Certainly, Mao Zhe couldn’t tolerate the fact that the Second Mountain Lord was killed right in front of him just outside of Profound Yang Mountain. If he put up with this, he would lose all face.
Therefore, right after Yun Fei Bai was killed, Mao Zhe immediately attacked Yang Kai.
Zhou Ya and Geng Qing came to their senses, and as their eyes turned bloodshot, they clenched their teeth and charged towards their enemy from both sides.
Yang Kai guffawed, “Good! Let’s fight!”
Without backing down, he lifted his spear and dashed towards the three of them. In an instant, a series of clanging sounds were heard as they fell into a fierce melee. All of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and as their World Forces collided, the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven fell into turmoil. People from Profound Yang Mountain looked in the direction of the battle with horrified expressions.
As the four figures flew around in the air, the lights of their Divine Abilities blossomed. It was as though both parties were determined to completely destroy the other.
However, Yang Kai seemed to be on the losing side.
Previously, the reason he was able to fight against three people on his own was that Yun Fei Bai and the others were restricted in their movements. Yun Fei Bai was severely wounded to begin with, and in order to protect him, Zhou Ya and Geng Qing were not able to fully use their powers.
Nevertheless, things were different now.
Without Yun Fei Bai burdening them, Zhou Ya and Geng Qing had no more constraints and were able to fully utilize their powers. Furthermore, the Head Mountain Lord was significantly stronger than the wounded Yun Fei Bai.
As soon as they traded moves, Yang Kai could feel that even though he had merged his Small Sealed World with his Small Universe, the richness of his World Force was still not comparable to that of the Head Mountain Lord.
He indeed lived up to the expectations of a person who was just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, Yang Kai had no intention of retreating. As a Master of the Dao of Space, his mobility was vastly superior to others in the same realm. At that moment, the three Mountain Lords didn’t have a way to lock down Yang Kai, so although they could hurt him from time to time, it didn’t matter to him given his physical strength and restorative power.
The Head Mountain Lord bellowed, “Stop jumping around like a monkey! How disgraceful!”
Yang Kai ignored him as he swept, stabbed, and slashed with his Azure Dragon Spear. Spear shadows fell on them like rain, and every attack carried a horrifying force. Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were terrified as they didn’t dare to directly meet these attacks.
After half a day of intense battle, Mao Zhe suddenly furrowed his brow. That was because he realised that as time passed, the young man’s strength was steadily increasing.
Compared to half a day ago, this young man was significantly stronger.
Initially, this young man could only jump around to dodge their attacks, but now, he was able to counterattack while defending himself. This kind of tendency became increasingly conspicuous.
Mao Zhe couldn’t figure out what was going on.
In fact, the reason Yang Kai managed to make it to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was that he had consumed a World Fruit; however, be it the Fifth-Order or the Sixth-Order, he had only just broken through so he didn’t have enough time to solidify his cultivation.
He entered the Shadowless Cave Heaven right after he ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and while the battles with Ma Tian Yuan and Yun Fei Bai had slightly stabilized his cultivation, it wasn’t complete.
Then, he cultivated in seclusion to refine a World Fruit and ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
He hadn’t even solidified his Fifth-Order cultivation when he rose to the Sixth-Order, so his cultivation was pretty unstable.
Nevertheless, the intense battle Yang Kai was presently engaged in was perfect for strengthening his foundation and consolidating his cultivation. This kind of fight was much more effective than simply cultivating in seclusion.
It could be said that as time passed, the power he was able to showcase would intensify until he reached his current limit. That was the reason Mao Zhe had this strange feeling.
The four figures darted around. One moment they were in the sky, and the next moment they were on the ground, then the same process repeated. Wherever they went, the ground cracked and the sky trembled as their World Forces continuously clashed with one another.
Zhou Ya’s eyes trembled as the figure who was flickering around the three of them shocked her.
All of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but why was this young man so ridiculously strong? She initially thought that since the Head Mountain Lord had joined them, there was no way this young man could resist. To her surprise, it turned out to be a difficult battle.
There were probably over a hundred wounds on the young man’s figure, and some of his bones must have cracked. Nevertheless, instead of growing weaker, he only became stronger with each passing breath.
She also realised that it was getting harder for her to parry his attacks.
All of a sudden, Mao Zhe narrowed his eyes and bellowed, “Are you using us in this battle to adapt to your new strength?”
After a long fight, he finally figured out that the young man must have just ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he wasn’t familiar with his own power yet. That was the reason the young man became stronger as the battle dragged on.
Upon that realization, he roared in indignation, “Brat, how dare you!”
He was just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he was practically unmatched in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If it weren’t because the young man was proficient in the Dao of Space, Mao Zhe was confident he could easily defeat him in a one-on-one fight; however, it was never easy dealing with a Master of the Dao of Space as it was simply impossible to corner one. This was what made the young man before him so arrogant.
After realising the young man’s intention, it was expected that Mao Zhe was infuriated.
Yang Kai grinned at him and said, “You’re touted to be the strongest cultivator in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but this is all you’ve got?” After he finished speaking, he retracted all the spear shadows and fell silent with a solemn expression. Then, he yelled, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
Following that, a bird was heard cawing while a Great Sun rose from his back.
Geng Qing’s expression changed drastically as he shouted, “Watch out, Big Brother! This brat possesses a Divine Manifestation!”
“What!?” An astounded Mao Zhe looked up, and when he saw the magnificent Great Sun, his eyes couldn’t help but shrink.
It was indeed a Divine Manifestation! A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to cast a Divine Manifestation. Mao Zhe couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
While Mao Zhe fell into a dazed state, Yang Kai had integrated himself with the Great Sun and charged towards the Head Mountain Lord.
Mao Zhe immediately retreated. Although he was very close to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he wouldn’t dare to directly meet a Divine Manifestation; after all, this was something only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were able to use.
However, his efforts were futile. He was instantly engulfed in Space Principles as Near Distant Horizon infinitely extended the space around him.
“Water Reflects the Moon!” Yang Kai roared.
A full Moon appeared out of thin air as it cast its icy glow across the land, causing a chill to shoot up everyone’s spine.
The Sun and the Moon appearing together was a miraculous sight. The three Mountain Lords stared dazedly at the sky where the dazzling Great Sun and the Ice Cold Moon rose and set in a seemingly endless cycle. The immense power coming from the swirling cycle seemed to engulf the entire universe.
Everything in this world seemed to have been covered by this gyro formed from the Sun and the Moon.
As the cycle spun, those present at the scene felt as though they were travelling across time. Coupled with the Space Principles that Yang Kai continuously surged, it formed into an extremely profound Space-Time warping effect.
It was an entirely new power that Yang Kai had yet to use.
A force that could destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth came over the three Mountain Lords and they immediately surged their World Forces to try to defend themselves.
Following a deafening boom, a huge halo of light erupted. It was as though the entire World had shattered at that instant.
The energies of the spinning Sun and the Moon exploded and sent shockwaves out across the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven. The forces of scorching heat and bone-piercing cold clashed and formed into an immense destructive power.
Everything at the centre of the explosion was seemingly wiped from existence.
A moment later, a figure, whose clothes were ragged, shot out of the light with a horrified expression. He was none other than the Head Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain.
As expected of a man just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was still able to escape alive despite facing such an attack. Nevertheless, his pale face and the blood at the corner of his lips clearly indicated that he was wounded.
Presently, he was holding Geng Qing in one hand and Zhou Ya in the other.
Compared to him, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were more severely wounded and had passed out. Moreover, their bodies looked like they were being corroded by a strange power that continuously ate away at their vitality. This odd strength was profound and unpredictable, alternating between hot and cold, turning their skin from red to blue randomly. The condition they were in was extremely strange.
Still reeling from shock, Mao Zhe took a look in Yang Kai’s direction, only to see that the young man had fallen into a dazed state. With the spear in his hand still outstretched, Yang Kai seemed to be lost in his own thoughts while a mysterious light that contained some profound secret swirled around him.
Mao Zhe was dumbfounded as he realised that the young man had comprehended something about his Grand Dao during this life-and-death battle.
If he interrupted Yang Kai now, the latter would surely suffer an immense loss.
However, Mao Zhe was too terrified of the attack just now and didn’t have the courage to create trouble for Yang Kai. With Geng Qing and Zhou Ya in his hands, he shot towards Profound Yang Mountain and activated its Grand Array as soon as he was inside.
In the centre of the battlefield, the chaotic force slowly subsided. Yang Kai stood there silently as he comprehended the explosion of power just now.
The Dao of Space was the foundation on which he built his Dao Seal, and it could be said that his mastery over the Dao of Space was unrivalled.
Nevertheless, when it came to the Dao of Time, he had always been an amateur.
After ascending to the Open Heaven Realm, he had his own Small Universe in his body. There were the Manifestations of Golden Crow Casts the Sun and Water Reflects the Moon in his Small Universe. The rising and falling of these celestial entities granted him a deeper understanding of the Dao of Time.
Both the Dao of Space and Dao of Time were extremely esoteric and abstruse Grand Daos. The average person would be extremely fortunate to comprehend even the slightest bit of either of them, let alone master both.
It was only thanks to some rare opportunities that Yang Kai managed to achieve this.
In fact, he had never thought about merging these two Grand Daos into one. It wasn’t until he engaged in a life-and-death battle with the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain that he gave it a try on a whim.
Yang Kai never imagined the results would be so shocking.
Space Principles and Time Principles had perfectly blended together through the integration of the Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Water Reflects the Moon, and Near Distant Horizon, forming a brand-new Divine Ability.
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he muttered under his breath, “Let’s call it Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.”
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel wasn’t complete yet, and had plenty of room for improvement. Nevertheless, this Divine Ability contained an entirely new power, something akin to Space-Time Strength that combined both Space Principles and Time Principles.
However, it wasn’t the right time to think about this. Yang Kai raised his gaze and looked at Profound Yang Mountain.
The three Mountain Lords had returned to Profound Yang Mountain, and presently, the Grand Array was activated in full defensive mode. Many people were seen moving around as they got ready to face a formidable enemy.
Yang Kai snorted and placed his Azure Dragon Spear over his shoulder before striding towards Profound Yang Mountain. With a grin, he called out, “Do you think you’re safe hiding behind this thin wall? Since you dared harm my Proprietress, I’ll destroy your entire Sect today!”
Seeing that Yang Kai was coming over, Mao Zhe, who was standing on a peak of Profound Yang Mountain, bellowed, “Don’t go too far, boy!”
He had returned to his home territory and activated the Grand Array, but Yang Kai still pursued them as though he was determined to destroy them, which infuriated him.
Prior to this day, Mao Zhe had never expected that someone in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would be able to defeat him. Furthermore, it was in a three-on-one fight in his favour.
He had joined forces with Geng Qing and Zhou Ya earlier, but after the battle, the two of them became injured and passed out while he was scared out of his wits.
[Where does this brat come from? One month ago, Second Brother said he was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!] Since he was in a rush earlier, Mao Zhe didn’t have the chance to ask about what had happened.
There was no way a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could break through to the Sixth-Order in just one month and showcase such horrifying power.
If Mao Zhe knew that the other party was so formidable, he would’ve been more polite; however, now, those from Profound Yang Mountain had fallen out with him, and even the Second Mountain Lord was killed. It had turned into a blood feud that could never be resolved.
In just a moment, Yang Kai arrived at Profound Yang Mountain and saw a thick light barrier surrounding it.
Thrusting his spear into the light barrier caused a dent to form, but it soon recovered.
After probing it lightly, Yang Kai nodded. Although the Grand Array here wasn’t as profound as his own Nine Heavenly Layers, it was still quite extraordinary. After all, Profound Yang Mountain had been around in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for over ten thousand years. Their heritage which had been accumulated over the years couldn’t be underestimated.
Nevertheless, since Yang Kai had arrived at this place, he would not back down easily.
Then, he looked up at Mao Zhe, who was staring coldly at him atop the main peak, and grinned. The smile was so eerie that Mao Zhe felt his chest tightening.
“What is that brat trying to do?” Mao Zhe muttered with a frown.
Before he could figure it out, he heard the young man yelling, “Dragon… Transformation!”
A deafening Dragon Roar was heard, then a gigantic golden Dragon Head manifested behind Yang Kai’s back before disappearing into his body. Following that, a series of cracking sounds were heard.
