The banner seemed to have turned into a living creature as it writhed about in the air. After spitting out more than ten withered corpses, it returned to Gui Zu.
In just a short moment, all the Dao Source Realm Masters had their Souls taken away by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and all the essence in their bodies had been sucked dry. Gui Zu’s moves were more horrifying and shocking to the eyes than those of Yang Kai.
In the blink of an eye, the Sect Master and the more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters from Mountain Quarrying Sect had all been killed.
At that instant, the hundreds of remaining disciples felt every part of their bodies turning cold as they stared ahead with a horrified look. They were all very weak, and before they even understood what was going on, their Sect Master and Seniors had become corpses. It was then they realised that the reason Li Kai Shan was able to stand tall before those from High Heaven Palace without responding to their threats was that he simply couldn’t move. Once the other party made a move, their Ancestral Founder was killed as easily as a mosquito. Faced with such a tragedy, some of the female disciples were so shocked that they started tearing up. Since the Ancestral Founder had lost his life, there was no way they could survive.
“Why are you not running away? Do all of you want to die here too?” Ling Tai Xu bellowed at those people.
It was then they came to their senses. After someone shrieked and turned around to leave, others followed him as hundreds of people scurried for their lives. Some of them were so terrified that their legs had turned to jelly as they fell to the ground. However, they soon got to their feet and kept running forward in embarrassment.
In just over ten breaths’ time, everyone was gone. Ling Tai Xu and Chu Ling Xiao traded glances and heaved a sigh of relief.
They were worried that Yang Kai would be ruthless and force all the disciples of Mountain Quarrying Sect to stay behind forever. If that happened, they wouldn’t have known what to do. It didn’t matter that Li Kai Shan and the Dao Source Realm Masters, who were attacking the Sect Defending Array in High Heaven Palace, were killed; after all, the Sect Defending Array of any Sect shouldn’t be attacked in the first place. By doing so, it was like provoking the entire Sect, so such presumptuous people only had themselves to blame for getting killed.
However, the hundreds of others were still young and inexperienced. They had just followed orders to come to this place with their Sect Master. Perhaps they didn’t even know what consequences their actions would bring.
Seeing as Yang Kai didn’t stop the rest from fleeing, they were finally able to be at ease.
Then, Yang Kai withdrew his Demon Qi. By just looking at his calm expression now, it was hard to imagine how wicked he looked earlier.
“As of this moment, High Heaven Palace’s gates will reopen,” Yang Kai ordered dispassionately.
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing turned solemn before replying in an excited manner, “Yes, Palace Master!”
They couldn’t help but be excited because over the years, their bad reputation as an evil Sect and the Great Emperors’ orders to seal off High Heaven Palace had pressed down on them like two huge mountains, making it difficult for them to even breathe. The disciples might not have any profound feelings on the matter as most of them came from the Star Field, so they were currently quite weak and most were focused on cultivating in seclusion. However, the managers of High Heaven Palace worried every day. They couldn’t be at ease since the Sect’s reputation was at stake.
By reopening the Sect, they were finally able to clear away the fog and go out into the world to prove to everyone that they were innocent.
“Sister Hua,” Yang Kai called out.
Hua Qing Si quickly stepped forward, “Yes.”
“Over the years, what other Sects insulted us like what the Mountain Quarrying Sect just did? Do you remember?” Yang Kai turned to look at her.
Hua Qing Si took a look at him and put on a helpless expression as she knew what he was up to. Nevertheless, she still nodded and replied, “I remember all of them.”
She knew Yang Kai fairly well, which was why she had memorised all the Sects that had come over to make a scene over the years so that she could give Yang Kai a list when he asked about it.
Yang Kai grinned, “That’s great. Sister Hua, please take a group of people to those Sects and send all the cultivators who are in the Origin King Realm and above to the battlefield in the Western Territory. I’m worried that a major event will happen on the battleground soon, so we need more people there.”
Hua Qing Si nodded her head, “En.”
Meng Wu Ya pressed his lips together as he felt somewhat troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Palace Master, will there be any problem if we do that?”
It was justifiable to kill those who had provoked them earlier, but it was unreasonable to force those people to get involved in the battle in the Western Territory. Over the years, the Great Emperors had only enlisted people who were willing to join the war voluntarily. They had never forced anyone to participate in the Two Worlds’ Great War. Hence, Yang Kai’s action was somewhat overbearing.
“What problem will there be?” Yang Kai chuckled, “If they want to make a name for their Sects, the best way to do so is by making contributions on the battlefield. I’m just trying to grant their wish by sending them over.”
All of them were speechless at his reply. The battlefield was indeed a good place to make contributions and make a name for themselves, but the prerequisite was that they had to survive. In the past few years, even some of the Half-Saints from the Demon Realm and Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary had lost their lives, so no one could guarantee that they could remain safe in this war.
However, those people, who had been doing nothing but living a lavish lifestyle, were not worth any pity either.
Just then, Yang Kai grunted in surprise and turned to look at High Heaven Palace. The others had no idea what had happened, so they also followed his gaze.
A moment later, a beam of light shot out from the Sect and landed on the ground, which then revealed an arrogant-looking young man with a dispassionate expression. After he revealed himself, he ignored the others and only set his sights on Yang Kai.
At that instant, all of them stared vigilantly at the young man as though they were facing a formidable enemy. It couldn’t be helped, as this young man showed very clear hostility towards Yang Kai. It was as though he had come across someone he was extremely resentful of.
The young man was only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm, but his aura was even stronger than that of an ordinary Third-Order Emperor, which caused the others to wonder where this rising star was from as the way he carried himself was truly unordinary.
“Brother Yao.” Ji Ying of course could recognise him at first glance.
The young man was extremely haughty as he lifted his head and looked down at the others; however, he was still respectful of Ji Ying as he cupped his fists and replied, “Grandmaster Ji.”
“Brother Yao, why are you here?” Ji Ying asked curiously.
“I’m looking for him!” The young man pointed at Yang Kai as his expression turned cold again.
Yang Kai put on a smile and asked, “What’s wrong, Brother Yao?”
Although the others had never met this young man before, judging from what Ji Ying and Yang Kai had said, they could figure out his identity; after all, the surname Yao was indeed very rare. Perhaps there was only one Yao Family in the entire Star Boundary worthy of fame.
This young man was none other than the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor, Yao Si! Yao Jun had one son and one daughter, so he had the highest number of children among the Great Emperors. The other Great Emperors either had no children or only had one. Moreover, all their children were women, and only Yao Jun had a son.
At that moment, they finally understood why this young man had such an impressive air. That was because he was the son of a Great Emperor.
Yang Kai wasn’t close to Yao Si as they had only met a few times before. They met each other for the first time in the Shattered Star Sea, after which they didn’t come into contact with one another more than a handful of times.
Though, in a sense, it could be said that Yang Kai was closer to Yao Si’s sister, Yao Lin. Her attitude was that of a typical spoiled Young Lady, and she had suffered some setbacks when dealing with Yang Kai before. Previously, when she, Lan Xun, and Gao Zhan were captured, it was Yang Kai who had gone out to save them. It was during the same incident that Yu Ru Meng pretended to be Li Shi Qing and planted her Heart Seal in Yang Kai, which signalled the beginning of the Two Worlds’ Great War.
Since they were not close to each other, Yang Kai had no idea why Yao Si was looking for him. Nevertheless, he didn’t feel pressured at all. One of his women was a Demon Saint, so he didn’t think the mere son of a Great Emperor was worthy of note.
“I am here to deliver the Great Emperors’ order. Yang Kai, prepare to accept it now!” Yao Si suddenly lifted his hand and a jade plate appeared in his grip which shone brightly under the sun, exuding the Great Emperors’ aura, which caused everyone to be unable to look at it directly.
All present had their expressions change. Yang Kai had just killed an Emperor Realm Master who had come over to make a fuss and revealed his Demon Qi. He had also ordered the reopening of High Heaven Palace; however, the Great Emperors had sent orders so soon, which caused them to become anxious. They wondered if word had gotten out, which was why the Great Emperors had decided to deal with Yang Kai.
The other matters weren’t of much consequence. The main problem was that it was hard for Yang Kai to explain the Demon Qi within his body. The sight of his figure engulfed in Demon Qi was too similar to that of those from the Demon Heavenly Dao, who were a vile group of people everyone in the Star Boundary hated to the bones.
The only person who seemed to be taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune was Zhou Cheng, whose face was originally pale. Earlier, when Yang Kai reprimanded him but didn’t do anything to him in the end, he thought that Yang Kai actually felt diffident, which was why he had raced after him to press the issue of Xia Ning Chang. Seeing Yang Kai release his Demon Qi and directly kill an Emperor Realm Master, however, he then realised that Yang Kai was a ruthless character, not nearly as laid-back as he had presumed. When Li Kai Shan was killed, Zhou Cheng was astounded and thought that he had just escaped from death’s door without knowing it.
Yang Kai was stone-hearted enough to kill someone who was there to simply make a scene, so what needed to be said about Zhou Cheng who was clearly coveting his woman?
Initially, Zhou Cheng decided to stop pursuing this matter. He would apologise to Yang Kai at a later time and resolve the grudges between them; however, he didn’t expect that things would have taken a new turn as the Great Emperors’ order had arrived.
It was said that what goes around comes around, and it was now time for Yang Kai to repent for his misdeeds. At that instant, Zhou Cheng was elated as he thought that Yang Kai was doomed.
No matter how powerful Yang Kai was, his life wouldn’t be spared if the Great Emperors wanted to deal with him.
With the jade plate in Yao Si’s hand, all bowed their heads low and waited for the order to be announced, including Yang Kai.
Yao Si curved his lips into a sneer. Initially, he wasn’t the one who was responsible for making this announcement; after all, anyone could have done it, so a Great Emperor’s son didn’t have to personally come. However, he had decided to take on the task because he wanted to see Yang Kai showing respect to him. Although Yang Kai’s respect was directed at the Great Emperors, not him, he still hung his head.
When all of them were prepared, Yao Si said, “This is the Great Emperors’ order. The Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, has ventured into the Demon Realm to obtain vital information on the enemy at great risk to his own life and reputation, rendering the highest of services to the Star Boundary. From today onwards, High Heaven Palace will no longer be sealed and its members no longer subjected to restriction.”
Yao Si’s voice wasn’t loud, but he had infused it with his Emperor Qi to make sure that everyone in High Heaven Palace could hear him.
After a moment of silence, everyone in High Heaven Palace broke into a commotion.
The people around Yang Kai were pleasantly surprised.
When Yang Kai said that he had met the Great Emperors, they didn’t doubt him. Since he was able to return safely after meeting the Great Emperors, it meant that he had cleared his name, and he was no longer regarded as a traitor.
However, no one could have expected that the Great Emperors would issue an order to clear things up for Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace.
Certainly, those from High Heaven Palace wouldn’t doubt what Yang Kai had said, but outsiders might not believe him. After all, Yang Kai couldn’t provide any evidence. Nevertheless, since the Great Emperors had issued a proclamation, his name has finally been cleared.
Instead of being a traitor of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai had actually made a huge contribution by venturing into the Demon Realm to gather information on the enemy!
Since the Great Emperors had said so, no one would dare to doubt anything. The Palace Master had turned from a traitor to an undercover agent who had made significant contributions to the Star Boundary, and the Sect could finally get rid of the accusation that it was an evil Sect. The change took place so quickly that all the disciples of High Heaven Place felt the emotions in their hearts undulating. All of them were cheering as they were proud to have a Palace Master like him, and their years of forbearance finally paid off.
However, there was more to come.
Yao Si went on to say, “The Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, will be appointed to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He is charged with recruiting soldiers for the Sixty-First Army and preparing all necessary resources on his own. If there are any objections, he can head to Seven Mists Sea and report them to Supreme Commander Li!”
Yang Kai stared at Yao Si and blinked, thinking that he had heard wrong. Besides him, the others were also dumbfounded as they gasped and held their breaths.
There were presently fifty four armies in the Star Boundary that were named in accordance with the Heavenly Stem and Earth Branch philosophy. The new Sixty-First Army was supposed to be the Fifty-Fifth army. When Yang Kai was escorting Fan Xin and the others some time ago, he had asked her about it, so he knew what had been going on with these armies.
As far as he knew, there were fifty four armies in the Star Boundary, with the last one being the Fifty-Fourth Army, so the next one was supposed to be the Fifty-Fifth Army, followed by Fifty-Sixth Army, Fifty-Seventh Army, Fifty-Eighth Army, Fifty-Ninth Army, Sixtieth Army, and then Sixty-First Army.
Certainly, it was alright that the Great Emperors wanted Yang Kai to build a new army, but they had skipped six groups and appointed him to be the commander of the Sixty-First Army, which was no ordinary number.
Of all the fifty four armies, those that bore the title ‘First’ were all led by Pseudo-Great Emperors. That was because the ‘First’ was the beginning of the Earthly Branch. All the Army Commanders of such groups worked directly under Li Wu Yi, and they had to supervise the other groups that fell under the Heavenly Stem.
In other words, the Army Commanders whose groups bore the number ‘First’ were the supervisors of those Army Commanders whose groups fell under the Heavenly Stem. Therefore, if there were Sixty-Second Army, Sixty-Third Army, Sixty-Fourth Army and so on, Yang Kai could supervise those Army Commanders. As long as the interests of the Star Boundary were not harmed, the Army Commanders of those groups had to unconditionally obey Yang Kai.
