The Divine Manifestation and Sword Formation’s sword wave were locked in a stalemate.
Shockwaves spread outwards one after another. Luo Qing Yun’s eyes turned bloodshot and cracked wide open as he pushed his strength to the limit.
“Let’s see how long you can last!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. He pushed his Great Sun Divine Manifestation against the Sword Formation, not caring about anything else.
A miserable scream rang out from somewhere in the Sword Formation at that moment; one of the Sword Pavilion disciples couldn’t hold on any longer as the boundless Sword Intent tore his body into pieces before he exploded into a blood mist.
One, then two, then three… In just ten breaths of time, more than thirty people had died, and as time passed, more and more were unable to hold on.
Luo Qing Yun’s heart instantly sank into the abyss. Although the loss of a few dozen people wasn’t fatal to the Sword Formation, it was still somewhat impactful. It was enough to reduce the power of the formation, making it even more difficult to resist Yang Kai’s Divine Manifestation.
What’s more, he had also used a Forbidden Secret Technique to overdraw his strength, so he couldn’t maintain his current state for too long either. Once the backlash from the Secret Technique hit him, if he hadn’t killed Yang Kai by then, Sword Pavilion would definitely suffer a crushing defeat!
Luo Qing Yun was burning with anxiety, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhong Fan and Lu Xue’s eyes trembled as they stared blankly atop the hill outside the Star City. When the Great Sun Manifestation appeared, both of them immediately understood something.
No wonder the scorching energy that had invaded Lu Xue’s body was so violent and difficult to deal with, to the point that Lu Xue wasn’t able to expel it and even a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Zhong Fan was unable to help her.
It was Golden Crow’s True Fire!
Everything made sense now.
Golden Crow’s True Fire was at least a Seventh-Order Fire Element Power. Not to mention in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary where Open Heaven Realm Masters’ strength was suppressed, even if they were outside, once this Golden Crow’s True Fire invaded their bodies, they would have to pay a huge price to neutralize it.
Lu Xue’s beautiful eyes filled with despair.
Because she knew that since it was Golden Crow’s True Fire ravaging her body, no one in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary could help her resolve it, not even the Sword Pavilion Master himself!
In a short period of time, the Defying Heavens Star Net Formation had been suppressed, and the Sword Pavilion disciples had suffered several dozen casualties. Luo Qing Yun was on the verge of defeat.
Zhong Fan’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as a trace of struggle and hesitation flashed across his face. In the end though, he made up his mind and turned to look at Lu Xue.
Coincidentally, Lu Xue also looked at him at that moment, allowing their eyes to meet. Lu Xue instantly understood what Zhong Fan wanted to do and couldn’t help smiling bitterly.
“Hold on for a moment, I’ll be right back!” Zhong Fan gritted his teeth and shouted, withdrawing his hands. The next moment, he transformed into a streak of sword light and rushed towards the battlefield.
Lu Xue slowly closed her eyes as her head dropped down. Her beautiful hair cascaded down her slender shoulders as she sat alone atop the hill. Her frail figure appeared especially desolate and helpless.
Although Sword Pavilion couldn’t afford to lose her, they also couldn’t afford to lose Luo Qing Yun and hundreds of disciples. Luo Qing Yun and the remaining disciples would be in danger if Zhong Fan didn’t help.
Since it had come to this, Zhong Fan had no choice but chose one of the two!
Lu Xue knew in her heart that she was the one who had been abandoned, but she didn’t blame him because even if Zhong Fan stayed by her side, it would be useless; after all, the Golden Crow’s True Fire was not something Zhong Fan could resolve.
However, she had never imagined that she, a dignified Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, would be forced to such an extent in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Since the Golden Crow’s True Fire had invaded her body, she was unable to dispel it and all that awaited her was a slow death!
This kind of feeling was terrifying, and those who didn’t experience it could never even imagine it.
Explosions rang out as one figure after another exploded into blood mist within the Sword Formation. Not a single disciple who died had left a corpse behind. Nearly a hundred Sword Pavilion disciples had been unable to withstand the backlash of the Sword Formation and died on the spot. They amounted to more than thirty percent of the Sword Pavilion disciples present. A terrified look appeared on the faces of the remaining disciples as they desperately pushed their strength, fearing that the next one to suffer would be them.
They couldn’t stop screaming in the depths of their heart, [Just what kind of monster has Sword Pavilion provoked this time? How could he be so powerful?]
A sword light flashed, accompanied by Zhong Fan’s dignified shout, “Junior, don’t be so presumptuous!”
By the time he finished speaking, Zhong Fan had already merged into the Defying Heavens Star Net Formation. Sword Pavilion had fought countless enemies and cooperated intimately with each other using their Sword Formations, so as soon as Zhong Fan arrived, Luo Qing Yun relinquished his core position to him.
With a loud bang, Sword Intent swept across the sky and the shocking sword wave that was being pushed back by the Great Sun Manifestation instantly received Zhong Fan’s support, re-invigorating its momentum and glowing brighter than ever before.
The might of Zhong Fan alone was stronger than the over one hundred Sword Pavilion disciples who had died. This was the power of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Seeing this scene, the Sword Pavilion disciples, who were originally in a state of panic as if the end was approaching, suddenly had their spirits uplifted. They silently activated their Secret Techniques as Sword Qi lingered around their bodies, enhancing the power of the Sword Formations, causing the entire Sword Formation to transform into a giant millstone grinder. The Sword Qi on the millstone swept across the world, cutting through space, and pressing towards the Great Sun Manifestation.
Yang Kai also felt a trace of pressure. Although he was currently able to display the strength of a First or Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still a little lacking compared to a true Open Heaven Realm Master without World Force. The Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation’s power was indeed extraordinary, worthy of being Sword Pavilion’s trump card.
However, since Yang Kai had formed a Manifestation today, what did he have to fear? Even facing a strong enemy, and even if he were to die, he still would have to fight. Only then would he deserve to have a place in this world.
The Great Sun Manifestation flashed brightly, and the three-legged Golden Crow inside also flapped its wings and let out a cry as it crashed into the Sword Formation.
A thrumming sound reverberated across the sky. In this instant, everyone both inside and outside the Star City, regardless of their cultivation, was blinded by a white light, making it impossible to see what was happening on the battlefield.
However, as the shockwaves from the battle subsided, everyone’s face paled.
In this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, where Open Heaven Realm Masters had their strength suppressed, one side formed a Manifestation while the other used a Sword Formation, both displaying strength comparable to Open Heaven Realm Masters. It was truly shocking.
“Head Manager, who do you think… will win?” Chen Tian Fei licked his dry lips and asked.
Yang Kai’s performance today had truly frightened him, making him a little restless. He didn’t know if abandoning Yang Kai at this critical moment was the right thing to do. Although accepting Yang Kai as Scarlet Star’s Sixth Manager was nothing more than a forced action, both sides had maintained cordiality to keep the peace. However, Scarlet Star’s actions towards Yang Kai today had undoubtedly created a rift and pushed the two sides apart.
If Yang Kai won, what would Scarlet Star’s fate be? Once Yang Kai used his Great Sun Divine Manifestation, even their Head Manager would have no choice but to yield.
However, the situation from before was not something Scarlet Star had a choice in. Sword Pavilion and Thunder Light’s three thousand people had arrived at the city, and if they didn’t abandon Yang Kai, it would be equivalent to placing Scarlet Star as a target.
As a Manager of Scarlet Star, Chen Tian Fei had to consider his family’s interests first; after all, Yang Kai was an outsider. Why would he care about him?
“Even if that boy can win, I’m afraid it will be a pyrrhic victory,” The Head Manager’s indifferent voice rang out.
Chen Tian Fei was shocked, “Head Manager, you think he can win?”
“There’s no need to worry, if he wins, he will have definitely damaged his foundation. How could Zhu Li and Long Tai let go of this opportunity to beat a drowning dog? Naturally, they know what to do.”
Hearing this, Chen Tian Fei’s eyes lit up. [That’s right. Yang Kai has been preoccupied with Sword Pavilion all the while. Although Thunder Light has suffered heavy casualties, their forces are mostly still intact. With Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Zhu Li and Long Tai still alive, why would Thunder Light let Yang Kai off when he is exhausted after the battle?]
Thinking so, Chen Tian Fei finally felt relieved.
At this moment, a violent energy fluctuation came from the centre of the battlefield. This fluctuation was several dozen times stronger than before. Even the defensive Array outside the Star City began to fluctuate violently due to the fallout. Its light dimmed and it almost broke.
“It’s here!” The Head Manager shouted as he directed his eyes forward.
Chen Tian Fei and the others also wore serious expressions as they paid close attention.
No one had expected that the conclusion would arrive so quickly. After Zhong Fan had joined the battlefield, in less than half a cup of tea’s time, the two opposing sides were about to fight to the death, and the final result was about to be decided.
The violent shockwave from the battlefield undoubtedly indicated that both Yang Kai and Sword Pavilion were going all out!
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the two beams of light collided in mid-air and suddenly burst into an even more dazzling light!
Boundless killing intent swept across the world.
A series of muffled groans rang out as blood flowers blossomed one after another.
The sun behind Yang Kai rocked a few times before fading away, whereas the shocking sword wave shattered as multiple figures fell from the sky.
The Star City fell into an uproar!
They saw Yang Kai hovering in mid-air with his clothes tattered and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. There were countless fine wounds all over his body, obviously caused by the rampaging Sword Qi. The most serious wounds were so deep that one could see his golden bones. The wounds were filled with Sword Qi, and blood kept pouring out of them.
However, although he looked miserable, he still stood proudly, his figure as straight as a spear.
On the other side, the Sword Formation of Sword Pavilion had already been broken, and Luo Qing Yun was coughing up blood uncontrollably. It was obvious that his Forbidden Technique had begun its backlash and he was unable to suppress his injuries. The sword in Zhong Fan’s hand had dimmed and lost a great deal of its spirituality. When he looked at it, his eyes were filled with pain. Although he was not seriously injured, his complexion was pale, and his expression was dispirited.
If the two Sword Pavilion leaders were like this, there was no need to mention the other Sword Pavilion disciples.
Of the remaining two hundred disciples, only a few dozen had survived. The rest had all died in that instant of collision. Even these several dozen still alive were suffering from varying degrees of injuries, some of them gasping for breath while others were vomiting blood.
After the battle, Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation was broken, and the three hundred Sword Pavilion disciples were nearly wiped out.
Humiliation!
This had never happened since the founding of Sword Pavilion. Moreover, they had been beaten to such a sorry state by a mere Emperor Realm cultivator. Zhong Fan simply couldn’t accept this. Furious, he roared, “Junior, I must kill you!”
“What a coincidence, that was my intention too!” Yang Kai gasped as he threw a handful of pills into his mouth, chewing them like beans, his eyes radiating a scary glow.
Zhong Fan turned around angrily and shouted, “Are you here to watch a show? If you don’t act now, when will you?!”
To the side, Zhu Li and Long Tai, who were watching from afar, suddenly came to their senses!
Zhu Li and Long Tai couldn’t be blamed for their slow reaction; what they had seen today was simply too shocking. Even Open Heaven Realm Masters like them had fallen into a dazed state, their thoughts a complete mess.
An Emperor Realm cultivator forming a Divine Manifestation was an unprecedented feat, and the existence of the suspected Seventh-Order Golden Crow’s True Fire had greatly frightened them. Seeing Lu Xue’s fate, they were also scared that the next one to suffer would be them.
Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation had been broken, causing them to be even more frightened and regretful that they had come here, but with Sword Pavilion’s invitation and the fact that many Thunder Light disciples had died at Yang Kai’s hands previously, they had no choice but to act.
It wasn’t until Zhong Fan let out a furious roar that they came back to their senses. Looking at each other, they knew that if they didn’t take this opportunity to kill Yang Kai today, Thunder Light would only leave behind a pool of blood and bones.
With the strength Yang Kai had just displayed, Thunder Light would not be able to resist if he continued to live.
Without any hesitation, the two of them shouted in unison, “Thunder Light disciples, obey my command! Follow this King to kill the enemy!”
With this order, the scattered Thunder Light disciples finally found their backbone. When Yang Kai and Sword Pavilion fought, they had been unable to intervene at all and had instead been reduced to spectators on the sidelines. It was truly quite embarrassing. Finally, they’re able to display their strength in this battle.
One by one, they rushed towards Zhu Li and Long Tai, following behind the two leaders, and attacking Yang Kai.
Inside the mansion, Yue He, Meng Hong, and others felt their hearts jump to their throats. Yang Kai’s performance before was extraordinary and he had single-handedly broken through Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation, nearly wiping out all of Sword Pavilion’s people. However, he had only just experienced a great battle. At this time, he couldn’t even maintain his Great Sun Manifestation, so he was clearly an arrow at the end of its flight. On the other hand, Thunder Light had retained the majority of its strength with nearly two thousand men remaining, enough to drown Yang Kai in their spits.
How could Yang Kai deal with such a crisis?