As the sounds rang out, the gazes of those on Profound Yang Mountain slowly lifted and filled with horror. They were rooted to the spot as they witnessed the small figure of a man rapidly transform into an enormous monster.
The creature was covered in Dragon Scales and his hands had turned into razor-sharp Dragon Claws. The Dragon Tail behind him swung heavily, and the Dragon Horns on his forehead looked as though they were made from pure gold. His whiskers flapped in the air, and as he breathed, the entire world seemed to pale.
If this 4,000-metre-long creature wasn’t intimidating enough, the colossal spear in his claws was capable of freezing everyone’s heart.
Yang Kai’s Azure Dragon Spear was now a 4,000 metres long weapon, matching his own length as it gleamed with a terrifying glow.
As rich Dragon Pressure permeated the air, those on Profound Yang Mountain found it hard to breathe even though they had the protection of the Grand Array.
“Dragon Clan!” Mao Zhe exclaimed as his pupils contracted to the size of needles, “Impossible!”
Yang Kai shook his head as the scorching breath he puffed out seemed able to burn a hole in space. As he raised his gigantic spear, he roared in a thunderous voice, “Taste my spear!”
He bluntly pushed his spear forward, whereupon a gale brought up all the sand and stones around him. The cultivators on Profound Yang Mountain screamed, panicked, and ran about randomly.
Not daring to be negligent, Mao Zhe quickly fished out the Array Jade and focused the Grand Array’s power to defend against this strike.
The long spear fell heavily on the Grand Array’s light barrier like it was a giant tree.
Following a loud boom, a deep indent was formed on the light barrier as its glow flickered wildly.
Yang Kai roared and exerted more force with his hands, but he was still unable to penetrate the Grand Array. The horrifying shockwave coming through the Grand Array shook the entire Profound Yang Mountain, causing many cultivators to fall to the ground. Some of the weaker cultivators even started bleeding, looking quite battered.
A moment later, the light barrier bounced back, pushing Yang Kai away as he was forced backwards several hundred metres.
As he arched his brow, Yang Kai praised, “Truly incredible!”
The heritage accumulated for over thousands of years by Profound Yang Mountain was indeed extraordinary. The Grand Array was so sturdy that Yang Kai wasn’t able to break it with one strike. A hint of ruthlessness flashed across his eyes as he stepped forward in an imposing manner.
Mao Zhe widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Junior Brother, please stop! We can talk this out!”
Yang Kai cackled wildly, “There’s nothing to talk about between us!”
Then, he heavily struck the light barrier once more.
Following that, some people were heard grunting. In one of the Array Nodes, three Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who assisted Mao Zhe in maintaining the Grand Array, sprayed out mouthfuls of blood as their auras withered. It was apparent that they were injured by the horrifying force coming through the barrier.
Mao Zhe looked at them and felt his chest tightening. Then, he turned to gaze at Yang Kai, and upon seeing that the latter was preparing to strike again, he said through gritted teeth, “Junior Brother, the Shadowless Cave Heaven is only this big. Don’t go too far lest we meet again in the future as enemies!”
Yang Kai snorted and roared, “Why must I worry about the future? Today I will destroy Profound Yang Mountain and sacrifice all of you to my spear. We won’t ever see each other again!”
Mao Zhe was so exasperated that he almost spat blood, but there was nothing he could say to refute him.
Following a series of strikes, the Open Heaven Realm Masters, who assisted in running the Grand Array in its several Array Nodes all became injured as their auras dimmed. Some of them had even passed out already.
A resentful Mao Zhe had the urge to go out and fight Yang Kai to the death, but he didn’t have the guts to do so seeing as the other party was so imposing. They were defeated earlier even though the three Mountain Lords had joined forces. Now that Geng Qing and Zhou Ya had passed out and he himself was injured, there was no way he could be a match for Yang Kai on his own.
Mao Zhe let out a sigh then performed different hand seals to mobilise the Grand Array’s power.
Now, he could only sacrifice some of the outer peaks by shrinking the protection range of the Grand Array. Only by doing so would he stand a chance to ward off the other party’s horrifying attacks.
Following a strike, the light barrier broke apart as Yang Kai continued pushing his spear forward and jabbed into a peak, which caused it to shake and almost collapse.
Yang Kai took a glance with his cold-looking eyes and realised that some of the peaks were no longer in the protection range of the Grand Array. Only a small area in the centre was still protected by the light barrier. Upon seeing that, he knew that Mao Zhe must have given up on the outer peaks to protect the centre. By doing so, not only would Mao Zhe consume less energy, but he could also focus the Grand Array’s power to better fend off Yang Kai’s attacks.
Yang Kai snorted, and then his Dragon Pressure permeated the air as though it had materialised, which caused the surrounding space to become extremely heavy.
On the peaks that were completely exposed, the cultivators from Profound Yang Mountain shivered like quails without a home in the winter. All of their eyes were filled with horror as they watched the behemoth approach them.
Yang Kai directly swept his spear across one of the peaks. As the cultivators shrieked, a terrifying World Force surged and broke the peak into halves. Stones rolled down what was left of the mountain as the peak crumbled, plunging its inhabitants into turmoil.
Standing in the centre of the Grand Array, Mao Zhe widened his eyes with fury.
Profound Yang Mountain was the foundation he had built in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. It was also one of the safest places in the Shadowless Cave Heaven from the Astral Wind. If this place was destroyed, Profound Yang Mountain would cease to exist. Without this shelter, no one would stay there and obey his orders.
*Hong long long!*
More peaks collapsed. Yang Kai’s arrival was no different from a doomsday for them. He kept on destroying the peaks with a power that could destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth.
The peaks that were exposed outside of the Grand Array were soon turned into ruins. Just when Yang Kai was about to sweep his spear across the last peak, he stopped as his gaze fell upon a certain figure.
She was a woman who was standing still and silently gaping at him. Instead of feeling terrified about her imminent death though, she looked as though she was about to be liberated.
[It’s her!] At first glance, Yang Kai could recognise that she was the one who had secretly looked for him and gave him the directions that led to the Proprietress’ whereabouts.
At that time, he speculated that she must have been forced to become Yun Fei Bai’s plaything for reasons that were beyond her control. That was the reason she secretly gave Yang Kai a hand.
It was thanks to the directions in the jade slip that he was able to find the Proprietress and the others.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai moved towards the peak and thrust his spear into the ground before his giant figure turned blurry and disappeared beneath the mountain.
The people inside the Grand Array gazed at Yang Kai as they had no idea what he was up to now.
All of a sudden, the mountain started trembling, as though an immense force was coming from beneath it. Mao Zhe narrowed his eyes as he thought of a possibility.
The next moment, as all of them widened their eyes in disbelief, the mountain slowly rose into the air. Beneath the mountain was a gigantic creature whose nostrils puffed out a scorching breath as he hoisted the mountain on his hunched back. Following a great roar, the figure straightened up.
All of them couldn’t believe their eyes while Mao Zhe’s pupils contracted. This man actually lifted a mountain!
What kind of horrifying power was required to do that? Although Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could easily showcase immense power, they had to use the World Force in their Small Universes to achieve that.
Rarely anyone in the entire 3,000 Worlds was able to literally lift a mountain like this one using solely physical strength. At the very least, it was the first time Mao Zhe saw someone capable of this.
Following that, Yang Kai shook the mountain and roared, “All you ants crawling on this mountain, scram!”
The cultivators on the mountain started falling and crashed to the ground. The quiet woman, who was originally standing on the peak, happened to fall down in front of Yang Kai, who gently then let out a breath and sent her over a hundred kilometres away before she lightly landed on the ground.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai shuffled towards the centre of Profound Yang Mountain. With every step he took, the ground shook violently.
*Hong hong hong…*
His movements were initially slow, as every step he took would leave a huge mark on the ground. However, after several steps, he started running in light steps as his figure bent forward a little.
Inside the Grand Array, Mao Zhe had his expression change drastically as he bellowed, “Activate the Grand Array’s full might now!”
As soon as Mao Zhe gave this order, he heard Yang Kai roaring as the latter hurled the mountain, which was on his back, at the Grand Array. The expansive shadow blocked the light out of everyone’s sight.
Those from Profound Yang Mountain immediately focused the Grand Array’s power to defend.
A loud boom rang out as the mountain crashed into the Grand Array and formed a huge dent on it. The light barrier kept flickering as though it would shatter at any moment.
Following that, Yang Kai brought down his spear on the Grand Array and worsened the dent in the light barrier.
Mao Zhe roared, “Do you really want to kill us all, brat? Do you think this Monarch is afraid of you!?”
Yang Kai had crossed his bottom line by appearing determined to wipe out Profound Yang Mountain.
“Come then!” Yang Kai pushed out his spear, “Fight with me if you have the gall!”
Mao Zhe was so infuriated that he looked like a volcano that was about to erupt.
*Hong…*
As the ground shook, the light barrier appeared dimmer than before. The horrifying force coming through the air caused the cultivators on Profound Yang Mountain to turn pale and stagger.
Spear shadows poured down on the Grand Array like rain and caused it to flicker even more wildly.
Mao Zhe was terrified to learn that even though he had shrunk the protection range to consolidate the Spirit Array’s power, it was still nearly impossible to fend off the other party’s violent attacks.
Under such a bombardment, it would only take half an hour before the Grand Array of Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed.
Mao Zhe reckoned that he had to make a move now. It would be too late by the time the Grand Array was shattered.
Having made up his mind, he said through clenched teeth, “Come with me and kill this brat! Whoever can behead him, this Monarch will promote to the position of Fifth Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain!”
Upon finishing his words, he flung away the Array Jade and charged out towards Yang Kai.
Many cultivators followed him closely. Although they were wary of Yang Kai’s strength, they were tempted by Mao Zhe’s promise. Since Mao Zhe had made such a declaration in public, he wouldn’t go back on his word. If one of them was lucky enough to kill this gigantic monster, that person would really become the Fifth Mountain Lord.
As they flew into the air, those from Profound Yang Mountain were totally united at this moment. Before they even arrived, the lights of their Secret Techniques and artifacts started blossoming. All the attacks contained the World Forces of these Open Heaven Realm Masters as they bombarded Yang Kai.
Ignoring this barrage, Yang Kai swept his several-thousand-metres long spear through the air, seemingly cutting space in half. As he aimed at the area with most people, he yelled, “How dare mere ants act so impudent in front of this King!”
The spear’s might was overwhelming. The clever ones had quickly dodged it while the sluggish ones got struck in mid-air and directly exploded into blood mist, leaving no trace of their existence behind.
Following the attack, those from Profound Yang Mountain started backing down. As they looked at the blood rain pouring down from the sky, they were no longer as hot-headed as before.
*Hong hong hong…*
The wave of Secret Techniques and artifact attacks peppered Yang Kai, causing him to stagger backwards.
Although a 4,000-metre-long Dragon was intimidating, being so large made it nearly impossible for Yang Kai to dodge incoming attacks.
All of those attacks were powerful Secret Techniques sent out by Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, other than the Divine Abilities of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that could slightly harm him, the rest of these attacks were essentially negated by Yang Kai’s Dragon Scales. Even the attacks from Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t damage his foundation as they were only capable of leaving some small flesh wounds.
It was a well-known fact that Dragons had superb defence.
Yang Kai stepped forward while kicking the peaks in front of him, sweeping his spear across the mountains below. At that instant, there wasn’t even a single person in a radius of several kilometres around him. Wherever he went, the cultivators from Profound Yang Mountain would immediately flee.
Mao Zhe was infuriated as he attempted to boost morale once more, but his efforts yielded no results.
Yang Kai turned his head and extended his claw towards him as he said with a grin, “There will be no more Profound Yang Mountain in the Shadowless Cave Heaven from today onwards!”
As Space Principles undulated, the claw ignored space and distance and directly grasped Mao Zhe.
Yang Kai exerted more force with his hand and a series of cracking sounds were heard coming from his palm.
Nevertheless, the next moment, an immense force exploded inside his fist. Then, Yang Kai felt excruciating pain as a bloody hole was formed on the back of his hand, out of which a ray of light shot. It was Mao Zhe, who was formerly grasped in his claw.
As his Dragon Blood dripped onto the ground, Yang Kai looked down and saw a huge hole in his claw, one through which he could see the ground below.
However, it didn’t bother him one bit as he swung his hand and roared in a thunderous voice, “Good, you indeed live up to your reputation as the strongest Master in the Shadowless Cave Heaven!”
