Han Qian Cheng was baffled when he saw Yang Kai grinning at him. He felt that there was a hidden message behind this man’s grin, but he wasn’t willing to waste time pondering on it. With a dark expression, he uttered, “Little brat, you should stop spouting nonsense, otherwise, you might attract trouble towards yourself!”
Everyone in Red Clouds Sect knew that Su Yan was his! Although many disciples were fond of her, they would only dare to secretly admire her, and they would never have the guts to appear intimate with her. There was a brazen man who walked up to Su Yan and tried to talk her up in the past. The next day, all his bones were broken, and all his meridians were crippled.
Since then, no man in Red Clouds Sect dared to approach Su Yan again.
So, Han Qian Cheng couldn’t believe that someone had the nerve to claim to be Su Yan’s husband. He was so angered that he began sizing Yang Kai up with his sharp gaze, as though he was thinking about how to make him experience the most excruciating pain in the world.
Then, he turned around and spoke to Han Zheng Yuan, “Father, this man has broken into our Sect, so it’s apparent that he has no regard for us at all. He’s even damaged our Sect Defending Array. He cannot be forgiven! Please kill him now so that it will serve as a warning to others. Otherwise, others might think that we are cowards if this news is spread.”
With an impassive expression, Han Zheng Yuan simply declared, “Stand back. I have my own considerations.”
“Father!” Han Qian Cheng called out relentlessly.
“I said back down!” Han Zheng Yuan turned stern.
It was only then that Han Qian Cheng stepped back with a dark expression. He was seen mumbling something, so it was apparent that he was cursing at someone. Since he was a young child, he had always been favoured by Han Zheng Yuan, which was why he had grown up to be a haughty man who would willfully do whatever he wanted. He hated Yang Kai, so he wanted him immediately dead. However, he didn’t understand why his father, who had always doted on him, would reject his request at this point, embarrassing him in front of so many disciples and Elders of the Sect.
If anyone else was so arrogant in this place, Han Zheng Yuan wouldn’t have let him off. In order to protect their Sect’s reputation, he would certainly battle against that person. However, there was no aura fluctuation around the young man before his eyes, which gave him an eerie feeling.
Han Zheng Yuan had a feeling that if they got into a fight here, it would be Red Clouds Sect that would suffer a setback, so he had to be careful.
“Little Brother, what is your name?” Han Zheng Yuan asked.
Upon getting a reply from Yang Kai, he frowned and gave it a thought. [I’ve never heard of this name. This is a totally unfamiliar name to me.]
He turned to look at the Elders and realised that they appeared baffled as well. [Alright. Since none of us has heard about him before, it means that he’s without any powerful background. This matter can be solved easily, then.]
“You said you’re Su Yan’s husband. Do you have any proof?” Han Zheng Yuan asked. Then, he added, “I’m not doubting you. However, Su Yan is my Sect’s disciple, and I’m the Sect Master, so I have to look into this matter.”
Yang Kai replied, “Just tell Su Yan to come over, and you’ll know.”
Seeing that Yang Kai appeared so confident, Han Zheng Yuan started believing him. On the other hand, Han Qian Cheng’s expression appeared gloomier. [No way! That woman has a husband? When did she get married? She’s been in our Sect for more than twenty years, but I’ve never seen her come into contact with any outsider. Why is there a man who claims to be her husband all of a sudden? This is ridiculous.]
“Su Yan has been in our Sect for more than twenty years, but she’s never contacted any outsider before. How did you even become her husband?”
“I’m from Heng Luo Star Field!”
“What?” Han Zheng Yuan was shocked upon hearing that. Then, he mocked himself in his heart. [Have I grown timid because of my old age? Why am I so overly cautious now? I’m no longer as straightforward and bold as when I was young.]
The fact that Su Yan came from Heng Luo Star Field wasn’t a secret, as many people in Red Clouds Sect knew that. As the Sect Master, Han Zheng Yuan was aware of that as well. According to Su Yan, she believed that she was the first one who left Heng Luo Star Field and arrived at the Ancestral Domain.
In other words, Yang Kai must have come to the Ancestral Domain after Su Yan did. So, it hadn’t been a long time since he arrived in this place and there was no way his cultivation was very strong.
At most, he was probably a First-Order Dao Source Realm. The reason Han Zheng Yuan couldn’t sense his cultivation must be that Yang Kai had used a Secret Art to hide his cultivation or that he was wearing an artifact with a similar effect.
Then, Han Zheng Yuan shook his head and chuckled, “So, you and Su Yan come from the same Star Field.”
Han Qian Cheng’s face had turned livid as he cursed at Su Yan. [What a slut! She always appears pure, innocent and aloof, but I’ve never expected that she’d actually slept with a man before! And to think I’ve always treated her so well. If I knew this earlier, I would’ve forced myself upon her instead of wasting my years away!]
“Yes. Su Yan and I became a couple back in our Star Field. We come from the same Sect as well,” Yang Kai said in an impatient manner, “Sect Master Han, please tell Su Yan to meet me.”
He was here to look for Su Yan, so he wasn’t willing to waste time talking to them.
Han Zheng Yuan said, “Alright, then.” He suddenly changed his tone, “However, Su Yan’s place is pretty far from here, so it might take her some time to come here.”
“That’s fine. I’ll wait.” Yang Kai had been longing to meet her for years, so he wouldn’t mind waiting for a bit. [It’s no wonder that I can’t sense her aura. It turns out she is somewhere far from here.]
“Elder Chen, please bring this Little Brother to the reception hall and serve him some tea. Then, send a message to Su Yan and tell her to come over.” Han Zheng Yuan spoke to the red-faced man.
The red-faced man was startled for a moment before he cupped his fists, “Yes!” Then, he made a gesture to Yang Kai, “This way, please.”
Normally, a cultivator from a Lower Star Field wasn’t worthy of such a treatment. However, the power Yang Kai just showcased was incredible, so he deserved a little more respect.
In a calm manner, Yang Kai nodded and followed Elder Chen.
The other disciples watched them leave as they found the situation baffling. [Is this matter over just like this? Someone broke into our home and destroyed the Sect Defending Array, but the Elders and Sect Master don’t seem to have the intention of holding him responsible. Moreover, they’ve even invited him in for tea. When did the Elders and Sect Master become so amiable? Also, Senior Sister Su Yan isn’t in the Sect!]
Some could see that it was a trap, and they disdained the way the Elders and the Sect Master dealt with the young man. However, there was nothing they could do as they sighed and looked pitifully at Yang Kai.
[If this man really is Senior Sister Su Yan’s husband, he’ll be doomed today.]
Upon entering the reception hall, Yang Kai took a seat and looked around. While He Yun Xiang stood behind him, Liu Yan directly sat next to him.
Only the red-faced Elder Chen was there to keep them company, but he was reluctant to talk to Yang Kai, so he just said briefly, “Just wait here. I’ve informed Su Yan about your arrival so she’ll come soon.” Then, he closed his eyes to take a rest. It seemed that he still had a grudge against Yang Kai for grabbing his collar earlier.
[Just go on being arrogant. You’ll soon know the consequences of offending me!] Worried he might accidentally show signs of hostility if he opened his eyes, he decided to keep them shut.
Just then, a female disciple came in and put down cups of tea for them, upon which the aroma of tea permeated the place.
The red-faced Elder Chen opened his eyes and put on a smile, “This is Red Clouds Tea, which is exclusive to our Sect. This is quite famous in the Ancestral Domain. Little Brother, please give it a try. The average person wouldn’t be able to drink it. The Spirit Teas in the Star Field are not comparable to this.” His voice sounded arrogant as he gazed at Yang Kai as though the latter was a bumpkin.
Yang Kai just stared fixedly at him without uttering a word.
Elder Chen kept a smile on his face, but he was vigilant in his heart. [Has he found out about it? No, it’s colourless and odourless. I’m not even able to tell if it’s been added, so how could it be possible for a brat from a Lower Star Field to have such sharp vision? Nevertheless, Sect Master is basically making a big fuss over a trivial matter. Yes, this brat has shown amazing strength, but with so many people in our Sect, we should be able to take him down with ease. It’s quite pointless to use this kind of trick to deal with him.]
Despite his displeasure, he still had to carry out the order in a serious manner. After all, this was a task given to him in secret by the Sect Master. [In any case, Sect Master has overly doted on Young Sect Master. Just like Su Yan, this brat is a talented person. If we could have pacified him, we might have been able to take him in as a disciple so that our Sect will have one more powerful member. What a shame… Since he has the guts to snatch Young Sect Master’s woman, he won’t be able to see the sunrise tomorrow.]
With this thought in mind, Elder Chen asked, “Little Brother, do you not like this tea?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then, why don’t you drink it?” Elder Chen’s expression darkened. His red face appeared stern even though he was actually calm, “Do you have no regard for our Sect at all?”
With a faint smile, Yang Kai picked up the teacup and said, “Elder Chen, since you’ve said so, I’ll drink it. I’ll just take this tea as wine to thank all of you who have been taking care of and nurturing Senior Sister Su over the years.”
Whatever the case, the reason Su Yan was able to reach Dao Source Realm and gain a footing in the Ancestral Domain was because of Red Clouds Sect. Drinking this cup of tea would serve as his gesture of gratitude towards them. Then, they would battle against each other to resolve the grudges between them.
[I hope they won’t have any complaints.]
“Boy, put down that tea!” Suddenly, a loud voice called out from outside.
Elder Chen’s expression changed when he heard that voice and raising his head, he saw a figure leaping into the hall and pouncing at Yang Kai, reaching for the teacup in his hand.
Enraged, Elder Chen slammed the table and got up before snarling, “Elder Ruan! What are you doing!?”
Yang Kai twisted his wrist slightly and avoided the hand grasping for his own before lifting his head and pouring all of the tea into his mouth.
Elder Chen was stunned for a moment before he started laughing boisterously.
The person who barged into the hall was startled as well. Given her Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, not only was she not able to snatch the teacup from Yang Kai, but the latter was also able to avoid her attack without even getting up. This young man indeed had incredible reflexes.
Upon a closer look, she realised that, just like what she had heard, there was no aura around the young man, as though he had never cultivated before.
“Elder Ruan?” It was then that Yang Kai turned to look at the person and realised that she was a middle-aged beauty. Her plain clothes could not conceal her well-defined curves or her mature charm. He had never expected that she was such a lovely lady, totally different from his imagination.
The only person in the entire Red Clouds Sect with this kind of cultivation who was also surnamed Ruan must be Su Yan’s Master.
“Boy, you say you’re Su Yan’s husband?” Ruan Bi Ting asked with a frown.
Yang Kai nodded, “Indeed.”
“How can you prove it?”
“Hmm… Her sword is called Profound Frost! She also uses a Secret Technique called Clear Sky Snowfall!”
Ruan Bi Ting turned solemn, “It’s really you!”
The others might not understand what Yang Kai was talking about, but as Su Yan’s Master, Ruan Bi Ting immediately did. Su Yan had brought an Origin King Grade longsword from her Star Field to this place. The long sword was named Profound Frost, and one of the techniques she used was indeed called Clear Sky Snowfall.
What Yang Kai had just said confirmed his identity. Since he was able to name her sword and her Secret Technique, he must be very close to her. Moreover, Ruan Bi Ting had heard from Su Yan about Yang Kai’s existence; after all, they were Master and Disciple, so they frequently communicated with each other. And today, she finally met Yang Kai.
“Brat, follow me!” Upon confirming Yang Kai’s identity, Ruan Bi Ting reached out her hand towards him.
She had just gotten a secret message from a disciple which said that Su Yan’s husband had come to look for her from Heng Luo Star Field, but he was brought to the reception hall by Elder Chen to drink tea. Once she heard that, she immediately knew that it was a trap, so she rushed over to this place; however, she still couldn’t stop the tragedy from happening.
At that moment, she was utterly frustrated. She had warned him to put down the teacup and even tried to snatch it from him, but he ignored her and gulped it down right in front of her.
[Su Yan, Su Yan, what kind of husband have you gotten for yourself? Given his stupidity, how has he even survived until this day? Has no one taught him that he should be careful when drinking or eating in the outside world?]
She grabbed Yang Kai’s wrist with her slender hand and pulled him towards herself. However, instead of making him move, she was forced to stagger forward.
Her pupils contracted as she was flabbergasted. She was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm Master, and although she didn’t use all her strength just now, it was impossible that she couldn’t even make him move.
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her. His impression of Red Clouds Sect was quite terrible at the moment, so his intention was to find out Su Yan’s whereabouts before he slaughtered all of them; however, it now seemed that there was someone in this place that actually cared about Su Yan.
[That is more than enough, isn’t it? It isn’t like there is only evil in this world. There is still warmth that is like a light in the darkness that shines and illuminates our way.]
He then tapped Ruan Bi Ting’s hand to motion for her to release him.
With a frown, Ruan Bi Ting questioned, “What are you doing?”
She used her Divine Sense and spoke to him in his mind, “This place is dangerous! Leave with me now!”
Seeing that she was truly worried about his well being, Yang Kai felt warm in his heart. They didn’t know each other, but she was concerned about him because of Su Yan. Apparently, she was really good to Su Yan.
