Void Spirit Sword Sect was located between several medium-sized Spirit Peaks. Yang Kai searched his memories and found that Void Spirit Sword Sect had been established for quite a long time, over 1,000 years ago, in fact. In a world like this, not many great forces could pass down their inheritance for 1,000 years. Only the very ancient great forces had such long histories. Moreover, the Ancestors of Void Spirit Sword Sect seemed to have produced a Sword Lord in the past!
The so-called Sword Lord was the Master of a Divine Armament. The Divine Armament World had a total of ten Divine Armaments. The True Void Sword was one of them. One of the Ancestors of the Void Spirit Sword Sect had the great honour to obtain the True Void Sword and became the True Void Sword Lord. That era was Void Spirit Sword Sect’s most glorious and prosperous.
It was just that the Divine Armament World would hold a Divine Armament Tournament once every 100 years and the Divine Armaments would often change hands during that time. Void Spirit Sword Sect suffered terrible losses in the battle 100 years after obtaining the True Void Sword and gradually weakened in strength over the following years. At present, only a small number of people remained in Void Spirit Sword Sect, barely keeping the Sect from dying out. Even the strongest in Void Spirit Sword Sect was only in the Third-Step Earth Realm.
*Clop clop clop…*
The constant sound of horse hooves crunching against gravel filled the air as Yang Kai led his Little Junior Sister, Wan Ying Ying, up the mountain on horseback. Their travel speed was neither fast nor slow and the mountain gates of Void Spirit Sword Sect were only several kilometres ahead.
However, Wan Ying Ying kept staring at Yang Kai’s back in heavy silence throughout the return journey. His actions today had frightened her greatly. He was so different from the person in her memories that she couldn’t help feeling a strong sense of unfamiliarity.
Several Eighth and Ninth-Step Mortal Realm Masters had barely lasted an incense stick of time against him before they were slaughtered. Even Zhang Yu Lin of Tian Luo Hall was killed by his sword.
“Why do you keep staring at me? Do you no longer recognise your Eldest Senior Brother?” Yang Kai’s voice rang out. Only then did Wan Ying Ying realise that he had stopped at some point and was currently looking back at her with a smile.
The familiar face and smile reassured her considerably. Urging her horse to step forward, she continued onward side-by-side with him where she asked tentatively, “Eldest Senior Brother, have you always been that strong?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s not that I’m strong. It’s that they are too weak. They had too many shortcomings. When the gap between our cultivation is not big, a single small mistake can mean the difference between life and death in a fight.”
[Is the gap between a Fourth-Step Mortal Realm Master and an Eighth-Step Mortal Realm Master not large?] Nevertheless, his performance today left her unable to refute his words.
“Eldest Senior Brother, were you using the Void Spirit Sword Art just now? Why does it feel a little different?” Wan Ying Ying continued asking questions.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was established based on the Void Spirit Sword Art, so every single disciple was required to cultivate this Sword Art. Thinking back to the battle today, Wan Ying Ying realized that although the moves Yang Kai displayed contained a shadow of the Void Spirit Sword Art, they were not completely the same.
“It is the Void Spirit Sword Art, but I modified it slightly. I’ll teach you next time!” Yang Kai reached out to ruffle her head.
She was speechless. The Void Spirit Sword Art had been passed down through the Sect for over 1,000 years. Countless Seniors and Ancestors had improved and modified the Sword Art over that time. It could be said that even though the Void Spirit Sword Art was not highly ranked in the Divine Armament World, it was an extremely solid entry-level Sword Art. The fact that her Eldest Senior Brother could further improve it was simply incredible.
During their conversation, they arrived at the mountain gates of Void Spirit Sword Sect. It was a large stone monument that gave off an ancient aura. The characters ‘Void Spirit’ were carved into the stone monument. In addition, there were two disciples dressed in blue and white robes guarding the entrance. These clothes were the standard uniform for Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples, and as soon as they caught sight of Yang Kai and Wan Ying Ying, they immediately came forward to greet them.
“Eldest Senior Brother is back!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Leaping off his horse, he handed the reins to one of the disciples and asked, “Where is the Sect Master?”
“Sect Master is most likely discussing matters with the two Elders in the Main Hall. You can find him there, Eldest Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You’ve worked hard.”
Afterwards, the two disciples couldn’t help feeling a little absent-minded as they stared at Yang Kai’s departing back.
“It feels like something is different about Eldest Senior Brother today,” one of them said.
“I get the same feeling. In the past, Eldest Senior Brother…” The other person thought about it and considered his words carefully, “He had felt like he was shrouded in heavy Death Qi before, but it feels like he came back to life today.”
“That’s right. That’s right. That’s what it feels like. It looks like Eldest Senior Brother has gotten over the issue from before.”
“That’s good. The world is not lacking in flowers. Zhou Cen doesn’t look like a good woman anyway. She is an ambitious social-climbing woman. It’s a good thing that Eldest Senior Brother can get over her.”
The Yang Kai of Void Spirit Sword Sect had a gentle temperament and always treated people generously; hence, he received the love and respect of his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. When the incident with Zhou Cen took place, many of his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters had been very worried about him. It was only natural for them to feel happy for him when they saw that he had overcome his hardships.
Inside the Main Hall, Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Sect Master Su Chang Fa, Great Elder Gu Kang Ning, and Second Elder Hong Xiu were gathered together.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was weak, so these three were the only pillars of the Sect among the older generation. They were also the three strongest people in the Sect. All three of them were in the Third-Step Earth Realm.
Unfortunately, there was a big dividing line between the Third-Step and the Fourth-Step. It was similar to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. One could not cross this dividing gap without sufficient aptitude and resources.
Sect Master Su Chang Fa had exhausted his potential, and for that reason, he would never be able to go further than the Third-Step Earth Realm. The same went for Great Elder Gu Kang Ning. If there was anybody among the three of them who could overcome the divide, then it could only be Hong Xiu.
Hong Xiu was the youngest among the three of them, but be that as it may, she was already in her forties. It was just that she had taken good care of herself, so she looked like she was only in her early twenties. Her skin was fair and tender, her bosom was ample and full, and her figure was slim and slender. She was also the only female among the three of them.
“I don’t know how the information that we discovered a Black Jade mine within Void Spirit Sword Sect’s territory on Ash Mountain was leaked out; however, the Sect Master of Roaring Tiger Sect has already sent a letter to me the other day. His message was heavily ladened with hints. I’m afraid he wants a slice of the pie!” Su Chang Fa sighed. He was now in his early hundreds. With a cultivation in the Earth Realm, he theoretically had quite a long life ahead of him, but handling the affairs of the Sect for so many years had exhausted him, causing him to look haggard and old.
“That bastard! That is Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Black Jade mine! What right does Roaring Tiger Sect have to ask for a share!?” Great Elder Gu Kang Ning roared furiously.
Su Chang Fa sighed, “Even if we refuse, Roaring Tiger Sect will not give up easily. An ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make him guilty! Roaring Tiger Sect is much stronger than us, so there is nothing we can do if they resort to using force.”
Hong Xiu chimed in solemnly, “It’s such a tempting meal. We won’t be able to monopolise the benefits with Void Spirit Sword Sect’s strength alone. Roaring Tiger Sect is arrogant but also powerful, so it’s only natural that they want a share of the benefits. But, what about Tian Luo Hall? Now that the news has spread, Tian Luo Hall won’t remain silent either.”
Su Chang Fa shook his head, “Tian Luo Hall has yet to make a move. I don’t know what they are thinking, but it’s a given that they will meddle in the Black Jade mine!”
Hong Xiu contemplated and then said, “If that’s the case, we can just watch how things play out for the moment. Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect are similar in terms of strength, and since they both have interest in the Black Jade mine, there will surely be conflict between them. Void Spirit Sword Sect might be able to find a good opportunity among the cracks.”
Su Chang Fa nodded, “You’re right, Hong Xiu. This Old Master had the same idea. That’s why I have yet to send a reply to Roaring Tiger Sect. We should see how Tian Luo Hall reacts to this matter before we come to a decision…”
He suddenly paused and looked up in the middle of his sentence; then, a smile appeared on his aged face, “Little Yang Kai is back?”
Gu Kang Ning glared in that direction with an expression of disappointment. Meanwhile, Hong Xiu glanced at Yang Kai in concern.
“Disciple greets Honoured Master and two Elders!” Yang Kai came to a stop before he cupped his fist and bowed in greeting. Behind him, Wan Ying Ying followed suit.
Along the way here, Yang Kai had taken the time to change into another set of clothes; otherwise, his bloody appearance would have surely frightened many people.
Gu Kang Ning scolded angrily, “Where were you?! You’ve been slacking off on your duties all day long! And why do you stink of alcohol!? Void Spirit Sword Sect will be wiped out if we depend on you!”
It was not that he disliked Yang Kai, it was just that Yang Kai’s recent performance had disappointed him so greatly that he could not help but reprimand him out of anger!
Hong Xiu quickly said, “It’s not that serious. A child’s temperament is simply not steady enough. He just needs time to polish himself.”
“Polish himself? Do you know how old he is now? He’s only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm still! When will he reach the Earth Realm!? With his current attitude, I’m worried that he might not fight back even if somebody hits him! That’s what happened last time after all, he came home with a bruised and swollen face after being beaten up outside! That was such an embarrassment to Void Spirit Sword Sect,” he muttered angrily.
Yang Kai bowed in the Great Elder’s direction, “Many thanks for your guidance, Great Elder. This Disciple has learned from his mistakes. In the past, this Disciple has failed the earnest teachings of Honoured Master and two Elders. Fortunately, this Disciple has come to his senses and will work hard in the future so that I don’t fail your expectations of me.”
Gu Kang Ning seemed a little stunned to hear those words. He could not tell whether Yang Kai meant what he said, but his anger still subsided and he nodded, “It’s best if you think that way. But, I hope you can do more than just talk.”
“This Disciple has already begun following your teachings, Great Elder. I encountered some people who provoked me today, so this Disciple gave them a painful lesson!”
Behind him, Wan Ying Ying’s brow twitched at those words.
“Oh?” The Great Elder immediately became interested, “Who is this person with no eyes who dared to provoke you? What was the outcome?”
“This Disciple killed them all!” Yang Kai nonchalantly replied.
An eerie silence fell over the entire hall.
After a while, Gu Kang Ning lightly coughed, “It’s good for young people to be hot-blooded. Only hot-blooded people have the drive to improve. Ahem. Who were these people?”
The only people who could be killed by Yang Kai were most likely inferior cultivators; therefore, Gu Kang Ning was not too bothered even though he was surprised that somebody as gentle and kind as Yang Kai could kill another person. Void Spirit Sword Sect might be weak, but not just anybody could afford to provoke them either.
“Zhang Yu Lin of Tian Luo Hall and several of his attendants.” Yang Kai reported truthfully, “At the time, this disciple was in the restaurant when…”
Before he could finish speaking, he heard a clattering sound and looked up. Both his Honoured Master Su Chang Fa and Great Elder Gu Kang Ning had gotten to their feet with expressions of horror on their faces. Meanwhile, Elder Hong Xiu reached out to cover her red lips with her hand.
“You… What… What did you say!? Who did you kill!?” Gu Kang Ning stuttered.
“Zhang Yu Lin of Tian Luo Hall. Uh… Great Elder, you might not know this person. He is a descendant of Tian Luo Hall’s Third Elder, Zhan Bo Xiong. You know Zhan Bo Xiong, right, Great Elder?” Yang Kai explained seriously.
“Of course, I know… Obviously!” Gu Kang Ning roared, the corners of his eyes twitching violently, “Are you certain the person you killed is Zhang Yu Lin!”
“There’s no doubt!” Yang Kai nodded.
The Great Elder slumped down in his chair, all the colour in his face draining away. If that was what Yang Kai said, then there could be no mistake. Besides, there was a long-standing grudge between Zhang Yu Lin and Yang Kai. It was impossible for Yang Kai to mistake Zhang Yu Lin for somebody else.
[Zhang Yu Lin has been killed! It’s over! It’s all over! It’s over for Void Spirit Sword Sect!]
Even Su Chang Fa and Hong Xiu were unable to react for a time. They could not understand why Yang Kai would cause such a catastrophic disaster. Zhang Yu Lin had been killed; how could Zhan Bo Xiong possibly forgive such a thing? Who in Void Spirit Sword Sect could stop a Seventh-Step Earth Realm Master like him!?
“Judging from the situation, it’s not that there is no response from Tian Luo Hall. Rather, they’ve already taken action.” After a long time, Hong Xiu finally said softly.
Upon hearing those words, Su Chang Fa and Gu Kang Ning looked at her and suddenly seemed to understand something.
They had been wondering why Tian Luo Hall had seemed disinterested in the Black Jade mine. It would now seem that they were not unresponsive; rather, they had already taken matters into their own hands and were planning to use Yang Kai as their excuse to attack.
As the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect, Yang Kai represented the face of Void Spirit Sword Sect in the outside world; therefore, they sent Zhang Yu Lin to stir up trouble with Yang Kai in order to use the grudges between the younger generation as a catalyst to start a war between the two great forces. It was all a conspiracy to obtain the Black Jade mine.
They probably never imagined that Yang Kai would have the guts to kill Zhang Yu Lin though.
It would seem that Tian Luo Hall had a larger appetite than Roaring Tiger Sect. Roaring Tiger Sect had only sent a letter to ask for a share of the pie. In contrast, Tian Luo Hall had secretly plotted from the shadows. Their intention to devour and eliminate Void Spirit Sword Sect could not be more obvious.
After considering all this, both Su Chang Fa and Gu Kang Ning gave a soft sigh. Even without the incident involving Zhang Yu Lin, Tian Luo Hall would have come up with a different method to oppress Void Spirit Sword Sect. It was just that Yang Kai had killed Zhang Yu Lin, which gave them an even better excuse to attack.
“This incident is not your fault. They were already planning on attacking our Void Spirit Sword Sect!” Su Chang Fa waved his hand lightly.
Hong Xiu furrowed her brow tightly, “As things stand, our only option left is to cooperate with Roaring Tiger Sect. Perhaps, we can borrow Roaring Tiger Sect’s strength to stop Tian Luo Hall.”
