The Astral Wind never stopped as the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven was devastated by the sandstorm it kicked up.
Two parties silently confronted each other. While Yang Kai was calm and collected, a myriad of expressions came over the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain.
“Big Brother,” Zhou Ya called out gently.
Mao Zhe turned to look at her, and as their eyes met, he couldn’t help but recall the moments they had spent together in the past. The coldness on his face slowly melted away.
After a sigh, he gazed at Yang Kai and asked, “Will you ensure our safety if we submit to you?”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Not only can I ensure your safety, but I can also bring you out of the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
Mao Zhe shook his head, “How do I know if your Divine Manifestation is able to protect others as well?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “It’s easy. Just come over and give it a try if you don’t believe me.”
Mao Zhe nodded, “I’ll do that then.” After he finished speaking, he was ready to charge towards Yang Kai.
Geng Qing immediately stopped him, “I’ll do it, Big Brother!” Before Mao Zhe could object to it, he had already gone on ahead. Apparently, he was worried that Yang Kai might harm Mao Zhe, so he decided to give it a try in his stead.
In the blink of an eye, Geng Qing had already reached Yang Kai, who didn’t stop him and even opened a gap in the Towering Evergreen’s protection to let him come in.
Geng Qing remained vigilant while standing beside Yang Kai. As he looked up at the tree crown and observed the low-hanging branches, his expression was soon transformed by shock.
Standing in the protection range of this ancient tree, he couldn’t feel the slightest harassment from the Astral Wind. Besides that, the ample vitality around him soothed his body and mind, and his fatigued figure seemed to have been rejuvenated in an instant.
He had never seen or heard of such a Divine Manifestation before.
More than ten breaths later, he dashed out of the protection range. Before that, he took a glance at Yang Kai with a conflicted gaze.
Upon his return, he secretly spoke to Mao Zhe and narrated what he had gone through just now. As Mao Zhe listened to him, he narrowed his eyes.
A moment later, Mao Zhe let out a sigh, “Fine. We have nowhere else to go in Shadowless Cave Heaven. If you’re able to bring us out of this place, we’re willing to submit to you.”
If he could leave this place, he would have a chance to ascend to the Seventh Order, which was greatly tempting.
Yang Kai rubbed his palms together and said, “Head Mountain Lord is a straightforward and flexible man. However… how do I know if it’s not just an empty promise? Since you’ve made such a decision, I hope you’ll give me some assurance. I don’t wish for you to betray me one day; after all, we haven’t really been on good terms.”
Mao Zhe snorted, “What kind of assurance do you want? Do you want us to make a heart demon oath?”
“There’s no need for that.” Yang Kai grinned at him and summoned an ancient-looking book, “You just have to use your Blood Essence to write your names in here.”
Mao Zhe’s expression changed, “What’s this?”
“The Loyalty List!” As Yang Kai spoke, he tossed the book at Mao Zhe.
After taking it, Mao Zhe opened it and realised there were only nine pages in the Loyalty List. A person named Chen Tian Fei was on the first page, Hei He was on the second page, and some Yun Xing Hua was on the third page. The rest of the pages were blank.
As he scanned the Loyalty List with his Divine Sense, Mao Zhe realised that the book contained a mysterious power. Although he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still unable to see through it.
The thin book felt extremely heavy in his hands, as though it weighed as much as a mountain.
He looked up at Yang Kai and asked, “What’s the use of this thing?”
Yang Kai replied honestly, “Once you leave your name on it, your life will come under my control.”
Mao Zhe’s expression changed.
Geng Qing bellowed, “Brat, don’t go too far!” The three of them were Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If Yang Kai’s words were true, they would essentially become his slaves by leaving their names in this book. He’d rather die than be humiliated in such a way.
Yang Kai dispassionately said, “You can decide whether you want to leave your names on it or not, I won’t force you. However, what I can tell you is that if you’re willing to leave your names there, I’ll bring you out of the Shadowless Cave Heaven and return you to the 3,000 Worlds. If you’re not willing to do that, it’s fine as well. If we have a chance to get along with one another in the future, you’ll find out what I’m really like.”
Mao Zhe suddenly asked, “What’re the cultivations of these three people?”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before he realised that the other person was talking about the people on the Loyalty List, then he replied, “Two of them are in the Fourth Order and the remaining one is in the Fifth Order.”
Mao Zhe nodded, “The people on the Loyalty List must have some grudges with you. You were not willing to let them off, but you didn’t want to kill them either, so you made them leave their names on the list so they would work for you.”
“Correct.”
“Good.” Mao Zhe nodded, then he put a finger into his mouth and bit it to squeeze out his Blood Essence. After that, he turned to page four of the book and wrote down his name.
“Big Brother!” Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were flabbergasted. Once he left his name there, he would never be able to resist Yang Kai again.
After leaving his name on page four. Mao Zhe tossed the book at Geng Qing and replied, “Rather than waiting for death here, we should seize the chance to live.”
In the meantime, he secretly spoke to the two of them, “I’ve heard about the Loyalty List before. It was made by a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master named Loyalty Demon using the blood and flesh of Xie Zhi. It can be used to enslave Open Heaven Realm Masters, but only those below the High-Rank.”
Although he had already heard about the Loyalty List, he didn’t let his emotions show on his face when Yang Kai mentioned the book’s name.
He was at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and if he hadn’t been trapped in the Shadowless Cave Heaven where there was a lack of resources, he would’ve ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago. If he could return to the outside world, he could gather enough resources and shake off the book’s control in no time.
That was the reason he didn’t even hesitate to leave his name on the book.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were excited upon hearing Mao Zhe’s intention but still pretended to know nothing as Geng Qing said through clenched teeth, “Since you’ve made such a decision, Big Brother, I’ll follow suit!”
Then, he squeezed out his Blood Essence and put down his name before passing the book to Zhou Ya.
A moment later, Zhou Ya left her name on page six.
Yang Kai extended his hand and retrieved the book, then flashed a smile at them, “Wise people will submit to the circumstances. I’m glad that you’ve made such a decision. I’m sorry for offending you some time ago. From now on, we’re all one family.”
Mao Zhe replied in a muffled voice, “You didn’t offend us. It was just that we had different stances.”
Yang Kai opened up his Towering Evergreen and beckoned to them, “The wind is strong outside. Please come in here and follow me to seal the Void Crack.”
The three of them exchanged glances and dashed towards Yang Kai.
Upon entering the protection range of the ancient tree, they realised that the Astral Wind was completely shut out. Zhou Ya couldn’t help but let out a breath with a relieved look on her face.
Mao Zhe’s expression turned milder as he examined the branches and fell into his thoughts, “Your Wood Element Divine Manifestation is simply incredible, Brother Yang. What’s the Order of your Wood Element Power?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I don’t know what Order it is either actually, but it’s a High-Rank one at least.”
He had no idea what the Order of the Immortal Tree was, but upon hearing that, Mao Zhe thought that he simply wasn’t willing to tell him the truth, so he stopped asking.
“A High-Rank Power!” Mao Zhe exclaimed, “Your foundation is indeed solid since you had the guts to condense a High-Rank Power. I saw you using a Fire Element Divine Manifestation and a Water Element Divine Ability that are also of the High Rank. Did you intend to directly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “That was indeed my original plan, but an accident happened so I only ended up in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm.”
Mao Zhe’s brow twitched as he was horrified deep down inside.
He couldn’t believe that someone was ambitious enough to plan to directly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Although Yang Kai didn’t make it in the end, the foundation he had built wouldn’t be wasted. That was the reason he was able to defeat Mao Zhe even though both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
As they casually chatted, they headed towards the wind source.
They arrived at their destination in just four hours. The Void Crack where the wind source was located was torn apart by Yang Kai using Space Principles. Supposedly, it would slowly heal under the influence of the local World Principles. However, the Astral Wind was extremely abrasive, and the Principles in the Shadowless Cave Heaven were already somewhat broken, so the crack didn’t seem to be showing signs of healing.
The crack was still around even though half a day had passed.
Standing in front of the crack, Yang Kai manipulated his Space Principles and pushed out his palms. As Space Principles undulated, the crack slowly healed wherever his palms moved over.
After an hour, Yang Kai finally managed to close the crack and the Astral Wind disappeared. Next, he put away his Towering Evergreen and frowned before falling into his thoughts.
Mao Zhe and the others had suffered immense losses, so they immediately sat on the ground with their legs crossed. Following that, they fished out piles of Open Heaven Pills and various other resources to refine them in order to make up for the losses in their Small Universes.
Yang Kai didn’t have to do this, so he found a place nearby and started doing his own things.
Half a day later, Mao Zhe opened his eyes and saw a newly created array. Yang Kai appeared busy, but he wasn’t certain what he was doing.
Although Mao Zhe was unresigned and resentful of the young man, he wouldn’t let his emotions show on his face as he had left his name on the Loyalty List. Hence, he went over and asked curiously, “What are you doing, Brother Yang? Do you need my help?”
“There’s no need for that. It’s almost done.” Yang Kai waved his hand.
After observing it for a moment, Mao Zhe finally realised what the young man was doing and asked, “Are you building a Space Array?”
Yang Kai nodded, “En. It takes more than ten days to come here from Twin Spirit Island. It’ll be much easier with a Space Array around.”
“Are you going back to Twin Spirit Island?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “The reason I came to the Shadowless Cave Heaven was to look for my companions. Since I’ve found them as well as the exit, we’d better leave this place sooner rather than later. The environment in the Shadowless Cave Heaven is far too hostile.”
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, Mao Zhe set his mind at ease.
Since Yang Kai was ready to bring the people from Twin Spirit Island over, he should have the confidence to achieve his goal; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk.
“Are you all coming to Twin Spirit Island with me? Or are you going to wait for me here?” Yang Kai asked.
After pondering on it for a moment, Mao Zhe asked, “According to the regular pattern, the Astral Wind will strike again in ten days. Will you be able to come back here in ten days, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t think so.”
It would take him more than ten days to arrive at Twin Spirit Island, so there was no way he could return to this place before the wind came; moreover, he would have to spend some time on Twin Spirit Island.
“We’re going with you, then,” Mao Zhe decided. They would have Yang Kai’s protection by following him while they would be powerless to resist the wind if they stayed here.
Since an agreement had been reached, they immediately set off on their journey towards Twin Spirit Island.
They didn’t speak to each other on the road, and ten days later, the Astral Wind indeed struck again. Yang Kai used his Towering Evergreen to ensure everyone’s safety. Although the three of them had experienced it before, they were still awestruck by the Divine Manifestation.
A few days later, they finally arrived at Twin Spirit Island.
After a message was sent out, the fog around the island separated and Yang Kai led the three Mountain Lords towards the bamboo forest where the Proprietress and the others resided.
When the person, who was guarding the Grand Array, saw Mao Zhe and the others, he was shocked and immediately reported it to Hua Yong.
As Yang Kai shuffled into the bamboo forest with the three of them, Chef and Accountant, who were cultivating, were astounded. Upon leaving their huts to have a look, they were startled.
“Where’s Proprietress?” Yang Kai asked.
“She’s still cultivating in seclusion,” Chef replied, then pulled Yang Kai away and pointed in the direction of Mao Zhe and the others, “What’s going on? Why have they come here with you?”
Yang Kai took a glance at the three of them and explained, “They were captivated by my charm, so they’ve surrendered to me. Now, they have to obey my command.”
Chef shot him a dry glance as he apparently didn’t believe him.
“I’m going to meet Proprietress,” Yang Kai said, then headed to the bamboo hut where she resided. Chef, Accountant, and the three Mountain Lords exchanged glances.
Standing outside the hut, Yang Kai raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. He only opened the door and entered the place upon getting her response.
Outside the bamboo forest, Hua Yong was covered in cold sweat as he dashed forward alongside Shu Mu Dan. They both appeared worried.
