The cultivators sitting at the next table quietly discussed the situation between Yun Xing Hua and Shocking Swan Territory for a while before they changed the subject. There was no other valuable information after that.
Yang Kai raised his glass and took his time to enjoy his drink, shaking his head slowly. From the conversation between those two, Yun Xing Hua seemed to be the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, the great force that Guo Zi Yan’s daughter was in.
Yun Xing Hua originally had a pretty good aptitude and was expected to make his initial breakthrough to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, he was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm due to Shocking Swan Pavilion’s suppression at the time. Afterwards, he took another 50 years to accumulate his strength and spent another 10 or so years in retreat. When he came out of retreat, he had broken through to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although he was several decades late, he still reached the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the end. It was just that the difference in the starting point of a cultivator would affect that cultivator’s room for future growth. If he had directly advanced to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at the beginning, his future limit would have been the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now, his limit was only the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It might only be a single Order, but this one Order often made all the difference. When Yue He was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she had been completely powerless to fight back against the Proprietress, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Lu Xue would probably last no longer than ten breaths against her.
People under the eaves had no choice but to bow their heads. It was a pity but Yun Xing Hua had simply been born at the wrong time and place.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think about his own situation again. The Proprietress once told him that there would be many obstacles in his way if he wanted to directly break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. It was impossible for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to sit back and watch without doing anything. They would surely oppress him. Otherwise, his future growth would be absolutely terrifying if he successfully advanced into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly.
Since ancient times, the only ones in the 3,000 Worlds allowed to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly were the disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises who were carefully nurtured since they were young. These people had unique advantages and were extremely loyal to their respective Sects, so there was no need for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to worry about these disciples overthrowing their dominance.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was different. He had nothing to do with any of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, so he naturally had no protection from them either. Now, it would seem that this matter of suppressing others was not an uncommon occurrence in the Outer Universe. If a mere Shocking Swan Territory had someone like Yun Xing Hua, then what about the other Great Territories?
In any case, it was no secret that Yang Kai was condensing Seventh-Order Open Heaven Element Powers. He had revealed his Divine Manifestation many times in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and befriended several disciples from various Cave-Heavens or Paradises. After the closure of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, those people had all returned to their respective Sects. Their Elders and Masters would surely ask about various things that happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Those people might want to conceal the truth for him out of their gratitude for saving their lives in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but they probably would not be able to conceal it for long even if they wanted to.
Therefore, Yang Kai had the feeling that he was already being watched by some of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. A form of suppression similar to what Yun Xing Hua faced would come at some point.
For that reason, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency, as if time was running out. It was a pity that materials of the Seventh Order and above were simply too scarce. He still lacked Yin, Yang, and Metal Elements, but he was completely clueless as to where to search for them. [I hope the Proprietress can point me in the right direction.]
Yue He seemed to have seen through his gloomy mood; thus, she silently poured wine for him without saying a word.
After waiting for six or seven days in the Star City, Yang Kai began to feel that something was wrong when Guo Zi Yan failed to return even after so long. He had checked the Universe Chart earlier and knew Blood Swan Continent was not that far from the Star City. With Guo Zi Yan’s current speed, it would only take three or four days for a round trip, so how could he possibly delay for so long? Moreover, Guo Zi Yan knew that Yang Kai was waiting for him, so if something had really caused him to be delayed, he would have sent somebody to inform the latter.
[There has been no news from him and he is nowhere to be seen. Could it be that something has happened to him?] When that thought crossed Yang Kai’s mind, he stopped waiting and returned to the Falling Lotus with Yue He instead. The Falling Lotus soon headed in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
They had only flown for half a day when Yue He, who was standing next to Yang Kai, suddenly turned her head to stare in a certain direction with a look of surprise in her eyes.
Yang Kai followed her gaze only to see a Spirit Province in the distance. It was just that the Spirit Province did not seem to contain any traces of being covered by a Spirit Array. It was probably an ownerless Spirit Province.
There were many such Spirit Provinces scattered across the void in the 3,000 Worlds, normally because such places had such weak heritages that stronger great forces looked down on them. On the contrary, those Open Heaven Realm Masters that were not so strong liked to occupy these Spirit Provinces to found new Sects and slowly develop their strength. If managed well, these Spirit Provinces might just become the Headquarters of a Third-Class or Second-Class great force after many years of work.
“Young Master, there are people fighting over there.” Yue He watched carefully for a moment before speaking all of a sudden.
In this vast universe, countless fights broke out between the people every single day. Likewise, countless people died in battle. Such battles were very common; however, Yang Kai involuntarily frowned upon encountering a fight in this direction. He couldn’t help thinking about Guo Zi Yan, who had yet to return after so long. Turning to look at Lang Qing Shan, he said, “Contact Commander Guo and see if he can be reached.”
Lang Qing Shan received the command and immediately took out the communication bead he used to keep contact with Guo Zi Yan. Pouring his Divine Sense into the communication bead, he raised his head after some time and reported, “Sir, Commander Guo is being besieged right now. He is currently in a terrible situation.”
Yang Kai was furious when he heard those words, “Who dares!?”
There was no longer any doubt. Guo Zi Yan was definitely one of the parties in that fight in that Spirit Province!
Without needing further command from Yang Kai, Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately steered the Falling Lotus towards the direction of the Spirit Province. At the same time, they continuously made contact with Guo Zi Yan through the communication beads. It was just that they did not receive another response. Guo Zi Yan’s situation must have been very bad indeed; otherwise, there was no way he would not even have the time to respond to them.
The Spirit Province might have looked far off, but the Falling Lotus was extremely fast. It took less than an incense stick’s worth of time for them to reach the periphery of the Spirit Province where Yang Kai and Yue He leapt out of the Falling Lotus. As they looked ahead, their expressions sank.
On that Spirit Province, Guo Zi Yan was protecting a young girl as they retreated continuously. He was dripping with fresh blood and his aura was fluctuating erratically. It was apparent that he had been seriously injured. The clothes on his chest were tattered and there was a bloody wound across his abdomen. His flesh was rolled up and his squirming organs were faintly visible. He was defending and retreating the whole way, leaving a trail of blood everywhere he passed.
The young girl he guarded behind him was only in the Emperor Realm and her appearance was somewhat similar to his. Although she was not a country-destroying beauty, she had a tall and slim figure. The two trails of tear stains that had yet to dry on her cheeks made her look very pitiable. Her beautiful eyes were filled with panic and worry. She might have the willingness to help, but her strength was too low. There was nothing she could do to help in a battle like this; rather, she would only drag him down with her if she tried to act.
There were four people besieging the pair while there were another two corpses lying on the ground. The four people were covered in injuries, but their injuries were minor. One of them was exuding the aura of a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while the other 3 were in the Second-Order.
In a one-against-six battle, Guo Zi Yan had managed to kill two. He had clearly gone all out, but he was an arrow at the end of its flight by this point. The World Force radiating from his body fluctuated erratically, causing the power he exerted to be strong at times and weak at others. He was clearly no longer at his peak.
On the other hand, the four who were attacking were behaving in a despicable manner and the methods they used were absolutely shameless. Even with a decisive numerical advantage, they still aimed most of their attacks at the young girl. Their actions forced Guo Zi Yan to devote most of his energy to protecting her, causing him to become overwhelmed.
When Yang Kai and Yue He appeared, they happened to witness the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking advantage of an opening in Guo Zi Yan’s guard to smash a hammer into the latter’s shoulder. There was a loud crack before Guo Zi Yan’s left arm immediately drooped. It seemed that his shoulder bones had been smashed to pieces.
“Bastard!” Yang Kai shouted angrily. When the Golden Crow let out a loud cry, a brightly shining golden sun leapt out from behind him. The scorching heat ran rampant, and the Golden Crow Casts the Sun reappeared in the world.
With a mighty Dragon Roar, the Azure Dragon Spear appeared in Yang Kai’s grasp as he stepped forward and thrust out at the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Golden Crow’s True Fire enveloped the spear and seemed capable of burning everything in existence.
At the same time as he made his move, Yue He took out a long whip and lashed through the air. World Force erupted as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master enveloped the entire area.
How could the four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters besieging Guo Zi Yan expect such a sudden turn of events? When they sensed the majesty of Yue He’s Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura, their expressions changed drastically. An inexplicable horror descended upon them and they felt the power in their bodies becoming obstructed, as though they were stuck in a quagmire.
*Pa pa pa…*
Soft popping sounds rang out everywhere the whip passed as the 3 Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t even have time to grunt in pain before they exploded into blood mist and vanished from existence.
Another muffled groan sounded as Yang Kai stabbed the remaining Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the chest with his spear. The spear penetrated the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s back and came out through his chest. When Yang Kai withdrew his spear, blood splattered everywhere. A large hole appeared in that person’s chest, penetrating from the front all the way to the back.
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stiffened and his eyes widened in shock. He staggered forward a few steps and tried to look back; however, he collapsed to the ground without a shred of vitality before he could turn around completely.
Four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were as insignificant as an ant in front of Yue He, a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai would not have been able to kill the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so easily if her aura had not been suppressing the latter.
*Pu…*
Guo Zi Yan coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and half-knelt on the ground while panting heavily. His breathing sounded like a set of old bellows as he was clearly having difficulty.
Seeing his condition, Yang Kai quickly walked over to Guo Zi Yan.
The young girl that Guo Zi Yan had been protecting behind him suddenly leaped forward. She was holding a longsword in her hand and although her complexion was pale, she firmly stood in front of him. Gritting her teeth, she asked in a trembling voice, “Who are you people?”
She was extremely frightened after seeing Yang Kai and Yue He murdering the others emotionlessly.
Guo Zi Yan gasped for breath, “Miao’er, don’t be rude. This is the person I was telling you about before.”
The young girl was stunned for a moment, but immediately after, she put away her longsword and fell to her knees in front of Yang Kai with an audible thud. She wept and begged, “Sir, please save my Father.”
Yang Kai lifted a hand and helped her up as he comfortingly said, “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I promise that your Father will not die!”
He then shot a look at Yue He who immediately stepped forward to examine Guo Zi Yan’s injuries. A short while later, she took out a Spirit Pill and fed it to him and said, “Although Commander Guo’s injuries are severe, he will not die from them. It’s just that he lost too much blood and exhausted too much of his World Force. He will be fine after recuperating for a while.”
While Yue He was speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground.
“Father!” The young girl called Miao’er shouted, her beautiful face turning pale at the sight.
Yue He said, “Don’t worry. He just fainted.”
Guo Zi Yan had been besieged and could have lost his life at any moment. Now that he was rescued by Yang Kai and Yue He, his tense nerves finally relaxed. Combined with his excessive consumption during his battle earlier, he could no longer remain conscious.
Even though Miao’er knew that Yue He would not deceive her, she still examined her father’s wounds herself. She finally let out a breath of relief when she confirmed that he was simply passed out. Rubbing away the tears at the corner of her eyes, she respectfully bowed, “Many thanks for your saving grace, Sir and Madame.”
Yang Kai simply replied, “Commander Guo is a member of Void Land and has served by my side for many years. I will definitely help him if he is in trouble. There is no need for you to thank me; after all, this was caused by my negligence.”
Guo Zi Yan had only gone to visit his daughter, so how could Yang Kai have known that his life would be in danger? If Yang Kai had known that this would happen, he would have followed along no matter what. Something like this would not have happened if Yue He was around.
“What is your name?” Yang Kai turned to ask the young girl.
The young girl sniffed and answered softly, “This one is called Guo Miao.”
Yang Kai nodded, then summoned Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others to carry the unconscious Guo Zi Yan back to the Falling Lotus where he could receive proper treatment. Meanwhile, Yue He held Guo Miao’s small hand and comforted the young girl.
A short while later, Yue He stood inside the Falling Lotus and asked in a gentle voice, “What happened? Who were the people attacking you? Didn’t Commander Guo head to Blood Swan Continent to pick you up?”
Guo Miao knew about the existence of Yang Kai and Yue He. It was most likely that Guo Zi Yan had told her about them; therefore, her emotions slowly calmed down with Yue He’s comforting words. Upon hearing those questions, she replied, “Those people were Deacons and Elders of Blood Swan Continent. The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was Gu Zhi Xin.”
Yang Kai was incredibly surprised, “Gu Zhi Xin?”
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Isn’t that your Honoured Master?”
A few days ago, Guo Zi Yan had mentioned this person. He claimed that he and Gu Zhi Xin were old friends and that was why he entrusted his daughter to Gu Zhi Xin’s care.
Guo Miao gnashed her teeth at those words, her eyes gleaming with a vengeful light as she snarled, “I don’t have such an insidious and despicable Honoured Master! That man nearly killed my Father!”
Yang Kai frowned, “What happened?”
Gu Miao exhaled softly and began narrating the entire story. After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood the cause of this incident.
Guo Miao was only sent to Blood Swan Continent to become a disciple of Gu Zhi Xin a few years ago. The first reason was that Guo Zi Yan was in a difficult situation at the time with the three great forces all fighting one another both openly and secretly in the Star City. They were constantly trying to overthrow each other, so the future in that place was uncertain. Guo Zi Yan sent his daughter away in order to protect her. The second reason was that he himself was only in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm and could not be considered powerful. Blood Swan Continent might not be anything special, being only a Third-Class great force, but Gu Zhi Xin was a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Gu Zhi Xin was stronger than him, so Guo Miao would receive a better education if he sent her there.
