Yue He pursed her lips into a smile, “They must be here to beg for peace.”
“They even welcomed me outside of the city earlier, but I ignored them,” Yang Kai scoffed.
“Then they must be shaking in fear now.” Yue He handed a box over to him, “After you left that day, Scarlet Star’s Head Manager brought his men here to deliver this. With all his talk, he was just trying to get me to say nice things about them to you once you returned.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai glanced at the box.
Yue He said indifferently, “It probably won’t catch your eye. Just three Fifth-Order materials.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly as he picked up his tea and took a sip.
When Chen Yue heard this though, her heart jumped. Three Fifth-Order materials were a wealth she had no idea whether she could ever get her hands on in her life. This would be considered an invaluable resource outside, but now it was casually brought out as a gift, and the person who received the gift even seemed to disdain it.
Deeply feeling the insurmountable gap between her and some people in this world, Chen Yue felt dejected.
Yue He checked the atmosphere and seeing that Yang Kai had no intention of refusing, she turned her head over and asked, “Who came?”
Chen Yue answered in a small voice, “All of Scarlet Star’s Managers are here. The Head Manager who came last time is also here.”
Yue He nodded. Then, she looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Young Master, will you see them?”
Yang Kai put down his cup of tea and patted his clothes, grinning, “En. Since they’re here with gifts, why wouldn’t I see them?”
Yue He was speechless. She knew that Scarlet Star was surely going to experience massive haemorrhaging this time. Only, she had no idea how big of a cut this Young Master of hers was going to leave them with.
In front of the residence, Scarlet Star’s Managers were not looking good. They had already given Yang Kai face by welcoming him outside of the city, but Yang Kai completely ignored them and trampled their intentions. Anyone would feel humiliated by this.
But when they thought about the terrifying power that Yang Kai possessed, none of them dared to complain.
This time, under the leadership of the Head Manager, they came out collectively to visit him, but being made to wait at his door for such a long time was still hard to bear.
“Head Manager, I say we should just go in! Why stand here and wait for so long?” Bei Yu Shan spoke up. Mainly, they had been standing here with people walking back and forth on the street. Many people were throwing strange looks at them, which made him feel uneasy.
“Shut your mouth!” Chen Tian Fei jumped in fright and quickly shouted at him, “Do you still want to live? If you want to throw your life away, don’t drag us down with you!”
He almost wanted to slap this brainless brute to death for even coming up with such a terrible idea.
Bei Yu Shan scratched his head, wondering where he went wrong with his words.
Chen Tian Fei stepped forward and approached the Head Manager, whispering, “I’ve already sent some men over. We will find out the situation at Sword Pavilion in less than two days. Head Manager, no matter what, please hold back this time. It’s not too late to make plans after we figure out the situation at Sword Pavilion.”
The Head Manager was silent, as if he didn’t hear what he said.
To Scarlet Star’s Managers, what they were most curious about now was the outcome of the battle between Yang Kai and Sword Pavilion. If Yang Kai was victorious, it would mean that there was no one in all of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary who could constrain him, but if Sword Pavilion won, then they naturally couldn’t ask for better. At the very least, this little brat Yang Kai would not be able to run rampant.
As soon as they noticed Yang Kai’s return, Chen Tian Fei had sent someone over to Sword Pavilion’s headquarters to find out what happened.
But delays along the way were inevitable. Worried that Yang Kai would come to them for revenge, the Managers had come over to ask for peace, but it was nothing more than a delaying tactic.
[What is the situation over there?] Chen Tian Fei’s mind was filled with all sorts of random thoughts. With the strength that Yang Kai displayed before, Sword Pavilion should not have been able to resist him, but Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master, so he couldn’t help but hold onto some hope.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was merely one step away from reaching the High-Rank, and Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master had a mysterious background. It was rumoured that he came from a powerful great force, so his heritage must not be bad.
At this moment, there was a creak and the doors opened, allowing a timid figure to enter their eyes.
Chen Tian Fei hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his fists, “Young Lady Yue, how is the situation?”
In the past, he would not have paid attention to someone as inferior as Chen Yue, much less speak to her in such a polite way, but now, things were different. No matter their cultivation realm, anyone on Yang Kai’s side would surely see a rise in their status.
Chen Yue shrank her neck and moved aside as she reported, “Please come in, Sirs. My Young Master is ready to see you,” She used to call Yang Kai Senior Brother Yang, but after what happened with Zhao Xing Chen, she didn’t have the face to call him that anymore, so she followed Yue He’s way of referring to him instead.
Chen Tian Fei was relieved and bowed his head, smiling, “Many thanks, Young Lady Yue.” Saying so, he silently slipped her a Space Ring.
Chen Yue was caught off guard and took it instinctually. By the time she reacted, Scarlet Star’s Managers were already long gone.
Staring blankly at the Space Ring in her hand, she quickly realized what had happened. Sweeping the contents with her Divine Sense, she discovered that there were 3,000 Open Heaven Pills inside, and her heart couldn’t help but jump.
For any Emperor Realm cultivation 3,000 Open Heaven Pills was nothing to scoff at. She had merely passed on a message and was actually able to receive such great benefits.
Chen Yue’s heart was jumping madly since it was her first time in such a situation. Looking around and finding no one in her surroundings, she put away the Space Ring guiltily and shut the door.
The Scarlet Star Managers entered the residence, and under Chen Tian Fei’s lead, made their way to the main hall without issue.
It was Chen Tian Fei who took care of the layout of Yang Kai’s residence to begin with, so he knew everything inside well.
While walking forward, Chen Tian Fei was still conversing via Divine Sense, “Head Manager, since the situation at Sword Pavilion is not yet clear, you must be patient no matter how rude that brat is later. Do not stoop to the same level as him.”
The Head Manager couldn’t help but laugh, “Fatty, since when have you become such a nag? This King is not a three-year-old child. I have a sense of propriety.”
Chen Tian Fei smiled awkwardly, “Head Manager is naturally wise, but I’m afraid that brat is too young to know proper measure.”
As they were talking, they arrived at a courtyard where they saw several dozen people working on something. It was Guo Zi Yan and the others. The Managers had no idea what they were doing, but they would hear someone shout every now and then, and all of them had joyous looks on their faces as if they had received a great boon from the Heavens.
[Traitors!] Chen Tian cursed them in his heart. He didn’t want to pay any attention to these people, but when he swept a glance over and saw the situation in the courtyard, he was frozen stiff in place and his face instantly turned pale.
When he stopped, the people behind him naturally stopped as well and followed his gaze. All of them were shocked in place as horror and disbelief filled their eyes. Lady Qin even gasped and covered her red lips with her hand.
Bei Yu Shan almost bumped into the Ou Yang Brothers while he was distracted, stopping to scratch his head as he asked, “What happened?”
But nobody answered him. It was as if the Managers had had a Binding Technique cast on their bodies. All of them were feeling cold from the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet.
When Bei Yu Shan looked up, he exclaimed, “Heavens! Where did they get all these Space Rings from?”
The entire courtyard was filled with Space Rings. The number was simply impossible to count, but from what they could see, there had to be at least forty or fifty thousand of them.
The noise alerted Guo Zi Yan and the others who were working in the courtyard. Looking up, they saw Scarlet Star’s Managers. Even the Head Manager, a hidden Dragon who shows his tail but never his face, was here. With a thought, they understood what happened.
Even though they were no longer disciples of Scarlet Star and need not pay them any heed, Chen Tian Fei and the others had been prominent figures for a long time so when they saw the Managers all here, they were at a bit of a loss.
Guo Zi Yan was the first to come to his senses and quickly shouted, “Don’t just stand there stupidly, keep working! If Sir can entrust us with this job, it naturally means he trusts us. Don’t any of you even think of swiping anything here! If I find out, then don’t blame me for not showing mercy to my Fellow Brothers!”
“Yes!” The group answered in unison and quickly lowered their heads to continue their work.
The Head Manager slowly turned his head and shot a glance at Chen Tian Fei with a grave expression.
Chen Tian Fei understood and swiftly moved his meatball-like body through the sea of Space Rings to arrive at Guo Zi Yan’s side, smiling while cupping his fist, “Great Commander Guo!”
Guo Zi Yan originally did not want to have any interactions with Chen Tian Fei and the other Managers; after all, they also relied on Scarlet Star in the past, but now that this man was already in front of him, he couldn’t ignore him either. As such, he hastily returned the salutations, “Manager Chen, is there something you need? If you’re looking for Sir, then he should be in the reception hall.”
Chen Tian Fei smiled, “We can head there later. I just wanted to ask. Where… did these Space Rings come from?”
Guo Zi Yan answered, “Sir brought them back from Sword Pavilion.”
“From Sword Pavilion!” Chen Tian Fei’s face twitched, gulping silently, not wanting to believe it, but simply unable to find another explanation!
He had already made guesses when he first saw the Space Rings, so now Guo Zi Yan’s words undoubtedly confirmed his thoughts.
Only by raiding an entire Star City would it be possible to acquire such a high number! If the Space Rings were collected from all the cultivators from Scarlet Star’s Star City, then it would also reach about the same number.
But these were the Space Rings from Sword Pavilion, and each Space Ring represented a life. Tens of thousands of Space Rings meant tens of thousands of lost lives!
Did that little brat raze Sword Pavilion’s entire Star City?!
Chen Tian Fei had no idea how he walked back, and it wasn’t until the Head Manager shouted at him that he came back to his senses.
Staring at the Head Manager in a daze, Chen Tian Fei’s lips seemed to squirm as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t muster a single word.
He was truly shocked. Just because of the grudge he had previously with Sword Pavilion, Yang Kai rushed over with spear in hand and not only returned unscathed but even slaughtered the entirety of the Star City.
Such ferociousness! Such ruthlessness!
How could such a man be reasoned with? Scarlet Star had likely kicked an iron plate this time, and if they weren’t careful, Sword Pavilion’s yesterday would become Scarlet Star’s tomorrow.
If Yang Kai could massacre an entire Star City once, he wouldn’t mind doing it twice.
Chen Tian Fei even thought of turning around and running away, getting as far away from here as possible.
But the Head Manager had already taken the first step forward, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow along. It was a blessing, not a curse, and if it was a curse, it couldn’t be avoided. What was destined to come must eventually come.
Led by the Head Manager, Chen Tian Fei and the others stepped into the reception hall and looked up to see Yang Kai sitting at the head of the room, with Yue He standing quietly behind him.
When they entered, Yang Kai still remained bold as ever, not even getting up to welcome them, but no one dared to say anything. Chen Tian Fei and the rest were still too shocked by the pile of Space Rings outside to care about such trivialities.
“Scarlet Star’s Zhao Bai Chuan greets Sir Yang!” The Head Manager at the front of the group cupped his fist. Though he was neither overbearing nor servile, no one could know how he was feeling inside.
The people behind him quickly saluted as well.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that Scarlet Star’s Head Manager wasn’t very old. He was a seemingly middle-aged man dressed in a rather luxurious outfit consisting of a golden crown and a long robe. It was the first time he was seeing the Head Manager face to face. Before, he had only heard this man mentioned from Chen Tian Fei’s mouth. The Head Manager spent almost all his time in retreat, seemingly in order to achieve his goal of breaking through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
From his aura, it seemed like the Head Manager still had a long way to go. Ascending an Order in the Open Heaven Realm was very difficult. Not only did it require a long time, but also a massive amount of resources. Even with resources, it was impossible for one to ascend to a higher Order without enough comprehension and enlightenment.
With Yang Kai observing him, why wouldn’t Zhao Bai Chuan be observing Yang Kai back? He was watching this young man from a distance. The first time he saw him, he felt that he was nothing to worry about, and that he was just relying on his unique strength in the Emperor Realm to act arrogant and unrestrained in the special environment of this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
A man like him was merely a grasshopper after autumn and wouldn’t be able to jump around for long. As soon as Yang Kai left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary any Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to clean him up.
The second time Zhao Bai Chuan saw Yang Kai though was several days ago. Outside of the Star City, Yang Kai had destroyed Sword Pavilion’s Sword Formation with only his own power. He could wield a Divine Manifestation of the Golden Crow and had obtained the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, which caused Thunder Light to suffer complete annihilation.
Zhao Bai Chuan felt at that moment he had greatly underestimated this young man. If Yang Kai was given the opportunity to grow, then he was sure to become a hegemon, a leading figure in the 3,000 Worlds!
When he saw him again today, his feelings changed once more. Even though Yang Kai wasn’t as imposing as he was back when he was fighting and instead was just quietly sitting there, he was still able to assert a slight pressure over him, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Master.
In this large hall that was several dozen meters wide, Yang Kai was like the king of the underworld that had the lives of everyone here in the palm of his hands.
“This Zhao was foolish in the past and offended Sir Yang before. Now, this Zhao has come especially to make amends today, hoping that Sir Yang can be magnanimous. My Scarlet Star…”
“Thirty-seventy!” Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, interrupting Zhao Bai Chuan’s words.
“What?” Zhao Bai Chuan frowned, not understanding what Yang Kai meant by this.
“In the future, of all of Scarlet Star’s profits from the businesses in this Star City, and all the materials and resources harvested in the Ancient Ruins Boundary, seventy percent will belong to me, Scarlet Star will take the remaining thirty!” Yang Kai looked indifferently at Zhao Bai Chuan.
