Although Yang Kai had no idea what had happened to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, it was apparent that the situation was perilous.
Swiftly arriving beside Lei Hong, Yang Kai pushed his Demon Qi as he spread out his palms towards the pagoda in an attempt to help stabilize it. Unexpectedly, his overflowing power wasn’t even able to go near the pagoda as it was repelled by the turbulent five-coloured light.
He wasn’t a disciple from Star Soul Palace, nor had he cultivated their orthodoxical Secret Arts. Moreover, the power Yang Kai used was Demon Qi, which wasn’t accepted by Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda.
Sensing the fluctuations of Demon Qi, all the top cultivators in Star Soul Palace had their expressions change drastically as they thought that someone from Demon Heavenly Dao had invaded their Sect. However, upon seeing that the person who had used Demon Qi was Yang Kai, they were able to relax. Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao slightly nodded at Yang Kai before they re-focused themselves and continued trying to stabilize the pagoda.
Yang Kai turned to look at Lei Hong, “Great Elder, what happened?”
With a solemn expression, Lei Hong used a different hand seal as he replied, “Her Highness has entered the World Pagoda in an attempt to refine it. Now, it seems that something has gone wrong. The World Pagoda is attempting to leave the Sect.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “This sudden change was caused by Junior Sister Lan?” It wasn’t until this moment that he found out that the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was officially called the World Pagoda. Prior to this, he didn’t know the real name of this treasure.
Lei Hong nodded solemnly, “En.”
An exasperated Yang Kai said, “Why didn’t you all stop her?”
The World Pagoda was an ancient treasure that had been around since before Star Soul Palace was founded. It was refined by Bright Moon Great Emperor and became the most important piece of the Palace’s foundation. When Bright Moon Great Emperor was around, no one would dare to challenge the authority of Star Soul Palace. Now that he was gone, Lan Xun, as Bright Moon’s only descendent, had to take up the responsibility to protect and revive Star Soul Palace. Her cultivation wasn’t powerful, as she was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, so she decided to rely on a treasure, and the only treasure in Star Soul Palace that could provide her with such power was the World Pagoda.
If she could refine the World Pagoda, she could still retain the glory of Star Soul Palace even though Bright Moon Great Emperor was no longer around. If she succeeded, her power would surge despite the fact that she was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm. Fortunately, she had inherited the Great Emperor’s Bright Moon Body; hence, she was the only one who could refine the pagoda.
Unfortunately, she was in too much of a hurry.
For a treasure like the World Pagoda, even a Pseudo-Great Emperor might not be able to refine it, let alone a mere First-Order Emperor. This resulted in the current upheaval.
“She snuck in while we weren’t paying attention,” Lei Hong said through clenched teeth. If he had found out Lan Xun’s plan, he would have done everything possible to stop her. The Great Emperor had passed away, so Lan Xun was the last hope and pillar of strength for Star Soul Palace.
More than ten days ago, he had brought back Bright Moon’s corpse from Seven Mists Sea as everyone in Star Soul Palace was grief-stricken. All the Elders and disciples had put on mourning clothes as they knelt in respect in front of the mourning hall. Lan Xun had also knelt for several days straight without moving a muscle.
Three days ago, she got to her feet all of a sudden and wouldn’t tell anyone where she was going. Although Xiao Chen had raced after her, he was knocked out by her. When he came to his senses, Lan Xu had already entered the World Pagoda.
She must have obtained a special seal left behind by Bright Moon Great Emperor, as after she entered, the entire World Pagoda was sealed off, and all the disciples inside it were expelled. No one else could go in again.
Following that, the World Pagoda descended into turmoil as five coloured light radiated out of it. That was how the present sight came about.
Upon hearing Lei Hong’s explanation, Yang Kai had a grim expression. He knew that no one was at fault. Since Lan Xun had insisted on doing this, no one could have stopped her.
“Palace Master Yang, please save Junior Sister. Please save her!” Xiao Chen was just in a nearby spot as he turned his head and pleaded with Yang Kai.
He had been on bad terms with Yang Kai since the first time they met. Whenever they came across each other in the past, he would always deride Yang Kai. As Xiao Yu Yang’s Son, Xiao Chen was conceited and thought that he was the most outstanding young man in the world.
However, at this moment, he could be seen with bloodshot eyes and a pale face. Apparently, he had over-exerted himself these past few days. Lan Xun had knocked him out right before sneaking into the World Pagoda, so he blamed himself for failing in his attempt to keep watch on her. He was currently pleading with Yang Kai because he thought that the latter could save her.
Yang Kai shot him a look and nodded gently, “I’ll do my best.”
He then turned to look at Lei Hong, “Is no one else able to enter?”
Lei Hong shook his head, “None of us can get inside.”
“Have you informed the Great Emperors about the situation?” Since the advent of Cross-Territory Space Arrays, moving about rapidly had become far easier. A serious event had happened in Star Soul Palace, and if the other Great Emperors found out about it, they wouldn’t stand idly by.
Lei Hong replied, “Half a day ago, I sent a disciple to Seven Mists Sea.”
Right then, Yang Kai and Lei Hong turned around as they sensed a Great Emperor’s aura had appeared in that direction. The next moment, a towering figure appeared in front of them.
Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen, had arrived. Standing in the sky, he looked up at the World Pagoda and fell silent, a tinge of longing and sorrow behind his gaze.
“Senior…” The World Pagoda was extremely unstable as it seemed that it would fly off at any moment with Lan Xun still inside. If the pagoda really flew away, they might not be able to find it again, and Lan Xun would have to spend the rest of her life trapped inside. Yang Kai was feeling flustered, but Zhan Wu Hen just stared at the pagoda without saying a word, which was why he decided to call out to him.
Zhan Wu Hen lowered his gaze and took a look at him before saying impassively, “Brat, what are you doing here?”
Yang Kai quickly said, “This Junior came to pay his respects to the Great Emperor and happened to come across this incident.”
Zhan Wu Hen clicked his tongue and asked again, “Not that, I’m asking why you’re still standing here.”
A puzzled Yang Kai looked inquisitively at him.
“Get inside!” Zhan Wu Hen demanded.
A befuddled Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Senior, you might not be aware of it yet, but Great Elder Lei has said that…”
He wanted to explain it to Zhan Wu Hen, but the latter didn’t intend to listen to him. Zhan Wu Hen directly grabbed Yang Kai’s shoulder with one hand and snorted, “Stop your blabbering! I told you to get inside!”
Upon finishing his words, he hurled Yang Kai toward the World Pagoda as though he was throwing away a dirty piece of cloth.
Yang Kai let out a panicked cry as Lei Hong was flabbergasted. The top cultivators from Star Soul Palace who had seen this scene exclaimed as well. No one could have expected that Zhan Wu Hen would make such a move.
Even as Yang Kai was being hurled away, he couldn’t help marvelling at the Great Emperor’s strength. He had seen how Zhan Wu Hen placed his hand on his shoulder and tossed him. Zhan Wu Hen’s movements were not particularly fast, but for some reason, Yang Kai didn’t even have the ability to resist.
However, such thoughts were truly fleeting as, in the next moment, Yang Kai felt that he would soon see stars after smacking into the pagoda.
Zhan Wu Hen was extremely strong, and at this moment, Yang Kai was shooting toward the pagoda at an incredible speed. Even though he was a Half-Dragon, he would probably still end up in a miserable state.
Just when he was about to crash into the pagoda though, the structure started trembling slightly as a door-sized swirl appeared in front of him. Following that, he flew past the swirl and disappeared.
[He got in! He really entered!] All the Emperor Realm Masters at the scene were dumbfounded.
Lan Xun’s entry into the pagoda had caused it to descend into turmoil, so certainly the Elders wanted to follow her inside to help her or persuade her to give up; however, Lan Xun possessed a special seal left behind by Bright Moon Great Emperor, and she had completely isolated the pagoda. No matter what methods they used, they were unable to enter; therefore, they could only try to stabilize the pagoda from the outside to lend her a hand.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai directly entered the pagoda after Zhan Wu Hen hurled him towards it, which was inconceivable.
Lei Hong and the others appeared pleasantly surprised as they gazed at Zhan Wu Hen in awe. Since he was capable of doing this much, they wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.
As though Zhan Wu Hen had seen through their thoughts, he said dispassionately, “Only he is able to enter, so all of you should stop thinking about it.”
Lei Hong frowned and asked, “Senior, what do you mean?”
Zhan Wu Hen shot him a look and grinned, “I mean, even this King is unable to enter!”
“What!?” Lei Hong was flabbergasted as disbelief was written all over his face. However, since Zhan Wu Hen had said so, he could only believe him.
“To be precise, I can enter…” Zhan Wu Hen digressed, “But that would cause damage to the World Pagoda. At the very least, I have to destroy half of the seal Bright Moon left behind, and that would still take a few months.”
They couldn’t wait for a few months as too much could happen during that time.
A puzzled Xiao Yu Yang asked, “Senior, since you’re unable to enter with ease, how did Palace Master Yang…”
“What do you think?” Zhan Wu Hen put on a smile as his expression turned inscrutable.
Realisation suddenly dawned upon Xiao Yu Yang as well as Lei Hong and Xue Zheng Mao. That was because Yang Kai had inherited the World’s Will that belonged to Bright Moon.
Bright Moon Great Emperor had refined the World Pagoda, so it would naturally reject everyone except him under the current circumstances. Although Yang Kai wasn’t Bright Moon, he had inherited the World’s Will from him, so he carried with him a little bit of Bright Moon’s aura, which was why the pagoda wouldn’t bar him from entering.
Lei Hong and the others, as well as Yang Kai, were not even aware of this; however, as soon as Zhan Wu Hen arrived, he realised that there was a special kind of resonance between Yang Kai and the pagoda.
This kind of resonance could only have been left behind by the deceased Bright Moon.
An elated Lei Hong said, “Does it mean that after Palace Master Yang goes in, everything will be fine?”
“When did I say that?” Zhan Wu Hen shook his head, “He can indeed go in, but the world inside the World Pagoda is extremely mysterious. Even though he has entered, I don’t even know what he will come across. Maybe he won’t even be able to find Little Lan Xun.”
“What should we do, then?” The expressions of Lei Hong, Xiao Yu Yang, and the others changed.
“We’ve done our best. Their fates are up the Heavens now.” Zhan Wu Hen’s expression was solemn, “As long as the World Pagoda is still around, they will not die. That brat is also fairly powerful, so I’m sure he’ll find Lan Xun sooner or later.”
A worried Lei Hong asked, “What if the World Pagoda flies away before that happens?”
Zhan Wu Hen replied with a smile, “Just let it fly away then. That brat is an expert in the Dao of Space, so you don’t have to worry about him finding his way back. Even if it takes him hundreds or even a thousand years, he will return one day.”
[A few hundred or even a thousand years?] Upon hearing that, Lei Hong and the others were seen with worried expressions on their faces. It would be alright if it was just a hundred years, which wasn’t a short nor a long time; however, if it would take them a thousand years, Yang Kai and Lan Xun might have even begotten a crowd of children by the time they returned.
When a man and a woman spent a thousand years together alone, it wasn’t difficult to imagine what would happen.
“Stand aside,” Zhan Wu Hen waved his hand and demanded.
Hearing the order, all the top cultivators of Star Soul Palace became encouraged, knowing that the Great Emperor was going to make a move. Without hesitation, they retracted their Emperor Qi and stepped back.
In an instant, the five coloured lights around the World Pagoda flashed as the gigantic pagoda shook violently. Space around it cracked, as though the pagoda was about to fly away.
All of a sudden, a scarlet banner appeared as a bloody aura permeated the air, which caused everyone to turn solemn. The banner was so huge that it was as though the entire sky had been covered with it.
Iron Blood War Banner, Iron Blood Great Emperor’s Natal Artifact.
This wasn’t an Ancient Exotic Artifact, nor was it refined by an Artifact Refiner. Instead, it was the manifestation of Zhan Wu Hen’s cultivation. Since he had used the Iron Blood War Banner, it meant that he was going all out, which went to show how spectacular the pagoda was. Even a Great Emperor had to use his full might to suppress it. If Zhan Wu Hen hadn’t come here, Lei Hong and the others wouldn’t have been able to stabilize the World Pagoda for long, and sooner or later, they would lose this most important treasure.
The scarlet War Banner was extremely vivid. It looked like a blood wall that could shade the entire sky, and the flowing colour looked like weltering blood, which could easily daze any beholder. The War Banner swiftly fell onto the World Pagoda and engulfed it, and in the blink of an eye, the entire pagoda was covered tightly.
The five coloured light disappeared as the pagoda quickly stabilised. The entire world seemed to be filled with the scarlet colour, which painted everyone’s face red.
Standing in front of the pagoda, Zhan Wu Hen placed his hands behind his back and stared as he waited patiently.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was in trouble.
He was thrown into the pagoda by Zhan Wu Hen, and before he could understand what was going on, an oddly-shaped beast with long fur was striding toward him. The long-furred beast’s aura was strange, so Yang Kai wasn’t sure what it was.
