He Yun Xiang didn’t have the time to look into the Secret Art yet, but she believed that since it was given to her by Yang Kai, it wouldn’t be weak. At the very least, it must be better than her own cultivation technique.
On the other hand, she could tell that this artifact was sublime at first glance.
She ran her hand over the ribbon and felt the aura fluctuation coming from it. With an agitated expression, she looked longingly at him, “Sir, your cultivation really must be above the Origin King Realm!”
Most cultivators in this Lower Star Field were aware that there was a higher realm than the Origin King Realm, but they didn’t know the secrets of that realm or how to reach it. They didn’t even know its name.
Normally, they would just refer to it as a realm that was above the Origin King Realm.
The artifact in her hand must be above Origin King Grade, so the person who gave it to her must be in a realm that was higher than the Origin King Realm.
“The realm above Origin King is called the Dao Source Realm.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
“Dao Source Realm?” He Yun Xiang raised her head and looked excitedly at him. It was the first time she found out the name of the realm that was above the Origin King Realm, as though a door had opened right before her eyes, which showed her an entirely new world.
“Only by transforming all your Saint Qi into Source Qi will you have the right to achieve a breakthrough to the Dao Source Realm. Cultivate diligently, you still have a long way to go. What you have to do now is to strengthen your foundation.”
He Yun Xiang suppressed her excitement and longing as she replied respectfully, “Yes.”
“You may leave now. Inform me when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star. Don’t bother me if there’s nothing urgent.”
He Yun Xiang bowed and turned to leave. She pressed the ribbon against her chest, as though she was holding the most precious treasure in her life. After she left the room, she didn’t look for a secret room to cultivate immediately. Instead, she directly sat cross-legged in front of the door, acting as Yang Kai’s bodyguard.
A short time later, Lu Huai Shuang came to look for Yang Kai.
Earlier, she had gone to handle the matter regarding the He Family’s Starship. She told some Lu Family members to sail the He Family’s Starship back to Morning Sun Star first. The He Family’s Patriarch and hundreds of their top cultivators were dead, so she had to let the Lu Family members back home know about it as soon as possible so that they could begin preparations. When she returned to Morning Sun Star, she could directly launch an attack on the He Family.
After the He Family was destroyed, she believed that there would be no more dangers to the Lu Family left on Morning Sun Star.
When she saw He Yun Xiang sitting outside the room, she didn’t pay much attention to her at first, but she soon fell into a dazed state.
They had just separated for four hours, but she could feel that this Fierce Gale Pirates Head Manager had gone through some kind of transformation. The latter had become even more charming and alluring. Although she was a beautiful woman herself, Lu Huai Shuang was still enchanted by He Yun Xiang’s current beauty.
Following that, she exclaimed in absolute shock, “How have you reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm!?”
He Yun Xiang had just achieved a breakthrough, so she couldn’t conceal her aura yet.
It was apparent to Lu Huai Shuang that the woman before her eyes was a Third-Order Origin King, but less than half a day ago she was still just a Second-Order Origin King!
He Yun Xiang smiled without replying to her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t willing to reveal the secret to her, but Yang Kai’s methods were too inconceivable. She was worried that Lu Huai Shuang might develop ill intentions upon finding out what happened. If this woman also wanted to rely on Yang Kai, then there would be one more competitor for her.
Naturally, as the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, she wouldn’t ask for such trouble herself.
Despite her silence, Lu Huai Shuang was easily able to figure out some things and asked in shock, “It was him, wasn’t it?”
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Sir is cultivating in seclusion right now, and I need to meditate as well to consolidate my breakthrough. Little Sister, please go back now if there’s nothing important. Sir told me to inform him only when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star.”
A myriad of expressions came over Lu Huai Shuang before she nodded her head, “Good. Congratulations.”
The transformation in He Yun Xiang had had a huge impact on her. [Is this the benefit of relying on a Master like him? What’s the point of me having persevered for so many years? The Lu Family is such a heavy burden on my shoulders, which makes it difficult for me to even breathe sometimes. Should I just give it all up and ask him to become my Master as well?]
The man inside the room was the best choice she would ever come across. Since he could accept He Yun Xiang, then he might accept her as well. She was confident that she wouldn’t lose out to anyone when it came to her beauty. That was the innate advantage of a woman.
[No! She’s walking down the path she has chosen and I have my own path to explore. Vines can grow taller by climbing a huge tree, but with the help of sunlight and rain, a sapling can grow into a mighty tree as well.]
At that instant, the shackles that had chained her for years relaxed a little, causing her aura to change slightly. With her gaze becoming determined, she put on a smile as she had let go of something in her heart, “Got it. I’ll inform you about it by then.”
[We’re not the same kind of people. You have your own way to survive, and I have my own method to grow stronger. Although the paths we’ve chosen are different in terms of difficulty, our destination is the same. When we come across each other in the future, I hope you won’t be too surprised.]
…
The black Starship started to lift off and left the Dead Star, accelerating out into the borderless Star Field.
It was the first time Yang Kai slowed down his pace in years. On his Martial Dao, he had always been running ahead diligently, not daring to slack for even a moment. What spurred him on were the threats from all directions and his desire for greater power. Now that he had slowed down all of a sudden, he realized that there were more paths in his life than he had imagined, and the view around him was magnificent as well.
During his stay in the room, he would often enter the Small Sealed World and chat with Liu Yan, the Embodiment, and the others inside. Sometimes, he would boil a pot of tea and read an ancient book for days. His life on the Starship was quite relaxing.
One had to know when to work hard and when to relax when cultivating. A skilful archer would untie the string when the bow wasn’t in use to ensure the longevity of his instrument.
It was said that by reading more books, one could marry a beautiful wife and earn a lot of money, thereby achieving success in life. However, that was just self-delusion and consolation for those poor scholars. However, it couldn’t be denied that one could improve one’s state of mind by reading more books.
All of a sudden, he put down the ancient text in his hands and gave it a hard thought. Moments later, a realization dawned upon him, “It’s because I’ve always been in a rush!”
He had always been cultivating at an incredible speed, and each of his breakthroughs was astonishing enough to shatter most peoples’ imagination. However, since he reached the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, he had been stuck in this realm for a long time. He couldn’t achieve a breakthrough no matter how hard he tried.
He had always thought that it was because he hadn’t come across the right opportunity to ascend to the next realm. However, he now realized that it wasn’t that the opportunity hadn’t come to him. Instead, it was his mentality that was the problem here. He had always been in a rush to pursue greater strength and achieve a breakthrough from the First-Order to the Second-Order Emperor Realm to explore the secrets of a higher Martial Dao.
What he didn’t realize was that the more eager for success he was, the further his goal drifted away from him. His attitude to relentlessly pursue progress had formed a shackle that chained him to the peak of the First-Order Emperor Realm.
Although he had an inkling of this previously and had planned to let nature take its course, he still craved greater power when he was in an environment like the Star Boundary. Naturally, he couldn’t be at ease, thus failing in his attempt to achieve a breakthrough.
However, since he came to this place, not only did he not dare to use his power as he pleased, but he had also suppressed his cultivation as best he could. Also, he couldn’t cultivate at all. It was when he was forced to enter such a relaxed state that he finally realized the crux of the problem.
It was like a shaded area under the light. The problem had always been right before his eyes, but he had failed to notice it because he had never looked down at his own feet.
Whether or not he could return to Heng Luo Star Field this time, the journey had been fruitful because he had realized his own problem. He believed that he would be pleasantly surprised when he returned to Star Boundary.
Then, he picked up his book again and poured his attention into it. He was so quiet that it was as though he was someone who was in his twilight years.
*Du du du…*
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Yang Kai uttered without raising his head.
He Yun Xiang pushed the door open and entered the room, upon which the pleasant fragrance wafting from her body soon permeated the entire room.
“Sir, we’ll be landing on Taiyi Star soon,” She wouldn’t dare to forget Yang Kai’s order. Right after Lu Huai Shuang’s subordinate informed her about it, she immediately knocked on the door to inform him.
“Good.” Yang Kai acknowledged as he continued staring fixedly at the ancient book.
[Is that some kind of supreme Secret Technique Manual?] He Yun Xiang’s interest was piqued. Yang Kai could easily give her a profound and abstruse Secret Art, so his heritage must be incredibly rich. Hence, the book he was reading so attentively must contain great mysteries and unfathomable knowledge.
She knew that it was wrong to take a peek, especially when the other party was a powerful Master, which might cause him to feel repulsion. If that happened, her previous efforts would all be wasted.
However, a woman’s curiosity would bounce back harder the more it was suppressed. Initially, He Yun Xiang kept her head lowered. Yang Kai was unsuspecting, but it didn’t mean she could take a peek at his secrets.
Nevertheless, a moment later, she couldn’t contain her urge anymore, so she stole a glance at the ancient book. However, when she saw the book’s title, the corner of her mouth twitched.
[‘Emerald Mountain Record’? This is not a Secret Technique Manual at all!]
*Pa…*
Yang Kai closed ‘Emerald Mountain Record’ and rose from the chair. As he moved past her in a few steps, he uttered, “Let’s go.”
Hearing that, He Yun Xiang hurriedly followed after him.
“Your realm is only considered stable when you attain complete control of your aura, allowing you to take it out and conceal it at will. You have to work harder.”
Upon hearing what he said, He Yun Xiang nodded repeatedly and replied obediently, “Sir, you’re right. It’s just that it’s been too short a time.”
Only half a month had passed, so she didn’t have enough time to fully consolidate her new cultivation. Although she was already in a better state than half a month ago, her Third-Order Origin King aura was still pretty conspicuous. Anyone with a decent enough vision would be able to easily sense it.
“How about the refinement of the artifact?”
“I’ve achieved some success, but I still can’t wield it freely.”
The ribbon was a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact. Yang Kai couldn’t remember how he obtained it. He had killed many cultivators over the years, and their belongings had all become his spoils. Although it was only a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact, it was still difficult for He Yun Xiang to refine it because she had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago.
“What about the Secret Art?”
“I’m still studying it.”
“En, feel free to ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
“Many thanks, Sir! There are indeed many parts that are difficult for me to understand.” He Yun Xiang didn’t pretend to understand more than she did. If she wanted to work under Yang Kai, she had to make sure that she was useful to him, since her worth stemmed from her power.
The Starship stopped somewhere in the Starry Sky. It would still take them half a day to reach Taiyi Star. After the cabin door opened, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said to Lu Huai Shuang, “Miss Lu, farewell.”
“Sir, farewell. Please stay safe.” Lu Huai Shuang performed a salute to him in an elegant manner. The top cultivators from the Lu Family behind her cupped their fists to bid Yang Kai farewell as well. She didn’t make him stay nor tell him they would meet again, because she knew that the reason he chose to part ways with her here was that he didn’t want to drag the Lu Family into this mess.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base, so the forces they commanded on the Star were vast with countless informants lurking in every corner. Yang Kai’s visit this time would surely turn into a conflict with them, and if the Yan Family looked into the matter, they would find out that he came to this Star with the Lu Family. By then, the Lu Family would be implicated.
Both Lu Huai Shuang and Yang Kai understood this. With this thought in mind, she heaved a sigh secretly. If it weren’t because she had to protect her family, she was more than willing to deliver him to that place directly. Their destination was the same anyway.
However, she had a huge family behind her, so she had to be careful in everything she did. Therefore, she was grateful that he was sensitive and considerate. If he insisted on reaching the destination with the Lu Family’s people, she couldn’t possibly reject him.
Instead, he decided to make the Starship stop when they were still some distance away from Taiyi Star to make a clean break with them. After the departure, they might not even meet again in the future.
Certainly, she hoped to see him again in the future. By then, she would stand before him with a higher cultivation realm.
Yang Kai turned his head and hinted at He Yun Xiang, who immediately summoned her own Star Shuttle. After they stepped on it together, the shuttle transformed into a beam of light and shot towards the Star Field.
Star Shuttles were a commonly used flight type artifact in the Star Field. Yang Kai had used one himself back when he was in Heng Luo Star Field; however, they were no longer useful after he entered Star Boundary.
He Yun Xiang’s Star Shuttle was an Origin King Grade artifact, but although its speed was quite fast, it still took them more than half a day to reach the periphery of Taiyi Star.
It was a huge azure sphere that looked like a giant eye in this boundless Star Field. It radiated a mesmerizing glow and was encircled by a layer of faint aura mist.
Yang Kai knew that it was the World Energy of Taiyi Star.
This Yan Family’s base indeed lived up to its name. Taiyi Star was one of the best Cultivation Stars Yang Kai had ever seen. In the entire Heng Luo Star Field, only Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Home Star, Water Moon Star, was comparable to it.
“Sir, should we go directly to the Yan Residence?” He Yun Xiang asked as she controlled her Star Shuttle.
