Without any further delay, Li Wu Yi pointed at Yang Kai. As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai felt the world around him spinning as his figure turned upside down, after which he appeared atop a mountain.
Just then, a tiger was heard roaring. Upon catching a whiff of a strange aura, a white tiger came pouncing on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lifted his hand and gently placed a palm on the tiger’s head, after which the white tiger no longer appeared to be ferocious. With a terrified look, the tiger took a few steps back and whimpered before whirling around to run away.
This white tiger wasn’t a Monster Beast, just a wild animal. Nevertheless, it instinctively realised that Yang Kai wasn’t to be messed with, which was why it stopped being aggressive and ran for its life.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that he was surrounded by very tall trees. Colourful vipers could be seen crawling on the rocks, the flow of water could be heard coming from a nearby mountain spring, and the air was just as refreshing as a spring day.
Looking up, he realised that some gigantic figures that looked like deities were staring at him. They were Mo Huang, Yao Jung, Zhan Wu Hen, and the others. Li Wu Yi’s face had covered half of the sky as he looked smilingly at Yang Kai.
It wasn’t that they had grown bigger, but rather that Yang Kai’s figure had shrunk.
The two kilometres high and three thousand kilometres long Floating Mountain had been turned into a palm-sized artifact by Li Wu Yi. When Yang Kai was sent in, he was affected by the Space Principles of this space and appeared smaller to outside observers, though his actual size had not really changed. At this moment, he must be as tiny as a speck of dust in Li Wu Yi’s eyes.
The Floating Mountain and his Sealed World Bead worked in the same way, to the point that it could even be said to be identical. Both of them were Sealed Worlds, but the Sealed World Bead had been completely sealed off, so no one could see what was going on in the world from outside while people in that world couldn’t see what was happening outside unless Yang Kai allowed it.
On the other hand, even though Floating Mountain was a Sealed World as well, it was closely connected to the Star Boundary; therefore, it wasn’t as independent as the Small Sealed World.
After Yang Kai reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm in the past, he realised that, given his mastery of Space Principles, he was also able to create a storage artifact that resembled the Sealed World Bead; however, he didn’t have the time to run an experiment as he had been held up by many different affairs.
However, he had never expected that Li Wu Yi had the same idea, and the latter had actually carried it out. This Floating Mountain was the manifestation and result of his mastery of Space Principles. At that instant, Yang Kai could confirm that his idea was feasible.
He could barely contain his excitement as he had the urge to create something like the Sealed World Bead or the Floating Mountain. After he was done with having a look at the mountain, he waved his hand at Li Wu Yi, who got his hint and pointed at him again. The next moment, Yang Kai appeared in the Small Sealed World again.
Before Yang Kai could compliment him, Li Wu Yi appeared to be puzzled as he asked, “How did you come up with the idea of consuming the continents in the Demon Realm using your Sealed World Bead? How do you achieve it?”
He didn’t understand it exactly because he had created Floating Mountain. Theoretically, Floating Mountain and the Sealed World Bead were similar treasures. Whatever the Sealed World Bead could do, Floating Mountain should be able to achieve as well. Likewise, whatever Floating Mountain couldn’t do, the Sealed World Bead was supposedly unable to also.
However, the truth was that Sealed World Bead had achieved something that Floating Mountain couldn’t, which was devouring and integrating outside continents. The idea had never even crossed Li Wu Yi’s mind before.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “In the past, I got into a conflict with someone in a Lower Star Field. That guy wanted to annex my Star Field, so I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. As for how I did it…” He fell silent for a moment, then put on a serious expression, “It’s because of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
The three Great Emperors turned to look at him in unison.
Mo Huang said grimly, “Brat, are you telling me that you’ve really cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
A few years ago, Iron Blood Great Emperor crusaded against Yang Kai in Tiger Roar City using the excuse of him cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. He put on a show to force Yang Kai to go through ‘demonification’ and flee from the Star Boundary; however, at that time, the Embodiment was the one accused by Zhan Wu Hen for cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It would be a very different case if Yang Kai had actually cultivated the Secret Art.
Yang Kai shook his head and explained, “The Heaven Devouring Battle Law is able to devour Heaven and Earth, and its power is inscrutable. This Junior would never have the courage to cultivate such a wicked Secret Art. The one who has cultivated this Secret Art is my Embodiment. His physique is unique as he’s a Stone Spirit, so this Secret Art is compatible with him. Since he’s mastered the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, it means that I’ve also grasped it. With the Sealed World Bead as the medium, I used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and then it became able to devour and integrate external pieces of land.”
Yang Kai had explained himself, and everyone understood him. However, no one could really grasp the crux of the matter besides himself.
Why was the Heaven Devouring Battle Law compatible with Sealed World Bead? Perhaps even Wu Kuang, who had created the Secret Art, couldn’t give an explanation.
Li Wu Yi shook his head and broke into laughter, “In that case, my Floating Mountain will never be able to do that.”
He had wanted to recreate the Floating Mountain if the idea was feasible; however, since the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was the reason behind the Sealed World Bead’s devouring ability, he could only give up that idea. No matter how bold he was, he would never dare to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was staring at the Floating Mountain with gleaming eyes. His behaviour was that of a gourmand who had come across rare delicacies, or a lecher who had bumped into a beautiful woman.
“How big is this territory?” Zhan Wu Hen asked.
“As large as the continents that have been devoured,” Yang Kai replied respectfully.
Zhan Wu Hen fell silent for a moment before asking, “If all the Demons migrate to this place, will you be able to restrict them?”
Yang Kai grinned, “I’m the ruler of this place, and I can determine everyone’s life or death…”
He paused for a moment, “En, those who aren’t Demon Saints,” he added.
Judging from the World Principles in this expanded territory in the Small Sealed World, that was indeed the case; however, after he gobbled up the entire Demon Realm and perfected its Principles, the circumstances might change.
…..
One hour later, all of them left the Small Sealed World. Yang Kai had also released Flower Shadow Great Emperor and Li Shi Qing together. What was worth mentioning was that Li Shi Qing had thanked Yang Kai, but her expression looked somewhat conflicted.
At that time, she tried to assassinate Yang Kai when she had no idea what had really transpired. Although she eventually found out the truth, it was an undeniable fact that Yang Kai had killed Bright Moon; hence, she didn’t know how she should face him. On one hand, they were the only Humans in the Demon Realm at that time, so they had to rely on each other. On the other hand, she was a Human from the Star Boundary, so she couldn’t forgive Yang Kai for killing Bright Moon.
Just now, she had a long chat with her Honoured Master and was able to untie the knot in her heart somehow. It wasn’t until now she realised that after Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped in the Demon Realm, the Great Emperors had already expected that he would lose his life. The reason Yang Kai headed to the Demon Realm was to make a last attempt to rescue Bright Moon. Even if he couldn’t achieve it, he had to at least meet up with him. Bright Moon would certainly understand the plan of his fellow Great Emperors, and in the end, the worst really happened. Before Bright Moon passed away though, he transferred the Star Boundary’s Will to Yang Kai, thus giving him the Great Emperor’s Opportunity.
As for what situation Yang Kai would fall into after obtaining the opportunity, Bright Moon was no longer able to worry about it. It could be said that before his death, he felt guilty for what Yang Kai would have to go through.
Despite knowing that Yang Kai might get killed alongside him, Bright Moon had no other choice but to act so. At that time, there was no one else apart from Yang Kai to whom he could entrust the opportunity to.
“Seniors, that’s how things are currently. Have you made a decision?” Yang Kai stared at the Great Emperors and asked.
Zhan Wu Hen replied, “You don’t have to worry about Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian. We’ll personally have a discussion with them.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was elated, “Many thanks, Senior.”
Zhan Wu Hen didn’t make himself clear, but since there was going to be a discussion, it meant that they had basically agreed to the Demon Saints’ proposal. The Demon Saints would try their best to subdue the remaining Demons in the Star Boundary, and they would not oppose the Humans. After all the problems in the Star Boundary were settled, they would launch an attack on the Demon Realm, and these Demons might even become a force they could make use of.
That realization didn’t only dawn upon Yang Kai, but also the Great Emperors. The fates of the Demon Saints had been intertwined with that of Yang Kai. As all their continents had been devoured, there was no turning back for them. Besides cooperating with Yang Kai, they had no other choice.
Mo Huang said, “You have to sort out your own issues first.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded, “Junior is willing to accept his punishment.”
Mo Huang shook his head, “I haven’t even explained what I mean yet. Why do you assume you will be punished?”
Yang Kai asked, “Are you not talking about what happened to Senior Bright Moon?”
Mo Huang shook his head and extended his hand, after which Yang Kai immediately felt an irresistible force that dragged him towards Mo Huang. The Demon Qi in his body instinctively undulated, but he soon put his guard down. That was because when confronted by a Great Emperor, it was pointless for him to resist; moreover, he believed that Mo Huang wouldn’t harm him.
The next moment, Mo Huang clapped his hand on Yang Kai’s shoulder. At the same time, Zhan Wu Hen clenched Yang Kai’s other shoulder. The two Great Emperors traded glances, after which they pushed their Emperor Qi.
Yang Kai immediately felt that two majestic, yet gentle forces penetrate his body from both sides. The two forces wandered around his body for a short moment before withdrawing.
Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang frowned as they were puzzled.
It was then Yang Kai realised what they intended. It was about the fact that he had gone through demonification. Apparently, the two Great Emperors had used their Emperor Qi to thoroughly inspect his body.
Upon that realization, he quickly said, “Seniors, please allow me to explain…”
He never intended to hide the fact from the Great Emperors; otherwise, he wouldn’t have activated his Demon Qi in front of them previously.
“Stop talking!” Zhan Wu Hen shot him a glare.
In response, Yang Kai obediently kept his mouth shut.
At the same time, Mo Huang suddenly shouted. Upon hearing that, Yang Kai felt as though countless beasts had roared at him, which caused him to feel dizzy. While he was in a dazed state, two streams of Divine Sense penetrated his Knowledge Sea together.
In just a short moment, they left Yang Kai’s mind.
When Yang Kai managed to pull himself together, Mo Huang and Zhan Wu Hen had retracted their Divine Senses as they gaped at Yang Kai as though he was a monster.
Yang Kai put on a hollow laugh, “Seniors, just like what you’ve seen, even though I have Demon Qi, and that I seem to have become a Demon, I’m actually fine.”
Certainly, Mo Huang and Zhan Wu Hen had seen that Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar was protected by the Soul Warming Lotus.
The look on the faces of Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang shocked Flower Shadow and Serene Soul Great Emperor. As Great Emperors themselves, they knew that Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang must have seen something inconceivable; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sported this kind of expression.
Furthermore, Hua Ling Long and Yao Jun had detected the fluctuations of Divine Sense from the other two Great Emperors, so they realised that something must be wrong with Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. However, what was so strange that it was enough to shock the two Great Emperors?
Although Hua Ling Long was curious, she didn’t ask about it. On the other hand, Yao Jun directly questioned, “What did you see?”
His title was Serene Soul, so just like Yu Ru Meng, he was an expert regarding Soul cultivation. Since something was wrong with Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, naturally, he was concerned.
Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang didn’t reply to him. It was fine that they had seen the Soul Warming Lotus; however, if Yao Jun found out about it, he would want to conduct a more thorough examination. Given the fact that he was a Great Emperor, he wouldn’t try to snatch it from Yang Kai. Nevertheless, if he wanted to borrow it for some time, Yang Kai would be put in a tight spot.
Hence, Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang tacitly kept it a secret. Mo Huang had even spoken to Yang Kai sneakily via Divine Sense, “Don’t let Yao Jun see what you possess. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble.”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly and decided that he would never spend time with Yao Jun alone.
At this point, Yang Kai had explained everything about the Demon Realm, and he had also brought back a glimmer of hope to end the Two Worlds’ Great War, which helped subside the sorrow of Bright Moon’s death slightly.
Zhan Wu Hen said, “Since the connection between the two worlds has been cut off, and the Demon Saints will take the remaining Demons in the Star Boundary under their wings, it seems that we’ll finally have some peace. However, when the seal is broken, the final battle between the two worlds will undoubtedly commence. Yang Kai, you’ll be the one who will devour and integrate the continents in the Demon Realm, so during this period of time, you have to take a proper rest. It would be best if you can achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation, but even if you can’t, you still have to increase your strength as much as possible so that you can protect yourself!”
“Junior understands.” Yang Kai nodded, “I happen to have some matters to attend to.”
Upon finishing his words, he fished out a Space Beacon and placed it on both palms, “Please keep this.”
Zhan Wu Hen shot him a look before taking the Space Beacon without saying a word.
All of a sudden, two gentle claps were heard. It was Hua Ling Long who did it. After that, a person entered the hall from outside.
Yang Kai turned around and realised that the person was the Great Elder from Star Soul Palace, Lei Hong. It wasn’t certain how long he had been waiting outside as he only came in after he was summoned.
As their eyes met, Lei Hong nodded at Yang Kai and walked up to him. Then, he saluted the Great Emperors before turning to look at Yang Kai.
Everyone in the hall fell silent. Despite that, Yang Kai understood the reason Lei Hong was here.
After a gentle sigh, lifted both hands and made his palms face up. As a thought flashed across his mind, Bright Moon Great Emperor’s corpse appeared in his arms.