Only then did Zhao Bai Chuan understand what Yang Kai’s words meant earlier. Wasn’t this outright robbery? He couldn’t help but feel enraged. Even his complexion was starting to turn bad.
Back when the three great forces coexisted in the Star City, Sword Pavilion was the strongest, but they were still a balanced tripartite force. Sword Pavilion had also never made such a rude request before.
[How dare this arrogant brat put forth such a request!]
Anger had just begun to rise in him when he heard Yang Kai speak again, “If Head Manager cannot agree to this request, then there’s nothing for us to talk about.”
Zhao Bai Chuan’s anger suddenly cooled. He knew that if he did not agree to this request, then whether they could leave this hall alive or not was uncertain.
Only then did he understand why Yang Kai did not settle accounts with them after coming back. He was waiting here for them to come themselves.
Zhao Bai Chuan suddenly laughed and declared, “Strength is king, and Masters are to be respected. Sir Yang’s request is fair. If Sir Yang asks for a thirty-seventy split, then so be it! Seventy percent of all Scarlet Star’s future proceeds will be Sir Yang’s!”
He agreed without hesitation, and with a happy face that seemed not like he had been robbed, but had rather gained a great advantage.
Chen Tian Fei and the others behind him were all looking at their Head Manager in amazement. In their impression of the man, the Head Manager had never agreed to anything so easily before, but they also knew they were people under the eaves right now, so how could they not bow?
This was especially the case after seeing the tens of thousands of Space Rings in the courtyard. Scarlet Star had no choice but to compromise with Yang Kai if they didn’t want to make the same mistake that Sword Pavilion did.
[Such humiliation!] They were all grieving inside, but there was nothing they could do.
Zhao Bai Chuan bowed his head, “My Scarlet Star can accept Sir Yang’s request, but this Zhao would also like to ask Sir Yang to accept this one’s request in return.”
Yang Kai looked at him with interest and gestured with his hand, indicating for him to continue.
Zhao Bai Chuan said, “This Zhao would like to ask that Sir Yang please come under my Scarlet Star’s employment and become a Foreign Elder! Of course, this is merely a title and Scarlet Star will not interfere with any of Sir Yang’s words or actions. On the contrary, my Scarlet Star will not just stand by if Sir has any requests of us.”
Yang Kai smiled and praised this man in his heart. This Zhao Bai Chuan was quite a character, able to bend and stretch, finding a beneficial opportunity for himself even in adversity. This level of wisdom and vision wasn’t something just anyone could have; clearly, it wasn’t only strength that gave him the ability to sit firmly on the seat, Head Manager of Scarlet Star.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Zhao Bai Chuan threw back his head in laughter, “A gentleman gives his word faster than a horse’s whip. It’s a deal, then.”
“It’s a deal,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Sir Yang is truly a decisive man. Though this Zhao would like to share a drink with Sir over the occasion, Sir must be tired from his trip and long battle, so this Zhao will leave now and come back to visit another day.” Zhao Bai Chuan spoke eagerly, as if Yang Kai was a close friend that he only regretted not having met sooner.
Yang Kai turned to the side, “Yue He, see our guests off.”
“Managers, please!” Yue He gestured with a smile.
After sending the group from Scarlet Star away, Yue He came back and looked curiously at Yang Kai, wondering why he would agree to such a request.
Yang Kai rapped the desk lightly for a long while before answering, “Help me out with Scarlet Star’s seventy percent share. Keep an eye on it.”
“Yes,” Yue He replied obediently.
The previous harvest they received on Yuan Magnetic Mountain was large, and countless Space Rings were also gathered from the fights with both Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion. This was considered an enormous amount of wealth for anyone, more than enough for Yang Kai to use for his personal cultivation for a long time to come. Yet, he did not forget that he was no longer a lone man. There were countless people waiting for him back in the Star Boundary.
One day, when all his friends and family entered the Outer Universe, the demand for resources would simply be endless. Now that he had such a good opportunity, Yang Kai naturally wanted to accumulate more. The greater the wealth, the better.
The Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was like a natural treasure house of goods. Once he left this place, he would no longer have such a good opportunity. If not for this consideration, Yang Kai would have razed Scarlet Star the moment he returned.
With Scarlet Star’s help in gathering supplies, Yang Kai could reap the benefits without the hassle and effort, so why not take advantage of them?
“What do you wish to ask?” Yang Kai suddenly raised his head to look at Yue He after pondering silently for a moment.
The woman was constantly staring at him without even blinking. It was clear that she was curious about something.
“Why did you agree to become Scarlet Star’s Foreign Elder?” Yue He couldn’t understand it.
“Do you think I shouldn’t have?”
“I just wish to know what you’re thinking.”
“Naturally, I have my reasons.”
Yang Kai rapped the table again, “If my guess proves correct, then Scarlet Star will definitely spread this news widely from now on. That way, Scarlet Star will be able to expand quickly, and then the supplies they collect will naturally increase, which comes with no drawbacks for me.”
“Just for this reason alone?” Yue He looked at him in amazement. It was the first time she’d ever seen someone so greedy for money before.
It was enough for one to have enough cultivation resources for themselves, so what did he need so much for?
“There’s one more reason.” Yang Kai’s expression became serious, “Sword Pavilion was crushed by a Beast Tide, and there are traces of a Divine Spirit’s existence in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Who knows whether the Divine Spirit will visit this place next? If this place is strong enough, then it may not be impossible to fight back as the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary restricts the strength of the Open Heaven Realm, which means the Divine Spirit won’t be able to exert too much of their power here either.”
Yue He was suddenly enlightened, “So that’s why you’re willing to lend Scarlet Star your prestige.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I have no idea when the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary will close, so it’s better to be prepared.” As he said so, he suddenly thought of a person, “Where did Xu Zhen go?”
That little fatty disappeared after handing the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd to him, and Yang Kai did not sense his aura since he came back.
Yue He shook her head, “He’s a Cave-Heaven disciple, so who knows where he went, but my guess is that he must have gone out to consolidate his Metal Element Power now that he refined that Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone.”
“What a pity,” Yang Kai sighed. He had not known that the waters were so deep here in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If he had known, then he would have left a way to contact Xu Zhen. That guy was a talented Artifact Refiner, and he also seemed to have deep knowledge of the Dao of Spirit Arrays. If he could help to arrange a Grand Array in this Star City, then they could also increase security.
But since he left without a goodbye, it would be difficult to find him again.
As they were talking, Chen Yue came running in, “Sir, someone else has asked for an audience!”
“Who is it?” Yang Kai frowned, curious. Everyone knew him as a fierce character now, and the Managers from Scarlet Star also had no choice but to come apologize. Who else would dare to see him?
“It’s that Young Lord from Azure Nether Paradise, the one called Yin something,” Chen Yue responded meekly.
“What has he come for?” Yang Kai frowned. Sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, he discovered that there were indeed several people standing outside his door, and if not that guy from Azure Nether Paradise, who else could it be in the lead?
Yang Kai did not have any good feelings towards these people. This guy had been shamelessly boasting about making Yang Kai submit to him after he returned from the Yuan Magnetic Mountain. Yang Kai had been in retreat back then, and even though he heard the noise, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. Later, when the large fight started outside the Star City, this Young Lord tried to take advantage of the situation, saying that he would give Yang Kai a way out as long as he became his slave. Naturally, Yang Kai ignored him.
He didn’t expect this man to be as stubborn and clingy as a dog after a meat bun.
At this moment, he could hear the young man called Yin something announcing arrogantly outside his door, “The one surnamed Yang is also a genius. This Young Master originally only thought of making him my slave, but now, it seems that he can become this Young Master’s house guard! When you see him later, be more polite to him. This young man seems to have a bad temper. If you end up provoking him, then don’t expect this Young Master to save you when he tries to kill you.”
“Yes, we will follow Young Master’s order!” Two Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters beside him answered respectfully.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes at this arrogant Young Master’s words. He had no idea where this guy got his sense of superiority from to even think of trying to make him a house guard. Compared to Xu Zhen, a true Cave-Heaven Disciple, the difference was simply like a person on the ground gazing up at the Heavens.
“Pay him no attention!” Yang Kai waved her off. Chen Yue withdrew respectfully.
News of Yang Kai becoming Scarlet Star’s Foreign Elder spread quickly, which shocked many.
They originally thought that this Killing Star would surely start a war with Scarlet Star now that he was back; who could have expected such an ending? They had no idea what sort of price Scarlet Star had to pay that they were not only able to ease Yang Kai’s fury, but even borrow his prestige!
There was news that Scarlet Star’s Head Manager led the other Managers to visit Yang Kai personally and have a discussion with him, and only then were they able to make him agree to becoming Scarlet Star’s Foreign Elder.
With the crisis lifted, Scarlet Star’s disciples were all celebrating. They had all been extremely on edge before. If Yang Kai truly wanted to attack Scarlet Star, then how could the eggs remain unbroken when the nest was ruined? They would surely join in the misfortune.
But now, Yang Kai had actually become their Foreign Elder. Not only did they not have to fight this Monster, they had even gained his blessings. With this Killing Star here to stand guard, who would dare come and start trouble?
Anyone who dared come would have Sword Pavilion and Thunder Light’s unfortunate ends to refer to.
A few days later, another shocking news spread in the Star City.
Sword Pavilion’s Star City was razed to the ground after what appeared to be an intense battle. There was not a single survivor.
The day the news spread, everyone in the city was shocked by Yang Kai’s vicious methods. They had no idea what Sword Pavilion’s Star City had gone through, and they saw only the results, so they all thought it was Yang Kai’s doing.
Scarlet Star made a lot of noise about the matter and created as much momentum as they could. For a while, Yang Kai’s fierce reputation spread widely, and was heard by the other cultivator strongholds within a vicinity of more than ten thousand kilometres.
Rumour had it that Yang Kai had three heads and six arms, standing 300 metres tall with a ferocious face. He had a vicious temper and would kill anyone at the slightest dissatisfaction to vent his anger.
Even so, not only did Scarlet Star’s Star City not lose popularity, it instead grew even more lively. There were many cultivators coming each day, asking to join Scarlet Star.
Having someone strong to lean on in this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and a stable place to settle down increased anyone’s sense of security. Practically every cultivator had seen the terrors of the numerous Beast Tides, and many cultivator strongholds had already been destroyed.
Now that Sword Pavilion and Thunder Light had been destroyed, Scarlet Star jumped up to become the largest great force, which naturally attracted more people to rush to them.
There were even some small strongholds of several dozen to hundreds of people flocking over to join.
Scarlet Star’s Star City was once again overcrowded. In just a short dozen days of work, more than 100,000 people gathered here, and Scarlet Star’s membership had doubled. This was even after the strict screening process done by the Managers; otherwise, who knows how many people they would end up recruiting?
With more people around, the Star City also had to expand. The entire Star City was busy with new buildings being built constantly. The Star City’s borders gradually expanded outward. Compared to the beginning, its area had increased by fifty percent and it was still in the midst of growing.
As the population increased, more transactions naturally took place, and so Scarlet Star’s income also rose like a boat rising with the tide. Now, renting out a good spot for a shop in the Star City was harder than ever before. The Head Manager had gone back into retreat, so Chen Tian Fei who was in charge of Scarlet Star’s operation was grinning from ear to ear every day.
Sometime later, in his residence, Yang Kai took a seat and checked on his gains stored inside the Sealed World Bead with his Divine Sense.
After more than a dozen days of work, the items from the tens of thousands of Space Ring had already been sorted out by Guo Zi Yan and his subordinates.
The Open Heaven Pills alone numbered in the hundreds of millions; after all, this was accumulated from the Space Rings of several tens of thousands of cultivators. Even if they each only had 1,000 Open Heaven Pills, there would still be millions of them. Most Emperor Realm cultivators were not too rich, but there was no helping it. Since their strength was low, the chance to find something good was also pitifully low. And, they also had to buy some cultivation resources for themselves, so they naturally wouldn’t be able to save up many Open Heaven Pills.
The rich ones were the Low and Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were slightly better off than the Emperors with wealthy ones having a million or two pills in reserve, but the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were a league of their own. Practically every one of them had tens of millions.
But these hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills was just a small wealth compared to Sword Pavilion’s Pavilion Master’s fortune, which was over a billion in itself! A terrifying number!
Yang Kai thought back to how he had to run himself ragged in the old days when he owed the Proprietress 10 million pills, but now 10 million was just a drop in the bucket for him!
Yang Kai did not think of himself as wealthy though. A billion Open Heaven Pills may sound like a lot, but once his friends and family from the Star Boundary entered the Outer Universe, Yang Kai didn’t even know if that amount was going to be enough to get them settled.
Aside from the Open Heaven Pills, the other items were naturally a variety of Secret Arts and Techniques, artifacts, and other resources that weren’t of much use to him currently. Not only were most of these skills and resources worse than the ones he already possessed, but they would also take time to either cultivate or refine before becoming useful.
The key items were the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements materials.
There was everything from First-Order to Sixth-Order materials.
The ones under Third Order were impossible to count. Meanwhile, the ones in the Fourth and Fifth Orders were much less in comparison. As for Sixth-Order materials, Guo Zi Yan and the group were only able to find three pieces in Zhong Fan’s Space Ring. They were probably also harvested from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
These were all the fortunes of the dead, so getting them didn’t require any effort at all.
