As they exchanged glances, they knew that they couldn’t hold back anymore. If they still wouldn’t risk their lives, Black Crow would escape from this place.
After they made a decision, layers of blood mist were seen exploding around the four of them. As these four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters burned their Blood Essence, their auras exploded. Even the Thousand-Eyed Demon Phantom behind Ti Zheng became reddened and more overbearing.
No one was willing to use this kind of technique unless they were left with no choice, as doing so would damage their foundation and it would be troublesome to recover from.
However, that was the least of their worries in this situation.
In an instant, Zhu Jiu Yin felt immensely pressured as her Heaven Covering Web was no longer able to restrict the movements of these four Masters. Following the attacks of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Phantom’s demonic lights and blade, the web was starting to show signs of collapsing.
Although Zhu Jiu Yin was trying her best to sustain it, she was unable to persevere indefinitely; after all, she hadn’t fully restored her power yet. Just now, she had caught her opponents off guard. She had already done her best by trying to confine them for such a long time.
Seeing as the four enemies were about to break free from her web, Zhu Jiu Yin realised that once they managed to do so, she would be unable to ensure Yang Kai’s safety on her own.
She suddenly had the intention of retreating.
While she was still lost in her thoughts, she felt her chest tightening. Following a loud boom, her gigantic true form staggered backwards while her Heaven Covering Web broke apart.
A ray of light shot out of the spider web and rushed in the direction Black Crow and his subordinates had left earlier. Apparently, he was trying to save the captured Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. He disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Ti Zheng and the others bombarded Zhu Jiu Yin with their attacks. The giant Spirit Peak repeatedly landed on her while the Thousand-Eyed Demon Phantom slashed across the void with its blade. A flustered Zhu Jiu Yin brandished all of her legs, and even the crescent moon mark on her back started glittering.
She wanted to weave a web again, but she didn’t have the chance to do so. As soon she spat out a thread of spider silk, it would be destroyed with overwhelming force.
The remaining three High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters seemed to have tacitly come up with a strategy as two of them pinned Zhu Jiu Yin down while the last person pounced towards Yang Kai.
Their goal this time was to kill Yang Kai, so as long as they could achieve their objective, they could immediately leave this place. By then, Zhu Jiu Yin would never be able to stop them.
Even though Zhu Jiu Yin was powerful, she was faced with the Divine Manifestations of two High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters on her own. Meanwhile, the last person brought with him an immense World Force and broke through the spider web’s restriction before appearing before Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
Yue He, Bai Qi, and Qu Hua Shang became alarmed as they hurriedly tried to intercept this person.
However, the difference in their strength couldn’t be made up with numbers. Faced with the tremendous force, the three of them were sent flying away after just three breaths. They looked battered as they sprayed out blood from their mouths.
Since there were no more obstacles in the way, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked at Yang Kai condescendingly. An Emperor Realm Junior to him was just an ant.
Engulfed in a sense of crisis, Yang Kai gritted his teeth and pushed all his might to use Bi Xi’s turtle shell to protect himself.
Yang Kai had used the turtle shell to fend off his opponent some time ago so he was naturally prepared to do so again. However, even though this shell was sturdy, the person using it was too feeble. Instead of destroying the turtle shell, this Master only had to continuously attack and Yang Kai would eventually die from the impact.
Therefore, even though Yang Kai had summoned the turtle shell, this person still didn’t seem to have the intention of holding back. As he brandished his fists, innumerable shadows engulfed Yang Kai.
*Hong hong hong…*
World Force surged like a storm.
Even though the light on the turtle shell remained strong and obstinately stood guard in front of Yang Kai, the fallout that passed through the shell and reached Yang Kai was enough to cause severe damage. Just a moment later, Yang Kai felt as though all his bones had been dislocated and the vitality in his chest was weltering. It seemed that he would lose his life at any moment.
At the critical moment, he could no longer hold back and shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
Following a high-pitched Dragon Roar, the universe trembled. A huge and majestic Dragon’s head manifested behind Yang Kai’s back before disappearing into his body.
As a golden light glittered and explosive sounds were continuously heard. Yang Kai’s figure expanded rapidly. His hands turned into gigantic Dragon Claws and Dragon Horns grew out of his forehead. A long Dragon Tail swept out and his entire figure was covered in a layer of glistening golden Dragon Scales.
Simultaneously, a rich Dragon Pressure permeated the void.
An originally petite Human suddenly transformed into a 4,000 metres long behemoth. Yang Kai had refined all the Dragon Blood Pills he had obtained from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, which allowed his Dragon Form to evolve massively once again.
Bi Xi’s turtle shell expanded exponentially as it seemed to cover the void and hovered in front of Yang Kai, who extended his claw and grabbed it as though he was holding a colossal shield.
Following a Dragon Roar, Yang Kai shot a glare at the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who attempted to harm him. As his Dragon whiskers flapped in the air, he targeted the person and hurled the turtle shell at him.
“You’re part of the Dragon Clan!?” That person was flabbergasted.
He never expected to see Yang Kai undergo such a transformation. Feeling the pure Dragon Pressure, he fell into a dazed state, and by the time came to his senses, the turtle shell was already upon him.
Then, he roared and parried the attack with both hands. As the violent forces clashed, that Master was forced back several hundred metres before he was able to stabilise himself. On the other hand, Yang Kai slightly bent backwards as he almost flipped over. The flesh on his arms exploded as his golden Dragon Blood splashed across the void.
There was still an enormous gap between their powers, which was why Yang Kai immediately suffered a setback. If it weren’t because his Dragon Form was extremely sturdy, he would’ve exploded on the spot from the impact.
Meanwhile, Ti Zheng and the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were stunned as they looked dazedly at Yang Kai. Quickly, they used feints to withdraw and widen the gap between Zhu Jiu Yin and them.
Zhu Jiu Yin breathed a sigh of relief as she didn’t have the intention of relentlessly attacking them. Just now, for a moment, she thought that Yang Kai was doomed as she secretly cursed at him for being overconfident about his capabilities and interfering in this matter. If he really died in this place, Shan Qing Luo and the others would become widows. By then, she wouldn’t know how she could explain herself to Shan Qing Luo when she returned.
However, it never crossed her mind that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would relent at this moment, allowing Yang Kai to escape from death’s door.
The intense battle came to an abrupt halt as Yue He and the others, who were coming back to protect Yang Kai, stood there in disbelief.
Ti Zheng and his companions gathered together as they vigilantly stared at Zhu Jiu Yin while examining Yang Kai. They appeared both doubtful and shocked.
Yang Kai sported a solemn expression as he hovered in the void like a true Dragon overlooking the Heavens and Earth. Even though he was the weakest at the scene by far, he was also the most overbearing.
“Are you really a member of the Dragon Clan?” Ti Zheng asked through clenched teeth with a pale face.
He was severely wounded when battling against Zhu Jiu Yin just now. The main reason was that he had humiliated Zhu Jiu Yin, so the woman targeted most of her attacks at him, which led to his current miserable state. At this moment, the Small Universe in his body was trembling violently.
“What difference does it make whether I’m part of the Dragon Clan or not? Cut the crap and fight if that’s what you want,” Yang Kai replied. Every word he said was like thunder that reverberated across the void, making all of their ears ring.
Despite what Yang Kai had said, he could clearly see a sense of wariness behind the eyes of Ti Zheng and the others. He became slightly at ease as he realised that Mie Meng and Bi Xi were right to say that it was useful to reveal his Dragon Form at the most critical moment.
Ti Zheng and the others were naturally not wary of him, but they were of the Dragon Clan. Revealing his Dragon Form had pros and cons. Even though the Dragon Clan was extraordinarily powerful, they had many enemies in the 3,000 Worlds, so this identity might attract some unwanted trouble for him.
However, he had no choice but to reveal his Dragon Form in that kind of situation just now.
Ti Zheng snorted, “How could there be such a strange Dragon Clan member like you in this world?”
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was naturally more familiar with the Dragon Clan than ordinary people. Although Yang Kai had many characteristics of the Dragon Clan, there were still some traces of a Human in him. That was why he was doubtful. With that said, he was puzzled at the purity of the Dragon Pressure he was currently feeling.
If Yang Kai only had a faint Dragon Clan bloodline, he couldn’t possibly exude such a pure Dragon Pressure.
There was a reason that the Dragon Clan was touted to be the Head of the Myriad Spirits.
“Whether I’m a Dragon or not is none of your business,” Yang Kai decided the less he revealed the better.
“Hmph! This Monarch has a way to find out!”
As Ti Zheng spoke, he rubbed his fingers together and obtained a drop of golden Dragon Blood that was floating nearby. After having a taste of the blood though, he sported a dark expression.
The other two High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters turned their heads and observed his expression before realising that Yang Kai was indeed a Dragon Clan member; otherwise, Ti Zheng wouldn’t have sported such a solemn look.
At that instant, they furrowed their brows as a single thought crossed their minds, [This is bad!]
It wouldn’t have mattered if Yang Kai was just a random Dragonborn. The Dragon Clan was known for its lasciviousness, and they had left behind countless Dragon Descendants in the 3,000 Worlds. Half-Dragons and Dragonborn were not valued by the Dragon Clan at all, so they could be killed without any concern. However, a Pureblood Dragon couldn’t be killed as one pleased.
If they could erase all traces of the act, they could ensure the Dragon Clan never found out about it. It wasn’t like there had never been Dragons who were murdered in the past. Nevertheless, even if they could kill Yang Kai today, there was no way they would be able to kill Zhu Jiu Yin; hence, this news was bound to leak out. Although they were all Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they were not willing to risk offending the Dragon Clan.
It wasn’t that the great forces behind them were afraid of the Dragon Clan, but creating this kind of unnecessary conflict would be extremely detrimental to them.
At that instant, they found all their previous actions laughable.
They had summoned four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and more than 20 Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to deal with Yang Kai, but in the end, many of them were either killed or injured, and they were unable to kill him as they pleased.
What was the point of doing all this?
If they knew Yang Kai was a Dragon Clan member, they wouldn’t have spent so much effort setting up a trap in this place. Now, they were all riding a tiger, unable to get off.
They couldn’t let Yang Kai go just like that as many of their subordinates were killed. How were they supposed to explain themselves to their respective great forces when they returned? What’s more, if they released Yang Kai, it would be troublesome should he manage to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
At that instant, they didn’t know what to do as they could neither kill him nor release him.
As Ti Zheng and the others traded glances, they were unable to make a decision.
Just then, the fourth High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, who had run after Black Crow earlier, returned. He had no idea what was going on, so he couldn’t help but ask, “What are you all doing?”
Another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master parted his lips and quietly informed him of the situation, causing the former to frown.
Ti Zheng asked, “Where’s Black Crow?”
“He escaped,” that person said resentfully. Black Crow was an Old Monster who had been reborn by taking over someone’s body, and he had also cultivated a Heaven-defying Secret Art. Even though the one who chased him was a High-Rank Open Heaven Master, Black Crow still managed to throw him off. Left with no choice, he could only come back.
They were not able to either kill or release Yang Kai, while Black Crow had captured their people and fled. Their plot this time could be said to be a complete failure; therefore, all four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters sported extremely dark expressions.
While they were in a dilemma, Yang Kai suddenly asked loudly, “What’s going on with this Shadowless Cave Heaven? Why can’t I open the portal?”
Initially, Ti Zheng wanted to ignore him. The failure this time would definitely damage his reputation in Myriad Demons Heaven. When he returned to his great force, he would probably be demoted and punished. Presently, he was wondering how he could settle the issue, so he wasn’t in the mood to reply to Yang Kai. However, as he darted his eyes around, he suddenly thought of something and with a smile, he said to Yang Kai, “You’re just a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master, so you’re unable to open the entrance to the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai gazed at him with a tilted head.
Ti Zheng explained, “That’s because there’s a restriction around the Shadowless Cave Heaven. The minimum requirement to pass through this barrier is to be in the Open Heaven Realm. It’s just like how the barrier around the Blood Monster Cave Heaven dictated that only those below the Open Heaven Realm Masters could enter it. The Shadowless Cave Heaven is just the opposite. Only Open Heaven Realm Masters can go in.”
“I see,” Yang Kai muttered under his breath as though he had already expected it.
