“You recognized me?” Yang Kai scratched his cheek, feeling a little frustrated that his prank failed.
Hua Qing Si rolled her eyes, “I didn’t think of it before because of how sudden it was, but looking closely at you now, I can still see some traces.”
And, when she heard Yang Kai’s voice just now, Hua Qing Si was able to recognize him in an instant.
After returning the Five-Coloured Spear to her, Yang Kai said proudly with his hands on his waist, “Don’t I look handsome?”
Hua Qing Si responded, “A little fiercer.”
“Fierce is good.” Yang Kai laughed.
“What Secret Technique is this? Why haven’t you used it before?” Hua Qing Si asked curiously.
“During my recent retreat, this was a gain I encountered by chance while immersing myself in my cultivation,” Yang Kai looked pleased with himself.
Hua Qing Si curled her lip, “It’s obvious that Zhu Qing was the one who taught you.”
“En, so what do you need from me?” Yang Kai dispersed the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and restored his original appearance, but the clothes on his body had become tattered. Since his body suddenly doubled in size, it was only natural that his clothes would be stretched and broken.
Hua Qing Si ignored this entirely and just handed over two Space Rings to him, “The Source Crystals from Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect have arrived.”
Yang Kai waved his hand casually, “Keep them. We can just get the funds from there when the Sect has any needs in the future.”
Hua Qing Si was now the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace. Even though Yang Kai had already given her quite a lot of Source Crystals last time, it wasn’t that much considering he had some two billion High-Rank Source Crystals in storage. With so much wealth stashed away, High Heaven Palace would not have to worry about cultivation resources for at least the next fifty years.
“Good,” Hua Qing Si nodded and put away the rings again. “Also, Grandmaster Ji is here and wants to see you.”
“Oh? Brother Ji is back so soon?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. After some thought, he said, “I’ll go and change. Tell him to wait a moment.”
“En,” Hua Qing Si left with her orders while Yang Kai went back to his room and changed into a new set of clothes, wondering whether he should buy an Artifact Armor or not. He did not need an extra defensive artifact, but if he was going to keep using the Dragon Transformation, having clothes that would adjust to his size when his body swelled would be useful.
Artifact Armor was generally incredibly sturdy and flexible, far more so than ordinary robes.
Inside High Heaven Palace’s main hall, Ji Ying sat while glancing out from time to time, looking anxious.
Hua Qing Si was accompanying him.
A short while later, a figure came in from outside. It was Yang Kai.
“Brother Yang!” Ji Ying quickly stood up.
Yang Kai greeted him with a big smile, “Brother Ji, you’ve arrived so quickly! Are you ready to stay in my High Heaven Palace and refine pills?”
Ji Ying smiled bitterly, “My apologies, but I may have to postpone this matter.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank, “Could it be, the Great Emperor…”
Ji Ying shook his head, “Honored Master did not comment much on this matter, but instead showed interest in you and asked me to tell you to visit Medicine Pill Valley when you are free.”
“The Great Emperor wants to see me?” Yang Kai turned serious.
Ji Ying smiled, “Please don’t worry, Honored Master is just interested in exchanging ideas about Alchemy with you since you were able to beat me in a match.”
This was just modesty, as the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was an existence beyond mere Emperor Alchemists, so even if Yang Kai had excellent Alchemy skills, what sort of ideas could he exchange with him? The Wondrous Pill Great Emperor obviously just wanted to give Yang Kai a few pointers, and that was why he said things in such a roundabout way.
Yang Kai respected that. Even though he had never met the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor before, this invitation alone was enough for Yang Kai to feel that this Great Emperor was easily approachable.
But of course, the prerequisite was Yang Kai having enough ability. After all, a Great Emperor wasn’t a character that just anyone could meet.
“The Great Emperor is generous, this Yang is filled with gratitude!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Ji Ying smiled, “Honored Master says that it was fate that you found Third Senior Brother’s legacy, so it is yours now.”
“Please help me give my thanks to the Great Emperor,” Yang Kai nodded. He had expected this result as it was naturally impossible for the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor to be petty enough to deny him this inheritance given his status and identity.
Ji Ying then turned solemn, “This Ji came bearing an order from my Honored Master and has a rather presumptuous request to make.”
Yang Kai said, “Since it is an order from the Great Emperor, please speak freely, Brother Ji.”
Ji Ying explained, “Could I trouble Brother Yang to accompany me to retrieve the bones of my Third Senior Brother so they may be buried in Medicine Pill Valley?”
Yang Kai raised his brows and nodded, “Naturally. Senior Gong Sun Mo’s last wish was to return to Medicine Pill Valley, so I’m sure he must be smiling now that it has been fulfilled.”
“Many thanks, Brother Yang. I remember hearing from Brother Yang previously that Third Senior Brother passed away in the Southern Territory, is that right?”
“That’s right. At the Southern Territory’s Yuan Furnace Mountain. I remember the place.”
“It’s a long journey to the Southern Territory, so we should not delay, shall we?” Ji Ying enquired, “Only, I’m wondering if Brother Yang has any other matters to take care of before we depart?”
Yang Kai smiled, “I barely have any disciples in my High Heaven Palace right now, so what matters would I need to take care of? Since Brother Ji is in a hurry, let us depart now.”
He was originally planning to return to the Southern Territory anyway, so this was quite convenient for Yang Kai. As for Zhu Qing’s request for him to remain here, he didn’t pay it any heed at all.
Yang Kai didn’t inform the three Monster Kings either as he could even kill a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master now, so there weren’t many people who could threaten his life in this world. There was naturally no need to have the three Monster Kings accompany him.
When Yang Kai brought Ji Ying to the Space Array, two Thousand Leaves Sect disciples guarding the place immediately greeted him with respect, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
“Did Manager Hua tell you to keep watch here?” Yang Kai looked at the two of them.
The slightly older Thousand Leaves Sect disciple responded respectfully, “Yes. Manager Hua has taken great care of us and also posted many tasks to us at Thousand Leaves Peak. Junior Brother and I were lucky enough to take on the task of guarding the Space Array in exchange for some contribution points.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded. “If anything happens, send a message to Manager Hua immediately.”
“Yes!”
Yang Kai was very satisfied with Hua Qing Si’s arrangements. No matter what, this was still an important place. There wasn’t a single person guarding the Space Array the last time Yang Kai came over, so he quickly reminded Hua Qing Si about it and sure enough, a ‘round the clock guard’ had been established.
The two Thousand Leaves Sect disciples didn’t recognize Ji Ying, but if they knew that he was a direct Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, their eyes would surely have popped out of their sockets.
“Brother Yang, where does this array lead to?” Ji Ying asked curiously as he stood on the array, watching Yang Kai set down Source Crystals on the grooves.
“Brother Ji will find out soon enough.” Yang Kai smiled, his vague answer making Ji Ying even more curious.
“Brace yourself now, Brother Ji!” Yang Kai suddenly cautioned Ji Ying.
Ji Ying failed to stifle his laughter. Even though he was an Alchemist, he was still a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, so what could a trivial Space Array do to him? Unless it was that kind of super long-distance Cross-Territory teleportation.
Thinking so, Ji Ying had a start.
Before he could recover from his surprise though, his vision was filled with white light, and a bout of dizziness washed over him…
By the time Ji Ying recovered, he found Yang Kai standing beside him, looking at him with an amused face.
Ji Ying shook his head, still feeling dizzy, but his face was filled with shock, “Cross-Territory Teleportation?”
Ordinary Space Arrays couldn’t affect him in such a way. He had also been on Space Arrays countless times, and he never felt anything no matter how far he travelled on them, but this time, he was left extremely dizzy, so it was easy to imagine just how far they had travelled.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Ji Ying was shocked, “How could there be a Cross-Territory Space Array in High Heaven Palace?”
High Heaven Palace was originally Seeking Passion Sect, and Ji Ying had visited there many times in the past. If Seeking Passion Sect had a Cross-Territory Space Array, it was impossible that Ji Ying would not know of it. It had to be known that Cross-Territory Space Arrays were extremely precious treasures, and only a few of them still existed in the entire Star Boundary. What’s more, they were all in the hands of the Sects of Great Emperors. These few Space Arrays were all relics from ancient times.
Right now, practically nobody could arrange a Cross-Territory Space Array in the Star Boundary.
Ji Ying was naturally shocked.
Yang Kai did not answer, only smiling as he motioned, “Let’s go.”
Ji Ying followed Yang Kai and flew alongside him. After looking around, he was shocked again, “A Small Sealed World?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Brother Ji has good eyes. Indeed, this is a Small World that was originally the foundation of Thousand Leaves Sect, but I have taken over it now.”
Ji Ying sighed, “Ah, what a pity.”
It wasn’t Yang Kai taking over the small world that was a pity, but rather that the grade of this small world was not high enough. Even though the World Energy here was serviceable, it wasn’t at the level of a true cultivation paradise yet.
If the World Energy here were just a little denser, then it would be possible to grow some rare spirit medicines here, developing it into a medicine garden.
Cultivating spirit medicines in small worlds like these was very safe, and as an Emperor Alchemist, Ji Ying would always consider things from the perspective of an Alchemist.
A short time later, the two of them arrived before another Space Array, the one that led out of this Small Sealed World.
After activating the Space Array, Yang Kai and Ji Ying immediately appeared inside Thousand Leaves Sect.
“This used to be Thousand Leaves Sect’s foundation, but unfortunately, the Sect was razed more than a year ago,” Yang Kai explained while looking at the dilapidated scenery.
Ji Ying nodded lightly and asked, “So, this is the Southern Territory, right?”
Since Yang Kai used the Cross-Territory Space Array, it naturally brought him directly to the Southern Territory.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded and turned to him, “I hope Brother Ji can keep the matter of this Space Array a secret.”
Ji Ying was stunned for a moment, but he soon promised solemnly, “Rest assured, Brother Yang. This Ji isn’t the type to run his mouth to others.”
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s nothing that serious. If the Great Emperor asks, then Brother Ji can inform him.”
Ji Ying was grateful, “Many thanks, Brother Yang.”
After all, he originally estimated that a round trip from the Northern Territory to the Southern Territory would take at least a year, so if he suddenly returned in just a few days, then Ji Ying really wouldn’t know how to answer if his Honored Master were to ask how.
Yang Kai was clearly thinking for his sake.
“Let’s go, I’ll take you to Yuan Furnace Mountain.” Yang Kai flew out first.
Yuan Furnace Mountain was not close to Thousand Leaves Sect, so it would take at least three to five days for the pair to fly there. However, since both of them were Emperors with rich backgrounds, there was naturally no need for them to rest halfway there.
Yang Kai remembered that Yuan Furnace Mountain was located near Maplewood City, on the border of Raging Fire Temple.
Back in those days, Raging Fire Temple was an untouchable existence for Yang Kai because he was only in the Origin King Realm back then, while they had a Dao Source Realm Master assuming command.
But now, a trivial Raging Fire Temple could hardly even be compared to a hair on Yang Kai’s head. After a decade, most of the people whom he needed to look up to were now prostrated at his feet.
“So, this is Yuan Furnace Mountain?” Ji Ying asked in surprise as he looked at the mountain peak that was almost completely collapsed.
Traces of the old Yuan Furnace Mountain were almost nowhere to be seen as only dark red rubble remained in its place, naturally the result of the erupting magma.
“En!” Yang Kai nodded, “This is where I received Senior Gong Sun Mu’s inheritance back then. Originally, his cave mansion was located at the bottom of the mountain. Unfortunately, the surge of Earth Fire beneath caused lava to erupt, destroying the place.”
It was with the Earth Fire’s help that Liu Yan was able to obtain strength comparable to the Dao Source Realm back then.
“I was too weak back then and was unable to give Senior Gong Sun Mu a proper burial, so I had only managed to bury him hastily. However, quite clearly, what I did to Senior was shameful.” Yang Kai sighed.
“Brother Yang need not mind. It is all thanks to Brother Yang that Third Senior Brother is able to return to Medicine Pill Valley now. He would surely be grateful to know this deed you have done for him, so how could he fuss over such trivialities?” Ji Ying consoled him.
Yang Kai told him, “Senior’s burial place is quite far underground. Let us clean up a little first.”
“En!”
At once, the two of them used their own means to excavate the site.
They were both Emperor Realm Masters, so their strength was enough to move mountains and flip seas. As such, it did not take long before the half of Yuan Furnace Mountain that was left behind was removed.
The pair then found a spot each and began digging into the ground. At the same time, they spread out their Divine Senses to search thoroughly.
It wasn’t until a whole day later that Yang Kai suddenly discovered that he had gotten the direction wrong. He turned and dug towards his left-hand side while sending a message via Divine Sense to Ji Ying at the same time.
In just a short while, Ji Ying flew down into the hole that Yang Kai had dug, stopping next to him and asking, “Did you find something?”
“En. You should search in that direction,” Yang Kai pointed to a direction and said.
Ji Ying immediately used his Divine Sense to search in that direction, and after a few moments, he wore a solemn look on his face and nodded, “It’s really there.”
He was clearly able to find a skeleton buried in the ground in that direction.
Now that they had located the skeleton, everything else was much easier. Holding the Myriads Sword in hand, Yang Kai channelled his Emperor Qi slightly. Wherever the blade passed, the hard stone was ground into dust by the astonishing energy fluctuations, allowing the pair to pass through quickly.
