“The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were born diametrically opposed to one another and can never get along; thus, they have been fighting each other endlessly for countless eons. Those Great Territories were destroyed by the fallout of their battle,” the Proprietress explained slowly, “There originally existed many great forces and Universe Worlds in those Great Territories, but they are all gone now.”
Yang Kai drew a breath of cold air. [How violent must the battle be for it to destroy several Great Territories!? But, it’s possible for the two ancestors of the Divine Spirits to have such abilities.]
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly as he said, “Proprietress, the Yin and Yang Element materials that you mentioned earlier… You can’t be talking about these two, right?”
She nodded, “I am. Their bodies are formed from the purest Chaos Powers that transformed into the original Yin and Yang Elements. The Order of the Power contained in their bodies is extremely high, possibly even at the peak of the Ninth Order, so they fully meet your requirements.”
Yang Kai naturally angrily retorted, “I don’t want to die yet!” [Is she crazy!? The fallout of the battle between those two can destroy everything in several Great Territories! If a mere Emperor Realm cultivator like me dares to go there, not even ash will be left!]
She giggled softly, “At least you’re a little self-aware!” Pausing for a moment, she added, “But then again, I don’t actually know whether the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer exist. These are only things I have heard from others. Nevertheless, these Great Territories are completely devoid of life and it doesn’t matter if you are in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. No matter how high your cultivation, you will die the moment you dare to even set foot into those Great Territories.”
Yang Kai felt extremely uneasy and memorized the locations of those Great Territories, secretly deciding to never step into them no matter what. Still, he asked without giving up, “Are there no other ways?”
She pondered in silence for a long while before she answered, “Wait for half a year. An opportunity might present itself then, but it is only a possibility.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words, “What kind of opportunity?”
She shook her head gently, “It is still uncertain for the time being. I will let you know once the news has been confirmed. It’s useless to tell you now since the situation is still uncertain.”
Yang Kai could not force her if she did not wish to speak about this matter, so he could only suppress the suspicions in his heart. In any case, he had nothing else to do in the near future so he immediately nodded and agreed.
At this moment, a sweet yet stern shout rang out from the outside, “Where is Yang Kai!? Show yourself!”
Yang Kai was startled upon hearing that voice as it clearly belonged to a woman, but he found it to be extremely unfamiliar. It was obviously somebody he was not acquainted with. Why would somebody he did not know come looking for him? He was filled with doubts.
The Proprietress tilted her head to the side and looked at him with a teasing look, “Smelly brat, did you break a heart somewhere?”
“Proprietress, rice may be eaten at will, but words should not be spoken indiscriminately.” He shook his head in all seriousness, “I’ve always kept myself clean. How could I possibly break a random heart?”
“Is that so?” The expression on her face was full of distrust as she swept her Divine Sense out and revealed a look of surprise, “Why is she here?”
“Who?” He asked.
“You will know once you take a look for yourself. Messing with her… You’re in for a lot of trouble.” The Proprietress looked like she was enjoying his misfortune. Closing her beautiful eyes slowly, she gently fanned herself and acted as though everything had nothing to do with her.
Feeling extremely annoyed, Yang Kai could only push open the door and walk out. He heard the woman’s voice again before he even arrived at the hall, “Yang Kai! Hurry up and get out here!”
Inside the hall, many cultivators who came here to eat were watching this woman with great interest.
On the other hand, Guo Zi Yan and the others were glaring at the woman furiously. This woman had a tall figure, but her cultivation was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, she was not afraid despite facing so many Open Heaven Realm Masters. She even dared to make such a ruckus in a place like First Inn, completely thinking nothing of everybody else inside. They had to admit that she was very bold.
Yang Kai strode out from the inner hall.
As soon as he appeared, the young woman’s beautiful eyes immediately fixed on him like the sharp gaze of a falcon. Her entire body was exuding a boundless fighting spirit and her aura climbed steadily, causing her black hair to dance like snakes even though there was no wind.
“I waited for you for more than ten years. You finally appeared!” She gritted her teeth lightly. The look in her eyes was complicated, seemingly filled with accusations of blood and tears.
Countless pairs of eyes turned towards Yang Kai in unison. Judging by this woman’s words, there seemed to be a hidden backstory.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her.
She then continued, “Did you think you could shame me then just walk away after everything you did!?”
The moment those words came out, countless people immediately cast contemptuous looks at Yang Kai. Some of them had already concocted a scenario where Yang Kai and this woman were deeply in love with one another, but in the end, the scumbag of a man must have abandoned her after taking her innocence.
Yue He covered her red lips with her hand, “Young Master, this young lady…”
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Yang Kai felt rather speechless. Calmly looking at the woman, he frowned and said, “Though I feel a little apologetic, I’m afraid I have to ask. Just… who are you?”
Those contemptuous looks instantly turned into complete disdain!
The woman also seemed taken aback by his words. Her momentum that had climbed to the limit suddenly withered as though crushed by a huge mountain. A cold murderous intent appeared on her beautiful face as she asked, “Have you forgotten who I am?”
Yang Kai looked embarrassed as he continued, “You look familiar, but… I can’t recall who you are. Can you give me a hint?”
The woman clenched her tender fists tightly and grit her teeth so hard that the grinding sound could be heard. She placed great emphasis on each word she spoke, “Asura Arena, Yu Luo Sha!”
There was a huge uproar in the hall immediately as somebody yelled out in excitement, “What!? She is Yu Luo Sha? The one ranked first in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings!?”
“That’s right! That’s right! She really is Yu Luo Sha! I saw her fighting in the Asura Arena before! It’s just that I was too far away and her movements were too fast. She defeated her opponent in just two or three moves. I couldn’t see clearly.”
“I heard she is one of the most outstanding disciples of Asura Heaven, a Core Disciple who is expected to advance straight to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. She is only one step away from advancing already!”
“Who is this brat? How can he have such an ambiguous relationship with Yu Luo Sha? He can’t have done something to her, right?”
“There’s going to be a good show…”
Everybody in the hall was fervently discussing this issue among themselves. Meanwhile, the realization finally seemed to hit Yang Kai as he pointed at Yu Luo Sha and remarked, “Oh! It’s you!”
Back when he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena, he naturally fought against somebody. The opponent of that battle was none other than Yu Luo Sha. It had not been long since Yang Kai arrived in the 3,000 Worlds and his strength at the time was far inferior compared to what it currently was, but he still stood out amongst cultivators in the same Realm. Be that as it may, it had been a difficult battle to win. Arena Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens, and as one of Asura Heaven’s Core Disciples, it stood to reason that Yu Luo Sha was not an easy opponent.
The Asura Arena was directly managed by Asura Heaven, and almost every large-scale Star City had an Asura Arena where cultivators could battle each other to the death. The first reason was that Asura Heaven could earn a lot of resources through operating such a venue, while the other reason was that it allowed the disciples of Asura Heaven to enter the Asura Arenas to gain experience. Every one of Asura Heaven’s disciples had slaughtered their way out of the Asura Arena, so all of them were extremely warlike and could kill without emotion.
The Asura Arena was divided into three different rankings, namely Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. They corresponded to the Open Heaven Realm, Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, and those below the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. When Yang Kai fought Yu Luo Sha, she ranked fourth in the Mortal Rankings. In comparison, she was now apparently ranked first in the Earth Rankings. That went to show just how much she had achieved and how much she had grown in the past 10 years!
Yang Kai had not thought much about the battle that took place that day. It was just one unimportant obstacle he had to overcome in his life. Thus, it was not worth remembering. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would come looking for him after more than 10 years had passed.
“Did Shopkeeper Pei tell you that I’m back?” he asked.
[No wonder Pei Bu Wan seemed so eager when I ran into him earlier.] It was Pei Bu Wan who brought Yang Kai to the Asura Arena back then. During the years that Yang Kai was away from the Star City, it was most likely that Yu Luo Sha had constantly questioned Pei Bu Wan about Yang Kai’s whereabouts. Otherwise, she would not have come looking for Yang Kai as soon as he returned to the Star City.
“So what?” Yu Luo Sha looked at Yang Kai coldly.
Yang Kai frowned, “Junior Sister Yu, why are you looking for me?”
“I must challenge you!” She shouted decisively.
As soon as her statement rang out, there was another uproar in the hall.
Who was Yu Luo Sha? She was the rank 1 in the Earth Rankings of the Asura Arena. It could be said that she was an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm in the Star City. She could only be challenged by others, so why was she taking the initiative to challenge some unknown boy?
On the other hand, who on Earth was this man to deserve such treatment from Yu Luo Sha? Everybody could almost predict that Yang Kai’s name would surely become known throughout the Star City once news of this incident was to spread.
“Challenge me?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why?”
Yu Luo Sha replied matter-of-factly, “I was defeated by you back then. I must redeem myself!”
“That’s all?”
“Indeed!” After saying that, she suddenly tossed out a jade slip and looked at him seriously, “Three days hence, in the afternoon. I will be waiting for you in the Asura Arena.”
Glaring at him coldly, she turned around and left.
Yang Kai barely caught the jade slip before she had vanished out of sight, not even giving him the chance to speak a single word or react whatsoever.
“What a swift and decisive woman!” Yang Kai sighed and swept his Divine Sense over the jade slip. It really turned out to be a challenge letter.
Bai Qi, who just came out with a tray of dishes, clicked his tongue as he placed the dishes on the table and joked, “You brat, how charming you must be to make a woman wait for you for more than 10 years.”
“Stop talking nonsense.” Yang Kai curled his lips and turned his head to look outside before snorting, “Shopkeeper Pei, why don’t you come inside? You’re already here anyway. Why sneak around like that?”
Outside the door, Pei Bu Wan stuck his head inside with an embarrassed laugh. He did not seem ashamed even after Yang Kai saw through him. Striding over to the table, he took a seat and said, “Congratulations, Little Brother Yang.”
“What is there to congratulate?” Yang Kai gave Pei Bu Wan a sideways glance.
Pei Bu Wan spoke sternly, “You can have a match with Yu Luo Sha. Moreover, she was the one who took the initiative to challenge you. No matter who wins or who loses, your name will soon be known throughout the Star City, famous to all. What is that if not an auspicious event?”
Yang Kai responded in a tone that neither denied nor affirmed those words, “Is that so? Doesn’t that mean I should thank you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan’s expression became bitter and pitiful, “Little Brother Yang, please don’t blame me. I was forced to do it. There really was no other way.” While speaking, he couldn’t help shedding bitter tears, “You suddenly vanished without a trace, so you don’t know just how annoying Yu Luo Sha is…”
The battles in the Asura Arena were extremely fierce and dangerous. There were unlucky cultivators who tragically lost their lives in those battles every day. The fact that Yu Luo Sha could make a name for herself and even rank first in the current Earth Rankings indicated that she was not an ordinary person.
It was not that she could not afford to lose or that she had never lost a battle. On the contrary, she had not been a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven from the beginning. She started out as only an ordinary disciple. When she first entered the Asura Arena, she lost more battles than she won. There were also times when she was beaten to the verge of death and nearly lost her life.
It was just that this woman had one unique characteristic. She would get back on her feet no matter what! She would challenge anybody who defeated her. If one time was not enough, then she would challenge them a second time. If two times were not enough, then she would challenge them for the third time. She was extremely tenacious, persevering again and again.
Over the years she spent in the Asura Arena, she won against one formidable opponent after another and her cultivation improved steadily. She had grown from the most common disciple in Asura Heaven to become one of its Core Disciples. At present, she had condensed Sixth-Order Elements and was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
In all these years, she had won against all the opponents who defeated her in the past and trampled all those once mighty enemies under her foot. Amidst those bloody battles, she continued to thrive and grow. She rose from fourth place in the Mortal Rankings to first place in the Mortal Rankings. Then, she advanced into the Earth Rankings and fought her way to the top.
There was only one exception. And, that was none other than Yang Kai!
Back then, she fought Yang Kai in the Asura Arena and suffered a tragic defeat. When she finished undergoing intense training and returned to challenge Yang Kai once more, he was no longer in the Star City. He had already been thrown into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by then.
Unable to locate Yang Kai, she could only go to Pei Bu Wan, but how would he know about Yang Kai’s whereabouts? She also asked the Proprietress about Yang Kai’s whereabouts on several occasions, but she did not know where Yang Kai was either.
Yu Luo Sha had always been a woman with a strong personality. She also gave off the vibe of being extremely stubborn and single-minded, so it was a given that she would not give up so easily.
Inside the hall, Pei Bu Wan was close to tears as he rubbed at the corner of his eyes, “Little Brother Yang, please have mercy. Please save me! I’m about to go crazy because of that girl. She practically comes and questions me every three days. In these ten years, she has not let up even once before. Can you imagine how I lived my life all these years!?”