After Bright Moon’s death, Yang Kai had placed his body inside the medicine garden. Yang Kai had concealed the injury on Bright Moon’s chest and helped him change into new clothes. With the nourishment from the precious flowers in the medicine garden, Bright Moon still appeared serene, as though he had only fallen asleep.
The Great Emperors turned to look at the corpse with sorrowful expressions. With his eyes turning bloodshot, Lei Hong trembled uncontrollably and said in a shaking voice, “Welcome back, Great Emperor!”
As he spoke, he fell to his knees, lowered his head, and extended his arms.
He didn’t kneel to Yang Kai but to Bright Moon’s corpse, so Yang Kai couldn’t salute him back. After solemnly placing Bright Moon into Lei Hong’s arms, Yang Kai said in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry!”
Lei Hong shook his head and got to his feet with the Great Emperor in his arms.
Yang Kai went on to speak, “I’ve not touched the Great Emperor’s belongings. Elder Lei, after you go back, please carefully go through them with the other Elders.”
After a nod, Lei Hong replied, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
An embarrassed Yang Kai shook his head with a helpless smile, then he asked, “How is… her Royal Highness?”
“She’s in a terrible state,” Lei Hong put on a bitter smile. After the fall of the Great Emperor, a phenomenon had manifested across the Star Boundary’s sky, as if the entire world had been engulfed in sorrow. As the Great Emperor’s daughter, Lan Xun immediately realised what had happened, after which she passed out on the spot.
Emperor Realm Masters would normally never fall sick, but after the incident, Lan Xun became ill. Despite the fact that there were countless elixirs in Star Soul Palace, she still couldn’t recover even after consuming them. At this moment, she was still recuperating in her palace.
However, Lei Hong wasn’t in any place to reveal too much information to Yang Kai, so he only said, “Palace Master Yang, please visit Star Soul Palace when you’re free. Maybe you’ll be able to cheer her up.”
Certainly, Yang Kai was too embarrassed to face Lan Xun. When they were in Heaven’s Spying Valley in the past, even though he didn’t promise her anything, he was her only hope. Now that he had failed in his attempt to save Bright Moon, he felt extremely guilty.
Regardless of how embarrassed or how guilty he felt though, he still had to visit Star Soul Palace. Even if Lei Hong never told him to do so, he would still go over; thus, he nodded, “En. I’ll visit her sometime later.”
“I’ll take my leave now,” Lei Hong appeared grateful. After saluting the Great Emperors, he left the place with Bright Moon’s corpse.
After he was left, Zhan Wu Hen waved his hand. There was a tired look on his face, “You can leave as well.”
Yang Kai lifted his head to look at him, “Are you not going to punish this Junior anymore?”
Zhan Wu Hen said impassively, “If you’re so eager to get punished, I can grant your wish.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai shook his head and cupped his fists at the Great Emperors. Then, he attempted to leave.
To his surprise though, he couldn’t immediately withdraw as a barrier around the hall seemed to have sealed off this space, rendering his Space Secret Technique useless.
Looking up, he realised that Hua Ling Long was grinning at him. Since he couldn’t use Instantaneous Movement, he had no other choice but to leave the normal way, by walking. Fine with this, he turned around, only to hear someone calling out to him, “Senior Brother Yang…”
Yang Kai whirled around and flashed a smile at Li Shi Qing, “What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”
It was the first time Li Shi Qing called him ‘Senior Brother’. In a small voice, she said, “Please do not make things difficult for those living on the peaks…”
Without knowing any context, the Great Emperors couldn’t understand her. Nevertheless, Yang Kai certainly knew what she was talking about. She didn’t want him to make things difficult for Huo Lun and Mo Sheng, who were still living on the peaks that were arrayed like a triangle. During this period of time, she had been in frequent contact with those Demon Kings, and she had been on good terms with them. Now that she was released from the Small Sealed World by Yang Kai, only Huo Lun and Mo Sheng were left inside, and their life or death was determined by Yang Kai. Certainly, she wanted them to be safe.
Since it was no big deal, Yang Kai gave a nod, “Junior Sister need not worry.”
Then, he turned around and shuffled out of the hall, after which the door behind him slowly closed. It seemed that the Great Emperors still had other issues to discuss. Yang Kai let out a breath and looked up at the sky, only to see that the sky was filled with seven coloured light. It was a natural phenomenon rather than the result of any artificial array. There seemed to be something else behind the seven-coloured lights.
Yang Kai immediately realised that he was in Seven Mists Sea, which Fan Xin had mentioned before. This was the headquarters of all fifty-four army groups that comprised the forces from all four territories of the Star Boundary.
He wasn’t really surprised by this realization, but he was intrigued by the seven-coloured lights.
Just when he was examining the sky, he suddenly felt something as he turned his head to the side, only to see a young figure flashing a sweet smile at him in the corner. She had tied her hair into more than ten ponytails, so she looked rather quirky.
When their eyes met, she even waved her hand at him.
Yang Kai put on a gentle smile and shuffled towards the young girl. Pleasantly surprised, he asked, “Did you come here with your Master?”
The person standing in front of him was none other than Lin Yun’er, whom he hadn’t met for a long time. Some years ago, the two had reunited in the Western Territory after separating on Shadowed Star. At that time, Yang Kai had wanted to send her to High Heaven Palace, but during the transfer process, she mysteriously went missing. After looking into the matter, Yang Kai realised that a top Master must have destroyed the Space Array in the Western Territory that he had spent a lot of effort building, which stopped Lin Yun’er from being transferred.
He speculated that it was Iron Blood Great Emperor’s doing, and he was proven right later. As a Great Emperor, he was indeed a little shameless for doing such a thing in secret.
Twenty years had passed since then. The young girl still looked as lively as she was back then. However, the speed at which her cultivation had grown shocked Yang Kai.
Lin Yun’er was already in the Third-Order Emperor Realm! Furthermore, it appeared that she had reached this realm some time ago as cultivation was completely consolidated.
At that instant, Yang Kai was astounded as he thought that it was truly a blessing to have a good Honoured Master. When Yang Yan brought Lin Yun’er away from Heng Luo Star Field in the past, the young girl’s cultivation was still quite weak. Now, the speed at which she improved was quicker than that of Yang Kai.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Lin Yun’er leaned close to him and took a sniff of him.
Yang Kai burst into laughter and knocked on her forehead, “Are you a puppy? Why are you sniffing me?”
Covering her head with her hands, Lin Yun’er pouted, “Uncle, your body smells of another woman’s fragrance.”
The way she addressed him was amiable, but what she had said was pretty embarrassing for Yang Kai. He had parted with Yu Ru Meng for a few days, so her fragrance should have faded. How was Lin Yun’er able to catch a whiff of it?
With a gentle smile, he said, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“It’s not nonsense.” Lin Yun’er snorted, “My Master always says that I have the nose of a dog, so I can detect even the faintest scent.”
Upon finishing her words, she inched closer and sniffed him again with her eyes closed.
Not daring to let her keep doing this, Yang Kai poked her forehead with one finger to push her away, then he said after a sigh, “Did you look for me just to take a whiff of the scent on my body?”
Lin Yun’er was startled for a moment before she recalled something. Then, she chuckled and wrapped her arms around Yang Kai’s before dragging him in a particular direction.
An embarrassed Yang Kai warned, “Use your words Yun’er, what you’re doing right now is highly improper.”
The young girl had already grown into a young woman, so the peaks and valleys of her figure were all well defined. With her clinging so close, Yang Kai could feel an amazing elasticity on his arm.
That would be fine if that was all it was; however, he could clearly feel that a murderous Divine Sense had locked onto him.
Without even the need to think about it, he knew that it must be Zhan Wu Hen’s. What he didn’t understand was that, as a Great Emperor, why would Zhan Wu Hen be so distrustful of him as though he was a thief? In the past, he had even destroyed the Space Array so that Lin Yun’er couldn’t follow Yang Kai back to High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. Now that he was having a discussion with the other Great Emperors, he still made sure that Yang Kai knew he was keeping a close eye on him.
Although Yang Kai’s Soul was powerful, he was still no match for the Great Emperors. Given Zhan Wu Hen’s capability, it was a piece of cake for him to watch over Yang Kai without letting the latter know; however, he intentionally released a bit of his aura for Yang Kai to detect it. His message was clear, ‘Boy, I’m watching you!’
He wasn’t willing to restrict what his treasured Disciple did, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t give Yang Kai a warning.
While Yang Kai was being dragged forward by Lin Yun’er, he felt as though a sharp object was hovering behind his back.
On the way to their destination, they came across many people who were in a hurry. Apparently, they were the cultivators that had been stationed in Seven Mists Sea. Whoever they were, they would always salute Lin Yun’er with a smile. It seemed that they all knew who she was.
It wasn’t until they reached a hall that Lin Yun’er released him, and then she pointed at the hall with a smile.
It seemed that they had reached their destination. Yang Kai wasn’t sure why she had brought him to this place, but before he got in, he could already catch a whiff of the aroma of meat. The scent was inexplicably pleasant. He was already an Emperor Realm Master, so he didn’t need to eat anything, but he still drooled over the aroma that was coming from that place.
The aroma spread around the area as the people around the place looked curiously at the hall. They licked their lips as they appeared to be hungry.
Then, Lin Yun’er pushed the door open and pulled Yang Kai into it.
It was basically empty inside the hall as there wasn’t much decoration. In the middle of the hall, a huge black wok-shaped pot had been set up. It wasn’t certain what was inside the pot, but bubbles kept forming on it as vapour could be seen billowing out. The firewood beneath the pot was burning and crackling.
Beside the black pot, an alluring woman, who was clad in all red clothes, was scooping some soup out of the pot with a spoon before slurping it up. The soup appeared to be scalding hot, but the beautiful woman didn’t mind as she took a few sips before putting down the spoon. Then, she flashed a smile at Yang Kai, who had followed Lin Yun’er into the hall, and she parted her lips that looked like rubies, “You’re in for a treat! You Little Brat!”
Yang Kai walked up to her and saluted her, “Greetings, Senior Jiu Feng!”
The person sitting beside the black pot was none other than Jiu Feng of Spirit Beast Island. She was much older than Yang Kai, and she was from the same generation as Li Wu Yi, so Mo Xiao Qi had to call her ‘Aunty Feng’. Moreover, Liu Yan had received her guidance, so she could be considered her Disciple in a way. That was why Yang Kai had always treated her like his own Senior.
Jiu Feng was an extremely charming lady, but at this moment, she stopped caring whether she’d look elegant as she sat down with her legs crossed beside a black pot. It wasn’t certain what kind of meat was being boiled. As soon as Yang Kai entered the hall, he saw the stark contrast between a beautiful woman in red clothes and a black pot.
The firewood and the fire itself were ordinary, but the pot was extraordinary. The name of the pot was Unlimited Return, which was a treasure that Iron Blood Great Emperor had obtained in the past. It was famous across the Star Boundary. Although it wasn’t as ancient as the Mountains and Rivers Bell, its power was comparable to that of the latter. Both treasures had their own merits.
Lin Yun’er was Zhan Wu Hen’s only Disciple, so he would share all his treasures with her. Unlimited Return was given to her by Zhan Wu Hen to protect herself, but the young girl had always treated it as a pot for cooking rice or meat. Yang Kai already had a taste of its raft more than twenty years ago.
Lin Yun’er’s status was extraordinary as she was a Great Emperor’s Disciple. There were only a small number of such Disciples in the entire the Star Boundary. With Zhan Wu Hen behind her, it could be said that she could walk sideways around the entire Star Boundary, and no one would dare to offend her.
The young girl was very hardworking though, and her Tyrant Strength Body was compatible with the Great Emperor’s Iron Blood Record, which was why she was able to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm in just several dozen years, even quicker than Yang Kai.
It was because of this Secret Art that her appetite had become truly astounding as well. Fortunately, Lin Yun’er could just throw anything she could find into the pot, and without any seasonings, she was able to cook a pot of delicacies.
At this moment, some kind of meat was being boiled in Unlimited Return as bubbles were constantly formed. The soup appeared to be thick, and the aroma of meat permeated the place.
While Yang Kai politely saluted Jiu Feng, Lin Yun’er had already rushed over to the pot and looked into it. As she smacked her lips, she said, “Is it ready?”
As she spoke, she even sucked her saliva back in. Instead of behaving like a Great Emperor’s Disciple, she looked more like someone who hadn’t eaten anything for several dozen years.
“I’ll check,” Jiu Feng replied as she took out a big piece of meat with her hand and then devoured it in a short moment.
Lin Yun’er stared at her as expectation was written all over her face. Jiu Feng went on to take out more pieces of meat from the pot while Lin Yun’er kept gulping.
After a sigh, Yang Kai said, “Yun’er, if you don’t dig in, all the meat will be gone soon.”
Lin Yun’er’s expression changed when she heard that. Hesitating no more, she directly snuck her hands into the pot and fished out a huge thigh before taking a bite. Then, she suddenly stopped what she was doing, and suppressing her hunger, she passed the thigh to Yang Kai.
Waving his hand, Yang Kai walked over and rolled up his sleeves, “I can serve myself.”
Following that, the trio sat around the black pot, devouring their food.
