“Everyone must have heard it too,” The man swung his hand across the crowd, and the other Emperor Realm Masters nodded one after another.
They all had sharp senses; therefore, they heard clearly despite Yang Kai’s voice not being loud.
“Senior Yang, you can’t be biased! If you really have a method to expel it, please help us too!” The man begged.
It was natural that anyone would feel insecure about having an insect inside their body. Even though Tan Jun Hao was dead, no one knew if the insects remaining in their bodies would cause them any harm in the future, or worse, would suddenly become active and kill them.
Now that they heard that Yang Kai could expel it, everyone was like a drowning man who caught a life-saving straw, refusing to let go no matter what.
Yang Kai sighed heavily, and put on a helpless face, “Good, I did say that just now. I have a way to drive out the Heart-Strangling Insects!”
“Really?” Everyone was overjoyed, turned back one after another and landed in front of Yang Kai eagerly.
Previously, they could not wait to leave, but now they probably would not leave even if Yang Kai wanted to chase them away.
“Heart-Strangling Insects are ranked first on the Earth List of the Exotic Insect Record. It is as brutal as it is vicious, even an Emperor Realm Master will not be able to easily get rid of it after being infested. If one ignores it for a long time, it will slowly devour the heart veins, consuming the Blood Essence of the heart. Tsk tsk, by that time, it would be beyond saving, beyond saving.”
Although it was uncertain if Yang Kai was exaggerating, everyone’s face still turned pale and their hearts began pounding.
During their isolation, everyone had tried to expel the Heart-Strangling Insect with their Emperor Qi. Everything was still fine if they did not disturb it, but once they touched it, the insect would begin drilling into their heart veins. As such, they now had to be extremely careful while pushing their Emperor Qi so as not to disturb the insect, much less trying to expel it.
“Fortunately… This Young Master happens to know a way to expel this thing,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
“Young Master Yang, please save us!”
Everyone quickly bowed and begged Yang Kai for help.
Yang Kai’s face darkened and asked coldly, “Why should I help you? Give me a reason!”
Everyone was stunned speechless. After listening to Yang Kai’s long speech, it showed that he was at least well informed about the Heart-Strangling Insect and even seemed to have the intention to help them, so the sudden change of his attitude caught everyone off guard.
However, on second thought, there was nothing wrong with it. Yang Kai was neither friend nor relative to them, and he did not seem like the kind, charitable type, so why should he save them for no reason at all?
Yang Kai pressed on, “Previously, you and Tan Jun Hao fought against this Young Master. If it weren’t for this Young Master’s capabilities, I would have been killed by all of you. However, I have always been magnanimous. I knew that you all were being coerced, so I did not hold grudges against any of you, even going so far as to use my Emperor Artifact to protect all of you so you could avoid being controlled by Tan Jun Hao. It is already exceedingly generous for this Young Master to not ask you to repay his saving grace, but now you also want this Young Master to help you expel these Heart-Strangling Insects? Isn’t that too much?”
Everyone looked ashamed and had nothing to say.
Although Yang Kai’s speech was like a knife stabbing into their pride, everyone could not refute him as it was the truth.
It was true that they fought against Yang Kai before, and were also saved by Yang Kai later. Now, they still wanted Yang Kai to expel these insects for them. Wasn’t this the definition of being insatiable?
For a moment, everyone glanced around awkwardly.
Hua Yu Lu’s eyes flashed at that moment as she smiled and responded in a gentle voice, “Young Master Yang, everyone here is a Sect Master or Patriarch of a big Sect or Family in the Southern Territory. If these Heart-Strangling Insects are not expelled and were triggered in the future, everyone’s life would be at stake. By that time, a great number of forces would lose their leaders, and the Southern Territory would be thrown into chaos. Young Master Yang, please be kind-hearted and help them.”
She finally understood what Yang Kai was plotting.
If he truly did not want to expel the insects for these people, he would not have stopped her and said those words out loud just now. He clearly wanted to tell everyone about his ability, but he did not want to make it too obvious by openly saying ‘come and beg me.’
The reason Yang Kai was acting like this was that he did not want to do things without benefits.
Hua Yu Lu was incredibly sharp, so she quickly understood what Yang Kai was up to and secretly decided to add fuel to the flames and cooperate with him.
“Palace Master Hua is right. Senior Yang, please help us!” Yang Kai’s intention did not matter to the people, they only knew that right now they had to plead sincerely.
Among the twenty or so Emperor Realm Masters here, only Hua Yu Lu had a little friendship with Yang Kai, so her willingness to plead for them naturally made them feel grateful.
Yang Kai looked like he was in a dilemma, but he actually gave Hua Yu Lu a big thumbs up in his heart. He was thinking that this woman was not just beautiful but intelligent too. He wondered what kind of relationship she had with Xia Sheng, but he knew he shouldn’t let Xia Sheng know about how he would be treating her later to remove the Heart-Strangling Insect.
Seeing that Yang Kai’s attitude was not as firm as before, everyone realized that there was hope, and they pressed on with begging, like a flock of quacking ducks.
“Good, good!” Yang Kai raised his hand to stop their clamour, frowning slightly, “It’s true that I can get rid of the insects inside of you, but the effort required is not small. Moreover, given there are so many of you here who need help, this Young Master will need to sacrifice a large amount of his Blood Essence to finish the task. After today, I’m afraid I will not be able to fight at full strength for three… no, five years!”
Yang Kai was exaggerating, and no one really believed him; however, they did not dare to refute him. For now, they could only listen to whatever he said and follow his lead.
Yang Kai looked sideways at the crowd, and questioned, “Since I have to make such a great sacrifice, you can’t just let me work for nothing, right?”
He finally made his point after beating around the bush for so long, causing Hua Yu Lu to cover her mouth and turn away as she laughed secretly.
Everyone wiped the cold sweat on their foreheads as one of them asked carefully, “Then what do you want, Senior Yang?”
“What can you offer?” Yang Kai asked back.
Hua Yu Lu immediately went forward, took out a Space Ring, and presented it with both hands, “Young Master Yang, this is the twelve million High-Rank Source Crystals that this Mistress prepared for the auction. If Young Master Yang doesn’t mind, this is the compensation I can offer you for expelling the Heart-Strangling Insect.”
“This…” Yang Kai replied with an embarrassed look on his face, “Senior Sister Hua, you misunderstood me. This Young Master didn’t mean to force you to return his kindness!”
Everyone’s face darkened at his words, secretly feeling disgusted. It was clear that Yang Kai wanted to extort them here when he asked them what they could offer him, but now he was actually shameless enough to say that he did not want them to return his kindness.
Hua Yu Lu smiled gently, “This Mistress definitely knows that Young Master Yang is kindhearted and righteous, but this Mistress has nothing else to thank you for your favour, and given your strength, I’m afraid treasures are nothing to you. If Young Master Yang doesn’t want these Source Crystals, this Mistress… can only use her body as compensation.”
As she spoke, a pink hue appeared on her cheeks as she averted her eyes shyly, as if she was about to cry.
Yang Kai’s face froze stiff for a moment before he hurriedly grabbed the Space Ring from Hua Yu Lu and remarked, “Since Senior Sister Hua insists, it would be impolite if I refused. Aha…haha…”
Hua Yu Lu immediately glared at him with a resentful look.
Yang Kai continued solemnly, “I cannot be disturbed while expelling the Heart-Strangling Insect. Elder Sister Hua, follow me.”
After that, he circulated his Emperor Qi and flew towards an intact room nearby, with Hua Yu Lu following closely behind.
“Senior Yang, what about us?” Someone shouted from behind.
“Just wait!”
After entering the room, Yang Kai sealed it, then found a place to sit cross-legged, pointed in front of him, and spoke to Hua Yu Lu, “Sit!”
Hua Yu Lu nodded lightly and landed in front of Yang Kai with a flicker.
Yang Kai handed the Space Ring in his hand back to Hua Yu Lu and smiled, “Many thanks for your assistance this time, Senior Sister Hua.”
Without her cooperation, things would not have progressed so smoothly. Although the Emperor Realm Masters were forced to, they had still been enemies with him earlier; therefore, even though Yang Kai didn’t plan on killing them, he also wouldn’t let them off easily, ultimately settling for extortion. After all, they were all here for the auction, so which one of them did not have ten or twenty million High-Rank Source Crystals?
What surprised him was that Hua Yu Lu was so cooperative.
Him accepting her ring earlier was just an act. Yang Kai definitely did not covet her Source Crystals.
Hua Yu Lu glanced at the Space Ring but did not take it right away, instead saying with a faint smile, “If Young Master Yang doesn’t want Source Crystals, does that mean he really wants this Mistress to give herself to him?” Hua Yu Lu sighed, “This Mistress doesn’t mind, but I’m afraid that Young Master Yang wouldn’t fancy this Mistress’s impure body…”
She suddenly became depressed while speaking.
Yang Kai could not stand it as he secretly thought that this woman was a really great actor. If she continued to persuade, perhaps he would really fall into adultery. He hurriedly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and forced a smile, “Senior Sister Hua, it’s a misunderstanding. You’ve helped me again and again, so how could I have bad intentions towards you? I only have gratitude in my heart.”
Hua Yu Lu’s eyes watered slightly as she muttered, “Young Master Yang really does mind this Mistress’ unclean body? Never mind, a dragon-like Young Master Yang must be surrounded by many beautiful women, so it’s impossible for him to take a liking to this Mistress…”
“Enough nonsense,” Yang Kai sighed heavily and looked helpless.
Only then did Hua Yu Lu chuckle and reply with a smile, “Okay, I’ll stop the teasing here.”
She found this all incredibly interesting. When Yang Kai showed off his strength a few days ago, he was like a fierce beast that would lash out and devour any who challenged him. It was frightening, and no one dared to even meet eyes with him, but today, she realized that apart from his mercilessness, this young man was actually an interesting fellow.
After putting away her Space Ring, Hua Yu Lu continued, “Then, many thanks, Young Master Yang.”
Twelve million High-Rank Source Crystals was a great amount of wealth for her Sect, so if Yang Kai really accepted it, her disciples would have a problem cultivating soon.
“Young Master Yang, please tell this Mistress what to do.” After she had her fun, Hua Yu Lu’s face immediately became serious.
“Just relax,” Yang Kai replied, “There may be some discomfort and awkwardness later. I only ask Senior Sister Hua to not take offence.”
Hua Yu Lu looked at him curiously, but she did not ask anything, instead just gently closing her eyes and relaxing her mind as Yang Kai instructed.
Yang Kai immediately started the procedure.
A short time later, Hua Yu Lu opened her mouth and spat out a blood arrow.
When Hua Yu Lu reopened her eyes, they were slightly misty and her cheeks were flushed red. Even her fair white neck had been dyed a faint shade of crimson.
She did not expect that Yang Kai’s so-called discomfort and awkwardness would be a result of him touching her on the sensitive parts of her chest. The strength and the heat that penetrated from his fingertip as he guided a strange kind of energy through her body made her feel unbearably shy. If she had not just tested him earlier, Hua Yu Lu would really have thought that Yang Kai was a lecher, using this situation to take advantage of her.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai showed no obscene intentions towards her despite her previous temptations, so it was impossible for him to take advantage of her in this way.
“Is it done?” Hua Yu Lu asked.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
Hua Yu Lu was surprised. Previously, when Yang Kai mentioned that it would require much effort on his part to expel the insect, she thought that it would be a troublesome and lengthy procedure, but it only took him a few dozen breaths of time, and Yang Kai did not seem to have consumed any strength at all.
“Young Master Yang, this business is really profitable,” Hua Yu Lu was extremely impressed. Considering that there were twenty or so Emperor Realm Masters waiting for his treatment, Yang Kai could earn two to three hundred million, or even more High-Rank Source Crystals this time.
This was an outright robbery.
“It’s just a small fuss to collect some hard-earned fees,” Yang Kai grinned, and raised his hand and gestured, “Senior Sister Hua, please call the next person in. Ask them to follow proper order. This Young Master will not give face to those who try to jump the queue.”
“Understood.” Hua Yu Lu stood up, thanked him, turned around and walked towards the door; however, after a few steps, she turned to Yang Kai and remarked, “If Young Master Yang is free in the future, please be sure to come to my Hundred Flowers Palace to be my guest. You will have Senior Sister’s warmest welcome.”
The Hundred Flowers Palace! It was Yang Kai’s first-time hearing about it, but that was normal because there were many Sects in the Southern Territory. On the contrary, he had seen many Hundred Flowers Pavilions. It seemed that every city in the Southern Territory had a Hundred Flowers Pavilion. As for what went on inside those pavilions… tsk tsk…
After sending Hua Yu Lu off, Yang Kai sat in place and pondered for a moment before he suddenly lifted his hand and hammered his chest.
*Pu…*
A mouthful of blood spewed out, and Yang Kai suddenly appeared withered, as if he just fought a great battle.
A man pushed the door and entered with a flattering smile, but just as he was about to speak, he saw Yang Kai’s appearance and asked in shock, “Senior Yang, what… what happened to you?”
Yang Kai replied weakly, “Nothing. Sit down and I’ll help you to drive out the insect.”
The man was delighted, but he was still a little worried, “Do you want to take a rest first? This one can wait.”
Young Kai was fine earlier, but now he had coughed up blood and looked dispirited. It was obvious just how much it cost him a lot to expel these insects.
“It’s fine. I asked you to sit, so just sit.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “You will not be at ease with the insect inside your body. It’s better to get rid of it as soon as possible.”
After hearing this, the man immediately thanked him with immense gratitude and obediently offered his Space Ring with over ten million High-Rank Source Crystals. Yang Kai stored it before carrying out the treatment.
…..