It was impossible for an average Master to break through Yang Kai’s flesh, but Mao Zhe had easily done just that. Otherwise, he couldn’t have gotten rid of his restriction.
As Yang Kai took a deep breath, his chest started bulging as it was filled with air.
Right after Mao Zhe got out of the death grip, he shot towards Yang Kai. As his World Force surged, he rapidly formed a set of hand seals and sent out a powerful Divine Ability towards him.
However, when he saw Yang Kai’s posture, Mao Zhe felt his chest tightening. Sensing an impending crisis, he immediately dodged.
“Fire Dragon’s… Flaming Breath!” As Yang Kai roared, he spat out a jet of black flames.
As the scorching fire shot from his mouth, it burned down the sky and ground without distinction. As Golden Crow’s True Fire permeated the area, Mao Zhe’s Divine Ability was vaporized.
In an instant, the remaining Spirit Peaks of Profound Yang Mountain were engulfed in Golden Crow’s True Fire. Under the scorching heat, the peaks started melting into lava.
Yang Kai swung his head around as the fire coming from his mouth swept out. Many of the cultivators, who were unable to dodge it, were burned and fell from the sky shrieking.
Mao Zhe immediately retreated and narrowly escaped from the Golden Crow’s True Fire. He hadn’t forgotten about the unconscious Geng Qing and Zhou Ya as he held them in his hands.
It took Yang Kai a moment before he stopped spitting fire as his chest shrank back down to normal size. With a scornful gaze, he looked up at Mao Zhe, who was floating in mid-air.
Mao Zhe felt his heart sinking as he watched the dark flame burning through the mountains. He knew that after this battle, Profound Yang Mountain would be completely destroyed. Just like what Yang Kai had said, there would be no Profound Yang Mountain in the Shadowless Cave Heaven from today onwards.
He narrowed his eyes and wondered what kind of monster his Second Brother had offended. Not only was his Second Brother killed, but Profound Yang Mountain was also destroyed alongside him.
Yang Kai lifted his spear and pointed at Mao Zhe. His message was clear. [Come fight with me!]
Mao Zhe looked down at him, then took a glance at the unconscious Geng Qing and Zhou Ya. After taking a deep breath, he shouted, “This Monarch shall never forget what has happened here today, and will one day settle accounts with you!”
Following that, his figure started fading.
Yang Kai bellowed, “Do you think you can run away?”
He thrust out his spear and penetrated Mao Zhe’s figure, but he felt like he had struck nothing but air. Mao Zhe remained looking dispassionately at Yang Kai as his figure shattered and vanished into thin air.
Yang Kai immediately released his Divine Sense and frowned, for he was unable to locate Mao Zhe, as though the latter had disappeared from this world. He shook his head and remarked, “How strange!”
In fact, he was fully aware that as a seasoned Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Mao Zhe must have some trump cards that could save his life. If he was determined to flee, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to stop him despite being a Master of the Dao of Space.
With that said, Yang Kai had achieved his goal through this battle. He managed to kill Yun Fei Bai while the latter was fleeing and even destroyed Profound Yang Mountain. It could be said that he had gotten revenge on the Proprietress’ behalf.
The figures around him gaped at him in horror. They were the surviving survivors of Profound Yang Mountain.
Since the Head Mountain Lord had fled, they were now at a crossroads. Certainly, they wouldn’t have the guts to go against Yang Kai. Even the Head Mountain Lord was defeated, so how were they supposed to be a match for him?
However, where else could they go? Profound Yang Mountain was where their foundation was. Presently, the dark Golden Crow’s True Fire was still burning through everything, so they didn’t know what to do even though they wanted to put out the flames.
When Yang Kai shot a cold glance at them, they became horrified and subconsciously stepped backwards, worrying that this guy might slaughter them to the last.
Fortunately, Yang Kai only snorted as his humongous figure shrunk and returned to his Human Form. With his spear resting on his shoulder, he shook his head and declared, “He fled just because he can’t beat me. What a useless guy!”
Then, he leapt into the air and disappeared into the distance.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai’s aura was completely out of their perception range that these surviving cultivators from Profound Yang Mountain let out a sigh of relief, as though they had just escaped from death’s door.
As they exchanged glances, they had no idea what to do now.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai landed on a spot that was 100 kilometres away. With Azure Dragon Spear over his shoulder, he squatted on a certain hill.
There was a woman standing silently nearby. Noticing the movements, she looked up and met with Yang Kai’s eyes, whereupon she subconsciously took a few steps back. As she pressed her lips together, she saluted Yang Kai in an elegant manner.
“Yun Fei Bai is dead,” Yang Kai said.
The woman never responded to him, as though she was born mute.
“Many thanks for your directions some time ago,” Yang Kai said and got up. Then, he swung his spear and jabbed it into the ground, “If it weren’t for you, I couldn’t have easily found my Proprietress.”
“That was the least I could do,” the woman replied gently.
“Where do you want to go?” Yang Kai asked as he looked in Profound Yang Mountain’s direction, “That place is destroyed, so can’t go back anymore.”
The woman seemed lost. After giving it a thought, she shook her head, “I’m not going back, and I don’t know where I can go.”
Yang Kai suggested by saying, “There’s Astral Wind in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so if you don’t look for a safe place, your Small Universe will collapse one day, costing you your life. Since Profound Yang Mountain is gone for good, you can either go to Unrivalled Guild or Twin Spirit Island. I’d suggest that you go to Twin Spirit Island because I’ll be staying there for the time being. If you go there, just tell them my name. Right, my name is Yang Kai.”
Then, he leapt into the air and headed straight to Twin Spirit Island.
The woman remained on the spot for a while before she saluted in the direction Yang Kai had left, then she turned around and headed in a different direction.
It took Yang Kai one day to return to Twin Spirit Island, but before he even landed, the fog faltered and revealed a passageway as a figure came forward and cupped his fists, “Greetings, Senior Yang!”
The person was the Open Heaven Realm Master who greeted the Proprietress previously. He must be stationed here following the Island Masters’ order. He had also seen Yang Kai showcasing his might just outside of Twin Spirit Island some time ago, so he admired the young man’s power greatly.
In response, Yang Kai nodded.
The man continued, “The Island Masters have said that you can enter as soon as you return.”
“The Island Masters are truly thoughtful.” Not long after Yang Kai stepped into the fog, he turned around and asked, “Where’s my Proprietress?”
The person replied respectfully, “Don’t worry, Senior. Madam Lan is recuperating in a secret room, so she should be fine. After you enter the island, someone will lead you to her current residence.”
Yang Kai nodded and shuffled inside.
Upon entering Twin Spirit Island, he immediately caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance. The island was as beautiful and refreshing as a spring day, which was a stark contrast to the desolateness of the outside world.
An innocent-looking woman was awaiting Yang Kai. Upon seeing him, she saluted him and led him to the Proprietress’ room.
A while later, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks in the deepest part of a bamboo forest on Twin Spirit Island. There were some simple-looking bamboo huts here and the place was pretty serene, so it was indeed suitable for recuperation.
Chef and Accountant were seated with their legs crossed just outside one of the bamboo huts.
Upon hearing the noise, they opened their eyes and looked up. When they realised that it was Yang Kai, they became elated and got to their feet.
Yang Kai waved his hand to motion for the woman to leave, then he shuffled forward and took a glance at the bamboo hut that was covered in a barrier before asking in a small voice, “How is Proprietress?”
Both of them shook their heads.
Chef said, “She started recuperating in seclusion right after she came here. We don’t know how she’s doing.”
Accountant shot a glance at Yang Kai with his usual hollow-looking eyes, “Are you injured?”
Certainly, Yang Kai couldn’t be completely unharmed after a battle with Profound Yang Mountain. Besides the fact that the back of his hand was burst through by Mao Zhe, he was also struck by the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques of many Open Heaven Realm Masters. However, since he had a sturdy physique, these injuries didn’t matter to him.
“I’m fine.” Yang Kai shook his head, “What was that strange Artifact Armour she wore?”
Although the armour was powerful, it had some serious drawbacks. The Proprietress couldn’t even recognise Yang Kai and had attacked him as a result of the wild Monster Qi the armour gave off. If he hadn’t used the Soul Warming Lotus at the most critical moment to restore clarity to her mind, she wouldn’t have easily come to her senses.
After a sigh, Chef replied, “We don’t know what it is, but Proprietress calls it the Blood Monster Battle Dress. We have no idea where she obtained it, nor had we seen her use it prior to that battle. It was a first for us too.”
Yang Kai frowned, “That’s a terrible thing. She shouldn’t ever use it again.”
Chef replied, “You can try convincing her when she comes out. Let’s see if she’ll listen to you.” Then, he thought of something and gazed at him doubtfully, “By the way, how did you go from the Fifth Order to the Sixth Order in just one month? Moreover, hadn’t you just ascended to the Fifth Order?”
Accountant gazed at him with suspicion as well.
When Yang Kai previously showcased his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm might, even Chef and Accountant were flabbergasted, not to mention Yun Fei Bai and the others. They thought that they were mistaken, but Yang Kai had indeed defeated Yun Fei Bai and the other Mountain Lords, a feat only possible due to him being in the Sixth Order.
Upon inspection now, they could confirm that Yang Kai’s aura was really that of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Certainly, Yang Kai didn’t think there was a need to hide anything from them, so after giving it a thought, he asked, “Have you ever heard of World Fruits?”
…..
In one of the palaces on Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong clenched a Communication Bead in his hand as a myriad of expressions came over him.
When Shu Mu Dan saw that, she asked in puzzlement, “What happened, Husband?”
Hua Yong replied, “Yang Kai is back.”
Shu Mu Dan asked with a smile, “So what if he’s back? Why do you look so apprehensive?”
Hua Yong explained, “He had said that he was going to Profound Yang Mountain, but now he’s back barely a few days later. So… did he actually go to Profound Yang Mountain?”
Shu Mu Dan said, “Whether he went to Profound Yang Mountain or not has nothing to do with us, does it?”
Hua Yong burst into laughter, “My Wife… people always say that a woman will become foolish when she’s pregnant, but I didn’t believe it. However, when I see you now, I think there’s some truth to the saying.”
Shu Mu Dan glared at him in a charming manner.
Hua Yong coughed and went on to say, “He previously vowed that he was going to Profound Yang Mountain, but it is the most powerful great force in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and Head Mountain Lord Mao Zhe is just one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Furthermore, Mao Zhe has a lot of formidable subordinates working for him. If Yang Kai really went over there, how could he have come back safely?”
“He didn’t go there, then,” Shu Mu Dan remarked.
Hua Yong fell silent. If Yang Kai had really gone to Profound Yang Mountain and then returned safely, his power would be horrifying.
Shu Mu Dan suggested by saying, “You can just send someone to Profound Yang Mountain to find out what happened. It’ll only take a few days to make a round trip.”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong nodded, “You’re right, my Wife.”
Shu Mu Dan glowered at him, “Who is the foolish one here?”
“It’s me. It’s me,” Hua Yong put on a fawning smile, then he ordered one of his subordinates to head to Profound Yang Mountain to investigate whether there were any traces of recent battle. If Yang Kai really went to Profound Yang Mountain, he would’ve engaged in a fight with Mao Zhe, so there must be some traces left.
After putting away the Communication Bead, he said, “My Wife, please follow me to meet Yang Kai. Regardless of whether he went to Profound Yang Mountain or not, the power he showcased is more than enough for us to be wary. Since there’s also Lan You Ruo, I’m worried that Twin Spirit Island will not be the same again.”
Upon finishing his words, he let out a sigh, for he wasn’t sure whether this kind of change was a blessing or a curse.
Both Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If they joined Twin Spirit Island, they would definitely become the Third and the Fourth Island Masters, which would strengthen their collective power. By then, those from Twin Spirit Island wouldn’t have to be afraid of Profound Yang Mountain and Unrivalled Guild anymore.
However, if Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo weren’t willing to live under the rules of others and insisted on becoming the Head and the Second Island Masters, the couple would have no choice but to give in to their demands.
The couple had been married for a long time, so Shu Mu Dan immediately knew what was on her Husband’s mind when she saw him sigh. Then, she draped her arm around his and comforted him by saying, “You don’t have to worry about it, Husband. We’ve had some contact with Madam Lan, and it’s obvious that she’s a reasonable woman. I believe that even if she joins us, she won’t make any rude demands.”
