After seeing Gu Pan off, Yang Kai turned to Hui Gu, looking him over so meticulously that the latter couldn’t help feeling spooked.
“What is it, Sir?” Hui Gu hurriedly asked.
“Did nobody invite you to join Prison League?” Yang Kai asked.
Startled, Hui Gu hurriedly explained, “This one has already submitted to you, Sir. I will always follow you, Sir! I will never join an evil force like Prison League willingly!”
“Relax!” Yang Kai patted Hui Gu on the shoulder and cheerfully said, “I know how loyal you are to me, but joining Prison League is not in conflict with your loyalty to me.”
“Sir, do you mean…” Hui Gu seemed to have caught on to Yang Kai’s intentions.
Yang Kai affirmed, “There are no more fish to catch here. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I’m sure you will obtain quite a high position if you join Prison League. At that time, we should work together from both inside and out…”
Hui Gu immediately understood, “A good idea, Sir!” He pondered in silence for a moment before he added, “Logically speaking, somebody should have invited this one to join when Prison League was established. Since I didn’t receive an invitation, it’s quite possible that the invitation bearer was killed by you, Sir!”
“Uh…” Yang Kai stiffened in surprise and nodded lightly, “That’s certainly possible.”
During the time he spent waiting in the tree cave, he had caught three large fish and many other small fries. There was a high possibility that the people sent by Prison League to deliver an invitation to Hui Gu had died at his hands.
“But, it’s not a problem. If I take the initiative to join Prison League, I believe those old farts won’t turn me away.” Hui Gu volunteered.
“Go, but be careful!” Yang Kai nodded.
They exchanged means to communicate with each other; then, Hui Gu immediately set off to search for the location of Prison League.
With the Loyalty List in his hand, Yang Kai had no need to fear that Hui Gu might betray him. As long as Hui Gu could join Prison League without issues, he could act as a spy for Yang Kai. In that way, Yang Kai would be the first to obtain news about Prison League’s movements.
One day after Hui Gu departed, Yang Kai set off with Lu Jing.
Four or five months had passed since the Dao Theory Assembly kicked off and the situation on the Prison Star that started off as a chaotic mess had gradually settled. The weak had chosen to huddle together to stay warm, desperately seeking shelter and protection from other Masters as a result. That was how Prison League was born.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Prison Star were powerful existences with a deep heritage from the long years of accumulation since their advancement. In a one-on-one battle, the participants from the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises would be no match for them; however, the strength of the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would become lacking if it turned into a two-on-one battle.
Of course, while the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises knew how to work together, so did the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison Star.
Since Prison League came into being, it had madly absorbed all the criminals on the Prison Star and became an enormous behemoth in a very short time frame. Throughout the existence of the Prison Star, this was the first time the criminals had ever been so united.
The process on Hui Gu’s side went very smoothly. He was one of the Masters that Prison League had wanted to invite from the start, so now that he took the initiative to join them, it was only natural that he was taken in quickly and given the role of a Protector.
Prison League’s Headquarters was located on a piece of barren land called the Yellow Spring Cave. It was originally the secluded home of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Huang Quan, also known as Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, but this place had been transformed into the Headquarters of Prison League out of necessity.
With Huang Quan’s strength, he could be considered a first-class existence on the Prison Star. Even the jade slip that Qu Hua Shang gave to Yang Kai had specially flagged this person along with a handful of other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to warn Yang Kai to be careful if he encountered them.
That was because these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were existences on the verge of advancing into the Seventh-Order. It could be said that they had reached the peak of the Sixth Order. As a result, they were existences on the same level as Yang Kai’s subordinate, Mao Zhe. Even after being imprisoned on the Prison Star for so many years, their strength would not have decreased by much.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch had established Prison League and proclaimed himself as Prison League’s Master. There were two Vice League Masters and six Protectors serving under him, all of whom were in the Sixth Order.
It could be said that Prison League had nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as their strongest combat force. Now that Hui Gu had joined them, that number reached an incredible ten Sixth-Order Masters.
Besides the five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters killed by Yang Kai, Prison League had gathered almost all of the remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under its banner. Even if some were missing, there were not many of them.
This was only taking into account the Sixth-Order Masters. There were countless more with cultivations below the Sixth Order.
This information was what Hui Gu secretly passed to Yang Kai after he joined Prison League.
The criminals had huddled together to keep warm, resulting in the establishment of a powerful great force like Prison League. In turn, the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly began bemoaning their misfortune.
In the previous months, they were able to hunt down some of the criminals and reap some achievements. Although many of them also died as a result, in general, there was a balance of losses and gains.
However, it became extremely difficult to find and kill any lone criminals since Prison League was established. The criminals of Prison League would move about in groups whenever they travelled anywhere; moreover, these groups were always led by Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the very least.
Five made up a Small Team; ten formed a Medium Team; and twenty or more formed a Large Team. If the lone cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly ran into these groups, their strength would not be enough for them to resist. The only fate waiting for them was death. As such, the number of fatalities among the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly increased sharply.
The establishment of Prison League also forced the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly to form their own groups. It was just that there was no rallying call for unification. Not to mention, they were scattered all over the Prison Star. Their groups simply consisted of good friends or general acquaintances temporarily travelling together, which did not improve their safety by much.
With the help of Hui Gu acting as a spy, Yang Kai gained a lot of benefits. Hui Gu was one of the seven Protectors of Prison League, so it was only natural that he had access to inside information, which he quietly passed on to Yang Kai, allowing the latter to enjoy success again and again.
Yang Kai and Lu Jing both sat down cross-legged in an extremely dry and hot cave located in the belly of a barren mountain about 150 kilometres away from Yellow Spring Cave.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s expression changed. He took out and examined the communication bead, then he slowly got to his feet.
Sensing movement, Lu Jing quickly opened his eyes “Senior Brother, are you going out?”
Yang Kai nodded, “This trip might be a little dangerous. Wait here for me!”
Lu Jing was aware that his strength was lacking. The last few times Yang Kai had made a move, he could only watch from afar with no means of participating in the battle at all. Thus, he nodded at those words, “Take care, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai smiled and strode out, his figure rapidly becoming a blur on the horizon.
An hour later, Yang Kai quietly laid in ambush on top of a barren mountain while concealing his aura. According to the information from Hui Gu, Prison League had arranged a large deployment this time. If everything went well, he would be able to reap a great harvest.
It didn’t take long before numerous figures approached quickly from a distance. There were many people, as many as a dozen or so. In addition, they were led by three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Such a line-up could be considered a very powerful Medium Team. Most cultivators would be powerless against them. Be that as it may, this group of people was nothing more than an abundant harvest to Yang Kai!
These people landed on the barren mountain, seemingly with a clear goal in mind. They immediately began searching the area with a fine-toothed comb. Their Divine Senses surged turbulently as they probed their surroundings. Although it was vague, they seemed to have formed a simple Formation between them that connected their auras with one another. The amplification might not be large, but it was enough to enhance their respective auras slightly.
Yang Kai remained hidden in the shadows, concealing his aura. With his cultivation in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was not afraid of being discovered by this group.
After waiting for a short while, Yang Kai abruptly summoned the Azure Dragon Spear when the enemy group entered a suitable range and swept out with his weapon.
Caught off guard, the dozen or so people were thrown off their feet, with a number of them exploding into blood mist on the spot. Black light burst forth and plunged into Yang Kai’s golden wristband shortly after.
Horrified screams rang out as those who were lucky enough to survive did not hesitate to act. They quickly used their respective Secret Techniques and artifacts to bombard Yang Kai indiscriminately.
Yang Kai’s spear danced. Drawing upon his strength as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he defended against this barrage of attacks before carrying forward his momentum to thrust out his spear again.
At this moment, five people suddenly emerged in a ghostly manner, each one of them possessing a powerful aura. The two people standing in the lead were both in the Sixth Order. One of them was a fair-faced man. It was none other than Hui Gu. The other person was a tall and dignified middle-aged man with greying hair.
As soon as they appeared, they activated their power at the same time to cover Yang Kai from above. It was obvious that they were prepared in advance. The middle-aged man shouted, “We’ve been waiting a long time for you!”
Yang Kai ‘paled in shock’ and raised his spear to block.
*Hong…*
His body was shaken badly and Golden Blood spurted out of his mouth. His expression immediately fell and he staggered backwards by a significant distance. Barely able to steady his figure, he raised his head to look at them with an uncertain and fearful expression, “Who are you!?”
Hui Gu’s brow twitched at the sight. He took a careful look at the blood trickling out of Yang Kai’s mouth and thought to himself, [Sir sure has great acting skills. If I had not known the truth, I would have been fooled by his performance.]
Still, stepping forward, he announced lightly, “This Monarch is Hui Gu!”
The middle-aged man held a pale blue longsword in his hand, one that flashed slightly as he coldly snorted, “This Monarch is Void Mind Heavenly Monarch, Wu Nian!”
“Two Heavenly Monarchs!?” Yang Kai wiped at the blood at the corners of his mouth, his expression becoming extremely solemn. Coldly observing the many Open Heaven Realm Masters that were forming an encirclement around him, he snorted softly to himself, “Prison League sure is giving me great respect. I can’t believe they dispatched two Heavenly Monarchs to ambush this King!”
Wu Nian ground his teeth, “You’ve ambushed and killed 36 members from Prison League. Did you really think we would be so easily bullied!? I don’t care which Cave-Heaven or Paradise you come from. This place will be your burial ground today!”
With the help of the information provided by Hui Gu, Yang Kai had attacked Prison League three times recently and killed many of its members, including a number in the Fifth Order. As a result, he naturally caught the attention of Prison League’s leaders.
After investigating the three battlefields, Prison League determined that it was the work of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; moreover, this Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was acting alone. They could not remain indifferent to the culprit behind these attacks; hence, Hui Gu suggested a plan to lure out the culprit.
Sure enough, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who secretly attacked from the shadows had made his move again, but this time, two of Prison League’s Protectors were hidden nearby to finally put an end to this menace.
“Huh?” Wu Nian suddenly noticed the dense stars covering the golden wristband on Yang Kai’s wrist and couldn’t help feeling shocked. [Just how many people did this guy kill in the short span of six months? How did he accumulate such horrifying achievements!?]
In addition to the shock Wu Nian felt, his expression was filled with greed, [If I succeed in killing this brat, then all the stars on his wrist will be transferred to me! Even if I have to divide the spoils of war with Hui Gu, it will still be quite a considerable gain.]
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven announced a long time ago that anybody from the Prison Star who obtained great achievements in the Dao Theory Assembly would be set free. As one of the 36 Cave-Heavens, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s promise was extremely credible.
Although Wu Nian did not know how many stars were needed to buy his freedom, he was certain it could not be too many. In other words, both he and Hui Gu would regain their freedom as long as they could kill the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of them.
“Attack!” He shouted and swung his longsword, lunging straight towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, the many Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding Yang Kai quickly launched their respective Secret Techniques in unison.
*Hong hong hong…*
The surrounding space around Yang Kai was filled with chaotic energy and his World Force became turbulent. Standing there, he resembled a lone wooden canoe in the middle of a storm. He swayed unsteadily and his figure instantly became drenched in blood.
After trying to defend against the attacks for some time, he turned around and fled.
“Where are you trying to run!?” Wu Nian roared. Such a good opportunity was right in front of him. If he did not seize this opportunity, then he might be trapped on the Prison Star for the rest of his life. While speaking, he raised his sword and stabbed at Yang Kai’s back with eyes filled with great excitement.
At that moment though, a sudden pain erupted from his back. It felt as though an entire world had slammed right into him. The Small Universe in his body became turbulent as a burst of stars danced in his vision and blood mist sprayed out of his mouth. He hastily turned back to look and saw Hui Gu, who had been following close behind him all this while, slowly retracting a palm with a cold and indifferent expression.
“You…” His eyes were filled with disbelief. He never imagined that Hui Gu would attack him from behind. [Why!? Could it be that he wants to devour all of that guy’s achievements himself!? But, can he guarantee that he can defeat this guy alone!? Besides, this guy has accumulated so many achievements! There’s more than enough to divide among ourselves! Why does he need to hog everything for himself!?]
Before Wu Nian could sort through his muddled thoughts, Yang Kai abruptly turned around even though he had been fleeing just now and thrust his spear out. The panicked expression from before had vanished without a trace and was replaced with a savage grin.
A sudden possibility struck Wu Nian. Looking horrified, he shouted, “Hui Gu, how dare you collude with outsiders!?”
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “What do you mean by colluding!? Hui Gu has been working for me all along!”
Wu Nian’s complexion instantly turned ashen! In the next moment, he was caught in a pincer between Hui Gu and Yang Kai. Not to mention, he was already severely injured from Hui Gu’s sneak attack earlier. How could he be an opponent in a two-against-one battle? It only took three breaths before he was beaten so badly that he was on the verge of death. Blood splattered wildly and his injuries became increasingly severe.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters who were surrounding Yang Kai earlier were dumbfounded at this sight. It was supposed to be a trap set up by Prison League to lure out their prey. Everything had been going well, so how did the situation turn around so quickly? It was very difficult for anybody to understand just what had happened.