Yang Kai was extremely perplexed by the flow of the conversation; thus, he couldn’t help asking, “Honoured Master, Elders, what are you talking about?”
Gu Kang Ning and Hong Xiu exchanged a glance, and after a moment of consideration, Gu Kang Ning explained, “As the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect, you have the right to know. It’s like this… We discovered a Black Jade lode with abundant reserves on Ash Mountain recently. It’s just that the information was leaked out somehow. Roaring Tiger Sect has sent us a letter stating their intentions to help us develop the mineral lode, and it’s likely that Tian Luo Hall tried to start trouble with you due to the mineral lode.”
“A Black Jade lode!?” Yang Kai’s expression changed. Aside from absorbing World Energy, cultivators in this world could also consume certain resources to improve their cultivation. It was similar to the Star Boundary in this regard. The most common type of cultivation resource here was Spirit Jades. Spirit Jades contained dense World Energy inside them; hence, they could increase a cultivator’s cultivation efficiency by a large margin.
Spirit Jades could be divided into several grades. From the lowest, a Spirit Jade could be classified as a White Jade, Black Jade, Red Jade, and finally Gold Jade. The difference in the value and the World Energy contained within the Spirit Jade varied about 1,000 times between the same portion of Gold Jade and White Jade.
Yang Kai checked his memories and, in the past, it seemed he had used Spirit Jades to enhance his cultivation. Be that as it may, he only had the privilege to obtain White Jades for his cultivation. Although he would occasionally receive a few pieces of Black Jade, these were extremely rare. Furthermore, they were things that Su Chang Fa had specially saved up for him.
If this was the case for the Eldest Senior Brother of the Sect, then there was no need to mention the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters; therefore, it was very shocking for a Black Jade lode to appear in the Ash Mountain!
A single Black Jade lode was enough to allow the strength of an Earth Realm great force to soar within a few dozen years. Generally, only Heaven Realm great forces could monopolise such a thing, so it was no wonder Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall were eyeing the Black Jade lode greedily.
Su Chang Fa continued, “The Black Jade lode is too valuable, so Void Spirit Sword Sect does not have the strength to monopolise it. We initially wanted to see how things went between Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall, but now…”
Yang Kai immediately understood, “Now that I’ve killed Zhang Yu Lin, Void Spirit Sword Sect can only borrow the strength of Roaring Tiger Sect to resist Tian Luo Hall.”
“That’s right!” Su Chang Fa nodded.
Feeling slightly stunned, Yang Kai clicked his tongue and muttered, “I would have left him alive if I had known earlier.”
Su Chang Fa shook his head, “Tian Luo Hall’s actions clearly indicate that they wish to monopolise the Black Jade mine; otherwise, they could have openly sent a message to this Old Master without creating an excuse by instigating a fight between the younger generation. Therefore, even if you had not killed Zhang Yu Lin, Tian Luo Hall would not have given up so easily.”
Gu Kang Ning waved his hand dismissively, “Now that you know these things, you should know how to be grateful. But, there’s no need to think too much about this. With your current strength, there’s no point worrying about these matters. Even if the sky collapses, you have us to hold it up. We will protect you. You’ve already wasted a whole year, so it is better if you focus on your cultivation for now rather than worry about things you cannot change.”
Yang Kai quickly said, “Yes. After this incident, this Disciple has realised how lacking his strength is. I will cultivate seriously from now on.”
Su Chang Fa and the two Elders stared at Yang Kai in amazement. Then, Su Chang Fa nodded, “It’s good that you have such thoughts.”
Yang Kai added, “This Disciple would like to request for some cultivation resources. I hope you will allow it, Honoured Master.”
Su Chang Fa immediately tossed the Sect Master Token to Yang Kai and declared, “Go and collect them from your Martial Uncle Chang yourself. You can take as much as you want.”
In any case, if Void Spirit Sword Sect survived this disaster, they would have more than enough resources in the future. On the other hand, if they failed to survive this disaster, then it was a waste to leave those resources untouched.
“Many thanks, Honoured Master!” Yang Kai took the token and turned to leave.
“Is there something else, Ying Ying?” Hong Xiu glanced at Wan Ying Ying, who remained standing below them.
Wan Ying Ying opened her mouth and was tempted to say that her Eldest Senior Brother had not only killed Zhang Yu Lin today but also four other Eighth-Step and Ninth-Step Mortal Realm Masters; however, she did not know how to express the words that were at the tip of her tongue. [Nobody will believe me if I said something like that. Besides, now that I think about it, I can’t be sure whether those attendants were really in the Eighth-Step and Ninth-Step Mortal Realm…]
“It’s… It’s nothing. I’m going to cultivate,” she mumbled and quickly took her leave.
Following a discussion between Su Chang Fa and the two Elders in the Main Hall, they eventually decided to cooperate with Roaring Tiger Sect. They hoped to borrow Roaring Tiger Sect’s strength to block Tian Luo Hall’s advances. Zhang Yu Lin had been killed, so it was conceivable that the retaliation from Tian Luo Hall would soon come. Void Spirit Sword Sect would be powerless to resist without the help of Roaring Tiger Sect. The survival of a 1,000-year-old Sect was currently hanging by a thread thanks to the unexpected appearance of a single Black Jade lode!
Standing in front of the Sect’s storehouse, Yang Kai took the Sect Master Token and came to the Martial Uncle in charge of this place. The Martial Uncle had the surname ‘Chang’, and although he was getting on in years, he was still stuck in the Ninth-Step Mortal Realm due to insufficient aptitude. In terms of hierarchy, he belonged to the same generation as Su Chang Fa.
Martial Uncle Chang naturally had no objections when he saw the Sect Master Token and readily allowed Yang Kai to pass.
Yang Kai entered the storehouse and began walking around aimlessly, grabbing anything and everything that could help with his cultivation. It didn’t take long before he walked out with a large bundle in his hands.
After Yang Kai departed, Martial Uncle Chang entered to check the storehouse and immediately felt his vision go black. He nearly fainted on the spot. That was because not a single Spirit Jade remained in the storehouse. Several dozen bottles of elixirs purchased from other Sects at a high price had also been cleared out. Even the spirit flowers and spirit herbs for Alchemy were gone.
It could be said that anything with the slightest value inside the storehouse had been taken away by Yang Kai. The entire storage was cleaner than a rice field devoured by locusts. Thus, it gave him such a shock that he hurriedly went to the Sect Master to report about this matter.
…..
Carrying his huge bundle, Yang Kai stood in front of a statue and looked up at the several-metre-tall carving of a man. The statue was exquisite and highlighted the charming features of this person clearly. He was extraordinarily brave and heroic and his gaze was powerful. Of particular note was the sword he wore on his waist. This was a statue of Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Ancestor who became the True Void Sword Lord.
In Yang Kai’s memory, he had walked past this statue on countless occasions, but this time he seemed to discover something interesting about the statue. After staring at the statue for a long time, he finally grinned and headed towards his residence with his large bundle in hand.
As the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect, it was only natural that Yang Kai had a private residence. He entered the secluded home and put the bundle down before taking off his shirt to check his wounds.
In addition to being stabbed in the abdomen by Zhang Yu Lin, his arms had been reduced to a bloody mess from him overusing them during his battle against the attendants. Even so, his injuries were already showing signs of recovery. He quietly examined his wounds for a moment before raising a brow.
“Is it the power of my Dragon Vein?” Yang Kai could clearly sense faint traces of his Dragon Clan bloodline flowing through his body and his meridians. It was precisely because of these faint traces of the Dragon Clan bloodline that his injuries could heal so quickly.
It would seem that although he could not mobilise his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm strength, the Divine Armament World was also unable to fully isolate him from the power of his bloodline.
The power of the Dragon Vein flowing through his body was extremely weak, to the point that it was barely perceptible, but this power was enough to make a Fourth-Step Mortal Realm Master undergo Earth-shaking changes.
Furthermore, he had the vague sense that the power of the Dragon Vein within him would become more and more powerful as his strength gradually increased and the endurance of his body was enhanced.
[At present, what I urgently need to do is to cultivate hard and increase my strength. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for the Divine Armament Tournament or for the imminent danger I will face… I’m running out of time!]
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and carefully went through the information in his mind.
The sword was the foundation of Void Spirit Sword Sect. They cultivated a Secret Art known as the Void Spirit Art paired with the Void Spirit Sword Art. What he used when fighting Zhang Yu Lin’s attendants back then was the Void Spirit Sword Art; however, it was a version that he had modified and improved. With his rich experience, modifying and improving a simple Sword Art was not a problem.
It would now seem that the Void Spirit Art also had room for improvement. He immediately activated the Spirit Qi flowing in his body and slowly changed the cultivation route in his body.
In less than an hour, Yang Kai finished improving the Void Spirit Art. After a series of experiments, he discovered that both the cultivation speed and absorption of the World Energy of the improved Void Spirit Art were at least 20% percent higher.
Yang Kai was in no hurry to begin cultivating. After spending so many years in the outside world doing just that, he was no stranger to the principle of sharpening his axe before chopping wood. He dug out all the pills he retrieved from Void Spirit Sword Sect’s storehouse. Several dozen bottles of pills sat in several rows before him. Then, he opened them one by one to check their various medicinal efficacies.
His attainments in the Alchemic Dao were extremely deep, so distinguishing the uses of these pills was very easy for him, more so since the pills in Void Spirit Sword Sect were not particularly high-grade products. It didn’t take long before he had neatly sorted all the bottles of pills into several categories.
He randomly grabbed one of the bottles, opened it without a care, and poured the entire contents into his mouth. Immediately after that, he followed with the second bottle, then the third bottle… It was not until he emptied the contents of the fifth bottle that his stomach felt slightly full and bloated.
If he wanted to increase his strength then his body was his greatest capital. Recalling the journey he took to get here, the toughness of his body had given him many advantages over time. Whether he was cultivating or facing enemies, the resilience of his physique always played a huge and crucial role in his success. The tougher his body, the more pressure he could withstand, and the faster he could cultivate.
Yang Kai had secretly examined his body in the Divine Armament World, quickly discovering that his current aptitude was neither particularly good nor bad. It could only be considered average, nothing special; however, the toughness of his body was practically unmatched.
Something like aptitude was basically fixed from the moment of birth. It was difficult for him to enhance his aptitude, so he could only start from a different path. Fortunately, the potential of his Dragon Vein was still intact. Focusing on enhancing his Dragon Vein to improve this body was perfectly feasible.
The medicinal efficacies inside his stomach dissolved and the slight feeling of fullness from earlier rapidly ballooned. Yang Kai soon felt as though there was a fire in his stomach and all his internal organs were burning.
This was only to be expected though, as while Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Spirit Pills weren’t high-grade, he was only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm. In the Divine Armament World, his existence was no different from an ant. How could he possibly withstand the impact of so many medicinal efficacies all at once? If it were an ordinary Fourth-Step Mortal Realm Master, the explosion of such enormous medicinal efficacies would have been enough to kill him.
Yang Kai himself was also having a hard time at the moment. Crimson blood slowly flowed out of his seven orifices, his body trembled uncontrollably, his complexion turned green and pale, and his stomach felt as though countless cats were clawing at him from the inside with all their might.
Still, he forcefully endured the discomfort while at the same time circulating the Void Spirit Art to guide the enormous medicinal efficacies through his blood and muscles, nourishing every part of his body.
The power of his Dragon Vein hidden in his blood slowly exerted its power. Although it was not much, it constantly helped to repair his damaged body and meridians. It was enough to prevent him from dying as he walked along the fine edge between life and death to seek great opportunity.
As he slowly became accustomed to the impact of the medicinal efficacies, Yang Kai’s mental state improved considerably. The enormous medicinal efficacies were gradually absorbed into his body with the help of the Void Spirit Art to become the foundation of his strength.
Approximately an hour later, he finally sensed that the medicinal efficacies in his body were almost depleted. Yang Kai quietly examined himself and found that the toughness of his body had improved sharply compared to before. His muscles were more compact and felt stronger and his meridians were wider and more resilient, allowing him to tolerate a stronger flow of Spirit Qi.
These effects were not just thanks to the five bottles of Spirit Pills but also thanks to the subtle transformation brought about by his Dragon Blood. In fact, the latter accounted for a larger proportion of these changes. Compared to before, the toughness of his body had increased by approximately 20%. This result was quite satisfying.
A pungent smell filled Yang Kai’s nose and he felt his entire body was incredibly wet and sticky, almost as though he was covered in a layer of mud. He knew that this was the effect of his body excreting a large number of impurities; however, he couldn’t be bothered and simply swallowed several more bottles of pills.
This cycle repeated over and over again. Those several dozen bottles of pills that Void Spirit Sword Sect worked so hard to accumulate over the years were used up by Yang Kai in a mere three days. The final result was that the toughness of his body had increased many times over. Even the power of his Dragon Vein had been greatly stimulated. Traces of golden Dragon Blood flowed through his veins now, carrying with it a horrifying power.
In addition, his newly awakened Dragon Blood was now constantly influencing and enhancing his body. Even if he did nothing, the toughness of his body would only become stronger and stronger over time. His cultivation had also risen from the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm to the Fifth-Step Mortal Realm!
There were four Great Realms in this world, Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit. Each Great Realm had nine Minor Realms. The concept was similar to the Nine Orders of the Open Heaven Realm. Among them, the barrier of the Fourth-Step and the Seventh-Step were the hardest to overcome in each Great Realm, doing so would lead to a whole world of difference in strength. On the other hand, one could easily break through from the Fourth-Step to the Sixth-Step as long as one had accumulated enough Spirit Qi.
Yang Kai had consumed many Spirit Pills during this period, and while most of the medicinal efficacies had been used to enhance and strengthen his body, quite a lot of the remaining medicinal efficacies had also been transformed into Spirit Qi. That Spirit Qi flooded his body and meridians, naturally allowing his cultivation to progress at a rapid pace.
Suddenly, the sound of a grumbling stomach rang out. Yang Kai was starving. He was so hungry that he felt he could eat a horse. This feeling was very new to him, or rather, very old, making him wonder just how long it had been since he last felt hunger.
