Yang Kai pondered for a moment before asking, “You said that your Old Ancestor Mo Yu is severely injured, right? How much of his power can he exert now?”
With a bitter expression, the man replied, “I don’t dare to speculate on such a matter…”
Yang Kai snorted, “Cut the crap and tell me what I want to know!”
“60%? Perhaps 70%.”
After a nod, Yang Kai moved his foot away from the man as a glint flashed across his eyes.
The severely wounded Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was a wicked man, so it wouldn’t cause any psychological burden to Yang Kai to kill him. More importantly, since he was the Sect Master of the Black Feather Sect, he must have brought all the Sect’s valuables with him when he fled.
It had cost Yang Kai a massive amount of resources to arrange the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array in Void Land, and even though he had made a fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he couldn’t bear the depletion of resources at such a speed. Furthermore, he was bringing 600,000 people from the Star Boundary to Void Land. These people would need cultivation resources as well.
Perhaps he could get his hands on the Old Ancestor Mo Yu’s wealth here.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look at Embodiment. Presently, Embodiment was seated with his legs crossed, circulating a certain Secret Technique. Following his move, the Void Cracks that had appeared due to the epic battle were restoring themselves rapidly, and the broken World Principles within a radius of several hundred thousand kilometres were also getting repaired at an incredible speed. Moreover, the depleted World Force was being replenished.
Yang Kai was lost for words, and after communicating with Embodiment a bit, he was amazed.
After the battle, four Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives. Three of them were Third-Order, while one of them was Second-Order. The corpses of these Open Heaven Realm Masters were destroyed, and some of them had even turned into dust; however, when their Small Universes broke apart, the Principles and World Forces all leaked out.
These invisible powers filled the battlefield, so through the Demon Realm, Embodiment activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and was amazed to learn that he could absorb these powers directly.
That was the reason the broken Principles were getting restored rapidly, and the World Force was being replenished as well.
This reminded Yang Kai of the battle in Seven Wonders Land previously. After those Open Heaven Realm Masters were killed, their World Force escaped from their bodies and some of it was assimilated by Seven Wonders Land.
Yue He said that the World Force that leaked from their bodies could enhance the heritage of Seven Wonders Land and make it more prosperous. That was how those Cave-Heavens and Paradises became so powerful. After their Masters passed away, their Small Universes would break apart, and their World Force would get infused into their Headquarters. As time passed, those Cave-Heavens and Paradises slowly developed into such formidable great forces.
Now, it seemed that what was happening in the Demon Realm was similar to what happened back in Seven Wonders Land.
However, there was a huge difference between the two. At that time, many Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives in Seven Wonders Land, and many of them were Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters; nevertheless, despite the fact that a lot of World Force was released into the air, there was not much that Seven Wonders Land could absorb. Most of it was wasted and dissipated into the void.
Nonetheless, it was a different case in the Demon Realm. The entire Universe World was built on the foundation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so with Embodiment in charge, he could activate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and absorb all of the leaked World Forces.
Demon Saints like Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo were able to detect the tiniest changes in this Universe World, so they soon appeared to be surprised. As Embodiment continued with his movements, the transformation was getting more conspicuous.
Initially, Yang Kai was hesitant, but after realising the great transformation the Demon Realm was going through, he made up his mind and turned to look at the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Then, he said with an amiable expression, “We’ve had a long chat, but I haven’t found out what your name is.”
That man replied in a shaking voice, “S-Sir, my name is Ma Yuan De.”
Yang Kai nodded his head and fished out the Loyalty List from his Space Ring. After turning to page three, he passionately said, “Come. Use your Blood Essence and leave your name and aura here.”
An incense stick late, Ma Yuan De turned into a ray of light and shot into the sky.
At the same time, on the ship that was in the periphery of the Demon Realm, Old Ancestor Mo Yu was seated in the host’s seat while Lu Xue was seated across from him. Both of them seemed to be having a delightful conversation.
From the looks of it, they appeared to be old friends, but Mo Yu secretly felt bitter. When he detected a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s presence with his Divine Sense earlier, he was truly horrified, thinking that those from Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat had found him.
He almost decided to flee; however, after some quick examination, he realised that the person was unfamiliar to him. He was certain that he had never met her before.
Not willing to give up the chance to heal his wounds, Mo Yu suppressed his doubts and stayed put. After communicating with each other from a distance, he realised that this Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had nothing to do with Rising Heavens Pavilion or Flying Flower Boat. She was actually one of the Managers of Sword Pavilion.
He was aware of Sword Pavilion, and he had even come into contact with its Leader several times, so he knew that it was a powerful great force he could not afford to offend.
After probing for a bit, he realised that Lu Xue could answer all his questions correctly, and upon confirming her identity, he set his mind at ease.
Since she wasn’t from Rising Heavens Pavilion or Flying Flower Boat, there was nothing he needed to fear. He was an acquaintance of the Pavilion Master of Sword Pavilion, so he knew that it would be impolite of him to shut Lu Xue out; therefore, he invited her aboard his ship.
He had never come into contact with Lu Xue before, so he wasn’t sure about her temperament. Naturally, he wouldn’t dare to expose the state he was in. Therefore, when they were communicating, he had suppressed his injuries so he would not appear weak or frail when they met face to face.
As they spoke, Mo Yu repeatedly hinted that he was in the midst of something important and really couldn’t entertain her for long; however, Lu Xue was unfazed as though she didn’t understand him, which made him slightly displeased.
With that said, she was just as powerful as he was, so he wouldn’t dare to flare up at her.
Just then, Mo Yu felt something and turned his head, only to see a figure rapidly approaching his ship. A blood-soaked man landed on the deck and shouted in excitement, “Report!”
Mo Yu raised his head, and upon seeing that the person was his subordinate Ma Yuan De, he became elated and shouted, “Come in!”
Ma Yuan De respectfully entered the cabin and swept a glance around. A hint of surprise flashed through his eyes when he saw Lu Xue, but he soon cupped his fists and said, “Old Ancestor, we’ve completed our task!”
Old Ancestor Mo Yu already had this speculation, but upon confirming it, he still guffawed and praised his subordinate. Then, he looked at Ma Yuan De with a joyful expression and said, “All of you have made a significant contribution. This Old Ancestor will reward you handsomely later!”
A joyful Ma Yuan De replied with a fawning smile, “It is the duty of this subordinate to share Old Ancestor’s burdens, so I won’t dare to ask for any rewards.”
After stroking his slightly ruddy face, Mo Yu turned to look at Lu Xue, “Elder Lu, as you can see, this Old Master has something to attend to…”
With a faint smile, Lu Xue rose from the chair, “Since you have other matters to attend to, this Mistress will take her leave.” Certainly, she wasn’t willing to simply depart; however, if she insisted on staying, the other party’s suspicions would be aroused. Just when she was pondering on what she could do next, she saw Ma Yuan De imperceptibly giving her a hint with his eyes.
After giving it a thought, she understood his message and set her mind at ease.
“En, safe journey, Manager Lu. When this Old Master is free in the future, he will head to Sword Pavilion and pay you a visit,” Mo Yu said respectfully.
With her lips pressed together, Lu Xue smiled faintly, “This Mistress and Pavilion Master will await your arrival.”
A moment later, Mo Yu stood on the deck as he looked into the distance and watched Lu Xue leave. It wasn’t until he could confirm that she was really gone that he could finally relax, then he waved his hand, “Bring us down.”
Then, the ship passed through the crack in the World Barrier and arrived at the Demon Realm.
The aura of the Universe World whisked across his face, and upon closely feeling the Principles and World Force of this world, Mo Yu became ecstatic as he realised that it was a little different from what he felt previously. This world seemed to be even more suited for him than he had expected. If he could devour the power of this world, not only could he heal his wounds, but his power would also increase.
Certainly, he couldn’t ascend to the Sixth-Order, but it would save him at least a hundred years of hard cultivation.
Such a revelation made him feel over the moon. Since his good-for-nothing son’s scandal was exposed two years ago, everything seemed to be going wrong for him. Finally, he could turn things around on this day.
This pleasant surprise made him have the urge to throw his head back and laugh at the sky; however, the next moment, his pleasant surprise turned into horror.
A vine that radiated a light of seven colours extended from the Void. More surprisingly, the aura of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm could be felt wafting from the vine. Wherever the vine passed, the space collapsed and the surrounding world trembled.
[An ambush!] Mo Yu felt his heart clench in his chest as he could sense the horrifying power coming from the vine. Then, he bellowed and, ignoring his injuries, activated the Grand Array of his ship.
In an instant, a green light barrier appeared around the ship.
The vine lashed the light barrier and caused a loud bang. The light barrier lasted for only one breath before cracking apart like a broken mirror.
It wasn’t that the defence of his ship was weak, and usually this kind of attack could not have broken its protective barrier; however, over the past two years, Mo Yu had been pursued by the top cultivators from Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat. After more than ten battles, the Grand Array around the ship had been severely weakened, and in the last battle, it was even shattered.
After some patchwork repair, the Grand Array was able to start running again, but its power was less than 20% of that at its peak, which was why it couldn’t withstand this one attack.
*Kacha…*
The vine didn’t stop and lashed the middle of the ship, smashing its midsection. The entire ship was almost broken in two. Upon impact, the Low-Rank cultivators on the deck exploded into blood mist without even being able to cry out.
Mo Yu sprayed out a mouthful of blood, but that was because his wounds had been irritated after he forcefully activated the ship’s defence rather than because he was injured by the blow.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure hurriedly trying to escape from the ship and bellowed, “Ma Yuan De, how dare you betray me?!”
The person dashing out of the ship was none other than Ma Yuan De, who reported the ‘good news’ to him. As an experienced man, Mo Yu immediately figured out that he had fallen into a trap. Ma Yuan De must have decided to betray him after he was offered some benefits.
Suppressing the weltering vitality in his chest, Mo Yu pushed out a palm in rage.
Ma Yuan De was only a Second-Order Open Heaven Master, so how was he supposed to parry a raging attack from Old Ancestor Mo Yu? The attack struck his back as the violent World Force penetrated his physique and assaulted his Small Universe, which severely injured him in an instant.
With his face turning ashen, Ma Yuan De sprayed out pieces of his five viscera and six organs as he fell from the ship. He lost all his aura before he even hit the ground.
Although Old Ancestor Mo Yu was seriously wounded and couldn’t fully display his true might, a Second-Order Open Master like Ma Yuan De was unable to counter his raging attack.
He lost his life after just one attack.
Mo Yu didn’t even bother to take a look at his corpse. As a thought flashed through his mind, the gigantic ship immediately moved backwards. He was a decisive man, so upon learning that he had fallen into an ambush, he knew that he was unable to turn things around, so he decided to flee instead of fighting.
However, Embodiment, Yu Ru Meng, and Bei Li Mo were already well prepared. As soon as Yang Kai activated the gourd vine, they mobilised the World Force in the Demon Realm. As the three of them yelled at the same time, the World Force madly streamed towards the ship. At that instant, the speed at which the ship was moving slowed greatly as the space around it became as thick as mud.
Without any defence, the ship started cracking. Even though it had slowed down though, it was still steadfastly retreating.
Although three Demon Saints of the Demon Realm had joined forces, they were unable to stop their opponent from leaving, which went to show that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was truly powerful.
Seeing as the ship was about to leave the coverage of the World Force, they were flustered; however, regardless how hard they tried, they were unable to stop the ship.
According to Yang Kai’s plan, they had to stop their opponent from leaving the Demon Realm with their collective power so that they would have a chance to kill him; therefore, they couldn’t let him go easily.
At the most critical moment, a nearly 1,000-metre-long Dragon that was surrounded by Demon Qi swam across the sky and attempted to grasp the ship with his gigantic Dragon Claw.
Chang Tian had come to lend them a hand!
“Stop him!” Old Ancestor Mo Yu bellowed and widened his eyes. Dealing with Embodiment and the others was taking all of his energy, and his wounds had been irritated just now; hence, he was completely powerless to stop Chang Tian’s attack.
Fortunately, he wasn’t the only Open Heaven Realm Master on the ship.
Besides the five Open Heaven Realm Masters that Yang Kai had seen in the Demon Realm, there were three more Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters aboard the ship now.
Following Mo Yu’s growl, the three Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters finally came to their senses and activated their World Force as they sent out Divine Abilities to attack Chang Tian.
The Dragon was heard wailing as blood spurted out of his giant figure along with bits of his flesh and scales.
After just one breath, Chang Tian was sent flying away. His huge figure writhed in the air and crashed into a mountain, which instantly collapsed.
Fortunately, he managed to hold up his opponent for a moment, giving Yang Kai the opportunity to summon the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd and open the lid, whereupon a profound multi-coloured light burst forth from the artifact.
“That’s…” Upon realising the Order of the mysterious light, Mo Yu became horrified as he couldn’t understand why such a powerful artifact would appear in this damned place.
