Huo Bo turned pale with fright. He never imagined that his impulsive whim would put him in danger. If he had known this earlier, he would not have rushed over without thinking first.
Ice Principles ran rampant, seeming to freeze the flames inside his body. He tried his best to dodge but was still slashed by the Dragon Claw in the end. Several long gashes instantly appeared on his body and a destructive cold energy raged around his wounds, not allowing a single drop of blood to flow despite the torn flesh.
Huo Bo gave a strange scream, and before Fu Zhun could attack a second time, his round body transformed into a red light and shot away into the distance.
He actually escaped!
“Waste!” Fu Yu gritted her teeth at the sight and was tempted to shoot him down. Now that Zhu Yan was injured by her attack and Fu Zhun was held back because she had Yang Kai in her mouth, it was the perfect opportunity to eradicate the two Great Elders. It was acceptable even if they had to pay a price for this mission. [I can’t believe Huo Bo! How dare he escape so pathetically!? This just proves that cowards are not qualified to participate in strategic planning!]
With Yang Kai as the trigger, the three Demon Saints and two Great Elders, all of whom had been watching from the sidelines until now, attacked each other in a flurry. Following that brief confrontation, Zhu Yan was injured and Huo Bo fled!
A Dragon Roar sounded once more. The huge bodies of an Azure Dragon and an Ice Dragon intertwined with each other in the sky as though they were one, their spirits connecting with each other. Two huge Dragon Heads reared up proudly, overlooking the whole world.
The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan were husband and wife, so after spending countless years together, they had long since become connected with each other in heart and soul. It was only natural that they had developed their own set of Unified Secret Techniques.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun were comparable to Great Emperors in strength individually, and by using a Unified Secret Technique it was not as simple as ‘one plus one equals two’. How could they have been a match for the three Demon Saints over the past few years if not for these techniques?
Having fought each other more than once, both Xue Li and Fu Yu sighed in their hearts when they saw the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan in this pose. They knew that they had lost the perfect opportunity to make their move just now. At this moment, they would not be able to kill their opponents no matter how desperately they fought. At most, both sides would end up heavily wounded.
With their souls connected, the Ice Principles that permeated from Fu Zhun’s body helped to seal the wounds on Zhu Yan’s chest. Azure Dragons were known for their restorative abilities, and their bodies contained a virtually indestructible vitality, so they would not be affected by their injuries for a while even though the wounds seemed rather severe. It was fortunate that the target of Fu Yu’s arrow had been Zhu Yan. If she had aimed for Fu Zhun instead, it would be much more troublesome.
Inside the mountain valley, the Star Boundary’s 14 armies had almost finished their evacuation. With the help of the World Beads that Yang Kai previously refined as well as the ones he brought back with him this time, their mobility had increased dramatically compared to before, even though there were many more people in each army now.
*Shua shua shua…*
Numerous figures swooped through the sky to stand beside the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan. They were the Pseudo-Great Emperors that had been busy fending off the Demon Race Half-Saints previously. Led by Li Wu Yi, nearly twenty Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints under the Star Boundary had gotten rid of their opponents and came to stand before the mountain valley. They had been keeping an eye on the movements of the Star Boundary’s army, so there was no need for them to continue fighting the Demon Race Masters anymore once they saw that the moment had arrived.
Similarly, the Half-Saints of Demon Race were freed from their restraints and came to stand behind Xue Li and Fu Yu.
Glaring at each other across the sky, their invisible and intangible aura silently collided with each other. Space flickered constantly as a result, as though it could not withstand the pressure and was about to collapse at any time.
Xue Li stood with his hands behind his back, his scarlet eyes glowing with a cold light as he savagely snarled, “Sooner or later, you will die by our hands.”
Fu Zhun coldly snorted in response, “It won’t be too late for you to talk big when that day comes!”
After saying that, she slowly retreated to the rear of the mountain valley with Zhu Yan in tow. Li Wu Yi and others scattered to the sides and escorted them. What reassured them a little was that the Demon Race showed no movement as they retreated to the Space Array.
The Demon Race simply watched the people from the Star Boundary retreat quietly. They knew that it was meaningless to continue the battle now that things had come to this. Both parties were practically equal in strength, so neither could do anything to the other.
In truth, however, this battle was a complete defeat for the Star Boundary. It wasn’t that their strength was inferior to their enemies, it was just that the Demon Land had eroded all of Star Soul Palace and was still expanding outward without stopping. Star Soul Palace was the cultivation paradise of the Southern Territory’s Martial Dao for millennia. It symbolised the pinnacle of the highest Martial Dao in this territory, but at this moment, it had fallen into the hands of the Demon Race.
A brilliant light flashed at the Space Array before the last remnants of the army vanished from sight.
Xue Li watched coldly until the people from the Star Boundary had completely retreated before he muttered, “We should speed up our plans.”
Fu Yu put away her Divine Bow and replied, “It’s almost complete.”
“How much longer will it take?” He turned to look at her.
“According to the information from various sources, three months at the most.”
“Three months?” The corners of Xue Li’s mouth twitched to reveal a playful smile, “In that case, we should let them enjoy the next three months.”
..…
Yang Kai’s mind felt as though it was bobbing up and down on the vast ocean. All sorts of thoughts incessantly flashed through his head, conjuring various disjointed paragraphs of strange information. It was all the information he never understood before. For some reason, he could now understand them perfectly. He did not know how long had passed, but his eyes jerked open when a ray of light appeared in the darkness.
“Husband!” A soft cry rang out.
Yang Kai turned his head to the side and saw several pretty faces looking at him with anxiety and concern written all over their faces. Xia Ning Chang’s eyes were even red and swollen, making it obvious that she had been crying.
“Husband!” Su Yan called out softly again. Although she had tried her best to suppress it, her voice was still a little shaky. They had remained by his side throughout the period he had been unconscious. Now that he was awake again, it felt like a rock was finally lifted from their hearts.
Great Elder Zhu Yan had mentioned that there would be no problems as long as Yang Kai could regain consciousness; however, it would be rather troublesome if he remained in a coma. The injury he received this time was inflicted by a Demon Saint after all. It was a completely different situation from before, so nobody knew what would happen to him.
A small smile appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he reached out a hand and stroked Su Yan’s face. Su Yan seemed a little restrained in front of everybody, but even so, suppressing her shyness, she reached out to hold his big hand and allowed him to brush her cheek.
“Why are you still crying?” Yang Kai reached out his other hand and held Xia Ning Chang’s soft hands, “I’m fine now.”
It would have been fine if he had not said anything, but the moment he spoke, Xia Ning Chang’s tears started flowing again. She lay down on the bed, her shoulders shaking as she suppressed her sobs. As if influenced by her, the eyes of Luo’er, Xue Yue, and even Zhu Qing turned red. They quietly turned their heads away and wept secretly.
He comforted each one of them in turn, but he spoke until his mouth went dry to no avail. His efforts were ineffective, and just as he was feeling helpless, a person’s voice came from behind in a frosty tone, “Why are you all crying!? It’s not like he’s dead! Get out!”
If it were anybody else who spoke those words, Su Yan and the others would not have obeyed; however, it was Fu Zhun who had scolded them just now, so how could they dare to disobey? Fu Zhun was famous for being cold and harsh. It was only in front of Yang Xiao that she would display a touch of tenderness.
Anyways, nothing good would come from disobeying her, so after speaking to Yang Kai for a bit, the women reluctantly left the room.
Yang Kai then got up from the bed.
Zhu Yan, who had followed Fu Zhun into the room, hurriedly said, “Lie down; you’re still not fully recovered. Don’t move around unnecessarily.”
While speaking, he coughed lightly, making it obvious that his injuries were not healed either. He had taken an arrow from Fu Yu previously and was further injured by Huo Bo’s self-detonation. Although his life was not in danger, his injuries were not insignificant.
Yang Kai replied, “I’m not uncomfortable in any way. I feel fine.”
It was the truth. He did not feel the slightest discomfort anywhere even though he had just woken up from a coma. On the contrary, his body was overflowing with power. He did not understand the reason for this situation either.
Zhu Yan was stunned. He and Fu Zhun observed Yang Kai together and saw that he was indeed in perfect condition; thus, they couldn’t help but be amazed.
Ordinary High-Rank Demon Kings would not have survived being targeted by a Demon Saint; however, Yang Kai had stubbornly resisted a punch from Xue Li. Although he ended up in a rather miserable condition, it was a blessing just for him to survive. Who could have known that he would not suffer any drawbacks? That was simply unbelievable. What bothered the two Great Elders even more was that his eyes seemed to be much more profound than before. It was as though he became more reserved, which in turn made him hard to read.
“Was there something you needed from me?” Yang Kai had some speculations.
It was impossible for Zhu Yan to delay receiving treatment for his wounds and wait around for Yang Kai to wake up instead, unless there was something vital these two needed from him.
“I do have something to ask you,” Zhu Yan nodded affirmatively.
“Have a seat,” Yang Kai gestured. There was tea on the table, so he took out some cups and served them. Pushing the tea towards the pair, Yang Kai poured another cup for himself, sipped on it and thought back to the feeling he experienced when he blocked Xue Li’s punch with his spear. That scene had appeared in his dreams countless times while he was unconscious, which gave him a lot of inspiration and insight.
Fu Zhun got straight to the point, “The main reason we came looking for you is to ask about your spear…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Yang Kai suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed at something. The Azure Dragon Spear appeared in his hand, and he handed it to her with a smile, “Second Elder, please have a look for yourself.”
An ancient and desolate Dragon Aura flooded out of the spear as though a Dragon had stepped out of an ancient scroll to appear before them. The Dragon Source in her body trembled uncontrollably in response and her expression stiffened slightly and she hastily reached out to take the spear from him.
Likewise, Zhu Yan leaned closer to study the Azure Dragon Spear together with her.
Outside the palace, Su Yan and the others walked out one by one. A group of people immediately gathered around them to ask about Yang Kai’s situation. Su Yan informed them that Yang Kai was awake. Moreover, the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan were speaking to him. Only then did they feel relieved.
Shan Qing Luo saw a pretty figure among the crowd. Smiling, she walked over and gently nudged that person in the side, “Big Sister, Husband is all right.”
Ji Yao panicked before she nodded and said, “En, I heard.”
Shan Qing Luo sighed leisurely, “When Husband was in a coma, he kept muttering our names in a daze. It was really heartbreaking.”
Ji Yao forced a smile on her face, “Junior Brother holds you all dear in his heart. Despite being in a coma, he still thinks about you.”
Luo’er tilted her head to the side and looked at Ji Yao, “What you said makes sense, Big Sister.”
She raised a finger and pressed it against her red lips in an innocent and cute manner that somehow made her look enchanting instead, “But, Big Sister… Husband called out your name too…”
Ji Yao’s tender body trembled and a red flush crept up her face and she asked in a flustered voice, “R-Really?”
“En.” Shan Qing Luo blinked her big eyes and looked at Ji Yao innocently, “I wonder why. Big Sister, do you owe him money?”
“N-No,” Ji Yao’s face turned even redder as she had a sudden feeling that her ‘affair’ had been discovered, so she was at a loss for what to do.
Shan Qing Luo said pensively, “Oh. He must have been confused then.”
Ji Yao forced a smile and said, “It’s good that Senior Brother Yang is awake. Honoured Master is waiting for me to return so I will take my leave first.”
Watching Ji Yao fleeing in embarrassment, Shan Qing Luo pursed her lips and smiled coquettishly, [Honestly. What a thin-skinned woman.]
Both Demon Qi and Demon Essence were rich and dense in Star Soul Palace. What was once a cultivation paradise of the Southern Territory was now a Demon Land.
A Half-Saint and more than 10 Demon Kings sat cross-legged inside one of the palaces. The expressions on their faces were full of hardships and struggle. The Half-Saint and the Demon Kings were wounded during the battle several days ago; moreover, every one of them had been injured by Yang Kai without exception. Strictly speaking, their injuries could not be considered serious. The Half-Saint’s injuries could even be said to be negligible. It was the Blood Demon Half-Saint who was previously scratched on the arm by Yang Kai.
However, the Blood Demon Half-Saint discovered over the past few days that his wound would not heal no matter what he did. There was a strange force around his wound that eroded away at his flesh. It wasn’t just that that insignificant wound was failing to heal, it was also becoming larger and more aggravated. What made him despair though was that the more he tried to suppress his wound, the worst it got instead.
Xue Li stood in front of the Blood Demon Half-Saint, his eyes slightly lowered as his hand was placed on the Blood Demon Half-Saint’s shoulder. His mighty Demon Saint’s aura was overflowing from him. All of a sudden, Xue Li’s expression changed. Lifting his large hand, he formed a claw and grasped at the wound of the Blood Demon Half-Saint in front of him. A bloody arrow shot out of the wound and he caught it in the palm of his hand.
The blood arrow in his hand was like a living thing, even transforming into a blood-coloured Spirit Snake and trying to drill its way into his palm. Xue Li’s expression froze for a moment in surprise, though he wasn’t the least bit worried. Wrapping his Demon Qi around that Blood Snake, he held it in the palm of his hand.
Fu Yu, who was standing by the side, glanced at Xue Li in surprise. Although her expression gave nothing away, she knew that what Xue Li was doing had consumed a lot of his energy as there was a trace of exhaustion in the depths of those eyes.
[He is only treating a wound. I can’t believe it made Xue Li so tired. What the Hell is that?] Her expression subconsciously became serious. She looked at him and asked, “What happened?”
Xue Li stared at the Blood Snake in his hand deeply, letting it toss about on his palm but not daring to have any direct contact with it. His pupils contracted slightly and he grimly replied, “Martial Truth!”
“Martial Truth!?” Fu Yu was taken aback by his words. She felt like she had just heard something incredulous and her voice went one octave higher without her realising, “That little brat has realised a portion of the Martial Truth!? Did you make a mistake?”
