Yang Kai had gained tremendous benefits by destroying those Wind Spirits and obtaining their World Force
As he looked silently at the tornado, he couldn’t help but wonder how many more Wind Spirits there were inside it. The ones he had come across were certainly not all of them. If he rushed into the tornado and lured more Wind Spirits into his body, he could save a lot of time on cultivation.
In that case, he would be able to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm sooner.
Although there was only a difference of one Order between the Seventh Order and the Sixth Order, it was like the gap between the Heavens and Earth. The former was in the High-Rank while the latter was in the Mid-Rank, so they were not comparable at all.
Others might be wary of the Astral Wind, but Yang Kai was able to ward it off, and with his previous experiences, he could handle those Wind Spirits with ease.
Nevertheless, he soon gave up on that idea.
This couldn’t be helped as his strength had increased too quickly recently. Back then, he was forced to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then one month later, he made it to the Sixth-Order by consuming a World Fruit. If he still rushed into making an attempt to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, it might cause his Small Universe to become unstable.
After all, the Open Heaven Realm was a process where one had to build up and manage their Small Universe gradually. Sometimes advancing too quickly was a bad thing.
He reckoned that when he was ready one day, he could still come back here and lure those Wind Spirits into his Small Universe in an attempt to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. At the thought of this, Yang Kai set his mind at ease.
“Where are we now?” Yang Kai asked.
The Proprietress replied, “We’re in the Shattered Heaven, but I don’t know our exact location.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, thinking that the Shattered Heaven indeed lived up to its bad reputation. Before coming here, he had heard that this place was paved with danger. He had previously seen some ferocious artifacts that had gained sentience, and now there was this Divine Ability that had persisted across countless eons. No one knew how much more danger they would bump into. If they were not careful enough, they would lose their lives here.
Yang Kai fished out a Universe Chart he had bought in the Shattered Heaven’s Star City, but he soon realised that he still couldn’t identify their location.
Left with no choice, he said, “I guess we’re lost for now. We can only play it by ear.”
No one objected to the suggestion. Regardless of where this was, it was better than staying in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. They had never expected that they would be able to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven in their lifetime, after all.
Yang Kai then fished out the Six Fated Paths Bag and released the 100-plus people he had previously kept inside it. After a brief discussion among the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they headed in a particular direction.
They came across a lot of danger on the road, most of which did not come with a warning. Although the 10 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been vigilant, they still suffered damage on several occasions.
More than 200 cultivators had left the Shadowless Cave Heaven with Yang Kai, 20 or so were killed by the Wind Spirits, and half a year later, only roughly 140 people were left. Other than the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were still fine, basically everyone else had suffered some degree of injury.
This just went to show how dangerous the Shattered Heaven was.
Over the past six months, the group did not just travel in the same direction. Instead, they would change course from time to time.
Unfortunately, after such a long time had passed, they still hadn’t encountered anyone, which made it impossible for them to identify their location.
Another six months later, Yang Kai, who was in the lead, suddenly looked in a particular direction for a moment. Then, he became elated and exclaimed, “There’s movement over there!”
Upon finishing his words, he charged forward.
The people behind him became energised as well and hurriedly followed after him.
A moment later, they saw some flashes of light in front of their eyes and felt some energy fluctuations coming from up ahead. Apparently, some people were fighting.
As they got closer, Yang Kai realised that there were two Open Heaven Realm Masters engaged in a life-and-death battle. It wasn’t certain why they got into a scuffle, but the battle was quite intense.
Both of these two were powerful Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. It wasn’t certain how long the battle had lasted, but their auras were pretty weak and they were practically covered in wounds and blood.
While they were trying to hack each other to death though, the two men sensed something and turned to look at Yang Kai. The next moment, their expressions changed drastically as they separated and drew back.
A short time later, Yang Kai stopped in a spot that wasn’t far away from them.
When the two men saw the group of people behind Yang Kai, they sported solemn expressions. As they exchanged glances, they subconsciously moved closer to one another.
Regardless of the cultivation of these people, they couldn’t possibly go up against so many on their own. Although they were just fighting a life-and-death battle earlier, they were at least familiar with one another. Compared to these strangers, they would rather trust the party they knew.
Noticing their vigilance and hostility, Yang Kai put on a friendly smile and cupped his fist, “Please excuse us. We just happened to pass by this place, and we mean no harm.”
The man on the left shot Yang Kai a glance with distrust, then asked with a frown, “What do you want?”
Yang Kai replied, “We were previously trapped inside a perilous place, and it took us years before we finally managed to escape. Unfortunately, we’ve become lost so we don’t know how to get to the Shattered Heaven’s Star City. Would you be so kind as to point the way for us?”
The two men were astounded as they were wondering why such a large group of people had approached them all of a sudden, but it turned out that these people were just looking for directions.
The man who spoke earlier pointed in a particular direction and said, “If you want to head to the Star City, move in that direction. You’ll reach it in half a month.”
Yang Kai looked in the same direction and nodded gently, “Many thanks. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Following that, he flew off in the direction the man had pointed out, followed by the rest of the group which soon disappeared into the distance.
The two men, who were engaged in an intense battle just a moment ago, traded glances, feeling at a loss.
After this farce, they were no longer determined to kill each other. Furthermore, they were equally matched to begin with, so if they kept on fighting, both parties would end up severely wounded at best.
Now that they had been interrupted, they no longer had the heart to keep fighting. After cursing at one another, they turned into rays of light and charged in different directions.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai and the others were moving in the direction they were pointed at full speed. As expected, the further they went, the more cultivators they came across. These people had obviously just left the Shattered Heaven’s Star City.
Regardless of who they were though, these people would always run away when they saw such a large group of Open Heaven Realm Masters approaching. Countless people were killed or robbed in Shattered Heaven every day. If a person was killed in this place, no one would seek justice for them.
Half a month later, the Shattered Heaven’s Star City came into sight.
The people behind Yang Kai started cheering; the Shi Brothers were especially loud. When these cultivators saw the Star City, their eyes became reddened and moist, as though they had just been reborn.
Previously, they had accidentally fallen into the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and they thought that they would never be able to leave. It never crossed their minds that they would have a chance to return to the 3,000 Worlds one day.
Many of their companions had lost their lives along the way here, so it felt amazing to have come back alive.
Soon, they charged into the Star City. As they watched the cultivators who were moving around, the stalls on the streets, and the disorderly buildings, they felt a sense of cordiality. The sight before their eyes was never seen in the Shadowless Cave Heaven after all.
Even Mao Zhe and the other Mountain Lords were moved.
Then, they checked into an inn and had a bath to wash away the dirt on their bodies.
Following that, Hua Yong took out some money to hold a banquet for the companions who had left the Shadowless Cave Heaven together. At that instant, the inn’s lobby was crammed with people.
Over 140 people were divided among more than ten tables. Yang Kai and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were seated together while the rest of them crowded around with their friends as they chatted and drank. The place was bustling with noise.
Meanwhile, many Open Heaven Realm Masters, in groups or as individuals, came over and proposed a toast to Yang Kai, thanking him for helping them to escape the Shadowless Cave Heaven and return to the 3,000 Worlds.
An easy-going Yang Kai didn’t turn down anyone and soon became tipsy.
A while later, Hua Yong asked the Shi Brothers, “What are your future plans?”
Presently, Shi Shan was gnawing on the thigh of some kind of roast beast, and his lips were covered in grease, so upon hearing Hua Yong’s question, he took a large swig of alcohol and asked back, “What do you mean?”
Hua Yong said with a helpless smile, “Since you’ve left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, you’ll need to look for a place to stay. It’s not like you’ll just keep wandering around, right?”
The Shi Brothers were astounded upon hearing that as they traded glances for a moment. Then, Shi Shan scratched his head and said, “That’s right. What should we do next?”
Shi Qiu said in a muffled voice, “You’re the Big Brother, so I’ll listen to you.”
On the side, Shi Yue nodded repeatedly.
Shi Shan batted his eyes, then looked smilingly at Hua Yong, “What about you two? What are your plans?”
Hua Yong replied with a smile, “My Wife and I joined Void Land, and thanks to the Sect Master Yang, we’ve been promoted to the position of Elders.” Then, he took a glance at Mao Zhe, “Brother Mao and them should have done the same.”
“You decided to join Void Land?” Shi Shan stared at Mao Zhe in shock.
A silent Mao Zhe sported a wry smile.
As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he wouldn’t have joined Void Land if he wasn’t restricted by the Loyalty List. Even if he willingly decided to join, he was supposed to be an Elder just like Hua Yong, but now, they were just Yang Kai’s subordinates and couldn’t even control whether they lived or died. They were practically servants.
Hua Yong promptly said to the Shi Brothers, “We all owe the Sect Master a life-saving grace. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have a chance to leave the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Since we’ve now gained a second chance at life, we should repay his favour. We all occupied different territories in the Shadowless Cave Heaven; however, since we’ve left, why don’t you also join Void Land? Given our friendship over the years, we can take care of each other in the future. What do you think?”
The Shi Brothers fell silent upon hearing that.
A moment later, Shi Qiu said in a small voice, “Big Brother, why don’t we join Void Land as well?”
Shi Shan furrowed his brow, “If we join Sect Master Yang’s great force, we’ll be under his control. What if he doesn’t allow us to drink wine and eat meat? It certainly doesn’t feel as great as having our own territory.”
Shi Yue dipped his head, “Big Brother is right.”
Shi Shan said, “We can join forces and venture into the outside world. I don’t believe we’ll fare poorly. It’s better than getting bossed around by someone else. When we manage to make a name for ourselves, we can do whatever we want.”
Their voices were neither loud nor small, so the Open Heaven Realm Masters at the scene were able to hear them.
Seeing that the brothers were not willing to join Void Land, Hua Yong was ready to keep persuading them when Yang Kai raised his hand to stop him, “Just let the Shi Brothers do whatever they want. This Yang wishes all the best for your future.”
Shi Shan gazed at Yang Kai with a grin, “We’ll venture into the outside world for now. If we really can’t make a name for ourselves, we’ll come join you.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Good. The doors of Void Land are always open for you.”
These Sixth-Order brothers were triplets who had mastered a profound Combination Technique. When they joined forces, they would be far more powerful than an ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If they could join Void Land, the great force’s collective power would increase tremendously.
With that said, before Yang Kai even left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he had subdued the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain, and then Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan requested to join Void Land. It could be said that he had gained some handsome benefits by acquiring five more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for Void Land.
Since the Shi Brothers were not willing to work under him, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t force them.
Then, Yang Kai looked around and declared openly, “If any one of you is willing to join Void Land, this Yang will welcome you. If you have somewhere else to go, this Yang will wish you all the best. Since we’ve overcome a great life-or-death crisis together and finally left the Shadowless Cave Heaven together, we’re practically friends now. If you’re willing to join Void Land, this Yang will not mistreat you!” Then, he picked up his cup and continued, “This Yang will propose a toast to all of you. Let’s drink to all our futures!”
Following that, these Open Heaven Realm Masters rose from the chairs and picked up their cups, their gazes filled with gratitude and admiration.
When they were done with the wine in their cups, they took a seat again as the lobby once again became bustling.
After finishing up the ample meal, they returned to their own rooms and took some rest.
However, Yang Kai was unable to get any sleep as some people would knock on his door and express their willingness to join Void Land from time to time. These cultivators had been trapped inside the Shadowless Cave Heaven for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Although they had returned to the outside world, most had no place to go.
They were grateful that Yang Kai had brought them out of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and since he was the Sect Master of Void Land, they were more than happy to side with him.
Just like what Yang Kai had said, they had experienced life-and-death moments together, so they knew they would not be mistreated. Furthermore, the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain and the Island Masters of Twin Spirit Island had joined Void Land, so regardless of what Void Land was like in the past, it would have a bright future since so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters belonged to it now.
Yang Kai didn’t turn anyone down who came into his room as he happily agreed to let them join.
Void Land was unlike other great forces as it was founded not long ago, so they didn’t have enough time to nurture their own young cultivators. What’s more, it was hard for the people from the Shadowless Cave Heaven to join other great forces as their loyalty wasn’t guaranteed.
However, since Void Land was in the midst of rapid development, Yang Kai desperately needed more Masters to help support it. It wouldn’t be too late to think about other issues when everything was settled in Void Land.
Looking at it from another perspective, the cultivators who joined now could grow with Void Land, and as time passed, they would eventually develop a sense of belonging, so their loyalty wouldn’t be an issue in the long run.