“Elder Ruan, what are you doing?” The red-faced Elder Chen sneered at Ruan Bi Ting, not showing any respect to a Master like her who was stronger than he was. Although both of them were Elders in this Sect, she didn’t hold any important position, so she was basically powerless regarding internal affairs. If it weren’t because of the Old Sect Master’s will, she wouldn’t have even been allowed to remain in this Sect for such a long time and keep her title as an Elder.
Nobody really knew the relationship between Ruan Bi Ting and Red Clouds Sect. It was rumoured that the Old Sect Master owed her a favour, which was why he let her stay in this Sect; however, after the Old Sect Master passed away, the current Sect Master took over his role and Ruan Bi Ting became an outsider within their Sect.
“It’s none of your business!” Ruan Bi Ting glowered at Elder Chen.
With a grin, Elder Chen rebuked, “I don’t agree that it’s none of my business. The Sect Master has ordered me to serve this Little Brother. Elder Ruan, you’re being impolite to our guests, so please leave now.”
Ignoring him, Ruan Bi Ting stared at Yang Kai and asked, “Are you leaving or not?”
“I can’t leave because this matter isn’t over yet.” Yang Kai put on a smile and gazed at Elder Chen, “You seem quite pleased. What are you laughing at?”
“Of course I’m laughing at something funny.” Elder Chen looked disdainfully at him, “How does our Red Clouds Tea taste?”
“The tea is good, but the taste isn’t very pure.” It was then Yang Kai put down the tea cup and adjusted his position, “You’ve put something into it, right?”
“It’s too late that you’ve only found out about it now!” Elder Chen’s expression turned cold as he could stop pretending to be polite. Anyone who was stricken with that poison would go limp very quickly. Even a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master couldn’t detoxify it with ease. Now, Yang Kai was like a fish on a chopping block in his eyes, so he could do whatever he wanted to him.
“Elder Chen, you seem quite confident in this poison,” Yang Kai lowered his head as his hair blocked his face, which made him look quite gloomy.
“You… Knew that there was poison in the tea?” Ruan Bi Ting suddenly thought of something and exclaimed. At the same time, she cursed at him in her heart and thought that he must be insane.
*Chiliu…*
In this intense atmosphere, a sound was suddenly heard. The three of them turned their heads and saw Liu Yan holding another teacup and drinking down its content.
Elder Chen and Ruan Bi Ting were dumbstruck. [Has she also become foolish because she’s been with this boy for too long? Both of them are out of their minds!]
“Why did you still drink it after they admitted that there was poison in it?” Yang Kai stroked her head.
“I just wanted to have a taste,” Liu Yan replied, “It’s not delicious though, so I’ll give it back to you!”
After she opened her mouth, the tea shot towards Elder Chen like an arrow. While the tea was still in mid-air, it turned red suddenly as though it was a fire snake.
The temperature in the hall rose rapidly.
The expression of Elder Chen changed drastically as he was engulfed in a sense of danger. Without even thinking, he summoned an artifact to protect himself. With a clang, the tea arrow crashed into the artifact that looked like a shield, causing the glow on the artifact to flicker and turn dim, which went to show that it had lost all its spirituality. The tea arrow then continued forward unimpeded, burning a hole right through the artifact.
“AH!” Elder Chen shrieked and fell on his butt. Lowering his head, he realised that there was a dark hole on his shoulder as his blood was streaming out of it. At the same time, he could feel a horrifying Fire Attribute energy entering through the wound. Wherever it went, all his meridians and flesh would burn.
He widened his eyes in disbelief. [What is going on? What is going on? Aren’t they poisoned? How are they still able to use their strength? Also, who is this little girl? Did she make tea so terrifying!?]
Ruan Bi Ting was dumbfounded as she looked dazedly at Liu Yan. If she hadn’t seen it with her eyes, she wouldn’t have believed that this little girl was able to harm Elder Chen with just a mouthful of tea. Then, she turned to look at Yang Kai and realised that he had at some point stood up. His countenance appeared healthy, so it was apparent that he wasn’t poisoned.
“You’re… fine?” Ruan Bi Ting almost lost her ability to think.
Yang Kai put on a smile, “It’s just a little bit of trash, how could it possibly harm me?”
[T-Trash? This is the most potent poison in our Sect, but it’s just some rubbish to him? Is he really from Heng Luo Star Field?]
What she wasn’t aware of was that Yang Kai had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, and after refining the Golden Divine Dragon Source, he had developed a strong Dragon bloodline. Dragon Clan members were famously known for their resistance to all kinds of poisons.
Given Yang Kai’s physique, he couldn’t be said to be immune to all poisons, but the kind of poison that could harm him definitely didn’t exist in the Ancestral Domain. He decided to drink the tea not because he was a fool or that he was out of his mind, but because he wasn’t worried about it at all.
“Elder Ruan, what are you doing? It will be hard for me to explain myself to Su Yan if she sees this,” Yang Kai turned to look at Ruan Bi Ting and winked at her.
It was then that Ruan Bi Ting realised that she had been clenching his wrist the whole time. With her face blushing slightly, she shot him a glare and released him.
She indeed had lost her composure on this day.
*Shua shua shua shua…*
Just then, many figures appeared abruptly. They were all the Sect’s Elders who had been waiting outside. They barged into the hall because they heard Elder Chen’s scream, and upon a closer look, they were all dumbstruck.
While Yang Kai was fine, Elder Chen was battered.
With a cold expression, Han Zheng Yuan bellowed, “Elder Ruan, I think you need to give me an explanation!”
Earlier, he saw Ruan Bi Ting breaking into this place, but he hadn’t managed to stop her. Now that Elder Chen was injured, he thought that it was she who had made a move.
[I’ve been putting up with this woman for far too long! No matter what, I’ll have to kick her out of our Sect today!]
Ruan Bi Ting growled, “Han Zheng Yuan, don’t cross the line!”
Han Zheng Yuan replied, “Who is crossing the line here? You are our Sect’s Elder, but you’ve sided with an outsider! You’ve let all of us in Red Clouds Sect, including the Old Sect Master, down.”
“Settle your own problems later. I just want to know why you’re treating me this way when I’m just here to look for Su Yan.” Yang Kai swept a glance over everyone and then stared fixedly at Han Zheng Yuan.
Elder Chen couldn’t have possibly made the decision on his own. He must have received the order from Han Zheng Yuan. A Sect Master was going against Yang Kai for no apparent reason, so his behaviour was really laughable.
“Su Yan isn’t in Red Clouds Sect. He was lying to you earlier,” Ruan Bi Ting explained.
Yang Kai asked, “Where is she?”
“She’s been sent to guard our Fire Cloud Ore Vein. She hasn’t returned to the Sect for more than ten years. That’s a mineral lode under Red Clouds Sect, so it’s one of our core businesses.”
“She’s guarding a Fire Cloud Ore Vein?” Yang Kai arched his brow as he set his mind at ease. Since that was the case, Su Yan wasn’t in any danger. However, he soon grasped the crux of the matter and snorted, “Why?”
Fire Cloud Ore was rich in Fire Attribute Strength, so it was suitable for cultivators who practised Fire Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to stay at such a mineral lode. Any cultivators with this kind of Secret Art would be more than happy to take on this task.
However, Su Yan cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art. Moreover, she had an Ice Crystal Jade Body. If she stayed in such a fiery place for too long, she would be considered lucky if her cultivation didn’t regress, so it was practically impossible for her to cultivate.
Yang Kai doubted that these people from Red Clouds Sect didn’t know the attribute she was cultivating. Since they were aware of it, they must have done it on purpose by sending her to guard Fire Cloud Ore Vein.
[Damn it! Ten years isn’t a long period of time, but it isn’t a short time either. In other words, Su Yan has wasted ten years for nothing!] Yang Kai was enraged.
“Why?” Ruan Bi Ting sneered as she was utterly disappointed, “They’re trying to make her give in. You might not be aware of it, but his son is very fond of Su Yan.” She paused for a moment, “Moreover, Su Yan has grown too rapidly, so someone is afraid that her cultivation would surpass his and threaten his position!”
“What a load of nonsense!” Han Zheng Yuan snorted, “Both of you two agreed that she’d guard the Fire Cloud Ore Vein, so why are you blaming it all on me now?”
Ruan Bi Ting shook her head as she appeared disheartened, “Han Zheng Yuan, you’re a Sect Master now, but you’re still so narrow-minded. You’re no match for the Old Sect Master in this regard.”
In fact, this was the reason she had been marginalised in the Sect as well.
Before the Old Sect Master passed away, he asked Ruan Bi Ting to help look after Red Clouds Sect, which was why she continued staying in this place for more than 100 years. At that time, she was already a Second-Order Dao Source Realm Master, while Han Zheng Yuan had just entered the Dao Source Realm. Without her protection, Red Clouds Sect would’ve been destroyed by their enemies, and they wouldn’t have been able to hold on to the foundation passed down to them by their Ancestors. 100 years had passed, and Han Zheng Yuan finally reached the Second Order, but his attitude towards Ruan Bi Ting grew increasingly terrible as well.
He couldn’t tolerate someone who had protected their Sect for more than 100 years, let alone a rising star like Su Yan. If Su Yan managed to reach the Second-Order Dao Source Realm and join forces with her Master, Han Zheng Yuan would probably lose his position as Sect Master.
The reason he sent Su Yan to guard the Fire Cloud Ore Vein was to warn and suppress her. If she was clever enough, she would marry Han Qian Cheng and her future would be bright. However, ten years had passed, but Su Yan had never returned to Red Clouds Sect once. She seemed determined to remain defiant even as she guarded that place.
“You have no right to criticize whatever I do!” Han Zheng Yuan snorted, “You’re just a Foreign Elder in our Sect, but we’ve been providing for you for a long time. However, not only do you not help us solve our problems, but you’ve also colluded with our enemies! Ruan Bi Ting, I’ll abolish your position as an Elder today. From now on, you have nothing to do with our Sect!”
Han Zheng Yuan was elated because the events that unfolded turned out to be a pleasant surprise. He had always intended to kick Ruan Bi Ting out of his Sect, but he couldn’t find an excuse; after all, the fact that she had protected the Sect for so long left him and the Sect indebted to her. If he banished her out of the Sect without a reason, others would feel disheartened.
Now, he had finally found an excuse.
Ruan Bi Ting tucked her hair behind her ear and replied in a calm manner, “Good. At least I’ve not disappointed the Old Sect Master. Now, Red Clouds Sect will be fine even without me. Just like what you’ve wished for, I hereby announce that I’ll have nothing to do with your Sect anymore.”
“You may leave!” Han Zheng Yuan growled.
Ruan Bi Ting uttered, “He comes with me!” She pointed her slender finger at Yang Kai. Since he was Su Yan’s husband, she wouldn’t let him stay in this place.
“Dream on!” Han Zheng Yuan bellowed.
Ruan Bi Ting uttered dispassionately, “It’s hard to sustain the foundation left behind by your Ancestors. Don’t let it perish in your hands.” Although she was utterly disappointed in Han Zheng Yuan, she was still concerned about this Sect because she had protected it for more than a century. She didn’t have the heart to see it destroyed.
“I am the Sect Master of Red Clouds Sect!” Han Zheng Yuan yelled.
“Han Zheng Yuan, think this through!” Ruan Bi Ting said through gritted teeth.
In response, Han Zheng Yuan shot her a cold glance, “If you’re not willing to leave, you’ll also have to stay here with him.”
The last bit of hope in her heart died. With such a Sect Master, there was no way Red Clouds Sect could be sustained. She had already done her best by protecting the Sect for more than 100 years.
“Are you done?” Yang Kai suddenly uttered. With his eyes glowing with a red glint, he swept a glance over Han Zheng Yuan and the other Elders, causing them to feel horrified.
A sense of uneasiness rose within Han Zheng Yuan, but it was soon replaced by rage. Waving his hand, he demanded, “Kill him!”
In an instant, two figures pounced on Yang Kai from both sides, their movement as swift as lightning. However, in the blink of an eye, they were sent flying backwards as they exploded into blood mist in mid-air. Even their bones had vanished.
The chamber fell into silence as everyone widened their mouths and watched the sight in disbelief.
Ruan Bi Ting sighed and closed her eyes. [Han Zheng Yuan, this is the dumbest decision you’ve ever made in your life. Do you think I’m doing this for this young man by trying to bring him away? I’m just trying to help Red Clouds Sect one last time.]
Yang Kai still appeared fine even though he had been poisoned, so Ruan Bi Ting knew that his strength must be inconceivable. Paired with the strange young girl, there was no way these people from Red Clouds Sect were a match for them. What was laughable was that Han Zheng Yuan still thought everything was well within his control. He wasn’t aware that the positions of the predator and the prey had been switched without him knowing.
“Start the Array!” After Han Zheng Yuan was startled for a moment, he growled as rapidly formed a set of hand seals.
At that instant, the talismans inside the chamber flickered as the people at the scene were all engulfed in a Spirit Array. It was only then that the Elders felt a sense of safety as they looked at Yang Kai as though he was the most horrendous devil.