An incense stick of time later, they finally arrived at Gong Sun Mu’s burial place.
Ji Ying went forward and carefully removed the dirt near the bones, revealing a white skeleton.
“Third Senior Brother, this is Junior Brother Ji Ying. By order of Honored Master, I’ve come to bring you home!” Ji Ying solemnly cupped his fists at the skeleton before approaching it. He took out a jade coffin that he had prepared and laid it down before he kneeled and picked up Gong Sun Mu’s remains piece by piece, placing them into the coffin.
It did not take long before he was done picking up the bones, after which Ji Ying sealed the coffin and returned it to his Space Ring.
“Now that this is done, this Ji has to return to the Northern Territory to report back to Honored Master. What are Brother Yang’s plans?” Ji Ying looked at Yang Kai and asked.
“I still have some matters to attend to here,” Yang Kai said, “But it’s nothing important. I will send Brother Ji back first.”
Ji Ying laughed, “Since Brother Yang has business to attend to, then this Ji will not trouble you. This Ji remembers the way back, so it will be fine for me to go alone.”
Yang Kai said, “You may remember the route back, but you won’t be able to activate the Space Array.”
“Why not?” Ji Ying was surprised.
What Space Array was there in this world that he could not activate?
Yang Kai briefly explained, “I have added a restriction to the Cross-Territory Space Array so that no one will be able to activate it without me.”
“Such a thing can be done?” Ji Ying was amazed. To be able to tamper with a Cross-Territory Space Array was not something even an ordinary Great Emperor would be able to achieve, so how was Yang Kai able to do it?
Ji Ying had no idea that this Cross-Territory Space Array had been arranged by Yang Kai to begin with.
“Here, take this. With this, you’ll be able to activate the array.” Yang Kai took out a token and handed it to Ji Ying. It was the Transmission Token that he had especially refined and held his unique Space Principle fluctuations.
Ji Ying accepted it and promised solemnly, “Please rest assured, Brother Yang, once I return to High Heaven Palace, I will be sure to return this token to Manager Hua.”
The value of this token could not be underestimated as it was essentially a pass that allowed a person to travel directly from the Northern Territory to the Southern Territory. This was an extremely precious treasure, so Ji Ying naturally did not dare to keep it for himself. The way Yang Kai was able to pass him this item proved how much he trusted in his character and was a sign of his respect.
Yang Kai smiled and waved his hand, however, “No need. Since Brother Ji is now my High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist, Brother Ji is qualified to possess this Transmission Token. It will also be easier for you if you ever need to visit the Southern Territory in the future.”
Ji Ying was moved and cupped his fists, “In that case, many thanks, Brother Yang. Please rest assured, this Ji will return to High Heaven Palace as soon as Third Senior Brother’s matters are dealt with. When Brother Yang returns to High Heaven Palace, the Dragon Blood Pills will already have been refined.”
“I would have forgotten if you had not mentioned that,” Yang Kai grinned, “Then I will have to trouble you, Brother Ji.”
Above Yuan Furnace Mountain, the two cupped fists and said their farewells, going their separate ways.
Only after Ji Ying’s figure disappeared from his view did Yang Kai turn around and look in a certain direction.
Maplewood City. It seemed like he had not returned even once since he left, and that was many years ago.
Technically speaking, Maplewood City was Yang Kai’s first stopover after arriving in the Star Boundary, and it was here that he met his first friend. Now, on his trip back to Maplewood City, his main intention was to see how the place had changed, and secondly to do some shopping.
After performing the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, his body would swell in size and rip apart his clothes, so Yang Kai became interested in buying a good Artifact Armor.
Moreover, his store of Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade was almost exhausted. These were essentially materials for arranging Space Arrays, and as the saying went, even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice.
Yang Kai’s plan was to connect the four territories of the Star Boundary using Cross-Territory Space Arrays. Once this was finished, the disciples of High Heaven Palace would be able to go wherever they wanted. Not only would it make it convenient for the disciples to go out and train, but it would also be a great advantage to High Heaven Palace when it came to purchasing cultivation resources.
The price of materials differed greatly in different territories. Some materials may be expensive in one region, but extremely cheap in another.
Many nimble-witted cultivators would risk their lives travelling to and from each territory, buying and selling goods and making a lot of profit. If Yang Kai’s idea could be realized, then it would have an irreplaceable effect on the future development of High Heaven Palace.
Flying ahead at a leisurely pace, Yang Kai inexplicably felt as if he were returning to his hometown in full glory, and he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
Even though Maplewood City was not his hometown, his feelings were not wrong either. When he left Maplewood City back then, he was not very strong, only a First-Order Dao Source Realm, but now, he was an Emperor Realm Master that was looked up to by many.
Yuan Furnace Mountain was not too far away from Maplewood City. When Kang Si Ran brought Yang Kai to Yuan Furnace Mountain back then, it had only taken a few days, but now, Yang Kai’s strength had increased dramatically, so he was naturally much faster than before.
After flying forward for half a day, Yang Kai could faintly catch a glimpse of Maplewood City. What’s more, there was another city just a short distance away that was no smaller than Maplewood City.
Spirit Lake Palace!
Yang Kai suddenly remembered.
This Spirit Lake Palace had been born because of him.
Originally, there was no Spirit Lake Palace outside of Maplewood City, but one day, eighteen Spirit Springs suddenly appeared here and began gushing out World Energy, directly forming a giant Spiritual Lake at this place. The matter alarmed all of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, and even Star Soul Palace stepped in during the event.
But nobody could monopolize this heavenly creation.
Finally, after much discussion, the top Sects of the Southern Territory took the lead in building Spirit Lake Palace on top of the Spirit Lake, creating cultivation rooms that were separated into several grades, namely Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. The Southern Territory’s cultivators cultivated in these rooms as much as they could, for a modest amount of Source Crystals, of course.
The profits from this business were then divided among the top Sects in the Southern Territory.
Yang Kai’s Embodiment’s current weapon, the Demonic War Hammer was found by Yang Kai beneath Spirit Lake Palace. He fought a great battle with an Ancient Great Demon’s remnant spirit there at the time to seize this weapon.
Spirit Lake Palace had now become a landmark in the Southern Territory, its abundant World Energy attracting many cultivators as such a fine place to cultivate could not be found just anywhere. The Heaven Grade cultivation rooms in Spirit Lake Palace were not much worse compared to the cultivation rooms of those top Sects, and were the best choice for cultivators looking to break through their bottlenecks.
Countless cultivators who have been stuck at the peak of their current realms for many years would spend huge amounts of Source Crystals in order to enter Spirit Lake Palace to cultivate, all in the hopes of achieving a breakthrough inside.
In the past few years, some people really managed to succeed at this, resulting in their strength soaring; however, most ended up losing their money without gaining anything in return. This was a huge gamble. Cultivators would gamble away all of their wealth for a chance to advance on the Martial Dao, but more often than not they would fall short, losing everything. Even so, the number of cultivators that visited each year only rose in numbers, never falling. The most numerous Mortal Grade and Earth Grade cultivation rooms could not meet the public’s needs, however, so cultivators had to wait for a long time in the queue if they wanted to make use of these cultivation rooms.
As for the Heaven Grade cultivation rooms, not everyone was qualified to enter them. If one wished to cultivate in these Heaven Grade rooms, then not only did they have to shell out enough Source Crystals, they also needed some inside connections to put in a good word for them.
On the other hand, many of the disciples from the Southern Territory’s top Sects came to Spirit Lake Palace’s Heaven Grade cultivation rooms to enter retreat.
The revenue that Spirit Lake Palace brought in each year was counted in the hundreds of millions.
The existence of Spirit Lake Palace had gathered the attention of not only the cultivators of the entire Southern Territory, but even cultivators from other territories that were willing to travel millions of kilometres just to take advantage of the situation. With the increase in population, more and more buildings were constructed around Spirit Lake Palace, and after a few years, a new city had been formed.
Maplewood City, which was just a short distance away, also benefited from the existence of Spirit Lake Palace.
Back then, the World Energy in Maplewood City was thin, and the cultivators living here were slow to improve. The strongest cultivator back then was City Lord Duan Yuan Shan, and he was only in the Second-Order Dado Source Realm. The pair of Vice City Lords and the Patriarchs of the major families were only in the First-Order Dao Source Realm.
But now, the World Energy in Maplewood City had already become very dense, almost on par with other top-tier cities in the Star Boundary. As a result, the population in Maplewood City exploded and the city naturally flourished. Emperor Realm Masters were no longer a rare sight in Maplewood City as many of them lived in Maplewood City year-round, unlike before where it would depend on one’s luck whether they could witness the majesty of an Emperor Realm Master or not.
Spirit Lake Palace was too small, unfortunately, so many people who couldn’t find a place to settle down there would make a temporary stop at Maplewood City. The distance between the two cities was not that great anyway, so it was convenient to make round trips between the two.
The changes in Spirit Lake Palace and Maplewood City were new and fresh to Yang Kai, who was curiously surveying the two mutually coordinating twin cities at the moment. There was a look of astonishment in his eyes, because no matter where he looked, there were tides of people walking shoulder to shoulder in either city.
Yang Kai could feel how prosperous the two cities were despite being more than a thousand kilometres away from them.
It seemed like Maplewood City really had changed, and it made him wonder how the Qin Family was doing right now. Back then, the Qin family was still considered a pretty large power in Maplewood City, even having a Dao Source Realm cultivator assuming command. But in the current situation, Dao Source Realm was clearly nothing to brag about.
Yang Kai’s Myriads Sword came from the Qin Family, and he had an agreement with Qin Zhao Yang that he would return it to Qin Yu whenever she ascended to the Emperor Realm.
The Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation that he imparted to the disciples of Ice Heart Valley was also one of the Qin Family’s secret inheritances.
It could be said that although Yang Kai did not receive much direct help from the Qin Family along his path, he owed them many favours. Naturally, he had to go and visit them on this trip back to Maplewood City.
There was also Ruo Xi’s family that he should visit, and since he was back in the Southern Territory, Yang Kai also had to pay a visit to the Azure Sun Temple. No matter what, he was an In-Name Disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and even had one of their Core Disciple tokens.
Yang Kai also remembered the request Senior Tian Yan had made to him, and now that he had found the Flesh Incarnation Fruit and several adjuvant herbs to go along with it, he could refine the Flesh Incarnation Pill. Then, Yang Kai would be able to get Tian Yan out of the Divine Ascension Mirror and help him mould a physical body.
Tian Yan was a Great Emperor-level existence, so once he possessed his own physical body and was able to walk around the Star Boundary, High Heaven Palace would gain a great patron in the future.
Just as Yang Kai was planning out his trip, a stream of light suddenly shot over from the front at great speed.
Immediately after that, another cluster of lights appeared. Several figures could faintly be seen inside those streams.
From the looks of it, this seems to be a chase; however, the stream at the front was only one person while there was a whole group behind him. All of these people were emitting Dao Source Realm auras, but Yang Kai didn’t concern himself with this incident.
This kind of thing could often be seen in the Star Boundary. Whether it be due to benefits or grudges, numerous people were killed each day. Even Yang Kai himself had been chased who knows how many times in the process of his growth, surviving each time to reach his current height.
The fleeing light seemed to be in a panic and was rushing straight over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, not knowing whether the other party was trying to drag him into their misfortune, but he couldn’t be bothered to involve himself in something like this. Without even changing direction, he greeted the stream of light head-on.
Since all these people were merely Dao Source Realm cultivators, he had no need to give way.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had arrived a thousand metres away from the lead stream of light.
After taking a closer look though, Yang Kai could faintly see some curves in the figure hidden inside the light, indicating it was a woman. When he saw her face though, he couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise and stopping.
The woman in front clearly noticed Yang Kai as well, and her beautiful eyes were stunned at first before changing to pleasant surprise immediately after, “Yang Kai!”
Yang Kai smiled, “Fate really does bring us together often, Protector Bian. I trust you’ve been well since we last met?”
This woman actually turned out to be a familiar face: Blue Feather Sect’s Protector, Bian Yu Qing.
When he and Liu Xian Yun first arrived in the Star Boundary, they were caught by Blue Feather Sect’s Kou Wu and later ended up taking refuge under Bian Yu Qing. They stayed in Blue Feather Sect for some time until the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s descendant, Wu Meng Chuan, escaped from prison and went on a killing spree, giving the pair a chance to escape.
Bian Yu Qing, on the other hand, happened to be out on business at the time, escaping Wu Meng Chuan’s ruthless hands. She later joined his ranks as his subordinate to do his bidding.
After that, the two of them bumped into each other again outside the Four Seasons Realm.
Thinking about it that way, the reason why Wu Meng Chuan was able to enter the Shattered Star Sea was that Bian Yu Qing obtained a Star Seal from the Four Seasons Realm. The reason she went to the Four Seasons Realm with Kou Wu last time was likely Wu Meng Chuan’s orders to find a Star Seal.
Unfortunately for Wu Meng Chuan, Yang Kai had turned the tables on him when he tried to act against him in the Shattered Star Sea, ultimately resulting in Wu Meng Chuan’s death while allowing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that his Embodiment cultivated to be perfect.
It seemed that all these causes and consequences were predetermined from the very first day Yang Kai entered the Blue Feather Sect.
As all these thoughts flashed past Yang Kai’s mind, Bian Yu Qing had already arrived in front of Yang Kai and gritted her teeth, “How come it’s you?!”
