Half a day later, Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion. In the end, he still did not learn anything about his white flame.
Sect Master Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders definitely knew something, but they were clearly hesitating to answer his questions. Perhaps they were worried that Yang Kai was too young and inexperienced to learn the truth.
In any case, they did not tell him much. They simply explained that the white flame was not an ordinary Alchemy Flame and could not be classified using the standard Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit Grades. Moreover, the white flame supposedly had a very long history.
They also warned him to use the Alchemy Flame with caution and pay attention to any changes in case anything went wrong.
Their attitude towards the white flame was very odd. It was a mixture of longing, wariness, and awe.
Since they refused to say anything, Yang Kai did not inquire any further. His questions would not be answered anyway. At the moment, he was more concerned about the voice that he randomly mentioned…
He initially wanted to push all the responsibility on his fake Master, but who could have known that the ‘voice’ would actually exist?
At this point, Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He could not shake the feeling that he shared an inexplicable fate with Profound Pill Sect.
Back then, he randomly came up with a fabricated Master only for Gao Xin Peng to misunderstand the situation and ultimately introduce him into Profound Pill Sect. And now, the random voice he created turned out to be connected to some sort of grand existence.
Judging by the attitudes of Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders, the true body that produced the voice was likely an extraordinary object indeed.
What’s more, at present, there was certainly something absolutely incredible in Profound Pill Sect! Yang Kai had a slight guess in his heart, so he couldn’t help looking forward to the experience.
The next day, the one-eyed old man in the Spirit Realm, who had come previously, arrived outside the Fixed Moon Peak cave mansion once more. As soon as he saw Yang Kai, he immediately pushed his Spirit Qi, wrapped Yang Kai in it, and took to the sky.
By the time they landed, they had arrived in a quiet valley where an old man stood in front of them. It was Profound Pill Sect’s Sect Master, Baili Yun Sang. However, he was alone this time. The two other Elders from yesterday were nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai stepped forward in greeting.
Baili Yun Sang nodded, “Come with me.”
After saying so, Baili Yun Sang took the lead and Yang Kai quickly followed closely behind. As they moved forward, they passed through multiple checkpoints and barriers.
Along the way, Yang Kai sensed countless Spirit Realm Masters hidden in the shadows all around them, all of them vigilantly scanning the surroundings. The perception of these Spirit Realm Masters locked firmly on his body when he walked past them with Baili Yun Sang, making Yang Kai feel as though he was being pricked by thorns.
“This is the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect. Only this Sect Master and a few other Elders are allowed to enter this place. Anybody else who wishes to enter this place will need to spend a large amount of contribution points to gain access. In addition, they will need to pass an inspection to ensure that they are absolutely loyal to Profound Pill Sect before they are allowed to enter.” Baili Yun Sang explained while moving forward, “Do you feel anything?”
Baili Yun Sang’s question came out of nowhere. Yang Kai shook his head in response, “Reporting to Sect Master, I don’t feel anything in particular.”
Baili Yun Sang was not bothered by the answer he received and simply continued moving forward.
A short while later, Yang Kai sensed that he had followed Baili Yun Sang into the belly of a mountain. His vision suddenly brightened when he reached this place. There was a large cavern in the heart of the mountain, and the cavern was filled with a gentle light that illuminated the whole place.
Yang Kai’s gaze was instantly drawn towards an object in front of him.
Not far away was a structure shaped like an altar, and an antique four-legged cauldron sat atop it. The cauldron was approximately half the height of a man and it could be seen at a glance that it was extremely old. There were clear traces caused by the passage of time covering the entire cauldron.
The cauldron was also filled with a dense white fog which flowed out gently, like a trickling stream of water, filling the entire space with a strange power. Under the effects of this strange power, Yang Kai felt his mind becoming calm and peaceful. Even his Soul reached an unprecedented point of clarity.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt a stroke of inspiration and suddenly straightened his finger like a sword and turned around to face the cave wall. Activating his Spirit Qi, he began scribbling something on the wall.
Baili Yun Sang was startled by Yang Kai’s abrupt actions. He did not know what kind of frenzy had come over this boy, but just as he was about to stop him, his expression changed slightly. He seemed to realise something and hurriedly fell silent while paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements instead.
A rustling and scraping sound filled the air. This place might be a Restricted Area, but the large cauldron was the only item of value in this place. The other caverns and altars simply contained normal objects. Thanks to Yang Kai’s actions, row after row of densely-packed words appeared on the cave wall. In exchange, a thick layer of dust quickly settled around his feet.
The entire process continued for half an incense stick’s worth of time. Then, he suddenly groaned and clutched at his head. His strange movements from before stopped abruptly.
Baili Yun Sang walked over to Yang Kai’s side and stared at the words written on the cave wall with glowing eyes. His expression was filled with pure excitement, and he murmured under his breath, “Incredible! How incredible!”
“Sect Master…” Yang Kai shook his head slightly before he turned around and called out.
“Oh! Are you all right?” Only then did Baili Yun Sang remember to check on Yang Kai’s condition.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine. Sect Master, what… What happened?”
Baili Yun Sang smiled at Yang Kai, “Don’t you remember what you did?”
Yang Kai stared at the words carved on the cave wall and dazedly said, “I’m not too sure myself. It was as if something suddenly exploded in my head and I received this knowledge for some reason. I was afraid I might forget, so I quickly wrote it down. If I made a mistake, please punish me, Sect Master!”
“You did well. You didn’t make any mistakes. You did extremely well!” Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai emotionally before he turned back to look at the wall, “This is a pill recipe. Do you know what pill recipe this is for?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “It should be the pill recipe for something called the Mortal Yuan Pill. This pill will be extremely beneficial towards those in the Mortal Realm once refined.” After saying that, he seemed shocked, “That’s strange. Why would I know this? I’ve never learned this pill recipe before…”
Baili Yun Sang patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Don’t panic. This is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a blessing! As for why you know this… Think carefully about what happened just now.”
Yang Kai put on a thoughtful expression. A moment later, he replied, “After following Sect Master here, I saw the large cauldron over there and subsequently heard a bang in my head. Then… Could it be that all of this is related to that explosion?”
Baili Yun Sang said, “This Old Master did not hear any explosions. I don’t know what it sounded like either. Think about it carefully; have you ever heard that sound anywhere else before?”
Yang Kai was pensive, “It’s similar to the voice I heard back at Fixed Moon Peak, but much louder and clearer!”
“En,” Baili Yun Sang nodded and pointed to the large cauldron, “That is the source of the voice you heard earlier!”
Yang Kai looked in that direction and asked puzzledly, “Sect Master, what is that cauldron?”
“That cauldron…” Baili Yun Sang’s expression turned solemn and he bowed deeply to the large cauldron quickly explaining, “That is one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments, the Medicine King Furnace!”
Yang Kai was shocked, “This is the Medicine King Furnace!?”
“Indeed!” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
“Unbelievable!” Yang Kai stared at the Medicine King Furnace blankly, “I thought…”
“Thought what? That the Divine Armaments should be sparkling and radiant?” Baili Yun Sang chuckled, “Each of the Ten Great Divine Armaments represents a Grand Dao of this World. They might not have a gorgeous appearance, but they are undoubtedly the most valuable objects in the Divine Armament World.”
“This Disciple has been enlightened!”
Looking at the Medicine King Furnace, Baili Yun Sang sighed slightly, “Do you know why this Old Master brought you here?”
Yang Kai shook his head.
“Logically speaking, a Heaven Grade Alchemist like you who recently joined the Sect would never obtain the qualifications to come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace. Just as this Old Master told you earlier, this place is Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area. Only this Old Master and several Elders are allowed to step into this place. Aside from that, other disciples not only have to spend a large amount of contribution points but also show absolute loyalty to the Sect in order to enter this place and explore its mysteries.”
“Mysteries?” Yang Kai keenly grasped onto the key point.
Baili Yun Sang nodded his head with a solemn expression, “Yes, mysteries. The mysteries of the Grand Alchemic Dao. Each of the Ten Great Divine Armaments represents a Grand Dao of this World, and the Medicine King Furnace represents the Alchemic Dao! There are countless Alchemic Dao Truths contained within the Medicine King Furnace. If you can glimpse just one of the mysteries within, you will benefit endlessly throughout your life.”
Pausing for a moment, he smiled at Yang Kai, “That faint voice you heard is the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone! This Old Master will hear that voice occasionally, but it has always been vague and indistinct. I’ve never received as much benefit as you have.”
Yang Kai looked stunned, “So you’re saying that I managed to improve the pill recipe of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill thanks to the Medicine King Furnace, and not because my memories of being taught by Honoured Master had resurfaced… And, that pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill…”
“En!” Baili Yun Sang stroked his beard and looked at Yang Kai in delight, “Your residence on Fixed Moon Peak is quite far from here. Not to mention, there are various defences in place to protect this area. Nevertheless, that did not stop you from hearing the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. That must mean that you have a connection with the Medicine King Furnace. For that reason, this Old Master made an exception to bring you here. Judging from the situation, it was a wise move. You immediately received the teachings of the Medicine King Furnace and obtained the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pills as soon as you arrived. If you stay here for the long term, your harvest will only be even greater!”
Yang Kai was taken aback by those words, but rather than happiness, he felt dread, [If I stay here for the long-term, then won’t I just be wasting my time here!?]
When he saw the Medicine King Furnace earlier, he confirmed his previous speculation. Baili Yun Sang and the others believed that the voice he randomly made up yesterday was related to the Medicine King Furnace. It was just that he never imagined things would coincidentally fall into place so perfectly.
Baili Yun Sang was apparently also capable of hearing the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. It was just that the voice he heard was rather ethereal, so he did not benefit much from it.
But, the mysterious voice really existed.
That was why Yang Kai immediately pretended to feel a headache and write down the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill when he caught sight of the Medicine King Furnace… Having mastered countless pill recipes, producing a pill recipe that did not exist in the Divine Armament World was very easy for him. The Mortal Yuan Pill was simply more nonsense that he created.
“Although I don’t know the reason why, this is Heaven’s Will. I can only obey. From today onward, you will live here and comprehend the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace. Don’t worry about the affairs regarding the Seeking Pill Pavilion. This Old Master will help you make arrangements!”
If it was said that Baili Yun Sang had some doubts about Yang Kai’s explanation yesterday, then it could be said that his doubts immediately vanished after seeing the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill. How could Yang Kai have comprehended a pill recipe out of nowhere if not for the teachings of the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone? Even if it was only a pill recipe for a Mortal Grade pill, it was not something that could be created on the spot. It would take a considerable amount of time and countless Alchemy experiments to create even the simplest of pill recipes.
Baili Yun Sang himself was one of the best Alchemists in the Divine Armament World, but even with his knowledge and experience, he had never seen or heard of the Mortal Yuan Pill before. It could only be said that the Divine Armament had shown its prestige and passed down its legacy to its disciples.
Seeing as Yang Kai received such a huge reward the moment he came here, his gains would only be greater if he could stay here for a longer period. That was extremely beneficial to Profound Pill Sect.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was secretly cursing in his heart, [Damn it! Where will I find cultivation resources if I get trapped in here for a long time!?]
Providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion was his biggest means for gathering resources at the moment. If he could no longer guarantee even that, then his cultivation would surely progress very slowly. There was no saying when he would finally advance into the Spirit Realm at this rate. Besides, he had too many secrets and there was a huge risk of exposure if he stayed here for a long time.
Nevertheless, he could not deny having a great interest in the Medicine King Furnace. If he guessed correctly, then the Ten Great Divine Armaments were the manifestation of the Divine Armament World’s World Force. The reason he came here was to refine part of the Small Source World’s Source Strength, thereby enhancing the heritage of his Small Universe.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he quickly said, “I can’t, Sect Master.”
Baili Yun Sang frowned and asked, “Why not? Do you feel that your freedom is being restricted in coming here? If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry too much. From today onward, you will have free access to this Restricted Area. This Old Master will also issue an order to inform the guards outside about this matter. You should know that this is a monumental opportunity for you.”
“This Disciple is grateful for your kindness, Sect Master.” Yang Kai cupped his fist solemnly, “Truthfully, Sect Master, even though this Disciple obtained the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill after that voice exploded in my head earlier, this Disciple feels as though my head is about to split apart right now. There are stars dancing in my vision and I have the feeling that something extremely bad will happen if I continue to stay here.”
Baili Yun Sang was stunned when he heard the words. Although he could hear the Medicine King Furnace’s voice, what he heard was like a vague whisper. As such, he could not determine whether Yang Kai was speaking the truth; however, looking at Yang Kai’s pale complexion and excessive sweating, those words did not seem to be fake. He contemplated for a short while before he nodded, “Perhaps this Old Master has been too eager for quick success. The Medicine King Furnace is a Divine Object, so with your cultivation, it is certainly not something you can come into contact with for extended periods of time.”
After pondering for some time, he finally added, “In that case, this Old Master will give you the right to freely access the Restricted Area. You can come and listen to the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone whenever you think it is suitable. If you obtain any gains from your experience, organise your findings and hand them to this Old Master.”
“I will obey your orders, Sect Master!” Yang Kai hurriedly cupped his fist. This outcome was undoubtedly the best he could hope for. He could come and go as he pleased; thus, it would not prevent him from providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
“Rest assured. Your contribution to the Main Sect will not go unrewarded. This Old Master will ask the Contribution Hall to evaluate every single harvest that you obtain in this place and reward you with the corresponding contribution points. Although you only joined the Sect recently, I’m sure you know that having more contribution points is a good thing. You can exchange for anything that you want with those contribution points.”
