“Limitless Beast Mountain is over there.” Bi Luo was standing beside Liu Yan on a mountain peak as she pointed at a place up ahead that was brightly lit.
In the past, this had been the residence of the Wild Lion Tribal Lord; however, since Limitless Beast Mountain’s invasion more than ten years ago, one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords, Kuang Shi, was the first one to side with Limitless Beast Mountain. From then on, this place had been the base for Limitless Beast Mountain on Monster Emperor Star.
This place wasn’t far from Red Moon Territory, so given Bi Luo’s cultivation, it only took her one hour to reach this place.
As the cold wind whisked across her, she immediately regretted it.
[Why did I even bring her to this place? This is definitely not safe, and if those from Limitless Beast Mountain find out that we’re here, we’ll be doomed.] Earlier, she just couldn’t put up with the little girl, who imitated Shan Qing Luo’s different positions in front of her, so she brought her to this place out of rage.
At this moment, Liu Yan was standing beside her as she looked fixedly at the largest building down there. After investigating it with her Divine Sense, she managed to find out what was going on inside the building.
“Are you done?” Bi Luo lowered her head and asked, “If you’re done, follow me back to Red Moon Territory. If anything happens to you, I’ll have a hard time explaining myself to Mistress and Yang Kai.”
Then, Liu Yan shook her head and burst into laughter.
[She’s such a mischievous little girl. I wonder what it is that she wants to see here.]
Right after she turned around and flew away, her expression changed drastically. Turning her head, she realised that instead of following her, Liu Yan had actually jumped down from the peak and flew towards Limitless Beast Mountain.
“What are you doing!?” Bi Luo exclaimed and raced after her.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t reach her no matter how hard she tried. They were already in the enemy’s territory, so she wouldn’t dare to use too much power lest their enemies discover them. The young girl didn’t seem to be flying rapidly, but she managed to constantly keep a distance away from Bi Luo.
“Come back now! Are you sick of living!?” Bi Luo said through clenched teeth, but Liu Yan just ignored her.
Bi Luo was enraged at the fact that the little girl didn’t take her seriously, so she exerted more Saint Qi to hasten her speed as the gap between them shortened.
A moment later, she took Liu Yan’s arm to make her stop before bellowing at her, “Why are you so naughty? Do you want me to spank your backside?”
Liu Yan raised her head and looked silently at her.
“How dare you glare at me? We need to go back, now!”
However, Liu Yan shook her head slowly, “It’s too late.”
Bi Luo’s face turned ashen in an instant because streams of powerful Divine Sense spread out from the brightly lit place and engulfed her like a great tide. [Damn it! I must have accidentally exposed my aura because I used more Qi to chase after this girl. I’m going to die here because of her!]
“You’re unable to do anything right? Do you know you’ve just ruined my plan?” Liu Yan pursed her lips.
Her plan was to launch a sneak attack on them and destroy them in one go. Now that their enemies were alerted, it might take her more effort to eliminate them. Though, in the end, it didn’t matter much to her.
“Who do you think you’re accusing?” Bi Luo couldn’t believe her ears. [How dare she still lecture me at this point? Doesn’t she understand that I’ve been dragged into this mess because of her?]
“Hahaha. Welcome, my guests. Why don’t you come in and have a chat with me?” A loud voice was suddenly heard saying. The voice was as deafening as thunder, so it was apparent that the speaker was very powerful. Upon hearing it, Bi Luo felt her chest tightening as she almost couldn’t support her own weight. The speaker’s cultivation was undoubtedly much higher than hers. He was probably the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain.
What she failed to realize at that moment though was that Liu Yan was unfazed upon hearing the voice as she still remained calm and collected.
Feeling conflicted within, Bi Luo muttered through gritted teeth, “I’ll be killed because of you!”
More than ten powerful but restrained streams of Divine Sense had targeted her, so she knew that if she showed any intention of fleeing, she would be severely injured the next moment. Now, she could only see how things would work out. At the same time, she had to come up with a solution quickly. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive.
As she tried to rack her brain for a plan, she drew a deep breath and erased any signs of fear on her face. With a faint smile, she attempted to utter in a calm voice, “Sorry for disturbing you, then.”
After that, she took Liu Yan’s hand and shuffled toward the source of the voice. Simultaneously, she spoke to the little girl in her mind, “After we get in there, don’t say anything and follow my lead.”
She paused for a moment, “If we really get into a fight, you should try to flee on your own.” However, she then shook her head and spoke in a dejected manner, “I think you’d better kill yourself.”
It was cruel to tell a young girl to kill herself, but if they really fell into the hands of those brutes from Limitless Beast Mountain, they would go through an ordeal that was worse than death. So, killing themselves might be a better option.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan remained silent and let Bi Luo lug her forward.
Many of the disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain had been alerted, but seeing Bi Luo and Liu Yan come over together, they looked mockingly at them. Some of the men even presumptuously sized up Bi Luo’s curvy figure and whistled at her.
Naturally, Liu Yan had the attention of some men as well as a delicate young girl like her could attract the attention of some with perverse fetishes.
Bi Luo put on a faint smile as she ambled towards the lion’s den as if she was taking a stroll in her own back garden. Now, she could only pretend to be confident to increase her chances of survival. If she showed any sign of diffidence, she would definitely end up in a miserable state.
It was only a distance of several hundred meters, but Bi Luo walked so slowly that it was as though it would take her a year to reach the other end. If she hadn’t tried to suppress her perspiration, her clothes would’ve been drenched in her sweat by now.
All of a sudden, she felt a pinch on her palm. Looking down, she realised that Liu Yan was winking at her and speaking to her in a clear voice, “Don’t worry.”
Bi Luo pressed her lips together and giggled, as she felt that this kid was indeed strange. Compared to how calm this child was, she looked just like a paper tiger. With that said, her mood seemed to have been infected by her confidence as she truly felt less anxious now.
Outside the hall, more than ten disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain blocked their way. They were accompanied by all sorts of Monster Beasts, which included a wolf, a bear, a tiger, a leopard and so on. These were all their ‘pets’. Moreover, these people had some strange patterns on their faces, so they looked rather exotic.
Bi Luo knew that these were Beast Tattoos. The disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain focussed on taming beasts, and every time they successfully tamed a new Monster Beast, a new Beast Tattoo would be added to their bodies. These Beast Tattoos were their features as well as their connections with their Monster Beasts.
The more Beast Tattoos one had, the more powerful he was, thus enabling him to control more Monster Beasts.
These more than ten cultivators in the Origin Returning Realm were standing in a row. Apparently, they didn’t seem to have the intention of making way for the ladies as they looked provocatively at them. The more than ten Monster Beasts growled as well. They seemed to have felt their Masters’ intention, so they readied themself in an aggressive posture.
Bi Luo stopped in her tracks and swept a glance over these people with a smile. Following that, her expression turned cold before she yelled, “Scram!”
Then, she waved her hand as a gale gusted across this group, causing them to stagger backwards. Even their Monster Beasts retreated to the sides. All of them were stunned as they didn’t expect that not only did this woman have the guts to come to their place in the middle of the night, but she also dared to be so presumptuous. At that instant, they were all astounded. Then, they recalled that this woman was an Origin King and realized they truly weren’t powerful enough to deal with her.
After that, Bi Luo walked straight inside. No one dared to stop her again, as if all of them were non-existent. Although she was a lady, her posture was that of a Master at this moment.
Upon entering the hall, she immediately heard the melodious sounds of traditional musical instruments. The hall was spacious and brightly lit as a group of young women, who were clad in semi-transparent dresses, were dancing, their curvy figures faintly visible as they twirled and leapt.
Cultivators of different sexes, heights and weights were seated on both sides of the hall, a table in front of every one of them on which delectable dishes and wine were placed. All of them exuded auras that suggested that they were in the Origin King Realm.
It seemed that tonight, they were having a feast on Limitless Beast Mountain.
Bi Luo was stunned as her heart sank. [We’re really doomed this time. It seems that all the Masters of Limitless Beast Mountain have gathered together tonight. If I can’t come up with an excuse, we won’t be able to leave.]
Facing all the stares Bi Luo found it hard to breathe, as if a mountain had been pressed against her chest. So, she immediately circulated her Saint Qi to pull herself together.
Ignoring the others, she looked fixedly towards the head of the hall. Over there, a burly man was seated in the main seat. His towering figure was like that of a bear. He was clad in a top that was made of animal skin, but he didn’t button it up, which revealed his chest. Apparently, he was an unrestrained man.
He was reclining on a piece of animal skin, which was hard to identify. There was a beautiful woman in his embrace and he was supporting his own head with one hand while tapping his thigh to the beat of the musical instruments with the other. He didn’t open his eyes when Bi Luo was entering the place and even after she stopped in her tracks he still didn’t seem to have noticed it. He was like a sleeping lion that exuded an impenetrable aura.
Certainly, Bi Luo recognised him. He was the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain, as well as the culprit who had devastated Monster Emperor Star, Huang Tu Dao. Previously, Shan Qing Luo had battled against him several times, but it always ended up in a draw. That was because Huang Tu Dao was also a Third-Order Origin King!
The ladies were still dancing to the music and the feast wasn’t interrupted just because Bi Luo had arrived as only the Masters of Limitless Beast Mountain, who were seated on both sides, looked playfully at her.
As for Liu Yan, nobody actually cared about her, as they just wondered why Bi Luo would bring a little girl along with her.
Standing in the hall, Bi Luo pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Like a lion that had awakened from its slumber, Huang Tu Dao suddenly opened his eyes as a glint flashed across his gaze. In a stern voice, he demanded, “Why is there a lady who is not dancing here? Is she sick of living?”
Upon hearing that, all of them broke into laughter as they teased Bi Luo.
“Come on. Dance for us. You’ll be rewarded handsomely.”
“Dance now. Don’t worry. Even if you dance poorly, you won’t be punished. Our Mountain Master is very gentle to beautiful women.”
“Are you too hungry to dance? Come here then, I’ll give you this piece of meat.” Just then, a piece of well-cooked meat dropped beside Bi Luo.
Unfazed, Bi Luo put on a faint smile and slightly bowed to the leader, “Greetings, Mountain Lord Huang, I have come tonight as an envoy from Red Moon Territory.”
Huang Tu Dao arched his brow, “An envoy from Red Moon Territory?” As if he had just managed to clearly see her face, he pretended to examine her, “Oh, you’re that Shan Qing Luo’s maidservant.”
“Bi Luo.”
“En, it’s you!” Huang Tu Dao grinned at her with a hideous face and suddenly blew his top, “How dare you barge into our Mountain! You court death!”
After Huang Tu Dao bellowed, Bi Luo felt her chest tightening. Fortunately, she had come up with an excuse while she was stepping into the hall earlier, so she didn’t appear flustered. After tucking her hair behind her ear, she replied with a smile, “Mountain Lord Huang, please restrain your anger. The reason I’m here tonight is to pass on our Queen’s word to you.”
If they wanted to stay alive, they had to make it clear that they were Shan Qing Luo’s people. Just like how Shan Qing Luo was wary of Huang Tu Dao, he was wary of her; after all, they were both in the same realm.
Huang Tu Dao narrowed his eyes, “Shan Qing Luo’s message? What is it? Has she agreed to become my wife? Hahaha!”
In response, Bi Luo just flashed a smile at him.
“She said that all of you will die tonight!”
Huang Tu Dao stopped laughing abruptly while all the cultivators at the scene were shocked as they got up and glowered at Bi Luo.
The smile on Bi Luo’s face froze as she looked down, because the person who had just uttered those words was Liu Yan, not her.
Huang Tu Dao took a glance at Liu Yan and then Bi Luo before saying impassively, “I can’t pretend that I have not heard that.”
Bi Luo’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as she hurriedly said, “That was just a child’s nonsense, please don’t mind her.” Upon finishing her words, she glared at Liu Yan to warn her not to speak again.
“A child’s nonsense?” Huang Tu Dao snorted, “Rather than that, I think you’re here to find fault with us. Good. Initially, I didn’t want to make things too hard on you because you’re a woman, but since you can’t show proper respect, don’t blame me for treating you harshly.”
“Mountain Lord Huang, please wait!” Bi Luo felt a bitter taste in her mouth. [What have I done to deserve this kind of torture?] She hurriedly pushed Liu Yan forward, “Apologise to Mountain Lord Huang now.”
Liu Yan questioned, “He’s going to die soon. Why should I apologise to him?”
Huang Tu Dao was so enraged that he started laughing. Upon straightening up, he pressed his palms on the table and leaned forward. Staring at Liu Yan, he mocked, “Little girl, you’re quite interesting. I’m curious to see how I’m going to die tonight.” He then growled, “If that doesn’t happen, both of you will go to Hell tonight!”
He didn’t care even if she was just a young child. Since she had the guts to offend him repeatedly, she had to be taught a lesson. He wasn’t a kind-hearted man, so he’d still be able to sleep at night even if he had to kill a child.
“As you wish,” Liu Yan replied dispassionately. All of a sudden, she raised her hand as a fire was ignited on her finger. It was just a small flame that flickered unsteadily as though it could be put out by lightly blowing on it.
Upon seeing this, everyone in the hall burst into laughter, everyone except Huang Tu Dao of course, because the moment this flame appeared, he felt a deep chill shoot up his spine.