Half a day later, Yang Kai reappeared in his previous room with a flicker, looking high spirited, his face ruddy, nothing like his feeble earlier self.
Everyone was waiting.
Seeing his arrival, they all approached him.
Yang Kai swept his eyes across them, eventually landing on Ye Hen, “Sect Master Ye, what is your plan now?”
Ye Hen sighed, “Return to Thousand Leaves Sect and make further plans later.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded.
Although Thousand Leaves Sect had been destroyed, it was the home of Ye Hen and the others after all. They had been imprisoned for more than one year, and now that they had regained their freedom, it was natural for them to go back and have a look at what remained, not to mention that there were still hundreds of surviving disciples waiting in Emperor Heaven Valley.
“Monster King and I will give you all a ride. Moreover, I have something to discuss with Sect Master Ye.”
“Then we shall have to trouble Senior Yang and Sir Monster King.” Ye Hen revealed a grateful face, thinking that Yang Kai was purposely escorting them. With these two escorts, there was no need to worry about any danger along the way.
They immediately departed, leaving Flowing Shadow City, speeding South.
“Yang Kai, I have something to talk to you about.” Halfway through the journey, Zhu Qing suddenly sent him a Divine Sense transmission.
The Dragon Girl had been following Yang Kai, but he had no idea what her purpose was. Since she did not seem to hold malice towards him and it felt inappropriate to chase her away, Yang Kai did not stop her from doing as she pleased.
“What?” Yang Kai turned and looked at her.
Zhu Qing stopped flying and stood where she was.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly but gestured for Ying Fei and the rest to continue while he stayed behind.
When everyone had left earshot, Yang Kai asked, “What is so important that you have to act so mysteriously?”
Zhu Qing replied, “Are you not worried about killing an Elder of Star Soul Palace?”
Yang Kai beamed, “Are you worried for me?”
Zhu Qing curled her lips, “We aren’t that close, so what does it matter to me whether you live or die?”
“Then why do you ask?” Yang Kai stared at her with great interest.
Zhu Qing looked a little uncomfortable, looking away while responding, “No matter what sins that Star Soul Palace Elder committed, his status remains. Now that you’ve killed him, I’m afraid that Star Soul Palace won’t let this go easily. Furthermore, this matter involves many complicated factors and many people, so you can’t hide even if you want to. Star Soul Palace will definitely find you.”
“I didn’t plan to hide.” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
The main reason why he did not kill the twenty or so remaining Emperor Realm Masters was that he wanted them to give testimony to facilitate the investigation of the Masters from Star Soul Palace. Otherwise, if those people really died, it would come down to Yang Kai’s word against Tan Jun Hao’s, and the one who held less credibility in that situation was obvious.
Now though, with testimony from over twenty Emperor Realm Masters, even if Star Soul Palace really investigated this incident, they would not blame Yang Kai.
Of course, he had no choice if they wanted to cover the whole thing up.
“Are you not worried at all?” Zhu Qing turned back to Yang Kai, as if she could not believe him, and wanted to check if there were any insincere traces on his face.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “People like us live in a constant swirl of gratitude and grudge, if I have to worry about this and worry about that, what would the purpose of living be?”
Zhu Qing stared at him in shock, not knowing what to say.
After a period of silence, she continued, “I still suggest you find a place to hide for a while.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Someone told me something similar before.”
Hua Yu Lu had advised him to hide in the Frozen Earth, the Forbidden Zone in the Northern Territory. Now, Zhu Qing gave him similar advice.
“Star Soul Palace is a Great Emperor Sect after all. If Bright Moon Great Emperor really wanted to find trouble with me, I’m afraid there would be no place in the vast Star Boundary where I would be safe. No, I won’t hide, I won’t!” Yang Kai waved his hand continuously.
“How could there be no place to take shelter?” Zhu Qing smiled slyly, “I know of a place in this world where you can hide. Even the Bright Moon Great Emperor would not be able to make trouble with you there.”
“Let me guess, Dragon Island?” Yang Kai looked sideways at her.
Zhu Qing nodded, “Yes, Dragon Island.”
“Tsk, tsk…” Yang Kai clicked his tongue, stroking his chin as he suddenly began circling around Zhu Qing.
“What are you doing?” Zhu Qing felt uncomfortable with his wandering eyes moving over her, involuntarily gripping her dress.
“I’m just curious…” Yang Kai stood in front of her and grinned, “You’ve been trying to lead me to Dragon Island again and again. What are your real intentions?”
Yang Kai did not care that much last time because she did not make it too obvious in asking him to go to Dragon Island, but this time, when she mentioned it again, Yang Kai started to sense something was off.
Could she have wanted to persuade him to go to Dragon Island so that her brothers and sisters could team up to beat him up together because she could not do it herself?
Sure enough, there was nothing more poisonous than a woman’s heart!
“What intentions could I have!?” Zhu Qing blinked her eyes a few times but quickly shifted her gaze away from Yang Kai’s. Her obvious actions, however, only convinced Yang Kai even more of his doubts.
“Maybe…” Yang Kai furrowed his brow and postulated, “Maybe you fell so deeply in love with me that you want to abduct me and take me back to Dragon Island to have your way with me!”
“You… you…!” Zhu Qing’s nostrils flared, she had never seen such a shameless man before.
Yang Kai laughed out loud, turned around and flew after Ying Fei and the rest.
“Wait!” Zhu Qing was anxious and confused. How come the method taught by her Elder didn’t work at all? She thought that Yang Kai would be grateful for her invitation and follow her to Dragon Island to avoid the coming troubles, but she did not expect that this guy did not take the killing of a Star Soul Palace Elder seriously at all.
It seemed she had a long way to go before she could complete her task.
……
Thousand Leaves Sect, a blasted wasteland full of ruins everywhere.
Hovering above this land, Ye Hen and the rest looked down with deeply aggrieved faces, unable to utter a single word to express their despair.
After a short while, everyone reached the hidden valley and Yang Kai activated the Space Array to connect to Emperor Heaven Valley.
Ye Hen burst into tears upon reuniting with the hundreds of surviving disciples. He felt that he had disappointed the high hopes of his ancestors, and could not help blaming himself. Of all the foundational pillars of the Sect, only Emperor Heaven Valley was left intact. Even with the nine Heaven Grade puppets in his hands, Ye Hen was at a loss about how to rebuild his Sect.
Yang Kai wandered around Emperor Heaven Valley while Zhu Qing followed after him like a shadow, one he could not shake off. She would advise him to go to Dragon Island from time to time, which was now truly annoying Yang Kai.
If it were not because she did not mean any harm to him, Yang Kai would have long knocked her out and then done this and that to her!
“You keep wandering around, what are you actually looking for?” Zhu Qing followed Yang Kai for half a day, covering the whole of Emperor Heaven Valley several times, and finally could not help asking.
“While men are working, women should be silent!” Yang Kai ignored her as he focused his sight on the mountain valley before nodding lightly.
Zhu Qing’s face turned white with anger. She stomped her foot, turned around, and flew off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“Such a fiery temper,” Yang Kai glanced at her back and chuckled.
He then released his Divine Sense, and located Ye Hen. With a fluctuation of Space Principles, Yang Kai instantly emerged next to Ye Hen.
“Senior Yang!” Ye Hen hurriedly got up.
Yang Kai waved his hand lightly, gesturing for him to remain seated. Then, he spoke, “Sect Master Ye, have you finished thinking about your future plans?”
Ye Hen let out a long sigh, he replied, “It’s complicated. I don’t know where to start. But after this encounter, this Ye is clear about one thing.”
“I would like to hear about it!” Yang Kai looked at him intently.
“An ordinary man is innocent, but his treasures make him guilty!” Ye Hen remarked bitterly, “Although our Thousand Leaves Sect has nine Heaven Grade puppets, unfortunately there is no Emperor Realm Master in the Sect, so we cannot even bring out the full potential of our Heaven Grade puppets. Even though this Ye wishes for nothing more than to rebuild Thousand Leaves Sect, given our current manpower and situation, I’m afraid that it would only bring us another disaster.”
Yang Kai nodded, “So, is Sect Master Ye planning to improve his strength first?”
Ye Hen answered, “I do have this plan. Fortunately, the World Energy in Emperor Heaven Valley is rich, so given three to five years, this Ye should be able to break through to the Emperor Realm. When that time comes, I should have enough power to protect the sect.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Sect Master Ye has thought things out well.” After a pause, Yang Kai pressed on, “But I have another suggestion. I wonder if Sect Master Ye is willing to consider it.”
“This Ye owes Senior Yang a life-saving grace, and Thousand Leaves Sect is in eternal gratitude towards your kindness. Just speak your mind, this Ye will listen.” Ye Hen said seriously.
Yang Kai smiled, “Emperor Heaven Valley is indeed a good place. You don’t need to worry about living here as it is perfectly safe. The World Energy here is not bad and is very suitable for cultivating; however, this place is too small and it’s difficult to come and go. Sect Master Ye has the determination to break through to the Emperor Realm, so it is fine for you to seclude yourself here for the necessary three to five years, but how would the disciples sustain themselves?”
Those five hundred disciples had different strengths, and if they were really trapped here for three to five years, it could produce some unwanted effects like heart demons.
Ye Hen sighed, “Do you think this Ye is not aware of this? But where else can we go now?”
Yang Kai replied, “What if I can provide Sect Master Ye with a better destination?”
“A better destination?” Ye Hen was bewildered.
Yang Kai stretched his arms and explained, “There is a place a thousand times bigger than this, where the World Energy is also far richer. Not to mention five hundred people, it could fit even fifty thousand people comfortably. There are many vacant Spirit Peaks that no one would compete with you for as well. If Sect Master Ye goes there, you won’t need three to five years, just one or two years will be enough to break through to the Emperor Realm.”
Ye Hen’s eyes lit up when he heard this proposal. According to Yang Kai’s description, the scenery of magnificent mountains and rivers slowly unfolded before his eyes.
But soon, he gave a wry smile and said, “If there is such a treasured land, it must be occupied by huge Sects already. Thousand Leaves Sect would never have a chance to stay there.”
Yang Kai smiled in reply, “Sect Master Ye is right. This paradise was indeed occupied by a huge Sect before, but that Sect has recently been exterminated.”
“Oh?” Ye Hen was shocked, “May I ask Senior Yang, where is this place?”
“The Northern Territory’s Seeking Passion Sect!”
Ye Hen frowned and pondered for a moment before his face abruptly changed and exclaimed, “You mean ‘that’ Seeking Passion Sect?!”
Judging from his look, Ye Hen has obviously heard of Seeking Passion Sect. This wasn’t a surprise though as Seeking Passion Sect was a top Sect in the Northern Territory. There was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master assuming command of this Sect, so its status was comparable to Azure Sun Temple in the Southern Territory. It also had many cultivation paradises comparable to similarly powerful Sects, far more than Thousand Leaves Sect at least.
“Indeed!”
“Seeking Passion Sect was destroyed. By who?” Ye Hen was horrified. It was hard to imagine such a behemoth being destroyed. In comparison, Thousand Leaves Sect was also destroyed, but five hundred of its disciples and Emperor Heaven Valley remained. By Yang Kai’s tone, Seeking Passion Sect seemed to have been completely wiped out, otherwise, how could they abandon their Sect’s headquarters?
As soon as the words were spoken, Ye Hen seemed to recall something and asked shockingly, “Could it be that Senior Yang…”
Although the Seeking Passion Sect had a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master overseeing it, Yang Kai was someone who could kill even a Star Soul Palace Elder, and there was a Monster King following him… Wiping out the Seeking Passion Sect did not seem impossible.
This thought shocked Ye Hen as he did not expect the gentle and warm-hearted young man to be so cruel as to destroy an entire Sect.
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully but did not deny, “I have founded High Heaven Palace where the Seeking Passion Sect once stood, so its former lands are now mine. If Sect Master Ye wants to, he can settle there temporarily. There’s no need to worry about security issues either as I have commissioned a Spirit Array Grandmaster to rebuild and improve the Sect Defending Array.”
Ye Hen’s heart pounded in awe of Yang Kai.
How old was Yang Kai? Yet he actually occupied the former site of a top Sect in the Northern Territory and even established a Sect!
He thought of himself, who could not even protect the inheritance of his ancestors, and felt incomparable next to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai continued, “Although I founded High Heaven Palace, there are only a few people in the Sect, so this treasured land is basically empty now. In any case, it was going to remain unoccupied for some time, so if Sect Master Ye sees fit, he can bring his disciples to settle there.”
Ye Hen asked curiously, “If I may ask, Senior Yang, how many people are there now in your noble Sect?”
Yang Kai gave a dry laugh and raised three fingers.
“Three thousand? En, truly not many,” Ye Hen was stunned. With a foundation as big as Seeking Passion Sect’s, three thousand disciples were really nothing. There would surely be many vacant Spirit Peaks. Even the Thousand Leaves Sect had more than three thousand disciplines before it was destroyed.
“No… not three thousand,” Yang Kai awkwardly said.
“Three hundred?” Ye Hen was stunned again. On second thought, it made sense. Even if Yang Kai really just founded High Heaven Palace, it was impossible to recruit so many disciples in a short time. The acceptance of disciples into a new Sect would require careful screening. It was impossible to accept just anyone. Even if there were only three hundred disciples though, these three hundred people were surely talents worthy of praise.
Yang Kai fell speechless for a moment, before opening his mouth with difficulty, “Not three hundred either.”
“Uh…” Ye Hen was startled and hesitated, “Could it be…”
“There are only three people for the time being,” Yang Kai laughed awkwardly.
Ye Hen could not believe his ears. Only three disciples were occupying such a vast piece of land? How blessed were those three disciples? They could consume all that rich World Energy in those mountains and rivers, and access any cultivation paradise at will. Their cultivations would definitely rise rapidly!
