The Proprietress’ alluring eyes trembled. It had been one year since they arrived at this place, and they’d had a taste of the power and strangeness of the Astral Wind many times. Other than hiding in this cave, they were unable to fend it off in any way.
However, now, Yang Kai’s Wood Element Divine Manifestation was able to completely ward off the Astral Wind that had been giving them a headache for a long time. It went to show that the Wood Element treasure he had refined was extraordinary.
Gazing at his secret room, the Proprietress became slightly at ease.
Since Yang Kai was able to make such a move, it meant that he was aware of what was going on in the surroundings; therefore, he should be almost completely healed. Initially, she was worried that the Astral Wind would have some negative impact on Yang Kai. Now, it seemed that not only did he have a way to fend it off, but he could also protect the three of them.
Although Yang Kai had only ascended to the Fifth Order, his previous efforts hadn’t gone down the drain. This Wood Element Divine Manifestation alone was a powerful method in his arsenal.
Inside the secret room, Yang Kai appeared jovial.
Not long after he arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he was struck by the Astral Wind once, which resulted in him being quite battered. When he checked on his Small Universe after that though, he realised that the gigantic tree, which was the manifestation of his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation, was completely fine. At that time, he speculated that this Divine Manifestation might be able to protect against the Astral Wind.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a chance to test this theory.
Therefore, when the Astral Wind struck again, he immediately activated the Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation. Just like he had expected, the aura of the great tree was able to keep out the Astral Wind.
The discovery made him set his mind at ease. With this Divine Manifestation, he wouldn’t have to worry about the Astral Wind in the Shadowless Cave Heaven again; moreover, not only could this Divine Manifestation protect himself, it could also protect those around him.
In a place such as the Shadowless Cave Heaven, this kind of Divine Manifestation was like a trump card that could save their lives as they wouldn’t have to worry about the brutality of the Astral Wind ever again.
Even though the Headquarters of the three great forces were safe, the locations were not movable. On the other hand, Yang Kai could use this Divine Manifestation wherever he wanted. Although the protection range was limited, it was more than sufficient.
One hour later, the Astral Wind dissipated.
Yang Kai retracted his Divine Manifestation and the gigantic tree with vigorous green light slowly disappeared. Following that, he continued absorbing the medicinal efficacies of the World Fruit.
Over the past month, he had been continuously absorbing the World Force coming from the World Fruit.
Presently, not only had he made up for the losses that he had suffered in his Small Universe from the Astral Wind, but he had also managed to strengthen it. Even the landmass of his Small Universe had expanded quite a bit.
He had a feeling that he had reached the limits of the Fifth Order and, in just a few days, he would be able to achieve a breakthrough and ascend to the Sixth Order.
There wasn’t a need to worry about whether the medicinal efficacies of the World Fruit were sufficient. Since Yue He was able to go from the Fifth Order to the Sixth Order, Yang Kai could do the same.
In the meantime, on one of the peaks of Profound Yang Mountain, the door of a palace suddenly opened. Second Mountain Lord Yun Fei Bai stepped out and looked around before ordering, “Inform the Third Mountain Lord and the Fourth Mountain Lord. Assemble the troops and follow me to capture that whore Lan You Ruo!”
A number of Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had been keeping guard outside the palace, immediately replied, “Yes.”
Looking in the direction of the caldera, Yun Fei Bai sported a cold expression.
Previously, he was injured by Yang Kai, which was an incredible loss of face. The spear that penetrated his chest had left him severely wounded and it took him a whole month to recover. He could still feel his chest aching to this day.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t in a better state either as he had almost been decapitated, he was only a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while Yun Fei Bai was in the Sixth-Order. They were not supposed to be an equal match to begin with as the difference of even one Order was like the gap between the Heavens and Earth. Being wounded so seriously by a boy a whole Order lower than him was humiliating, so it was expected that Yun Fei Bai would be resentful.
In order to recover quickly, he used a lot of resources that were hard to come by in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so it could be said that these were immense losses for him.
He was extremely vexed. If it weren’t because the Head Mountain Lord had his eyes on Yang Kai’s mastery over the Dao of Space, which might help them find the exit, Yun Fei Bai would definitely kill him and rip his corpse into countless pieces.
Since the Head Mountain Lord had given the order though, Yun Fei Bai wouldn’t dare to kill Yang Kai. Nevertheless, it would be fine to treat him harshly. He secretly swore that once he captured Yang Kai, he would cut off all his limbs and stuff him into a jar where he would spend the rest of his miserable life.
As for Lan You Ruo, he was determined to obtain her. He had previously invited her to join Profound Yang Mountain and promised to make her the Fifth Mountain Lord; however, since she embarrassed him and didn’t appreciate his kindness, he couldn’t be blamed for being hard on her.
Meanwhile, the Third Mountain Lord Geng Qing and the Fourth Mountain Lord Zhou Ya were already ready. If Yun Fei Bai hadn’t insisted on personally making a move to get his revenge, they would’ve brought their people with them and stormed into the caldera a month ago. Upon getting the news at this moment, they responded quickly. Soon, numerous rays of light left Profound Yang Mountain and headed to the hiding place of the Proprietress and her subordinates.
There were dozens of people in total. The three Sixth-Order Mountain Lords led the way while the weakest among this group were in the Fourth Order. Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters weren’t qualified to interfere in this matter. There were also six Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in this team.
Such a force was more than enough to deal with Lan You Ruo and the others.
In fact, they had always known that Lan You Ruo was hiding in the caldera. The reason they hadn’t stormed that place until now was that the Mountain Lords were wary of her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation. If she became desperate, she might be able to severely wound one or two of them, even if defeating them was impossible.
Furthermore, Yun Fei Bai wanted to wait for the Astral Wind to weaken the Proprietress and her companions. It would only take one or two years for her power to noticeably decrease. By then, it’d be much easier to capture her.
Even without Yang Kai making a scene on Profound Yang Mountain, Yun Fei Bai was already prepared to make a move. Now that the Head Mountain Lord valued Yang Kai’s capabilities, coupled with the grudges between them, the battle against Lan You Ruo was inevitable.
This large group of people flew through the sky.
In just two to three days, they arrived at a spot near the caldera. Following the three Mountain Lords’ order, the caldera was quickly surrounded as World Forces undulated.
Inside the cave below the volcano, Chef exclaimed, “Profound Yang Mountain is here, Proprietress!”
The Proprietress sported a solemn expression and nodded, “I know.” Then, she took a glance at Yang Kai’s secret room, “I’ll go out to have a look. If things go wrong, immediately bring Yang Kai away from here.”
Chef asked worriedly, “What about you?”
The Proprietress replied, “You don’t have to worry about me. I have a way to flee!”
Accountant took a step forward, “I’ll stay with you to give you a hand, Proprietress!”
“Many people from Profound Yang Mountain are here; even three Mountain Lords have arrived, but I’m still able to escape if I’m on my own, so you don’t have to come with me.” As soon as she finished speaking, she leapt into the air and dashed out of the cave. As she separated her palms, a passageway appeared in the magma.
Chef and Accountant watched her leave as their eyes were filled with anxiety.
Initially, they thought that after ascending to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they would be able to share some of the Proprietress’ burdens. However, in this kind of situation, Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like them were useless. If they tagged along, they might be captured by the enemy and used to threaten the Proprietress.
They couldn’t help but blame themselves for being useless as they were unable to lend her a hand at the most critical moment. Chef’s eyelids twitched as he gazed at the secret room, [What’s wrong with Yang Kai? Why hasn’t he come out after one month of recuperation?]
If he had stepped out of the secret room, they could make use of his Space Secret Technique to flee even if they were unable to defeat their enemies. However, he had been meditating for a whole month, and he didn’t seem aware that the enemy was already at their door.
Outside the caldera, the three Mountain Lords stood alongside one another. A lot of people had surrounded the caldera as auras undulated. Upon seeing that the magma was roiling , Yun Fei Bai curled up his lips.
A snow-white figure shot out of the fiery red magma. The imperial dress she was clad in perfectly outlined her curvy figure.
The Proprietress stood silently in the void as she flicked her sleeve and swept a glance over these people. Then, she fixed her eyes on Yun Fei Bai and the others before asking, “What brings you here, Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain?”
Yun Fei Bai sneered, “Stop asking the obvious. You’re fully aware of why we’re here.”
The Proprietress replied, “I’m not you, so how am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?”
Yun Fei Bai scoffed, “Since you’re trying to play dumb, just keep doing that. Don’t beg for my mercy when I beat you up later.”
The Proprietress shot him a dispassionate glance, “Yun Fei Bai, although you’re also a Sixth-Order cultivator, you’re no match for me. Go back to where you came from before your pride isn’t the only thing that’s hurt.”
A furious Yun Fei Bai snapped, “You’re pretty arrogant, bitch! Let’s see whether you’re really as strong as you say you are!”
Upon finishing his words, his figure shook as his World Force swirled around him and he pounced at the Proprietress.
Geng Qing helplessly shook his head, “Second Brother is still so hot-tempered. Can’t he see that she’s trying to goad him into a one-on-one fight with her?”
Zhou Ya sighed, “Second Brother is a conceited man, so just let him be. That Lan You Ruo has spent a year being exposed to the Astral Wind, so she isn’t as strong as she was before. Just get ready for now. Once Second Brother injures her, we can join forces and take her down together.”
Geng Qing nodded lightly before taking a step forward and immediately appeared on the other side to form an encirclement with Zhou Ya.
Looking up, they saw that Yun Fei Bai and Lan You Ruo had begun their clash. Both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so every move they made was world-shaking. As their World Forces permeated the air, the explosions of light from their Secret Techniques erupted everywhere. There was no doubt that it was an intense battle.
After observing the battle for a while though, Geng Qing arched his brow as he realised that Lan You Ruo was truly powerful. Although her strength seemed to have been weakened, she was still able to match Yun Fei Bai.
He secretly felt astounded. If Lan You Ruo were at her peak, she would’ve been truly intimidating. Although she might not be able to defeat the Head Mountain Lord, there wouldn’t be a big of a gap between their powers.
Since such a top cultivator had some grudges against Profound Yang Mountain, they reckoned that they must end her life. If she escaped this time and sided with either Unrivalled Guild or Twin Spirit Island, it would be troublesome for them.
After the intense battle lasted for a while, it was apparent that the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were equally matched. All of a sudden, someone came over and reported, “Third Mountain Lord, Fourth Mountain Lord, we’ve detected some strange movements in the caldera.”
Upon hearing that, Geng Qing stared intently in that direction for a moment before saying, “They’re Lan You Ruo’s Fifth-Order subordinates. The magma is roiling inside the caldera. There should be some secret passageways. These guys must be trying to flee since the situation isn’t in their favour… Hmm? There’s one more person with them. Who is that?”
Zhou Ya looked in the same direction and gave it a thought before saying, “He must be that brat who injured Second Brother. It seems that his injuries are pretty severe. One month has passed, but he’s still unconscious. Someone has to carry him on his back and flee.”
Geng Qing nodded, “You’re right. I’ll leave those three to you, Fourth Sister. If we can capture them, it will distract Lan You Ruo. By then, Second Brother will have an easier time dealing with her.”
A hesitant Zhou Ya asked, “What about Second Brother?”
With a smile, Geng Qing replied, “Don’t worry, Fourth Sister. I’ll make sure that he won’t get hurt. When the time is right, I’ll join forces with him.”
It was then Zhou Ya nodded, “I’ll go then.”
Following that, she swept a glance over the people around her, whereupon more than ten people left with her to race after Chef and the others.
One hundred kilometres in front of them, Chef carried Yang Kai on his back while running away at the speed of the wind. On the other hand, Accountant followed them with a golden abacus in his hand. When he turned his head and saw many rays of light racing after them, he exclaimed, “Run, Chef! They’re coming right at us!”
Just like what Geng Qing had said, there were some secret passageways under the caldera. It had been one year since the Proprietress and the others arrived in this place, so they were familiar with the terrain. Even if the cave’s entrance was blocked by their enemies one day, they would still be able to flee.
Not long after the Proprietress dashed out of the caldera, she engaged in a battle with the enemy. Upon seeing that things were deteriorating, Chef and Accountant immediately brought Yang Kai with them and fled through another exit.
Although they moved cautiously, they were still detected by their enemies. Now that their enemies were chasing after them, they had no choice but to flee at their top speed.
Both of them were only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and they had a burden with them that was Yang Kai. On the other hand, Zhou Ya was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had more than ten people with her. Both parties were not equally matched to begin with, so there was no way they could defeat their enemies if they got into a fight.