Hence, all the groups with the ‘First’ title were led by powerful Pseudo-Great Emperors, because Third-Order Emperors did not have the necessary prestige to make others of equal strength obey them.
Of all the fifty four armies in the Star Boundary presently, there were only five groups with the ‘First’ title. These five Army Commanders were the strongest Pseudo-Great Emperors, including Li Wu Yi and Yang Yan.
That was the reason Yang Kai and the others were shocked.
The Great Emperors had given compensation to Yang Kai by issuing an order to clear the name for his Sect and him, but this appointment went to show how much they valued him.
While Yang Kai was stunned, he also wondered why the Great Emperors wanted him to build an army. When he was in Seven Mists Sea, he had told them that he was going to attend to some matters, so he basically had no time to build an army. Furthermore, Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian were already in the Star Boundary, and they had countless top cultivators who worked for them. The Two Worlds’ Passage had been sealed off by Yang Kai, which cut off support for the Demons, while the armies in the Star Boundary were ready to strike. Considering all that, it was just a matter of time before the Demons were subdued, so what was the point of creating another army?
Nevertheless, the Great Emperors must have a reason for making this decision. Although Yang Kai didn’t understand it, he could only suppress his doubt for the time being. When he was free, he would visit Li Wu Yi and ask him about it. He could also have a talk with Zhan Wu Hen as they had matching Space Beacons, so they could communicate with each other easily.
“Yang Kai, why are you not accepting the order yet?” Yao Si bellowed with a disdainful expression. He was pleased that Yang Kai was showing respect to him, but he hated the fact that the latter had obtained such benefits.
“High Heaven Palace’s Yang Kai, accepts the Great Emperor’s order!” Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only shout and respectfully walk over to take the jade plate. Following that, the jade plate shone and contorted before it turned into an imposing-looking Command Token, on which ‘Sixty-First’ was engraved.
This was supposed to be the token of an Army Commander. Not only was it a symbol of status, but it also contained a sealed Divine Ability of a Great Emperor. It wasn’t certain how powerful this ability was, but there was no doubt that no Half-Saints or Pseudo-Great Emperors would be able to counter it. It could be said that this was a safety charm that could save the owner’s life at a critical moment.
All the Army Commanders were important figures. If one of them lost their life on the battlefield, their army would fall apart. Hence, the Great Emperors had personally forged these tokens and infused different Divine Abilities into them.
The Great Emperors and the Demon Saints had come to an agreement that they wouldn’t appear on the battlefield, but this kind of thing wasn’t part of the agreement.
“Palace Master, congratulations on becoming the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. From now on, all Demons will tremble wherever the Sixty-First Army goes,” Hua Qing Si said with a smile.
After that, everyone around them started congratulating him as well. At that moment, Zhou Cheng’s face turned pale as there was no punishment or inquisition against Yang Kai as he had anticipated.
Not only had the Great Emperors ordered the reopening of High Heaven Palace and cleared Yang Kai and his Sect’s name, they had also appointed him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He had basically earned the highest honour.
The Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley in the Northern Territory, Bing Yun, was a Pseudo-Great Emperor, but she was only the Army Commander of the Thirty-Fifth Army. Although both of them were Army Commanders, the Thirty-Fifth Army’s status was undoubtedly lower than that of the Sixty-First Army.
At this moment, Zhou Cheng was so anxious and embarrassed that he couldn’t wait to dig a hole in the ground and bury himself in it. The corpses of Li Kai Shan and the Dao Source Realm Masters were still lying nearby, and Zhou Cheng couldn’t help worrying that he would be joining them soon.
Taking a glance over at Yang Kai, however, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. That was because Yang Kai wasn’t paying him any attention at all. He was speaking to someone beside him with a smile. Zhou Cheng realised that his ears were buzzing and his head was heavy. Despite the close distance, he couldn’t clearly hear what Yang Kai was saying.
“Palace Master, why don’t we just enlist the people from those Sects into the Sixty-First Army? If they become your subordinates, you can educate and discipline them however you want.” Hua Qing Si suggested with a smile.
Just now, Yang Kai had told her to bring some people to storm into the Sects of those who had provoked High Heaven Palace before and send all those at or above the Origin King Realm to the Western Territory. However, she hadn’t expected to hear such an announcement. If they wanted to build the Sixty-First Army, they needed a lot of manpower. Regardless of the temperament of those people, there were still Dao Source Realm Masters and even had Emperor Realm Masters among them; thus, it would be beneficial to take them into the Sixty-First Army.
Yang Kai lifted his hand and replied, “I’m just giving them a second chance by sending them to the Western Territory, what is this talk of education and discipling? The population of the Star Boundary is much smaller than that of the Demon Realm. Since the two Great Worlds are at war, anyone who can go to the battlefield is valuable.” He paused for a moment, “However, if they work under me, I can try to protect them so that they won’t lose their lives so soon on the battlefield. En, just tell them to join the Sixty-First Army.”
Hua Qing Si nodded gently, “Yes!”
She curved her lips into a smile and tried to suppress her laughter.
Then, Yang Kai turned to look at Yao Si and said with a smile, “Brother Yao, many thanks for coming all this way. Since you’re here, why don’t you come in and have a chat with me?”
A dispassionate Yao Si looked up at the sky and replied calmly, “There’s no need for that. Besides announcing the Great Emperors’ order, I have a request for you.”
In a good mood, Yang Kai nodded with a laugh, “Brother Yao, please speak freely. I won’t reject you if I’m able to do it.”
He didn’t really mean what he said of course. Although Yao Si was a Great Emperor’s Son, they couldn’t even be regarded as friends, so certainly Yang Kai wouldn’t really fulfil his request. Moreover, Yao Si was a haughty man, so his request would undoubtedly be an awkward one.
Without beating around the bush, Yao Si lowered his gaze and said, “Fight with me!”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was startled for a moment. Although he had speculated that Yao Si’s request would be difficult, he hadn’t expected that this was what the latter wanted. He couldn’t help but size him up and thought that the latter must be out of his mind, as there were no grudges between them.
Yao Si went on to say, “I only have one sister, and I treasure her.”
Despite his brief explanation, Yang Kai understood what he meant.
It seemed that Yao Si was determined to take revenge for his little sister. When Yang Kai and Yao Lin came across each other for the first time outside the Ancient Wild Lands, she had suffered a big setback. At that time, Yang Kai almost killed her, and if it wasn’t because Serene Soul Great Emperor had used Soul Descend, she would have lost her life.
Although he didn’t manage to kill her, Yang Kai had indeed directed murderous intent at her.
Looking at it from a different perspective, if someone had directed murderous intent against Yang Xue, whether or not that person had taken action, Yang Kai would never let him off. After all, Yang Kai had only one little sister, one who was still quite young.
Hence, he could understand what was on Yao Si’s mind. After a nod, he said, “You don’t have to thank me. I just happened to save your sister, it was the least I could do.”
Yao Si stared coldly at him as the muscles on his face twitched,
A smiling Yang Kai asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Stop feigning ignorance!” Yao Si was born aloof, and he wasn’t good at expressing himself. Furthermore, what Yang Kai had said was an irrefutable truth. In that case, he decided to directly make a move. After he finished speaking, he leaped into the air and did a somersault. As he fell, he attempted to land a fist on Yang Kai.
The power of his fist seemed able to make the world turn pale; after all, he was a Great Emperor’s son, so although his cultivation wasn’t that high, his strength was far above average for his realm. Most of the people at the scene grunted as though the fist was directed at themselves instead of Yang Kai. They secretly asked themselves whether they would be able to parry the attack if it was aimed at them.
Most of them wouldn’t be able to counter it, and all they could do was wait for death.
An unfazed Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and looked up at Yao Si.
Right then, Zhu Qing’s red hair flapped in the air as she shot forward and countered him with a fist.
The sound of something breaking through the air was heard as Yao Si, who was still ten metres away, grunted and flew backwards until he disappeared.
Yang Kai pressed his hand against the pillar of a pergola and looked into the distance. Feeling sorry for Yao Si, he said, “Why did he even bother to challenge me?”
Zhu Qing was a Ninth-Order Dragon who was born with immense power, so even a Half-Saint might not be a match for her, let alone Yao Si, who was only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. She didn’t use her full strength just now of course as she had only sent him flying backwards. After all, he was a Great Emperor’s son, so if he was injured or even killed, they would have a hard time explaining themselves to Serene Soul Great Emperor.
Soon, Yao Si was seen coming back at full speed. With a dark expression, he bellowed, “You are the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace who is famous across the Star Boundary, so how could you allow a woman to protect you? Do you not have the courage to fight me? If that’s the case, I am deeply disappointed in you.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You’re no match for me, so what’s the point of bullying you?”
Yao Si refuted, “How are you so sure I’m no match for you when we have never fought? Don’t think you’re more powerful than I am just because you’re a Minor Realm above me. I am Yao Si, I am different from those nobodies you’ve come across.”
Yang Kai shot him a look with a weird expression, “Are you really that eager to fight? In that case, you should go to the Western Territory, you can fight there however much you want.”
Yao Si snorted, “Since the Two Worlds’ Great War broke out, I have been on the front lines battling against our enemies, and more than five High-Rank Demon Kings have been killed by me.” He put on an arrogant expression. A High-Rank Demon King was equivalent to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Since he was able to kill a High-Rank Demon King, logically he would be able to do the same to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
After that, he yelled, “I’ll ask you one more time. Will you fight with me?”
Yang Kai replied after a sigh, “What’s the point of fighting when there are no benefits?”
“You want benefits?” A glint flashed across Yao Si’s eyes as he sneered, “Alright, I’ll give you a benefit. If I lose today, my life will belong to you.”
Yang Kai stared flatly and replied, “What would I need your life for?”
Ignoring him, Yao Si went on to say, “If you lose, I don’t want your life, but you have to give up the position of the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army!” Upon finishing his words, he grinned meaningfully.
Yang Kai’s expression appeared awkward, “You want to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army? Fine, I’ll just tell the Great Emperors about it and ask them to change their order.”
Although the Great Emperors valued him and wanted to compensate for his losses by appointing him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, Yang Kai really wasn’t interested. He still had a lot of matters to attend to, so he didn’t have the time to build an army. Even if he managed to do so, he had to lead the army to destroy the enemy and invade their territories, which would be difficult tasks for him.
He would rather work under other more powerful people and just follow orders than be responsible for the lives of millions of soldiers. The position of Army Commander might sound glorious, but every order he gave would affect the life or death of countless people.
Yao Si snorted, “If I want anything, I’ll earn it for myself. I don’t need you to speak on my behalf.”
Yang Kai replied with a frown, “So what if you’re able to defeat me? Are you sure you can persuade the Great Emperors to let you take on this position?” It would be ridiculous if the Great Emperors’ order could be changed so easily.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Yao Si said dispassionately.
Yang Kai scowled and recalled what Yao Si had said earlier, then he realised that this was the latter’s true intention for coming to High Heaven Palace.
It was indeed the truth. Yao Si took up this task and came all the way to High Heaven Palace for two reasons. Firstly, he really did want to take revenge for his sister, Yao Lin. Secondly, he wanted the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army for himself.
It wasn’t that he was blinded by greed, but due to his origins, he wanted to fight for a chance to become the Army Commander of this particular army.
Most of the ten Great Emperors in the Star Boundary didn’t have children, and for those who did, they all had daughters. Only Serene Soul Great Emperor Yao Jun had a son and a daughter. In other words, Yao Si could be said to be the leader among the younger generation of the Star Boundary.
As a Great Emperor’s son, he had been doing quite well. Although he hadn’t cultivated for a long time, he had already reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm, and given enough time, even if he couldn’t reach the same heights as Serene Soul Great Emperor, he could become a Pseudo-Great Emperor. If the opportunity fell upon him, he might even be able to comprehend the Heavenly Way and become a Great Emperor.
So far, all the Army Commanders of the fifty-four armies were Third-Order Emperors from the older generation. The younger generation didn’t have the chance to hold any of these high positions yet. Firstly, their cultivation wasn’t good enough. Secondly, they were less experienced. The position of Army Commander was important, so no one would comfortably entrust a young person with this position.
Yao Si wanted to be the first, and he must be the first not for himself but for Serene Soul Palace and his father, Serene Soul Great Emperor!
He had been battling against the Demons on the battlefield to train himself and accumulate contributions. As a result, he had been promoted several times, and he was now a Deputy Army Commander, which was just one step away from his goal.
He didn’t even need another year to achieve his objective. It would just take him half a year before he would have the right to become an Army Commander. By then, he would have a chance to prove his worth to everyone in the Star Boundary. He would show them that his power did not come from his background, but rather from his own hard work.
However, he hadn’t expected that just when his wish was about to come true, Yang Kai would return and become an Army Commander before he could.
It wouldn’t matter if Yang Kai was going to become any other Army Commander, the crux of the matter was that he was going to lead the Sixty-First Army, which was the beginning of the Earthly Branch.
It wasn’t easy to build an army. First of all, one had to recruit enough people. Although there were still many cultivators that hadn’t been enlisted, it was hard for them to create more armies. Even if Yao Si was able to become the Army Commander of the next new group, which was the Fifty-Fifth Army, he would still be less influential than the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army.
There was no room for negotiation unless he could snatch that position from Yang Kai. That was why he had come all the way here to challenge Yang Kai to fight with him, but before he could, he was sent flying by Zhu Qing. That was the reason he was incensed.
After a nod, Yang Kai said, “Does that mean that if you defeat me, the Sixty-First Army will go to you?”