“Although it’s three people, they’re actually just Honoured Guest Elders. There isn’t even one disciple for the time being.”
“Three Honoured Guest Elders? What cultivations do they have?” Ye Hen was flabbergasted.
Yang Kai looked to the side and stretched out his finger, “Monster King Ying Fei is one of them, as for the remaining two… they are also Monster Kings like him, but I asked them to stay there to keep watch over the Sect, so they didn’t follow us here!”
Ye Hen gasped as he hesitated before asking, “Two more… Monster Kings?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Ye Hen was stunned, as if someone hit him over the head with a hammer.
He thought that it was already a great advantage that Yang Kai had a Monster King by his side, but he did not expect him to actually have three Monster Kings! A newly established Sect that did not even have a single disciple already had three Monster Kings as Honoured Guest Elders instead! What a majestic heritage this was! Many top Sects were simply incomparable!
Ye Hen could foresee that given time, this High Heaven Palace would surely become the top Sect among all top Sects in the entire Star Boundary.
No wonder Yang Kai said that there was no need to worry about security issues. There was already a powerful Sect Defending Array and two Monster Kings standing guard, who would dare offend them?
At the same time, Ye Hen was extremely excited. Compared to Emperor Heaven Valley, High Heaven Palace was undoubtedly more suitable for them. Its excellent cultivation environment alone was already incomparable to Emperor Heaven Valley.
Although Emperor Heaven Valley was good, it was quite small. If five hundred disciples cultivated here, their efficiency would definitely drop, and if he wanted to break through to the Emperor Realm…
However, as a Sect Master, Ye Hen needed to consider a lot of things, so even though his heart was moved, he did not immediately agree.
After hesitating for a long time, Ye Hen sighed and said, “Thousand Leaves Sect has over ten thousand years of inheritance, but it was suppressed so greatly under the management of this Ye. This Ye does not want to be a sinner, nor can he let the inheritance of Thousand Leaves Sect be cut off in his hands. I…”
Yang Kai smiled, “I understand what Sect Master Ye is worried about. I didn’t mean to absorb your Sect into High Heaven Palace, so please don’t worry about this issue. Thousand Leaves Sect remains Thousand Leaves Sect. Feel at ease and recover in High Heaven Palace Sect, then return to rebuild Thousand Leaves Sect whenever you feel ready. I will never try to stop you.”
The reason Ye Hen hesitated was because he was worried that Yang Kai wanted to annex Thousand Leaves Sect. Although Yang Kai had done many great favours for the Thousand Leaves Sect, if it was really annexed, the Thousand Leaves Sect would truly be destroyed. There would be no Thousand Leaves Sect in the future.
As a Sect Master, his mission was to revitalize Thousand Leaves Sect and make it prosper, so how could Ye Hen bear seeing it end?
“This…” Ye Hen was startled when he heard these words, and immediately felt ashamed, “This Ye was being overly suspicious and pessimistic.”
As he thought about it, if Yang Kai really wanted to absorb the Thousand Leaves Sect, he could just subdue it directly by force. He would have to surrender whether he wanted to or not, so why bother even negotiating in the first place?
“Sect Master Ye has his own considerations, I understand.” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Since Senior Yang is being so generous, then it would be impolite for this Ye and Thousand Leaves Sect to refuse. We will always remember your great kindness.” Ye Hen bowed to him, “It’s just that the distance to the Northern Territory is quite far, how are we going to get there?”
“I have my own arrangements.”
When things were finalized, Yang Kai immediately began arranging a Space Array in the middle of the mountain valley.
The first reason for moving the disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect to High Heaven Palace was to add some population to the currently empty Sect. Secondly, Yang Kai was very interested in Thousand Leaves Sect’s Puppet Arts. One would not be so petty after receiving another’s kindness. Thousand Leaves Sect would definitely not be too stingy with its knowledge in High Heaven Palace over time, and that would be equivalent to adding much knowledge of the Puppet Dao to the Sect. In the future, when Yang Kai’s friends and family came from Shadowed Star, they would have an extra layer of protection. Puppet Arts were perfect for those from Shadowed Star, who were not personally very strong yet.
Thirdly, Yang Kai wanted to use this Emperor Heaven Valley as a transit station for his Space Arrays.
Emperor Heaven Valley was originally an independent small world, and after the connecting Space Array was destroyed, no one except Yang Kai could open it. Emperor Heaven Valley was the perfect place to set up a Cross-Territory Space Array as it was absolutely safe and there was no need to worry about it being destroyed.
Yang Kai still had some remaining Space Spirit Crystal and Space Spirit Jade, just enough to arrange one Cross-Territory Space Array.
After less than half a day of bustling about, a brand-new Space Array appeared in the mountain valley.
Zhu Qing had been observing him silently and was shocked to discover that Yang Kai was so accomplished in the Dao of Space.
Ye Hen also took advantage of this time to inform the five hundred disciples of his decision. Naturally, no one opposed anything. On the contrary, many were eager at the news that they were going to the Northern Territory. For people like them, they might not be able to go to the Northern Territory in their lifetime by just relying on their own skills. It was natural for them to be curious about going to the Northern Territory, a place billions of kilometres away.
As soon as everything was prepared, Yang Kai ordered Ying Fei to leave first, then arranged the five hundred disciples from Thousand Leaves Sect to take turns passing through the Space Array.
Each activation of the Space Array consumed a lot of Source Crystals, and could at most transmit twenty to thirty people at a time.
The migration alone cost Yang Kai nearly a hundred thousand High-Rank Source Crystals, making Ye Hen feel quite distressed.
More than five hundred people were transported quickly, with Yang Kai being the last to jump onto the Space Array. Just when he steadied himself, a fragrance reached his nose as Zhu Qing landed gently beside him.
Annoyed, Yang Kai asked, “When are you going to stop following me? How about we part ways now? Go back to our own home and find your own mother.”
Zhu Qing looked at him seriously, and questioned, “Will you go to Dragon Island?”
“Scram!” Yang Kai was triggered by the two words ‘Dragon Island’.
“Is this how you talk to your friend?” Zhu Qing snapped back.
“If you mention those two words again, we won’t be friends anymore!” Yang Kai snorted and continued menacingly, “You better be careful, or I’ll exile you to the Void Crack during the teleportation, and you will never find your way out again in this life!”
Zhu Qing’s face changed abruptly and she grabbed Yang Kai’s arm, holding onto it so tightly that she did not even notice her twin peaks pressing onto his arm.
“I won’t be able to hold on with you being so close to me!” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her, remarking solemnly, “I don’t know why, but every time you’re close to me, I get some uncontrollable urges.”
“Stop messing around!” Zhu Qing felt a little uncomfortable and slightly backed off from Yang Kai.
“Have it your way!” Yang Kai replied angrily and activated the Space Array. Following a flash of light, both of them instantly disappeared from where they stood.
“Young Master Yang!”
“Young Master Yang!”
Just when his vision was restored, two familiar voices reached his ears. Yang Kai looked up and saw that it was Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei, the two Monster Kings who stayed behind to guard the house. After a few months of separation, the two Monster Kings were excited to see Yang Kai again. They exchanged looks, and there was some trace of competition in their gazes.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “You two have worked hard.”
“Not at all, not at all. It’s nothing, we just had to watch over the Sect. As long as it’s Young Master Yang’s order, it doesn’t matter how mundane the task is.” Xi Lei grinned widely.
Xie Wu Wei immediately patted his shoulder, “Since you like acting as a guard so much, this important task will be handed over to you permanently. If Young Master Yang goes out again, I’ll be the one to accompany him.”
Xi Lei fumed with his face warping, “Bullshit. It’s my turn next time!”
Xie Wu Wei smirked, “You lost in our drinking contest last time. Are you not going to keep your word?”
Xi Lei laughed out loud, “How can the words of a drunk be taken seriously?”
“As a Monster King, how can you break your promise?” Xie Wu Wei snorted coldly.
“Fight me if you wish!” Xi Lei puffed up his chest, revealing his strong muscles.
Yang Kai sighed and stepped down from the Space Array, walking past the bickering couple and arriving in front of Ye Hen with a smile, “Sect Master Ye, what do you think about this place?”
At this moment, Ye Hen was lost in astonishment. He took deep breaths to feel the richness of the World Energy here and could hardly believe that he was standing on this treasured land. Furthermore, what surprised him even more was that he travelled here through a Cross-Territory Space Array. He was still in the Southern Territory a moment ago, but in the next instant, he was in the Northern Territory.
“Good, extremely good. There is no better place than here.” Ye Hen praised sincerely.
It was worthy of being the foundation of a top Sect. If the common places in the Sect already had such rich World Energy, the density in the dedicated cultivation areas and Spirit Peaks must be unimaginable. It was at a whole new level compared to Thousand Leaves Sect.
No wonder those disciples of the great Sects could improve so rapidly. With such an excellent environment, there was no doubt that they could cultivate twice as fast with half the effort.
The five hundred Thousand Leaves Sect disciples were overjoyed too. If they did not have to care about their manners, they would be jumping and cheering wildly. Nevertheless, the happiness etched on their faces was unmistakable.
Seeing this scene, Ye Hen slightly sighed in his heart. There was a saying, ‘it is easy to change frugality to luxury, but difficult to change from luxury to frugality’. If the disciples were allowed to cultivate in this place for a few years, Ye Hen really worried how many of them would be willing to follow him back to rebuild Thousand Leaves Sect one day.
But soon, his face turned serious as he shook off such thoughts. Now was not the right time to think about such things as his priority was to improve his cultivation as fast as possible to reach the Emperor Realm!
It was only possible to rebuild Thousand Leaves Sect when his strength reached the Emperor Realm. Otherwise, everything was just empty talk.
“There are many Spirit Peaks here, so Sect Master Ye can choose anywhere to stay. As for your noble Sect’s disciples, you may make arrangements freely for them. Besides a few Restricted Areas in the Sect that were covered by the Spirit Arrays, they are free to go anywhere.” Yang Kai stated.
“Many thanks, Senior Yang.” Ye Hen bowed deeply.
Yang Kai nodded. After that, he went over to Chi Yue and his other Seniors, looking at them with a smile as he opened his arms and shouted, “Everyone, from now on, this is your home in the Star Boundary!”
Chi Yue and the rest were different from those from Thousand Leaves Sect. They all came from the same Star Field and had deep relationships with Yang Kai, and since the latter founded High Heaven Palace in order to give the people from his native land a home here, Chi Yue and his Seniors naturally counted among them.
“Sect Master is capable!” Gui Zu cackled.
Gu Cang Yu quipped, “I think you should address him as ‘Palace Master’ now.”
Gui Zu nodded in agreement. Even though High Heaven Sect and High Heaven Palace were only one character different, they were completely separate entities. The scale of the latter undoubtedly could not be compared to the former.
Chi Yue turned her head to look around and muttered emotionally, “If Qing Luo could also come here to cultivate…”
Yang Kai replied solemnly, “I have been looking for ways to return, but there are no clues yet. If I can return to the Star Field one day, I will definitely bring all of them here.”
Ai Ou patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and acknowledged in a deep voice, “It must not be easy for you.”
Yang Kai had been on his own for almost the entire time since he arrived in the Star Boundary, but after just a few years, he actually managed to obtain such a paradise. Despite his delight, Ai Ou knew that there must have been a lot of hardships and grievances getting to this place. Moreover, even though Yang Kai’s strength and status were much different than before, he had not forgotten his roots.
Ai Ou was extremely satisfied with this son-in-law.
“Don’t just stand here, go and find a place to live too,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Let’s go, follow this Old Master to see how big our new home is!” Gui Zu shouted then immediately turned into a wisp of Ghost Qi and flew forward with the rest following closely behind excitedly.
Although Ye Hen had been a gracious host to them when they stayed in Thousand Leaves Sect, they were still just guests under another’s roof. But now, it was different as High Heaven Palace was their own home, giving them a great sense of belonging.
Ye Hen cupped his fists and remarked, “Senior Yang, then this Ye will take these little brats to look for a place too.”
“At your will, Sect Master Ye.” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
Hundreds of people left at once in exuberance.
The Seeking Passion Sect was a vast place, and it would take them at least several days to pick out an appropriate place to stay.
Yang Kai darted his sight to the side and questioned, “Sister Hua, don’t you want to take a look around too?”
Hua Qing Si smiled lightly, “No, I’ll just find a quiet place to live later.”
She was born in Star Soul Palace, so she was used to such an environment and naturally did not react with the same exuberance as Gui Zu, Ye Hen, and the others did.
Yang Kai blinked a few times before he asked seriously, “What are you worried about? Star Soul Palace? Or do you blame me for killing Tan Jun Hao?”
Hua Qing Si glanced at him, and shook her head, “Honoured Master… No, that man chose to die, I don’t blame you for that. Even if Star Soul Palace really investigates, I don’t believe they will blame you. It’s just …”
“Just what?”
“I’m still a Star Soul Palace disciple after all. Now that I’ve followed you to the Northern Territory, I have essentially abandoned my own Sect,” Hua Qing Si laughed at herself with a bitter face.
Yang Kai asked back curiously, “You haven’t done anything to wrong Star Soul Palace, so how could this be considered abandoning?”
Hua Qing Si reached out her finger to tap his forehead, smiling faintly, “Good good, let’s not talk about this further. In any case, I’m a member of your High Heaven Palace now. If Star Soul Palace really comes for me in the future…”
“I’ll help you to beat them back. No one can snatch my people, not even Star Soul Palace!” Yang Kai remarked heroically.
Hua Qing Si nodded with satisfaction and continued with a smile, “Since I’ve already joined your ship, I’ll find a place to live.”
