The sounds of singing and dancing rose and fell inside the great hall of Full Sky Sect, accompanied by the sounds of rustling silk. A group of dancers was dancing nimbly below in clothes that exposed much of their skin. Meanwhile, a group of Emperor Realm Masters were seated in two rows on the left and the right. Everybody had a table arranged in front of them. Lastly, the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, Mi Qi, sat next to a white-haired old man at the head of the hall and enthusiastically entertained the latter.
That old man was getting on in years and was not dressed very luxuriously, so he would not stand out from a crowd. The only conspicuous point about him was that he had several bags hanging from his waist. Nobody knew what was stuffed into them, but they were bulging. Nevertheless, it was such an old man who made Mi Qi and the others attend to him personally. Moreover, he was seated on the same level as Mi Qi, which went to show just how highly Mi Qi regarded this person.
Below them, the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect constantly raised their glasses to toast the old man, who in turn did not refuse. The rare nectar slid down his snow-white beard as he drank, causing the Elders to feel great pain at the sight. It had cost them a lot of effort and Source Crystals just to brew these spirit wines and even though they couldn’t bring themselves to drink them on normal occasions, they brought all of it out for this guest only to see him being so painfully careless with it. Unfortunately, the old man was not somebody they could afford to offend. They could only lament in their hearts while smiling on the surface.
While the old man was drinking, he leered lecherously at the slender and charming dancers below. At the same time, he also grabbed a handful of grape-like berries and stuffed them into his mouth, one by one. Those berries looked extremely delicious. They were bright blue and sparkled in the light like gemstones; however, those who were familiar with this fruit would know that while it might be exquisite, their taste was anything but.
The Blue Jade Fruit was a kind of spirit fruit that could be used to refine certain Spirit Pills, but those pills weren’t very valuable or useful. If these fruits were consumed raw though, one would find them incredibly sour and difficult to swallow. In addition, they were difficult to cultivate; thus, they were extremely rare across the entire Star Boundary. After all, it did not have much use, did not taste good, and was difficult to produce. It was only natural that people couldn’t be bothered to waste their time and energy on growing them.
However, Full Sky Sect had invested heavily into a Blue Jade Fruit orchard, producing a large number of Blue Jade Fruits every year. The reason behind this endeavour was simple. This old man known as Old Tao loved the taste of Blue Jade Fruit. Everybody had their own unique likes and dislikes, so while most found Blue Jade Fruit hard to consume, it was the most scrumptious delicacy in the world to this old man. Nobody had any idea why his preference was so unique.
Old Tao came from an extraordinary background, and it was by pure chance that Mi Qi had gotten to know him. It was then he happened to notice that Old Tao had a love for Blue Jade Fruits when he invited him to Full Sky Sect. Pandering to the old man’s desires, Mi Qi spent a fortune to create a Blue Jade Fruit orchard in the Sect’s medicine garden and meticulously maintained it every year.
Mi Qi would invite Old Tao over for a taste whenever it was time for the Blue Jade Fruits to be harvested and wrap up all the remaining Blue Jade Fruits for this old man to take when he left. Over the years, Old Tao developed a habit of staying at Full Sky Sect for a few days every year to relieve his cravings, and they eventually became familiar with each other.
The day Li Jiao left after delivering Yang Kai’s message, Mi Qi immediately invited Old Tao over by saying that the Blue Jade Fruits had ripened. Old Tao rushed over without hesitation upon receiving the message, and Full Sky Sect immediately served up good wine and good food for him.
Mi Qi was aware that Full Sky Sect was no match for High Heaven Palace as three Monster Kings were not to be underestimated. He had been harbouring a grudge since he and Li Jiao were both deceived by Yang Kai into taking that Alchemy bet, so he didn’t care about what it might cost him if he could use Old Tao’s strength to break free from High Heaven Palace’s control. The three Monster Kings were strong, but they were not enough to stand in front of Old Tao.
Therefore, Mi Qi enthusiastically offered drinks to Old Tao while smirking in his heart. [I can’t wait for Yang Kai to come knocking on my door. I’m going to show him that Full Sky Sect isn’t some pushover he can bully!]
At that moment, somebody suddenly entered from the outside and secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Mi Qi. Mi Qi’s expression immediately changed upon receiving the message and he hurriedly put his wine glass down while intentionally showing a disturbed look on his face as he spoke, “Old Tao, please excuse me for a moment. I will be back soon.”
Old Tao listened to those words and looked up at Mi Qi curiously, “What’s the matter?”
Mi Qi forced a smile, “It’s just a trivial matter. I shouldn’t bother you with it, Old Tao. I will take care of it myself.”
Old Tao tossed a Blue Jade Fruit into his mouth and grinned meaningfully while chewing, revealing a set of blue-stained teeth, “Brother Mi, why are you treating this Old Master like an outsider?”
“How could I dare?” Mi Qi waved his hand quickly, “Old Tao, your presence at Full Sky Sect as a guest has allowed the Sect to flourish. How can I treat you as an outsider?”
Old Tao replied, “If it’s related to Full Sky Sect’s secrets, then you don’t need to talk about it, Brother Mi. But, you shouldn’t hide it from me if you are in trouble. I might not have much strength, but I can still speak a few words. Who knows? I might be able to help you solve your problems, Brother Mi.”
He could tell that something was wrong just by looking at Mi Qi’s expression.
Mi Qi hesitated for a while, seemingly struggling over something, but eventually he sighed and spoke, “Since you don’t treat me as an outsider, Old Tao, then it doesn’t matter if I tell you about the Sect’s shameful dispute.” While speaking, he picked up his wine glass and drained it down in one gulp, as though he was trying to drown his sorrows.
“Shameful dispute? What happened?” Old Tao became curious.
Mi Qi sighed, “It’s that damned High Heaven Palace again.”
Old Tao was stunned, his expression turning slightly strange as he asked, “You mean that High Heaven Palace that emerged not long ago? I remember you saying that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace cheated you out of a lot of Source Crystals.”
Mi Qi had told Old Tao about this matter many years ago. At the time, he had wanted Old Tao to go to the High Heaven Palace to speak on his behalf and make Yang Kai write off those gambling debts; however, how could Old Tao easily involve himself in other people’s disputes? Although he came to Full Sky Sect to enjoy some Blue Jade Fruit every year and Mi Qi had always been very hospitable towards him, that was just a small favour in the end, not something worth upsetting one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory over.
Old Tao might come from an extraordinary background, but that did not mean he went around inviting trouble to himself. Besides, it was a gambling debt, so it wasn’t as if Yang Kai had stolen it from Mi Qi.
“I am ashamed. Very ashamed!” Mi Qi looked like he couldn’t bear to think about the past.
“What did the people of High Heaven Palace come here for?” Old Tao’s expression twitched, “Don’t tell me they are here to ask for the Source Crystals you owe? If that’s the case, I recommend you pay them back to keep the peace.”
Mi Qi secretly cursed in his heart. [You’ve eaten from my table for so many years, yet you ask me to use money to solve my issues the moment you hear that it’s High Heaven Palace!? You truly are unreliable at critical moments! Whatever; I will be borrowing your name as a shield since you are already here. Why else would I invite you over so enthusiastically if not for this? It was all for the moment when Yang Kai came knocking on the door. Up until now, everything has been going according to plan.]
While he cursed to himself, Mi Qi lamented with a sorrowful expression on his face, “You are right, Old Tao. I am not a man who goes against my word. It is only natural that I accept my loss since I was willing to gamble in the first place. Full Sky Sect has tightened its belt over the years to send over a large number of Source Crystals to High Heaven Palace. But, that bastard surnamed Yang seems to be unsatisfied. Just a few days ago, he sent somebody over to deliver a message, asking Full Sky Sect to surrender to High Heaven Palace; or else, he would wipe out Full Sky Sect.”
Although Li Jiao had said words to the effect of surrendering, Mi Qi had no qualms about embellishing the part about being wiped out.
Old Tao’s expression darkened when he heard those words, “This High Heaven Palace is being far too arrogant.”
“Isn’t it? I may be untalented, but I am still a Sect Master. I have several thousand disciples under me, so how can I sell out my Sect and submit myself to another? Therefore, I immediately refused on the spot, only asking for them to show mercy and leave Full Sky Sect alone.”
“And?” Old Tao asked.
Mi Qi replied with a sullen expression, “My disciple just reported that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, has led a dozen Emperor Realm Masters to Full Sky Sect with him. Moreover, there are more than two hundred Dao Source Realm cultivators following them. From the looks of it, they are here to attack Full Sky Sect.”
The corners of Old Tao’s face visibly twitched, “That can’t be…”
He was no longer in the mood to continue eating the Blue Jade Fruit in his hand as he had the vague feeling that he had been set up. He might be old, but he was not a fool. [Mi Qi went out of his way to invite me over, and High Heaven Palace just so happened to arrive with a large group of people to invade this place? It’s as clear as day that Mi Qi planned this out! Damn it! He wants to borrow my power to settle this dispute!]
Old Tao couldn’t help feeling resentful, [I only come here to eat some fruits every year. Do you really need to set me up like this!?]
Be that as it may, Old Tao maintained his composure as he asked, “Could you be overthinking things, Sect Master Mi? This might be nothing more than a misunderstanding.”
Mi Qi sternly refuted, “That bastard surnamed Yang has already deployed his men here. How is it a misunderstanding?”
Old Tao tossed the Blue Jade Fruit up and down in his hand, suddenly feeling like it was a ball of flames rather than a sour fruit. Coughing dryly, Old Tao continued, “Brother Mi, you haven’t even met them face-to-face yet. How can you be so sure that it’s not a misunderstanding? Who knows? It might be resolved with a few words.”
[Resolved!? You damn cheat!] How could Mi Qi not know that Old Tao was being evasive? Nevertheless, he could not force Old Tao either. It wasn’t like he could say, ‘You eat so many of my Blue Jade Fruits every year. Shouldn’t you help out now that I’m in trouble!?’
Old Tao continued, “Besides, the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect is nothing to sneeze at. There’s nothing to worry about even if that Palace Master Yang tries to attack. Whether or not they can enter the array is a whole other matter.”
Mi Qi forced a smile on his face and nodded in agreement, “Your words make sense, Old Tao. In that case, I will go and check out the situation. Let’s hope it is, as you say, a misunderstanding.”
Old Tao immediately replied, “Brother Mi, please come back soon.”
The corners of Mi Qi’s mouth twitched in response. Seeing how Old Tao was not willing to go with him drove home the point that the relationship between them was nothing. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of grief and rage. Even so, he couldn’t lose his temper here and could only say, “Good. Please excuse me for a moment, Old Tao. I’ll go out and have a look at the situation.”
While he was speaking, he spun around and headed outside. At the same time, he signalled the seated Elders and Protectors with his eyes. All of them immediately got up from their seats and followed behind him.
A moment later, Old Tao was the only one left in the great hall. He glanced at the young girls who continued dancing below, then glanced at the Blue Jade Fruit in front of him. All of a sudden, he had lost interest in them.
Just outside the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect, Yang Kai leisurely stood in the air with his hands behind his back. Li Jiao stood beside him, and the three Monster Kings stood behind them, their Monster Qi surging overwhelmingly while their gazes were fierce.
Further behind them were the Emperor Realm Masters and Dao Source Realm cultivators of Fire Dragon Palace, their expressions rather complicated. They never expected to actually come and cause trouble for Full Sky Sect.
[What does Palace Master Yang want to do? Our Palace Master is acting strangely too. Why is he cooperating with Palace Master Yang?]
Inside the array, a group of Full Sky Sect’s disciples, whose cultivation could not be considered high, shivered in fear and gathered together for warmth as if that would make them feel safer. Both sides watched each other from across the array. Whenever they met the terrifying gaze of the three Monster Kings, these disciples couldn’t help feeling petrified, breaking out into cold sweats.
Yang Kai and the group behind him gave off the impression that they were aggressive and ill-intentioned. Although Full Sky Sect’s disciples did not know what Yang Kai and the rest were here for, they had eyes and common sense so it was only natural for them to feel apprehensive.
Yang Kai glanced sideways and said coldly, “This King and Sect Master Mi are old acquaintances. I travelled so far to visit him to discuss urgent matters. Why are you keeping me outside? Hurry up and open the array. Can you bear the responsibility if this delay causes relations between Sect Master Mi and this King to deteriorate?”
Naturally, the disciples of Full Sky Sect did not believe his nonsense. They were well aware of the relationship between Full Sky Sect and High Heaven Palace. The huge reduction in discretionary Source Crystals over the past few years was entirely caused by High Heaven Palace. Therefore, they had long held a deep hatred toward both High Heaven Palace and Yang Kai. Despite not being enemies, Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace were no different from their enemies. How could a person like that specially pay a visit to the Sect Master? It was clear that he did not hold any good intentions. What’s more; the Sect Master had already issued an order. The array was not to be released without his permission. Hence, they were not frightened by Yang Kai’s words.
The leading Dao Source Realm Master cupped his fists and stated, “Palace Master Yang, please calm your anger. Sect Master is on his way. I’m sure he will arrive soon. Please wait for a little longer, Palace Master Yang. If you have any business with the Sect, please wait until Sect Master arrives. You can talk to him yourself, Palace Master Yang.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “It is said that lackeys are even more difficult to deal with than the boss. It seems that is really the case. What is your name?”
The Dao Source Realm Master’s expression twitched. [What is this? Is he trying to pick a fight with me?] He hesitated for a while but decided that he did not dare to conceal anything from Yang Kai. Thus, he reported his name.
Yang Kai nodded and pointed at the Dao Source Realm Master, “I’ll make you sorry later!”
That person was desperate to cry but could not shed any tears, “Palace Master Yang, I am only doing as I was told. Why must you make things difficult for me?”
Yang Kai said, “If you don’t want me to make things difficult for you, then hurry up and release the array. Stop wasting my time with nonsense.”
That Dao Source Realm Master felt like a noose was tightening around his neck. [How could I dare to release the array!?] He was extremely restless, anxious, and beside himself with panic.
At that moment, a voice rang out from behind him, “I was wondering who it was that was being so arrogant. It turns out to be you, Palace Master Yang. I was negligent in welcoming you, please forgive my discourtesy.”
“Sect Master!” The group of disciples turned back to look, and their expressions lit up with joy. The leading Dao Source Realm Master was ecstatic, feeling as though he had been exonerated. More than ten Emperor Realm Masters flew over. The Elders and Protectors landed with the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect in the lead.
Now that the Sect Master was here, the leading Dao Source Realm Master couldn’t help feeling that this matter had nothing to do with him anymore. Thus, he hurriedly took several steps back and stood behind the group of Emperor Realm Masters
“Sect Master Mi!” Yang Kai looked at Mi Qi with a smile on his face, “I haven’t seen you for so many years, I trust you’ve been well.”