Without any defence, the ship was immediately damaged by the Divine Light while the Open Heaven Realm Masters had to use all their might to resist its horrifying power.
As the auras of World Force undulated, waves of energy clashed with one another.
Despite all that, the ship was still rapidly leaving the Demon Realm. Presently, more than half of the ship was already outside the Universe World and in just a few breaths’ time, it would break free from the trap.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth, and with bloodshot eyes, he attempted to look for something in the void. It wasn’t until he saw a cold flash of light expanding before his eyes that he breathed a sigh of relief.
[She’s finally here!]
The cold flash was completely silent, but it soon turned into a colossal sword wave and slashed across the ship.
“What?” Old Ancestor Mo Yu was flabbergasted.
Sensing the terrifying power behind this attack, he leapt off the ship without hesitation. Without him taking charge, the ship, which had lost all its defence, was unable to withstand such an attack.
The sword light silently slashed across the middle of the ship as well as a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was trying his best to resist the Divine Light, before fading.
The violent battlefield descended into a moment of eerie silence as only some heavy panting was heard coming from everyone’s mouths.
Following a crack, the ship broke in half, with a smooth cut running across a large section of it. Besides that, a line of blood appeared on the forehead of the cultivator who was struck by the sword light earlier.
After he realised something, his eyes were filled with horror and fluster. Then, he tried to turn around and cried out, “Old Ancestor, save me!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the line extended downwards until it reached the part between his thighs.
Following that, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. Just like the ship, this Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master split in two in mid-air as his five viscera and six organs scattered everywhere. He lost his life just like that!
It wasn’t until this moment that the other two Low-Rank Masters came to their senses and exclaimed as they moved to the sides and examined themselves. Upon confirming that they were fine, they heaved a sigh of relief.
Looking up, they saw a woman whose clothes were flapping in the wind appearing in the crack in the World Barrier. There was a cold water longsword in her hand, and she sported a frosty expression on her alluring face.
“Elder Lu!” Old Ancestor Mo Yu said through clenched teeth. Despite the fact that he was infuriated, he could only suppress his rage as he yelled, “What’s the meaning of this!?”
The woman who had destroyed his ship as well as his subordinate and appeared before him was none other than Lu Xue, who had left not long ago.
[Why is she here? How did she come back so soon?] Countless questions flashed through Mo Yu’s mind.
Lu Xue replied impassively, “Mo Yu, you’re fully aware of what’s going on, so what’s the point of asking the obvious?”
The corners of Mo Yu’s eyes twitched as he said through gritted teeth, “The predator has become the prey. This Old Master is willing to admit defeat, but there are two things that I don’t understand, so I hope you’ll enlighten me.”
Lu Xue stared silently at him without the intention to say anything.
Yang Kai stored the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd and grinned meaningfully, “Just ask away if there’s anything you don’t understand. Don’t worry. I’ll let you understand everything before you die.”
After finishing his words, he waved his hand, whereupon Guo Zi Yan, Embodiment, Yu Ru Meng, and Bei Li Mo pounced on the two remaining Low-Rank Masters.
The two Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters exclaimed and hurriedly parried their attacks as the two parties descended into a melee.
Old Ancestor Mo Yu’s face twitched as he took a look at his last two subordinates who were in the Open Heaven Realm. After hesitating between lending them a hand and standing idly by, he turned to look at Yang Kai and demanded, “Who do you think you are to speak to this Old Ancestor?”
As a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he naturally had no regard for an Emperor Realm Junior like Yang Kai. Since the beginning, Lu Xue had been his only enemy. As long as he could persuade her to let him off, he would be able to flee.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xue dispassionately answered, “He is my Young Master.”
Hearing that, Old Ancestor Mo Yu became shocked as he sized Yang Kai up and asked hesitantly, “Are you the Young Pavilion Master of Sword Pavilion?”
He couldn’t be blamed for having this kind of speculation. After all, Lu Xue was also one of the Elders in Sword Pavilion. The person she would call ‘Young Master’ could only be the Young Pavilion Master.
“Sword Pavilion?” Yang Kai snorted, “I destroyed it long ago. Sword Pavilion ceased to exist more than ten years ago.”
“What?” Old Ancestor Mo Yu widened his eyes and stared at Yang Kai in disbelief. Then, he turned to look at Lu Xue as though he was trying to get some confirmation from her.
However, he couldn’t tell anything from her indifferent expression. Seeing that, he was astounded. He now believed that Sword Pavilion had really been destroyed.
At that instant, he was drenched in cold sweat. He had personally witnessed how formidable the Pavilion Master of Sword Pavilion was and there were a lot of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in Sword Pavilion. The collective power of Sword Pavilion was far greater than that of Black Feather Sect.
[Who is this young man? To be able to destroy such a great force! Is he the son of an Elder from one of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises?]
Both shocked and doubtful, he no longer felt disdainful of the young man.
Yang Kai looked smilingly at him, “Mo Yu, didn’t you say you have two questions? Ask away now, or you’ll never have that chance again.”
An incensed Mo Yu took a deep breath to settle his raging emotions before asking, “I want to know why you’re making things difficult for this Old Master. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time we have met, and there are no grudges between us. Why must you force me to my end?”
“Making things difficult for you?” Yang Kai smiled and opened his arms wide as though he was trying to embrace the entire world, “This Universe World is mine. You’re raising chaos in my land and even coveted this world’s Principles and World Force. You’re the one making things difficult for me, not the other way round.”
Old Ancestor Mo Yu became startled for a moment before he stammered, “T-This must be a misunderstanding. Initially, I thought that this was an ownerless place. If I knew it had an owner, I wouldn’t have made such a rash move.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Since you’ve done such a thing, there’s no point explaining. Things have come to a point that only one of us can live!”
Old Ancestor Mo Yu’s face fell as he suppressed his fury and turned to look at Lu Xue, “My second question is, Elder Lu, how did you return so quickly?”
He was completely certain that Lu Xue had left, which was why he dashed into the Demon Realm without worries; however, not long after he barged into the Universe World, she came back and struck him from behind. Even though Lu Xue was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it should be impossible for her to move around so swiftly.
This was something he could not figure out. If it weren’t because of her attack at the last moment, he could’ve fled from the Demon Realm instead of getting trapped here with no way to save himself.
“It’s none of your business,” Lu Xue replied impassively. The reason she could come back so quickly was that she had made use of Space Beacons. Earlier, before leaving, she secretly left behind a Space Beacon in the void, and at the most critical moment, she activated the Space Beacon and returned in an instant before sending out that horrifying attack.
The Space Beacons were given to her by Yang Kai as he was worried that the ship’s owner would be too powerful. With these items in possession, Lu Xue could easily flee. None of them could have expected that the Space Beacons could be used in such a way at the most dangerous moment.
Hearing her reply, Old Ancestor Mo Yu was infuriated as a myriad of expressions came over him.
“Mo Yu, you can just speak calmly. Why do you pretend to be so infuriated? You’re a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so I don’t believe that you’ll lose your cool so easily.” Yang Kai looked mockingly at him, “You’re putting on a show and being verbose in order to stall for time and restore your aura, right? However, you’re still injured, so what does it matter if you’re given more time?”
The fury behind the Old Ancestor Mo Yu’s eyes dissipated as he looked solemnly at Yang Kai, “Since you’ve seen through this Old Master’s intentions, why are you playing along?”
Yang Kai calmly looked at him, “Because I have to stall for time as well.”
A horrified Old Ancestor Mo Yu immediately scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense, only to hear Yang Kai saying, “Don’t worry. There’s no other ambush. All of our strength is right in front of you; however, it isn’t hard for us to deal with you.”
Both shocked and doubtful, the Old Ancestor Mo Yu wondered what Yang Kai was stalling for. In a despairing state, he sported a ferocious expression as he snarled, “Brat, this Old Master admits that he is no match for you, but it doesn’t mean I’m completely powerless to resist, so it isn’t easy for you to kill me. If this Old Master goes all out, I can easily destroy half of this Universe World. Since this is your territory, I’m sure you don’t want that to happen.”
“En, you’re probably right about that.” Yang Kai nodded gently, “The attack from a desperate Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is not to be underestimated.”
Old Ancestor Mo Yu snorted, “This Old Master will admit defeat. Just tell me what you want. As long as I can give it to you, I’ll not haggle over it.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Old Ancestor, you’re mistaken. The reason I’ve lured you into my trap isn’t that I covet your wealth; instead, I want your life!” Upon finishing his words, he suddenly sported a hideous expression. He appeared like a starving ferocious beast that had his eyes on its prey.
Old Ancestor Mo Yu bellowed, “Boy, why are you insisting on killing me? What will you get out of it to have both parties harmed?”
“We’ll see if you’re capable of doing that!” Yang Kai scoffed.
Just then, a shriek was heard. It was one of the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Black Feather Sect who was killed by Guo Zi Yan and Embodiment.
This Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was already caught in a trap, so his morale was low to begin with. On the other hand, Guo Zi Yan was a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he was stronger than his opponent to begin with. With Embodiment’s assistance, it was easy for him to kill this lone enemy.
After one fell, Guo Zi Yan and Embodiment directly pounced on the last Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Presently, that person was held up by Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo. Initially, he could still deal with them, but after Guo Zi Yan and Embodiment joined the battle, he felt immensely pressured, like a lone ship in a raging storm as the ship might capsize at any moment. Desperate, he exclaimed, “Old Ancestor, save me!”
At the same time, Yang Kai bellowed, “Begin!”
A sword light flashed as Lu Xue became one with her blade and turned into a ray of light before slashing at Old Ancestor Mo Yu’s head.
Mo Yu gritted his teeth and performed a hand seal. Then, he pushed out his palms and summoned two mysterious lights. The lights criss-crossed one another and became an artifact that looked like a pair of scissors before trying to cut through Lu Xue. At the same time, he bellowed, “Brat, since you don’t want me to live, I’ll not make things easy for you either!” Then, he madly surged the might of his Small Universe and clashed with Lu Xue.
Loud booms were heard as the stunning battle between two Fifth-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters took place. At that instant, the world seemed to have turned upside down, and the Principles were rapidly shattering apart.
Just like what Old Ancestor Mo Yu had said, even though he was no match for Lu Xue in his current state, she also couldn’t end his life in a short period of time. With two Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting against one another in the Demon Realm, it would have a huge impact on this Universe World.
That was the reason rarely any Open Heaven Realm Masters would make a move in a Universe World as they might accidentally shatter the world. In the past, the Star Boundary was almost destroyed for this very reason.
Initially, Old Ancestor Mo Yu wanted to make Yang Kai cautious about acting lest he harm the innocent, but the latter didn’t seem to care one bit.
Huge Void Cracks started appearing. All of them looked like the mouths of ancient beasts, and the aura of nihility could be felt coming through the cracks.
Cracks were everywhere in the sky, and the ground was shaking violently. In just ten breaths’ time, the area within a radius of a hundred thousand kilometres transformed beyond recognition.
On the other hand, the Low-Rank Master from Black Feather Sect was suppressed by Guo Zi Yan and the others, and he was totally powerless to counterattack. In a despairing state, he begged for mercy. Naturally, Embodiment and the others ignored him and cast even more lethal moves.
Right then, Yang Kai came over with his Azure Dragon Spear in hand.
After he used Golden Crow Casts the Sun, a Sun leapt out from his back and cast a golden glow on the world. In the middle of the Sun, a Golden Crow was seen frolicking and cawing. Before the attack even reached the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, the menacing aura already terrified him to his core.
A weakness in his defence was exposed while he was flustered. Seizing the chance, Bei Li Mo landed a palm on his chest. As Ice Principles spread around, a layer of frost was formed on his chest, which made him unable to move.
The next moment, Azure Dragon Spear stuck his chest. A violent force was infused into his body through the spear, whereupon he sprayed out a mouthful of blood, and his expression became pale.
At this life-and-death moment, he gritted his teeth and madly burned his Blood Essence as his aura surged; however, before he could make a final struggle, Yu Ru Meng appeared before him as her eyes turned into an endless abyss, which sucked his Soul Avatar into it.
Embodiment came over and landed a palm on his head, which directly broke his skull.
The last Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from Black Feather Sect was killed just like that.
Given their current strength, they shouldn’t have been able to kill these two Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters with such ease. In the past, when Great Demon God made a fuss in the Star Boundary, the Great Emperors had to relentlessly fight back with all their powers and pay a hefty price before they could end his life. At that time, the Great Demon God showcased a power that was not weaker than that of the two Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, things were different with Guo Zi Yan around. He was in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, which was at the peak of the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm. As long as his opponent wasn’t a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, he was practically peerless.
After the battle was settled, Embodiment directly sat down with his legs crossed. Just like what he had done before, with the entire Demon Realm as a medium, he started activating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
This time, four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had followed Old Ancestor Mo Yu to the Demon Realm, and they were all killed. After their Small Universes collapsed, the Principles and World Force they had condensed wafted from their bodies.
