Pei Wen Xuan’s aura was restrained, so it was apparent that it had been some time since he ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Since the heritage of his Small Universe was stable, Yang Kai was unable to immediately identify its Order.
In the same way, Pei Wen Xuan couldn’t sense Yang Kai’s Order.
After Yang Kai’s return from the Shadowless Cave Heaven, he subsequently destroyed Boundless Altar and Golden Rainbow Province. Therefore, the Old Ancestor of Boundless Altar and Li Luo Shui, who had fled from Golden Rainbow Province, were aware of Yang Kai’s true strength.
However, Li Luo Shui was probably hiding somewhere to recuperate while the Old Ancestor of Boundless Altar had suffered a setback because of Yang Kai and lost his Sect, which had been in existence for several tens of thousands of years, so he would smack his own face by going around telling others about it.
According to the information gathered by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Yang Kai had only ascended to the Fifth Order outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven, which explained Pei Wen Xuan’s words. Even Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui initially thought that Yang Kai was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“You’re pretty lucky to have escaped from the Shadowless Cave Heaven.” Pei Wen Xuan snorted. He had heard that no one had ever left the Shadowless Cave Heaven once they fell into it; therefore, it surprised him that Yang Kai eventually managed to leave that place.
Yang Kai just snickered without responding to him.
On the other hand, the elderly man from Myriad Demons Heaven sported a dark expression, “You’re the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai? It’s no wonder this Old Master finds you familiar.”
Earlier, he felt that he had seen the young man before, but it was obvious to him now that he had seen Yang Kai’s image previously, not the real person.
Yang Kai shot him a dispassionate glance, “That’s right. This King is the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai. What of it?”
The elderly man said in a grim voice, “I’ll ask you a question. What happened to Elder Ti Zheng outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven? Why did he pass away all of a sudden?”
A startled Yang Kai asked, “Ti Zheng is dead?”
“You weren’t aware of it?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Su Ying Xue and inquired, “Senior Sister Su, is he being serious?”
Ti Zheng was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from Myriad Demons Heaven. If he had really passed away, the news would have been spread around; hence, Su Ying Xue should be aware of it.
Su Ying Xue nodded, “He’s indeed dead. I heard that his Life Lamp in Myriad Demons Heaven has also gone out.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was flabbergasted. Why had a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master lost his life all of a sudden? He had witnessed Ti Zheng’s power with his own eyes. Ti Zheng was someone who could use a Divine Manifestation, so he was different from the average Seventh-Order Master. Although he was severely injured by Zhu Jiu Yin, there was no way he would lose his life so easily as he was still fine when Yang Kai entered the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
This wasn’t a trivial matter, as a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from a Cave Heaven had fallen. With that said, it was good news for Yang Kai. Ti Zheng was aware that he cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye. Yang Kai was initially wary of him, so upon learning that Ti Zheng was dead, he reckoned that he could keep this secret for a while longer.
Then, he gazed at the elderly man and asked, “When did that happen?”
“Are you really not aware of it?” The elderly stared fixedly at Yang Kai as though he was trying to look deep into his mind.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I just found out about it now.”
The elderly man examined Yang Kai’s expression but couldn’t find anything off about it, as though the latter was really surprised to learn of Ti Zheng’s death. Then, he scoffed, “Elder Ti Zheng lost his life in the Shattered Heaven. We’re unable to figure out the exact time, but it supposedly happened around the time when he met you.”
Yang Kai said, “When I entered the Shadowless Cave Heaven, even though Ti Zheng was severely wounded, he wasn’t at risk of losing his life. You can ask the other three Masters who were there about it. As for what happened after, I have no idea.”
He secretly thought that Zhu Jiu Yin might have killed Ti Zheng; after all, she was the only one at the place who was capable of killing a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, given her temperament, she probably wouldn’t do such a thing. Ti Zheng represented Myriad Demons Heaven, and if she really killed him, she would have to go up against the entire Myriad Demons Heaven. Although Zhu Jiu Yin was a powerful Divine Spirit, she wasn’t so foolish.
Furthermore, upon Yang Kai’s return, she had never mentioned it, so she apparently wasn’t the murderer.
The elderly man from Myriad Demons Heaven frowned. Yang Kai’s words were the same as the information they had gathered. At that time, Yang Kai was forced to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, after which he immediately dove into the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Then, the four High-Rank cultivators parted ways, and no one knew what happened next.
As an idea flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, he said, “If you want to investigate this matter, you can try to look for Black Crow Divine Monarch. He might have something to do with it.”
Assuming that Ti Zheng wasn’t killed by Zhu Jiu Yin, this matter might have something to do with Black Crow; after all, that guy was a former Divine Monarch who had been reborn through seizing another’s body, and he had many tricks up his sleeves. A wounded Ti Zheng might not be able to defeat him.
As for whether it was the truth, it was none of Yang Kai’s business. He held some grudges against Black Crow, so he reckoned that he would just let those from Myriad Demons Heaven deal with him.
“We definitely will hunt Black Crow down. As for whether you’ve spoken the truth… come with this Old Master to see Elder Zhuo first,” Upon finishing his words, the elderly man extended his hand towards Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could make a move, Qing Kui directly pushed out his fist. As their World Forces clashed, Qing Kui and the elderly man staggered backwards.
“What is the meaning of this, Elder Qing?” The elderly man stabilised himself and sported a dark expression.
Qing Kui snorted coldly, “I should be the one asking you that question. Sect Master Yang is our guest who is going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, yet you’ve already made a move before we invite him inside. Do you have no regard for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven at all?”
The elderly man said in a grim voice, “It’s not so serious, Elder Qing. However, this person might have something to do with the death of an Elder from my Sect, so this Old Master cannot be negligent. I have to bring him to see Elder Zhuo in order to look into the matter.”
A defiant Qing Kui snapped, “I don’t care what has happened in your Myriad Demons Heaven. Since Sect Master Yang has come all the way here to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, he’s our guest, and no one can do anything to him; otherwise, don’t blame this Qing for being impolite!”
The elderly man furrowed his brows. Just when he was about to say something, Pei Wen Xuan suddenly spoke to him in secret. After giving it a thought, the elderly man finally relented as he nodded, “You have a point, Elder Qing. This Old Master was too hasty just now.”
They were already in the wrong as they were here trying to intercept all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had come to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly. If they still forcefully made a move on Yang Kai, a battle would surely be ignited. The elderly man wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility when that happened.
Since Yang Kai was going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, they could just teach him a lesson then.
“If there’s nothing else, make way now. Why are you all blocking our entrance like dogs before our door?” Qing Kui waved his hand impatiently.
Those from Myriad Demons Heaven were infuriated upon hearing that, but they were not in any place to refute Qing Kui, so they could only hold their fury in.
Following that, Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue hovered on Yang Kai’s sides as they flew towards the Territory Gate.
“The Dao Theory Assembly is a great event. I hope you’ll have fun!” As they brushed past each other, Pei Wen Xuan suddenly flashed a meaningful grin at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai shot him a glance and grinned, “I hope you all will have fun as well.”
The next instant, the world around him started spinning as the space contorted. When he came to his senses, he was already in Yin-Yang Territory.
This was the Headquarters of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as well as their foundation that had been accumulated over countless years.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but scan his surroundings, but there was nothing interesting as the view in the void was the same as always. As such, he just moved forward alongside Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui.
Soon, however, he realised that this Great Territory was different from others.
There were many Universe Worlds in this place, and every one of them was filled with ample World Energy and could accommodate trillions of lives.
These Universe Worlds were all under the control of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and these innumerable lives could infuse new blood into the great force at any moment to ensure the continuation of their inheritance.
Besides the Universe Worlds, there were also many Spirit Provinces along the way. Some cultivators could be seen moving around on these Spirit Provinces, which came in all different shapes and sizes. The big ones were as large as Void Land while the small ones were only several hundred square kilometres. There were a lot of strange-looking plants in many Spirit Provinces and cultivators could be seen tending to them.
Yang Kai tutted as he moved forward, thinking that the heritage of a Cave Heaven was truly incredible. The entire Great Territory seemed to have been born solely for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. There were so many living in those Universe Worlds that there would never be a lack of future disciples with exceptional aptitude, and the numerous Spirit Provinces used for various gardens and mines could provide an endless stream of cultivation resources.
Although Void Land was pretty amazing now, it was still far behind Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in terms of heritage.
Despite having a prospering Star City now, it would take Void Land a painfully long time to achieve this kind of scale and heritage.
The disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would patrol around the place, and when they saw Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, they would immediately salute.
After flying for a few days, Yang Kai finally saw a large group of Spirit Provinces that were closely connected. There were about a hundred Spirit Provinces of different sizes that looked like islands on the ocean, hovered in the void. The Spirit Province in the centre was so large that Yang Kai could clearly sense its horrifying heritage even from afar.
Its World Force was unbelievably ample and it wasn’t hard to imagine that countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had passed away on it. After their death, their World Forces were absorbed by this Spirit Province to enrich the heritage of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
This was the true Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. What Yang Kai had seen along the way was just the peripheral foundation of the great force.
He let out a sigh of admiration, thinking that when Void Land achieved this scale one day, it would also stand at the peak of the 3,000 Worlds.
He followed Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui to charge towards the largest Spirit Province. Soon, he penetrated layers of cloud, whereupon the amazingly pure World Energy came right at him from all directions.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he thought the disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven could rapidly increase their strength since they were cultivating in such an environment.
Raising his head, he could see that the Spirit Province was truly magnificent and diversified. Buildings of various styles had been erected everywhere, and there were many exotic beasts wandering around on the mountains as they looked up and howled. All of these sights dazzled Yang Kai.
He could even faintly feel that many of the exotic beasts had the bloodlines of Divine Spirits. Although these bloodlines were quite diluted, these exotic beasts would grow to be powerful should they attain some opportunities in their cultivation along the way.
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui led Yang Kai to forward while Qing Kui hospitably told him some general information about Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Yang Kai repeatedly nodded as he listened to him.
A moment later, they arrived at a detached building where there was a pretty-looking female disciple who greeted them. Since she was just an Emperor Realm cultivator, she was supposed to be a maidservant in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
The maidservant saluted Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui before uttering softly, “Greetings, Elders.”
Su Ying Xue nodded gently, then turned to look at Yang Kai, “The Dao Theory Assembly is still half a month away, so you’d better get some rest here. When the time comes, someone will inform you how to take part in the assembly.”
Qing Kui landed a forceful slap on the other man’s shoulder, “You have my best wishes, Junior Brother Yang,” He seemed to have high hopes in Yang Kai.
An embarrassed Yang Kai quickly replied, “Senior Sister Su, Senior Brother Qing, I’m worried there’s a misunderstanding here. I’m not here to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly.”
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui were startled.
“What do you mean? Why have you come all the way here if you’re not going to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly?” Su Ying Xue asked with a frown.
Yang Kai replied following a sigh, “This matter has something to do with me after all. Since I’m aware of that, I have to come over to have a look. Where’s Senior Sister Qu now? Can I see her?”
Su Ying Xue stared fixedly at him with a furious expression while Qing Kui hurriedly said, “It’s not convenient for Junior Sister Qu to meet anyone now. Please stay here for the moment, Junior Brother Yang. We can talk about it at a later time.”
Then, he sent a signal to the maidservant, who then extended her hand and said, “This way please, Sir.”
“We’ll take our leave now since we have other matters to attend to. I’ll visit you again soon.” Qing Kui patted the other man’s shoulder, then released his power to engulf Su Ying Xue and shot into the sky.
Yang Kai was about to say something when they abruptly left. After the two of them were out of sight, he followed the maidservant to enter the building and get some rest.
“How could he say he’s not going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly when he’s already here!?” Su Ying Xue was incensed, “In that case, the plan of those great forces will succeed. By then, Qu’er will have to marry a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Perhaps the winner will be some worn-out old man!”
Qing Kui grinned, “Just like what you’ve said, he’s already here. Do you think he can refuse to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly?”
Su Ying Xue gazed at him with vigilance, “What are you trying to do?”
An innocent-looking Qing Kui replied, “Nothing. Let’s go. We have to inform Honoured Master about it. He must be pretty anxious by now.”
As they spoke, they dashed towards a certain Spirit Peak and soon after, landed before a palace.
Before they even entered though, they heard a man bellowing, “How dare they do that! What a bunch of shameless bastards! Do they even have any regard for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven? Father here will go out and kill them all now!” Following that, some things were heard breaking to pieces.
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui exchanged glances as they couldn’t help but flinch. It wasn’t until the noises subsided that they dragged their feet inside.