Mi Qi put his hand on his chest, “Palace Master Yang, your bearing is as noble as before. Your prestige has not diminished one bit.” Although they were words of praise, they sounded mocking instead. It was difficult not to notice the sarcasm.
Yang Kai frowned. [Why does that bastard look so confident?]
Yang Kai glanced at the Emperor Realm Masters behind Mi Qi, then turned to look at the army behind him. [Our fighting power is completely on different levels. Where does he get his confidence to speak to me in such a manner? Could it be due to the Sect Defending Array in front of me?]
Mi Qi continued, “Palace Master Yang, why aren’t you living in comfort back at High Heaven Palace? How are you so free to visit this little backwater place of mine?”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “I was just passing by the area while running some errands. I missed you since we haven’t seen each other for so many years, so I decided to drop by for a visit.”
“Is that so…” Mi Qi cupped his fists again. Thank you for your kind thoughts, Palace Master Yang. Everything has been going fine here.”
Yang Kai asked “Sect Master Mi, are you going to talk to me like this? Aren’t you going to invite me in? Speaking of which, it’s my first time in Full Sky Sect. I wonder how it compares to High Heaven Palace.”
Mi Qi shook his head in response, “High Heaven Palace is a beautiful place. Full Sky Sect is far inferior in comparison.” [I’d be crazy to invite you in!]
Changing the subject, Mi Qi added, “Unfortunately, you came at a bad time. I am hosting an honoured guest, so it’s not convenient for me to entertain you today. You can come back on another day if you want to, and I will accompany you personally, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze and looked at Mi Qi, “I came from afar to visit. Sect Master Mi, isn’t your hospitality unreasonably lacking?”
Mi Qi smiled slightly, “Forgive me, Palace Master Yang. It’s really… Not a convenient time. It won’t be good if I am rude to the honoured guest.”
“Who is this honoured guest? Why don’t you let me meet him?”
He shook his head again, “That person doesn’t like strangers. Palace Master Yang, I am really sorry, but please go back for today.”
Yang Kai calmly asked, “And, if I insist on going inside to have a look?”
Mi Qi narrowed his eyes, “Palace Master Yang, please watch your behaviour. This place is Full Sky Sect, not High Heaven Palace. You don’t have any say here. If you want to act all high and mighty, please go back to High Heaven Palace!”
When the disciples of Full Sky Sect heard those words, they couldn’t help feeling extremely excited. They felt that their Sect Master sounded very domineering. It was very satisfying to hear. [High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master is begging for it. Why is he chattering away and humiliating himself?]
Yang Kai looked at Mi Qi meaningfully, “It seems that you have something to rely on, Sect Master Mi. That’s why you’re not afraid that I might destroy Full Sky Sect in a fit of rage.”
Mi Qi arrogantly replied, “Heaven sees everything, and justice lives in the hearts of man.”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively at those words, “Justice doesn’t live in the hearts of man. It is in my hands!”
[I can’t be bothered to waste my time talking to him. Let’s get down to business.]
“Mi Qi, I came here in person to present you with two choices!”
Mi Qi smiled widely, “I’m curious to hear just what these two choices may be. I hope you will state them in all seriousness, Palace Master Yang. Don’t turn yourself into the butt of jokes.”
Yang Kai was expressionless, “Submit to High Heaven Palace and offer up 70% of your annual income to me in the future, or… I will turn Full Sky Sect into High Heaven Palace’s branch operative!”
Meanwhile, Mi Qi stared at Yang Kai expressionlessly. He seemed to be waiting for Yang Kai to continue. After a while, he asked, “Is that all?”
Yang Kai clasped his hands behind his back, “The choice is up to you.”
Mi Qi chuckled and turned to look around him, “Palace Master Yang just told a joke; shouldn’t you guys show him some support?”
The group of Elders and Protectors standing around began laughing heartily in response. Some of the disciples also joined in. It was an indescribably weird situation.
On the other hand, Yang Kai watched coldly. The three Monster Kings also had solemn expressions on their faces.
The moment Mi Qi lifted a hand, the laughter stopped abruptly. He coldly stared at Yang Kai and said, “Though peace reigns over the land, the people create trouble for themselves. Palace Master Yang, it is not too late for you to retreat now. You can still preserve your pride. Otherwise, it will be humiliating for you when you are put on the spot later.” He acted as though he was trying to dissuade Yang Kai with good intentions. However, he couldn’t wait for Yang Kai to embarrass himself. He decided that he would settle everything with Yang Kai today so that he did not need to send a large amount of Source Crystals to High Heaven Palace every year in the future.
“Sect Master Mi, you sure speak with confidence today.” Yang Kai nodded slightly, “I hope you won’t come to regret it.”
Mi Qi yelled, “I have done nothing wrong! I have nothing to regret!”
“Good!” Yang Kai exploded, “You refused the easy way out and chose the difficult path instead. Don’t blame this Palace Master for disregarding the friendship we used to have and destroying Full Sky Sect!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, three figures rushed out from behind him. They arrived in front of the Sect Defending Array in the blink of an eye. Everything happened so fast that nobody could see what happened clearly. All they felt was a violent shockwave spreading out, followed by a loud explosion and an earthquake. The Sect Defending Array shuddered strongly and a layer of ripples spread out across the surface.
The three Monster Kings’ fierce attack packed terrifying power. Moreover, their Monster Qi flared so strongly that it was extremely overwhelming. It frightened many people, and they hurriedly summoned their artifacts and drew out their strength as if they were facing a great enemy.
On the contrary, Mi Qi remained calm and unruffled. He simply looked straight ahead with a smile, “Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array may not be the best, but won’t break so easily. Palace Master Yang, don’t waste your strength.”
After saying that, an Array Board suddenly appeared in his hand. The swaying array immediately stabilized with a light wave of the banner in his hand. Even the ripples disappeared. There was no reaction at all no matter how the three Monster Kings attacked.
It wasn’t that there was no response. It was simply that the attacking power was dispersed and moved elsewhere. That was the power of the Sect Defending Array. As long as the Spirit Array was activated, even the three Monster Kings, who were extremely powerful, could not destroy the Array within a short time. Had those people in the Seeking Passion Sect remained hiding behind their Sect Defending Array back then, Yang Kai would not have had the ability to wipe them out. Their greatest mistake was leaving their stronghold to attack Ice Heart Valley, which gave Yang Kai a chance to take them down instead.
The three Monster Kings did not spare any effort. After a volley of powerful attacks, they were running out of steam. Thus, they returned to Yang Kai’s side looking ashamed of themselves and feeling as though they had let Yang Kai down.
Meanwhile, the people of Full Sky Sect were laughing loudly. Their laughter was filled with mockery and derision.
Mi Qi said, “Palace Master Yang, are you not going to give up? It will be even more embarrassing to continue.”
He had been worried that the three Monster Kings might destroy the Sect Defending Array. But, now that the Array was safe and sound, he immediately calmed down. [It looks like I won’t need Old Tao to step up. High Heaven Palace can’t do anything to me. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have sent those Source Crystals. It would have been better to keep them for our own use.]
Yang Kai glanced at Mi Qi and said, “If that’s what you were relying on, then I’m very disappointed.”
Mi Qi coldly snorted, “Stop your shameless boasting!”
“This trivial Spirit Array is hardly a challenge. Watch me break it down.” Yang Kai stretched out his arms to both sides. The people behind him immediately backed away, putting a distance of a kilometre between them.
Mi Qi frowned. He did not know what Yang Kai was up to. He had to admit that Yang Kai wasn’t weak. Nevertheless, Yang Kai had only advanced into the Emperor Realm not too long ago. How could he accomplish something that even the three Monster Kings couldn’t do?
While he was entertaining his doubts, he saw Yang Kai putting one hand into the void and grabbing something. Then, a silly-looking Stone Man suddenly appeared. Everybody widened their eyes in surprise. Nobody could tell how or where that Stone Man had appeared from. All they saw was Yang Kai grabbing at something in the void as if it had been hiding there all along.
The Stone Man was about half a person tall, with sharp edges and corners all over its body. It looked a little dopey, but its eyes were bright as could be.
As soon as the Stone Man appeared, it turned to face the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect and immediately let out a beast-like roar while beating his chest with both fists.
The people watching this scene were dumbfounded. [What the Hell is going on!? That guy might not look weak, but what is the point of beating his chest?]
However, their astonishment soon turned into horror. Their gazes slowly shifted upward, and they slowly lifted their heads accordingly. Amidst the shaking ground, the Stone Man, who was only half a person tall at the beginning, was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
3 metres, 15 metres, 30 metres, 60 metres, 100 metres… It wasn’t until it was approximately 130 metres to 160 metres tall that it stopped growing. It was as large as a mountain, standing in front of Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array.
An unimaginable pressure assaulted their senses as it felt as though the Monster that was the size of a small mountain was not standing in front of them but pressing down on their chests instead, making it difficult for them to breathe. What terrified them even more were the sharp stone pillars protruding from the Stone Man’s body, which had emerged at some point in time like a layer of spikes. Moreover, his entire body was covered in flames that seemed quite malevolent.
“Shi Huo!” The pupils of Mi Qi’s eyes abruptly contracted. He had great vision and extensive knowledge, so he was able to recognize traces of the aura emanating from the Embodiment. But, why would Shi Huo appear here!?
He had long heard of the Divine Spirit Shi Huo that existed in the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory, which had destroyed Black Tortoise Sect many millennia ago. He did not know whether that Divine Spirit was this thing in front of him; however, what baffled Mi Qi the most was its size. [Since when was Shi Huo capable of becoming this big!?]
Some information on Divine Spirits was available, and as long as one had the will, it was not hard to gather that information. Therefore, Mi Qi was not totally unfamiliar with Shi Huo. It was just that he had never seen it for himself. As far as he knew, even if Shi Huo had some sort of Secret Technique to change his body size, it was still impossible for him to become so huge.
Unbeknownst to Mi Qi, the Shi Huo standing in front of him was a Stone Spirit that had once devoured an entire floating continent. Despite using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to refine all the impurities, the Embodiment could still become even bigger if he wanted to. What was a mere 400 to 500 meters of height? Even Yang Kai’s 200-metre-long Dragon Body was nothing in front of him.
The roaring sound stopped abruptly as the Embodiment opened his eyes wide, glaring with a fierce and evil look as it gazed down from above. A fist larger than a palace clenched tightly in the next moment as he bent his arm back before punching downwards.
Before the attack even landed, an ear-splitting sound cut through the air.
Mi Qi’s expression changed drastically and he was no longer as calm as before. It was true that Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array was extraordinary, and with him personally presiding over it, the array would be enough to withstand the attacks of the three Monster Kings without any damage. Be that as it may, he did not have the slightest confidence that it could withstand the onslaught of such a behemoth; after all, most Spirit Arrays in this world could be destroyed when hit with enough brute force. If they could not be destroyed this way, it simply meant that the attacking party didn’t have enough strength.
Mi Qi could not imagine just how much power this ridiculously large Shi Huo packed, and he didn’t even dare to speculate. In a panic, he rapidly formed a series of seals while injecting his Emperor Qi into the Array Jade. Bursts of light flew out and landed on the surface of the Spirit Array. In response, the surface of the Spirit Array glowed, becoming much more dazzling than before.
*Hong…*
The Embodiment’s fist smashed down on the Sect Defending Array, and the entire Full Sky Sect shook from the impact. Countless buildings collapsed in that instant and amidst the settling dust, many figures flew up into the sky and looked around blankly. When they saw the humongous figure in the distance, though, they were all transfixed by the sight.
Full Sky Sect was guarded by their powerful Sect Defending Array, and nobody could force their way into the Sect as long as the Spirit Array was intact. However, the Embodiment’s attack was a manifestation of pure brute force, so even this Sect Defending Array could not dispel it completely. Instead, the force of the attack surged across the array and spread out to all parts of the Full Sky Sect. Whether far or near, the entire Full Sky Sect instantly became a mess.
Meanwhile, the place where Mi Qi and the others were located was in even worse shape. When that fist smashed down, all of them couldn’t help feeling as though the sky was crashing down on them. The Heaven-splitting force turned into a powerful series of vibrations that sent dust and stone flying across a large area of the land, even obscuring the sun from view.
*Pu pu pu…*
A series of muffled noises rang out as flesh and blood splattered everywhere. Some of Full Sky Sect’s disciples with lower cultivation had exploded into blood mists after being hit by the invisible vibrations. Only the cultivators in the Dao Source Realm and above kept their lives. Nevertheless, their complexions were pale and their eyes were filled with horror.
Mi Qi was thoroughly shocked. He couldn’t care less about the life and death of some disciples with low cultivation at the moment as his gaze was locked on a certain spot on the Sect Defending Array. It was none other than the spot where the Embodiment’s fist had made contact. There, countless small cracks had appeared on the sturdy and solid surface of the Spirit Array and had spread out into the surrounding area. Those cracks stretched out for several thousands of metres in the blink of an eye.
Mi Qi was taken aback. He had known that the power behind that monster’s punch was not to be underestimated, but even so, he never expected it to be so overwhelming. [Is this really the strength of a Shi Huo!? Shi Huo’s main forte doesn’t lie in its brute strength, right?]
Upon seeing the monster raising its fist again, Mi Qi didn’t dare to hold back. Pushing his Emperor Qi madly into the Array Jade, more lights streamed out from it and the unsteady Spirit Array gradually stabilized. Similarly, the cracks that had appeared slowly disappeared with his efforts.
Before Mi Qi had time to catch his breath though, a second fist came crashing down.
This punch felt as though it wasn’t landing on the Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array, but directly on Mi Qi’s heart instead. It horrified him, and he couldn’t help feeling a sense of death washing over him.
The same situation as before reappeared once more. The entire Full Sky Sect shook fiercely again, and more buildings collapsed. Fortunately, the Emperor Realm Masters behind Mi Qi began casting defensive techniques the moment they sensed that things were going badly. They managed to defend against the invisible fluctuations of the sky-splitting force and prevented more of the weaker disciples from suffering any harm.
*Kacha…*
A cracking sound rang out as large fissures appeared again in the Sect Defending Array that had just been repaired. The number of the cracks were higher and denser than before, and they spread out further as well. Mi Qi was so scared that he felt as if his Soul had left his body and he once again began furiously forming hand seals as he tried to stabilize the Array.
A sense of despair washed over Mi Qi when he saw the Embodiment raising its fist again. The Sect Defending Array he was so proud of was not capable of protecting Full Sky Sect from danger. Rather, it could be said that more than 90% of the Sect Defending Arrays in the world could not withstand this kind of indiscriminate barrage of attacks, so he shouted. “Elders, help me!”
