt in mid-air.
“Sir? What happened?” Zhang Ruo Xi hurriedly asked, and covered the surroundings with her Divine Sense.
She thought there was some danger.
But there was nothing unusual nearby.
When she turned to Yang Kai, she saw that he took out a golden token with a bewildered look, and sent his Divine Sense into it.
The next moment, his face darkened.
Zhang Ruo Xi was so frightened that she dared not to speak. It was her first time seeing Yang Kai this angry since the day she began following him. It was obvious that something serious had happened that maddened Yang Kai.
[What exactly… is that golden token? Why did Sir get so angry after examining it?]
Zhang Ruo Xi was puzzled, but she dared not to question.
Subsequently, Yang Kai immediately spread his terrifying Divine Sense around like a tide, covering a large area in an instant.
After a while, Yang Kai seemed to have discovered something, and with a flicker, he shattered space, bringing Zhang Ruo Xi together with him, the both of them disappearing directly from the spot they stood.
When they reappeared, Zhang Ruo Xi found that she and Yang Kai had arrived at a place an unknown distance away, standing in the void as a group of cultivators were besieging a Monster Beast that resembled both a turtle and a tiger underneath them.
This Monster Beast seemed to be at the peak of the Eleventh-Order, and was rich in Monster Qi. If it was converted to the cultivation of a human cultivator, it would be at the peak of the Dao Source Realm.
There were only three Dao Source Realm cultivators among the crowd, while the rest were just Saint Kings. The three Dao Source Realm cultivators did not really have high cultivations, with only one of them at the Second-Order Dao Source Realm. They seemed to be Elders of some small Sect leading their disciples to come out for training. From a cursory glance, it could not be deduced how they encountered this Monster Beast.
It was common for disciples to train together as a Sect and most of them would have some Elders with higher cultivation travelling with them to provide guidance and protection. If it was not necessary, these Elders would not usually show up.
There was already a torn corpse on the ground, while the remaining cultivators were wounded and had panicked looks on their faces.
Judging from their situation, they seemed to be no match for the Monster Beast.
The Monster Beast was in a berserk state when Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi appeared. With its mouth wide open, it charged towards a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. Either the First-Order Source Realm cultivator was running out of steam or he was not watching, but he did not manage to dodge the Monster Beast in time. With a scream, a chunk of his abdomen was chomped off, and blood spurted out of his wound uncontrollably.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s face hardened and he swung a out fist.
With a punch, the once majestic Monster Beast suddenly wailed, a hole appearing on its robust body, blood and intestines pouring out of it. The Monster Beast died instantly.
The cultivator who was still held in the mouth of the Monster Beast had not regained his senses from the shock, and continued to struggle and scream miserably.
However, the other two Dao Source Realm Masters noticed. They lifted their heads and looked towards Yang Kai before turning back to the dead Monster Beast. They shuddered in their hearts, realizing that they had met a powerful Master.
Although Yang Kai looked young, he was undoubtedly an Emperor Realm Master if he was able to kill a Monster Beast at the peak of the Eleventh-Order with just a punch.
The two of them did not dare hesitate. They cupped their fists with solemn faces and just when they were about to thank Yang Kai, he interrupted them, “Which direction is Earth City?”
They were stunned. One of them, a man who was wearing a purple robe, hurriedly pointed to a direction, “Sir, fly five thousand kilometres towards that direction, and you will reach Earth City.”
Although he could not figure Yang Kai’s real age, since he was an Emperor Realm Master, it was only right to address him as Sir.
Yang Kai took a look in the direction he pointed to, then teleported. He and Zhang Ruo Xi disappeared out of sight of the group in the blink of an eye.
After a long time, someone asked in a low voice, “Was… was I hallucinating? Were there two people here just now?”
“Senior Brother, you did not hallucinate, I saw them too. He killed the Green Tiger Turtle and saved Martial Uncle Xiao.”
“Ah, Martial Uncle Xiao is injured. Quickly take out some Spirit Pills!”
“Hold on, Martial Uncle Xiao. Please don’t die.”
A group of inexperienced youths gathered around their ‘Martial Uncle Xiao’ who was bitten by the Green Tiger Turtle and dealt with his injury hurriedly, while the two Dao Source Realm Masters remained standing on the spot, feeling befuddled, staring at the place where Yang Kai disappeared for a long time.
They had no idea how Yang Kai arrived, or how he left. Their eyes were fixed on Yang Kai the whole time he was here, but he still strangely vanished from their sights.
If it were not for the fresh corpse of the Green Tiger Turtle here, they would think that it was just a dream.
After all, that was an Emperor! A peak Master revered by all in the Star Boundary.
Once upon a time, they were fired up in enthusiasm and believed that they could one day catch a glimpse of the mysteries of the Emperor Realm. Unfortunately, due to the restraints of poor aptitude and resources, they could only roam around the Second-Order Dao Source Realm. As they grew older, the passion in their heart had extinguished, leaving a mindset of simply muddling along for the rest of their lives.
They turned around and glanced at those young people in their Sect, thinking that they were just as high-spirited as they once were in their youth, but after several dozen or a hundred years, how many of them would still be alive? Even if they were still alive, would the young stop striving just like they did?