The words that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth made their expressions change drastically though.
Void Mind Heavenly Monarch was currently stuck in a precarious situation. Seeing that he could lose his life at any moment, they did not dare to remain idle. They hurriedly scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.
“Stand right there! Whoever runs will die!” Yang Kai raised his spear to bombard Wu Nian indiscriminately with a barrage of attacks. At the same time, he gave a loud roar and surged his Space Principles.
Nobody heeded Yang Kai’s words of course. If they did not escape now, they would simply be waiting to die; however, the space around them thickened and made them feel as though they were stuck in a quagmire. It was now difficult to take even a single step forward!
“Go!” Yang Kai ordered Hui Gu.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch immediately nodded, and with a shift of his body, he charged towards the fleeing Open Heaven Realm Masters. He was well-aware of Yang Kai’s abilities, so forget about the heavily injured Wu Nian, even if the latter had been in peak condition, he would still be no match for Yang Kai. There was nothing to be worried about. Besides, his cooperation with Yang Kai could not be exposed; otherwise, they would not have another chance to perform something like this again.
By the time Hui Gu captured all of the fleeing Open Heaven Realm Masters and sealed their cultivations, Yang Kai had stabbed more than ten gaping holes in Wu Nian’s body. Fresh blood and innards flowed out all over the ground. In addition, the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire burned all over those wounds.
Wu Nian was doomed!
Hui Gu knew in his heart that it was impossible for anybody to recover from such injuries, even if an Open Heaven Realm Masters had great vitality. Logically speaking, it was impossible for a winner to be decided so quickly in a battle between Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even if one party was no match for the other, the other party might be helpless if the former was determined to flee.
There were two reasons for this situation to occur. The first reason was that Wu Nian had been severely injured by Hui Gu in a sneak attack. The second reason was that Yang Kai’s strength was beyond the limits of those in the same Order. Wu Nian had no hope of escaping at all.
“Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough…” Wu Nian coughed violently and fell to one knee on the ground. Gripping the longsword in his hand, he forcefully propped himself up to prevent himself from falling down. He raised his eyes and glared at Hui Gu furiously, “Back-stabbing bastard! I will be waiting for you on the road to Hell!”
He sincerely believed that he would not have had such a tragic ending if Hui Gu had not attacked him from behind.
Hui Gu just stared back at Wu Nian indifferently and said nothing.
“Things are over here. You can head back first,” Yang Kai waved a hand at Hui Gu to dismiss the latter.
Wu Nian no longer had any strength left to resist. His vitality was slowly dispersing and he would die soon even if Yang Kai left him alone. On the other hand, the remaining Open Heaven Realm Masters had been imprisoned nearby by Hui Gu. They could not move a single muscle, so it was time to reap the harvest.
“I’m afraid I can’t go back like this,” Hui Gu said.
Yang Kai was taken aback by those words, but he understood immediately, “I was negligent.”
Yang Kai raised a hand and struck his palm towards Hui Gu. Hui Gu did not resist and just stood there to take the attack. His figure staggered unsteadily and blood spurted out of his mouth. After stabilising himself, he spoke with a pale complexion, “Sir, I’ll be leaving first!”
Yang Kai nodded and Hui Gu immediately soared into the sky and fled towards the place where he came from.
Wu Nian watched coldly, his expression forlorn. He simply could not understand why a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Hui Gu would be so respectful towards a participant of the Dao Theory Assembly from the outside!
“Now… I’ll send you all to Hell!” Yang Kai grinned. Lifting his spear, he was about to land the killing blow when he suddenly turned to look in a certain direction and shouted, “Who goes there!?”
Ripples spread out through the surrounding space in that direction and four figures slowly emerged.
Yang Kai looked up, and his expression turned grim at the sight. That couldn’t be helped as he recognised two among these four people. Moreover, these two people held deep grudges towards him. They were Yin Xin Zhao from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and Pei Wen Xuan from Myriad Demons Heaven!
[I can’t believe that they’re here!] Yang Kai was furious. He had been so focused on his fight with Wu Nian just now that he failed to notice anybody approaching this place, and it was too late by the time he did. [I wonder how long they’ve been here…]
These two had teamed up somehow, most likely due to the pressure from Prison League. Acting alone at this point was not safe, so they decided to cooperate with each other.
Aside from the two familiar faces, there were another two that Yang Kai didn’t recognize. One of them was covered in rich Demon Qi, so it was easy to see that he was a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple at a glance. The other person showed no noticeable characteristics, but was probably a disciple from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Before Yang Kai revealed himself, only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were supposed to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, so both Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven or Myriad Demons Heaven had each registered a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciple for the Dao Theory Assembly.
However, the sudden appearance of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai had muddied the waters. Only after his presence was revealed did the Cave-Heavens and Paradises adjust their strategies and register the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciples they brought along for the Dao Theory Assembly at the last moment.
Judging from the current situation, the other two were probably in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. They were most likely the original candidates chosen by Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and Myriad Demons Heaven to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly!
The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple was unfamiliar to Yang Kai, so Yang Kai had probably never met him before.
On the other hand, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Myriad Demons Heaven seemed slightly familiar to Yang Kai. He had the vague feeling that he had met this person somewhere before. His memory was very good, so it only took him a moment of thought for him to recall where he had seen this person.
This Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had followed Ti Zheng to Shattered Heaven back then. Many Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises had joined forces to fight Zhu Jiu Yin outside Shadowless Cave Heaven, and this guy was one of them.
[Didn’t they say that Ti Zheng died in an unexpected accident? Why is this guy still alive?] Yang Kai was a little puzzled. Even so, he did not think too much about it. His current strength was so extraordinary that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not worth his attention.
On the contrary, that person smiled at Yang Kai, causing him to frown slightly at the sight.
“Oh, it’s you two.” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “How can I help you?”
He was secretly calculating what kind of consequences he would face if he went on a massacre in this place. With his current strength, it was not difficult for him to kill these four. Be it Yin Xin Zhao or Pei Wen Xuan, both of them had only advanced into the Open Heaven Realm recently, so they had probably only just stabilised their cultivations. As a result, they could not be considered strong amongst Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Unfortunately, it would probably be extremely hard to deal with the aftermath if he killed them. These two were Core Disciples of two Cave-Heavens after all.
Xu Ling Gong had claimed that the Dao Theory Assembly did not shy away from killing, so there should be no resentment even if disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises died in this place.
That being said, the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would not leave the matter alone if the disciples belonging to them were to die. They might not do anything during the Dao Theory Assembly out of respect for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but they would definitely settle their grievances after it ended.
[What’s more, there’s no saying what kind of secret trump cards these two have on them. I might not get another chance if I fail to kill them in one attack.] As these thoughts flitted through Yang Kai’s mind, he gave up on the idea of killing them. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help feeling inwardly resentful. His actions were often hampered and obstructed without the backing of a powerful great force.
“I only planned to come over and watch the excitement when I heard the commotion, but I didn’t expect to enjoy such a good show!” Yin Xin Zhao clapped his hands softly with a meaningful expression on his face.
“A good show?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Yin Xin Zhao chuckled, “Are you still trying to hide the truth at this point?”
Yang Kai was indifferent to those words, but he knew that Hui Gu’s identity had been exposed. These four had probably been here for a while now, so they witnessed everything that happened just now. An aggressive light involuntarily flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he felt the urge to silence the witnesses to his crime slowly rising.
“Cooperate with us and we’ll let you live!” Yin Xin Zhao’s expression suddenly sank. He looked at Yang Kai coldly and continued, “You should know that you won’t survive in your current state if I join forces with Senior Brother Pei. But, we are willing to let you live for the time being since you’re useful.”
“Cooperate? How do we cooperate?” Yang Kai asked.
Yin Xin Zhao glanced at the golden wristband on Yang Kai’s wrist with a gloomy expression, “You sure have a lot of stars!”
When Yang Kai left the dense forest tree cave with Hui Gu, he had nearly 60 stars. Furthermore, he carried out ambushes three times in a row and killed more than 30 members of Prison League recently. Having obtained even more achievements, there were close to 70 stars now. The densely-packed stars twinkled at a glance.
On the contrary, there was not a single star on the golden wristband around Yin Xin Zhao’s wrist.
Yang Kai had failed to notice this fact at the beginning and couldn’t help feeling taken aback at the sight. Then, he looked over and realised that the same held true for Pei Wen Xuan.
This clearly did not make sense. Both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was impossible for them to have zero achievements after entering the Prison Star for so long. Nevertheless, he immediately understood the situation when he looked at the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Fifth-Order Master of Myriad Demons Heaven only had a few stars on his wristband, which was hardly note-worthy.
On the other hand, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven standing behind Yin Xin Zhao had nearly 30 stars!
Judging from the situation, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had been tasked with dealing the killing blow for all the enemies that these four had defeated to absorb the achievements. In this way, they might succeed in pushing this person into the top position and ultimately win the Dao Theory Assembly.
When killing the criminals, the others would not receive a share of the achievements as long as they stood outside a 300 metres range. It was obvious that Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan had continuously captured and imprisoned the criminals they encountered, then let the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple deal the killing blow. That was how the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple obtained so many stars.
As for how the two had secretly reached this agreement where Myriad Demons Heaven represented by Pei Wen Xuan willingly gave up their qualification in the Dao Theory Assembly, it was not something Yang Kai could guess.
In this way, even if the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven won the Dao Theory Assembly, he could enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven without any worries. All Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven would lose was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which was their original plan.
They originally thought that this achievement was enough for them to stand out from the crowd, and it was not until they met Yang Kai that they realised how great the difference was. It was almost two times the difference. Moreover, it had to be said that the four of them had been working together while Yang Kai was working alone.
Combining everything they had witnessed earlier, Yin Xin Zhao couldn’t help admiring Yang Kai’s intelligence. It was clearly much more convenient to have somebody on the inside of Prison League. Although he did not know why a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was acting in complicity with Yang Kai, it was only natural that he made good use of the weakness that he discovered; otherwise, it would be a huge waste of such a great opportunity.
“You have quite a lot yourselves,” Yang Kai said lightly with a pointed glance at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
“Stop wasting time on nonsense. Right now, you only have two options to choose from,” Yin Xin Zhao looked confident that he had Yang Kai in the palm of his hand, so he simply declared, “First, I join forces with Brother Pei and kill you.”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “Where do you get your confidence from?”
Yin Xin Zhao chuckled, “It has not been long since we all advanced into the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody is stronger than the other by much. How long do you think you can hold out if Brother Pei and I work together to take you down? If we kill you, all the stars that you possess will become ours.”
The two of them were confident that they could kill Yang Kai if it really came down to a fight, but they would have to pay quite a heavy price to do so. He might even severely injure one of them during the process. The risk was too great.
Besides, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not an easy opponent to contend with in a life-and-death battle. They could not guarantee that the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven could obtain all of the achievements on Yang Kai’s wrist alone.
The most likely outcome was that he and Pei Wen Xuan would be forced to deal a killing blow, leading to Yang Kai’s death. If that was the case, the achievements on Yang Kai’s wrist would be evenly split between them. It would not benefit the overall situation; after all, they had to make sure that the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven came out on top.
Yang Kai’s expression was solemn and his eyes were filled with rage and resentment. A fierce energy lingered around his body, as though he was going to attack at any time.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao stepped forward together. One of them was sneering while murderous intent surged in the other’s eyes. Both of their auras were locked firmly on Yang Kai.
There seemed to be an invisible collision of the World Force which shook the surrounding space, causing the Void around them to ripple unstably.
A long time passed before Yang Kai suddenly turned pale. Clutching at his chest, he staggered backwards and coldly snorted, “What’s the second option?”
Yin Xin Zhao slowly shook his head, “Since you refused a toast, you must drink a loss. Why do this? The second option is obviously to cooperate with us. We will carry out a massacre with the help of your spy in Prison League!”
Yang Kai’s expression became ugly, “It looks like I don’t really have a choice.”
Yin Xin Zhao smiled and nodded, “A wise man submits to his circumstances!”
“I can cooperate with you, but I will need compensation,” Yang Kai said.
“Compensation? You want compensation?” Yin Xin Zhao frowned deeply and looked at Yang Kai strangely.
“You want to make use of my spy and take all the merits from me. Why shouldn’t I get some compensation?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “If you won’t agree, then we might as well fight to the death here. We will see who has the last laugh.”
Yin Xin Zhao looked a little taken aback, “What do you want as compensation?”
He secretly decided that he would immediately kill Yang Kai if his demands went overboard. In any case, with their current achievements, there was probably nobody else who could surpass them. It would be easy for them to obtain the top position as long as they killed Yang Kai.
“Anything!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Yin Xin Zhao was startled for a moment. Only then did he understand something. [Yang Kai is giving himself a way out! Why else will he say something like that? We are Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters after all. Who would want to be embarrassed in public?]
Failing to stifle his laughter, Yin Xin Zhao casually fiddled around with his Space Ring before tossing a spare ring towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught the Space Ring and stuffed the ring into his pocket without even looking at the contents.