“This Disciple understands. Many thanks for your great benevolence, Sect Master,” Yang Kai looked calm on the surface, but he was dancing with joy in his heart. The problem regarding his contribution points had been solved. Having countless pill recipes in his head, he could just randomly pick one from his repertoire and earn massive amounts of contribution points.
“Let’s end things here today. If you feel unwell, you should go back and take a good rest. Also, don’t forget to organise and hand over the improved pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill as well as some of the Alchemy Techniques that you displayed yesterday.”
“Yes!”
Not long after their return from the Restricted Area, the one-eyed old man came over once more. This time around, he handed a golden token to Yang Kai. There was a large ‘Profound’ character carved on the token! Yang Kai had seen this token yesterday as Great Elder Wu Feng Hua and Third Elder Yu Bo Yang both carried similar ones.
The old man had a strange expression on his face when he handed the token to Yang Kai. It was obviously his first time seeing a Heaven Grade Alchemist receiving an Elder’s token. Be that as it may, he had always been a taciturn man so he did not ask a single question despite his curiosity.
With this token, Yang Kai was free to come and go from the Restricted Area as he pleased. Although he wanted to examine the Medicine King Furnace as soon as possible, he felt that it was best not to act too eager so as not to reveal any mistakes.
In the following days, in addition to providing Alchemy services to cultivation resources, Yang Kai also sorted out the improved pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and some of the Alchemy Techniques that he displayed previously. Then, he went to Profound Pill Sect’s Contribution Hall to turn these things over to the Sect.
It was obvious that the people at the Contribution Hall had received the news in advance. One of the Elders in charge of the Contribution Hall personally examined the things that Yang Kai brought, and not only was he full of praise, he also awarded Yang Kai with a large amount of contribution points.
The number of contribution points awarded was so large that even Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised. If this happened another two more times, he would have enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
A few more days later, Yang Kai finally felt that the time was right and rushed towards the Restricted Area once more. After hanging the golden Profound Token on his waist, he had a smooth journey with no obstacles. There were many layers of protection in the Restricted Area, but nobody blocked his path.
He soon arrived at the deepest part of the Restricted Area and came face-to-face with the Medicine King Furnace placed on the altar again. Just like last time, the Medicine King Furnace was overflowing with a white fog that was so dense it was almost solid. That white fog filled the entire space with a wonderful power of serenity and peace.
Looking left and right, Yang Kai was overjoyed to see that there was nobody around him. The last time Baili Yun Sang brought him here, he had not been in the position to investigate this place. Now that he was the only person here today, it was only natural that he took the time to study the truth of the Medicine King Furnace.
Striding to the top of the altar, Yang Kai circled around the Medicine King Furnace several times and discovered that there was nothing special about this object from the outside. [Is this really worthy of the reputation of the Ten Great Divine Armaments? Are the other nine Divine Armaments as bland in appearance?]
Be that as it may, what Baili Yun Sang said was true. The Divine Armaments might not have a gorgeous appearance, but they were the most precious objects in the world as each one of them represented a Grand Dao.
The Medicine King Furnace was covered in intricate patterns, and as Yang Kai examined the patterns, he suddenly had a realization. The patterns did not seem to be static but instead changed constantly like living beings when he was concentrating. Moreover, he vaguely discovered a mystery amidst the changing patterns.
It looked like Baili Yun Sang’s statement was correct. The Medicine King Furnace certainly contained the mysteries of the Alchemic Dao in the Divine Armament World. If a person could understand the mysteries hidden within the ever-changing and flowing patterns, there would surely be an immeasurable effect on the improvement of their Alchemic Dao.
Yang Kai could not be bothered to investigate these patterns though, as no matter how amazing the Medicine King Furnace was, it only represented the Alchemic Dao of the Small Source World which was not beneficial to him. What he cared about was the Medicine King Furnace itself.
Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his hand and placed it on the Medicine King Furnace.
In the next moment, a rumbling sound rang out in his mind like the tolling of a morning bell. Yang Kai immediately felt his Soul shaking uncontrollably, threatening to split his head apart from the pain. Unable to stop himself, he howled in pain. His entire body twitched uncontrollably and even his hand that was pressed on top of the Medicine King Furnace clenched tightly.
It took quite a while before he slowly calmed down once more. Even so, the buzzing sound in his head continued endlessly. His entire Soul shook so strongly that he was unable to concentrate as a result.
This experience gave him the feeling that the Medicine King Furnace was resisting his touch and instinctively rejecting him.
After pondering for some time, Yang Kai had a vague feeling that this phenomenon was related to his origins. He was a veritable outsider to this world; meanwhile, the Medicine King Furnace represented one of the Grand Daos of this world. It was only natural that it would reject and resist him.
Nevertheless, this brief contact allowed him to confirm that the Medicine King Furnace did indeed contain an aura of Source Strength. It would seem that his initial speculation when he first entered this world was not wrong. In order to refine the Source Strength of the Divine Armament World, he would have to begin with the Ten Great Divine Armaments, as they were the physical manifestations of the Divine Armament World’s World Force.
Yang Kai originally thought that he would have to wait 100 years until the next Divine Armament Tournament to come into contact with the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Who could have known that the opportunity would come so suddenly?
Under these circumstances, Yang Kai’s first instinct was to surge his Spirit Qi in an attempt to refine the Medicine King Furnace. As long as he could refine the Medicine King Furnace, it would be equivalent to obtaining 10% of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength. The World Force would then become the capital to enhance and strengthen his own Small Universe once he exited the Divine Armament World.
More importantly, he would not suffer any hidden dangers thanks to his existence and efforts in the Divine Armament World. The World Force was extremely compatible with him.
This was one of the cultivation shortcuts for Open Heaven Realm Masters that Xu Ling Gong mentioned at the beginning!
Yang Kai’s Spirit Qi surged, pouring into the Medicine King Furnace at a steady rate; however, the effects were minimal at best. He could sense that the Medicine King Furnace was absorbing his Spirit Qi, but the consumption rate was absurdly high. Clearly, refining this Divine Armament was not something that could be done overnight.
In less than half an incense stick’s worth of time, Yang Kai’s Spirit Qi was nearly exhausted. It had to be said that he had spent countless resources on his cultivation; as such, the Spirit Qi stored in his body was extremely terrifying compared to others in the same Realm. Nobody in the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm Master could compare to him, while even those at the peak of the Heaven Realm were not on the same level. Be that as it may, Yang Kai was practically a lamp running out of oil after such a short period of time.
[It looks like I will have to slowly figure out another method to refine the Medicine King Furnace! Fortunately, I can freely access this place now. The future is still far ahead.] When that thought crossed his mind, a sharp voice entered his ears, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai turned to look in the direction the voice came from where he saw a woman dressed in an imperial dress glaring at him coldly. This woman had quite a beautiful appearance. She looked like she was only in her early thirties and her body had enticing curves. Her beautiful hair was pulled up behind her head in a dignified bun.
Despite never meeting this person before, Yang Kai keenly caught sight of the golden token hanging by her waist. Thus, he quickly withdrew his hands and took several deep breaths before he cupped his fist in greeting, “Fixed Moon Peak’s Yang Kai greets Martial Aunt!”
“Yang Kai?” The woman’s pretty brow furrowed together tightly before the realisation struck her a moment later, “You’re that disciple who joined the Sect recently!”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
Looking him up and down, her gaze paused on the golden token on his waist for a moment and she snorted softly, “The Sect Master sure thinks highly of you. He even went so far as to issue you an Elder Token.” She beckoned towards him once more, “Come down so we can speak.”
Yang Kai obediently leaped down and stood before her respectfully. Seeing as this woman also had an Elder Token on her, she was definitely one of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders. In addition to being Spirit Grade Alchemists, all the Elders of Profound Pill Sect were also Spirit Realm Masters.
She glared at him, “What were you doing up there?”
Yang Kai casually came up with an excuse, “The Sect Master ordered me to come and comprehend the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace whenever I have the time. This Disciple wondered if it would be easier to learn something if I stood closer to the Divine Armament. That’s why I went up there. If there’s anything wrong with my actions, please punish me, Martial Aunt.”
She angrily snapped, “The ignorant are truly fearless! How could you dare to touch the Divine Armament at will!? You’re lucky I found you early! If I were any later, I would be collecting your corpse instead!”
He was shocked, “Was it that serious?”
The female Elder nodded, “The Ten Great Divine Armaments represent part of this World’s Grand Dao. Ever since ancient times, those who obtained the Divine Armaments were those with great destiny and immense opportunities. It is not something just anybody can touch as they please.”
Although Yang Kai felt that the situation was not as serious as she made it seem, he pretended to be overwhelmed by the situation, “Many thanks for your warning, Martial Aunt!”
Her expression relaxed slightly. She then glanced at him with another measuring look, “So, did you realise anything just now?”
“I believe so, but it’s very vague. I will need more time to sort through and comprehend it.”
She gently nodded, “I’ve heard about you. Since you have a connection with the Medicine King Furnace, then don’t disappoint the Sect Master’s expectations of you. But, never forget this, don’t act rashly and overreach yourself for the sake of greed; otherwise, nobody can save you if something goes wrong.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded firmly, though he couldn’t help feeling strange. This woman seemed rather concerned about him, but he was uncertain if it was just a figment of his imagination, so he offhandedly asked, “Did you come here to comprehend the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace too, Martial Aunt?”
She let out a soft sigh, her well-rounded peaks heaving up and down slightly, “That’s right. Old people like myself come here every once in a while to see if we can receive any inspiration from this place. If a Spirit Grade Alchemist wants to exceed their current limits… Well, it won’t be so easy. It’s a pity that we old folk are so useless. On the other hand, a young boy like you can see through some of the mysteries here. It’s truly surprising.”
“This Disciple simply had a stroke of fortune. Besides, you are not old, Martial Aunt. You are clearly in the prime of your life.”
The woman glanced at him in surprise before bursting into a peal of laughter, causing flowers to tremble before her beauty. After a while, she finally stopped laughing and snorted softly, “You’re as glib-tongued as that old ghost! No wonder he took you in as a Disciple! Let me ask you this, is that old ghost doing well?”
Yang Kai was confused for a moment; then, he realised that the person she mentioned was referring to his fabricated Master. Looking at her expression and listening to the tone of her voice, this woman seemed to have some kind of deeper relationship with his fake Master. Now, he understood why she seemed concerned over him.
“When Honoured Master taught this Disciple, this Disciple was very young. I don’t remember much from back then, but Honoured Master was quite healthy at the time. Especially when this Disciple made a mistake. He was very strong when spanking this Disciple’s bottom!”
The woman was taken aback for a moment before she laughed happily, “His temper certainly leaves much to be desired, but his vision seems to be as far-sighted as always. You were still young at the time, so it’s only natural for him to spank you when you didn’t reach his standards. I’m sure he will be very proud if he learns about your current achievements.”
After that, she asked him a few more questions, to which Yang Kai either came up with more nonsense or simply claimed that he no longer remembered, so as to not reveal any flaws. Nevertheless, the woman listened with relish no matter how trivial the matter was. A long while passed before she waved her hand to dismiss him, “It looks like you’re tired. You should go back and get some rest. If you run into any trouble, you can come and visit me at Qian Luo Peak. I usually live there.”
“Many thanks, Martial Aunt! This Disciple will take his leave!”
Upon returning to the Fixed Moon Peak, Yang Kai went to Yang Huai and inquired about the circumstances. Only then did he learn that the Peak Master of Qian Luo Peak was an Elder known as Lan Yin. That was probably the woman he encountered in the Restricted Area earlier.
Yang Kai initially wanted to inquire more about his Master, but unfortunately, Yang Huai had lived in the Blood Warrior Hall since he was a child so he only knew about the existence of this person in Profound Pill Sect, but didn’t know much else, so there was nothing that he could tell Yang Kai.
In reality, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yang Kai had begun to search for more information about his supposed Master ever since he joined Profound Pill Sect. He had joined Profound Pill Sect as that person’s Legacy Disciple after all, so it would not hurt to learn as much as he could about this person. Unexpectedly, there were no records about him in the Records Hall. Seeing as he could not inquire too much from the others lest he exposed his lies, Yang Kai had failed to learn much about his Master so far.
The days that followed were uneventful. Yang Kai provided Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion to earn the necessary cultivation resources for himself. At the same time, he travelled to the Restricted Area and back in an attempt to refine the Medicine King Furnace.
He did not know if anybody else in Profound Pill Sect had attempted to refine the Divine Armament before, but he was quite certain that there were precedents; after all, who would not be tempted when the Divine Object was just sitting in the Restricted Area?
It was more likely that Sect Master Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders had tried to refine the Medicine King Furnace only to fail in their attempts. That was because he did not sense any traces left behind by the others from the Medicine King Furnace. On the contrary, Yang Kai made some progress every time he went there. Refining the Medicine King Furnace was a long-term process and was by no means something that could be achieved in a short period of time.
With the consumption of substantial resources, Yang Kai’s cultivation increased steadily.