More than twenty years ago, Yang Kai had already had a taste of the food that was cooked using Unlimited Return. He felt that the food was supposed to belong to the Heavens, and nothing else in the world was comparable to it. After having a taste again on this day, he still felt the same way.
He even suspected that this treasure was actually created to cook meat; otherwise, why would everything that came out of this pot be so delicious when no seasonings or technique were used at all in its preparation? The person who made this pot must be an excellent foodie like Lin Yun’er.
“Boy, delicious food is to be savoured, not stuffed down, and you should show some respect for your Elders.” Jiu Feng shot him a look and lectured him while her lips were covered in grease from all the eating.
Without lifting his head, Yang Kai spoke in a muffled voice as he was still chewing his food, “Although I call you Senior, you’re not old at all. Instead, you’re still in your prime. Senior, please don’t belittle yourself by saying such things.”
The food that came out of Unlimited Return was truly remarkable. The meat was tender while not being greasy. It seemed to melt in his mouth as soon as it came into contact with his tongue. More importantly, all the essence in the meat was released upon chewing. Rather than just being meat, it was a very nourishing tonic that was useful for the eater’s cultivation.
“You’re as smooth-talking as ever,” Jiu Feng snorted and waved her hand, after which a jar of wine suddenly appeared and shot towards Yang Kai.
After taking it, Yang Kai opened the lid with his thumb. Upon taking a whiff of the wine, he became energised as he knew that it must be very valuable, and difficult to find.
Then, he took a gulp of it and went on to eat some meat, feeling content.
An envious Lin Yun’er could be seen with her eyes gleaming, then she said to Jiu Feng, “Aunty Feng, I want to drink as well!”
Without lifting her head, Jiu Feng waved her hand, “A child shouldn’t drink wine. Get some soup instead!”
Lin Yun’er pouted with an aggrieved expression.
Just then, a burly Dao Source Realm Master entered the place without invitation. His aura was ferocious, his figure towering, and his face scar ridden. It was apparent that he must have gone through countless life-or-death battles.
However, at this moment, this towering man bowed and appeared obsequious. With a bowl in his hands, he walked up to them and licked his lips, “Seniors, we happened to notice you were eating meat, so we were hoping you would bless us with a little soup.”
Lin Yun’er and Jiu Feng seemed to have gotten used to this kind of display, so while Lin Yun’er didn’t even bother to lift her hand as she was focused on devouring the meat in the pot, Jiu Feng waved her hand and said, “Help yourself.”
“Many thanks, Senior Jiu Feng! May your life be long and your cultivation soar to untold heights!” He awkwardly flattered Jiu Feng before he turned around.
“Come in boys! Senior Jiu Feng has allowed us to drink some soup!” He yelled.
Right then, more than a hundred people shuffled into the hall with big bowls in their hands. Upon entering the place, they all appeared subservient as they fawned over the ladies, which caused Yang Kai to be dumbfounded.
Although there were many people, they were well organised into a single-file line. After every one of them filled up their bowl with some soup, they would compliment the ladies and then joyfully walk out of the hall to enjoy their meal.
The Unlimited Return in front of them appeared just slightly larger than an ordinary pot. Theoretically, it couldn’t possibly contain so much soup. However, the reality was that the three of them had actually devoured more than fifty ordinary people’s worth of food. After one hundred people filled up the bowls with the soup, it barely looked like anything had even been taken out.
Hence, it was apparent that the space inside the pot was far larger than it appeared.
Both the meat and the soup contained immense power, so those without high enough cultivation couldn’t possibly enjoy such the richest of delicacies, which was why those cultivators only asked for the soup, not the meat. It wasn’t that Jiu Feng and Lin Yun’er were stingy, but rather that these people weren’t strong enough to stomach it.
They went on to spend half a day eating the food. Lin Yun’er was the first one who couldn’t take it anymore as she suddenly rolled her eyes and fell backwards.
Just when the shocked Yang Kai wanted to check on her, Jiu Feng said, “Ignore her. This little girl really doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, always eating beyond her limits, which is why she ends up like this. She never learns her lesson.”
“Will she be alright?” Yang Kai was worried as he could see that Lin Yun’er’s belly was bulging, and sounds that resembled thunder could be heard coming from her stomach. It wasn’t that she was suffering from food poison; rather, it seemed her Secret Art was circulating on its own and refining the food.
“You think anything can happen to her here?” Jiu Feng pressed her lips together.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that she was right. Zhan Wu Hen was in the Seven Mists Sea now. Although he had stopped locking his Divine Sense onto Yang Kai, he must still be paying attention to what was going on in this place. Given how much he treasured Lin Yun’er, if anything really happened to her, he would have immediately appeared.
Since Zhan Wu Hen didn’t show up, it meant that she must be safe. After setting his mind at ease, Yang Kai continued devouring the food.
One day later, Lin Yun’er regained consciousness and immediately began to gobble up more food.
On the other hand, an amazed Jiu Feng sized Yang Kai up. Both Lin Yun’er and Yang Kai were Third-Order Emperors, with Lin Yun’er having a Special Constitution. Comparatively, Yang Kai had just reached this realm, but he still seemed fine after a long, non-stop feast. Nevertheless, Lin Yun’er had to take a break earlier.
Hence, it was apparent that even though Lin Yun’er’s cultivation increased quicker than that of Yang Kai, she was still no match for him when it came to background.
However, Jiu Feng soon understood the reason behind it was that Yang Kai had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. With this Secret Art, he was able to transform into a three-hundred-metre-long Dragon, so he was able to eat a lot more than a little girl. Although Yang Kai hadn’t used the Secret Art, he was fundamentally a Half-Dragon.
A long time later, all three of them lay on the cold floor in the hall as they stroked their own bellies with contented expressions on their faces. The black pot was empty, with not even a single drop of soup remaining.
Jiu Feng suddenly said, “Brat, the Great Emperors had already expected you to bring back Senior Bright Moon’s corpse when they told you to go to the Demon Realm. Senior Heavens Revelations had also predicted that Senior Bright Moon would lose his life in the Demon Realm, so you don’t have to blame yourself. He’s already dead, and you’ve inherited his will, so you should hold your head high and push forward. Only by doing so will you not disappoint his sacrifice.”
“Junior will take Senior’s teachings to heart.”
Jiu Feng laughed and rebuked, “What teachings? It’s up to you whether you’ll get over his death. Since you’ve obtained the opportunity, you mustn’t waste it; otherwise, you’re only letting yourself down.”
Yang Kai nodded gently and asked, “How is Junior Sister Xiao Qi now?’
Jiu Feng replied, “The world has descended into chaos, and Senior Martial Beast doesn’t want her to wander around, so he’s told her to cultivate in seclusion on Spirit Beast Island. Her aptitude is pretty remarkable, but she just can’t sit still and always wants to run around and play. If she’s able to finish this secluded retreat though, her power will increase significantly. You have to work harder. Otherwise, Xiao Qi might even surpass you.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I will.”
Upon finishing his words, he got to his feet and stretched his back as his bones cracked. His eyes appeared to be bright.
Lin Yun’er stood up as well and batted her eyes as she stared at Yang Kai, who patted her head and said, “Thanks, Yun’er.”
His terrible mood became better after all the eating. The fog before his eyes seemed to have dispersed, and the road ahead of him became clearer.
Lin Yun’er shook her head as she had done nothing apart from treating him to a meal.
“Take care of yourself,” Yang Kai said to her, then he turned to Jiu Feng. “Senior, thanks for your consolation. I’ll take my leave now.”
Jiu Feng had her eyes half-closed. She didn’t move a muscle, as though she ignored him.
Yang Kai turned around and shuffled towards the door. After opening it, he realised that someone was waiting for him outside.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists, “Senior.”
Li Wu Yi flashed a smile at him and took his wrist before stuffing something into his hand.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai raised his brow, “Senior, this…”
“It’s not for you. It’s the first treasure I’ve spent twenty years refining, so I will never give it away. I’ll lend it to you for a while, so remember to return it to me when you’re done with it. Moreover, you already have the Sealed World Bead, so you probably have no interest in this thing.” Li Wu Yi put on a smile, “I’ve erased all the barriers, so you just have to refine it a little to use it.”
The thing given by Li Wu Yi was Floating Mountain. If it were something else, Yang Kai wouldn’t have paid attention to it, but he was really interested in this tiny mountain range. Without being overly polite, he took it and thanked him.
Li Wu Yi nodded and then gave Yang Kai a jade slip. Before Yang Kai could say anything, he waved his hand and said, “I’m busy with work, so I cannot keep chatting with you. You’ve just returned to the Star Boundary, so I’m sure you have many things to attend to. Go on and attend to your own matters.”
Upon finishing his words, he took a step forward and disappeared.
Yang Kai gripped the jade slip and probed it with his Divine Sense. Then, he appeared elated as this was something he really needed right now. Li Wu Yi must have seen through his mind; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come all the way here to pass him these two items.
After carefully storing the jade slip and Floating Mountain, Yang Kai grinned in silence. Then, as he looked up at the magnificence of the seven-coloured lights, filled with happiness as he thought that the Star Boundary was truly a wonderful place!
In this world, there were his beloved friends and amiable Seniors. There were also his family members and Sect members who missed him.
At the thought of his family, Yang Kai couldn’t wait to return to High Heaven Palace. At that instant, he activated his Space Secret Technique and connected it to the Space Beacon closest to Su Yan.
However, he realised that he couldn’t do this as the connection had been cut off.
Jiu Feng got to her feet and languidly leaned against the door frame before staring at him with a dismissive look on her face, “Are you a fool or what? High Heaven Palace has been sealed off for years, and they have opened their array to isolate the space around the Sect. How would a Space Beacon be useful at all?”
An embarrassed Yang Kai finally understood the reason his attempt just now failed. With the Sect Defending Array to seal off space, he couldn’t go home using a Space Beacon. Thus, he cupped his fists and said, “Senior, can you tell me where the nearest Space Array is?”
“There’s one in Seven Mists Sea. It’s over there.” Upon finishing her words, Jiu Feng pointed in a direction and then tossed something to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took it and realised that it was a dark token with the character ‘You’ on it. Although he had no idea what the character represented, he could guess that it must be a proof of identity; after all, Space Arrays were normally heavily guarded. Without this proof of identity, he couldn’t even go near it.
After storing the token, he followed the direction Jiu Feng pointed and flew over.
At that moment, he couldn’t wait to go home any longer. He had only spent a few years in the Demon Realm, so it was considered a short time. In the past, he had even left home for more than a few decades on several occasions, but he had never felt as eager to return home as this time.
That was because it was peaceful in the Star Boundary in the past, but now, the two Great Worlds were at war.
Despite knowing that High Heaven Palace had sealed off its gates for a long time, and that they had never participated in the Two Worlds’ Great War, Yang Kai was still worried. Finally, he was able to go home!
Seven Mists Sea was expansive, but Yang Kai’s speed was incredible. After scanning the area with his Divine Sense, he soon located the Space Array. As expected, it was heavily guarded. There were more than ten Emperor Realm Masters, and Yang Kai could sense that there was a Pseudo-Great Emperor nearby.
As soon as he reached a spot that was a thousand metres away from the Space Array, several dozen auras targeted him.
Nevertheless, with the token given by Jiu Feng, no one made things difficult for him. Standing in front of the array, Yang Kai passed the token to someone to have his identity verified, then he was allowed to go.
As a glint flashed across the Space Array, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot. A flash of light later, Yang Kai could feel a very familiar aura and scent. Inside High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, he abruptly appeared.
Seeing that, the Disciples, who were meditating around the area, quickly moved forward. Just when they wanted to ask who the visitor was, they saw Yang Kai’s face and fell into a dazed state.
A woman among them even exclaimed, “Palace Master?”
Yang Kai turned his head to grin at her and revealed his white teeth, “Oh, it’s Little Ye.”
The woman was Ye Jing Han, daughter of Ye Hen, the former Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect in the Southern Territory. After Thousand Leaves Sect merged with High Heaven Palace, their hundreds of disciples had also joined the latter. Ye Jing Han was familiar with Yang Kai, so she could immediately recognise him.
At that instant, the hall broke into a commotion as the disciples became agitated and surrounded him. Then, they cupped their fists and bowed, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
Although they were saluting him, they were staring at him with gazes that were filled with pleasant surprise. That was because he had returned abruptly, so no one could have expected that.
As Yang Kai scanned the young faces that he might or might not be familiar with, he put on a heartfelt smile and lifted his hand, “We’re all one family, so you don’t have to be overly polite to me.”
All of them straightened up, but the next moment, Ye Jing Han, whose face had reddened because she was agitated, had her expression change as she turned around and said to the other disciples, “The fact that Palace Master has returned is a top secret. If anyone dares to reveal this, he will be considered a traitor to High Heaven Palace. I do not dare to speak on behalf of the others, but I’ll never let the traitor off, no matter where he may flee.”
Yang Kai was still considered a renegade, a traitor to the Star Boundary. A few years ago, he had sided with the Demon Realm after an intense battle with Iron Blood Great Emperor in Tiger Roar City. Fortunately, he managed to escape from death’s door. Then, he was hunted down by Li Wu Yi until ultimately he fled to the Demon Realm. If word got out that he had returned to the palace, countless cultivators would come over to kill him.