Two days later, the Shi Brothers bid Yang Kai farewell. Since they had decided to venture into the outside world, they wouldn’t want to stay here too long. They had loitered in the desolate Shadowless Cave Heaven for far too long, so they yearned to explore the wonders of the outside world.
When Yang Kai saw them off, he realized that the Shi Brothers had many of the people from Unrivalled Guild with them. There were also some people who were originally from Profound Yang Mountain.
The Shi Brothers had been the Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild for many years, so although they were rather muscle-brained, they were indeed powerful and had their own charisma. Since they did have some influence, it was expected that some people were willing to follow them.
As for the people who were originally from Profound Yang Mountain, they were probably wary of Mao Zhe and the other Mountain Lords. After all, following Profound Yang Mountain’s demise, they immediately sided with the other two great forces, which practically meant that they had abandoned their old Leaders. Now that Mao Zhe and the others had joined Void Land, these people didn’t have the nerve to side with Yang Kai, so they had no choice but to leave with the Shi Brothers.
About half of the over 140 people left, so roughly 70 remained.
Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush to leave the Shattered Heaven’s Star City though and instead cultivated in this place for half a month. Although the Shattered Heaven’s Star City was dilapidated, it was also filled with good things. Countless cultivators moved around this place every day and many of them were able to bring back rare resources from the depths of the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai initially intended to buy some cultivation resources, but his attempts were ultimately in vain. This couldn’t be helped as the things in this place were quite expensive, almost two times the average price in the outside world.
More importantly, he couldn’t find the things he really needed.
Since he was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the fastest way for him to cultivate was to refine Sixth-Order materials. After his conversation with Chef some time ago, Yang Kai learned that he had to refine full sets of materials to properly increase the heritage of his Small Universe.
He had more than enough materials for the Five Elements, but he lacked Sixth-Order Yin-Yang materials as these things were truly rare.
As for Fifth-Order materials, he didn’t need to buy them. With the Gourd Vine in Void Land, complete sets of Yin, Yang, and Five Element materials were produced every month, so the supply was basically infinite.
Half a month later, a ship departed from the Shattered Heaven’s Star City. The ship was bought by Yang Kai and while its defensive and offensive strength weren’t particularly outstanding, it was pretty spacious as it could comfortably accommodate 200 people, so the 70 or so aboard had more than enough space to move around.
Since the route had been mapped out, someone just needed to drive the ship forward while Yang Kai found a room and cultivated in seclusion.
The view in the void alternated between surreal and desolate as time went by slowly.
One month later, the ship suddenly shook. Hua Yong knocked on the door and said, “Sect Master, we’ve arrived at the first destination according to your plan.”
[We’ve arrived? That was quick.]
Yang Kai opened his eyes and left the room. After nodding at Hua Yong, he walked towards the deck.
He looked into the distance and saw a Spirit Province that was full of World Energy hovering in the void. A thick layer of fog surrounded the Spirit Province and one could faintly see some beautiful buildings and splendid mountains through the mist.
Some figures left the cabin as Mao Zhe and the other Mountain Lords stood behind Yang Kai and looked into the distance.
Mao Zhe narrowed his eyes and asked, “Is this Void Land?”
Although the place looked average, it had the scale and ambience of a Second Class great force. With that said, it wasn’t very impressive.
“It’s not Void Land.” Yang Kai shook his head.
Mao Zhe was confused. What was this place if it wasn’t Void Land? He had just left the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so he was unable to identify the location without a Universe Chart.
As they spoke, the Proprietress led Chef and Accountant to the deck. Hearing the noise, Yang Kai turned around and walked over, “Why are you here, Proprietress?”
The Proprietress shot him a glance and frowned, “What are you trying to do?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You know full well what I’m trying to do.”
The Proprietress furrowed her brows and parted her lips, “I was just spouting nonsense since I was infuriated at that time. Many years have passed, so let’s just put it behind us.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Although many years have passed, you’ll be restricted by your oath if it is not resolved, meaning you won’t be able to make it to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm in your lifetime…” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Are you worried that there will be too many casualties?”
She said with a conflicted expression before she sighed, “There must be some innocents. Once a war breaks out, many people will lose their lives.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai said, “I’ll try to limit the casualties then.” Seeing that she was about to keep dissuading him, he cut her off by saying, “Your heart demon oath must be resolved. Furthermore, when Heavenly Sword Union made things difficult for me in the past, they also participated. Since they have the guts to invade Void Land, they must be ready to pay the price!”
Seeing that he was determined, the Proprietress let out a sigh and stopped trying to dissuade him.
On the other hand, Chef and Accountant rolled up their sleeves as they realised Yang Kai’s intention.
Hua Yong and the others were puzzled, not knowing what they were talking about.
Mao Zhe secretly spoke to Hua Yong, who replied, “I have no idea either. We’ve come to this place according to the route that Sect Master mapped out. The place in front of us is apparently called Boundless Altar.”
A glint flashed through Mao Zhe’s eyes as he darted his gaze between Yang Kai and Boundless Altar. At the same time, he paid a silent tribute to those from Boundless Altar for a moment.
The people from Boundless Altar must have offended this walking disaster; otherwise, Yang Kai wouldn’t have directly come all the way here after leaving the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Boundless Altar was doomed.
A top Second Class great force was usually managed by one or two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most; however, there wasn’t a lack of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on this ship as there were seven of them in total. No Second Class great force in the world was able to go up against such a lineup.
As they spoke, the ship continued moving towards the Spirit Province.
In just one hour, they arrived at the periphery of the Spirit Province.
As they got closer, they could see the view in the Spirit Province clearer. They saw that many people were moving around in Boundless Altar. Rays of light could be seen flying between the magnificent Spirit Peaks. There were also a lot of exotic beasts that flew through the air.
The ship was neither small nor big, but as it navigated through the void, it was still pretty conspicuous.
The guards around Boundless Altar had noticed the ship some time ago, and seeing that it was directly coming at them, they immediately sent a message to their higher-ups.
Soon, a figure shot out from one of the Spirit Peaks in Boundless Altar. Hovering within the coverage of the Grand Array, he looked intently into the sky.
What came into his sight shocked him, for he could see a lot of people on the ship. Due to the distance and the fact that these people weren’t releasing their auras, he wasn’t able to discern their cultivations; however, he had a feeling that those people were ill-intentioned.
Hence, he bellowed, “This is Boundless Altar! Who goes there?”
His loud voice reverberated across the void.
The ship didn’t seem to have any intention to stop and simply charged towards Boundless Altar.
The person’s expression changed. As a beam of light flashed across his fingers, he sent a message to some people. The next moment, the Grand Array lit up.
With a dispassionate expression, Yang Kai lifted his hand and forcefully brought it down.
Seeing that, Hua Yong and the others immediately made a move as well.
In an instant, a crack appeared in the Grand Array around Boundless Altar and the ship directly flew inside.
On the deck, Yang Kai’s clothes flapped in the wind as he shouted, “Void Land’s Yang Kai has come!”
Yang Kai’s thunderous voice spread across the entire Boundless Altar. In an instant, the World shook as countless eyes looked in the direction where the voice came from.
Most of the cultivators in Boundless Altar were puzzled as they had never heard of Void Land or Yang Kai before. That was because they were weak and they had rarely stepped out of Boundless Altar. Despite that, they could still clearly sense the hostility in the person’s voice, so they leaped into the air and charged in a particular direction.
On the other hand, a small number of people had their expressions change drastically as their gazes were filled with horror.
Although Void Land wasn’t a household name as it wasn’t comparable to the Cave Heavens and Paradises, it was still a rising Star in recent years.
This great force was rising at an unprecedented speed.
The long-lost legendary Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills were found in the Star City of that great force, which drew the attention of other great forces from all over the 3,000 Worlds.
Before that, the Hundred Sects Alliance, led by Heavenly Sword Union, invaded Void Land, but after the battle, the alliance was defeated, and even the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union, Kong Feng, was executed on the battlefield.
More importantly, Boundless Altar was a part of that alliance, and they had suffered immense losses. Great Elder Ling Chun Qiu and a number of other Open Heaven Realm Masters were killed in Void Land, leaving no corpses behind.
Initially, Boundless Altar and Void Land had no contact with one another; after all, they were separated by several Great Territories, and they had no relationships of any kind. However, since the incident of the Hundred Sects Alliance, grudges had been formed between both parties.
Certainly, those from Boundless Altar were heartbroken at the fact that Ling Chun Qiu and the others were killed. Even though Boundless Altar was considered a Second Class great force, its heritage was weak. A Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was an important pillar in their great force, so Ling Chun Qiu’s death did have some negative impact on Boundless Altar.
Nevertheless, there was nothing they could do about it. The idea of avenging Ling Chun Qiu’s death never crossed their minds as the Hundred Sects Alliance was defeated and nearly wiped out, so how could Boundless Altar achieve anything on its own?
Rather than them looking for revenge, they had to consider themselves lucky if the other party didn’t come seeking trouble.
It could be said that all the great forces that besieged Void Land at that time shared the same sentiment. Recently, they had been hiding inside their great forces and doing their own things as they were afraid that those from Void Land would retaliate against them one day.
Those from Boundless Altar had never expected that Yang Kai would arrive at their great force and directly break their Grand Array!
Boundless Altar was considered a well-established Second Class great force with a few tens of thousands of years of heritage. Supposedly, its Grand Array shouldn’t be so fragile to be broken with only one move. The reason this was happening was that none of them had expected that there was such a reckless person in the world who would directly barge into their Headquarters without even giving a warning.
The Grand Array wasn’t even fully activated when a crack was opened in it, which allowed Void Land’s ship to enter.
Furthermore, five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had made a move at the same time, so regardless of how sturdy the Grand Array of Boundless Altar was, it could never endure the bombardment from so many powerful Masters. Even if it was fully operational, it would only have been a matter of time before it was destroyed.
Even the Nine Heavenly Layers was broken through once, to say nothing of the fact that the Grand Array in this place was significantly weaker than the Nine Heavenly Layers.
After moving through the crack, the ship silently hovered in the air with Yang Kai standing on the deck and looking down coldly at those below.
The person who came from the Spirit Peak turned pale and stared solemnly at Yang Kai as he asked, “Are you Void Land’s Sect Master Yang?”
Yang Kai looked condescendingly at him, “Who are you?”
The person cupped his fist and replied in a bitter voice, “Altar Master of Boundless Altar, Yuchi Cheng Zhou. Please forgive me for not greeting Your Excellency earlier as I was unaware of your arrival.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “You’re the Altar Master of Boundless Altar?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou dipped his head, “Yes.”
Yang Kai sized him up, and judging from the faint fluctuations coming from his body, he should be a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai thought that Boundless Altar was pretty weak as the Altar Master was only a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Since the increase in his strength, the height of Yang Kai’s vision had also grown significantly. Before going to the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he was still immensely pressured when he was faced with a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. When he was returning to the Star Boundary back then, he was completely powerless to resist someone like Hei He. In the end, he had to use a precious Mid-Rank World Fruit to help Lu Xue ascend from the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Order so that she would have the power to fight back against Hei He and eventually subdue him.
Now, he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had defeated Mao Zhe, a peak Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Numerous Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were also killed by him before; therefore, Yang Kai’s attitude was now different when he was faced with someone like Yuchi Cheng Zhou.
It had only been a short time since he arrived in the 3,000 Worlds, and he hadn’t come into contact with a lot of great forces, so he wasn’t aware that this was actually the norm amongst Second Class great forces.
According to the classification of great forces in the 3,000 Worlds, any place with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command could claim to be Second Class. If a Sect had several Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, their heritage could be considered impressive. Some of the Second Class great forces only had Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters leading them. Although they were also Second Class great forces, they didn’t have the scale and power to match. Such great forces were actually found everywhere.
After sweeping a glance over Yuchi Cheng Zhou, Yang Kai asked, “Do you know an old fart named Ling Chun Qiu?”
Upon hearing that, Yuchi Cheng Zhou sported a bitter expression, knowing that his biggest fear had come to haunt him. When he heard Yang Kai mentioning his great force earlier, he knew that he was in trouble. It was apparent that those from Void Land were here to retaliate against them; therefore, at the mention of Ling Chun Qiu, he knew that his speculation was right.