Xue Li just glanced at her quietly and said nothing. The meaning behind his silence was clear. Even she knew that he would never make a mistake regarding something like this; thus, she took a shallow breath of cold air and murmured, “No wonder…”
She recalled the scene of battle between Yang Kai and the Stone Demon Half-Saint when Yang Kai first appeared. It was obvious that Yang Kai was not overwhelmingly powerful in any way, but he still managed to kill the Stone Demon Half-Saint on the spot. Although he had the support of the three young women, their help ultimately did not play a large role in that battle. The one who really determined the outcome of the battle was Yang Kai himself.
She initially believed that the Stone Demon Half-Saint was more useless than he seemed and his cultivation as a Half-Saint was a complete waste. Seeing as he ultimately died at the hands of a Demon King, his death was not even worth pitying. It would now seem though that she had wronged him. It wasn’t that he was not good enough, it was that Yang Kai had comprehended a part of the Martial Truth! Power of that level was something even the Demon Saints themselves feared. Even Xue Li did not dare to touch it carelessly, so what more need be said about a mere Half-Saint? How could they survive after being corroded away by the Martial Truth!?
“We missed an opportunity!” A cold light mixed with a hint of annoyance flashed in Xue Li’s eyes. If they had known that Yang Kai had already begun comprehending Martial Truth, he would have gone for the kill regardless of the costs that day.
While speaking, he lifted his hand and the wriggling Blood Snake shot out and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye. Even though it was a weak piece of Martial Truth, it was not something Xue Li could disperse easily. With his strength, he could only extract this Martial Truth from the body of the injured Blood Demon at most. Although he could sense that Yang Kai’s Martial Truth was still quite feeble, a new door had opened up for Yang Kai nevertheless. If Yang Kai was allowed to continue growing, there might come a day in the future where he was strong enough to even kill them.
“That little brat is just a Demon King! How could he realise the Martial Truth?” Fu Yu’s complexion was ashen. Yang Kai had achieved what even a Demon Saint like her could not; thus, her fury stemmed mostly from envy. [If I could comprehend such power, then the First Demon Saint wouldn’t be Huang Wu Ji anymore. It would be me, Feather Demon Fu Yu!]
Xue Li narrowed his eyes slightly, “He disappeared for three years. It seemed he entered the Demon Realm during that period, but he did not have this power before. He must have encountered some kind of opportunity in the Demon Realm.”
“The Demon Realm…” She was surprised.
[If it was an opportunity in the Demon Realm, it should have come to us instead! How can it be wasted on a Human!?] Her heart was instantly filled with fury.
“Sir, please save me!” A cry came from the side, interrupting the conversation between the two Demon Saints. It was one of the Demon Kings who could no longer withstand the pain caused by the Martial Truth wreaking havoc on his body. Therefore, he opened his mouth to ask for help. He had seen Xue Li doing something, and then the pained expression on the Blood Demon Half-Saint’s face disappeared. It was obvious that the Demon Saint had the means and power to alleviate his pain.
That strange force was raging around his wounds and causing them to deteriorate at a constant pace. There were no signs of improvement whatsoever. It made no difference no matter how high his cultivation or how tough his body.
Xue Li walked over to the Demon King and raised a hand to pat the Demon King on the shoulder. His actions were very light, as though he planned to comfort the other party. However, the Demon King immediately turned into a pool of thick blood the moment Xue Li’s palm touched him. The stench of blood flooded the hall instantly.
The remaining Demon Kings waiting for treatment were stunned by the sight. They never imagined that Xue Li would not only refuse to provide treatment but also kill them without any hesitation. Unfortunately, they had no time to ruminate over the situation. Their faces suddenly distorted in agony as every one of them felt the blood in their bodies boiling all at once. Hence, they were horrified and shouted desperately, “Sir!”
Xue Li was indifferent to their pleas and simply watched them coldly. He was a Blood Demon and a Demon Saint on top of that. He was the greatest Master when it came to controlling fresh blood. It only required a flash of his thoughts and the blood in those Demon Kings’ bodies came under his control.
Fu Yu stood watching from the sidelines, showing no intention of stopping him. That was because she knew that it was impossible for him to waste his strength on these Demon Kings. Judging from his actions just now, expelling the Martial Truth inside the body of his clansman consumed a large amount of energy. A Half-Saint might be worth saving, but a Demon King was not.
The mournful pleas gradually turned into blood-curdling screams; then, a muffled sound rang out. All the injured Demon Kings had exploded into a mist of blood. Surprisingly, the blood mist did not disperse in all directions. Not a single drop of blood splashed out either. Instead, the blood mist condensed into a huge blood ball in front of him.
In the past, a blood ball like this would have been a great supplement to Xue Li. Even so, how could he invite trouble upon himself whilst knowing that remnant Martial Truth was hidden within? He thus lifted his hand and the blood ball flew out of the palace to some unknown place in the distance.
“Where is Huo Bo?” Xue Li wiped his hands. Those slender hands were like a woman’s, clean and without a single speck of dirt on them.
The moment he mentioned Huo Bo’s name, Fu Yu became livid and her face was covered in a malevolent aura, “Who knows? He vanished completely since his departure three days ago. He is probably hiding somewhere to tend to his wounds,”
“That waste!” It was clear that Xue Li was also furious at Huo Bo. The grudge and hatred between them had existed for many years, so they had always disliked each other, but now, Xue Li was even starting to entertain thoughts of murdering Huo Bo. He pondered in silence for a moment, “Find him. Make him go and kill Yang Kai.”
She said, “Finding him is not difficult, but making him do something is practically impossible. You know what a coward he is…”
Xue Li sneered in response, “I might not be able to order him around, but that person can. Right?”
A frenzied light flashed through Fu Yu’s eyes at those words and she nodded lightly, “I understand. He won’t dare to disobey if that’s the case. But, if he goes alone… We will lose what advantage we have if he dies in the hands of those two old Dragons.”
The corners of Xue Li’s mouth curled, “It’s fine. Can Ye is almost fully healed.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about anymore.” Fu Yu smiled, looking extremely charming.
At the start of the second Two Worlds Great War, Can Ye had used himself as a bridge to connect the two worlds, forcibly opened the Two Worlds’ Passage, and led the Demon Saints and the Demon Race army into the Star Boundary. The price he had to pay for his actions was extremely heavy and he was severely wounded in the end. Therefore, he had secluded himself to heal from his injuries and did not reveal himself for the past few years.
The Star Boundary was already at a disadvantage regarding top Masters and were relying fully on the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan to maintain the current situation. If Can Ye were to come out of retreat, then it would undoubtedly make things worse for the Star Boundary.
…
“The Outer Universe?” Inside the room, Fu Zhun’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was quite funny to see the shocked expression on her face when she generally had such a cold demeanour.
“A towering giant?” Similarly, Zhu Yan also looked shocked.
The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan had lived for a very long time, and although they spent most of their time on Dragon Island without involving themselves in worldly matters, they came from a noble Race that had existed since the beginning of the universe. When it came to the accumulation of knowledge and heritage, there was no other Race in the world that could compare to the Dragon Clan. There were many ancient books that recorded various unknown secrets on Dragon Island and the two Elders had spent much time reading those books when they had nothing better to do over the course of their lives. Not to mention that they all bore Dragon Sources, which carried the inherited memories and experiences of their ancestors.
It could be said that in the whole of the Star Boundary, even the Great Emperors could not compare to them in terms of experience. Even so, they couldn’t help feeling extremely shocked after listening to Yang Kai’s story.
“Did you really go to the Outer Universe?” Fu Zhun asked anxiously.
“I can’t guarantee it, but it is a great possibility.” Yang Kai thought back to what he experienced previously and felt that there was no other plausible explanation for that vast Starry Sky he arrived at except that it was the Outer Universe.
He had escaped from the Void Crack where the Demon Realm once existed. The Demon Realm was originally a universe in and of itself, so the entire universe had vanished without a trace after he devoured the whole Demon Realm with the Sealed World Bead. Perhaps, that had inadvertently forged a connection to the Outer Universe. Unfortunately, Yang Kai could not be sure of it.
“What is the Outer Universe like?” Fu Zhun asked enthusiastically.
Yang Kai scratched his head, clueless as to how to describe what he saw back then. Recalling everything he had seen though, he said emotionally, “It was incredibly vast. It felt like the sky outside a cage.”
She suddenly revealed an expression of longing at those words.
“Do two Seniors know about the Outer Universe?” Yang Kai looked at them and asked. From what Fu Zhun had said just now, it seemed that they had known that there was another sky beyond their world long ago.
Fu Zhun and Zhu Yan looked at each other before the former nodded in response, “It was briefly mentioned in the ancient books belonging to the Dragon Clan, but the description was very vague; therefore, we have never been sure about its existence.”
It was rumoured that the first generation of Dragons arrived on Dragon Island from the Outer Universe and eventually left behind their descendants in that independent world. Unfortunately, this matter had happened too long ago, so far back in history that even Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun could not be sure of the truth. It wasn’t until they heard Yang Kai’s story that they became more confident about what was recorded by their ancestors.
“What about the giant…” Zhu Yan caressed the Azure Dragon Spear, “Was this spear gifted to you by the giant?”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded. He couldn’t help but smile when he thought about the giant named Ah Da. Looking back on it now, he still felt shocked by what he witnessed that day. His Half-Dragon form was enormous as it was, but he was no more than a bug in front of that charmingly naïve giant.
Yang Kai did not know what Race Ah Da belonged to for the latter to grow to such a humongous size, but fortunately, Ah Da was not hostile. Yang Kai would not have returned alive otherwise.
The two Elders exchanged a glance with each other and saw the shock reflected in each other’s eyes.
Yang Kai raised his hand and grabbed the Azure Dragon Spear. The spear covered in Dragon Scales suddenly flashed with a series of lights that was dazzlingly bright. The Dragon Aura within the body of the spear slowly emerged, like the awakening of an ancient Dragon that had been slumbering through the ages. It caused the Dragon Sources in Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun’s bodies to throb painfully.
Zhu Yan coughed again.
“Great Elder’s wounds…” Yang Kai looked at Zhu Yan’s abdomen and saw a faint trace of blood seeping out.
“It’s not a big deal, but it will take some time to heal,” Zhu Yan waved his hand dismissively, indicating that his injury was nothing serious.
Yang Kai smiled, “I might be able to help you heal faster, Great Elder. I might even be able to… make the two of you stronger.”
As soon as this statement came out, both Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun looked at him in astonishment. Both of them had cultivated for countless years, and after having reached their current Realm, it became extremely difficult for them to improve their cultivation any further. The advancement of the Dragon Clan’s strength did not come from hard work alone. Rather, it required the stimulation of their Source and the accumulation of time. The greater the awakening of their Source Strength, the greater their power!
Ordinary Dragon Blood Flowers no longer had any effect on them. Only Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers could stimulate their bloodline and awaken their Source by a slight margin. Unfortunately, Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were treasures most people could only dream about owning. Even with the full power of Dragon Island, only a few such Spirit Flowers were cultivated over thousands of years. In addition, Yang Kai had taken all of them recently.
They were unable to rely on the Dragon Blood Flower and intensive cultivation was also proven ineffective; as such, they could only wait for the accumulation over time. Thus, when the pair heard what Yang Kai said, their first reaction was disbelief. Then, they recalled Yang Kai’s more than 1,000 metre-tall Half-Dragon Body that he displayed in Star Soul Palace three days ago and couldn’t help becoming excited.
They clearly remembered that Yang Kai was only around 300 metres long the last time they saw him performing the Dragon Transformation. It was incredible that he could grow to the size of more than 1,000 metres in just over ten years. If Yang Kai could do it, then why couldn’t they? All of a sudden, they realised that what he had in his body was the Golden Divine Dragon Source. As the Source Strength became increasingly integrated with him, he would certainly be able to obtain the inheritance and memories of the many Dragon Clan ancestors before him. It was possible that he had derived some sort of secret from them.
“What are the odds?” Fu Zhun suppressed the excitement in her heart; however, the sparkle in her eyes revealed everything she was trying to hide.
“That would depend on how much you can endure.” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Zhu Yan gave a soft chuckle, “If something this good really does exist, then this Old Master will show you the Dragon Clan’s endurance.”
Both he and Fu Zhun had been pitched against the three Demon Saints, and over the years, they had barely managed to maintain the current situation. Even so, they suffered losses many times. There were also many occasions where the couple had to rely on their Unified Secret Techniques to make Xue Li and the others hesitant to take action lest they harm themselves in the process. That was how they managed to avoid catastrophic losses so far.
If they could increase their strength in addition to speeding up their healing process, then there was no need for them to suffer this abuse any longer. At that time, they might no longer be at a disadvantage in a two-against-three battle. Who could say? They might even manage to snatch the initiative back. At the very least, they would not be stuck in such a passive situation.
“Good. Let’s not delay this matter. Let’s set off once I’ve made some preparations.” Yang Kai retrieved the Azure Dragon Spear and stood up.
“Where are we going?” Zhu Yan looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
“Dragon Island!”
At such a critical juncture, Yang Kai and the two Elders of the Dragon Clan were going to Dragon Island, and a conservative estimate indicated that it would take them a month at the very least to return.
Naturally, such a confidential matter could not be publicised. Nobody could guarantee that there were no remnants of Demon Heavenly Dao among the Star Boundary armies. If this news was leaked to the enemy, the Demon Saints would definitely make a move when the two Elders returned to Dragon Island; after all, there would be nobody to stop Xue Li and the others from attacking.
Therefore, Li Wu Yi was the only one who Yang Kai informed of the truth. It was only announced to the public that both Yang Kai and Great Elder Zhu Yan had gone into retreat to heal from their injuries.
Luckily, they had the Space Array which made coming and going easy and untraceable. After issuing some simple instructions, Yang Kai, Zhu Yan, and Fu Zhun embarked on the journey back to Dragon Island.
One day later, the group of three entered the Small World of Dragon Island and went straight to the Dragon Temple without stopping. At this point, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun finally understood Yang Kai’s plan.