The moment Mi Qi’s voice sounded, the Emperor Realm Masters came back to their senses like they were waking up from a dream and each of them hurriedly took out their respective Array Jades. These Array Jades were used to control the Sect Defending Array as well, but they were only sub-controllers while the Master Array Jade was held by Mi Qi.
The expressions on their faces were filled with a never-seen-before solemnity as they sent their Emperor Qi into their Array Jades, hurriedly trying to repair the cracked Sect Defending Array.
The Embodiment shook his head. The fact that his previous two punches had failed to destroy the Spirit Array seemed to annoy him, so he suddenly clasped both hands together, lifted them above his head, and smashed his clenched fists down.
[We can’t stop him! It’s absolutely unstoppable!]
That thought surfaced in the minds of Mi Qi, as well as the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect, even though the attack had yet to land. It was a feeling derived from pure instinct.
In reality, it turned out to be the truth. When the Embodiment’s third attack landed, the unstable surface of the barrier flashed for a moment before dense cracks began spreading out from the point where the attack landed as its centre. Under the horrified gaze of the people inside Full Sky Sect, the Sect Defending Array shattered!
Thousands of metres away, the figures of the three Monster Kings blasted forward like lightning. They rushed directly into the midst of the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect in the blink of an eye. Ying Fei was faster, so he took the lead. Meanwhile, Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei followed closely behind.
As claw strikes rained down from the sky, the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect, who had yet to accept that their Sect Defending Array had been destroyed, could barely defend themselves and were unable to counterattack.
The gap in their cultivation showed instantly. The only Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in Full Sky Sect was Mi Qi, and even he might not be able to match Ying Fei in a one-on-one fight, so there was no chance the other Elders and Protectors could resist.
Xi Lei’s body sparkled with cyan lightning as he recklessly rushed over to Mi Qi and grinned savagely, “Since you refuse a toast, you must drink a loss! Die!” A big fan-like palm swiped at Mi Qi’s head.
Mi Qi threw aside the Array Jade in his hand and swiftly summoned a steel ring-like artifact. Tangled in an all-out fight against Xi Lei, the grief and panic in his heart were beyond words.
On the other hand, Xie Wu We followed closely behind and slipped past Xi Lei. A huge scorpion phantom appeared behind him, shaking its head and wagging its tail. The scorpion stinger was gleaming with a green and eerie light, which looked extremely venomous. The scorpion flickered for a moment, and a viridescent mist exploded out that swiftly enveloped 4 or 5 Emperor Realm Masters. Those Emperor Realm Masters vanished from view in the blink of an eye, and only their exclamations could be heard from the outside. Nobody knew what was happening to them inside the poison fog.
As soon as the three Monster Kings attacked, they took down all the powerful Masters in Full Sky Sect.
Li Jiao raised his arms and shouted, “Charge!”
Although he initially planned to only cheer Yang Kai on from behind, he couldn’t stand on the sidelines at this point. As the saying went, ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’. The best thing for him to do right now was to help Yang Kai take down Full Sky Sect.
In the meantime, the Elders of Fire Dragon Palace remained in a daze. It was mainly because the scene right in front of them was extremely difficult to accept. Both Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace were top Sects of the Northern Territory. They had each remained standing in the Northern Territory for more than ten thousand years, so how did Yang Kai breach Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array so easily? They always thought that Yang Kai had only managed to destroy Seeking Passion Sect due to luck; after all, Seeking Passion Sect had courted death by leaving their Sect to attack Ice Heart Valley.
Unfortunately, that now seemed to have been nothing but wishful thinking. Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array had been broken just like that. If Fire Dragon Palace and High Heaven Palace were to become enemies, they might not end up any better. They originally felt that Li Jiao had caused their prestige to fall by submitting to Yang Kai, but now it was apparent that this was no incompetence on Li Jiao’s part, but keen foresight.
When they heard Li Jiao’s shout, they snapped back to the present and hurriedly rushed after their Palace Master. They might not have been willing to confront Full Sky Sect head-on, but rubbing salt into their wounds would be just fine.
Meanwhile, the members of Full Sky Sect instantly felt as though their suffering doubled. The three Monster Kings had already suppressed them all, and now, Li Jiao was leading a group of Emperor Realm Masters no fewer than them into the battle. How could they overcome such a disadvantage? The Emperor Realm Masters were suppressed on all sides in an instant and were beaten so badly that they were coughing up fresh blood and collapsing to the ground, unable to get back up again.
Mi Qi shouted in grief and indignation. “Li Jiao, you and I are irreconcilable!”
It was one thing if Yang Kai turned against him; after all, reprehensible behaviour from a greedy and wicked person was expected. However, for Li Jiao to intervene in the matter was very difficult for him to accept.
Li Jiao slammed his palm into one of the Elders of Full Sky Sect as he coldly snorted, “Mi Qi, a wise man will submit to the circumstances. It is not too late to submit to Palace Master Yang. Otherwise, I am afraid all you will be left with is regret.”
“In your dreams!” Mi Qi gritted his teeth and snarled. He was surprisingly courageous, but the main reason was that he still had a hidden trump card. Seeing Xi Lei striking at him with an arc of lightning, Mi Qi used the impact to withdraw while at the same time shouting, “Old Tao, save me!”
On a mountain not far away, Old Tao was speechless. He only came here to eat some fruits and drink some wine, so why did he end up in this terrible situation?
Seeing the situation before him, Old Tao would have lived his life in vain if he still couldn’t guess Mi Qi’s intentions. As the saying went, ‘one was partial to those whom they accepted gifts from’. Mi Qi had been rather hospitable to him for all these years, inviting him over whenever the Blue Jade Fruits ripened. It was hard to justify standing by the sidelines in this situation. Besides, Mi Qi had already shouted so it was too much for him to continue feigning ignorance. Letting out a long sigh, he stepped forward and flew towards Mi Qi.
Old Tao might not look like much, but he still gave off an impressive sage-like aura while flying over. Moreover, he was exuding the aura of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Ying Fei glanced sideways at Old Tao and smirked. Lashing out as swiftly as lightning, he subdued the last of Full Sky Sect’s Elders, slapping a palm on the Elder to seal the latter’s cultivation before he shot out to meet Old Tao.
Among the thirty-two Monster Kings in the Ancient Wild Lands he might not be ranked among the top three in terms of strength, but his speed was unrivalled. In that aspect, even the three Divine Spirits had to concede their defeat. He came within a thousand metres of Old Tao in the blink of an eye; moreover, he was still approaching rapidly.
Nevertheless, Old Tao remained calm and unruffled. Grabbing one of the cloth bags hanging at his waist, he tossed it in Ying Fei’s direction. The cloth bag faced the wind, expanded its mouth, and aimed directly at Ying Fei. A powerful suction force came from within, accompanied by a whirring sound, creating strong gusts of wind.
Ying Fei did not act carelessly when faced with that cloth bag. He did not know what artifact that cloth bag was, but the power of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was nothing to sneeze at. He quickly shifted his body to avoid being in the direction of that cloth bag’s opening, but unexpectedly, the cloth bag suddenly swelled until it became bigger than a house. Moreover, a large green hand emerged from the insides of the cloth bag and grabbed towards him.
Startled, Ying Fei instinctively tried to dodge the hand; however, he discovered that the Monster Qi in his body was roiling unstably. It felt as though his Monster Qi was being disrupted by something, and in that moment when he was caught off guard, he was captured by the hand and a pained expression showed on his face.
As soon as the large green hand captured him, it immediately began to retreat back into the cloth bag and disappeared in an instant. Similarly, Ying Fei disappeared along with the large green hand. Old Tao then lifted his hand and retrieved the cloth bag.
“Old Ying!” Xi Lei’s expression changed drastically as he yelled out in horror and stared at the cloth bag fearfully. As a Monster King himself, he knew just how hard it was to deal with Ying Fei. In spite of that, a Monster King known for his speed had been defeated by a cloth bag without the strength to even fight back. If he had not seen it for himself, he would never have believed it. He knew that it wasn’t the ability of the old man with white hair though, it was the power of that Cloth Bag Artifact, but he didn’t know what this Artifact was or how it could possibly have such a mysterious effect.
On the other side, the venomous fog released by Xie Wu Wei churned violently, indicating that his emotions had also been greatly shaken.
Meanwhile, Mi Qi, who had been sent flying by Xi Lei, laughed loudly, “Many thanks, Old Tao!” His calculated actions had paid off, and he couldn’t help admiring his foresight at this moment.
If it had been any other Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, Old Tao might not have dealt with them so easily; however, he just so happened to be up against a Monster King, and dealing with the Monster Race was what Old Tao specialized in.
Taking advantage of Xi Lei’s distraction, Mi Qi swiftly retreated and removed himself from the former’s range of attacks. He then stood beside Old Tao and said, “Old Tao, this group of thieves are simply too much! Please help me suppress them.”
Old Tao nodded expressionlessly, “A simple task.”
Now that things had come this far, he had decided to go all in. Besides, the sudden appearance of three Monster Kings in this place surprised Old Tao greatly. He could complete his own mission after defeating these three Monster Kings, so he would have done so even without Mi Qi’s request.
“Old Dog, die!” Xi Lei was wrapped in lightning as an illusory phantom of a beast flashed behind him, clearly illustrating his anger. He originally assumed that it would be easy to crush Full Sky Sect when he first followed Yang Kai here. Who could have expected that Ying Fei would be defeated the moment this old man showed up? Ying Fei being defeated was an embarrassment to the Ancient Wild Lands, so how could Xi Lei let that slide?
Old Tao’s expression didn’t change even in the face of Xi Lei’s rage. Moreover, his response could not get any more straightforward. He simply tossed the same cloth bag out again,
Xi Lei, who was rushing in that direction, halted abruptly. Raising his head to look, he saw that the cloth bag had opened above his head. A strong suction was coming from within the bag, but that wasn’t all; he was perfectly capable of resisting such suction force with his strength, but the crucial point was that the large green hand had appeared again.
The moment the hand appeared, Xi Lei felt the circulation of his Monster Qi becoming disturbed, which scared the life out of him. At the same time, he immediately understood what happened to Ying Fei back then.
Before Xi Lei could react, the green hand grabbed him and dragged him back into the cloth bag. However, Old Tao didn’t take back the cloth bag this time, instead forming a set of seals with his hands and directing the cloth bag towards the bank of venomous fog.
The venomous fog was created by Xie Wu Wei, where he had dragged a few of Full Sky Sect’s Emperor Realm Masters into battle. Nobody could see the what was going on inside, but it was easy to tell that Xie Wu Wei held the upper hand just by listening to the screams of the Full Sky Sect’s Elders
The large green hand reached out again. Surprisingly, it seemed dimmer than before. It was almost as though the green hand was a consumable that would disappear after several uses. Nonetheless, Xie Wu Wei did not dare to take it lightly after what happened to Ying Fei and Xi Lei. The venomous fog churned violently before his figure suddenly rushed out as he hurriedly fled towards Yang Kai. Unfortunately, that green hand was like maggots on rotting bones and he could not escape its pursuit. Furthermore, its speed was incredibly fast so he did not manage to get very far before he was captured and dragged backward.
It wasn’t until Xie Wu Wei was put into the cloth bag that Old Tao used some Secret Technique to seal the opening of the cloth bag tightly and recalled it to himself. Catching it with his hand, he subsequently hung it on his waist again.
Those events transpired in a flash, leaving everybody in shock and disbelief. The three Monster Kings had been giving off an aggressive and menacing air just now, and nobody in Full Sky Sect could stand up to them, but they were defeated by a white-haired old man with a strange cloth bag in an instant. This situation left everybody feeling stunned.
Li Jiao and the Emperor Realm Masters of Fire Dragon Palace did not dare to rush forward again. They were just about to launch an attack, but immediately backed away in horror instead. Even the three Monster Kings were no match for that white-haired old man; so how could they possibly stand a chance?
Mi Qi obviously didn’t expect things to be so easy, and only after a moment of amazement did he burst into wild and brazen laughter. Standing next to Old Tao, he pointed at Yang Kai, whose expression was twitching slightly, “Little Thief, how dare you attack Full Sky Sect!? Today will be the day you die!”
Old Tao held up a bottle gourd of wine and poured some into his mouth. Upon hearing those words, he glanced sideways at Mi Qi and knew that the latter was taking advantage of his strength, but he didn’t say anything. In any case, he had a great harvest on this trip so it wouldn’t hurt to let Mi Qi borrow his reputation a little.
On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t seem to hear anything. He was staring hard at the nondescript white-haired man. [I came here to establish my prestige by making an example out of Full Sky Sect, but before I could do anything, my three Monster Kings were defeated. What the Hell!?]
It wasn’t that he left the Monster Kings to die on purpose, it was just that everything had happened so quickly that he couldn’t react in time when Ying Fei and Xi Lei were caught. When he saw Xie Wu Wei fleeing to his side, he had wanted to help but was stopped by Liu Yan for some reason, so in the end, he could only watch as Xie Wu Wei was taken away.
[It shouldn’t have been difficult to save Xie Wu Wei with my Space Divine Ability, but what is the background of this old man, and what kind of artifact is that cloth bag!?] While Yang Kai was mulling over his suspicions, Liu Yan suddenly walked past him and headed in that direction.
Composing himself, Yang Kai looked down at her and warned, “Be careful.”
Although she was not weak, the Cloth Bag Artifact was extremely strange and he did not know whether she could handle it.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan remained calm, and her steady steps did not falter.
Old Tao, who was holding up a bottle gourd of wine to his mouth couldn’t help glancing over at the approaching little girl and suddenly his eyes widened. The wine in the bottle gourd flowed down the corners of his mouth, wetting his robes and bringing him back to his senses. Thus, he hurriedly patted at his clothes before studying Liu Yan carefully again, his face twitching slightly as he wondered, [W-Why… Does she look so much like ‘that’ person?]
His thoughts drifted for a while, going back to more than ten years into the past. When he went back to the island to report to a certain person a decade or so ago, he had seen a figure sitting by the side of a certain crater while chatting with a certain other person. Despite the distance between them, Old Tao could tell that that figure belonged to a little girl. Moreover, it was a seven-or-eight-year-old little girl who was dressed similarly to the one he was facing right now. At the time, he had asked that person about the little girl’s identity out of curiosity, and that person had merely responded with an inscrutable smile, so he didn’t dare to ask any more questions.
It might have been more than ten years ago and Old Tao had not gotten a clear glimpse at that time, but the impression he got from seeing that little girl was too strong. He couldn’t stop his thoughts from going in that direction now that he saw this little girl standing in front of him. Looking at her again, he became certain, [She looks very similar! Too similar!]