In the outside world, thanks to the constant advancement of his cultivation, Yang Kai had long ago overcome the need to eat to sustain himself. Even if he ate something once in a while, it was only to satisfy his appetite and cravings, not to fulfil a basic physical need. However, things were different in the Divine Armament World. The cultivators in the Mortal Realm were not at a level where they go without food indefinitely, and in fact, it seemed the higher their cultivation became, the greater their appetite.
The impurities discharged from Yang Kai’s body had already formed a hard shell over his skin at this point, so he decided that he might as well leave his secluded home. He took a bath and changed into a new set of clean clothes before he went to the Sect’s kitchen and practically gobbled up everything he could get his hands on.
The disciples guarding the kitchen stared at Yang Kai in stunned shock, watching helplessly as he finished eating all the food in the kitchen. They could barely believe what they were seeing.
The main reason was that Yang Kai’s appearance had changed quite drastically. Compared to the last time they saw him a few days ago, he seemed to have become much thinner. The clothes that used to fit him like a glove now seemed almost empty, hanging loosely around his frame. Those who met him for the first time would think that he was malnourished; yet, his eyes were so bright that it was scary.
“Who are the visitors in the Main Hall?” Yang Kai held a half-eaten leg of lamb on each hand, chomping on his food with great relish while glancing in a certain direction.
There were two rows of disciples lined up on both sides outside the Main Hall, making for quite the formal sight. In his memories, Void Spirit Sword Sect would only perform such grand gestures when dealing with the arrival of important guests.
A Junior Brother nearby quickly answered, “I heard that one of the Protectors of Roaring Tiger Sect arrived today. Sect Master and the two Elders are currently discussing important matters with that person.”
“People from Roaring Tiger Sect, huh…” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “They sure act fast!”
The reason for Roaring Tiger Sect’s arrival was undoubtedly the Black Jade mine.
It was just as Elder Hong Xiu mentioned before; with Void Spirit Sword Sect’s current strength, it was impossible for them to monopolise the Black Jade mine. They were powerless to resist if Roaring Tiger Sect wished to interfere in this matter; therefore, they had originally planned to survive in the cracks formed when Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall fought for control of the mine. It was just that Yang Kai ended up killing Zhang Yu Lin, so it was useless to count on Tian Luo Hall now.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s current strength was too low, so he couldn’t help with these matters even if he wanted to.
“Burp…”
Yang Kai let out a loud belch and licked the grease off his fingers. After that, he patted the person next to him on the shoulder and wiped the rest of the grease on his fingers on that person’s clothes, “Good, I’m going back to cultivate. Watch the kitchen well. Don’t let some random wild beast in to steal all the food here!”
The Junior Brother stared dumbfound at Yang Kai’s departing back. When he turned around to look at the empty kitchen, he became desperate to cry but was unable to shed any tears. [Our Fellow Brothers will most likely have to go hungry tonight!]
Yang Kai returned to his secluded home and glanced at the White Jades scattered across the ground. Then, he loosened his muscles.
There were more than 2,000 pieces of White Jade stored in Void Spirit Sword Sect’s treasury. This number was not large, but for Yang Kai, in his current cultivation, it was not small either. It was enough for him to cultivate for some time. Each White Jade was about the size of a finger. Moreover, it was cool to the touch and the Spirit Qi contained within could be perceived clearly.
He sat down cross-legged in the middle of the White Jade pile. Grabbing a handful in each hand, he let out a breath and began to circulate the Void Spirit Art. Pure Spirit Qi immediately flowed out from the White Jade into his body. The Spirit Qi circulated through his meridians to sink into his body and dantian.
His body that underwent three days of conditioning still might not seem that strong, but his physique had clearly gotten much stronger than before. It was perfectly reflected in the speed in which he absorbed the Spirit Qi from the Spirit Jade. His meridians had become wider and more resilient, which in turn allowed more Spirit Qi to flow more smoothly. It was only natural that his rate of absorption would increase significantly.
Large amounts of Spirit Qi flooded his body and transformed into his new foundation. Yang Kai’s originally thin figure seemed to swell slowly like a balloon being pumped full of air. It didn’t take long before he transformed into a brave, heroic, and extraordinary figure. The loose clothes gradually fit around his body once more.
A short while later, Yang Kai stopped feeling any Spirit Qi flowing into his body from his hands. He spread open his palms and saw that the two handfuls of Spirit Jade had become grey and dull. The energy in these Spirit Jades had been absorbed cleanly.
Discarding the used Spirit Jades, Yang Kai grabbed another handful to continue his cultivation.
Time passed slowly, and after refining more than 600 White Jades, Yang Kai felt as though he had reached his current limit. His body was filled with Spirit Qi to the point that no more could be accommodated. The Spirit Qi surged wantonly throughout his meridians and his body. It was unbearably painful and his exposed skin turned blood red as a result.
Most cultivators would stop cultivating and slowly take the time to digest their gains when they encounter such a situation; after all, cultivation should be done slowly and steadily. Haste was never the answer.
However, Yang Kai had no time to waste. He had kicked a hornet’s nest as soon as he arrived in the Divine Armament World and according to his estimations, Tian Luo Hall’s retaliation would arrive soon. If he did not increase his cultivation quickly, he would not have enough strength to survive the calamity. Besides, he wanted to use this kind of crazy cultivation method to increase the limits of his body.
As he continued to refine the Spirit Qi in the Spirit Jades, his body acted like a bottomless pit. His clothes danced and flapped around him even though there was no wind while the entire secluded home seemed to rumble faintly.
Fresh blood leaked out of his pores and soon dyed his clothes red, but even so, Yang Kai ignored everything and continued to refine the White Jades like mad. The damage to his body was left to the power of his Dragon Vein to heal.
All of a sudden, he felt his entire body becoming light all over. It felt as though he had broken through a barrier and the surging power in his body was immediately alleviated as a result.
Sixth-Step Mortal Realm!
Now that Yang Kai’s cultivation had increased to the next Step, the pressure that was bearing down upon him vanished without a trace. Thus, he grabbed another handful of White Jades and frantically continued to circulate the Void Spirit Art.
The White Jades scattered around him decreased at a very fast rate and his cultivation improved rapidly in turn. Three days after he advanced into the Sixth-Step Mortal Realm, he achieved another breakthrough and advanced into the Seventh-Step!
At a certain point, his hand came up empty when he reached out to the side. Yang Kai lowered his head and looked down only to see that he had finished consuming over 2,000 White Jades in the short span of six or seven days! Thanks to the abundant White Jades and the several dozen bottles of pills, he had advanced from the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm to the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm in one session!
If it were any other cultivator, it would have been impossible for them to achieve such a rapid cultivation speed. Yang Kai had relied on the power of his Dragon Vein, which allowed him to be so unscrupulous in his cultivation. Even so, many dark injuries remained in his body from this process.
These dark injuries were like cracks in the foundation of the building. The higher the building, the greater the chance of it collapsing. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was not too bothered. With the power of his Dragon Vein, these dark injuries would repair themselves sooner or later.
Moreover, with the increasing enhancement of his physique, the power of his Dragon Vein that he could stimulate would also become increasingly intense. There was a positive cycle that had no defined limits.
Without more White Jades, Yang Kai could only cultivate by absorbing ambient World Energy. Needless to say, he was dissatisfied with such cultivation speed. He was just considering whether he wanted to visit the Black Jade lode to obtain some Black Jade for cultivation when a figure rushed inside his house.
“Little Junior Sister? Why are you in such a panic?” Yang Kai stared at Wan Ying Ying in astonishment when she rushed over to him.
Wan Ying Ying’s complexion was pale as she stretched out her hand and stuffed a bag into his arms before hurriedly saying, “Eldest Senior Brother, Sect Master has issued an order. You are to set off for Green Mountain Town immediately.”
“Green Mountain Town?” Yang Kai frowned, “That place is over 1,000 kilometres from here. What does Honoured Master want me to do there?”
Wan Ying Ying shook her head, “I don’t know the specific details. Sect Master only said that you will know once you arrive. Eldest Senior Brother, this matter is very urgent. You need to leave now.”
While saying so, she grabbed his hand and tried to drag him out, but Yang Kai did not budge. Despite tugging at him twice, Wan Ying Ying could not move him at all, so she turned around anxiously and stomped her foot, “Eldest Senior Brother, let’s go!”
“What happened outside?” Yang Kai looked at her quietly.
Her expression immediately became unnatural as she shook her head hard, “N-Nothing!”
“Since you were a child, you’ve always stuttered whenever you lied. Tell me. What happened outside?”
“N-Nothing! I s-swear!”
He ruffled her head, “Did somebody from Tian Luo Hall come?”
“N-N-No!” She shook her head vigorously.
Yang Kai stepped outside with a suspicious expression, “How strange. Didn’t Honoured Master say that he was going to borrow the power of Roaring Tiger Sect to deal with Tian Luo Hall? Where are the people from Roaring Tiger Sect?”
Wan Ying Ying clutched at him from behind, screaming and crying, “Eldest Senior Brother, don’t go! It’s very dangerous outside! Sect Master wants you to leave now! It’s also to ensure that Void Spirit Sword Sect will continue to exist. You have to hurry up and leave before they find you!”
“So, it really is somebody from Tian Luo Hall.” Yang Kai raised his brow and returned the bag in his arms to Wan Ying Ying, “I caused this situation. Tian Luo Hall will never relent if I don’t show up. The Master Sect raised me, so how can I stand by and watch when it is in trouble? Let me go and have a look.”
Yang Kai walked out with large strides as he spoke. Even though Wan Ying Ying desperately tried to stop him, how could she possibly do that?
The Sect’s main square was a huge mess and fresh blood staining the entire ground.
There were only several dozen people in Void Spirit Sword Sect and all of them were gathered in this place. From Sect Master Su Chang Fa down to the most common disciple, all of them looked sorrowful. Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu were covered in wounds and fresh blood dyed their clothes red. The corpses of more than ten Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples lay scattered across that square.
Many shadows stood around the square, surrounding the Void Spirit Sword Sect members. These people were vaguely divided into two factions. One was headed by a middle-aged man while the other was headed by an elderly man wearing black robes.
Su Chang Fa looked at the middle-aged man sadly and called out, “Protector Wan, is this how Roaring Tiger Sect does things? You and I clearly had an agreement!”
He initially thought that he could borrow the strength of Roaring Tiger Sect to resist Tian Luo Hall, and for that reason, Void Spirit Sword Sect had offered the other party a high price that amounted to 80% of the Black Jade lode. In other words, 80% of the profits from the Black Jade lode would belong to Roaring Tiger Sect. Who could have known that this bastard surnamed Wan would do nothing and simply watch from the sidelines when Tian Luo Hall attacked today?
Wan Tian He laughed when he heard those words, “Agreement? What agreement? This Protector does not recall ever making an agreement with Void Spirit Sword Sect.”
Wan Tian He’s expression of denial made Su Chang Fa boil with rage. Blood surged up his throat and came out his mouth. His complexion immediately waned. Unfortunately, the overall situation was more important than his personal feelings at the moment, so he was forced to back down and plead in a trembling voice, “Protector Wan, if you can save Void Spirit Sword Sect from this disaster, then the Black Jade mine will belong entirely to Roaring Tiger Sect! Void Spirit Sword Sect will not intervene in this matter again!”
Wan Tian He smiled lightly but did not answer.
The other elderly man coldly snorted, “Su Chang Fa, do you still not understand? This is the law of the jungle. The strong stand on top. Only the person with the biggest fist has the right to speak. Void Spirit Sword Sect lost its right to exist in this world a long time ago! With Void Spirit Sword Sect gone, won’t the Black Jade mine still belong to Roaring Tiger Sect regardless?”
“You’ve been colluding with each other right from the beginning!” Su Chang Fa suddenly realised. Both Wan Tian He from Roaring Tiger Sect and Zhan Bo Xiong from Tian Luo Hall were in the Seventh-Step Earth Realm. Void Spirit Sword Sect was completely powerless against them, and judging by their actions today, it was clear that they had been secretly working together for a while now. Void Spirit Sword Sect was the only one who had been kept in the dark! Su Chang Fa thought he could use the wolf to drive away the tiger, but all he did was invite the wolf into his home!
“Hand over the True Void Spirit Art and that brat called Yang Kai; otherwise, I will wipe out your entire Sect!” Zhan Bo Xiong shouted coldly.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was undeniably weak nowadays, but the True Void Sword Lord was counted among their Ancestors. It could be seen that the Sect was not without some heritage. It was rumoured that Void Spirit Sword Sect possessed a Secret Art known as the True Void Spirit Art, one that was completely different from the one the disciples generally cultivated. Furthermore, the True Void Sword Lord supposedly achieved all his success by relying on the True Void Spirit Art.
If not to obtain the True Void Spirit Art, Zhan Bo Xiong would have already killed all the people in front of him rather than wasting his time talking to them.
Su Chang Fa smiled miserably, “There is no real or fake Void Spirit Art. There is only one Void Spirit Art. It is unfortunate that the younger generation is mediocre and are unable to reproduce the glory of our Ancestors. It is ridiculous how you believed that there’s some hidden inside story. You really are foolish! As for my Eldest Disciple, this Old Master sent him down the mountain a long time ago. Go ahead and search for him if you think you have the ability to find him! Hahahaha… Cough, cough…”
The smile on Su Chang Fa’s face stiffened quickly as he stared at the figure running here from the bottom of the mountain.
That figure moved incredibly quickly. He had only been halfway up the mountain when Su Chang Fa first noticed him, but he arrived at the top of the mountain in the blink of an eye. There was a loud explosion that sounded like a meteor crashing into the ground when the figure wrapped in a sharp aura landed at the top of the mountain.
“Honoured Master, this Disciple has arrived late!” Yang Kai shouted.
Su Chang Fa’s eyes rolled back into his head. He was so furious that he fainted from anger.
Gu Kang Ning, who was drenched in blood, was so enraged that he slapped his thigh and cursed, “Foolish! Foolish brat! How maddening!” [We are in such a desperate situation. How dare this little bastard come here!? Didn’t we send Wan Ying Ying to secretly pass him a message asking him to leave this place!? This is just great! The entire Void Spirit Sword Sect will be killed by the enemy and wiped from history now!]