Therefore, they would only stand a chance to survive by fleeing. At the same time, they prayed that the Proprietress would be fine.
After running away for a while, a pale Accountant cursed, “I don’t think we can get away, Chef. That woman is pretty swift.”
Although there was only a difference of one Order between the Sixth and Fifth Order, the gap in power was vast. Usually, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to deal with five Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with ease. Therefore, it was expected that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was also able to fly at a greater speed.
Since Zhou Ya was determined to hunt them down, Chef and Accountant were not able to get rid of her regardless of how hard they tried.
Seeing that the distance between them was shortening, Chef tossed Yang Kai at Accountant and said, “Leave with him now. I’ll delay her for a while.”
After taking Yang Kai, Accountant gritted his teeth and placed him over his shoulder without hesitation. Then, he charged forward at full speed. It wasn’t the right time to argue. If they couldn’t make a decision quickly, they would fall into a terrible state.
Chef took a deep breath as his figure expanded and turned into a several-dozen-metre tall giant. The apron around his waist swayed with the wind.
With a knife in his left hand and a chopping board in his right, Chef appeared solemn and foreboding.
Then, he hurled the chopping board behind him as it expanded with the wind. It was as though the chopping board was about to cover the entire world. The unsuspecting Zhou Ya and the others came into contact with the chopping board and became bound by a mysterious force.
Chef raised his knife and bellowed, “I am the knife and chopping board, and you are the fish!”
Then, he brought down the knife as the blade shone viciously. The world around him seemed to have turned into his kitchen with him as the chef that was on top of everything.
Zhou Ya was flabbergasted as she hadn’t expected that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would possess such a horrifying Divine Ability. He was apparently more powerful than the average Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although she was a Sixth-Order Master, she still couldn’t help but feel terrified while she was bound to the chopping board. It was as though she was about to be cut into countless pieces.
Not daring to be negligent, she yelled and surged her World Force as she broke free of the restraint and shot towards Chef.
The more than ten Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were not standing idly by either. As they respectively used their Secret Techniques and artifacts, their World Forces became a chaotic torrent.
In just three breaths’ time, Chef’s gigantic figure flew backwards as he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. Like a deflating balloon, he shrank rapidly. The colossal chopping board turned back into its original form and was stored by Chef.
The blade light dissipated and his World Force subsided. Zhou Ya looked up and saw Chef spitting blood while fleeing into the distance. Despite his burly figure, he was extremely agile. With her face turning crimson, she roared, “Follow him! Don’t let him flee!”
She was a Sixth-Order Master and had personally led a team of powerful subordinates, but she was obstructed by a mere Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator. Although it had lasted only several breaths of time, it was humiliating enough.
In the meantime, the Proprietress had fallen into a perilous state. Yun Fei Bai was embarrassed as he wasn’t even able to hurt his opponent, and upon seeing things not progressing, Geng Qing immediately joined forces with him.
As the two Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain worked together, they were able to gain the advantage right away.
However, to their horror, they realised that Lan You Ruo was still able to cope.
Geng Qing couldn’t help but feel terrified. Just a while ago, he believed that although Lan You Ruo wasn’t a match for the Head Mountain Lord when she was at her peak, there would only be a small gap between their powers. Nevertheless, it now seemed that she and the Head Mountain Lord would be equally matched when she was at her peak. Both of them were just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
If not, she couldn’t have remained so powerful after being affected by the Astral Wind for one year.
However, it all had to end on this day.
Regardless of how powerful Lan You Ruo was, she had to be killed in this place. The two of them had made a move while their Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm subordinates disturbed her from outside the battlefield. Even though she was formidable, there was no way she could leave this place alive.
During the intense battle, some people from Profound Yang Mountain had to back down from time to time as they were injured by the Proprietress. In just one incense stick, seven Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had temporarily lost the capabilities to fight, while one of them was even killed.
Although the Proprietress managed to hurt many of her opponents, she had been wounded as well. In this kind of situation, it was a miracle that she had made it so far. If it weren’t because Geng Qing and Yun Fei Bai were worried that she would attempt to drag one of them down with her if she was pushed too far, her situation would’ve been even more difficult.
There came a moment when Geng Qing’s gaze brightened while he attacked the Proprietress alongside Yun Fei Bai. He initially intended to back down, but he charged forward instead, using a Divine Ability that shot towards the Proprietress when she made a mistake and exposed an opening in her guard.
During a life-and-death battle between powerful cultivators, a single opening could determine the outcome.
As his World Force undulated, his Divine Ability landed on the Proprietress’ delicate figure and exploded, whereupon she detonated and turned into dust.
Yun Fei Bai became rooted to the spot as he asked in disbelief, “She died?”
Geng Qing was stunned as well and with a frown, he had a feeling that something was off.
Although his Divine Ability was mighty, Lan You Ruo wasn’t weak. How was it possible that she was killed just like that?
Then, he looked down and saw a figure dashing into the magma.
“It was just an illusion. She fled!” Geng Qing bellowed.
“Where does she think she’s going!?” Yun Fei Bai yelled and plunged into the caldera.
“Wait, Second Brother! There might be a trap!” Geng Qing shouted, but it was too late. The impetuous Yun Fei Bai had already disappeared into the magma.
Left with no choice, Geng Qing ground his teeth and followed.
However, before he even dove into the magma, there was an explosion of World Force beneath him, as though a Divine Ability was expanding before his eyes. Following that, Yun Fei Bai wailed while spraying out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying back. There was a dent on his chest and his aura was unstable. It was apparent that he had suffered a serious setback.
Then, he spat blood again and roared with a hideous expression, “How dare that bitch set me up!”
A speechless Geng Qing reckoned that Yun Fei Bai’s terrible temper would forever land him in trouble.
As the magma subsided, they looked down at it and hesitated. After what happened to Yun Fei Bai, Geng Qing wouldn’t dare to rashly plunge into it as he was worried that Lan You Ruo was hiding under the magma.
As such, he turned to look at one of his Fifth-Order subordinates and ordered in a grim voice, “Go down and have a look.”
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master appeared terrified, but he wouldn’t dare to disobey the order, so he clenched his teeth and dove into the magma.
A moment later, he dashed out of it and shook his head, “That woman is nowhere to be seen. She must have escaped.”
“Where else can she go?” Yun Fei Bai’s eyes were bloodshot as he was resentful of the Proprietress, “All of you, get down and search for her! I have to get her regardless of what it takes!”
Geng Qing explained, “We don’t have to do that, Second Brother. I believe Lan You Ruo is going to look for her subordinates. Fourth Sister is pursuing them, so we just have to meet up with her and I’m sure we’ll find Lan You Ruo over there.”
Yun Fei Bai turned to look at him, “Really? What if she doesn’t look for her subordinates?”
Geng Qing said, “Please trust me, Second Brother. Lan You Ruo seems to be someone who values the people around her greatly, so I believe that she won’t let her subordinates perish on their own.”
After giving it a thought, Yun Fei Bai nodded, “Good, we’ll look for Fourth Sister.” Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood and took a deep breath.
The wound on his chest was extremely painful.
On the other hand, Chef and Accountant were pale as they ran, blood streaming from their mouths. Although Chef had stopped Zhou Ya and the others for several breaths of time using his Secret Technique, their opponents resumed chasing them soon after. Left with no choice, Accountant had to make a move as well.
In the end, both of them were wounded while their enemies were getting closer and closer.
While carrying Yang Kai on his back, Chef cursed, “Brat, are you going to wake up or not!? We’ll die soon! By then, I’ll throw you to that woman and let her rip you into countless pieces!”
Although Chef was lamenting, he never slowed down his pace. Unfortunately, they were unable to get rid of Zhou Ya as she was more powerful than them.
Seeing as the enemies were getting closer, Accountant bellowed, “Leave! I’ll deal with her!”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and readied himself to clash with Zhou Ya.
A flabbergasted Chef exclaimed, “No!”
However, he was unable to stop him, so he clenched his teeth and whirled around to follow him.
Accountant turned his head and bellowed, “What are you doing?”
With a solemn expression, Chef replied, “We’ll never get rid of her, so I think we should just perish together. Before that, we’ll at least bite some flesh off her!”
Accountant’s gaze darkened as he nodded with a heavy heart. Then, Chef quickly fished out a long cloth to tie Yang Kai tightly on his back. With a kitchen knife in one hand and a chopping board in the other, he was prepared to face his enemies.
Just then, they saw a ray of light rapidly approaching from behind Zhou Ya. The ray of light directly stormed into the enemies’ formation and caused a lot of Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to collapse to the ground. Many of them were injured and sent flying away as they sprayed out mouthfuls of blood in mid-air.
An astounded Zhou Ya turned her head with a fierce gaze and surged her World Force to trade moves with the ray of light. As a series of explosive sounds were heard as the world seemed to pale. The ray of light whisked past Zhou Ya and landed on a spot beside Chef and Accountant.
“Proprietress!” Chef and Accountant were pleasantly surprised.
The ray of light was none other than the Proprietress, who had shaken off Geng Qing and Yun Fei Bai.
Her face was slightly pale as she brushed away the blood on the corner of her lips. Then, she extended her hands and grabbed both of them before yelling, “Let’s go!”
Chef and Accountant were uncontrollably hoisted into the air.
“You’re injured, Proprietress,” Chef gazed at the trail of blood on the corner of her mouth with a worried expression.
“It doesn’t matter.” The Proprietress took a glance at Yang Kai on his back and asked, “Hasn’t he woken up yet?”
Chef shook his head, “No. Perhaps he’s at some kind of critical juncture.”
Given such a commotion, Yang Kai should have been shaken out of his meditative state even if he was still recuperating. However, his eyes remained tightly closed, as though he had cut off all connection with the outside world, which put them in a tight spot.
“Should we force this brat up?” Chef asked.
“No!” The Proprietress shook her head. Yang Kai wasn’t someone who would put his companions’ lives at risk and he should be aware of what was going on in his surroundings. In other words, he knew what they were going through, but there was a reason that he couldn’t wake up. It would be a terrible thing if they forcefully interrupted him.
“Where are we going now?” Accountant asked as he turned his head to look at the enemies behind them. Zhou Ya and her subordinates were still relentlessly chasing after them.
The Proprietress declared, “Twin Spirit Island!”
Previously, they were unwilling to join any of the three great forces because, first of all, they had just arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so they were unclear about the current situations in this place. Secondly, once they joined one of the great forces, they would be restricted in many ways and completely bound to that great force.
Only after learning that no one had ever left the Shadowless Cave Heaven over the years, did the Proprietress start considering joining one of them.
Profound Yang Mountain was excluded as there were some grudges between them; therefore, they were left with Unrivalled Guild and Twin Spirit Island. Among the two, Twin Spirit Island was the weakest as there were only two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side, so it was naturally their best option.
Some time ago, the Proprietress visited Twin Spirit Island and was greeted warmly by the two Island Masters. It was apparent that they were trying to persuade her to join their great force.
Initially, the Proprietress planned on asking for the opinions of Yang Kai and the others before deciding whether they should join Twin Spirit Island. Nevertheless, before Yang Kai even awakened, three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain had arrived at her door.
Left with no choice now, they could only head to Twin Spirit Island. If they were accepted into the great force, they could probably resolve this crisis.
…..
There was an expansive lake in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and in the middle of the lake were two islands that looked similar in terms of shape and size. Since both of them were closely connected, they were named Twin Spirit Island.
As the Proprietress and the others headed straight to Twin Spirit Island, it was apparent what their intention was.
On the other hand, Zhou Ya was still relentlessly pursuing them and two days later, Yun Fei Bai and Geng Qing finally joined her.
As Geng Qing looked in the direction the Proprietress and the others were heading, he gave it a thought and pondered, “Is Lan You Ruo going to Twin Spirit Island? When did she even come into contact with those Island Masters?”
Yun Fei Bai snorted, “That bitch is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all, so it’s expected that those two want her to join their Sect. I guess they came into contact some time ago. We need to catch them quickly. We mustn’t let them reach Twin Spirit Island. If she joins forces with Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, it’ll be difficult to deal with them.”
Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan that he just mentioned were the Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island. They were also a married couple. It was said that they had been in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for even longer than the Head Mountain Lord.
Geng Qing narrowed his eyes before chuckling, “It’s been a short time since Lan You Ruo arrived in this place, so she isn’t aware of that couple’s temperaments. She must be acting out of desperation since she has no other choice. Don’t worry, Second Brother. It’ll be a good thing if she reaches Twin Spirit Island.”