It was bad enough during ordinary times, but there were also several occasions where Yu Luo Sha kicked the door down when he was spending the night at the red-light district… The tragic experience he went through for the past ten years was simply inhumane.
“Is that the reason why you sold me out?” Yang Kai glared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
Pei Bu Wan smiled ingratiatingly, “How can you consider that as selling you out? Little Brother Yang, even if I didn’t say anything, the girl would also learn about your return to the Star City. I only informed her in advance.” His expression became serious and his voice became solemn, “Fight her once. You only need to fight her once. It’s enough so long as you fulfil the wishes of that girl. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.”
“I’m not interested,” Yang Kai casually crushed the jade slip into powder.
He was only in the Emperor Realm and had only condensed four Element Powers at the moment. Strictly speaking, he was not even in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm so he did not have the qualifications to enter the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings. Nevertheless, he could neither muster the slightest interest nor fighting spirit to face another Emperor Realm cultivator. Countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives at his hands already, so regardless of how outstanding one’s aptitude, how could a mere Emperor be his opponent now?
Pei Bu Wan panicked, “Little Brother Yang, what are you doing!? Don’t tell me you don’t plan to accept her challenge!?”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Did I ever agree to accept her challenge?”
Yu Luo Sha had left after giving him a challenge letter. She had basically been saying whatever she wanted while he had never agreed to her challenge. It was completely up to his mood whether or not he showed up in three days.
Pei Bu Wan’s expression darkened, “Don’t do that, Little Brother Yang. If you don’t accept her challenge, that girl will never give up. I’m sure you don’t wish to have somebody following you around and watching you all the time in the future, right?”
Yang Kai asked, “Will she really do that?”
Pei Bu Wan nodded sternly, “As far as my understanding of her goes, she will definitely do that. The previous person who ranked first in the Mortal Rankings was stalked by her for half a year. In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and agreed to accept her challenge. Only then did she stop.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning. If Yu Luo Sha was so difficult to handle, then it would be rather troublesome. Being followed was not a big deal and he had nothing to hide either; even so, it would still be extremely uncomfortable. After pondering in silence for a bit, he finally nodded in agreement, “In that case, I will meet her in three days.”
Pei Bu Wan was overjoyed to hear those words, “Little Brother Yang, you are a righteous man! This Big Brother will be awaiting your arrival at the Asura Arena in three days!”
It wasn’t until Pei Bu Wan departed that Yue He finally asked, “Young Master, are you really going to accept the challenge in three days?”
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei said it too. Yu Luo Sha is stubborn and single-minded. If I refuse her this time, she will definitely come again and again. Rather than dragging things out, I might as well deal with this mess in one go.”
“I see. Then, you’ll have to be careful, Young Master,” She covered her mouth and giggled.
He was surprised, “What do I need to be careful about? Do you think she can do anything to me?”
Yue He shook her head and replied, “I’m worried you might accidentally kill her. It is said that one is responsible for one’s own life and death in the Asura Arena, so nobody could take revenge even if death occurs; however, Yu Luo Sha is a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven. It will probably cause a lot of trouble if you really killed her.”
To which Yang Kai responded righteously, “Of course! I’ve always been one to cherish women!” Turning towards Lang Qing Shan and the others, he added, “We might need to stay here for a while, so if you have nothing else to do, you can train yourselves in the Asura Arena. Life-or-death battles are always the best catalyst for growth. It is useless to have great power without knowing how to wield it.”
Lang Qing Shan and the others hurriedly agreed. Some of them even revealed eager expressions. Every one of them had experienced tremendous growth after serving under Yang Kai for more than ten years, especially Lang Qing Shan. Back then, he was a mere Emperor Realm cultivator who had just condensed his Dao Seal. But now, he had condensed several kinds of Fifth-Order materials and his strength had risen sharply.
It was just that there were few chances to battle another person in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for them. That was because Yang Kai dealt with practically everything single-handedly, so they had no chance to display their skills. Therefore, the Asura Arena was the best training place for them now.
After everybody finished eating, they got rooms to rest. What made Yang Kai indignant was that the accountant settled the accounts methodically without giving any discounts. Every room was 300 Open Heaven Pills a night. Of course, now that Yang Kai was wealthy, he wasn’t really bothered by the expense and rented ten rooms in one go.
News of the top ranker in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings challenging Yang Kai spread like wildfire and soon reached every corner of the entire Star City, causing a huge uproar.
Yu Luo Sha was famous now, so it was only natural that many people paid attention to her. She was the strongest cultivator below the Open Heaven Realm; hence, this battle drew many people’s attention before it even started.
Many people inquired about Yang Kai’s origins, and when they learned that he won against Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago, they couldn’t help feeling shocked. Be that as it may, Yu Luo Sha’s battle record had many defeats and many people were not optimistic about Yang Kai’s prospects for that reason, even though they were surprised. After all, Yu Luo Sha’s growth during these past ten years was obvious to all. It could even be said that she improved by leaps and bounds.
All those who defeated her in the past could only look up to her now; thus, they believed that Yang Kai was probably no different. Furthermore, it was said that he went missing for more than ten years and only reappeared again recently. It didn’t matter what kind of opportunities he had during the past ten years; it was still impossible for him to be her opponent. He would only end up suffering a horrible defeat.
The Asura Arena was one of Asura Heaven’s highest-earning businesses so they spared no effort to advertise this battle and opened up a betting pool with extremely high odds right from the beginning, attracting many cultivators to frantically place wagers.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Asura Arena was extremely lively and crowded. Countless cultivators flooded the place, just to get a glimpse of Yu Luo Sha’s noble bearing. Ever since she won first place in the Earth Rankings three years ago, she rarely fought. That was because there was nobody below the Open Heaven Realm who could last for longer than an incense stick against her. Therefore, there was none who lacked awareness and dared to challenge her. Now that she was finally going to fight, it would naturally attract people to flock over in droves.
Outside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai leisurely walked over with Yue He. Pei Bu Wan had been waiting here for a long time. He strode over and enthusiastically greeted Yang Kai with a hearty laugh, “Little Brother Yang, you’re finally here.”
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt relief washing over him. Before seeing Yang Kai, he had been worried that the latter would not show up. If that were the case, then not only would the Asura Arena’s vigorous promotion over the past few days have gone to waste, but he would have been troubled too.
Yang Kai gently nodded at Pei Bu Wan in greeting.
“Is he Yang Kai?”
“Yeah, it’s probably him. He doesn’t look like much.”
“Look at the two followers behind him. He seems to be a debauched Young Lord of some family. How much strength would a person like that have?”
A wave of discussion suddenly sounded from the side. Yang Kai glanced over and saw that both sides of the streets were lined with cultivators. They were looking at him and many of them had curious expressions, so he frowned slightly at the sight, “These people are…”
Pei Bu Wan replied, “These people are Yu Luo Sha’s fans. You don’t need to care about them.”
Yang Kai was amazed. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would be so popular in the Star City. Upon further consideration though, he realised that it was not surprising. She was beautiful and cut a heroic figure. Which man would not be charmed by her? The main point was that her perseverance in the pursuit of victory could resonate with many low-levelled cultivators, making even more people admire her as a result.
“Hey, brat surnamed Yang! You better last at least a few hits from Senior Sister Yu later. Don’t lose too badly!” Somebody jeered loudly, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
“You’re a man. You have to survive ten breaths, at least. Don’t embarrass us men!”
“Just admit defeat if you don’t want to die! It’s not shameful!”
“Hahahaha!”
The cultivators in the surrounding chattered away loudly. It sounded like they were cheering for Yang Kai, but their words were filled with sarcasm and mockery. It was obvious they did not think well of him.
Yue He swept a cold glance towards them as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master filled the air. The noisy chatter fell silent in an instant as even the air seemed to freeze and turn solid. The outside of the Asura Arena immediately became so silent that even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard.
Pei Bu Wan’s forehead oozed with a cold sweat as he hurriedly said, “Young Lady, please calm down. Please calm down.”
Likewise, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Don’t stoop to their level.”
Only then did Yue He withdraw her aura with a cold snort.
Yang Kai ignored the looks and comments of the outsiders and entered the Asura Arena. He was immediately greeted by the sight of the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings, each of which contained 100 names.
He casually swept a glance over the rankings and sure enough, he saw Yu Luo Sha’s name right at the top of the Earth Rankings. It was shining golden and looked very dazzling. The list was constantly changing. From time to time, one of the names would slide down the rankings while others would vanish altogether. Those names that slid down the rankings belonged to the people who were defeated in the Asura Arena while those names that vanished from the rankings belonged to the people who died in battle.
Yang Kai suddenly glanced towards the bottom of the Mortal Rankings and smiled, “That brat, Qing Shan, is doing pretty well.”
In the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings was Lang Qing Shan’s name. Three days ago, Yang Kai asked Lang Qing Shan and the others to enter the Asura Arena for training. They immediately rolled up their sleeves and came over the very next day. Over the past few days, they didn’t even return to First Inn. They were practically regarding the Asura Arena as their home.
In just three days, Lang Qing Shan had made his way into the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings. It went to show just how diligently he had been fighting. During their conversation, Lang Qing Shan’s name suddenly jumped up the rankings and abruptly landed on the 89th spot. The name of the person who used to rank 89th slid down and stopped just below his name. At the same time, Yang Kai faintly heard an Earth-shaking roar of cheers coming from a corner of the Asura Arena.
“Are you Yang Kai?” A person’s voice sounded from the side.
Yang Kai looked up and saw a few young men dressed as Young Lords walking over from not far away. They were followed by several Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. It would seem that they came from a rather extraordinary background. There were three people in total and they were all dressed differently. One was dressed in black; one was dressed in white; and the other was dressed in green.
The person who spoke just now was the Young Lord in green. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and pretending to be suave. While he was speaking, he couldn’t help stealing a few glances at Yue He with gleaming eyes.
On the other hand, Yue He’s gaze was as sharp as knives. She gave him a vicious look, causing him to smile in embarrassment and reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
“That’s right, and you are?” Yang Kai politely cupped his fist.
The Young Lord dressed in white announced, “You don’t need to know who we are. All you need to know is that our interests are closely related to your victory or loss today.”
Yang Kai suddenly understood the situation. These people must have placed bets. A betting pool would be opened for every battle in the Asura Arena and these wagers would have different odds to attract the cultivators watching to gamble. It stood to reason that he knew about this; after all, this was the reason why Pei Bu Wan suddenly earned such a large sum of money last time. His battle with Yu Luo Sha today would surely have a similar aspect.
[But, why did these people come to find me?] Yang Kai had a sudden thought and looked at them in astonishment, “Could it be that the three of you placed a bet on my victory?”
The Young Lord in white responded without a trace of politeness, “In your dreams. We might come from wealthy families and spend money like water, but we are not stupid enough to just throw money away. Why would we bet on your victory?”
Yang Kai became annoyed, “If you favour Yu Luo Sha, then why did you come to me?” [Are these three people sick in the head?]
The Young Lord in black raised a hand to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder and gave a sigh, “Junior Brother Yang, the three of us actually quite admire your courage. We can’t believe you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge. It’s rare to see a young man as bold as you nowadays. I heard you defeated Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago. Is that true?”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
The Young Lord in black heaved another heavy sigh, “It is said that one can make great progress in three days, much less after more than ten years. It is best not to think of her in the same way. You might have won against Yu Luo Sha in the past, but now…” He gazed at Yang Kai with a pitying look and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Work hard to survive. You will only have hope for the future if you survive!”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not know how to respond.
The Young Lord in green closed his folding fan, “That’s not the main point. The main point is that you must survive for some time against Yu Luo Sha! The three of us are betting that you can hold out against that crazy woman for an incense stick at least!”
The Young Lord in white said, “Since you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha, I’m sure you have some confidence in your abilities. An incense stick should be fine, right?”
Yang Kai was curious, “You can even make a bet like that?”
The Young Lord in black replied, “Why not? The Asura Arena opened an extensive betting pool, and although the odds are lower, we can still earn a lot if we bet a lot.”
Yang Kai looked at the three of them and exclaimed in surprise, “Did all of you bet that I could hold out for an incense stick?”
The Young Lord in black looked apologetic, “Not all of us. I bet that you won’t last for more than half an incense.” Seeing Yang Kai glaring at him resentfully, he continued, “There are even worse out there. Xu Tang Tang bet 3 million Open Heaven Pills that you will be defeated in ten moves. That guy is nuts! So, Junior Brother Yang, you have to do your best! You must hold out for more than ten moves…” he added in a low voice, “and lose to Yu Luo Sha within half an incense! I will treat you to a meal later!”
Yang Kai was so furious that steam came out of his nostrils, “Did Yu Luo Sha send the three of you here to humiliate me!?”
The three Young Lords smiled in embarrassment and quickly replied, “Of course not.”
Yang Kai snapped, “Didn’t anybody bet that I would win!?”