“Little Thief, do you not have any other subordinates? Why send out a little girl?” Mi Qi was the perfect example of a vile character intoxicated with power. He remained close to Old Tao and shouted boldly. After seeing Old Tao’s power, he became more and more confident and fearless; even so, he didn’t dare to stray too far from Old Tao, lest Yang Kai take advantage of the gap to launch a sneak attack.
“Shut up!” Old Tao shouted.
Mi Qi was dumbfounded and glanced at Old Tao in amazement, only to see the latter was staring at the little girl walking towards them with a solemn expression. Moreover, Old Tao was breaking out in a cold sweat. This discovery frightened Mi Qi greatly. [Could it be that this little girl is somebody we cannot afford to offend? Otherwise, why would Old Tao react in such a manner?]
Feeling suspicious, he looked carefully and saw that the little girl walking toward them had a calm expression that was as tranquil as an ancient well. Her black eyes were very distinct and clean. She looked like a budding beautiful woman at first glance. With such grace as a child, she would surely be amazing once she grew up.
Seeing that the distance between both parties was getting smaller but the little girl seemingly had no intention of stopping, Mi Qi became rather nervous and secretly circulated his Emperor Qi so that he was ready to attack at any time.
Liu Yan stopped just a hundred metres away from the pair, and upon closer inspection, Old Tao became more and more certain that he had not guessed wrong. This little girl was the same one he had seen on the island more than ten years ago.
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he never expected to encounter her in such a place. It truly was a conflict between two parties on the same side.
Although he was almost 100% certain, there were questions he still needed to ask, so after a moment of hesitation, Old Tao secretly sent out a Divine Sense transmission.
Liu Yan pushed her Divine Sense and sent a reply back.
The situation suddenly became strange. Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace were facing off against each other, prepared for war, but a little girl and a white-haired old man were communicating with each other in the middle of the battlefield.
Not long after, Old Tao nodded lightly. Following that, Liu Yan turned around and walked away, returning to Yang Kai’s side in a few steps.
“Do you know that old guy?” Yang Kai looked at Liu Yan suspiciously.
She replied, “I don’t know him. But, it seems he has seen me before.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s from Spirit Beast Island.”
“Senior Martial Beast’s Spirit Beast Island?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
Liu Yan lived on Spirit Beast Island for a while, so if she said so, then that must be true.
Yang Kai never expected this white-haired old man to have such a prestigious background. He had interacted with several people from Spirit Beast Island before and even met Martial Beast Great Emperor before when they caused a huge ruckus on Dragon Island together. Needless to say, Yang Kai understood just how great Spirit Beast Island’s heritage was. Although there were not many people on Spirit Beast Island, each one of them should never be underestimated. Whether it was Li Wu Yi or Jiu Feng, who among them was not a famous figure across the entire Star Boundary?
In the past, Yang Kai had never fought against them and only regarded them as ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters; however, after his meeting with Yang Yan, he had some guesses that Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng were among those stuck in between the Emperor Realm and Great Emperor Realm. It was only because of the limited capacity of the world that they could not become Great Emperors.
Nevertheless, those were simply his conjectures and he could not confirm if they were true. On the other hand, the fact that that white-haired old man was from Spirit Beast Island could not be wrong.
After asking a few more questions, Yang Kai finally understood the situation. That white-haired old man seemed to have seen Liu Yan once from afar a decade or so ago. However, Liu Yan had been comprehending the mystery of the Fire Phoenix Source at the time and did not interact at all with him. That was why she said that the other party knew her but she did not know him.
Rather, what she recognized was the Cloth Bag Artifact used by the white-haired old man. She had seen that kind of artifact in Jiu Feng’s possession before. The people from Spirit Beast Island call it the Spirit Beast Bag and it was a very peculiar artifact that was extremely effective at suppressing Monster Beasts but did not have much effect against any other Races.
The Spirit Beast Bag contained a Taming Beast Seal, which was created by Martial Beast Great Emperor personally. The moment the Spirit Beast Bag was used, any existence with the slightest drop of Monster Race or Monster Beast blood would be unable to escape the shackles of the Spirit Beast Bag.
That was also the fundamental reason why the three Monster Kings were defeated so easily. That white-haired old man might not be a match for any one of the three Monster Kings if it came down to a straight-up fight, but he could defeat them effortlessly with the help of the Spirit Beast Bag.
“Spirit Beast Island is in the Eastern Territory. What is this old guy doing in the Northern Territory?” Yang Kai looked puzzled. His pride had been badly bruised today, which made him a little displeased. If not for the white-haired old man who was from Spirit Beast Island, his plans would have gone smoothly.
Now that the situation had developed in this manner, there was probably no way he could continue with this fight anymore. Even so, he was still a little curious about the reason why the white-haired old man was here.
Liu Yan explained, “Spirit Beast Island collects exotic beasts from all over the world. Needless to say, those exotic beasts are forcefully captured and brought back. There are people who specialize in that on the island, and he is one of them. He probably came to the Northern Territory in his search for exotic beasts.”
“I see,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
While those two were communicating among themselves, Mi Qi became unsettled. He might not know how the situation was developing at the moment, but he had seen Liu Yan and Old Tao secretly communicating with each other and an uneasy feeling surged in his heart. Not daring to hesitate, he cupped his fists and said, “Old Tao, I will be eternally grateful to you if you can help me again. I will offer you a hefty reward after this incident.”
Right now, he could only count on Old Tao’s strength; otherwise, there was no way Full Sky Sect could match up against Yang Kai.
Old Tao sighed, raised his hand, and patted Mi Qi on the shoulder, “Forget it. Just give them whatever they want.”
Mi Qi’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he never imagined that Old Tao would say something like that.
Little did Mi Qi know that Old Tao was utterly helpless too. He might be somebody from Spirit Beast Island who was ordered to come to the Northern Territory to search for exotic beasts, but when it came down to it, his status on Spirit Beast Island was not that high. Senior Martial Beast was naturally the most respected on Spirit Beast Island, followed by Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng, and this little girl seemed to have a close relationship with Jiu Feng. So, how could Old Tao dare to offend her?
While Mi Qi blanked out from the shock, Old Tao took the cloth bag from his waist and opened it.
Three figures immediately emerged right after. It was none other than Ying Fei and the others.
All three Monster Kings had haunted expressions on their faces and instantly looked around the moment they reappeared. Upon seeing both Old Tao and Mi Qi when they turned around, the three exchanged a glance with each other before they lunged forward to kill Old Tao with zero hesitation.
They had just suffered a huge loss at the hands of the Spirit Beast Bag, but all three of them were experienced and decisive characters. They instantly figured out the shortcomings of the Spirit Beast Bag at a glance. The artifact was powerful indeed, but it would seem that it could only deal with one person at a time. If all three of them acted together, they could kill Old Tao before the Spirit Beast Bag took effect.
In an instant, Monster Qi surged to the sky as three distinct murderous intents enveloped Old Tao, terrifying him so badly that all the hairs on his body stood upright. Even Mi Qi staggered back in fright and almost fell to the ground.
“Stop!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted.
Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei both stopped mid-air while Ying Fei’s figure suddenly disappeared. It was an afterimage. His real body was already standing in front of Old Tao, an eagle’s talon stopped just a finger’s length away from the latter’s face with a sharp aura radiating from it.
Old Tao’s back was dripping with cold sweat, having come close to dying. He lifted his eyes to look at Ying Fei, who was standing right in front of him and secretly rejoiced at the fact that this was the first Monster King he dealt with earlier; otherwise, this Monster King might have won against him just by relying on speed alone.
“Monster Kings, don’t be rude!” Yang Kai’s voice came from behind again. Since this old man was from Spirit Beast Island, then he was not an enemy. Besides, Old Tao had taken the initiative to release the three Monster Kings, so how could Yang Kai just sit around and watch him die?
Ying Fei was surprisingly obedient and retracted his eagle’s talon without delay before he withdrew as if some invisible force was pulling at him. In an instant, he stood side by side with Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei, the three of them were watching Old Tao vigilantly, maintaining a high degree of vigilance.
They had lost at the hands of this old man, which hurt their pride. If that happened again, they would be too humiliated to remain by Yang Kai’s side anymore.
The moment Ying Fei retreated, Mi Qi returned to his senses too. Although he did not know why Old Tao switched sides all of a sudden and even released the three Monster Kings that had been captured, he knew that there was nothing he could do to change the situation. Hence, he no longer hesitated and ran straight back into Full Sky Sect.
“Please wait here for a moment, Old Sir. I’ll be right back to speak with you later!” Yang Kai smiled at Old Tao. After that, his figure flickered and he vanished in an instant.
“Space Divine Ability!” Old Tao’s eyes shrank at the sight. As somebody from Spirit Beast Island, there was no way he did not know about Space Divine Abilities; after all, that was Li Wu Yi’s field of expertise. Old Tao had seen Li Wu Yi displaying his Dao of Space abilities to come and go freely on multiple occasions.
However, he never imagined that he would see that same Divine Ability being used by another person.
Looking at the young man’s level of skill, it would seem that Yang Kai was not inferior to Li Wu Yi. Old Tao instantly felt a chill in his heart, knowing that the only reason Yang Kai had held back just now was thanks to the little girl; otherwise, he would have died without even knowing the reason why.
Those proficient in the Dao of Space were not to be trifled with. Even though they were both Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, Li Wu Yi enjoyed the title of being the strongest Master below the Great Emperors, and the primary reason was his mastery over the Dao of Space.
On the other side, Mi Qi felt his vision blurring slightly while he was desperately trying to escape, and when his vision cleared, Yang Kai was already blocking his path with a cold expression, shouting, “Where are you trying to run off to!?”
Mi Qi gritted his teeth, looking desperate. A long spear appeared in his hand, shining with a cold light. Then, his spear thrust out like a Dragon going to sea. The swooshing sounds of his spear rang out endlessly and seemed to cover a wide area.
When it came down to it, he was still a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master so it was only natural for him to have some life-saving cards up his sleeves, and this attack revealed his strong and powerful foundation. The sky was filled with the murderous intent coming from his spear attacks, and the power behind each thrust was incredible, so much so that they made the Emperor Realm Masters of Fire Dragon Palace widen their eyes in surprise. They knew that they could not have survived a barrage of attacks of that calibre.
Even so, Yang Kai simply stood there boldly without any intention to dodge. The people of Fire Dragon Palace turned to look at their Palace Master and saw that Li Jiao was as calm as could be, not showing the slightest worry.
Out of everybody here, he knew Yang Kai’s abilities best. Yang Kai dared to take on the entire Dragon Clan, so what was Mi Qi in comparison? For that reason, there was nothing to worry about.
Facing that desperate barrage of attacks, Yang Kai’s expression became somewhat strange. It was his first time fighting against another person since becoming a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master; moreover, his opponent was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so even though Mi Qi’s attacks were not weak, they didn’t look very imposing or dangerous to him.
Yang Kai leisurely reached out his hand into the field of spear shadows and grabbed at something.
The spear shadows all dissipated in that instant, and Mi Qi’s movements abruptly froze, his eyes widened as large as saucers as though he had just seen a ghost. That was because Yang Kai’s casual movement had accurately grabbed the head of his spear among the countless afterimages.
[How am I supposed to use my ultimate killing move if my spear has been seized!?] Mi Qi’s expression changed drastically but he still reacted incredibly swiftly. The spear trembled for a moment as a rotating force transmitted along its shaft while Mi Qi roared, “Let go!”
He was hoping that this move would shake Yang Kai off. There was nothing he was basing his hopes on when performing this move, he was simply relying on the fact that his cultivation was one Minor Realm higher than Yang Kai’s.
That rotating force was transmitted to Yang Kai’s palm in an instant, and unsurprisingly, his wrist turned slightly from the force. Mi Qi was just about to continue with his efforts when he saw hostility appearing on Yang Kai’s face. The rotated wrist turned back again abruptly, accompanied by a force that seemed to ‘set things right’.
Subsequently, a rotating force spinning in the complete opposite direction of the original was returned along the spear, and before Mi Qi even knew what was happening, his entire person was helplessly spinning round and round due to the might of that rotating force.
He pushed his Emperor Qi to forcefully stabilize his body in the air, but the spear he had been holding had already been snatched away by Yang Kai. Despite feeling extremely dizzy, what Mi Qi felt most distinctly right now was terror. [What great strength! His aura is clearly only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm! How is this possible!? How does he have this much power!? Just now, that was nothing but pure brute force!]
He was completely unaware of Yang Kai’s current physical condition. The Half-Dragon Form was not something he could fight against. If it had been Li Jiao, he would never have tried to compete against him in raw strength as that was purely asking for trouble.
Mi Qi didn’t even have the time to stabilize himself when he heard a whistling sound coming from above his head. He was so scared that it felt like his Soul had left his body for a moment. Yang Kai was still holding the head of Mi Qi’s spear; however, he was using the artifact spear as a club and brought it smashing down on Mi Qi.
Mi Qi lifted his arms and crossed them above his head. Two bracers appeared on his arms out of thin air.
*Hong…*
The butt of the spear smashed down against his arm guards, causing them to flash wildly before they quickly dimmed. That Emperor Artifact lost its spirituality after taking a hit from this brutal attack. Meanwhile, Mi Qi was struck by an overwhelming force, which caused him to crash down like a meteor. As a result, he smashed into a nearby mountain, opening a huge crater in its side.
The Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect lying on the ground were completely stunned. Their eyes portrayed how lost they felt as they were struck by a sense of utter disbelief. [Our Sect Master couldn’t even withstand a single move?]
Similarly, the people of Fire Dragon Palace were also stunned. Deep down in their hearts, they couldn’t help thinking that it was absolutely ridiculous. [Mi Qi is a Third-Order Emperor Realm, how could he be so pathetic?]
The three Monster Kings also exchanged glances with each other. They were a little shocked too. They could tell that Yang Kai seemed to be much stronger than before. On the other hand, Old Tao swallowed nervously. He lifted his bottle gourd of wine and poured some into his mouth. He needed the alcohol to take off some of the edge off the shock in his palpitating heart.
Meanwhile, Mi Qi had been smashed into the mountain and levelled it as a result. He felt extremely dizzy and the vitality in his body churned. It took some effort for him to finally suppress this discomfort, and when he looked up, he saw Yang Kai floating down to land in front of him.
Yang Kai stood before Mi Qi and looked down from above while playing with the spear in his hands. With a spin and a shake, the spear pierced toward Mi Qi with a spray of sparks.
“Have mercy!” Mi Qi shouted, “Palace Master Yang, please spare my life!”
At this point, survival came first. He couldn’t care less about his pride and reputation anymore. What was the use of his pride if he lost his life? The tip of the spear brushed past his cheeks and cut off several strands of his black hair, causing his eyes to widen to the size of saucers, and him to nearly wet his pants in fear.