Furthermore, Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad. She had been cultivating diligently over the years at Blood Swan Continent. With the assistance of her Sect and the cultivation resources that Guo Zi Yan constantly sent to her, Guo Miao gradually reached the Emperor Realm.
Before the Star City was devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she was preparing to condense her own Dao Seal. Once she successfully condensed her Dao Seal, the next step would be to refine her Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, split Heaven and Earth apart in her body, and break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan’s own starting point was not high, only the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, he went to great lengths for his daughter. Risking his life working for Scarlet Star, he more or less exchanged all the gains he received for various cultivation resources. These cultivation resources were then sent to Blood Swan Continent for Guo Miao to use.
She was about to condense her Dao Seal, so it was only natural that Guo Zi Yan made preparations in advance for that eventuality. He spent his entire life’s savings to buy two Fourth-Order materials a long time ago and handed them over to her. Once she condensed her Dao Seal, she could refine those two resources.
If the Star City where Scarlet Star was located had not been devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, what happened next would never have occurred at all.
More than ten years ago, the Star City in which Scarlet Star was located vanished all of a sudden. Even the three great forces, Scarlet Star, Thunder Light, and Sword Pavilion, that had been established in that Star City for thousands of years disappeared without a trace. Overnight, over a million people from the Star City went missing.
This incident caused a huge uproar among several of the other nearby Great Territories. Many people went to investigate the situation only to return empty-handed. Guo Miao had also gone to take a look at the situation under Gu Zhi Xin’s leadership, but she could not find the slightest clue either.
Several years went by without news from Guo Zi Yan, so everybody assumed that he was dead.
At the beginning, Gu Zhi Xin continued to respect the wishes of his old friend. It could not be said that he was partial towards Guo Miao, but he at least dealt with her justly; however, on one particular day several years later, Gu Zhi Xin called Guo Miao over to talk. He constantly brought up the two Fourth-Order materials that Guo Zi Yan had sent to Guo Miao in the past and his meaning was clear; he wanted her to give them to him.
At this point, Yang Kai was puzzled, “Gu Zhi Xin is in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. What would he need Fourth-Order materials for? Aren’t they useless to him?”
Yue He explained, “He likely wanted to use them to exchange for Third-Order materials. He would then be able to refine and absorb them to strengthen his Small Universe and increase his strength.”
Yang Kai then asked curiously, “Can an Open Heaven Realm Master continue to refine materials?”
She explained further, “Young Master, you have yet to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, so you are unaware. It is not that a cultivator no longer needs Open Heaven materials after they advance to the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, the demand for resources only increases. As you know, Young Master, an Open Heaven Realm Master can increase their strength by increasing the heritage of their Small Universe. Once their heritage accumulates to a certain extent, they can advance to the next Order.”
He nodded, “Yes, I know this.”
Lu Xue had explained this to him previously. The most common and safest way for an Open Heaven Realm Master to do this was to consume Open Heaven Pills, but there were other methods as well.
For example, Old Ancestor Mo Yu had targeted the Demon Realm because he wanted to devour and refine its Principles and World Force. It was just that this method had some advantages and disadvantages compared to consuming Open Heaven Pills.
The advantage was that this method worked very fast. Consuming Open Heaven Pills was a long process of accumulating many grains of sand to eventually build a tower. Every breakthrough to the next Order would take years and years of accumulation. If one could devour and refine the Principles and World Force of a Universe World that matched their Small Universe, that person would be able to obtain huge gains in a very short time.
The disadvantage was that there would still be some incompatibility no matter how well-matched the Universe World was to one’s own Small Universe. Hence, there were hidden dangers to this method of cultivation. One would need to spend a lot of energy and effort to slowly remove what were essentially impurities from their Small Universe after performing such an act.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of devouring the Principles and World Force of a Universe World was many times higher than merely consuming Open Heaven Pills.
Aside from these two methods, there was another rather common method of cultivation, and that was to refine Open Heaven materials of various Orders. The reason a cultivator could split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies was that they had accumulated enough Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers. After advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, they could continue to refine and endlessly enhance their own heritage; hence, it was not that a cultivator would no longer have need for various cultivation materials after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, their needs only increased.
After listening to Yue He’s explanation, Yang Kai finally understood. It wasn’t that he was ignorant and uninformed, it was just that his strength was still lacking, so he had yet to come across such matters.
When Guo Zi Yan was still around, Gu Zhi Xin did not dare to covet the two Fourth-Order materials in Guo Miao’s possession. Guo Zi Yan had the support of Scarlet Star after all, and while he was not afraid of Guo Zi Yan, Scarlet Star was not an entity he could afford to provoke.
However, Guo Zi Yan’s whereabouts were now unknown and it was most likely that he was dead. Therefore, Gu Zhi Xin had nothing to worry about anymore. In addition, Guo Miao had two Fourth-Order materials in her possession even though she was only in the Emperor Realm. It was like a child holding onto an expensive treasure, so it was not surprising that Gu Zhi Xin began to covet them.
“That old dog sure is hateful, disrespecting Commander Guo so thoroughly.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Guo Miao echoed his words, “That old dog wanted the two Fourth-Order materials, but it wasn’t for his own use. Sect Master was in retreat at the time to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and urgently needed a large number of resources. The reason that old dog tried to rob me was to display his loyalty in hopes that Sect Master would value him more in the future.”
Hearing what she said, Yang Kai suddenly recalled the information he overheard at the inn a day ago. It was rumoured that the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua, had successfully come out of retreat after advancing to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Judging by the situation, it was probably thanks to Guo Maio’s two Fourth-Order materials.
“What happened afterwards?” Yue He asked gently.
Guo Miao sadly replied, “That old dog asked for those resources, but my Father risked his life to obtain these resources for me, so how could I agree to his demands!? At first, I wanted to quickly condense my Dao Seal and refine those two cultivation materials so that he would have nothing to covet anymore, but who could have known that he would force me to refine a Second-Order Wood Element material as soon as I finished condensing my Dao Seal!?”
While speaking, she bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed, her eyes filled with tears.
Any building must start with a foundation. For a cultivator, their foundation was the most important building block. The lowest Order material they condensed would define the Order of the Open Heaven Realm they could break through to in the future.
Guo Miao was forced to refine a Second-Order material; therefore, she could only become a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future.
Cutting off a person’s Martial Dao was an offence no different from murdering one’s parents. Nevertheless, the milk had already been spilt. Moreover, Guo Miao was placed under somebody else’s care, so how could a weak young girl like herself protect the two Fourth-Order materials in her possession? In the end, those Fourth-Order materials were forcefully taken away by Gu Zhi Xin and handed over to Yun Xing Hua. That was why Yun Xing Hua recently managed to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In the beginning, Guo Miao had resigned herself to her fate. She was an orphan with no support now, so what could she do even if she was unwilling? To her surprise though, Guo Zi Yan, who had been missing for the past decade, suddenly appeared in Blood Swan Continent several days ago.
The father-daughter reunion should have been a joyous occasion; however, when Guo Zi Yan noticed that his daughter had condensed a Second-Order Element he couldn’t help feeling shocked and furious! He had prepared two Fourth-Order materials for her before he had been sucked into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Furthermore, she had enough aptitude to refine them. So, how did things turn out this way? Despite his questioning, Guo Miao remained tight-lipped and did not dare to tell him the truth.
Guo Zi Yan could tell that something was wrong, so he did not question her any further. On the contrary, he pretended not to notice anything and chatted with Gu Zhi Xin like normal.
That night, Guo Zi Yan took Guo Miao and fled while Blood Swan Continent was unprepared. He learned about the truth of the incident during their escape, and upon hearing that his daughter had been oppressed so terribly in Blood Swan Continent, he was furious and swore to take revenge so that he could obtain justice for her.
Unfortunately, he also knew that he was not strong enough. That was why he planned to return to Yang Kai as quickly as possible. It was a pity that Gu Zhi Xin and his men caught up to them before they could reach the Star City.
If it had only been a case of robbery of the Fourth-Order materials, there might have been a way for this grudge to be resolved. In the worst case, Blood Swan Continent could have provided some compensation for the lost property. Now that Yun Xing Hua had advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the need for cultivation materials would have decreased sharply and while Blood Swan Continent might only be a Third-Class great force, they should still have enough financial resources to compensate for two Fourth-Order materials.
However, of all the things that should never have been done, Gu Zhi Xin had forced Guo Miao to refine a Second-Order material and gather the Second-Order Element Power, essentially cutting off her Martial Dao! How could such a deep hatred be resolved so simply?
Blood Swan Continent probably understood this point too, which was why they immediately sent people to chase after Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao when they discovered that the two of them had fled. They wanted to cut the weeds and pull out the roots so as to avoid future troubles!
Although Guo Zi Yan had advanced into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm after refining a Low-Rank World Fruit, the pursuit team dispatched had six Open Heaven Realm Masters in it, so how could he stand a chance against them? Moreover, he had to protect Guo Miao from danger while trying to flee.
Being thoroughly outnumbered in a fierce battle, Guo Zi Yan suffered severe injuries. He knew that they were in critical danger and the only way out was to risk everything he had and fight for his life. Therefore, he fought hard and managed to kill two Second-Order Open Heaven Realm enemies. Even so, he could not escape. It was at the critical moment that Yang Kai and the others arrived on the scene. There was no need to explain what happened after that.
“Blood Swan Continent? Very good!” Yang Kai sneered. He had felt a little sympathetic towards Yun Xing Hua when he heard that the other party had been suppressed and forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm at the inn back in the Star City. Thinking about his own possible future encounters, Yang Kai even felt a small amount of comradery as they seemed to share a similar fate.
But, it would seem that the bastard did not deserve any sympathy at all. Even if Yun Xing Hua had been oblivious to the fact that Gu Zhi Xin had forcibly seized Guo Miao’s two Fourth-Order materials, how could he still claim to not know anything when Gu Zhi Xin brought men to hunt down Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao?
Yue He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Young Master, what do you plan to do?”
It wasn’t just her. Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others also turned to look at him. They had been with Guo Zi Yan for a lot longer than they had served under Yang Kai. Back when they were still with Scarlet Star, these people had been Guo Zi Yan’s direct subordinates. Guo Zi Yan usually took good care of them and even saved them from danger numerous times. At this moment, he had nearly been killed while his daughter had also been horribly mistreated. It was only natural that they shared the same hatred. Their eyes were practically blazing with the flames of rage.
“We shall never forgive those who dared to touch our people. Turn around. We head for Blood Swan Continent. This King will seek justice from this Yun Xing Hua himself. I want to see if he really has three heads and six arms to have such courage!”
The expressions of Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately turned serious and they quickly went off to carry out their orders.
Guo Miao was stunned for a moment, but feeling both grateful and anxious she tried to intercede, “Sir, Blood Swan Continent is not weak. We only have so few people…”
Yang Kai smiled, “The woman next to you is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. What does a trivial Blood Swan Continent count for in front of her?”
Guo Miao turned to Yue He, so shocked that she raised her hand to cover her small mouth. She could tell that Yue He was in the Open Heaven Realm. Furthermore, the other party had to have been in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm to kill those people from Blood Swan Continent so effortlessly. Even so, she never imagined that Yue He would be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Falling Lotus cut through the void and sped in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
At the same time, the grand bell tolled in Blood Swan Continent loudly. The noise resounded through the sky, alarming countless disciples who quickly looked up to the Main Hall located at its very centre.
One of Blood Swan Continent’s disciples counted how many times the bells tolled with a solemn expression. When the bell stopped ringing, he exclaimed with a pale expression, “The bell tolled nine times! That is the death knell indicating that an Elder has passed away! Which Elder is it?”
A disciple next to him responded, “There are four Elders in Blood Swan Continent and none of them are approaching their predestined time of death. Did something unexpected happen to them?”
A third person spoke up, “I saw Elder Gu leaving with a group of people just now. I don’t know what they were doing, but they were extremely aggressive and brimming with murderous intent. Could it be that Elder Gu was killed?”
While the disciples were conversing among each other, numerous figures flew out from all over Blood Swan Continent and rushed towards the Main Hall. These were the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent. There were not many of them, but they were not that few either. There were a total of more than twenty people. Among these twenty or so people, three were in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm while the others were either in the First or Second-Order. They served a variety of positions within Blood Swan Continent but upon hearing the tolling of the bell, they immediately converged.
The figures quickly flew into the Main Hall where a middle-aged man with a handsome appearance sat in the head seat. This man had black hair, but there were streaks of grey at his temples that made him seem weathered but experienced in the vicissitudes of life. This middle-aged man was none other than the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua.
A burly Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with heavy-set arms and a thick waist strode in and looked around. Seeing everybody looking extremely gloomy, he frowned and cupped his fists, “Sect Master, whose death knell was it?”