The three Young Lords exchanged glances with each other before shaking their heads in unison. They looked at Yang Kai like he was a lunatic.
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, but his smile did not reach his eyes, “Good, good. I will do my best not to disappoint the three of you then!”
The Young Lord in black brightened at those words and cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Junior Brother Yang! If you survive the battle today, the three of us will definitely become your friends!”
“Sure. Sure.” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. Afterward, he parted ways with these three. Under the guidance of one of the people from the Asura Arena, he walked into a room to wait for the Asura Arena to prepare the battlefield. Then, he abruptly turned towards Pei Bu Wan, “How much did you bet, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan made an incoherent noise as his gaze wandered nervously for a bit before he raised a finger.
Yang Kai smiled brightly, “How long did you bet that I would last?”
Pei Bu Wan looked guilty. He hesitated for a long while, then he gave a flattering smile, “An hour.”
“Wow! Shopkeeper Pei, you sure think quite highly of me. Should I thank you?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately said, “Little Brother Yang, it’s not that this Big Brother is favouring an outsider over you. It’s just that Yu Luo Sha’s growth over the past ten years is extremely terrifying! She is much stronger today than she was back then. But, I know that you are no ordinary guy either, Little Brother Yang. I’m sure you grew tremendously over the past ten years, so you can definitely hold out for an hour.”
“Three to one!” He considered for a moment, “Little Brother Yang, do you want to bet a little? There is still time. It’s no big deal even if you lose a battle. It’s more important to earn some Open Heaven Pills. Besides, now is the time when you need lots of cultivation resources for your cultivation. You won’t get another chance like this if you let this chance slip by.”
“Three to one. Those are some really stacked odds.” Yang Kai secretly gritted his teeth. The Asura Arena was obviously looking down on him by offering such odds. It could even be said that nobody who knew about this battle was optimistic about his chances at all, “If the odds are so high just for me to hold out for an hour, then the odds of my victory against Yu Luo Sha should be even higher, right?”
“Ten to one!” Pei Bu Wan answered solemnly, “These are the highest odds that the Asura Arena has ever offered in its history. There has not been any precedent of a higher offer.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Yue He, “How many Open Heaven Pills do we have left?”
Yue He immediately replied, “We still have more than 360 million. Young Master, are we going to place a bet?”
“Bet everything!” He waved his hand grandly, “I’m going to force Asura Arena to compensate me with the clothes on their back, down to their underpants!”
Yue He accepted the order and took her leave.
Pei Bu Wan’s mouth gaped open in shock. At first, he was shocked that a trivial Emperor Realm cultivator like Yang Kai had several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills in hand. It had to be said that even as the shopkeeper of the Hundred Refining’s Hall, the funds that passed through his hands were no more than tens of millions at most.
[Did he rob a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise over the past few years!? How did he accumulate so many Open Heaven Pills!?]
A moment later, he was shocked at how decisively Yang Kai decided to bet all those Open Heaven Pills in one go.
It wasn’t until Yue He departed that he finally came back to his senses and hurriedly said, “Little Brother Yang, what are you betting on!? You can’t just randomly make such a bet!”
[That’s several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills! What if he loses!?] Just thinking about the possibility distressed Pei Bu Wan.
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai snapped angrily.
Pei Bu Wan was in the wrong here, so he did not dare to say another word.
A short while later, Yue He returned and reported with some dissatisfaction, “Young Master, the Asura Arena only accepts a maximum bet of 100 million. I can’t bet any more than that. I have asked Guo Zi Yan and the others to rush over immediately.”
Yang Kai nodded gently.
While they were conversing with each other, the door opened and an elderly man walked into the room. He swept a glance across the room and asked, “Which one of you is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai stood up, “Me!”
“Please come with this Old Master. The battle is going to begin soon,” After saying that, the elderly man turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai had no choice but to follow the elderly man through corridor after corridor and soon came to a set of tightly closed doors. The doors were several metres high and at this moment, they were slowly opening. With the opening of those doors, an Earth-shaking cheer that made one’s blood boil with excitement came from within the Asura Arena.
“Please enter!” The elderly man gestured forward.
Yang Kai strode forward and entered the Asura Arena. It was not his first time here; however, it had been more than ten years since he last came. The reason his battle with Yu Luo Sha this time attracted so much attention was also thanks to the diligent efforts of the Asura Arena.
The entire battlefield was so vast that it was impossible to see the end at a glance. He turned out to be standing on a platform and a thousand metres opposite him, Yu Luo Sha stood on another platform in tight-fitted clothes that revealed her graceful curves. She was looking in this direction with a burning fighting spirit.
The doors behind both of them slowly closed and at the same time, numerous barriers were activated inside the Asura Arena. A transparent light barrier covered the entire battleground in order to prevent fallout from the battle from spreading outside the arena.
Following the activation of the barrier, the environment of the entire battlefield changed rapidly as towering ancient trees rose from the ground. It was a strange sight to see. The environment in the Asura Arena would change randomly, which was something Yang Kai had known for more than ten years. The last time he fought Yu Luo Sha, their battle had taken place in a desert. This time around, it seemed to be a forest.
Soon after, a booming voice sounded throughout the Asura Arena, explaining the rules. The voice was neither fast nor slow, but it was very penetrative. It clearly resounded in one’s ears despite the clamouring noises of the countless cultivators in the stands.
Under the watch and cheering of countless people, Yang Kai stood on the platform and smiled brightly at Yu Luo Sha, who stood opposite him before lightly asking, “Junior Sister Yu, can I admit defeat?”
Yu Luo Sha’s beautiful eyes narrowed at those words, “Are you mocking me?”
Her pretty face was filled with rage and her tender fists were tightly clenched. She had waited for more than ten years for this moment, all so she could have a proper fight with him. Now that he had finally returned to the Star City, how could she possibly accept a result like that?
“I guess it won’t work after all.” Yang Kai gave a leisurely sigh, “My original intention was to admit defeat immediately. After further consideration, I came to the conclusion that a woman with as much pride as you would not give up even if I admit defeat. You will definitely continue to pester me in the future. In that case, I figured I might as well fight you and create a chance for you to land the winning blow. That way, I can resolve this troublesome matter.”
“Create a chance for me to land the winning blow!?” She gritted her teeth, uttering those words with great emphasis as though she had suffered great humiliation. Her chest heaved erratically.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai remained calm.
“Judging by your words, you seem certain that I am not your opponent,” she said coldly.
“There is no one beneath the Open Heaven Realm who is my opponent!” He looked at her nonchalantly.
Even if she had a calm temperament and her mind was as tranquil as an ancient well, she still could not help becoming angry at his words, “Senior Brother, are you not worried that these nonsensical words of yours will come back to slap you in the face later? I was certainly no match for you more than ten years ago, but I am different from before. I’m afraid it won’t be so easy for you to defeat me like you did back then.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I know that you have grown tremendously over the past few years, Junior Sister Yu. However, this Senior Brother has not been idle either. It’s just that this Senior Brother is very kind to women. Junior Sister, you have such a pretty face. It would be bad if your beautiful face was injured in the fight. Why don’t we do this instead? Junior Sister, why don’t you take the initiative to admit defeat?”
The conversation between these two might be taking place within the Asura Arena, but every single word that was spoken was transmitted clearly through the barriers and into the ears of the cultivators in the audience. Everybody heard it loud and clear.
The originally noisy audience abruptly fell silent. Everybody stared at Yang Kai in dumbfounded amazement. In the next moment, an uproar louder than the noisy chattering just now erupted from the audience. Countless people mocked Yang Kai for boasting shamelessly. Some even clamoured for Yu Luo Sha to beat Yang Kai black and blue. The commotion in the audience was extremely loud for a while, drowning out even the voice that was reading out the rules.
Yang Kai turned to look at the audience and shouted furiously, “Shut the hell up, you bunch of trash! You’ll soon be compensating me with all your bets!”
Yu Luo Sha tilted her head to look at him and faintly said, “If it’s about how glib one’s tongue is, then I admit I am not your match, Senior Brother. We don’t need to compete in that regard. I will admit defeat.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Looks like we still need to fight in the end. Haa… I never wanted to let this situation develop this far. However, you are wholeheartedly pursuing the peak of the Martial Dao. For an opponent like you, this Senior Brother can only show my respect for you by going all out!”
After saying that, his expression abruptly changed. His originally faint and nondescript aura suddenly erupted outward like a tsunami. The sudden change was so great that Yu Luo Sha couldn’t help narrowing her eyes. She instinctively surged the power in her body as a crimson blood mist instantly permeated the air around her!
At the same time, the voice that had been explaining the rules in Asura Arena also finished and shouted in a low voice, “Life and death shall be decided in battle, let the match begin!”
*Hong…*
The platform beneath Yang Kai’s feet exploded without warning and turned into countless pieces of gravel that shot out in all directions. His entire body turned into a stream of light as he charged towards Yu Luo Sha and appeared just ten metres away from her in an instant.
Yu Luo Sha’s expression changed greatly as a chill spread from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. In her vision, what charged towards her was not an Emperor Realm cultivator who had yet to even reach the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm but an ancient ominous beast that crossed through time and came from prehistoric times. The violent aura wrapped around her, causing her to become unable to breathe. It felt like her entire body was being pressed under a mountain and she didn’t even have the strength to move a single finger.
Meanwhile, the ferocious beast stretched out a claw while charging towards her and reached for her face, tearing through space and causing the world to collapse wherever it passed.
Yu Luo Sha was shocked! She had made a name for herself in the Asura Arena. Ever since she advanced into the Emperor Realm, she had fought in the Asura Arena and experienced at least 1,000 battles over the years. During this time, she met both strong and weak opponents. The most difficult opponent she had ever fought was during the battle where she took first place in the Earth Rankings.
In order to reach the top of the Earth Rankings, she first had to defeat the previous top ranker.
Her opponent had been on par with her in terms of strength and they were both in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, only one step away from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Her opponent had also condensed six types of Sixth-Order Elements and was a Core Disciple of another Cave-Heaven. Their battle lasted for half a day before they could determine the winner between them.
However, even the previous top ranker in the Earth Rankings had been extremely cautious when challenging her. They had taken their time to figure out each other’s strength before they went all out towards the end of the battle. Who would charge in so violently and savagely from the start?
What scared Yu Luo Sha even more was the sense of oppression that Yang Kai gave her. Countless people had looked down on Yang Kai and believed that he was not her opponent, but she had never once thought that way. How could the person who defeated her ten years ago be weak?
As he mentioned just now, she had shown tremendous growth during these past ten years. But likewise, he could not have been idling away either! That was why she never underestimated him. On the contrary, she had always regarded him as an opponent who could put up a hard fight against her. Nevertheless, she immediately realized she had underestimated him when he actually made his move. Compared to his shocking imposing aura, she felt like a firefly in front of the bright moon, absolutely insignificant! At that moment, she felt as though the person before her was an invincible existence.
Be that as it may, she was a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven and had experienced hundreds of battles before, so she quickly composed herself. Her aura surged as the strength inside her body exploded outward.
Kicking off the platform lightly, Yu Luo Sha gave a wave of her hand. Flower petals shot out and rained down on Yang Kai, each one dancing through the air and formed from the purest power she could condense in an ever-changing and unpredictable storm.
She had condensed Sixth-Order Elements, so the strength she wielded displayed as such! The golden flower petals were like indestructible swords, representing the Metal Element. The red flower petals were like blazing flames, representing the Fire Element. Meanwhile, yellow represented the Earth Element; green the Wood Element; white the Water Element; and black the Yin Element!
Thousands of flower petals danced to form an imposing Array that could shred everything to pieces and covered Yang Kai in an instant. Even so, Yu Luo Sha did not feel the slightest sense of triumph. On the contrary, her heart pounded as though an inexplicable sense of crisis was looming over her. Then, she saw a large hand in the shape of an eagle’s claws stretching out of the flower storm. Countless petals destroyed the man’s clothes, but they were blocked by a dirt-yellow light barrier. Sparks flew from the contact between the flower petals and that light barrier, while no harm befell his body at all.
“How can that be!?” She practically exclaimed in shock, her heart sinking to the bottom of the abyss. The Myriad Flowers Array was basically her trump card. She generally did not use this move because it consumed too much strength, and ever since she climbed to the top of the Earth Rankings three years ago, few people have been able to force her to use this move again. The only ones who could force her to use this move were opponents in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. These people had all condensed the Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Elements and were also the elite disciples of various Cave-Heaven or Paradises.
Faced with Yang Kai’s head-on charge that resembled a ferocious Ominous Beast, she immediately brought out her trump card. She originally thought that it would stop him for a moment, maybe even cause him to fall into a precarious situation, but who could have imagined this result instead?
*Hong…*
Before she could understand what was going on, Yang Kai’s figure burst out of the Myriad Flowers Array. Countless flower petals shattered with a loud explosion, turning into bits of light that shot out in all directions like a meteor shower.