He had wanted to make a move to test the beast’s strength, but he was surprised to see it opening its mouth wide before he could even react. A moment later, he was gulped down into its stomach, following which, he found himself inside a strange world.
The clouds above his head had been dyed red, as though the entire sky was burning. Upon closer look, he realised that the sky really was ablaze. The red clouds were actually flames that were blazing across the sky.
On the other hand, lava could be seen flowing on the ground and magma bubbles kept popping, releasing a pungent smell. Even Yang Kai felt that the surrounding heat was scalding.
Of the Five Elements, only one seemed to exist in this world, Fire. Yang Kai realised that he couldn’t detect the other four Elements. It wasn’t the first time he came across such an odd place, but before he could scan the surroundings to find out more, a hideous figure emerged from the lava.
It had a dragon’s head, a deer’s body, an ox’s tail, fish scales, and two horns on its forehead. Its entire body was burning with fire, and its feet were engulfed in dark flames. Despite its odd appearance, it was imposing
[A Qilin! An Ancient Divine Spirit Fire Qilin!] Yang Kai’s eyes almost protruded. Fire Qilins were also highly ranked among Divine Spirits. If all the Divine Spirits in the world were divided into different classes, and Dragons and Phoenixes were the most prestigious, Qilins would be among the third class, similar to Qiong Qi.
Yang Kai knew about Qiong Qi’s power and understood that the average Pseudo-Great Emperor would not be his match, so what about the Fire Qilin before his eyes?
Hence, when the Fire Qilin appeared, Yang Kai became alarmed and instantly communicated with his Sealed World Bead so that he could summon his protectors, the three Half-Saints, at any moment. The Embodiment wasn’t the only one in the Sealed World Bead right now as Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng had forcefully made him bring Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya with him.
With three Half-Saints joining forces, a single Fire Qilin was certainly no match no matter how powerful it was.
While Yang Kai was still contemplating his next move though, rumbling sounds were heard as more and more Fire Qilins emerged from the lava, all of them with hideous and imposing images.
In the blink of an eye, more than a thousand Fire Qilins appeared out of the lava and surrounded Yang Kai, staring at him with fiery eyes.
At that instant, Yang Kai’s expression turned pensive. He could understand it if there was only one Fire Qilin; after all, the World Pagoda was abstruse and it contained countless Small Worlds, so it wasn’t surprising that there was such an odd world inside the pagoda.
However, something was off as there were simply too many Fire Qilins at the moment. No Divine Spirit could ever have such exceptional reproductive ability. The Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and all other Divine Spirit Clans could not achieve this.
Hence, it was impossible that there were more than a thousand Fire Qilins in this world. It was Heavenly Way’s method of maintaining balance, allowing such powerful Divine Spirits to exist, but not reproduce in great numbers. If too many Divine Spirits were born, there would be no room for other creatures to exist.
In order to prove that his speculation was right, he lifted his hand and slashed a Moon Blade at the Fire Qilin nearest to him.
The Moon Blade broke through the air and slashed across Fire Qilin’s figure. Following a shriek, the Fire Qilin was cut into two.
[They’re not real Fire Qilins!] If they were the real Qilins, Yang Kai couldn’t have killed one with just a single strike. For some reason, these beasts looked just like Qilins though, and despite Yang Kai’s acute vision, he couldn’t see any flaws in them.
Before he could heave a sigh of relief though, his strike seemed to have enraged the Fire Qilins as they all pounced at him. At that instant, all the fire in this world seemed to erupt and the lava boiled fiercely. Even the fire in the sky became more vigorous.
Not daring to underestimate his foes, Yang Kai quickly summoned his three Half-Saint protectors.
Although these Fire Qilins were not real Divine Spirits, they were also not weak. From what Yang Kai could gauge, every one of them was equivalent to a First-Order Emperor.
Yang Kai wouldn’t care if there were only one to two of them, he could even deal with ten to twenty of them; however, if the figure was more than two hundred, he would have to flee.
This world of fire had to be one of the countless Small Worlds in the World Pagoda, so unless he could break the World Barrier of this Small World, he couldn’t possibly flee.
It took time and concentration to break a World Barrier though, so he needed people to protect him while he worked.
As soon as the Embodiment appeared, he could share Yang Kai’s thoughts and understand what was going on. Without saying a word, he summoned the Demonic War Hammer and pounded his fist against his own chest. In an instant, his figure expanded into a three-hundred-meter-tall giant.
The Demonic War Hammer also expanded proportionally. Standing on the lava, the Embodiment wielded his hammer as his Half-Saint’s power flared out. Many of the Fire Qilins that were pouncing were smashed into dust in an instant.
Bai Ya and Bai Zhuo didn’t react as quickly. As soon as they appeared, they were startled for a moment, and when they saw the sight before their eyes, they were shocked.
One of them exclaimed, “What are these?”.
The other asked, “Brother Yang, what’s going on?”
Yang Kai replied, “Just kill them!”
Hesitating no more, the two Half-Saints executed his order and started killing.
With three Half-Saints around Yang Kai, the Fire Qilins were unable to get within a half-kilometre radius. The three Half-Saints also didn’t go out of their way to attack and simply defended against any Qilin that dared to leap towards them.
Remaining on the spot, Yang Kai closed his eyes to sense his surroundings. At the same time, he recalled what had happened after he entered the pagoda. He had a feeling that he had somewhat grasped something at that moment and was now trying to unravel it.
A moment later, Bai Ya exclaimed, “Brother Bai Zhuo, something is wrong!”
Bai Zhuo nodded, “En, they’re endless.”
Although there were many Qilins, the three Half-Saints should have been able to wipe them out given enough time; however, the truth was that there didn’t seem to be a drop in the enemy’s numbers. No matter how many Qilins they killed, more and more would pounce on them a moment later.
After observing for a bit, they finally realised the problem. For every Qilin they killed, a new one would emerge from the lava, which was why they were unable to kill them all.
“What kind of damned place is this?” Bai Zhuo smiled helplessly. These Fire Qilins were not tangible beings but rather condensed Earth Fire. Unless they extracted all the energy in this world, they would never kill them all.
They were Half-Saints, so killing these fake Qilins was like killing ants for them; however, a sea of ants could eventually devour an elephant.
“This is a training ground,” Yang Kai explained impassively as he opened his eyes.
The World Pagoda was the most important treasure in Star Soul Palace. Since time immemorial, countless disciples had entered it for life experience and to become stronger. The innumerable Small Worlds in this pagoda were the best training grounds for them.
It was the same case for the Small World they were in right now. If there was no mechanism to keep replacing the Fire Qilins, this training ground couldn’t serve its purpose.
“Brother Bai Zhuo, come with me!” Yang Kai said and leapt into the air.
Hearing that, Bai Zhuo immediately raced after him. Their speed was incredible as they had moved for a few thousand metres in the blink of an eye.
Gazing at the weltering flames in the sky, Bai Zhuo said solemnly, “Brother Yang, be careful.”
Although he had no idea what these flames were, he could detect a dangerous aura coming from them.
Right after he finished speaking, the weltering flames became even more violent, and the next moment, a huge bird descended from the fire clouds. Its wings could spread for more than ten metres wide and its entire body was crimson red, its beak as pointed as a sword. More conspicuously, the bird only had one leg.
It was a Bi Fang, another Divine Spirit. Needless to say, they knew that, just like the Fire Qilins that had emerged from the lava, the bird wasn’t a true Divine Spirit but a condensation of this place’s strong Fire Attribute Energy. They just looked like Divine Spirits.
Having experienced this situation already, Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo were not so shocked when they saw the sight.
As expected, following the first Bi Fang, more than a thousand Bi Fangs appeared, diving down from the fire clouds. The flames that swirled around them seemed able to burn all intruders to death.
Bai Zhuo immediately shot forward and appeared before Yang Kai. As his Demon Qi undulated, many blood threads shot in different directions as several dozen Bi Fangs were killed without even being able to make a sound.
Yang Kai followed suit and brandished his Myriads Sword as he swept his Sword Qi across the enemy.
The Human and Demon then shot into the sky and started killing.
Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo crossed a thousand kilometres and killed more than a thousand Bi Fangs. Just like the Fire Qilins, the birds coming at them were like a never-ending stream. Despite the fact that they had killed a thousand of them, it still wouldn’t be useful at all even if they could go on killing ten thousand more.
Nevertheless, they had managed to get near the fire clouds.
Yang Kai wielded his sword, sending out innumerable sword waves as he dashed forward while Bai Zhuo brought up the rear, protecting him from behind.
The fire clouds were still sweltering, but the burning flames were unable to shade the glittering cold light of the Myraids Sword.
The next moment, the fire clouds separated as Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo shot into the sky.
Unfortunately, they were still engulfed in fire clouds and there didn’t seem to be an end to them. Nevertheless, they kept flying upwards without pause.
A long time had passed, and they had lost count of how many Bi Fangs they had killed. All of a sudden, Yang Kai stopped, and upon seeing that, Bai Zhuo also halted as they respectively pushed their Demon Qi to form a protective layer around themselves.
Still standing on the lava, the Embodiment received a message from Yang Kai and shouted to Bai Ya, “Let’s go!”
After he finished speaking, he turned into a Human-sized figure, and with the Demonic War Hammer in hand, he whizzed into the sky.
Seeing that, countless Qilins quickly raced after them.
After they dashed into the fire clouds, they bumped into a large group of Bi Fangs. It was then that the Fire Qilins stopped moving. It was as though the sky and the ground were two separate domains. Qilins were only responsible for keeping watch on the ground while Bi Fangs had to deal with the enemies in the sky.
Fire clouds and Bi Fangs were unable to stop Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo, so naturally, they couldn’t do that to the Embodiment and Bai Ya either. Just a moment later, all four of them were reunited.
“One stick of incense!” The Embodiment spoke on behalf of Yang Kai. Upon hearing that, Bai Ya and Bai Zhuo nodded as the three Half-Saints dispersed and surrounded Yang Kai to protect him.
Yang Kai had closed his eyes and he didn’t move a muscle. Despite that, anyone could feel the Space Principles wafting from his body. The Principles were not strong, but they were expanding in all directions like countless thin threads. It was as though he was trying to look for something.
Undoubtedly, he was looking for a weak point in the World Barrier.
This place was just one of the countless Small Worlds in the World Pagoda. If they wanted to leave, they had to break the barrier of this world. Earlier, Yang Kai had run around to search the ground, but he couldn’t find any weak points there; therefore, he decided to look for one in the sky.
Although Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space, it still wasn’t easy for him to break the barrier of a Small World. Every world had weak points. For example, the Two Worlds’ Passage was where the World Barrier in the Star Boundary was weakest, which was why the Demons managed to open up a passage that connected the two Great Worlds.
Even a Great World like the Star Boundary had its weak point, so nothing needed to be said about a mere Small World.
Fortunately, Yang Kai soon found a weak point, but now he needed time. The reason he could easily find it was that this world wasn’t that large. If they were inside a large-scale Small World, he would have to spend a much longer time. As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy turned into a razor-sharp blade. Following his Space Principles, he cut into the weak point and pried open a gap.
The three Half-Saints around him in the meantime continued killing. These Bi Fangs were condensed from the Small World’s World Energy, so they didn’t fear death, nor did they know pain. Worse, they would be infinitely resurrected.
The Embodiment was in a better state as he was a Stone Spirit and he had obtained Shi Huo’s Source, which was why he wouldn’t get exhausted quickly. On the other hand, Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya could feel their energy drain from their bodies, but they wouldn’t dare to preserve any strength at this critical moment. They fully used their power in every strike. With such great consumption, it wouldn’t take long before they ran out of fuel.
Fortunately, they only needed to persevere for one stick of incense. If they were told to hang on for a few days, they wouldn’t even know whether they could make it.
As they were killing their enemies, they were also paying attention to Yang Kai. As time passed, the originally subtle Space Principle fluctuations became violent. Apparently, Yang Kai had made some progress.
One incense stick later, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes as the fluctuations of Space Principles intensified greatly. Space around him contorted and visible ripples were formed.
Staring right at the front, he exerted more force with his hands like they were blades and stabbed into the Void.
Strangely, as soon as he pushed out his hands, they disappeared.
The next moment, Yang Kai widened his eyes in fury as his Demon Qi surged like a tsunami. At the same time, he bellowed, “Open!”
With his shout, he forcefully tore the Void apart with his hands.
In an instant, the sky separated like a silk cloth that had been torn apart. As a buzzing sound reverberated around in this world, a crack came into view. The crack was pitch-black and filled with nothingness. Following Yang Kai’s movements, it slowly expanded into a several tens of metres long and ten metres wide chasm.
Yang Kai turned around and said to the Half-Saints, “Go!”
They had been suffering in this damned place for quite some time now, so now that the World Barrier was broken, they couldn’t wait to leave.
Without hesitation, Bai Ya and Bai Zhuo used their Secret Techniques to kill all the enemies in close proximity before returning to Yang Kai. The Embodiment also wielded his hammer as he retreated.
Yang Kai activated his Demon Qi to engulf them and dashed into the Void Crack. When they reappeared, they were already in another world.