Yun Fei Bai shot him a glance, “Why is it a good thing?”
Geng Qing explained, “Aren’t you aware of what that couple is like, Second Brother? Although both of them are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the same as us, they’re quite cautious and timid. The reason they want to recruit Lan You Ruo is that she’s a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If she becomes a part of them, they’ll be able to better resist Profound Yang Mountain and Unrivalled Guild; however, since the three of us are hunting Lan You Ruo down, will the couple have the guts to accept her?”
After giving it a thought, Yun Fei Bai nodded, “You’re right. Those two have always been cowards. If they find out that woman has some grudges with us, they’ll likely refuse to accept her group.”
Zhou Ya said, “If she is turned down, she won’t have a way out anymore.”
Yun Fei Bai’s eyes brightened as he looked at the front and put on an eerie smile, “They’re basically flying into the deathtrap.”
Realizing this, an elated Yun Fei Bai slowed down a little as he calmly followed the Proprietress and her group.
As they kept moving forward, they arrived at a beautiful lake two days later. The Proprietress, Chef, and Accountant stepped on the water and reached Twin Spirit Island soon after.
Twin Spirit Island was surrounded by a barrier, and no one was able to see through the fog and find out what was going on inside.
The Proprietress immediately fished out a Jade Token and infused her power into it. The Jade Token instantly turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the Grand Array.
This Jade Token was given to her by the Island Masters when she visited Twin Spirit Island previously and could be used as a communications artifact. They hoped that she would join their Sect one day, so naturally they provided her with a way to contact them.
After the Jade Token was gone, the Proprietress turned her head and saw many rays of light rapidly approaching them. It would probably take them no more than a quarter-hour to arrive, so she was naturally worried.
A moment later, the fog around the Grand Array roiled and a figure stepped out of it. He was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was clad in tight-fitting clothes, which made him look quite well put-together.
The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked around, and when he saw the Proprietress, his expression turned solemn, “I’m sorry for being late to welcome you, Madam Lan. Please forgive me.”
The Proprietress had paid a visit previously, so he naturally recognised her.
“It’s fine. Please tell the Island Masters that I’ll agree to the conditions they mentioned, and am willing to join Twin Spirit Island,” the Proprietress declared.
The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was evidently startled. Although he wasn’t sure what these conditions were, he wasn’t in any place to ask as he was just a messenger. As such, he simply nodded, “Please give me a moment, Madame.”
After he finished speaking, he turned around and disappeared into the Grand Array. Before he left, he looked into the distance with some concern.
In a parterre garden on Twin Spirit Island, a middle-aged man with a jade crown was having a stroll with a pregnant woman clad in an imperial dress. Pleasant fragrances permeated the place as flowers of different colours bloomed around them. The woman was stroking her belly while the man held her arm to support her weight. He looked down at the bulging belly from time to time with a joyful expression.
They were none other than the Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan.
While having a walk in the garden with his wife, Hua Yong asked gently, “Do you love this garden, my dear Wife? All of these flowers were brought back from the outside world and some of the species are extremely rare.”
Shu Mu Dan put on a reserved smile, “You didn’t have to do all this, Husband. These flowers cannot be consumed for cultivation. The subordinates might have some complaints against you since you told them to use so many resources for this.”
Hua Yong asked, “Who would dare to have any complaints?” Then, he stood in front of his Wife and crouched down before pressing his head against the bulging belly, “Moreover, Lin’er will only be pleased when you’re happy. That way, he’ll leave your stomach sooner.”
Shu Mu Dan started blushing as she looked around and poked the man’s head with one finger, “How old do you think you are? Get up now. Others will laugh at us if they see this.”
Hua Yong took her hand and caressed his own face with it before he looked up and flashed a smile at her, “Who would dare to laugh at me?”
“Island Masters…” Just then, someone rushed into the place. When he saw the Head Island Master crouching down in front of the Second Island Master and caressing his own face with her hand while the Second Island Master blushed with a loving expression, he became stunned.
Shu Mu Dan’s face turned a shade redder in embarrassment.
Hua Yong slowly got up and straightened his face before coughing into his fist, “What’s wrong?”
The person looked down at his feet and reported, “Madam Lan is here again. She said that she’ll agree to your conditions to join Twin Spirit Island.”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan exchanged glances and became ecstatic. The former laughed and said, “Very good! Although some people will fall into the Shadowless Cave Heaven from time to time, Sixth-Order Masters are rare. If Lan You Ruo could join us, our power will be greatly strengthened.” Then, he turned to look at the messenger, “Is she outside?”
The person replied, “Madam Lan is indeed waiting outside.”
“Welcome her inside right now!” Hua Yong ordered, then changed his mind, “No, no, no. My Wife and I will personally welcome her.”
If Lan You Ruo, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, joined Twin Spirit Island, she would be the Third Island Master. In other words, she would be the third most important person after Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, so she definitely deserved to be welcomed by the couple personally.
Before the two of them could leave the garden, however, the messenger continued, “Island Masters, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. Madam Lan seems to be injured, and just now, I could see that some people were pursuing her.”
“Who are the ones chasing her?” Hua Yong frowned. Lan You Ruo was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so rarely anyone in the Shadowless Cave Heaven could hurt her or even have the guts to pursue her. Suddenly, he felt there was more to her trying to join them at this moment than it appeared.
The messenger replied, “Island Masters, you’ve not stepped outside for years, so you’re not aware of what’s going on. There are some grudges between Madam Lan and Profound Yang Mountain’s Second Mountain Lord.”
As the person spoke, Shu Mu Dan suddenly waved her hand, then the water around them came together and formed into a mirror. The reflection on the mirror showed the view outside of Twin Spirit Island.
Through the mirror, they could see Lan You Ruo and her three subordinates waiting outside the barrier. One of them was unconscious, so he had to be carried on another person’s back.
As Shu Mu Dan looked into the distance, her expression changed, “Three Mountain Lords from Profound Yang Mountain are over there!”
Hua Yong’s expression turned solemn as well. He could see the intimidating Yun Fei Bai and the others through the mirror. Of the four Sixth-Order Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain, three of them had come all the way here with many subordinates, which went to show that they were determined to end Lan You Ruo today.
“What are the grudges between Madam Lan and Profound Yang Mountain’s Second Mountain Lord?” Hua Yong asked in puzzlement.
Since his Wife was pregnant, he had been staying on Twin Spirit Island to keep her company and ignored the affairs in the outside world. Before Lan You Ruo paid a visit previously, he wasn’t even aware that there was a new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Certainly, he had no idea what was going on when he saw this sight.
The messenger replied, “I don’t know the details, but those from Profound Yang Mountain have always been arrogant, and the Second Mountain Lord Yun Fei Bai is a lascivious man. Madam Lan knew nothing about the affairs here when she arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so she might have gotten into a conflict with them for some reason.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Hua Yong nodded and said with a dark explanation, “Now I know why Lan You Ruo is eager to join Twin Spirit Island. She’s basically left with no other choice now, so she wants to make use of us to resolve this crisis. Clever of her.” He snorted.
Shu Mu Dan asked with a frown, “What’s your plan, Husband?”
Hua Yong replied, “If she had agreed to join Twin Spirit Island previously, I would’ve welcomed her; however, since she intends to make use of us now, we can’t grant her wish. If we accept her, we’ll be offending Profound Yang Mountain.”
A worried Shu Mu Dan said, “If we don’t let her in, she won’t be able to deal with Yun Fei Bai and the others on her own.”
“That’s her own problem.” Hua Yong shook his head and gazed at his Wife, “What do you think?”
After giving it a thought, Shu Mu Dan said, “If Madam Lan could join Twin Spirit Island, our power will increase significantly, and we’ll have the might to go up against Profound Yang Mountain and Unrivalled Guild. Although the three great forces in the Shadowless Cave Heaven have coexisted peacefully so far, we’re still the weakest in the end. Therefore, we control far less territory than the other two great forces.”
“Do you want to accept her even now?” Hua Yong asked.
With a helpless smile, Shu Mu Dan shook her head, “I have no idea what to do. I’ll leave the decision to you, Husband.”
Hua Yong took a glance at her bulging belly, then his gaze became determined, “Ignore her.”
Although they could strengthen Twin Spirit Island’s power by accepting Lan You Ruo, Yun Fei Bai and the others would never let her off as they appeared determined. There was bound to be a battle if they took a side now, and given the situation his Wife was in, there was no way she could fight. No one could afford to take responsibility if their child was affected. They had waited for a long time before they had their own child, so they naturally valued him above all else.
Shu Mu Dan let out a sigh. As a woman herself, she sympathised with Lan You Ruo for what the latter was going through, but at the same time, she had to protect her child, which was why she was feeling helpless.
Outside of Twin Spirit Island’s barrier, the Proprietress felt her heart sinking.
The two Island Masters hadn’t shown up, nor had they opened the barrier. It was apparent to her that they were not willing to invite trouble to themselves.
She wasn’t in any place to blame them though. Although she had intended to join Twin Spirit Island previously, her arrival at this time was indeed inappropriate.
The reason she made this decision was that she had no other choice; otherwise, she would never want to trouble anyone else.
Seeing as the enemies were about to reach them, the Proprietress immediately decided to flee, “Run!”
Then, she surged her power to wrap up Chef and the others before attempting to head in a different direction.
“Where do you think you’re going!?” Someone was heard yelling as a figure abruptly appeared in that direction. He was none other than the Third Mountain Lord Geng Qing. It wasn’t certain when he had snuck to the other side, but he happened to be right in the Proprietress’ way.
Faced with an incoming Divine Ability, the Proprietress hurriedly parried and was forced back to her original spot.
In the meantime, the sounds of people breaking through the air were heard as many figures landed in all directions and surrounded them.
With a cold gaze, the Proprietress swept a glance over the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain.
There was a gloomy expression on Yun Fei Bai’s face as he spat and raised his chin. He appeared smug as he looked at the Proprietress, “Keep running. Let’s see where you can run now!”
Without saying a word, the Proprietress glared at him.
Yun Fei Bai took a glance at the fog-covered Twin Spirit Island and put on a devious smile, “Do you want to seek refuge in Twin Spirit Island? Have you even investigated the temperaments of this useless couple? Do you think these cowards have the guts to accept you?”
Inside Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong sported a dark expression and snorted. Not only could they see the outside view through the mirror, but they could also hear what was happening as well. That was why he could hear Yun Fei Bai’s words.
A conceited Yun Fei Bai shouted, “Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan, this woman wants to side with Twin Spirit Island, do you want to open up the barrier and let her in?”
No one responded from the other end of the barrier.
With his palms spread, Yun Fei Bai said, “Look, they don’t even dare to respond to me. Do you think that they can protect you? Naïve!”
Zhou Ya said with a frown, “We should deal with our business here first, Second Brother!”
It was too arrogant to provoke the Island Masters right in front of their door. Although Profound Yang Mountain was stronger than Twin Spirit Island, the latter still had two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side. If they became infuriated, they might act out in anger, which would be extremely detrimental to them now.
Yun Fei Bai snorted and gazed at the Proprietress, “Whore, I’ll give you one last chance! If you don’t want to die, be good and become my woman; otherwise, this place will be your graveyard.”
Geng Qing was exasperated as he really thought that Yun Fei Bai was so lascivious that he was willing to risk his life for a moment’s pleasure. It wouldn’t have mattered if they hadn’t found out Lan You Ruo’s true strength; however, after the battle on this day, they realised that this woman was just as powerful as the Head Mountain Lord. Although Yun Fei Bai was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would never be able to control her. Only by killing her could they solve this problem for good. That was the reason Geng Qing was rendered speechless when he saw Yun Fei Bai still lusting after her at this point.
“A dog’s mouth can never smell fresh!” The Proprietress shot a deathly glare at Yun Fei Bai, “Stop spouting nonsense and fight. There may be many people on your side, and it’s true I cannot defeat you, but I can take at least one of you down with me before I die. Let’s see which one of you will be so unlucky.”
“Impudence!” Yun Fei Bai stomped his foot on the ground in rage, “Third Brother, Fourth Sister, come with me and kill this woman!”
His murderous intent surged as he raised his hand and summoned a huge axe almost three meters tall. The flash of light swirling around it suggested that it was an extraordinary artifact.