Hua Yong still said worriedly, “I hope so.”
…..
Outside the bamboo forest, Chef asked in disbelief, “You consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit!? It’s a precious item that can make a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master directly ascend to the next Order. It’s rumoured that a High-Rank World Fruit can even allow a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master directly reach the next Order!”
Accountant lamented, “It’s no wonder that you can make it to the Sixth Order in one month. You were previously unconscious, so I guess you were refining the medicinal efficacies of the Mid-Rank World Fruit instead of recuperating. Am I right?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Chef’s eyes seemed to be glowing as he rubbed his palms together and put on a fawning smile, “Do you have more Mid-Rank World Fruits?”
“Nope.” Yang Kai spread his palms, “I only obtained three Mid-Rank World Fruits in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Yue He and Lu Xue respectively had one, then I consumed the last one.”
The smile on Chef’s face froze as he landed a slap on his thigh in exasperation, “How wasteful! Lu Xue was just a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Why did you let her have it?”
Yang Kai explained, “We were faced with a formidable enemy at that time. If she hadn’t broken through, I would’ve been killed. I had no other choice.”
Chef widened his eyes as he appeared to be heartbroken.
After giving it a thought, Accountant said, “No wonder Yue He was able to reach the Sixth Order so soon. It’s because she had consumed a World Fruit… Hmm? Some people are coming.”
The three of them immediately stopped talking and looked outside the bamboo forest. A moment later, two figures came into their sights. They were the Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island.
The trio hurriedly greeted the couple.
Hua Yong came over with a smile and cupped his fists, “You’re back, Little Brother Yang.”
“En, I just returned.” Yang Kai saluted him, “I was worried about my Proprietress, so I rushed over to check on her instead of visiting you two. Please pardon my lack of etiquette.”
Hua Yong said with a smile, “What are you talking about, Little Brother? Madam Lan is injured, so it’s only natural for you to be worried about her. I don’t mind this kind of formality. In fact, I’m truly honoured that all of you are my guests on Twin Spirit Island.”
After a small talk, all of them took a seat.
Hua Yong asked, “Did you just come back from Profound Yang Mountain, Little Brother?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s right.”
Hua Yong’s brow twitched, but he still asked nonchalantly, “How was it?”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai replied with a solemn expression, “Mao Zhe was truly strong, so it wasn’t easy to deal with him.”
A glint flashed through Hua Yong’s eyes as he said with a smile, “Mao Zhe has been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm for a long time. If it weren’t because resources in the Shadowless Cave Heaven were so scarce, he would’ve ascended to the Seventh Order by now. When my Wife and I arrived at the Shadowless Cave Heaven back then, we exchanged pointers with him and realised that he was truly formidable. Many years have passed, so his strength must have only increased.”
Yang Kai nodded, “The Open Heaven Realm really requires much accumulation over a long period of time.” Then, he turned to look at Shu Mu Dan’s belly and put on a smile, “It seems that you’ll soon give birth to your child, Madame.”
Shu Mu Dan gently stroked her belly and replied with a smile, “It’s still too early. Perhaps it’ll take me another year or two.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was shocked, “I thought that pregnancy only lasts for ten months.” The size of her belly suggested that she would soon give birth, so why would it take her a year or two?
Shu Mu Dan explained smilingly, “That is only the case for commoners or weaker cultivators, Junior Brother Yang. Given my cultivation, it isn’t so easy for me to bear a child. In order to give my child the best possible future, I have to build a solid foundation in my belly for the child. Therefore, pregnancy lasts much longer.”
Hua Yong said with a smile, “This child has been in her stomach for over three years already.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai, Chef, and Accountant were dumbfounded.
Although Yang Kai and the others were powerful Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they had never come across a pregnant Open Heaven Realm Master prior to this, so it was expected that they knew nothing about it. As they gazed at Shu Mu Dan’s bulging belly, they tutted in amazement.
After a bit of a chat, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan left. Before that, Yang Kai and the others were told that some people were standing guard outside the bamboo forest, so they could just tell them if they had any requests.
Yang Kai thanked them and personally saw the couple off.
Nothing major happened in the following days.
The Proprietress was still recuperating while Yang Kai had gained immense benefits as a result of the great battle he fought some time ago, so he needed time to sort through them. The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel especially needed some improvement, which couldn’t be achieved in just a day or two. Chef and Accountant had to recuperate as well.
Therefore, all of them remained silent in the bamboo forest.
A few days later, the Proprietress stepped out of her room. The three of them, who were standing guard outside, immediately opened their eyes and gazed at the second floor, only to see a charming Proprietress standing there, looking down at them with a smile.
All of them were elated as Chef exclaimed, “You’re awake, Proprietress.”
The Proprietress beckoned to them, “Come up.”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and stepped into the room.
The trio made a beeline for the bamboo hut and went upstairs before staring at the Proprietress with concern.
Yang Kai suddenly frowned and said, “Proprietress, the Monster Qi around you…”
She was still evidently shrouded in Monster Qi, which was the same as the aura exuded from the Blood Monster Battle Dress that she wore previously. Although it was now significantly weaker, it couldn’t be underestimated.
The Proprietress explained, “It’ll take me a long time before I can dispel this Monster Qi entirely, but I’m fine now. It was thanks to you that I was saved.”
If Yang Kai hadn’t used the Soul Warming Lotus to cleanse her Knowledge Sea, she would’ve ended up in a horrible state. She could’ve been transformed by the Monster Qi and become a real Monster who had lost all sense of self.
After she finished speaking, she furrowed her brow and looked doubtfully at Yang Kai, “Why are you in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm now?”
Chef hurriedly replied, “Proprietress, let me explain. This Brat had some World Fruits…”
Upon hearing his explanation, the Proprietress figured everything out and nodded, “You had quite the opportunity there.”
Then, she recalled that Yang Kai had previously obtained some Innate Open Heaven Pills born in the Universe Furnace in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. She couldn’t help but be amazed at Yang Kai’s luck, for he was always able to obtain things that were rarely seen in the world.
Furthermore, the Soul Warming Lotus was still inside her body. She wondered where he found this kind of Supreme Treasure.
However, since he had consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit and ascended to the Sixth Order, it had slightly made up for her regrets. Yang Kai was originally a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his limit in the future would be the Seventh-Order. After consuming the Mid-Rank World Fruit though, his limit would be the Eighth-Order.
If he had a chance to obtain a good enough amount of Innate Open Heaven Pills, he would then have hope of ascending to the Ninth-Order. With that said, once the Universe Furnace appeared, it would lead to a period of turmoil, so it wasn’t easy to snatch such pills.
After returning the Soul Warming Lotus to Yang Kai, the Proprietress said, “Follow me to meet the Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island later. We’ll probably be staying here for a long time. Since this is their territory, we have to show them due respect.”
“Yes,” the three of them replied respectfully.
In the Main Hall of Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong was seated on the Master’s seat as he widened his eyes in disbelief while an equally shocked Shu Mu Dan was seated just beside him. In front of them was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was reporting his findings to them.
The Open Heaven Realm Master was the subordinate that Hua Yong had sent to find out what had happened in Profound Yang Mountain a few days ago. Upon his return on this day, he immediately reported to Hua Yong what he had discovered.
However, Hua Yong found it hard to believe what his subordinate was telling him.
“You say that Profound Yang Mountain is now engulfed in pitch-black flames, all of its Spirit Peaks are destroyed, and the ground has been cleaved apart? It’s been completely destroyed?”
“I couldn’t believe it either, but that was indeed what I saw,” the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master replied with his head hung low, “The traces of an epic battle are everywhere around Profound Yang Mountain. There are also some remnant fluctuations of World Forces.”
“Yun Fei Bai is dead?” Hua Yong asked again, “And even Mao Zhe fled after he was defeated?”
“I didn’t see it, but that was what I heard.”
“Where did you hear this news from?” Hua Yong inquired in shock.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master replied, “It was the people from Profound Yang Mountain who told me about it. After Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, those Open Heaven Realm Masters had nowhere to go. Some of them left with the Mountain Lords, and no one knows where they are now. Others didn’t know what to do next. When I arrived to investigate the situation, they saw me and came over to express their willingness to join Twin Spirit Island. I heard the news from them.”
“Where are those people now?” Hua Yong asked.
“I wouldn’t dare to make a decision, so I told them to wait outside the island as I had to report the matter to you both, Island Masters. They await your decision now.”
“Tell them to come in,” Hua Yong ordered.
The person nodded and dashed out of the hall. A moment later, he led seven people into the Main Hall. The strength of these people varied from the Third-Order to the Fifth-Order. Upon entering the hall, they appeared apprehensive and afraid.
Hua Yong found them to be familiar, so he reckoned that they were indeed from Profound Yang Mountain.
The Shadowless Cave Heaven was only so big, and the three great forces had co-existed in this place for thousands of years, so even though Hua Yong didn’t know their names, he had at least seen some of these people before.
The person at the front was an elderly man in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He stepped forward and cupped his fist at Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, “Zhang Shun greets the Island Masters.”
“You are Zhang Shun?” Hua Yong asked.
The elderly man nodded his head, “Yes.”
“I will ask you some questions, so you’d better answer me honestly. If you dare to lie to me, you know what the consequences are!” Hua Yong bellowed with a solemn expression.
Zhang Shun hurriedly replied, “Please ask me right away, Island Master Hua. This Old Master will definitely tell you everything he knows without the slightest omission or deception.”
Hua Yong nodded gently and questioned, “Is Yun Fei Bai dead or alive?”
Zhang Shun said, “The Second Mountain Lord… I’m sorry. Yun Fei Bai is dead. He was killed by a young man wielding a spear. His head exploded. As for what the young man’s name is, this Old Master has no idea.”
“Are you serious?” Hua Yong widened his eyes as he felt a chill running down his spine. Yun Fei Bai was the Second Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain. Just like Hua Yong, he was a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could he be killed just like that?
“This Old Master saw it with his own eyes.” As Zhang Shun spoke, he couldn’t help but shudder as though he recalled something terrifying.
“What about the other Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain?” Hua Yong asked again.
Zhang Shun shook his head, “After Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, the Head Mountain Lord disappeared with the unconscious Third and Fourth Mountain Lord. This Old Master has no idea where they are and how they’re doing.”
“Tell me what you saw that day in detail!”
Not daring to be negligent, Zhang Shun immediately narrated everything he saw back then.
When Hua Yong heard that Yang Kai had intercepted Yun Fei Bai and the others just outside of Profound Yang Mountain, he widened his eyes in disbelief, thinking that a madman had arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. How did the young man have the guts to do such a thing on his own?
He had single-handedly dealt with the Mountain Lords and eventually killed Yun Fei Bai. Even the Head Mountain Lord was unable to stop him in time.
In the following battle, even Mao Zhe was no match for him as he had to return to Profound Yang Mountain and take advantage of the Grand Array, seemingly not daring to meet the young man head-on again.
Nevertheless, the relentless young man turned into a 4,000-metre-long Dragon and even lifted a mountain which he smashed onto Profound Yang Mountain until they were unable to resist. In the end, the young man turned Dragon spat out Golden Crow’s True Fire and burned the entire Profound Yang Mountain to the ground. After the Head Mountain Lord went missing, the young man then nonchalantly left.
Zhang Shun was pretty articulate, so he was able to retell what had happened in a vivid and descriptive manner. As Hua Yong listened to him, he couldn’t help but visualise the epic battle.
After Zhang Shun finished speaking, the Main Hall fell into dead silence.
A dazed Hua Yong remained seated as a myriad of expressions came over him.
Upon Yang Kai’s return a few days ago, he had indirectly asked him what happened in Profound Yang Mountain. At the mention of Mao Zhe, Yang Kai only said that the Head Mountain Lord was worthy of his reputation.
Therefore, Hua Yong thought that Yang Kai’s trip to Profound Yang Mountain was unfruitful, but he hadn’t expected that the outcome was actually the opposite.
Yang Kai had killed the Second Mountain Lord, injured the remaining Mountain Lords, and even destroyed Profound Yang Mountain. So, what did he mean when he praised Mao Zhe for being strong?
Hua Yong couldn’t help but think that a great change was about to happen in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Over thousands of years, even though there had been some grudges between the three great forces in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they were able to co-exist peacefully. That was mainly because resources in this place were scarce, so no one was willing to get into unnecessary fights. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had tacitly remained at peace with one another.