Yu Luo Sha stared blankly forward, only to see that Yang Kai’s expression was still as tranquil as an ancient well. His eyes were as cold and cruel as ice. Roaring to inspire herself, her tender body tensed and a boundless blood mist gushed out of her, turning into a sea of blood that drowned both of them inside.
The audience was completely silent as countless people stared blankly at the sea of blood in the Asura Arena, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It wasn’t until three breaths later that somebody murmured, “Did that Yang Kai just destroy Yu Luo Sha’s Myriad Flowers Array?”
Nobody answered the question. The Myriad Flowers Array had indeed been destroyed and Yang Kai had emerged from it without being bothered in the slightest. The main question was, how did he do it? Nobody had seen clearly.
Before anybody could figure out the answer, the sea of blood in the Asura Arena began squirming madly as though struck by a powerful impact.
The sea of blood shattered and the figures of two people swiftly fell out of the sky. Under everybody’s gaze, those figures suddenly vanished. Even though it had only been for a moment, almost everybody saw Yang Kai grabbing Yu Luo Sha by the face with a large hand and viciously smashing her towards the ground.
Yu Luo Sha was not willing to just give up and admit defeat. Both her slender jade hands and long legs; every part of her body had been transformed into a weapon that bombarded Yang Kai indiscriminately.
On the other hand, Yang Kai remained as stubborn and unchanging as a mountain. Motionless, he ignored whatever attacks she unleashed against him.
*Hong…*
The entire Asura Arena shuddered and countless cultivators in the audience also felt the ground shaking beneath them. A cloud of dust rose up at the spot where the two fighters landed. Numerous ancient towering trees crashed to the ground, forming a straight line that stretched out for several hundreds of metres. The scene was chaotic and the figures of both Yang Kai and Yu Luo Sha could no longer be seen amidst the dust.
Everybody hurriedly lifted their heads and looked up at the sky where a huge projected image of the battle between those two under the effects of the Spirit Arrays in the Asura Arena stood. What entered their eyes made them draw a deep breath of cold air in surprise.
Inside that enormous light barrier, Yang Kai was kneeling with one knee on the ground. He had one large hand pressing against the ground, his black hair and clothes flapping from the impact.
As for Yu Luo Sha, she was smashed into the ground with her face still in the grip of his hand. The long stretch of empty space behind them resembled a large mouth, mocking soundlessly.
The entire arena was silent! Everybody looked up stupidly at the projection in the sky. They couldn’t help feeling a sense of absurdity, almost as though they were stuck in a dream.
Yu Luo Sha had been utterly defeated! The top ranker in the Earth Rankings! The woman who was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! The woman who was said to be an existence that was invincible among those beneath the Open Heaven Realm! She had been defeated in an instant!
Moreover, the person who defeated her was a little-known man by the name of Yang Kai! How could this be!? How could there be something so ridiculous in the world!?
Countless people frantically rubbed their eyes and pinched their thighs, hoping that everything was just an illusion. Unfortunately, the reality of the image burned into their eyes was extremely clear. It could not be more real.
Yu Luo Sha had been defeated by Yang Kai. She seemed powerless to fight back against the violent attacks of the other party. Furthermore, no more than ten breaths had passed since the beginning of the battle.
…..
Inside a certain private room, three Young Lords dressed in black, green, and white respectively were staring fixedly at the Asura Arena in shock. They were the three Young Lords who spoke to Yang Kai previously. Their mouths were gaping so wide that they could practically stuff their own fists into them.
After a while, the Young Lord in black suddenly let out a cry of surprise. He turned around and shouted furiously, “Why did you pinch me!?”
The Young Lord in white looked extremely depressed, “I wanted to see if I was dreaming!”
The Young Lord in green wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead, “I can’t believe that Senior Brother… turned out to be so strong!”
Thinking back to the various ‘advice’ they gave Yang Kai just now and how they asked him to hold out for longer, they couldn’t help shuddering all of a sudden.
…..
Inside another private room, Pei Bu Wan slumped limply into the chair. His entire being looked like a balloon that had run out of air. His complexion had also gone white as a sheet as he was murmuring to himself, “It’s over. It’s over… It’s all gone! My 10 million Open Heaven Pills!”
After saying that, he clutched at his chest as though he was so heartbroken that he could not breathe.
Yue He coldly snorted, “Serves you right!”
She had no goodwill towards this shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall who bet 10 million Open Heaven Pills on Yang Kai’s defeat.
…..
Inside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai slowly stood up and reached up to brush the hair out of his face. Lowering his head to take a good look at Yu Luo Sha, who was lying unconscious on the ground, he smiled in satisfaction, “I didn’t injure her pretty face. As expected, I’m somebody who cherishes women indeed.”
His words were transmitted throughout the Asura Arena via the Spirit Arrays, so everybody heard him clearly. His tone might be warm and kind, but his words sent a chill down the backs of countless people.
Before this battle, the entire Star City believed that Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody could be her opponent as long as the Open Heaven Realm Masters did not step forth. However, Yang Kai had knocked out the future rising star of Asura Heaven in less than ten breaths.
If Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm, then what did that make Yang Kai?
Besides, his offensive had been so violent and ferocious. He gave off the vibe that he was going to skin her alive right from the start. Those were not the actions of a person who ‘cherished women’, right? Just how shameless could he be to utter such words?
“Sneak attack! How dare you perform a sneak attack!? How shameless!” A furious yell suddenly rang out in the Asura Arena. That shout was particularly jarring in the silent arena.
In the next moment, the others joined in. Countless people accused Yang Kai of being shameless and despicable. They claimed that he must have maliciously launched a sneak attack; otherwise, Yu Luo Sha would not have been defeated in one blow.
Yang Kai swept a cold gaze over the audience and scolded, “You bunch of trash! If you’re willing to gamble, you must be willing to lose! You’re all just bitter because you lost everything down to your underwear, right!? Hahahaha!”
He burst into maniacal laughter, inciting the anger of all the people in the arena, tempting them to rip his corpse into ten thousand pieces. Nevertheless, his words were the truth. Countless people went bankrupt because of this battle; after all, everybody had looked down on Yang Kai before the battle began and almost everybody placed a bet on Yu Luo Sha as a result. The odds might be lower, but it was just as the Young Lord mentioned before, if they bet more, then they would win more.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai smashed their beautiful dreams to pieces with brute force in less than ten breaths. It was no wonder that they were accusing him of being despicable and launching a sneak attack.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai had not launched a sneak attack. He only made his move after hearing the voice saying ‘Let the battle begin!’. There were no doubts regarding whether or not he had launched a sneak attack. It was just that some of those people were not happy about losing. That was why they threw those accusations at him.
It wasn’t until this moment that the voice explaining all the rules earlier rang out again. This time, it sounded extremely dry, “Winner, Yang Kai!”
In the next moment, a man slipped into the arena and stopped in front of Yu Luo Sha. He reached out three fingers to check whether she was still breathing. When he confirmed that she had just passed out and was in no danger, he seemed slightly relieved. He then bent down and picked her up. Then, he raised his head and glared at Yang Kai furiously before leaving in a hurry.
Yang Kai scratched his nose, knowing that he made himself stand out too much. The person who carried Yu Luo Sha away was most likely one of Asura Heaven’s disciples. Yu Luo Sha could be considered one of the Asura Arena’s golden signboards, so now that he smashed that signboard to pieces, it would be strange if he did not attract some grudges.
Yang Kai had not wanted to stand out, it was just that Yu Luo Sha was just too bull-headed. She would not have given up and would simply continue to pester him in the future unless he gave her a taste of despair.
Fortunately, Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heaven and the Asura Arena was its primary business. Even if Asura Heaven was upset with him, it would not stoop so low as to secretly get rid of him. Besides, it was not that there was no precedent of Asura Heaven disciples dying in the Asura Arena. Asura Heaven had never held a grudge against others because of something like that. As far as the Cave-Heaven was concerned, death was deserved if one was lacking in talent.
Seeing as the countless cultivators in the audience were still cursing endlessly, Yang Kai decided to ignore them and leisurely walked towards the exit instead. At the exit, he saw the elderly man who led him into the arena previously looking at him as though looking at a ghost. The attitude of the elderly man at this moment was much more polite than the nonchalant attitude from before.
Upon returning to the waiting room, Yang Kai immediately saw Pei Bu Wan sitting there wallowing in depression and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei, why are you acting like that? It’s only 1 million Open Heaven Pills. Just think of it as a monetary loss that allowed you to avoid disaster instead.”
Pei Bu Wan gritted his teeth, “What do you mean by 1 million!? It was 10 million! 10 million!”
“How bold, Shopkeeper Pei!” Yang Kai teased. When he questioned Pei Bu Wan earlier, Pei Bu Wan had only raised a single finger in response and did not provide an exact answer; hence, he mistakenly thought that Pei Bu Wan had bet just 1 million against him. Who could have known that Pei Bu Wan had bet 10 million instead?
“Little Brother Yang, you’ve ruined me!” Pei Bu Wan’s facial features were scrunched up together as he was literally on the verge of tears, “If you had such ability, why didn’t you let this Big Brother know in advance!? If I had known, I would have bet on you!”
Yang Kai was amazed, “I sent Yue He to place an enormous bet on myself, didn’t I? Shopkeeper Pei, you were the one who did not believe in me. How can you blame me?”
Pei Bu Wan was rendered speechless when he thought back on it. Yang Kai had dared to bet on his own victory with such confidence, so how could he be uncertain about his chances of winning? It was just that Yu Luo Sha’s invincible image was so deeply rooted in Pei Bu Wan’s heart that he did not dare to believe in Yang Kai.
Such a great opportunity to make a fortune had been placed right in front of him, but he had failed to grasp the opportunity… It had to be said that the odds against Yang Kai were ten to one!
Pei Bu Wan lifted a hand and slapped himself hard in the face. His chest was hurting as though somebody was squeezing his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
While they were speaking, one of the people in charge of the Asura Arena walked in. That person glanced at Yang Kai before glancing at Pei Bu Wan, who was grieving as though he had lost his parents. That person nodded in acknowledgement, “Junior, you are here too.”
Pei Bu Wan suppressed the sorrow in his heart and hurriedly got to his feet, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou said, “You lost your bet? How could you lose if you are together with Nephew Yang?”
Pei Bu Wan reacted as if he was struck by lightning but said nothing, feeling as though somebody had rubbed salt into his wounds…
Old Zhou ignored Pei Bu Wan and cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “Nephew Yang!”
Although Yang Kai did not recognise this person, he echoed Pei Bu Wan’s words and cupped his fist, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou smiled, “Today’s battle has really opened this Old Master’s eyes, Nephew Yang!”
Yang Kai politely responded, “Old Zhou, you are too polite. I was just lucky!”
Old Zhou stared at Yang Kai meaningfully, “Defeating Yu Luo Sha in ten breaths cannot be considered ‘luck’. The disciples of Asura Heaven are not that easy to defeat. If just any random person could defeat the disciples of Asura Heaven, then Asura Heaven would have lost the right to call itself one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens a long time ago.”
Yang Kai asked, “Why did you come here, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou handed over a Space Ring, “Before the battle started, you bet a 100 million Open Heaven Pills on your victory, right? This contains your bet and your winnings.”
Yang Kai immediately took the Space Ring in high spirits. Sweeping his Divine Sense to check the contents, he exclaimed in surprise, “This number seems a bit higher than it should.”
Combined with his original bet of 100 million, the Asura Arena should only need to hand over 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills to him. Such a large sum of Open Heaven Pills was not something just any great force could bring out so easily. Only a place like the Asura Arena where countless Open Heaven Pills flowed through every single day could do something like that.
But, what surprised Yang Kai was that the Space Ring seemed to contain more than 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills.
“1.2 billion!” Old Zhou confirmed.
Yang Kai was puzzled, “Where did the extra 100 million come from?”
Old Zhou smiled, “Nephew Yang, your strength is extraordinary. In the future, your name will surely spread across the 3,000 Worlds, so this Old Master will not play games with you. That extra 100 million is a form of compensation from Asura Arena.”
“Compensation for what?”
“Nephew Yang, please do not set foot in any of the Asura Arenas of any the Star Cities ever again!” Old Zhou replied bluntly.
Yang Kai could not help blinking in surprise; however, he soon understood what Old Zhou meant. He had displayed a terrifying power that was strong enough to crush any opponent under the Open Heaven Realm in his battle today. It was a given that nobody could be his opponent if he were to set foot in another Asura Arena again, and if everybody bet on his victory, then how would the Asura Arena make money?