While both parties were locked in an intense battle just now, he had repeatedly attempted to open up the entrance to the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Unfortunately, even though he had found the entrance, he was obstructed by some kind of repulsive force, which stopped him from succeeding. He had a feeling that he was not powerful enough to force it open. If he had sufficient strength, he could easily enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
“Do you want to go in? It’s easy. Just ascend to the Open Heaven Realm.” Ti Zheng grinned.
Upon hearing that, the other three High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters arched their brows as they realised Ti Zheng’s intention.
“You want me to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm?” Yang Kai sneered at him.
Ti Zheng shrugged and coughed before saying, “It’s entirely up to you whether you want to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm, and no one can force you to do so. However, I have to tell you that the Shadowless Cave Heaven isn’t a pleasant place. Over the years, many people have entered it, but none of them have managed to come out, so no one knows what the situation is like inside or how dangerous it is. It has been half a year since Lan You Ruo fell into it. If you’re too slow, you might not even have a chance to retrieve her corpse. Nevertheless, I heard that you’re proficient in the Dao of Space. After you go in, you might be able to find a way out. Lan You Ruo’s life or death is up to you now.”
He seemed to be encouraging Yang Kai to break through right now, so upon hearing that, Yue He paled and exclaimed, “Don’t listen to him, Young Master!”
Yang Kai remained in his 3,000 metres Dragon Form as he narrowed his eyes and looked condescendingly at Ti Zheng.
Even though Ti Zheng’s face was somewhat pale, he still stared back at him smilingly.
A moment later, Yang Kai closed his eyes and returned to his Human Form. Things had come to a point where they wouldn’t fight again. Ti Zheng and the others were wary of the Dragon Clan, so they wouldn’t kill Yang Kai. On the other hand, Yang Kai had no way to defeat them, so it was pointless to sustain his Dragon Form.
Ti Zheng observed his expression and realised that Yang Kai sported a conflicted look, as though he was trying to make a difficult decision.
Upon that realization, Zhu Jiu Yin shot him a glance, “Brat, are you really…”
Yue He anxiously spoke up, “You have come so far in this path, Young Master. It would be an incredible shame if you fail at the last step. Please don’t even think about it!”
Yang Kai turned to look at her and realised that her eyes were filled with concern and anxiety. There was still a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth. All of a sudden, he stopped hesitating and calmed down as his gaze turned resolute. Then, he took a step forward and helped her brush away the blood on her lips before gently saying, “It’s indeed a shame to fail at the last step, but… I should have my own power now.”
As a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master, he was too weak and insignificant in all these battles.
When he was besieged by Shen Liang and Jiang Yun Shan from Heavenly Sword Union back then, all he could do was stay behind everyone’s protection. Now, he was attacked by Ti Zheng and the others, but all he could do was let his companions protect him. He could only watch as Zhu Jiu Yin fought a life-and-death battle with the enemy while Yue He and the others repeatedly spat blood just to shield him from harm.
He wouldn’t want to go through this kind of terrible experience again as it pained him to see his companions being harmed while he was powerless to help.
As that realisation dawned upon him, all his worries melted away and he was left with a decision in his mind, which was ascending to the Open Heaven Realm!
All of a sudden, he felt as though he had been enlightened.
Only by ascending to the Open Heaven Realm would he have a right to be viewed as important in the 3,000 Worlds. Only by ascending to the Open Heaven Realm would he be able to enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven and stand a chance to bring the Proprietress out of this place.
“Please don’t do that, Young Master!” Yue He exclaimed. Yang Kai had been working hard, and coupled with his incredible luck, he had managed to condense six High-Rank Elements. As long as he could complete the last step, he would directly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and make a name for himself. If he failed at the very last moment, it would be the biggest regret in his life.
Yang Kai spread his arms and flashed a smile at her, “What do you see?”
A puzzled Yue He shook her head, her eyes filled with concern.
Yang Kai explained, “It’s a pair of powerless arms. What can I do with them? Proprietress has fallen into danger because of me, but I’m unable to save her because there’s no power in my hands.”
Then, he balled up his fists as though he was trying to grab something, “Only by having strength that I can call my own, can I change anything.”
He and the Proprietress were unable to wait any longer. Just like what Ti Zheng had said, no one knew what was going on inside the Shadowless Cave Heaven. It had been half a year since the Proprietress fell into it, so there was no telling what kind of danger she was facing. Although the Proprietress was among the strongest in the Sixth Order, she might not be able to break free from this trap.
Moreover, what was the point if he kept waiting? It was unrealistic for him to obtain a High-Rank Yin Element treasure now. This time, Myriad Demons Heaven led the way and used Proprietress to lure Yang Kai out of Void Land. What would come next? There was no way they would let him off, and the merchants wouldn’t dare to offend all the Cave Heavens and Paradises by selling him a High-Rank Yin Element treasure.
It had been 3 years since he started developing the Star City and business had been excellent, with all the streets filled with people buying and selling all manner of goods. However, although he had offered a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and a High-Rank Metal Element Monster Core, he still couldn’t get what he wanted.
Even if he kept waiting, he might not be able to achieve his goal in the end.
Rather than waiting for a dream that was out of reach, the most important thing for him now was to have his own strength.
Affirming his decision, he turned around as his black hair flapped in the non-existent wind and bellowed, “I’ll ascend to the Open Heaven Realm as you wish, Ti Zheng. I hope you all won’t be too disappointed!”
Upon hearing that, Ti Zheng rubbed his palms together and guffawed, “You’re indeed a promising young man.”
If Yang Kai wanted to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm now, he wouldn’t be able to become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master because he didn’t have a High-Rank Yin Element treasure. He could only make it to the Sixth Order at most. In that case, they were willing to accept such an outcome.
All this while, they had been worried that Yang Kai would directly ascend to the Seventh Order, giving him a chance to become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and challenge the order of the 3,000 Worlds.
If he only ascended to the Sixth Order, there would no longer be any worries. The highest limit a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could achieve was the Eighth-Order. There were quite a number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who stood guard over the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to cause a stir.
At that instant, Ti Zheng found Yang Kai to be less despicable as he secretly cursed at the latter for being so difficult. If Yang Kai had made up his mind earlier, they wouldn’t have had to go through so much effort. If word got out that some of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, led by Myriad Demons Heaven, joined forces just to suppress an Emperor Realm Junior, all of them would lose a lot of face.
“Young Master…” Yue He still wanted to dissuade him.
Yang Kai raised his hand and stroked her head, “Stand guard for me.”
With her lips pressed together, Yue He gazed at him with reddened eyes.
While Qu Hua Shang heaved a sigh, Bai Qi sported a conflicted expression, not knowing what to say. He felt extremely guilty and thought that things might not have come to such a point if he hadn’t gone to Void Land to look for Yang Kai.
However, he didn’t know what else to do. If he stopped Yang Kai, it was akin to letting the Proprietress perish. If he let Yang Kai ascend to the Open Heaven Realm at this point, the latter’s future would be ruined. He was truly caught in a dilemma.
“Why do you all wear such expressions?” Yang Kai flashed a smile at his companions.
Zhu Jiu Yin spoke after a sigh, “Brat, it’s up to you whether you want to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm or not. You have to think it through.”
Even though she had once tried to force Yang Kai to refine a Sixth-Order Element in Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary back then, that was because she wanted to increase his strength to prepare for the Spirit Seizing War so that he could stand a better chance to become the winner. Now that he had to voluntarily give up the dream he had been pursuing for years, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
The main reason she stopped forcing him at that time was that he threatened to kill himself, which showed just how firm his determination was.
“I’ve made up my mind.” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. He appeared completely at ease. Even though he would ruin the foundation he had built by ascending to the Open Heaven Realm today, he would never regret his decision.
That was because if he insisted on being stubborn, the people around him he cared about would be hurt. That was a future he would never want to see.
“Does any one of you have a Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure? Give it to me.” Yang Kai gazed at his companions, who shook their heads at the same time.
He arched his brow and turned to look at Zhu Jiu Yin.
She said, “Why are you looking at me? This Queen does have some Sixth-Order materials, but none of them are of the Yin Element.”
Among all the seven Elements, Yin and Yang were much harder to find than Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Yang Kai had spent lots of Open Heaven Pills to buy all sorts of materials, so he was fully aware of that.
Yue He was now a part of Void Land, so it was reasonable that she didn’t have any Sixth-Order Yin Element treasures on her. That was because many people in Void Land needed Sixth-Order materials right now, and such materials were difficult to come by. Be it the items Yang Kai had acquired back then or the new Sixth-Order materials that had appeared in the Star City, they were all given to the cultivators who needed them in Void Land, so there was basically nothing left.
Certainly, Bai Qi and Qu Hua Shang didn’t have one either. The former had followed the Proprietress for a long time. If there were any precious items, the Proprietress would keep them and only give them to him when needed. As for the latter, even though she was a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she had just ascended to the Sixth Order. Hence, she didn’t need any Sixth-Order materials to improve her cultivation for now.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected that he would have to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm when he left Void Land, which was why he hadn’t prepared anything. Although he had made up his mind, he didn’t have the item he needed, and even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice.
All of them appeared embarrassed in this situation.
Yang Kai glared at Zhu Jiu Yin and asked, “You’d been accumulating wealth for a long time in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Why don’t you even have a single Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure?”
Zhu Jiu Yin rolled her eyes and replied, “This Queen doesn’t need those things to cultivate, so what’s the point of collecting them? Moreover, it’s also hard to find Yin and Yang materials in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.”
This was giving Yang Kai a headache as he didn’t know what to do.
Across from them, Ti Zheng and the others were supposed to be at ease. As soon as Yang Kai ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, the burden on their shoulders would be lifted. However, this unexpected situation rendered them speechless at that instant.
Certainly, they were more than happy to see Yang Kai ascending to the Open Heaven Realm at this point as he would no longer be a threat to them once he did. Although they hadn’t managed to kill him as they had planned, the outcome was acceptable as they could explain themselves to the great forces behind them.
However, it would be troublesome for them as well if Yang Kai couldn’t achieve an ascension because there wasn’t a Yin Element material available.
Since they were not able to kill everyone here, they wouldn’t dare to make a move on a member of the Dragon Clan; otherwise, they would have to face the Dragon Clan’s wrath. Nevertheless, they were not willing to let Yang Kai go just like this.
While they were in a dilemma, they saw Yang Kai staring at them.
The corners of Ti Zheng’s brow twitched as he asked vigilantly, “Why are you looking at me?”
Yang Kai snorted, “Since you want me to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm here, I’m willing to grant your wish; however, you should show me some sincerity in return.”
“What do you mean?” Ti Zheng furrowed his brows.
“Stop asking the obvious. You know what I want.”
A speechless Ti Zheng gazed at him and fell silent for a moment before parting his lips to secretly speak to his companions. Although he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he didn’t have a Sixth-Order Yin Element material on hand; therefore, he could only ask the others whether they had such an item.
If they could solve this issue by offering up a Sixth-Order Yin Element material, it would be acceptable. Although Ti Zheng was displeased, he still suppressed his anger.
However, after asking around, he realised that none of them had such a resource.
Just like Zhu Jiu Yin, they had some Sixth-Order materials but not Yin and Yang ones. That was because Yin and Yang materials were extremely rare. Even if they obtained such items, they either had to give them to their respective Sects for the disciples’ cultivation needs or refine these items themselves. The Cave Heavens and Paradises were extremely powerful, so they needed more of these rare resources compared to Void Land.
Ti Zheng glanced at Yang Kai and declared, “None of us have a Sixth-Order Yin Element material.”
Yang Kai’s face fell, “All of you are Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who are filthy rich, and you’re telling me that none of you has a single Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure. Do you think I was born yesterday?”
Ti Zheng snapped, “Believe it or not, we don’t have the item you need!”
Upon hearing the reply, Yang Kai put on a sneer.
His expression enraged Ti Zheng. Instead of getting prepared for his ascension, Yang Kai was now blaming others for not having the item he needed, which was ridiculous. However, after giving it a thought, Ti Zheng realised that Yang Kai had always focused on looking for a High-Rank Yin Element treasure in order to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even if a Sixth-Order Yin Element material was presented to him in the past, he probably wouldn’t even spare it a glance. This time, he was forced to achieve a breakthrough, so it was expected that he wasn’t prepared.
After a cough, Ti Zheng said, “Do you want a Fifth-Order Yin Element? This Monarch has a very good Fifth-Order Heavenly Yin Sand, which is hard to come by. It’s the best kind of material in the Fifth Order. If you want, this Monarch can give it to you.”