On the other hand, Yang Kai, who was in the centre of the encirclement, was calm and composed, throwing pills into his mouth. A sinister grin spread across his lips as the figures rushed towards him. It was as if he was an unparalleled monster waiting for its prey to pounce, eager to swallow them whole.
Yang Kai really wasn’t afraid of anything. Although there were many Thunder Light disciples alive, he was proficient in the Dao of Space, so as long as they didn’t seal off the surrounding space or restrict his movements, Zhu Li and Long Tai could forget about doing anything to him.
The Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation had been completed, so there was no need to hide anything anymore. Just as he was considering whether to use his Dragon Transformation and assume his giant Half-Dragon Form to continue fighting, he suddenly heard an excited voice from afar, “Brother Yang, Brother Yang, it’s done! Hahahaha!”
As soon as this voice rang out, a figure suddenly rushed out from the Star City towards Yang Kai.
At this moment, when the battle was about to begin, this burst of laughter was particularly disruptive.
Everyone couldn’t help but turn their heads towards the source of the voice, only to see a fair and tender little fatty fly out from the Star City with his hands held high above his head. There was a simple gourd in his hands, and a look of excitement on his face.
Head Manager’s brow couldn’t help but twitch as he stared at the little fatty and asked, “How did he get out?”
Chen Tian Fei couldn’t react for a moment, but after thinking it through, his expression also changed greatly as he couldn’t help but ask himself, [How did this guy slip out?]
It had to be known that at this moment, the Star City’s defensive Grand Array had been fully activated, making it all but impossible for anyone to exit or enter. If anyone wanted to leave, Chen Tian Fei would have to give the order to open a hole in the Grand Array, just like when Zhong Fan and the others had entered.
However, even with the Spirit Array still in operation, this little fatty had somehow managed to leave the Star City without even the slightest trouble.
Could the fallout from the battle between Yang Kai and Sword Pavilion have caused a problem with the Grand Array? Thinking so, Chen Tian Fei quickly ordered his men to investigate the status of the city’s protective shield.
Yue He was also shocked as she stared at the little fatty’s figure. Only after a moment of hesitation did she release her Divine Sense to investigate. The cultivation room had indeed been opened, and the person who should have been in seclusion had disappeared.
She couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. As expected of a Core Disciple from a Cave Heaven, she didn’t even notice when he left the mansion and went outside. Although most of her attention was focused on Yang Kai, for an Emperor Realm Junior to be able to accomplish such a feat was still quite impressive.
[But… Why did this guy run out at this time? What’s that gourd?]
Yue He looked over and found that the gourd was only one palm tall and seemed extremely ordinary, if not quite old. She didn’t know where it came from, but at this moment, it was being held high by little fatty, Xu Zhen. It was an extremely funny scene.
At this moment, Yang Kai was surrounded by more than two thousand Thunder Light disciples, so if Xu Zhen wanted to rush to Yang Kai’s side, he would definitely have to clash with them.
Xu Zhen also seemed to be slow to react and only after rushing into the crowd of Thunder Light members did he suddenly jump in fright and shout, “Em, why are there so many people here? What’s going on?”
He asked innocently, but the Thunder Light disciple responded fiercely.
All of them were already vexed and angry, their killing intent boiling. Now that such a strange person suddenly walked into their ranks so brazenly, how could they show any goodwill? One after another, their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flew towards Xu Zhen without mercy.
However, although this guy’s movements seemed awkward and clumsy, his luck was surprisingly good. With every step he took, he dodged all the attacks and he even had time to shout, “What are you doing!? Are you trying to kill me? Don’t hit me, I’m innocent!”
The more he shouted though, the more powerful the Thunder Light disciples’ attacks became. He was drowned in Secret Techniques, but none were able to harm him in the slightest. This guy seemed fat, but his figure was incredibly agile.
After several such attempts, even a fool could tell that something was wrong.
It was impossible for a single person’s luck to be so good. So many people attacked him, yet none of them could hit him. This little fatty was obviously pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger. Moreover, he was able to fight with so many people with such ease, so his strength was obviously extraordinary.
Zhu Li’s face was filled with anger as he roared, “Who goes there? State your name!”
There was Yang Kai, who didn’t put Thunder Light in his eyes, but now, another one had appeared, making him livid.
Xu Zhen still held the gourd high and solemnly replied, “Divine Cauldron Heaven, Xu Zhen!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Li staggered and almost lost his balance, falling headfirst to the ground. Long Tai’s eyes also widened, and even Zhong Fan, Luo Qing Yun, and the others who had been circulating their Qi to heal their injuries were thrown into chaos, almost causing their injuries to worsen.
The Managers of Scarlet Star all gasped.
Before this great battle, a Young Master who claimed to be the descendant of the Azure Nether Paradise’s Third Elder had come out, causing Sword Pavilion and Thunder Light to be wary. Now, a Cave Heaven Disciple has appeared? Moreover, it was the famous Divine Cauldron Heaven!
Before today, they had never known that there were disciples of Cave Heavens and Paradises in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Since these two were here, who knows how many were still hidden? How could such a small Star City have so many hidden Dragons?
When Xu Zhen announced his name, the faces of the Thunder Light disciples who had attacked him before all went pale. Let alone them, even the Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master would die if he were to attack a Divine Cauldron Heaven disciple in public like this.
The noisy sky suddenly became quiet.
Xu Zhen effortlessly squeezed to Yang Kai’s side and grinned at him.
“Success?” Yang Kai looked at him and asked.
“Fortunately, I didn’t fail!” Xu Zhen pushed the bottle gourd in his hand towards Yang Kai.
“Divine Cauldron Heaven’s disciples live up to their reputation! Many thanks!” Yang Kai swept his Divine Sense over the crowd and nodded slightly.
Xu Zhen chuckled, “We’re just taking what we each need, there’s no need to thank me. En, this place is a bit noisy, so I’ll take my leave first.” Saying so, he cupped his fists towards Yang Kai and turned to leave.
However, after taking only two steps, he suddenly turned around and said, “Brother Yang, this thing’s murderous nature is too strong, so try not to use it too often. If it is possible to forgive others, one should be forgiving.”
Yang Kai grinned, “If we don’t pull out weeds by the roots, they will only grow again!”
Xu Zhen was speechless. He turned his head to look around and suddenly sighed, no longer trying to persuade him. With his hands behind his back, he leisurely walked away and soon disappeared.
Everyone stared blankly, not knowing what was happening.
When they saw Xu Zhen rush over to Yang Kai’s side and hand him a gourd, they thought that the two of them had a deep friendship. Zhu Li, Long Tai, and the others had been wondering if he would shelter Yang Kai, but who would have thought that this little fatty would leave just like that.
[What’s going on?]
[Also, what did he mean when he said they were each taking what they needed?]
Unable to determine the relationship between Yang Kai and Xu Zhen, Zhu Li and Long Tai didn’t dare act rashly.
On the other hand, Yang Kai wore a playful smile on his face as he fiddled with the gourd in his hand and said lightly, “Brother Xu and I are neither friends nor relatives, and we’ve never met before, we just made a deal.”
“What do you mean?” Zhu Li asked solemnly.
At this moment, the calmer Yang Kai appeared, the more uncertain he became.
“What I mean is, if you want to fight, fight. If you don’t, I’ll kill you,” Yang Kai grinned maliciously.
“Junior, don’t act so arrogantly!” Long Tai shouted angrily.
“Enough nonsense, all of you come and accept your deaths!” Yang Kai roared.
“Junior, you think my Thunder Light is so easily bullied? Since that’s the case, this King will grant you your wish and kill you!” Zhu Li ordered in a low voice, having no choice left. Yang Kai’s unwillingness to let him off obviously meant that Thunder Light couldn’t resolve the grudge between them. If he didn’t act now, Thunder Light would have an even harder time dealing with him once he recovered and summoned his Divine Manifestation.
The numerous Thunder Light disciples no longer hesitated. They circulated their strength as dazzling flashes of all colours blossomed, rumbling towards Yang Kai.
Luo Qing Yun watched this scene with cold eyes, a trace of joy flashing across their depths. With so many attacks fired at once, Yang Kai couldn’t remain unscathed. No matter how arrogant he was, he would definitely fall here.
It was worth it. Nearly three hundred Sword Pavilion disciples had died, and their Sword Formations was broken, but if they could remove Yang Kai from the face of this world, it could still be counted as a win.
On the other hand, Zhong Fan stared at the gourd in Yang Kai’s hand with a solemn expression, faintly feeling that this thing was somewhat unusual and was likely a terrifying artifact.
Dazzling flashes and violent energy erupted as thousands of Thunder Light members attacked together, creating a magnificent scene!
At the centre of the countless attacks, Yang Kai stood alone, his figure lonely but his aura soaring to the sky, like he alone was equal to millions!
A low voice suddenly rang out, “Now that I have obtained a new treasure, I will offer your dog lives as a sacrifice to christen my Divine Bottle Gourd!”
As soon as Yang Kai spoke those words, he stretched out his hand and slapped the gourd. The mouth of the gourd opened up, and a multi-coloured light burst out from it. This light illuminated the entire sky in an instant as it shot out.
As soon as the light appeared, a murderous aura instantly filled the air. Countless artifacts within a radius of several kilometres began to cry and rush towards the light uncontrollably, especially the swords of the Sword Pavilion disciples who had fallen earlier. It was as if they had been grabbed by an invisible hand and thrown into the light.
Regardless of their grade, whether it was intact or not, all the artifacts that poured into the light rapidly dimmed and lost their spirituality.
The artifacts in the hands of these Thunder Light disciples were also like this. All of the artifacts refined from metal were pulled away by this light, causing many Thunder Light disciples to be dumbfounded.
*Pu pu pu pu…*
A series of groans sounded as Thunder Light disciples spat out mouthfuls of blood. Their faces turned pale as they fell from the sky like dumplings. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of Thunder Light disciples had been injured by the backlash due the damage to their artifacts.
“Yuan Magnetic Divine Light!” Zhong Fan shouted, his eyes filled with shock.
The light that shot out from the gourd was none other than the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light he had seen on the Yuan Magnetic Mountain. Back then, Sword Pavilion had suffered many casualties because of this Yuan Magnetic Divine Light; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been killed by Emperor Heaven’s ragtag mob. At that time, the culprit was none other than Yang Kai.
Before coming here today, they had also been wary of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, but Yang Kai hadn’t used it from beginning to end; instead, he had used his Divine Manifestation to confront the Defying Heavens Star Net Formation head-on.
He had thought that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to use the Divine Light so easily, but now he was actually using it.
While Zhong Fan was shocked, he was also a little confused. He had personally seen Yang Kai use a bag-like artifact to collect a lot of Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, so why only now did he release it from this gourd?
Recalling the conversation between Yang Kai and Xu Zhen when the latter appeared, Zhong Fan suddenly realized what was happening and cried out bitterly, “I’ve underestimated those Cave Heaven disciples!”
The Divine Cauldron Heaven was one of the thirty-six Cave Heavens. This Cave Heaven Disciples’ other strengths aside, there was only one Dao that made all 3,000 Worlds look up to them.
Artifact Refining!
It was precisely because they were skilled in Artifact Refining that the Divine Cauldron Heaven was called the Divine Cauldron Heaven! In the 3,000 Worlds, apart from the innately formed artifacts, eighty to ninety percent of all renowned artifacts were forged by Divine Cauldron Heaven. Divine Cauldron Heaven’s disciples were all famous for their accomplishments in the Dao of Artifact Refining.
If he were to encounter a Divine Cauldron Heaven Disciple fighting outside, it would definitely be a completely different scene from normal, allowing him to witness the power of all kinds of strange artifacts.
The Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd was obviously refined by that Divine Cauldron Heaven disciple, Xu Zhen, for Yang Kai. Only a Divine Cauldron Heaven disciple could have such ability!
But if that was the case, Yang Kai shouldn’t have been able to activate the power of this artifact right away. He should have needed to spend a long time refining it first, so how could he possibly activate the power of this Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd as soon as he obtained it?
Only if this Divine Bottle Gourd was his artifact from the start and he didn’t need to refine it would this be possible.
Could it be that Xu Zhen had perfectly combined the Divine Bottle Gourd and Yuan Magnetic Divine Light? That might explain everything if it was the case.
It had to be said that Zhong Fan’s quick guesses were completely correct.
The Divine Bottle Gourd was indeed Yang Kai’s artifact. Back in the Star Boundary, in the depths of Orthodoxy Temple, Yang Kai had entered a Void Crack and found a Wind Gourd there.
When the Wind Gourd was opened, an endless amount of Astral Wind rushed out from it to meet the enemy, but Yang Kai had only used it a few times and had never used it in the Outer Universe.
Xu Zhen had come to ask him for a Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone and said that he could refine an Artifact for him as payment. Yang Kai naturally thought of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light that he had collected in the Yuan Magnetic Mountain and stored in his Six Fated Paths Bag. Not only did it occupy a large chunk of space in his Fated Paths Bag, but it also couldn’t be used casually; after all, if he used it too often, it would be depleted.