In a nearby spot, a long-furred beast could be seen covering its stomach as it gazed at Yang Kai and the others with a horrified look on its face. Then, it turned around and fled. Yang Kai could recognise that it was this beast that had gulped him down earlier, which caused him to plunge into the world of fire. However, at this moment, there was a long wound on the beast’s body which it was covering. The thing that was flowing out of the wound wasn’t blood but the flames they saw earlier in that Small World.
Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya still didn’t understand what was going on, so seeing the beast, they decided to kill it. However, they were stopped by Yang Kai.
“What is that?” Seeing as the beast was fleeing, Bai Zhuo frowned. He was a Demon from the Demon Realm, so he thought that the beast was unique to the Star Boundary as he had never come across it before.
“It’s the Small World.” Yang Kai scowled.
“What?” Bai Zhuo stared at him in shock, “Brother Yang, you mean, it’s the Spirit Manifestation of the Small World?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded. If that was not the case, he wouldn’t have entered the Small World after he was gulped down by the long-furred beast. After he tore apart the barrier and got out, there happened to be a wound on the beast’s stomach. It all went to show that the long-furred beast was the manifestation of the Small World.
“How can that be?” Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya were flabbergasted. They had never heard or seen a Small World that possessed a manifestation. If that was really the case, it could very well happen to the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm. When that happened, Demons and Humans would essentially be living inside the stomachs of two giant Spirits.
“Nothing is impossible. Have you forgotten about my Sealed World Bead?”
Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya were startled for a moment as they recalled that the Sealed World Bead could also turn into a giant manifestation. They had personally seen the enormous Gun-Gun, and upon that realisation, they were relieved.
“Moreover, there are some changes inside this place, but I’m not sure what is going on. From what we saw, the Small World has indeed obtained a Spirit Manifestation.”
The long-furred beast was a manifestation of the Small World, so its power was concealed by World Energy. That was the reason Yang Kai couldn’t make out its true form or strength at first glance and accidentally got devoured by it.
However, it seemed that the long-furred beast was without sentience and only acted on instinct; otherwise, given its power as a Small World’s manifestation, Yang Kai wouldn’t have so easily escaped.
Yang Kai had no idea what the changes were that had happened in the World Pagoda. He also didn’t know what Lan Xun had done, nor was he aware of where she was or what she had gone through.
Nevertheless, they fell into danger right after they entered the pagoda, which made Yang Kai worried. He had to find Lan Xun as quickly as possible to help her solve her current problems. Even if he couldn’t, he had to bring her out of this place.
He had been blaming himself for failing in his attempt to bring Bright Moon out of the Demon Realm. If he also couldn’t ensure Lan Xue’s safety now, his years of cultivation would have all been in vain.
After keeping the three Half-Saints, Yang Kai moved forward on his own.
He remembered that there were five floors in total inside the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. Every floor could allow cultivators with different cultivations to enter to train. Since Lan Xun wanted to refine the pagoda, she must have gone to the most important place, which was the fifth floor.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai couldn’t find his way to the next floor. It seemed that the floor he was in was the only one in the entire pagoda.
While looking for the way to get to the next floor, he came across many ferocious beasts. Without any exception, they were all Small Worlds that had all achieved Spirit Manifestation. These beasts had different temperaments. Some of them were timid and ran away as soon as they saw Yang Kai. Some of them were as savage as the long-furred beast and pounced on Yang Kai the moment they met.
Usually, Yang Kai would just evade them using Instantaneous Movement. He wanted to avoid as many battles as possible right now.
However, he wasn’t always so fortunate. Not all Small Worlds had a manifestation that looked like a beast. Some Small Worlds had turned into rocks that looked entirely ordinary. When Yang Kai passed by a stone once, it widened its mouth and ate him, which caused him to fall into a strange Small World again that he had to spend time escaping.
Some of these Small Worlds were strong, while some of them were weak. The strong ones were just like the long-furred beast he had come across and Yang Kai had to summon the three Half-Saints to help protect him. For the weak ones, he just needed a thought to break the World Barrier himself to escape.
Bai Ya and Bai Zhuo were exhausted by now. Although they were strong, they didn’t have enough stamina to battle against so many enemies without rest. That was why every time they returned to the Sealed World Bead, they would seize the chance to recuperate and get prepared for the next battle.
With no exception, Yang Kai wouldn’t do anything to these manifestations of the Small Worlds.
Every Small World or Sealed World in this pagoda was a treasure, and they were left behind by the Great Emperor to be passed down to Lan Xun. He wouldn’t destroy or snatch them.
After a few days, he became anxious as there still weren’t any clues about where to go. The longer this dragged on, the more dangerous Lan Xun’s situation would become.
While Yang Kai was searching around one day though, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look in a particular direction, only to see a petite figure standing on a mound as she was staring silently at him.
It was a little girl no more than five or six years old. Her hair had been tied into two ponytails, and she was clad in a beautiful dress. Her big eyes shone brightly and her facial features were exquisite.
Yang Kai knitted his brows together because it was the second time he had come across this little girl.
Despite her petite figure, Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to underestimate her. The only things that could be moving around in this pagoda right now were the Spirits that were transformed from Small Worlds.
It was the case for the stone and the long-furred beast, so this little girl must be a Spirit Manifestation as well.
When he came across her on the previous day, she had just observed him from afar. A vigilant Yang Kai had circumvented her, but he hadn’t expected that he would see her again on this day. Certainly, it wasn’t a coincidence. The young girl must be following him!
That was the reason Yang Kai was wary. So far, he had come across more than ten Small World Manifestations, but none of them had any consciousness as they only acted on their instincts. The fact that this little girl could follow him suggested that she was different from other manifestations.
Nevertheless, she seemed just as timid as a frightened mouse.
When Yang Kai saw her on the previous day, she immediately ran away. Although she didn’t flee immediately this time, she had only dared to hide behind the mound and stick out her head to observe Yang Kai with her big, blinking eyes.
Yang Kai frowned as he had no idea what she was up to. Since she was stalking him, why was she so afraid of him? Was she just curious?
Without pondering on the reason behind it, Yang Kai turned around and left.
Seeing that, the little girl started flushing and balled up her fists. She also parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but she couldn’t say a word in the end, so she became flustered.
After walking for several tens of metres, Yang Kai suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around. Then, he strode towards the little girl.
When the anxious little girl saw that, she became elated in an instant, but as Yang Kai approached her, she started stepping backwards. Her movement was slow and her steps were small as the hem of her dress flapped in the air. However, Yang Kai was shocked to realise that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get any closer to her.
As his patience had run out, he used his Space Principles to appear in front of her in the blink of an eye, and before she could react, he directly grabbed her shoulders.
The next moment, both of their expressions could be seen changing.
The little girl was terrified. She was already timid to the point that she didn’t dare to approach Yang Kai, so now that her shoulders were suddenly grasped, she became incredibly anxious. Her eyes had turned watery as she was about to tear up, so she looked rather pitiful.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was stunned by the impact he felt. The moment he grabbed her shoulders, he felt an immense power storming into his body, causing him to feel dizzy and see stars; in fact, he almost passed out on the spot.
World Force!
Just like what he had speculated, the little girl was indeed a Small World Manifestation. When they came into contact, the World Force which sustained her manifestation surged and dealt a heavy blow to him.
Yang Kai was even preparing to summon his Half-Saints after he felt this impact.
Fortunately, although the little girl was greatly frightened, she didn’t seem to have any hostile intent. She was just trying to retract her frail arms as she looked pleadingly at him.
As the power of the Soul Warming Lotus undulated, Yang Kai was able to somehow calm down. Staring at the little girl before his eyes, he tried to say in as harmless a manner as possible, “I’m looking for someone who is like me, but she’s a woman. Have you seen her?”
Just like how Xiao Chen had asked him out of desperation, Yang Kai was now asking a random little girl on the off chance she had some clues.
Although he had come across some Small Word Manifestations before, they didn’t have any sentience; however, this little girl seemed to be different from them as she could clearly think for herself, which was why he had to ask her about it.
He didn’t pin his hopes on her, but simply asked as there was nothing to lose.
On the other hand, the little girl was flabbergasted. Since she was unable to withdraw her arms, her immense World Force surged again.
Despite the fact that Yang Kai was well prepared, he was still sent flying backwards upon impact. Fortunately, he didn’t get hurt as he only felt the vitality in his body roil. After landing on the ground, he took a deep breath repeatedly to calm himself down. When he lifted his head, he saw that the little girl was flying rapidly in a particular direction.
A disappointed Yang Kai shook his head and turned around.
A moment later, the little girl returned and blocked his way. It was apparent that she was trying her hardest to suppress her fear as although her body was trembling violently, she was still resolutely standing there.
Yang Kai tilted his head to gaze at her and frowned.
The next moment, the little girl flew in the same direction again; however, this time, she repeatedly turned her head to gaze at Yang Kai, and then looked ahead again.
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened as he realised that she was trying to lead the way. With a local guide around, it was much better than if he just searched blindly.
Left with no other choice anyway, he immediately moved and raced after her. Seeing as Yang Kai started following her, the little girl stopped looking back as she accelerated her pace.
Seeing this, Yang Kai could confirm that she was really trying to lead him somewhere.
There were no hindrances in front of them as they never came across any other Small World Manifestations.
A long time later, the little girl stopped in front of a mountain valley and turned to look at Yang Kai.
There was a narrow path that led into the valley, which looked very ordinary; however, after Yang Kai released his Divine Sense, he realised that he couldn’t detect anything, as though he was engulfed in a blinding fog.
“Is she here?” Yang Kai asked.
The little girl balled up her fists and solemnly nodded.
It was the first time she directly replied to Yang Kai, so he was elated. After flashing an amiable smile at her, he said, “Thank you.”
It wasn’t certain whether the little girl could understand him or not, but she had hung her head low with a blushing face.
On the other hand, Yang Kai strode towards the valley. Since he had come all the way here, he had to go in to have a look at whether or not Lan Xun was inside. Furthermore, something felt off about this place.
The narrow path was only about several dozen metres long, and after passing through it, he arrived at the valley.
Standing at the entrance, he couldn’t help but be dazzled by the sight in front of him, which caused him to fall into a dazed state.
It was a seemingly infinite field of flowers. They came in all sorts of colours, red, blue, white, gold, and so on as they bloomed in this valley. All of them were beautiful and lovely. There was also a faint glow that permeated the valley, which made the place look as attractive as a paradise.
Yang Kai had never been to Myriads Flowers Valley, but he had heard that it was also a place that was filled with all sorts of beautiful flora. Now, it seemed that the number of flowers in this valley was comparable to that of Myriad Flowers Valley.
If he could become a hermit and spend the rest of his life here, it would be an enjoyable life.
However, the allure of the flowers couldn’t entrance Yang Kai forever. Soon, he noticed the figure that was in the middle of the field.
The curvy figure was just lying on the flowers, which were supporting her weight despite their supposed frailty. She appeared to be sound asleep as her body rocked lightly with the wind.
It was Lan Xun! She was indeed here. The little girl had really led him to her.
It wasn’t certain what had happened, but Yang Kai could see that Lan Xun wasn’t injured and had just lost consciousness. Seeing that, he heaved a sigh of relief. Since he had found her, he just had to come up with a way to bring her out of this place.
Nevertheless, he didn’t put his guard down. Although the flowers were beautiful, he knew that attractive things were always associated with danger. The reason Lan Xun had fallen asleep must have something to do with the seemingly infinite bed of flowers.
He had also become wary because the little girl decided not to come into the valley with him; thus, he released his Divine Sense to check the flowers in an attempt to find out what they were.
The next moment, his expression was transformed by horror.
The flowers appeared alluring to the naked eye, but when he investigated them with his Divine Sense, he realised that they were not really flowers. All of these lovely flowers were actually Small World Manifestations!
Nevertheless, he wasn’t too surprised as Small World Manifestations came in all sorts of forms. They could even turn into stones, let alone flowers.
However, there were just too many of them. It could be said that every flower or grass was a world in and of itself.
Yang Kai knew that the World Pagoda contained a lot of Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds, but he hadn’t expected the number to be so staggering. How abstruse must this pagoda be?
It was no wonder that Lan Xun had passed out. She was just lying on the flowers as the powers of Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds swept over her, so how was she able to persevere? The reason she wasn’t hurt must have something to do with her bloodline and unique physique; after all, Bright Moon Great Emperor had refined this pagoda, and as his descendant, Lan Xun must have inherited his aura, which the pagoda could identify.
However, the situation had become somewhat tricky. Lan Xun was lying on the flowers, and if Yang Kai wanted to bring her out, he had to pass through this field. Although these Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds wouldn’t harm Lan Xun, the same couldn’t be said of Yang Kai, which was why he was in a dilemma.
Just then, a sigh was heard close to his ears, and following that, a light shot out from his body and landed on the ground before a figure revealed itself.