He couldn’t help but secretly curse at Ling Chun Qiu for offending Void Land for no reason. Heavenly Sword Union’s Kong Feng had some ulterior motive for heading to Void Land, so it wasn’t necessary for Ling Chun Qiu to butt into that affair. Boundless Altar had nothing to do with Heavenly Sword Union to begin with, so they didn’t need to join forces with the latter.
Now that Yang Kai had stormed into Boundless Altar, how were they supposed to deal with him?
Yuchi Cheng Zhou said in a helpless voice, “To be honest with you, Sect Master Yang, Ling Chun Qiu is the Great Elder of Boundless Altar. He left with some people a few years ago, and he has gone missing since then. Why did you mention him all of a sudden? Have you come across him somewhere?”
It wasn’t like he could say he had no idea who Ling Chun Qiu was. As the Great Elder, Ling Chun Qiu held an important position in the Sect. It would be insincere if he said he didn’t know him. Now, he could only try to separate Boundless Altar from the feud so that they would be able to avoid calamity.
As for avenging Ling Chun Qiu’s death, he wouldn’t even dare to think about it. He had seen the people on the ship making a move earlier. There were five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so they could easily destroy the entire Boundless Altar.
“He went missing?” Yang Kai sneered, “Is that really the case?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou’s forehead was covered in cold sweat as he nodded, “I wouldn’t dare to lie to you, Sect Master Yang. Please understand.”
As they spoke, the cultivators from Boundless Altar were flying over from different directions. They still had no idea what was going on when they stood behind Yuchi Cheng Zhou. However, upon seeing that the Altar Master was quite anxious, they realised that they were in a perilous situation, so they sported solemn expressions.
Yang Kai stared seriously at Yuchi Cheng Zhou for a moment before he nodded gently, “I’ll take your word for it. Since you don’t know where Ling Chun Qiu is, I’ll tell you now. That old dog brought some people to invade Void Land, and he was killed by me for his transgression.”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou pretended to be shocked as he exclaimed, “Why would he do something so foolish!?”
Yang Kai stared at him and felt disgusted, thinking that the Altar Master could indeed put on a good show.
A frustrated Yuchi Cheng Zhou said, “The Great Elder was old, and he sometimes made rash decisions. A few years ago, he was pretty dejected over something, so he decided to go out and travel. He hasn’t returned since then. We all thought that he was cultivating in seclusion somewhere, but we never expected that he had made such a huge mistake.” Following that, he bowed deeply at Yang Kai, “Please forgive him, Sect Master Yang. He has paid the ultimate price for the mistake since he was killed. I hope you will not try to settle accounts with him now.”
There was a devious smile on Yang Kai’s face as he said, “Why would I settle accounts with a dead person?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou’s expression changed. Yang Kai’s words suggested that he was going to settle accounts with those who were living instead. Knowing that the crisis was unavoidable, Yuchi Cheng Zhou secretly sighed and cupped his fist, “Regardless of his reasons, Ling Chun Qiu was the Great Elder of Boundless Altar. As he has offended Sect Master Yang and Void Land, we’ll have to bear some responsibility. Since you’ve come all the way here, we’re willing to pay a price in the hope of appeasing your wrath. Please give us a chance to live!”
After he finished speaking, the people behind him appeared vexed. No one would feel pleased when they had to act so subservient in their own Headquarters; however, none of them dared to express their fury. The Altar Master’s obsequious behaviour suggested the other party was too formidable. If they got into a conflict, Boundless Altar would suffer a huge loss.
“It’s surprising to know that you’re such a sensible person, Altar Master Yuchi.” Yang Kai looked meaningfully at him.
He was initially filled with murderous intent as he was ready to help the Proprietress vent her anger here, but was rendered almost speechless by Yuchi Cheng Zhou’s eloquence.
Since the other party was acting so polite, his murderous intent subsided.
With a lowered gaze, Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before declaring, “Since you’re willing to offer some compensation, Altar Master Yuchi, we can certainly talk it out.”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, “What demands do you have, Sect Master Yang?”
Yang Kai replied dispassionately, “When the Hundred Sects Alliance invaded Void Land, I declared in front of Ling Chun Qiu and all others present to hear that not only would I kill them, but I would also wipe out the Sects behind them, down to the last chicken and dog.”
He had indeed said such a thing to both Ling Chun Qiu and Qi Jin at that time.
The expressions of Yuchi Cheng Zhou and the cultivators from Boundless Altar changed drastically upon hearing that.
Yang Kai’s cold voice went on to reverberate as he continued, “This King initially intended to honour those words; however, since you’re such a reasonable man, this King will give you two choices. Do you want me to destroy the Sect or kill everyone here?”
Was there a difference between the two options? It seemed that this matter couldn’t be resolved peacefully.
Yuchi Cheng Zhou sported a dark expression as he said in a grim voice, “Sect Master Yang, we’re willing to appease you, so why do you insist on acting ruthlessly?”
Yang Kai snorted, “When the Hundred Sects Alliance invaded Void Land, no one forced you all to join. Since you’ve committed the act, you must pay the price. One’s mistakes must be paid for in kind.”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou said after a sigh, “I’m the Altar Master of Boundless Altar. I’m already embarrassed that I’m not able to make the Sect thrive, but the foundation of several tens of thousands of years cannot be destroyed on my watch. If you’re so relentless, Sect Master Yang, don’t blame us for offending you.”
“You’re courting death,” Yang Kai’s eyes were filled with coldness, “You’re fully aware that all of you can’t go up against this King.”
Hua Yong, who was standing behind him, wore a menacing expression. He had just joined Void Land, so he desperately needed a chance to prove his worth. If a battle broke out, he would be the first to charge forward.
Yuchi Cheng Zhou said in a grim voice, “Everyone dies eventually, the only difference is how soon it happens. Since the Great Elder made a mistake, we can’t blame you for coming over to hold us accountable; however, there are no cowards in Boundless Altar. We shall live and die together with Boundless Altar!”
The cultivators behind him appeared incensed as they shouted, “Live and die together with Boundless Altar!”
Following some whooshing sounds, the auras of these Open Heaven Realm Masters spread around as the World Forces undulated.
A moved Yang Kai swept a glance over these cultivators and secretly sighed. Was this the heritage of a Sect that had been in existence for several tens of thousands of years? Although they were lacking in strength, their sense of belonging and loyalty to their Sect was far greater than those of younger great forces. Even though these people were all aware that they would lose their lives in this battle, they still refused to back down.
Many appeared terrified, but no one was willing to take a step back.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Since you’ve made such a decision, this King will stop persuading you. On the road to the Yellow Springs, at least you won’t be lonely.”
He was determined to destroy Boundless Altar as this was related to the Proprietress’ heart demon oath, so there was no turning back. Although he respected their loyalty to their Sect, that wouldn’t stop him from demolishing Boundless Altar.
Anyone who stood in the way of his Martial Dao would be killed. Having made up his mind, Yang Kai raised his hand and was about to order his people to attack when suddenly he turned to stare at the deepest part of Boundless Altar and exclaimed.
Mao Zhe and the others also sensed something as they looked in the same direction.
A powerful aura seemed to have awakened in that place. Although the aura was only faintly exposed, it revealed that the owner was extraordinary.
There was actually a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Boundless Altar!
The revelation surprised Yang Kai. When he saw that Yuchi Cheng Zhou was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he thought that Boundless Altar was pretty weak. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised he had underestimated the heritage of a Sect that had been in existence for over 10,000 years.
It wasn’t that they didn’t have a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; the person just didn’t want to reveal himself. If it weren’t for Yang Kai and his group preparing to make their move, this person wouldn’t have exposed himself at all.
The ample aura suggested that the person’s cultivation was truly incredible.
Upon sensing the aura, Yuchi Cheng Zhou and the others looked in that direction and exclaimed, “Old Ancestor!”
Just then, an old voice was heard coming from that direction. It seemed that he hadn’t spoken for a long time, so his voice sounded hoarse, “Little Friend, will you please listen to this Old Master first?”
Yang Kai gazed in that direction as a glint flashed through his eyes. It was as though he was able to see across space and find out the person’s whereabouts. Then, he said impassively, “Is there any advice you’d like to give me, Old Sir?”
The person replied, “I wouldn’t dare to give you any advice. I just hope that you’ll come here and have a talk with me, Little Friend.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai nodded, “En.”
Then, he turned his head and ordered, “All of you, wait for me here.”
A worried Hua Yong said, “Sect Master, do you want me to go with you?”
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai waved his hand and took a step forward. After he left the ship, his figure flickered and disappeared.
All of them looked in the direction where the old voice came from. Yuchi Cheng Zhou and the others appeared ardent, as though they were hoping that their Old Ancestor would be able to solve this issue for them.
Mao Zhe, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly said, “This Old Sir from your Sect is about to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, right?”
He too was at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm as he was just one step away from the Seventh-Order; therefore, he was especially sensitive to this person’s aura. However, he had suffered some losses in the Shadowless Cave Heaven some time ago. Although he had returned to the 3,000 Worlds, it would take him a long time before he could restore his lost strength.
Yuchi Cheng Zhou replied, “Old Ancestor has been cultivating in seclusion for 800 years. I have no idea about his current cultivation.”
Mao Zhe sneered, “Do you think your Old Ancestor can make him leave?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou turned to look at Mao Zhe, who then snorted, “You’re too naive.”
He didn’t explain anything after finishing his words. No one could understand how horrendous Yang Kai was until they fought him head-on. Before coming across Yang Kai, Mao Zhe believed that no one under the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was a match for him. There might be a small number of people who were as powerful as he was at most; after all, he was already at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Nevertheless, after one encounter with Yang Kai, he realised that there was always someone out there who was stronger.
That guy was no different from a monster as he had condensed numerous High-Rank Elements. Although Yang Kai was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Mao Zhe speculated that his power was actually approaching the Seventh-Order.
He wasn’t certain about the power of this Old Ancestor from Boundless Altar, but he was sure that this old man was no match for Yang Kai.
He was at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he had suffered a loss at Yang Kai’s hands. Now that another person of the same calibre was about to experience the same, Mao Zhe couldn’t help but take pleasure in the other party’s misfortune. If he was the only one who had suffered from this kind of setback, it would be too sad.
No one knew what Yang Kai and Boundless Altar’s Old Ancestor talked about and they couldn’t even detect any energy fluctuations coming from them, but two hours later, a figure shot out from the deepest part of Boundless Altar.
The person was clad in a grey robe that matched his hair and beard. With his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura, it was apparent that he was Boundless Altar’s Old Ancestor.
Yuchi Cheng Zhou and the others flew over as they cupped their fists as they bowed, “Old Ancestor!”
The Old Ancestor took a glance at them and declared, “All of you, order the disciples to pack up now. We will leave within one hour!”
“Old Ancestor!” Yuchi Cheng Zhou’s pupils contracted as he couldn’t believe what he had just heard, but when he caught a glimpse of the blood at the corner of the Old Ancestor’s mouth, he exclaimed, “You’re injured?”
The Old Ancestor wasn’t willing to delve into this topic as he simply waved his hand, “Do it now.”
Certainly, Yuchi Cheng Zhou wouldn’t dare to disobey. After taking a glance at the place where the Old Ancestor cultivated in seclusion, he clenched his teeth and cupped his fist, “Yes.”
Then, the order was passed on to everyone. Soon, the entire Boundless Altar was bustling with noise as the disciples quickly packed up as many things as they could.
One hour later, thousands of Boundless Altar’s members gathered together in the same place. Many of them hadn’t figured out what was going on. They just heard that a person named Yang Kai from a force called Void Land suddenly barged into their home and then they were ordered to leave.
The Old Ancestor swept a glance over Boundless Altar’s foundation that had stood strong for several tens of thousands of years. Although he was reluctant, he still turned his head and cupped his fist at Hua Yong and the others, “Please tell your Sect Master that this Old Master has complied with his demand and hope he gives us a chance to survive.”
Hua Yong nodded his head, “Don’t worry. My Sect Master is a righteous person who won’t kill others unnecessarily.”
It was then that the Old Ancestor nodded and cupped his fist again, “Farewell!”
Then, he turned around and led the thousands of Boundless Altar’s members to leap into the sky, soon disappearing.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters aboard Yang Kai’s ship exchanged puzzled glances.
They initially thought that a battle was inevitable. Many of them had even rolled up their sleeves as they wanted to prove their worth to Yang Kai. It never crossed their minds that the matter would be settled in such a way.