If he could use the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light to refine an artifact, there would be no need for such concerns.
With a Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light in front of him, Xu Zhen’s hands were simply itching. He had originally planned to refine a Yuan Magnetic Banner for Yang Kai, but the materials required were too numerous, and Yang Kai didn’t know where to find them.
On the other hand, the existence of the Wind Gourd was a great gift. Compared to the original Wind Gourd, the current Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd’s might had increased significantly. Better yet, Yang Kai didn’t need to spend any more time refining it.
“Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, it’s the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light!”
In the Star City, countless people cried out in alarm.
Scarlet Star’s Head Manager also showed a look of dread. Although he was only watching from afar, he could still feel the terrifying power of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light. Although he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would instantly lose a layer of skin if this thing hit him.
If even he would end up in such a state after a brief exposure, there was no need to mention Thunder Light’s disciples.
Dazzling light filled the sky, sweeping across the world, and anyone who was hit by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light had their flesh and bones torn apart.
Wherever the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light passed, not a single complete corpse could be found.
The Emperor Realm cultivators were like this, as were the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of Thunder Light.
A Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light could only be defended against using another Sixth-Order Element Power, so how could they possibly resist it?
In the blink of an eye, more than half of Thunder Light’s people had died.
Everyone’s heart was gripped by a chill as their bodies went completely cold. Such a terrifying artifact was simply a world-devastating killing tool. With this artifact in hand, the number of enemies he was facing became meaningless to Yang Kai. He alone could flatten a city if he wanted to!
Thunder Light disciples, with slightly better luck, managed to avoid the initial calamity, so at this moment, how could they dare to remain where they were? Screaming in fear, they all tried to flee.
But how could Yang Kai let them go? Just as he had said to Xu Zhen before, if he didn’t pull out weeds by the roots, they would grow again in the spring. Since Thunder Light dared to seek trouble with him, he couldn’t be blamed for being ruthless!
From another perspective, if Yang Kai were to fall into a disadvantageous position, would Thunder Light spare him?
Under Yang Kai’s control, the rays of light spread out and engulfed the fleeing Thunder Light disciples one after another, it looked as if an invisible beast was reaping their lives.
Thunder Light was finished!
After this battle, it would be impossible for them to make a comeback. When the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light once again appeared in this world, their fate had been sealed.
Scarlet Star’s Head Manager’s expression became solemn, his eyes filled with dread.
Previously, he had told Chen Tian Fei and the others that Yang Kai was an arrow at the end of its flight and that Zhu Li and Long Tai would not hesitate to beat him while he was down, so his fate would definitely not be good. Who could have thought that the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd would completely reverse the situation?
The Golden Crow Casts the Sun that broke Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd that had slaughtered Thunder Light. A Divine Manifestation and an artifact, all these things Yang Kai had displayed shocked everyone present.
Looking at the peerless figure standing in the sky, no one dared to have any thoughts of becoming enemies with him.
The fat on Chen Tian Fei’s body trembled violently. Although he was fat, his thoughts were quite agile. When others only focused on Yang Kai’s display of power, he thought of something else.
Previously, the Head Manager had said that Yang Kai’s Great Sun Divine Manifestation was comparable to a First or Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s strength even if he was an Emperor Realm cultivator, but what about now when he had this Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd?
It was likely that no one could compete with him in the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Only a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master stood a chance against him by relying on the potent World Force of their Small Universe.
Chen Tian Fei even thought to himself that if he encountered Yang Kai outside, he would have to go all out if he wanted to kill him.
There were less than ten Thunder Light Disciples in the sky now, and two figures were also fleeing at high speed. Zhu Li and Long Tai saw that the situation was not looking good, so how could they dare to remain? Naturally, they ran as fast as they could.
However, the two rays of light seemed to have a mind of their own as they chased after them like maggots on rotting bones.
“Junior, don’t go too far! It’s better to leave a lifeline to your enemies, just in case you might need them in the future!” Zhu Li shouted madly. Even though he was fleeing at full speed, he could still feel the terrifying killing intent behind him catching up.
“This King will never need trash like you, so what if I kill you?” Yang Kai shouted coldly, “Solidify!”
Under the control of his Space Principles, the surrounding world became viscous!
Zhu Li, who was already struggling to escape, suddenly froze, the surrounding space becoming extremely thick, as if he had fallen into a swamp. He was unable to escape no matter how hard he tried.
He turned his head in horror, just in time to see the multi-coloured light shooting straight towards him before engulfing him.
Zhu Li desperately pushed his body’s strength to resist the impact of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light. If the Small Universe in his body hadn’t been sealed, he would still have been able to fight, but without World Force, how could his physical strength compare to this Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light?
In the blink of an eye, the defensive energy circulating around his body was eroded completely as his flesh and blood were shredded layer by layer, as if he was being skinned alive.
Miserable screams rang out to no end. He sounded as if he was enduring the cruellest torture in the world, causing everyone who heard him to shiver.
Simultaneously, Long Tai also cried out in pain. Like Zhu Li, he too was enveloped by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light.
However, after just a few breaths of time, the screams came to an abrupt halt, and the brilliant light returned to the Divine Bottle Gourd in Yang Kai’s hand. Once it was all over, Zhu Li and Long Tai were nowhere to be seen.
The two Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had completely disappeared.
Thunder Light, which had stood tall in the Star City for thousands of years, had been completely wiped out, leaving no survivors. It was even more miserable than Sword Pavilion.
But this wasn’t the end. Yang Kai slapped the Divine Bottle Gourd again, sending out another burst of light towards the remaining Sword Pavilion disciples and Luo Qing Yun.
Luo Qing Yun shouted in horror, “Mercy!”
Previously, he had suffered a backlash from using his Secret Technique; thus, he didn’t even have the strength to escape and could only stand there and wait for death. If it weren’t for this, would he still dare to remain?
Seeing that Yang Kai was about to kill him, he could only beg for mercy.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to this and completely ignored his pleas! By the time the light disappeared, the Sword Pavilion disciples had also disappeared.
Taking a step forward, Yang Kai arrived in front of Zhong Fan and looked down at him, lightly saying, “What last words do you have? If you are going to beg for mercy, don’t waste my time.”
As a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Zhong Fan had a deep foundation. When the Sword Formation broke, he had also suffered heavy backlash, but his injuries weren’t as severe as Luo Qing Yun’s. If he had escaped in advance, he might have had a chance to survive, but for some reason, he had stayed here and watched as Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion’s disciples were destroyed one after another.
When Yang Kai arrived in front of him and looked down at him, Zhong Fan coldly snorted, “Junior, don’t act so arrogantly. You’ve committed a heinous crime. Once you leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, you’ll die!”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he faintly felt that his words were hinting at something, but he couldn’t be bothered to ask, coldly snorting, “This King likes stubborn people like you, it’s more interesting to pinch them to death!”
Saying so, he sent a palm strike towards Zhong Fan.
He showed no mercy and was completely ruthless!
Zhong Fan’s expression remained indifferent. When the giant hand was almost upon him, his eyes suddenly flashed and a crack appeared between his eyebrows. From that crack, a stream of sword Qi shot out.
In this moment of life and death, he suddenly used his last trump card to defend himself, sending out a strike powered by his Dao foundation and Blood Essence itself.
Unless it were absolutely necessary, no one would do such a thing as this was in essence a sacrificial technique, damaging one’s own foundation in exchange for a burst of power. If things went wrong, one would become crippled after releasing such a strike.
Zhong Fan had no other choice though. Yang Kai had managed to obtain his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation and possessed the terrifying Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, a terrifying killing weapon. Other than resorting to this move, he had no other hope.
In this desperate struggle, success or failure depended on the will of the Heavens!
A lifetime of cultivating the sword focused on attacking and killing allowed Zhong Fan to condense all his remaining strength into a small forearm-length sword. It was extremely sharp and seemed capable of cutting through anything.
“I knew you would do this!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as he stretched out his hand and actually grabbed at the approaching sword.
However, he soon furrowed his brow and looked down. The next moment, he saw a dazzling sword light shoot out from his palm, heading straight towards his forehead.
In the end, he still underestimated the power of a desperate Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even with his powerful Half-Dragon physique, Yang Kai was unable to resist the power of this small sword-shaped attack and it pierced straight through his palm. Furthermore, Sword Qi was lingering around the wound, making it impossible to heal.
Taking a deep breath as Yang Kai’s entire body doubled in size. His chest swelled up and he became taller. Immediately after, Yang Kai breathed out, spewing the Golden Crow’s True Fire at the approaching sword.
The raging flames distorted the world itself.
Looking from afar, the small sword flew against the Golden Crow’s True Fire like a small fish swimming against the current. Nonetheless, it was still being eroded by the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
Zhong Fan’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he roared and pushed his strike to its limit, determined to kill Yang Kai here and now!
Bit by bit, the small sword pushed forward, inching closer to Yang Kai’s forehead. Its speed was extremely slow despite its sharp threat.
Yang Kai, however, remained still and continued to breathe out the fearsome Golden Crow’s True Fire.
The small sword glowed brighter as it shook violently.
Ten breaths later, when the small sword arrived in front of him but could no longer hold on and collapsed.
Zhong Fan spat out a mouthful of hot blood as his aura suddenly plummeted. At this moment, it was as if all of his blood and essence had been sucked out of his body, leaving only skin and bones.
As the wind blew, his hair fluttered in the wind.
With his Dao foundation destroyed, Zhong Fan’s cultivation was crippled!
In the Star City, countless people were shocked. Many couldn’t help but feel a sense of grief. Although they had heard that once one’s Dao foundation was destroyed, a cultivator would die, this was the first time 99% of them were witnessing it. The change in Zhong Fan’s appearance from before and after was astonishing.
Yang Kai stepped forward and flew past Zhong Fan, showing no interest in taking action against someone who was destined to die.
In a few steps, he arrived in front of Lu Xue and grabbed her by the collar, staring down at her indifferently as he demanded, “Where is the Headquarters of Sword Pavilion?”
When Zhong Fan heard these words, his head drooped down as his aura rapidly dissipated.
Lu Xue happened to be coughing fresh blood to no end. It was boiling and mixed in with fragments of her internal organs. Her entire body was abnormally red, like a cooked crab.
Before the battle began, Yang Kai had planted the Golden Crow’s True Fire in her, preventing her from participating. At first, Zhong Fan had helped her suppress the scorching energy running amok in her body, but after he left, she was unable to resist the burning Golden Crow’s True Fire on her own and could only wait for death.
Fortunately, the foundation of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wasn’t bad, and the battle between Yang Kai, Sword Pavilion, and Thunder Light hadn’t lasted long, so even now, she was still alive, though half-dead.
If left alone, it wouldn’t even take an incense stick of time before she ended up dying.
Seeing Yang Kai standing before her, Lu Xue’s tender body trembled violently. She had never thought that one day she would be so afraid of an Emperor Realm Junior!
Outside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she would not even bother to raise her head to take a glance at an Emperor Realm cultivator.
But today, Yang Kai’s actions had deeply shocked her. One man had destroyed Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation and then eradicated Thunder Light. Nobody could match what he had done.
At this moment, Yang Kai was holding her in his hand like a little chick. She couldn’t help but tremble in fear. A shadow had appeared in the depths of her heart.
The person in front of her had become her heart demon.
Even if she could leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary alive, if she were to encounter Yang Kai outside in the future, she probably wouldn’t have any thoughts of opposing him unless she could break through this heart demon.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, how could Lu Xue not know what he wanted to do? He wanted to sweep Sword Pavilion’s headquarters clean.
[Can he do it?] As soon as she asked this question, her heart gave an affirmative answer. Sword Pavilion had only sent three hundred people this time, which was less than a third of their forces. There were nearly a thousand disciples, two Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters back at their Headquarters, including their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Pavilion Master.
However, based on the methods Yang Kai had displayed today, the Sword Pavilion simply could not resist.
Putting everything else aside, just the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd alone was enough to suppress Sword Pavilion completely.
Sword Pavilion was able to surpass Thunder Light and Scarlet Star because of its Sword Formations; however, once the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light appeared, how could the disciples form a Sword Formation? At that time, they would be completely scattered, and without the power of the Sword Formation or even their swords, they would be no match for Yang Kai.
Apart from the Pavilion Master, who could barely resist him, no one else would be able to survive.
To her, Yang Kai was like a Demon straight from Hell. When she looked at him, Lu Xue was so frightened that she couldn’t speak.
“Lead me there and I’ll spare your life!” Yang Kai claimed as he reached out and patted Lu Xue’s abdomen with his other hand. With a thought, the Golden Crow’s True Fire that had invaded Lu Xue’s body and made her suffer a fate worse than death, which no one could forcefully expel, was immediately withdrawn.
Lu Xue coughed lightly. Although her foundation had been greatly damaged, without the Golden Crow’s True Fire in her body, at least her life was no longer in danger. As long as she rested well, there would be a day she would recover.
