Manager Zhou asked with a bitter face, “Can Sect Master Yang change his conditions?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I cannot.”
Manager Zhou couldn’t help but smile bitterly, and after pondering for a long time, he said, “This matter is very important, and this Old Master can’t make the decision. I will need to consult my superiors for instructions, but Sect Master Yang, I think there is a good chance that those in charge will not agree to your demands.”
Yang Kai said in response, “Manager Zhou, just ask, whether they agree or not is up to them.”
“Then… all right.” Now that it had come to this, there was no need for further discussion. Each of them had put forward their own requirements and conditions. The only thing remaining was to see whether the two sides could reach an agreement on the issue. It was not something for Manager Zhou to decide, so he stood up and said, “Alright, this Old Master will leave first and deal with this matter.”
Yang Kai personally sent him out of the reception hall before returning.
Qu Hua Shang, wrapped in a fragrant scent, rushed to Yang Kai’s side and stretched out her hand without hesitation and took his arm. With her large twin peaks pressing up against his arm, she delicately called out, “Junior Brother…”
Yang Kai looked at her with narrowed eyes and said with a headache, “Does Senior Sister have something to say? I promise I will never refuse if it is something I can do!”
Qu Hua Shang smiled and exhaled a breath filled with the scent of an orchid in Yang Kai’s ear, “I knew Junior Brother was the best. About those Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills…”
Yang Kai pulled his arms out of Qu Hua Shang’s grasp, and said with a smile while he faced her directly, “Before Senior Sister speaks, could she please confirm whether she came to Void Land this time for herself or for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven?”
Qu Hua Shang’s long lashes fluttered when she blinked, “Is there a difference?”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Senior Sister, do you have to ask me that?”
“Junior Brother, you’re so ruthless.” Qu Hua Shang’s face was filled with resentment, like she was a weak woman abandoned by Yang Kai after a thoughtless night of fun, which would make one feel sorry for her, “Why ask such a cruel question, Junior Brother? Did you forget how tightly we held one another in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven just to stay warm?”
Yang Kai said sternly, “It is precisely because I remember that I have to ask clearly.”
Qu Hua Shang gave him a charming look. This woman had originally already been a seductress, but now that she had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm, she had become more and more enchanting…
Yang Kai sat down and drank his tea without looking at her.
Qu Hua Shang, annoyed, came to sit down beside him angrily, after which she puffed up her cheeks and said, “Since Junior Brother wants to distinguish between public and private affairs, let’s talk about proper business first!”
Yang Kai gestured in agreement.
Qu Hua Shang continued, “My Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would like to buy some Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills from Junior Brother!”
“No!” Yang Kai replied immediately.
Qu Hua Shang glared at him fiercely, slapped the table and said, “Just now you and Old Zhou said that you would sell 3 to Asura Cave Heaven!”
Yang Kai said slowly, “Naturally, that was the last available stock.”
Qu Hua Shang’s chest heaved as she grit her teeth and said, “You will not suffer a loss in terms of price, Junior Brother. I can make the decision on that.”
Yang Kai thought for a while, then smiled, “If Yin-Yang Cave Heaven can sell me a High-Rank Yin Element treasure…”
“Junior Brother, you should give up on that, those old farts agreeing to this condition is absolutely impossible.” Qu Hua Shang said speechlessly, “No matter how high a price you offer it won’t happen!”
Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, “Is Senior Sister certain?”
Qu Hua Shang gently nodded, “I don’t dare to say anything else, but what Old Zhou said was right. The attitudes maintained by the Cave-Heavens and Paradises are firm and united, no one will sell you a High-Rank Yin Element treasure.”
Yang Kai frowned.
Seeing that he was in a low mood, Qu Hua Shang also slightly regretted that she had spoken too much, and swiftly changed the subject, “Junior Brother, what if it is I, your Senior Sister, who wants Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills?”
Yang Kai casually asked, “How many does Senior Sister need?”
Qu Hua Shang looked at him in disbelief, “Do you have that many of them?”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “I don’t have a lot, but it should meet Senior Sister Qu’s needs.”
Qu Hua Shang fidgeted for a while before muttering awkwardly, “Five… No, three is enough.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yang Kai put a jade bottle in front of her. Qu Hua Shang picked it up and opened it, only to see that there were five Spirit Pills inside. Although she had never seen this Spirit Pill before, she was certain that they were Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills.
With some slight shock, Qu Hua Shang called out, “Junior Brother, you…” She was now an Open Heaven Realm Master, so she had no need for these Spirit Pills. It was not possible that Yang Kai was unaware of this, but he still took out five of them the instant she asked.
Yang Kai followed up, “In the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, if it were not for Senior Sister’s unwavering support, I am afraid that the consequences would have been disastrous. No cost can be put on a life-saving grace, so a few trivial Spirit Pills is nothing. Senior Sister asked for them, so how can I, as your Junior Brother, refuse?”
Qu Hua Shang was deeply moved, and as squeezed the jade bottle in her hand tightly, she whispered, “Junior Brother, thank you!”
Putting away the jade bottle, Qu Hua Shang added, “There is one more thing that I need the help of Junior Brother for!”
“Senior Sister, please speak.”
“When I came this time, I was also ordered by my Master to come to your Void Star City to set up a Dao Temple, but I came a little late, and the better locations were taken away by others, so…”
Yang Kai nodded knowingly, but was also a little puzzled, “Why does Yin-Yang Cave Heaven want to set up a Dao Temple? Could it be to open the door to accept disciples? But there’s no need to do that in this Star City.”
Qu Hua Shang smiled, “You should have some understanding of the situation in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Disciples, whether male or female, need to find a partner when the time is right, but how difficult is it to find a partner who is suitable for them and can accompany them for a lifetime? Even if they do find someone appealing, they may not be willing to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
She glanced at Yang Kai accusingly as she spoke.
Yang Kai looked down his nose, ignoring her stare.
“That’s why some of the outstanding disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven need to go out for life experience and to mingle with fellow cultivators in various Dao Temples, so as to find a good match.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was trying to use this as a way to recruit people under them and enhance their own strength, “A simple matter. I’ll have Second Manager accompany you and let you choose whichever location you need for your Dao Temple.”
“Then this Senior Sister will thank Junior Brother in advance.” Qu Hua Shang thanked him, and after a pause, pursed her lips and smiled, “Now that proper business is over, let’s talk about private affairs.”
Yang Kai looked at her suspiciously, “What else does Senior Sister want to talk about?”
Qu Hua Shang blushed slightly and replied shyly, “Could it be that Junior Brother forgot what I told you in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? Those words are still valid now, so if you could agree…”
She now seemed like a naïve young lady, one who would grasp everyone’s attention.
Yang Kai wanted to ask what was going on, but when he saw her eyes, he understood everything. In the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Qu Hua Shang wanted to recruit Yang Kai on behalf of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, bluntly saying that she hoped that he could enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, the premise being only after she broke through to the Open Heaven Realm.
However, at that time, Qu Hua Shang was still just an Emperor Realm cultivation, and had not yet reached the Open Heaven Realm, so she needed to fall in love with Yang Kai and cut off her emotions to reach a Grand Accomplishment in the Heartless Grand Dao.
But now that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, what was the point of mentioning this?
Qu Hua Shang added, “If Junior Brother becomes my partner, there is no need for you to join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, since you are now the lord of Void Land, we only need to maintain it in name. If you want to stay in Void Land, you can stay here, or if you want to come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, you can do that too.”
Yang Kai looked at her and said, “Is this what you want, Senior Sister, or is this what Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wants?”
Qu Hua Shang lowered her head, twisted her hands around the corners of her clothes, and said softly, “It doesn’t matter whose wish it is, what matters is what Junior Brother thinks.”
Seeing her act this way, Yang Kai was touched to know that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had not requested this. Rather, it was completely pursued by Qu Hua Shang herself. She wanted to use Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to shield him, even at the expense of her own reputation.
He hurriedly got up and bowed, “Senior Sister’s good intentions, this Junior Brother has received them, but… I am only one step away. If I can’t take this step, my Dao Heart will forever be obscured, and even if I achieve the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, I am afraid that it will become difficult to continue in the future.”
Hearing this, Qu Hua Shang sighed. Although she had expected it, she was still a little disappointed to hear Yang Kai say this. She raised her head and said with a smile, “Senior Sister admires Junior Brother’s firm will in the pursuit of the Martial Dao. I will be stationed in this Star City in the future, so maybe I will come visit you in your Void Land from time to time. I hope it won’t be too troublesome when the time comes.”
Yang Kai laughed, “I’d like nothing more, how could it be troublesome?”
Qu Hua Shang stood up, “Then I’ll say take my leave first. I’ll return when matters related to the Dao Temple have been settled.”
Yang Kai got up to send her off, and at the same time summoned Bian Yu Qing to accompany her to the Governor’s Residence to help her choose the location for the Dao Temple.
Once the arrangements were made, Yang Kai entered retreat once more.
However, before he could start cultivating, he noticed that the isolation barrier had been touched and frowned. He opened the barrier, and Bian Yu Qing walked in from the outside, “Sect Master!”
“Has Qu Hua Shang’s business arrangements been completed?” Yang Kai asked.
Bian Yu Qing said, “Yes, the arrangements have been made.” As she spoke, she took out a wooden box and handed it to Yang Kai.
“What is this?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.
Bian Yu Qing looked at him with a puzzled face, “Isn’t this something that Sect Master left behind? Some disciples saw it while cleaning the reception hall, and thought it was something that the Sect Master had accidentally dropped, so they handed it over to this Mistress.”
Yang Kai laughed, “How could I have left something behind, it should be Senior Sister Qu’s. Go and return the box to her.”
Bian Yu Qing replied, “Sect Master, if this was really Lady Qu’s, then it can’t be sent back, since this should be her gift to you. She is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, how could she have taken out and then forgotten a box for no reason?”
When Yang Kai heard this, he pondered over it. After Qu Hua Shang entered the reception hall, he hadn’t seen her take out this box. Only after she left did a disciple discover it, which made it apparent that Qu Hua Shang had left it behind on purpose.
Her cultivation was now much higher than Yang Kai’s, so if she wanted to do something covertly, he would not be able to discover it. If it wasn’t for the disciples who saw it while cleaning the reception hall, it would not have been found.
“The contents of this box should be very valuable!” Bian Yu Qing casually stated.
“Why do you say so?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“She must have secretly left it behind because it is precious and she knew Sect Master would not accept it if she passed it to you directly.” Bian Yu Qing made a slight bow, “If there is nothing else, this subordinate will retire first.”
After Bian Yu Qing left, Yang Kai held the jade box in his hand, slightly dazed. He didn’t know what Qu Hua Shang left for him before she left, but he vaguely felt that what his Second Manager said was not unreasonable.
The box was blocked by a seal, but the method to unlock it was not too troublesome. Yang Kai used a Secret Technique and opened the box, but after seeing what was inside, he was slightly startled.
The contents of the box were indeed, as Bian Yu Qing said, extremely valuable, and not just ordinarily valuable either.
It contained a Seventh-Order Yang Element Monster Core!
This was clearly the one Qu Hua Shang obtained in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. At that time, she and Yang Kai comprehended the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture, and crossed the blood lake to reach the central palace. On the third island, Qu Hua Shang obtained a Seventh-Order Yang Element Monster Core, while Yang Kai only got a Fifth-Order Core, which made him envious.
Seventh-Order materials in general were worth at least 150 million Open Heaven Pills, while materials of the Yin or Yang Element would be even higher than that. Yang Kai originally bid for a Seventh-Order Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng at an exchange meeting, and it had cost him a great fortune. If such a Seventh-Order Yang Element Monster Core was put up for auction, it would definitely cause a huge scramble, and it could easily be sold for 200 million Open Heaven Pills.
But now, such an item worth at least 200 million, was deliberately left here by Qu Hua Shang for Yang Kai.
It was only now that Yang Kai understood why Qu Hua Shang accepted the five Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills he had given her without hesitation, and never asked how much they were worth. It turned out that she had already planned on compensating him with this.
Five Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills were worth a lot, but they were nothing compared to a Seventh-Order Yang Element Monster Core.
She also knew that he wouldn’t accept it, so she left it behind secretly.
Being a disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she could not help Yang Kai buy what he needed from her own Sect, and could only help him within her own abilities. Since this thing did not belong to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and was instead something she owned personally, she had the right to do whatever she pleased with it.
Yang Kai was extremely grateful and solemnly put away the Seventh-Order Monster Core.
A few days later, the Void Auction House’s third auction began.
The Void Auction House was filled to the brim today. The auction house, which was built by Yun Xing Hua himself, had an atmosphere of magnificence. It was constructed according to Yang Kai’s requirements, and could accommodate 10,000 people with ease in the main floor, and had many private rooms for VIP guests.
Compared to the previous two auctions, this one was undoubtedly of a higher standard.