Yang Kai bellowed, “You may kill me, but you cannot humiliate me, Ti Zheng! You’ve forced me to ascend to the Sixth Order, which is my bottom line, but now you want me to ascend to the Fifth Order? What is this? Regardless of how great that Heavenly Yin Sand may be, it’s still a Fifth-Order material! Can it help me ascend to the Sixth Order? Why don’t we just fight it out and leave the rest to fate?”
Upon realising that his suggestion was indeed unrealistic, Ti Zheng fell silent. Yang Kai had built such a solid foundation, and he was gifted enough to become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master directly. He was practically forced to ascend to the Sixth Order, so it would be outrageous if they still asked him to lower his expectations further and become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If they pushed him over the edge now, this young man might do something crazy to retaliate against them.
If they got into a fight again, they wouldn’t dare to ruthlessly kill Yang Kai. By then, they would be the ones who suffered losses.
After giving it a thought, Ti Zheng asked, “Why don’t you wait here for a while? This Monarch will send a message and tell someone to bring a Sixth-Order Yin Element material over.”
In fact, he was completely vexed deep inside. His goal was to kill Yang Kai to nip this problem in the bud, but things had come to a point that he seemed to be begging the young man to achieve an ascension as soon as possible. Moreover, he had to prepare a Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure for him, which was simply preposterous.
He had lived for a long time, but there had never been a time when he felt so vexed.
Yang Kai asked in a grim voice, “How long will it take?”
Ti Zheng replied, “It’s unrealistic to go back to Myriad Demons Heaven now; however, this Monarch can tell someone to buy a Sixth-Order Yin Element material in the Shattered Heaven’s Star City where all sorts of goods are available, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find the item you want. It’ll probably take one month for the thing to be sent here.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “That’s a long wait.”
Ti Zheng frowned, “It’s just one month.”
Yang Kai said, “I can’t wait any longer.”
“What do you want then?”
Yang Kai reminded him, “I want a Sixth-Order Yin Element material right now.”
Ti Zheng bellowed, “I told you we don’t have one. Do you want this Monarch to make it appear out of thin air?”
“I don’t believe you!” Yang Kai swept a glance over the Space Rings on their fingers, “Unless you let me examine your rings.”
The faces of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters fell. Ti Zheng stared coldly at Yang Kai and snapped, “Brat, do you know what you’re talking about?”
“Are you going to agree to it or not?” Yang Kai sneered and gazed arrogantly at him, “Fine, I don’t want to see your rings anymore. Let’s go back to Void Land. I don’t believe I’ll never get a High-Rank Yin Element treasure in my lifetime!”
Then, he seemed ready to bring everyone back home in a resolute manner.
Ti Zheng questioned, “Are you going to let Lan You Ruo perish here?”
Yang Kai shot him a glance, “You’d better pray that she’s safe. If anything happens to her, I’ll destroy Myriad Demons Heaven right after I ascend to the Ninth Order. I’ll remember what you’ve done to me and visit all of you one by one when the time comes. I hope you’ll still be able to laugh by then.”
“Impudence!” Ti Zheng roared.
“Wait a moment, Little Friend Yang,” another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly spoke up. His voice suggested that he was pretty old now.
Yang Kai shot him a cold glance, “What now?”
The old voice was heard saying, “Since you’re a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master, it must have been quite some time since you started cultivating. So, you should know that a Space Ring is the most personal possession to a cultivator and it mustn’t be examined by anyone else easily. If you want to inspect our rings, it’s no different from humiliating us. We’ve lived for a long time, so we do have a reputation to preserve.”
Yang Kai scoffed, “You four are High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, but you joined forces and plotted against an Emperor Realm cultivator like me. I’m surprised to learn that you actually still care about your reputation.”
The old voice replied impassively, “If you were on your own, all of us wouldn’t have shown up; however, since you have some powerful protectors, we have no choice but to come all the way here, but now is not the time to talk about such things. What this Old Master means is, we can let you examine our rings to prove to you that we didn’t lie to you. We really don’t have the Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure you need; however, what if you still don’t find any Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure after going through all of our rings?”
“What do you want?” Yang Kai questioned.
The old voice said, “Since you want to humiliate us, we can’t possibly bear it for nothing. There’s a price you have to pay, little friend.”
Yang Kai swept an impassive glance over them and frowned. After giving it a thought, he suddenly said through clenched teeth, “I don’t believe that you don’t have a Sixth-Order Yin Element material, but if I still can’t find one after examining all of your rings, I’ll ascend to the Fifth-Order.”
His expression was that of a gambler who had lost it all.
Upon hearing that, all of them were stunned.
An anxious Yue He said, “You can’t do that, Young Master!”
Yang Kai was unable to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the Sixth Order was supposed to be his bottom line; the Fifth Order was totally unacceptable. If he ascended to the Fifth Order, the highest limit for him would be the Seventh Order in the future. In other words, the end of Yang Kai’s Martial Dao was his initial starting point. The disparity between expectation and reality was too great to bear.
Bai Qi said, “You mustn’t ascend to the Fifth Order, Yang Kai!”
Qu Hua Shang also dissuaded him from doing so.
Yang Kai put on a bitter smile, “I can’t ascend to the Seventh-Order, and there isn’t a Sixth-Order Yin Element treasure now. What can I do if I don’t ascend to the Fifth Order? Wait for them to get the item I want from Shattered Heaven’s Star City? Who knows what could happen to Proprietress in one month, we can’t wait any longer.” As he spoke, he secretly winked at Yue He, “Do you remember that thing I have?”
Yue He, who was about to dissuade him again, became startled as she suddenly thought of something.
[That’s right. Young Master still has ‘that’ thing. With that item in his possession, it makes no difference whether he ascends to the Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order, he can even use this to trick others into believing that he’ll only become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and stop them from targeting him. In that case, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.]
On the other hand, Ti Zheng and the others exchanged glances as they appeared ecstatic.
Even though a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was fairly powerful in the 3,000 Worlds, such a person was nothing in the eyes of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. If Yang Kai really ascended to the Fifth Order, it was something worth celebrating for the great forces behind them.
A Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would never be able to move the world order. For a cultivator who had the hopes of becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to end up in such a state, it was no different from killing him.
Instead of ending his life, they had killed his future.
Ti Zheng’s gaze brightened as he asked, “Are you serious?”
Yang Kai gazed at him with a tilted head, “You look happy, don’t you?”
Ti Zheng coughed, “Not really. However, a wise man knows when to submit to the circumstances. This Monarch is gratified that you’ve made such a decision.”
“Cut the nonsense,” Yang Kai replied dispassionately.
Ti Zheng and the others then secretly spoke to each other. Certainly, they were sure that they didn’t have a Sixth-Order Yin Element material. Even if Yang Kai wanted to examine their rings, they weren’t afraid.
Although it was humiliating for these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to let an Emperor Realm Junior examine their Space Rings, it was better than remaining in this stalemate forever. It was especially true for Ti Zheng. He was injured in the battle against Zhu Jiu Yin, so he desperately needed a quiet place to recuperate and stabilize his Small Universe; otherwise, he might be left with some potential issues later.
The others were in a better state, but they were also wounded. Moreover, as High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they didn’t want to keep wasting time on Yang Kai anymore. By settling this issue as soon as possible, they could go back and tell everyone that they had achieved their goal.
Therefore, they soon came to an agreement.
Ti Zheng scolded, “Brat, we all agree that we’ll let you examine our rings; however, if you can’t find any Sixth-Order Yin Element materials, you must not go back on your word. Otherwise, we’ll kill you right here even if we have to face the Dragon Clan’s wrath!”
Yang Kai sneered, “Don’t worry. Even though I’m just an Emperor Realm cultivator, I value my reputation. Unlike some other people, I’ll never go back on my word.” Then, he spread his palm, “Pass me your rings. Oh, take out everything from your Small Universes as well. I know that the Small Universes of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters like you all must have materialised. Not only can you store some stuff inside it, but you can also let some living creatures live inside it.”
Ti Zheng and the others sported dark expressions; however, things had come to a point where they didn’t want to argue with Yang Kai anymore. Therefore, they fished out a number of things from their Small Universes and put them inside their Space Rings.
Obviously, Yang Kai was unable to find out whether they had actually taken everything out, unless he could also inspect the Small Universes in their bodies.
However, that would never happen. Ti Zheng and the others had made a concession by letting Yang Kai go through their Space Rings, but there was no way they’d let anyone probe their Small Universes, or else they’d be risking their lives.
Even if they had some precious items stashed in their Small Universes, they wouldn’t put them into their Space Rings. Yang Kai was fully aware of that.
Soon, their Space Rings fell into Yang Kai’s hands. The restrictions on the rings had been erased so that he could easily examine them.
When Yang Kai scanned one of the rings with his Divine Sense, he couldn’t help raising his brow.
The wealth of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was truly astonishing. Open Heaven Pills had been piled up like mountains, and there were countless resources, which included many Sixth-Order ones. There was even one Seventh-Order material in this particular ring. The number of artifacts in the ring was mind-blowing as well.
He didn’t have time to go through them one by one, but Yang Kai reckoned that the resources in this ring were worth more than 10 billion Open Heaven Pills.
Obviously, that wasn’t all this man’s wealth. The truly precious items must be kept inside his Small Universe.
Unfortunately, none of the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order materials were Yin or Yang.
Yang Kai set the ring aside and looked at the next, finding it to be about the same.
Ti Zheng and the others were just standing nearby as they watched Yang Kai joyfully go through all the rings. All of them found it odd as they never expected that things would develop into such a situation.
Their initial goal was to kill Yang Kai in this place; however, not only was Yang Kai alive and kicking, but they would also have to help him ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. Besides that, they had also passed their Space Rings to him to inspect. What they had done was no different from financially supporting their enemy.
Nevertheless, they could not object.
Although they were High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had lived for many years, it was the first time they had such a strange experience.
It only took Yang Kai a short time to examine all of the rings.
Ti Zheng asked, “Now you know we didn’t lie to you.”
Yang Kai looked up and roared, “The Heavens are unfair!”
Upon seeing that he appeared crestfallen, Ti Zheng and the others felt less frustrated. Since they had confronted and attempted to kill each other before, there wasn’t a need for them to be polite to him. Ti Zheng said, “In that case, you should give our rings back to us.”
Yang Kai nonchalantly tossed the Space Rings at Yue He and kept only a bottle that was half his height.
They were too gullible to think that he would return the rings to them. Yang Kai had relented and agreed to become a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but since he didn’t have the item he needed, he could only lower his expectation and ascend to the Fifth-Order.
With the existence of a particular item he possessed, it made no difference whether he ascended to the Fifth Order or the Sixth Order, and he would be able to deceive the outside world. However, there was a price to pay if he wanted to use that precious treasure.
The thing was so valuable that the Space Rings of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could only be considered as a slight compensation for it. There was no way he would give the rings back to them, for he still had Void Land to run. Even though he had a Star City to help gather resources, he wouldn’t mind more good things.
“You dare covet our Space Rings!?” Ti Zheng glared at Yang Kai. He was so exasperated that he laughed and nodded, “Very good! You’re indeed bold enough!”
Ignoring him, Yang Kai fiddled with the bottle and shook it. As he listened to the ringing sound coming from the bottle, he asked, “Is this the Heavenly Yin Sand that you’d mentioned?”
Presently, Ti Zheng was fuming within him, so upon hearing the question, he snorted and did not reply to him.
In fact, the moment he passed the Space Ring to Yang Kai, he had a feeling that he would never get it back; however, he was incensed at the fact that the young man did it in such a brazen way. It was apparent that he had no regard for them at all.
Yang Kai gazed at Ti Zheng and questioned, “Are you deaf? Is this the Heavenly Yin Sand?”
Ti Zheng looked away and pretended that he didn’t hear him.
Yang Kai said smilingly, “It seems that it’s not Heavenly Yin Sand. I won’t break through then.”
Upon hearing that, Ti Zheng glowered at him and said through clenched teeth, “Don’t you cross the line, Yang Kai!”
The faint smile on Yang Kai’s face made Ti Zheng have the urge to give him a punch. After taking a deep breath, he said, “Heavenly Yin Sand is extremely hard to come by. It’s one of the rarest among the Fifth-Order materials. It’s just that it isn’t a Sixth-Order material. However, the Divine Ability you’ll obtain through this item is as powerful as that of most Sixth-Order Powers once you condense it. The one in your hands was meant for another disciple in my great force. I have no choice but to give it to you.”