Therefore, even though there were only two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on Twin Spirit Island, which meant that they were the weakest among the three great forces, they were still able to exist for such a long time. That was because in order to swallow Twin Spirit Island, Profound Yang Mountain or Unrivalled Guild would have to pay a hefty price, and the rewards might not even be worth it.
However, now, even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yun Fei Bai was killed while the injured Mao Zhe had gone missing. There was practically no one in the Shadowless Cave Heaven that was a match for Yang Kai.
Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, and given the power Yang Kai had showcased, both Unrivalled Guild and Twin Spirit Island wouldn’t be able to resist him.
The young man was able to single-handedly turn things upside down in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
If Yang Kai had the intention, he could easily become the Overlord of the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Unless all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shadowless Cave Heaven joined forces, no one would be able to stop him.
Zhang Shun wondered what was on Hua Yong’s mind as the latter’s expression repeatedly changed, so he called out in a gentle voice, “Island Master Hua…”
It was then Hua Yong’s gaze refocused.
Zhang Shun said, “Island Master Hua, please show us mercy. Now that Profound Yang Mountain has been destroyed, we have become homeless. If you can accept us, we will pledge to be loyal to you both until death!”
“We’re willing to be loyal to you until death!” All of them pledged in unison.
Usually, if these people asked to join Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong would’ve been elated. There had never been a change in the status quo in the Shadowless Cave Heaven over the years. The cultivators from the three great forces would never hop to a different one. Therefore, in order to strengthen one’s great force, they had to wait for newcomers to come into the Shadowless Cave Heaven and immediately lure them in.
For example, as soon as Yang Kai arrived, he came across Ma Tian Yuan who right away tried to recruit him.
Although the powers of these people in the hall varied as they were in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Order, they were all still Open Heaven Realm Masters in the end; hence, they could increase Twin Spirit Island’s overall strength.
With that said, there were rarely any newcomers in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. There would usually only be a newcomer every eight to ten years. That was the reason there were only such a small number of cultivators in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Zhang Shun and the others wanted to join Twin Spirit Island, but Hua Yong didn’t feel pleased one bit as he was still reeling from the shock of the fact that Profound Yang Mountain had been destroyed, Yun Fei Bai was killed, and Mao Zhe was injured. If he was previously wary of Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo, he was now terrified of them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had some grudges against those from Profound Yang Mountain. If Hua Yong accepted these people, would Yang Kai be displeased?
The worries in Hua Yong’s mind made him feel apprehensive.
Seeing as a myriad of expressions came over Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan knew what was on his mind, so she called out gently, “Husband.”
It was then Hua Yong came to his senses and took a glance at Zhang Shun and the others before waving his hand, “Have a rest first.”
He didn’t express whether he agreed to let Zhang Shun and the others join Twin Spirit Island.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master nodded and led the worried Zhang Shun and the others out of the hall.
While Hua Yong was still anxious, someone rushed into the hall and cupped his fist, “Island Masters, Madam Lan wishes to meet you to thank you for allowing her to stay.”
“What!?” Hua Yong stood straight up, “Madam Lan is coming? Is she on her own? Or is she coming with her subordinates?”
The man had no idea why the Island Master appeared so alarmed, but he still replied honestly, “Madam Lan has her three subordinates with her.”
Hua Yong’s face stiffened. Yang Kai alone was terrifying enough, and now Lan You Ruo was coming as well.
Shu Mu Dan asked, “Why do you look so anxious, Husband? Although Yang Kai is a powerful man with incredible methods, we have never offended him. In fact, we’ve given him a hand. He probably won’t harm us.”
There was a bitter smile on Hua Yong’s face as he replied, “I understand what you mean, but you’re fully aware of the situation in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. No one has ever left this place before. If Lan You Ruo and Yang Kai stay on Twin Spirit Island, there won’t be a problem in the short term. However, will they still be willing to act as subordinates in the future?”
Shu Mu Dan said with a frown, “Perhaps you’re overthinking, Husband.”
Hua Yong shook his head, “I think we have to put our guard up.”
His anxiety infected Shu Mu Dan as she said worriedly, “What should we do, then? Are we not going to meet them?”
“They’re already here on Twin Spirit Island, so it’s not like we can avoid meeting them forever.” Hua Yong knitted his brows for a moment before he gritted his teeth, “I guess we have to play it by ear and find out their intentions first. If they insist… We’ll have to give up our positions to them.” He sighed.
Then, he waved his hand and told his subordinate to welcome Madam Lan in before taking a seat.
A moment later, the Proprietress led Yang Kai and the others into the hall while Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan rose from their seats. After they greeted one another, they sat down.
Hua Yong asked with concern, “Your injuries were fairly serious, Madam. But now, you look glowing. It’s obvious that you’re on the mend.”
The Proprietress replied with a smile, “Many thanks for your concern, Island Master Hua. My injuries have stabilized, so I just need some time to recuperate.”
Hua Yong said smilingly, “Although Twin Spirit Island isn’t big, it is quite peaceful. You can just stay here to recuperate.”
The Proprietress smiled faintly, “I’m worried that we’ll bother you both.”
Shu Mu Dan shook her head, “There’s no need to be so formal with us, Madam Lan. There are rarely visitors on Twin Spirit Island. We’re honoured to have you here.”
Both of them were women, so they had some common interests and soon entered into a jovial chat.
Hua Yong stole glances at Yang Kai from time to time and realised that the latter remained standing silently behind Lan You Ruo as though he was really just a subordinate.
He was shocked as he wondered how charismatic Lan You Ruo must be that someone like Yang Kai was willing to work under her. They didn’t look like a couple either so a romantic relationship seemed unlikely.
It seemed that Lan You Ruo was the leader, so as long as Hua Yong could appease her, things would be easier.
After they chatted for a bit, Hua Yong suddenly asked, “What are your future plans, Madam Lan?”
Upon hearing that, the Proprietress put on a bitter smile, “To be honest with you, Island Master Hua, it has only been a year since this Mistress arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so I know little about this place. Now, I just want to recuperate, so I don’t have any plans yet.”
Hua Yong probed, “If you’re fine with it, why don’t you join Twin Spirit Island? There are only a small number of safe places in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and Twin Spirit Island is one of them. By staying here, you’ll be safe from the Astral Wind.”
The reason the Proprietress brought Chef and Accountant to Twin Spirit Island was precisely for security’s sake. At that time, Yang Kai was unconscious, and she was unable to deal with Yun Fei Bai, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya on her own; therefore, she wanted to seek refuge in Twin Spirit Island.
Although Hua Yong didn’t immediately accept her, she had expressed her intention to join before, so now that Hua Yong mentioned it again, she would appear capricious if she turned him down.
Before coming to this place, the Proprietress had already pondered on this matter; therefore, upon hearing Hua Yong’s words, she smiled and nodded, “Many thanks, Island Master Hua. This Mistress is more than happy to join Twin Spirit Island.”
Hua Yong guffawed, “It’s wonderful that you’re willing to join Twin Spirit Island. Just like my Wife and I, you are a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so we’d like to appoint you to be the Third Island Master.”
Just when the Proprietress was about to agree to it, Yang Kai, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Hua Yong’s face stiffened as his smile froze. Shu Mu Dan was also anxious as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
The Proprietress kept a faint smile on her face, but she didn’t ask why Yang Kai turned them down. He must have his own reason for saying that.
After a gulp, Hua Yong stared at Yang Kai and asked, “What do you mean, Brother Yang?”
He called Yang Kai ‘Little Brother’ the last time they met, but now it was ‘Brother Yang’. Apparently, Yang Kai’s status in his mind had changed over the past few days, but no one cared about that small detail at the moment.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Twin Spirit Island got its name because there are two similar-looking islands. In that case, there should only be two Island Masters. Why is there a need for a Third Island Master?”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong felt his heart sinking as he asked in a bitter voice, “What do you think we should do about it then, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai batted his eyes, wondering why this man even asked such a question.
As their eyes met, Hua Yong looked away and gazed at his Wife’s bulging belly, then he let out a long sigh, “Good. Since you have such an intention, Brother Yang, we’ll grant your wish. I hope that you’ll give us a place to stay on this island, considering that my Wife is still pregnant.”
His words puzzled Yang Kai.
A befuddled Proprietress stared at Hua Yong and asked, “What do you mean, Island Master Hua?”
The furious Hua Yong thought that they were trying to usurp his great force, and now they were even taunting him like this? Since Yang Kai had said that there shouldn’t be a Third Island Master, he apparently didn’t want to be under anyone. Hua Yong wasn’t a match for him, and he had to take care of his Wife and unborn child, so he had no choice but to give in.
While he remained silent, Yang Kai suddenly realised something and asked with a frown, “Are you misunderstanding something, Island Master Hua?”
A dejected Hua Yong stared at him and questioned, “What do you think I’ve misunderstood, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Are you thinking that since I’ve said there should only be two Island Masters on Twin Spirit Island, it means Proprietress and I want to take over your positions?”
Hua Yong balled up his fists, “Isn’t that what you meant?”
It was then that Chef and Accountant realised what was going on. As they exchanged glances, they smiled helplessly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “You’re overthinking things, Island Master Hua. This Yang doesn’t have such an intention. By saying that there should only be two Island Masters, I mean the Proprietress is not going to join Twin Spirit Island, nor will she become the Third Island Master. It’s not what you think.”
“You’re not going to join Twin Spirit Island?” Hua Yong widened his eyes.
Yang Kai said, “This Yang just hopes that you’ll give us a place to stay while we look for the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven; after all, we won’t be staying here forever.”
An embarrassed Hua Yong blushed heavily.
He couldn’t be blamed for having such a misunderstanding, for he had always worried that the arrival of Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo would change the current affairs in Twin Spirit Island. That was why he was overthinking. Furthermore, Yang Kai’s words were pretty ambiguous, which naturally aroused some suspicions.
Now, Hua Yong finally realised that he was reading too much into things.
However, he was still a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so he was able to regain his composure quickly as he said with a solemn expression, “Are you going to look for the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Brother Yang?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
Hua Yong sighed and explained, “It’s not that I want to discourage you, but I’m worried that no exit to the Shadowless Cave Heaven exists. It has been over 10,000 years since we arrived in this place, and the Head Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain Mao Zhe and the Three Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild have been around for about as long. If there really was an exit, we would’ve discovered it by now.”
“That’s right. We’ve been looking for the exit for countless years, but we haven’t found a clue yet,” Shu Mu Dan said.
“There’s no harm in trying,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
Hua Yong bit his tongue when he saw the young man’s expression and nodded, “Since you’re so determined, this Hua will stop dissuading you.”
In fact, he had met many people like Yang Kai before. Every newcomer to the Shadowless Cave Heaven was determined to find the exit at first, but after several tens to hundreds of years, they would lose hope and accept their fate.
“If you can really find the exit, please bring my Wife and I with you when you depart.” Hua Yong cupped his fists with a serious expression.
Yang Kai nodded, “En. If I can find the exit, and both of you are willing to leave with us, we can take care of one another on the road.”
“I shall offer my thanks in advance then.” Hua Yong put on a smile, “If you’re fine with it, I’ll give you the bamboo forest that you’ve been staying in and assign some people to tend to your needs.”
The Proprietress nodded, “Many thanks, Island Master Hua.”
Hua Yong took a glance at Yang Kai and said, “Brother Yang, if you ever decide to join Twin Spirit Island one day, we’ll be more than willing to give you the positions of Head Island Master and Second Island Master.”
It wasn’t certain whether he was sincere or not, so Yang Kai didn’t respond to him. Yang Kai didn’t have the heart to join Twin Spirit Island to begin with. The reason he had arrived at the Shadowless Cave Heaven was to bring the Proprietress out of this place, so he wasn’t willing to stay here for long. Moreover, he was a newcomer who hadn’t gained a footing, so even if Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan were willing to give up their positions, it wasn’t like Yang Kai had the necessary authority to lead this great force.
What’s more, although others couldn’t find the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, it didn’t mean he couldn’t. After all, Yang Kai had found his way into this place, unlike others who had accidentally fallen into it.
The Proprietress was still troubled by the residual Monster Qi in her body, so she needed a quiet place to recuperate; hence, the four of them soon left.
As Hua Yong watched them leave, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now, it seemed that Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo didn’t have the intention of taking over his great force, which allowed him to set his mind at ease.