Upon seeing that Yun Fei Bai had summoned this artifact, Geng Qing knew that he was determined to kill this woman.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya traded glances and summoned their own artifacts as well, whereupon they shot towards the Proprietress. Before they even reached their opponent, their rumbling World Forces shook the surrounding world.
Inside Twin Spirit Island, Shu Mu Dan appeared sympathetic.
All of them were in the same Order, so the outcome for Lan You Ruo was foreseeable since she was fighting against three enemies on her own. After a sigh, Shu Mu Dan looked away.
She had always been a gentle person, and since her pregnancy, she had become even more sensitive; hence, she didn’t have the heart to see another woman being killed.
Faced with the World Forces of three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Chef and Accountant found it difficult to even breathe, as though a mountain was pressing down on them. Even their legs were beginning to buckle under the pressure.
And they were only bearing the fallout from the enemy’s pressure. At the centre of the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ pressure, however, the Proprietress closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Chef and Accountant widened their eyes as though they were waiting for something to happen.
The next moment, the Proprietress opened her eyes, which appeared as fierce as lightning. A red glow suddenly swirled around her and engulfed her entire figure as though it had spirituality of its own.
Some explosive sounds were heard, and when the red glow faded, the Proprietress was already covered in a scarlet Artifact Armour, which was so tight-fitting that it perfectly outlined her alluring figure. A flash of light was seen swirling around the armour. There were two Dragons on her shoulders with eyes that seemed completely lifelike. There was also a helmet that covered her entire head except for her soul-piercing eyes.
Her arms were protected by very solid pads, and as she made a grabbing gesture, a scarlet sword appeared out of thin air as though she had pulled it out from the Void.
The gale stirred up waves on the lake behind her as the Proprietress seemed to have turned into an armour-clad female knight, valiantly wielding the greatsword in her hands.
However, unlike her usual self, the Proprietress clad in this armour radiated a rich Monster Qi.
“Blood Monster Battle Dress!” Chef murmured under his breath with a pale face.
Although it was called the Blood Monster Battle Dress, it had nothing to do with Blood Monster Divine Monarch from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Chef and the others had no idea where the Proprietress obtained this armour, but they knew that she never used it unless she had no other choice. The fact that she had summoned this Artifact Armour suggested that they were facing a real life-or-death crisis.
Although she could significantly increase her power by using the Blood Monster Battle Dress, the rich Monster Qi within the armour had an erosive effect. The longer the Proprietress wore it, the more her consciousness would be eroded, leaving extremely difficult issues to resolve afterwards.
Therefore, the Proprietress would never use the Blood Monster Battle Dress unless it was absolutely necessary.
Although Chef and Accountant were aware that she had such an artifact, they had never seen her use it before. This was the first time!
The three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain were stunned upon seeing the Proprietress’ transformation. As their gazes fell upon the armour and sword, they immediately realized that the Blood Monster Battle Dress was truly extraordinary.
Geng Qing suddenly exclaimed, “Watch out, Second Brother!”
Yun Fei Bai’s axe was already right above the Proprietress’ head. As he bellowed and forcefully brought down his weapon. At the same time, he surged his World Force to empower the axe, making it seem like he could split apart the Shadowless Cave Heaven with this strike.
Faced with this world-shaking attack, the Proprietress raised her sword with both hands as a shockwave spread around from her feet. The next moment, she ignored the limits of space and abruptly appeared before Yun Fei Bai as she clashed with the axe with her sword.
Following a deafening clang, a visible halo of light spread out a thousand kilometres in all directions, shaking space wherever it passed.
Yun Fei Bai’s pupils shrank as he was sent flying away like a cloth sack, his gaze filled with complete shock.
He had traded moves with Lan You Ruo in the caldera not long ago, and although she was truly powerful, he was still able to compete with her. However, at this moment, this one clash made him realise that there was a huge gap between their powers.
[Where does the artifact on this woman come from? Why does it contain such horrifying power!?]
While he was still lost in his thoughts, the Proprietress, whose armour seemed to burn with terrifying flames, reached him as she raised her sword and chopped down.
A panicked Yun Fei Bai immediately parried the attack with his axe. A horrifying force descended upon him. Pressured by the oppressive World Force, he found it difficult to breathe.
Following several loud clangs, Yun Fei Bai sprayed out a mouthful of blood. It was apparent that he had been injured.
A relentless Proprietress raised her sword again as she appeared determined to ruthlessly kill him.
Presently, she was fighting three against one, and although her power had increased significantly thanks to the Blood Monster Battle Dress, she would still fall into a perilous state if she couldn’t kill at least one of her opponents quickly.
Feeling the aura of death descending upon him, Yun Fei Bai widened his eyes in horror. Faced with this series of attacks, he was unable to counterattack at all, and if he couldn’t dodge the coming strike, even if he survived, he would be severely wounded.
At the critical moment, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya came to his rescue. Since the three Mountain Lords had come here together, the other two certainly wouldn’t let the Proprietress kill Yun Fei Bai without doing anything.
In fact, the moment the Proprietress and Yun Fei Bai began trading moves, the other two Mountain Lords started rushing towards the battlefield. Nevertheless, due to the Proprietress’ incredible speed and strength, it wasn’t until this moment that they caught up.
Still, it was better late than never.
Zhou Ya wielded her long sword and infused her World Force into it, whereupon a sword screen engulfed the Proprietress. At the same time, Geng Qing appeared from the side as he performed hand seals and bombarded the Proprietress with different Divine Abilities.
The two of them finally managed to force the Proprietress back.
Using this delay, Yun Fei Bai hurriedly dashed backwards and dodged the attack. As a breeze whisked across his sweat-soaked clothes, he felt cold all over. Prior to this battle, he would never have imagined that there was such a wide gap between Lan You Ruo and him since both of them were in the Sixth Order. If Geng Qing and Zhou Ya hadn’t come to his rescue just now, he would’ve been critically injured or even killed.
Although he admittedly underestimated his opponent, it also went to show that the Proprietress was horrifyingly powerful.
This kind of humiliation made him feel completely ashamed and enraged, so he charged forward with his axe and surrounded the Proprietress alongside Geng Qing and Zhou Ya, launching all sorts of Divine Abilities at her in a maddened rage.
Meanwhile, in the parterre garden on Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong gasped as he gazed at the battlefield through the water mirror and said in shock, “I can’t believe Lan You Ruo is so strong!”
Although there was a barrier around Twin Spirit Island, he could still feel terrifying energy fluctuations coming from outside.
Still reeling from the shock, he thought it was fortunate that they hadn’t accepted Lan You Ruo into Twin Spirit Island. Given the power she had showcased, if she really joined them, the couple wouldn’t be a match for her even if they joined forces.
He believed that they had to be cautious. If Lan You Ruo had some ulterior motive, the couple wouldn’t be able to deal with her; moreover, Shu Mu Dan was pregnant, so her combat capabilities were severely limited right now.
On the other hand, the more observant Shu Mu Dan gave it a thought and said, “She must have paid a heavy price to obtain this kind of power. It seems to me that the armour she’s wearing is quite malevolent.”
Hua Yong pondered on it for a moment and nodded. “You’re right, my Wife.”
The Proprietress was able to match the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain on her own, leading to an intense battle. Yun Fei Bai and the others were horrified as they were unable to take her down even though they had joined forces. The blunt-looking sword in her hands contained a power that could make them all flustered.
To their dismay, the three of them could only come to a draw in a fight against Lan You Ruo at the moment.
On the other hand, Chef and Accountant were in a perilous situation. The three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain had brought with them dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. These people wouldn’t dare to interfere in the battle between the Sixth-Order Masters as just the fallout could be deadly to them, so they turned their eyes to Chef and Accountant.
The two of them ran away in embarrassment as the lights of Secret Techniques expanded behind them, causing them groan and grunt in pain.
Fortunately, both of them were Fifth-Order Open Heaven Masters, so although they were unable to deal with the dozens of enemies, they could still flee for a while. However, as time passed, the people from Profound Yang Mountain formed an encirclement around Chef and Accountant and were slowly tightening it.
It was apparent that there would come a point when the encirclement became so small that the two of them would be unable to flee.
The Proprietress repeatedly wanted to lend them a hand, but she was blocked by Yun Fei Bai and the other Mountain Lords.
The situation seemed to be in Yun Fei Bai and the others’ favour because they realised that as time passed, Lan You Ruo’s moves became less sharp even though the power she was able to use remained unchanged. The power of the Divine Abilities she cast also appeared somewhat unsteady.
Looking up, they saw that there was a layer of blood mist surrounding her scarlet armour and her eyes under the helmet had become bloodshot. The Monster Qi made her look like a real Monster.
The three of them were astounded at first, but soon realized that there must be a downside to this Artifact Armour. It couldn’t be used for a long time, or else there would be some hidden concerns.
Understanding this, they switched tactics and stopped clashing with the Proprietress head-on. Instead, they circled around and stalled for time.
Judging from Lan You Ruo’s actions, they knew that she would become increasingly erratic as time passed, and eventually, they would be able to easily deal with her. For a battle at this level, having more power didn’t necessarily mean that one could secure victory.
The Monster Qi around the Proprietress thickened as there seemed to be a layer of blood swirling around her scarlet Blood Monster Battle Dress. The eyes under the helmet were crimson as they reflected a glint of madness and brutality.
Every strike she made with her sword seemed able to break the Heavens and Earth apart, but at the same time, she became increasingly wild and unfocused.
She was unable to react when Zhou Ya came at her with her sword and penetrated a junction in the armour, piercing through her belly.
Before Zhou Ya could celebrate her victory though, the Proprietress turned her head and hacked at her with her greatsword.
Zhou Ya exclaimed and retracted her sword before backing off quickly; however, she was still struck by the violent force as the vitality in her chest convulsed, almost causing her to spit blood.
Seeing as the relentless Proprietress chased after her, Zhou Ya grit her teeth and parried the incoming flurry of attacks. On the other hand, Geng Qing attempted to hold the Proprietress down while Yun Fei Bai forcefully hacked his axe at her figure.
Following a loud boom, the Proprietress’ lithe figure plunged into the lake and caused a huge splash. The spot where she fell into the water was boiling and dyed red. The fish in the lake that were attracted by the metallic tang went over to absorb the red light, but they all exploded a moment later.
Following a loud splash, a red glint flashed through the lake’s surface as the Proprietress shot out of the water. Due to Yun Fei Bai’s strike earlier, she seemed to have regained some clarity in her mind and there was a sense of struggle behind her bloodshot eyes.
However, when she saw that Chef and Accountant were in danger, the sense of struggle disappeared and was replaced by madness again.
Holding the sword in one hand, she wielded it and formed a ray of red light before charging towards Yun Fei Bai.
*Hong hong hong…*
Loud noises were continuously heard as their World Forces clashed.
In the garden, Hua Yong narrowed his eyes and remarked, “Lan You Ruo is doomed.”
To his side, Shu Mu Dan let out a sigh.
As a fellow woman, she had to admit that Lan You Ruo was more powerful than she was. However, Lan You Ruo was on her own, so she was unable to defeat the three Mountain Lords from Profound Yang Mountain.
As a fellow Sixth-Order Master, she was fully aware of how powerful the three Mountain Lords from Profound Yang Mountain were and understood that she might not be a match for any one of them even if it was a one-on-one fight.
However, Lan You Ruo was able to face three of them for such a long time even though she was on her own.
In fact, given the power she had showcased, she could totally flee and those from Profound Yang Mountain would be unable to stop her. The reason she stayed and fought this life-and-death battle was that she had to protect her companions.
Even if she could flee, the people around her were unable to do so.
Therefore, Shu Mu Dan admired the Proprietress for her loyalty and righteousness.
She turned to look at her Husband and parted her lips, but she was unable to say anything in the end.
It had been a long time since they got married, so Hua Yong was able to figure out her intentions by looking into her eyes. It was apparent that she wanted to plead with him to let Lan You Ruo in, but as their eyes met, he slowly shook his head.
By letting Lan You Ruo in, they would offend those from Profound Yang Mountain and invite trouble to themselves. Even if they could somehow appease those from Profound Yang Mountain, the power Lan You Ruo had showcased this time made Hua Yong feel wary.
Given her strength, she was completely capable of becoming the Head Island Master. There was no way the couple would allow her to usurp their position.
Shu Mu Dan let out a long sigh and stroked her bulging belly. There was a loving expression on her face as she hummed a nursery rhyme to distract herself.
“I can’t believe we’ll lose our lives here,” Chef and Accountant were facing away from one another. Their figures were soaked in blood as they glowered at the dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had surrounded them.