The ground inside the Grand Hall was a mess and many servants were cleaning things up with stiff expressions.
In the centre of the hall stood a ferocious-looking man with his hands behind his back. He was clad in a robe embroidered with snake patterns, and he had a golden crown on his head. Presently, he was recklessly releasing his powerful Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm aura, which caused the servants to shudder in fear.
The person was none other than Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Inner Elder, Xu Ling Gong. He was also the Honoured Master of Qu Hua Shang, Su Ying Xue, and Qing Kui.
Just then, Qu Hua Shang shuffled forward with a longsword that was even bigger than her in her hands. Upon reaching the man, she lifted the sword and said in a clear voice, “Your sword is here, Honoured Master.”
“What are you doing?” Xu Ling Gong gazed at her.
Qu Hua Shang batted her eyes and replied, “Didn’t you say you were going out to kill them all? Let’s go now. I’ll cheer for you from behind.”
“Do you think I don’t dare to do it?” Xu Ling Gong sported a grim expression and took the longsword and dashed towards the door, “I’m going now. No one can stop me!”
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue sported dark expressions. Following an exchange of glances, they sprinted forward and respectively grabbed Xu Ling Gong’s arms.
“Calm down, Honoured Master! We can discuss this first.”
“Please don’t act on impulse, Honoured Master. It will certainly feel good to kill them now, but that won’t solve the problem. Why would you invite trouble to yourself for no results?”
The two of them hurriedly dissuaded Xu Ling Gong from acting rashly.
As though Xu Ling Gong had just noticed them, he said, “Oh, Su’er and Qing’er.”
Su Ying Xue quickly snatched the longsword from her Honoured Master and tossed it at Qu Hua Shang before glaring at her. In response, Qu Hua Shang playfully stuck out her tongue.
“Please have a seat and drink some tea, Honoured Master.” Qing Kui pulled Xu Ling Gong towards a chair and got him a cup of tea from the side.
Xu Ling Gong grunted and took a sip of the tea. All of a sudden, he blew his top again and threw the cup to the ground, which caused it to break into pieces. In a furious voice, he said, “Since you’ve returned from outside, I suppose you’ve heard something.”
Qing Kui replied with a straight face, “Yes. The Territory Gates around Yin-Yang Territory have all been cordoned off and all foreign Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were planning to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly were chased away. Only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are being allowed to enter.”
“They’ve gone too far!” Xu Ling Gong pounded his fist against the table, “How can those Fifth-Order trash even hope to marry my Disciple? Who do they think they are? They should look at themselves in the mirror first!”
With the longsword in her hands, Qu Hua Shang said with a nonchalant smile, “I don’t mind marrying a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. at that point, I’ll bring the person to meet you, and you can just come up with a random reason and kill him. It won’t be so bad being a widow.”
Xu Ling Gong’s eyes brightened when he heard that as he gazed at Qu Hua Shang and said with an elated expression, “You’re indeed a clever little girl. How did you even come up with that idea?”
Qu Hua Shang replied, “It’s all thanks to your teachings, Honoured Master.”
Xu Ling Gong guffawed with a proud expression, “Of course it’s because of my teachings. My Disciples are all intelligent and talented.”
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue sported helpless expressions. Then, Su Ying Xue glared at Qu Hua Shang and said, “How can you make a scene here beside Honoured Master? When you really have to marry a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from one of those Cave Heavens or Paradises, you’ll spend most of your days crying.”
Qu Hua Shang scoffed, “Let’s see who will be the one crying in the end.”
Su Ying Xue shook her head and gazed at Xu Ling Gong, “Honoured Master, why has this matter even come to such a point? It isn’t like there have never been any disputes or even casualties between the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It’s an age-old admonition that the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises must not fight against each other, but everyone knows that conflicts still happen. Why is Qu’er getting this kind of punishment?”
Upon hearing that, Xu Ling Gong sighed, “There are indeed some conflicts between the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and it’s true that there have been casualties as a result. However, those were just internal struggles among the Cave Heavens and Paradises. But now, Qu’er has made a mistake for an outsider. Moreover, that brat attempted to directly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, which broke the taboo.”
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue frowned. Given their powers and statuses, they were aware of some secrets that were not known to most people. As they recalled the stories of the carnage of many years ago, they could faintly grasp the severity of the matter.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were trying to make their stance clear. They would never allow anyone to directly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, and this incident could serve as a warning to all other cultivators of that determination.
If an event like this ever happened again, the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises should know what to do and remember which side to take.
“Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is one of the 36 Cave Heavens, so while we can resist a certain amount of pressure, Qu’er will have to suffer some punishment…” Xu Ling Gong sighed.
Then, his expression turned furious all of a sudden, “However, those old bastards are too shameless! How can they pull such a dirty trick just because they aren’t willing to let a Sixth-Order disciple get married into our Sect?”
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue traded glances, then the former said, “We have a potential solution to that, Honoured Master.”
Xu Ling Gong gaped at him and asked, “What solution do you have?”
Qing Kui replied, “I reckon that the person who has caused all this will have to solve this problem as well.”
Xu Ling Gong became startled for a moment, “Are you talking about that Yang Kai?” Then, he became vexed, “I’m still mad at that brat! If I ever see him, I’ll kill him with my sword! It’s because of that thief that Qu’er’s happiness is ruined!”
“Uh… Well… Honoured Master…” Qing Kui appeared hesitant.
Xu Ling Gong shot him a glare, “Stop stuttering like a woman and speak up!”
“To be honest with you, Honoured Master, Yang Kai has arrived in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. He’s currently resting in Riverside House now,” Qing Kui said meekly.
Xu Ling Gong became startled for a moment before he stood straight up and bellowed, “Father here will go hack him to death now!” When he attempted to take his sword though, Qu Hua Shang hugged it tightly and shook her head at him.
“Let go!” Xu Ling Gong yelled.
“No!” Qu Hua Shang repeatedly shook her head.
“Are you trying to go against me, little girl?” Xu Ling Gong was incensed.
“If you want to hack him to death, you’ll have to kill me first!”
Qu Hua Shang extended her fair neck and presented her head to Xu Ling Gong, who then pushed her away.
“Why would I kill you? Father here only wants to hack him to death! How did that little bastard have the nerve to come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven? It does save me the trouble since he is already here though. Today, Father will end his life!”
As a commotion broke out, the hall descended into chaos.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue hurriedly went over to placate Xu Ling Gong and eventually made him sit down again, though they were now drenched in sweat, feeling exhausted.
“Honoured Master, Yang Kai is in fact in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, not the Fifth-Order,” Qing Kui quickly reported as he was worried that any further delay would result in more chaos.
“So what if he’s in the Sixth Order? As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I can kill him easily,” Xu Ling Gong scoffed.
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang was astonished, “Impossible! I saw Junior Brother Yang ascend to the Fifth Order. He refined a Fifth-Order Yin Element treasure, I’m sure of it. How could he be in the Sixth Order now?”
Qing Kui replied, “I have no idea; however, I tested him, and I can confirm that he’s indeed in the Sixth Order.”
Su Ying Xue nodded, “He’s indeed in the Sixth Order.”
Qu Hua Shang appeared astounded.
She was there when Yang Kai ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, so she had witnessed the entire process. He was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at that time, so how did he become a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now? She estimated that it had only been two years since they parted ways. In such a short time, it was already difficult for a new Open Heaven Realm Master to solidify their cultivation, let alone ascend to the next Order.
“He’s in the Sixth Order?” Xu Ling Gong finally came to his senses as he arched his brow with joy, “Hahaha! Good! Since he’s a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I’ll not kill him for now. Tell him to do his best in the Dao Theory Assembly. Regardless of whether he wins or not, I’ll give him some benefits once it’s over!”
He was truly ecstatic. Those shameless people had cordoned off the Territory Gates around Yin-Yang Territory and forced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to leave, allowing only cultivators below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly. They were doing it because they wanted to make sure that only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would eventually have the chance to fight for first place, and thus, they would only have to lose a Fifth-Order disciple to Yin-Yang Heaven.
However, if there was even a single Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who joined the assembly all of a sudden, the plans of those great forces would fall apart. By then, they would have to use a different tactic. Whether it was for the reputation of their own Sects or some other reasons, they would have to let Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participate in the event, and Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would be saved from any embarrassment.
Xu Ling Gong didn’t expect Yang Kai to be the winner. Regardless of the reason why Yang Kai had become a Sixth-Order cultivator, it had been too short a time since his ascension. After all, in the Open Heaven Realm, time was vital for a cultivator to grow more powerful.
Although Yang Kai had somehow become a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he didn’t have enough time to accumulate more heritage in his Small Universe; therefore, he should be no match for those who broke through to the Sixth-Order hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
It was true that since Yang Kai had caused all this, he should also be the one to solve the problem. Considering all this, Xu Ling Gong’s resentment against Yang Kai subsided slightly.
“How many people are aware of this secret?” He then asked.
Qing Kui replied, “No one else other than Junior Sister Su and I. That was the reason he could easily enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Those from Myriad Demons Heaven also believed that he was only a Fifth-Order Master, so they let him through the Territory Gate without giving him too much of a hard time.”
Xu Ling Gong’s lips curved into a devious smile, “It’s not a good idea that no one else is aware of it. We’d better make some noises and let everyone know that he has ascended to the Sixth Order. That will be much more interesting.”
If no one knew that Yang Kai had ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the great forces who took part in the Dao Theory Assembly wouldn’t send Sixth-Order Masters to join the competition. In that case, Yang Kai would be able to win first place easily.
“Honoured Master!” Qu Hua Shang glared at him, “What are you trying to do?”
Xu Ling Gong stared back at her, “How can you shout at me? Where are your manners?”
Qu Hua Shang ignored his warning and continued glaring at him, “Since no one is aware of Junior Brother Yang’s true power, he would be able to surprise all of them when the time comes. Isn’t that a good idea?”
“What do you mean a ‘good idea’?” Xu Ling Gong realised that his eyes were starting to become sore, and it wasn’t very intimidating since his eyes were smaller than those of Qu Hua Shang, so he decided to give up and looked away, “You’ve ended up in such a state because of that brat. Father here has already been magnanimous enough to not settle accounts with him right now, yet you’re still siding with him? Do you believe I won’t bring my sword to kill him now?”
“I don’t care!” Qu Hua Shang said through clenched teeth, “If you dare to harm him in any way, I’ll…”
“What will you do?” Xu Ling Gong appeared ferocious.
“I’ll… I’ll go make cooked rice and shelled peanuts with him! Let’s see who will still want to marry me after that!” Qu Hua Shang screamed.
Xu Ling Gong parted his lips but couldn’t say a word. A moment later, he pounded against the table and snapped, “How dare you go against your Honoured Master?” Then, he glowered at Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, “How did the two of you teach her? Look what kind of a person she has turned out to be! How could she say such shameless things?”
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue hung their heads low, thinking that it was none of their business. Xu Ling Gong had always doted on Qu Hua Shang. In the past, they would be reprimanded whenever they tried to discipline the young Qu Hua Shang, but now that she had grown up to be a willful person, Xu Ling Gong blamed it all on them instead.
“Ahh! It frustrates me so!” Xu Ling Gong pressed his hand against his chest as though he would soon die of suffocation.
An embarrassed Qing Kui said, “There’s another issue that needs to be solved first, Honoured Master.”
A weakened Xu Ling Gong gazed at him, “Just tell me right away. One day I’ll be so vexed that I’ll pass away because of the three of you.”
The corners of Qing Kui’s mouth twitched, “Yang Kai said that he’s not here to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly; he’s just here to look for Junior Sister Qu. He said that since he’s the cause of this incident, he had to come over to discuss it with her.”
“He’s not going to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly?” Xu Ling Gong instantly became incensed and roared, “Why is he even here if he’s not going to take part!? Is he just trying to watch a good show!? That little bastard must be sick of living!”
To the side, Qu Hua Shang said with a happy smile, “Junior Brother Yang is indeed a man of integrity.”
The three of them gazed at her as they were rendered speechless.
A while later, Xu Ling Gong suppressed his anger with great difficulty and said grimly, “Regardless of the reason he’s here, he has to join the Dao Theory Assembly; otherwise, Father will send him to the Yellow Springs personally!”
Qing Kui turned solemn, knowing that his Honoured Master was truly incensed. If Yang Kai was still so obstinate, he would end up in a horrible state. Then, Qing Kui quickly said, “Don’t worry, Honoured Master. The assembly is still some time away. Just leave the matter to me. I’ll knock some sense into his head and make him take part in it.”