With Embodiment making a move, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law madly absorbed the powers in the air and replenished the lost heritage of the Demon Realm.
The Void Cracks that had been formed due to the battle between the two Mid-Rank Masters were rapidly getting repaired, and even the broken Principles were stitched back together again.
Upon sensing the transformation in his surroundings, Old Ancestor Mo Yu exclaimed, “What is happening?”
An Open Heaven Realm Master could swallow the heritage of a Universe World to strengthen himself, and in the same way, if an Open Heaven Realm Master lost his life in a particular Universe World, the heritage of that place would be enhanced as well.
As a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Mo Yu was fully aware of this; however, even if a Universe World could receive nourishment after an Open Heaven Realm Master passed away, it could only absorb a small portion of it. Most of it was wasted, and only 10 to 20% of it could be retained.
He had never expected that a Universe World could proactively absorb the World Force coming from dead Open Heaven Realm Masters. At this moment, this world seemed to have turned into a living creature, and it was as though it could gobble up all the World Force it was fed. This revelation made him shudder.
While he was in a dazed state, a sword light slashed across his chest and almost cut him into halves. He exclaimed and resisted with all his might. That was how he was spared the fate of getting killed on the spot. After the strike, his chest was covered in blood, and his flesh had rolled up. Through the wound, his heart was seen pounding. The situation he was in became increasingly perilous.
It was at this point that he understood why Yang Kai had to stall for time.
This eerie world was able to completely absorb the World Force from dead Open Heaven Realm Masters and repair its own damage at an incredible speed. Hence, his subordinates had basically become food for this world.
Yang Kai was stalling for time because he had to kill all the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters as soon as possible. Only by doing so could he ensure that the world would not be destroyed by the battle between the two Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Upon that realization, Mo Yu became crestfallen. Initially, he wanted to showcase his immense power and let Yang Kai know the consequences of forcing him to his end; however, seeing as this world was rapidly repairing itself, he knew that there was no hope for him.
Both Lu Xue and he were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, while one was at the peak of her power, the other was severely injured. It was obvious which one of them was stronger.
In just a stick of incense worth of time, Mo Yu’s aura plummeted. Faced with Lu Xue’s relentless assault, he could only parry but not fight back.
He had repeatedly attempted to leave the Demon Realm, but Guo Zi Yan and the others were not there just to watch a show. They already surrounded the battlefield, and as soon as Mo Yu showed signs of fleeing, he would be suppressed, which made him feel so frustrated that he almost spat blood.
From time to time, Guo Zi Yan and the others would cast their Divine Abilities to tire him out.
The battle lasted for three days. Presently, the aura of Old Ancestor Mo Yu had completely withered while Lu Xue was panting heavily. Even though she had the upper hand from the start, it wasn’t easy to kill a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“This Old Master is willing to surrender! Little Friend, please spare my life! This Old Master will swear upon his Dao Heart that he will always obey your orders. If I go back on my word, I’ll die a horrible death!” Old Ancestor Mo Yu exclaimed with a livid expression.
However, Yang Kai remained indifferent to him.
The fact that Old Ancestor Mo Yu was willing to swear upon his Dao Heart suggested that he sincerely wanted to surrender, but Yang Kai didn’t really need him.
If Mo Yu hadn’t offended Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat, Yang Kai might have taken him on as a subordinate.
He had the Loyalty List with nine pages in total, which meant that he could control nine people. Presently, only the names of Chen Tian Fei and Hei He were on it, so he could add another without much hesitation. Moreover, it was worth considering to take in a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, this guy was a mortal enemy of Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat, so Yang Kai would only be inviting trouble to himself if he accepted him.
Void Land was in the early stages of building itself up, and the Nine Heavenly Layers hadn’t been completed yet. They were in the stage of rapid developments, so Yang Kai would be taking a huge loss if he were to protect a morally corrupt Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and become enemies with two Second Class great forces.
However, since Mo Yu had said such a thing, it suggested that he was already on his last legs.
Understanding this, Yang Kai extended his hand into the void and grabbed Azure Dragon Spear. Pointing the spear forward, he coldly ordered, “Kill!”
Half a day later, the battle ended, and the dust settled.
Yang Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked around, only to see that all the people who had taken part in the battle were wounded, including Lu Xue.
Even though the Old Ancestor Mo Yu was heavily injured, and wasn’t able to use the full extent of his power, he was still a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Therefore, it was difficult to deal with him while he was in a desperate state. Fortunately, the battlefield was in the Demon Realm, and the Demon Saints could join forces to assist; otherwise, if Lu Xue were on her own, it wouldn’t have been hard to defeat Mo Yu, but it would’ve been almost impossible to kill him.
After Old Ancestor Mo Yu passed, his Small Universe collapsed, and his Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm heritage dissipated into the air. Embodiment activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and madly absorbed it all into the Demon Realm.
With the addition of the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters that had been killed, the Demon Realm benefited greatly even though its foundation had been damaged.
The broken world was repairing itself, the Principles solidified, and the World Force became thicker.
All of them started healing their wounds on their own.
After storing the Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai turned to look in a certain direction. Then, he nonchalantly took a few steps forward and instantly reached the bottom of a collapsed mountain, where Chang Tian was seen with a shrivelled face and greying hair. Presently, he was seated with his legs crossed. Despite the fact that he appeared haggard, he still looked smilingly at Yang Kai.
Chang Tian was the most severely injured in the battle. He was already wounded before Yang Kai and the others arrived, and the ensuing battle exacerbated his condition.
Compared to the time before Yang Kai left, Chang Tian seemed to have aged by several hundred years. If he looked like a healthy middle-aged man in Yang Kai’s eyes in the past, he now looked like a frail old man.
Walking over, Yang Kai checked on him and furrowed his brows. Then, he fished out a pill from his Space Ring and gave it to him, “This will be useful to you.”
After taking it, Chang Tian examined it and was amazed, “Dragon Blood Pill? Moreover, this is an extremely high-grade Dragon Blood Pill. What a treasure!”
Following his praise, he tossed the pill back to Yang Kai, “I don’t need it. You should keep it. Your blood is related to the Dragon Clan, so this pill can enhance the purity of your Dragon Bloodline.”
The problem facing him wasn’t that he was wounded, it was that his vitality was reaching its limits.
He already didn’t have much time left to live, and he continuously burned his Blood Essence in the battle earlier, which further shortened his lifespan. Presently, the vitality in his body had withered, so he was just like a piece of dying wood.
His problem could not be solved by a Dragon Blood Pill. The only thing that could help him was a precious treasure that could extend his life.
Yang Kai stuffed the pill back into his hands, “I have many of these pills, so don’t turn me down.”
After giving it a thought, Chang Tian fell silent and nodded. Then, he gulped down the pill and slowly refined it. As the pill’s medicinal efficacies dissolved, his aura quickly stabilised.
Just then, Guo Zi Yan came over and said in a hushed voice, “Sir, we’ve found something in the ship.”
Previously, the ship was cut in two and fell to the ground. After the battle, Guo Zi Yan and Lu Xue examined it and found something interesting.
When Yang Kai reached the ship, he saw a young man kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy with a trembling figure.
The young man had saggy bags under his eyes and a sallow face, so it was apparent that he was someone who indulged in wine and women. He was weak as he was only in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, but Yang Kai had a feeling that this man didn’t live up to the cultivation realm he was in. He seemed to be much weaker than Ma Yuan De.
Yang Kai realised something and asked, “Are you the Young Master of Black Feather Sect?”
When Mo Yu fled from Black Feather Sect, he brought many people with him; however, as he repeatedly battled against those from Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat, many of his subordinates were killed. When he reached the Demon Realm, he only had eight Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm subordinates left with him.
Of these eight people, Yang Kai killed four and then released Ma Yuan De to lure his opponent into a trap. Later on, he also killed the remaining four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and the other much weaker cultivators.
Since this young man could survive, it suggested that his identity was extraordinary; moreover, judging from his clothes, he was clearly wealthy.
Yang Kai believed that this young man was the Young Master of Black Feather Sect because he couldn’t think of any other explanation. Since he was the Young Master, he could use a lot of resources to strengthen his cultivation; however, due to the limitations of his aptitude, he could only ascend to the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Moreover, since his foundation was unsteady and built upon countless resources, he was naturally weaker than Ma Yuan De.
As expected, the young man pressed his head against the ground and said apprehensively, “Sir, this one is Mo Ning. Please spare my life! Please spare my life!”
During the battle previously, he remained hidden in the broken ship as he watched the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Black Feather Sect being killed, and eventually, even Old Ancestor Mo Yu wasn’t spared, which made him feel horrified.
Nonetheless, he was trapped in the Demon Realm, so where else could he possibly go?
When Guo Zi Yan inspected the ship, he quickly found this Young Master.
Ignoring him, Yang Kai looked at the spot beside him with interest.
Besides Mo Ning, Guo Zi Yan had also found a woman in this broken ship; however, at this moment, the woman was frozen in a block of ice. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were on her chest. Her calm expression might make others think that it had been thousands of years since her death.
Nevertheless, after scanning her with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai could detect the faint vitality in her body. In other words, this woman wasn’t dead.
The woman was certainly alluring. Moreover, her body was curvy, and her skin was fair. Despite her pretty face, she had a heroic air about her, which could easily make any man fall for her.
Yang Kai turned to look at Mo Ning and asked, “Is she the woman you kidnapped?”
Blood was streaming from the wound on Mo Ning’s forehead as he had repeatedly knocked his head against the ground. Upon hearing this question, he hurriedly replied, “Yes, Sir. She’s the daughter of the Boat Master of Flying Flower Boat. Her name is Shangguan Yu.”
“Did you turn her into this state?” Yang Kai knocked on the ice block and realised that it was pretty cold; furthermore, it seemed to be made from a strange material.
Mo Ning shook his head like he was a pellet drum, “Sir, this wasn’t my doing. She turned into this after she used a Secret Technique.”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai snorted. He could sense that Shangguan Yu was just an Emperor Realm cultivator but the ice block that had engulfed her seemed to be on par with a Fourth-Order material at the very least. In other words, in order to melt this ice block, it would at least take a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master or a Fourth-Order Fire Element Power. Even if such a person were to act though, there was no guarantee that he could succeed in getting her out.
Perhaps the Secret Technique that Shangguan Yu had used had other restrictions. If a person forcefully broke it, other problems might arise. If not, given the fact that Old Ancestor Mo Yu was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would’ve attempted to break it.
A terrified Mo Ning replied, “It’s true, Sir. I would never dare to lie to you! It was her own doing!”
With an awkward expression, Yang Kai stared at him, “So, you kidnapped her, but she’d used a Secret Technique and turned herself into this?”
“That’s right!” Mo Ning nodded repeatedly.
At that, Yang Kai was lost for words. In that case, it was tragic for Mo Ning. Instead of bedding a beautiful woman, he had invited trouble for himself. Because of a woman, his Sect was destroyed, and even his father was killed in a place that wasn’t his homeland.
“Sir…” Mo Ning carefully examined Yang Kai, “I’m willing to follow you and obey your every command! Please don’t kill me!”
Yang Kai looked down at him and scoffed, “Waste! After kidnapping a woman, you can do nothing but stare at her. What use would I have for you? Kill him!”
A flurried Mo Ning wanted to keep begging for mercy, but Guo Zi Yan moved away from Yang Kai’s back and hacked at him with an axe.
Following a shriek, Mo Ning was cut in two, unable to even parry a single attack.
Guo Zi Yan muttered, “So weak.”
He had ascended to his current realm from the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, but even if he was still in the Second-Order, he could kill ten people who were as weak as Mo Ning easily.
“Sir, what should we do about this woman?” Lu Xue asked, “Should we save her?”
“No!” Yang Kai slowly shook his head. He was certain that a special technique was required to break this Secret Technique that Shangguan Yu had used. Otherwise, Mo Yu, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, would’ve attempted to get her out of it. If any accident happened when they were trying to save her, it would be troublesome.
In any case, she wouldn’t lose her life while she was inside this ice block.
She was the daughter of the Boat Master of Flying Flower Boat as well as the fiancée of the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion. If Yang Kai could bring her back to either great force, they would thank him.
Void Land had just been established, and if they wanted to gain a footing in the 3,000 Worlds, they were bound to come into contact with other great forces. Flying Flower Boat and Rising Heavens Pavilion were both Second Class great forces equivalent to Void Land. If they could build a good relationship with these two great forces, it would be beneficial for the future of Void Land.
Even if this plan fell through, he could still demand some benefits from these great forces. It required a lot of resources to build Void Land, and the 600,000 people he had brought with him were like a bottomless pit as they had to cultivate as well. Naturally, Yang Kai had to get prepared early.
After telling Lu Xue to take care of Shangguan Yu, he started going through the rewards this time.