Yang Kai was flabbergasted because he had no idea that there was a foreign body inside his own, which was inconceivable. He was a High-Rank Demon King, and his Soul cultivation was stronger than any Half-Saints or Pseudo-Great Emperors’; hence, it should have been impossible for anything to be planted in his body without his knowledge.
However, the truth was that it wasn’t until the sigh was heard and the light was seen that Yang Kai came to this realisation, which caused him to be drenched in cold sweat.
If the person who had used such a move on him wanted to kill him, he would have been dead long ago.
Nevertheless, when he made out the figure, Yang Kai became excited as his eyes widened. At the same time, he felt his lips trembling as he said in a choking voice, “Senior…”
Although the figure was facing away from him, he could never forget that person.
The Great Emperor was killed by him, so he couldn’t and wouldn’t dare to forget him. Yang Kai had inherited the legacy and the Star Boundary’s Will from the person before his eyes.
He thought that Bright Moon’s Soul had already vanished, so his eyes turned moist when he saw him again, even though it was just a Remnant Soul.
Bright Moon was killed by Yang Kai on Eternal Sky Continent, and his corpse was still lying in the mourning hall of Star Soul Palace, so it was impossible that he had been resurrected. Moreover, the figure before his eyes was quite translucent, very much unlikely to be a real body. The only explanation was that it was a Remnant Soul.
Yang Kai wasn’t even aware that Bright Moon Great Emperor’s Remnant Soul had been planted in his body. The Great Emperor must have used some kind of Secret Technique before his death, and it wasn’t until this day that it was triggered.
The figure turned around and revealed an oddly young face, looking just like a twenty-eight-year-old young man who was still vibrant and energetic.
Despite that, there was no doubt that the young man was Bright Moon. Presently, his expression was amiable as the smile on his face was bright.
“Senior!” Yang Kai hung his head low and cupped his fists.
“There’s no need to be overly formal with me. Stand up.”
Yang Kai’s head still remained lowered.
Bright Moon sighed, “It was my own choice, so it has nothing to do with you. If it were Iron Blood or Serene Soul or one of the others, they would have made the same decision. It’s just that you’ve been affected. In truth, this King should be thanking you for not letting me die at the hands of the Demon Race.”
Yang Kai could understand what the Great Emperor was trying to say, but he still blamed himself for the fact that he had killed him.
“Now it seems I must thank you again,” Bright Moon kept a smile on his face, “Xun’er did this, and you’ve readily come to her rescue.”
It was then Yang Kai lifted his head and stared at him in shock, “Senior, did you already anticipate this?”
Bright Moon replied with a smile, “Xun’er is my daughter, so I know her temperament well. She wants to refine the pagoda, but she isn’t qualified yet. Since she insisted on coming here, this outcome is to be expected.”
It was because he had expected this outcome that he decided to leave his Remnant Soul with Yang Kai. He believed that if Yang Kai could safely leave the Demon Realm, the latter would surely come to Star Soul Palace, and if Lan Xun came across any danger, Yang Kai would do his utmost to save her.
However, if Yang Kai lost his life in the Demon Realm, all efforts would be meaningless.
“Where is this?”
“The core of the World Pagoda,” Bright Moon replied calmly, “Since you’ve come here, I’m sure you’re aware of what’s going on in the pagoda. Presently, many Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds in the pagoda have turned into Spirit Manifestations. When this King was still alive, the power of my seal was able to ensure that the pagoda remained stable. Now that I have died, the seal has been weakened. All five floors have become one, and the space in the pagoda has become chaotic. It wouldn’t have mattered if no external forces interfered; however, Xun’er barged into this place to refine the pagoda, so it’s only natural that the Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds show some reluctance and resistance. Though, with this King’s seal still functional, they can’t harm Xun’er, they can make her fall asleep. A thousand, or maybe ten thousand years later, when my seal finally wears off, those manifestations will break free from the chains of the pagoda.”
Yang Kai couldn’t completely understand him, but he had somewhat grasped the general idea, so he asked, “Senior, what should I do to save Junior Sister Lan and safeguard the pagoda?”
Without answering his question, Bright Moon asked, “Do you know how many Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds there are in this pagoda?”
Yang Kai knew that there were a lot, but he couldn’t tell the exact number. After all, the area of flowers in front of him was expansive. In fact, Bright Moon didn’t expect any answer from him as he subsequently said, “There are exactly ten thousand of them.”
Upon hearing the number, Yang Kai couldn’t help but gasp. Although he had already imagined it would be a large number, he was still surprised to learn that there were exactly ten thousand of them.
Bright Moon went on to explain, “The World Pagoda is an Ancient Exotic Artifact, and although this King has refined it, I still can’t completely comprehend its mysteries, so I still don’t know how it is able to accommodate so many Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds. There must be a reason behind it, but it remains a mystery. However, out of the ten thousand worlds, one is now missing, so it has become nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. Although nine is the largest single number, it isn’t complete anymore when one is missing. Since the pagoda is not complete, it has definitely resulted in some flaws, that is how the current situation came about.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “One world is missing?”
Without answering his question, Bright Moon turned to look silently at him with a smile.
With his face flushing, an embarrassed Yang Kai coughed, “The Thousand Illusions Dreamworld?”
He suddenly recalled that when he finished training in the World Pagoda previously, he had taken away a certain butterfly. After he placed it in High Heaven Palace, the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld opened once more.
So, the missing one was the butterfly he had taken away. Thinking back, Yang Kai realised that the butterfly was also a Small World Spirit Manifestation. Since he had taken it away from the World Pagoda, it resulted in a single piece being missing from the ten thousand worlds.
Yang Kai couldn’t have expected that he was the reason behind all of this, so he was very embarrassed. When he left with the butterfly, he thought that no one had found out about it, so he had been gleeful for quite some time; however, it now seemed that the Great Emperor was already aware of it, but decided to let him get away with it.
Then, he recalled that when he left Star Soul Palace in the past, Bright Moon had intercepted him. Apparently, even back then, the Great Emperor was aware of what had happened.
Bright Moon flashed a smile at him, “It was your opportunity to have been able to take out a Sealed World from this pagoda. No one can blame you.”
Certainly, Yang Kai knew that the Great Emperor was just trying to console him, so with a solemn expression, he said, “This Junior will return to High Heaven Palace and bring the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld back to complete the pagoda again!”
Bright Moon shook his head, “You can’t go out. The power I’m left with is only enough for me to open up the pagoda once. After I send you out of this place, you won’t be able to come in again.”
A flabbergasted Yang Kai asked, “What should I do then?”
If he couldn’t bring the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld back, he couldn’t make the World Pagoda whole again and solve the crisis facing Lan Xun; however, if he left, he wouldn’t be able to come back. He was in a dilemma.
Bright Moon replied with a smile, “You have to rely on yourself.”
“What does Senior mean?” Yang Kai asked doubtfully.
“Since you’re a Master of the Dao of Space, you should be able to create a world on your own.”
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened when he heard that, then he asked, “Senior, do you mean you want me to create a Small World?”
Bright Moon nodded, “Although there are ten thousand Small Worlds and Sealed Worlds, most of them are quite small and insignificant, there just to make up the numbers, so a powerful world isn’t required to make up for the current flaw. You just have to randomly create a Small World.”
It was such a coincidence. Even without this trip to Star Soul Palace, Yang Kai would still attempt to create a world on his own at some point. He hadn’t expected that after he entered the World Pagoda, Bright Moon would ask him to do exactly that. It seemed that it was his fate to do such a thing.
Moreover, the reason the World Pagoda had become incomplete and unstable was that Yang Kai had taken the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld away, so he had to make up for it. Basically, it was cause and effect.
In fact, he already had a Small World, which was the Sealed World Bead; however, the bead was closely related to many other things as it was now the key to the war between the Great Worlds, so Yang Kai couldn’t just place it in the World Pagoda. Even if he was willing to do so, the pagoda probably couldn’t accept it.
The World Pagoda might be able to accept the original Sealed World Bead; however, now that the bead had swallowed up a large area of the Demon Realm, part of it has become something similar to the Demon Realm. Therefore, the World Pagoda would probably be unable to take it in.
“Can you do it?” Bright Moon looked smilingly at him.
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded seriously. Even if he didn’t have the intention of making a Small World right now, he would have to do it for the sake of the World Pagoda and Lan Xun, to say nothing of the fact that he was intending on doing this anyways.
Then, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something as he fished out a palm-sized mountain and placed it on his palm, “Senior, do you think this will suffice?”
Bright Moon took a look and replied with a smile, “It seems that you’re well prepared.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing as he replied, “I did not create it.”
The palm-sized mountain was a real mountain, not a fake one. The mountain was covered in forests and animals could be seen roaming around. They could also hear the tigers roar from time to time.
Floating Mountain was refined by Li Wu Yi. It was given to Yang Kai some time ago to study the Space Principles involved in its creation, but he hadn’t expected that it could be useful at this point.
Yang Kai had roamed around the mountain once, so he already knew the mechanism behind it; therefore, whether the mountain was still with him didn’t matter anymore. It would be wonderful if the mountain could be used here. If it wasn’t feasible, he would have to create a new world on his own, but he would need some time to do that. It might take him months or even years.
As he observed Bright Moon’s expression, Yang Kai believed that Floating Mountain should fit the bill, but he still asked, “Can it be used?”
“En,” Bright Moon gently nodded. Although his figure was translucent, he was still able to pick up the mountain. After probing it, he said with a smile, “It was refined by Li Wu Yi, right?”
It wouldn’t be difficult to come to this conclusion. In the entire Star Boundary, only Yang Kai and Li Wu Yi could be considered experts in the Dao of Space. Since Yang Kai had said he didn’t make it, the creator must be Li Wu Yi.
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied, “I obtained it some time ago.”
“Such a coincidence.” Bright Moon smiled and nodded his head, “We can save a lot of time since we have it. En, you can leave now. You’re unable to help any further here.”
“Senior…” Yang Kai said.
However, Bright Moon lifted his hand to stop him and looked smilingly at him, “Since you’ve obtained the World’s Will of the Star Boundary, you should start working hard so that you’ll not disappoint the world and everyone in it.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before cupping his fists, “Junior will take your teachings to heart. Farewell, Senior!”
Having said his piece, Yang Kai turned around and walked out of the valley. He had just bid the Great Emperor farewell for the final time.
He could feel a gale surging behind him as flowers and leaves shook violently. At the same time, World Force swept across the area.
After he left the valley, Yang Kai realised that the violent fluctuations had calmed, and the narrow path seemed to have become an impenetrable barrier that sealed the storm within the valley.
Looking up, he realised that there were no Sun, Moon, or Stars in the sky within the World Pagoda, only an endless void.
Hearing a sound from a nearby spot, Yang Kai turned his head, only to see the timid little girl standing over there. As their eyes met, the little girl quickly lowered her head.
Yang Kai smiled as he knew that she must be a being just like Tiea. It was thanks to her that he was able to find Lan Xun, so he made a small bow to salute her.
Surprisingly, the little girl flickered before disappearing. She was replaced by a green plant on the ground. The leaves were made up from even smaller compound leaves that looked like a shuttle that was used for weaving. The leaves folded inward and drooped as though they were too shy to meet anyone.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment. Nevertheless, he soon recalled that Tiea could also transform into both Human form and the Thousand Illusions Butterfly, so it was completely reasonable that the little girl could turn into two different forms.
However, as an Emperor Alchemist, he couldn’t recognise what kind of treasure this plant was. After observing it for a long time, he burst into laughter.
It wasn’t a treasure of any kind, but rather the most common type of flower. A petite shy plant was able to contain a Small World. The world was truly vast and filled with wonders.
Upon that revelation, Yang Ki finally understood why she was so timid, it was simply in her nature.
Inside Star Soul Palace, a scarlet banner had covered the entire World Pagoda. The banner was a manifestation of Iron Blood Great Emperor’s cultivation. It could be said that Zhan Wu Hen had fully used his power to suppress the pagoda’s restlessness.
Despite the fact that the Great Emperor had made a move, the pagoda was still buzzing and shaking from time to time, as though it was trying to struggle out of the Iron Blood War Banner’s restriction.
Lei Hong and the others were extremely nervous as they appeared to be in deep sorrow. Although Yang Kai had entered the pagoda, they had no idea what had been going on inside the building. If Yang Kai couldn’t bring Lan Xun out of the pagoda, it would essentially cut off the future of Star Soul Palace.
They didn’t expect Yang Kai to solve the crisis regarding the World Pagoda, they just hoped that he could safely bring Lan Xun back. Although Zhan Wu Hen was around, which ensured that the pagoda was temporarily safe, it was unlikely that he would stay in Star Soul Palace forever. Once he had to leave, if Yang Kai still hadn’t managed to come back, it would be the end of the world for them.
They wanted to ask Zhan Wu Hen what was going on inside, but they knew that it was pointless because he probably had no idea either. All the leaders of Star Soul Palace could be seen with their brows knitted together as if they were on pins and needles.
All of a sudden, Zhan Wu Hen, who seemed to be taking a rest, opened his eyes and grunted in surprise.
All the Elders, who had been observing him, were shocked, then Lei Hong quickly asked, “Senior, has anything happened?”