The Asura Arena was one of the most important foundations of Asura Heaven, which delivered large amounts of Open Heaven Pills to it every day. If the Asura Arena kept suffering losses, then Asura Heaven would be in trouble too. It was only natural for Old Zhou to consider the future. Be that as it may, he took out 100 million Open Heaven Pills to offer as compensation without even batting an eyelid! It could be seen just how wealthy and powerful the Asura Arena was!
Pei Bu Wan was dumbfounded. As far as his memories went, this was the first time the Asura Arena had ever offered such generous conditions to a cultivator. Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens after all. Aside from the other Cave-Heavens in the Outer Universe, there was no need for Asura Heaven to give face to any other great force; after all, Asura Heaven had that kind of power.
Yang Kai smiled at Old Zhou, “What if I refused?”
Old Zhou calmly said, “You have no reason to refuse, Nephew. Fighting life-or-death battles in the Asura Arena might be able to help a person grow extremely fast, but there is no point in participating if you are simply going to one-sidedly crush your opponents. Even Yu Luo Sha could not last for more than ten breaths against you. There are few below the Open Heaven Realm in this vast universe who have the qualifications to stand before you. You won’t be able to meet a suitable opponent even if you enter the Asura Arena again. In that case, why would you waste your time by returning to the Asura Arena?
“Besides, even if you do enter the Asura Arena again, the Asura Arena can adjust the odds so while we won’t make money, we can minimize our losses. That is why I believe that you have no reason to refuse. What do you say, Nephew Yang?”
Yang Kai considered those words for a moment and nodded, “What you say does make sense, Old Zhou.”
Old Zhou grinned lightly at Yang Kai, “So, do we have a deal?”
Yang Kai laughed, “It’s not like I can’t agree to never set foot in the Asura Arena again. But, I have to ask that you restrain Junior Sister Yu, Old Zhou. I’m worried that she might not be convinced even after the battle today…”
Old Zhou replied, “Please don’t worry about this, Nephew. Xiao Yu’er might be stubborn, but she is not a fool. I’m certain that she will not challenge you again when she knows that she cannot defeat you and that her actions will only humiliate herself once more. Nevertheless, this Old Master will restrain her!”
“And, about the compensation…”
He raised an eyebrow at Yang Kai’s words, “Nephew Yang, do you think that it is too little?”
Yang Kai rubbed his fingers together and said slyly, “How can there ever be such a thing as too many Open Heaven Pills?”
Old Zhou pondered for a moment and came to a decision, “This Old Master can give you another 50 million. What do you think, Nephew?”
Yang Kai’s expression became stern, “50 million doesn’t sound that nice. Why don’t you round it up to a whole number instead?”
Old Zhou’s expression became stiff, “Nephew Yang, you should show some propriety. Don’t be too greedy. This is already the limit that this Old Master can provide under his authority. If you ask for more, this Old Master will have to pay you out of my own pocket. If you agree to this deal, you will not only receive a large amount of Open Heaven Pills but also the friendship of Asura Heaven. This is a very good deal for you.”
After saying that, his eyes flashed for a moment and he looked at Yang Kai seriously before adding, “Coincidentally, this Old Master heard of a name recently. That name is exactly the same as yours, Nephew Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The 3,000 Worlds is extensive. There are trillions upon trillions of living creatures scattered across the vast universe. I’m sure there are people out there with the same name as me.”
Old Zhou gently nodded, “Indeed. It’s not strange for a few people to have the exact same name and surname. What’s strange is that this person’s cultivation is also similar to yours. Don’t you find that rather strange, Nephew Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai’s expression changed and his eyes flashed, “What else did you hear about, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou said slowly, “I also heard that this ‘Yang Kai’ was involved in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary incident. He made a huge fortune there and even condensed several High-Rank Open Heaven Elements. It seems he is very ambitious and intends to break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. Say, Nephew Yang Kai, don’t you agree that this person has no fear of the Heavens?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “Cultivators all seek to reach the peak of the Material Dao. How is that having no fear of the Heavens?”
“It is difficult for a rogue cultivator to directly achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. This Old Master believes that this person will suffer a catastrophe in the future since he does not have any background nor support to rely upon. If he does not survive the catastrophe, then things would simply end with his death.”
“What if he survives the catastrophe?” Yang Kai looked at Old Zhou.
Old Zhou studied Yang Kai for a moment and gave a soft chuckle, “If he can survive the catastrophe, then this Old Master will cut off his head for him to kick around like a ball.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but coldly snort in response, “Don’t get too high and mighty with your words, Old Zhou. Like water that has been spilled, the words you speak can never be taken back again.”
Old Zhou shook his head, “That is fate. If this Old Master says that he won’t be able to survive the catastrophe, then he won’t. Forcefully pushing forward will only cause his Soul to be extinguished. This Old Master hopes that he can change his mind as soon as possible. If he only takes a step back, then all will end well; otherwise, it will be too late for regrets by the time the catastrophe strikes.
Yang Kai looked livid.
Then, Old Zhou abruptly changed the subject, “There’s no point in speaking about such irrelevant matters. Nephew Yang, have you considered the offer this Old Master has given you?”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, “Hand it over.”
Old Zhou smilingly took out another Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai. That Space Ring contained an impressive 50 million Open Heaven Pills. He said meaningfully, “Nephew, this Old Master has a word of advice for you. Those who understand how to be flexible will rise higher!”
Yang Kai muttered, “Many thanks for your advice, Old Zhou. I will keep your words in my heart.”
Old Zhou gave Yang Kai a measuring look and seemed to see the determination in his eyes; thus, he sighed and shook his head before taking his leave.
Next to them, Pei Bu Wan bowed and sent Old Zhou off. It wasn’t until Old Zhou was gone that he looked at the two Space Rings in Yang Kai’s hands with an envious look. Those Space Rings contained a whopping sum of 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills. It was an amount he would never earn even if he worked all his life. A moment later, he suddenly jumped in fright, “Little Brother Yang, why is your expression so terrible?”
Yang Kai randomly came up with an excuse, “I was wounded by Yu Luo Sha.”
Pei Bu Wan was surprised for a moment, then a wave of understanding washed over him. [I guess the battle just now was not as easy as it seemed on the surface. Yang Kai probably paid a heavy price to defeat Yu Luo Sha within ten breaths, it’s just that it doesn’t show on the surface.]
“Shopkeeper Pei, until we meet again.” Yang Kai cupped his fists and led Yue He away, his expression still as gloomy as before.
He knew that he could not hide his identity after what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, or the fact that he had condensed a High-Rank Elements and was intending to reach the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. So many people had witnessed what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary after all. It was a given that the news would spread out. It was only a matter of time.
Calculating the time, nearly two years had passed since he came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If Asura Heaven could learn about the events inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then it would not be surprising for them to know about him.
Looking for a person in this vast universe was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack. Unfortunately, Old Zhou had noticed something during this battle in the Asura Arena and ascertained that Yang Kai was the same person mentioned in those rumours. Yu Luo Sha had condensed the Sixth-Order Element Powers after all. She could be considered an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm. As such, one needed to have a greater heritage than hers in order to defeat her within ten breaths.
If Asura Heaven was already aware of this fact, then that was probably the case for all the other Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai had always known from the Proprietress that his journey towards the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was not going to be easy and he was very likely going to be suppressed by the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. It was just that he had never revealed himself in the eyes of the world before. He had simply taken over Void Land and quietly strengthened himself. It could be considered a fairly stable lifestyle. On the contrary, he had been completely exposed after the battle today.
In any case, it was not something that could be helped. Even without today’s battle, it was simply a matter of time before his whereabouts were discovered by those who were interested in him. Unless he hid himself in Void Land forever and never showed his face anywhere, it was impossible to remain anonymous.
Be that as it may, there was no need to worry about being suppressed for the time being. He had only just condensed four Elements after all. There was still a long way before he could advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Even if the Cave-Heavens and Paradises planned to suppress him, they would not make their move so quickly. They had reputations to worry about, so they had to be mindful of how they took action.
A cultivator’s road to advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was long; in addition, there were many variables that could affect the final outcome. Just like the wooden boards that make up a wooden barrel, how much water a barrel could hold depended entirely on the shortest board. They only needed to ensure that his water barrel had a single wooden board that was below the High-Rank to get the results they wanted.
Upon considering all of this, Yang Kai felt a little more at ease. Old Zhou’s words today might seem like nothing more than kind advice, but they were actually a kind of warning, one that came from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. He did not dare to say that it was the will of all the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, but their opinions would likely be quite consistent when it came to this matter.
After passing through a long and dark corridor, the bright light ahead seemed to welcome him. Yang Kai tightly clenched his fists and looked up into the sky with a smirk on his lips. [Forget a trivial warning. Even if I have to make the entire world my enemy, my determination to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm will not be shaken!]
“Brat, why are you smiling so exaggeratedly?” Bai Qi’s face suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai with an infinitely curious expression.
Yang Kai was astonished, “What are you doing here?”
Old Bai chuckled and waved the Space Ring in his hand slightly.
Yang Kai blinked and quickly caught on to the meaning, “Did the Proprietress ask you to place a bet?”
Old Bai delightedly replied, “It’s a good opportunity to make a fortune. Who would willingly miss out on such an opportunity? The Proprietress prepared this long ago.”
Those who did not know Yang Kai might not have been optimistic about his prospects, but the Proprietress knew him very well. How could she not know how strong he was? She started preparing for Bai Qi to place a bet the moment Yang Kai decided to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge.
“It’s a pity. The Proprietress did not have many Open Heaven Pills on hand, so we could only place a 30 million wager.” Bai Qi complained with some dissatisfaction.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck. The Proprietress had placed a bet of 30 million with ten to one odds; in other words, she had won 300 million Open Heaven Pills. Combined with the 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills that he received, the Asura Arena must have lost basically its entire betting pool this time. There was no saying how long it would take for them to recover from these losses.
“We’ll have enough money for the auction now. Heh heh heh…” Bai Qi chuckled softly.
“Auction?” Yang Kai immediately became interested when he heard those words, “Where is the auction? Wind and Cloud Auction House?”
Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City had an auction house by the name of the Wind and Cloud Auction House. It was a place Yang Kai was familiar with as it was an industry owned by Wind and Cloud Paradise.
Back when Yang Kai and Old Bai went there to collect debt payments, Wind and Cloud Auction House had made all sorts of excuses to avoid paying them. The two had been so annoyed that they snuck into the auction and made multiple malicious bids, which resulted in the auction being ruined. The person in charge of the Wind and Cloud Auction House at the time was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Yun Zhen Hua.
Due to the malicious bids that Yang Kai and Bai Qi made during the auction, most of the auction items had basically fallen into their hands; however, they refused to settle the bill with Open Heaven Pills. It stood to reason that Yun Zhen Hua would not let this matter slide, so he imprisoned them inside Wind and Cloud Auction House. This provoked the Proprietress who subsequently flew into a rage and attacked Wind and Cloud Auction House as a result. Thus, a grudge was formed between them because of this incident.
Later, Yun Zhen Hua teamed up with Yue He, Qin Ji, and Ling Chun Qiu to ambush the Proprietress. Yun Zhen Hua was ultimately killed on the spot and his Soul was extinguished inside the Sealing Yang Domain of Golden Rainbow Province when Yang Kai used his last Mie Meng Golden Feather.
When Yang Kai heard Bai Qi mention the word ‘auction’, Wind and Cloud Auction House immediately came to mind.
Bai Qi sneered, “First Inn and Wind and Cloud Auction House are at odds with each other, how could we possibly participate in any of their auctions? This time, we are participating in an auction held by Red Clouds Auction House.”
Knowing that Yang Kai was not very familiar with the Star City, he went on to explain, “Red Clouds Auction House is owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. Their heritage is far greater than Wind and Cloud Auction House and they have branches in many Star Cities. Furthermore, they tend to hold a large-scale auction in a random Star City every five years or so. The large-scale auction this time will be held in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City.”
“Red Clouds Auction House?” Yang Kai gently nodded, “When will this auction take place?”
“Half a month at the earliest to one month at the latest.” Bai Qi winked at Yang Kai, “Rest assured, the Proprietress knows that you will be interested in something like this, so she will surely bring you along with her. But, it won’t be easy for you to find any High-Rank materials there. High-Rank materials generally do not appear even at an auction of this scale. As far as I can remember, High-Rank materials have only appeared in an auction twice over the last hundred years. Both times, people went crazy in an attempt to compete for those resources.”
Yang Kai said, “I am aware of that.”
Even if there were no High-Rank materials, it would be great if there were Sixth-Order materials. The Great Emperors were currently cultivating in retreat back in Void Land, so their consumption of Sixth-Order materials was great. Leaving aside the Great Emperors, even Yue He needed Sixth-Order materials for her cultivation now.
During his journey, Yang Kai passed through several Star Cities but only managed to purchase one Sixth-Order material. It would be best if he could obtain some in the auction. He currently had more than 1.5 billion Open Heaven Pills, so even for Sixth-Order materials, he had enough to purchase up to several dozen! Unfortunately, a competition of this level would surely be extremely fierce and it would cost him a lot of unnecessary money.