“Enough nonsense! Are you going to fight with me or not?”
“Good good!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly with an elated expression. Remaining on the same spot, he beckoned to Yao Si, “If you insist, this King will grant your wish. Make your move!”
He had decided that as soon as Yao Si made a move, he would quickly admit defeat. To him, the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army wasn’t as important. Moreover, he didn’t have the time to manage an army. If he could pass this burden to Yao Si, he would be more than willing to do so.
Although Yao Si was indeed one realm lower than him, there was no doubt that he was powerful. He had grown up in Serene Soul Palace, and he had been involved in the war for several years, so he was familiar with the situation on the battlefield. Hence, he was more suited to being an Army Commander.
Yao Si narrowed his eyes and realised that Yang Kai intended to give in. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t mind it if he could win the battle without doing anything. It was Yang Kai’s choice not to resist. To Yao Si, he just wanted to defeat Yang Kai, the process wasn’t important. That was because he firmly believed that even if Yang Kai used his full strength, the latter still wouldn’t be a match for him. He was confident in himself because he was Yao Si, the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor.
With that said, he still took a look at Zhu Qing, who was standing beside Yang Kai. He had no regard for other people, but he was wary of this grumpy Fire Dragon.
A smiling Yang Kai said, “Qing’er, please stand aside.”
Zhu Qing shot a glare at Yao Si before backing down without saying a word.
With no more hindrance in front of him, Yao Si hesitated no more and shot forward. As his Emperor Qi undulated, he prepared his Divine Ability. However Yang Kai would deal with him, Yao Si had decided that he would go all out from the start!
Right then, he suddenly sensed someone using their Divine Sense to speak to Yang Kai. He made an effort to take a look over and saw a woman he recognised as the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si.
It wasn’t certain what she had told Yang Kai, but after being startled for a moment, his gaze brightened.
Then, a very dangerous aura enveloped Yao Si. The next moment, a figure abruptly appeared before his eyes, their faces almost coming into contact with one another.
An astounded Yao Si realised that Yang Kai had used a Space Secret Technique and quickly responded with the Divine Ability that he had prepared.
As the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor, he had learned much from his Father since young, and he was an expert in Spiritual Energy. His most powerful methods were actually Soul Secret Techniques. As his Divine Sense rose up like a tidal wave, his very pure Spiritual Energy transformed into nine hundred and ninety-nine miniature swords before they broke through the defence of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense and penetrated his Knowledge Sea.
Anyone else wouldn’t have dared to use such a move in such a situation. That was because this violent move could potentially kill the other party. There was no blood feud between Yang Kai and him, so there was no reason for him to do so; however, since he had decided to use this move, Yao Si was confident about his control. Even though the nine hundred and ninety-nine mini swords had penetrated Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, he could still control them and make sure that the latter’s life wouldn’t be at risk.
Then, he put on a sneer. He knew that Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space, so it would be troublesome if Yang Kai decided to evade his attacks. However, Yang Kai just recklessly appeared right in front of him, so it could be said that he was far too presumptuous.
After the nine hundred and ninety-nine miniature swords entered Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, however, the expression on Yao Si’s face changed drastically. That was because, at that instant, he realised that he had lost contact with his Divine Sense swords. He was so shocked that he fell into a dazed state, and just then, a white lotus suddenly started blooming in front of his eyes.
The world seemed to be filled with this lotus. He had fallen into the stamen of the flower and was unable to escape from it. The petals slowly folded and sealed him inside it. He realised that he wasn’t able to flee no matter how hard he tried. There was nothing he could do as he watched the lotus trapping him.
The world around him was pitch-black now as he couldn’t see anything. Even his senses had been blocked as he was engulfed in a sense of isolation. It seemed that he would be trapped in this sealed world for tens of thousands of years, possibly even forever.
Right then, he felt his eyelids close and his consciousness blur and despite his great strength, he was unable to resist the urge to sleep.
A flabbergasted Yao Si realised that he had fallen into a trap. Both shocked and exasperated, he bit his tongue in an attempt to restore his consciousness by experiencing a sharp pain. Despite the pain he felt though, there was no taste of blood in his mouth. At that instant, he was dumbfounded.
Since he couldn’t taste any blood, it meant that he was not currently a physical being.
[Am I a Soul Avatar now?]
If he hadn’t bitten his tongue, he wouldn’t have realised it.
The son of Serene Soul wasn’t even aware that a Soul Secret Technique had been used on him. When that thought flashed across his mind, he completely lost his composure.
When the Soul Warming Lotus evolved in the past, Yang Kai was suddenly enlightened and obtained a Secret Technique. This Secret Technique was strange and inscrutable, making it difficult for any enemy to guard against it. Paired with Yang Kai’s powerful Soul cultivation, he could easily catch the enemy off guard and gain the upper hand. He called this technique ‘Blossoming Lotus’.
When he used Blossoming Lotus, the budding white flower would penetrate the enemy’s Knowledge Sea and devour their Spiritual Energy, using it to further bloom. Many years had passed, but Yang Kai still used this Soul Secret Techniques frequently. Other than this and the Heaven Severing Slash, Yang Kai did not cultivate many other Soul Secret Techniques.
After all, he wouldn’t want to be the jack of all trades and Master of none. He just needed a few Soul Secret Techniques.
However, after he slept with Yu Ru Meng and saw his Soul cultivation surging, he realised that there had been a transformation in his Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. A new Soul Secret Technique has been developed! The Sealed Lotus!
It was unlike Blossoming Lotus, and it could even be said to be an entirely different Soul Secret Technique.
When he used Blossoming Lotus, the enemy’s vision would be filled with a budding flower. When the flower bloomed, it meant that the enemy’s Spiritual Energy was leaving his body quickly.
However, when Yang Kai used Sealed Lotus, the fully bloomed pure white flower would wrap the enemy’s Soul inside of itself. After the flower petals closed, the enemy’s Soul would be sealed off within the lotus, and its connection with the body would be cut off.
If anybody wanted to survive, move around, or even talk, his Soul and body had to be united. However, Sealed Lotus was able to separate Soul and body. When the connection was cut off, the body was just a living corpse without the ability to think or act. No matter how powerful a person was, he wouldn’t be able to use any strength in such a situation.
It was exactly the situation Yao Si was in currently.
The space around him had been sealed off, and he couldn’t see any light at all. Besides that, he also lost all his senses. Before he nodded off, an idea sprang into his mind, which made him furious. [Deceitful bastard! I actually fell for his trap!]
He couldn’t be blamed for having this kind of thought. When he was about to make a move just now, Yang Kai appeared ready to admit defeat as soon as he pounced on him. Yang Kai also hinted that he was willing to give up the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. However, when Yao Si really made a move, Yang Kai revealed his true colours and played a dirty trick on him.
At that instant, he was completely resentful of Yang Kai.
Before coming to High Heaven Palace, he had looked for his Father, Serene Soul Great Emperor, and asked him about Yang Kai’s appointment as Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He also asked the Great Emperor whether Yang Kai or he was the stronger one.
The Great Emperor didn’t even spare him a look and replied that he was no match.
The unresigned Yao Si took the Great Emperors’ order and headed to High Heaven Palace to challenge Yang Kai to a fight. However, he had never expected that he would end up in such a miserable state.
At this moment, he became even more unwilling. If he had a fair fight with Yang Kai, it was hard to tell who would emerge as the winner; however, he hated the fact that Yang Kai won the battle by using dirty tricks. Despite his resentment though, he had no choice but to fall asleep.
The battle was paved with danger for Yao Si, but it was just a short moment for the onlookers.
When Yao Si shot forward earlier, Yang Kai directly confronted him. After they were about to come to blows, both of them suddenly stood still, silently staring at each other. Since Yao Si was facing the crowd, they could see that the light in his eyes slowly faded away and then became hollow as he was rooted to the spot.
On the other hand, Yang Kai slowly turned around and heaved a sigh before clapping the other person’s shoulder. It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai’s afterimage, which was on his previous spot, faded.
All of them stared at Yang Kai with awkward expressions, Ling Tai Xu asking with a frown, “Is he alright?”
Yao Si’s overbearing demeanour gave the others an unfavourable impression; however, there were no grudges between High Heaven Palace and Yao Si, and he was a Great Emperor’s son, so they really didn’t want to harm him.
“He’s fine. He’s just asleep,” Yang Kai replied.
[He’s asleep?] Everyone traded glances and saw the shock behind each other’s gazes.
Although the battle between Yang Kai and Yao Si lasted only a moment, the fluctuations of Divine Sense that burst out from them could be clearly felt. Thinking back, they realised that it was a battle between their Souls.
In the end, one of them was fine while the other had fallen asleep. The one who was fine was Yang Kai, and Yao Si was the one who had slumbered off.
These people wouldn’t be too surprised if such an incident befell any other Second-Order Emperor Realm Master; however, this person was the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor. Yao Si had received the Great Emperor’s training since birth; he was also the leader among the younger generation!
How powerful must Yang Kai have been to be able to achieve such a feat so quickly and silently? They couldn’t wrap their heads around it, and they wouldn’t even dare to think about it.
Whatever the case, most people at the scene shared the same thought as Yao Si. Earlier, Yang Kai showed the intention of giving up, so why would he flare up at the last moment? They were certain that it had something to do with Hua Qing Si’s secret message to Yang Kai just now; after all, he only became combative after hearing whatever Hua Qing Si said.
They would only find out by asking Hua Qing Si about it at a later time.
“He’ll wake up after a stick of incense. Sister Hua, please take care of him for the time being. When he awakens, please help him realise the situation he’s in. Haha. This is getting interesting,” As Yang Kai spoke, he chuckled and shook his head as though he could barely contain his excitement.
Hua Qing Si pressed her lips together and smiled, “Don’t worry, Palace Master. I’ll make sure he understands everything.”
Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fists at the people around him, “I’ve left for many years, so I have many things to attend to now. I’ll take my leave. Seniors, I’ll visit you at a later date.”
Before the others could say a word, Yang Kai spread his arms like great wings and pulled Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, Xue Yue, and Zhu Qing towards himself. After that, he led them towards High Heaven Palace as though he was herding sheep.
It was apparent that he wasn’t going to attend to work. He was just going to ‘catch up’ with his wives.
Upon seeing this, the Seniors smiled helplessly and shook their heads. Only Meng Wu Ya sported a face so long it was as if someone owed him a few million Source Crystals.
The turn of events happened so quickly that Su Yan and the others were still in a dazed state. When they came to their senses, they immediately realised Yang Kai’s intentions. However, they were now under broad daylight and there were many Seniors around, so all of their faces had reddened. They were slightly reluctant when they were pushed forward by Yang Kai.
After taking a few steps forward, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something as he whirled around and stared at Ji Ying and the others, “Grandmaster Zhou, you wanted me to make a decision just now, right? What kind of decision do you want me to make?”
Zhou Cheng was hiding behind Ji Ying, but it seemed that Yang Kai had no intention of letting him off so easily. Upon hearing that, Zhou Cheng staggered and almost passed out. Fortunately, Ji Ying secretly circulated his Emperor Qi and supported his weight so that he didn’t completely embarrass himself in front of so many people.
Since Yang Kai had directly called out to him, it would be inappropriate if he didn’t respond, so with his head lowered, Zhou Cheng replied anxiously, “This Zhou made impertinent comments. Please forgive me, Palace Master Yang!”
When he saw Yang Kai transform into a ‘Demon’ and kill Li Kai Shan just now, he realised that Yang Kai was no ordinary Emperor Realm Master. He really had the guts to kill, and he wouldn’t care about repercussions.
After that, the Great Emperors issued an order to clear Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace’s name. They had also appointed him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army; hence, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t dare to make a fuss again.
The reason he could make a scene earlier was that Yang Kai was a ‘Demon’. Now that Yang Kai was a hero, his previous accusations were laughable.
Yang Kai shot him a look, and upon seeing that the latter appeared terrified, he said nothing. Then, he pushed his Demon Qi and engulfed his wives before flying towards High Heaven Peak. Inside the black cloud, Xia Ning Chang could be heard exclaiming.
After he left, the crowd slowly began dispersing. Before Meng Wu Ya left though, he snorted at Zhou Cheng and swung his sleeve.
Ji Ying frowned and remained silent for a long time before he sighed, “Zhou Cheng, you should go to Seven Mists Sea. We have enough people in High Heaven Palace at the moment. I’ve heard that Supreme Commander Li needs more manpower.”
Zhou Cheng stared at him and parted his lips in an attempt to say something. Apparently, he was reluctant to go.
He couldn’t be blamed. Although it was considered safe in Seven Mists Sea, it was nowhere near as secure as High Heaven Palace, which was the logistics centre for the entire Star Boundary. He had heard that sometimes the Alchemists in Seven Mists Sea had to follow the armies to the battlefield. In that case, they were at risk of losing their lives.
Before he could say anything, Ji Ying said, “Yang Kai is a petty man who would seek revenge for the slightest grievance he has suffered. Since you’ve offended him, there’s no way he’ll let you off. Now that he’s the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, you’ll only end up being drafted if you remain here. Do you want to follow the Sixty-First Army to battle against the enemy? If you’re willing to do so, you are free to remain.”
Zhou Cheng’s expression changed as he cupped his fists, “This Zhou will heed Grandmaster Ji’s advice.”