When he was told that Yang Kai had returned to Twin Spirit Island with the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain, he didn’t believe his subordinate at first; after all, Yang Kai had previously burned down Profound Yang Mountain and killed the Second Mountain Lord Yun Fei Bai.
That was a blood feud that was practically irreconcilable.
It would be a miracle if they didn’t fight the moment they met, so how was it possible that they had come back together?
However, since the subordinate swore that he had seen it with his own eyes, Hua Yong had no choice but to believe him and rushed over to look into the matter.
“What’s Yang Kai trying to achieve?” Hua Yong was befuddled. Previously, Yang Kai said he was going to look for the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but he returned with Mao Zhe and the others after just one month.
Was he going to make a move on Twin Spirit Island? Had he come to any agreement with Mao Zhe and the others?
Hua Yong couldn’t help but let his thoughts run wild.
When he reached the bamboo forest and saw those people who seemed to be in a confrontation, he narrowed his eyes and called out, “Head Mountain Lord Mao!”
Shu Mu Dan’s face stiffened as she put up her guard.
Mao Zhe turned to look at Hua Yong and cupped his fist, “Island Master Hua.”
Hua Yong gulped with difficulty as he wasn’t certain what he was about to face. Regardless, he still stepped forward and said in a bitter voice, “You should’ve informed us that you were coming to Twin Spirit Island, Head Mountain Lord Mao. It’s rather impolite of us to not at least welcome you at our doors.”
Despite his polite tone, he was practically implying that Mao Zhe was too disrespectful by coming to his territory without informing him. Although Hua Yong was timid, he wasn’t a pushover.
Mao Zhe said impassively, “We have nowhere to go. Since Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, I’m no longer the Head Mountain Lord. It wasn’t this Mao’s intention to come to Twin Spirit Island. We were merely following Sir Yang.”
“Sir Yang?” Hua Yong was stunned, wondering who the person was that Mao Zhe was talking about.
Just then, Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming from the hut, “You’re here, Island Master Hua. Please come up together with your Wife. I need to tell you something.”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong darted his gaze between the hut and Mao Zhe in puzzlement. Since he was unable to figure anything out, he gave a signal to Shu Mu Dan to tell her to be careful, then strode towards the hut with a frown.
After entering the place, they saw Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo seated across from each other as they seemed to be having a chat. When the latter pair saw the couple, they quickly rose from the chairs.
Upon saluting one another, everyone took a seat.
An anxious Hua Yong asked, “What’s going on with Head Mountain Lord Mao and the others, Brother Yang? I heard that they came here with you.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Relax, Island Master Hua. They’ve indeed come here with me, but they don’t have any ill intentions against Twin Spirit Island.”
Hua Yong fell silent with a grim expression. Although he had allowed Yang Kai to come and go from Twin Spirit Island as he pleased, it didn’t mean the young man could bring Mao Zhe and the other Mountain Lords with him. However, since he wasn’t a match for Yang Kai to begin with, Hua Yong decided to keep his mouth shut.
Upon seeing his expression, the Proprietress comforted him by saying, “Island Master Hua, just so you know, Mao Zhe and the others have submitted to Yang Kai. Without his order, they won’t make any rash moves.”
“They’ve submitted to him?” Hua Yong’s brow twitched. He had the urge to ask Lan You Ruo whether she even understood what she was talking about. However, when he recalled that Mao Zhe had called Yang Kai ‘Sir Yang’, he couldn’t help but fall into a state of disbelief.
“Let’s not talk about them just now.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’d like to talk about leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
A shocked Hua Yong lifted his head, “Have you found the exit, Brother Yang?”
Shu Mu Dan couldn’t help but cover her mouth and gaze at Yang Kai in shock.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai nodded, “En, I’ve found the exit. Just like what Mao Zhe speculated, the origin of the Astral Wind is the passageway that’s connected to the outside world. By moving past it, we’ll be able to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
“You went to the source of the Astral Wind?” Hua Yong exclaimed.
Yang Kai nodded in response.
After giving it a thought, Shu Mu Dan spoke, “The Astral Wind suddenly struck again for no reason more than ten days ago, and it lasted for about half a day. It’s different from the regular pattern…”
Yang Kai explained, “That’s because I tore the space around the source of the Astral Wind apart and opened a passageway to it.”
Shu Mu Dan exclaimed.
Disbelief was written all over Hua Yong’s face as he said, “In just one month, Brother Yang has achieved something that we haven’t been able to do for over 10,000 years!”
A humble Yang Kai replied, “Luck played a big part in it.”
An excited Hua Yong said, “Since you’ve found the exit, do you have the confidence to leave this place?”
Yang Kai said, “I was about to talk about this very issue, Island Master Hua. It’s not hard to leave this place, but the problem is what we will face after leaving Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
Hua Yong furrowed his brow, “What do you think we’ll face, Brother Yang?”
“Have you forgotten about what you’ve told me before?” Yang Kai stared at him.
After giving it a thought, Hua Yong replied, “We’ll probably fall into the source of the Astral Wind after leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven. It must be very dangerous there.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s right. Once we leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, we’ll fall into the origin of the Astral Wind. I have no idea how dangerous it will be. To be honest with you, I have a way of fending off the Astral Wind. At the very least, the Astral Wind gusting into the Shadowless Cave Heaven doesn’t bother me at all; however, I don’t know what will happen after we fall into the Astral Wind’s source.”
Hua Yong was shocked upon hearing this. It was only now that he understood the reason Yang Kai had the confidence to leave Twin Spirit Island and look for the exit.
It was no wonder that Yang Kai’s aura didn’t seem to have been affected one bit even though the Astral Wind had struck twice over the last month. He actually had a way to defend against it.
After a moment of silence, Hua Yong asked, “Are you going to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Brother Yang?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded, “Many thanks to both of you for taking care of us. If you want, you can come with us, and I’ll do my best to take care of you. Of course, I welcome the rest of the people from Twin Spirit Island if they want to leave as well. I’m also going to inform those from Unrivalled Guild about it.”
“Unrivalled Guild?” Hua Yong looked doubtfully at him, “Are you friends with them?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No. However, we will have greater strength with more people accompanying us. We don’t know what will happen after we leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so I’m willing to bring those who want to come with me.”
Hua Yong bowed his head, “I admire how righteous and just Brother Yang is.”
“Island Master Hua is too kind, it’s the least I can do.”
Shu Mu Dan, who had remained silent all along, suddenly asked, “The origin of the Astral Wind must be extremely dangerous. Do you have the confidence to move past it, Senior Brother Yang?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied with a serious expression, “I cannot give you an affirmative reply since I have no idea what the situation is like on the other side.”
“Even if it’s a path of certain death, do you still insist on leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven?”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Life is not a clear path laid out before us. I don’t strive for everything to be perfect, only to not have any regrets. Rather than remaining trapped here forever, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Shu Mu Dan became startled for a moment before she pressed her lips together and nodded, “I understand.”
Hua Yong said, “This is a serious matter, so I cannot make a decision in a short time. Please give us a few days to sleep on it, Brother Yang.”
“En,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Proprietress still needs another month or so to recover, so we won’t be leaving so soon. You can tell me about it after you make a decision.”
“Many thanks,” Hua Yong cupped his fists, then he rose from the chair and left with Shu Mu Dan. Upon reaching the door, he suddenly turned around, “This is a serious matter, Brother Yang, so I hope you won’t break it to the rest of the people on Twin Spirit Island for now.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard that, then he replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Island Master Hua. You have full control over the affairs in Twin Spirit Island. I won’t interfere.”
It was then Hua Yong thanked him and left the place.
After the couple was gone, the Proprietress said with a smile, “He’s pretty cautious. He must be worried that his subordinates will start having other ideas if the news is leaked.”
“It can’t be helped.” Yang Kai could understand. If word got out that he was able to bring some people out of Shadowless Cave Heaven, many of those from Twin Spirit Island would be tempted to join him. If Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan decided to stay in the end, but Yang Kai brought most of their people away, the power of Twin Spirit Island would be greatly weakened.
It was expected that Hua Yong didn’t want the news to be leaked so soon, and he was able to set his mind at ease since Yang Kai had given him the assurance.
“Are you really going to inform those from Unrivalled Guild about this?” The Proprietress asked.
Yang Kai nodded, “They’re all pitiful people, so I don’t mind lending them a hand. It’s up to them whether they’ll believe me or not.”
The Proprietress paused before nodding as well, “Give me a month. If it’s just like what you’ve said, we’re going to face a lot of trouble after leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so I should restore my full strength before we depart.”
“Of course.”
A moment later, Yang Kai stepped out of the bamboo hut.
The people outside the hut were still staring at one another, so Yang Kai directly wedged into the spot between both parties before turning to look at Mao Zhe, “I’m going to Unrivalled Guild.”
Mao Zhe retracted his gaze and frowned, “Why are you going there?”
“I’m going to ask them whether they want to leave Shadowless Cave Heaven. I don’t mind bringing them with me.”
Geng Qing widened his eyes, “You want to bring those from Unrivalled Guild with you?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
After a moment of silence, Geng Qing shook his head, “There’s no problem.” If possible, he wouldn’t want those from Unrivalled Guild to tag along. After Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, the three of them headed to Unrivalled Guild in an attempt to seek shelter, but the Three Chiefs had no qualms about mocking them, which was why they eventually left in exasperation. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk to look for the exit.
Geng Qing naturally wished for those from Unrivalled Guild to be trapped inside the Shadowless Cave Heaven forever.
However, since Yang Kai had made a decision, he wasn’t in any place to object to it. Technically, the three of them were now Yang Kai’s subordinates as their lives were under his control. They didn’t have the right to change his mind.
“You’ll come with me, Zhou Ya. I don’t know where Unrivalled Guild is after all.” Yang Kai gazed at her.
Zhou Ya looked inquisitively at Mao Zhe, who then said, “Since Sir has given the order, you should go with him.”
It was then Zhou Ya nodded gently.
Yang Kai swept a dispassionate glance over Mao Zhe before shuffling forward.
After leaving Twin Spirit Island, Zhou Ya led the way and headed to Unrivalled Guild.
While they were on the road, Zhou Ya asked, “Sir, you’re already so powerful at such a young age. I’m sure you’re from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.”
Yang Kai shot her a glance and said, “Did Mao Zhe tell you to inquire about my background?”
Zhou Ya’s face stiffened as she forced a smile, “Don’t get me wrong, Sir. I’m just curious. Since you’re not willing to tell me, please just ignore my question.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and revealed her alluring profile and her snow-white skin.
“You’ll find out about my background after we leave this place. Even if I tell you about it now, you probably won’t believe me.”
“En,” Zhou Ya replied with her head hung low.
Over the years, she had always been in an important position. As the Fourth Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain, she was famous throughout the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Now that she had become someone else’s servant who had lost control over her own life, she wasn’t used to it.
The three Mountain Lords speculated that Yang Kai was a Core Disciple nurtured by one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. Otherwise, he couldn’t have possessed a power that was in the same Order.
Furthermore, the fact that Yang Kai had refined so many High-Rank materials strengthened their beliefs.
Unrivalled Guild was pretty far away from Twin Spirit Island, so it took them five days to arrive at their destination. Upon their arrival, Zhou Ya said, “We’ll soon reach the Headquarters of Unrivalled Guild. You must act carefully, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked up but couldn’t see anything unusual. Suppressing the doubt in his heart, he continued following Zhou Ya as they moved forward.
In just a moment, they saw a smooth-looking cliff, which was so flat that it was as though it was cut using a knife. There was a protruded rock in the middle that served as a platform.
Zhou Ya and Yang Kai landed on the platform, then she pointed at the wall, “This is the Headquarters of Unrivalled Guild.”
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and realised that there was a barrier in front of the wall of this platform. There must be some space behind the wall.
