Not many Sects were run by a Great Emperor in Star Boundary. There were three Sects at the most: Serene Soul Palace of the Eastern Territory led by the Serene Soul Great Emperor, Star Soul Palace of the Southern Territory led by Bright Moon Great Emperor, and Shadow Killer Palace of the Western Territory led by the Night Shadow Great Emperor.
Medicine Pill Valley and Spirit Beast Island were also regarded as great forces under the command of Great Emperors; however, they were not regarded as Sects since they did not take in outside disciples. They were the private sanctuaries of the two Great Emperors; thus, ordinary people could not enter those places.
In any case, any Great Emperor Sect would become the pillar of the territory in which it resided, an awe-inspiring and inviolable protector of the people of that territory. As such, Star Soul Palace, in its capacity as the overlord of the Southern Territory, had played a guardian role for tens of thousands of years. That was why it was so greatly admired by all the cultivators in the Southern Territory.
The very existence of Star Soul Palace became closely related to the well-being of the entire Southern Territory as a consequence. Someone once claimed that the day Star Soul Palace was destroyed, was the day the entire Southern Territory would be devastated in turn, suffering from various calamities and disasters. Fortunately, destroying Star Soul Palace was no easy feat with the Bright Moon Great Emperor assuming command of the Sect. Unless another disturbance such as the one during the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor’s era occurred, Star Soul Palace was sure to endure.
By the time Yang Kai arrived at Star Moon Mountain Range, seven days had passed.
Star Moon Mountain Range was vast, with steep and towering peaks that looked as if they bordered on the Nine Heavens themselves. It gave off the feeling as if one could reach out and grab the Sun and the Moon or cover the entire world with one’s palm if they stood atop it.
A heavy and turbulent aura washed over Yang Kai as if what stood before him were not mountains but a living giant that had been standing in the Southern Territory for tens of thousands of years, overlooking the lives of the common people.
Yang Kai had a wide range of knowledge and experience, and had visited various large Sects before, but even so, he had to admit that top Sects such as Azure Sun Temple, Ice Heart Valley, and Seeking Passion Sect were not too different from each other. However, none of them were comparable to the beauty of Star Soul Palace. Standing in this spot gave a person an inexplicable sense of sublimation, creating an extremely subtle feeling of excitement and pleasure.
Among the wilderness of the mountains, rare birds and beasts roamed about freely as pavilions loomed in the distance, hidden in the clouds and the fog. It was a heavenly scenery so beautiful that it lingered in one’s memories.
“So, this is a Great Emperor Sect?” Yang Kai murmured under his breath.
“Who goes there?!”
Yang Kai had been standing at the base of the mountains for no more than several breaths before he heard a furious roar coming his way. Two streams of light quickly flew toward him from afar, and as the lights approached him, they turned into two humanoid figures. These two young men were Dao Source Realm cultivators and they were exuding a pure and vigorous aura. One glance was enough to tell that this pair had solid foundations and promising futures. They would most likely break through into the Emperor Realm in time.
Such excellent cultivators would surely be groomed and developed by any Sect to become Elders of Sect Masters; however, these two seemed to be nothing more than sentries guarding the mountain. It made Yang Kai realize that Star Soul Palace really lived up to its reputation. Only Serene Soul Palace and Shadow Killer Palace, which were also Great Emperors Sects, could compare to the heritage of Star Soul Palace.
“This is Star Moon Mountain, trespassers are not allowed here! Return where you came from, or we will not let you off lightly!” Among the two Dao Source Realm cultivators, the one on the left seemed to be a little more down-to-earth. He was the one who shouted at Yang Kai despite his cultivation being far lower, not showing the slightest hint of fear as he warned loudly. This was the confidence of a Star Soul Palace disciple!
In the eyes of a Star Soul Palace disciple, all the cultivators in the Southern Territory could be categorized into two, disciples of the Sect, and others. Yang Kai was undoubtedly in the latter category; therefore, they didn’t need to bother about him regardless of his realm.
Glancing at these two, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, “I received an invitation to come here.”
“You received an invitation to come here?” The young man that had spoken previously frowned in response, looking Yang Kai up and down suspiciously, “Can you tell us who invited you? My fellow brother will pass a message for you if you are telling the truth.”
Since this person in front of him had received an invitation to come here, that meant this person had some connection to a fellow disciple of the palace. If that was the case, it would not be good to offend this person, so his tone became much more polite as a result.
Yang Kai was about to explain the truth to them when his expression changed suddenly and he smiled, “No need. Someone is already coming to pick me up.”
When the two young men heard those words, they turned around to look. They saw a bright light approaching them from the distance, moving swiftly before coming to a stop a short distance away in the blink of an eye. Then, the light dissipated and a beautiful figure appeared.
“Senior Brother Yang!” Lan Xun greeted Yang Kai with a smile.
In a flash, the entire world seemed to lose its colour as the two young men were dumbfounded, staring blankly at Lan Xun, who had appeared without warning. Practically frozen in shock, they stuttered, “Y-Y-Your Highness?!”
When they heard Yang Kai saying that he had received an invitation to come, they had not thought much of it; after all, he was obviously just an outsider with some connection to a fellow disciple of theirs; however, it turned out that the person who had extended an invitation to him was none other than the Princess of Star Soul Palace!
[How could it be the Princess?!]
The Princess was an outstanding figure who not only inherited the Bright Moon Body from the Great Emperor, but also possessed a rare and incredible talent in the Martial Dao. She was born with heavenly beauty, was easy-going and approachable, and was very well-received by everyone in Star Soul Palace. She was the dream lover of countless young men.
Even the arrogant Star Soul Palace disciples were proud just to have a word with the Princess. Unfortunately, very few people could receive such honour. Only Xiao Chen, who guarded the Princess by her side all year round, had the chance to witness her dazzling smile.
But why would a person regarded as a Goddess by countless Star Soul Palace disciples invite a man here? The two were so shocked that they could hardly think.
“Junior Sister Lan, you certainly arrived quickly!” Yang Kai replied. When he first arrived at Star Moon Mountain, he had contacted Lan Xun, who had asked him to wait a moment for her, but he didn’t expect her to really arrive after just a moment.
[He called her… Junior Sister Lan?!] The eyes of the two Star Soul Palace disciples widened even more in shock. When they saw how friendly Yang Kai and Lan Xun seemed to be with each other, they felt their hearts clenching in great anguish for some reason. On the other hand, the Princess’ reaction broke their hearts completely, making them feel as if there was nothing left to live for anymore.
“Senior Brother Yang sent me a message, so of course I had to rush over!” Lan Xun laughed and stretched out his hand to gesture to Yang Kai, “Senior Brother, please come this way.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai nodded and walked in that direction. When he arrived by her side, she stepped forward and led the way.
It wasn’t until their figures disappeared into the distance that the two Star Soul Palace disciples looked at each other in despair. When Lan Xun appeared in front of them, she had not spoken a single word to them from beginning to end; she didn’t even spare them a single glance. All her attention had been focused on that damn outsider.
What did that indicate? That indicated that the Princess valued that man greatly. Otherwise, the gracious and magnanimous Princess would not have ignored them without even smiling at them once.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother Xiao is in trouble!” The Junior Brother who had not spoken since the beginning suddenly spoke up sadly.
“Yeah… I don’t know if Senior Brother Xiao knows about this. If Senior Brother Xiao does…”
The ‘Senior Brother Xiao’ they were talking about was none other than Xiao Chen. Among the Star Soul Palace disciples of the same generation, Xiao Chen was undoubtedly the one with the most contact with the Princess. He was generally alright in all other aspects, but he was very sensitive when it came to matters related to the Princess. If any fellow brother were to speak to the Princess, Xiao Chen would hold a grudge and find a chance to teach them a lesson. Yet for some reason, the Princess only saw him as an Elder Brother figure, clearly having not a trace of romantic feelings for him.
But judging by the current situation, it seemed like this outsider was encroaching into Senior Brother Xiao’s territory! Wouldn’t it be a disaster if Xiao Chen learned about this?
“Senior Brother Xiao is not the problem, what’s more important is Senior Brother Lei…”
Upon mentioning ‘Senior Brother Lei’, the both of them shuddered in terror. They seemed to be greatly frightened by something and even quickly glanced about their surroundings to confirm that there was nobody around before they hurriedly fled the place.
At the same time, a man with the appearance of someone barely twenty years old was meditating in a cross-legged position inside the Central Hall of Star Soul Palace’s Star Hall when he suddenly opened his eyes. Those eyes of his seemed to be filled with stars that were burning brightly. He lifted his head and gazed upward, his sharp falcon-like gaze seemingly penetrating the Heavens themselves.
All of a sudden, he frowned and exclaimed in shock, “Nine stars rising above the Moon? Why is this happening? My symbol is the Bright Moon; this is clearly directed at me! How ominous. How ominous…”
Few people in the world knew that the great Bright Moon Great Emperor, the patron saint of the Southern Territory who was renowned across the entire Star Boundary, actually had the appearance of a youth. While speaking, he lowered his head and formed an extremely strange set of seals with his hands. An odd aura spread out in response while his hands continued to weave back and forth.
After a while, the young man’s brow twitched as he dismissed the seals, muttering under his breath “Old Tian Ji’s Secret Technique is a bunch of nonsense. I can’t figure out anything from it. It’s so embarrassing to call it ‘Heaven’s Diviner’. The next time I meet him, I’m going to pull out his beard.”
Mulling over something while supporting his head on his hand, he haphazardly declared, “Forget it! It’s only a trivial problem anyway, not worth wasting my time over.”
After saying that, he closed his eyes again and resumed his meditation.
…..
“Senior Brother Yang, this is where you will stay during your visit.” Lan Xun said after arranging a place for Yang Kai to stay on Nan Dou Peak.
Yang Kai said, “Junior Sister Lan, when can I enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda?”
If not for his agreement with Hua Yu Lu, Yang Kai wouldn’t be in such a rush. This was a Great Emperor Sect after all, so staying here for a longer time would not be detrimental to Yang Kai and instead would have many benefits. Unfortunately, he had a promise to uphold and was worried about any delays as a result. He would need a month to cultivate inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, and also needed some time to travel back, so he couldn’t delay for very long.
Lan Xun smiled back and replied, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Yang. Since my father has promised you, he will not break his word. If things had gone according to schedule, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda would have been opened half a year from now; therefore, Star Soul Palace needs to make some preparations on our side since we made a promise to you. Right now, it will take five days at the latest before the pagoda is opened.”
“That’s good.” Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words.
Giggling happily, Lan Xun teased, “You seem to be in a rush, Senior Brother Yang, could it be possible that you have an appointment with a beautiful woman?” She had simply been joking only to see him freeze for a moment at her words. Thus, she exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, my! Do you really have an appointment with a beautiful woman?”
Yang Kai looked troubled, “Please don’t speak nonsense. Still, it’s true that I have an appointment.”
Lan Xun pursed her lips and smiled coyly, “You don’t need to explain yourself, Senior Brother Yang. Well then, I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll notify you when the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is prepared.”
Nan Dou Peak was the second highest peak in the Star Moon Mountain Range where Star Soul Palace was situated. It was an excellent environment for cultivation as World Energy was abundant there. It wasn’t even inferior to the Main Peak of High Heaven Palace.
Star Soul Palace was where billions of cultivators in the Southern Territory gathered. Not only was it closely linked to the well-being of the Southern Territory, but it was also the central axis of the Earth Vein across the entire Southern Territory. It was only natural for that place to have an abundance of World Energy as a result.
After arranging a place for Yang Kai to stay, Lan Xun took her leave.
For a while, Nan Dou Peak was tranquil. Yang Kai’s mental state seemed to be slightly affected by the environment, and he became very calm. Since there was nobody to disturb him, he closed his eyes and meditated, cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique Zhu Qing had taught him before she left.
Time flew by, and night fell. Yang Kai, who was cultivating quietly, suddenly felt a disturbance and opened his eyes abruptly. Shifting his body slightly, he exited the private room and stood atop Nan Dou Peak. What entered his vision made him agape with shock.
The crescent moon hung brightly in the sky, surrounded by the stars. It looked like a stunningly beautiful scroll was spread out over the entire sky above Star Moon Mountain Range. Moreover, each and every star twinkled with a dazzling light, almost as if one could reach out and grasp them.
However, what amazed him the most were the flashes of light falling from those stars, connecting the Heavens and the Earth together. Each flash of light seemed to contain some sort of mysterious power that made the World Energy on Star Moon Mountain become more alive. The space between the Heavens and the Earth was filled with a charm that could not be experienced during the day. It was insignificant and elusive yet seemed to contain some kind of profound truth.
At this very moment, the entire Star Moon Mountain Range looked like a heavenly land. It was so mesmerizing that it made one reluctant to leave this place. He stared at the sight before him blankly until he even forgot to breathe. Even so, his mind was calmer than ever before.