In addition, he also came up with some pill recipes and Alchemy Techniques that did not belong to the Divine Armament World. Each time that happened, he would receive a considerable number of contribution points. Moreover, the Elders of Profound Pill Sect would research the things that he brought up with great fascination.
Yang Kai had already redeemed the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and his cultivation had slowly advanced into the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. It would not take long before he was ready to advance into the Spirit Realm. He had no plans to refine the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for himself though. With so many contribution points in his possession, he could spend them to exchange for a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill from Profound Pill Sect instead and save himself some time and effort.
At this point, it had only been less than two years since he entered Profound Pill Sect. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was as horrifying as it was impressive. If he had not chosen to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the Divine Armament World back then, he could not have experienced such an explosive growth in such a short period of time. This Heaven-defying Evil Art had greatly shortened his cultivation time. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of this Evil Art were also gradually revealing themselves.
Yang Kai was now in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, just one step away from advancing into the Spirit Realm. At the same time, the strength of his Dragon Vein had been tremendously stimulated and his physique was unbelievably strong.
In the beginning, Yang Kai believed that his Dragon Vein could offset many of the hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and that was indeed the case in the early stages of his cultivation. He had not sensed anything wrong at the time, so he confidently and eagerly cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. However, as time went on and his cultivation increased, his Dragon Vein was no longer able to keep up with the purification Yang Kai required.
He could now sense that the impurities in the energy that he devoured during cultivation were subtly affecting his body and mind. The most obvious sign was that his temperament had become a little more irritable than before. He would occasionally experience random temper flare-ups without any particular reason.
This was not a good sign. It had to be said that one must be aware and wary of arrogance and impatience in cultivation. If his mind became disturbed at a critical moment, there was a high possibility of suffering from cultivation dissonance.
Unfortunately, things had already come to this point and Yang Kai had no solution to the problem, so he could only stop cultivating for the time being and slowly stimulate the power of his Dragon Vein in an attempt to gradually suppress the drawbacks brought about by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Thanks to this experience though, Yang Kai became certain that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not something that could be cultivated freely. The hidden dangers that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law brought were unavoidable, no matter how much he guarded against them.
It was fortunate that he noticed this situation early on. Only a few years had passed since Yang Kai entered the Divine Armament World, so he still had plenty of time before the next Divine Armament Tournament. Besides, he was not using his actual body here, so even if he suffered from any hidden dangers, these side effects would not affect him once he left.
Due to his given task of comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace, Yang Kai had a good excuse to explain why his cultivation was improving so quickly. Among the pill recipes that he contributed, some pills were able to assist in cultivation and some pills could even directly enhance one’s cultivation. These pill recipes were quickly implemented in the Blood Warrior Hall, and their efficacies were swiftly verified. As long as one had these pills and enough cultivation resources, it would not be difficult for them to increase their cultivation.
Nevertheless, nobody paid too much attention to Yang Kai’s cultivation so far. For an Alchemist, cultivation was only an auxiliary to support their Alchemy, it was not their main focus.
Time flew by, and another year passed.
Over the past year, Yang Kai’s cultivation did not increase any further. He remained at the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. Having noticed the drawbacks of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he had been working hard to stimulate his Dragon Vein to help eliminate the hidden dangers.
Despite all his efforts, however, some of the subtle hidden dangers caused by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law remained, despite his Dragon Vein having been significantly strengthened during this time. Those little hidden dangers were like gangrene that festered in his body and he could not remove them no matter how deeply he dug into their roots. Thus, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling helpless. The might of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was also reflected in this situation, highlighting its immense strength in another aspect.
Yang Kai could not understand how Wu Kuang had managed to cultivate this Secret Art. Logically speaking, Wu Kuang should have lost his mind a long time ago. More so since his cultivation grew to such a level with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law as his foundation. Despite what should have happened though, Wu Kuang was alive and kicking. That was not all; he had even managed to infiltrate Myriad Demons Heaven!
Just thinking about it was unbelievable; hence, Yang Kai could only admire that guy’s talent and genius.
On the other hand, both Hua Rong and Yang Huai had grown tremendously!
There was nothing much to be said about Hua Rong. She was already in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm when she first started serving under Yang Kai. Having her cultivation at such a young age meant that her aptitude was outstanding in the first place, and after serving under Yang Kai, she received an almost unlimited supply of various cultivation resources and pills. Thus, she advanced to become a genuine Spirit Realm Master half a year ago.
Yang Huai might have started out on a lower footing, but he was very compatible with the Supreme Tyrant Body Art that Yang Kai taught him. Over the years, he also reached the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, so like Yang Kai, he could advance into the Spirit Realm at any moment. It was just that Yang Kai did not allow him to advance so quickly. Yang Kai wanted him to train and hone his strength in the Heaven Realm for a little longer in order to solidify his foundation before attempting to break through.
The days at Profound Pill Sect were extremely comfortable and leisurely. Every now and then, Yang Kai would perform Alchemy to obtain large quantities of cultivation resources. Nevertheless, most of his time was spent immersed in refining the Medicine King Furnace.
One day, Yang Huai suddenly walked in and cupped his fist with a solemn expression when Yang Kai was teaching Wan Ying Ying. Yang Kai continued teaching a little bit more before he raised his head to look at Yang Huai, “What is it?”
Yang Huai replied, “Sir, a message came from the Seeking Pill Pavilion. There’s a person called Li Zheng Qing who came looking for you with something to report!”
“Li Zheng Qing?” Yang Kai raised his brow at the name, “What did he say?”
Yang Huai shook his head, “He did not say, but it seems to be urgent.”
“Bring him here,” Yang Kai instructed.
“Yes!” Yang Huai responded and hurried away again.
Wan Ying Ying asked worriedly, “Eldest Senior Brother, did something happen back at the Master Sect?”
Li Zheng Qing’s sudden arrival from Void Spirit Sword Sect had made her a little uneasy. She couldn’t help wondering if something had happened back at their home.
“I don’t think so,” Yang Kai shook his head. Although he had remained at Profound Pill Sect for several years, his contact with the Master Sect had never been interrupted. They basically exchanged letters with each other every two months. The last letter from the Master Sect had only been one month ago, so if anything had happened, Su Chang Fa would have notified him.
Besides, he was now a well-known Heaven Grade Alchemist. With Yang Kai protecting Void Spirit Sword Sect, not many people in the Divine Armament World would dare to offend them.
“Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. Maybe Honoured Master has something to tell us,” Yang Kai reassured her while stroking her head.
She made a non-committal sound in response and stood quietly by the side.
Despite reassuring Wan Ying Ying otherwise, Yang Kai had the vague feeling that something had indeed happened to the Master Sect; otherwise, there was no need for Li Zheng Qing to come running here in person.
It didn’t take long before Li Zheng Qing was led inside by Yang Huai. Even though they had not met for several years, this old man had not gotten any older. Rather, he seemed to have gotten much younger. He had only been in the Earth Realm back then, but he was now in the Heaven Realm; moreover, he was in the Second-Step Heaven Realm! It was just that he seemed a little dusty and dishevelled from his long-distance travel.
“Li Zheng Qing greets Sir!” Li Zheng Qing greeted Yang Kai respectfully.
Yang Kai nodded, “Why have you come?”
Li Zheng Qing looked solemn, “Reporting to Sir, the Former Sect Master suddenly fell ill half a month ago. The two Elders sent this Old Master here to invite you back to have a look, Sir.”
“What!?” Wan Ying Ying jumped up at those words and nervously exclaimed, “Honoured Master is ill!?”
Similarly, Yang Kai’s expression became grim, “Why did this happen?”
Li Zheng Qing bowed his head and replied, “The two Elders claimed that the Former Sect Master is old and frail, and the sudden decline of his vitality seems to be related to the injuries he sustained when he was younger.”
Wan Ying Ying quickly asked, “How was Honoured Master when you departed?”
Li Zheng Qing quickly answered the question, “He was unconscious. His situation was not good, but he should not be in danger for the time being. Be that as it may, it took this Old Master half a month to travel here, so I don’t know how he is now.”
“Eldest Senior Brother…” On the verge of tears, Wan Ying Ying turned to look at Yang Kai.
“Don’t panic!” Yang Kai reflexively comforted her. After pondering for some time, he continued, “Wait here for a moment. I will report this matter to the Elder Council and return to the Master Sect immediately!” Turning his head to the side, he instructed Yang Huai, “Summon Hua Rong back here!”
“Yes!” Yang Huai replied in a low voice.
Yang Kai hurriedly walked out of his secluded home. Activating his Spirit Qi, his figure transformed into a streak of light that travelled quickly towards the Elder Hall. Then, he went up to the Elder on duty and briefly explained the situation.
A short while later, he flew back from the Elder Hall. Yang Kai originally thought that he would face some difficulties; after all, he was currently tasked with comprehending the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone.
To put it bluntly, he was very highly valued by Profound Pill Sect, so it should have been impossible for him to leave Profound Pill Sect so easily under normal circumstances. At the very least, he would need to obtain Baili Yun Sang’s approval. Who could have known that Third Elder Yu Bo Yang, who was on duty at the Elder Hall, would agree immediately after listening to the situation? He even told Yang Kai to go swiftly and return quickly, as well as to be careful on the road.
Nevertheless, that was a good thing. Yang Kai did not know Su Chang Fa’s current condition, so he was anxious to return home and did not have time to be delayed.
When he came to the Divine Armament World, this world had given him a brand-new identity that came with the relevant causality and emotions. That was why his anxiety and worry upon hearing that Su Chang Fa was very ill were not fake. They came from the bottom of his heart.
Many years ago, Yang Kai had already known that Su Chang Fa’s potential had been exhausted.
The furthest Su Chang Fa could go in this life was the Third-Step Earth Realm. Having gotten on with age, he would one day face his predestined time of death if his cultivation could not advance any further.
It was just that Yang Kai never imagined that day would come so quickly!
By the time Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion, Hua Rong was back. This woman, who had always been playful and mischievous, was surprisingly tactful and did not joke around this time. She simply stood there, waiting quietly.
A short while later, a ball of light rushed into the sky. Working together, Hua Rong and Yang Kai used their Spirit Qi to wrap around Yang Huai, Li Zheng Qing, and Wan Ying Ying and took off into the sky.
…..
Third Elder Yu Bo Yang stood in front of the Elder Hall with his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowing slightly. A sound came from beside him soon after and following that, a person walked over to stand beside him and looked out into the distance, “Did he leave?”
He nodded, “He left.”
“In that case, go ahead with the plan.”
Turning to look at Baili Yun Sang, he frowned and asked, “Sect Master, is this really… the right thing to do? Regardless of the boy’s origins, he has never done any harm to Profound Pill Sect over the years. What’s more, he can hear the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. The number of pill recipes that he contributed over the years has been plentiful. He played a huge role in the development of Profound Pill Sect!”
Baili Yun Sang sighed, “How can I not know that? But it is precisely because this is related to the Medicine King Furnace that I have to proceed cautiously. It will be best if he has no intentions to betray Profound Pill Sect, but if he is a spy who was sent here…”
Yu Bo Yang nodded lightly, “That’s true. We cannot afford to be careless in this matter.” He paused for a moment and asked, “Isn’t it better to capture him and question him directly? Why go through the trouble of luring him out?”
Baili Yun Sang shook his head, “He is a famous figure now, and no one among the Heaven Grade Alchemists in the Sect can rival him in terms of talent. If this matter spreads to the public, it will surely become troublesome if any other disciples were to notice. It’s better to proceed quietly for now. We can explain the situation once we figure out the truth.”
Yu Bo Yang nodded at those words, “You’ve considered everything, Sect Master.”
…..
Profound Pill Sect was quite far from Void Spirit Sword Sect. It would take half a month to travel by horseback at the fastest. That was how long it had taken Gao Ming to bring Yang Kai to Profound Pill Sect back then. However, Hua Rong and Yang Kai were using their Spirit Qi to fly on this trip, so it was only natural that their speed was much faster than before.
Hua Rong might only have advanced half a year ago, but she was still a genuine Spirit Realm Master so she had the capital to fly.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was different from others even though he was only in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. The reserves of Spirit Qi in his body were extremely vast and could support the intense consumption flying long distances required. If it were any other Heaven Realm Master, they would not have been able to fly for so long.
They travelled as swiftly as the wind and it didn’t take more than a day for them to travel half the distance.
Hua Rong suddenly turned to look at Li Zheng Qing and asked, “Are you feeling warm?”
Li Zheng Qing was sweating profusely, but he forced a smile, “You must be joking, Young Lady. It is simply this Old Master’s first time flying so high in the sky. I can’t help being a little nervous.”
She nodded lightly and comforted him, “Rest assured. I won’t drop you.”
He whimpered in response.
Another day later, the mountain where Void Spirit Sword Sect was located came into view. The four of them landed directly in front of the mountain gate. Hua Rong glanced at Yang Kai breathlessly, her beautiful eyes were filled with surprise.
Even though she had entered the Spirit Realm, flying for two consecutive days was still difficult for her. Throughout the journey, she had consumed many pills that were personally refined by Yang Kai to replenish her depleted energy.
On the contrary, a Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai was neither flushed nor breathless. Comparing the two of them, it was almost as though her cultivation was much lower than his. Nevertheless, she clearly sensed that the Spirit Qi that Yang Kai consumed throughout the journey had not been any less than herself…
[How exactly did he achieve that?]