Excluding other rewards, there were more than ten Space Rings from those Open Heaven Realm Masters. The rings of those Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could be ignored as those people didn’t possess a lot of wealth. Yang Kai was someone who had gone through the vicissitudes of life, so he didn’t care about their rings. The most important things were the three Space Rings from Mo Yu.
All the rings were filled with lots of resources, which made Yang Kai feel ecstatic.
The average Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might not have such immense wealth. Nevertheless, Old Ancestor Mo Yu was different. He was the Sect Master of Black Feather Sect; moreover, before his Sect was about to be destroyed, he must have packed up all the valuable resources before he fled.
These were all the reserves of a Second Class great force. Even though there were not many precious items, there was a large number of ordinary resources. There were countless Open Heaven Pills, materials of different Orders, and other precious treasures and pills.
These items could solve the pressing issue that Yang Kai was facing.
Even though he had made a fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, it required a multitude of resources to build the Nine Heavenly Layers. He believed that by the time the Grand Array was completed, most of the resources he had obtained in the Boundary would be gone. These spoils could be used by his 600,000 people for quite some time.
Six days later, Embodiment got to his feet, and following his movements, the entire world started buzzing.
After six days of refinement, the heritage of the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were killed in this world had been absorbed by the Demon Realm. Even though there was some wastage, it wouldn’t exceed 20%, which was an incredible ratio.
Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan looked at the Embodiment in amazement. Although they could be considered to be experienced people, they were still astounded by what they just witnessed.
Once an Open Heaven Realm Master passed away in a particular world, the World Force leaving their body would slowly assimilate into the surroundings, but that would take a long time. Moreover, only a small amount of it, 10 to 20% at most, could be absorbed while most of it would dissipate into the void and become wasted.
However, over the past few days, they could clearly feel that the heritage of those Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Black Feather Sect was barely wasted. Most of it was quickly absorbed by this Universe World.
[What kind of world is this? Just what is this Stone Man?]
Guo Zi Yan and Lu Xue were not certain about this, but Yang Kai had received some clear feedback from Embodiment.
The Demon Realm had been damaged in this battle. After all, the fight between two Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had destroyed a radius of several hundred thousand kilometres. Nevertheless, compared to the damage, more benefits had been gained.
The death of the eight Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could already make up for or even surpass the loss, not to mention the World Force from Mo Yu, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The reason Mo Yu had his eyes on the Demon Realm was that he could feel that this world was a perfect match for his Small Universe. If he could seize the Demon Realm, he could devour its Principles and World Force. By doing so, not only could he heal his wounds in a short period of time, but his strength would also increase.
Unfortunately, his plan was ruined by Yang Kai. Instead of achieving his goal, he had lost his life.
The Principles and World Force of the Demon Realm were nourishing for Old Ancestor Mo Yu, and in the same way, his heritage was useful to this world. That was the reason the two of them could mix with ease.
Otherwise, Embodiment couldn’t have devoured it in just six days.
Presently, even though a radius of several hundred thousand kilometres around this area remained shattered, the Demon Realm had had some exponential growth compared to the time before the battle.
Its World Principles solidified, and its World Force had become thicker.
Solid World Principles could allow the Demons living in the Demon Realm to more easily comprehend the Grand Dao and Heavenly Way so that they could quickly increase their cultivation.
Richer World Heritage meant that Demon Saints like Embodiment, Yu Ru Meng, and Bei Li Mo, who had obtained the blessing of the World’s Will, could exert greater might within this world.
In the past, they were equivalent to Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Demon Realm, but now, they were as powerful as Third-Order Masters.
According to Embodiment’s estimation, if they had such heritage in the Demon Realm in the past, Mo Yu would’ve had to personally make a move. Those subordinates wouldn’t have been useful at all.
In a nutshell, the Demon Realm greatly benefited from the battle. This made Yang Kai fall into his wild thoughts.
Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian were excluded. Even though they were Demon Saints, they still had the potential to grow. After they got rid of the restrictions of this world, they could split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to form Small Universes after gathering the requisite Elements into their Dao Seals.
However, Embodiment was different. In the past, he used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to create something as amazing as Gun-Gun; hence, he was already tied to the Demon Realm.
If he left the Demon Realm, without the support of Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the world would fall apart. That was the reason Yang Kai told Embodiment to stay in the Demon Realm. It was because Embodiment couldn’t leave.
Initially, he thought that Embodiment would never be able to grow as he was eternally trapped in the Demon Realm, but now it seemed that there was another path of growth for him.
As long as enough Open Heaven Realm Masters died in the Demon Realm, he could swallow the powers from their Small Universes to strengthen the heritage of this world.
The stronger the heritage of the Demon Realm, the greater the power Embodiment could use.
With the help of the Demon Realm, he was equivalent to a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm or even a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. One day, he might be able to use a power that was in the Fifth-Order, Sixth-Order, Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order.
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened as he became excited at the thought.
With that said, even though there was such a possibility, it was difficult to make it happen; after all, where would they find so many Open Heaven Realm Masters to kill? Even if there were plenty of such Masters in the 3,000 Worlds, they might not be willing to come to the Demon Realm to have a fight.
Therefore, even though Embodiment and the Demon Realm still had the potential to grow, it was rather restricted.
After pulling himself together, Yang Kai communicated with Embodiment for a bit and sent him some messages.
Embodiment nodded and drove the Demon Realm in the direction where the Star Boundary was located.
This time, Old Ancestor Mo Yu accidentally discovered the Demon Realm and intended to harm it. This made Yang Kai realise that even though this was a remote location in the 3,000 Worlds, it wasn’t totally safe. There might be another Old Ancestor who had his eyes on the Demon Realm in the future.
Given the power of the current Demon Realm, it wasn’t likely they could oppose a Mid-Rank cultivator; therefore, they’d better head to the Star Boundary where Hei He was located. He could help take care of the Demon Realm as well.
One would normally have to pay a hefty price in order to move any Universe World, but it was a different case for the Demon Realm. Following the pursuit of Mo Yu, the Demon Realm had moved around in this Great Territory for a long time. Now, they just had to identify the right direction and set out.
Yang Kai also gave Embodiment a jade slip and told him to pass it to Hei He. This jade slip would fill Hei He in on all the details so that he wouldn’t be confused.
After Yang Kai was done with all that, he put Bei Li Mo, Yu Ru Meng, and Chang Tian into the Small Sealed World.
A moment later, the three of them brought the ice block Shangguan Yu was in and shot into the sky.
A few days later, they arrived at the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and turned his head. His gaze seemed able to pierce through this endless void as he looked in the direction where the Star Boundary was located.
Even though there had been some upheavals in his trip back home, it was generally a smooth ride.
Since he had already found the Star Boundary, it would be easier for him to come back in the future. It would just take him some time. After some calculations, he realised that it would take half a year to travel back and forth between the two places.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t move the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm to be within Void Territory; after all, even though a Territory Gate was huge, it couldn’t allow a Universe World to pass.
If he wanted to move from this Universe World to Void Territory without going through the Territory Gates, it would take him several dozen to a hundred years, and there might be unforeseeable incidents.
Perhaps when he ascended to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm one day, he could come up with a way to move the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm to Void Territory so that Void Land could protect them. By then, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone having their eyes on the two Universe Worlds anymore.
The following journey was safe and uneventful, and seven days later, they entered a different Great Territory.
With Lu Xue driving the flight-type artifact, Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about anything as he just had to focus on cultivating. Presently, he had condensed four Element Powers, so he needed three more to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. The problem was that he needed Yin, Yang, and Metal Elements of the Seventh Order at the very least, which required a lot of luck to come across.
However, he hadn’t gained a footing in this expansive universe yet, so he had no way to collect these resources. Perhaps he could seek the Proprietress’ help; after all, First Inn was a place for gathering information. Over the years, they must have gathered some information regarding Seventh-Order materials.
As such, Yang Kai decided that after everything was settled in Void Land, he would look for the Proprietress. As for the danger of trying to directly become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master that she had mentioned, he still remembered it; after all, it would be a terrible thing if those from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises had their eyes on him.
Nonetheless, he had built such a sturdy foundation that it’d be a shame if he gave up halfway. Moreover, if he changed his goal just because he was afraid of the unknown, it would damage his Dao Heart as well. If he gave up, how was he supposed to face any difficulties in the future? He might just escape from them.
Regardless of the possible troubles, he had to give it a try.
“Sir, some people are following us,” Lu Xue was suddenly heard saying, “Moreover, their speed is quite swift.”
“Hmm?” Yang Kai awakened from meditation in shock and turned his head, but he couldn’t see anyone, “Who are those people?”
Lu Xue shook her head, “I have no idea, but I’m certain that they’re pursuing us because I’ve changed directions several times and still can’t get rid of them.”
Yang Kai frowned as he was annoyed at the fact that they were pursued for no reason, but when he caught a glimpse of Shangguan Yu, who was in the ice block, he suddenly realised something.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the people following them might be from Rising Heavens Pavilion or Flying Flower Boat.
These two great forces had been relentlessly pursuing Old Ancestor Mo Yu, and in the past two years, they had gotten into more than ten battles against him. This Great Territory wasn’t far away from the one the Star Boundary was in, so it wasn’t surprising that they would come across them here.
However, why did those people have their eyes on Yang Kai and the others? Yang Kai swept a glance over Shangguan Yu and speculated that she might have an artifact with her that could be used to track her location.
Despite his speculation, he believed that it would be better to be cautious. As such, he told Lu Xue to circle around as he secretly left some Space Beacons in the void.
Meanwhile, in a faraway place, a huge lotus had turned into a ray of light as it travelled across the void at full speed.
In fact, it wasn’t a real lotus as it was just a flight-type artifact that was made to look like a lotus. The Artifact Refiner who made this artifact was clearly quite skilful, which was why the lotus looked lifelike. From afar, one would mistake it for a real lotus.
On the lotus stood many figures who exuded the auras of the Open Heaven Realm while a woman stood at the front clad in an imperial dress, releasing a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm pressure.
She was none other than the Boat Master of Flying Flower Boat, Shangguan Long!
This woman looked like someone in her early thirties. Besides a curvy figure, she also had a pair of eyebrows that looked like willow leaves. With her eyes filled with murderous intent, she stared at the void in front of her and snarled through clenched teeth, “Faster! I can already detect Yu’er’s aura. This time, I will not let Old Dog Mo Yu flee!”
As Shangguan Yu’s Mother, she had a Secret Technique that could be used to detect her daughter’s presence within a certain range, which was why she had been chasing after Yang Kai and the others. Previously, she had used this Secret Technique to hunt down the Old Ancestor Mo Yu.
Following her order, the gigantic lotus sped up.
Half a day later, Yang Kai and the two others stopped in the void and waited quietly. The speed of the flight-type artifact chasing after them was simply too great. Even with Lu Xue giving her all, she only managed to buy them half a day’s worth of time.
Looking back in the direction they came, a huge lotus was quickly blooming in their field of vision and soon dominated a large part of the void. At the same time, a high-pitched yet imposing voice came out from within the lotus, “Old Dog Mo Yu, let’s see where you can escape next! This place will become your grave today!
Yang Kai felt a great headache and thought to himself, [As expected, it’s either people from Rising Heavens Pavilion or Flying Flower Boat; otherwise, they would not have shouted those words. I wonder which great force our pursuer belongs to.]
It was fortunate that he had taken the time previously to set up many Space Beacons all across the void. If the situation turned bad, they could escape at any time. Besides, he was not Mo Yu and could even be considered the saviour of Shangguan Yu. [These pursuers will not attack indiscriminately, right?]
Clearing his throat, he shouted in a deep voice, “Who goes there? We are not a member of the Black Feather Sect, please open your eyes wide and take a good look.”
When his words rang out, the lotus suddenly stopped not far away. Then, more than ten figures flew out of the lotus after a brief silence. These dozen or so figures were in the Open Heaven Realm and quite a few of them were in the Mid-Rank, but their composition was varied. There were men and women, young and old.
These people were not the remnants of the Black Feather Sect. Black Feather Sect had been jointly attacked by two great forces, Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat, and countless Masters of the Sect had been injured or killed after more than a dozen battles. Even Old Ancestor Mo Yu was seriously injured.
On the contrary, each of the dozen or so people in front of Yang Kai and the others exuded a sharp aura. They were staring at Yang Kai and the others coldly, revealing a deep sense of scrutiny. That was particularly true for the leader of the group, a noblewoman dressed in an imperial dress. The feeling she gave Yang Kai was almost identical to that of what he felt from Zhao Bai Chuan! In other words, this woman stood at the peak of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
“Who are you? Where is that old dog?” Shangguan Long scowled as her beautiful eyes swept over the ice block. When she saw that not only was her daughter safe and sound, but that she had also managed to successfully perform the Secret Technique that she taught her back then, she finally felt a weight lifting off her heart. Even so, Yang Kai and the other two were unfamiliar faces so she couldn’t help being suspicious of them.