Understanding the severity of the matter, the disciples nodded solemnly and swore to her by saying, “We shall take this secret to our graves.”
“It’s nothing so serious,” Yang Kai burst into laughter before he took a deep breath and shouted. “I am back!”
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it was able to reach every corner of High Heaven Palace, like he was speaking directly into everyone’s ears.
A myriad of expressions came over Ye Jing Han as she almost teared up, “Palace Master, there are outsiders in the palace!”
It would be fine if there were only their own disciples in the palace. Ninety-nine percent of the disciples of High Heaven Palace were brought over from the Lower Star Field by Yang Kai. There were also disciples from Thousand Leaves Sect and the Qin and Zhang Families of Maplewood City. They were closely related to Yang Kai, so despite the fact that he had gone through demonification, they would never betray him, or do anything to harm High Heaven Palace.
However, High Heaven Palace was now the logistics centre for the entire Star Boundary. Every single day, there were a large number of pills and artifacts produced here and then sent to the frontline. Many Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and assistants from all four territories had gathered together here.
Presently, there were more than twenty-thousand outsiders at the very least.
After Yang Kai shouted, there was no way the fact that he had returned could be concealed. Soon, everyone would find out about it, and he would be in trouble.
While Ye Jing Han was flustered, Yang Kai remained calm and collected. Tilting his head, he said with a smile, “Listen.”
[Listen? To what?] She couldn’t hear anything.
In fact, there were still some noises in High Heaven Palace earlier, but after Yang Kai shouted, the entire palace fell into silence. The next moment, everyone in the palace became agitated.
In a secret room on High Heaven Peak, a woman, who was clad in all-white clothes, opened her alluring eyes that were filled with excitement. Jumping up, she flung open the doors to her room. Before the door even completely opened, she shot out of the room.
Right after she left High Heaven Peak, she bumped into a woman with a curvy figure and fiery red hair. The two ladies stopped in mid-air and traded glances before Zhu Qing asked, “Was that… his voice?”
Her own voice was slightly shaking, as though she couldn’t believe it.
Su Yan nodded gently and flashed a smile at her. She was a lady that was as cold as ice, but at this moment, her smile seemed to have made all the colours of the world fade, leaving only the smile on her face to remain bright, “He’s back.”
Unlike how uncertain Zhu Qing was, Su Yan and Yang Kai had their hearts connected by the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, so as long as they were in close proximity, they could sense one another.
“He’s really back?” A dazed Zhu Qing turned to look at the location of the Space Array. Then, she moved a little in an attempt to rush over, but she suppressed her urge and turned to look at Su Yan, “How do I look?”
Su Yan replied with a smile, “You look lovely.”
Zhu Qing wouldn’t have believed it if the person who said it was Shan Qing Luo; however, since it was Su Yan who told her this, then everything should be fine. After years of getting along with one another, she was now familiar with Su Yan’s temperament. Su Yan was cold on the outside, but passionate on the inside. She was also kind-hearted and trustworthy.
On the other hand, that imp Shan Qing Luo always found fault with Zhu Qing. She still hadn’t learned her lesson after being put in her place several times.
The ladies were on bad terms not because they wanted to fight for the same man. It was just that Shan Qing Luo instinctively felt angered by Zhu Qing. Besides Zhu Qing, she was also displeased with all the other members of the Dragon Clan. It couldn’t be helped as she was the Beguiling Demon Queen, who possessed a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was also a member of the Ancient Divine Spirits, but since the Dragon Clan claimed to be the leaders of all Divine Spirits, it felt like they were basically trying to lord over her.
That was why Shan Qing Luo couldn’t bring herself to be friendly with Zhu Qing. However, there was a huge gap between their strength, so Shan Qing Luo suffered from several setbacks.
Upon getting an affirmative answer from Su Yan, Zhu Qing let out a breath.
Just then, Xue Yue shot out from another Spirit Peak and approached them. Just when she was about to ask, Su Yan gently nodded at her. Xue Yue covered her lips with her hand as her eyes trembled.
Medicine Pill Peak was a Spirit Peak that was the base of the Alchemists in High Heaven Palace, as well as the territory of Ji Ying, Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. Now, all the brightest Alchemists in the Star Boundary had gathered in this place, so it could be said to be the paradise for all Alchemists.
On Medicine Pill Peak, there were more than a thousand Pill Rooms of different sizes. Every single day, countless pills were produced in this place. Presently, the entire peak had been engulfed in the unique aromas of pills. Anyone who went near a radius of ten kilometres around the peak would be able to take a whiff of the scents of the pills.
There was a huge Pill Room at the bottom of Medicine Pill Peak. At this moment, beside a bubbling Alchemy Furnace, the veiled Xia Ning Chang, whose forehead was drenched in sweat, was constantly forming new hand seals. On the other side of the furnace that was ten metres in front of her, Ji Ying sported a solemn expression as he continuously formed hand seals as well. His movements were in sync with those of Xia Ning Chang.
More than a dozen people of different ages and genders were watching from afar. All of them were clad in white clothes with the patterns of flowers and leaves embroidered on the chest area of their clothes. Most of them were Dao Source Grade Alchemists, while there were two Emperor Alchemists.
They were all famous Alchemists who were currently watching as Xia Ning Chang and Ji Ying practised Alchemy. Sometimes they would fall into their own thoughts, and sometimes they would nod gently as though they suddenly realised something. It seemed that they all had learned something from this session.
All of these Alchemists were outstanding and revered in their respective Sects; however, at this moment, the people who were practising Alchemy were the Disciples of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. It was a well-known fact that Ji Ying was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, so he was like a legendary being in the eyes of other Alchemists.
On the other hand, Xia Ning Chang hadn’t been taken in as a Disciple officially, but that was because when Wondrous Pill Great Emperor accepted Ji Ying, he had said that the latter was his last closed-door disciple. The Great Emperor was a man of his word, so he couldn’t simply go back on a declaration he had made. That was why when Ji Ying brought Xia Ning Chang to Medicine Pill Valley in the past, the Great Emperor didn’t take her in as a Disciple even though he treasured a talented person like her. Nevertheless, it was difficult to find such a precious hidden gem, so despite the fact that he didn’t accept her, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t teach her.
Although Xia Ning Chang and Wondrous Pill Great Emperor were not Master and Disciple in name, that was exactly their relationship in reality.
Furthermore, Xia Ning Chang had a Special Constitution. Her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was basically born for Alchemy. Wondrous Pill Great Emperor had even regarded her as more important than his other Disciples. Over the years, he had hidden nothing from her as he taught her everything he knew.
The Alchemists, who came from different Sects and even different Territories, were eager to observe and emulate the way these two performed Alchemy. They were so enthralled they had the urge to throw their own eyes into the furnace to have a proper look. While they were focused on what was going on in front of them though, they suddenly heard someone’s voice in their ears.
The expressions of these fascinated Alchemists changed as they became displeased. It was the biggest taboo to bother an Alchemist when he was performing Alchemy. A Pill Room was important, so it was normally protected by a strong barrier, which also ensured that no unnecessary noises would reach this place unless someone used a Divine Ability to bypass the barrier. The person who could do such a thing was clearly very powerful.
However, someone with such power must be able to see the big picture, so why would he make such a loud noise and bother the Alchemists on Medicine Pill Peak?
Moreover, they had never heard that voice before. Whoever it was, he would be punished later. It would be fine if he had only bothered the ordinary Alchemists; however, the ones who were practising Alchemy here today were the Great Emperor’s Disciples.
Upon hearing this familiar voice, however, Xia Ning Chang’s expression changed as she appeared pleasantly surprised. The emotions in her heart undulated, and the hand seals she performed were no longer as smooth as before. With the lag in her movements, cracking sounds could be heard coming from inside the originally steady Alchemy Furnace.
On the other hand, Ji Ying’s expression changed drastically. In an instant, he lifted his head to look at Xia Ning Chang, and he seemed to be pleading with her with his expression. The pills they were making on this day were no ordinary pills. He had spent the past month getting the ingredients prepared. Furthermore, he had even asked Xia Ning Chang to help him with the refinement. It would take just another hour before the pills were finished, but he had never expected that he would hear ‘that’ person’s voice at this point.
At that instant, he had a premonition in his heart. Xia Ning Chang lifted her eyes and stared at Ji Ying, appearing apologetic.
Ji Ying immediately shouted, “We’ve reached the most critical moment! Little Junior Sister, you mustn’t get distracted. Pull yourself together!”
His yell shocked the more than ten Alchemists around him. It wasn’t the first time they observed Ji Ying perform Alchemy, but whatever pills he made, he would always remain calm and collected no matter what. They had never seen him so anxious before.
The cracking sounds became more intense as the energy fluctuated inside the originally quiet Alchemy Furnace. With each impact, the huge furnace shrunk and expanded repeatedly.
Things were looking terrible as the Alchemists around them gasped. They had practised Alchemy for years, so they had developed keen visions. Certainly, they knew that the furnace was on the verge of exploding.
Only novice Alchemists would cause their furnace to blow up. Any Alchemist who had practised Alchemy for a long time wouldn’t make this kind of basic mistake. It could be said that making the furnace explode was a sign of inexperience.
*Hong long long!*
The Alchemy Furnace shrunk and expanded more and more violently. Ji Ying’s hands flew about the air like butterflies as he was trying to stabilize the furnace. At the same time, he yelled, “Little Junior Sister, calm down! Since he’s back, you’ll see him sooner or later, there’s no need to rush! Love is a marathon, not a sprint!”
So desperate was he to persuade her to keep calm, he almost wanted to fall on his knees and kowtow to her.
However, he only got two words in response. Appearing to be guilty, Xia Ning Chang said, “I’m sorry!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Ying’s face turned ashen. Following that, the huge Alchemy Furnace exploded with a loud boom as the broken pieces and the pill liquid splattered everywhere. Smoke billowed and soon filled the entire Pill Room, turning the place into a smelly mess!
As energy waves fluctuated, all the Alchemists used their Secret Arts to protect themselves. After the crackling sounds and the commotion lasted for a moment, the room slowly fell silent.
A while later, the smoke dispersed as the dozen or so Alchemy Grandmasters looked rather embarrassed. That was because they were all covered in dust. Their originally white clothes had been dyed green by the pill liquid.
These people, who were observing from afar, already looked so terrible, so one could imagine what Ji Ying was like.
In fact, given his Emperor Realm cultivation, he could have protected himself; however, when the furnace blew up, he was so shocked that he fell into a dazed state. At this moment, he was probably the most embarrassed one on the scene. His entire figure had been dyed green as pill liquid streamed down from his face to his chin and then dripped onto the floor.
Ji Ying seemed oblivious to the situation he was in as he remained in a posture of his last hand seal. He was rooted to the spot as though someone had used a Binding Secret Technique on him. His eyes looked hollow, and the corners of his brow kept twitching.
Anyone would feel their chest tightening when they saw the sight. Ji Ying must be utterly devastated. Besides the fact that he had spent a lot of time and effort getting prepared for today’s refinement, it was extremely embarrassing for him to have caused the furnace to explode right in front of so many Alchemists.
No Alchemist would be able to accept it if such an incident happened to them. Moreover, Ji Ying represented Medicine Pill Valley, and he had embarrassed Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.
“Bastard!” An old man took out a broken piece of the furnace from his hair and hurled it to the ground. He appeared to be incensed and displeased, “Who was the one who had the guts to disturb Grandmaster Ji and Grandmaster Xia when they were performing Alchemy? The Impudence!”
He paused for a moment, then he coughed and spoke in a gentler voice, “Grandmaster Ji, you don’t have to mind it. It’s not the fault of the two of you. It’s the fault of the person who shout… Where’s Grandmaster Xia?”
It wasn’t until this moment that they realised that Xia Ning Chang had already disappeared from the place. Turning around, they saw that the door of the Pill Room had opened. It seemed that Xia Ning Chang had already run away from this place.
“Who is that impudent man? We have to find out who he is!”
“En. We’ve been diligently producing pills here to be sent to the frontline to save our fellow Humans; however, not only does that person not help us, but he’s also shouted to disturb us at the most critical moment, causing the Grandmasters to fail in their attempt to make the pills. He deserves death!”
The old man, who spoke earlier, asked, “I don’t recognise that person’s voice. Does anyone know who he is?”
All of them shook their heads.
Just then, Ji Ying said through clenched teeth, “Yang Kai! You bastard! I’ll never let you off!” Then, he roared as his fury seemed to have shot into the sky.
While Medicine Pill Peak was in a mess, Spirit Instrument Peak wasn’t in any better state.
Inside an artifact refining workshop, the Chief Artifact Refiner of High Heaven Palace, Hou Yu, was lying asleep on a couch, oblivious to the people who were moving around her. Even the loud clanging sounds were not able to wake her from her alcohol-induced stupor.
But when that voice entered her ears, she immediately opened her eyes and leapt off the couch before yelling, “Quickly now! No one may slack off! Anyone not working will face Great Aunt’s wrath!”
No one responded to her, as though they hadn’t even heard her. While they were busy with their work, a young man in green clothes came over and said with an anxious expression, “Great Aunt, could you go somewhere else if you want to drink? Please stop bothering us when we’re trying to refine artifacts here!”
The originally well-organised High Heaven Palace became a mess because of Yang Kai’s shout. As lights of different colours emerged from the Spirit Peaks, they all headed to Yang Kai’s location.