Because the Star City now had a resounding reputation and a much higher population, many people that had great treasures and had no way to sell them entrusted them to the auction house to auction on their behalf. The Void Auction House was naturally happy to do so, so the auction conducted this time was much livelier and fiery than the previous two.
The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, which was the finale item, broke through the 10 million mark easily and was eventually won by a Master in one of the private rooms.
In Room A1, Yang Kai was sitting in a chair with Bian Yu Qing accompanying him by his side.
Seemingly sensing Yang Kai’s anticipation, Bian Yu Qing said, “Sect Master, it’s time.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, rubbing his fingers unconsciously.
In the past two auctions, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill marked the end, but this time was different.
On the auction stage, Yun Xing Hua said loudly, “Honoured Guests, today we have a special item we would like to present, and I believe many will certainly be interested in it!”
In the auction house, the people who were about to leave stopped and looked towards Yun Xing Hua curiously. The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had already been auctioned off, so what else did Void Land have to offer? Was it more precious than the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill?
In front of everyone’s eyes, Yun Xing Hua took out a wooden box, used a Secret Technique to open its seal, and declared loudly, “A Seventh-Order Yang Element Monster Core from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
The audience immediately flew into an uproar. Although the auction held by Void Auction House was quite good this time and many high-class items had appeared, no one had imagined that such a valuable item would appear. Even top auction houses like Red Clouds Auction House, which belonged to Red Clouds Cave Heaven, would often have Seventh-Order items for sale.
From the private rooms, powerful Divine Senses undisguisedly swarmed towards the wooden box to check whether it really was really true.
Although Yun Xing Hua was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Master, cold sweat oozed from his forehead due to the pressure that was like a mountain engulfing him at that moment. He felt like he was a little sheep that was being targeted by a bunch of hungry wolves.
Suppressing the trepidation in his heart, Yun Xing Hua took a deep breath and continued, “This item is not for auction, and only an exchange will be accepted. My Void Auction House would like to exchange this for a Seventh-Order Yin Element treasure. If anyone has something suitable, please contact me, and rest assured, my Void Auction House will definitely give enough compensation!”
Yun Xing Hua looked around and waited for a long time, but no one made a sound.
In Room A1, Yang Kai also monitored the situation, but he did not feel too disappointed to see no response since he had expected this.
This time was just a publicity stunt. Yang Kai believed that due to this announcement, the news that Void Auction House was trying to exchange a Seventh-Order Yang Element treasure for a Seventh-Order Yin Element treasure would soon spread, and anyone who met the conditions would take the initiative to approach them. Of course, this was provided that this person was not from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Yang Kai was confident that in this way, the matter regarding his need for a High-Rank Yin Element treasure would be known to the entire 3,000 Worlds!
Yang Kai wanted to act secretively, but he had already revealed the fact that he had condensed multiple High-Order Elements. Anyone who was interested in him could deduce what Elements he currently lacked. There was no harm in letting others know that he needed a Yin Element treasure now.
This was probably not something that he would get in a short period of time. He might have to wait for a long time, maybe three to five years, several dozen years, or even hundreds of years…
But Yang Kai could wait. Compared to the pursuit of the Martial Dao, a small wait was but a trivial matter.
Moreover, he was still young, and he had only recently entered the vast Outer Universe. In a trivial twenty or thirty years, he had already accomplished what ordinarily took others hundreds if not thousands of years to complete. He had enough qualifications to wait it out.
While waiting, he could also accumulate and fortify his foundation, paving a smoother road to his future, thus saving himself time and effort when he eventually did break through!
Void Auction House held an auction every three months, and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the final item every single time. Even though one was sold every three months, the price of this item only got higher with time; after all, there were too many cultivators that needed this kind of Spirit Pill.
Which Cave Heaven or Paradise did not have a few Core Disciples? When these disciples advance to the Open Heaven realm, even if they were well prepared, and even if they had great confidence in themselves, accidents could always occur.
Throughout the ages, how many geniuses had fallen due to tiny mistakes, vanishing from the annals of history?
If those Cave Heavens and Paradises wanted their disciples to advance to the Open Heaven Realm successfully, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the best guarantee! Across the 3,000 Worlds, the only place a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could be acquired was Void Auction House.
Void Star City’s popularity was booming, and it had only taken a trivial year to become crowded. The Void Dock now had to limit the flow of people entering the city, because every moment, there were more flight-type artifacts queuing up outside, waiting to be let in. Only when people inside left were people outside allowed to enter.
Bian Yu Qing was planning on expanding the size of Star City, because under the current situation, it was already somewhat unable to meet its high popularity.
But she was overruled by Yang Kai after she made this proposal.
Void Land had sprung up suddenly and had been growing too fast, leading to a lack of experience in various matters. So right now, they had to focus on gaining stability, not endless expansion.
Therefore, even though he knew that expanding the Star City could bring even greater profits, Yang Kai did not agree to it.
Since there were two Divine Spirits in Void Land, Yang Kai felt that as long as he didn’t go out and cause trouble, the Cave Heavens and Paradises wouldn’t do anything to him. It would not be too late to make plans after he got his High-Rank Yin Element treasure and advanced to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
One day, when Yang Kai was in the middle of retreat, he felt the barrier being touched, so he opened his eyes.
Without an appropriate Yin Element material, he could not advance to the Open Heaven Realm. He had entered retreat this time only to further his understanding of the Elements he had already condensed, hoping he might uncover some kind of new Divine Ability from them. As such, it wasn’t a big problem that he was disturbed.
Opening the barrier, Bian Yu Qing walked in from outside.
Yang Kai asked, “Does Senior Sister Qu need something again?”
In the past six months, Qu Hua Shang had opened a Dao Temple in the Star City. She had just advanced to the Open Heaven Realm, so she had spent most of her time there for two reasons. One was to maintain the stability of the Dao Temple itself, and the other was to consolidate her new cultivation.
Yang Kai had also been to the Dao Temple once and participated in discussions about the Grand Dao, but he used Seven Faces to change his appearance and aura to do so. He found that the so-called Grand Dao discourse was actually just a group of young attractive people gathering together to market themselves, which wasn’t of any interest to him.
But Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had a need for this kind of place, since it was full of beautiful women and handsome men looking to find partners.
From time to time, Qu Hua Shang would come to Void Land to look for Yang Kai. It was never for any serious reason and instead just to casually chat with him.
Yang Kai knew that she wanted him to join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but she never broached the topic directly.
Naturally, since Bian Yu Qing had come to alert him of a guest, he immediately thought it was that seductress again.
But Bian Yu Qing shook her head and reported, “It is not Lady Qu who is looking for you, but a young man named Fang Yue. He says he is an old acquaintance of Sect Master’s.”
“Fang Yue?” Yang Kai frowned slightly, vaguely feeling that this name was familiar, as if he had heard of it somewhere, but it did not immediately ring a bell.
After thinking carefully, Yang Kai finally remembered that among the people he knew, there was only one guy named Fang Yue, whom he met in the Primordial Land of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. But there was not much of a friendship between them as Yang Kai simply brought him out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary at the end of the Spirit Seizing War.
However, there were quite a lot of people who were brought out by Yang Kai at that time, all of whom were chosen by the various Divine Spirits as Bearers but had the misfortune of losing the battle to Yang Kai. Yang Kai still had a lot of Faith Tokens left behind by these disciples of various great forces. These young people had left these tokens with Yang Kai in the hopes that, if he had time in the future, he would visit their Sects so they could show their appreciation for the life-saving grace he had shown them.
Yang Kai did save their lives, after all. If he did not use the Sealed World Bead to bring them out, many of them might have been killed by the enraged Divine Spirits backing them.
However, now that he was seen by some Cave Heavens and Paradises as a threat to peace and order, they may have to rethink their proposal, since befriending Yang Kai could bring disaster to their Sects.
So even though Yang Kai had now become Void Land’s Sect Master, and the battle that ended with the destruction of the Hundred Sects Alliance had made Void Land famous, no one had come to visit.
Fang Yue was not like them and obviously did not share their worries, since he was a loner, not associated with any great force.
If Yang Kai remembered correctly, the Divine Spirit that stood behind this guy at that time was the Solid Earth Black Tortoise, and then in the Primordial Land, he acquired a Divine Medicine, the Thousand Leaves Stone Lotus. Both of these combined basically made his defences impregnable.
There were a number of Divine Medicines in the Primordial Land. Yang Kai got Pu Bai Xiong and the Little Mushroom, Fang Yue got the Thousand Leaves Stone Lotus, and a guy named Xiang Ying got the Purple Bamboo. The Divine Medicine Ah Ku was obtained by an unknown cultivator, and a man surnamed Gou obtained the Gourd Vine initially, but he was killed by Yang Kai, which led to the Gourd Vine falling into Yang Kai’s hands.
Thus, Yang Kai obtained three of the six known Divine Medicines.
Divine Medicines each had tremendous effects. Taking Pu Bai Xiong as an example, each of the berries on his head had unimaginable healing efficacies, and even a man half a step through the gates of death could be brought back to full health by eating one. In the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, when Yang Kai was being chased by Yin Xin Zhao, if he had a berry from Pu Bai Xiong on hand, he would not have fallen into such a miserable state.
So, when Yang Kai came back after that, ignoring Pu Bai Xiong’s strong protests, he took a berry to keep for emergencies, earning him Pu Bai Xiong’s ire for several days.
Little Mushroom evolved from a Profound Multi-Coloured Illusionary Mushroom, which had unparalleled natural hallucinogenic powers. Yang Kai placed her in the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array as the Array Core of the Illusion Array, strengthening both even further.
The Thousand Leaves Stone Lotus had supreme defensive power, the Purple Bamboo that Xiang Ying had could suppress all types of Principles, while the Gourd Vine could exert power equal to the strength displayed by a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The only thing Yang Kai didn’t understand was what Divine Medicine Ah Ku was, and since his Master had never used it to do anything, there was no way to guess.
Yang Kai had never thought of exploiting the life-saving grace he had shown to those people, so when he first heard of Fang Yue’s visit, he didn’t have much of a reaction at all.
But after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly understood why this guy had come at this time.
If things were really as he guessed, perhaps… Void Land could gain a powerful Master in the near future!
“If Sect Master doesn’t want to see him, this subordinate will turn him down,” Seeing Yang Kai hesitate, Bian Yu Qing thought that Fang Yue was taking the opportunity to climb the ladder, and felt a little unhappy. Now that Void Land had become famous, such an occurrence would not be unusual.
Yang Kai, however, just smiled and said, “Show him in.”
At his response, Bian Yu Qing took out a communication bead and sent a message outside.
After waiting for an incense stick’s worth of time, a Void Land disciple led a young man with thick brows and big eyes into the reception hall. It was Fang Yue.
When he saw Yang Kai, Fang Yue’s eyes lit up with a look of relief. He took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Yang!”
“Brother Fang!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Fang Yue looked at him incredulously and said, “When we left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, I did not expect that in less than ten years, Senior Brother Yang would have made such a grand accomplishment. When I heard the name of the Void Land’s Sect Master, this Fang couldn’t believe it at first. I thought perhaps it was another man with the same name, but I never thought it would really be Senior Brother Yang.”
“Opportunities and coincidences.” Yang Kai smiled and gestured, “Brother Fang, let’s sit down and talk.”
Fang Yue did not stand on ceremony and sat down readily as the maidservant served tea.
Yang Kai looked at him and asked, “Does Brother Fang have some advice for me today?”
Fang Yue laughed and said, “Senior Brother Yang is now the Master of a great force with numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters for subordinates, not to mention, even a great force like Heavenly Sword Union has been defeated by your Void Land. I am but a trivial person with no roots, how can I give you any guidance? I came here today just to thank Senior Brother for saving my life that day.”
Yang Kai smirked in his heart, but he said with a solemn expression, “What happened that day was just a simple matter. Brother Fang need not worry about it.”
Fang Yue replied sternly, “To Senior Brother, it may have just been a minor matter, but to this Fang, it was a life-saving grace. I was selected as a Bearer by that Divine Spirit in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, and spent a lot of effort to cultivate, but the result was a complete failure. I was unable to assist my backer in achieving what he wanted, and without your help, Senior Brother, the consequences would have been dire. I, along with many others, would definitely have been killed by those enraged Divine Spirits.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Not necessarily. Some Divine Spirits were actually quite friendly.”
The Divine Spirit that took in Gu Pan would not have killed her, but Kun Sha, the Divine Spirit that supported Lin Feng, would definitely have eaten Lin Feng alive to vent out his rage. Naturally, each Divine Spirit had a different temperament and each of them acted in different ways.
“In any case, Senior Brother’s life-saving grace cannot be forgotten!” Fang Yue continued, “This Fang is not someone who does not know how to repay the kindness that he receives. The favour from that day has been etched into this Fang’s heart. If Senior Brother has any orders, just speak up, and this Fang will never decline.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “Junior Brother Fang is too serious, my Void Land is at peace now, so there is no need to speak of such heavy matters.”