It was then Ji Ying bowed his head, “Don’t worry. It’s pretty safe in Seven Mists Sea as well.” After he finished speaking, he led the other Alchemists back towards Medicine Pill Peak. At the same time, a tinge of glee flashed across his eyes. Yang Kai had ruined his Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills, but he couldn’t do anything to him; however, he was free to slander Yang Kai by saying that he was a petty man who would seek revenge for the slightest grievance.
Nevertheless, after the incident on this day, Zhou Cheng really couldn’t stay in High Heaven Palace any longer. Should he remain here, even if Yang Kai didn’t settle accounts with him, Meng Wu Ya wouldn’t let him off. Meng Wu Ya’s attitude before he left said it all.
In just a short moment, only Yao Si, whose Soul and body had been separated by the Sealed Lotus Technique, and the Head Manager and Second Manager of High Heaven Palace were left outside the Main Gate.
Bian Yu Qing couldn’t bear to see the mess outside the mountain, so after she gathered all the corpses together in one place, she brought them to a faraway place and tossed them away.
When she returned, she took a look at Yao Si and asked, “Hasn’t he awakened?”
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “Since the Palace Master has said it’ll take an incense stick for him to awaken, it must be true. He should wake up soon.”
After a nod, Bian Yu Qing looked up at the sky and narrowed her eyes, “The weather is lovely today.”
Hua Qing Si replied, “You’re right. It really is lovely.”
Yang Kai’s return to the palace, the Great Emperors’ order, the reopening of High Heaven Palace, the appointment as Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army… The series of events on this day overwhelmed all of them, but all of it was extremely good news.
It wasn’t just double happiness for them on this day. In fact, it was triple happiness. If they included Yao Si, then it was quadruple happiness. That was why Hua Qing Si was over the moon.
“Sister Hua, what did you tell Palace Master just now?” Bian Yu Qing asked curiously. She wasn’t the only one who was curious about it. Everyone else wanted to find out, but she was the first to ask this question.
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “Two things.”
“Two things?” Bian Yu Qing knitted her brows together.
Hua Qing Si put on a faint smile, “First of all, no matter who will be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, at least twenty thousand disciples from High Heaven Palace will join it. Since that is the case, Palace Master should have full control over the army rather than entrusting the lives of the disciples to someone else. The disciples will be more willing to follow Palace Master to destroy the enemy than any other person.”
Upon hearing that, Bian Yu Qing nodded in agreement. The Great Emperors had ordered Yang Kai to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. However, he had to recruit people and prepare supplies on his own. The supplies were not an issue as they had accumulated unfathomable amounts of wealth and supplies in High Heaven Palace over the years. Nevertheless, they would have to let twenty thousand disciples join the army to make sure that there were sufficient people.
Rather than letting twenty thousand disciples obey the orders of someone else, Yang Kai should take matters into his own hands. When they went to war with the Demons on the battlefield in the future, Yang Kai would be in a position where he could take special care of the disciples from High Heaven Palace, though he should be impartial.
It could be said that the first point Hua Qing Si had told Yang Kai was enough to make him take the position of Army Commander seriously. He wasn’t interested in the position, and he didn’t want to accept the order; however, despite his disinterest, he had to adapt to the current circumstances.
Furthermore, Hua Qing Si had another reason to persuade him.
“What about the second reason?” Bian Yu Qing asked.
“The second reason was that, if Yao Si was defeated by Palace Master, according to his own words, his life would belong to Palace Master. As a Great Emperor’s son, he wouldn’t go back on his word. Since Palace Master would have ownership of his life now, he could simply order Yao Si to manage the Sixty-First Army on his behalf.”
It was then that Bian Yu Qing understood what had happened, and she knew that Hua Qing Si was right. Yao Si had made a bet right in front of everyone, so he would never go back on his word. Since Yang Kai owned his life now, he had the right to order him to do anything.
It was alright that Yang Kai wasn’t willing to take on the position of Army Commander as he could just order Yao Si to do the job on his behalf, and the latter would handle all the operations within the army. Yang Kai could just stay behind the scenes and do his own things. This way, his time wouldn’t be wasted and his life wouldn’t be disturbed.
It was because Hua Qing Si had told him these two points that Yang Kai suddenly became enthusiastic. He thought that she was right as he should have full control over the Sixty-First Army. If he could also get a competent adjutant to work for him, it would be hugely beneficial.
Bian Yu Qing pressed her lips together and giggled, “Yao Si basically came to steal a chicken but lost his rice.”
Hua Qing Si replied, “It’s just that he underestimated our Palace Master.”
It wasn’t certain how Yao Si would feel if he had heard her remark; after all, from the start, he did not dare to underestimate Yang Kai. He was a Great Emperor’s son, and he was indeed a haughty and confident man. That was because he had the power to match his ego. However, since all the Great Emperors agreed to Yang Kai’s appointment as the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, it went to show that he was capable of holding that position.
Hence, Yao Si had never underestimated Yang Kai. Before coming to High Heaven Palace, he had even tried to evaluate Yang Kai’s power and considered that the latter could be more powerful than his own estimation.
However, it only took one move before he was defeated. It could even be said that they had just rubbed shoulders before he was knocked out. At that time, Yao Si was on full alert and had gathered all his strength, so he had never expected that he would be defeated without even the chance to fight back.
Hua Qing Si went on to say with a smile, “In fact, there are more benefits to be gained by defeating Yao Si; however, I didn’t have the time to tell Palace Master about it in detail.”
Bian Yu Qing asked curiously, “What are the other benefits?”
Hua Qing Si’s lips curved into a smile, “Think about it. If Yao Si joins the Sixty-First Army, whether or not he is willing, he will have to manage the army well. Given his status as a Great Emperor’s son, he has a unique advantage when it comes to recruiting people and collecting supplies. I’ve heard that even though the armies are united against the Demons, they’ll frequently argue over the distribution of rewards and manpower. Although Palace Master is strong and has some reputation, he’s still a member of the younger generation, and he’s closely related to many of the Army Commanders. When the time comes, it will be too embarrassing for Palace Master to argue with those Seniors. Nevertheless, it’s a different case for Yao Si. Although he’s a Junior as well, he comes from the noblest of backgrounds. Whenever we come across such thorny issues, we can just tell him to settle them. I’m sure he won’t let the Sixty-First Army be put at a disadvantage.”
She was right to say that many Army Commanders were closely related to Yang Kai. Those who were not close to Yang Kai didn’t matter; however, people like Bing Yun and Wen Zi Shan were on very good terms with him.
During the distribution of rewards, if Wen Zi Shan came over and said that he wanted seventy percent and Yang Kai would get thirty percent, Yang Kai would be put in a tight spot. What’s more, Wen Zi Shan would totally do such a thing as he was used to acting shamelessly.
When that really happened, Yang Kai would probably suffer a headache. Nevertheless, if they told Yao Si to deal with Wen Zi Shan, they would get their fair share.
Bian Yu Qing’s gaze brightened when she heard that, “Sister Hua, you’re really intelligent to have thought through these issues so deeply.”
Hua Qing Si put on a smile, “I work for Palace Master, so I have to help him solve his problems. It wouldn’t cost a thing to think a little more… hmm? He’s waking up.”
While the ladies were having a chat, Yao Si, who had been rooted to the spot, finally regained consciousness. His eyes regained their light, and the muscles on his face started twitching. He awakened exactly one incense stick worth of time after he was put to sleep.
The speed at which Yao Si awakened was quick. As soon as Hua Qing Si finished speaking, he completely came to his senses, and without any hesitation, he pushed his Emperor Qi wildly, forming a protective barrier around himself. At the same time, a mirror suddenly appeared and continuously swirled around him. The mirror was only palm-sized, but it was apparently a first-class defensive Emperor Artifact.
He still seemed to be immersed in the moment when he was having an intense battle with Yang Kai, so as soon as he awakened, he used his full strength to defend himself.
Looking around, he realised that there was no one else besides the two ladies who were smiling at him from nearby. He frowned and recalled what had happened before he was knocked out, and in an instant, his expression turned extremely dark as his back was drenched in cold sweat.
His expression was bitter because he realised that he had completely lost the battle. He was drenched in a cold sweat because he knew that in his previous state, Yang Kai could have easily killed him no matter how many lives he had.
Although he was certain that Yang Kai wouldn’t kill him, he still felt as though he had escaped from death’s door. After coming to his senses, he withdrew his Emperor Qi and stored his defensive mirror. Then he shot a glare at Hua Qing Si and asked, “Where is he?”
He didn’t care about the others as his target was only Yang Kai.
Hua Qing Si took a few steps forward and saluted him, “High Heaven Palace Head Manager Hua Qing Si greets Adjutant Yao!”
“Adjutant Yao? What are you talking about?” Despite facing an alluring lady like Hua Qing Si, Yao Si remained cold and indifferent, as he had no regard for her at all.
Hua Qing Si maintained a gentle smile as she explained, “Adjutant Yao, have you forgotten that before challenging our Palace Master you made a certain bet?”
Yao Si froze as the corner of his mouth twitched, “En, I indeed made a bet with that deceitful man. If I lost, my life would belong to him. He can end my life if he wants to!” He still thought that Yang Kai had been pretending to give in to get him to lower his guard before suddenly using a Divine Ability on him. This kind of man could only be described as deceitful.
However, he could not deny the fact that Yang Kai’s Soul cultivation was indeed beyond his imagination.
Hua Qing Si kept a faint smile on her face as she continued, “Our Palace Master has said that he will not end your life; however, since you’ve made a bet, you can’t go back on your word; otherwise, if word gets out, the reputation of Serene Soul Palace will be tarnished. On the other hand, if we just agree to forget this matter, it will appear as if we are disdaining Adjutant Yao. This is such a thorny issue.” Upon finishing her words, she shook her head as her hair flapped in the air. It was as though she really found the issue difficult to deal with.
Yao Si snorted, “He doesn’t want my life, but wants me to keep my promise. Stop beating around the bush. What benefits does he want?”
Hua Qing Si said, “What benefits could we possibly want? Although High Heaven Palace isn’t comparable to a Great Emperor’s Sect, our heritage is still quite profound. We’re able to obtain almost anything in this world that we desire, so Palace Master has never thought of reaping material gains from Adjutant Yao.”
“I’ll give you ten breaths’ time to make yourself clear; otherwise, I’ll leave.” Yao Si had no time to listen to her droning on. It was Yang Kai who didn’t want the reward, not that he didn’t want to keep his word; hence, he wouldn’t feel any pressure if he walked away.
Hua Qing Si quickly nodded, “Palace Master has said that he wants you to manage the Sixty-First Army on his behalf, and that plenary power will be given to you to make most decisions.”
When Yao Si heard this, his narrowed eyes suddenly widened as he said in a grim voice, “Is that why you’ve been calling me Adjutant Yao?”
Hua Qing Si flashed a smile at him, “Since you will be managing the army on Palace Master’s behalf, naturally, you deserve the title of Adjutant.”
“He wants me to work under him?” Yao Si’s voice sounded furious.
“Beneath one, above ten million!” Hua Qing Si looked sincerely at him as she was trying to coax him into agreeing.
“In your dreams!” Yao Si was enraged. It was already embarrassing enough for him to have lost the battle, but Yang Kai even wanted him to be his subordinate, which was intolerable. Currently, he was a Deputy Army Commander, so he was also working under an Army Commander; however, it was an appointment ordered by Li Wu Yi, so he couldn’t refuse. Nevertheless, he would rather die than become Yang Kai’s subordinate.
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing Si remained perfectly calm, the same smile never leaving her face, “Since that’s the case, we’ll just forget the whole matter. Palace Master has said that he will not force you to do anything you hate. Sir Yao, you can go back now.”
The reply surprised Yao Si as he fell into a dazed state and stared at Hua Qing Si for a long time. Upon making sure that she wasn’t just spouting nonsense, he snorted and turned around before flying towards the Space Array.
He was swift as he soon disappeared from their sight.
Bian Yu Qing parted her lips, but before she could say a word, Hua Qing Si quickly raised her hand.
Seeing this, Bian Yu Qing immediately kept her mouth shut.
Ten breaths later, Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing were still waiting patiently.
Half a cup of tea’s time later, the ladies were still waiting at the same spot.
One hour later, just when Bian Yu Qing’s patience was running out, a person was seen coming over rapidly. When the person came near and revealed his face, the ladies realised that he was none other than Yao Si.
Seeing that he really returned, Bian Yu Qing was finally able to set her mind at ease. At the same time, she shot an admiring look at Hua Qing Si.
With his hands behind his back, Yao Si let his clothes sway with the wind. Suppressing his fury and frustration, he tried his hardest to say in a calm voice, “I’ll take on the position as Adjutant. Tell him that I’ll come to High Heaven Palace and assume my post in three days!”
“Adjutant Yao, with you in charge, I’m sure the Sixty-First Army will grow to be a formidable force that the Demons will tremble in fear of,” Hua Qing Si put on a smile and saluted him in an elegant manner.
“Hmph!” With his fury burning him from the inside out, Yao Si turned around and flew away. This time, he really left.
After he was out of sight, Hua Qing Si patted her own plump bosom and let out a long breath. Over the past hour, she had more than once thought that she had misjudged the situation. Fortunately, Yao Si didn’t go back on his word.
“Sister Hua, were you sure he would come back?” Bian Yu Qing asked.
Hua Qing Si forced a smile, “I wasn’t. However, I think that even if he doesn’t care about his own reputation, he can’t possibly embarrass the Serene Soul Palace and Serene Soul Great Emperor. He has to take his Sect and the Great Emperor into consideration.”