“This is the Star Tide, which occurs once every month. According to the Great Emperor, the Star Tide contains the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. One can receive countless benefits if one can comprehend anything from the Star Tide. En… It is a fact that many Star Soul Palace disciples received various benefits from the Star Tide, some even managing to break through their cultivation bottlenecks in a state of epiphany and, consequently, learned Divine Abilities taught directly from the Heavenly Way. For those Star Soul Palace disciples cultivating the Star and Moon Secret Technique, in particular, they have received even more from the Star Tide.” A person’s voice rang out suddenly from not far away.
“So, that’s how it is.” Yang Kai looked unflustered. He was immersed in the starlight enshrouding him, but unfortunately, he failed to receive any benefits from the Star Tide even though he found it absolutely miraculous and was vaguely aware of its mysterious powers. He wasn’t sure if the failure was caused by the presence of the Star Soul Palace disciple next to him, or was simply his lack of opportunity.
After a while, Yang Kai turned his head and looked at a sturdy young man, who had his hands clasped behind his back, and asked, “How should I address you?”
The young man turned to him and grinned, revealing a set of clean and white teeth, “Lei Ting!”
Frowning, Yang Kai mulled over it for a bit, “I’ve heard of the four Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters that serve as the Elders of Star Soul Palace under the Great Emperor. Among them, Great Elder Lei Hong is the most powerful. His strength even goes beyond that of a Third-Order Emperor. What relationship do you have with that Great Elder Lei?”
Lei Ting spat disdainfully, seemingly unwilling to hear Lei Hong’s name. Even so, he truthfully replied, “He is my Uncle!”
Yang Kai made a non-committal sound in response, “I see. You are Great Elder Lei’s Nephew.”
Lei Ting’s gaze sharpened at those words as he snapped back, “I much prefer hearing you say that he is my Uncle.”
Yang Kai shrugged, “I apologize. I have only ever heard of Great Elder Lei’s name.”
Lei Ting coldly snorted as a faint blue arc of electricity danced in his hair, making crackling sounds before he quickly said, “I spend most of my time in retreat inside Star Soul Palace and rarely travel out of the Sect. Therefore, it is only natural that you have never heard of me before; but that’s okay, my name will spread far and wide from now onwards.”
“Then, Brother Lei…” Yang Kai smiled slightly at Lei Ting’s shameless boasting, not sure how else he was supposed to react. “Why did you come here in the middle of the night?”
Lei Ting’s eyes lowered, a cold light shining in their depths as he spoke, “I heard that the Princess personally came to welcome you when you arrived today.”
“Yes, that did happen.” Yang Kai nodded.
Lei Ting’s aura flared up and he spoke through gritted teeth, “Does that mean that you are very close with the Princess?”
“Not really. We’ve only met each other a few times before,” Yang Kai rubbed his chin, feeling rather annoyed and troubled, “I think I can guess the reason why you came to find me, Brother Lei.”
“It’s good that you understand! Let’s have a duel! You have to scram out of Star Soul Palace immediately and never meet with the Princess again if you lose!” Lei Ting shouted in fury as the aura of a First-Order Emperor surged from his body, seemingly boiling over in rage. It felt as if the person standing in front of him was not Yang Kai, who he had met for the first time today, but his greatest and most hated archnemesis instead.
Yang Kai stared at Lei Ting, “Don’t you think you’ve chosen the wrong opponent? Shouldn’t your enemy be Xiao Chen? He is the biggest obstacle between you and the Princess.”
Lei Ting burst out into mocking laughter, “Xiao Chen? Xiao Chen is nothing! If he refuses to listen, I will beat him up so badly that his own father won’t be able to recognize him!”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words. Xiao Chen was a rising star of the Southern Territory who had just broken through to the Emperor Realm. Even if Lei Ting seemed slightly stronger, he was still just a First-Order Emperor as well. What made this boy dare to boast so shamelessly? Still, Yang Kai had truly never heard of the name Lei Ting before, only knowing that this generation of Star Soul Palace disciples was led by Xiao Chen and Lan Xun. Now, it seemed like there is one more person among them.
Ruminating over what Lei Ting said before, Yang Kai quickly understood the situation. If Lei Ting was constantly in retreat inside Star Soul Palace and rarely stepped outside the palace, it wasn’t strange that his name wasn’t known to the public.
Yang Kai went silent for a moment before saying seriously, “Brother Lei, I’m afraid you have misunderstood something about me…”
He found Lei Ting’s attitude of immediately finding faults with him displeasing; nevertheless, he was currently a guest in Star Soul Palace. If any conflict were to arise between him and Lei Ting, it might upset the higher-ups at Star Soul Palace. Moreover, since Lei Ting’s Uncle was none other than the Great Elder, Lei Hong, it would be bad if this incident ruined his chance to cultivate in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
Yang Kai was only halfway through his sentence when Lei Ting shouted, “Enough nonsense! Fight me!”
Lei Ting lifted his hand the moment those words left his mouth and deep purple lightning crackled around him. Suddenly, the lightning condensed into a kind of whip in his hands which he swept towards Yang Kai. This was a powerful and heavy attack that looked as if it could split worlds apart.
Yang Kai was forced to swallow the rest of his words with a shocked expression. He could tell from Lei Ting’s attack that this guy was stronger than Xiao Chen. In fact, Lei Ting was more powerful than any other First-Order Emperor Yang Kai had ever met. It could even be said that Lei Ting was on par with most Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters in terms of strength.
[He hasn’t even gone all out yet. If he exerted his full strength, I’m afraid even ordinary Second-Order Emperors may not be his opponent. He certainly has some skills. No wonder he dares to come and pick a fight with me.]
The electric whip struck towards Yang Kai, who summoned his Myriads Sword in response and swung it horizontally in front of him. Sparks flew and a loud clashing sound rang out as the lightning whip was deflected. Even so, that terrifying current flowed through the Myriads Sword and into Yang Kai’s arm. In an instant, he felt as if a snake had slithered across his entire body, causing all his hairs to stand on end. Only after pushing his Emperor Qi did Yang Kai manage to dissipate the foreign force invading his body.
Before Yang Kai could even react though, the lightning whip struck towards him again, twisting mid-air as it quickly transformed into a gigantic lightning python. The lightning python opened its mouth wide and struck at him swiftly, letting out a thunderous and horrifying roar in the process. In response, Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out a Moon Blade that cleanly cut the python in half.
An exclamation of shock rang out as Lei Ting seemed to be incredibly astonished. He had cultivated this Lightning Python Secret Technique for many years now and was well aware of how powerful it was. Most First-Order Emperors would not be able to withstand it no matter how they struggled, but Yang Kai seemed to have split it in two with ease. Besides, the Divine Ability Yang Kai used gave off a strange feeling, seemingly containing fluctuations of the Space Principles.
As the lightning python dispersed into the air, Lei Ting took advantage of the distraction to silently approach Yang Kai. Amidst the flashes of lightning, he snuck closer until he was no more than one meter away. Raising his palm, Lei Ting sent out a palm covered in lightning that crackled loudly as it shot forwards.
“Enough!” Yang Kai roared in anger, lifting his finger and poking towards Lei Ting’s palm. If this finger connected with Lei Ting’s palm, a hole would surely be opened in the latter’s hand. Yang Kai would also suffer some injuries of course, but they wouldn’t be anywhere near as severe.
Just as their attacks were about to meet though, Lei Ting’s body suddenly shuddered. A trace of panic swept across his expression as he turned to look back in a certain direction. The palm strike he was about to make also froze in mid-air instantly.
When Lei Ting stopped moving, Yang Kai stopped moving too, his finger actually tapping against Lei Ting’s palm, focusing his strength on that one spot but not releasing it.
“Bastard! How dare you spoil my good deed, Xiao Chen!” Lei Ting cursed suddenly before retracting his palm and turning to leave. He had taken no more than two steps though before he turned around and glared at Yang Kai seriously, “I never came here tonight. You and I did not greet each other. More importantly, we did not fight! Do you understand?!”
Yang Kai looked up at the sky and leisurely said, “The night sky is so charming.”
“You…” Lei Ting seemed like he had more to say; however, he obviously didn’t have enough time to do so, so he just glared at Yang Kai ferociously before transforming his body into a flash of light that quickly disappeared.
Moments after Lei Ting left, another flash of light landed on Nan Dou Peak. Lan Xun glanced at Yang Kai and asked, “Senior Brother Yang, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Why?” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “The night view of Star Soul Palace is beautiful, so I came out to get some fresh air.”
“I heard that Lei Ting came here. Did he cause any trouble for you?”
“Who is Lei Ting?” Yang Kai blinked at her in surprise, a bewildered expression on his face, but his slightly singed hair which was all standing on end, obviously giving him away.
Lan Xun gave him a pondering look before she pursed her lips and smiled. On the other hand, Yang Kai just casually ran his fingers through his hair and calmly explained, “The wind did a number on my hair.”
Lan Xun shook her head lightly and retorted, “Lei Ting cultivated so much that he became a little stupid in the process. He can be a little unreasonable. The next time you meet him, let me know immediately, Senior Brother Yang. I will take care of him.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before he nodded, “Good.”
“En. You can… Continue enjoying the night air, Senior Brother Yang. I’ll head back first,” Lan Xun covered her mouth and giggled. After that, she turned around and left.
“Lei Ting…” Yang Kai touched his chin and pondered for a moment before a smile suddenly spread across his face.
Not far away from Nan Dou Peak, Lei Ting grabbed Xiao Chen by his collar and viciously snarled, “You were behind it, right? I’m sure it was you! If you didn’t notify Little Sister Xun, she wouldn’t have come over at such a timely moment! You rotten bastard! If you had given me just a little more time, I’d have been able to kick that guy out of Star Soul Palace!”
“Let go of me! Pulling at my clothes like that… highly improper!” Xiao Chen’s eyes drooped slightly, staring at Lei Ting’s large hands with a disgusted look.
Lei Ting snorted softly. Even so, he complied with that request and released his grip as he muttered, “I heard you exchanged blows with that guy before and failed to gain the upper hand.”
With a sullen expression, Xiao Chen countered, “You exchanged blows with him just now. Can’t you tell how strong he is?”
Lei Ting’s expression turned grim, considering it carefully for a moment before nodding, “That person is a strong enemy!”
Xiao Chen followed up, “What’s even more hateful is that Xun’er seems to look at this guy differently. That’s why you and I should put aside our differences for now and work together to chase that guy away from her side, Lei Ting!”
Lei Ting sneered, “Work together? Why should I work together with you? What a joke.”
Xiao Chen snapped, “Do you dare to speak to Xun’er? Do you dare to look into her eyes?”
The aura around Lei Ting vanished instantly as he stammered for a long time before muttering bitterly, “Who doesn’t have a weakness?”
Xiao Chen gave a mocking smile, “You don’t even have the courage to look at Xun’er or speak to her, so how are you going to deal with it if she gets together with that guy?!”
“Then what do you think we should do!?” Lei Ting roared furiously.
Xiao Chen grinned meaningfully as he explained, “The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda will be opened in a few days. You and I will surely be entering, and our time limit will be one month; we will definitely get a chance during that period. The moment we get the chance, we have to teach him an unforgettable lesson. When that time comes, he will be greatly humiliated.”
“Work together to defeat him?” Lei Ting hesitated a little, “No can do. It’s not my style to gang up against others.”
Xiao Chen said, “Or, you can fight him alone. I will be responsible for preventing Xun’er from interfering with your fight.”
Upon hearing those words, Lei Ting considered the idea seriously and nodded, “Good, that’s fine.” Then, he patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder heavily and added, “I will leave Little Sister Xun to you. Leave that guy to me!”
“So, does that mean you have agreed to cooperate with me?” Xiao Chen flashed a knowing smile.
“Sure, sure; I’ll cooperate with you. Since my Junior Brother has already said so much, as your Senior Brother, I should play along with your plans.” Lei Ting laughed, feeling extremely happy.
Xiao Chen’s expression became sullen, “I’m too lazy to argue with you about who is the Junior Brother or Senior Brother among us…” [It’s fine as long as I can always be with the Princess, why should I be worried about not being in an advantageous or favoured position? An idiot like you should just focus on getting rid of outside enemies, you don’t need to worry about the rest.]
After their discussion was completed, the two of them parted ways to adjust their conditions for the upcoming confrontation.
…..
Since that night when Lei Ting came looking for trouble, no one else came to Nan Dou Peak to pick a fight with Yang Kai again. The entire Star Soul Palace was busy preparing for the opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, so even Lan Xun did not visit Yang Kai.
It was rare for Yang Kai to have a few days of leisure to himself; thus, he spent his time cultivating behind closed doors on Nan Dou Peak. He used the chance to consume and refine the three Dragon Blood Pills refined by Ji Ying.
The Dragon Blood Pills were amazing. After Yang Kai finished refining the three Spirit Pills, he noticed that the toughness of his physique had improved somewhat. Even though it did not improve by much, any little improvement was precious at his current level of strength. If he consumed more Dragon Blood Pills, perhaps his body could be elevated to a whole new level. Unfortunately, he only had three pills.
On the contrary, Yang Kai did not notice the purifying effects of the Dragon Blood Pill that Ji Ying had talked about regarding his Dragon Clan bloodline. But if he thought about it, he wasn’t actually a part of the Dragon Clan, he only possessed the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source Strength, so the purifying effects of the Dragon Blood Pills probably had no meaningful effect on him.