“No no, no matter what it is…. this Fang wants to do something to repay this favour. If not, I will not be able to eat and sleep in peace.” Fang Yue’s face was earnest.
“It’s really fine.” Yang Kai said while shaking his head slowly.
Fang Yue asked anxiously, “When I came here, I passed through the Star City dock and it was quite overcrowded. Does Senior Brother need manpower to maintain order? Although this Fang’s cultivation is low, I will still do my best.”
Yang Kai said, “I have people guarding the dock, so I won’t bother Brother Fang. Well, if Brother Fang is free, you might as well spend some time in my Void Land. I still have some things to do, so I won’t be able to accompany you further.”
Saying so, he stood up.
Fang Yue rushed up to him in a stride, grabbed Yang Kai’s sleeve, and hurriedly said, “Senior Brother, please stay!”
Yang Kai turned around and looked at him with a smile, “Brother Fang, is there anything else?”
Fang Yue faltered and blushed slightly, unable to speak.
Yang Kai sighed, “Brother Fang, just say what you have to say, why beat around the bush?”
When Fang Yue saw his expression, he suddenly came to his senses, “Senior Brother, you already expected me to ask for help?”
Yang Kai said, “I had a guess, but I wasn’t sure. Now, I am. Brother Fang is here for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, right?”
Fang Yue’s face turned slightly red and he looked very embarrassed when Yang Kai said that, “Senior Brother, this Fang Yue would like to offer his services to you, and hopes Senior Brother will take me in!”
Yang Kai took a deep look at him and held out his hand, “Let’s sit down and talk.”
The two men retook their seats.
Yang Kai said slowly, “Brother Fang should have a great aptitude to be valued by the Solid Earth Black Tortoise and be chosen as his Bearer, but Sixth-Order Elements are probably a bit too much for Brother Fang. Of course, the Solid Earth Black Tortoise would not care about your future problems, he only wanted Brother Fang to be as strong as possible, so that he could win the first place in the Spirit Seizing War. In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the Solid Earth Black Tortoise helped Brother Fang to forcibly raise your strength, right?”
Fang Yue said with shame, “It appears I can’t hide anything from Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai replied, “I was there in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary as well, and I was chosen to be a Bearer, so I know first-hand about such matters.”
At that time, Zhu Jiu Yin also wanted to forcibly raise Yang Kai’s strength by making him condense a Sixth-Order Earth Element. However, Yang Kai staked his own life against it, forcing her to back down.
Furthermore, considering that Yang Kai was originally refining Seventh-Order Elements and his strength was already phenomenal, Zhu Jiu Yin was willing to back down.
But others, such as Fang Yue, were not so lucky, and were forced by their Divine Spirits to condense Sixth-Order or even Seventh-Order Elements.
Even taking the entire 3,000 Worlds into consideration, those who could condense Sixth-Order Powers and directly achieve the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were extreme rarities, often Core Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. There were only a few of such people in each generation, such as Gu Pan, Qu Hua Shang, Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran and so on.
Although Fang Yue and the others had good aptitudes and were valued by the Divine Spirits, they were still inferior to geniuses like Gu Pan and Qu Hua Shang.
Their limit was the Fifth-Order! Even though forcing them to condense Sixth-Order Elements could grant them more power for a short period of time, allowing them to gain some advantage in the Spirit Seizing War, it would leave fatal drawbacks!
These drawbacks would become more and more serious as they progressed in their cultivation. By condensing Elements beyond what they were capable of bearing, once they tried to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, they would most likely die!
Ding Yi, the leader of Emperor Heaven back then, was forced by Bi Fang to condense a Seventh-Order Fire Element Power, but every time he used this Power, he suffered a serious backlash. He would look like a cooked crab, all red and steaming hot from overheating.
Yang Kai had once asserted that if Ding Yi dared to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, he would die on the spot in nine out of ten cases.
Fang Yue was now facing the same problem.
The only thing that could help him and the others was the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills that Yang Kai had! This Spirit Pill could greatly increase the chances of success. If Fang Yue took one before attempting to break through, although there was no guarantee of success, the chance of failure would be greatly reduced.
However, Fang Yue was only an Emperor Realm cultivator without any background, so how could he earn enough Open Heaven Pills to afford to buy a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill? Thus, he thought that the only way he could survive was by joining Yang Kai. That was why Fang Yue had approached him today.
Fang Yue said with a bitter smile, “In the ten years that I stayed in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, this Fang traversed the path that others could not finish even in a hundred years. With the assistance of Senior Solid Earth Black Tortoise, I refined several materials for different Elements, and advanced straight to the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. However, this Fang knows his aptitude very clearly. In this Fang’s present situation, I will not be able to bear the impact of advancing to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The only possible way to survive would be to instead advance to the Third Order, but even then the chances are slim…”
It was easy for him to advance into the Third-Order since he would only need to refine a Third-Order material. The Powers of Yin, Yang, and Five Elements required to break through to the Open Heaven Realm were like the boards of a wooden barrel. The amount of water that could be stored in the wooden barrel depended entirely on the shortest board, regardless of how tall the others were.
“But with such a great starting point, how could this Fang be willing to settle for the trivial Third-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
These words couldn’t help but resonate with Yang Kai, because all of them had a high starting point, they couldn’t settle for such mediocre achievements. The gap was just too big.
Everyone had their own sense of greed, especially when it came to their Martial Dao. Once a person had experienced their first breakthrough, they would want to continue. Yang Kai was the same. He was not willing to waste his high starting point with all the rare materials he had condensed. Although he knew that his journey would be full of thorns and tribulations, he still had no intention of backing down.
Fang Yue was no different.
If it wasn’t for the rise of Void Land, if it wasn’t for Yang Kai using the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills to increase the Star City’s popularity and make the fame of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills spread throughout the 3,000 Worlds, Fang Yue would probably have been resigned to his fate. He would settle for the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm; otherwise, he would lose everything and disappear due to the backlash of trying to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, when he heard that there were Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills in Void Land, it was like a ray of light had pierced through the fog of darkness. Fang Yue felt a glimmer of hope.
That was why he had taken the liberty to visit Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai’s Void Land already had a mighty army with the finest arms. What advantages could he, a trivial Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master, offer Yang Kai in return for such a precious treasure? The only thing he could rely on was the small friendship all of them had in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Now, it seemed as if this trip had not been in vain. Thinking about it, Yang Kai was not a narrow-minded person. He brought out all the Bearers from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, disregarding their former status as enemies. Instead, it was Fang Yue who had been overly sceptical and pessimistic.
Reflecting on this, Fang Yue couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.
“I naturally welcome Brother Fang if you want to join my Void Land, but does Brother Fang know the current situation of my Void Land?”
Fang Yue replied, “I’ve heard a little bit about Senior Brother’s intention to reach the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly, which seemed to have touched the nerves of certain powerful figures, leading to targeted discrimination and suppression.”
Yang Kai looked at him with a smile, “That’s right, the Hundred Sects Alliance was formed to attack us because of this. When the time comes, my Void Land might face trouble. Does Brother Fang still want to join knowing this?”
Fang Yue said, “If I enter Void Land, this Fang will live and die together with Void Land. It’s better to die a glorious death than live a life filled with regrets!”
“Good!” Yang Kai laughed loudly, “If Brother Fang has expressed such an intention, how can this Yang refuse? From now on, you will be a member of my Void Land.”
Feeling overjoyed, Fang Yue got up and saluted, “Disciple Fang Yue, greets Sect Master!”
Yang Kai came forward to help him up, “No need to be polite, you and I will call each other Fellow Brothers in the future!” Fang Yue had condensed Sixth-Order Powers, and would sooner or later advance to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. At that time, he would become a powerhouse of Void Land, so Yang Kai did not want their relationship to stiffen due to their different positions.
Fang Yue said gratefully, “Many thanks, Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Since you have joined my Void Land, you should practice well and tell me when you are about to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, I will help you then.”
Fang Yue said in reply, “I am not going to lie to Senior Brother. Right now, I am only one step away from advancing to the Open Heaven Realm. I only need to condense my last Element to break through, but I want to cultivate in retreat for some time to solidify my foundation first, so that I can have a better chance of success.”
“That is for the best.” Yang Kai nodded his head.
When he was in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Fang Yue had already reached the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm with the help of the Solid Earth Black Tortoise. It had been a few years since he had left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so it was not surprising that he was only one step away from breaking through.
“I’ll have someone arrange a place for you to live, so you can cultivate inside the Sect without worry.”
Fang Yue thanked him and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Senior Brother, do you remember Xiang Ying and the others?”
Yang Kai turned his head to look at him and asked curiously, “Junior Brother what do you…”
Fang Yue answered, “There were many Bearers in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. I believe that there are quite a few people who are facing the same predicament as me, such as Xiang Ying and Ding Yi. If Senior Brother offers them the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, I think they would not refuse to join you. Since they were chosen by the Divine Spirits as Bearers in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, they should have condensed at least Fifth-Order Elements. If they can successfully break through to the Open Heaven realm in the future, they will definitely become a great help to Senior Brother!
Yang Kai nodded and said, “While that is true, the 3,000 Worlds is vast. No one knows where they could have gone after leaving the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.”
Fang Yue said with a smile, “I too have no way to contact them, but Senior Brother does not need to worry about that. Even if Senior Brother may not know where they are right now, they certainly know where Senior Brother is. I believe that sooner or later, they will come to you on their own initiative, just like me. All Senior Brother needs to do is to sit back and wait.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “That’s true!”
In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the number of people chosen by the Divine Spirits to be Bearers was quite large, 50 at least. While the number of people that did not belong to any sect may not be that great, as long as that number reached thirty percent, that would translate to 15 to 20 people. These people had at least condensed Fifth-Order Elements. Furthermore, people such as Fang Yue and Ding Yi had condensed Sixth-Order Elements. As long as they had a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills as an auxiliary, there was a great chance that all of them could break through to the Fifth or Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
These Bearers already owned Yang Kai a life-saving grace, so if he offered them a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill now, delivering charcoal to them in the frigid winter, then Void Land should have no problem recruiting them.
That would mean, in a relatively short span of time, Void Land could have 15 to 20 more Masters in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! That was a terrifying force!
From the situation Fang Yue pitched, it could be seen that the Bearers from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary needed Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills much more than others. The closer they were to breaking through, the more urgent their need would be.
Thus, what Fang Yue was saying had promise indeed.
“If what this Fang said assured Senior Brother, please let me handle this matter. If I act as an example, I believe they will be more assured.” Fang Yue volunteered. Since he had just joined Void Land, he needed to do something to prove his worth, not just silently cultivate.
“What does Junior Brother plan to do?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows.
Fang Yue smiled and said, “I would like to ask Senior Brother to allocate a store to me. This Junior Brother can open a ‘Grand Ancient Ruins Shop’ in the Star City, not to sell anything, just to allow people to be able to find and come to this Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai laughed, “Is Junior brother trying to ‘fish’?”
Fang Yue winked at him and said, “The ones who need it will take the bait.”
If Fang Yue personally ran the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop, Yang Kai believed that those who came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary would be much less wary, and it would be much easier to recruit them.
Yang Kai had no reason to refuse, anyway. It was only a single store, and it didn’t matter even if he could not recruit people. He immediately called Bian Yu Qing in and asked her to cooperate with Fang Yue.
Soon, a store called ‘Grand Ancient Ruins Shop’ opened in the centre of the Star City, near Void Auction House.
Grand Ancient Ruins Shop sold numerous goods, but none of the items were particularly valuable. In other words, it was a general store. There were also only a few shop hands in the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop.
The sudden appearance of such a shop in such a prime location naturally aroused the interest of many, who came to investigate, but after ascertaining the circumstances of Grand Ancient Ruins Shop, many people sighed, thinking that the Shopkeeper was simply stupid. It was an unwise decision to open the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop in such an area, which was a waste of money.
Therefore, the popularity of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary quickly died out a few days after it opened. The few shop hands had nothing to do all day long, and Fang Yue just sat behind the counter and cultivated in silence.
However, the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop had its first harvest after just ten days.
A young man called Li Ye approached Fang Yue, talked with him in a secret room, and was quickly introduced to Void Land! Li Ye was also one of the Bearers from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Just like Fang Yue, he was a rogue cultivator; however, he was a little bit inferior when compared to Fang Yue as he had only condensed Fifth-Order Elements.
Still, even Fifth-Order Elements was beyond his limit.
When Fang Yue heard about the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he took the initiative to come to the Star City, which Li Ye had also done. However, Li Ye had no relationship with Yang Kai whatsoever, except for the fact that he was brought out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by him. Thus, he did not take the liberty of visiting Yang Kai due to the fear that he would be ignored.