Huge Dragon Bodies coiled around the pillars of the cold and empty Dragon Temple. In the darkness, many pairs of Dragon Eyes watched them. The silhouettes of ancient Dragons loomed in and out of sight, filling the air with terrifying Dragon Pressure.
“Do you plan to borrow the power of the Ancestral Dragon Souls?” Zhu Yan turned to look at Yang Kai.
“Do you have any other methods apart from this?” Yang Kai did not deny. He had only just learned of this Secret Technique as it wasn’t something that he learned from others. Rather, it was something he comprehended from the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source Strength in his body.
The Source seemed to contain this Secret Technique from the beginning, but his integration with the Source had not been enough in the past; thus, he could not gain further insight at the time. After cultivating in the ancient battlefield for decades, however, his Dragon Transformation now allowed him to assume a 1,000 metres long form. Furthermore, the integration with his Source was greatly enhanced compared to before. Likewise, much of the information contained in the Source was no longer obscure.
There were two Restricted Areas on Dragon Island. One was the Dragon Temple and the other was the Dragon Grave.
The Dragon Grave was the burial place of all members of the Dragon Clan. That place had served as the Dragon Clan’s graveyard for countless aeons and the bones of many large and mighty Dragons were entombed there. With the exception of the Dragon Clan’s previous Great Elders, the Great Elder was the strongest of the Dragon Clan and shouldered the heavy responsibility of guarding and continuing the Dragon Clan’s inheritance. Following the death of each generation of Great Elder, their body would enter the Dragon Grave while their Dragon Soul would remain in the Dragon Temple where they would silently continue to guard it.
There were now more than ten generations of the heroic Souls belonging to former Dragon Clan Great Elders inside the Dragon Temple. These Dragon Souls still retained their majestic appearances, but their consciousness was no longer present. There was only a trace of instinct left in them, so they could be considered dead. Even if they were dead, however, these Souls were not to be desecrated.
Yang Kai said, “The Star Boundary needs both of you right now. If you can’t even protect yourselves, then how will you protect the Star Boundary? If anything happens to the Star Boundary, what will be left of your homes? No eggs can remain unbroken when the nest is destroyed. This plan is truly our last resort. I’m sure the Souls of the Great Elders in the Heavens above would not blame us for doing this. They would be proud of us instead.”
Zhu Yan frowned deeply, looking hesitant. Although he knew what Yang Kai was saying was true, it was inevitable that he would hesitate to take this step.
Surprisingly, Fu Zhun was more accepting of the idea and persuaded Zhu Yan via Divine Sense transmission, “Yang Boy is right. You are injured right now, and if we don’t heal your wounds quickly, the situation you and I will have to deal with will only be more difficult once those Demon bastards are free to come after us. Xiao’er is still so young. How will Xiao’er grow if there is no pure land left in this world?”
Having lived with each other for countless years, she was naturally the person who understood him the most and pulled out her secret weapon by mentioning Yang Xiao’s name. It was then that Zhu Yan finally let out a long sigh, “Forget it. I will bear the full responsibility if the Souls of our ancestors in Heaven were to blame us for this.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “We are doing this for the sake of the world. How could the Seniors blame you? Besides, this… is also the wish of the Seniors!”
His expression became solemn after saying that and a golden light filled the entire palace when a high-pitched Dragon Roar sounded. Instantly, the ice-cold Dragon Temple was flooded with a golden brilliance that added a touch of warmth to their surroundings.
A series of cracking sounds rang out as Yang Kai transformed. The Dragon Pressure radiating from him was immeasurable and a mysterious Dragon Language chant echoed from his mouth, seemingly resonating with something in the hall. Likewise, the Dragon Souls coiling around the surrounding pillars raised their heads and joined in the chant. One after another, the huge figures flew down, coiled around him, and wriggled about under his feet.
The two Elders were stunned by the sight. Despite knowing that Yang Kai had the Golden Divine Dragon Source, it was still shocking to see such a scene. The Dragon Clan was arrogant, claiming to be the Head of the Myriad Spirits; therefore, they would never bow their heads to any other creature. However, they were currently watching as Dragon Souls of generations of the Dragon Clan’s Great Elders seemed to be prostrating themselves at the feet of their King.
The mysterious Dragon Language became more rapid, sounding like a violent storm. As Yang Kai chanted, a strange sound seemed to reverberate from the depths of the Dragon Temple.
The two Elders were shocked and turned to look in that direction at the same time. What they saw was a piece of land slowly floating up from the deepest part of the Dragon Temple.
Zhu Yan couldn’t help widening his eyes in surprise. Although the Dragon Temple was one of Dragon Island’s Restricted Areas, he had entered and exited this place many times. Even so, it wasn’t until today that he learned that there was another mystery to the Dragon Temple. If even he did not know, Fu Zhun would have even less chance of knowing so she couldn’t help asking, “What is that?”
Zhu Yan could only shake his head in response.
There was a loud rumbling noise that accompanied the rising of the ground. The entire Dragon Temple shook as though it was going to collapse at any time. It wasn’t until a certain moment when the abnormal noise stopped abruptly along with the trembling of the hall. From what the two Elders could see, something that looked like a pool or pond had appeared in the depths of Dragon Temple. The pond seemed to be connected to the Dragon Temple as one entity and was filled with an ancient and desolate aura. At first glance, it seemed to be something with a long history; moreover, it was engraved with extremely complicated runes and patterns.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun immediately recognized at a glance that those intricate patterns were Dragon Language Characters, but even they could not figure out the meaning behind them.
“Did you really think that the Dragon Souls of the Great Elders in every generation stayed here just to protect Dragon Island?” Yang Kai’s booming voice echoed in the hall, “They remained here to guard against the downfall of the Dragon Clan. How many years have they been waiting? How many years of emptiness have they experienced? It was all just for today!” While speaking, he pointed with his finger and shouted, “Go!”
The moment the word left his mouth, the many Dragon Souls coiling around him seemed to receive some form of guidance. They raised their heads and roared, stretched their bodies to their full length, and rushed towards the pool. One after another, the Dragon Souls plunged into the pool and turned into little dots of fluorescent light before disappearing. In contrast, a thick amber liquid gradually appeared in the pool that was originally empty.
The pond was not large, only having a radius of about 100 metres. However, the Dragon Souls ranging from several tens of metres long to a thousand metres long plunged into the pong and vanished. At the same time, the viscous amber liquid in the pool gradually increased. By the time the last of the thousand-metre-long Dragon Souls plunged into the pond, the pond was almost filled to the brim with that liquid.
“Dragon Rebirth Pond… This is the Dragon Rebirth Pond…” Zhu Yan murmured to himself under his breath, his visage flushed red with excitement. Even his body was trembling slightly from emotion.
The Dragon Clan’s Dragon Rebirth Pond was different from the Dragon Rebirth Pond written in the legends of the outside world.
The rumours in the outside world claimed that there was a mysterious place located somewhere in the world that could help various beasts with Dragon Clan bloodlines flowing through their veins evolve so that they could transform into True Dragons and achieve success overnight. Be that as it may, the records left behind by the ancestors of the Dragon Clan indicated that the real Dragon Rebirth Pond was not like that at all; rather, what they were looking at right now was the real thing!
Even if Zhu Yan was initially clueless about the purpose of the pool hidden deep within the Dragon Temple, how could he not recall what he had read in the past after witnessing the Dragon Souls of the Great Elders across the generations merging into the pond and turning into pure Dragon Marrow with his own eyes?
It was rumoured that the Dragon God created the Dragon Rebirth Pond in ancient times, and so long as the Dragon Rebirth Pond remained, the Dragon Clan would never perish! Therefore, the importance of the Dragon Rebirth Pond to the Dragon Clan was self-evident. Zhu Yan had not understood the meaning behind these words in the past, and it wasn’t until now that the meaning became clear to him. How could the Dragon Clan be annihilated while the Dragon Rebirth Pond continued to exist? The Dragon Clan might face a declining period, but the time for them to rise again would eventually come once there enough resources were accumulated.
“When else would you enter the pond if not now?” Yang Kai turned to look at the two Elders of Dragon Clan.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun glanced at each other before flying out in unison to stand in mid-air. Dragon Roars shook the skies as an Azure Dragon and an Ice Dragon revealed their true bodies. Then, they plunged straight into the Dragon Rebirth Pond.
The two Great Elders had Tenth-Order Dragon Veins, so their true bodies were very long. Nonetheless, the size of their current bodies could not be compared to Yang Kai’s more than 1,000 metres long Half-Dragon Body or the First-Generation Dragon Clan Great Elder, who was of similar length. They were just that enormous.
Fortunately, the pond seemed to be infinitely large despite its apparent size. The enormous Dragon Form plunged into the pond and instantly vanished out of sight. Immediately afterwards, a muffled sound came from the Dragon Rebirth Pond, like the cries of someone suffering from great pain.
Yang Kai strode towards the Dragon Rebirth Pond. When he got closer, he looked down and saw two Dragons inside the pond. The two Dragons that had shrunk in size countless times were swimming and twisting about in the pond. Every twist or twitch that they made caused ripples to appear on the surface of the thick Dragon Marrow. Dragon Roars rang out incessantly; it appeared that Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun were not in as good a condition as they seemed from the surface.
Needless to say, it was impossible to obtain greater power without paying a cost. The Dragon Marrow within Dragon Rebirth Pond might be an amazing tonic, but how could they become more powerful if they could not withstand the torturous process of remoulding their bodies?
Yang Kai sat cross-legged beside the Dragon Rebirth Pond, grinning at the two dragons in the pond, “Enjoy yourselves, you two.”
That malicious smile made Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun shiver.
After that, Yang Kai began casting a Secret Technique. The mysterious Dragon Language resumed once more, giving Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun no time to think about anything else. An even louder Dragon Roar came from the pond. The two Dragons twitched constantly as countless small cuts appeared all over their Dragon Bodies. Then, the Dragon Marrow seeped into their figures through the open wounds and stimulated their Sources.
…..
On top of one of the Spirit Peaks in High Heaven Palace stood a graceful figure on a stone platform, overlooking the south. The afterglow of the setting sun scattered across her beautiful face, adding a touch of loneliness and sadness to her expression. A breeze blew past her, causing her black hair to fly in the wind. When she breathed in the slightly cold air, she felt a chill in her chest.
A little girl the size of a palm stood at Lan Xun’s feet. Pulling at Lan Xun’s dress, the little girl scrambled and climbed until she finally climbed up to Lan Xun’s shoulders with great difficulty. She panted heavily from the tiredness, then she sat down on Lan Xun’s shoulder and accompanied Lan Xun in looking out into the distance.
“I’m useless, aren’t I?” Lan Xun spoke up suddenly, her eyes reddened slightly. Her father was dead, the legacy he left behind for her was lost, and her lofty dream of reviving Star Soul Palace to its former glory was now nothing more than a fool’s dream. Having lost her direction, she was at a loss for what to do in the future.
Unable to speak, the little girl let out a string of wordless babble instead for some time. She panicked slightly when tears suddenly rolled down Lan Xun’s cheeks and raised her two little hands to catch the tears that were larger than her fist. She was so anxious that her face was flushed.
All of a sudden, Lan Xun abruptly lifted a hand to rub at her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her tumultuous emotions. Immediately following that, light footsteps came from behind and Xiao Chen’s weak voice sounded, “Princess, you are here again.”
Lan Xun stood with her back to him and replied softly, “The scenery at High Heaven Palace is beautiful.”
Xiao Chen came to her side and stood side by side with her. Looking out at the scenery for a bit, he smiled slightly, “It’s not quite as good as the Palace’s.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he realised his mistake and hurriedly added, “Princess, forgive me. I did not mean to…”
She waved her hand dismissively with a smile, “It’s fine. The Demon Race is powerful. Besides, the outcome of one battle doesn’t mean anything. The winner is the one who survives until the end.”
He nodded in agreement, “It is good if that is what you think, Princess. Star Soul Palace… We will get it back one day.”
“That’s right. We will get it back.” She agreed nonchalantly. [What won’t I do to get it back? But, what can I do even if I managed to get it back? Who can survive for long in that land without first dispelling the Demon Essence corrupting it?]
“En!” The little girl gritted her teeth and clenched her fist as though cheering Lan Xun on.
Lan Xun smiled and reached out to touch the little girl’s face. She was thankful for this little girl’s company over the past few days. She did not know whether she could have remained strong and persevered otherwise. A ray of hope remained in the darkness as long as this little girl was here with her.
Xiao Chen turned his head and looked at the little girl with an intent stare. Even though he knew that she was the Spirit of the World Pagoda, he still found it extremely difficult to believe.
The little girl seemed uncomfortable receiving attention from others, so when Xiao Chen stared at her intently, her face flushed red and she flailed her hands wildly. The little body twisted and transformed into a mimosa plant, and after that, she sank into Lan Xun’s body and vanished out of sight.
The afterglow of the setting sun draped against the side of Lan Xun’s face as a deep melancholy practically covered her visage. Not so long ago, she was just a young girl herself. Why did she have to shoulder the heavy responsibilities that would make most people despair now? The once carefree Princess of the Southern Territory now had more perseverance on her pretty face than many other people have ever had.
Years ago, a little boy had met a little girl for the first time in Star Soul Palace. The little boy had shouted, “Come with me in the future. I will protect you!”
That little girl giggled non-stop in response.
“I will become stronger! I will definitely protect you!” The little boy’s expression had been very serious.
Xiao Chen felt distressed. He wanted to pull her into his arms and shield her from the outside world! He wanted her to put down the heavy burden she carried on her shoulders!
“The sun has set. I’m heading back. Senior Brother, you should also head back soon. Your wounds… are not healed yet,” Lan Xun smiled at Xiao Chen and turned to leave.
The hand that Xiao Chen had just lifted fell back down again. Looking at the darkness that gradually swallowed all light, he clenched his hands into fists. [I have to become stronger. I must become stronger! Only when I become stronger can I help solve her worries. Only then will I stop feeling so helpless!]
…..