“Good.” Xu Ling Gong nodded gently and tossed a jade slip at him, “Look. These are the candidates that those great forces have sent to join the assembly. Toads lusting after swan meat, the whole lot of them!”
Qing Kui took it and infused his Divine Sense into it, and just like what he had expected, the most powerful candidates were only in the Fifth Order. There wasn’t even a single one in the Sixth Order.
The people who had directly ascended to the Fifth Order were still fine; after all, they still had the potential to become Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the future. Such people could be potential partners for Qu Hua Shang.
However, some of these candidates had apparently reached the Fifth Order from the Third Order through years of cultivation, so the Fifth Order was their limit. How did these old farts have the nerve to join the Dao Theory Assembly? It was no wonder that Xu Ling Gong was infuriated.
Meanwhile, only Yang Kai and the maidservant in the Emperor Realm were in Riverside House.
Yang Kai had repeatedly asked her how he could meet Qu Hua Shang, but there was nothing the maidservant could do; after all, she was just a lowly maidservant in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven since her cultivation was too weak, so she couldn’t possibly come into contact with Qu Hua Shang.
Since that was the case, Yang Kai could only give up on that idea; after all, he was in the Headquarters of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so he couldn’t just wander around looking for her.
Fortunately, Qing Kui came to visit the next day and told the maidservant to prepare an ample meal so that he could have a chat with Yang Kai while drinking.
After their initial ‘misunderstanding’ was cleared up, Yang Kai had a good impression of this man. Furthermore, he was Qu Hua Shang’s Senior Brother, so Yang Kai naturally had to be hospitable to him.
After three rounds of drink, they naturally became closer.
Yang Kai asked him where Qu Hua Shang was and whether he could meet her, but Qing Kui changed the subject instead.
“Junior Brother Yang, why have you come all the way here if you’re not going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly? Do you think Junior Sister Qu is not good enough for you?” Qing Kui asked with the wine cup in his hand.
Yang Kai straightened up and replied solemnly, “Senior Sister Qu’s appearance and cultivation are the best of the best in the entire 3,000 Worlds. There are few women who could match her in either regard. Certainly, this Yang is fond of her, and I feel extremely lucky to have gained her favour.”
“Then, why aren’t you…”
Yang Kai said, “To be honest with you, this Yang already has several Wives, so I’m not willing to hold Senior Sister Qu down.”
Qing Kui became startled for a moment, then burst into laughter, “If that’s your only concern, you can cast it away now, Junior Brother Yang. It’s normal that a man has several Wives. Moreover, Qu’er isn’t a narrow-minded person. She’s known you for quite some time and is fully aware of your situation. Why would you mind it when she doesn’t?”
“I don’t mind it. It’s just that…”
“Are you worried that you won’t be able to explain yourself to your Wives?” Qing Kui teased.
“That’s not the case,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Why are you hesitant then?” Qing Kui stared fixedly at him.
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment, then sighed, “Senior Brother Qing, can I see Senior Sister Qu and ask her what she thinks about it first?”
Qing Kui sipped his wine and shook his head, “Things have come to such a point where what she thinks doesn’t matter anymore. The most important thing is how the Dao Theory Assembly will end. Do you really want her to marry an old, worn-out Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
“What do you mean? Why would she marry an old Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“See for yourself,” Qing Kui fished out a jade slip.
“What is this?”
“These are the candidates that the great forces have sent to join the Dao Theory Assembly.”
Yang Kai infused his Divine Sense into the jade slip and put it down a while later, then said grimly, “I’ve truly wronged her.”
Qing Kui said, “Since you’re aware of it, why don’t you take part in the Dao Theory Assembly?”
Yang Kai sighed, “Can I see Senior Sister Qu first?”
Qing Kui furrowed his brows with displeasure. A while later, he snorted and rose from the chair, “That’s all I have to say. Just sleep on it.”
Then, he turned around and left.
Yang Kai called out to him, but the latter never responded. While remaining in his seat, he was lost for words. He looked down at the table, thinking that they hadn’t finished all the wine.
Outside Riverside House, a figure suddenly appeared and gazed at Qing Kui. She was none other than Su Ying Xue.
Qing Kui shook his head and pointed at his own forehead, “He’s such an obstinate man.”
Su Ying Xue’s expression turned cold, “He has to pay the price for what he has done! I’ll teach him a lesson right now!”
Qing Kui immediately took her arm, “Don’t go. His will is firm. Unless he is given no other choice, no one will be able to change his mind.”
“Do we just do nothing and let this travesty unfold then?” Su Ying Xue asked coldly.
Qing Kui sighed, “Since there’s no other choice, we have to use that move.”
Su Ying Xue flung his hand away and snorted, “You’re really a good Senior Brother to her.”
Qing Kui replied meekly, “That’s the only thing we can do. It’s not like we can just watch as Qu’er’s happiness is destroyed. Sect Master Yang has to join the Dao Theory Assembly no matter what. It’s just that Qu’er will have to be taken advantage of in order for that to happen.”
“You’ve already made a move?” Su Ying Xue seemed to have realised something.
Qing Kui nodded gently. Although both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had still easily pulled a little trick on Yang Kai since the latter was unsuspecting. Certainly, the main reason was that he didn’t have any murderous or vicious intent when he made a move; otherwise, Yang Kai would have noticed it.
“Aren’t you worried that things will get out of hand?” Su Ying Xue frowned, “Ordinary people are not able to resist that thing.”
Qing Kui scratched his face and said, “There shouldn’t be a problem as long as we make a move in time. In any case, we still have Honoured Master as a last resort.”
“If anyone finds out about it, Qu’er’s reputation will be ruined.” Su Ying Xue was worried, “Many disciples from various great forces have come together in our Sect to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly. If…”
Qing Kui raised his hand and cut her off, “Of course, we have to be secretive when doing it. I’ll make sure that no one will be able to find out, but you don’t want Qu’er to marry someone only in the Fifth Order, do you? You’re also clear about Honoured Master’s stance. Regardless of whether Yang Kai will become the winner, he will have to be the shit-stirrer.”
Su Ying Xue frowned with disdain, “Why are you so vulgar?”
Qing Kui said, “I’ve made a move on Yang Kai, and you’ll handle Qu’er. Quit being soft-hearted, or else you’ll ruin her happiness!”
Su Ying Xue fell silent and appeared hesitant, clearly not knowing what to do.
If she did nothing and let things simply unfold, the Dao Theory Assembly would become a joke, and everyone from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would be embarrassed. Moreover, Qu Hua Shang would never get the happiness she deserved. However, it was difficult for Su Ying Xue to make up her mind to use such a trick on her Junior Sister even though no harm would be caused.
“Let me think about it… I have to give it some serious thought…” Su Ying Xue muttered under her breath.
Qing Kui nodded, not wanting to pressure her.
Three days later, Yang Kai was cultivating in silence when he heard someone knocking on his door, then the maidservant was heard saying, “Elder Qing is here, Sir Yang.”
Yang Kai hurriedly got to his feet and pushed the door open. Qing Kui was indeed standing outside the room.
“Senior Brother Qing!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Qing Kui examined him with displeasure, then said, “Come with me.”
Despite not knowing what the other man was trying to do, Yang Kai could only follow him. They left Riverside House and flew off. A while later, Yang Kai asked, “Where are we going, Senior Brother Qing?”
Without turning his head, Qing Kui replied, “Didn’t you want to see Qu’er? I’m bringing you to see her now.”
Yang Kai was elated upon hearing that, then he hurriedly said, “Many thanks for granting my request, Senior Brother Qing.”
Qing Kui only snorted in response. An embarrassed Yang Kai fell silent and followed Qing Kui closely.
A while later, they landed on a Spirit Peak where there was an extensive hollow area in the centre that looked like a mountain valley, which was filled with lush greenery and strikingly beautiful flowers. The view was truly spectacular.
There were some buildings in the centre of the valley and they directly headed towards one particular palace.
Qing Kui turned around and said, “This is Qu’er’s residence. You’ll go in on your own. She’s inside now.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and thanked him before shuffling into the palace.
In a certain room inside the palace, Su Ying Xue’s hands were placed on Qu Hua Shang’s as they talked to each other in an intimate manner, as though they were real Mother and Daughter or a pair of Sisters.
“You seem tired, Senior Sister. What’s wrong?” Qu Hua Shang raised her hand and touched the other woman’s forehead.
Su Ying Xue forced a smile, “Perhaps I’m just exhausted from all the travelling. But don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Qu Hua Shang said, “Get some rest since you’re so tired, I’ll be fine…Why are you looking at me like this, Senior Sister?”
Su Ying Xue poked the tip of the other woman’s nose, “I’m happy that you’re all grown up now. Time goes by really quickly. You’re now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master just like me.”
Qu Hua Shang giggled and crashed into her embrace. She squirmed for a bit and finally found a position she was most comfortable in, “I’ve just achieved an ascension, so I’m still far behind you.”
“It’s different.” Su Ying Xue shook her head, “I directly ascended to the Fifth Order and then rose to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm through hard work. My potential is not comparable to yours.”
Qu Hua Shang looked up at her, “When I grow to be powerful one day, I’ll protect you and make sure that you won’t suffer from any grievances.”
Su Ying Xue smiled gently, “I’ll be waiting for that day to come.”
As they spoke, they heard a series of footsteps coming closer. While Su Ying Xue stiffened, Qu Hua Shang, who was in her embrace, looked up and became pleasantly surprised, “Junior Brother Yang?”
“Ah…” Yang Kai appeared embarrassed when he saw that they were being so intimate, “I just walked right in since the door wasn’t closed. Sorry!”
He quickly stepped back and closed the door.
Qu Hua Shang batted her eyes and looked at Su Ying Xue, then burst into laughter, “He seems to have misunderstood something.”
Su Ying Xue poked the other woman’s forehead, “What’s so funny about it? Alright, I’ll take my leave now. You have a talk with him.” Then, she got to her feet and left the place.
Upon opening the door, she saw the embarrassed Yang Kai standing outside the room. As she looked at his face and thought about what would soon happen, she became incensed and bellowed, “If you dare to take advantage of Qu’er, I’ll never let you off!”
“I wouldn’t dare to,” Yang Kai bent his back.
“Hmph!” Su Ying Xue flicked her sleeve, and when she brushed past Yang Kai, she forcefully stepped on his foot.
Despite realising the woman’s intentions, Yang Kai didn’t dare to dodge, so he could only brace himself and then cringe in pain after the fact.
Meanwhile, Su Ying Xue’s footsteps faded into the distance.
Qu Hua Shang stuck out her head from the room and beckoned to him, “Come in, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai tottered into the room and instantly caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance. He took a glance at the room and realised that the decoration was pretty cosy, which allowed him to relax somewhat.
Qu Hua Shang offered him a seat, then filled a cup with tea for him and smiled with her lips covered, “I’m sorry for the pain you have to suffer, Junior Brother. Although my Senior Sister appears to be dispassionate, she’s a warm-hearted person.”
Yang Kai wiggled his toes, which were almost crushed, and said insincerely, “I can see that.”
After taking the cup of tea she had prepared for him, he asked, “This is your room, right? Should we go to another place to have a chat?”
He had never expected that Qing Kui would bring him to Qu Hua Shang’s bedroom; after all, her reputation would be tarnished if others found out that they stayed in the same room for any reason.
“Why should we go to another place? Can’t we have a talk in my room? Or, are you worried that I’ll do something to you?” Qu Hua Shang teased as she directly sat across from the man.
“Stop teasing me, Senior Sister.” The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched. He reckoned that he should be at ease since the woman wasn’t worried about anything, and they were not going to do anything inappropriate anyway.
Across from him, Qu Hua Shang rested her chin on her palm and looked smilingly at him, “Have you come all the way here to see me, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai nodded his head with a serious expression, “I heard that the people from your Sect are holding a Dao Theory Assembly to select a Husband for you. It’s me who put you in this position, so I had to speak with you.” He sighed.
A nonchalant Qu Hua Shang replied, “It’s not your fault. It’s just that some people are trying to create trouble, and it has nothing to do with you, so don’t feel guilty at all. In any case, it’s thanks to you that I managed to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm in the first place.”
An embarrassed Yang Kai shook his head, “I didn’t help you much.”
In fact, she had to fall in love with him and then sever ties with him in order to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. He had indeed done nothing at all as it was all her own hard work.
“You already offered me the best help since I came across you at the most critical moment before my ascension to the Open Heaven Realm and fell in love with you. If it weren’t for you, I didn’t even know how much longer I would have to wait before I found a suitable person.”