In particular, the existence of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm like Lu Xue puzzled her even more. Mo Yu was the only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Black Feather Sect, so who was this woman? If these people were not part of the Black Feather Sect, then how did Yu’er fall into their hands?
“Void Land Yang Kai greets Madame!” Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Are you affiliated with Rising Heavens Pavilion or Flying Flower Boat?”
“Void Land?” Shangguan Long frowned slightly. She had never heard of this great force before. In addition, an Emperor Realm cultivator like Yang Kai was being neither humble nor submissive when facing a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Master like her. The fact that he did not seem at all restrained by the difference in their strength surprised her greatly. What amazed her even more was the fact that this Emperor Realm Junior seemed to be the leader of this group consisting of two men and one woman! Both the woman in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and the man in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm seemed to be nothing more than guards.
[This young man must come from a very powerful background!] After considering all this, Shangguan Long’s expression involuntarily softened slightly. Although she had never heard of a great force by the name of Void Land before, the 3,000 Worlds was simply too big. She did not dare to claim that she knew all the great forces in existence. Moreover, a great force that dared to use the word’ land’ in their name had to be a Second-Class great force. That was enough to be on an equal footing with Flying Flower Boat.
“This Queen is the Boat Master of Flying Flower Boat, Shangguan Long!”
Yang Kai immediately realised something, “So it is Madam Long!”
He had his suspicions when he saw how similar this woman was to Shangguan Yu, but now, he could be sure.
“You mentioned that your name is Yang Kai. In that case, this Queen will call you Little Brother Yang,” Shangguan Long said softly. She looked kind, but her eyes were as sharp as knives and made her seem slightly mean.
He smiled, “As the Madame pleases.”
She nodded, “Little Brother Yang, I wonder if you know that lady standing beside you…”
“Oh! I almost forgot.” He slapped himself on the head. Reaching out, he pushed the ice block next to him, in which Shangguan Yu was frozen, to the front, “This is your daughter, right? She was already like this when I found her. I didn’t know how to help her and did not dare to take action rashly. I was planning to deliver her to Flying Flower Boat in person, but it’s convenient that I met you here, Madame.”
As the ice block drifted towards Shangguan Long, one of the men in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm immediately stepped forward to catch it. He gave Yang Kai a deep look before flying back to the ship with Shangguan Yu without looking back.
However, Shangguan Long was surprised, “Does that mean you saved this foolish daughter of mine?”
Yang Kai laughed, “You flatter me. I just happened to be there at the time.”
“What about the old dog?” she asked.
“We slaughtered the remnants of Black Feather Sect without exception, so please rest assured, Madame.”
As soon as his words came out, the other side went into an uproar! They had been hunting the remnants of the Black Feather Sect in this endless void for two whole years. Although they almost succeeded several times, Mo Yu had always managed to escape their clutches in the end; therefore, they knew just how difficult it was to deal with him and couldn’t help feeling mixed emotions after hearing from Yang Kai that the remnants of Black Feather Sect had been slaughtered. Some couldn’t believe those words while others were relieved. They had been pursuing these enemies for so long, so it was only natural that they were exhausted.
Be that as it may, the two Open Heaven Realm Masters beside Yang Kai certainly had the capability to kill Mo Yu as Flying Flower Boat had already severely injured him during their previous battle. It could even be said that Yang Kai succeeded by taking advantage of their previous efforts.
“Now that I have handed your daughter over to you, Madame, we no longer have anything to do here anymore. We will be taking our leave!” Yang Kai cupped his fists while saying that, but he had no intention of leaving at all. That was because he knew that it was impossible for the people from Flying Flower Boat to let them go.
Sure enough, Shangguan Long raised a hand as soon as his words rang out and shouted, “Wait a moment, Little Brother Yang!”
“Is there something else, Madame?” He looked at her sincerely. [This Young Master saved your daughter. It’s enough if you just give me some precious treasures as gifts.]
He was not being greedy. The other party belonged to a Second-Class great force, so their gifts would not be too poor, but contrary to his expectations, Shangguan Long continued, “It is not that this Queen does not trust you, Little Brother Yang. It’s just that everything you’ve said before is just a one-sided account of the story. I know Mo Yu is as scheming and cunning as a fox. Regarding what is the truth of the matter… I hope you can wait for a moment, Little Brother Yang. I will make my own conclusions after gaining a little bit of understanding.”
Yang Kai blinked, unable to believe his ears as he asked, “Madame, do you suspect me of being allies with the Black Feather Sect?”
She shook her head slowly, “This Queen never meant to imply that!”
While she was speaking, more than a dozen Open Heaven Realms Masters of Flying Flower Boat scattered around them indistinctly to surround Yang Kai and others.
Yang Kai was furious by the sight. He only wanted to obtain some benefits from Flying Flower Boat, but they turned out to have no intention of giving anything at all. As if that was not bad enough, they even treated their Young Lady’s saviour with such an attitude.
[Just who are these ungrateful people!?] However, Yang Kai considered the situation from another perspective and realized he would not have easily trusted him if the situation was reversed.
With this thought in mind, Yang Kai suppressed the anger in his heart and nodded even though his expression was dark, “How do you plan to understand the situation, Madame? Let’s be frank. Every single person from Black Feather Sect is dead. Not a single one survived. At this point, we are the only people left who know what happened back then. Ask what you wish; we won’t deceive you, but, as for whether you believe our words, Madame… That is your business.”
Yang Kai was in no mood to ask for any benefits anymore. He needed to solve this issue as quickly as possible so that he could return to Void Land to finish arranging the Grand Array and settle his people in.
Shangguan Long smiled and said, “I won’t need to bother you at all. This Queen has her own plans.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly, looking thoughtfully in the direction of the lotus.
A short time later, two figures flew out from the lotus. One of them was the man in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm who left previously while the other person was a pure, pleasant-looking, and beautiful girl.
Yang Kai couldn’t help being surprised by the sight and stared at the girl in a daze. Who else could that girl be but Shangguan Yu, who was frozen in the ice block just now? [How did she leave the ice block so quickly?]
Nevertheless, it would seem that her foundation was slightly damaged from being frozen in the ice block for too long. Her current complexion was as pale as a sheet, which added a pitiful look to her appearance.
Brought back by that Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she stood beside Shangguan Long. The Divine Senses of both mother and daughter surged. They were obviously communicating about something.
Yang Kai was puzzled as he had checked her condition before. Her entire body was frozen in ice and only the slightest hint of vitality remained in her. Even if she was present on the battlefield at the time, how could she have perceived anything? But, judging by Shangguan Long’s posture, it was obvious that she planned to seek information from Shangguan Yu.
What Yang Kai didn’t know was that although Shangguan Yu was completely frozen with only the slightest hint of vitality remaining in her, she could still vaguely perceive her surroundings; therefore, she was capable of receiving some bits and pieces of information from the outside world. Not to mention, the battle at the Demon Realm was shockingly powerful so it was hard not to notice anything.
After a simple inquiry, Shangguan Long learned that there was indeed a big battle not long ago. Numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters had died, one after another. Shangguan Yu even heard the screams of Mo Yu before he died… Hence, there was no doubt that these people from Void Land were indeed Shangguan Yu’s saviours. As for the remnants of the Black Feather Sect, they were probably dead.
Turning around, Shangguan Long smiled brightly, “Please forgive me, Little Brother Yang. Yu’er has explained the situation to me. This Queen was being paranoid.”
Yang Kai waved his hand and replied in a sullen voice, “It’s a matter regarding your child. I can understand why you were being so cautious, so there’s no need for that.”
Her eyes lit up at his words, “Little Brother Yang, you are very understanding. This Queen is ashamed.”
He then said, “If there’s nothing else, Madame, we will be taking our leave now.”
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Shangguan Long, however, hurriedly called out, “Wait!”
Yang Kai looked back at her faintly.
After which she continued, “You are my daughter’s saviours. Moreover, you also helped me kill that old dog, who was a great enemy of mine. You have done so much for Flying Flower Boat. This Queen also feels bad for the misunderstanding just now. I ask that you board the boat and allow this Queen a chance to make amends. I also wish to thank you for saving my Daughter.”
While Shangguan Long was speaking, Shangguan Yu also looked at Yang Kai expectantly; after all, Yang Kai was the person who saved her life. She would feel very uneasy if she did not even thank him for his life-saving grace.
Yang Kai responded to those words with a polite smile, “It was nothing much. There’s no need for that.”
Shangguan Long smiled, “One’s life-saving grace must be repaid; otherwise, people would criticize my Flying Flower Boat for being ungrateful if word got out about this matter. Also, Flying Flower Boat has prepared some small gifts for Little Brother. I hope you will accept them.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai turned around and replied solemnly, “Madame is right. It would be bad if people misunderstood you because of this matter. It would damage Flying Flower Boat’s reputation. Since you are being so kind, Madame, we will not refuse.”
She then gestured, “Please!”
The Lotus Flower Artifact was huge and luxuriously decorated inside, which revealed the profound heritage of the Flying Flower Boat. A magnificent palace stood where the stamen was located.
Yang Kai and the others entered the palace under the guidance of Shangguan Long.
Everybody took their seats, and upon seeing Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan standing respectfully behind Yang Kai with an extremely loyal appearance, Shangguan Long and several of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of Flying Flower Boat glanced at each other meaningfully. They were becoming more and more certain that Yang Kai came from an extraordinary background.
How else would a mere Emperor Realm Junior hold such an honoured post? Furthermore, judging from his demeanour, he was used to standing in a position of power. His expression did not even change despite facing so many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Rather, he was just calmly observing the decorations in the hall.
Yang Kai then absentmindedly turned to look at Shangguan Long with a slight smile, “I have long heard of the Flying Flower Boat. Now, I can see that your heritage is indeed deep. Just this Lotus Flower Artifact alone is an eye-opener.”
For some reason, he could not shake the feeling that this woman was studying him with a look of scrutiny. It was not malicious but rather seemed to stem from interest.
Although Yang Kai only learned about the great force known as Flying Flower Boat recently and could not truthfully claim to have admired them for long, there was no harm in speaking words of flattery that did not cost him anything. Sure enough, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Flying Flower Boat all smiled with pride upon hearing his words.
Shangguan Long also pursed her lips, “You flatter us, Little Brother Yang. Flying Flower Boat is only a drop in the ocean in the 3,000 Worlds. Compared to the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, we are not worth mentioning at all.”
Yang Kai nodded seriously, “That’s true. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises are First-Class great forces that have experienced the accumulation of time spanning tens if not hundreds of thousands of years. They are not something we of the Second-Class great forces can compare to. They can crush us just by lifting a single finger.”
When she heard those words, her heart rate quickened as she asked, “Little Brother Yang, which people from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises have you met?”
Yang Kai simply shook his head slowly, “I have never gotten the chance to meet any of them. It is only what I heard from others.”
Shangguan Long breathed a sigh of relief. From the way he spoke, she thought that he was connected to one of those top forces. There was less pressure now that she learned he did not have such connections.
One of the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters next to her spoke up, “Little Brother Yang, I heard you say that you are from Void Land. Please forgive me for being ignorant and uninformed, but which Great Territory is Void Land located in?”
This Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was none other than the person who caught Shangguan Yu earlier. Yang Kai could not tell if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this person was somewhat similar to Shangguan Yu.
“You are…” Yang Kai looked over questioningly.
Shangguan Long pursed her lips and smiled, “This is my Husband and the Right Protector of Flying Flower Boat.”
The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master cupped his fists, “Tong Yu Quan offers his greetings!”
Yang Kai was stunned. He glanced at Shangguan Long, then glanced at Tong Yu Quan. Only then did he finally understand why he felt that Shangguan Yu was somewhat similar to this man. It turned out that they were father and daughter!
[Does that mean that this woman is in charge of Flying Flower Boat? Tong Yu Quan’s cultivation is slightly weaker compared to Shangguan Long’s after all. It looks like he does not have much say in Flying Flower Boat.]
“So it is Protector Tong!” Yang Kai cupped his fists in return, “It’s normal that you have never heard of Void Land before. That is because I only just established Void Land.”
“A newly established Second-Class great force!?” Everyone was in an uproar over those words. In the 3,000 Worlds, the establishment and growth of any great force required long-term accumulation. It did not simply happen overnight; however, seeing that Yang Kai had a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as his bodyguard, it would seem that he certainly had this qualification.
Shangguan Long hesitated, “Then, the Master of Void Land…”
“It is this lowly one,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Everyone was stunned. For an Emperor Realm Junior to be the Leader of a Second-Class great force… There was no other precedent in the 3,000 Worlds; thus, they became more and more certain that he had a very powerful supporter behind him. Otherwise, how did he manage to make an Open Heaven Realm Master obey him? It was just that… with such an extraordinary background, how was it that he was not related to either the Cave Heavens or Paradises? It was extremely confusing.