Yang Kai grinned, “Protector Bian seems quite disappointed to see me.”
Bian Yu Qing responded, “I thought I could throw my troubles onto someone else, but since it’s you… This is not the place to speak, let’s escape first.”
She actually admitted her purpose of flying over quite readily, which took Yang Kai by surprise, and even as she spoke, she had already flown past Yang Kai.
When she flew out and did not see any movements from Yang Kai though, she quickly stopped again and urged him, “Quickly run! What are you waiting for?”
Yang Kai remained as still as a mountain though and stared at the sword wound on Bian Yu Qing’s abdomen, frowning, “What grievances do you have with those people? Why are they trying to kill you?”
“Has a donkey kicked you in the head? You still have the heart to ask me this?!” Bian Yu Qing was already feeling anxious, and now Yang Kai was just standing there without moving, which looked no different to her than courting death.
She knew that Yang Kai was a cultivator from the lower Star Fields and had outstanding cultivation that improved at a rapid rate, but how many years had it been since she last saw him? She did not think Yang Kai could grow even stronger than her in terms of cultivation already. She was no match for her pursuers, so how could Yang Kai best them?
While they were speaking, the clusters of lights had already closed to a distance of three kilometres and a stern voice shouted out to them, “Bitch, stop right there! Hand over the Entry Token and we’ll spare your life!”
“Entry Token? What Entry Token? Did you rob someone?” Yang Kai frowned. If that were true, then Bian Yu Qing was just asking for trouble.
“Who robbed them!? They’re the ones trying to rob me!” Bian Yu Qing quickly explained, “Are you coming or not? If not then you’re on your own! They’ll definitely kill you!”
Even though her tone was harsh, she was more or less thinking for Yang Kai’s sake, which changed Yang Kai’s impression of her a little.
Speaking of which, he and Bian Yu Qing did not have any real grudges with each other. He once caused trouble in the Blue Feather Sect, and it was Bian Yu Qing who helped speak for his sake. In the end, he was punished by being made to enter retreat at that Ice Cliff to repent, which turned out to be more of an opportunity than a punishment.
“If you want to go, then go,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Suit yourself!” Bian Yu Qing turned around and quickly flew off.
But after a short flight, she suddenly turned around and flew back, landing next to Yang Kai again.
“Not running anymore?” Yang Kai looked at her curiously.
Bian Yu Qing’s face was dark as she fumed, “You’re going to be the death of me! I really don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours!”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Protector Bian, does this mean you’re planning to share life or death with me? Doesn’t sound too bad, we can be a pair of fated mandarin ducks under the yellow spring!”
“In your dreams!” Bian Yu Qing glared at him, her expression cold, “Hold down the others for a bit, I want to kill that man.”
“What grudge do you have with him?” Yang Kai raised his brows.
“Kou Wu died at his hand!” Bian Yu Qing’s voice was cold to the bones and her fists were clenched tight.
“Kou Wu is dead?” Yang Kai was shocked, and his face quickly turned serious. Even though it was Kou Wu who captured Liu Xian Yun and him and brought them to the Blue Feather Sect, he still took care of them as their Senior Brother at the time.
Kou Wu was also with Bian Yu Qing when they happened to meet each other at the Four Seasons Realm, but now he actually died. Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little sad. The slightest mistake on the path of the Martial Dao could very well lead to a torn body and crushed bones.
“He helped me delay them for a short while,” Bian Yu Qing took a deep breath and quickly said, “If you still feel any shred of brotherhood with me, then help me out this once.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded.
Bian Yu Qing went on, “Those people are all Third-Order Dao Source Realms. You can’t best them, so if things go awry… Just run and leave me behind.”
Yang Kai looked at her as it felt like he was truly getting to know her for the first time.
Bian Yu Qing smiled, “Don’t look at me like that. The Blue Feather Sect is gone, so Kou Wu and I depended on each other for survival. Now that he’s dead, I should at least avenge him.”
“You’ll get your wish,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“I hope so,” Bian Yu Qing exhaled lightly, shutting her beautiful eyes for a moment before opening them in a flash of cold light. A bracelet-like artifact appeared in the palm of her hand at the same time.
While the two of them were speaking, the cluster of lights had already grown close, and when the light receded, it revealed the figures of three people.
All three of them had Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivations, and from the clothes they wore, they seemed to be from the same Sect, but Yang Kai was not able to recognize which Sect these cultivators came from.
The one at the front was a fair-faced and beardless man who looked to be about forty. He was holding a sharp sword in his hand which was still stained with blood.
As soon as Bian Yu Qing saw the blood, her eyes instantly turned red.
She knew that it was definitely Kou Wu’s blood.
“Slut, try and run again!” The middle-aged man pointed his sword at her and shouted with a fierce look in his eyes.
Bian Yu Qing gritted her teeth and said nothing.
The middle-aged man continued shouting, “Hand over the Entry Token and we’ll let you live!”
“Were you the one who killed my fellow disciple?” Bian Yu Qing didn’t respond but interrogated instead.
The middle-aged man admitted freely, “That’s right, I’m the one who killed him. My sword pierced straight through his heart and granted him a quick death! He was very loyal to you, sacrificing his own life just so you could escape.”
Bian Yu Qing’s face was ice-cold as she suppressed the anger in her heart, her teeth already drawing blood from her lips as her body trembled and she said, “I’ll make sure to give you a quick death after this as well!”
At these words, the three men threw their heads back in laughter.
The middle-aged man glanced at Yang Kai from the corner of his eye, saying disdainfully, “I don’t know where you found this little helper, but to think you still dared to boast so shamelessly! Hey brat, I’d run as far away as possible if I were you, a pretty woman may be tempting, but you’ll need your life to be able to enjoy her!”
He obviously thought that Yang Kai had become smitten with Bian Yu Qing’s beauty and was trying to play the part of a hero. That being said, Bian Yu Qing’s looks were indeed not bad, especially the mature charm she exuded. It was something that a young and fresh girl wouldn’t be able to compare to.
Many men at Yang Kai’s age had a taste for such delicacies.
“Sorry, but I can’t do that,” Yang Kai smiled.
The middle-aged man’s face darkened and he coldly snorted, “Since you’re courting death, then don’t blame my fellow brothers for being ruthless!”
They had long investigated Bian Yu Qing and found out everything about her origins and her identity. She was just a Sectless woman without any kind of backing. If that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t have dared to have any thoughts about Bian Yu Qing, much less try to snatch away her Entry Token.
One had to know that all sorts of hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked in Maplewood City and Spirit Lake City now. Any random person may well have a distinguished identity and strong backing, so they might end up kicking an iron plate if they were unlucky.
But for someone like Bian Yu Qing, even if she were able to find some help, that help wouldn’t be too strong. Yang Kai was also visibly quite young, so it was hard not to underestimate him.
“Junior Brothers, kill that little brat, then come help your Senior Brother. If we get the Entry Token today, then even advancing to the Emperor Realm in the future will be nothing difficult!” The middle-aged man pointed to Yang Kai and gave instructions to the two men beside him.
The two Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators nodded, a fierce glint in their eyes. In the blink of an eye, their bodies had already moved to each side of Yang Kai.
“Yang Kai, be careful!” Bian Yu Qing warned him.
The middle-aged man could not help but snicker at those words, “Still have the heart to worry about your little lover? Worry about yourself first!”
As soon as those words were spoken, a sword light flashed over along with a figure lunging towards Bian Yu Qing. The middle-aged man was preparing to unleash a fierce slash to start off the battle.
Right at that moment though, two pitiful screams suddenly rang out at the same time.
The middle-aged man’s face changed drastically and turning his head towards the direction of the sounds, his eyes widened into circles.
His two Junior Brothers who had lunged towards Yang Kai suddenly had large holes passing through their chests, ones that could be seen clear through. Even the wriggling five viscera and six organs could clearly be discerned.
“What happened?!” The middle-aged man was utterly confused. His two Junior Brothers were fine just a moment ago, so how did they end up like this in just the blink of an eye? The terrible wounds passing right through their chests had seemingly evaporated their hearts and organs. In other words, his two Junior Brothers had no chance of survival. They were definitely going to die.
They were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators and their strength wasn’t that much lower than his own, so how could they be killed in an instant?
Who did it?
The middle-aged man’s first reaction was that a Senior Expert was hiding nearby. At that thought, his lunging movements towards Bian Yu Qing stopped, and the light on his sword also dimmed.
Bian Yu Qing was also stunned. She had planned to kill this man today even if she had to die as well in order to avenge Kou Wu’s death. As long as Yang Kai could delay the other two for a while, she was confident she could do it.
Even though she had not been able to advance into the Emperor Realm, she was still a top existence among Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators after remaining in this realm for so many years.
But now, the two opponents whom Yang Kai was supposed to be holding back actually received critical injuries, and from the looks of things, they weren’t going to live much longer.
Everything happened in a flash, so fast that none of their minds could keep up.
At that moment, an astonishing aura spread out from Yang Kai’s body. Merely by raising his hand and clenching it hard, he was able to explode those two Junior Brothers into a bloody mist, leaving no bones behind.
*Ding dang…*
Two Space Rings fell to the ground, making an extremely light noise, but the noise was deafening like noon bells, shaking everyone back to their senses.
“Emperor Realm!” The face of the middle-aged man twisted in panic as he almost bit his own tongue.
This helper that appeared out of nowhere actually turned out to be an Emperor Realm Master!
And not just any ordinary Emperor at that! Even a First-Order Emperor could not possibly exterminate his two Junior Brothers in just a flash. This young-looking man was definitely a terrifying existence in the Second-Order Emperor Realm, possibly even the Third-Order!
At that thought, the middle-aged man was immediately filled with terror and dread.
He really kicked an iron plate this time.
He couldn’t help but feel desperate enough to cry, yet unable to shed any tears, and that was because he had thoroughly investigated Bian Yu Qing before this. She came from a Sect called Blue Feather Sect, but after the disappearance of its Sect Master, that Sect became disorganized and dissolved soon after. On top of that, there didn’t seem to be any Emperor Realm Masters that Bian Yu Qing was familiar with, so how did such a terrifying helper suddenly appear?
Stricken with fear, he didn’t dare to attack Bian Yu Qing again. All he could think about now was how he could keep his life. This unknown young man was able to kill his two Junior Brothers so casually, so it was likely his own death could also come as simply as blowing a puff of air.
“Yang Kai, you…” Bian Yu Qing was completely dumbfounded.
She never would have thought that Yang Kai could actually grow to the Emperor Realm in just a short few years. It was the Emperor Realm after all! A realm she had been striving towards for so many years but had been unable to even touch. And yet, Yang Kai was able to achieve it so easily! Was this still that little brat that had just joined Blue Feather Sect back then and needed her care? Were all cultivators that came from the lower Star Fields this terrifying?
For a moment, Yang Kai felt like a complete stranger to Bian Yu Qing.
“Protector Bian, didn’t you wish to avenge Kou Wu?” Yang Kai looked solemnly at Bian Yu Qing, “If not now, how long are you going to wait?”
His words brought her back to her senses. Bian Yu Qing focused her eyes and pushed her Source Qi, causing a light to suddenly blossom from the hand which had been grasping the bracelet the whole time. The bracelet swelled as thick as a person’s waist in the next instant, and forming seals with her hands, Bian Yu Qing sent the enlarged jade bracelet shooting towards the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man was still panicking, so he wasn’t able to react in time when Bian Yu Qing suddenly made her move. By the time he was able to circulate his Source Qi and raise his sword, hurriedly blocking in front of him, the enlarged bracelet had already come crashing over.
There was a loud bang.
The bracelet seemed to have the force of ten thousand kilograms, and it actually managed to bend the Dao Source Grade sword when it hammered down onto it. The residual impact passed through the sword and smashed onto the middle-aged man’s chest, directly shattering the Source Qi layer protecting his body.
The middle-aged man’s face went pale as he seemingly hadn’t anticipated Bian Yu Qing to strike with such thunderous force. He had previously fought Bian Yu Qing with his two Junior Brothers, but that had been bullying using numbers rather than a life or death battle. He didn’t think Bian Yu Qing had any notable skill, but now that he was fighting her one-on-one, he finally realized how terrifying this beautiful woman was.
What’s more, an Emperor Realm Master was watching them from the side, so he couldn’t bring out his full strength with such a distraction.
[I’m not their opponent!]
But before he could even finish that thought, the bracelet that hit him suddenly bounced away, stored up some power, and came whistling over again.
The middle-aged man had already eaten a loss from this artifact once, so how could he not be afraid when he saw it returning for more? He quickly brandished his sword and used a Sword Art to keep his body well protected without any gaps.
But one false step always led to another, eventually leading to ruin. He had already reacted too slowly when Bian Yu Qing first attacked and had now fallen into the enemy’s rhythm. Again and again, Bian Yu Qing’s artifact smashed down on him until his fingers had gone numb and he almost dropped his sword.
More flaws were revealed in the Sword Arts that he had polished all his life.
Bian Yu Qing saw her opportunity and closed in. Wind and clouds gathered in her palms, containing a terrifying destructive force as she thrust it out straight towards the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man was caught off guard. While worrying that Yang Kai would make a move, he was also on guard about the bracelet’s fierce attacks. He was distracted and could only barely send a sword wave at Bian Yu Qing, but it wasn’t powerful enough and was easily nullified by her.