The sound of footsteps emerged from outside the door, and with Guo Zi Yan in lead, a group of men strode in.
“Sir!” Guo Zi Yan stopped and cupped his fist.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and swept a gaze over the group of people, “I asked you to come here today in order to heed this King’s command. Those who have not formed a Dao Seal, step forward!”
They had no idea what Yang Kai intended to do, but they still obeyed when they heard his words. With a shuffle, a dozen individuals stepped forward from the crowd. All of them had cultivated to the peak of the Emperor Realm, but they have yet to form their Dao Seal, just like Luo Hai Yi back then.
Yang Kai looked at them and nodded lightly, “Those who have formed a Dao Seal but have not gathered any of their Yin, Yang and the Five Elements, step forward!”
Another dozen stepped forward.
“Have the rest of you already refined at least one Element?” Yang Kai looked at the remaining people.
Other than Guo Zi Yan, who was in the Open Heaven Realm, the rest of the several dozen people were all in the Emperor Realm. Excluding those who have not formed Dao Seals and those who have not cultivated any of the Yin, Yang and the Five Elements, the rest had.
“Yes!” The rest answered in unison.
“What sorts of Powers have you all cultivated, one by one, let’s hear it.” Yang Kai looked at them with interest.
They all looked at each other, not knowing how they should answer.
Guo Zi Yan couldn’t help but shout, “Sir is asking you a question, just answer directly! You there, baldy, you speak first!”
A short man with beady eyes and zero hairs atop his head stepped forward and smiled embarrassedly as he cupped his fists, “Answering Sir, this one is not talented and has only condensed a trivial Second-Order Water Element.”
“And you?” Yang Kai looked at the next person.
The man answered, “I have condensed Earth, Metal, and Water Elements. One in the Third Order, and the rest in the Second Order.”
There was no need for more urging from Yang Kai as a dozen people reported their statuses one by one.
The lesser ones were like the shaved-headed man who was only able to condense one Element, while those with more Elements condensed were already in the half-step Open Heaven Realm. There were even some who only needed to condense one more Element to make a breakthrough; however, their Orders were uniformly not high. They were all in the Second and Third-Orders without so much as a Fourth-Order Element to be seen among them.
But they could not be blamed for this. They were living at the bottom of the hierarchy to begin with, so being able to cultivate to the Open Heaven Realm was a feat in and of itself, how would they be qualified to pick and choose better resources? Even Meng Hong, the Chief Disciple of Great Moon Province, had only condensed Third-Order Elements back then.
After hearing everyone out, Yang Kai spoke, “Since you have already condensed certain Elements, that means that your foundation has been set. Unless you find Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water or some other precious treasure to cleanse your Dao Seal and rebuild your foundation, your future achievements will be limited.”
The dozen people who had spoken obviously knew about their own situations as well, so they all smiled embarrassedly when they heard this.
“However…” Yang Kai turned the topic around, “Even though your foundations have been established, you can still get stronger. I’m sure you all know the great gap there exists between two cultivators who are similar in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Guo Zi Yan spoke thoughtfully, “Does Sir mean the Order of one’s elements when one enters the Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai nodded, “En. If two cultivators have the same Third-Order foundation, but one has refined all Third-Order Elements, while the other has several Fourth-Order or higher Elements, then the strength they can bring out will be drastically different. So, there’s no need to feel sorry for yourselves. This is the path you have chosen, and turning back is impossible; instead, you can only continue down it.”
Yang Kai rose from his seat, “Back on the Yuan Magnetic Mountain, this King said that if any of you have any requests for the harvest we’ve gained, then this King will not be stingy. Whether it be Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order, as long as you have the ability to refine it, you can ask me for it! Now is the time for this King to honour his word.”
Looking at the dozen men in front of him, Yang Kai asked, “Which Order do you want? Speak.”
The dozen people were instantly excited to hear these words. Even though Yang Kai did in fact promise such a thing back then, none of them believed that he actually planned to fulfil his commitment. Unexpectedly, he was the one who took the initiative to bring up the matter today, which was enough to show his sincerity.
“Does Sir truly mean what he says?” The shaved-headed man spoke with pleasant surprise, “Even if I ask for Sixth-Order materials?”
Guo Zi Yan kicked him and scolded, “You want to refine Sixth-Order materials with your abilities? Better measure your own worth first, you smelly brat! Don’t bring your idiotic nonsense here!”
The shaved-headed man was kicked to the ground, but he didn’t mind at all. He patted the dust off his bottom and stood up, “Sir said it himself, not me!”
Yang Kai laughed, “If you want Sixth-Order materials, then Sixth-Order is what you will get; however, that is under the premise that you are actually capable of refining it. Otherwise, giving it to you will only harm your life.”
Without the right aptitude, forcibly condensing higher Order Elements would overburden one’s Dao Seal, which could lead to it being damaged, or in more serious cases, death.
The shaved-headed man laughed, “I don’t want Sixth-Order materials. This one’s aptitude is poor, how could he even dare refine Sixth-Order materials? Fourth… Uh, Third-Order will be enough for me!” When he saw Guo Zi Yan glaring at him, he quickly changed his tone.
Yang Kai casually threw something out at the man, “Your aptitude is not too outstanding, but it’s not dull either. Fourth-Order should be your limit. You can have this Fourth-Order Wood Core. You have only refined your Water Element so far, so the next is Wood. Once you have refined it, you can come back to this King to ask for the Fire Element material.”
The shaved-headed man accepted the object and fixed his eyes on it. As mentioned, it really was a Fourth-Order Wood Core, and it should be the core of a thousand-year-old tree. At once, he was overjoyed and shouted, “Many thanks to Sir for this reward! This one will definitely be at Sir’s beck and call in the future, I swear upon my life, at all costs!”
This group had been sorting through the tens of thousands of Space Rings before and handled countless good materials during that time, but those did not belong to them. Now, this Fourth-Order Wood Core was his, so the feeling was completely different.
When the rest saw this, they all gasped. As members of the lowest level of society, they had never seen or even heard of such a generous boss before. Even though they were also rewarded for their work with their lives on the line for Scarlet Star, who knows how much danger they had to face in order to receive one of the materials they needed? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have struggled this far and reached the Open Heaven Realm long ago.
But today, Yang Kai had casually granted a Fourth-Order Wood Core, even saying to the shaved-headed man that he could come back and ask for a Fire Element material of similar order once he was done refining the Wood Core.
In other words, as long as the shaved-headed man did not die, then he no longer had to worry about cultivation resources! Once he completely condensed his Yin, Yang and the Five Elements into his Dao Seal, that would be the day when he advanced to the Open Heaven Realm. But whether or not he could succeed at that time would depend on his own enlightenment and luck.
With the shaved-headed man as an example, the others naturally felt they would not be treated differently!
Even though they all knew that Yang Kai received a great harvest this time and that a Fourth-Order Wood Core would not mean much to him, at most being some scraps between his teeth, it was enough to raise their morale greatly.
The Sir that they were following now… seemed different to all others before!
After the shaved-headed man, a young man came forward and cupped his fist, “Sir, this one wishes to ask for a Fourth-Order Metal Element material!”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded and casually tossed out a Fourth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone to the man, “Refine it well and you may be able to cultivate the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light within. The power of the Divine Light is extraordinary, so if you can learn it, it will be of great benefit to you!”
The man thanked him excitedly. He had seen the might of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light before when it swept over the 3,000-strong force of Thunder Light and Sword Pavilion, wiping them all out. If he could truly learn the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light from refining this Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone, then his strength would definitely increase by leaps and bounds. Even if he couldn’t wipe out thousands like Yang Kai did with the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd that day, he would still gain a big advantage in battle.
One by one, the cultivators stepped up and named their needs, and Yang Kai readily responded to each of them without stinginess. However, some of them did truly have limited aptitude and could only refine Third-Order materials no matter how desperately they tried. One of them even asked for Fifth-Order materials, but did not get them.
But this was just their sad fate. If that was the extent of their aptitude, then it was something that simply could not be forced.
Very soon, dozens of people were rewarded. Each of them stood aside and looked at the treasures in their Space Ring with glee, thinking to themselves that they would properly cultivate once they had returned to their rooms and strive to build up their foundation to the Open Heaven Realm before the Grand Ancients Ruins Boundary closed. Once the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was closed and they were free from this place’s restrictive World Principles, they would immediately advance to the Open Heaven Realm!
When that time came, their power would soar to the Heavens, like a Great Peng spreading its wings and taking flight.
Yang Kai also turned his head around to look at the rest of the group. These were all people who have just refined their Dao Seal and had not had the time or resources to condense their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements Powers.
In comparison to the shaved-headed man and his group who had already established their foundations, this group was undoubtedly in a better situation. Even though they had just formed their Dao Seals, they had not been able to refine any Element Powers yet, which meant they could choose the most suitable materials for themselves and build as great a future for themselves as they possibly could.
With the previous group as an example, they naturally knew what sort of requests to make now.
Yang Kai wasn’t stingy either and even shared with them his cultivation experiences, “It would be best for you to start cultivating from the Wood Element. The Wood Element mainly focuses on restoration and bolstering vitality. Compared to the rest of the other Elements, it is also the gentlest one, and its risks are the lowest. What’s more, it is also a very useful element to have. If you ever get injured, then the Wood Element Power can help speed up your recovery.”
Yang Kai had no idea about this when he had just started condensing his Wood Element Power from the Immortal Tree’s essence. He had merely refined the Immortal Tree and incorporated it into his body, stepping onto the most stable path of cultivation.
At that time, Yang Kai still did not fully know about the mysteries of the Open Heaven Realm yet.
But with him advising them, these people listened seriously.
One by one, they stated what they wanted and like the first group, they also received materials in the Third and Fourth-Order. When it came to the very last person, the man cupped his fist and requested, “Sir, this subordinate would like to ask for a Fifth-Order Wood Element!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he looked over at him, “Fifth Order?”
The rest of them also looked at him in astonishment; after all, he was the first person out of their group who stepped up and asked Yang Kai for a Fifth-Order material.
“Indeed!” The man nodded.
Yang Kai observed him closely and found that this person was not considered too young, appearing to be around 40 or 50 in age. He was well-built and had a stable aura. Just by standing there, Yang Kai could still feel the man’s bold spirit.
Guo Zi Yan’s face changed, but just as he was about to say something, Yang Kai raised his hand to stop him, “What is your name?”
The man cupped his fists and replied, “This subordinate is Lang Qing Shan!” After a pause, he added, “This subordinate is confident in being able to refine a Fifth-Order material. Please, Sir!”
“Good. Very good!” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. Not only was he not angry, but he was even pleased. He searched his Space Ring with his Divine Sense and took out something resembling a blood coral that was around three metres long, “I’m not sure what this is exactly, and though it is of the Wood Element, it has the aura of blood about it. If you can refine it, I’m sure you should be able to grasp something useful from it. Take it.”
There were a number of Fifth-Order Wood Element materials in his Space Ring, but after comparing them, this one seemed to be of the highest quality. Even materials at the same Order could have big differences between them.
Lang Qing Shan’s eyes sparkled and he cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Sir!” He happily put the blood coral into his Space Ring and moved back to the side.
A group of people looked at him with envy. Yang Kai did say previously that anyone who wanted Fifth-Order or even Sixth-Order materials would be granted them. They never doubted Yang Kai’s words, but with the limits of their aptitude, they wouldn’t have the qualifications to ask even if they wanted to.
Lang Qing Shan was the first example to the contrary, and from Yang Kai’s reaction, he seemed to be very happy as well, as if he didn’t see them as outsiders. Instead, he was cultivating them as if they were part of his closest confidants. They were inwardly bitter about their poor aptitudes; otherwise, in this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, and with Yang Kai as their backer, how difficult would it be to advance to the Fifth-Order or even Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm?
With both groups rewarded, the remaining group in the Emperor Realm who had not even formed their Dao Seals looked on in envy. Without a Dao Seal, they naturally had no right to ask for any materials, so they had no idea what Yang Kai would grant them with this time.
Just as they were thinking so, Yang Kai suddenly turned his head to them, “As for you… You are all at the most malleable stage. Since you have not formed your Dao Seals yet, then there’s no need to rush. Take advantage of this good opportunity in order to strengthen your foundation and develop your potential to its fullest limit. Guo Zi Yan.”
“Subordinate is present!” Guo Zi Yan shouted in a solemn voice.
“Take these people out and train them carefully. When they try to form their Dao Seals, I want them to do it when they are at the very least able to withstand the impact of Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm materials. If any cultivation materials are needed, you can simply ask Yue He for them. If the matter fails to be achieved, then I will hold you responsible.”
Guo Zi Yan was taken aback before he turned around and looked at the dozen or so thugs and hooligans before him with a dark face. He had to admit that while some of them had decent aptitudes, most were merely so-so. If they kept going at this pace, then their cultivation limit would be the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, yet Yang Kai had actually asked them to form a Dao Seal that could withstand at least the Fourth-Order. In other words, if they succeeded, then this group of people would all become Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators in the future, or perhaps even higher.
[So, that is what Sir is trying to do!]
A shocking thought flashed past Guo Zi Yan’s heart, but he didn’t dare dwell too deeply on it. He gritted his teeth and cupped his fist, “Rest assured, Sir. If any of them cannot meet the requirements, then this subordinate will take his or her dog life first so as to not disgrace Sir.”