Following that, Liu Yan flicked her finger, upon which the flame shot towards Huang Tu Dao.
Feeling as if he was confronting a terrifying foe, Huang Tu Dao braced himself and let out a fierce growl, after which more than ten thick Beast Tattoos appeared on his body. At the same time, one of the Beast Tattoos glowed brightly and a giant beast that looked like a chimpanzee appeared in front of him. The ferocious Monster Beast exuded a Tenth-Order aura, and right after it appeared, it started thumping its chest and howling madly.
In the next instant though, the giant beast stopped howling as a blackened bloody hole appeared on its chest. Flames could be seen around its wound as it immediately spread and engulfed the giant beast in a burning inferno.
Meanwhile, after the flame penetrated the giant beast, it continued towards Huang Tu Dao and easily penetrated his protective Saint Qi and defensive artifact.
Just like a piece of dry wood that had come into contact with a raging fire, Huang Tu Dao’s entire body burst into flame as he shrieked pitifully.
As a crackling sound was heard, those cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain, who were still laughing earlier, jumped to their feet in shock, spilling their wine and food all over the floor. All the dancers in the hall screamed and fled in all directions.
A stiffened Bi Luo was rooted to the spot as her eyes reflected those flames, wondering to herself if she was dreaming.
The shrieks only lasted for a short moment before Huang Tu Dao collapsed to the ground and scattered into ashes. Not a single bone was left while the beast he had summoned before had shared an identical fate.
In less than a breath, Huang Tu Dao had lost his life!
The hall fell into silence, with no one even daring to breathe. Everyone was dumbfounded as they didn’t expect that the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain, who was still behaving in an overbearing and arrogant manner just now, would be killed by a little girl who looked like she was no older than seven or eight.
They also found it hard to believe that a small flame was able to burn a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master to ashes in an instant.
[Who is this little girl? What kind of flame was that?]
After a moment of silence, the sound of clothes swishing could be heard as everyone fled in different directions, some of them even smashing right through the walls of the hall. Suddenly, ten new exits from the hall were opened.
None of them had the guts to stay there. They didn’t know what realm this little girl was in or what powers she possessed; however, since she was able to kill Huang Tu Dao with ease, it would definitely take her even less effort to end their lives.
If they wanted to survive, they had to escape as far as possible.
“Thirteen…” Liu Yan muttered calmly as if she wasn’t aware of what was going on. Then, she uttered impassively, “Song of the Phoenix!”
Waving her little hand lightly, beams of light shot in all directions. All these beams turned into firebirds that released a cacophony of sharp cries as they circled the hall before soaring out of the palace.
After that, miserable cries rang out from outside the hall for a brief moment before several powerful auras disappeared.
Bi Luo felt her entire body trembling. Rather than feeling joyous, she was horrified. The little girl, who she thought was a harmless child, had showcased an unimaginable power that caused Bi Luo to be terrified as she dashed out of the hall. After arriving outside though, she was immediately rooted to the spot.
At this moment, the firebirds could be seen flying around the vast city, no longer exquisite and petite as they had transformed into giant creatures with dazzling fiery tails. Wherever these giant firebirds went, everything would be reduced to ashes.
In just a short while, besides Liu Yan and Bi Luo, there were no more living creatures within a ten-kilometre radius of the main hall. Those people who were overbearing and rude to them just moments ago were nowhere in sight as they had all been reduced to ashes in different parts of the city. Meanwhile, the firebirds continued flying outwards.
It was a horrifying sight, and it signalled the end of Limitless Beast Mountain as their foundation had been uprooted and utterly destroyed.
Bi Luo didn’t know what kind of celebration Limitless Beast Mountain had been hosting tonight to gather all their top cultivators; however, looking back, she knew that they had made a fatal mistake because it gave Liu Yan a chance to kill them all in one go.
It was then that she came to the realisation why this little girl had insisted on coming to Limitless Beast Mountain. It was no wonder that not only was she not afraid, but she had also offended Huang Tu Dao multiple times in the hall. With such power, there was no reason for her to fear anyone or anything here.
Just then, a cold breeze whisked across Bi Luo’s face and cleared up her mind a little. Still in a semi-dazed state, she stepped back into the hall, only to see Liu Yan sitting on the chair where Huang Tu Dao was seated earlier. Appearing to be bored, she yawned nonchalantly.
Bi Luo’s face twitched when she saw that.
…
Three days later, Yang Kai pulled out his arm from under Shan Qing Luo with difficulty, but she soon wrapped her limbs around him again like an octopus.
Then, he landed a slap on her backside and instantly formed a palm mark. Following that, he said, “Are you not satisfied yet?”
Still in a groggy state, Shan Qing Luo opened her eyes and said languidly, “Am I someone who can be satisfied easily?”
Yang Kai replied in shock, “Are you not?”
The two of them had spent almost every moment of the last three days engaged in a torrid lovemaking session. It was as though Shan Qing Luo wanted to make up for all the time she had lost since they had separated decades ago.
She always proactively came on to Yang Kai, as if she wanted to squeeze every last bit of energy out of him; however, her endurance simply could not match his, so she was always the one to be subdued in the end.
Now, Yang Kai’s cultivation was two realms higher than hers, and he was also a Half-Dragon; therefore, his prowess in bed could easily be unbearable for her. Nevertheless, she would still pounce on him no matter how many times she was knocked out. Hence, the past few days had been quite enjoyable for him.
Shan Qing Luo and Su Yan were two extremely different women.
“What are you talking about?” Shan Qing Luo shot him a glare and pinched him.
Yang Kai put on a smile and placed his hand on her flat belly, “If you pinch me to death, the baby in your belly will lose its father.”
All of a sudden, she widened her eyes and muttered, “Baby…”
She stroked her belly and thought, [En, maybe there’s a child in here now. If that’s the case, I’ll still have someone by my side after he’s gone in the future.]
Following that, she flipped over and rode on top of him. Her hair cascading down over her shoulders and covering her twin peaks, with her lips pressed together, she said, “Give me more. I must get pregnant this time.”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “I was just trying to make a point. Why do you take it so seriously?”
“Are you a man of your word or not? How dare you evade your responsibility!” She clenched his neck with a fierce expression.
Yang Kai replied, “I wouldn’t dare to, but someone is looking for you now.” He pointed at the door.
“Who is it?” Shan Qing Luo frowned, “I don’t want to meet anyone.”
“It’s Yu Xiong.” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
In the past, Chi Yue had adopted a son and a daughter. Naturally, the adopted daughter was Shan Qing Luo, while Yu Xiong was the adopted son. Since then, both of them regarded each other as a real brother and sister.
Previously, Yang Kai had come into contact with Yu Xiong when he came to Monster Emperor Star. Yu Xiong was a forthright man, so they were on good terms.
Upon hearing that Yu Xiong was looking for her, Shan Qing Luo immediately got up and put on her clothes, as it would be inappropriate for her to refuse to meet him.
A moment later, she placed her hand on the handle, but before she could open the door, she heard Yu Xiong yelling outside the room, “Step aside, Bi Luo. I have something vital to tell my Little Sister. How dare you stop me!?”
Bi Luo replied anxiously, “Sir, it’s not convenient for Mistress to meet you now. Please wait for a while. I’ll inform her of your visit.”
Yu Xiong bellowed, “What do you mean it’s not convenient for her to meet me?” While they were bickering, the door was suddenly pushed open. Yu Xiong immediately moved past Bi Luo and walked over, but upon seeing how radiant Shan Qing Luo appeared, he was startled for a moment and gulped down what he was about to say.
Raising his head, he saw Yang Kai stepping out of the room as well.
“Little Brat! It’s you!” Yu Xiong growled. With his brow twitching, he attempted to land a fist on Yang Kai, “I’ll kill you!”
Shan Qing Luo immediately stepped aside and looked smilingly at them. She wasn’t worried that either of them would hurt the other, so she didn’t intend to interfere.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai was able to block his fist with just one finger, Yu Xiong widened his eyes in disbelief and pushed out the other fist.
Yang Kai lightly flicked Yu Xiong’s fist, after which the latter’s muscular arm turned limp as he couldn’t exert any force with it anymore. After moving several steps backwards, he examined Yang Kai and uttered, “You…”
He was rough-looking, but it didn’t mean that he was brainless. Although he hadn’t used all his strength with his two fists, he believed that hardly anyone in this world could stop his attacks. However, since Yang Kai was able to do so with utter ease, he couldn’t help but make all kinds of speculations.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai just stood there with a smile as his expression appeared inscrutable.
Yu Xiong shook his head and stopped messing with him before he turned to Shan Qing Luo, “Little Sister, something major happened.”
A shocked Shan Qing Luo asked, “What happened?”
Yu Xiong was also an Origin King Realm Master now, so anything that could make him so flustered must be serious. On Monster Emperor Star, there were not so many pressing issues, so it must have something to do with Red Moon Territory.
“Limitless Beast Mountain has been destroyed.”
Upon hearing that, Shan Qing Luo was rooted to the spot for a moment before she turned to look at Yang Kai, as though she was asking him whether it had something to do with him. Red Moon Territory had been in a battle against Limitless Beast Mountain for more than ten years, but they had always been suppressed by the latter. She had also dealt with Huang Tu Dao several times before, so she knew that he was truly powerful. No one in Red Moon Territory, or on Monster Emperor Star for that matter, had the power to destroy them.
The person who was able to do this without anyone else knowing must be the man beside her; however, for the past three days, they had basically spent every breath together, so how was he able to achieve that? [Did he go over to Limitless Beast Mountain before coming to see me?]
An excited Yu Xiong uttered, “I also couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news, so I personally went over to investigate the matter and guess what? All the buildings on Limitless Beast Mountain have been destroyed, and not even a single living creature is left. Although I have no idea who made the move, the person must be an expert in the Fire Attribute and possess unparalleled ability. Moreover, from what I’ve gathered, on the night when Limitless Beast Mountain was destroyed, that old dog Huang Tu Dao was holding a feast. Besides the Elders from Limitless Beast Mountain who were all in the Origin King Realm, the participants also included the two traitors, Qian Yan and Kuang Shi! All of them finally got what they deserve! Hahaha! Retribution came for them at last!” He clenched up his fists as his eyes beamed with ferocity, “Little Sister, it’s time we made our move!”
After Limitless Beast Mountain was destroyed and their top cultivators were all killed, Red Moon Territory practically had no more worries. It was time they regained control of Monster Emperor Star.
“It wasn’t me,” Seeing that Shan Qing Luo kept staring at him, Yang Kai shrugged and put on a smile before he turned to look at Liu Yan.
Upon hearing that Limitless Beast Mountain was demolished by someone with a Fire Attribute Divine Ability, he immediately knew who the culprit was.
Liu Yan and Bi Luo had gone out the other night, and although they were able to hide it from Shan Qing Luo, they wouldn’t be able to fool his Divine Sense. Apparently, they had made a move that night.
Liu Yan happened to turn her head and beamed at him, as if she was demanding a compliment from him. In response, Yang Kai showed her a thumbs-up, and her smile became even sweeter.
“You did it?” After examining their expressions for a bit, Shan Qing Luo stared at Liu Yan in shock. Initially, she thought that this little girl was Yang Kai’s daughter from another woman, but now it seemed that she was mistaken.
“She was the one?” After Yu Xiong’s speech was interrupted, he turned to gaze at Liu Yan in amazement. Then, he pursed his lips and uttered, “You must be kidding me.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept new and strange things, but what he had just heard was utterly inconceivable.
To the side, Bi Luo said meekly, “Sir, it was really her who devastated Limitless Beast Mountain.”
Yu Xiong took a glance at her and guffawed, “This is not a joke you know?”
Seeing that Bi Luo was solemnly gazing back at him though, he stopped laughing and asked dumbly, “Are you serious?”
Bi Luo replied, “I was about to tell Mistress about it. Three nights ago, we…” She then went on to narrate what happened that night in detail. Although her tone was calm and she only relayed the facts, not making any exaggerations, her descriptions were so vivid and shocking that Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong were both astounded.
Upon hearing that Huang Tu Dao was killed by Liu Yan with a tiny flame, even they were drenched in a cold sweat.
[He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master. How was he burned to death in just an instant?]
Yu Xiong’s face had turned pale as he looked at Liu Yan with respect and fear, because just some time ago, he had gently patted her head as he found her to be cute.
Thinking back, he realised that he was extremely lucky. If this little girl had taken offence to his actions, he would have followed Huang Tu Dao to Hell. Since Huang Tu Dao was powerless to resist her flames, they could also kill him easily.
With difficulty, he gulped and secretly widened his gap with Liu Yan, as if he could find a sense of security by doing so.
“Who is she?” Shan Qing Luo turned to look at Yang Kai, “Isn’t she your daughter?”
Yang Kai spread his palms, “I told you she’s not, but you just wouldn’t listen to me. She’s Liu Yan.”
“Liu Yan!?” Shan Qing Luo was flabbergasted. Certainly, she was familiar with Liu Yan, but she couldn’t liken the Artifact Spirit to the little girl before her eyes; after all, the person in front of her was a living being with a body of flesh and bone.