Moreover, he could not be sure that Void Land’s Lord was the Yang Kai he met in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If this Yang Kai was not the one that he knew, and they just had similar names, then he would be put in an awkward spot.
When Li Ye was at a loss for what to do, he passed by the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop and saw Fang Yue. He was not familiar with Fang Yue, but he had met with him face-to-face before, so he naturally remembered him. Li Ye felt surprised and delighted and decided to talk to him.
Fang Yue was waiting for this moment, so he didn’t hesitate, and immediately led Li Ye into the secret room.
Getting to know that he could obtain a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill when he was about to break through to the Open Heaven Realm as long as he joined Void Land made Li Ye feel overjoyed. He nodded in agreement without any hesitation.
To him, this was a life-saving straw he found when drowning, so why would he not grasp onto it firmly?
With his successful recruitment of Li Ye, Fang Yue became even more confident. He believed that as long as those Bearers from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary heard news of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, they would look for Void Star City sooner or later. All he needed to do now was wait patiently.
While Fang Yue was staying in the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop, Manager Zhou from Asura Heaven visited Void Land again.
He and Yang Kai had bargained before, each putting forward their own conditions, but Manager Zhou was unable to make a decision and had sent a message to his superiors. This time, he had come to deliver Asura Heaven’s answer.
Yang Kai needed a High-Rank Yin Element treasure, which Asura Heaven insisted was not possible. This was their bottom line, and there would be no negotiations.
Even though Yang Kai had expected it, he was still slightly disappointed.
Asura Heaven also failed to buy any Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills from Yang Kai. Yang Kai’s attitude towards this matter was quite simple. They did not sell something he wanted, so naturally, he would not sell them what they wanted. If they wanted Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, they could go to the auction that happened once every three months and bid for it themselves.
The final results of the negotiations were that Void Star City would set aside a large plot for a new Asura Arena to be built. Void Land would take a 30% share of the profits, but the rent and taxes would all be free.
Void Auction House was already established now, so with the 30% stake in the Asura Arena, two giant money trees had been planted.
With the auction house and Asura Arena’s 30% share, plus the Star City’s rent and taxes, Void Land was now making a lot of money every day, more than enough to meet its current needs. It no longer needed to worry about making ends meet.
However, Sixth-Order materials were still a problem. Although materials of this Order were not as rare as those of the High-Rank, the amount of Sixth-Order materials one could find was definitely not great and they couldn’t easily be bought with money. Although the Star City was now popular and some Sixth-Order materials were now flowing in, there were still many in Void Land who needed Sixth-Order materials.
The Great Emperors, Yang Kai’s Wives, and even Mo Xiao Qi, Lin Yun’er, Li Wu Yi, Yang Yan, and several others all needed Sixth-Order materials.
Although Yang Kai made a huge fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, including a lot of Sixth-Order materials, it couldn’t support the needs of so many.
Originally, after Yue He and Mo Mei advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they wanted to use Sixth-Order materials to cultivate; however, due to the lack of materials, they could only cultivate with Open Heaven Pills. While refining Open Heaven Pills could certainly help steadily improve their cultivation, the efficiency was not as good as directly refining Sixth-Order materials.
Although Void Land had been spending a lot of money to acquire Sixth-Order materials, it still could not keep up with its pace of consumption, resulting in Yang Kai contributing even the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd.
The Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was sealed within the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd. It was a Sixth-Order Metal Element material that could be refined by cultivators.
In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Xu Zhen had helped Yang Kai upgrade his Wind Gourd to this Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd. This item had played a significant role in Yang Kai’s hands and he repeatedly used it as a trump card to deal with strong enemies. However, now that Void Land had a shortage of Sixth-Order materials, Yang Kai could only prioritize the cultivation needs of everyone first. Besides, he had made up his mind to not leave Void Land easily, so the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd would also not be of any use for the time being. When he later broke through to the Open Heaven Realm, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd would also become useless.
On the other hand, Void Land wasn’t the least bit worried about Fifth-Order materials, because the Gourd Vine could produce a whole set of Fifth-Order materials every month. There were always enough Fifth-Order materials, and all they needed to do was slowly wait. So, Void Land never needed to buy Fifth-Order materials, and instead, they bought a lot of Fourth-Order and Third-Order materials.
The Star City was developing steadily, and everything in Void Land had gradually entered the right track. Day by day, Yang Kai’s retreats were also being rewarded. He had now refined six Element Powers, only missing the Yin Element. From these Element Powers, he had obtained the Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation by comprehending the mysteries of his Golden Crow’s True Fire, the Earth Great Dragon Bead helped him obtained the Dragon Shield Secret Technique, which was a powerful defensive ability, and the essence of the Immortal Tree helped him comprehend the Towering Evergreen tree, another Divine Manifestation which was remarkably effective in both protection and healing.
During these days of retreat, Yang Kai also comprehended Water Reflects the Moon. Although it was not a Divine Manifestation and instead just a Divine Ability, it complemented the Golden Crow Casts the Sun perfectly.
The Metal Element Power was refined by Yang Kai from the Monster Core of the Golden Wolf King, and around the same time as when Yang Kai realized the Divine Ability of Water Reflects the Moon, he was also blessed with the comprehension of Golden Wolf Howls at the Moon.
Among the six Elements he had refined, he had only not yet comprehended a Divine Ability from his Yang Element.
However, Yang Kai had obtained his Yang Element Power by refining the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, so he, who did not know what he would be able to comprehend in the end, could only wait in silence.
The Void Auction House held an auction every three months, and each time the finale was a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Most recently, the tenth Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had been auctioned off.
In other words, it had already been three years since the Great Void Land Migration. Void Land and its Star City had been developing quite well during this time. The only hiccup was the High-Order Yin Element treasure that Yang Kai needed, which there was still no news of.
However, Yang Kai had mentally prepared himself for this, so he was not anxious. Not to mention 3 years, he could continue to wait for several hundred years. He believed that as long as he had and was in this Star City, sooner or later, he could get what he wanted.
Yang Kai had originally planned to just sit back and wait, but life never went as one planned. He overestimated the patience of some people and underestimated their determination to target him.
While he was in retreat one day, the isolation barrier was touched. Yang Kai opened the restriction, and Bian Yu Qing hurriedly came in, her expression slightly unsightly, “Sect Master!”
Yang Kai looked at her and asked, “What is it?”
“There is news from the Void Dock that Bai Qi was found.”
“Old Bai was ‘found’?” Yang Kai frowned, “What happened to Old Bai?”
Bian Yu Qing responded, “Bai Qi was severely injured by someone and fell into a coma. He was brought to the dock by a passing ship.”
“What!?” Yang Kai immediately jumped up.
More than a year ago, he had sent someone to Thousand Birds Territory to find the Proprietress, and to ask her to come to Void Land as a guest. He intended to ask her to open up a First Inn branch in their own Star City so that it would be convenient to take care of and meet each other. But the messenger he sent eventually came back and reported that the First Inn branch was closed temporarily.
The 3,000 Worlds was vast and boundless and filled with seemingly endless Great Territories. Yang Kai simply did not know how to find Old Bai and the Proprietress, so he could only give up.
Who would have guessed that today, when he finally got news of Bai Qi. That he was seriously injured and unconscious!
Old Bai was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Master, so for another cultivator to injure him so gravely, they would have to be at least in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! Being that he was a shop hand of First Inn, and the personal attendant of the Proprietress, who would dare attack him so recklessly?
If Bai Qi was so seriously injured, what about the Proprietress?
Yang Kai’s heart clenched, and he suddenly had a sinking feeling, like a big invisible net was covering him.
After receiving the news, Yang Kai immediately summoned Yue He and asked her to follow him to the Star City Void Dock.
Soon, Yang Kai saw Old Bai while Jin Yuan Lang personally reported the situation at the dock. Void Star City was now overcrowded, and every day there were many people waiting in line outside the dock to enter. Although the number of people was quite large, Jin Yuan Lang had been in charge of the dock for a few years now, so he was able to handle it.
When checking one of the ships waiting to enter, the owner reported that there was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Bai Qi on board, who seemed to know the Lord of Void Land.
Jin Yuan Lang did not dare to be slow and went to check, and when he saw that it was indeed Bai Qi, he urgently treated his wounds to stabilize his condition while also sending a message to Void Land.
When Yang Kai arrived, Bai Qi was still in a coma, his face as pale as paper. His aura was unstable, and his body was drenched with fresh blood. The dried blood was caked onto his clothes in a way that was unbearable to see.
“Sect Master, Brother Bai has already taken a Healing Pill, and there is no danger to his life for the time being, but…” Jin Yuan Lang, who was worried, stepped forward to whisper something to Yang Kai.
“But what?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice, his face almost dripping with gloom.
“But, Brother Bai had pushed himself too far. When he was seriously injured, he did not heal his injuries properly and instead over-exerted his own strength, resulting in the Small Universe in his body showing signs of instability. There is a risk that it might collapse soon. It is difficult to say whether he will survive.”
Yang Kai’s face became uglier and uglier.
If the Small Universe in Bai Qi’s body really collapsed, then his cultivation would become completely useless, and he would become a cripple.
“Is there a solution?” Yang Kai asked.
Jin Yuan Lang shook his head slowly.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Yue He; after all, someone from Abundance City would not know much about this kind of thing while Yue He might have some options.
Yue He promptly answered, “If we have a Star Gathering Universe Pill, it should help him stabilize his Small Universe! During battles between Open Heaven Realm Masters, there are cases like Old Bai’s, where the Small Universe in their body becomes turbulent. If the situation is mild, it is fine and can be resolved with some meditation and quiet cultivation, but if it is serious, it would require external help to restore. The Star Gathering Universe Pill has this effect, but that pill is precious and ordinary Alchemists would find it difficult to refine.”
Yang Kai immediately said, “Send out a message that my Void Land is offering a huge reward for a Star Gathering Universe Pill! If anyone has this Spirit Pill or can refine it, Void Land will fulfill any one wish they have, as long as it is within our ability!”
The Star City was now full of talented people from all walks of life and even many Alchemists from other great forces were stationed here.
The only way to get a Star Gathering Universe Pill was from the Star City, and Yang Kai could only pray that someone in Star City had or could refine one.
After asking Yue He to take care of Old Bai, Yang Kai asked in a deep voice, “What happened?”
Jin Yuan Lang cupped his fist and said, “Sect Master, my subordinates don’t know what happened exactly, but when they were checking a certain ship, someone reported that there was a seriously injured person on board, called Bai Qi. It turned out to be Brother Bai, so I hurriedly reported it.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Bai Qi was unconscious, so how did the people on the ship know that his name was Bai Qi? Where is the owner of this ship?”
“He’s outside.” Jin Yuan Lang said before hurriedly asking someone to bring the manager in.
The manager, who was only in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, said with some trepidation once he stepped into the room, “Profound Thunder Sect’s Lu Wen Fei greets Sirs!”
Yang Kai turned his head towards him, looked him up and down, and saw that this man’s hair was white. He looked elderly, with an unstable aura. Obviously, the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm was his limit and Profound Thunder Sect was just a Third Class Force.
Jin Yuan Lang said, “Manager Lu need not be afraid. My Void Land will never bully the weak. I only called you over because my Sect Master has some questions he wishes to ask.”
Lu Wen Fei bowed his head and said, “Sir, this old man will tell you everything I know no matter what questions you have.”
Yang Kai nodded and asked, “Manager Lu, I want to know where you found Bai Qi and what the situation was at that time?”
Lu Wen Fei hurriedly reported, “Sir, this old man met Sir Bai Qi in this Void Territory. He was in a hurry at that time, but it seemed that because he was seriously injured, his strength was failing him and his speed was quite slow. This old man invited him onboard, but he only had time to report his name, and that he was to be taken to the Yang Kai of Void Land directly. After that, he passed out.”
“Hearing him mention Sect Master Yang’s name, this old man did not dare to neglect this issue. This old man immediately rushed to the dock and when I saw Sir Jin, this old man reported the matter.”
“Is that all?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
Lu Wen Fei hurriedly said, “Sect Master Yang, please understand, this was really what happened. This old man would never dare to hide anything from you.”
Yang Kai looked at his face, nodded lightly and said, “I understand.”
He ordered someone to lead Lu Wen Fei out and to also reward him with some Open Heaven Pills. Yang Kai also instructed his men to monitor Lu Wen Fei’s movements.
Jin Yuan Lang mused, “Sect Master is suspicious of this Profound Thunder Sect…”
“Just in case, but they should have nothing to do with Old Bai’s matter. It is most likely just a coincidence.”
In the end, it didn’t matter. If Old Bai woke up, everything would become clear. But, right now, Old Bai’s situation did not look very optimistic. Yang Kai carefully put him into the Fated Paths Bag and brought him back to Void Land. At the same time, he sent a message to the Star City Governor’s Mansion, telling Mo Mei to personally put up a reward for a Star Gathering Universe Pill.