Now, it was the group’s turn to become dark-faced. They all knew about their Great Commander Guo’s straightforward nature, and that he would never joke about taking their lives. When the time came, if they did not fulfil the requirements set out for them, then they really were going to be killed by him. For a moment, some of them were shaking in their boots.
“Enough, the rest of you can now go. You stay, Commander Guo.” Yang Kai beckoned him.
Everyone withdrew respectfully.
Yang Kai took a seat and looked at Guo Zi Yan with some worry, “Great Commander, you are in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm and have no way of going back and recultivating, so I don’t know what to reward you. As such, I shall ask you instead, what is it you desire?”
Guo Zi Yan smiled nervously, “Sir is too generous. Serving Sir is this subordinate’s duty, how could this one ask for any further reward?”
Yang Kai laughed, “I’m rich now, very rich! And since you have been sorting out the Space Rings with your subordinates, I’m sure you know that fact as well. Since I’m so wealthy, I can’t forget about you. Your subordinates have all received their rewards, so how could you, who have contributed the most, ask for nothing?”
Guo Zi Yan answered, “Sir, this subordinate really…”
Yang Kai raised his hand, “Think about it carefully. There will surely be something that you want. Why don’t I give you 10 million Open Heaven Pills and you can properly cultivate with them? You should be able to break through to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm in short order with such resources.”
Guo Zi Yan was shocked. This Sir was truly straightforward, giving away 10 million Open Heaven Pills so simply. He had been a Great Commander for Scarlet Star for many, many years, yet he never even had 1 million Open Heaven Pills, much less 10 million.
With this, Yang Kai’s sincerity could be felt even more.
After carefully pondering for a while, Guo Zi Yan smiled embarrassed and scratched his cheek, “Sir, this subordinate has a Daughter…”
Yang Kai said firmly, “This King has several wives already. Before leaving, I was instructed not to pick flowers by the wayside or enjoy secret fruits.”
Guo Zi Yan’s face twitched, “Sir has misunderstood. This subordinate’s daughter has now cultivated to the Emperor Realm. Once this subordinate is out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then this subordinate is afraid that she will also have begun refining her Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements to break through to the Open Heaven Realm. This subordinate wishes to ask for materials for her.”
Yang Kai’s interest was aroused, “Oh? How is your Daughter’s aptitude?”
Guo Zi Yan beamed, “Her aptitude is definitely better than her father’s. She has hope to directly enter the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm!”
“En, not bad indeed.” Yang Kai nodded, “Where is she? Bring her to me and let me take a look at her. If her aptitude is really not bad, then you can even ask for Sixth-Order materials.”
Guo Zi Yan smiled, “She is not in the Star City. Sir should also know the history and condition of this Star City. Cold steel glints and flashes endlessly each and every day and the conflicts never end. This subordinate is also living a life filled with blood and violence. This subordinate did not want to drag his precious daughter down with me. She lost her mother young, so this subordinate sent her to a trusted friend to cultivate in peace long ago.”
Yang Kai made a knowing ‘oh’.
This was also a type of escape. If she truly did stay by Guo Zi Yan’s side in the previous Star City, then she would also have been whisked into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If that had happened, then it would truly be hard to say whether she would have remained alive until now or not.
“Then, once we are out of the Grand Ancient Ruins, bring her to me. I will grant her anything she needs.”
Guo Zi Yan was excited, “This subordinate thanks Sir!”
“Take these Open Heaven Pills as well. I’m sure you will need them while you cultivate.” Yang Kai tossed out a Space Ring to him.
Guo Zi Yan accepted it and swept his Divine Sense into it before calling out in alarm, “Sir, this is too much!” The Open Heaven Pills inside were piled into a small mountain. There were at least 10,000 of them.
“If I tell you to take it, then just take it. If it’s too much, you can divide them with your subordinates.” Then, Yang Kai got up and walked towards the inner room, “I will be entering retreat soon, so if there’s anything you need, see Yue He. She will naturally inform me.”
Looking at Yang Kai’s departing figure, Guo Zi Yan was overcome with gratitude and he couldn’t help but feel like a gentleman willing to die for his good friend. He cupped his fists and quickly said, “Subordinate obeys!”
Yang Kai walked to his own room, and in a flash, his figure disappeared. When he reappeared, he had already arrived atop a remote mountain.
Guo Zi Yan and the others had been sorting Space Rings over the past two weeks or so, but Yang Kai had not been idle. Everyone thought that he was in his own room, but he had in fact run out.
After finding out that the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary wasn’t as simple as he originally thought, and that there were even traces of a Divine Spirit, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t make any rash moves.
In those two weeks or so, he ran to several places to prepare several escape routes in case anything happened one day, greatly increasing his level of security.
He left Space Beacons at a number of well-hidden locations, so as long as he was not restricted by any Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Arrays or Secret Techniques that isolated space, no one could stop him.
The place where he was currently was Crouching Dragon Mountain, which was also the place where Yang Kai refined the Earth Element Dragon Bead back then.
The Scarlet Floor Dragon used to reside here, spreading its influence across the mountains, so no other powerful exotic beasts dared to come close. Once the Scarlet Flood Dragon was taken away by Yang Kai, this place became deserted.
Yang Kai did not come here to find precious treasures though.
Instead, he was here to cultivate. During his fight with the mantis head, Yang Kai was shocked by his opponent’s masterful sword techniques, which also helped him see his own shortcomings. In his hands, even an artifact as Heaven-shaking as the Azure Dragon Spear could not bring out much power. Up until now, Yang Kai had been relying solely on the Azure Dragon Spear’s penetrative force and his own strength to fight, not even touching upon the Spear Dao or any Spear Techniques.
Being able to kill the mantis head last time had been more of a gamble with a lucky ending than a true victory. If his opponent had made preparations against him, then Yang Kai might not have even won that fight.
Even though he had to condense his Yin, Yang and Five Elements with haste, even a clever woman cannot cook a meal without rice. Establishing a proper foundation now and enhancing his base prowess would only benefit him, while not doing so would leave him with lifelong regrets.
Now that he had a big helper like Scarlet Star, Yang Kai believed that he would surely be informed once news of materials of the Seventh Order or above appeared in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so there was no need for him to personally search for them.
During this waiting period, he could naturally do other things.
Guo Zi Yan and his subordinates were not only able to find a great amount of wealth in the tens of thousands of Space Rings, there were also many Secret Techniques and books, many of which were related to the Spear Dao. Yang Kai had set these all aside and was prepared to carefully study them so he could cultivate his skills. He relied greatly on the Azure Dragon Spear these days, and if he wanted to fully utilise its power in the future, this training was essential.
But he was in no hurry to cultivate Spear Techniques; instead, he stood on a mountain, closed his eyes, and concentrated as he carefully sensed inside his Dao Seal.
The air was distorted by the faint but burning heat emanating from Yang Kai’s body, and the space around him had also begun to undulate.
“Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and a Great Sun suddenly manifested behind his back. The Great Sun was blazing hot, as if there really was a Sun floating in the air, and in the middle was a Three-Legged Golden Crow flying about joyfully.
Great power was constantly flowing out from his body. Ever since the appearance of this Divine Manifestation, Yang Kai felt like he had shed his former body and was reborn. It was simply indescribable.
He now knew that this was called a Divine Manifestation thanks to Yue He.
Yang Kai remembered the complicated look on her face when she told him about it.
Only those who had condensed Seventh-Order or higher Elements or reached a Seventh-Order and above Open Heaven Realm could possibly achieve a Divine Manifestation. Even those in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm were not guaranteed to obtain a Divine Manifestation, and those who could were the best of the best, important figures in the Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai had no idea how he had achieved this either. He had been in retreat previously and trying to comprehend the mysteries of his Elements, and even though he intended to push his potential with the use of a life-or-death struggle, the result that he got was far beyond his expectations. A light flashed in his mind, and the Golden Crow’s True Fire began roiling inside of his Dao Seal, showing him the scene of the Golden Crow forging the Great Sun, then all of a sudden, the Divine Manifestation appeared naturally without obstructions.
Yue He said that once the Divine Manifestation appeared, anyone who knew at least a thing or two about it would deduce that Yang Kai had refined the Seventh-Order Golden Crow’s True Fire! It was a fact that simply could no longer be hidden.
And Yang Kai had no intention of hiding anything either. Since it got exposed, then so be it. They were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary anyway and no one could do anything to him. Once he was out of the Grand Ancient Ruins, then who knows whether he could advance to the Open Heaven Realm or not?
When that time came, who would he have to be afraid of in this vast world?
Quietly feeling the might of the Divine Manifestation, Yang Kai’s aura rose. He felt his strength growing powerful enough that he could destroy even a foe in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm!
A Low-Rank Open Heaven Master should not even think about beating him in a one-on-one fight anymore.
But… the consumption was also shocking! As soon as the Golden Crow Casts the Sun Manifestation appeared, Yang Kai could feel the energy inside of his body flowing rapidly as if a floodgate had been opened.
If this went on, then he would not even be able to sustain this Manifestation for a single incense worth of time.
That day, in the fight with Sword Pavilion, even if the Manifestation was not broken, Yang Kai himself would have had to dispel it. It seemed like it could only be used as a last resort, and once used, he had to kill his enemy in the shortest time possible, or he would be the one to suffer.
Exhaling lightly, Yang Kai dispersed the Manifestation, and his outflow of energy finally ceased.
Thoughts flashing, several Dragon Shields were erected around him. Each one of the shields was a Great Dragon with their heads and tails connected and spiralling into the shape of a shield, covered in dense Dragon Scales. The Dragon Claws and Dragon Teeth were clearly visible, and one could tell they were very sturdy at a glance.
This was only a Divine Ability, not a Manifestation.
Yang Kai frowned. It was from the Dragon Bead that he comprehended this Divine Ability, and that was why he suddenly had the idea to enlighten himself about his Wood and Fire Element Powers. He wanted to see whether he could learn anything from them, and he actually succeeded.
This Dragon Shield Secret Technique was the Divine Ability of a Great Dragon before its death, and it remained inside of its Dragon Bead after it fell. Yang Kai had a Dragon Source and the Dragon Clan’s bloodline, so he could easily comprehend it. If it were anyone else, they might not have been as lucky.
But this Dragon Shield was the Divine Ability belonging to the Great Dragon when it was still alive. Strictly speaking, Yang Kai was only comprehending something belonging to someone else for his own use, so this was not a discovery of his own.
Studying the Golden Crow’s True Fire led him to discover a Divine Manifestation like the Golden Crow Casts the Sun, so what about the Earth Dragon’s Bead? And what about the Immortal Tree? He should be able to learn a thing or two from these, right?
Yang Kai’s heart was eagerly thumping and immediately wished he could immerse his consciousness into his Dao Seal
But in the end, he dispelled the thought. Gaining insight into the Golden Crow Casts the Sun was a lucky opportunity in itself, so he may not necessarily be as lucky going forward.
Shaking off the distractions from his mind, Yang Kai looked around and got busy.
An hour later, a simple log house sat atop the hill. Rather than call it a log house, it might as well be called a pavilion as all four sides were open with only the roof and the floor covered.
Yang Kai took out a meditation mat from his Space Ring and sat cross-legged before bringing out a bunch of jade slips and placing them in front of him.
There were at least a thousand of these jade slips, all of which were related to Spear Techniques and Spear Dao.
Since he wanted to enhance his comprehension of the Spear Dao, the most obvious plan was to do plenty of research. Some of the information in these jade slips may be worthless, but he could still eliminate the bad and retain the good. Yang Kai believed that he was sure to gain something from this process, at the very least.
Casually picking up a jade slip and looking through it, Yang Kai kept an open mind and silently simulated the technique in his head.
The Secret Technique recorded in this jade slip was called One Spear Ten Kills and required strong explosive strength. Each spear attack was quicker and stronger than the last. Dealing all ten spear attacks in order multiplied its power.
He had no idea which unlucky bastard this belonged to, but in Yang Kai’s opinion, this One Spear Ten Kills was both flashy and impractical. During a life or death moment, who would give one the opportunity to go through ten whole moves to gather their strength? Once interrupted, this Spear Technique would become useless.
After a few moments, Yang Kai tossed the jade slip aside and picked up another.
Day after day went by. With neither sunrise nor sunset, it was not known how much time had passed here in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. The jade slips tossed aside by Yang Kai gradually increased as he completely immersed himself in the mysteries recorded in each. He had envisioned each Secret Technique in his mind one after another.
There were not many Masters among the tens of thousands of cultivators who these jade slips originally belonged to, so the Secret Techniques that they owned would naturally not be of too high a grade; however, it was still suitable for a novice in the Spear Dao like Yang Kai. If he was truly given something profound, then he may not be able to understand it; after all, he had never set foot upon this Dao before! Still, the Martial Dao was a path where one method could be applied to countless others. It could be difficult, but it could also be simple. It all depended on one’s insight.
One month later, Yang Kai tossed aside the last jade slip. When he reopened his eyes, there was not a single trace of fatigue. Rather, his spirit seemed to be glowing.
Even though he was just sitting there, he was surrounded by a profound aura, as if a long spear stood tall in his place.
His Spear Intent had come to life. Yang Kai had been simulating the techniques inside of more than a thousand jade slips during this time, and even though he did not try them physically, Spear Dao initial insights had been branded into his mind and Soul.