Yang Kai was standing right behind her, and despite him not using any energy, his figure was as stable as a mountain. No matter how fast the shuttle was, he remained unmoving, as though roots had grown beneath his feet.
“Yes, go there directly.”
“Good.” He Yun Xiang nodded as she was moved by his confidence.
Yang Kai was someone in a realm that was above the Origin King Realm, so he was practically unrivalled in this Star Field; therefore, the Yan Family was certainly no match for him. If the Yan Family’s people caved into him and told him the way to enter the Ancestral Domain, then it was all good. However, if they were obstinate, He Yun Xiang could already envision the kind of calamity this mighty family in Unending Star Field would suffer.
They had only met each other a short time ago, so she still didn’t understand Yang Kai’s temperament or personality well. However, she could feel that the Master she had sided with was an easy-going man. He wasn’t someone who would oppress the weak with his power.
This was the kind of demeanour a Master should have. Those who loved to oppress and make others submit to them were usually diffident about themselves.
So, the best way to communicate with someone like Yang Kai was to be totally honest with him. One might even get some rewards in return.
[Hopefully, the Yan Family will know what to do.]
He Yun Xiang had been to Taiyi Star several times before; after all, this was the best Cultivation Star in this Star Field. Although she was the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates that everyone despised, no one had seen her real face before, so to enter Taiyi Star safely, she just needed to revert back to her original appearance.
Hence, she was already familiar with the route to get into Taiyi Star. After circling around the Star in the opposite direction for a moment, she flew the shuttle towards the surface.
After they passed through a layer of clouds, the view of the ground came into sight.
“It seems that we’ve come to a remote area.” He Yun Xiang appeared slightly embarrassed as she observed the surroundings.
“It’s alright.”
After they continued flying in the air for four hours, a massive city finally came into their sight.
“That’s the Yan Family’s base.”
When they were about to reach the city, they landed on the ground and walked forward. Any sizable city wouldn’t allow any cultivator to fly into it directly because it would make it hard for them to manage the city. Only some people with special status were allowed to do that.
Yang Kai was already used to such customs, so he was fine with it.
The city wall was more than a hundred metres tall and its gates were wide open. A hideous head that looked like a ferocious ghost was hung below the gate, its eyes gleaming with a crimson glow. Its wide open mouth was the entrance to the city. All the cultivators who entered the city seemed to have been swallowed by this ferocious ghost as they disappeared into its mouth.
Whenever a cultivator passed through, the ghost’s crimson eyes would glint, as though it was examining something.
Many cultivators were waiting at the gate. He Yun Xiang asked for Yang Kai’s opinion and then lined up at the back of the line with him.
An incense stick later, it was their turn to enter the city. Yang Kai suddenly felt a stream of energy sweeping over his body, which felt like he had been inspected by Divine Sense, but he knew that it was something different. At that instant, he realized that it was the Secret Technique embedded in the ghost sculpture’s eyes. It didn’t have any ill intention as it was just making a record.
It was already the middle of the night, but the city was still hustling and bustling, as though it was a living creature. All the households in the city still had their lights on. Even the narrowest alley was illuminated by the lights around it.
Countless cultivators streamed along the streets and rubbed shoulders with each other.
The streets were designed in an intricate manner, and every street was lined with two rows of shops, so the city appeared very lively. All the shops came in different shapes as well. Some of them appeared exotic and pleasing to the eyes. There was also a tower with several dozen floors that looked like a huge pillar in this bustling city.
In the middle of the city was a mountain with two summits. It was so high that it almost reached the clouds. The two summits were perfectly symmetrical, as though they were made from the same mould. Yang Kai raised his head and saw that many buildings had been built from the bottom through to the top of the mountain like a ladder. The lights over there were especially bright. The rows of palaces appeared imposing and magnificent.
“That’s where the Yan Family’s clansmen live. Besides the Masters that have been stationed in other places, all Yan Family members live there,” He Yun Xiang pointed at the mountain and explained. A moment later, she asked, “Sir, are you going there now or…”
“I was just looking around. Let’s go there now.” Yang Kai replied.
“Sir, this way please,” He Yun Xiang uttered and led the way.
Although the city was massive, He Yun Xiang could walk around pretty quickly, as she was in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t exude an aura, but his movements were still remarkably quick.
Two hours later, they reached the bottom of the double summit.
“Outsiders are not allowed past this point. This is where those from the Yan Family live.”
There was a guard who was responsible for blocking outsiders from entering the compound. The guard was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, which was just a step away from the Origin King Realm. He could already be considered a Master in this Star Field, but in this Yan Family base, he could only serve as a guard, which went to show how firm and robust the Yan Family’s heritage was.
Although his tone sounded polite, his expression appeared aloof. The way he swept a glance over Yang Kai was slightly disdainful because he didn’t sense any energy fluctuations coming from him, so he thought that the latter was just an ordinary person.
Nevertheless, he was startled at He Yun Xiang’s Origin King aura. Although he couldn’t determine her cultivation accurately, he was certain that she was in the Origin King Realm. Moreover, she was beautiful and charming, so he immediately started having licentious thoughts about her.
A strikingly beautiful Origin King Realm Master like her was rare.
If he were in the outside world, given his cultivation, he would not dare to size up an Origin King so wantonly. Nevertheless, he was now standing outside the Yan Residence, and he was also a Yan Family disciple, so although he was in a lower realm than her, he still brazenly swept his eyes over her figure and admired her beauty. He thought that if he could sleep with such a woman for one night, he would have no more regrets even if he had to die.
The other Yan Family’s guards around the place also looked at her and drooled over her body.
He Yun Xiang’s face fell when she saw that. She was now a Third-Order Origin King, one of the few peak level masters in this Star Field. So what if they were from the Yan Family? Weaker cultivators should show due respect to a Master like her.
If she had come here on her own, she would’ve swallowed her anger; however, she was now under Yang Kai’s wing, so her actions would affect his reputation, which was why she couldn’t tolerate their presumptuous behaviour.
As such, she swiftly released her Third-Order Origin King aura, causing the Yan Family’s guard, who had been ogling her, to turn pale. After he staggered backwards more than ten steps, he barely managed to stop himself from falling on his butt. With his hand pressed against his chest, he was still reeling from the shock as for a moment, he felt as though he was about to leave for the other world.
That was an Origin King’s pressure! Moreover, it wasn’t just any ordinary Origin King Realm Pressure. The guard reckoned that this beautiful woman must at least be a Second-Order Origin King.
A myriad of expressions came over him as he gritted his teeth and choked down his displeasure. Although he was a Yan Family disciple, this woman’s cultivation was shockingly powerful. The Yan Family wouldn’t choose to offend such a Master over such a trivial matter.
No longer daring to be arrogant, he cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “Madam, may I know your name and what you are here for?”
He was starkly different from his earlier haughty self.
He Yun Xiang uttered dispassionately, “I’m here to see the Yan Family’s Patriarch. Please inform him of my visit.”
“You want to see the Patriarch?” The guard was shocked as he shook his head, “I’m afraid I cannot help you with this.”
The Yan Family’s Patriarch was the Overlord of this Star Field, so not just anyone had the right to meet him. Although the woman before the guard’s eyes was an Origin King, there was a vast difference in strength and status between Origin Kings. She might not necessarily be worthy of meeting their Patriarch.
“I just want to visit Patriarch Yan. Please lend us a hand.”
The person shook his head again, “It’s not that I’m not willing to help, but…” He paused for a moment, “Madam, have you met our Patriarch before?”
If they were old acquaintances, then there wouldn’t be a problem. He would be more than willing to inform the Patriarch about it. Maybe this charming woman was the Patriarch’s mistress in the outside world.
“I’ve always admired him, but I haven’t had the chance to meet him before.”
“Then…”
“Please…” As He Yun Xiang spoke, she flicked a Space Ring towards the guard.
It was said that money made the world go round. As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, He Yun Xiang had a lot of precious things with her.
After taking the Space Ring, the guard scanned it with his Divine Sense and arched his brow, “Madam, since you’re so insistent, I’ll inform the Patriarch about it. Whether or not he’ll meet you…”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “That’s fine. Just help me inform him about my visit.” She didn’t want to make things difficult for a mere guard.
The person turned around and dashed up the mountain at full speed.
“Madam, please have a seat.” Perhaps the other guards knew that they were eligible to share the benefits in that Space Ring, so they treated He Yun Xiang politely. One of them even took out a chair and placed it in front of her.
He Yun Xiang thanked him, but she shook her head with a smile, because she wouldn’t dare to take a seat in front of Yang Kai.
A moment later, the guard, who had gone up the mountain earlier, came down hurriedly and stood before He Yun Xiang, “Madam, our Patriarch is currently cultivating in seclusion, so I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Then, he told her something else with a smile, “However, the Second Elder, who is on duty now, is willing to meet you.”
“The Second Elder? You mean Elder Yan Qing?” He Yun Xiang was apparently familiar with all the Elders of the Yan Family.
“That’s right.”
Although He Yun Xiang didn’t make an appointment before her visit, in the end, she was an Origin King; moreover, she was a Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least, on top of being a beautiful lady. Upon learning about her visit, Yan Qing thought it was inappropriate to simply force her to leave, and he wanted to meet her out of curiosity.
The Yan Family controlled several Cultivation Stars not only by relying on the power of their own clansmen, but also the many Masters who worked for them from other clans. If they could recruit this beautiful woman, she would be a great help to the Yan Family.
“Please follow me.” The guard stepped aside and gestured politely.
He Yun Xiang nodded and thanked him. At this point, she couldn’t possibly insist on meeting the Patriarch, so she decided to meet Yan Qing first.
“This…” Seeing that Yang Kai wanted to tag along, the guard frowned. Not everyone had the right to ascend the Yan Family’s twin summits. Although the young man had followed the beautiful woman to this place, he was obviously an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, so obviously he lacked such qualifications.
“He’s with me. Please allow him to come along as well.” He Yun Xiang flashed a gentle smile at him.
The guard frowned but stopped making things difficult for them. After a nod, he led the way for them. It was said that rules were inflexible, but Humans were adaptable. Since he had benefited from her already, he didn’t want to harp on such a trivial issue.
Then, the three of them trekked up the mountain. They came across many cultivators with powerful cultivations along the way, but when the men saw He Yun Xiang, they couldn’t contain their urges as they brazenly sized her up.
He Yun Xiang wasn’t used to such stares so throughout the long walk, her brow remained knitted together as she was gripped by a sense of fury. When she pretended to be a man in the past, things were simpler as she could kill whoever she wanted, and she had never been stared at like this before.
Fortunately, the further up they went, the fewer people there were, and in just an incense stick worth of time, they reached a grand palace.
The guard uttered, “Madam, please go in. Second Elder is waiting for you inside.”
As he spoke, he took a look at Yang Kai in shock. He was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, while the Madam was an Origin King Realm Master, so the pace at which they walked was quite quick. However, he didn’t expect that this young man could follow them closely, but he couldn’t sense him using any Qi at all. [What is going on?]
He Yun Xiang thanked him again and stepped into the palace. The main hall was spacious with sculpted columns dotting around the place. An elderly man was sitting in the corner with a cup of aromatic tea in his hand. Seeing that two people were entering the place, he raised his head as his gaze brightened up. [What a charming lady!]
However, when he noticed He Yun Xiang’s aura, he was instantly shocked, [She’s a Third-Order Origin King!]
When the guard informed him of a woman’s visit, he just said that a beautiful woman wanted to see the Patriarch, and her cultivation was quite powerful. She was thought to be in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least. Nevertheless, the guard’s vision wasn’t sharp enough to judge her accurately, so he failed to realize she was a genuine Third-Order Origin King.
Upon that realization, Yan Qing rose from his chair slowly and greeted her with a smile. He wouldn’t have done this if she was just a Second-Order Origin King, but she was a Third-Order Master, equal to him.
He Yun Xiang approached him and bowed elegantly, “Greetings, Elder Yan Qing.”
Yan Qing returned the courtesy as well and flashed a gentle smile at her, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have your honoured name, Madam?”
After He Yun Xiang introduced herself, Yan Qing’s expression remained calm, but a sense of doubtfulness flashed across his eyes. He didn’t remember any Master called He Yun Xiang in his mind. Moreover, she was a woman. There were hardly any women in the Third-Order Origin King Realm in this Star Field, so where did this woman come from?
Although he was puzzled, he still didn’t directly try to inquire about her background. Since she had personally come here, she must have a request to make. So, he wasn’t worried that he couldn’t find out more about her.
However, it seemed that this woman had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, as she could barely conceal her own aura.
Yang Qing hospitably invited her to take a seat. When he saw Yang Kai sitting down as well, he couldn’t help but frown and think that this brat was mannerless. Nevertheless, before he found out about the relationship between the young man and He Yun Xiang, he wasn’t willing to cause a scene. So, he just ignored him for now.
After he clapped his hands, a maid came over and served tea to them.