Yang Kai snorted, “I was supposed to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but I can only make do with the Fifth-Order because of you all. Who is the one taking advantage here?”
Ti Zheng fell silent.
“Forget it. I’m not in the mood to bicker with you.” Yang Kai lightly threw the bottle into the air and said to Zhu Jiu Yin, “Please stand guard for me, Senior.”
After a moment of silence, Zhu Jiu Yin reminded, “Brat, this is an important matter, so you must think it through.”
Yang Kai replied with a bitter smile, “I’m like an arrow on the string now; there’s no going back for me.”
If he went back on his word at this point, he was basically forcing Ti Zheng and the others to fight to the death with them. They had Zhu Jiu Yin’s protection, so they would easily escape from this place, but they wouldn’t stand a chance to save the Proprietress.
Furthermore, Zhu Jiu Yin had been wounded after the previous battle. Presently, she looked pretty battered as was covered in blood.
“Forget it. It’s your own matter and no one else can interfere. I hope you won’t regret your decision in the future.”
After she finished speaking, she flicked her fingers as threads of spider silk criss-crossed each other in the void, forming an impenetrable web which covered a large area except for the spot Yang Kai was in. If Ti Zheng and the others wanted to harm Yang Kai, they had to break her web first.
Ti Zheng and the others had experienced how horrendous this Heaven Covering Web was, so they didn’t dare to fall into it again.
“Young Master…” Yue He’s eyes reddened as she pressed her lips together. She seemed to be holding back her words.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “All of you stand back.”
Then, he gently closed his eyes and thought to himself, [Will I regret my decision?]
If it were for any other reason, he probably would; however, since he was doing this to save Proprietress, he didn’t think there would come a day when he felt regretful.
As he emptied his mind, he calmed himself and sat cross-legged in the centre of the Heaven Covering Web. His aura was curbed while he remained unmoving, as though he had fallen into a state of deep sleep.
Upon seeing that, Yue He and the others knew that it was pointless for them to say anything else, so they spread out and stood guard for Yang Kai in nearby spots. They stared vigilantly at Ti Zheng and the others to prevent them from disturbing Yang Kai while he achieved his breakthrough.
It was completely silent in the void. All of them were paying close attention to Yang Kai as they tended their wounds.
Time went by slowly, and half a day later, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and flicked the bottle. Following a clang, the cap flew up as a ray of light shot out of the bottle. It was apparent that the ray of light was made up from countless grains of sand. Every grain exuded a light glow and an extremely cold aura. They looked just like a galaxy that had been shrunk down innumerable times.
Heavenly Yin Sand was indeed one of the best materials in the Fifth Order. As soon as it appeared, the void seemed to have been frozen over as a layer of frost formed on Yang Kai’s clothes and hair.
Instead of resisting, Yang Kai circulated his Secret Art and pushed his Dao Seal to refine the Yin Element Power in the Heavenly Yin Sand.
At that instant, the galaxy formed from the sand seemed to have been attracted by a mysterious force as it swirled and danced around Yang Kai. Looking from afar, it was as if he was engulfed in a storm of silver rain.
Yang Kai had refined other Element Powers before, the last one being the Golden Wolf King’s Monster Core, which was a Seventh-Order Metal Element treasure. Although the Heavenly Yin Sand was extraordinary for its Order, it wasn’t comparable to that Monster Core at all.
Ti Zheng and the others stared intently outside the Heaven Covering Web. Upon seeing that Yang Kai had started refining the Fifth-Order Heavenly Yin Sand, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Once the process started, it couldn’t be stopped. That was because Yang Kai’s Dao Seal had been affected by the Yin Element Power in the Heavenly Yin Sand as he built his Open Heaven Realm foundation. There was nothing else he could do to reverse it unless he used something like Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water to wipe clean his Dao Seal.
However, in that case, all his previous efforts would also be erased.
Initially, they were worried that Yang Kai might go back on his word; after all, if they were him, they would never be willing to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm when they had a chance to make it to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. Therefore, they wouldn’t be surprised even if he went back on his word at the last moment.
However, his action at this moment suggested that he was truly determined.
Therefore, they admired the fact that he was able to leave his aspiration behind and make do with such an inferior result.
Throughout history, only a small number of people were able to directly ascend to the Seventh Order. Given such a chance, Ti Zheng and the others reckoned that they would never give it up, but Yang Kai could do that.
“He’s indeed a loyal brat.” One of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gently nodded.
“What a shame,” Another person shook his head. It wasn’t certain whether he felt sorry for the fact that Yang Kai had to waste his aptitude or something else. Although they were the ones who forced Yang Kai to take such an action, they still felt sympathetic when they saw him do it.
Ti Zheng put on a smile, “There’s nothing to feel sorry about since we can’t use him.”
The person who spoke earlier gave it a thought and nodded, “You’re right.”
The last person fell silent for a moment before uttering, “This brat’s Dao Seal is indeed very sturdy. Don’t you think the speed at which he’s refining the Heavenly Yin Sand is too fast?”
Upon hearing that, all of them immediately turned to look at Yang Kai. Just like what their colleague had said, the speed at which Yang Kai was refining the Heavenly Yin Sand was outrageously fast. The glowing grains of sand could be seen dimming at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Given his speed, it would only take him one or two days to fully refine the Heavenly Yin Sand.
All of them were stunned as this was a Fifth-Order Yin Element treasure. Its Order was neither too high nor too low. Usually, it would take an average Open Heaven Realm Master a few months to refine it. For someone with a great aptitude, it would still take him ten days to half a month.
The fact that Yang Kai was able to do it in one or two days was unbelievable.
This outcome suggested that Yang Kai’s Dao Seal was extremely sturdy, so the impact of the Fifth-Order Yin Element Power penetrating his body was almost negligible. That was the reason he was able to refine it without any concern.
All of them were High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had lived for a long time and seen many gifted people, but none of those people were comparable to Yang Kai. Although they couldn’t inspect his Dao Seal, they believed it was far more robust than that of anyone else just by looking at the speed he was refining the Heavenly Yin Sand.
A person with a sturdy Dao Seal was able to condense Element Powers swiftly, and there was only a minimal risk for him to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. Coupled with the fact that Yang Kai had Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, it could be said that it was practically risk-free for him to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Now, the crux of the matter was how strong the foundation of his Small Universe would be after he achieved his ascension. With a strong foundation, he would become powerful in the future, and vice versa. Nevertheless, he would still be just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it wouldn’t matter regardless of how strong his foundation would be.
While Ti Zheng and the others were paying close attention to Yang Kai, Zhu Jiu Yin and her companions were staring vigilantly at the other party. On the other hand, Yang Kai was focused on refining the Heavenly Yin Sand in the centre of Heaven Covering Web.
A sense of coldness penetrated his physique through his pores before converging in his Dao Seal under his guidance.
The Powers of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, and Yang had already gathered together in his Dao Seal, so he needed only one more. As he absorbed the Yin Element Power from the Heavenly Yin Sand, his Dao Seal gradually became complete.
The Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers mutually supported and suppressed one another as they formed an endless cycle in his body.
The power of the cycle clashed within his Dao Seal, and following every collision, there seemed to be a bell that rang loudly in his body, which shook his very soul.
Initially, this kind of movement was still not conspicuous, but as Yang Kai refined more of the Yin Element Power, the movement became increasingly violent.
When Yang Kai refined his Metal Element Power, thus gathering all Five Element Powers previously, he realised that a crack had appeared in his Dao Seal. He was shocked as he thought that something had gone wrong with his cultivation; however, he couldn’t feel there were any problems with him. Be it cultivating or using his strength, he faced no obstacles at all. Instead, he felt that his power had increased after he condensed the Metal Element Power.
Still worried, he asked Yue He about it.
It was then he learned that when a cultivator ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, his Dao Seal would break apart to allow his own Grand Dao to merge with the Seven Elements to form his Small Universe.
Nevertheless, the average cultivator would only see his Dao Seal cracking when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm, but such an incident happened to Yang Kai in advance. Perhaps the Order of the Elements he had condensed was too high, leading to such a result.
Regardless, this was a good thing for him. Anyone who wished to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm had to go through this trial. If he couldn’t successfully integrate his Grand Dao with his Small Universe, his ascension would fail. Since Yang Kai’s Dao Seal had started cracking earlier, things would become easier when he attempted his breakthrough.
As he condensed more of the Yin Element Power, more cracks started appearing on his Dao Seal, as though it would collapse at any moment.
At the same time, a chaotic aura started exuding from Yang Kai, who was seated in the centre of Heaven Covering Web.
Anyone who noticed this aura would be stunned as they stared fixedly at Yang Kai. All of them were Open Heaven Realm Masters who had tread the same path, so they were aware that it was the most critical moment for Yang Kai.
Before Heaven and Earth split apart, there was only chaos. It was apparent that Yang Kai was on the brink of achieving his breakthrough. So far, it had only been one day since he started refining the Heavenly Yin Sand.
Anyone could see that the Heavenly Yin Sand, which looked like a swirling galaxy, had lost all its glow and spirituality. That was because the Yin Element Power within it had been fully absorbed.
There was no doubt that Yang Kai was a genius.
Even the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to refine a Fifth-Order material in a day, not to mention a mere Emperor Realm Junior.
A mysterious power trembled violently within Yang Kai’s body. With him as the centre, visible ripples were seen spreading out in a regular manner.
Since all the Power in the Heavenly Yin Sand had been refined, it turned into dust and scattered with the wind as soon as it came into contact with these ripples.
Meanwhile, all of Yang Kai’s skin had reddened as his chaotic aura became even more conspicuous.
He felt like he had been trapped inside a thick membrane, as though he had returned to his mother’s womb. He was restricted in every way, which made him feel extremely unpleasant.
Inside his Dao Seal, Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers moved in a cyclical manner as they clashed with Yang Kai. Following every collision, he felt his Soul shuddering violently. Not only was he unable to make his mind focus, but he also couldn’t control one bit of his energy.
Yang Kai was flabbergasted as it was only now that he realised how dangerous the process of ascending to the Open Heaven Realm really was. If he wasn’t careful enough, he would instantly lose his life.
His Dao Seal was pretty sturdy to begin with, and he had consumed a lot of Divine Dao Water which fortified his Dao Seal to the point that there was no room for improvement.
It could be said that within the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, no one was a match for him when it came to the sturdiness of their Dao Seal.
Every time he condensed a High-Rank Element Power, his Dao Seal would be bombarded by that same Power. Fortunately, he managed to endure each time.
When he finally completed his Dao Seal with a Yin Element Power this time, he realised that the collisions he had experienced in the past were nothing compared to what he was going through now.
The Powers in his body, except for the Fifth-Order Yin Element Power he had just refined, were all High-Rank Powers. As they clashed with Yang Kai in succession, he felt his body and Soul shuddering. Only when the Yin Element Power collided with him did he feel an almost negligible impact.
He had to face such a difficult trial even though he was just ascending to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If he really attempted to make it to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, the difficulty he would have had to face would be far greater. It was no wonder that only a small number of people had managed to directly break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm throughout history. Even if someone had condensed the requisite High-Rank Elements like Yang Kai, they might still lose their life at this last step.
As more cracks appeared on Yang Kai’s Dao Seal, it seemed that it would break apart soon.
However, he realised that he was still unable to get rid of this thick restrictive membrane around him, and even his mind seemed to be lost in a foggy state. What was worse, the chaotic aura was increasingly thickening.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai came to the realization that if he couldn’t break through the barrier after his Dao Seal exploded, he would fall into danger.
At this life-and-death moment, he became calm instead as he attentively sensed the chaotic aura and let the Powers of Yin, Yang and the Five Elements clash with his Dao Seal without restraint.
He still had some Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, but he hadn’t planned on using any of them. It was a good idea to use a Spirit Pill to assist his ascension, but it wouldn’t be as rewarding as if he achieved the ascension through his own perseverance.
He had initially intended to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, but now he had to make do with the Fifth-Order. If he still needed to use a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill now, it would only mean he wasn’t gifted after all.
In the past, he had consumed a fair amount of World Source Liquid, allowing him to sense the magnificence of Heaven and Earth splitting apart.
However, he realised that he couldn’t recall most of the details now. Still, he would never forget that innate feeling.
As time passed, everyone could see that Yang Kai’s skin was alternating between red, white, and blue. That was the result of the Powers of Yin, Yang and the Five Elements weltering in his body.