……
Yang Kai pushed his Emperor Qi, injecting it into his wooden boat to fly at a far greater speed than before.
“This token is a disciple token of Azure Sun Temple. In addition to representing the identity of a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, it can also be used as a communication artifact. I just received a request for help from a disciple of Azure Sun Temple,” Yang Kai explained to Zhang Ruo Xi while standing on the boat.
Ever since meeting Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao in the Source Sea, Yang Kai had kept the Azure Sun Golden Token on his person so he could sense messages from the pair at any time, but he did not receive any back then.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not throw it back to his Space Ring. He just continued to keep it with him since it did not affect his movement.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai actually received a request for help from a disciple of Azure Sun Temple in this remote Eastern Territory.
It was a short message, with just a single sentence.
‘Earth City, Azure Sun Pavilion, requesting help!’
It was obvious that only a disciple of Azure Sun Temple could send this message to Yang Kai’s Golden Token, but there were two questions that troubled him. One, how did this disciple come to the Eastern Territory? And two, what danger had he gotten into?
Azure Sun Temple was a Sect from the Southern Territory, more than a billion kilometres from here.
Yang Kai naturally could not just sit back and ignore a request for aid though; therefore, he quickly found someone to inquire about the location of Earth City.
It was also his first time coming to the Eastern Territory, so it was natural that he did not know where this Earth City was. Fortunately, there was a group of people nearby and Yang Kai immediately teleported there to ask for directions.
“I don’t know what’s going on there, but if there’s a fight, take care of yourself,” Yang Kai gave a warning.
Earth City no doubt had Masters guarding it, so even though Yang Kai was already an Emperor, he was not arrogant enough to look down on everyone in the world. If he really needed to fight with someone, he may not be able to take care of Zhang Ruo Xi.
As such, he was taking the time now to instruct her clearly, so that she would act according to the circumstances later.
“Understood,” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded heavily, “Sir, just do what you need to, Ruo Xi won’t be a burden to you.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and further accelerated his speed anxiously.
Earth City was located in the central region of the Eastern Territory and was one of the most important cities in the whole Eastern Territory, far more flourishing than Purple Mountain City. The surrounding vast territory and abundant resources of Earth City attracted many cultivators to settle down here.
The visits of numerous cultivators brought increasing prosperity to this city.
The City Lord of Earth City, Zu Hong, was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master and had many capable subordinates under him. Ever since he took charge of Earth City fifty years ago, he had been keeping the entire city in good order until now.
The city was bound with strict laws; as such, not many people dared to commit crimes there.
Zu Hong had even set nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-one rules in Earth City. Anyone who dared to violate them would be punished equally, ranging from public flogging to a death sentence. His ruthless spirit and just attitude gained him the love of the people.
At this moment, in front of a shop called Azure Sun Pavilion in Earth City, was a group of cultivators dressed in city guard uniforms, blocking off access. There was also a Dao Source Realm cultivator sitting in a nearby teahouse, enjoying his drink leisurely. He was constantly inspecting everyone who passed by the shop, his eyes sharp like a falcon.
Whispers spread around the citizens, discussing what bad deed the Azure Sun Pavilion could have done to cause the people from the City Lord’s Mansion to surround it.
Azure Sun Pavilion was just a small shop that did not sell anything special. They mostly resold Spirit Pills and artifacts collected from others, so they did not really gain a lot of profits and just barely maintained their business.
Everyone who had visited the Azure Sun Pavilion knew that other than a shopkeeper, there were only two other attendants in the shop. These two shop-hands were notoriously unmotivated, and even when there were customers in the shop, they would just continue to sleep on the desk and took no initiative in serving them.
Over time, cultivators who became familiar with their service stopped going to Azure Sun Pavilion.
If it were not surrounded by the cultivators of the City Lord’s Mansion, perhaps most of the people would not have even remembered its existence.
No one knew what Azure Sun Pavilion had done, but it would definitely suffer from being surrounded by the guards. Every cultivator who walked past the shop would stay a good distance away from it like they were avoiding snakes and scorpions, worried about being stung by bad luck if they got too near.
Just then, a man and a woman from the crowd suddenly walked out, straight towards Azure Sun Pavilion.
Both the man and the woman looked young. The man had a tall and strong body, dressed like an ordinary youth. His steps were steady, and even though he was not very handsome, he had a rugged, resolute look to him. The woman on the other hand looked beautiful and gentle, following closely behind the young man. Her age was even younger and she seemed to be in her early twenties.
Because Azure Sun Pavilion was surrounded by guards, no one was seen walking in the area of several tens of meters from the entrance, so when the man and the woman walked straight towards the shop, they immediately attracted a lot of attention.
The Dao Source Realm cultivator, who was sipping his tea in a nearby teahouse, squinted, his eyes flashing with a brilliant light as he carefully examined the pair.
He silently released his Divine Sense, but it was bizarre that he could not inspect their cultivation.
The Dao Source Realm cultivator’s face instantly turned solemn.
He was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master, so the reasons for him to be unable to sense this pair’s cultivation were either they were Emperor Realm Masters, or they possessed some kind of artifact that could keep their cultivation hidden.
Such a pair would certainly not be Emperor Realm Masters. In that case, they must have some unique artifact.