“Tsk.” Yang Kai spat disdainfully. Lifting the spear in his hand slightly, he stabbed into the ground at his feet. Turning around, he asked, “Who else refuses to surrender?”
Who would dare to go against him now? All the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect had been defeated by the Monster Kings earlier. They were currently sprawled across the ground, endlessly wailing in pain. As for the Emperor Realm Masters who fought against Ying Fei, they were covered in claw marks and fresh blood. They were helpless since Ying Fei had sealed their cultivation. They couldn’t even heal their injuries. On the other hand, the Emperor Realm Masters who fought against Xie Wu Wei were enveloped in a green light. Large and shiny blisters formed on their exposed skin. Their complexion was green and pale. It was clear that they had been badly poisoned. It could be said that all the higher-ups of Full Sky Sect in the Emperor Realm had been completely wiped out. Moreover, the entire battle, from the beginning to the end, had not taken more than a quarter of an hour!
“Palace Master Yang, please spare our lives!” Those disciples in the Dao Source Realm and below knelt down, one after the other, looking as grief-stricken as though they had just lost their parents.
Mi Qi’s eyes were dim. He looked at the person with his back facing him, then glanced at the spear artifact stuck in the ground in front of him. However, he couldn’t even muster the courage to launch a sneak attack. Even though Yang Kai was unscrupulously exposing his back to Mi Qi and seemed to be full of flaws, it only scared Mi Qi even more. How could he dare to act rashly?
Yang Kai swept his gaze over the place coldly and snorted softly, “Whether you can survive or not depends on what your Sect Master chooses.”
Mi Qi staggered up with his hand holding his chest. Turning to look at his subordinates, he saw familiar faces looking at him with eyes full of the desire to survive. What else was there to say at this point? He was not as powerful as his opponent.
[Let’s just surrender.]
Although everybody ended up in a terrible state, it was fortunate that nobody was killed in this incident. It could be seen that the people on Yang Kai’s side had been rather measured in their approach, causing Mi Qi to sigh once again in his heart. At the same time, he bowed his head and cupped his fists, “Full Sky Sect is willing to submit to Palace Master Yang. Please have mercy, Palace Master Yang, and spare our lives.”
Yang Kai turned his head to glance at Mi Qi sideways and expressionlessly stated, “This is a big deal, Sect Master Mi. Why don’t you think it over carefully before giving me your answer? I am in no hurry. I can give you some time. It is good if you are being sincere. There’s no need to force yourself if you are unwilling, lest word gets out that I use force to bully others.”
[My life is in your hands! What else do I need to consider?] Mi Qi cursed in his heart. [How can I not be decisive at this point? If I have any other thoughts, I will suffer a tragic ending! Besides, quite a few of my Sect’s Elders have been poisoned. They don’t look like they can hold on for much longer. Their lives will be in danger if they don’t get the antidote soon. I have already surrendered to you; what more do you want!?]
Despite the complaints in his heart, Mi Qi did not dare to reveal his thoughts on his face and quickly stated, “Palace Master Yang, your power is unparalleled. Full Sky Sect was too blind to see that before. Please forgive us for how disrespectful we were. From now on, Full Sky Sect will surrender in good faith.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly, “Sect Master Mi, you are the Sect Master. You are a man of your word. Of course, I will believe the words you say. Since you are being so sincere, Sect Master Mi, this King will accept your goodwill.”
The corners of Mi Qi’s mouth couldn’t help twitching endlessly. He finally realized how shameless this man could be. [Bringing so many Masters over with him; wasn’t his intention to subdue Full Sky Sect!? He even sent Li Jiao over to deliver a message before and launched an attack on us. How can he still be so shameless as to say such things!? Making it seem as though I willingly surrendered of my own volition while he is forced to accept it reluctantly… Just how shameless can he get!?]
There was only one thing he could not figure out. [Although Full Sky Sect isn’t shabby, it doesn’t explain why Yang Kai is so fixated on it. I might owe him a huge debt, but I pay him back every year without any deficit. Why does he have to subdue Full Sky Sect? Could it be to demonstrate how powerful High Heaven Palace is?]
Despite his doubts, Mi Qi forced a smile on his face and stated, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
[What in the world is this!? The Emperor Realm Masters under me were badly beaten up, my pride was crushed, the Sect Defending Array was destroyed, and I was forced to surrender. Now, I even have to thank him!?] Mi Qi’s heart was filled with grief and anger. Unfortunately, he could only blame himself for being weaker than his opponent. Or else, he would have made Yang Kai suffer greatly in return.
Yang Kai replied, “Words are worthless. Please show me your sincerity, Sect Master Mi.”
Mi Qi was taken aback by those words. He cautiously asked, “What kind of sincerity do you want, Palace Master Yang?”
[I have already humbled myself so much, why is he still being so aggressive?] He secretly vowed to himself. [If he asks for something outrageous, I will… still have to consider it…]
Yang Kai quickly said, “Sect Master Mi, I hope you can issue an edict to inform all the cities, clans, and subordinate Sects under Full Sky Sect that it will be under the control of High Heaven Palace from today onward.”
“Ah!” Upon hearing those words, Mi Qi lifted his head abruptly with a shocked expression. Today’s events were humiliating, but it had only been limited to the people of Full Sky Sect. Even if word got out about this incident, it would be nothing but conjecture as long as Full Sky Sect remained silent on the matter; however, it was completely different if he were to issue an edict to actively inform the world about this.
There were many cities, clans and subordinate Sects under Full Sky Sect’s wing. It was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory after all. As the saying went, ‘good deeds often went unnoticed, but bad news travelled fast’. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before everybody in the Northern Territory would know of this matter.
[Is he trying to humiliate Full Sky Sect across the entire Northern Territory!? One of the top Sects in the Northern Territory has fallen so low that it is now a subordinate! How am I supposed to accept this!?]
“Hmm?” Yang Kai’s expression became cold, “You seem rather reluctant, Sect Master Mi. Don’t tell me those words you uttered just now were empty words?”
“No, of course not.” Mi Qi hurriedly waved his hands in denial, “It’s just…”
Before Mi Qi could finish talking, Yang Kai suddenly looked up at the sky and indifferently muttered, “Sect Master Mi is such an indecisive man. He doesn’t seem suited to lead the Sect. Perhaps he should abdicate and let somebody else take over.”
[What is the meaning of that!? Is he forcing me to relinquish my position as Sect Master!?] If it had been anybody else who said that, Mi Qi would not have taken them seriously; however, it was different when Yang Kai was the one who said those words. [My life is in his hands. He is perfectly capable of killing me and choosing another person from among the Elders to manage Full Sky Sect. I’m sure someone will be willing to cooperate with him.]
A chill ran through his spine. He did not dare to negotiate anymore. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “I’ll do it! I’ll write it!”
Yang Kai stated, “I’m not forcing you. It’s meaningless if I force you.”
Mi Qi replied sternly, “I am very sincere. Palace Master Yang, please understand.”
“If that’s the case… Why don’t you write the letter and let me have a look?” Yang Kai rubbed his chin.
Mi Qi immediately took out a jade slip and poured his Divine Sense into it to write the edict.
Yang Kai raised his chin, motioning to the wounded, “Treat them.”
Ying Fei’s figure flickered and he appeared before several Full Sky Sect’s Elders and slapped his palm against them to remove the seal he placed. Meanwhile, Xie Wu Wei opened his mouth and drew the green aura out from the poisoned Emperor Realm Masters.
Once the seal was lifted and the poison was removed, those Emperor Realm Masters took out their Recovery Spirit Pills and stuffed them into their mouths with complicated expressions.
Not long after that, Mi Qi finished writing and handed the jade slip to Yang Kai, “Palace Master Yang, please take a look.”
Yang Kai took the jade slip and glanced through it. Then, he frowned and tossed the jade slip back at Mi Qi, “Full Sky Sect is one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Can you not write like you’re so lowly? It makes people look down on you.”
Mi Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. [My life and the lives of my people are in your hands. How can I not be humble? Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do but rewrite it since he isn’t satisfied. I am the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, but not only am I forced to write this shameful announcement, I am also subjected to his nit-picking… Where is the justice in this!?]
A short while later, he finished writing another edict. Yang Kai checked it and nodded lightly, “This is more like it. Copy that edict and make…” He lifted his head and glanced at the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect who were treating their wounds. He counted their numbers and continued, “Eight copies.”
Mi Qi didn’t dare to resist, so he obediently wrote eight more copies of the same edict.
Yang Kai added, “Let each of the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect hold a copy of the edict. They will travel to various places in eight separate directions, entering all forces under your jurisdiction to announce the edict in crowded areas. They will spread word of Full Sky Sect’s surrender to the entire Northern Territory.”
Upon hearing those words, the Elders of Full Sky Sect widened their eyes and stared in Yang Kai’s direction blankly. Similarly, a myriad of expressions flashed across Mi Qi’s face. There was grief, humiliation, and even a trace of hostility. He initially thought that even if he wrote this edict, it would take some time for word to spread. He did not expect Yang Kai to be so ruthless as to force the Elders of Full Sky Sect to personally bring the edict to the cities and Sects in the Northern Territory and announce it to the public.
[This will completely crush Full Sky Sect’s reputation and pride! How am I, the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, supposed to maintain my standing in the Northern Territory in the future? How am I supposed to answer to those Elders in the Emperor Realm who have to announce the edicts? How will the entire Northern Territory view Full Sky Sect after this!?]
As the saying goes, ‘a warrior would prefer death over humiliation’. At that moment, Mi Qi had the impulsive urge to fight Yang Kai to the death. He believed that Yang Kai was deliberately humiliating him; however, he couldn’t help shuddering in fear as soon as he met Yang Kai’s frosty gaze. That gaze looked at him as though it was looking at a dead man. Thus, Mi Qi had no doubt that Yang Kai would not have mercy on him if he were to make another move. He clenched his fists tightly, but in the end, he didn’t dare to make his move, so he took a few moments to convince himself. [It’s better to be alive than to be dead. It’s just a bit of humiliation. What’s the big deal?]
Mi Qi slowly loosened his clenched fist and answered, “Yes!”
“This is an urgent matter. You should move out immediately.” Yang Kai muttered to the side, not letting up for a single moment.
Mi Qi was helpless. He tossed the edicts to the Elders with a wave of his hand and ordered, “You heard what Palace Master Yang said. Go on…”
Waving his hand, he looked like there was nothing else to live for in his life.
Those Elders, whose injuries had yet to recover, looked at each other blankly. They were unable to conceal the sorrow and rage in their eyes; nevertheless, there was nothing they could do despite the grievances in their hearts. They were no match for their opponent. Even their Sect Master had to lower his head; thus, they could only carry out the order.
The Elders immediately split up and headed in different directions, turning into streams of light as they left. Although they were still injured, it was nothing serious and they could slowly recuperate during their journey. It was at this moment that they understood why those two Monster Kings had only injured them but not killed them. It was for this moment; they were kept alive to run errands.
This entire incident was premeditated. If all the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect were dead, who would announce Mi Qi’s surrender to the world? It was not convincing to have that edict read by someone else. Only if the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect were the messengers would it drive home the point and make it feel real.
It was not hard to imagine that news of Full Sky Sect surrendering to High Heaven Palace would soon spread like wildfire, so Mi Qi sighed inwardly. His entire being seemed to have wilted considerably, like he had aged a lot all of a sudden.
“Get up, all of you. Stop kneeling. We’re all one big family from now on.” Yang Kai glanced at the Full Sky Sect’s disciples around him, who were still kneeling on the ground, and beckoned them to stand with his hand.
All of them looked at Mi Qi and did not dare to move. Then, Mi Qi shouted, “Are you all deaf!? Didn’t you hear what Palace Master Yang said? If you want to continue kneeling, you can kneel until the day you die! Don’t bother getting up anymore!”
[A bunch of good-for-nothings! How did Full Sky Sect raise such a cowardly group of people!? Their cultivation might not be a match for their opponent, but there’s no need to kneel from fear just because of a few words, right!?]
Following Mi Qi’s biting words, how could they dare to remain kneeling? Thus, they stood up with embarrassed expressions.
Mi Qi coldly snorted, “From today onward, you may disobey my orders as your Sect Master, but you have to obey everything Palace Master Yang says. Do you understand?”
“Yes!” His words were met with a faint response. They seemed weak and helpless; after all, even they felt disgraced when their Sect Master uttered such words.
Mi Qi squeezed out a smile, “Palace Master Yang, do you have anything else to say?”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively to indicate that he had nothing to say to the rest of them. It was enough if he dealt with Mi Qi alone. After that, he turned to glance at Old Tao, “Old Sir, if you don’t mind, how about you come inside for some tea?”
Mi Qi had the urge to roll his eyes behind Yang Kai’s back. [This is Full Sky Sect, not High Heaven Palace. It’s clear as day that he regards this place as his own territory now…]
Nonetheless, even if Mi Qi held such thoughts, he did not dare to say anything. He had chosen to surrender, so Full Sky Sect truly was part of Yang Kai’s territory now.
Old Tao pondered for a moment and nodded, “Many thanks for your thoughtfulness. In that case, please excuse this Old Master’s intrusion.” He also wanted to understand the relationship between Liu Yan and Jiu Feng.
“Please!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand to indicate for Old Tao to enter. Old Tao refused politely, and after some back and forth, they entered side by side. The three Monster Kings followed closely behind. Meanwhile, Mi Qi deliberately lagged behind to walk beside Li Jiao.
The two of them could be considered old acquaintances and previously, Li Jiao even came over to try to persuade Mi Qi to surrender. It was unfortunate that Mi Qi did not heed Li Jiao’s advice. He believed that he could sit back and relax if he invited Old Tao over, but who could have known that Old Tao would be incapable of rescuing him from his troubles? That was why Mi Qi ended up in this sorry state. Li Jiao couldn’t help but sigh and reached out to pat Mi Qi on the shoulder, not knowing what to say to comfort him at this point.
Mi Qi sent a Divine Sense transmission at that moment, “Brother Li, you and I have known each other for many years and our relationship is not something normal friendships can be compared to. Tell me the truth, why is Palace Master Yang deliberately humiliating Full Sky Sect? I am certain I have never offended him before. Besides, I pay back the debts I owe him every year without fail. Why does he have to do this? He completely disregarded the pride of Full Sky Sect.” [Moreover, he didn’t give us any breathing space either. He made the Elders in the Emperor Realm set off immediately. I originally wanted to drag things out for a bit to see if I can come up with another solution and turn the situation around. But now… There’s no chance for that anymore…]
In response, Li Jio lifted his head and looked ahead. [What’s the point of cosying up to me now? I was kicked out the last time I came to visit you!]