In the Ancient Wild Lands located in the Eastern Territory, the 3 Monster Race Divine Venerables were leading 3 Monster Race armies. Most of the soldiers were from the Monster Race or had Monster Race blood in them. In contrast, there were very few people from the Human Race among them.
The Stone Spirit Clan and the Wood Spirit Clan that used to live in the Ancient Wild Lands were also serving under Luan Feng and the others. The Stone Spirit Clan played a huge role in many of their battles against the Demon Race. The 9 Stone Spirits had slaughtered countless enemies while the healing abilities of the little Wood Spirits of the Wood Spirit Clan were highly valued by Luan Feng and the others. Many soldiers had been rescued by the Wood Spirit Clan’s medical treatment.
For the 3 Divine Venerables, both the Stone Spirit Clan and the Wood Spirit Clan were existences akin to precious treasures. In particular, the Wood Spirits would never be placed in danger and were generally given priority to receive protection instead. For that reason, neither the Stone Spirit Clan nor the Wood Spirit Clan had suffered any casualties no matter how the tragic battles had been in the past.
At this moment, Luan Feng, Fan Wu, and Cang Gou were all gathered in the Phoenix Nest Palace while a Monster General knelt before them and seemed to be saying something.
When the Monster General finished making his report, Luan Feng stood up abruptly and quickly asked, “Are you certain!?”
The Monster General hurriedly replied, “Yes, Divine Venerable. I’m certain I did not make a mistake. I have been watching the Blood Gate for all these years. Not long ago, I noticed some changes that occurred where the Blood Gate was located. Although it was not obvious, I dare say that my words are true.”
“Give us a detailed explanation.”
Not daring to disobey, he quickly recounted what he had seen. He had been instructed to monitor the situation at the Blood Gate for all these years, so nobody knew the situation there better than him. Nearly 30 years had gone by since the Blood Gate vanished and things had been unusually quiet all this time. To his surprise, he recently felt a strange force abruptly leak out from the place where the Blood Gate once stood. When he noticed the anomaly, he verified his findings several times to confirm that it was not just his imagination before hurriedly coming to report his findings. Unfortunately, he only knew so much. Anything else aside from that was unclear to him.
After listening to the report, Luan Feng glanced at Fan Wu only to see that Fan Wu was also looking at her. Their gazes met and there was no need for further communication. Fan Wu stood up and declared, “Let’s go have a look.”
In any case, any changes in the Blood Gate could be classified as a major incident to the Monster Race living in the Ancient Wild Lands. Since ancient times, there had been a saying in the Ancient Lands that went ‘Enter the Blood Gate and experience rebirth; stimulate the ancestral bloodline and become a Divine Spirit’. Hence, the Blood Gate was a Holy Land for all Monsters in the Ancient Wild Lands.
It was all because of the Heavens Order Palace located there. The Sources of countless Ancient Divine Spirits were sealed inside the Heavens Order Palace. Although the Monster Race living in the Ancient Wild Lands had more or less inherited the bloodlines of Ancient Divine Spirits, those bloodlines were buried deep within their bodies. Not only was it usually unnoticeable, but there was also no way to awaken their bloodline. However, if they could obtain a Divine Spirit Source sealed in the Heavens Order Palace, they could integrate with it perfectly and be reborn as a Divine Spirit to restore the glory of their ancestors.
That saying had been passed down through countless generations. It was just that nobody had ever managed to enter the Blood Gate after so many millennia. It wasn’t until several dozen years ago that a girl named Zhang Ruo Xi managed to enter Blood Gate with a small Stone Spirit. After that, the Blood Gate had vanished.
Thinking back to that day, Zhang Ruo Xi had only been in the Origin Returning Realm and was completely vulnerable in front of Luan Feng and the other Divine Venerables. Even so, she unexpectedly experienced a breakthrough and awakened her bloodline when Yang Kai was forced into a desperate situation. She had summoned the Heavens Order Sword, beheaded Shi Huo, and taken away Shi Huo’s Source. A Divine Spirit, who was also one of the four Great Divine Venerables that stood at the top of the Monster Race in the Ancient Wild Lands, had been completely powerless in front of her.
To this day, Luan Feng and the others still shuddered whenever they thought about what happened back then. It was rumoured that the power of Heavens Order would greatly restrain Divine Spirits, that they were the natural enemy of all Divine Spirits. At first, they had been sceptical of this statement, but after witnessing Zhang Ruo Xi reaching out and seizing Shi Huo’s Source like she was taking a toy from a three-year-old child, all doubts they had vanished.
The Star Boundary was currently in a critical situation and an anomaly had occurred at the Blood Gate. They had no idea whether it was a curse or a blessing for the Monster Race of the Ancient Wild Lands.
Although Zhang Ruo Xi seemed very close to Yang Kai at the time, so many years had passed in addition to the awakening of her bloodline. Nobody could tell what kind of attitude she would have towards the Divine Spirits upon coming out of the Blood Gate. What if she went and killed all the Divine Spirits in the world like her ancestor? If that was the case, Luan Feng and the other Divine Venerables would be the first among her victims.
The three Monster Race Divine Venerables moved swiftly and arrived at the place where the Blood Gate vanished in the past within four hours of leaving the Phoenix Nest Palace.
Luan Feng furrowed her brows together before they even got close, however, and looking down at the jungle and mountains below from where she stood in the sky, she saw countless Monster Beasts running in the same direction. Most of these Monster Beasts were not very powerful. They had yet to develop sentience, so they were simply acting according to instinct under the influence of something. The direction they were heading was none other than where the Blood Gate was located. From the looks of things, something really must have happened at the Blood Gate. Why else would these Monster Beasts act like this?
When they arrived at the mountain where the Blood Gate was located, the trio saw an uncountable number of Monster Beasts gathered around and even more Monster Beasts were rushing over.
“Sure enough; something has happened,” Cang Gou frowned, staring at the mountain where he could faintly feel wisps of energy leaking out. That trace of energy was weak and insignificant, but it had caused the Monster Beasts gathered in this place to compete between themselves for ownership over the power. As a result, a bloody fight had broken out and many Monster Beasts with insufficient strength were killed on the spot, their blood dying the entire mountain red.
“But, it doesn’t look like it will open for the time being.” Fan Wu seemed pensive. The Blood Gate was still nowhere to be seen and only a faint trace of the strange energy leaked out from the other side. These were indications that the Blood Gate was on the verge of opening once more; however, there was no telling when the Blood Gate would reopen completely.
“There will come a day when it reopens.” Luan Feng looked worried, “We have to inform Yang Kai.”
If there was anybody in this world who could stop Zhang Ruo Xi, it was Yang Kai. Several dozen years ago, Zhang Ruo Xi managed to kill Shi Huo even though her cultivation had been very low. Who knew what kind of power she would display after so many years of intensive cultivation inside the Blood Gate?
Luan Feng was afraid that Zhang Ruo Xi would kill her indiscriminately the moment the latter came out of retreat, and for that reason, it would be best if Yang Kai was around to monitor the situation.
“Let’s send somebody to High Heaven Palace!” Fan Wu nodded, “I heard that the Demon Race destroyed Star Soul Palace half a month ago. More importantly, he returned from the Demon Realm on the day of the grand battle.”
Now that they had the Space Arrays connecting all four territories, it became much more convenient for them to communicate with each other; hence, there was no reason for the Eastern Territory to remain clueless about what happened more than 10 days ago.
Luan Feng shook her head, “This is an important matter. I will go myself. No matter what I have to do, I need to get him to come here.”
Fan Wu pondered in silence for a bit after hearing those words before nodding, “Good.”
Afterwards, Luan Feng set off immediately and rushed towards High Heaven Palace. She couldn’t help but regret her foolish actions back then. [Why did I destroy the Space Array at Phoenix Nest Palace? Whenever I need to go somewhere else now, I have to go all the way to the place where the Stone Spirit Clan used to live. That was the only place where Yang Kai later arranged another Cross-Territory Space Array.
By the time she arrived at High Heaven Palace, half a day had passed. She met with Hua Qing Si and explained her reason for coming only to learn that Yang Kai was healing in retreat and could not be disturbed. After staying at High Heaven Palace for more than ten days and still seeing no sign of Yang Kai, she had no choice but to leave a message with Hua Qing Si asking him to go to the Ancient Wild Lands immediately after coming out of retreat.
Hua Qing Si naturally had no objections to that.
..…
Deep within the Dragon Temple, the roars of the Azure Dragon and the Ice Dragon coming from the Dragon Rebirth Pond never ceased for even a moment. Strong as the Dragon Clan’s Elders were, the agony they experienced during this past month had left their voices completely hoarse.
The Dragon Marrow remaining in the Dragon Rebirth Pond was only a metre deep at this point.
Inside the Dragon Temple, Yang Kai’s chanting in the Dragon Language had also been maintained the entire time. The complex patterns and runes inscribed around the surroundings of the Dragon Rebirth Pond flashed constantly and emitted a strange power which helped Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun absorb the Dragon Marrow.
It had taken much longer than expected.
It wasn’t until a month and a half after they began that Yang Kai finally stopped chanting. Deep exhaustion was etched all over his face. The more than 1,000-metre-long Half-Dragon Body that he had been maintaining all along also dissipated at this moment and he returned to his Human form.
There were no more movements coming from within the Dragon Rebirth Pond and Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun seemed almost dead, even their auras were extremely feeble.
All of a sudden, a high-pitched Dragon Roar sounded. The weak auras of the two Dragon Clan Elders suddenly surged violently. Two rays of light, one green and one white, shot out from the Dragon Rebirth Pond.
As soon as they broke free of their restraints, the Azure Dragon’s body swelled rapidly. His originally 600-metre-long body suddenly transformed into a more than 1,000-metre-long behemoth. On the other hand, the Ice Dragon’s body was slightly smaller, but the difference between them was not great.
An overpowering Dragon Pressure filled the entire Dragon Temple as the two enormous Dragon Heads intertwined with each other. Their Dragon Roars were brimming with joy and excitement.
Yang Kai watched them with widened eyes, casually popping a restorative Spirit Pill into his mouth with a smile.
The two Dragons seemed to notice his gaze and rushed over to him. When they got closer, they turned back into their Human forms and revealed their faces.
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows at them, “Congratulations to the two of you.” Then, he looked at Zhu Yan and added,” Great Elder, you look much younger than before.”
Although Zhu Yan’s original appearance could not be considered old, he had the appearance of an ordinary man in his 50s. After spending a month and a half in the Dragon Rebirth Pond though, he looked to be only in his 30s. He was back in his prime and his originally grey hair had also turned back to black. On the other hand, Fu Zhun had not changed much even though she obviously looked a few years younger than before.
The two Elders looked at each other before they knelt on the ground in unison and said respectfully, “Greetings, Sir Dragon God! Many thanks, Sir Dragon God!”
The only person capable of activating the Dragon Rebirth Pond and making the ancient Souls of the former Great Elders willingly enter to become Dragon Marrow was the legendary Dragon God. After all, the Dragon Rebirth Pond was created by the Dragon God in the past.
It would seem that the Golden Divine Dragon Source was none other than the Source left behind by the Dragon God. Legend claimed that he was the progenitor of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline and without him, there would be no Dragon Clan in this world! For that reason, he was also known as the Ancestral Dragon among the Dragon Clan.
It was naturally impossible to make the proud Dragon Clan members lower their heads toward a Human. Even when Martial Beast Great Emperor fell out with Dragon Island because of Fu Xuan, the Dragon Clan had never once backed down. However, Yang Kai was no longer just a simple Human to the Dragon Clan anymore. He was the inheritor of the Dragon God Source. Even the two Dragon Clan Elders did not dare to show him disrespect.
Yang Kai glanced at them before he raised his hand to indicate for them to be at ease, smilingly saying, “You don’t have to act this way. This was originally the legacy of the Dragon Clan, it is only right for you to use it. Besides, I am not the Dragon God. I was only lucky enough to inherit the Source he left behind.”
Following the development of the Golden Divine Dragon Source in his body, the vast amounts of information contained within had gradually become clear to Yang Kai; therefore, he was not too surprised by Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun’s current attitude. Still, he added with a soft laugh, “What’s more, I am Xiao’er’s Adoptive Father and the two of you are Xiao’er’s Biological Parents. We are not outsiders to each other.”
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun got up smoothly and glanced at each other again before Zhu Yan smiled, “You’re right.”
The two of them secretly felt relieved. They did not dare to show disrespect towards the heir of the Dragon God, but when it came down to it, Yang Kai had yet to mature, so it would be very uncomfortable for them if they were told to be respectful towards him all the time in the future. Therefore, this was the best outcome.
“It’s about time. I still don’t know if anything has happened in the outside world. Let us leave without delay,” Yang Kai stood up and walked towards the outside. Although he was still weak, he swiftly recovered after taking another Spirit Pill.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun followed, but after a short hesitation, Zhu Yan asked, “Since you already know about the Dragon God Source, then the other one…”
“Are you talking about Su Yan?” Yang Kai paused and turned back with a smile, “Once I return, I’ll help her awaken the Ancestral Phoenix Source.”
“Sure enough; it’s her!” Fu Zhun exclaimed in realization. She had her doubts before, but she could not be certain. Hearing it from Yang Kai’s mouth now, she finally confirmed that what she had guessed all along was correct.
“How much do you know about the Dragon God and Ancestral Phoenix?” Yang Kai asked. Even though the Golden Divine Dragon Source in his body was greatly awakened and had taught him many things that he had not known about before, he was still completely clueless about the origins of the Dragon God and Ancestral Phoenix. What puzzled him even more was how the two of them had fallen to such a state. Not only that, but they also fell into a Lower Star Field and landed in the world of the Great Han Dynasty.
The Dragon and Phoenix inheritance that Yang Kai and Su Yan received was obtained in that world but was later completed in the Dragon Phoenix Palace in Tong Xuan Realm.
Zhu Yan shook his head in response, “We don’t know either. Nothing was written regarding this matter among the ancestral records.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s fine. We will figure it out one day.”