Earlier, he seemed to be just lightly waving his fist, but two Elders in the First-Order Dao Source Realm who had leapt at him exploded into blood mist, which went to show that the young man was incredibly powerful. Fortunately, the Sect Master was intelligent enough not to confront him at the mountain entrance earlier. Instead, he had lured him to this place.
With the help of the Spirit Array, paired with their collective powers, they were practically invincible.
“Kill them!” Yang Kai simply pointed a finger forward.
In response, Liu Yan opened her mouth and spat out a breath of fire that seemed to have a life of its own, one that filled the entire hall with blistering heat. The temperature in the palace rose rapidly, causing the base and flags of the array to flicker.
The Red Cloud Sect Elders were terrified as they hurriedly tried to defend themselves.
He Yun Xiang was equally shocked.
She had been getting along with Liu Yan for some time, but she had never expected that this adorable little girl was able to exert this kind of horrifying power.
He Yun Xiang took note of one Elder who was trying to resist Liu Yan’s flames, only to quickly be turned into ashes.
He was a Dao Source Realm Master! He Yun Xiang wasn’t surprised that Yang Kai was able to kill a Dao Source Realm Master with ease, as she had witnessed his power many times throughout their journey, but what was going on with this little girl? Was she just as formidable as Yang Kai?
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai took Ruan Bi Ting’s wrist.
In a dazed state, Ruan Bi Ting asked, “Where are we going?” She was stunned as well. She had seen Liu Yan injuring the red-faced Elder Chen with just one move earlier, so she knew that the latter was powerful, but it was apparent she had still underestimated her. No one in Red Clouds Sect could possibly match her.
“Bring me to look for Su Yan!” Without waiting for her reply, Yang Kai brought her to the door and pushed out his fist, upon which the Spirit Array disintegrated with a boom.
Horrified screams could be heard from behind them as Han Zheng Yuan yelled, “Elder Ruan! Elder Ruan! Save us!”
Ruan Bi Ting turned around as she didn’t have the heart to see them die.
“If you want, I can spare his life.” Noticing the emotion behind her gaze, Yang Kai stared at her. She was Su Yan’s Master, after all, so he was willing to grant her wish.
Ruan Bi Ting opened her mouth slightly, but she eventually sighed and replied, “Let’s go.”
All debts of gratitude and grudges between them had been settled, and she no longer had any association with Red Clouds Sect. The only thing she felt guilty about was that she was no longer able to protect the Sect as the Old Sect Master had asked her. Although it was her first time meeting Yang Kai, she had already learnt a lot about his temperament. He was a resolute man in whatever he did. Even if she asked him to spare Han Zheng Yuan’s life, he would still cripple him.
If a cultivator was crippled, it was more miserable than if he was killed. She wondered if, at this moment, Han Zheng Yuan regretted the fact that he didn’t listen to her earlier.
In front of a Space Array, the Red Clouds Sect’s disciples traded glances and cupped their fists, “Elder Ruan.”
The person at the front asked, “Elder Ruan, where are you going?”
Ruan Bi Ting was still in a dazed state as she replied, “To Fire Cloud Mountain.”
The Fire Cloud Ore Vein was inside Fire Cloud Mountain.
The disciple was surprised, “Elder Ruan, you’re going to Fire Cloud Mountain as well?”
While Ruan Bi Ting nodded, Yang Kai realised something through his words, “What’s wrong? Has someone else recently gone to Fire Cloud Mountain?”
“You are…” the disciple asked as he had never seen Yang Kai before.
Ruan Bi Ting came to her senses and questioned, “Who else has gone to Fire Cloud Mountain?”
Naturally, the disciple wouldn’t dare to ignore her. In a respectful manner, he replied, “Just a quarter of an hour ago, Young Sect Master brought two Elders to Fire Cloud Mountain.”
“What!?” Ruan Bi Ting’s expression changed as she yelled, “Oh, no!” She immediately swept the disciple away and stood on the Space Array with Yang Kai before she activated her power. In an instant, the array glowed and engulfed them. When the glow disappeared, they were nowhere to be found.
Inside Fire Cloud Mountain, there were many interconnected tunnels and caves. This place was where Fire Cloud Ore was mined, so it was one of the most important businesses for Red Clouds Sect. There was always an Elder in the Dao Source Realm who would guard the place.
However, the environment in this place was quite hostile. Normally, the Elders from the Sect weren’t willing to take on this task. Even the two Elders who cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts didn’t want to remain here all the time, so they basically took turns to guard the place. Every year, another Elder would come over to take this post.
However, for the last ten years, only one person had been guarding the place. No other Elders had come here since.
She was a woman who was always clad in white robes. Her skin was as translucent as jade and she was always on her own, but she seemed to carry herself well.
Anyone would take a liking to such a beautiful woman, but she was ordered to guard this dirty mineral lode inside a mountain. Her white clothes were in stark contrast with the filthy environment. However, wherever she went, the place would appear clean and pure.
The disciples knew that she was forced to take on this difficult task because she had offended the Young Sect Master. They were all displeased with the Young Sect Master because of this, but they wouldn’t dare to complain about it, so they could only secretly feel sorry for her. A beautiful woman like her was to be treasured. No man would have the heart to make her do such a thing. [Young Sect Master is too stone-hearted.]
Normally, the disciples who were responsible for mining Fire Cloud Ore would go back to the Sect every ten to fifteen days to take a break before coming back here. However, she had stayed in this place for ten years without ever leaving.
She was the most outstanding disciple in the history of Red Clouds Sect. It only took her five years to go from the peak of the Origin King Realm to the Dao Source Realm after she joined the Sect. Nonetheless, in the past ten years, her cultivation had not improved one bit.
It was thanks to Ruan Bi Ting who would give her resources from time to time that she was even able to sustain her Dao Source Realm cultivation, otherwise it might have already regressed.
Inside a cave, a disciple, who was in charge of the place, hung his head low as he reported to the white-clothed lady on the recent developments in their mining activities. Having been here for too long, the disciple appeared dishevelled as well. He kept his head low and never looked at the lady. It wasn’t because he didn’t dare to, but because he wasn’t willing to. It was as though his vision would blaspheme her beauty and purity.
Upon hearing his report, the lady nodded slightly, “Good, thank you.”
Her voice was soft and gentle. The person in charge appeared satisfied as he looked forward to reporting to her every ten days. It was because he just wanted to hear her voice.
“Please take a rest.” The person in charge stepped backward but suddenly crashed into someone, upon which he turned around with a furious expression. [Who is this reckless person that has entered this place without permission? Doesn’t he know this is the place where Senior Sister Su cultivates?]
After he made out who the person was though, he was shocked as he hurriedly stepped aside as he bent his back, “Young Sect Master!”
[I can’t believe that the Young Sect Master has come here. He rarely visits this place. He hasn’t come here for a long time. Ten years ago, he would come here very often with a joyful expression, but he’d always leave disappointed. After a time, he stopped visiting at all. Why is he here today all of a sudden? Moreover, he is followed by two Elders.]
The disciple appeared doubtful, but he wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful, so he immediately saluted the two Elders.
“We don’t need you here, scram.” Han Qian Cheng impatiently waved his hand.
The disciple then hung his head low and left the place quickly.
Han Qian Cheng stepped forward and stopped ten steps away from the white-robed lady. His eyes appeared as fiery as the Fire Cloud Ores that had just been unearthed as he stared lustfully at her figure. He hadn’t seen her for years, but she remained as enrapturing as ever
All of a sudden, he regretted the fact that he hadn’t visited her often in the past years. Perhaps she would be moved by his persistence if he had come here more often. However, he soon cast the idea away. He was the Young Sect Master of Red Clouds Sect, so he could get any woman he wanted with ease. However, this woman had always been cold to him. [If it weren’t for our Sect, she wouldn’t have been able to reach Dao Source Realm. Perhaps she would’ve been gobbled up by other Masters right after she arrived at the Ancestral Domain.]
As he recalled what that bastard from earlier had said, he became even more frustrated. He thought that this woman was as pure as jade, but he hadn’t expected that she had already gotten married and surrendered her innocence to another. He was furious because he couldn’t be her first man.
“Junior Sister Su, we haven’t met for a long time. How are you?” He looked at Su Yan with a smile. Although she was in a higher realm than him, he was the Young Sect Master of Red Clouds Sect, which was why he wouldn’t call her ‘Senior Sister’ like how other disciples did.
“Young Sect Master.” Su Yan looked calmly at the front as she got up slowly and saluted them, “Greetings, Elders.”
The two Elders remained silent as they stood behind Han Qian Cheng like two pieces of wood. The cave was dim, and they stood in the shadows, so it was hard to see their expressions clearly.
“Young Sect Master, why are you here?”
With a faint smile, Han Qian Cheng replied, “I missed you, so I decided to come over to meet you. We haven’t met for a long time, right?”
Su Yan remained calm, “It’s been eight years.”
“Oh, eight years is indeed a long time.” Han Qian Cheng appeared dejected, “It’s true that time flies. I remember that when you first joined our Sect, you weren’t so cold to me.”
Su Yan replied, “I do not mean to discriminate against anyone. If you feel unjustly slighted, then I apologize.”
Han Qian Cheng guffawed, “It’s fine. I know it’s your nature, so I don’t blame you.” He leaned forward slightly, as though he was an aggressive beast that was ready to pounce on his prey, “Eight years have passed. Junior Sister, have you seriously considered my offer?”
Su Yan uttered, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
With a smile, Han Qian Cheng pointed at her, “Junior Sister, what’s the point of feigning ignorance? You’ve always known what I want.”
“I don’t intend to fall in love with anyone.”
Han Qian Cheng put on a meaningful grin, “Really?” He reached out and took a look at his own hand. Then, he rubbed his fingers and went on to say nonchalantly, “I think it isn’t because you don’t intend to fall in love with anyone, but because your heart already belongs to someone else.”
Su Yan replied, “If you understand, then you should know it’s pointless for you to persist.”
[You slut!] Han Qian Cheng cursed at her in his heart, [I’m the Young Sect Master of Red Clouds Sect, so how am I not comparable to that bumpkin!? I can’t believe you still can’t forget about him after so many years. You’ll soon understand the consequences of going against me. I’ll have my way with you all I want and only after you’re worn out completely will I toss you away!]
“That man is called Yang Kai, right?”
Su Yan’s eternally cold expression finally changed slightly, “How do you know that?”
She had only told Ruan Bi Ting about Yang Kai before, so other people were not supposed to be aware of his existence. The first thought that came to her mind was that Ruan Bi Ting had told other people about it, but she soon realised it was impossible. Ruan Bi Ting was her Master in Red Clouds Sect, and although they were Master and Disciple, they were as close as Sisters, and Ruan Bi Ting had always been good to her. So, there was no way she would mention such a sensitive piece of information to others.
“How could I not know?” Han Qian Cheng chuckled. It was the first time he managed to attract Su Yan’s attention, but he felt dejected instead of happy because she only showed interest at the mention of that bastard. Pretending to be nonchalant, he went on to say, “Let me tell you something, then. That brat called Yang Kai is in Red Clouds Sect right now.”
“What?” Su Yan exclaimed, “What did you just say?” She couldn’t believe her ears. After pulling herself together, she said, “Young Sect Master, please don’t joke with me.”
“You can ask the Elders whether or not I’m telling the truth.”
Su Yan looked hopefully at the two Elders behind him.
One of them nodded and replied, “Young Sect Master is right. Today, a young man called Yang Kai came to our Sect to look for you and said…”
“What did he say?”
“He said he’s your husband.”
Su Yan staggered as her doubt had been cleared. [Yang Kai really was in Red Clouds Sect! Did he come to look for me? Has he been in the Ancestral Domain all these years?] She had always been a dispassionate lady, but at this moment, she couldn’t help but put on a bright smile, one that seemed to make all the colours in the world fade away and dull.
Han Qian Cheng widened his eyes as he stared fixedly at her. He was eager to pull her into his embrace and do whatever he wanted to her when he saw that radiant smile. The feeling of becoming one with such an icy beauty must be different from his experiences with other women.
“It seems that he’s really your husband.” Han Qian Cheng snorted as he was burning with jealousy.
Su Yan uttered, “Young Sect Master, I want to return back to the Sect.”
Han Qian Cheng shook his head and replied, “No! Unless my father gives the order, you cannot go back.” He paused for a moment and grinned, “Moreover, it’s pointless for you to go back.”
“What do you mean?” Su Yan asked with a frown.
“The thing is…” Han Qian Cheng sighed, “That Yang Kai is far too reckless. It’s fine that he came to look for you, but he scolded all of us and destroyed our Sect Defending Array. Our Sect has been around for thousands of years, so we won’t let anyone humiliate us. By now… I presume he must have been captured.” He tutted, “He must be going through an unimaginable ordeal now.”
A sense of coldness that seemed able to freeze people’s hearts appeared in this searing cave all of a sudden.
Han Qian Cheng looked smugly at her, as his intention was to make her furious. [If you beg me properly, I might grant your wish and let you meet your lover before his death.]
However, he soon became startled, because her cold aura had disappeared in the blink of an eye as her expression turned dispassionate again.