Saying so, she flew away with a flicker.
Yang Kai stared at the spot where she was for a while, then slightly shook his head and turned to Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei, “Anything happen lately?”
Xi Lei scratched his cheek and looked at Xie Wu Wei.
The latter cupped his fists, “Reporting to Young Master Yang, nothing important happened recently. Many cultivators visited the Sect’s gates every day, wanting to join High Heaven Palace, but we ignored them all. Other than that, Lady Ji Yao came here twice, but left both times after seeing that you weren’t here. She also reminded us to inform you to go to Ice Heart Valley when you come back. It seems that something is going on there.”
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement, “Then I’ll go and take a look.
Having said so, he moved back to the Space Array.
Zhu Qing followed Yang Kai silently.
Yang Kai looked sideways at her, “Do you want to follow me again? Are you some kind of boot-licking lackey?”
Zhu Qing replied calmly, “Either you promise to come with me, or I will follow you.”
Yang Kai looked at her with a stressed face, “What did I do to you that you have to torture me like this? I’m warning you not to go too far, otherwise, I will not be polite with you!”
Xi Lei’s eyes widened as soon as he heard this before he grinned and rolled up his sleeves, “Young Master Yang, you may leave this girl in my hands. I promise I will beat her until her mother doesn’t recognize her!”
“Good, good, good!” Yang Kai was delighted and gave a thumbs up to Xi Lei, “Old Rhino, if you can handle her, this Young Master will reward you with glory, wealth, and honour!”
Xi Lei burst into laughter, “How hard could it be?”
While laughing, he pushed his Monster Qi wildly and slammed his big palm towards Zhu Qing. His aggressive posture did not show the slightest compassion despite his target being a delicate-looking woman.
Zhu Qing’s face turned icy cold and glared at Xi Lei with her beautiful eyes.
Despite being from the supreme Dragon Clan, she had to tolerate Yang Kai’s nonsense because he bore the Ancestral Dragon Source in him. But now, even a mere Monster King dared to challenge her. At that moment, all the grievances she suffered from Yang Kai exploded out in an instant.
She clenched her delicate fist and met Xi Lei’s palm strike with it.
Xi Lei frowned deeply. Although he mentioned that he wanted to beat Zhu Qing until her mother could not recognize her, he could see that Yang Kai and she did not seem to be enemies. Therefore, he knew that he could not really be ruthless with her, otherwise, Yang Kai might punish him if he killed this little girl.
He was a Monster King covered in bronze skin and iron bones, possessing boundless power. Even an ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would not dare fight with him head-on, while this little girl was so petite that she did not seem to have any significant strength at all.
Seeing that she was about to meet his palm with her fist, Xi Lei dared not use his full strength and hurriedly retracted some of his strength, grinning as he tried to advise, “Little girl, your hair is not fully grown yet but you still dare to act strong here? Let this King show you…”
*Peng… *
The fist met the palm.
Before Xi Lei could finish his sentence, he was sent flying like a sac and slammed into a mountain thousands of metres away, forming a big crater where he landed.
Zhu Qing remained where she was, standing steadily on the Space Array with a calm face, as if she had just swatted away a fly rather than a Monster King.
She turned her beautiful eyes to Xie Wu Wei, challenging, “Do you want to teach me a lesson too?”
Xie Wu Wei shook his head like a rattle as sweat trickled down his forehead.
“Two Sirs, have a nice trip!” Ying Fei bowed with a smile.
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead as he glanced helplessly at Zhu Qing, only then did he activate the Space Array and teleport away.
After a while, Xie Wu Wei poked Ying Fei with lingering fear, and asked carefully, “That girl… Who is she?”
Even a Monster King could not have the strength to send Ying Fei flying with just a punch in a head-on clash, let alone a Human. Could she be a Divine Spirit?
Ying Fei moved his lips, gently spitting out two words.
Xie Wu Wei was instantly dumbstruck.
…..
It was cold and snowy.
Just when Yang Kai appeared in Ice Heart Valley, he was welcomed by someone’s buttocks who was perched on the base of the Space Array, fully concentrating on studying something and mumbling to himself continuously, completely unaware of the two people behind him.
Who else but Nanmen Da Jun could it be? Ice Heart Valley was composed entirely of women, so Yang Kai recognized the familiar back of this old man immediately.
Yang Kai frowned as he listened for a while, but he could not understand what Nanmen Da Jun was mumbling about, so he could not help but ask, “What are you doing?”
“Be quiet! Be quiet!” Nanmen Da Jun bellowed without even looking back, refusing to be distracted from his task.
But soon, he seemed to have realized something and swiftly stood up and turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai almost jumped when their eyes met. Hair completely covered Nanmen Da Jun’s face and he looked almost insane with his bloodshot eyes.
On the contrary, Nanmen Da Jun was feeling delighted and immediately jumped forward while shouting, “Grandmaster Yang, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
“Waiting for me?” Yang Kai was surprised, “What for?”
Nanmen Da Jun replied enthusiastically, “Why to discuss the Dao of Spirit Arrays with me! Let’s find a place to have a nice chat!”
“What can I chat with you about!?” Yang Kai rolled his eyes.
Nanmen Da Jun’s face turned solemn, “Grandmaster Yang, please don’t say that. The Dao of Spirit Arrays is broad and profound, and mastering it is a long journey. As the saying goes, ‘stones from other hills may serve to polish the jade of this one.’ It’s good for both of us to learn from each other.”
“But I don’t want to.”
Nanmen Da Jun was stunned.
Yang Kai looked at the Space Array on the ground, and asked lightly, “You didn’t learn anything from studying this Space Array, right?”
Nanmen Da Jun blushed shyly and shook his head, “How is that possible? Although this array is impressive, I have learned its structure and the principles of its operation. It won’t be long before I can crack it and attempt to replicate it!”
“Good, then you keep trying!” Yang Kai patted him on the shoulder before turning around to leave.
“Wait, wait…” Nanmen Da Jun grabbed Yang Kai’s clothes.
“Let go!” Yang Kai looked back and glared at him.
Nanmen Da Jun stared bitterly at him and lowered his head, “Grandmaster Yang has sharp eyes. About this Space Array… I really couldn’t learn much from it. Please… please enlighten me, Grandmaster Yang!”
“Let go first!” Yang Kai eyed the wrinkled fabric of his robe that was grabbed by Nanmen Da Jun.
Only then did Nanmen Da Jun let go of his clothes and smiled flatteringly, but he maintained a pouncing posture so that he could grasp Yang Kai at any time, as if he was afraid that Yang Kai would run away.
Yang Kai dusted his wrinkled robes and looked sideways at him, “Do you want to learn?”
Nanmen Da Jun nodded fiercely, like a chicken pecking the rice, and his eyes twinkled with a thirst for knowledge.
“I can teach you,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Nanmen Da Jun’s face turned solemn immediately, adjusting his clothes and bowing deeply, “Please accept my respects, Grandmaster Yang!”
“But what can you give me in return?” Yang Kai asked back.
Nanmen Da Jun smiled wryly, “What do you want? I have a lot of Source Crystals…”
“I have a lot of Source Crystals too,” Yang Kai scorned.
“Then… I can exchange another Spirit Array with you. I have some Spirit Arrays that were inherited from Ancient Times. They are profound and powerful…”
“Not interested!”
Nanmen Da Jun put on a long face, and asked, “Then what do you want?”
Yang Kai touched his chin and mused, “My High Heaven Palace has just been founded and I happen to lack a Chief Array Master…”
After hearing this, Nanmen Da Jun’s face changed drastically and he shook his head repeatedly, “Impossible. I am used to roaming freely, and I’m afraid that I would bring trouble to Grandmaster Yang and your noble Sect if I joined…”
“Then forget it.” Before he could finish, Yang Kai turned around and left.
“Grandmaster Yang, Grandmaster Yang, let’s talk about this!” Nanmen Da Jun attempted to grab Yang Kai’s clothes again.
“Feel free to consider my offer, I won’t force you,” With a flicker, Yang Kai ran far away. Although both of them were First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, Nanmen Da Jun majored in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so it was natural that he could not catch up with Yang Kai.
Seeing Yang Kai disappear from sight, Nanmen Da Jun could not help stomping his foot, feeling annoyed.
Inside Ice Heart Valley, beautiful young women and girls lingered everywhere. Although Ice Heart Valley suffered a great disaster last time, they became more united than ever once the crisis passed. Wherever Yang Kai went, he saw female disciples cultivating and exchanging pointers with each other to improve their strength.
After seeing Yang Kai, all of them would stop and salute respectfully though, greeting him as Senior Yang.
All of them seemed to recognize Yang Kai; but that wasn’t a surprise as it was Yang Kai who strove to turn the tide and saved Ice Heart Valley from the disaster of destruction. Although many of the disciples had not seen Yang Kai’s true face before, they had seen plenty of images of him.
Sure enough, he was really a young and handsome figure. Therefore, these young ladies could not keep their eyes off of him.
Some of them were even more daring as they actually coquettishly flirted with Yang Kai with their eyes, making him sweat a little to himself.
Ice Heart Valley was indeed a good place, but it was all women here and lacked any male presence. Many disciples lived in the valley since very young and had never stepped foot out of the valley, never even seeing what a man looked like.
Yang Kai thought he could arrange for a few marriages with Ice Heart Valley when High Heaven Palace became stronger in the future. This bevvy of women from Ice Heart Valley was a bit pitiful to never know the love of a man.
[Not a bad idea, I believe Senior Bing Yun will not reject it; after all, Ice Heart Valley did not forbid their disciples to marry, only insisting that they were not Ice Heart Valley disciples anymore after marriage.]
When he walked to the nave of a certain palace corridor, a figure flashed in front of him. A cold-looking woman suddenly appeared before Yang Kai and nodded slightly at him, “When did you return?”
“Just now. I heard that you were looking for me?” Yang Kai looked at Ji Yao and asked.
“Honoured Master is the one looking for you.” After that remark, Ji Yao’s eyes went towards the shadow behind Yang Kai, wondering, “This is…”
She saw that even though Zhu Qing was petite, she had an astonishing figure and her face was even more breathtaking. At that moment, she could not help comparing herself with Zhu Qing.
Yang Kai actually brought back such a stunning woman after going out for only a few months, and they seemed to be quite close, otherwise, why would he bring her to Ice Heart Valley?
For some reason, Ji Yao felt angry about it.
“Don’t pay her any mind!” Yang Kai was too lazy to even introduce Zhu Qing to Ji Yao, not to mention the identity of this Dragon Girl was really too alarming to openly discuss.
Ji Yao glanced at Yang Kai, narrowed her eyes for a moment, then spat in a cold tone lacking all her previous warmth, “Come with me.”
He was now even too lazy to introduce this woman to her. Why did he become so distant after a few months? Was it because he no longer thought about her?
She turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai quickly caught up and asked, “How have you been recently?”
Ji Yao replied coldly, “Everything is fine.”
Yang Kai was puzzled by the cold treatment he received and scratched his head, deciding to just shut up lest he cause himself trouble.
When they arrived in front of a grand palace, Yang Kai stopped, and looked back at Zhu Qing, “Wait here, Senior Bing Yun and I have something to talk about.”
Zhu Qing looked at him doubtfully, “Will you take this opportunity to run away?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I didn’t do anything wrong, why should I run away?”
Zhu Qing nodded lightly and stood there quietly.
Ji Yao glanced at their interaction and grimaced.
After entering the main hall, Yang Kai saw Bing Yun with a few of her disciples by her side, all of them seemingly discussing something.
Yang Kai went forward to salute her.
But before he could bow, Bing Yun smiled lightly and said, “Don’t be so polite, you’re not an outsider. Have a seat!”
Yang Kai sat down on the side and asked about Liu Xian Yun. He was relieved to learn that she had been cultivating in seclusion as she prepared to break through to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Although Liu Xian Yun came to the Star Boundary from the Grand Desolation Star Field, she had gone through many ups and downs and life or death situations with Yang Kai, so they shared a rather close friendship. Furthermore, it was Yang Kai who recommended her to Ice Heart Valley, so it was natural that he would pay more attention to her.
Then again, Liu Xian Yun was a cultivator who came from the Lower Star Fields and had outstanding talent, so as long as she was provided enough cultivation resources, it was almost a certainty for her to break through to the Emperor Realm. Whether it was for their friendship with Yang Kai, or simply for Liu Xian Yun’s own excellent aptitude, Ice Heart Valley would spare no effort to train her.
“Did you manage to return to the Southern Territory?” Bing Yun asked, remembering that when Yang Kai left last time, he mentioned that he was going back to the Southern Territory.
“Yeah, I just returned.”
Ji Yao came over with a cup of tea, plopped it in front of Yang Kai, and said coldly, “And he also brought back a woman. Senior Brother, don’t you want to invite her in and introduce her to Honoured Master? Maybe we will be seeing her more frequently in the future.”
Bing Yun looked at Ji Yao with some shock while the latter’s Senior and Junior Sisters also stared at her with puzzlement, wondering why Ji Yao released such a strong sense of hostility all over her body.
Quickly, they all released their Divine Senses and indeed found a woman standing outside the palace.
Bing Yun spoke, “Any visitor is our guest. Yang Kai, how can you let her stay alone outside?”
“Senior, don’t worry about her, that woman is very annoying.” Yang Kai could not explain clearly in just a few words.
Ji Yao pressed on, “Senior Brother must have done something bad to her and is now afraid to confront her.”
“I’m afraid of her?” Yang Kai was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, its fur spiking up in irritation, “What a joke!”
Ji Yao glared at Yang Kai, “Does that mean that Senior Brother really did something bad to her?”