Yun Xing Hua replied solemnly, “Elder Gu Zhi Xin!”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stared at Yun Xing Hua in shock and exclaimed, “How can that be!? Just yesterday, I was having a drink with Elder Gu! He was perfectly fine at the time. Besides, didn’t he just receive that Scarlet Star Great Commander as a guest? Could it be that his death is related to Guo Zi Yan?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded heavily, “I believe so.”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was furious, “That bastard surnamed Guo sure is brave! How dare he murder Elder Gu in Blood Swan Continent!? Where is he right now!? I will immediately go and wring his neck!”
A weak-looking man dressed like a scholar standing next to him commented, “Guo Zi Yan quietly fled last night. He is no longer in Blood Swan Continent.”
The burly man frowned, “Fled? What do you mean?”
Yun Xing Hua said, “This incident is ultimately this King’s fault. Haa… Elder Gu also died because of me. This King has wronged him.”
The burly man was puzzled, “Sect Master, what happened exactly?”
This burly man was not the only one who was puzzled. Many others in the Man Hall were completely lost too.
Yun Xing Hua explained, “Do you remember that this King was in retreat for my breakthrough recently? I consumed a lot of Blood Swan Continent’s cultivation resources during that time. Blood Swan Continent had a shallow heritage in the first place, so it could not withstand such a heavy consumption. Moreover, I miscalculated the resources that I required, and at a critical juncture during my retreat, I discovered that the resources I had were not enough. Therefore, I sent a message to Elder Gu to ask him to help me. If I could not receive the necessary supply of resources in time, it was very likely that my previous efforts would be forfeited.”
Most of the 20 or so people in the Main Hall looked surprised upon hearing this. That was because they were oblivious to this fact. Nevertheless, Yun Xing Hua was the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, so if he could advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would greatly improve the entire Blood Swan Continent’s situation; therefore, nobody felt that anything was out of place even though it was their first time learning about this.
“And, then?” The burly man asked.
Yun Xing Hua continued his explanation, “Elder Gu lived up to my expectations, soon sending over two Fourth-Order materials. It was by relying on these two resources that this King was able to successfully achieve my breakthrough.”
The burly man frowned. Although he was rambunctious, his mind was fairly sharp. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong and hesitated, “Sect Master, is there something wrong with the two Fourth-Order materials?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “Indeed, Elder Guan. The problem lies in the two Fourth-Order materials. At the time, I was curious as to how Elder Gu managed to obtain two Fourth-Order materials so quickly, but I did not ask him much about it since my cultivation was at a critical juncture. I simply had him exchange them for appropriate resources at the Star City which I then absorbed wholeheartedly. Afterwards, I successfully advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and came out of retreat. It can be said that it’s all thanks to Elder Gu’s meritorious deeds that this King was able to advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
“After I came out of retreat, I asked Elder Gu about the materials again, and he reported that he accidentally came across them a long time ago. I was extremely grateful towards him and prepared to compensate him well in the future. To my surprise though, I learned that things were not quite so simple when Guo Zi Yan appeared on our doorstep two days ago. The two Fourth-Order materials did not actually belong to Elder Gu. Rather, it belonged to one of his Low-Rank Disciples, Guo Miao. Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad and originally had hopes of achieving the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, so Guo Zi Yan prepared the two Fourth-Order materials for her in advance. This was something Elder Gu had known about for a long time. When he received this King’s message, he borrowed the two Fourth-Order materials from her, and thereby, planted the root of this disaster.”
After listening to his explanation, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the Main Hall revealed strange expressions. They were not fools. After being acquainted with Gu Zhi Xin for so many years, they had a clear understanding of his character. Unfortunately, Gu Zhi Xin probably used forceful methods to obtain the two Fourth-Order materials from Guo Miao. It was definitely not something as simple as ‘borrowing’. It could even be said that it was unclear whether the Sect Master himself was aware of what actually happened at the time.
“When Guo Zi Yan came looking for his daughter, Blood Swan Continent played the part of a good host. So, I have no idea why he decided to flee in the middle of the night. Elder Gu was worried that Guo Zi Yan might have some sort of misunderstanding, so he chased after them in order to explain himself. But… a disciple reported to me just now that Elder Gu’s Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden!” Yun Xing Hua’s expression was full of grief, as if he was sorrowful beyond words, “It was not only Elder Gu. The Soul Lamps of Deacon Xiong, Hall Master Ran, and three others that all went out one after the other.”
“What!?” There was an uproar in the Main Hall when this news broke. Everyone craned their necks to look around, and sure enough, they did not see the people whose names Yun Xing Hua just mentioned. Counting Gu Zhi Xin, Blood Swan Continent had lost six Open Heaven Realm Masters all at once. While this kind of loss might not be crippling for Blood Swan Continent, it was still severely damaging.
“Moreover…” Yun Xing Hua had an extremely grave expression as he looked around the hall and continued slowly, “The Soul Lamps of Elder Gu and Deacon Xiong and two others were extinguished at essentially the same moment!”
A series of gasps rang out through the hall. Many Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly turned as pale as a sheet. If the deaths of Gu Zhi Xin and the other five people had shocked them, then the fact that multiple Soul Lamps had gone out at the same moment positively terrified them. The Soul Lamps going out at the same time meant that these people had likely been killed with a single blow. They could not help but make certain assumptions with this kind of information.
Gu Zhi Xin was in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. On the other hand, the others were all in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. The destructive power they could exert when working together could not be considered weak. Just what kind of existence could slaughter them all in an instant? A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be able to pull off something like that. The only ones who could do this were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm or a Master above the Fifth-Order!
“Could it be that Zhao Bai Chuan made a move personally!?” The burly man surnamed Guan had an extremely solemn expression on his face.
It was only natural that he made such an assumption. Guo Zi Yan was a part of Scarlet Star while Zhao Bai Chuan was the Head Manager of Scarlet Star. It would make sense if Zhao Bai Chuan helped Guo Zi Yan.
Yun Xing Hua stood up slowly, “It doesn’t matter who slaughtered Elder Gu and the others. Everyone, Blood Swan Continent will soon face a huge catastrophe. The slightest carelessness will lead to a disastrous situation. I hope that all of you will stand with this King to face this possible crisis together.”
Somebody stepped forward, “Sect Master, are you saying that the person who killed Elder Gu and the others will come to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “I cannot rule out this possibility.”
That person followed up, “Even if it was Zhao Bai Chuan who attacked us, he is only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It is true that there is nobody in Blood Swan Continent who could be his opponent, but if he wanted to attack this place… It won’t be so easy.”
Yun Xing Hua replied, “If it were only Zhao Bai Chuan alone, then there is nothing for Blood Swan Continent to fear. We can rely on the Defensive Grand Array to protect ourselves. What can he do to Blood Swan Continent even if he is in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm? But if you believe that is all we have to worry about, then you underestimate the situation in Scarlet Star. They have several Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens in the Low-Rank. I don’t know where they have been hiding for the past decade, but their strength is no trivial matter now that they have returned.”
The weak-looking scholar from before said, “If that’s the case, Blood Swan Continent will not be able to fight back against them. Sect Master, I suggest we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help! Shocking Swan Territory is Shocking Swan Pavilion’s territory and Blood Swan Continent is affiliated with them. It is not Scarlet Star’s place to run wild!”
Yun Xing Hua revealed a complicated look in his eyes as he slowly shook his head, “I’m afraid it’s too late. If anyone really wants to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent, they will appear in at most a day or two. Even if we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they won’t be able to make it in time. Besides, Shocking Swan Pavilion… might not be willing to lend us a hand.”
Upon hearing that, everybody’s expression became gloomy.
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past. He was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm when he could have broken through to the Fourth-Order. Now that he worked hard to cultivate for tens of years and finally regained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be pleased with this turn of events. If they really asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they did not know what kind of price they would need to pay. Shocking Swan Pavilion might even take the chance to put forward some harsh conditions to suppress them further.
“Don’t mention asking for help again. I hope all of you will remain vigilant during this period. If there are any strange movements from the outside, report them immediately!”
“Yes!” Everybody responded loudly before scattering in all directions.
Once everybody had left, Yun Xing Hua finally gashed his teeth and viciously slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair, gritting his teeth as he cursed, “Gu Zhi Xin, you incompetent bastard!”
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed and forced to advance into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, and now that he obtained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he finally saw hopes towards the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With his aptitude, it would not be difficult for him to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm within 200 years if he had enough resources.
That would also be around the time the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion died. Aside from the old ghost of Shocking Swan Pavilion, Yun Xing Hua thought little of the others. When he obtained the strength of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there would be nobody else in the entire Shocking Swan Territory who could be his opponent. Dominating the entire Shocking Swan Territory and using Shocking Swan Territory to lord over Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be a difficult task. Only then could he take revenge for his grudge of being suppressed back then!
His beautiful dream had only just begun, and yet, he was faced with such a turn of events. That unknown powerful enemy could slaughter four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in an instant. Yun Xing Hua had to admit that he was not this enemy’s opponent. Even if they relied on Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, they might not be able to stop the enemy. He couldn’t help feeling a little lost as to what he should do in the future!
Despite pondering gloomily for a while, Yun Xing Hua came up with no countermeasure whatsoever. He could only hope that the enemy was not that powerful and would retreat in the face of difficulties.
Unfortunately, his hopes were crushed to pieces in just one day.
Following a loud sound, the entire Blood Swan Continent seemed to shake as a violent force impacted it. Blood Swan Continent was struck by a disaster. The slightly weaker disciples began bleeding from their seven orifices from the impact of the shock and chaos soon spread. Some even passed out, unable to take the impact.
Yun Xing Hua came out of the place where he had been cultivating and lifting his gaze, he immediately saw an enormous lotus outside of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The lotus rotated slowly and every flower petal was exquisitely crafted, like the most beautiful work of art. Even so, he could sense an amazing power from it.
This was definitely an artifact that only a Second-Class great force could produce. Moreover, it would need to be a Second-Class great force with quite a strong heritage. Shocking Swan Pavilion had a similar artifact called Shocking Swan Platform, which cost countless resources to create.
Yun Xing Hua’s mouth was instantly filled with bitterness at the sight.
At this moment, the Defensive Grand Array of Blood Swan Continent had been activated and a transparent light barrier enveloped the entire Spirit Province. However, there was a deep indentation at one spot of the light barrier that was slowly restoring itself. Yun Xing Hua’s face twitched slightly at the sight when he realised that the indentation was caused by the lotus ramming into the Grand Array.
[Just who is inside that lotus!? I can’t believe they used an artifact like that to forcefully try to break Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array! Are they insane!?]
It had to be said that while this kind of artifact might be powerful, it was also extremely expensive to produce. Repairing such an artifact was no easy feat once it was damaged; therefore, artifacts like this would generally be loved and cherished greatly no matter the great force that owned it. They would not allow the artifact to be damaged easily. On the contrary, this person was using the lotus artifact to smash into the Grand Array directly.
[What violent and ruthless methods.] Just as that thought crossed Yun Xing Hua’s mind, he saw the lotus backing up by several dozen kilometres. Then, it turned into a stream of light and charged towards Blood Swan Continent again.
Yun Xing Hua felt as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. A chill surged up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head in an instant and without any hesitation whatsoever, he summoned the Array Jade and desperately poured his power into it, urgently mobilising the strength of the Defensive Grand Array.
The World Energy of Blood Swan Continent instantly felt like it had been siphoned away. Everything was directed into the Grand Array to enhance its strength. The transparent light barrier quickly became more solid, as though several layers had been added to it.
The process had only just been completed when the lotus collided directly with the light barrier, which caved inward so deeply that the changes were visible to the naked eye. The enormous lotus was like a Divine sword falling from the Heavens, stabbing into Blood Swan Continent’s vitals, giving off the impression that it wanted to smash Blood Swan Continent to pieces.
There was a loud booming explosion and Blood Swan Continent experienced another earthquake. The illusory phantom of a Small Universe appeared behind Yun Xing Hua’s back for a moment before vanishing and his World Force fluctuated.
The power of the Grand Array did not disappoint as the thick light barrier was like a rubber ball that caused the lotus to bounce backwards. However, it took a very long time for the dented portion of the light barrier to recover.
Yun Xing Hua groaned and staggered backwards. Blood was trickling out of his mouth and nose and his complexion was slightly pale. As the person controlling Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, his mind was connected to it; hence, he was also affected by the backlash when Blood Swan Continent was struck by the impact.
“Sect Master!” Numerous figures rushed over and stood next to him, looking outward with expressions of shock and horror.
Yun Xing Hua suppressed the churning vitality in his body and shouted across the Grand Array, “These friends! Please stop! I have something to say!”
He originally placed his hopes in the Defensive Grand Array, but it would now seem that his hopes were in vain. Although the Defensive Grand Array remained strong and did not break, he could not withstand much more himself. The lotus would only need to slam into the Grand Array another 3 to 5 times before he would be severely injured. At that time, without someone to control it, the Grand Array would collapse on its own.
There was no response from the enormous lotus; instead, it pulled back once more to create a distance of over a hundred kilometres before turning into a stream of light and shooting towards Blood Swan Continent again.
*Hong…*
The collision shook the sky. Countless Blood Swan Continent disciples passed out on the spot and even those in the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm seemed unable to withstand the impact of the collision. They staggered slightly, their expressions turning grim.