He asked, “Junior Sister, aren’t you worried?”
“Worried about what?” She questioned.
Han Qian Cheng was rendered speechless, as her reaction was different from his imagination. [Isn’t she too cold-hearted? That’s her husband after all. Now that he’s in trouble, she should appear worried at the very least. Why is she still so calm and collected?]
“Shouldn’t you be worried about that Yang Kai?”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” Su Yan brushed her hair back behind her ear.
When Yang Kai left the Star Field, he was already in the Second-Order Origin King Realm. Many years had passed, and given his aptitude, his cultivation must be among the top in the Ancestral Domain by now. Although those in the Red Clouds Sect were strong, it would be hard for them to deal with him. Moreover, he was proficient in the Dao of Space, so he was unmatched when it came to escaping.
Han Qian Cheng was startled for a moment before he said, “He’ll end up in a miserable state.”
“He only has himself to blame then.”
“Junior Sister, he’s your husband isn’t he, how can you just ignore his well being? If no one begs my father, he might severely punish him. If that Yang Kai is injured or even dies…”
“It is up to the Heavens to decide his life or death. Young Sect Master, you need not concern yourself.”
“Junior Sister, I’m willing to put in a good word to my father to let him go. You know that he will listen to me.”
“Many thanks for your kind intentions, Young Sect Master, but you don’t have to worry about it. I’m certain you find this place stiflingly hot, so you should probably return.”
“You…”
“By the way, if you go back and see my husband, please tell him to come over. I’ll be waiting for him here.”
“You bitch!” Han Qian Cheng couldn’t take it anymore and cursed.
Everything went differently from his imagination. He thought that after he told her this news, she would be flustered, and then she wouldn’t reject whatever request he would come up with. As long as she still cared about that bumpkin, Han Qian Cheng would be able to fulfil his long-held wish.
However, everything subverted his expectations. She didn’t even seem to care about that bumpkin’s safety at all.
[How is she so unfeeling and ruthless?] Even Han Qian Cheng felt sorry for Yang Kai. This kind of stone-hearted woman must be taught a lesson so that she would understand how it felt to be with a man.
At that instant, he couldn’t help but start snickering. [It seems that Yang Kai isn’t that important in her heart. However, since I’ve come here, I must obtain her.]
He raised his head and stared lustfully at her.
Su Yan questioned, “Is there anything else?”
Han Qian Cheng replied, “Although this place is dirty, it must be quite fun to do it here.”
Hearing that, Su Yan scowled.
“I’ve never slept with a woman in this kind of place. I’m looking forward to it. Will you scream after I strip you bare?”
With a clang, Su Yan summoned Profound Frost as a cold glint flashed across her weapon.
A sword wave rapidly swept toward Han Qian Cheng’s eyes as he was engulfed in the fear of death. Although he was in the Origin King Realm, his cultivation was built almost entirely using Spirit Pills. He had never battled against anyone before, so there was no way he could parry her attack. If no one saved him, he would be killed on the spot.
Just then, a big hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him back while at the same time, another hand moved past him and confronted the cold flash.
After a clang, the sword wave scattered and Su Yan withdrew her sword and straightened up as she watched the middle-aged man clad in grey and white clothes before her eyes. This man was in the First-Order Dao Source Realm, the same as Su Yan.
On the other hand, Han Qian Cheng had been saved by another Elder. Although he was fine, he felt as though he had just escaped from death’s door. After he stabilised himself, his cold sweat started streaming down his forehead as he growled, “You! You dare try to kill me!?”
The attack just now was no laughing matter. If the sword wave had hit him, he would undoubtedly have died.
“That was just a warning.” Su Yan looked impassively at Han Qian Cheng. Since he had the guts to harass her with such vulgar words, she had to respond appropriately.
“Good, very good!” Having just escaped from death’s door, Han Qian Cheng still appeared pale. As he looked insidiously at her, he stepped backwards until he all but left the cave and waved his hand, “Capture her!”
Whatever the case, he had to bed her today. He had lost all patience, so he wasn’t willing to keep waiting. Since she wasn’t willing, he just had to use force!
The two Elders stood beside each other as they blocked the cave entrance. They looked quite similar and were apparently brothers. Both of them appeared tough and sturdy as their shoulders and waists were broad. After they pushed their Source Qi, a layer of red glow appeared on their skin, which was so hot that it was as though it was burning with fire.
Han Qian Cheng prepared well before he came to the Fire Cloud Ore Vein to find fault with Su Yan. The two Elders he had chosen had cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts, so they were able to amplify their power in this environment.
By standing there, they had blocked the only exit. If Su Yan wanted to leave, she had to defeat them first.
The Elder on the left advised, “Su Yan, our Sect is basically your saviour. If it weren’t because we took you in after you came to the Ancestral Domain, you wouldn’t have been able to achieve success. Since you owe our Sect a favour, you should repay us. Is this how you repay our Young Sect Master?”
Su Yan refuted, “The only person who I am indebted to is my Master. What does it have to do with Red Clouds Sect?”
The Elder on the right snorted, “Young Sect Master will certainly take over the position of Sect Master in the future. How is he not a match for you? If you’re clever, agree to his request now. Otherwise, we’ll have to make you suffer.”
Su Yan slowly shook her head, “No!”
“How obstinate!”
“You court death!”
The Elders growled at the same time as their Source Qi soared, causing the cave to quake.
Han Qian Cheng bellowed, “Enough nonsense! Take her down now! I want to make her regret it for the rest of her life! By the way, don’t damage her face and body. I’m going to have fun with her later.”
“Don’t worry, Young Sect Master, she’s just a young inexperienced woman, so we can capture her easily.” The Elder on the left snorted as the Source Qi within his body surged. Then, he charged at Su Yan, stretching out his hand. As he attempted to claw at her, the Fire Attribute Energy around him seemed to be attracted as it gathered on his palm to amplify his power.
Su Yan wielded Profound Frost as a curved and azure-blue sword screen appeared right before her, serving as a protective barrier. The sword screen appeared thin, as though it could be broken by a gust of wind, but it was actually formed from countless tiny sword waves.
The Elder on the left extended his hand and came into contact with the sword screen, but he soon felt a sharp pain. In response, he pushed his Source Qi harder to scatter this thin barrier.
A ripple was formed, but the sword screen remained unphased. After the Elder’s first strike was blocked, he arched his brow in surprise. Although they were both in the First-Order Dao Source Realm, he had reached this realm a long time ago, while Su Yan had only broken through recently and had been guarding the Fire Cloud Ore Vein for the past ten years. It should have been impossible for her to increase her strength during this time, and with the environmental advantage, this Elder thought that he could defeat her with ease.
However, in just one move, he realised that he was wrong. Su Yan’s sword screen was impenetrable. She was indeed a cultivator from a Lower Star Field, but the purity of her Source Qi was beyond his imagination.
After the failed attack, the Elder on the left flew backwards and twisted his body as he circled around Su Yan.
At the same time, the Elder on the right stepped forward, upon which a brown hammer appeared in his hand. The brown hammer was more than a meter in length and appeared quite weighty. With this artifact in his hand, the right Elder charged forward and smashed down at the sword screen.
Su Yan frowned as she realised that this move was indeed powerful. If she was outside, she could have evaded it swiftly; however, she was trapped inside a narrow cave now, so how could she avoid his attack?
The sword screen suddenly disintegrated as Profound Frost released thousands of cold flashes. Following that, the flashes converged into one and shot towards the right Elder.
The entire cave suddenly filled with icy cold Sword Intent. Su Yan’s usually indifferent expression flashed with determination and coldness. Ignoring the hammer that was coming at her, she instead thrust out to attack, seemingly determined to perish together with the Elder on the right.
The Elder on the right was shocked and didn’t dare to continue with his attack. Although he would certainly end her life with his hammer, he would also be killed in the process. Feeling the power of her sword, he was horrified.
[Why is she so powerful?]
She was still so formidable even after she had been suppressed for ten years. If she stayed in the Sect to cultivate and continued to enjoy its resources, her power would soon reach an unbelievable level.
Her aptitude was indeed unrivalled. It was no wonder that the Sect Master decided to send her to guard the Fire Cloud Ore Vein for ten years. Otherwise, no one in Red Clouds Sect would be a match for her by now.
At the most critical moment, he lowered his brown hammer and parried the fatal attack.
Nevertheless, Su Yan twisted her wrist as Profound Frost flitted past the Elder and stabbed at Han Qian Cheng.
[Such swift movement!] The Elder on the right was astounded as he realised that Su Yan’s suicidal counterattack had actually just been a feint. Her intention was to catch the most important person on the scene. With the two Elders joining forces, there was no way she could escape from this place. However, if she managed to capture Han Qian Cheng, she could flip the situation around.
It was too late to turn back to save Han Qian Cheng, so at this critical moment, the Elder on the right stomped his foot hard, forming a crack on the ground, sending rocks shooting up. Su Yan’s vision was suddenly blocked, causing her movements to slow down momentarily.
“Get back here!” Seizing the chance, the Elder on the right wielded his brown hammer and blocked her way.
Profound Frost clashed with the hammer as she made use of the force from the exchange to withdraw to her original position.
[What a shame.] Su Yan thought to herself. If she was just a bit quicker, everything would have been different. She was a First-Order Dao Source Realm Master that had been suppressed for ten years, so the power she had showcased was indeed surprising, given the fact that she was confronted by two Elders at the same time. Both Han Qian Cheng and the Elders were already drenched in a cold sweat.
The battle just now was indeed marvellous and eye-catching.
The Elder on the left, who had snuck behind Su Yan, finally found a chance to make a move as he lashed his red whip at her. The whip looked like a fire snake that was sticking out its tongue as it swerved towards her.
Without turning her head, Su Yan swung her sword back and accurately parried the fire snake. Nonetheless, the fire snake twisted and climbed around the sword. At that instant, auras of fire and ice clashed with each other as the cave was soon filled with a thick fog, blocking everyone’s sight.
Just then, Su Yan turned around and pointed her finger at the red whip that looked like a fire snake. At that moment, her slender finger became as translucent as ice as though it was no longer made from flesh and bone.
The Elder on the left exclaimed in shock as he felt that his artifact’s spirituality had been damaged. Moreover, the damage was rapidly increasing. Not daring to dawdle, he immediately withdrew his artifact. His expression changed when he took a closer look because a layer of frost had formed on the end of his whip and was spreading quickly.
Astounded, the Elder on the left quickly pushed his Source Qi into the whip to break the frost. Even after succeeding, he still appeared horrified.
[Just how is she so strong?]
Although it was just a brief battle, both Elders realised that they were no match for Su Yan individually. If they were in a one-on-one fight with her, they would undoubtedly be the ones to lose.
Amidst the thick fog, all three of them activated their Divine Sense to locate each other. After the initial exchange, the two Elders no longer dared to make any rash moves. However, Su Yan was also in a perilous situation because her enemies were standing in front and behind her. Although she was incredibly strong, she couldn’t safely leave this place if she didn’t take some risks.
Both Elders wouldn’t dare to make any reckless moves now and were waiting for the right chance to capture her with one strike.
The place fell into silence, and the atmosphere was extremely eerie.
Displeased, Han Qian Cheng growled, “What are you two doing? You’re swift when it’s time to get your pay, but when I want you to capture someone, both of you are just dawdling about! Wastes!”
The two Elders were enraged upon hearing those words. [You are the waste, not us! If it wasn’t for you being the Young Sect Master, we would have killed you a long time ago! You know nothing, so how can you boss us around here!? Ridiculous!]
Whatever the case, both Elders were truly embarrassed because they couldn’t defeat Su Yan even though they had joined forces. After they communicated with each other using their Divine Senses, they came to an agreement. Following that, they both pushed their Spiritual Energy and sent two streams of invisible Divine Sense toward their target.
It was a Soul Technique!
Su Yan’s Source Qi was extremely pure, even more so than these two Elders. If they fought with her head-on, one of them might even be killed. However, an attack on her Soul would be a different story. It had only been ten years since Su Yan reached her current realm, so there was no way her Soul was that strong.
Any wise man would attack the enemy’s shortcomings using his strengths.
As expected, after Su Yan received the Divine Sense attacks, she groaned in pain. Apparently, she was unable to block their attacks. Her defence against their strike only lasted for a short while before it was broken.
The two Elders were elated upon that realization. In order to seize the chance, the Elder on the right didn’t hesitate and leapt at her while lifting his brown hammer.
Right then, he saw a faint glint in front of him. Upon scanning it with his Divine Sense, he realised that Su Yan was charging forward with her sword as she appeared determined. At the same time, she had totally given up her defence.
[Again?] The right Elder sneered. He had just been fooled by her earlier, which caused him to be embarrassed, so he wouldn’t fall for the same trick again.
Turning ferocious, he also gave up his defences and attempted to smash his brown hammer at her sword.
His brown hammer was a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact, while Profound Frost was just an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact, which Su Yan had brought with her from her Star Field. Both weapons were not even in the same realm. If their weapons clashed with each other, it would be Su Yan who would suffer a loss.
With this thought in mind, the right Elder grinned smugly, but his smile soon froze.