She hadn’t come into contact with Yao Si much, but judging from what she had seen of his behaviour today, it was apparent that he wasn’t a pedantic person who stuck strictly to the rules. He was probably someone who would do anything to obtain victory as long as his tactics were not immoral. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone like him would go back on his word; however, just like what Hua Qing Si had said, even if Yao Si didn’t care about his own reputation, he had to protect the reputation of the Great Emperor and Serene Soul Palace, which was why he had to come back.
Before the Sixty-First Army was even built, they had recruited a powerful Adjutant who came from a noble background. Even if Yao Si wasn’t capable of management, he would still be able to increase the overall power of the army, which was a good thing.
“Three days…” Hua Qing Si turned to look at High Heaven Palace as though she was able to see through the seal of the array and glimpse what was going on in the palace. With her face reddening, she said hesitantly, “I’m not even sure if that will be enough time…”
“What do you mean there isn’t enough time?” Bian Yu Qing was puzzled.
Hua Qing Si’s face turned scarlet as she replied in a small voice, “Second Manager, haven’t you heard of the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Palace Master left for several years, and just now, he…”
Bian Yu Qing finally understood what Hua Qing Si was talking about as she turned to look at High Heaven Palace and giggled with her mouth covered.
With a solemn expression, Hua Qing Si decided to stop talking about this topic, and then she said, “Whatever the case, we have to get started quickly. The Sixty-First Army has just been founded, and Palace Master has become the Army Commander. All of us from High Heaven Palace must give him our utmost support. We’ll start with organizing the twenty thousand disciples from the Sect. As for recruiting others outside the Sect, there’s no rush. Second Manager, will you please go over to the Branch in the Southern Territory and enlist those who are in the Origin King Realm and above? I’ll handle those in the main Sect. We have to get everything ready in three days.”
“Good,” Bian Yu Qing replied in agreement. Both of them had worked together for many years, so they could tacitly understand one another. After they divided up the work, they parted ways to carry out their own tasks.
In the past, the Great Emperors had ordered them to seal off High Heaven Palace. Besides the main Sect in the Northern Territory, their Branch in the Southern Territory had also been sealed off. At this moment, those in the Southern Territory were still not aware that the Great Emperors had lifted the sanctions against Yang Kai and the Sect. When Bian Yu Qing went over and told them about it, everyone in the Southern Territory Branch was over the moon.
Upon hearing that the Sixty-First Army had been established, and Yang Kai would be the Army Commander, all the disciples who were in the Origin King Realm and above applied to join the army.
Ninety-nine percent of the disciples of High Heaven Palace were brought over by Yang Kai from Heng Luo Star Field, with the largest number being from High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star. There were also those who had been selected from different Cultivation Stars in Heng Luo Star Field. Regardless, all of them were cultivators with excellent aptitudes.
It had been quite some time since these people arrived at the Star Boundary, so all of them saw significant increases in their cultivations. Presently, there were thirty thousand to forty thousand Origin Kings. Many Dao Source Realm Masters had recently emerged as well. There were only a small number of Emperor Realm Masters, but it was enough to build the frame of the army. As long as the frame was prepared, they would have an easy time recruiting more people.
While those from both the main and Branch Sect were swamped with work, the atmosphere on High Heaven Peak was amorous, to say the least.
The room was filled with a sense of decadence as clothes had been scattered everywhere on the floor. On a giant bed, a few naked figures were entangled with one another as the sound of slapping flesh and sultry moans could continuously be heard.
Xia Ning Chang’s veil had long ago been tossed aside, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. While Su Yan’s hair flapped in the air, Shan Qing Luo lay nearby drenched in sweat. Xue Yue had already fallen apart as she leaned against the bed and panted heavily, her body was twitching uncontrollably.
On the bed, only Zhu Qing was still trying her hardest to persevere. As two people became one, she could be heard moaning incessantly.
Unlike the other ladies, it was the first time Zhu Qing had shared her Husband with so many women around. Initially, she wasn’t willing to join them as it was too embarrassing for her, but after she dawdled for some time, Shan Qing Luo directly tore her clothes apart as Yang Kai caught her with his evil claws. In an instant, her determination not to join disintegrated.
The first time she encountered Yang Kai, Zhu Qing had fallen prey to his draconic nature. While she was in a dazed state, Yang Kai took advantage of her wantonly. After so many years, and growing so much closer, now that she was in this kind of situation, there was no way she could resist the temptation.
In the end, she could only give in to Yang Kai. She and her Sisters had all entered the battle together, but Zhu Qing was the only one who had persevered until now; after all, she was a member of the Dragon Clan, so Su Yan and the others were not comparable to her in terms of physical strength.
Most of them had already collapsed from exhaustion on the bed, while a charming Shan Qing Luo gently clenched her teeth and muttered to Su Yan in a small voice, “Damn it. Why is this woman still so energetic?”
Su Yan didn’t even have the strength to move a finger, so she was unable to reply to her. Nevertheless, she still made the effort to shake her head slowly.
Shan Qing Luo hoisted herself and knelt on the bed before crawling toward those two who were deeply immersed in the moment. Her hair hung loose on her waist and backside, and the arch of her back as she crawled forward was the epitome of seduction.
While engaging in an intense congress, Yang Kai noticed the approaching panther and stared at Shan Qing Luo with widened eyes. Noticing his stare, Shan Qing Luo lifted her head and flashed an alluring smile at him. Then, she slid up behind Zhu Qing and wrapped her arms around the latter’s body. Following that, her slender and jade-like fingers began wandering across Zhu Qing’s bountiful figure.
Zhu Qing shuddered as though she had been terrified. She turned around with difficulty, only to see Shan Qing Luo flashing a wicked smile at her. Upon licking her red lips, Shan Qing Luo lowered herself and began kissing Zhu Qing’s chest and stomach.
Seeing that, Zhu Qing was horrified. Usually, she was overbearing in front of Shan Qing Luo, but at this moment, she seemed to be pleading with the latter.
Certainly, Shan Qing Luo wouldn’t let her off. She had always been displeased with this female Dragon and had suffered several setbacks when dealing with her in the past. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as powerful as Zhu Qing, so she was unable to fight back. Hence, this was the perfect opportunity for her to get her revenge.
All of a sudden, the pitch of Zhu Qing’s moans increased noticeably. She might have been mistaken as wailing, but that wasn’t the case.
At that instant, the aura of decadence in the room thickened.
To the side, Xia Ning Chang, who was about to nod off, widened her eyes suddenly, dumbfounded by what she was witnessing. Su Yan quickly covered her eyes with one hand.
The group of six carried out their conjugal rituals several times more, completely losing track of the time, as if this room had become a separate, sealed world.
A long time later, Yang Kai awakened from his dream. Given his cultivation, he didn’t need to sleep at all unless he was severely injured; however, after he came home, being surrounded by all his Wives, he couldn’t help pouring every last bit of his love and energy into them. With his mind at ease, he unknowingly fell asleep.
At this moment, Xia Ning Chang was napping in his left arm while Su Yan occupied his right. Shan Qing Luo directly rested on his body as he caught a whiff of the fragrance wafting from her hair. He could feel two heads resting on his thighs as well, and without the need to take a look, he knew that they were Xue Yue and Zhu Qing. However, he wasn’t sure who was on his left and who was on his right.
Shan Qing Luo’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, only to meet Yang Kai’s bright gaze. With a faint smile, the Beguiling Demon Queen asked, “You’re awake?”
Yang Kai nodded.
“Are you satisfied?”
He shook his head. He could never get enough when it came to such activities. For all his life, he would never get sick of seeing their beautiful faces and bodies.
Shan Qing Luo burst into laughter, “All of us can’t take anymore.”
Upon finishing her words, she lowered herself and landed a peck on his lips. With her hands pressing against the man’s chest, she supported herself up. For some reason, she could be seen scowling, as though she was in pain.
Seeing that, Yang Kai grinned and laughed in silence while Shan Qing Luo shot him a glare.
After she sat up with difficulty, she knelt on the bed and took a look at the other ladies as she sighed, “Stop pretending. It isn’t the first time we’ve all done this together. Wake up.”
None of them was an ordinary woman, so although Shan Qing Luo’s movements and voice were light just now, it wasn’t possible that the others weren’t alerted. However, at this moment, they all kept ‘sleeping’ soundly, none of them opening their eyes.
Unlike the others, Shan Qing Luo didn’t find what they just did embarrassing in the slightest, but the rest couldn’t help feeling awkward after they regained their senses. This was not the first time this happened, so she was already used to it. In fact, things were getting better as all of the Sisters became familiar with each other, so she stopped minding it at all. The crux of the problem was that Zhu Qing was around this time.
Seeing as the other ladies did not respond to her, Shan Qing Luo sneered and lifted her hand before spanking Xia Ning Chang’s firm backside, causing a wave of ripples on her flesh, “Ning Chang, if you don’t get up, our Husband won’t be able to hold it in anymore. Will you be able to take responsibility?”
Xia Ning Chang immediately opened her eyes, not because she was shocked by what Shan Qing Luo had said, but because Yang Kai’s hands had indeed started wandering around her body.
When their eyes met, she flashed an apologetic smile at Yang Kai and landed a kiss on his cheek. Then, she struggled out of his embrace and crawled towards the edge of the bed.
“Big Sister, Xue Yue, and you too…” Shan Qing Luo called out to them one by one.
After all of them heard their names, they got up with reddened faces. A moment later, the sounds of putting on clothes were heard in the room.
The sight before Yang Kai’s was pleasing to the eyes. Lying on the bed, he looked smilingly at every one of them as he felt extremely happy in his heart.
After putting on their clothes, the ladies helped each other comb their hair and tidy their appearances. When they were finally presentable again, they turned around, only to see Yang Kai still nonchalantly lying on the bed.
Su Yan sighed helplessly, “Help him up.”
The ladies separated into two rows and served Yang Kai by cleaning and dressing him.
Inside the Main Conference Hall of High Heaven Palace, Yao Si was seated on a chair with a livid expression. Seated at another table, Hua Qing Si flashed a fawning smile at him. On the table, there were several jade slips which contained the information about names, gender, and cultivation of the twenty thousand disciples of High Heaven Palace who had been selected to join the Sixty-First Army.
The tea on the table was no longer hot, so Hua Qing Si gave a hint with her eyes, after which a maidservant came in from outside and replaced Yao Si’s cup with a new one.
The same thing had happened many times.
“Adjutant Yao, please have some tea. Palace Master will be here shortly.” Hua Qing Si forced a smile.
Yao Si turned his head and gave her a grim look, “You told me the same thing four days ago!”
He couldn’t be blamed for sporting a dark expression. He returned to High Heaven Palace after three days as promised, ready to discuss the building of the Sixty-First Army with Yang Kai; however, he hadn’t expected that the person serving him would still be Hua Qing Si, not Yang Kai.
This kind of formality didn’t really matter to him. Although he was displeased, he did not really mind it; however, he had waited in this place for four days now, but Yang Kai was still nowhere to be seen.
His patience was about to run out as he had drunk countless cups of tea served by the maidservants of High Heaven Palace. If it wasn’t because Hua Qing Si had been keeping him company with a respectful attitude, he would have thought that Yang Kai was just messing with him.
On the other hand, Hua Qing Si was extremely embarrassed. She knew what Yang Kai had been doing for the past few days, but she couldn’t possibly tell an outsider about it. Moreover, it was inappropriate for her to disturb Yang Kai at this point, which was why she felt frustrated. Yang Kai was perfect in every way except that he was too unrestrained, especially when it came to his Wives. Every time he returned, he wouldn’t leave his room for several days at least.
Previously, she already thought that there wouldn’t be enough time when Yao Si said that he would return in three days. Now, it seemed that she was right. She had spent a lot of effort making Yao Si join the Sixty-First Army, so she did not want to let him go. If he decided to leave, it would be a huge loss for both Yang Kai and the Sixty-First Army. Yang Kai had always been an arm-flinging shopkeeper, so as the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, she had to settle all the issues for him.
“Why don’t you take another look at the information about the disciples? When the Sixty-First Army is built, Adjutant Yao will have to assign positions to the most suitable people.”
Yao Si replied coldly, “There’s no need for that. I’ve memorised all the information about the cultivators who are in the Dao Source Realm and above!”
“Then…” Hua Qing Si was flustered as she had run out of ideas on how to stall for time. She had already reached her limit by holding Yao Si up for four days. As she saw it, if Yang Kai still wouldn’t show up today, Yao Si would really leave.
As expected, Yao Si snorted, “I’ll just wait for another four hours. If Yang Kai doesn’t show up within that time, the bet will be forfeited.”
He then put on a grin, “It’s not that I don’t keep my promises, it’s that deceitful man who doesn’t show me any respect at all!”
Given his power and family background, whatever army he wanted to join, the Army Commander would wholeheartedly welcome him; however, he had been staying in Yang Kai’s place for four days now without even meeting the man himself.
He was already reluctant to work under Yang Kai, and the only reason he even agreed in the first place was to protect the reputation of Serene Soul Palace and Serene Soul Great Emperor. Now that there was an excuse for him to back out, Yao Si would certainly want to seize the chance.
Just then, a voice was suddenly heard saying, “Who are you calling a deceitful man? Just where is this man you speak of?”
Upon hearing this voice, Hua Qing Si was elated as she turned to look out of the hall.
When the first word was heard, Yang Kai was still several dozen metres away from the hall, but when he said the last word, he was already stepping through the entrance in a confident manner with a noticeable spring in his step.