Even with such thoughts, Li Jiao had no intention to continue taunting Mi Qi as the latter was pitiful enough as it was, so he simply smiled bitterly and replied, “Brother Mi, do you think Palace Master Yang is deliberately humiliating you?”
“Isn’t he?” Mi Qi glared. [If it’s not to deliberately humiliate me, then why did he force me to write the edict and make my Sect’s Elders announce it publicly far and wide!?]
“He isn’t,” Li Jiao shook his head.
Mi Qi asked, “Then, why!?’
“To establish his prestige!” Li Jiao uttered those words.
Mi Qi was taken aback by those words, “To establish his prestige? Why?”
Although High Heaven Palace had only just emerged, it could already be considered one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, a fact recognized by all. [High Heaven Palace is already one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Its standing is clear for all to see. What else does it need to establish? And, to who?]
Li Jiao pondered in silence for a while before responding, “Palace Master Yang wants to unify the Northern Territory.”
This matter would not remain a secret for long, and Li Jiao was certain that Yang Kai would take the next step soon; therefore, it didn’t matter even if he mentioned it now and let Mi Qi know in advance.
Mi Qi was shocked to the core upon hearing those words, and his jaw fell open in astonishment. It took him a long time to recover from the shock before he exclaimed, “Unify the entire Northern Territory!?” [What insatiable ambition!]
Unlike the other three Territories, there was no Great Emperor Sect assuming command in the Northern Territory. Although the Medicine Pill Valley had Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, Medicine Pill Valley did not intervene in the affairs of the Northern Territory; hence, the Northern Territory could be considered leaderless, unlike the Southern Territory which was headed by Star Soul Palace, the Western Territory which centred around Shadow Killer Palace, and the Eastern Territory, which was led by Serene Soul Palace.
Mi Qi could never have imagined that Yang Kai would be so ambitious or be so daring to actually act on his ambitions. He said with a lost expression, “Isn’t he afraid of arousing public outrage and inciting the entire Northern Territory to join forces against him?”
Li Jiao replied, “That’s why he has to establish his prestige.”
Mi Qi was no fool. He might be a little cowardly, but he was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in the end. It required being sharp-witted to reach his current position. He had not understood what ‘establishing his prestige’ meant before, but he now understood it completely after listening to Li Jiao’s explanation.
It was simply to say, ‘Full Sky Sect is also one of the top Sects in Northern Territory, but so what? They were defeated by High Heaven Palace and had no power to fight back. They had no choice but to surrender in order to protect themselves. If this is what happens to Full Sky Sect, then what choice do the other Sects and Clans have?’
Once word of this incident spread, nobody would dare to resist High Heaven Palace when it pointed its claws at some other place in the future.
All of a sudden, Mi Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Just for that!? That’s the reason why Full Sky Sect was unfairly victimized!?”
Li Jiao patted Mi Qi on the shoulder again and sighed, “Stay positive. At least you are still alive.”
When it came down to it, Full Sky Sect was simply unlucky. Among the top four Sects in the Northern Territory, Ice Heart Valley and Yang Kai had a very close relationship. Meanwhile, Li Jiao and Yang Kai had built up a good rapport with each other after running around outside for so many years; therefore, Yang Kai only had one choice if he wanted to establish his prestige; and that was Full Sky Sect. It could be said that Mi Qi simply had bad luck.
After all, Full Sky Sect was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Its words and actions held a lot of weight. The effect would not have been as good if it had been a smaller, less-known Sect.
Mi Qi let out a long sigh. At this point, it was useless to say anything else. Nevertheless, he felt a little better after learning that Yang Kai planned to unify the entire Northern Territory. That was because Yang Kai was not deliberately humiliating him or Full Sky Sect, it was just that it was a part of his grand plan.
Soon, the group walked into the previous hall. As the host of this place, Mi Qi immediately began making preparations. He ordered people to clean up the previous banquet and replace it with new dishes. Then, he asked the musician and the dancers to perform. The hall was once again filled with singing and dancing. It was just that Yang Kai was now sitting upright in the main seat. Moreover, there were no other Emperor Realm Masters from Full Sky Sect aside from Mi Qi present. Instead, those Emperor Realm Masters were replaced by the three Monster Kings and the Masters from Fire Dragon Palace.
Yang Kai raised his glass in a toast, and everybody joined in. It wasn’t until after several rounds of drinks that Yang Kai finally started talking to Old Tao. They chatted for a bit and got to know each other’s names; however, the main reason he hosted this banquet to keep Old Tao here was to ask him about Dragon Island.
Yang Kai departed from the Dragon Palace to return to the Lower Star Fields after causing a huge ruckus on Dragon Island back then; therefore, he had no clue what happened afterwards. He did not know if the Martial Beast Great Emperor managed to take Fu Xuan away or whether Zhu Qing received some form of punishment from Dragon Island.
It was a pity that Old Tao did not know much either. He had been staying in the Northern Territory to search for exotic beasts for Spirit Beast Island and more than ten years had passed since he last returned to Spirit Beast Island. He didn’t even know that the Martial Beast Great Emperor had brought his strongest forces along with him to invade Dragon Island.
Since Old Tao did not know anything, Yang Kai did not elaborate on the matter either. It was just that the way he tried to be mysterious made Old Tao a little suspicious.
Regardless of whether the Martial Beast Great Emperor managed to take Fu Xuan away, Zhu Qing was probably forgiven for the ruckus she caused; after all, she was currently a Ninth-Order Dragon. Just going by the purity of her bloodline, she met the requirements to become an Elder of Dragon Island. It stood to reason that they would not punish her for the uproar he caused before.
Her situation was somewhat similar to that of Fu Xuan’s as they had both pledged themselves to a Human. If Dragon Island really wanted to punish them, then Fu Xuan would not be spared either. In that case though, the Martial Beast Great Emperor would not stand idly by. And Dragon Island would not punish Zhu Qing if they weren’t going to punish Fu Xuan. Otherwise, it would be highly improper.
On the other hand, Old Tao was curious about Liu Yan. He beat around the bush, trying to figure out the relationship between Liu Yan and Jiu Feng, but finally stopped asking after Yang Kai evaded his questions for some time. In the end, both parties did not receive the information they wanted, resulting in a fruitless conversation.
In the evening, Old Tao took his leave after the banquet ended, with Yang Kai asking Liu Yan to see him off. On the other hand, Yang Kai was accompanied by Mi Qi as he chose a suitable place in Full Sky Sect to arrange a Space Array.
At first, Mi Qi did not know what Yang Kai was doing, and it wasn’t until he communicated with Li Jiao via transmission that he learned the truth and cried out bitterly in his heart, [It looks like there is no way for Full Sky Sect to break free from High Heaven Palace’s control now that this Space Array connects both Sects.]
The next day, Yang Kai led a group of people back to High Heaven Palace. He was also accompanied by Mi Qi. The first thing he did upon his return was to summon everybody for a meeting. The participants were all cultivators above the Dao Source Realm; hence, there were not many people. Li Jiao and Mi Qi were included among them too. Many who did not know the situation glanced at each other in confusion. They were not bothered by Li Jiao’s presence since everybody knew that he was on good terms with Yang Kai, but who was this guy called Mi Qi?
Even Hua Qing Si was puzzled. She glanced at Mi Qi from time to time only to see him smiling at her in an ingratiating manner, confusing her even more.
Once everybody had arrived, Yang Kai went straight into the heart of the matter, “Sect Master Mi has decided that his Sect will surrender to High Heaven Palace. From now on, Full Sky Sect will become a Subordinate Sect of High Heaven Palace.”
Everybody was shocked to hear this announcement and many doubted their ears. Only the three Monster Kings looked calm.
Spirit Beast Island is kinda like that kid that always sits at the back of the class that doesn’t really interact with others and just sleeps.
Many pairs of eyes were staring at Mi Qi inside the hall. Taking the hint, Mi Qi immediately took the initiative to step forward and bowed with his hand on his chest, “Palace Master Yang’s strength and methods are unparalleled. He has the world in mind, and I have been awed by his greatness. Full Sky Sect is willing to submit to Palace Master Yang and will obey High Heaven Palace in good faith from this day forward.”
Regardless of whether it was true or false, that speech of his was eloquent; thus, it gave everybody at High Heaven Palace a good impression of him.
The corners of Li Jiao’s mouth twitched as he could not believe how much of a smooth-talker Mi Qi was. In all the years they had known each other, he had never discovered this side of Mi Qi before. Mi Qi had fought back several times when Yang Kai asked him to surrender before, but now, he was acting as though he had gladly accepted his fate, like it was a great task granted to him by the Heavens. Moreover, he was able to align his position and attitude very well. While it made Li Jiao admire Mi Qi’s flexibility, he couldn’t help feeling a little forlorn at the same time.
Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect were similar in strength and Li Jiao was certain that if he had not gone through various life-and-death situations with Yang Kai on numerous occasions, what happened to Full Sky Sect would have been what Fire Dragon Palace would have faced. It was only because he had some friendly relations with Yang Kai that he did not make a move against Fire Dragon Palace. But then again, Fire Dragon Palace was not much different from Full Sky Sect as it was already something of a Subordinate Sect, although not formally.
“You have all heard what Sect Master Mi said. Let’s get to know each other.” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Hua Qing Si smiled and took a step forward and elegantly introduced herself, “Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si, greets Sect Master Mi.”
“You are too polite, Head Manager,” Mi Qi replied, feeling rather curious. [What kind of a position is a ‘Head Manager’? I’ve never heard of something like that before, but she is standing in front of everyone and introduced herself first. Even the three Monster Kings seem to be in a lower position compared to her. It looks like she is quite important to Yang Kai. I better not offend her in the future. I need to butter her up instead; otherwise, I don’t know when she might make things difficult for me.]
There was even a small suspicion in his heart as he wondered to himself. [Could she have an intimate relationship with Yang Kai? Otherwise, why would a First-Order Emperor like her hold such a high position?]
Hu Qing Si had no clue about the thoughts going through Mi Qi’s head, for if she did, she would have fought him to the death. Smiling elegantly, she pointed to a person next to her and introduced, “This is Monster King Xi Lei. I’m sure you’ve met, Sect Master Mi.”
To which, Mi Qi smiled and cupped his fists in greeting. [How could I not have met him before!? I was battling him at Full Sky Sect! I can clearly tell that I am not his opponent.]
Xi Lei grinned at him, showing a mouthful of fangs, inducing a slight bout of panic.
Hua Qing Si continued, “This is Monster King Ying Fei.”
Ying Fei nodded lightly.
“This is…”
Mi Qi maintained the smile on his face as he was introduced to everybody, one by one. It didn’t matter whether their cultivations were high or low, he still felt as though he was inferior to them, but that couldn’t be helped. Full Sky Sect had surrendered to High Heaven Palace after all; thus, Mi Qi didn’t dare to act out in front of these people who seemed to be the cornerstones of High Heaven Palace.
There were many Emperor Realm Masters present, including Xie Wu Wei, Ye Hen, Nanmen Da Jun, and Hou Yu. Meanwhile, Qin Zhao Yang, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, Gui Zu, Gu Cang Yun, Ruan Bi Ting, and the others were all in the Dao Source Realm… In the process of getting to know them one by one, it turned out that there were quite a lot of them.
Mi Qi knew of Nanmen Da Jun, but it was his first time hearing that this famous Emperor Array Master was working under High Heaven Palace. He couldn’t help feeling surprised; after all, Nanmen Da Jun was well-known in the Northern Territory. Although he could not compare with the disciples of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, he was still an Emperor Array Master! They were existences that were coveted everywhere. Mi Qi had thoughts of soliciting Nanmen Da Jun back then, but the latter had completely ignored him.
If it was any ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master, Mi Qi would have taught them a lesson for treating him in such a manner; however, Nanmen Da Jun’s status as an Emperor Array Master made him cautious, lest he draw unwanted trouble. Mi Qi didn’t dare to act rashly, for if he had harmed Nanmen Da Jun, all the Masters in the Northern Territory would never forgive him. Full Sky Sect could not afford to provoke such public outrage.
When he heard that Hou Yu was an Emperor Artifact Refiner, Mi Qi’s eyeballs nearly burst out of their sockets from the shock. [What is with the situation in High Heaven Palace!? As if it’s not enough that Nanmen Da Jun is here. There’s also an Emperor Artifact Refiner!? That’s an Emperor Artifact Refiner! How many Emperor Artifact Refiners are there in the entire Star Boundary!? Moreover, this Emperor Artifact Refiner is a woman! I really don’t know where Yang Kai found all these freaks!]
Three Monster Kings, an Emperor Array Master, and an Emperor Artifact Refiner…. Any one of them possessed a status that was amazing. No matter where in the Star Boundary they were placed, they would be highly sought after; thus, for them to gather in one place was even more unbelievable.
Mi Qi suddenly felt that surrendering was not necessarily a bad thing. The heritage of High Heaven Palace was far superior to Full Sky Sect, so it was not a heavy loss to become subordinate to them. In the future, there might even be an opportunity to rely on Nanmen Da Jun or Hou Yu. The only drawback would be the huge blow to his pride.
Hua Qing Si’s next sentence stunned him on the spot, “We also have an Emperor Alchemist. Unfortunately, he is currently in the process of refining Spirit Pills, so it is difficult for him to come out at the moment. Please forgive our discourtesy, Sect Master Mi.”
“An E-Emperor Alchemist!?” He nearly bit his tongue off in his shock, dumbfounded.
To which Hua Qing Si smiled lightly, “Speaking of which, you should know of our Emperor Alchemist, Sect Master Mi.”
“I do?” He was surprised, but then a thought flashed in his mind, one he instinctively refused to believe.
Unfortunately, Hua Qing Si nodded, “Indeed. I’m certain Sect Master Mi is very familiar with Grandmaster Ji Ying.”
Mi Qi couldn’t help but gulp nervously. His first reaction was to look at Hua Qing Si with a questioning look on his face. It was as though he wanted to know whether those words were true or false.
[Ji Ying!? The Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor!? He’s joined High Heaven Palace too!?] Mi Qi suddenly recalled a scene from back when he came to this place with Li Jiao and watched Ji Ying and Yang Kai compete in Alchemy. [At the time, Li Jiao and I weren’t the only ones to make a bet with Yang Kai. I recall that Grandmaster Ji also made a certain bet.]
Mi Qi later wondered about it, as although Ji Ying might have lost, the latter was still the disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to do anything to him even if Ji Ying refused to acknowledge his defeat. Besides, it seemed impossible for him to remain at High Heaven Palace at the time; however, it would seem as though he had really stayed behind.