Before their weapons clashed, Su Yan’s sword avoided the hammer as it slid over his weapon in a seemingly impossible manner, the cold aura coming from the blade sending a chill down his spine.
Following that, the sound of a blade penetrating flesh could be heard as the Elder on the right grunted.
It was scorching hot inside the cave as the fog gradually dispersed, upon which everyone’s vision cleared up.
Standing outside the cave entrance, Han Qian Cheng widened his eyes as he gazed forward with a horrified expression. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
The hammer-holding Elder and Su Yan were just three steps apart as they were facing each other. However, at this moment, a blade had penetrated the Elder’s chest and stuck out of his back. The blade itself had a pristine glow about it, seemingly unstained by a single drop of blood.
With the wound as the centre, coldness spread across the Elder’s body, quickly freezing his limbs and head.
“You…” The Elder uttered with difficulty as he couldn’t believe that he would lose his life in this place. He thought that the way he was harmed earlier was ridiculous. He seemed to have fallen into a dazed state for a moment and when he came to his senses, his chest had already been penetrated.
Su Yan was surprised as well, for she didn’t expect that she could kill this Elder with such ease. Her intentions were to trade wounds with the other party. However, it had never crossed her mind that the Elder would be so inept.
[Was it really just a careless mistake?] In her heart, she felt that something was off. With no time to think about it though, she hurriedly infused her cold aura into the Elder and froze him into an ice sculpture in the blink of an eye. After she withdrew Profound Frost, the Elder fell forward and shattered into pieces.
Then, Su Yan turned around and swung her sword, upon which her cold aura condensed a flurry of snowflakes that engulfed the other Elder.
The left Elder still hadn’t come to his senses from the fact that his brother had just been killed. Faced with a fatal move though, he quickly composed himself and attempted to parry. However, he realised that he couldn’t make a move as he was covered in the snowflakes, winding up in the same state as the right Elder.
The snowflakes were actually condensed from Su Yan’s Source Qi, so they were extremely potent and deadly. The cold aura penetrated the Elder’s body through his pores, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. He wasn’t even able to circulate his Source Qi, so how would he resist her attack?
Faced with Su Yan’s strike, the Elder couldn’t even raise his hand. A look of regret and pleading flashed across his eyes as he was cut in half by her, upon which his blood splashed out, dying the cave red.
With a frown, Su Yan stood there with her sword in her hand. She didn’t feel joyful about killing two cultivators in the same realm, nor was she elated about escaping unscathed. Instead, she increasingly felt that something was amiss. At the same time, something seemed to be surging within her.
All of a sudden, she realised something and turned to the cave entrance as her eyes beamed with a different glow.
Earlier, she was too focused on the life-or-death battle with the two Elders, so she wasn’t aware of the strange sensation in her Soul. After both her enemies were killed though, she finally realised what this familiar feeling was. Even though she was a woman with an icy temperament, at this moment, she couldn’t hide the change of emotions on her face. Expectation, surprise, fear, apprehension…
“Ah!” Han Qian Cheng exclaimed as he staggered backwards and waved his hands, “J-Junior Sister, please don’t kill me. I-It’s just a misunderstanding.”
Both Elders were killed just like that. If he hadn’t seen it with his eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. He thought that he could rely on them to capture Su Yan so that he could do with her as he pleased. However, it now seemed that not only was his plan foiled, but he might also lose his life here.
He felt apprehensive because he didn’t know whether Su Yan would also kill him. [Wastes! How did they get killed by a woman so easily!?]
Suddenly, he couldn’t move backwards anymore as though he had crashed into a solid wall. Turning around, he opened his mouth wide and stuttered, “W-W-Why are you here?”
The young man called Yang Kai was now standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Han Qian Cheng wasn’t even sure how long Yang Kai had been there because he couldn’t sense his aura at all. [Wasn’t he supposed to have been captured by those Elders in the Sect by now? Why has he appeared here all of a sudden? Moreover, he looks totally fine!]
His face turned completely pale as he was now surrounded by two people who bore him ill will. When he caught a glimpse of Ruan Bi Ting, who was standing nearby, he hurriedly shouted, “Elder Ruan, save me!”
Without hiding the disdain behind her gaze, Ruan Bi Ting simply snorted coldly at him.
“Hello, Young Sect Master!” Yang Kai flashed a grin at him before raising his hand and uttering, “Goodbye!”
After he landed a palm on Han Qian Cheng, the latter turned into a pile of hashed meat without even a chance to scream. A metallic tang filled the cave, one that would induce the urge to retch. Yang Kai hadn’t met Su Yan for a long time, so he wasn’t willing to waste time on this rubbish.
He raised his head and looked at the person inside the cave. The image in his memory slowly integrated with the person before his eyes as he gulped. Although he had many things to tell her, he wasn’t even sure where to start. For some reason, he became very nervous.
On the other hand, Su Yan was staring quietly at him with her clear gaze, as though he was the only existence in this world.
“Ahem!” Ruan Bi Ting coughed and spoke, “Go on and have a chat. I’ll go out.”
Even a fool could see that the atmosphere was turning ambiguous, so she wouldn’t choose to continue staying in this place. However, she felt crestfallen as her decision somewhat led to the destruction of the Red Clouds Sect. She wasn’t even sure where else she could go now.
It was supposed to be a warm reunion after a long time of separation, but the three corpses on the ground had spoiled the atmosphere. Nevertheless, as long as they were together, they would still feel sweet even if they were in Hell.
“What are you waiting for? Come over here!” Su Yan beckoned to Yang Kai as she spoke in a trembling voice, which went to show that she wasn’t as calm as she appeared to be.
Now, she knew that she managed to kill the two Elders with ease not because they had made a mistake, or because her potential was suddenly ignited, but because this man had secretly assisted her.
Yang Kai threw himself at her as he spread his arms and pulled her into his embrace. He was so forceful that it was as though he wanted to merge her into his body so that they would never separate again.
Her fragrance and touch were still so familiar to him. Although they had been separated for several dozen years, he still hadn’t forgotten anything about her. The moment they came into contact with each other, all the memories were unsealed as they flashed across their minds as though it was yesterday.
Su Yan draped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. This moment seemed to have turned into eternity.
Yang Kai greedily inhaled her scent as he could never get enough of it, but after half an hour spent just like that, Su Yan patted his back and spoke in a tone that sounded like a mother pacifying her child, “It’s alright.”
“No,” Yang Kai wasn’t willing to let her go. Feeling unsatisfied, he moved away a little and clenched her shoulders. When their eyes met, he lowered his head and locked his lips with hers.
Just like her temperament, her red lips were cold, but Yang Kai was still engrossed in the kiss. Then, he pried her mouth open and stuck out his tongue as they had a taste of each other’s longing. Initially, Su Yan was stiff. After all, they hadn’t met for decades, and they hadn’t been so intimate with each other for a long time. However, after she got used to it, her body softened as she proactively wrapped her arms around his neck.
The two of them were deeply engrossed in their kiss, and if not for the environment and the corpses on the ground, the sight could be considered romantic and poetic.
A while later, Yang Kai still wasn’t satisfied, so he moved one hand towards her bottom and grabbed her peaks with the other. As he felt the amazing elasticity of her body through his hands, he began massaging them as he pleased.
Su Yan balled up her fists and thumped at his shoulders, but it was useless. Instead, her actions only stimulated his wild nature.
Then, she hardened her heart and bit his lips, but he was still unfazed.
“Don’t force…” she mumbled with difficulty, but before she could even finish her words, her soft tongue was captured and sucked by his lips.
All of a sudden, he stopped his presumptuous action as he realised that he couldn’t feel the intoxicating touch anymore. Instead, he felt a cold aura as though he was grabbing ice blocks. Not only was her body hard, but it was also bitingly cold. Both his hands and tongue felt the same way, as though he was embracing an ice sculpture.
Then, he moved away a little and took a look. Shocked, he asked, “Senior Sister, what are you doing?”
At this moment, Su Yan appeared translucent as though she was sculpted from an ice block. There was no trace of flesh on her body, and if it weren’t for her eyes that seemed out of focus and her panting, anyone would have mistaken her to be an ice sculpture.
“My Master is still outside.” Su Yan reached out a finger and poked his head.
Although she too was drowning in a sense of longing after the reunion, in the end, she was a woman with a sense of shame. Moreover, how could she let Ruan Bi Ting wait outside while she made out with Yang Kai in this cave?
Yang Kai grabbed her finger and fiddled with it as he asked in shock, “Is this the Ice Crystal Jade Body?”
Su Yan nodded and retracted her finger, upon which she deactivated her Divine Ability and restored her body. After pushing him away, she scolded, “Don’t move. Let me have a look at you.”
While remaining on the same spot, Yang Kai grinned at her.
Upon inspection, she finally set her mind at ease. He had ventured into the outside world for several dozen years, so she was glad that none of his limbs were missing. His cultivation wasn’t as important as his safety.
Yang Kai uttered, “I’m hurt.”
Su Yan asked in shock, “Where?” She had failed to notice it just now.
Then, he appeared in pain as he explained, “I don’t know. Senior Sister, you must give me a full examination. I feel that my entire body is in pain. I think I’m dying.”
“Which part of your body is hurt!?” Su Yan’s expression changed as she was flustered.
After that, Yang Kai wrapped his arms around her waist and replied with a grin, “It’s not the right place for an examination. Let’s go somewhere else.” After a flash, both of them disappeared from the place.
Somewhere near the medicine garden in the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai quickly stripped himself bare. Then, he took her hand and placed it on his chest before saying in a shy manner, “Senior Sister, please do a thorough examination of me now. My heart is thumping.”
Su Yan glowered at him as her fair face started blushing. Lowering her head, she said through clenched teeth, “I think you look fine. You’re not hurt at all.” She was truly worried about him just now, but after giving it a thought, she realised that he was able to influence the two Elders without any of them noticing, so it was apparent that his strength had grown to an incredible level. Therefore, it was unlikely that he would get hurt easily.
As for the reason his heart was beating so fast, the lust in his eyes was more than enough of an explanation.
Yang Kai gulped as he stared at her blushing face. Leaning closer to her, he uttered, “Senior Sister, you have to let me check on you as well.”
“I-I’m not hurt.” Su Yan looked away.
“How will I know if you don’t let me examine you? You just battled two enemies in the same realm, it would be terrible if you were left with some internal injuries.” As he spoke, he started making a move. Her white robes couldn’t possibly withstand his rough movements and were soon taken off.
Seeing her jade white body filled with astonishing curves and softness, Yang Kai practically threw himself onto her. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably as she attempted to suppress her moaning. During their union, a layer of pinkness appeared on her fair skin and even the air seemed to have been filled with sweetness.
It was like a timely rain after a prolonged drought. All the trees had been resurrected, and all the flowers started blooming.
Su Yan’s white clothes were put on and then taken off again and again, as though she had fallen into an infinite loop.
No matter how impassive and aloof she was, she couldn’t resist Yang Kai’s passionate aggression. The fiery lust seemed able to completely melt her Ice Crystal Jade Body. She lay paralysed on the ground as she couldn’t exert any strength at all, as though all her bones had softened. Her fair skin was left with many marks that were caused during the intimate session.
They spent the entire day entangled with one another, and as they both lay naked, Yang Kai rested his head on her plump bosom to take a rest.
Su Yan’s out-of-focus eyes slowly regained their vigour as she patted his head and asked, “Are you done?”
She couldn’t take it anymore, as the man in her embrace seemed to have the intention of infusing his several dozen years of longing into her body, causing her to writhe in happiness. Her heart had been like a still lake for the past few decades, but at this moment, countless ripples had been formed in it.
Yang Kai could be heard mumbling, but it was hard to make out what he was saying, as though he was talking in his sleep.
With a faint smile, Su Yan stroked his back with her slender hand, as if she was trying to pacify a child who was having a nightmare. All of a sudden, she uttered, “It must have been difficult for you over the years.”
He was just a Second-Order Origin King when he left the Star Field, but now, she couldn’t even be certain about his current realm. However, she could feel that he must have reached a height even greater than the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
He must have sacrificed much and endured even more to reach this kind of realm.
Although she hadn’t been able to stand by his side over the years, she knew that he must have gone through a lot of hardship and pain. At that instant, she felt utterly sorry for him. [Who was there to serve and take care of him whenever he was hurt?]
“I’m fine.” Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and rested his head on his palm. As he stared at her face right in front of his own, he began climbing on of her peaks with his hand. Appearing to be deep in guilt, he said, “I’m sorry for being late.”
Su Yan stroked his face and protested, “You’re such a fool!”
Yang Kai was startled, “I’m a fool?”
Covering her mouth, she giggled and replied, “Yes, you’re the most foolish person I’ve ever seen.”
“Why do you say so?” He felt wronged.
Nevertheless, she just smiled without replying to him.
Pretending to be angry, he uttered, “How dare you tease me?” Then, he extended his hand to tickle her, causing her to scowl as she tried her hardest not to laugh. After that, he paused what he was doing and tilted his head, “If I’m a fool, then all of you are this fool’s wives!”
Upon finishing his words, he lowered his head and kissed the redness on her chest, as though he was having a taste of the most delectable dish in the world.