Meanwhile, Yun Xing Hua spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and his aura withered all of a sudden. He was the one in charge of the Defensive Grand Array after all, so he received the most direct impact.
Nevertheless, Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array held even after the 3 ramming blows. That was the strength of the Spirit Array. Even if Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, it could rely on the power of its Grand Array to defend against an invading enemy that was stronger than itself.
On the other hand, the glow of the enormous lotus faded slightly after the 3 impacts. It would seem that it had been damaged as a result.
A delicate woman’s voice came from inside the lotus, “Xiao Guo Miao, the Young Master has helped you vent your anger. If you have not had enough, we can continue ramming them. We will break this tortoise shell and trample flat Blood Swan Continent.”
Inside Blood Swan Continent, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters nearly spat blood at those words. [Such a violent and crazy approach was just to help Guo Miao vent her anger!? Just what kind of lunatic is hidden inside that lotus!?]
While they were trembling in fear, they heard a young girl’s voice, “Many thanks, Senior. This disciple only wishes for my father to be safe and sound. I don’t care about anything else.”
Elder Guan stood next to Yun Xing Hua and whispered, “That’s Guo Miao’s voice.”
Guo Miao had lived in Blood Swan Continent for many years. Since Elder Guan knew about her identity, it was only natural that he could also recognise her voice.
Yun Xing Hua nodded solemnly. He had long guessed the murderer who killed Gu Zhi Xin and the others would not leave things be. It was just that he never imagined they would appear outside Blood Swan Continent so quickly. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the rage in his heart and cupped his fists, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua offers his greetings. May I know to whom I am speaking? Will you show yourselves?”
The lotus floating in the sky spun slowly. Then, an opening appeared in the gaps between two flower petals and two people emerged from within that opening. One was a brave and heroic young man. He stood with his hands behind his back with an indifferent expression on his face while the other one was a beautiful and charming woman.
Yun Xing Hua’s eyes contracted at the sight. That was because, among the two people who appeared, he could sense a terrifying aura coming from the woman. That aura was something he only felt from the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion before.
“Sixth-Order!” Elder Guan exclaimed, his expression instantly becoming extremely ugly.
The other Open Heaven Realm Masters also felt their hearts sinking in their chest. Their expressions were gloomy and their nervous gulping was faintly audible. [A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!? Blood Swan Continent has kicked an iron plate this time! We’re doomed!]
No wonder Gu Zhi Xin, as well as the other Deacons and Hall Masters, were killed in an instant! It turned out that the other party was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! How could any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master fight back against such mighty strength?
Nevertheless, despite guessing that Gu Zhi Xin and the others had died at the hands of this beautiful woman, the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent did not dare to hold the slightest resentment or vengeful feelings against her.
There was only one Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the entire Shocking Swan Territory, and that was the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion. He had oppressed Shocking Swan Territory for thousands of years and reigned supreme in this place, dominating Shocking Swan Territory under him. Nobody dared to disobey him. That showed just how tyrannical the strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was.
Even if Blood Swan Continent had asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, Shocking Swan Pavilion would probably refuse to interfere in this chaos. How could the Old Pavilion Master, who was approaching his predestined time of death, dare to offend another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for Blood Swan Continent?
Yun Xing Hua looked at the young man standing in front of the woman with a bitter expression. That young man’s aura was obscure, but it was obvious he was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to underestimate the other party. Rather, his expression became even more solemn than before.
This couldn’t be helped. That was because the young man’s position was actually one step ahead of that woman in the Sixth Order! What did that mean? That undoubtedly meant that the young man’s status was higher than hers. It could even be said that the woman in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was nothing more than his subordinate!
Yun Xing Hua felt cold sweat oozing out of his forehead. He had the vague feeling that he had accidentally provoked an extraordinary existence. Suppressing the fear in his heart, he politely cupped his fists and quickly said, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua greets two guests. May I know how I should address you?”
Yang Kai was expressionless and said nothing while on the other hand, Yue He smilingly replied, “The Young Master is the Master of Void Land, Void True Monarch.”
A trivial nobody in the Emperor Realm was clearly not qualified to call himself ‘True Monarch’, but nobody found those words strange given the circumstances.
Yun Xing Hua frowned slightly and his heart was filled with doubts. He could tell that Void Land was a Second-Class great force, but he had never heard of this name before. Still, he adjusted quickly, “So it is Sir True Monarch. I did not know that you were coming to visit Blood Swan Continent. Please forgive us for our lack of hospitality. It’s just… is there some kind of misunderstanding? Why did you attack Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, True Monarch? Has Blood Swan Continent done something to offend you?”
There had never been a time when he had to speak so respectfully towards an Emperor Realm Junior, but there was no helping it; his strength could not compare to the other party, so he could only lower his head.
Yue He was still smiling, but her smile seemed extremely terrifying in the eyes of the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent.
“Don’t you know what Blood Swan Continent has done? Why ask when you already know the answer?”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression became tortured but he forced a smile onto his face and said, “Madame, please enlighten me. This Yun has been in retreat and has only come out recently, so I am not too aware of the events in the outside world.”
“Are you sure?” Yue He looked at him meaningfully, but her tone was leisurely.
Under her gaze, Yun Xing Hua felt as though he was being watched by an ancient Ominous Beast and could die at any moment. Thus, the cold sweat on his forehead kept sliding down his cheeks. The pressure was as heavy as a mountain as the wheels in his head spun at a dizzying speed, trying to think of a way to resolve the current crisis.
At this moment, the weak-looking scholar stepped forward and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, “Sect Master, I’m afraid this incident might be related to Elder Gu.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Xing Hua pretended not to know anything, glancing at the scholar suspiciously.
The scholar replied, “I seem to have heard Guo Miao’s voice coming from inside the lotus just now. Guo Miao is one of the Disciples under Elder Gu and the daughter of one of Scarlet Star’s Great Commanders, Guo Zi Yan. In the past, Commander Guo sent Guo Miao to Blood Swan Continent to take Elder Gu as her Master and cultivate under him. The day before yesterday, Commander Guo came to Blood Swan Continent to take Guo Miao away. Naturally, Elder Gu had no objections. The two of them had a long conversation with each other over drinks, but I have no idea what happened after their talk. Since Guo Miao is here, then this incident must have something to do with that event.”
“Something like this happened?” Yun Xing Hua frowned and looked around. He shouted, “Where is Elder Gu? Come forward and explain this situation.”
The scholar replied, “Sect Master, Elder Gu is dead. His Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden. I was just about to report this matter to you, but I didn’t get the chance to do so.”
“What!?” Yun Xing Hua was shocked, “Elder Gu is dead!?”
“Elder Gu is not the only one. The Soul Lamps of several other Deacons and Hall Masters were also extinguished at the same time.”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression went pale all of a sudden as he spoke in a distressed voice, “How can this be?”
Seeming to mourn their deaths for a moment, he raised his head again to look at Yue He and Yang Kai, “May I know if Your Excellency’s arrival at Blood Swan Continent is related to Gu Zhi Xin? If that’s the case, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Elder Gu was killed by an unknown party and even his Soul Lamp has been extinguished.”
“No need to wonder, I killed him!” Yue He said lightly.
Yun Xing Hua widened his eyes and stared at her in disbelief, “Madame, why did you kill one of Blood Swan Continent’s Elders? What did Elder Gu do to offend you?”
Yue He just stared at him deeply and only after a long while passed did she slowly shake her head and look at Yang Kai, “Young Master.”
Yang Kai clapped his hands slowly, “I heard that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent was suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past, but he endured the disgrace and the humiliation while working to build himself back up. Therefore, I originally thought that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent would be a resilient and flexible man who could achieve great things given time. But, it seems now that he is nothing more than a clown!”
Yun Xing Hua snapped angrily, “Why do you say that, True Monarch?”
Yang Kai looked at Yun Xing Hua indifferently, “Sect Master, don’t you think that your acting is too clumsy? Who could you deceive with such a shoddy performance? For your next act, do you expect me to tell you that Gu Zhi Xin not only stole the two Fourth-Order materials that Commander Guo gave to his daughter but also forced her to refine a Second-Order Element in order to cut off her future Martial Dao? Then, to prevent any future trouble, he teamed up with several other Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent to hunt down Commander Guo and his daughter? Are you going to tell me that you were completely oblivious to everything that was going on? Was it all done by Gu Zhi Xin alone?”
“Two Fourth-Order materials?” Yun Xing Hua was stunned by what he heard, “Elder Gu did give me two Fourth-Order materials to help me in my cultivation while I was in retreat. Could it be that those two materials belonged to Guo Miao?”
After saying that, he seemed extremely annoyed, “Foolish! How foolish! As one of the Elders of Blood Swan Continent Elder, how could Elder Gu actually steal the resources of his Disciples!? Such practices are against the ethics a Master should abide by!”
Yang Kai nodded in praise, “Sect Master, your acting skills are superb indeed. This King is impressed!”
Yun Xing Hua spoke with a stern expression, “True Monarch, you are misunderstanding me. I really had no clue about this matter. If I had known earlier…”
Before Yun Xing Hua could finish speaking, Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt the other party. He leaned forward slightly and looked down at Yun Xing Hua condescendingly, “Did you think this King came here to argue with you? Regardless of whether you knew anything about this matter or not, it doesn’t change the fact that somebody from Blood Swan Continent stole from one of my people then attempted to kill them to cover up the crime. Commander Guo was also injured by the people from Blood Swan Continent. If not for this King’s timely rescue, he and his daughter would not be alive today. Commander Guo is a member of Void Land. The people of Void Land are not people that mere bastards like you lot can bully.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yue He let out a tender shout as she gave a flick of her wrist and summoned a long whip into her hand. The whip flew through the air and lashed against the light barrier of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The light barrier caved inward deeply and successfully blocked this terrifying blow, but Yue He simply flicked her wrist again and lash her whip once more.
At the same time, the huge lotus suddenly split apart. The lotus flower petals flew out, slicing at the Grand Array from every direction like sharp blades. That was not all. Yang Kai also raised his hand and summoned the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, opened its lid, and unleashed the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light towards the Defensive Grand Array.
The rumbling sounds were incessant and the entire Blood Swan Continent shook violently as its World Energy became chaotic. Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters went pale at the sight and all of them turned to look at Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua had re-summoned the Array Jade and focused the power of the Defensive Grand Array the moment Yang Kai and the others started attacking. Still, he perceived that the Grand Array was collapsing extremely quickly. His heart couldn’t help sinking to the bottom of the abyss.
Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, so even though it had a Defensive Grand Array, its power was still relatively weak. They might have been able to resist if they had a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on their side, but unfortunately, they did not.
Yue He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array possibly stop her? Not to mention, Lang Qing Shan and the others were harnessing the power of the Falling Lotus while Yang Kai was controlling the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light to support from the sides!
With such a violent attack, it would take less than an hour before the Grand Array collapsed completely. When that happened, nobody in Blood Swan Continent would be able to stop the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from slaughtering them, regardless of their advantage in numbers.
“True Monarch, please stop! This really is a misunderstanding!” Yun Xing Hua shouted in a frenzy, his face dripping with cold sweat.
Yang Kai was unmoved by those words and on the contrary, his attacks became fiercer. He urged the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light more savagely than before. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light could unleash a Sixth-Order Element Power, which was extremely powerful; however, it was still just one Element. Its destructive power was incomparable to that of a genuine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He. After all, what an Open Heaven Realm Master mobilised was World Force which blended Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Even so, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was much more powerful compared to his own strength as an Emperor Realm Cultivator.
When Yun Xing Hua saw Yang Kai ignoring him, he shouted again, “Blood Swan Continent is willing to compensate you for your losses, True Monarch! Please show mercy!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You want to bargain now? Too late!”
If Yun Xing Hua had dispelled the Defensive Grand Array at the start and apologised properly, Yang Kai might not have decided to be so cruel; after all, it was not right for him to continue attacking if the other party was not fighting back. Besides, the culprit, Gu Zhi Xin, was already dead. Even if Yun Xing Hua knew about the incident beforehand, he was not the mastermind. However, Yun Xing Hua mistakenly believed that he could worm his way out of any blame by feigning ignorance. How could Yang Kai tolerate his actions?
Seeing that Yang Kai was so determined, Yun Xing Hua despaired. He could only desperately mobilise the power of the Grand Array to resist, but he knew that he was simply drinking poison to quench his thirst. There was no way to stop the impending disaster in front of him just by relying on Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array. But, what was he to do if he did not resist? Was he supposed to allow himself to be slaughtered?
Turning his head and looking around, he saw that the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters looked as sorrowful as grieving widows and their complexions were grey with fear. Many of the disciples were also shivering and panicking. Yun Xing Hua sighed in his heart, knowing that Blood Swan Continent was doomed. At that moment, he wished with all his heart that he could drag the dead Gu Zhi Xin back from the Yellow Springs and give Gu Zhi Xin a brutal whipping.
*Kacha…*
The sound of something shattering rang out. In less than a stick of incense’s worth of time, numerous spider web-like cracks appeared in the Defensive Grand Array surrounding the entire Blood Swan Continent under the constant bombardment of Yue He, Yang Kai, and the Falling Lotus.