Yang Kai was secretly stunned as he reckoned that only the disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would have the nerve to speak so freely about such things. Most women were not so bold.
Not willing to dwell on this topic, Yang Kai said, “What plans do you have to solve this issue, Senior Sister?”
Qu Hua Shang replied with a smile, “What plans can I have? I’ll just wait for the Dao Theory Assembly to end and marry the winner 100 years later.”
“Are you really willing to do that?’ Yang Kai frowned.
“As a disciple of a Cave Heaven, there are many things that are not up to me to decide, so what does it matter if I’m not willing? I’ve been nurtured by the Sect for many years, so now that the Sect is in trouble, I have to take up the responsibility and solve the problem. Moreover, I’m indeed the cause of this incident.”
Her nonchalance made Yang Kai feel his chest tightening as he felt extremely guilty.
Then, Qu Hua Shang gazed at him with her alluring eyes and said, “Why don’t you take part in the Dao Theory Assembly and become the winner? Then I’ll get to marry you.”
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat as he listened to her bold words and took in her beautiful face that was oh so close.
Qu Hua Shang looked down at his chest and smiled faintly, “Have you fallen for me, Junior Brother?”
In fact, Yang Kai had no idea why he was reacting in such a way as his face was all red now. It wasn’t the first time he came into contact with Qu Hua Shang, and there were moments in the past where they literally clung to one another; however, at this moment, he suddenly found this woman to be irresistibly enchanting. As he listened to her voice and saw her smile, his blood seemed to be boiling and his throat felt dry, causing his heart rate to soar.
Quickly drinking down some tea to moisten his throat, he commented, “It feels a little hot here, Senior Sister.”
Qu Hua Shang became startled for a moment, then scanned her surroundings and said gently, “It’s indeed a little hot here.” She laughed, “I guess I just feel warmth since you’re willing to visit me at this point.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at her and fell into a dazed state. He increasingly felt that the woman in front of him was alluring, and it was extremely hard for him to resist her charm. His mind was filled with lustful thoughts as he gazed greedily at the fair skin that was slightly revealed around her chest and began to feel a little dizzy.
“Junior Brother…” Qu Hua Shang suddenly muttered with a blushing face.
“Hmm?” A shocked Yang Kai suddenly came to his senses, only to realise that he had grasped the woman’s hands at some point, revelling in the soft and delicate feel at his fingertips.
Yang Kai instinctively became alert as there was something off about the situation; however, while he was still lost in his thoughts, he realised that the woman before him had also grabbed his hands and his vigilance instantly vanished into thin air.
Presently, there were three people outside the valley. One of them was standing while the other two were seated with their legs crossed.
The one who was standing was Xu Ling Gong, while the people who were seated were Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui.
At this moment, strange energy fluctuations and a faint white mist could be seen swirling around Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue as they continuously formed different hand seals, as though they were using some profound Secret Technique.
Qing Kui let out a long breath and said through clenched teeth, “That brat is pretty strong-willed and vigilant. He almost shook off the Yang Demon’s influence.”
Yin-Yang Combined Demons was one of the best Secret Techniques in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. It was a Secret Technique that only a man and a woman who were in love with one another could cultivate. The man would cultivate a Yang Demon while the woman would cultivate a Yin Demon. Harsh requirements had to be met before they could cultivate it, and even if they succeeded, the Secret Technique would become useless if one of them fell out of love.
This Secret Technique had many uses. Not only could it assist the couple when they dual cultivated, increasing the rate of their cultivation, it could also be used as a Combined Attack Technique that would significantly increase their powers when they were faced with an enemy.
There was also another auxiliary use of the Secret Technique, which was what Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue were doing.
Presently, they were using the Yin Demon and the Yang Demon that they had nurtured for years to stir up the deepest emotions and magnify the feelings in other people’s hearts. At the same time, they were transferring their feelings of attraction and love for one another to the people who were the targets of this Secret Technique.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue had been a couple for many years, and their love for each other was deep and resolute. At this moment, they were using their Yin-Yang Combined Demons together to stimulate Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang.
In other words, the feelings Yang Kai had for Qu Hua Shang were those of Qing Kui to Su Ying Xue, not his real sentiment. He was just influenced by the Secret Technique.
It was the same case for Qu Hua Shang.
However, there was a prerequisite for this Secret Technique to work. The people that the technique was used on had to be at least fond of each other; otherwise, the Secret Technique would not work.
If there was a blood feud between both parties and they were eager to hack each other to death, this Secret Technique would be completely useless as trying to amplify non-existent feelings would still result in non-existent feelings.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had gone through many life-and-death moments together and supported one another in the Grand Ancient Ruins and Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so both of them treasured the relationship they had. They were Humans, so there was no way they felt nothing for one another.
Regardless of Qu Hua Shang’s feelings for him, Yang Kai’s fondness for her was infinitely magnified under the influence of the Yin-Yang Combined Demons Secret Technique, which was proof that it had worked.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue continuously used different hand seals to sustain the effects of the Yin-Yang Combined Demons. As time passed, the inside of Qu Hua Shang’s room became more and more heated, and things seemed to be getting out of hand.
There came a moment when Qing Kui suddenly opened his eyes and said, “We should stop now; otherwise, they’ll really cross the final line.”
They needed Yang Kai to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly to turn things around and save Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s face and protect Qu Hua Shang’s happiness; otherwise, they wouldn’t have done such a thing. Naturally, they wouldn’t sacrifice Qu Hua Shang’s innocence to achieve that.
According to Xu Ling Gong, Yang Kai would just be the shit-stirrer. He didn’t expect Yang Kai to come out the winner, but the latter had to take part in the event.
In fact, he had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. As he shuffled towards the valley, he sported a ferocious expression and murderous intent swirled around him, as though he was going to kill someone ruthlessly.
He was going to catch Yang Kai in the act and make sure that the bastard little boy wouldn’t be able to refuse his demand.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue exchanged glances and worried that something bad would happen, they hurriedly stopped using their Secret Technique and raced after their Honoured Master.
A moment later, following a loud bang, the door of Qu Hua Shang’s room was kicked open. Despite already expecting it, Xu Ling Gong was still incensed when he saw the sight in the room.
Clothes were scattered everywhere on the ground, and there was a sense of intimacy in the air. The curtains around the bed had been untied and presently, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were covered in a quilt as they hid in the corner and shuddered.
They gazed at Xu Ling Gong in horror as though they were two kids that had been caught making a big mistake.
[Not a moment too soon!] Xu Ling Gong took a glance around the room and knew that these two young people hadn’t managed to do anything, yet. They had only taken off their outer clothes.
Certainly, Qu Hua Shang had already been taken advantage of, but she hadn’t lost her purity; otherwise, it would be hard for her to explain herself to the winner of the Dao Theory Assembly.
The current situation was the best outcome.
“You dare?!” Xu Ling Gong bellowed as his fury seemed able to shake the sky, “Qu’er, I’ve been your teacher for many years, but I never expected that you’d do such a shameless thing! You disappoint me so!”
“H-Honoured Master!” Qu Hua Shang’s teeth chattered as she had never expected things to come to such a point. While she was getting intimate with Yang Kai, her Honoured Master suddenly barged into her room and scared her out of her wits. She instantly felt cold all over her body.
“Honoured Master?” The middle-aged man that had just barged into the room was clad in a robe embroidered with snake patterns, and there was a golden crown on his head. As Yang Kai gazed at the enraged man with surging murderous intent, he had the urge to dig a hole and stick his head into it.
It was truly embarrassing that he was caught in bed with Qu Hua Shang by her Honoured Master. He still hadn’t the foggiest idea why he was so impetuous this time. He only intended to have a talk with Qu Hua Shang, so how did the two of them end up in bed?
This wasn’t how he would usually act. Fortunately, nothing had happened yet, or else he wouldn’t be able to explain himself.
“Senior…” Yang Kai hurriedly called out.
“Enough nonsense! Today you must die!” Xu Ling Gong yelled as his murderous intent almost materialised. Following that, he charged towards Yang Kai.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue arrived just in time. The former quickly wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist and shouted, “Please calm down, Honoured Master! He’s the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai. He saved Junior Sister Qu’s life before!”
Xu Ling Gong exerted more force with his hands in an attempt to push Qing Kui away, but the latter would never let him go, so he roared, “I don’t care who he is. Since he has the guts to take advantage of my Disciple, he must die!”
Qing Kui said anxiously, “If you kill him, Junior Sister Qu will be regarded as an unrighteous person forever! Please think twice!”
“What?” Xu Ling Gong paused for a moment, then bellowed, “Get lost! So what if she’ll be regarded as unrighteous!? I’ll hack him to death first!”
Qing Kui thought that this was different from what they had agreed upon. It seemed that his Honoured Master was truly incensed. In order to prevent things from getting out of control, he promptly sent a signal to Su Ying Xue.
The two of them immediately latched onto Xu Ling Gong and kept persuading him for a long time before the older man was finally appeased.
However, his eyes were still bloodshot, and he was panting as though he was a furious lion. The way he glared at Yang Kai was like he wanted to skin him, eat his flesh, and drink his blood.
Yang Kai cowered under the quilt, and even the warm body beside him was unable to melt the coldness he felt.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue breathed a sigh of relief. They felt exhausted from having to play along with their Honoured Master who seemed to have completely forgotten about their original plan.
It was inappropriate that Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang remained cuddled together with nothing but a quilt covering them, so Qing Kui sent Su Ying Xue a signal, who then leapt onto the bed and carried Qu Hua Shang away, quilt and all. Yang Kai was left on the bed in only his underwear as he looked embarrassed.
In an adjacent room, Su Ying Xue put down the quilt and asked worriedly, “Are you alright?”
Qu Hua Shang’s face was all red as she clenched the quilt and shook her head. She was still reeling from the shock of the fact that she was caught in the act.
“Let me have a look.” An anxious Su Ying Xue lifted the quilt a little and took a peek below before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
Qu Hua Shang still had her underwear on as she had only taken off her dress. It seemed that they hadn’t done anything.
“Senior Sister, Honoured Master…”
Su Ying Xue waved her hand, “Don’t worry. I’ll put in a good word for you. I’m sure he won’t blame you.”
A blushing Qu Hua Shang asked, “I’m worried that he’ll harm Junior Brother Yang. Can you check on them for me?”
Su Ying Xue shot her a glare, “How are you still in the mood to be concerned about that little bastard at this point? You should mind your own business first!”
Back in the bedroom, under Xu Ling Gong’s vicious stare, Yang Kai put on his clothes and adjusted his hair. Then, he walked up to the older man and forced a smile as he cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior.”
Xu Ling Gong directly took a seat on the chair with a stern expression. He examined Yang Kai in a way as though he could peel off the latter’s skin with his eyes.
Qing Kui just stood behind Xu Ling Gong, but when he saw how embarrassed Yang Kai looked, he had to try his hardest to suppress his laughter. Seeing that his Honoured Master was not speaking though, he eventually took the initiative to explain, “This is our Honoured Master Xu Ling Gong, one of the Inner Elders of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
“So it is Senior Xu. I’ve heard so much about you,” Yang Kai said politely as he secretly scanned the surroundings. He decided that if Xu Ling Gong made a move, he would immediately flee.
There was no way he could explain what had happened, and it was expected that the other party was infuriated.
“You’ve heard a lot about me, have you?” Xu Ling Gong yelled and directly broke the table into pieces, “Brat, you’ve taken advantage of my Disciple and tarnished her reputation. How do you want to die? Tell me and I’ll see it done!”
Yang Kai’s forehead was covered in sweat as he said, “Please don’t get me wrong, Senior. It was just a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Xu Ling Gong’s fury surged, “You were in my Disciple’s bed, half-naked, and you have the gall to tell me it was a misunderstanding!?”
“Well…” Yang Kai glanced cautiously at the older man, “We didn’t manage to do it. Nothing had happened between us.”
Xu Ling Gong snapped, “You didn’t manage to do anything because this Monarch arrived in time! Had I been just a breath later, you would have succeeded!”
“It’s all my fault. I have no idea what was going on, but I had indeed accidentally made a mistake. I’m willing to suffer the punishment for my acts.” Yang Kai directly offered an apology. Although they didn’t manage to do anything, Qu Hua Shang’s reputation would be affected if this incident was known to others.
After all, outsiders wouldn’t believe that nothing had happened under such circumstances.
“Hmph!” Xu Ling Gong sneered, “What’s the point of punishing you? You’ve already taken advantage of Qu’er. Can you undo it?”