Yang Kai slowly got up and raised his hand towards the void, summoning his Azure Dragon Spear. When he grasped the spear this time, its aura suddenly felt different compared to before. When he was holding the Azure Dragon Spear before, it just felt like he was holding a large and lethal weapon, but now, there was a wonderful harmonization between them, as if this Azure Dragon Spear had become one with his own body.
With a flourish of his spear, Yang Kai thrust out.
One Spear Ten Kills!
*Duo duo duo duo…*
Ten spear strikes bloomed instantly one after another, each one quicker than the last, layering over each other. When the final thrust was executed, the power was truly twice as powerful as the first.
Even though it was his first time practising a Secret Technique, Yang Kai’s study over the past month and the strong foundation was enough for him to successfully perform One Spear Ten Kills on his first attempt.
Without pause, Yang Kai’s aura underwent a drastic change as the Azure Dragon Spear suddenly shook and seemed to turn into a lightning bolt that cut through space.
Thunder Spear Burst!
This move could only be performed by those who cultivated a Thunder Attribute Secret Art, and since he came here mainly to refine his Spear Dao to further enhance the power of the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands, Yang Kai did not reject any kind of technique.
With a flick of the spear, a spear-like shadow that stretched up to the sky enveloped the space in front of him, turning it into an iron wall to protect himself.
Spear Dragon Wall!
This was a rarely-seen defensive Spear Secret Technique. Spears were the Kings of weapons and any who used the spear would use ferocious techniques to take out their enemies as swiftly as possible. Defence was hardly considered, because once one begins to have such thoughts, he will only weaken their momentum, which would negatively affect their ability to fight.
But this Spear Dragon Wall was a good defensive art. Even when it served to defend, it was able to deal damage, which was extraordinary.
The Azure Dragon Spear danced endlessly. One by one, Spear Secret Techniques were being brought to light under Yang Kai’s hands. The Secret Techniques recorded in each jade slip were performed by Yang Kai as smoothly as flowing water, stirring up the winds on the mountaintop. The noise split through the Heavens alongside a faint Dragon Roar in the background. Yang Kai gradually forgot everything around him, even the passage of time, completely immersing himself in this wonderful state.
There were more than a thousand jade slips that Yang Kai obtained relating to Spear Secret Techniques. In other words, Yang Kai had fully memorized these techniques in just one month of study. Even if it was his first time performing the techniques, it did not seem the slightest bit difficult. He could basically perform all of the techniques, but how powerful they were was hard to say.
By the time Yang Kai had performed all the spear techniques, six days had passed.
But he did not stop there. Starting from One Spear Ten Kills, he did it all over again!
No one taught him how to perform these techniques. He had to explore them himself, using his own insights and might. So, using the simplest and most brute-force method, Yang Kai simply practised over and over again, figuring the day these techniques were burned into his instinct was the day that he succeeded.
Time passed, and a month later, after the final thrust of his spear, Yang Kai recalled his spear and stood in place.
In this one month’s time, Yang Kai had performed Spear Secret Techniques, one after another, at least five times over. As he did so, he realized that what he understood was not enough. Despite the fact that many of these Spear Secret Techniques were not too high in grade, there were some interesting points about some of them that made his eyes glimmer.
The more he performed them, the more things he could dig out from these techniques.
After calming down his rushing blood, Yang Kai put away his Azure Dragon Spear and tidied his clothes before turning around and returning to the Star City.
With the Space Beacon in place, he could come and go as he pleased.
Even though Yue He did not contact him during this period, meaning nothing big happened, Yang Kai still had to show up every so often to make his presence known. Otherwise, how would he be willing to stop his own cultivation halfway?
After walking out of the room and sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, he found where Guo Zi Yan was and sent him a message, telling him to meet him later.
A few moments later, Yang Kai found Guo Zi Yan at the pavilion in the courtyard.
After what happened last time, Guo Zi Yan had clearly taken a more respectful attitude toward Yang Kai. It could be because of his daughter, but also possibly because he realized that Yang Kai was a man true to his word.
After the usual greetings, Yang Kai asked, “Did anything happen recently?”
Guo Zi Yan smiled, “Thanks to Sir, everything has been peaceful.”
After a few questions and answers, Yang Kai learned about the situation during his absence. First, Guo Zi Yan’s several dozen subordinates had all basically been busy cultivating. The ones who had been awarded materials by Yang Kai naturally intensified their efforts in order to refine these Elements. For those who had yet to even form their Dao Seals, they were strengthening their foundations under Guo Zi Yan’s strict guidance so that when the day came for them to form their Dao Seals, it would become stronger and able to carry higher Order Element Powers.
Then, there was the situation of the Star City and Scarlet Star itself. Since spreading out the news of Yang Kai becoming one of their Foreign Elders, Scarlet Star’s reputation, which had fallen all the way to the ground, had now shot up to the Heavens. It could now be said to be the most powerful force in the entire Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Recently, they managed to recruit as many as 5,000 new members.
The entirety of the Star City had already been expanded to several times its original size. Whether it be the size or the number of cultivators gathered here, both were more than three or four times greater than before.
Yue He had been staying in Scarlet Star so she could monitor their income, lest they engage in any mischief; after all, 70% of everything Scarlet Star earned belonged to Yang Kai, and he had not returned for the past two months.
Great Moon Province’s three disciples, with Meng Hong at the lead, had entered retreat to cultivate. Even Chen Yue was refining her Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.
Guo Zi Yan scratched his head embarrassedly, “Right now, I am the only one still idle. So, Sir, if you have any requests, please just give the order and this subordinate will handle them for you.”
He was stuck in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm and had no hope other than to slowly increase his Order through the consumption of Open Heaven Pills. However, that was not something that could be rushed. It had to be done through a long period of accumulation, not overnight.
But Yang Kai really had nothing to order him to do. The situation he was in now could not be better. He could cultivate with ease and enjoy success without extra work, only needing to go over to check on the Seventh-Order or above materials once news of them came in. If he could fully refine his Yin, Yang and the Five Elements before the closure of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then that would be perfect.
As he waved Guo Zi Yan down, indicating for him to withdraw, he was just about to return to Crouching Dragon Mountain to cultivate when he suddenly frowned and muttered, “Those two…”
Before he could finish, he heard a rumble coming from underground, as if lightning had shot through the floor.
Guo Zi Yan’s face changed. Unsheathing his sword, he stood in front of Yang Kai to protect him. His aura had burst out like a panther on a hunt as he stared vigilantly at the ground.
Yang Kai patted him on the shoulder, indicating for him to calm down, “It’s just my two spirit beasts. They must have felt my aura and come to beg for food.”
A large pit suddenly appeared in the ground, and from there, a wriggling muzzle popped out, followed by a black and slippery-looking creature that rushed into the courtyard and turned over the rockery and the gazebo.
If it was not the Earth Dragon, who else could this disgusting fellow be?
After the Earth Dragon appeared, the Scarlet Flood Dragon also rushed over.
Both of them were several hundred metres long, so even though the courtyard was not small, it was still on the brink of bursting with the addition of the two of them.
Guo Zi Yan was pushed all the way back, and without a place to stand, he was forced to fly to the sky and look down speechlessly.
The Earth Dragon made its way over to Yang Kai and its muzzle was writhing without end, even opening its mouth at him occasionally. Its meaning could not be more obvious.
Even though the Scarlet Flood Dragon did not do the same, it also roamed around Yang Kai’s side, occasionally peering at him with its eyes in anticipation.
When he first met these two, their bodies were both around 300 metres long, but now, they had both grown to a length of around 450 metres, which could be said to be a massive growth! For Ominous Beasts like them, the greater the size naturally meant the greater their strength, too.
This was due to the Dragon Blood Pills. The Dragon Blood Flowers that Yang Kai harvested from Crouching Dragon Mountain were all of extremely high Grade, so the Dragon Blood Pills refined from them were naturally extraordinary as well. Yang Kai never forgot to take some while cultivating his Spear Secret Techniques, too, which showed obvious improvements for him. Since it was the case even for him, then there was no need to mention how great the improvements were for the Earth Dragon and the Scarlet Flood Dragon.
The amount of Dragon Blood Pills he refined the last time was quite big, and that place was originally the Scarlet Flood Dragon’s territory, so Yang Kai could be considered to have robbed the Scarlet Flood Dragon’s belongings. Now that he came to ask for food, there was no way Yang Kai could reject him.
And if he gave the Scarlet Flood Dragon some, how could he neglect the Earth Dragon?
Fortunately, they were not very needy and were satisfied after a single pill, which would take them a long time for them to digest. If their appetites were any greater, Yang Kai would start to feel reluctant to feed them.
Tossing out two Dragon Blood Pills, the Earth Dragon and the Scarlet Flood Dragon devoured them with joy. With a shake of its tail, the Earth Dragon slipped back into the hole and disappeared without a trace, but the Scarlet Flood Dragon stayed. Divine Sense surging, it transmitted a message to Yang Kai.
Thanks to the Dragon Blood Pills his sentience had improved, so simple messages were no problem for him.
Yang Kai frowned, feeling slightly puzzled, “Why is she here?”
The Scarlet Flood Dragon’s Divine Sense surged again. A short while later, Yang Kai nodded, “I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll go and take a look.”
After the Scarlet Flood Dragon had also crawled back into the hole, Yang Kai said to Guo Zi Yan, “I’m going out.”
Guo Zi Yan hurriedly responded, “Let this subordinate accompany you.”
“No need. I’m just going to meet a… Yes, an old friend.”
After that, he left, leaving Guo Zi Yan behind with questions unanswered. He had no idea who this old friend Yang Kai was speaking of was.
A hundred or so kilometres outside the Star City, at a log house on a small mountain peak, a graceful-bodied woman was looking out, unmoving, just like a rock.
Suddenly, a breeze blew her long hair gently.
The woman could tell instinctively that something was not right at that moment, but she could not tell what was wrong. Just as she was feeling doubtful, a voice suddenly sounded behind her, “Are you here to seek revenge?”
Shocked, the woman turned around in a hurry, but once she saw who it was, she once again calmed down.
Yang Kai looked strangely at her and shook his head, “I don’t sense any killing intent from you, no resentment or hatred either. Since you are not here to seek revenge, then why are you stalking me?”
This woman was Sword Pavilion’s Lu Xue. He had no idea why she would suddenly appear here…
That day in Sword Pavilion’s Star City, the mantis head may have died in his battle with Yang Kai, but Yang Kai did not get off unscathed. Being severely injured, he was helped out of the city by Lu Xue, who brought him to a remote cave to recover from his wounds. Yang Kai’s restorative abilities were shocking, so in just a few days, he was almost fully recovered. He did not even say goodbye before leaving.
After all, in Yang Kai’s opinion, the two of them were enemies, not allies. So, how could he still bid her farewell? He was already stunned that Lu Xue did not take the opportunity to try to kill him when he was so weakened.
He thought that the chances of them meeting again in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was slim, but who knew that he would learn from the Scarlet Flood Dragon that Lu Xue was right outside of Scarlet Star’s Star City.
The Scarlet Flood Dragon nearly had its head cut off under Lu Xue’s sword when she sliced its neck back on the Yuan Magnetic Mountain, so it naturally hated her to the bone and remembered her aura well, which made it unsurprising for it to know her whereabouts.
Because of that grudge, the Scarlet Flood Dragon repeatedly came to find trouble with Lu Xue for the sake of revenge.
Unfortunately, Lu Xue kept on avoiding it. As soon as the Scarlet Flood Dragon approached her, she would run far away. Once the Scarlet Flood Dragon left, she would come right back. After a few back-and-forth sessions, the Scarlet Flood Dragon gave up.
But when it saw Yang Kai this time, it told Yang Kai about it, hoping that Yang Kai could stand up for it.
Otherwise, why would Yang Kai come here?
More than two months had passed since the last time they saw each other, and Lu Xue’s injuries were much better now, though her aura was still slightly unstable. Her face was also pale, so she most likely still had a way to go before completely recovering.
“Did you need me for something?” Yang Kai asked. This woman showed no murderous intent, and her eyes had not the slightest bit of hatred as they looked at him. It was not likely that she came for revenge.
Lu Xue gave a nod.
“What is it? Just speak.”
Lu Xue opened her mouth as if to say something, but she could not make out anything even after a long time. She looked troubled.
Yang Kai quickly grew impatient. He was in a hurry to go back to Crouching Dragon Mountain so he could cultivate and did not have the time to be wasting on this woman; thus, he flicked his sleeve, “I’ll come back again when you’re ready to talk.”
After saying that, he turned around to leave.
Lu Xue’s anxious voice then emerged behind him, “I wish to follow Sir!” Worried that Yang Kai would go just like that, she ended up shouting out a little loudly.
Yang Kai turned his head over and looked at her strangely, “What did you just say?”
He wondered whether he had heard her wrong; otherwise, how could she make such an insane request?
Lu Xue looked firmly at him and blushed before she dropped her head and declared, “I wish to follow Sir. Please grant my request!”
Yang Kai definitely heard her clearly this time, but it was still hard to believe. Lu Xue’s actions at Sword Pavilion’s Star City had been perturbing enough for him, but her request today was even harder to parse.