Unfortunately, now was not the time to consider this matter. As soon as they landed, Hua Rong immediately sensed that something was wrong as there was nobody guarding the mountain gate of Void Spirit Sword Sect. Moreover, the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect seemed to be empty. It was completely silent inside; however, she was keenly aware that there were several powerful auras lurking around and quietly watching them.
“Sir!” Hua Rong breathed in lightly and stepped closer to Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes flashing a grim light.
Yang Huai’s physique also tensed up. Like a rampaging Ominous Beast, an indescribable malevolent aura suddenly erupted from his entire body! His flesh wriggled, followed by crackling sounds that came from within his body. A moment later, his entire body became nearly ten centimetres taller.
Although he did not have Hua Rong’s powerful perception, he had a sharp instinct. Just like an Ominous Beast that had fallen into a hunter’s trap, the various incongruities in his surroundings made him feel as though he was facing a formidable enemy.
“Li Zheng Qing!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and called out softly.
“This subordinate is here!” Li Zheng Qing replied with his head down. His entire body was shivering like a leaf in the wind and sweat dripped down his forehead without pause.
“How have I treated you?” Yang Kai glanced sideways at Li Zheng Qing with a cold look in his eyes.
Li Zheng Qing trembled, “Without your help, this Old Master would never have advanced into the Heaven Realm. To this Old Master, your favour amounts to being given a new lease on life!”
“Given a new lease on life indeed!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “So, this is how you repay me?”
Li Zheng Qing’s complexion went pale, but he stubbornly insisted, “What do you mean, Sir? This subordinate does not understand.”
“I’ll give you one last chance. How is my Honoured Master?” Yang Kai stared deeply into Li Zheng Qing’s eyes, his tone incredibly grim.
A momentary struggle flashed across Li Zheng Qing’s expression, but he steeled himself and stood by his story, “Sir, the Former Sect Master is very ill…”
*Zheng…*
A clear and crisp sword cry rang out. Following the flash of a sword light, Li Zheng Qing reacted as if struck by lightning. He reached out to clutch at his throat and stumbled backwards, his eyes widening in disbelief. Staring at Yang Kai incredulously, he cried out hoarsely, “S-Sir…”
Fresh blood gushed out uncontrollably from between the gaps in his fingers.
Yang Kai held the True Void Sword as a drop of crimson fresh blood slowly slid along the length of the blade. A gust of wind blew past, causing his hair to dance and his clothes to flap wildly in the wind, “Just because my sword has not been unsheathed for a long time, did you really think that this was a mere decoration!? Come out!”
With a single sword slash, Sword Qi overflowed in all directions, blotting out all other light!
Following that sword strike, an overwhelming sword wave swept out in all directions. Gravel flew everywhere and countless figures emerged from their hiding places, landing in all directions to surround Yang Kai and the others in a tight circle.
There was a loud crash as Li Zheng Qing collapsed to the ground, causing dust to fly everywhere. His vitality was gone. Not only had Yang Kai’s sword strike sliced through his body, but the sharp Sword Qi had also flayed much of his flesh from his bones.
One of the people who revealed themselves turned to look at Li Zheng Qing’s corpse and frowned almost imperceptibly, seeming to be surprised by Yang Kai’s decisive action. This behaviour was completely different from the Yang Kai that he knew.
In Profound Pill Sect, Yang Kai had always presented himself as a genial and polite young man. Aside from his dispute with a Heaven Grade Alchemist called Wei Cheng when he first joined the Sect, he never lost his temper at anybody or even got into an argument. Despite being outstandingly talented and being highly cherished by the Elders of the Elder Council, he had never acted as though he was better than others.
Not only did he get along well with the other Heaven Grade Alchemists, but many of his comrades and Juniors in the Sect had also received his guidance. Thus, he was extremely highly regarded among all those who were below the Spirit Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect.
When their gazes met, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold voice, “Vice Hall Master Wu!”
There were a total of three men hiding in the surroundings earlier, and one of them was none other than the Vice Hall Master of the Divine Flame Hall, Wu Zheng Qi! Back when Yang Kai and Wei Cheng had duelled against each other, Wu Zheng Qi had acted as their witness; therefore, there was a slight connection between them.
Over the years, Wu Zheng Qi had interacted with Yang Kai on numerous occasions, especially as the latter revealed an aptitude for the Alchemic Dao that surpassed all others in his Grade. That was because Wu Zheng Qi had intentionally tried to forge a friendship between them, so the relationship between these two could be considered pretty good in recent years.
For that reason, Yang Kai never imagined that he would encounter Wu Zheng Qi here.
Wu Zheng Qi’s expression was rather complicated, but he had already expected this scene when he first received this mission; hence, he said nothing.
Yang Kai turned to look at the other person, his pupils contracting slightly at the sight, “Old Man Qi!”
Wu Zheng Qi was in the Fifth-Step Spirit Realm, so he was not weak, but Yang Kai was not afraid of him. If it really came down to a fight, he might not be able to do anything to Yang Kai either.
However, it was a whole different case with Old Man Qi. This old man was the Blood Warrior of Profound Pill Sect’s Sect Master, Baili Yun Sang. Yang Kai had interacted with this old man on several occasions and even the Elder Token in his possession had been handed to him by the old man.
The old man was in the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm, which was practically the peak of the entire Divine Armament World, so Yang Kai was well aware of how horrifying the old man was.
Yang Kai did not know the third person; nevertheless, it was a given that this man was also in the Spirit Realm since he was standing here.
“So, that’s how it is. Is this all part of the Sect’s plan?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Old Man Qi. He did not know the old man’s full name and had always just addressed him by his surname.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai immediately understood something when he saw these three people. He had been wondering why he was allowed to leave Profound Pill Sect so easily as logically speaking, he shouldered the heavy burden of comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. That made him an extremely special existence in Profound Pill Sect.
Regardless of whether he had a valid and unavoidable reason, Profound Pill Sect would not have allowed him to leave so easily. Even on the off chance that he was allowed to leave, Profound Pill Sect would have dispatched many Masters to protect him, lest something unfortunate occurred.
Contrary to Yang Kai expectations though, Yu Bo Yang had allowed him to leave without any fuss. Now, looking at the current situation, it was obvious that this was all planned by Profound Pill Sect in advance. That was why he was not met with any resistance when he departed.
Many thoughts flickered through Yang Kai’s mind in that moment. He had made substantial contributions to Profound Pill Sect over the years through comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. In doing so, he had turned over various pill recipes and Alchemy Techniques to the Sect. Not to mention, he had displayed an aptitude for the Alchemic Dao that greatly surpassed all others.
[Logically speaking, Profound Pill Sect should value me very much. Why did they suddenly lure me out to Void Spirit Sword Sect and ambush me?] After thinking about it, there was only one explanation that came to mind, the lies he fabricated in the past had been exposed. Profound Pill Sect had learned that he was completely unrelated to that fabricated Master of his. [Does that mean that my fabricated Master has returned to Profound Pill Sect or made contact with them somehow?]
Hua Rong, Yang Huai, and Wan Ying Ying were stunned. They could not understand what was happening in front of them. Besides, Old Man Qi and the others did not act immediately after revealing themselves; therefore, Hua Rong and the others were completely confused and at a loss for what to do.
Old Man Qi looked at Yang Kai calmly and said, “Yang Boy, surrender without a fight. This Old Master does not hold back in a fight. Alchemists are generally weak and feeble. It will be bad if I accidentally hurt you.”
Wu Zheng Qi also persuaded Yang Kai from the side, “Alchemist Yang, it’s better not to resist. The order we received is to bring you back to Sect. Also, the Sect Master specially ordered us not to endanger your life!”
Yang Kai turned to look at the stone monument carved with the characters ‘Void Spirit Sword Sect’ and asked, “Where are the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect?”
Wu Zheng Qi replied, “Rest assured, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect have not been harmed. Half a month ago, we transferred them all to Profound Pill City. I’m sure they’ve settled there by now.”
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief at those words, “Good.”
At this point, it was obvious that Su Chang Fa being seriously ill was simply Li Zheng Qing’s excuse to lure him back to Void Spirit Sword Sect. When that thought crossed his mind, he frowned, “If the Sect Master wants to capture me, then why did he lure me out here? He could have made his move back at the Sect!”
Wu Zheng Qi shook his head and said, “I don’t know the exact details. We are simply acting according to our orders…” He gave a bitter laugh before he continued, “To be honest, this Wu didn’t even know that the person to be captured was you, Alchemist Yang.”
Turning to look at Old Man Qi, he added, “Perhaps Old Qi might know something.”
Old Man Qi shook his head, “This Old Master does not know either. The Sect Master gave his order, so this Old Master obeyed!” Glancing at the True Void Sword in Yang Kai’s hands, he gave a warning, “Yang Boy, this Old Master knows that there are two Sword Qi attacks sealed within that True Void Sword replica in your hands, but those Sword Qi attacks will not be effective against this Old Master. You can give it a try if you don’t believe me.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You are very strong, Old Qi, so I know well that these two trivial Sword Qi attacks will not be able to do anything to you.”
Old Man Qi replied, “Since you know that, then follow this Old Master back to the Sect. If there is some sort of misunderstanding, you can explain yourself clearly to the Sect Master in person.”
Likewise, Wu Zheng Qi tried to persuade Yang Kai, “Old Qi is right. Alchemist Yang, please follow us back to the Sect!”
Yang Kai took a short breath and narrowed his eyes marginally, “I will definitely return to the Sect, but… not now!”
Old Man Qi’s eyes contracted slightly, “Boy, this Old Master does not wish to harm you, but that does not mean that I won’t…”
Yang Kai raised his hand to interrupt Old Man Qi, “Old Qi, it’s not that I underestimate you; however, there is no one in this world who can stop me if I am determined to leave.”
Old Man Qi’s expression darkened and he seemed to have been angered by those words, “Shameless boasting!”
Ignoring Old Man Qi, Yang Kai turned to look at Hua Rong and Yang Huai instead, “I’m in trouble now. What do the two of you plan to do from now on?”
Hua Rong gritted her teeth, “What else can I do now that I’ve boarded your boat? Why don’t you follow them back? It’s better than being dragged back after getting beaten half to death.”
Yang Huai was never one to speak much. He simply cupped his fist and shouted, “I will serve you until the day I die, Sir!”
Wu Zheng Qi sighed, “Those who come from the Blood Warrior Hall have always been fiercely loyal to the Alchemist that they choose to serve.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Very good!” Then, he turned to look at Old Man Qi and added, “Old man, please pass this message to the Sect Master when you return to the Sect, I will return within ten days and explain everything to him at the time. I ask that the Sect Master treat the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect kindly. They are unrelated to this matter!”
Old Man Qi raised his eyebrows, “Things have already come to this, are you still caught up in your delusions? Attack!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he reached out to grab Yang Kai. A terrifying Spirit Qi spread out in a fluctuating wave, almost like ripples spreading out across the surface of a pond.
With the hand looming over them, both Hua Rong and Yang Huai were so scared that all the hair on their bodies stood upright. There was a sense of being shrouded by a cage made from the World itself, which gave them the illusion that there was nowhere to run. The might of a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master was evident. It was not something that either one of them could even hope to compete with.
In the next moment, however, Old Man Qi’s expression changed drastically. That was because he was caught off-guard by a sudden discovery. When he reached out towards Yang Kai, he found that rather than getting closer, the distance between them actually extended further and further away. The space between them seemed to stretch out strangely, even though Yang Kai was clearly standing right in front of him without moving a muscle.
There was a peculiar force affecting his perception and judgement! He was shocked. In all the years that he spent cultivating, he had never encountered something as peculiar as this. He urged his Spirit Qi fiercely, trying to break free from the influence of that strange power, but unfortunately, his attempts proved to be fruitless.
Yang Kai’s voice sounded in his ears, “I told you. If I want to leave, nobody in this world can stop me! Old man, don’t forget to pass my message to the Sect Master. Also, please tell him that I don’t hold any malice towards Profound Pill Sect!”
The space in front of Yang Kai distorted abnormally, and by the time Old Man Qi’s hand clenched shut, Yang Kai and the others had already inexplicably vanished out of sight.
Similarly, the attacks of Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master landed on empty space, narrowly missing Old Man Qi.
Old Man Qi’s eyes widened so wide that they were bigger than eggs. He could scarcely believe what he was seeing and turning to look around his surroundings, he shouted, “Where are they!?”
Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master shook their heads in unison.
Three Spirit Realm Masters had formed a tight encirclement around Yang Kai and his group, but Yang Kai and the others had disappeared right in front of their eyes. What’s more, one of them was also a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master! If they had not witnessed what happened themselves, even they wouldn’t have believed it!
“Impossible! Search for them! They must be hiding nearby!” Old Man Qi shouted angrily and hurriedly began searching his surroundings.
A short while later, the three of them gathered together and looked at each other, their expressions extremely ugly.
Yang Kai and the others were gone… They not only vanished without a trace but also left no clues behind.
“Just now… What did he do?” Wu Zheng Qi asked with a gloomy expression. It was his first time encountering such a bizarre phenomenon after so many years of cultivation.
Old Man Qi snapped angrily, “If I knew what kinds of means he used, I would not have allowed him to get away!”
Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master looked at each other only to see the inexplicable horror in each other’s eyes! What happened just now was simply too bizarre. They could only watch helplessly as four living people vanished from under their very noses! More importantly, if Yang Kai could disappear so suddenly, then he could also appear just as suddenly! Such an ability would be very difficult to fight back against!