In front of the hall where the Space Array was located, Yang Kai was grinning from ear to ear. Ye Jing Han was extremely worried when she was standing beside him, but as she observed his expression, the worry in her heart diminished and she slowly unknitted her brows.
In her heart, she wondered why the Palace Master could laugh in such a jolly way. Furthermore, his laugh seemed to be infectious as she also couldn’t help but start chuckling.
The first person who arrived at this place was the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si. She was accompanied by the Second Manager, Bian Yu Qing.
They were the first to arrive not because their flying speed was the fastest, as they were only First-Order Emperors. In High Heaven Palace, there were people who were in higher realms. The reason behind it was that they were just patrolling nearby earlier.
When Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing saw the familiar figure from afar, they were elated. Upon landing on the ground, they cupped their fists and said, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
With a joyful expression, Yang Kai lifted his hand and replied gently, “Many thanks for helping me to manage the palace when I wasn’t around.”
Hua Qing Si put on an elegant smile, “It is our duty.”
Bian Yu Qing said, “Indeed.”
She stared at Yang Kai with a conflicted gaze and recalled that when they first met, he and Liu Xian Yun had just come to the Star Boundary from a Lower Star Field. They were captured by her subordinate, Kou Wu, and brought back to Blue Feather Sect. Who could have expected that several dozen years later, this man would become the Palace Master of the top Sect in the Northern Territory and become one of the most powerful cultivators in the world?
In the past, she was able to determine his life or death, but now, she had to be protected under his wings. It could even be said that the reason she could reach the Emperor Realm was thanks to him.
As she walked down memory lane, she couldn’t help but recall Kou Wu, who sacrificed himself to protect her. It was outside Spirit Lake Palace in Maplewood City that Kou Wu was killed for shielding her, even having his corpse destroyed, which was a depressing sight.
Following Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing, a five-coloured light was coming from afar. After the light arrived and disappeared, five figures were revealed.
Yang Kai arched his brow and cupped his fists, “Seniors, congratulations on reaching the Emperor Realm!”
The five people were none other than Gui Zu, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, Gu Cang Yun, and Chai Hu. Other than Chai Hu, the other four people came to the Star Boundary with Yang Kai from Heng Luo Star Field. However, after the Starlight Corridor collapsed, they were separated from each other. They only came across one another at a later time.
At that time, there was also Wu Dao, who was the strongest Origin King Master in Heng Luo Star Field. Unfortunately, life was full of uncertainties. When Wu Dao was attempting to break through to the Dao Source Realm, he couldn’t pass the World Energy Baptism and lost his life. After the other four arrived in the Star Boundary, they found it difficult to adapt. Fortunately, they came across Chai Hu, and with his help, they were able to gain a footing in this new world. Later, the four of them decided to become sworn siblings with Chai Hu. Now, there was a Five Saints Peak in High Heaven Palace where they cultivated.
The last time Yang Kai met them, they were still all Dao Source Realm cultivators. But now, they were all in the Emperor Realm, which was wonderful news.
Although it was partly due to the abundant World Energy in the Star Boundary, the main reason was that these five people had outstanding aptitudes to begin with. Gui Zu and the others were undoubtedly the best there was since they were able to leave a small place like a Lower Star Field. Although Chai Hu’s aptitude was weaker, it was still quite remarkable. There were enough resources in High Heaven Palace for them to cultivate. Due to the fact that High Heaven Palace had been sealed off, all of them had to cultivate in seclusion. All five of them were hardworking people, so it wasn’t surprising that they were able to break through into a new Great Realm.
Furthermore, Yang Kai realised that they must have cultivated some kind of incredible Divine Ability together. The five-coloured light earlier was the most conspicuous clue. Presently, although they were only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, their auras were closely connected, as though they had become one.
Any Second-Order Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t be able to deal with them when confronted by them together.
Gui Zu laughed in a somewhat sinister manner and said, “Palace Master, you’re finally back. Are we finally going to get out there and start killing? I’m so bored!”
It had been a difficult time for him as he was a rather hot-blooded man. In fact, in the past, Yang Kai was almost killed by him. When Gui Zu was in the Lower Star Field, with his Origin King Realm cultivation, he could basically walk sideways and have no regard for anyone at all.
After he arrived in the Star Boundary though, he realised that his power was at the bottom of the hierarchy. Forget walking sideways, he had to struggle hard just to earn enough to eat. Only after reuniting with Yang Kai and settling down in High Heaven Palace was he able to live a peaceful life and cultivate in seclusion. Now that he had finally reached the Emperor Realm though, he couldn’t wait to get into a fight and kill.
Chi Yue shot Gui Zu a glare, “What do you mean that you want to start killing? Big Brother, don’t say that!”
She then turned to look at Yang Kai, “Is it alright for you to come back?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Just when he wanted to explain it to her, he saw more people coming over. Those people were not outsiders as they were his Seniors from High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star. Their relationship could be traced back to High Heaven Pavilion in the Great Han Dynasty.
Grand Master Ling Tai Xu, Meng Wu Ya, Martial Ancestor Chu Ling Xiao, several other Martial Uncles and Aunts, Old Demon, Qiu Yi Meng… All of them had arrived.
Yang Kai immediately went over and saluted them. It couldn’t be helped. Even though he was the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, the people in front of him were his Seniors. Hence, he had to show proper respect.
After he was done with the greetings, he was bombarded with all sorts of questions.
These people were the brightest ones with outstanding aptitudes in their own worlds; however, it had only been a short time since they arrived at the Star Boundary, which was why their achievements were not comparable to those of Gui Zu and the others. With that said, most of them were either in the Second-Order or Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Seeing as Yang Kai kept looking around, Meng Wu Ya gave him a knowing look and asked, “Who are you looking for?”
Yang Kai hurriedly replied, “No one. It’s just that I miss everything here since I’ve left for a long time.”
Meng Wu Ya snorted, “You’re looking for your wives, right? You little brat. It’s not that I want to butt in on your affairs, but you should start exercising some restraint! Look how many women you’ve flirted with and how many wives you’ve wed. You already had four wives when you were in Heng Luo Star Field, and after coming to the Star Boundary, you’ve even married one more. However, you can’t take care of them as you’re always running around outside, leaving them all alone. They’re constantly worried about your safety and fear that you might perish out there. Don’t you feel guilty at all?”
Appearing truly guilty, Yang Kai hung his head low as he was lectured, “Senior, you’re right.”
“Then you should change!” Meng Wu Ya appeared genuinely concerned, “Stop flirting with other women!”
Yang Kai felt diffident and wouldn’t know how to reply to him. Fortunately, his Grand Master came to his rescue at this time. Ling Tai Xu said with a smile, “We came across them on our way here. They went to fetch your parents.”
After hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Su Yan and the others were eager to meet him; however, they still went over to the Spirit Peak where Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu resided in an attempt to bring his parents over as well.
Although the cultivation of Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu had also improved since they arrived at the Star Boundary, they were still lagging behind the young talents. Now, they were only in the Origin King Realm, so their flight speed was pretty slow by comparison. Taking that into consideration, Su Yan and the others decided to personally fetch them.
As they spoke, a few figures were already flying over at full speed.
Yang Kai looked up, then his eyes widened. He was surprised rather than elated. Su Yan, Xue Yue, Shan Qing Luo, Xia Ning Chang, as well as Zhu Qing, had arrived.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Zhu Qing was also here. When he was on Dragon Island in the past, he had prepared to bring Zhu Qing back to High Heaven Palace to meet his parents and to familiarise her with his other wives so that they wouldn’t feel so embarrassed when they came into contact with each other in the future.
However, there was a worry in Zhu Qing’s heart at that time, so she didn’t follow him back to High Heaven Palace. He couldn’t have expected that when he returned this time, he would see Zhu Qing and his other wives coming over together. Furthermore, it appeared that they had been getting along well.
He didn’t have the time to think about it as his parents soon landed on the ground though. He immediately went over to greet them.
Before he could speak, however, Dong Su Zhu had already started tearing up as she grabbed his arms and said anxiously, “You rotten brat, why are you back? Even though you decided to come back, you shouldn’t have shouted and informed everyone! Don’t you know that your action might cause you to be killed? Why have I given birth to a fool like you?”
Without giving him a chance to explain himself, she kept scolding him, but he wouldn’t dare to refute her. Just as it was expected for rain to fall from the clouds, a mother would scold her son as she pleased, so there was no reason for him to get mad. Even if Yang Kai became a Great Emperor one day, he would still be reprimanded by his mother, to say nothing of the fact that he was just a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master now.
Yang Ying Feng was standing behind her with a cold expression, and it seemed that he was still angry with what his son had done.
When Yang Kai left the Star Boundary a few years ago, he had already given Su Yan and the others some hints. After word got out that Yang Kai had gone through demonification and betrayed the Star Boundary, High Heaven Palace had to be sealed off immediately. Dong Su Zhu passed out on the spot while Yang Ying Feng had fallen ill because of that. Su Yan and the others kept consoling them and pointed out that this might be a show that Yang Kai had put on; however, without confirmation from the Great Emperors, Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng couldn’t simply believe them.
Over the past few years, they had prayed to the Heavens every single day. They wouldn’t even dare to hope that Yang Kai could clear his name. They just wanted him to stay safe and healthy forever. Dong Su Zhu, who had always looked young, started having some grey hair on her head, which went to show how worried she was.
However, she couldn’t have expected that not only had Yang Kai returned, but he had also shouted out to everyone to announce his presence. She was so exasperated that she almost spat blood.
“Leave now before word gets out. Go!” Dong Su Zhu spoke as he dragged Yang Kai towards the Space Array.
While she was doing that, she still stared fixedly at his face. It was as though by taking one more look at him, she could remember his face forever and imprint it in the deepest part of her mind.
Seeing her in such a state, Yang Kai felt a lump in his throat as he consoled her by saying, “Mother… it’s fine.”
“What do you mean it’s fine? You’re in big trouble!” Dong Su Zhu stomped her foot on the ground. Given her cultivation, she wasn’t able to make Yang Kai move if he was reluctant. After several failed attempts, she became flustered, “You rascal! Are you leaving or not?”
“It’s really fine!” Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter.
Dong Su Zhu’s expression turned cold in an instant as she bellowed, “You’re not leaving, right? If you’re not…” She turned to look at Yang Ying Feng and pointed her slender finger at him, “If you’re not leaving, your father will die right in front of you!”
Yang Ying Feng was startled for a moment before he nodded solemnly. It was as though he was determined to end his life if Yang Kai wouldn’t heed their word and leave this instant.
“I’ve already met the Great Emperors,” Yang Kai gently patted Dong Su Zhu’s shoulders.
Dong Su Zhu was startled for a moment before she became anxious and asked apprehensively, “Which Great Emperors have you met?”
Yang Kai started counting with his fingers, “Senior Iron Blood, Senior Martial Beast, Senior Flower Shadow, and Senior Serene Soul.”
Dong Su Zhu batted her eyes, “Are you lying? Have you really met the four Great Emperors?”
With a helpless smile, Yang Kai replied, “I would never dare to lie to you. I’ve just returned from Seven Mists Sea. If you don’t believe me, I can send you to Seven Mists Sea now so that you can ask them about it. Even if you don’t believe me, you should believe them.”
It was then Dong Su Zhu finally set herself at ease and shot him a glare, “They’re all very busy, so how can we bother them as we please? You’re still so reckless.”
Despite her age, her demeanour was still that of a young girl. Nevertheless, her behaviour didn’t look out of place at all.
Upon finishing her words, she stopped responding to Yang Kai. Then, she placed her hands behind her back and turned around. When she moved past Yang Ying Feng, she took his arm and said, “We’re leaving now. What are you waiting for?”
Yang Ying Feng couldn’t refuse his wife and just let himself be dragged away. He hadn’t even had a chance to speak to his son; however, unlike how worried and flustered they were when they came here, they now looked calm and relaxed.
Since Yang Kai had met the four Great Emperors and safely returned from Seven Mists Sea, it meant that the incident in the past had been resolved. It just showed what Su Yan and the others had been telling them over the years was true, but it wasn’t until this moment that they finally completely believed them.
Besides Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu, that realization had also dawned upon the others present. At that instant, they appeared elated and felt that the dark clouds that had been hovering above their heads finally began to clear. The entire High Heaven Palace seemed to be brighter now.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected that his parents would leave as quickly as they had come as he still had a lot to tell them. However, he soon understood why they did that.
They were trying to leave some personal space for Su Yan and the others; after all, if they were still around, Yang Kai would be too embarrassed to get close to his wives.
After Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng were gone, the others wouldn’t have the nerve to disturb the reunion of Yang Kai and his women. Hence, they came up with all sorts of bad excuses and left the place. They came over because they heard Yang Kai’s voice, and now that they had seen him and learned that he had met the Great Emperors, they knew that they could catch up with him at any point in the future.
In the blink of an eye, all of them were gone as only Su Yan and the others were still standing there, staring at the man with loving gazes.
A few kilometres away, Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu were flying alongside each other at a slow speed. With a scowl, Yang Ying Feng couldn’t suppress his curiosity anymore as he asked in a small voice, “If that rotten brat didn’t leave just now, would you really want me to end my life to threaten him?”