He was followed by Bian Yu Qing, who had been waiting outside High Heaven Peak for the past few days. As soon as Yang Kai was done with his affairs, she reported to him about Yao Si. Hence, even though Yang Kai had only left High Heaven Peak, he was already aware of what had been going on in the hall.
[Adjutant Yao! That’s a pretty nice title for him.] He could always rest assured when Hua Qing Si was in charge.
“Palace Master!” Hua Qing Si rose from the chair and saluted him as she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, she was able to set her mind at ease.
Yang Kai waved his hand to motion for her not to be overly formal. Then, he stared at Yao Si, who ignored him and snorted. He didn’t even intend to get up from his chair.
As a magnanimous man, Yang Kai didn’t want to fuss over such a minor issue; thus, he walked up to the head seat and sat down in an elegant manner.
After serving tea to Yang Kai, the maidservant respectfully withdrew. Yang Kai picked up the teacup and took a sip before arching his brow, apparently surprised. Then, he started slurping the tea.
Hua Qing Si parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but after Yang Kai gave her a hint with his eyes, she immediately kept her mouth shut.
Both Yang Kai and Yao Si remained silent. At this moment, only the sound of Yang Kai sipping the tea could be heard in the hall.
A long time later, Yao Si stared coldly at Yang Kai for a while before speaking, “Palace Master Yang…”
“Head Manager,” Yang Kai looked up at Hua Qing Si as he fiddled with his teacup, “What’s the name of this tea?”
“Palace Master, are you not used to the taste?” Hua Qing Si didn’t know what was on his mind. Since he had asked a question, she could only answer it.
“It’s not bad. Where did you buy it from?” Yang Kai put on a smile.
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “We didn’t buy it. It’s actually grown in High Heaven Palace. Previously, there were already some exotic tea trees on Emerald Jade Peak. Apparently, some people from Seeking Passion Sect had planted them there. Madam Ning Chang grew quite fond of them, so she’s decided to nurture them. She has also personally prepared the tea leaves that have been collected.”
“Ning Chang produced it personally?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Hua Qing Si nodded and replied, “Yes. Madam has said that it can be used to serve guests.”
“Don’t serve the guests with this tea anymore!” Yang Kai felt heartbroken, “Send all the remaining tea leaves to High Heaven Peak. Serve the guests with other kinds of tea in the future.”
Upon finishing his words, he took a look at Yao Si’s teacup and wondered how much of the tea the latter had consumed. He felt so heartbroken that the muscles on his face started twitching.
“Yes,” Hua Qing Si hung her head low and replied.
Yao Si was enraged as he had been waiting in this place for four days before Yang Kai showed up. Now, Yang Kai didn’t even seem willing to let him drink tea. Infuriated, he picked up the cup and gulped down the tea. Then, he slammed the cup on the table with a loud thud before saying again, “Palace Master Yang…”
“By the way, has anything major happened over the past few years while I wasn’t around?” Yang Kai seemed determined to not let Yao Si get a word in, so he would cut him off whenever the latter spoke.
Hua Qing Si replied obediently, “Palace Master, after you left, the Great Emperors ordered us to seal off High Heaven Palace, and we were not allowed to come into contact with the outside world. We’re only responsible for refining pills and artifacts, so nothing major has happened.”
“That’s a relief.” Yang Kai nodded, “It’s wonderful news that nothing serious has happened.”
“Palace Master Yang…” Yao Si said through clenched teeth.
Yang Kai was still staring at Hua Qing Si. As soon as he parted his lips, Yao Si stood up straight and landed a palm on the table. In an instant, the table and the jade slips that contained the information about twenty thousand disciples exploded and turned into dust.
“Yang Kai!” Yao Si said slowly and clearly as the veins on his forehead bobbed.
A shocked Yang Kai turned to look at him, “Brother Yao, why are you so mad? Is there anything you’re displeased with?”
He then turned to look at Hua Qing Si, “Head Manager, since Brother Yao is here, you should properly serve him. Have you all neglected him in any way? Look how incensed Brother Yao is now. This is highly improper.”
Not knowing how to reply to him, Hua Qing Si simply lowered her head. If she were Yao Si, she would have sported a dark expression as well; nevertheless, she didn’t understand why Yang Kai was acting the way he was now.
He could be forgiven for not showing up in the past four days as he had been intimate with his Wives after a long period of separation; however, it was not right of him to keep ignoring Yao Si right now.
[Is he trying to demonstrate his authority in front of Yao Si? That isn’t necessary.]
Seeing Yang Kai acting dumb, Yao Si was so exasperated that he started laughing, “Good! Yang Kai, we made a bet seven days ago, and I lost it, so there’s nothing else I can say. You want me to become the Adjutant of the Sixty-First Army? Good, I’ve come as promised. I’ve also put up with the fact that you kept me waiting for four whole days. However, if you’re still showing me this kind of attitude, don’t blame me for going back on my word!”
An amazed Yang Kai asked, “Brother Yao, you mean you’re here to take up the position of Adjutant of the Sixty-First Army?”
Yao Si frowned and subconsciously took a look at Hua Qing Si, thinking that she made the decision on her own without informing Yang Kai, so he asked, “Are you not aware of it?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Head Manager informed me about it, so why would I be unaware of it?”
Yao Si bellowed, “Since you’re aware of it, why did you intentionally ask such a question!?”
Yang Kai pointed at his own nose, “Brother Yao, do you know what position I hold now?”
In a cold voice, Yao Si said, “The Great Emperors have ordered that you, Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, be appointed the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. Those from Seven Mists Sea had informed all the armies about it!”
Yang Kai nodded, “En, and you’re here to take on the position of Adjutant, while this King… is the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army!”
After he finished speaking, the smile on his face faded as he straightened his back. As his High-Rank Demon King’s Pressure flared, his figure seemed to have grown larger and he said in a grim voice, “Since you’re aware of these two facts, have you ever regarded yourself as part of the Sixty-First Army? Since you’ve not even realised your position and my own, why should I even bother to speak with you?”
All of a sudden, realization dawned upon Hua Qing Si, whose head remained lowered. It was no wonder that Yang Kai kept ignoring Yao Si by changing the topics. It was because of Yao Si’s attitude.
What Yang Kai had said was justified. The fact that Yao Si was joining the Sixty-First Army was hugely beneficial to them; however, if he didn’t regard himself as part of the Sixty-First Army or acknowledge Yang Kai as his superior officer, he wouldn’t act in the army’s best interest.
Yang Kai had indeed intended to demonstrate his authority, but he didn’t do it to strengthen his prestige or to humiliate Yao Si, this was simply a matter of maintaining discipline and order.
Yao Si yelled, “If I didn’t regard myself as part of the Sixty-First Army, I wouldn’t have stayed here and let you humiliate me!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No one is humiliating you. At this moment, you’re speaking to me as the son of a Great Emperor, not as the Sixty-First Army’s Adjutant that you claim to be. If you don’t even understand that much, just go back to where you’re from. The Sixty-First Army doesn’t need you.”
Yao Si’s brow twitched when he heard that as his Emperor Qi surged and swept across the hall. His aura became extremely dangerous.
He was completely incensed as he felt that he had been disdained. Hua Qing Si had told him that it was Yang Kai who wanted him to take on the Adjutant position of the Sixty-First Army, which was why he agreed to it despite his reluctance. He was well prepared when he came over to discuss building the army with Yang Kai, but he had never expected that he would receive this kind of treatment.
[Go back to where I came from? Where else can I go?]
Originally, he was the Deputy Army Commander of another army. Some days ago, he had returned to Seven Mists Sea to resign from his post and spent some time handing over his job to a successor. Now, everyone in Seven Mists Sea knew that he was going to become the Adjutant of the Sixty-First Army, and many had congratulated him.
Although a Deputy Army Commander was an authoritative position as well, an Adjutant only worked under one person while being able to rule over millions of others. It could be said to be a promotion; however, at this moment, Yang Kai told him to go back to where he came from.
If he really did that, he couldn’t possibly say that he had been chased out by the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army when he was asked why he had returned. Besides him, Serene Soul Palace and Serene Soul Great Emperor couldn’t bear this kind of humiliation either.
Seven days ago, he still had a choice, but at this moment, there was no turning back. It wasn’t that he had cut off his own way out, it was just that he had never expected that Yang Kai would treat him in such a way. Yang Kai still seemed eager to recruit a capable person like him previously, but presently, he seemed ready to discard him.
[Can he even be considered human?] Yao Si felt that he had been made a fool of; however, there was no turning back for him, so regardless of the fact that he was infuriated, he didn’t flare up. In a cold voice, he questioned, “What do you want?”
With a calm expression, Yang Kai said impassively, “I want nothing. I just hope that you’ll realise your identity and the stance you’re supposed to take now.”
Yao Si closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and let it out. As he breathed, the airflow in the hall seemed to have become turbulent.
Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing were extremely nervous as they were worried that the two men would get into a fight. They were not worried that Yang Kai would be harmed, but if they really confronted each other, the Sixty-First Army would lose a competent Adjutant like Yao Si.
Fortunately, although Yao Si was arrogant, he was pretty flexible as he didn’t need anyone to tell him when he should flare up and when he should hold back. When he opened his eyes a moment later, he cupped his fists at Yang Kai and slightly looked away before saying, “Yao Si… greets Sir Army Commander!”
He said those words slowly through clenched teeth and his voice was filled with grievance and bitterness.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai guffawed and abruptly appeared in front of Yao Si. After taking the other man’s arm, he said passionately, “Adjutant Yao, it was very polite of you to salute me. From now on, we’re one family, so we should help and take care of each other. You don’t have to be overly formal with me.”
His attitude had changed so abruptly that if anyone who had no idea what had happened just now saw this, they would have thought that Yang Kai and Yao Si were on very good terms.
On the side, Hua Qing Si shook her head and smiled helplessly. It was then she realised Yang Kai’s intention. He had emphasised identity and stance twice just to get Yao Si to call him ‘Sir’.
After all, it was inappropriate that Yao Si kept calling Yang Kai ‘Palace Master Yang’. It wouldn’t have mattered in the past, but things were different now. Yang Kai was the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army while Yao Si was his Adjutant, which meant that the latter was Yang Kai’s subordinate. There were strict rules to obey in the military, so Yao Si had to call Yang Kai ‘Sir’.
Only by doing so could it suggest that Yao Si had really regarded himself as part of the Sixty-First Army, and that he had realised his identity and the stance he was supposed to take. At this moment, he was no longer the haughty and aloof Great Emperor’s son. That was the reason behind Yang Kai’s change in attitude.
With his arm grabbed by Yang Kai, Yao Si felt his face twitching and his eyes seemed fiery.
Seemingly oblivious to all this, Yang Kai said to Hua Qing Si, “Bring some wine over. The Sixty-First Army is lucky to have Adjutant Yao with us, we should toast to his arrival.”
Before Hua Qing Si could even reply, Yao Si bellowed, “I dare any of you to bring wine over!”
He wasn’t in the mood to drink as he was still incensed. Even if he wanted to drink, he wouldn’t do it with Yang Kai. He was willing to call Yang Kai ‘Sir’ because of the Great Emperors’ order; however, even though Yang Kai was the Army Commander, he had no right to interfere in his private affairs.
Hua Qing Si was about to get some wine when she heard that. Feeling helpless, she turned to look at Yang Kai with an inquisitive gaze.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Adjutant Yao, since you don’t want to drink, we’ll forget it. Why don’t we sit down and have a chat? Our army will have to rely on you from now on. Although we’ve known each other for a long time, we’re not familiar with one another yet. It’s the right time…”
“Sir!” Yao Si swung his hand away and put on a cold expression, “I’m not here to drink with you or have a chat with you. If that’s what you want to do, you’d best find someone else. I have no time for that!”
His expression was dark when he called Yang Kai ‘Sir’ for the first time as he appeared reluctant, but he was slowly getting used to it now.
After Yang Kai’s hand was swung away, he balled up his fist and coughed into it. With a solemn expression, he nodded, “The Great Emperors have ordered this King to build the Sixty-First Army. While I thank them for their trust, it’s also a responsibility as well as a burden to me. This King can understand that the Great Emperors have high hopes for me, so I wouldn’t dare to disappoint them. The fact that you’ve joined our army is of great help to us. The war in the Western Territory is a pressing issue and time waits for no man. Since you’re here, why don’t we discuss our next move in detail?”
Yao Si’s whole body shivered while Yang Kai took a seat, and he had to take several deep breaths to suppress his anger before sitting down as well.
Hua Qing Si secretly gave the order, after which a maidservant came over and put down new cups of tea. Nevertheless, it was no longer the tea that was served earlier. The Head Manager had always been meticulous when executing Yang Kai’s orders. Since he wanted the tea leaves prepared by Xia Ning Chang to be sent to High Heaven Peak, she would execute the order without delay.
“Sir, I know that you have been in the Demon Realm over the past few years, so you probably know little about what has been going on in the Star Boundary. Do you know how the armies are established and structured?” Yao Si got straight to the point after taking a seat.
Since they were discussing serious issues now, Yang Kai put on a solemn expression and replied, “I know a little about it. Essentially, we’ve imitated the Demon Realm and built fifty-four armies. In every army, there’s an Army Commander who presides over Divisions. There are ten Division Commanders in every army, and there are ten Brigades under every Division. There are also ten Brigade Commanders for each Division, and under every Brigade there are ten Battalions. Under every Battalion there are ten Teams. It’s an extremely formal structure.”