There was a huge gap in the numbers of people between both sides, so there was no way those from First Inn had any hope of winning the battle. In fact, they were practically doomed as they were about to get killed.
If it weren’t for their near-feral retaliation just now, these people would’ve pounced on them instead of appearing wary.
“Since we’re going to die anyway, we should probably just get it over with right away,” Accountant raised his abacus with one hand. His blood streamed down his arms and dropped on the lake before dying it red.
Upon hearing that, Chef turned to look in the Proprietress’ direction where he saw four figures flying around. Presently, the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain were locked in a fierce battle with the Proprietress as they cast their Divine Abilities at her. After letting out a breath, Chef lifted his knife and said, “You’re right. The sooner we head for the Yellow Springs the better.”
The reason the Proprietress wasn’t willing to leave was that the two of them were still alive, so she didn’t have the heart to abandon them. If both of them lost their lives, perhaps the Proprietress would flee and be able to obtain revenge for them at a later time.
Given her strength, she would be able to flee even though she couldn’t defeat the three Mountain Lords.
They exchanged glances and laughed heartily. Since they could go to Hell together, they reckoned that they wouldn’t feel lonely at the very least.
As their gazes parted ways, they sported resolute expressions. They pushed their Small Universes madly as their World Forces surged and spread out. Even if they had to lose their lives in this battle, they would bring some enemies down with them.
Kill one to break even, kill two to profit.
Just when they were ready to make a move, a pair of hands were suddenly placed on Chef’s shoulders as a voice was heard saying, “Take it easy. I don’t want to die yet.”
A flabbergasted Chef turned his head and almost hacked the person with his knife. When he realised who spoke though he snapped bitterly, “Little bastard, you’re finally awake!”
The person who spoke just now was Yang Kai, who had been lying on Chef’s back this whole time.
Yang Kai patted his shoulders and leapt away from him before gently saying, “I’ve been awake the whole time.”
However, he was at the most critical moment of refining the World Fruit just now, so he couldn’t stop halfway, or else all his effort would be wasted. That was the reason he was unable to respond to them.
“Save the Proprietress right now!” Chef demanded anxiously, “She’s in danger. Bring her away. Accountant and I will hold up the enemy for you.”
“She’s in danger, but you two aren’t in a better state,” Yang Kai looked around as his gaze turned cold. Then, he stepped forward with a grim expression, “I’m in a terrible mood, so I don’t mind killing some people to vent out my anger. Scram if you don’t want to die!”
Chef and Accountant gazed at him in shock, thinking that he hadn’t fully come to his senses after a long stupor.
All the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters around them sported strange expressions. Seeing Yang Kai stepping closer though, one of them pointed at him with his sword and yelled, “Kill!”
As soon as he spoke that word, he thrust out his sword towards Yang Kai.
His World Force surged as the sword shadows multiplied. However, when he realised that Yang Kai had disappeared from his line of sight, he felt his chest tightening as a sense of uneasiness rose within him.
Before he was able to react, he saw a point of a spear rapidly enlarging before his eyes. The spear seemed to have turned into a Great Dragon as it widened its maw and pounced on him. His vision was shrouded in darkness, leaving him flustered and horrified.
He hurriedly surged his World Force to parry the attack, but an even more violent force penetrated his defence like it was paper.
An explosive sound was heard as the spear penetrated the person’s head and exploded it. His blood and flesh scattered about as his headless corpse convulsed, even as he held out his sword in front of him.
Without stopping, Yang Kai disappeared from everyone’s sight again as a great Dragon Roar shook the world. The Azure Dragon Spear flashed in and out of everyone’s vision for a moment, and when Yang Kai reappeared, he had broken through the encirclement of these Open Heaven Realm Masters. Although he appeared slow, he was actually heading towards the battlefield of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at incredible speed.
Even though he was gone, his voice still lingered in the air, “If the two of them lose even one more strand of hair, all of you will have to die!”
Chef and Accountant were dumbfounded as they couldn’t figure out how Yang Kai managed to break through the encirclement but soon just thought that Space Principles were indeed useful as no one was able to capture Yang Kai.
The next instant though, the two of them widened their eyes and stared at the enemies around them in disbelief.
A blood light expanded as a person exploded, and then the same thing happened to another person.
*Hong hong hong…*
In less than a breath, eight Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters exploded into blood mist, leaving no trace behind.
While the two of them were flabbergasted, the enemies around them were horrified.
Just now, they could see that Yang Kai exploded one of their companion’s head with his spear; however, that person was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it wasn’t surprising that he would lose his life due to his negligence in this life-and-death battle.
Nevertheless, most of the eight Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had just died were in the Fifth Order. Only Yang Kai had made a move, so it was apparent who the murderer was.
He had to possess a horrifying strength to be able to kill eight Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters with ease in just a flash.
Presently, no one dared to make a move on Chef and Accountant, who were still surrounded. Even though they could easily kill these two, they were wary of the threat Yang Kai had left behind.
Nine of their companions had lost their lives already, so it was obvious to them that only the four Mountain Lords were able to deal with him.
“What’s going on with that brat?” A dazed Chef watched as Yang Kai rapidly dashed away.
“Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” Accountant was dumbstruck. As Yang Kai charged forward, his aura exploded. It was apparent to them that his aura was that of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as he didn’t even attempt to conceal it.
“When did that happen?” Chef fell into a dazed state.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Yang Kai was only in the Fifth-Order when he found them one month ago. It had only been one month since he started recuperating, so how did he manage to ascend to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm?
The speed at which he achieved this breakthrough was simply impossible.
Besides them, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, who had been observing the battle from their garden on Twin Spirit Island, were terrified.
Hua Yong widened his eyes and asked, “Just who is he?”
When he saw Yang Kai lying unconscious on Chef’s back, he thought that the latter was severely wounded, so he didn’t mind him; however, the slaughter just now proved that Yang Kai was in peak condition rather than being injured.
Shu Mu Dan asked in a shaking voice, “Husband… could you do that in such a short period of time?”
She was talking about whether her Husband was able to kill eight Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in an instant.
After giving it a thought, Hua Yong shook his head, “Impossible. Even I wouldn’t be able to kill so many Fifth-Order cultivators in such a short moment.”
Shu Mu Dan let out a breath, “Now, it seems that he’s the strongest person on Lan You Ruo’s side. Perhaps he’s even stronger than her.”
A puzzled Hua Yong asked, “Since he had such power, why didn’t he participate in the battle earlier? It wasn’t until the most critical moment that he made a move.”
“He must have his own reasons,” Shu Mu Dan fell into her thoughts.
Hua Yong commented, “Profound Yang Mountain will have to retreat without achieving their goal. Lan You Ruo is very powerful to begin with, and now she has this person’s help, so the three Mountain Lords won’t be able to defeat them.”
Shu Mu Dan said, “If that person is really stronger than Lan You Ruo, we’ll need to come up with a plan, Husband.”
Hua Yong’s face twitched as he understood what she meant.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai reached the battlefield of the four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as he pushed out his spear towards Yun Fei Bai as he bellowed, “Old dog, die!”
Yun Fei Bai turned his head, and when he saw that it was Yang Kai, his eyes turned bloodshot, “Brat! It’s you!!”
The fact that Yang Kai had pierced his chest with a spear some time ago was a complete humiliation for him. It took Yun Fei Bai a whole month to recover from that wound. Now that he met his enemy again, it was expected that he was incensed. He immediately ignored Lan You Ruo and hacked his axe at Yang Kai.
The reason he was injured at that time was that he had underestimated his opponent, for he had never expected that someone would have the guts to harm him in Profound Yang Mountain. Otherwise, in his opinion, a newly promoted Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would never be able to hurt him.
Now, he finally had the chance to get his revenge.
As he brought down his axe though, his expression changed as he called out in shock, “You’re a Sixth-Order?”
Yang Kai’s aura was as conspicuous as ever, so anyone who wasn’t a fool would be able to detect it, and it was absolutely clear that he was in the Sixth Order.
[No way! He was still a newly ascended Fifth Order when I met him one month ago. Why is he a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now?]
Despite the doubt in his mind, Yun Fei Bai remained merciless with his actions as he madly infused his World Force into his axe.
As soon as Yang Kai’s spear came into contact with the axe, Yun Fei Bai’s expression changed drastically as he felt an immense force sweeping over him. The impact cracked his hands so badly that he almost lost grip of his axe. His expression turned horrified as he realized that Yang Kai was indeed a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, or else the latter couldn’t have showcased this kind of strength.
Looking down, he saw that his purlicue had ripped apart and blood was now streaming out of the wound. He was unable to stop his hand from trembling violently.
At that moment, he was dumbstruck. When he saw Yang Kai one month ago, the latter was just a new Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. However, when they met again this time, he realised that the latter also looked like a new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Even though Yang Kai was really a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he should be weaker than Yun Fei Bai, who had millennia of accumulation in his current Order. It should be impossible that a newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai had a stronger heritage.
Nevertheless, the truth was that Yun Fei Bai had suffered a setback. Both Yang Kai’s strength and World Force were simply overwhelming.
While Yun Fei Bai was lost in a dazed state, Yang Kai came at him with his spear again and bellowed, “On this day, the Golden Crow Casts the Sun, below the Heavens, above the Earth, only I am supreme!”
A series of caws were heard as a Great Sun suddenly rose from Yang Kai’s back. Like a real Sun, it was scorching hot as it cast its glow on the world below. Furthermore, there seemed to be a three-legged exotic bird flying around this Great Sun.
A horrifying aura spread out, which caused a large part of the fog around Twin Spirit Island to evaporate in an instant.
Under the Great Sun, Yang Kai was seen wielding the spear in a heroic manner as his weapon’s power dazzled the world.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya, who were attacking the Proprietress, turned to look at him with trembling eyes.
“Divine Manifestation!” In the garden, Hua Yong was dumbfounded as he stared at the Great Sun in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
Shu Mu Dan parted her lips, which were now covered with her hands.
Divine Manifestations were exclusive to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. They had never heard of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master being able to wield one. If they found out that Yang Kai had already comprehended Golden Crow Casts the Sun when he was still an Emperor Realm cultivator, they would probably faint from shock.
The dazzling Great Sun cast a radiant glow on Yun Fei Bai’s flustered expression.
Right after the Divine Manifestation appeared, Yang Kai’s aura grew to horrifying heights. A dazzling red-gold light washed over the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands as the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire seemed able to burn down the entire world.
As Yang Kai thrust out his spear, the world around him trembled.
There was no way Yun Fei Bai would be able to dodge this attack, so at this life-and-death moment, he roared and madly infused his World Force into his axe, which suddenly shone brightly as it clashed with Azure Dragon Spear head-on.
Since he was unable to dodge, he had no choice but to meet the enemy head-on. Only by doing so would he stand a chance to survive.
Following a loud boom, shockwaves erupted as a halo of light exploded outwards.
The glow of the axe dimmed greatly. After the clash, the axe’s spirituality seemed to have been damaged, which went to show how terrifying the spear’s power was.
Azure Dragon Spear pressed forward, knocking away the axe as it continued to pierce out. Yang Kai, who was holding the spear, wore a fierce expression on his face as murderous intent surged from his form.
At this moment, an inch from death, Yun Fei Bai retreated hastily in an attempt to flee, but his expression changed the next moment. That was because he realised that the space around him had become extremely viscous. It was as though he had been bound by a mysterious force, which rendered him unable to move as he pleased.
[Right! This bastard is a Master of the Dao of Space!] That was the first thing that came to Yun Fei Bai’s mind.
Although he managed to break free from the Space Principles’ restriction in the next moment, he had lost his only chance to escape the attack. Watching as the spear rapidly penetrated his chest, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. The pain in his chest was excruciating and there was a black flame burning through his wound.
It was the second time he had been run through by this spear.
The first time took place one month ago when his chest was pierced by Yang Kai’s spear. It took him one month before he recovered from that wound. This time around, three Sixth-Order Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain had come all the way here with their dozens of subordinates. Initially, Yun Fei Bai thought that he could get his revenge, but he hadn’t expected to be wounded in exactly the same way again.
This time was far more severe. Although his injury was serious previously, there wasn’t a risk of him losing his life; however, there was Golden Crow’s True Fire burning in his wound now.
Yang Kai withdrew his spear, bringing with it a lot of boiling blood. Before the blood even dropped to the lake, it evaporated because of Golden Crow’s True Fire. Then, Yang Kai aimed his spear at Yun Fei Bai’s head as he was determined to end his life.