Next to him, Hong Xiu sighed softly, “This is our fate! This Disciple has been unfilial! Void Spirit Sword Sect’s inheritance which survived for 1,000 years will die along with us today!”
On the other hand, Yang Kai was shocked and hurriedly rushed over to Su Chang Fa. It took a lot of effort before he finally managed to wake Su Chang Fa and asked in concern, “Honoured Master, how are you feeling?”
Su Chang Fa slowly opened his eyes and saw Yang Kai staring down at him. Yang Kai continued with a look of shame, “Honoured Master, this Disciple was immersed in cultivation and failed to extricate himself in time. This Disciple has come late to the rescue. Please forgive me, Honoured Master!”
“You… You…” Su Chang Fa pointed at Yang Kai and shuddered slightly, then his head suddenly tilted to the side. He had fainted from rage again.
Yang Kai did a quick check and discovered that Su Chang Fa was just unconscious. The wounds covering Su Chang Fa might look ghastly, but they were not fatal. The realisation gave him a small sense of relief.
Turning to look around him, he saw many corpses lying around them. There were at least ten Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters lying in pools of their own blood. Meanwhile, those who were still alive were covered in wounds. The sight immediately made his expression turn frosty.
“Are you Yang Kai?” Zhan Bo Xiong squinted at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked Zhan Bo Xiong up and down, “That’s right. Who are you?”
“This Old Master is Zhan Bo Xiong!”
A look of understanding filled Yang Kai’s face as he asked, “Are you the ones who killed my Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters?”
“So what? It is a given that a murder should be paid for with one’s life! I’m just here to collect my debt. How dare you kill my grandson!? I will send the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect to accompany him in the afterlife! As for you…” Zhan Bo Xiong waved his large hand, “Capture him. I’m going to skin this bastard alive in front of Yu Lin’s mourning hall and drain his blood dry to comfort my pitiful grandson in Heaven!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, two Tian Luo Hall disciples rushed out from behind him and charged at Yang Kai.
The expressions of Hong Xiu and Gu Kang Ning immediately changed drastically. Judging by the Spirit Qi fluctuations of these two Tian Luo Hall disciples when they attacked, both of them were at the peak of the Mortal Realm, just one step away from advancing into the Earth Realm.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm even though he was Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Eldest Disciple of the current generation. There was no way he could resist them.
“Run!” Hong Xiu screamed. It was not that she didn’t want to help, but that she was too heavily injured; moreover, Earth Realm Masters from Tian Luo Hall were watching her, so she couldn’t take a single step forward.
Likewise, Gu Kang Ning was caught in the same situation.
To her despair, Yang Kai showed no intention to escape despite facing two Masters at the peak of the Mortal Realm. On the contrary, he actually stood up and rushed straight at them.
“Don’t be so presumptuous!” Zhan Bo Xiong’s eyes were cold.
When the three figures crossed each other, Yang Kai reached out both hands at the same time to cover the faces of the two people charging towards him.
The confrontation lasted only a flash, and nobody saw what happened clearly. All they heard was a loud explosion and after that, they saw Yang Kai half-kneeling on the ground. His two large hands were wrapped around the heads of the two Tian Luo Hall disciples as he slammed them into the ground fiercely.
*Kacha…*
The sound of bones cracking rang out and brains and blood flowed profusely. The two bodies twitched incessantly under Yang Kai’s grip as horrifying cracking sounds came from the two heads.
The entire square fell silent!
Su Chang Fa slowly regained consciousness and saw the two Tian Luo Hall disciples twitching under Yang Kai’s hands as soon as he opened his eyes. Thinking that he was dreaming, he closed his eyes again and continued to sleep; however, he soon jerked his eyes open again to stare forward with a mixture of shock and confusion.
“Life is beautiful yet oh so fragile. It seems that you don’t understand this. Unfortunately, the ignorant are destined to be cast out by the flow of time. Let me show you the true meaning of power!” Yang Kai slowly stood up, cleaned the blood off his hands, and looked up at Zhan Bo Xiong coldly.
“Seventh-Step Mortal Realm!?” Both Hong Xiu and Gu Kang Ning couldn’t help widening their eyes at the sight. The aura emanating from Yang Kai was clearly something that only a Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master could possess.
[Isn’t he only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm? When did he become a Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master? Has this brat been hiding his strength all this while? But… even if he is a Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master, how does that change anything?]
Even Third-Step Earth Realm Masters like the three Elders had been defeated so badly. A Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master was bound to be powerless to fight back in this scenario. Disregarding the fact that Tian Luo Hall had a Seventh-Step Earth Realm Master like Zhan Bo Xiong, there were also several other Earth Realm Masters present. This line-up was not something Yang Kai could fight alone.
“Arrogant Junior! How dare you behave so boastfully!?” Zhan Bo Xiong was livid. In a moment of carelessness, two of his people had been killed by the other party. It was extremely embarrassing for him.
The truth was that the power Yang Kai displayed earlier had shocked him too. A Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master had killed two Masters at the peak of the Mortal Realm in an instant. Such a feat was not something just anybody could do. Only the most talented geniuses had the ability to kill enemies above their own Realm.
The current Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect was not well-known; therefore, this sudden display of strength immediately gave Zhan Bo Xiong all sorts of thoughts. [Perhaps this boy cultivates the True Void Spirit Art of Void Spirit Sword Sect! As long as I can capture him, I can obtain the biggest secret of Void Spirit Sword Sect! No matter how strong this Junior is, he is just in the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm while I’m in the Seventh-Step Earth Realm. There’s a difference of a whole Great Realm between us. He is definitely not my opponent!]
His hatred towards his grandson’s murderer and his greed towards the True Void Spirit Art compelled Zhan Bo Xiong to make up his mind to capture Yang Kai personally. His figure flickered while he was speaking and he lunged towards his enemy. Under the urging of his Earth Realm Spirit Qi, he came pressing down on Yang Kai with overwhelming force.
“Honoured Master, the Ancestors of Void Spirit Sword Sect actually left us a huge gift, it’s just that we never noticed it before.” Yang Kai suddenly uttered this inexplicable sentence. After that, he lifted his hand into the air and shouted, “Come, sword!”
*Kacha…*
The sound of something shattering rang out. Su Chang Fa and the others turned to look in the direction of the sound and saw fine cracks running down the sword worn by the statue of their Ancestor not far away.
Su Chang Fa abruptly widened his eyes. Seeming to recall something, his expression immediately became filled with emotion.
*Kacha…*
Following that cracking sound, a sword light suddenly shot out from the statue and flew into Yang Kai’s grasp.
It was a sword that emitted an inexplicable halo of light. The sword was a little more than a metre long, with a flat surface that shone like a mirror so clear it could reflect a person’s image perfectly. The shape was smooth and streamlined and its edge was so sharp that it looked like it could slice through space itself.
“The True Void Sword!” Gu Kang Ning exclaimed softly.
Hong Xiu revealed a look of realisation, “So it was here all along. It turns out that the records in the ancient books were true!”
Needless to say, this True Void Sword was not the real True Void Sword. The real True Void Sword was one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments of the Divine Armament World. Only those with great destiny and opportunity could wield the real True Void Sword.
The True Void Sword in Yang Kai’s grip had been hidden in the old statue and was a replica of the Divine Armament. According to the records written in the ancient books of Void Spirit Sword Sect, the True Void Sword Lord spent an enormous amount of manpower and resources to forge this imitation True Void Sword based on the Divine Armament during his final years to leave behind for future generations.
It was just that nobody knew where the True Void Sword replica went after the death of the True Void Sword Lord, even though there were vague records in the ancient books. 1,000 years later, even if the disciples of the later generation came across the records written in the ancient books, they simply assumed that the True Void Sword replica was either lost or destroyed. Who could have known that it had always been concealed inside the Sect’s guardian statue? It was hiding right under their noses the whole time.
The True Void Sword replica was a far cry from the real Divine Armament True Void Sword, but even so, the power it contained was not to be underestimated.
“A Spirit Armament!?” Zhan Bo Xiong charged towards Yang Kai, narrowing his eyes at the sight. Immediately after that, he became overjoyed, “I never imagined that a small force like Void Spirit Sword Sect would have such a good thing hidden away, hahahaha! The Heavens are truly on my side today! Junior, you are not worthy of this Spirit Armament! Hand it over to this Old Master!”
He reached out and grabbed at Yang Kai while speaking.
Cultivators were divided into Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit Realm. The weapons in the Divine Armament World were categorised in the same manner. Below the Divine Armaments were Spirit Armaments, Heaven Armaments, Earth Armaments, and finally Mortal Armaments.
The sword Yang Kai carried previously was just a Mortal Armament and had been destroyed during his battle at the restaurant.
Divine Armaments could not be created and were only innately formed. Even if the True Void Sword Lord spearheaded the creation and collected the most precious materials available in the Divine Armament World, he was still unable to create a real Divine Armament. The most he could create was a Spirit Armament!
That said, a Spirit Armament was powerful enough to wipe out an entire kingdom! Naturally, that also depended on who was wielding the Spirit Armament. In the end, a weapon was only an auxiliary, a tool to be used; therefore, the amount of power it could exert depended on the strength of the wielder.
A Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master like Yang Kai was cut by the sharp Sword Intent just by holding this Spirit Armament in his hand. His entire body became drenched in blood and his flesh curled violently.
On the other side, Wan Tian He of Roaring Tiger Sect, who had been watching coldly from the side all this while, revealed a look of interest. Who would not be tempted in the face of a Spirit Armament?
Just as he was preparing to join the fight and snatch the Spirit Armament for himself, his heart suddenly clenched tight. He instinctively felt a sense of crisis looming over him, as if a terrible fate would befall him if he made a move.
His cultivation was not that great, only Seventh-Step Earth Realm; even so, his danger perception had always been very sensitive. He had relied on his instincts to escape many disasters over the years, so after a moment of hesitation, he chose to remain motionless.
Zhan Bo Xiong had arrived within ten metres of Yang Kai and was staring greedily at the Spirit Armament in the latter’s hand, already dreaming about his majestic appearance after obtaining this Spirit Armament.
*Hu…*
An enormous illusory phantom suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai. The illusory phantom was several dozen metres tall and filled with an immense aura. The entire illusory phantom was formed from condensed Sword Qi. Moreover, the illusory phantom was identical to the statue that had stood in Void Spirit Sword Sect for 1,000 years. The illusory phantom also held a sword in his hands around which sharp Sword Qi churned.
“Ancestor…” Su Chang Fa stared at the illusory phantom in shock, “The Ancestor has appeared!”
Similarly, Gu Kang Ning and Hong Xiu were staring at the illusory phantom in shock while all of Void Spirit Sword Sect’s disciples were dumbstruck by the sight.
“Huh?” Zhan Bo Xiong felt his chest tightening all of a sudden, as if his skin was being pricked by thousands of tiny needles. Stabbing pain came from all over his body and at the same time, an inexplicable sense of panic filled his heart.
Yang Kai swung the sword in his hand, staring at Zhan Bo Xiong coldly, “Death to all who have harmed Void Spirit Sword Sect!”
Sword Qi was suspended in the air while Sword Intent permeated the sky. Slicing sounds rang out incessantly and fresh blood splattered everywhere while severed limbs flew in all directions.
It felt as though 1,000 years had passed in an instant, and when the Sword Qi rampaging in the void finally dissipated, all the Tian Luo Hall cultivators had been killed on the spot. Chunks of flesh and blood covered the ground and not a single one of them retained a complete corpse, their bodies sliced into multiple pieces by the overwhelming Sword Qi. Even the mountain ahead had been razed to the ground!
Meanwhile, the Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples who were collapsed on the ground were not harmed in any way. The criss-crossing Sword Qi seemed to have eyes and did not cause them any harm.
*Sii…*
Wan Tian He drew a sharp breath of cold air, his expression a mixture of sickly green and deathly pale. He couldn’t help feeling thankful that he had not made his move just now; otherwise, he would have suffered the same fate as Zhan Bo Xiong. Under that horrifying Sword Qi, a Seventh-Step Earth Realm Master was no different from an ant.
“Fools who are completely ignorant of what true strength is!” Yang Kai flicked the sword lightly. His entire body was drenched in red, making him look like he had been dredged out of a pool of blood. He then turned to look at Wan Tian He and asked solemnly, “Protector Wan, do you have anything to say?”
The attack just now was naturally not his own strength, it was the power sealed within the Spirit Armament True Void Sword. All Yang Kai did was use Void Spirit Art to stimulate that power. It was naturally impossible for him to come out unscathed after acting as the carrier for such power. There were countless wounds all over his body and horrifying Sword Intent leaked out of those injuries, preventing them from healing. The blood that flowed down his legs had stained the ground around him red.
Wan Tian He gulped nervously and stared at the True Void Sword in Yang Kai’s hand in fear.
[Zhan Bo Xiong was in the Seventh-Step Earth Realm, just like me. Our strengths are fairly evenly-matched. Zhan Bo Xiong was killed without the slightest hint of being able to resist. How can I possibly defend myself if that brat attacks me?]
He suspected that even a Heaven Realm Master would have been powerless against that strike just now. Only those in the Spirit Realm had the right to fight back.
“Zhan Bo Xiong dared to offend Void Spirit Sword Sect, so his death is not worth pitying. Little Brother, you did well in killing him. To tell you the truth, this Wan has long disliked him!” Both his legs trembled uncontrollably, but he lied without batting an eyelid.
“Let us be practical.” Yang Kai looked at Wan Tian He calmly, “Otherwise, I might just fail to suppress the restlessness of the sword.”
Wan Tian He decisively said, “This Wan was in such a hurry to come today that he brought nothing with him. In the future, this Wan will visit again with gifts of apology. I guarantee that you will be satisfied with the amount, Little Brother.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Good!”
Wan Tian He forced out a smile, “Your noble Sect underwent such a huge event today, so I’m sure you have many other things to deal with. This Wan won’t disturb you any longer. Farewell!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Have a safe journey, Protector Wan. Little Junior Sister, please see Protector Wan off!”