The Primordial Elements of the Universe turned in an endless cycle, supporting and suppressing one another as the chaotic aura around Yang Kai thickened by the breath. One could see that Yang Kai had been engulfed by very thick fog, which couldn’t be peered through even using one’s Divine Sense.
Yue He was on pins and needles as she stared fixedly at the fog while Bai Qi balled up his fists and hoped that Yang Kai would succeed. To the side, Qu Hua Shang was secretly praying for him.
As Zhu Jiu Yin watched coldly, she couldn’t help but mutter, “What is this smelly brat doing?”
[Is it really so difficult to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm?]
“If this brat can’t break through the fog of chaos, he’ll definitely lose his life,” An old voice was heard coming from one of the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Ti Zheng and the others exchanged glances as they felt that they had probably overestimated Yang Kai’s potential. He was going through so much danger although he was just ascending to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it probably wouldn’t have mattered even if they allowed him to obtain a Seventh-Order Yin Element treasure. Based on their observation, if Yang Kai really attempted to achieve the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he wouldn’t stand a chance of succeeding.
The chaotic aura around Yang Kai was so thick that it had engulfed him entirely. Looking from afar, they felt as though he had been covered in a large cocoon that totally obscured his figure.
Inside the cocoon, Yang Kai was completely at ease as he silently felt the chaotic aura and the state before Heaven and Earth split apart. It was as though he had travelled through time and returned to the beginning of history, when there was still nothing but chaos.
Just then, cracking sounds were heard coming from his heart as his Dao Seal began to shatter. The Dao Seal was the very core of an Emperor Realm cultivator as it was the essence of their cultivation. When the Dao Seal broke apart, it meant that their Grand Dao also started dispersing. If this Dao Essence wasn’t quickly integrated into a Small Universe, the consequences would be dreadful.
Therefore, before the Dao Seal completely collapsed, a Small Universe had to take shape.
In order to achieve that, one had to break through the chaos by splitting Heaven and Earth apart in their body, melding the Seven Elements together into a new World.
At this life-and-death moment, Yang Kai seemed to be oblivious to the situation he was in.
He couldn’t help recalling the moment his body was destroyed by Great Demon God Mo Sheng. It was the final battle between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm. In order to win that battle, all the Masters from the Star Boundary, including all the Great Emperors, waged war against Great Demon God.
It was in that battle that Yang Kai lost his life under a horrifying attack from the Great Demon God. If it weren’t for the Immortal Tree, he wouldn’t have stood a chance to be reborn.
It could be said that he was someone who had died and come back to life before, so he knew better than anyone else about the cycle of life or death.
Most other people wouldn’t have a chance to experience dying and then being reborn.
All of a sudden, a realisation dawned upon Yang Kai as he felt that he gained enlightenment.
“All life starts with chaos and returns to chaos in the end. What is life? What is death? That doesn’t matter. One will only realise life or death if he’s aware of it. There is no life or death if he knows nothing of it. What is reality? What is an illusion? There are no boundaries in this world, all is a construct of one’s mind!”
As his murmur was heard coming from the cocoon, there seemed to be a spiritual light that penetrated his mind and broke through the thick fog, which allowed him to see a glimmer of the future.
At the same time, the chaotic aura around Yang Kai seemed to have been seized by an invisible hand as it stopped churning entirely.
Just three breaths later, a crack appeared on the chaos cocoon, and soon after, it was covered in cracks.
The aura of Heaven and Earth exuded from it as a brand new World was taking shape, and through the cracks, Yang Kai’s own World Force began to permeate.
*Hong…*
The void shook.
The cocoon shattered all of a sudden and revealed Yang Kai’s figure. His eyes were still tightly closed as he remained seated with his legs crossed in the void; however, there was a storm swirling around him, which made his clothes and hair flap in the wind.
The Dao Seal in his body completely shattered, but there wasn’t a risk of his Grand Dao collapsing. That was because at this exact moment, his newly formed Small Universe absorbed this Grand Dao and integrated with it.
Chaos was broken, and a new World was born!
At that moment, the illusory image of a Small Universe manifested behind Yang Kai’s back. It was his very own world that had just taken shape.
Ti Zheng narrowed his eyes and spoke up, “He actually succeeded.”
He was puzzled as he could see that Yang Kai was about to be consumed by the swirling chaos just now; however, he somehow managed to break through that fog at the last moment and enter the Open Heaven Realm. He didn’t understand what Yang Kai had gone through during that life-and-death moment.
Only Yang Kai knew exactly what had happened.
The moment the Small Universe appeared, Ti Zheng exerted more power with his eyes in an attempt to peer into it. Unfortunately, the Heaven Covering Web was still in place, so he was unable to see it clearly even though he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm, Zhu Jiu Yin breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment, she was stunned as she gazed forward with a frown.
That was because instead of immediately consolidating his newly formed Small Universe, Yang Kai actually turned his hand over and revealed a rounded bead.
Zhu Jiu Yin immediately recognised that it was his Sealed World Bead. She knew that there was an independent World inside this bead, but she had never entered it due to it not being able to withstand her immense power.
[What’s this brat trying to do by taking his Sealed World Bead out at this point?]
While she was wondering, she saw Yang Kai’s body shake as his Small Universe’s illusory image appeared behind him again. Following that, he nonchalantly tossed his Small World Bead into his Small Universe.
Zhu Jiu Yin’s brows twitched as she exclaimed, “What the hell are you doing, you crazy brat!?”
Yang Kai opened his eyes and grinned at her, “Just taking a little gamble!”
Zhu Jiu Yin felt her chest tightening while Bai Qi and the others widened their mouths in disbelief. Their expressions changed when they realised Yang Kai’s intention.
While they were staring anxiously at him, Yang Kai performed a hand seal and shouted, “Open!”
Following his shout, the Sealed World Bead exploded inside his Small Universe. The bead had been with Yang Kai for many, many years, and it had helped him overcome numerous dangers.
It could be said that the Sealed World Bead was one of the most important treasures throughout his cultivation journey.
At this moment, the bead had completed its last duty and detonated following Yang Kai’s order.
Following that, the Small Universe’s illusory phantom trembled violently because it was suffering from a huge impact that was coming from the collapsed Small Sealed World.
Although the Sealed World Bead looked like a small rounded bead, it contained an entire World within it. At this moment, it was exploding within Yang Kai’s Small Universe, so the immense impact could be imagined.
If Yang Kai was unable to bear such an impact, his newly formed Small Universe would be destroyed, and he would most likely lose his life.
There was no doubt that this was an extremely risky move because he was making a bet on his Small Universe and the Sealed World Bead. Once he failed, he would lose everything.
However, if he succeeded, the Sealed World Bead would integrate into his Small Universe and the benefits he would receive would be inconceivable.
Putting the newly formed Small Universe aside for now, the landmass in the Small Sealed World was quite expansive. When the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed, Yang Kai had collected many of its fragments and stored them inside the bead. Each fragment contained the heritage left behind by a deceased Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. At that time, countless Open Heaven Realm Masters were trying to snatch these Spirit Province fragments. Yang Kai was weak, so he could only collect a few pieces.
Usually, even an Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t dare to absorb these fragments into their Small Universe, unless their aura was extremely similar to that of the Blood Monster Divine Monarch. The consequences of forcefully doing this would be akin to poisoning oneself.
Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about it as he had the Small Sealed World to act as a filter.
Over the years, the Small Sealed World had fully assimilated the aura of those fragments, which significantly strengthened the heritage within the bead.
Furthermore, Yang Kai wasn’t doing this on a whim.
In fact, a long time ago, he had already planned on merging his Sealed World Bead with his Small Universe while he was breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Others didn’t have such an option, but it was different for him.
Both the Small Universe and the Small Sealed World were part of Yang Kai’s heritage, with the latter having been thoroughly painted with his aura, so there was absolutely no conflict when merging the two. However, the problem he was facing now was the impact that had been inflicted on his Small Universe after the Small Sealed World literally exploded. As long as he could get through this trial, he would be able to achieve his goal.
The task was as difficult as ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
The illusory image behind him continuously expanded as Zhu Jiu Yin and the others watched, their hearts pounding against their chests.
Ti Zheng and the others were puzzled as they didn’t know what Yang Kai had done to make this kind of scene. They had been paying close attention to Yang Kai since the beginning, but after he achieved his breakthrough, all they saw was him toss some kind of bead into his Small Universe, and then this happened.
[What in the world was that bead?]
Although they couldn’t look into what was going on exactly, the ever-expanding illusory phantom suggested that Yang Kai’s Small Universe was experiencing an unimaginable impact.
Yang Kai sported a solemn expression as he repeatedly used different hand seals and focused on controlling his strength to stabilize his Small Universe while merging it with the collapsed Small Sealed World as soon as possible.
Inside his newly formed Small Universe, bolts of lightning flashed across the sky as a great thunderstorm blew through it, as if it was the end of the world. Mu Zhu and Mu Lu hugged each other tightly as they trembled in the medicine garden.
These two petite Wood Spirits had always lived inside the medicine garden in the Small Sealed World. When trying to assimilate the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai didn’t release them as he already had a plan in mind. Although it appeared even more perilous than when he was ascending to the Open Heaven Realm, everything was well within his control.
From time to time, Yang Kai would roar as the illusory image behind him expanded and contorted; however, as time passed, things were showing signs of improvement as the illusory phantom became more stable.
Just like what Yang Kai had expected, everything was going well. The Small Universe was formed by splitting Heaven and Earth apart when he was attempting a breakthrough. On the other hand, the Sealed World Bead had been with him for years, so he was able to control every part of the Small Sealed World as he pleased. That was why everything fell into place as there was no conflict when merging the two.
His Dao Seal had already fallen apart as it turned into Dao Essence which filled the entire Small Universe.
As time passed, the thunderstorm calmed and the illusory phantom behind Yang Kai stabilised, its violent energy fluctuations dissipating.
All the commotion died down.
An Open Heaven Realm’s aura swirled around Yang Kai. That was indeed a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s aura.
Every new Open Heaven Realm Master had to go through this phase and it would take them some time to fortify their cultivation and consolidate their aura so they could take it out and retract it at will.
Yang Kai was now an Open Heaven Realm Master. He had come a long way and encountered countless dangerous incidents. Finally, he took this vital important step.
His emotions undulated in his heart, and as he recalled everything that he had gone through, he couldn’t help but let out a long roar to express his excitement. His roar was so loud that the entire void seemed to be shaking.
It wasn’t until this moment that he had time to examine his own Small Universe. Sending his consciousness inwards, the entire Small Universe appeared in his mind.
The first thing he could see was a gigantic ancient tree. The tree crown stretched out like a colossal umbrella and seemed to cover the entire sky. Extremely rich vitality exuded from every part of the tree as it breathed life into the Small Universe.
At that instant, Yang Kai realised that it was the Manifestation of his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation in his Small Universe.
He comprehended the Towering Evergreen from his Wood Element Power, which was derived from the Immortal Tree’s essence; therefore, the Manifestation of this Divine Manifestation had something to do with the Immortal Tree.
Upon realising that there was a shadow beneath the tree, Yang Kai became startled for a moment before looking up. There, a dazzling golden Sun hung in the sky. Caws sounded as there seemed to be a three-legged exotic bird flying around inside the Sun.
The shadow under the tree was caused by the great Sun’s glow. It was the Manifestation of his Golden Crow Casts the Sun!
Yang Kai arched his brow as he hadn’t expected his Small Universe to look like this. Besides that, he seemed to understand something at that moment.
As his thoughts flashed, time in the Small Universe seemed to accelerate rapidly. The radiant Sun in the sky traveled across the sky, disappearing beyond the horizon as a bright Moon rose from the opposite side. The Manifestation of Water Reflects the Moon seemed to have cast a silvery glow on the entire Small Universe, giving it an ethereal ambience.
There was a Golden Wolf standing atop a certain mountain as it howled at the Moon. Apart from that, innumerable Stars could be seen twinkling in the sky.
The round Moon was the Manifestation of Yang Kai’s Water Element Power while the Golden Wolf was the Manifestation of his Metal Element Power. As for the Stars, they were the representation of the Heavenly Yin Sand that he had just refined.
As his thoughts flashed, Yang Kai was able to make the Sun and Moon cycle in succession.
A strange feeling filled his heart as at that instant, he realised that his comprehension of the Dao of Time had improved significantly.
He had always been a novice when it came to his studies of the Dao of Time, and that was only thanks to him having learned the Time Flies Seal, without which he couldn’t even have comprehended the basics of Time Principles.