They wondered what Yang Kai had discussed with or done to Boundless Altar’s Old Ancestor that made the latter easily give up his Sect’s foundation.
Although they had no idea what had happened, they were certain that the Old Ancestor had suffered a loss at Yang Kai’s hands.
Outside Boundless Altar, Yuchi Cheng Zhou and the others appeared humiliated as they followed behind their Old Ancestor. Although there were many people, none of them said anything, which made the atmosphere quite gloomy.
All of a sudden, the Old Ancestor, who was leading the way, sprayed out a mouthful of blood which quickly boiled and evaporated in a horrifying display.
“Old Ancestor!” Yuchi Cheng Zhou quickly flew over.
The Old Ancestor waved his hand with a dejected expression, “It’s true that there will always be young and talented people to replace the old. Such power at such a young age. Incredible!”
An embarrassed Yuchi Cheng Zhou said, “Forgive this Junior for being so useless, dragging Old Ancestor into this mess. Our 10,000 years foundation was lost at my hands. Please punish me!”
The Old Ancestor shook his head, “It’s not your fault. Moreover, as long as the people of Boundless Altar still live, our inheritance will never truly be lost. There are countless Spirit Provinces in the 3,000 Worlds, so why should we worry about not rising again?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou felt crestfallen as the Old Ancestor consoled him.
The Old Ancestor took a deep breath to suppress the weltering vitality in his chest, then asked, “What is the background of Void Land? Why do they hold a grudge against us?”
Yuchi Cheng Zhou then reported to him the incident of the Hundred Sects Alliance invading Void Land.
The Second Elder provided some additional information once the Sect Master was finished, “Old Ancestor, I heard Great Elder mention that he held some grudges against a woman named Lan You Ruo. At that time, he joined forces with the leader of Golden Rainbow Province, Qi Jin, and ambushed that woman. The reason he took part in that alliance was that Void Land has some kind of close relationship with Lan You Ruo. He was trying to lure them out so that he could destroy them once and for all.”
“Golden Rainbow Province?” Old Ancestor arched his brow upon hearing that.
“Yes.” The Second Elder bowed his head.
Yuchi Cheng Zhou said, “It seems that those from Void Land are trying to settle accounts. That’s why they invaded Boundless Altar today. I guess Golden Rainbow Province won’t be able to avoid this calamity either.”
A glint flashed through the Old Ancestor’s eyes as he said, “Get someone to head to Golden Rainbow Province and tell them what happened here today.”
A shocked Yuchi Cheng Zhou said, “Old Ancestor, we’re neither family or friends with Golden Rainbow Province, so why should we inform them about it?” It wasn’t that he wanted to take pleasure in Golden Rainbow Province’s pending misfortune, he just didn’t find it necessary to inform them about it.
“Those from Void Land were determined to destroy Boundless Altar, and this Old Master is too weak to repel them; however, perhaps there are others who can teach them a lesson in our place.”
The fact that Boundless Altar was destroyed was definitely an irresolvable blood feud; however, he was unable to get his revenge since he wasn’t strong enough. He had no choice but to remain silent about it. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t mind seeing those from Void Land suffer some losses or even lose some lives.
Since the Old Ancestor had given the order, they wouldn’t dare to disobey him despite the fact that they were puzzled. The Second Elder offered to do it and left the team before heading towards Golden Rainbow Province.
The other party might not believe them if the messenger wasn’t of some importance and since Great Elder Ling Chun Qiu had lost his life in Void Land, the Second Elder was the best suited to do this job.
After taking a look in the direction of the Sect’s foundation, the Old Ancestor heaved a sigh. If he’d known such a calamity would befall Boundless Altar, he would’ve broken through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm sooner in order to save their inheritance; however, it was too late now.
Everyone from Boundless Altar was now gone, leaving only the dozens of Open Heaven Realm Masters that came with Yang Kai behind in the spacious Spirit Province.
They hadn’t been able to detect any movements coming from Yang Kai since he went over to meet with Boundless Altar’s Old Ancestor; however, these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could sense that his aura was stable, and he didn’t show any signs of injuries, so there was nothing to worry about. They reckoned that they could settle down in Boundless Altar for now since this place was beautiful and full of World Energy. Although all the valuable items were gone, the buildings were naturally immovable, so they found some places to stay as they cultivated and waited patiently.
Two months later, a roar was heard coming from the deepest part of Boundless Altar, one so thunderous that the entire sky shook.
All of them turned to look in that direction.
Mao Zhe narrowed his eyes as he could clearly sense the joy in Yang Kai’s heart through the resounding roar, as though the latter had gained some kind of immense enlightenment. More importantly, Yang Kai’s cultivation seemed to have improved.
That revelation stunned Mao Zhe. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master himself, he knew that it was extremely difficult to take a step forward in this Order, so how was it possible that Yang Kai had grown significantly in such a short time? Was he really a monster?
Mao Zhe wasn’t aware that when they were passing through the tornado Divine Ability back then, Yang Kai lured the Wind Spirits into his body and killed them, which greatly nourished his Small Universe and saved him over a hundred years of secluded cultivation.
When he met up with Boundless Altar’s Old Ancestor, even though they didn’t engage in a life-and-death battle, they had exchanged some moves. Despite the fact that the Old Ancestor had used all his power, he was still injured by Yang Kai.
If this wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have ordered the disciples of Boundless Altar to evacuate. The reason the Old Ancestor decided to back down was that he realised he was no match for Yang Kai.
He wasn’t even able to defeat Yang Kai, to say nothing of the fact that the latter had brought more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with him. If it came down to a fight, everyone from Boundless Altar would die.
The fact that he was able to leave with his disciples safely was already the best possible outcome.
When they traded moves at that time, Yang Kai suddenly comprehended something, which was why he hurriedly started cultivating in seclusion, and it wasn’t until this moment that he finished.
In fact, Yang Kai’s cultivation hadn’t increased a lot; after all, it had only been a short time since he ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and coupled with the fact that he had been nourished by the World Forces left behind by the deceased Wind Spirits, his own heritage was already quite rich.
The reason Mao Zhe felt this way was that Yang Kai’s Sixth-Order aura had become increasingly stable.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai had left the place where he cultivated in seclusion, everyone went over and greeted him.
“Sect Master!” Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan cupped their fists.
Yang Kai nodded gently and swept a glance over them before ordering, “Destroy this place.”
Upon receiving the order, all of them began using their Divine Abilities. Several tens of thousands of years of inheritance had been accumulated in this beautiful Spirit Province as over the millennia, countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had passed away in this place. After their deaths, their Small Universes fell apart and their World Forces were partially absorbed by Boundless Altar to strengthen its own heritage. It was a shame to just destroy it like this; however, since Yang Kai had given the order, they had to obey.
It wasn’t difficult to demolish a place no one was defending. Dozens of Open Heaven Realm Masters joined forces and turned Boundless Altar into a shattered Spirit Province in just two hours.
On the deck, Yang Kai stood beside the Proprietress as they watched the sight in silence.
The Proprietress remained silent, and it wasn’t until a long time later that she sighed. She wasn’t a ruthless person. Although she had a fiery temperament, she still couldn’t bear to see a Spirit Province being destroyed just because of her oath from back then.
At that time, she was truly incensed because Bai Qi was disturbed while ascending to the Open Heaven Realm, almost dying as a result. That was the reason she made such a heart demon oath against Ling Chun Qiu and Qi Jin.
Now that she was restricted by the oath, she had to fulfil it if she wanted to make it to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Fortunately, the way Yang Kai settled the issue was as peaceful as possible as he didn’t injure any innocent people in the process, which was acceptable. She could never have expected that the little shophand she forcefully brought back to First Inn in the past would so quickly become such a successful Master. Not only had he saved her from the Shadowless Cave Heaven, but he also owned Void Land and commanded many powerful cultivators.
It only took Yang Kai a couple of decades to achieve things that would normally take others thousands or even tens of thousands of years to do.
Hua Yong returned with the other cultivators as he cupped his fist and reported, “Sect Master, Boundless Altar is gone for good.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Let’s go.”
Since Boundless Altar was destroyed, his next destination would be Golden Rainbow Province.
As the ship accelerated, it turned into a ray of red light and shot towards the nearest Territory Gate.
The Proprietress suddenly said, “The Old Ancestor from Boundless Altar could have ascended to the Seventh Order before now.”
Yang Kai was spacing out when he heard that, then he frowned and nodded, “En, I agree.”
If she hadn’t pointed it out, he wouldn’t have pondered on this issue. It was apparent to him that the Old Ancestor was at the very peak of the Sixth Order and was about to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although Boundless Altar was just a Second Class great force, they should have enough resources to support the Old Ancestor’s ascension given their years of accumulation; however, the fact was that the old man had been stuck at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm all this time.
“Perhaps he wasn’t confident enough? Or, perhaps he lost the drive to continue striving forward due to his old age, so he wouldn’t dare to give it a try?” Yang Kai pondered. The Old Ancestor was indeed quite aged, and his vitality was clearly declining. He was no longer in the prime years to attempt an ascension to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The ascension from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order was equivalent to the process of rebirth. Once the person succeeded, their strength would increase tremendously; however, one mistake would cost them their life. No one would easily attempt a breakthrough if they weren’t confident enough.
“That might be so…” the Proprietress said impassively, “But another reason might be that he wasn’t willing to reach the Seventh Order.”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “What do you mean? Don’t cultivators always aspire to achieve greater heights? Since he is able to do so, why isn’t he willing to take that step forward?”
To the side, Mao Zhe’s expression changed as he gazed at the Proprietress and asked in horror, “Could the rumours be true?”
“What rumours?” Yang Kai asked inquisitively.
Mao Zhe furrowed his brow, “Sir, have you ever thought about why there isn’t even a single High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in all the Second Class great forces? According to the classifications of great forces in the 3,000 Worlds, a great force with even one Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would be considered Second Class, and a great force with High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would theoretically be First Class. Since this is how the great forces are classified, many Second Class great forces should eventually become First Class given enough time. That’s because, after millennia of accumulation, some people must be able to make it to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he nodded, “You have a point.”
Although the Second Class great forces were not comparable to the Cave Heavens and Paradises in terms of their heritages, at least some of them had to have been able to nurture disciples who directly broke through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
For example, Zhou Yi, whose body was taken over by Black Crow Divine Monarch when Yang Kai came across him in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, came from a Second Class great force, Great Thousand Blood Land. After Black Crow Divine Monarch took over his body, he used it as a base and ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In other words, Zhou Yi was supposedly able to make it to the Fifth Order himself. Given enough aptitude and opportunities, he should have been able to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm someday.
Once he did, Great Thousand Blood Land would become a First Class great force. As time passed, it might even become a part of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Over the years, Zhou Yi was certainly not the only one who was nurtured in Great Thousand Blood Land. Over their entire history, Great Thousand Blood Land must have raised tens of thousands of disciples, of which at least a handful should have similar aptitude to Zhou Yi. However, in the end, Great Thousand Blood Land remained a Second Class great force as they didn’t have a single High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
The other top Second Class great forces should be in similar situations.
Where were the Core Disciples that had directly made it to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm over the years then? It was impossible that no one had managed to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Questions naturally arose when they looked at the issue from this perspective.
The Proprietress took a glance at Mao Zhe and asked, “What kind of rumours did you hear?”
With a dark expression, Mao Zhe replied, “In order to sustain their statuses in the 3,000 Worlds, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would make a move once anyone outside their own ranks tried to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. They would either nip the crisis in the bud or force that new High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master to join their great forces so that they can strictly supervise them.”
The expressions of Hua Yong and the others changed drastically when they heard that and Hua Yong anxiously asked, “Are you serious?”
He and his Wife were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was just a matter of time before they tried to reach the Seventh-Order. If Mao Zhe’s words were true, they would have to think twice about reaching the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Otherwise, those Cave Heavens and Paradises might target them when they achieved an ascension.
Mao Zhe shook his head, “It’s just a rumour I heard. I have no idea whether it’s true.”
If the rumours were true, it would explain why there wasn’t even a single High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in all the Second Class great forces in the entire 3,000 Worlds. It wasn’t that no one was capable of ascending to the Seventh Order, but rather that once they broke through, they would be brought back to the Cave Heavens and Paradises to be put under strict supervision.
The Old Ancestor from Boundless Altar certainly had the resources to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he still wasn’t willing to do so. Perhaps that was what he was worried about as well.
Yang Kai’s face fell as Mao Zhe’s words reminded him of his own experience.