Five days later, Yang Kai had finished refining the third Dragon Blood Pill and was now immersed in the ecstatic feeling of growing stronger when he noticed somebody flying in his direction.
A short while later, Lan Xun’s voice entered his ears, “Senior Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai got up and walked out of the hall.
Lan Xun greeted him and explained, “We are opening the Treasure Pagoda today. Are you prepared, Senior Brother Yang?
“There’s nothing I need to prepare!”
“Good, then follow me.” Lan Xun said, leading the way.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was one of the most important places for cultivating in Star Soul Palace and could be described as a very large Sealed World. Cultivators of all realms ranging from Origin Realm to Emperor could cultivate in it and obtain benefits beyond imagination. It was rumoured that the sealed spaces within the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda were actually broken shards of destroyed worlds. That was why cultivators could easily perceive World Principles inside. Although the World Principles were fragmented, they were much easier to understand and had a miraculous effect on the cultivation of cultivators.
The existence of the Divine Ascension Mirror made it easier for disciples of Azure Sun Temple to gain higher accomplishments in Soul cultivation compared to others in the same realm. Similarly, the existence of Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda allowed the cultivators of Star Soul Palace to get ahead of other cultivators in the perception of Principle Strength.
The deeper the understanding of Principle Strength, the more refined the cultivation of the cultivator, and the easier it became for them to progress in their cultivation. It could be said that the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was the foundation of Star Soul Palace.
However, even Star Soul Palace could not open the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda as it pleased as the process consumed a lot of manpower and material each time. Not only did it require several Elders to contribute their strength, it also consumed countless precious treasures belonging to Star Soul Palace each time.
Generally, Star Soul Palace only opened the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda once every three years, and only selected disciples were allowed to enter.
There were restrictions on the number of people that could enter; therefore, the disciples of Star Soul Palace, regardless of their ranks within the Sect, would often conduct a large-scale tournament half a year in advance just to get the opportunity to cultivate in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. They needed to obtain a certain ranking before they were eligible to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
The opening of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda this time was originally scheduled for half a year later, but was brought forward because of Yang Kai. Needless to say, if Star Soul Palace had been adamant about opening it half a year later, Yang Kai would have had no choice but to slowly wait. It was just that Star Soul Palace, as the pillar of the Southern Territory, had always kept its word and would never do something that would stain its reputation. Be that as it may, the early opening this time around had increased Star Soul Palace’s consumption of manpower and material resources significantly.
Yang Kai had entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda once before. When he first arrived at Maplewood City, Xiao Yu Yang had opened the entrance to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda remotely and allowed all cultivators in the Origin King Realm in Maplewood City to enter. Yang Kai gained many benefits from that experience, and the memories of that mystical and wondrous Sealed World were still fresh in his mind.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was filled with large amounts of fragmented World Principles, which not only helped to increase his cultivation significantly but also functioned to perfect the Sealed World Bead. Although the Sealed World Bead was an independent Small World unto itself, the World Principles inside it were incomplete. Despite having it for so many years, Yang Kai had not had the opportunity to fix this issue. However, it had absorbed numerous World Principle fragments when Yang Kai was last inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, improving the Small World within significantly. Later, it absorbed even more Shattered Star Source’s from the Shattered Star Sea and became even closer to perfection.
If it could absorb enough of the fragmented World Principles, as well as the complete Principle Strength, inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, then it would most likely be completely perfected. A perfect Sealed World Bead was, essentially, a real world that was no different from a Large World like the Star Boundary. Perhaps, it could even bring about unexpected benefits!
Compared to asking the Bright Moon Great Emperor three questions, Yang Kai preferred improving his Sealed World Bead; after all, the Sealed World Bead held unimaginable significance to his ability to understand World Force and his aspirations to become a Great Emperor in the future.
Xiao Yu Yang had worked with several Emperor Realm Masters in Maplewood City previously to open an entrance to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda; therefore, Yang Kai had never seen the actual Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda before. This time around, he was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it. It was an actual pagoda that soared high into the sky and sparkled with five colours. The whole building exuded a very mysterious aura.
When Lan Xun led Yang Kai to this place, he found that no less than a thousand people had gathered near the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. There were cultivators ranging from the Origin Returning Realm to the Emperor Realm among them. Moreover, each of their auras was stable regardless of their cultivation realm. It clearly showed that they were the future pillars of Star Soul Palace. These one thousand cultivators were the disciples who were entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda to train this time.
The moment the two of them arrived, a thousand pairs of eyes turned towards them. Every Star Soul Palace disciple looking at Lan Xun, be it man or woman, had infatuated expressions on their faces. However, their looks turned to jealousy and hatred when they looked at Yang Kai. The difference between those two looks was like night and day. Although Yang Kai was not bothered by the gazes from these people, several other sharp and piercing gazes forced him to take them seriously.
Four people stood side by side in front of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. Their auras were as deep as the seas and gave off the feeling as if four towering pillars were standing there. These four were the four Elders of Star Soul Palace.
Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao, whom Yang Kai was acquainted with, made up two out of the four. The other two were old men. One had a ruddy complexion and a stocky build while the other had grey hair and a sprightly figure.
Xiao Yu Yang nodded at Yang Kai. On the other hand, Xue Zheng Mao, who had suffered greatly in Yang Kai’s hands, snorted softly.
“Is that Yang Kai?” The ruddy-faced, stocky old man asked, staring at Yang Kai.
Xiao Yu Yang replied, “Yes, that’s Yang Kai!”
“He is certainly an exceptional and unmatched talent. Still, his cultivation is only at the First-Order Emperor Realm. How did he injure Junior Brother Xue?” The stocky old man frowned.
Xue Zheng Mao’s expression became unnatural as he explained, “That little brat is proficient in the Dao of Space. I failed to notice that and allowed him to succeed in ambushing me.”
As a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, his ego had been bruised after being injured by a Junior like Yang Kai.
“Even if it was a sneak attack, that’s extremely impressive.” The stocky old man nodded lightly.
“You are praising him too much,” Xue Zheng Mao looked upset, “If I get serious, I can kill him within three moves.”
The burly old man was none other than the Great Elder of Star Soul Palace, Lei Hong, who was known as the most powerful Emperor Realm Master in the Southern Territory. To this response, Lei Hong chuckled, “I am not overpraising him. But, did you forget how Tan Jun Hao died?”
Xue Zheng Mao snorted in response, “Didn’t they say there was a Monster King with this brat at the time? Tan Jun Hao must have died at the hands of that Monster King. It has nothing to do with him!”
Lei Hong shook his head and said nothing more. He knew that Xue Zheng Mao harboured a great dislike toward Yang Kai and might become angry if he continued this topic. Being Elders in the same Sect, there was no need for him to agitate Xue Zheng Mao any further. Still, it had been a long time since Lei Hong last met a young man that was capable of wounding a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Xiao Yu Yang glanced at Yang Kai before glancing over at Xiao Chen. Then, he sighed to himself. Although he believed his son was quite outstanding, he still paled in comparison to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai and Lan Xun landed together. Following that, Xiao Chen and Lei Ting immediately came forward to greet them.
“Princess!” Xiao Chen called out with a smile. On the contrary, Lei Ting, who was walking next to Xiao Chen, seemed uneasy and embarrassed, glancing around as if he felt extremely uncomfortable
“Senior Brother Xiao, Senior Brother Lei!” Lan Xun smiled brightly and glanced at the two of them.
“Um…” Lei Ting stammered. His face flushed suddenly, and he didn’t even dare to look her in the eyes.
A hint of surprise flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes. He looked at Lei Ting, then looked at Lan Xun; following that, a playful grin crept onto his face.
“Brother Yang!” Xiao Chen cupped his fists and greeted Yang Kai, his demeanour cordial and easy-going, a huge difference from the domineering attitude he carried during their previous meetings. It was almost as if he was a different person altogether.
“Brother Xiao, Brother Lei, we meet again.” Yang Kai replied.
Lei Ting snorted softly and turned his head away.
Yang Kai was not bothered in the least, “Are we the only four Emperor Realm cultivators entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda this time?”
Although there were many cultivators gathered here, it seemed as though the four of them were the only Emperors. The four Elders in the Third-Order Emperor Realm were here too, but they were obviously not entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
Lan Xun nodded, “Yes, we are the only four. The price of an Emperor entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is very high. Moreover, Emperor Realm Masters occupy more spaces in the quota. That’s why only a few Emperors are allowed to enter at a time.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
She continued, “Senior Brother Yang, even though you entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda once before, the situation this time around will be different from your previous encounter. There are five layers to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, and each layer contains many fragmented spaces. Some of these fragmented spaces may be connected while others may be sealed and isolated from the rest. The higher you go, the more obvious this becomes. The first layer is suitable for cultivators in the Origin Returning Realm, the second for Origin Kings, the third for Dao Source Realms, and the fourth for Emperors. As for the highest layer, the Fifth, it can only be entered by Emperor Realm Masters from the Fourth Stage.”
“Could it be that there are restrictions to this?” Yang Kai frowned.
Lan Xun nodded, “Yes, you cannot enter the next layer if you are not strong enough. Of course, the higher you go, the more dangerous it becomes. When the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was opened more than ten years ago, an ancient Wood Spirit appeared on the second layer and caused many people in Maplewood City to lose their lives. Senior Brother Yang, you experienced this personally, so I’m sure it is still fresh in your memory, right?”
(TL note: The Wood Spirit here is a different Wood Spirit from the ones in the Ancient Wild Lands, a different character that is… it’s confusing I know, just go with it.)
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “How could I forget?”
The disaster the Wood Spirit caused in Maplewood City killed tens of thousands of people in a short time. Yang Kai had been involved in that ordeal, so it was only natural that he still remembered it.
Lan Xun sternly explained, “Although the experience in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is of great help to one’s cultivation, it is also fraught with dangers. Many Star Soul Palace disciples lose their lives each time the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is opened.”
“Is there no way to guarantee their safety?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow and asked.
Shaking her head, Lan Xun replied, “No. It is said that the shattered worlds sealed inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda are ancient battlefields, each world having been destroyed by war. Even though these worlds were destroyed, they still contain many shattered World Principles. For that reason, many ancient relics with tenacious vitality are able to find a way to survive in them. A mighty expert later collected those shattered worlds with shocking methods and refined the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda from them. The pagoda has gone through many vicissitudes and passed through several hands before my father acquired it. However, even my father cannot fully control the countless shattered worlds inside.” Pausing for a moment, she smiled, “Of course, even if he could control it, my father probably wouldn’t interfere; after all, what are experiences without any danger?”
Yang Kai deeply agreed with that sentiment, nodding as he said, “You’re right, Junior Sister Lan.”
She smilingly replied, “That’s why you have to be careful when you enter the pagoda later, Senior Brother Yang. Don’t get careless.”
“I understand.” He nodded seriously.
At the same time, the Star Soul Palace disciples participating in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda training this time had more or less arrived in full.
Great Elder Lei Hong cleared his throat lightly, causing all the noise in the square to die down as thousands of eyes turned to him.
“The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda opens today. You are all elites of Star Soul Palace and the future pillars of the Sect. The other Elders and I hope you can obtain great benefits from this experience. Of course, that is on the premise that you can protect your lives. As part of the same Sect, you should help and support each other inside the pagoda…”
Taking this opportunity, Lan Xun secretly sent a voice transmission to Yang Kai and told him some things about the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, all of which he kept in mind.
In the meantime, Lei Hong didn’t talk much. He simply said a few words before waving his hand for them to enter, “If you remember all of that, then prepare yourselves!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he and the three other Elders glanced at each other before they moved to stand at the four corners of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. They then executed a Secret Technique and activated the array. When their Emperor Qi surged, the four of them stretched out their hands and pointed downward.
With a loud rumble, the door of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, which had been tightly shut, opened suddenly. Although the actions of the four Elders had been swift, and they were sweating profusely at this moment. It was clear that opening the pagoda took a heavy toll on them.
The moment the door opened, a gently whirling and pitch-black vortex emerged from the door. It looked like the gaping maw of a gigantic beast that wanted to devour the selected participants. When the vortex first appeared, it was not very stable, twisting and churning randomly, giving off stray energy fluctuations that made one uneasy. However, the vortex gradually stabilized as the four Elders continued to pour their power into it. Following that, the disturbing fluctuations gradually disappeared.
This situation lasted for about a quarter of an hour before the four Elders stopped in unison. They were pale-faced and breathing heavily by then; moreover, their auras were extremely weak. If a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master were to attack any of them at this moment, they wouldn’t even be able to put up a fight.
“When are you going to enter, if not now?” Great Elder Lei Hong suddenly shouted.
The Star Soul Palace disciples had been waiting eagerly for this moment, so how could they hesitate after hearing those words? All of them moved swiftly, rushing into the vortex and disappearing out of sight, one after the other,
The discipline and pride of top Sects were immediately reflected in its disciples’ behaviour. Thousands of people were entering the pagoda now, but there was no crowding or shoving despite everyone moving swiftly. Rather, everything appeared to be extremely orderly.