“If you dare say no, I’ll send you to see your companions in the next world right now!” When Lu Xue didn’t reply after a long time, Yang Kai became slightly impatient.
“I’ll take you there,” Lu Xue lightly nodded.
Yang Kai nodded, grabbed Lu Xue, and soared into the sky, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing from everyone’s sight.
He deliberately didn’t suppress his voice when he was talking with Lu Xue just now. That small hill wasn’t too far from the Star City, so anyone with a bit of strength inside could hear him loud and clear.
Seeing Yang Kai leave just like that, everyone was shocked.
[Does he want to kill to the last?]
This time, Sword Pavilion had lost three hundred disciples, and even two of their Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had died. This was already a great loss to them, yet Yang Kai still wanted to attack their headquarters directly. Just how cruel and merciless was he?
On top of that, he had just experienced a great battle. Even his Divine Manifestation had been broken. Could it be that he did not need to rest and recover first?
Yue He couldn’t help showing a look of worry, but it was already too late to chase after him. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so it was impossible for her to catch up to him with her strength.
The entire world went silent. All that remained was a nauseating smell of blood lingering in the air. Outside Scarlet Star’s city, rivers of blood flowed and corpses littered the ground like a purgatory.
In the distant void, a little fatty stared at the scene and sighed lightly, “How sinful!”
The Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd had come from him after all, so he was half responsible for the people who had died.
After a sigh, the figure disappeared.
Inside Yang Kai’s mansion, Meng Hong and the others stared with their mouths agape.
As Great Moon Province’s Chief Disciple, Meng Hong’s aptitude was extraordinary. Previously, he had been forced to refine Third-Order Elements due to the lack of resources, hoping to achieve the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future.
After suffering a great change in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Meng Hong decided to start over and refine a Fifth-Order Sun’s True Fire. Originally, he had thought that his future would be bright and his heart was filled with pride and ambition. Still, after seeing what Yang Kai had done today, he realized that even if he could really achieve the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he would still be inferior to Yang Kai.
This was quite a blow to him, but after thinking about it for a moment, he realized that the other party had his own opportunities and abilities. As long as he believed in himself, there was no need for him to compare himself with others. [In this world, there are always some people who defy the Heavens. A Great Peng spreads its wings and soars into the sky, but the Cloud Soaring Tree from where it starts is already pretty high.]
Thinking of this, his thoughts became clear, and his spirits lifted.
“Since we have nothing better to do, let’s go clean up the battlefield,” Yue He’s voice came from beside him, “With so many people dead, there must be some good stuff left behind.”
“En!” Meng Hong quickly replied, leading his two Junior Brothers outside. Even Chen Yue followed closely behind, staring at Meng Hong’s back with a complicated expression.
Meanwhile, from inside the Star City, several dozen people, led by Guo Zi Yan, also rushed forward to help. Although they looked miserable, at this moment, all of them couldn’t be in higher spirits.
Guo Zi Yan and the others were still Scarlet Star members, but at this moment, no one treated them as ordinary Scarlet Star disciples.
Yang Kai’s anger for them just now had been clearly seen by everyone present. After this battle, it could be said that Yang Kai’s infamy had been branded onto Guo Zi Yan and the others. They were now known as that cruel and ruthless young man’s subordinates. Underlings of the man who had single-handedly exterminated Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion.
Thinking back, before the great battle began, Yang Kai had told Guo Zi Yan that if they died, these three thousand people would be buried with them.
However, no one took it seriously at that time. Everyone thought that Yang Kai was just boasting and comforting his subordinates. But now that they thought about it, he was stating it with confidence.
[Three thousand people have been wiped out without a trace. He said he would kill them all, and he did!]
[Just where did such a freak come from?]
Chen Tian Fei carefully looked at the Head Manager in front of him. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping them, he quickly ordered people to open the Star City’s defensive Spirit Array and let Guo Zi Yan and the others rush to the battlefield.
Many pairs of eyes stared enviously at the dozens of people sweeping through the battlefield. Space Rings were scattered all over the place. Three thousand men had participated in the battle. Even if some of their Space Rings got destroyed, at least half of them would remain.
This was a fortune that would make anyone’s eyes turn red, not to mention the rings left behind by Open Heaven Realm Masters. How could the things left behind by Zhong Fan, Luo Qing Yun, and other Mid Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters be bad? Each of them had lorded over the Star City for thousands of years, so the wealth they had accumulated would simply be unimaginable.
However, even if they were jealous, no one dared to vie for these treasures; after all, who wouldn’t cherish their own life after witnessing such a tragedy?
“Is that woman called Yue He?” The Head Manager suddenly asked.
Chen Tian Fei was stunned for a moment before quickly replying, “Yes!”
The Head Manager nodded and ordered, “Follow me to pay her a visit.”
With a wave of his sleeve, he walked towards Yang Kai’s mansion with his hands behind his back. Chen Tian Fei and the others looked at each other before quickly following behind him.
He knew that even the Head Manager was shocked by Yang Kai’s methods. Scarlet Star had abandoned him in a moment of crisis and cut off all ties with him. If they didn’t quickly appease Yang Kai now, Scarlet Star wouldn’t be able to bear his retaliation that would surely come in the future.
On the other hand, this was a great opportunity for Scarlet Star.
If they could restore their relationship with Yang Kai, it would only be beneficial to Scarlet Star’s future. They were not planning on accepting him into Scarlet Star again. With his strength, if they really did so, it would be equivalent to surrendering Scarlet Star to him. The Head Manager, Chen Tian Fei and the others wouldn’t dare do such a thing.
But as long as Yang Kai’s requests weren’t too excessive, they could agree to it.
The Star City originally had three great forces coexisting together, but now Thunder Light had been destroyed and Sword Pavilion’s foundation had been greatly damaged. Furthermore, Yang Kai had gone straight to Sword Pavilion’s Headquarters, so they probably wouldn’t exist for much longer.
Two of the three great forces had suddenly been eliminated, leaving behind only Scarlet Star. This was a Heaven-sent opportunity!
Under the leadership of the Head Manager, Chen Tian Fei and the others respectfully arrived in front of Yang Kai’s mansion. There were no servants in the mansion, so they couldn’t even find a way to pay their respects.
Chen Tian Fei had no choice but to step forward and knock on the door, knowing that Yue He would ridicule and make things difficult for him now.
Previously, Scarlet Star’s actions in Yang Kai’s time of crisis had truly angered Yue He. Although Scarlet Star had no other choice, the matter still concerned Yang Kai’s life and death. Fortunately, Yang Kai was strong; otherwise, they would have to run for their lives.
She also knew why these people from Scarlet Star had come, so she didn’t kick them out. However, that did not mean that she did not take any jabs at them, which for Yue He, was her exercising extreme forbearance.
The Head Manager was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and she too was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Their strengths and statuses were equal, but the Head Manager clearly maintained a respectful attitude as they conversed.
It couldn’t be helped. Yue He was with Yang Kai, so if Scarlet Star wanted to survive in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary in the future, it would have to rely on Yang Kai. At this time, how could they put on airs?
However, he didn’t say much and simply asked Yue He when Yang Kai would return, and requested her to inform him when he did. Even asking her to put in some good words for them. Explaining Scarlet Star’s difficulties to Yang Kai and making him sympathize with them was of utmost importance.
Yue He naturally did not give an answer so easily. She just gave a relatively polite but insincere response.
Before leaving, Scarlet Star Managers left behind a small gift. Although it was called a small gift, it was actually quite generous. It was three Fifth-Order materials.
Each of the materials was worth millions of Open Heaven Pills, which showed Scarlet Star’s sincerity.
If it were in the past, this amount of wealth would have been quite good for Yang Kai, but Yang Kai had made a fortune during his trip to the Yuan Magnetic Mountain. He had obtained more than seventy Fifth-Order and twenty Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stones, so these three Fifth-Order materials might not even catch his eyes.
After the shocking battle, the unrest in the Star City did not subside for a long time. For several days, everyone was talking about the various scenes of the previous battle and Yang Kai’s incredible performance.
Many were even waiting for the next good show. Yang Kai had directly taken Lu Xue to Sword Pavilion’s Headquarters in order to exterminate them. When he returned, no one knew how he would deal with Scarlet Star.
Countless Scarlet Star disciples were in a state of panic, afraid of being dragged into this mess. Over the past few days, the number of Scarlet Star disciples had greatly decreased. Scarlet Star had occupied this region and was flourishing, but now, almost thirty percent of them had secretly left.
This angered Chen Tian Fei and the others so much that they had no choice but to re-activate the defensive Grand Array. Anyone who wanted to leave had to verify their identity before they could pass.
While the Star City was in chaos, Yang Kai brought Lu Xue along as they rushed forward. Under Lu Xue’s guidance, they flew for more than a day before finally seeing a mountain range in the distance.
This mountain range was majestic and ancient, giving off a primordial aura that blew on their faces. It made them feel as if they had travelled through time and returned to the far past.
“The entire Star City has been devoured into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and has been divided into many pieces. There is a fragment over there. Sword Pavilion has been stationed there ever since,” Lu Xue explained while coughing lightly.
It had been just a day, so she wasn’t able to recover much. Although she had taken many pills along the way, they had only slowed down her injuries. It would take her at least a year to recover completely.
“En,” Yang Kai acknowledged before tossing her aside and turning into a streak of light.
Lu Xue didn’t expect Yang Kai to abandon her just like that, so she couldn’t react in time and quickly fell to the ground. Panicked, she quickly used her strength to stabilize her body, causing her internal organs to shake violently as she staggered. Her heart pounded with lingering fear, looking at Yang Kai’s departing back.
[He really spared me!] Lu Xue was still in disbelief. Although Yang Kai had said that he would spare her life if she brought him to Sword Pavilion’s Headquarters, how could Lu Xue believe him? She only thought he was lying to get what he wanted.
However, although she thought so at the time, she had no choice but to agree. The feeling of being burned alive by the Golden Crow’s True Fire and waiting for the imminent death was too terrifying, so she might as well beg for a quick death.
But by the looks of it, Yang Kai wasn’t lying to her and actually kept his word.
However, after being burned by the Golden Crow’s True Fire, the situation inside her body had become so terrible that she couldn’t even display ten percent of her usual strength. If Yang Kai abandoned her here, how would she survive? She might encounter some Ominous Beast and be killed on the spot.
She steeled her heart as she started walking forward, staggering.
In the Sword Pavilion Star City, Yang Kai fell from the sky, creating an enormous pit on the ground.
The reason he had come so aggressively was to cut weeds and pull out roots. Now that the grudge between him and Sword Pavilion was about to be settled, there was no need for him to be polite.
Yang Kai had thought that this would be another difficult battle, so he had tried his best to adjust his condition to its peak. Be that as it may, he felt something was wrong before he even arrived.
When he scanned with his Divine Sense, he couldn’t sense any vitality in this city. Not a single living person could be found.
Not only that but the air was also filled with a thick, nauseating scent of blood. Yang Kai was extremely familiar with this aura as he had seen a scene just like it after his battle outside Scarlet Star City.
When he turned around to look, Yang Kai couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
The buildings in this city had all collapsed. The ground was stained in blood, and had severed limbs and mutilated pieces of flesh lying here and there. Moreover, the wounds on these ripped limbs were all very strange. When Yang Kai picked up one of these severed limbs and lowered his head to examine it, a frown appeared on his brow.
At this moment, the entire Star City was completely empty. Birds were flying across the sky, and the wind howled.
Yang Kai walked ahead to investigate with his hands behind his back, soon seeing a number of mutilated and incomplete corpses along the way, but strangely enough, no one had taken their Space Rings. All the possessions were simply lying on the ground.
Yang Kai picked up a Space Ring and examined it carefully. He didn’t find traces of things being taken out from the Space Rings either.
Immediately after, Yang Kai’s expression gradually became solemn.
Along the way, he collected the Space Rings. This Star City was even bigger than Scarlet Star’s Star City, with at least tens of thousands of people living here before. Yang Kai regretted not bringing Guo Zi Yan and the others with him at this moment.
Who knows how long it would take to collect so many Space Rings. After having spent a day, he had collected thousands of them, but that was just ten or so percent of the total number here.
Knowingly or unknowingly, Yang Kai arrived in front of a large hall.
The main hall was located at the centre of the Star City and was likely where the upper echelons of Sword Pavilion gathered. It was similar to Scarlet Star’s Main Hall.
The door happened to be broken, and seeing that, Yang Kai walked right in.
The main hall was also stained in blood and had corpses lying everywhere. Amidst all the bodies, a single figure was standing there with a solemn look on her face. It was none other than Lu Xue.
Earlier, when Yang Kai had abandoned her in the wilderness, she had forced herself to walk all the way to Star City. When she saw the corpses and rivers of blood in the Star City, she had thought it was Yang Kai’s doing, but now it seemed that it was not. It had clearly happened before they arrived.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Lu Xue turned around, her eyes completely dull and hollow as she asked, “What happened here?”