During their following conversation, Yan Qing discreetly tried to inquire about He Yun Xiang’s background, but she always tactfully changed the topic, which made him feel displeased. Upon finishing their tea, he asked directly, “Lady He, may I ask what your purpose here is?”
He Yun Xiang stopped smiling and replied in a serious manner, “I’m sorry for coming without an invitation. There’s indeed something I need from the Yan Family. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Yan Qing chuckled, “Lady He, please speak freely. My family does have some power in this Star Field, so if there is anything I can help you with, I won’t turn you down.” Certainly, he was just being polite. Nevertheless, if it was just a small favour, he would consider lending her a hand. It would be good to make this woman owe them a favour as that might help them recruit her in the future.
“Elder Yan Qing, you’re too humble. In the entire Star Field, only the Yan Family can help me with this.”
“Lady He, you think too highly of my family.” Yan Qing chuckled good spiritedly, but he had put his guard up at that moment. Judging from what she said, the favour she was here to ask wouldn’t be small. If that was the case, he had to be more careful.
“I want to enter the Ancestral Domain,” He Yun Xiang uttered.
Yan Qing’s laughter stopped abruptly, as though someone had reached out and clenched his neck, and the smile on his face slowly faded. Staring at her, he questioned, “Madam, do you understand what it is you are asking?”
He Yun Xiang forced a smile, “If it were an easy task, I wouldn’t have come here to ask for your help. I know that the Yan Family is probably the only force in this Star Field who knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain. Elder Yan Qing, please assist me.”
With a cold expression, Yan Qing refuted, “Madam, I don’t know where you’ve heard this rumour from, but no one from the Yan Family knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
He was utterly exasperated as he thought that this woman had overestimated her own abilities. She wasn’t a close friend of the Yan Family, and it was the first time they met, so how could she ask for access to the Ancestral Domain? Was she out of her mind?
The way to enter the Ancestral Domain was also a top secret within the Yan Family and only a small number of the highest level members in the family knew a thing or two about it.
“500 years ago, an Old Ancestor from your family…”
Before she could finish her words, Yan Qing swung his long sleeve and rose from his chair, “Madam, you may leave now. I won’t see you off.”
He wasn’t willing to keep talking to her anymore. If her request was something else, he would still discuss it with her even if it was difficult to achieve; however, the method to enter the Ancestral Domain must never be leaked. If it weren’t because she was a Third-Order Origin King Realm, he would have directly taught her a lesson.
He Yun Xiang remained unfazed, however, as she had expected this outcome. After hesitating for only a moment, she continued, “Since there’s something I need from you, naturally I’ve prepared an appropriate compensation for you.”
Yan Qing laughed smugly, “There’s nothing the Yan Family does not possess in this world. What do you think you can… What is this?”
He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at the Spirit Pill in her hand.
The longan-sized Spirit Pill was white and translucent, like a perfect pearl. Nevertheless, the fragrance wafting from the pearl was unfamiliar to Yan Qing. After he took a whiff, he realized that the Saint Qi within his body was surging, which caused him to be astonished.
He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, as well as the Yan Family’s Second Elder, so there was basically no Spirit Pill in this world that he had not seen or heard of before. Nevertheless, he had no idea what this Spirit Pill was.
At first glance, he could tell that this pill was of an unimaginably high quality and grade. As far as he was concerned, there was no Spirit Pill in this world that was comparable to it.
He Yun Xiang went on to say with a smile, “Elder Yan Qing, are you satisfied with this reward?”
Yan Qing’s expression changed as he instinctively felt that the pill in her hand would help him tremendously. Despite his calm temperament, he still couldn’t help but gulp as he stared fixedly at the pill. It was as though he was looking at a naked beauty who was inviting him, which aroused his greed greatly.
There was rarely anything in this world that he lusted after. If he needed anything, his family could get it for him. However, at this moment, he eagerly wanted to know what kind of transformation he would go through after he consumed the pill.
“What kind of Spirit Pill is this?” Yan Qing asked as he no longer appeared arrogant. They really didn’t have this pill in the Yan Family.
“This is a Source Condensing Pill.”
After giving it a thought, Yan Qing shook his head, “I have never heard of it before.”
He Yun Xiang smiled faintly, “There are countless amazing things in this boundless world. Elder Yan Qing, although you’re a worldly man, there are still things you haven’t seen before.”
The pill actually belonged to Yang Kai, so Yan Qing couldn’t possibly have seen it before.
He Yun Xiang was now a Third-Order Origin King, and the next step for her was to ascend to the Dao Source Realm. In that regard, Source Condensing Pills were indispensable as they would speed up the process of transforming her Saint Qi into Source Qi. Yang Kai had given her a few bottles of these pills to use whenever she needed them.
After she took out one of those pills at this moment, she managed to achieve the desired result.
“What are the benefits of this pill?” Yan Qing asked curiously.
He Yun Xiang appeared to be in a dilemma, as though she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about it.
Seeing that, Yan Qing was anxious as he said, “If you’re not willing to say anything, then go back now.”
He knew that she wouldn’t leave this place easily.
As expected, when He Yun Xiang heard what he said, the hesitation on her face disappeared, and she uttered, “It can help you reach a realm that is above the Origin King Realm!”
Yan Qing’s entire body shook as his eyes beamed with a glare.
“I’ll be able to reach the realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill?” Yan Qing’s throat felt dry, as he hadn’t come across such a thing for years.
He Yun Xiang replied, “To be precise, you’ll have a chance. The pill is just an auxiliary, your own foundation is still the critical element.”
What she didn’t tell him was that one indeed would stand a chance to reach a realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill, but the prerequisite was that one took enough of them over a long period of time. Just one Source Condensing Pill wouldn’t help much.
It took a very long time for an Origin King Realm Master to transform their Saint Qi into Source Qi.
“How would I know if what you’ve said is true?” Yan Qing frowned. He was an old fox who had gone through the vicissitudes of life. After the initial shock, he had pulled himself together and started having doubts. [If this Source Condensing Pill is so powerful, why doesn’t this woman take it herself? Why has she chosen to entice me with it? Isn’t she afraid that I’ll take it from her by force?]
“I need something from the Yan Family, so it doesn’t benefit me one bit to lie to you,” He Yun Xiang said solemnly.
Yan Qing shook his head, “I won’t simply believe you for what you’ve said. If that’s the case, I want to examine this pill first.”
In response, He Yun Xiang smiled at him, “Sure.”
A beam of white light flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Qing took the Source Condensing Pill in his hand, but he still couldn’t believe it. [What’s wrong with this woman? Since this pill is so precious, why did she pass it to me so easily?]
“Madam, aren’t you afraid that I might seize this pill?” he asked.
“Will you?” He Yun Xiang questioned in shock, as though she was an inexperienced girl while thinking to herself, [You’ll have to be powerful enough if you want to seize it!]
“No,” Yan Qing shook his head. Everyone in this world did everything for their own interests. When faced with such a huge benefit, they would do anything to grab it. However, he didn’t understand why this woman was so confident and wondered if she was suffering from some mental illness.
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Is this pill good enough to be traded for the way to enter the Ancestral Domain?”
Yan Qing let out a breath, “Yes, but the prerequisite is that this pill is truly as good as you’ve described it to be. Wait a moment. I’ll get someone to examine it.”
“Please.” He Yun Xiang waved her hand gently.
Since this was an important matter, Yan Qing wouldn’t dare to dawdle. He immediately turned around and disappeared into the inner hall.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yang Kai and spoke to him using her Divine Sense, “The fish has taken the bait.”
With a calm expression, Yang Kai nodded.
He Yun Xiang went on to ask, “Sir, given your power, you could just force the Yan Family members to hand over the method to reach the Ancestral Domain to you. Why do you have to do all of this?”
The Source Condensing Pill was just bait, and they were now in the Yan Family’s base. An outsider with an unknown background was basically inviting the Yan Family members to snatch such a pill from her by taking it out. Since they were bound to suppress the Yan Family with their power anyways, she reckoned that they should just make a move straight away, thereby saving them some trouble.
That was how the Fierce Gale Pirates would do it. They would just snatch whatever they had their eye on. As the Head Manager of that pirate group, He Yun Xiang was a firm believer in that approach.
Yang Kai replied, “I have my own considerations.”
In fact, he just felt embarrassed to take action, using his strength to bully and oppress the weak. Given his Emperor Realm cultivation, him using force here would be akin to a full-grown man snatching candy from a bunch of toddlers. Nevertheless, if they were naughty children, he wouldn’t mind disciplining them.
In a secret room on the top of the twin summit, the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan Luo, was studying the Source Condensing Pill as his expression changed repeatedly. Meanwhile, Yan Qing was standing to the side as he kept licking his dry lips.
Moments later, he asked, “Patriarch, is this pill really so magical?”
Yan Luo gave it a thought and shook his head, “I’m not sure. Let’s wait for the Grandmasters to come over.”
Even the Patriarch couldn’t be sure about it. Yan Qing was surprised rather than shocked, as he thought, [This Source Condensing Pill is indeed something precious.]
A moment later, some people streamed into the room. Regardless of their cultivations, they all exuded the aromatic smell of pills. Apparently, they were the people who had spent most of their time with herbs and Spirit Pills. They were Alchemists.
In particular, these people in the room were Yan Family’s top Alchemists who were all Origin King Rank.
After they entered the secret room and greeted Yan Luo and Yan Qing, an old man in a robe at the front said, “Patriarch, why did you summon all of us to this place suddenly?”
“Please take a look at this pill,” Yan Luo passed the pill to him.
After the robed old man took the pill, the others shifted their attention to it as well. In an instant, they no longer appeared nonchalant as they widened their eyes and exclaimed, “What!?”
“What kind of Spirit pill is this?”
“Let me take a look.”
“Don’t snatch it!”
All these prestigious Alchemy Grandmasters completely lost their noble bearings in an instant, as though they were all bumpkins who had never seen the city before. All of their eyes were brimming with shock.
Moments later, the agitated robed old man stared at Yan Luo and asked, “Patriarch, how did you get this Spirit pill?”
“Can you make out what grade this pill is?” Yan Luo asked him a question instead of replying to him.
“I can’t, but I can guarantee that no one among us can produce this kind of Spirit Pill.”
The other Alchemists nodded in agreement. This Spirit Pill was beyond their knowledge and comprehension. They couldn’t even ascertain the ingredients that were used, let alone produce them.
The answer was pretty obvious now. Even Third-Order Origin Kings and Origin King Rank Alchemists couldn’t verify this Source Condensing Pill that had appeared out of nowhere. The only possibility was that this pill was indeed above the Origin King Grade.
Just when the robed old man wanted to ask something, Yan Luo waved his hand, “All of you may leave now.”
Although the Alchemy Grandmasters were reluctant to go, they wouldn’t dare to disobey him. After bowing, they turned around and left. Before leaving the room, they still looked longingly at the pill.
After they were gone, Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “You said the woman called He Yun Xiang simply gave this pill to you?”
“Yes.”
“It seems that she has more than one pill.” Yan Luo started laughing all of a sudden.
Seeing that, Yan Qing immediately understood what the Patriarch was up to. Certainly, that idea had crossed his mind as well. Both of them basically shared the same thought. Hesitantly, he questioned, “Since she’s able to casually take out such a pill, she surely isn’t someone who can be oppressed easily. What if there’s someone powerful behind her?”
“It’s not possible. Also, don’t forget where we are.” Yan Luo shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Qing was startled for a moment before he nodded, “Good.”
Then, he turned around and left the secret room. [She’s a woman without any background. Even if she’s killed here, no one will realize it.]
“Sir, it’s about to start.” Inside the main hall, He Yun Xiang looked at Yang Kai with a smile as sounds of some things breaking through the air could be heard. Like a large Dragon that was awakening, streams of powerful auras surrounded the main hall.
A person with a grim expression stepped out of the inner hall. He was none other than Yan Qing, who had left this place earlier.
He Yun Xiang asked, “Elder Yan Qing, what’s the result of your examination?”
Suddenly, Yan Qing bellowed, “How dare you take a fake Spirit Pill to fool us! How are you so brazen?”
He Yun Xiang appeared flabbergasted, “Elder Yan Qing, what do you mean that it’s a fake Spirit Pill?”
Yan Qing snorted, “I don’t know where you’ve gotten this pill from, but our Origin King Rank Alchemists have examined the pill and concluded that it’s totally useless. How dare you take this to trade for our top secret? Do you think we’re fools you can easily deceive?”
He Yun Xiang appeared terrified and pale as she said, “How is it possible that it’s a fake pill? It’s really useful for helping a cultivator to reach a realm that’s above the Origin King Realm. I would never dare to lie to you.”
In her heart, she found his behaviour laughable. Now, she could understand why Yang Kai had to go through such trouble. Even the Yan Family had to come up with an excuse before they would deal with her. Perhaps a reason was needed to cover up their wrongdoing.