First, those cultivators in the Origin Returning Realm entered, then those in the Origin King Realm, followed by those in the Dao Source Realm… It didn’t take long for most of the one thousand participants to disappear. Soon, only Yang Kai and the other three young Emperors were left.
“Let’s go,” Lan Xun called out and took the lead to fly forward. Before rushing into the vortex, she urged, “Take care, Senior Brothers.”
“You too, your Highness!” Xiao Chen smiled slightly, showing concern in a timely manner.
“X-Xun…” Lei Ting stammered. Unfortunately, Lan Xun disappeared before he could finish speaking. For a moment, he looked upset and depressed at the same time.
“I’m going on ahead,” While laughing, Xiao Chen entered the vortex.
Then, Lei Ting turned and glared at Yang Kai fiercely.
“What?” Yang Kai glared back.
“You’d best pray we don’t meet each other inside, or else, you’re dead!” Lei Ting coldly snorted.
Yang Kai sneered and rushed into the vortex before Lei Ting.
The moment Yang Kai crossed the threshold, his vision blurred. Unlike what he imagined, he was not greeted by the sight of various shattered worlds. Instead, when he entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, a strange wave of power suddenly blocked his path for a moment and he subconsciously exerted his full strength in case of any unexpected events. The moment Yang Kai released his Space Principles to guard himself, he felt as if he ran into a ball of cotton and was repelled backwards.
What entered his vision next shocked him greatly. Yang Kai found himself suspended in the Void. Looking around him, he saw what seemed like clouds stretching out in all directions. It all felt ethereal and illusionary. Moreover, the clouds were in all sorts of different colours; some were vibrant and bright while others were dark and dull like a cluster of Death Qi. There was also a pitch-black patch that made him very uncomfortable just looking at it. At this very moment, Yang Kai was surrounded by countless cloud-like existences.
Feeling dizzy, he wondered what was going on. This was very different from what Lan Xun told him to expect.
The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was divided into five layers, each one containing many fragmented spaces, some that were connected to one another, others that were isolated. Upon entering the pagoda, a cultivator would be automatically placed in one of the layers, one that most suited their cultivation realm. For example, a cultivator in the Origin Returning Realm would enter one of the shattered worlds in the second layer, while a First-Order Emperor Realm Master like Yang Kai would certainly enter the fourth layer. Only the fifth layer could not be entered directly from the entrance of the pagoda. One had to find the corridor leading to the fifth layer from the fourth layer.
Yang Kai originally assumed that he would appear in one of the shattered worlds in the fourth layer as Lan Xun had said that would be the case; however, it now seemed as though something was not quite right. This was definitely not a shattered world in the fourth layer because he couldn’t sense any Principle Strength here, and instead there was a large number of strange, colourful clouds.
Expanding his Divine Sense out to investigate his surroundings, Yang Kai was both shocked and horrified. That was because he discovered that those cloud-like existences were similar to the entrances of a Void Corridor and he did not know where he would be sent to if he passed through any of these entrances.
Yang Kai stood in place with a frown on his face for a time before all of a sudden, he snapped back to his senses and turned to look behind him. A gigantic and pitch-black vortex was slowly spinning behind him.
[Isn’t this the entrance to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda? Why did it appear behind me? If the entrance is behind me, then is the way forward what lies in front of me? Am I in an intermediate space within the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda?] Hundreds of thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s head before a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. [Could these cloud-like entrances to the Void Corridors be…]
Turning to look around him, Yang Kai spotted a cloud emitting a dazzling golden light and rushed into it. His field of vision flashed and everything spun dizzyingly. At the same time, a peculiar Principle Strength lingered around him, and by the time he recovered, he was standing on a vast plain.
Not a single blade of grass grew on the plain that was seemingly covered in gravel and stones, looking extremely desolated. Moreover, there were no sun, moon, or stars in the sky, yet it was still as bright as day.
“What rich Metal Attribute Energy!” Yang Kai spread out his senses and looked stunned by his findings. The World Energy in this place was extremely strange, not only extremely dense, but also containing only a single elemental attribute, the Metal Attribute.
If a cultivator practicing Secret Arts or Secret Techniques of the Metal Attribute came here, they would be ecstatic about encountering such a cultivation environment! After all, cultivating in a place like this would definitely increase their cultivating efficiency by a hundred-fold.
“So, this is a shattered world in the fourth layer?” Yang Kai murmured thoughtfully, “It certainly is quite distorted.”
Lan Xun once mentioned before that the spaces within the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda were all broken and incomplete, so, even the World Principles became fragmented. Hence, the World Principles in some spaces became extremely distorted over the years. A situation in which one or several different Principle Strengths became incredibly strong while the others grew weak or disappeared altogether might occur. This was the case in this shattered space right now. The Metal Attribute Principles practically dominated the entire world, leaving no space for others to manifest. The distortion in this place was tremendous.
[I entered this place by passing through an entrance emitting golden rays. In other words, the colour of those clouds most likely represented the type of Principles of the shattered world inside. And, those clouds are doorways to the shattered worlds! I can enter the shattered worlds by passing through those colourful clouds, but, how did this happen?] Yang Kai was sure that other Star Soul Palace disciples had not encountered this situation before. If they had, Lan Xun would have told him about it. Since she did not mention this to him, it could only mean that his experience was unique.
This was good news, however, as appearing in that intermediate space meant that he had the ability to make his own choices. Yang Kai could pick which shattered world to enter, provided that he could return to that intermediate space again.
While mulling over those thoughts, he began to take action. Unleashing Space Principles, Yang Kai reached out his hand and tore the space in front of him. It went more smoothly than he expected as he did not encounter any resistance worth mentioning. Pondering for a moment, he realized something that since this world was broken and incomplete, the World Principles were also incomplete, making the World Barriers around it easily breach-able
When the tear in space appeared, Yang Kai dove into it and sure enough, he was back at the intermediate space from before. This time, it was no different from his previous experience; a strange force washed over him and he reflexively used his Space Principles to isolate himself. Then, he immediately stopped in the strange intermediate space, surrounded by clouds in all directions.
“Hah! So, that’s how it is!” Yang Kai laughed heartily. When he first entered this intermediate space, he was clueless as to what had happened, but now that he came here a second time to investigate this place, he finally figured out something.
[It’s the Space Principles!] According to Lan Xun, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda would automatically place an Emperor Realm Master into one of the shattered worlds in the fourth layer the moment they passed through the entrance of the pagoda. This process undoubtedly involved Space Principles.
As he was proficient in Space Principles though, Yang Kai could interrupt this automatic teleportation by shielding himself with his own Space Principles. Therefore, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was unable to place him into any of the shattered worlds and could only leave him in this intermediate space.
“Doesn’t this mean I have free reign here now?” Yang Kai grinned after understanding the entire situation.
When others entered the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, they could only rely on luck to seek opportunities. If they accidentally entered a dead zone, they could only blame themselves for their bad luck; however, Yang Kai had almost absolute control over his movements.
Once he organized his thoughts, he immediately began searching his surroundings. He ignored the pitch-black clouds surrounded by Death Qi as it was obviously a dead world without any World Principles left, fragmented or otherwise. Yang Kai was searching for brightly coloured clouds as he figured that the brighter the colours, the more complete the shattered world would be, and the more useful it was for him.
After a short while, he located a cloud sporting a wash of colours and plunged into it immediately. As expected, the World Principles of the shattered world he entered this time were still fragmented but not distorted. On the contrary, it seemed to be surprisingly rich in World Energy, not inferior to a first-class Sect in the Southern Territory.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling astonished when he released his Divine Sense, muttering out loud, “How small…”
He discovered that this fragmented space was extremely small, seemingly covering only a few dozen kilometres. Its boundaries were a chaotic mess of non-existence, which made him very uncomfortable.
This space was even smaller than Thousand Leaves Sect’s Emperor Heaven Valley, and while it had some plants, there were no living creatures inside. Nothing in this world could be hidden from him when he swept his Divine Sense across this place.
[Oh, well. So, what if it is small? It’s still better than nothing. Besides, I’m curious to learn what changes will occur to the Sealed World Bead after I absorb and refine all the World Principles contained in this broken world. I can just treat this as an experiment.] With such thoughts in mind, Yang Kai summoned the Sealed World Bead, and sat down cross-legged.
In a flash, the boundary of the Sealed World Bead opened, after which Yang Kai sent his consciousness inside while activating a certain Secret Technique in silence. Using his mind, he controlled the Sealed World Bead to devour the World Energy and the broken World Principles in this place. And soon after, a strong wind raged on as the World Energy in the surroundings was continuously swallowed into the Sealed World Bead like water flowing into the sea.
At the same time, a series of extremely profound and mysterious World Principles flowed into the Sealed World Bead through the entrance, flooding the space within.
All of a sudden, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Yang Kai opened his eyes abruptly, sensing a wave of hostility coming at him from all directions. Shocked, he initially thought that he had failed to notice some sort of danger in this place, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the truth was not what he had imagined. There really weren’t any living creatures in this world, but the hostility was clear and distinct. Moreover, it seemed to be everywhere, surrounding him in all directions, making him feel as if he was drifting in a sea of hostility.
“World Force!” His expression became grim, immediately figuring out the reason behind this hostility.
Devouring and refining the World Principles of this world with the Sealed World Bead would naturally cause a rejection reaction from this small world. The Heavenly Way was constant, and there were no exceptions. Even if it was a shattered world, it was still a world.
Amidst the thunder and lightning, several flashes struck from above. Yang Kai was caught unprepared, and his entire body convulsed from the lightning strike. He hurriedly used his Emperor Qi to resist and only then did the pain subside slightly.
At the same time, Yang Kai was secretly astonished. Even a tiny world no more than a few dozen kilometres wide could produce such powerful force. If it were a larger world, how strong would the rejection reaction and hostility be? Fortunately, he had chosen this small shattered world for the purpose of experimentation. If he had rashly chosen a larger world, I might have brought disaster upon himself.
Secretly rejoicing in his heart, Yang Kai distinctly felt a strong repulsive force squeezing him from all directions, as if trying to force him out of this world and prevent him from doing whatever he wanted again. Still, the repulsive force was not that strong so he only needed to resist slightly to overcome it.
The lightning and thunder became more violent as Yang Kai sat cross-legged on the ground expressionless, ignoring the lightning that struck at him from above. It was as if he was a rogue who had broken into an old and defenceless farmhouse to rob everything from it.
“World Force…” The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth curled upwards, revealing a faint smile. He felt no fear. Instead, he was rather exhilarated.
He had witnessed the Heaven shaking battle between two Great Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea a few years ago. At that time, he learned about a kind of strength called World Force. It was the only power stronger than the Principle Strength, one that only a Great Emperor could slightly harness.
[Isn’t this the very same World Force?] Although the World Force in this world was not that powerful, it was native to this world. It was hostile towards him, but could not harm him. Thus, it gave Yang Kai an early opportunity to come into contact with this power and begin comprehending it.
Yang Kai vaguely gained a slight understanding of this power after studying it; however, good times don’t last forever. Less than six hours after he started, the thunder and lightning vanished abruptly. Even the hostility of the world disappeared without a trace. This situation occurred not because the world had accepted him, but because the Sealed World Bead had cleanly devoured the World Principle Fragments of this world. Every single scrap was gone, so this world could no longer take any hostile action against him or reject him.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and smacked his lips, looking as if he still had not enough.
At that moment, the world suddenly shattered. Cracks split across the sky like a broken mirror and the ground rumbled and trembled with ravines appearing everywhere. Void Cracks appeared in the surrounding space and the aura of chaotic nothingness began to flow in.
Yang Kai stood up quickly and, reaching out, tore space. He escaped the world and returned to the intermediate space from before. As soon as he returned to the intermediate space, the cloud in front of him exploded into dust and disappeared. The shattered world vanished just like that.
“Next!” Yang Kai muttered to himself, flickering as he began wandering between the clouds searching for his next target, soon entering another shattered world.
There were countless shattered worlds in this place; however, Yang Kai discovered upon closer inspection that these shattered worlds had distinct traces about them despite their different sizes. He did not dare to touch those larger worlds and only searched for the smaller ones to plunder.
Following the same method, he managed to cleanly devour and utterly destroy more than a dozen Small Worlds with the Sealed World Bead in a span of three days. He distinctly felt a slight change in the world within the Sealed World Bead, with its World Principles undoubtedly becoming closer to perfection even though it was still far from completion. This made Yang Kai very happy.
While Yang Kai was in a wonderful mood during these past three days, on the contrary, the four Third-Order Emperor Realm Elders stood melancholically outside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda with worried looks on their faces. That was because something strange had occurred after the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was opened, an unprecedented occurrence.
Six hours after the pagoda was opened, a sudden burst of light emerged from the fourth layer. The four Elders had been meditating to restore themselves near the pagoda at the time, so all of them saw what happened clearly when that strange incident took place.
Shocked, Lei Hong immediately went to investigate but couldn’t figure out the reason behind the incident. Similarly, the three other Elders couldn’t figure out what happened either.