“Inform them of our arrival,” Yang Kai ordered.
Zhou Ya nodded, then she performed a hand seal and pressed both her hands against the wall, whereupon a layer of visible ripples spread around.
A moment later, rumbling sounds were heard coming from behind the wall. A passage was revealed in the flat wall, then more than 100 people flooded out of it. There were three bald men, whose figures were built like bulls, at the front. What surprised Yang Kai was that the three of them looked identical. They were apparently triplets.
The auras of the three of them suggested that they were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Needless to say, they were the Three Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild.
Yang Kai tutted in amazement. Over the years, he had met quite a number of twins, but it was the first time he came across triplets. What was especially rare was that these three burly brothers had all ascended to the Sixth Order.
It was no wonder that Unrivalled Guild was able to face off against Profound Yang Mountain as the Brothers were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Furthermore, since they were triplets, they probably had some kind of innate connection. It wouldn’t be surprising if they had cultivated a Combined Attack Technique. If both parties got into a scuffle, Mao Zhe on his own wouldn’t be a match for them.
Now, it seemed that among the three great forces in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Twin Spirit Island was indeed the weakest. Besides the fact that they only had two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side, their collective power was also no match for the other two great forces.
The reason they had survived until this day was that the environment in the Shadowless Cave Heaven was truly hostile as the resources were scarce. Among the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, unless there was a great blood feud, they wouldn’t easily get into a fight as once they were exhausted or injured, it would be hard for them to recuperate.
As soon as the Brothers appeared, Zhou Ya gently spoke to Yang Kai, “Sir, they’re the Three Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild. Their names are Shi Shan, Shi Qiu, and Shi Yue. As for who is who, I can’t really tell.”
A speechless Yang Kai swept a glance over the Brothers and realized he couldn’t tell them apart either.
The Brothers were fierce upon their appearance, but when they saw Zhou Ya, their eyes seemed to be glowing. One of them called out, “I was just wondering who had the guts to knock on our door. It’s you, beautiful little girl.”
Another person said smilingly, “What’s wrong? Have you changed your mind and decided to be our Wife?”
The last person said, “That’s great! We’ll marry you today and let you know what it’s like to be a bride.”
Zhou Ya was so exasperated that she started flushing, then she said through gritted teeth, “Stop spouting nonsense, you ugly men! I’ll never be your Wife.”
The first person who spoke stroked his bald head and sported a ferocious expression, “Beautiful girl, since you’re not willing to be our Wife, why are you even here? Are you sick of living? We don’t mind granting your wish as we’re adept at torturing women.”
The second person glanced at Yang Kai and tutted, “Who is this pretty boy? I’ve never seen him before.”
The last person remarked, “He must be this woman’s lover.”
Just then, a person rushed over and spoke to the Brothers with a horrified expression.
Since the downfall of Profound Yang Mountain, the survivors had either gone to Twin Spirit Island or Unrivalled Guild. Presently, some of the people standing behind the Brothers were originally from Profound Yang Mountain, so they could immediately recognise Yang Kai. At that instant, they started trembling in fear, wondering if he wasn’t happy with destroying Profound Yang Mountain alone. Had he come all the way here to ruin Unrivalled Guild?
Upon hearing the subordinate’s words, the three Brothers stiffened and gazed at Yang Kai with widened eyes. They examined the young man as though they were trying to look into his Soul.
One of them suddenly said in a small voice, “That’s Yang Kai? I thought he’d look mighty. You know, with more muscles. It’s surprising that he has such thin arms.”
The second Brother nodded, “Don’t be negligent, Third Brother. You can’t judge a book by its cover. This person really doesn’t seem ordinary.”
“Why do you think so, Big Brother?”
“He doesn’t even flinch when facing the three of us, so he’s definitely not an average cultivator.”
“You’re right, Big Brother. But why is he here?” The Third Brother asked in puzzlement.
“I don’t think he’s well-meaning. I heard that it hasn’t been a long time since this person arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but he has already destroyed Profound Yang Mountain. I’m worried that he has the intention of ruling over this place.”
“He wants to rule over this place? Over our dead bodies!”
“That’s right. We’re united against anyone who dares to invade our territory.”
“Let’s get ready to fight, Big Brother.”
“I’m worried that we’re no match for him. I heard that he had barged into Profound Yang Mountain and severely wounded Mao Zhe. Although the three of us can join forces to defeat Mao Zhe, I don’t think we’d be able to achieve what he’s done. It proves that he’s… just a bit more powerful than us.”
“We’ll just give it a try to find out whether we’re a match for him. Why don’t we just summon our trump cards later to make sure that he won’t have enough time to respond?”
The Brothers gathered together as they stared at Yang Kai and discussed their tactics, out loud.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he turned to look at Zhou Ya, who lowered her head and secretly spoke, “These guys seem to have been born dim-witted.”
A speechless Yang Kai wondered how they even ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With that said, they obviously had extraordinary aptitudes.
Presently, the Brothers seemed to be in a conflict as they were arguing about who would make the first move. Their faces had reddened as they were agitated.
Yang Kai coughed into his fist, then cupped his fist at them, “Greetings, Three Chiefs. My name is Yang Kai. I’m sorry for the sudden visit. Hmm… What are your names?”
The three of them immediately stopped arguing. One of them loudly patted his own chest, “My name is Shi Shan.”
The second person said, “I’m Shi Qiu.”
The third person said in a grim voice, “Shi Yue.”
Yang Kai gazed seriously at them in an attempt to connect their faces to their names, but his effort was in vain. Not only did these burly men look alike, but their demeanours and voices were also similar. More importantly, their auras were almost identical.
Perhaps even their own mother wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
Yang Kai decided to give up as he said, “Please don’t get me wrong. This Yang has no ill intentions against Unrivalled Guild. I also don’t intend to rule over the Shadowless Cave Heaven like what you were worrying about.”
Shi Yue exclaimed, “He heard our conversation, Big Brother!”
A hint of ruthlessness flashed through Shi Qiu’s face, “We’d better make a move first, or else we’ll be at a disadvantage, Big Brother.”
Shi Shan widened his eyes in shock as he puffed out a scorching breath through his nostrils. As he glared at Yang Kai, his gaze became increasingly ferocious.
Faced with the imminent danger, Yang Kai took some steps backwards and raised his hands, “Wait a moment. I don’t intend to go against the three of you, nor am I here to fight. I’ve come all the way here to tell you that I’ve found the exit of this Shadowless Cave Heaven, and I’m going to leave in one month. If you want, you can come with me. If not, I’m not going to force you.”
Yang Kai found it hard to deal with these three. Before coming to this place, he had imagined various circumstances when he met the Three Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild, but he hadn’t expected that it would turn out this way.
“You’ve found the exit?” Shi Shan was startled as the ruthlessness in his eyes went away.
“Yes.” Yang Kai bowed his head.
“Why should we believe you?” Distrust was written all over Shi Yue’s face as he gazed at Yang Kai, “We’ve been looking for the exit for thousands of years but to no avail. How did you even find it?”
“I have my methods.” Yang Kai shook his head, “As for how I’ve found it, I can’t really tell you. However, Zhou Ya was with me at that time. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her about it.”
In an instant, the three Brothers shifted their attention to Zhou Ya.
Zhou Ya frowned, apparently not willing to talk to them, but she still nodded her head in the end, “Sir Yang is not lying to you. He has really found the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven. The reason we’ve come all the way here is to inform you about it.”
The doubt of the brothers evaporated as they appeared ecstatic, “He’s really found the exit?”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded. It seemed that these guys were truly dim-witted as they readily believed Zhou Ya’s words. Nevertheless, it saved him a lot of trouble so he just went with it.
The brothers could barely contain their excitement while the cultivators from Unrivalled Guild looked at Yang Kai with fervent gazes. No one was willing to stay in the Shadowless Cave Heaven if they had a chance to leave. Resources in this damned place were scarce, so they had no future if they stayed here.
Many of them had been stuck in this place for thousands of years. Due to the Astral Wind, Ma Tian Yuan’s cultivation had dropped from the Sixth Order to the Fifth Order, so he was rather pitiful. Many of them were indeed tempted by Yang Kai’s words.
Yang Kai said, “Just so you know, even though I’ve found the exit, we might come across some trouble if we want to leave. There might be some unforeseeable danger.”
Shi Shan stroked his bald head and stared at Yang Kai, “We have nothing to do with one another. Since you’ve found the exit, you could’ve left on your own. Why have you come over to inform us? Do you have any ulterior motive?”
Shi Qiu and Shi Yue immediately gazed vigilantly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “What ulterior motive could I have? Just like what I’ve said, even though I’ve found the exit, there might be some danger ahead; therefore, having more people to help is a good thing. If you’re willing to come with me, I may need your assistance when the time comes.”
Upon hearing his explanation, the brothers understood his intentions.
“I’m going to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven in one month. If you want to come with me, you can look for me in Twin Spirit Island before then. I’ll be staying there during this period of time.” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai cupped his fist and left with Zhou Ya.
The reason he had come over was to inform the Three Chiefs about his plan. Since he had achieved his goal, he didn’t remain. These three were truly dim-witted, so it might do more harm than good if he talked any further.
The brothers were rooted to the spot as they watched Yang Kai leave.
Behind them, the Open Heaven Realm Masters exchanged glances.
Meanwhile, in a luxuriously decorated room on Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong was drinking on his own. A series of footsteps were heard coming from behind him, then a warm body pressed against his head. A pair of slender hands were placed on his forehead as the woman gently massaged him.
Hua Yong closed his eyes and rested his head against his Wife’s belly. He could clearly feel the fetal movements coming through the skin. As he took a whiff of the pleasant fragrance, his mind was slowly soothed.
“Are you in a dilemma, Husband?” Shu Mu Dan asked gently.
“Yes.” Hua Yong sighed, “It’s too difficult to make a decision, my Wife.”
Yang Kai had put him in a really tight spot. Before his arrival, Hua Yong and his Wife had stayed in the Shadowless Cave Heaven for about 10,000 years. Although the environment was hostile, their lives had been quite peaceful. However, in just a few days, Yang Kai had basically turned this place upside down. Profound Yang Mountain was destroyed, and only three of the Four Great Mountain Lords were left. Moreover, those three had become Yang Kai’s subordinates.
On top of that, Yang Kai found the Shadowless Cave Heaven’s exit, which the cultivators in this place were unable to do for thousands of years.
Certainly, Hua Yong wanted to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven as well. They practically had no future in this place; however, it took a lot of courage and determination if they wanted to leave.
Others had no idea what they could face after going past the exit, but Hua Yong was fully aware of it; after all, Yang Kai had explained the situation to him already.
Upon moving past the exit, they would probably fall into the source of the Astral Wind, which was a death trap. The Astral Wind coming into the Shadowless Cave Heaven was already so violent, so Hua Yong couldn’t imagine what would happen if they really fell into its source. Although he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it wouldn’t take long before his Small Universe was worn away entirely.
Shu Mu Dan said gently, “Sir Yang has said that he has a way to defend against the Astral Wind, hasn’t he?”
Hua Yong replied, “Yes, but he’s going to bring a lot of people with him. Lan You Ruo, Mao Zhe, and the others are going with him. If we also join them, are you sure he will have enough power to protect all of us? Moreover, he has left to inform Unrivalled Guild about it. Once the news is leaked, many people will be tempted to leave with him.”
Shu Mu Dan said, “Since he has made such a decision, he probably has the power to do it.”
Hua Yong shook his head, “I’m worried that an accident might happen.”
Shu Mu Dan flashed a smile at him, “Since you find it hard to make a decision, why don’t we think about what will happen if we stay?”
“If we stay…” Hua Yong narrowed his eyes.