“No, don’t talk nonsense,” Yang Kai blushed and quickly picked up his cup and drank the tea to hide his embarrassment.
An Ruo Yun and the others observed his expression from the side, then exchanged looks with each other and nodded lightly, as if they discovered something.
Ji Yao sneered, “So, it’s true.” Then, she turned solemn again, “Senior Brother, if you abandoned a woman after toying with her, I would never talk to you again.”
Yang Kai spewed out a mouthful of tea and cried out helplessly, “I did no such thing! Yao’er, why are you acting so strange today?”
Ji Yao ignored him and turned her back on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai put down his teacup, speechless. He had no idea how to deal with the situation, so he immediately turned to Bing Yun in an attempt to change the topic, “Senior, why were you looking for me?”
Bing Yun nodded, “Do you know the two top Sects, Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace?”
“I think I have heard of them.” Yang Kai frowned and thought for a while, then he clapped his hands, “Are they Northern Territory Sects?”
He had not been active in the Northern Territory for very long, and the scope of his activities was not large, so he did not know about the Northern Territory as much as he did the Southern Territory, only being familiar with Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect.
He could not react at first when he heard about Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace, but on second thought, he quickly recalled that the heritage and strength of these two Sects were on par with the Seeking Passion Sect. They were also top Sects of the Northern Territory, having Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters assuming command.
Yang Kai frowned, “Senior, why did you suddenly mention these two Sects? Is there some issue with them that we must deal with?”
Now that he had established a Sect in the Northern Territory, he would, of course, have dealings with Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace sooner or later as they were at the top of the Northern Territory’s hierarchy. There may even be some competition and friction between them in the future.
These two Sects were different from Ice Heart Valley, which had a deep connection with Yang Kai, so conflict was possible between them.
Bing Yun explained, “In the Star Boundary, the Eastern Territory has the Serene Soul Great Emperor’s Serene Soul Palace, the Southern Territory has the Bright Moon Great Emperor’s Star Soul Palace, and even the Western Territory has the Night Shadow Great Emperor’s Shadow Killer Palace. All the top Sects of those three territories take these Great Emperor Sects as their hegemons and for the most part fall under their command and jurisdiction. Only our Northern Territory has no Great Emperor Sect.”
“Why?” Yang Kai was curious. He did not consider this matter before, but now that he heard Bing Yun mention it, he suddenly realized that it was true.
Bing Yun shook her head, “I don’t know either. Perhaps because many places in the Northern Territory are too cold and do not have as many resources available, so it’s not suitable to establish a grand Sect.” After a pause, she continued, “But even though there is no Great Emperor Sect in our Northern Territory, we still have a Great Emperor here, the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly as he knew about this.
The Wondrous Pill Great Emperor lived in Medicine Pill Valley in the Northern Territory all year round. Now that she mentioned him, Yang Kai remembered that he had obtained the inheritance of Gong Sun Mu before, who was the Third Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. If not for this fortuitous encounter, Yang Kai would not be familiar with the herbs and pills of the Star Boundary. It was precisely because he obtained the jade slip from Gong Sun Mu with all kinds of information that Yang Kai’s advancement on the Alchemic Dao had been so smooth and rapid.
However, at that time when he got the inheritance, a seal that was set by Gong Sun Mu was implanted into his body. In order to remove the seal, he had to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm within a hundred years or pay a visit to the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor to have it dispersed.
The reason Gong Sun Mu did so was that he wanted Yang Kai to bring a message to the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, one that contained Gong Sun Mu’s regrets and repentance, while also asking for the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s forgiveness and Gong Sun Mu’s hopes to be taken back as his disciple.
The seal had not caused any harm to Yang Kai for many years, so he had stopped caring about it at some point. In any case, there was still a long time before a hundred years would pass, and Yang Kai was also confident that he could reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm within that time.
Therefore, there was no need for him to bother the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.
Bing Yun continued, “Over the years, the four top Sects in the Northern Territory have been maintaining a delicate balance. Although Ice Heart Valley had been suppressed when this Queen went missing, our Sect still managed to survive until now; however, the balance has been broken now.”
Without a doubt, the balance was broken due to the annihilation of Seeking Passion Sect.
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “And so?”
Bing Yun chuckled, “It matters not to our Ice Heart Valley. Seeking Passion Sect deserved its fate since the day it chose to take up arms against Ice Heart Valley, but Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace will likely take issue with this new reality.”
Yang Kai wore a vicious look as he asked, “Are they looking for trouble?”
Bing Yun snook her head and explained, “Since you can exterminate Seeking Passion Sect, then you can exterminate Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace too. It’s normal for them to worry.”
“What do they want to do then? Join hands against me?”
Bing Yun laughed, “Without lips, teeth turn cold. It’s normal for people to huddle together in a storm to keep warm. The two Sects have been getting close to each other lately, so perhaps they will begin taking some action soon.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Aren’t they worried that I really will exterminate them?”
Bing Yun warned solemnly, “Birds die for food, people die for wealth. You destroyed Seeking Passion Sect and plundered tens of thousands of years of foundation. It’s only natural that everyone would be jealous. But it may not necessarily be like that, perhaps they are just uniting to deter you, lest you should become ambitious and attempt to dominate the Northern Territory.”
“I don’t have such ambitions,” Yang Kai shook his head. He kept the foundation of Seeking Passion Sect for the sake of the people in his native Star Field. Since when did he think of dominating the Northern Territory? Without the prestige of a Great Emperor, it was impossible to achieve such a thing.
Bing Yun summoned Yang Kai with the intention purely to warn him about this. Seeing that he had his own plans though, she naturally did not press the issue.
Yang Kai suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, “Did those two Sects work with the Seeking Passion Sect to harm Ice Heart Valley last time?”
Bing Yun looked at him and questioned in return, “What do you think?”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding. Even if those Sects did not work with Seeking Passion Sect directly, they had certainly been adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes. If not, how could Seeking Passion Sect recruit so many helpers in such a short time? Perhaps, some of the recruits were disciples of those two Sects.
[Damn it, I wouldn’t have let them all go if I knew this earlier. I should have interrogated them first.]
Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace were top Sects in the Northern Territory, and they should have a lot of wealth stashed away.
Whether it was openly or secretly, it was perfectly normal to have strife between big Sects. They obviously did not care about the balance since they chose to help the Seeking Passion Sect in destroying Ice Heart Valley, and now they were worried because Yang Kai had occupied the territory of the Seeking Passion Sect and demonstrated such strong capability.
[Just don’t disturb me. If you two dare to disturb me, I will show no mercy.] Yang Kai secretly declared.
After staying in Ice Heart Valley for a while, Yang Kai bid farewell and left.
Ji Yao did not respond to him when he said goodbye, which depressed him somewhat, for he had no idea how he had offended her.
Snow was falling outside the hall, and Zhu Qing did not use her strength to shield herself, resulting in her being covered in snow. Furthermore, there was an ugly snowman as tall as a man beside her.
“You’ve been standing here all this time?” Yang Kai looked at her curiously. Even though he told her to wait for him, he did not ask her to just stand there.
Zhu Qing did not answer, but pointed at the ugly snowman next to her, “This is you!”
“You mean you!” Yang Kai rolled his eyes and kicked the snowman to pieces before he left with his hands clasped behind his back.
Zhu Qing immediately caught up with him.
Upon returning to the Space Array on the Ice Lake Island, they saw Nanmen Da Jun still waiting there with a hesitant look.
Yang Kai retorted, “Be decisive like a man, or you will never achieve true success!”
Nanmen Da Jun rebuked, “I’m an Array Grandmaster of the generation. How could you insult me like this!?”
Yang Kai sneered, and pointed at the Space Array, “If you can arrange one, I will admit that you are an Array Grandmaster!”
Nanmen Da Jun immediately shut up, his face turning red.
Yang Kai remarked impatiently, “Forget it, our High Heaven Palace doesn’t need a superficial Array Master anyway.” Then, he turned around and stepped onto the Space Array.
Nanmen Da Jun suddenly grabbed his clothes again.
Yang Kai looked back at him and saw that Nanmen Da Jun raised a finger in front of his scarlet face, “Ten years! I will leave High Heaven Palace after ten years!”
Yang Kai snickered, “You’re still bargaining with me?”
“Just ten years! Forget about it if you want more than that.” Nanmen Da Jun looked resolute.
“Good, ten years it is! Come on up!” Yang Kai gestured to him.
Nanmen Da Jun sighed heavily and got on the Space Array, dejected as if he just betrayed himself.
After returning to High Heaven Palace, the three Monster Kings were nowhere to be found.
No one was guarding the Space Array.
Seeing this, Yang Kai could not help frowning. Although the Space Array that he arranged usually would not have any problems and it was also impossible for others to invade the Sect through it, there should still be at least one person guarding here.
[I need a manager for this place.] Several faces floated in Yang Kai’s mind before he quickly made up his mind.
“Find your own place to live.” Yang Kai gave an order to Nanmen Da Jun.
Nanmen Da Jun nodded, “Right, Palace Master, what will my status be in High Heaven Palace?”
“Chief Array Master, didn’t I tell you?” Yang Kai waved his hand, “When you’re free, walk around and check which array needs maintenance or refinement. Act with a free hand.”
“Good, good, good!” Nanmen Da Jun nodded his head vigorously.
Yang Kai then turned around and pointed at Zhu Qing, “You, don’t follow me.”
With a fluctuation of Space Principles, Yang Kai instantly disappeared.
Zhu Qing stomped her foot and scanned around with her Divine Sense, but she could not find Yang Kai.
After reaching the palace of the Main Peak, Yang Kai flashed inside and sat down cross-legged.
Although High Heaven Palace was small in population now, it had become quite famous. More importantly, he had settled the matter regarding the Puppet Dao and Dao of Spirit Arrays, so his friends and family would have no trouble studying these paths when they came in the future. In the long run, this would be of great benefit to the development of High Heaven Palace and the growth of its disciples.
As for the ten-years agreement of Nanmen Da Jun, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about it at all.
No one knew what would happen in ten years. By that time, Nanmen Da Jun may not be able to leave even if he wanted to.
Elated, Yang Kai took out a huge pile of High-Rank Source Crystals from his Space Ring and piled them up beside him. The World Energy in his room surged rapidly. Currently, using Low-Rank or Mid-Rank Source Crystal to cultivate was completely useless to Yang Kai as he was already an Emperor Realm Master, only High-Rank Source Crystals were beneficial to him now.
Yang Kai had more than one billion High-Rank Source Crystals with him though, making him filthy rich, so ordinary cultivation was not even an expense to him anymore.
His body crackled excitedly as his meridians and physique tensed and relaxed. A large amount of World Energy was absorbed into Yang Kai’s body as he circulated his Secret Art and refined it into his own strength.
At the same time, he also took out the Golden Armour Heavenly Book and put some effort into refining it.
The Golden Armour Heavenly Book possessed outstanding power, and if Yang Kai could refine it, it would definitely provide a big boost to his combat strength. With the various abilities of the Heavenly Book, Yang Kai would not be at a disadvantage facing any kind of enemy in the future.
However, this artifact was really difficult to refine, and it would certainly consume a lot of time and effort.
As time passed, a steady stream of World Energy rushed into Yang Kai through his pores and breathing. His Emperor Qi and Spiritual Energy also poured into the Golden Armour Heavenly Book at a steady rate, attempting to leave his Soul Imprint on it.
Yang Kai refined it for three months.
But when he opened his eyes, a trace of helplessness appeared on his face.
The refining progress of the Golden Armour Heavenly Book was pretty good, he had now branded his own Soul Imprint onto this Emperor Artifact and could trigger a few of its abilities, but he still could not control the Golden Armour Heavenly Book with high proficiency like Tan Jun Hao could. Regardless, it gave him some extra cards to handle his enemies.
What dejected him though was in fact his own cultivation.
He had reached the peak of the First-Order Emperor Realm, and clearly felt that he was just a half-step away from the Second-Order, but there seemed to be a giant wall that hindered him from reaching it.
His Emperor Qi was indeed purer and more vigorous after refining millions of High-Rank Source Crystals, but his cultivation remained the same.
He did not feel anxious though, because the biggest taboo in cultivating was rushing.
He was still young and had a lot of time. Compared with those Emperor Realm Masters who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, his youth gave him a matchless superiority over them.
There was a saying, ‘youth is capital.’ Yang Kai did not lack time, so there was nothing to worry about.
Therefore, he put aside his cultivation temporarily and focused on the management of High Heaven Palace; he was the Palace Master after all. Even though the Sect did not have many disciples yet, there were a few hundred people taking shelter here. As a host, Yang Kai felt he had to do his best to arrange things well for them, so that they came to feel like this place was their home, hopefully to the point where their hearts became tied to this place…
Although he had such intentions, Yang Kai did not know where to start when he really had to take action.
Last time, when he established High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star, he did not place much attention on management as he simply left everything to Ye Xi Yun. He was used to having a competent subordinate who could handle all the administrative matters for him, making him realize just how unsuited he was for this job.
In the end, he decided to visit the Thousand Leaves Sect disciples, thinking he could ask Ye Hen for some advice, seeing as he had experience as a Sect Master.
At this moment, all the Thousand Leaves Sect disciples had taken up residence on one of the Main Peaks with rich World Energy. There were more than a dozen Main Peaks like this in High Heaven Palace, and since they had no idea what the name of this particular peak was, they just called it Thousand Leaves Peak for now. It was just merely a name, so no one really cared about it.
When Yang Kai arrived at this place, he found that everything was in order. None of the five hundred disciples was idling as they were all either cultivating, exchanging pointers, or refining puppets.