Just as the four of them were searching for the cause of the incident, what happened previously happened again.
In the following days, such an event occurred again and again, more than a dozen times in total.
A situation like that occurring in the fourth layer undoubtedly meant that something was happening to one of the Emperor Realm Masters. Among them, excluding Yang Kai, there were Lan Xun, Xiao Chen, and Lei Ting. These three were all descendants of Star Soul Palace’s higher ups, and no accident was allowed to befall them.
As this matter was of great importance, Great Elder Lei Hong didn’t dare to delay things any further and sent a message to the Great Emperor. He informed the Great Emperor of this matter and asked him to decide how they should deal with it.
“Has the Great Emperor said anything?” Xue Zheng Mao paced back and forth impatiently before suddenly halting for a moment and glancing over at Lei Hong.
Although none of the disciples training in the fourth layer were his relatives, Xue Zheng Mao was still one of the Elders of Star Soul Palace. His life was tied to Star Soul Palace, so he was very concerned about everything related to its future. If not for that, he would not have lowered himself to attacking Yang Kai, a Junior who was weaker than him.
Just as Lei Hong shook his head in response, he suddenly saw a white light swiftly approaching them from a distance and immediately felt shocked. Reaching out to grab the object, Lei Hong sent his Divine Sense into it, after which his expression became strange.
“What did the Great Emperor say?” Xiao Yu Yang asked in a low voice.
Lei Hong glanced at the other three Elders and answered, “Wait and see…”
“Wait and see? How can we just wait and see…” Xue Zheng Mao muttered under his breath. It seemed as though he had not expected the Great Emperor to give such passive instructions.
Xiao Yu Yang pondered for a while before affirming, “I’m sure the Great Emperor has his own reasons, so we cannot rashly interfere in this matter.”
Nobody dared to disobey the orders of the Great Emperor, and since such orders were given, they would carry them out faithfully. The four Elders could only speculate as to why the Great Emperor was not worried for the Juniors in the fourth layer.
…..
Half a month later, Yang Kai stood in a dilapidated space and frowned. He had shuttled through various shattered worlds for the past half month and used the Sealed World Bead to devour the shattered World Principles of all of them, gaining immensely.
Putting aside the fact that he gained some understanding regarding World Force, just the World Principles absorbed by the Sealed World Bead were of unimaginable value. One by one, the shattered worlds were completely destroyed and each destroyed world meant that the Sealed World Bead had cleanly devoured its Principles. And each time, Yang Kai had to confront the rejection and hostility of those worlds. These worlds were of different sizes, and the hostility could be strong or weak depending on its scope.
Thunder and lightning strikes were the most common occurrences. Some shattered worlds even had ancient relics hidden in them which were incredibly powerful. Driven by the Will of the World, these ancient relics attacked him and engaged him in a fight to the death all for the sake of driving away this intruder. No matter how well Yang Kai concealed himself, he could not escape from such a fate.
Fortunately, this was only the fourth layer, so even if ancient relics remained, their strength was not that terrifying. It was not hard for Yang Kai to defeat these obstacles with his current cultivation. That might not be the case if he were at the highest level, the fifth layer. However, the fifth layer could not be directly accessed from the intermediate space, so Yang Kai could only search for the entrance among the shattered worlds in the fourth layer.
Over the past few days, the number of shattered worlds he had consumed reached over two dozen. Similarly, the ancient relics he annihilated were numerous too. Even so, he could not locate the entrance to the fifth layer. Yang Kai didn’t know if his luck was bad or the entrances were simply too few.
After half a month of hard work though, Yang Kai ran into an obstacle. He could distinctly sense that the Sealed World Bead had devoured enough World Principles to reach perfection, but that didn’t seem to be enough to complete this evolution. It would seem as though something was still missing, and the Sealed World Bead was unable to take this last step, leaving Yang Kai feeling very troubled.
“Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets all. Yin and Yang become the Five Elements. When the Five Elements converge, a new world is born… Five Elements… Five Elements…” Muttering endlessly under his breath, Yang Kai’s eyes brightened suddenly as if he vaguely realized something.
A moment later, he stood up abruptly, reached out to tear the space apart, and returned to the intermediate space. His eyes were shining with a sharp light as he searched for something among the countless clouds, and after a short while, his eyes lit up, “Found it!”
Yang Kai’s body moved as he rushed towards a cloud emitting a dazzling golden light. In the next moment, he appeared in the world distorted by Metal Attribute Principles. It was also the first shattered world he had entered half a month ago.
[If the Five Elements are missing, then I just need to replenish all the Five Elements. After all, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda does not lack Principles of the Five Elements.]
Summoning the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai opened its World Barrier and began devouring the Metal Attribute Principles and World Energy here with all his might. In the meantime, he separated a part of his consciousness to keep a vigilant eye on his surroundings.
After repeating this process so many times, Yang Kai had become experienced in dealing with what was to come. No matter what, the world would not sit idly by and allow him to seize its Principles. It would definitely interfere and try to expel him. Even so, a different world with different Principles would also have different means of rejecting him.
There was no sign of clouds gathering in the sky this time, allowing Yang Kai to let out a breath of relief. He had grown apprehensive of being struck by lightning after experiencing it so many times and would become anxious the moment he heard the crackling sound of thunder. Fortunately, this world was distorted by the Metal Attribute Principles. There was no place for other Attribute Principles here, so thunder and lightning couldn’t appear.
Even so, the hostility and rejection of the world were unprecedentedly fierce. If it wasn’t for his solid foundation and great strength, Yang Kai might have been forced out a long time ago.
“What is it this time…” His expression was not nervous. Rather, he seemed a little excited.
The experience of being the enemy of a world and resisting its attempts to expel him was not something ordinary people would have the chance to experience, and each time Yang Kai fought back, he grew from the experience.
Previously, he had searched for worlds that contained various Attribute Principles mixed together while this was his first attempt refining a single-Attributed Principle world like this, so he couldn’t help looking forward to it.
*Zheng…*
A clear sound rang out suddenly, like a sword being unsheathed. Yang Kai looked in the direction the sound originated from and raised his brow in response. Not far away, a blade formed from golden light took shape. It floated mid-air, spinning slowly, its tip pointing directly at him.
“A Golden Sword…” Yang Kai grinned, “How interesting…”
The clear sound rang out again and again, interrupting his monologue. In the next moment, hundreds of Golden Swords suddenly appeared in all directions. All the swords looked like they had been cast from the same mould, identical to one another. Moreover, each Golden Sword emitted an extremely sharp aura that felt as if it could split the mountains and the sea.
*Gudong…*
Yang Kai couldn’t help swallowing nervously as his expression became difficult.
With so many Golden Swords appearing together, and every one of them brimming with thick hostility, Yang Kai just couldn’t bring himself to feel happy. Things hadn’t ended yet, though, as even more Golden Swords gathered. In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai suddenly found himself in the middle of a sea of Golden Swords that stretched out in all directions around him. Trapped, he felt as if he was a small boat caught in the middle of a raging storm, liable to capsize at any moment.
After the countless Golden Swords appeared, they did not attack him immediately, though, instead humming in unison. Apparently, these swords were showcasing their sentience to give a demonstration and a warning. Gathering together, they formed a terrifying Sword Intent that threatened to turn this broken and desolated world upside down.
However, Yang Kai was unmoved, his expression simply turning grim as he stood at the ready.
A few moments later, the Golden Swords began to tremble. Soon, the trembling became high-speed spinning, leaving behind traces of their afterimages in place. It felt as if they were being controlled by innumerable invisible hands, breaking through the obstacles of space to strike at Yang Kai all of a sudden.
His Myriads Sword had long been summoned, and as the countless Sword waves burst out, Yang Kai brandished his long sword to protect his body. Even so, this defence lasted only for a short while before it fell apart.
*Ding ding dang dang…*
The sounds of clashing metal rang out and sparks flew everywhere. When Yang Kai’s sword defence broke, even more Golden Swords appeared instantly, as if trying to turn him into mincemeat.
Yang Kai was shocked. Even though he had not looked down on the strength of the Golden Swords, he had still underestimated them. In his desperation, he hurriedly covered himself in Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi. Unfortunately, this layer of protection was also quickly broken.
*Chi. Chi. Chi. Chi…*
More blades swept towards Yang Kai at that moment and he quickly turned into a ragged and wretched state. A deep slash even appeared on his face, revealing the bones below. Covered in blood, Yang Kai looked quite terrifying now.
After the volley of attacks, the Golden Sword calmed down significantly and did not launch another attack. The Heavenly Way had determined that the benefits gained could not outweigh the damages suffered. Therefore, the Will of the World would not go to extreme lengths and leave no room for manoeuvre. It simply wanted to make Yang Kai retreat in the face of danger.
Since he had experienced this situation many times though, Yang Kai was quite familiar with it. Despite suffering some setbacks, he did not plan to give up. Instead, he urged the Sealed World Bead to devour the Metal Attribute Principle of this place even more vigorously, enraging the world in the process.
Consequently, countless Golden Swords exuded even greater Sword Intent than before as they rotated more and more rapidly.
The Golden Swords struck out again with a soft sound a moment later.
Yang Kai was prepared for it this time though and shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
The Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength manifested, and a huge Golden Dragon Head flashed behind Yang Kai’s bloody figure. The next moment, Yang Kai’s body grew, his originally tall stature abruptly elongating to more than ten metres tall. Then, scales appeared on his bare skin, and flesh bulged out on both sides of his head, as if something was trying to break out of it. His hands turned into Dragon Claws that were incomparably sharp, and he had a Dragon Tail growing out his back. Moreover, the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor draped over his body made him look incredibly majestic.
During this period of time, Yang Kai cultivated the authentic Dragon Transformation Secret Technique with the help of the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength whenever he had free time. Cultivating this Secret Technique yielded twice the result with half the effort with his innate advantages, and at present, the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique seemed to be much stronger than the last time he used it.
The last time he used the Dragon Transformation in front of Hua Qing Si, he recalled that he had barely reached three metres in height, but now, Yang Kai stood an impressive ten metres tall! If he continued to cultivate this Secret Technique, his transformed figure would surely become even bigger. If not for the Emperor Artifact, the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor, he would also have ended up naked at this moment.
Although the Dragon Transformation only took a moment, the thousands of Golden Swords were already attacking Yang Kai. He reached out with his Dragon Claws and grabbed a dozen or so Golden Swords, using a bit of strength to crack and destroy all of them without a trace.
Two days later, a dragon’s roar rang out across the Nine Heavens. Yang Kai stared forward with wide eyes, his entire body covered in blood, like he had just experienced hundreds of life-and-death battles. Although he had maintained the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique all this time, every part of his body that was not covered by the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor was covered in countless wounds, big and small. Even the Dragon Horns on his head were partially broken. Nevertheless, his fighting spirit continued to burn brightly despite his weakening aura.
On the other hand, a Giant Golden Sword more than a thousand meters long hung in mid-air in front of him. He was facing off with the terrifying Sword Intent that threatened to split the space apart constantly, and had spent two days fighting desperately against this Metal Attribute Principle filled world. During that period, he had tried every trick up his sleeve and used up countless precious healing pills just to persist until this moment. If not for his strong foundation and excellent physical toughness, he would have long been forced out of this world, dead or alive.
It was cavalier of him to make an enemy of this world; but even so, Yang Kai was at the end of his rope. Likewise, this world was faring no better. Over the past two days, the Sealed World Bead had been devouring the Metal Attribute Principles and World Energy of this place, whittling away at the spirituality of this world. If not for the prolonged battle consuming most of his attention and energy, Yang Kai would have had more than enough time by now to refine this world after it weakened so much. Be that as it may, the battle was about to end.
“Come on! This is the last attack! Let’s see who survives!” Yang Kai laughed loudly, glaring madly at the Giant Golden Sword.
As if responding to his provocation, the Giant Golden Sword thrummed loudly as it struck towards Yang Kai. This attack was the final attack containing all the remaining power the world could muster, the last manifestation of all the hostility from this world. Such a horrendously powerful attack was enough to shake the Earth and split the seas, mighty enough to shatter space itself. A gigantic pitch-black scar appeared in the sky like a wound that would never heal wherever the sword passed.
Yang Kai roared furiously in response, but instead of retreating, he flicked his Dragon Tail and rushed forward like an arrow from the bow. A resounding Dragon Roar rang out, while at the same time, the figure of a gigantic Golden Dragon appeared and enveloped his entire body. The Dragon’s body was thousands of meters long and looked incredibly lifelike. Whenever its head or tail moved, lightning flashed and thunder boomed.
*Hong…*
An ear-splitting explosion sounded as violent waves of power swept out in all directions, shattering the world itself for hundreds of meters. Then, two dazzling balls of golden light exploded in mid-air, releasing a brilliance so bright that Yang Kai couldn’t keep his eyes open. It was as if the entire world was covered in a sea of golden light.
*Kacha…*
A cracking sound rang out, and a huge crack appeared above the Giant Golden Sword. Following that, a dense web of cracks soon spread out from that first crack like spiderwebs, covering its entirety.