The Source in his body had yet to be fully integrated. He was certain that everything would become clear once it was fully awakened. In any case, what he needed to deal with right now was the matter regarding the Demon Race.
Upon leaving Dragon Island, Yang Kai parted ways with Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun.
The two Dragon Clan Elders had been suppressed by the Demon Saints for many years now; therefore, they had long been holding in their rage as they had nowhere else to vent their grievances. Now that their strength had greatly increased with Yang Kai’s help, it was only natural that they wanted to get revenge. At the same time, they could use the chance to verify their strength. A battle on that level was beyond Yang Kai’s ability to interfere with, so he did not accompany them.
After Yang Kai wished them well in their fight, he stepped onto the Space Array.
Once Yang Kai left, the two Dragon Clan Elders turned to look in a certain direction before their figures flickered and they transformed into their Dragon Forms and headed off into the distance. They were not afraid of failing to find Xue Li and the others as the ten Primary Demon Strongholds were guarded by Demon Towers that were all connected to one another. They only needed to cause trouble at any one of those Demon Strongholds and Xue Li and the others would definitely arrive after receiving the news.
Xue Li and the other Demon Saints probably never imagined that Zhu Yan would be able to recover from his injuries within such a short period. On the contrary, Huo Bo was still hiding in some corner and tending to his wounds after taking a hit from Fu Zhun more than a month ago. With a two-against-two battle and the sharp increase in their strength, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun secretly decided to give Xue Li and Fu Yu a big pleasant surprise.
After returning to High Heaven Palace via the Space Array, Yang Kai didn’t even get the chance to sit down before Hua Qing Si came to report to him about the matter regarding the Ancient Wild Lands. He was shocked to hear the news and immediately set off towards the Eastern Territory without further delay.
The current situation was not very favourable for the Star Boundary. Although the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan had experienced a sharp increase in strength after being tempered in the Dragon Rebirth Pond, the overall situation in the Star Boundary remained in a precarious state. If they could obtain another powerful Master on their side at this time, the situation might become very different.
Yang Kai was unable to estimate just how powerful Zhang Ruo Xi was now after she awakened her Heavens Order bloodline; however, after spending so many years cultivating in retreat inside the Blood Gate, her strength would certainly be rather impressive.
Furthermore, she had brought Xiao Xiao along with her at the time. The Stone Spirit Clan was also one of the descendants of a Divine Spirit. Not to mention, that Divine Spirit was a famous existence. Therefore, Yang Kai was looking forward to seeing how much Xiao Xiao and Zhang Ruo Xi had grown.
He met with Luan Feng and the others when he arrived, and after a brief questioning, Yang Kai learned that only a slight anomaly had taken place and the Blood Gate had yet to reveal itself fully.
He could understand what Luan Feng and the others were worried about though. Heaven’s Order had slaughtered many Divine Spirits in ancient times, and even after so many years, the supreme deterrence still remained. It stemmed from the horror and fear that existed within their bloodlines. Hence, they maintained a somewhat defensive attitude towards the descendent of Heaven’s Order that was about to return.
On the other hand, Luan Feng and the others felt reassured when they saw Yang Kai. They wanted him to stay here no matter what, and he too did not want to leave before Zhang Ruo Xi returned.
Fortunately, he had nothing better to do at the moment. He had handed the matters related to the Sixty-First Army over to Yao Si, High Heaven Palace had Hua Qing Si taking care of matters, and the battle with the Demon Race was not going to end any time soon. Hence, he agreed readily. Besides, he also wanted to welcome Zhang Ruo Xi back properly when she came out of retreat.
Thinking about it, several dozen years have passed since then. The little girl he brought back from the Zhang Family was now an existence that even the Divine Spirits were extremely concerned about. He could almost hear her voice echoing in his ears when she called him ‘Sir’, as well as the warmth of her red lips when they parted.
He sent a message to High Heaven Palace informing Hua Qing Si that he would be staying in the Ancient Wild Lands for some time and also reminded her to contact him immediately if anything urgent came up.
One day later, he sat down cross-legged on a mountain peak located more than a dozen kilometres away from the Blood Gate, facing in its direction. A sound sliced through the air, followed by a set of light footsteps, and then a familiar fragrance entered his nose.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked at the woman that had landed next to him. She had a cold expression on her face and was dressed in a neat white dress which made her look like a pure lotus with not a speck of dust on her. He smiled at her, “Senior Sister.”
Su Yan glanced out into the distance, “Is that the Blood Gate over there?”
He nodded, “En, but it’s only showing the first signs of opening. It has yet to appear completely. I have no idea when it will finally open.”
“There are so many Monster Beasts. Were they attracted by that strange aura?” She observed the Monster Beasts covering the mountains and the wilderness.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “All the Monster Beasts in the Ancient Wild Lands basically have bloodlines of Ancient Divine Spirits in them. Although these Monster Beasts have yet to gain sentience, their instincts are telling them that something over there can make them stronger.”
Su Yan nodded at those words and smiled, “Is that young girl named Zhang Ruo Xi inside there? I heard she is the descendent of Heaven’s Order.”
She did not know much about Zhang Ruo Xi as she had not met her before. She only heard Yang Kai mention the girl’s name once or twice in the past.
“En!” Yang Kai felt slightly amazed whenever he recalled the scene where Zhang Ruo Xi had killed Shi Huo. Who could have imagined that the body of such a weak-looking girl would contain such great power?
Su Yan turned to look at Yang Kai, “I also heard that Heaven’s Order is the natural enemy of all Divine Spirits. They wiped out all the Divine Spirits in the world during ancient times. My body also contains a Divine Spirit Source. Will she kill me once she comes out of retreat?”
Yang Kai burst out laughing at those words, “Why would she? What happened in the past is in the past. This is the present. Even if that little girl has Heaven’s Order’s bloodline, the Heaven’s Order of the past is not her.”
It was similar to how he remained himself despite inheriting the Dragon God Source.
“Who knows…” She seemed unconvinced, “She might kill me in a fit of rage when she sees me with you.”
Yang Kai glanced at her in astonishment and asked in disbelief, “Senior Sister… Are you jealous?”
Her clean and fair face flushed red, something that rarely happened. Turning her head to the side, Su Yan muttered, “Of course not. Don’t talk nonsense.”
Yang Kai grinned in response, laughing heartily. Reaching out his hand, he held her small hand and pulled her into his embrace, despite her exclamation of surprise.
Her face flushed even redder than before and she squirmed slightly, “Don’t… Ah…”
Before she could finish her sentence, her mouth was covered by his. Her beautiful eyes instantly widened in shock and the intensity of her resistance gradually died away. Sighing softly in her heart, she slowly closed her eyes.
Fortunately, he did not go too far. Yang Kai soon released her and held her gently in his arms. This rare moment of warmth and quiet made her body relax completely. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the powerful heartbeat coming from within. She was curled up against his body like a kitten. There were neither words nor passionate movements. They were simply embracing each other quietly; however, it felt as though she had the entire world in her hands at this moment.
After a while, she opened her eyes, looking nostalgic as she said, “I should go back and continue cultivating.”
When she received his message, she rushed over immediately. She did not know what he wanted to do, but from the looks of it, he had no plans of doing anything to her. Although she was reluctant to leave, just having that short moment of warmth was a great gift in this chaotic world. How could she dare to ask for more?
Yang Kai sighed, “You don’t need to try so hard. You have me.”
The women by his side had been working extremely hard in their cultivation over the years, just to chase after him. They might never have said anything before, but it was impossible for him not to notice. In particular, Su Yan worked harder than everybody else as his First Wife.
Su Yan quietly leaned against Yang Kai’s shoulder and said softly, “You advance too quickly. We Sisters are unable to share your worries, but at the very least, we won’t become a burden to you.”
Yang Kai was about to say something, but she pressed a finger to his mouth to stop him, “This is our wish. You can’t stop us. Besides… We also walk the Martial Dao, how can we not cultivate earnestly?”
He grabbed her hand and gave a soft sigh, “Alright then. But, you have to watch over them. Don’t let them become too impatient. Haste is detrimental in the Martial Dao. It will be bad if they suffer from any hidden dangers.”
“I know.”
“The same goes for you.”
“Mmm.” She stood up, “I really have to go now.”
Nevertheless, he pulled her back and looked at her with a smile. The sweet and gentle look in his eyes nearly made her melt. She struggled against the temptation in her heart and practically begged, “Please let me go. If you feel lonely, I can ask the others to come and keep you company.” After saying that, she laughed to herself, “But, I don’t think they will.”
Shan Qing Luo and the others had gone into retreat. At a time like this, nobody would come even if she summoned them. The short-term separation was for the sake of being together forever in the future. Women had always been greedy creatures since time immemorial.
Yang Kai, however, shook his head and smiled mischievously, “It’s useless even if they come.”
She panicked slightly. Looking left and right, she showed a distressed expression, “What do you want?”
[Although there is nobody here, the mountains and wilderness are crawling with Monster Beasts. Who can say if any of these Monster Beasts will gain sentience one day and take on a Human form? What if they recall what they see here today!? I can relax my body and mind to allow him to do whatever he wants in the bedroom, but doing it here is absolutely impossible!] Su Yan was a little puzzled as to why her Junior Brother was clinging to her today. It was a little annoying, but she mostly felt that it was heart-warming.
He smiled slyly, “Senior Sister, you misunderstand. I called you here today for something important.”
She furrowed her eyebrows together and glanced at him with a look of disbelief on her face.
He took her hand and pulled her so that she sat opposite him. He gently said, “Focus your mind and empty your thoughts. Don’t let anything distract you!”
As a person who cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, something like that was as easy as eating and drinking for Su Yan so she was able to enter an ethereal state almost instantly the moment she tried.
“Try not to let shock overwhelm you no matter what happens, okay?” While saying so, Yang Kai lifted a finger and pressed it against her forehead.
His action was both very slow and very gentle. It looked like he was caressing her; however, a high-pitched Dragon Roar rang out when that finger pressed against her forehead. A large golden Dragon rushed out of his body and plunged directly into Su Yan’s. Her beautiful eyes widened instantly and her body felt like it had been struck by lightning. Her pupils rapidly expanded and she felt as if the world had turned upside down.
There was a whooshing sound similar to the sound of wings flapping the next moment and behind her back, a beautiful, pure, flawless, and all-white Ice Phoenix that was inviolable appeared all of a sudden. It stretched its neck and let out a cry. The voice was clear and loud, piercing through the sky and resounding across the Heavens.
…..
Luan Feng was massaging her temples inside the Phoenix Nest Palace with an uneasy look. Fan Wu and Cang Gou were there too. Although they had managed to get Yang Kai to come, the three Monster Race Divine Venerables were still unable to relax completely. They were currently discussing what to do if the Heavens Order descendant no longer cared for her family anymore when she came out of retreat.
Before they could come to an agreement, however, the sound of a clear Phoenix Cry sounded. Luan Feng stood up abruptly and looked out in amazement. She could feel the Source Strength in her body throbbing and nearly going out of control.
“What is it?” Fan Wu asked nervously, his expression changing when he saw her reaction. Something that could make Luan Feng react as though she had encountered a great enemy could not be a trivial matter. His heart jumped in fright as he asked in a horrified voice, “Has Heaven’s Order returned?” [But, how did I not perceive anything if that was the case?]
Cang Gou’s face turned pale and the corners of his mouth twitched at those words, “Don’t scare me…”
“Didn’t you hear that?” Luan Feng looked at the two in amazement.
“Hear what?”
“A Phoenix Cry!”
Fan Wu and Cang Gou breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at each other again, they shook their heads in unison, “How could there be a Phoenix Cry?”
“But…” Luan Feng frowned, but halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realised something. She had not heard the loud Phoenix Cry with her ears. Rather, it came from within her own body, resonating with her Source and Soul.
It was a resonance between Sources, so how could Fan Wu and Cang Gou hear that?
“What’s going on?” Fan Wu looked at Luan Feng with a solemn expression, but the latter did not answer the question. She simply stepped outside of the palace with a shift of her body, staring intently in a certain direction, a hint of excitement in those beautiful eyes of hers.
…..
Jiu Feng was dressed in a fiery red dress, meditating and adjusting her breathing on Spirit Beast Island in the Eastern Territory. She had been injured by a Demon Race Half-Saint during the last battle at Star Soul Palace in the Southern Territory. Her injury might not be serious, but it was not something that could be ignored either. Fortunately, she was a Divine Spirit, so her body was tough and recovering from her wounds was not a difficult matter.
She slowly opened her eyes when the clear Phoenix Cry sounded from deep within her Soul and glanced in the direction of the Ancient Wild Lands, tilting her head to the side with a doubtful expression.
…..
Several kilometres underground, beneath High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, where the magma boiled up from the core of the world, large bubbles floated to the surface and burst with loud popping noises. A beautiful Fire Phoenix was devouring the Earth Fire energy of the lava to stimulate the Phoenix True Fire and develop the Phoenix Clan Source in her body.
All of a sudden, the figure of the enormous Fire Phoenix distorted and turned into a small humanoid figure standing on top of the magma. Liu Yan cocked her ears and listened attentively. Her exquisite eyebrows soon furrowed deeply.
…
When the Phoenix Cry rang out in the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory, all living creatures throughout the Star Boundary with the Phoenix Clan bloodline in them felt the resonance. The purer the bloodline, the more deeply they were affected. The Source Strength in their body seemed to dance with an air of jubilation that left people scratching their heads and wondering what was going on.
…
Luan Feng rushed forth within the Phoenix Nest Palace, followed by a very bewildered Fan Wu and Cang Gou. When she flew closer to the Blood Gate, she immediately saw something shocking.