Returning to First Inn, Yang Kai went to the Proprietress to inquire about the auction before entering retreat in peace when he learned that it would not be held until half a month later.
At present, his cultivation was stuck in an awkward position. He was unable to proceed without suitable resources; however, it was not a problem for him to comprehend the various Powers in his body and consume Dragon Blood Pills to further enhance his Dragon Clan bloodline.
He consumed Dragon Blood Pill after Dragon Blood Pill, and though he could not sense any obvious changes in his body, he was certain that his Dragon Vein was continuously being purified. The Golden Divine Dragon’s Source was also subtly affected by these changes. What left him feeling speechless was that he had been comprehending the Wood, Earth, and Water Element Powers in his body for so long, but even so, he had failed to gain insight into another Divine Manifestation like the Golden Crow Casts the Sun.
The power of a Divine Manifestation was boundless and it had always been a power that only those in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm possessed, but Yang Kai had comprehended a Divine Manifestation as an Emperor Realm cultivator. He did not dare to claim that there was no precedent before him or that there would not be similar occurrences in the future, but it was still an astonishing feat. It could already be considered a lucky coincidence for him to have comprehended the Golden Crow Casts the Sun; therefore, it was undoubtedly extremely difficult for him to repeat it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was not discouraged. He would immerse his mind in comprehension whenever he had the time. Even if there were no benefits, it could still be regarded as a kind of accumulation. He believed that these accumulated experiences would lead to qualitative changes eventually.
Time passed while Yang Kai was cultivating in retreat and in the blink of an eye, a month passed. Yue He knocked on the door and entered to inform Yang Kai that the auction was starting. Only then did he stop cultivating, adjusted his clothes, and strode out of the room.
The Proprietress was waiting for him in the hall and when she saw him, she nodded lightly and called out, “Let’s go.”
Then, she led the way ahead.
There were a total of four people on this trip. The Proprietress was the leader, followed by Yue He, Yang Kai, and Bai Qi. Although their numbers were few, except for Yang Kai who was in the Emperor Realm, the other three were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. It could be said to be a very powerful lineup.
Along the way, they passed through numerous bustling streets and came to the entrance of a shop within an incense stick of time. There was a plaque above the entrance of the shop with the characters ‘Red Clouds Auction House’ written on it in shining gold.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that the characters seemed to contain a mysterious power, constantly twisting and changing in his eyes. It was very mysterious. A chill gripped his heart as he realised that this plaque must have been written by an extremely powerful Open Heaven Realm Master. These words most likely contained the Martial Truth of that Master. It was not harmful, but it gave off a profound feeling. There was no doubt that this was one of the ways for Red Clouds Auction House to demonstrate its strength and heritage.
Beneath the plaque, numerous cultivators of Red Clouds Auction House hurried back and forth to guide the people participating in the auction into the auction house with bright smiles on their faces.
Before the four of them could arrive at the door of Red Clouds Auction House, somebody greeted the Proprietress. Yang Kai glanced in that direction and discovered that the person was a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. As for what Order that person was in, he could not infer from the situation. The Proprietress seemed to be very friendly with the other party so she smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai looked around and was secretly surprised. In such a short time, he saw many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters entering the auction house with their followers or their Juniors. Some did not have obvious auras while others displayed wanton arrogance. There was no shortage of Masters in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. This discovery both shocked and delighted him.
Yang Kai was shocked that the auction had attracted so many Masters to this place and these people were only the ones that he saw; there were probably more that he did not see. On the other hand, what delighted him was the presence of so many Masters. It could only mean that a lot of good things would be offered during the auction. Why else would these Masters travel for billions upon billions of kilometres from various Great Territories to come here?
The Proprietress was very well-connected and she immediately greeted several Masters in a very short time. They lingered around the entrance for a full incense stick before the Proprietress led their group inside. Under the guidance of a young maid working in the auction house, they stepped into a private room.
The private room was not that big, but it was more than enough to accommodate four people. Under Yang Kai’s perception, he found that many barriers had been placed inside the room to prevent outsiders from spying into it. The private room faced one side of the auction hall, with a transparent crystal partition to block out prying eyes and noise from the outside. Everything in the hall could be seen through the transparent crystal partition; however, nothing inside the room could be seen if a person were to glance at the room from inside the hall.
The Proprietress was the shopkeeper of First Inn; moreover, her cultivation was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It was only natural that she was qualified to enter a room like this. Yang Kai glanced around his surroundings and discovered that there were dozens of similar rooms. In other words, at least several dozen Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were participating in this auction. Such a large-scale auction could only be described as a grand occasion. It was much grander than the auction he participated in back at Wind and Cloud Auction House.
After the four of them took their seats, the maidservant immediately served several platters of fruit. The spirit fruits on the platters were crystal-clear and very fragrant. Yang Kai randomly grabbed one and tasted it, only to have his mouth filled with sweetness in an instant. Thus, he quickly grabbed another and tossed it to Yue He. Yue He caught the fruit with a small smile and began to eat in dainty bites.
Yang Kai had only eaten two when he saw Bai Qi storing these spirit fruits into his Space Ring. His actions made the maidservant in the room snicker softly while the Proprietress glared at him fiercely. However, Bai Qi was very thick-skinned and did not seem to care. He even winked conspiratorially at Yang Kai.
The hall was soon bursting at the seams with people, and a short while later, the sound of gongs and instruments played. The lights in the auction hall dimmed, leaving only a single beam of light that shone in the centre of the stage. The light was emitted from a strange stone on the roof. At that moment, be it in the hall or the various private rooms, everybody’s eyes were drawn to the stage.
At some point, a thin and stiff-faced old man had appeared in the middle of that beam of light. He bowed in a circle and said, “Many thanks to all our Honoured Guests for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in the auction held by Red Clouds Auction House. Many of you have worked tirelessly to travel here from great distances. If nothing else, this Old Master guarantees that this auction will not disappoint you! Without further ado, let the auction officially begin!”
The old man was probably from Red Clouds Auction House and was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at least. When he finished speaking, the light in the hall brightened considerably. A tall maidservant walked out from backstage, carrying a tray with a sweet smile on her face.
The maidservant walked over to the old man’s side where he raised his hand and removed the red cloth covering the tray, “The first item on auction is a Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand. There are a total of 999 grains of sand. If those beneath the Open Heaven Realm were to refine and absorb them, they would have a chance to obtain the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm Divine Ability. The effects of this Divine Ability are extremely powerful and cover an extensive area. It is capable of taking a person’s life without any trace. The reserve price for this item is 10 million Open Heaven Pills and each subsequent bid cannot be less than 500,000. Those who are interested may place their bids now!”
The hall flew into an uproar while the sound of many people inhaling sharply came from the various private rooms.
A cultivator required seven Elements to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. They were Yin, Yang, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Among these seven, the Yin and Yang Elements were much rarer. As such, compared to the other Five Elements, they were also more expensive.
Yang Kai himself had a lot of experience in this matter. Regardless of whether it was the wealth he obtained from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary or the purchases he made at all the Star Cities he passed through along his journey, Yin and Yang Element treasures were far more difficult to find than those of the Five Elements. As a consequence, the price for them became much more exorbitant despite being in the same Order.
Red Clouds Auction House was definitely worthy of its reputation as a direct industry of a Cave-Heaven. Their first item was already a material of the Yin Element. Moreover, it was a Sixth-Order material!
It was understandable that Red Clouds Auction House wanted to use the first auction item to create enthusiasm; in doing so, they would draw out the excitement and anticipation of the people participating in the auction. Most auctions would carry out similar practices. It was just that bringing out a Sixth-Order Yin Element material right from the start was beyond most people’s expectations. Sixth-Order materials were hard to find after all. Even the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in this auction would not have the chance to obtain such materials under normal circumstances.
As soon as the remarks of the old man handling the auction rang out, the atmosphere felt like a handful of salt was thrown into a pot of boiling oil and the sounds of bidding rang out incessantly.
In the span of ten breaths, the base price of 10 million rose to 15 million. Not to mention, the price was not final yet.
16 million, 17 million, 18 million…
The price soon passed through the 20 million mark! 21 million, 22 million…
It was not until the price reached 23 million that the bidding gradually died down until only two parties were fighting over the material left.
This price had far exceeded the value of a typical Sixth-Order material. Even if it was a Yin Element material, the actual value should not be over 20 million. It had to be said that Yang Kai only spent 17 million to purchase a Sixth-Order material in one of the Star Cities on his way here. The price of this Yin Element treasure was much higher. Not to mention, the price was also driven up by the bidding. Nevertheless, 23 million had far exceeded the limits of what most people could accept.
Not everybody became rich overnight like Yang Kai or had several billion Open Heaven Pills in their possession that could be spent without a care in the world at will.
In the 3,000 Worlds, any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who could gather several hundreds of thousands of Open Heaven Pills could already be considered wealthy. Only Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the qualifications to accumulate several million Open Heaven Pills. On the other hand, High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were the only ones that could possess tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills.
Be that as it may, that was only relevant towards the financial resources possessed by individuals. How much money one would have when backed by a great force was a whole other matter altogether.
The stronger a person was, the more wealth they could accumulate. At the same time, their consumption was also greater. Take Yue He for example. If she were to cultivate without regard for anything else, she would consume at least tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills a day. That was why it was extremely difficult for any Open Heaven Realm Master to accumulate wealth.
Money did not simply rain down from the Heavens; therefore, 23 million was truly a huge sum. Unless one was in urgent need of this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, they would not stubbornly bid for it. A Sixth-Order material was very different from a Seventh-Order material. Although they were scarce, it was not as though they could not be found.
The two people who were still bidding among themselves were undoubtedly eager to purchase the Scarlet Yin Sand. It might be for their own use or it might be in preparation for their Juniors or disciples.
Yang Kai turned to look at the Proprietress, “Proprietress, are you not going to bid?”
The Proprietress was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was just right for her to refine this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand.
Yet the Proprietress lazily replied, “These things are useless to me for the time being.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words, but he immediately understood what she meant. She had most likely reached a bottleneck in her cultivation. She advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago, so she was probably already at its peak. It stood to reason that she did not need the Scarlet Yin Sand to enhance the heritage of her Small Universe. If she went one step further, she would be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
It was just that… she once made a Heart Demon Oath to crush the Headquarters of several great forces. As long as she did not fulfil the requirements of this oath, she would never break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm! She had flattened Yue He’s Small Orchid Palace, but Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar were still thriving.
Golden Rainbow Province might have the word ‘Province’ in their name, but it was a genuine Second-Class great force. Needless to say, Boundless Altar was also a Second-Class great force. Moreover, Qin Ji and Ling Chun Qiu were both in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
When Yang Kai led Yue He to attack Blood Swan Continent previously, it had taken him quite a bit of effort to succeed, and Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force.
With the Proprietress’ current strength, it was a hopeless wish to trample flat the Headquarters of a Second-Class great force alone. It wouldn’t work even with Yue He and Bai Qi’s cooperation. The Defensive Grand Array of a Second-Class great force could not be regarded in the same category as the Defensive Grand Array of a Third-Class great force. It was impossible unless one could find a chance to slowly kill off the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of these two great forces, one by one. This was a matter that needed further consideration.
Since the Proprietress had no need for the Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, Yang Kai could make his move without scruples.
The price of the Scarlet Yin Sand had been raised to 24 million Open Heaven Pills. It was just that the two Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting over this material had to consider their choices carefully before they made a new bid at this point. After all, the price increased by 500,000 every time they bid, which was not a small sum.
At this juncture, Yang Kai’s voice resounded throughout the audience, “25 million!”
On the auction stage, the old man with the stiff expression who looked like all the people in the world owed him money immediately looked over in this direction. His voice became a little excited, “The guest from Room A3 has bid 25 million Open Heaven Pills. Are there any higher bids?”
*Shua shua shua…*
Many people in the hall also turned to look at First Inn’s private room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who placed a bid at the last moment. Unfortunately, they were obstructed by the Array and could not look into the private room.
The old man from Red Clouds Auction House gave two more consecutive calls. Then, one of the people who made a bid previously quickly shouted out, “25.5 million!”
Without waiting for the other person to finish speaking, Yang Kai immediately followed up, “26 million!”
His tone was brisk but not stressed, revealing his confidence in his wealth and his determination to win. Sure enough, nobody else made a bid after that. The old man banged the gavel three times to sound the final offer and Yang Kai won the bid for the Scarlet Yin Sand.
The first auction item had gotten things off to a good start. It was sold for an astoundingly high price that was nearly 20% higher than market value. Thus, the lively atmosphere in the auction hall instantly became burning with anticipation.