Yang Kai hung his head low with a meek expression, “What do you want me to do, Senior? Please just tell me.”
Xu Ling Gong said coldly, “You know what you have to do now.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh, “Don’t worry, Senior. When the Dao Theory Assembly takes place, I’ll take part in it and give you a satisfactory answer.”
It seemed that he had no choice but to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly now.
The reason the Dao Theory Assembly was held did have something to do with Yang Kai. If Qu Hua Shang hadn’t followed him to the Shadowless Cave Heaven to help him, none of this would have happened.
Before he came to this place, the notion of eventually taking part in the assembly did occur to him, but he had never expected that he would be forced into joining it in such a way.
At that instant, he was torn between tears and laughter.
Yang Kai thus secretly decided that he would just win first place and come up with a solution after Qu Hua Shang’s confinement ended 100 years later. In any case, there was no way he would watch as she married some stranger she had no feelings at all for.
Qu Hua Shang’s 100-year confinement was a certainty, and no one could foretell what would happen after she was freed. A lot of things could change after such a long time.
“Don’t forget what you’ve said.” Xu Ling Gong had been waiting for Yang Kai to say that, then he turned to look at Qing Kui, “You’ve also heard it right, Qing’er? No one forced him.”
Yang Kai was startled as he felt that Xu Ling Gong suddenly appeared jubilant.
To the side, Qing Kui replied with a straight face, “Yes, I’ve indeed heard it. It was Junior Brother Yang who requested to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly.”
Xu Ling Gong laughed heartily, “Good, give him a place in the assembly and take him through the procedures later.”
“Yes.”
It was only then that Xu Ling Gong rose from the chair and examined Yang Kai, who appeared perplexed. Then, he placed his hands behind his back and calmly strode out.
[It’s settled? Just like this?] Yang Kai gazed at the middle-aged man’s back in shock. When he sensed his murderous intent earlier, he genuinely thought that Xu Ling Gong wanted to kill him. It never crossed his mind that he would be so easily appeased.
It seemed that Xu Ling Gong was like a loud thunderstorm that carried no rain.
Regardless, it was the best outcome for Yang Kai. Xu Ling Gong man was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all, and he was the Honoured Master of Qu Hua Shang. If they got into a fight, Yang Kai wouldn’t have even been able to fight back, so he would definitely suffer a terrible loss.
“Junior Brother Yang, Honoured Master has high hopes for you, so you mustn’t disappoint him.” Qing Kui chuckled and patted the other man’s shoulder. It was obvious that he was also ecstatic. When those scheming people saw a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly showing up in the Dao Theory Assembly, they would certainly be flustered.
Qing Kui wasn’t serious when he said that his Honoured Master had high hopes for Yang Kai, of course. To Xu Ling Gong, he just wanted to see Yang Kai taking part in the Dao Theory Assembly and wasn’t concerned about the final outcome, nor did he expect Yang Kai to win first place.
The heritage of a newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wasn’t comparable to those who had been in the same Order for several hundred or thousand years.
Yang Kai said after a sigh, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Qing. I’ll do my best to not disappoint all of you.”
“Good, just do your best, but don’t push yourself too hard,” Qing Kui replied in a perfunctory manner.
“Can I check on Senior Sister Qu?” Yang Kai asked.
He had never been more embarrassed in his entire life. When Xu Ling Gong barged into the room just now, his soul almost left his body. He supposed that Qu Hua Shang wasn’t in a better state either, and he was worried since he couldn’t see her now.
“Junior Sister Su is taking care of Qu’er, so you don’t have to worry about her. Just get some rest now. I’ll take you through the procedures of joining the assembly tomorrow.”
“En.” Yang Kai did not insist. He reckoned that both of them would be embarrassed if he really saw Qu Hua Shang right now, so he obeyed Qing Kui and returned to his temporary residence.
The next morning, Qing Kui came to visit again and led Yang Kai to deal with the procedures to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly.
Yang Kai stared at the other party’s back as he fell into his thoughts.
He finally came to his senses after a night of contemplation. He was quite flustered the day before, so he hadn’t managed to sort out his thoughts for a while. After he returned to Riverside House, however, Yang Kai pondered on the issue and realised that something was off. The incident just felt odd to him, as though he had been set up.
He was just there to visit Qu Hua Shang and find out about her intentions; he didn’t have any lustful thoughts, so how did they end up lying together on her bed? Furthermore, the atmosphere at that time had been strange and it was as if he couldn’t help having obscene and lustful thoughts fill his mind. Qu Hua Shang seemed more attractive than she usually was, and his self-restraint also seemed to be much lower than it should have been.
In truth, Yang Kai was quite fond of Qu Hua Shang, but it hadn’t reached the point where he wanted to get intimate with her.
He even suspected that he had been affected by some kind of aphrodisiac, but after checking on his body carefully, he couldn’t detect any residual medicinal traces.
Another thing was that Xu Ling Gong and the others came at exactly the right moment to interrupt him and Qu Hua Shang.
If they came any earlier, nothing would have happened in the first place, and if they came any later, he and Qu Hua Shang would have already finished cooking rice and shelling peanuts.
Moreover, why would the Master and his Disciples visit Qu Hua Shang together all of a sudden? It might be possible for Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue to do that since they were Qu Hua Shang’s Senior Brother and Sister; however, as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Xu Ling Gong shouldn’t have had so much free time. What’s more, while Xu Ling Gong was her Honoured Master, there was no way he should have directly kicked open the door to his female Disciple’s bedroom without first knocking.
Yang Kai had a feeling that he had been set up, but he couldn’t gather any proof. Even if he asked Qing Kui about it now, the latter definitely wouldn’t admit to it; therefore, he decided to pretend to know nothing.
In any case, taking part in the Dao Theory Assembly was no big deal to him.
On the road, Qing Kui was amiable to Yang Kai as he told him some interesting tales about Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and soon, they arrived at their destination.
The procedures to join the assembly were not complicated. Yang Kai just had to tell them his name, background, and cultivation, then he was given a token.
However, when he left, he was brought to another Spirit Peak instead of his usual resting place, Riverside House.
“There are many people who are going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, and the participants are all assigned to one of a few Spirit Peaks to have some rest and to get acquainted with one another. You’re going to Intertwining Fate Peak,” Qing Kui explained with a meaningful smile.
“Get acquainted with one another?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Qing Kui grinned, “Although the Dao Theory Assembly is still a few days away, the tests began the moment you signed up.”
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he realised the intentions of those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
The Dao Theory Assembly indeed hadn’t commenced; however, since the test had already started, the performance of the participants would be recorded by those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Moreover, such an arrangement would allow the more powerful cultivators to thin out the weaker ones before the official event began, thus saving some time and effort.
“I’ll have to get to know my neighbours then.” Yang Kai grinned, “However, Senior Brother Qing, I’ve just ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so I’m unable to fully control my strength. If I accidentally kill or cripple someone who offends me…”
Qing Kui said, “The Dao Theory Assembly is not a child’s game. Since they have the guts to take part in it, they have to be prepared to lose their life at any moment. Those who haven’t realised such a simple truth can scram back to where they came from.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “Does that apply to everyone?”
“Of course.”
“En, I understand,” Yang Kai nodded. In that case, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone holding him responsible afterwards.
Seeing the vicious glint in the eyes of the young man in front of him, Qing Kui suddenly felt uneasy as he wondered if he had made the right decision by conning him into taking part in the assembly. He couldn’t help but drop him a reminder, “If you come across the disciples from other Cave Heavens and Paradises, you’d better act with a bit more restraint. It will do you no good if you form a feud with them.”
Yang Kai replied, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Qing. I understand.” The prerequisite was that they wouldn’t come to offend him.
A while later, they finally arrived at Intertwining Fate Peak. The buildings were closely connected and formed into a huge courtyard at the centre of which was a platform atop which two people were engaged in an intense battle as their World Forces clashed.
Yang Kai took a glance and, judging from their energy fluctuations, they were only in the Fourth Order. Moreover, the two of them were pretty restrained as they clearly didn’t intend to kill one another. Yang Kai thus retracted his gaze and ignored the matter.
Now, to him, Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were no different than slightly bigger ants.
Qing Kui led Yang Kai to descend from the sky and land in front of a certain building, then said, “This will be your residence before the Dao Theory Assembly starts. The token given to you is a jade that can be used to control this building’s arrays. You’ll be informed when the Dao Theory Assembly is about to commence.”
“Got it. Many thanks, Senior Brother Qing.”
After an impassive nod, Qing Kui shot into the sky and soon disappeared.
Yang Kai took a glance at his temporary residence, then fished out the token and infused his World Force into it. Following that, he waved his hand, whereupon a gap appeared in the protective array around the building. After he entered the place, the gap closed.
A handsome young man clad in all white clothes, who was seated beside the central stage, asked the person beside him with a frown, “Who is that guy? Why would Elder Qing personally lead him to this place?”
Not only was the young man good-looking, but his demeanour was also calm and aloof. It was apparent that he came from a powerful background. What’s more, he had the air of a Leader about him.
Upon hearing his associate’s questions, he shook his head to indicate that he had never met this guy before.
A sense of wariness flashed through the young man’s eyes as he wondered, “Could he be a disciple from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises?”
However, even if he was a disciple from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, he wouldn’t necessarily be treated by Qing Kui in such a way. The arrival of such a person on Intertwining Fate Peak all of a sudden caused them to feel a little concerned.
A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master offered to help, “Give me a moment, Brother Kong. I’ll ask around and see whether I can find out that guy’s background.”
The person called Brother Kong nodded his head, “Many thanks for your help, Brother Sun.”
The man surnamed Sun appeared to be honoured, “Don’t mention it, Brother Kong. When the Dao Theory Assembly starts, all of us on Intertwining Fate Peak will need you to take care of us, so you don’t have to thank me for solving such a trivial problem for you.”
The man surnamed Kong nodded in a reserved manner, “Good.”
After the message was sent, they waited. Many people had arrived on Intertwining Fate Peak much earlier than Yang Kai, so they had either already known or met each other, forming a rather harmonious relationship with no major conflicts so far.
However, nobody seemed to know who Yang Kai was, and since he was guided here by Qing Kui personally, he naturally drew some attention.
The young man surnamed Kong sported a doubtful expression as he looked at Yang Kai’s resting place. He found the other party familiar just now, but from his angle he was unable to make out the person’s face clearly, nor could he recall where they had met in the past.
Suppressing the doubt in his mind, he shook his head and awaited the answer.
“Honoured Master!” Qing Kui stepped into the Grand Hall and cupped his fist.
“Is everything done?” Xu Ling Gong seemed to be in a jovial mood. He was drinking on his own and humming a song when Qing Kui entered the place.
“Yes,” Qing Kui replied respectfully, “I followed your order and made him settle down on Intertwining Fate Peak.”
“Very good, very good! Hahaha!” Xu Ling Gong grinned in a devious manner.
A puzzled Qing Kui asked, “Is there anything special about Intertwining Fate Peak, Honoured Master? Why do you want Yang Kai to stay there?” After all, he came back to the Sect a few days ago, so he wasn’t familiar with the current affairs in the Sect.
Xu Ling Gong picked up some food from a nearby plate, and as he munched on it, he replied, “The Dao Theory Assembly is still a few days away. They initially only expect Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to take part in the assembly, so how do you think those old farts will react when a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly appears?”
Qing Kui stated, “They’ll certainly be flustered. In order to save their Sects from embarrassment, they’ll have to send new candidates to join the assembly.” This was the plot they had come up with.
Since Yang Kai, the troublemaker, was going to join the assembly, they would now have to wait for the scheming old farts to react. If nothing unexpected happened, things would unfold just like what they had imagined.
“That’s right; however, it would be a bad idea if no one finds out that he’s a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He’ll have to make some noise and let everyone know.” Xu Ling Gong grinned, “On Intertwining Fate Peak, there’s a potential successor to the next Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union. He’s also the eldest Son of one of the former Union Masters, Kong Feng. His name is Kong Tian Yu!”
“Heavenly Sword Union!?” Qing Kui arched his brow. He couldn’t help but whistle as he took pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, “We’ll have a good show to watch, then.”
Although he knew little about Void Land, he was aware that there was a blood feud between Void Land and Heavenly Sword Union. The former Union Master Kong Feng was killed by Yang Kai because he led the Hundred Sects Alliance to invade Void Land.
At that time, Yang Kai was just an Emperor Realm cultivator, but he was able to make use of the power of the Nine Heavenly Layers to kill Kong Feng. Otherwise, there was no way a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could have been killed by an Emperor Realm Junior.