Then, she immediately realised that since Liu Yan had been following Yang Kai around over the years, the latter must have come across an astonishing opportunity and even obtained a physical body for herself.
After she recovered from the shock, her eyes flashed. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since all the top cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain were dead, the others were now powerless to resist Red Moon Territory. If they made a move now, all their enemies on Monster Emperor Star would be doomed.
Then, she gave Yang Kai an apologetic smile and uttered, “Husband, I’m afraid I have to leave now.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Go ahead. We still have a long future together anyway, so there’s no rush.” The reason he came back this time was to bring all of them to the Star Boundary. Since he wouldn’t disappear for decades again, he’d have plenty of time with his wives in the future.
Moreover, after three days of intense activities, both he and Shan Qing Luo needed some time to recover.
Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong soon left the place to embark on a journey to reclaim control of Monster Emperor Star, so only Bi Luo was left to serve Yang Kai.
With a conflicted expression, Bi Luo gazed at him, “Sir, what can I do for you?”
She had never expected that this young man, who was captured and brought back to Fragrance City by Shan Qing Luo in the past, would become so powerful one day. Even Shan Qing Luo had benefited from his protection now.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I remember that there’s a Space Array in Red Moon Territory. Lead me to it.”
Shadowed Star was now free from any enemies, and the same would be true of Monster Emperor Star soon. However, they still had to be careful as those top cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field might try to make a comeback. Shadowed Star was currently protected by Su Yan, so Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about anything. Nevertheless, more power was needed to protect Monster Emperor Star. The best way was to connect both Cultivation Stars so that they could help each other. Once the connection was established, if anyone had the guts to invade Monster Emperor Star again, they would certainly lose their lives here.
And so, the trio headed further towards a certain spot in Red Moon Territory.
According to Bi Luo, the Space Array in Red Moon Territory had been destroyed by Shan Qing Luo more than ten years ago because she was worried that their enemies might arrive at their place through this Space Array.
At that time, they had already lost contact with Shadowed Star, so she had to do it as a last resort.
On their way there, they came across many Monster Race members as they all respectfully saluted Bi Luo. Although she was just Shan Qing Luo’s maidservant, she was an Origin King, after all, so she received the respect she deserved. Furthermore, all these Monster Race members in Red Moon Territory knew that Shan Qing Luo had never regarded her as a maidservant, instead treating her as if she was her blood sister.
On the other hand, they were all shocked when they saw Yang Kai and Liu Yan. However, since Bi Luo didn’t say anything, they did not dare to inquire about it.
Soon, they reached the Space Array. This Space Array was also arranged by Yang Kai in the past, and upon closer inspection now, he realised that it was quite simple and crude. Besides the fact that his vision had been broadened due to the advancement of his cultivation, his mastery over the Dao of Space had also increased dramatically.
“Sir, what materials do you need?” Bi Luo asked, remembering it had required many rare materials to arrange this Space Array the first time.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “There’s no need for that. Just go about your business.”
In the past, the primary materials he used to build the Space Arrays in the Star Field were Space Spirit Jades; however, those materials found in the Star Field were no longer that high of a grade to him.
Meanwhile, he had brought countless Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades from the Star Boundary, and they would undoubtedly bring out better effects after they were used to arrange Space Arrays.
Bi Luo replied with a smile, “My most important job is to serve you.”
Certainly, she had to take Shan Qing Luo’s orders seriously, but after she finished speaking, she realised that something was off, because what she had just uttered sounded somewhat intimate.
Yang Kai happened to turn to look at her at that moment. Realising that he was staring at her lips, she immediately hung her head low. The shadows of her long eyelashes had been formed under her eyes, and no one could make out her expression.
When she raised her head, she realised that Yang Kai was now working on the Space Array in a serious manner. Sensing a stare from the side, she turned her head only to see Liu Yan gazing at her as she spread her arms and drew a circle in the air.
“What are you doing?” Bi Luo was terrified of her now, especially when the latter made any gestures with her hands that might lead anyone to fall into wild thoughts.
“A lot of women. A lot,” Liu Yan replied.
After giving it a thought, Bi Luo realised what the young girl was talking about as her face reddened, “Why did you tell me this?”
“Hah hah hah…” Liu Yan laughed slowly and in a hollow manner.
Seeing that, Bi Luo had the urge to rip her mouth off.
“Liu Yan, come help me!” Yang Kai called out.
Liu Yan grumbled in agreement and skipped toward Yang Kai. Facing the Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades he had fished out, she let out a breath, after which, a jet of flames shot out of her mouth and engulfed the materials.
With her help, repairing and upgrading the Space Array became much easier. In just half a day, a new Space Array had been built.
After Yang Kai added some finishing touches and localized its coordinates, the Space Array now had direct access to Shadowed Star. There was no need for relay points anymore, so it was convenient for the people on both ends.
Then, he told Liu Yan to stay behind before he stepped onto the array and pushed his Space Principles. After a glint flashed across the array, he disappeared from their sight. Bi Luo and Liu Yan only waited for half a day before the array began glowing again. In the next moment, they could faintly see some figures atop the array who all exuded powerful auras.
After the glow disappeared, Bi Luo was surprised to see many familiar faces. These people were all the top cultivators from High Heaven Sect and Shadowed Star. She and Shan Qing Luo had lived on Shadowed Star for some time in the past, so she was naturally familiar with these people.
Upon seeing Su Yan, Bi Luo was dumbfounded.
Su Yan had disappeared twenty odd years ago, and there had not been any news about her since. [Why is she back in High Heaven Sect all of a sudden?] Not daring to appear impolite, Bi Luo hurriedly stepped forward and saluted her, “Greetings, First Madam.”
Although Yang Kai had many wives, Su Yan still ranked first. It wasn’t because she was the closest to Yang Kai or because she was his first woman, but because her demeanour could command respect from all the others.
Xue Yue and Shan Qing Luo would still bicker with each other from time to time, but both of them would become obedient in front of Su Yan. Faced with this undisputed First Madam, Bi Luo had to show due respect to her.
In response, Su Yan flashed a smile at her, “We haven’t met for a long time.”
Bi Luo replied, “It’s been twenty years. Mistress has always missed you. If she learns that you’re fine and healthy, she’ll definitely be elated.”
Su Yan turned to look at Yang Kai, “Haven’t you told Luo’er about it?”
Yang Kai scratched his face, “I er… forgot to mention it.”
“Too busy, right?” Su Yan teased him.
Although Yang Kai was thick-skinned, he still blushed with embarrassment at this moment. He had spent the last three full days intimately entangled with Shan Qing Luo and had no time to talk about other matters. Now that Su Yan had pointed it out, he felt slightly bashful.
Fortunately, Su Yan wasn’t someone who enjoyed picking on minor issues like this, so she turned to look at Bi Luo quickly and said, “We’re here to give Luo’er a hand. Where is she? Bring us to look for her.”
Although all the top cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain had been killed, they had been around for more than ten years and had occupied about 90 percent of the territories on Monster Emperor Star. Therefore, it would take those from Red Moon Territory a lot of time to regain these lands. Besides testing the viability of the Space Array, Yang Kai had also returned to High Heaven Sect to gather reinforcements from Shadowed Star to assist Shan Qing Luo.
Su Yan and the other Masters were just the vanguard though, and more people would continue to arrive from now on to support Shan Qing Luo. As such, it was just a matter of time before they could regain control of Monster Emperor Star.
“Yes!” Bi Luo responded firmly.
Su Yan then turned to Yang Kai and said, “I’ll leave Little Sister Yue and Ning Chang to you, then.”
“Yes, I was just about to set out now.” Yang Kai nodded. His experiences on Shadowed Star and Monster Emperor Star made him realise that the entire Star Field was in a perilous situation; therefore, he was worried about Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue. He eagerly wanted to meet them to make sure that they were safe.
They didn’t even bid each other farewell because they knew that they’d reunite soon. Su Yan and those from the High Heaven Sect then turned around and left, while Yang Kai and Liu Yan stepped onto the array and continued with their journey.
…
Water Moon Star was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
It took Yang Kai one month to reach this place after he left Monster Emperor Star. Upon arrival though, he appeared to be in doubt, because he thought that this place should be devastated by wars, just like the other Stars that he had visited; however, he didn’t expect that the Star would appear peaceful at this moment, as if there were no traces of battle, which made him feel slightly uneasy.
Also, he realised that a few Starships had been anchored in the Starry Sky. He acutely saw the symbol of the Netherworld Sect on those Starships, which made him become even more apprehensive.
Following that, he swiftly shot past the Starships, after which a series of intense explosions could be heard from behind him. These Starships that belonged to the Netherworld Sect were destroyed before the people inside even managed to realize they were under attack. The loud and bright explosions in the sky immediately attracted the attention of those top cultivators on Water Moon Star as they looked up at the same time. Some of them had their expressions change because they realised what was going on.
They were soon attracted to a beam of light, which presumptuously shot down from the Starry Sky and penetrated the clouds before landing in the main city that used to belong to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
With a loud boom, the entire city shook as wide cracks appeared and spread across the ground. At the same time, a gale blasted out across the city, demolishing many buildings in its path.
*Sou sou sou…*
Many figures flew over from all directions and hovered in mid-air, looking down at this unwelcome guest.
Yang Kai swept a cold glance over them as his heart sank, because his worries had become reality.
Water Moon Star had fallen!
None of the cultivators here were familiar to him. Moreover, some of them were clad in clothes that resembled the uniforms of the Netherworld Sect. Even though the others might not be from Netherworld Sect, it was certain they came from Grand Desolation Star Field as well.
[Why has this Star fallen?] Yang Kai couldn’t understand it.
He wasn’t surprised that Green Mountains Star had been occupied, because they didn’t have any peak level cultivators or top forces protecting them. However, even Shadowed Star and Monster Emperor Star hadn’t fallen, so why would such a thing have happened to Water Moon Star? This was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, which was one of the three strongest forces in the entire Star Field. Before the rise of the High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was the top force in the Star Field, with even greater strength than Purple Star and Sword Union.
So, he couldn’t believe that such a Star had fallen. Now, the situation on this Star appeared even worse than Green Mountains Star.
[What has happened to this place over the past decade? Where is Xue Yue? Where are those from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?]
As these questions flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, his aura suddenly turned cold, which caused the cultivators around him to feel as if they’d fallen into an ice cave.
[This person is quite bold to descend here straight from the Starry Sky.] Although Yang Kai hadn’t made a move, his cold aura was enough to terrify them.
“Who is the one who is in charge of this place?” Yang Kai swept a glance over all of them. His attitude was that of a tiger that had barged into a place where a herd of sheep lived, as he didn’t take any one of them seriously.
The place fell into silence as no one replied to him. Faced with this formidable young man, these cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field all appeared cautious.
“I asked…” Yang Kai raised his fist and bent his arm backwards before forcefully pushing out his fist, “Where is the person in charge of this place!? Are all of you deaf?”
Just then, a loud boom was heard, as if something had exploded. These people turned their heads and gasped, because in the direction Yang Kai pushed out his fist, a cultivator had exploded into a blood mist on the spot, leaving not a single bone behind.
That person was a First-Order Origin King! How powerful must this young man be to be able to kill an Origin King Realm who was a thousand meters away from him with just one punch? These people, who were already wary of Yang Kai, felt their hearts freezing when they saw this. None of them could possibly be a match for him, so they all started moving backwards at the same time.
Right then, a person stepped forward. He was a thin and tall middle-aged man who was surrounded by Death Qi. An array controller suddenly appeared in his hand and he pushed his Saint Qi into it. The next moment, a buzzing sound could be heard in the air as the City Defending Array rumbled to life.
The Netherworld Sect had been in control of Water Moon Star for many years now, and it had been peaceful on the Star because no one dared to find fault with them. So, they were quite lax when it came to guarding the Star. However, they didn’t expect that someone would barge into the city one day.
The others were afraid of Yang Kai’s power, but this thin man wasn’t. That was because he was in control of the city’s defensive Spirit Array.
[I may not have the confidence to face you if you were acting wantonly outside the city; however, since you have the guts to enter this place, once the array is active, I can still deal with you!]
As he activated the array, he bellowed, “What are you all waiting for? Take him down! I’ll assist you with the array!”
After he finished speaking, the Spirit Array became fully active and exerted a strong pressure to suppress Yang Kai.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s knees bent slightly, as if two mountains had been placed on his shoulders.
Seeing that, everyone present became elated. Hesitating no more, they activated their Secret Techniques and artifacts before launching an attack on Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, the thin man was shocked for a moment before he became ecstatic. Then, in a way that was against the current atmosphere, he yelled, “Keep him alive!”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kill. Yang Kai had killed one of their Origin King Realm Masters and even offended them, so there was no way he’d let him off; however, after he activated the array, not only was Yang Kai not pinned down to the ground, but the latter didn’t even show any sign of using his Saint Qi. At that instant, he realised that the young man’s body must be incredibly tough, so the latter might have cultivated some kind of profound Body Tempering Secret Art.
Body Tempering Secret Arts weren’t all that rare, but it was difficult to look for a person with such a strong body.
This thin man was a Netherworld Sect Elder who was an expert in Corpse Refinement, so he was most fond of cultivators whose bodies were sturdy. If he could capture Yang Kai and refine him, he would certainly be able to produce an excellent Corpse Puppet. The man before his eyes was an extremely rare material that he had always dreamed of obtaining.