[They must not have simple backgrounds to possess such artifacts, just who are they? Why are they interested in Azure Sun Pavilion?]
While he was still pondering, the young pair arrived in front of the guards. The young man simply glanced around at these people, however, and shouted, “What are you doing? A good dog doesn’t block the path. Quickly, make way!”
When the words fell, the surrounding cultivators were taken aback.
[How dare this young man humiliate the guards? Does he not fear death?]
Everyone seemed to be able to foresee that this man would be thrown into the city prison to suffer. Horrified, they simultaneously moved a little further away from the shop.
The few guards who were blocking off Azure Sun Pavilion were infuriated and threw a burning gaze at the young man in unison. The head of the guards snorted coldly, “Pay attention to your words. It’s a crime to insult the guards.”
The young man seemed amused by this response and grinned, “Is it a crime to scold someone? Don’t tell me you have never scolded anyone.”
The head of the guards reprimanded, “According to the law established by the City Lord, I can take you away at any time, put you in prison, and give you eighty whips.”
“Is it that serious?” The young man was startled, his face pale.
The head guard looked at him in disdain, snorted coldly, “Are you scared now?”
“Don’t take it so seriously, Sir,” the young man grinned, “I didn’t mean to scold you. Alright, alright, I really need to buy something from this shop. Can you please let me in?”
It was uncertain if the casual words of the young man had some kind of magic in them, but after a short pause, the head guard actually made way for the couple.
The other City Lord’s Mansion guards were looking at their Commander in bewilderment, secretly questioning his decision but they dared not speak out.
“What the hell!?” The Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, who was monitoring Azure Sun Pavilion from the nearby teahouse, jumped up in anger. He immediately released his Divine Sense towards the Commander, and condemned, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Sir Jia!” The Commander’s face turned solemn after receiving the voice transmission.
“Didn’t I tell you not to let anyone in? How dare you disobey this King’s order!”
“I allowed someone in?” The Commander was shocked and soon, he remembered what he had just done. Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead as his face turned pale, he mumbled, “How could I have let someone in…”
He had no idea what happened just now. Although he was clear-headed, he could not resist the young man’s request and obediently made way for the young man to enter Azure Sun Pavilion.
If it were not for Sir Jia’s voice transmission, he probably would not be able to recall his actions.
“A Soul Technique!” Seeing the Commander’s complexion, Sir Jia immediately deduced that he was affected by some kind of Soul Technique, which led him to act involuntarily.
“Sir Jia, what should we do now? Should this subordinate bring the team in and capture that man?” The Commander asked.
“Calm down. That man seems to be very strong. We don’t know his purpose for coming here yet. Perhaps, he really just wanted to buy something. Let’s continue to observe.” Sir Jia replied.
“Yes!”
While Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi were inside the shop, they looked around and found that it was truly small, with few goods on sale. The goods did not seem to be valuable and were messily placed around the shelves.
Two shop-hands, who had low cultivation, were sitting near the counter. They looked aggrieved, as if they had just lost their parents, and occasionally glanced at the guards outside, “It’s over, it’s over,” one shop-hands mumbled, “What trouble did Shopkeeper cause? It’s really over now!”
The two shop-hands were extremely nervous and did not even notice that Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi had entered the shop.
After taking a brief glance at them, Yang Kai turned to the rear of the shop and headed straight towards the backyard, completely ignoring them.
After passing a corridor, Yang Kai arrived at a small garden. He proceeded further until he reached a certain room. He stood in front of the room and knocked at the door gently.
“Who!?” A woman’s voice called out, one that sounded dreadfully exhausted, as if she had not slept for many days.
Yang Kai answered in a deep tone, “I’m here to buy something.”
After a moment of silence, the woman inside responded, “This shop has faced some problems recently and it will be closed for some time. Please leave.”
Yang Kai could not help rolling his eyes, he continued “This Young Master came from Southern Territory and travelled a great distance to buy something, and you’re asking me to go back?”
“Southern Territory…” After a cry of realization and a gust of wind, the door flew open with a bang and a haggard-looking young woman abruptly appeared in front of Yang Kai.
This young woman seemed to be in her late twenties, was dressed decently, and even though her looks were not outstanding, she could still be considered quite pretty.
Perhaps troubled by something recently, dark circles rimmed her bloodshot eyes; however, she directed an exceedingly bright gaze towards Yang Kai at this moment, as if she were hoping for a miracle from him.
“Did you… really come from the Southern Territory?” The young woman asked nervously.
“Indeed.” Yang Kai nodded.
He noticed the young woman was in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm and the aura she exuded seemed to be a bit lacking, meaning she definitely could not unleash the full potential of her cultivation at this time.
Yang Kai was not sure whether it was due to laxness in her cultivation or because there was something wrong with her foundation.
“Do you have any proof?” The young woman questioned suspiciously.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and took out his Azure Sun Golden Token, waving it in front of her.
The young woman’s eyes lit up and her previous doubts and anxiousness disappeared, as if she had just reunited with a long-lost family member.
“Let’s talk inside,” the young woman made way for him.
Yang Kai nodded in agreement and walked into the room together with Zhang Ruo Xi.
The young woman looked around in worry, making sure there was no one hiding nearby, before finally closing the door and activating a few restrictions with a wave of her hand.