Seeing as he wasn’t completely ignorant, Yao Si gently nodded, “Palace Mast… Sir is correct. This is how an army is structured. There are some slight differences between each army, but they follow the same general pattern. Do you know who is qualified to be the Division Commanders and Brigade Commanders?”
Yang Kai asked with a smile, “Doesn’t it depend on their cultivation?”
Yao Si replied, “We take cultivation into consideration initially, but later on, the deciding factor is Military Merits.”
“Military Merits?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Yao Si nodded, “With enough Military Merits, a person can go from a common soldier to a General and even a Commander. However, if the person doesn’t contribute anything, he can also drop from a Commander to a General and even a soldier.”
Upon finishing his words, he put on an arrogant expression.
Initially, Yang Kai didn’t understand why Yao Si appeared haughty, but he soon realised the reason behind it. With a faint smile, he said, “I’ve heard that Adjutant Yao previously held the post of Deputy Army Commander. I’m curious what your position was when you first joined.”
“I was just a Deputy Division Commander!” As though Yang Kai had just hit the nail on the head, Yao Si appeared even more conceited, and there was a tinge of pride behind his gaze.
He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master as well as a Great Emperor’s son, so it was reasonable that he got the position of Deputy Division Commander after he joined the military. Over the years, he had earned many Military Merits and was steadily promoted from Deputy Division Commander to a Division Commander, and then to Deputy Army Commander. It could be said that he had been smoothly climbing up the ranks.
“Impressive,” Yang Kai complimented him. It wouldn’t cost a thing to praise someone, and since Yao Si loved to hear it, he would just say that to him.
Nevertheless, Yao Si wasn’t willing to dwell on this topic as his expression turned serious again, “In any case, Sir is correct. All of us began with no Military Merits when the armies were initially formed. We were assigned roles based on our cultivation. Nevertheless, only Emperor Realm Masters can become Brigade Commanders and Division Commanders. The higher a person’s cultivation, the better. The person who can take on the position of Battalion Commander has to be in the Dao Source Realm at the very least. As for a Team leader, the requirement is lower as the person would only need to be a Third-Order Origin King.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Adjutant Yao is experienced in this, so I will defer to your expertise.”
Yao Si felt pleased upon hearing that, then he gave him a look, “The problem is, we don’t have enough people in the Sixty-First Army to take up the positions of Division Commanders and Deputy Division Commanders.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Meaning we don’t have enough Emperor Realm Masters.”
“That is correct. In High Heaven Palace, including Sir, there are fourteen Emperor Realm Masters in total, but almost all are First-Order. Given their cultivation, they can only become Brigade Commanders. There’s no way they can take on higher positions.”
“Fourteen people? Who are they?” Yang Kai asked curiously. He didn’t even know that there were fourteen Emperors in High Heaven Palace.
Yao Si directly said, “Zhu Qing, Su Yan, Hua Qing Si, Bian Yu Qing, Gui Zu, Ai Ou, Chi Yue, Chai Hu, Gu Cang Yun, Ye Hen, Ruan Bi Ting, Nanmen Da Jun, Hou Yu, and including yourself, there are fourteen in total.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Hua Qing Si, who nodded gently to mean that Yao Si was right. The reason Yao Si was aware of all this was that she had prepared the information for him.
“There are already fourteen Emperor Realm Masters…” Yang Kai chuckled. Ye Hen was the former Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect as well as Ye Jing Han’s father. He had already reached the Emperor Realm a few years ago. Su Yan had also achieved a breakthrough in recent years. On the other hand, Ruan Bi Ting was Su Yan’s Master from Red Clouds Sect in the Ancestral Domain, and her aptitude was extraordinary. When Yang Kai brought her over from Ancestral Domain, she was already a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Due to the limitations of World Principles, she couldn’t achieve a breakthrough, but after coming to High Heaven Palace, and without the previous limitations, she was able to ascend to a new realm with ease.
“There are only twelve people!” Seeing as Yang Kai appeared proud, Yao Si quickly hit him with a harsh truth, “Nanmen Da Jun and Hou Yu are not included. Unless absolutely necessary, they should be kept off the battlefield.”
One of them was an Emperor Array Master, and the other was an Emperor Artifact Refiner. Both of them were incredible talents, so no one would let them battle against the Demons.
“Twelve people… Good, very good!” Yang Kai appeared elated. He recalled that when he came to the Star Boundary for the first time, he was shocked to realise there were Emperor Realm Masters in this world. Nevertheless, only several dozen years had passed, and there were already more than ten Emperor Realm Masters in High Heaven Palace, a Sect he had founded. Furthermore, those people only ascended to a new realm after joining his Sect, which showcased that as a leading Sect, they did have incredible heritage. All of this had happened in just several dozen years. In a few hundred years, or a thousand years, their achievements would be unimaginable.
With such accomplishments, they could live up to their name as a Top Sect. That was the reason Yang Kai was laughing joyfully.
After he calmed down, he said, “With so many Emperor Realm Masters around, we don’t have to worry that there are not enough people to take up the positions of Brigade Commanders.”
Yao Si sneered, “Sir, do you intend to assign all the positions of Brigade Commanders to your own people in High Heaven Palace?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Yang Kai asked.
Yao Si explained, “There wouldn’t be a problem if there were enough people in High Heaven Palace to prop up the entire Sixty-First Army; however, that isn’t the case now, so we have to recruit people from outside. In that case, we need to give the suitable positions to the right people. If all the Brigade Commanders are from High Heaven Palace, no First-Order Emperor Realm Masters will be willing to join us.”
“Aren’t there Deputy Brigade Commander positions?” Yang Kai smiled, “Moreover, there are Defenders under Brigade Commanders. We can assign the positions of Left Defenders to those First-Order Emperor Realm Masters.”
On his way back some time ago, he had come across Han Zheng Qing, who was a Left Defender as well as a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, but that was the structure in the Thirty-Fifth Army. The army was overflowing with talented people, so they had let Emperor Realm Masters become Left Defenders. There was no way the Sixty-First Army was no match for them.
However, Yao Si shook his head, “You’re not wrong, but it’s still inappropriate. By doing so, you’ll give off the impression to the outsiders that the Sixty-First Army belongs to High Heaven Palace…”
“The Sixty-First Army does belong to High Heaven Palace!” Yang Kai cut him off.
Yao Si stared at him with his mouth open.
Yang Kai went on to say, “No one in the army shall disobey my orders! I want all of us in the Sixty-First Army, whatever their position, to be united, and I don’t need any voices of dissent.”
A flustered Yao Si said, “Sir is not wrong to think in this way, but it will be hard to execute it according to your plan…”
Yang Kai grinned at him, “I know it will be difficult. That’s why I’ve asked you to become the Adjutant.”
Yao Si was dumbfounded as he realised that it wasn’t going to be easy to be the Adjutant of the Sixty-First Army. He had practically picked up a hot potato, but he couldn’t get rid of it now.
Seeing that Yang Kai was determined, Yao Si shook his head and changed the subject, “We’ll put the issue of Brigade Commanders aside for now. Let’s talk about the positions of Division Commanders. According to your plan, the positions of Division Commanders are supposed to be taken up by people from High Heaven Palace as well, but are there so many people in the Second-Order and Third-Order Emperor Realm in your Sect?”
Certainly, there were not enough. He was fully aware of how many Emperor Realm Masters there were in High Heaven Palace. The reason he even asked this question was to make Yang Kai wake up to reality. Yang Kai wanted to get the people from his Sect to take up all the important positions in the Sixty-First Army, but there weren’t even enough people to hold the positions of Division Commanders, so there was no way he could do this.
“There are not enough people in High Heaven Palace, but I know where to recruit some.” Yang Kai put on a faint smile, “En, I’ll come up with a list later. Adjutant Yao will then head to Seven Mists Sea on my behalf and get those people from Supreme Commander Li.”
Yao Si’s face twitched as he said grimly, “Are you trying to poach talents from other armies?”
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop him, “I just want to give them a chance to join a place where they can shine.”
Yao Si said, “Sir, I think you’d better do this in person.”
Yang Kai wanted to get some top cultivators to become the Division Commanders of the Sixty-First Army, but there was no way that such people were insignificant in their respective armies. Most likely, these people were already Division Commanders; hence, what Yang Kai was doing was basically stealing from others.
Although Yao Si wasn’t afraid to offend other people by doing so, he would rather not do it.
Yang Kai laughed and said, “Adjutant Yao will handle it for me as I have other matters to attend to, so I really have no time for that. Adjutant Yao, you have to spend more effort in building the Sixty-First Army.”
Certainly, Yao Si was reluctant to do it as he bombarded Yang Kai with all sorts of excuses, determined to turn down this job.
In the end, Yang Kai said helplessly, “Adjutant Yao, why don’t you handle it on your own first? If you really can’t accomplish it in the end, I will then step forward to settle it.”
After he finished speaking, he didn’t wait for Yao Si to respond as he rose from the chair and clapped the other person’s shoulder, “It’s settled, then. I still have other matters to attend to. Farewell.”
Following that, his figure suddenly flickered and disappeared.
“Sir!” Yao Si stood up straight and shouted, but no one responded to him as Yang Kai had already left the hall. At that instant, Yao Si was so exasperated that his expression turned livid. He had come all the way here to discuss building the Sixty-First Army with Yang Kai, but not long after the discussion began, Yang Kai, as the Army Commander, had actually fled. There was still a lot he needed to talk about.
Hua Qing Si was still in the hall. Seeing that Yao Si was blowing his top, she put on a smile and said, “Adjutant Yao, please don’t get mad at him.”
As Yao Si was still infuriated, she quickly said, “This is what Palace Master has left behind for you.”
She pointed at something on the table.
It was a jade slip. Yao Si didn’t even notice that Yang Kai had put it down on the table. After a snort, he picked it up and realised that there was a list of names inside.
Xie Wu Wei, Ying Fei, Xi Lei, Hu Fei, Du Mi’er, Chi Lian, Fu Ling, Li Jiao, Mi Qi…
Earlier, Yao Si’s expression was still cold and angered; however, after he went through the names on this list, the coldness on his face melted. In the end, he grinned and gripped the jade slip as though he was holding a treasure.
When he heard Yang Kai say that they were going to poach talents from other armies, he instinctively thought that it was an abominable task. The other Army Commanders wouldn’t easily let their people go, and when they didn’t, he, the Adjutant, would have to persuade them.
However, it now seemed that even though this task was still troublesome, it wasn’t so difficult to carry out.
At the very least, Xie Wu Wei, Ying Fei, Xi Lei, Hu Fei, Du Mi’er, and Chi Lian, all of them Monster Kings, were closely related to High Heaven Palace to begin with. Yang Kai was on good terms with those in Ancient Wild Lands as well. Now, all these Monster Kings were working under the three Divine Venerables of the Ancient Lands. If he went over with Yang Kai’s order to get those people from them, Luan Feng and the others wouldn’t reject him.
On the other hand, Fu Ling was a member of the Dragon Clan, so the average Army Commander wouldn’t be able to restrict her. Hence, she had always worked directly under Li Wu Yi in the First Army. Together with those top cultivators she had brought over from Dragon Island, Li Wu Yi had weaved them together into a formidable group.
Given Yang Kai’s relationship with Dragon Island, Fu Ling would definitely be willing to join the Sixty-First Army, and by obtaining Fu Ling, they would also obtain the cultivators from Dragon Island. There were more than a hundred thousand people in that group, with several dozen of them being Emperors.
It could be said that the name Fu Ling didn’t only represent herself, but also a part of Dragon Island’s power.
There were also Li Jiao and Mi Qi. They were already the Sect Masters of two top Sects in the Northern Territory, so their subordinates must be the disciples from their own Sects. By roping them in, they would have acquired the people from Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect as well.
Yao Si had heard that most Sects in the Northern Territory regarded High Heaven Palace as their leader, so now that Yang Kai’s Sixty-First Army wanted manpower, Li Jiao and Mi Qi wouldn’t turn them down.
With so many Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, which included Zhu Qing, they had more than enough people to fill up the positions of Division Commanders.
After settling the issues regarding Division Commanders and Brigade Commanders, Yao Si could go on to build the army with ease; after all, the rest of the positions didn’t require people with powerful cultivations, so those from High Heaven Palace would totally suffice.
The Sixty-First Army could really become High Heaven Palace’s army, which wasn’t a bad thing. Although it might affect those who would join as outsiders, the cohesion of the Sixty-First Army would be unbreakable. The other armies wouldn’t be comparable to them in this regard.
Upon that realization, Yao Si stopped getting mad at Yang Kai. After putting the jade slip away, he placed his hands behind his back and shuffled out of the hall. He was pondering on whether he should return to Seven Mists Sea to get those people from Li Wu Yi or head to the armies where those people whose names were on the list were at and tell them about Yang Kai’s idea.
In the end, he decided to head to Seven Mists Sea to inform Li Wu Yi first. In the military, the transfer of people whose positions were Brigade Commanders and above had to be authorized by Lu Wu Yi. So, it would be inappropriate if he didn’t tell Li Wu Yi about it before they tried to poach those Division Commanders and Deputy Commanders from other armies.
When he reached the Space Array, he suddenly realised that while he had reluctantly accepted this job, at this moment, he was enthusiastically solving problems for Yang Kai.
After giving it a thought, Yao Si concluded that he wasn’t happy to work for Yang Kai, he was just excited about the future of the Sixty-First Army.