A humongous Phoenix phantom was suspended in the air above a mountain peak located more than a dozen kilometres away from the Blood Gate. It was pure white and flawless, as though it was completely carved from the finest ice jade. Various birds of all shapes and sizes surrounded the mountain peak around the Phoenix phantom. These birds flapping their wings constantly were Monster Beasts of the Ancient Wild Lands. Some were big while some were small. The big ones were as large as houses while the small ones were as small as sparrows. Most of them were the natural enemies of one another, but they were coexisting harmoniously at this moment, and even more birds were gathering in this direction from all over the Ancient Wild Lands.
It didn’t take long for the entire mountain peak to be surrounded by an impenetrable wall formed from tens of thousands of birds. The enormous Phoenix stood in the middle of it all like a moon surrounded by the stars. All sorts of strange cries rang out incessantly. Even so, there was not a hint of panic within those cries. Rather, they sounded elated.
“This is…” Fan Wu stared in astonishment.
“The Myriad Birds Greet the Phoenix!” A red tinge of excitement surfaced on Luan Feng’s fair visage for some reason.
If the Dragon Clan claimed to be the Head of the Myriad Spirits, then the Phoenix Clan was recognised as the Head of the Myriad Birds. Luan Feng had a Phoenix Clan bloodline and in addition, she was powerful enough to make all the Monster Race in the Ancient Wild bow down to her. Be that as it may, she was unable to make so many Monster Beasts that had yet to gain sentience to surround and worship her.
In the midst of everything, she had the feeling that something major was going to take place within the Phoenix Clan today. It was something so shocking that the entire Phoenix Clan would take notice.
Little spots of light suddenly began glowing like fireflies and a stunning light appeared out of thin air, filling everyone’s field of vision. That dazzling light was formed from the condensation of the purest World Energy. The splendid colours illuminated the entire Ancient Wild Lands, making it seem like part of the Heavens.
As the dancing lights converged around the body of the Phoenix standing in mid-air, the all-white figure slowly but surely became even purer and more radiant. At first, the difference was not obvious; however, it soon became more and more intense until the dazzling radiance filled the sky.
Luan Feng stared blankly at the scene in front of her and murmured, “When the first Phoenix was born, it brought light to the world…”
“What?” Unable to hear her clearly, Cang Gou turned to look at her.
She shook her head in response, indicating that she had no interest in explaining; even so, her beautiful eyes were burning with a frenzy that he couldn’t help being surprised at.
The Heavenly light shone brighter and brighter and soon became so dazzling that Luan Feng and the others couldn’t help squinting at the glare. As the World Energy converged in one spot, the pure white Phoenix in the sky gradually took on an ancient and noble air.
The birds flying around became even more excited, and their cries became louder and louder.
As time passed, Yang Kai maintained his posture of pressing one finger against Su Yan’s forehead without moving. The Golden Divine Dragon’s Source Strength in his body had been pushed to the limit. Sitting opposite him, various expressions flitted across Su Yan’s beautiful face. The Ancient Ice Phoenix behind her flapped its wings gently, revealing a light, majestic, and elegant figure.
It felt like the white light was the only light left that remained in the world. Before that beautiful existence, everything else appeared dull and inferior in comparison.
An unknown amount of time passed when finally, a high-pitched Dragon Roar and a clear Phoenix Cry rang out, the birds surrounding the mountain peak suddenly spread out in an orderly manner. Meanwhile, two enormous figures rose into the sky from the top of that mountain peak. One was an enormous Golden Dragon while the other was a pure white Ice Phoenix.
The Dragon and the Phoenix were an auspicious omen, and as they intertwined with each other, they soared towards the Heavens together with their Spirits connected as one. A gaping hole instantly appeared between the clouds in the sky, almost as if someone had ripped open the Heavens themselves.
Thunder rumbled across the skies and rain began to fall. The raindrops were brimming with pure World Energy, and as it came falling down, all the plants in the Ancient Wild Lands were covered in a layer of vitality that could be seen with the naked eye.
Cang Gou caught a few drops of rain in his hand and tasted them, his brow rising slightly as he muttered, “It’s sweet.”
Amidst the lightning and thunder, two enormous figures loomed in and out of sight among the layer of clouds. They seemed to be frolicking with one another, but all the living creatures in the world did not dare to look at them directly.
*Kacha…*
Following a strike of lightning, two gigantic figures swooped down from the sky, and even Fan Wu and the others couldn’t help paling in the face of the glorious majesty that descended from the sky.
The gigantic figures landed on top of a mountain peak located more than a dozen kilometres away from the Blood Gate and disappeared. Following that, Yang Kai and Su Yan opened their eyes in unison, looking at each other without saying a word. Everything was expressed in that silence.
Su Yan smiled, making Yang Kai fall into a daze. She had always been a great beauty who was highly blessed by luck during her creation. Now that she had awakened the Ancestral Phoenix Source, she had an air of awe-inspiring, inviolable, and sacred nobility about her. It was something that would make ordinary people feel blasphemous just by gazing upon her.
“Husband…” she called softly.
“Take your time to digest it.” He patted the back of her hand, “I will stand guard for you.”
She nodded, closed her beautiful eyes, and immersed herself in her mind. The Phoenix Clan Source in her body had always been extraordinary, on the same level as his Golden Divine Dragon Source. It was just that their cultivation had not been high enough all this while, so they could not draw out too much of its strength previously.
Yang Kai had undergone intensive cultivation in the ancient battlefield for decades which allowed his Dragon Source to greatly develop. He had now used his Source to stimulate Su Yan’s Ancestral Phoenix Source, so it was only natural that it would benefit her.
Be it the Dragon God Source or Ancestral Phoenix Source, the many Secret Techniques and cultivation methods contained within were extremely valuable treasures; however, the information related to these things would only gradually be known to them when their Source was integrated to a certain extent. Most Divine Spirits experience a similar manner of growth, which was why they relied on the accumulation of time and stimulation of bloodline to grow more powerful.
Therefore, when it came to Divine Spirits, their inheritance would never go extinct as long as their Source was not destroyed. Compared to other Races, the Divine Spirits had a greater advantage in these kinds of matters even though they had a much smaller population.
Not far away, Luan Feng looked on. She seemed to have a lot of questions to ask but hesitated to step forward; hence, Yang Kai got up, took a step towards her, and immediately arrived next to her.
“Yang Kai… The Source in Su Yan’s body…”
“En!” Before she could finish her question, he gave an affirmative answer.
Luan Feng was taken aback for a moment before she broke out into a smile, “It really is.”
When she saw the divine light just now, a guess had formed in her heart but she had not dared to be certain. Speaking of which, she had long known about the fact that Su Yan had a Phoenix Clan Source in her body as it was something she had discovered from the first time she met the latter. Moreover, Luan Feng vaguely felt very familial towards Su Yan at the time, similar to an urge to get close to her.
She had not understood the reason behind that feeling at the time, but the realisation dawned on her now. That was the Ancestral Phoenix Source. Seeing as she had the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan in her body, how could Luan Feng not sense something when they were in such close proximity to each other? Then, she remembered another little girl named Liu Yan who seemed to be very well-behaved in front of Su Yan.
Logically speaking, Liu Yan was almost equivalent to a Divine Spirit. In addition, she was much stronger than Su Yan. As arrogant as the Phoenix Clan was, there was no reason for her to be so obedient for no reason. Luan Feng had always assumed that Liu Yan was only so well-behaved on account of Yang Kai, but now it would seem that Liu Yan had experienced the same feeling she did. They couldn’t help but want to approach and protect the one who carried the Ancestral Phoenix Clan Source.
It was completely unexpected for the Phoenix Clan Source to be awoken under such circumstances, but at this rate, there was hope for the revival of the Phoenix Clan again.
Both the Dragon and Phoenix were highly respected existences in ancient times, which was a huge contrast to their inheritance nowadays. At the very least, the Dragon Clan still occupied Dragon Island and had their own gathering place. On the other hand, the Phoenix Clan was practically withered in terms of population. They each lived on their own, far from each other. It was a far cry from the prosperity and unity of the Dragon Clan.
While the Dragon Clan was scarce in numbers, there were at least more than ten adult Dragons on Dragon Island. On the contrary, Luan Feng and Jiu Feng of Spirit Beast Island were the only two who had ‘purer’ Phoenix Clan bloodlines across the entire Star Boundary. Liu Yan was later added to the mix, but even so, it was still incomparable to the Dragon Clan
But, it was different now. The person who had awoken the Ancestral Phoenix Source would definitely be able to bear the responsibility of reviving the Phoenix Clan’s former glory. Before that could happen, however, they first had to deal with the hidden dangers of the Demon Race. If the entire Star Boundary was taken over by the Demon Race, there would be no point talking about reviving the Phoenix Clan. It would be a miracle just for the Clan to not go extinct at that point.
Luan Feng’s beautiful eyes became slightly cold upon this realization. Her hands were clenched into fists as she stared in Su Yan’s direction. She secretly vowed to herself. [No matter what happens, I have to protect her. Even if the Star Boundary goes up in flames, even if I die in the process, as long as she survives, a ray of hope will remain for the future of the Phoenix Clan. I’m sure that person on Spirit Beast Island will have the same mindset as myself.]
The slight movement at the Blood Gate in the Ancient Wild Lands was followed by the awakening of the Ancestral Phoenix Source in Su Yan’s body. During such a chaotic period in the world, these were signs of great prosperity. As the saying went, ‘Turbulent times birthed Heroes’. While these incidents might seem unrelated, they were threaded together in a way that could be linked back to one person.
The Blood Gate was related to Yang Kai, as was the awakening of Su Yan’s Ancestral Phoenix Source and the rise of the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan…
Just as Su Yan was focused on digesting and absorbing the large amounts of information contained in the Ancestral Phoenix Source, an Earth-shaking battle broke out in the Southern Territory.
The fall of Star Soul Palace represented the loss of the entire Southern Territory. It was a huge mark of shame for any cultivator in the Star Boundary, but it was especially so for the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan. For that reason, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun went straight to Star Soul Palace as soon as they left Dragon Island.
Xue Li and Fu Yu initially thought that there was something wrong with their eyes when they first noticed the arrival of these two uninvited guests. It had been many years since the second Two Worlds Great War broke out, but the Demon Race had always held the initiative. The Demon Saints had always attacked as they pleased and withdrew as they wished.
Meanwhile, the Star Boundary could only suffer in passive silence with no way of grasping the initiative. Xue Li and the other Demon Saints had been leading Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun around by the nose for all these years. When had there ever been a time when the latter party took the initiative to attack instead?
Therefore, Xue Li and Fu Yu were completely caught off guard when the two Dragon Clan Elders came charging into Star Soul Palace as they had thought that Zhu Yan was still in the middle of recovering from his injuries.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun did not waste time on nonsense or greetings. They immediately started attacking the moment they arrived. When the two 1,000-metre-long Dragons revealed their true forms, Xue Li’s scalp tingled with fear for a moment. Both he and Fu Yu immediately realised that they were in deep trouble.
In this earth-shattering battle, the two Dragon Clan Elders, who had experienced a sharp increase in strength, finally had a chance to vent their pent-up frustrations and carry out their vengeance. It was the first time they pushed the two Demon Saints into a corner. The fallout of the battle swept across the Demon Race camp, causing numerous Demons to die as a result.
No matter how much Xue Li racked his brains, he could not understand what was going on. Only a mere two months had passed since their last encounter, so how did these two old Dragons undergo such a significant increase in size that directly resulted in an absurd boost in their strength!?
The combination of the couple’s new-found strength and their Unified Secret Techniques oppressed the two Demon Saints so badly that they could not lift their heads at all. With no other choice, Fu Yu urgently summoned Huo Bo.
After the last battle at Star Soul Palace, Huo Bo had suffered injuries and fled as a result. He was currently in hiding to treat his wounds, but it had only taken Fu Yu half a month to track him down. She had planned to send him on a mission to kill Yang Kai when his injuries had gotten a little bit better, but how could they afford to worry about Yang Kai right now? The two old Dragons were the ones that needed to be dealt with urgently.
Huo Bo had to come and provide support even if he was reluctant because he knew that his life would become extremely difficult in the future if something were to happen to Xue Li and Fu Yu.
The combined strength of the three Demon Saints finally stopped the fierce momentum of the two Dragon Clan Elders. Many Half-Saints also provided support from the side. Even so, the battle lasted for 10 whole days before it stopped.
When the two Dragons retreated, Xue Li stared at the chaotic mess that remained of the Demon Race camp and his scarlet eyes turned even redder at the sight.
Scarcely a few days of calm went by before he received a message from the Eastern Territory. The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan had shown themselves at another Demon Stronghold. Not daring to delay, he immediately headed there with Fu Yu and Huo Bo to stop them.
The Demon Towers were connected to each other and could facilitate instantaneous travel back and forth between them. Unfortunately, their arrival was still a little too late and two Half-Saints died at the Demon Stronghold in the Eastern Territory as a result.
In the following month, the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan travelled across the four territories of the Star Boundary, targeting various Demon Strongholds without warning and recklessly slaughtering numerous Demon Race Masters.
Although Xue Li, Fu Yu, and Huo Bo came to the rescue on many occasions, they still could not recoup the heavy losses they sustained.
The two Dragon Clan Elders’ sudden increase in strength resulted in an instant reversal of the current war situation. The Star Boundary now held complete control over the initiative in battle, and all 55 Star Boundary armies were jubilant to hear the news.
Even so, Demon Saints were still Demon Saints. How could they allow themselves to be led by the nose by the two Dragon Clan Elders?
10 days later, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun came to one of the Primary Demon Strongholds in the Western Territory once more to attack. This time around, however, they did not see any signs of the three Demon Saints coming to provide support, which made them very uneasy.
The news soon came through the Space Beacon. While the two Dragon Clan Elders were on the move, the three Demon Saints had gone straight to a gathering place of the Star Boundary’s armies. It was a situation where ‘If you kill my clansmen, I’ll slaughter yours in return’.
They were shocked by the news and immediately returned to help. Unfortunately, they were one step too late. By the time the two Dragons arrived at the place, they saw a mournful scene all across the Star Boundary army camp. Two Army Commanders were also killed in battle.
Meanwhile, the three Demon Saints of the Demon Race had long since disappeared.
