They were unable to come to any conclusion after a full day of discussion, so they decided to return to their rooms and get some rest. The talks continued on the next day.
Yang Kai conceded and allowed every great force to take four disciples every 100 years, but they were still displeased as they continued making counter proposals. During the intense verbal exchange, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters haggled just like ordinary market goers, searching for a bargain.
All of a sudden, the noises in the Grand Hall came to an abrupt halt as they fell silent at the same time.
Yang Kai looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes. The people he had been waiting for finally arrived.
Even before the arrival of those people, two powerful auras recklessly showered the entire Star Boundary, causing it to shake with a hum.
The owners of the auras seemed to be trying to be intimidating, but they were soon stunned.
That was because it never crossed their minds that there were more than thirty High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, all of whom were just as powerful as they were, already in the Star Boundary. Upon that realization, they were both shocked and doubtful.
Xu Ling Gong said gently, “Since you’ve arrived, come here and join the discussion.”
Despite his small voice, the two newcomers were able to hear him clearly.
The door of the Grand Hall suddenly opened as two figures descended from the sky. One of them was shrouded in Demon Qi while the other was a stern-looking man.
When they took a glance inside the Grand Hall, they became startled. They were unable to figure out why so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered together. These people didn’t seem to be waiting in ambush either. Rather they had a feeling that something major was happening.
Beside Xu Ling Gong sat Yang Kai, who gazed at the two unwelcome guests with a dispassionate expression. He certainly could recognise them. One of them was Zhuo Bu Qun from Myriad Demons Heaven while the other was Yu Huan from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Both of them were there when the Dao Theory Assembly ended in the past. They were responsible for dealing with the external affairs for their respective Sects, and since they were in such important positions, they would frequently come into contact with the people from other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters at the scene were not only Inner Elders of their respective Sects, but were also responsible for handling external affairs.
“Since you’re here, you’re also my guests. Please be seated.” Yang Kai extended his hand without rising from the chair.
Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan traded glances as they frowned. They had come all the way here because their Core Disciples were killed.
The Core Disciples who could directly ascend to the Sixth-Order were the future hope of their Sects that had to be nurtured with a lot of resources and effort. After Zhao Xing was killed, Zuo Quan Hui was even willing to leave Thousand Cranes Paradise in order to avenge his death. It wasn’t just because they were Master and Disciple though. Those from Thousand Cranes Paradise had also given him the permission to do so.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao were as important as Zhao Xing. They were also disciples with exceptional aptitudes in their Sects that might ascend to the Eighth-Order in the future.
In the past, no one in the entire 3,000 Worlds would’ve dared to offend them. But now, both of them were killed.
It was expected that those from Myriad Demons Heaven and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven were incensed.
Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan joined forces and headed to Void Land in an attempt to retaliate against Yang Kai.
Although Bi Xi was powerful, he was pretty meek, so while fending off their attacks, he persuaded them for a long time before they finally believed that Yang Kai wasn’t in Void Land.
They then used their Secret Techniques and followed the traces. It took them a lot of hard work before they found the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located.
However, before they could even flare up, they were surprised to see so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered together.
As soon as Yang Kai finished his words, the two of them shot him ferocious glances as their Seventh-Order pressures unreservedly fell upon him, but he remained unfazed.
Xu Ling Gong and Yu Chang Dao, who had remained silent, looked up at the same time.
Following a silent clash, the auras in the Grand Hall exploded as some of those gathered grunted.
The onlookers turned to look at Yu Chang Dao with surprise. It was expected that Xu Ling Gong would defend Yang Kai since the latter was a son-in-law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. There was no way Xu Ling Gong would let him be harmed in his presence.
However, they were puzzled as to why Yu Chang Dao had also made a move. Those from Free and Unfettered Paradise had always steered clear of any kind of internal strife. Of the 108 top forces, they were the only ones that had little to no friction with all the others; therefore, they wondered what benefits Yang Kai had given to Yu Chang Dao that prompted him to lend the young man a hand.