After she finished these preparations, Yang Kai turned to her with a gloomy face, “What trouble have you gotten into? Why are there so many people surrounding this shop, treating you like a criminal?”
Instead of answering Yang Kai’s question immediately, the young woman solemnly took out a token from her Space Ring and handed it over to Yang Kai with her hands.
The token looked similar to Yang Kai’s Azure Sun Golden Token, but Yang Kai’s token was gold in colour while hers was bronze in colour, which symbolized the difference of their status.
Although Yang Kai was not familiar with the different rankings of the Azure Sun Temple’s disciple tokens, he could still guess that gold should be the highest grade, followed by silver, then bronze. In other words, there was a two rank difference between him and this woman.
“Senior Brother, the name of this disciple is Lu Wen, I follow Elder Chen Qian.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, because he was quite familiar with Chen Qian who was one of Azure Sun Temple’s Elders and a First-Order Emperor. She was mainly responsible for the logistics and materials in Azure Sun Temple. Yang Kai had met Elder Chen several times, but this Elder Chen had often been more reserved and not spoken much.
“Is Senior Brother Xia Sheng?” Lu Wen asked Yang Kai quizzically.
Yang Kai curled his lip and snorted, “Can Xia Sheng be as handsome as me?”
Lu Wen could not help feeling slightly embarrassed at his narcissistic attitude. Her cheeks flushed when she asked again, “Are you Senior Xiao Bai Yi?”
“I’m not Xia Sheng, and I’m not Xiao Bai Yi either. My name is Yang Kai,” Yang Kai said in exasperation.
“Senior Brother Yang…” Lu Wen frowned, she seemed to be unfamiliar with this name.
Yang Kai questioned, “If you are an Azure Sun Temple disciple, how could you not recognize the faces of Xia Sheng and Xiao Bai Yi? They are the top elite disciples of the Temple.”
Lu Wen replied in embarrassment, “This Junior Sister left Azure Sun Temple many years ago and has not returned since, so I’ve never had the chance to meet those two Senior Brothers.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “I see… Then why did you come to the Eastern Territory and start a shop here?”
Lu Wen answered, “I’m here on a mission for the Temple. This shop was opened as a front for my convenience. My duty here is to report everything that occurs here to my Honoured Master to support her operations.”
“Explain in detail,” Yang Kai pressed on with a deep voice.
“Although our Temple is based in the Southern Territory, it still needs to gather information about the other three territories. Therefore, a number of disciples are sent out to gather intelligence in each territory, and they will report to the Temple at specific intervals. This Junior Sister is the person in charge of this matter in Earth City. We usually will keep our names anonymous and our identities hidden so as not to expose our origins unless we are in life-threatening danger.”
“There is such a thing?” Yang Kai was astonished.
Lu Wen smiled lightly, “Senior Brother Yang must be an elite disciple of the Sect, so you don’t need to know about such trivial matters as your only task is to strengthen your own cultivation. This type of mission is usually handled by disciples who are not very talented or have no hope of raising their cultivation further in their lives.”
“Such tasks take up a great deal of effort and time, so it would delay the disciples’ cultivation. It is unrealistic to allow elite disciples to take part in them.”
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement, “Many thanks for your hard work.”
Lu Wen smiled slightly, “It’s nothing. When our Senior Brothers and Sisters get stronger, the Sect will be more prosperous, and people like us will have a place to live and carry out our duties in safety. Not only our Azure Sun Temple, but this practice is also followed by all other great forces. Many disciples will travel to all parts of Star Boundary to collect information.”
“Then what trouble have you gotten into now?” Yang Kai asked.
Lu Wen’s face darkened, “It’s not me who’s in trouble, but Elder Gao.”
Yang Kai was puzzled, “Elder Gao? Which Elder Gao?”
Suddenly he was startled, whispering, “Elder Gao, as in Gao Xue Ting?”
“En.”
Yang Kai’s face changed as he continued, “Has Elder Gao come to the Eastern Territory?”
“That’s right, and she might be in life-threatening danger right now.”
“What happened?” Yang Kai hurriedly asked.
“Relax, Senior Brother. I will explain everything to you.”
Only after Lu Wen’s explanation did Yang Kai understand the issue.
Lu Wen had been in Earth City for more than twenty years since she left Azure Sun Temple and had been collecting all kinds of information and passing it back to the Sect. For her own convenience, she opened a shop here; but instead of making money, the shop was actually a camouflage to cover up her real identity. As such, she did not put much effort into operating her business, which resulted in its current messy state.
Half a year ago, Lu Wen bought half of an animal skin from a downtrodden cultivator. The seller told her that it was handed down by his ancestors and there was an ancient secret hidden in it.
Lu Wen naturally would not believe this kind of nonsense and had only bought the animal skin out of compassion for the poor man.
After studying the animal skin for a notably long time, she still could not discover any clues about it. Still, she realized that there was something mysterious about it so she sent the animal skin together with the information that she collected back to Azure Sun Temple through a special channel.
Three months ago, Gao Xue Ting suddenly came to Earth City and asked her various questions about the animal skin.
It was only then that Lu Wen truly believed that the animal skin had some kind of profound background and seemed to truly contain some precious secret. Otherwise, how would it attract a Master like Gao Xue Ting to come here?