“Don’t you dare kill Second Brother!” At the critical moment, Zhou Ya came at Yang Kai from behind. Her sword turned into countless sword waves. Every sword wave contained the World Force of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and leapt away. Seizing the chance, Zhou Ya hurled out a long piece of red cloth and draped it around the injured Yun Fei Bai before fleeing into the distance. At the same time, she exclaimed, “Third Brother, run!”
She was truly terrified. The guy, who had remained unconscious all this time, suddenly woke up and killed nine of their subordinates in an instant. Not only had he severely injured Yun Fei Bai, but he had also managed to showcase a Divine Manifestation. The power he possessed was inconceivable.
If he were on his own, the three Mountain Lords could have joined forces and dealt with him. However, he also had the now-maddened Lan You Ruo on his side.
There was no way the three of them could defeat these two people. Moreover, Yun Fei Bai had been critically injured, so Zhou Ya knew the only option was to run.
On the other hand, Geng Qing felt immensely pressured as he had to battle against the Proprietress on his own. There was nothing else he could do apart from defending himself. Upon hearing Zhou Ya’s words, he directly used a feint to gain some distance before he fled from the battlefield.
However, a relentless Proprietress turned into a ray of light and chased after him.
Initially, Yang Kai wanted to pursue Yun Fei Bai and Zhou Ya as well, but he suddenly frowned and gazed at the Proprietress. The next instant, he moved to intercept her.
Presently, she was clad in a scarlet Artifact Armour. With both her hands holding the greatsword, she looked quite valiant. However, her eyes were completely red, and she was engulfed in rich Monster Qi.
Facing Yang Kai, she hacked at him with her sword without hesitation.
Yang Kai raised his spear to parry the attack, and following a loud clang, he was sent flying several thousand metres away while the Proprietress’ figure shook a little. After stabilizing her footing, she charged at him again. Her sword seemed to have turned into a storm and blasted towards Yang Kai.
It was the first time Yang Kai saw her in such a state. Earlier, he could feel that there was something wrong with her, which was why he decided to stop her and let her rest first. However, it never crossed his mind that she couldn’t even recognise him now.
As his gaze fell upon the scarlet Artifact Armour, he knitted his brow, knowing that something was wrong with it as it seemed to contain horrifying Monster Qi that was affecting her mind. If she couldn’t come to her senses in time, her mind would be completely corrupted by the Monster Qi. It would be too late to save her by then.
It wasn’t the right time for him to ask Chef and Accountant what had happened, nor was he in the mood to chase after Zhou Ya and the others. Left with no choice, he could only wield his Azure Dragon Spear and ward off her attacks while exclaiming, “Proprietress! Wake up! It’s me!”
The Proprietress ignored him as the Monster Qi around her thickened. Every strike she made carried immense force and Yang Kai found it increasingly hard to deal with her.
It had to be noted that Yang Kai had a 4,000-metre-long Half-Dragon Form, so he possessed incredible physical strength. It was hard to imagine that the Proprietress could use such a monstrous force despite her delicate figure. However, given the way she used her power, it must be pretty taxing for her.
When Zhou Ya and the others turned their heads and saw that Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo had gotten into an intense battle, they breathed a sigh of relief despite not knowing what had happened.
They were truly worried that Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo would pursue them.
Then, Zhou Ya looked down and saw Yun Fei Bai spitting out a mouthful of blood. The blood coming out of his mouth was boiling hot, as though it contained a scorching heat and she exclaimed, “How are you, Second Brother?”
Yun Fei Bai covered the wound on his chest with his hand as a sense of resentfulness flashed through his eyes, “It’s Golden Crow’s True Fire! That brat condensed a High-Rank Power!”
As he spoke, he sprayed out another mouthful of boiling blood.
Zhou Ya comforted him by saying, “Hang in there, Second Brother! I’m sure when we return to Profound Yang Mountain, Big Brother will have a way to help you.”
Yun Fei Bai nodded his head and fell silent as he pushed his power to suppress the Golden Crow’s True Fire in his body in order to stop the wound from worsening.
The people who surrounded Chef and Accountant on the lake had dispersed by now. Since the three Mountain Lords were gone, they certainly wouldn’t dare to remain. They had hurriedly followed Zhou Ya and the others back to Profound Yang Mountain.
Chef and Accountant didn’t chase their opponents as there were only the two of them. If they pushed the enemy too far, they might fall into a perilous situation instead.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai and the Proprietress were locked in a fierce battle, Chef anxiously screamed, “Oh, no! The Proprietress has lost her rationality and is fighting against Yang Boy! What should we do?”
Accountant yelled, “Don’t hurt her, Yang Kai! Wake her up immediately!”
“I’m trying!” Yang Kai replied while dodging the attacks. However, he wasn’t sure how he could make the Proprietress regain her senses. If this matter dragged on, she would fall into critical danger. It would be terrible if she was left with some irreversible damage.
Inside the garden, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan gazed silently at the water mirror. Through the reflection, they could see two figures engaging in an intense battle in the sky. The area around the lake was a mess. The barrier around the lake had stood for thousands of years, but it was now almost destroyed due to this one battle.
After observing for a time, Hua Yong wore a helpless smile and muttered, “Is this really a battle between Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters? It looks more like a clash between those Seventh-Order Masters.”
Shu Mu Dan added, “Lan You Ruo seems to have been affected by the Monster Qi in that scarlet armour and lost her mind. It’s the best chance to lend her a hand now, Husband. It’ll be too late if you wait any longer.”
After giving it a thought, Hua Yong nodded, “You’re right, my Wife. Please come with me.”
“En.” Shu Mu Dan nodded gently and retracted the mirror, and then they leapt into the air together and flew out.
A moment later, the fog separated and revealed the figures of Twin Spirit Island’s Island Masters.
Upon seeing them, Chef and Accountant appeared vigilant.
Shu Mu Dan hurriedly said, “Please don’t be nervous. We mean no harm.”
Hua Yong added, “We were cultivating in seclusion to comprehend a Secret Technique, but it never crossed our minds that such an astonishing battle had taken place outside of Twin Spirit Island. Now that Madam Lan is in danger, we have a Secret Technique that might be able to help her regain clarity. Please allow us to use it on her.”
After exchanging glances, Chef and Accountant immediately figured out the couple’s intentions.
Earlier, the Proprietress brought them to Twin Spirit Island in order to seek shelter with the Island Masters and ward off those from Profound Yang Mountain. Unfortunately, Hua Yong and his Wife were not willing to interfere in this matter, so they refused to meet them. Cultivating in seclusion was just an excuse they had come up with.
Now that those from Profound Yang Mountain were forced to leave, and Yang Kai and the Proprietress had showcased incredible strength, this couple must have been worried that those from First Inn would hold a grudge against them, so they hurriedly came out to offer assistance.
Despite the fact that Chef and Accountant understood all this, they didn’t point it out as the most important thing right now was to wake the Proprietress up.
As such, Chef lowered his head without hesitation, “If you’re able to help my Proprietress, we’ll owe you a favour.”
Accountant added, “Please lend us a hand.”
Hua Yong nodded in return, “We’ll begin right away.”
Then, he exchanged glances with his Wife. After a nod, he fished out a flute while she sat cross-legged. As she waved her hand, a zither appeared on her knees.
The pleasant music of the flute and the zither sounded and permeated the air as it whisked across the area like a pair of invisible hands. The music seemed to have a soothing effect wherever it went.
The Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island were experts in the Dao of Music. The melody coming from the flute and zither were soft, which soothed the mind and soul of those who listened to it.
Both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the music they were playing was targeted at the Proprietress, so it was fairly effective.
While they were locked in a pitched battle, Yang Kai could feel that the Proprietress had suddenly become less violent, and there was a sense of struggle behind her bloodshot eyes. It was apparent that she was starting to regain her senses.
All of a sudden, she turned her head and glowered at Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan with a gaze filled with murderous intent. The next moment, her Monster Qi surged as she charged towards the couple with her sword in an imposing manner.
Hua Yong was stunned while Shu Mu Dan paled.
They had witnessed how formidable the Proprietress was, so they knew that they wouldn’t be a match for her even if they joined forces. Furthermore, it wasn’t appropriate for Shu Mu Dan to fight in her current condition.
Therefore, after only a short moment of hesitation, Hua Yong dashed towards his Wife and draped his arm around her waist before returning to Twin Spirit Island. At the same time, he yelled, “Her mind is completely controlled by Monster Qi. We’re unable to help her!”
After they crashed into the barrier, the fog moved and concealed the entrance.
Upon seeing that, Chef and Accountant stomped their feet on the ground with exasperation.
A relentless Proprietress turned her sword into a beam of red light and slashed across the fog. In an instant, a huge gap was carved out and revealed the view inside Twin Spirit Island.
Seeing that she was about to attack again, Yang Kai charged towards her and widened his arms before confining her to his embrace.
Yang Kai was incredibly strong, and as he embraced the Proprietress, the scarlet Battle Armour on her body started cracking. With her hands restricted, she let out a bestial roar and sank her teeth into his shoulder.
Feeling that a piece of his flesh on the shoulder had been ripped off, Yang Kai groaned. As he endured the excruciating pain, he yelled, “Proprietress, forgive me!”
Then, he bent his head backwards before forcefully smashing it into her forehead, delivering a vicious headbutt!
Following a loud thud, the Proprietress almost fell unconscious.
*Hong hong hong…*
After three more headbutts, Yang Kai started seeing stars as well, but he could feel that the woman in his embrace had calmed down a little. Without hesitation, he took off her helmet and threw it away. Then, he pressed his forehead against hers and pushed his Divine Sense, transferring his Soul Warming Lotus to her.
He wasn’t certain whether the Soul Warming Lotus could help the Proprietress at this point; however, since she couldn’t even recognise him as she beat him up, it was obvious that her mind had been heavily affected by the Monster Qi.
The Soul Warming Lotus had an incredibly soothing effect, so it might help restore her mental clarity.
It was the first time Yang Kai showed the Soul Warming Lotus in public since he obtained it. This kind of Supreme Treasure could not be exposed easily, or else it would attract some unnecessary attention.
However, since the Proprietress was in danger, he had no choice but to do it.
Yang Kai could feel the Proprietress shuddering as the Soul Warming Lotus entered her body. Following that, the redness in her eyes receded like a tide as her gaze became clear again.
An elated Yang Kai to know that the Soul Warming Lotus had started taking effect.
A moment later, the Proprietress darted her gaze around as her vision focused. She seemed a little lost while staring at the man.
Yang Kai placated her by saying, “You’re fine now.”
The Proprietress batted her eyes, but upon realising something, she started struggling, “Let go of me!”
An uncertain Yang Kai asked, “Are you sure you’re awake?”
The woman glowered at him, then he let her go. Following that, she shook her figure a little, whereupon the scarlet Artifact Armour on her body turned into a layer of blood mist and disappeared into thin air. The sword she had been holding in her hands was also gone all of a sudden.
However, at this moment, the Proprietress seemed to be in a terrible state. Her aura was unstable, and her entire figure was crimson as a metallic tang exuded from her body.
Apparently, the side effects of activating the Blood Monster Battle Dress were quite intense. The redness in her skin was caused by the burning of her own Blood Essence.
Chef and Accountant rushed over before looking worriedly at her, “Proprietress!”
“I’m fine,” she shook her head.
Still anxious, they stared fixedly at her.
The Proprietress saw this and burst into laughter, “I’m really fine. I just need some time to recuperate.”
It was only then that Chef and Accountant breathed a sigh of relief.
The fog around Twin Spirit Island separated as Hua Yong stepped out of it again; however, this time, Shu Mu Dan wasn’t by his side this time. He was still reeling from shock. Earlier, he and his Wife were unable to suppress Lan You Ruo’s Monster Qi even though they had joined forces. Instead of calming her down, they had only drawn her aggression towards them. Left with no other choice, they could only retreat to Twin Spirit Island.
He couldn’t figure out what this strange young man had done that could allow Lan You Ruo to return to her senses in such a short time.
However, it wasn’t the right time to inquire about this issue. Since his expression of goodwill didn’t yield any results earlier, he naturally wanted to make up for it this time around. Therefore, upon his appearance, he immediately said in embarrassment, “Congratulations, Madam Lan, for overcoming this crisis. My Wife and I are truly sorry that we were unable to help you in any way as we were too weak.”
The Proprietress shot him a dispassionate glance. She was vexed at the fact that Hua Yong didn’t even bother to meet her despite the fact that she had brought Chef, Accountant, and Yang Kai to side with Twin Spirit Island.