The second auction item was only a Fourth-Order material, but it still sold for a price that exceeded market value by 10%.
Fourth-Order materials were easy to find and could be found in any Star City; however, it had to be said that each material had its own characteristics. A cultivator might be able to realise various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques by refining these materials. For that reason, the price and level of competition for materials might differ slightly even though the materials were of the same Element or in the same Order.
Take the Scarlet Yin Sand for example. If a cultivator beneath the Open Heaven Realm refined and absorbed this material, they might be able to realise a Divine Ability like the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm. Another example would be the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone could allow cultivators to comprehend the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light Divine Ability.
Take the various Water Element treasures as another type of example. Despite being classified as Water Element treasures, one might be the crystallization of the drizzling rain that snuck in with the spring wind during the night to moisten the Earth in silence, another might be a drop of water so heavy that it weighed ten thousand kilograms. There might even be a liquid poison that corrodes everything it touches.
If a certain material in the same Order and the same Element could allow a cultivator to realise a more powerful and effective Divine Ability, then its price would naturally be higher than average. That was why cultivators would usually put great thought into choosing the materials they condensed for their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, unless they had no choice. Given a choice, they would combine the unique characteristics of their physique and consider the various differences of each Divine Ability to select the most appropriate option.
Yang Kai had never encountered this problem before. That was because he never had a choice. High-Rank materials were already extremely hard to find and it was already a great fortune just to come across any one of them. How could he afford to be picky about his choices under those circumstances? But then again, the four powers that he had condensed so far were all extremely impressive existences even among High-Rank materials; therefore, there was nothing for him to regret.
All the auction items chosen by Red Clouds Auction House today were the rarest and most precious materials in their respective Orders. They could allow a cultivator to realise various extraordinary Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, so they naturally attracted many people to compete for them.
A lot of items were presented and none of them went unsold. Moreover, every auction item was sold for a high price. Yang Kai himself placed many bids and bought a considerable number of Fourth-Order materials of the Yin and Yang Elements, filling the gaps in his shopping spree from before.
As for the Fifth-Order materials, he still showed no intention of buying them at all. There would be a steady stream of Fifth-Order materials with the gourd vine living in Void Land, so there was no need to purchase them from external sources. Moreover, the gourd vine in itself was a whole entity that could produce all seven types of Powers. Yang Kai was curious to see if a cultivator would experience any special changes if they completely refined all their Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers from the gourd vine.
Cultivation materials of various Orders were not the only things sold at the auction. There were also many pills, herbs, Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, and artifacts. Seeing these items really opened Yang Kai’s eyes to the world.
Four hours later, the auction was halfway through. Another maidservant walked onto the auction stage with a tray in hand. The old man from Red Clouds Auction House lifted the red cloth and everybody looked in that direction only to see a jade bottle. There was a jade slip placed next to the jade bottle; thus, everybody immediately understood that this auction item was most likely some sort of Spirit Pill. It was just that nobody understood the reason for the jade slip.
Just as everybody was whispering among themselves, the old man picked up the jade bottle and gave an explanation, “Ladies and gentlemen, the next auction item is this bottle of Spirit Pills in this Old Master’s hand. I will be honest with you, there is only one Spirit Pill in this bottle. This item is useless to those in the Open Heaven Realm and above; however, it will be of great benefit to those beneath the Open Heaven Realm, especially for those who are about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
After hearing those words, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms instantly lost interest in the item. On the other hand, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately paid closer attention. The cultivators in the hall were generally weaker and most of them were below the Open Heaven Realm. Since this Spirit Pill was useful for those below the Open Heaven Realm, it stood to reason that this item would catch their interest.
“A Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, which also comes with the pill recipe for this Spirit Pill. The starting price is 2 million Open Heaven Pills! Honoured Guests, please place your bids!”
Unlike the previous chorus of voices calling out their respective bids, the entire auction hall fell silent after the old man finished speaking. Thousands of cultivators in the hall stared at the stage blankly, seemingly having trouble believing their ears. Just moments ago, the old man had announced that the Spirit Pill was only useful for those beneath the Open Heaven Realm after all. That was why they mistakenly believed that the price would not be too high. Who could have known that the reserve price would be 2 million Open Heaven Pills!
For a moment, they thought that they had heard wrongly. On second thought, how could the person presiding over this grand auction make such a mistake? But, if it was not a mistake, then which person below the Open Heaven Realm could afford the price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills? More importantly, just what was this so-called Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill?
Just as everybody in the hall was mired in confusion, a somewhat uncertain voice came from one of the private rooms in B Block, “Is this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill some kind of Spirit Pill that can increase the success rate of a cultivator advancing into the Open Heaven Realm?”
The old man on the stage nodded, “Indeed!”
After a brief silence, an uproar broke out in the hall. Countless cultivators stared at the jade bottle with a burning look in their eyes, almost as though the jade bottle contained some sort of substance that drew their eyes to the bottle like a magnet.
Not everybody could succeed when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Despite going through all sorts of hardships in addition to spending a great deal of time, energy, and resources to condense their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, there was still a huge risk when trying to actually break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
If one could not withstand the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements or the impact of Heaven and Earth splitting apart in one’s body, then it would undoubtedly end with one’s Soul being extinguished. There was no other possibility. That was why cultivators, no matter who they might be, would only choose to do what they could within the limits of the strength that they could withstand. If a person’s limit was the Third Order, their life might not be endangered if they were to forcibly condense Fourth-Order Elements; however, they would surely face a disaster when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm.
Many Bearers who left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary would eventually face this problem. They had been forced by the Divine Spirits to condense Powers that exceeded their limits, so their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm would become a life-or-death catastrophe.
Take Ding Yi for example. His inherent aptitude was not bad, but it was not enough for him to withstand a Seventh-Order Power. Unfortunately, he was forced by Bi Fang to condense a Seventh-Order Fire Element. It placed a huge burden on his body every time he exerted this Power, so the dangers surrounding his advancement would be even greater.
Be that as it may, even a cultivator who had chosen to work within their limits faced the risk of failing during their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm. Splitting Heaven and Earth in one’s own body required one to harmonize Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements to mutually enhance and suppress each other. Furthermore, the process of forming a Small Universe in itself was an extremely difficult task. This aspect had nothing to do with the Order of the Open Heaven Realm that one was trying to achieve.
Many people could die on the spot even if they were only advancing into the First-Order or Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Of course, it was less likely for a person to fail when trying to advance into a lower Order of the Open Heaven Realm under the same conditions. That was an indisputable fact.
There was no method or auxiliary aid to improve this situation in the entire 3,000 Worlds, much less a Spirit Pill that could help to improve the success rate of a cultivator in advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. There might have been such knowledge in the past, but as time went on, this knowledge was lost or eliminated for various reasons. It was no wonder that the audience was in an uproar when this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill appeared at auction in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. That was something that had been lost with the ages after all.
On the stage, the old man said, “Although I cannot say that this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill is able to guarantee absolute success in one’s advancement, it can increase the success rate by 50%.”
There was another commotion in the hall. Increasing the success rate by 50% was a terrifying figure. It could almost be said that as long as a cultivator was fully prepared, success in the advancement into the Open Heaven Realm was guaranteed.
Many tyrannical Divine Senses extended outward from the various private rooms, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
If this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was a genuine product, then the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills was definitely not expensive. If one were to consider that this deal also came with the pill recipe, it could even be said to be an extremely cheap transaction! After all, who did not have several Juniors or Disciples with excellent aptitude? Used in the right place, this Spirit Pill could create a very powerful Master! How could the worth of such a Master be measured by a mere 2 million Open Heaven Pills? Even a price of 20 million would be worth it!
It was just that… What could their spying tell them? It didn’t take long for these Divine Senses to be retracted in disappointment.
The person who spoke just now asked, “This King would like to go onstage to inspect the item. Can you accommodate my request?”
Red Clouds Auction House seemed to have anticipated this situation, so the man’s request had only just rung out when the old man on the stage nodded in response, “Of course.”
The door to a B Block private room opened and a middle-aged man with a brave and heroic figure walked out. He came to the stage in a few steps and cupped his fist to the old man before he carefully picked up the jade bottle. Opening the bottle cap, he studied the contents carefully and took a sniff of its fragrance. His eyebrows would wrinkle slightly before relaxing again from time to time. Having only heard of the existence of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he himself had never seen it before; therefore, he could not determine whether this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the real deal either.
A short while later, he put the jade bottle down and picked the jade slip up. Closing his eyes, he perceived the contents of the jade slip for a moment. Then, he slowly shook his head. He placed the jade slip down and turned around to return to the private room.
Although the jade slip contained the pill recipe for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, there were many seals placed on the jade slip. There was no way to catch a glimpse of the full pill recipe without breaking these seals. That person’s examination would only allow him to observe what Red Clouds Auction House allowed, such as the main ingredients needed to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
The old man on the stage said, “Are there any others who would like to come and inspect the items? You are free to come and have a look for yourself.”
There were indeed many people who wanted to check the items, and so for the next quarter hour, many Open Heaven Realm Masters filed out of the private rooms and approached the stage to investigate the Spirit Pill and its recipe. Even the Proprietress could not contain her curiosity and went to take a look.
When she returned, Bai Qi asked, “Proprietress, is that a genuine product?”
To which she replied, “Red Clouds Auction House is directly owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. With their reputation at stake, they will not make fraudulent claims regarding auction items. The item itself should be real, but…”
“But what?”
“But, even if that item is genuine, don’t think that you can refine another Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill with that pill recipe. One of the main ingredients has long since gone extinct. Do you think they would have offered up the pill recipe if there was a way to refine the Spirit Pill themselves?”
The realisation struck Bai Qi, “The pill recipe is useless, but they offered the pill recipe together with the Spirit Pill. That will give people the illusion of having received a great bargain, so the price will naturally go up.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “What is the main ingredient that has gone extinct?”
Before the Proprietress could answer, he heard somebody inside one of the private rooms exclaim loudly, “World Source Liquid is a treasure that can only be formed when new Worlds are born! Where will we find something like that!? This pill recipe is useless! Useless!”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words, “World Source Liquid?”
The Proprietress nodded, “That’s right. The main ingredient that has long gone extinct is World Source Liquid. Unless you can find a newly formed world… Why do you have such unnatural expressions?”
She looked up only to see Yang Kai and Old Bai staring at each other with extremely strange looks.
Old Bai blinked and pointed at Yang Kai, “He has World Source Liquid.”
Bai Qi was disturbed by Qin Ji, Ling Chun Qiu, and Yue He during his advancement into the Open Heaven Realm back in the Sealing Yang Domain and nearly lost his life as a result. In the end, Yang Kai had given him World Source Liquid with the mentality that giving a dead horse medicine couldn’t harm it. That was what pulled him back from the brink of failure. He would not be alive today if not for Yang Kai.
Consuming World Source Liquid was a wonderful experience. It felt as though his entire being had been transported back to the time when the World was first created, allowing him to witness the beginning of Heaven and Earth splitting apart. Even now, he could still recall the experience vividly.
Both the Proprietress and Yue He turned to stare at Yang Kai with their beautiful eyes, unable to hide their surprise.
“You really have World Source Liquid?”
Yang Kai nodded woodenly.
“Where did you find World Source Liquid!?” The Proprietress was extremely shocked.
He explained, “The Universe World I came from had a Sealed World that still retained the primordial atmosphere from when the world was just formed. I entered that place once before and obtained the World Source Liquid by chance.”
While Yang Kai was speaking, another person in the auction hall spoke up, “May I ask where you obtained this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe?”
The old man on the stage replied, “To tell you the truth, this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe were both obtained from a Universe Cave Heaven. The Universe Cave Heaven was quite ancient, dating back at least a few hundreds of thousands of years. As for the specific details regarding the great Senior who left behind this Universe Cave Heaven, please forgive this Old Master for having no comment.”
“En, understandable!” That person responded and stopped asking questions.
Inside the private room, Yang Kai frowned slightly and asked, “What is a Universe Cave Heaven? Is it a Universe World?”
The Proprietress shook her head slowly, “No. A Universe World is a Universe World. Likewise, a Universe Cave Heaven is a Universe Cave Heaven. There are also Universe Paradises. A Universe Cave Heaven is the legacy left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after their death. On the other hand, the legacy left behind by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is known as a Universe Paradise.”
Yang Kai was only more confused by her explanation and asked in puzzlement, “What do you mean?”
So she tried to explain, “How should I put it? You know that Open Heaven Realm Masters have to split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to form a Small Universe, right? Possessing a Small Universe is what defines the Open Heaven Realm. For an Open Heaven Realm Master to strengthen themselves, they need to increase the heritage of their Small Universe. The greater their heritage, the greater their strength. Nevertheless, there is still a difference between a Universe World and a Small Universe, regardless of how powerful that Small Universe is.”
Yang Kai still did not quite understand her explanation.