As the Eldest Senior Brother, Du Xian was giving lectures in the main square, explaining the key points and essentials of Puppet Arts. A group of Thousand Leaves Sect disciples with low cultivations were mesmerized by his teachings, shaking their heads in awe with their eyes full of worship.
Yang Kai listened for a while, but it was enigmatic to him and he had no idea what Du Xian was talking about.
It was fine that he did not understand though, because many of these people may become High Heaven Palace disciples in the future. [En, this little fat boy who is shaking his head seems to look gifted. He should have his own opinions on Puppet Arts.]
[Let’s wait for him to grow up more, then I shall bribe him with benefits. I don’t believe he won’t accept and bow to me if I spoke to him with reason and compassion. At that time, when he becomes a disciple of High Heaven Palace, I think Ye Hen won’t say anything about it either.]
The voice suddenly stopped, and Du Xian shouted, “Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai was spotted, but since he didn’t hide in the first place, Du Xian wouldn’t think he wanted to steal Puppet Dao secrets from Thousand Leaves Sect. In fact, if Yang Kai had such intentions, he could have just taken away the ancestral records and books when he first activated the Space Array that led to Emperor Heaven Valley.
Yang Kai nodded and smiled, “I’m just looking around, you may continue your work.”
All the disciples turned around, got up together, and saluted respectfully, “Greetings, Senior Yang!”
They had the chance to cultivate here thanks to Yang Kai’s blessing. Knowing that Yang Kai was the owner of this place, how could they be disrespectful to him?
“Sit, sit!” Yang Kai waved his hand and felt rather embarrassed. He felt a little guilty for disturbing their lecture because of his leisure visit.
But since he had come, he also felt he should say something. Therefore, he cleared his throat and asked, “Do you all feel comfortable living here?”
Du Xian replied with a smile, “This is an inspiring place which produces outstanding people, rich in World Energy and resources. How can we not like it here? All of us are completely satisfied.”
All the disciples nodded vigorously with bright smiles on their faces. Compared with the original Thousand Leaves Sect, it was a world of difference. Their efficiency of cultivating here was much higher.
“That’s good to hear,” Yang Kai smiled, “Just make yourselves at home.”
After all, one would not think of leaving if they treated this place as their home…
“If you need anything, find Hua Qing Si. Sister Hua is the Head Manager of our High Heaven Palace, in charge of all affairs.”
“Many thanks, Brother Yang!” Du Xian said gratefully, “We will have to trouble Senior Hua in the future then.”
Yang Kai smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
The disciples were excited and marvelled at Yang Kai’s warmth. This person was an Emperor Realm Master, and also a Palace Master, but he did not act haughty at all, even treating their Eldest Senior Brother like his own brother.
The more they looked at him, the more they respected him, and thought that this should be the attitude that an Emperor Realm Master should have. Back then, they always had the impression that Emperor Realm Masters were arrogant and looked down on cultivators below the Emperor Realm like they were ants, bugs that could be crushed at will… Such people were totally unworthy compared to Senior Yang!
“Right!” Du Xian suddenly clapped his hands, and turned to the disciples, “Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, didn’t you always ask this Senior Brother to teach you about his cultivation experiences? It’s not that this Senior Brother doesn’t want to teach you, but this Senior Brother’s strength is poor, and I’m afraid of misleading you. Now that Brother Yang is here, how about we ask Brother Yang to share some of his wisdom with us? Brother Yang is an Emperor Realm Master, and his experiences must be countless times greater than that of this Senior Brother.”
Everyone was dumbfounded for a moment before they shouted yes in unison.
Yang Kai replied stiffly, “But I know nothing about Puppet Arts…”
Du Xian continued with a smile, “Cultivation has nothing to do with puppets. Moreover, stones from other hills could be used to polish a jade here. This Little Brother also wishes to learn from Brother Yang. We hope Brother Yang will not hesitate to give us advice.”
“This…” Yang Kai was a little stunned. Why did he come here in the first place? Why was he suddenly put on the spot like this? Didn’t he just finish establishing a friendly image? If he were to refuse now, wouldn’t his previous efforts be in vain?
“Senior Yang!”
“Senior Yang!”
“Senior Yang!”
The group of Thousand Leaves Sect disciples cheered like a tsunami, their eyes full of expectation and longing.
“Brother Yang, just give us a simple talk.” Du Xian pleaded.
“Alright.” Yang Kai accepted unwillingly, “Then I’ll just say a few words.”
Du Xian was delighted and hurriedly yielded the stage to Yang Kai while he took a seat among the other Thousand Leaves Sect disciples.
Looking at the group of youths with varying cultivations below, Yang Kai could not help feeling a bit nostalgic.
He was once just like them. Along the way, he became stronger step by step, and finally reached the Emperor Realm. However, he was different from them in that he never had a Master Sect, and did not have a Master to teach him. He had fought all alone, risking death many times over. He met various enemies and allies along the way, overcame calamities time after time, enduring great storms until he arrived at this point. He truly lived his own unique style of life.
However… If he had a good mentor or a helpful friend on the path of his growth, he could definitely have avoided many detours.
Who could have anticipated that he would actually stand here today, bearing the title of mentor? No matter how much or how little these younglings benefited from him sharing his experiences today, when they recalled this moment many years later, they would definitely remember that at this wide square in High Heaven Palace, on Thousand Leaves Peak full of grass and trees, he was the one who stood before them and guided their way forward, like a shining beacon in the dark night.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt like he had grown a lot taller!
Initially, he did not know what to say, but he suddenly felt unprecedented clarity in his mind and began, “The reason for cultivators to cultivate through bramble and thistle and risk their lives is for nothing more than two words – Martial Dao!”
“What is the Dao? If there are a hundred parts, the Grand Dao would be fifty, the vast Heavens would be forty-nine. There are three thousand paths of the Grand Dao, each of which winds on infinitely.”
“Some people say that struggle is the Dao, others say that arts are the Dao. Some say that nature, the trees, rivers, and lakes are the Dao, some even claim the ants on the floor are the Dao!”
“If you ask me though, I would say that I am the Dao. Wherever I am, there exists the Dao!”
…..
His voice was not loud, but it was clearly transmitted to everyone’s ears. It seemed that it contained a profound magic, hypnotizing the listeners involuntarily. Listening to Yang Kai’s voice, it was as if a magnificent scroll with vast paintings slowly unfurled before everyone. Sometimes they would feel palpitations, sometimes ecstasy, and sometimes helplessness.
Standing there, Yang Kai seemed to embody the essence of thousands of cultivators who pursued the Martial Dao and fought one another to build the bright era they lived in and strove to achieve.
At first, there were less than one hundred Thousand Leaves Sect disciples gathered before him.
However, as time passed, the crowd became larger and larger. More and more people quickly rushed here upon hearing his voice, sat down cross-legged, and listened attentively.
An hour later, nearly five hundred people sat before Yang Kai, almost all the Thousand Leaves Sect disciples besides the few who were in secluded retreat.
Even though Yang Kai had no teacher to guide him throughout his cultivation journey, he still managed to reach the Emperor Realm. Therefore, he definitely had his own unique perspective and experiences.
However, he did not teach these youths about those experiences as Du Xian had pleaded before. Instead, he eloquently laid out to them his personal views on the meaning of cultivation itself. Rather than teaching by giving examples, it was more like he was sharing his comprehensions, allowing them to gain their own enlightenment from his musings.
Some people who understood wore thoughtful expressions, while others frowned, feeling that Yang Kai was babbling and talking all kinds of nonsense, for his teaching was full of irrelevant answers and questions. Despite thinking so, they dared not to have the slightest doubt. They all believed that the reason they could not understand what Yang Kai was saying was that they had yet to reach a sufficient level to comprehend his words, secretly feeling annoyed. [An Emperor Realm Master is indeed different. It’s still understandable if you listen to his words one by one, but when they are strung together, they become mysterious and ethereal.]
“Walk your own path, and make your own Dao. Following another’s way will only leave you pursuing behind them forever!” Yang Kai wiped his mouth, and it seemed like he was not finished yet. He looked around, and asked, “Do you understand?”
The whole audience was silent. No one dared to say that they understood.
All of a sudden, World Energy surged, thunder roared, and lightning flashed in the sky. Black clouds shrouded the top of Thousand Leaves Peak, while a World Energy funnel began to form as the Power of Heaven and Earth gathered slowly.
“En, it seems someone understands!” Yang Kai turned to the peak and grinned.
“Sister Hua, from now on, you will be the Head Manager of our High Heaven Palace. Above you are the Great Elders, while below you are the disciples at all levels who shall be under your jurisdiction and shall listen to your orders!” Yang Kai patted Hua Qing Si on the shoulder and looked at her solemnly.
Confused, Hua Qing Si blinked her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering.
“Come, come. There are two hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals, three billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals, ten billion Low-Rank Source Crystals, and various other materials in this ring. Take this first. These cultivation resources are now under your management too.”
Then, he stuffed a Space Ring into Hua Qing Si’s hands.
“Wait!!” Hua Qing Si shouted as she frowned at Yang Kai, “Since when did I become the Head Manager of your High Heaven Palace?”
She bumped into Yang Kai on her way to check on the movement that she sensed from Thousand Leaves Peak. Then, all of a sudden, she had a Space Ring with enormous wealth stuffed into her hands together with a bunch of inexplicable words.
“I already told you, ‘from now on!’” Yang Kai looked at her seriously, with a demeanour of handing over the important task of maintaining the peace of the Sect and the leading of the Sect to glory to her.
“Why should I be a Head Manager?” Hua Qing Si retorted.
Yang Kai replied solemnly, “I’ve considered it carefully before making this decision. No one throughout the whole of High Heaven Palace is more suitable for this position than you. Sister Hua, this Palace Master is depending on you. This is a very important position, please don’t let this Palace Master down.”
“What do you mean by the whole of High Heaven Palace?” Hua Qing Si pursed her lips, “There aren’t even ten people in this Sect in total!”
Apart from the Thousand Leaves Sect disciples who were essentially refugees here, the only real inhabitants of High Heaven Palace now were the three Monster Kings as Honoured Guest Elders, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, Gui Zu, and Gu Cang Yun.
Yang Kai scratched his face awkwardly and continued to persuade, “Everything is difficult at the beginning. There will be many people in the future, so you can try practising your management skills to start…”
“Who can I practice on?” Hua Qing Si looked at him contemptuously.
Yang Kai pointed in the direction of Thousand Leaves Sect, “Aren’t there a few hundred people over there?”
“They don’t belong to High Heaven Palace.”
“That’s true for now, but it won’t necessarily be true in the future,” Yang Kai grinned.
Hua Qing Si swept her eyes up and down him before raising a brow and asking, “Oh, you want to snatch their disciples?”
Yang Kai denied with a straight face, “Nonsense. This Palace Master would never do something so despicable. However, it’s normal that people would strive hard to reach higher heights. If they wanted to stay and become our High Heaven Palace’s disciples, I wouldn’t reject them. Of course, if Sister Hua can manage to keep all of Thousand Leaves Sect here… it would be for the best.”
Hua Qing Si nodded, “What you said is reasonable. Thousand Leaves Sect’s Puppet Dao is truly amazing. It would be a good thing if we could acquire it.”
Yang Kai was delighted, “Isn’t that right? Then this task is in your hands.”
“Fine, I don’t have anything to do lately anyway. I will try, but where should I start?”
Yang Kai pursed his lips, “Didn’t I just give you so many Source Crystals? Just pound them with them! Their Sect was just destroyed and they definitely need many Source Crystals to cultivate. I don’t believe they won’t give in.”
Hua Qing Si glared angrily at him, “Your Source Crystals did not just appear from thin air! How can you give them out for no reason? However, if they make some kind of contribution to High Heaven Palace, perhaps I can reward some Source Crystals to them.”
“Good, good, good!” Yang Kai was overjoyed, because his Sister Hua was already beginning to consider the good of High Heaven Palace just after assuming the position of Head Manager. He indeed did not pick the wrong person! Since she was born in Star Soul Palace, she would certainly be more familiar with the management of a big Sect than the others here. She was the best choice to take charge of the early development of High Heaven Palace.
“Do whatever you feel is best. This Palace Master grants you free reign!” Yang Kai was gratified.
Hua Qing Si snorted, “If I do well in this job, you have to reward me too! If you want a horse to run, you must let it graze well.”
“Yes, yes, yes, you can have any reward you want at that time,” Yang Kai quickly promised.
“Remember what you said,” Hua Qing Si smiled then turned to Thousand Leaves Peak, “Is it Ye Hen who is breaking through to the Emperor Realm?”
“Who else could it be?” Yang Kai looked over in that direction too.
At this moment, World Energy had gathered atop Thousand Leaves Peak and was now crashing down in great streams like an astonishing dance of dragons.
Hua Qing Si asked curiously, “I remember Ye Hen just started to cultivate in retreat not long ago. How did he reach this point so quickly?”
“Maybe he stepped onto his own Dao.” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“His own Dao…” Hua Qing Si thought deeply before a light flashed across her beautiful eyes, “I’ll go and have a look. Do you want to go too?”
Yang Kai shook his head. He just came back from there and already knew about Ye Hen’s situation, so he did not need to check again. However, it was good for Hua Qing Si to check it out. As High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager, this crucial moment when Ye Hen was breaking through to the Emperor Realm was also the greatest time to win the people’s hearts.
Five Saints Peak, a Main Peak where Chi Yue and the others had settled.
The so-called ‘Five Saints’ referred to their five sworn brothers and sister of different surnames. Although Chai Hu was missing, Gui Zu and the others had not forgotten to include him.
When Yang Kai arrived, the four of them seemed to be cultivating in retreat.