Wan Ying Ying had fallen behind when she followed Yang Kai here, and when she arrived at this place, she was just in time to see Yang Kai wiping out their enemies in a single move. At this moment, she was still unable to recover from her shock. She simply could not understand how her Eldest Senior Brother had gotten so strong in such a short time. It was not until she heard his shout that she finally came back to her senses and responded with a nod.
“No need to trouble yourselves!” Wan Tian He replied politely. Leading the people from Roaring Tiger Sect, he hastily rushed down the mountain.
After Wan Tian He and the others left, Yang Kai suddenly coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and stumbled. He immediately stuck the sword into the ground and half-knelt.
“Eldest Senior Brother!” A bunch of people immediately panicked and shouted noisily.
Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu hurriedly moved towards him. One supported him, another took out Healing Spirit Pills for him to eat, and the last examined his wounds. They were extremely attentive.
After a quick examination, Su Chang Fa’s expression became so grim that he was practically dripping with gloom. Yang Kai’s internal condition was a complete mess. His flesh was torn, his bones were cracked, and his five viscera and six organs were heavily shifted. Such injuries were generally fatal. Truthfully, Su Chang Fa himself was surprised that Yang Kai was still alive with these injuries. [Just how strong is his vitality!?]
He also immediately understood why Yang Kai had not killed the people from Roaring Tiger Sect earlier and allowed them to leave peacefully instead. It was not that Yang Kai did not want to, but that he simply could not. The first attack had already caused him such serious injuries. If he struck another blow, his body might explode on the spot.
“Brat, you better not die!” Gu Kang Ning exclaimed in concern.
Yang Kai had turned the tides around and rescued the Sect from a great disaster. It would be too much of a loss if he were to die here after everything had already been settled.
“Great Elder, rest assured. I won’t… Ugh…” Yang Kai coughed up another mouthful of blood before he could finish his sentence. His blood sprayed all over Su Chang Fa’s face across him.
Hong Xiu anxiously said, “Stop talking! The top priority is to treat your wounds as soon as possible!”
“That’s right,” Gu Kang Ning quickly nodded in agreement.
After making some arrangements, Yang Kai decided to focus on recovery immediately. Su Chang Fa and the two Elders personally stood guard around him while the other Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples scattered around in the vicinity to keep a vigilant watch and guard against any unexpected events.
Su Chang Fa looked at Yang Kai who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with amazement. His Disciple’s display today had shocked him to the core. Not only had the threat to their Sect’s survival been resolved so easily, but the True Void Sword Spirit Armament had also been found.
With the strength that Yang Kai displayed earlier, Void Spirit Sword Sect’s revival was just around the corner. For a moment, Su Chang Fa felt as though he could rest peacefully even if he died today.
Unfortunately, the most important matter at hand was whether Yang Kai could survive this disaster!
Yang Kai could sense that his current condition was absolutely terrible. The injuries he received from acting as a conduit for such a Heaven-defying attack were far more severe than how they seemed on the surface. If not for the fact that he had stimulated the power of his Dragon Vein greatly over the past week, he would have died along with the people from Tian Luo Hall; even so, he was currently on the verge of death.
His physical injuries were actually not too worrisome. Although he could only stimulate a small portion of the true power of his Dragon Vein, his powerful regenerative abilities were slowly healing his injuries. All he needed was time.
The main issue was the sharp Sword Intent!
The True Void Sword forged by the True Void Sword Lord contained his own Sword Qi. Upon activation, the Sword Qi had injured Yang Kai first before he could even harm the enemy.
The horrifying Sword Intent permeated his wounds and prevented his injuries from healing. It could be said that his injuries would only worsen with time if he did not scatter the Sword Intent in his wounds. There was no possibility of healing under these circumstances. At this rate, he would eventually be slivered away by the Sword Intent.
Although he tried to dispel the Sword Intent with his own power, his repeated attempts were only met with failure. The difference between this body’s cultivation and the True Void Sword Lord’s cultivation was too large, leaving him completely powerless against this Sword Intent.
Yang Kai suspected that even Heaven Realm Masters would not be able to dispel this Sword Intent! It was only possible for Spirit Realm Masters. However, if his strength was in the Spirit Realm, he would not have needed to rely on the Sword Qi within the True Void Sword Spirit Armament in the first place. That was because he himself would already have that level of power.
[This isn’t right… The True Void Sword Lord left the True Void Sword replica behind as a safety guarantee for his descendants. There’s no reason for him to make them sacrifice their lives just for that security. There must be some way to resolve this Sword Intent!]
As soon as that thought entered his head, Yang Kai suddenly thought of another possibility. Perhaps this Sword Intent… was never meant to be dispelled!
Following that thought, Yang Kai quickly circulated the Void Spirit Art and guided the Sword Qi to circulate through his body.
A week later, Yang Kai’s spirits lifted. He could clearly sense that the horrifying Sword Intent permeating his wounds had weakened a little.
This discovery delighted him greatly. It would seem that his guess had been correct, there was no need to dispel the Sword Intent at all. It would naturally be resolved as long as he circulated the Void Spirit Art. Furthermore, the dissolved Sword Intent did not disappear but was transformed into pure Spirit Qi that filled his entire body instead.
In just a week, he felt the Spirit Qi in his body increasing significantly while his body became nourished and refreshed. What would happen if he digested all of this Sword Intent then?
Not daring to procrastinate, Yang Kai focused on maintaining his circulation of the Void Spirit Art. The Sword Intent that remained in his wounds decreased steadily as time passed while his aura became stronger and stronger.
Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu, who were standing guard around him, were astonished by this sight. They had been paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements and condition all this while, so it was only natural that they were aware of the changes happening to him.
“Senior Brother, how is this brat’s aura getting stronger? Isn’t he supposed to be healing his wounds? Why does it feel like he is cultivating instead? Not to mention… it feels like he is about to break through,” Gu Kang Ning asked in confusion.
Su Chang Fa slowly shook his head. He had never encountered such a situation before either. A person suddenly reaching the point of a breakthrough during the process of recovery was truly an unheard-of phenomenon.
“We probably perceived wrongly. He might just be circulating his strength to alleviate his injuries,” The words had only just left his mouth when he saw Yang Kai stiffen slightly.
An invisible wave of energy erupted in all directions with Yang Kai as the centre. The Spirit Qi fluctuation mixed in that wave of energy belonged to the Eighth-Step Mortal Realm!
“He really… broke through!” Hong Xiu was dumbfounded.
It was not over yet though as no more than two days later, Yang Kai’s aura show signs of inflation again. His cultivation advanced from the Eighth-Step Mortal Realm to the Ninth-Step Mortal Realm not long after, but even so, his aura continued to strengthen as though there was no end to his progress!
Su Chang Fa’s brow twitched, “He can’t possibly break through into the Earth Realm, right?”
Gu Kang Ning shook his head decisively, “The Mortal Realm and the Earth Realm are two different Great Realms. Breaking through to the Earth Realm is not something you can just do overnight…”
*Hong…*
Intense Spirit Qi fluctuations erupted from Yang Kai at that moment, and their aura belonged to the First-Step Earth Realm.
Gu Kang Ning’s mouth fell open in shock. He was forced to swallow the second half of his sentence. Stiffly turning his head to the side, he looked at Su Chang Fa and asked, “Senior Brother, you’ve gone through so much effort to hide this from us.”
Su Chang Fa was confused, “What did I hide from you?”
Gu Kang Ning said, “Did Yang Boy advance into the Earth Realm a long time ago? Why didn’t you tell us?”
Hong Xiu nodded sharply in agreement.
No matter how great a person’s aptitude was, it was impossible to just advance from the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm to the Earth Realm in a few days. That did not make any sense; hence, the only explanation was that Yang Kai had advanced into the Earth Realm a long time ago but had concealed the fact all this while.
Su Chang Fa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “I’ve also just found out that this little brat reached the Earth Realm…”
He had been eagerly waiting for Yang Kai to advance into the Earth Realm so he could inherit Void Spirit Sword Sect and lead it back to prosperity. And yet, Su Chang Fa couldn’t help feeling like he was dreaming when the time really came.
“Honoured Master, Elders, what are you discussing so spiritedly?” Yang Kai’s voice sounded and the three of them turned to look in his direction. To their surprise, they saw that Yang Kai had walked over to them at some point, holding the replica True Void Sword in his hand lightly as he looked at them curiously.
“Have you recovered from your injuries?” Gu Kang Ning asked in surprise.
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes, more or less.”
All the Sword Intent permeating his wounds had been refined into his capital to increase his strength, and without the interference of the Sword Intent, his injuries were no more than flesh wounds. Besides, this incident had further strengthened the power of his Dragon Vein. With such powerful regenerative abilities, it would not take more than a few days before Yang Kai completely recovered.
“How do you feel? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Hong Xiu asked worriedly.
Yang Kai replied, “This Disciple feels like he is bursting with strength! I really want to find somebody to fight!”
While speaking, he swung the True Void Sword in his hand around. The Sword Intent left behind by the True Void Sword Lord had allowed him to advance from the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm to the Earth Realm in one go. In that case, wouldn’t he save a lot of cultivation time if he repeated the experience a few more times?
However, he knew that his hope was unrealistic. That was because the Sword Qi sealed within the True Void Sword by the True Void Sword Lord could only be used to attack thrice.
There were actually two reasons as to why Yang Kai did not kill the people from Roaring Tiger Sect. The first reason was that his strength was lacking. The other reason however, was that he did not wish to waste the limited resources he had. His current strength could not be considered high and he would be powerless in front of a true Master; hence, the True Void Sword was a precious trump card.
“Honoured Master, Elders, thank you for standing guard for so many days. The three of you should hurry and get some rest. This Disciple will explain everything tomorrow!” Yang Kai cupped his fist. He knew that Su Chang Fa and the others would surely have many questions and doubts in their hearts; after all, his previous performance had been a little too outrageous.
Su Chang Fa gently nodded, “En!”
They had also been injured during the conflict with Tian Luo Hall, but they had to stand guard for Yang Kai over the past few days, so they had yet to get a good rest themselves.
Following the departure of the three Elders, Yang Kai finally looked around at the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters surrounding him, their gazes filled with awe and respect.
“Have you all realised your own vulnerability and insignificance?” Yang Kai asked lightly.
They lowered their heads in shame upon hearing those words.
“Tian Luo Hall attacked us, but we were powerless to fight back. Many of our Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters were killed before our very eyes, but we could only watch helplessly. Why? Because they were stronger than us! Because they have more power than us!”
Their heads lowered even more at those words.
“Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to seek revenge!?” Yang Kai questioned them.
“Eldest Senior Brother, we want to be as strong as you! We want to avenge our Fellow Brothers and Sisters!” Somebody shouted, “But, how do we do that?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It’s enough if you have these thoughts. Even the tallest tree starts off as a weak seedling. There is nothing that can be achieved overnight. From tomorrow onward, I will prepare a training plan for all of you. I hope you can persevere through this training. For now, you should have a good rest.”
“Yes!” The disciples quickly dispersed with raging flames burning in their eyes.
The next day, Su Chang Fa and the two Elders sat on their elevated seats in the Main Hall. Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood below them and told them the story he had come up with beforehand.
After a long while, Su Chang Fa finally spoke, “So, you’re saying that you learned that the True Void Sword is hidden in the Ancestor’s statue thanks to the Ancestor’s Legacy Inheritance?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded in affirmation.
His previous performance had been far too bizarre. Somebody who was constantly drowning his sorrows in alcohol every single day had suddenly obtained the strength to turn the tides of an unwinnable battle and even brought out a secret weapon of mass destruction like the True Void Sword. Su Chang Fa and the others were bound to feel uneasy if he could not give them a reasonable explanation.
After pondering for some time, Yang Kai could only come up with a nonsensical reason like a Legacy Inheritance. It would now seem that the effects of his excuse were not too bad. Although Su Chang Fa and the others were sceptical, they had no choice but to believe him; after all, his previous performance had completely exceeded their ability to comprehend.
“It’s precisely because of the Ancestor’s Legacy Inheritance that this Disciple was able to advance into the Earth Realm so quickly and learn the whereabouts of Ancestor’s Legacy Artifact, the replica True Void Sword!”
In reality, Yang Kai had noticed that something was hidden inside the statue when he saw it for the first time. Combined with the records of the ancient books in his memory, it was easy for him to infer that the hidden object was Void Spirit Sword Sect’s long-lost replica True Void Sword.
Gu Kang Ning nodded, “It seems that Ancestor has not abandoned us incompetent Juniors. I am too ashamed to face the Ancestor.”
On the other hand, Su Chang Fa looked at Yang Kai with concern and asked, “You have indeed advanced into the Earth Realm, but do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Yang Kai’s advancement was too fast. It could be said that they had watched as he broke through from the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm to the Earth Realm in a matter of days. Speedy progress generally resulted in an unsteady foundation, so Su Chang Fa was naturally worried about this.
“Rest assured, Honoured Master. This Disciple does not feel any discomfort,” Yang Kai replied. Holding the True Void Sword with both hands, he took two steps forward and offered the sword up, “When the Ancestor first forged this sword, he sealed three mighty Sword Qi attacks inside of it. This Disciple activated one of those attacks a few days ago, so there are two left. But, since this sword is the foundation of Void Spirit Sword Sect, I think it’s best for you to safe keep the sword, Honoured Master!”
Su Chang Fa glanced at the True Void Sword but did not take it up. He slowly shook his head and said, “Since the Ancestor left his Legacy Inheritance to you and told you the whereabouts of the True Void Sword, that means the Ancestor values you. He believes that you can lead Void Spirit Sword Sect and bring back our lost glory. This sword… you should keep it.”
Yang Kai pondered for a while before he nodded, “En. By the way, Honoured Master, Ancestor’s Legacy Inheritance also revealed many shortcomings in our cultivation and even contained an improved version of the Void Spirit Art. This Disciple has tried the new Secret Art and can conclude it is far superior to our current Void Spirit Art. May I teach this Secret Art to the other Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters?”
“Oh?” Gu Kang Ning became interested, “The Ancestor improved the Void Spirit Art? Hurry up and explain…”
He was not only the Great Elder of Void Spirit Sword Sect, but also the Elder in charge of teaching cultivation in the Sect; therefore, he naturally took these things very seriously.