Dong Su Zhu gave him a look, then wrapped her arm around his and asked with a smile, “Would you?”
“I would,” Yang Ying Feng nodded without hesitation. If Yang Kai hadn’t met the Great Emperors, he would have done it.
Dong Su Zhu rested her head on his shoulder, “I wouldn’t have the heart to see you die.”
Yang Ying Feng slightly twisted his shoulder and coughed, “Ahem, we’ve been married for a long time… We should act with more propriety when outside.”
“En…” As Dong Su Zhu spoke, she suddenly saw a group of people flying over. Then, she immediately let go of her husband and carried herself in an elegant manner.
When those people approached, she flashed a smile at them and called out, “Grandmaster Ji.”
The person was Ji Ying, and he was followed by more than a dozen people of different ages and genders. She could recognise that they were the Grandmaster Alchemists from different Sects in the Star Boundary.
“Madam Dong, Sir Yang!” Jing Ying replied to them with a neutral expression. Although his cultivation and status were much higher than those of the couple, they were still Yang Kai’s parents; hence, despite the fact that he was a Great Emperor’s Disciple, he wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful of them.
Dong Su Zhu asked curiously, “Grandmaster Ji, what are you doing here?”
She could see that Ji Ying appeared displeased, and the people behind him were incensed, as though they were going to find fault with someone. Judging from the direction they were heading, it seemed that they were looking for Yang Kai, which was why she felt her chest tightening.
“It’s nothing. I simply heard that Palace Master has returned, so this Ji felt he should see him personally.” Although Ji Ying was mad at Yang Kai, he didn’t think it was appropriate to tell his parents that he was going to settle a score with their son. Furthermore, he wouldn’t want to say something wrong at this point. Upon bidding them farewell, he led the other Alchemists to keep moving forward.
Dong Su Zhu turned around and frowned, but she soon stopped worrying. She knew that Yang Kai must have offended Ji Ying in some way, but the latter wouldn’t harm her son, he would only reprimand him at most.
As expected, she soon heard Ji Ying yelling in exasperation, “Palace Master, we haven’t met for ages, this Ji is so… so happy you have returned!”
Yang Kai was speechless at that as everyone else had just left. Just when he wanted to have a chat with his wives and find out why Zhu Qing was here, Ji Ying came storming over.
It wouldn’t matter if he had come alone, but he had actually brought more than a dozen others with him. Furthermore, Ji Ying was grinding his teeth when he spoke, as though he was eager to skin Yang Kai and drink his blood. It was a total lie that he was ‘happy’.
An apologetic Xia Ning Chang quickly pleaded, “Senior Brother Ji, please don’t get mad at him. It was Junior Sister’s fault, not my Husband’s.”
Ji Ying raised his hand to stop her, “Little Junior Sister, you don’t have to speak up for him. I’ll only settle accounts with him!”
After he finished speaking, another person leapt forward and pointed at Yang Kai as he bellowed, “How dare a Demon like you show your face here?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai didn’t react in any way, but Zhu Qing and the other women shot this person a glare. With a cold gaze, Zhu Qing released her Dragon Pressure, causing the man to instantly turn pale.
The person who spoke was a somewhat famous Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist, but he was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so there was no way he could bear the Ninth-Order Dragon’s Pressure. Of course, Zhu Qing hadn’t fully used her strength; otherwise, this man would have passed out on the spot.
As for Ji Ying, he immediately frowned. Although he was mad at Yang Kai for interrupting his Alchemy session, it wasn’t the first time the latter had done such a thing. It was just that it had more serious implications this time. He was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, so unlike most, he knew that Yang Kai actually had a mission when he went through demonification and defected to the Demon Realm. The Great Emperors had spread rumours and misled everyone to act as a cover, and Ji Ying wasn’t certain the circumstances had changed yet, so when this Dao Source Grade Alchemist spoke, Ji Ying couldn’t explain anything on Yang Kai’s behalf.
Xia Ning Chang turned to look at the person who spoke earlier and declared, “Grandmaster Zhou, that is a misunderstanding. My Husband isn’t a Demon.”
Grandmaster Zhou appeared to be bitter and hateful as he persisted, “He went against the Great Emperors in Tiger Roar City, and it was apparent that he had been demonified as he gave off pure Demon Qi. He then betrayed the Star Boundary and ran away to the Demon Realm. What is he if he’s not a Demon? Grandmaster Xia, you mustn’t be fooled by him. Demons are all insidious and ruthless, it is best if you come back now. Although this Zhou is not powerful, he is willing to sacrifice his life to protect you.”
Upon hearing that, Xia Ning Chang was flustered, “Grandmaster Zhou, please mind your words.”
Su Yan and the others stared at Grandmaster Zhou with even colder gazes while Zhu Qing intensified her Dragon Pressure, causing the Grandmaster, who vowed to protect Xia Ning Chang with his life, to feel all his bones start cracking. With his lips pressed together, he couldn’t say one more word.
Yang Kai batted his eyes at Grandmaster Zhou with a smile, then he turned to look at Ji Ying, “Brother Ji, what happened? Why are you so mad?”
At the mention of this, Ji Ying felt the fury rising up within himself again. Pointing at Yang Kai’s nose, he bellowed, “How do you still have the gall to mention this? Just now, Little Junior Sister and I were refining a furnace of Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills. Everything was going well, and it would take just another hour for the refining to be complete. With Little Junior Sister’s assistance, I was expecting to get at least seven pills, but then… you…” He was unable to keep speaking as he pressed his hand against his chest with a reddened face, appearing both heartbroken and enraged.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly tried to comfort him “Brother Ji, please calm yourself. You mustn’t become too agitated.”
It would be terrible if Ji Ying had an accident because of this. As he spoke, he moved forward in an attempt to help him stabilize his aura.
Certainly, Ji Ying wouldn’t want his help as he slapped his hand away.
Yang Kai smiled awkwardly and turned to look at Xia Ning Chang, “Did it fail?”
Xia Ning Chang hung her head low, “The furnace exploded.”
Hearing this, Ji Ying’s expression turned darker. Yang Kai was an Emperor Alchemist himself, so he understood what it meant for one’s furnace to explode. It was indeed a tragedy, but when he imagined the scene where Ji Ying made the furnace explode, he found it hilarious and had to work hard not to burst out laughing.
It was no wonder why Ji Ying would come all the way here to berate him, he had a good reason to. Since it was indeed his fault, Yang Kai quickly straightened his face and sincerely apologised to him.
Ji Ying lethargically waved his hand as he felt extremely unlucky to have come across someone like Yang Kai, who was also a Grandmaster Alchemist, but he didn’t seem to respect Alchemy at all. Didn’t he know that it was a taboo to disturb Alchemists when they were practising Alchemy? How could he spread his voice even to Medicine Pill Peak?
“This is the last time. If it happens again, this Ji will pack up and return to Medicine Pill Valley!” Ji Ying gritted his teeth and stared at him.
A solemn Yang Kai replied, “This Yang swears to never do it again.”
It was then Ji Ying nodded as he had significantly vented out his anger. The furnace had exploded, and all his efforts had gone to waste. He just wanted to come over here to reprimand Yang Kai to get the fury off his chest.
Certainly, the other Alchemists had to follow him to lend him some moral support; however, no one could have expected that Grandmaster Zhou would rebuke Yang Kai in such a way.
In order to not cause anymore trouble, Ji Ying waved his hand as he was prepared to bring these Alchemists back to Medicine Pill Peak.
Since they were leaving, Zhu Qing and the others wouldn’t make them stay. However, as soon as she retracted her Dragon Pressure, Grandmaster Zhou spoke again. He had learned his lesson after suffering a setback, so he stopped being rude. Instead, he looked solemnly at Yang Kai and said, “Palace Master Yang, although you’ve gone through demonification, you’re fundamentally a Human. Grandmaster Xia is the treasure of the Star Boundary. If you still have any conscience left, please let her go! This Zhou will offer his thanks on behalf of all the people of the Star Boundary!”
Yang Kai blinked a few times before grinning and asking, “Who are you?”
It was ridiculous that someone suddenly walked up to him to make accusations against him and tell him to leave Xia Ning Chang.
Grandmaster Zhou straightened up. Despite his pale face, his back remained straight as he said arrogantly, “This one is Zhou Cheng. Unlike how famous Palace Master Yang is, I am just a small character.”
A Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist couldn’t be said to be a nobody, but it really depended on which person he was compared to. He was indeed less famous when compared to the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, who had ‘betrayed’ the Star Boundary and become a Demon.
Yang Kai snorted, “Since you’re just a small character, how dare you make this kind of accusation against this King?”
Zhou Cheng said grimly, “I wouldn’t dare to. I’m just trying to persuade you.”
Appearing earnest and well-meaning, he continued, “Palace Master Yang, I’m sure you’re aware of the situation you’re in. Since you’ve sided with the Demon Realm, why bother coming back? When you were not around, Grandmaster Xia was calm and collected as she focused on Alchemy. The pills she has refined here have saved countless lives in the Star Boundary; however, the moment you returned, you agitated her heart and caused the destruction of a furnace of Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills. Do you know how many precious herbs are required to make such pills? Palace Master Yang, since you’re unable to provide her with a future and happiness, why don’t you just let her go?”
Yang Kai put on a faint smile, “If I can’t give her a future and happiness, who else can?”
Zhou Cheng took a look at Xia Ning Chang and parted his lips as though he wanted to say something, but he didn’t say a word in the end. Then, he tried to shift the focus by saying, “Palace Master Yang, why insist on making her remain by your side? You can’t even protect yourself now, so why must you drag her down with you as well? Do you want her to follow you around, homeless and abandoned by the world? Even if you don’t take your future into consideration, you should set her free for her sake. Why must you be so selfish?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Xia Ning Chang, “Little Senior Sister, are you willing to follow me?”
Xia Ning Chang nodded without hesitation, her gaze extremely bright, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
“What about the rest of you?” Yang Kai shifted his attention to Su Yan and the others.
Shan Qing Luo put on an alluring smile, “Husband, what nonsense are you talking about? Since we married you, we’ll follow you forever. Don’t even think about getting rid of us.”
Although Su Yan and the others didn’t say a word, they all looked smilingly at him. Even if he had really sided with the Demon Realm, they still wouldn’t hesitate to stand beside him, to say nothing of the fact that they already knew the truth.
Zhou Cheng’s expression darkened when he heard that, but just as he wanted to say something, Yang Kai’s face fell as he shot him a look and waved his hand, “Enough. This King has just returned, so he won’t waste time on someone as insignificant as you. If you dare spout more nonsense, I’ll kill you!”
He grinned wickedly, “Just like what you’ve said, Demons are all vicious and ruthless, it means nothing to me if a small character like you dies.”
Zhou Cheng felt a chill running down his spine as he was confronted by Yang Kai, but unexpectedly, he didn’t back down. Instead, he took a step forward and said, “If my death can make Grandmaster Xia realise who you really are and escape from your claws, this Zhou doesn’t mind losing his life.”
Ji Ying said with a frown, “Zhou Cheng, stop making a fuss here!”
Although he wasn’t fond of Zhou Cheng, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the latter was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist. A lot of pills were needed to support the war effort, so one more Alchemist would mean more pills that could be produced, which could potentially save many lives at the most critical moment.
Zhou Cheng slowly shook his head, “Grandmaster Ji, stop persuading me. I’ve made up my mind.”
He then gazed at Xia Ning Chang, “Grandmaster Xia, I hope that you’ll be set free, and my death will be worth something.”
Xia Ning Chang frowned as she was completely surprised. In the past, Zhou Cheng had frequently asked her about Alchemy-related topics, but she didn’t read too much into it as she just thought that it was just the usual interaction between two Alchemists. It wasn’t until this moment that she realised that something was off. This man seemed to carry other intentions for her.
“If you’re so eager to die, this Old Master can grant your wish.” A snort was suddenly heard. It was Meng Wu Ya who spoke from a nearby spot.
Earlier, everyone had been leaving the square, but when they saw Ji Ying and more than ten Alchemists coming over with fierce expressions on their faces, many had stopped nearby to observe. At this point, Meng Wu Ya could tell what was going on. He had raised Xia Ning Chang from young and regarded her as his own daughter. He was joyful when she eventually got married to Yang Kai as she had been happier that day than he had ever seen her. Now that someone was making a scene here though, there was no way he could hold back his anger.
He was also a Dao Source Realm cultivator now, technically on par with Zhou Cheng; however, Zhou Cheng was an Alchemist, so fighting wasn’t his speciality. If they got into a battle, Meng Wu Ya had the confidence of killing him.
Zhou Cheng shook his head and ignored him as he stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
Just then, Yang Kai knitted his brows together. It wasn’t because of Zhou Cheng, but because he had sensed something unusual. Then, he turned to look in a particular direction and spoke to Su Yan, “Some people are attacking the Sect Defending Array. Who has such courage?”
He could feel some weak energy fluctuations coming from outside, which went to show that the Sect Defending Array had been triggered. He scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense and realised that a few hundred people had gathered outside High Heaven Palace. More than ten of them were using their Secret Techniques to attack the array with the artifacts in their hands.
Su Yan replied, “It happens from time to time. Just ignore them.”