“What happened? Why are you two so mad?” Xu Ling Gong looked smilingly at Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan.
Zhuo Bu Qun snorted as his Demon Qi weltered, “Stop asking the obvious!”
“Enough nonsense then. If you want to fight, we can go out and fight. If not, take your seats. Both of you are already so old now; how could you oppress a young man like this?” Xu Ling Gong sneered.
While Zhuo Bu Qun was still incensed, Yu Huan suddenly chuckled, “Since we’re here, let’s see what’s going on, Brother Zhuo.”
With Xu Ling Gong around, they wouldn’t be able to kill Yang Kai. Rather than falling out with him, they should wait for another chance. What concerned Yu Huan was why so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were in this place.
He and Zhuo Bu Qun had never heard of any news about it.
Before they were seated, they couldn’t help but recall the gigantic tree they had seen when they arrived at this place. It greatly resembled the World Tree which they had read about in ancient books.
They hadn’t managed to take a closer look since they were in a rush, so they were uncertain about it. However, since so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were around, they had a feeling that their speculation was right.
It had to be noted that these powerful Masters wouldn’t have come together if there were not immense benefits.
After the commotion ended, Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan became seated. There were still many vacant seats anyway, so there wasn’t a need for any additional arrangements.
Following that, the intense haggling continued.
As Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan listened to them, they were slowly dumbfounded.
They initially had no idea why so many Masters were here, but after listening to their discussion, they became aware that these people were trying to divide the benefits among themselves.
The gigantic tree they had seen earlier was indeed the World Tree, and because of the tree’s presence, this originally unknown Universe World called the Star Boundary was now filled with young people with exceptional aptitudes.
On the other hand, the owner of this treasure trove was the very Yang Kai that they were determined to kill. They felt their hearts sinking as they realised that now it would be impossible for them to kill him.
Since the people at the scene had gotten so many benefits, they wouldn’t allow the two of them to make a move on Yang Kai once the discussion concluded.
At the thought of this, Zhuo Bu Qun sneered and cut them off by saying, “All of you are High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, but you’re being led by the nose by a little brat. Don’t you find it shameful?”
Xu Ling Gong looked smilingly at him, “What opinion do you have, then?”
Zhuo Bu Qun never intended to hide his murderous intent, “As long as he’s dead, there’ll be no need to bargain. Moreover, what right does a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master have to have a discussion with us?”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “Since I, a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, was able to kill Zuo Quan Hui, I can also do the same to you.”
Zhuo Bu Qun’s expression darkened, “Did you also kill Pei Wen Xuan?”
Yang Kai knocked on the table, “Please do not make such an accusation without any evidence, Elder Zhuo. Did you see me killing Pei Wen Xuan?”
He could admit that he had killed Zuo Quan Hui because the latter was a traitor to Thousand Cranes Paradise, so they were not in any place to retaliate against him. Instead, they had to thank him for cleaning up their mess for them.
However, he could never admit that the death of Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao had something to do with him; otherwise, he would invite trouble to Void Land. Furthermore, he really didn’t kill them, so Yang Kai was confident when he uttered those words.
After a pause, he went on to say, “As for what right I have, I’m a Great Emperor in this place, and this is my territory. How can I not have the right?”
“A Great Emperor? What rubbish is that?” Zhuo Bu Qun said disdainfully.
Yang Kai extended his hand, “Since you have some bias against me, Elder Zhuo, you should leave. The Star Boundary does not welcome you.”
Zhuo Bu Qun naturally wouldn’t leave just like that, or else he would be a fool. He fell silent after a snort, which showed how thick-skinned he was.
Xu Ling Gong took the initiative to ease the tension, “Good, you should stop arguing since there’s a serious issue to discuss here. Stop making unnecessary noise.” He then chided Yang Kai by saying, “Elder Zhuo is an old man who doesn’t have many years to live. Why make him angry, brat?”