Yun Xing Hua might have been desperately drawing upon his power to reinforce the Grand Array, but it was nothing more than a struggle in vain.
Soon, the Grand Array collapsed, accompanied by a violent burst of energy fluctuations. As if struck by lightning, Yun Xing Hua spat out fresh blood and his complexion turned pale.
An invisible pressure spread out in an instant, enveloping the entire Blood Swan Continent. The weight of the pressure felt as though a thousand Universe Worlds were pressing down on everybody’s heads. It made them unable to breathe and caused despair to grow in their hearts. That was the majesty of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Every single Open Heaven Realm Master in Blood Swan Continent trembled like a quail without a nest in the middle of winter. They stared at the beautiful and charming woman in the sky with a mixture of shock and horror. None of them could muster the slightest resistance, much less the courage to fight her.
Yang Kai appeared in front of Yun Xing Hua in a flash. He kicked him to the ground and stepped on the latter’s chest before pressing the Azure Dragon Spear against the latter’s forehead and asking coldly, “Tell me; how do you want to die?”
Yun Xing Hua raised his gaze to stare at Yang Kai, his mouth filled with the taste of blood and humiliation. With his strength as a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would not be difficult for him to kill this Emperor Realm brat in front of him if he lashed out violently; however, he did not dare to act rashly. That was because the woman’s Divine Sense was firmly locked onto him and her beautiful eyes were gleaming with a cold light. If he so much as twitched suspiciously, a storm of attacks would rain down upon him and he would die on the spot before he could make a move.
Despite the stifling feeling in his heart, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to make any strange moves. He suppressed his unwillingness and backed down, “Please have mercy, True Monarch! Blood Swan Continent is willing to provide compensation and apologise!”
“What’s the point of compensation and an apology?” Yang Kai’s expression was frosty, “This King came here today to seek justice for my people. I will let the 3,000 Worlds know that nobody can oppress the people of Void Land! Hurry up and choose the way you wish to die! This King might just let you keep a whole corpse!”
Yun Xing Hua felt his heart sinking into the abyss. He never imagined that Yang Kai would be so resolute, refusing to give face whatsoever.
At this moment, Yue He’s expression changed as she informed, “Young Master, Commander Guo has awoken.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his head to look in the direction of the Falling Lotus. His Divine Sense spread out and sure enough, he could sense that Guo Zi Yan had woken up.
At this moment, Guo Zi Yan walked out of the Falling Lotus with Guo Miao’s help. When he looked around, he was shocked to discover that Yun Xing Hua was being trampled underfoot by Yang Kai and could not move. Many of Blood Swan Continent’s Open Heaven Realm Masters were frozen in place with panicked looks on their faces, as though a Binding Technique had been used on them. In addition, there were countless Blood Swan Continent disciples lying unconscious on the ground in the surroundings.
He immediately understood what was going on. Yang Kai had attacked Blood Swan Continent!
[What a domineering approach!] Looking at the current situation, it would seem that Blood Swan Continent was completely incapable of fighting back. That was no surprise though as how could a Third-Class great force stop a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He?
“Commander Guo, your injuries have yet to heal. You should be recuperating right now. Why did you come out?” Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan.
Guo Zi Yan exhaled lightly, “Many thanks, Sir, for your concern. This subordinate’s injuries are not an issue and will recover fully with a few days’ rest. It’s my daughter… She has something to ask of you, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked at Guo Miao with a light expression and gently nodded, “Your Father serves under me, and although it has not been long, he is very loyal to this King and has made many worthy contributions. You are his only offspring and the most valuable existence in his life. A person he is willing to give up his life to protect. Go ahead and tell me what you want. As long as it is within this King’s abilities, I will not refuse you!”
Guo Miao hurriedly bowed when she heard those words, “This disciple would like to thank you in advance, Sir. This disciple… This disciple has no other wish. I just hope that Sir can show mercy. Please spare the Sect Master and Elders. Please spare Blood Swan Continent.”
As soon as her statement came out, not only did Yang Kai look surprised, even the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent looked astonished. The eyes of Yun Xing Hua, who did not dare to move under Yang Kai’s foot, glimmered with a sliver of hope.
Guo Zi Yan seemed to have anticipated what his daughter would say, so he was not surprised and simply let out a sigh.
“Are you certain?” Yang Kai stared directly into Guo Miao’s eyes, as though he was trying to stare into the depths of her Soul, “Gu Zhi Xin stole your resources and forced you to refine a Second-Order Element to cut off your future. Earlier, he also hunted you and your Father down with a group of men. You and your Father nearly lost your lives in the void. If not for this King’s timely arrival, you two would not be alive right now. As the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, it is bad enough that Yun Xing Hua failed to shelter and take care of a disciple like you, but he even condoned the crimes of Gu Zhi Xin. When this King came here to question him about the incident, he feigned ignorance about the matter. Such a villain, such a filthy place; are you sure you want me to be merciful?”
Guo Miao lowered her head, “Honoured… Gu Zhi Xin stole my resources and cut off my future. I hate him for that. His death is not worth pitying. I won’t lie to you, Sir. I used to dream countless times about taking revenge one day. I wanted him to die the most painful death. But, now that this day is here, this Disciple only feels sadness and for some reason, I am very unhappy.”
While speaking, her eyes reddened slightly and tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes. Guo Zi Yan lightly patted her on the shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he could vaguely understand the contradiction in her heart; after all, she was practically raised by Gu Zhi Xin. Guo Zi Yan had sent her to Blood Swan Continent when she was very young, so having lost her Mother at a young age and parted with her real Father, she had struggled to survive as a child. In her eyes, Gu Zhi Xin was the closest person to her besides her Father. However, the closest person to her had harmed her during the most important juncture of her life. He forced her to condense a Second-Order Element despite her aptitude to help another reach the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Therefore, she hated him and cursed him with all her heart. Even so, her great hatred could not entirely erase the gratitude she had towards him for raising and teaching her.
Her gratitude and her hatred were in conflict, causing her emotions to become turbulent. It was only natural for her to feel sad. Rather, nobody with the slightest conscience in them would be able to bear watching Blood Swan Continent be wiped out.
Guo Miao rubbed at the corner of her eyes and said, “The culprit is dead and my Father and I are safe and sound, so this Disciple asks Sir to show mercy. Please let this matter end here.”
Blood Swan Continent was ultimately the place she grew up in and it could be considered her second family. Despite all the sorrowful happenings, the Fellow Brothers and Sisters that grew up with her and lived with her for many years were here in this place. If Yang Kai slaughtered all the Open Heaven Realm Masters, where would her Fellow Brothers and Sisters go?
After listening to her words, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent all looked ashamed. On the other hand, Yun Xing Hua looked inexplicably grateful. He thought he was going to die, but who could have known that there would be a turning point in this scenario and he still had a chance to survive?
Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan, “Commander Guo, is that also your intention?”
Guo Zi Yan replied, “This subordinate has no other wishes now that he has been reunited with his daughter.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai responded. He lowered his head to look at Yun Xing Hua only to see the other party looking at him beggingly.
When their gazes met, Yun Xing Hua looked like he was trying to force out a smile, but his facial muscles were so stiff that his smile was uglier than his crying face.
“Forget it!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “I’ve lost my murderous intent after listening to what the two of you have said. I’ll spare their lives today.”
A burst of relieved exhalation sounded. The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent felt as though a mountain had been lifted from their hearts. They immediately relaxed considerably. Looking at each other, they found that each other’s faces were covered in sweat; thus, they couldn’t help smiling ruefully. The feeling of lurking in front of the Gates of Death was horrible indeed.
*Ceng…*
The Azure Dragon Spear slid past Yun Xing Hua’s cheek and stabbed into the ground beside his ear. Yang Kai leaned down and spoke in a sinister voice, “You better be thankful that you took in such a kind-hearted disciple.”
“Yes! Of course!” Yun Xing Hua nodded repeatedly, “Blood Swan Continent will never forget the mercy Guo Miao showed us today!”
Yang Kai continued, “While death may be exempted, punishment may not.” He took out the Loyalty List and flipped to the third page, “Force out your Blood Essence, then record your name and aura here.”
The Loyalty List had a total of nine pages. The first page contained Chen Tian Fei’s name. The second page had Hei He’s name. There used to be a name written on the third page, a subordinate of Old Ancestor Mo Yu. Yang Kai previously used that person to lead Mo Yu into a trap. Unfortunately, that person had a short life. Mo Yu killed him immediately after noticing that something was wrong. Consequently, the name that used to exist on the third page faded away and disappeared.
Guo Miao’s gratitude allowed her to forgive the people of Blood Swan Continent, but Yang Kai was not willing to let them off so easily.
At the moment, Void Land was desperately short of manpower. In particular, there were too few Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. It made handling various matters rather difficult. If he could absorb the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent, then he would have enough people to manage Void Territory’s Star City.
He once planned for Lang Qing Shan and the others to take care of the Star City once they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but that would take a few more years at least. On the other hand, this group of Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent would undoubtedly meet his immediate needs. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm so he was reluctantly strong enough to manage and maintain the order of the Star City.
Yun Xing Hua might not know the secret behind the Loyalty List, but he instinctively knew that it was not a good thing. Unfortunately, he was a person under the eaves. Yue He’s aura was also firmly locked into him, so how could he resist?
Fortunately for him, he was a rather flexible individual. Having been suppressed by Shocking Swan Territory in the past, Yun Xing Hua cultivated a character capable of enduring disgrace and humiliation. He knew when to bend and stretch. Hence, he readily forced out his Blood Essence to leave his name and aura on the Loyalty List.
A blood light shone brightly. Then, the name ‘Yun Xing Hua’ appeared on the third page of the Loyalty List.
Yang Kai grinned at Yun Xing Hua, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances. You did well.”
Only then did he remove his foot from Yun Xing Hua’s chest.
Yun Xing Hua observed himself quietly for a while, seeming to vaguely understand the mysteries of the Loyalty List. Regardless of how turbulent his emotions were inside, he did not reveal the slightest hint of dissatisfaction on the surface and instead smiled brightly, “Yun Xing Hua greets Sir. If you have any instructions in the future, this subordinate will not refuse your orders, come Hell or high water.”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He naturally did not trust the latter. Nevertheless, he was not worried about what troubles Yun Xing Hua could cause as long as he had the Loyalty List in his possession.
“Is this all the wealth that Blood Swan Continent possesses?” Inside the Main Hall, Yang Kai sat in the head seat while Yue He stood behind him. At this moment, he was holding a Space Ring in his hand and staring speechlessly at Yun Xing Hua, who was standing in front of him.
Yun Xing Hua had left his name on the Loyalty List, so no matter what kind of character he had, he was now part of Void Land. Blood Swan Continent was located in Shocking Swan Territory, which was where Shocking Swan Pavilion reigned supreme. Even if Yang Kai wanted to bring the entire Blood Swan Continent under his command as a Subordinate Sect of Void Land, he was strong in will but weak in strength.
If anybody were to do something like that in the Void Territory, Yang Kai would not be able to accept it either. If he really did do this, then Shocking Swan Pavilion would definitely interfere.
Therefore, he could only give up on Blood Swan Continent’s Spirit Province despite his reluctance. Although Yang Kai could give up on the land, the people had to come with him.
Starting from Yun Xing Hua, the twenty or so Open Heaven Realm Masters and the numerous elite disciples of Blood Swan Continent would need to migrate to the Star City of Void Territory. From now onwards, they would live in and manage the Star City on behalf of Void Land.
Yang Kai believed that with a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in charge, in addition to the cooperation of several Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Star City would be managed properly.
Be that as it may, it was a given that all of Blood Swan Continent’s wealth would be taken along before they left this place. Yang Kai had expected Blood Swan Continent to be very poor; otherwise, Gu Zhi Xin would not have targeted his own Disciple to steal a mere two Fourth-Order materials. Nevertheless, he never imagined that a Third-Class great force could be so poor!
Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house contained no more than 100,000 Open Heaven Pills while all the other cultivation resources combined were probably only worth around 200,000 to 300,000 Open Heaven Pills. In other words, all the assets in Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house were worth no more than 400,000 Open Heaven Pills!
For somebody who literally spent billions at a time like Yang Kai, this paltry sum was not even worth looking at. After further consideration though, he realised that it was not Blood Swan Continent’s fault for being so poor. The reason he had so much wealth was that he made a fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. In the 3,000 Worlds, most Third-Class great forces would not have much savings in reserve. That was because its members would always require various resources for their cultivation.
Take Blood Swan Continent for example. There were 20 to 30 Open Heaven Realm Masters under Yun Xing Hua, who served as the Elders, Deacons, Hall Masters, and various other important positions in Blood Swan Continent. These people would need a certain amount of remuneration every month, ranging from several hundred to several thousand Open Heaven Pills. In one month, their expenditures would cost several tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills, and this was not counting the disciples below the Open Heaven Realm.
This was the case for Blood Swan Continent, and most other Third-Class great forces were in similar situations.
Back then, it had been a massive haemorrhaging for Great Moon Province to give Yang Kai 100,000 Open Heaven Pills in order to express its apology. Those who had accumulated hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills like Yang Kai were few and far between.