Shu Mu Dan went on to say, “If we stay here, we’ll probably become the sole Rulers of the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Mao Zhe and the others are definitely leaving, and now Sir Yang has left for Unrivalled Guild. I believe those three brothers won’t be able to resist such a temptation, so they’ll most likely tag along. By then, we will be the only two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.”
Hua Yong’s gaze brightened as he listened to his Wife. If that was the case, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing to stay.
Shu Mu Dan continued to say, “Afterwards, we can consolidate the forces in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. There won’t be three great forces anymore; only Twin Spirit Island will be left.”
“You’re right.” Hua Yong repeatedly nodded as he could barely contain his joy.
Shu Mu Dan then continued, “Lin’er will be born in a year or two. Given our capabilities, we definitely can raise him well; however, resources in the Shadowless Cave Heaven are scarce, and the situation has been exacerbated since the three great forces have basically dug up every last useable resource over the years. We can’t be certain about Lin’er’s aptitude, but it obviously won’t be too weak. Nevertheless, how far can he go without resources? The World Energy in the Shadowless Cave Heaven is poor to begin with, so perhaps he’ll be able to reach the Origin King Realm or the Dao Source Realm. At any rate, he can never make it to the Open Heaven Realm, which means his life will be pretty short. After he dies of old age, we’ll have to personally bury him.”
As Hua Yong listened to her speak up until now, he couldn’t help but shudder. Then, he turned around and pressed his hands against her belly as though he was trying to protect his child. He gazed at his Wife and said, “Please don’t say such terrifying things.”
Shu Mu Dan just stared silently at him.
As their eyes met, Hua Yong finally realised his Wife’s intention, “You’re trying to persuade me to leave, aren’t you?”
Shu Mu Dan shook her head, “Since this Mistress is married to you, I will follow you forever and will support whatever decisions you make. If you want to stay in this place, I’ll stay here with you. If you want to leave, I’ll follow. However… we have a child now, so I hope that you’ll think about his future too.”
As she spoke, she lovingly stroked her belly.
A hesitant Hua Yong said, “But the origin of the Astral Wind…”
Shu Mu Dan said, “Since Sir Yang is determined to leave, he must have the confidence to achieve his goal. He wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk if there was no chance of survival. No one is willing to throw their life away for nothing.”
Hua Yong furrowed his brows for a moment before he said, “Please let me sleep on it.”
Shu Mu Dan nodded gently, “Please don’t feel burdened in any way. I’ll support you no matter what.”
A moved Hua Yong took her hands. There was nothing else he would ask for since he already had a wife like her.
After she was gone, Hua Yong drained another few bottles of wine and became a bit tipsy. Upon making a decision, he told his subordinate to immediately inform him when Yang Kai returned.
The subordinate nodded and withdrew.
About five days later, Yang Kai returned to Twin Spirit Island and started arranging a Space Array in the bamboo forest.
The Proprietress needed a month or so to fully heal from the backlash from wearing the Blood Monster Battle Dress, so Yang Kai used this time productively.
Since there was already a Space Array in front of the exit, arranging one here allowed him to move around easily.
While he was busy, someone informed him that Hua Yong was inviting him to a banquet.
In the Main Hall, Hua Yong and Yang Kai were seated as a group of curvaceous ladies danced in front of them.
This sight was pretty rare as no one in Shadowless Cave Heaven was below the Open Heaven Realm. That was because anyone who wasn’t in the Open Heaven Realm wasn’t allowed to enter. In other words, the ladies who were dancing were all Open Heaven Realm Masters. Although they were in the Low-Rank, they were still Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Only in a special environment such as the Shadowless Cave Heaven would these ladies put down their pride and dignity to survive in such a way. In the outside world, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises wouldn’t let Open Heaven Realm Masters do such a thing.
As the melodic music sounded, the hourglass figures danced elegantly. These ladies, who were of different styles of beauty, tried their best to showcase their advantages and seduce Yang Kai.
They heard that Yang Kai had single-handedly destroyed Profound Yang Mountain, and even the three Mountain Lords had become his subordinates. If Yang Kai were interested in them and willing to protect them, they would be able to enjoy a great life.
To the side, Hua Yong observed Yang Kai and realised that even though the young man was enjoying the show, he didn’t show any lust towards these women. While Hua Yong was disappointed, he admired the fact that Yang Kai didn’t seem to indulge in such amorous hobbies, which was a rare quality.
After three rounds of wine, Hua Yong waved his hand to motion for the ladies to leave.
Yang Kai put down his wine cup and gazed at the older man, “Do you have anything you need me to do, Island Master Hua?”
Hua Yong must have a reason for inviting him to a banquet. Yang Kai speculated that it was about leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but he wasn’t certain what he was up to.
A horrified Hua Yong replied, “I wouldn’t dare, Brother Yang. You’re a powerful man who single-handedly destroyed Profound Yang Mountain and subdued Mao Zhe. This Hua can never achieve what you’ve done. I wouldn’t dare to tell you to do anything. There are just some questions I’d like to ask you.”
Yang Kai motioned for him to ask.
After measuring his words, Hua Yong asked, “Which Cave Heaven or Paradise are you from, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai couldn’t believe that Hua Yong had this kind of speculation as well. Zhou Ya had previously asked him about it, which should be an order from Mao Zhe. It was only now that he realized Hua Yong shared the same sentiment.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t surprising. He had showcased a power that was much greater than those in the same Order. To most people, only an elite from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises was capable of doing that.
Yang Kai shook his head with a helpless smile, “That would be a misunderstanding, Island Master Hua. This Yang is just a rogue cultivator. I’m not from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.”
Hua Yong exclaimed, “No way!” He couldn’t believe that Yang Kai could be so powerful if the latter wasn’t from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Yang Kai said, “It’s true.”
Hua Yong gasped as he increasingly admired the young man. Yang Kai was already so mighty when he wasn’t from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. Would he have been even more formidable had he come from one of those?
After a moment of hesitation, Hua Yong asked, “Are you without any foundation in the outside world, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai replied honestly, “I’ve founded a force called Void Land and now serve as its Lord.”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong became relieved, thinking that the young man had a base at the very least. Although Void Land sounded like the name of a Second Class great force, it was expected as Yang Kai was a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Hua Yong couldn’t help reminiscing about the past, “Before coming to the Shadowless Cave Heaven, my Wife and I had a territory in the outside world as well, but… 10,000 years have passed. That place has probably been occupied by someone else by now.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “What is there to worry about since you’re still alive? Both of you are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If you leave Shadowless Cave Heaven, you can occupy any Spirit Province and rise again.”
Hua Yong shook his head, “This Hua is old now, so I’m not as ambitious as when I was young. Now, I just hope to look for a peaceful place so that my Wife and I can nurture our child together.” All of a sudden, he rose from the chair and cupped his fist at Yang Kai with a solemn expression, “Brother Yang, this Hua has an impolite request.”
Yang Kai quickly stood up and replied, “Please don’t be overly formal with me, Island Master Hua. Please tell me right away.”
Hua Yong said, “My Wife and I would like to join your Void Land. Are you willing to accept us? This Hua will be grateful if you do!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed, “You want to join Void Land?”
Hua Yong said, “En. Do you not accept any outsiders?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “That’s not it. It’s just that it’s only been slightly more than 10 years since Void Land was established, so its foundation is rather weak…” He paused for a moment, “If you don’t mind my place being small, this Yang is more than willing to welcome you.”
An ecstatic Hua Yong said, “We’re more than grateful that you’re willing to accept us so that we’ll have a place to stay. Why would we even mind it?” Following that, he swung his sleeves and cupped his fists with a serious expression, “Sect Master.”
Yang Kai took his hands and said with a smile, “You’re being too formal again, Elder Hua!”
“Elder?” Hua Yong arched his brow.
Yang Kai explained, “Since both of you are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, you’ll be the Elders after you join Void Land.”
An elated Hua Yong said, “Many thanks, Sect Master. This Hua will definitely do everything he can to contribute to Void Land.”
Certainly, Yang Kai didn’t think this old man was sincere. Hua Yong didn’t even know where Void Land was, so why would he really do everything he could for the Sect? Yang Kai never took his words seriously.
Still, just like that, Void Land had two new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, which was why Yang Kai was excited. Even though Hua Yong had his own considerations, and he might not even be sincere about joining Void Land, they would be a part of the Sect after they were given the brand of Void Land. If Void Land really fell into danger in the future, the couple would be pretty useful.
Since they were one family now, Hua Yong became increasingly passionate as he invited Yang Kai to take a seat and filled his cup again.
Meanwhile, he attempted to find out more about Void Land. Upon learning that there were two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, more than ten Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and about 300 hundred people in the Fourth-Order and below, Hua Yong was astounded.
A Second Class great force like that could be considered extraordinary by having this kind of heritage. It could be said that Void Land was at the peak among the Second Class great forces. He couldn’t figure out how a great force that was founded just a decade ago grew to be so formidable.
With that said, he was relieved that Void Land was strong. He and his Wife were going to join Void Land after leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so with such a strong Sect as their support, they would be more confident when dealing with any affairs in the outside world.
After they drank for a bit more, Yang Kai retired to his room.
Hua Yong probingly asked whether Yang Kai wanted the ladies who danced earlier to serve him in bed, but the latter rejected it outright. He stopped mentioning it as he saw him off and cupped his fist, “Sect Master, I’ll inform the people from Twin Spirit Island about this tomorrow so they can decide whether they want to leave. When the time comes to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven, my Wife and I will follow you. Please take care of us then.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Don’t worry, Elder Hua.”
After Yang Kai was gone, Hua Yong breathed a sigh of relief, then he shuffled towards his bedroom to tell his Wife about what had happened.
As Yang Kai recalled the incident earlier while heading towards the bamboo forest, he couldn’t help smiling.
He was indeed surprised that Hua Yong asked to join Void Land all of a sudden; however, if he were in his shoes, he would’ve made the same decision.
Hua Yong had decided to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven with Yang Kai, but he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to protect his Wife and himself after falling into the source of the Astral Wind. By then, their lives would hinge on Yang Kai. With Yang Kai’s protection, they probably would be safe. Nevertheless, if Yang Kai didn’t protect them, they were bound for death.
Now that they had joined Void Land though, Yang Kai had to ensure their safety since he was now their Sect Master. With this connection between them, the couple could follow Yang Kai with peace of mind; otherwise, they wouldn’t have easily sided with any great force since they were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, since Hua Yong had agreed to it, a lot of people would tag along as many of those from Twin Spirit Island would want to leave together. It wasn’t certain whether those from Unrivalled Guild would want to come but Yang Kai wasn’t bothered either way.
Upon returning to the bamboo forest, Yang Kai started getting busy. Half a day later, the Space Array was completed. He gave it a try and confirmed that he could easily reach the exit.
Now that everything was prepared, he just had to wait for the Proprietress to recover before they set off.
Life was peaceful for the following days as Yang Kai refined Open Heaven Pills and resources to strengthen the heritage and World Force of his Small Universe.
Just like what Chef had said, when a cultivator reached the Open Heaven Realm, he had to manage his Small Universe seriously. Accumulation took a painfully long time, so it wasn’t easy to ascend to the next Order.
A few days later, Hua Yong rushed to the bamboo forest and reported, “Sect Master, the three brothers from Unrivalled Guild have come over with a group of people and shouted that they want to see you.”
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes. As he recalled the three burly men, his face twitched slightly, “Are they here to fight, or do they want to leave with me?”
“They didn’t say anything.” Hua Yong shook his head, “They just wanted to meet you and mentioned that you were the one who told them to come here. They look quite fierce, so I think they’re probably up to no good.”
A headache came over Yang Kai as he said, “Let’s meet them.”
He was the one who told them to come here, so he couldn’t keep hiding from them. At that instant, he regretted informing those three about it. He should’ve let them perish in this place on their own. If they really left, they would surely create trouble in the outside world sooner or later.