However, this was only temporary. Just like what he had said to his Wife earlier, there wouldn’t be a problem in the short term. Nevertheless, a long time later, once Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo realised that there really wasn’t a way to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they might develop some ill intentions.
Then, he suddenly became energised as he said, “My Wife, it’s the chance for us to strengthen our power.”
A puzzled Shu Mu Dan inquired, “You mean…”
“Mao Zhe and the others are missing, and Profound Yang Mountain has been destroyed, so there are a lot of people who have lost their place to stay. In the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven, only Twin Spirit Island and Unrivalled Guild can take them in. Those from Unrivalled Guild might not be aware of the situation yet, so we should take action quickly.”
Following that, he turned around and told his subordinate to bring Zhang Shun and the others over. After a jovial chat, he directly agreed to let these people join Twin Spirit Island.
Zhang Shun and the others had nowhere to go, so they were feeling apprehensive. Upon hearing Hua Yong’s words, they were ecstatic.
Then, Hua Yong ordered them to invite their friends and family as he welcomed them to join Twin Spirit Island as well. Zhang Shun and the others were grateful and soon left Twin Spirit Island to look for their friends from Profound Yang Mountain.
Upon their persuasion, many of the cultivators from Profound Yang Mountain were soon absorbed into Twin Spirit Island, which significantly increased their power.
Inside the bamboo forest, the Proprietress was recuperating in seclusion while Chef and Accountant had respectively selected a bamboo hut to cultivate.
Both of them had ascended to the Open Heaven Realm right after the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed. Strictly speaking, it had only been a short time since they achieved an ascension, so they needed a large amount of time to solidify their cultivations.
That was the case for Yang Kai, as well. He had to consume a lot of Open Heaven Pills to strengthen the heritage of his Small Universe. While cultivating, he also studied his new Sun and Moon Divine Wheel in an attempt to improve it.
Since his venture into the cultivation world, Yang Kai had rarely cultivated in seclusion, for he didn’t need to do so much in the past. In fact, the speed at which he traversed the Martial Dao was extraordinarily quick. Every time he broke through, it would only take him a short time before he would take another step forward. Therefore, he didn’t have to cultivate in seclusion to refine various resources like what the other cultivators did.
The speed at which he cultivated was rapid to begin with, so if he just sat there and cultivated in seclusion, it would actually destabilise his foundation.
Therefore, every time he achieved a breakthrough, he would go out and get into fights to solidify his realm.
However, the Open Heaven Realm was different. When a cultivator reached this realm, he or she would need a lot of patience. It took time to strengthen the heritage of one’s Small Universe.
It was expected that Yang Kai wasn’t used to this. He had attempted to refine Open Heaven Pills when he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and the rate of consumption was shocking. Now that he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he realised that he needed even more Open Heaven Pills, and the results were not even as good as before.
Hence, he decided to refine some resources and realised that it was much more useful than refining Open Heaven Pills alone.
It was only now that Yang Kai realised why Open Heaven Realm Masters were still crazy about procuring resources of different Orders, especially the resources that matched their own Order. Refining these resources was significantly more efficient than refining Open Heaven Pills.
Yang Kai initially didn’t have a lot of resources with him because his previous spoils were all given to Bian Yu Qing. Those in Void Land required a lot of resources after all.
Now, however, he had the resources he had snatched from Ti Zheng and the other ambushers. The contents of the Space Rings of four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were mind-boggling as there were countless materials of different Orders inside, even including some High-Rank ones.
However, half a month later, Yang Kai suddenly stopped cultivating and frowned as though he was pondering on something.
A moment later, he got to his feet and headed to the adjacent bamboo hut, then knocked on the barrier lightly.
Soon, the barrier disappeared and Yang Kai stepped inside and went upstairs.
Presently, Chef was seated on the ground with his legs crossed as he looked doubtfully at him, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Kai took a seat in front of him and said with a solemn expression, “I’d like to ask you something.”
Chef extended his hand to motion for him to ask right away.
It was then that Yang Kai told him about his cultivation process over the past fifteen days, then he frowned, “Although it’s not conspicuous, I have a feeling that something is wrong. If I keep on cultivating like this, I feel something terrible will happen to me.”
A speechless Chef shot him a glance, “Although I have no idea what resources you’ve been refining, it seems you haven’t been trying to harmonise your Yin, Yang, and Five Elements.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai arched his brow with a humble expression.
After a sigh, Chef explained, “You rushed to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm, then you immediately entered the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so it makes sense that no one told you about what you had to take note of after you broke through. Fortunately, you’ve realised the problem early, so it’s not too late to correct it.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “So, there’s really something wrong with my cultivation?”
“It’s a minor problem.” Chef waved his hand to motion for him to be at ease, “The Small Universes of Open Heaven Realm Masters are formed from condensing the Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, then splitting Heaven and Earth apart in our bodies. The reason Open Heaven Pills are able to strengthen our Small Universes is that these pills also contain a balance of Yin, Yang, and the Five Element Powers. It could be said that every Open Heaven Pill has a bit of World Force in it. Once you consume Open Heaven Pills, you’re essentially refining the World Force in it. That’s how you can fortify your heritage.”
Yang Kai nodded his head to indicate he understood.
“Open Heaven Pills are refined by Alchemists, so they contain some readily available World Force; however, raw materials are different. Refining a Fifth-Order Fire Element material only adds Fire Element Power to your Small Universe. Since that’s the case, you’ll have to refine the other six Elements to balance your Yin, Yang, and Five Elements again. Only by maintaining this kind of balance can you increase your World Force and improve your cultivation.”
Then, Chef shot him a glance, “You only refined materials from one or two Elements instead of all of them, right?”
It was then Yang Kai realised what had gone wrong, “I see.”
He had a feeling that there was something wrong with his cultivation method, but he was unable to figure out what it was. Upon hearing Chef’s explanation, he now understood.
Just like what Chef had said, he didn’t try to harmonise Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, which caused an imbalance in his Small Universe. There wouldn’t be a problem in the short term, but if he didn’t correct this issue, it would eventually destabilise his Small Universe.
Once that happened, it would have serious consequences and take much effort to fix.
“So, when we refine cultivation materials, we should do so after collecting a complete set?”
“It’s the ideal way, but you can also try to collect those materials while refining one of them. However, you have to make sure that the entire set is in the same Order.” Chef paused for a moment, “You’re familiar with the water barrel theory of the Open Heaven Realm, right?”
Yang Kai replied, “En, the shortest plank in the barrel is what decides the Order an Open Heaven Realm Master can reach directly.”
“That’s right.” Chef nodded, “The water in the barrel is like the heritage of our Small Universe. Cultivating in the Open Heaven Realm is akin to increasing the height of the barrel. All seven planks have to be heightened at the same time. Just one of them won’t do.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “Many thanks for your teachings.”
Chef grinned, “It was the Proprietress who taught me all this; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known about it either. You’ve suffered a setback because no one taught you, that’s all.”
Yang Kai nodded. His decision to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm was rushed, so no one was around to teach him what to do after he succeeded and he was left trying to figure things out on his own.
Chef went on to say, “After making it to the Open Heaven Realm, it’s time to slowly build up your Small Universe.”
As he spoke, he patted his rounded belly, “If you manage it well, you’ll become powerful, and vice versa, which is also why there’s a huge gap in power between Open Heaven Realm Masters even in the same Order. In order to increase the heritage of your Small Universe, you can either refine Open Heaven Pills, materials of different Orders, or other sources of World Force that match your own. Either way, this all takes a long time. You’re now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so you’re able to refine Mid-Rank materials up to and including Sixth-Order ones. Given the current heritage of your Small Universe, you’re still unable to refine High-Rank materials. With that said, the higher the Order of a material, the more useful it’ll be to you.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement. He had experimented over the past fifteen days by refining materials of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order.
Given his Sixth-Order cultivation, he was able to refine all these materials quickly. The benefits of Third-Order materials were almost negligible. Fourth-Order materials were slightly better, while the Fifth-Order ones were much better. He hadn’t tried to refine a Sixth-Order material, so he had no idea how effective it would be. Nevertheless, he reckoned that it would be terrific.
Although he had snatched the Space Rings of four High-Rank Open Heaven Masters and obtained some High-Rank materials, he was still unable to collect a complete set of Sixth-Order materials. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been forced to ascend to the Fifth Order at that time.
After returning from Chef’s place, Yang Kai immediately attempted to harmonise his Yin, Yang, and Five Elements in order to get rid of the hidden dangers in his Small Universe.
He had ample resources with him, so he didn’t need to be thrifty. As he refined a lot of Fifth-Order materials, not only had the heritage of his Small Universe improved, but his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation had also been solidified.
While refining these materials, he didn’t forget to improve his comprehension of his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. However, since this Divine Ability involved an entirely new Space-Time Strength, he had no idea where to start.
Therefore, he could use a wisp of his consciousness to study the movements of the celestial entities and the passing of time in his Small Universe in the hope that he would be able to comprehend something out of it.
Two months later, Yang Kai stepped out of his bamboo hut.
The Proprietress was still recuperating. She was left with some serious backlash from using the Blood Monster Battle Dress, so it wasn’t easy to dispel the Monster Qi in her body.
On the other hand, Chef and Accountant were cultivating, so Yang Kai decided not to bother them. After leaving a jade slip behind, he dashed out of the bamboo forest.
It had been three months since he arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Now that his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation had been sufficiently fortified, it was time he searched for a way out.
Yang Kai had to return to Void Land to take charge of everything. On top of that Yue He and Bai Qi must be worried about him.
However, before he tried to look for the exit, he had to visit Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan. They had been around in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for over 10,000 years, so they must be aware of everything in this place. Perhaps they could give him some useful hints.
Hua Yong hospitably greeted Yang Kai in the reception hall. During this period of time, Twin Spirit Island had accepted a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters from Profound Yang Mountain, which greatly strengthened them. As the Island Master, Hua Yong appeared to be glowing.
“Are you going to look for a way out, Brother Yang?” Hua Yong appeared solemn upon hearing Yang Kai’s intention.
Yang Kai nodded, “Since we can enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven, we must be able to leave as well. I’m going to look for the exit. Do you happen to have any clues, Island Master Hua?”
Hua Yong was quite eager to see Yang Kai leave. The young man was horrendously powerful and had destroyed Profound Yang Mountain. The fact that he was staying on Twin Spirit Island was a potential concern.
Moreover, if Yang Kai could really find a way out, it would be beneficial to Hua Yong as well.
Therefore, upon hearing Yang Kai’s intentions, he didn’t attempt to stop him. After giving it a thought, Hua Yong suddenly dipped his finger into his tea and drew a circle on the table.
Yang Kai looked doubtfully at him.
Hua Yong pointed at the table and said, “If this table is the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven, this circle represents the region the three great forces are able to operate. Well, there are only two great forces now.”
Yang Kai took a glance and pondered on it, “You mean you haven’t fully explored the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven?”
Hua Yong shook his head, “It’s impossible to explore the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
He pointed at the centre of the circle and said, “It takes half a month to go from this place to the edge of the circle. Basically, the Astral Wind will appear once every month; therefore, once you reach the edge of the circle, you have to hurry back; otherwise, you won’t have a place to hide when the Astral Wind strikes, which will destabilise your Small Universe.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, with their respective Headquarters as the centres, the people from the three great forces can only move around in a range that they can go back and forth in one month.”
“That’s right.” Hua Yong bowed his head, “Once, many years ago, the three great forces cooperated and mobilised all of our subordinates to look for a potential exit. Unfortunately, we were unable to find anything within the range that we could reach. It will likely be extremely difficult for you to look for the exit.”
There were many people in the three great forces and they had been trying for years but still couldn’t find a clue about how to leave. It had only been a few months since Yang Kai arrived in this place, so it was impossible that he could do something that the three great forces couldn’t after millennia of trying.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s eyes seemed to be glowing, “In that case, the exit might just be outside this circle.”
The other cultivators could only move around within the circle, or else they would be harmed by the Astral Wind; however, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of it at all. If the exit was really in a place that was outside the circle, he would be able to find it sooner or later.
Hua Yong said, “Mao Zhe thought the same thing. He even hypothesized that the source of the Astral Wind might be where an exit could be found.”
“Why would he say that?” Yang Kai asked in puzzlement.
Hua Yong replied, “He suspected that the Astral Wind isn’t native to the Shadowless Cave Heaven and instead comes from the outside world. Therefore, the place where the Astral Wind comes from must have a passageway that leads to the outside world.”