“It’s okay now, right?” Yin Xin Zhao asked impatiently.
Yang Kai remained silent and did not reply.
Yin Xin Zhao turned and shot a look at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master beside him, “Zhuang Wei, do it!”
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Zhuang Wei immediately nodded in response, “Yes, Senior Brother!”
Striding forward, he walked until he came to stand in front of Yang Kai and stretched out his hand, “Please move aside!”
Yang Kai glanced at Zhuang Wei. How could he not know what Zhuang Wei wanted to do? Annoyed, he coldly snorted and moved a thousand metres away with a flash of his body.
Zhuang Wei came to stand in front of Wu Nian and stared at the other party greedily. He had been under the protection of two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters all this while, so he was practically invincible in this place. Even so, he had never killed a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before. It was a stroke of luck that he gained this opportunity for free today, so he had to fully enjoy the feeling of killing a stronger opponent with such ease.
Wu Nian had one last dying breath left in him. Glaring fiercely at Zhuang Wei, he suddenly flicked the longsword in his hand to stab at him.
Zhuang Wei jumped in fright and hurriedly backed away only to realise that the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him barely had any strength left. Even this last attack turned out to be very weak and feeble. Becoming angry out of shame, Zhuang Wei stepped forward and slapped a palm out.
Wu Nian didn’t even make a sound as his head was pounded straight into his chest cavity.
A black light flew out and plunged into the golden wristband around Zhuang Wei’s wrist, instantly lighting up five stars. Zhuang Wei was overjoyed. Afterwards, he walked towards the many Prison League members nearby who had been subdued and imprisoned by Hui Gu earlier.
Ignoring the begging cries for mercy from those people, he killed them all with a palm strike for each person. It was an easy harvest. Following that, the number of stars on his golden wristband soared by more than 10, causing him to smile happily.
He had more than 30 stars in the first place, so now that the number had gone up by more than ten, Zhuang Wei had a total of 40 stars on his wristband. Aside from Yang Kai, nobody else on the Prison Star could possibly have an achievement higher than his.
At present, the Dao Theory Assembly was only halfway through the one-year period. With the help of Yang Kai and the spy inside Prison League, it was only a matter of time before he took the top spot in the competition. His heart immediately burned with excitement when he imagined that he would have a wife like Qu Hua Shang in the future.
There was no denying that he was an outstanding talent in Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven; even so, he was a far cry from a Core Disciple like Yin Xin Zhao. Zhuang Wei would not have been dispatched to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly otherwise; after all, the Sects were fully prepared to part with the disciples dispatched to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly. To put it in more realistic terms, these people were dispensable existences to the great forces behind them.
The Young Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven… That position was much higher than Zhuang Wei’s current status; however, not everybody was qualified to become the Young Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Only the Husbands of the top Core Disciples in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had this qualification.
…..
Hui Gu fled back to Prison League Headquarters at Yellow Spring Cave. He was drenched in blood and his aura was very weak.
The Vice League Master, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch Jin Gang. was on duty at the time. Upon hearing the news, he was shocked and hurriedly came forward to investigate the situation. He examined Hui Gu’s injuries inside the secret room and asked solemnly, “What the Hell happened, Brother Hui Gu!? Where is Brother Wu Nian?”
Hui Gu immediately looked depressed, “I’m afraid Brother Wu Nian is gone… Vice League Master, we were ambushed! Not a single Brother survived. I’m the only one who managed to escape!”
“Ambushed?” Jin Gang’s eyes widened at those words, “Who did it?”
Hui Gu shook his head, “I don’t know which Cave-Heaven or Paradise they belonged to.”
Jin Gang said, “You and Wu Nian are both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; moreover, you brought so many others with you. To think they managed to defeat all of you… What’s more, even Wu Nian lost his life in this battle. Just how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were there?”
“At least three, maybe more,” Hui Gu made up nonsense on the spot. Both he and Wu Nian were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. It would not make sense if there were too few enemies.
Jin Gang’s expression became slightly more solemn than before, “This is a very important matter. You will come with me to meet the League Master and report this matter to him personally.”
Hui Gu couldn’t help feeling guilty, “Meet the League Master…”
“We can’t afford to delay any longer! Let’s go now!” Jin Gang did not allow Hui Gu to make any objections. Grabbing Hui Gu by the arm, he quickly departed.
A short while later, they met with Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. Hui Gu repeated his prepared speech once more and lowered his head, “League Master, this Hui Gu failed his duties and caused Prison League to suffer severe losses. I ask that you punish me.”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch was a famous figure and also the strongest Master on the Prison Star. If that was not the case, he could not have taken the position of League Master. He glanced at Hui Gu lightly and said, “I know what you and Wu Nian are capable of. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly had only advanced recently. Even if they had the advantage in numbers, how did you lose so badly?”
Hui Gu lowered his head in response, “We were too careless.”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch Huang Quan, looked at Hui Gu quietly with a gaze that was very deep. Hui Gu was stared at so intently that he became scared. [Could it be that he noticed something? If my identity is exposed here, then I’m a goner.]
He might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he was weaker than both Huang Quan and Jin Gang. Not to mention, this was Prison League’s Headquarters. There were eight other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered in this place, aside from him. If his identity was exposed, then only death would await him.
“Where were you ambushed? Bring me there.” Just as Hui Gu was worrying about his gains and losses, Huang Quan suddenly spoke up.
Hui Gu knew that he could not refuse, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.
A short while later, three figures rose into the sky and headed in a certain direction.
While leading the League Master and one of the Vice League Masters to investigate the remaining traces of the battlefield, Hui Gu tried to send a message to Yang Kai on multiple occasions but failed to make contact with him. He did not know whether Huang Quan could detect anything from the remaining traces of the battlefield. Nevertheless, he had the vague feeling that he was going to be in great trouble soon. He secretly decided to flee as soon as things turned south. That way, he might still have a chance of survival.
Half a day later, the three of them arrived at the previous battlefield and landed amidst the corpses. There was a patch of blood that had yet to dry staining the ground. The traces of a battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters remained in the surroundings; moreover, the corpses that had long lost their vitality were strewn everywhere.
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch Jin Gang stepped forward and came to stand in front of a corpse. After a careful investigation, his expression became solemn, “Brother Wu Nian…”
This person was obviously the late Void Mind Heavenly Monarch. It was just that his head had been smashed into his chest cavity.
Meanwhile, Huang Quan did not say anything. He simply swept his gaze over the entire battlefield before he gently closed his eyes and quietly perceived his surroundings.
Hui Gu stood behind Huang Quan, his eyes shifting nervously. He secretly thought to himself, [If I attack Huang Quan right now, can I kill him on the spot…]
If he could kill Huang Quan, then only the Jin Gang would be left. Although he was no match for Jin Gang, he was confident that he could escape. Not all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were as sickeningly powerful as Yang Kai. [But, if I fail to kill him in one move, then I will be stuck in between two top Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. In my current state, death is the most likely outcome!]
Just as Hui Gu was being indecisive, Huang Quan suddenly jerked open his eyes and spoke with a frown, “Three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left traces of their aura here!”
[Three?] Hui Gu couldn’t help being stunned. [What does he mean by three? Aside from Prison League, only Yang Kai was here earlier. Could it be that two others came by later? This is really helpful!]
Feeling considerably relieved, Hui Gu quickly followed Huang Quan’s lead and said, “At the time, one person held me back while the other two joined forces against Brother Wu Nan. In the end…”
A cold light flashed through Huang Quan’s eyes, “These people from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises are too presumptuous! How dare they bully us like this!? Do they think Prison League will take this lying down!?” He turned to look at Wu Nian’s corpse and quickly added, “Rest assured, Brother Wu Nian. Prison League will definitely avenge you!”
He instructed Jin Gang to carefully retrieve Wu Nian’s corpse. Afterwards, the three of them returned the way they came.
…..
Inside their hiding place, Lu Jing glanced curiously at the four people who entered together with Yang Kai. He might not recognise these people, but that did not prevent him from sensing their overwhelming strength. None of them were people he could afford to provoke, especially the two who were filled with abundant Demon Qi. He could tell that they were Myriad Demons Heaven disciples at a glance.
“Find a place to stay yourselves. I’ll notify you once I receive further news,” Yang Kai said before he headed towards his own room.
Yin Xin Zhao threatened darkly from behind, “Don’t make us wait for too long. We don’t have much patience.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted and ignored Yin Xin Zhao. Behind him came Yin Xin Zhao’s low laughter filled with pure delight.
“Mo Sheng, tidy up that area.” Pei Wen Xuan instructed.
“Yes, Senior Brother Pei!” The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had been following closely behind Pei Wen Xuan all this while responded respectfully. He walked over to the side of the cave and wrapped his hands with Demon Qi. It didn’t take long before he built a simple cave mansion by the side.
On the other side, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with a shocked and suspicious expression on his face. [The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who has been following behind Pei Wen Xuan is called Mo Sheng!? Did I mishear? Or, is it just a similar-sounding name?]
Great Demon God was also called Mo Sheng. It was just that Yang Kai and the other Great Emperors from the star Boundary had joined forces to kill him. In the end, Wu Kuang had used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to devour Mo Sheng’s body and seized control of it. It could also be considered another method of possession. He later left the Star Boundary and there had been no news from him since then.
Wu Kuang was a man of great aptitude and talent. If not, he could not have single-handedly created a Heaven-defying Secret Art like the Heaven Devouring Battle Law all by himself. Back in the Star Boundary, he had been publicly acknowledged as the strongest Master in the Star Boundary’s history. Many Great Emperors had died at his hands during the Great Emperor War in the Shattered Star Sea.
Yang Kai naturally did not have a good impression of Wu Kuang as he was both cruel and brutal in both his temperament and methods. Wu Kuang was definitely not a compassionate man; hence, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief when he left the Star Boundary for the Outer Universe to seek a higher Martial Dao. The truth was that he would not have felt at ease if Wu Kuang had remained in the Star Boundary.
After leaving the Star Boundary, Yang Kai didn’t even bother to search for news about Wu Kuang. There wasn’t any friendship between them, so he did not care whether the other party was dead or alive.
[I can’t believe I ran into a guy called Mo Sheng in this place! Out of all the coincidences, he also turned out to be from Myriad Demons Heaven! But, his appearance is completely different from either Mo Sheng or Wu Kuang… Is he another person called Mo Sheng? Or, is he Wu Kuang in disguise?] Yang Kai suddenly recalled something else. [This guy went to Shattered Heaven with Ti Zheng. Ti Zheng died back then, so how did he survive?]
Yang Kai was unable to understand the situation, but he was in no position to recklessly investigate anything either. As such, he could only wallow in his questions.
Besides, he was currently stuck in an uncomfortable situation. Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan had learned the secret about his cooperation with Hui Gu, but he could not silence the witnesses to his crime. Since it was not convenient for him to take action, he could only try to murder them with a borrowed knife! There were many on the Prison Star who were capable of killing these two after all.
[I will need to borrow the strength of Prison League.] Immersing his mind into his thoughts, Yang Kai began to form a vague plan. If everything went well, then Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan would both die on the Prison Star before long.
As time passed, Yang Kai led Yin Xin Zhao, Pei Wen Xuan and the other two out to hunt several times according to the information that continued to come from Hui Gu. Needless to say, they obtained great benefits every time.
The stars on the golden wristband of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Zhuang Wei increased steadily and soon reached a point where he was about to surpass Yang Kai. The smooth progress delighted him greatly. The four of them had spent a lot of effort over the past six months searching everywhere and eventually accumulating around 30 stars. However, ever since they met Yang Kai, he had gained the same amount of achievement from before in less than a month’s time. It was only recently that he understood how Yang Kai had obtained all those stars.
He secretly thought to himself, [If Senior Brother Yin and Senior Brother Pei kill that Yang Kai, then it’s a given that I will obtain the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly.]
With the great hope of winning the Dao Theory Assembly in his heart, Zhuang Wei was always the most enthusiastic of them all whenever they moved out.
While Zhuang Wei was making great progress, Yang Kai’s plan was slowly moving forward. There were less than five months left before the Dao Theory Assembly ended, but that was ample time. He had nothing to worry about yet.
On the other hand, Yang Kai tried numerous times to probe into the identity of the guy called Mo Sheng. Unfortunately, his efforts were fruitless. He could not figure out the other party’s identity and after multiple failed attempts, he decided to ignore Mo Sheng instead so as not to reveal anything.
On a certain day, Yang Kai received another message from Hui Gu. He had only just finished checking the message when Zhuang Wei’s figure appeared at the entrance of the cave and asked excitedly, “Did you receive new information again?”
“That’s right. A patrol will be dispatched from Prison League tomorrow. The team will be led by two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and there will be twelve people in total!”
“That’s great!” Zhuang Wei grinned. Glancing at Yang Kai, he added in admiration, “You’re amazing too. Don’t worry. I will speak to Senior Brother Yin and Senior Brother Pei on your behalf when the Dao Theory Assembly ends. Disputes should be resolved rather than settled!”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Zhuang Wei nodded. When he turned around, a hint of coldness flashed through his eyes. He knew very well that Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan were simply making use of Yang Kai’s inside connection for the time being. Those two were waiting until the Dao Theory Assembly was about to end to kill Yang Kai; after all, Yang Kai’s spy would no longer be useful at that time. Not to mention, killing him meant that they would also obtain the considerable achievements that he accumulated.