[It’s just not as fun as when I was in the Fierce Gale Pirates. We could just kill and rob anyone as we pleased. It seems that I still need some time to get used to living on this side of the world.]
“Are you saying that our Origin King Rank Alchemists are inferior to you when it comes to their knowledge and insight?” Yan Qing snorted.
After a sigh, He Yun Xiang replied, “Since that’s the case, please return the pill to me and just forget about my request, then.”
Yan Qing sneered, “You want the pill back? I’ve already destroyed it.”
In an instant, He Yun Xiang’s eyes turned bloodshot, “How can you do this to me? That was a precious Spirit Pill. Even if you’ve failed to see its value, you shouldn’t have discarded it so carelessly!”
She appeared aggrieved and helpless. Anyone who saw her in such a state would feel sympathetic towards her.
[Is this woman really this foolish or is she just putting on an act?] Yan Qing was somewhat puzzled. [Has she just come out from a long time of closed-door cultivation? Given her strength, why can’t she see what’s going on? That’s right! That must be the case! That’s why I haven’t heard of a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like her before! She must have gotten some incredible inheritance and been cultivating in seclusion somewhere!]
Yan Qing was shocked at this thought, and he no longer felt apprehensive.
“Forget it. It’s just a Spirit Pill, so it doesn’t matter that you’ve destroyed it. Since you’re so stone-hearted, I’ll take my leave now.” Appearing dejected, He Yun Xiang rose from the chair and wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Do you think you can come and go as you please from this place?” Yan Qing growled.
Flustered, He Yun Xiang asked, “What do you want, then?”
“You’ve tried to fool us in an attempt to steal our top secret. If we let you off, our reputation will be ruined. Lady He, you must remain behind.”
He Yun Xiang staggered backward and exclaimed, “You want to confine me?”
Since they had fallen out with each other, Yan Qing stopped hiding his intention as he said, “Lady He, if I were you, I would surrender without trying to resist. You appear weak, so I think you’ve just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm. If you oppose me, I’m worried I might accidentally harm you.”
He was confident of capturing He Yun Xiang. Compared to her, he had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, so she was certainly no match for him. The arrangements outside the hall were just to make sure that she couldn’t escape.
He Yun Xiang snarled, “You’re so shameless. Why is there such a person like you in the Yan Family? I want to see Patriarch Yan and obtain justice from him.”
Yan Qing sneered, “He won’t meet you.”
Just when He Yun Xiang parted her lips in an attempt to say something more, Yang Kai got up all of a sudden. Seeing that, she immediately kept her mouth shut.
Yan Qing shot him a cold glance and frowned. Then, he swung his hand at him in a nonchalant manner, as though he was chasing a mosquito away.
A blast of Qi slashed at Yang Kai’s chest with a loud boom.
Yan Qing didn’t even spare him a glance. Although he didn’t expend much energy when attacking him, he was a Third-Order Origin King after all. A person who didn’t exude any Qi at all would surely end up in a miserable state after getting hit by his strike.
The young man would be considered lucky if only his bones were broken. Most probably, he would simply explode into a cloud of blood mist.
In the next moment though, Yan Qing’s body shook, upon which he turned to look at the young man in disbelief. The young man simply lifted his hand and brushed the part on his chest where he was attacked, as though nothing had happened to him. Then, he put on a grin and approached Yan Qing.
[What!?] Yan Qing couldn’t believe his eyes. [Why is he still fine?]
In disbelief, he scanned Yang Kai with his Divine Sense and became certain that the latter had never cultivated before. [This guy is just like any ordinary person.]
With a frown, he pushed out a palm with 30% of his power in an attempt to probe the young man.
Nevertheless, the young man still didn’t evade the attack and let it hit his chest. His figure didn’t shake one bit, and he appeared totally at ease.
Yan Qing was flabbergasted, as he realized that he had gravely underestimated the young man. [He could parry two palms from me without using any Qi. Is he…]
“You’re a Body Tempering Master!”
There was a peculiar group of people in this world who cultivated their bodies instead of the internal Qi. It was rumoured that they could reach the summit of Martial Dao as well, upon which their bodies would become immortal and indestructible. No one could verify this statement because, compared to the orthodox method of cultivation, Body Tempering was too uncommon. It had been a long time since anyone tried to cultivate solely their body. They could only read about it from the historical records in ancient times.
[Is this young man He Yun Xiang’s backer?] Yan Qing couldn’t help but have this thought.
If this person really was a Body Tempering Master, then it would be difficult to deal with him. That was because Body Tempering Masters only cultivated their bodies, so their vitality was strong, and it was hard to kill them. Although this path was extremely difficult, one could obtain a horrifying power if one had succeeded. At the same cultivation realm, almost no one could be his equal.
Yan Qing quickly brought out his full strength as he sent out a third palm. He wanted to see just how strong this Body Tempering Master was.
The howling of wind could be heard as his Saint Qi converged into a swirl on his palm. As his terrifying aura spread across the hall, he pushed out his palm at the young man.
*Hong…*
The spark of energy caused the entire hall to shake. After that, a perceptible green palm illusion headed for Yang Kai’s chest.
Yan Qing widened his eyes in an attempt to see clearly what would happen to the young man.
Nevertheless, he was astounded by the outcome. The strike that he had used his full strength to deliver still couldn’t move the young man one bit. Not even a crease was formed on his clothes.
[I’m no match for him!]
In the blink of an eye, a person was standing right before him all of a sudden. The young man, who was tens of metres away from him earlier, seemed to have teleported and suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“Duo!” Yan Qing reacted quickly. As he growled, a beam of green light shot out of his mouth and headed for Yang Kai’s eyes when the young man was unsuspecting. It was a palm length needle, which was an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact. It was basically formless, so no one could have prepared to parry it.
Needle shaped artifacts were rare because they were hard to refine. Nevertheless, this one was extremely powerful, and it was one of Yan Qing’s most formidable trump cards.
However, this trump card didn’t provide him any sense of security. After he launched the attack, he immediately retreated in an attempt to widen the gap with the young man.
Then, he stopped moving abruptly, as his neck was suddenly clenched by a large hand, which caused him to suffocate. The moment his neck was constricted, his entire body turned limp, and the Saint Qi in his body no longer listened to his command.
With a clang, the long needle fell to the ground.
Yan Qing was gripped by fear, as he saw that this young man broke his trump card easily by blowing out some air.
[How is that possible? No! This must be a trick! An illusion! Hahaha!]
Just then, all the doors and windows were broken at the same time as more than a dozen people leapt into the hall.
Certainly, the Masters outside the hall could perceive the movements inside, which was why when they realized that the people in the hall had gotten into a scuffle, they immediately broke into the place. All of them exuded Origin King Realm auras.
The old man at the front had grey hair, but he still appeared very energetic. He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master whose aura was even stronger than that of Yan Qing. He was none other than the Yan Family’s Great Elder, Yan An!
He wielded the long sword in his hand as the tip of the blade swung from side to side. All of a sudden, the sword was thrust out, upon which countless sword waves condensed into a beam of light and shot towards Yang Kai’s back.
The attack was ferocious in every way. He had displayed his Sword Dao to its utmost, which caused the others to gasp in amazement. They were all immersed in his skills as though they had plunged into the boundless world of sword cultivation.
*Chi…* The long sword jabbed into the young man’s back and stuck out from his chest without any hindrance.
[Got him!] The feeling coming from the long sword made Yan An realize that his attack was successful. That was the unique feeling of a sword jabbing into a Human body. As the smell of blood permeated the place, those Yan Family’s Origin King Realm Masters at the scene were elated.
“Ah!” He Yun Xiang shrieked.
She had never expected that the invincible Yang Kai couldn’t even parry one strike from the Yan Family’s Great Elder. Certainly, she saw Yan An breaking into the place just now, but she had total confidence in Yang Kai, so she didn’t attempt to block the attack. Instead, she just stood to the side and watched the good show with a smile.
Then, she saw this unbelievable sight.
[What happened? How is that possible?] Earlier, Yang Kai had shown absolute power and defeated the Second Elder Yan Qing with ease. So, how did the Great Elder Yan An stab his sword into his back so easily? Even though he was facing away from the old man, he shouldn’t have made this kind of rookie mistake.
“Junior, you shouldn’t have been so presumptuous!” Yan An snorted as a cold aura radiated from his long sword and froze Yang Kai’s back. With the wound as the centre, a layer of frost spread across his entire body.
“Great Elder, you… *Pu…*!” Yan Qing’s flustered voice was then heard. He sounded despondent, and it seemed that he was puking blood when he was speaking.
Yan An raised his head and looked at Yan Qing, only to see the latter flashing an eerie grin at him.
With a frown, he thought, [What’s wrong with Second Elder? Why is he grinning at me like this?] While he was feeling doubtful, the familiar face in front of him contorted and turned into an unfamiliar young man’s face.
“What?” Yan An was flabbergasted.
If the person facing him was the young man, then who was it that he just stabbed his sword into?
He wouldn’t dare to keep thinking about it, as his forehead had been drenched in cold sweat. Upon a closer look, he felt his soul leaving his body. The man he had just stabbed his sword into was familiar to him in every way, including his figure, clothes, height and hair. The person was none other than the Second Elder!
[What happened? What is going on? My attack against the young man was successful, so how did the outcome change to this?] Despite the Great Elder’s powerful cultivation and calm temperament, he was still flustered at this moment.
“An illusion!” He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as she could finally set her mind at ease. [I knew he wouldn’t be killed so easily!]
Earlier, at that moment, all of them in the hall had been deceived by a powerful illusion technique as they mistook the Second Elder Yan Qing for Yang Kai. There were no traces of the young man using the technique, but he could draw all the Origin King Realm Masters at the scene into an illusory world without them realizing it, which went to show how horrifying his power was.
The golden glint on Yang Kai’s left eye subsided as his vibrant Spiritual Energy settled. Then, he tutted and mocked. “Great Elder, how did you have the heart to make a move on your fellow clansman like this? I wonder if there are any grudges between you two? Did he sleep with your woman? Or did he kill your father? I didn’t expect that you’d retaliate against him and attack him ruthlessly in this situation! I’d like to tell you that you’ve done a good job! As men, we should retaliate against our enemies in a straightforward manner. Great Elder, you’re a role model for all of us.”
“You…” Exasperated, Yan An pulled out his long sword.
*Pu…* Yan Qing spat blood again, which Yang Kai evaded with ease. The colour had been drained from his face. If he hadn’t known the Great Elder so well, he would have thought that the latter really had some grudges against him and took this opportunity to retaliate against him.
[I could forget the fact that you jabbed your sword into me, but why did you pull it out without informing me?] The excruciating pain was unbearable, and Yan Qing was almost frozen to death by the coldness. He knew that Yan An’s Mysterious Yin Algidity was extremely atrocious.
“I’ll kill you!” Yan An had gone mad with rage as he thrust his sword towards Yang Kai.
His reputation had been destroyed because of this young man in front of him. The fact that he had harmed his fellow clansmen was an unforgivable sin. From now onward, his reputation would be tarnished beyond redemption, and he would lose his right to keep the position as Great Elder. Most probably, he would have to retire and spend his remaining life in seclusion somewhere far from the centre of power.
Yan An had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, but faced with the old man’s furious attack, Yang Kai just put on a faint smile and reached out his hand.
*Chi…* The crisp metallic clanging sound resonated in the hall.
A basin of cold water seemed to have been poured down on Yan An at that moment, extinguishing all his fury and replacing it with fear and horror.
Upon a closer look, he could see that, while the young man was clenching Yan Qing’s neck, he also reached out his other hand and pinched the long sword slashed at him. The young man appeared nonchalant, as though he was pinching a falling leaf instead of an Origin King Grade artifact, which had been used to kill countless people.
Yan An was shaken to the core as his eyes were brimming with shock. He hurriedly tried to infuse his Saint Qi into the long sword and pressed forward instead of retreating.
With a sneer, Yang Kai flicked a finger on the long sword, which caused a clanging sound on the weapon.
Yan An’s heart froze as his sword almost flew out of his hand. He used all his energy to clench the hilt, but he couldn’t stop his sword from heading to the side.
*Chi…* The sound of a weapon piercing into a Human body could be heard. The long sword had penetrated Yan Qing’s chest and pierced into his heart.
“Uh…” Yan Qing widened his eyes as he let out a lethargic breath through his throat. With difficulty, he turned his head and stared fixedly at Yan An. Then, he opened his mouth and expended his last bit of energy to utter, “Damn you!”
After that, his head slumped to the side, and all his aura disappeared.
While all of them were dumbfounded, Yan An had lost his ability to think as his mind had turned blank, and his lips were trembling uncontrollably.
One of the top cultivators in the Star Field, the Yan Family’s Second Elder, who was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, was killed by his fellow clansman for no apparent reason.