The four of them were just First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators when they were first reunited with Yang Kai in Sky Crane City. After a few years of cultivation in Thousand Leaves Sect, all of them had reached the peak of the First-Order.
After all, the cultivation environment in Thousand Leaves Sect was not bad, but also not excellent.
On the contrary, Five Saints Peak provided them with an amazing cultivation paradise, one even better than Thousand Leaves Peak. The peak was extremely tall and grand, a magnificent mountain in every sense. The four of them were like fishes returning to the sea here, living carefreely as they cultivated.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to alert the four of them as he arrived at the palace at the top of the peak with a flicker.
Although nobody had been cleaning this place all this time, the palace was still spotless because of the maintenance Spirit Arrays.
It did not take long until several figures emerged from the outside.
“Palace Master!” The four cupped their fists.
Although Chi Yue and Ai Ou were technically Yang Kai’s Seniors, since they had joined High Heaven Palace, they naturally had to abide by the rules of High Heaven Palace.
“Have a seat!” Yang Kai gestured as he too sat cross-legged directly on the floor of the palace.
The four exchanged looks, then sat on the ground one after another without much thought about it, forming a small circle.
With a swing of Yang Kai’s hand, four space rings flew towards the four of them.
“There are twenty million High-Rank Source Crystals, one hundred million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, one billion Low-Rank Source Crystals, and some Spirit Pills that I refined in these rings. Use these resources to cultivate for now, and if it’s not enough, find Hua Qing Si. She has some Source Crystals with her.” Yang Kai explained.
Everyone’s eyes lit up and kept the rings with them without hesitation.
They were people who came from the same Star Field as Yang Kai, so there was no need to be polite. However, they were still shocked by Yang Kai’s generous gift. They had been worrying about cultivation resources ever since they arrived in the Star Boundary. Even after taking up residence in Thousand Leaves Sect, their resources were somewhat scarce, but Yang Kai just gave them a massive amount of wealth to spend.
Compared to him, they were poorer than beggars.
Such a tremendous amount of Source Crystals would be sufficient for them to cultivate for several dozen, or even several hundred years. Each of them was exhilarated and sighed that their hard days had finally come to an end.
“You all suffered a lot over the years since you came to Star Boundary with me. Your cultivations have even lagged behind, so quickly use these to improve your strength without worrying about other things. I believe you won’t want to be surpassed by the people from our Star Field who will come here in the future.”
“How is that possible for those little brats?” Ai Ou curled his lip.
He was among the most powerful Masters in their native Star Field, so even if they came here, there was no way for them to cultivate faster than him.
Chi Yue responded with a smile, “Second Brother, don’t be overconfident. Yang Boy cultivated a lot faster than us.”
Ai Ou became embarrassed, “Who can compare with him?”
They came to the Star Boundary together, but Yang Kai was already a First-Order Emperor Realm Master while they were still First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, an entire Great Realm of difference. But could such a discrepancy be only due to a difference in resources?
“Being anxious won’t help in cultivation,” Gu Cang Yun smiled wryly.
Gui Zu nodded at the side.
Yang Kai pressed on, “En, that’s why I prepared a great blessing for all of you!”
The four of them held the Space Rings between their fingers and asked in confusion, “Isn’t it this?”
Yang Kai grinned before he stretched out his hand and summoned a number of big banners full of Yin Qi into his palm. The Yin Qi of these banners trembled fiercely while emitting cries and howls, making everyone feel uneasy.
Only the ghost fire in Gui Zu’s eyes flared up as he asked in pleasant surprise, “This is…”
“Netherworld Purgatory Banners from the Netherworld Sect in the Eastern Territory!” Yang Kai stated.
The few Netherworld Purgatory Banners in his hand were loot he collected from the people of the Netherworld Sect whom he killed. One of the banners was even an Emperor Artifact, originally belonging to Netherworld Sect’s Elder Hua Fei Chen. The rest were not Emperor Artifacts, but they were at least Dao Source Grade.
Netherworld Sect disciples started to Soul Feed their Netherworld Purgatory Banners when they joined the Sect. Therefore, these things were their Natal Artifacts, their lives tied together.
These things would be useless in the hands of others, but Gui Zu was an exception.
Although Yang Kai had no clue about Gui Zu’s Secret Art, he knew that it was definitely similar to the Secret Arts of the Netherworld Sect. Gui Zu’s original artifact was the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, which was also similar to these Netherworld Purgatory Banners.
Therefore, Yang Kai had been keeping these few Netherworld Purgatory Banners with him all this time, just waiting for the right moment to pass them to Gui Zu to help him to improve his strength.
Trembling, Gui Zu accepted the few Netherworld Purgatory Banners from Yang Kai’s hands. The Ghost Qi in Gui Zu surged on contact as the ghost fire in his eyes brightened significantly. Even though he hadn’t even refined them yet, he instinctively felt that these Netherworld Purgatory Banners would be of great use to him.
“Take these too,” Yang Kai took out a few jade slips and gave them to Gui Zu.
Gui Zu received and scanned them curiously with his Divine Sense, soon shouting in a thrilled voice, “Good, good, good. With these, this Old Master can break through to the Second-Order Dao Source Realm soon!”
The records in those jade slips were nothing else but information related to some Secret Arts and Secret Techniques of the Netherworld Sect, which were notably suitable for Gui Zu. With these records complementing the few Netherworld Purgatory Banners, Gui Zu’s strength could certainly soar in a short time.
Source Crystals and pills were auxiliary aids, in the end, the true capital of a cultivator lay in their Secret Arts. After Gui Zu obtained the Secret Arts and Techniques of the Netherworld Sect, he was naturally overjoyed. Now this was a real gift!
Yang Kai turned to look at Chi Yue next.
Chi Yue pursed her lips and smiled, “There aren’t many Secret Arts for the Monster Race to cultivate, so don’t tell me you have one prepared for me too.”
“Indeed I don’t, but I do have this,” Yang Kai stretched out his palm and a small mound appeared in front of him. As soon as this pile appeared, Monster Qi filled the hall in a flash, surprising everyone.
“Monster Cores!” Chi Yue exclaimed as she picked up one of the Monster Cores and examined it, her face changing greatly as she shouted, “A Twelfth-Order Monster Core!”
Twelfth-Order Monster Cores were Monster Cores that formed in the bodies of Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts, equivalent to human Emperor Realm Masters.
Any such Monster Core was worth a lot of money and was so rare that an average cultivator may not even see one in their entire life.
“This is also a Twelfth-Order Monster Core,” Ai Ou also picked another up and commented in shock.
“This one is Tenth-Order, this one is Eleventh-Order…”
There were just over a thousand Monster Cores in this pile, all of them being Tenth-Order or above, with at least ten percent being Twelfth-Order, a terrifying amount.
“I know the Monster Race cultivates differently from Humans, but with the help of these Monster Cores, Senior should be able to obtain twice the results with half the effort in the future,” Yang Kai said to Chi Yue.
Chi Yue was dizzy at the sight of those Monster Cores and asked in disbelief, “Where did you obtain so many Monster Cores?”
“I picked them up!” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Chi Yue couldn’t help but glare at him and snort.
How could one simply pick up treasures like these? She thought Yang Kai was talking nonsense.
But in truth, Yang Kai really did just pick them up. He found more than a million Monster Cores in the Ten Thousand Spirits Tomb in the Ancient Wild Lands, so what was a thousand of them worth? If Chi Yue knew the real number of Monster Cores that Yang Kai had, she would probably go crazy.
The only place where such a humongous amount of Monster Cores could be found would be in the Ten Thousand Spirits Tomb of the Ancient Land.
Without further questions though, Chi Yue put away the Monster Cores excitedly. As Yang Kai said, the Monster Race cultivated differently from Humans. Most of them consumed World Energy directly or refined the Monster Cores of other Monster Beasts and Monster Race.
With so many Monster Cores, Chi Yue would definitely be able to cultivate swiftly in the future.
“Senior Gu. These Sword Dao Secret Techniques should be appropriate for your current cultivation, cultivate these for now. I’ll help you look for better ones in the future,” Yang Kai then took out a few jade slips and handed them to Gu Cang Yun.
Gu Cang Yun was the Union Master of Sword Union back in their native Star Field and cultivated the Sword Dao, so these Sword Dao Secret Techniques were undoubtedly the most suitable for him.
Yang Kai had killed many Emperor Realm Masters and obtained too many spoils of war over the years, so it was naturally not difficult to find some good Sword Dao Secret Techniques among his loot.
Gu Cang Yun took a look and his eyes brightened, “These are much more profound than what this Gu has been cultivating so far.”
The Sword Dao Techniques he had previously come in contact with were at Dao Source Grade at best, but what Yang Kai brought out were all remnants from Emperor Realm Masters, so they were naturally much more advanced than what he himself had been cultivating.
Finally, it was Ai Ou’s turn. Yang Kai also gave him several sets of matching Secret Arts and Secret Techniques.
Everyone was delighted and felt as if they had received upgrades, instantly reaching a whole new level.
But Yang Kai wasn’t finished yet. He next took out a number of Star Sources, shocking the crowd completely this time.
It had to be known that Star Sources were only formed within Cultivation Stars, and a complete Star Source was equivalent to a Cultivation Star’s core essence. They had all lived in the Star Boundary for some years now and knew that such a treasure was extremely rare here.
Chi Yue and the others always felt regret that they didn’t make the decision to refine a Star Source back in their native Star Field. Now that they had come to the Star Boundary, they felt they would never have a chance to do so.
But refining a Star Source during that time was too dangerous, so none of them could find the determination to risk it. Only Ai Ou succeeded in this endeavour.
But now, Yang Kai just took out Star Sources like candy and handed one to each of them, along with the Star Refining Art.
Ai Ou himself was already a Star Master, so he did not need a Star Source.
After making some preparations, Yang Kai stood guard for Chi Yue, Gui Zu, and Gu Cang Yun while they refined these Star Sources.
Three days later, the three of them opened their eyes one after the other, delighted expressions on their faces. With these Star Sources, it would become easier for them to comprehend the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, as well as Principle Strength, which would be of great benefit to their future cultivation.
Yang Kai’s actions today were enough to help them increase the efficiency of their cultivation by ten times or even a hundred times, saving them a great deal of time and effort from now on.
“En, if there is anything you don’t understand or are confused about in cultivation, we can discuss it together.” After passing out the gifts, Yang Kai looked around the four of them.
They understood that this discussion Yang Kai spoke of was merely a modest statement. In truth, he would be the one helping them by answering their questions regarding cultivation.
So, they did not hesitate and all voiced their questions.
Inside the hall, questions and answers flowed like a stream, and time slowly went by.
“Is everyone dead in there? Get out here now!”
It was not known how long had passed when a voice suddenly echoed from outside High Heaven Palace. The speaker seemed to have gathered up his power before he shouted, so his voice would sound across hundreds of kilometres, ringing through the mountains.
Yang Kai frowned and turned his head towards the direction of the main gate, silently extending his Divine Sense over to investigate.
Outside the main gate, in front of the Sect Defending Array, an exquisitely-crafted ship floated mid-air. This ship was extremely ornate, and even though it was not an Emperor Artifact, it was still Dao Source Grade High-Rank. A large flag was hung on the mast of the ship with the character ‘medicine’ emblazoned on it.
At this moment, a young teen around the age of only fifteen or sixteen stood on the deck gazing towards High Heaven Palace’s inscribed tablet with an annoyed look on his face.
Even though he was young, he still had First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, which amazed Yang Kai.
That shout just now obviously came from him, but he had no idea what sort of Secret Technique or artifact he used to make his voice carry so far.
[Where did this little brat come from? Daring to behave in such a way in front of my High Heaven Palace as just a First-Order Dao Source Realm!] Yang Kai had a strange look on his face.
Right at that moment, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something and took out his communication artifact. After a quick check, he saw Hua Qing Si’s message, “Palace Master, someone seems to have come looking for trouble.”
She had quite obviously heard the young man’s voice as well.
Using his Divine Sense, Yang Ki responded, “He’s just a brat. You take care of it.”
Now that Hua Qing Si was the Big Manager of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai naturally did not intend to deal with this matter personally. What’s more, the other party was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. Yang Kai had no idea what sort of backing this brat had, so it would be best to let Hua Qing Si handle it.
Chi Yue and the others all asked after they saw him using the communication artifact for a while, “What happened?”
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Let’s continue!” Yang Kai put the communication artifact away as he said so.
Seeing his reaction, the others didn’t ask anything more and continued asking Yang Kai questions about their cultivations.
After a while, Yang Kai suddenly frowned and took out the communication artifact again. Checking it using his Divine Sense, an astonished expression was instantly revealed on his face.
“If something has happened, then Palace Master should go and take care of it. High Heaven Palace was founded not long ago, so we ought not to make enemies so easily,” Ai Ou said.
“En, I’ll go take a look.” Yang Kai nodded and stood up before leaving the hall in a flash.
After several flickers, he arrived outside the Sect’s main gate.
Hua Qing Si was currently there, looking at that young man on the other side of the array, but what surprised Yang Kai was the fact that this First-Order Dao Source Realm kid actually wasn’t the slightest bit meek in front of the Emperor Realm Hua Qing Si. Instead, he had a prideful look on his face.
When he saw Yang Kai appear, the boy swept his eyes over him and asked casually, “He’s the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace?”
“Yes,” Hua Qing Si nodded, “This is our High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master, Yang Kai. Speak as you wish.”
“Hmph, nothing much, I was wondering if he had three heads and six arms,” the young man smiled with contempt.
This strange haughty attitude made Yang Kai inexplicably angry, but he also didn’t want to lower himself to the same level as this boy so he simply laughed the other’s attitude off and asked, “You say you come from Medicine Pill Valley? What proof do you have?”