Nevertheless, if she were in his shoes, she might have done the same. So, she knew that he had done nothing wrong; after all, they were neither friends nor relatives to begin with. They only had one discussion during her previous visit; hence, it was understandable that he wasn’t willing to invite trouble to himself.
Although her mind was a mess earlier, she could still faintly remember what was going on. Certainly, she was aware that Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan attempted to help her with their music.
After a nod, she said faintly, “I appreciate your thoughts, Island Master Hua.”
Yang Kai gazed at Hua Yong and asked, “Island Master Hua, my Proprietress desperately needs a place to recuperate. Will you please open your doors for us?”
Hua Yong replied, “If you’re okay with it, you can recuperate on my Twin Spirit Island.” Faced with this Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm young man who was able to use a Divine Manifestation, he didn’t dare to be negligent. Yun Fei Bai was severely wounded by this young man while Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were forced to retreat. In the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven, perhaps only the Head Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain was a match for him.
Hua Yong already had the intention to express his goodwill, so he naturally wouldn’t turn him down at this point.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded his head and turned to look at the Proprietress.
With a pale face, she coughed but didn’t reject the idea. She indeed needed a quiet place to recover. In the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven, all other places were unsafe except for the Headquarters of the three great forces. After all, she wouldn’t want to be affected by the Astral Wind while she was trying to heal herself.
The fog moved again and revealed a passageway. Hua Yong warmly led the way while Yang Kai and the others followed the Proprietress, stepping into Twin Spirit Island.
Shu Mu Dan, whose belly was bulging, came over and greeted them in an elegant manner.
The Proprietress’ injuries needed immediate treatment. Even though the Soul Warming Lotus had soothed her mind and dispelled the Monster Qi for her, her condition would exacerbate if she didn’t start healing herself soon; therefore, after only the briefest of small talk, Hua Yong immediately arranged a secret room for her to recuperate in seclusion.
Outside the secret room, Yang Kai said, “Please take good care of Proprietress.”
A stunned Chef asked, “Where are you going?”
Yang Kai grinned, “To pay a visit to Profound Yang Mountain.”
Chef exclaimed, “You want to head to Profound Yang Mountain?” Accountant was shocked as well.
To the side, Hua Yong dissuaded him by saying, “Please don’t be impetuous, Little Brother. Profound Yang Mountain is the most powerful great force in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and they have many strong Masters on their side. Although you’re formidable, you won’t be able to deal with so many people on your own. Besides the fact that Geng Qing and Zhou Ya are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the Head Mountain Lord Mao Zhe is just one step away from the Seventh-Order. He is the strongest person in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “He’s the most powerful here? I should meet him, then.”
Chef worriedly tried to change his mind, “Yang Boy, why don’t you wait for the Proprietress to recover? You can’t go there on your own. If anything happens to you, how are we supposed to explain ourselves to her?”
Yang Kai patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry. Although the people from Profound Yang Mountain are strong, they can’t possibly harm me. I’ll be back soon.”
The young man’s arrogance stunned Hua Yong. Even though Yang Kai had indeed showcased incredible might in the battle just now, Profound Yang Mountain was deeply rooted in this place and wasn’t easy to infringe upon. If he wasn’t careful enough, he would lose his life there.
However, since they were not friends or relatives, Hua Yong reckoned that he wasn’t in any place to keep dissuading him.
Yang Kai turned to look at him, “Do you have some wine, Island Master Hua?”
Hua Yong became startled for a moment before fishing out a gourd from his Space Ring, “This wine took me over 300 years to brew.”
“Is it strong enough?” Yang Kai asked.
A proud Hua Yong replied, “It’s definitely strong enough.”
With a smile, Yang Kai carried the wine gourd in one arm and said, “That’s great. See you soon!”
After finishing his words, he shot into the sky.
Chef said anxiously, “Be careful!”
As Hua Yong watched him leave, he slowly shook his head, “Little Brother Yang… is pretty feisty.”
He sighed, then turned to gaze at Chef and Accountant, “If you need anything, just inform my subordinates, and they’ll handle it for you. My Wife and I will stop bothering you.”
“Many thanks,” Chef and Accountant cupped their fists at him.
Up in the air, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he moved towards Profound Yang Mountain at full speed, Space Principles swirling around him.
In order to deal with those from Profound Yang Mountain, the Proprietress had paid a hefty price. If it weren’t for Yang Kai having the Soul Warming Lotus with him, she would’ve lost her mind to madness.
Certainly, he wouldn’t let those from Profound Yang Mountain off so easily. If it weren’t because the Proprietress needed help, he would’ve chased after them instead of waiting until now.
With that said, it wasn’t too late to pursue them. He was a Master of the Dao of Space, so none were comparable to him when it came to the speed of fleeing or pursuing enemies.
On top of that, Yun Fei Bai was severely wounded, so although Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were not injured, having to drag the former with them would slow them down significantly. Yang Kai was confident he could intercept them before they returned to Profound Yang Mountain.
Three figures were seen rapidly flying through the air. They were the three Mountain Lords who were in a rush to return to Profound Yang Mountain. Geng Qing and Zhou Ya supported Yun Fei Bai’s weight on either side as they moved at the speed of lightning.
Yun Fei Bai still coughed up boiling blood from time to time and there was also a black flame burning around the wound in his chest. Although he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could only suppress the flame to stop his wound from worsening. He was unable to disperse it.
Golden Crow’s True Fire was a High-Rank Fire Element Power that could burn all of creation. Unless Yun Fei Bai had an Element Power in the same order that could restrict the flames, he would be unable to resolve it in a short period of time.
Therefore, he had to return to Profound Yang Mountain and seek the Head Mountain Lord’s help. Or, he could spend a painfully long time recuperating in seclusion to resolve the crisis.
While he looked very battered, his eyes were filled with resentment.
His chest was injured twice. One month ago, he had underestimated the young man, who successfully launched a sneak attack on him. However, this time, he was wounded in a frontal clash with him.
He could not figure out how the young man could go from the Fifth Order to the Sixth Order in just one month. Did he conceal his cultivation previously? Or did he really achieve an ascension after one month?
He had a feeling it was the former.
The young man must have a method to conceal his cultivation, which made Yun Fei Bai misjudge his true strength, resulting in the series of setbacks he had suffered.
Yun Fei Bai was completely vexed, thinking that he had to be more careful when dealing with that strange young man in the future as he was pretty cunning.
As his emotions fluctuated, his wounds became irritated and he sprayed out a mouthful of boiling blood.
“How are you, Second Brother?” Zhou Ya asked with concern.
Yun Fei Bai shook his head, “It won’t kill me.”
Geng Qing let out a sigh. Many of the top cultivators from Profound Yang Mountain had taken part in this siege. Initially, they thought that they could easily defeat Lan You Ruo and her small group, but not only did they become battered, but they had also lost quite a number of subordinates.
With that said, their siege this time wasn’t totally unfruitful. At the very least, they had found out Lan You Ruo’s true strength as well as that of the mysterious young man.
As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, that young man was able to use a Divine Manifestation, which was simply inconceivable. They reckoned that they had to report this discovery to the Head Mountain Lord so that he could be prepared.
One of the reasons Profound Yang Mountain had become the most powerful great force in the Shadowless Cave Heaven was that they had the highest number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Secondly, the Head Mountain Lord was truly mighty as he was just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If it weren’t because resources in the Shadowless Cave Heaven were scarce, he would’ve broken through already.
However, now, there came a young man who was able to use a Divine Manifestation in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. He was probably just as powerful as the Head Mountain Lord.
Faced with such a foe, they had to put their guard up.
While pondering on these issues, Zhou Ya suddenly took a glance behind her with concern, “Will he come after us?”
Geng Qing replied, “I don’t think so. Lan You Ruo must have used an artifact that comes with extreme drawbacks, so she should be in a terrible state. That guy will have to deal with her instead of coming after us. Moreover, we’re not pushovers.”
The reason they had fled was that Yun Fei Bai was injured, so they had to bring him back to heal. Their wariness of Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo came second.
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone bellowing from behind, “Yun Fei Bai, where do you think you’re going!?”
Zhou Ya’s expression changed as she turned her head, only to see a ray of light rapidly approaching them from the horizon. The ray of light kept flickering, and with every flicker, the distance between them shortened significantly. It wouldn’t take long before the ray of light caught up with them, so she exclaimed, “He’s really coming after us!”
Geng Qing bellowed, “That brat is going too far!”
Profound Yang Mountain had been around in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for over 10,000 years, and they were undoubtedly the most powerful great force here. All of the Mountain Lords were famous and formidable. There had never been a time when they were chased down like they were beat dogs.
He turned his head and ordered, “Stop him!”
The dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had been following the three Mountain Lords, sported bitter expressions upon hearing that. Earlier, Yang Kai easily killed nine of their companions and even injured the Second Mountain Lord, so how were they supposed to oppose him?
However, they wouldn’t dare to disobey Geng Qing’s order, so they forced themselves to stop and took up a formation to await their enemy’s arrival.
On the other hand, Geng Qing and the others kept flying towards Profound Yang Mountain at full speed.
Yang Kai’s figure kept flickering as he watched Geng Qing and the others flee. Popping off the lid of the wine gourd, he lifted it to his mouth and downed a large swig.
After he was done with the wine, he threw the gourd away, shattering it on the ground below.
While feeling tipsy, Yang Kai raised his spear as his murderous intent surged. Slowly moving forward, he shook his head and declared, “I’ll only say this once! Scram if you don’t want to die. I won’t spare anyone who dares to get in my way!”
Yang Kai became increasingly overbearing as he flew forward, his aura erupting as it covered the sky and caused the clouds to welter.
The dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were horrified as many of them subconsciously took a few steps back. As they recalled the sight of their nine companions being killed, they started shuddering.
Just then, a thin and tall man yelled, “What’s there to be afraid of? He’s on his own while we have so many people on our side. As long as we make a move together, there’s no way he…”
Before he could finish his words, he gasped as Yang Kai, who was supposed to be kilometres away, abruptly appeared in front of him, their faces almost touching. Yang Kai belched and puffed out a breath filled with alcohol at him.
The person was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he was pretty agile. He immediately leapt backwards in an attempt to widen the gap between Yang Kai and him.
However, the next moment, his expression was transformed by fear as he realised that regardless of how much he moved backwards, Yang Kai remained standing right in front of him. The view around him never changed one bit, as though the space around him had been extended infinitely.
Near Distant Horizon!
Following Yang Kai’s sharp rise in cultivation, the power of the Secret Techniques he could use had improved proportionally. He was already able to injure the Sixth-Order Yun Fei Bai when he was still in the Fifth Order. Since he was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there was no way a Fifth-Order Master like this man could escape from him.
This tall man was apparently a resolute person, so upon realising that he was unable to flee, he roared and surged his World Force before sending out a Divine Ability at Yang Kai.
His companions around him also made a move at the same time. At that instant, the lights of Divine Abilities erupted as they flew at Yang Kai.
“Water Reflects the Moon!” Yang Kai shouted as a full Moon rose behind him. The Moon cast a glow on all of them and sent chills down their spines. Their Divine Abilities seemed to have been frozen as they moved forward like snails.
The tall man and the others were soon covered in a layer of frost, causing them to shiver like quails in the winter.
Additionally, shields with Dragon patterns on them started appearing around Yang Kai. A Dragon Pressure could be felt coming from these thick shields, and every Dragon had its head connected with its tail.
Dragon Shields!
Upon activating these two Secret Techniques, Yang Kai thrust out his spear in rapid succession.
Wherever the spear shadows passed, time seemed to freeze.
When Yang Kai retracted his spear, the tall man and the others were rendered immovable on their spots. It wasn’t until this moment that their Divine Abilities crashed into the Dragon Shields around Yang Kai and caused them to flicker. In the end, they couldn’t harm him one bit.
“The louder you shout, the quicker you die.” Yang Kai swept his spear across the air, and then the people standing in front of him exploded into a blood mist, leaving no trace behind.
Holding the spear with one hand, he swept a cold glance over the survivors in an imposing manner and asked, “Who else would like to make a move?”
All of them fell silent as they stared dazedly at Yang Kai. Gulps were clearly audible, and all of their eyes were filled with terror.
Although Yang Kai had previously killed nine of their companions just outside Twin Spirit Island, they were still astounded upon seeing the same thing now.