“A Beast Tide!” Yang Kai came to her side and stared at the corpse of a middle-aged man in front of him. Although this middle-aged man had died, his bearing was still extraordinary. When he was alive, he was definitely someone of great importance. As there were no wounds visible on his body, it appeared that he himself had no idea when he died.
From his previous observations, Yang Kai was fairly certain that Sword Pavilion had encountered a terrifying Beast Tide. Many of the mutilated limbs and pieces of flesh had traces of bite marks, which could only belong to Ominous Beasts.
“Impossible!” Lu Xue gasped. If one were to tell her that this place turned into a wreckage because of Yang Kai, then she could still believe it. After all, she had seen the terrifying things Yang Kai could do, but how could a mere Beast Tide cause this much damage?
It wasn’t that she’d never encountered a Beast Tide before while still in Sword Pavilion, but no matter the size of tide, they could be easily defeated. Sword Pavilion’s own heritage was not bad and with the help of the Sword Formations and the protective Spirit Arrays, Beast Tides generally couldn’t shake Sword Pavilion’s foundation like this.
Yang Kai said bluntly, “Nothing’s impossible.”
He had been collecting Space Rings all day and had been observing the situation. It was almost certain that Sword Pavilion encountered a Beast Tide as there were footprints of many Ominous Beasts all over the city grounds as well as some Ominous Beast carcasses left in the streets.
Adding on the fact that the Space Rings remained intact, it just about proved his guess.
“Who is this?” Yang Kai said as he gazed at a middle-aged man’s corpse.
“Sir Pavilion Master!” Lu Xue said, shocked.
“This is Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. He had known this man was of great fame and must have a strong background, but he didn’t expect him to be Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, “What was his cultivation?”
Lu Xue answered in a trembling voice, “Sir Pavilion Master was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How could someone like him just… die like that, here?”
“Sixth-Order!” Even Yang Kai was shocked.
He wasn’t afraid of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary as there would still be limits to the strength a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could display. If Yang Kai were to have met this man in battle, then with his current strength, it was still hard to tell who the victor of their fight would be.
What was shocking was that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would actually lay dead here.
A Master of that level definitely had a solid foundation and outstanding heritage. Even if this man were defeated by a Beast Tide, he should have been able to put up a good fight while making a retreat, but from the way Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died, it seemed he didn’t even have a chance to fight back as there were barely any signs of combat left in the hall. In other words, the strength of his foe must have far surpassed him.
A chill surged up in Yang Kai’s heart.
Could there truly be such a powerful presence in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?
There were no scars on the Pavilion Master’s body at all, so Yang Kai couldn’t even tell how he died. It didn’t seem like he’d been killed by an Ominous Beast at all and instead just fell dead all of a sudden.
“They’re dead, they’re all dead!” Lu Xue turned her head around, only to see that all of the senior members of Sword Pavilion were gathered here alongside the Pavilion Master’s body. Practically no one was left behind. The entire Sect was wiped out here. Adding those that Yang Kai killed outside of Scarlet Star City, it would now seem Lu Xue was the only surviving member of Sword Pavilion!
With a rip, Yang Kai had torn open the Pavilion Master’s clothes, and he couldn’t help but be stunned at what he saw.
He’d planned to investigate how Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died, but he didn’t expect to find the truth so quickly.
On the man’s broad chest was a spider-shaped imprint. The spider was silver in colour with a crescent moon mark on its back. As if it were a living thing, its eight legs were spread apart and a silvery thread of spider silk spread out, covering the man’s body.
“This is…” Yang Kai suddenly felt that this mark looked familiar.
Before he could remember where he’d seen this pattern before though, the spider suddenly jumped off from the Pavilion Master’s chest and lunged at Yang Kai.
Lu Xue screamed and recoiled in fear.
In a flash, Yang Kai threw his head back to avoid the spider’s attack, but he couldn’t help the shaking feeling in his Soul. His vision suddenly grew disoriented. Then, a huge eight-legged spider with its teeth and claws brandished at him filled his vision and occupied his entire mind. The spider was clearly the seal on Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master’s chest magnified countless times over.
Its huge mouth opened up and it launched its fangs towards Yang Kai, seemingly intending to devour him whole.
But this scene was not real. In Lu Xue’s vision, after the spider seal on her Pavilion Master’s chest jumped out at Yang Kai, the young man’s eyes suddenly lost focus. At the same time, extremely pure Spiritual Energy rippled out.
Amazingly, the spider was a Soul Divine Ability, and the giant spider that Yang Kai saw was nothing more than an illusion.
But despite it being an illusion though, things wouldn’t end well if he were truly devoured by the spider.
At a critical life-or-death moment, a Dragon Roar burst out as a Golden Dragon Head suddenly emerged behind Yang Kai’s back, roaring at the giant spider.
Dragon Pressure spilled out and extended to the Heavens.
With a rumble, Yang Kai’s Soul was shaken again, and by the time he regained his senses, the spider was nowhere to be seen. The Divine Ability hidden in the Pavilion Master’s body had been shattered by the Dragon Pressure.
“Heavenly Moon Demon Spider!” Yang Kai’s face turned grim.
He finally remembered why the crescent moon pattern was so familiar to him. He had seen it before.
On Shan Qing Luo’s body!
Shan Qing Luo carried the bloodline and Source of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider. On a certain part of her body not known to anyone else was a mark just like the one Yang Kai just witnessed.
The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was one of the Ancient Divine Spirits, and while its ranking amongst Divine Spirits wasn’t too high, it definitely wasn’t low either.
[This Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary actually has a Divine Spirit?]
Thinking back to the Dragon Bead he had obtained from Crouching Dragon Mountain, Yang Kai’s disbelief was quickly dispelled. This Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was a mysterious place. There had been a True Dragon here, so what was so strange about there being a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider as well?
With that, it seemed that Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master must have been killed by the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s attack. No wonder this man couldn’t put up any resistance. Even under the restrictions of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the might of a Divine Spirit was still not something an ordinary Master could dream of confronting.
If taken out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and into the Outer Universe, this Heavenly Moon Demon Spider would definitely become an existence at least on par with Mie Meng.
Yang Kai’s heart burned. It was a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider! If he could kill it and take its Monster Core, then give it to Luo’er once he returned, wouldn’t Luo’er be able to reach Open Heaven Realm in a single bound? Who knows how happy that girl would be then! She would definitely try all kinds of tricks to please him then!
But very soon, Yang Kai dismissed that idea. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider wasn’t something that one should just provoke on a whim, lest he tried to steal a chicken but lose his rice. Turning Luo’er and the others into widows wouldn’t be a worthwhile risk.
“You…” Lu Xue’s shocked voice came from next to him. Looking at Yang Kai, her eyes were shaking violently.
She seemed to have seen something astonishing in that one instant that scared her so much that she fell on her bottom, so shocked that she’d forgotten to stand back up.
Yang Kai shot her a light glance but promptly ignored her; instead, he leaned down to swipe the Pavilion Master’s Space Ring. Checking its contents with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai discovered that this old man was truly wealthy.
There were more than a billion Open Heaven Pills inside the Space Ring, piled up into several small mountains. There were also countless other cultivation materials and also a number of good artifacts.
This man had been Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master for so many years that he was bound to have accumulated some level of wealth during his hegemonic reign over the Star City.
A certain jade slip caught Yang Kai’s attention, and taking it out, he swept his Divine Sense over it and instantly raised his brow.
The jade slip actually turned out to be the cultivation method for the Starfall Sword Formation and Defying Heavens Star Net Formation.
These were extreme treasures. Even though forming this Formation had strict requirements for those involved, chief among them cultivating the Sword Dao, it was still quite possible for Yang Kai to make use of it in the future.
Just as he was about to put the jade slip away, Yang Kai’s instincts suddenly tugged at him, causing him to jerk his head in a certain direction.
There seemed to be a pair of invisible eyes there, observing him from across the void. It gave him goosebumps, as if something bad had its eyes set on him.
In the direction Yang Kai was staring, across a vast stretch of mountains and wastelands, a massive herd of Ominous Beasts of all different shapes and sizes was marching. There were giant beasts as majestic as mountains, rising over a thousand metres tall, shaking the earth with each step they took. There were also skeletal humanoid figures with two heads, baring their fangs with arms like scythes, running as fast as the wind. Though they were humanoid in shape, they were still more beast than man, with heads like that of a praying mantis or other insects and animals. They were all densely gathered in one place, but at the moment, they were just like a well-trained army marching forward, racing towards the depths of the wilderness.
The most conspicuous part was the centre of the Beast Tide where an incomparably huge spider strode using its eight legs. It seemed to move slowly and clumsily, but its speed was actually as fast as lightning.
From time to time, spider silk was spat out from its jaws and pierced through the bodies of random beasts before they were pulled into its mouth and swallowed.
On the huge spider’s back was a building resembling a pavilion, and inside the pavilion lounged a woman lazily on a bamboo sofa, dressed in highly revealing clothes. The woman was the epitome of charm, even being comparable to the likes of Shan Qing Luo. It was the kind of beauty that made a man’s blood boil as soon as they set their eyes upon it.
When Yang Kai shattered the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s illusion with his Dragon Pressure, the enchanting woman on the bamboo sofa suddenly opened her eyes and let out a soft giggle. Looking in the direction of the ruined Star City, she licked her lips with her scarlet tongue after a moment and smiled.
It was a smile that caused the world to lose its colour, leaving only the seduction of her face behind.
With a light clap, a green figure appeared instantaneously and knelt down in front of her.
It was a creature with a humanoid body, yet with large scythes for arms and topped off by a mantis head.
“There’s an interesting little fellow back in the direction we just came from. Bring him to me alive.”
The mantis head nodded before it transformed into a green light, speeding away to carry out her order.
Back inside the Star City, Yang Kai was frowning. He focused his senses, but he couldn’t catch that feeling again. He couldn’t help but wonder whether he had used up too much of his energy in yesterday’s fight and was now sensing things wrong because of it.
He thought of leaving immediately, but he’d barely searched half of Star City, so it would be too much of a pity to leave just like that. Sighing, Yang Kai gathered all the Space Rings in the hall and headed out into the Star City, sweeping up all the valuables he could along the way.
In any case, this was no place to be staying for an extended amount of time, so he had to hurry out of here after he was done scavenging.
Lu Xue who had been left to daydream in the hall had only come back to her senses after a long time. Over the past few days, too much had happened to her. First, she was tossed about by Yang Kai, then she came back to Sword Pavilion just to find that she was now alone. Sadness filled her heart and she didn’t even know where to go in the future.
Taking out a Spirit Pill, she stuffed it into her mouth and sat down cross-legged, adjusting her breathing and meditating. No matter what she did in the future, she had to recover her strength before she could make any other plans…
Yang Kai moved quickly around the Star City. His Divine Sense was spread out like a tidal wave. Pushing it outwards with all his might, it extended out like countless large hands that plucked the Space Rings off each dead body and tossed them into the Sealed World Bead.
Yang Kai didn’t have the time to probe into them to see what was inside since there were too many, so he could only wait until later before slowly taking inventory.
Half a day later, he had basically swept through the entire destroyed Star City. Just as he was about to return though, he suddenly heard a faint but shrill scream from a certain direction and quickly turned towards it.
That was the direction of the Main Hall where Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died, and it was undoubtedly Lu Xue’s voice he just heard. There were no living beings in the Star City other than him and Lu Xue, so it had to be her.
But an extra life aura had clearly appeared in that direction. Only, the aura gave off a strange feeling and seemed to be radiating Monster Qi.
[A Monster Beast?] Yang Kai frowned. Curious, he used Instantaneous Movement and disappeared from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was already in the hall. Looking around, he frowned.
There, he saw Lu Xue raised into the air with a figure that was just slightly taller than an average human man in front of her. It was a humanoid monster wearing a short-sleeved animal skin shirt, and its entire body was turquoise in colour. Even though he had a humanoid form, it was definitely not Human.
Its two arms were like sharp scythes and a flat-looking head topped its body that looked just like that of a mantis’.
[What in the world is that?]
Yang Kai had been travelling the world for many years, but he had never seen such a strange being before.
Generally speaking, Monster Beasts were able to take human form after cultivating to a certain extent, and only when their cultivation was lacking would there be Monster Beast traces remaining after they assumed human form.
But the aura of this mantis head was very strong, even greater than that of the Scarlet Flood Dragon and the Earth Dragon. So, how could it still appear to look half Monster, half Human?
Yang Kai assumed that it was due to the Scarlet Flood Dragon and the Earth Dragon’s low sentience that they did not assume human form. Without high enough sentience, it was naturally impossible for them to assume human form. Could it be that this mantis head has not fully gained sentience yet?
When he heard the noise, the mantis head turned to look at Yang Kai. His compound eyes revealed a lost look while he scratched his head with his raised scythe arms, appearing slightly puzzled.
His Mistress told him that there was an interesting fellow over here, and asked him to capture him. As soon as he came here and saw Lu Xue, he thought that she was the one, but now another one had appeared. Which one was it?