Su Yan stiffened and bit her lip as her long legs unconsciously squirmed. Reaching out her hands, she cupped his face and hoisted his head.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“Let’s go again…” Su Yan looked away and said gently as she was too shy to meet his eyes.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s eyes beamed with a lustful glare. Upon receiving the order, he stopped hesitating and growled before he pressed his body against hers.
…
“Let me put on my clothes.” Su Yan appeared exhausted and desperate as she looked at him and pleaded.
[No. We can’t keep doing this. If I don’t put on my clothes, I’ll probably die here. Moreover, I’m really too unrestrained as I’ve made love with him in this place for two days! My Master has been waiting for so long.] Realising that she still had to face Ruan Bi Ting later, Su Yan started blushing.
Yang Kai grinned at her, “Why are you in a rush? I’m not done with you yet.”
She poked his forehead and demanded, “Be a good boy.”
He nodded repeatedly, “Yes, Ma’am.”
She went on to say, “We still have a lot of time in the future, so you don’t have to rush things.”
“But we haven’t even dual cultivated yet!”
Two days of union was just his way to express his longing, but they hadn’t even cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art.
“Can we do it next time?” Su Yan pleaded with him.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head.
With a long face, she threatened, “I’ll get mad.”
He couldn’t help but be frightened as he darted his gaze around and replied, “I want to tell you what I’ve gone through over the years. Don’t you want to listen?”
She frowned and appeared hesitant. Certainly, she wanted to find out what had happened to him over the years. In fact, she had wanted to ask him about it right after their reunion, but he didn’t give her that chance. After hesitating for a bit, she uttered, “Good… The short version?”
“Good.” After lifting her up, he sat down with his legs crossed and grinned at her, “We can talk about it while dual cultivating.”
Feeling helpless, she nodded gently. Then, she ran her fingers through her messy hair and tied it into a bun before she sat down on his thighs.
It was a story of his experience in the past several dozen years, so he couldn’t make it short. Beside the medicine garden, a man and a woman could be heard moaning harmoniously as their desire consumed them from the inside out.
Time went by slowly as Yang Kai narrated his experiences to her. Too many things happened after he arrived in the Star Boundary, so he only told her the most important events and avoided talking about his dangerous experiences. Su Yan listened attentively as she asked some questions from time to time.
A long time had passed when he was finally done with his story.
“Senior Sister, what about you? How did you end up in the Ancestral Domain?”
She replied, “It was an unexpected opportunity.”
It was indeed a strange incident. Heng Luo Star Field had always been a sealed place, and their connection with the Star Boundary was actually formed using the Star Emperor Tokens left behind by Yang Yan. However, five years after Yang Kai left, an area of space in the Star Field showed some unusual signs, as though it was going to collapse.
That place wasn’t far from Shadowed Star, so upon learning the news, Su Yan brought some people with her to look into the matter. However, before she could find out what was going on, she suddenly arrived at the Ancestral Domain and then joined Red Clouds Sect. She wasn’t even sure how she had come to this new place.
The story after she joined the Sect was simple. She was favoured by Ruan Bi Ting, so she was taken in as her Disciple and nurtured by her. However, because she resisted Han Qian Cheng’s harassment, she was ordered to guard the Fire Cloud Ore Vein, and she had stayed there for ten years since then.
Upon hearing her story, Yang Kai snorted and regretted killing Han Qian Cheng too quickly earlier. He should have tortured him first.
…..
“Elder Ruan, Red Clouds Sect is finished! What should we do?” Inside the Fire Cloud Ore Vein, the disciples, who were responsible for mining operations here, looked to Ruan Bi Ting for guidance.
They had received the news from their Sect that their Sect Master and all the Elders were killed by a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old, and the incident seemed to be related to Su Yan.
The death of the Sect Master signalled the fall of Red Cloud Sects. In just one night, all the disciples scrambled to leave the Sect as they were worried that they would be dragged into this mess. There was probably no one left in the Sect now.
It was already quite late when these disciples, who were here to mine Fire Cloud Ore, received the news.
Feeling apprehensive, they had no choice but to ask Ruan Bi Ting what they could do.
Ruan Bi Ting heaved a sigh as everything was within her expectation.
She had protected the Sect for 100 years, so she felt dejected that it was now destroyed. However, after giving it a thought, she realised that those from the Sect only had themselves to blame. If Han Zheng Yuan wasn’t such a narrow-minded man, his Sect wouldn’t have ended up in such a state. If they had treated Su Yan well, they would have reaped a handsome reward by now.
The young man called Yang Kai possessed a power that was beyond even her ability to comprehend. She wasn’t even certain about what realm he was in. However, she knew that if Yang Kai was willing to gift any one of his possessions to them, it would be hugely beneficial for Red Clouds Sect.
Unfortunately, there was no pill for regret in this world. Han Zheng Yuan and his son must be utterly regretful in Hell right now.
“You must seek your own path now,” Ruan Bi Ting waved her hand in a crestfallen manner.
“Elder Ruan, only you can take charge of Red Clouds Sect now.” The disciple at the front wasn’t willing to leave the Sect, so he still attempted to persuade her.
However, Ruan Bi Ting shook her head, “Red Clouds Sect has fallen. There are no everlasting Sects or families in this world. Tides rise and fall. Flowers bloom and wither. Just let nature take its course. Please go now.”
In fact, she was more relieved than sorry. She took a deep breath as she refreshed her spirits, as though the chains that had been binding her had shattered to pieces.
“But…”
All of a sudden, Ruan Bi Ting’s expression turned solemn as she looked in a particular direction and uttered, “That person is coming. If you don’t want to be dragged into this, leave now. I’m not even sure if he will kill all of you.”
The expressions of these disciples changed when they heard that. Not daring to remain, all of them ran away in the blink of an eye.
A moment later, Yang Kai and Su Yan came out together.
“Master,” Su Yan saluted her with a healthy blush on her face.
Ruan Bi Ting wasn’t an inexperienced little girl, so she knew what this pair had been up to for the past few days. Besides the fact that Su Yan had become even more charming at this moment, Ruan Bi Ting was able to tell through the unique fragrance associated with such acts that were literally covering them.
[It’s been ten days! This brat is truly relentless!]
“Su Yan, you… wait, your cultivation!” Ruan Bi Ting hadn’t even finished her words when she stared at Su Yan in shock. She thought that she was dreaming.
They hadn’t met each other for merely ten days, but Su Yan’s cultivation had risen from the First-Order to the Second-Order Dao Source Realm! Moreover, her aura was rich and her foundation was solid, as though she had spent years thoroughly consolidating it.
[H-How can this be?]
She had never doubted Su Yan’s aptitude, as the latter was able to go from peak Third-Order Origin King Realm to Dao Source Realm in just five years. In the past, it had taken her more than ten years to achieve the same result.
However, they were now in the Fire Cloud Ore Vein, and Su Yan had been suppressed here for ten years, so her cultivation shouldn’t have increased at all. Ruan Bi Ting was even certain about this fact as when she came to look for Su Yan ten days ago, the latter’s cultivation was still in the same state as ten years ago.
However, now, Su Yan had reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, the same as her.
[How did she achieve this? How is this possible?] After Ruan Bi Ting recovered from her shock, she immediately turned to look at Yang Kai.
There was no way Su Yan was able to achieve this on her own. This had nothing to do with aptitude, it was simply an impossibility to advance so quickly without some kind of shocking fortuitous encounter or outside assistance from a supreme Master.
It must be this young man who had helped her! But what kind of elixirs did he give to Su Yan to achieve such an amazing result?
Su Yan’s face turned a shade redder. In truth, it was all thanks to the dual cultivation session she just experienced that she was able to reach a higher realm. The Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art was a Dual Cultivation Technique. Although they hadn’t met for ages, Su Yan’s foundation had only been strengthened over the years, so after the dual cultivation session, her accumulated strength burst forth and pushed her cultivation higher.
Moreover, Yang Kai was in the Emperor Realm, so with his ‘assistance’, it was impossible that Su Yan couldn’t reach a higher realm.
“Congratulations.” Ruan Bi Ting came to her senses and stared at Su Yan.
She felt joyful that her Disciple had attained the same realm as her. It went to show that she had made the right decision to take her under her wing.
Su Yan replied, “Master, it’s all thanks to your help over the years.” Without Ruan Bi Ting continuously and secretly giving her resources this past decade, her cultivation would have regressed, as it was impossible for her to maintain her realm in this fiery place without adequate support.
“Many thanks, Elder Ruan.” Yang Kai saluted her with a sincere expression. There was no doubt that Ruan Bi Ting had been treating Su Yan well. During their conversation over the past few days, he had heard from Su Yan about what Ruan Bi Ting had done for her, so he was grateful towards her Master as well.
Ruan Bi Ting waved her hand and uttered, “You don’t have to thank me. Su Yan is my Disciple, so I’m supposed to take care of her. I blame myself for not being resolute enough in the past as I didn’t take her and leave Red Clouds Sect, which caused her cultivation to stagnate for ten years. Thankfully, she’s finally reached a higher realm. Otherwise, I’d feel very guilty.” Then, she turned to look at Yang Kai, “You must treat her well. Although I’m no match for you in terms of cultivation, I won’t let you off if you ever betray her.”
Yang Kai grinned at her and made a ‘cut-throat’ gesture on his neck, “Senior, if that really happens one day, you don’t have to do it because I’ll behead myself.” Although his cultivation was more powerful than hers, she was Su Yan’s Master after all. So, he was supposed to call her ‘Senior’.
With a smile, Ruan Bi Ting replied, “I’ll remember that.”
Realising something, Su Yan asked, “Master, where will you go now?”
Ruan Bi Ting took her Disciple’s hands and heaved a sigh, “Red Clouds Sect has fallen. Prior to that, I was expelled from the Sect by Han Zheng Yuan. The world is vast, so I should go out and have a look; after all, I’ve stayed in the same place for 100 years already. Furthermore, you’re already in the same realm as me. If I don’t work harder, how am I supposed to be your Master?”
Su Yan asked, “Master, why don’t you come with me?”
With a faint smile, Ruan Bi Ting replied, “You two have just reunited after a long time of separation, so why should I be the third wheel? Good, we’ll definitely meet again when the time is right.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior, if you leave now, we might not be able to meet each other forever.”
Ruan Bi Ting uttered, “Although the Ancestral Domain is vast, we still can meet up if we want to.”
“We are going to leave the Ancestral Domain soon.”
Ruan Bi Ting was startled for a moment before she stared at Su Yan and asked, “You’re leaving the Ancestral Domain? Where are you going?”
Su Yan replied, “The Star Boundary!”
“Star Boundary?” Ruan Bi Ting was stunned, but she soon appeared surprised, “You have a way to head to the Star Boundary?” Judging from her expression, it was apparent that she was aware of the existence of the Star Boundary.
In fact, this wasn’t surprising. The Ancestral Domain was connected to countless Star Fields, some of which undoubtedly knew of the Star Boundary. The average cultivators in the Ancestral Domain might not be aware of it, but the top cultivators would be able to gain access to this kind of secretive information.
The Star Boundary was almost a legendary place. It was rumoured that it was a broader place with even more abundant World Energy. The environment there was more advanced, and there was a higher Martial Dao to be pursued.
It was the final destination in every cultivator’s Martial Dao journey. In that place, Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters were nobodies.
“En.” With a serious expression, Yang Kai nodded.
“Master, please come with me.” Su Yan pleaded with her. Ruan Bi Ting had helped her immensely before, and if they parted ways just like this, she might not be able to repay her favour forever.
At that moment, a myriad of expressions came over Ruan Bi Ting. She intended to roam around the world, but all of a sudden, a door had been opened right before her eyes, and the view on the other end was extremely tempting.
After taking a deep breath, she stared at Yang Kai and asked, “What realm are you in right now?”
“I am a First-Order Emperor.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
“The Emperor Realm!” Ruan Bi Ting appeared to be yearning for it, “After the Dao Source Realm, it’s called the Emperor Realm?” She tucked her hair behind her ear and put on a smile, “If I tag along, will I disturb you two?”
“No, because we’ve had enoug… gah!”
Su Yan hit his stomach with her elbow.
Ruan Bi Ting looked smilingly at her and said, “I’ll rely on you from now on, then.”
…
Although the view in Red Clouds Sect remained beautiful, the place was no longer lively.
Despite the Sect’s vast territory, the entire place was quiet. Not a single person could be seen in the square or wandering the palaces, as though this place had become a desolate area. Even the beasts in the forests had returned to their homes and wouldn’t come out again, as if they could sense the danger around them.
On the steps in front of a certain palace, Liu Yan was sitting as she rested her chin on her palms and stared at the scene in front of her. Her gaze appeared listless and hollow, as though she had no regard for anyone or anything in this world, but at the same time, it seemed able to contain the entire world.
He Yun Xiang shuffled towards her and took a look at her with fear in her heart.