…
While Yao Si was moving between Seven Mists Sea and different armies to poach talents from them, Yang Kai was paying a visit to all the Seniors in High Heaven Palace with his wives. Since he had made a promise, it would be inappropriate if he didn’t fulfil it.
Nevertheless, it didn’t take them much time to visit every peak and meet the Seniors. Eventually, they arrived at the residence of Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu.
Certainly, his parents were happy because he got to spend a few days with them; however, he could sense that there was a tinge of sorrow and anxiety behind his mother’s smile. It couldn’t be helped, as there was still no news about Yang Xue.
In the past, Yang Kai had brought Yang Xiao and Qiong Qi back from Dragon Island; however, he hadn’t expected that Yang Xiao only pretended to be obedient in front of him, but when he wasn’t around, the latter and Qiong Qi snuck out of High Heaven Palace. It wouldn’t have mattered if Yang Xiao had left alone, but he had actually brought Yang Xue with him as well!
Liu Yan was worried about them at the time, so she raced after them to protect and watch over them.
Eventually, the group of four entered the Four Seasons Realm, and there hadn’t been any news about them since then. Despite knowing that Yang Xue wouldn’t be harmed with Liu Yan around, Dong Su Zhu still missed her only daughter deeply.
Moreover, Yang Xue was just seven to eight years old when she left home, and she had barely started cultivating. The Four Seasons Realm was the personal domain of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, and although Yang Xue had the protection of Qing Qi and Liu Yan, it was hard to tell what would happen to her there.
Yang Kai was still incensed every time he thought about it. Yang Xiao indeed had to be taught a lesson. It wouldn’t have mattered if he had left alone, but he just had to bring Yang Xue with him.
According to Zhu Qing, those from Dragon Island had found out about it after all, and because of this, Second Elder Fu Zhun had personally come to High Heaven Palace to inquire about it. She had even gone to the valley in which the entrance to the Four Seasons Realm was located in search of Yang Xiao for half a year, but she couldn’t get any clue in the end. Before she left, she had told Zhu Qing to tell Yang Kai to visit her on Dragon Island the moment he returned.
Yang Xiao was indeed hatched by Yang Kai, and he was accepted by the latter as an adoptive Son. Yang Kai had even named him ‘Yang Xiao’; however, at the end of the day, Yang Xiao was the son of Fu Zhun and Zhu Yan, and the blood that ran in his veins belonged to the Dragon Clan.
When Yang Xiao was still inside a Dragon Egg, he couldn’t be hatched due to some complications. According to the Dragon Clan’s rules, he was supposed to be put inside Dragon Grave; however, due to Fu Zhun’s love for her son, she secretly hid the egg on a deserted island, and Yang Kai happened to find it and hatch it.
Fu Zhun had always doted on Yang Xiao. If possible, she was willing to give him the sun and the moon. If it weren’t because Yang Xiao had pretended to have an impure bloodline, she wouldn’t have let him leave Dragon Island with Yang Kai at all.
Yang Kai had taken her son away, but he hadn’t managed to take good care of him. Now that Yang Xiao had disappeared after going to the Four Seasons Realm, it could be expected that Fu Zhun was incensed. When she found out about it, she was even ready to storm into the Demon Realm to settle the score with Yang Kai.
Fortunately, Martial Beast Great Emperor Mo Huang managed to stop her; otherwise, she would really have done it. Despite the fact that she had failed in her attempt to head to the Demon Realm, she insisted that Yang Kai must be held responsible.
The reason Zhu Qing was in High Heaven Palace was that Fu Zhun had told her to stay here to pass on her word to Yang Kai as soon as possible.
Yang Kai felt that he had been put in a tight spot. It wasn’t like he could go to Dragon Island and give her an explanation now. If he really did that, Fu Zhun would surely beat him into a pulp; after all, the Second Elder had never been a reasonable woman.
In any case, be it for the sake of Yang Xiao or Yang Xue, Yang Kai had to personally venture to the Four Seasons Realm; however, he wasn’t confident of achieving his goal as Fu Zhun didn’t manage to find a clue after searching for half a year. So, it was unlikely that he could find them either.
Nevertheless, in order to console his parents, he had to head there. Furthermore, he still had to pay a visit to Star Soul Palace, so the trip to the Southern Territory was bound to happen.
Before that, he had to first visit another place. It wasn’t an excuse when he told Yao Si that he had a lot of matters to attend to, it was the simple truth.
Ten days after he returned to High Heaven Palace, and under the attendance of Su Yan and the others, Yang Kai stepped onto the Space Array again. As a thought flashed across his mind, a white light surrounded him.
After the light faded, he was nowhere to be seen. When he appeared again, he was already in a Tree Cave.
He was now in the Ancient Wild Lands in the Eastern Territory where the Stone Spirit Clan resided. It was still the same, small Tree Cave. Yang Kai had left a Space Array here in the past, which was why he appeared again here.
The area around him was completely silent, and after stepping out of the Tree Cave, he realised that there was no one around.
In order to resist the Demon armies, the Stone Spirit Clan and their symbiotic Wood Spirit Clan allies had gone to the battlefield in the Western Territory, so this place had become all but deserted over the past few years. However, the spirit fruits and spirit grasses that the Wood Spirit Clan members had planted had become ripe.
Yang Kai randomly picked a red fruit as he took a bite and leapt into the air.
Wherever he went, he realised that not many were in sight. The Ancient Wild Lands was located in a remote area, but since the Two Worlds’ Great War broke out, most of those in the Monster Race had followed Luan Feng and the other Divine Venerables to the battlefield. Only the old, young, and frail were left behind.
Unlike the hustle and bustle when Yang Kai came to Ancient Wild Lands for the first time, this place had become eerily silent.
The place he was heading to was the Blood Gate, where the Divine Spirit Palace was located.
There hadn’t been any news about Yang Xiao and Yang Xue since they ventured into the Four Seasons Realm, but the same was true for Zhang Ruo Xi and Xiao Xiao after they entered the Blood Gate. In comparison, Zhang Ruo Xi and Xiao Xiao had gone missing for a longer time, as it had been more than ten years since they entered the Blood Gate.
It was said that many Divine Spirit Sources had been sealed inside the Divine Spirit Palace. If Yang Kai could open it sooner, it would benefit many Monsters from the Ancient Wild Lands. The reason Xi Lei and the other Monster Kings were even willing to follow Yang Kai was that they wanted opportunities inside the Divine Spirit Palace.
Now that Yang Kai’s power had surged, his speed had also improved. In just one hour, he reached the location of the Blood Gate. There was nothing else on the barren peak, however, and if Yang Kai hadn’t known that the Blood Gate was located in this place, he wouldn’t have paid any attention to it.
However, Zhang Ruo Xi and Xiao Xiao had indeed gone into the Divine Spirit Palace from this location. A war had also broken out in the valley nearby. Divine Spirit Shi Huo was killed by Zhang Ruo Xi with just one strike to end that battle, extracting his Divine Spirit Source and giving it to Yang Kai’s Embodiment.
Yang Kai wasn’t disappointed to see that the Blood Gate was nowhere in sight. If the Blood Gate had reopened, it wasn’t impossible that no one in the Star Boundary hadn’t noticed. The reason he came to this place was to have a look and make sure that it really hadn’t reopened.
Just then, a hooting sound could be heard, which prompted Yang Kai to turn his head to have a look.
Over there, a person was seen hanging upside down below a tree branch. With his arms crossed, he wrapped one leg around the branch. It seemed that he was sound asleep.
Yang Kai had noticed him when he arrived at this place. The person was a Monster General, but Yang Kai didn’t have the intention of speaking to him. The Monster General seemed to have exceptional perception, as he was able to sense Yang Kai’s presence even while he was asleep. When he opened his eyes, he was met with Yang Kai’s gaze.
As they stared at each other, the Monster General was startled for a moment before he let out a cry of surprise and accidentally dropped from the branch. After hurriedly getting to his feet, he skipped toward Yang Kai and said in a fawning manner, “Greetings, Senior Yang. May your life be long and prosperous. Hoohoo…”
Yang Kai gazed at him and realised that the Monster General had a square head with a pair of eyebrows that were as straight as swords. His nose was small, and his mouth was pointed, which looked like the beak of a bird. With a faint smile, Yang Kai asked, “You know me?”
The Monster General quickly bowed his head, “No one in the Ancient Lands doesn’t recognise Senior Yang. I work under Master Ying Fei. It was right in this place in the past that I witnessed Senior Yang’s awe-inspiring might. Hoohoo…”
“What species do you stem from?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
The Monster General replied, “This little one hails from the owl lineage and gained enlightenment after assuming Human Form many years ago. However, due to a minor cultivation dissonance in the past, my Human Form isn’t perfect. It is quite an embarrassing story.”
It was no wonder that he looked so strange. Normally, there wouldn’t be any flaws after a Monster General assumed Human Form; however, the person before Yang Kai’s eyes still had very conspicuous features of a Monster Beast. It seemed that he was really a simple owl who had evolved into a Monster Race after receiving enlightenment.
“What are you doing here?” Yang Kai asked.
The Monster General replied respectfully, “I’ve received Sir Monster King’s order to keep watch on the Blood Gate. En, he told me that it was also the Divine Venerables’ order.”
“Are you the only one here?”
“Yes. Hoohoo…”
Yang Kai took a look at his lower body, “How did you get injured?”
The Monster General replied with a proud expression, “It was in battle against the Demons in the Western Territory. I managed to kill a certain Demon, but my leg was cut off by him as a result. My blood soaked the ground and I was in excruciating pain; however, I was lucky to have survived, hahaha. It was worth it to exchange one leg for his life. I wanted to keep fighting as I still have one good leg, which should be enough to trade for another Demon’s life, but Sir Monster King told me to come back and keep watch on the Blood Gate instead, which is why I returned.’’
Yang Kai widened his mouth as he didn’t expect that there was such a story behind this fellow’s missing leg. Nodding, he lifted his hand and clapped the Monster General’s shoulder, “You’ve done a great job.”
The Monster General immediately appeared to be overwhelmed by his emotions as he was lost for words. With his eyes turning bloodshot, it seemed that he would tear up at any moment.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai said, “All those who can fight should take part in the war, but it is equally important to keep watch over the Blood Gate here. Just stay right here, and if anything happens, immediately inform your King or the Divine Venerables about it.”
“Please rest assured, Sir, this one will stay right here and not go anywhere.” The Monster General straightened up and thumped his own chest.
“Good. I just came here to have a look.” Yang Kai nodded and turned around to leave. After he took two steps forward, his figure flickered and disappeared, which shocked the Monster General.
A moment later, the Monster General came to his senses and cupped his fists, “Farewell, Sir…”
Before he even finished his words, he realised that there was something in his hands. Spreading his palm, he saw that there was a new Space Ring in his grip.
He wasn’t even aware that a Space Ring had suddenly appeared in his hand. With doubt, he swept the inside with his Divine Sense and was immediately stunned. That was because there were a few thousand Monster Cores inside the ring, and all of them appeared to be of extraordinary quality. Although there were no Monster Cores from Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts, they were exactly what he needed right now.
Knowing that it was a gift from Yang Kai, he immediately fell on his knees and repeatedly pressed his head against the ground in the direction Yang Kai had left. At the same time, he kept thanking him.
…
One hour later, Yang Kai arrived at Star Soul Palace in the Southern Territory.
Although he was dreading what was to come next, he still had to make an appearance. Bright Moon Great Emperor’s corpse was brought back by Lei Hong, so the reason Yang Kai came today was to pay final respects to the Great Emperor and to apologise to Lan Xun.
Before coming to this place, he had told himself that he wouldn’t resist even if Lan Xu scolded and beat him up; after all, he had indeed killed Bright Moon with his own hand. He had even imagined that those from Star Soul Palace wouldn’t welcome him.
However, when Yang Kai stepped into Star Soul Palace, he was shocked to see that the Great Emperor’s Sect, which was the cornerstone of the Southern Territory, seemed to be in a state of panic and upheaval.
Around the Space Array, there wasn’t even a single disciple from Star Soul Palace standing guard. Besides that, five coloured light could be seen flowing outside the hall. Between Heaven and Earth, the World Energy was turbulent as a very dangerous aura wafted from deeper inside Star Soul Palace, one that seemed like it would shatter the world apart at any moment.
A flabbergasted Yang Kai flew out of the hall and looked over, his pupils contracting at what he saw.
It wasn’t that Star Soul Palace was under attack. Although Bright Moon was dead, a Great Emperor’s Sect was still a powerful existence, more than enough to fend off a half-hearted invasion. The change that had taken place must be because of Star Soul Palace’s internal trouble.
At this moment, the gigantic Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was hovering in mid-air, the pulses of light radiating from its surface.
The pagoda was the most important treasure in Star Soul Palace. In the past, Yang Kai had a chance to enter it to experience its mysteries. The Thousand Illusions Dreamworld in High Heaven Palace was obtained from the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
There were five floors in total inside the pagoda, and each one was an abstruse and seemingly infinite space. This was an ancient treasure that was simply invaluable. The reason Star Soul Palace had such a firm heritage had much to do with this pagoda.
Presently, the pagoda was trembling, and Yang Kai could see that the people around it were sporting grim expressions as they kept performing hand seals in an attempt to stabilize it.
Three Great Elders, Lei Hong, Xue Zheng Mao, and Xiao Yu Yang were all present, along with more than ten other Emperor Realm Masters. Countless Dao Source Realm cultivators had also surrounded the pagoda to provide support; however, all of them seemed to have pale faces and were drenched in sweat.