And so, Yang Kai began explaining to the three Elders everything about the Void Spirit Art that he had modified. The three Elders immediately gathered together to research the new Secret Art, and seeing their excited expressions, Yang Kai slowly exited the Main Hall.
This Void Spirit Art was something he modified and improved himself, and it was certainly much better than the original Void Spirit Art. He believed that the three Elders in the Sect would quickly teach the Secret Art to the rest of the disciples, allowing them to achieve twice the result with half the effort in their cultivation. Moreover, since it was an improvement made on the original foundation, there were no hidden dangers in replacing the Secret Art they were cultivating.
[But before that, the foundation of those Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters will need to be solidified first.]
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying was waiting outside the hall. When she saw Yang Kai coming out, she quickly shouted, “Everybody is waiting for you!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and walked forward with her.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the same square as before. All the disciples of the Sect were gathered there, but even so, the total number of people did not exceed 40. In addition, many of them were not completely healed from their injuries yet. Their complexions might be pale, but their spirits were surprisingly high.
“It looks like everybody is eager for greater strength!” Yang Kai smiled and looked around.
One of the Junior Brothers called out, “Eldest Senior Brother, what should we do now? Please teach us, Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Please teach us, Eldest Senior Brother!” The others echoed, their shouts reverberating through the skies.
Yang Kai nodded, “Even the grandest of palaces must be built from the ground up. What is the most important thing for cultivators like us? It is not an overwhelmingly powerful cultivation, it is an unshakable foundation! Without a strong foundation, everything else is meaningless! But if that is so, what is our foundation? Our foundation is our body! If our bodies are strong, then we can take in and circulate more Spirit Qi. If our bodies are strong, then we can exert greater strength! That is why we should train our bodies before we cultivate! If you can train your physique to its absolute limit, you can even crush cities and destroy nations without having the slightest Spirit Qi!”
While speaking, Yang Kai suddenly threw out a punch. A violent force burst out along with a deafening explosion that caused everybody’s ears to ring and their eyes to glow with excitement.
“I will now teach you a set of Body Tempering Techniques that you must all cultivate diligently from now on. Don’t slack off!”
“Yes!” They promised with vigour.
Yang Kai had mastered many Body Tempering Techniques, and over the years, he had travelled far and wide, killing countless powerful enemies and gaining their Secret Arts in the process. Naturally, several Body Tempering Techniques were included among them. It was not a problem for him to teach these Secret Arts to the younger generation of Void Spirit Sword Sect after making some slight adjustments to them. As for how far they could go in the future, that would depend entirely on their own efforts.
After teaching the Body Tempering Techniques, Yang Kai summoned two Junior Brothers, wrote a prescription, and sent them down the mountain to purchase various medicines.
The cultivation of Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples in the younger generation was too low, so it was impossible for them to show significant improvement in a short period. They could only take their time to cultivate. Nevertheless, buying some herbs to concoct some medicinal liquid for Body Tempering would speed up the rate of their growth.
The two disciples accepted his orders and left. Then, he asked Wan Ying Ying to guide him to another place.
The name ‘Ash Mountain’ sounded extremely barren and desolate; however, it turned out to be a beautiful place. Inside one of the mining tunnels that stretched for several kilometres under the Ash Mountain, Yang Kai strode forward while Wan Ying Ying followed behind him with a torch.
The further they went, the more they could sense the dense Spirit Qi fluctuations. This place was a Black Jade lode that contained large amounts of Black Jade after all. It was not surprising to have such dense Spirit Qi in this place.
Void Spirit Sword Sect’s storehouse had been emptied out by Yang Kai, but he needed large amounts of money to develop the Sect and improve his own cultivation. The Black Jade lode was the only hope to quickly achieve this.
“This place used to be an ordinary mineral lode where ordinary mortals would come to mine for ores, but in the process, they managed to dig up Black Jade one day. As this place is under the jurisdiction of Void Spirit Sword Sect, the news was reported to the Sect Master and the two Elders,” Wan Ying Ying explained from behind him. It was obvious that she knew that he had been so drunk over the past year that he was completely ignorant about everything in the outside world.
Yang Kai nodded lightly. When he tried to activate the Void Spirit Art, he immediately felt abundant Spirit Qi flowing towards him; however, it was not as good as using the White Jades to cultivate.
“This Black Jade needs to be mined,” he said.
She replied, “We can ask Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to come here.”
Yang Kai, however, shook his head, “Void Spirit Sword Sect is already stretched thin. Just relying on the others alone won’t be efficient.”
“How about hiring people to work this mine them?” Wan Ying Ying suggested.
“No need. I have an idea.” After saying that, Yang Kai turned around and walked out.
A short while later, the pair returned to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Yang Kai instructed Wan Ying Ying to cultivate on her own while he went to the stables and took out a horse before riding off into the distance. He soon arrived in the small city at the foot of the mountain. After he bought some herbs from the pharmacy, he spent half a day at an inn before he put away a small porcelain bottle and left on horseback.
…..
Tian Luo Hall’s Headquarters was located in a huge manor. As an Earth Realm great force, they had many disciples under their banner, as many as 600 in total. Compared to the few dozen people in Void Spirit Sword Sect, it was a whole world of difference. Besides, so many people gathering together in one place had made the Headquarters very lively and prosperous. Its existence was almost comparable to a small town at this point.
Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master and eight Elders were gathered together in their Main Hall currently.
There used to be nine Elders, but Third Elder Zhan Bo Xiong was killed by Void Spirit Sword Sect, so only eight remained. Nevertheless, all eight of them were Earth Realm Masters. The weakest among them was in the Fourth-Step Earth Realm. In contrast, the strongest among them were Great Elder Li Zheng Qing and Palace Master Shu Wan Cheng. They were both in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm, only one step away from advancing into the Heaven Realm. Compared to Void Spirit Sword Sect where the strongest Master was only in the Third-Step Earth Realm, Tian Luo Hall had much greater strength.
At this moment, the Main Hall was blanketed in gloom and the atmosphere was absolutely depressing.
Palace Master Shu Wan Cheng quickly said, “I summoned all the Elders here today because of a major incident that occurred recently. I’m sure you’ve all heard about it. Third Elder Zhan Bo Xiong was killed by somebody from Void Spirit Sword Sect; moreover, the one who killed him was the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect, a mere boy only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm!”
The Eight Elder scowled deeply, “Palace Master, I’ve also heard about this matter, but my information is not that specific. Was Third Elder really killed by a brat in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm?”
Shu Wan Cheng nodded solemnly, “It’s the truth! This is information I received from Wan Tian He of Roaring Tiger Sect. He was present at the time, so he knows the situation best. In any case, the murderer apparently borrowed a power that was not his own. It was a Sword Qi attack left behind by the True Void Sword Lord. That’s why the Third Elder was killed without any power to fight back.”
“The True Void Sword Lord!” Several of the Elders looked terrified.
“The murderer was originally only in the Fourth-Step Mortal Realm, but he suddenly became a Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master for some reason!” Shu Wan Cheng added.
The Second Elder stroked his goatee and narrowed his eyes, “To activate the Sword Qi left behind by the True Void Sword Lord with cultivation in the Mortal Realm… I’m sure that things will not end well for that boy either.”
There was no power in this world that could be gained for free; therefore, activating power far beyond one’s ability to withstand would surely come with a heavy price.
Shu Wan Cheng confirmed the fact, “According to Wan Tian He, the boy who activated the Sword Qi was severely injured. He will not live for much longer!”
The eyes of the Elders below him instantly lit up at those words.
“Palace Master, the reason you summoned us here…”
He explained, “Third Elder has contributed greatly to Tian Luo Hall. I cannot allow him to be killed by Void Spirit Sword Sect for no apparent reason. Otherwise, what would happen to Tian Luo Hall’s face if news about this incident were to spread? This Palace Master intends to dispatch forces to Void Spirit Sword Sect to avenge Third Elder!”
He swept his gaze over the people below him, “Which Elder is willing to take a trip to help relieve the worries of this Palace Master?”
The eight Elders all fell silent suddenly, with nobody saying a word.
Even a Seventh Step Earth Realm Master like the Third Elder had been killed by the Sword Qi left behind by the True Void Sword Lord. Not many among the Elders present here were stronger than the Third Elder, so they were not confident that they could defend against such a Sword Qi attack. Although the brat who activated the Sword Qi attack in the first place was bound to have suffered a disastrous ending, who could say if there was anybody else in Void Spirit Sword Sect who could activate more of the Sword Qi? It would be bad if they met the same fate as the Third Elder.
Acting as the vanguard was not a pleasant task and the slightest carelessness could put their lives at risk. All the Elders were worldly and experienced, so how could they not understand this principle?
When Shu Wan Cheng saw that all the people below him were playing dead, he felt slightly angry in his heart. [They always clamour to be the first when something good happens, but they hide away like turtles in their shells when something dangerous occurs. They are completely unreliable.]
“Second Elder…” Shu Wan Cheng lowered his head to look at the Second Elder on his left.
The Second Elder suddenly coughed violently. He coughed so hard that his complexion went pale and blood trickled out from the corners of his mouth. Once he stopped, he spoke with some difficulty, “Sect Master, please understand, this Elder is plagued with a chronic illness. It just happened to flare up again recently, so my strength has weakened considerably. As much as I am willing to share your burden, Sect Master, I’m afraid I will not be able to handle such important matters well.”
Shu Wan Cheng stared at the Second Elder fixedly. After a long time, he finally nodded and said, “You should have a good rest if your health has deteriorated, Second Elder.” He turned to look at another person, “Great Elder?”
Li Zheng Qing stroked his beard and replied, “It’s only natural for this Elder to obey the Sect Master’s orders. But… my thirteenth concubine is about to give birth. It will only take a few days. Can you give this Elder a few days to witness the birth of my child before I set off for Void Spirit Sword Sect?”
For a moment, the entire group of Elders stared at this old man in amazement. It was soon followed by a stream of congratulatory words. The Great Elder responded with a smile, and the Main Hall became very lively.
On the other hand, Shu Wan Cheng’s face twitched at those words. How could he not know that the Great Elder was simply making up excuses? [Heaven knows what’s the true situation with his thirteenth concubine. Am I supposed to wait forever if she doesn’t give birth?]
He couldn’t help but snort lightly. Only then did the people in the Main Hall finally quieten down. Shu Wan Cheng tiredly looked down at all the Elders of Tian Luo Hall and hardened his heart. Just as he was about to announce that he was going to take action himself, a strange commotion suddenly sounded outside the Main Hall.
Even the weakest among the people present in this Main Hall was in the Fourth-Step Earth Realm, so it was only natural that their hearing was extraordinary. They reflexively turned to look outside curiously.
“What’s happening?” Shu Wan Cheng asked with a stomach full of grievances. [It’s bad enough that the Elders are only pretending to show compliance, but now even the disciples are acting so inappropriately! Tian Luo Hall is no longer the united Sect I first established.]
His question was naturally met with no response.
Shu Wan Cheng’s brow furrowed deeply as he could vaguely sense that something was wrong; moreover, there seemed to be a faint stench of blood wafting through the air.
Many of the Elders also became vigilant with the Second Elder exclaiming with a frown, “Something is wrong!”
“I’ll go and take a look!” The Seventh Elder volunteered and his figure flashed as he rushed outside.
A short while later, loud crashing noises mixed with the sound of painful groans came from outside. The expressions of the people inside the Main Hall immediately darkened when they heard those noises and they all stood up from their chairs in unison.
Shu Wan Cheng exchanged a glance with Li Zheng Qing. They both saw the deep wariness in each other’s eyes.
Just then, a figure slowly walked into the Main Hall. It was a handsome young man with a brave and heroic figure. He was dressed in blue and white robes, holding a sheathed sword in one hand while carrying a person in his other. The person in his hands was none other than the Seventh Elder, who went out to check on the situation just now!
The Seventh Elder, a Fifth-Step Earth Realm Master, was now unconscious and being carried by the young man like a sack. His weight of nearly a hundred kilograms seemed as light as a feather in this young man’s hands. The young man’s footsteps were silent as he walked forward, which went to show his great strength and control.
“Who are you?” The Second Elder shouted with a solemn expression. He could vaguely sense that this young man was not someone easy to deal with. This youth had knocked the Seventh Elder unconscious in just a few breaths, so his strength was clearly not to be underestimated.
“Void Spirit Sword Sect, Yang Kai!” Yang Kai broke into a dazzling smile and tossed the person in his hands into the Main Hall. The Seventh Elder crashed into the ground with a loud thud.
“Yang Kai?” Everybody was shocked by the greeting.
Li Zheng Qing narrowed his eyes, “Are you the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect?” [We were just talking about this person. I can’t believe he showed up here. He truly is reckless to dare to barge into Tian Luo Hall’s Main Hall.]
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Were you the one who killed Elder Zhan Bo Xiong?” Li Zheng Qing asked again.
“Yes!”
Li Zheng Qing turned his head and exchanged a glance with Shu Wan Cheng, a look of suspicion flashing through his eyes.
Logically speaking, Yang Kai should have been heavily injured after he used that devastating Sword Qi attack. Even if he had survived, he should have been crippled, yet just a few days had passed since the incident and he was now standing here in perfect condition. Even if he hadn’t died and somehow made a miraculous recover, it was still impossible for him to knock the Seventh Elder unconscious. The gap in strength between a Seventh-Step Mortal Realm Master and a Fifth-Step Earth Realm Master was simply too wide to cross.
Li Zheng Qing frowned and looked at Yang Kai, “Good, we shall assume that you are Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Yang Kai. So, why have you come to Tian Luo Hall?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Void Spirit Sword Sect discovered a Black Jade mine, but we lack the manpower required to exploit it. I heard that Tian Luo Hall has many disciples, so… please submit to Void Spirit Sword Sect and send some people to help me with this work! You should also know that Void Spirit Sword Sect has very few members. We simply do not have enough hands to go around.”
Upon hearing those words, Shu Wan Cheng looked at Yang Kai with a weird expression, “You want Tian Luo Hall to surrender to Void Spirit Sword Sect? Did I hear it wrong? Or, did you misspeak?”
Yang Kai looked at Shu Wan Cheng, “Are you the Sect Master of Tian Luo Hall, Shu Wan Cheng?”