However, after such a long time, he was still considered a beginner in the Dao of Time. That was because most of his time was spent on the comprehension of the Dao of Space.
First of all, he didn’t have a natural aptitude when it came to the studies of Dao of Time, so it would be quite time-consuming if he insisted on learning it. Secondly, his time was limited so he had to focus on one Grand Dao. There were countless Grand Daos in the Universe, but while being versed in many had its advantages, mastering one was still a better choice.
Nevertheless, at this moment, the Dao of Time was like a generous Elder who opened up to him and taught him all kinds of skills and knowledge, tremendously enhancing Yang Kai’s comprehension of it.
The reason behind that was the formation of his Small Universe.
He knew nothing about other people’s Small Universes, but presently, there were Sun, Moon, and Stars in his Small Universe. As these celestial objects that moved in an endless cycle, like a flowing river of time. His entire Small Universe was filled with ample Time Principles, which was how he obtained such tremendous benefits.
There was no doubt that it was a pleasant surprise.
As his thoughts continued flowing through his mind, he saw Mu Zhu and Mu Lu sitting together on the tree branch of a certain Spirit Tree in the transplanted medicine garden. As their heads pressed against one another, they swung their legs and looked dazedly at the starry night sky. While the Stars twinkled, they also batted their eyes.
Mu Lu remarked, “It’s beautiful.”
Mu Zhu uttered, “En. It’s wonderful.”
In the past, although the Small Sealed World was an independent World of its own, they had never seen such a magnificent view before. Now, everything had changed. Since these Wood Spirits started following Yang Kai and settled in the Small Sealed World, they had never seen such a wonderful night sky. The sight before their eyes made them recall the time they grew up in the Star Boundary. Back then, they always loved to sit together and enjoy the mesmerising night view.
Yang Kai retracted his mind and sported a solemn expression.
The situation Mu Zhu and Mu Lu were in suggested that his Small Universe was able to accommodate living creatures, which was contrary to common sense.
In the 3,000 Worlds, only the Small Universes of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were fully corporeal, akin to real Universe Worlds.
Presently, Yang Kai was only a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which was two Orders below the requisite Seventh-Order.
Two Orders was a massive gap that countless cultivators failed to surmount in their lifetime. Although one could slowly cultivate over time, it would take them a painfully long period as well as many fortunate changes to achieve this goal.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t surprised at the outcome. If he attempted to break through like everyone else, his Small Universe would’ve become the same as those of other people. However, the moment his Small Universe was formed upon his ascension, he integrated his Sealed World Bead into his Small Universe, leading to this incredible transformation.
The Sealed World Bead was already able to accommodate living creatures, but due to the limitations of its grade, it was unable to take in Open Heaven Realm Masters without the risk of exploding.
After the Sealed World Bead merged with his Small Universe, the new Small Universe inherited the characteristics of the Sealed World Bead. Accommodating living creatures was just one part of that.
Moreover, there were Sun, Moon, and Stars inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe, giving it a day and night cycle. Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements formed into a virtuous cycle. The Grand Dao and World Principles inside it were incredibly complete. Basically, his Small Universe was no different from a real Universe World.
Even the Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master might not be as perfect as his.
The Great Sun was a Divine Manifestation he had comprehended after refining the Golden Crow’s True Fire while the Moon was the Manifestation of the Water Element Power he refined from the Moon Essence. If someone wanted to reproduce his success, they would have to refine the Golden Crow’s True Fire and Moon Essence as well.
However, it was extremely difficult to refine the Golden Crow’s True Fire and Moon Essence, both of which were High-Rank materials. One of them was scorching while the other was freezing. Either of them could easily kill a cultivator who absorbed them haphazardly.
In the entire 3,000 Worlds, probably only Yang Kai’s Small Universe contained the Sun and Moon that rose and set.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai was grinning from ear to ear, Zhu Jiu Yin couldn’t help but scoff, “Why are you so ecstatic when you’ve only ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm? Can you be more ambitious, you smelly brat?”
It was then Yang Kai opened his eyes and cupped his fist with a solemn expression, “Many thanks for your protection, Senior.”
If Zhu Jiu Yin hadn’t tagged along, he would’ve been dead by now. Since four High-Rank cultivators were waiting for him in this place, he would have had no hope of surviving. In front of absolute power, all strategy was meaningless.
“From today forward, I consider your oath fulfilled, Senior.”
Since Zhu Jiu Yin had fulfilled her promise, Yang Kai certainly wouldn’t go back on his word. Some time ago, he said that as long as she could escort him to this place, her oath would be completed regardless of whether he survived or not. From now on, she no longer had to protect him.
Zhu Jiu Yin snorted, “Save your platitudes, this Queen is fully aware of that.”
Then, Yang Kai turned to look at Qu Hua Shang and thanked, “Many thanks, Senior Sister Qu.”
Qu Hua Shang shook her head with a bitter smile, “I wasn’t able to help you in any way.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Simply coming with me is already more than I could have asked for, Senior Sister Qu.” He knew that when she returned to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she would be punished; after all, she had jumped in to interfere when those from Myriad Demons Heaven were dealing with Yang Kai. Since she was a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she was in all essence a representative of her Sect. Her actions this time had tarnished her Sect’s reputation.
Following that, Yang Kai gazed at Yue He and said, “Please take care of Void Land.”
A startled Yue He subconsciously asked, “Where are you going, Young Master?”
Without responding to her, Yang Kai put on a smile before he pressed his palms together and pulled them apart as he shouted, “Open!”
As Space Principles undulated, a huge crack suddenly appeared in front of them. The aura of another world exuded from the crack.
Naturally, it was the aura of the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Ti Zheng was right to say that there was a restriction around this Universe Cave Heaven that would bar anyone below the Open Heaven Realm from entering. Although Yang Kai had found the entrance using Space Principles earlier, he could feel that there was a force that stopped him from entering it.
Upon ascending to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he realised that the force no longer blocked him.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai slipped into the crack as he sent a Divine Sense message to Yue He, “Go back to Void Land and wait for me. I’ll definitely bring Proprietress out of this place.”
Yue He widened her eyes in disbelief and shot forward to follow him, but the crack disappeared the next instant. When she reached the spot, the entrance was nowhere to be seen.
Bai Qi was dumbfounded as well. As they exchanged glances, they inspected the Void around them but failed to find the entrance.
A pale Ti Zheng said, “Stop wasting your time. The entrance is so well hidden that even this Monarch is unable to sense it, let alone you all. The reason that brat can enter it is that he’s a Master of the Dao of Space. Still, it’s a wise choice that he went in alone.”
Zhu Jiu Yin shot him a cold glance, “What do you mean?”
Ti Zheng replied with a smile, “The Shadowless Cave Heaven is an extremely strange place where one can enter but not come out. Over the years, many Open Heaven Realm Masters have accidentally fallen into it, but no one has ever managed to leave, so no one knows what’s going on inside. Although that boy can enter easily enough, he probably doesn’t have the confidence to come out again. So, he doesn’t want to drag all of you into it. Hahaha. He’s just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Does he think he can change anything by going in?”
At this moment, he was completely at ease. Even though he didn’t achieve his goal of killing Yang Kai, he had managed to force him to become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which was good enough.
It could be said that the Cave Heavens and Paradises could stop worrying about anyone challenging their status as Yang Kai’s future was now ruined. The best a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could achieve was the Seventh-Order in the future, which was in the same Order as them now. Moreover, it’d take Yang Kai millennia to reach the Seventh Order by ordinary means, so there was truly nothing for them to worry about.
“Senior Sister Zhu, pardon my previous offence. I’ll take my leave now.” Ti Zheng cupped his fist at Zhu Jiu Yin and left.
They had engaged in a life-and-death battle just now because they were on opposing sides, but there wasn’t any feud between them. Since the issue had been settled, there wasn’t a need to be hostile towards each other. Zhu Jiu Yin was a Divine Spirit after all, so he had to show her due respect.
All four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters turned into rays of light and disappeared from Zhu Jiu Yin’s sight.
They had suffered immense losses in this battle. Other than their own injuries, the over 20 Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters that they had brought with them were either killed or captured by Black Crow Divine Monarch. Only five or six of them had survived.
These losses were considered painful for the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It wasn’t easy to nurture Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as it took a long time and countless resources.
Yue He and Bai Qi were still looking for the entrance of the Shadowless Cave Heaven as they continuously inspected the area but to no avail. Ti Zheng and the others must have a way to open the portal; otherwise, they couldn’t have made the Proprietress fall into it at an opportune time. There was no way Ti Zheng would tell them how to open it though, so it was pointless for them to ask him about it.
After standing around for a while, Zhu Jiu Yin sighed and said, “Stop wasting your time. The portal is so well hidden that even this Queen is unable to sense anything, so there’s no way you two will find anything even if you keep looking.”
“You cannot sense anything either, Senior?” Bai Qi was stunned.
If Zhu Jiu Yin also couldn’t sense it, there was no way he and Yue He could. After a long sigh, he looked in the direction Yang Kai had disappeared and fell into a dazed state.
In order to save the Proprietress, Bai Qi travelled to Void Land to inform Yang Kai about the incident. In the end, Yang Kai was forced to become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which basically destroyed his future. Now, he had gone into the Shadowless Cave Heaven on his own, and no one was sure whether he could come out again. All these results left Bai Qi feeling extremely guilty.
Yue He stopped making a move as her eyes were filled with anxiety and worry.
Qu Hua Shang came over and comforted her by saying, “Junior Brother Yang is a man who can create miracles that others can’t even dream of. Since he decided to go in on his own, he must have his own considerations and plans.”
Certainly, Yue He was aware of that. Just like what Ti Zheng had said, no one had yet been able to come out of the Shadowless Cave Heaven over the years, so no one knew what was going on inside. Yang Kai must have been worried that none of them could come out if they all went in together, so he decided to venture in alone.
As a Master of the Dao of Space, if he was unable to find a way out, it was pointless for the others to go in with him.
“Let’s go,” Zhu Jiu Yin said. She felt sorry that Yang Kai was forced to become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on this day, and he had even dived into the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so it wasn’t certain whether they’d have a chance to meet again. Since she had gotten rid of the oath restraining her, she felt completely at ease now. The problem now was how she was going to explain this matter to Shan Qing Luo when she returned. It gave her a headache just thinking about that young woman rashly deciding to come all the way here to look for him.
She truly valued this Junior of hers who had a Source from her lineage.
“You all can go back first. I must wait for Young Master here,” Yue He gently replied. Even though she was unable to go in with Yang Kai, she was determined to wait for his return regardless of whether it would take her a month or a century.
“What’s the point of doing that?” Zhu Jiu Yin snapped, “Before he left, he told you to go back to Void Land and take care of his Sect. What’s the point of you lingering here? Void Land is still in its development phase and there is no powerful Master to assume command of it now. Mo Mei has to manage the Star City, so who can take care of Void Land if you don’t go back? If you really want to help that brat, go back and help him manage Void Land well. Wouldn’t it be better if he returns one day and sees a prosperous Sect rather than a desolate one?”
After a moment of silence, Yue He replied in a small voice, “Senior is right.”
Upon seeing that she was willing to listen to reason, Zhu Jiu Yin nodded in satisfaction, “Let’s go.”
A while later, the four of them followed the previous route and left the Shattered Heaven, then Qu Hua Shang bid them farewell. Although she didn’t represent her Sect when she followed Yang Kai to this place, she had indeed caused some trouble; therefore, she had to return to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and receive her punishment. She probably wouldn’t be able to leave her Sect for a while.
…..
Meanwhile, a figure was rapidly shooting towards the Territory Gate in the Shattered Heaven. The person’s face was ashen as he coughed from time to time. Besides the fact that blood was still dripping from the corner of his mouth, his aura was a complete mess. He was none other than Ti Zheng.
Four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had joined forces to deal with Zhu Jiu Yin, but the result of that intense battle was that both parties had been injured. While Zhu Jiu Yin indeed suffered serious wounds, the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t fare any better.
Ti Zheng was in especially bad condition because Zhu Jiu Yin was incensed at his humiliating remarks towards her, so most of her attacks were targeted at him Ti Zheng during the battle. There were even times when he almost lost his life.
With a bitter smile, Ti Zheng mused on how it was indeed difficult to deal with a mature Divine Spirit. He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but if he were to fight a one-on-one fight with Zhu Jiu Yin, he would probably lose his life within an incense stick.