After leaving Twin Spirit Island, Yang Kai saw the brothers standing outside the island with a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters behind them. Upon seeing Yang Kai, the brothers immediately glared at him. One of them bellowed, “Yang Kai, all of us are here now. When are we setting off?”
A speechless Yang Kai gazed at them and asked, “Are you all leaving Shadowless Cave Heaven with me?”
“Of course!” Another person yelled impatiently, “Otherwise, why would we have come all the way here?”
The third person demanded, “Cut the crap. Let’s leave now!”
Yang Kai’s face twitched even harder than before as he explained, “There might be some unforeseeable danger. If you’re not careful, you might lose your lives. Will you all please think it through?”
All of a sudden, he didn’t feel like bringing these brothers with him anymore.
“What’s there to think through?” The first brother who spoke yelled, “Since there’s a chance to leave, why wouldn’t we seize it? Do we really have to wait for death here?”
The three of them were simple-minded and straightforward, so it wasn’t surprising that they were so resolute in their actions. Yang Kai had just informed them about it some time ago, but they really called the roll and came over.
It had to be noted that they were not friends to begin with, nor had they come into contact prior to the previous meeting. Most people would have some doubts. Hua Yong had to join Void Land before he had the audacity to leave with Yang Kai; otherwise, he would never be able to set his mind at ease.
More than 100 people from Unrivalled Guild had arrived. These people were standing behind the brothers as they stared at Yang Kai with fervent and fawning gazes.
Certainly, not everyone from Unrivalled Guild had come. Some people were still in doubt, so they had decided to stay. With that said, 100 cultivators was a lot of people.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “We can’t leave now. Please calm down and wait for me here for some time. We’ll only set off when everything is prepared.” Then, he turned to look at Hua Yong, “Please help settle them down.”
This matter was giving Hua Yong a headache, but he still replied, “Yes.”
Then, he welcomed those from Unrivalled Guild into the island.
Although Shi Shan and the others were displeased, Yang Kai had the final say in this matter. Since he wasn’t leaving yet, none of them could set off. After they entered Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong welcomed them with a banquet. At that moment, noise filled the island.
Prior to this, Hua Yong already had a conversation with his confidants and informed them that he was leaving with Yang Kai. He had even joined Void Land. These people could decide whether they wanted to leave.
However, Hua Yong only had a small number of confidants, so the news wasn’t leaked yet. Since those from Unrivalled Guild had arrived, however, basically everyone was aware of it now.
At that instant, those from Twin Spirit Island were tempted.
As the days went by, Shi Shan and the others would visit Yang Kai from time to time and urge him to depart. A frustrated Yang Kai told Mao Zhe and the others to keep guard outside the bamboo forest so that no one could disturb the Proprietress.
After one month, the barrier outside the bamboo hut dissipated as the Proprietress stepped out.
Yang Kai, Chef, and Accountant, who had been waiting outside, turned to look at her. When they saw that her skin was glowing and her aura was stable, which meant that she had gotten rid of the lingering Monster Qi, they heaved a collective sigh of relief.
In the Shadowless Cave Heaven, the Proprietress and the others had endured the Astral Wind many times before, which inevitably caused some losses to their Small Universes. However, as long as their foundations were not damaged, they could make up for the losses sooner or later, so it was no big deal.
After Yang Kai told the Proprietress about what was going on in Twin Spirit Island, she sported a worried expression, “Can you protect so many people on your own? Based on what you’ve said, there are probably more than 200 people who will be tagging along.”
“There won’t be a problem if the wind in the origin of the Astral Wind isn’t too strong; however, if it’s significantly more violent, it might be hard for me to fend it off entirely.” Yang Kai gave it a thought, “I have the Six Fated Paths Bag that can store some people.”
He had obtained the Six Fated Paths Bag from Xu Huang. As for how the artifact was made, he had no idea. Nevertheless, the space inside the bag was expandable, so it was pretty amazing. More importantly, it could also accommodate Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, regardless of how incredible the bag was, there must be a limit. Previously, Yang Kai had only kept a small number of Open Heaven Realm Masters inside it, so he had no idea what the limit was.
The Proprietress sighed, “Unfortunately, there’s no High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master with us. The Small Universe of such a person can accommodate a lot of people and help share your burden.”
The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had fully materialised, so it could accommodate living creatures. Anyone could enter it as long as their Order wasn’t higher than that of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
In other words, any Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could keep people in the Seventh-Order and below inside his or her Small Universe.
When Yang Kai arrived at the Outer Universe in the past, he came across the Fire Spirit Land Protector Venerable Duan Hai from Seven Wonders Land who led him to a portal, behind which was a ‘universe’.
Now, it was apparent to Yang Kai that it wasn’t Duan Hai’s Small Universe. That was because Duan Hai was only in the Fourth Order, so his Small Universe couldn’t accommodate living creatures.
What he saw at that time was probably a Divine Ability cast by Duan Hai or the projection of his Small Universe. However, Yang Kai and the others were too weak in the past, so they were not able to judge. Hence, they thought that it was Duan Hai’s Small Universe.
Although Yang Kai was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his Small Universe was different from those of other Open Heaven Realm Masters. That was because his Small Universe could accommodate living creatures since he had merged it with his Small Sealed World.
However, a High-Rank cultivator wouldn’t usually keep anyone inside their Small Universe because there was a huge risk associated with doing so. If an ill-intentioned person caused some damage inside their Small Universe, the owner would suffer an immense loss.
One would only let someone enter their Small Universe if they had complete trust in that person.
After a brief discussion, Yang Kai sent a message to Hua Yong, who replied promptly. Since all of those from Twin Spirit Island and Unrivalled Guild were ready, they could set off at any moment.
Following that, Yang Kai told them to gather together in the bamboo forest.
Just a while later, a large group of people marched into the bamboo forest. These 200-plus people were divided into two groups. One of the groups was from Twin Spirit Island and was led by Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan. The other group was from Unrivalled Guild, which was led by the Shi Brothers.
The couple shuffled forward and saluted Yang Kai, then Hua Yong said, “Sect Master, everyone from Twin Spirit Island is ready. The people who are willing to leave are all here.”
Yang Kai swept a glance over the people behind him and nodded.
When Mao Zhe and the others, who were standing behind Yang Kai, heard how Hua Yong addressed him, their expressions changed slightly as they fell into their own thoughts.
The Shi Brothers had grown impatient after waiting these past few days, so at this moment, one of them urged Yang Kai in a loud voice, “When are we setting off? Why are you always dawdling?”
Yang Kai gazed at them with a smile, “We’re ready to go now.”
The brothers were elated as one of them said with a smile, “Good, good! We don’t have to keep waiting anymore.”
As Yang Kai swept a glance over the crowd, he said, “Many of you are from different forces, and there might be some grudges between you; however, since you’ve decided to leave with me, I hope you’ll set those grudges aside and work with one another. If anyone dares to pull any dirty tricks or sow discord on the road, I’ll teach them a lesson regardless of who they are. Even though I’ve found the exit of Shadowless Cave Heaven and I have the confidence to leave this place, we might come across some unforeseeable danger during the process. We might lose our lives at any moment, so if you’re not willing to take the risk, you’d better stay here so that you won’t regret it later.”
Everyone stared at him in silence but no one left.
Just then, Hua Yong cupped his fist and said, “We’ll obey your orders, Sect Master. If anyone dares to jeopardise our plan, this Hua will not let them off!”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “If everyone is prepared, we’ll set off now.”
Then, he turned around and led them to the Space Array he had built before sending a signal to Mao Zhe and the others, “You go over first and get prepared.”
Mao Zhe and the others stepped into the Space Array in silence, whereupon Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles and activated the array. After a light flashed, Mao Zhe and the others were gone.
Upon seeing that Mao Zhe and the others were safely sent over, these people set their minds at ease.
The Space Array that Yang Kai had built was neither big nor small, so six people could be sent over at a time.
It took Yang Kai about an hour before he delivered all 200 or so people over.
After Yang Kai stepped into the array, a light flashed through it as the world around him started spinning. When his vision refocused, he was already standing in front of the wind source. More than 200 people were already there as they looked around. Upon seeing Yang Kai, they immediately shifted their attention to him.
Yang Kai pointed at a particular spot in front of him and said, “The exit is right there. I’ll tear the space apart later and bring all of you out; however, since this place is connected to the outside world, the Astral Wind is just outside of here. After the crack appears, the Astral Wind will also come gusting in.”
Many of them gasped and appeared horrified. Basically everyone in the Shadowless Cave Heaven had experienced the brutality of the Astral Wind before. No one could ward it off.
That was the reason they were terrified the moment they heard that the Astral Wind would come in through the crack. It was only now that they figured out what kind of danger Yang Kai was referring to earlier. If they wanted to leave, they would have to face the Astral Wind.
“I will do my best to protect all of you; however, since there are many of us here, I might not be able to take care of everyone. As such, I’d like the weaker cultivators to enter my Six Fated Paths Bag to lighten the burden.” As Yang Kai spoke, he summoned the Six Fated Paths Bag and briefly talked about its abilities.
At that moment, many people exchanged glances as they fell into a dilemma.
The Six Fated Paths Bag was indeed amazing as it could accommodate Open Heaven Realm Masters; however, once they entered the bag, they would lose control over their own lives. If the bag was destroyed, the people inside it would instantly be killed without a chance to resist.
However, they were not in any position to object now. Yang Kai was only one man, and since so many people were tagging along now, some of them had to enter the bag to lighten the load.
Hua Yong and the Shi Brothers directly told the weaker cultivators to enter the bag. Although they were reluctant, they had no other choice.
With the bag in his hand, Yang Kai stored people inside it one after another, mostly those in the Second Order and the Third Order.
After putting about 100 people inside, Yang Kai finally realised that the bag had reached its limit. If he kept stuffing more people inside it, there was a risk of the bag exploding. That was why he stopped.
Nevertheless, now, he also had a vague judgement of the bag’s limit. The number of people the bag could keep seemed to have something to do with cultivation. If the people being kept inside the bag were strong, the artifact could only accommodate a small number. If they were all Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, the bag could probably only keep 20 or so people inside.
Half of the 200 people were gone, which greatly alleviated Yang Kai’s burden. The rest of the people who were outside were all in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. If they really came across any danger upon leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven, these people would be able to help.
Since everything was ready, Yang Kai walked up to the spot where he previously tore space apart. Then, he turned his head and nodded to motion for them to be careful.
As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai performed different hand seals and then shouted, “Open!”
The sound of something cracking was heard, then a Void Crack suddenly appeared and rapidly expanded.
The moment the Void Crack appeared, the Astral Wind started gusting in, which caused the expressions of these people to change drastically.
Yang Kai immediately used his Towering Evergreen, and as an emerald light expanded, the gigantic tree crown seemed to cover the entire sky. Its branches hung low and engulfed the hundred or so people.
Standing within the range of this Wood Element Divine Manifestation, everyone could feel a surge of vitality around them, and their minds were immediately soothed.
All of their anxiety was gone as they looked up and tutted in amazement.
It was the first time Hua Yong saw this Divine Manifestation, and as he listened to the howling wind and looked around, he muttered in disbelief, “The wind really got blocked out!”
Standing under this humongous tree, he realised that he wasn’t harassed by the Astral Wind one bit. It was even safer than when he was on Twin Spirit Island.
He was both shocked and excited, thinking that he had made the right decision to leave with Yang Kai.
Since Yang Kai had such a Divine Manifestation, he could ensure their safety while navigating through the Astral Wind. If Hua Yong had chosen to stay, besides the fact that the Shadowless Cave Heaven might collapse one day, his unborn child would also be unable to cultivate properly, thus making his future bleak. Just like his Wife had said, they would have to personally bury their child one day.