Zhuang Wei’s words just now were only to appease Yang Kai. How could he possibly upset Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan for the sake of an outsider?
The next day, the four of them walked out of their hiding spot and headed in a certain direction under Yang Kai’s guidance.
Hui Gu was currently serving as one of the Protectors of the Prison League. It was a high-level position that came with great authority; hence, it was easy for him to investigate and even influence the route of Prison League’s patrols.
It was only possible for Yang Kai and the others to kill all those Prison League members previously thanks to the information that Hui Gu provided. The Prison Star was so vast after all, so Yang Kai would have no idea where to find these people otherwise.
Yang Kai landed in a mountain valley surrounded on all sides a short time later.
“Is it here?” Zhuang Wei asked.
“The patrol will pass this place in an hour. Get ready.” Yang Kai did not bother to explain further.
Having experienced this situation countless times by now, they were naturally familiar with this situation. They each used their respective Secret Techniques to conceal their auras and hid in the shadows to quietly lie in wait.
…..
In Prison League’s Headquarters, Hui Gu was on duty when he suddenly heard the gloomy tolling of a bell resounding throughout the Yellow Spring Cave.
The tolling of this bell meant that the League Master had issued a summoning order. More importantly, the bell would not be rung unless it was an urgent matter. This was the first time Hui Gu heard the bells ever since he joined the Prison League.
Instructing his subordinate to take over his duties, Hui Gu rushed towards the Main Conference Hall. He glanced around upon reaching the hall and saw that many people were gathered here. There were as many as four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who arrived and League Master Huang Quan sat in the main seat. To the left and right sides below him sat the two Vice League Masters, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, Cang Yan.
Hui Gu bowed to the League Master and the Vice League Masters before he went to his seat and sat down. For some reason, he felt extremely uneasy, as if something very bad was about to happen.
A short while later, five more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters arrived one after another to sit on both sides of the hall.
There were a total of ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League. After Wu Nian was killed, only nine were left. It could be said that all the strongest Masters in Prison League were gathered here at this moment.
Hui Gu couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. It was his first time seeing such a large-scale force ever since he first joined Prison League. There had never been a time when all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League gathered together before.
There was only one thing that could make Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch summon all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. It was obvious that Prison League was planning something very big.
Thus, Hui Gu sat in his seat and observed the situation. He soon discovered that most of the people present did not know why the League Master had summoned them. Divine Senses continuously fluctuated across the Grand Hall as everybody quietly communicated with each other. All of a sudden, somebody stood up and cupped his fist, “League Master, why did you summon us?”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch nodded at that person lightly and said, “Don’t be impatient. You will find out soon. Since everybody is here, then follow me.”
He stood up while speaking and walked down from his seat. The rest did not dare to neglect and quickly followed suit. When they came outside, they saw a huge group of Prison League members gathered, numbering at least 100. Moreover, every one of these people was a Fourth-Order Master or above. Everyone was waiting quietly in formation.
“Greetings, League Master!” As soon as Huang Quan appeared, they shouted at the top of their voices, seemingly shaking the sky as they roared.
Huang Quan nodded lightly and waved his large hand, “Let’s go!”
After a few moments, countless streams of light rose from Yellow Spring Cave and rushed towards a certain direction.
At this moment, almost all of the Prison League’s forces had been mobilised. Although some people remained behind, they were all below the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Their nest was practically empty. If any Masters were to raid them at this moment, Yellow Spring Cave would be razed to the ground in the blink of an eye.
Hui Gu was becoming more and more nervous with every passing moment. That was because the Prison League was heading towards the place where Yang Kai was lying in ambush! Unless something unexpected happened, they would encounter each other in a matter of moments.
Yang Kai might be powerful, but all the elites of the Prison League had been mobilised this time. From the League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, to the many Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters below him, it was impossible for Yang Kai to stop this raging torrent no matter how powerful he was.
It was foreseeable that Yang Kai would suffer a tragic ending once both parties encountered each other. At present, Hui Gu’s life was tied to Yang Kai’s, so if something were to happen to the latter, he would also have a hard time protecting himself.
[I need to get a message out!] The thought flashed through Hui Gu’s mind, but just as he was about to send a warning to Yang Kai, he noticed two people approaching him from left and right. He turned to the side only to see the two Prison League Vice League Masters. Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch drew close to him from both sides.
When their gazes met, Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch smiled at Hui Gu. On the other hand, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch lightly commented, “Brother Hui Gu, you seem rather nervous.”
Hui Gu forced a smile, “You must be joking, Vice League Master. I’m just worried about Yellow Spring Cave. What is League Master planning to do? All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters have been mobilised. If any strong enemies were to invade the Headquarters, the remaining members would be powerless to resist.”
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch shook his head, “League Master knows what he is doing. Since he won’t explain, then it is not our place to ask. We only need to obey his orders.”
Hui Gu was astonished, “Even the Vice League Masters don’t know what League Master is planning?”
Jin Gang said, “Why don’t you go and ask, Brother Hui Gu?”
Hui Gu glanced at Huang Quan leading at the forefront and shook his head, “Forget it. Since League Master has a plan, it’s useless to ask.”
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch chuckled and patted Hui Gu on the shoulders, “Relax. Yellow Spring Cave might be our Headquarters, but it’s nothing special. It doesn’t matter even if it were destroyed. Besides, the Prison Star is vast. As long as we remain, we can rebuild again anywhere.”
“You’re right, Vice League Master,” Hui Gu nodded.
They did not continue the conversation. Whilst travelling with Huang Quan in the lead, Hui Gu tried multiple times to escape Jin Gang and Cang Ya; however, his efforts were in vain. Those two stuck to his sides like glue and he felt his heart sinking into the abyss while the ominous feelings he had only grew stronger and stronger.
..…
In the mountain valley where the ambush was set up, Yang Kai and the others waited for approximately an hour. Sure enough, a Prison League patrol consisting of a team of twelve passed through the mountain valley right on schedule. It was perfectly in line with the information that Yang Kai received.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao were well-prepared, so as soon as the twelve-man team stepped into the ambush range, they were struck by a sneak attack. The leader of this patrol was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so how could they stand up against two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?
Yang Kai didn’t even need to do anything as the twelve men were quickly captured.
Zhuang Wei excitedly rushed forward with a longsword in his hand. Ignoring the bitter pleading and vicious cursing of those twelve people, he killed each one of them with a stab of his sword. Numerous black lights flew out from the wrists of those Prison League members to plunge into the golden wristband around his wrist, lighting up four stars in an instant.
“Hahaha!” He roared with laughter as the number of stars on his wrist had almost caught up with Yang Kai’s before this ambush. Now, he surpassed him!
He turned around to cup his fist and bow to Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan, “Many thanks, Senior Brothers!”
Yin Xin Zhao smiled and nodded. Then, he patted Zhuang Wei on the shoulder, “Don’t forget this Senior Brother when you marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in the future!”
Zhuang Wei sincerely said, “This Junior Brother will never forget the kindness you showed me today, Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai was watching coldly from the side when all of a sudden, he turned his head to look in a certain direction. An exclamation of surprise escaped his lips.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Wen Xuan followed Yang Kai’s gaze, then his expression changed drastically, “This is bad! Let’s go!”
Along the horizon, a dense stream of lights was charging at them in an aggressive manner.
The strongest great force on the Prison Star was undoubtedly Prison League! Furthermore, the only organisation that could mobilise so many people at once was also the Prison League!
Yang Kai felt a twinge of fear in his heart. He had long planned to kill Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan with a borrowed knife, and to that end, he had been trying to figure out an opportunity to expose their whereabouts so that Prison League members could get rid of these two on his behalf. Contrary to his expectations though, Prison League took action before he could even implement his plan.
[How did Prison League learn of our whereabouts? Unless… Hui Gu spilled the secret? But Hui Gu is restricted by the Loyalty List, he wouldn’t do something that would dig himself into the grave like this unless he was prepared to lose his life. In that case, there is only one possibility! Hui Gu’s identity has been exposed! Prison League turned the tables on us!]
Yang Kai secretly sighed in amazement. Although this was somewhat different from what he originally planned, the end results weren’t too dissimilar. Be that as it may, Prison League’s League Master, Huang Quan, sure was cold and ruthless to use the lives of twelve people in a patrol as bait to lure them out.
All sorts of thoughts rolled around in Yang Kai’s head in an instant; then, he turned around and fled. To his surprise though, four figures suddenly appeared ahead of him, each one a Sixth-Order Master.
The person in the lead was dressed in a python robe, which gave him a menacing appearance. He lightly slapped his palm down over the crowd, saying, “Since you’re already here, you should stay!”
The overwhelming power of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master flooded out as the other three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked in unison.
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan’s expressions changed drastically!
The four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who appeared behind them displayed an extremely powerful and pure World Force, so it was obvious that many years had passed since these four broke through to their current realm. Newly-advanced cultivators like them were utterly incomparable.
Having advanced directly into the Sixth Order, their starting point was generally higher than others, but even so, that advantage was not enough to make up for the difference formed from the accumulation of thousands of years. Hence, they were no match for any one of these four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in a one-on-one battle, much less if these four joined forces against them.
The two of them desperately used their Divine Abilities to break out of the encirclement, but unsurprisingly, they were blocked by the people who came.
*Shua shua shua…*
One after another, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. They had missed the only chance they had to escape. Numerous figures landed in all directions, surrounding Yang Kai and the others tightly!
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan both looked furious while Zhuang Wei shivered in fear. On the other hand, Mo Sheng looked contemplative as he quietly watched from the side.
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan swept their Divine Senses out before they felt their hearts sinking into the abyss.
The people surrounding them were displaying their respective strengths without the slightest reservation, so it was easy to tell that there were nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Prison League gathered in this place. In addition, there were more than a hundred cultivators below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm but above the Fourth-Order. Such a line-up could be said to be inescapable!
“Yang Kai, how dare you betray us!?” Yin Xin Zhao turned to glare at Yang Kai. In such a short time, countless possibilities had crossed his mind and the most likely one was that Yang Kai had betrayed them.
Yang Kai glared at Yin Xin Zhao coldly, “Idiot!”
While it was true that he had this plan in mind and had been making some quiet moves to accomplish it, the current situation was completely unrelated to him. The Prison League had dispatched so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, which went to show their determination. Even he was powerless against such a force. If he wanted to survive, then his only option was to escape.
It was just that he could not confirm whether Hui Gu’s identity had been compromised or not; otherwise, he would have escaped before this encirclement was formed. There were as many Prison League Masters as there were clouds in the sky at the moment, and Yang Kai was certainly not their opponent, but even the Prison League could not hope to stop him if he wanted to flee.
Yang Kai glanced surreptitiously at Hui Gu and immediately furrowed his brow at the sight. With his eyesight, how could he not realise that Hui Gu was being closely guarded by two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? Hui Gu didn’t have the slightest freedom at all!
[No wonder Hui Gu didn’t even send a single message even though the Prison League was carrying out such a large-scale operation. It was not that he didn’t want to but that he couldn’t. It looks like my guess is correct. Hui Gu’s identity has been exposed. The current situation is all part of Prison League’s retaliation.]
“Prison League’s Huang Quan greets little friends!” The man in the phyton robe blocking the path from behind gave a slight nod in greeting.
“So it is Brother Huang Quan, I have long admired you!” Yin Xin Zhao forced himself to remain calm on the surface even though his heart was pounding. [This guy is the Prison League’s League Master!]
Huang Quan smiled, “My reputation is nothing more than floating clouds. You are too polite, little friend.”
“You have certainly come from afar, Heavenly Monarch. How can I help you?” Yin Xin Zhao asked with a frown. They were currently stuck in a precarious situation where the slightest mishap could lead to their deaths. The criminals on the Prison Star were heinous and cruel after all, so they would not bat an eye at killing others. Yin Xin Zhao might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and boast great strength, but a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Master could barely make a ripple under the current circumstances.
“Little friends, you’ve killed so many people from my Prison League. As League Master, it’s only natural that I give the people under me a suitable explanation.” Huang Quan was cheerful and amicable, but the friendlier he appeared, the more terrifying he seemed.
Yin Xin Zhao quickly asked, “What explanation are you looking for, Heavenly Monarch?”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Huang Quan, smiled without saying anything.
*Pu…*
A soft sound rang out suddenly, mixed with a muffled grunt. Hui Gu spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground weakly without warning. A huge gaping hole appeared in his abdomen. Standing in front of him, one could clearly see the scenery on the other side through the hole in his body.
In the sky, Jin Gang slowly retracted his bloody fist.
“You…” Hui Gu lifted his head to look at Jin Gang with horror in his eyes.
Many of the Prison League’s Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were in an uproar and turned to look at Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch in confusion. They did not understand why the Vice League Master attacked one of their own out of the blue, much less severely injuring Hui Gu in a single attack.