After Kong Feng’s death, a man named Shen Liang, also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, succeeded him as Union Master, but he was also killed soon after. Although it wasn’t Yang Kai’s doing directly this time, it was someone from Void Land who did the deed.
Two Union Masters were consecutively killed by people from Void Land. It could be said that Heavenly Sword Union had suffered immense losses at Void Land’s hands. It was practically an irresolvable blood feud.
Since Kong Tian Yu was on Intertwining Fate Peak, there was no way Yang Kai could have a peaceful time staying there.
“Honoured Master… you’re such a cunning man!” Qing Kui couldn’t help but admire the older man. Right after he finished speaking though, he saw a wine bottle fly at him. He immediately covered his head and fled while Xu Ling Gong cursed at him from behind.
On Intertwining Fate Peak, the man surnamed Sun clenched the Communication Bead in his hand with an awkward expression.
Kong Tian Yu asked, “Have you found out anything? Who is that guy?”
The man surnamed Sun took a glance at him and replied hesitantly, “Brother Kong, from what I’ve gathered, that person is the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai.”
“Yang Kai?” Kong Tian Yu became startled for a moment, then started yelling with a hideous expression, “Are you sure he is Yang Kai? The one from Void Land?”
The man surnamed Sun nodded, “Yes, I’m certain. It wasn’t difficult to find such information. The candidates who are going to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly are not confidential in any case, so the information comes from a disciple from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. If you don’t believe me, Brother Kong, you can get someone else to verify it.”
“There’s no need for that.” Kong Tian Yu turned around and glared at Yang Kai’s residence, then said through clenched teeth, “It’s no wonder I found him so familiar. So, he’s Yang Kai!” He started laughing maniacally in the next breath, “Since he is here, it has saved me the trouble of looking for him. Father, just you wait, I’ll avenge you now!”
The former Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union, Kong Feng, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was killed by an Emperor Realm cultivator. Although the other party had achieved this feat by making use of a powerful Grand Array, Kong Feng had become a laughing stock after word got out.
Kong Tian Yu was the son of the former Union Master with an exceptional aptitude. He directly ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm several hundred years ago, and he was the first in line to succeed his father. If everything went all, he would be able to become the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union when he reached the Sixth Order.
However, due to Kong Feng’s death, which had tarnished the reputation of Heavenly Sword Union, Kong Tian Yu fell from the first to the fifth in line to succeed the Union Master.
Given his position now, he practically had no hope of becoming the Union Master in his lifetime.
It could be said that his future had been ruined by Yang Kai. This coupled with his father’s death, caused Kong Tian Yu to want to kill Yang Kai. He needed to clear his name and cast away the humiliation that had been inflicted upon his family.
Unfortunately, those from Void Land were not pushovers as there were two Divine Spirits residing in that place, so those from Heavenly Sword Union couldn’t afford to offend them openly. Therefore, he could only keep the resentment to himself.
The Dao Theory Assembly was held by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to help Qu Hua Shang select a Husband. It allowed Kong Tian Yu to see a glimmer of hope in the darkness. If he could become the winner in the assembly, he would be able to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. By then, he could stop getting marginalized by those from Heavenly Sword Union.
Perhaps the Heavens took pity on him as Yang Kai had also left Void Land to take part in the assembly. This was the best chance for him.
Kong Tian Yu had been paying close attention to any news about Yang Kai since the latter had killed his father, so naturally, he was aware that Yang Kai ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm just outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven in the Shattered Heaven about two years ago.
Both of them were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. However, the heritage of Yang Kai, who only achieved an ascension two years ago, was definitely not comparable to that of Kong Tian Yu, who had been in this Order for hundreds of years.
Kong Tian Yu thus decided that he would cut Yang Kai to pieces to vent out his fury.
As his murderous intent surged, he strode towards Yang Kai’s residence. The other dozen or so cultivators, who were also there to join the assembly, exchanged glances as they became excited. Knowing that a good show was about to start, they followed him as well.
Upon reaching Yang Kai’s place, Kong Tian Yu extended his hand and summoned a spear. After taking a deep breath, he infused his strength into the spear and pushed it out forcefully. At the same time, he bellowed, “Yang Kai, get out here!”
All of them were shocked when they saw his move.
The others had been staying here for a few days before Yang Kai’s arrival, and during this period of time, they had exchanged some pointers, but none of them was a match for Kong Tian Yu. Even those in the Fifth Order were much weaker than he was. Therefore, the people on Intertwining Fate Peak regarded him as their leader. Kong Tian Yu had earned this position with his spear alone.
However, it wasn’t until Kong Tian Yu thrust out his spear this time that they realised he hadn’t shown his full strength during their bouts some time ago. Judging from the power of his attack, they reckoned that even though he was still some distance away from the Sixth Order, he wasn’t far off.
Although the attack was powerful, it still couldn’t break the array around the building.
The courtyard was meant for them to rest in comfort, so the Spirit Arrays were naturally quite sturdy.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was seated with his legs crossed in his room. The Dao Theory Assembly was only a few days away, so there wasn’t enough time for him to refine any resources.
The growth of an Open Heaven Realm was all about accumulation over a long period of time. Regardless of what resources one refined, they had to ensure the balance in their Small Universe was maintained.
Therefore, it was best to collect a full set of resources of the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements before refining them.
Since there wasn’t enough time to refine a full set of resources, Yang Kai decided to simply consume some Open Heaven Pills. The Yin, Yang, and Five Elements in Open Heaven Pills were in perfect balance, and although they weren’t an efficient method of cultivating, the pills were safe and easy to consume. One could refine them at any moment without any worries.
Yang Kai had just refined a handful of Open Heaven Pills when he felt the Array outside his residence shaking, then heard someone bellowing.
He wondered who would call out to him at this point.
Initially, he decided to ignore this person, but his inaction only caused the other party to become more rampant. The continuous attacks caused the Array to shake constantly, leaving him unable to focus. The speed at which he refined Open Heaven Pills also slowed down significantly.
Certainly, it was expected that Yang Kai was incensed.
Seeing that the Array was starting to show signs of failing, he had no choice but to get up and shuffle towards the door, an aura of coldness swirling around him.
Although the Array around the building was sturdy, it couldn’t possibly withstand a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s relentless bombardment. As Kong Tian Yu repeatedly attacked with his spear, the entire Intertwining Fate Peak shook as though it would collapse at any moment.
Yang Kai’s silence infuriated him, causing him to exert more force with each blow.
All of a sudden, the Array around the building disappeared. The door was pushed open from the inside, and a young man with a grim expression stepped out.
As their eyes met, an enraged Kong Tian Yu jabbed his spear into the ground and roared, “Are you Yang Kai?”
A displeased Yang Kai glared at him and snapped, “Who are you? Why are you shouting in front of my door?”
“Are you Yang Kai or not? The one from Void Land!” Kong Tian Yu asked again.
Yang Kai replied nonchalantly, “So what if I’m Yang Kai?”
Kong Tian Yu narrowed his eyes and nodded, “Good. I’ve finally found you.”
“Do we know each other?” Yang Kai looked curiously at him, “It seems that there are some grudges between us.”
Kong Tian Yu picked up his spear and pointed it at him, “Remember, the one who killed you is the son of the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union, Kong Feng, Kong Tian Yu!” Then, he looked up at the sky and roared, “Father, do you see it now? Your son will avenge you today!”
After he finished his words, Kong Tian Yu forcefully thrust out his spear as his World Force seemed able to shake the Void.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the crowd paled. Although there didn’t seem to be anything special about Kong Tian Yu’s attack, they felt threatened just by looking at it. It was imaginable that Kong Tian Yu must have used his full strength in order to avenge his father’s death.
Everyone thought about how they would resolve the attack if there were Yang Kai, but they soon realized there was nothing they could have done in his place. The only option would be to meet this attack head-on, but since they were weaker than Kong Tian Yu, their Small Universes would be damaged if they tried to counter this thrust, resulting in serious injury or even death.
*Pa…*
The violent sight they all imagined never happened though. Following a light sound, Kong Tian Yu was rooted to the spot as though he had been bound. His spear was grasped by Yang Kai with only one hand, and he was no longer able to move it one bit.
Kong Tian Yu and everyone else were stunned.
All of them widened their eyes as they couldn’t believe what they saw.
A Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had gathered all his strength to thrust out his spear, yet that spear was easily grasped by another Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with only one hand. It proved that the latter must be immensely powerful.
“You’re from Heavenly Sword Union?” Yang Kai examined Kong Tian Yu, “Kong Feng was your father?”
Upon closer look, he realised that the person named Kong Tian Yu indeed shared some similarities with Kong Feng in terms of their appearances.
After recovering from the initial shock, Kong Tian Yu gripped his spear and with a flourish shook off Yang Kai’s grasp. Retreating a few steps to widen the gap with his enemy, both shocked and doubtful, he muttered, “You…”
Kong Tian Yu was shocked at the fact that his enemy possessed such incredible strength. Just now, he couldn’t detect Yang Kai using his World Force at all, but the latter could easily grab his spear. In other words, Yang Kai had only used brute force to accomplish this feat.
The fact that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to reach such a point in terms of physical strength was unheard of. At the very least, throughout Kong Tian Yu’s Martial Dao, he had never come across anyone who was so strong before.
However, he wasn’t aware of the immensity of Yang Kai’s strength in his Dragon Form. No cultivators in the same Order could surpass him when it came to physical prowess.
“Heavenly Sword Union… Hahaha.” Yang Kai suddenly started chuckling, “Very good. I haven’t managed to visit your Sect yet, but you’ve come here to make a scene instead. Interesting indeed.”
After his return from the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Yang Kai subsequently destroyed Boundless Altar and Golden Rainbow Province to help the Proprietress resolve her heart demon oath, which sent a shock wave across the great forces that took part in the raid on Void Land. Consequently, many of those same great forces sent representatives to Void Land’s Star City with gifts and requested to meet Yang Kai as they were worried that he would also destroy their Sects.
In fact, Yang Kai didn’t really care about the great forces that had invaded Void Land before. At that time, they were forced to join the alliance for various reasons. Void Land was a powerful Sect now, so there was no point in settling the grudges against those minor great forces. It would be a waste of time and energy.
With that said, Yang Kai didn’t intend to let Heavenly Sword Union off.
He initially planned to call the roll and storm into Heavenly Sword Union to get even with them; however, the Dao Theory Assembly had derailed his plan, so he had to come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven first.
It never crossed his mind that he would bump into Kong Feng’s son here. It seemed that Qing Kui had deliberately made him stay on Intertwining Fate Peak for this exact reason.
Then, Yang Kai let out a long sigh, “So troublesome. I initially planned to keep a low profile, but it seems that won’t be possible now.”
He was fully aware of what was going on with the Dao Theory Assembly. The most powerful participants were only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. By taking part in the assembly as Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was like an adult who was competing against children. There was no doubt that he could easily win first place if nothing changed.
If he revealed his true strength now though, the situation in the Dao Theory Assembly would change. By then, people who were above the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm would participate in the assembly.
Then, it suddenly dawned upon Yang Kai that perhaps this was the exact outcome Xu Ling Gong and Qing Kui wanted to see. He reckoned that it must be the truth, and it wasn’t until this moment that he realised why he and Qu Hua Shang were caught in the act. This was all a plot set up by Xu Ling Gong.
[Cunning old fox!] Despite knowing that Xu Ling Gong was doing it for Qu Hua Shang, Yang Kai was still displeased as no one would be happy being manipulated.
“What are you talking about?” Kong Tian Yu glared at him as he finally calmed down. The fight between Open Heaven Realm Masters was always about the powers of their Small Universes, not physical strength. He was astonished that Yang Kai was able to easily grasp his spear just now, but he had now recovered from his shock.
“Regardless of what you say, you will die today!” Kong Tian Yu wielded his spear again and pointed it at Yang Kai. As he spoke, he pushed out his spear, which was surrounded with an aura from an experienced Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. As his World Force permeated the place, a trail of darkness was left behind that could hardly be healed as he extended his spear.
“I was the Young Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union and the successor to the Union Master. I had all the glory with me; however, it’s all because of you that I’m marginalised by the old farts in the Sect now. But so what? As long as I can become the winner in the Dao Theory Assembly, I’ll be the Young Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. By then, I’ll make all of them kneel before me and beg for my mercy! Hahaha! Do you see it now? That’s the difference between us! Although you’re also a Fifth-Order Master, you’re not comparable to me! I’ve been in this Order for hundreds of years while you only achieved an ascension two years ago. Let’s see how much longer you’ll… What!?”