“It’s not the first time?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Zhu Qing explained, “Every once in a while, some fools come to make a fuss…” Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood what had been going on. Because of him, the Great Emperors had ordered High Heaven Palace sealed off and forbidden its disciples from leaving. They had made such a decision because they wanted to protect High Heaven Palace, but outsiders didn’t know the truth, so they thought there really was something wrong with the Sect. Over the past few years, High Heaven Palace’s reputation had taken a severe hit.
It wouldn’t matter if that was all that had happened, but some people had started making a scene using High Heaven Palace as an excuse. Although it had only been a short time since High Heaven Palace was founded, they had destroyed the Seeking Passion Sect and then joined forces with Ice Heart Valley, Fire Dragon Palace, and Full Sky Sect to consolidate and subdue the Sects in the Northern Territory, thus becoming the top Sects in said territory. There were also countless top cultivators in the Sect.
Normally, most Sects could only look up at High Heaven Palace and wouldn’t dare to offend them; however, since High Heaven Palace was sealed off and its defensive array activated, it had given some people a chance to make a move.
After the Two Worlds’ Passage opened, Humans and Demons were thrown into a terrible war that shook the Star Boundary itself and even stirred up its natural World Principles and Energy. Over the past few years, more and more Emperor Realm Masters had been born in the Star Boundary. These newly inaugurated Emperor Realm Masters had the right to found Sects, but they were unable to recruit any disciples as they were not famous. Hence, some decided to launch an attack on High Heaven Palace to earn a name for themselves.
They would either join forces with their fellow cultivators or bring their own disciples to High Heaven Palace. In the name of slaying the Demons, they would act outrageously by cursing and raising Hell. By doing so, they would gain some fame. Whenever such a topic was brought up, they could say that they had gone to High Heaven Palace to kill the Demons, but they had sealed themselves off behind their walls and wouldn’t dare to fight with them head-on.
It wasn’t true that High Heaven Palace wouldn’t dare to confront them, it was just that Yang Kai was in the Demon Realm, and he was still regarded as a traitor, so none wanted to cause any trouble to let others have a chance to slander Yang Kai. Whenever such an incident happened, the Head Manager and Second Manager would issue orders to just ignore them. Such people wouldn’t be able to break the Sect Defending Array no matter how hard they tried, so after making a scene for a while they would simply leave.
Over the past few years, such incidents had happened more than ten times. It just so happened that Yang Kai came across such an incident not long after he returned to the palace.
Upon hearing what Zhu Qing had said, Yang Kai said with a dark expression, “The two Great Worlds are at war, so why are these people making a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace instead of making real contributions in the Western Territory?”
Xue Yue said after a sigh, “There are always some people in this world who shamelessly seek gains for themselves.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Let’s go over and have a look.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and shot towards the Sect’s Main Gate. The ladies traded glances and quickly before racing after him. Meng Wu Ya, Hua Qing Si and the others who were just nearby hurriedly followed them.
Seeing that, Zhou Cheng bellowed, “Palace Master Yang, where are you going? You haven’t made a decision regarding Grandmaster Xia!”
Ji Ying said after a sigh, “Zhou Cheng, stop. Just forget what has happened today. It’s not what you think. Palace Master Yang…”
Zhou Cheng shook his head and cut him off by saying, “Grandmaster Ji, I know you are well-meaning, but please cease your efforts to persuade me. I respect Grandmaster Xia, so I want her to have a good husband. However, Palace Master Yang isn’t the right person for her to stay by his side forever. I cannot bear to see her suffer. Whatever the case, I must make him see reason.”
When he saw that Yang Kai appeared ruthless but didn’t do anything in the end, he became overly confident in himself, so after he finished speaking, he also ran after them.
Ji Ying knitted his brows together as he appeared helpless and frustrated.
An old man ran his fingers through his beard and said, “Grandmaster Ji, are you in a dilemma over something? I believe what Zhou Cheng has said isn’t complete nonsense. Disregarding his ulterior motives, Grandmaster Xia is indeed a treasure of the Star Boundary. Palace Master Yang can’t even protect himself now, so it would be a good thing if she could break relations with him so that she isn’t dragged into this mess.”
Ji Ying shook his head with a helpless smile. There was simply no way for him to explain.
The Main Gate of High Heaven Palace was meticulously arranged by Nanmen Da Jun in the past; after all, they were one of the top Sects in the Star Boundary, so their entrance had to be magnificent to showcase their heritage.
In front of the huge gate hung an inscribed board on which the characters ‘High Heaven Palace’ shone brightly under the sun. Three hundred metres away from the entrance was where the Sect Defending Array stood. Looking from outside the array, one couldn’t see into High Heaven Palace as all there was was a thick, swirling fog.
Nevertheless, people inside the array could clearly see what was going on outside.
When Yang Kai reached the entrance, he saw that a fair-skinned and unbearded middle-aged man was attacking the array with a sword in his hand. The sword was apparently an Emperor Artifact. As he wielded the sword, lightning could be seen flashing across it and the sounds of thunder were continuously heard, so he looked rather imposing.
The beams of lightning struck the array and caused the fog to welter, but the array wasn’t damaged one bit. As an array that had been personally arranged by Nanmen Da Jun, it wouldn’t be able to be damaged by a mere First-Order Emperor Realm Master even if he exhausted himself trying.
There were more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators around the middle-aged man who assisted him; however, there was no coordination between them as they used whatever Secret Techniques and artifacts they had, though their moves were dizzying to the beholder.
After taking just one look, Yang Kai realized that while these people seemed to be going all out, there was no real force or substance behind their attacks. Be it the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master or the more than ten Dao Source cultivators, their moves were flashy, but not powerful at all.
While these moves appeared useless to Yang Kai’s eyes, the hundreds of people in the audience outside were fascinated as their gazes appeared bright.
Not only were the onlookers fascinated, but they were also cheering for those who were striking the Sect Defending Array.
Three hundred metres behind the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master and the more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters, some young people were holding a red flag as it swayed with the wind. On the flag, the name ‘Kai Shan’ had been written in black ink. It wasn’t certain who wrote it, but the person was obviously an expert in calligraphy. The characters were wavy as they looked as imposing as flying Dragons and dancing Phoenixes. The contrast between red and black also made the words look grand and overbearing.
At this moment, as the Sect Master and the Seniors were making a move, the young people, who were holding the flag, cheered for them by shouting, “Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched beneath the Heavens!”
The hundreds of people behind them shouted in unison with fervent expressions on their faces. They seemed determined to make sure that everyone could hear them.
After the Emperor Realm Master brandished his sword for a while more, the people who were holding the flag yelled, “Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out and face death!”
The sword lights became brighter as the Emperor Realm Master wielded his artifact in an increasingly ferocious manner. As the sword waves intertwined with one another, his figure became hardly visible. The Emperor Qi around him surged and turned into violent energy waves.
The people holding the flag yelled, “Kai Shan will be the first to slay the Demons!”
The sword lights converged and became one as the Emperor Realm Master appeared extremely imposing. With a solemn expression, he pointed his sword at the array and bellowed, “Go!”
The sword light shot into the array and disappeared.
The people behind him started cheering again, “Kai Shan! Kai Shan! The third most powerful in the Star Boundary!” At the very least, they knew their place as they didn’t claim to be the best or the second best.
Standing inside the array, Yang Kai was several dozen metres away from them as he looked at the front with an awkward expression.
[What a mess!] The sight before his eyes could only be described as a farce. Then, he turned to look at Hua Qing Si and asked, “Are the people who have asked for trouble over the years always as weak as them?”
The Head Manager coughed and replied, “En, most of them were weak. However, there were some that were actually powerful.”
Although Hua Qing Si was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, she originated from Star Soul Palace after all, which was one of the most powerful and established Sects in the world. The training she had received was much better than these ‘rising stars’.
With the surge of the Star Boundary’s World Energy, a lot of new Emperor Realm Masters had emerged; however, there were always some bad apples among them. The people who intended to make a name for themselves through disparaging High Heaven Palace were normally very weak, so Hua Qing Si wouldn’t waste any time on them.
“You’ve all been very tolerant,” Yang Kai sneered. Despite what he had said, he knew that it wasn’t that those from High Heaven Palace were really tolerant. It was just that they had been in an awkward situation over the past few years. The Great Emperors had ordered them to seal off High Heaven Palace. Since Yang Kai wasn’t around, no one dared to turn off the Sect Defending Array as they pleased. Furthermore, they were worried that Yang Kai’s reputation would be damaged further if they acted ruthlessly, so they just let those people make a fuss.
Outside the array, the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master was in high spirits. He had cultivated for many years, but had been stuck at the peak of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for some time now, and there didn’t seem to be any hope for him to achieve a breakthrough. Seeing as he didn’t have many years left to live, he thought that this was all that he could achieve, and he would never stand a chance to comprehend the abstrusity of the Emperor Realm. Feeling dejected, he stopped caring about everything and engaged in a life of excess and debauchery.
However, he couldn’t have expected that after the Two Worlds’ Great War broke out, a new phenomenon took place in the Star Boundary. Perhaps the Great World sensed it was in danger, which led to it trying to save itself by increasing the density of World Energy. It also allowed the cultivators to cultivate quicker and more easily.
One day, when the middle-aged man was wandering around a flower garden, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind as he started meditating. When he awakened, he realised that he had reached the Emperor Realm seemingly without any reason. At that instant, he was both elated and pleasantly surprised.
He couldn’t believe that he was lucky enough to get such a windfall. Ascending to a new realm was like a rebirth. Upon pulling himself together, he found a serene place and cultivated in seclusion for three years to consolidate his foundation.
When he ventured into the outside world again, he founded his own Sect and named it after himself, Mountain Quarrying Sect!
However, the Great Worlds were at war presently. The Great Emperors had called upon everyone from all four territories in the Star Boundary to join the effort. Therefore, countless fervent cultivators had stepped into the Space Arrays nearest to them and headed to the battlefield in the Western Territory to engage in life-or-death battles with the Demons.
It was good news for the Star Boundary, but it was terrible news for the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master. It couldn’t be helped. Since he had founded a Sect, he wanted to take in as many disciples as possible. In normal times, after an Emperor founded a Sect, even if he was just a First-Order Emperor, an innumerable number of people would apply to be his disciples, and a medium-sized force could be formed in no time.
However, all the powerful cultivators had headed to the Western Territory now, so it was difficult for him to recruit people. Those that were left for him to take in were mostly weaklings. That was the biggest frustration the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master had now.
For this, he had even paid a visit to one of his old friends. His friend was in a similar situation as he was. He had also been stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for a long time, and he had only achieved a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm recently. Nevertheless, after he founded a Sect, he easily took in thousands of disciples. Since then, he had become a Sect Master who could enjoy his life to the fullest. The female disciples he had were all curvy and alluring, which caused others to be envious of him.
After an inquiry, the middle-aged man learned that his old friend had brought his people to condemn High Heaven Palace before. The Sect Defending Array was incredible, so his old friend wasn’t able to harm the palace one bit. Nevertheless, after word got out, countless people came to his Sect to apply to be his disciples.
Despite getting some guidance from his old friend, the middle-aged man was in a dilemma. He was aware of the situation High Heaven Palace was in. If he was confronted by such a humongous Sect, could he really retreat safely?
After some internal struggle, he still couldn’t resist the temptation to get more disciples; hence, he led the hundreds of disciples he had to make a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace.
Then, he realised that just like what his old friend had said, those from High Heaven Palace wouldn’t respond to him, and the Sect Defending Array remained shut. As he listened to the cheering of his disciples from behind, he became high-spirited and thought that High Heaven Palace didn’t live up to its reputation. Following that, he guffawed and leapt into the air. With his hands tightly gripping his sword, he pushed his Emperor Qi as his terrific sword wave slashed at the array. At the same time, he bellowed in an overbearing manner, “Break!”
The sword wave penetrated the array and caused the fog to swirl as it had every other time he had used such methods; however, just then, a rumbling sound was heard as the fog separated to the sides, revealing a path that led into the palace.
The middle-aged man, who just landed on the ground, was astounded as he stared at the path with widened eyes. There was a doubt in his heart. [Why is it broken? How could that be?]
His old friend had told him that the Sect Defending Array of High Heaven Palace was personally arranged by Nanmen Da Jun. It was based on the Spirit Array of Seeking Passion Sect, then Nanmen Da Jun modified it from there.
Nanmen Da Jun was the best Emperor Array Master in the Northern Territory. The only person publicly known to be comparable in terms of arranging Spirit Arrays was Gong Zhen, who was from the Gong Family of Heavenly River Valley in the Southern Territory. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t damage this array one bit, let alone a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
However, the sight in front of him was clear. The array had been broken by his sword wave. He had only yelled earlier to make himself appear more imposing, but he had never expected to really break the array!
The middle-aged man knew full well that he wasn’t capable of achieving this. After a moment of anxiety and bewilderment, he soon understood what was going on. It wasn’t that he had smashed the Sect Defending Array, but that it had opened from the inside! At that instant, his face turned ashen as his forehead was beaded with cold sweat.
Although the reputation of High Heaven Palace had been tarnished in recent years, everyone knew that it was the top Sect in the Northern Territory. They had destroyed Seeking Passion Sect and joined forces with the other three Top Sects to unify the Northern Territory. As long as they gave the order, no one would dare to disobey them. There were countless Emperor Realm Masters within the Sect, so a newly promoted Emperor like him had no right to make a scene here. He was confident that they wouldn’t respond to him, but now that they had opened up the Spirit Array, he wouldn’t even dare to think about how he would end up.