“This is the consequence of colluding with the enemy and bringing harm to our comrades!” Jin Gang coldly snorted, “Hui Gu, you’re doomed. Nobody can save you today.”
Hui Gu clutched at his chest and tried to circulate his strength to stabilize his wounds. His complexion was pale and he said nothing.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector who generally had a good relationship with Hui Gu asked in a deep voice, “Vice League Master, what is the meaning of this?”
The sudden attack on Hui Gu made him very uneasy; after all, he too was one of the Prison League’s Protectors. If he did not get to the bottom of this matter, something like this might even befall him in the future.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch smiled and answered the question, “Don’t panic. His actions are in line with this Monarch’s intentions. Hui Gu is a despicable and cunning man. He is a secret chess piece that these participants inserted into the Prison League!”
A blanket of silence fell over the scene. All the Protectors looked at Hui Gu in disbelief. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector who spoke up earlier also looked absolutely shocked.
Hui Gu gritted his teeth, “What do you mean, League Master? This Hui does not understand.” [I cannot admit to anything here, or else I will really be killed.]
Huang Quan smiled, “At first, this Monarch was only slightly suspicious and could not be certain; after all, there were traces of your interference every time a patrol was dispatched. You might have concealed your tracks well, but there are no walls that are truly airtight. If this Monarch failed to notice something as simple as this, then this Monarch would not be worthy of being Prison League’s League Master.
“Nevertheless, it was not until Wu Nian died and you escaped alone that this Monarch truly became suspicious. In order to verify my conjecture, this Monarch tested you again and again.” At this point of his speech, his expression fell. He pointed at the severed limbs and scattered corpses around him, “Apart from this Monarch and the two Vice League Masters, you were the only other person who knew the whereabouts of the patrol that was dispatched today. Even so, they were intercepted at this spot within an hour of being sent out. If you weren’t the one to tip off the enemy, then who else could it be!?”
Hui Gu shook his head, “League Master, please understand! I have no knowledge of this matter!”
Jin Gang smiled deviously, “If it was not you, then are you implying that it was me or Cang Yan? Hui Gu, oh, Hui Gu… You truly disappoint me. What benefits did these participants promise you to make you turn your back on your old friends of countless years?”
Nearby, Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan exchanged a glance with each other. They initially thought that Yang Kai had sold them out, but based on the current situation, it would seem that the people from the Prison League had figured out Hui Gu’s identity and used their plan against them. Be that as it may, the current situation was very worrying. They couldn’t help being racked by anxiety.
Hui Gu looked sorrowful as he slowly sneered, “One never lacks a reason to make false accusations!”
“How dare you quibble with me!?” Huang Quan’s expression turned frosty, “I initially thought that this would be a chance for you to redeem yourself for your crimes, but it would now seem that you’re determined to make enemies of the Prison League! In that case, I will let you die with full understanding!” He shouted with a wave of his hand, “Bring him!”
Somebody immediately walked out from the side with a bloody figure in his grip. When Hui Gu looked in that direction, his eyes immediately widened in shock and he blurted out, “Bai Mo!”
The bloody figure turned out to be his one and only subordinate whom he sent out on errands previously, Bai Mo.
At this moment, it was difficult to tell whether or not Bai Mo was even still alive. He was dishevelled and filthy and it was easy to see that he had been greatly tormented. Strange tendrils of energy weaved in and out of his body like Spirit Snakes and his vitality was extremely dim.
Ever since the day Bai Mo was sent on that initial errand, three other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had received the message and brought their subordinates with them to the dense forest tree cave and became Yang Kai’s achievement.
Afterwards, the Prison League was formed and Yang Kai finally came out of hiding when he ran out of fish to bait.
During this time, Hui Gu had tried to ask around for information on Bai Mo, but his efforts had been fruitless. Only now did he learn that Bai Mo had fallen into the Huang Quan’s hands at some point.
Seeming to hear Hui Gu’s voice, the dying Bai Mo flinched. He raised his lowered head, revealing a face that was so swollen that he looked like he had been soaked in water for several years. It was a mess of rotten meat and turbid blood. A small gap suddenly opened in his swollen eyelids. Carefully looking in Hui Gu’s direction for a while, he cried out in a miserable voice, “Master, Bai Mo is sorry!”
“What else do you have to say for yourself?” Huang Quan stared at Hui Gu coldly.
Hui Gu’s complexion was ashen. He knew that it was useless to try and talk his way out of this. Bai Mo was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. It was a pity that he fell into the hands of somebody like Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. It was only natural that Huang Quan had ways to make him divulge the truth no matter how loyal he was.
“It looks like you have nothing more to say,” Huang Quan coldly snorted and exerted some strength into his hand. Bai Mo exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving nothing behind!
The reason why Huang Quan went to so much trouble to prove that Hui Gu was colluding with the enemy was to pacify and reassure the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protectors; otherwise, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector could not be killed so easily.
Hui Gu’s eyes immediately widened at the sight.
After dealing with Hui Gu, Huang Quan finally turned to look at Yin Xin Zhao and the others, “Little friends, where are you from?”
Yin Xin Zhao gloomily said, “Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven!”
“And, you must be a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple.” Huang Quan turned to look at Pei Wen Xuan with a smile.
The people from Myriad Demons Heaven were the easiest to recognise; after all, the unique characteristics of Demon Qi were too obvious to miss. It was like walking around with a glaring billboard wherever they went.
“What about you?” He looked towards Yang Kai.
“Void Land!” Yang Kai replied flippantly; however, his mind was focused on Hui Gu’s situation as he seemed to be in an abnormal state after Bai Mo was killed right in front of him.
Huang Quan frowned, “Perhaps I’ve become a bit ignorant and uninformed after all the years. I’m afraid I didn’t know about the existence of a Void Paradise.”
“It’s Void Land!” Yang Kai reiterated.
Huang Quan seemed to understand something and nodded lightly, “So, that’s how it is.”
He was secretly confused. [Didn’t they say that the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the Dao Theory Assembly are all newly advanced Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises? Why is this person from Void Land here?]
Too lazy to think too much into this matter, he gave a light wave of his hand and spat out a single but extremely chilling word, “Kill!”
Hui Gu, who had reached some kind of critical limit, suddenly attacked at the same time. Charging directly at the Huang Quan, he let out a ferocious roar, “Huang Quan, suffer death!”
Huang Quan looked over coldly but did not move.
Jin Gang and Cang Ya attacked Hui Gu from both sides and sent him flying backward with just a single move. Hui Gu coughed up a mouthful of blood and stumbled weakly. He had been heavily injured by the Jin Gang earlier, so he was no match for the two Vice League Masters at the moment.
In the meantime, the World Force in the surroundings fluctuated chaotically as the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts loomed over Yang Kai and the others.
Yang Kai, Yin Xin Zhao, and Pei Wen Xuan roared furiously. They knew that they were in an extremely precarious situation; thus, they did not dare to hesitate and quickly used various means to defend against the barrage of attacks.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following a series of explosions, the three of them were shaken badly and their respective Small Universes were in turmoil. The difference in numbers was simply too great, so the outcome of this battle was determined before it even began.
[This place is too dangerous. I can’t stay here for long.] Yang Kai made a feint and retreated backwards, leaving Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan to fight against the many Open Heaven Realm Masters from Prison League on their own, with a flicker, he rushed towards Hui Gu.
He was fast, but surprisingly somebody else was even faster than him.
Mo Sheng, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had been following behind Pei Wen Xuan all this time, had already arrived next to Hui Gu at some point, grabbed his arm, and dragged the latter towards Yang Kai with all speed. The attacks from Jin Gang and Cang Ya that came from behind him caused him to cough up blood and his Demon Qi to churn violently.
“Go!” Mo Sheng roared at Yang Kai who was rushing towards him.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck, but still surged his Space Principles to wrap up Mo Sheng and Hui Gu, preparing to escape this place.
Jin Gang was following closely behind and his expression turned grim at the sight, “Hm? A Space Secret Technique? Don’t even think about escaping!”
Taking a deep breath, he let out a deep roar. An invisible sound wave spread out into the surroundings, causing the local space to shatter like a broken mirror.
The figures of Yang Kai and the others that had been fading away abruptly solidified once more. His Instantaneous Movement had been interrupted.
Cang Ya and Huang Quan quickly swooped in from both sides when they saw this complication. The World Forces of the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, like two separate Worlds, were barrelling in this direction.
“Break!” Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. As soon as the spear thrust out, a Golden Dragon Head flashed behind him and a Dragon Roar shook the skies. The Azure Dragon Spear in his hands suddenly transformed into a 1,500-metre-long Great Dragon that shook its head and flicked its tail as it charged forward recklessly.
A gap suddenly appeared in the oppressive auras of the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Yang Kai activated Space Principles once more and fled through the gap with a flash as the sounds of explosions and attacks rang out endlessly from behind him. In addition, the rampaging World Force threatened to shatter the Void once more.
By the time Jin Gang broke through the explosions and rushed over, Yang Kai along with Hui Gu and Mo Sheng were nowhere to be seen.
“Space Secret Techniques!” Huang Quan scowled deeply and spread out his Divine Sense into the surroundings; however, Yang Kai was long gone without a trace.
“He sure escaped quickly!” Likewise, Jin Gang looked furious. He had interrupted Yang Kai’s Space Secret Technique as soon as he noticed that something was not right, but unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. It was said that people who were proficient in the Dao of Space were unparalleled when it came to escaping, and judging from the current situation, those rumours were not unfounded.
“We were too careless!” Cang Ya sighed. If they had known that there was somebody proficient in the Dao of Space, they would have created a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array or Formation at the beginning so that the other party could not escape.
“It’s fine.” Huang Quan slowly shook his head, “It’s not like we don’t have any gains.”
He looked back at the battlefield where three disciples from two Cave-Heavens were trapped. Although two of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were both newly promoted, so their heritage was a far cry compared to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League. Moreover, there was a huge disparity in numbers, so it was only a matter of time before those three died.
On the battlefield, both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan were red with rage. Their figures swayed unsteadily, seeming to be at risk of dying at any moment. As Core Disciples of Cave-Heavens, they had various items in their possession to protect themselves; nevertheless, the continuous use of these items was merely a futile dying struggle that delayed the time of their deaths.
[Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!] Yin Xin Zhao roared inwardly. He originally wanted to make use of Yang Kai’s spy in the Prison League to easily obtain the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly. Who could have known that he would be besieged by the enemy in this place instead? It would seem that he was doomed to die today.
*Chi…*
A soft sound suddenly came from behind him. He quickly turned to look back before a look of extreme panic appeared on his face.
Not far away, the Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Huang Quan, was holding a sharp longsword in his hand. The longsword had pierced right through Zhuang Wei’s heart. Following a violent burst of World Force, the impact turned Zhuang Wei’s body into a bloody mess with all his internal organs destroyed.
“Senior Brother Yin… Sa… Save me!” Zhuang Wei stuttered, spewing fragments of his organs out of his mouth as his vitality swiftly dissipated.
Huang Quan withdrew his sword and with the flash of a sword light, Zhuang Wei’s head flew into the sky and blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain.
Dazzling golden light flew out of the golden wristband around Zhuang Wei’s wrist and plunged into Huang Quan’s wrist. The black band around Huang Quan’s wrist was originally empty, but now dozens of stars instantly lit up after the golden light poured into his wrist. All of Zhuang Wei’s achievements during this period had been transferred over to him.
Flicking off the blood on his long sword, Huang Quan smiled lightly and asked, “How would you like to die, little friends?”
Both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan felt chills running down their bodies upon hearing those words.
…..
*Pu…*
Yang Kai coughed up fresh blood and stumbled to the ground weakly. Although he had managed to break through the Void and escape at the last moment, the attacks from numerous Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had followed him across space. Even if his flesh and skin were tough, he was still hit so badly that he coughed up blood continuously.
Similarly, Mo Sheng collapsed headfirst to the ground next to him, his aura fluctuating unsteadily. Hui Gu, whom he had been carrying this while, rolled out of his arms and lay to the side motionlessly.
Hui Gu’s aura might be weak, but he was not dead. He was the most severely wounded among them all; however, the vitality of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was so strong that he would not die so quickly.
“Wu Kuang!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and looked at the guy named Mo Sheng in front of him.
“Who?” Mo Sheng grinned and sat cross-legged on the ground, surging his strength to heal his wounds.
“You still want to pretend!?” Yang Kai gnashed his teeth.
He would not have dared to confirm that this person in front of him was Wu Kuang if the other party’s actions had not exposed him at the last moment. Be it in terms of appearance or even aura, this person was completely different from the Wu Kuang in his memories. Nevertheless, only people who were very familiar with Yang Kai would have known that his mastery over the Dao of Space was their only hope of escape in that dire situation.
Without question or hesitation, this Mo Sheng immediately dragged Hui Gu over to Yang Kai, so it was obvious that he wanted Yang Kai to bring him along. He would never have done that if he were an actual Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator from Myriad Demons Heaven; after all, the only person a real Myriad Demons Heaven disciple could rely on at that time would have been Pei Wen Xuan.