[He’s even more precious than the other materials I’ve obtained on Water Moon Star over the years!]
With that thought in mind, he wasn’t willing to see Yang Kai get killed. Although he could also refine Yang Kai after the latter was dead, the results would be better if he refined a living Human.
Receiving these instructions, the cultivators, who were pouncing on Yang Kai, cursed at him in their hearts. [Why didn’t you say earlier that you wanted us to hold back?]
Now that they had launched an attack, it was difficult for them to stop. However, they couldn’t disobey the thin man, so left with no choice, they tried their best to hold back some of their power. Some of them even suffered a backlash and spat blood from the exertion.
With a loud boom, all their Secret Techniques and artifacts landed on Yang Kai, sending out surging waves of energy and dazzling explosions of light.
Seeing this, the thin man felt his chest tightening. [Damn it! He’ll probably be dismembered! There will be nothing left for me to refine!]
His face fell as he felt heartbroken.
After the lights all faded though, he was shocked to see that Yang Kai was still alive and kicking. On top of that, the little girl beside him also appeared calm and collected, as though she wasn’t hurt one bit.
The thin man was horrified as he was gripped by a sense of uneasiness.
“It’d be impolite of me if I don’t give you something in return for your warm greeting gift. Since you’re all so hospitable, please accept my regards!” Yang Kai growled as his arms flickered out, sending fist shadows in all directions.
*Hong! Hong! Hong!* Bodies exploded in all directions as no one here could withstand even one punch from Yang Kai. In the blink of an eye, dozens of enemy cultivators had been killed.
At this moment, only the thin man was still alive. His limbs had turned completely cold as if he had fallen into a blizzard.
Yang Kai turned to look at him and said, “It seems that you’re the person in charge here. Don’t worry, I only have some questions for you. If I’m happy with your answers, I promise to give you a painless death.” His hair hung loose on his forehead, and his gaze appeared dark.
At that instant, the thin man found it hard to breathe, as if he was being stared at by a giant ancient beast.
Nevertheless, he was a proud man, so even though he was terrified, he hadn’t lost his will to struggle. After taking out a copper ring, he quickly spun it and glared at Yang Kai as he said through clenched teeth, “I don’t care who you are, but since you have the guts to offend us, you have to die today!”
Just then, a ringing sound could be heard as a few figures suddenly appeared around the thin man. The figures came in different shapes and sizes, but they all exuded very thick Death Qi. Upon closer look, it could be seen that their faces were all ashen and hollow. Their teeth were sharp, and their hair was in a mess, so they looked rather hideous.
“Corpse Refinement!” Yang Kai arched his brow in surprise, as he didn’t expect that someone from the Netherworld Sect was an expert in Corpse Refinement. No one else he had come across from the Netherworld Sect so far knew this skill. It seemed that the Secret Techniques in Netherworld Sect were also divided into different schools; however, they all seemed related to the dead.
“Hmm?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at one of the Corpse Puppets. After he sized it up for a bit, his expression darkened.
“Brat, I’ll capture and refine you so that you’ll become one of my Corpse Puppets too!” The thin man bellowed at Yang Kai and glowered at him. Although the young man before his eyes had showcased some exceptional combat skills, he wasn’t a weakling either. With the Corpse Puppets around him, even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master couldn’t possibly harm him. He might also stand a chance to capture his enemy; therefore, he wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, his interest in Yang Kai had increased because of what the latter had done.
A Corpse Puppet’s strength correlated with its power before death. The more powerful a cultivator was, the more power he would be able to showcase after he was made into a Corpse Puppet.
Not only was Yang Kai powerful, but his body was also tough, which was the best Corpse Refinement material that this thin man had always dreamed of obtaining.
He almost couldn’t contain his urge to cackle out loud, as he couldn’t believe that it didn’t take him any effort to find such a precious material. If he could refine this young man, his position within the Netherworld Sect would be strengthened.
As the copper ring on the thin man’s hand spun, the Corpse Puppets that he had summoned started howling. All of them exuded very thick Corpse Qi as they pounced on Yang Kai with their claws. Their nails were just as sharp as blades, and they also appeared green, which suggested that they were poisonous.
Just then, a fire appeared as a petite firebird flew towards the Corpse Puppets. Its movement was swift, and its demeanour was elegant.
The first Corpse Puppet that it came into contact with was set ablaze in an instant while the firebird didn’t even slow down as it flew towards the second Corpse Puppet. In the blink of an eye, it had burned several of them to ashes.
“Keep this one alive!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted and clenched the neck of one of the Corpse Puppets before pulling it towards himself. The Corpse Puppet started struggling as he clawed at Yang Kai’s chest with his sharp nails; however, it was as if he was trying to jab his nails into a piece of iron as clanging sounds could be heard. Ultimately, he was unable to penetrate Yang Kai’s chest at all.
Liu Yan tilted her head. Although she didn’t know what Yang Kai’s intentions were, she didn’t ask him about it as she controlled the firebird to burn down the other Corpse Puppets.
*Pu…*
The thin man sprayed out a mouthful of blood as his once confident gaze was now filled with utter terror. Staring at Liu Yan in fear, he stammered, eyes turning bloodshot, “Y-You…”
His Corpse Puppets were all as powerful as Origin Kings, especially the strongest one, which was refined from the body of a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master. Given this lineup, he was confident that no one in Heng Luo Star Field would be able to oppose him. However, now, his Corpse Puppets had mostly been reduced to ashes by a little girl who looked at best eight years old, and even his strongest Corpse Puppet had been captured by the young man with ease.
Just then, something flashed across his eyes as the young girl appeared in front of him without warning. She was looking up at him as her clear gaze reflected his terrified face.
He watched as the little girl raised her hand and pressed it against his belly, but he didn’t have the time to make a move at all.
“Keep him alive as well,” Yang Kai suddenly shouted.
Liu Yan released some of her energy through her palm, after which the thin man became listless like a popped balloon. He staggered backwards and fell on his butt as he coughed up blood. At the same time, he felt the organs inside his body churning.
It was then he realized that his cultivation was gone. Nothing in this world was more painful than this for a cultivator. Moreover, his Corpse Puppets were destroyed earlier, which affected his mind, so he was currently half dead.
His enemy was able to severely injure him with ease, which meant if she got serious, no one in this world would be a match for her. Not even his Sect Master.
[Where are these two monsters from?]
Yang Kai clenched the strongest Corpse Puppet’s neck and let him claw at his body with the latter’s sharp nails, a conflicted glint flashing across his eyes.
This Corpse Puppet was under someone else’s control, so he kept struggling and growling, as if he had gone mad. Cracking sounds could be heard coming from the puppet’s neck as, apparently, his bones were breaking; however, as this puppet didn’t feel pain or had the ability to think, he continued lashing out. All he knew was that he must destroy everything before his eyes, so he wouldn’t stop moving even if his bones were all ground to dust.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and pushed his Divine Sense before shouting through gritted teeth, “Long Tian Shang! Wake up!”
Extremely pure Spiritual Energy mingled with his voice and shot into the Corpse Puppet’s mind. Then, a faint sound of something breaking could be heard. Following that, the Corpse Puppet, who had been flailing about wildly, calmed down all of a sudden. Although he was still waving his claws, he wasn’t as ferocious as earlier.
His eyes started darting around and seemed to be regaining focus; however, it was just a weak sign.
Seeing that, Yang Kai immediately knew that the Corpse Puppet hadn’t lost all his spirituality. Perhaps it was because it had only been a short time since he was refined into a Corpse Puppet, or because his cultivation before death had been extremely powerful. Whatever the case, there seemed to be a chance of awakening him, so Yang Kai hurriedly circulated his Spiritual Energy and infused it into the Corpse Puppet’s mind to carefully guide his consciousness to the surface.
A quarter-hour later, the Corpse Puppet’s eyes regained focus and he stopped waving his hands. A strange expression appeared on his hideous face as he asked, “Y-You are…”
His voice was husky, like he hadn’t spoken for a long time, or possibly because his body had been damaged, so it was grating and unpleasant to the ears.
“Senior Long,” Yang Kai gazed at him with a conflicted expression.
In fact, Yang Kai wasn’t close to Long Tian Shang. He had met him once when he arrived on Water Moon Star in the past, but they hadn’t talked much. This man was the Supreme Elder of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so he was actually Ai Ou’s Senior. Naturally, that made him Yang Kai’s Senior as well.
At that time, Ai Ou had followed Yang Kai to leave the Star Field and head for the Star Boundary. After that, Xue Yue took over the businesses of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, while Long Tian Shang stood behind her to give her some support. In fact, given his power, he had the right to follow Yang Kai to leave the Star Field as well; however, he had spent most of his life contributing to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so he didn’t have the heart to leave. Therefore, he decided to stay and continue to act as their guardian.
However, Yang Kai didn’t expect that when they met again after several dozen years, Long Tian Shang would be refined into a Corpse Puppet and enslaved by someone else.
Fortunately, he had come across Yang Kai, who was able to use his Spiritual Energy to awaken him for a moment. No one else in the world could have done this.
“You are… Yang Kai!” Long Tian Shang slowly regained his senses as he recalled some memories from the past. Naturally, he still remembered Yang Kai, who was a rising star at that time as well as Xue Yue’s husband.
Yang Kai said, “Senior Long, we don’t have much time. Please tell me what has happened to the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Where is Xue Yue?”
In fact, he was most concerned about Xue Yue, as it didn’t matter that the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was gone. The most important thing now was that Xue Yue had to be safe. Nevertheless, given Long Tian Shang’s cultivation, he was still made into a Corpse Puppet by someone from the Netherworld Sect, so it was expected that Yang Kai was worried about Xue Yue’s safety.
“Xue Yue…” Long Tian Shang muttered in a hoarse voice as he recalled more memories from the past. He then took a look at his own hands and appeared dejected, “Ah, I see…”
Finally, he remembered the situation he was in. After pulling himself together and finding the right words, he said, “Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was destroyed. Xue Yue… After the fall of Water Moon Star, I stayed behind to cover their escape; however, I don’t know where they are now.”
His memories halted on the day of that epic battle. He single-handedly held back more than ten Starships from the Netherworld Sect and its Grand Desolation Star Field allies. Eventually, he was exhausted, after which he was captured and refined into a Corpse Puppet.
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Xue Yue fled?”
That was indeed some good news, given the perilous situation they were in at that time. Although it wasn’t certain whether Xue Yue was safe, there was a hope at the very least. With this thought in mind, Yang Kai was finally able to relax a bit.
“Have you met this woman before?” Liu Yan crouched down in front of the thin man and a flame on her palm flickered before transforming into the image of a valiant-looking lady. Although the image was formed from fire, it resembled the actual person greatly, which went to show how talented Liu Yan was in controlling fire.
She had refined the Fire Phoenix Source, so controlling fire was her forte.
Although she spoke in a calm and soft tone, it sounded like a reaper of death’s voice to the thin man. He was horrified as he shuddered and shook his head repeatedly, “No! I have never seen her!”
“Haha…” Liu Yan put on a hollow laugh as another fire shot out from her palm and transformed into a fire snake, which surrounded the thin man and opened its mouth wide above his head before hissing and sticking out its tongue at him, as though it would swallow him whole in the next moment. Liu Yan’s fire was able to burn his powerful Corpse Puppets with ease, but at this moment, it seemed to have lost its heat as it didn’t harm the thin man one bit, which made it look quite absurd, “How could you say you had never met her when you didn’t even take a look? Although I’m young, it doesn’t mean you can lie to me.”
It was then the thin man raised his head and took a glance at the fire image.
“You’d better give me an honest answer. Otherwise, you’ll be begging for death before we’re done,” Liu Yan uttered dispassionately.
“Yes, I’ve seen her before!”
“Where is she now?”
The thin man replied, “She and some people fled to a Cultivation Star where there’s a Star Master. Over the years, we’ve been in a deadlock with the people over there.”
“Where did she flee to?”
The thin man tried to identify the location and then pointed in a direction.
Liu Yan turned to look at Yang Kai, who immediately entered his own Knowledge Sea and looked up at the Star Chart. Following that, an idea came into his mind.
[Xue Yue and the others fled to a Cultivation Star where there’s a Star Master. Moreover, the direction is right as well. If I’m not mistaken, she must have gone to that place. A wise decision. Although it is pretty far from Water Moon Star, it’s a better option when compared to others.]
The conversation between Liu Yan and the thin man was all heard by Yang Kai. At the same time, he was trying to communicate with Long Tian Shang, which was a difficult task.
Although he had used his Divine Ability to make Long Tian Shang come to his senses, the latter had lost most of his memories and couldn’t remember most things. He only remembered that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was too powerful, so they had attracted the attention of those top cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. Netherworld Sect had joined forces with other great forces from Grand Desolation Star Field and launched an attack on them. Besides that, even the infamous Star Pirates from Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair had sided with the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field.
Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair were the two largest Star Pirate groups in the entire Heng Luo Star Field. These people who had come together were the vilest criminals. He Yun Xiang’s Fierce Gale Pirates paled when compared to these two great forces.