Shangguan Long restrained the strange look in her eyes and gently said, “In the 3,000 Worlds, the heritage of any great force depends on the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters under them. The more Open Heaven Realm Masters they have, the stronger their heritage, and vice versa.”
Yang Kai sighed, “You are right, Madame. I’m worrying about this issue too. At present, Void Land only has five Open Heaven Realm Masters in total. Our strength is lacking indeed.”
Including Yue He, Chen Tian Fei, Lu Xue, Guo Zi Yan, and Hei He, who was newly added to the Loyalty List, there were indeed only 5 Open Heaven Realm Masters. This was the most fundamental heritage of Void Land.
Everyone in Flying Flower Boat looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Even a Third-Class great force would have more than just five Open Heaven Realm Masters. This number was simply far too small.
What they did not know was that although there were only five Open Heaven Realms in Void Land, each one was stronger than the last. Chen Tian Fe was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm while Hei He was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Not to mention, there was a high probability that Yue He had advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Aside from Guo Zi Yan, who was in the Low-Rank, the remaining four people were all in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Such a ratio was impossible for any Second-Class great force to have.
Seeing Yang Kai’s somewhat worried expression, Shangguan Long smiled, “There’s no need to feel rushed, all great forces grow over time. You can’t achieve success overnight. Little Brother Yang has already established Void Land, so in the future, you can gradually cultivate your own Open Heaven Realm Masters as long as you have Void Land as your foundation. This Queen believes that the name Void Land will spread throughout this vast world one day.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists in response, “I shall take advantage of Madame’s auspicious words then.”
After the banquet, the atmosphere was harmonious and everybody was drinking away happily. People would approach Yang Kai to offer him a toast and thank him for his kindness. Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan also sat down, accompanying Yang Kai by his side.
Several rounds of drinking later, Shangguan Yu came out in full dress. It could be seen that she had deliberately groomed and dressed herself up. While she still looked a little pale, she was in much better condition compared to the time she was just rescued. There was a faint flush on her cheeks that made her seem even more innocent and appealing than ever.
It was only natural that she was extremely grateful towards Yang Kai, who had saved her; therefore, she had honoured him with several glasses of wine in succession to the point where she had to take her leave from being overwhelmed by the drink.
Half a day later, Yang Kai and the others were guided to rooms that Shangguan Long arranged for them and rested. She also told them not to worry as they would take him back to Void Land.
Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Yang Kai could not refuse her offer. Besides, why should he waste his energy on travelling when somebody had offered to give him a ride? The Lotus Flower Artifact was also much faster so it would save him time.
Flying Flower Boat arranged three separate rooms for Yang Kai and the others, but Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan did not enter their rooms and stood outside the door of Yang Kai’s room instead. There did not seem to be any malicious intentions from Flying Flower Boat and it could even be said that Shangguan Long had gone out of her way to indicate her friendly intentions during the banquet; however, it was better to be on guard against any unwanted occurrences.
Inside the room, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and comprehended the mysteries of his Elements in hopes of realising another Divine Manifestation.
Inside another room, Shangguan Yu, who had only just recently been rescued, was staring at her mother with a pale complexion. Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly as she asked in disbelief, “Mother, you want me to seduce Senior Brother Yang!?”
Just moments ago, Shangguan Long had a short chat with her. Although her mother had not said anything specific, that was more or less the nature of the meaning behind her words. Shangguan Yu thought that she had misunderstood, but further inquiry had proven that this was indeed the case. Thus, she almost could not believe her ears. She could not believe that her mother would have such thoughts.
Shangguan Long’s expression, however, remained stern, “What do you mean by seduce? How can a lady speak such vulgar words? I am talking about falling in love with each other and establishing a marital relationship between the two of you. Naturally, it will involve the process of making love to each other. How can you call that seduction!?”
Shangguan Yu retorted with grief and indignation, “I have never met Senior Brother Yang before! Although he saved my life and I am very grateful towards him, there is no such thing as love between us. How can we fall in love with each other!?”
Shangguan Long got up, stood in front of the transparent window, and looked out into the starry scenery in the void as she calmly replied, “Just because there is none right now does not mean that there won’t be any in the future. Men are all the same. After consummating with each other, he will have tasted how great you are. Over time, he will naturally yearn for you!”
Those remarks resounded in Shangguan Yu’s ears like a loud sonorous bell. She covered her red lips with her hands, shocked beyond words. [Going by what Mother just said, she not only wants me to seduce Senior Brother Yang but also go all the way with him! Is this really the same Mother who has always loved and cared for me!? Also, what is the purpose of doing this? Senior Brother Yang is certainly brave and heroic with a compelling air about him. I cannot say that I dislike him and in fact, I even admire him a little. Even so, both Mother and I have only just met him for the first time today. Why would Mother come up with an idea like this?]
“Mother, are you drunk?” She asked hesitantly. During the banquet just now, her Mother had consumed quite a lot of alcohol. However, there was no sign of intoxication whatsoever when she looked into her Mother’s eyes. Those eyes were very clear and sober.
Shangguan Yu shook her head, “I can’t. I can’t do it. Mother, you might not know. But, Big Brother Wei and I…”
“Do you think your Big Brother Wei still wants you?” Shangguan Long interrupted Shangguan Yu coldly.
Shangguan Yu’s tender body trembled at those words. Her beautiful face went pale and she asked, “Mother, what do you mean by that!? Could it be that Big Brother Wei…”
“Rest assured. Your Big Brother Wei has not said anything or been harmed in any way. The situation is not how you imagine though. In the pursuit of that rotten old dog over the past two years, he has put in more effort than anybody else.”
Shangguan Yu smiled, “I knew Big Brother Wei wouldn’t abandon me.”
Shangguan Long said coldly, “Do you think your Big Brother Wei is trying so hard in order to save you?”
“Is that not it?”
“Foolish girl!” Shangguan Long flicked her sleeve angrily, “How could I not understand how a man thinks? Only a sheltered little girl like you will have such unrealistic fantasies. I will tell you now. Your Big Brother Wei was not hunting that old dog so desperately to save you, but… to kill you!”
The moment those words rang out, Shangguan Yu’s face, which had just shown a blush of happiness, suddenly became extremely pale. Her mouth fell open slightly and she looked at her mother in shock as though she had heard something utterly incredulous.
“Kill… Kill me?” Shangguan Yu was very shocked, “Why would Big Brother Wei want to kill me? I’ve never done anything to upset him before.”
Shangguan Long sighed. Walking over to the table, she pulled her daughter by the hand to sit down next to her, and gently explained, “I know that you’ve never done anything to upset him before. I believe you, but how much does your Big Brother Wei believe in you?”
“What… What do you mean?” Shangguan Yu looked puzzled.
Shangguan Long said, “It has been over two years since you were kidnapped by Mo Ning, right? Mo Ning is an infamous scoundrel. Who doesn’t know that he is a lustful man? Relying on his status as the Black Feather Sect Master’s Son, he ruined the reputation of many women and girls over the years. You were kidnapped by Mo Ning for two years, and we didn’t hear from you at all during this period. We could only rely on the Soul Lamp in my possession to confirm that you were still alive. All the bastards in Black Feather Sect were fleeing for their lives, but Mo Ning kept you with him. What is your Big Brother Wei supposed to think?”
Shangguan Yu replied pale-faced, “Mother, you are saying that Big Brother Wei thinks that I… But, I have never done anything that will wrong him in any way! After I was kidnapped by Mo Ning, I immediately performed the Secret Technique you taught me and sealed myself in ice. By the time I woke up, I saw Father and I…”
“Will your Big Brother Wei believe you?” Shangguan Long interrupted, staring at her daughter coldly.
Shangguan Yu could not answer.
“What I think doesn’t matter. It is what your Big Brother Wei thinks that is important. Silly girl, have you ever considered it yourself?”
Shangguan Yu spoke in a shaky voice, “I-I can explain the situation to him. H-He will surely understand.”
Shangguan Long laughed, her voice filled with mockery, “Good. Even if your Big Brother Wei believes you, what about all those in Rising Heavens Pavilion? Will they believe you?”
“I don’t care whether other people believe me or not. It is enough as long as Big Brother Wei believes me.” Shangguan Yu shook her head. There was a look of firm determination in her eyes. It was clear that she strongly believed in her beloved.
“If Wei Wu Shuang was just an ordinary man, he could ignore the opinions of others, but he is the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion. This decision is not up to him!” Shangguan Long patted the back of her daughter’s hand and persuaded earnestly, “If you married into the Wei Family and became the Madame of the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion, then Wei Wu Shuang would never be able to lift his head with pride anymore. Even if he tries to force his way through, Wei Jiu Weng will never agree to your marriage either.”
Shangguan Yu’s expression went pale.
Shangguan Long gave a long sigh, “From the moment you were kidnapped, this matter became irreversible. Wei Wu Shuang might truly have been worried about your safety in the beginning and wanted to rescue you, but in these two years, his heart has probably undergone many changes. You and he are childhood sweethearts and there is no doubt about this fact. The two of you should have been a perfect match, but unfortunately, it is also precisely for this reason that Rising Heavens Pavilion cannot dissolve the engagement easily. Otherwise, they would offend our Flying Flower Boat! So then, are you saying Wei Wu Shuang has no choice but to marry you just because they are unable to break off this engagement? In this situation, there is only one method for them to resolve this problem!”
“What method?” Shangguan Yu’s body trembled and her eyes stared listlessly at her Mother.
“Everything will be resolved if you are dead!” Shangguan Long looked at her daughter coolly, “If you die, there will be no need for Wei Wu Shuang to marry you. Rising Heavens Pavilion will not offend Flying Flower Boat either. It is killing two birds with one stone.”
Shangguan Yu stood up in shock and involuntarily took several steps back. She seemed to be in a great panic and her thoughts were a mess as she shook her head and denied, “That’s not true, Mother. That’s not how it is! This is all just your speculation! Big Brother Wei is not that kind of person!”
Shangguan Long faintly replied, “If it isn’t true, then why are you so flustered? I’m afraid you believe it a little yourself, right? Do you know why you have such thoughts? It’s not because my words make sense, but because you yourself have already noticed it. You just haven’t realised it yet.”
“I noticed it?”
“Although you sealed yourself away for the past two years, you did not lose all your perception of the outside world. Think about it. In these two years, how many battles did that old dog Mo Yu experience? Among these battles, there were some where Flying Flower Boat succeeded in chasing him down and fought with the people of the Black Feather Sect. Rising Heavens Pavilion is most likely the reason for the rest of the battles. Have you ever heard your Big Brother Wei calling for you during those battles? Have you ever felt as though Rising Heavens Pavilion was there to rescue you?” Shangguan Long smirked coldly, “If my guess is correct, Rising Heavens Pavilion did their best to destroy that old dog’s entire ship and slaughter every single person in those battles. As long as they could wipe out the entire Black Feather Sect and get rid of you during the process, then they could report to me that Black Feather Sect killed you in their desperation. Without any proof of your death, what could I do to them?”
Every word Shangguan Long said stabbed into Shangguan Yu”s heart painfully. Unable to take it anymore, she reached up and covered her ears, “Mother, I don’t believe you. I don’t believe that this is the case!”
“Whether you believe me or not, this is the truth!” Shangguan Long coldly snorted, “Flying Flower Boat and Rising Heavens Pavilion were pursuing Black Feather Sect together and we agreed to inform the other party as soon as we found traces of them so that we could form a pincer attack together. However, there had been several occasions where Rising Heavens Pavilion did not inform us in time even though they discovered Black Feather Sect. By the time we rushed over, that old dog had already escaped! If Rising Heavens Pavilion had no other intentions, then why would they do that?”
Shangguan Yu slumped to the ground limply. Her tears slid down her cheeks like pearls falling off a broken necklace as she was murmuring repeatedly to herself, “I don’t believe it!”
Shangguan Long said, “If you don’t believe me, then you can just wait and see. I’ve already sent a message to inform Rising Heavens Pavilion. They will meet up with us in a few days. At that time, you will see how your Big Brother Wei treats you!”
Upon hearing the name ‘Big Brother Wei’, a glimmer of light finally returned to Shangguan Yu’s dim eyes. She took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and glared at her mother, “I will ask him myself. Mother, you are wrong, Big Brother Wei will not abandon me!”
Then, she rubbed her eyes and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
After Shangguan Yu left, a figure slipped into the room from the outside. It was the Right Protector of the Flying Flower Boat, Tong Yu Quan. He was also the father of Shangguan Yu and the husband of Shangguan Long.
It was just that his expression was incredibly livid at this very moment. He glared at Shangguan Long and scolded, “You know Yu’er is deeply in love with Wei Wu Shuang and will marry nobody else in her life. Why did you have to shock her like that!? Are you still her Mother!?”
Shangguan Long coldly snorted. She lifted her hand gently, poured herself a cup of tea, and responded in an indifferent manner, “It is precisely because I am her mother that I have to tell her this. I am doing this for her own good.”