Without replying to him, Zhan Wu Hen lifted his hand, after which the scarlet War Banner undid the layers of restriction and turned into a red light as it shot into his body.
Seeing this, everyone was elated. The reason the World Pagoda had remained stable was thanks to Zhan Wu Hen’s suppression. Now that he had put his Iron Blood War Banner away, it meant that suppression on the pagoda was no longer needed, which meant that the internal trouble within the pagoda had been solved.
As expected, even though the red War Banner had disappeared, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about the pagoda anymore. The five-coloured light stopped spilling out of the building, and the huge Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda remained hovering in mid-air, turning slowly.
The next moment, a figure abruptly appeared in front of the pagoda. Upon closer look, they realised that it was none other than Yang Kai, who had ventured into the pagoda earlier.
There was a sense of guilt as well as relief on his face. Nevertheless, he could be seen with a calm expression as though a burden had been lifted off his chest. He had also become more energetic.
However, only Yang Kai was seen as Lan Xun was still missing. The joy on the faces of Lei Hong and the others faded as their hearts fell.
Knowing what they were worried about, Yang Kai immediately cupped his fists, “Fortunately, I have not failed my mission.”
What he had said suggested that he had solved the crisis in the World Pagoda, but what about Lan Xun?
Lei Hong hurriedly asked, “Where is her Highness?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Junior Sister Lan is fine, but she’s still refining the World Pagoda. It will take her some time, perhaps as many as three to five years before she can come out.”
“She’s still refining it?” Xiao Yu Yang scowled. The pagoda descended into chaos exactly because Lan Xun attempted to refine it, so why was she still so obstinate? What puzzled them was why Yang Kai didn’t dissuade her from doing so.
Lei Hong and Xue Zheng Mao shared the same thought as their expressions turned solemn as they were worried that something would happen to Lan Xun again.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You need not worry because Junior Sister has Senior Bright Moon’s help, so she will be alright.”
“The Great Emperor’s help?” Lei Hong and the others were flabbergasted. Bright Moon’s corpse was still lying in the mourning hall, and his Soul had been extinguished, so how was he able to help Lan Xun?
Yang Kai quickly explained to them that the Great Emperor had planted a Soul Remnant on him, and upon hearing his explanation, Lei Hong and the others were finally able to relax. With Bright Moon’s help, there wouldn’t be any problem for Lan Xun to refine the World Pagoda. What she needed now was time. At that instant, all of them stopped worrying; however, when they recalled that the Great Emperor was truly dead and gone, they became mournful again.
Previously, after Yang Kai left the valley in the World Pagoda, he waited for two days before Lan Xun suddenly sent him a Divine Sense message. After that, she sent him out of the pagoda. She wanted to stay there to refine the pagoda, and now that it was complete again, there was no more flaw that would trigger another crisis.
Since the problem had been settled, there was no reason for Zhan Wu Hen to stick around. He didn’t even bid them farewell as he broke through the sky and left, only casting one last look towards the mourning hall before he disappeared.
Everyone bowed and saw him off.
After that, everyone from Star Soul Palace kept thanking Yang Kai, who wouldn’t dare to accept their gratitude. He asked Lei Hong and the others to lead the way for him so that he could offer condolences to the Great Emperor. Lan Xun wasn’t around, so no one could formally mourn for him. Nevertheless, the Great Emperor wouldn’t mind this kind of formality.
Yang Kai knelt in front of the mourning hall for three days before leaving Star Soul Palace.
Just like what the Great Emperor had said, since Yang Kai had obtained such an opportunity, he had to re-double his efforts so as not to disappoint the world and those who lived in it. After this trip to Star Soul Palace, his mind became clearer, and the worries he had been carrying lightened significantly.
Next, he headed to the Four Seasons Realm at full speed.
Yang Xiao, Yang Xue, Qiong Qi, and Liu Yan were all in the Four Seasons Realm, and there hadn’t been any news about them for years. Yang Kai didn’t expect to be able to find them this time, he simply had to come to this place to launch an investigation to appease his parents.
After he was done with the matter regarding the Four Seasons Realm, he had to start solving the problem of the Small Sealed World. If the problem regarding the territories in the Small Sealed World wasn’t solved, it couldn’t go on devouring more continents in the Demon Realm, which was the key to resolving the war between the two worlds; therefore, the matter had to be handled sooner rather than later.
Several kilometres above the ground, Yang Kai was flying forward at full speed. Ten days later, he was approaching the valley where the entrance to the Four Seasons Realm was located when a strange sound came from his waist.
Yang Kai was startled as he wasn’t sure what had happened. Then, he stopped and searched around before realising that the sound was coming from the token on his belt. It was the High-Rank Guest Elder Token from Azure Sun Temple, and the strange sound was a distress signal from an Elder of Azure Sun Temple.
When Yang Kai received the token and became a High-Rank Guest Elder in the past, Gao Xue Ting had told him about its many uses; however, he hadn’t come across this kind of situation before, so when the strange sound was heard earlier, he didn’t realize what was happening right away.
Upon recalling what Gao Xue Ting had told him, Yang Kai immediately understood that within five thousand kilometres, an Elder of Azure Sun Temple was in danger!
Swiftly taking the token in hand, Yang Kai infused his Divine Sense into it. Following that, he sent a message and waited for a reply. The Elder Token wasn’t just a status symbol, but also a communication artifact. Although Yang Kai had no idea which Elder was in danger, he had to intervene.
A moment later, a message appeared in the token. Yang Kai turned to look in a particular direction and stored the token. Space Principles surged as his figure flickered and disappeared from the spot.
At the same time, Yang Kai was elated because when he used Instantaneous Movement, he realised that the resistance he faced had become much weaker. He hadn’t used Instantaneous Movement since he returned to the Star Boundary, so it wasn’t until this moment that the realisation dawned upon him. He understood that it was because of the Great Emperor’s Opportunity he now possessed. He had obtained the World’s Will of the Star Boundary, so the resistance he faced when tearing through space here had become weaker.
A distance of five thousand kilometres was neither far nor close; however, it would take any ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Master some time to cross it even at full speed.
On the other hand, it only took Yang Kai three Instantaneous Movements before he arrived at his destination.
Lifting his head, he realised that the disciples of Azure Sun Temple were besieged and in a perilous situation. Many of them had been injured and those seriously hurt had collapsed to the ground, their blood dying the earth crimson.
At the front of the group was a young woman whose hair flapped in the wind. She was the leader among the more than ten people of Azure Sun Temple. As she brandished her sword, it was apparent that she was fairly strong. Given the fact that she was in the First-Order Emperor Realm, she shouldn’t have looked so battered; however, in order to protect the disciples under her command, she had no choice but to expose openings in her defence, which gave her enemies a chance to successfully attack her.
The young woman was an old friend of Yang Kai’s. She was one of the rising Stars of Azure Sun Temple, Murong Xiao Xiao.
There were more than fifty people who were attacking the Azure Sun Temple group. One of them was an Emperor Realm Master who just like Murong Xiao Xiao was a First-Order Emperor. However, be it this Emperor Realm Master or the other cultivators, they were all exuding rich Demon Qi and their moves were all cruel and ruthless.
[Demon Heavenly Dao!] That was the first thought that sprang into Yang Kai’s mind. When he returned to the Star Boundary, Han Zheng Qing had suspected that he too was from the Demon Heavenly Dao. At that time, Yang Kai still didn’t know what the Demon Heavenly Dao was until Fan Xin explained it to him.
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally came across those from the Demon Heavenly Dao.
They were all Humans instead of Demons; however, it wasn’t certain what Secret Technique they had cultivated or what evil transformation they had gone through as they had all developed Demon Qi. During the battle, their Demon Qi could be seen roiling, and at first glance, they looked just like Demons.
Moreover, these people from the Demon Heavenly Dao were different from those Humans who had been corrupted by Demon Qi that Yang Kai had come into contact with before. They were obviously still clear-headed and their moves were orderly.
The Emperor Realm Master’s cultivation was similar to that of Murong Xiao Xiao’s, and if they were in a one-on-one battle, Yang Kai believed that Murong Xiao Xiao would emerge the victor; after all, she was a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple, so ordinary cultivators weren’t comparable to her.
However, this Emperor Realm Master was extremely wicked. While he was in a battle against Murong Xiao Xiao, he kept attacking the other disciples from Azure Sun Temple, which had effectively distracted her. In that case, she had less energy to protect herself, which was why she had been injured.
Furthermore, the number of people on Azure Sun Temple’s side was much smaller than that of their enemies, so it was just a matter of time before they would be defeated. That was the reason Murong Xiao Xiao had to send a distress signal asking for help. She wasn’t aware that Yang Kai was nearby, she simply sought help from anyone she could.
When Yang Kai arrived, the Emperor Realm Master from the Demon Heavenly Dao saw an opening and pounced on Murong Xiao Xiao. The Demon-Qi-wielding Emperor Realm Master was extremely burly, and there were two huge copper hammers in his hands, Demon Qi swirling about them. As he grinned, he swept a hammer at her waist. At the same time, he wielded his other hammer at a disciple beside Murong Xiao Xiao.
The hammers swung at two people at the same time, and Murong Xiao Xiao had just used up her strength blocking a previous attack, so she was no longer able to mount an effective defence. She also realised that she could hardly use her Emperor Qi anymore. At this moment, she only had two choices, she could either protect herself, or save the other disciple.
Without hesitation, she lifted her sword, and as a cold glint flashed across her weapon, she decided not to protect herself or the other disciple; instead, she pushed out her sword at the enemy’s eyes.
She appeared like any other frail young woman, but at this moment, she displayed the staunch resoluteness of a warrior.
At such a life-or-death moment, Murong Xiao Xiao was resolute in her strike. Her sword-holding hand was extremely steady, and her eyes were clear. Upon seeing that, Yang Kai couldn’t help but cheer for her.
The Emperor Realm Master from the Demon Heavenly Dao had made a dastardly move. With two hammers coming at both of them, if Murong Xiao Xiao chose to protect herself, the other disciple would be hurt, and vice versa. Whatever decision she would make, one of them would either be injured or die. If she were to fall here, all the disciples from Azure Sun Temple around her wouldn’t stand a chance to survive. That was the reason she decided to forgo defence and instead attack.
This was more than just a simple tactic as she was truly prepared to sacrifice herself.
The Emperor Realm Master from the Demon Heavenly Dao could either kill her or a disciple from Azure Sun Temple, but the price he had to pay was that he would be severely injured. If he was unlucky, he might even accompany them to Hell; therefore, Murong Xiao Xiao used all her strength in this strike.
Since Murong Xiao Xiao could assess the risks, there was no way the enemy Emperor Realm Master hadn’t as well. Seeing that a cold glint flashed across her sword as she was thrust at him, ready to perish together if necessary, he couldn’t help cursing out loud. Without evading her attack, he brought his two hammers together and smashed them at the disciple from Azure Sun Temple instead of Murong Xiao Xiao.
There was a sneer on the Emperor Realm Master’s face. [Since you want to risk everything, I’ll grant your wish and bet mine as well!]
His Demon Qi surged as he brought down his two hammers like they were millstones, which blocked out all the sunlight. As death’s aura approached the Azure Sun Temple disciple, his face turned ashen.
Murong Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded as she hadn’t expected that her enemy would be so ruthless. Even though he would surely be wounded, he was still determined to kill her companion. At that instant, her mind went blank, and a tinge of hesitation flashed across her clear gaze.
That hesitation only lasted a short moment though as she quickly withdrew her sword and brandished her weapon in a slowing manner. Following that, she took a step to the side and pushed the disciple away before facing the immensely powerful attack on her own.
At the most critical moment, she still decided to protect her Junior Brother and sacrifice herself.
The Emperor Realm Master had seen through her thoughts, so the sneer on his face widened as he mercilessly brought down his hammers.
All the Azure Sun Temple’s disciples exclaimed in sorrow. Seeing that Murong Xiao Xiao was about to die, they certainly wanted to save her; however, they were too weak and the number of people on their side was too low. They couldn’t even protect themselves, so how were they going to save her? They could do nothing but watch her get attacked. At that moment, their eyes widened as they all looked on with worry.
At such a critical moment, the young woman pulled herself together and her expression became completely calm.
Presently, images were flashing across her mind in a rapid manner. She was accepted into Azure Sun Temple when she was still a child. After she became a disciple and started cultivating, there had always been a cold-looking man by her side who worked hard with her. Her Elders and Senior Brothers and Sisters genuinely cared about her, and though her Junior Brothers and Sisters could be naughty at times they too adored her.
She had always heard that a person would see their life flash before their eyes just before they died.
[Am I dying? Is that why I’m seeing and thinking about all of this? Do I have any regrets? I probably don’t… Without the Temple, I would have died of hunger a long time ago. Without the Temple, even if I survived, I would have become an ordinary person, never achieving such powerful cultivation.]
In order to protect the Temple, she could sacrifice herself and die with no regrets.