After carefully distinguishing the aura between Lu Xue and Yang Kai, he was still confused. From what he could sense, Lu Xue was clearly much stronger than Yang Kai, but his instincts told him that Yang Kai was a greater threat to his life than this girl.
After pondering for a while, he suddenly grinned and spoke in a voice similar to metal scraping against metal, “Forget it, I’ll just bring them both back.”
[This mantis head can speak!?] Lu Xue was taken aback before she turned a pleading gaze towards Yang Kai. Her life was hanging by a thread at this moment and she could very easily be dismembered with just a quick movement from the mantis head, so the only one she could rely on now was Yang Kai. If Yang Kai was willing to save her, then she had hope to live.
But to her disappointment, Yang Kai didn’t even look at her. She couldn’t help but feel dejected at this, but it did make sense. Yang Kai had just been on a killing spree, aiming to annihilate all of Sword Pavilion. He even ran all the way here to slaughter everyone. Given she was also a member of Sword Pavilion, why would he care whether she lived or died?
“Did you do this?” Yang Kai looked at the mantis head and asked, but he quickly shook his head, “No. You don’t have the ability.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” With a shake of the mantis head’s arm, Lu Xue who was lifted into the air screamed as she was tossed to the side. While walking towards Yang Kai, he lightly rubbed his scythe arms together, producing a hair-raising screech, “Little thing, Mistress told me to capture you alive, so you’d better not resist or you’ll regret it.”
“Mistress?” Yang Kai raised a brow. He was interested in prying out of this mantis head’s mouth who this ‘Mistress’ was, but with a green flash in front of his eyes, the mantis head had already swiftly made his way over in front of him. A sharp glint entered Yang Kai’s eyes as a scythe arm swung down towards his head.
[Fast!]
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. At once, he manipulated Space Principles and teleported 30 metres back.
Even so, the slash ripped open Yang Kai’s shirt.
When Yang Kai looked down, he discovered that a slit had been drawn over the new set of clothes he had changed into on the road. Fortunately, he reacted fast enough; otherwise, he would have eaten a loss on the very first move.
“Oh?” The mantis head looked at Yang Kai with his head cocked to the side, his compound eyes turning, seemingly puzzled as he commented, “You’re quick!”
“You’re not so bad either!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Then let’s see who’s faster!” The mantis head grinned, revealing two rows of jagged teeth in his mouth. As soon as he finished speaking, his body transformed into a green light that approached Yang Kai as fast as lightning.
Yang Kai took him on seriously. He had his Divine Sense locked onto the mantis head’s aura while he circulated his Space Principles, ready to react to his movements.
Suddenly, the hall was filled with gusts of wind and afterimages flickering about.
Lu Xue, who had been thrown to the side, raised her head to see the hall filled with figures of Yang Kai and the mantis head. For a moment, she couldn’t tell which were real and which were remnant images.
She couldn’t help but feel stunned. It was normally rare to encounter existences as fast as this, and now there were two who seemed evenly matched with each other.
She didn’t dare to remain. Neither the mantis head nor Yang Kai paid her any heed, but if she were caught in their fight, then there was no way she could withstand it in her current state.
Forcing her body to move, she stumbled her way to the entrance and ran out.
After running less than a thousand metres, she heard a violent noise from behind her. Turning around, she could see the hall crumble as two figures rose into the air. The violent aftershock threw her several tens of metres away. When she landed on the ground, she even spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Once outside the hall, both Yang Kai and the mantis head seemed to have been freed from some sort of shackle. Like a Dragon into the sea or a Tiger in the mountains, they pushed their speed to its limits at once. In the sky above the crumbling ruins, the two figures flickered back and forth, up and down, chasing each other from one end of the Star City to the other. They occasionally exchanged blows, causing the sky to shake and the earth to crack.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai was no match for the mantis head in terms of speed. This guy was truly as fast as the wind and lightning. The only way Yang Kai could keep up was by relying on his Space Principles.
Even more terrifyingly, not only was this mantis head extremely fast, but his sword techniques were also incredibly masterful.
The two scythe-like arms were just like natural-born armaments. Wielded by the mantis head, they became peerless blades. At a glance, Yang Kai could tell that this enemy’s techniques needed no thought to execute. Each strike was honed and refined to the point of perfection, smoothly flowing while not the slightest bit wasteful.
Yang Kai was actually feeling overwhelmed!
He came feeling invincible after destroying the Sword Pavilion Sword Formation and slaughtering thousands of Thunder Light members. Yang Kai felt that no one in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was his opponent any longer, but this mantis head actually made him feel pressured, so it was easy to see how terrifying this guy was.
Which cultivator in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary could possibly compete with an existence such as this? Yang Kai estimated that even if Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master came back to life, he still wouldn’t be able to do anything to this guy.
Worse, this mantis head was just a henchman, so how terrifying could his Mistress possibly be?
Yang Kai had a faint suspicion that the Mistress this mantis head talked about was the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider! Thinking back to his thoughts of wanting to get his hands on that Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Monster Core, Yang Kai realized just how ignorant and arrogant he had been.
“Enough!” Yang Kai bellowed and threw his palm out with a violent power that knocked the mantis head away.
In terms of speed, Yang Kai with his Space Principles could barely match his opponents, but nothing good would come from dragging this fight out. It really wasn’t a good idea to stay here for long. If the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider decided to come back, then he had no idea whether he would be able to resist or even escape.
This battle had to be decided quickly.
The moment he pushed back the mantis head, Yang Kai had already summoned his Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd. With his Divine Sense, he opened the gourd and light poured out of it in an instant, filling the world and enveloping the mantis head.
A bunch of clinks sounded alongside a bunch of sparks. Yang Kai’s widened his eyes and he looked ahead in astonishment.
Charging through the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, the mantis head’s speed instantly decreased; however, his momentum was still continuously increasing.
The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, which devastated both Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion was barely useful against this mantis head. Even though he was instantly covered in injuries, they were very minor and almost negligible.
[This guy… his skin is on par with a Sixth-Order Monster Beast!]
The Monster Beasts of the Outer Universe were also divided into different Orders. Just like the Open Heaven Realm, the Monster Beasts that were below this realm were not included within those divisions.
In other words, there had to be a Sixth-Order Monster Core in this mantis head’s body; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to resist the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light with just his physical body.
Yang Kai’s eyes instantly lit up. Even though he had no idea what properties this mantis head’s Monster Core had, anything at the Sixth Order was still going to be a treasure.
The mantis head was not injured much, but he was apparently greatly angered by Yang Kai’s move. He felt that this Human was both despicable and shameless. Even though they were obviously competing with speed, he suddenly came up with another technique, which made him feel deeply insulted. He began to shout, “You little thing, you made this Senior Mantis very angry! This Senior Mantis has decided to eat one of your arms and legs!”
Losing an arm and a leg wouldn’t kill this Human, and his Mistress told him to capture him alive but didn’t say anything about bringing him back whole. In other words, ripping off a couple limbs wouldn’t be going against his Mistress’ orders.
As the mantis head shouted, his scythes danced around and cut off the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light that was gushing his way before he pounced to within 30 metres of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai wore a grim expression. He knew that the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was not going to be of any use against this guy.
Even though the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd was a powerful weapon, it could be resisted by anyone in the Sixth Order or above, where its effects would be limited.
This artifact was suitable for large-scale battles where its might could be shown fully, such as the previous battle with Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion.
Currently, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light wasn’t working and Yang Kai could not use his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Manifestation for some time. When he broke Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation, Yang Kai’s Dao Seal was shaken and needed time to stabilize, so unless it was a life or death situation, it was better not to use his Divine Manifestation for the time being.
And, when facing an opponent like this mantis head, the only way to win was to face him head-on.
With that in mind, Yang Kai immediately put away the Wind Gourd and reached out his hand. As Dragon Pressure spread out, the Azure Dragon Spear was summoned. Casually brandishing the spear, he thrust it out.
The mantis head was speeding over in fury, and didn’t expect Yang Kai to play another trick so quickly. When the tip of the Azure Dragon Spear was rapidly magnifying in front of his eyes, he quickly lifted his two scythes in front of himself to block.
With a clink, the mantis head paled slightly as both of his compound eyes shook violently. The figure that was lunging forward suddenly flew backwards as if possessed by a ghost.
After being blasted back more than a thousand metres, the mantis head looked down to see the dent in his right arm. His extremely sturdy scythe arm was almost pierced through by his opponent’s spear.
Shocked, he stared at the Azure Dragon Spear in Yang Kai’s hand and asked hoarsely, “What is that spear you’re wielding?”
He knew his body best, and though it wasn’t as solid as metal, the things that could hurt him were still few. But just a single hit from this opponent in front of him carried terrifying power, so much so that it felt like a deadly threat to him.
“Of course, it’s… the spear that will end your life!” Yang Kai had already arrived in front of the mantis head in a flash while speaking and stabbed his spear out like a Flood Dragon going to sea.
At the same time, Yang Kai felt a little frustrated. He had prepared to take the mantis head’s life with that strike just now. The Azure Dragon Spear was crafted from the bones of a True Dragon. Even considering the entire 3,000 Worlds, it was considered a top artifact. The mantis head’s defence was certainly strong, but it was impossible for it to block the Azure Dragon Spear’s might.
Unfortunately, his efforts were for naught.
After eating a loss once, the mantis head didn’t dare to take him head-on anymore. He quickly flashed aside to avoid the spear thrust, turning into a green shadow that was constantly circling around Yang Kai while he waved his scythe arms, throwing attacks at him from every direction, making it hard to pin him down.
Yang Kai pushed the power of the Azure Dragon Spear to the limit, enveloping himself in a towering spear shadow.
Compared to the mantis head’s masterful sword techniques, Yang Kai’s spear technique could practically be called amateurish; after all, he had never properly cultivated the Spear Dao before, only using the Azure Dragon Spear instinctually since he obtained it. The two could hardly be compared in terms of skill.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai didn’t value skill and technique, but compared to that, he felt that ultimately, strength was the deciding factor in a life-or-death battle. No matter how impressive one’s techniques were, absolute strength would still be able to smash through them.
But now, he realized that his thinking was too shallow.
No matter how powerful the Azure Dragon Spear was, it was useless if he couldn’t hit his opponent, and the mantis head was fast enough and skilful enough to dodge or parry any attack Yang Kai tried. It had already reached a terrifying level where skill could surpass power. From time to time, the mantis head would even take advantage of openings in Yang Kai’s sloppy spearmanship to cut him, drawing fresh blood from his wounds.
Even Yang Kai’s solid Half-Dragon physique could not resist the cuts of these sharp scythe arms.
If the fight dragged on like this, then the one who would suffer a loss would be Yang Kai in the end.
Yang Kai was astonished, but he was also helpless to do anything about it. If he wanted to leave, he could leave at any time. The mantis head was quick, but he could not stop him catch him if he used Instantaneous Movement and leapt across space. But if he left just like that, this enemy would probably bother him later and might even become a hindrance on his Martial Dao.
“Your blood… is delicious!” In the midst of the fierce battle, the mantis head still had the leisure to pay attention to other details. Quite apparently, it was in a comfortable position. Even while he was speaking, his voice sounded breathy, as if it had discovered a delicious delicacy that whetted his appetite.
Yang Kai’s body was filled with Dragon Blood, so while an ordinary cultivator may not be able to sense anything, this mantis head was a Monster Beast with a keen sense of smell, so naturally, he could tell the difference.
“No wonder Mistress asked me to capture you alive. Hahaha, this Senior Mantis will be basking in glory today!” The mantis head laughed. As his body circled around Yang Kai, his voice could be heard from all directions.
Yang Kai grit his teeth, not saying a word. He was concentrating on dealing with the mantis head’s flurry of attacks, and whenever the two clashed, flashes of light from the scythe and spear would appear, breaking down the already destroyed Star City into even smaller pieces.
But an opening was sure to appear after a long defence. One man and one beast fought for an entire hour before the mantis head finally found a good opportunity. Deflecting Yang Kai’s Azure Dragon Spear with his right scythe arm, he rushed before Yang Kai and stabbed his left arm towards his enemy’s chest as a fierce light flashed across his two compound eyes. With a piercing sound, half of his scythe arm impaled Yang Kai’s abdomen, coming right out of his back.
Fresh blood splashed out and Yang Kai’s face paled slightly, but instead of panicking he sneered and quipped, “Finally caught you!”
At those words, ignoring the sharpness of the scythe arm, Yang Kai grabbed onto the mantis head’s blade, which instantly cut his fingers and caused blood to spill wildly.
The mantis head thought that the victor was already decided and was just about to laugh, but he had a sudden start at those words and he could instinctively tell that things were not good. When he looked up, the Azure Dragon Spear was coming right down onto his head.
He sneered hoarsely, “You think you can catch this Senior Mantis? You’re still too naive!”
The scythe that was in Yang Kai’s abdomen suddenly stirred inside of him, and while Yang Kai was in great pain, the mantis head swiftly retracted his arm and drew back.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai shouted as his spear thrust out. Space Principles were pushed to their limit and the surrounding space froze.