Nobody could accept this kind of outcome. It would’ve been better if Yan Qing was killed by Yang Kai; however, since the beginning, Yang Kai had only been clenching his neck. He had never attempted to kill him. The person who ended his life was the Great Elder Yan An, who had stabbed his sword into Yan Qing twice!
Was the Great Elder taken advantage of by Yang Kai because he was no match for him? That wasn’t the case. It was just that this young man was too horrifying because he was able to toy with two Third-Order Origin Kings with ease, making one of them kill the other against his will. No one could possibly be his equal in this world in terms of power.
Yang Kai was a man who would repay a debt of gratitude, but he would also retaliate against those who had harmed him. Although he felt pity for them, he still had to destroy them because they were the ones who wanted to kill him.
When a cultivator picked up his sword, he had to be psychologically prepared that he would be stabbed by his opponent as well.
In a nonchalant manner, Yang Kai threw the corpse away as though the latter was a rag sack. Then, he shot a cold glance at Yan An.
Yan An came to his senses when he was met with the young man’s gaze, and he could feel his heart trembling violently. It wasn’t the right time for him to blame himself and feel sorrowful. The most important task at hand was to solve the crisis before his eyes. He thought that since he had deployed so many Masters around the palace, they would be able to capture their ‘guests’ with ease. However, before they could even find out the young man’s background, the Second Elder had been killed, which was a huge loss to the family. If Yan An was also harmed in any way, Yan Family’s power would plummet.
With this thought in mind, he hurriedly retreated, but he was shocked to see Yang Kai extending his hand toward him. The young man’s movement appeared slow, but it was apparent to Yan An that he could not dodge or parry his move. With goosebumps all over his body, he was already drenched in cold sweat as he shouted, “Patriarch, save me!”
Yang Kai failed in his attempt to grab Yan An, who had disappeared into thin air. Then, Yan An suddenly appeared in a place that was tens of metres away. He was still reeling from the shock as he was panting heavily.
“Oh?” Yang Kai arched his brow. Instead of looking at Yan An, he turned his head to look in another direction.
Someone was hovering in the air over there as he looked down at Yan Qing’s corpse with a gloomy expression.
Yan An didn’t escape unscathed because of his own skill. He was saved by that person. Just now, for a moment, Yang Kai could sense the fluctuation of Space Force. The way Yan An disappeared and appeared again was similar to his own instantaneous movement, but the distance was much shorter.
“Are you the Patriarch of the Yan Family?” Yang Kai asked.
With a cold expression, Yan Luo didn’t even spare Yang Kai a glance, as though the latter wasn’t existent. After staring at Yan Qing for a while, he uttered, “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to make a scene in our home.”
Despite his calm voice, he was burning with rage. An Elder had been killed when he wasn’t paying attention, which was a huge loss for the family.
“You must die!” Yan Luo suddenly turned his head and glowered at Yang Kai with a hideous expression.
Yang Kai grinned, “Patriarch Yan, that will depend on whether you’re powerful enough to kill me.”
“Do you think that Body Tempering is invincible? Many things in this world are beyond your imagination! You’re just a frog at the bottom of a well, so how are you able to imagine the magnificence of the whole Starry Sky?”
Hearing that, Yang Kai pondered on it and nodded, “You’re right.”
Raising his hand, Yan Luo pointed at the young man and uttered dispassionately, “Kill yourself now. You’ll suffer less pain this way. If I make a move on you, I’ll make sure that you’ll go through the most excruciating torture the world has to offer.”
Yang Kai replied, “I came all the way here just to ask you all about the way to head to the Ancestral Domain, and I was willing to give you appropriate compensation. Patriarch Yan, why are you so stone-hearted? Why do all of you want me dead?”
“It seems that I have no choice but to make a move. Otherwise, you’ll never repent!” Yan Luo snorted as he wasn’t willing to keep talking to him anymore. Then, he pressed his finger down.
In an instant, the world seemed to be buzzing as an unspeakable pressure descended from the sky, as though the Heavens themselves were about to collapse. Regardless of their cultivation, all the Origin Kings in the hall bent over and couldn’t raise their heads.
He Yun Xiang was horrified as her alluring face had been transformed by fear. She thought that after she reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, she could walk sideways around the Star Field. Even if she came across someone she couldn’t defeat, she could still run away with ease. However, after Yan Luo made a move, she came to the realization that she was utterly wrong.
The pressure he could impose on them with just one finger was already so terrifying. If she was targeted by him, she wouldn’t stand a chance to flee.
[Why is he so powerful? Yan Luo’s aura suggests that he’s also in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Even though he’s been in this realm for a longer time, he shouldn’t be so much stronger than I am.]
At this moment, the pressure Yan Luo had imposed on her was even more terrifying than what Yang Kai had before. He was just standing there, but it was as though he was as mighty as the Heavens and Earth themselves. The word he uttered was the law of nature, and no one could go against his will.
“Star Source Strength!” Yang Kai arched his brow as he was surprised, but he soon felt relieved.
Apparently, Yan Luo was a Star Master. Specifically, he was the Star Master of Taiyi Star. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to use its power.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base. As the Yan Family’s Patriarch, it was expected that he had refined Taiyi Star’s Source, thus becoming its Master.
[No wonder he is so arrogant. So, this is the reason behind it.]
As a Star Master, he was practically the ruler of Taiyi Star.
Yang Kai was currently still the Master of Shadowed Star, so he understood the kind of power a Star Master could use on his own Cultivation Star.
The reason Yan An could escape from him wasn’t thanks to any Space Technique. It was because Yan Luo had used his power as Star Master to move the former.
Despite feeling a heaviness press down on him, Yang Kai didn’t bend. Instead, he looked playfully at Yan Luo, who was hovering in mid-air.
Even without using any Qi, he could resist such pressure with his body. A Star Master couldn’t make him bend his back as he was far beyond that level now. Activating his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, Yan Kai could assume a 150-metre tall Half-Dragon form. With his Dragon bloodline, Yang Kai wouldn’t bow his head to a mere Third-Order Origin King no matter what kind of external aid he possessed.
“What?” Yan Luo was shocked.
Although he hadn’t exerted all his might, no one could possibly bear a Star Master’s wrath while in their domain. [His Tempered Body is so strong that he can resist this kind of pressure!? Did he obtain some kind of unfathomable inheritance or something?]
With this thought in mind, Yan Luo became excited. If that was the case, he would gain a lot of benefits by killing this young man, which sent him laughing riotously.
“What are you laughing at?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’m laughing at what I should be laughing at.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then I should laugh as well.”
“Only if you can laugh…” Yan Luo straightened his other four fingers, which basically became a palm now. Then, he twisted his wrist and sent a palm towards Yang Kai while he continued to float up above.
The world hummed again and those who were already bowed over now directly fell to their knees. No one was spared from this.
The indirect pressure was already so powerful, so they couldn’t imagine how Yang Kai would end up to be since he was the target. With a worried expression, He Yun Xiang raised her head to look at Yang Kai with great difficulty, only to be left flabbergasted.
Yang Kai stomped his feet on the ground, upon which the area around him collapsed and formed into a pit. Thousands of tiles in the main hall shot up into the air together and turned into dust.
With the help of the stomp, Yang Kai shot up into the air like a meteor.
Rising 30 metres up in the air, he was hindered slightly by the pressure from Yang Luo’s palm. Nevertheless, the hindrance was only temporary and in the next moment, he broke through the resistance with a force that could shatter any Origin King Realm Master.
Yang Kai appeared right before Yan Luo in the next instant and sent a fist out at him.
Yan Luo was stunned as the calmness and contempt on his face disappeared, which were then replaced by seriousness and disbelief.
[How is he so strong? I’m a Star Master, the ruler of all on Taiyi Star! How is it possible that he can resist my powers with such ease!?]
The space around them shook, and collapsed as Yang Kai’s fist shattered space itself, leaving deep gashes in the Void!
Yan Luo could feel his surroundings had collapsed and at that instant, an innumerable number of ideas flashed through his mind, but he eventually concluded that he had to dodge this attack no matter what.
If he was hit by this fist, he would surely lose his life. Even though he was a Star Master, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
Just then, a figure flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Luo disappeared from their sight.
Yang Kai’s fist struck the air; however, without a target, his power scattered, hitting nothing.
When a rumbling sound was heard, the main hall collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and rubble. Countless figures that appeared quite dishevelled flew out of the hall, coughing repeatedly.
As the commotion spread, people at the bottom of the mountain looked up and were all astounded by what they saw. The main hall of the Yan Family, which had stood on the twin summit for thousands of years, had turned into ruins now as the walls were all damaged. It was as though doomsday had arrived. More and more people flew out of the main hall and cursed.
It was the middle of the night, but the city down below was still bustling, so countless people in the streets stopped what they were doing to look up at the mountain with doubtful expressions. They wondered what had happened to the Yan Family that such a commotion had been caused.
Without anything supporting him, Yang Kai fell back down and landed on a piece of plank sticking out of the ruins. Then, he looked in a particular direction and asked, “Patriarch Yan, are you still able to laugh now?”
Certainly, the grin had been wiped off Yan Luo’s face. His face appeared so cold that it was as though one could scrape a layer of frost off it. With his gaze trembling slightly, he stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
He couldn’t believe that someone was able to threaten him on Taiyi Star. That was something that had never crossed his mind before.
He wasn’t the only Star Master in Unending Star Field. However, it was a universal fact that within a Star Master’s territory, whether the Star Master was in the Second-Order or Third-Order Origin King Realm, they were basically invincible.
That was because a Star Master could utilize his or her Cultivation Star’s Star Source Strength, which was the power of the world. Who could have the ability to go against an entire world?
The thing he had never dared to imagine had actually happened right before his eyes, so he thought that he must be dreaming.
After a moment of silence, he uttered, “You’re indeed incredible. You’ve proven yourself to be a true Body Tempering Master. However, if you think you can defeat me, then you’re wrong.”
He was invincible on this Star. No matter how powerful the young man was, he could never touch a Star Master.
“Patriarch Yan, are you sure you still want to be so obstinate?” Yang Kai shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Luo growled, “You’ve killed my family’s Elder and destroyed our foundation. No matter who you are, we’ll fight with you till our deaths!” There was no way he could tolerate it after suffering such a huge loss. The more powerful his enemy was, the more ill-tempered he became. If he couldn’t rebuild their reputation, the Yan Family would lose their footing in Unending Star Field.
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “Patriarch Yan, something you just said was correct.”
Yan Luo stared coldly at him.
The young man went on to say, “A frog at the bottom of the well can never imagine the magnificence of the Starry Sky. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll broaden the horizons of you wastes.”
As he spoke, a powerful aura surged within him.
Since the very beginning, Yang Kai had never shown any sign that he had cultivated before. What he relied on was the robustness of his body. Even He Yun Xiang thought that he was a Body Tempering Master.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai exuded some of his Qi. However, it wasn’t Saint Qi. The aura was even purer and more profound than Saint Qi.
[What kind of power is that?]
His aura kept surging and breaking through barriers. Soon, it reached the First-Order Origin King Realm, but there it stabilized.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly, as he had reached the limit. In this damned place, he couldn’t use a power that exceeded the Origin King Realm. Otherwise, he might attract the Heavenly Way’s rejection.
Yan Luo had never worn such a solemn expression before. He thought that the young man was just a muscular savage, so he wasn’t afraid of him. However, he didn’t expect that the young man had been hiding his true power. He was now a Body Tempering Master in the First-Order Origin King, so it would undoubtedly be difficult to deal with him now.
Nevertheless, the worry in Yan Luo’s gaze soon vanished. [He’s only in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so he isn’t that powerful. I’m the Star Master of Taiyi Star, so why would I be afraid of him?]
“Patriarch Yan, are you ready?” Yang Kai looked up at the old man.
Yan Luo’s heart leapt to his throat when he was met with the young man’s dark gaze, as he was engulfed in an unimaginable sense of danger. Soon, something flashed across his eyes, and a figure, who was none other than the young man, appeared right before his eyes.
Yan Luo gasped in shock as he had failed to notice how the young man even reached him. He instinctively activated the Star Source’s power and disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, he was already in a place that was 300 metres away, but before he could even take a breath, the young man appeared before his eyes again, less than an arm’s length away, the grin on his face sending a chill down Yan Luo’s spine.
*Shua shua shua…*
Yan Luo kept changing his location. His forehead dripped as his robes became soaked in a cold sweat.
He could keep changing his location with the power of a Star Master. However, the young man was able to follow him relentlessly. No matter how hard he tried, he could never open a distance with him. Most of the time, right after he re-appeared, the young man would then appear before his eyes, still at arm’s length.
At that instant, he realized that his power was practically useless to deal with this mysterious young man.