“Perhaps he’s right,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“If that’s really the case, there won’t be any hope for us.” Hua Yong smiled helplessly, “Can anyone resist the Astral Wind and reach the exit? Even if the person can leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, no one can guarantee he won’t fall into the source of the Astral Wind. By then, he won’t be able to save himself.”
His worries were not unfounded. If Mao Zhe’s speculation was right, once a person left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they would immediately fall into the origin of the Astral Wind. The wind that was coming from the outside world was already horrifying enough, so its source would definitely be even more terrible.
However, while others were unable to bear the Astral Wind, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of it.
After giving it a thought, he asked, “Do you happen to know the direction the Astral Wind comes from?”
Although Yang Kai had experienced the Astral Wind several times now, he had never paid attention to the direction it came from.
An astounded Hua Yong gazed at him and asked, “Are you going to search in that direction, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai replied, “I have to give it a try since the exit might just be over there.”
Hua Yong stared at him in stunned shock for a time before a look of admiration filled his face, “You’re a pretty audacious man. Since you’re so determined, I won’t dissuade you. However, once you leave Twin Spirit Island, you’d better be careful of the Astral Wind. Once the wind rises, you have to look for a place to avoid it.”
Yang Kai nodded. After the direction was pointed out to him by Hua Yong, he turned around and left.
Hua Yong saw him off and wished him success, then he watched the young man disappear in the direction he had pointed out.
A glint flashed through his eyes as he shook his head. There was no doubt that Yang Kai’s venture wouldn’t be fruitful. Although he was powerful, there was no way he could resist the Astral Wind. It could be expected that he would return in a month or two looking battered and defeated.
After leaving Twin Spirit Island, Yang Kai headed in the direction Hua Yong had pointed out at full speed.
More than ten days later, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and sensed his surroundings, then he became ecstatic. That was because the wind was blowing towards him!
He was certain he was outside of the circle Hua Yong had drawn after more than ten days of moving forward; after all, he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was also a Master of the Dao of Space, so he was much faster than the average Open Heaven Realm Master.
Presently, he was worried that he might be heading in the wrong direction as he didn’t have a way of fixing his bearings. Since the wind was blowing at his face though, he could trace it back to its source.
A moment later, the wind became stronger. Yang Kai could clearly feel that the Astral Wind had directly entered his Small Universe as it swept his World Force away and began wearing down his heritage.
In the next instant, a gigantic ancient tree appeared behind Yang Kai. The tree crown was so vast that it was as though it could cover the entire sky. As the branches hung low, a burst of vitality filled the air and the Astral Wind was immediately blocked outside of the tree’s range.
Yang Kai still had no idea why his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation was able to block the Astral Wind, but he speculated that the Wood Element Power he had condensed from the Immortal Tree was simply powerful enough to ward it off.
That was the reason he had the confidence to leave Twin Spirit Island.
Other cultivators could only move around in a range that would take them half a month to return to their Headquarters from, or else they would be harmed by the Astral Wind. However, Yang Kai was immune to it. When the Astral Wind came, he just had to use his Towering Evergreen to fend it off.
After identifying the right direction, Yang Kai flew against the wind, the Manifestation of the gigantic tree hovering behind him.
One hour later, the Astral Wind stopped as all the noise died down.
Yang Kai, who was moving at full speed, stopped in his tracks and looked ahead. That was because three rays of light suddenly rose from a hill on the horizon and dashed into the distance. They happened to be heading in the same direction as him.
Yang Kai was shocked as he hadn’t expected to come across anyone here. It was said that the cultivators from the three great forces couldn’t come out this far, so supposedly, there shouldn’t be anyone in this place.
After all, there was nowhere in this region that could ward off the Astral Wind, so it must have affected these three people just now.
As Yang Kai stared intently in their direction, he suddenly burst into laughter, “So it’s them! Did they decide to take such a big risk?”
The three rays of light were actually the Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t surprising that they were here.
Since Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, they had nowhere else to go. They obviously wouldn’t go to Twin Spirit Island as the Proprietress and Yang Kai were there, so they would only embarrass themselves if they did.
It was impossible for Unrivalled Guild to accept them as well. Although there were three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Unrivalled Guild, Mao Zhe and the others also numbered three. If they were accepted, conflicts would arise in Unrivalled Guild. Mao Zhe wasn’t known for being unreasonable and ruthless, but he also had his pride, so the Three Chiefs would be worried that Mao Zhe would covet their great force.
Since these two places wouldn’t welcome them, Mao Zhe and the others really had nowhere to go.
Hua Yong had said that Mao Zhe was the one who suggested that the origin of the Astral Wind was probably an exit to this place. Since there were no other safe places in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, it was only reasonable that Mao Zhe would take a risk and go against the wind to look for the way out.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had never expected to bump into them here.
He never intended to hunt them down as the reason he destroyed Profound Yang Mountain some time ago was simply to get revenge for the Proprietress. Since Profound Yang Mountain was gone, Mao Zhe and the others had become as pitiful as stray dogs and there wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to add insult to injury.
However, since they were heading in the same direction, they would meet up sooner or later.
Half a day later, Mao Zhe and the others seemed to have noticed something as they looked behind them.
Zhou Ya’s eyes trembled when she looked back, then she exclaimed, “There’s someone following us, Big Brother!”
A stunned Mao Zhe turned his head, then he widened his eyes and gritted his teeth, “It’s Yang Kai!”
When Mao Zhe accidentally fell into the Shadowless Cave Heaven back then, Profound Yang Mountain was the first place he landed on. It had been 10,000 years since then. Profound Yang Mountain wasn’t expansive as there were only about ten or so peaks, but over the years, he had managed to grow it into the largest great force in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and he had a lot of top cultivators who worked for him. Profound Yang Mountain was practically his foundation in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
It didn’t matter that some of his subordinates were injured or killed as that would only mean a loss in power; however, the fact that Profound Yang Mountain was razed to the ground basically meant that his foundation was ruined, which meant that it would be hard for him to survive in the hostile environment in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
The culprit of all his misery was the young man named Yang Kai; therefore, it was expected that he was incensed when he saw him again.
His eyes seemed able to spit fire as his murderous intent surged. He appeared eager to swallow Yang Kai alive as he watched the young man approach.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were also alarmed as they quickly surged their World Force and readied themselves for a fight.
They had experienced Yang Kai’s horrifying power before. Prior to that, they believed that Mao Zhe was at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unless he was faced with an Open Heaven Realm Master in the Seventh Order or above, he was basically peerless.
However, after the battle on Profound Yang Mountain, they realised there was always a mountain beyond the mountains.
It was inconceivable that there was such a terrifying Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the world. In that battle, they were knocked out before it even climaxed. When they awakened, they were no longer on Profound Yang Mountain. Furthermore, Mao Zhe broke it to them that Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, so it wasn’t inhabitable anymore.
Then, Mao Zhe led them to Unrivalled Guild in an attempt to join that great force.
They had no other choice. In the Shadowless Cave Heaven, only the Headquarters of the three great forces were safe from the Astral Wind. In order to survive in this place, they had to join one of the great forces.
Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, and they couldn’t possibly go to Twin Spirit Island; hence, they were only left with Unrivalled Guild.
Nevertheless, the Three Chiefs didn’t seem to have the intention of accepting them as they mocked them explicitly. Infuriated, the three of them turned around and left.
Since they had nowhere to go, they could only take the risk and look for the possible exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
At the time, Mao Zhe had said it was better to risk it all for a chance to survive than to allow the Astral Wind to slowly grind them to death.
However, they couldn’t believe that Yang Kai had relentlessly pursued them all the way here to hunt them down. That was the reason they felt humiliated and incensed.
“What a coincidence! How are you three?” Yang Kai landed about 1,000 metres from the trio with a friendly smile on his face.
With a dark expression, Mao Zhe questioned, “Are you determined to kill us ruthlessly? In that case, let’s fight! Although this Monarch isn’t a match for you, it won’t be easy for you to kill me either.”
Yang Kai gazed at him with a tilted head, “Do you think I’m here to kill you all, Head Mountain Lord?”
Mao Zhe snorted, “Are you not?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “No. Yun Fei Bai offended and humiliated my Proprietress, so he only had himself to blame that he was killed. The reason I destroyed Profound Yang Mountain was that I was angered. To me, the moment Profound Yang Mountain was ruined, the accounts between us were settled. Of course, if you want to seek revenge, I don’t mind spending some time dealing with you. Let’s see if you’re capable of doing that.”
Mao Zhe sported a grim expression but didn’t respond. Apparently, he didn’t believe him.
Zhou Ya asked, “Since you’re not hunting us down, what are you doing here, then? Don’t tell me you’re here to take in the view.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I believe we’re here for the same reason.”
Geng Qing was startled for a moment before he asked, “Are you also looking for the exit to the Shadowless Cave Heaven?”
Yang Kai replied, “Island Master Hua told me the Head Mountain Lord had a speculation that the source of the Astral Wind was an exit to the outside world, so it might be possible to find it if one travels against the wind,” As he spoke, he took a glance at Mao Zhe.
Upon hearing that, Mao Zhe snorted, “En. It was this Monarch who came up with this view; however, no one can prove whether it’s true.”
“We’ll find out by looking for the origin of the Astral Wind.” Yang Kai shrugged smilingly at them, “Do you want to work with me?”
Mao Zhe sported an odd expression as he asked, “You want to work with us?”
“Why not?” Yang Kai arched his brow, “In fact, there isn’t a blood feud between us unless you want to avenge Yun Fei Bai’s death.”
“We’ll put aside the death of my Second Brother for now. You destroyed Profound Yang Mountain, which practically left us homeless in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. This feud is absolutely irreconcilable, so what right do you have to work with us?” Mao Zhe sneered.
Yang Kai shrugged, “Since you’ve said so, I won’t force you to agree to it; however, I hope that you won’t be begging for my help later.”
Upon finishing his words, he shot a meaningful glance at Mao Zhe.
The Head Mountain Lord scoffed, “Ridiculous. What would this Monarch have to beg you for?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I hope you can keep that tough attitude when the time comes. Don’t make me look down on you. See you soon!”
Then, he took a step forward as his figure vanished. When Mao Zhe and the others came to their senses, he was already far away in the distance.
There was a solemn expression on Geng Qing’s face as he remarked, “The Dao of Space is indeed extraordinary!” Just now, he was unable to figure out how Yang Kai disappeared. He would be unable to fend him off if Yang Kai decided to launch a sneak attack on him using a Space Secret Technique since the latter was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Zhou Ya frowned, “I can’t believe he’s looking for an exit as well. Is he sick of living?”
The reason the three of them had fallen into such a state was that they had no other choice since there was nowhere in the Shadowless Cave Heaven that they could call home. Unless they found the exit and left this place, they would be killed by the Astral Wind sooner or later.
However, it was puzzling that Yang Kai was also trying to search for the exit when he already had a shelter.
His action suggested that he wasn’t lying as he was truly going against the wind.
A myriad of expressions came over Mao Zhe as he looked in the direction Yang Kai had disappeared. Although he wasn’t certain whether Yang Kai’s words were true, he reckoned that the latter really didn’t have the intention of fighting with them; otherwise, the young man wouldn’t have been so polite just now.
“He happens to be ahead of us, so we’ll just use him to find the path for us.” A glint flashed through Mao Zhe’s eyes as he waved his hand, “Follow him.”
When he initially heard Yun Fei Bai mention that Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space, Mao Zhe had the intention of capturing Yang Kai and making use of his expertise to look for the exit. However, things eventually got out of hand. Yun Fei Bai was killed, Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, and the three of them had to flee in embarrassment.
Now that Yang Kai was leading the way, they could simply follow him and make use of his skill to find the exit.
With this plan in mind, they kept a distance of 100 kilometres behind Yang Kai, paying close attention to him.
The Shadowless Cave Heaven was a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after his death. Supposedly, there should be some kind of inheritance of the Shadowless Divine Monarch in this place. Although it might not be as ample as the one in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, it shouldn’t be so destitute.
However, the arrival of the Astral Wind once a month meant that even if there were any resources left behind, they would’ve lost their spirituality and turned into dust over the years. After all, the Astral Wind was so eerie that even Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to resist it.
So far, Yang Kai hadn’t discovered anything useful. Wherever he went, all he could see was barren land as the entire world was infused with Death Qi.