Both Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun had gloomy expressions on their faces when they saw the purgatory-like scene before them. The Demon Saints might not care about the number of casualties among the Demon Race army, but the two Dragon Clan Elders could not ignore the safety of the Star Boundary army. The three Demon Saints were undoubtedly using their actions to say, “You can kill, but so can we. Let’s see who breaks first.”
After this incident, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhu became more cautious about making a move lest they brought harm to the rest of the Star Boundary. They did not dare to act recklessly either. If news of them appearing somewhere were to spread, Xue Li and the others were bound to take action. On the contrary, Xue Li and the others would be hesitant to attack carelessly if they kept their whereabouts a secret.
One month quickly passed by in that temporary period of peace. Xue Li was sitting down cross-legged in a secluded room of Star Soul Palace in the Southern Territory when his expression suddenly changed. He opened his eyes and listened to something attentively, his attitude very focused. Furthermore, there was a faint hint of respect reflected in his scarlet eyes. A short while later, he grinned and laughed maliciously. He then transformed into a blood light and appeared next to Fu Yu with a slight shift of his body.
“What is it?” Fu Yu looked at him.
He laughed evilly, “It’s starting!”
She was taken aback for a moment, then she was overjoyed, “It’s finally starting.”
The two of them stood side by side on top of a mountain peak, looking out into the vast the Star Boundary. Xue Li slowly reached out his hand and grabbed at the air as if he was holding the entire world in his hand and gave a low laugh, “They are doomed!”
On the other hand, Fu Yu, who had been tense and nervous all this time, finally relaxed. She reached out a hand to push her hair behind her ear with a smile, “En, it’s over. It’s a pity they still don’t know anything. They really are ignorant!”
…..
In the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory, Yang Kai, who had been keeping guard next to Su Yan suddenly opened his eyes. He furrowed his brow deeply and looked around his surroundings as an inexplicable sense of trepidation flooded him all of a sudden, almost as if something terrifying was about to take place.
This feeling came out of nowhere with no prior warning. Hence, his first reaction was to assume that there was a powerful enemy with malicious intentions towards him lurking nearby; however, he found nothing when he swept his Divine Sense around.
With his current cultivation, his Divine Sense was powerful enough that even a Demon Saint lurking in the vicinity would not be able to escape his detection completely. That was already the case for a Demon Saint, what more need be said for anybody else?
Since he could not detect anything, that could only mean that there were no enemies nearby. In that case, what was this sense of foreboding in his heart? After ten breaths, that ominous feeling not only did not reduce in any way but instead grew stronger. Additionally, he felt as though there was a huge mountain pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Yang Kai’s expression became solemn and the more he thought about it, the more certain he became that something was about to happen. Unfortunately, he could not figure out the source of that feeling.
Just as he was about to investigate his surroundings carefully one more time, a loud buzzing sound rang out in his mind without warning. The noise was absolutely deafening, but more importantly, it resounded directly in the depths of his Soul. It instantly caused his mind to waver and he became dizzy as a result.
With a muffled grunt, he fell forward. Fortunately, a jade white hand stuck out and caught him as Su Yan exclaimed, “Husband!”
Although she had been absorbing the information contained within the Ancestral Phoenix Source, she was not unaware of the outside world; therefore, she immediately noticed when something happened to Yang Kai.
There was a whooshing sound as Luan Feng flew over. She was shocked to see Yang Kai bleeding from his seven orifices and looking extremely pale, “W-What happened!?”
Due to the appearance of the Ancestral Phoenix Source, Luan Feng had not left this place even once over the past few days. She was planning to wait until Su Yan woke up to have a good chat with the her, so she more or less witnessed Yang Kai’s abnormality with her own eyes.
“I don’t know,” Su Yan was completely flustered. Even so, she forced herself to calm down. Grabbing Yang Kai’s hand, she poured a thread of her Divine Sense and Emperor Qi into him to investigate his condition carefully. However, she felt an overwhelming power erupting out of his body and repelling her mind before she could even check anything. She couldn’t help grunting in a muffled voice and staggering backward a few steps in response.
Yang Kai was originally collapsed on the ground, but he suddenly sat up without warning. He opened his eyes wide as two streams of blood flowed out from them. His eyes were completely out of focus and filled with an air of indifference. In addition, an aura that made other people not dare to look at him directly surged from his body as he shouted, “Heavens’ Revelations, Profound Heavens Manifestation!”
He enunciated each word carefully. Those words sounded like thunder rumbling in the skies, so deafening that they hurt just to hear them.
“What?” Su Yan was shocked as she reached out a hand towards him. His current condition was clearly very strange, almost as if someone else was speaking through him.
“Don’t touch him!” Luan Feng screamed, grabbing Su Yan’s outstretched hand as she slowly shook her head, “Something’s wrong.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Su Yan’s small face was filled with anxiety and worry. Even her voice shook slightly from emotion.
“I don’t know,” Luan Feng shook her head, similarly confused. [Could it be a dissonance in his cultivation? But, he has not been doing anything recently, he was just sitting opposite Su Yan to guard her. Can one experience cultivation dissonance just like that? Besides, his body has already been contaminated by the Demon Qi, so it should be impossible for him to experience cultivation dissonance so easily.]
In front of them, Yang Kai suddenly collapsed to the ground again after saying those words. His wide-open eyes gradually closed and that overwhelming aura vanished without a trace. It seemed like everything had gone back to normal; even so, both Su Yan and Luan Feng knew that this seemingly normal condition was the biggest abnormality of them all.
“He should be fine now,” Luan Feng said hesitantly.
Su Yan hurriedly broke free from Luan Feng and threw herself in front of him. Helping him up, she leaned him against her body and reached out to wipe the blood on his face, her eyes reddening in response. Even though she did not know what was wrong with him, only one thought echoed in her heart when that anomaly occurred just now, [Please don’t let anything happen to him.]
When Yang Kai opened his eyes once more, he immediately saw Su Yan’s concerned and anxious expression and asked in a slightly dazed manner, “Senior Sister?”
He didn’t seem to have any recollection of what had happened just now.
Su Yan worriedly asked after his condition. Only when she confirmed that there was nothing wrong with him did she finally let out a breath of relief.
Finally able to relax slightly, she immediately asked, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “I can’t say. I just have a feeling that… the Great Emperors are in grave trouble.”
He didn’t even know where the Great Emperors were currently, but he could roughly sense their current state. It seemed that somehow or other, they had formed an indistinct connection between them and this connection gave him a slight sense of how they were doing at the moment.
“Do you not remember what happened just now?” Luan Feng asked from the side.
He raised his head to look at her and slowly shook his head.
She frowned slightly and recounted everything she saw and heard just now to him.
“Heavens’ Revelations, Profound Heavens Manifestation?” He looked confused, “I said that?”
Both Su Yan and Luan Feng nodded in unison, indicating affirmation.
Yang Kai was stunned as he had no idea when he said those words. Even now, he showed no signs of understanding the meaning behind them after Luan Feng brought them up.
While he was deep in thought, the world suddenly began to shudder. A loud rumbling came from within the clouds. Startled, Yang Kai hurriedly looked up but saw nothing unusual. The rumbling sounded like the world groaning in pain and it lasted for a whole quarter hour before disappearing.
Similarly, Luan Feng was baffled too, “What was that just now?”
But who could answer her?
At this moment, Space Principles fluctuated slightly and a jade slip appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Li Wu Yi’s aura came from within the jade slip.
Yang Kai reached out a hand and grabbed the jade slip. Sweeping it with his Divine Sense, his expression changed drastically after briefly checking the contents.
“What happened?” Luan Feng asked.
“The Demon Lands are expanding,” he quickly said.
She frowned at those words, “The Demon Lands have always been expanding.”
Ever since the 108 Demon Lands appeared in the Star Boundary, the corrupted land had been expanding outward without pause. Those lands seemed to have a strong corrosive nature and were constantly eroding their surroundings. This was especially true for the Demon Lands where the 10 Primary Demon Strongholds were located. The reason for the fall of Star Soul Palace was not that the Star Boundary army was weaker than the Demon Race army. It was just that the entire Star Soul Palace had been devoured by the Demon Land and became part of it as a result.
The Demons were like ducks in water within the Demon Land. On the other hand, the Star Boundary cultivators were terribly restricted in many ways. Under such conditions, it was only natural that they were unable to compete against the Demon Race. As a result, Star Soul Palace had already been eroded by the Demon Land. There was no point defending it to the last man as it would only add to the casualties.
“It’s different this time. The expansion is proceeding very quickly. Much faster than before.”
“How fast is it?” Her expression froze.
“I’m not sure. We’ll know once we have a look,” The information had come directly from Li Wu Yi. According to him, the Primary Demon Strongholds in the Northern, Southern, and Western Territories were showing the same signs. Therefore, he wanted Yang Kai to check on the situation at the Demon Strongholds in the Eastern Territory. Yang Kai wrapped Su Yan and Luan Feng in Space Principles while speaking before all of them vanished from the spot.
A quarter-hour later and a few million kilometres away, the trio arrived in the vicinity of one of the Primary Demon Strongholds.
Standing in the sky and looking down, Yang Kai’s complexion became incredibly pale. The boundaries of the Primary Demon Stronghold were madly expanding into the surroundings at an unstoppable pace that could be seen with the naked eye, advancing several hundred metres every breath. The speed of this expansion was absolutely appalling.
Even Luan Feng couldn’t help covering her red lips with her small hands, her beautiful eyes brimming with horror.
There was no need for comparisons. While the Demon Strongholds had been constantly expanding in the past, that speed could not be said to be particularly fast. However, the current speed they were looking at was at least a few hundred times faster than that!
At this speed, it would take less than two years for the entire Star Boundary to turn into a Demon Land. If that happened, how would the trillions of Humans survive? They would definitely be corroded by the Demon Essence and reduced to Demons.
Everywhere across both the land and the sky, countless birds and beasts were scrambling to flee for their lives. They seemed to have an instinctive sense of the approaching danger. When the Demon Land expansion came towards them, they all knew intuitively to stay away. Unfortunately, they could not escape from the expanding Demon Lands no matter how fast they were. The darkness spreading out behind them devoured the fleeing creatures in an instant. Under the corrosion of the Demon Essence, the generally well-behaved and docile creatures immediately lost their minds and began tearing into each other without regard for anything else.
It wasn’t just the birds and the beasts. There were also many Humans fleeing for their lives in the mountains and wilderness.
The second Two Worlds Great War broke out many years ago and the Demon Race ran rampant throughout all four Territories of the Star Boundary. Any cultivator with the slightest sense of valor or responsibility was recruited into the army to kill the enemy. Nevertheless, there would inevitably be people who narrowly survived in the cracks due to luck. They had been hiding out deep in the mountains and the wilderness to protect themselves while hoping for the Star Boundary armies to chase the Demon Race away so that they could restore their homes. There were quite a few people like these. Rather, it could be said that there were many, many such people.
The Star Boundary was very vast and contained trillions of living creatures. How many people were actually recruited in the fifty-five armies? Compared to the total population in the Star Boundary, the fifty-five armies barely even made up a fraction of a fraction of it. Some were too weak and ended up being refused by the various armies as a result, but there was also a small number of Masters among those who chose to only protect themselves.
At this moment, these people finally ran out of places to hide. The Demon Land was spreading out, eroding their shelters and forcing them to flee into the distance. But, where could they escape to? The Demon Land was expanding far too quickly.
Yang Kai personally witnessed as a First-Order Emperor Realm Master was overtaken by Demon Land expanding behind him. He had no choice but to push his Emperor Qi to resist the Demon Essence that constantly tried to eat away at him. With his cultivation as a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, he might be able to hold out for a while without losing himself, but be that as it may, he would eventually be reduced to a Demon so long as he failed to escape from the Demon Land.
Yang Kai retreated with Su Yan and Luan Feng in tow. The words Mo Sheng once told him echoed in his mind. The Demon Realm did not used to be called the Demon Realm, it was once known as the Peerless World. Additionally, the dominant Race in the Peerless World was once the same as the Star Boundary, Humans. It was just that the Peerless World became a Demon Realm after Mo Sheng devoured the Auspicious Spirit Essence of the world and the Humans living in that world turned into the Demon Race in the end.
Yang Kai did not know what the Peerless World had looked like when its Auspicious Spirit Essence had been devoured back then; however, he was currently witnessing the scene of the Star Boundary being devoured.
In other words, everything he was seeing in front of him was the process of the Star Boundary’s Auspicious Spirit Essence being devoured, as well as part of Great Demon God’s healing process!
The Auspicious Spirit Essence was being devoured and the Star Boundary was turning into a Demon Land. If the expansion was progressing so quickly, wouldn’t that mean that Great Demon God had reached a critical juncture in his healing process!?
He couldn’t help shuddering at the thought. Last time, Flowing Time Great Emperor had fought against the Great Demon God, with the former suffering fatal wounds and the latter losing their physical body. Who could fight on behalf of the Star Boundary this time?
There were no news from the Great Emperors. The only ones that could be relied on at present were the two Dragon Clan Elders, but they were being restrained by the three Demon Saints. They could not take action easily. What’s more; would it really make a difference if they stepped up now?
Without noticing, the Star Boundary had already reached the moment where life and death were at a critical point! Moreover, the Demon Race forces were bound to give the Star Boundary no respite this time around.
“I need to return to the Northern Territory for a bit,” Yang Kai quickly said. There were changes to the Primary Demon Stronghold in the Eastern Territory, but he did not know about the situation in the Northern Territory. Therefore, he had to check as soon as possible. If the Northern Territory was also facing a similar situation, then he had to find a way out for High Heaven Palace and the various armies as soon as possible.
After hesitating for a while, he turned to Luan Feng and said, “If it comes down to it, you should retreat as soon as possible too.”
Luan Feng smiled bitterly, “Where can we go?”
Yang Kai opened his mouth to answer but found himself speechless instead. The Star Boundary might be vast, but where would they find a pure land if this was the situation everywhere?