It was because Hua Qing Si sent a message saying this young man claimed to be a disciple of Medicine Pill Valley that Yang Kai rushed over.
The young man did not answer directly, instead just pointed to the flag behind him and coldly snorting, “Are you blind? Can’t you see this?”
Yang Kai’s forehead veins throbbed as he almost had the impulse to beat this brat up, but thinking that he might really come from Medicine Pill Valley, Yang Kai endured this urge and quickly said, “What can a single word prove? What a joke!”
The young man couldn’t help but widen his eyes and stared at Yang Kai with a strange look, “From under what rock did a turtle like you crawl out? Can’t you even recognize the mark of our Medicine Pill Valley? You actually had the face to found a Sect here?!”
[He… actually called me a turtle!]
Yang Kai could feel anger boiling in his chest, rising to his throat like magma in a volcano that was about to explode. Only after taking a few deep breaths was he able to calm himself down.
But the young man didn’t notice his reaction and jumped up to the mast, grabbed the flag, and unfurled it grandly while proclaiming, “Open your eyes and look closely! Everyone in the entire Northern Territory recognizes this flag!”
“Heh…” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and nodded lightly, “Now this Palace Master recognizes it.”
He transmitted his voice to Hua Qing Si, “I really want to punch this little brat.”
Hua Qing Si was shocked and quickly responded, “Please don’t be impulsive, Palace Master. If he really does come from Medicine Pill Valley, then we definitely cannot offend him. We still have to eke out a living in the Northern Territory in the future!”
“If I didn’t know that, why would I have to put up with him until now!” Yang Kai was indignant.
A young man waving a big flag with the character ‘medicine’ on it was not enough to scare Yang Kai.
But the name Medicine Pill Valley really did carry some weight.
This couldn’t be helped as this was the retreat of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. It was a Holy Land in the hearts of billions of cultivators throughout the Northern Territory!
Even though the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor did not involve himself in worldly affairs nor establish a Great Emperor Sect like the other Great Emperors, instead choosing to live in seclusion in Medicine Pill Valley along with a few disciples, this did not prevent the cultivators in the Northern Territory from revering and worshipping him.
If one offended the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor or Medicine Pill Valley in the Northern Territory, then they would definitely have a grim future. Not to mention the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor with his supreme cultivation, the cultivators of the Northern Territory themselves would not tolerate him being insulted.
The young man jumped down from the mast and stood on the deck again, standing akimbo and saying in a domineering tone, “Good! You’d best remember it well. You never know, you may have need of us in the future!”
“Dealings? What kind of dealings?” Yang Kai’s face dimmed slightly.
He did have some admiration for Medicine Pill Valley. On top of that, he had received the inheritance of Gong Sun Mu, the Third Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, which more or less connected him to Medicine Pill Valley. Even without such a connection though, the mere presence of a Great Emperor would be enough for Yang Kai to take seriously.
But naturally, before that…
If the people of Medicine Pill Valley were all as arrogant and unruly as this young man, then they weren’t worth Yang Kai’s concern.
“You will naturally know when the time comes,” the young man responded impatiently.
Yang Kai frowned, “If you are from Medicine Pill Valley, then what have you come to my High Heaven Palace for?”
High Heaven Palace had just been founded and had no relation to Medicine Pill Valley whatsoever; so, Yang Kai was naturally surprised at this sudden visit.
“You think I wanted to come here?” The young man laughed scornfully and cupped his fists, bowing sideways to the air and saying aloud, “On my Honoured Master’s orders, I have come here to purchase Spirit Herbs!”
“Purchase Spirit Herbs?”
Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si looked at each other, both confused.
“This little brat isn’t sick in the head, is he? Coming here to my High Heaven Palace to buy herbs?” Yang Kai secretly communicated.
Hua Qing Si also couldn’t be sure, “There doesn’t seem to be a problem with his request, though he personally is a little irritating.”
“Maybe he does have some sort of problem with his head. Tsk tsk, how pitiful.”
“If he really were sick, then his identity may also be fake.”
“En. That’s possible!”
“Hey, what are the two of you… secretly talking about?” When the young man saw Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si remain silent for a long time, he swept a glance over at them only to discover that there were some Divine Senses fluctuations between them, indicating a secret conversation. Their eyes when they looked over at him also became odd, causing his anger to rise.
“Oh, nothing important,” Yang Kai grinned, “Then, dare I ask this little brother what he comes to buy from my High Heaven Palace?”
The young man flicked his wrist and a jade slip flew straight over.
With a thought, Yang Kai opened a small hole in the Sect Defending Array to allow the jade slip to pass through, grabbing it with his hand.
He probed it with his Divine Sense and was instantly surprised.
This jade slip contained a list of many different types of spirit medicines and spirits grasses. Many of those listed were even Emperor Grade herbs worth a lot of money.
The young man said, “A copy of this list was given to Seeking Passion Sect ten years ago by Honoured Master, informing them to collect them on our behalf. Now, the time allotted by Honoured Master has elapsed so I was ordered to come here to complete the purchase. Do you understand now?”
Yang Kai muttered, “Is this true?”
This young man was not sick in the head and really did come here to buy herbs. However, the herbs he wanted to buy were ones that Seeking Passion Sect had been tasked to collect. The spirit medicines on the list were numerous and of great value, but with Seeking Passion Sect’s connections and power, gathering them within ten years of time was completely possible.
Only, it was a pity that Seeking Passion Sect was destroyed by Yang Kai. As such, it now fell to Yang Kai to fulfil this order.
The young man followed up, “It’s not just Seeking Passion Sect. All top Sects in the Northern Territory have an agreement with us, and the medicine list is updated every ten years. Once time is up, our people from Medicine Pill Valley will come to collect them.”
“All top Sects?” Yang Kai was surprised.
But with some thought, it did make sense. Medicine Pill Valley would save much time and energy by doing this, and as this would forge ties with Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, the top Sects of the Northern Territory would happily comply. By doing this, they helped improve their relationship with Medicine Pill Valley, which put them in a favourable position if they ever needed to request Alchemy services.
The young man nodded, “That’s right. Since you are the one who destroyed the Seeking Passion Sect, then the spirit medicines they spent the past ten years collecting should be with you as well. Give them to me so I can bring them back to my Honoured Master!”
He spoke quite seriously and didn’t seem to be lying, so Yang Kai more or less believed him.
But to be on the safe side, he still said, “Wait here!”
Right now, he was a Palace Master and the other was just a little boy still wet behind the ears who didn’t even have anything on him to prove his identity, so Yang Kai couldn’t just do whatever this brat asked. If he were deceived by him, then that would be too humiliating.
So, Yang Kai figured it would be better to verify things first.
After he said that, he disappeared.
“What are y… Bastard!” The young man was furious. He thought the other party would immediately respectfully invite him in to rest once they heard that he was a disciple of Medicine Pill Valley, serving him the best food and drink. How could he have anticipated being left out in the cold, not even allowed through the front gates. Even the Sect Defending Array was left active, guarding against him like he was some kind of thief.
He couldn’t help but shout, “Good, good! Is this the hospitality of High Heaven Palace? Are you looking down on my Medicine Pill Valley? I will surely report this matter to Honoured Master once I return! Once that happens, don’t even dream about asking for a single pill from my Medicine Pill Valley in the future!”
Hua Qing Si hurriedly tried to appease him, “Please restrain your anger, Young Master, our Palace Master has always been hasty like this, but he does not mean to neglect you.”
Coming from a Great Emperor Sect herself, she knew that standing before the King of Hell was easy, but dealing with little devils was far more difficult. One couldn’t just look at this boy as a First-Order Dao Source Realm junior, for if he really did speak badly about High Heaven Palace when he returned to Medicine Pill Valley, it would cause real trouble.
As the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si naturally wanted to make big things small, and make small things nothing.
“Does not mean to neglect me?” He pointed to the direction where Yang Kai left and complained, “Look at his attitude! How can a person like him become a Palace Master? I don’t think High Heaven Palace has any need to remain in the Northern Territory any longer!”
He was small, but his words were not. He made it sound as if he could kick High Heaven Palace completely out of the Northern Territory with just a few words.
Hua Qing Si was helpless, but she couldn’t retort either lest she add fuel to the fire. She could only watch silently as the young man threw a tantrum.
After going on for a while longer, the young man looked over, sweeping a few glances up and down Hua Qing Si before suddenly smiling, “Big Sister, what is your name?”
Hua Qing Si squeezed out a smile and told him her name.
The young man rubbed his palms together, “Qing Si, a good name! A wonderful name! In my opinion, this High Heaven Palace won’t last long. Big Sister shouldn’t remain here and suffer through its fall. Why not come back to Medicine Pill Valley with me?”
Hua Qing Si laughed, “I don’t know anything about Alchemy, what would I go to Medicine Pill Valley for?”
The young man grinned meaningfully, “Big Sister does not need to know about Alchemy, it’s fine as long as I know Alchemy. As a woman, Big Sister should know how to make the bed and other such tasks, right? If you follow me, I can guarantee that nobody will be able to kick you out of Medicine Pill Valley. After all, I’m a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank Alchemist. In time, there won’t be a problem even for me to advance to become an Emperor Alchemist. Tsk tsk, Elder Sister really is pretty.”
Make the bed…
Hua Qing Si grit her teeth and the smile on her face suddenly cooled. Regardless of anything else, she was still an Emperor Realm Master, but now a little brat at the First-Order Dao Source Realm was actually telling her to follow him and make his bed? What’s more, he was ogling her so unscrupulously with a sordid expression on his face.
If he were anyone else, Hua Qing Si would have gone up and gouged out his eyeballs by now, but since there was a possibility this brat came from Medicine Pill Valley, Hua Qing Si could only swallow her anger no matter how irritated she was.
But the fact that this person was a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank Alchemist did surprise Hua Qing Si somewhat, causing her to sigh in her heart that it was as expected for someone who came from Medicine Pill Valley to be able to achieve so much at such a young age.
“Big Sister should consider my offer well. Opportunities like this don’t come often. This Young Master has a discerning eye, and it’s not like just any woman can attract my attention,” the young man seemed to not sense her distaste in the slightest and went on feeling smug about himself.
Hua Qing Si responded indifferently, “It is this Big Sister’s blessing to receive Little Brother’s kindness, but I’m afraid I cannot accept your good intentions.”
This young brat whose hair hadn’t even sprouted down there yet actually dared to have thoughts about her! Even if she really wanted to find a man, she would find someone like Yang Kai. How could she possibly be with a little bastard like him?
The young man couldn’t help but snort coldly, “Can’t appreciate kindness!”
He had already invited her so sincerely, but this woman actually did not accept right away, it was simply unbelievable.
“Where’s that Yang whatever guy? Why isn’t he back yet?” The young man began to rush her with impatience after being refused by Hua Qing Si.
Hua Qing Si turned away, “Who knows?”
…..
“Huh? Why are you here?” Next to the Space Array, Yang Kai had just appeared when he saw a familiar figure.
Zhu Qing glared at Yang Kai with fire in her eyes, her great peaks heaving up and down as she snarled at him, “You’re avoiding me!”
“That’s not true!” Yang Kai sheepishly denied, “Why would I do that?”
“You’re definitely avoiding me!”
It had been several months and Zhu Qing failed to find a trace of Yang Kai this whole time. If she hadn’t been keeping watch next to the Space Array, she really would have thought that Yang Kai had fled somewhere. Now, her efforts paid off. She finally caught Yang Kai!
“I said I’m not! Why are you spouting so much nonsense?” Yang Kai waved her off impatiently, “Move aside, I need to go out.”
Without saying a word, Zhu Qing stood in front of him and said vigilantly, “Where are you going? I’ll come with you!”
“I’m going to Ice Heart Valley, and I’ll be returning right away,” Yang Kai glared at her, “Why do you want to follow me?”
“Didn’t you just go to Ice Heart Valley? Why are you going again?”
“Someone came, saying he wanted to buy herbs, I’m just going to Ice Heart Valley to ask whether this story is true or not… Damn it, what am I telling you this for?”
While they were talking though, a light suddenly emerged from the Space Array, followed by a blurred figure.
Someone had teleported in.
Yang Kai and Zhu Qing turned to look.
The figure was soon revealed and Ji Yao’s face emerged.
“Yao’er! Just the person I’m looking for. I was just about to head to Ice Heart Valley to ask about something.”
“Hold on, there’s something I have to tell you first,” Ji Yao walked down from the Space Array and said to Yang Kai.
“What is it?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Medicine Pill Valley’s medicine collecting deadline is up. Disciples from Medicine Pill Valley are likely to come in the near future. Honoured Master has given me orders to inform you. If someone were to come, they must be treated with courtesy. You must never offend them. Give them whatever spirit medicines they ask for. You won’t suffer a loss with them.”
“Oh… So it really is true!” Yang Kai scratched his face.
Yang Kai had heard the boy say that Medicine Pill Valley had a cooperative relationship with the top Sects of the Northern Territory, so he immediately had the mind to head to Ice Heart Valley to ask. If it was true, then Ice Heart Valley would definitely know about it. That way, he would be able to confirm that boy’s identity.
But unexpectedly, Ji Yao teleported over before he could even go.
“Naturally it’s true. Right now, one of their disciples has visited Ice Heart Valley. What… What is that look on your face?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Someone came to my side too,” Yang Kai laughed dryly.
“Where are they?” Ji Yao asked curiously.
“Still outside the main gate.”
Ji Yao glared at him, “What are you waiting for? Invite them in!”
“Right, I’ll go immediately…” Yang Kai turned around and headed back where he came from.
“Wait!” Anxious, Zhu Qing quickly chased after him.
Ji Yao frowned and also turned into a stream of light, quickly following them.