“Then, what about you asking her to seduce that Yang Kai?” He clenched his fists tightly, the veins in his neck throbbing hard, “Is that also for her sake?”
“Of course!”
“Utter rubbish! You did it for your own wolfish ambitions!” He gritted his teeth and spoke scathingly, “Yang Kai is only in the Emperor Realm, but he managed to create a Second-Class great force. It is obvious that he has a bright future ahead of him. If you can create a connection with him, then it will be like giving a tiger wings! Allowing you to become even more powerful!”
She glanced at him lightly and calmly said, “Oh? So you can also tell that he will have a bright future ahead of him? If you can understand that, then what’s wrong with me asking our daughter to get along with him? Wei Wu Shuang is nothing more than the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion. Although he has decent aptitude, that is all he has. He is nothing without his status as the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion. On the other hand, Yang Kai is different. Not only did he create a Second-Class great force, he even has a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as his bodyguard. How great would his achievements be in the future? These two could not be more different from each other. If it were you, who would you choose to be your Son-in-Law? What’s more, it’s not as if you don’t know what kind of thoughts Wei Wu Shuang has been harbouring for the past two years. Was what I told Yu’er just now untrue?”
His expression turned sullen, “Wei Wu Shuang is certainly an unreliable man, but do you even know what kind of man Yang Kai is? You and I have only met him for the first time today.”
Shangguan Long gave a soft laugh, “That’s right. It is our first meeting, but don’t you forget, I am a woman. I have quite the eye for men. Regardless of Yang Kai’s character, he will enjoy great accomplishments in the future. Yu’er will not be treated badly if she is with him.”
“It doesn’t matter what he can achieve in the future. As long as Yu’er doesn’t like him, this is complete nonsense!”
“Love will grow with time!” She coldly snorted, “If they live together in the future and Yu’er gives birth to his children, won’t she fall in love with him then? If that’s the case, not only will Yu’er find her happiness, but Flying Flower Boat might even get the chance to absorb Void Land. Our strength will surely increase exponentially!”
“Shangguan Long, when did you become like this!?” He stared at his wife in confusion, feeling as though he was looking at a stranger.
“If you have the heart to question me, then you might as well use the time to persuade Yu’er. I know you and Yu’er are very close. She listens to you, so it will work better if you persuade her than if I did it myself. Of course, you can choose to lie to her out of kindness, but she may be hurt even more deeply because of that!”
He gritted his teeth and glared at her, but she remained calm and unaffected.
“You vile woman!” Tong Yu Quan cursed. He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
The corners of Shangguan Long’s eyes twitched before she smashed the teacup in her hands against the ground with great force, shattering it to pieces!
A few days later, Yang Kai was meditating when he distinctly sensed Flying Flower Boat’s Lotus Flower Artifact coming to an abrupt halt before continuing on its journey an hour later. Confused, he summoned Lu Xue and asked about the situation. Only then did he learn that the people from Rising Heavens Pavilion had rushed over to meet up with Flying Flower Boat. It was obvious that Flying Flower Boat had sent a message to inform Rising Heavens Pavilion about their current location.
He spread out his Divine Sense and carefully perceived his surroundings. Sure enough, he noticed that a large Palace was travelling at the same pace next to the Lotus Flower Artifact. There were many Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the palace and was probably Rising Heavens Pavilion’s artifact. Although this palace looked different from the Flowing Time Temple, it was probably also a multi-purpose artifact.
Soon afterwards, many Rising Heavens Pavilion cultivators boarded the Lotus Flower Artifact.
Another four hours later, a knock came from outside the door and Lu Xue’s voice rang out, “Sir, the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion, Wei Wu Shuang, is here. He claims that he wants to thank you in person for your life-saving grace.”
Although Yang Kai did not wish to meet the other party, he was here to thank him so it was not good of him to refuse a meeting. As such, he had no choice but to invite Wei Wu Shuang inside.
Half a day later, Wei Wu Shuang got up to take his leave and Yang Kai saw him off with a smile; however, Yang Kai frowned once he left.
Wei Wu Shuang had thick brows and large eyes. He also had an extraordinary bearing; he was the Young Pavilion Master of a Second-Class great force after all. Having received excellent training since he was young, it was not strange for him to have such a noble attitude and air.
He came here to express his gratitude to Yang Kai for saving Shangguan Yu’s life. Shangguan Yu was his fiancée and had been kidnapped by Mo Ning more than two years ago. The reason why the two great forces, Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat, had pursued Black Feather Sect for so long was to rescue Shangguan Yu.
It was a pity that Old Ancestor Mo Yu was as cunning as a fox. He was also very strong, so he managed to escape their clutches numerous times. If not for the fact that he had tried to attack the Demon Realm and was consequently lured into a trap by Yang Kai, he might have escaped alive again.
Rescuing Shangguan Yu was just a passing effort for Yang Kai, but it was a huge favour for both Rising Heavens Pavilion and Flying Flower Boat. It was only natural for Wei Wu Shuang to express his thanks now that Shangguan Yu had returned safely. Both his words and his behaviour were sincere and earnest. Every word of thanks seemed to come from the bottom of his heart.
Even so, Yang Kai could not help feeling that something was off. Especially when Wei Wu Shuang occasionally revealed a hint of helplessness and hatred when he looked at Yang Kai, even though it was very well hidden. Yang Kai had gone through various hardships and seen many things in his life, so a flower grown in a greenhouse like Wei Wu Shuang could never compare with his insight and instinct.
[What is that guy upset about? Why does he seem to hate me? This is only our first meeting after all. Leaving aside the fact that I saved Shangguan Yu’s life, there’s no reason for him to hate me even if I was completely unrelated to this matter.] Yang Kai was extremely puzzled! Although he did not quite understand the situation, he couldn’t be bothered to care either. It was fine as long as Wei Wu Shuang did not provoke him. If Wei Wu Shuang dared to be arrogant towards him, then he wouldn’t mind teaching the other party how to show proper respect.
Another day passed. Yang Kai suddenly noticed a commotion outside. Spreading his Divine Sense to perceive the situation, he suddenly noticed Rising Heavens Pavilion’s palace rushing off in another direction and soon disappearing out of sight.
It would seem that Rising Heavens Pavilion was going to part ways with Flying Flower Boat. It was not surprising since the two great forces were not located within the same Great Territory so it was only natural that they would use different routes to return.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai calmed down and continued to comprehend the Powers within him.
…..
Shangguan Yu stood ashen-faced on one of the flower petals of the Lotus Flower Artifact, staring at the palace that was quickly vanishing from sight. Her beautiful eyes had lost their former lustre. Rather, there was a sense of sorrow that was even greater than death.
Shangguan Long stood right behind Shangguan Yu and gently patted her daughter on the shoulder as she spoke, “Do you understand now, Yu’er?”
Shangguan Yu closed her eyes. Her tears fell silently as she recalled the indifference and rejection that Wei Wu Shuang had shown her over the past two days. How could she not understand that what her mother mentioned before was true?
Everything became irreversible the day she was kidnapped by Mo Ning two years ago. Even if she was truly innocent, even if she was completely without guilt, who would believe her? She was already a withered flower in the eyes of Rising Heavens Pavilion, no longer worthy to be the Madame of the Young Pavilion Master! This point had been proven by Wei Wu Shuang’s attitude towards her over the past few days.
Behind the pair, Tong Yu Quan also sighed deeply. Unfortunately, he was utterly helpless.
Shangguan Long said, “Yu’er, Wei Wu Shuang is not a man worthy of you. You don’t need to grieve for him anymore. You still have a long road ahead of you. You need to think about your future.”
Shangguan Yu’s eyes were blank and didn’t seem to have heard those words.
Tong Yu Quan was distressed by the sight; thus, he quickly stepped forward and comforted her in a low voice. Unfortunately, she just continued to weep in silence.
The Lotus Flower Artifact continued through the void, crossing Great Territory after Great Territory.
…..
About half a month later, Shangguan Yu came to visit Yang Kai. She claimed that she wished to personally thank him for saving her life.
Yang Kai invited her in only to find that she had brought some food and drinks with her. Failing to stifle his laughter at the sight, he looked up and unexpectedly discovered that her appearance was haggard. Her eyes were also blank and lifeless; thus, he couldn’t help asking in surprise, “Junior Sister Yu, did something happen recently?”
She had sealed herself in ice for two whole years, and while it had damaged her foundation as a result, she had been gradually recovering after being released from her seal.
Meeting her again today though, Yang Kai realised that she had lost a lot of weight. Moreover, her appearance was extremely poor. It was obvious that she had experienced a huge mental shock.
At first, he didn’t quite understand the situation; however, he pondered for a moment and recalled the scene of how the people from Rising Heavens Pavilion came and left in a hurry. Yang Kai immediately had an almost complete grasp of the matter and summed it up simply as relationship problems.
Shangguan Yu’s eyes moved slightly and she forced herself to smile, “It’s nothing. I was just sealed up for too long and damaged my foundation as a result. I should have come to thank Senior Brother Yang sooner, but my body failed to live up to my expectations. That was why I delayed for so long. I hope you will forgive me.”
Yang Kai simply laughed, “It’s no big deal. You are being too polite, Junior Sister Yu.”
She then said softly, “It might not have been a big deal to Senior Brother Yang, but for me, it is a life-saving grace. Yu’er has nothing to her name, so I have no idea how I should thank you; therefore, Mother taught me how to cook some dishes myself. I don’t know if these dishes will suit your appetite, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai lightly replied, “The fragrance is tempting and they looked exquisite. I can tell that you made these dishes with all your heart. I’m sure it will suit my tastes.”
Shangguan Yu barely managed to move the corner of her lips to reveal a smile. Setting the dishes down, she took out a bottle of wine and sat down.
Inside the room, the two of them sat across from each other to eat. It should have been a relaxing and enjoyable experience to dine with a beautiful woman; however, her emotional wounds had yet to heal. Even if she sincerely wanted to express her thanks, Shangguan Yu could barely force herself to smile. Similarly, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling awkward.
Fortunately, their tongues began to loosen after a few glasses of wine. As they chatted casually, the atmosphere became much more pleasant. It was just that while they were conversing, Shangguan Yu seemed to recall something and suddenly burst into tears. Despite feeling extremely troubled, Yang Kai had no choice but to speak a few words of comfort.
After bursting into tears, Shangguan Yu seemed to have opened up a dam of tears that would not stop. At the same time, she also gulped down glass after glass of wine, using it to drown out her sorrows. Yang Kai kept silent and drank with her, hoping that she would collapse from intoxication soon so that he could ask Lu Xue to send her back.
Half a bottle of wine later though, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed drastically. He could feel an uncontrollable movement swiftly surging through his body. His blood churned wildly and the air that came out of his nose was extremely hot.
[There’s something wrong with the wine!] Yang Kai was shocked. He was not a newcomer to travelling through foreign lands, so he always kept his guard up when consuming food and drink others had prepared for him. It was just that he had carefully checked the dishes and wine before and not found anything strange about them. There was no reaction either after drinking several glasses, so why did the effects erupt so suddenly?
That inexplicable force surged through his body, impacting his mind and making his senses blur. The young girl’s scent entered his nose and it created a sense of irresistible temptation. Yang Kai could barely suppress the urge to push the weeping girl in front of him down and ravage her.
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed her arm and shouted through gritted teeth, “Shangguan Yu!”
He originally thought that she had put some kind of drug into the wine, but to his surprise, he saw that her face was flushed red when he looked up at her. Her tears continued to flow without pause, but she was now laughing as well while her wrist also felt extremely hot.
[She got caught in this trap too!] Before Yang Kai could understand what was going on, the girl pounced on him while breathing heavily. She knocked him to the ground and sat on top of him, staring down at him with dazed eyes.
Yang Kai was stunned. His body was burning with desire and a beautiful woman was riding on top of his body. In addition, he could feel her burning skin and hear her rapid breathing. The combination nearly made him lose his mind.
Before he could do anything though, somebody kicked the door down without warning. Guo Zi Yan and Lu Xue, who had been standing guard outside all this time, rushed in aggressively.
“Sir!” Guo Zi Yan shouted.
“What happened!?” Lu Xue also asked in surprise.
The two of them heard the commotion inside and immediately barged into the room to check on the situation; however, what entered their vision was Shangguan Yu riding on top of Yang Kai with a flushed face. Her hands were frantically tearing at his clothes, leaving his robe nearly in tatters.
“This…” Both of them were completely dumbfounded. Then, Guo Zi Yan quickly showed a hint of understanding while Lu Xue clicked her tongue and looked away with a blush.
*Deng deng deng deng…*
A rush of footsteps sounded from the corridor and two powerful auras quickly approached them.
“Not good!” Guo Zi Yan’s expression changed as he glanced at Lu Xue. Afterwards, the two of them lightly tapped their feet against the ground, swiftly backed out of the room, and closed the door with a bang.