How could she not have a grudge against Yang Kai after being tortured half to death by the Golden Crow’s True Fire? What’s more, he had even killed hundreds of her fellow Sect members from Sword Pavilion. Even leaders like Zhong Fan and Luo Qing Yun were slaughtered by Yang Kai personally. Anyone would want to get revenge on him if they were in such a position.
But in Sword Pavilion’s Star City, Lu Xue took the seriously wounded Yang Kai away and hid him in a remote place so that he could recover from his injuries in peace.
Even if she was generous enough to be able to put aside this hatred, her relationship with Yang Kai could only be described as ‘the well does not draw water from the river’, so why would she propose to follow him?
Yang Kai could not help but wonder whether she had any ulterior motives.
“I don’t mean anything else by it. I just wish to follow you. The Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary is a dangerous place, and I want to leave here alive,” Lu Xue looked up and explained.
If she had not witnessed the huge change that happened in Sword Pavilion’s Star City, then Lu Xue might not have thought of such a thing, but even the Pavilion Master, who was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master, was killed. There were even traces of Divine Spirits appearing in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. How could she feel safe alone in this place?
After thinking about it, she decided that it would be safer for her to stick with Yang Kai. At the very least, he was the strongest one in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If a great calamity came, then if there was anyone who could leave this place safely, it would most likely be Yang Kai.
The reason why she hid here was also because of her identity; after all, she was one of Sword Pavilion’s leaders. If she were to openly enter Scarlet Star’s Star City, she would definitely be captured. The reason she came around to this Star City was just so she could see when Yang Kai would come out, but instead of Yang Kai, she ended up encountering the Scarlet Flood Dragon several times.
Yang Kai looked deep into her eyes, as if he wanted to see into the depths of her soul.
But Lu Xue was unmoved, not showing the slightest guilt or falsehood.
After a moment, Yang Kai grinned, “Is that what you really want?”
Lu Xue nodded seriously, “Not a single word I speak is false.”
“You really won’t feel aggrieved?”
“Lady Yue He is also following Sir, and she is even more powerful than I. Does she feel aggrieved?” Without Yue He as an example, she might not have thought of such a request.
“Heh heh, you have a glib tongue,” Yang Kai put his hands behind his back and shook his head slowly.
Lu Xue’s face reddened slightly, “Is Sir worried? Worried that I may do Sir harm once I fully recover?”
She was already embarrassed to make such a request, so being bombarded with Yang Kai’s questioning only made it harder for her. She was even beginning to become angry out of shame.
“Worried? As if!” Yang Kai snorted. A Fourth-Order Open Heaven cultivator was hardly any threat to him here in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so he said decisively, “Since you’ve sent yourself to my door, it would be impolite of this King to refuse.”
He wanted to see what this little girl truly intended to do. Rather than guess her motives, he might as well keep her by his side. If she truly had any ulterior motives, then she would surely expose herself. At that time, he could just kill her.
Striding towards Lu Xue, Yang Kai arrived before her in just a few steps. He then reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her into his arms, “Do not resist!”
Lu Xue widened her eyes and in an instant, felt a masculine scent fill her nostrils. Panicking, she almost slapped him.
[What is he trying to do? Is he misunderstanding something here? I just said I wanted to follow him! I didn’t mean anything else by it!] Lu Xue was desperate to cry but was unable to shed any tears.
She thought of resisting, but when she remembered Yang Kai’s terrifying might, how could she possibly put up a fight in her current state?
Instantaneously a saying popped up in Lu Xue’s mind, [‘Like a sheep entering a tiger’s cave!’]
As a mess of thoughts filled her head, the space around her suddenly distorted, and she was plunged into darkness. The darkness devoured all of her vision, and she could not help but feel terrified.
In just an instant, her vision blurred before gradually restoring itself.
Yang Kai let go of her and grabbed his Azure Dragon Spear before walking ahead, “You have yet to fully recover, so focus on that. Do not bother me with trivial matters.”
Moving a thousand metres away, Yang Kai began executing his Spear Secret Techniques again and soon immersed himself in his practice.
Lu Xue stared dumbfoundedly at him and it took a while for her to come back to her senses. She looked around herself, but quickly realized she was no longer on the same mountain peak. Instead, she seemed to be in another place, and she had no idea how far they had moved.
[A Dao of Space Teleportation Technique!] Lu Xue realized.
Only then did she realize that she had misunderstood earlier. Yang Kai wasn’t trying to take advantage of her, he was simply pulling her through the Void and telling her not to resist for her own sake. If she were to make any moves while travelling through the Void, she might end up being devoured by it and never being able to find her way back.
Her pale face reddened slightly as she stood there quietly, watching Yang Kai dance with a spear in hand, sweeping across the sky.
Very soon, she picked up on something. Yang Kai’s Spear Secret Techniques seemed inexhaustible, coming out one after another with a brave and fierce momentum. At times the moves were wide and sweeping, while at other times they were as dense as rain. They looked powerful, and clearly an ordinary cultivator would not be able to take even one attack from him. Even if a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Master such as herself was to challenge him now, she might not be able to last long before losing.
But there was some hint of incongruity.
Lu Xue frowned, not knowing what it was.
A few days later, Yang Kai began repeating the techniques anew.
A few more days later, the same happened.
Lu Xue counted the techniques silently. From beginning to end, the Secret Techniques that Yang Kai performed totalled 1,134. Each repetition was different from the last, and each execution showed greater mastery.
[So, that’s it!] It finally dawned on Lu Xue as she understood what the incongruity was now, it was the level of mastery!
Despite Yang Kai’s powerful stance and imposing momentum, he was actually similar to a toddler learning to walk. Each step he took through the Spear Dao was steadier and more solid than the last.
After a month passed, Yang Kai put away his spear and stood, frowning in thought.
He had gained a lot through this period of practice, but when he thought back to the mantis head’s skills on that day, he could still see the great disparity between him and his opponent. His opponent’s skills were so natural that he commanded his blade like a gazelle brandished its horns, showing no traces of awkwardness or openings, making it hard for one to defend against or even anticipate.
Could it be something wrong with the way he was practising?
Just as he was wondering, he suddenly heard a voice, “Is Sir practising Spear Secret Techniques?”
When he turned around, he saw that Lu Xue had already come over to his side.
Yang Kai nodded. If she had not spoken, he would have forgotten about her completely.
Lu Xue asked, “For Sir to study over a thousand Spear Secret Techniques, is Sir trying to gather the strength of a thousand clans?”
“I do have that intention, but I don’t feel like I’m getting much out of it.” Yang Kai was a little frustrated. He had grown a lot in the Spear Dao compared to the beginning, but it was still much less than he expected. It was most likely because he had not been practising for long enough.
Lu Xue commented apprehensively, “Sir’s approach is very similar to that of an old friend of mine.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Did your old friend also cultivate this way?”
Lu Xue nodded, “Yes, but the techniques that he collected were not as numerous as Sir’s. He only knew around one or two hundred techniques to work with.”
The reason Yang Kai could collect so many Spear Secret Techniques was because he had gathered them out of the Space Rings of tens of thousands of people. Even if they were in the Open Heaven Realm, it was unlikely for Lu Xue’s old friend to have such an opportunity. Being able to collect one or two hundred alone must still have taken a lot of effort.
“And what became of his training in the end?” Yang Kai was eager to know.
“He succeeded.” Lu Xue showed a reminiscent look, “He spent decades gathering the strength of a hundred clans, eliminating the bad and retaining the good, and successfully cultivated a sure-kill spear attack. That technique is his strongest blow. I have sparred with him, and even in the same Order of the Open Heaven Realm, it was difficult to resist.”
“A sure-kill spear!” Yang Kai had a fascinated look on his face, but when he heard that it took this man decades, he felt a little speechless.
If gathering the strength of a hundred clans took several dozen years, then how many years would it take for him to gather the strength of a thousand clans?
Boundary and had plenty of time to waste. Before finding suitable materials to refine, he would be unable to refine more of the Yin, Yang and Five Elements. Otherwise, where would Yang Kai find the time to cultivate other things?
“Can you tell me the specifics of how your old friend cultivated?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Lu Xue answered, “He did the same thing as Sir. After collecting more than two hundred Spear Secret Techniques, he practised them day after day without rest. I remember hearing him say during that time that only after forgetting the hundreds of techniques, leaving only one behind, would he have succeeded in taking the next step. After several dozen years, when I saw him again, he had succeeded.”
“Forgetting hundreds of Spear Secret Techniques while leaving only one behind!” Yang Kai pondered on this wisdom and vaguely understood the man’s intention.
But though it was easy to say, how difficult must it be to accomplish this?
Spear Secret Techniques can be improved with repetition; at least, that was Yang Kai’s experience during the past two to three months. Once they are performed enough times and their essence could be understood, then it would be branded into one’s body as instinct. To forget such a thing would be as difficult as ascending to the Heavens.
But these words opened a new door for him and his eyes sparkled, “Greatest compliments to that old friend of yours!”
Lu Xue smiled, “Maybe Sir can give it a try.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and shook his head, “He has his own path and I have mine. His path may not suit me, but it is still worth learning from. You can go first.”
At those words, he began rehearsing his one thousand Spear Secret Techniques again.
Cultivation knows no time.
On Crouching Dragon Mountain, Yang Kai practised diligently. He had never devoted himself to one thing with such enthusiasm and dedication as this before.
The one thousand over Spear Secret Techniques were blooming brilliantly in his hands.
He returned to the Star City once every two months, firstly to show his face and to keep people from having ideas, and secondly to check on the status of his subordinates.
Progress was wonderful. The dozen people who had not formed their Dao Seals had now formed them, and they all exceeded their original limits, fulfilling Yang Kai’s requirements. Each of them came up to Yue He to seek Fourth-Order or even Fifth-Order materials in order to condense their Yin, Yang and Five Elements.
The ones who had already formed their Dao Seals and had their foundations laid had also refined at least one Element at the limits of what they could bear.
Yang Kai was very much looking forward to Lang Qing Shan’s results. As he expected, this guy was able to withstand the impact of a Fifth-Order Element on his Dao Seal and successfully gathered his Wood Element Power. Yang Kai offered him a Sun’s True Fire on his return, and he had now gone into retreat in order to condense his Fire Element Power. His speed and aptitude were not bad, even in the eyes of those from Cave Heavens and Paradises.
The Star City’s earnings were also extraordinary, and Yang Kai’s share was 70%. Naturally, he gained a lot, but these things were all auxiliaries, material goods. One’s true foundation was their own strength, so he never stayed long. At most, he would stay for two days before returning to Crouching Dragon Mountain to continue cultivating.
The matter that worried him did not seem to happen, as after razing Sword Pavilion’s Star City, the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider did not appear again. Of course, some cultivator strongholds would be destroyed by Beast Tides from time to time, occasionally with no survivors left.
Half a year later, Yang Kai’s aura stretched across the lands on Crouching Dragon Mountain with his spear as unrestrained as ever. Once he withdrew his spear, his aura calmed down in an instant and he stood in place to mull over his thoughts.
Not far away, Lu Xue was slightly stunned as she muttered, “1,035 types!”
There were a total of 1,134 Spear Secret Techniques when she began observing Yang Kai, but only 1,035 were now left. Almost a hundred Spear Secret Techniques were lost, and these were changes that appeared within this half a year.
In other words, Yang Kai was gradually forgetting the Spear Secret Techniques that he practised and was embarking on the exact same path as her old friend.
Lu Xue giggled secretly. In the end, it seemed this young man still had the heart of a boy, saying others had their own paths while he had his, but he was just being stubborn. In the end, he was still imitating others.
But to be able to forget a hundred techniques in such a short time was still shocking to Lu Xue; after all, it had taken her old friend several dozen years to achieve the same feat.
Her friend would not have been able to keep up with such a speed, but it did make sense. Yang Kai had already produced a Divine Manifestation through his insight even though he was only in the Emperor Realm. None before in the history of the 3,000 Worlds had accomplished such an achievement!
But the progress that came afterwards shocked Lu Xue even more!
It took Yang Kai half a year to forget 100 Spear Secret Techniques, but that number had already reached 600 after another half a year. He also seemed to be on the brink of attaining mastery of the remaining 500.
Almost every day, several or even a dozen Spear Secret Techniques would disappear from Yang Kai’s routine, and the rate that they were disappearing by was increasing more and more.
Two months later, when Yang Kai thrust out his spear, no traces of any Secret Techniques were left, only the simplest stab, swing, slash, and sweep, just like a beginner who had only picked up a spear, holding it clumsily and waving it around with only the slightest strength applied.
But his every move looked unusually arduous. The muscles on his arm bulged and the aura around him rippled as if there was a huge invisible force resisting the spear in his hands, keeping him from moving it freely.
Anyone could probably dodge such an attack with ease.
Lu Xue was now utterly confused.
But she could instinctively feel that a terrifying power was hidden behind each strike. The peak of the Grand Dao was a realm of simplicity. Seemingly ordinary movements could contain an infinite number of variations. If she were to rush towards Yang Kai at this moment, then she most likely would not be able to resist the power of his spear.
He remained in such a state for a year. For a year, he did not stop to rest.
Lu Xue watched nervously each and every day, worrying that Yang Kai would suffer cultivation dissonance. She thought of returning to Scarlet Star to report to Yue He of her findings, but she was worried that something would happen to Yang Kai once she left, so she had no choice but to sit and watch.