However, the only thing she felt guilty about was that she couldn’t protect the disciples around her and bring them to safety. As an Elder of Azure Sun Temple who was in the Emperor Realm, it was the responsibility she was charged with.
Nevertheless, none of it mattered now. All of them could be companions on their road to the Yellow Springs as they had a good chat and laugh. If they came across any enemies once they reached the next life, they could fight alongside one another again.
Faced with this attack, her defence quickly collapsed. She had hastily set up her guard, so she was unable to parry the enemy’s violent strike at all. Just when the hammers were about to strike her though, she saw a familiar figure once again!
He didn’t grow up in Azure Sun Temple, but he was still like a family member who had also become a part of the Temple.
Seeing that Yang Kai was flashing a smile at her, Murong Xiao Xiao responded with a sweet smile of her own. She thought that he was just an illusion before her death, but the next moment, the towering figure appeared right in front of her. In an instant, the violent Qi and wind that had been swirling around the hammers disappeared as they were blocked by the figure. The storm had also turned calm. At this moment, Murong Xiao Xiao felt like she was a boat that had returned to the harbour, not having to worry about the raging ocean anymore.
With a loud clang, the millstone-sized hammers shot into the sky, and the Emperor Realm Master, who had just been on the attack, was sent flying back like a loose sack. As his Demon Qi undulated, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood mid-air.
The turn of events caused Murong Xiao Xiao to fall into a dazed state, and those from the Demon Heavenly Dao were dumbfounded as well.
It wasn’t until the Emperor Realm Master fell to the ground with a loud thud that all of them came to their senses. Both groups of people were seen with different expressions.
The disciples from Azure Sun Temple were pleasantly surprised as they knew that a strong Master had come to their rescue. They were about to get killed when things turned around all of a sudden, which re-invigorated them greatly. On the other hand, the expressions of those from the Demon Heavenly Dao were transformed by shock as they stared at Yang Kai in horror. At the same time, they were trembling uncontrollably.
They had no idea how powerful Yang Kai was, but their leader was sent flying back as his Emperor Artifacts were knocked from his hands, which went to show that this newcomer was unimaginably strong.
Hence, all of them started retreating from the disciples of Azure Sun Temple. After gathering together, they stared vigilantly at Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai didn’t even spare them a glance as he looked coldly at the Emperor Realm Master, who was lying on the ground.
The Emperor Realm Master had been severely injured as the vitality in his body had become a mess. At that moment, he realised that he couldn’t even get up. After several attempts, he staggeringly got to his feet, but a huge dent could be seen on his chest.
He pressed his hand against his chest and could not help but hunch over. There was an extremely bitter taste in his mouth as blood continuously streamed out from the corners of his lips. Staring fixedly at Yang Kai, he asked through clenched teeth, “Who are you!”
He was frustrated that he was beaten out of nowhere. More importantly, he didn’t even make out what his opponent looked like before he was struck.
At this moment, he could see the opponent clearly. The person was a brave and heroic young man who for some reason looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember who the latter was.
Yang Kai wanted to tell him that he had no right to know his name, but Murong Xiao Xiao suddenly exclaimed, “Yang Kai? Senior Brother Yang?”
Her voice was filled with disbelief.
It was truly unbelievable for her; after all, in Tiger Roar City a few years ago, Yang Kai had suffered from cultivation dissonance and been demonified before he fled from the Star Boundary. Over the years, there hadn’t been any news about him.
When she saw Yang Kai earlier, she thought that it was just an illusion before her death. She couldn’t have believed that he would really appear and that he would save her life at the most critical moment.
After his identity was revealed by Murong Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai turned around and flashed a smile at her, “Junior Sister, please take a rest for now. I’ll chat with you later.”
Although Murong Xiao Xiao was alive, she was still slightly injured. Her breathing had become unsteady because she was attacked with the hammers earlier. Now that she had confirmed it was really Yang Kai before her, her face started flushing. Part of the reason was that she was agitated, but the main reason was that she was suffering from internal injury.
Upon hearing what Yang Kai had said, she nodded and closed her eyes. Since Yang Kai was around, no one could hurt them now. That was why she didn’t have to worry about anything.
“Yang Kai? You’re Yang Kai?” The Emperor Realm Master was still hesitant when he asked the question for the first time, but his voice was soon filled with shock when he asked it the second time.
Practically everyone in the Star Boundary knew who Yang Kai was. Although he might not be as famous as the Great Emperors, he was definitely a widely known figure. Furthermore, he had become a legend after he, an Emperor Realm Master, managed to escape during a battle against Iron Blood Great Emperor.
The Emperor Realm Master had already found Yang Kai familiar, and upon hearing his name, he could finally confirm his identity. He had seen Yang Kai’s pictures previously, which was why he could faintly remember what the latter looked like.
However, he couldn’t understand why Yang Kai would appear here at this time. Just like what was on Murong Xiao Xiao’s mind, he recalled that Yang Kai had fled to the Demon Realm, so why would he be here all of a sudden?
Nevertheless, since Yang Kai had made a move against him, it meant that he was an enemy. Upon learning Yang Kai’s identity, the Emperor Realm Master quickly bit his tongue and sprayed out a mouth full of Blood Essence. At the same time, a blood mist gushed out of his body as he turned into a stream of light and retreated.
He knew that he had to run for his life!
Nonetheless, Yang Kai just stared at him with a sneer, like how the Emperor Realm Master himself was looking mockingly at Murong Xiao Xiao earlier.
Ten kilometres, twenty kilometres, thirty kilometres, fifty kilometres… In the blink of an eye, the Emperor Realm Master had fled for more than fifty kilometres and was still fleeing at full speed.
Just then, a restrictive power appeared out of thin air, which caused him to abruptly stop. Following that, he felt the world around him spinning. The next moment, he returned to his original spot where somehow, a large hand was now clenching his neck, holding him up like a helpless chicken.
Staring at the young man’s face that was just arm’s length away, the Emperor Realm Master felt his face turning ashen.
Right then, shrieks were heard as those from Demon Heavenly Dao quickly dispersed in all directions. Just now, they saw Yang Kai reach out, after which, their strongest cultivator was captured. Apparently, the gap between their strength was even greater than they imagined.
It would be akin to waiting for death if they stayed there, but if they tried to flee, there was still a chance to survive; thus, it was an easy choice to make for them.
Seeing this, the disciples from Azure Sun Temple wanted to stop them, but they were unable to do so. All of them were injured and exhausted. Moreover, they had a smaller number of people, so they could only watch as their enemies fled.
At that moment, Yang Kai waved his hand, upon which a beautiful woman appeared out of thin air.
Everyone was dumbfounded as they had no idea how this lady appeared all of a sudden. The woman also appeared startled as she didn’t know what was going on.
The next moment, Yang Kai could be heard ordering, “Kill them all.”
The woman batted her eyes and took a look at those from Demon Heavenly Dao who were fleeing, then she replied with a smile, “I’m finally able to stretch a little. You have no idea how bored I was in there!”
Upon finishing her words, she grabbed something from the void, after which a bow appeared in her hand. The bow had a smooth outline and it looked as beautiful as an eagle. Strong fluctuations exuded from the bow, so it was apparently an extraordinary artifact.
The disciples from Azure Sun Temple were still wondering who the woman was when they saw her artifact, which caused them to frown. That was because black Qi could be seen swirling around it, which made it obvious it was a Demon Artifact.
Besides a Demon Artifact, the woman also had Demon Qi. When the woman, who appeared earlier, activated the Demon Artifact, Demon Qi could be seen swirling around her. Then of course there was the pair of white wings behind her back. Unlike those from Demon Heavenly Dao, she was clearly a real Demon!
The disciples of Azure Sun Temple exclaimed, and the Emperor Realm Master, whose neck was clenched by Yang Kai, widened his eyes in disbelief.
Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between those from Demon Heavenly Dao and real Demons unless the Demons had very conspicuous features. Bo Ya had such features.
Previously, the Demons had invaded the Star Boundary, and internally, those from Demon Heavenly Dao had been making a scene everywhere. It could be said that they were facing both external and internal threats, so they were in a perilous situation. A lot of Demons had hidden in the Star Boundary to carry out their plan in secret.
However, why would this Demon listen to Yang Kai’s commands to make things difficult for those from Demon Heavenly Dao? Weren’t those from Demon Heavenly Dao and the Demons supposed to be one family?
The Feather Demon nocked the arrow on her bow before drawing and loosening it. At that instant, all those from Demon Heavenly Dao fell to the ground as they were killed on the spot. They hadn’t even fled for more than ten kilometres when all of them lost their lives. Only the Emperor Realm Master, who had been captured by Yang Kai, was still alive.
Bo Ya once again placed an arrow on her bow as the tip of the arrow was pressed against the Emperor Realm Master’s forehead. She broke out a smile which was equal parts alluring and terrifying.
The Emperor Realm Master was drenched in cold sweat, but Yang Kai pushed the arrow away and used his Demon Qi to lay down several seals, causing this man to collapse to the ground, paralysed.
Yang Kai still had no idea what had happened, so he had to wait for Murong Xiao Xiao to awaken and ask her about it before deciding how to deal with this Emperor Realm Master.
Since they were no longer in any danger, the disciples from Azure Sun Temple heaved a sigh of relief. With their bodies still injured, they shuffled towards Yang Kai and thanked him. Yang Kai was a Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple, so since the disciples were in danger, it was expected of him to lend them a hand. After a few words of motivation, he told them to attend to their wounds.
Bo Ya was curious about the Emperor Realm Master, so she crouched down and observed him. Despite her sweet smile, the Emperor appeared horrified as though he was being gazed at by a deadly scorpion.
A moment later, Yang Kai turned to look in a particular direction, only to see a beam of light approaching at lightning speed. When the light landed on the ground, a white-robed figure was revealed. The person was handsome with a pair of bright eyes, and the white clothes he was clad in were spotless, but his expression was slightly cold.
“Xiao Bai, it’s been too long!” Yang Kai flashed a smile at him.
Xiao Bai Yi, Murong Xiao Xiao, and Xia Sheng were the rising stars of Azure Sun Temple. Now that all three of them had reached the Emperor Realm, they had naturally become Elders. Presently, Xia Sheng was on the battlefield in the Western Territory while Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were guarding the Temple in the Southern Territory.
Earlier, Murong Xiao Xiao sent a message to seek Xiao Bai Yi’s help, it was just that Yang Kai had arrived faster. Xiao Bai Yi was leading a group of disciples at that time, but in order to save his Junior Sister, he went on ahead at full speed.
“Yang Kai!” Xiao Bai Yi frowned as he took a look at Yang Kai and then Bo Ya, who was crouching down nearby. All of a sudden, his Emperor Qi surged as he launched himself at Yang Kai. At the same time, an immensely powerful sword wave was seen slashing at him.
With a smile, Yang Kai lifted his hand and pinched the sword from both sides using only two fingers. At that instant, the sword wave fell apart as the blade, which was as thin as a cicada’s wings, was wedged between Yang Kai’s fingers. The blade was buzzing continuously, but no matter how hard Xiao Bai Yi pushed his Emperor Qi, he realised that he couldn’t move his sword one bit.
In just one move, his Emperor Artifact was firmly grasped by someone using his bare hand, stunning him greatly.
Before Xiao Bai Yi could react, Bo Ya had dashed forward and drew an arrow which she pressed against Xiao Bai Yi’s temple, just like what she had done to the Emperor Realm Master earlier.
Sensing the dangerous aura on the tip of the arrow, Xiao Bai Yi wouldn’t dare to move a muscle; however, his already cold expression had turned even colder. He had fallen into a trap instead of saving his Junior Sister, which was why he was displeased.
“Can I kill him?” Bo Ya asked with a tilted head.
“Behave!” Yang Kai put on a hollow laugh and shot her a glare.
Bo Ya pressed her lips together and stored her arrow; then, she went back to the Emperor Realm Master and crouched down again to examine him.
“Senior Brother Xiao, it was Senior Brother Yang who saved us!” Murong Xiao Xiao opened her eyes and said in a weakened voice.
In fact, after Xiao Bai Yi made a move, he immediately realised that he was mistaken. That was because there were many corpses on the ground who weren’t disciples of Azure Sun Temple. Also, judging from the power Yang Kai had showcased, if he wanted to harm the Temple’s disciples, Murong Xiao Xiao and the others would have lost their lives by now.
More importantly, Murong Xiao Xiao had closed her eyes to adjust her breathing. If she didn’t have complete trust in Yang Kai, she wouldn’t have done such a thing. Now, her words had confirmed his speculation, but he still said with a frown, “I need an explanation!”
In his mind, Yang Kai was still a traitor to the Star Boundary who had fled to the Demon Realm, that was why when he saw Yang Kai here just now, and that Murong Xiao Xiao was injured, he had a misunderstanding and directly made a move.
It was too complicated to explain everything to him, and Yang Kai didn’t want to waste his time, so he fished out a token and tossed it at him.
Xiao Bai Yi caught the token, and upon seeing that the number ‘Sixty First’ was engraved on it, he was stunned and felt somewhat dizzy.