With a loud crashing sound, the Giant Golden Sword suddenly broke apart like a mirror shattering into pieces, dissipating into tiny particles of light spreading across the entire world.
Yang Kai was thrown back even faster than he had shot forward, streaking like a falling star across the sky. Even the illusory phantom of the gigantic Golden Dragon wrapping around him collapsed in an instant. He immediately tumbled and rolled upon crashing heavily into the ground. Blood spurted out of his mouth, and his aura was as weak as an oil lamp that was about to sputter out. He lay on the ground motionlessly, only the Sealed World Bead continuing to devour the Metal Attribute Principles and World Energy of this place.
A long while later, Yang Kai groaned and moved slightly. His entire body was in pain, and it felt as if all the bones in his body were broken. Taking out a Spirit Pill from his Space Ring, he swallowed it, forcing himself into a cross-legged sitting position as he began to meditate.
After quite some time, Yang Kai managed to stand up, but his complexion was still very pale. The battle from before had completely exhausted him, and it would take a long time before he could completely recover. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay here any longer as he could distinctly sense that the world was about to collapse. Besides, the surrounding space had become very unstable. Putting away the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai took one last look at the world around him before returning to the intermediate space.
The next day, he plunged into a cloud emitting a dazzling green light with great vigour and entered a world distorted by Wood Attribute Principles. Inside this world, he ran into an old acquaintance, a Wood Spirit! Moreover, it wasn’t just in one or two, but thousands.
The vitality of a Wood Spirit was extremely powerful. In addition, its seeds had the ability to parasitize a host. Hence, Wood Spirits were existences that were very difficult to kill. It was a pity that it encountered Yang Kai here because Wood Spirits were most afraid of Fire Attribute Techniques. Although Yang Kai’s primary Dao was the Dao of Space, he had begun his cultivation journey by comprehending a Yang Attribute Secret Art and also possessed a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea. It could be said that the Wood Spirits had met their natural enemy.
In this world, what Yang Kai encountered was much easier to deal with compared to what he faced in the world distorted by Metal Attribute Principles. He single-handedly held his ground and remained in place. By covering himself in his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, the Wood Spirits were unable to even get close to him.
It took another two days for the Sealed World Bead to finish devouring all the Principles in this world before Yang Kai returned to the intermediate space and continued his mission without stopping. He was not willing to waste another moment of time as he purposefully searched for worlds distorted by each of the Five Elements.
The world of Water Attribute Principles was covered in an ocean of large waves that tried to cage and drown him while the world of Earth Attribute Principles had stone giants each possessing enough power to smash kingdoms with their fists. Even so, they were all cut down by Yang Kai in the end.
Twenty-five days after entering the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, Yang Kai stood in a world comprised entirely of Fire Attribute Principles with a solemn look on his face. With a wave of his Myriads Sword, a Sword Wave made from the condensation of all the Emperor Qi he poured into it, slashed into the body of the Ancient Flame Demon before him.
Space Principles surged at the same time as the hidden blade within the Sword Wave transformed into a pitch-black vortex that sucked in the remains of the Ancient Flame Demon. The Ancient Flame Demon let out a blood-curdling howl, seemingly unwilling to accept its fate. Even so, it could not escape being pulled into the Void, eventually vanishing without a trace.
Following that, he breathed a soft sigh of relief. The Ancient Flame Demon he encountered in this world did not have the devastating attack power of the Golden Sword, nor the defensive power of the stone giants, nor the flexibility and fluidity of giant waves or the overwhelming numbers of the Wood Spirits, but it did have a troublesome undying body. No matter how severely Yang Kai damaged it, it would recover completely just by absorbing more Fire Attribute World Energy.
Fortunately, his Spatial Ability could exile it into the endless Void. Otherwise, Yang Kai would have truly been at a loss for how to kill it. After the Ancient Flame Demon was banished, the biggest threat in this world disappeared. Thus, he relaxed and focused on using the Sealed World Bead to devour the Fire Attribute Principles of this world.
According to his previous hypothesis, the reason why the Sealed World Bead could not take the last step in its evolution was due to its Five Elements Principles being incomplete. Since they were incomplete, all he had to do was supplement it with the necessary World Principles.
After devouring the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Attributes of the Five Elements Principles, the Sealed World Bead shone with a five-coloured brilliance from within. The power of the Five Elements mutually reinforced and restrained each other in an endless loop, seemingly undergoing a mysterious change, allowing Yang Kai to feel more confident in his own conjecture.
One day later, the Fire Attribute Principles in this world had been cleanly devoured, and the world was about to collapse. Yang Kai put away the Sealed World Bead as he didn’t have time to sit and examine the changes it would undergo. However, he did not return to the intermediate space like always, and instead headed in a certain direction. There was a Void Corridor in that direction, one that most likely led to the fifth layer.
Yang Kai had travelled through a few dozen shattered worlds since he entered the pagoda and finally came across an entrance. It was only natural that he couldn’t just let the opportunity slip by him as he was very curious to know what he could find in the fifth layer.
Raising his guard, Yang Kai plunged into the Void Corridor. A sense of weightlessness immediately washed over him, but he quickly became grounded again. Before he could observe the environment he was in though, he suddenly noticed a sharp gaze watching him.
Surprised, Yang Kai instantly pushed his Emperor Qi and lifted his head to look in the direction the gaze came from, exclaiming in astonishment in the next moment, “Brother Lei?”
The person looking at him turned out to be Lei Ting, surprising Yang Kai greatly.
“So, you really came to the fifth layer,” Lei Ting didn’t seem surprised at all. On the contrary, he looked like he had expected this. He grinned and said, “It was worth wasting my time waiting here for you for more than ten days.”
Yang Kai frowned and asked, “You were waiting for me, Brother Lei? Why?”
Lei Ting was furious, “Don’t feign ignorance! You and I have not finished our battle from before! Could it be that you want to back out now?!”
Yang Kai felt surprised and immediately burst out laughing in response, “I thought we finished our fight that night.”
Lei Ting snorted, “There was no clear winner or loser during that fight. How can you say that it is finished?”
“Why do we need to decide who wins?” Yang Kai countered.
Lei Ting replied, “Of course, it’s because…” At this point, he suddenly waved his hand and continued, “Why do you care so much about that? We can talk after we fight.”
The moment he finished speaking, he threw a punch at Yang Kai without any warning. A lightning snake roamed across his fist, giving off a crackling sound, its power horrifying.
In response, Yang Kai calmly stepped forward to take the attack head-on without even batting an eye. Lei Ting’s fist instantly stopped right before him, the lightning running across his fist, making his hair stand on end.
“What are you doing?!” Lei Ting glared at Yang Kai, “If I failed to stop my attack, you would have died!”
It was bad enough that Yang Kai had moved forward instead of retreating when Lei Ting launched his attack just now, but the key point was that Yang Kai had no intention of gathering his strength at all. He simply allowed Lei Ting to attack him without putting up any resistance.
It gave Lei Ting the feeling of releasing a deadly punch only to hit a ball of cotton. Although he was itching to give Yang Kai a severe lesson, what was the point if the other party did not fight back? What he wanted was a proper battle and an upright victory.
Yang Kai replied indifferently, “You are powerful, Brother Lei. I don’t mind letting you win!”
The veins in Lei Ting’s forehead bulged in anger. It felt as if a volcano was stirring in his chest and could erupt at any moment.
However, Yang Kai pretended not to notice this and brushed past Lei Ting as he glanced around. After that, he turned back to ask, “Where is this place? Why is there a corridor here?”
It wasn’t until this moment that he discovered he was standing in a long corridor. There was a Space Array from where he had appeared, but the other end of the corridor was pitch-black, like a beast with its mouth open.
Lei Ting gave a muffled reply, “This is the place between the fourth layer and the fifth layer. You will reach the fifth layer if you pass through this corridor. What you can find there will depend on your luck.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then muttered to himself, “It’s somewhat similar to the fourth layer.”
There had been an intermediate space in the fourth layer too; however, that wasn’t a place just anyone could enter. Even for him, it was only because he had cultivated the Dao of Space and was skilled at manipulating Space Principles that he could enter the intermediate space.
The corridor in front of Yang Kai was the intermediate space of the fifth layer. It was a place anyone could enter, provided that they found the entrance in the fourth layer.
[No wonder Lei Ting was waiting here. It’s because he expected me to come to the fifth layer.] “Aren’t you going to go and check it out, Brother Lei?” Yang Kai asked, tilting his head and glancing at the dark and deep entrance before them.
“I’m not in a hurry,” Lei Ting replied faintly.
Yang Kai counted with his fingers, “If I remember correctly, the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda will close in just a few days. You won’t get the chance to enter the fifth layer again if you don’t hurry.”
Lei Ting sneered, “That only applies to you.”
He was the nephew of Star Soul Palace’s Great Elder and one of the leading figures of Star Soul Palace’s younger generation. Since the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was opened once every three years, he could enter as many times as he wanted as long as he was willing. Therefore, he was naturally in no hurry to explore the fifth layer. On the contrary, Yang Kai only obtained this opportunity by chance. If he did not make the most of this opportunity, he might not have another chance to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda again.
“That’s true,” Yang Kai rubbed his chin and smiled brightly, “If that’s the case, I’ll be going on ahead.”
“Where are you going?!” Lei Ting roared. He securely locked Yang Kai in place, his posture seeming to indicate that Yang Kai would suffer grave consequences if he so much as dared to take another step forward.
Yang Kai frowned and said impatiently, “Brother Lei, we have nothing against each other. Why are you being so aggressive?”
Lei Ting sneered, “It’s true that we have nothing against each other, but you are such a rare opponent. How can I let this chance slip away so easily?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before glancing at Lei Ting solemnly, “That’s just an excuse, right? The biggest reason is the Princess, right?”
Lei Ting blushed furiously and waved his hand dismissively, “What are you talking about? Please don’t speak nonsense.”
Yang Kai grinned and said, “I can tell that you are deeply in love with the Princess, Brother Lei. You are worried that my appearance will arouse the Princess’s interest, so you want to use force to prove your strength and make the Princess look at you differently.”
Lei Ting looked embarrassed, “Is it that obvious?”
Yang Kai pointed at his eyes and retorted, “It’s not like I’m blind.”
After being called out by Yang Kai, Lei Ting seemed much more at ease. He relaxed his attitude and spoke, “You’re right. Xun’er and I grew up together, but I have never seen her being so passionate towards any man before. You give off a dangerous vibe; I have no choice but to face you seriously.”
A strange light flashed in Yang Kai’s eyes, and he smiled, “It’s an honour you think of me like that, but Brother Lei, you’ve got something wrong …” He shook his head repeatedly while speaking.
Lei Ting was startled, “What did I get wrong?”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “The Princess is beautiful, friendly, and likeable indeed. With the Princess’s status and her high standards, how can she show interest in a man so carelessly? The relationship between a man and a woman isn’t just about mutual feelings, it is also about having the same status in life.”
Lei Ting mulled over those words for a moment and nodded, “En, you’re right.”
Then, Yang Kai continued, “Brother Lei, you should know the Princess’ temper best since you are childhood friends with her. Besides, you are the nephew of Great Elder Lei, who stands above all and answers only to the Great Emperor. Your status just barely matches up to the Princess, so status is not a problem for you. Accordingly, everything else will naturally fall into place as long as you capture her heart since your status is not a problem.”
Lei Ting laughed loudly, “I couldn’t tell previously, but you’re pretty interesting.” His expression turned cold, and the conversation abruptly turned in a different direction, “Do you take me for a fool?! Do you think I’d believe you with just a few words from you?!”
Stunned, Yang Kai sighed, “Brother Lei, oh, Brother Lei… I just wanted to let you know that I am not your enemy. Your enemy is someone else.”
Lei Ting snorted, “Who else could it be?”
Yang Kai blinked, “Who else could it be? It’s Xiao Chen! Brother Lei, don’t tell me you don’t know the saying that ‘it’s easy for a person in a favourable position to gain special advantages’? While we are stuck facing each other here, Brother Xiao is probably sticking right next to the Princess. Moreover, Xiao Chen’s cultivation and status aren’t inferior to yours. I’ve seen Xiao Chen with the Princess several times now. He follows her around and takes care of her carefully. Men and women are different, but feelings grow when they spend a long time together! Let me ask you this, Brother Lei, aren’t you scared of that?”
Lei Ting sneeringly said, “Xiao Chen? Pfft! He is nothing! I can easily kill him off without even breaking a sweat! On the other hand, you… uh… the way Xun’er treats you makes me very uneasy.” He curled his hands into fists while speaking, cracking his knuckles as he approached Yang Kai with a savage smile, “Rest assured, I don’t want your life. I just want to beat you half to death. As long as I deal with you and make you too embarrassed to show yourself in front of Xun’er again, then Xun’er is as good as mine.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow and asked sternly, “Brother Lei, don’t you know that a loose tongue may cause a lot of trouble? Are you sure it’s wise to say such irresponsible things?”
Lei Ting pursed his lips, “You don’t need to waste your breath on nonsense! Hurry up and fight me!”