After two years, her injuries had long since healed, bringing her back to peak condition; even so, the mental strain was still a little tiring for her.
One day, Yang Kai, who seemed to be listless and dazed, suddenly looked in another direction. The spear in his hands repeated the same simple movements, flowing like water in a natural circular swing.
A Dragon Roar burst out and Dragon Pressure spread, enveloping the Heavens and Earth.
Lu Xue was shocked. When she looked up, it was as if a Great Dragon had appeared, stretching across the sky, with just a corner of its eyes, its gaze swept across this plane, sending shivers into one’s heart.
A huge spear shadow covered the world, but Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen. The only thing left in her vision was the spear light that pierced through all.
“Not constrained by paths, reality, or restraints. Not remaining in one state, not bound by one doctrine. Transcending Heaven and Earth, transcending technique and skill. My spear is limitless, my heart is free!”
The sound of manic laughter shook the world, startling birds and beasts alike.
Once Lu Xue’s vision was restored, the only thing she saw was Yang Kai, floating in mid-air with his black hair flying in the wind, spear seized in one hand. His black eyes were so bright that they were scary.
Spear marks marred the skies, and the World Principles themselves writhed as they tried to gradually restore the damage.
[What a terrifying spear technique!] Lu Xue’s heart trembled as she stared dumbly at the scars that were gradually closing up. She knew that the strength of this youth before her must have soared tremendously after this enlightenment.
But he was taking the same path as her old friend? After forgetting more than a thousand Spear Secret Techniques, shouldn’t he master a sure-kill spear? Why was the end result so different? The spear technique that Yang Kai presented at that last moment was indescribable. Though her friend’s sure-kill spear had ferocious power, it was a singular technique with no room for evolution; however, the potential of Yang Kai’s spear technique seemed infinite.
The superior technique between the two was obvious.
[Is it truly as he says? He had his own path?]
“Sir, what technique is this?” Lu Xue asked curiously.
Yang Kai cocked his head to the side and thought about it before grinning, “Limitless Spear!”
“Limitless Spear!” Lu Xue murmured, “Ever-changing with endless power, not bound to any one technique and moving freely of its own will. An apt name.”
She smiled, “But Limitless Spear doesn’t sound very imposing. What about Supreme Limitless Spear?”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened. Even though only one word was added, it gave a completely different feeling. With a hearty laugh, he nodded, “Very good! As you say, this will now be called the Supreme Limitless Spear!”
Yang Kai felt great pride as he held his spear in hand. He spent two years gathering the knowledge of more than a thousand clans, eliminating the bad and retaining the good, eventually cultivating the Supreme Limitless Spear, which can be considered a great achievement.
With this Spear Secret Technique in hand, he did not dare say that he had fully unleashed all of the Azure Dragon Spear’s might, but it was a definite improvement.
If that mantis head was still alive and Yang Kai were to fight him again, then he was confident that he could kill him with his spear within ten breaths. The mantis head may have been masterful with his blades, but Yang Kai’s skill with the spear was no longer shallow either. Compared to two years ago, it was as if he had shed his former body and been reborn.
With his new Spear Secret Technique, there was no need for Yang Kai to stay around any longer, so he instructed Lu Xue, “Pack up and return with me.”
Lu Xue answered him in the affirmative but still felt a little apprehensive. After all, her identity was sensitive to Scarlet Star, so she had no idea whether she would be given any trouble once she was there.
But since she had chosen to follow Yang Kai, she could only endure it even if she were treated badly if she wanted to leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary safely.
After taking out his Communication Artifact and checking it, Yang Kai discovered that Yue He had tried to contact him numerous times.
Previously, he would return to the Star City once every few months, but during the last year, when he had been at a critical moment in his enlightenment, he had not shown up once, which probably worried Yue He.
At this moment, Yang Kai received another message on his Communication Artifact. Sweeping his Divine Sense over it, he read out in pleasant surprise, “You little fatty, I was wondering whether I’d find you or not, but since you’ve thrown yourself into the net… then don’t think you’re getting out so easily!”
Yue He’s message actually told him that the little fatty, Xu Zhen, had come to seek him out, and he had been waiting for almost two months now.
This little fatty came from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven and was a Grandmaster when it came to Artifact Refining and the Dao of Spirit Arrays. Yang Kai wanted his help in setting up a Defensive Spirit Array in the Star City, but unfortunately, he had no idea where he was. He did not expect to receive news about him now.
In a few steps, he arrived by Lu Xue’s side, grabbed her arm, then communicated with his Space Beacon, causing them to both disappear in an instant.
Back at the residence, in front of Yang Kai’s room, a charmingly naive and fair-skinned little fatty stood side by side with Yue He, waiting with an anxious look on his face.
The little fatty was Divine Cauldron Heaven’s Xu Zhen, who had left after refining the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd for Yang Kai. Now it seemed he had successfully refined his Metal Element. His appearance here was proof of it.
He was a disciple of Divine Cauldron Heaven, so his aptitude was extraordinary. He had come seeking Yang Kai in order to ask for a Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone, naturally because he was certain he could refine it.
“Elder Sister, when will Brother Yang come out of seclusion?” Xu Zhen turned to ask Yue He.
“I don’t know either.”
Yue He slowly shook her head, “Usually, Young Master would appear once every two months before going back into retreat. I have no idea what happened this time, but I have not heard anything from him for an entire year.”
Xu Zhen glanced around and asked worriedly, “Brother Yang has not had a dissonance in his cultivation, has he?”
Yue He’s face changed, “How can that be? Young Master has such phenomenal aptitude and such abundant resources that it is impossible for him to suffer cultivation dissonance, not to mention that he should not have reached a critical point yet. He should not be in any danger.”
The little fatty shook his head, “It is hard to say. The path of cultivation is treacherous, and the consequences are unpredictable.”
Yue He became worried at his words, and she also started to doubt herself.
Xu Zhen struck while the iron was hot, “Why don’t I break the barrier, then we can check on his condition?”
“Forgo that thought!”
Yue He glared at him. Having seen this little fatty’s abilities before, she knew that he would not need to spend too much effort if he truly wanted to break the isolation barrier, but if he did so, then he was bound to disturb Yang Kai. If Yang Kai truly happened to have reached that critical juncture in his cultivation, even if he did not have a dissonance in his cultivation now, he would after.
Xu Zhen laughed embarrassedly, “I was just kidding, please quell your anger, Elder Sister. Ah, what a shame. This one would have liked to present Brother Yang with another opportunity, but it seems… oh? He’s out!”
The barrier around the room in front of them suddenly closed before the door was opened softly. A brave and heroic figure stepped out. Who could it be if not Yang Kai?
Yue He smiled and could finally rest her uneasy heart, going up to greet him with a smile. After just two steps though, her smile stiffened on her face when she saw the person behind Yang Kai, staring at her, stunned.
Xu Zhen was also a little dumbfounded, turning to Yue He to ask, “Elder Sister, did you not say that Brother Yang was in retreat? This… How did this…”
[Who would bring a woman with them while going into retreat?! And he was even with one of the leaders of Sword Pavilion!]
[It was said that Yang Kai had spent an entire year in retreat. Tsk tsk tsk. What has he been doing for that one year?] Xu Zhen could not help but let his mind wander when he looked at Lu Xue, envious of Yang Kai’s good fortune.
“What are you doing here?” When Yang Kai looked up and saw Xu Zhen and Yue He, he felt it to be strange. The little fatty had a wretched smile on his face, but Yue He’s face was livid. Her tender body was shaking and fire was practically spewing from her eyes. She was constantly staring through him, at something behind him.
Yang Kai looked over and saw the blushing Lu Xue before quickly shrinking his neck in realization as he muttered, “I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding…”
There was a Space Beacon placed inside his room that allowed him to come to and go from Crouching Dragon Mountain, so he naturally returned to that room. It would have been fine if nobody had seen anything, but once he was caught in the act, it would inevitably lead others to think of things that they shouldn’t.
“Yes, a very great misunderstanding indeed!” Yue He scoffed and turned around, flicking her sleeve behind her. A cold aura was left everywhere she passed, which made Guo Zi Yan, who just entered, a little nervous. He immediately rushed aside so as not to be dragged in.
Xu Zhen laughed wretchedly, “Brother Yang’s backyard is on fire! Why don’t you go and put out the fire first and we can talk later?”
Yang Kai had a stern look, “Brother Xu, you really have misunderstood. It is not what you think.”
Xu Zhen said, “It’s useless to explain to me.”
Yang Kai looked at Lu Xue, then back at him, and shook his head speechlessly. He did not try to explain anything and just gave instructions to Guo Zi Yan, “Lady Lu Xue is now one of our people. So take her and settle her down in a suitable room.”
“One of our people!”
Guo Zi Yan was shocked, feeling as if there were a deeper meaning behind Yang Kai’s words, so he quickly responded, “Yes!”
After excusing herself, Lu Xue left with Guo Zi Yan.
Guo Zi Yan treated her with great respect on the way, as if she was the Mistress of the household, which only made Lu Xue feel even more embarrassed.
Inside the reception hall, Chen Yue served up a pot of tea before excusing herself respectfully. Yang Kai and Xu Zhen sat across the table from each other, and only then did Xu Zhen reveal his intentions for coming.
“Brother Yang, I have another big opportunity for you!”
He had refined the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd for Yang Kai the last time he said something similar, so Yang Kai was excited to hear him say so again. He urged with curiosity, “Do tell, Brother Xu.”
Xu Zhen told him, “For a genius of Brother Yang’s calibre, what Brother Yang refined is definitely a Seventh-Order Fire Element, right?”
“That is correct.”
There was no way of hiding it. Yue He had already told him that once the Divine Manifestation, Golden Crow Casts the Sun, was revealed, it was the same as announcing this fact to the world.
Xu Zhen began, “The Seventh-Order Golden Crow’s True Fire can only be suppressed by a Seventh-Order Wood Element, so Brother Yang must also have a Seventh-Order Wood Element Power. During the battle two years ago, Brother Yang used an Earth Divine Ability as a shield. I could tell that the shield is unusually strong and an extraordinary Divine Ability in its own right. Obviously, it must also be of Seventh-Order. In other words, Brother Yang must have gathered at least three Seventh-Order Elements, Wood, Fire, and Earth.”
“Brother Yang has taken such a tremendous risk and did not hesitate to fight against thousands, blocking the passage at the very end and checking everyone’s Space Rings back on the Yuan Magnetic Mountain. I believe your intentions must have been to seek a Seventh-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone.” Speaking up to here, Xu Zhen slowly shook his head, “Unfortunately, though the resources on that Yuan Magnetic Mountain were abundant, no Seventh-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone was produced, which must have been a great disappointment.”
Yang Kai looked at him with a smile, “Brother Xu, have you heard of this saying before?”
“What saying?” Xu Zhen was curious.
“Smart people usually don’t live long.”
This fatty had met him twice, and even those times were quite brief. Yang Kai was surprised that Xu Zhen was actually able to deduce so many things about him and almost dug up everything about him despite their limited contact.
Xu Zhen quickly waved his hands, “I was just saying. Please don’t blame me, Brother Yang. However, Brother Yang’s ambitions of reaching the Seventh-Order Open Realm in a single leap are now clear.”
Yang Kai looked calmly at him, his expression showing neither happiness nor anger.
“I came this time for matters relating to a Seventh-Order treasure!” Xu Zhen suddenly lowered his voice.
Yang Kai’s expression changed, “Seventh-Order treasure? Of what Element?”
If it were either Wood, Fire, or Earth, then it would not be worth much to him, but if it were any other Element, then he definitely must obtain it. Since entering the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Yang Kai had only found the Earth Dragon Bead, which was also something he had encountered by chance, at the Seventh Order. It was hard to find Seventh-Order materials even in a natural treasure trove such as this Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, much less anywhere else.
Last time, during the Golden Crow carcass’s appearance, great forces of all over were alerted and everyone fought to get their hands on it. A few High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters even joined the fray. If a material of the Seventh Order truly did appear in the 3,000 Worlds, it would not be Yang Kai’s turn to fight for it.
For him, the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was his greatest chance.
“If I’m not mistaken, it should be of the Water Element!”
“Water Element!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. After Metal came Water, which was still useful for him. Even if he couldn’t refine it now, there was nothing wrong in collecting it ahead of time.
But rather than becoming tempted, Yang Kai looked suspiciously at Xu Zhen, “Brother Xu, if a Seventh-Order Water Element material has appeared, why not just take it for yourself? What did you come to me with this news for? Don’t tell me that there are two such treasures…”
“Seventh-Order materials are so precious that finding even one is considered a blessing from the Heavens. How could there be two?” Xu Zhen shook his head and laughed, “Only, the trip might be slightly dangerous. Brother Yang’s strength is great, so I am also dragging you over to bolster my own courage.”
Naturally, Yang Kai did not believe his words. This little fatty was one Divine Cauldron Heaven’s Core Disciples. Even though Yang Kai had never seen Xu Zhen fight before, he must not be weak. But even he called the trip dangerous, so it must truly be a terrifying journey. He was most likely recruiting Yang Kai to increase his battle strength.
“I will not hide it from Brother Yang. The two of us will not be the only ones going. That place was actually discovered by a friend of mine, and there will be around five or six of us going on this trip.”