“Do you dare to deny it?” Yang Kai pointed his spear at the other party, “Do you believe I won’t stab you to death with my spear!”
Mo Sheng calmly stared at Yang Kai for a while before he reached out, pushed the Azure Dragon Spear away, and chuckled lightly, “If you’re so sure, then why do you keep trying to sound me out with your words?”
Yang Kai was stunned, “So, it really is you.”
Although he was quite sure that the person in front of him was Wu Kuang, he still couldn’t help feeling incredulous when the other party personally confirmed the fact; after all, the perception of his Divine Sense indicated that this person did not contain the slightest bit of Wu Kuang’s aura.
“I guess it’s true that good people don’t live long while a scourge lasts a thousand years!” Yang Kai clicked his tongue.
“It takes one to know one. You’re not much better yourself,” Wu Kuang sneered softly.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before they broke out into laughter, only for Wu Kuang to suddenly stop laughing and comment, “Alright enough. If you laugh any longer, this guy is going to die.”
Yang Kai slapped his forehead lightly in response. Hurrying over to Hui Gu, he examined the latter’s wounds and furrowed his brow tightly. Hui Gu was badly injured. He might not be in danger of dying at the moment, but he would die tragically if his injuries were left untreated much longer.
Yang Kai quickly took out some healing pills and stuffed them into Hui Gu’s mouth. Afterwards, he summoned his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation. An ancient tree immediately appeared behind his back, its branches hanging low as wisps of green light filled with vitality flitted about its leaves.
After advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai’s control over this Wood Element Divine Manifestation became more and more effortless. The ancient tree behind him was not that large, only big enough to cover the three of them, making it more convenient for them to heal from their wounds.
Wu Kuang opened his eyes and took a look, but didn’t pay any more attention to the phenomenon a moment later.
However, Yang Kai soon noticed something strange. Judging by the power leaking out from Wu Kuang’s body, he was not a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but a Sixth-Order one!
Yang Kai was absolutely dumbfounded!
It was not Wu Kuang’s advancement into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm that was shocking to him of course as Wu Kuang was supremely talented and many years had passed since he left the Star Boundary. Furthermore, Wu Kuang entered one of the top great forces like Myriad Demons Heaven. What was shocking was how he managed to conceal his cultivation!
Prior to this, Yang Kai had clearly sensed that the fluctuations from Wu Kuang’s attacks were only in the Fifth Order. Not to mention that Myriad Demons Heaven had allowed him to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, which could only mean that he was nothing more than a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the eyes of the Myriad Demons Heaven Elders. Hence, he was a dispensable pawn!
[Wu Kuang must have an extremely top-notch method or artifact; otherwise, he would have been exposed a long time ago.]
An incense stick later, Yang Kai stood up after helping to stabilize Hui Gu’s injuries, “Help me watch him. I’m going to get Lu Jing.”
Hui Gu’s identity had been exposed, so their previous hiding place was no longer safe. If the Prison League headed towards their hiding place, Lu Jing would be in danger. A Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure was at stake, so Yang Kai could not simply ignore Lu Jing.
Wu Kuang opened his eyes to look at Yang Kai but did not speak. Seeing as he did not say a word, that could only mean he had no objections.
Yang Kai left in a flash, taking less than an hour to arrive at their previous hiding place. After confirming that there were no ambushes nearby, he carefully brought Lu Jing out and returned to their new hiding place.
Lu Jing was startled to see Hui Gu with such a weak aura and covered in blood.
On the other hand, Wu Kuang was nowhere to be seen. All he left behind was a single jade slip.
Yang Kai picked up the jade slip and checked the contents. The contents immediately set his teeth itching with hatred! He initially hoped to inquire about the mystery behind Wu Kuang’s hidden cultivation after he brought Lu Jing over, but how could he have known that Wu Kuang would flee in advance?
He had the vague feeling that Wu Kuang did not want to expose the relationship between them in front of others. With no other choice, he could only give up on his intentions. In any case, he now knew that Wu Kuang was in Myriad Demons Heaven, so it would not be too late to search for another opportunity to contact him in the future.
…..
A couple hundred thousand kilometres away, a black cloud churned violently and landed among a small group of six to reveal Wu Kuang’s figure.
The six-man team consisted of two Fifth-Order and four Fourth-Order Masters. They couldn’t help feeling shocked when they noticed somebody blocking their path. Then, they took a good look at the other party. The person blocking their path was drenched in blood and had a very pale complexion. It was obvious to see that he was badly injured; therefore, they simply looked at each other in confusion.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the lead cupped his fist in greeting, “So it is a Senior Brother from Myriad Demons Heaven. Dare I ask how we may help you, Senior Brother?”
Judging from the energy fluctuations coming from the Demon Qi Cloud earlier, this person was most likely in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was why this team of participants were not too apprehensive despite recognising Wu Kuang as a member of Myriad Demons Heaven. They had two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side after all.
Wu Kuang greedily swept his gaze over the six people and chuckled softly, “I’ve been restrained for so long. I’m finally free now.”
“What did you say, Senior Brother?” The leading Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master scowled deeply. The stare Wu Kuang gave him made him feel extremely uncomfortable, it was like being stared at by a starving beast which had found a mouth-watering meal.
“The end of life is just the beginning of reincarnation, and death is not the only ending.”
“Senior Brother?” The leading Fifth-Order Open Heaven frowned even more, shooting a warning look at his companions as he spoke.
“Instead of struggling and suffering in the midst of all living beings, it is better to die and be liberated.”
All six people were speechless and gazed at Wu Kuang strangely, [Is this guy insane? What is he muttering to himself?]
“You are very lucky to have met this King. Now, become one with me! I will grant you immortality!” Wu Kuang opened his arms and the Demon Cloud behind his back transformed into a black screen that covered the sky.
The World fell silent.
A short while later, the Demon Cloud began to converge again to reveal Wu Kuang’s figure while the six people from before were gone. He licked his lips, a hint of colour appearing in his pale complexion. Turning around, he looked in another direction before his body transformed into a black cloud once more and vanished into the distance.
…..
Inside the new hiding place, Hui Gu slowly woke up. He couldn’t help coughing slightly. As his chaotic thoughts slowly cleared up, he recalled everything that transpired earlier. He looked up to see Yang Kai sitting beside him and looking at him in concern.
“Sir!” He struggled to get out of bed.
Yang Kai pressed him down again, “Your injuries are very serious. Focus on recovering. Don’t move about recklessly for the time being.”
“Many thanks, Sir.” Hui Gu coughed a few more times before he continued with a look of regret, “Sir, please forgive me. I failed to carry out my duties properly.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch is not a simple man. This is not your fault. It’s a pity about what happened to Bai Mo!”
“Bai Mo…” Hui Gu’s expression was heavy. He spoke through gritted teeth, “I will personally avenge Bai Mo’s death one day.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s good if you can think that way. This place is relatively safe for the time being, so you can rest and recuperate here. I need to go out for a bit.” After saying that, he stood up and patted Lu Jing on the shoulder, “Help me take care of Hui Gu. I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Jing nodded. He knew that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him had no role to play on the Prison Star; thus, he would only become a burden if he followed Yang Kai around. At present, his only wish was to leave the Prison Star alive.
A few hours later, Yang Kai returned to the mountain valley where he had been ambushed before. Several days might have passed, but the traces of the battle in this place remained clearly visible.
There was a lot of blood on the ground, but not a single corpse. Judging by the situation from before where they were surrounded on all sides, it would have been impossible for Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan to escape death. Even Yang Kai could only hope to escape under those circumstances, so what need be said about others?
Yang Kai was overjoyed!
Both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan held deep grudges against him, so his greatest wish in this place was for them to die at the hands of the Prison League. The process might have been a little different from what he initially planned, but the results were the same. It could be said that he had successfully carried out a murder with a borrowed knife!
In addition, Zhuang Wei, who had obtained more stars than himself earlier, was dead. With his current achievement, it was obvious that none of the Dao Theory Assembly participants could compare with him. As long as he could hold on to his achievements, it should not be a problem for him to win first place.
Inside the palace outside the Prison Star was an enormous sand table which displayed the landscape of the entire Universe World. Moreover, there were many golden and black lights moving about. Each golden light represented one of the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly while each black light represented one of the criminals on the Prison Star.
Furthermore, the brightness of these golden and black lights varied slightly depending on their respective cultivation. The brightest lights among the golden and black lights were undoubtedly the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on both sides. There were not many of them, only 20 to 30 in total.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Elders of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises who brought their disciples here did not remain idle. They took turns to stay around the sand table to monitor the progress of the assembly.
Half a year had gone by and the Dao Theory Assembly was moving along smoothly. They occasionally observed numerous golden and black lights vanishing from the sand table, which represented the deaths of the participating cultivators or criminals.
However, what interested most of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was one of the golden lights. Judging by the brightness of the light, that person was undoubtedly in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He had joined up with one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals on the Prison Star from the beginning of the Dao Theory Assembly and had been almost inseparable since, killing countless people together.
It was not until the establishment of the Prison League that these two finally went their separate ways. The black light that represented the criminal had joined the Prison League; meanwhile, the golden light did not settle down for long before he joined another group of four participants. Nobody knew the exact identity of those four, but it was certain that these four were disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. That was because two of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although there was no way to see what was actually happening on the Prison Star, all of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters monitoring the sand table were experienced veterans, so how could they not have some guesses after seeing the current situation?
The biggest possibility was that one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals on the Prison Star had been incited to defect and became an agent for one of the participants. With the help of this spy, that participant repeatedly attacked and successfully killed a number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals to obtain an amazing number of achievements.
While the Elders looked approving, they also couldn’t help being curious as to which Cave-Heaven or Paradise this person belonged to. Such methods and skills would really make his Sect proud. It had to be said that it was not an easy feat to incite a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminal to defect. What kind of benefits were promised to make an enemy turn into an ally?
During their discussion, some of them even went to ask Xu Ling Gong about this matter. The sand table was created by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven after all, so just because the others did not know who the lights represented did not mean that Xu Ling Gong did not. Unexpectedly, the old ghost claimed that he did not know the situation on the Prison Star either. Everybody had no choice but to wait patiently; after all, everything would eventually become clear when the Dao Theory Assembly ended.
On this day, however, the Elders gathered around the sand table were arguing fiercely in front of Xu Ling Gong.
This couldn’t be helped as the little ones working together had accidentally fallen into Prison League’s trap. As a result, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had been killed on the spot. Although two had managed to escape, the remaining two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters seemed to have been captured alive. There was a high possibility that they would die if they were not rescued soon.
The Prison League had deployed nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in this ambush, so the little ones were practically powerless to resist.
More importantly, none of the Elders knew which Sect those two captured Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters belonged to. What if they belonged to their own Sect?
Disciples who directly broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were geniuses that only appeared once every thousand years even for a Cave Heaven or Paradise and would eventually become future pillars of their respective great forces. They could not be allowed to die during this Dao Theory Assembly. For that reason, the Elders of the dozen or so Cave-Heavens and Paradises joined together to pressure Xu Ling Gong to open the Prison Star Grand Array so that they could rescue their Disciples.
When Xu Ling Gong completely ignored their demands, the scene became a huge chaotic mess as a huge battle threatened to break out among them.
“Xu Ling Gong, are you going to open the Prison Star Grand Array or not?” Duan Rui Shan of Clear Mind Heaven glared at Xu Ling Gong with a vicious expression.
“The Dao Theory Assembly lasts for one year. Nobody can intervene until it ends.” Xu Ling Gong looked at Duan Rui Shan coldly.
“Brother Xu, we understand that you are in a difficult position, but there has been such a huge change in the Dao Theory Assembly. You have to be accommodating. All the most elite Core Disciples of our Sects are inside. What if something goes wrong…” Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise tried to be understanding.
“That is their fate!” Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted, “Before the Dao Theory Assembly began, this Monarch warned that this assembly was a matter of life and death. The participants had to bear the consequences themselves. Since they chose to participate in this event, then they should have prepared themselves for the possibility of death!”
“Brother Xu, the Prison Star Grand Array might be excellent, but it cannot stop so many of us,” Zhuo Bu Qun of Asura Heaven looked at Xu Ling Gong.
Xu Ling Gong turned to look in his direction and coldly snorted, “Are you trying to threaten me? This Old Master fears no man! If you plan to marry this Xu Ling Gong’s Disciple, then you have to bring out the best of your abilities! If they die during the Dao Theory Assembly, then that means they are not qualified enough! Let’s see who dares to break through the Prison Star Grand Array! If any of you dare to interfere in the Dao Theory Assembly, then don’t blame this Old Master for opposing you!”
“Brother Xu, are you really going to be so unaccommodating!?”
“I dare you to come!” He snarled back, “Send a message to the Ancestor! Tell him that our ‘guests’ are looking to cause trouble in the Dao Theory Assembly. This Old Master alone is not their opponent, so he must beseech the Ancestor to come forward and preside over the situation! Also, activate the Prison Star Grand Array’s defences to their limit and place disciples to stand guard outside it! Anybody who dares to invade is to be killed without mercy!”