He was targeted back then because he was trying to directly ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. In the end, he was forced to become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was only then that Ti Zheng and the others let him off.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises would never allow him to directly ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm as they suppressed him at all costs; however, the idea that they would also stifle the cultivators who made it to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm through years of accumulation was absolutely intolerable.
“Rumours are a terrifying thing indeed.” The Proprietress shook her head with a helpless smile, “I’ve heard such rumours as well, and many people believe them to be true.”
“They’re not?” Mao Zhe frowned.
“Of course not.” The Proprietress shook her head, “Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises could be overbearing sometimes, they can’t control everything and everyone in this world. They would appear far too petty if they would even butt into such affairs. How could such short-sighted and narrow-minded people ever become truly powerful and respected?”
As a shopkeeper of First Inn, the Proprietress had a lot of connections, and she was adept at gathering information; moreover, First Inn was the property of an Elder from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven named Si Tu Kong, so it was related to the aforementioned Cave Heaven.
Therefore, she definitely knew better than most people about this kind of information. Since she had said it wasn’t the case, it must be the truth.
“Although the rumours are false, the reason those Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Second Class great forces are not willing to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm does have something to do with the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As for the exact reason…” The Proprietress shook her head and fell silent, apparently unwilling to disclose anything more.
Mao Zhe and the others exchanged glances as they felt like they were on tenterhooks; however, since the Proprietress wasn’t willing to explain anything, they were not in any place to force her.
In any case, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the scene were worried about ascending to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future. The Proprietress’ words suggested that it might not be a good thing to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
“The heritages of those Second Class great forces are not as simple as they seem either as their inheritances stretch back for many millennia. If they’re faced with a crisis that would destroy their Sects, they might just display a power that is unimaginable under normal circumstances.” The Proprietress turned to look at Yang Kai, “Although Golden Rainbow Province isn’t famous now, they have existed for far longer than Boundless Altar. Several tens of thousands of years ago, Golden Rainbow Province had a heritage that was approaching that of the 72 Paradises; however, they slowly declined for some reason.”
Yang Kai was astounded, “I can’t believe Golden Rainbow Province was so powerful in the past.”
If they were approaching the level of the 72 Paradises in the past, they should have been able to raise multiple High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. When a person reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, they could easily live for several tens of thousands of years. It wasn’t certain what happened to Golden Rainbow Province that led to their downfall, but now, even the former Lord of Golden Rainbow Province, Qi Jin, was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
With that said, what happened in Boundless Altar should serve as a warning to Yang Kai. His encounter in Boundless Altar made him realise that these long-time great forces might have some hidden powers, so he should never let his guard down; otherwise, he was bound to suffer a setback.
The Proprietress said with a smile, “These great forces must have some capital in order to gain a footing in the 3,000 Worlds. Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar are the epitomes of such great forces. You must not be so reckless when you go about your business in the outside world. Don’t oppress any Second Class great force as you please, for some of them might be concealing High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “If a Second Class great force has a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, wouldn’t that make it First Class?”
The Proprietress shook her head, “It doesn’t work that way. When people mention First Class great forces, they’re talking about the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Those that are under Cave Heavens and Paradises cannot be considered First Class.”
A solemn Yang Kai said, “Got it.” He looked in Golden Rainbow Province’s direction and wondered how much heritage they had.
The ship continued moving forward.
Yang Kai had been to Golden Rainbow Territory once before, when Bai Qi was about to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The Proprietress brought him and Bai Qi to this Great Territory and it was in this place that they were besieged by Qi Jin, Ling Chun Qiu, and the others. Bai Qi was disturbed during his breakthrough and almost lost his life as a result.
The reason the Proprietress brought Yang Kai to that place was to let him observe the process of ascending to the Open Heaven Realm so that he could gain some experience from it.
At that time, he had only condensed his Wood and Fire Element Powers, but now he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master. Things had changed greatly even though not long had passed.
Faced with the siege of those Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai, an Emperor Realm cultivator back then, was unable to do anything. In the end, he had to use one of Mie Meng’s golden feathers to kill a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, thus alleviating some of the Proprietress’ burden.
Now that he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master though, a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no different from an ant in his eyes.
Although Golden Rainbow Province sounded like a Third Class great force, it was Second Class in reality. It was just that they had been in existence for a long time, so they didn’t want to bother changing their name.
Golden Rainbow Province was undoubtedly the ruler of Golden Rainbow Territory.
Just like the status of Void Land in Void Territory, Golden Rainbow Province was in charge of more than ten Third Class great forces and dozens of Universe Worlds of different sizes in this Great Territory.
An expansive Spirit Province was hovering in the void, and its natural landscape was as beautiful as a painting.
There were some light barriers around the Spirit Province that reflected the view around the void, and in front of every light barrier stood a Golden Rainbow Province disciple that was staring out intently, as though they were waiting for something.
All of a sudden, a ship appeared right in front of a certain light barrier as the vessel charged towards Golden Rainbow Province. The disciple responsible for guarding the light barrier straightened up and performed different hand seals as the reflection of the light barrier magnified before his eyes. Soon, the figures on the deck clearly came into his sight.
After making out the appearance of a particular man, the disciple yelled, “He really came!”
Just then, Yang Kai, who was standing on the deck, turned to look in a direction and snorted before pushing out his palm.
The power of the palm seemed able to move both time and space in silence.
The light barrier in front of Golden Rainbow Province that reflected the ship broke apart in an instant. The Open Heaven Realm Master, who was guarding the light barrier, was sent flying away as though he had been struck by lightning. He sprayed out a mouthful of blood, then got to his feet with difficulty. His expression had been transformed by horror.
Void Spying Secret Technique was a method used by those from Golden Rainbow Province to monitor their surroundings. It was supposed to be silent, and impossible to detect. However, the other party had noticed his observation and even harmed him by pushing out his palm from afar. It had to be noted that it would still take the ship two or more hours before it reached Golden Rainbow Province. The person on the ship was clearly extraordinarily powerful since he was able to send the force of his palm across such a vast distance.
Given the disciple’s cultivation, he was probably as fragile as an ant in front of that person. Not daring to be negligent, he immediately sent a message to the higher-ups.
On the deck, Yang Kai lowered his gaze and fell into his thoughts, “They seem to be monitoring the surroundings from every angle in Golden Rainbow Province. Are they guarding against someone?” He had a feeling that something was off, but he wasn’t able to put his finger on it.
On a certain Spirit Peak in Golden Rainbow Province, the new Leader Chang Qi Shui abruptly opened his eyes as a glint flashed through his gaze, then he said, “That person is here. The very survival of Golden Rainbow Province hinges on all of us. Fellow Brothers, I hope you’ll be united with me to fend off our enemies.”
The previous Leader of Golden Rainbow Province was Qi Jin; however, just like Ling Chun Qiu, he was killed in Void Land. Since he was dead, those from Golden Rainbow Province had to elect a new Leader.
Just like Qi Jin, Chang Qi Shui was also a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, one of the remaining three in Golden Rainbow Province.
As Chang Qi Shui spoke, two grunts of agreement came from the void.
“Left and Right Protectors, come with me to greet our guests!” Chang Qi Shui rose from where he was sitting and then two rays of light shot from two different peaks and stood behind him. They were the two Protectors of Golden Rainbow Province who were both Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
All three Fifth-Order Masters of Golden Rainbow Province were present, which went to show how highly they regarded these ‘visitors’.
With that said, it wasn’t like they could take the visitors lightly. About one month ago, Boundless Altar’s Second Elder unexpectedly came to visit them. Thinking that the other party might have some serious matters to discuss, Chang Qi Shui personally greeted him.
Then, he heard a piece of terrible news from the Second Elder. Boundless Altar was destroyed, and its thousands of disciples were now homeless. What was worse, Golden Rainbow Province was probably next.
Chang Qi Shui was flabbergasted, but upon some probing, he learned that it was the doing of Void Land’s Yang Kai. The previous Leader Qi Jin had followed the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union, Kong Feng, to invade Void Land. Everyone in Golden Rainbow Province was aware of that fact. In the end, Qi Jin was killed in battle, along with all the disciples and Elders who went with him.
There were not a lot of Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Golden Rainbow Province to begin with, and Qi Jin was the strongest among them, but he was killed mercilessly. It could be said that the battle had caused immense losses to Golden Rainbow Province.
Recently, they had been staying in Golden Rainbow Territory. In fact, they had thought about avenging the former Leader’s death. Regardless of what the grudges were between Qi Jin and Void Land or who was in the wrong, those from Golden Rainbow Province couldn’t pretend that nothing had happened since their Leader was killed.
However, they could only remain silent since they were not powerful enough to seek revenge.
It never crossed their minds that those from Void Land would be so relentless as to launch an attack on Boundless Altar and force all of its members to flee.
According to Boundless Altar’s Second Elder, Yang Kai had only brought with him about 70 people, despite that, they were all in the Open Heaven Realm, and there were six or seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Such a lineup was truly terrifying.
Upon hearing the Second Elder’s words, Chang Qi Shui felt his heart sinking as a coldness came over his entire figure.
There were only three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Golden Rainbow Province, but they were now faced with seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? How were they supposed to survive? The two parties weren’t even on the same level. When their enemies knocked on their door, Golden Rainbow Province would be destroyed with ease.
After the Second Elder from Boundless Altar revealed the information to them, he left in a hurry.
On the other hand, Chang Qi Shui and the other Elders of Golden Rainbow Province felt like they were on pins and needles. If the Second Elder’s words were true, Yang Kai would never let Golden Rainbow Province off. It was just a matter of time before he arrived at their Sect.
None of them could come up with any solution as in the face of absolute power, all plots were meaningless.
In the end, they decided to report the matter to their Old Ancestor, who had been cultivating in seclusion for a long time, so that she could make a decision.
The Old Ancestor was a supreme being in Golden Rainbow Province; however, since she had been cultivating in seclusion for nearly 3,000 years, other than a small number of Elders, most weren’t even aware she existed.
Chang Qi Shui had met the Old Ancestor once when he was an Emperor Realm Junior in the past, and had never seen her since. He wasn’t even sure whether the Old Ancestor was still alive or not.
Nevertheless, before the Old Ancestor entered seclusion back then, she was already a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. 3,000 years had passed, so she was probably very close to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Given her cultivation, she might be able to force those from Void Land back.
Chang Qi Shui paid a visit to the Old Ancestor, who was in a Restricted Area of Golden Rainbow Province; however, he wasn’t able to meet her and could only speak to her from a distance.
Upon hearing his report, the Old Ancestor told him to leave. Before that, she assured Chang Qi Shui that their Sect would be fine. She would make sure that their enemies wouldn’t leave alive should they have the guts to appear.
Chang Qi Shui set his mind at ease upon getting such assurances as he speculated that the Old Ancestor must have ascended to the Seventh Order. If not, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t have said such a thing. It had to be noted that many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land were coming, so unless there was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master around, it would be impossible for them to repel the enemy.
On a magnificent Spirit Peak stood Chang Qi Shui as he looked into the distance. Soon, a ship from the void came into his sight as the vessel charged towards him.
“They’re here!” He bellowed and raised his hand, “Start the array!”
Upon receiving the order, the cultivators of Golden Rainbow Province, who were well prepared, activated the Grand Array as layers of light barriers lit up around the Spirit Province. In the blink of an eye, eight barriers had been formed.
Golden Rainbow Province had been in existence longer than Boundless Altar, and at the peak of their power, they were approaching the strength of the 72 Paradises. Although many of the top cultivators were gone since their downfall, they still had a significant inheritance built up over the aeons.
Their strength was manifested in the Grand Array that had just been activated.
The layers of light barriers appeared extremely sturdy as they surrounded Golden Rainbow Province. It was as though they were able to withstand the most violent storms in the world.
The strength of a great force’s heritage was evident in two aspects. One of them was the power of their Grand Array. The more ample their heritage was, the more powerful the Grand Array would be. Secondly, it was the support their disciples would get when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of every great force, if possible, would return to their Sect before their predestined time of death. After they died, their Small Universes would collapse, and their World Force would partially assimilate into the Sect, which was how their heritage was strengthened.
The Small Universe of a cultivator was full of the traces of their Grand Dao, the essence of their entire Martial Dao.
This kind of Dao Essence would also permeate the place alongside their World Force and remain in the Sect.