In the middle of the wilderness, the stench of blood filled the air. A calf-sized Beast corpse lay in a pool of blood. Meanwhile, seven or eight bony Earth Wolves gnawed away at the flesh of their prey and devoured their food greedily. This was a perfect hunt. Under the command of the Alpha Wolf, this small group of Earth Wolves had finally obtained a chance to fill their stomachs after starving for half a month.
The Alpha Wolf, who was much larger than the other Earth Wolves, had already eaten his fill and at this moment, he was lying lazily by the side and licking his front paw that had been injured earlier. All of a sudden, his ears stood up alertly. His golden eyes were fixed on a certain point in the space in front of it. The area in that direction was twisted and distorted. Furthermore, pitch-black lines abruptly appeared in the area like cracks that had been torn open.
An uneasy feeling rose in the Alpha Wolf’s heart and he slowly got to his feet, baring his fangs and growling in that direction. The other Earth Wolves snapping for food looked over in unison and a series of wolf howls rang out one after another in the next moment.
The pitch-black cracks interweaved with each other, moving faster and faster. Then, a strange force suddenly erupted from within and four figures eerily appeared out of nowhere in the vision of the Earth Wolves.
A huge black hole that emitted the chaotic aura of nothingness appeared behind these four people, but under the effects of the local World Principles, the black hole was quickly sealed shut again.
The golden pupils of the Alpha Wolf contracted sharply, becoming the size of needlepoints. He let out a low howl before he turned and fled. At that moment, his beastly instincts allowed him to sense the threat of death. Thus, the Earth Wolves fled swiftly across the wilderness and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai and the three others suddenly emerged, only Yang Kai stood there without much of a reaction. The other three, including Hua Rong, were very pale. Covering their mouths with their hands, they ran to the side and bent over to vomit out everything in their stomachs!
Experiencing teleportation for the first time was not a glorious feeling. The feeling of tearing space, then travelling through the chaotic Void, was akin to the sensation of one’s body being broken down into countless tiny pieces and then recombined once more.
Yang Kai had witnessed this scene in front of him many times, so he was unsurprised by it. Hua Rong and the others were not considered weak in the Divine Armament World, but they were not nearly strong enough to withstand the effects of teleportation. If not for his protection, they would have been sliced to pieces by the Void Turbulence.
Turning to look back at the pitch-black cracks that were rapidly sealing together, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The World Principles here were far stronger than he imagined.
Several years had passed since he first arrived in the Divine Armament World, and his cultivation was now in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. The power of his Dragon Vein had also been greatly stimulated during this period. Aside from strengthening his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai mainly cultivated the Dao of Space over the past year. He was uncertain whether it was due to the limitation of his cultivation, but his progress in the Dao of Space was very unsatisfactory, and many of his Space Secret Techniques could not be used.
Nevertheless, he was titled Void Great Emperor in the Star Boundary thanks to his accomplishments in the Dao of Space, so he was still capable of displaying its brilliance even though he was in the Divine Armament World. At the very least, escaping from Old Man Qi was not an issue.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Profound Pill Sect had planned the incident involving Void Spirit Sword Sect. First, they lured him back to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Then, they arranged for Old Man Qi and two other Spirit Realm Masters to ambush him…
If his guess was correct, then Profound Pill Sect must have figured out that he had nothing to do with his fabricated Master; otherwise, there was no reason for them to do something like this.
Fortunately, Wu Zheng Qi had mentioned that the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect had been relocated and resettled in Profound Pill City approximately half a month ago without any casualties. That being the case, Yang Kai would need to return to Profound Pill Sect regardless of anything else.
[My cultivation in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm is a little lacking. Now that I have one year’s worth of accumulation and precipitation, it’s time to advance into the Spirit Realm.]
“Just now…” Hua Rong walked over with a pale complexion, her face practically colourless as she asked, “What happened? Where are Old Man Qi and the others?”
“We shook them off!” Yang Kai responded casually and looked around his surroundings and did not know where they were. Although he could use Space Principles to an extent in this place, he could not control them with precision. That was why he could not guarantee his landing location or distance traveled. Randomly choosing a direction, he beckoned towards the others, “Let’s go. Let’s find somebody to ask for directions.”
Hua Rong remained confused. She could not understand how they managed to shake off the pursuit of three powerful Spirit Realm Masters. Following Yang Kai, she came to stand beside Yang Huai and reached out to poke him in the waist as she asked quietly, “Hey, big guy! Do you know what happened just now?”
Yang Huai’s expression was cold and he said nothing.
She snapped, “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf!?”
He lowered his head to look at her, his expression becoming more and more troubled.
Hua Rong became puzzled and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I… need to throw up again!” After saying that, he rushed to the side and retched again.
…..
After walking for less than an hour, the group came across a small village. Hua Rong went ahead to ask for information and it didn’t take long before she returned and pointed in a certain direction, “Heavenly Martial City is in that direction!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked at her, “Can you fly?”
She pointed at her colourless small face, “Do you think I can fly in this state? I barely have the strength to walk right now!”
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words and nodded, “Then, let’s find a place to stay for the night.”
None of them had any objections, so they quickly found a place to set up camp. Yang Huai hunted a roe dear; and after that, the four of them lit a bonfire and roasted something simple to fill their now mostly empty stomachs.
After resting for a night, they finally recovered their strength.
An hour after sunup, Yang Kai and the three others arrived at Heavenly Martial City and landed directly in front of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Many of the guards at the City Lord’s Mansion immediately reacted as though they were facing a formidable enemy. Heavenly Martial City was quite prosperous, and there were many Heaven Realm Masters in the city; even so, Hua Rong’s unconcealed aura clearly indicated that she was a Spirit Realm Master. The guards couldn’t help being fearful of her as a result. How could they dare to act rashly before figuring out the reason for the arrival of Yang Kai and the others?
The City Lord of Heavenly Martial City, Miao Hong, soon received the news and came forward to check out the situation. As soon as he saw Yang Kai, he was stunned, “Alchemist Yang?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “City Lord Miao, it’s been a long time!”
“It really is you, Alchemist Yang!” Miao Hong laughed loudly, “What a rare guest!”
Waving his hands widely, he scolded the guards around him, “Disperse! Disperse! How can you all have eyes but fail to see!? He is a Heaven-Grade Alchemist from Profound Pill Sect! What do you think you’re doing!?”
When the guards saw this situation, they immediately understood that these people were acquaintances of the City Lord. Thus, they couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief and scattering back to their posts.
Meanwhile, Miao Hong enthusiastically came forward, “Alchemist Yang, it’s been several years, but your noble bearing remains unchanged!”
“You praise me too much, City Lord Miao.” Yang Kai smiled in greeting, “Please forgive me for coming without invitation.”
Miao Hong smilingly replied, “You are my saviour, Alchemist Yang. I’ve yet to thank you properly for what you did for me back then. This Miao is absolutely thrilled by your arrival. How can I be upset with you? Come! Let’s talk inside.”
It might be that he was grateful for the saving grace he received in the past or that he wanted to strengthen their friendly relations, but regardless, Miao Hong was extremely hospitable. He initially wanted to host a huge banquet to welcome Yang Kai, but to his disappointment, the latter was in no mood for pleasantries and politely declined.
Inside a reception room, Yang Kai sternly said, “I came here because I have something to ask of you, City Lord Miao.”
Upon hearing this, Miao Hong patted his chest loudly, “Please feel free to speak, Alchemist Yang. As long as it is within this Miao’s abilities, this Miao will not refuse!”
“I want to borrow some Red Jades from you, City Lord!” Yang Kai declared.
“No problem. How many do you need, Alchemist Yang?” Miao Hong immediately agreed. His answer was very straightforward.
“How many do you have?” Yang Kai countered with another question.
Miao Hong was flabbergasted by the question, but he quickly realised that the amount Yang Kai needed might be enormous.
Then again, Yang Kai was now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. That was not all; he was an extremely well-known Heaven-Grade Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect. He would not be lacking in funds; therefore, he would not borrow money from Miao Hong if it were a small amount.
After pondering for some time, Miao Hong finally answered, “To be honest, this Miao has never taken an inventory of how many Red Jades there are in Heavenly Martial City. I don’t know if I can satisfy your needs, Alchemist Yang. Why don’t we do this instead? Come with me to the treasure vault. All the resources in Heavenly Martial City are stored there!”
Yang Kai did not refuse. He nodded and said, “En.”
Miao Hong gestured politely and walked ahead to lead the way.
Along the way, Yang Kai asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I need so many Red Jades, City Lord Miao?”
Miao Hong laughed, “You are famous now, Alchemist Yang. Even this Miao who lives in Heavenly Martial City year-round has heard your name. You’re a walking billboard among the Heaven-Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect! Alchemist Yang, you came to borrow from this Miao because you think highly of this Miao. If it is within this Miao’s abilities, I will surely help you to the best of my abilities! As for what you plan to do, that’s your business.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Rest assured, City Lord Miao. For everything that I borrow from you today, I will surely reward you handsomely!”
Miao Hong chuckled, “We’ll talk about the future when the future comes! We’re here!”
Needless to say, the treasure vault of Heavenly Martial City was very heavily defended. There were several layers of guards protecting the place both overtly and covertly along the way. It was just that City Lord Miao Hong himself was leading the way, so these guards did not dare to stop them.
When Miao Hong opened the gates of the treasure vault, a strong wave of Spirit Qi immediately poured out.
Yang Kai stepped inside and immediately saw several small mountains of Red Jades. There were at least 2 or 3 million pieces in this place.
Thinking about it, it was not that strange. Back then, Miao Hong had readily given Yang Kai 200,000 pieces of Red Jades in order to thank him for his help. How could he afford to be so generous if he did not have the backing of immense wealth?
Aside from the Red Jades, there were also tons of Spirit Flowers, exotic herbs, and strange ores. All the wealth accumulated by Heavenly Martial City over the years was currently stored inside this treasure vault.
“Take a look, Alchemist Yang. Is this enough Red Jade?” Miao Hong asked with a smile.
“It’s enough!” Yang Kai nodded, “I will need to enter retreat for a few days. Please make the necessary arrangements, City Lord.”
Miao Hong nodded, “Good. Go ahead and enter retreat in peace, Alchemist Yang. This Miao guarantees that nobody will come and disturb you during this period.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai cupped his fist. Immediately after that, he issued some instructions to Hua Rong and Yang Huai.
With a loud rumble, the doors of the treasure vault closed. Hua Rong and Yang Huai stood on both sides of the entrance and even Wan Ying Ying stood nearby, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open and remain vigilant of her surroundings.
Glancing at the closed gates of the treasure vault, Miao Hong smacked his lips and asked Hua Rong, “What is Alchemist Yang’s current cultivation?”
Hua Rong glanced sideways at him, “Why are you asking so many questions?”
The aggressive reply left him unable to catch his breath. Unfortunately, she was a Spirit Realm Master, so while he might be a City Lord, Miao Hong did not dare to make a fool of himself in front of Hua Rong. He could only smile flatteringly in response.
Wan Ying Ying probably couldn’t bear to continue watching. Her Eldest Senior Brother was borrowing the other party’s land and Red Jades after all, which was why she spoke up softly from the side, “Eldest Senior Brother is currently in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm!”
Even though he had guessed as much, Miao Hong couldn’t help gasping at those words.
When they first met, Yang Kai had only been in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm at the time. Only four years or so had passed since then, but Yang Kai was already in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm! That was the same as Miao Hong himself! Even if Heaven-Grade Alchemists did not lack for pills to aid in their cultivation, the speed at which Yang Kai grew was terrifying.
Miao Hong had never heard of anybody who could advance from the Ninth-Step Earth Realm to the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm in such a short time. Seeing as Yang Kai not only came here to borrow Red Jades, but also to enter retreat, it was obvious that he was planning to break through into the Spirit Realm!
[The Spirit Realm… I’ve been yearning for that Realm for so many years!] Miao Hong had been stuck in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm for a long time. His accumulation had reached its peak, so all he lacked was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes immediately brightened. He had helped Yang Kai to advance into the Spirit Realm. If everything went smoothly, Yang Kai would surely become a Spirit Realm Alchemist. Therefore, it would not be too difficult to ask Yang Kai to refine a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for him when the time came!
[The key for me to advance into the Spirit Realm might just lie with him!]
…..
Inside Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with the small mountain of Red Jades piled up beside him and focused his mind. A long while passed before he took out a small jade box.
As soon as he opened the jade box, a longan-sized pill entered his view. This tiny pill had cost him 10,000 contribution points. More importantly, it was the key to advancing into the Spirit Realm! It was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
Half a year ago, Yang Kai purchased a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for Hua Rong when she needed to advance into the Spirit Realm. Considering that he would definitely need one in the future, he had also prepared one for himself.
In any case, he did not lack contribution points in Profound Pill Sect. Having contributed various pill recipes and other Alchemy-related knowledge over the past few years. By now, he had accumulated more than 100,000 contribution points in the Contribution Hall.
It would seem that his actions at the time had been a wise choice; otherwise, he would be stuck trying to figure out a way to refine the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill at this moment.
Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. He simultaneously activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and his entire body immediately transformed into a black hole that devoured everything around him. The Spirit Qi contained within the Red Jades piled up inside the vault was pulled by an irresistible force and gathered inside his body.