Her palm landed right onto the middle-aged man’s chest, knocking the blood straight out of his mouth.
It was at the critical moment that the middle-aged man shifted to avoid receiving a fatal hit. Otherwise, that blow alone would have been enough to send him to the afterlife.
Even so, he wasn’t in good shape now. After he was sent flying backwards, the bracelet artifact followed him like a shadow, smashing against him over and over again. Being careless for just a moment would be enough to kill him.
Terrified, he shouted, “Senior! This lowly one had eyes but failed to see! Please have mercy and spare my life! The Broken Mountain Sect will surely grant you a large gift for your generosity!”
He was smart enough to know that his life or death was in Yang Kai’s hands. Even though Yang Kai did not intervene in the battle between him and Bian Yu Qing, he was sure that Bian Yu Qing would definitely be unable to kill him if he could convince Yang Kai to spare him.
And, he had also pointed out his origins on purpose in order to intimidate Yang Kai. At the very least, it was well known that an Emperor Realm Master was commanding the Broken Mountain Sect.
But how could he have known that Yang Kai did not even recognize the name Broken Mountain Sect?
The Southern Territory was vast and had countless Sects, so how could Yang Kai know all of them? However, even if Yang Kai did know about Broken Mountain Sect, he probably wouldn’t put it in his eyes. The Sects that he was in contact with now were all top Sects of each territory. Even those Sect Masters don’t dare to boast in front of him, and Li Jiao and Mi Qi had even been swindled by him for two and a half billion High-Rank Source Crystals! So what was a trivial Broken Mountain Sect worth?
Yang Kai grinned, “This King is not the one who wants to kill you, so what’s the use of pleading with this King?”
The middle-aged man’s face was filled with despair at those words. He knew that Yang Kai wouldn’t let him go, so he turned to Bian Yu Qing instead, “Elder Sister, you’ve lost one of your fellow disciples, and both my Junior Brothers are dead. Why don’t we just consider the matter settled? This one will offer an apology to Elder Sister!”
“In your dreams!” Bian Yu Qing gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes seeing red as if she had gone insane. Source Qi was pouring out of her body like a tide and it seemed like she would not settle for anything less than killing him ruthlessly.
The middle-aged man fumed and shouted, “Then I’ll fight you to the death!”
As he said that, he was barely able to condense a layer of Source Qi around his body to protect himself. Raising his sword in front of his nose, he ran his finger over the blade and opened his mouth, recklessly coughing up a large mouthful of Blood Essence.
The sword suddenly hummed as if it would shoot to the sky at any moment as an extremely fierce Sword Intent spread out from the blade.
“Protector Bian, you better watch yourself,” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and warned her, but he didn’t have any intention of intervening. Yang Kai could easily kill this middle-aged man, but revenge was something that had to be obtained by one’s own hands for it to be of any significance.
There was actually no need for Yang Kai to warn her as Bian Yu Qing herself knew that this middle-aged man was ready to throw away his life for this fight. Her expression turned serious as she clapped her palms together and shouted, “Divide!”
As she finished speaking, the bracelet artifact suddenly split into two, then two became four, four became eight…
In the blink of an eye, enlarged bracelets covered the sky in all directions and all crashed towards the middle-aged man. Each one of the bracelets appeared extremely vivid, as if they were all real, and a very strong aura was being emitted from them.
But Yang Kai could tell that only one of these bracelets was real while the rest were merely illusions.
This was not a bad artifact, but it was still just Dao Source Grade.
The middle-aged man felt confused when he saw these changes, and he felt at a loss of what to do, but very quickly, he regained his senses and shouted, “Even if I die today, I won’t let you feel any better!”
Sword light flashed as man and sword united into a stream of light, penetrating through the bracelets and aiming for Bian Yu Qing.
Faced with this thunderous attack, Bian Yu Qing did not back down and instead met it head-on. At the same time, she propelled all the bracelets in the sky towards the middle-aged man with a single thought.
Bracelet after bracelet slammed down, but the middle-aged man was unharmed. Instead, those bracelets all cracked. These were merely illusory phantoms in the end, so they didn’t have any real destructive power.
The two enemies closed in on each other quickly and were soon going to clash.
The middle-aged man grinned, thrusting his sword out in front of him.
With a dull noise, Bian Yu Qing’s body trembled as the sword passed straight through her chest.
Suppressing the pain, Bian Yu Qing’s face turned hideous as she roared, “Die!”
As she said that, a bracelet crashed right down onto the middle-aged man’s head, cracking it open like a melon and spewing red and white matter into the air.
The headless corpse swayed before suddenly falling from the sky.
Bian Yu Qing’s body also trembled. Holding the stab wound on her chest, she staggered back a few steps, opening her mouth to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Followed by a slight breeze, Yang Kai suddenly appeared next to her, holding her with one hand and frowning as he questioned, “You could have ground him to death little by little, why the need for such ferocity?”
Bian Yu Qing definitely had the upper hand in that confrontation, and she even had Yang Kai watching over her from the side. As long as she maintained her steady rhythm a little longer, she would have been able to kill her opponent with minimal to no losses at all, but unexpectedly, she actually chose to engage in a frontal clash, accepting serious injuries in exchange for a quick victory.
The middle-aged man was killed, but she had also been stabbed in the chest. This couldn’t be called a trivial wound, and if she had been the slightest bit careless, then she would have been dead.
Bian Yu Qing wiped the corner of her mouth and laughed mockingly at herself, “You men aren’t the only hot-blooded ones, you know!”
Yang Kai fell silent.
Bian Yu Qing shook her head, not feeling any joy from obtaining vengeance at all; instead, she just felt more desolate.
With Blue Feather Sect gone, she and Kou Wu had been depending on each other for survival this whole time. Now that even Kou Wu was dead, she was all alone, and she suddenly felt lost about her future.
“Focus on healing your wound first.” Yang Ki looked at the sword pierced through her chest and frowned.
If she hadn’t shifted her posture at the last moment, then this sword could really have taken her life. It wasn’t that Yang Kai couldn’t save her, but he knew that this sword wasn’t going to kill her, so he respected her wishes and stood by and watched.
If the injury wasn’t treated in time, then it may cause problems in the future.
Bian Yu Qing shook her head, “I need to take care of Kou Wu’s remains first. There are many wild beasts out here.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Where are they?”
“Over there!” Bian Yu Qing pointed in a certain direction.
Yang Kai reached out to hold her and was just about to move when Bian Yu Qing suddenly said, “Their rings.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, causing several streams of light to fly over from below. Three Space Rings, alongside the artifacts of the other two, were instantly brought over.
Even though the belongings of these Dao Source Realm cultivators weren’t worth Yang Kai’s attention, they were a fortune to Bian Yu Qing, so she naturally couldn’t just let them go.
He casually tossed the items to Bian Yu Qing before setting off.
In a few moments, they arrived at their destination where they found a corpse lying on its back on the ground. Who else would it be if not Kou Wu? But indeed, as the middle-aged man said before, Kou Wu died a quick death. He incurred a fatal stab wound to the chest, so he probably didn’t feel any pain.
Bian Yu Qing’s eyes were a little red as she sniffled, but forced herself to hold back her tears. Moving away from Yang Kai’s embrace, she flew down.
Once she landed on the ground, she was quiet for a moment before opening up, “Great riches and honours didn’t come to him when he was with me. I hope he finds a better place in his next life.”
Finally, she couldn’t stop the tears from running down her cheeks. She bent down and carefully picked up Kou Wu’s corpse, storing his remains carefully into her Space Ring.
Yang Kai watched in silence, not saying anything.
Only when Bian Yu Qing was done cleaning up and flown back did he lead her towards a nearby mountain peak.
Sweeping over the terrain with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found a cave and entered it. After landing, Yang Kai took out a few pills and ordered, “Open your mouth!”
Bian Yu Qing opened her mouth obediently, and with a flick of his wrist, Yang Kai popped the Spirit Pills into her mouth.
Before she could react, Yang Kai suddenly reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword stuck in her chest, pulling it with one swift movement.
Bian Yu Qing’s body froze for a moment before she let out a heart-wrenching scream.
But with his fingers, Yang Kai jabbed a few points on her body and stopped the blood flow before saying, “Once you refine the medicinal efficacies, you should be fine.”
Turning around, he headed out of the cave.
Yang Kai had refined those healing pills personally, and one of them was even an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill. Bian Yu Qing’s injury was quite serious, so with only her Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation and her own Spirit Pills, it would likely take a long time for her to recover.
Half a day later, Yang Kai, who was standing at the entrance of the cave with his hands behind his back, heard the sound of footsteps. Turning around, he saw Bian Yu Qing walking out with a fresh set of clothes.
Four eyes suddenly meeting, Bian Yu Qing had a slightly complex look in her eyes as she meekly spoke, “Thanks.”
The little brat she used to look down upon had now grown to the point where she needed to look up to him; these changes overwhelmed Bian Yu Qing a little. She wasn’t acting as naturally as in the past, but rather a little more formal now.
“It’s just a trivial matter,” Yang Kai shook his head. “Perhaps I am also responsible for your current situation.”
Bian Yu Qing couldn’t understand, “What does any of this have to do with you?”
Yang Kai looked at her with a solemn gaze and said, “I’m the one who killed Wu Meng Chuan.”
“What?” Bian Yu Qing trembled, almost in disbelief at what she heard. But she also understood that there was no need for Yang Kai to lie to her about this with his current status and strength.
If he confessed to it, then Wu Meng Chuan must have really died at his hand.
Blue Feather Sect’s decline had much to do with Wu Meng Chuan’s disappearance. With the Sect Master gone and three of the original four Protectors killed off by him, only Bian Yu Qing was left, and she naturally couldn’t save this situation with her strength alone. Soon after, Blue Feather Sect disbanded, and the disciples went their separate ways.
While others had no idea why Wu Meng Chuan disappeared, Bian Yu Qing knew that it happened after he left for the Shattered Star Sea. After all, the Star Seal to enter the Shattered Star Sea was obtained by Kou Wu and her from the Four Seasons Realm.
But to think that Wu Meng Chuan actually died to Yang Kai. That man was a descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and as far as Bian Yu Qing knew, Wu Meng Chuan still had a Legacy Emperor Artifact handed down to him from the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.
Yang Kai must have been in the Dao Source Realm as well when he entered the Shattered Star Sea, but he still managed to kill Wu Meng Chuan.
“Seems like you don’t intend to seek revenge for him,” Yang Kai smiled at this observation.
After he admitted to killing Wu Meng Chuan, Bian Yu Qing was shocked, but she didn’t have any other reaction.
“Why would I want to get revenge for him?” Bian Yu Qing scoffed, “If he hadn’t needed someone to manage the Blue Feather Sect for him, then I would have been killed by him after he got out. I have no problem with you killing him.”
“That’s for the best,” Yang Kai nodded. “By the way, what is that Entry Token that those people were talking about when they were pursuing you?”
Bian Yu Qing was silent for a moment, but she still took out the sapphire jade token from her Space Ring which was about the size of a palm, handing it to Yang Kai, “This is it.”
Yang Kai took the token and studied it. He could see that this jade token was carved from sapphire jade, but there wasn’t anything special about it.
Sapphire jade was a type of jade ore that wasn’t considered precious. It was produced in many places and one or two ores would perhaps be needed to refine low-grade artifacts. So what about this Entry Token warranted a group of Dao Source Realm cultivators to fight and chase after?
Turning it over, Yang Kai saw several numbers engraved onto the back, ‘3-9-1-2’!
“What’s it for?” Yang Kai looked doubtfully at Bian Yu Qing.
“This is the Entry Token for Spirit Lake Palace. With this, you can enter Spirit Lake Palace’s cultivation rooms,” Bian Yu Qing explained, “You’ve been gone for many years, so you probably don’t know how bustling Spirit Lake Palace is these days. Countless people arrive every day in order to use the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal cultivation rooms. I spent all of my assets in order to obtain this Entry Token, but I still have to wait two more months before it’s my turn to cultivate inside.”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “Two months? There are that many people waiting in line?”
Bian Yu Qing said, “Do you know how long it’s been since I got my Entry Token?”
“How long?”
“Half a year,” Bian Yu Qing told him, “I got this Entry Token half a year ago, but I still need to wait two more months before it’s my turn. Countless others still have to wait a year or even two.”
“Heavens!” Yang Kai clicked his tongue in amazement, “Is Spirit Lake Palace really so popular?”
Bian Yu Qing laughed, “The World Energy is just that dense in Spirit Lake Palace. Even the lowest grade, the Mortal Grade cultivation rooms, are something any ordinary small Sect can’t compare to. For people looking to make breakthroughs like us, Spirit Lake Palace is naturally a popular place, but if you don’t have connections, you just have to wait in line.”
Yang Kai asked, “Is that why those three were trying to steal your Entry Token?”
Bian Yu Qing responded, “Of course. Don’t underestimate the value of this Entry Token. After Spirit Lake Palace hands out an Entry Token, they only care about the token, not the owner. In other words, whoever holds this Entry Token will be able to enter Spirit Lake Palace to cultivate in two months. I spent all of my Source Crystals in order to get this Entry Token, but if I take this Entry Token to the black market now, I’ll definitely be able to sell it for twice as much. Even the highest rank of Entry Token can often be found up for auction.”
“Because of the wait time?” Yang Kai raised a brow.