“Five or six!” Yang Kai was amazed. Xu Zhen had called these people his friends, and anyone he could call a friend must have an extraordinary background and strength. It was most likely that they were all the elite disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Grinning, Yang Kai asked, “There is only one Seventh-Order treasure, but around six of us. How will it be split?”
Xu Zhen said with a smile, “We will travel together, but once we arrive, then every man will face his own destiny in life or death!”
“An interesting proposition!” Yang Kai’s emotions were churning. He hadn’t been on such an adventure in a long time, so just listening to Xu Zhen talk about it made his blood boil. He wanted nothing more than to set out right now.
“Does that mean Brother Yang agrees?” Xu Zhen looked at him.
“There is one problem.” Yang Kai looked at him, puzzled, “Brother Xu has asked me for the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone last time, so you must be cultivating Sixth-Order Elements. Why are you coveting this Seventh-Order material?”
Xu Zhen explained seriously, “Among the Yin, Yang and Five Elements, Wood and Water are the gentlest and their impact on one’s Dao Seal is the smallest. Even though I aspire to enter the Sixth-Order, condensing Seventh-Order Wood and Water Elements should pose no problem to me. Did Brother Yang’s Master not tell you this?”
Yang Kai suddenly realized that Xu Zhen’s approach was just as he had speculated to his dozens of subordinates. Even though some of their foundations were already set, it was possible to build on it to gain even greater strength from certain Elements.
If he did not guess wrong, then the Wood Element Power that this little fatty cultivated should be of the Seventh Order. Only, the rest of his elements were in the Sixth-Order, which meant he would eventually break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Of course, Yang Kai had no Master or Elders to tell him about these intricacies. Even though the Proprietress treated him well, she clearly did not expect his ambitions to be so high and never even thought of telling him about such things. There was a lot of common-sense information that he had to hear from Yue He.
After laughing and brushing the matter aside, Yang Kai continued, “By the way, there is one matter that I wish to seek Brother Xu’s help with.”
Xu Zhen asked, “What is it?”
“I wish to hire Brother Xu to arrange a Grand Array in this Star City to increase its defences!”
Xu Zhen could not help but feel a little speechless, “This is Scarlet Star’s Star City. Brother Yang is merely a Foreign Elder in name, so why do you care so much?”
“It will be beneficial to me, definitely.” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Xu Zhen could not refuse, so he could only say, “What about this. I will help you once we return. It is too late for that now. I have already agreed with my friends to meet in five days. We have to set off tomorrow or we will not make it in time.”
The next morning, when Yang Kai and Xu Zhen left the residence, everyone came to see them off.
Yue He hid at the back of the crowd with a terrible look on her face. Yang Kai heard from Guo Zi Yan that this woman threw a huge tantrum last night, smashing the things in her room and scaring them so badly that they did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan and instructed, “This trip should not take too long. While I am away, watch over them and supervise their cultivation carefully. If you need any resources, ask Yue He.”
Guo Zi Yan answered, “Yes.”
Yue He pouted at the back, “Hmph…”
Yang Kai glanced at her, “Yue He, you know what to do if you encounter any danger that you cannot handle.”
Yue He tilted her head to the other side, “Heh heh…”
Lu Xue felt guilty to hear her laugh like that and stepped forward, “Sir, should this Mistress follow you?”
“No need. Just stay here and help Yue He manage the Star City.”
Lu Xue withdrew reluctantly and glanced quietly at Yue He, only to see this woman smiling coldly at her. That smile sent shivers down her spine and she knew that if this misunderstanding was not unravelled soon, she would not have an easy life in the future.
“You can all return now. Brother Xu, let us go,” Yang Kai called out to Xu Zhen before rising to the sky.
Xu Zhen followed nimbly behind.
After the two of them left, Yue He finally put away the smile on her face and lifted her skirt in a huff, turning around and leaving. Lu Xue quickly followed her shouting, “Big Sister Yue He, there is something that I wish to speak with you about!”
Yue He shot her a brilliant smile, “What a coincidence. I also have something to say to Little Sister Lu. Let us go to my room.” Saying so, she took Lu Xue’s arm affectionately and brought her off with a big smile.
Guo Zi Yan and the others at the back could not help but shudder.
…..
The Sun, Moon, and Stars did not exist in the Grand Ancient Ruins, and without them, Yang Kai did not even know which direction he was flying in. Following behind Xu Zhen, they sped along for three days, passing by many cultivator strongholds, which Yang Kai looked at in amazement.
These strongholds came in all shapes and sizes. Some were grand, while others were extremely well hidden. The large ones could house tens of thousands while the small ones could hold no more than several hundred, eking out a living in the strange environment of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
There were also crumbling strongholds that had quite obviously been destroyed by Beast Tides. Rotten corpses lay around in an upsetting manner.
The entire original Star City was swallowed up when the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary opened, and at least several hundred thousand people were sucked in. Now, after several years, it was likely less than half of them remained alive.
Nearly 50,000 perished in Sword Pavilion’s Star City alone, so the number of lives lost since the opening of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary could be imagined.
Three days later, the pair could hear the sound of beating waves from afar, and they could also taste salt in the air.
Yang Kai was stunned, “There is a sea in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?”
Xu Zhen explained, “The Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary covers such a vast area. The area we are familiar with is nothing more than one corner of this world, so what is so strange about there being a sea here?”
A few moments later, a huge sea with crashing waves entered their view. Waves curled up as high as 30 meters, making a huge noise as they crashed down.
Yang Kai suddenly had a realization. Xu Zhen said that they were seeking a Seventh-Order Water Element treasure, and the sea was filled with the Water Element Power, so it should come as no surprise for it to produce a Seventh-Order Water Element material.
After arriving at the sea, they flew for 6 more hours before Xu Zhen suddenly said, “We’ve arrived.”
At the same time, Yang Kai discovered several unfamiliar auras. Looking over, he saw several scattered figures ahead, standing on a small island spanning no more than a kilometre across.
One of them stood on the beach with his hands behind his back. His stalwart figure was dressed in black robes and when he looked over, his sharp hawk-like eyes gleamed, as if he was staring into one’s heart.
A short distance to the side of him was a young girl sitting on a rock. She kept her head down and Yang Kai had no idea what she was doing. Her hair was spread down over her shoulders, concealing most of her face.
Another figure was a young man, sitting down cross-legged on a treetop a thousand meters behind the young girl. He was silently cultivating and his figure bobbed along with the wind. Yang Kai could feel a profound aura from this man.
Yang Kai shivered faintly in his heart. Even though none of these people were in the Open Heaven Realm, they all gave him the feeling that they were not to be trifled with. Were these the friends that Xu Zhen talked about? Yang Kai had no idea which Cave-Heavens or Paradises they came from, but their heritage was clearly not ordinary.
Yang Kai and Xu Zhen landed, and the black-robed young man standing with his hands behind his back called out, “Fatty, you’re late.”
“No, no, I’m not late. There’s still one day before the time limit.” After a pause, he added, “Also, Brother Lin Feng… Stop calling me fatty or I’ll have to fall out with you.”
Xu Zhen was smiling even while saying such words, not showing any of his emotions. Lin Feng coldly snorted and turned to look at Yang Kai instead, raising his chin at him, “You made us wait this long for this guy? Which Cave-Heaven or Paradise does he come from? How come I’ve never seen him before?”
Xu Zhen explained, “This, I’ve never really asked.” He turned to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, where are you from?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I don’t come from a Paradise or Cave-Heaven. Just think of me as grass by the roadside that’s not worth mentioning.”
Xu Zhen was stunned.
He had seen Yang Kai bringing out a Divine Manifestation and he was even aspiring to break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. He had a Master in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm such as Yue He following him around, calling him Young Master, so he really thought that he was either from a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise. It was surprising to hear from Yang Kai that he wasn’t.
Without the deep heritage and cultivational resources of a Cave-Heaven or Paradise, how could he come this far?
“Brother Yang must be joking,” Xu Zhen’s mouth twitched. He clearly did not believe him, but since Yang Kai was unwilling to tell him, he did not pry.
The black-robed young man coldly snorted, “Fatty, this guy isn’t a disciple of any Cave-Heaven or Paradise, and you’re just going to casually let him join us?”
Xu Zhen answered, “Brother Lin, I have seen Brother Yang’s skills before. In terms of ability, even you are weaker than him.”
Lin Feng’s eyes narrowed, “Truly?” When those words left his mouth, his battle intent was instantly heightened, and his aura was suddenly pushed to its limit. A burning gaze was locked onto Yang Kai, as if he wanted to fight him here and now. Obviously, he was unconvinced by Xu Zhen’s words.
He was a Cave-Heaven disciple with a phenomenal foundation. Even though he had yet to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, he was still strong enough to fight a few rounds with a Master in the First-Order Open Heaven Realm. What could this guy be capable of?
“Stop it.” Xu Zhen eyed him speechlessly, “You will naturally see his abilities later.”
He then turned to Yang Kai and said, “Brother Yang, let me introduce you. This guy is Lin Feng, a Core Disciple of True Martial Cave Heaven.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists courteously, “Greetings Brother Lin.”
[He really is a Cave-Heaven disciple.]
When he met Xu Zhen and that guy surnamed Yin, Yang Kai wondered whether other Cave-Heaven or Paradise disciples had been sucked into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but he didn’t expect to meet them today, and there were more than one here.
Yang Kai had no idea why these few happened to be in that Star City at that time and got dragged into that unexpected disaster.
But there were also opportunities to be discovered in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. For them, favoured sons and daughters of the Heavens, being dragged into this place may not be a bad thing.
Lin Feng coldly snorted, pointing his nose to the sky.
“This here is Gu Pan from Lang Ya Paradise!” Xu Zhen pointed to the girl who seemed to be busy doing something on the rock.
The girl got up in a hurry and her cheeks seemed to be puffed. She greeted softly, “Greetings, Senior Brother Yang!”
Her voice was very soft, just like a kitten, so Yang Kai could tell she was a gentle girl.
But Yang Kai was amazed by something else.
This girl called Gu Pan actually came from Lang Ya Paradise!
That was where Zhang Ruo Xi’s ancestor came from. After awakening her Heavens Order bloodline, Zhang Ruo Xi inherited a part of her ancestor’s memory, and she also intended to head to Lang Ya Paradise after leaving the Star Boundary. In the end, they were devoured by the Myriad Facets Insect and separated halfway there.
Later, Yang Kai ended up stranded in Seven Wonders Land while Zhang Ruo Xi was nowhere to be seen. Yang Kai figured that she must have gone to Lang Ya Paradise; after all, that was her ancestor’s homeland. If she went there, it would be like returning to her homeland, so she would surely not be rejected.
Yang Kai wanted to look for Zhang Ruo Xi at Lang Ya Paradise after he entered the Open Heaven Realm, but who knew he would actually run into a Lang Ya Paradise disciple here?
He was pleasantly surprised and almost wanted to ask about Zhang Ruo Xi, but held back.
This matter could not be rushed. He would first see Gu Pan’s character before deciding later.
“Greetings, Junior Sister Gu!” Yang Kai returned the greeting after suppressing his impulses. The girl then sat back down and lowered her head again, going back to what she was doing.
“And that over there… That is Ning Dao Ran. He is from Free and Unfettered Paradise.”
Xu Zhen pointed to the young man bobbing up and down on the tree branch.
Even though this young man did not look old, he had an ethereal air about him, an immortal temperament only found in old Masters. If Yang Kai were to judge him based merely on his aura and not his appearance, then he really would not be able to guess how long this man had lived.
Ning Dao Ran did not get up. He just erected a single palm towards Yang Kai, “Greetings, Fellow Daoist Brother!”
“Senior Brother Ning!” Yang Kai returned the greeting.
Xu Zhen looked left and right and scratched his head, “Where did that seductress Qu Hua Shang go?”
As soon as he said that, a figure appeared behind him from the middle of the sea. She had a delicate figure dressed in translucent fabrics. Water vapour still lingered around her body when she emerged, attracting infinite imagination.
Yang Kai looked over to see an enchanting woman standing behind Xu Zhen. She was half a head taller than him and leaned over Xu Zhen’s ear, exhaling an orchid scent, “Who are you calling a seductress, you fatty?”
Xu Zhen looked down and lowered his head. The look on his face was as if he was thinking that form was emptiness, and emptiness was form. He raised a thumb and pointed behind him, “This seductress is from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Her name is Qu Hua Shang. Be careful, Brother Yang. She is most adept at seducing men. Don’t fall for her tricks or you’ll have the Yang Qi sucked out of you until you die… Aiya, why are you twisting my ear! Hurry and let me go! I’ll beat you if you don’t let go!”
“Who’s seducing who? Who’s sucking whose Yang Qi?” Qu Hua Shang gritted her teeth while twisting Xu Zhen’s ear harder, “Our Yin-Yang Cave Heaven cultivates the path of Yin-Yang Union, not those dirty and underhanded tactics of harvesting that you speak of. Do not slander me in front of outsiders.”
Xu Zhen’s face distorted in pain, but he dutifully kept an eye on Yang Kai and warned, “Just be careful of this woman, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai smiled, “Brother Xu is exaggerating. Yin alone does not form life, Yang alone does not provide growth. The Yin-Yang Union is one of the world’s Grand Daos and is not as impure as you think it is.”