Yun Xing Hua responded in a panic, “Sir, this subordinate was in retreat for my breakthrough recently, which consumed a lot of resources. That… Uh…”
He thought that Yang Kai was not satisfied with the amount; thus, he kept shooting furtive looks at the other Open Heaven Realm Masters while speaking, as if to ask them to pool some resources together to calm Yang Kai’s anger. Although many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely reluctant, they did not dare to disobey and began taking action.
“Stop,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively and threw the Space Ring in his hand back to Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua was puzzled, “Sir?”
Yang Kai picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip of the tea. Then, he slowly said, “That belongs to Blood Swan Continent. Take good care of it. This King is not interested in your possessions.”
Yun Xing Hua looked ashamed, “Sir, your benevolence puts this subordinate to shame.”
Yang Kai added sternly, “Right now, this King has a heavy responsibility to entrust to you!”
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly said, “Sir, please do tell!”
“Bring out your Universe Chart!” Yang Kai gestured.
Yun Xing Hua quickly took out his Universe Chart and gave it to Yang Kai. Yang Kai took the Universe Chart, poured some power into it, and then tossed it back to Yun Xing Hua a short while later, “I have marked the location of Void Land on your Universe Chart. Choose 1,000 people from Blood Swan Continent and head to Void Land to find someone named Lu Xue. Tell her that I sent you there.”
Yun Xing Hua replied respectfully, “Yes, Sir!” Pausing for a moment, he tried to probe for more information, “Sir, what should this subordinate do after meeting Lu Xue?”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua, “You will help this King manage the Star City in Void Territory!”
*Shua shua shua…*
The gazes of more than 20 Open Heaven Realm Masters below all turned in this direction at the same time.
Likewise, Yun Xing Hua was also stunned by those words. He stared at Yang Kai in great astonishment and asked, “Sir, you want me to manage the Star City?”
He could not believe his ears.
For any great force that was in control of a Great Territory, the existence of the Star City could almost be said to be one of the greatest sources of income. They could collect taxes and rent from the people living and working in the Star City, allowing them a steady stream of Open Heaven Pills with only minimal work and risk.
There was also a Star City in Shocking Swan Territory, but it was naturally under the management of Shocking Swan Pavilion. Blood Swan Continent had no chance to get involved in that matter whatsoever; after all, the existence of the Star City was extremely important to any great force. Only those who were the most loyal to the Sect were allowed to manage the Star City, so as to ensure the continuity of the great force.
And yet, Yang Kai was actually allowing Blood Swan Continent to manage Void Territory’s the Star City under Yun Xing Hua’s leadership!
“What’s wrong? Do you not want to?” Yang Kai’s expression sank.
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly shook his head, “No, no. This subordinate will carry out Sir’s orders even if he must cross a sea of swords and flame. It’s just that a Star City… It is so important. I am afraid of disappointing, Sir.”
Yun Xing Hua was extremely suspicious, [Could he be setting me up? But, he doesn’t have to go that far. He can determine my life or death with a single thought, so there’s no reason for him to use this method even if he wants to get rid of me.]
Yang Kai’s expression remained sullen as he explained, “Void Land is newly established and this King does not have enough Open Heaven Realm Masters or the necessary manpower to manage the Star City currently. If not for that, do you think you would obtain such a chance?”
Although these words held no trace of politeness to them, they sounded like music to Yun Xing Hua, [So that’s how it is! It’s because of insufficient manpower!]
He was jumping for joy on the inside, but he remained calm on the surface, “I see. This subordinate understands. Sir, please rest assured, this subordinate will take good care of the Star City and will not disappoint Sir’s trust.”
He was very good at hiding his emotions as neither his joy nor anger showed on his face. On the other hand, the other Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not have such prudence and many of them showed pleased expressions as they rejoiced in their hearts.
They originally thought that with Blood Swan Continent compromised, their days would become bitter. Even the Sect Master was being so respectful to the other party; therefore, they expected the road ahead to be extremely difficult. Many of them were already considering whether to find an opportunity to escape. They were Open Heaven Realm Masters after all, so they would be accepted anywhere no matter which great force they defected to. Even if they became lonely rogue cultivators, it would still be better than having to suffer another person’s whims.
Who could have expected that they would have the opportunity to manage a Star City? That was a lucrative job! Although all kinds of trouble could pop up in a Star City, it was also the place where transactions frequently took place and every transaction would involve large amounts of Open Heaven Pills changing hands.
Even among the great forces that were qualified to control a Star City, the candidates to manage it would have to go through extremely severe assessments and much competition before the final selection could be determined. On the contrary, the opportunity that countless people fought over was being placed right in front of them.
Sure enough, as the saying went, ‘One would surely experience great fortune after surviving a huge catastrophe’. They had been worrying about their lives not long ago, but they were now being handed such a great fortune. Every one of them could almost see huge amounts of Open Heaven Pills pouring into their pockets in the near future, so how could they not be excited?
Even Yun Xing Hua couldn’t help but smile. If he had known earlier that he would be helping Yang Kai manage a Star City, he would not have fought back at all earlier. He would have immediately opened the Grand Array and respectfully welcomed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gave Yun Xing Hua a meaningful look, “If you work hard and show this King your sincerity, your cultivation journey in the future will not be as difficult as it is now. Over time, it will not be difficult for you to enhance your Order.”
Yun Xing Hua quickly replied, “Many thanks, Sir. Rest assured, this subordinate will live up to your trust.”
“Take this jade slip. When you arrive at Void Land and meet with Lu Xue, hand it to her. She will make further arrangements for you.”
“Yes!”
“I will give you five days to settle all the affairs of Blood Swan Continent. It’s up to you who to bring with you and what to do with the rest. I only want 1,000 people entering the Star City!” While speaking, Yang Kai stood up, “This King still has other important matters to attend to. When this King returns to Void Land, I hope to see the results of your efforts!”
Yun Xing Hua bowed, “Please look forward to the results! Have a safe trip, Sir!”
The Open Heaven Realm Masters also echoed in unison, “Safe travels, Sir!”
Under their gazes, Yang Kai led Yue He into the Falling Lotus. Afterward, the lotus quickly turned into a stream of light and flew off into the distance.
When the stream of light disappeared from view, Yun Xing Hua exhaled heavily as he felt this was all a blessing in disguise!
After pondering for some time, he turned around and issued order after order. The entire Blood Swan Continent immediately became bustling.
There were not many disciples in Blood Swan Continent, but they were not few either. There were about 7,000 people in total. Unfortunately, Yang Kai only wanted 1,000. The remaining disciples could not be brought along with them. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua would be permanently based in the Star City. In other words, he might never return to Blood Swan Continent again.
Naturally, he wanted to bring the 1,000 disciples with the best aptitudes. As for the rest, they would have to figure out a way out for themselves. They might defect to another Third-Class great force, join Shocking Swan Pavilion, or even end up homeless; however, Blood Swan Continent was bound to be merged into Shocking Swan Pavilion at this point anyways.
At the same time, inside the Falling Lotus. Yang Kai looked at the father-and-daughter pair in front of him with a big smile on his face, “Congratulations on your reunion with your daughter, Commander Guo.”
Guo Zi Yan bowed, “It’s all thanks to you, Sir. If not for your timely rescue, the two of us would be dead right now.”
Guo Miao also said, “It’s all thanks to your life-saving grace, Sir.”
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop Guo Miao, “Your Father is part of Void Land, which makes you a part of Void Land. If my disciple is in trouble, I will not sit idly by and watch.”
He then turned to look at Guo Zi Yan, “This King mentioned before that he will provide your daughter with the best cultivation resources within the range of her ability to refine. What Order Power can your Dao Seal withstand, Guo Miao?
Guo Miao’s expression darkened, “This disciple believes that Fourth Order should not be a problem while Fifth Order will be a little difficult. But, now…”
Guo Zi Yan also looked sad. Whenever he recalled that his daughter’s future had been ruined by Gu Zhi Xin, he couldn’t help feeling extremely distressed.
“If you can withstand Fourth-Order Element Powers, then you should refine Fourth-Order materials in the future and achieve the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Guo Zi Yan said, “Miao’er currently has a Second-Order foundation. It won’t make a difference even if she refines Fourth-Order materials afterward. In the future, she will only be able to break through to the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Sir, there are many things to be done in Void Land. There is no need to waste resources. I will take care of Miao’er’s cultivation in the future.”
“Who said that it will be a waste?” Yang Kai laughed, “Have you forgotten about Meng Hong?”
“Young Master Meng Hong?” Guo Zi Yan was stunned by those words. It was a given that he knew Meng Hong as they had lived together in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for more than 10 years. Therefore, he recalled what happened during this period with great clarity, “Sir, do you mean…”
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Senior Brother Meng originally condensed Third-Order Elements; however, he wiped clean those Powers from his Dao Seal and is now condensing Fifth-Order Elements! If he successfully advances into the Open Heaven Realm, he will be in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm! His starting point is two Orders higher than at the beginning.”
“This subordinate is aware of this matter. But, Young Master Meng Hong only received this chance because he obtained some Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Something like the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water is simply too rare. It’s impossib… Sir, what is that?” While speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the small jade bottle in Yang Kai’s hands.
Yang Kai shook the bottle, and the sound of liquid sloshing about inside could be heard as he smiled, “It’s Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water.”
Despite having some guesses, Guo Zi Yan involuntarily gave a sharp hiss of surprise when he heard Yang Kai confirming his conjecture. Even Yue He looked over in astonishment.
Open Heaven Realm Masters were not able to enter the Primordial Land; therefore, they were completely clueless as to what good things Yang Kai had obtained inside. Other people might not be able to obtain Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but Yang Kai had a lot in his possession. This Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water was one of the treasures that he obtained from the Primordial Land.
“With this Divine Water, we can cleanse the Power in Guo Miao’s Dao Seal. Fortunately, she has only condensed one Element so far, so it won’t be difficult to wash it away. The only question is whether you have the courage to do so, Guo Miao. Can you persevere through the process?”
Guo Miao was excited as she asked, “Based on what Sir has said, this Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water can give this Disciple a chance to start over again, right?”
She had never heard of Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water before as she had been cultivating in Blood Swan Continent all this while and did not have much contact with the outside world, so she was a little ignorant and uninformed. Nevertheless, that did not stop her from inferring the effects of this item from Yang Kai and Guo Zi Yan’s conversation.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “Although I have never used the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water myself, one of my friends has. This item can give you the chance to rebuild your foundation, but the risks involved are high. It involves your Dao Seal after all. If you are not careful, you might destroy your foundation and cripple your future. Furthermore, I’m afraid you will suffer great pain during the process of cleansing your Dao Seal.”
Guo Miao asked tentatively, “May I know what happened to your friend in the end, Sir?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Although the process was extremely torturous, he managed to succeed.”
A look of determination flashed through the young girl’s eyes as she declared her intent, “In that case, please grant me the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, Sir. This Disciple is willing to try.”
“Are you sure?” Yang Kai asked in a low voice.
“This Disciple is sure. This Disciple originally had the aptitude to reach the Fourth-Order, but was forced to condense a Second-Order Element. While I might be able to safely advance into the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, I will never be reconciled with my fate. Instead of feeling dissatisfied for the rest of my life, I would rather take a gamble. This Disciple will not have any regrets even if I fail!”
Guo Zi Yan stood by the side, looking as if he was hesitating to speak. It seemed as though he wanted to stop her; however, he kept swallowing the words that appeared on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he heaved a long sigh and gave up on the idea of stopping her.
Yang Kai handed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water to Guo Miao with a small smile, “You have an ambitious heart. This King will fulfil your wish, but you don’t need to worry too much. At the time, my friend passed the entire ordeal with his will alone even after he refined three Elements. Your situation is far better than his. I will have Yue He stand guard for you.”
“Many thanks!” Guo Miao accepted the jade bottle and held it tightly in her hands. She gripped the bottle as though she was not holding Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but her very future. She turned to glance at her father while Guo Zi Yan returned her look with an encouraging expression.
Without hesitating, she immediately went into retreat to consume the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Yang Kai naturally had no objections and instructed Yue He to take good care of her.
There were many secret rooms inside the Falling Lotus so the two ladies chose one, entered, and opened all the barriers to isolate themselves from the outside world. Guo Zi Yan stood outside the door like an iron tower, pacing back and forth with a worried and anxious expression on his face.
The days passed by as the Falling Lotus travelled from Great Territory to Great Territory. Twenty days later, they finally arrived at the Great Territory where First Inn was located.
When Yang Kai first arrived in this place, he did not know much about the Great Territory. Only now did he learn from the Universe Chart that this Great Territory was called Thousand Birds Territory. In addition, there was a Second-Class great force here known as the Thousand Birds Sect.
Be that as it may, the Star City in this place was not managed by Thousand Birds Sect, but this could not be helped. Thousand Birds Sect might be a Second-Class great force with a deep heritage, but it was the Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven. Great Battle Heaven was the real Master of the Star City as it was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens.
In the 3,000 Worlds, there were countless First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class great forces. Most of them had subordinate relationships with each other.
Take Void Territory for example. Void Land dominated the Great Territory; hence, all other Third-Class great forces living in Void Territory belonged to Void Land. As such, when Void Land was re-building, those Third-Class great forces had sent many people over to help.