He had never been so severely wounded before. The flesh wounds didn’t matter as they would heal eventually, the problem was his Small Universe. The fierce battle destabilised his Small Universe and caused his World Force to become chaotic.
Now, he desperately needed to look for a place to stabilize his Small Universe; otherwise, he would be left with huge problems in the future.
His situation was similar to what Bai Qi had recently experienced. The reason Bai Qi got out of danger was that he had consumed a Star Gathering Universe Pill. If there were also Star Gathering Universe Pills around at this moment, it could help alleviate Ti Zheng’s problem.
Bai Qi was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so just one pill was enough to fix his situation. On the other hand, Ti Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he would require more pills.
Unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to refine such pills, so they were always scarce on the market. Back then, Yang Kai had paid a huge price to find an Alchemist to refine the pill; hence, even though Ti Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he didn’t have such a pill on him.
Furthermore, he had never expected that he would need such a pill one day. If he had only known, he would’ve prepared one in advance.
Presently, he had parted ways with the other three Masters. He had been feigning calm and nonchalance so that no one could tell how serious his injuries were; however, now that he was alone, he was unable to conceal his condition anymore. His Small Universe was continuously shaking while the weltering World Force caused his blood to churn.
All of a sudden, he looked to the side and bellowed, “Who goes there!”
Looking up, he saw someone surrounded by Demon Qi rapidly approaching him. Ti Zheng stared intently and saw through the Demon Qi, and upon making out the person’s face, he set his mind at ease.
When the person reached Ti Zheng, he cupped his fist and greeted, “Sir.”
Ti Zheng nodded lightly, and then he suddenly grunted and coughed out some blood.
The person asked in shock, “Are you injured, Sir?”
Ti Zheng waved his hand and replied, “I’m fine. Where are the others?”
The person said in a bitter voice, “They’re all gone. Only I managed to escape. Earlier, Black Crow Divine Monarch had been hunting us down, so we had no choice but to run and hide. When I sensed your aura just now, I immediately came to you.”
Upon hearing that, Ti Zheng felt speechless. This time, Myriad Demons Heaven had sent out seven Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, but only one of them survived in the end, which was a complete tragedy. He secretly swore that he would capture Black Crow one day and let him know the consequences of offending him.
Then, he stared deeply at the person and said, “You’re pretty lucky.”
The person before his eyes was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had died, but this Fifth-Order kid managed to survive.
Embarrassed, the person replied, “I’m too weak, so Black Crow didn’t target me immediately. Perhaps that’s why I had a chance to flee.”
Right then, Ti Zheng grunted again. Besides from his lips, blood was also leaking from his eyes and nostrils, which made him look extremely miserable.
The person exclaimed, “Are you alright, Sir?”
Still, Ti Zheng waved his hand.
The person immediately summoned a ship and said, “Please board and recuperate, Sir. I’ll bring us back to Myriad Demons Heaven now.”
Ti Zheng nodded and entered the ship. After finding a secret room, he opened the isolation barriers, sat down crossed-legged and stuffed some pills into his mouth. As he emptied his mind and circulated his Secret Art, he tried to bring order to the chaos in his Small Universe.
His injuries couldn’t be healed in a short period of time, so even if he returned to Myriad Demons Heaven, it would take him three to five years to fully recover.
Meanwhile, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Myriad Demons Heaven was standing silently on the deck as the ship moved towards somewhere in the Shattered Heaven. As Demon Qi undulated, a small part of the fog floated away and revealed a pair of fervent and tempted eyes. Soon, a sense of determination flashed through his gaze as beneath the Demon Qi, the person curved his lips into a ferocious grin.
One hour later, Ti Zheng, who was recuperating in the secret room, became alarmed as he hurriedly opened his eyes. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him had incredibly sharp intuition, so he was often able to detect danger before it even befell him.
Before he could figure out what was going on, he heard an explosion and the ship rocked violently.
The ship had been struck and was about to explode!
Upon that realization, Ti Zheng roared and shot up as he used his immense power to repel the shrapnel around him.
Just when he tried to find out what had happened, he felt a violent force coming at him from all directions, which caused him to spray out a mouthful of blood.
Even though the explosion was powerful, it couldn’t possibly harm him. The reason he fell into such a state was that he had been interrupted while he was in a meditative state. These were no ordinary injuries as his Small Universe had been destabilised, so he couldn’t be interrupted while trying to stabilize them.
At that instant, he realised that the condition of his Small Universe had been exacerbated; instead of healing, it had actually worsened.
While Ti Zheng looked around in a dazed state, he saw a figure surrounded by Demon Qi come flying at him backwards.
The person was the only subordinate of Ti Zheng’s that survived. It wasn’t certain what kind of attack he had suffered from, but at this moment, he was spraying out a mouthful of blood and tumbling through the void like a sack.
“Sir! Run! Black Crow set up an ambush!” The person exclaimed.
“Black Crow!?” Ti Zheng was both shocked and infuriated.
If he were in peak condition, he, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, naturally wouldn’t be afraid of Black Crow; however, at this moment, his Small Universe was in an unstable state, so he wasn’t able to battle against anyone. If he forcefully tried to stimulate his World Force, there would be a risk his Small Universe would collapse, and the consequences would be dreadful. He felt resentful, thinking that Black Crow must be aware that he was in a terrible condition, so the latter seized the chance and attacked him. There was no doubt that Black Crow was a despicable person.
After hesitating between fighting and fleeing for a moment, Ti Zheng gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
Presently, Black Crow had many powerful Open Heaven Realm Masters working for him, and he himself was a Master who had been reborn by seizing another’s body, so he probably had a lot of dangerous methods at his disposal. It would be a foolish decision if Ti Zheng decided to stay as he might lose his life here.
At that moment, he felt completely vexed. If he hadn’t been injured, he wouldn’t have been oppressed by someone much weaker than him. He had never felt so humiliated in his life.
While he was still lost in his thoughts, Ti Zheng suddenly heard a series of gentle thuds, then his entire figure shook as though something had penetrated his defence and reached for his vital points.
Following a sharp pain, he realised that it was difficult for him to use his strength, and even his figure had stiffened.
A hand had silently penetrated his body from behind and grasped his heart.
Ti Zheng widened his eyes in fury as he was bound to the spot. With difficulty, he turned his head and saw a face that was covered with Demon Qi, then his expression darkened.
The Demon Qi weltered and cleared away before a smiling but wicked-looking face was revealed. He was none other than Ti Zheng’s only surviving subordinate.
It was then Ti Zheng realised that he had been set up by his own subordinate, which was totally inconceivable to him. Certainly, he had figured out by now that Black Crow was nowhere near, and that it was this person who detonated the ship on his own.
“What are you doing, Mo Sheng!” Ti Zheng asked in a grim voice.
“Mo Sheng?” The man chuckled, “You’re wrong. This King isn’t Mo Sheng. Mo Sheng is long dead. This King is just using his body.”
“You took over his body?” Ti Zheng’s face fell as he recalled something.
Many years ago, a person named Mo Sheng suddenly came to Myriad Demons Heaven and claimed that he was the Sect’s disciple. However, he accidentally fell into a Sealed World and became trapped for many years. Right after he broke free from that place, he immediately returned to Myriad Demons Heaven.
However, since the incident took place too long ago, the records from that period were spotty at best, especially regarding a lower-level disciple.
Nevertheless, they still found a document from over a hundred thousand years ago that had some information about Mo Sheng, thus confirming that he was indeed their disciple. In the past, he suddenly disappeared for no reason, and there had never been any news about him since. This was similar to the statement he had given; moreover, his pure Demon Qi couldn’t be faked, so Myriad Demons Heaven accepted him in the end.
When Mo Sheng returned to the Sect at that time, he still wasn’t an Open Heaven Realm Master, but his aptitude was excellent, so he managed to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven in just a few years. He was then assigned to work under Ti Zheng.
Since they had to set up a Locking Divine Spirit Array this time, Ti Zheng decided to bring ‘Mo Sheng’ with him. However, it never crossed his mind that he’d be harmed by this person instead of getting killed by Zhu Jiu Yin.
Ti Zheng’s fury was burning within him as he widened his eyes and said through clenched teeth, “Who are you?”
The person replied smilingly, “Do you want to know? I don’t mind telling you.” Then, he sported a solemn expression and yelled, “This King is Wu Kuang, the one destined to conquer the 3,000 Worlds and one day become its supreme ruler!”
Ti Zheng was so exasperated that he started laughing, “You want to be the ruler of the 3,000 Worlds? Ridiculous!” He looked at Wu Kuang as though the latter was a lunatic. Usually, if he heard a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master say such a thing, he would’ve laughed out loud. Nevertheless, at this moment, he didn’t have the strength to do so.
Wu Kuang chuckled and said, “You won’t be able to find out whether I’m being ridiculous or not because… you’re going to die today! Don’t even try to use your World Force. This King’s All-Sealing Needle is an ancient artifact. Once it’s inserted into a person’s body, it will seal off his Small Universe unless he’s able to force it out. It seems that you’re really severely wounded; otherwise, I wouldn’t have stood a chance to succeed.”
Ti Zheng said grimly, “So what if you kill me? You want to become the ruler of the 3,000 Worlds? That’s a pretty ambitious goal. Why don’t you release me and let this Monarch lend you a hand instead?”
His Small Universe was in chaos, so he was unable to surge his power to begin with. Now, his World Force had even been restricted by Wu Kuang’s All Sealing Needle, so he was totally powerless to counterattack. Therefore, he was racking his brain to come up with a way to get himself out of danger.
Wu Kuang sneered, “Do you think this King is a three-year-old child who would believe such an empty promise? You’ll kill me the moment I release you, am I right?”
Ti Zheng said, “I can make a heart demon oath. As long as you release me, I’ll never settle accounts with you. What’s more, I can give you a lot of resources for cultivation. As a mere Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, without my support, it will take you ages to reach the Seventh-Order. However, things will be different with my backing. I can assure you that I’ll help you ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm within 1,000 years as long as you have the necessary aptitude.”
Wu Kuang shook his head, “1,000 years is too long.”
Ti Zheng’s face fell as he said, “How can you say that it’s too long a time to go from the Fifth Order to the Seventh Order? Do you know how long it took this Monarch to go from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order?”
“I’m not interested to find out anything about you,” Wu Kuang scoffed.
A pale Ti Zheng snapped, “Are you determined to kill me? Even if you kill me here, you won’t get any benefits! Most of this Monarch’s assets have fallen into that brat Yang Kai’s hands, so what’s the point of you doing this?” This was what puzzled Ti Zheng the most. Even though Wu Kuang had taken over Mo Sheng’s body, Ti Zheng reckoned that he had been treating him well over the years as he rarely reproached him. What was Wu Kuang trying to do by taking such a huge risk to launch a sneak attack on him at this moment?
“Your very existence is the biggest benefit for me, Sir.” Wu Kuang looked fervently at Ti Zheng as he licked his lips, “I’ve never tasted a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before. I’ll enjoy it now, Sir! Please do your best to persevere until the end!”
Following that, Ti Zheng suddenly felt a horrifying suction coming from the hand that was grasping his heart.
Under the influence of this suction force, his Blood Essence and the heritage of his Small Universe uncontrollably streamed towards Wu Kuang.
A horrified Ti Zheng widened his eyes and exclaimed, “The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture!?”
Soon, however, he shook his head and realised that it wasn’t the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. Even though he had never cultivated it before, thus not knowing the abstruseness of it, one of his disciples had comprehended some chapters of the scripture before. Therefore, Ti Zheng had some basic understanding of it.
As far as he knew, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was indeed an incredible Secret Art, but it could only be used to absorb Blood Essence. There was no way it could absorb the heritage of a person’s Small Universe like what was happening now.
Wu Kuang’s Secret Art shared some similarities with Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture, but it seemed that his was even more powerful.
“What kind of evil technique is this!?” Ti Zheng asked in horror.
“Heaven Devouring Battle Law!” Wu Kuang seemed to be enjoying himself greatly, as though he was feasting on the most delectable delicacy in the world. Not only did he appear ecstatic, but his voice quivered in ecstasy, “It is the Secret Art that this King devised himself. How does it feel, Sir?”
Upon hearing that, Ti Zheng was flabbergasted.
This person was an extraordinary genius to be able to create such a Secret Art. Just now, Ti Zheng scoffed at Wu Kuang for shamelessly boasting that he would conquer the entire 3,000 Worlds and become its ruler. But now, Ti Zheng kind of believed him.