The mantis head’s smile froze. The only thing he could feel was space squeezing down on him madly, greatly reducing his speed of retreat. As he watched the Azure Dragon Spear quickly fill his vision, he cried out in fear, “You little thing, you’re too deceitful!”
No matter how hard he tried, he still could not surpass the speed that the Azure Dragon Spear was approaching.
*Pu…*
The mantis head’s head burst open in mid-air, and his headless body fell back to the ground while twitching and shaking.
Yang Kai withdrew his spear and coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood. He could not stop his body from falling heavily to the ground.
He truly suffered a big loss this time.
In order to land a killing blow with his final spear, Yang Kai had been trying his best to conceal the full extent of his abilities. He limited his usage of Space Principles, only using them enough to keep pace with mantis head’s speed. This was all so he could force his opponent to reveal an opening.
Finally, Yang Kai risked his own body to draw in his opponent. Only when that was combined with a burst of Space Principles to limit his opponent’s movements was he lucky enough to succeed.
Otherwise, Yang Kai had no idea how long this battle would have dragged on for.
But it was still worth it. Even though he sustained a severe injury, being able to eliminate such a strong foe was still considered a great harvest for his growth and honing of his skills.
Looking down at the hole in his abdomen, with blood pouring out of it, as well as the countless cuts all over his body, Yang Kai realized just how much he had been on the receiving end of this fight this whole time while the mantis head merely sustained two direct spear strikes from him. One spear, to probe, while the second, the killing blow.
Yang Kai tried to get up, but his guts were churning and it hurt so much that it was unbearable. He eventually had no choice but to sit down and take out some pills, stuffing them into his mouth to help him recover.
As he did that, he also put the mantis head’s body into his Space Ring. Only then did he begin circulating his strength and adjusting his breathing to heal his wounds.
Time passed slowly and an incense stick of time later, he heard the small sound of footsteps approaching.
Yang Kai looked over and saw a pale-faced Lu Xue walking over, looking stunned at him.
When their eyes met, panic surfaced in Lu Xue’s eyes.
She wasn’t affected too much by the fallout of Yang Kai and the mantis head’s battle as she was able to escape far enough away, but as a result, she had no idea how their fight was going. Since everything turned quiet, she decided to go back and check on the situation.
But she didn’t expect Yang Kai to be the one who won in the end, with the seemingly unbeatable mantis head falling to the side. Even his head was broken apart.
Even though she did not see the whole process of the fight, she knew how dire that battle must have been. From Yang Kai’s current unstable aura and pale face, it was clear that his injuries were not small.
Pursing her lips, she approached Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked at her with cold eyes, not knowing what this woman intended to do. Wasn’t this the perfect time to take advantage of his heavy injuries to get revenge? But she herself was an arrow at the end of its flight, hardly able to exert any strength. If she really acted, he would definitely give her a big surprise to show her that a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse.
One step, two steps. Merely several thousand metres apart, it still took Lu Xue half an incense stick of time to reach Yang Kai. Slightly panting, she extended a hand towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sneered in his heart and gathered some of his strength, ready to fight back. But something confused him. Why didn’t this woman have any murderous intent at all?
In the next moment, Yang Kai was stunned. That was because even though Lu Xue grabbed him, she had no intention of doing anything to him. Instead, she turned her back to him and crouched down, revealing her slender back to him while holding both his wrists, pulling him onto her back and saying, “This place is dangerous, we can’t stay for long!”
Gathering her strength, she got up and made her way, step by step out of the Star City.
[This woman… Actually plans on carrying me out on her back!?]
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by this. He wouldn’t think it strange at all if Lu Xue were to take advantage of this situation to get revenge; after all, he killed so many people from Sword Pavilion and made life miserable for her, so she should have a deep grudge against him, but what did she hope to achieve by helping him?
Yang Kai couldn’t understand it. They were definitely enemies, not friends.
Even so, Yang Kai truly felt that she was a woman as her body was very soft. It was the first time she was carrying a man on her back like this, though Yang Kai didn’t know that. With Yang Kai breathing right next to her ear, Lu Xue gradually blushed red.
The difference in their body size was not much, but as a man, Yang Kai was bound to be a little taller than her, so Lu Xue could only hunch over while she walked, which looked rather funny.
It was a first for Yang Kai to be carried on the back of a woman like this too, giving rise to an extremely strange feeling inside of him.
But no matter what the situation, this kind of thing was still hard to get used to. He patted Lu Xue’s shoulder and cleared his throat, “Why don’t you lend me your shoulder instead?”
Lu Xue stopped and thought about it for a moment. In the end, she put Yang Kai down and put his arm over her shoulder, supporting him as they walked forward.
After a few steps though, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground, this time having Yang Kai catch her.
Eyes meeting, Yang Kai had a speechless face, while Lu Xue blushed.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai said. Then, side by side, the two left the destroyed Star City together, feeling like they were helping and supporting each other.
Before coming here, Yang Kai was spirited and his murderous intent was strong, but he never would have expected to leave in such a pitiful state.
From time to time, he would turn to look at Lu Xue. He could already be sure that this woman meant him no harm; after all, just now was the best time to make a move on him. Still, it confused him to no end.
In a cave near a cliff, two figures sat down cross-legged more than 30 metres apart. The cave was not large, but it was very clean and well-hidden.
Lu Xue had brought Yang Kai to this place after the two left Sword Pavilion’s Star City. This cave was hundreds of kilometres away, which wasn’t considered too far. This was a cave she had encountered before, so she didn’t have any trouble locating it and travelling here.
Both of them were recuperating in silence, both remaining silent.
Strictly speaking, neither of them said much to each other while they helped each other out of the Star City, and Yang Kai also did not ask Lu Xue why she would help him rather than take the opportunity to try to kill him for revenge.
A woman’s mind was the most difficult mystery to unravel. Trying to guess would only make his head hurt, so why make life hard for himself?
In less than three days, Yang Kai opened his eyes. His aura had completely recovered, and the large wound through his abdomen had also basically healed.
With Dragon Blood flowing through his veins, he could recover at a terrifying rate. He had also refined the Immortal Tree’s Wood Element into his Dao Seal, which increased his healing abilities greatly. So long as the injury was not fatal, he could recover from it with a little time.
Slowly getting up, his body crackled, and after stretching out his muscles, he felt better than ever.
The battle with the mantis head was certainly difficult, but it also allowed Yang Kai to realize some of his shortcomings, so it could be considered a rewarding experience.
Looking over to the side, Lu Xue was still in the midst of her recovery, and her aura was still unstable. Her injuries weren’t going to heal as easily. The drawbacks of being burned by Golden Crow’s True Fire could not be erased in such a short time.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, no longer having any intention of killing this woman.
Half a day later, Yang Kai walked out of the cave, and after checking the direction, he rushed into the sky.
Three days later, Lu Xue woke up from her meditation, and when she looked over to her side, she found that she was the only one left in the cave. Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Even though Yang Kai left, she could feel that a simple Spirit Array was arranged at the entrance to the cave with the ability to conceal one’s aura, sheltering her slightly. This crude Spirit Array was undoubtedly left by Yang Kai for her before he left.
After being surprised for a moment, Lu Xue shut her eyes again and continued adjusting her breathing, focusing on her recuperation.
Outside of Scarlet Star’s Star City, a stream of light pierced the sky and swooped down. The disciples in charge of monitoring any movement in all directions and guarding the Star City’s Grand Array were all shocked to see this. Just as they were about to activate the defensive Grand Array, they suddenly realized that the one rushing over was Yang Kai, and all their hands and feet went cold. They were frozen stiff in place.
The Killing Star… was back!
Previously, Yang Kai broke Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation all by himself outside the Star City, and brought destruction upon Thunder Light. Countless people bore witness to this scene, so how could they not recognize this figure?
Scarlet Star’s Managers were blinded by the lust for their own gains and abandoned Yang Kai during a moment of crisis, sweeping him out from their doors, which greatly offended him, so the disciples of Scarlet Star were all trembling in fear every day. Who knows how many of them left quietly in fear of Yang Kai returning to settle debts, escaping out of Scarlet Star for dear life.
If Chen Tian Fei hadn’t given the order to activate the Grand Array, forcing anyone who wanted to leave to be identified before they would be allowed out, it would be hard to say how many would dare still remain.
Even so, the disciples still remaining in Scarlet Star were very uneasy.
Yang Kai had previously captured Lu Xue and brought her to Sword Pavilion’s headquarters. Now, with him returning in great vigour and the situation at Sword Pavilion being unknown, anyone could guess that things were likely disastrous for the other party.
Now that the Yang Kai has returned, where should Scarlet Star go?
Contrary to what they expected though, Yang Kai didn’t rush straight into the Star City. When he was about to arrive, he suddenly turned around and looked to the side. With a note of surprise, he smiled and turned around, landing over that side.
Very soon, he reached a mountain valley and landed atop a giant head.
Having something land on top of it startled the owner of this head. It raised its eyes and was about to fume at the person, but it immediately settled down with one tap from Yang Kai’s foot.
The huge creature was the Scarlet Flood Dragon.
Then, Yang Kai looked at a hole not far in the distance and shouted, “Come out of there!”
There was a large rumble as if thunder was moving through the ground and following that, the Earth Dragon emerged from the hole. Its large snout wriggled restlessly, spraying fluids everywhere, and the sound of corrosion could be heard from the ground.
The Scarlet Flood Dragon was clearly disgusted at this sight, snorting disdainfully at it.
“Why are you here?” Yang Kai looked at the two with a grin, “Did someone… drive you out?”
The Earth Dragon’s whereabouts were unknown when he left, but from what Guo Zi Yan said, the Earth Dragon had seen that it was at a disadvantage on Yuan Magnetic Mountain and decided to flee. The disciples of Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion couldn’t do anything about it either, so they let it go. On the other hand, the Scarlet Flood Dragon was captured and later brought to the Star City.
After Yang Kai’s words, two Divine Senses were transmitted directly to him.
The sentience of both the Scarlet Flood Dragon and the Earth Dragon was not high, so they were unable to speak properly nor assume human form, but they could still transmit some information through their Divine Senses. Moreover, during their time with Yang Kai, he could clearly sense that their sentience had improved by a lot. Before, communicating with them was quite difficult, but things were much easier now.
It must have something to do with the Dragon Blood Pills.
The Dragon Blood Pills that Yang Kai refined in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary were all of Peak-Grade or higher, mainly because of how high the Grade the Dragon Blood Flowers were. Even he himself would benefit greatly by taking the pills, much less the Scarlet Flood Dragon and Earth Dragon, both exotic beasts with Dragon Veins. They had also grown considerably in size and strength during this time.
Through their descriptions, Yang Kai learned that it wasn’t someone who drove them out of the Star City, but rather they themselves felt uneasy staying there and chose to leave on their own accord.
It did make sense. They were huge creatures that were both over three hundred metres long while the Star City was crowded with buildings, so how could they stretch out and relax in such a cramped space?
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Under careful observation, he could see that the Scarlet Flood Dragon had yet to recover from its injuries. It was beaten badly by the cultivators from Sword Pavilion previously on Yuan Magnetic Mountain, and nearly had its head cut off by them. Even now, there was still a huge cut remaining on its neck that had yet to seal up. The Earth Dragon on the other hand did not have any big problems. This guy was a slippery one, literally, and if Yang Kai hadn’t suppressed him with his Dragon Vein, then he might not have been able to subdue him.
At this moment, several figures emerged from the Star City and moved quickly in Yang Kai’s direction.
They were all in the Open Heaven Realm, but none of them flew. Instead, they ran on the ground. The one at the front had a fat body like a mountain of meat that jiggled as he sprinted. Who else could it be but Chen Tian Fei? Right behind him were Scarlet Star’s other Managers.
Even though he had a plump shape, Chen Tian Fei’s movements were indescribably agile. In quick steps, it didn’t take long for him to reach this place. With a flattering smile on his face, he cupped his fist in greeting, “Congratulations to the mighty Brother Yang for this triumphant return!”
It was extremely awkward for him, as an Open Heaven Realm Master, to be calling an Emperor Realm Junior, Brother, but there was no helping it. They were currently weaker than Yang Kai, so Chen Tian Fei had no choice but to lower himself. As for the title of Sixth Manager, he naturally did not have the face to call Yang Kai that again.
Behind him, the Ou Yang Brothers, Lady Qin, and Bei Yu Shan all gave their congratulations in unison with complicated expressions on their faces.
Who would have thought that this young man who forced his way into Scarlet Star would possess such terrifying abilities? If they had known this was the case in the beginning, they would have treated him with far more respect. As long as they could bring this man to their side, in this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, who did Scarlet Star have to fear?
Unfortunately, they had missed the opportunity and even added insult to injury. Right now, it was useless to regret anything.
But what embarrassed and annoyed them even more was the fact that they had personally gone out to greet him, but Yang Kai completely ignored them, only showing his back to them, treating them like air. Instead, he was very friendly and amiable with these two exotic beasts.