This was the case for Void Land and most other Second-Class great forces had similar situations. Another example was Shocking Swan Pavilion and Blood Swan Continent. Blood Swan Continent was also in a subordinate relationship with Shocking Swan Pavilion.
A Second-Class great force could control a Great Territory, so what needed to be said about a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise? Every Cave-Heaven and Paradise controlled multiple Great Territories, with the number ranging from as few as five to more than ten. Everything in these Great Territories was part of the foundation of those Cave-Heavens or Paradises.
Thousand Birds Territory was one of the Great Territories under Great Battle Heaven’s direct control. As a Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven, Thousand Birds Sect had no way to resist if Great Battle Heaven issued it a command, unless it no longer wished to exist in Thousand Birds Territory. After all, supporting the rise of a Second-Class great force to replace the current existing great force was a simple matter for any Cave-Heaven or Paradise.
Yang Kai secretly rejoiced that Void Territory was not within the jurisdiction of any Cave-Heaven or Paradise; otherwise, Void Territory would need to bow its head to one of them and act according to their wishes. He would not have the freedom he currently enjoyed.
On the second day that they arrived in Thousand Birds Territory, the door to the secret room that had been closed tightly all this while suddenly opened. Guo Zi Yan had waited outside all this time, and when he saw the door open, he anxiously asked, “How did it go!?”
Yue He smiled, “Why don’t you go in and have a look?”
After saying that, she moved aside and Guo Zi Yan immediately rushed into the secret room like a gust of wind. A short while later, Yang Kai heard a peal of cheerful laughter coming from Guo Zi Yan.
“You’ve worked hard,” Yang Kai gently nodded to Yue He.
Yue He shook her head, “From beginning to end, I didn’t do anything. Guo Miao passed through this trial by herself. She has great potential.”
Guo Miao had a greater advantage compared to the time when Meng Hong consumed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. The first reason was that she condensed only one Second-Order Element, which was an Order lower than the Third-Order Elements Meng Hong condensed. Hence, the effects of the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water were greater and faster. The second reason was that she only condensed the Second-Order Element a short time ago, so it was easier to wipe away. The final reason was that she only condensed one type of Second-Order Power. In contrast, Meng Hong had already condensed several Third-Order Powers.
If even Meng Hong could persevere through the process, then there was no reason why she would fail.
Guo Miao was in good condition and only needed to recuperate for a short while before she could begin creating a new foundation for her advancement into the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan soon led Guo Miao out of the room. Guo Miao thanked Yang Kai profusely, while on the other hand, Yang Kai immediately brought out several Fourth-Order materials and gave them to her, for which she was infinitely grateful.
Another two days passed by and the Falling Lotus finally arrived at the Void Dock of Thousand Birds Star City. Yang Kai put away the Falling Lotus, paid some entry fees, and then led Yue He and the others into the Star City in a grand manner.
Looking at the vaguely familiar streets and the shops that had barely changed, he couldn’t help feeling slightly emotional. Yang Kai owed a large amount of money the last time he came to this particular Star City with the Proprietress. In the end, he had to rely on the Proprietress to pay off all his debts. Back then, he was all alone and had nobody to turn to for help.
Although only slightly more than a dozen years had passed, he was now the Master of Void Land. Not only did he have several Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yue He and Guo Zi Yan as subordinates, but he also had future elites like Lang Qing Shan and the shaved-headed man just waiting to break through. So many things had changed during those ten or so years.
If it was said that the Star City in Void Territory was a medium-scale one, then the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory was a large-scale Star City. There were crowds coming and going at all times, and all kinds of goods flowed through the city. Compared to this place, the Star City in Void Territory seemed rather cold and desolate.
Yang Kai was not unfamiliar with this place as, while helping the Proprietress collect debts, he had practically visited every corner of the Star City. More than ten years had passed, but not much had changed in the Star City; thus, he naturally would not get lost. Leading the group of people behind him, Yang Kai headed towards First Inn with practised ease.
It was Guo Miao’s first time coming to a place like this Star City; therefore, she was filled with curiosity about the bustling city. Everything was new to her, so she bought a bunch of items in a short span of time.
Guo Zi Yan followed behind her with a smile. He bought everything that his daughter liked, no matter what it was. His doting affection was beyond words. It was almost as though he was trying to make up for all the regrets and the guilt he felt over the years.
They had only passed through two streets when Yue He, who was walking beside Yang Kai, suddenly frowned. She gave a flick of her hand and a gentle power swept out. Her beautiful eyes glanced towards the side with a cold look of vigilance.
Yang Kai had yet to realise what was going on and it wasn’t until he sensed some movement that he turned to look in that direction. A burly and somewhat thuggish man stood motionless not far away, staring at Yue He in shock. This person looked fierce and wicked, and at first glance clearly did not look like anything good. Combined with his stunned expression, he looked extremely amusing at the moment.
His hand was slightly lifted in the air as though he was about to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder, but unexpectedly, Yue He reacted quickly and immediately stopped him. Furthermore, this man felt Yue He’s tyrannical strength during that brief moment of confrontation and could not help feeling surprised.
Yang Kai glanced at the bear-like guy and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei?”
This person was none other than Pei Bu Wan of Hundred Refining’s Hall!
Yang Kai did not expect that the first acquaintance he met upon returning to the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory would be Pei Bu Wan.
More than ten years ago, he interacted with this gruff man when he went to Hundred Refining’s Hall to collect debt payment on behalf of the Proprietress. In the end, he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena and fighting a match. By relying on that fight, Pei Bu Wan earned a huge fortune. Not only did he overcome the deficit in the finances of Hundred Refining’s Hall and passed the inspection from his superiors, but he also paid his arrears in full as promised.
For that reason, Yang Kai had a deep impression of this bear-like guy.
“It really is you, Little Brother Yang!” Pei Bu Wan also had an expression of pleasant surprise on his face. He seemed very enthusiastic, almost as if he had been reunited with a long-lost relative. While speaking, he even took two steps forward in his excitement.
Yue He stood in front of Yang Kai and stared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
He involuntarily froze in his tracks and the muscles in his face twitched slightly. He glanced at Yue He fearfully and smiled awkwardly. Just as Yang Kai had surmised, he had noticed Yang Kai’s familiar back from among the crowd and wanted to pat him on the shoulder to confirm his guess. To his surprise, he was stopped by Yue He before he could do anything.
Although Yue He’s movements looked calm and relaxed, it had to be said that Pei Bu Wan was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he was not weak. Even so, she managed to stop him so effortlessly. It was obvious that her strength was far greater than his.
[This woman is definitely in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, or even the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! Who is she!?] Pei Bu Wan was puzzled.
“Young Master, this is…” Yue He asked softly.
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei of Hundred Refining’s Hall. I have had some dealings with Shopkeeper Pei before.”
She studied Pei Bu Wan and exclaimed in surprise, “How can such a vicious-looking man be a shopkeeper? Does Hundred Refining’s Hall make any money? Won’t all the guests be frightened away?”
Pei Bu Wan almost spat out a mouthful of blood at those words. Her remarks might have been unintentional, but they stabbed right into his emotional wounds. The reason why he tricked Yang Kai into entering the Asura Arena back then was precisely because Hundred Refining’s Hall had experienced a huge deficit under his management. Therefore, he had been in desperate need of a large amount of Open Heaven Pills to make up for the debts. If Yang Kai had not won in that battle, he would not have been able to continue working as a shopkeeper. He would have been called back by the great force behind Hundred Refining’s Hall for punishment instead.
Still, he coughed lightly and responded to her words, “Sister, my appearance was given to me by my parents. This Pei Bu Wan might be born ugly, but I am very kind at heart.”
Yue He naturally did not express her opinion. Seeing as he was Yang Kai’s acquaintance, this was just a misunderstanding. Besides, nobody dared to make a scene in this Star City managed by Great Battle Heaven, so she immediately retreated to stand behind Yang Kai and watched coldly from the sidelines.
Yang Kai looked at Pei Bu Wan with a smile, “How may I help you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan grinned meaningfully, “It’s nothing. It’s just that I have not seen Little Brother for more than 10 years, Little Brother Yang. I missed you quite a lot. This shopkeeper went to First Inn to inquire about you from Madam Lan in the past, but she would only tell me that you left on business and said nothing else, so I didn’t even know where to find you.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “Why were you looking for me, Shopkeeper Pei?” He suddenly became extremely wary, “You can’t be thinking of asking me to go and fight in the Asura Arena again, right?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately denied the accusation, “How can that be? Gambling at the Asura Arena is only good if done occasionally. How can this Old Pei regard it as a long-term business? If that were the case, I would lose more than just Hundred Refining’s Hall! It’s just that you helped me out greatly back then, Little Brother Yang. This Old Pei has not thanked you properly for your help, so I’ve always felt ashamed in my heart.”
Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously and replied lightly, “We were only helping each other. You don’t need to worry about it, Shopkeeper Pei.”
Pei Bu Wan chuckled, “Little Brother Yang, you are a man of noble character and unquestionable integrity indeed. Uh… Are you on your way back to First Inn?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. I’m on my way to First Inn right now.”
“Oh!” Pei Bu Wan showed a look of surprise, “In that case, I won’t hold you up any longer, Little Brother Yang. Please convey my greetings to Madam Lan later. If you have the time, you should come and visit Hundred Refining’s Hall as a guest. This Old Pei will welcome you warmly.”
“Sure. Sure,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
They chatted a bit more before Yang Kai left; even so, he could not shake the feeling that Pei Bu Wan’s attitude towards him was a little too enthusiastic. He could not understand the reason but could not be bothered to wonder about it either. Thus, he tossed this matter to the back of his head and walked towards First Inn with anticipation.
After passing through a few more streets, Yang Kai finally came to the familiar storefront. He looked up and saw the characters ‘First Inn’ shining brightly while people were coming and going through the lobby full of guests.
[Regardless of the time or location, First Inn will always be lively.] Yang Kai composed himself. Then, he quickly walked into First Inn and came to the counter.
The accountant was fiddling on his abacus, making click-clackety sounds as he worked. When he noticed somebody approaching, he spoke without even looking up, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately. Would you like to eat or stay for the night?”
Yang Kai grinned and raised a hand to rap sharply on the table.
Only then did the accountant look up. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Yang Kai with a pair of dead fish eyes. Then, he quickly lowered his head again and continued with his work as he repeated himself, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately.”
The veins in Yang Kai’s temples throbbed as he slapped the abacus with his hand and spoke through gritted teeth, “It’s me!”
The accountant sighed and glanced sideways at Yang Kai, “I know it’s you. That’s why I’m asking you whether you are here to eat or stay.”
Yang Kai was speechless and turned his head to look around, “Where is Old Bai and Proprietress?”
“Old Bai is working in the kitchen. Proprietress is discussing a business transaction.” The accountant lifted Yang Kai’s hand and placed it on the counter. After that, he stared straight at Yang Kai with his dead fish eyes.
Yang Kai was tempted to poke out those eyes as he snapped, “I’ll eat!”
“Please head inside,” The accountant gestured lightly.
Yang Kai strode inside, followed by more than 30 people. They found a few empty tables and sat down and soon a woman walked over elegantly. When she reached Yang Kai’s side, she suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed, “Big Brother Yang!?”
Yang Kai looked up and smiled, “Junior Sister Luo?”
This woman was none other than Luo Hai Yi. She was also a person with a difficult life. She used to work as a guide in the Star City, showing people around to earn a living. Yang Kai had not been familiar with the Star City when he first started collecting debt payments, so he hired her to assist him. In the end, she began working at First Inn after he recommended her to the Proprietress.
Looking at her now, she seemed to be doing pretty well. Her complexion was much brighter compared to the first time he met her and it seemed that her beautiful eyes were filled with delight and astonishment from seeing him.
“You’ve returned, Big Brother Yang!?” She still seemed to be in disbelief.
“En, I’m back.” Yang Kai smiled widely at her. Looking at her clothes, he asked, “Did Proprietress arrange for you to work as a waitress here?”
“Yes.” She nodded, and then she seemed to remember something, “Please wait, Big Brother Yang. I will go inform Big Brother Bai and the others.”
After saying that, she ran towards the kitchen.
A short while later, Old Bai and the cook hurriedly came running out. Old Bai was dressed as a waiter as usual. His aura was completely withdrawn, so nobody could have imagined that he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! On the other hand, the cook was wearing an apron wrapped around his waist, yet his fat body was indescribably agile. He came over to Yang Kai while holding a butcher knife in his hand. Glancing Yang Kai up and down, he grinned meaningfully, “Wait for a bit. I’ll whip up something delicious for you.”
Meanwhile, Bai Qi sat down next to Yang Kai. He tossed the white cloth in his hand down on the table and smiled, “You brat, why did you come running back here? Don’t you need to worry about Void Land anymore?”
Yang Kai said, “The Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array has been completed, so I don’t have to worry about Void Land for the moment. I came to ask Proprietress about something.”
Bai Qi grunted, “In that case, you’ll have to wait for a short while. Proprietress is currently in the middle of a business deal, but she should be done soon.”