His flesh squirmed, his meridians swelled, and the Spirit Qi accumulated inside his body became larger and larger as a result. At the same time, crackling sounds rang out incessantly as the Red Jades quickly ran out of energy and turned into dust.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai’s entire body swelled up massively as his clothes and his black hair flapped wildly around him. In the short span of half an hour, he had already consumed as many as 100,000 pieces of Red Jade. Moreover, this was just the beginning!
More and more pieces of Red Jades were drained clean with the passing of time. The meridians below his flesh squirmed like earthworms, looking extremely terrifying.
It felt as though there were invisible shackles in his body, but under the continuous impact of the massive amounts of Spirit Qi, these shackles were constantly showing signs of loosening. A faint blood mist permeated the air, lingering around the sides of his body.
At this time, Yang Kai was very glad that he had spent an extra year strengthening his Dragon Vein after reaching the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. If he had advanced directly into the Spirit Realm without any forethought back then, his body might not have been able to withstand such violent force.
The power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was terrifying beyond imagination. Not to mention, this power would increase with the improvement of one’s cultivation. Without a strong enough body as support, it would be impossible to support the influx of so much power all at once. Even at this moment, Yang Kai could feel various aches and pains all over his body, and there was no need to even look to know how many injuries he had sustained during this breakthrough.
Ignoring everything, Yang Kai continued to circulate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and devoured the energy within the surrounding Red Jades without pause. Following the consumption of many Red Jades, he felt himself coming closer and closer to the barrier.
At a certain moment, a shout came from outside the door. It was followed by several loud crashes mixed with low groans. Immediately after that, the gates of the treasure vault shattered apart and an old man slowly walked inside the treasure vault amidst the flying rubble, his hands behind his back. Snorting, he shouted, “Don’t be so presumptuous!”
When he lifted his gaze and looked forward, his eyes immediately contracted and his expression filled with horror! Even with his experience and knowledge, he had never seen such a bizarre sight before.
Yang Kai was sitting down cross-legged inside the treasure vault with a thick blood mist lingering around his body. Nobody knew what kind of strange Secret Art he was cultivating, but more importantly, there was a frenzy of energy gathered around his body. The energy turmoil was absolutely terrifying, almost as if the oceans themselves were all boiling!
Another person followed closely behind the old man and walked into the room. Similarly, he soon froze in shock.
These two were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi. Yang Kai had disappeared from right in front of them yesterday. A search of their surroundings might have been to no avail, but they did not give up so easily; after all, they had received orders to bring Yang Kai back alive. There was no reasonable explanation for their empty-handed return if they gave up just like that.
After a brief discussion, they sent the other Spirit Realm Master back to report to Profound Pill Sect while the two of them, Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi, continued to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts.
While passing through the vicinity of Heavenly Martial City, the two of them sensed an unusual Spirit Qi fluctuation and immediately came over to investigate the situation only to encounter Hua Rong and the others who were standing guard outside the treasure vault.
Never had they expected to be so lucky as to find Yang Kai’s whereabouts so easily. Even though Hua Rong and the others had tried to stop them, what could a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Master do against Old Man Qi? They were easily knocked aside by the old man with a few casual moves.
When Old Man Qi entered the treasure vault, he was greeted by the scene in front of him.
Wu Zheng Qi was taken aback for a moment, “Old Qi, Alchemist Yang seems to be advancing into the Spirit Realm…”
Old Man Qi nodded almost imperceptibly and said lightly, “Let’s wait.”
Old Man Qi did not attack immediately. The order Baili Yun Sang gave him was to bring Yang Kai back alive, and if he attacked now, Yang Kai’s breakthrough would inevitably be disturbed. Yang Kai would die on the spot if he were distracted at such a critical moment, which was why Old Man Qi did not dare to take such risks.
As Baili Yun Sang’s personal Blood Warrior, Old Man Qi was well aware that Yang Kai’s existence was very important to Profound Pill Sect; furthermore, Yang Kai would only be useful alive. A dead man had no value.
Fortunately, they did not need to wait long. In less than an hour’s time, a powerful aura erupted from within Yang Kai’s body and a shockwave that was visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions. Everything in the treasure vault was thrown into disarray as a result.
Both the expressions of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi sank slightly. They had never seen such a violent and imposing breakthrough before.
The blood mist suddenly dispersed, and Yang Kai abruptly jerked his eyes open. His eyes were scarlet and contained a deep-seated evil, as if they could penetrate space to look into the essence of everything in the world.
“Just what kind of Evil Art did you cultivate!?” Old Man Qi shouted the question with a frown. At this moment, Yang Kai gave him a completely different feeling from usual.
A malevolent aura lingered around Yang Kai, making him seem like a Wild Beast that had finally obtained freedom after being trapped for many years and was hungry to devour its prey. He seemed like a completely different person compared to his usual demeanour.
Yang Kai ignored Old Man Qi, looked down at his hands, and clenched his fists lightly. It felt as though the entire world was in the palm of his hands when he slowly closed his fist.
Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, stop going down the wrong path. Please follow us back to the Sect.”
Yang Kai looked up at Wu Zheng Qi. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a sinister smile, “The one going down the wrong path is you!”
Wu Zheng Qi frowned, “Alchemist Yang, are you suffering from cultivation dissonance?”
Yang Kai’s current state felt very wrong to him.
“No! I’m perfectly fine! I’ve never been better!” While speaking, Yang Kai slowly stood up and took a deep breath. An enraptured expression appeared on his face, “Power is truly delightful!”
Old Man Qi’s expression darkened, “He is probably suffering from cultivation dissonance. Don’t waste time talking to him! Capture him!”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded lightly and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, please forgive me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body shot towards Yang Kai like an arrow, unsheathing his blade and slashing down as he approached!
The blade in his hand was a Spirit Armament. As the Vice Hall Master of Profound Pill Sect’s the Divine Flame Hall and a Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master, it was only natural that he qualified to wield a Spirit Armament.
The blade light was blinding as Wu Zheng Qi poured his lifelong cultivation into this slash. Regardless of whether it was the angle of the blade or the timing of his attack, both were impeccable. He was confident he could split a mountain with this single stroke.
At that moment, Old Man Qi’s shout suddenly entered his ears, “Watch out!”
Before Wu Zheng Qi could figure out what was happening, his vision blurred all of a sudden. Yang Kai appeared in front of him without any warning. Immediately after that, an overwhelming and terrifying force came from the front. His figure halted for a moment in mid-air, and then he was violently thrown backwards.
*Hong…*
A loud rumbling crash rang out as Wu Zheng Qi did not know how many walls he smashed through before he stopped skidding backward. A path of destroyed buildings was left in his wake.
Using his blade to push against the ground, he managed to climb to a half-kneeling position with some difficulty. A mouthful of blood surged up from the back of his throat. Opening his mouth, he vomited blood. The Spirit Qi in his body was extremely agitated and the hand with which he held his sword was bloody and trembling uncontrollably. Even the muscles along his arm had burst open.
An inexplicable sense of terror flooded his heart, and his eyes widened as far as they could. It was not until this moment that he realised Yang Kai had seriously injured him in a single move!
That terrifying force that struck him and the unstoppable invasion of Spirit Qi nearly made Wu Zheng Qi think that he was facing a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master rather than a newly-advanced one!
*Hong hong hong…*
A series of explosions sounded, and every single one was accompanied by a violent eruption of Sword Qi. Wu Zheng Qi looked up and saw a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Old Man Qi was a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, but he was clearly being suppressed by Yang Kai in the sky! Every time sword light flashed, fresh blood was drawn!
Wu Zheng Qi wore a horrified expression on his face. The scene in front of him was even harder to accept than the fact that he had been heavily injured by Yang Kai in one move. He had just personally witnessed Yang Kai advancing into the Spirit Realm; in other words, Yang Kai was only in the First-Step Spirit Realm. Be that as it may, the strength displayed by this First-Step Spirit Realm Master was beyond his ability to comprehend.
[Is he even Human!?]
Yang Kai’s figure flitted about erratically, and despite Wu Zheng Qi’s sharp eyesight, he could barely keep track of him. Sword lights flashed continuously, and every blow contained terrifying power. Even Old Man Qi, who was in the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm, had great trouble parrying those attacks.
Wu Zheng Qi had never seen such a novel method of fighting in all his years of cultivation. Moreover… it came from an Alchemist!
In his impression, few Alchemists in the world would study the Martial Dao even if they had impressive cultivation. That was because they spent most of their energy and time on the Alchemic Dao. Besides, their cultivation was basically nurtured through the use of pills; after all, the main reason they improved their cultivation at all was simply to perform better in Alchemy.
In this way, the strength that an Alchemist could generally exert often did not match their cultivation. An Alchemist in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm might not win in battle even if their opponent was several Steps weaker than them. It was precisely because of this consideration that the Blood Warrior Hall existed in Profound Pill Sect and why wandering Alchemists recruited bodyguards to protect themselves.
However, the exact opposite was true when it came to Yang Kai. Every punch and every kick was delivered with unparalleled precision and vicious power. It was impossible to achieve this level of combat sense without being immersed in the way of killing for hundreds of years. That being said, how old was Yang Kai!? He was only 18 years old when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, which meant he was only slightly past 20 this year! Where did he get such extensive fighting experience!?
All of a sudden, Wu Zheng Qi recalled something. When Yang Kai and Wei Cheng formed a feud with each other over an incident in the Divine Flame Cave, both of them agreed to fight on the Martial Methods Stage. In the second round, Yang Kai had personally fought against one of Wei Cheng’s bodyguards who was in the Heaven Realm and the bodyguard had been knocked off the Martial Methods Stage in a single move.
At the time, Wu Zheng Qi simply assumed that Yang Kai had launched a sneak attack and the Heaven Realm bodyguard had been caught off guard. It would now seem that Yang Kai had already revealed his extraordinary talent in fighting back then, and his strength had only been exponentially magnified with the improvement of his cultivation. At this point, he was definitely the strongest Alchemist in the entire Divine Armament World!
A muffled groan brought Wu Zheng Qi’s messy thoughts back to the present, and when he looked up again, the two figures in the sky that were originally engaged in battle had separated, now standing several dozen metres apart from each other.
Old Man Qi’s body was riddled with tiny wounds, making him seem as though he had been fished out of a pool of blood and there was an incredulous expression on his face. During the brief confrontation just now, he had been at a complete disadvantage. He would have been killed by Yang Kai by now if not for his mighty strength.
On the opposite side, Yang Kai held the True Void Sword lightly. His eyes were lowered, and his large hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably for some reason. The veins in his forehead bulged, squirming and undulating like earthworms under his skin. His eyes had also changed to become completely blood-red. His appearance looked extremely horrifying.
“You should leave now, Old Man Qi. If you don’t leave now, you will probably die here!” Yang Kai’s suppressed voice resembled the growling of a trapped beast.
Old Man Qi stared at Yang Kai with a fleeting look of struggle in his eyes. He seemed to want to continue the battle, but he simply gritted his teeth and came to Wu Zheng Qi’s side in a flash upon recalling what happened just now. Wrapping his Spirit Qi around Wu Zheng Qi, he soared into the sky.
Just like that, a raging dispute ended in such a bizarre turn of events. All that remained was the City Lord’s Mansion that was now in shambles.
Miao Hong walked over from the side with an awkward expression and softly called out, “Alchemist Yang…”
It was not as though he had been unaware of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi’s arrival, it was just that he arrived too late. By the time he reached this place, Old Man Qi had already barged into the treasure vault. Besides, Miao Hong was only in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, so it was impossible for him to stop Old Man Qi regardless.
What shocked him even more was how Yang Kai had fought viciously against the two Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect. Nevertheless, what he witnessed also told him that there was some kind of dispute between Yang Kai and Profound Pill Sect.
He might not understand the reason behind this incident, but it was the truth that Yang Kai’s advancement into the Spirit Realm had been disrupted. Both parties were not people he could afford to offend; hence, Miao Hong was worried that Yang Kai would blame him for this incident.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Kai suddenly turned to look in his direction. The murderous intent in those crimson eyes practically threatened to erupt outward. For an instant, Miao Hong felt as though the entire world was shrouded in blood. Great panic flooded his heart and the feeling of death hit him in the face. He was so scared that he stumbled several steps back unconsciously.
Then, the murderous intent dissipated without warning. Drenched in cold sweat, Miao Hong looked up only to see Yang Kai standing there quietly, gripping his sword tightly. Yang Kai had closed his eyes at some point, but the frightening aura continued to fluctuate around him. It was almost as though that murderous intent would explode with an astounding impact at the slightest stimulation.
[What in the world is going on!?] Miao Hong was completely confused.
Similarly, Hua Rong and Yang Huai did not understand what was going on. Although they had followed Yang Kai for several years now, it was not until today that they realised just how terrifying his strength was. They felt as though they had only gotten to know him today, and their eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and doubt.
…..
In the dark of the night, two figures flew across the sky. They were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi who escaped from Heavenly Martial City earlier.
Thinking back to what happened just now, the two of them still found the reality extremely difficult to accept despite experiencing it for themselves. A Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master had been defeated by a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master, so much so that they were completely powerless to fight back.
“Old Qi, Alchemist Yang…” Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t stand the uncomfortable silence; thus, he was the first to break it.
“Cultivation dissonance!” Old Man Qi replied solemnly, “That boy is definitely suffering from a dissonance in his cultivation!”