Kong Tian Yu abruptly had his arrogant speech cut off as he became rooted to the spot. His hideous expression contorted as he gazed at his own hands with trembling eyes.
He was supposed to be holding a spear, which was a Fifth-Order artifact that Kong Feng had refined for him when he ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the past.
However, there was presently nothing in his hands. The Fifth-Order artifact that had been with him for hundreds of years had suddenly gone missing.
Looking up, he saw that his spear was now in Yang Kai’s hands as the latter nonchalantly wielded the weapon.
[When did that happen!?] Kong Tian Yu’s pupils contracted as the cold sweat slid down from his forehead to his cheeks. Although the young man in front of him looked ordinary, he felt like he could see the door of death slowly opening before his eyes.
The people around them were flabbergasted.
Initially, they could see that Kong Tian Yu’s attacks became increasingly menacing every time he pushed out his spear. Faced with the bombardment of attacks, Yang Kai’s only option would be to dodge and flee.
However, to their astonishment, the situation had been turned around in the blink of an eye. Kong Tian Yu’s artifact was snatched by his opponent, and no one could clearly see what happened at that moment. When they came to their senses, the dust had already settled.
“You talk too much.” Yang Kai shot a disinterested glance at Kong Tian Yu, “Moreover, that’s not how you’re supposed to use a spear. I’ll teach you a move.”
Then, he wielded the spear and slowly thrust it out towards Kong Tian Yu. Compared to the spear technique Kong Tian Yu had used, Yang Kai’s attack wasn’t intimidating at all; furthermore, it was outrageously slow as all of them could see the trail clearly.
Even a three-year-old kid could easily dodge it.
The spectators were all doubtful as they wondered what was special about the attack.
However, Kong Tian Yu, the only one actually facing the attack, was now in an utter state of panic. He could clearly feel that the spear contained a horrifying power that he could not possibly resist, and that the shadow of death was about to consume him whole.
He attempted to dodge, but regardless of how hard he tried, he was unable to move a muscle. The space around him seemed to have been sealed off, and even his senses seemed to have been warped, like time itself had slowed down.
The spear magnified before his eyes to the point where he could see nothing else.
*Hong…*
Violent force exploded as the spear struck Kong Tian Yu’s forehead and instantly exploded his head.
The headless corpse convulsed as blood started spurting out of his neck and dyed his snow-white robes scarlet.
The force lingering in the air slowly dissipated.
“Sixth-Order! A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!” Someone exclaimed.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
All the spectators instantly fled in all directions with pale looks on their faces.
The Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai, who had just arrived, was actually a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Despite being a powerful Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Kong Tian Yu was still killed in one move.
Kong Tian Yu had been the most powerful person on Intertwining Fate Peak until now, so if he wasn’t a match for Yang Kai, there was no way the others would be able to deal with him. That was the reason that they had immediately fled as they were worried that Yang Kai would target them next.
“Have you learned it?” Yang Kai asked dispassionately, “In that case, you can rest in peace.”
Looking up next, Yang Kai saw a petite figure that looked like a young girl only seven or eight years old. Her face was pretty cute, and her hair had been tied into two ponytails. As she silently hovered in the air, she looked down at the entire Intertwining Fate Peak. There was a writing brush in her hand as she dipped it in her mouth before jotting something down on a pad. It seemed that she was trying to record something.
She had to be some kind of invigilator and there must be such a person on every Spirit Peak. They were the people sent by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to observe the participants and everything they did would be recorded by them.
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
The young girl’s expression instantly darkened as she raised her book to stop Yang Kai from looking at her.
After storing Kong Tian Yu’s Space Ring, Yang Kai turned around and re-entered his lodging to continue cultivating.
Since he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, it was no big deal for him to kill a Fifth-Order Master, and the matter didn’t bother him one bit. If Kong Tian Yu hadn’t caused a scene, Yang Kai wouldn’t have ruthlessly ended his life.
However, that was perhaps the outcome Xu Ling Gong and Qing Kui wanted to see.
Since Yang Kai had revealed his Sixth-Order cultivation, the situation in the Dao Theory Assembly would soon change drastically.
Some disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven soon came over to take the corpse away and clean up the blood. Just a while later, the spot in front of Yang Kai’s door was spotless once more, as though nothing had happened just now.
Just like Yang Kai had expected, after he returned to his room, messages were sent out in all directions. The fact that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master appeared on Intertwining Fate Peak spread around at the speed of lightning.
On a certain Spirit Peak in a certain mountain range surrounded by mist, inside a gazebo, there were more than ten figures who were either standing or seated as they seemed to be having a casual chat. One of them was Xu Ling Gong.
The Dao Theory Assembly was meant to select a Husband for Qu Hua Shang, so as her Honoured Master, Xu Ling Gong was naturally unable to stay out of this matter. Therefore, he was here to receive the top Masters who came from other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Xu Ling Gong was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, so the people who deserved his attention were also High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Therefore, the people in the gazebo were all the Inner Elders from various Cave Heavens and Paradises. None of them was a nobody.
There was also another group of people outside of the gazebo, but unlike the meeting between the Elders, it was just a meet-up among the younger generation.
While the Elders from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were having a discussion, the younger generation were not standing idly by. Instead, they were exchanging pointers. Presently, there were one man and one woman who were engaging in an intense battle. As their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm auras clashed, they flew around the place.
The people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises rarely had such a chance to gather together; therefore, using the Dao Theory Assembly as a chance, the Elders brought their favourite Disciples to this place. It wasn’t that they wanted them to take part in the assembly as they wouldn’t have the heart to let the Disciples they had high hopes for getting married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Nevertheless, they could make use of this chance to let the younger Disciples familiarise themselves with one another and increase their experience.
As the people in the gazebo watched the fight, some of them would make a remark from time to time. They looked like they were having a chat with the people around them, but they were actually commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of the ones in the battle.
Although there was only a difference of one Order between them, the gap between the Mid-Rank and the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was no different from the distance between the Heavens and Earth. As Inner Elders, they were perfectly qualified to point out the weaknesses of these youths.
The man and the woman in battle continuously adjusted the ways they made a move as they listened to the Elders comment, gaining some valuable knowledge along the way.
Just then, an old man with a rosy face said, “Good, the battle should stop here. Both of you must be exhausted, so get some rest now.”
Upon hearing that, the man and the woman leapt away and saluted one another. Then, they put away their artifacts and sat down with their legs crossed.
Just then, a grim-looking old man with an aquiline nose in the gazebo turned to look at Xu Ling Gong and asked in a hoarse voice, “Why are you in the mood to keep us company today, Brother Xu?”
Xu Ling Gong was responsible for handling all the affairs in the Dao Theory Assembly. Supposedly, he had to keep these Elders company; however, since the day they arrived, Xu Ling Gong had only shown up once on the first day and let them stay in their respective residences after. He had practically ignored them since then.
In fact, they fully understood how Xu Ling Gong felt. He was resentful of them. After all, they had used a dirty trick to make sure that only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, which meant that only a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would eventually marry Qu Hua Shang.
They reckoned that Xu Ling Gong had been pretty restrained for not outright attacking them, so it was understandable that he ignored them most of the time.
However, he had come to visit them on this day with a jovial expression, as though something great had happened to him.
“What do you mean? While it is true I was too swamped with work and didn’t have the time to keep you company, I do now,” Xu Ling Gong replied nonchalantly, “Since all of you have come all the way here, I’ll have to make time for you even though I’m busy.”
They naturally wouldn’t believe him. This guy previously showed no trace of politeness when glaring at them since they arrived. However, they couldn’t figure out why he was in a jubilant mood on this day.
Just then, someone approached them from afar. After saluting all of them, he walked up to the grim-looking old man and whispered something to him.
The grim-looking old man’s expression changed as he shot a meaningful glance at Xu Ling Gong, soon understanding what had happened.
Then, he gently waved his hand to motion for the person to withdraw and stared at Xu Ling Gong before commenting, “An ingenious move indeed, Brother Xu. This Zhuo is impressed.”
With the wine cup in his hand, Xu Ling Gong looked smilingly at him, “What are you talking about, Brother Zhuo? I don’t understand.”
“It’s fine. I know what you’ve done,” the old man surnamed Zhuo sneered and rose from the chair. “I’ll take my leave.”
Seeing that, Pei Wen Xuan, who was seated among the younger disciples, hurriedly got up and left with him.
As they walked down the mountain, Pei Wen Xuan cautiously followed the old man surnamed Zhuo. He instinctively had a feeling that the other party was in a terrible mood, but he had no idea what had happened.
“There’s been a change in the Dao Theory Assembly, Wen Xuan,” the old man surnamed Zhuo suddenly said.
Pei Wen Xuan became startled for a moment, then asked, “Master Zhuo, you mean…”
This old man was none other than Zhuo Bu Qun, an Elder from Myriad Demons Heaven. In the past, Ti Zheng was responsible for handling all external affairs; however, after his death in the Shattered Heaven, Zhuo Bu Qun took over his duties and subordinates.
“A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master has appeared in the Dao Theory Assembly,” Zhuo Bu Qun replied.
“A Sixth-Order? We all agreed that only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would join the assembly. Who broke the rule?” Pei Wen Xuan asked with a frown.
“He’s not from one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. You know him as well actually.”
“Who is it?”
“The Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai!”
Pei Wen Xuan was startled for a moment, then knitted his brows together, “Are you mistaken, Master Zhuo? I’m aware that Yang Kai is in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven because he moved past the Territory Gate we had cordoned off; however, he’s supposed to be in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, not the Sixth-Order.”
“The eldest son of Kong Feng, Kong Tian Yu, ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm several hundred years ago. His power was considered quite good among those in the same Order. Nevertheless, he was killed by Yang Kai in one move.”
Pei Wen Xuan’s pupils contracted when he heard that.
Although he hadn’t been in any contact with Kong Tian Yu before, he had heard about him. Just like Zhuo Bu Qun had said, that guy was a powerful Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who achieved his ascension several hundred years ago.
Nonetheless, he was killed by Yang Kai with only one move. Pei Wen Xuan wouldn’t doubt Zhuo Bu Qun. Since the older man had said so, the information must have been verified.
Seeing as Yang Kai was able to kill Kong Tian Yu easily, he had to be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Pei Wen Xuan was dumbfounded to learn that Yang Kai was in the Sixth Order, which was the same as him, as according to the information the Cave Heavens and Paradises had gathered, Yang Kai had only made it to the Fifth Order outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Suppressing the doubt in his mind, Pei Wen Xuan asked, “Master Zhuo, you mean…”
He knew that Zhuo Bu Qun wouldn’t have said such a thing for no reason. He was definitely required to do something.
“According to the original plan, all of us only had to respectively send one Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly; however, with this turn of events, things have changed. What’s more, the problem occurred at the Territory Gate we were responsible for. Since we’re at fault, we have to give an explanation to the others. I want you to participate in the assembly and become the winner,” Zhuo Bu Qun ordered impassively.
That was the reason he immediately left the gazebo upon hearing the news.
The news would be spread among the other great forces soon and if he hadn’t left, he would’ve been criticized by the others. After all, the problem was with the Territory Gate that Myriad Demons Heaven had guarded.
Upon hearing that, Pei Wen Xuan replied, “I can definitely become the winner. But, Master Zhuo, I’ll have to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven by doing so,” Despite knowing that Yang Kai was also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was still confident of defeating the other party since he was a disciple from a Cave Heaven.
The disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were not afraid of anyone in the same Order.
“You’re a Core Disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven, so we won’t let you marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the issue.”
Pei Wen Xuan nodded his head, “I’ll do as you say, Master Zhuo.”
After giving it a thought, Zhuo Bu Qun said, “You must not be complacent. Although you’ve refined Sixth-Order Elements and eventually ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai condensed several Seventh-Order Elements before. Moreover, he’s able to use a Divine Manifestation; therefore, you can’t regard him like any other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It will probably be difficult for you to deal with him.”
Pei Wen Xuan replied, “Don’t worry, Master Zhuo. I will not be negligent.”
“Very good. The assembly is just a few days away. Get some rest and make sure that you’re prepared.”
“Yes.”
In the gazebo on the Spirit Peak, Xu Ling Gong was humming a tune as he was in a jovial mood. He watched as the cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises came over and reported to their respective Elders in small voices one by one.
The Elders initially had no idea why Zhuo Bu Qun had left all of a sudden, but upon hearing the reports from their subordinates, they finally realised what had happened.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had suddenly shown up in the Dao Theory Assembly. Although there was only one person, it had derailed all of their plans and arrangements, forcing them to change their tactics.