No one could have expected that this adorable-looking little girl was able to kill her enemies in such a resolute manner. He Yun Xiang still remembered vividly what happened inside the reception hall ten days ago. This little girl used a single fire snake to burn the Sect Master and all the Elders of Red Clouds Sect to ashes in less than ten breaths of time. Those formidable Dao Source Realm Masters in He Yun Xiang’s eyes were completely powerless when confronted by her attack.
“Have you found anything good?” Liu Yan suddenly looked at her and raised her hand, upon which a burning palm-sized firebird that had been following He Yun Xiang around flew over and landed, vanishing after a light chirp.
He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before she replied, “I’ve taken all the things from their storehouse.”
Red Clouds Sect was a great force in the Ancestral Domain, so they had their own treasury of course. Normally, only the Sect Master and a small number of Elders had the right to open it; however, the Sect Master Han Zheng Yuan and the Elders were killed suddenly, and all the disciples had run away, so no one had the time to get anything out from the storehouse.
The treasury was protected by multiple barriers while He Yun Xiang had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago, so she was powerless to open it. However, the firebird given to her by Liu Yan had burned through all the barriers with ease, allowing her to enter and clean out the place.
He Yun Xiang had never expected that she would one day be able to seize so many treasures, exciting her greatly. Those were the treasures that had been accumulated by Red Clouds Sect over thousands of years, which included countless elixirs, exotic herbs, Secret Art manuals, and artifacts.
As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates who had roamed around the entire Unending Star Field and robbed countless people for many years, it wasn’t until this moment that she realised that she was still just a small-time ignorant bumpkin. The treasures seized by the Fierce Gale Pirates were totally incomparable to what she found in Red Clouds Sect’s treasure house.
It required more than ten Space Rings for her to store everything!
[We’re rich now!] Then, she passed all the Space Rings in her hands to Liu Yan, who raised her head and stared at her with her clear gaze.
“I’ll just keep one and you can have the rest, Madam,” He Yun Xiang explained. Certainly, she couldn’t hoard all the good stuff, as she was someone who knew her place. Besides, just this one ring would be enough to last her for many years.
“Just keep all of it.” Liu Yan waved her hand.
Both Yang Kai and she didn’t need this kind of trash.
“But…”
All of a sudden, Liu Yan turned to look in a particular direction as her petite figure leapt up. Her expression also became strange, filling with a mix of excitement and respect.
He Yun Xiang was shocked and followed her gaze, only to see a few figures rapidly flying towards them. The person at the front was none other than Yang Kai. A moment later, all three of them landed on the ground.
In an instant, He Yun Xiang was attracted to the unfamiliar woman as she was astounded. [What a pure beauty! Sir was enraged upon learning that ‘Su Yan’ had been mistreated. Is she the one?]
The first impression she had of Su Yan was that the latter was utterly flawless. It was as if the Heavens had given all its blessings to her. By just looking at her, any woman would find themselves feeling inferior.
Then, she took a closer look at her face and realised that the latter was indeed beautiful enough to make any man fall for her. It was then she came to the realisation why Yang Kai wasn’t interested in her, because he already had such a beautiful woman by his side. Other women in this world probably couldn’t attract him anymore.
“Sir,” He Yun Xiang hurriedly saluted him as she felt apprehensive because she was worried that Su Yan might be displeased with her; after all, she had been following Yang Kai around, so it would be terrible if the latter was jealous. It seemed that she had to be more restrained in the future. At the very least, she should stop trying to flirt with Yang Kai.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai looked puzzledly at Liu Yan as he approached her and stroked her head. Then, he said with a grin, “Don’t you remember her?”
Certainly, Liu Yan and Su Yan knew each other because they had come into contact many times before in Heng Luo Star Field. What baffled Yang Kai was that Liu Yan was looking at her with a curious expression, as though it was her first time meeting her.
What was even more puzzling for him was that Su Yan was also looking at Liu Yan in the same way, her gaze filled with interest.
Yang Kai darted his gaze between them and asked in bewilderment, “What are you two doing?”
Liu Yan stepped forward and approached Su Yan before she wrinkled her nose and sniffed around her like a dog. A moment later, she raised her head and flashed a smile at her.
Su Yan smiled back at her as though she was looking at her relative. Lovingly, she stroked Liu Yan’s head and asked in a soft voice, “What’s your name?”
Yang Kai hurriedly wiped the rapidly forming cold sweat on his forehead and explained, “She’s Liu Yan.”
Su Yan paused what she was doing as she was astonished, “Liu Yan?”
[Why has she become like this?] The Liu Yan Su Yan remembered was a beautiful mature woman who was always clad in revealing clothes. She had never expected that Liu Yan had become a child when they met again.
Then, she turned to look at Yang Kai and inquired him about it with her gaze.
“It’s a long story, but in short, many things have happened, and she’s become like this.” He paused for a moment, “By the way, why were you two silently looking at each other just now?”
He didn’t understand what these two women of different heights were up to as they were not so intimate in the past.
Su Yan and Liu Yan traded glances as they put on tacit smiles, but they didn’t seem to have the intention of explaining themselves.
[Oh! Just you wait!] Yang Kai protested in his heart, but he didn’t want to harp on this issue. After looking around, he said, “Let’s go.”
Ruan Bi Ting waved her hand, upon which a 100-metre ship with four floors appeared. The ship was beautifully crafted, so it was apparently made by a famous grandmaster.
After they boarded the ship, Ruan Bi Ting injected her Source Qi into it and with a flicker, it soared off.
It was time to return home!
The vast Star Field was dead silent.
A Void Corridor swirled at a certain location, looking as if it had been there for eternity all on its own. The Void Corridor was unlike others because it gave off a feeling that it was extremely unstable, as though it would collapse at any moment.
A dangerous aura wafted from it.
The existence of this Void Corridor wasn’t a secret in the Star Field, but rarely did anyone have the guts to approach it. That was because a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master had gone missing in this place in the past, and there had not been any news about her since then. No one knew for sure whether she was even still alive.
So, over the years, many people had speculated that this Void Corridor led to an unknown world from which there was no way to return, but no one had actually tried to find out.
In fact, this place had become desolate for several dozen years.
However, at this moment, there seemed to be some unusual changes in the Void Corridor. The entrance violently contracted and expanded several times before a beam of colourful light shot out of it.
A figure was also ejected out of the corridor along with the beam of light. Like an arrow leaving the bow, the person was shot out more than a kilometre before he managed to stabilize himself.
The person was none other than Yang Kai. At this moment, he appeared quite dishevelled.
After he entered the Star Road Portal in the Ancestral Domain, he had to pass through multiple Void Cracks before he managed to return to Heng Luo Star Field. It took him quite some effort to do that. He couldn’t use much of his strength either as it might cause a Void Collapse, but he also couldn’t use a power that was too weak, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to break through the various World Barriers to reach his destination.
He had made many attempts before he found the path back home. After he stabilised himself, he scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense. Following that, he appeared elated as he guffawed. That was because he could sense the existence of Shadowed Star.
Spreading his arms, it was as if he wanted to embrace the Star Field itself.
[Heng Luo Star Field, I’m back!]
When he left this place in the past, he had never expected that he would come back so soon. He had set a goal of returning 100 years later for himself, but now, not even half of that time had passed. The journey had been paved with countless hardships and life-or-death battles, but everything became worthwhile now. The images of the people he had been longing for became clearer in his mind, making him wish he could grow a pair of wings and immediately fly back to Shadowed Star. He wanted to show up before their eyes and see how pleasantly surprised they were.
Then, he turned around and stared fixedly at the Void Corridor. That was the portal through which Su Yan had travelled to the Ancestral Domain. As he felt the aura wafting from the corridor, he was still reeling from the shock. Su Yan must have been extremely lucky to have arrived at the Ancestral Domain safely.
After that, he took a deep breath and waved his hand, upon which Su Yan appeared before his eyes.
She seemed to be meditating, but upon realising something had changed around her, she opened her eyes and looked around before asking with a smile, “We’re back?”
Before they embarked on the journey back home, Yang Kai put all of them in the Sealed World Bead. First of all, it was energy-consuming to bring so many people to pass through the Star Road Portal. Secondly, Su Yan was in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, which was beyond the limits of what Heng Leng Star Field could tolerate, so she had to suppress her cultivation.
So far, it seemed that she had been doing well. It was just that she had suppressed her cultivation too much, to the point that she only gave off a Second-Order Origin King aura now.
“En, we’re back!” Yang Kai took a deep breath. Although there was no air in the Starry Sky, he could still smell the familiar scent. Then, he extended his hand and grabbed Su Yan’s firmly, as though he didn’t want to separate with her again. With their hands of different sizes interlocked with each other, Yang Kai appeared as excited as a child as he declared, “Let’s go back home!”
He didn’t need to identify the direction as the intimate connection between Shadowed Star and him was enough to point out the right way for him. Following that, they transformed into a beam of light and shot towards Shadowed Star.
With a beautiful woman by his side, Yang Kai no longer felt lonely on his journey. Whenever he felt like it, he would bring Su Yan to land on a nearby Dead Star or asteroid before engaging in various ‘activities’ with her. After he did this several times though, Su Yan had no choice but to use her Ice Crystal Jade Body to dampen his enthusiasm.
A few days later, a huge Star finally came into sight. The Star Source of Shadowed Star within his body pulsated, as if it was a traveller that was finally back home.
For some reason, Yang Kai felt nervous again, as if he was slightly afraid to return home. Then, he felt a firm grip on his hand. It was Su Yan who had grabbed his big hand. As their eyes met, he was finally at ease. After that, he pulled her into an embrace and landed a kiss on her forehead as he shouted, “Let’s go!”
Half a day later, they were in a location that was near Shadowed Star.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai and Su Yan turned to look at a spot where more than ten large Starships were hovering in the Starry Sky. Powerful auras radiated from those Starships.
“What Sect are they from?” Yang Kai pointed at the symbol that looked like a skeleton on a Starship. Perhaps he had left the Star Field for too long, so he couldn’t recognise the great force this symbol represented.
Unexpectedly, Su Yan shook her head and replied, “I don’t know.”
She had also left the Star Field for years, so she wasn’t aware of the changes that had happened to Heng Luo Star Field and Shadowed Star in recent decades.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared on the deck of the biggest Starship. It was an old man with a dense aura, marking him as a Third-Order Origin King. They were a few thousand metres apart, but he still fixed his sharp gaze on Yang Kai. His eyes seemed capable of seeing through the void and the intrinsic quality of everything in this world.
Yang Kai flashed a smile at him, but the old man raised his hand, upon which a Crystal Cannon on the Starship aimed at Yang Kai and Su Yan before a dazzling light started converging. Following that, a beam of light shot toward them.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai chuckled heartily, “It seems we’ve bumped into a madman right after we’ve come back. En, let’s have a chat with him.”
After the beam of light diminished, Yang Kai and Su Yan were nowhere to be found. The old man on the deck stared in that direction for a while before he snorted and turned around, ready to get back into the cabin.
However, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as he felt a sense of coldness engulfing him. With a horrified gaze, he stared fixedly at the front where a man and a woman had appeared at some point without him realising. These two people were none other than the pair he had just seen thousands of metres away! They were supposed to have been destroyed by the Crystal Cannon.
Nevertheless, they were still alive and kicking as they appeared behind him, but he couldn’t sense their presence at all.
“Old Sir, are you addicted to killing or something?” Yang Kai looked smilingly at him. In the past, he would have directly killed this old man with one punch; however, he was in a good mood on this day, so he wasn’t interested in seeing blood. Moreover, he didn’t know this old man’s identity, so he didn’t want to make a rash move. It would be terrible if the old man actually held an important position and there was simply some misunderstanding here.
Yang Kai had connections with many people and forces in Heng Luo Star Field, so he couldn’t act rashly.
The old man just stared fixedly at Yang Kai without replying to him. He instinctively felt that he couldn’t afford to offend this young man as a drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. With his hands hidden in his sleeves, he secretly performed a seal and readied himself to make a move at any moment.
“Old Mister, who are you? Who do these Starships belong to? What are you all doing here?” Yang Kai looked around and casually asked some questions, but he didn’t get any answers in return.
Then, he stepped forward and circled around the old man several times. Following that, he stopped in front of him and leaned closer to gaze at him, “Old Mister, you seem very anxious.”
More cold sweat streamed down the old man’s forehead.
Yang Kai reached out and patted the old man’s shoulder before saying with a grin, “Don’t worry. As long as you’re not my enemy, I won’t do anything to you. Are you my enemy?”
“N-N-No!” The old man uttered with difficulty.
Yang Kai nodded, “Very good. By the way, let me introduce myself. I’m the Master of this Star, Yang Kai.” He pointed at the huge Star below them.
The old man’s pupils contracted as he appeared horrified. He had never heard of any news that there was a Star Master for this Cultivation Star, but Yang Kai appeared serious, so he wasn’t sure if he should believe him.
“I’ve been gone for several dozen years, and I’m finally back today. Some women are waiting for me at home. Old Mister, what gifts do you think I should bring?”
[Why are you asking me this question?] The old man complained in his heart, but he wouldn’t dare to ignore his question. After giving it a thought, he replied, “I don’t think they’ll care about gifts as long as you’re back.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and nodded in agreement, “Old Mister, you’re right.” Then, he suddenly laughed, “I’m already the best gift. Do you agree, Senior Sister?”