“Yes, I am the Sect Master!” Shu Wan Cheng acknowledged.
The words had only just left his mouth when he felt a strong burst of wind blowing at his face. Upon a closer look, he saw that Yang Kai, who was originally standing below him, had appeared not far in front of him at some point.
*Xiu…*
A clear sword cry rang out, followed by a flash of light as the two figures brushed past each other.
All the people in the Main Hall looked up in horror to see Yang Kai and Shu Wan Cheng standing back-to-back one metre apart. Shu Wan Cheng was standing frozen in place, as though somebody had cast a Binding Technique on him. On the other hand, Yang Kai slowly returned his sword to its sheath.
It was only at this moment that the blinding sword light slowly dissipated.
“You…” Shu Wan Cheng opened his mouth, but a line of blood seeped out from between his brow to the tip of his chin. Following a strange sound, his body split in half before both parts exploded out. Blood and organs scattered across the ground and a heavy stench of blood instantly permeated the air.
A series of shocked gasps rang out inside the Main Hall. Every single Tian Luo Hall Elder looked at Yang Kai in terror, urging their respective Spirit Qi so that they were prepared for anything at any time.
Shu Wan Cheng was dead! Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master was killed by Yang Kai in a single blow! And, they didn’t even manage to see how it had happened!
Shu Wan Cheng was Tian Luo Hall’s strongest Master. He was in the peak of the Earth Realm, only one step away from advancing into the Heaven Realm, yet such a Master had been split apart by a single sword strike as easily as if he was a chicken!
If Yang Kai were to attack any one of them, they would be powerless to fight back. The threat of death made all the hair on their bodies stand on end and chills ran up their spines. They never expected that this young man would be so ruthless as to kill somebody without a single word.
“Where is Tian Luo Hall’s Great Elder?” Yang Kai turned around and looked down at them.
Li Zheng Qing felt his heart clench up in fear. He instinctively wanted to run away, but he could clearly feel that a trace of the young man’s aura was locked firmly on him. If he acted rashly, he would immediately follow in Shu Wan Cheng’s footsteps; thus, he bit his lip and stepped forward, “This Old Master is Tian Luo Hall’s Great Elder. How may I help you?”
At this point, he could be certain that this person was not the Eldest Disciple of Void Spirit Sword Sect. That was because Yang Kai was only in the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm. However, the burst of power from this person just now was obviously higher than the Mortal Realm. He could not distinguish the specific strength of the other party’s cultivation because they had moved too quickly, but it was definitely above the Mortal Realm.
“Congratulations! From now on, you are the Sect Master of Tian Luo Hall!” Yang Kai grandly sat down on the seat that used to belong to Shu Wan Cheng and looked down at Li Zheng Qing standing below him.
Li Zheng Qing was speechless and did not know how to respond. Although he had been waiting for Shu Wan Cheng to die so that he could take the seat of Sect Master for himself, under these circumstances, he did not have the guts to take the seat of the Sect Master even if it was given freely to him.
“This place will be Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Tian Luo Hall Branch from today onward. You will remain as Tian Luo Hall Elders while everything about how the Sect is run will remain unchanged.” Yang Kai issued orders without regard for the others.
The Elders below looked at each other, completely clueless as to what Yang Kai was trying to do.
Li Zheng Qing steeled himself and asked, “May I know what your purpose is?”
“Purpose?” Yang Kai scratched his chin gruffly and replied, “Didn’t I tell you just now? Void Spirit Sword Sect is short of miners, so I want you to send some people over to help!”
“Is that all?” Li Zheng Qing stared at Yang Kai incredulously.
“What else did you think I would want?” Yang Kai looked back at Li Zheng Qing faintly.
Li Zheng Qing looked at the two halves of Shu Wan Cheng’s corpse on the ground and let out a long sigh. [The Sect Master truly died for no reason at all. He was killed just because of something as trivial as this.]
“If that’s all, then this Old Master can make the decision on his own and agree to your request. Tian Luo Hall has nearly 600 disciples, so mining the Black Jade mine will not be a problem.” [In any case, I just need to agree for now. As for the future, we will play it by the ear and see what happens.]
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded, “In addition, this King came here to bring you some small gifts. You can consider them as a welcome present for joining under Void Spirit Sword Sect’s banner.”
Saying so, Yang Kai reached into his pocket and took out a jade bottle. He opened the jade bottle and shot out several round objects with a flick of his hand. These objects flew towards each Elder with great precision.
Li Zheng Qing and the others stretched out their hands to catch the item only to see a light blue soybean-sized pill in their hands. Their expressions immediately tightened and they raised their heads and asked, “What is this?”
“Poison Pills!” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Even though Li Zheng Qing had prior speculations in his heart, his eyes still twitched when Yang Kai openly admitted the truth.
“You don’t need to worry about what kind of Poison Pill it is; all you need to know is that you will need to consume the antidote once every month; otherwise, you will suffer pain as though thousands of ants are biting your heart and your meridians are shattering. It is truly a feeling worse than being burned to death!”
With Yang Kai’s attainments in the Alchemic Dao, refining something like this was extremely easy for him. He had casually procured some herbs in the local city at the foot of the mountain and refined these Poison Pills. He was currently in urgent need of manpower, but he had no time to make others truly submit to him; therefore, he could only use such methods. Such tactics might be considered despicable, but its advantage lay in the simplicity and convenience.
Li Zheng Qing suppressed his anger and glared at Yang Kai, “Is this the small gift you brought for us?”
“Is it not to your liking, Sect Master?” Yang Kai asked.
Li Zheng Qing suppressed his anger as he yelled in his heart, [Who in the world will like something like this!?]
“Go on! Eat! Why are you not eating? Not eating would be disrespectful! Disrespecting me will not lead to a good ending!” Yang Kai stabbed the True Void Sword into the ground in front of him and his expression darkened.
“You can keep something like that and eat it yourself! Kill him!” All of a sudden, a furious roar rang out. Two figures flew out from the left and the right without warning, almost as though their actions were discussed in advance. The Spirit Qi in their bodies surged violently. One person wielded a dagger while the other was bare-fisted. They came at Yang Kai from both sides in a pincer attack.
Shu Wan Cheng had managed Tian Luo Hall for many years, so he was bound to have a few loyal subordinates. That was the case for the two Elders who lunged at Yang Kai. When Shu Wan Cheng was killed just now, they had failed to react and didn’t even have the time to rescue him; however, their patience ran dry when Yang Kai forced them to consume this Poison Pill and they immediately leapt forward.
The Sword Qi on the dagger was impressive, causing it to gleam with a dazzling light. It was obvious that this dagger was an extraordinary Earth Armament. Meanwhile, the other person’s swinging fists flushed red like a red-hot iron. It was obvious that he had pushed his Spirit Qi to its limits with some kind of Secret Technique.
Yang Kai sat in the main seat, a trace of mockery flashing through his eyes at the sight. His sword slid out of its sheath with a loud clang. When the sword halo flowed out, he slashed at the person wielding the dagger. He simultaneously clenched his free hand into a fist and punched out at the other person.
*Dang…*
A crisp sound rang out and blood splashed in all directions. The victor was determined in that moment of confrontation.
The dagger-wielding Elder had fallen to one knee on the ground, staring at the broken armament in his hand, he widened his eyes in shock and exclaimed, “How… is this possible!?”
His dagger was an Earth Armament that had taken a lot of resources for him to hire somebody to refine. It was no Heaven Armament, but it was not that inferior in terms of quality. Even so, his dagger had been cut in two in a single blow. Furthermore, the cut was so clean that it was almost like a piece of tofu that had been sliced with a sharp knife.
He looked up and saw a glowing sword radiating an overwhelming aura pointed directly at him, a drop of blood dripping from its tip.
“Spirit Armament!” The dagger-wielding Elder’s eyes widened in astonishment. [No wonder my Earth Armament was so fragile in comparison! He is wielding a Spirit Armament!]
A dense and heavy darkness loomed over him in the next instant and he collapsed to the ground head-first. Blood gushed out of the wound in his chest and his vitality swiftly dissipated.
On the other hand, the other Elder who lunged forward at the same time was being lifted into the air by the neck by Yang Kai with one hand. His crimson fists were a bloody mess and his arms simply hung weakly by his sides.
Yang Kai remained seated in the head seat, almost as though he had not moved from the spot at all. He slowly increased the strength in his grip as he spoke, “I like stubborn people like you. The sound they make when I crush them gives a very satisfying crunch!”
The Elder who was being held by the neck struggled with all his might, but he could not break free from Yang Kai’s iron grip. A gurgling noise bubbled up endlessly from his throat.
*Kacha…*
There was a loud crack, and the Elder’s head tilted to the side, his aura vanishing in the next instant.
Yang Kai tossed the corpse in his hand to the ground and looked down coldly at the others, “You can all come at me together. I’ll admit that you’re capable if you can kill this King!”
The Elders who were eager to take action earlier were now drenched in a cold sweat. They stared up at the young man above them as though they were looking at a ghost.
They had failed to see what happened when Shu Wan Cheng was killed; hence, they suspected that the Sect Master’s death was due to a sneak attack. They did not have a precise understanding of Yang Kai’s power at the time, and it was not until the two Elders working together had been killed just now that they finally realised the truth. The sword in Yang Kai’s hands was a Spirit Armament! If their guess was correct, that was the True Void Sword replica left behind by the True Void Sword Lord!
A single Spirit Armament was not enough to shock them to their core, but in the end, a Spirit Armament was just an external object. It was not enough to represent the wielder’s true strength. It could be said that the dagger-wielding Fourth Elder had been killed because his weapon was inferior to his enemy’s. His death was unfair.
However, the Fifth Elder’s death was a testament to the young man’s true strength! The Fifth Elder was a Sixth-Step Earth Realm Master, but in a head-on clash of fists, he couldn’t even make that young man rise from his seat!
[Could this person be in the Heaven Realm!?] The Elders immediately despaired as soon as that thought crossed their minds. They originally had their own thoughts and agendas, but all their plans dissipated in that moment. In front of a Heaven Realm Master, they were nothing more than ants.
Great Elder Li Zheng Qing was the first person to return to his senses. Stuffing the Poison Pill in his hand into his mouth, he swallowed hard and cupped his fist, “Tian Luo Hall will obey you from today onward, Sir! As long as you have orders, Tian Luo Hall will not disobey!”
It was not until this moment that the rest of them reacted. They swallowed the Poison Pills at the speed of lightning to profess their surrender.
Yang Kai smiled brightly, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances. You will not regret the choice you made today.”
What came next was simple. Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master and two Elders had died at Yang Kai’s hands. In addition to Zhan Bo Xiong who was killed previously, only six Elders remained from the original nine. Great Elder Li Zheng Qing took over as Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master, and Tian Luo Hall became a branch of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
The turbulent changes at the top had little effect on the disciples below them. Li Zheng Qing announced to the public that the Sect Master, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder lost their lives due to dissonance in their cultivation. Although the disciples had some doubts in their hearts, they could only accept what they were told.
A mighty procession consisting of hundreds of disciples then marched towards Void Spirit Sword Sect under the leadership of the Elders, ready to help Yang Kai with mining the Black Jade lode.
Meanwhile, Li Zheng Qing brought Yang Kai on a tour of Tian Luo Hall’s storehouses to report on the assets and the industries under Tian Luo Hall’s name.
Yang Kai was not too interested in such matters. On the contrary, he was extremely interested in the items inside Tian Luo Hall’s storehouses. After refining the Sword Qi in the True Void Sword, his cultivation had advanced from the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm to the First-Step Earth Realm in one go, but he was now short on cultivation resources. That was why he came here to obtain the necessary manpower for mining.
Unfortunately, mining the Black Jade mine would not produce results in a short time. Conversely, the items inside Tian Luo Hall’s storehouse would solve his immediate needs.
“Enough. Everything in Tian Luo Hall will remain unchanged. You can take care of it yourself. I’m going to cultivate in retreat for a while. Just send three meals a day to me.” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively and interrupted Li Zheng Qing’s endless chatter.
This old man was very perceptive, and his ability to jump onto the bandwagon was quite amazing. Since surrendering to Yang Kai, his attitude quickly changed accordingly.
“Sir, are you going to enter retreat here?” Li Zheng Qing was slightly taken aback, “Do you need this Old Master to find you a secluded room?”
“No need. It’s a pain to move around.” Yang Kai waved Li Zheng Qing away.
“In that case, this Old Master will take his leave.” Li Zheng Qing said nothing more and left respectfully.
When the door to the storehouse closed tightly, the light inside became dim. Fortunately, various stones that glowed in the dark were placed around the interior of the storehouse, so it was not completely pitch-black.
Yang Kai took out the many pills stored in the storehouse and sat on top of a huge pile of White Jades.
Tian Luo Hall’s financial resources were undoubtedly many times greater than those of Void Spirit Sword Sect. When Yang Kai emptied out the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect’s storehouse back then, he only managed to procure slightly more than 2,000 White Jades. He didn’t even see a single piece of Black Jade.
In contrast, Tian Luo Hall’s storehouse had nearly 20,000 White Jades as well as several hundred Black Jades. On top of that, there were about 300 bottles of different pills.
[So many resources! I wonder how far my cultivation will increase with these!]
Be that as it may, he had already reached the Earth Realm, so his need for cultivation resources was also greater now.
Yang Kai opened several bottles of pills and swallowed them whole. After that, he grabbed a handful of White Jades with both hands. Just as he was about to circulate the Void Spirit Art though, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
The Void Spirit Art could be considered a fairly impressive Secret Art in the Divine Armament World; if not, the True Void Sword Lord would not have been born in the past. As long as one cultivated steadily and had enough aptitude and resources, advancing into the Spirit Realm was not an issue.
There were two reasons as to why Void Spirit Sword Sect consisted of just a few mediocre disciples. The first was that their aptitude was insufficient, but the second and more important one was that they lacked adequate resources. If they had enough resources, Void Spirit Sword Sect would definitely be much stronger than it currently was.
Besides, the current Void Spirit Art had been modified by Yang Kai, resulting in its efficiency rising by some 30% compared to the original. But, no matter how extraordinary it was, it was still just a Secret Art from the Divine Armament World. It was unable to break free from the shackles of the Divine Armament World.