Lu Wen certainly did not hide anything and shared everything she knew when the Sect Elder questioned her.
Unfortunately, Gao Xue Ting did not get any useful clues from her.
In the days following her arrival, Gao Xue Ting had been studying the secrets hidden in the animal skin, and from time to time, she would leave Earth City for a while. However, Lu Wen had no idea of what she was doing.
A month and a half ago, Gao Xue Ting told her that she had found something, but she would need to work with others to finish whatever she was working on. On the same day, she left some cultivation resources before departing Earth City, and had been missing ever since.
Seven days ago, Azure Sun Pavilion was suddenly surrounded by the City Lord’s Mansion guards. Without giving a reason, they just surrounded the shop and forbade anyone from coming or going.
Having explained until that point, Lu Wen realized something and asked, “How did you get inside, Senior Brother Yang? Those City Lord’s Mansion people should still be outside.”
Yang Kai grinned as he replied, “Those trash couldn’t stop me even if they wanted to.” After a pause, he frowned, “Elder Gao left here a month and a half ago, saying that she wanted to work with others to crack open the secrets of the animal skin. But seven days ago, this place was surrounded by the people of City Lord’s Mansion for no reason…”
Lu Wen explained anxiously, “Junior Sister suspects that Elder Gao might be in danger. The reason Azure Sun Pavilion was surrounded was because they didn’t want me to pass on any news out of here; after all, Elder Gao did not hide her whereabouts when she was in Azure Sun Pavilion. It’s easy to find out that she was related to this place.”
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement, “You’re right, if that’s the case… this must have something to do with Earth City itself.”
Lu Wen expressed sadly, “Junior Sister really had no choice but to use her own token to send out a message in the faint hope that it would reach someone. I really didn’t expect Senior Brother Yang to come.”
“I just happened to pass by while I was out on my own business.”
If Yang Kai did not pass by here by chance, Lu Wen probably would not be able to reach any of her fellow disciples; after all, this was the Eastern Territory, far away from Azure Sun Temple’s headquarters, and the disciples and Elders would not travel so far away from the temple for no reason.
Although Gao Xue Ting was always cold and aloof, she had taken very good care of Yang Kai and had personally given Yang Kai the Azure Sun Golden Token. She also took in Yang Kai as a disciple and gave him some pointers in cultivation.
Yang Kai certainly would not stand idly by when there was a possibility that Gao Xue Ting was in trouble.
Of course, everything was only speculation at this point, and it may just be a big misunderstanding, but it seemed a little evident since the City Lord’s Mansion had surrounded Azure Sun Pavilion. If it was not related to Gao Xue Ting, why would they need to surround this unimportant shop for no reason?
“From what Junior Sister Lu says, the City Lord’s Mansion must be greatly related to this matter,” Yang Kai pondered for a moment, sorting out his thoughts.
Lu Wen agreed, “Junior Sister thinks so too. Elder Gao had said that she would need to work together with others to crack the secret of the animal skin, and City Lord Zu Hong is the only First-Order Emperor Realm Master in Earth City, so he would be the best choice for Elder Gao to work together with.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows and grinned, “Since there is a suspect, it makes everything much easier.”
“Senior Brother Yang, what are you going to do?” Lu Wen looked at his impish smile, feeling uneasy.
“What else can I do? I will have to go to him and get answers.” Yang Kai snorted softly.
Lu Wen was shocked, “Senior Brother must not be impulsive! Zu Hong is a First-Order Emperor Realm Master who broke through more than forty years ago and is extremely powerful. He also has an Emperor Artifact. Junior Sister knows that Senior Brother is an elite disciple of the Temple, but against an Emperor Realm Master…”
She stopped speaking, but it was obvious what she was implying.
She thought Zu Hong was out of Yang Kai’s league.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Junior Sister Lu, don’t worry, a trivial Zu Hong is nothing to your Senior Brother.” Here, he paused and turned to Zhang Ruo Xi, “Take Junior Sister Lu out of Earth City from the back door and wait for me outside the city. Since this has happened, Junior Sister Lu doesn’t have to stay here any longer and should return to the Temple.”
“Yes, Sir!” Zhang Ruo Xi received the order solemnly.
Yang Kai then disappeared with a flicker.
“This…” Lu Wen was startled and anxious. She had clearly told this Senior Brother Yang that Zu Hong was an Emperor Realm Master, but why was he still so passionate and impulsive?
Zhang Ruo Xi smiled slightly in assurance, “Don’t worry about my Sir, Elder Sister. Zu Hong is really nothing to him.”
“Sir?” Lu Wen looked at Zhang Ruo Xi in amazement, “Sister is not a Temple disciple?”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, “I’m only a member of a small family. I could only have such achievements today thanks to Sir’s compassion to keep me by his side and teach me how to cultivate.”
“Ah!” Lu Wen was flabbergasted.
As a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, Lu Wen could perceive that Zhang Ruo Xi’s cultivation was higher than hers and was stronger than her by a fair margin, which meant that Zhang Ruo Xi was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. [Such a Master was trained by Senior Brother Yang? She is just as strong as the elite disciples of top Sects.]
“What… What cultivation does Senior Brother Yang possess?” Lu Wen inquired curiously.