Before the invasion from Grand Desolation Star Field, these two great forces had been in conflict with the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union for about a thousand years. Starships from each of these Sects had all been ransacked by these Star Pirates before while navigating through the Star Field. On the other hand, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union had joined forces to launch an attack on those pirates. Both sides had suffered a loss of life, so a blood feud had been formed between them.
Now, the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field had invaded Heng Luo Star Field and these great forces, which were led by Netherworld Sect, had showcased their incredible powers. Naturally, those criminals from Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair immediately sided with them to become their subordinates.
It was then that Yang Kai understood why Water Moon Star had fallen.
Faced with this kind of hostility, even though the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was fairly powerful, they still couldn’t ensure their own safety. The other Cultivation Stars had all fallen, so there was no way Water Moon Star, their Home Star, could be spared from this disaster.
Since the situation was already so terrible in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, there was no way Purple Star and Sword Union were fine now.
It wasn’t that the cultivators in Heng Luo Star Field were no match for those from Grand Desolation Star Field. Both of them were Lower Star Fields, so although there might be some disparity between their powers, the gap was definitely not huge. If they fought with each other head-on, both sides would be severely hurt.
The difference was that Netherworld Sect was the clear leader in Grand Desolation Star Field, so they could give orders to the other Sects, while there was a lack of such a leading force in Heng Luo Star Field. At its peak, High Heaven Sect could act as this leader; however, since the invasion from Grand Desolation Star Field, many of the Third-Order Origin Kings of the Sect had returned to their own Stars, so they were not united against their enemies.
“Be careful!” Long Tian Shang suddenly warned him sternly.
“Be careful of what?” Yang Kai gazed at him with a frown.
Long Tian Shang shook his head, as he didn’t know what Yang Kai should beware of. He just subconsciously thought that he should give the young man this warning as he felt that there was a person that they should be wary of. This person was the key that led to the downfall of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Yang Kai questioned him one more time, but Long Tian Shang was unable to answer. He had managed to help him regain consciousness for a short while, but the latter had already been made into a Corpse Puppet, so both his Divine Sense and body had suffered irreversible damage. Hence, this short moment of consciousness was like terminal lucidity.
Just then, Long Tian Shang started growling as his eyes could be seen trembling. It was apparent that he was losing his consciousness again, and he would soon turn back into a corpse that was ruthless and knew no pain.
Seeing that, Yang Kai heaved a sigh. He was saddened by the fact that the Supreme Elder of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had ended up in such a miserable state.
Liu Yan approached Yang Kai and took the hem of his clothes. The thin man, whose cultivation had been crippled, was lying on his side with a pale face. Liu Yan only asked him some questions before proceeding to ignore him.
At this moment, the thin man was staring at Long Tian Shang as though he was seeing the most horrifying sight in the world. With his eyes filled with terror as he yelled, “Kill me! Kill me!”
Nevertheless, Yang Kai just stared at him coldly without moving a muscle.
The thin man wailed and pleaded with them, “Please! Kill me now!”
Nobody wanted death if they could live; however, his cultivation was gone, so he was unable to flee. If he wasn’t killed, he would experience an ordeal that was worse than death.
Perhaps Long Tian Shang still remembered the blood feud between them, or that he was attracted to the thin man’s voice, he turned to look at him and walked up to him in the blink of an eye. Following that, he jabbed his sharp fingers into his chest and lifted him off his feet.
Blood started dropping from the thin man’s body as he shrieked.
Long Tian Shang appeared hideous as he growled in a meaningless way. His consciousness was replaced by the nature of a corpse. He opened his mouth and revealed his pointed teeth before taking a bite on the thin man’s body.
Another shriek was then heard.
Long Tian Shang tore off a piece of flesh from the thin man and started chewing it as blood streamed down from his mouth.
Most people had only heard about cannibalism in myths, but at this moment, such an incident was happening right before their eyes.
“Kill me… Please… Ah!” The thin man begged them to kill him; however, Yang Kai just stared at him with a cold expression. He watched as Long Tian Shang tore off his flesh piece by piece and gulped them down. Only a quarter of an hour later, the thin man stopped moving and left for the other world.
Yang Kai stepped forward and stood beside Long Tian Shang, who was still eating the raw flesh. Upon sensing an aura approaching him, Long Tian Shang immediately turned around and howled.
Following that, Yang Kai landed a palm on him as the latter turned into ashes and scattered into the wind.
Then, Yang Kai waved his hand, after which a few figures appeared out of nowhere. They were Li Jiao and the others who had been kept in the Small Sealed World. This time, he had even released Lu Yu Qin. Although Lu Yu Qin’s cultivation was low, she should be safe in this place with Lu San Niang taking care of her.
Upon seeing the horrible sight around them, Li Jiao and the others were stunned. When they saw Yang Kai’s gloomy expression, they felt their chests tightening, as they wondered who had offended him because he appeared to be in a bad mood now.
“Brother Li, there’s something I need all of you to help me with.”
Li Jiao straightened his face and replied, “Brother Yang, just tell us what you want us to do.”
“Help me take back this Cultivation Star.” Yang Kai pointed at the ground beneath him.
Water Moon Star was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce as well as the place where Xue Yue grew up, so it mustn’t remain in the hands of those from the Grand Desolation Star Field. Given Yang Kai’s strength, he was able to retrieve the Star with ease, but he wasn’t willing to keep dawdling.
So, he thought that he could seek help from Li Jiao and the others. Otherwise, it’d be quite boring for them to keep staying in the Sealed World Bead.
“Sure,” Li Jiao directly agreed to it.
He already had a full understanding of the powers of those cultivators in the Star Field. Given his Third-Order Emperor Realm strength, it was like a walk in the park for him to do such a thing. Moreover, he had the help of Lu San Niang, He Yun Xiang, Ruan Bi Ting, and the Embodiment.
Although the Cultivation Star was massive, they could settle everything in half a month if they split up and carried out this task.
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask my Embodiment. He’ll tell you who our friends and enemies are.”
“Good!”
As the others stayed behind to come up with a plan, Yang Kai and Liu Yan directly stepped into the palace that was in the middle of the city. Earlier, there were some cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field in the palace, but they were just observing the battle from afar. Seeing that their Masters had been killed ruthlessly, they knew that they were confronted by a formidable enemy, so they had all fled.
Yang Kai went straight into the palace without coming across any hurdles and soon he reached a square where he found the Space Array he had arranged in the past.
The Space Array wasn’t destroyed, but the connections to many places had been cut off. Moreover, given Yang Kai’s needs now, this Space Array was dated and insufficient.
After that, he spent half a day with Liu Yan to restructure the array and reconnect it to Monster Emperor Star and Shadowed Star. Following that, they left Water Moon Star and headed in a particular direction.
Sensing Yang Kai’s anxiety, Liu Yan took his hand and said, “Lady Yue is definitely safe.”
Yang Kai forced a smile, “If Xue Yue has really gone to that place, her safety isn’t an issue.”
“Master, you know where she is now?”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Yes, I think I know where she is.”
The Cultivation Star in this direction where there was also a Star Master must be Tong Xuan Realm. The Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm was Xia Ning Chang, and Xue Yue was aware of it as well.
Since Water Moon Star had fallen, there were only three places she could go; Shadowed Star, Monster Emperor Star and Tong Xuan Realm.
Shadowed Star was too far away, so she wouldn’t consider that option, as no one knew whether they’d come across any danger while navigating through the Starry Sky. Although Monster Emperor Star was nearer to them, it was a Star where the Monster Race ruled, after all. Moreover, they didn’t have a Star Master, so it wasn’t safe either.
Given Xue Yue’s intellect, there was only one place she would choose to go. She must have gone to Tong Xuan Realm to look for Xia Ning Chang. Apart from seeking her help, she could also help increase the strength of Tong Xuan Realm’s defence.
Liu Yan gave it a thought and figured out where Xue Yue was as well. She said, “Since that’s the case, why are you so worried?”
Yang Kai replied, “Tong Xuan Realm is unlike other Cultivation Stars. In the past, it had shown signs of its World Energy being exhausted. If it weren’t because Little Senior Sister took the risk to refine its Star Source, bringing back some vitality to it, Tong Xuan Realm would have continued to degenerate into a Dead Star. I’m not worried about Xue Yue, but about my Little Senior Sister.”
If the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field decided to go all out to deal with Tong Xuan Realm, it would be disastrous for the Star even though Xia Ning Chang was around; after all, Tong Xuan Realm hadn’t restored all its vitality. If it was devastated by wars, it’d be akin to adding salt to injuries. If its World Energy was exhausted again, Xia Ning Chang, as its Star Master, would be affected as well. By then, it would be impossible to bring her back to life once she died.
The fates of the Star Master and their Cultivation Star were intertwined. If any one of them was destroyed, the other would also suffer. This was no laughing matter.
After some calculation, Yang Kai realised that it had been a few years since Xue Yue fled to Tong Xuan Realm. There was no way that those from Grand Desolation Star Field had done nothing these past few years. They must have done everything they could to destroy Tong Xuan Realm, so Yang Kai was worried that Xia Ning Chang wasn’t able to resist the enemies on her own for a long time. That was the fundamental reason behind his anxiety.
Upon understanding the reason, Liu Yan stopped talking. Her eyes, which were now filled with murderous intent, suddenly started burning with flames.
It was thanks to Yang Kai that she was reborn; moreover, with his help, she was able to keep growing her power until now. If it weren’t for Yang Kai, she would still be an Artifact Spirit that was trapped in the Earth Lung Fire Pond. Maybe she’d be able to obtain a real body for herself one day, but that would only happen thousands and even tens of thousands of years later. So, Yang Kai was the world to her. Whoever had the guts to displease him, she would let that person have a taste of a Phoenix’s wrath.
Tong Xuan Realm, the second stop along Yang Kai’s Martial Dao journey, was also an important springboard for him to reach a higher plane. Without his many opportunities and experiences in Tong Xuan Realm, he would never have achieved what he had today.
As his thoughts floated about, his memories rose up. He looked at the Star that he had left a long time ago with a deep and profound expression. Everything he had been worried about had become reality.
Looking at the entire Tong Xuan Realm from the Starry Sky, he could see that the situation there was much worse than that of the Green Mountains Star. The Star seemed to be suffering from some kind of serious illness and was now showing all sorts of sickly symptoms, like a dying old man that was walking towards his own grave.
The black spots scattered all across Tong Xuan Realm looked like someone had randomly splashed several gigantic drops of ink on it. Those spots were clearly visible even from where he stood hundreds of thousands of kilometres away in the Starry Sky. Furthermore, the surface of the Star was covered in faint Black Qi.
He studied those ‘black ink stains’, vaguely thinking that they were arranged like an Array because of the way they were connected and corresponding with each other from afar. They formed a large yet invisible net that sealed the entire Tong Xuan Realm within it.
This Grand Spirit Array might not be fully formed, but it was gradually demonstrating its extraordinary power. Even Yang Kai, who stood within the Starry Sky, could feel a smothering aura coming from it. So, how would the residents living on Tong Xuan Realm feel? They were trapped inside, and the aura of the Array must be greatly affecting them. This Array would annihilate all living beings within it and if it was fully triggered, the entire Tong Xuan Realm would definitely perish.
[I’m glad I made it in time.]
He might not know when the Spirit Array would be fully formed and activated, but it would not be completed within the next few days. With his current ability, a few days was enough for him to run around killing all the invading enemies in Tong Xuan Realm.
Logically speaking, Tong Xuan Realm had a Star Master guarding it, so it shouldn’t have been so easy for the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field to invade. After all, the strength of a Star Master was extraordinary. In particular, a Star Master, who was on their own Cultivation Star and blessed by its Star Source, was practically an invincible existence.
However, Tong Xuan Realm’s situation was different. Just as he had told Liu Yan, it had experienced a depletion of its World Energy, and although Xia Ning Chang later refined the Star Source and helped it recover, how much could be restored in just a few dozen years?
Therefore, Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy and Principles were much weaker compared to other Cultivation Stars. If not for that, the strongest cultivators on the Star would not have been limited to the Saint Realm. It was precisely because of the Star’s World Energy and Principles that it could not nurture any cultivators more powerful than that. Meanwhile, other Stars in the same Star Field could give birth to cultivators in the Saint King Realm, the Origin Returning Realm, and even the Origin King Realm.
Tong Xuan Realm had, at most, restored some traces of vitality over the past several dozen years. Unfortunately, this small improvement had now been exhausted by the arrival of Grand Desolation Star Field’s cultivators. If Xia Ning Chang wanted to resist the invasion of Grand Desolation Star Field, she would have to rely on the strength of the Star Source; however, it would cause a heavy burden on the Star if it was used too many times. For that reason, she could not keep the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field out for long, even though she was Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Master. Their invasion into Tong Xuan Realm was inevitable.
Yang Kai had completed his analysis of Xia Ning Chang’s current situation in almost an instant.
Pushing such thoughts aside for the moment, he focused on the task at hand. He currently had no idea where to find Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue, and while Tong Xuan Realm was not particularly large, it wasn’t small either… If the two of them were hiding somewhere, he would not be able to locate them any time soon. He might as well use that time to kill some of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field and teach them what would happen to them if they offended somebody they should never have offended.