In a secret chamber, Old Bai was lying on the bed, breathing weakly, still unconscious. The aura surrounding him was extremely faint.
Yue He carefully used World Force to adjust the Small Universe in Old Bai’s body, to prevent his injuries from deteriorating. Yang Kai, on the other hand, used his Wood Element Power to heal Old Bai’s physical injuries.
Yang Kai really didn’t know where the Proprietress had gone for more than two years. Word of the previous battle against Void Land by the Hundred Sects Alliance had already spread throughout the 3,000 Worlds. Logically speaking, according to the Proprietress’s temperament, if she got to know that such an event had happened, she would have already come to Void Land to investigate the situation.
But she never showed up. Yang Kai sent someone to invite the Proprietress to Void Star City, but she was still nowhere to be seen.
[Where did she go after leaving the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? What happened to her? Just who managed to injure Old Bai like this?]
As long as Old Bai did not wake up, everything would remain a mystery.
Two days later, good news came from the Star City Governor’s Mansion. There was an Alchemy Grandmaster in the Star City who could refine the Star Gathering Universe Pill. With the help of Yang Kai’s Wood Element Power, Old Bai’s injuries were much better and his aura had also stabilized a lot, but the Small Universe in his body was still far from stable. If this was not resolved, Old Bai could die at any time, even if he woke up.
Yang Kai had been quite worried these past two days, but now, he had finally heard some good news.
He immediately ordered someone to invite the Grandmaster over, but soon Mo Mei sent a message back, saying that although the Alchemist was willing to help Void Land, he was asking for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill’s recipe and 100 portions of World Source Liquid as his price!
Mo Mei was extremely annoyed by this shameless request. The only reason Void Star City was so popular was because of its Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. This kind of pill was only available in Void Land, so if someone else obtained its recipe and a large supply of its main ingredient, it would greatly affect the future development of the Star City.
The Alchemist obviously understood this, which was why he made such an excessive demand.
Yang Kai’s heart was filled with rage, but he did not hesitate to reply, “Promise him!”
Even if someone had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill’s recipe, they would need World Source Liquid, which was the primary ingredient. 100 portions of World Source Liquid could only make a total of a 100 Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. Although it was a lot, compared to Old Bai’s life, it was nothing.
After he sent the message, an idea flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, and he sent another message, “Tell that Alchemist that he can have the pill recipe, but we can only give him ten portions of World Source Liquid. Tell him to take it or leave it!”
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to hand over 100 portions, or that he didn’t have enough World Source Liquid to spare; in fact, Yang Kai had a literal pond of it. However, if he just agreed to such an excessive request, he would be revealing this fact, which would be detrimental in the future to all of Void Land.
It wouldn’t even matter if this Alchemist did refuse, since Yang Kai could just continue to negotiate.
After waiting for less than an incense stick worth of time, Mo Mei came back with a message.
The Alchemist agreed!
He probably thought that World Source Liquid was extremely rare and asking for 100 portions was just him trying to take the lion’s share, not really expecting to get it. Since Void Land had put forth a counteroffer, ten portions would be more than enough to satisfy him.
The Alchemist also put forth a condition that he would not come to Void Land to perform Alchemy, and would instead refine the Spirit Pill and then make the trade in the Star City.
Yang Kai believed that the Alchemist feared entering Void Land would be disadvantageous for him; after all, he openly coveted the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. The Alchemist, who dared to request such a thing, knew he had offended them. In Void Land, where his life or death would be under the control of another, how would he dare to perform Alchemy?
All that did not matter though, since Yang Kai agreed to his condition.
It would take a few days to refine the Star Gathering Universe Pill; after all, all kinds of materials were needed to make it. Fortunately, the Star City now had a wide range of goods for sale, so it would definitely not be difficult to collect the materials required.
Yang Kai was glad that he had made great efforts to develop the Star City; otherwise, where could he have found an Alchemist who could refine the Star Gathering Universe Pill while collecting the materials locally?
Two days later, Old Bai woke up!
Yang Kai was healing him at that time, and suddenly found that Old Bai’s aura had stabilized slightly. His eyelids twitched, so Yang Kai called out to him a few times, hastily.
Old Bai really did open his eyes, and when he saw Yang Kai, he grabbed his arm and said through clenched teeth, “Proprietress is in trouble, please save her!”
Yang Kai’s heart sank, and while suppressing the uneasiness he felt, he said comfortingly, “Speak whatever you want to say slowly. You’re gravely injured, so you can’t let your emotions fluctuate too much.”
Old Bai took a few deep breaths, lay down on the bed, and explained what had happened over the past two years.
After parting with Yang Kai and leaving the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the Proprietress took Old Bai and the others to the Shattered Heaven instead of Thousand Birds Territory!
The Shattered Heaven was a famous place in the 3,000 Worlds, because that place was a battlefield that were the remains of a shocking war that happened during ancient times. No one knew which Masters participated in that calamitous war, but it was certain that many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were involved and had met their ends there.
In the Shattered Heaven, there were crises around every corner, with numerous ancient seals and Divine Abilities that either persisted to today, or could be triggered at a moment’s notice. There were even some extremely dangerous artifacts and entities that had gained spirituality and would attack with Earth-shattering and Heaven-destroying power.
In addition, there were many Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises left after the death of so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, and if one was not careful, they could fall into one, never to escape.
Naturally, it was known as a Forbidden Zone in the 3,000 Worlds.
Even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were reluctant to set foot there, because no one knew when danger would strike in that place. Once, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven realm cultivator ventured deep into the Shattered Heaven, and simply disappeared. No one knew whether that person was dead or alive. More than a dozen Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had also disappeared in the Shattered Heaven in the last 1,000 years.
But even if the Shattered Heaven was notorious, many cultivators could not resist exploring it, because as the remnants of an ancient battlefield, where countless powerful Masters had died, countless riches had also been left behind!
Not to mention, if one could find the entrance to a Universe Cave Heaven or a Universe Paradise, they could scavenge the legacy left behind by those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
A single Blood Monster Cave Heaven drew forces from all across the 3,000 Worlds every time it opened.
But, what if there was more than one Blood Monster Cave Heaven hidden in the Shattered Heaven? It was possible that dozens, if not hundreds of Universe Cave Heavens and Paradises remained, so it was not hard to imagine what an irresistible temptation it presented.
After the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed, the Proprietress had said that Yang Kai should cultivate peacefully and let her take care of the matter of the High-Rank Yin Element treasure. So, after parting with Yang Kai, she led Bai Qi and the others directly to the Shattered Heaven.
The Proprietress was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, while Old Bai, Chef, and Accountant were all Fifth-Order Masters. The four of them made for a considerable force, and if they were lucky enough, they might just be able to find a High-Rank Yin Element treasure in the Shattered Heaven.
In fact, the Proprietress’s luck was quite good. In the two years they spent in the Shattered Heaven, they really did come across a suspected High-Rank Yin Element treasure, but while they were trying to collect it, some sort of restriction that they had not discovered was triggered and it disappeared, along with Accountant and Chef. The Proprietress tried to escape, but her efforts proved futile. Just when Old Bai was at a loss on what to do, a voice reached his ear, “If you want to save them, go to Void Land and find Yang Kai. Don’t delay or it will be too late!”
After listening to Old Bai’s explanation, Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
He did not expect that the Proprietress would be in trouble because of him. If she hadn’t wanted to help him find a High-Rank Yin Element treasure, why would she have risked going to the Shattered Heaven, where even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could die?
If she hadn’t gone to the Shattered Heaven, she wouldn’t have suddenly disappeared.
The voice transmission that Old Bai heard at the end clearly indicated something.
“Damn it!” Yang Kai ground his teeth. This was obviously a very complex and well-planned trap. If not, why would Old Bai hear that voice transmission? Some people were trying to lure the snake out of the hole. Yang Kai had been staying in Void Land for the past two years, so the forces aiming at him had no way to attack him. As such, they decided to target the Proprietress to lure him out!
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai suppressed the rage in his heart.
“Someone must have done it on purpose.” Old Bai looked at Yang Kai with shame present on his face, “I didn’t understand why the mastermind behind this wanted me to come to Void Land to find you, but after hearing some news along the way, I understood.”
Old Bai heard about the destruction of the Hundred Sects Alliance on his way here, and only then realized that Void Land was now a force that had a mighty army with the finest arms at the ready. Even Kong Feng of Heavenly Sword Union died in Void Land. Now that Void Land had two Divine Spirits protecting it, if they wanted to deal with Yang Kai, they would need to separate him from Void Land!
Bai Qi clearly knew this, and also knew that if he came and informed Yang Kai about what happened, Yang Kai would not sit idly by, but the Proprietress’s safety was at stake, and thus he had to do something. Naturally, this caused him to feel great guilt towards Yang Kai.
“Yang Kai, if you do not want to go, this Old Bai will not blame you. After I heal my wounds, I will go and save Proprietress myself.”
Yang Kai firmly and decisively shook his head, “Proprietress has shown great kindness and care towards me. Without her, there would not be a Yang Kai today. She is in trouble because of me, and the mastermind behind this is clearly doing this to target me. If after knowing this, I do not go, how can I still have the face to live in this world? Old Bai, you are underestimating me by saying that.”
Old Bai let out a soft sigh.
“Besides, in this condition, what more can you do? As for Proprietress, you can rest assured. Since this person is targeting me, he will not do anything to her until I show up.” Yang Kai comforted.
That said, Yang Kai still felt somewhat uneasy since, right now, no one knew what the Proprietress’ situation was.
Old Bai’s physical injuries had healed a lot thanks to his Wood Element Power and the healing pills he had taken. All remaining issues need to be taken care of slowly. Right now, the greatest problem he faced was the instability of the Small Universe in his body, but that required the Star Gathering Universe Pill to resolve.
Leaving Yue He to look after Old Bai, Yang Kai sent a Divine Sense transmission to Mo Mei, inquiring about the situation. Shortly afterwards, Mo Mei replied that the Star Gathering Universe Pill was being refined. While she didn’t know when it would be successfully completed, once the pill was ready, she would send it to Void Land immediately.
Yang Kai stood on the top of a certain Spirit Peak after breaking off the transmission with Mo Mei. Gazing at the sea of clouds, he sorted out his jumbled thoughts while his mind wandered.
The Proprietress was in trouble, and someone was trying to lure him out of Void Land, but in the face of this situation, he really did not have any good solution. Unless he acted like a shrinking turtle, he could not sit idly by.
However, if he really did rush out of Void Land, his enemy’s scheme would be successful.
After a long contemplation, Yang Kai’s gaze gradually hardened. His body flickered, and he suddenly disappeared.
By the time he reappeared, he had already arrived outside of a great palace, which was protected by layers of arrays. Entry into this part of the Void Land was forbidden for any uninvited person. Even its Open Heaven Realm Masters had to go around this place.
This couldn’t be helped, because this was the place where Zhu Jiu Yin cultivated in retreat.
Facing this palace, Yang Kai cupped his fist and shouted, “Senior, Junior Yang Kai requests an audience!”
There was no response.
Yang Kai shouted again, “Senior, I need to see you urgently, please show yourself!”
Even after calling for her three times in a row, Zhu Jiu Yin did not respond.
Yang Kai felt very annoyed. Although there were barriers here, Zhu Jiu Yin was incredibly powerful, so she certainly knew he was here. She must have also heard his voice; yet, she was not showing up. What did that mean? Ever since she came to Void Land, Zhu Jiu Yin had been living in seclusion, except for the last time when the Hundred Sects Alliance had come. Other than that time, she had basically not shown herself.
Normally, since Zhu Jiu Yin had taken such an attitude, Yang Kai would not impose himself on her. However, this time, since it was related to the safety of the Proprietress, he had no choice but to risk offending her.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear, its tip pointing forward. With a single thought, the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array roared to life, making the entire Void Land buzz.
It had been three years since the last time the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array had been activated, so while the Starlight Strength gathered in such a short period of time was not much, it was enough to support Yang Kai to activate it at least once!
The Azure Dragon Spear suddenly turned into a Great Dragon, shaking its head and flicking its tail. A high-pitched dragon roar resounded through the sky as Dragon Pressure filled the air. The giant dragon stared at the palace’s front door majestically, ready to pounce with its teeth and claws.
“You dare to display such impudence, you brat!?” Zhu Jiu Yin’s voice boomed in Yang Kai’s ears, and a slender figure entered his field of vision after the palace’s restriction disappeared.
Seeing her, Yang Kai hurriedly dispersed the power of the Grand Array and put away the Azure Dragon Spear. His action had made the Great Dragon disintegrated into thin air.
Zhu Jiu Yin looked at him with annoyance, “What madness possessed you to do this you smelly brat?”