All the Yan Family’s Masters on the ground were dumbstruck. The two people in the air were so elusive that it was hard for them to see clearly. In just a short moment, they had changed locations several dozen times. Nevertheless, they always kept a close distance from each other.
“Space Force!” Yan Luo exclaimed.
As a Star Master, he was more sensitive than the others when it came to the changes on this Star. The young man could be seen with clear fluctuations of Space Force around him. Apparently, he had mastered the Dao of Space.
Unlike his power as the Star Master, the young man could move instantaneously by using his own power.
At that instant, Yan Luo was flustered. He thought that he was invincible and untouchable in this place, but it turned out that the young man before him had methods to negate all his advantages.
A fist magnified before Yan Luo’s eyes suddenly. He wanted to evade it, but he realized that the space around him had become viscous. The fist was coming at him like a mountain, blocking all the sunlight from his sight. No matter how hard he tried, he could not avoid it, which frustrated and terrified him.
After a loud boom, blood spurted out of Yan Luo’s nose as he fell to the ground like a meteor. Then, he crashed into the ruins of the main hall and sent yet another dust cloud up into the air.
Now, he was seeing stars, and he could feel that his nose had been broken. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that he was engulfed by a towering shadow.
“Mercy!” Yan Luo howled in a sorrowful voice. He no longer appeared calm and nonchalant. The man before his eyes truly had the power to end his life. Moreover, it seemed that the young man hadn’t even displayed his full strength yet, so he couldn’t imagine how horrifying this young man would be if he utilized all his power.
[Where is this man from? What kind of monster is he? Since he’s so powerful, he should have shown us his strength right from the start! What was the point of him doing all this? Now the Yan Family has lost all face! Not only was I powerless to oppose him, but a Third-Order Origin King Elder was also killed by him…]
Besides Yan Luo, the other Masters of the Yan Family shared similar thoughts. Yan An felt especially bitter. He was the one who had been manipulated into killing Yan Qing and had hoped that the Patriarch would take revenge for him; however, he had never expected that the Patriarch, who was supposed to be invincible on Taiyi Star, would have to beg for this young man to show mercy after less than an incense stick of battle.
Was the Patriarch too cowardly? Nonsense, he simply understood that a wise man must adapt to current circumstances.
Whatever the case, the Yan Family members were utterly shamefaced on this day. Fortunately, there were no outsiders in this place, so the news wouldn’t be spread. Otherwise, it would deal a huge blow to the Yan Family’s reputation and authority.
“I think we can talk now.” Yang Kai looked down at Yan Luo.
“Senior, whatever question you have, I’ll unreservedly answer for you.” Yan Luo forced a smile.
….
In another palace halfway up the mountain, He Yun Xiang put down a cup of aromatic tea on the table and obediently stood behind Yang Kai, as though she was a mere maidservant.
Yan Luo had cleaned himself up and changed into new clothes. After he stepped out of the back hall, he bowed to Yang Kai, “Senior.” Then, he hinted at Yan An with his gaze.
With a fawning smile, Yan An passed a box in his hands to Yang Kai in a respectful manner, “Senior, this is your Spirit Pill.”
After the box was opened, the Source Condensing Pill was seen lying in it.
He Yun Xiang took the box and sneered, “I thought the Second Elder crushed it.”
Yan An’s expression appeared awkward as he explained, “He was lying. His rash actions have nothing to do with the Yan Family. Senior, please forgive us.”
“The Second Elder also said that this pill is fake.”
“Nonsense! This pill is translucent and perfectly round. Moreover, it’s pleasantly fragrant, so it’s not possible that this pill is fake. Although we don’t know what pill this is, we’re certain it is an extraordinary treasure. Yan Qing must have been consumed by greed and lied to you in an attempt to seize this pill for himself.”
With a solemn expression, He Yun Xiang uttered, “Elder Yan An, it’s thanks to you that a wicked liar was purged today. It is a stroke of good fortune, otherwise, he might have brought trouble to the Yan Family in the future.”
Yan An nodded repeatedly, “Quite right. This is all thanks to Senior lending me a hand at that time, or I would not have been able to carry out the execution so smoothly. Patriarch and I were fooled by that traitor, which was how all these misunderstandings were caused. Senior, please don’t take this incident to heart.”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “Sir won’t mind it.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
With a mournful expression, Yan Luo spoke up at this time, “This all happened because I trusted the wrong person. Senior, if you want to punish me, I won’t resist.”
He Yun Xiang took a look at Yang Kai, and upon seeing that he remained silent, she replied with a smile, “The culprit has been punished, so this matter can be considered settled. Patriarch Yan, Great Elder, both of you are able to grasp the bigger picture here. It’s just that you two had been deceived, so you shouldn’t be blamed.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo and Yan An heaved a sigh of relief.
With a serious expression, He Yun Xiang went on to say, “Sir has come all the way here for just one thing.”
Yan Luo uttered solemnly, “Senior, please leave this matter to us. After making appropriate arrangements, I will personally bring you to the Ancestral Domain.”
He Yun Xiang was immediately at a loss for words. With absolute power, something that was as difficult as heading to the Heavens became easy all of a sudden. Before she could say anything, Yan Luo had already agreed to personally bring them to the Ancestral Domain. No one else in this Star Field was qualified to receive this kind of treatment.
Yan Luo rubbed his hands together and said carefully, “However, I do have a request. Senior, I hope you’ll agree to it.”
He Yun Xiang’s face fell as she questioned, “Are you trying to negotiate with us?”
Yan Luo shuddered and replied hurriedly, “No no no, I would never dare to. It’s definitely not a negotiation. It’s just that I have a small favour to ask.”
“What if Sir doesn’t agree to it? Are you not going to tell him how to reach the Ancestral Domain?”
“Certainly not! Whether or not Senior agrees, I shall fulfil my promise.”
He Yun Xiang glanced to check Yang Kai’s reaction before nodding, “Alright. Tell us.”
With a smile, Yan Luo said, “Senior, this will surely be an easy task for you. The thing is, I want to head to the Ancestral Domain as well, so I hope that you will bring me with you.”
“You want to go to the Ancestral Domain as well?” He Yun Xiang asked curiously, “Just go then. You already know how.”
With a grim expression, Yan Luo explained, “Senior, you might not be aware of this. Although I know how to head to the Ancestral Domain, the journey to that place is paved with danger. Even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like myself might be killed if I’m not careful enough. Otherwise, I would have gone to the Ancestral Domain a long time ago and not waited until now. Senior, you are incredibly strong, so I’m certain the dangers on the journey won’t be a hindrance to you. I simply wish to come along with you.”
“The journey to the Ancestral Domain is dangerous?” It was the first time He Yun Xiang heard about it, so she was doubtful.
“It’ll depend on our luck,” Yan Luo replied seriously.
Luck was basically an intangible thing. If one were lucky, their journey would be smooth sailing. However, if they were unlucky, every step they took would be dangerous. Sometimes, luck could even be considered a part of a cultivator’s strength. It was pointless to lament that the Heavenly Way was unfair, because that was simply how it worked.
He Yun Xiang couldn’t make that decision, so she asked for Yang Kai’s opinion.
Yang Kai didn’t mind it, so he nodded lightly, “Good.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo was elated and bowed to the young man, “Many thanks, Senior!”
To the side, Yan An cupped his fists and bowed, “Congratulations, Patriarch. Your dream is finally about to come true.”
With a smile, Yan Luo uttered, “After I’m gone, you shall be the next Yan Family’s Patriarch. Make sure to manage the family well.”
In response, Yan An bowed to him, “I won’t disappoint you.”
Turning around, Yan Luo said, “Senior, why don’t we set off in ten days? Of course, if you are in a rush, we can begin our journey three days from now, but I hope you can give me some time to hand over my role as Patriarch and give some instructions to my family.”
Naturally, he had a lot to do to hand over the position of Patriarch.
“We’ll set off in ten days, then.” Yang Kai rose from the chair, not minding this small delay.
After Yan Luo thanked Yang Kai repeatedly, he brought the latter to take a rest.
The interior of the room was luxurious with Luminous Pearls dotting the walls.
Once they were alone, He Yun Xiang asked, “Sir, do you think they are still trying to scheme against us?”
Yan Luo’s obedience made her feel doubtful. Even if he had caved in to absolute power, he didn’t have to act so subserviently. After all, he was still a Star Master and a hegemon in his own right.
Nevertheless, He Yun Xiang didn’t understand why Yan Luo would want to follow Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain. If he really wanted to play a trick on them, why would he want to tag along?
“We’ll see how things go.” Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t be afraid even if the Yan Family had come up with a plot against him.
However, he had unsealed some of his cultivation on this day, so he was a bit anxious to suppress it again, as he could already feel the hostility coming from the world around him.
Ten days passed just like that.
In the morning, countless people were standing at the base of the twin summit. Almost all of the Yan Family’s important people had gathered in this place. All of them were standing close to each other in the square in front of a black Starship.
Basically, everyone had found out that the Patriarch was heading to the Ancestral Domain. This was an important event for the Yan Family, as it had been 500 years since the last clansman left for Ancestral Domain. Moreover, no one knew if he had actually reached his destination. This time, the Patriarch suddenly announced that he would step down and follow his Old Ancestor’s footsteps to pursue a higher Martial Dao and explore a greater world. After the news spread, everyone from the Yan Family was shocked.
Thousands of people had gathered in this place to see the Patriarch off.
Only a small number of people in the Yan Family were aware of what happened ten days ago. They knew that on that day, the Patriarch and the Great Elder were humiliated, and the Second Elder was even killed. These people were all leaders among the Yan Family though, so they wouldn’t spread the news. That was why the Yan Family’s people who had come here on this day had no idea what happened ten days ago. When Yan Luo appeared, all of them looked at him in admiration.
If they found out that the Patriarch had begged for a young man’s mercy ten days ago, they would probably lose all respect for him.
At that moment, Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang were walking at the front. The Yan Family’s disciples had a doubt about it, as they had no idea who these two people were. They just felt that the attitude of the Patriarch and the Elders towards these two was quite odd.
A moment later, they all boarded the Starship. After a loud hum and a strong energy fluctuation, the Starship rose into the air and shot into the vast Starry Sky.
It wasn’t until the Starship disappeared from everyone’s sight that the other people reluctantly left the place.
The former Great Elder, who was now the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan An, gave some instructions to the others before he too went back.
Once inside a certain palace, Yan An stepped into a secret room where a conspicuous lantern was placed. The lantern was aged and worn, but although no one knew how long it had been sitting there, there was no dust on it at all.
There were no other things in this secret room besides the lantern, a table, and an incense burner.
Yan An’s solemn expression was that of a sincere pilgrim. Then, he took out an incense stick from his Space Ring. The incense stick seemed to be custom-made. It was as thick as a thumb, and it was about as long as a forearm. No one knew what it was made of, but it exuded a pleasant scent even though it hadn’t been burned yet.
With the incense stick in his hand, Yan An thought about what Yan Luo had told him a few days ago and a sense of determination flashed across his eyes, upon which he slashed at his own wrist with his fingers. A wound was immediately formed on the wrist as his blood streamed out of it.
Then, he placed the incense stick below his wrist and let it be soaked with his blood until it became scarlet.
One hour later, the incense stick’s colour had changed completely. It was like a leech that had sucked in enough blood. It was entirely scarlet now, and it looked quite malevolent.
Despite Yan An’s pale face, he was still very excited. He then performed a hand seal, pushed his Saint Qi, and gripped the incense stick tightly as he growled, “Ignite!”
A spark was lit up on the incense stick. It appeared to be burning, but the smoke wafting from it was red.
With the incense stick in his hands, Yan An wouldn’t dare to dawdle as he repeatedly bowed at the lantern and stuck the incense stick into the incense burner on the table.
At that instant, the place fell into silence, and Yan An’s breathing could hardly be heard. As the incense stick was burning, the red smoke wafting from it seemed to have been summoned as it flowed into the lantern. Moments later, the ancient-looking lantern seemed to be going through some changes as well.
When the incense stick was half-burned, a horrifying pressure descended from the sky all of a sudden. At the same time, two dots of light lit up in the lantern, resembling a pair of eyes.
Yan An was shaken to the core as he immediately fell on his knees respectfully, “Greetings, Old Ancestor.”
The dots of light in the lantern glinted repeatedly before they stabilized, upon which an old voice could be heard speaking from the lantern, “Yan An? We haven’t met for hundreds of years. Are you the Yan Family’s Patriarch now?”
Judging from his words, the person with the old voice apparently knew Yan An.
“Yes, Old Ancestor. I am the current Patriarch.”
“Where is Yan Luo? I remember that when I left home in the past, it was Yan Luo who was in charge of the family. It’s only been a few hundred years. Please don’t tell me that he’s dead.”
Yan An hurriedly replied, “He is not dead. It’s just that he has stepped down as the Patriarch and has headed for the Ancestral Domain.”