Zhang Ruo Xi smiled as pride welled up in her and answered lightly, “Sir is already an Emperor Realm Master.”
Lu Wen was completely stunned for a moment before brightness gradually lit up her eyes, and her helplessness and anxiety were swept away.
…..
In a teahouse outside of Azure Sun Pavilion, Sir Jia watched the entrance of Azure Sun Pavilion like a falcon observing its prey, unconsciously taking sips from the teacup in his hand.
He did not recognize the man and woman who entered Azure Sun Pavilion earlier; his subordinates went down to investigate, but returned empty-handed. It seemed that they had only entered the city today. Sir Jia could not help increasing his vigilance, for fear that the pair was really related to what the City Lord ordered.
Sir Jia did not dare to let slip any details, and was completely focused on Azure Sun Pavilion.
Suddenly, his heart rate spiked as an extremely uneasy feeling rose in his chest, like danger was approaching.
Before Sir Jia could react though, he noticed a stranger appearing from the corner of his eye.
He quickly turned his head reactively, and his eyes widened as he saw the young man from before sitting on the chair opposite him, a smile fixed on his face.
*Pu…*
Senior Jia spat the mouthful of tea right towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai waved his hand casually, and the splash of tea turned around and doused Sir Jia’s face.
He stood up and wiped his horrified face clumsily, and stared at Yang Kai vigilantly.
He did not understand how this young man appeared in front of him, even with his level of cultivation. It was obvious from this display that this young man in front of him could have killed him just now without him even noticing.
At this moment, Sir Jia broke out in a cold sweat.
“Sit!” Yang Kai smiled at him coldly. Sir Jia shuddered at this cold glare and stared at the young man as though he was a poisonous snake.
Sir Jia hesitated for a while, before he grit his teeth and sat again with a painful expression, as if he was sitting on countless needles.
“How should I address you?” Yang Kai asked.
“Jia Si!”
“En, a fortunate meeting!” Yang Kai greeted him insincerely, his eyes flashing a dangerous light, “Sir Jia should know the reason why this Young Master is here, yes?”
Wiping off the cold sweat from his forehead, Jia Si smiled forcefully, “Young Master must be joking, this Jia is just here to enjoy tea and relax, and I don’t know why Young Master…”
He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fixed on a palm-sized shield-type artifact in Yang Kai’s hand, whispering, “This shield…”
Jia Si’s had exceptional eyesight, and could immediately identify that the shield in Yang Kai’s hand was not some common treasure. It seemed to be a Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact, and a defensive artifact at that, making it extremely valuable.
Even though he had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, Jia Si could not help his breathing from becoming a big ragged.
*Kacha…*
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and clenched his fist, and like a rock that had been corroded and worn by wind and rain for thousands of years, the shield artifact was pulverized into dust which then slipped from his fingertips and scattered all over the ground.
“What shield?” Yang Kai looked at him coldly, “We were talking about something else, why did you suddenly talk about a shield?”
Jia Si’s sweat poured down his forehead like droplets of rain. Trembling all over, he replied nervously, “Nothing, nothing.”
Yang Kai snorted, “Sir Jia seems to be a smart person, so you shouldn’t be difficult to ‘reason’ with. This Young Master would like to ask for Sir Jia’s help to answer some questions.”
Jia Si responded hurriedly, “Ask away, Young Master, although this Jia is not talented, he has lived here for a long time and has many connections in Earth City.”
“Very good!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction before his eyes sharpened and his voice turned cold, “Who gave you the order to blockade Azure Sun Pavilion?”
Jia Si divulged reluctantly, “It… was Sir City Lord!”
“Why did Zu Hong ask you to do this?”
Jia Si replied, “Sir City Lord just ordered us to arrest anyone suspicious who tried to enter or exit Azure Sun Pavilion. That they must not be allowed to leave Earth City.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and snorted, “How domineering your City Lord is.”
Jia Si was horrified as he hurriedly tried to explain, “This Jia is only acting on orders, Young Master. Please be calm.”
Yang Kai demanded, “Then do you know which great force this Azure Sun Pavilion belongs to?”
“I didn’t know before. This Jia only just recently found out that this is a shop opened and operated by a disciple from Azure Sun Temple in the Southern Territory. This discovery was only made after the City Lord asked me to investigate the details of Azure Sun Pavilion a few days ago.” Jia Si explained.
“The information is quite complete, how impressive of Sir Jia,” Yang Kai sneered sarcastically.
Jia Si shivered and scrunched up his face as he pleaded, “I was just acting on orders…”
Yang Kai interrupted him, “Have you seen this woman in the City Lord’s Mansion?”
While speaking, Yang Kai raised his hand and pushed his Emperor Qi to create an image of Gao Xue Ting in front of Jia Si.
Jia Si glanced at this picture before shaking his head blankly, “I have never seen this woman, but I heard from my subordinates that an unfamiliar woman who matches this image often came and went from Azure Sun Pavilion. This Jia had only found out about Azure Sun Pavilion by investigating clues about her.”
Yang Kai frowned, “You’ve never seen her personally?”
According to his and Lu Wen’s deduction, Gao Xue Ting should have gone to Zu Hong to work together to crack the secret on the animal skin. Logically speaking, she should have been in and out of the City Lord’s Mansion a few times. Since Jia Si was Zu Hong’s confidant, it did not make sense that the two of them had never met.