The only thing he could be certain about was that the rumbling sounds that lasted for around a quarter-hour just now were definitely related to the sudden expansion of the Demon Lands. Unfortunately, he still could not figure out the reason behind the sudden and rapid expansion of the Demon Land.
Parting with Luan Feng, Yang Kai took Su Yan back to High Heaven Palace in a flash. Hua Qing Si had already sent numerous messages to him; thus, she immediately came to greet him the moment he returned.
He lifted his hand, “I’ve heard about it. Head Manager, please ask all the Army Commanders to assemble at the Main Conference Hall. I’m going to check on the situation.”
“Yes!” She accepted his orders and left.
When the Star Boundary armies retreated after the fall of Star Soul Palace, about half of them withdrew to the Northern Territory and were stationed at High Heaven Palace. The other half had gone to the Eastern Territory.
Originally, High Heaven Palace could not have accommodated so many people, but they now had the World Beads that Yang Kai had refined which made things much easier. Most of the soldiers usually remained inside the World Beads. Although the environment there was no better than a Dead Star and there was no vitality in the surroundings, the soldiers did not need to obtain anything from their surrounding environment. If they needed to heal or cultivate, they could just use Source Crystals or Spirit Pills as a substitute.
After issuing some simple commands, Yang Kai set off again, quickly arriving outside Blue Wave City and staring down at the sight below him with a solemn expression.
Just like what he had seen in the Eastern Territory, the Demon Stronghold below was rapidly expanding. It had more than doubled in size within a short period of time; furthermore, its momentum continued unabated.
The Demon Race army was crowding around in the Demon Land and it seemed that one of the Demon Kings had noticed Yang Kai’s arrival and began calling out. In the next moment, a figure shot out from the Demon Land and came rushing straight at Yang Kai. The power of a Half-Saint coming from that figure was unmistakable.
Before the Half-Saint got closer, he let out a soft exclamation, “Yang Kai?”
His voice carried not only a hint of shock but also a thick sense of fear. His shock came from the fact that Yang Kai had arrived at this place alone. If he could get rid of Yang Kai, he would definitely win the appreciation of the Demon Saints. On the other hand, he was afraid of Yang Kai’s unusual combat power. News of Yang Kai killing a Stone Demon Half-Saint during the battle at Star Soul Palace had long since spread to all the Demon Race. Xue Li and the others had even warned all the Half-Saints sternly, “Never underestimate the enemy if you ever meet Yang Kai in battle. Do not be fooled by his cultivation. Do not underestimate him. He is comparable to any Half-Saint in terms of strength!”
No Demon would dare to ignore a Demon Saint’s warning; therefore, the Half-Saint who rushed over abruptly stopped in his tracks when he recognized Yang Kai’s identity. With several thousand metres between them, he raised his hand and summoned a Demon Artifact that looked like an ordinary axe.
The axe rapidly swelled in size after it was summoned and a horrifying Demon Qi radiated from it. It then transformed into a huge Shadow Axe and came slashing down at Yang Kai. The power behind this slash was so great that it even split the mountain in half.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and summoned out the Azure Dragon Spear, calmly spinning it in his hands as he swung it up to intercept the Shadow Axe.
A Dragon Roar was heard amidst the slashing sound, which was followed by a deafening explosion. Both Yang Kai and the Half-Saint were involuntarily pushed backwards by the impact.
The Half-Saint who came rushing at Yang Kai widened his eyes in astonishment, shocked to the core. Xue Li and the other Demon Saints had already warned them about Yang Kai, so he knew that Yang Kai should not be taken lightly. Even so, it was a little unbelievable to see Yang Kai blocking his attack so easily.
[This bastard really does have the strength of a Half-Saint!] His gaze involuntarily fell upon the Azure Dragon Spear and his pupils contracted slightly. Among the warnings from Xue Li and the others, great emphasis had been placed upon this spear with unknown origins. It was said that the spear was extremely powerful, and it would seem to be true. Yang Kai had managed to block his attack despite only being a High-Rank Demon King. Perhaps, it was largely due to the power of this spear.
Yang Kai’s strength did not make him shrink in fear though; instead, it aroused the bloodlust and arrogance in his heart and he shouted, “Again!”
Raising the axe up high, the Demon Qi in his body surged as he poured it into the Demon Artifact before another Shadow Axe came smashing down again.
“Scram!” Yang Kai shouted. He only came here to check on the situation, so he had no time to fight a meaningless battle with this Half-Saint. With a shift of his body, he lunged toward his enemy. A spear shadow flashed out from the Azure Dragon Spear and loomed across the sky as he thrust out while ignoring the Shadow Axe that was slashing down on his head.
The Half-Saint paled greatly at the sight. Yang Kai acting so decisive right from the start left him feeling a little lost for what to do. If he didn’t dodge this attack, it would surely end in a lose-lose situation for both parties. Leaving aside the question whether he could kill Yang Kai with his strike, things would not end well for him if he was hit by Yang Kai’s spear.
It was said that Yang Kai had realised some sort of mysterious Martial Truth and if one received an injury from him, that Martial Truth would corrode their flesh and leave them in a half-dead state. Even a Half-Saint was helpless against it. Only the Demon Saints had the ability to disperse that power.
During the battle at Star Soul Palace previously, a Blood Demon companion had been injured by this Martial Truth, and in the end, Xue Li had stepped in to help remove the Martial Truth and save the Blood Demon’s life. As for all the other Demon Kings who were injured by Yang Kai, it was rumoured that they were abandoned by Xue Li and slaughtered on the spot. That was because even though Xue Li could remove the Martial Truth, it consumed too much energy. Wasting a Demon Saint’s energy on Demon Kings was obviously not worth it, so they were all killed instead.
All sorts of thoughts raced through this Demon Race Half-Saint’s head in that instant before he immediately made the decision to retreat from battle while retrieving his Demon Artifact Axe at the same time. The axe danced and formed a Shadow Axe in front of him, acting as a shield.
There was a series of clanging sounds and two figures rushed into the Demon Land at a high speed, one in front of the other.
There was a look of great horror on the Demon Race Half-Saint’s face. The power coming from the spear opposite him was so strong that he could barely fend off the attacks; thus, he couldn’t help widening his eyes in terror.
[Is this kind of power something a Human can have!? I heard that Yang Kai can transform into a more than 1,000-metre-long Dragon, and it looks like it’s true! I’m not fighting some ordinary Human, he’s clearly a giant Dragon! In that case, it’s not surprising for him to have such raw strength.]
What frightened him even more was the strange aura coming from the Azure Dragon Spear. Despite his experience and knowledge, he could not figure out what that aura was. The aura was extremely mysterious, almost as if it contained a great secret that left everybody scratching their heads in confusion. That was most likely the Martial Truth the Demon Saints mentioned before. Feeling even more frightened, he vowed to himself that he would never allow himself to be hurt by this Martial Truth.
Last time, a Demon Saint had been willing to step in and help remove the Martial Truth from the Blood Demon Half-Saint’s body because the situation had not been serious. Now that the strength of the two Dragon Clan Elders had exploded, however, the three Demon Saints had to maintain peak condition at all times to ward off these powerful enemies.
[If I get injured in this encounter, I won’t be lucky enough to receive help from the Demon Saints in resolving the Martial Truth. At that time, my life or death would depend entirely on myself!] Bogged down by fear, the Demon Race Half-Saint was unable to exert his full strength and soon fell into a complete disadvantage in his battle with Yang Kai as he retreated over a thousand kilometres.
Numerous figures rushed out from the depths of the Demon Stronghold, each of them emitting the aura of a Half-Saint. It was clear that they came to provide support after seeing their companion’s pathetic state.
Before they could approach, however, they heard an angry roar and a golden light erupted. Yang Kai’s figure swelled rapidly and soon a 1,000-metre-long burly figure stood in the sky. Even the Azure Dragon Spear had increased in size to 1,000 metres.
The horrifying pressure that burst out caused the Half-Saints to choke in fear and they involuntarily stopped in their tracks.
The humongous Dragon swung the 1,000-metre-long giant spear in a sweeping motion towards the Half-Saints, causing the world itself to shudder in response.
Who among those Half-Saints would dare to face such an attack head-on? When they saw the spear coming toward them, their expressions changed drastically and they all fled backwards.
On the other hand, the Half-Saint fighting Yang Kai could not avoid the attack and could only desperately activate the power of his Demon Artifact to form a huge axe to forcefully defend himself.
In the end, he was sent flying, coughing up blood mid-air. The light of the Demon Artifact Axe in his hands went dim and it was clear that its spirituality had been considerably damaged. When the Half-Saint finally stabilised his figure again, his expression was overflowing with unwillingness and rage.
It would have been one thing if Yang Kai was actually a Half-Saint as forcing him to retreat this much would have meant that his strength was inferior to his opponent; however, Yang Kai was nothing more than a High-Rank Demon King. It made him feel useless instead. He was a Half-Saint after all; when had he ever suffered such humiliation before?
Fortunately, although his organs had been shaken by the impact and he suffered light injuries, it was nothing serious. He had not been injured by the rumoured Martial Truth.
It wasn’t until he turned back to look at his companions that the ugly expression on his face dissipated significantly. They were also showing fearful expressions at this moment; moreover, nobody dared to come forward lightly. Their reactions relieved some of his embarrassment and humiliation from getting injured.
Yang Kai raised his spear. His mountain-like body stood on the ground as his cold gaze swept out. Nobody dared to meet those pale gold Dragon Eyes directly. His thunderous voice boomed, “Come at me if you want a fight! If not, then make way!”
Hearing those words left the Half-Saints fuming from anger.
This was a Demon Stronghold, the place where the Demon Race army was stationed, yet not only did Yang Kai barge into this place alone, he also dared to make such arrogant statements! If it were anybody else, they would not have tolerated such actions even if it were a Pseudo-Great Emperor standing there. They would definitely have come at him all at once and taught him the consequences of shameless boasting.
But, this was Yang Kai. Leaving aside the fact that he had just displayed strength comparable to a Half-Saint, he was proficient in the Dao of Space. Who could restrain him here? Moreover, they had to worry about getting hurt by the Martial Truth while fighting him…
Ordinary injuries would not have bothered them, but it was a kind of injury that even a Demon Saint would find troublesome. That was not something anybody would dare to experience. The only ones who could keep him in check at this point were the Demon Saints. Be that as it may, the Demon Saints would not take action so easily at this critical juncture; therefore, the Half-Saints simply stood frozen in place and stared at Yang Kai coldly despite their ashen complexions.
Yang Kai snorted but did not provoke them any further. He came here only to investigate the situation and quickly realized that the Demon Stronghold in the Northern Territory was identical to the one in the Eastern Territory. Nevertheless, he was still clueless as to why such a huge change had occurred.
Since he couldn’t figure it out from outside the Demon Stronghold, then he could only barge in and have a closer look. Why else would he have come here alone if not for that?
According to the information from his intelligence, Xue Li and the others were still in the Southern Territory’s Star Soul Palace. They seemed to have made that place their base. He did not know if they were purposely humiliating the Star Boundary by doing so, but although they could come here very quickly, Yang Kai planned to escape at the slightest hint of abnormality. He had no intention of giving Xue Li and the others a chance to attack him.
The Azure Dragon Spear stood beside him like a giant pillar that towered into the skies and seemed to have noticed his intentions. The body of the spear let out a Dragon Roar before an illusory Azure Dragon emerged from the giant spear and coiled around it. The enormous Dragon Head was held high, overlooking the world while monitoring all four directions.
Closing his eyes, Yang Kai relaxed his mind and spread out his Divine Sense like a tidal wave. Nobody else would dare to do something like this in the Demon Land as Demon Essence was abundant within the Demon Stronghold; moreover, it was highly likely for them to become corrupted by the Demon Essence when their Divine Sense left their body. Doing so might leave behind hidden dangers at the very least. However, Yang Kai was different from ordinary people. His Emperor Qi had been converted into Demon Qi, so why would he fear the Demon Essence in the Demon Stronghold?
His target was very obvious. He was aiming for the Demon Tower standing in the middle of the Demon Stronghold. Since the Demon Towers could connect to each other and produce an effect similar to Cross-Territory Space Arrays, allowing the Demon Race to travel back and forth in the blink of an eye, it was only natural that it could allow his Divine Sense to navigate between them.
By borrowing the Demon Tower, Yang Kai would be able to clear the fog in front of him and look at the overall situation by standing at a greater height. He would be able to figure out the reason behind the Demon Land’s sudden expansion.
He had no intention of concealing his intentions, so it was only natural that the Half-Saints watching him hungrily from nearby would notice what he was doing.
One of them was a Bone Demon. He twisted his skull and glanced at the Demon Tower. The emerald Ghost Fire in his eye sockets danced slightly as his teeth made metallic noises when they knocked against each other, “Clever bastard. I can’t believe he even thought of using this method.”
“Hey, should we stop him? If this goes on, he will probably notice something.”
“How?” Another Half-Saint sneered, “Do you plan to go up and fight him?”
“Why not?” The Half-Saint who spoke previously looked eager, “He is alone after all.”
“What’s the point of fighting when we know we can’t kill him? Not to mention, we have to be wary of getting injured by him. As you all know, that Martial Truth…”
“The Demon Saints are about to make their move. Besides, the Star Boundary will figure out the truth sooner or later. What difference does it make whether it’s a little earlier or a little later? Let’s just leave this guy to the Demon Saints.”
“That’s right. I’ve already sent a message to the three Venerables. If they plan to stop him, then they will definitely come. If they don’t come, then we don’t need to do anything unnecessary either.”
Following a simple discussion, the Half-Saints quickly came to an agreement to stand back and watch how things unfolded. It wasn’t that they were cowardly. It was just that… the Martial Truth was much too troublesome. Nobody was willing to stand on the frontlines and risk their life. With nobody leading them, it was only natural that they could not become united. Furthermore, they had the Demon Saints to decide for them. Why would they need to take the risk?