The emotions in his heart undulated as he knew that he was in big trouble; however, the disciples behind him and the more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators were unaware of the situation they were in. They just knew that after the Sect Master vowed to break the Spirit Array, it really split open.
The more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters turned to look at the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master as they appeared pleasantly surprised. They had just joined Mountain Quarrying Sect, so they were not certain about how powerful the middle-aged man truly was. Now, it seemed that his power was inscrutable. Besides them, the hundreds of disciples behind them shared the same thought.
The young people, who were holding the flag, fell into a dazed state for a moment before they shouted, “Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched beneath the Heavens! Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out now and face death! Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched! Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out and die!”
They were shouting at the top of their lungs to boost the morale for their Ancestral Founder. Their cheering, which was music to the ears earlier, now sounded ear-piercing. The middle-aged man had the urge to turn around and stitch up the lips of these fools.
The fog stopped swirling and revealed a several-dozen-metre-long path that led to the entrance of High Heaven Palace soon after. It wasn’t until this moment that the middle-aged man had the chance to have a look at the magnificent gateway. The inscribed ‘High Heaven Palace’ looked so dazzling under the sun that he almost couldn’t open his eyes.
However, he forced himself to widen his eyes as a group of people were standing before him.
At the front, there was a dignified and handsome young man who sported a faint smile on his face as he stared at the middle-aged man with a dispassionate gaze. He wasn’t very tall, but the middle-aged man had the illusion that he was looking down at him from above like a god observing an ant.
At that instant, the middle-aged man couldn’t help but hunch his back. There were some alluring and curvy women standing on the sides of the young man. Despite their different temperaments, they were all rarely seen first-class beauties. However, at this moment, so many of them had gathered in this place as they surrounded the young man like the stars cupping themselves around the moon.
Other than this lead group, there was also a large number of people standing behind them with unfriendly expressions. Some of them exuded the aura of Emperor Realm Masters, and although most of them were just First-Order, which was the same realm as the middle-aged man, their auras were much thicker than that of the latter.
This went to show that they were more powerful than the middle-aged man. At that instant, he realised that he had accidentally poked a hornet’s nest as he felt his heart freeze over.
All their cheering stopped as the disciples from Mountain Quarrying Sect were shocked to see so many people emerging from the array. As the thunderous noises stopped abruptly, it was hard getting used to the sudden silence.
As the hundreds of disciples looked at the front, they were soon attracted by Su Yan and the others. These people who had joined Mountain Quarrying Sect were mostly young and weak, so they had never seen so many beautiful women before. At that instant, all of them were dumbstruck. Some of them had even widened their mouths and fallen into a dazed state. Just then, the Beguiling Demon Queen flashed a charming smile at them, causing them to grunt as their noses started bleeding, all of them cheering in their hearts, [She’s smiling at me!]
Right then, Zhou Cheng arrived at the place and took a look at the disciples from Mountain Quarrying Sect outside the array as he frowned. Ignoring them, he turned to look at Yang Kai and said, “Palace Master Yang, we haven’t come to any conclusion yet. Please tell me your decision.”
“Palace Master Yang?” The middle-aged man was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his skin.
Since he had come to make a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace, he certainly knew who the Palace Master was. In the past, this man had gone against a Great Emperor in Tiger Roar City and escaped alive. After that, he was hunted down by Li Wu Yi. His name was Yang Kai!
The young man had just been addressed as ‘Palace Master Yang’, and his appearance matched that of the descriptions in stories about him. There was no doubt that he was that brave and heroic-looking young man.
At this moment, the middle-aged man still couldn’t believe that the young man before his eyes was the real Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai.
[Hasn’t he gone through demonification and betrayed the Star Boundary? He’s supposed to be in the Demon Realm, so why is he here? Has he returned from the Demon Realm? Wait a moment, after what had happened in the past, how did he have the gall to come back here?]
Right then, one of the young people, who was holding the flag and clearly not thinking straight, bellowed in a righteous manner, “Demon! Go to Hell!”
Not only did he shout, but he also pointed at Yang Kai and the others. At that instant, the hundreds of people started yelling again.
The middle-aged man turned ashen as he trembled uncontrollably. He had the urge to kill all of his disciples. Instead of boosting his morale, they were actually pushing him closer to death.
Despite his uneasiness, he still pretended to be calm as all his disciples were watching him, so he could not embarrass himself. He had arrived at this place to make a name for Mountain Quarrying Sect. If this matter wasn’t handled properly, not only would it become impossible for him to take in any more disciples, but his Sect might also be at risk of falling apart.
“Demon?” Yang Kai shot a look at the hundreds of people and put on a faint smile.
It wasn’t the first time someone called him a Demon today. Just now, the first thing Zhou Cheng said to him was to call him a Demon; however, he hadn’t expected to hear the same thing again from a stranger so soon. It seemed that his reputation in the Star Boundary was truly terrible at the moment.
Nevertheless, he didn’t offer any complaints. When he agreed to the Great Emperors’ request to enter the Demon Realm, he had already expected this outcome; hence, he would never take any accusations against him seriously.
However, the flag among the crowd was too conspicuous. It was a blood-coloured flag with golden black words written on it, so it was difficult to not take note of it.
Although Yang Kai was a thousand metres away from the flag, he still made a grabbing gesture. When he retracted his hand, the flag was already in his hand.
Upon seeing this, the disciples, who were holding the flag, were startled as they thought that the flag in Yang Kai’s hand looked very similar to their own. Then, they lifted their heads and saw that their flag was gone. It was then they realised that their flag had been snatched away.
“Mountain Quarrying Sect?” Yang Kai stared at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man felt that his throat was burning and his mouth was extremely dry. Nevertheless, he still placed his sword behind his back and performed a hand seal with his other hand. His demeanour was that of a senior martial arts expert, “That’s right. My name is Li Kai Shan, and my Sect is Mountain Quarrying Sect. Are you the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace?”
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded gently, “Sect Master Li, have you come all the way here to give me a lesson or something?”
Certainly, Li Kai Shan wouldn’t dare to. At this moment, he just wanted to get as far away from this Sect as possible. Although Yang Kai appeared to be amiable, he still felt a chill running down his spine just standing before him. It was as though there was a sword hanging above his head that would fall upon him at any moment.
After pulling himself together, Li Kai Shan said, “I’ve heard that Palace Master Yang has suffered from cultivation dissonance and become a Demon. High Heaven Palace has also been regarded as an evil Sect, so you’ve become the centre of criticism. That’s why this Li brought his disciples here to slay the Demons and restore peace to the Star Boundary. However, it seems that you still appear to be a righteous Human, so I’m sure there must be a misunderstanding behind the rumours. This Li has acted rashly without first confirming the truth, so I hope that Palace Master Yang will forgive me.”
Yang Kai, however, replied with a smile, “You’re not mistaken, and there’s no misunderstanding. I’ve indeed suffered from cultivation dissonance and have become a Demon.”
Upon hearing that, Li Kai Shan, Su Yan, and the others were startled. The expressions of Meng Wu Ya and the others were transformed by shock as they turned to stare at Yang Kai. After all, Yang Kai looked perfectly normal, and there were no signs that he had suffered from cultivation dissonance.
Those who were struck with cultivation dissonance would normally become mentally confused, unable to recognise friends and family. In the worst case, their cultivations would be destroyed and they would lose their lives. However, Yang Kai looked totally fine, so they thought that he was just spouting nonsense.
Li Kai Shan forced a wry smile, “Palace Master Yang must be joking.”
Yang Kai lowered his head as his hair hung loose on his forehead. Then, he said impassively, “Do I look like I’m joking?”
After he finished speaking, Demon Qi exploded out of his body. In an instant, he was engulfed in a shroud of black Qi as his eyes reflected a horrifying glint. The evil black Qi around his body gave off a nerve-wracking feeling, so it was apparent that it was Demon Qi.
Su Yan and the others were slightly shocked, but they soon set themselves at ease. To them, whether or not Yang Kai had become a Demon made no difference.
On the other hand, Meng Wu Ya and the others appeared worried as they traded glances. Three words sprang into their minds. [Demon Heavenly Dao!]
Meanwhile, Li Kai Shan was shaken to the core as he took a few steps back. With a horrified look, he stared at Yang Kai, who was engulfed in Demon Qi, in disbelief. In his heart, he realized that the rumours were true. Yang Kai had really become a Demon.
People who had gone through demonification could not be reasoned with. He had provoked Yang Kai in the first place, so there was no way he would be forgiven. Hence, when he saw the swirling Demon Qi, he immediately thought about fleeing from this place. However, he was unable to do that as the space around him had suddenly become viscous, as though he had fallen into a mire. The more he struggled, the more restricted he became. He found it hard even to move a finger.
However, the hundreds of disciples perceived the sight before their eyes differently. They thought that their Sect Master remained calm and collected when confronted by a heinous Demon, so they all became energised.
Yang Kai stared at him with his head tilted. Amidst the black Demon Qi, his bloodshot eyes seemed to be flickering like a fire. In a grim voice, he questioned, “You just said that you want to slay the Demons to restore peace to the Star Boundary, right?”
Li Kai Shan’s mouth remained shut. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to reply, but rather that he was unable to do so. The vitality in his chest undulated, and he was worried that he would spray out a mouthful of blood as soon as he opened his mouth.
“If you had such noble determination, you should have gone to the Western Territory, why are you making a scene in front of my Sect?” Yang Kai sneered, “There are countless Demons over there for you to kill. Sect Master Li, it seems that you’ve come to the wrong place.”
After a pause, he went on to say, “This Palace Master has been away for a few years, and with the Great Emperors’ order, High Heaven Palace was sealed off not for fear of outsiders invading, but because we had an important mission to carry out. Have the Great Emperors ever once condemned High Heaven Palace as an evil Sect? On the other hand, trash like you all come to make a fuss in the name of slaying the Demons quite frequently it seems. You’ve slandered High Heaven Palace’s name and reputation. All of you deserve death, and since you’re sick of living, this King will grant your wish!”
After he finished speaking, he suddenly gripped the flag. As a howling sound was heard, the flag turned into a beam of light and shot towards Li Kai Shan.
All of them broke into a commotion as Meng Wu Ya and Chu Ling Xiao called out to Yang Kai to stop.
It was inevitable that the outsiders would misunderstand High Heaven Palace because of Yang Kai’s actions. Although these people, who tried to make a name for themselves by disparaging High Heaven Palace, were despicable, their crime was not severe enough for them to deserve death. If Yang Kai killed him here, he would truly be regarded as a Demon. Once his reputation was ruined, he wouldn’t be able to gain a footing in the Star Boundary anymore.
Nevertheless, Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao and the others were only Dao Source Realm Masters, so they were not capable of stopping him. The only person who could stop him on the scene was Zhu Qing, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.
Watching as the beam of light came at him, Li Kai Shan widened his eyes in disbelief. He had never expected that Yang Kai would directly deal a fatal blow to him, which went to show that the Demons were truly unreasonable. At the most critical moment, he bit his tongue hard and spurted a mouthful of Blood Essence, attempting to retreat.
However, he realised that he was unable to do so. As soon as his Blood Essence spurted out, he felt an immense power coming at him and penetrating his chest. In an instant, he became like a pierced rubber ball, all the energy leaving him through his chest.
Lowering his head, he realised that there was a massive hole in his chest, through which all his organs could be seen clearly. Lifting his head, he parted his lips as he stuttered, “You…”
Right after he said only one word, he fell on his back as his vitality left him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was covered in black Qi as his bloodshot eyes appeared ferocious. Since his Emperor Qi turned into Demon Qi, there had been a subtle influence over his heart and mind. Although his rationality and original personality were protected by the Soul Warming Lotus, ensuring he did not become completely demonified, his temperament had still been affected.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forced himself upon Yu Ru Meng in the past.
It was the same case on this day. Since the Two Worlds’ Great World broke out, countless cultivators had gone to the Western Territory to defend their world, but instead of contributing their strength, some people had decided to scheme against and disparage their own people. Since Li Kai Shan wasn’t willing to go to the Western Territory, it was pointless for him, as an Emperor Realm Master, to remain alive.
Furthermore, Yang Kai was displeased with Zhou Cheng’s appearance and remarks just now. However, Zhou Cheng was just a weak Alchemist, so he thought that as a Master so much stronger than him, he shouldn’t lower himself to deal with him. Nevertheless, Li Kai Shan’s appearance provided Yang Kai a chance to vent his anger. Since Li Kai Shan had come all the way to this place, he should simply remain here forever. By killing him, Yang Kai could prevent any reckless people from coming to High Heaven Palace to ‘slay the Demon’ and slander his Sect.
To Yang Kai, it didn’t matter if he killed Li Kai Shan as he felt extremely refreshed after ending the latter’s life.
Right after Li Kai Shan lost his life, a grating laugh was suddenly heard as Gui Zu made a move. Earlier, he had asked Yang Kai when they would have a chance to venture out and start killing. At this moment, the chance was right before his eyes.
Then, a banner flew over and coiled around the more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators, after which all of them disappeared.