From time to time, he would stop to observe his surroundings for a moment before continuing his journey.
Mao Zhe and the others followed him closely, but they had no idea what he was trying to do. They also tried to look into the places Yang Kai had stopped, but they couldn’t find anything of interest.
As time passed, Mao Zhe and the others began to grow anxious.
The Astral Wind would appear once a month and they had previously endured it once, which caused huge losses to their Small Universes. If they couldn’t find the exit before the Astral Wind struck again, they would suffer even greater losses.
A few days later, the three of them stood in the void as they silently observed the figure on a barren peak that was a few kilometres away.
An impatient Zhou Ya asked, “He’s been standing there for half a day. What is he trying to do?”
Although Yang Kai had stopped in some places from time to time, it was the first time he remained stationary for such a long time.
Mao Zhe stared intently at Yang Kai and observed every change in his expression, then he excitedly said, “Perhaps he has discovered something.”
Upon hearing that, Zhou Ya and Geng Qing were thrilled as they looked in Yang Kai’s direction with nervous but hopeful gazes.
It would be a good thing for them if Yang Kai could find the exit. In that case, they would be able to leave this accursed place.
There came a moment when Yang Kai let out a breath and opened his eyes, then he gazed at the three of them with a smile, “Head Mountain Lord, what if I say I’ve found the exit? Would you believe me?”
Mao Zhe became excited, “Are you serious?”
Yang Kai pointed at the space in front of him and declared, “It’s right here!”
Mao Zhe immediately released his Divine Sense to scan the area, but a long time later, he shook his head, “This Monarch can’t detect anything, so I don’t know if I should believe you or not.”
Yang Kai guffawed, “It’s simple to prove if I’m telling the truth.” After he finished speaking, Space Principles around him surged as he performed a set of hand seals.
All of a sudden, Mao Zhe had a bad premonition as he exclaimed, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai flashed a grin at him, “Take a guess.”
Mao Zhe yelled, “Stop him!”
As he spoke, he charged forward and surged his World Force before pushing out his palm at Yang Kai.
“Too late!” Yang Kai roared as he jabbed his hands into the Void and stomped his foot on the ground, “Open!”
A cracking sound was heard as though something had snapped. The three of them were dumbfounded as they saw a crack appearing in the Void above the peak.
The horrifying sound of a gale reverberated as the Astral Wind came rushing through the Void Crack that was forcefully opened.
“It’s the Astral Wind!” Mao Zhe’s expression changed drastically.
A Void Crack suddenly appeared above the barren peak, and through the crack came the violent Astral Wind.
Mao Zhe was both surprised and shocked.
He was surprised because his speculation was right. The origin of the Astral Wind was really where the exit was. The Astral Wind didn’t belong in the Shadowless Cave Heaven to begin with; instead, it blew into this place from the outside world. Perhaps they could leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven by going past the crack.
However, he was shocked because it was the first time he saw such an intense Astral Wind.
He had lived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for about 10,000 years, but it was the first time he came across such a violent gale.
On second thought though, it wasn’t so surprising. This place was considered the source of the Astral Wind, so it was expected that the gale here was fiercer than other parts of the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Mao Zhe could clearly feel the Astral Wind gusting into his Small Universe, bringing his World Force away and undermining his heritage. All of his vitality weltered, and it was as though his bones had softened.
“You’re insane!” Mao Zhe glared at Yang Kai in a way as though he wanted to eat him alive, “Even if you want to die, don’t drag us down with you!”
While he reproached the young man, he kept looking for somewhere that could fend off the Astral Wind. Unfortunately, there wasn’t such a place within his sight. The Astral Wind seemed to have filled the entire universe, and no place was safe.
Yang Kai, however, was just standing in front of the Void Crack. There was an ancient tree behind him that exuded vibrant vitality. He was engulfed in the low-hanging branches and as the Astral Wind gusted through the canopy, the branches swayed lightly but the man inside wasn’t bothered one bit. He just stared silently at the three of them who looked like they were on pins and needles.
Mao Zhe swept a glance over the ancient tree, then his pupils contracted as he shouted, “You’re able to fend off the Astral Wind?”
“What’s so hard about that?” Yang Kai put on a faint smile.
“That’s impossible!” Mao Zhe growled.
Although he wasn’t willing to believe it, what he was seeing wasn’t fake. Yang Kai was just standing outside of the wind source. Supposedly, he would be more severely affected than the others; however, the reality was that within the ancient tree’s range, the Astral Wind was warded off as though it was blocked by an invisible force.
[That’s the reason he’s so confident!] A realization dawned upon Mao Zhe. Just now, he doubted why Yang Kai had come all the way here to look for the exit instead of staying on Twin Spirit Island; after all, the Astral Wind would strike once a month, and every strike could cause immense losses to a cultivator’s Small Universe.
Nevertheless, it now seemed that Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of the Astral Wind.
At that instant, he recalled that Yang Kai had told him to keep it up and he must never beg him for help. The young man was clearly waiting to embarrass him.
Mao Zhe was so infuriated that his murderous intent surged and he roared, “Kill!”
Upon finishing his words, he charged towards Yang Kai.
Without hesitation, Zhou Ya and Geng Qing followed right behind him. The three Mountain Lords had joined forces again as they pounced on the young man in an imposing manner.
They had previously done that on Profound Yang Mountain, but they were eventually defeated by Yang Kai. It wasn’t that they were weak. It was because Mao Zhe believed that he was the strongest cultivator in the Shadowless Cave Heaven that he underestimated Yang Kai. Once a mistake was made, it was hard for him to turn things around.
After the incident, he gave it a thought and reckoned that if he hadn’t been negligent, things wouldn’t have ended up in such a terrible state. Regardless of how powerful Yang Kai was, he hadn’t reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. He was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Given the harsh lesson previously, Mao Zhe wouldn’t dare to lower his guard now; therefore, he went all out from the start. His Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura shook the World as he attacked.
When Yang Kai, who was standing outside the Void Crack, saw that the Mountain Lords were as ferocious as tigers, he merely shook his head and before the three of them could strike him, he directly disappeared from the spot.
Mao Zhe almost sprayed out a mouthful of blood with exasperation.
He was ready to strike, but his target had gone missing all of a sudden, which made him feel like he had punched a pile of cotton. It was expected that he was vexed.
Turning his head, he saw Yang Kai standing just more than 10 kilometres away and staring silently at them.
“Big Brother!” Geng Qing awaited his order.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Mao Zhe said through gritted teeth, “Go!”
Then, he directly plunged into the Void Crack and disappeared. Seeing that, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya hurriedly followed him.
“They’re pretty resolute.” Yang Kai watched them leave and nodded gently.
As the Astral Wind devastated the surroundings, the three of them were losing their strength with each passing breath. If this dragged on, it could cause their Small Universes to collapse.
Rather than getting tangled up with Yang Kai, they figured it was better to look for the exit through the wind source. As long as they could get out of the wind source, they would be able to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven and obtain their freedom.
However, it wasn’t an easy feat to leave.
Yang Kai looked silently at the Void Crack he had torn apart with a meaningful grin on his face as the relentless Astral Wind caused the branches of the ancient tree behind him to sway.
After just ten breaths of time, three figures shot out of the Void Crack, looking battered with unstable auras. They were Mao Zhe and the others who had entered the crack just now.
In just ten breaths of time, their auras had dropped significantly. It was apparent that they had suffered some huge losses. Presently, they all looked horrified as though they were being pursued by some kind of hideous beast. In quick steps, they ran as far away as possible from the Void Crack and disappeared over the horizon.
Before they vanished from sight, Mao Zhe glared at Yang Kai and snarled, “This Monarch will never forget what you’ve done to me and will get even with you one day!”
Yang Kai put on a faint smile and nonchalantly chased after them.
Mao Zhe and the others thought that they would just stay as far away from the wind source as possible, but regardless of how far they went, they were still unable to get rid of the Astral Wind’s harassment.
What made them even more incensed was the fact that Yang Kai was calmly following them, and they were unable to get rid of him.
He didn’t attempt to attack them as he just gazed at them from afar as though he was watching a good show.
Two hours later, Zhou Ya screamed with a pale face, “Something is wrong, Big Brother!”
Mao Zhe’s expression was so cold that it was as though one could scrape a layer of frost off his face. Certainly, he had also realised that something was off. Usually, the Astral Wind would only last for about an hour before it stopped, but now it had far exceeded its normal duration.
After giving it a thought, he realised that the cause of the Astral Wind this time was that Yang Kai had torn the Void apart and exposed the wind source. If the Void Crack wasn’t closed, the wind source wouldn’t disappear; therefore, they were unable to draw on their past experiences to make a judgement.
However, under the influence of the Astral Wind, the heritages of their Small Universes were draining away at a steady pace. There would come a moment when their cultivation regressed or their Small Universes might even fall apart directly.
One hour later, the Astral Wind still didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon and Zhou Ya appeared to be in a desperate state.
Geng Qing took a glance at the relentless Yang Kai and said through clenched teeth, “Why don’t we fight it out with him, Big Brother?”
There was a bitter smile on Mao Zhe’s face as he shook his head, “We’re no longer a match for him.”
If they were still in peak condition, they could have joined forces and fought against Yang Kai; however, presently, their strengths had plummeted significantly, so how were they supposed to defeat him?
They were unable to flee either. If Yang Kai had the intention, he could wait for their strength to drop further and easily kill them off. He didn’t even need to make a move actually, for it would only take three to five days before the three of them were killed by the Astral Wind.
All of a sudden, Mao Zhe stopped in his tracks and turned around. As he stared at the approaching Yang Kai, he questioned in a grim voice, “What do you want?”
Yang Kai stopped and hovered in mid-air. The branches of the ancient tree behind him hung low and his stable aura suggested that he hadn’t even been affected by the Astral Wind one bit in the past three hours.
He looked condescendingly at Mao Zhe and asked, “You’re an intelligent man, Head Mountain Lord, so why is there a need to ask the obvious?”
Mao Zhe asked, “You’ve torn space apart and exposed the wind source. Now, the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven will be devastated by the Astral Wind. What benefits would that bring you?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I just wanted to see if I could break through the Void and connect to the outside world. Exposing the wind source was just an accident.”
Mao Zhe scoffed, “Even if that’s true, what are you trying to achieve by following us but not attacking? I hope you’re not going to tell me that you want to collect our corpses.”
Yang Kai sneered, “I don’t have such a distasteful hobby.”
Mao Zhe’s face fell as he took a glance at the tree behind the young man, “Do you want us to submit to you, then?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m just trying to give you all a chance to survive. In this situation, you’re going to lose your lives if you don’t submit to me. I believe no one is willing to lose their life when there is another option, including you all. Why would you turn me down when there’s a chance to survive?”
Mao Zhe said through clenched teeth, “This Monarch has lived for a long time, and has killed countless people before. Do you think I fear death?”
Yang Kai rubbed his palms together, “I admire the fact that you’re not afraid of death, Head Mountain Lord. You’re truly valiant. If you insist on dying today, I won’t stop you. After you pass away, I’ll help you find a proper place and bury your corpse. However… sometimes simply dying isn’t the worst fate a man can face. Seeing the cultivation you’ve accumulated over millennia slowly being scraped away, all your hopes, dreams, and aspirations taken from you piece by piece, now that sounds like a fate worse than death.”
Mao Zhe’s expression darkened when he heard that.
Just like what Yang Kai had said, life or death already didn’t matter to someone like Mao Zhe. He had lived for a long time and killed innumerable people in the past. He could accept it if he were to die in battle.
However, seeing his life’s work slowly taken from him, the heritage of his Small Universe shaved off one piece at a time while being powerless to resist, it was simply intolerable. It was just like seeing a thief barging into his house, taking away all his property and burning his home down while he was forced to watch.
The whole point of cultivation was to traverse one’s Martial Dao. No one could tolerate the notion of their cultivation being stolen from them.
Geng Qing’s face was livid as he shuddered in rage and unwillingness. It was as though he could imagine himself perishing into nothingness.
Zhou Ya pressed her lips together and her eyes were filled with fear and anxiety.
Yang Kai extended his hand and said, “I truly admire the fact that you’re so calm in the face of death. Since you’re determined to die, I will stop persuading you. All of you may set off on your journey to the Yellow Springs now!”
He appeared ready to watch them slowly perish on their own.