“How have you been?” Yang Kai asked.
“How else could I have been? We’re the same as usual here.” Bai Qi laughed heartlessly.
They did not exchange more than a few words between them when somebody nearby slapped their table and shouted, “Waiter, why hasn’t this old man’s food and drinks been served yet!?”
Bai Qi got up quickly and said, “Please continue. I’ll come find you later. I need to attend to the guests first.”
After saying that, he slipped away to continue with his work.
The eyes of Guo Zi Yan and the others were larger than a goose’s eggs. They never imagined that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be so willing to serve as a mere waiter. It had to be said that even the Head Manager of Scarlet Star, Zhao Bai Chuan, was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm himself. [Would the guest clamouring for his food just now piss his pants in fright if he knew that the waiter he shouted at was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm?]
They did not wait for long before Luo Hai Yi and Old Bai brought out an endless stream of the very best food and wine. Everybody had travelled a long way to come here, so they had worked up an appetite and immediately began wolfing down the meal.
Another short while later, a woman walked out of the inner hall with a happy smile. She was followed by several young girls dressed as maidservants. This woman had clearly come to First Inn to buy information, and judging by her expression, she probably received the answer she wanted.
Not long after that woman departed, another lady walked out of the inner hall. The moment this lady appeared, it felt as though all the colour in the world dimmed for a moment. Countless pairs of eyes in the hall were drawn towards her direction and the sound of gulping echoed through the air.
The woman who just departed after inquiring about the information she wanted had been rather beautiful. She had an enchanting figure and a charming face, turning the heads of many men in her direction; however, they finally understood the meaning of ‘a peerless beauty’ when the Proprietress appeared. Comparing the two, the woman from before paled miserably. The Proprietress might not be born as the most beautiful woman, but she was definitely the most attractive to a man.
When she appeared, she gently pushed her hair behind her ear and her eyes swept across the hall and landed on Yang Kai. Be that as it may, she quickly shifted her gaze away and made her way through the hall with a smile. She would occasionally stop to talk to some of the guests, making herself seem extremely hospitable. After walking around the hall, she finally arrived at Yang Kai’s table.
Yue He hurriedly got up and bowed elegantly, “Elder Sister!”
The Proprietress smiled sweetly, “You must have had a hard time.”
While speaking, she did not pause at their table. She brushed past Yang Kai’s side and reached out a hand to rap her knuckles on the back of his head. It was neither light nor heavy. Then, she left.
Yang Kai was speechless! He did not know what the Proprietress’ actions meant. Asking Yue He and the others to remain at the table, he got up on his own and followed her into the inner hall.
A short while later, he gently knocked on the door of the Proprietress’ room and a lazy voice came from inside, “Enter.”
Yang Kai grinned. Pushing the door open, he entered the room and glanced back furtively before closing the door. He groaned and almost had a nosebleed at the sight he was greeted with when he turned around. The Proprietress was currently reclining on top of a sofa. She had one hand supporting her cheek and her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping. Her other hand was gently fanning herself with a hand fan. Her exquisite and graceful curves imprinted themselves upon his eyes and her fair thighs under her skirt left him feeling dizzy as her jade feet looked like the most perfect porcelain in the world. She seemed to shine with a charming lustre just laying there.
“How improper!” Yang Kai quickly stepped forward and took a blanket from the side to cover the Proprietress’ legs.
The Proprietress looked at him but did not stop him. She smilingly asked, “Why do you have the time to come running here to me now? How is Void Land?”
“It’s doing well!” He walked over to a table by the side and sat down. Taking out a teapot and a teacup, he poured himself a cup before continuing, “The Defensive Grand Array has been completed and it’s all thanks to the excellent Spirit Array Grandmaster that you recommended to me, Proprietress.”
“Didn’t you keep Grandmaster Wu Liang by your side?” She asked.
To which he shook his head, “The Grandmaster refused. Moreover, he claimed that his breakthrough was imminent so he immediately left to find a place to enter retreat after the Grand Array was completed.”
The Proprietress nodded at his words, “Grandmaster Wu Liang has very high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, but he is used to living a carefree life. It will not be an easy feat for you to win him over, but that is not an urgent matter. You will have more chances in the future. It will benefit you greatly if you can persuade Grandmaster Wu Liang to remain in Void Land.”
Yang Kai took a sip of tea and sighed, “I fear he isn’t interested in such a small Sect.”
Proprietress laughed at his words, “Void Land might be on the weaker side right now, but it will definitely expand greatly over time.”
“That’s for the future. Let’s not talk about this. I came here today to ask you about something.”
“Speak!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “I used to be all alone. There was no need to worry about feeding my family, but now there are many people in Void Land. How can I achieve long-term stability and obtain the various resources needed for the disciples’ cultivation needs? I can’t just do nothing and squander away my fortune. If I continue at this rate, I will exhaust all my resources one day soon.”
Upon hearing what he mentioned, she replied, “The predecessor of Void Land, Seven Wonders Land, has unique geographical conditions. You can just plant all seven kinds of spirit fruits in the seven areas and use them to refine Open Heaven Pills.”
“I was thinking so too.” Yang Kai nodded and continued, “But, Proprietress, you know what kind of situation I am in. Void Land only has the Alchemy ingredients but not the pill recipe for Open Heaven Pills. Do you happen to have it?”
“Of course I have a pill recipe. In fact, I have more than one.” She looked at him with a smile, “Forget it. I’ll sort them out and hand them to you later. There might be countless pill recipes for Open Heaven Pills in the 3,000 Worlds, but most of them are pretty similar. You can bring them back and research for yourself to see which recipe is most suitable for your use.”
Yang Kai was immediately overjoyed, “Many thanks, Proprietress!” [I knew the Proprietress would have the pill recipe. I’m glad this trip was not in vain.]
“Aside from refining Open Heaven Pills, I suggest that you take control of the Star City as soon as possible. The existence of the Star City is extremely important to any great force. You can even say that it is their foundation. Only by taking control of the Star City can you obtain a steady stream of resources and income.”
“I’m already working on taking control of the Star City. I believe that I will have Void Territory’s Star City at my disposal after I return from this trip.”
She smiled, “You sure work fast. With both of these ventures in hand, you can basically guarantee the cultivation resources for all of Void Land’s disciples. Why are you still so worried?”
Yang Kai muttered awkwardly, “There are many people in Void Land. I’m afraid just these two businesses alone won’t be enough.”
She became curious, “Many? How many is ‘many’?”
The number that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth left her stunned for a moment. She had never heard of any Second-Class force with so many people before. Thus, she frowned slightly, “You might have a lot of people, but they won’t consume many resources as long as they do not condense their Dao Seals. What is there to worry about?”
Yang Kai simply laughed, “I have to plan ahead, right?”
She pondered for a moment before asking, “Void Land must have taken control over several Universe Worlds, yes?”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded. These Universe Worlds were previously controlled by Seven Wonders Land, so now that Void Land had replaced Seven Wonders Land, it was only natural for Void Land to take over their management as well.
The Proprietress thus proposed, “You also came out of a Universe World, so you should not be unfamiliar with them. But, even if you’ve broken free of your Universe World, you should not underestimate them. Each Universe World might contain cultivation resources of various Orders… It’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty. It’s just a matter of the quantity and how high the Order of these cultivation resources is. Controlling these Universe Worlds is equivalent to controlling all sorts of cultivation resources. It can even be said that Mid-Rank and High-Rank materials are obtained from these Universe Worlds. Do you remember the Nine Nether Continent you once visited? I’ve found many Fifth-Order materials and even Sixth-Order materials there over the years.
“I tend to hear similar news from time to time after being in the Outer Universe for such a long time. For example, somebody would obtain a High-Order material from an unowned Universe World. That would attract countless people to investigate those Universe Worlds.”
Yang Kai’s heart pounded at those words and he couldn’t help thinking about the Immortal Tree. Strictly speaking, the Immortal Tree was something he obtained from one of the Sealed Worlds in one of the Lower Star Fields. Even a mere Lower Star Field could produce such a High-Order treasure, what more an entire Universe World?
Then, he couldn’t help thinking about the Star Boundary. The Star Boundary had produced many cultivation resources needed by Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was just that no Open Heaven Realm Master had ever come from the Star Boundary before, so nobody knew the worth of those items even if they existed.
At present, Void Territory controlled more than a dozen Universe Worlds, each one equivalent to the Star Boundary. As long as he could develop them properly, there was no need to fear not having enough cultivation resources.
Yang Kai suddenly felt as though he had been enlightened!
“Although there are many people in Void Land, the cultivation resources that they need are not that many yet. As long as you take control of the Star City, refine your own Open Heaven Pills, and carefully harvest resources from those Universe Worlds, you should have enough to develop steadily.” The Proprietress taught him earnestly, “You can also plant some spirit flowers and unique plants in Void Land. You can even develop some of the land in those Universe Worlds for farming. In doing so, it will be an income whether you refine them into Spirit Pills or sell them as raw materials.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly. Since he brought 600,000 people to Void Land, he had constantly been thinking about the future. In particular, the matter regarding cultivation resources had been weighing down on him like a huge mountain. It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt a sense of relief.
He then changed the topic of conversation abruptly, “There is one more thing I wanted to ask you, Proprietress.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Yang Kai laughed softly, “Proprietress, you know about my current situation. I have condensed four Element Powers, but I still lack Yin, Yang, and Metal. It’s just that High-Rank materials are not easy to find. What I want to ask is, do you have any information about where I can find High-Rank materials for these three Elements?”
The Proprietress opened her eyes wide at those words and stared at him fixedly. A long time passed before she asked, “Are you still planning to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “The going is the toughest towards the end of a journey, but I’ve already come so far so I don’t intend to give up halfway.”
“No matter how much resistance you might face in the future?”
“We’ll talk about the future when the future comes.”
She sighed softly, “Since you have already made up your mind, I won’t stop you. I just hope you will not regret your decision in the future. Be that as it may, High-Rank materials are truly hard to find. Even if these materials appear occasionally, they tend to attract a lot of attention and thus have countless Masters competing for them. With your current strength, there’s no way for you to even enter such a struggle.”
“I am well aware of this point,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely. When the Golden Crow Divine Palace appeared, it attracted several High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to First Inn. One could only imagine how tempting these High-Rank materials were to those Masters.
At first, Yang Kai had not understood the reason why they were competing for these materials. If it was for the sake of their Disciples, then wasn’t it strange for so many Masters to have Disciples that could directly refine Seventh-Order materials?
He later learned that these Masters were vying for the Golden Crow carcass for their own sake. They could absorb and refine the Fire Element Power from the Golden Crow carcass to enhance the heritage of their Small Universes, thereby improving their own strength.
Still, Yang Kai grinned, “But, what First Inn does best is to collect information. I’m sure you know about secrets that other people don’t know, like… where I could possibly find High-Rank materials for these three Elements.”
The Proprietress gave him a glare that was a mix of anger and amusement as she quipped, “What do you think High-Rank materials are? Cabbages that can be found everywhere? I don’t mind telling you. I do know where you can find the High-Rank Yin and Yang materials, but you definitely don’t have the ability to obtain them.”
“Where is that?” Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly blazed with excitement.
She glared at him even more harshly before she took out her Universe Chart, tapped it with her finger, and tossed it to him, “Take a look yourself.”
Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into the Universe Chart and couldn’t help feeling stunned, “What is the situation with these Great Territories?”
He discovered that the Great Territories she marked were different from other Great Territories. They were completely empty. Normally, one could clearly see the great forces or Universe Worlds that existed in a particular Great Territory, but these few Great Territories were completely devoid of anything at all.
The Proprietress explained leisurely, “Tens and hundreds of thousands of years ago, these Great Territories indeed contained many great forces and Universe Worlds. But, they are all gone now.”
“Who could possibly do that?” He felt his scalp tingling from fear. All the great forces and Universe Worlds in several Great Territories had been completely wiped from existence. What kind of violent force could accomplish that?
“Sun’s Burning Light, Moon’s Serene Glimmer!” The Proprietress replied casually.
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words. Then, he immediately took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, “Do those two Divine Beasts really exist?”
According to legend, at the beginning of the universe, two strands of Chaotic Qi transformed into Yin and Yang, these two wisps evolved into the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer in the most primordial of ages. These two were the oldest Divine Spirits in existence. It was from them that all Divine Spirits like the Dragons and Phoenixes came to be. It could be said that the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were the progenitors of all Divine Spirits, their one set of common ancestors.
Yang Kai once read the Divine Spirit Record, in which all the known Divine Spirits in the 3,000 Worlds were listed. The Divine Spirit Record listed the Dragon and Phoenix Clans at the top of the list. However, it started with an introduction to the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. It was just that the author of this Record who wrote about the Divine Spirits, believed that these two Divine Beings no longer existed.
Who would have guessed that he would learn about these two horrifying existences from the Proprietress!? They were Divine Beasts that stood above the Dragons and Phoenixes, symbols of invincibility! If there were any beings in the universe that could compete against the Giant Spirit God Clan, then the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer would definitely be among them. It could even be said that they were stronger than the Giant Spirit Gods.
Tai Yang Zhuo Zhao and Tai Yin You Ying, but it sorta seems ridiculous…