Mao Zhe and the others had experienced this before, so they immediately stood beside Yang Kai the moment he activated Towering Evergreen.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai shouted, then charged towards the Void Crack. The other cultivators didn’t hesitate to follow him as they made sure they were always within the tree’s protection range.
The Void Crack that Yang Kai had torn apart was huge; after all, more than 100 people had to cross it, so a small crack wouldn’t serve its purpose.
As soon as they left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they felt that time and space were disturbed.
An even more violent Astral Wind came at them from all directions, which caused the branches of the great tree to sway. Yang Kai’s expression changed as he finally realised why Mao Zhe and the others previously returned so soon after they moved past the crack.
They had indeed fallen into the source of the Astral Wind after leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven. The wind here was even more violent than the one gusting into the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
In such an environment, even Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Mao Zhe and the others would soon lose their lives as their Small Universes broke apart.
Yang Kai found it hard to sustain his Towering Evergreen as the branches shook wildly and these cultivators were worried that the Divine Ability would be broken. By then, all of them would be exposed to the gale.
Fortunately, even though the tree swayed, the Divine Manifestation remained stable.
Yang Kai turned around and manipulated Space Principles once again to seal the Void Crack.
Some people had decided to stay in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so if he didn’t repair the crack, the Astral Wind would continue blowing indefinitely. By then, the people who stayed would be doomed.
After Yang Kai was finished, he realised that everyone was staring at him.
They had finally left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but just like what was expected, they had indeed fallen into the source of the Astral Wind. Only by leaving this region would they stand a chance to survive.
No one knew which direction they should head.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense, but it was immediately shredded by the Astral Wind after it left Towering Evergreen’s range, giving him a headache since he was unable to scan the surroundings.
Gritting his teeth, he simply led these people in a random direction.
It wasn’t like the source of the Astral Wind was boundless, so as long as they kept moving forward in the same direction, they would eventually escape.
The fierce gale caused everyone to be anxious. It felt terrible to have their lives hanging by a thread.
As Yang Kai sustained his Towering Evergreen, his energy left his body like the water discharged from a dam. He felt fortunate that he had put more than 100 people inside the Six Fated Paths Bag; otherwise, he would’ve consumed even more energy.
The branches hanging from the ancient tree shook violently as though they would be gone with the wind at any moment; however, they still steadfastly blocked the Astral Wind out.
After they moved forward for a bit, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly.
The Proprietress was just beside him, and upon seeing his expression, she quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something over there.” Yang Kai stared intently ahead with his dark gaze as though he was trying to see through the gale; however, the endless wind had even caused space to warp, so he was unable to see anything.
His words made everyone stiff.
Hua Yong asked, “Perhaps only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters are able to resist this violent wind. What could it be that’s lurking in the wind?”
There was absolutely no living creature in the world that could live in this gale; however, Yang Kai wouldn’t lie to them in this situation. What’s more, he was protecting everyone with his Wood Element Divine Manifestation, so he was more sensitive to the surroundings than all of them.
“I have no idea.” Yang Kai shook his head with a solemn expression, then yelled, “It’s coming!”
Right after he finished speaking, his expression changed drastically as he turned to look in a particular direction. Over there, a hole was torn in the protective shield of his Towering Evergreen. Even though he was trying his best to repair the tear, a visible wisp of green smoke still snuck in through it.
Following that, the green smoke contorted and turned into a translucent Human-shaped creature with four limbs, but its height was only half of the average Human adult.
There were no facial features on its face, which was eerily flat.
“A Wind Spirit!” The Proprietress exclaimed, “The Astral Wind has nurtured a Wind Spirit. Stay on guard, everyone!”
All of them immediately raised their defences.
Before anyone could react, the Wind Spirit directly snuck into the body of the cultivator nearest to it and disappeared.
The cultivator was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and soon began screaming as the aura coming from his body fluctuated unstably.
The people around him leaped away in shock.
The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master yelled in horror, “It’s inside my Small Universe! Save me!”
Hua Yong bellowed, “No one can help you since the Wind Spirit is inside your body, only you can save yourself! Don’t panic! Focus on using your World Force to drive it out.”
Upon hearing that, the man hurriedly did as he was told; however, his cultivation was too weak. It wasn’t certain what the Wind Spirit was doing in his Small Universe, but everyone could feel his aura plunging rapidly. In just over ten breaths of time, his aura dropped from the Fourth Order to the Third Order, then the Second Order and eventually the First Order.
“Help me!” The man wailed as his aura flickered. Right after this final cry, he suddenly grunted and exploded into a blood mist. The people around him were instantly covered in blood.
“His Small Universe collapsed!” Mao Zhe’s pupils contracted.
A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had lost all his World Force in such a short time, so it was only natural that his Small Universe would be critically destabilised. The moment his Small Universe came apart, he died a horrible death.
No one could resist the Astral Wind as it could sneak into an Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe and wear away their heritage. Now, it seemed that this Wind Spirit was significantly more powerful than the Astral Wind.
After the man was killed, the green Wind Spirit reappeared. It had apparently shot out of the dead person’s Small Universe. Then, the green smoke moved and charged towards another cultivator.
Mao Zhe directly used a Divine Ability which struck the Wind Spirit. He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his methods were naturally formidable. However, since he was surrounded by so many people in such close quarters, he was rather restricted in his movements.
Nevertheless, the power of this Divine Ability was not to be underestimated. The immense force caused the Wind Spirit to pause.
As though the Wind Spirit was infuriated, it abandoned its target and dashed towards Mao Zhe instead.
Mao Zhe’s expression changed, but he was unable to dodge the Wind Spirit in such a place, so he had no choice but to continue using his Divine Abilities to force back the creature. At the same time, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya made a move together. Since three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had joined forces, they were able to hold the Wind Spirit at bay. Despite that, they weren’t able to destroy the Wind Spirit, which was strange.
The Proprietress suddenly yelled, “Don’t use your World Force. This thing can absorb it to strengthen itself!”
Mao Zhe examined the creature with narrowed eyes and realised that the Wind Spirit’s colour had become darker than when it first appeared, and it had also become more agile. The Proprietress was right to say that the Wind Spirit was able to absorb all kinds of World Force to strengthen itself.
The creature had just dived into a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe, which caused his aura to plunge and his Small Universe to collapse. It seemed that the creature really was becoming stronger after it fed on the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s heritage.
However, how was an Open Heaven Realm Master supposed to fight without using their World Force?
An Open Heaven Realm Master was only an Open Heaven Realm Master because they could use World Force.
The foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master’s power was the World Force in their Small Universe. If they couldn’t use World Force, they were no different from a toothless tiger.
Seeing that the Wind Spirit was charging towards him, Mao Zhe respectively grasped Zhou Ya and Geng Qing with his hands before he fled backwards.
Nevertheless, there was nowhere else they could go as they soon reached the edge of Towering Evergreen’s protection. If they moved any further, they would be exposed to the Astral Wind directly.
At the most critical moment, a whip broke through the air and wrapped itself around the Wind Spirit. Following a thunderous noise, the whip tightened itself, which caused the Wind Spirit to fall apart.
But soon, the Wind Spirit took shape again. However, the strike allowed everyone to see a glimmer of hope.
The Proprietress, who was holding the whip, yelled, “Use your artifacts!”
Although an Open Heaven Realm Master had to activate their World Force to use their artifact, the attack of an artifact itself wasn’t composed purely of World Force. It was also mixed with the artifact’s own power, which could apparently not be absorbed by the Wind Spirit.
The Proprietress was just giving it a try, so it surprised her that she actually found the solution right away.
At that instant, lights of different colours flickered. The Open Heaven Realm Masters summoned their artifacts and attacked the Wind Spirit. The violent fluctuations of energy were chaotic as all sorts of Elements surged out.
The Wind Spirit was extremely agile and it could easily dodge most of the attacks. On the other hand, many of the cultivators were accidentally hurt since they were all crammed together.
With that said, some of the attacks still struck the Wind Spirit. Every strike could make its figure fall apart, but it would soon re-form. However, its colour became increasingly dimmer.
Seeing that, Hua Yong yelled, “Hang in there and don’t panic! As long as we’re united, we don’t have to be afraid of this Wind Spirit!”
He wasn’t boasting wildly. Even though the Wind Spirit born in this place was eerie as it could kill a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in a short time, there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters around, including nine in the Sixth-Order. If they couldn’t even deal with a single Wind Spirit, they should just give up and let it kill them.
The powers of the artifacts continuously blossomed and the Wind Spirit had become so dim that it was almost transparent. Just when it was about to be destroyed, a crack suddenly appeared on its flat face as though it had opened its mouth and it released a fierce howl.
No one knew what this Wind Spirit was doing, but they still put up their guard with solemn expressions.
Although the wind was heard howling, it didn’t appear to be intimidating or lethal at all.
However, Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically as he said, “Stay alert! We might be in trouble!”
“What?” Hua Yong turned his head to ask, then his pupils contracted.
In the meantime, cracks that were caused by a mysterious force started appearing around the protection range of the Towering Evergreen. Puffs of green smoke snuck in through the cracks, then contorted and turned into odd-looking creatures.
Just like the Wind Spirit they had seen previously, these things had limbs but not facial features. Their faces were flat in an eerie way. Some of them looked like tigers, wolves, and some other animals.
The creatures that had barged in were all Wind Spirits. It was just that they were of different forms and there were more than ten of them.
Everyone felt a crawling sensation on their scalp.
Just one Wind Spirit was enough to give them a headache as over 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to kill it in a short time. Just when they were starting to see a glimmer of hope though, more of these Wind Spirits rushed in.
Apparently, the Wind Spirit was calling out to its companions just now by making that howling sound.
Many appeared to be in despair.
As soon as these Wind Spirits took shape, they started flying around. The cultivators exclaimed and tried to avoid them, but there was nowhere they could go. In just a moment, these Wind Spirits snuck into the bodies of over ten cultivators and disappeared.
These people widened their eyes in horror as they were desperate to fight for a chance to survive. They madly pushed their World Force in an attempt to force these Wind Spirits out of their Small Universes, but their efforts proved futile.
Many of them called out desperately for help.
The nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sported solemn expressions.
None of them could have expected that they would come across this kind of danger after leaving Shadowless Cave Heaven with Yang Kai, including Yang Kai himself. He thought that after leaving Shadowless Cave Heaven, the biggest risk he would face would be a more intense Astral Wind. With his Towering Evergreen though, he was confident he could ensure their safety.
However, it never crossed his mind that Wind Spirits existed in the Astral Wind source. Even his Towering Evergreen was unable to block them out.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, the auras of these people plunged. Just like the deceased Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from earlier, the heritages of their Small Universes were swallowed by the Wind Spirits and their Orders plummeted. Their Small Universes trembled and then collapsed.
In just over ten breaths of time, explosive sounds started ringing out. These people subsequently exploded into blood mists, leaving no traces behind.
One of these deceased Open Heaven Realm Masters was even in the Fifth Order, which was why Chef and Accountant gulped with pale faces.
Both of them were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so had any of the Wind Spirits snuck into their bodies, they would’ve ended up like these people.
Then, the Wind Spirits appeared again. It was obvious that their colours had become deeper, which was thanks to the fact that they had just swallowed the heritages of those Open Heaven Realm Masters’ Small Universes.
People who were still alive immediately leaped away with vigilance.
Just one Wind Spirit could make this place descend into chaos, so how were they supposed to deal with a dozen of them?
Many of them regretted not getting into Yang Kai’s Six Fated Paths Bag earlier. When Yang Kai fished out the bag in an attempt to keep some people inside it, many of them were reluctant; after all, once they entered the bag, they would lose control over their own lives. Eventually, it was Hua Yong and the Shi Brothers who dealt with the situation. Now, it seemed that the bag was the safest place to be.