“En. The closer the date is, the higher the value of the Entry Token. Maplewood City’s black market is crazy over this. Who knows how many people are there trying to find an Entry Token.”
Yang Kai nodded. Not mentioning the worth of the Entry Token itself, the fact that one was able to enter Spirit Lake Palace to cultivate in two months was enough to get people fighting over it. Bian Yu Qing must have accidentally exposed her ownership of the token, leading to the three disciples from Broken Mountain Sect pursuing her.
Yang Kai didn’t expect this place to change so much after being away for just a few years.
“The White Entry Tokens are for Mortal Grade rooms, Sapphire Entry Tokens for Earth Grade, and as for the top Ruby Entry Tokens, those are naturally for Heaven Grade!” Bian Yu Qing explained, “But Heaven Grade rooms aren’t something people like me can enter.”
Even Emperor Realm Masters dream of entering those rooms, so naturally Bian Yu Qing couldn’t compete with them with the resources she had.
“Only Earth Grade, huh?” Yang Kai muttered in thought, “Are you planning to go inside to see whether you can break through to the Emperor Realm?”
Bian Yu Qing smiled, “The chances are slim, but I should still try, shouldn’t I?”
She didn’t have much confidence in her chances, and Yang Kai estimated that she probably wouldn’t be able to make a breakthrough even if she really did get to cultivate in the Earth Grade cultivation room. A cultivator’s mentality was a very important factor when it came to such things.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai said, “Let’s go.”
“Where to?” Bian Yu Qing asked.
“To Spirit Lake Palace. It’s been many years since I last came here, and it seems like you’re more familiar with the way there, so why don’t you be my guide?”
Bian Yu Qing nodded, “That’s fine.”
Yang Kai pushed his Emperor Qi, wrapping around her and then speeding off towards Spirit Lake Palace’s direction, but he did not return the Sapphire Entry Token to her.
Bian Yu Qing seemed to want to say something, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask in the end. If Yang Kai really wanted to snatch the Sapphire Entry Token from her, Bian Yu Qing would not be able to fight him.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at a place a thousand kilometres away.
Yang Kai looked towards Spirit Lake Palace from the air and couldn’t help but whistle in amazement. In just a few years, this place had already formed into a city not inferior to Maplewood City. And, from the looks of it, they were still expanding. Maybe in a few years, Spirit Lake Palace would swallow up Maplewood City as well, merging the two into one.
Seeing that Yang Kai seemed to have the intention of just swaggering in, Bian Yu Qing quickly interrupted, “We need to pay Source Crystals in order to enter Spirit Lake City. Ten Mid-Rank Source Crystals per person.”
“Oh, that’s quite a hefty entrance fee,” Yang Kai was taken aback. He had been to many cities, and those cities all generally charged tolls in Low-Rank Source Crystals, and usually only around ten crystals at that, but this Spirit Lake City actually wanted ten Mid-Rank Source Crystals, which was a hundred times more than what other cities charged.
“It’s a lot, but it’s worth it. The World Energy inside Spirit Lake City may not be as plentiful as the cultivation rooms in Spirit Lake Palace, but it’s still very dense. Many people who can’t get Entry Tokens instead find places to stay in Spirit Lake City, living there year-round.”
Yang Kai nodded. He was also a cultivator who climbed up step by step from the bottom, so he could naturally sympathize with the hardships faced by those cultivators. For them, the World Energy in Spirit Lake City was no less than a divine blessing. Naturally, they were willing to pay the trivial ten Mid-Rank Source Crystals to gain entry.
While speaking, the two of them had already arrived at the entrance. Fortunately, the entrance was quite empty and there weren’t many people lining up. When it was Yang Kai’s turn, he just tossed over a High-Rank Source Crystal, causing the cultivator guarding the entrance to happily take it and let them through.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai was trying to show off his wealth on purpose, only that he basically had no Mid-Rank or Low-Rank Source Crystals. All the Source Crystals he had in his ring were High-Rank ones.
When they entered Spirit Lake City, they were greeted with a bustling sight. Cultivators came and went along the streets like a school of carp in the river, plentiful as the hairs on an ox. It was extremely lively, and many stores were lining both sides of the streets, rows upon rows of them. Many had even set up stalls on the empty ground to sell off the things they didn’t need anymore. Most of the stalls had people stopping around, and the sound of bargaining was endless.
Yang Kai clicked his tongue in amazement. There were Dao Source Realm cultivators as far as the eye could see here, and even some Emperor Realm Masters who were concealing their cultivations walked among the crowd. This would simply have been impossible ten years ago. Back then, the strongest Master within a hundred thousand kilometres of Maplewood City was a mere Second-Order Dao Source Realm, and the number of cultivators in the Dao Source Realm could even be counted on two hands. But right now, Dao Source Realm cultivators were truly all over the place.
These changes were naturally attributed to the rise of Spirit Lake Palace.
Yang Kai walked around, soaking in the lively atmosphere that all felt a little surreal.
Bian Yu Qing would also tell Yang Kai about Spirit Lake City from time to time, causing him to nod lightly in understanding. Ever since Blue Feather Sect disbanded, Bian Yu Qing and Kou Wu had come to Spirit Lake City in order to make a living, so she naturally knew more about the area than Yang Kai did.
Almost an hour later, they arrived at Spirit Lake Palace, which was located in the centre of the city.
The huge palace was just like a city within a city, and many people were lined up at its entrance.
Yang Kai could see quite clearly that these people were in three lines, and the leftmost line had the largest number of people, totalling five hundred or so. The middle line had much fewer people, about half the leftmost line. As for the last line on the right, less than fifty people were waiting. The strength of the cultivators in these three lines were also clear to see. The leftmost line was made up almost exclusively of those in or below the Origin King Realm. There were a few downtrodden-looking Dao Source Realm cultivators mixed in with them, however.
The middle line, on the other hand, was mostly First and Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, with a few wealthy-looking Origin Kings.
As for the line on the right, their cultivations were all at or above the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, with two even being Emperor Realm cultivators.
Yang Kai said, thoughtful, “These three lines are for the different Entry Tokens, right?”
Bian Yu Qing nodded, “That’s right. The leftmost line is for the White Entry Token holders, the centre is for the Sapphire Entry Token, and the right is for the Ruby Entry Tokens. Most of the cultivation rooms in Spirit Lake Palace are Mortal Grade, then Earth Grade, and the fewest at Heaven Grade, so even though there are more people in line for White Entry Tokens, the rotation is actually quite fast.”
Yang Kai nodded, walking over towards a rather empty place at the side and looking around, revealing a satisfied look.
Bian Yu Qing had no idea what he intended to do, but she didn’t ask, choosing to observe him curiously instead.
Yang Kai suddenly said aloud, “I have a Sapphire Entry Token here with the number 3912, buyers welcome, first come, first served!”
Even though his voice wasn’t too loud, the force he pushed into it had likely amplified and carried it out for the entire Spirit Lake City to hear.
Bian Yu Qing’s face changed drastically as she cried out in alarm, “What are you doing?!”
This was the Sapphire Entry Token that she spent all of her fortune on to obtain, and she only had to wait another two months before it was her turn! That was her key to whether she could ascend to the Emperor Realm or not, but now, Yang Kai had actually taken out her Entry Token to sell without asking for her permission. If she really wanted to sell it off, then she would have taken it to an auction long ago, why keep it till now?
“Just trust me!” Yang Kai glanced at her.
Bian Yu Qing’s anger was instantly doused. Frowning, she nodded and said nothing more.
Yang Kai was already in the Emperor Realm, so if he really did have any ill intentions towards her, then she wouldn’t be able to resist him.
After Yang Kai’s words, the cultivators nearby stopped in their tracks to look at him in astonishment. In the next moment, a crowd rushed over like a tidal wave, all of them scrambling to get to Yang Kai.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing were completely surrounded by a sea of cultivators. Bian Yu Qing couldn’t help but feel nervous at this sudden situation. It should be noted that many of the cultivators surrounding them had extremely terrifying auras, not something she could contend with.
Subconsciously, she edged closer towards Yang Kai, as if trying to find a sense of security.
“Token 3912? Really?”
“Quickly take it out and show us!”
“Little brat, you’re dead if you dare to trick us!”
Many cultivators here in Spirit Lake City were trying to find an Entry Token, so they were naturally quite familiar with the numbers and what they meant. A Sapphire Entry Token bearing the number 3912 was already very close in the queue. One might be able to get in within less than two months with that token.
Usually, such close numbers would only appear in auctions, and even then they may not be able to find it in the black market. Naturally, everyone was quite excited to hear that one such token had appeared out here.
In an instant, a noisy crowd had formed.
Yang Kai ignored the people threatening him and continued shouting.
People were constantly flying over from afar, and very soon, more than five hundred cultivators gathered around them. People were crowding around Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing, with many even flying in the sky around them.
If not for the fact that fighting was prohibited in Spirit Lake City, some people may even have tried robbing them by now.
After enough people had gathered, Yang Kai took out the Sapphire Entry Token and showed it to the crowd. Then, he flipped it around and held it up high for display.
The numbers on the back shone brightly in the sunlight, so everyone could see it clearly.
“It really is number 3912!”
“It’s been so long since such a close Entry Token appeared. This number only requires a two month wait!”
“Boy, I came here first so hurry up and sell me that Entry Token! I can guarantee you’ll be happy with the price!” An elderly man shouted eagerly. This man looked quite old, he had a head full of white hair, but his cultivation was only in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm. Death Qi was emanating from all over his body, and his vitality was also extremely thin. From his appearance, he seemed to be quite close to his predestined time of death.
But if he could make another breakthrough, then he may be able to live a few more years, so he was naturally very interested in this Entry Token.
Another cultivator, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm standing mid-air, looked down at them and said, “Boy, how much is that Entry Token? Give me a price!”
Yang Kai smiled and looked around, “It seems like everyone is quite interested in this Entry Token. Very good, in that case, let’s auction this right here! The Entry Token goes to the highest bidder!”
The elderly man’s face changed as he yelled, “Little brat, you said first come first served just now, so how can you go back on your word?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Old man, that was just something I blurted out. You believe that? Naturally, such a precious Entry Token should be auctioned!”
“You,” the elderly man’s beard was twitching, “You irritate this Old Master!”
“Since you’re going to auction it, what’s the starting price?” A Dao Source Realm cultivator in the air asked.
Yang Kai said, “You’re all free to bid, there’s no starting price.”
With so many people competing, there was simply no need for a reserve price as the price would naturally go up while they’re fighting for it.
As soon as he said that, someone immediately shouted, “Twenty million!”
“Twenty million is the price to buy an Entry Token to Spirit Lake Palace, have you no shame offering such a measly sum? Thirty million!”
“Thirty-one million!”
“Thirty-two million!”
In the blink of an eye, the price of the Sapphire Entry Token went up to thirty-six million.
Yang Kai whispered to Bian Yu Qing, “Is the price Low-Rank Source Crystals or Mid-Rank Source Crystals?”
Bian Yu Qing answered, “Mid-Rank Source Crystals. White Entry Tokens are all sold for Low-Rank Source Crystals while Ruby Entry Tokens cost High-Rank Source Crystals.”
“How much did you spend when you bought this?” Yang Kai asked.
“Twenty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals!”
Twenty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals would translate to Two Hundred Thousand High-Rank Source Crystals, which was just a drop in the bucket to Yang Kai, but to Bian Yu Qing, it was everything she had.
And even this was thanks to the fact that she had constantly been managing Blue Feather Sect in the past and had some of the Sect’s cultivation resources with her, or she would not have had such a large fortune.
In the blink of an eye, something she bought for twenty million was now priced as high as thirty-six million. Just like Bian Yu Qing said before, she really could double her money by reselling the Entry Token. The demand for this Entry Token was clear to see among the cultivators of Spirit Lake City.
“Forty million!” A Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator in the air shouted out the price, red-faced and grimacing, looking like he was in great pain. But as long as he could get his hands on this Sapphire Entry Token, he could try to break through to the Emperor Realm in two months. If he succeeded, then what would this forty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals be worth?
The appearance of Spirit Lake Palace had allowed many cultivators to break through their own shackles. There were over a hundred Emperor Realm breakthroughs over the past ten years here alone, so if those people could do it, why couldn’t he?
“If anyone can name a higher price, then I don’t want the Entry Token anymore!” That Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator grit his teeth and observed his surroundings nervously.
To his delight, nobody else raised the bid after him, but that did make sense. Forty million was already twice the price of buying the Entry Token from Spirit Lake Palace to begin with, and this price was already the bottom line of most people. There were no fools here. Even though the number would grant entry very soon, Source Crystals don’t just come from nowhere, so how could they squander them freely?
“This Old Master bids forty million and ten thousand!” An old voice suddenly appeared from the distance.
Upon hearing this, the whole crowd had strange expressions on their faces. For someone to suddenly come in and add a mere ten thousand to the bidding price, who knows whether this person was trying to pick up a bargain or had some grudge with that cultivator who bid forty million and simply wanted to insult him.
“Who? Who said that?!” The Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator was infuriated hearing this of course and the anger in his chest began boiling like magma in a volcano.
Even though Yang Kai never specified how much the price had to be raised for each bid, everyone was quite disciplined during the auction earlier, raising the bid by at least half a million each time, but mainly raising the price by a million. But now, someone suddenly came out and raised the bid by just ten thousand. Wasn’t that a display of naked contempt?