After observing the situation for a moment, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he rushed towards Tong Xuan Realm. He headed toward the largest ‘black ink stain’ on the Star, letting gravity pull him down. Meanwhile, Liu Yan followed closely behind him. Her movements were neither fast nor slow, yet did not hinder Yang Kai in any way.
It didn’t take long for them to plunge into the atmosphere, and when they did, the aura coming from their surroundings made them frown. It was unpleasant, pungent, and sickening. Fortunately, the two of them were strong enough that they could ignore the discomfort this aura caused. If ordinary cultivators were enveloped in such an aura, it wouldn’t take long for their minds to be affected and for them to turn into walking corpses.
Back when Yang Kai was observing the situation in the Starry Sky, he only felt that the situation in Tong Xuan Realm was not promising, but now that he plunged into the area covered by the large ‘black ink stain’, he discovered that the situation was worse than he had anticipated. He did not know what that ‘black ink stain’ was. However, it made the people trapped within it feel like they were in a living Hell.
A strong wind roared in his ears, his clothes whipped around his body noisily, and his black hair was blown about by the wind as Yang Kai allowed himself to plummet from the sky freely, penetrating through the atmosphere and falling towards the ground. The extreme speed caused his body to rub against the air, and the friction ignited a burst of flames around his form. If one were to look up from the ground, it would look as though a meteor was falling down, a spectacular sight to behold.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Yang Kai raised his hand and spread out his fingers. Then, he bent his arm back before slowly pushing out his palm towards the ground. An incredibly large palmprint formed without warning. It was laid out horizontally and covered a vast swath of ground below Yang Kai, growing larger the further he fell, as if trying to encompass the entire world.
Inside the largest building in the middle of the ‘black ink stain’, an old man covered in Death Qi was cultivating in a cross-legged position. Judging from the way he was dressed, he was from the Netherworld Sect. His cultivation was strangely high. He was a Third-Order Origin King, which would at least make him an Elder of the Sect.
Initially, Netherworld Sect did not have so many Third-Order Origin King Masters among their ranks. The number of Masters in the Sect was similar to that of High Heaven Sect at its peak. In other words, there were only three or four of them, at most; however, invading Heng Luo Star Field had brought huge benefits to the entire Netherworld Sect. Whether they were refining Blood Sea Banners, Ten Thousand Soul Banners, or even Corpses, all of these techniques required living people as materials. The stronger the sacrifices used as cultivation materials, the greater the benefits.
Netherworld Sect achieved unification in Grand Desolation Star Field, and nobody dared to disobey their orders. There was no great force that could rival it in strength. Nevertheless, they could not act too recklessly when cultivating. At the most, they would find reasons to annihilate a few Sects and capture all the cultivators of those forces to become materials for their cultivation once in a while. It was impossible for them to act too unscrupulous as everything in the world had a limit, and Netherworld Sect had a firm understanding of what those limits were. That was how it managed to unify Grand Desolation Star Field without arousing public outrage from the entire Star Field.
Unfortunately, it was different when they came to Heng Luo Star Field. Their cruel nature, which had been previously repressed, was liberated. To them, all the cultivators in Heng Luo Star Field were free to be slaughtered! With the countless cultivators of Heng Luo Star Field as their cultivation resources, how could the strength of those in the Netherworld Sect not increase drastically?
It had only been slightly more than ten years since their invasion began, but all the cultivators from Netherworld Sect had experienced an increase in their cultivation by at least a Minor Realm. Meanwhile, the Elders, Protectors, and Deacons experienced even greater improvement in their cultivations. Those in the Origin Returning Realm broke through to the Origin King Realm; those in the First-Order Origin King Realm broke through to the Second-Order Origin King Realm, and those in the Second-Order Origin King Realm broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm!
It would have been fine if only one or two had experienced such growth, but the key point was that this growth applied to all the disciples in Netherworld Sect. This was an extremely horrifying situation. After ten years of wanton destruction and consumption, the Netherworld Sect had already surpassed the High Heaven Sect by leaps and bounds. They had more than ten Third-Order Origin King Masters alone. Moreover, more than half of them had broken through to this Realm after the invasion into Heng Luo Star Field. Similarly, First-Order and Second-Order Origin King Masters were emerging endlessly from among their ranks.
Upon tasting the sweetness of conquest, the Netherworld Sect became even more ruthless in their invasion of Heng Luo Star Field. It didn’t matter where they went, nobody could put up a fight against them. Even Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had fallen, not to mention the various other great forces. Only those Cultivation Stars guarded by Star Masters posed some threat to them.
Tong Xuan Realm was one such Star that made things a little difficult for the Netherworld Sect. Unfortunately… it was only at the level of being ‘a little difficult’. The World Energy of this Star was weak, as were its World Principles. It could not give birth to anything extraordinary, and under normal circumstances, the Netherworld Sect might not even have bothered to expend the energy required to conquer it.
However, many powerful cultivators had gathered in this place! That was exactly what the Netherworld Sect was looking for. If they could turn those cultivators into their resources, their Sect would be able to produce another Third-Order Origin King Master, at the very least.
Whether it was simply to make an example of Tong Xuan Realm or for the sake of cultivation, this place had to be taken down at all costs. Any who opposed the invasion would be killed! That was the only way for the Netherworld Sect to announce to the world just who was in charge of this Star Field.
For that reason, five of Netherworld Sect’s Third-Order Origin Kings had come to attack Tong Xuan Realm. Moreover, one of them was none other than the Vice-Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect, the one who had chased Xue Yue all the way to this place. The old man sitting cross-legged in the great hall was that very Vice-Sect Master, Xin Xuan Ming.
There was a Star Master in Tong Xuan Realm, and Xin Xuan Ming was aware that this Star Master was a woman in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Nevertheless, he was not afraid.
It would have been different had it been a stronger Star. He might have needed more effort to deal with that; however, this Star seemed to be very weak. As long as he sapped the World Energy of this Star, it would be equivalent to destroying the Source of Tong Xuan Realm. When that happened, the Star Master would face a tragic ending without even needing him to do anything. Then, without the protection of the Star Master, those rats hiding in the shadows would become his playthings.
The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been arranged for that purpose. Once the Array took shape, the entire Tong Xuan Realm would be sealed within this Spirit Array. Consequently, this Cultivation Star would no longer be supplemented by the essence of the Starry Sky. It would be equivalent to a river without a source, or a tree without roots. That wasn’t all; the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array could also be used to summon the Core of the Netherworld. Then, the power of the Netherworld would spread across this land. This place would turn into a paradise for Netherworld Sect and Hell for all the other cultivators.
Thinking back to several years ago, Xin Xuan Ming had led a group of people to pursue Xue Yue to this place. At the time, he had been intercepted by the Star Master outside the Star. More than ten Starships belonging to the Netherworld Sect had fired their Crystal Cannons all at the same time, but the ridiculous thing was that it only took a few barrages from the Crystal Cannons to break through the Star Master’s blockade, after which they marched right in.
Over the next few years, the Netherworld Sect and the rest of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field had covered the entire Tong Xuan Realm in their tracks, while the Star Master here had no power to resist whatsoever. She could only hide away to protect a small group of people within a tiny area.
[Since she wants to do things the hard way, she can only blame herself for not being strong enough. It will not take much longer. At most, another half a year before the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array is fully formed. When that time comes, that Star Master won’t even be able to think about resisting!]
All of a sudden, a great crisis descended from the sky. It was accompanied by an indescribably horrifying pressure. Xin Xuan Ming felt like a huge mountain was pressing down on his chest and his expression changed abruptly as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The place where he was located was also the place where the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was located. Many of the disciples of Netherworld Sect and the other Sects from Grand Desolation Star Field were gathered here. The defence here was extremely tight, so Xin Xuan Ming never imagined that somebody would launch a sneak attack here and time had shown that to truly be the case. Over the years, those rats had only assaulted this place once before when the initial preparations for the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been underway. After that, they vanished without a trace.
Therefore, Xin Xuan Ming had been cultivating in retreat here without any worries. He was simply waiting for the day the Spirit Array would be completed. That was the day he would come out of retreat and turn the rivers red with the blood of the people he slaughtered.
While in retreat, his mind needed to be fully focused and he could not afford to be disturbed at all; however, that huge pressure from the sky forced him out of his meditative state. If that was all, Xin Xuan Ming would not have suffered any injuries from the rude awakening, it was just that the pressure was so terrifying that even he couldn’t afford to take it lightly. He bent over, injured by the force of the pressure, his eyes filled with horror as he desperately circulated his Saint Qi.
Standing up under the tremendous pressure, he took a step forward and arrived outside of the hall.
He looked around and saw that the surroundings were in a miserable state. Countless disciples of Grand Desolation Star Field were crushed against the ground, staining it with splatters of red blood that stood out glaringly. It was the blood that these cultivators had coughed up, while some with weaker cultivations had even exploded into blood mist on the spot.
In just the blink of an eye, hundreds of cultivators had died on the spot.
Lifting his head, Xin Xuan Ming looked up and his eyes narrowed. All he saw was a bright light falling from the sky and a humongous palmprint crashing down on them. The palmprint was so enormous that it covered the entire Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core with space to spare.
[What kind of Divine Ability is this!? Just who is challenging us now?] Even Xin Xuan Ming, who had experienced many great storms, was dumbstruck by this sight. [This kind of power isn’t something an ordinary Origin King can display. The only person who can do something like this in the Tong Xuan Realm is the Star Master who has holed up somewhere for the past several years! But, that Star Master is a woman while that palm print clearly belongs to a man. How is this possible?]
There was no room for consideration in that fleeting moment though as Xin Xuan Ming knew that if he did not defend against this falling palm, the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core would be in danger. Leaving aside how many people would die from the force of that palm strike, all their hard work and persistence over the past few years would be for nought if the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was destroyed.
As the Vice Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect, he could not stand idly by and do nothing. That seemingly thin body swelled up with a loud roar, similar to a balloon filling with air. At the same time, his clothes billowed around him. An Array Jade appeared in his hand as he formed a set of seals and injected his Saint Qi into it rapidly.
The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was a Grand Spirit Array composed of eight smaller sub-Arrays, each of which could operate independently. As the place he was located was also where the Array Core was located, this place was able to handle even more power than the other seven.
The Array Jade in his hands was the controller for the Array Core. The moment the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was activated, Yang Kai let out a soft exclamation of surprise as he fell from the sky. The huge ‘black ink stain’ beneath him suddenly distorted and squirmed. Immediately following that, thick Black Qi gathered in one place and transformed into a ghost hand, its fingers sharp like claws as it stabbed upward into the sky.
Looking at it from above, the ghost hand did not look that large, but in reality, it was gigantic beyond comparison. When it spread its palm open, it was large enough to encompass an area approximately 100 kilometres wide. Moreover, the aura it was exuding was extremely powerful and did not seem easy to deal with.
Naturally, that was only when considering ordinary Third-Order Origin Kings. This Array was set up by cultivators in the Origin King Realm, so its power could not exceed a certain limit despite its potency. Unfortunately, Yang Kai happened to be an existence that exceeded all those limits and broke all of such preconceived notions.
“How troublesome!” Yang Kai muttered under his breath and exerted slightly more strength. The palmprint that could cover the world suddenly doubled in size and power instantaneously.
Xin Xuan Ming originally had a frosty expression on his face. With the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core in his control, he believed that the enemy’s ambush would not succeed; however, when he was about to control the ghost hand to clash against the enemy, he saw the descending palmprint rapidly expand, causing his calm expression to turn into one of shock.
[The enemy still had strength left to spare?! How is that even possible?!] He almost thought that there was something wrong with his eyes, but the increased pressure coming down on him proved that it was not a lie.
Under Xin Xuan Ming’s dumbfounded gaze, the black ghost hand and the huge palmprint slammed into each other. The palmprint paused for a moment before pressing down abruptly. The colour of the palmprint had grown distinctly duller than before, but the ghost hand was far worse off. It looked like a thin wooden stick that was splintering apart little by little, and despite pouring every last bit of his strength into it, Xin Xuan Ming still couldn’t stop the palmprint from bearing down.
The whole world darkened instantaneously.
As the palmprint smashed down on the ‘black ink stain’, a wave of violent pressure swept out and crushed the ground below it to form a large depression. A gigantic trench appeared suddenly as a result, and the ‘black ink stain’ was smashed apart at the same time. Looking down from above, a distinct five-fingered palmprint could be seen dug into the ground, covering the entire region where the ‘black ink stain’ had once been.
*Peng peng peng…*
Strange muffled noises rang out as one after another, the bodies of the cultivators within the ‘black ink stain’ exploded into clouds of blood mists. None of the cultivators below the Origin King Realm were spared. They either couldn’t withstand the pressure of the palmprint crushing down on them or they were squashed into meat patties by its eventual impact. Similarly, the buildings in the surroundings had turned into dust.
Only a few Origin Kings were lucky enough to escape with their lives, but all of them were seriously injured. Many didn’t even realize what was going on. All they felt was a sense of crisis looming over them before they collapsed in pain. At this moment, they were looking around their surroundings in confusion and their mouths fell open in shock. The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been broken!
All the efforts of Grand Desolation Star Field’s operation here over the past few years had been crushed to pieces, literally. Concurrently, the hundreds of disciples they had brought with them had all either died or been critically wounded. The losses suffered were devastating.