Yang Kai had been travelling across many Worlds for hundreds of years, and during that time, he killed countless enemies and plundered countless Secret Arts. Naturally, he had Secret Arts that were much more powerful than the Void Spirit Art.
[Perhaps… I can try using a different Secret Art to cultivate.] While considering all this, a certain Heaven-defying Secret Art suddenly leapt into his mind!
Yang Kai might have collected countless Secret Arts, but if he was honest, he never came across another Secret Art that was more amazing than this particular one. It was just that cultivating this Secret Art came with severe drawbacks, which was why he never tried it before even though he had mastered it long ago.
[I might be able to try and study the mysteries of this Secret Art inside the Divine Armament World! This place is a Small Source World after all, so even if something goes wrong, it won’t affect my true body too much.]
After various considerations, Yang Kai quickly made up his mind. This was a great opportunity and it would be such a waste to let it simply slip through his fingers.
Taking a shallow breath, he activated the Spirit Qi in his body and modified its circulation route to activate the most profound Secret Art he knew, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
In an instant, Yang Kai felt as though his body had turned into a bottomless pit. The Spirit Qi contained in the White Jades poured into his body at a terrifying speed and even the medicinal efficacies from the pills he previously consumed quickly dissolved into his body and seeped into his internal organs.
He was absolutely astonished and nearly stopped circulating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law as a result.
This was the first time Yang Kai had personally cultivated this strange Secret Art. Although he received the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the past, he only allowed his Embodiment to cultivate this Secret Art. He had never tried it for himself before.
Following a series of coincidental encounters, Yang Kai later learned that not cultivating this Secret Art had been the right choice.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law mainly worked by refining the energy of all things in the world for one’s own use; hence, the Secret Art could turn absolutely anything into a cultivation resource. Naturally, the benefits were extremely high. However, by using this Secret Art, a cultivator would refine both the good and the bad into his body, which would cause indelible damage to himself unless he could find a method to expel the massive amount of impurities this resulted in.
The Embodiment had the body of a Stone Spirit Clansman, so he had the innate ability to expel all forms of impurities. That was why he did not suffer any drawbacks from cultivating this Secret Art. It could be said that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was perfectly suited for the Stone Spirit Clan.
Yang Kai did not know how Wu Kuang resolved this drawback, but he was certain he had some method.
Now that Yang Kai was properly using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law for the first time, he discovered that this Secret Art’s speed of refining was absolutely insane. The efficiency was not just several times greater than the Void Spirit Art, it could be said to be over 100 times more effective.
The light of the White Jades in his hand dimmed at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. As the Spirit Qi faded away, the medicinal efficacies from the pills in his stomach were simultaneously refined cleanly. That was not all though as even the Spirit Qi of the White Jades and the Black Jades around him surged madly and poured towards his body under the guiding force of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
In less than three days, the energy contained within the White Jades and the Black Jades surrounding Yang Kai was completely exhausted. The Spirit Jades turned into dull and dim waste as a result. That was not all. Over two hundred bottles of pills had also been cleanly devoured by him.
In exchange, his cultivation rose from the First-Step Earth Realm to the Third-Step Earth Realm.
This outcome surprised him. He originally thought that he could increase his cultivation by five or six Minor Realms with so many cultivation resources, but in the end, he was unable to continue after reaching the Third-Step Earth Realm.
There were many reasons for this outcome.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was powerful indeed. As soon as Yang Kai activated this Evil Art, his body would turn into a bottomless hole that refined all the energy in the world for his own use; however, his body was unable to withstand the burden.
It would not have been a problem for his Sixth-Step Open Heaven Realm body, but in the Divine Armament World, he was just a trivial Earth Realm Master. His body was unable to digest the enormous amount of power pouring into his body in such a short period of time.
Some of the energy was inadvertently wasted, but a larger portion of the energy was diverted to temper the physical quality of his body. That was why his cultivation only increased from the First-Step Earth Realm to the Third-Step Earth Realm.
With the improvement of his physique, his Dragon Vein was further stimulated. In turn, the power of his Dragon Vein further enhanced his physical quality…
It was worth the effort and sacrifice.
However, the improved strength of his physical body resulted in him needing more energy than ordinary to advance to the next Realm.
On another note, Yang Kai was starting to feel the drawbacks of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Most people would suffer from a weak foundation if their cultivation improved too quickly, and a weak foundation would put them at risk of experiencing cultivation dissonance one day. Fortunately, he did not have such worries. His original cultivation was in the Sixth-Step Open Heaven Realm after all, so there was nothing to worry about since his comprehension and consolidation were already far above the mere Earth Realm. This was a drawback he could ignore.
The more serious drawback was that the energy devoured by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was very complex and filled with impurities. This Secret Art was meant to devour all the energy in the world for one’s own use, but it did not differentiate between what energy was useful and what was harmful, everything was simply devoured altogether.
Although he only started cultivating this Secret Art, he was already feeling the effects of this drawback.
Surprisingly, the power of his Dragon Vein was slowly removing the impurities in his body and refining it into pure, useful energy.
A sudden understanding washed over Yang Kai. It would seem that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could be cultivated as long as the impurities drawn into the body could be purged.
[I’m not sure if I can do that when I return to the 3,000 Worlds. If it’s possible, then my speed when refining large amounts of cultivation resources will be increased significantly. I should find an opportunity to experiment in the future.]
Tian Luo Hall’s storehouse had now been emptied. There were a few remaining items that were valuable, but they were not beneficial for cultivation; thus, Yang Kai stood up and walked out the door.
A familiar figure stood outside the door, and when she heard movement, she quickly turned around and exclaimed in a mixture of shock and wonder, “Eldest Senior Brother, you really are here!”
The person who came was his Little Junior Sister Wan Ying Ying.
The newly-appointed Palace Master, Li Zheng Qing stood nearby and smiled when he heard those words, “Sir, Young Lady Ying Ying came here to look for you, so this Old Master told her you were cultivating in retreat inside. Unfortunately, she did not believe this Old Master and nearly resorted to violence.”
He turned to look at Wan Ying Ying, “How is it, Young Lady Ying Ying? This Old Master did not deceive you, right?”
A look of shame appeared on Wan Ying Ying’s face for a moment, but her embarrassment was quickly tossed to the back of her mind as she began shouting, “Eldest Senior Brother, what happened!? Yesterday, many people from Tian Luo Hall came to the Sect to help with mining the Black Jade mine. Moreover, they claimed that you sent them there. Sect Master and the two Elders didn’t know whether it was true or not…”
Yang Kai raised a hand and rubbed her head with a smile, “It’s true, I sent them over. En… Things happened so quickly that I didn’t have the time to report to Honoured Master. Come, let’s go back home. I’ll explain the situation to Honoured Master and the two Elders myself.” Turning around, he instructed Li Zheng Qing, “Prepare the horses!”
Li Zheng Qing quickly left to carry out his orders.
Wan Ying Ying couldn’t help feeling like she was in a dream when she saw Tian Luo Hall’s newly-appointed Palace Master acting so respectfully and deferentially to her Eldest Senior Brother.
Soon, Li Zheng Qing personally led two horses over, and a short while later, Yang Kai and Wan Ying Ying headed straight for the mountain gates of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Meanwhile, Li Zheng Qing watched Yang Kai’s departure and secretly wiped away his cold sweat. When he turned around to check on the situation inside the storehouse, his vision turned dark and he nearly fainted at the sight.
Half a day later, Yang Kai and Wan Ying Ying returned to the Master Sect. They went straight to the Main Conference Hall to meet Su Chang Fa and the two Elders.
To their surprise, they saw many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters gathered outside the hall in extreme wariness. They gave off the air of those preparing to give up their lives for their cause.
On the other hand, an elderly man stood outside the Main Hall with a bitter smile. He was all alone and looked to be in a rather awkward position.
Upon hearing movement, the elderly man turned around to look and immediately reacted as though he saw the arrival of his saviour. He stepped forward to greet Yang Kai, “Sir, you’re finally here!”
This elderly man was Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai’s expression darkened. No matter how he looked at the situation, it seemed as though Void Spirit Sword Sect was prepared for battle.
The Second Elder wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead and laughed dryly, “Sir, please understand. Your Sect seems to believe that this Old Master is here to harm them, so they got into formation to stop us.”
Yang Kai was speechless, “Didn’t you explain the situation to them?”
The corners of the Second Elder’s brow twitched, “I did! But, they don’t believe me! They stubbornly claim that this Old Master is up to no good. In order to appease your Sect’s disciples, this Old Master doesn’t even dare to let a single servant remain by my side; however, they are still on guard.”
Yang Kai immediately understood the situation; after all, Tian Luo Hall’s Third Elder was killed here no more than a few days ago. Anybody would assume that the Second Elder was here for revenge when he suddenly brought several hundred people here for no apparent reason.
As for something as absurd as Tian Luo Hall submitting to Void Spirit Sword Sect, how could Su Chang Fa believe such words? If he didn’t even have this bit of common sense after living for such a long time, then he would have been swallowed whole by others a long time ago.
Therefore, this incident was not the fault of Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder.
Yang Kai patted the Second Elder on the shoulder and said, “Wait here. I’ll go in and talk to Honoured Master.”
The Second Elder nodded in response.
“Eldest Senior Brother!” When Yang Kai strode forward, a group of Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters respectfully cupped their fists in greeting. Although they were curious as to why their Eldest Senior Brother was on such friendly terms with Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder, they did not ask any questions. Ever since Yang Kai turned the tides and rescued the Sect from disaster, his position as the Eldest Senior Brother in their hearts had been elevated to an unreachable level.
“You’ve all worked hard!” Yang Kai responded and continued forward along the path they opened up for him.
A short while later, he entered the Main Hall and explained the situation to Su Chang Fa and the two Elders…
Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu were utterly dumbfounded by what they just heard!
What happened over the past few days was too ridiculous to believe. When Yang Kai resolved the annihilation crisis looming over the Sect, it was still possible to explain that incident away by saying that the Ancestor had shown himself and bequeathed his legacy upon his descendent. But now, Tian Luo Hall had surrendered and became Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Tian Luo Hall Branch!?
“So, you’re saying that Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder was not joking?” Su Chang Fa asked with a little uncertainty.
Yang Kai replied, “How could he joke around about something like this? Rest assured, Honoured Master. The entire Tian Luo Hall is now under my control. Don’t we lack the manpower to mine the Black Jade lode? That’s why this Disciple took it upon himself to let them mine the Black Jade for us.”
Gu Kang Ning said, “And, Shu Wan Cheng agreed to cooperate so easily? He is not such an easy-going person.”
“I didn’t ask him. I made an example of him by killing him!” Yang Kai declared with a calm and relaxed expression.
Hong Xiu was flabbergasted, “Shu Wan Cheng is in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm! How can you possibly kill him!?” All of a sudden, she seemed to recall something, “Did you use the True Void Sword Qi again!?”
“You’re worrying too much, Second Elder. The True Void Sword Qi is an ultimate weapon, how could I possibly waste something like that on trash? This Disciple killed Shu Wan Cheng with his own abilities. En… I’ve already inquired around previously. Shu Wan Cheng has done many atrocious things in his life, so his death isn’t worth pitying! At the moment, Tian Luo Hall’s Palace Master is Li Zheng Qing.”
Su Chang Fa and the others looked at each other and wondered, [If a Ninth-Step Earth Realm Master like Shu Wan Cheng is trash, then what does that make us?]
Although they did not dare to believe what Yang Kai was telling them, there was no other reasonable explanation for the situation in front of them. When several hundred people from Tian Luo Hall came marching here yesterday, they thought that death was inevitable.
Who could have known that the other party would plunge directly into the Ash Mountain and leave only the Second Elder to communicate with them? Even so, Void Spirit Sword Sect was powerless against the other party.
Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder was an Eighth-Step Earth Realm Master after all. If he wanted to harm Void Spirit Sword Sect, he would have taken action a long time ago!
Seeing that Su Chang Fa and the others were still doubtful of the truth, Yang Kai turned his head to the side and called out, “Hey, you! The one standing outside! Come inside and explain!”
Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder… Actually, he should be regarded as the Great Elder now; Li Zheng Qing had taken over as the Palace Master, so the Second Elder would naturally be promoted too. It was just that Yang Kai was uncertain how to address him and had not bothered to ask clearly either.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s shout, the elderly man hurriedly walked in with a deep bow and an ingratiating smile, “Sir, this Old Master is Shi Ming Hui. What orders do you have for me?”
Seeing his grovelling attitude made Su Chang Fa and the others’ eyes bulge in shock.
This man was an Eighth-Step Earth Realm Master! Eighth-Step Earth Realm Masters rarely even bothered to glance at a person below them under normal circumstances. When had they ever behaved so obsequiously before?
“Tell my Honoured Master about the current situation in Tian Luo Hall.” Yang Kai instructed.
“Yes!” Shi Ming Hui responded before he turned to face Su Chang Fa and the two Elders sitting in the hall. Then, he spoke righteously, “The entire Tian Luo Hall admires Sir for his great character and virtue; therefore, we decided to make a change and show our proper respect to him. From now onward, we will serve under him, come Hell or high water!”
Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction and waved Shi Ming Hui away, “You can go now.”
“Yes!” Shi Ming Hui retreated respectfully.
Meanwhile, Su Chang Fa and the two Elders stared down at Yang Kai from above with very complicated gazes. They seemed to have aged considerably in the blink of an eye, but they were mostly filled with excitement and gratification.
After a long while, Su Chang Fa finally said, “Child, I’m not going to ask you how you did all of this. Since the Ancestor passed his Legacy Inheritance down to you, it can only mean that you are the future hope of Void Spirit Sword Sect. It would now seem that the Ancestor has very good eyes. Even so, you need to be more careful. Tian Luo Hall is… much stronger than us after all. If you are not careful, you may get burned.”
“This Disciple understands. Please don’t worry, Honoured Master,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly.
“I’ll leave the matters regarding the Black Jade mine to you then,” Su Chang Fa waved his hand to dismiss Yang Kai. It could be seen that the incidents today had been a huge shock to him. He needed some time to digest the overwhelming information he received today.