“He’s coming to Ancestral Domain? It’s unexpected of him to have taken this initiative. I have to congratulate him, then.” The old voice sounded joyful, but it soon turned grim, “Wait a moment. Did you summon me just to tell me about this?”
If that was the case, they were basically making a big fuss over a trivial matter. Before the Old Ancestor left Unending Star Field in the past, he told them not to bother him if it wasn’t a matter of utmost importance.
Yan An bowed to him again and sobbed, “Old Ancestor, our family has been humiliated, so we must ask you to obtain justice for us.”
The aura in the lantern turned murderous all of a sudden as the old voice was heard speaking in a stern voice, “Tell me about it in detail!”
…
One month had passed since they set off on their journey.
It had been smooth sailing as they navigated through the Starry Sky inside the Yan Family’s Starship. The huge ‘Yan’ on the Starship was the best travel pass in this world, as no one would dare to attack a Yan Family Starship. The Star Pirates would immediately run at the mere sight of such a ship.
In the past month, Yang Kai had been living a relaxed life. He had read many ancient books and gained a lot of new knowledge.
Yan Luo would visit Yang Kai every day with precious food and drinks. Yang Kai wouldn’t turn him down, but he had rejected some women who had been assigned to serve him.
On this day, He Yun Xiang knocked on the door and stepped into the room.
Seeing that her aura was stable, and her skin was radiant, Yang Kai knew that she had managed to consolidate her realm.
“Have we reached our destination?”
She replied, “Yan Luo said we’re about to reach there soon.”
“Good, let’s go take a look.” Yang Kai was curious about the method and route to enter the Ancestral Domain. Although it might not be the same for Heng Luo Star Field, he could still learn from this experience and it might turn out to be useful in the future.
They soon reached the control centre of the Starship. Many disciples of the Yan Family were guarding the active arrays and there was a tinge of excitement in their solemn expressions.
All of them knew where they were heading to as they secretly thanked Yan Luo for choosing them to come along. This way, they could explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain earlier than the others.
Seeing Yang Kai, all of them immediately bowed to him.
Yan Luo approached him and greeted, “Senior, the Star in front of us is where the entrance to the Ancestral Domain is located.”
Yang Kai looked in that direction and asked curiously, “A Dead Star?”
The Star was dim, and as they were looking at it from the Starry Sky, they could see that it appeared desolate. There was an innumerable number of such Dead Stars in each Star Field. No one could have expected that this Star was the key to entering the Ancestral Domain.
With a smile, Yan Luo replied, “This is why not many people are aware of the method to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
There was no World Energy on the Dead Star at all, so no one would attempt to investigate it. Even if they passed by, they would immediately leave this place. No one could have expected that the door to the Ancestral Domain was actually on this Dead Star.
“Your family is quite lucky to have discovered it.”
“Yes, we were indeed lucky,” Yan Luo grinned meaningfully without explaining anything. It was a coincidence that they had made such a discovery, and it traced back to many generations ago. Even he wasn’t sure how their ancestors had discovered and confirmed the gateway’s existence as a lot of information had been lost over the generations.
“Senior, please have a seat. If nothing goes wrong, we will soon reach the Ancestral Domain.” Yan Luo made a ‘please’ gesture.
Yang Kai nodded and took a seat on the side.
The Starship was slowly moving towards the Dead Star and descended in a particular direction before it entered a wide canyon. The canyon was so deep that it was as though it was a bottomless abyss. Some aboard were shocked to discover that they couldn’t sense the bottom with their Divine Sense.
Upon Yan Luo’s order, the Starship dove into the canyon, and soon, all they could see was endless darkness.
It was as though they were navigating through the gates of the Netherworld. The coldness seemed to have penetrated the Starship and made them shudder.
In such a hostile environment, even an Origin King Realm Master wouldn’t be able to survive for long. Only by relying on this Starship could they resist the depletion of their energy.
A long time later, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly as he hurriedly scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense. He could feel a violent Space Principle fluctuation coming from the deepest part of the canyon.
Upon closer inspection, he knew that his speculation was right. There was a huge Void Crack at the bottom of the canyon. The crack was glowing dazzlingly, appearing very different from the other such phenomenon that he had come across before.
Yan Luo’s expression turned solemn in an instant as he personally controlled several arrays to activate the Starship’s defences.
Silently, the huge Starship flew into the Void Crack and disappeared, as though it had been gobbled up or had melted.
*Kacha…*
Just then, ominous noises could be heard from every direction and the expressions of everyone aboard the Starship changed instantly.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yan Luo in shock, but upon seeing that he remained unperturbed, she felt her heart freeze over.
It was said that a person shouldn’t bother about trifles if they wanted to achieve great things.
She wasn’t sure about the others in the Yan Family, but given her Third-Order Origin King Realm cultivation, she knew that this Starship wouldn’t last long. The Starship was now being squeezed by the horrible power surrounding them, and within an hour, it would certainly buckle and collapse.
By then, all of them in the Starship would be doomed except the Third-Order Origin Kings. Even He Yun Xiang wasn’t confident of escaping unscathed, so she could only place all her hope on Yang Kai.
Yan Luo must have known in advance that these other Yan Family members would die, but he still brought all 300 of them along to operate this Starship. The reason for it was that he wanted to take advantage of this Starship to exchange for an hour of safety in this passageway.
One month ago, these Yan Family members were still looking forward to the journey, which seemed laughable now. They wanted to explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain, but they had never suspected that they were just tools to Yan An, ones he was well prepared to discard at any moment.
Inside the control room, the glow of all arrays kept flickering. That was the sign that the Spirit Arrays were about to reach their limits, and cracking sounds could be heard from all directions.
“Patriarch, we can’t continue, otherwise…” One burly man came over with an anxious expression. It was then he realised that they weren’t lucky to have set off on this journey. Instead, it was a journey to Hell.
Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “Increase speed!”
The burly man’s expression became aghast.
Yan Luo raised his hand and landed a palm on the burly man’s forehead. With his forehead sunken, he fell to the ground without even a sound as fluids leaked out from his seven orifices. The other Yan Family’s disciples were terrified upon seeing that.
“Increase speed!” Yan Luo demanded again.
Not daring to hesitate anymore, all the disciples immediately infused their energy into their respective arrays. The Starship stalled for a moment before its speed picked up.
They were surrounded by lights of different colours, and they couldn’t see any way out. The pressure coming from the Void constantly damaged the Starship’s structure. Although it was an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Starship, it was still creaking continuously.
A moment later, one of the arrays in the cabin suddenly turned dim, as it had been completely destroyed. At the same time, a part of the Starship began collapsing. As though a chain reaction had been triggered, with the broken part as the centre, the damage rapidly expanded as the Starship started disintegrating.
One by one, all the arrays stopped functioning.
All the Yan Family’s disciples turned completely pale as they turned to look at Yan Luo. Upon seeing that he remained calm and collected, as though he was unperturbed by such a crisis, they began seeing hope again.
[Patriarch will definitely lead us out of this crisis! We’re all selected by him to explore the Ancestral Domain together, so how is it possible that we’ll lose our lives here?]
One hour later, their hope was crushed. Following a loud crash, the Starship completely collapsed.
The pressure from the Void gushed in from all directions, and without the protection of the Starship, there was no way these cultivators who hadn’t reached Origin King Realm could survive.
*Pu, Pu, Pu…*
Just like bubbles that had been poked at, one by one, they exploded as their blood spurted everywhere.
“Patriarch, save us!”
All of them screamed for help. However, Yan Luo ignored them as he made a move, upon which a layer of dark Artifact Armour covered him from head to toe, making him look like an imposing general who was about to storm into their enemy’s territory in ancient times.
At the same time, He Yun Xiang summoned her ribbon artifact.
She had been diligently refining this artifact since she received it, and although she still couldn’t use the Low-Rank Dao Source Grade artifact with ease, it was still useful at this moment. The artifact could be used as a weapon as well as an armour, so it was pretty rare. Moreover, its grade wasn’t too high, so it suited her current cultivation.
The ribbon enlarged and covered her up, as though she had just put on a colourful dress. In an instant, she felt less pressured, upon which she moved closer to Yang Kai as she wouldn’t dare to stay too far away from him.
Yan Luo ran towards them and stood beside He Yun Xiang, his eyes narrowing when he saw the ribbon.
He had sharp vision, so he could see that the ribbon was no ordinary artifact. The artifacts he had seen before were all trash compared to this ribbon. Although he lusted after the artifact, he didn’t let the emotion show on his face.
[I’ll let you keep this treasure for now. It’ll be mine soon!]
A short moment later, the screams for help had died down. It had only been a short while since the Starship broke apart, but the hundreds of Yan Family disciples who had been manning it were all dead. However, Yan Luo remained emotionless, as though the people who had lost their lives were strangers instead of his own people.
He Yun Xiang was shocked as she found him to be too ruthless. Although she had killed countless people before, she could never be as cold-hearted as he was.
In this endless Void, there was no way to navigate as all they could see were vivid and colourful lights. It was the first time Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang experienced this, but they soon pushed it to the back of their mind as they explored the wonder around them.
Yang Kai was walking at the front, still not revealing any aura fluctuations from his body, but the horrifying pressure didn’t even make him frown.
The world was utterly silent, to the point where their heartbeats could be heard clearly.
Yan Luo felt that something was off, because it had been a safe journey so far without encountering any dangers or accidents.
500 years ago, the Old Ancestor embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain. Outsiders didn’t know whether he had succeeded, but Yan Luo knew that he had reached the Ancestral Domain. That was because three months after the Old Ancestor left home, Yan Luo used the Secret Technique left behind by the Old Ancestor to contact him. At that time, the Old Ancestor told him all about his journey to the Ancestral Domain.
According to the Old Ancestor, this colourful Void that they were passing through now was extremely dangerous. If they were not careful enough, they would be crushed to pieces. A lot of inconspicuous dangers were hiding in this seemingly beautiful world.
Yan Luo had gotten himself ready as he remained vigilant at all times, because he was worried that danger would befall him all of a sudden.
However, since the beginning, the journey had been smooth sailing, as though they were taking a stroll in their back garden. There didn’t seem to be any danger at all.
It was impossible for the Old Ancestor to lie to him, so they were either unbelievably lucky, or the strange young man leading them forward was somehow helping them avoid all the dangers, which was why they were safe now.
Yan Luo hoped that the former was the reason, for if it was the latter, then it would be too horrifying. Maybe the plot they had come up with wasn’t the right decision. At that instant, he began feeling apprehensive.
There was nothing around them that could be used as a reference, so they didn’t know how far they had gone. Yan Luo’s Artifact Armour appeared dim, so it was apparent that it had lost most of its spirituality. Nevertheless, he was well prepared, so he immediately changed into a new Artifact Armour.
On the other hand, He Yun Xiang had expended a lot of her energy as she had to use her Saint Qi to sustain the ribbon’s defensive capabilities. It was already difficult for her to use a Dao Source Grade artifact when she was just a newly promoted Third-Order Origin King, so it was expected that she couldn’t persevere for too long.
Despite feeling reluctant, she still fished out a Spirit Pill from her Space Ring and took it, after which she shuddered as a warm stream expanded from her abdomen and spread towards all her bones and organs. In an instant, her Saint Qi, which was about to be exhausted soon, was replenished significantly. The medicinal efficacy, however, was too potent, meaning she couldn’t quickly refine and absorb it, so most of it was wasted.
[All the things Sir has given me are so valuable!] There certainly wasn’t any Spirit Pill in Unending Star Field that was comparable to the one she had just consumed. She didn’t even know the pill’s name, all she knew was that it could help replenish her energy. Yang Kai had given it to her together with the Source Condensing Pills some time ago.
As time passed, they slowly grew tired of the magnificent view. The three of them were like lonely travellers in the desert, not knowing where their destination was. Yan Luo’s expression had turned from hopeful to dejected, while He Yun Xiang was anxious as well. Only Yang Kai remained unperturbed, and even his pace hadn’t changed one bit.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly arched his brow and turned to speak to He Yun Xiang, “We’ll be there soon.”
Upon hearing that, He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before she became elated.
Yan Luo hurriedly raised his head and saw that there was a different view in the distance. In an instant, he was over the moon, because he had no more Artifact Armours left. The one on his body now was the last set. If they still couldn’t reach the Ancestral Domain by the time it became damaged, he would have no choice but to ask for Yang Kai’s protection.
Fortunately, their destination was now in sight, so his perseverance so far was worth it.
Without uttering a word, they accelerated their pace at the same time.
One day later, a five-coloured swirl appeared before their eyes. The swirl was stationery in an eerie manner. Standing in front of the swirl, the three of them looked as insignificant as dust.
Yan Luo was so agitated that his lips began trembling. He looked fixedly at the swirl, as though he could penetrate the barrier of space and see the view on the other side.