Yang Kai’s face was slightly pale, and after taking a few sharp gasps for breath, he cupped his fist and said, “Please forgive me Senior, but the situation is urgent!”
Zhu Jiu Yin looked at him suspiciously and frowned when she saw him so disturbed.
Last time, when the Hundred Sects Alliance had come, Yang Kai was as steady as a mountain and did not send any messages to her, asking for help, until the very last moment. It was only when the two High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly showed up that Zhu Jiu Yin really took action.
What could have happened this time for him to appear so disturbed?
Faintly aware that the situation this time was probably not a small matter, Zhu Jiu Yin softly snorted, “Come in and talk.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai followed Zhu Jiu Yin into the palace after he cupped his fist.
After the guest and the host were seated, Yang Kai looked around and saw no sign of Shan Qing Luo. She was obviously cultivating in retreat. With Zhu Jiu Yin, a Divine Spirit of the same lineage as her, personally teaching her, Shan Qing Luo’s future cultivation path was not something Yang Kai needed to worry about.
“So? What is it?” Zhu Jiu Yin proactively asked.
Yang Kai organized his thoughts and told her briefly about what had happened to the Proprietress.
Zhu Jiu Yin listened to him completely before she snorted, “What the hell did you do to provoke so many people to deal with you? Last time, it was the Hundred Sects Alliance, and this time, it is clear that some group is targeting you. This Queen and that old turtle are present in Void Land, which is why they are using that Lan You Ruo as bait to lure you out. It is only because of your relationship with her.”
“What Senior says is true. Someone is trying to lure me out,” Yang Kai nodded.
Zhu Jiu Yin looked at him with amusement, “Since you know this, why don’t you just not go out?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I have to go.”
Since the mastermind behind this had told Old Bai to go to Void Land and inform him, it was clear that his target was Yang Kai. If Yang Kai did not show up, the crisis that the Proprietress was in would not be resolved. Furthermore, she would only be put into more danger. So, even though he knew that once he left Void Land, he would be stepping into a trap set by someone else, Yang Kai had to leap into it.
Zhu Jiu Yin looked up and down at him, “I didn’t know you were so foolish till now.”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “Senior, please don’t joke right now. This Junior is feeling really anxious.”
Zhu Jiu Yin laughed coldly, “What kind of bewitching soup did that woman feed you for you to even risk yourself to save her? Do you not know, if something happens to you, Luo’er will try to avenge you no matter what? With the inconsequential cultivation she has right now, it will be the same as impulsively jumping into death’s embrace. Even so, she will still do it.”
Yang Kai said, “Proprietress has shown great kindness to me. Now that she is in trouble, I can not sit idly by.”
Zhu Jiu Yin snickered, “Fool!”
Suddenly, she frowned and squinted at Yang Kai, “What are you doing here talking to this Queen then? I’m warning you, don’t get any ideas about bothering this Queen!”
Yang Kai said, “Since someone has set up such a trap, waiting for this Junior to throw himself in, I naturally cannot go unprepared. In all of Void Land, I can only rely on you, Senior, so I hope Senior can accompany me!”
“In your dreams!” Zhu Jiu Yin instantly snapped.
“Senior, please don’t forget that you are my Protector. You have sworn an oath on your Divine Spirit Source. If this Junior dies during this trip, you will be breaching your oath.”
Zhu Jiu Yin chuckled lightly and said, “Really? This Queen seems to recall there being many clauses in that oath, such as this Queen’s protection not extending to situations in which you cause trouble outside yourself and get killed? Ha, go ahead. This Queen will wait for the good news here in Void Land. Once you die, this Queen will be free! Just thinking about it certainly makes this Queen feel happy.”
Yang Kai said miserably, “Senior, I was the one who brought you out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, out of that prisoner’s cage! You can’t just sit back and watch when I’m in trouble now!”
“When those two High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked you last time, didn’t this Queen help? This Queen is your Protector, not your nanny. If you want to go around courting death, this Queen cannot stop you. Forget about this, this Queen will never agree to accompany you!”
Zhu Jiu Yin flicked her sleeve, “Get out, get out, don’t show this Queen your unlucky appearance! All it will do is bring misfortune!”
A strong force shoved Yang Kai, pushing him back.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and shouted, “If Senior helps me this one time, ensuring that Proprietress is safe and sound, then I will consider Senior to have fully fulfilled her oath! From then on, Senior will regain her freedom!”
Zhu Jiu Yin’s movements paused, and her beautiful eyes glowed as she stared at him, “Is what you’re saying true?”
Yang Kai grit his teeth and said, “I always mean what I say!”
Zhu Jiu Yin was clearly moved. As long as she helped Yang Kai this time, she could be released from her oath, and for her, this was indeed a huge temptation. It would be a hassle for her to be a Protector for 1,000 years, especially since this brat in front of her had a propensity for stirring up trouble. She would not have to help this brat clean up after every mess he made.
But Zhu Jiu Yin slowly shook her head after pondering for only a little while, and declared, “No. Absolutely not!”
Yang Kai hurriedly asked, “Why?”
Zhu Jiu Yin grunted, “Do you think a Divine Spirit is invincible? This Queen’s strength has not yet been fully restored, and last time, they already tested this Queen’s depths. They would have obviously taken this Queen into consideration since they are targeting you. Perhaps the people targeting you have set up a terrifying trap outside, just waiting for this Queen to step into it!”
After saying this, Zhu Jiu Yin could not help but have a cold sweat, increasingly feeling a sense of an inexplicable crisis.
“I was almost deceived by your honeyed words, you damn brat!” Zhu Jiu Yin scolded furiously!
Yang Kai also snarled angrily, “Senior is so heartless, even refusing to grant this small favour!”
“Is this what you call a small favour!? Stop talking nonsense! You are asking this Queen to gamble with her life!”
“Fine then!” Yang Kai ground his teeth angrily, “Since Senior is so unwilling to help, this Junior will not force you. Just know that if this Junior really dies on this trip, Luo’er will become a widow, and we will see if she forever resents you or not!”
“Despicable little bastard!” Zhu Jiu Yin’s face turned red with rage, “Get out!”
With a flick of her hand, she drove Yang Kai out of the palace, causing him to tumble through the air for a few breaths before he slowly stabilized himself.
Glancing at the palace where Zhu Jiu Yin lived, Yang Kai heaved a heavy sigh. Even though he had been arguing so passionately with her just now, he was in no position to blame Zhu Jiu Yin for refusing his request. Zhu Jiu Yin was right. Her existence was already known to them, and this time, she would definitely be taken into account and targeted.
Even if Zhu Jiu Yin accompanied him, the other party may have the means to deal with her. However, right now, in Void Land, she and Bi Xi were the strongest Masters available. Yang Kai definitely needed their help to save the Proprietress.
After hitting a wall with Zhu Jiu Yin, Yang Kai turned his head towards the Dragon Sons’ Peak.
On Dragon Sons’ Peak, Yang Kai and the Old Man Bi Xi sat facing each other with a chess board in between them. They played in turns, and Yang Kai, who did not know how to play this game too well, was soon defeated.
Xiao Hong stood behind him, watching nervously and clenching her little fists from time to time, while Xiao Hei sat beside him, mindlessly giggling and drooling all over the place.
“Boy, you are a little unfocused today, no?” Bi Xi said smilingly, and casually placed a piece.
Yang Kai rolled his eyes at him and dropped the piece in his hand onto the board, saying, “Senior, why do you ask?”
Void Land in its entirety was carried by Bi Xi on his back; thus, if he so desired, nothing in Void Land could escape his perception. Yang Kai had gone to Zhu Jiu Yin’s place and had almost made a big scene just a few moments earlier; thus, he did not believe that the old turtle had not noticed.
Bi Xi laughed, “You didn’t come to this Old Master to vent the anger you feel towards that little spider, right?” While saying that, he raised his hand to wipe the drool off the corner of Xiao Hei’s mouth before stroking his head with a doting expression.
Yang Kai said with a bitter smile, “This Junior naturally dares not to, but…. the future is looking very dim. That is why I came to Senior this time, to ask for advice.”
Bi Xi slowly tidied up the pieces and gently said, “This is an unsolvable game. This Old Master can’t do anything about it, unless you learn from this Old Master…”
Saying so, he shrank his neck and made a very vivid action, “…and became a shrinking turtle!”
Yang Kai said with a dark face, “Senior knows that is impossible.”
“Then you’ll have to go and die!”
Xiao Hong looked towards Yang Kai nervously, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Is there really no advice Senior can give me?” Yang Kai looked at him expectantly.
Bi Xi sighed, “This Old Master really cannot help much with this. This Old Master can still be of some use if something happens in your Void Territory, but this time, you have to travel far away. You know the size of this Old Master; I would never be able to pass through the Territory Gate unless I transform and shrink. But if I do that, your Void Land will definitely be torn apart. Do you want to give up on Void Land?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Void Land had hundreds of thousands of disciples living in it. If he really gave up on it, where would they go? But there would be no way to get through the Territory Gate to other Great Territories if Bi Xi didn’t shrink himself first.
So, from the beginning, Yang Kai didn’t really expect Bi Xi to follow him with his real body.
“Senior, what about your Embodiment…” Yang Kai stared at him, not moving for a moment.
Bi Xi replied, “This Old Master’s Embodiment is able to borrow power only when it is in the vicinity of my True Body. It cannot exert much strength when it is too far away. Outside this Territory, it will at best be on par with a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Do you actually lack Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm subordinates?”
Yang Kai was stunned.
Last time, when Bi Xi’s Embodiment had appeared, it easily blocked a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s strike; thus, Yang Kai thought that the old man’s Embodiment was also extremely powerful. Now, he realized that the old man’s Embodiment was only able to do that by borrowing the power of his real body.
If Bi Xi’s Embodiment was really only equivalent to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, its presence wouldn’t be able to make much of a difference.
Zhu Jiu Yin had rejected him with no trace of politeness, and now, he could not even count on Bi Xi. Yang Kai felt his future looked completely bleak.
After pondering for a while, he asked, “Does Senior know anything about the Shattered Heaven?”
Bi Xi said, “I know a little bit about it. The Shattered Heaven formed a long time ago, even before this Old Master was born. Apparently, the birth of an Innate Supreme Treasure triggered a bloody struggle amongst all the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises. It almost swept up the entire Outer Universe. That battle was fought for over a hundred years. I don’t even know how many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters fell in that accursed place. Several Great Territories were broken to pieces, and the Shattered Heaven was formed from their remnants. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises that took part severely damaged their foundations. Even after recuperating for countless years after that battle ended, they still haven’t been able to recover completely. How could the current heritage of the Cave-Heaven Paradises even be compared to their former glory?”
Yang Kai was startled, “The Shattered Heaven was a result of a blood feud between the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises?”
“Indeed!” Bi Xi nodded, “Apart from a battle between the Cave-Heaven Paradises, what else could lead to the death of so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in this world? It was enough to fill the Shattered Heaven with so many opportunities and dangers. This Old Master once travelled the Shattered Heaven when he was young, but I did not go too deep. So, the only advice this Old Master can give you about the Shattered Heaven, is to be careful!”
“This Junior will remember.” Yang Kai nodded, at the same time, he felt both guilty and touched. The Proprietress also knew that it wouldn’t be convenient for Yang Kai to go looking for a High-Rank Yin Element treasure by himself; thus, she took this matter into her own hands after they left the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. However, even though she was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, finding a High-Rank Yin Element treasure would not be easy, with the Shattered Heaven as the only place she could think of.
Although she knew it was dangerous, the Proprietress still ventured into the Shattered Heaven boldly without any hesitation.
Nothing would have happened to her if it wasn’t for someone else’s hidden scheme, but someone wanted to use her to lure Yang Kai away from Void Land, and that was what got her into this mess.
Yang Kai also asked Bi Xi about what happened when he entered the Shattered Heaven, and Bi Xi told him everything he could. Unfortunately, he had only wandered around the outer edge so Yang Kai did not really get much information.
After half a day passed, Yang Kai got up to say goodbye.
Xiao Hong also stood up and said, “Young Master, I will come with you.”
Over the past few years, she had learnt to stop stuttering while speaking.
Xiao Hei sucked in his saliva and puffed out his chest, “I’m coming too.”
When Bi Xi heard them, he glared at them, “What are you two even capable of doing in a place like that right now? Be good and stay here with this Old Master!”
Xiao Hong replied, “Xiao Hei and I were brought out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by Young Master. We are only able to assume Human Form right now thanks to him giving us so many Dragon Blood Pills. If it were not for Young Master, Xiao Hei and I would still be living in that dark cage, trapped and ignorant of the world. Now that Young Master is in trouble, how can we ignore him? Since you can’t go, Grandpa Turtle, Xiao Hei and I will go!”
“Nonsense!” Bi Xi rebuked. He had been alone for countless years, but luckily, now, he had two little babies who possessed Dragon bloodlines like him to accompany him. He was happier and more comfortable than he had been in millennia, so how could he sit back and watch them walk into danger?