He had been to the battlefield in the Western Territory and worked under an Army Commander, so he knew what this token represented. The Great Emperors had personally forged these tokens and given them to the different Army Commanders. Every token contained a Great Emperor’s Divine Ability, which could be used to save the owner’s life at a critical moment.
The token was clearly genuine as the heavy Great Emperor aura on it made it difficult for him to breathe; however, since when did a Sixty-First Army exist in the Star Boundary?
“Haven’t you heard the news yet?” Seeing his expression, Yang Kai realised that Xiao Bai Yi knew nothing about the Sixty-First Army.
“When did it happen?” Xiao Bai Yi asked with a frown.
“Half a month ago.”
Xiao Bai Yi was relieved and gently nodded, “Over the past month, Junior Sister and I have been outside the Temple.”
It was because of this reason that they hadn’t heard about this news yet; otherwise, he wouldn’t have attacked Yang Kai on sight.
With the token on both palms, he respectfully passed it back to Yang Kai. Then, he cupped his fists and called out reluctantly, “Senior Brother Yang!”
In the past, they were all Dao Source Realm Juniors who entered the Four Seasons Realm together. Now, he, Murong Xiao Xiao, and Xia Sheng were still just First-Order Emperor Realm, but Yang Kai had already become the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. Xiao Bai Yi couldn’t even see through Yang Kai’s cultivation, but as an Army Commander, there was no way the latter’s cultivation was lower than Third-Order Emperor Realm.
[I can’t believe he’s already a Third-Order Emperor! How does he even cultivate? Does he have a stash of miracle Pills or something?]
“What are you all doing here?” Yang Kai asked curiously. Although they were still in the Southern Territory, this place was pretty far from Azure Sun Temple.
A group of disciples wouldn’t come to such a place on their own accord. Moreover, two Elders were leading two separate teams, so it was apparent that they were on some kind of mission.
Since he had come across them, Yang Kai definitely had to ask them about it.
Xiao Bao Yi replied, “We were investigating those from the Demon Heavenly Dao.”
The Star Boundary was facing external as well as internal troubles. If the Demons were their known opponents, then those from Demon Heavenly Dao were the enemies within. It was said that it was easy to dodge a spear in the light, but hard to avoid an arrow in the dark. Since the rise of Demon Heavenly Dao in recent years, countless people in the Star Boundary had been wounded or killed by them, so all those loyal to the Star Boundary were very resentful of them.
Nevertheless, those from Demon Heavenly Dao were normally well hidden and rarely exposed any flaws. In terms of collective power, Demon Heavenly Dao were definitely no match for the true Demon forces; however, they were sly individuals who conducted sabotage and intrigue which caused much disruption in the Star Boundary, forcing a great many to be unable to take part in the war.
All Sects in all four territories of the Star Boundary had to leave some top cultivators behind to guard their Sects for fear that those from Demon Heavenly Dao would invade if they left. Over the course of the past few years, countless small and medium Sects had been destroyed through various plots and schemes. Even some first-class Sects had suffered grave damage and nearly been destroyed.
Hence, whenever traces of the Demon Heavenly Dao were found in the Star Boundary, they would be hunted down and killed mercilessly. Two years ago, in the Southern Territory, Star Soul Palace led all other Sects to examine themselves for any hidden traitors and also launched a large-scale attack on the enemy forces. They had managed to destroy more than ten strongholds, causing Demon Heavenly Dao’s power to be significantly reduced; however, it was impossible to kill all the scorpions in the dark as some of them inevitably escaped to fight again.
One month ago, Azure Sun Temple got wind that some people from Demon Heavenly Dao were up to something. They suspected that there was a hidden stronghold around this area, so Murong Xiao Xiao and Xiao Bai Yi led two teams to launch an investigation. Somehow though, word got out and they were ambushed instead, resulting in Murong Xiao Xiao and her team almost being wiped out.
Fortunately, Yang Kai was nearby and managed to come to their rescue; otherwise, Xiao Bai Yi would have only arrived to find corpses here.
After hearing her narration, Yang Kai asked, “So, you don’t even know how your whereabouts got exposed?”
Murong Xiao Xiao shook her head and replied with a frown, “I don’t think we’ve exposed anything on our side.”
That was what puzzled her. Her enemy was just as powerful as she was, and she had been careful when tracking them; however, she hadn’t expected that they would still fall into the enemy’s trap and almost lose their lives here.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “It has nothing to do with whether you exposed your whereabouts or not. If someone sent a message warning them, it would be pointless regardless of how careful you were.”
The expression on Murong Xiao Xiao’s pale face changed when she heard that, then she said in a small voice, “Senior Brother, you mean…”
“En, there’s a traitor!” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai turned to look at a certain petite woman.
He had already noticed this female disciple when he arrived. He initially thought that her aura was just a little strange and didn’t read too much into it, but upon hearing what Murong Xiao Xiao said, he finally realised why this woman’s aura was odd.
Still crouching in front of the Emperor Realm Master, Bo Ya said without lifting her head, “I thought you didn’t notice it.”
“You knew as well?” Yang Kai looked down at her and happened to see her fair chest from where he stood.
Bo Ya snorted and pointed at the Emperor Realm Master, “Both of them have a putrid smell about them!”
Xiao Bai Yi’s face fell as he stared coldly at the petite female disciple while Murong Xiao Xiao still appeared to be in disbelief. The other disciples also appeared doubtful as they had no idea what had happened.
The petite woman’s expression became awkward as she was stared at by so many people. She forced a smile and asked bashfully, “Elders, what’s wrong?”
Xiao Bai Yi didn’t reply to her while Yang Kai’s lips curved into a playful smile. Murong Xiao Xiao directly asked, “Du Juan, are you part of Demon Heavenly Dao?”
Murong Xiao Xiao found it hard to accept the possibility that one of her Junior Sisters might be from Demon Heavenly Dao. It wouldn’t have mattered if the disciple was someone else; however, Du Juan had just suffered from a serious injury in the battle and blood was still streaming out of her wounds, dying her clothes red.
How was it possible that such a disciple was from Demon Heavenly Dao? Nevertheless, since this was Yang Kai’s speculation, she couldn’t take it lightly.
Two years ago, all the Sects and families had wiped out a lot of moles that had been planted by Demon Heavenly Dao. After that, a lot of Sects and families saw their foundations severely damaged. It was still alright for Azure Sun Temple as they only had found several dozen such disciples, but if Du Juan was really from Demon Heavenly Dao, it meant that they hadn’t wiped out all the traitors two years ago. It also suggested that there were probably still many traitors within Azure Sun Temple as well as the other Sects. If such a storm took place again, the Star Boundary would descend into chaos.
At the thought of this, Murong Xiao Xiao felt her heart sink.
Upon hearing the words that were spoken, all the disciples from Azure Sun Temple had their expressions change drastically as they turned to look at Du Juan, who appeared dumbfounded. In an aggrieved voice, she protested, “Elders, please don’t misunderstand! I’m not from Demon Heavenly Dao! It’s not true!”
Murong Xiao Xiao shifted her attention to Yang Kai, who said impassively, “You don’t have the final say in determining whether it’s true or that you’ve been wronged. Look into my eyes.”
After he finished speaking, his right eye became pitch-black, as though it had turned into a black hole that could devour all light in this world.
Du Juan instinctively stared at him and couldn’t move her eyes away again. As their eyes met, she started trembling uncontrollably as black Qi began leaking from her petite figure.
Initially, the black Qi looked like thin threads, but after a few breaths, it burst out of her body like a rising tide and engulfed her completely.
As her Demon Qi undulated, she exuded a very violent aura.
No more questions were needed as the answer was right before their eyes. The expressions of those disciples had been transformed by shock and Xiao Bai Yi heaved a sigh while Murong Xiao Xiao was stunned.
After her identity was exposed, Du Juan stopped appearing frightened, as though she had turned into a completely different person. As she howled, she pounced on the disciple nearest her.
She knew that she wasn’t powerful enough to battle against any one of the Emperor Realm Masters present, so she just wanted to hold someone hostage so that she could flee from this place.
Her targeted disciple was still reeling from the shock, and he was injured, so he was unable to react in any way. It was too late when he realised that Du Juan was within arm’s reach of him. In his heart, he thought that he was doomed, so he closed his eyes and waited for death.
Fortunately, he didn’t lose his life as Yang Kai managed to capture Du Juan before she could do any harm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t struggle out of the invisible grip, so in despair, she screamed, “This world will belong to the Demons sooner or later! If you’re still so obstinate, you’ll die a dog’s death! If you want to survive, follow me and side with Demon Heavenly Dao and you might still have a chance to live!”
Her identity had been exposed and she had been captured by Yang Kai; however, instead of pleading with him, she threatened them in an arrogant manner.
Murong Xiao Xiao was heartbroken as the Du Juan she remembered wasn’t like this.
Yang Kai asked with a smile, “Did those from Demon Heavenly Dao tell you this?”
Du Juan snorted, “The Star Boundary has constantly been on the retreat on the battlefield in the Western Territory because the Demon armies are overwhelming. One of the Great Emperors has also lost his life in the Demon Realm. When the Demon Saints make a move, no one in the Star Boundary will be able to resist them!”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “The information you have is outdated. I guess you’re not aware of the changes that have taken place on the battlefield.”
“What do you mean?” Du Juan asked coldly.
Yang Kai replied, “The passage between the two worlds has been sealed off, so the support behind the Demon armies has been severed. The top cultivators from the Demon Race are unable to break the barrier either. Although there is a large number of Demons still in the Western Territory, it’s just a matter of time before they’re defeated.”
Du Juan was startled for a moment before saying grimly, “Stop lying to me!”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Whether or not you believe me, it will not affect the current state of affairs.”
Du Juan fell silent for a moment before a dangerous aura exuded from her body. The Demon Qi around her could be seen roiling as though she was about to explode at any moment. At the same time, she sneered, “I’ll wait for you all on the other side!”
Having been detained by Yang Kai, she knew that there was no way she could escape, so she decided to kill herself in a resolute manner. Perhaps her temperament had changed after she was invaded by Demon Qi, so she had started acting more and more like a real Demon.
Murong Xiao Xiao’s expression changed drastically as she exclaimed, “Heavenly Demon Blood Explosion! Senior Brother, watch out!”
Certainly, Yang Kai was aware of the changes in Du Juan’s aura. Although he had no idea what this Heavenly Demon Blood Explosion was, he could guess that it was a Secret Technique that allowed her to self-destruct; therefore, he quickly pushed his Demon Qi to suppress her.
Unexpectedly, he had failed in his attempt to do so. As Du Juan cackled, her petite figure started expanding, as though she would explode in the next moment.
Yang Kai frowned and waved his hand, after which Du Juan disappeared abruptly, and the dangerous aura vanished into thin air.
Although she was from Demon Heavenly Dao, she was still an Azure Sun Temple’s disciple. She had simply been affected by Demon Qi, and if she could be saved, there was a chance that her original temperament could be restored. Yang Kai didn’t want to kill her, nor would he allow her to self-destruct, so he decided to keep her in the Small Sealed World for now.
Given his absolute power in the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai could easily stop Du Juan from exploding.
As expected, after she was sent into the Small Sealed World and suppressed by its World Force, her violent aura quickly diminished and died down.
Seeing their Junior Sister vanish into thin air, all the disciples of Azure Sun Temple were astounded.
Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao looked inquisitively at Yang Kai as they wondered where he had sent her, and only after Yang Kai explained to them were they able to set their minds at ease.
However, Murong Xiao Xiao felt her heart growing heavy as there was a traitor in her team. Xiao Bai Yi had also led a team of his own, and it was possible that there might be a traitor within his team as well.
Fortunately, Yang Kai and Bo Ya were able to point out anyone with Demon Qi, so they would just have to take a look at the other team of people later to be sure.
“What have you found out?” Yang Kai looked over at Bo Ya.
Bo Ya replied, “This should be some kind of Blood Demon Secret Technique, but I’ve never heard of it. I guess they developed it recently.”
The people from Demon Heavenly Dao were able to retain their sentience after they were corrupted by Demon Qi. They were also able to mingle with those from the Star Boundary without anyone noticing anything wrong with them. This was an issue that had confounded the Star Boundary for years now, but if they could figure out how this Secret Technique worked, they might be able to detect those from Demon Heavenly Dao in the future.
That was why Bo Ya had been examining the captured Emperor Realm Master.
Upon hearing that it was a Blood Demon Secret Technique, Yang Kai arched his brow and sent his Divine Sense into the Small Sealed World. Then, he revealed an image of himself in front of Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya.
Although Bai Zhuo was Yu Ru Meng’s subordinate, he was also a Blood Demon. If those from Demon Heavenly Dao were using a Blood Demon Secret Technique, Bai Zhuo might know a thing or two.
When his image appeared, he also summoned over Du Juan. Her Heavenly Demon Blood Explosion had been suppressed, so she had failed in her attempt to self-destruct. At this moment, she was silently lying on the ground, passed out. Her original form had been restored, and with her body curled up, she looked rather pitiful.