But Jia Si did not look like he was lying.
[Could it be that Gao Xue Ting did not go to Zu Hong? Then, who did she want to join forces with?]
[Is the City Lord’s Mansion involved with this matter or not? If it weren’t for Gao Xue Ting, why would they be surrounding Azure Sun Pavilion?]
Yang Kai was now thoroughly confused.
Jia Si carefully observed Yang Kai’s reaction and suddenly thought of something, gulping as he proposed, “Young Master, there is one thing that this Jia might know. I wonder if I could speak about it?”
“Don’t waste my time if it’s nonsense!” Yang Kai stared at him coldly.
Jia Si nodded and continued, “One and a half months ago, Elder Ju Tian Qing visited Sir City Lord, then Sir City Lord left Earth City the next day.”
“Ju Tian Qing?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “Who is he?”
Jia Si replied, “He is one of the Emperor Realm Elders of Brahma Holy Land. He has a close relationship with the City Lord.”
“Brahma Holy Land?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Yang Kai was well aware of Brahma Holy Land as it was one of the top Sects in the Eastern Territory. In terms of status, it was similar in position to Azure Sun Temple in the Southern Territory.
The two Holy Sons, Zhang Xian and Zhang Hao, who Yang Kai met in the Shattered Star Sea, were from Brahma Holy Land, and their aptitude in cultivation was indeed extraordinary. If it were not for their bad luck of encountering Yang Kai, perhaps they would have already broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea.
Ju Tian Qing was one of the ten Emperor Realm Elders of Brahma Holy Land. This Sect lived up to the prestige of being one of the top Sects in this territory as its overall strength was above Azure Sun Temple.
“What specific cultivation does Ju Tian Qing have?” Yang Kai vaguely had a hunch that this Ju Tian Qing had something to do with the matter of Gao Xue Ting.
“He is a First-Order Emperor,” Since Jia Si had already disclosed so much, there was no point trying to hide any information anymore. He just revealed everything he knew and was hoping to leave here as soon as possible. Judging from Yang Kai’s previous ability to crush a Dao Source Grade High-Rank shield with his bare hands, Jia Si knew that Yang Kai could kill him with a flick of his finger.
Jia Si did not think that his physique was tougher than that shield.
Yang Kai nodded, and raised his index finger, “One last question, do you know where Ju Tian Qing or Zu Hong are now?”
Jia Si wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and answered anxiously, “I don’t know anything about that!”
The chill in Yang Kai’s eyes turned horrifying.
Jia Si’s face paled in fright as he cried out dismally, “I really don’t know about it, Sir City Lord didn’t tell me anything before he left.” After a pause, he continued, “If Young Master really wants to know, this humble one can try to find out for you…”
“Find out for me?” Yang Kai snorted heavily, “How are you going to find out for me? Didn’t you just say that Zu Hong told you nothing when he left?”
“This humble one could try to probe the City Lord’s son or Madam City Lord, perhaps they might know something. If not, this humble one could still send a messenger to the disciples of Elder Ju. In all honesty, this humble one has a decent relationship with some of those disciples, and they might know where Elder Ju is.”
“How long do you need?” Yang Kai asked, his expression icy.
“Four hours… No, no, two hours is enough.”
Yang Kai instantly beamed, “Then I shall trouble you, Sir Jia. Go and come back quickly, I’ll wait for you here.”
Jia Si got up immediately and rushed outside without turning back, as if he was being chased.
However, after his first step, Yang Kai casually tapped his shoulder.
Jia Si’s face changed drastically and was petrified. He looked at Yang Kai, and only felt that that part of his body was burning with unbearable pain.
“Don’t be anxious. This is just a small Secret Technique of this Young Master. It won’t cause you any harm in the short term…” Yang Kai put on a harmless smile.
“And in the long term…” Jia Si’s voice trembled.
“If the mark left behind by the Secret Technique is not removed by this Young Master’s unique method within twenty-four hours, your bones will be separated, your meridians will be broken, and you will beg for death!” Yang Kai’s words sent chills down Jia Si’s spine, as if a cold wind blew from the depths of purgatory to surround him.
Jia Si’s face was as pale as a ghost’s, but he dared not to resist as Yang Kai showed him just how powerful an opponent he was. After being stunned for a moment, Jia Si flickered and flew off as swiftly as the wind.
Yang Kai summoned the waiter of the teahouse and asked him to serve a new pot of tea, so he could spend some time in leisure.
Jia Si returned in just about a stick of incense worth of time.
“So fast?” Yang Kai stared at him in amazement, praising him, “Sir Jia is quite exceptional. Given your performance in intelligence work, you must be the right-hand man of the City Lord.”
Jia Si smiled obsequiously, “It was just a coincidence. Sir City Lord left a message to Madam City Lord before his departure, so it was easy for me to obtain some information.”
“I can’t believe you can obtain the information from Madam City Lord personally. Tsk tsk, perhaps Sir City Lord wears a green hat?” Yang Kai looked at him with a knowing grin.
Jia Si hurriedly explained in terror, “Young Master, please don’t joke like this. It’s not what you think. This Jia just inquired about the information from a maidservant of Madam City Lord.”