Yang Kai rubbed Xiao Hong’s head, “I understand how you feel, but don’t come to the Shattered Heaven with me. I survived the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so what’s the Shattered Heaven to me? You stay here, at home. This Young Master will be right back.”
Xiao Hong stubbornly replied, “No no no! I’m coming, I’m coming! If Young Master doesn’t take us, Xiao Hei and I will just secretly follow you by ourselves! We will live and die together with Young Master!”
Xiao Hei nodded vigorously, “Yes, we will live and die together!”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded and looked at Bi Xi for help.
Bi Xi’s face turned black with anger. It took a while before he grit his teeth and spoke up, “Little girl, you should just say it… If you want this Old Master to help, just say it openly, why do you have to beat around the bush like that!?”
Yang Kai was puzzled.
Bi Xi opened his mouth and spat out something, and handed it to Yang Kai with some reluctance, “Take it. It may save your life at a critical moment!”
Yang Kai reached out and took it, while curiously asking, “What is this?”
Bi Xi chuckled and said, “This was something this Old Master moulted in my early years. It has been refined by this Old Master. All you need to do to activate it is pour your strength into it.”
Yang Kai looked carefully and found that the object in his hand was a tortoise shell that was the size of a palm, and immediately lit up with joy while thanking, “Many thanks, Senior!”
Yang Kai had witnessed how strong Bi Xi’s defence was with his own eyes. Now that he had this tortoiseshell refined by Bi Xi himself, Yang Kai had some capital to protect his life during this trip. He was only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, and although he could compete with a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master if he used all his cards if he encountered a High-Rank Open-Heaven Realm Master, he still did not have enough power to fight back.
He did not need to fight and win in the Shattered Heaven this time. All he needed to do was protect himself. Right now, what Bi Xi gave him was akin to charcoal delivered in the frigid winter.
Xiao Hong stepped forward and started shaking Bi Xi’s arm with a smile, “I knew Grandpa Turtle was the best!”
Bi Xi said with a dark face, “Don’t play these kinds of tricks. I shouldn’t have let you see that thing last time. Little girls are really ungrateful wolves that can’t be raised well, they always side with outsiders instead of their own family!”
Xiao Hong placed her head on Bi Xi’s arm and said coquettishly, “Grandpa Turtle, don’t be angry, when Xiao Hong grows up and becomes stronger, she will be filial to you.”
At those words, Bi Xi smiled with great joy and comfort.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said, “Senior, this Junior still has things to do, so I shall leave first.”
After saying that, he turned around to leave.
“Kid!” Bi Xi suddenly shouted behind him.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at him, “What’s the matter, Senior?”
“If your life is truly in danger…” Bi Xi looked solemn, and took a long time before continuing, “You might as well reveal your Dragon heritage. If you do so, you may force your enemy to act cautiously, lest they incur dangerous consequences! But only expose it as a last resort. Even though the Dragon Clan is strong, it also has a lot of enemies, and exposing it will likely backfire as well.”
Yang Kai nodded to show that he understood, “This Junior will remember.”
Yang Kai vaguely felt that Bi Xi’s statement seemed to be somewhat familiar. Thinking about it carefully, he remembered that when he saved Mie Meng, she had said something similar to him.
Bi Xi also had the same advice, so, it seems that the Dragon Clan may have truly made quite a few enemies in the 3,000 Worlds.
But still, Yang Kai had gained something that was personally shed and refined by Bi Xi, which was at least something.
When he returned to the place Old Bai was currently recuperating in, Yue He spoke, “Young Master, I have thought about it for a while and I think you shouldn’t go to the Shattered Heaven. After Bai Qi recovers, I will go with him to save Big Sister Lan.”
Yang Kai shook his head and sighed, “If I don’t show up, Proprietress will never be able to escape from danger. This is a scheme purposefully aimed at me, and only I can resolve it. On the contrary, you shouldn’t go. Proprietress is stronger than you, but the person behind this still managed to subdue her. It’s easy to tell that your going won’t help.”
Yue He shook her head and replied, “Just like how Young Master has a reason to go, I also have a reason to go. Big Sister Lan treats me like her true Sister, and nurtured me from a young age. I’ve resented her for many years because of something in the past, but now, when she is in trouble, how can I stand by and do nothing? Young Master, you are not yet in the Open Heaven Realm yet you are risking your life going there for her, so how can I sit by and watch? Besides, the Shattered Heaven is full of dangers, so you must be accompanied by someone.”
No matter what he said, Yang Kai could not persuade Yue He, so he could only give up and let out a sigh, “Fine. This trip is dangerous, so it’ll be just you, me, and Old Bai.”
Yue He said, “What about Mo Mei?”
“Void Land needs someone to assume command, so Mo Mei can’t leave. No one else needs to know. I will write a letter to her explaining the situation.”
This trip to the Shattered Heaven was not a problem that could be solved with numbers. Since the mastermind behind this wanted to lure him out of Void Land, they must be fully prepared. Void Land’s current strength was most likely not worthy enough to be placed in front of their eyes. What’s more, if they sent too many people, they would easily expose themselves; thus, it would be easier for Yang Kai and the others to hide their movements if they embarked on this trip with only three people.
Subconsciously, Yang Kai was not optimistic about the prospects of this trip. If he really did take all the major pillars of Void Land with him and something went wrong, Void Land would be finished. The hundreds of thousands of disciples would become homeless and displaced.
On the contrary, if Mo Mei and the others stayed behind, even if something happened to him, with Void Land’s current scale and the almost perfectly prospering Star City, Void Land would still have the power to continue to exist and develop.
Yue He pondered for a moment before gently nodding her head.
Yang Kai summoned Bian Yu Qing and gave her a few confidential instructions.
A few days later, the Star Gathering Universe Pill was finally refined. Mo Mei delivered the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill’s recipe and the 10 portions of the World Source Liquid Yang Kai prepared to the Alchemist in question, exchanging the Star Gathering Universe Pill with them. Afterwards, she returned to Void Land.
Yue He stood guard while Old Bai swallowed and refined the Star Gathering Universe Pill. It took a whole day for his Small Universe, that had been endlessly shaking, to finally settle down. There was no longer any more risk of collapse, he just needed to slowly recuperate.
With everything ready, Yang Kai set off, fearing that a long delay would only cause more problems.
At the Void Dock, a large, rough-looking man strode forward while leading a group of people. The disciple who was guarding the dock came forward and bowed while cupping his fist, “Sir Wei, are you on your way out?”
Although the person who had arrived was only a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the disciples guarding the dock recognized him because he was Wei Que, from Great Moon Province, and they had been instructed by their superiors to take special care of him.
It seemed that the Sect Master had some connections with Great Moon Province.
Wei Que chuckled, “Business is good these days, so I’m going back to the Sect to pick up some supplies and deliver some profits. I’ll have to bother you, Fellow Brothers.”
“Sir Wei is too polite.” The disciple nodded lightly and led a few other disciples to perform a casual inspection before waving them through.
After leaving the dock, Wei Que immediately summoned a boat and took several disciples from Great Moon Province aboard, speeding off into the distance. It was only half a day later that Wei Que, who was in the cabin compartment, reached out and took a bag from his waist, whispering after patting it gently, “Sect Master Yang, we’ve already travelled for half a day.”
Once he was done, the mouth of the bag suddenly opened and 3 figures appeared in front of him. The three figures were none other than Yang Kai, Yue He, and Old Bai.
Old Bai, who was still seriously injured, coughed.
Yang Kai put the Fated Paths Bag away and cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Senior Wei.”
Wei Que waved his hand, “Sect Master Yang is too polite. Void Land has been very kind to my Great Moon Province. What this Wei has done is nothing in comparison. It is hardly enough to return even one of the favours we owe.”
After a short pause, Wei Que continued, “This Wei is a simple man. Although I don’t know why Sect Master Yang is doing this, it is obvious he is going to do something big. If there is something that Great Moon Province can do, please feel free to ask!”
When Yang Kai suddenly approached Wei Que and asked him to bring him out of Void Land quietly, the latter realized that the matter at hand was not simple.
Void Land was Yang Kai’s territory. If now, as Void Land’s Sect Master, he needed to conceal his whereabouts when he entered and left, it would mean he suspected that there were people both inside and outside of Void Land that were watching him, which made it necessary for him to act so secretively.
How powerful was the enemy he was facing for him to still be so cautious even with Void Land’s current strength?
Great Moon Province was only a Third Class great force and could not afford to get involved in such muddy waters, but Wei Que was a man who believed deeply in repaying favours and grudges. He was willing to help even though he knew it would be extremely dangerous.
Yang Kai said, “This Junior appreciates Senior Wei’s kind intentions, but others can’t help me this time. Many thanks.”
Wei Que sighed, “In that case, Sect Master Yang must be careful not to let these wicked people’s schemes succeed!” He knew that this was Yang Kai’s personal matter. Also, he wouldn’t be able to help with his meagre strength, so he didn’t try to force the issue.
Bidding farewell to Wei Que, Yue He summoned a small wooden shuttle and the trio headed straight towards the nearest Territory Gate.
Two days later, the Territory Gate came into sight
There were Territory Gates between all Great Territories, and when crossing one, a cultivator would be exposed to a strong pressure. If one tried to cross a Territory Gate with their physical body without having a cultivation of at least the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm, they would face grave danger to their lives.
If a cultivator under the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm wanted to cross a Territory Gate, they had to use some type of flight-type artifact.
Although Yue He’s wooden shuttle was not a high-grade artifact, it wasn’t a low-quality item either. She also had a cultivation of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it would not be a problem for them to pass through the Territory Gate.
In a matter of breaths, the swirling Territory Gate was right in front of them, and the wooden shuttle rushed straight in. Even before the slight feeling of dizziness could pass, the three of them were already in another Great Territory.
Before Yang Kai had the time to check the situation around them, he heard Yue He cry out, “Young Master, look out!”
The next moment, a great sense of crisis overwhelmed them. Violent World Force burst out, the wooden shuttle burst into pieces, sending Old Bai flying with a trail of blood behind him. Fresh damage was added to his already seriously injured body. Yang Kai also felt uncomfortable, but he was well protected by Yue He and did not suffer any kind of serious injury. Yue He, on the other hand, was bleeding from the corner of her lips, and had obviously been wounded.
Yang Kai’s face was instantly filled with rage. He could guess that his Void Land had to be littered with the prying eyes of outsiders, so he hid in the Fated Paths Bag and asked Wei Que to take him, Yue He, and Old Bai out quietly. He did think that the road ahead would be thorny, but he never anticipated being intercepted as soon as they left Void Territory!
The person who attacked was extremely decisive and had obviously determined that they would emerge from this Territory Gate; thus, the enemy did not hesitate to bombard them with their Divine Ability. Yue He and Old Bai were caught unprepared, plus they had just passed through the Territory Gate and were still a little disoriented, leading to them suffering a big loss.
Looking up, Yang Kai saw two people, an old man and a young man, standing in the void. The old man had a crane-like face, and looked hearty, full of energy. Cold light flashed through the slits of his long and narrow eyes, as he squinted them.
The young man looked like he was only a teenager, but the aura he was emitting showed that it was absolutely impossible for him to be a mere youth.
Both the old man and the teenager were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. One of them was holding a wooden branch with lightning flashing out of it, while the other was carrying a copper rod, which looked rather out of place.
The young man with the copper rod smiled at the three of them and fixed his gaze on Yang Kai, before asking warmly, “Void Land’s Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai shouted angrily, “It is this King! Who are you, announce your names!”
The young man smiled, “You’re young, but your tone is filled with arrogance. On the other hand, although your strength is low, you have managed to stir up the entire 3,000 Worlds, so you are qualified to know the name of this Monarch.”
After saying so, he cupped his fist while holding the copper rod in a backhand grip, and declared, “Heavenly Sword Union’s Union Master, Shen Liang!”
The old man, while holding the wooden branch behind his back and putting one hand on his chest, said indifferently, “Vice Union Master, Jiang Yun Shan!”
“Heavenly Sword Union?” Yang Kai raised his brow and said coldly, “Heavenly Sword Union has lost their Union Master not long ago, but two more have now popped up? Haven’t you people had enough yet?”
Shen Liang chuckled, “You mean Kong Feng? If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. This Monarch must thank you for killing that old dog; otherwise, how would this Shen have been able to become the current Union Master? Though, while I am thankful to you, I still have to take revenge. No matter what, Kong Feng was the previous Union Master, and he was killed at your hands. Since I am the new Union Master, I can’t just ignore this slight. Therefore, I am here today to take your head. I advise you to not resist, otherwise, it will be very unpleasant!”
Yang Kai grunted, “Since I can kill a Kong Feng, I can naturally kill you. If you want to die, just try it!”