“This Disciple obeys!” Behind him, Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui cupped their fists before they turned around and rushed into the depths of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
All the Elders of the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises went pale…
Ancestors and Supreme Elders of Cave-Heavens were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. There were more than a dozen Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters present, but they might not be an Ancestor’s opponent even if they all worked together.
“Old Xu, why disturb the Ancestor over such a trivial matter?” Somebody stood forward to try and smooth things over.
Xu Ling Gong stubbornly refused to back down, “You forced my hand!”
That person sighed and shook his head, “You won’t have any friends if you act like this.”
“Friends!?” Xu Ling Gong sneered coldly and swept his gaze over the crowd, “If you thought of this Old Master as a friend, then you wouldn’t have tried so hard to marry those incompetent wastes of yours to this Old Master’s Disciple! Aren’t you the ones who didn’t give this Old Master any face at all!?”
He smashed his fist into the sand table while speaking. There was a loud crash, then the sand table cracked into pieces, “Get out! Their lives are in the hands of fate! Regardless of whose disciples die inside, you will simply have to accept the losses! The Dao Theory Assembly is for this Old Master to choose a Husband for his Disciple, not for your incompetent disciples to play house!”
…..
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui headed into the depths of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven while Qing Kui scratched his head and asked, “Are we really going to inform the Ancestor?”
“Are you stupid?” Su Ying Xue rolled her eyes at him, “Honoured Master didn’t mean those words. Did you really take them for the truth?”
“Then, what are we…”
She explained, “We don’t need to inform the Ancestor, but we do need to drag out the disciples remaining in the Sect to put on a show. Otherwise, it would be very embarrassing for Honoured Master after everything he said.”
Qing Kui showed a look of understanding.
A short while later, many Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples flew over and surrounded the Prison Star.
The Elders felt their facial muscles twitching at the sight, but nobody clamoured to enter the Prison Star to check on the situation again. None of them knew whether one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Supreme Elders was watching from the shadows, so they were afraid of causing big trouble if they forced their way into the Prison Star.
…..
Inside the Prison Star, Yang Kai was refining Open Heaven Pills in his new hiding place leisurely while Hui Gu was still recovering from his injuries.
The Dao Theory Assembly now only had three or four months left until it ended, and Yang Kai had accumulated more than enough achievements by now, so he was no longer eager to act.
Besides, he was not too worried that somebody might overtake his achievements. With the establishment of Prison League, all the criminals on the Prison Star were now huddling together to keep warm. The others would have a hard time killing many criminals even if they wanted to. It could be said that it was very unlikely for anybody to surpass his achievements.
The days slipped by just like that, and regardless of the situation outside, the place where Yang Kai and the two others were hiding was very peaceful.
On this day, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something and abruptly opened his eyes; then, his figure instantly vanished from the spot.
300 kilometres away, Yang Kai reappeared in the middle of the sky where a stream of light was rushing straight at him. The stream of light seemed startled to see someone blocking their way all of a sudden. Following that, the wooden sword in the other party’s hand danced lightly to form a mysterious pattern in the air before slashing down at him. The pattern contained a peculiar energy that was as gentle as the wind, belying its shockingly destructive force it contained.
Yang Kai dodged the attack lightly and shouted, “As expected, it’s Senior Brother Ning! For a moment, I thought I perceived wrongly.”
The stream of light charging towards Yang Kai paused for a moment before the brightness dissipated to reveal a figure. It was Ning Dao Ran of Free and Unfettered Paradise!
“Junior Brother Yang?” Ning Dao Ran looked astonished. He spun the wooden sword in his hand to hold his sword behind his back before he exhaled deeply in relief, “I thought the people from the Prison League caught up to me.”
“Are you injured, Senior Brother Ning?” Yang Kai glanced at Ning Dao Ran’s chest where there was a patch of blood that was still wet.
Ning Dao Ran’s expression changed drastically, “Junior Brother Yang, we need to go! I have pursuers behind me!”
“Come!” Yang Kai rushed over to grab Ning Dao Ran. Manipulating Space Principles, he returned to his hiding place with a flicker of his figure. At the same time, his Divine Sense surged to isolate the auras inside.
A short while later, the sound of people flying through the air passed over their heads and disappeared into the distance.
Inside the hiding place, Ning Dao Ran breathed a sigh of relief and glanced suspiciously at Hui Gu, who was sitting nearby, “This is…”
“This is Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. The Heavenly Monarch has repented for his mistakes and turned over a new leaf. He has helped me greatly during this time.”
Ning Dao Ran nodded, “Every man has his faults, but the ability to repent for one’s mistakes is admirable! Ning Dao Ran of Free and Unfettered Paradise greets you, Senior Brother Hui Gu!”
Hui Gu returned the greeting, “You are too polite, Junior Brother Ning.”
Lu Jing also came over to introduce himself. He might be the Young League Master of the Gathering Yuan Union, but there was a huge gap between his status and the status of somebody like Ning Dao Ran; hence, he wanted to use this opportunity to become acquainted. Who could say whether this connection might come in handy in the future?
“Senior Brother Ning, who injured you?” Yang Kai asked in concern.
Ning Dao Ran gave a bitter laugh, “Have you heard of the Prison League?”
Yang Kai and Hui Gu exchanged a wry glance with each other as Prison League could not be more familiar to them.
Ning Dao Ran explained, “There is a man known as Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch on the Prison Star, who established the Prison League and recruited all the surviving criminals under his banner. He presently has seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command, which gives him an advantage in numbers. They are currently actively eliminating the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly. I accidentally exposed my whereabouts, so…”
Yang Kai understood the situation.
All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly this time around had broken through to that realm within the last 100 years. It had only been a few years since Ning Dao Ran himself advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, so how could he be a match for the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League? Injuries were inevitable if he were to encounter them.
“The Prison League has become very powerful under the leadership of its League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. He has seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command and hundreds of criminals moving in unity. There is no place for participating cultivators like us wherever we go.” Ning Dao Ran shook his head with a sigh. Before participating in the Dao Theory Assembly, nobody could have expected a situation like this to take place on the Prison Star.
With eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and hundreds of criminals moving as one in Prison League, the participating cultivators stood no chance at all. Death was the only fate waiting for the participating cultivators following an encounter with the Prison League.
“Prison League is acting so overbearing?” Yang Kai was secretly shocked by Huang Quan’s boldness.
When the Prison League was first established, they had fortified themselves in Yellow Spring Cave in an effort to huddle together to stay warm, but now they had decided to come out with a bang. How could the participating cultivators resist them under these circumstances? It would not take long before the participating cultivators were wiped out completely.
Ning Dao Ran had accidentally exposed his whereabouts and was pursued by several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as a result; thankfully, he was one of the Core Disciples of Free and Unfettered Paradise, so he had many artifacts to protect himself and help him escape. Otherwise, he could not have survived long enough for him to meet Yang Kai.
“Now that the Prison Star criminals have rallied together, the participating cultivators have also done the same. If we don’t join forces, we will be completely powerless to resist and survive for the remaining three months of the Dao Theory Assembly.” Ning Dao Ran smiled wryly and continued, “I have received news that Lin Feng and several other Fellow Brothers have gathered together and are preparing to deal with the Prison League. Junior Brother Yang, why don’t you come with me? The greater our numbers, the greater our strength.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. After pondering for a while, he slowly shook his head, “No. I…”
Before he could finish his sentence though, a violent force suddenly came from above. There was a series of rumblings as the ground cracked open and their hiding place collapsed around them. A cold sneer rang out, “Let’s see how much longer you can continue hiding!”
*Shua Shua Shua…*
Amidst the falling dirt, several figures rose into the sky. Yang Kai carried Lu Jing while Hui Gu and Ning Dao Ran stood beside him. Looking around, his expression changed slightly. Unbeknownst to him, the people of the Prison League had surrounded this place at some point. There were eight figures around them, forming a tight encirclement.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim as it was only at this moment that he realised that Ning Dao Ran’s whereabouts had long been exposed. Flying past their head earlier was only to buy some time and numb Ning Dao Ran’s sense of danger.
Judging by the current situation, it was just as Ning Dao Ran had mentioned earlier. The Prison League was moving in unity; otherwise, it was impossible for eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League to appear in this place all at once.
“It’s you!” Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch’s eyes widened.
On the other hand, Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, Cang Yan, shouted, “This is bad! Quickly form a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Formation!”
They never imagined that Yang Kai would appear here. They assumed that Ning Dao Ran had been alone, but it was too late to set up a Formation by the time they realised their mistake.
Before they could complete the Formation, Yang Kai had already urged his Space Principles to wrap around Ning Dao Ran, Hui Gu, and Lu Jing and vanish out of sight.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch reached out and grabbed at them only to come up empty-handed, causing him to gnash his teeth furiously, “Damn that brat!”
If not for Yang Kai, Ning Dao Ran would never have escaped.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch formed a set of hand seals before turning to look in a certain direction and shouting, “Give chase!”
His figure shifted and he took the lead, with the seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters quickly following behind.
Several hundred kilometres away, four figures emerged from the Void and Yang Kai began examining Ning Dao Ran carefully, puzzling the latter.
“Senior Brother Ning, check your body carefully to see if there is anything unusual!” Yang Kai reminded the other party. He believed that his concealment earlier had been perfect, so there was no reason for their whereabouts to be discovered so easily.
Ning Dao Ran’s expression changed. How could he not know what Yang Kai meant? Thus, he quickly surged his Divine Sense to carefully examine every part of his body. A short while later, his expression changed slightly, “There’s a strange Mark on my body. When…”
If not for Yang Kai, he would not have made such a careful search of his body, nor would he have found this Mark on his body.
“Can you remove it?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’ll try!” Ning Dao Ran nodded solemnly and focused on controlling his power in an attempt to disperse the Mark.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai continued to wrap his power around the other three and escaped into the distance.
The eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters hurriedly gave chase, but not long after, Huang Quan, who had been leading them, stopped in his tracks with a furious expression. The seven people behind him looked in his direction.
Huang Quan grunted, “The Soul Tracing Mark is gone. They must have found it.”
“What a pity! All our efforts were all in vain!” Jin Gang sighed as he couldn’t help cursing the little brat who was proficient in the Dao of Space under his breath. That boy had ruined Prison League’s plans twice now.
“It’s fine. We might have failed this time, but we will have other opportunities in the future!” Surprisingly, Huang Quan was rather optimistic about the situation. He gently gave a flick of his sleeves and turned around to head back.
10,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai, Ning Dao Ran, and the others flew forward as swiftly as the wind.
Ning Dao Ran said, “It’s best if you can rethink your decision, Junior Brother. Many changes have taken place on the Prison Star recently. I’m afraid the Elders never expected this to occur during the Dao Theory Assembly. All we can do is work together and support each other until this is all over so that we can escape this place safely.”
After experiencing the incident just now, Yang Kai decided to follow Ning Dao Ran to find Lin Feng and others. Just as Ning Dao Ran mentioned, the Prison League was so powerful that nobody could fight back against them alone. The participating cultivators had to follow their example and huddle together to stay warm.
Yang Kai had his Space Secret Techniques, so he could escape even if he could not win; however, he also had to take care of Lu Jing. He was not sure if he could protect the latter if they fell into critical danger.
They travelled for two whole days before Ning Dao Ran landed on a barren mountain. He checked the surrounding topography and confirmed his position before he took out an incense and lit it.
After a short while, a figure suddenly flew over from not far away and landed directly in front of them. He glanced around at Yang Kai and the others only frowning slightly before he turned to Ning Dao Ran and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior Brother Ning!”
Ning Dao Ran nodded, “Did Brother Lin send you here?”
“That’s right. Senior Brother asked me to pick you up.”
“Lead the way,” Ning Dao Ran nodded lightly.
That person glanced at Yang Kai and the others again. Although he found their presence strange, he did not say anything and led the way without hesitation.
It didn’t take long before they entered a cave in the belly of a mountain. The cave was extremely dry and there was no strange smell in the air. Moreover, the surrounding cave walls were decorated with strange stones that emitted fluorescent light and illuminated the passage of the cave.
They followed the man as he took several twists and turns inside the cave. There was no saying how many kilometres they walked before their vision suddenly brightened in front of them and a large karst cave came into view.
At least a hundred people were gathered in this place. In addition, there was a group of nine people standing side-by-side at the forefront. They were clearly waiting for Ning Dao Ran’s arrival. The leader of the group was Lin Feng.
“Senior Brothers, Senior Brother Ning is here,” said the cultivator who led the way earlier.
Lin Feng’s gaze shifted to look behind Ning Dao Ran, then he exclaimed in surprise, “Yang Kai?”
Ning Dao Ran said, “I met Junior Brother Yang on the way and invited him to come here with me.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Your reaction seems to say that I’m not very welcome here, Brother Lin.”
Lin Feng coldly snorted, “You’re already here. Are you going to leave even if I don’t welcome you?’
Yang Kai smiled, “Since I’m already here, of course I won’t leave.”