Still, she continued, “But, if a cultivator advances into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and reaches the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, their Small Universe will transform into an actual Universe World, which is almost indistinguishable from a real Universe World.”
His entire body shuddered at those words, “Almost indistinguishable?”
“The Small Universe of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters can even accommodate living creatures or allow countless people to settle down peacefully in it. It can be said that they themselves are walking Universe Worlds. In fact, most High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters will bring living creatures, sometimes even Humans, into their Small Universes once they reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If these living creatures and Humans live and flourish within their Small Universe, then the Small Universe will be filled with life and will experience further development. Since doing so strengthens the Small Universe, it correspondingly strengthens the cultivator as well.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as it was his first time hearing such information. But then again, he had not been in the Outer Universe for long and had next to no interactions with High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so it was only natural that he was unfamiliar with such things. If he had not participated in the auction today, he might not have had access to such information for a very long time.
“As for what is the difference between a Small Universe and an actual Universe World,” the Proprietress continued her explanation, “When a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is about to die, he can choose to seal off his Small Universe. In that case, his Small Universe will not collapse and disappear with his death. Instead, it will be preserved as a peculiar existence that transforms into a Universe Paradise or a Universe Cave Heaven. These Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens contain all the wealth of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. You will enjoy great benefits if you ever manage to enter any one of them.”
Yang Kai immediately understood, “In other words, Red Clouds Auction House obtained the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its recipe by entering a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by a dead ancient Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Is that right?”
“That’s probably the case.” She gently nodded, “Throughout the ages, the 3,000 Worlds have given birth to countless High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so even if only a small part of them chose to seal off their Small Universes at their moment of death, there are still countless Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises out there. It is just that not many people know where these Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises are located.”
Bai Qi smiled widely, “Just because something is very rare doesn’t mean that there are none out there though. There are always people with Heaven-defying luck who will receive the opportunity to obtain the legacy of such Seniors. Their cultivation will generally soar as a result.”
During their conversation, the bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had already started in the auction hall. Everybody knew that the main ingredient for refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was long extinct. Even so, the Spirit Pill was a genuine product; thus, the bidding scene was extremely lively.
In less than ten breaths, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had climbed from the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills to 10 million Open Heaven Pills. Moreover, it was still rising at an extremely fast rate.
Leaving aside the powerful effects of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill that might even save the life of an important disciple or Junior and rescue the future hope of a great force at a critical moment in the future, just the pill recipe alone had research value. It might be possible to find substitute ingredients from existing materials. It did not matter even if the authentic Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could not be refined. As long as a similar imitation product could be refined, it would bring in a steady stream of income for any great force.
Among the many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms, which one of them was not a Sect Master or Elder who held real authority in their respective great forces? It was only natural that nobody was willing to give up on something that could benefit their entire Sect. If they succeeded in their attempt, they could even make a huge contribution to their great force. The people who claimed that the pill recipe was useless earlier were either too biased or wanted to mislead the others and reduce their competition.
It was a pity that all the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were all intelligent people. How could they change their minds just because of somebody’s casual remarks?
Many of the cultivators in the hall secretly felt helpless. They originally thought that since the starting price for this Spirit Pill was only 2 million Open Heaven Pills, the final price would not be too high. Who could have thought that so many of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would be so determined to bid for this item from the very beginning?
Therefore, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately gave up hope. This item was not something weaker cultivators like them could even dream about having. Only those backed by a powerful great force had the qualifications to participate in the competition.
After thirty breaths, the price had risen to a whopping 15 million Open Heaven Pills. In another ten breaths, the price became 19 million Open Heaven Pills.
The entire hall was in an uproar. Up until now, the Scarlet Yin Sand that Yang Kai acquired at a price of 26 million was the highest-priced item sold at the auction. Since then, no other auction item has sold for more than 5 million. And now, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in addition to its recipe had quickly broken through 20 million and might even surpass the price of the Scarlet Yin Sand.
It was just that a price like this had more or less reached the upper limits of the price range. There was only one Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill after all. The pill recipe might be valuable, but it was not guaranteed that one could obtain any results from researching it even after purchasing the item. If one could not figure out a replacement for the main ingredient, which was the famed World Source Liquid, then all the previous efforts would be in vain.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters present were not fools. Even with the backing of their respective great forces, 20 million was not a small sum. It was not an amount that could be waved around casually; hence, only three private rooms continued to bid for the auction item after the price exceeded 20 million.
A short while later, another party bowed out of the bidding. Only Room A5 and Room B2 continued to compete against each other fiercely. The moment one party made an offer, the other party would immediately follow suit. It would seem that they were extremely interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
When the price exceeded 25 million, the Open Heaven Realm Master in Room B2 suddenly let out a gloomy sigh and spoke up loudly, “Brother Teng Wang, this auction item is very useful for this Ye. Can you concede to me this once? This Ye will be very grateful and will owe you a favour, which will surely be repaid in the future!”
The moment this person’s voice rang out, the Proprietress looked pensive and soon muttered, “It’s those two?”
Yang Kai became curious, “Proprietress, do you know those two?”
She replied, “If I’m not wrong, then the person in Room B2 is Ye Jian of Thunderclap Hall while the other person Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. No wonder they are willing to go to such lengths to bid for this item.”
Sure enough, the person in Room A5 responded, “Brother Ye Jian, are you saying that this item is useless to me just because it is very useful for you? I am going to win this auction.”
Ye Jian sighed, “Why do you have to do this? Competing between ourselves will only benefit others. Why don’t we do it this way instead, Brother Teng Wang? This Ye only wants the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. If you are willing to back down, this Ye will share the pill recipe with you. What do you think?”
Teng Wang laughed, “What a coincidence. I was just about to suggest the same thing. Brother Ye Jian, if you are willing to back down, then I can also share the pill recipe with you.”
Inside Room B2, Ye Jian fell silent for a moment before he revealed his dissatisfaction, “So, you plan to compete with this Ye to the end, Brother Teng Wang?”
“Brother Ye, feel free to quit early if you don’t think you can win. That way, both sides won’t have to suffer so much.”
“Hmph! You sure are arrogant, Brother Teng Wang. It’s not like this Ye does not know exactly how much Clear Heart Palace can afford to spend here. Since you stubbornly insist, Brother Teng Wang, then let’s compete to the end. We’ll see who has the last laugh!”
The conversation between those two ended there but nobody spoke another word and the auction hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Inside Room A3, Old Bai curiously wondered, “Proprietress, these two guys are only interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Although they are doing this for their Juniors, isn’t the price a little too high?”
The Proprietress explained, “You don’t understand. They have their reasons to compete so desperately. Let’s talk about Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. He received a Legacy Disciple several hundred years ago. That disciple has extremely outstanding aptitude and was expected to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. However, rumour has it that he damaged his Dao Seal during a battle; therefore, he has not dared to advance into the Open Heaven Realm even though hundreds of years had passed since then. He has been holding off on condensing his final Element Power. If Teng Wang could obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, then his disciple could try breaking through. It is very possible that it will lead to the birth of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Clear Heart Palace.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai understood.
“What about Ye Jian of the Thunderclap Hall?” Old Bai asked.
The Proprietress continued her explanation, “Their situations are similar. It is just that, in the case of the Thunderclap Hall, it is one of Ye Jian’s sons who forcefully condensed Sixth-Order Elements despite not having the necessary aptitude. There was nothing to worry about at the beginning, but as the Powers condensed in his Dao Seal began to increase, the dangers subsequently became greater. Without some external aid to stabilize his breakthrough, I’m afraid Ye Jian’s son will never reach the Open Heaven Realm. He will die the moment he tries to advance. However, this dilemma will be solved with the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Compared to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, 20 million Open Heaven Pills is definitely a worthwhile investment. If they can obtain a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then their heritage will increase like a rising tide that lifts all boats. Why would they worry about a trifling 20 or so million Open Heaven Pills?”
She nodded, “That is the case. Why else do you think these two parties are competing so fiercely?”
“I understand now.” Yang Kai nodded again and placed a bid without warning, “25 million!”
The Proprietress just glanced lightly at him, not feeling surprised. Since he had World Source Liquid in his possession, there was no reason for him to ignore this auction. If she were in his shoes, she would also participate in the bidding.
The reason Yang Kai kept quiet earlier was just that he could not be bothered to waste his energy. He currently had several billion Open Heaven Pills in hand so it could be said that he was very wealthy. Only by placing his bid at the last moment to finalise the offer could he display his overwhelming confidence. It also served as a method to screen out other bidders to a certain extent.
Almost everybody in the hall looked towards Room A3 the moment Yang Kai’s bid rang out. Ye Jian and Teng Wang’s last bid was only slightly over 20 million after all. Yang Kai had added almost 4 million Open Heaven Pills to the bid in one go. It truly was as the saying went, ‘It never rains but pours’. It was absolutely shocking the moment he made his move.
Nevertheless, they immediately understood when they realised that it was the private room belonging to the person who bought the Scarlet Yin Sand earlier. Yang Kai was a person who spent 26 million to purchase one portion of Scarlet Yin Sand. It stood to reason that he would not care to spend another 25 million to purchase the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
“26 million!” Teng Wang’s voice came out from Room A5.
Yang Kai was stunned upon hearing that. Teng Wang and Ye Jian had clearly reached a point in their bidding where they could no longer afford to bear the cost. That was why the price increase was not large with each bid they made. If not for that, he would not have increased the price to 25 million in one go. It was to make Teng Wang and Ye Jian back down in the face of difficulties.
[Teng Wang had reached his limits, so why did he suddenly add another million to his bid this time?] Before Yang Kai could understand the situation, Ye Jian’s voice rang out from Room B2, “27 million!”
[Could it be that those two were just acting just now?] Yang Kai was a little confused. Nevertheless, he could not be bothered to think too much about it. Unlike these two who were interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he was only interested in the pill recipe. More so since he had World Source Liquid in his possession. The pill recipe might be useless to others, but it had the potential to play a huge role in his hands.
Naturally, he needed to obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill as well. If he could study the finished Spirit Pill, then he could understand the pill recipe much faster. Otherwise, it would take a lot of time and effort to refine a Spirit Pill just by referring to the pill recipe alone.
Yang Kai immediately followed up after Ye Jian, “30 million!”
The sound of people inhaling sharply could be heard throughout the hall. Even the old man presiding over the auction looked surprised. It would seem that he never expected this item to reach such a high price.
The auction house would assess the value of each item and estimate a price before the bidding even began. Red Clouds Auction House had estimated the value of this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe to be around 20 million or so. But now, it has exceeded their estimation by 50%. Moreover, it seemed that this was not the end yet. This was a huge pleasant surprise for the auction house. Be that as it may, the auction house would surely hope that the price would go as high as it possibly could; after all, who would dislike earning more money than expected?
“31 million!” Teng Wang’s voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth. It was no longer as calm and relaxed as before.
“32 million!” Similarly, Ye Jian’s voice was anxious and annoyed.
Yang Kai couldn’t help scratching his head and murmuring under his breath, “What is up with these two?”
He initially thought that 25 million Open Heaven Pills would be the final price for this item. Who could have expected Teng Wang and Ye Jian to continue even though he went so far as to raise the price to 30 million?
On the other hand, the Proprietress was as intelligent as she was beautiful and solved the mystery with a single sentence, “They are probably cooperating with others.”
“Cooperating?” Yang Kai glanced over suspiciously.
She replied, “Both Teng Wang and Ye Jian mentioned previously that they only wanted the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. That was why they both refused to back down earlier; however, there are so many great forces present here. Not everybody desires the Spirit Pill. On the contrary, more people will be interested in the pill recipe. It is probably that one or more great forces have approached Teng Wang and Ye Jian with a proposal to share the pill recipe if they win the auction. In that case, those great forces will only need to contribute a few million Open Heaven Pills each. If they pooled their contributions together, they would gain the chance to obtain a rare pill recipe. Even if the pill recipe proves useless afterward, the losses for them will not be too large.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. It was the truth that the previous price of over 20 million had reached the limits of what Teng Wang and Ye Jian could bear. Being so cautious when increasing their bid had not been an act. Rather, the reason they could be so bold at this point was that they received financial aid from others.
“If you wish to continue bidding, then you only need to bid once more.” She smiled slightly, “Even if they received funding from others, the amount would not be too large. Slightly over 30 million should be their limit. They won’t follow up again unless they are insane.”
As such, Yang Kai did not hesitate, “35 million!”
Inside Room A5, Teng Wang was furious and roared, “Who is this fellow who is playing jokes with this King!? Announce your name!”
Ye Jian also said, “Friend, you are being excessive.”
The Proprietress sneered and spoke for the first time, “Why are you making so much noise just because this Great Aunt is bidding for something? Go ahead and increase the price if you have the money. If not, then shut up. Don’t embarrass yourselves here!”