If any disciples in the future comprehended the same kind of Grand Dao as their ancestors, they would be able to obtain part of this inheritance and enhance their chances of ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
For these two reasons, any great force in the world was extremely concerned about the accumulation of heritage in their own Headquarters.
The heritage of Golden Rainbow Province was truly extraordinary as it had been gathered and built up over tens of thousands of years. Although the Grand Array wasn’t as abstruse as Void Land’s Nine Heavenly Layers, in terms of pure defensive strength it was equal to, if not better than, the latter.
After all, it had only been a short time since Void Land was founded. The predecessor, Seven Wonders Land, was also a Second Class great force, but it was at best average among Second Class forces. Even though its heritage had been accumulated over many years, it wasn’t comparable to that of Golden Rainbow Province.
When the heritage of Void Land became ampler after thousands to tens of thousands of years, the power of Nine Heavenly Layers would be significantly strengthened.
Therefore, despite knowing that about seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens of Masters below the Sixth-Order from Void Land had arrived, Chang Qi Shui still had the confidence to fend them off. Besides the promise from the Old Ancestor, he still had the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province.
They might not have as many Open Heaven Realm Masters as those from Void Land, but they had the power to fight since the Grand Array was in place.
On the ship’s deck, Yang Kai gazed silently at the Spirit Province, which was protected by a glistening Grand Array, and snorted, “So they’ve been waiting for us.”
Earlier, he felt that something was off when he noticed that those from Golden Rainbow Province were monitoring their surroundings as he wondered who the people were that they were wary of. It wasn’t until this moment that he found out those from Golden Rainbow Province were guarding against him and his companions.
How did those from Golden Rainbow Province find out that Yang Kai was coming, thus allowing them to get prepared in advance?
The only explanation was that someone from Boundless Altar had come over to warn them.
Yang Kai snorted, [Do they think they’ll be safe by hiding behind their Grand Array? Naïve!]
Void Land’s Nine Heavenly Layers weren’t able to persevere for long when they were besieged previously, let alone the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province. At that time, the Hundred Sects Alliance seemed to have many people on their side, but there were only a small number of top Masters among them. The Open Heaven Realm Masters behind Yang Kai were much stronger on average than those from the alliance.
In just a moment, the ship reached a spot that wasn’t far away from the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province. Atop the deck, Yang Kai looked through the Grand Array and saw that the natural landscape in the Spirit Province was as beautiful as a painting. They did have an extraordinary heritage.
On the highest Spirit Peak stood three figures as they looked silently in Yang Kai’s direction. The person at the front was a muscular and decent-looking man. As their eyes met, this man yelled, “Who are you?”
“Void Land’s Yang Kai!” Yang Kai replied and shot him a glance, “Who are you?”
“Golden Rainbow Province’s Chang Qi Shui!” The man at the front replied before asking, “Why have you come all the way here to Golden Rainbow Province, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai looked down at him and said, “The previous Leader of Golden Rainbow Province, Qi Jin, invaded Void Land for no reason. This King is here to seek justice from your noble Sect.”
Chang Qi Shui frowned, “What kind of justice are you seeking, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai grinned at him, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Since you all tried to exterminate my Sect before, I am here to return the favour in kind!”
Chang Qi Shui’s face fell as he bellowed, “Stop boasting shamelessly, Brother Yang! Do you think we are pushovers? Although we may be weak now, it doesn’t mean you can oppress us as you please. Qi Jin offended you, and he only has himself to blame that he was killed in Void Land. When we learned of this matter, we allowed the matter to drop and have no intention of avenging him. However, if anyone dares to invade our Sect, all of us from Golden Rainbow Province will fight with you until our death!”
Yang Kai gazed dispassionately at him and said, “The reason this King has come all the way here is to destroy your Sect, but I’m not interested in unnecessary killing. However, if you dare to resist, many innocents won’t be able to see the sunrise tomorrow, so please think twice.”
Chang Qi Shui roared, “None of the disciples from Golden Rainbow Province is a coward! If you’re really concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives, leave now, and the grudges between us will be considered settled. However, if you remain obstinate, you are the ones who will end up in a horrible state.”
Yang Kai bared his fangs, “It seems that you’re determined to struggle until death. Do you really think your Grand Array can stop this King?”
“Well, you’ll have to try to find out.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll grant your wish, then. I hope you’ll remain obstinate until the very end. Don’t wail in pain while you die later.”
Then, Yang Kai raised his hand and swung it down as he coldly ordered, “Kill!”
The cultivators on the deck had been waiting for this moment. Previously, they were prepared to prove their worth in Boundless Altar. Since they had decided to join Void Land, they had to prove to Yang Kai that they were valuable to the Sect. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any conflict in Boundless Altar as Yang Kai managed to settle the issue without taking any lives. As a result, none of them had a chance to showcase their capabilities.
Certainly, they hoped to see those from Golden Rainbow Province remain stubborn.
Following Yang Kai’s order, the dozens of Open Heaven Realm Masters on the ship turned into rays of light and took a plunge. The next moment, countless Divine Abilities struck the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province, causing the light barriers to flicker as ripples spread across its surface. The sight was truly horrifying.
On the Spirit Peak, Chang Qi Shui turned pale as he could feel the energy fluctuations coming from his enemies.
The Second Elder from Boundless Altar was right to say that there were seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, which made Chang Qi Shui feel jealous. Golden Rainbow Province only had one Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; the Old Ancestor who had been cultivating in seclusion for 3,000 years. On the other hand, those from Void Land could easily deploy seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Both parties were not equally matched at all.
Fortunately, they had the Grand Array in place. If these attacks actually struck the Spirit Province, none of them could have warded off their enemies. Many of them would have been injured or killed for even trying to resist.
Loud booms were continuously heard as the violent attacks landed on the Grand Array, which caused the entire Golden Rainbow Province to tremble. The disciples turned ashen as they looked up at the sky in horror.
The disciples who were in charge of the Grand Array were madly pouring their strength into it to keep it operating. All of them knew that once the Grand Array was broken through, they would be killed ruthlessly. Only by keeping the Grand Array running could they hope to fend off the enemies.
However, regardless of how sturdy the defence was, it couldn’t possibly endure a constant bombardment of attacks.
Back then, after Grandmaster Wu Liang was done arranging the Nine Heavenly Layers, he passed the Array Jade to Yang Kai and told him that the array was solid enough to endure the attacks of ten Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters for several days.
The Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters he was talking about should be in the Sixth Order, just below the Seventh Order.
In fact, when the Hundred Sects Alliance invaded Void Land, the Nine Heavenly Layers actually didn’t last for long. It wasn’t that Grandmaster Wu Liang’s calculations were wrong. Instead, it was because they didn’t have enough energy supply. On another note, Yang Kai had the intention of luring the enemies into the Sect, so he intentionally opened up the Grand Array.
If even the Nine Heavenly Layers wasn’t invincible, there was no way the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province could last for a long time either.
In just a quarter hour, the first of the eight light barriers broke apart, which caused a commotion in Golden Rainbow Province as the disciples became apprehensive.
The myriad of Divine Abilities continued to blossom as the Open Heaven Realm Masters on Yang Kai’s side had no reservation when it came to casting their attacks.
Chang Qi Shui was anxious as he kept looking in the direction where the Old Ancestor cultivated. At this rate, it would only take half a day before the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province was destroyed. If the Old Ancestor still hadn’t appeared by then, they wouldn’t be able to stave off these ferocious people on their own, which would be as good as giving up and dying.
However, despite the fact that the Grand Array was under attack, no movements could be felt coming from the Old Ancestor’s place.
Chang Qi Shui was unable to figure out the Old Ancestor’s intention, nor did he have any idea about what she was waiting for. He felt like he was standing on pins and needles. There was nothing else he could do other than urge the disciples to keep the Grand Array running.
Another quarter hour later, the second layer of light barriers came apart, followed by the third and the fourth layers of light barriers.
Seeing that there was only one barrier left, Chang Qi Shui decided to stop defending passively and ordered, “Change the Array!”
Upon receiving the order, the disciples, who were in charge of the Grand Array, activated their powers to make a shift happen in the array.
In an instant, the wind gusted and the water rose. The entire Golden Rainbow Province was suddenly shrouded in a thick layer of mist, allowing no one to see through it.
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he snorted, “How dare you show off this kind of paltry trick in front of this King? Come with me!”
After he finished speaking, Yang Kai led the way and charged forward, followed by dozens of people who soon disappeared into the mist.
They were unable to see clearly in the mist, and even their Divine Senses were greatly restricted. Also, there seemed to be a great danger lurking in the mist, waiting to burst out.
Rumbling sounds were suddenly heard as a world-shaking force undulated. The force far surpassed the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and reached the Sixth-Order in scale.
Other than the Old Ancestor who had been in seclusion for a long time, Golden Rainbow Province didn’t have Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The reason they were able to unleash such an attack was that they had made use of the Grand Array.
Exclamations were heard as some of the cultivators from Void Land, who were inside the mist, were struck. Some of the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were instantly killed due to negligence.
As the Grand Array’s power blossomed, Yang Kai sported a solemn expression and released his Divine Sense. The next instant, his expression changed drastically as he yelled, “There are some weird creatures in the mist. Be careful!”
He could detect that there were a lot of tiny insects hiding in the mist that were not visible to the eye. While they were unsuspecting, these insects snuck into their bodies through the pores and began draining their Blood Essence.
As Yang Kai spoke, he surged his Golden Crow’s True Fire. In an instant, a layer of black flame started burning around his figure as though he had turned into a fireball, illuminating a radius of 1,000 metres around himself.
Crackling sounds were continuously heard as the Golden Crow’s True Fire burned the tiny insects in the mist.
Yang Kai flew forward, and wherever he went, the insects were instantly killed. However, due to the fact that his Divine Sense had been restricted, he was unable to find out the enemies’ whereabouts. At the same time, he had to be careful not to accidentally hurt his companions, so his movements were rather restricted.
It wasn’t until this moment that he had a taste of what the Hundred Sects Alliance went through when they barged into the Bewildering Array of Nine Heavenly Layers, and it was certainly awful.
Although the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province wasn’t as abstruse as the Nine Heavenly Layers, there were indeed some similarities.
A Second Class great force like Golden Rainbow Province was able to ward off Yang Kai’s powerful subordinates using their accumulated heritage. In the entire 3,000 Worlds, basically every great force had their own Grand Array.
Now, Yang Kai realized if he rashly decided to invade a Sect’s Headquarters, he might still suffer a setback even though there was a huge gap in power between both parties.
The reason he was able to easily take down Boundless Altar some time ago was that they were unprepared for what was about to befall them. Before they could even activate their Grand Array, Yang Kai had broken through it and barged into the Sect. If Boundless Altar had prepared in advance and activated their Grand Array, there would have been an intense battle.
Rumbling sounds were continuously heard as more people shrieked, and it wasn’t certain whether it was the enemies or Yang Kai’s subordinates who were screaming.
Yang Kai was incensed as he had come with a large group of Open Heaven Realm Masters in an imposing manner. If he wasn’t even able to take down Golden Rainbow Province, he would become a laughingstock in the future. As he shook his figure, the Golden Crow was heard cawing.
A Great Sun leapt into the sky from behind him with a three-legged exotic bird seeming flying around within it.
In an instant, a dazzling Sun hung above the sky of Golden Rainbow Province. Regardless of how thick the mist was, it was unable to block out the Sunlight.
Under the scorching Sunlight, the mist instantly evaporated, and the tiny insects hidden within were all killed.
Golden Crow Casts the Sun was a Divine Manifestation that Yang Kai had comprehended that was extremely powerful. In order not to accidentally hurt his companions, he was unable to fully activate its power; therefore, he had been careful when using it.
Despite that, after the mist dissipated, many of his subordinates were seen with reddened faces, and their skin that was exposed to the air was covered in blisters. The weaker cultivators were more severely affected while cultivators in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above were less impacted.
With the mist gone, they were able to see their enemies clearly.
Certainly, Mao Zhe and the others, who were quite frustrated already, wouldn’t miss this opportunity and instantly charged towards the exposed Array Nodes.
Soon, people were heard shrieking as the disciples of Golden Rainbow Province, who were in charge of the Array Nodes, were completely powerless to stop Mao Zhe and the others and were directly killed.
In just over ten breaths of time, the Grand Array of Golden Rainbow Province was completely destroyed.