A moment later, Yang Kai raised a hand, and two red and round Spirit Pills flew out, landing into the mouths of the Scarlet Flood Dragon and the Earth Dragon.
Chen Tian Fei’s heart jumped at this sight. Though he had no idea what those Spirit Pills were, he could tell from the smell alone that they were extraordinary goods, yet this guy actually tossed them out to two beasts. It was simply a waste!
“How was the result of Brother Yang’s trip?” Chen Tian Fei asked with a cautious face.
Yang Kai finally turned around and swept his eyes across the faces of these people. He had a straight face that showed neither joy nor anger, but Chen Tian Fei and the others could feel their skin turning taut from his gaze, as if they were being stared at by some terrifying beast that could kill them at any moment.
*Dong dong dong…* The sound of his hearts beating rapidly could be heard as Chen Tian Fei’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. Even the smile on his face had become stiff.
After a long time, Yang Kai finally smiled and asked, “How was Manager Chen hoping my trip would go?”
This was probably the biggest thing that Scarlet Star was worried about. If Yang Kai really could defeat Sword Pavilion alone, that meant that no one in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary could rival him. If Sword Pavilion could still hold out against him, then that meant he could still be brought under control.
But never in their wildest dreams would they have guessed that Yang Kai did not have any confrontation with Sword Pavilion at all and instead had a great battle with a strange mantis head.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Chen Tian Fei smiled awkwardly, “Naturally, this Chen hopes Brother Yang remains undefeated, emerging victorious in every battle.”
“Heh!” Yang Kai did not confirm nor deny anything. It would be madness for anyone to believe this fatty. Not bothering to say anything more to him, Yang Kai simply left. With one step, he had already arrived in the Star City, and with another, he was in his residence.
He left Scarlet Star’s Managers to shiver in the cold winds alone, feeling a chill run down their backs.
Chen Tian Fei suddenly came back to his senses and gave chase, shouting loudly, “Brother Yang, Brother Yang!”
He was both shocked and pleasantly surprised. Shocked that Yang Kai actually returned. Though he had no idea how his battle went with Sword Pavilion, his return must mean that Sword Pavilion must be in a bad situation.
He was pleasantly surprised because Yang Kai did not kill them on the spot, which went to show that Yang Kai had no intention of slaughtering them. Otherwise, how could he possibly let them go after what they had done?
But even though Yang Kai did not kill them did not mean that he was willing to let go of his grievances. Scarlet Star had to satisfy him if they wanted to be let off.
How could Chen Tian Fei dare to be slow? The Head Manager had placed the burden of Scarlet Star’s survival on him, and if he did poorly, Scarlet Star could very well be destroyed at the snap of a finger.
Inside his residence, Yang Kai was instantly met with several dozen gazes as soon as he entered, each one of them excited beyond compare.
“Young Master has returned!” Yue He smiled and bowed down elegantly like a real maidservant. It was hard to fathom that this woman was a powerful Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai had also grown used to her presence and nodded lightly.
“Senior Brother Yang!” Meng Hong and the others cupped their fists, looking as if a weight had been lifted off their chests.
“Subordinate greets Sir!” Guo Zi Yan said resoundingly while more than thirty people behind her cupped their fists in unison, “Greetings Sir, congratulations on your return!” Each one of them spoke with great vigour, their voices filled with respect and admiration!
It was hard not to admire him though as just several days ago, none of them expected that a mere Emperor Realm cultivator could actually achieve such unimaginable feats. Other than Guo Zi Yan, who was in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, the rest of them were all Emperor Realm cultivators. What they had witnessed made this young man a totem of worship in their hearts.
“No need for formalities, get up.” Yang Kai raised his hand.
Only then did Guo Zi Yan and the others stand up.
Yue He pursed her lips into a smile as she commented, “Young Master should know that Commander Guo has withdrawn from Scarlet Star. Now, he is no longer one of Scarlet Star’s men.”
“Resigned as a Great Commander?” Yang Kai glanced at Guo Zi Yan and the people behind him, nodding, “That’s not a bad idea. What do you plan to do in the future?”
Guo Zi Yan cupped his fist and quickly said, “This subordinate is willing to follow Sir in the future and be at Sir’s service!”
“We are willing to follow and serve Sir!” The rest spoke in unison.
Yang Kai knew that these men must have been stamped with his seal after the fight that day. No matter who, these men were all his people now, so Scarlet Star probably didn’t dare to keep them either, allowing them to easily leave.
Guo Zi Yan was a man of good disposition. Back then on the Yuan Magnetic Mountain, he did not retreat even half a step under Thunder Light’s intimidation, willing to share life and death with Yang Kai. It was clear he was a trustworthy man. Only, his cultivation was slightly low at the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even if his strength could be elevated later, he would only be able to reach the Fourth Order at best.
But a man’s heart was more important. His low cultivation was no issue. What’s more, Yang Kai really needed some subordinates to deal with miscellaneous matters right now, so he nodded and said, “Very well. In that case, you will follow me in the future. I can’t guarantee anything else, but I will not let you suffer any injustice as long as you are sincere and loyal!”
Everyone felt their spirits lift as they shouted, “Many thanks, Sir!”
Each of them was overwhelmed with joy. With an unparalleled star such as Yang Kai watching over them, then their status would surely rise in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Who would they have to fear in the future?
“Congratulations, Commander Guo! You’ve finally achieved your dream,” Yue He congratulated him joyously from the side.
Guo Zi Yan’s face blushed and he responded embarrassedly, “Please don’t make fun of this lowly one, Lady Yue He. This one will be seeking Lady’s guidance in the future.”
Yue He smiled even more brilliantly.
After that, Yue He took out a Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai, “These are the things from the enemies you killed before. I’ve collected them all and sorted them into different categories.”
Yang Kai casually accepted it, glanced at it, and then put it away without a change in his expression.
Yue He was surprised at this sight. There were quite a lot of things in that ring; after all, it was the combined wealth of 3,000 people. The Space Rings of those Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were especially heavy with wealth. She thought that Yang Kai would be happy to receive such a fortune, but unexpectedly, he didn’t react at all.
[Could it possibly be that he is already satisfied from the last harvest from the Yuan Magnetic Mountain?]
While she was still feeling surprised, she heard Yang Kai say, “It’s good that you have this experience. I’ll have to trouble you to work a little more in the future then.”
With those words, Yang Kai suddenly waved his hand.
In the next moment, there was an endless clanking sound. Then, a large pile of Space Rings instantly appeared in the courtyard before everyone’s eyes, piled high like a small mountain.
Everyone was shocked speechless, and they all stared at the pile in a daze with indescribable astonishment in their hearts.
The Space Rings in front of them must have numbered in the tens of thousands!
Yue He’s face paled and her voice was trembling as she asked, “Young Master, how many people have you killed?”
She was about to cry. Wasn’t this Young Master’s murderous intent a little too strong? He had only made one trip to Sword Pavilion’s headquarters, so how did he end up killing so many?
No wonder Yang Kai didn’t even blink at the Space Ring when she handed it over. That was only an accumulation of 3,000 people, whereas Yang Kai had tens of thousands of people’s wealth here. The two couldn’t even be compared, so how could such a small amount even faze him?
Guo Zi Yan and the others were also dumbfounded.
Just as Yue He thought, each Space Ring represented a life, and several tens of thousands of Space Rings meant several tens of thousands of people had died. Yang Kai left for just three or four days, so how could so many people have died at his hand in such a short time?
What’s more, where in Sword Pavilion did he find this many people to kill?
Yue He’s heart clenched. Her Young Master couldn’t have had a spike in his bloodlust and wiped out the entire Star City, right? If that was truly the case, then this was no small matter.
“The situation is complicated. I’ll explain it to you later,” Then, Yang Kai beckoned, “Guo Zi Yan.”
“Subordinate is present,” Guo Zi Yan responded solemnly, his heart beating intensely.
“Have your men sort through these Space Rings, the same as before.”
“Yes!” Guo Zi Yan gulped. Even with several dozen people, sorting the contents of tens of thousands of Space Rings was still going to be a lot of work that would take them at least ten days to half a month.
Meng Hong said, “Let me help, too.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll be troubling you then, Brother Meng.”
Meng Hong laughed, “Nothing of the sort, Brother Yang. This Meng cannot be more grateful for your bestowment of the Sun’s True Fire. Such a trivial matter isn’t even worth mentioning.”
After leaving Guo Zi Yan, Meng Hong, and the others in the courtyard to deal with the Space Rings, Yang Kai summoned Yue He into the hall. Yue He poured him a cup of tea and looked at him nervously before asking, “Young Master, what happened? You couldn’t have really slaughtered everyone in the Star City, right?”
Killing some people was no big deal, but if Yang Kai really did raze Sword Pavilion’s Star City to the ground, it would be highly improper. She was worried that a heart demon would be bred in the future from such a wanton slaughter, leading Yang Kai to fall to the demonic path.
How could she not be nervous?
“How can that be the case?” Picking up the cup of tea, Yang Kai sat down boldly on a chair. He had gone to pick a fight with Sword Pavilion, but even if he had fought it out with them, he wouldn’t have involved innocents, let alone slaughtered an entirety Star City, “I already told you, things are complicated.”
“Then what happened?” Moving her round hips over, Yue He sat down on the chair next to him.
Yang Kai frowned, “Before I could arrive, Sword Pavilion’s Star City had already been razed. Everyone was dead. I just picked up their Space Rings.”
“Picked them up…” Yue He was speechless. This kind of luck was simply too good. He had merely run over there and was able to pick up tens of thousands of Space Rings. It was a massive fortune, but soon, Yue He realized the severity of the situation and asked, “Sword Pavilion’s Star City was already razed? Who would be strong enough to do such a thing?”
Though the Star City was not too strong among the 3,000 Worlds, Sword Pavilion was considered a fairly powerful force. Who could wipe them out?
“A Beast Tide!” Yang Kai sighed, “But it was no simple Beast Tide. It’s not the same as the ones we’ve encountered before. I did not see the details, but even Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died there. Not a single person was left alive.”
“Even Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died?” Yue He was well and truly shocked. She knew that this Pavilion Master was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, an Order above her. Such a character would even have a place in the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, but he actually died in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary? Shaken, she asked, “How do you know that it was Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master?”
“Lu Xue told me; otherwise, how would I have known?” Yang Kai put down his tea and grinned meaningfully, “You probably can’t imagine whose hands Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master died at.”
Yue He had a curious look on her face, and Yang Kai didn’t keep her hanging, “A Heavenly Moon Demon Spider!”
Yue He’s face suddenly paled. Clearly, she knew what the existence of a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider represented. That was an Ancient Divine Spirit! It was an existence that stood at the peak of the world. Only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would be able to face it.
“While I was collecting the Space Rings in the Star City, I also bumped into a strange guy with a mantis head.” While speaking, Yang Kai brought out the mantis head’s corpse.
Yue He looked over at it, but saw no head on the corpse. Its body was covered in turquoise skin, and the two scythe-like arms were extremely sharp. There were reversed spikes on its leg bones. Even though the body was humanoid, it remained largely similar to a Monster Beast.
“This guy was not simple. I was heavily injured by him and was only able to recover after three days.” Yang Kai flicked a finger at the corpse.
“He managed to injure you?” Yue He was surprised. But then, she had a suspicious look on her face, “That’s strange… If he could hurt you, then his strength must not have been bad, so how did he end up like this? He should have assumed Human Form long ago.”
“That puzzled me, too. That’s why I brought him back so you can have a look at him. How much do you know about the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?”
Yue He shook her head gravely, “I don’t know much, either. I’ve only heard some rumours before now. Only those who came in the past and left safely would know what the situation inside is like.”
After pondering for a moment, she guessed, “This Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary’s World Principles are extremely strange. For example, exotic beasts like the Scarlet Flood Dragon and the Earth Dragon have quite good strength and, logically, they should have assumed human form long ago, but their sentience still remains low. Perhaps it’s because of the strange World Principles here that this… Uh, this mantis head would remain in a half-Human half-Beast form. At least, I think that’s why.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s the only possibility, it seems. But Divine Spirits also exist in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary… This place is not as simple as we thought it was.”
Yue He felt the same. Even an existence such as Sword Pavilion could be destroyed by a Beast Tide, so clearly it wasn’t too safe here for Scarlet Star either. Not to mention the existence of a terrifying Ancient Divine Spirit… If there were more of these mantis heads, then Scarlet Star may not be able to survive. This was a creature that was able to injure Yang Kai, so ordinary people would not be able to resist in the slightest. Yue He even doubted that she would be able to last more than an incense stick of time in a fight with this guy.
“No matter what, let’s be careful from now on.” Yang Kai was already thinking of a way out. If one day, the exit of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was barred by a Divine Spirit, then he needed to find a chance to get away.
As the two were talking, Chen Yue walked in from outside and cautiously observed Yang Kai’s face for a moment before announcing, “Sir, Scarlet Star’s Managers are seeking an audience outside.”