They knew that they might be able to stop this young man from going further if they joined forces; after all, he was only one man regardless of how powerful he was. On the other hand, they had many people on their side who could fight.
Nevertheless, given the power Yang Kai had showcased, it wasn’t hard for him to kill ten or twenty of them. No one was willing to be the unlucky one. After what had happened to the tall man, none of them dared to say a word.
“If no one is making a move, I’m leaving.” Yang Kai snorted and walked off. His chest felt like it was burning due to the alcohol as his murderous intent was rampaging. All of them looked despicable to him, and he had the urge to kill them with his spear.
However, since these people were not willing to make a move, Yang Kai didn’t have a reason to flare up. Furthermore, his destination wasn’t this place.
The people separated to the sides as Yang Kai safely passed through the crowd.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai flew off that they breathed a sigh of relief, as though they had just escaped from death’s door.
One of them exclaimed, “High-Rank Powers. All the Powers that guy showed were High-Rank!”
They couldn’t detect anything before Yang Kai made a move, but once he did, they realised that both Yang Kai’s Water Reflects the Moon and Dragon Shield Secret Techniques were derived from High-Rank Powers, to say nothing of the fact that he had previously showcased Golden Crow Casts the Sun, which was a Divine Manifestation exclusive to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
“It’s no wonder that he’s so powerful,” someone remarked.
Since all the Element Powers he refined were High-Rank, it explained why he was so formidable.
“What should we do now?” A woman asked, looking lost.
Geng Qing told them to stop Yang Kai, but other than the tall man and the others from his group, the rest of them had never made a move. They couldn’t explain themselves when they returned, so it was expected that they would be punished.
However, if they never returned, there was nowhere else they could settle in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Faced with such a dilemma, they weren’t sure what to do.
After a brief discussion, they decided to go back to Profound Yang Mountain first and accept punishment. It was still better than wandering around the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya, while supporting Yun Fei Bai’s weight, kept looking back. Upon realising that Yang Kai was nowhere in sight, they set their minds at ease, thinking that he had been intercepted. In the end, it seemed their subordinates were not really useless.
One day later, Profound Yang Mountain came into their sight from a distance.
Zhou Ya breathed a sigh of relief as she patted Yun Fei Bai’s back and gently said, “Hang in there, Second Brother. We’ll reach home soon.”
Yun Fei Bai nodded his head, his face still as pale as a white sheet.
He had been trying to stop his wound from worsening while returning to the Sect; however, Golden Crow’s True Fire was indeed incredible. The dark flame that was burning in his chest made him feel unbearable pain.
All of a sudden, Geng Qing looked forward and sported a doubtful expression, “Who is that?”
There was a figure standing like a dead tree on a mountain peak in front of them as he gazed silently at them. As their eyes met, the figure curled his lips into a scornful smile and pointed his spear towards them before yelling, “You’re too slow. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting here?”
The colour drained from Zhou Ya’s face, “It’s him!”
Geng Qing was stunned, “Why is he here? How dare he get in front of us?”
They had been moving at full speed, and even though Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space, he shouldn’t have been ahead of them. Moreover, they had ordered several dozen subordinates to stop him. Had he broken through the defence of several dozen people on his own?
Furthermore, this place was very near Profound Yang Mountain. Once they got into a fight here, the Head Mountain Lord would be able to lend them a hand within moments. When the Four Great Mountain Lords joined forces, no one in the Shadowless Cave Heaven was a match for them.
Therefore, how could Yang Kai have the guts to intercept them here?
While Geng Qing was still lost in his thoughts, he saw Yang Kai coming at them with his spear as the latter bellowed, “Yun Fei Bai, suffer death!”
They were unable to describe how amazing the attack was, as it ignored the obstacles of space and seemed to shatter the world around it. Although it was an attack that was aimed at Yun Fei Bai, Zhou Ya and Geng Qing felt as though they had been targeted as well.
The three Mountain Lords were dumbstruck. Zhou Ya immediately wielded her sword while Geng Qing used his most powerful Divine Abilities. Ignoring his own injury, Yun Fei Bai roared and summoned a scroll, on which the characters started moving and turned into beams of Sword Qi before they shot out.
*Hong hong hong…*
Explosive sounds were heard as halos of light filled the sky. The three Mountain Lords were forced backwards as their eyes trembled.
“How is that possible?” Zhou Ya exclaimed.
Although the three of them had joined forces, they were almost unable to parry the young man’s strike. All of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so how was it possible that this young man was so much stronger than them? When the young man suddenly awakened and lashed out outside of Twin Spirit Island some time ago, she didn’t directly confront him as she simply launched a long-range attack before dragging Yun Fei Bai away, so she hadn’t been able to properly gauge his strength.
It wasn’t until they traded moves now that she realised how horrifying Yang Kai was. His World Force was clearly far denser and more vigorous than hers.
After the attack, Yang Kai didn’t stop as he unleashed his Supreme Limitless Spear Art to the extreme. Like a waterfall, the spear shadows rained down and engulfed the three Mountain Lords, each shadow containing a terrifying World Force within it.
Certainly, Yun Fei Bai and the others wouldn’t dare to be negligent as they were extremely on edge already. Although they had tried their best, they still found it difficult to parry the bombardment of attacks. Every strike was as violent as lightning, and the rich Dragon Pressure that filled the air around them was disrupting their focus.
Previously, the Azure Dragon Spear was just a sharp weapon in Yang Kai’s hands; however, since his ascension to the Open Heaven Realm, he was able to bring out its true power.
During his breakthrough, Yang Kai merged his Small Sealed World with his Small Universe. His Small Sealed World had a rich heritage to begin with, and he had further enhanced it with remnants of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. As such, he managed to greatly enhance the background of his Small Universe, allowing him to fight against seasoned Open Heaven Realm Masters from the outset.
However, without the Azure Dragon Spear, he couldn’t possibly battle against three powerful Masters on his own; after all, their thousands of years of accumulation were not just for show.
The reason the Proprietress was able to achieve that was that she had made use of the Blood Monster Battle Dress.
In a battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters, the heritages of their Small Universes mattered the most.
The barrage of attacks dazzled Yang Kai’s opponents. Zhou Ya and Geng Qing were in a better state as they were still relatively uninjured. On the other hand, Yun Fei Bai was in a horrible state. He had been burned by Golden Crow’s True Fire to begin with, which caused his strength to plunge significantly, and presently, half of Yang Kai’s attacks were targeted at him. If Geng Qing and Zhou Ya hadn’t gone all out to protect him, he would’ve been killed by Yang Kai already.
Despite that, he was still in a perilous situation. The young man kept targeting him, as though he was determined to end his life, which caused him to groan in pain.
After barely more than ten breaths of intense battle, the mountains around them had been completely destroyed. The air was filled with dust and debris and the World itself seemed to have turned pale.
The black Golden Crow’s True Fire burning on the tip of Azure Dragon Spear made the three Mountain Lords extremely wary. After what had happened to Yun Fei Bai, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya wouldn’t dare to come into contact with Golden Crow’s True Fire, so their movements were rather restricted.
The space around them seemed to have become viscous as well. It was apparent that the young man had used a Space Secret Technique while attacking them.
“Who dares fight outside Profound Yang Mountain?!” A stern voice was suddenly heard coming from Profound Yang Mountain, then a gigantic figure that seemed able to cover the entire sky rose from the central peak. With a pair of grim-looking eyes, he stared at the people in battle.
Yun Fei Bai, who was warding off Yang Kai’s attacks with difficulty, yelled pitifully, “Big Brother, save me!”
The giant eyes narrowed, and when the person realised what was going on, his expression turned furious as he bellowed, “How impudent, boy!”
After he finished speaking, the figure shrunk before a ray of light shot out of Profound Yang Mountain. It was apparent that the Head Mountain Lord, Mao Zhe, was trying to come to their rescue upon realising what was happening.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were elated. The three of them were unable to fend off Yang Kai’s attacks; however, things would be different if Mao Zhe joined them; after all, they were fully aware of how powerful their Big Brother was.
With the spear in his hand, Yang Kai took a glance in the direction of Profound Yang Mountain and snorted, then he swept his weapon across the air to force back Geng Qing and the others. Following that, his figure flickered and he appeared right in front of Yun Fei Bai, who was still spitting blood.
A flustered Yun Fei Bai immediately tried to retreat.
Yang Kai stared coldly at him and silently used Near Distant Horizon. At that instant, the space around them extended infinitely. Even time seemed to have stopped flowing as people’s thoughts became jumbled.
Yun Fei Bai was horrified to learn that he was unable to widen the gap with Yang Kai regardless of how hard he tried. He could only watch as Yang Kai came at him with his spear.
Faced with this spear thrust, he felt the aura of death engulfing him. He roared as the scroll in his grip shone brightly and all the Sword Qi it could unleash condensed together and clashed with the Azure Dragon Spear.
Since Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were assisting their Second Brother from the side, they were also affected by the disturbance of Near Distant Horizon and Time Principles. Although they were able to break through it after just a moment, what came into their sight was the life and death-clash between Yang Kai and Yun Fei Bai.
“Boy! You dare?!” The Head Mountain Lord was heard roaring from a distance.
An unfazed Yang Kai infused more power into his Azure Dragon Spear and a deafening Dragon Roar reverberated across the sky, causing the condensed Sword Qi to shatter.
Following a whoosh, the sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya became rooted to the spots as they looked dazedly forward. Head Mountain Lord Mao Zhe landed in front of them with a livid expression.
Just 3,000 metres in front of them, Yang Kai was holding a spear with one hand as he remained in an aggressive posture. In front of him, Yun Fei Bai widened his eyes with fury as he froze in place. He was unable to move because the spear had pierced through his forehead and stuck out from the back of his head.
The robust defence of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master became as thin as paper when confronted with the Azure Dragon Spear.
The black Golden Crow’s True Fire was still burning on the tip of the spear and like a million snakes, expanded from Yun Fei Bai’s forehead to the rest of his body.
Time seemed to have stopped flowing at that moment.
Yun Fei Bai’s eyes darted around erratically. Although he was lethally injured, he didn’t immediately lose his life, which went to show how potent the vitality of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was. However, his face kept twitching due to the excruciating pain.
In front of him, Yang Kai’s clothes were all ragged. There were countless wounds on his body that criss-crossed one another. Every wound was left with very pure Sword Qi, and the largest wound showed that he was almost cut in two through his chest.
His entire figure was dyed gold due to his golden blood.
The final desperate attack of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no joke. If it weren’t because Yang Kai had a sturdy defence as a Half-Dragon, he would’ve been cut into countless pieces.
As Mao Zhe watched the sight silently, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Junior Brother, if you have any demands, just name them. This Monarch won’t turn you down as long as he can fulfill it.”
He called Yang Kai ‘boy before he arrived at this place, but upon seeing that Yun Fei Bai’s life was in his hands, he politely called him ‘Junior Brother’.
Yang Kai turned his head and flashed a smile at him, “Can I really make any demand?”
Mao Zhe replied dispassionately, “As long as it doesn’t cross the line, anything is acceptable.”
“What if I want you to trade his life for yours? Can you do that?”
A hint of fury flashed across Mao Zhe’s eyes, “You’re funny, Junior Brother. Please think it through. The person you’re trying to kill is the Second Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain. If you kill him, you will be our enemy, and all of us will never let you off. However, if you release him, you’ll be our most honoured guest.”
“Are you trying to threaten me?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Mao Zhe impassively replied, “I’m just speaking the truth.”
“Why do you keep spouting nonsense? My only goal here is to kill!” Yang Kai suddenly roared and gripped his spear, surging his World Force into it. Yun Fei Bai widened his eyes, and before he could react, his head exploded.
The headless corpse convulsed as blood spurted out from his neck before collapsing to the ground.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were stunned.
Their Second Brother was killed right in front of them! Although Mao Zhe had come to their aid, Yun Fei Bai’s head still exploded and he died a horrible death. It had been thousands of years since they met, and it never crossed their minds that they would part ways for good on this day. At that instant, they still couldn’t believe what had just happened.
This place was just several hundred kilometres away from Profound Yang Mountain. They were practically home.
All of a sudden, they started to suspect that Yang Kai had deliberately decided to intercept them here; otherwise, he could’ve chosen another, more convenient location.
The only reason he would do this though was to lure the Head Mountain Lord out of Profound Yang Mountain!
As they turned their heads, they saw Mao Zhe sporting a livid expression. His narrowed eyes gleamed with a dangerous glow as he ordered coldly, “Kill!”