“It was this Old Master. What’s wrong? Do you have any complaints?”
In a flash, an old man showed himself. Flying above everyone, he looked down at the crowd, pushing his voice with the force inside his body, sending a blast of Emperor Intent to all their faces.
“Emperor Realm!” The face of the cultivator who was still looking around furiously just now to see who was trying to mess around suddenly changed, instantly turning silent.
An Emperor Realm Master actually came to snatch the Sapphire Entry Token away from him, this was something he would never have expected. Even though the Sapphire Entry Token only allowed one to enter an Earth Grade cultivation room, that still had some use to an Emperor Realm Master. However, in general, Emperors would only use the Heaven Grade cultivation rooms. Of course, there was also the possibility that this old man was joining the auction in order to secure the Entry Token for his Disciple or descendant.
“It’s Broken Mountain Sect’s Sect Master, Le Dong Zheng!”
Someone suddenly shouted in the crowd, seemingly recognizing the identity of this old man.
When the others heard his words, they all revealed looks of fear.
Bian Yu Qing’s body trembled slightly as she had the subconscious feeling that this Le Dong Zheng was here to find trouble with her. But thinking about it carefully, nobody saw them when she and Yang Kai killed those three Broken Mountain Sect disciples. Only after this thought hit her did she relax.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and looked at Le Dong Zheng with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Not to mention the fact that this old man was suspected to be starting trouble by raising the price by just ten thousand out of nowhere, this Sect Master had come over as soon as he killed those Broken Mountain Sect disciples. This was too much of a coincidence, right?
Could it be that the matter was exposed? But that didn’t seem right. Yang Kai swept through his surroundings with his Divine Sense before killing them, and nobody was watching at all. Moreover, the three men did not send any messages before they died, so how could Le Dong Zheng know?
“So, it is Senior Le,” that Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator also recognized Le Dong Zheng and smiled bitterly, “Since Senior Le wants this Sapphire Entry Token, Junior naturally wouldn’t dare to have any complaints.”
“Good!” Le Dong Zheng let out a light grunt and turned his head to look at Yang Kai, reaching his hand out, “Hand over the Entry Token.”
Yang Kai eyed him and sneered, “The auction isn’t over yet.”
Le Dong Zheng said, “What, could there be anyone who can outbid this Old Master?”
He eyed his surroundings with his imposing glare, and anyone who met his gaze felt chills rising in their hearts, so even if they wanted to bid, they didn’t dare to open their mouths anymore. Not to mention the fact that the price of forty million had exceeded most of their bottom lines.
“Do you see that? This Old Master’s price is the highest!” Le Dong Zheng extended his hand once more, “Hand over the Entry Token.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and shook his head, “Even if your price is the highest, I’m still not going to sell you this Entry Token.”
[Raising by just 10,000 and you want to snatch away this Entry Token?] If Yang Kai really gave it to Le Dong Zheng, it would leave a bitter taste in his mouth for a long time to come. On top of that, this Entry Token was originally something that three cultivators from the Broken Mountain Sect wanted to steal. Even Kou Wu had to be killed before the Entry Token was saved, so how could it now land in the hands of the Broken Mountain Sect?
Le Dong Zheng’s face darkened, “Boy, you dare disobey the rules?”
Yang Kai snickered, “My things, my rules. What the hell do you count for?”
As soon as he said that, everyone was staring tongue-tied at Yang Kai, secretly admiring his guts. Le Dong Zheng was an Emperor Realm Master, and yet this young man actually dared to provoke him.
“You court death!” Le Dong Zheng was furious and his aura flared around his body, attempting to pressure Yang Kai.
Many of the people standing nearby grunted and stepped back.
Yang Kai did not move, however, and instead just sneered at Le Dong Zheng. After a light snort, his own Emperor Pressure rose up like an awakened beast.
Le Dong Zheng’s face changed dramatically as he called out, “You’re also an Emperor!”
The crowd at the side was also shocked. They never would have thought that Yang Kai was actually an Emperor Realm Master. All of them instantly felt nervous, but fortunately, they were quite disciplined during the auction earlier and did not offend him too much; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.
“It was this Old Master who had eyes but failed to see,” Le Dong Zheng’s expression cooled instantly.
Yang Kai ignored him and pointed his hand to the front, “Hey, you! Come over here!”
When Yang Kai pointed his hand, the crowd split away in a flash, as if the outstretched finger was a venomous snake.
The cultivator who bid forty million earlier also tried to doge, but no matter where he moved to, Yang Kai’s finger kept on pointing at him.
With a bitter face, he asked, “Senior, what can I do for you?”
Even though he was quite a lot older than Yang Kai, his cultivation was inferior, so he could only address him as Senior.
“Come over here!” Yang Kai said again.
The man had no choice but to walk towards Yang Kai with an apprehensive face, not knowing what the latter wanted from him.
After approaching, Yang Kai shoved the Sapphire Entry Token into his hands before he could say anything and declared, “The Entry Token is yours.”
In a flash, the face of Le Dong Zheng, who was floating in the air, turned blue.
He was a First-Order Emperor and his bid was higher, but Yang Kai refused to sell the Entry Token to him. Instead, Yang Kai passed the Sapphire Entry Token to a mere Dao Source Realm cultivator. This was a public slap to the face.
Instead of feeling happy, the Dao Source Realm cultivator felt shocked and afraid. The Sapphire Entry Token in his hands felt just like a hot lump of iron, burning into his palms.
If Le Dong Zheng hadn’t made a bid, he would have happily accepted the Entry Token, but now that Le Dong Zheng had appeared, how could he dare to take it? If he does take it, then he would be offending someone he couldn’t afford to. He couldn’t be sure whether he would get what was coming to him in the future either.
“Senior, I don’t want the Entry Token anymore,” he opened his mouth with great difficulty and returned the Entry Token.
“You dare refuse?” Yang Kai grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up, glaring fiercely at his face, “You think I won’t beat you black and blue for that?”
That man was so shocked that his face turned white and he quickly cautioned, “Fighting isn’t allowed in Spirit Lake City!”
Yang Kai said threateningly, “Can you hide in Spirit Lake City for the rest of your life? I’ll beat you half to death as soon as you leave the city!”
That man wanted to cry but had no tears, all but begging, “Senior, why must you make things difficult for me? I’m just a Dao Source Realm cultivator.”
“You call selling you an Entry Token making things difficult for you?” Yang Kai sneered, still holding onto his collar, “Are you taking it or not? If not, you’re dead.”
The man dodged his gaze, not daring to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai then whispered quietly, “If you take it, you may offend Le Dong Zheng, but you’ll also gain an Entry Token, and have the chance to break through to the Emperor Realm. If you don’t though, you will offend this Young Master and get no benefits at all. Consider the gains and losses by yourself.”
As soon as he heard that, his eyes lit up.
That’s right. No matter whether he takes the Entry Token or not, he would be offending an Emperor Realm Master. If he did take it though, then he at least had a ray of hope for advancing to the Emperor Realm. It was such a simple question, so why hadn’t he thought it through before?
In an instant, he made his decision.
Looking up towards Le Dong Zheng, the man cupped his fists, “Senior Le, it’s not that Junior wants to fight with you, but Junior was forced to buy! Please understand!”
“Hmph!” Le Dong Zheng coldly snorted, causing the man’s face to turn pale again, but things had already come to this, and there was nothing for him to hesitate over anymore. He quickly moved forty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals from his ring to another before handing it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai turned around and tossed the ring to Bian Yu Qing. Only then did he let go of the man’s collar and say, “You can use the token yourself, but you can’t sell it, especially not to that old man!” He pointed at Le Dong Zheng and threatened, “If I find out that you’ve sold the token to him… Hmph!”
“I know, I know! I’ll use it myself, I definitely won’t sell it!” The man nodded incessantly.
“Now go!” Yang Kai waved his hand.
That man ran into the crowd and disappeared without a trace as if it had been a ghost.
Seeing that the Entry Token had already been sold out, the rest of the crowd naturally had no reason to stay anymore and quickly scattered like birds and beasts.
Only Le Dong Zheng stayed behind, staring at Yang Kai with narrowed eyes. A cold glint could be seen through those slits as he spoke, “Little friend, this Old Master has no idea how he offended you, for you to target this Old Master in such a way.”
Yang Kai snickered, “Sect Master Le, why the need to play dumb? Since you’re already here, why don’t you just air out what you want to say?”
Le Dong Zheng responded, “I don’t know what this little friend is talking about.”
“In that case, there’s nothing for us to talk about,” Yang Kai turned around and said to Bian Yu Qing, “Let’s go.”
“Wait!” When he saw that Yang Kai was really planning to leave, Le Dong Zheng quickly shouted.
“Sect Master Le, what else do you need?” Yang Kai turned to look at him.
Le Dong Zheng narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Yang Kai for a while before asking, “My three disciples… where are they now?”
“Hah!” Yang Kai laughed and looked jeeringly at Le Dong Zheng, “And here I thought that Sect Master Le really didn’t know anything. So, you were the one who sent the three of them?”
Bian Yu Qing’s face paled, as she looked at Le Dong Zheng with rage in her eyes. If what Yang Kai said was true, then Le Dong Zheng was the culprit responsible for Kou Wu’s death. Without his orders, she and Kou Wu wouldn’t have been chased after by those three people.
As if he didn’t hear that snide comment, Le Dong Zheng continued, “You haven’t answered this Old Master’s question yet.”
“Curious to know?” Yang Kai grinned, “Figure it out yourself!”
He turned around and left.
Le Dong Zheng was fuming. If not for the fact that Spirit Lake City forbade fighting, he would have rushed over to battle Yang Kai to the death. One of the three disciples he sent was his descendant, one he had high hopes for him. From Yang Kai’s tone, the fate of the three must be disastrous, so how could Le Dong Zheng’s heart not ache?
Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “Boy! Don’t let this Old Master see you outside the city, or he will kill you!”
Yang Kai scoffed and couldn’t even be bothered to turn around, giving Le Dong Zheng a sense of powerlessness as if he were punching at cotton. He almost coughed up a mouthful of blood from anger.
He watched Yang Kai leave with hatred in his eyes, inwardly deciding to himself that he would teach this little brat a harsh lesson; otherwise, his three disciples would have died in vain.
…..
“What are you doing? Go back and wait in line!”
In front of Spirit Lake Palace, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator dressed in the uniform of Heavenly Martial Holy Land reached out to stop Yang Kai with an arrogant look on his face.
As a disciple of one of the Southern Territory’s top Sects, he naturally had the capital to act arrogant. What’s more, he was still young and had already reached the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so the possibility of him breaking through to the Emperor Realm in the future was quite high.
Led by Star Soul Palace, Spirit Lake Palace was built under the joint efforts of all three of the Southern Territory’s top Sects, so it was naturally managed by the three of them.
Yang Kai took out a token and waved it in front of the man.
The Heavenly Martial Holy Land disciple instantly withdrew his arrogance and cupped his fists, “So it is a Senior Brother from Azure Sun Temple. May I know how to address Senior Brother?”
The token that Yang Kai held up was the Azure Sun Golden Token, a token that only Core Disciples were qualified to possess. Even though this man was from Heavenly Martial Holy Land, he was merely an inner disciple, a far cry from a Core Disciple. After confirming Yang Kai’s identity, he naturally didn’t dare to be too reckless.
Bian Yu Qing almost went cross-eyed at this sight. She had personally seen how arrogant and supercilious the cultivators guarding Spirit Lake Palace’s entrance were. Even Emperor Realm Masters would sometimes be greeted with disdainful looks by these top Sect disciples, so when she saw one cupping his fists and bowing to Yang Kai, then listening to what he said, Bian Yu Qing suddenly recalled that Yang Kai was with Azure Sun Temple when they went to the Four Seasons Realm back then.
It turned out that Yang Kai had already become a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and from the looks of this situation, his status didn’t seem low. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to make this cultivator lower himself before him.
“Yang Kai!”
The disciple who was guarding the gate frowned at his words and thought carefully for a moment, but found that he was extremely unfamiliar with his name. He had never even heard of it.
He basically knew all of Azure Sun Temple’s Core Disciples, but he had never seen or heard of Yang Kai before. But the Azure Sun Golden Token couldn’t be faked. With this Golden Token, it meant that Yang Kai really was a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple.
When Yang Kai refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill back then in the Four Seasons Realm, his fame spread across the entire Southern Territory, but since so many years had passed, news naturally died down and many cultivators spent much of their time in secluded retreat, so it was normal for them to have never heard of Yang Kai’s name before. This cultivator at the gate was clearly one of these people.
“So, it is Senior Brother Yang!” Even though that cultivator did not recognize Yang Kai, he didn’t dare to be any less polite to him, “May I ask if Senior Brother Yang has come this time in order to make use of the cultivation rooms?
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
When Gao Xue Ting handed him this Azure Sun Golden Token, she told him that in addition to the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Grade cultivation rooms in Spirit Lake Palace, there were even better ones reserved for the disciples of the three Sects that were not open to the public. However, they were free to enter them with the Golden Token.
If not, Yang Kai wouldn’t have sold Bian Yu Qing’s Sapphire Token. Since there was an even better place for her to go, there was naturally no more use for that Sapphire Entry Token.
“Senior Brother Yang, please follow me. I’ll bring you to see the Sir Steward.” That man turned around after he finished speaking.