Wu Zheng Qi sighed softly, “As expected…”
He had guessed as much in his heart, but it was a truth that was difficult to accept.
Yang Kai was a rare talent in Profound Pill Sect. Since ancient times, no other Heaven Grade Alchemist among all the Heaven Grade Alchemists providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion had ever achieved a success rate as high as his. It was a pity that a talented individual like him would suffer from cultivation dissonance. How else could a person’s temperament change so much?
“That boy retains a small portion of his consciousness still. Unfortunately, whether or not he can survive this catastrophe will depend entirely on his fortune. This is an urgent matter; we need to report back to the Sect.” Old Man Qi coughed lightly, “And… With this Old Master’s strength alone, he is not his opponent. We have failed this mission.”
Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t help smiling bitterly, “I’m afraid the Sect won’t believe us even if we told them!”
The corners of Old Man Qi’s mouth twitched, “Our duty is to inform them of the truth. Whether they believe us or not is up to them.”
…..
The site where Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault was originally located had been destroyed. Although the structure of the building was extremely solid, how could the building remain standing after a battle between two Spirit Realm Masters took place here? The remains were now nothing more than rubble and ruins.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood there motionlessly like a statue, his sword still in hand. The sun rose in the distance as the moon set on the opposite horizon. During this time, the aura fluctuating around Yang Kai’s body slowly calmed down and the malevolent aura sweeping out in all directions gradually faded.
Three days later, he abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was undeniably peculiar and the drawbacks were clearly unavoidable. Yang Kai had devoured an immense amount of energy in one go during his breakthrough and almost exceeded the limits of what he could bear as a result. That was what triggered the hidden dangers of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which in turn caused a great change in his temperament and aroused a wanton killing intent in him.
His battle with Old Man Qi had only added fuel to the fire. If Old Man Qi had continued to fight, Yang Kai wasn’t certain he could have stopped himself. The most likely outcome would have been Old Man Qi dying at his hands, forging an irresolvable blood feud with Profound Pill Sect. That was not the outcome Yang Kai hoped to see.
It was fortunate that Old Man Qi was a veteran who could read the situation. He immediately fled as soon as he discovered that something was wrong, thereby giving Yang Kai a chance to recover.
Unfortunately, the root of the problem had not been eradicated, even though Yang Kai’s situation had been temporarily stabilized. He would need to meditate and recover for a long time to resolve the hidden dangers brought about by his advancement.
[Regrettably…] Yang Kai turned to look in the direction of Profound Pill Sect as he sighed, [I’m running out of time!]
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying shouted timidly with an expression that resembled a frightened rabbit. She clearly wanted to approach him, but did not dare to do so.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at her and nodded lightly, “I’m alright now!”
Upon hearing those words, she burst into tears and plunged into his arms with her head lowered, whimpering through her sobs, “You scared me to death! Eldest Senior Brother, what happened?”
Yang Kai stroked her head lightly, “Something went wrong, but I’m fine now.”
“Sir!” Both Yang Huai and Hua Rong walked over. The former had an expression of reverence on his face while the latter appeared uncharacteristically serious.
Hua Rong had always been casual and unrestrained in front of Yang Kai. That couldn’t be helped as her strength was greater than his. Still, as a bodyguard, she had been dedicated to her duties even if there had barely been any need for her to do anything in recent years. It was not until today that she discovered something shocking, Yang Kai’s actual strength was many times greater than her own… Her presence as a bodyguard was completely unnecessary. Therefore, she was uncertain about how to act around him.
Yang Kai gave them a slight nod before turning to the side, “City Lord Miao, I need your help with something.”
Miao Hong was startled and immediately came forward, “How may I help you, Alchemist Yang?”
“Please help take care of my Little Junior Sister for a few days.” Yang Kai patted Wan Ying Ying’s head.
Miao Hong was stunned for a moment; then, he immediately nodded in response, “No problem. Please rest assured, Alchemist Yang. Young Lady Ying Ying will never suffer any grievances in Heavenly Martial City.” After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, “Alchemist Yang, are you…”
“I’m going back to Profound Pill Sect!” Yang Kai replied.
The people of Void Spirit Sword Sect were there, and so was the Medicine King Furnace. No matter what, he needed to return to Profound Pill Sect.
Miao Hong seemed to have expected Yang Kai’s answer and nodded his head solemnly, “Please be careful in that case, Alchemist Yang. Profound Pill Sect is one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World after all.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I know the strength of Profound Pill Sect better than you, City Lord Miao. I lived there for several years after all.”
Miao Hong was taken aback slightly before nodding, “That’s true.”
Afterwards, Yang Kai instructed Hua Rong and Yang Huai, “The two of you will stay here to look after Ying Ying.”
Yang Huai cupped his fist and quickly said, “Regardless of the dangers, I would like to follow you to the death, Sir!”
Hua Rong quickly pulled Yang Huai behind her back, “This big guy has always been stupid, don’t listen to him! If you don’t return, I’ll take Ying Ying and run away from here!”
“Good!”
As always, Profound Pill Sect was bustling with noise and excitement. That was especially true in the vicinity of the Seeking Pill Pavilion and the Recruitment Stage. People would gather around these places all year round; after all, there was a never-ending stream of cultivators who wished to make pill requests or attach themselves to an Alchemist.
All of a sudden, a figure descended from the sky and landed directly in front of the Seeking Pill Pavilion. The undeniable aura of a Spirit Realm Master radiated from the figure, startling passers-by with the sudden turn of events.
Everybody hurriedly turned to look at the figure in amazement, secretly marvelling at who would be so bold as to act so presumptuously in front of Profound Pill Sect. It had to be said that Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World, so no matter who came here, they had to walk up from the foot of the mountain; otherwise, their conduct would be considered disrespectful.
On the other hand, the expressions of the guards on duty at the Seeking Pill Pavilion became very sullen. They quickly stepped forward to confront that figure only to become respectful upon recognising the figure. Then, they immediately cupped their fists in greeting, “Alchemist Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and ignored them. Looking up at the Reception Palace located at the top of the mountain, he strode forward without hesitation as a series of exclamations rang out from behind him.
Over the past few years, Yang Kai’s reputation in the Seeking Pill Pavilion had flourished. Countless Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had been refined by him personally, and the lowest quality among them was Mid-Rank. Many cultivators had advanced into the Heaven Realm thanks to those pills and for that reason, eight out of ten cultivators who came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill would seek out Yang Kai for help.
It was just that Yang Kai generally performed Alchemy on Fixed Moon Peak and rarely ever appeared in person at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. That was why only people from Profound Pill Sect could recognise him. No outsiders knew what he looked like, so when they learned that this man who was almost excessively youthful was actually the famous Alchemist Yang, they suddenly had the feeling that knowing somebody by their reputation was not as good as meeting them in person.
When Yang Kai walked past the Recruitment Stage, the melodious tolling of a bell suddenly rang out from the depths of Profound Pill Sect. The bell rang nine times in quick succession.
The expressions of everybody who heard the bell immediately changed drastically. They glanced in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Headquarters in disbelief. For the bell to be tolled nine times meant that something major was happening. There were only a handful of times where the bell had rung nine times throughout the history of Profound Pill Sect, and every single time had spelled an impending disaster that almost destroyed the entire Sect!
The bodyguards of the Seeking Pill Pavilion immediately started dispersing all the people who came to make pill requests and sealing the passage leading up the mountain. It didn’t take long for all the people to be chased out.
Although most of the people in Profound Pill Sect were clueless about what was going on, the entire Sect was now shrouded in a sense of turmoil.
One man stood in front of the Reception Palace with a bitter smile, watching as Yang Kai walked up the mountain, his expression a little bewildered. He could not imagine how Yang Kai, who had only been an Earth Grade Alchemist just a few years ago, could cause such a huge commotion in the Sect today.
This person was the one who introduced Yang Kai into Profound Pill Sect, and it was also thanks to his close personal relationship with Yang Kai that he was sent here.
A cool breeze blew past as Yang Kai looked up at the man blocking his path and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Gao!”
Gao Xin Peng looked at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes and returned the greeting, “Junior Brother Yang!”
The two bodyguards behind Gao Xin Peng gripped their swords tightly, their expressions solemn. Like wolves that were about to pounce on their prey, they were ready to attack at any time.
“Why are you here, Senior Brother Gao? Does the Sect Master have instructions for me?” Yang Kai asked.
Gao Xin Peng smiled bitterly, “You caused quite a commotion this time, Junior Brother. The higher-ups want to have a good chat with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That was what I was thinking too; otherwise, I would not have returned to this place.”
Gao Xin Peng breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m glad you think so, Junior Brother Yang. Since you’re of the same mind, please surrender your sword and seal your cultivation. Then, come with me to meet the Sect Master and the Elders!”
“Is that the Sect Master’s will?” Yang Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.
Gao Xin Peng nodded lightly in response.
Yang Kai sighed, “I hold no malicious intentions towards the Sect. Although I have indeed kept some secrets, all I really did was go with the flow.”
Gao Xin Peng said, “I believe you, Junior Brother. It’s just that the current situation requires you to show some sincerity, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai slowly replied, “The fact that I came back here is the greatest sincerity I can show! If the Sect insists on doing this their way, then I will be forced to slaughter a path out of this place! To be honest, I’m reluctant to do something like that, but if I have no other choice, then that’s all I can do.”
Gao Xin Peng’s expression changed, “Junior Brother, please don’t be so impulsive! You’re only one person!”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
“Junior Brother!”
He raised a hand to stop Gao Xin Peng, “You don’t need to say anymore, Senior Brother Gao. Please inform the Sect Master and the Elders that I can only persist an incense stick of time!”
Gao Xin Peng gave Yang Kai a deep look before he sighed heavily, “I will pass the message to them. You’re on your own now, Junior Brother!”
While saying so, he turned around and headed towards a Spirit Peak in the distance with his two bodyguards in tow. His figure vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Following Gao Xin Peng’s departure, 8 figures emerged from their hiding places to surround Yang Kai. Every one of them wielded a Spirit Armament, and they eyed Yang Kai aggressively.
Yang Kai turned to look around and gently nodded, “The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard… A bunch of loyal fools indeed!”
When the last word left his mouth, Yang Kai’s figure abruptly became strangely hazy, and in that moment, he slipped past their encirclement and appeared where Gao Xin Peng had been standing earlier. The True Void Sword was held in his hand as fresh blood slid down the length of its blade.
The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard were shocked. 8 Spirit Realm Masters had surrounded Yang Kai, but none of them saw how he managed to break out of their encirclement, and by the time they reacted, Yang Kai was already walking away.
They immediately acted to stop him, but something peculiar occurred. When they tried to push their Spirit Qi, streams of blood involuntarily spurted out of their bodies. All their strength quickly flowed out through their wounds and with a series of thuds, all 8 of them fell to one knee on the ground.
They were absolutely horrified. Only now did they realise that they had been injured by Yang Kai. Fortunately, while their injuries were severe, they were not lethal. They simply lost their ability to fight and could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai walked forward with a mixture of horror and reluctance to admit their loss. Nevertheless, they understood one thing clearly, with the unfathomable speed that Yang Kai displayed just now, killing them would have been as easy as waving his hand for him. The reason he wounded but did not kill them was definitely an act of mercy.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
A never-ending series of sounds sliced through the air next as countless arrows flew over from all directions, pelting down on Yang Kai’s location in a dense rain, each one containing an extremely terrifying force.
Under such an intensive barrage, even a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master might not come out unscathed. However, the angle and trajectory of these arrows had clearly been calculated with great deliberation with none of them aiming at his vital spots. It was clear that even now, Profound Pill Sect had no intention of taking his life.
Yang Kai did not move a single step, but the sword in his hands danced and formed a barrier of sword lights. Under the urging of his Spirit Qi, a series of rattling and clanging sounds rang out and every single arrow in that dense rain was cut down without a single exception.
Many of the cultivators hiding in ambush turned pale with fright at the sight. In that moment of daze, Yang Kai’s figure vanished from their field of vision. Immediately after that, the first scream resounded through the air. The screams of agony continued endlessly… Subsequently, the cultivators hiding in the vicinity collapsed limply in pools of their own blood.
…..
Inside the Main Hall located several mountains away from the Reception Palace, all the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. With Sect Master Baili Yun Sang in the lead, many Elders, Deacons, and Protectors assembled behind him.
Gao Xin Peng had just finished reporting the results of his negotiation with Yang Kai, after which Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly and gave a wave of his hand to dismiss him.
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua said, “He certainly is a man who values his comrades. He came back despite knowing that he is no match for us. Unfortunately, he is a little arrogant.”
Yu Bo Yang frowned, “Sect Master, that brat has only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. No matter how unusual he is, how strong can he be? Don’t you think we are a little too nervous about this? We’ve deployed all the forces that can be deployed in Profound Pill Sect. If word got out about this incident, we will be the laughing stock of the public!”
Baili Yun Sang replied, “I certainly hope we are just overestimating his strength, but… I don’t dare to take what Old Qi said lightly.”
Yu Bo Yang turned to glance at Old Man Qi and scowled, “Old Qi, are you sure that brat is so strong that even you are not his opponent? Are you sure you’re not mistaken about this?”