[Doesn’t Medicine Pill Valley have any objections to this? Didn’t the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor object to it?] Mi Qi felt as though his head was spinning as his eyes swept across each and every person in the hall. [A single Sect actually managed to gather an Emperor Array Master, an Emperor Artifact Refiner, and an Emperor Alchemist, each one a top Grandmaster! Furthermore, three Monster Kings are protecting this place. Just what is wrong with this Sect!? Even a Great Emperor Sect might not be comparable in some aspects!]
Mi Qi suddenly felt that his loss wasn’t undeserved or even a bad thing. In his dazed state, he suddenly heard Yang Kai speaking from a raised platform, “High Heaven Palace has many disciples currently, and although there are some reserves in the storehouse, we can’t just sit on our laurels and eat away at those stocks. We need a long-term income to maintain the Sect. The Head Manager has already taken control of the cities that used to be under Seeking Passion Sect’s jurisdiction, so we will receive some contributions from them each year. We can also do some business ourselves, but that’s still just a drop in the bucket compared to our needs. The disciples of High Heaven Palace are twenty to thirty times more numerous than what Seeking Passion Sect used to have, so we require twenty times more territory than they used to have to maintain the Sect in the long run. I called you all here today for one reason. I have decided to unify the Northern Territory. All the major cities and Sects in the Northern Territory will pay tribute to High Heaven Palace every year. That way, it will prevent High Heaven Palace from having insufficient resources. What do you think?”
Yang Kai turned his head and looked around. The three Monster Kings had indifferent expressions. They were simply the muscle on his side, attacking wherever he wanted them to. They were not afraid of causing a huge ruckus as, in the worst case, they could just return to the Ancient Wild Lands and hide.
On the other hand, Hua Qing Si and the others were surprised to hear Yang Kai’s announcement. Even Hua Qing Si had not heard him mention this before, so she couldn’t help being stunned. [Just when did Yang Kai start harbouring these thoughts?]
High Heaven Palace was presently at the peak of its growth stage, so it could not afford to make enemies carelessly. Rather, they would surely dominate the entire Northern Territory with their numbers as long as they worked hard for the next hundred years.
However, she could tell from the way Yang Kai looked that he had already made his decision. Persuasion would be useless at this point, but she couldn’t help worrying. If they did this, they would surely arouse the resistance of the billions of cultivators in the Northern Territory; after all, who would willingly give up their own benefits?
Furthermore, where would they find the manpower in High Heave Palace to carry out such an endeavour? The newly-arrived disciples were still in the process of adapting to the Star Boundary itself and their cultivations weren’t high either. They wouldn’t be of much use even if they were to be sent out to battle.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai didn’t seem to share her worries and looked like he was going to act decisively in this extremely complicated situation. Sweeping his gaze around, he stated, “If nobody has any objections, I will assume that you are all in support of it. Good.”
The corners of everyone’s face twitched in response. [What’s the point of having any objections? You call all the shots in High Heaven Palace!]
He usually played the role of an arm-flinging shopkeeper; however, his word was still law whenever he took charge of something.
Yang Kai then continued, “I know what you are worried about. It is nothing more than a problem of manpower, but don’t worry about this. Brother Li and Sect Master Mi will assist out High Heaven Palace. With the three of us joining hands, who would dare stop us in the Northern Territory?”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi both bowed at the same time, “We will obey your orders, Palace Master Yang.”
Li Jiao had been mentally prepared for this, so he didn’t think much of it. On the other hand, Mi Qi was lamenting in his heart. [Full Sky Sect has joined a gang of thieves!]
Yang Kai wanted to unify the Northern Territory so that he could force those cities and Sects to offer their resources up to him every year. Be that as it may, High Heaven Palace could not allocate the necessary manpower for this grand undertaking. When it came down to it, it would be the people of Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace leading the charge instead.
Those who would bear a grudge would surely bear a grudge against the people from these two Sects. Conversely, High Heaven Palace would be safely hiding at the back, away from all the dangers. [Enjoying all the benefits without suffering the hard part. How vicious!]
In other words, High Heaven Palace didn’t even need to put in any effort at all. They would only need to send some people along to supervise.
Yang Kai observed Mi Qi’s reaction, so how could he not know what the latter was thinking? Unfortunately, he couldn’t be bothered explaining. It’s not like he was planning to claim everything for himself, and since Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect were involved, he would definitely reward them for their efforts. Yang Kai wouldn’t let them work for nothing, but as for how many benefits he would share… that would depend on his mood at the time.
Hua Qing Si considered it for a moment before inquiring, “Palace Master, do I need to inform Ice Heart Valley about this?”
Out of the top four Sects in the Northern Territory, three had joined forces, leaving only Ice Heart Valley unaware of the situation, which was unreasonable. It wouldn’t have mattered much if Yang Kai was not close to Ice Heart Valley, but the relationship they shared with each other was actually incredibly close. It was unkind not to let Ice Heart Valley participate when there were benefits to be had.
Yang Kai’s expression twitched slightly at those words, “I’ve considered Ice Heart Valley too, but I don’t know what their thoughts on this would be.”
The women of Ice Heart Valley all cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, which generally made them disdain dealing with worldly affairs; therefore, it was difficult for him to bring up a matter that would cause public outrage with them. It would be worse if Bing Yun started scolding him. In any case, he still planned to divide some of the benefits he acquired in the future with Ice Heart Valley. Su Yan was cultivating there, so Yang Kai could simply think of it as a sincere gesture towards Ice Heart Valley.
Hua Qing Si smiled slightly, “Palace Master, you worry too much. Ice Heart Valley will not refuse such a good opportunity.”
Yang Kai wondered, “What do you mean?”
Hua Qing Si explained, “Ice Heart Valley was suppressed by the Seeking Passion Sect for many years due to the disappearance of Senior Bing Yun; therefore, it does not have many outside industries left and there are currently very few cities, possibly just two or three, under its jurisdiction. Most of its income comes from the spirit flowers and spirit herbs they plant inside the valley; moreover, Ice Heart Valley received a lot of disciples in recent years so I’m afraid times are difficult for them. Why would they refuse the benefits that land in their laps?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and pondered for a while, “In that case, we could have always included them in the plan.”
He did not know as much about Ice Heart Valley as Hua Qing Si did, so if she said so much, then that must be the case. If he could pull Heart Valley into his plan, then the top four Sects of the Northern Territory would be joining forces in this undertaking. Who would dare to stop them then?
A few moments later, he made his decision, “Let’s include them.”
Hua Qing Si smiled, “Since this matter is urgent, I will invite someone over now.”
Yang Kai nodded, and Hua Qing Si immediately flew off. Within an hour, Hua Qing Si came back into the hall, accompanied by a woman with an icy temperament.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly went black as he glanced at Hua Qing Si a little resentfully; after all, the woman she brought with her was none other than Ji Yao. After the last two secret encounters he had with Ji Yao, he had now become somewhat afraid to meet her.
On one hand, the secrecy of their encounters was very thrilling. On the other hand, Yang Kai felt like he was betraying Su Yan and the others; therefore, he had been quite conflicted about it. The most important point was that, up until now, he still could not figure out Ji Yao’s intentions.
From beginning to end, Ji Yao had never discussed anything about it with him. It seemed like she didn’t mind letting him do as he pleased, but at the same time, she did not allow him to go past a certain point. It made him feel as though he was being held by his weakness; therefore, it was not difficult to imagine his current mood when Hua Qing Si brought Ji Yao over, out of all the other candidates she could have chosen.
Hua Qing Si had a questioning look on her face, seemingly having noticed something off about Yang Kai’s complexion, but she couldn’t care less at the moment. Cupping her fists, she bowed, “Palace Master, Elder Ji is here.”
Yang Kai squeezed out a smile, “Junior Sister Yao.”
With so many eyes on them, Ji Yao did not reveal any abnormalities in her behaviour either. She simply greeted him in an aloof manner, “Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai coughed lightly, “Junior Sister Yao, I invited you over to discuss something important and I believe Head Manager has already informed Senior Bing Yun, but I don’t know what Senior thinks of the proposal.” If he wanted to drag Ice Heart Valley into this, then Bing Yun’s attitude was key.
Ji Yao promptly replied lightly, “Honoured Master has declared that Ice Heart Valley was saved back then thanks to Senior Brother Yang’s assistance, so now that you are in need of help, Ice Heart Valley will spare no effort to assist you. If you have any instructions for us, Ice Heart Valley will not refuse.”
A light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes at those words and he smiled, “Good, then I shall trouble you with this matter.” Surveying his surroundings, he continued, “Since everybody is here, let us discuss and come up with a plan. This matter must be resolved as soon as possible.”
Having decided to do this, there was no need to delay matters any further. In any case, the top four Sects of the Northern Territory had joined forces, so there was nobody in the Northern Territory that could contend with them. There was no need for conspiracy or trickery now. They could simply push forward boldly.
The plan was formed rather quickly. All four Sects would move at the same time. With High Heaven Palace as the centre, they would fan out and announce its supremacy to the Northern Territory. Every major Sect and city in the Northern Territory would then have to offer up some cultivation resources to High Heaven Palace every year.
After the discussion was completed, Ji Yao, Li Jiao, and Mi Qi immediately returned to their respective Sects to mobilize their forces.
The next day, numerous groups of people gathered in front of High Heaven Palace’s Sect Defending Array. There was a group of cold but alluring women on the left, each of them extraordinarily beautiful. Just looking at them dazzled the eyes. This group of people were none other than the disciples of Ice Heart Valley.
On the right were the people from Fire Dragon Palace, and at the back were the disciples of Full Sky Sect. Each Sect sent out over a thousand members in total, so there were more than three thousand people gathered here now. That was not a large number, but the ratio of Masters among them was terrifying. Emperor Realm Masters and Dao Source Realm Masters were everywhere, and the weakest among them were still Origin Kings.
Those of High Heaven Palace stood in the middle, led by the three Monster Kings. Ye Hen and a number of Dao Source Realm Masters had been deployed too; however, those that stood behind them were nothing special as most were just Origin Kings, incomparable in number compared to the other three Sects.
Unfortunately, the disciples that came from the Star Field were not up to par yet. They were the reason why the divide between the disciples in High Heaven Palace was so extreme. The strong were incredibly strong while the weak were so weak that it was laughable.
Hua Qing Si summoned Li Jiao, Mi Qi, and Ji Yao. Then, she spread out a map. The map had been marked with numerous red dots, and every red dot represented a city or Sect or Clan of varying size.
After a brief discussion, the thousands of people were divided into groups of eight and scattered in all directions. These eight people consisted of two disciples from each Sect, and every team was headed by a Master in the Dao Source Realm or higher. Needless to say, their goal was the locations marked on the map. The only purpose of this deployment was to make these cities, Sects, and clans recognize the supremacy of High Heaven Palace so that they would pay tribute every year.
Yang Kai had already put the word out, so it would be great if the other parties knew what was best for them and cooperated. If some refused to accept reality, the eight representatives were to defeat them if they could. If they couldn’t defeat the other party, then they were to return and report the matter. A Master would then be sent out to deal with the rebels instead; after all, the Emperor Realm Masters of the top four Sects were not just for show.
Be that as it may, the teams led by the Dao Source Realm Masters were assigned to locations that were easy to deal with. More troublesome places would be dealt with by teams headed by Emperor Realm Masters. As it stood, not many would dare to rebel with the combined power of the top four Sects looming over their heads.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai himself also led a team and headed straight towards the headquarters of the other strong forces in the Northern Territory.
Five days later, the Sect Master of Myriad Founders Sect, Hua Yu, stood in front of the main hall of Myriad Founders Sect’s headquarters. He bowed with cupped fists as he watched Yang Kai and his group depart into the distance. It wasn’t until the figures of those eight people disappeared from sight that he finally let the stiff smile on his face slide off his face and sighed deeply, a vexed expression appearing on his face.
Cheng Da Hai, the Vice Sect Master, walked over and said angrily, “Sect Master, are we really going to send 30% of our income to High Heaven Palace each year!?”
“That’s right! Why should we give away 30% of our resources to High Heaven Palace with just a few words from that brat!? How will other people view the Myriad Founders Sect if they learn of this!?” An Elder shouted through gritted teeth,
Hua Yu murmured sadly, “Then, what do you suggest we do instead?”
“Sect Master, if you want me to, I can bring some men with me to intercept that brat right now and bring the jade slip back with us. Dead men tell no tales, and nobody will know that it was the doing of Myriad Founders Sect.”
“That’s right! That little bastard has already drawn public outrage by doing this, so there are countless people in the Northern Territory who want to kill him right now! Who will know that we are the ones behind it?”
“You?” Turning his head, Hua Yu glanced at the Elders and Protectors standing behind him, shook his head, and sighed, “None of you are his opponent.”
The Elder who spoke up previously added, “We haven’t even tried yet! How do you know that I am not his opponent!? He is merely a Second-Order Emperor. If we all attacked together…”
“There’s no need for you to try as I have already tried,” Hua Yu had an extremely sorrowful expression on his face.
“You’ve already tried?” The Elders and Protectors glanced at each other and finally understood why Hua Yu had taken Yang Kai to a secluded chamber just now. It was to test Yang Kai’s strength. Or rather… Hua Yu wanted to see if there was a chance for him to defeat Yang Kai; after all, nobody was willing to give away their profits to another person for free.
“What was the result?” Everyone looked at Hua Yu expectantly.
“I am completely not his opponent.” Hua Yu smiled bitterly.
The Elder who spoke first asked, “Sect Master, why must you diminish your own light just to increase another person’s prestige? You are also a Second-Order Emperor so the difference between the two of you shouldn’t be that great, right?”
Hua Yu replied, “It’s precisely because our cultivations are the same that I agreed to his demands so readily. He allowed me to attack him ten times while he stood still and did not fight back, but in the end, I never even touched the clothes on his body.”
“What!?” Everybody was shocked by those words. Some even wondered if they had misheard him.
[They are both in the Second-Order Emperor Realm! Yang Kai just stood there motionlessly to receive ten attacks from Sect Master, yet Sect Master couldn’t even land a single hit!? How is that possible!? In other words, Yang Kai stopped the Sect Master’s attack with his Emperor Qi alone!?]
“On the other hand, he defeated me with a single casual attack.” Hua Yu threw another shocking revelation at them, which sent them reeling from the shock as he sighed, “What does Myriad Founders Sect have to fight against such power? If we fail to meet his demands today, Myriad Founders Sect’s ten thousand years of history will surely be destroyed tomorrow.”
“He dares?!” Cheng Da Hai shouted loudly.