The Elders subsequently left, all of them shooting resentful glances at Xu Ling Gong before that. It was never a good feeling to be stabbed in the back.
Xu Ling Gong on the other hand only became more jubilant. After all of them were gone, he couldn’t help but start guffawing.
Meanwhile, there were only a small number of people in a certain palace of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven where Open Heaven Realm Masters had to make a registration to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly.
Those who were supposed to make a registration had already done so, and since the assembly was just a few days away, it was basically too late for those who hadn’t managed to do so already to sign up. The disciples responsible for registering the Open Heaven Realm Masters were thus lazing about somewhat sleepily.
Although there were several hundred people already registered, there was only one Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The outcome of the Dao Theory Assembly wouldn’t be surprising since there was a stark difference between those in different Orders.
However, they were just ordinary disciples, so it had nothing to do with them.
When two disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, who were bored behind the registration desk, saw a figure appearing all of a sudden in front of them, they were astonished. Looking up, they could instantly recognise that the person was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was the Outer Elder of Myriad Demons Heaven.
Previously, this person had brought a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from the same Sect to make a registration, so the two disciples could recognise him.
One of the disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven rose from the chair and asked, “So, it is Elder He. Why have you come here all of a sudden?”
Elder He’s expression was so cold that it was as though a layer of frost could be scraped off his face. He had nowhere to vent out his fury, which almost burned him alive.
He was the elderly man who had previously stopped Qing Kui and Yang Kai just outside the Territory Gate.
Since Yang Kai had managed to enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven under his watch, he had to take full responsibility for it. As such, he had just been harshly reprimanded by Zhuo Bu Qun, which was why he was in a foul mood.
“I’m here to make a registration!” He said in a sulky voice.
“What?” The disciple who spoke earlier was startled. When he looked behind Elder He, he saw no one there. Puzzled, he asked, “Are you doing it for yourself or…”
Elder He roared, “You want this Old Master to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven!? Of course, I’m making a registration for someone else!”
The two disciples were stunned as they had no idea why Elder He was so incensed. Still, they hurriedly straightened up and helped him with the registration, “Please tell me the person’s name, cultivation, and Master Sect.”
Elder He replied in a grim voice, “Pei Wen Xuan, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Myriad Demons Heaven!”
The two disciples were startled as they looked up at him. One of them asked hesitantly, “Are you sure you want to make a registration for Senior Brother Pei?”
They had heard about Pei Wen Xuan. He was a rising star in Myriad Demons Heaven who directly ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was no doubt that he had a bright future.
The status of Pei Wen Xuan in Myriad Demons Heaven was the same as Qu Hua Shang in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Such a person was destined to be one of the most important figures in Myriad Demons Heaven in the future, so there was no way he would marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; otherwise, it would be a huge loss for his Sect.
Therefore, when the two disciples, who were responsible for registering the candidates, heard that Elder He was making a registration for Pei Wen Xuan to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, they were dumbfounded.
“Cut the crap! Do it now and give me a Jade Token!” Elder He snapped.
“Yes, yes, yes. Please give us a moment, Elder He!” Not daring to be negligent, the two disciples hurriedly recorded Pei Wen Xuan’s information and passed the elderly man a Jade Token.
Not willing to stay there any longer, Elder He took the token and left while the two disciples exchanged glances in puzzlement.
Before they even recovered from their shock, more people had come to register.
…
Half a day later, the two disciples fell into a dazed state as they looked at the book in front of them.
In such a short time, more than ten Cave Heavens and Paradises had sent new disciples to take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, and they were all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Just like Pei Wen Xuan, they were rising stars of their respective Sects who achieved an ascension in the past one hundred years.
The two disciples were torn between tears and laughter because there was even a woman on the list.
The words ‘Lang Ya Paradise, Gu Pan, Sixth-Order’ were clearly written in the book.
The purpose of the Dao Theory Assembly was to help Qu Hua Shang find a Husband, so the participants were naturally all men. Something had to be terribly wrong with Lang Ya Paradise as they had sent a female disciple. If Gu Pan happened to become the winner, she would have to bed Qu Hua Shang in the future.
The two disciples felt their blood beginning to boil as they began to imagine such a future.
Although they had no idea what had happened that made these new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realms change their minds and take part in the Dao Theory Assembly, they could clearly feel that a change was taking place in the assembly.
Their gazes fell upon a certain name as they had a feeling that the change had something to do with that person; after all, prior to this, he was the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm among the hundreds of participants in the assembly.
On Intertwining Fate Peak, Yang Kai examined Kong Tian Yu’s Space Ring and obtained some Fifth-Order materials from it. Other than that, there was nothing worth mentioning.
As the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai had a First Class Star City and countless powerful Open Heaven Realms as subordinates. Given his wealth, he was naturally dismissive of ordinary treasures. After putting everything of value in his own ring, he continued refining Open Heaven Pills.
Soon, however, the barrier around his house was triggered. Instead of a violent fluctuation this time though, it felt more like someone was simply trying to get his attention.
With a frown, Yang Kai got up and lowered the barrier. After pushing the door open, he saw a decent-looking young man standing outside. Seeing Yang Kai, the young man quickly saluted him, “Gathering Yuan Union’s Lu Jing greets Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai sized him up and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He remembered seeing Gathering Yuan Union in his Universe Chart, which included all the known Great Territories and great forces within them. When he was looking for the Star Boundary in the past, Yang Kai had carefully studied every part of the Universe Chart, so he vaguely remembered a force called Gathering Yuan Union.
However, he didn’t pay any attention to this force since he probably wouldn’t come into contact with them.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Gathering Yuan Union was above average among the Second Class great forces, with a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master overseeing their Sect.
“I’m sorry for bothering you, Senior Brother.” Lu Jing cautiously examined Yang Kai’s expression, and upon seeing that the latter didn’t show signs of impatience, he set his mind at ease. He was shocked to see Kong Tian Yu getting killed in just one move a short time ago. That guy was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he was killed like an ant. Therefore, Lu Jing was terrified when dealing with Yang Kai as he was worried that the latter would make a move on him at any moment.
The participants of the Dao Theory Assembly had to understand that they might get killed at any moment; hence, Yang Kai could murder all the people on Intertwining Fate Peak if he wanted to do that.
“If you don’t mind, can I come in to speak with you?” Lu Jing asked in a gentle tone.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai stepped aside. Lu Jing thanked him and shuffled into the house.
After they were seated, Lu Jing said, “I’ve heard much about you, Senior Brother. Now that I finally see you…”
Before he could finish his flattery, Yang Kai raised his hand and cut him off, “Just speak frankly.” Since it was the first time they met, there was nothing worth talking about between them and the only reason Yang Kai let him in was to find out his intentions.
An embarrassed Lu Jing coughed and put on a hollow laugh, “Good, Senior Brother Yang, the reason I’ve come to visit you is to ask you to protect me in the Dao Theory Assembly to the best of your abilities.”
Yang Kai frowned and gazed at him in puzzlement.
Lu Jing put on a bitter smile, “As you can see, Senior Brother, I’m just a Fourth-Order cultivator, one of the weakest among the participants in the Dao Theory Assembly. If I encounter a powerful opponent, there’s no way I can survive.”
With an awkward expression, Yang Kai asked, “Since you’re aware of your weaknesses, why have you still come here to take part in the assembly?”
A troubled Lu Jing replied, “Do you think I want to be here, Senior Brother? I had no choice. Although the purpose of the Dao Theory Assembly is to help Senior Sister Qu select a Husband, it is also a major event in the 3,000 Worlds. My Father told me to take part in it to broaden my horizons and gain some life experience. He doesn’t expect me to become the winner. To be honest with you, many participants of the assembly are in the same situation as me.”
“They’re forced to come here by their families?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Lu Jing replied, “Well, not all of them. There are only a small number of people who are forced to come here by their families. What I mean is that they’re taking part in the assembly not to become the winner but to go through some training by using this event as an opportunity.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai nodded his head. After giving it a thought, he realised that it was just like what Lu Jing had said. The Dao Theory Assembly was considered a major event in the 3,000 Worlds. Many powerful cultivators had gathered together in this place to exchange moves, which was a kind of training for them.
Then, Yang Kai said with a frown, “It will be difficult for me to ensure your safety. What I can do at most is to let you off when you’re faced with me. The others might not be as easy-going though.”
Upon hearing that, Lu Jing burst into laughter, “Do you think the assembly is just an event where all the participants have to fight with one another until the strongest one emerges?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Lu Jing explained, “There might be such an event in the final stage; however, from what I’ve gathered, the assembly isn’t so simple. There must be other arrangements; however, I’m unable to find out how the assembly would be carried out.” He paused for a moment, “Why do you think those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven want us to stay on different Spirit Peaks?”
Yang Kai replied, “Of course, it’s to allow the stronger cultivators to weed out weaker opponents in advance to simplify the situation.”
“That might be one of the reasons; however, it’s also possible that they want us to familiarise ourselves with one another and find our own companions so that we can face various challenges together.”
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes when he heard that. Was it really the intention of those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for making such an arrangement?
Lu Jing went on to say, “The Dao Theory Assembly is to help Senior Sister Qu select a Husband, so it would be too straightforward if they just wanted to select the strongest cultivator. In that case, there would be no need for a competition at all, we would just have to stand in a row and let the High-Rank Open Heaven Realms examine us to select a winner. However, how do they examine the winner’s temperament and personality? Only by going through different tests could the participants showcase their capabilities in different areas.”
Yang Kai reckoned that Lu Jing had a point.
“Therefore, I think that the Dao Theory Assembly isn’t just about fighting against one another. There must be more to it!” Lu Jing’s eyes seemed to be glowing as though he was confident that his speculation was right. Then, he turned to look at Yang Kai, “Hence, I hope you’ll ensure my safety to the best of your abilities, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and said frankly, “If the assembly is just like what you’ve said, I can take care of you to some extent; however, what can you give me?”
Lu Jing was startled as he hadn’t expected Yang Kai to agree so easily. The speech he had prepared in advance now became completely useless, so he simply asked dazedly, “What do you want, Senior Brother?”
The way Yang Kai gazed at him made him shrink back.
“If I’m not mistaken, Gathering Yuan Union focuses on doing business. Your ships sail everywhere in the 3,000 Worlds, and your Sect is quite wealthy. Since you’re able to represent Gathering Yuan Union to take part in the assembly when you’re just in the Fourth Order, you’re obviously an important figure in your Sect.”
“Say no more, Senior Brother. I’m willing to pay you a Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure as a reward. What do you think?” Lu Jing interrupted Yang Kai as he was worried that the latter would come up with some unreasonable demands.
“Deal!” Yang Kai replied without hesitation.
Lu Jing breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his fists, “I’ll be relying on you then, Senior Brother. After the Dao Theory Assembly ends, I’ll pass you the reward.”
Yang Kai nodded, and after they chatted for a bit more, Lu Jing left.
Upon activating the Array again, Yang Kai returned to his room and fell silent.
A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to directly offer a Sixth-Order Yang Element material, which went to show that Gathering Yuan Union was truly wealthy. It had to be noted that a Sixth-Order material was worth 10 to 20 million Open Heaven Pills, with Yin and Yang Element treasures being even more expensive than that.
Therefore, it was apparent that Lu Jing was an important figure in Gathering Yuan Union. Perhaps he was the Young Union Master, which was why he could offer such a handsome reward so easily.
If there were indeed other arrangements in the Dao Theory Assembly just like what Lu Jing had speculated, Yang Kai wouldn’t mind protecting him as long as he was capable of doing so.
There was a serious lack of Sixth-Order materials in Void Land. Besides the Great Emperors, Su Yan, and his other wives, Yang Kai also needed Sixth-Order materials now. Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yue He and the others also needed Sixth-Order materials to cultivate efficiently.
Although he had a First Class Star City where he could obtain Sixth-Order materials from time to time, Yin and Yang Element materials were still extremely rare.
Lu Jing was clearly a seasoned person, so he knew that other rewards might not be able to move Yang Kai. As such, he directly offered a reward that Yang Kai would not be able to turn down.
Everything was peaceful for the next few days.
When Kong Tian Yu was on Intertwining Fate Peak previously, the place was lively as the residents would exchange pointers from time to time. However, after he was killed by Yang Kai with only one move, the entire Spirit Peak fell into a dead silence. The dozen or so people living here all hid in their resting places to cultivate while keeping their defensive Arrays activated, worried that Yang Kai would storm into their places and kill them all in advance.
After all, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was essentially unmatched on the Spirit Peak.