“Alright,” Yang Kai replied lazily, and pressed on with a solemn face, “Tell me what I want to know.”
Jia Si reported, “Sir City Lord mentioned he would be going to the Dragon Bone Wilderness, but I’m not sure about his exact location.”
“Dragon Bone Wilderness!” A cold brilliance flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes.
Jia Si continued, “This Jia could only find out this much, it is impossible to obtain any more information. Young Master, can you…”
Yang Kai nodded and stood up, patting his shoulder casually as he said, “Understood. Goodbye.”
When the words fell, Yang Kai’s figure blurred and instantly disappeared.
Jia Si’s face changed drastically as he hurriedly asked, “What about the mark?”
However, there was not a trace of Yang Kai anymore. Jia Si began panicking like a cat jumping on hot bricks, secretly cursing Yang Kai for not keeping his promise.
But soon, he realized something was different. The burning sensation was gone. He examined himself with his Divine Sense and found that there was nothing abnormal about him anymore.
Only then did he realize that Yang Kai had probably removed the mark when he patted his shoulder.
Jia Si could not help shuddering in joy before he secretly rushed to the city gate, preparing to leave Earth City.
He revealed so much information to Yang Kai today, so no matter what the outcome was, he could no longer stay in Earth City. If the City Lord returned safe and sound, he would surely find out he had sold him out, and the punishment for the crime of leaking information would be unbearable.
Even if the City Lord never returned, he was afraid that Yang Kai would come back for him. For the sake of his own safety, it was better for him to run as far as he could. It would be best if he could escape the Eastern Territory and hide in one of the other three.
……
It did not take Yang Kai too much effort to find Zhang Ruo Xi and Lu Wen outside the city. After embarking on his boat, Yang Kai queried Lu Wen, “Where is the Dragon Bone Wilderness?”
Lu Wen pointed in a certain direction, “That way. It will take about two days to travel there.” After a pause, she asked in shock, “Is Elder Gao in the Dragon Bone Wilderness?”
“Most likely,” Yang Kai replied in a deep voice, “But her exact location is not clear. Is it a big region?”
“Big, very big!” Lu Wen nodded, “It is rumoured to have been an ancient battlefield. Many fell there and it is a place filled with Yin Qi. Many cultivators like to explore it and sometimes they find some ancient treasures if their luck is good, especially in the central region where it is possible to make a great fortune. The central region also has Yin Qi as dense as fog though, so not even ordinary Emperor Realm Masters easily approach it. Rumours say that the corpse of a True Dragon lies somewhere in the central region, hence it is called the Dragon Bone Wilderness.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows and grinned, “Then let’s go to the central region to take a look.”
The speed of the boat was superb. It was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank flight artifact. With the complement of Yang Kai Space Techniques, the boat flew across hundreds of kilometres in the blink of an eye, seemingly skipping along space.
In the beginning, Lu Wen did not notice this anomaly, but after she settled down, she quickly realized that the speed of the boat was unusually fast. She was amazed when she saw this and felt more confident about Yang Kai.
After half a day, Yang Kai had arrived at the Dragon Bone Wilderness. Below was a piece of lifeless, desolate land. There was a strange scene where Yin Qi was spinning like a whirlwind about a few kilometres away, and as if sensing the aura of the living nearby, it gathered together in a cluster.
This was just the periphery of the Dragon Bone Wilderness, where the Yin Qi was so weak that it diminished before even getting close to Yang Kai and his group.
Ignoring the mass of Yin Qi, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense like a vast ocean before he ventured deeper, examining every inch of this place.
He did not know if Gao Xue Ting was in the Dragon Bone wilderness, but he could only try his luck as it was the only clue he had now.
Half a day later, Yang Kai reached the central region of the Dragon Bone Wilderness.
Along the way, Yang Kai found that the Dragon Bone Wilderness was an exceptional place for cultivators to train and temper themselves. This would no doubt be an excellent training ground for him if he were still a Dao Source Realm cultivator; however, he had already broken through to the Emperor Realm, so there was no point for him to cultivate here.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai looked intently in a certain direction as if he had discovered something.
He sensed several powerful cultivators guarding a certain region, seemingly warning travellers not to enter this place. On top of that, Yang Kai noticed some odd energy fluctuations coming from that place.
Yang Kai could not help feeling suspicious about this and changed the direction in which he was flying.
“Who goes there?” Someone yelled before Yang Kai approached.
“Stop! Do not come any closer, otherwise don’t blame me for being impolite to you!” Another person threatened him.
Yang Kai ignored them and charged straight forward.
“Impudence!”
“Courting death!”
After a few roars, flashes of lights from Secret Techniques and various violent forces launched towards the boat.
Lu Wen’s face turned pale in fright and she almost fell over after losing her balance.
Zhang Ruo Xi, on the other hand, stood behind Yang Kai steadily, turning a blind eye to the attacks.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
Several explosions were heard, but the impacts were not as the attackers had expected. On the contrary, they, who stood at the opposite side, screamed as if they had been attacked. They started to groan in pain, and a few of them even collapsed on the ground directly.
Lu Wen’s eyes widened with shock as she had not even seen exactly what Yang Kai had done.