Xin Xuan Ming vomited a large amount of blood as everything below his knees had been smashed, exposing bone while blood flowed out freely. Collapsing to the ground, he could only stare up in horror.
He had the highest cultivation in this place; he was the strongest; he had control over the Array Core; therefore, he thought that he could use the power of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core to resist this invader, but in the end, he had still underestimated his opponent’s strength. He bore the brunt of the attack after the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was destroyed, so he suffered the most miserable fate. Even the Array Jade in his hand had exploded, covering him in soot and dust. Even though the other Origin Kings suffered severe injuries, none of them was in as bad of a condition as he.
[Who is it!? Just Who!? How is it possible for such a shockingly powerful person to exist in this place!? He destroyed the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core with a single palm strike! Impossible!]
As if sensing something, Xin Xuan Ming looked up and saw a handsome young man slowly descending from the sky. The young man stood in mid-air, looking down on them.
[Is it him!?] He released his Divine Sense and discovered that he could not detect the young man’s cultivation. A seven-or-eight-year-old girl followed closely behind that young man and landed next to his side. She was exquisite and lovely, but she also gave off an unfathomable feeling.
“Who… are you, Your Excellency…” Xin Xuan Ming endured the stabbing pains coming from his wounds and asked in a bitter tone. Under this person’s stare, he couldn’t even form the desire to escape. He knew today was the day he would meet his end, but even so, he wanted to die knowing the reason for his death. At the very least, he wanted to know who was attacking them.
[Perhaps… I might even be able to inform them about this before I die…]
“It looks like I didn’t kill the wrong person,” Yang Kai ignored Xin Xuan Ming. Turning his head, he glanced around at all the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. Next, he stepped out and arrived in front of Xin Xuan Ming. Then, he placed one foot on the old man’s chest, put his arm against his thigh, and leaned down to stare at Xin Xuan Ming, “Old thing, I’d like to ask you about the whereabouts of someone. Where is the Star Master of this Star?”
“Pei!” Xin Xuan Ming opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of blood in Yang Kai’s direction. This person was cruel and merciless and it was clear that he was targeting them, so Xin Xuan Ming knew that he was not going to survive today, even begging for mercy was useless. If that was the case, he might as well save that effort and act as he pleased instead.
Yang Kai waved his hand and the blood flowed backwards, rushing back into Xin Xuan Ming’s mouth; however, the liquid somehow became incredibly hard and smashed all Xin Xuan Ming’s teeth. Yang Kai smiled savagely, “How dare you spit at me. Have you gotten sick of living, you old dog?”
Xin Xuan Ming sneered, “Hurry up and get on with it. Why are you wasting your breath?”
Yang Kai laughed mockingly, “Kill you? What thing are you? I refuse to kill you.”
“If you don’t kill me, you will pay for this a hundred times over once I recover!” Xin Xuan Ming yelled.
“Then, I’ll be waiting for you.” Yang Kai grinned at Xin Xuan Ming and removed his foot from the other party’s chest. Turning around, he glanced toward another Origin King Realm Master.
Behind Yang Kai, a flash of delight flitted through Xin Xuan Ming’s eyes. [The taunting method sure is useful. Although it can be rather cliché, it often works wonders, especially when dealing with these young and powerful Masters like him.]
Yang Kai turned around abruptly and teased, “You can’t be so naïve as to think that I’d really let you go, right?”
Xin Xuan Ming’s heart clenched and his Saint Qi surged, but before he could do anything, a burst of energy rushed towards him and slammed into his head. His eyes widened in surprise, and he died with his eyes wide open just like that.
“Seriously; what a sly and deceitful old dog!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Then, he looked over at the injured Origin King Realm Masters and asked loudly, “Alright. Now, who can answer my question?”
His voice was not that loud when he was asking all those questions just now, but even so, the ones still alive here were all Origin Kings, so how could they have failed to hear him? Upon hearing this, one of them cautiously answered, “Will you let me live if I tell you the answer?”
When his voice rang out, his entire body shuddered without warning. After that, both his arms separated from his body. The pain made him screech out in agony. He staggered backwards unsteadily and fell to the ground, feeling a wave of cold air around his legs. Looking down, he saw that both his legs below his knees were gone. All his limbs had been chopped off! Blood-curdling screams resounded through the sky. Following that, he felt pain coming from his dantian as his Qi all began leaking out from his body. His cultivation had been crippled!
Everybody was horrified.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I was just asking. It’s up to you whether you answer me or not.”
“Attack!” Somebody shouted.
Yang Kai’s cruel and tyrannical acts clearly indicated that answering him would not allow them to survive. Every here was an Origin King, and none of them were fools. Even if he promised to let them live, none of them would dare to believe him. The only hope they had to survive was to join forces against him.
“Charge!” Somebody else immediately echoed the first and all of them rushed towards Yang Kai. Eight figures surrounded Yang Kai in an instant, each of them brimming with murderous intent as they charged forward…
After a while, the ground was scattered with dead bodies. It was a large area, but Yang Kai and Liu Yan were the only two people alive.
In the end, not everybody was unshakeable. Although the surviving Origin King Realm Masters had joined forces at the last moment, their efforts were no different from ants trying to shake a tree. They watched Yang Kai’s deadly and savage attitude as he killed them. Eventually, one of them broke down from the pressure and told Yang Kai the answer he wanted to know. He didn’t manage to escape death, but his death was quick and painless.
“Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction. [What a familiar name.]
He had been the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land during his time in Tong Xuan Realm. Later, he brought a group of subordinates from Nine Heavens Holy Land to Shadowed Star with him; however, he had not seen hide nor hair of them on Shadowed Star so far.
They must have returned to this land with Xia Ning Chang; after all, this was their homeland. They couldn’t watch their homeland being invaded by foreign enemies and do nothing. Besides, Xia Ning Chang had chosen Nine Heavens Holy Land as her base due to a sense of nostalgia toward him.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai beckoned to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan darted to his side and flew towards Nine Heavens Holy Land with him.
Just after Xin Xuan Ming was killed and the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was broken, one of the old men in the Third-Order Origin King Realm located at another ‘black ink stain’ on Tong Xuan Realm suddenly shuddered. He came out of his mediation and opened his eyes with a fearful expression. He had vaguely sensed something at that moment. It felt as though a crisis was looming just next to them. Frowning, he took out an Array Jade and used his Saint Qi to appraise it for a bit. All of a sudden, his expression changed.
The Array Jade he held was a controller for part of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array. Due to the special traits of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, this Array Jade could communicate with the other seven Spirit Jades and they could perceive each other through them.
The old man could tell through this Array Jade that six places were safe; however, there was no response from the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core.
He seemed to have lost contact with it.
For an instant, an incredulous thought popped into his mind and he did not dare to neglect this matter. Thus, he stood up and quickly entered a secret room. That secret room was filled with the writings of various Runes and Spirit Arrays of mysterious purpose.
He activated a certain Spirit Array, and the entire secret room flashed bright and dark intermittently. A short while later, a blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him. That figure only contained the outline of a person and there were no facial features visible on him. Rather, its appearance was like a stream of water, changing constantly. That figure spoke as soon as it appeared, “Third Elder, I was just about to contact you. A commotion broke out at the place where Vice Sect Master Xin was at, so I contacted him to ask about the situation; however, I did not receive any response and now, the connections between the Array Jades have disappeared. Third Elder, do you know if anything has happened to Vice Sect Master Xin?”
When the Third Elder heard those words, the uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger. If his Array Jade was the only one that lost its connection with the Array Core, then it might have been nothing more than a minor technical issue that could be resolved shortly.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though this person was facing the same issue. Combined with the fact that this person, who was the closest to the Array Core, had sensed a commotion, it would seem that this was turning into a huge problem.
The Third Elder replied, “I also called you because of the issue with my Array Jade. I’m not sure about the details. It’s just that Vice Sect Master Xin isn’t responding. Let’s wait and see how the others are doing.”
While the two of them were speaking, several illusory figures appeared one after another inside this secret room. Even though they were physically far apart from each other, they could still gather together and communicate as if they were face to face. It was all thanks to the help of the Spirit Array within the secret room, which made things very convenient for them.
Including the Third Elder, there were seven figures inside the secret room. They were none other than the top Masters of Grand Desolation Star Field who were guarding the seven parts of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array in seven different locations.
After a brief exchange, they discovered a shocking fact: They had completely lost contact with the Array Core. Moreover, there was no news from Vice Sect Master Xin. Silence fell over the room for a moment. Then, somebody exclaimed in horror, “It can’t be that…”
“Impossible!” Somebody else shot it down immediately, “Vice Sect Master Xin is a Third-Order Origin King! None of us were his equal, and now he is in control of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core! Who can stand a chance against him now?! It’s impossible for anything to happen to Vice Sect Master Xin.”
“Third Brother You, you are the closest to the Array Core. Tell us what you saw just now.” Everyone cast their gaze at the figure that was the first to appear.
Third Brother You spoke in a low voice, “A stream of light fell from the sky, followed by a huge earthquake that shook the land. Then, there was no more contact from the Array Core.”
The silence in the secret room became heavier.
He continued, “Although I can’t believe it, judging by the current situation… I’m afraid that Vice Sect Master Xin might be…” While speaking, he shuddered from the chill running down his back. If that was truly the case, then Netherworld Sect had truly provoked an incredible enemy. Still… who could be so shockingly powerful?
“Third Elder, what should we do now?”
The Third Elder’s expression was grim as he pondered in silence for a moment before breathing out slowly. It seemed like he had made a difficult decision, “We have to cut off the lizard’s tail!”
Everyone was shocked and somebody immediately said, “Third Elder, I don’t think that’s appropriate. We have been operating in this place for several years and only need to wait for another half a year to achieve success. If we act hastily, then all our previous efforts would have been in vain!”
“That’s right. It’s not too late for us to decide once we’ve confirmed the situation with Vice Sect Master Xin.”
“Fools!” He scoffed coldly, “I know you are unwilling to accept reality, but with the facts placed in front of you, how can you still continue to deny it? Would Vice Sect Master Xin not contact us if he was safe? Why can’t we detect the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core? I’m afraid the situation on the other side is… disastrous. Regardless of who attacked us, that person or group is extremely strong. We don’t have the means to defend against them.”
[If our opponent is someone who can kill Vice Sect Master Xin despite the support he had from the Array Core, then that person or people are perfectly capable of barging into our locations and taking our lives as well.]
“It takes courage for a strong man to cut off his hand to save his life. Besides, our efforts will not be wasted.”
“Third Elder, what do you mean…”
The Third Elder sneered, “It’s time to bait the snake out of the hole. It’s also time for that secret chess piece to be of use. As long as we can subdue that Star Master, it won’t matter whether we have the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array or not. If we can take control of the Star Master’s power, I don’t see why we can’t defeat this new, powerful enemy.”
When the others heard those words, they fell into deep thought and understood what he was planning to do. Third Brother You was the first to agree, “I agree with the Third Elder’s decision.”
The main reason was that staying in their respective areas would give them no sense of security anyway, so they might as well take a leap of faith. At least, there was a glimmer of hope with that option.
Everybody here was in the Origin King Realm, and having lived for hundreds of years, they quickly understood the pros and cons of the decision before them. Hence, nobody raised any other opposition and simply nodded in agreement.
“Now that it’s decided, let’s go and prepare ourselves. We’ll begin in a quarter-hour. I’m sure it will catch them by surprise!”
Everybody agreed, and the figures dissipated like flowing water. Soon, only the Third Elder was left in the secret room. He stood motionlessly, frowning deeply. The unease in his heart had not gone away. Rather, it had gotten stronger after the decision he made. Gritting his teeth, he pushed aside the irrelevant thoughts in his head before turning to leave the secret room. At this point, he had no better solution.
…
Yang Kai’s brow was wrinkled throughout the entire journey toward Nine Heavens Holy Land. Looking down at the land below him, his expression was very gloomy. Tong Xuan Realm’s current situation was highly precarious. The World Energy was even weaker than when he was last here. The mountains and rivers had lost the so-called charm they used to have, and the entire Star seemed to be suffering from a serious illness.
If this situation were to continue, it wouldn’t take more than 100 years for the World Energy to disappear completely, even if Netherworld Sect and the Grand Desolation Star Field cultivators stopped actively ravaging the Star. It would be impossible to raise new cultivators in such a situation. Moreover, the lives of the ordinary people would become more and more difficult with time. Once the World Energy was completely exhausted, the Star Source would collapse, and Tong Xuan Realm would turn into a Dead Star that could no longer support any living creatures.
There were countless Dead Stars in the Star Field and many of them had undergone this very transformation, step by step, in this manner. Perhaps tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years ago, those Stars had been thriving and filled with life. Unfortunately, even the Stars would slowly die as the years went by, regardless of how brightly they used to burn. Humans go through the cycle of birth and death, and the Stars were not an exception to that cycle either.
The world that cultivators lived in had been greatly affected; of course, ordinary mortals would have it worse. Disasters would occur endlessly as the end approached, causing countless people to lose their homes and lives. There would be tragedies everywhere.
Even if Yang Kai drove the cultivators of Grand Desolation Star Field away, the situation on Tong Xuan Realm would not improve without outside assistance.