He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as well. Just three months ago, she would never have imagined that this would happen to her one day. The Ancestral Domain was just one step away from her. This was the dream countless people had been pursuing for their entire lives, but she would be able to reach it soon.
Both of them turned to look at Yang Kai, only to be surprised to see that he had closed his eyes as he was quietly standing there. Neither of them dared to disturb him.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and uttered, “Let’s go.”
Then, he directly stepped into the stationery five-coloured swirl.
Dawdling no further, Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang immediately followed in his footsteps, upon which a feeling of weightlessness engulfed them.
In an instant, they felt dizzy, and their hearts throbbed uncontrollably. Unexpectedly, they could hear some voices around them. They tried to listen to them, but they couldn’t make out what those people were saying because their ears were ringing.
Only Yang Kai appeared speechless as he looked around.
On his way to his destination, he had thought about what it would look like, but when he finally reached this place, he realized that it was quite different from his imagination.
He wasn’t disappointed, but the sight before his eyes just felt off.
“Hey, there are new people.”
“Wow, there are three people in one go. What Star Field are they from?”
“One of them will go to Sky Pavilion.”
“Surname Liu, who do you think you are? Why must one of them go to your place? Have you even asked if we agree?”
“So what if you don’t agree? Are you going to fight with me?”
“Come then! I’m not afraid of you!”
“Regardless of what you think, one of them will go to Starry Mountain!”
“The remaining one will go to Holy Mountain Peak, then.”
“Are all of you cracking jokes?”
“I’m serious.”
“Your mother!”
“Why are you scolding me?”
It seemed that the situation was out of control because of the arrival of Yang Kai and the others, leaving him dumbfounded at the sight.
“Silence! All of you making such a fuss here before these new arrivals is highly improper! Acting so immaturely will only make them look down on us! Don’t you know the rules? We should ask about where they’re from first,” an old man with a sallow face suddenly uttered. The old man appeared authoritative among this group. His figure was thin, but his eyes were very energetic. There was a pipe in his hand as smoke was rising from the chamber. After he finished speaking, all of them fell silent and looked fixedly at Yang Kai and the others.
Upon a closer look, they were all shocked because the young man at the front was playfully looking at them.
Seeing that, all of them gasped. [How is that possible?]
They must have passed through the Void Corridor to go from a Star Field to the Ancestral Domain. The journey was extremely long, so it always caused some side effects for those who took it. The most notable effect was dizziness and discomfort in one’s Soul.
The time these drawbacks would last depended on their cultivation. If they were strong, then it would only take them a short time to recover. However, if they were weak, they would need a longer time.
Nevertheless, judging from the young man’s composure, he wasn’t suffering from any drawbacks at all.
[What’s going on?] All of them were dumbfounded.
Their expression turned weird after they scanned him with Divine Sense, because there were no aura fluctuations around him. If he was a cultivator, it was impossible that they couldn’t detect any aura from him. It was either because there was a huge gap between their cultivations, so the weaker one couldn’t sense it, or that he was using an artifact that concealed his cultivation.
However, it was unlikely that a cultivator coming from a Star Field would possess such an amazing artifact, and it was impossible that all of them couldn’t see through him.
[He’s such a strange guy.]
A moment later, He Yun Xiang and Yan Luo managed to pull themselves together. Upon seeing the sight around her, she turned pale as she hurriedly activated her Saint Qi and looked around vigilantly.
She had never expected that she would come across this situation right after she stepped into the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, the cultivation of all these cultivators around her was above Origin King Realm. Some of them even exuded an aura that horrified her.
[They’re all above the Origin King Realm! This is the aura specific to the realm that is above the Origin King Realm. It must be the Dao Source Realm that Sir had told me before. Have we reached the Ancestral Domain? If we haven’t, then why are there so many people in a realm above the Origin King Realm here? Why are they blocking our way? Are they going to rob us? However, we’re just cultivators from a Lower Star Field, so our possessions are probably not valuable to them. We’re not on the same level, so what’s the point of them snatching stuff from people who are in a lower realm?]
While she was vigilant, Yan Luo suddenly started moving and heading in a particular direction.
Seeing that, He Yun Xiang was stunned, while Yang Kai stared at him with narrowed eyes.
There were three people in the direction Yan Luo was moving, two men and one woman, standing on a small hill nearby. The young man at the front appeared handsome and carefree, and his aura was profound. The woman beside him, who appeared to be in her late twenties, was smiling elegantly. The last person was an old man who, despite his grey hair, had skin as smooth as that of a baby and a radiant glow on his face.
With an agitated expression, Yan Luo shuffled towards the hill and fell on one knee before uttering in a trembling voice, “Greetings, Old Ancestor! It has been many years since we last met!”
He Yun Xiang’s expression changed when she heard that, and she gazed dazedly at the old man. An idea flashed across her mind, upon which she realised who the old man was.
It was rumoured that an Old Ancestor from the Yan Family had embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain 500 years ago, but no one knew whether he had succeeded. Upon hearing how Yan Luo addressed the old man, she immediately figured out his identity.
He was the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor who had left Unending Star Field 500 years ago, Yan Ren Hao!
At that instant, He Yun Xiang felt that something was amiss. Yan Ren Hao was already the strongest Master in Unending Star Field 500 years ago, as he was at the top of Third-Order Origin King Realm. 500 years had passed, and he had been cultivating in the Ancestral Domain, so he must have reached a realm that was above Origin King Realm.
[It’s a trap! No wonder Yan Luo agreed to bring Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain and wanted to tag along! It is because he knew that the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor would be waiting here.]
She wasn’t sure how the Yan Family members managed to contact Yan Ren Hao, but it was impossible that this old man would coincidentally appear in this place. Apparently, after they left Taiyi Star, someone from the Yan Family managed to send a message to their Old Ancestor.
Yan Ren Hao must be waiting in this place to receive Yan Luo.
[Damn it! Sir’s cultivation is indeed powerful, so he isn’t afraid of the Yan Family members on Taiyi Star, but is he a match for Yan Ren Hao? Moreover, Yan Ren Hao has two helpers with him. The woman is just a Third-Order Origin King Realm, so I can probably deal with her; however, that young man gives off a feeling that he’s even stronger than Yan Ren Hao. Can Sir defeat him?]
He Yun Xiang had thought about a lot of things in just a short moment. With a dark expression, she turned to look at Yang Kai, but seeing that he appeared calm and collected, she couldn’t help but be startled.
“Wonderful!” Yan Ren Hao guffawed as he stepped forward and helped Yan Luo up. After examining him, he clapped his shoulder and complimented him, “Very good indeed!”
Naturally, he was glad that a Yan Family descendant had managed to come here. After him, no Yan Family members had managed to reach the Ancestral Domain. Although his power had increased significantly in this world, he was less carefree than when he was in Unending Star Field. So, he was very pleased with Yan Luo’s arrival. With the two of them working together, they might extend the Yan Family’s legacy in the Ancestral Domain.
“It is good that Old Ancestor is well as well,” Yan Luo said excitedly, “Your cultivation…”
Yan Ren Hao chuckled and waved his hand, “Let’s not talk about cultivation now. Come, let me introduce you to a Master.” He placed his hand on Yan Luo’s shoulder and brought him to meet the young man. Then, he introduced him, “This is my Senior Brother in Azure Sea Palace, Duan Mu Qi. Just call him Martial Uncle Duan Mu.”
“Azure Sea Palace…” When Yan Luo heard that, a glint flashed across his eyes as he fell into deep thought.
Although they could contact the Old Ancestor, they couldn’t communicate with him for a long time. In fact, they had only contacted him once 500 years ago. Therefore, they had no idea how Yan Ren Hao had been doing in the Ancestral Domain.
Upon that introduction, Yan Luo immediately understood that Yan Ren Hao had joined a great force called Azure Sea Palace in the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, judging from his attitude, he appeared respectful towards this man called Duan Mu Qi.
Yan Luo was very old himself, and he definitely looked much older than Duan Mu Qi. However, a cultivator could only command respect with his strength, not his age. Since Yan Luo’s cultivation was weaker than that of this young man, he had no choice but to be humble.
Not daring to appear disrespectful, he immediately bowed and said, “Junior Yan Luo of the Yan Family greets Martial Uncle Duan Mu!”
With a faint smile, Duan Mu Qi nodded his head, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be too formal with me. We’ll be one family from now on.”
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Uncle is one of the top ten cultivators in Azure Sea Palace. It was thanks to his recommendation in the past that I was able to join Azure Sea Palace. You’ll have to ask for more guidance from him in the future.”
“Yes.” Yan Luo straightened his face.
“This is your Martial Aunt, Chen Chui Ling,” Yan Ren Hao pointed at the woman and said.
Yan Luo thought to himself that the woman was just a Third-Order Origin King, which was the same as his own cultivation realm. If they got into a fight, it would be hard to tell who the winner would be. So, why was this woman now considered his Senior? He was basically the Overlord of Unending Star Field who stood above all others, so he had never been so humble to someone else before. Nevertheless, upon seeing how intimate she was with Duan Mu Qi, he immediately understood the reason behind it. So, he also bowed to her and greeted, “Greetings, Martial Aunt Chen.”
Chen Chui Ling replied with a smile, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be so formal with me either; after all, you are Senior Brother Yan’s Junior. After you join Azure Sea Palace, I’ll definitely take care of you. I haven’t managed to prepare anything for our first meeting, so just take this bottle of pills. They will be useful for your cultivation.”
“Uh…” Although Yan Luo was tempted, he felt embarrassed to take something from her since this was their first meeting. So, he turned to look at his Old Ancestor to ask for his opinion.
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Aunt is an Alchemist and these pills were all refined by her personally. Since she has offered them to you, just take them.”
“Many thanks, Martial Aunt Chen!” Yan Luo hurriedly thanked her and took the bottle with both hands as his heart was filled with excitement. He thought that it was the right decision to come to the Ancestral Domain, as he had obtained a bottle of pills not long after he arrived here. He wasn’t sure about the grade of the pills or their medicinal efficacies, but since they were made in the Ancestral Domain, they would undoubtedly be treasures to the current him.
As the other cultivators listened to their conversation, they realised the relationship between them. At that instant, they sighed secretly, knowing that they couldn’t snatch these people from Azure Sea Palace.
[His Old Ancestor belongs to Azure Sea Palace, so he’ll definitely join the same Sect as well. There’s no way he’ll choose to join another Sect. As for the two people with that Yan Luo fellow, they must be from the same Star Field.]
Upon learning about their relationship, they knew that these people wouldn’t consider other options, so they had lost interest in luring them in.
Normally, cultivators from the same Star Field would stick together, unless there were some grudges between them.
However, if they loathed each other, it was impossible that they would come to the Ancestral Domain together.
After these people from Azure Sea Palace were done with their small talk, Yan Ren Hao traded glances with Yan Luo before he pushed his Divine Sense.
The next moment, he looked at Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang with a smile before he uttered, “Since both of you have come with Yan Luo, why don’t you follow me to my Sect?”
There were too many people around this place. Even though he had intended to deal with Yang Kai, he wouldn’t choose to make a move in this place. Otherwise, the other great forces might find fault with him and criticize him. However, once they left this place and returned to Azure Sea Palace, he could do whatever he wanted to Yang Kai.
[Since you’ve dared to kill my family’s Elder and damaged our foundation, I’ll never let you off! Do you think you can do whatever you want because you have some meagre strength? You’re indeed just a frog at the bottom of the well, so don’t even think about leaping out of it for the rest of your life. However, I must make them follow me to Azure Sea Palace first…]
With a smile, Yan Luo added in, “Brother Yang, let’s go. It’s thanks to you that I’ve managed to come to the Ancestral Domain safely. Please give me a chance to repay you for this favour.”
He no longer appeared obsequious and cautious. His Old Ancestor was right behind him, and he had the support of Duan Mu Qi, so he wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai anymore. It was apparent to him that no matter how formidable Yang Kai was, it wasn’t possible that he could be stronger than his Old Ancestor and Duan Mu Qi.
[You oppressed us in the Yan Residence some time ago. Now, the situation is different, so I’ll let you have a taste of your own medicine.]
With a gloomy expression, He Yun Xiang glowered at Yan Luo.
Although what happened to the Yan Family was within Yang Kai’s calculations, the Yan Family members only had themselves to blame. If they had agreed to her initial suggestion, she believed that Yang Kai wouldn’t have treated them poorly. Instead, he would have rewarded them handsomely. However, those in the Yan Family were too arrogant and made the wrong decision, so they couldn’t blame others for their misfortunes.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had the power to destroy the Yan Family entirely, but he didn’t choose to do that. Unfortunately, as a result, he had fallen into the Yan Family’s trap in the end. Now that Yan Luo had someone supporting him, he appeared smug and haughty, which made He Yun Xiang despise him even more than before.