Gu Pan nodded at him lightly from beside Lin Feng. On the other hand, the others were unfamiliar faces to Yang Kai. He did not know which Cave-Heaven or Paradise they belonged to, but that was no surprise since he had never encountered them before.
The others were also looking at him curiously. Many of them appeared unhappy, but this couldn’t be helped. The reason for their participation in the Dao Theory Assembly was that Yang Kai had muddied the waters in the first place. They only followed their respective Masters on this trip to see the world and increase their experience. They were only forced to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly when a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai suddenly appeared.
As a result, things turned sour for them. At this point of the Dao Theory Assembly, the Prison League was running rampant and forcing all of them into hiding. It was a miserable situation, but fortunately, they had gathered a large force now. There were seven or eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them, though it would still be difficult for them to compete with the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League.
It would be more strange for them to look friendly upon seeing the main culprit behind the entire situation at this moment.
Inside the dim cave, the densely-packed stars on Yang Kai’s wrist twinkled brightly, making them very eye-catching. A group of people stared at his wrist with a mixture of shock and astonishment.
The best among them only had 30 or 40 stars at most, which was only half of what Yang Kai had accumulated. Unfortunately, it was difficult to hunt another lone criminal under the current circumstances. In other words, the total achievements that they accumulated so far would basically determine their final rankings in the Dao Theory Assembly.
Several people looked at each other with a shocked look in their eyes.
One of the slender youths seemed to mull over something for a while before he stepped forward and asked, “Brother Lin, are you acquainted with Brother Yang?”
Lin Feng responded with a look of disgust, “We’ve met before.”
That person nodded, “So that’s how it is.” Then, he turned to look at Hui Gu who was standing behind Yang Kai, “And, what is with him? If my guess is correct, he is one of the Prison Star’s criminals, right? Why is he here?”
The black ring around Hui Gu’s wrist was completely different from the golden one the other cultivators wore.
Ning Dao Ran explained, “This is Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. He has pledged his loyalty to Junior Brother Yang. There’s no need to concern yourselves over him.”
That person frowned, “That being said, there’s always a chance… Every single criminal on the Prison Star is heinous and sly. We must always be on our guard!”
“Brother Zhao is right. This is our hiding place. It would not benefit anybody if the news leaks out and attracts the Prison League. You are welcome to join us, Brother Ning, but Brother Yang and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch…” Another person slowly shook his head. The meaning behind his words was as clear as could be.
Hui Gu lowered his eyes and said, “Huang Quan killed my only loyal subordinate. This Monarch cannot live under the same sky as him! Also, this Monarch previously snuck into the Prison League under Sir Yang’s orders, but my actions were later exposed, so this Monarch is nothing but a traitor in the eyes of the Prison League.”
Zhao Xing shook his head slowly, “Are we supposed to take your word for it? Brother Lin, the stakes are very high. It’s better not to accept these two into our midst lest they cause trouble for us. It will be too late for regrets by then.”
Ning Dao Ran’s expression darkened and he stepped forward and said, “Aren’t you making too much out of a small matter? I believe in Brother Yang’s character. If not for Brother Yang’s help, this Ning would have died at the hands of the Prison League! I would not be alive to stand here today!”
Zhao Xing shook his head, “Brother Ning, it’s not that I’m trying to make trouble. It’s just better to be safe than sorry. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. What do you think, Brother Lin?”
Zhao Xing turned to look at Lin Feng, clearly trying to force Lin Feng into taking a side; after all, Lin Feng was a huge factor behind the reason why everybody was gathered in this place. He had the most say in the organisation formed against the Prison League.
Lin Feng quietly said, “Yang Kai and I share a life-and-death friendship.”
Zhao Xing and the others were stunned by Lin Feng’s answer. After seeing the uncongenial interaction between Lin Feng and Yang Kai earlier, they mistakenly assumed that there was some animosity between those two. Who could have expected this answer from Lin Feng?
Although it was not a direct answer, Lin Feng’s meaning was obvious enough. He trusted Yang Kai. Unable to imagine what kind of experience those two had gone through together, their expressions were rather ugly.
“Alright then. Let’s vote on whether Brother Yang and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch should remain. There are hundreds of our comrades standing behind me after all. This is related to everybody’s safety. This is no small matter, so they should also have the right to express their opinions,” Zhao Xing suggested.
“No need.” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “I only came here to escort Brother Ning to this place. Since I’ve brought him here, I’ll be taking my leave now!”
Cupping his fist slightly, he turned around and walked out. Since the people here did not welcome him, then there was no point in staying. The Prison League might be powerful, but he had nothing to worry about thanks to his Space Secret Techniques.
Hui Gu and Lu Jing naturally immediately followed.
Ning Dao Ran sighed, “Why do so many people in the world only care about profits and try to cheat each other?” After saying that, he cupped his fist at Lin Feng and turned around to leave.
Before Zhao Xing and the others had time to reveal their shock, a petite figure slipped past them. It turned out that Gu Pan had run forward. She didn’t take many steps before she turned back to look at Lin Feng, “What about you, Senior Brother Lin?”
“You go first!” Lin Feng nodded lightly.
Gu Pan understood and rushed out without another word.
“Are you satisfied now?” Lin Feng looked at Zhao Xing and the others coldly.
“What do you mean?” The expressions of Zhao Xing and the others were extremely ugly. They only wanted to chase Yang Kai and Hui Gu away, how could they have known that Ning Dao Ran and Gu Pan would leave with Yang Kai?
[Do those two have such a good relationship with Yang Kai?]
Lin Feng coldly snorted, “You’re on your own. This Lin is leaving too!”
After saying that, he strode out with his hands behind his back.
Zhao Xing inquired, “Brother Lin, where are you going?”
However, there was no response.
Yang Kai led Hui Gu and Lu Jing back the way they came and it only took a short while for them to arrive on the surface.
Yang Kai was just getting his bearings when he heard Ning Dao Ran shouting from behind him, “Brother Yang, wait for me!”
He turned to look behind him in surprise, “Brother Ning, you…”
Ning Dao Ran smiled, “The values of those short-sighted people are not in line with my own.” He looked behind him and added, “I’m not the only one.”
Gu Pan came out from behind and nodded lightly at the two of them.
Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling, but before he could say a word to her, he saw Lin Feng appearing behind her.
“What’s with that look?” Lin Feng glared at Yang Kai scornfully, “Did you think this Lin is an ungrateful person?”
Yang Kai restrained the look of surprise in his eyes and laughed softly, “This is great. Other than Senior Sister Qu and Brother Xu, we’ve all gathered together again.”
Lin Feng replied lightly, “In any case, we’re leaving it all to you for the next three months. If we encounter anybody from the Prison League, you’re responsible for our escape!”
The others might not know about Yang Kai’s methods, but they knew his abilities very well. Back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he had escaped the pursuit of dozens of Divine Spirits even though he was only in the Emperor Realm at the time. Now that he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would be impossible for something as trivial as the Prison League to capture him.
Yang Kai roared with laughter, “Rest assured! I will guarantee your safety!”
“Let’s go. We need to find a new hiding place so that we can wait out the last three months in peace.” Lin Feng suggested.
Gu Pan chimed in, “I know a place that is very well hidden. We can head there.”
“Then, we shall trouble you to lead the way, Junior Sister,” Ning Dao Ran stretched out his hand in a polite gesture.
…..
There was a huge uproar back inside the karst cave. In particular, those below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were at a loss for what to do. When they started huddling together, a total of nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered. It had not been long since these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but their numbers were not few. It was just enough to defend against the Prison League so that they stood a fighting chance even if they encountered the enemy.
Unfortunately, things had taken a sharp turn. Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had left all at once, leaving only seven behind. Even Lin Feng, one of the people responsible for organizing this group, had left. It was only natural that the people were unsettled.
Most people did not know what happened just now. All they knew was that a group of outsiders had arrived. Following that, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters seemed to have disagreed about something and caused this situation.
Whispered discussions and countless Divine Sense conversations spread out throughout the cave.
“Why are you all chattering away!? Shut up!” Zhao Xing shouted furiously, his complexion red with rage.
He never imagined that things would end up in this situation either. His original intention was only to force Yang Kai and Hui Gu to leave. Who could have known that Lin Feng and Gu Pan would leave too? It was humiliating that his actions had caused the strength of his faction to weaken considerably.
The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all looking at him, some of them clearly having a measure of blame in their eyes, which only made his anger flare higher. He looked up and coldly snorted, “Don’t think I don’t know what kind of ideas were going through your heads. You were planning to force Yang Kai to leave and then find an opportunity to kill him to obtain the achievements that he had accumulated! Now that things have gone sour, you’re turning around to blame me instead. How is that reasonable!?”
All the people who spoke up to reject Yang Kai earlier looked embarrassed when he exposed their initial plans. They might not have communicated with each other, but it was undeniable that some of them were eager to act after seeing the abundant number of stars on Yang Kai’s wrist.
If Yang Kai hailed from one of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, they would never have had such thoughts; however, Yang Kai was from Void Land, so what consequences would befall them even if they actually killed him?
“Brother Zhao, there’s no point talking about this now. We should think about what to do in the future. Now that Brother Lin and Junior Sister Gu have left, we no longer have enough strength to completely resist the Prison League. Don’t forget; the Prison League has eight veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!” Somebody said.
“That’s right! Why don’t we ask Brother Lin and Junior Sister Gu to come back? As for Yang Kai and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, there isn’t a big problem with them joining,” Somebody proposed.
If they allowed Yang Kai and Hui Gu to join them, then they would have twelve Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side, including Ning Dao Ran. They would have strength comparable to the Prison League even if they encountered their enemies.
A dark light flashed through Zhao Xing’s eyes as he coldly said, “So what if you invite them back? It’s not like you didn’t see the achievements that Yang Kai has accumulated so far. If my guess is correct, he will definitely win the Dao Theory Assembly. If that happens, what would happen to the pride of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises?”
“Brother Zhao, do you mean…”
He grimaced for a moment before he ruthlessly said, “In for a copper, in for a gold…”
All of them were astonished. They never imagined that Zhao Xing would be so ruthless; however, thinking about it again, there didn’t seem to be a better solution to their problems. If they could get rid of Yang Kai, then the winner of the Dao Theory Assembly would definitely be one of them. If that was the case, it was acceptable no matter who won the Dao Theory Assembly.
“But, in this case, we will have to confront Brother Lin and the others,” somebody said worriedly.
“This matter is related to the pride of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Brother Lin and the others will understand! We cannot afford to delay in this matter. We have to move now, or else it will be too late. After we succeed in this matter, we will find a place to hide. The Prison League might be powerful, but the Prison Star is vast. Moreover, the Dao Theory Assembly will end in three months. We only need to hole up until then!”
Even the people who hesitated earlier were tempted by his words. The seven of them quickly came to an agreement. Following that, they hurriedly set off together.
Outside the cave, Zhao Xing quietly studied the traces left behind in the surroundings before turning to look in a certain direction. After that, he took to the sky, “This way!”
The other six quickly followed him.
An hour later, Yang Kai was following Gu Pan to her hiding place when he suddenly frowned. He looked back and saw numerous figures wrapped in light chasing after them from behind.
Likewise, Lin Feng and Ning Dao Ran soon noticed and turned to look back, surprised by what they saw.
“What do they want?” Lin Feng frowned. Although they were still quite far apart, he was very familiar with those figures. It was obvious that they were his former comrades. They were the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
“Brother Lin, please wait! Everything just now was a misunderstanding! Please listen to our explanation,” Zhao Xing, who was in the lead, shouted loudly.
Lin Feng did not doubt Zhao Xing; thus, he stopped and turned to look back.
When he stood there motionless, Yang Kai and the others had no choice but to stop as well.
Behind them, Zhao Xing and the others were overjoyed at the sight. They exchanged glances with each other and put more effort into rushing over. As the distance between both parties closed, their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm auras climbed steadily.
Ning Dao Ran furrowed his eyebrows slightly, “Something’s wrong…”
Even Lin Feng had noticed that something was strange. It felt like these people came chasing after them for a fight, not to make peace. Before he could ask them anything though, he heard a shout from the leader, Zhao Xing, “Attack!”
In an instant, those seven people turned into seven separate streams of lights. They acted in accordance with the strategy they discussed before, rushing towards Yang Kai and the others. Before they even arrived, the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts blasted out in front of them.
*Hong hong hong…*
Figures shuttled about and the power of their Small Universes collided with each other. A moment later, the violent forces died down abruptly, almost as though everything earlier was nothing but an illusion. However, the chaotic situation immediately became apparent. The twelve Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the two sides had been separated into five different battlefields.
Lin Feng, Gu Pan, and Ning Dao Ran were each held up by one person in a face-to-face confrontation. On the other hand, two people blocked Hui Gu from left and right.
Similarly, there were two people standing in front of Yang Kai. One was Zhao Xing and the other was a young man with a jade-like complexion.
Although everybody remained motionless as the auras of their respective Small Universes flared. Their auras silently collided and suppressed each other, causing the surrounding space to become slightly distorted.
As for Lu Jing, he was thrown 1,000 kilometres away by Yang Kai and was now watching the battle from afar, shivering in fear.