“Oh… So, I’m as good as yours, Senior Brother Lei?” A clear and pleasant voice suddenly called out from behind Lei Ting.
Lei Ting’s fierce complexion instantly stiffened while all the hairs on his body stood on end. At the same time, his fighting spirit was doused as if somebody had poured a basin of cold water over his head.
*Gudong…*
He gulped nervously, as cold sweat poured profusely down his forehead. Turning his head haltingly, he saw Lan Xun and Xiao Chen standing side by side on the Space Array. The former was watching him indifferently while the latter was smirking, clearly taking pleasure in his misfortune.
“W-When…” Lei Ting was horrified as he felt his heart sinking into the deepest depths of Hell from where it would never recover again. He wailed deep in his heart, [It’s over! It’s over! Everything is over now! Xun’er heard what I said just now! How am I ever going to face her again?!]
What shocked him the most was that he had completely failed to notice the two people appearing behind him at some point. If not for that, he would never have made such a huge gaffe.
[It’s this damn Yang Kai! He must have diverted my attention on purpose! I initially thought that he was making some sort of preparation when he began releasing Space Principles just now, but it turned out it was just a way to block my senses!]
“Lei Ting! H-How can you say such things?! Hurry up and apologize to the Princess!” Xiao Chen suddenly shouted sternly with righteous indignation.
Lei Ting instantly blushed bright red and said in a fluster, “I-I…”
Lan Xun raised her chin slightly and stared at him as if waiting for his explanation. Unfortunately, he couldn’t utter a single word at all. He stammered for a long time but in the end, he grit his teeth and stomped his feet before rushing towards the entrance ahead, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“Get back here immediately, Lei Ting! How dare you leave before you explain yourself?!” Xiao Chen shouted furiously. Despite knowing full well that it was impossible for Lei Ting to return, he still shouted repeatedly; however, the corners of his lips were curled into a subtle arc.
[That takes care of him!] Xiao Chen cheered in his heart before leisurely glancing over at Yang Kai. Xiao Chen was different from Lei Ting. Although Yang Kai threatened his position slightly, he didn’t think much of him in the end as what Yang Kai said before was the truth. It is easy for a person in a favourable position to gain special advantages! Besides, Yang Kai was going to leave Star Soul Palace after this training experience in the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda and might never have another chance to meet with the Princess again, so how could he be considered a threat? Only an idiot like Lei Ting would believe such obvious lies.
“Isn’t that a little cruel…” Yang Kai asked, looking in the direction Lei Ting left and rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Lan Xun said, “Senior Brother Lei is the one in the wrong here, so you don’t need to worry about it too much, Senior Brother Yang.”
He smiled openly and replied, “En, good. If he can understand the meaning behind what ‘love’ is, then he will surely have greater accomplishments in the future. He can only take this as a test.”
Pursing her mouth, Lan Xun smiled and looked at him with her beautiful and elegant eyes, “Senior Brother Yang, you seem to be speaking from experience.”
Coughing lightly in response, Yang Kai mused, “I just have a little more experience in life.”
Xiao Chen watched coldly from the side. Seeing the two of them getting along so well made his mood turn sour. Thus, he hurriedly jumped into the conversation, “Congratulations on finding the entrance, Brother Yang.”
“It was a lucky coincidence,” Yang Kai smiled slightly. Subsequently, he looked at them suspiciously, “That said; why are the two of you together?”
Xiao Chen smiled faintly, “Fate!”
Upon entering the fourth layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, he had searched for Lan Xun continuously. During that period, he had traversed through more than a dozen shattered worlds, finally finding her a few days ago and re-assuming his role as her protector.
Meanwhile, Lan Xun spoke up, “We only have a few more days before the one-month deadline is up while the fifth layer is right in front of us. Do you want to check it out, Senior Brother Yang?”
“Of course!” Yang Kai nodded and added, “I wonder if the fifth layer will be different from the fourth layer.”
She replied, “Of course it will be different!”
“Please explain!” He humbly asked to be enlightened.
There, Xiao Chen interjected, “The space in the fourth layer consists of numerous fragmented worlds, so the World Principles in them are imperfect. On the other hand, the fifth layer, although containing many spaces too, differs from the fourth layer in that it is filled with independent Sealed Worlds!”
“Sealed Worlds!” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Xiao Chen explained, “That’s right. Those Sealed Worlds were formed from the shattered worlds in the first few layers of the pagoda. When that ancient Senior refined the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, he combined many shattered worlds to form the fourth layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda while the complete Sealed Worlds remaining in these shattered worlds were isolated and placed in the fifth layer.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and said, “In that case, the Sealed Worlds in the fifth layer may be related to one of the shattered worlds in the fourth layer?”
“That’s right, but it’s not very relevant. There are many kinds of Sealed Worlds in the Fifth layer. They come in many shapes and sizes, similar to the countless shattered worlds in the previous layers. Moreover, what kind of Sealed World you enter is based entirely on your own luck. We don’t get to choose.”
Yang Kai was stunned for a long time before sighing, “The Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda is certainly impressive.”
Before he understood the truth behind the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, he only felt that its existence was of great importance to the Star Soul Palace. Now that he finally understood all the aspects of it, he realized that it was a priceless gem!
All the cultivators across the Star Boundary wished for the chance of obtaining an opportunity in their cultivation journey, and where did opportunities come from? In that aspect, Sealed Worlds were the greatest source.
It was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens for ordinary people to find a Sealed World. Most cultivators would never receive an opportunity to enter a Sealed World to hunt for treasures throughout their entire lives; however, countless Sealed Worlds were waiting to be explored in Star Soul Palace.
[Do all the Great Emperor Sects have such terrifying foundations?]
Lan Xun smiled slightly and asked, “Senior Brother Yang, do you still remember the Golden Armor Heavenly Book?”
He burst out laughing, “Of course! I haven’t gone senile yet.”
She had only taken that artifact away from him a few months ago, so how could he have forgotten already? It was also because Lan Xuan had taken the Golden Armor Heavenly Book back that Yang Kai had received the opportunity to enter the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda this time.
[Even so, for her to bring up the Golden Armor Heavenly Book at this time… She obviously did not mention it for no reason. Rather…] Yang Kai’s expression changed as he asked, “Could the Golden Armor Heavenly Book be related to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda?”
Lan Xun nodded, “That’s right. Martial Uncle Tan… En, Tan Jun Hao brought the Golden Armor Heavenly Book out from a Sealed World in the fifth layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. Not only was it a powerful Emperor Rank Artifact, but it is also the key to unlocking that particular Sealed World for us to enter!”
Yang Kai was astonished by those words and asked, “In other words, that Sealed World was originally located in the fifth layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda; but now, the disciples of Star Soul Palace do not need to pass through the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda to enter that Sealed World to cultivate because Tan Jun Hao brought out the Golden Armor Heavenly Book which was its key?”
“Exactly!” Lan Xun nodded in affirmation, “That Sealed World was originally located in the fifth layer of the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. Under normal circumstances, one would have to pass through the fourth layer to enter it, and doing so was a matter of pure luck; however, our disciples can now enter that Sealed World freely ever since Tan Jun Hao brought out the Golden Armor Heavenly Book.”
“Tan Jun Hao certainly had great luck!” He clicked his tongue in wonder.
To which Lan Xun smiled faintly, “According to Father’s speculation, there are probably many Sealed Worlds in the fifth layer that have their own keys, just like that Sealed World! As long as we can obtain those keys, we can open the entrances of those Sealed Worlds at any time and in any place to allow our disciples to enter for cultivation.”
Taken aback, Yang Kai exclaimed in astonishment, “I can’t believe something like that is possible!”
All of a sudden, Xiao Chen’s expression changed as he quietly spoke next to Lan Xun, “Your Highness, you have divulged too much.”
This matter was one of Star Soul Palace’s secrets. Although it was not a core secret, it was still something that shouldn’t be disclosed to others so casually. Fortunately, nobody could criticize her for her words because of her status.
Lan Xun shook her head in response, “It’s fine. It’s not like a key can be found so easily anyway. Star Soul Palace has been searching for them for so many years, but we have only found one in all that time.”
Yang Kai seriously pondered those words for a while before cupping his fists and saying, “Many thanks for enlightening me.”
Pursing her lips, Lan Xun smilingly said, “Having said so much, a lot of time has passed. Senior Brother Yang, let’s advance to the fifth layer.”
He nodded, “En. Please go ahead, Junior Sister Lan!”
All of a sudden, her expression turned solemn as she warned, “There’s one more thing you need to know, Senior Brother Yang. Anything can happen in the Sealed Worlds found in the fifth layer, so please be very careful. Don’t be shaken nor influenced by external factors!”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded.
While they were speaking, the three of them had arrived at the end of the corridor. Yang Kai glanced forward and saw a rotating vortex that seemed mysterious and unpredictable. Moreover, a strange aura that gave off an uncomfortable vibe oozed out from it.
“Senior Brother Yang, I’ll be going first. Take care and let us meet again outside.” Lan Xun leapt forward after saying that to Yang Kai, jumping into the vortex and vanishing from sight.
Xiao Chen stood motionlessly and sighed, seeming to be a little depressed. It had not been easy for him to locate Princess Lan Xun in the fourth layer during their time here and he had wanted to accompany her to the end. But to his surprise, she wanted to enter the fifth layer no matter what, forcing them to be separated again. After shooting a faint glance at Yang Kai, he too jumped into the vortex, seemingly having no interest in making small talk.
Yang Kai was soon the only one left in this place, and as time was running out, he naturally did not hesitate either. Besides, both Lan Xun and Xiao Chen had entered, so it was only natural for him to follow them in.
The moment Yang Kai stepped into the vortex, he immediately pushed his Space Principles to see if he could enter the intermediate space just like in the fourth layer. If he was able to, it would grant him the ability to control what experiences he would have to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was disappointed this time around. Despite shielding himself with his Space Principles, there was no reaction whatsoever, and when his vision returned, he heard an anxious cry sounding in his ears, “Ah Niu, wake up! Wake up! The Beast Tide is coming! Hurry and wake up! Why are you daydreaming?!”
At the same time, a large hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him vigorously. Yang Kai was shocked as he did not know what was going on at all. His expression darkened in response, and he simultaneously reached out to grab the other person’s large hand.
Contrary to his expectations though, the other party’s reaction was unimaginably swift. Before Yang Kai could touch the other party’s hand, his own wrist was grabbed tightly. An unimaginably violent force came from the other party’s hand, instantly suppressing him. Yang Kai couldn’t move a single muscle, causing his expression to change drastically once more. While feeling shocked by the other party’s strength, he tried to circulate his Emperor Qi to free himself only to discover that nothing happened!
[My body is empty! Not a single shred of Emperor Qi exists inside of me!] In a flash, Yang Kai felt so shocked that his complexion turned deathly pale. He nearly lost his soul due to this unexpected situation.
Before entering the Sealed World of the fifth layer, Yang Kai had been confident he would achieve great things as he had complete faith in his skills. After all, his true strength was not to be underestimated. Numerous Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters had been defeated at his hands already. Furthermore, he had no reason to fear since even Lan Xun, Xiao Chen, and Lei Ting dared to enter the Sealed Worlds of the fifth layer.
Yang Kai believed that his life would not be threatened regardless of what dangers he might face. In the worst-case scenario, he had his Spatial Abilities and could always run away if he couldn’t win. Unfortunately, this unexpected turn of events left him at a loss for what to do.
[Why is my Emperor Qi gone? Am I still an Emperor Realm Master without my Emperor Qi? Doesn’t that make me no different from a cultivator that just started cultivating?! What is going on?!]
Amidst his shock, Lan Xun’s words echoed in his ears, “Anything can happen in the Sealed Worlds found in the fifth layer. Please be very careful, Senior Brother Yang. Don’t be shaken nor influenced by external factors!”
Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai instantly calmed down. [Don’t panic. Don’t panic! First, I need to figure out what is happening. Perhaps, this Sealed World has its own World Principles that suppress my true strength and that’s why I can’t sense a single shred of Emperor Qi in me. Besides, the owner of the hand grabbing my wrist may be strong, but I don’t sense any hostility or malicious intent from them. They probably don’t mean any harm.]
Yang Kai lifted his head and saw a pair of bloodshot, scarlet eyes right in front of his face. Then, his vision expanded and the image of a face covered in a shaggy beard imprinted itself in his eyes.
It was a young man, one about the same age as Yang Kai. However, his appearance was very rough, and his figure was so burly that he didn’t seem human. Moreover… He really had a different kind of appearance to the humans Yang Kai was familiar with, like he had some kind of special or unique bloodline. This young man was dressed very simply with only animal skins wrapped around his body to cover up his important bits while the rest of his body was left exposed. In addition, he had muscles as firm as metal. One glance was enough to tell that his body contained explosive strength.
Then, Yang Kai glanced down at himself. His arms and legs were thin and slender. The contrast was like night and day compared to the young man in front of him! Having said that, he was still considerably fit even though he was not burly. It was just that the other party was too muscular.