Yang Kai glared at the Wind Spirits as he had the urge to summon his Azure Dragon Spear and kill all of them with it; however, he was now in the Astral Wind source, and he had to sustain the Towering Evergreen while looking for a way out, so he was incapable of helping to deal with these creatures.
Fortunately, when the Wind Spirits struck again, everyone was better prepared. Things were much better now as they could temporarily ward off the Wind Spirits. Nevertheless, as they used their artifacts, the violent forces fluctuated, which made it difficult for Yang Kai to sustain his Towering Evergreen.
However, their defences weren’t impenetrable. Just a moment later, some of the Wind Spirits broke through the bombardment and rushed towards the cultivators before sneaking into their Small Universes. These unfortunate cultivators appeared to have lost all hope.
They had seen how their companions died a horrible death in front of them, so they could imagine what it would be like.
“Proprietress!” Chef’s chubby figure suddenly shook as he turned to look at the Proprietress with a helpless smile.
The Proprietress’ pupils contracted as she exclaimed, “Chef!”
An anxious Accountant gazed at Chef in disbelief.
Just now, a Wind Spirit circled around Chef and snuck into his body from behind when no one was aware of it.
Chef parted his lips in an attempt to say something. Despite having countless things to say, he eventually condensed everything into two sentences, “It was my greatest honour to have met you, Proprietress. Many thanks for taking care of me over the years.”
After he finished speaking, he appeared relieved.
The Proprietress charged towards Chef and pressed her hand against his dantian before madly surging her own World Force power in an attempt to force the Wind Spirit out; however, the Wind Spirit had already snuck into his Small Universe, so she was unable to target it.
Chef shook his head as his aura plunged.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly extended his hand and yelled, “Come here, Chef!”
Chef turned his head, but before he could react, he felt a force engulfing him. The next moment, the world around him started spinning, and then he arrived at a very strange world.
In this world, the Moon was hanging in the sky as it cast its eerie glow on everything. Besides the refreshing air, this place was filled with dense World Force.
[Where is this place?] Chef was dumbfounded, then he soon realised in shock that a puff of green smoke billowed out of his body and turned into a snake. The Wind Spirit then hissed.
Chef widened his eyes as he couldn’t believe that the Wind Spirit had actually voluntarily left his body.
As the Wind Spirit hissed, Chef could clearly feel that the World Force in this world was being madly devoured by the creature. At the same time, it was also growing quickly.
Under the Towering Evergreen, Yang Kai grunted and staggered with a pale expression.
Since Chef was in trouble, there was no way he would sit back and do nothing. Left with no choice, he decided to put Chef into his Small Universe, thinking that he could deal with the Wind Spirit after that; however, he was stunned to see that the Wind Spirit had left Chef’s body and entered his Small Universe instead.
Yang Kai wasn’t certain about the reason behind it, but he reckoned that his Small Universe was probably more attractive to the Wind Spirit.
The next moment, his speculation was proven right.
He had exposed some of his aura just now when he opened up his Small Universe to keep Chef inside it. The remaining Wind Spirits of different forms halted and turned to face Yang Kai. Even the Wind Spirits that had previously snuck into those cultivators left their bodies now.
Since these Wind Spirits didn’t have facial features, they were supposedly not able to see; however, at this moment, Yang Kai could clearly feel that they were staring at him as though they were drooling over a delicious dish.
These cultivators were both shocked and stunned at the turn of events.
They had no idea what Yang Kai had done so that he could attract the attention of all Wind Spirits.
*Shua shua shua…*
The Wind Spirits turned into green streaks and charged towards Yang Kai in the next instant.
A flustered the Proprietress exclaimed, “Watch out, Yang Kai!” She then rushed over in an attempt to fend off those Wind Spirits for him.
Mao Zhe and the others frowned as they dashed forward. Their names were on the Loyalty List, so if anything happened to Yang Kai, they would be doomed as well.
“Let them come!” Yang Kai bellowed.
The Proprietress stopped in her tracks and stared dazedly at him as though she was asking what he was trying to do.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai didn’t have time to explain anything. Faced with these Wind Spirits, he opened his Small Universe wide. As his aura was exposed, these Wind Spirits became excited and hastened their pace.
These puffs of green smoke then penetrated Yang Kai’s body and disappeared instantly.
Yang Kai’s figure shook, and then he checked on his Small Universe and realised that the dozen or so Wind Spirits of different forms were madly absorbing his heritage to strengthen themselves. Meanwhile, Chef was trembling nearby.
“Proprietress, Mao Zhe, enter my Small Universe and help me deal with them!” As Yang Kai spoke, he extended his hands to them.
The Proprietress lowered her defences and allowed his strength to engulf her. She disappeared the next moment. At the same time, Mao Zhe and the other Mountain Lords also vanished.
When the four of them came to their senses, they realised that they were in a different world.
Looking up, they saw the Wind Spirits wolfing down the World Force around them while Chef stood rooted to the spot.
“What the…” Mao Zhe exclaimed and looked around. He had a speculation, but he found it hard to believe it.
“It’s my Small Universe. Rather than letting these Wind Spirits make a scene outside, I thought it would be better to just trap them here. I’ll cordon off the area around here, so please help me restrain them for now. I’ll handle them when I’m free!” Yang Kai’s voice reverberated from all around.
Not only was Mao Zhe in disbelief, but Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were also astounded.
They couldn’t believe that they were in Yang Kai’s Small Universe!
Common sense dictated that only when an Open Heaven Realm Master reached the High-Rank would their Small Universe be able to fully materialise and accommodate living creatures. Yang Kai was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how did he manage to achieve it?
They couldn’t wrap their heads around it as this went against the knowledge that was deeply imprinted in their minds.
Nevertheless, as Mao Zhe felt the density of the World Force around him, he finally understood why he wasn’t a match for Yang Kai even though both of them were in the Sixth Order.
The heritage in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was clearly richer than his own. As he looked up at the Bright Moon, he realised that the celestial entity seemed to contain a power that could freeze his soul. He was astounded, thinking that it was probably a High-Rank Element Power. Although he was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had only reached the Fifth-Order directly when he achieved an ascension in the past. In other words, his limit would be the Seventh Order in the future, which was why he craved this kind of power.
As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, they felt a force cordoning off the space around them.
Apparently, Yang Kai had sealed this region so that the Wind Spirits wouldn’t be able to cause too much damage to his Small Universe. However, his effort would be futile if there was no one around to tie down the Wind Spirits as the seal would be broken through sooner or later if they were left alone.
That was the reason Yang Kai decided to put the Proprietress and the others into his Small Universe. He was trying to make use of their powers to stall for time. Presently, he had to bring everyone out of the Astral Wind source as soon as possible, so he didn’t have time to deal with the Wind Spirits for now.
Although it was difficult for four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to confront more than ten Wind Spirits, it wasn’t Yang Kai’s intention to have them kill the odd-looking creatures. He just wanted them to distract them so that the Wind Spirits wouldn’t run rampant; hence, there shouldn’t be any problem.
Upon learning Yang Kai’s plan, the Proprietress made the first move. The whip in her hand coiled around the Wind Spirits like it was a Dragon before ripping them apart. She was trying to attract their attention so that they wouldn’t be able to concentrate on swallowing the heritage in Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Seeing that, Mao Zhe and the others quickly made a move as well.
Yang Kai felt that his Small Universe had descended into chaos, which made it hard for him to focus.
There was a bitter smile on his face as he finally realised why people always said even a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t easily let others enter their Small Universe, for that would be a terrible experience. No one would let someone else go into their Small Universe unless they wholeheartedly trusted that person as any slight disturbance would cause damage to their Small Universe.
Under Yang Kai’s Towering Evergreen, these people looked around in horror. Of the more than 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters, 20 or so had lost their lives in a short time. It could be said that they had suffered an immense loss.
Moreover, the eerie Wind Spirits had all dived into Yang Kai’s body, which made them feel worried.
It had to be noted that Yang Kai was the key to their survival. If anything happened to him, all of them would be exposed to the Astral Wind source. With the Towering Evergreen around, they would be safe from the harassment of the Astral Wind; however, without this Wood Element Divine Manifestation, no one had the confidence to survive here for long.
Therefore, all of them turned to look at Yang Kai, who seemed fine even though he sported a solemn expression.
Hua Yong asked with concern, “Sect Master, those Wind Spirits…”
Yang Kai replied in a muffled voice, “They’re inside my Small Universe. Mao Zhe and the others are dealing with them. We have to leave this place quickly!”
Then, he continued leading the crowd forward. They followed him closely, ensuring that they were always within the protection range of the Divine Manifestation.
On the road, they came across several more Wind Spirits that broke through the defence of Towering Evergreen and caused a ruckus.
Yang Kai used the same trick and sent these Wind Spirits inside his Small Universe.
The Proprietress and the others already found it hard to deal with the dozen or so original Wind Spirits, so the situation only exacerbated when more were let in. There were even times when they were almost attacked and invaded by the Wind Spirits.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai sent Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan into his Small Universe so that they could help.
The movements in his Small Universe thus became even more violent. Yang Kai could feel his blood weltering while his aura was extremely unstable. As his head kept buzzing, he had a feeling that he would suffer from cultivation dissonance at any moment.
Time seemed to pass by even more slowly at this moment.
Accountant, who had been standing guard beside Yang Kai, suddenly exclaimed, “You’re hurt!”
He could see that blood was leaking from Yang Kai’s seven orifices, and his eyes were horrifyingly red.
Yang Kai grunted as he couldn’t even spare the focus to respond. He silently charged forward while exerting more force to sustain his Towering Evergreen to fend off the howling Astral Wind.
Each breath that passed felt like an hour, but at a certain point, Yang Kai suddenly felt that the pressure around him was gone and the Towering Evergreen’s protection, which was suppressed by the Astral Wind earlier, abruptly expanded.
An energised Yang Kai shouted, “We’re out of the source!”
Everyone was elated as they looked around; however, as the green branches hung so low, they were still engulfed in an emerald light, making it impossible to see outside clearly. With that said, they were aware that the wind, which had haunted them for a seemingly long time, finally stopped howling.
They had really left the Astral Wind source!
At that instant, all of them started cheering.
To be safe, Yang Kai didn’t immediately retract his Towering Evergreen, sustaining it as he continued charging forward for another incense stick worth of time. Following that, he released his Divine Sense, and upon making sure that they were safe, he withdrew the Wood Element Divine Manifestation.
As the light dissipated, the others released their Divine Senses and realised that they had landed on a shattered Spirit Province, which was about a hundred square kilometres. It was absolutely desolate, while all around was only an endless void.
“Please stand guard for me,” Yang Kai hurriedly said to the Shi Brothers as he sat down cross-legged. Then, he emptied his mind and sunk his consciousness into his Small Universe.
The Shi Brothers still hadn’t figured out what was going on or where they were, but upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, they immediately surrounded him and raised their vigilance.
At this moment, they were not certain whether they had really left the Shadowless Cave Heaven and returned to the 3,000 Worlds, so they reckoned that they had to ensure Yang Kai’s safety.
The battle inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe was fierce. Six Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and about 20 Wind Spirits were locked in combat. As these people flew around, the powers of their artifacts blossomed.
Although Yang Kai had cordoned off this battlefield, the wild energy fluctuations still caused his Small Universe to shake and rumble.
The six of them were elated when they saw Yang Kai’s figure appear.
The Proprietress said, “Yang Kai, it’s too hard to deal with these Wind Spirits. We’re unable to destroy them.”
When the first Wind Spirit appeared, it took all 100 or so Open Heaven Realm Masters attacking it for some time for its colour to simply become dim, to say nothing of the fact that there were so many Wind Spirits now. Furthermore, they were now inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe, so they didn’t dare to release too much of their power. They were now even more restricted in their movements than previously.
“I know. Let me handle the rest. Many thanks for all you’ve done.” As Yang Kai spoke, he extended his finger, whereupon a portal appeared in his Small Universe, beyond which was the aura of the outside world.