“Brother Yang, what’s wrong?” Bai Zhuo took a look at Du Juan and asked.
Yang Kai questioned, “Brother Bai Zhuo, I remember that you fought on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield several times, right?”
Bai Zhuo nodded, “En.”
The war had been ongoing for several years, so Bai Zhuo had moved between the battlefield and the Demon Realm a number of times.
“Then, have you ever heard of Demon Heavenly Dao before?” Yang Kai pointed at Du Juan.
Bai Zhuo replied with a smile, “Of course. What’s wrong? Is this woman from Demon Heavenly Dao?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded his head, “Bo Ya said that this woman has been affected by some Blood Demon Secret Technique, so I wanted you to check on her and see whether she can be saved.”
Upon hearing that, Bai Zhuo replied, “Those from Demon Heavenly Dao have indeed been planted with a Blood Demon Secret Technique, but I’m not exactly sure what technique it was because I wasn’t responsible for this matter. However, I can give her an examination and see whether she can be saved. I cannot guarantee anything, but I’ll do my best.”
“Then I shall have to trouble you, Brother Bai Zhuo.”
“Don’t mention it, Brother Yang.”
Suddenly recalling something, Yang Kai asked, “By the way, when the real Demons like you see those from Demon Heavenly Dao, can you tell them apart?”
Bai Zhuo took a look at the unconscious Du Juan and replied, “I can. Although her Demon Qi is well hidden, there are still some traces.”
Bai Ya nodded on the side, “En, indeed.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai lifted his hand, upon which a person appeared beside him. He was the first Demon that Yang Kai had put in the Small Sealed World, Huo Lun!
He seemed to be meditating when Yang Kai summoned him from the triangularly arrayed peaks, so his legs remained crossed. A moment later, he realised that something was off, and when he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see so many people around, so he quickly saluted Yang Kai.
Yang Kai got straight to the point by pointing at Du Juan, “Look at this woman. Can you see anything special about her?”
Huo Lun had no idea what was going on, so he carefully examined Yang Kai’s expression for a moment before shifting his attention to Du Juan. A long time later, he replied cautiously, “She’s young and petite. Also, she looks rather ordinary and there’s nothing special about her figure…”
Yang Kai lifted his hand to stop him, “Have you noticed anything else?”
“Anything else?” Immensely pressured, Huo Lun gulped, “Senior, you mean…”
“She’s been invaded by Demon Qi.”
“Really?” A shocked Huo Lun lowered his head to study Du Juan again, then he shook his head repeatedly, “I can’t tell she’s been invaded by Demon Qi.”
That was indeed strange. Bo Ya could detect the Demon Qi in her body while Huo Lun had failed to do so, despite their cultivations being quite close. Huo Lun was a Low-Rank Demon King, so if he couldn’t notice anything, it meant that the Demon Qi within those from Demon Heavenly Dao was really well hidden.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai figured that Bo Ya must have simply been born with extremely sharp vision; after all, she was a Feather Demon, and she had cultivated an Eye Secret Technique, which was why she was able to see things that others couldn’t.
While Yang Kai’s projected image was having a discussion with Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya in the Small Sealed World, he didn’t stay idle in the outside world as he told Bo Ya to interrogate the Emperor Realm Master to find out the whereabouts of the Demon Heavenly Dao’s strongholds.
Those from Demon Heavenly Dao were normally well hidden among ordinary people; however, since this person was an Emperor, he must have the right to obtain information that was not available to the common disciples. Now that they had captured him, they had to pry more information out of him.
Bo Ya didn’t disappoint as a Demon King. Although interrogation wasn’t her speciality, she had her methods. Yang Kai had planted a seal on the Emperor Realm Master, so he was unable to move a muscle. Soon, he couldn’t take it anymore and confessed everything.
Demon Heavenly Dao had many strongholds, but this Emperor was only aware of the one he came from in White Colt Town. According to him, White Colt Town might appear to be an ordinary town, but many of those from Demon Heavenly Dao were hidden in it. They mingled well with other residents and looked just like normal everyday people. When they were summoned, they would head to different locations to carry out missions.
The reason he came to this place was that he was summoned.
However, on his way to his destination, he realised that some people were following him. Being cautious, he decided to make a detour to find out who the stalkers were. Just then, he received a message from Du Juan. Upon learning about the number of people on Azure Sun Temple’s side and their overall strength, he decided to beat them at their own game by ambushing Murong Xiao Xiao’s team.
The following development of the incident was what Yang Kai had seen when he arrived.
“There’s no Demon Heavenly Dao stronghold around here?” Xiao Bai Yi frowned upon hearing that, “Then what are you doing here?”
“I have no idea.” The Emperor Realm Master from Demon Heavenly Dao shook his head, “I was just following orders.”
“Who told you to come here?” Xiao Bai Yi asked.
“I don’t know.”
Right after he finished speaking, Bo Ya, who had been crouching in front of him, flashed an alluring smile at him and placed her slender hand on his shoulder. Then, she circulated her Demon Qi and infused it into his body. The next moment, the Emperor Realm Master let out a grunt of pain. There seemed to be a small snake roaming beneath his bare skin, which was a horrifying sight. After just three breaths of time, his eyes turned bloodshot and he started howling as though he was going through unbearable torture.
In between screams, he stutteringly said, “I really have no idea! I just came here after I got the order! I don’t know who we’re looking for or what we’re supposed to do!”
Bo Ya looked up at Yang Kai and realised that he remained impassive, so she went on with her torture.
The Emperor Realm Master’s shrieks slowly died down as his voice became hoarse from all the screaming. All his clothes were drenched in sweat, and he had collapsed to the ground as he convulsed violently. His eyes had rolled back, so it was as though he would lose his life at any moment.
“Four Seasons Realm…” All of a sudden, a weakened voice was heard coming from the Emperor Realm Master.
Despite his small voice, Yang Kai could clearly hear him, then he asked, “Are you heading to the Four Seasons Realm?”
Despite his lethargy, the Emperor Realm Master still nodded his head.
Yang Kai frowned and questioned, “What are you going there for?”
He was also heading to the Four Seasons Realm, and he was pretty close to his destination. He hadn’t expected that this Emperor Realm Master was also going to the same place. It was no wonder that he would come across him here. Since their destination was the same, it could be expected that they would meet.
The Emperor Realm Master was unable to answer the question. He passed out, without giving any useful clues. He was either resolute enough to keep the secret or he really knew nothing.
The latter was more probable. If he was a resolute person, he wouldn’t have revealed so much information already.
Since the Emperor Realm Master had passed out, Yang Kai put him in the Small Sealed World. It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to kill him, he just wanted to let Bai Zhuo have one more person to experiment on. If Bai Zhuo could devise a way to break the Blood Demon Secret Technique used on this Emperor Realm Master, they could easily identify and capture those from Demon Heavenly Dao. They could also set things right and help those from Demon Heavenly Dao regain their original personalities.
However, Yang Kai was surprised that the incident had something to do with the Four Seasons Realm. After giving it a thought, he said, “Xiao Bai, please bring the other disciples back to the Temple first. I’ll head to the Four Seasons Realm to find out what those from Demon Heavenly Dao are up to.”
“I’m going as well,” Xiao Bai Yi replied briefly.
Yang Kai smiled helplessly and pointed at Murong Xiao Xiao, “If you also go, who will protect Junior Sister? Aren’t you worried about making her return to the Temple on her own?”
Given Murong Xiao Xiao’s condition, no one could be assured to let her return to the Temple with only her current teammates, all of whom were injured as well. Since those from Demon Heavenly Dao had received the order to head to the Four Seasons Realm, there must be more than one group of them. If Murong Xiao Xiao and the other disciples came across those from Demon Heavenly Dao, they were doomed.
Xiao Bai Yi frowned as he understood that what Yang Kai said made sense, but he still argued, “You can put them all away safe, right?”
Since Yang Kai could keep Du Juan and the Emperor Realm Master in the Small Sealed World, he certainly could do the same to the others. It was easy for him to do such a thing.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m asking you to go back not only because Junior Sister and the others need treatment, but because there’s something I need you to do at the Temple. It’s a more pressing issue than what is happening in the Four Seasons Realm.”
No one knew what was going on in the Four Seasons Realm, but the problem facing the Temple had to be solved as soon as possible.
Seeing how solemn Yang Kai was, Xiao Bai Yi asked puzzledly, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai replied in a grim voice, “Since Du Juan was an enemy spy, it’s possible that there are more traitors in the Temple.”
He then beckoned to Bo Ya, “Take her with you and sniff out all the moles in the Temple.”
Since Bo Ya could detect Du Juan’s anomaly, it meant that she was able to see through the disguise of those from Demon Heavenly Dao. There were probably still some other traitors in the Temple, but Yang Kai had no time to go back to check, so sending Bo Ya was the best option.
Bo Ya hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would give her such a task, so she shot him a glare, but she didn’t seem to oppose the idea. In any case, it was much better than if she stayed in the Small Sealed World. Since Li Shi Qing left, she had nothing else to do in the Small Sealed World and was simply idling, feeling extremely bored.
Xiao Bai Yi hesitantly took a look at Bo Ya. Seeing that, Yang Kai said with a smile, “Don’t worry. Although she’s a Demon, she works for me now. Since I’ve told her to go with you, there won’t be any problems.”
It was then that Xiao Bai Yi nodded gently. As someone from the Star Boundary, he instinctively felt repulsed by the Demons; however, since Yang Kai had said such, he no longer cast any doubts.
“Who is in charge of the Temple now?” Yang Kai asked.
“Vice Temple Master Qiu.”
Yang Kai gave a nod, “Please tell Vice Temple Master about the situation in detail, but act cautiously. Don’t let anyone else find out about it so that we don’t alert the enemy.”
“En,” Xiao Bai Yi replied.
After the short discussion, Xiao Bai Yi didn’t leave in a hurry; instead, he remained in the same spot because his teammates hadn’t arrived yet. There was a traitor in Murong Xiao Xiao’s team, so it wasn’t certain whether there was also one in his own team.
However, Yang Kai didn’t have the time to wait. After telling Bo Ya to work closely with the others and passing her a Space Beacon, he bid everyone farewell and headed to the Four Seasons Realm on his own.
An incense stick later, the other team of disciples finally arrived. After they gathered together, Xiao Bai Yi turned to look at Bo Ya, who slowly shook her head. It was then Xiao Bai Yi heaved a sigh of relief.
Without any delays, he led everyone to return to Azure Sun Temple. Despite Yang Kai’s assurance, he was still wary of Bo Ya; after all, she was a Mid-Rank Demon King. If she suddenly struck out, while they might be still able to deal with her with their current manpower, there would be a hefty price to pay. Xiao Bai Yi thus insisted on standing between Bo Ya and Murong Xiao Xiao, who was injured.
Besides that, he felt helpless at the fact that Bo Ya’s Demonic characteristics were too conspicuous. She was a Feather Demon, so it was hard not to notice the white wings behind her back. If she really followed them back to the Temple in such a state, before she even got near the Temple, the other disciples would jump right out to slay a Demon like her.
Fortunately, she was able to use a Secret Technique to temporarily hide her wings. Xiao Bai Yi also found a black hooded coat to cover her up fully before he was able to set off on their journey with peace of mind.
…..
The Four Seasons Realm wasn’t far from the place where Azure Sun Temple’s disciples fell into danger, only several tens of thousands of kilometres away.
The reason Yang Kai came to this place was to have a look at the current situation of the Four Seasons Realm. He didn’t even think he could find out anything and was simply doing this to console his parents.
However, he felt doubtful now that those from Demon Heavenly Dao were also interested in the Four Seasons Realm.
The reason Yang Xiao and Yang Xue were able to enter the Four Seasons Realm was that Qiong Qi had led the way for them; after all, Qiong Qi was the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s mount in the past. After the Great Emperor passed away, Qiong Qi fell into a deep slumber inside the Flowing Time Temple for countless years. Hence, it was only natural that he could open up the entrance to the Four Seasons Realm.
However, why would those from Demon Heavenly Dao also want to come to the Four Seasons Realm? This place had been around in the Southern Territory for countless years, and it would open up at regular intervals to allow cultivators below the Dao Source Realm in for life experience. There was still a long time before the realm would open again. Even if those from Demon Heavenly Dao came here, how were they going to enter?
Perhaps their target wasn’t the Four Seasons Realm itself but rather something else in the area that was worth their attention.
Whatever the case, Yang Kai had to quickly launch an investigation.
As soon as Yang Kai arrived though, he realized that something was off.
The entrance of the Four Seasons Realm was in the sky above a nameless mountain valley. Before it was time to open up, nothing could be found here. When the time came, the entrance into the Four Seasons Realm would simply appear in the sky.
The valley didn’t have a name, nor did it contain any natural treasures, so normally, it was deserted and no one would pay any attention to it.
However, at this moment, many people had gathered in this valley. Teams of different sizes were scattered everywhere in the valley, with all of them hidden in the forest and caves.
The largest team had more than a hundred people, while the smallest team had about a dozen people. Without exception though, all the teams were led by Emperor Realm Masters.