[But… Why did a living person appear? Is this a dream? Or, an illusion created by the Sealed World? It can’t be a dream, yet it’s too realistic to be an illusion.] Yang Kai couldn’t feel any falsities from the bearded young man in front of him. As far as he could tell, this young man was a living, breathing person with actual flesh and bones! Besides, the environment around him was very simple yet completely tangible. They seemed to be inside a shabby log house, which barely had any furnishings inside of it. There was a simple bench made from a tree stump; a wooden table cobbled together from pieces of boards; some pots and pans stacked to the side; several slabs of unknown animal meat hung on the wall, blackened by smoke, some wild vegetables piled in a wooden basket, and some leftovers in a stone bowl…
[What is this place?] Just as Yang Kai was pondering the question, the bearded young man yelled at him, “Have you gone stupid!? I told you that the Beast Tide is here! Did you not hear me?!”
The young man’s voice was filled with anxiety, and the volume was deafening. In response, Yang Kai nodded woodenly, “I heard you!”
“If you heard me then hurry up and help out! The village is short of manpower, and the defences are about to be broken!” While speaking, the bearded young man gripped Yang Kai’s wrist tightly and ran outside with swift steps.
Yang Kai took the opportunity to ask, “Who are you…”
The bearded young man froze in his tracks for a moment and looked back at Yang Kai, the beast-like scarlet eyes causing a chill to run down his back. After a long while, the young man sighed, “Are you being stupid again? I’m Ah Hu!”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched slightly as he asked, “Did you say that my name is Ah Niu?”
[Ah Niu?! What the hell?! I’m called Ah Niu?! What is with this damned Sealed World?! Moreover, the other party is called Ah Hu? Can the names get any simpler?]
“I don’t have the time to explain all of this to you. Hurry up and help out! I’ll answer anything you want after the Beast Tide is over!” Ah Hu hurriedly dragged Yang Kai along as he ran.
Not far from the log house, Yang Kai heard shouting and screaming, as well as beastly roars coming from not far away. The sounds resounded through the sky, and even the ground seemed to shake from them.
He glanced about his surroundings, feeling rather astonished. All the people running around the place were like Ah Hu. They were burly and built like iron towers, each of them seemingly incredibly powerful. In addition, some of the women were also tall, strong and incredibly well built.
A robust woman ran by like lightning while carrying a huge boulder spanning a diameter of six metres as if it was as light as a feather. Yang Kai could not sense any Qi fluctuations from her. In other words, she was carrying the stone with the strength of her body alone. There were also some obviously under-aged children that looked no more than ten years old. They were also holding weapons in their hands, and their baby faces were filled with a bitter hatred for their enemy while lacking any kind of fear towards death.
Meanwhile, as Yang Kai was still having trouble believing what he was seeing, everyone was hurrying over towards a certain spot. All of them were wrapped in several pieces of animal skin while not even the simplest clothes could be found here. Lowering his head, Yang Kai saw that he too was dressed in the same fashion! His exposed skin was as white as snow, forming a sharp contrast with Ah Hu’s dark and tanned skin.
[Forget it. Forget it. It’s just a minor detail…] He comforted himself in his heart.
There were many log houses in the surrounding area. These log houses had a simple and crude appearance that was similar to how the people here looked. Next, Yang Kai gazed into the distance and saw a wall made of logs and stones that was erected not far away. This place was probably a village. Moreover, it looked like a very primitive and ancient village.
Meanwhile, the beastly roars that made one feel extremely uneasy came from outside the wall. Many villagers were standing on top of the wall, either throwing huge boulders or shooting arrows from large bows. The flames of war were raging and a bloody smell permeated the air. It was a very nauseating smell.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed. A muscular leopard over ten metres in length scaled over the wall and opened its bloody jaws wide before chomping down on one of the villager’s heads. Even though the villager had a body that was as burly as an iron tower, how could he win against an existence like that? After a short struggle, the leopard bit the villager’s head off, causing blood to gush out like a fountain. It was a harsh sight to see under the scorching sun.
Seemingly enraged by what happened, the villagers around the wall lunged towards the leopard with a roar. At the same time, a dozen arrows flew through the air and buried themselves into the leopard’s body.
In response, the leopard roared in pain and staggered on its feet. Following that, a villager threw himself at the leopard, knocking it off the wall and falling with it outside. There was no need to guess at the fate of that villager as it was an obvious outcome.
This caused a section of the wall to instantly become undefended. Hence, the remaining villagers were a little panicked and at a loss for what to do. All of them were screaming constantly as a result.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Ah Hu dragged Yang Kai to the bottom of the wall. Exerting some strength in his hands, he reached out and tossed Yang Kai up to the top before turning to a robust woman standing nearby and shouting, “Ah Hua, I’ll leave Ah Niu in your hands!”
The woman named Ah Hua glanced at Ah Niu at those words, her bushy brows furrowing together slightly as if she was a little disgruntled. She was about to say something, but Ah Hu had already rushed out towards the village gate.
“Forget it; it’s better than nothing,” Ah Hua muttered in annoyance. She stretched out her hand toward Yang Kai and uttered succinctly, “Arrows!”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback by her words. To be honest, he was still stunned by everything that had taken place ever since he entered this Sealed World and had yet to gather his wits. Moreover, the bewildering changes left him unable to figure out the situation he was in right now.
All he understood was that he had appeared in this somewhat primitive and ancient village for some reason, inexplicably received the name ‘Ah Niu’, and was unwittingly caught up in a bloody war.
Yang Kai had explored several Sealed Worlds before but never had he encountered a situation as complicated and perplexing as this. He had the vague feeling that the Sealed World he entered this time around was rather special; thus, he decided to be on his guard at all times. Who knows? He might receive unexpected gains from this venture. In any case, he was in no position to care about whether these villagers were illusions, hallucinations, or something else.
[I’ll deal with it when the time comes; things will always work out, one way or another.]
“Are you deaf!? Hand me the arrows!” Seeing that Yang Kai was still in a daze, the woman named Ah Hua couldn’t help shouting at him, her eyes as red and bloodshot as Ah Hu’s. Furthermore, her emotions of fury and hatred were so strong that they almost seemed to condense into a tangible substance. Her fury and hatred were of course not aimed at Yang Kai, but rather born from the feelings of powerlessness after seeing many of her fellow villagers being devoured by the wild beasts to the point where not even bones were left, yet being completely helpless to avenge their deaths.
Yang Kai finally snapped back to his senses after being shouted at like this. He hurriedly looked around and saw a pile of arrows fashioned from some unknown wood lying by his feet. Each wooden arrow was approximately three metres long and as thick as a baby’s arm, giving them a terrifying look.
Reaching out to pick them up, Yang Kai grunted in surprise. This wooden arrow was incredibly heavy, almost as if it was made from heavy iron rather than wood. It was hard for him to imagine how an ordinary person without even Yuan Qi could manage them.
“Your task is to hand me these arrows!” Ah Hua looked at him sternly and shouted, “Do you understand?!”
“Yes, I understand!” Yang Kai nodded honestly and took the opportunity to study this woman named Ah Hua. The villagers here were generally burly and rough around the edges; however, this woman named Ah Hua looked beautiful and had a curvy figure. Her towering peaks were barely wrapped in animal skins, revealing a deep valley passing between the mountains. She had a slim waist, a flat belly, and tight, rounded bottom.
If she wasn’t such a tall and strong woman, she would make for a decent beauty. However, no petite and delicate ladies could be born in an environment where physical strength was of paramount importance; after all, death was the only ending for an ordinary person without strength here. Even so, this Ah Hua had a different kind of wild beauty to her.
With an arrow in hand, she immediately drew the giant bow into a full moon. This sight made Yang Kai’s brow twitch slightly as he could only imagine the amount of strength required to draw a bow like that. Even so, she did it so easily that it looked like it was effortless.
*Weng…*
Following that whistling sound, the arrow shot forward and Yang Kai could distinctly see the burst of compressed air in front of the arrowhead as it left the bow. The force behind that arrow was terrifying.
A giant beast leaping towards them was nailed in the eye mid-air by the arrow. The three-metre-long arrow pierced through its skull and caused blood to splatter everywhere. Then, the giant beast fell to the ground heavily and struggled for a few moments before it stopped moving completely.
“Amazing!” Yang Kai praised sincerely.
Ah Hua simply looked at him coldly and stretched out a hand. Understanding what she meant, Yang Kai hurriedly picked up an arrow from the ground and handed it to her. Pulling the bow back again, she loosened another arrow.
Every arrow Ah Hua shot killed a giant beast, with each one piercing directly into the eye of an enemy, smashing their heads without fail. It could be said that she never missed her mark.
More than ten other archers like Ah Hua stood on top of the wall, and each of them had superb skills, which amazed Yang Kai greatly. If the villagers in this village had not had this impressive ability, they would not have been able to survive in such a place where the circumstances were so harsh.
The battle on the wall reached a kind of stability, with Ah Hua and the other archers shooting their arrows in an orderly manner. Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers held various weapons in their hands as they brutally slew those giant beasts outside the village.
The roar of the beasts and the furious shouts of man intertwined together. Blood splattered everywhere as body parts were cleaved off. Giant beasts fell and villagers died, one after another. An inextricable life-or-death battle took place in front of this nameless village. It seemed as though both sides had an absolutely irreconcilable hatred for each other and refused to stop until one party completely exterminated the other.
On the battlefield, an ancient melody suddenly resounded in an aged voice. An old man with a stooped figure walked across the ground scattered with bodies with a cane. His undulating voice was accompanied by the flickering of his cane which shone with an inexplicable brilliance. At that moment, it felt as if something akin to spirituality poured into the bodies of the fighting villagers.
Every villager shrouded in that brilliance suddenly became incredibly bold and fierce. As if inspired by something, their skin turned crimson and the surface of their bodies were covered in a layer of red light. Releasing furious roars, they began knocking the giant beasts back with overwhelming force.
It was an incredibly strange sight to see the seemingly weak and unassuming stooped figure old man walking across the battlefield defenceless. Even so, the giant beasts seemed to ignore him as if they couldn’t even see him at all.
Yang Kai widened his eyes in surprise and exclaimed, “Barbarian Techniques! The Barbarian Race?! The Ancient Barbarian Race?!”
At first, he had no idea what kind of place this seemingly primitive and ancient village was; however, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and vaguely realized where this was after witnessing the old man’s mysterious methods.
It was rumoured that in ancient times, before cultivation became widespread and man-made disasters became endless, humans fought against the Heavens just to survive. Thus, the Barbarian Techniques were born.
The Ancient Barbarian Race placed great importance on cultivating their physical bodies, and it was said that when their bodies were cultivated to the highest level, they would become practically immortal and indestructible, making the true powerhouses not inferior to the Great Emperors of today. In that era, there were no Secret Techniques and Secret Arts, nor artifacts and advanced weapons. All anyone could rely on was the strength of their own body. Hence, the Humans of that era were known as the Ancient Barbarian Race; they were also the ancestors of the Human race today.
Among the Barbarian Techniques, the most famous and practical technique was the Bloodlust Technique. Similar to what the old man was doing at the moment, they used an inexplicable power to inspire the hidden potential within one’s body to increase their strength exponentially by burning their Blood Essence. Unfortunately, the Bloodlust Art had a huge pitfall. Once it was used, it would cause a person to become weak for a period afterwards. It would also affect their lifespan. If the technique was used multiple times, it might even kill the affected instead of aiding them. This was because the Bloodlust Art utilized the innate Blood Essence in a person’s body as its fuel.
[No wonder all the villagers look so haggard and old. It seems like it is not their first time utilizing the Bloodlust Art.] A person would undoubtedly grow older faster as their Blood Essence was consumed. Moreover, only a very small number of people among the Ancient Barbarian Race could master the Barbarian Techniques. Most people could only train their bodies, while those who could cultivate the Barbarian Techniques were known as Shamans! Thus, the Barbarian Secret Arts were also known as Shamanic Spells!
The old man was undoubtedly a Shaman; however, Yang Kai did not know how powerful a Shaman he was as all of this belonged to ancient history. Besides, Yang Kai had only heard the occasional mention about the Ancient Barbarian Race after roaming the Star Boundary for a long time. How could he be familiar with the division of power of this distant age?
[I can’t believe that they are the Ancient Barbarian Race! Moreover, I witnessed a Shamanic Spell! Does that mean that the place I am in right now is part of ancient history? But, how can this be? The gap between the present and these primitive times is far too wide. Moreover, this entire race had long ago been lost to the river of time. How did this Sealed World maintain a complete legacy from ancient times? Is this place real or fake? Can it be that I really am Ah Niu? Then, what happened to Yang Kai? Am I dreaming?]
“The Village Chief is a Shaman Apprentice. Did you only realize this today? What rock have you been living under for all these years?” When Ah Hua heard what Yang Kai was muttering, she couldn’t help snapping at him. Her saliva splattered across his face as she scolded, “Don’t forget; the village doesn’t need good-for-nothings. If not for Ah Hu constantly sharing some food with you, you would have starved to death a long time ago! You better prove the value of your existence today. Don’t you dare bring shame to Ah Hu!”