On the main Spirit Peak, Chang Qi Shui shuddered in fear as though he had been struck by lightning. He watched as the disciples were slaughtered, but there was nothing he could do to help them. He let out a sigh, thinking that Golden Rainbow Province would be destroyed on this day if the Old Ancestor still didn’t appear.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had retracted Golden Crow Casts the Sun as he stared coldly at Chang Qi Shui, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Without moving his figure, he raised his hand and pushed out his palm towards Chang Qi Shui.
He had given the other party a chance. If those from Golden Rainbow Province gave up on resisting like those from Boundless Altar had done, he wouldn’t have decided to kill them ruthlessly. Since they were still so obstinate though, they only had themselves to blame.
Faced with the pressure from a Sixth-Order’s Open Heaven Realm Master, Chang Qi Shui was forced to lower his figure as he felt the aura of death engulfing him.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly narrowed his eyes and balled up his fist instead as he summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and then thrust it out.
Before the spear even reached Chang Qi Shui, a slender hand abruptly appeared in front of him like a phantom. The fingers curled up, then nonchalantly flicked at the spear three times.
An immense force burst forth and Yang Kai felt as though a mountain had crashed into his spear. He almost lost grip of his weapon as his figure shook and moved backwards. His face had also turned pale.
At the same time, Mao Zhe and the others noticed this and looked over in the direction where the slender hand appeared.
There a woman with a delicate brow and long hair that hung over her shoulders appeared. Her purple dress with a belt around the waist fluttered in the wind. She looked like she was about twenty-eight years old, which was the prime age for a woman. Her peaks were tall and her waist was slender.
If they came across such a woman somewhere else, they would have thought that she was a young woman who had just come of age.
However, presently, this woman was exuding an aura that no one could ignore. That was the aura of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master!
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
Other than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, no one else could so easily ward off his attack, and the woman’s aura proved his point. There was no doubt that she was a newly advanced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai had previously gone through such a stage. After he ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was unable to curb his aura since his cultivation hadn’t stabilized yet.
This young woman was in exactly the same situation.
Mao Zhe and the others sported solemn expressions as they exchanged glances in disbelief.
It was inconceivable that Golden Rainbow Province had a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with them. They wouldn’t have believed it if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes. At that instant, they felt their hearts sinking. Although she was clearly a newly promoted Seventh-Order Master, she was still a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
High-Rank and Mid-Rank were two completely different realms. It could be said that the gap between them was like the difference between the Heavens and Earth.
On the other hand, Chang Qi Shui had just escaped from death’s door as he fell into a dazed state for a moment. Then, he snapped out of his trance and widened his eyes before falling on one knee. With an excited expression, he said, “37th Sect Master of Golden Rainbow Province, Chang Qi Shui, greets Martial Ancestor Li!”
The person before his eyes was Old Ancestor Li Luo Shui, who started cultivating in seclusion 3,000 years ago.
The disciples of Golden Rainbow Province were dumbfounded. They initially had no idea who this young woman was, but upon hearing the Sect Master’s words, they were shocked to learn that she was their Old Ancestor.
It never crossed their mind that Golden Rainbow Province had such a powerful Master. At that instant, they were all energised as they fell on their knees and shouted, “Greetings, Martial Ancestor!”
Many men secretly examined the woman and thought that not only was the Old Ancestor alluring, but she also had an intoxicating figure. They couldn’t help but admire her, thinking that they could die with no regrets should such a woman actually become interested in them.
Without even turning her head, Li Luo Shui darted her gaze around and scanned the surroundings, then sighed, “I can’t believe Golden Rainbow Province has declined so much.”
An embarrassed Chang Qi Shui apologised, “I’m sorry for disappointing you, Martial Ancestor. I’m truly useless.”
Li Luo Shui scoffed, “All of you are indeed useless. Not only have you squandered away the heritage of our ancestors, but you also can’t even repel the enemies at our gates. Disgraceful!”
Chang Qi Shui was covered in cold sweat as he almost fell on all fours. Although the Old Ancestor looked like a sweet young girl, she clearly had no qualms about fiercely reprimanding them.
“I suppose I can’t blame it all on you though. Get up,” Li Luo Shui replied.
“Yes,” Chang Qi Shui answered before slowly getting to his feet. As he hid behind Li Luo Shui, he looked in Yang Kai’s direction as a sense of resentment flashed through his eyes, then he reported, “Martial Ancestor, it’s these people who are trying to destroy our Sect.”
Li Luo Shui shot a dispassionate glance at Yang Kai, then said, “Seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and fifteen Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters… It’s no wonder that you can’t stave them off.”
Yang Kai stared at the young woman and asked, “What’s your name?”
Li Luo Shui replied impassively, “What point is there announcing this Queen’s name to a dead man?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was amused, “You’re pretty arrogant, aren’t you. Do you think you can definitely defeat us just because you’re a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
Li Luo Shui replied, “Isn’t that the case? You won’t understand the difference between the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Sixth-Order until you experience it yourself.”
Yang Kai asked, “Judging from your aura, you’ve just ascended to the Seventh Order. I wonder how much strength you can actually use?”
Li Luo Shui let out a breath as her chest heaved, “All of you are bound for death since you’ve forced me to ascend to the Seventh Order. If you don’t want to suffer, kill yourselves now. When this Queen makes a move, I’ll make you beg for death.”
“Shameless boasting!” Yang Kai yelled and pointed his spear forward, “I have never killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before. I guess I’ll give it a try today!”
Li Luo Shui shot him a cold glance, “It’s the first time I’ve come across someone as reckless as you are.”
“Enough nonsense! Taste my spear!” Yang Kai bellowed and thrust out his weapon. He had no reservations as he infused all his strength into the spear. A thunderous Dragon Roar reverberated across the sky. A dazzling light glistened from the tip of the Azure Dragon Spear, and as the Dragon Pressure erupted, a Great Dragon seemed to have come to life as it bared its fangs and brandished its claws.
At that instant, the entire world seemed to have paled as the spear became the only thing that shone brightly.
The light of the spear expanded. Faced with the attack, Li Luo Shui bellowed, “Impudence!”
She raised her hand and pushed out her palm at Yang Kai. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven force fluctuated around her slender hand as it filled Yang Kai’s vision. The world seemed to have disappeared as all he could see was her palm.
He stiffened and squirmed as he instinctively felt a great sense of danger.
It was the first time he directly battled against a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. Although he had witnessed battles between High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters several times before, he never actively participated in any of them. Be it the war when the Hundred Sects Alliance besieged Void Land or Zhu Jiu Yin’s battle against four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he was only a spectator.
Although Yang Kai was able to feel the formidableness of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters at those times, it was too far beyond him to truly understand.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the huge gap between the Mid-Rank and High-Rank Open Heaven Realms.
Faced with this palm, Yang Kai felt as though he had turned into an ant, and that there was no way he could dodge. With a great roar, he thrust out his spear even harder, causing it to give off a terrifying radiance.
Violent explosions were heard as a horrifying force spread out.
A pale Yang Kai was sent flying away while Li Luo Shui remained on the spot, her figure only shaking slightly.
When she looked down at her hand, she saw a tinge of redness in the centre of her palm. Although the wound soon healed, she couldn’t believe that the other party was able to harm her during the exchange of moves just now.
This was inconceivable to her.
She had ascended to her current realm from the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so she was fully aware of just how much strength a Sixth-Order Master should be able to exert. Initially, she thought that she could easily kill this arrogant boy, but the situation turned out far different from what she had imagined.
Just like Yang Kai had said, she was a newly promoted Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the power she could use was limited. On the other hand, the enemy was quite intimidating as they had seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and fifteen Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Facing such a force, she might not be able to save Golden Rainbow Province. She initially intended to kill one of the enemy’s Sixth-Order Masters first to deter and intimidate the others, but it turned out that not only could the other party escape from her strike, but he even had the power to counterattack.
The young man’s capabilities were beyond her wildest imagination, and at that moment, she sported a solemn expression.
On the other hand, after Yang Kai was forced backwards for some distance, he managed to stabilize himself. He didn’t even bother to wipe away the Golden Blood at the corner of his mouth as he looked down condescendingly at Li Luo Shui and sneered, “Is this all you, a Seventh-Order Master, has to show?”
Back then, when the Hundred Sects Alliance invaded Void Land, other than using the Nine Heavenly Layers to kill Kong Feng, Yang Kai could only stand back and watch. When Zhu Jiu Yin battled against four Masters outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he could only watch the intense battle from the sidelines. However, at this moment, he finally had the right to fight a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. This right meant a lot to him, as it signified a huge leap forward in his Martial Dao. He no longer felt as powerless as he was in the past.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt fortunate that he didn’t insist on directly ascending to the High-Rank, which was practically impossible. Only the strength within one’s own grasp could be considered real.
After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Yang Kai pointed his spear at Li Luo Shui and roared coldly, “Kill!”
As Space Principles undulated, he instantly appeared in front of her and forcefully thrust out his spear.
At the same time, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan, and the Proprietress all made a move as they sent out their own Divine Abilities at Li Luo Shui.
Seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounded Li Luo Shui like moths to a flame, not only recklessly charging her, but also ensuring that she wouldn’t be able to escape.
In an instant, the entire Golden Rainbow Province shook and the world itself paled. Horrifying forces reverberated across the sky, causing the ground to crack and Spirit Peaks to crumble.
Chang Qi Shui and the others had already fled since they were unable to interfere in this kind of fight. Turning their heads, they saw that the Old Ancestor was surrounded by many figures as the lights of Divine Abilities dazzled their eyes. The energy fluctuations caused Chang Qi Shui, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, to tremble.
He secretly prayed that their Martial Ancestor would be able to kill all the enemies; otherwise, Golden Rainbow Province would be doomed on this day.
Just then, he heard someone yelling at him, “Go to Hell!”
Turning his head, he saw a fatty who looked like a Chef coming at him with a kitchen knife in his hand. The man was clad in an apron with a giant ‘Slaughter’ character emblazoned on him.
The fatty was accompanied by a man with drooping eyes who was holding a golden abacus. While he was flying over, he fiddled with the beads which soon shot forward. Every bead seemed to contain a terrifying force behind it.
A flustered Chang Qi Shui immediately met the enemy head on with the Left and Right Protectors.
However, there was a huge gap in power between both parties. Golden Rainbow Province only had three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side while the enemy had fifteen Open Heaven Realm Masters in the same Order as them. These Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t dare to take part in the battle against Li Luo Shui, so they decided to pinch the soft persimmons instead.
Ma Tian Yuan, Chef, and Accountant engaged the three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Rainbow Province while the rest plunged into the Sect and launched a bloody massacre. Soon, the ground was covered in corpses and blood formed rivers across the land. Although Chang Qi Shui was incensed, there was nothing he could do to help them.
Horrifying forces spread around and caused the Spirit Peaks to explode as the Seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters engaged in an intense battle against the Seventh-Order Master.
From time to time, someone would grunt in pain before they were sent flying away, spraying out a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
Li Luo Shui was a new Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master whose realm was still not stable, but despite that, the seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could only force a draw in the battle against her while Yang Kai alone had to bear half of the pressure.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was indeed a completely different realm from the Mid-Rank. Li Luo Shui was already so powerful even though she had only just achieved an ascension. When she managed to stabilise her realm and accumulated some heritage, how much more power would she be able to exert?
How formidable must Zhu Jiu Yin be since she was able to deal with four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters on her own outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven back then?
It had to be noted that the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from that time were unlike Li Luo Shui. All of them ascended to the Seventh Order a long time ago, so they were certainly much stronger than Li Luo Shui currently was.
Since a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was already so strong, what about the Eighth-Order or a Ninth-Order?
When Li Luo Shui saw that many of the disciples from Golden Rainbow Province were either killed or critically injured, and that the Sect had descended into chaos, her alluring face contorted into a hideous expression. Her moves became increasingly powerful, as though she was adapting to her current realm.
However, even though she was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she found it extremely difficult to kill any of her opponents. The leading young man was a Master of the Dao of Space, and his strength far surpassed the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. He had practically borne half of her attacks. If it weren’t for this young man, Li Luo Shui had the confidence to kill the rest in short order.
After just half an hour of combat, Yang Kai and everyone on his side was injured, but Li Luo Shui wasn’t in any better condition. She no longer looked like a sweet young woman as presently, her hair was a mess and she was covered in sweat.
Just then, someone was heard screaming. Chang Qi Shui and the others were pushed over the edge by Chef, Accountant, and Ma Tian Yuan and had no choice but to cry out, “Martial Ancestor, save us!”