Hua Yu glanced at Cheng Da Hai, “I’m certain he would. The top four Sects have joined forces, so what can we do against them if they really wanted to wipe out Myriad Founders Sect? I heard that Full Sky Sect surrendered to High Heaven Palace a few days ago. I initially thought that it was false information, but now, it seems to be the truth.”
Everybody fell silent at those words and looked miserable. Offering up 30% of their annual profits meant that they would lose 30% of their total resources. Nobody would be happy with such an arrangement.
Things were going unexpectedly well. Yang Kai led a team and travelled across the lands of the Northern Territory. With the reputation of having subdued the Full Sky Sect preceding him, there was no need for Yang Kai to do anything much. He easily retrieved jade slips from each Sect or Clan declaring that they would pay a tribute of 30% of their income every year, regardless of where he went. Nobody dared to resist. At most, they would try to test their skills against Yang Kai, like Myriad Founders Sect, before quietly finding an excuse to step down from the fight.
Yang Kai did not just focus on obtaining these jade slips, though, he also arranged Space Arrays whenever he came across a suitable place, connecting that location to High Heaven Palace directly. This way, High Heaven Palace could teach those who failed to keep their word a lesson at any time it chose.
Across the entire Northern Territory, every city, Sect, or clan had to offer up a tribute consisting 30% of their income every year. 30% from one or two forces might not seem like much, but 30% from the entire Northern Territory totalled up to an alarming amount.
It meant that High Heaven Palace would receive 30% of the profits of the Northern Territory, even if they did nothing else. Moreover, Yang Kai could collect even more of the Northern Territory’s specialties through his connection to these subordinate forces. That way, he could increase the variety of things High Heaven Palace traded with the Southern Territory. He could also bring in items from the Southern Territory and sell them across the Northern Territory more easily now. The profits from the sale of these goods were nothing to sneeze at.
After hurrying about for more than twenty days, Yang Kai headed back to High Heaven Palace via a Space Array. He had dealt with all the difficulties that may arise in the Northern Territory. The reason things were going so smoothly was that news of the Full Sky Sect’s surrender had already spread far and wide. Even Full Sky Sect had surrendered, so what choice did others have? Another reason was that the four top Sects had joined hands in this joint endeavour, and their power was so great that nobody dared to resist.
The matters in the Northern Territory had more or less been settled at this point. Although there were still some details to work out, these were not matters that Yang Kai needed to worry about personally. There was Hua Qing Si presiding over the operation now and with the cooperation of the other three top Sects, it would not take much time to solve these issues.
Seeing that it was almost time, Yang Kai informed Hua Qing Si of his departure before bringing Bian Yu Qing to Azure Sun Temple with him through the Space Array. He did not return to Spirit Sword Peak but flew directly to Spirit Jade Peak where Qiu Ran was located instead.
It was Bian Yu Qing’s first time coming to Azure Sun Temple so she couldn’t help glancing about with burning curiosity. Secretly comparing Azure Sun Temple with High Heaven Palace, though, she discovered that the environment at Azure Sun Temple seemed to be inferior, giving her a sense of pride.
She was born in the Southern Territory and Blue Feather Sect, where she used to live, had been nothing more than a small and weak force. It didn’t even have a single Emperor Realm Master. On the other hand, Azure Sun Temple was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, innumerable times stronger than Blue Feather Sect. Thus, she had always admired Azure Sun Temple.
If she had still been a Protector of Blue Feather Sect, she would never have had the qualifications to set foot into Azure Sun Temple; however, her current identity as the Second Manager of High Heaven Palace gave her those qualifications. Looking at Azure Sun Temple from another angle naturally gave her a different kind of feeling.
Staring at the back of the brave and heroic figure speeding along in front of her, Bian Yu Qing secretly rejoiced at having met such a noble man. If she had not met Yang Kai, she would never have had the chance to break through to the Emperor Realm. She would have been killed outside of Spirit Lake Palace instead. However, she now wielded great authority, second only to Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si in the entire High Heaven Palace.
[There’s a guest on Spirit Sword Peak.] Qiu Ran woke up from his meditation and met with Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing in the hall.
After being introduced, Bian Yu Qing bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Greetings, Vice Temple Master Qiu.”
She had heard of Qiu Ran before as he was the Vice Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, making it natural for him to stand above others in the Southern Territory. Bian Yu Qing had felt very nervous before coming here as the man in front of her was practically somebody who was impossible to meet for ordinary cultivators, and she had over-thought things as a result. It wasn’t until she met the actual person that she realized that he was nothing special. That was also when she suddenly realized that she was no longer the same small woman she had been in the past. She often met with the three Monster Kings now that she lived in High Heaven Palace, so a Second-Order Emperor was no longer capable of giving her much pressure.
“Second Manager,” Qiu Ran cupped his fists, greeting her with due respect.
Yang Kai said, “You can discuss the details regarding the cooperation with Second Manager Bian, Senior Brother Qiu. I will be taking my leave now.”
The main reason he brought Bian Yu Qing over was to formally establish cooperation between High Heaven Palace and Azure Sun Temple. Gao Xue Ting had mentioned this matter before, so Yang Kai had to take it seriously lest she catch hold of his weakness and nag at him non-stop again. Hua Qing Si was coordinating affairs of the Northern Territory at the moment; therefore, the task of negotiating with Azure Sun Temple naturally fell on Bian Yu Qing’s shoulders.
Qiu Ran was stunned, “This is a huge matter, don’t you need to decide on things yourself, Junior Brother Yang?”
The meaning behind his words was clearly ‘can the Second Manager you sent speak on your behalf and represent your will?’ This matter involved a massive amount of benefits, so what if Yang Kai refused to accept the results of the negotiation once they finished working out the details? That would be awkward; after all, Qiu Ran had seen how miserly and petty Yang Kai could be.
Yang Kai, however, just laughed heartily, “Please rest assured, Senior Brother Qiu. I have no opinion on the matter as long as the negotiations are carried out smoothly.”
How could Qiu Ran know about his recent activities in the Northern Territory? Although cooperating with Azure Sun Temple to bring in goods and supplies would bring in considerable profit, it was not something Yang Kai cared much about anymore. Besides, he was also cooperating with Violet Source Chamber of Commerce which was a commercial force that had more wide-ranging connections and understanding of business in the Southern Territory. A trade agreement with Azure Sun Temple was just a bonus for Yang Kai and if not for his position as a High-Rank Guest Elder, he would never have allowed his profits to flow their way.
Turning to leave, Yang Kai advised, “Second Manager, please make some concessions where appropriate. I am an Elder of Azure Sun Temple after all.”
“Yes!” Bian Yu Qing replied respectfully.
Qiu Ran had a pleased expression on his face when he heard this as the words Yang Kai had uttered in front of him had undoubtedly caused a sense of goodwill to sprout in his heart. In the end, it was always better to work with one of your own.
Immediately after that, Qiu Ran began negotiations with Bian Yu Qing.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai went straight to Purple Bamboo Peak where Gao Xue Ting lived. Meeting with Gao Xue Ting, he asked about the Southern Territory Martial Gathering and learnt that there were three more days before they had to depart. There was plenty of time, so he went to visit Murong Xiao Xiao and Xiao Bai Yi to reminisce about the past. The last time he was here, he had been in too much of a rush and didn’t have time to have a proper chat with them.
Murong Xiao Xiao was a relatively friendly person with a warm and welcoming personality. Yang Kai got to know her when they were both in the Dao Source Realm; thus, they chatted away happily about their experiences becoming Elders of Azure Sun Temple.
On the other hand, Xiao Bai Yi was far less sociable. The expression on his face was even colder than Ji Yao’s. Moreover, he always looked as though Yang Kai owed him a great sum of money and tried to chase him away after a few words.
Yang Kai was almost tempted to beat Xiao Bai Yi up as a result; unfortunately, there was nothing he could do if the host refused to be hospitable to the guest, thus he left the place in a huff.
Yang Kai spent the rest of his time making some adjustments to his Spirit Sword Peak, and three days passed in a flash. When early morning came, the sun shone brightly and the world seemed to overflow with vigour. Several dozen figures stood atop a certain Spirit Peak, and the leader stood out conspicuously in a purple robe.
Yang Kai flew over and landed soon after, and when he saw the purple-robed man, he was stunned for a moment before cupping his fists, “Greetings, Temple Master.”
The purple-robed man was none other than the Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, Wen Zi Shan. He had a gentle smile on his face and stood with his hands behind his back. He had a rather suave air around him and upon hearing Yang Kai’s voice, he turned to look in the latter’s direction with a smile and nodded in greeting, “You’ve worked hard, Elder Yang.”
“Sharing the burdens of the Temple is something I should do,” Yang Kai replied with a serious expression. It couldn’t be helped. He might be the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, but he was simply a High-Rank Guest Elder here so he still had to maintain the necessary etiquette.
“Please wait for a moment longer. Little Xue Ting isn’t here yet. Haaa… Women are just so troublesome. They take so long just to get out of the door.”
The moment those words left Wen Zi Shan’s mouth, many people glared at him furiously. Even Murong Xiao Xiao, who had arrived a long time ago, frowned. It was no surprise that she was upset after being criticized for no apparent reason. Wen Zi Shan seemed to realize this too and, lifting his hand, he stroked his beard and looked up at the sky with an expression filled with the vicissitudes of life, “The wind today is so noisy.”
“Elder Luo, Elder Xiao, and Elder Murong.” Yang Kai greeted the other Emperors present. There was nothing more to be said about Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao. On the other hand, Luo Chen was a middle-aged man with a cold and indifferent expression.
Yang Kai was not very familiar with Luo Chen because the latter had a relatively cold personality. It was also rare for Yang Kai to be around, so he was lacking interaction with the other Elders of Azure Sun Temple. As such, Yang Kai only knew this person by name but had never really had a conversation with him before.
The three Elders naturally returned his greetings.
“Are these the disciples who are going to participate in the Martial Gathering this time?” Yang Kai lifted his head and looked at the several dozen disciples standing neatly in formation behind them.
Those disciples cupped their fists, “Greetings, Elder Yang.”
These several dozen disciples had varying cultivations. Some were in the Dao Source Realm, while others were Origin Kings, there were even some in the Origin Returning Realm. The Southern Territory Martial Gathering had several categories after all. The Dao Source Realm disciples would compete with other Dao Source Realm disciples; the Origin Kings against Origin Kings; and the Origin Returning Realm Juniors against other Origin Returning Realm Juniors. As expected, the Temple had chosen the best cultivators among each Realm to participate in the Martial Gathering. The dozen or so people standing at the forefront were in the Dao Source Realm, followed by those in the Origin King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm.
Yang Kai smiled and nodded at them. He discovered many familiar faces among these disciples. They had probably participated in the Four Seasons Realm with him back then; unfortunately, they had not interacted much with each other and were simply familiar faces among a crowd of strangers. They had been in the Dao Source Realm back then, and they were still in the Dao Source Realm now. Breaking through to the Emperor Realm was not that easy after all. Most would get stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for the entirety of their lives.
Xia Sheng, Xiao Bai Yi, and Murong Xiao Xiao could break through to the Emperor Realm due to their excellent aptitude and comprehension abilities. It might also be related to the benefits they received in the Four Seasons Realm and the Shattered Star Sea.
While looking around, Yang Kai’s roving gaze suddenly stopped at a certain point. His gaze had paused on the face of a young man simply because this was somebody he was actually acquainted with. Moreover, he even knew the other party’s name! It was Xue Yi!
Yang Kai first came to Azure Sun Temple with Qin Zhao Yang with the Bustling World Token in his possession to ask for an entry quota to the Four Seasons Realm. The moment the Bustling World Token was brought out, the Temple couldn’t refuse his request and gave him a spot. Unfortunately, the quotas for entering the Four Seasons Realm had already been allocated. Since the Temple gave one spot away, that would mean that they had one spot less in return. The person taken off the list of names at the time was none other than Xue Yi. When the news came out, Xue Yi refused to accept the decision and even picked a fight with Yang Kai, but he turned out to be no match for Yang Kai.
It was something that had happened many years ago, and Yang Kai would not have recalled the incident if he had not met this person again. When their gazes met, Xue Yi’s expression became a little embarrassed. He seemed to experience a momentary sense of shame before collecting himself again. Back then, they had both been in the Dao Source Realm, but now, Yang Kai was already an Emperor Realm Master while he was still stuck in the Dao Source Realm. It was not surprising for him to feel rather complicated about it.
On the other hand, Yang Kai just smiled faintly. It could be seen that Xue Yi had not wasted his time all these years. Although he used to be in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, he was now a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Furthermore, he stood far in front of the rest and was clearly one of the candidates that the Temple had high hopes for.
Thinking of some things from the past brought about a slight sense of nostalgia. The two of them retracted their gazes soon after and Xue Yi secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that Yang Kai might want to get back at him for what he did before. Their current statuses were very different so there was nothing he could do against Yang Kai if the latter wanted to make things difficult for him.
At that moment, a stream of light rushed over from Purple Bamboo Peak and appeared in front of everyone in an instant.
Wen Zi Shan’s eyes gleamed as he shouted, “Little Xue Ting, you are dressed so beautifully today! Are you planning to get married? It’s really gratifying! En, very gratifying indeed!”
“Shut your damn mouth!” Gao Xue Ting glared at Wen Zi Shan and snapped coldly, not giving him the slightest respect at all.
In response, Wen Zi Shan wore a pained expression and waxed, “Oh, my! Why are you being so fierce? You must be careful Little Xue Ting or no one will dare to marry you in the future. If you don’t get married soon, you’ll turn into a lonely old lady!”
The gaze in Gao Xue Ting’s eyes turned even icier and the impulse to stab this shameless man to death with her sword struck her, but instead she just coldly snorted, “It’s none of your damn business.”
Such a beautiful and elegant woman was so irritated that she even let out a string of curse words. Her mood could not be worse.
The disciples all lowered their eyes with wooden expressions, pretending not to hear the conversation between those two. Similarly, Luo Chen lowered his head to look at the ground, Xiao Bai Yi looked up at the sky, and Murong Xiao Xiao studied her fingers carefully as though wondering if she should tend to her nails. As for Yang Kai, he leaned over and casually complimented her, “Junior Sister, you have such beautiful fingers.”
Murong Xiao Xiao blushed furiously at those words and didn’t know what to do with her hand for a moment. Everybody turned to look at Yang Kai, and he seemed to realize that he had misspoken; thus, his expression twitched a little.
Fortunately, Gao Xue Ting suddenly spoke up, “Is everybody here?”
Xiao Bai Yi nodded in response, “Everyone has assembled.”
“In that case, let’s set off.” After saying that, Gao Xue Ting took the lead and the rest followed after her.
Wen Zi Shan was stunned for a moment as he stood there alone, still rubbing his chin as he murmured, “I’m pretty sure… I’m the Temple Master…”