Despite listening to Old Man Qi’s reports earlier, almost nobody in the entire Profound Pill Sect believed him. Be that as it may, his words were stated with utter certainty. Wu Zheng Qi also provided a testimony to the fact, so it was difficult for them not to believe the words of those two. Although they had agreed to deploy all the combat forces they could, Profound Pill Sect’s leaders still couldn’t help feeling that they were being overly cautious.
Old Man Qi lowered his eyes and spoke quietly, “This old man might not compare to you in the Alchemic Dao, Third Elder, but this old man has immersed himself in battle for centuries now. That boy is the strongest Master this old man has ever seen in his life! If he wanted to kill me, he could have taken my life within 10 moves!”
Yu Bo Yang blinked and burst out laughing, “Old Qi, why are you being so humble? You’re one of the strongest Masters in the Divine Armament World. Aside from the Armament Masters, there aren’t many people who can kill you, let alone in 10 moves.”
He subconsciously believed that Old Man Qi was exaggerating about Yang Kai’s strength to shirk the responsibility for failing the last mission. It was just that Old Man Qi was a highly trusted and influential individual in Profound Pill Sect thanks to his position as the Sect Master’s personal Blood Warrior, so Yu Bo Yang could not criticize him too much.
Old Man Qi simply chose to remain silent.
“Reporting!” A shout rang out as a cultivator sped through the sky and landed in front of them.
Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “How is the situation over there? Did you capture that brat yet?”
After asking his question, he realised that the messenger looked extremely panicked.
The messenger’s voice trembled, “Alchemist Yang has broken through the first and second lines of defences and is quickly approaching the third!”
“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders also had horrified expressions on their faces. They could barely believe their ears. How much time had passed since Yang Kai arrived!? It had been no more than ten breaths since Gao Xin Peng came to report the situation, so how did Yang Kai break through two lines of defences already!?
It had to be said that the Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard was in charge of the first line of defence, and they were all Spirit Realm Masters. Even if they were not the strongest Masters in the Sect, they highly outnumbered their opponent. Moreover, they were proficient in group tactics, so even if it was Old Man Qi, it was uncertain whether he could achieve victory against them.
Meanwhile, the second line of defence consisted of dozens of cultivators who were adept at archery. Falling into their encirclement would mean severe injuries at the very least, if not death.
[Did… Did he break through the defences just like that!?] Yu Bo Yang had not believed Old Man Qi earlier, but it would now seem that Old Man Qi had not been exaggerating, but what kind of Alchemist has such terrifying combat power!?
Before anybody could digest the shocking news, another person came running in with another shocking report. Yang Kai had already broken through the third line of defence and passed the Reception Palace. Moreover, he was currently heading straight for River Viewing Peak!
Rumbling explosions came from a couple dozen kilometres away, and everybody raised their heads to look in that direction. Although they were blocked by several mountains and could not see the situation over there clearly, they could see the never-ending flashing lights that illuminated half the sky in that direction. The situation beyond the mountains gave off the vague feeling that an Ancient Ominous Beast had escaped and was charging towards them in a bloody frenzy. They could sense the frighteningly vicious and hostile aura coming from that direction despite being so far apart.
A short while later, the commotion died down. River Viewing Peak had been defeated, and the two defence lines set up there had been completely destroyed!
Yu Bo Yang stared forward in a daze, “How is this possible? How is this possible!?”
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang was ashen-faced with disbelief!
What happened today was simply too shocking. Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects. Be that as it may, they failed to stop a single Alchemist who had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm even though they deployed their full strength against him! How could the power of a single person be so terrifying!?
Gao Xin Peng stared into the distance with a complicated gaze. Yang Kai’s words from before echoed in his mind, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
He had assumed that Yang Kai was merely spouting empty boasts in an effort to boost his morale. Contrary to his beliefs though, it would now seem that Yang Kai was perfectly capable of representing the strength of a thousand men. Of course, an ordinary army of a thousand men could not have broken through the defences of Profound Pill Sect.
A short while later, the two lines of defences on Flying Tooth Peak collapsed. Flying Tooth Peak had been defeated! The only thing that stood between Yang Kai and the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect at this point was Purple Sun Peak!
There was only one line of defence on Purple Sun Peak where a total of thirty Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. Furthermore, their cultivations ranged from the lowest in the Third-Step Spirit Realm to the highest in the Eight-Step Spirit Realm. This was an extremely powerful line-up, enough to wipe out most Sects in the Divine Armament World. It was a line-up that only one of the Ten Great Sects could assemble.
When the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect looked in that direction from where they stood, their superb eyesight allowed them to see the large square on Purple Sun Peak where the thirty Spirit Realm Masters stood at the ready. Each of the thirty Spirit Realm Masters wielded a different Spirit Armament and additionally, they stood facing eight distinct directions, forming the Eight Directional Golden Lock Formation.
A figure stepped out from under the cover of numerous buildings and strolled over to the square. The sword in his hand was chipped in places along the length of the blade. Even an extraordinary Spirit Armament could not withstand the impacts of so many high-intensity battles in such a short period of time.
“He’s injured!” Yu Bo Yang shouted.
From where he stood, he could clearly see that Yang Kai’s clothes were tattered and he was covered in countless wounds with fresh blood trickling out. Everywhere he walked, he left behind an evident trail of bloody footprints.
Wu Feng Hua commented, “After fighting so many elites of Profound Pill Sect alone, injuries are inevitable. It would be weirder for him to remain unscathed. Besides, it looks like he won’t last much longer. Even the Spirit Armament in his hand is on the verge of being destroyed.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly, “Let us hope so!”
Profound Pill Sect’s original intentions no longer mattered. Now that things had come this far, this battle could no longer be easily stopped. Things would only end when one party suffered complete defeat.
It was just that Baili Yun Sang himself never expected Yang Kai’s strength to be so terrifying. [Yang Kai only just broke through to the Spirit Realm. At this rate, won’t he be invincible if he advances to the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm!? No. With the strength he has displayed so far, it can already be said that he is invincible. Who in the Divine Armament World can be his opponent unless the Armament Masters themselves take action?]
During their brief conversation, an intense battle had broken out on Purple Sun Peak! Dozens of silhouettes weaved about, turbulent waves of Spirit Qi collided with each other, and deafening explosions rang out incessantly.
“Such a malevolent aura!” Lan Yin frowned slightly. Even though she was standing here, away from the battle, she could clearly detect the Evil Qi radiating from Yang Kai’s body. His aura was overflowing with brutality and destruction, which made her feel extremely uneasy.
“What kind of Movement Skill is that!?” Wu Feng Hua was staring at the battle in the distance, but despite being in the Spirit Realm himself, he could not follow Yang Kai’s movements at all. As far as he could tell, Yang Kai’s figure moved about in a ghostly and erratic manner, vanishing abruptly from one spot only to appear in a completely different place without any warning in the next instant. There were no traces of his movements whatsoever. Even the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters on Purple Sun Peak could not do anything to him. On the contrary, the many Spirit Realm Masters of Profound Pill Sect were flustered by their first experience against an opponent like Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Old Man Qi squinted at the fight in the distance. He could sense the Evil Qi surrounding Yang Kai becoming stronger, and an intense feeling of unease flooded his heart for some reason. That feeling of unease suddenly climbed to the peak when Yang Kai sliced off part of the neck of a Spirit Realm Master! That attack had nearly taken the life of that Spirit Realm Master.
“Sect Master, I want to investigate the current number of casualties among the cultivators in the Sect!” Old Man Qi hurriedly whispered in Baili Yun Sang’s ear.
Baili Yun Sang was completely focused on the fight in the distance, shocked by Yang Kai’s elusive Movement Skill, so he frowned when he heard those words and asked, “Why do you want to investigate that now?”
All the defence lines set up previously had been destroyed, so it was conceivable that many, if not all those cultivators had suffered tragic ends.
“It is related to the survival of the Sect! Please give me permission, Sect Master!” Old Man Qi looked extremely solemn.
Baili Yun Sang glanced at Old Man Qi and was startled by what he saw. Despite spending so many years with each other, he had never seen Old Man Qi looking so solemn before; thus, he nodded slightly, “Go!”
Old Man Qi nodded, and with a slight shift of his body, he flew directly towards the Reception Palace. As a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, there was no question that his speed was incredible. It only took him several dozen breaths of time to hurry back. However, his expression was even more solemn than before he departed.
“What did you find?” Baili Yun Sang asked.
Old Man Qi replied, “No one has died! Everyone who participated in the battle was only wounded!”
Everyone was shocked by those words. Yu Bo Yang widened his eyes and asked, “Not a single person died!?”
Old Man Qi nodded slowly, “Not one.”
Everyone looked around at each other. Although several reports had come in earlier, they had only reported that the defences had been broken through. They had not mentioned a single thing about the casualties, and nobody bothered to ask either. That was because casualties were inevitable in a battle like this. That was why they subconsciously believed that Profound Pill Sect would suffer heavy losses today.
They were certain that Profound Pill Sect would take a great hit to its overall strength after this battle! Who could have imagined that not a single person had died? The brows of all the leaders in this place that were originally furrowed gloomily after hearing that the defence lines had been broken immediately relaxed considerably at the news. Regardless of the current circumstances, that was good news.
Baili Yun Sang sighed, “It looks like that boy has not forgotten his kinship with us, and held back enough to not kill anybody in the Sect!”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard, “He might be cautious about acting lest innocents be hurt; after all, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect are in our hands.”
“Regardless of his reasons, this is a good thing for us!” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
Old Man Qi, however, shook his head and said, “You’re wrong, Sect Master. On the contrary, this is not a good thing for us at all.”
Baili Yun Sang looked over in puzzlement, “Why do you say that, Old Qi?”
Old Man Qi glanced at the battlefield in the distance and explained his reasoning, “When this Old Master went to investigate the defence lines earlier, I discovered that Yang Boy had extremely precise control over his strength at the beginning. Although everyone there was disabled, their injuries were not severe and they only need to recuperate for some time to recover fully; however, he seemed to be slowly losing control over his strength as time passed. The injuries he inflicted got progressively more severe as a result. If you look at the current situation, Sect Master…”
Baili Yun Sang looked over after hearing those words, just in time to see Yang Kai stabbing his sword into a cultivator’s chest. When Yang Kai drew his blade out, fresh blood splattered everywhere. The Spirit Realm Master quickly backed away with an absolute look of horror on his face.
Old Man Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, “Just now, he forcibly shifted his trajectory; otherwise, Rong Boy would be dead by now!”
The ‘Rong Boy’ Old Man Qi mentioned was referring to the Spirit Realm Master who had been run through.
Baili Yun Sang instantly understood, “He is suppressing his murderous intent, but he is quickly reaching his limits! That’s why his attacks are getting more and more brutal!”
Old Man Qi nodded solemnly, “That’s right! This Old Master experienced the same situation when I fought him in Heavenly Martial City previously. If this Old Master had continued to engage in battle with him at the time, he would have lost control and killed me!” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Do you remember the message Alchemist Gao brought back earlier, Sect Master?”
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Which message?”
“Yang Kai said that he could only persist for a stick worth of incense!” Old Man Qi sighed, “We all thought he meant that he could fight for at most an incense stick worth of time, but it would now seem that the time limit he was referring to was how long he could retain his sanity. Once this time limit is up, he will most likely lose all sense of reason and massacre us!”
“What is the reason for all this?” Baili Yun Sang looked puzzled.
“This Old Master does not know, but this Old Master believes that it has something to do with the Secret Art he cultivated. That Evil Art has affected his heart! Sect Master, we can’t afford to continue this battle. At the rate things are going, Profound Pill Sect will suffer catastrophic losses even if we manage to kill him!” Seeing the hesitation in Baili Yun Sang’s eyes, Old Man Qi added, “Sect Master, don’t forget that he is also an Alchemist. He still has his Alchemy Flame!”
As soon as those words came out, a sudden thought occurred to Baili Yun Sang and he suddenly recalled the white Alchemy Flame. Even though his mental cultivation was very stable, he could barely resist the urge to curse out loud.
Yang Kai’s strength was so overwhelming that he could practically wipe out the entire Profound Pill Sect with his sword alone, which was why Baili Yun Sang had subconsciously forgotten Yang Kai’s identity as an Alchemist.
Alchemists might not engage in battle often, but that did not mean they could not fight at all. Generally speaking, their Alchemy Flame was their greatest strength when engaged in battle with others!
From the beginning until now, Yang Kai had not used the power of his white Alchemy Flame. It was obvious that he did not wish to increase the number of casualties; otherwise, the people he injured would not be alive right now. Not to mention, that white Alchemy Flame was the most mysterious and most powerful Alchemy Flame in the Divine Armament World! Other people might be unaware of the truth, but how could Baili Yun Sang be so ignorant?
At that thought, Baili Yun Sang did not dare to hesitate any longer and sighed softly, “Order them to retreat!”
Old Man Qi accepted the order and turned around to rush towards the battlefield.
“I’ll go,” Somebody spoke up suddenly and rushed towards the battlefield ahead of Old Man Qi.
Lan Yin immediately gave a startled cry; furthermore, her expression was filled with worry.
The battle was very fierce on Purple Sun Peak, and out of the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters who made up its defence force, less than half of them were still able to move. All of them looked like they had seen a ghost, and their expressions were filled with abject terror. Although they could just manage to parry and block Yang Kai’s indiscriminate barrage of attacks, they had no solution against his elusive Movement Skill. It was only a matter of time before they were all defeated.