While speaking, he urgently sent a voice transmission to Yue He, “Try to hold them back for a while, we can’t win this fight so we need to find a way to escape!”
Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had come at once, and only Yue He could contend with them. Old Bai was definitely no match for them, not to mention himself. It was a fight they would definitely lose.
The only way for them to have any chance of survival was to use Yang Kai’s Space Secret Techniques to escape!
Yue He understood and gave a nod.
Shen Liang laughed lightly, “You are truly a brat who doesn’t fear the Heavens. No wonder you dare to act like that. Come come come, let this Monarch dig your heart out to see how big it really is.”
Saying so, the copper rod in his hand smashed down. Even though it was just the slash of a rod, it felt as if the whole world was crashing down. The terrifying World Force tumbled down, making both the Heavens and the Earth shake.
At the same time, Jiang Yun Shan also struck with the wooden branch in his hand which caused lightning to appear and turn into thousands of thunder swords, each thunder sword containing an abundant amount of World Force.
Old Bai roared with strong spirit. The power of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm poured out, transforming into a sky of fist shadows which clashed with the thunder swords.
Yue He summoned a vase with several flower branches in it, each branch with a flower bud on it. She took out a flower branch and shook it. In an instant, flowers filled the sky, gently flying all over the place. Each flower petal was like the world’s sharpest blade, able to cut even space.
The main reason why there was a huge gap between the strength of a newly advanced Open Heaven Realm Master and an old Open Heaven Realm Master was the difference in accumulation in their Small Universes. There was also a huge difference in the quality of the artifacts that they possessed.
Even if the artifacts one possessed before they advanced to the Open Heaven Realm were exceptional, they would not be useful after they broke through. The chasm between the Emperor Realm and the Open Heaven Realm was just too great; thus, one had to find someone to refine new artifacts or buy new ones that were suitable for their new Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
Artifacts of the Open Heaven Realm were graded on the same scale as the Open Heaven Realm itself.
Yang Kai was something of an exception as even though he had not advanced to the Open Heaven Realm yet, he had a powerful weapon like the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands. Thus, he need not pay much attention to this.
However, after the Hundred Sects Alliance invaded Void Land, Yang Kai began paying closer attention to Open Heaven Realm artifacts.
This couldn’t be helped. There were too many new Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, and their base strength couldn’t be raised in a short period of time. After all, it took time to strengthen one’s foundation. Thus, if he wanted to immediately raise their combat power, he had to use external means, like artifacts.
When the Hundred Sects Alliance attacked, Mo Mei was pitted against Luan Bai Feng and ended up being completely outclassed. Of course, the biggest reason was because she had just broken through and her foundation was still unstable, but there was another matter as well, which was that she lacked suitable artifacts to assist her. Thus, she ended up having to use her bare hands to fight. If she had an artifact that suited her current cultivation at that time, the situation would have been much better.
As such, after the Star City was rebuilt and developed, Yang Kai asked Bian Yu Qing to allocate a large amount of money to purchase artifacts for Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters. Furthermore, with the many spoils obtained after the battle, many of Void Land’s new Open Heaven Realm Masters could now exert much greater power than they were able to at that time.
The vase in Yue He’s hands was worth 40 million Open Heaven Pills! It was an artifact meant for those in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The artifacts used by Open Heaven Realm Masters were all capable of channelling and augmenting World Force, which were incomparable to the artifacts used by cultivators below the Open Heaven Realm.
Flower petals flew amidst the sky that was filled with flowers in the void, which made Shen Liang and Jiang Yun Shan lose all sense of direction. How could they find Yang Kai and the others, when the only thing they could sense around them were colourful flower petals and chilling murderous intent. It was almost as if they were trapped in a sealed world. Hurriedly, both of them used Secret Techniques to try and break out of the trap, which caused shockwaves and endless rumbles to sound.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai shouted without hesitation when he saw that the two of them were trapped, immediately wrapping Yue He and Old Bai in his Space Principles to escape.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly. The space around them seemed to have turned into a cage, locking them in place, making it impossible to flee.
“We’re trapped!” Yang Kai’s face was gloomy. This feeling seemed familiar. Instantly, a person’s figure popped up in his mind, which caused him to grit his teeth and shout, “Luan Bai Feng!”
When the Hundred Sects Alliances invaded Void Land, Luan Bai Feng had been there to help Kong Feng. This woman was extremely proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays. If there was anyone that could seal a local region of space so quickly and quietly, it was her!
When Kong Feng was captured, that woman resolutely fled. Yang Kai thought she had gone back to Black Prison, but unexpectedly, she was here. In other words, this time, they were not facing off against two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but three!
“Hehehe…” Luan Bai Feng’s figure suddenly appeared, along with a charming laugh. She spoke while playfully looking at Yang Kai, “Little boy, you have a good head on your shoulders. You could even guess that this Queen was also here. Then, guess again, will you be able to leave alive this time?”
Yang Kai glared at her, “Luan Bai Feng, my Void Land and your Black Prison have no grudges or enmity. Why do you keep coming to provoke trouble again and again?”
Yang Kai felt hatred surging within him. If it wasn’t for this woman, he could have taken Yue He and Old Bai away with his Instantaneous Movement. But this woman had sealed off that possibility, making him unable to escape with his Space Principles.
Luan Bai Feng flicked her jade-like finger and said with a smile, “We really do have no grievances, but this Queen is short of ore slaves and is very interested in your Open Heaven Realm Masters. How about this? Give me all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in your Void Land, then I will spare your life. How about it?”
“In your dreams!” Yang Kai ground his teeth and roared, “If I don’t die today, I swear to crush your Black Prison one day!”
Luan Bai Feng put her hands on her chest and delicately said, “I’m afraid of men with such big tempers!”
*Hong…*
When the boundless rain of flower petals broke apart, two figures appeared. It was Shen Liang and Jiang Yun Shan, who were trapped by Yue He before. Glancing at Luan Bai Feng, Shen Liang snorted coldly and asked, “Why are you talking so much nonsense? Kill them first!”
Luan Bai Feng said smilingly, “This Queen is a gentle woman. Although I am capable of bullying the weak, it is not something I am willing to do. Helping you trap them is the limit of what this Queen will do this time. If you want to kill them, do it yourself, I’ll just watch from the sidelines.” Saying so, she actually took a few steps back.
Shen Liang snorted coldly without worry and ordered, “You take care of Yue He, this Monarch will kill that brat!”
Jiang Yun Shan replied, “Good!” A thunderous beam of lightning headed towards Yue He with a single swing of the branch in his hand.
Right when he did so, Yang Kai shouted, “Zhu Jiu Yin! Until when do you plan to wait!?”
As soon as Yang Kai said so, Shen Liang and the others’ faces changed dramatically. Shen Liang, who was about to rush towards Yue He, immediately assumed a defensive stance, his eyes darting around as he pushed his Divine Sense wildly.
Luan Bai Feng also froze while Jiang Yun Shan directly summoned a defensive artifact to protect himself.
Before the Hundred Sects Alliances fought against Void Land, no one took Void Land seriously, and no one even considered the possibility that there could be two mature Divine Spirits hidden in this puny Second Class force.
After that battle though, Zhu Jiu Yin’s origins were made clear.
Yang Kai left Void Land this time seemingly followed by only Yue He and Bai Qi; however, who knew whether he had any hidden backup like Zhu Jiu Yin or Bi Xi.
The reason why Luan Bai Feng did not attack just now was because she was afraid that Zhu Jiu Yin was hiding nearby; thus, as soon as they heard Yang Kai shout the name ‘Zhu Jiu Yin’, the three of them acted as though they were facing a terrifying enemy.
Taking this opportunity, Yue He and Old Bai, who had been secretly instructed by Yang Kai, struck out in unison, targeting a certain spot in the void.
After the raging World Force exploded three times, the imprisoned space suddenly loosened.
Although Luan Bai Feng had set up a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array here, it was not very solid as she had to act quickly. Thus, Yue He and Old Bai could easily break through it by force.
Luan Bai Feng’s pretty face turned red as she shouted, “It’s a trick, stop them!”
Yang Kai turned his head around and sneered at her as he manipulated Space Principles once again. As long as he could escape from here, he was confident he would be able to get rid of Luan Bai Feng and the others.
When he first entered the 3,000 Worlds, he was able to escape from the Proprietress. Now that his strength was far greater, it would not be difficult for him to use his Space Beacons and Space Principles to escape from Luan Bai Feng and the others.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s expression became odd as he looked behind Luan Bai Feng in a daze. The next moment, his eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.
Old Bai said anxiously, “Go! What are you doing?”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, his tense expression suddenly becoming completely relaxed.
Luan Bai Feng, however, shivered violently, because at that moment, a cold aura appeared behind her. It was as if a poisonous snake had climbed up to the back of her neck and gently hissed into her ear.
“Your name is Luan Bai Feng?” A voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
Luan Bai Feng’s body jolted, and the full might of her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation burst out along with a roar. She struck behind her with the back of her palm, which, though hurried, still contained all her strength.
Whipping her head around at the same time, she saw the face of the person standing behind her.
Charming and enchanting, the person’s Heavenly beauty could topple kingdoms. Even though Luan Bai Feng was a woman herself, she could not help but be moved when she saw her.
Divine Spirit, Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, Zhu Jiu Yin!
This turned out to be a trick disguised as another trick! When she saw Yang Kai rushing to escape, she thought that the boy was just trying to distract her. However, who knew that Zhu Jiu Yin was really nearby, and at some point had snuck up behind her.
Facing Luan Bai Feng’s attack, Zhu Jiu Yin just gently slapped away her palm. This casual slap held the power of a mature Divine Spirit though and the sound of bones cracking rang out as Luan Bai Feng was sent flying like a paper kite without a string. Fresh blood sprayed from her lips as she tumbled uncontrollably.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master was as weak as a three-year-old child in front of Zhu Jiu Yin.
Zhu Jiu Yin did not pause. Her whole body seemed to not move at all, yet somehow still managed to catch up to Luan Bai Feng. With a flip of her hair, each strand turned into a poisonous snake. There, a group of thousands of snakes opened their mouths, hissing endlessly as they bit Luan Bai Feng.
*Zheng zheng…*
Ethereal music sounded at that moment, as if someone was plucking a zither in the void. Yang Kai did not know when, but a woman with a breathtakingly beautiful face had appeared. Her white arms and calves were exposed with a pinkish tinge dyeing them. She sat cross-legged in the void, a zither before her and a sweet smile on her face. With a single move of her delicate hand, sound waves that were visible to the naked eye turned into sharp knives, heading towards Jiang Yun Shan.
Yang Kai turned his head to look, and exclaimed with widened eyes, “Senior Sister Qu!”
In truth, he really did just shout Zhu Jiu Yin’s name to distract Luan Bai Feng and the others to take advantage of their lapse in attention and create an opportunity to escape.
Who knew that his words would be prophetic and Zhu Jiu Yin would really appear.
His cultivation had not yet reached such a state where his words would become law, whereby the World would follow it; thus, Zhu Jiu Yin had only shown up because she had been secretly following him to protect him. His attempt in deception not only fooled Luan Bai Feng and the others, but also Zhu Jiu Yin herself.
When Yang Kai went to Zhu Jiu Yin and asked for her help, she had firmly refused. He thought that she would really not assist him this time, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn she had actually followed him in secret.
This warmed Yang Kai’s heart. No matter what the reason may be, Zhu Jiu Yin did follow him in the end.
Not only did Zhu Jiu Yin follow him, but Qu Hua Shang had also tagged along. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had opened a Dao Temple in Void Star City to attract young talents from all over the world to ‘discuss the Dao’. This Dao Temple was the reason Qu Hua Shang had been present in Void Star City for the past few years. She had even visited Void Land numerous times. It was just that this time, Yang Kai had not informed her about this incident, and he did not know why she had come here with Zhu Jiu Yin.
Zhu Jiu Yin was now equivalent to a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Meanwhile, Qu Hua Shang was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With the two of them joining the battle, the roles of hunter and prey had instantly been flipped.
The melody of the zither was soul-stirring, forcing Jiang Yun Shan to retreat again and again. Jiang Yun Shan was definitely stronger than Qu Hua Shang in terms of raw strength; after all, it had not been long since Qu Hua Shang had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm. Thus, even with the artifacts given to her by her Sect, it would be difficult for her to make up for the gap brought by the difference in their foundation.
However, when Zhu Jiu Yin appeared, Jiang Yun Shan was also momentarily distracted and had to divert part of his attention to monitor her. Thus, for a while, he was caught off guard and greatly affected by Qu Hua Shang’s sound attack.
Meanwhile, there was another enemy remaining, Shen Liang, who was still watching.
Yue He decisively held a flower and swept it towards Shen Liang. The flower petals filling the void trapped him again. Violent sounds came out of the storm of petals, but Shen Liang was unable to escape in short order.