Mao Zhe asked with a frown, “Will you be alright on your own?”
Yang Kai replied, “I have no idea, but I have to give it a try. Right now I’m restricted since all of you are here, so please leave this place first.”
After a moment of silence, Mao Zhe sent a signal to Geng Qing and Zhou Ya, then the three of them shot out through the crack together, followed by Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan. A worried Proprietress gazed at Yang Kai and parted her lips.
Before she could speak though, Yang Kai said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Proprietress. Even if I can’t kill them, I’ll still be able to expel them.”
The others were unable to force these Wind Spirits out once they were invaded because their Small Universes were still ethereal. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s Small Universe was corporeal, so if it came down to it, he could simply cut out part of his territory and expel it. Although his foundation would be damaged by doing this, it was better than waiting for death.
“Be careful, and don’t push yourself too hard,” Proprietress stated in a solemn voice, then turned around and left through the portal.
After closing the portal, Yang Kai stared silently at the Wind Spirits and said through clenched teeth, “I bet all of you have been having fun, haven’t you?”
The Wind Spirits apparently couldn’t understand him, and without the restraint of the Proprietress and the others, they immediately started swallowing the heritage of his Small Universe again.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that the power of his Small Universe was rapidly streaming into these Wind Spirits. Although he had cordoned off this area, he was still unable to stop them from absorbing his heritage.
Honestly speaking, Yang Kai still had no idea what these Wind Spirits really were. He speculated that they were born in the Astral Wind source and simply followed their instincts to swallow up World Force. They probably didn’t even have sentience.
Yang Kai couldn’t let these creatures continue wreaking havoc in his Small Universe. The longer they stayed, the greater the loss he would suffer, so with a thought, he yelled, “Water Reflects the Moon!”
The Moon in the sky immediately shone brightly and cast its glow on everything below.
A layer of frost was instantly seen on the figures of these Wind Spirits, as though they were covered in white clothes.
Yang Kai was ecstatic since his Water Element Divine Ability seemed to be working. Just now, he was worried that his Element Powers wouldn’t be useful against these Wind Spirits, but now he could set his mind at ease.
As the frost expanded, Yang Kai could clearly feel that the speed at which the World Force was draining had slowed. The Wind Spirits instinctively felt that something was off. They were originally wolfing down the Small Universe’s heritage, but they were now staring up at the Moon in the sky.
The next instant, their figures shook to break free of the frost, then they pounced at the Moon. The howling of wind was heard coming from their mouths, which threw Yang Kai’s Small Universe into turmoil.
The closer the Wind Spirits got to the Moon, the colder they felt. Showered in the Moonlight, they found themselves becoming increasingly sluggish as the frost on their figures thickened.
Despite that, they still wouldn’t back down, so Yang Kai had to watch as the Wind Spirits crept closer to the Moon.
The Moon in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was the manifestation of his Water Element Divine Ability, which was somewhere between illusory and real. He wasn’t certain what would happen if these Wind Spirits managed to reach it.
He wouldn’t dare to take the risk. Seeing as Water Reflects the Moon was unable to stop these Wind Spirits, he decided to use his first Divine Manifestation and bellowed, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
The Moon suddenly sank beyond the horizon, and as the Golden Crow cawed, a Great Sun leapt into the sky, a three-legged exotic bird flying around it gayly.
The icy cold power was instantly replaced by a scorching heat. The Wind Spirits hadn’t managed to stop their advance when the Golden Crow’s True Fire was spit out from the Sun.
Then, a series of strange sizzling sounds were heard. As these Wind Spirits continued to howl, their figures were completely engulfed in the black Golden Crow’s True Fire.
Golden Crow’s True Fire was said to be able to burn down everything in existence, and it seemed these Wind Spirits weren’t an exception.
Seeing that, Yang Kai was ecstatic.
He could see that the 20 or so Wind Spirits had turned into fireballs, and as the Golden Crow’s True Fire continued to burn, dark smoke started billowing from their flaming figures.
Yang Kai frowned as he instinctively felt that the dark smoke was a terrible thing. This was his Small Universe, so he was able to detect the slightest anomaly, and the dark smoke made him feel like he had eaten some rancid food.
Realising the ferocity of Golden Crow Casts the Sun, the Wind Spirits instinctively tried to flee; however, since they were now covered in Golden Crow’s True Fire, how were they supposed to get rid of it?
Moreover, Yang Kai had cordoned off the space around this area, so regardless of how hard they tried to break through the seal, they were unable to escape the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
Yang Kai pushed his power to strengthen his Golden Crow Casts the Sun.
More dark smoke billowed from these Wind Spirits, and as that happened, they became dimmer and dimmer.
The very first Wind Spirit was previously besieged by over 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters, so it was much weaker from the start. Quickly being burned down by the Golden Crow’s True Fire, it soon fell apart and vanished into thin air.
Yang Kai arched his brow because as the Wind Spirit evaporated, he felt a stream of World Force surging into his Small Universe, which helped make up for some of the damage done to his heritage.
[What’s going on?] Yang Kai wondered but didn’t have time to ponder on this issue as he had to continuously sustain Golden Crow Casts the Sun. At the same time, he exerted more force to fortify the seal so that these Wind Spirits wouldn’t be able to cause further damage to his Small Universe.
Golden Crow Casts the Sun was immensely powerful, and given Yang Kai’s current cultivation, he was even able to cause a certain degree of damage to a High-Rank cultivator using it. Therefore, the average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to persevere for long under the influence of this Divine Manifestation.
With that said, these Wind Spirits were clearly pretty tough. The Great Sun in the sky continued to burn them, and although Yang Kai could feel that they were getting weakened by the moment and believed that they would eventually fall apart like the first Wind Spirit, that would still take some time.
Two days later, Yang Kai, who had been paying close attention to the Wind Spirits, suddenly shifted his attention to one of them. Just then, following a muffled boom, the almost transparent Wind Spirit exploded into nothingness.
Just like what happened previously, right after the Wind Spirit disappeared, a stream of pure World Force flooded into his Small Universe.
*Peng peng peng…*
More Wind Spirits popped as half of them soon disappeared.
More World Force gushed into Yang Kai’s Small Universe like a raging storm, leaving him in a state of disbelief.
One day later, the last Wind Spirit was finally burned to death by the Golden Crow’s True Fire. Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief when he saw its figure coming apart.
More than 20 Wind Spirits had been destroyed, and after they disappeared, they left behind a lot of World Force. What was more precious was that the World Force was without any impurities. In other words, anyone could absorb it and turn it into their own capital immediately.
Initially, the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was severely damaged because of those Wind Spirits; however, now, not only had the losses been made up for, but he had also gained some benefits.
Yang Kai didn’t immediately leave his Small Universe. Instead, he emptied his mind and used his Small Universe to refine the World Force left behind by the deceased Wind Spirits in order to strengthen his heritage.
Time went by slowly.
More than ten days later, on the shattered Spirit Province, Hua Yong, who had been paying close attention to Yang Kai, suddenly called out, “Sect Master is waking up!”
Since Yang Kai brought them to this shattered Spirit Province half a month ago, he had been seated there without moving a muscle. All of them could see that he had lured the Wind Spirits into his own Small Universe, but no one knew what happened next. They had experienced the eeriness and power of the Wind Spirits, so it was expected that the Proprietress and the others were worried.
Upon hearing Hua Yong’s words, the Proprietress immediately turned to look at Yang Kai and realised that he was indeed slowly opening his eyes.
Before she could ask anything, Yang Kai suddenly let out a puff of dark smoke through his mouth.
A shocked the Proprietress hurriedly released her Divine Sense, but she couldn’t identify what the dark smoke was. It seemed to carry a hint of the Wind Spirits’ auras, but it didn’t entirely feel like it either.
In reality, this dark smoke was the same dark smoke released by the Wind Spirits when they were burned by the Golden Crow’s True Fire. Yang Kai had no idea what it was, but he instinctively felt that it would do him more harm than good if he kept it in his Small Universe.
Over the past few days, Yang Kai had been trying to refine the World Force left behind by the deceased Wind Spirits and come up with a way to get rid of the dark smoke. Now, his efforts finally yielded some results.
In the end, it was his Small Universe, so he could easily detect any anomalies, allowing him to disperse the dark smoke with only some effort.
“I’m sorry to make you all wait for such a long time,” Yang Kai got to his feet and said.
The Proprietress asked with concern, “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai shook his head.
In fact, not only was he fine, but he had also attained some immense benefits. It wasn’t certain what those Wind Spirits were, but after they were destroyed by the Golden Crow’s True Fire, they significantly bolstered his strength.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that the heritage of his Small Universe had increased significantly, possibly as much as 100 years of dedicated cultivation would bring him.
He was more than satisfied with this pleasant surprise.
The Proprietress was still doubtful, but upon seeing that his skin was glowing and his aura had become more stable than before, she relaxed slightly.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned to look in a particular direction and narrowed his eyes, then exclaimed, “What is that?”
He could see that there was a gigantic tornado that appeared to be several tens of thousands of kilometres wide in the distance. As the tornado swirled around, warping the space surrounding it slightly.
The sight was quite terrifying.
The Proprietress walked up to him and looked in the same direction before explaining, “That’s the Astral Wind’s source.”
A shocked Yang Kai couldn’t believe that he had actually left such a place some time ago, much less that those eerie Wind Spirits could actually be born in such a place.
“The wind…” Yang Kai frowned and fell into his thoughts. For some reason, he could feel a strange and mysterious domain within the tornado.
“It’s a Divine Ability,” the Proprietress said.
Yang Kai gazed at her in shock.
The Proprietress went on to say in a bitter voice, “Trust me. Before you woke up, we had been observing it for quite some time and came to the conclusion that it was once some kind of Divine Ability.”
Yang Kai felt his throat turning dry, “A Divine Ability? Does that mean someone cast it?”
Mao Zhe took a step forward and said with a bitter smile, “Perhaps it’s a Divine Ability left behind by a Great Ancient Expert. Although countless years have passed, it’s still as powerful as ever.”
Yang Kai widened his mouth in disbelief, but the truth was right in front of his eyes, so he had to accept it.
He wouldn’t have figured it out if the Proprietress hadn’t pointed it out. Upon hearing her words though, he could indeed see that it was a Divine Ability cast by someone in an unknown time; however, it continued to exist until this day.
The Divine Ability happened to be located just outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven’s exit; therefore, right after they left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they fell into the region this Divine Ability covered.
It seemed to be targeted at the Small Universes of Open Heaven Realm Masters. If one wasn’t careful enough, the Astral Wind would sneak into their body and wipe away their heritage.
This Astral Wind wasn’t the same as the one that gusted into the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Instead, it was a tornado that would endlessly devastate a person’s Small Universe.
Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to think about what would happen if a person was struck by such a Divine Ability.
If such a tornado ravaged his Small Universe, he reckoned that he couldn’t persevere for more than ten breaths.
The Divine Ability never subsided, and as time passed, eerie Wind Spirits were born from it.
Judging from what happened after the death of those Wind Spirits, Yang Kai reckoned that the World Force brought away by the Astral Wind didn’t just disappear; instead, it was brought back to the tornado.
Those Wind Spirits were probably hybrids of the World Force and the Divine Ability’s domain. Over the years, countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had accidentally fallen into the tornado and passed away. Their World Forces were all devoured by the Wind Spirits.
The Shadowless Cave Heaven was a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by a deceased Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it wasn’t supposed to be so desolate. However, due to the Astral Wind’s harassment that took place once a month, the World Force was continuously lost. Furthermore, basically all the Open Heaven Realm Masters were affected by the Astral Wind in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
The World Force was snatched and brought back to this tornado as it became the nutrients for the Wind Spirits.
Therefore, it could be said that every Wind Spirit contained very ample World Force.