A person who was able to devise such a Secret Art was bound to achieve great things in life.
It was a shame that he had only ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the limitations of his future had been set in stone.
“Wonderful!” Wu Kuang guffawed, “A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master tastes much better than those Fourth and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators. Sir, your power is sufficient for me to ascend to the Sixth Order! Many thanks for giving it to me!”
Upon hearing that, Ti Zheng recalled that there were times when several of his subordinates and Wu Kuang went out to carry out some tasks, but some of his subordinates would be killed in the end and only a battered Wu Kuang managed to return.
Ti Zheng had only thought that they had come across some kind of danger, but now it seemed that his subordinates were actually killed by Wu Kuang.
As he felt the foundation of his Small Universe leaving him like a flood and he couldn’t help but feel flustered even though he was usually a resolute person.
It wasn’t like he had never expected to die one day. There was no way a Human could live forever, but this kind of death was simply too miserable.
Presently, the All Sealing Needle in his body had sealed off his Small Universe, which disallowed him to use his own power as he pleased. If he rashly surged his World Force, his situation would probably exacerbate. Faced with this lunatic named Wu Kuang, Ti Zheng realised that there was nothing he could do to deal with him.
As his thoughts ran through his mind, he suddenly said through gritted teeth, “Since you want to devour this King’s power, I’ll give it all to you. Let’s see how much you can absorb!”
Upon finishing his words, instead of trying to stop his strength from leaving his body, he did the opposite and cooperated. As he bore the excruciating pain, he attempted to force the All Sealing Needle out of his body while frantically infusing the power of his Small Universe into Wu Kuang’s body.
Even though Wu Kuang’s Heaven Devouring Battle Law was an extremely evil art, he was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Therefore, he was still much weaker than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and the capacity of his body and Small Universe was limited. If Ti Zheng could push him over the edge, he might stand a chance to live.
Surprisingly, Wu Kuang started laughing like a madman, “Many thanks, Sir! Please give me all of your power!” As he spoke, a layer of blood mist formed around his body, and even all his seven orifices started bleeding. It was apparent that he had been impacted by Ti Zheng’s efforts.
Upon seeing that, Ti Zheng clenched his teeth and continued what he was doing to fight for a chance to survive.
Half a day later, Ti Zheng fell into a despairing state.
Most of the foundation of his Small Universe was gone. Even if Wu Kuang stopped sucking his strength now, his cultivation would definitely regress, and it would take him countless years to restore it, if that was even possible.
On the other hand, Wu Kuang had swollen significantly after absorbing so much power, now looking like a giant fatty. World Force could be seen spurting out from his pores and bringing with it streams of blood, which formed a thick layer of blood mist around his body.
It seemed that he would explode at any moment due to his inability to contain so much power, but in reality, he didn’t seem to have the intention of stopping as he still madly used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to absorb Ti Zheng’s power.
Furthermore, as time passed, Wu Kuang’s aura increased rapidly.
It had only been seven or eight years since Wu Kuang ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. This amount of time was normally only enough for a cultivator to stabilise his cultivation, but presently, Wu Kuang seemed to be at the peak of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm as he was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough.
Upon seeing that, Ti Zheng was horrified.
[What kind of evil technique is this Heaven Devouring Battle Law!? Does it even allow him to rapidly increase his cultivation without any drawbacks!?]
Without saying a word, Wu Kuang madly circulated his Heaven Devouring Battle Law and greedily absorbed the last remnants of the Seventh-Order cultivator’s Small Universe.
This kind of chance was extremely hard to come by. Even though he had done similar things before, the ones he targeted had always been Fourth and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Now that there was such a great chance, he certainly wouldn’t want to miss it.
In fact, it was all thanks to Yang Kai that he managed to have this chance.
If Yang Kai hadn’t brought a mature Divine Spirit with him that severely injured Ti Zheng, Wu Kuang’s sneak attack wouldn’t have been successful.
It never crossed his mind that Yang Kai would manage to cause such a massive stir in the 3,000 Worlds just several decades after they separated, even becoming the Lord of Void Land.
It was true that a talented person would never fall into oblivion wherever he went.
Three days later, Wu Kuang stopped circulating his Secret Technique and took a deep breath to suppress his weltering vitality.
After three days of continuous absorption, he had swollen tremendously. From afar, he looked more like a balloon than a person. Blood was still streaming out of his seven orifices as the blood mist swirled around him.
However, his aura was already much stronger than when he started. There was no doubt that he had reached the peak of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
On the other hand, Ti Zheng’s breathing was extremely weak. His gaze was listless and his figure had withered as his Small Universe had been completely drained. Presently, he was already on his last legs. Even if Wu Kuang decided not to kill him, he would soon die.
“Do you have any last words?” Wu Kuang asked in a grim voice.
Without saying a word, Ti Zheng stared fixedly at him.
Wu Kuang nodded, “Farewell then, Sir.”
Then, he landed a palm on Ti Zheng, who exploded into dust and went with the wind. The fact that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master fell into such a state was truly miserable.
After killing Ti Zheng, Wu Kuang immediately shot towards the depths of the Shattered Heaven. Soon, he found a Spirit Province and snuck into it. Then, he set up a number of Spirit Arrays that could conceal his presence and set the Spirit Province moving towards his destination. Following that, he sat down with his legs crossed and focused on refining the power he had just absorbed.
He was extremely full now, so it would take him a long time before he could digest it all. When he stepped out of seclusion next, he would be a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
He was the one who had created the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and since he arrived at the 3,000 Worlds, he had modified and improved it several times. With this Heaven-defying Secret Art in his hands, he could just drain the powers of some Open Heaven Realm Masters to increase his cultivation, which was why he disregarded Ti Zheng’s promise to him.
Just like what Wu Kuang had said, 1,000 years was too long for him. If he wanted to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he just had to look for his own chances instead of waiting for others’ help.
…..
Under the grey sky, there was a barren land that was filled with Death Qi. The Principles and World Force in this place seemed broken and incomplete.
[Is this the Shadowless Cave Heaven?]
Presently, Yang Kai was standing on a barren mountain as he looked around with a frown.
Compared to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the Shadowless Cave Heaven was too dreary. Although the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was just a Universe Cave Heaven, it had a lot of different biomes and sceneries. However, the Shadowless Cave Heaven was extremely desolate as far as the eye could see, which puzzled Yang Kai greatly.
This was the first place he landed after he passed through the Void and entered the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Since there was a portal, one should theoretically be able to go in as well as come out; however, after scanning his surroundings for a long time, Yang Kai was unable to detect any Space Principle fluctuations nearby, let alone find the entrance where he had just passed through.
In other words, if he wanted to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he had to look for a different exit.
[Where’s Proprietress?]
Yang Kai looked around but found nothing. Nevertheless, since the Shadowless Cave Heaven was just a Universe Cave Heaven, its landmass shouldn’t be comparable to a true Universe World. As long as Proprietress was here, he would find her one day.
Before he even moved though, Yang Kai suddenly detected something and looked in a particular direction, only to see some figures rapidly approaching him. In the blink of an eye, they already reached him.
There were three people in total. Their auras suggested that they were all Open Heaven Realm Masters with the leading one being a middle-aged man in the Fifth Order, then there was a Fourth-Order woman and a Third-Order young man.
At first glance, they looked like they were a family of some kind; however, when a cultivator reached the Open Heaven Realm, it was impossible to tell his age by looking at his appearance. Therefore, Yang Kai couldn’t be sure that they were indeed related.
He was just trying to look for the Proprietress when he came across these people, which elated him.
Obviously, he had caused some disturbance when he entered this place, which attracted these people.
Before Yang Kai could ask anything, the middle-aged man sized him up and asked, “Are you a newcomer?”
Yang Kai saw no reason to deny it, so he simply nodded, “Yes.”
The middle-aged man said, “Judging from your aura, you seem to have just broken through.”
Yang Kai’s aura was too conspicuous as he was unable to completely control it yet. Anyone who wasn’t blind could easily tell that he was a newly promoted Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai nodded again, “Indeed.”
“Such a shame,” the middle-aged man shook his head while the woman and the young man behind him appeared sympathetic. It was truly miserable that Yang Kai had fallen into this place not long after he entered the Open Heaven Realm.
After comparing their own experiences to Yang Kai’s, they felt less frustrated now. At the very least, they only accidentally fell into the Shadowless Cave Heaven many years after they entered the Open Heaven Realm.
“What’s your name, Senior Brother?” Yang Kai cupped his fist at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man replied, “Ma Tian Yuan.”
“So it is Senior Brother Ma.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at him, “I’m new to this place, so I know nothing. Would it be alright if I ask you some questions?”
A curious Ma Tian Yuan gazed at him and asked, “What do you want to know?”
“I’m looking for three people,” Yang Kai replied, “They arrived in this place half a year ago. One woman and two men. The woman is a Sixth-Order Master while the two men with her are in the Fifth-Order. One of the men wears a big apron with a ‘Slaughter’ character on it while the other has a pair of arrogant-looking eyes that makes you want to punch him on sight.”
As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, Ma Tian Yuan narrowed his eyes while the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master woman and the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master young man exchanged glances.
It seemed that the Proprietress was indeed in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. At the very least, Ma Tian Yuan and the others seemed to recognize her, Chef, and Accountant. If not, they wouldn’t have reacted in such a way.
“Haha. So, you’re close to that Madame, Junior Brother.” Ma Tina Yuan suddenly laughed.
An elated Yang Kai asked, “Do you know where they are, Senior Brother Ma?”
Ma Tian Yuan replied, “En, I do. They’re guests in our Unrivalled Guild, which is not far away from this place. If you want to see them, this Ma can lead the way for you.”
A grateful Yang Kai said, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Ma.”
“Don’t mention it. That Madame is Unrivalled Guild’s honoured guest. Since you’re close to her, you’re also our guest. This way, please.” Ma Tian Yuan extended his hand towards a particular direction.
After thanking him one more time, Yang Kai followed him and afterwards was followed closely by the woman and the young man.
On the way to their destination, Yang Kai asked curiously, “Senior Brother Ma, it’s my first day here, so I know nothing about this place. What kind of place is this Unrivalled Guild? Is it your great force?”
Ma Tian Yuan replied, “I wouldn’t dare to say that. The three Leaders of Unrivalled Guild are all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters while this Ma is only a Fifth-Order. I’m just someone who works for the Leaders, so I wouldn’t dare to say that Unrivalled Guild belongs to me.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “There are three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Unrivalled Guild?”
There were only two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in all of Void Land. Throughout the entire 3,000 Worlds, it was rare for any Second Class great force to have three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The woman couldn’t help but add, “Big Brother Ma was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the past.”
An astounded Yang Kai turned to look at Ma Tian Yuan, “Since you managed to reach the Sixth Order, how did you end up in the Fifth Order?”
Ma Tian Yuan appeared dejected as he shook his head with a bitter smile, “It’s a long story. You’ve just come to the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so you have no idea about the environment here. You’ll soon find out how dangerous this place is soon enough. By the way, how did you fall into this place?”
“I came here looking for someone,” Yang Kai replied.
Upon hearing that, the three people sported awkward expressions. Ma Tian Yuan asked, “Are you looking for that Madame?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Ma Tian Yuan tutted, “You’ve come all the way here to look for her? Do you know that no one has ever left this Shadowless Cave Heaven before? Once you fall into this place, you’ll never be able to escape.”
“I did hear about that,” Yang Kai nodded and put on a smile, “However, I believe that as long as there’s a will, we’ll be able to find a way out.”
There was an admiring look on Ma Tian Yuan’s face, “Those three people must be very important to you.”
Yang Kai smiled gently, “That woman is called Yue He. She’s is my Elder Sister, so she’s certainly important to me.”
“I see.” Ma Tian Yuan nodded upon hearing that.
Yang Kai went on to say, “Elder Sister Yue He has done me a lot of favors. Without her support, I couldn’t have achieved anything in this life.”
Ma Tian Yuan praised him by saying, “You’re a righteous man who knows how to repay favours. This Ma is more than happy to become friends with someone like you. Hmm, why did you stop walking suddenly, Junior Brother?”
He was puzzled at the sight of Yang Kai stopping in his tracks all of a sudden. As their eyes met, Yang Kai looked smilingly at him with a meaningful gaze.
“That Elder Sister that I’m looking for is not named Yue He,” Yang Kai said slowly.