Right after Chang Qi Shui shouted, Chef slashed across his neck with his knife and sent his head flying away. Blood started spurting out of his neck like a fountain.
Realising that they were unable to turn things around, the Left and Right Protectors tried to flee, but they didn’t have a chance to do so. Accountant shot the beads from his abacus at them from all directions and formed countless holes in their figures. Ma Tian Yuan promptly made a move and beheaded the two of them.
The three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Golden Rainbow Province were all killed while the other Open Heaven Realm Masters had basically been wiped out beforehand. Countless others below the Open Heaven Realm were either dead or dying.
The entire Golden Rainbow Province was no different from a living Hell and the Spirit Province where the Sect was located was beginning to crumble and crack.
Li Luo Shui shouted through clenched teeth, “All of you must die today!”
All of a sudden, her curvy figure shook as an invisible force spread out with her as the centre. Yang Kai and the others, who had surrounded her, were sent flying away as they were caught off guard.
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted when he saw what was happening as he felt his chest tightening.
That was because Li Luo Shui’s black hair and clothes flapped in the air even though there wasn’t a trail of wind, as though an invisible force was infusing into her petite figure from all directions. At the same time, her aura seemed to be rising rapidly.
Yang Kai was flabbergasted as he had no idea what was going on.
It was difficult to deal with this woman to begin with as seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to take her down; however, it now seemed that her strength was rapidly increasing all of a sudden.
Right then, the Proprietress exclaimed, “Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law!”
“What in the world is that?” Yang Kai asked in shock. The Proprietress’ words suggested that she realised what Li Luo Shui was doing.
There was no time for any explanation so the Proprietress simply sent him a wisp of her Divine Sense that contained all the information he needed to know.
Soon, Yang Kai learned what this Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law was. Strictly speaking, it was a Forbidden Technique.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Azure Void Divine Monarch had created this technique many years ago. Using his own body as a Refining Furnace, he drew the heritage of his Sect’s Headquarters into his body and forcefully increased his strength with this Forbidden Technique.
The Headquarters of every great force contained a heritage that had been accumulated over thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. This heritage was the inheritance left behind in the Headquarters by the Open Heaven Realm Masters who passed away over the millennia for its future disciples.
However, this kind of heritage could also be absorbed and refined.
It was a painfully long process for an Open Heaven Realm Master to increase their strength through the refinement of Open Heaven Pills, cultivation resources, or the World Force of a Universe World.
Regardless of what method they used, the goal was to strengthen the World Force of their Small Universe, thus allowing them to wield greater force.
The heritage within the Headquarters of a great force could be absorbed and refined in a similar manner.
Nevertheless, no one would do that, usually. Firstly, it would weaken the Sect’s heritage, thus causing some instability to their own great force. Secondly, it was basically impossible for this heritage to match with their Small Universe. Absorbing this heritage forcefully was basically like drinking poison to slake one’s thirst.
In the entire 3,000 Worlds, practically every Headquarters of every great force contained a complicated heritage.
That was because the Open Heaven Realm Masters who passed away over the years allowed their World Force to assimilate into their own Sects. The Grand Dao that every Open Heaven Realm Master comprehended was different, so the traces of those Grand Daos were distinct as well. As such, the heritage of a great force was usually not only immense but also complex.
If an Open Heaven Realm Master rashly absorbed and refined the heritage, it would do more harm than good.
However, back then, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Azure Void Divine Monarch developed this technique to forcefully draw the heritage into his body in order to significantly increase his strength for a short time.
Nevertheless, there was a huge downside to this technique. Although the Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law could help an Open Heaven Realm Master obtain an incredible amount of power in a short time, they had to purge this heritage soon after; otherwise, it would affect their foundation and the purity of their Small Universe.
If one didn’t purge this added heritage, the impurities in their Small Universe would cause their cultivation to plunge. In the worst case, their Small Universe would destabilise and crumble, costing one their life.
That was the reason the Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law was a Forbidden Technique. This technique was widely known among Open Heaven Realm Masters; however, no one was willing to use this Forbidden Technique unless their Sect’s survival was at stake. That was because it was akin to gambling their lives away.
It was apparent that Golden Rainbow Province was at a life-or-death moment. Li Luo Shui was resolute as she decided to damage her own foundation just to use the Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law to repel the invaders.
Li Luo Shui, who was already a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was seen with her aura rising rapidly. It could also clearly be felt that a mysterious force was penetrating her petite figure from all parts of Golden Rainbow Province. With the infusion of this force, she seemed to have merged with Golden Rainbow Province.
Her aura was so imposing that no one would dare to directly gaze at her.
In short order, Li Luo Shui’s aura completely changed, as though she had transformed into an entirely different person. As she opened her eyes, a glint flashed through her gaze. She stared coldly at Yang Kai and the others before saying through clenched teeth, “All of you must die today for daring to invade my Golden Rainbow Province!”
As she performed different hand seals, she sent out Divine Abilities right at the seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai lifted his spear to parry the attacks, but his figure shook as he felt a tremendous force coming right at him. As though an entire world had crashed into him, the bones in his arms were instantly dislocated. He was sent flying away while the vitality in his chest weltered. At the same time, he sprayed out a mouthful of Golden Blood in mid-air.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters became injured and spat blood.
Li Luo Shui, having used the Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law, seemed able to exert a force that was two times greater than what she could previously. The power of her Divine Abilities had also been greatly augmented. Faced with her attacks, the seven felt as though they were unable to counterattack, and all they could do was wait for death.
Mao Zhe’s gaze was transformed by horror and he had the intention to flee. Faced with such a formidable enemy, he would be doomed if he stayed; however, when he turned his head, he saw Yang Kai charging forward again.
He secretly cursed at the man before he too dashed forward alongside Geng Qing and Zhou Ya.
They had left their names on the Loyalty List, so Yang Kai had total control over their lives. Regardless of how reluctant they were, they had to fight alongside him, for if anything happened to Yang Kai, the three of them would suffer as well.
On the other hand, Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan were more reserved. Firstly, they were not restricted by the Loyalty List. Secondly, Shu Mu Dan was pregnant, so she couldn’t take part in an intense battle lest her child is affected. The couple only helped their companions out by casting their Divine Abilities at Li Luo Shui from afar.
The Proprietress was naturally giving it her best as she and Yang Kai wove back and forth to get closer to Li Luo Shui.
The force around Li Luo Shui surged as she remained on the same spot. Faced with the bombardment of attacks, she could easily ward them off by simply raising her hands. She no longer looked as flustered as before. The Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law had pushed her power to an unimaginable level in a short time, allowing her to not only fend off the incoming attacks, but also counterattack at the same time, drawing grunts of pain from Yang Kai and the others.
As time passed, Yang Kai and the others became covered in blood, looking completely battered.
Judging from the current situation, these seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were obviously no match for Li Luo Shui and it was just a matter of time before they were defeated and killed by her.
However, Li Luo Shui no longer appeared calm as her expression grew anxious. This couldn’t be helped though as she was running out of time.
The Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law had allowed her power to increase significantly in a short time, but she could not ignore the downsides of this technique. This infusion of power was no different from poison to any Open Heaven Realm Master. The longer this kind of state persisted, the more unstable her Small Universe would become, and the more difficult it would be to expel all the impurities in the future and stabilize her cultivation.
Therefore, she had to kill all her enemies and end the battle in the shortest time possible. The longer this dragged on, the worse her situation would become. When her Small Universe became unstable, she would lose the power to fight completely and suddenly be at the mercy of Yang Kai and the others.
She repeatedly attempted to kill one of them to achieve a breakthrough, but she was always stopped by Yang Kai. The young man was an expert in the Dao of Space whose skills were also phenomenal. The way he flitted about like a fly annoyed her to no end.
By now, she clearly realised that the young man was the strongest among these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but he was also the most difficult to deal with. If it weren’t for him, she would’ve killed everyone else a long time ago without having to resort to such drastic measures.
She felt resentful as she targeted most of her attacks at Yang Kai, who had no choice but to try his best to defend himself and dodge, causing deep wounds to appear on his figure.
There was no such thing as impenetrable defence in the world though. There came a moment when Li Luo Shui’s eyes lit up as she saw an opening Yang Kai exposed and pushed out her palm as she bellowed, “Die!”
Yang Kai had just stabilised his figure when he was faced with this attack. It seemed that there was no way he could dodge so he had to fight.
Realizing this, Yang Kai’s figure stood firm and raised his spear to intercept the palm. At the same time, he roared, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
A Great Sun suddenly leaped into the sky from behind him. It was so dazzling that the entire Golden Rainbow Province was painted gold. There seemed to be a three-legged exotic bird playing around in the Great Sun, cawing loudly for all to hear.
A black flame burned at the tip of Azure Dragon Spear, as though it was able to extinguish everything in the world.
Upon sensing the Great Sun’s power, Li Luo Shui narrowed her eyes and exclaimed, “A Divine Manifestation!?”
She felt her chest tightening. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to use a Divine Manifestation. Even though she was a Seventh-Order Master now, she was still far from comprehending her own Divine Manifestation. How was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master able to use one then?
Regardless, the sight before her eyes forced her to acknowledge reality.
Faced with this spear, Li Luo Shui halted her movement for a moment before she channelled even more force into her strike.
If she missed this chance, it would probably take a long time before Yang Kai made such a mistake again, and time was the one thing she didn’t have, so she decided that even if she was injured in return, she had to kill this little bastard with this one strike.
As long as she could kill him, the rest wouldn’t be a threat to her.
Following a loud boom, Li Luo Shui was sent flying away while Yang Kai was also forced backwards.
Using his Divine Manifestation Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Yang Kai, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, traded moves with Li Luo Shui, who had used the Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law, with difficulty.
Before Li Luo Shui could stabilize herself, the Proprietress and the others had already pounced on her. She hurriedly dodged their attacks as she looked in Yang Kai’s direction with glee, thinking that the brat’s corpse must have exploded into nothingness upon impact.
The next moment though, she widened her eyes in disbelief.
That was because, unlike her imagination, the boy wasn’t vaporized like she expected. Although he was covered in blood and shrouded in a layer of blood mist, he was still alive.
What’s more, the Great Sun hanging in the sky was as dazzling as ever.
[Why is this Brat so resilient!?] Li Luo Shui’s eyes shrank.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was still reeling from the shock. If it weren’t for his Half-Dragon body, he would’ve been killed just now. The Azure Void Universe Augmentation Grand Law was truly horrifying as it could allow a person’s power to increase tremendously in such a short time.
Presently, the Small Universe in his body was in turmoil as he had apparently been impacted by Li Luo Shui’s attack.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and opened his bloodshot eyes before looking in Li Luo Shui’s direction. The next instant, he performed a hand seal and yelled with a hideous expression, “Water Reflects the Moon!”
A cold-looking full Moon suddenly appeared alongside the Great Sun. The Moon cast its glow on the ground and brought with it endless coldness.
It was a miraculous sight to behold as the Sun and the Moon hung in the sky at the same time. The sensations of cold and hot mingled, which made it impossible for them to identify whether it was day or night.
Mao Zhe felt his chest tightening as his heart clenched in fear. He had previously seen the sight of the Sun and the Moon appearing together on Profound Yang Mountain the day his Sect was destroyed.
He couldn’t believe that he was seeing the same sight again. Then, he quickly sent a message to Geng Qing and Zhou Ya before they leaped away at the speed of lightning.
While his allies were hurriedly retreating, Yang Kai’s voice reverberated across the world, “Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!”
The Sun and the Moon began to rotate in an endless cycle above his head, kicking up a storm that shook the world itself.
Space and Time Principles blended into a single entity and formed into a mysterious Space-Time Strength.
While the Sun and the Moon spun about, time warped wildly and it felt as though only a breath had passed but at the same time it was like millions of years had gone by.
Besides time, space had also become strange. Those who seemed close by suddenly appeared in the distance, though they still looked as though they were standing right in front of their eyes. Everyone’s senses became incredibly distorted.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel spiralled across the sky of Golden Rainbow Province as it slammed towards Li Luo Shui.
She sported a solemn expression and roared. Not daring to have any reservations, she gathered all her strength while performing a set of profound hand seals with her slender hands. Countless powerful Divine Abilities were cast at Sun and Moon Divine Wheel in an attempt to block its advance.
Everyone seemed to be seeing hallucinations as the sight before their eyes shattered while the rumbling sounds were so thunderous that it pained their eardrums.