Su Yan replied, “Yes.”
“Old Mister, many thanks for enlightening me.” Yang Kai cupped his fists at the old man and took a deep breath, “I should get going now. I believe they can’t wait to see me.”
[Please just go away! Where did this lunatic come from!? It’s a shame that this beautiful woman doesn’t seem to have the intention of leaving him.]
Yang Kai was indeed in a rush, so he was eager to leave, but just as he was about to fly off, he suddenly turned around and looked at the old man, “Old Mister, are you really not my enemy?”
“Certainly not!”
“En, good,” Yang Kai nodded, “Just so you know, if you were my enemy, your end will be miserable.”
The old man’s heart jumped to his throat as a chill ran from his feet to his head, but when he raised his head again, the duo was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t even sure when they disappeared. After he scanned the area with Divine Sense, he couldn’t even detect any auras, as though they hadn’t been there in the first place.
With difficulty, the old man gulped and immediately fished out a communication artifact before infusing his Divine Sense into it. His wrinkled hands were trembling uncontrollably.
High Heaven Sect.
As a relatively new great force, the rise of High Heaven Sect could be considered miraculous. It was founded just several dozen years ago, but after such a short period of time, it had managed to amass countless Masters that were in the Origin King Realm. They even had four or five Third-Order Origin Kings in the Sect. Therefore, they had now become the most powerful force in the Star Field. Even the old hegemons like Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union were of no match for them.
At this moment, in the Main Conference Hall of High Heaven Sect, many Masters had gathered together.
The temporary Sect Master as well as the Great Elder of High Heaven Sect, Ye Xi Yun, sat at the head position while elders like Chu Ling Xiao, Ling Tai Xu, Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, Lin Yu Rao, Qing Ya and the others were seated on both sides of the hall. Each of them was an Origin King.
Further away from this group were more than ten Juniors like Wu Yi, Yang Wei, Dong Qing Han and the others that were already in the Origin Returning Realm. Some of them were at the peak of Origin Returning Realm, so they might break through to the Origin King Realm at any moment.
The hall was noisy as all of them were engaged in a heated discussion. Not only were the older people split in their views, but even the younger generation were also engaging in fierce debate.
Seated in the main seat, Ye Xi Yun remained silent, but she was attentively listening to all their conversations.
They were all arguing over one issue, how to wage a war! Two prevailing strategies had emerged, splitting their forces to confront the enemy on all fronts, or launching an all-out assault on the enemy headquarters. Everyone in the hall had been split into two sides and had been debating with each other for a long time but still couldn’t come to a conclusion.
All of a sudden, Ye Xi Yun, who had remained silent for a long time, looked into the distance with her deep gaze as though she was able to break through the barrier of space.
All the arguments in the hall halted abruptly as they all looked up at her.
Chu Ling Xiao asked, “What happened?”
“Some people have broken into High Heaven Sect,” Ye Xi Yun replied. As the substitute Sect Master, she was the one who controlled the Sect Defending Array of High Heaven Sect, so she was able to detect anyone who attempted to forcefully intrude.
“What!?” All of them exclaimed in disbelief and shock. High Heaven Sect was no longer a budding force. It was now the top Sect in the entire Star Field, so who would have the guts to force their way into their headquarters without permission? Who had the power to do so?
In an instant, all of them turned extremely solemn.
“These auras…” Ye Xi Yun’s expression changed. A tinge of disbelief appeared on her indifferent yet alluring face. Following that, she became agitated as she swiftly stormed out of the hall.
All of them traded glances as they didn’t know what had happened that made Ye Xi Yun lose her composure. They all knew her temperament very well, no matter what kind of disaster she had to face, she wouldn’t even frown, so her actions at this moment truly surprised them.
They immediately rose from their chairs and walked out of the hall before looking into the distance as well.
On the other side, two figures were walking toward them at a relaxed pace. Everyone in the hall stared fixedly at the two people as they widened their eyes in disbelief, wondering if they were dreaming.
As Yang Kai came across the High Heaven Sect’s disciples along the way, he amicably greeted them, causing these disciples to widen their mouths as they looked dazedly at him and Su Yan.
These disciples were mostly brought over to this place by Yang Kai from Tong Xuan Realm or the Great Han Dynasty, so most of them knew who he was. Even those who didn’t know him could recognise Su Yan. They all couldn’t believe that these two people, who had disappeared separately and at different times several dozen years ago, suddenly appeared together now.
Wherever they went, all the disciples appeared to be in a dazed state as they followed their figures with their eyes, unable to come to their senses even after a long time.
The entire High Heaven Sect seemed to have been affected by a Binding Technique by a supreme master. Everything seemed to have frozen, as only the voice of Yang Kai greeting them could be heard.
“It’s Yang Kai! It’s Yang Kai!” Dong Qing Han suddenly exclaimed. He forcefully rubbed his eyes as he was worried that he was mistaken. Then, he took Lan Chu Die’s hand and asked, “Do you see him? Is Yang Kai really back?”
Still in a confused state, Lan Chu Die nodded her head almost unconsciously, “You’re not mistaken. He’s really back.”
Dong Qing Han forcefully clapped his hands. The two of them had already been married when they were back in the Great Han Dynasty. They had gone through life’s ups and downs for several dozen years already and had always treated each other well.
The more than ten members of the younger generation in the hall who knew these two people became agitated as well. As for Ye Yi Xun, Chu Ling Xiao, and the other Elders with the strongest cultivations in the Sect, who always remained level-headed, they could barely contain the excitement on their faces.
A moment later, Yang Kai reached all of them. After sweeping a glance over them, he said with a grin, “I’m back!”
The passionate welcome he had imagined earlier, however, didn’t happen as all of them just stared dazedly at him, which made him feel slightly embarrassed. Rubbing his nose, he said in a cautious manner, “I’m back…”
Right after he finished his words, Dong Qing Han pounced on him and tackled him with a bear hug. Then, he forcefully clapped the latter’s back with his big hand as loud thuds could be heard.
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, as he didn’t expect that the first person who would respond to him would be this fatty. Yang Kai, however, let him be for a moment before he uttered teasingly, “My dear Cousin, it’s time you lost some weight.”
“Is it really you?” It was only then that Dong Qing Han stopped what he was doing as he moved away a little to examine Yang Kai.
“I’m really back!”
Dong Qing Han turned his head and pointed at Yang Kai before shouting to everyone, “Yang Kai is back!”
It was as though he was the first one who noticed it.
All of them appeared solemn as they saluted Yang Kai, “Welcome back, Sect Master!” Their voices trembled, which went to show they were all agitated.
Yang Kai raised his hand and used an invisible force to make sure that all of them couldn’t bend their backs. What was strange was that none of them could detect Yang Kai using the slightest force to accomplish this, a feat beyond their imagination. At that instant, they realised that his power had truly reached an inconceivable level.
With a serious expression, Yang Kai cupped his fists and saluted them instead, “Martial Ancestor, Grand Master, I have returned!”
Chu Ling Xiao was the Ancestral Founder of High Heaven Pavilion, while Ling Tai Xu was the Honoured Master of Yang Kai’s Father. These two people were truly his Seniors. Although his cultivation was more powerful than theirs, he would never dare to see himself as more important than them. Naturally, he also wouldn’t dare to let them salute him.
If that really happened, Yang Ying Feng, his father, would certainly break his legs.
With a smile, Chu Ling Xiao replied, “You are the Sect Master of High Heaven Sect now, so you should stop being overly polite to us.”
Ling Tai Xu uttered, “He’s right. It’s thanks to you that we’ve achieved such success. You should start carrying yourself in a way that befits the image of a Sect Master.”
Yang Kai replied, “Even a Sect Master shouldn’t be impolite to his Seniors. Both of you are my Seniors, so I must be respectful of you.”
Chu Ling Xiao and Ling Tai Xu traded glances as both of them appeared gratified.
“Big Brother Yang…” Wu Yi stepped forward and pressed her lips together.
Yang Kai turned to look at her and put on a smile, “We haven’t met for many years. How have you been?”
In the past, it was thanks to Wu Yi’s help that he was able to gain a footing on Shadowed Star. It could be said that Wu Yi and her family’s disciples were the first friends and allies he had made on Shadowed Star. Without them, High Heaven Sect wouldn’t have become what it was today.
“I’m well,” Wu Yi replied with a faint smile. She had missed him greatly, and this reunion after so long had formed a ripple on the tranquil lake that was her heart. However, after she took a look at the woman beside him, the ripple immediately faded. She could no longer keep up with his pace. He was now in a position high above, shining brightly like a star.
After greeting everyone one by one, Yang Kai finally turned to look at Ye Xi Yun and said with a grin, “Great Elder, many thanks for looking after the Sect for all these years.”
Ye Xi Yun replied, “You’ve come back at just the right time. I’ll pass the Sect back to you now so I can finally enjoy my retirement.”
Yang Kai uttered in shock, “Great Elder, you are still in your prime and have many years of life left to live. Why would you want to suddenly retire?”
Ye Xi Yun snorted, “It’s no use flattering me because I’ve made up my mind. Don’t even try to change my decision!” [I don’t care how powerful your cultivation is now. I’m totally done with this job. It’s too exhausting to be in charge of a Sect. I’d rather be on my own so I can roam around freely.]
After a sigh, Yang Kai said, “Since you’ve said so, I won’t force you. Anyway, after some time, I’ll bring all of you to a new place. By then, you can take a rest for as long as you want.”
“A new place?”
“Where is it?”
“Is it where you’ve come back from?”
All of them were curious.
Yang Kai smiled without replying to them. A moment later, he asked, “I heard all of you arguing over something. What’s wrong? Who has the guts to offend our High Heaven Sect?”
Upon hearing that, all of them fell silent and no longer appeared excited.
Yang Kai examined their expressions and immediately knew that something serious must have happened to the Sect.
Ye Xi Yun uttered, “Let’s go in first.”
After they entered the hall and took a seat, Ye Xi Yun explained the current situation in the Star Field to Yang Kai.
It was then Yang Kai realised that it was the entire Heng Luo Star Field, rather than High Heaven Sect, that was in trouble.
Twenty years ago, even after Su Yan left the Star Field and entered the Ancestral Domain, everything was peaceful. However, a few years later, a strange Void Corridor appeared in the Star Field. Following that, a large number of Starships and powerful cultivators poured through this portal and began a widespread invasion of Heng Luo Star Field, travelling from one Cultivation Star to the next, burning and pillaging everything in their path.
In the beginning, no one understood what was going on. They only knew that these invaders were exceptionally formidable. Heng Luo Star Field had been sealed off for countless years, so they had never seen any cultivators like them before. They were caught unprepared and as a result, several Cultivation Stars quickly fell to the enemy.
For a short period of time, everyone in the Star Field was thrown into a flurry of panic as they worried about their own safety. After the initial stage of the invasion though, the remaining forces composed themselves and began banding together to resist the foreign invaders. With the four top great forces, High Heaven Sect, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union, leading the way, Masters gathered from all over Heng Luo Star Field to wage war. Countless were killed, including many powerful Masters. Even High Heaven Sect had lost many people.
Yang Kai’s chest tightened when he heard that. Earlier, he had noticed that even though there were many familiar people in the hall, the women closest to him were not there. Even his parents were nowhere to be seen.
Ye Xi Yun seemed to have noticed his worries, so she reassured him by saying, “Your wives are all fine; however, they have returned to their own Stars to rally their forces and strengthen their defences.”
It was only then that Yang Kai set his mind at ease.
[Shan Qing Luo must have returned to Monster Emperor Star, while Little Senior Sister should have gone back to Tong Xuan Realm. En, Xue Yue must have returned to the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Water Moon Star.] The Star Field was in a crisis now, so naturally, they wouldn’t stay in High Heaven Sect and do nothing.
Moreover, before he left in the past, Yang Kai had arranged many Cross-Star Space Arrays in the Star Field. Monster Emperor Star, Tong Xuan Realm and Water Moon Star were all connected to High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star. It was just that they might need to take several waypoints in the process. If they came across any danger, they still had a way out, so they should be pretty safe.
“Where are those invaders from?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice.
He couldn’t believe that while he wasn’t in the Star Field, there were people out there who had the guts to invade his homeland.
Ye Xi Yun replied, “I heard that they come from a place called the Grand Desolation Star Field.”
In an instant, Yang Kai’s expression turned awkward, “They come from Grand Desolation Star Field? Are you sure?”
Ye Yi Xun bowed her head, “Yes.”
The war had been going on for more than ten years, so it would truly be laughable if they still hadn’t found out where their enemies came from. In the past, after they discovered the fact, they were all stunned, because they had never expected that another Star Field would suddenly open a Void Corridor to their Star Field and launch an invasion.
If it weren’t because those Masters from Grand Desolation Star Field suddenly invaded and devastated them, many of Heng Luo Star Field’s people would never have even known other Star Fields existed.
“Sect Master, you know about the Grand Desolation Star Field?” Ye Xi Yun looked doubtfully at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai chuckled, “En, naturally I know about it.”
[What a coincidence.]