Yang Kai called out to Bian Yu Qing and followed him.
Bian Yu Qing had already figured out what Yang Kai was trying to do at this point, and her eyes were filled with gratitude. At the same time, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She had to spend all of her assets just to buy that Sapphire Entry Token after many difficulties, still having to wait eight months before her turn came. On the other hand, Yang Kai only needed to come here and he was allowed into a Heaven Grade cultivation room. Through this comparison, Bian Yu Qing realized that the convenience of being the disciple of a top Sect was beyond her imagination, and she couldn’t help but feel helpless at that fact.
Without a strong background, even if one really were to ascend to the Emperor Realm, they wouldn’t have much prestige in front of these large Sect’s disciples.
“What’re you doing?” Yang Kai suddenly turned around to look at Bian Yu Qing, frowning, suddenly realizing that her state was not quite right.
Bian Yu Qing was taken by surprise at his call and suddenly realized how dispirited her thoughts had become. With such a mindset, her already slim chances of breaking through to the Emperor Realm became even slimmer.
She immediately collected her thoughts and her eyes became determined!
That’s right, Kou Wu died in order to preserve that Sapphire Entry Token, all so he could leave a ray of hope behind for her to break through. If she couldn’t give him a satisfactory answer, how could she face Kou Wu in the future after her death?
Kou Wu’s blood could not be shed in vain.
“Nothing!” Bian Yu Qing smiled, a hard-to-describe sense of self-confidence and determination emanating from her body. She had a feeling that if she could find a good place to enter retreat at this moment, then her chances of breaking through to the Emperor Realm would be as high as thirty percent!
It had to be known that she only had a one in ten chance before this, so thirty percent was already very high.
Yang Kai stared at Bian Yu Qing seriously, watching her for a long time before turning his head away.
He had no idea what sort of psychological struggle Bian Yu Qing had just gone through in this short period of time, but he was pleased to see that she was in better form now.
That Heavenly Martial Holy Land disciple led Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing to a room and said, “Senior Brother Yang, please wait for a moment. I’ll go and get the Sir Steward.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai nodded.
The man then turned and left.
“Thank you!” Bian Yu Qing suddenly spoke. This was already the second time she thanked Yang Kai since bumping into him again, and each time, she was thanking him from the bottom of her heart. In all her years of living, no one had ever shown her such kindness, so his actions moved her greatly.
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s just a trivial matter!”
While saying that, he casually tossed a few jade bottles over to her.
Bian Yu Qing accepted them and looked doubtfully at Yang Kai, “These are…”
“You can use these while you cultivate,” Yang Kai explained.
Curious, Bian Yu Qing opened up a jade bottle and peeked inside. In an instant, her entire body shook and she was wide-eyed, “This is… an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill?”
Looking into another bottle, it turned out to be another Emperor Grade Spirit Pill, and from the looks and fragrance of the pill from the first bottle, it seemed to be similar to the legendary Pure Heart Pill. The Pure Heart Pill was a pill that could help a cultivator focus their mind and alleviate any heart demons from disturbing them during cultivation.
Even though similar pills were available on the market, one at the Emperor Grade would definitely not appear. The best ones were no more than Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank, a far cry from the one inside this jade bottle.
The other bottle seemed to contain a Heavenly Dao Pill. This pill was even more shocking as it could help a cultivator perceive the Heavenly Way and assist them in comprehending Principle Strength…
With the help of these two Spirit Pills, her thirty percent chance rose up to at least fifty percent! If she still didn’t manage to make a breakthrough this time, then she probably wouldn’t ever be able to.
Holding the two bottles tightly in her hands, Bian Yu Qing’s heart was surging. She looked at Yang Kai with a complicated gaze as she commented, “I don’t know how to repay you for such a heavy gift.”
“It’s not like I’m asking for repayment,” Yang Kai stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, “But if you insist, then… Why don’t you join my Sect?”
“Azure Sun Temple?” Bian Yu Qing was dumbfounded.
This was another great gift, so how could it be considered repayment? Even if there weren’t ten thousand cultivators just like her who wanted to enter Azure Sun Temple, there were at least eight thousand. Azure Sun Temple was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, so how could she simply enter it?
If she really were able to join Azure Sun Temple, then even if she was a lowest-ranking disciple, it would still be better than wandering around on her own. A woman, and especially a beautiful woman like her with a charming face and an enchanting body, was prone to getting caught up in trouble when she was on her own. Sometimes, trouble would even come to her even if she stayed hidden.
“No, no, no, not Azure Sun Temple,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“No?” Bian Yu Qing was surprised.
Yang Kai smiled, “I founded my own Sect. Right now, my Sect has… En, ten people? It’s still a work in progress at this stage and we’re short of hands. Is Protector Bian interested?”
“Yes!” Bian Yu Qing didn’t even think for a moment before she agreed. Yang Kai had already helped her so much, so even if she had to give her life, she wouldn’t have hesitated, let alone just joining his Sect.
Bian Yu Qing didn’t think that the Sect Yang Kai founded would be that powerful as even though he was an Emperor Realm Master with strong abilities, every Sect had a development phase. Right now, there were less than ten members, so it was quite clearly a small Sect. Perhaps, it may even be worse than the Blue Feather Sect of the past.
But so what? As long as they worked together, the Sect would have a chance of becoming big in the future, and if she could break through to the Emperor Realm, then she would be an even greater help to Yang Kai, which would allow her to slowly repay his favour.
“You’re quite quick to agree!” Yang Kai grinned.
Bian Yu Qing brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled, “I’m also a person who knows gratitude, so you may rest assured. If I can safely come out of this retreat, I’ll follow you back to your Sect, but if I happen to die… then that’s just my destiny.”
Breaking through to the Emperor Realm comes with its risks and one mistake could lead to death. Many Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators not only failed to ascend to the Emperor Realm, but died during their attempt.
It had to be known that Wu Dao had died back then on the threshold of advancing to the Dao Source Realm, and he was known as the strongest person in Heng Luo Star Field. Even he died trying to reach the Dao Source Realm ascension, so the path to reaching the Emperor Realm could only come with greater risks.
“Ahaha, Martial Nephew Yang! It’s been a while since I heard from you. I didn’t expect you to visit Spirit Lake Palace today,” a man’s voice suddenly called out from the side. Yang Kai looked over to see an elderly man seemingly in his fifties walking over. He had white hair and a ruddy complexion that was brimming with vitality. Even the aura emanating from his body was dense.
[First-Order Emperor Realm!] Yang Kai could tell instantly.
But this man was much stronger than average cultivators in his realm, not to mention the heritage he had. Just his aura alone was not something people like Le Dong Zheng could compare with.
Yang Kai estimated that if this old man were to fight Le Dong Zheng in a one-on-one battle, then it likely wouldn’t take more than an incense stick’s time to determine a winner.
“Senior is…” Yang Kai got up and cupped his fists.
The elderly man stroked the beard on his chin and smiled, “This Old Master is Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s Yao Li!”
Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with too many people from Heavenly Martial Holy Land. Other than Chen Wen Hao, the only other one he knew was Wu Chang. Yang Kai didn’t know anyone else besides those two, but since Yao Li’s cultivation was First-Order Emperor Realm, he should at least be an Elder of Heavenly Martial Holy Land.
Since the old man was his Senior, Yang Kai naturally didn’t show any disrespect.
“So, it is Elder Yao. Yang Kai greets Elder Yao!”
“No need to be polite, Martial Nephew. Please sit!” Yao Li smiled and gestured to him.
Immediately, a beautiful young woman came over to serve tea.
Yao Li was observing Yang Kai with a smile on his face, seemingly showing great interest in him; after all, this young man was able to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, so there was a high possibility of him being an Emperor Alchemist now. Unfortunately, he didn’t belong to Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s. Suddenly, Yao Li’s eyes turned to Bian Yu Qing and he asked, “This is…”
“My Elder Cousin!” Yang Kai said casually.
Bian Yu Qing got up from her seat, “This Mistress greets Elder Yao!”
Even though Yang Kai and her did not discuss this matter beforehand, Bian Yu Qing’s performance was flawless. She had been making a life for herself outside for many years, so she wasn’t some naïve little girl.
“So it is Martial Nephew Yang’s cousin. En, please, sit,” Yao Li showed an amiable attitude towards her.
Bian Yu Qing couldn’t help but feel a little flattered by this. Yao Li was someone who stood far above her, someone she could only look up to, and this would not change even if she broke through to the Emperor Realm, but now, just because of Yang Kai, she was actually able to sit here with him and drink tea.
Deep inside, an extremely absurd feeling emerged in Bian Yu Qing’s heart, as if her fate had taken a huge turn ever since meeting Yang Kai again.
“I heard from my disciple that Martial Nephew Yang is here to ask for a cultivation room?” Yao Li cut straight to the point. Even though Yang Kai looked impressive, Yao Li was still an Elder of Heavenly Martial Holy Land, so there was naturally no need for any flattering.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded, “May I ask Elder Yao if there are still any free cultivation rooms that are not open to the public?”
Yao Li frowned and pondered for a moment, “Martial Nephew Yang, is the cultivation room for your own use, or…” He swept a glance at Bian Yu Qing.
Wiseness comes with age. Even though Yang Kai didn’t say anything, he was able to guess Yang Kai’s purpose in bringing Bian Yu Qing here.
Yang Kai spoke truthfully, “My cousin’s cultivation has reached the peak of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so if there is a suitable place for her to enter retreat, she may be able to make a breakthrough.”
Yao Li nodded, “As expected.”
After a pause, he continued, “Martial Nephew Yang, I’m not going to lie to you, those cultivation rooms that are not open to the public are indeed prepared for Core Disciples like yourself; but unfortunately, those rooms are already coincidentally full. If you were planning to use the room yourself, then this Old Master would not hesitate to arrange for someone to give up their place, but since it is someone else, it makes things very difficult for this Old Master.”
“They’re full?” Yang Kai was surprised.
He suddenly felt that something here was off. Even though the World Energy in Spirit Lake Palace was very dense, and the cultivation rooms reserved especially for Core Disciples were not bad, they were at best comparable to the cultivation rooms inside the three top Sects. Instead of cultivating at home, why would disciples from the three top Sects run over here to Spirit Lake Palace to cultivate instead?
“Indeed, they are,” Yao Li nodded seriously.
Yang Kai instantly felt awkward.
He originally thought that there had to be an empty cultivation room, and that was the reason he sold off Bian Yu Qing’s Sapphire Entry Token, but now that he was told there were no free rooms here, wouldn’t that mean that he had left Bian Yu Qing with nothing?
Yao Li continued, “Martial Nephew Yang, how about this? Even though the top reserved cultivation rooms are full, this Old Master can arrange a Heaven Grade room for you. What do you think? The Heaven Grade cultivation rooms are also good environments, and many Emperor Realm Masters are waiting in line for them. I’m sure your cousin will definitely have good returns if she enters retreat in one of them.”
Since things had come to this, Yang Kai also had no better ideas. He couldn’t really just ask Yao Li to vacate one of the top rooms, right? The people who were able to cultivate in their top rooms are all disciples of the three Sects, so nobody was inferior to anyone else in terms of status. If Yang Kai really were to make such a request, whether Yao Li would agree or not was one problem, but he may even cause a conflict between the Sects.
Moreover, Yao Li was an Elder of Heavenly Martial Holy Land, and his attitude towards Yang Kai could already be considered gracious, which would make it awkward for Yang Kai if he were to push the matter.
“How long do we have to wait?” Yang Kai asked.
Yao Li smiled, “It will be available today.”
This was still considered a queue jump that didn’t even require a Ruby Entry Token. From this point alone, Yang Kai’s Azure Sun Golden Token was still extremely useful.
“Cousin, what do you think?” Yang Kai turned to Bian Yu Qing and asked.
Bian Yu Qing said, “I’ll leave it up to you to decide.”
She only needed to wait another two months before she could enter an Earth Grade cultivation room, but now, she suddenly had a chance to enter a Heaven Grade cultivation room today, so she was naturally very happy.
Seeing that Bian Yu Qing didn’t have any complaints, Yang Kai could only go with this. Just as he was about to agree, another voice suddenly called out from outside, “No free cultivation rooms? That doesn’t seem right to me. I remember there being one that was empty.”
When he heard this voice, Yang Kai was slightly stunned, and when he looked up, a familiar figure appeared before him with a nonchalant smile and a casual attitude.
“Senior Brother Xia!” Yang Kai quickly got up and looked at Xia Sheng with surprise, “What are you doing here?”
As the Chief Disciple of Azure Sun Temple, Xia Sheng broke through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, and he was now a well-known figure in the Southern Territory. In time, there would definitely be no problems for him reaching the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Even the Third-Order was within expectations.
Yang Kai would never have expected to meet Xia Sheng here, so there was a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
On the other hand, Yao Li’s face suddenly turned uneasy as he brought his tea to his lips.
“Eldest Senior Brother is one of the three Chief Stewards here at Spirit Lake Palace, so I keep watch here all year round!” Xia Sheng came over with a smile.
“Three Chief Stewards!” Yang Kai was stunned.
After some thought though, he immediately understood. This Spirit Lake Palace was under the joint management of the three top Sects, so each Sect would assign a Steward to keep watch in order to prevent their disciples from being treated unfairly. At the same time, they were also here to monitor the income.
When Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s disciple brought Yang Kai in, he said he was going to look for the Steward, and then Yao Li appeared. Yang Kai didn’t think much of it at the time, only figuring that Yao Li was the one in charge here at Spirit Lake Palace, but he now knew that wasn’t exactly the case when he heard what Xia Sheng said.
“Temple Master is actually willing to let you stay here?” Yang Kai smiled.
Xia Sheng said, “I only broke through recently, so Temple Master says I have to experience the bustling world in order to consolidate my cultivation and sent me over here.”
As he spoke, he had a bitter look on his face as if this were a tough job.
“How are Temple Master and Elder Gao doing?” Yang Kai asked.
“They’re doing just fine. You, on the other hand, have been gone for so many years without returning to the Sect even once you brat.”
Yang Kai responded awkwardly, “I was caught up with many mundane affairs. I was planning to visit during my trip back this time.”
Xia Sheng suddenly lowered his voice, “When you return, you should avoid Elder Gao as much as possible. Elder Gao said the next time she sees this ungrateful wolf, she would definitely teach you a lesson.”
“How could that be…” Yang Kai’s forehead was instantly covered in sweat.
Seemingly taking pleasure in his misfortune, Xia Sheng continued, “Well, that’s what Elder Gao said at least, and you know Elder Gao’s temper…” While speaking, he couldn’t help but shudder. “By the way, I have bad news to tell you. Elder Gao ascended to the Second-Order Emperor Realm two years ago, so even though you’re also an Emperor now, you definitely won’t be able to beat or escape her.”
“Elder Gao broke through?” Yang Kai was surprised but also felt glad for her. The last time he saw her was in the Eastern Territory, when she was trapped in the Sealed World medicine garden. At that time, she was only a First-Order Emperor, so Yang Kai hadn’t expected to hear that she’d broken through so soon.
“I wish you good luck,” Xia Sheng patted Yang Kai’s shoulder with a look of pity on his face.
“By the way, Senior Brother. What did you mean when you said the cultivation rooms weren’t full?” Yang Kai frowned. Yao Li told him they were full, but now Xia Sheng was telling him a different story, so he couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious.
Xia Sheng smiled and looked at Yao Li, “There are nine top cultivation rooms in total, three for each of our Sects. Only two of our Azure Sun Temple’s rooms were in use the last time I checked, so how could the last one suddenly be occupied? Steward Yao, may I know which one of my Azure Sun Temple’s disciples entered retreat?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai’s frown grew deeper.
Previously, he learned that there were special cultivation rooms in Spirit Lake Palace reserved for the use of the three Sect’s disciples, but he had no idea of the details involved.
From how Xia Sheng and Yao Li were speaking, it seemed the two of them were in conflict with each other.
Yao Li smacked his head and smiled, “That’s right! Steward Xia, if you didn’t mention it, then this Old Master would not have remembered. Now that I think of it, only two rooms are occupied by your Azure Sun Temple. This Old Master has really grown senile.”
Yang Kai’s face darkened instantly, and any good feelings he had towards Yao Li previously disappeared in an instant.
If Xia Sheng hadn’t appeared today and revealed the truth, then he really may have been led by the nose by Yao Li, and would still feel grateful to him despite it. Even though the difference between the top cultivation rooms and the Heaven Grade ones wasn’t great, that slight difference may be the difference between success and failure for someone hoping to break through to the Emperor Realm.
Every single advantage counted in matters like these.
“Martial Nephew Yang, this Old Master has truly been swamped senseless by work today and actually forgotten that your Azure Sun Temple still had a room left. Please forgive me,” Yao Li said with a face filled with self-reproach.
But how could a mistake like that happen? There were only nine top rooms, so it was simply impossible for someone in the Emperor Realm to not be able to remember such a thing.
Yang Kai’s face was cold as he replied indifferently, “It’s fine as long as Steward Yao remembers now.”
Yao Li followed up quickly, “But it is still true that the nine rooms are reserved only for the Core Disciples of the three Sects, anyone else is simply not permitted to use them. Steward Xia knows this as well. Martial Nephew Yang, if you wish to have your cousin enter retreat in that room, then I’m afraid it’s impossible.”
“I’ll use it myself!” Yang Kai declared before turning to Xia Sheng and asking, “But I plan to bring my cousin in with me to stand guard and observe while I enter retreat and cultivate. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Xia Sheng grinned, “Definitely not.”
He turned back to Yao Li, “Steward Yao, I’ll have to trouble you to make arrangements for this matter.”
Despite Xia Sheng ordering Yao Li around directly, Yao Li didn’t show the slightest bit of displeasure and nodded, “This Old Master will arrange it immediately.”
Saying that, he turned around and walked out.
Yang Kai’s eyes were slightly dim as he watched him leave, and he couldn’t help but feel thankful inside, thankful that he’d bumped into Xia Sheng here today.
“Are you curious as to why that old fart would listen to me?” Xia Sheng asked with a smile, seemingly able to guess the doubts in Yang Kai’s heart.
Yang Kai nodded.
Xia Sheng explained, “The nine top cultivation rooms generally won’t be full as the disciples of our three Sects will generally choose to enter retreat in their own Sects. Since the cultivation rooms are going to be empty anyway though, the Stewards here privately find cultivators in need to rent out the rooms to, or use them privately for their own descendants instead. Just like that, our temple’s remaining room had been occupied by them. Normally I wouldn’t be bothered about something so minor, but since Junior Brother wants to use it, I can’t let them have it for nothing.”
“I understand now,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Let’s go, I’ll bring you over,” Xia Sheng said and walked off.
While the three were walking to the room, they saw two people walking over from the front. One of them was Yao Li, and the other person following him had a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator who had a face filled with anger and helplessness at the moment. When they saw each other, that cultivator shot Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing a hateful glare before quickly looking away again.
This man had spent a lot of effort to buy a spot in the top cultivation room from Yao Li, and had gone through many difficulties before he was able to enter a deeper level of cultivation. It had been less than ten days, though, before he was interrupted by Yao Li, telling him that someone wanted to use the room and that he couldn’t cultivate inside. How could he not be angry at that?
But he didn’t dare to direct his anger at Yao Li or Yang Kai. Neither of these two were characters he could easily provoke, so he could only choke down his anger. There was no need to mention how vexing it was for him.
Fortunately, Yao Li assured him that if there was another free room, then he would still allow him inside to cultivate for the allotted time, so his loss wouldn’t be too big.
As they brushed past each other, Yao Li was still smiling and nodding at Xia Sheng and the others as if nothing was wrong.
Soon after, the trio arrived before a stone door and Xia Sheng held out a token while pouring his Emperor Qi into it, waving it lightly to open the door.
Light suddenly emerged from the space inside, quickly spreading around like a prairie fire. In the blink of an eye, the entire stone room was filled with a warm light.
Xia Sheng said, “Generally, the use period for each cultivation room is one month, which is no exception even for Core Disciples of our three Sects, but Junior Brother can use it for two months.”
Yang Kai asked, “Will that make things difficult for you?”
Xia Sheng smiled, “Their asses aren’t clean either, so Senior Brother isn’t afraid of them.” While speaking, he patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and urged earnestly, “Cultivate properly and don’t mess around!”
Bian Yu Qing’s face suddenly became a little unnatural.
How could she not understand what Xia Sheng meant by this?
“Go on,” Xia Sheng smiled.
Yang Kai cupped his fists and entered the stone room with Bian Yu Qing. Soon, the stone door was shut and the entire room became isolated.
“Such rich World Energy!” Bian Yu Qing walked to the centre of the stone room and took a deep breath, her eyes filled with amazement.
She had never in her life felt such intense World Energy before. Not only was it dense, but it was also extremely pure. Looking around, the entire stone room was visibly filled with World Energy, as if they were currently standing in a light cloud. Simply breathing in, Bian Yu Qing felt a sense of pleasure from every inch of her body.
No wonder the disciples of top Sects all cultivated so quickly. Their cultivation environments were simply too different, incomparable to what small Sects could offer.
If she cultivated here for two months, then her fifty percent chance of breaking through would likely increase by another ten percent.
“Here, these are for you.” Yang Kai tossed out a large pile of Source Crystals onto the ground.
Bian Yu Qing was shocked when she saw them and couldn’t help shouting, “High-Rank Source Crystals!”
And, from how large the pile was, there were at least a million of them here.
A million High-Rank Source Crystals, that was equivalent to at least a hundred million Mid-Rank Source Crystals or ten billion Low-Rank Source Crystals! Yang Kai’s gift stunned Bian Yu Qing. It had to be known that previously, she and Kou Wu had taken out all of their resources just to buy a single Sapphire Entry Token, which was worth a measly 20 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, incomparable to what Yang Kai just offered her.
“That’s too much!” Bian Yu Qing hurriedly said, “Besides, you helped me sell that Sapphire Entry Token for forty million Mid-Rank Source Crystals already. That alone is enough, I don’t have any use for this.”
“Just keep them,” Yang Kai waved his hand, “High-Rank Source Crystals are more effective to cultivate with, and this much is still within my means.”
Bian Yu Qing opened her mouth, but she really had no idea what to say. She simply ended up owing him too much during their encounter this time. She made up her mind that she had to break through to the Emperor Realm no matter what, otherwise she would not be able to live up to not only Kou Wu’s sacrifice, but also Yang Kai’s generosity. As long as she could reach the Emperor Realm, she could join that Sect of his and help out. She had the experience of managing a Sect before, so she just happened to be able to offer some assistance in that regard. It wasn’t a problem that the Sect was small. If they take the steps to develop themselves properly, then there would be a day when they could grow strong.
Silently, she sat down cross-legged before saying, “I’m sorry you have to be stuck with me here for two months…”
Yang Kai smiled, “This place can’t trap me. Just focus on your retreat, I’ll come back again in two months to see you. En, I’ll be going now.”
Saying so, Yang Kai reached his hand out in front of him and Space Principles surged, causing ripples in the air in front of him that spread out gently in all directions.
Yang Kai stepped into the ripples and his body vanished mysteriously. Only his voice was left echoing in Bian Yu Qing’s ears, “Don’t doubt yourself. Breaking through to the Emperor Realm isn’t as hard as you think it is.”
Bian Yu Qing was lost in thought for a while before she exclaimed, “Space Principles!”
After Yang Kai had stepped into the ripples, his figure disappeared mysteriously without a trace. No doubt this was something that only Masters proficient in the Dao of Space could achieve. This was a legendary technique that Bian Yu Qing never thought she would be able to witness one day.
A short moment later, she withdrew the shock in her heart, calmed her breathing, and cleared her mind of distractions before shutting her eyes and beginning to cultivate.
…..
Outside of Spirit Lake City, a space in the air suddenly became unstable. Following that, a figure appeared from the Void.
A cultivator just happened to pass by, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw this sight. He thought he had seen a ghost in the daylight and quickly rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again there was nothing there anymore, as if the person he saw just now was just a figment of his imagination.
That cultivator instantly began to doubt his surroundings and quickly flew off, not daring to stay any longer.
A short distance outside of Maplewood City, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly appeared in front of a tranquil manor.
A young girl about the age of sixteen or seventeen stood in front of the residence, sweeping up leaves with gentle movements while her hair swayed lightly in the wind. At the same time, there were sounds of shouting from inside the manor, as if someone was practising their techniques.
After Yang Kai swept the residence with his Divine Sense to inspect the situation inside, a stone instantly lifted from his heart.
This place was the Zhang Family, Ruo Xi’s home. After leaving for so many years, and with so many changes happening to both Maplewood City and Spirit Lake City, the area nearby was now filled with countless Masters. Bloody fights were constantly breaking out each day, and Yang Kai was worried that something might have happened to the Zhang Family.
If that had happened, Ruo Xi would be devastated.
Now, it seemed that even though the Zhang Family lacked a powerful Master to shelter it, they were still able to live in peace, passing the years calmly as always.
“Who… Who are you looking for?” The young girl who was sweeping the floor was startled to see Yang Kai appear all of a sudden and asked apprehensively while staring at him with her big black eyes, her hands gripping nervously onto her broom.
It had been almost ten years since Yang Kai took Ruo Xi out from the Zhang Family, and this young girl was only around sixteen years old. Even if she could still vaguely remember some things from that time, she couldn’t remember them clearly, so she naturally couldn’t recognize Yang Kai.
Yang Kai immediately put on a harmless smile and said affably, “I’m looking for Old Lady Zhang.”
“Grandmother?” The young girl tilted her head and asked.
“That’s right. Could you please inform her that Yang Kai seeks an audience with her?” Yang Kai smiled.
Even though he could simply walk in to visit a place as trivial as the Zhang Family, this was still Ruo Xi’s home, so Yang Kai naturally had to show proper etiquette.
“You’re Senior Yang?” The young girl’s eyes suddenly lit up and she looked at Yang Kai with both surprise and joy.
“You remember me?” Yang Kai was a little surprised.
The girl shook her head, but then nodded. Yang Kai had no idea what she was trying to express by that, but he could see how happy she looked, and in the next moment, she tossed away the broom in her hands, ran up to him, and grabbed his arm before pulling him into the manor.
“Grandmother, Grandmother!”
The quiet in the manor was broken by the echo of the young girl’s crisp voice.
The manor was not too big, so as soon as the girl shouted, the entire Zhang Family was alerted and a few figures flew over from various directions.