Although he had not returned to Tong Xuan Realm for many years, he was the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and he was very familiar with this piece of land. Thinking that he would meet Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue soon, his mood lightened significantly. [Let’s meet up with them first before cleaning out the rats from Grand Desolation Star Field.]
The Nine Peaks were as beautiful and refreshing as a spring day. They were rich with World Energy and thousands of cultivators had gathered here, but many of them looked anxious and forlorn. This was the last piece of pure land in the entirety of Tong Xuan Realm. Xia Ning Chang might not have been able to prevent the invasion of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field or stop them from arranging the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, which poisoned Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy; however, she was still capable of sheltering Nine Heavens Holy Land from those two threats. With her here, the enemy would never be able to set foot into the Nine Peaks.
At this moment, many silhouettes could be seen inside the great hall. These figures consisted of Old Demon and Meng Wu Ya who were the leaders of this group; the Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land, An Ling’er; Elder Xu Hui; Li Rong and Han Fei of the Ancient Demon Clan; Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er, the sisters of Twin Spirit Pavilion; the Palace Master of Dragon Phoenix Palace; Wu Jie… All these people in the great hall were Yang Kai’s old acquaintances. There were approximately 30 of them here, and besides a few that he had met back in the Great Han Dynasty, the rest were people that he had met in Tong Xuan Realm.
Aside from them though, there was also another familiar figure amongst this group, the Young Union Master of Sword Union and the son of Gu Cang Yun, Gu Jian Xin. This person had a Special Constitution known as the Universe Sword Body. He was born with an extraordinary talent for swordsmanship, and despite not seeing each other for many years, he remained as suave as before. His Sword Servants, Ling Yue and An Xing, stood at attention by his sides.
Years of training had made him more and more unyielding. He no longer had the imposing Sword Intent he used to have. Instead, he gave off the feeling of a sword hidden in its scabbard. There were no sharp edges exposed on the outside, but instead a sense of calm majesty and hidden ferocity that would only be unleashed when he drew his sword.
At this moment, Gu Cang Yun was talking to another person in a low voice. The other party was none other than Zi Wu Ji, the Sect Master of one of Heng Luo Star Field’s top forces, Purple Star.
In the past, Zi Long, the Master of Purple Star, had a dispute with Yang Kai because of matters involving his first son. Consequently, he was killed by Yang Kai and the Embodiment in the Starry Sky. That incident had left Purple Star without a leader for many years. Internal conflicts had continued endlessly and, in the end, Zi Wu Ji had taken over to become the new Sect Master of Purple Star.
Unfortunately, the Grand Desolation Star Field had invaded Tong Xuan Realm before Zi Wu Ji could enjoy his new position.
The strength of Purple Star had been reduced greatly compared to the past due to the long-term internal conflict it suffered over the years; therefore, it was completely helpless against the Masters from Grand Desolation Star Field. It only managed to stand its ground against the invaders for half a year before it was completely annihilated, losing several Cultivation Stars in the process.
Seeing that the situation was not in their favour, Zi Wu Ji took some subordinates with him and sought refuge under Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. They managed to lead a peaceful life for some time there; however, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce eventually fell too. Thus, he could only follow Xue Yue and escape to Tong Xuan Realm.
Sword Union’s experience was similar. The cultivators of the Grand Desolation Star Field had been acting lawlessly in Heng Luo Star Field for many years, and Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce couldn’t maintain its resistance against the invasion. Sword Union was similarly powerless to resist. In this way, several of the former top forces fell, one after the other.
That was the reason why everybody had gathered here. Nine Heavens Holy Land was not just the last untouched oasis on Tong Xuan Realm, but also one of the few refuges in the Star Field as a whole; it was their only remaining hope. If they couldn’t defend this place, then there would be no place for them anymore.
For that reason, they had not been sitting around, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for their deaths to come. When they noticed that the Netherworld Sect was arranging the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, they launched a series of attacks. Unfortunately, the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was so powerful that they couldn’t slip through the defences of the Spirit Array. Moreover, being exposed to that Black Qi for a long time would cause dizziness and weakness. Their Saint Qi would also become useless as a consequence. Although they managed to kill some people, those people were mere pawns. The deaths of those pawns had little impact on the Netherworld Sect’s plans.
It could be said that these people, along with Nine Heavens Holy Land, had reached the end of their rope. They might not know what the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was supposed to do, but they could sense that the moment it was activated, even Xia Ning Chang would no longer be able to protect them. In the end, the foundation of Tong Xuan Realm was too superficial. If it was a Star like Shadowed Star or Water Moon Star, the cultivators of the Grand Desolation Star Field would not have been allowed to roam free with its Star Master overseeing it.
“How is Young Lady Xia doing today?” Zi Wu Ji asked in a whisper.
Gu Jian Xin held a simple longsword in his arms and shook his head slowly, “I haven’t seen her for two months. The last time I saw her… Haa… It’s better not to talk about it.” For a person like that to suffer such torture because of the Grand Desolation Star Field’s poison made his heart hurt just thinking about it.
“Is Lady Xue Yue taking care of her?”
“En.” He nodded, “They are sisters with the same husband. It’s only right for them to take care of each other.”
“Brother Yang sure is a lucky man.” Zi Wu Ji chuckled and continued, “Still, isn’t he a little too unmanly? He escaped but left his women here to suffer in his place.”
Gu Jian Xin frowned when he heard those words. He was a swordsman with a straightforward nature, so he disliked hearing other people talking badly about others behind their backs. Even so, that was their freedom so he couldn’t rebuke them even if he disliked their behaviour.
Speaking of which, even he felt that Yang Kai’s actions were a little too much. Yang Kai had left this place, leaving several women behind to struggle and fend for themselves in this Star Field. Several dozen years had gone by since then with no news from him.
[I wonder if he couldn’t return, or if he had forgotten about these beautiful confidantes of his. If it was the latter… Then, it would be just too sad.]
Zi Wu Ji bitterly added, “Young Lady Xia is exquisite, intelligent, and gentle, if only I could obtain her favour…”
“Brother Zi!” Gu Jian Xin abruptly lifted his head and glowered at Zi Wu Ji in warning.
Other people might not know, but Gu Jian Xin knew only too well. Ever since the first time Zi Wu Ji laid eyes on Xia Ning Chang, he had been lovestruck. Oftentimes, his feelings of love were expressed in his words, albeit discreetly. Gu Jian Xin had always pretended not to notice, especially since they were currently stuck in this tough situation where every ally mattered. Besides, Zi Wu Ji was a Second-Order Origin King and such a minor issue wasn’t worth causing trouble over. However, Zi Wu Ji’s words today were beyond what could simply be brushed off as ‘indiscreet’.
Then again… Although Xia Ning Chang always wore a veil that concealed her true countenance, anybody would still be moved by her beauty. Xue Yue wasn’t inferior to her either, but she had an extraordinarily high status, so it was inevitable that she exuded a sense of arrogance and aloofness that created a sense of distance between herself and others. On the other hand, Xia Ning Chang was a Star Master and a Third-Order Origin King, but even so, she had never once shown the slightest arrogance; she also had an incredibly gentle nature. What man wouldn’t want to get their hands on a woman like that? She was the very model of a loyal wife and a good mother. Any man who could obtain her would be extremely blessed.
Zi Wu Ji couldn’t be blamed for falling in love with her; however, it was also possible that he simply wanted to take advantage of the situation. Xia Ning Chang was a Star Master after all, so it would be a good deed if he could marry her. With her by his side, becoming a Third-Order Origin King in the future would be more than just a dream.
Gu Jian Xin and Zi Wu Ji were not very close; in fact, they had barely interacted with each other before coming to Tong Xuan Realm, so Gu Jian Xin didn’t know much about the latter’s personality. However, the latter’s words had crossed a line so he had no choice but to speak up in warning.
If Zi Wu Ji had revealed such intentions in front of others, he would surely be ostracized by Xue Yue, Meng Wu Ya and the others.
Knowing that he had misspoken, Zi Wu Ji smiled embarrassedly, “How lucky. How lucky.”
Nobody knew who he was talking about.
At the same time, Xia Ning Chang was lying weakly in bed in one of the rooms in the inner palace. A faint layer of Black Qi shrouded her entire body as if she was dying from a terminal illness.
Tong Xuan Realm had been poisoned by the Netherworld Sect, so as its Star Master, she was most directly affected by it. The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array felt like chains shackling her body. Meanwhile, the eight Spirit Arrays in different locations were like poisonous sores growing on her body, constantly draining her vitality.
Her veil had been removed, revealing a face that could move the moon and stars with her beauty. Right now though, her complexion was deathly pale, and she was breathing shallowly, a distressing sight to see.
Xue Yue sat on the edge of the bed, holding Xia Ning Chang’s hand without letting go, full of feelings of self-loathing.
When Water Moon Star had fallen, she had no choice but to come to Tong Xuan Realm to seek shelter from Xia Ning Chang; however, that now seemed to have been the worst possible decision.
Tong Xuan Realm was located on the periphery of the Star Field, so it was not highly valued by Grand Desolation Star Field. It was only because she had brought her group here that Xue Yue had attracted her pursuers to this place. If it wasn’t for her, Tong Xuan Realm would not have been besieged, and Xia Ning Chang would not have to suffer such torture.
The more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt.
[How I wish I could take her place instead!]
The figure of a man appeared in her mind at that moment, and gritting her teeth hard, she scolded in her heart, [Where are you right now?!]
All of a sudden, Xia Ning Chang, who was lying on the bed, groaned. Her delicate brow knitted together as her aura became unstable.
Xue Yue was startled and quickly lifted her hand to place it against Xia Ning Chang’s forehead. At the same time, she circulated her Saint Qi and poured it into Xia Ning Chang’s body. Only then did Xia Ning Chang’s frown gradually ease and her fluctuating aura stabilize again.
Even so, Xue Yue didn’t stop her actions as she was worried that Xia Ning Chang might still be experiencing discomfort in her body.
*Shua…*
Xia Ning Chang opened her eyes suddenly and a brilliant light flashed across them.
“Ning Chang!” Xue Yue whispered, more surprised than happy. It had been a long time since she had seen that kind of expression on Xia Ning Chang’s face. For the past few years, Xia Ning Chang had been ill and weakened, losing a lot of weight in the process, becoming thin and withered.
[What’s going on? Did the Grand Desolation Star Field finally take action!?]
“He…” Xia Ning Chang raised a hand and grabbed Xue Yue’s arm hard. She used so much force that Xue Yue felt some pain from it.
“Speak slowly. I’m right here,” Xue Yue quickly comforted Xia Ning Chang.
“H-He’s here!” Xia Ning Chang said.
“Who’s here?” Xue Yue asked suspiciously. The moment the words left her mouth, she froze as a thought that she did not dare to believe popped into her mind.
Xia Ning Chang smiled, “He’s here!”
They were the same words, but this time around, Xue Yue could clearly understand what Xia Ning Chang was trying to express. Her heart began pounding wildly as she bit her lip and asked, “I-Is he really here?”
Xia Ning Chang nodded slightly, “I can feel that he is coming this way. Elder Sister Yue, please go and pick him up… but… don’t bring him to me.”
After saying that, she closed her eyes as if she had gone to sleep. However, there was a slight energy fluctuation coming from her body.
At the same time, a few tens of thousands of kilometres away, Yang Kai suddenly exclaimed in surprise and stopped moving. The surrounding World Energy was reacting strangely as small spots of lights flickered like countless fireflies around him. Those lights soon converged into one spot in the middle and transformed into a beautiful, colourful butterfly that fluttered about nearby.
He grinned and stretched out a finger, upon which the butterfly immediately landed on his finger.
“Little Senior Sister!” He called out softly, looking at the colourful butterfly on his finger. This butterfly could not have appeared without reason. The only possibility was that somebody had used some sort of Secret Technique. Furthermore, there was no other person who could pull this off except Xia Ning Chang. It would seem that she had sensed his arrival and deliberately gave him some instructions, for fear that he could not find her or the others. It was not surprising that she could detect his arrival as she was the Star Master here after all.
[Still… Why didn’t Ning Chang show up in person?] Yang Kai did not have the time to consider the question deeply as the butterfly spread its wings and flew up high, leading the way ahead. Its destination was the location of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, and though its movements seemed light and gentle, its speed was incredible, seemingly reflecting the urgency in its summoner’s heart.
Yang Kai stopped thinking too much about it as he felt he would see her in a few moments anyway. Once he did, everything would become clear.
Inside the main hall of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, everyone fell silent the moment a certain someone entered.
Meng Wu Ya hurriedly stood up and looked at Xue Yue anxiously, “Lady Yue, how is Ning Chang?”
He had raised Xia Ning Chang like his own daughter, so it was only to be expected that he would be uneasy now that she was surrounded by dangers. It was just that her current condition was not due to an ordinary injury or illness. Instead, it was closely related to the vitality of Tong Xuan Realm. More importantly, there was no cure for this. The only solution was to drive away all the invaders from Grand Desolation Star Field and find a way to restore the Star itself. Perhaps, she might then recover on her own once the vitality of the Star was revived after a period of several hundreds of years.
Xue Yue shook her head gently.
Meng Wu Ya immediately understood that the situation was not optimistic; thus, he slammed his palm down in chagrin and the chair below him turned into dust.