However, a violent energy fluctuation broke out in the corridor the next moment. The might of World Force fluctuated and following a loud explosion, the door to the room was opened again. Tong Yu Quan rushed in with scarlet eyes. He immediately saw Yang Kai lying on the ground in dishevelled clothes and Shangguan Yu giggling in a confused manner.
When their gazes met, a hint of embarrassment flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he forcibly suppressed the desire that was surging throughout his body.
Tong Yu Quan roared, “Shangguan Long, look what you’ve done!?”
When he heard that his daughter had entered Yang Kai’s room with food and drink, he instantly had a bad feeling and came to stop them; however, he was held up by Shangguan Long. His strength was inferior to hers in the first place, so how could he escape from her? While he was struggling to get away, they heard a commotion in this direction and both husband and wife immediately came to investigate the situation, only to be greeted with this scene.
Tong Yu Quan was instantly enraged.
Yang Kai looked past Tong Yu Quan and saw Lu Xue confronting Shangguan Long. On the other hand, Guo Zi Yan was slumped by the side with a pale complexion. A thousand thoughts ran through Yang Kai’s mind in that instant and the realisation struck him all of a sudden.
There was a high probability that Shangguan Yu was not behind the drug in the wine; after all, she had no reason to drug herself. Combined with Tong Yu Quan’s furious roar, the culprit was instantly revealed. It was Shangguan Long!
But why would she set her own daughter up like this? How did it benefit her? Yang Kai could not understand. Regardless of the circumstances, it was certain that Shangguan Long had nefarious intentions.
Lifting his hand, Yang Kai hit the back of Shangguan Yu’s neck, who collapsed without another word. He caught her and after setting her down he quickly got up. Leaning against a corner of the wall, he looked at Tong Yu Quan calmly, “Protector Tong, this is a misunderstanding!”
Tong Yu Quan looked at his daughter with heartache; then, he glared at Yang Kai ferociously. He knew that Yang Kai was not at fault for this situation, but his eyes were still blazing with flames of fury. He was also gnashing his teeth as if he wanted to rip Yang Kai apart.
Outside the room, Shangguan Long looked at Yang Kai with surprise in her beautiful eyes.
[How is this boy still fine?] It had to be said that the medicinal efficacies of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Wine were extremely domineering. Even an Open Heaven Realm Master would find it hard to resist its power after drinking it, so how was it possible for an Emperor Realm Junior to remain clear-headed?
This wine was made from many precious treasures and took hundreds of years to ferment. It was originally the secret drug of an extremely evil and vicious serial rapist by the name of Hua Wu Ying. Hua Wu Ying had used this Seven Emotions and Six Desires Wine to ruin the reputations of countless young maidens. He was notorious for committing crimes across numerous Great Territories.
300 years ago, one of Shangguan Long’s Legacy Disciples had been defiled by Hua Wu Ying, her Martial Heart corrupted as a result. She was highly favoured by Shangguan Long due to her extraordinary aptitude and Shangguan Long had wanted to nurture her into the next Boat Master, so she consequently poured a lot of effort into teaching her. She was originally expected to advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but unfortunately, her heart demon appeared during her breakthrough. In the end, all of her previous achievements were lost and her body was destroyed. It could be said that she died because of Hua Wu Ying.
Shangguan Long was furious and spent the next several decades hunting down Hua Wu Ying. She even went so far as to use other female disciples of Flying Flower Boat as bait to tempt Hua Wu Ying into falling for her trap. Her efforts paid off eventually and she finally caught the bastard in a Universe World after 40 years.
There was no need to explain what happened in the end. Although Hua Wu Ying was sly and cunning, he was not that strong, only a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he died on the spot at Shangguan Long’s hands. In that way, the secret drug that was unique to Hua Wu Ying now belonged to her Sect. This evil and obscene drug had been useless to her and she initially wanted to destroy it, but she kept a bottle of it for some strange reason in the end.
As a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Master, it was a simple task for her to slip a little something into her daughter’s wine. She also only needed to mention a few things in advance to make Shangguan Yu obediently bring the food and wine to Yang Kai’s room.
[Even Open Heaven Realm Masters succumb to their lust when Hua Wu Ying fed them the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Wine, so how is an Emperor Realm boy like Yang Kai able to resist the medicinal efficacies of this wine?] Shangguan Long frowned! She vaguely felt that either Yang Kai had extremely strong willpower or the wine had less impact on men than she expected. This was a drug that Hua Wu Ying came up with in order to target women after all.
This situation was not what she was hoping to see. She had expected to catch Yang Kai and Shangguan Yu in the throes of passion, so as to make Yang Kai submit. Unfortunately, that plan had gone awry.
[This is going to be troublesome.]
The thoughts in her head spun desperately as her red lips moved as she sighed and looked at Yang Kai, “Little Brother Yang, what are you doing? Even if you like Yu’er, you still shouldn’t act so domineering. If word about this incident gets out, how will Yu’er hold her head up high in society in the future?”
Yang Kai suppressed the tumultuous desires in his heart and looked at the woman with slightly uneven breathing as he snarled through gritted teeth, “Madam Long, you are indeed skilled, calculating, and cruel!”
If it wasn’t for the initial suspicion in his heart in addition to Tong Yu Quan’s furious roar, he might have believed this woman.
Shangguan Long’s expression turned solemn as she replied, “What do you mean, Little Brother Yang? I don’t quite understand.”
Tong Yu Quan, however, shouted, “Little Brother Yang, please release Yu’er!”
He was extremely concerned about his daughter’s safety even though Yang Kai had not actually done anything to Shangguan Yu except knock her unconscious. Nevertheless, he could not help feeling very uneasy with his daughter in the hands of others.
While they were conversing with each other, Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan had flashed to Yang Kai’s side and assumed a defensive stance in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Yang Kai turned to look at Tong Yu Quan, “Don’t worry, Protector Tong. I do not hold any ill will toward Junior Sister Yu. She is not hurt, merely passed out.”
“If that’s the case, please hurry up and let her go. I will not hold you accountable for what happened today!” Tong Yu Quan shouted through gritted teeth. His eyes were practically spitting fire. Regardless of whether he prosecuted Yang Kai for what happened today or not, it was certain that his daughter had suffered a loss in Yang Kai’s hands. Hence, it was difficult for him to have any good feelings toward Yang Kai.
“The matters of Flying Flower Boat are not for you to decide!” Shangguan Long coldly snorted. Flicking her sleeves angrily, she took a few steps forward and said aggressively, “Little Brother Yang, it will not be good for you and I both if word of today’s incident were to spread. I’m sure you don’t wish for this matter to be blown up, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That makes sense. What do you suggest, Madame?”
She chuckled, “It’s very simple. You saved Yu’er’s life, so it’s not too much for her to repay you with her body. I would not have brought this up if not for what happened today, but since this incident has already taken place, I hope you can… take her as your wife.”
Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan had been watching Shangguna Long vigilantly while secretly activating their strength to guard against any unexpected circumstances at any time; however, they couldn’t help being so stunned at this moment that their mouths gaped open.
[What… does that mean?] They initially thought that there was no way for things to end on a positive note, so how did something so terrible turn into such an auspicious matter all of a sudden? Their expressions involuntarily became weird as a result.
Yang Kai himself couldn’t believe his ears and hesitated before asking, “What did you say, Madame Long? Did you misspeak? Or, did I mishear you?”
Shangguan Long smiled, “I didn’t misspeak and you didn’t mishear me either. This incident today is not something to be proud of after all. It would be harmful to your reputation if word of this incident got out. Yu’er would not be able to hold her head high in society either, but it would no longer be an issue if you marry her and give her a proper status.”
Yang Kai looked at her, then he glanced over at Tong Yu Quan who was standing nearby with a helpless yet incredibly furious expression. All of a sudden, the realisation struck him and he instantly understood Shangguan Long’s intentions. Yang Kai smiled and inquired, “If I’m not mistaken, isn’t your daughter engaged to the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion, Wei Wu Shuang?”
To which she replied lightly, “It’s only a verbal agreement. It is of no consequence.”
“I see! I understand!” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Shangguan Yu had been kidnapped by Mo Ning for two whole years, so who could say what had happened to her during that time? In particular, Wei Wu Shuang would have been living in torment every day for the past two years. And now, although she had been rescued and her life was no longer in danger, who could guarantee that she still retained her purity?
If Wei Wu Shuang were an ordinary man, this would not have been an issue. The key point was that he was the Young Pavilion Master of Rising Heavens Pavilion! With such a prominent status, how could he take a ‘tainted’ woman as his wife? Even if he himself did not mind, the entire Rising Heavens Pavilion would not agree.
[No wonder the people of Rising Heavens Pavilion came and went in such a rush!] Yang Kai had not quite understood the situation at first, but he eventually figured out the entire story after mulling over it. Rising Heavens Pavilion did not leave in such a hurry because they had different return routes. Rather, it was most likely to express their attitude towards this matter.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled the scene when Wei Wu Shuang came to thank him. There had been a hint of hatred mixed into the helpless look in Wei Wu Shuang’s eyes. A bolt of shock suddenly ran through Yang Kai as he understood. Wei Wu Shuang probably didn’t wish to rescue Shangguan Yu! Or rather, he did not want to rescue a living Shangguan Yu! Shangguan Long must have realised that, and knowing that her daughter could no longer obtain happiness by marrying Wei Wu Shuang, she decided to target him instead; after all, he previously revealed the existence of Void Land to her. Not to mention having bodyguards like Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan by his side. In Shangguan Long’s opinion, marrying Shangguan Yu to him would not be a humiliation and she was probably behind everything that happened today.
During the time when his thoughts were changing, Shangguan Long’s voice sounded in his ears again, “Little Brother Yang, you were the one to rescue Yu’er; therefore, you know her situation the best. She was still sealed in ice when you rescued her. In other words, she has not been treated harshly in the past two years and remains a pure maiden. It’s just that… with what happened today, her innocence will be hard to defend. You need to take responsibility for this. Furthermore, while my daughter might be a little foolish, she has an excellent temperament. Her aptitude is not bad either. It will not be a problem for her to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future. I’m sure that will not besmirch your status. If our two families join in marriage, we can watch over and help each other in the 3,000 Worlds. You mentioned earlier that your Void Land has only just been established. It is not an easy task for a great force to take root and rise up to glory in this vast Outer Universe. On the other hand, Flying Flower Boat has been established in Flying Flower Territory for thousands of years. It can be said that we have some foundation in place. We can help you in this matter. What do you think, Little Brother Yang?”
She had a pleasant appearance that made her seem earnest and enticing; moreover, her words were clear and reasonable and the way she worded her speech made it seem as though he would suffer a huge loss if he did not marry Shangguan Yu. Thus, Yang Kai repeatedly nodded at her words, “You’re right, Madam Long!”
Tong Yu Quan’s furrowed eyebrows relaxed slightly. Although he was not willing to let the situation develop in this direction, at this point, it would still be one way to resolve this situation if Yang Kai agreed to marry his daughter. Wei Wu Shuang could not be relied upon any longer. Compared to Wei Wu Shuang, the young man in front of him was much more pleasing to the eye. As for the young man’s character, that remained to be verified. Nevertheless, it could not be worse than Wei Wu Shuang’s.
Shangguan Long’s smile grew brighter, “Since you agree, then why don’t we sit down and discuss this matter carefully?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “I’m afraid that will not work.”
The smile on her face stiffened, “What do you mean?”
He replied, “While I do agree that what you’ve said so far makes sense, it does not mean that I would go along with what you say. I will not hide this from you, Madame; I may look like I am alone and unmarried, but I already have seven wives. Before I left my home this time, my strongest wife warned me to keep myself virtuous and not fool around with others outside. Even if I fool around outside, I must not let her find out about it, much less bring them home; otherwise, she would rip them apart limb to limb. Therefore, please forgive me. I must pass on your offer.”
Shangguan Long narrowed her eyes slightly, “It doesn’t matter. This Queen will explain the circumstances to your wives herself. I believe they will at least give this Queen some face.”
She was not surprised that Yang Kai had so many wives. He was not an ordinary person after all. It would be strange for him to not have several wives. [I just need to marry Yu’er into his family. After that, she will have me as her support so it will not be difficult to get rid of the other wives.]
However, Yang Kai shook his head again.” How long have I known your daughter? How can we talk about marriage when there is no affection between us?”
“Love can come later. As long as you get married, there is no need to be worried about not having enough time in the future.”
“Why do you have to make things difficult for me, Madam Long?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
To which she became slightly annoyed, “This Queen is giving you her daughter’s hand in marriage! How is that making things difficult for you!? Junior, don’t you dare trample upon my kindness!”
Yang Kai sighed heavily, “It seems that you are insistent on this, Madame.”
“At this point, this is the only solution. Otherwise, I will not be able to give Yu’er a proper explanation when she wakes up.”