“You’re right, Martial Uncle Xu. Forgive me for my indiscretion.” Yang Kai appeared meek and obedient.
Zhuo Bu Qun closed his eyes and pretended to not understand the mockery in Xu Ling Gong’s words so as to contain his irritation.
Yang Kai then continued speaking, “Every great force will get five disciples every 100 years. That’s my limit. If all of you agree, the discussion shall continue. If not, a further discussion is not needed.”
The Grand Hall fell silent as no one responded to him.
Although five people was only half of what Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would get, it was indeed Yang Kai’s limit. He had no idea how many talents would appear in later generations, but the Heavenly Way was fair in all things, so this place couldn’t possibly be swamped with so many young people with outstanding aptitudes.
Since the Cave Heavens and Paradises would obtain a few hundred disciples every 100 years, only a small number of people would be left for Void Land.
After letting these people ponder on it for a while, Yang Kai continued saying, “Of course, as a form of compensation, I’m willing to let all of you build Dao Temples in the Star Boundary. Every great force will receive a region of 500,000 square kilometres. Except for the area in a radius of 10 million kilometres around the World Tree and the locations of the existing Sects, you may choose any place you want, and I won’t interfere.”
This was the foundation Xu Ling Gong had laid down for him. The offer was attractive since it was brought up at this point.
With their own Dao Temples in this place, it meant that they could transfer their own people to the Star Boundary and nurture them from a young age or even from before they were born. By doing so, they might be able to get the disciples they wanted, and there was no limit on this number.
These people were initially displeased with getting only five disciples every 100 years for every great force and were preparing to haggle with Yang Kai so that he could give in further. However, their expressions changed when they heard what he had said.
Luo Xiu gave a fair remark at this point, “It’s a good idea actually.”
Most people nodded while the others tacitly agreed to it.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai said without hesitation, “It’s decided, then. Other than Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, all of you can respectively obtain five disciples from the Star Boundary every 100 years and select a landmass of 500,000 square kilometres to build your own Dao Temples.”
“Good.” The one-armed Xun Ping nodded.
Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan exchanged glances as they frowned. Instead of excluding Myriad Demons Heaven and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, Yang Kai had counted them in from the start. The outcome surprised them, but they had also kind of expected it.
They had expected it because if Yang Kai really excluded the two Cave Heavens, a blood feud would be formed between the two parties. By counting them in, it could serve as a form of compensation for them.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao were dead; however, if the two Cave Heavens could find some talented youths from the Star Boundary, they would have a chance to get more Core Disciples who could directly ascend to the Sixth-Order a few hundred or a thousand years later.
What surprised them was that Yang Kai didn’t seem to have any intention of making things difficult for them.
Since the number of people had been agreed on, the rest of the issues were simple to deal with. Yang Kai then made his demands on behalf of the Star Boundary known. For every disciple they took, they had to pay a full set of Sixth-Order materials or something of equivalent value.
This demand wasn’t outrageous, so the High-Rank Masters directly agreed to it without haggling.
When they discussed the World Tree and the World Fruits, Yang Kai didn’t give them a definitive answer as he said that it wouldn’t be too late to talk about it when the World Tree actually started bearing fruits one day.
They also felt that it was pointless to discuss the issue at this point, so they directly agreed to this as well.
There was no contract to be signed. The more than thirty High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters at the scene represented their Sects, so their word was the best assurance.
The difficult negotiation lasted for three days before the dust finally settled. As for what kind of disciples the great forces wanted to get or where they would build their Dao Temples, it was their own business. By then, they could just inform High Heaven Palace, that was nominally in charge of the Star Boundary, about it, so it wasn’t troublesome at all.
At the very end, Yang Kai said, “The discussion is only limited to the Star Boundary. Everything else in this Great Territory belongs to High Heaven Palace, and none of you should have your eyes on it.”
“Good.” They all nodded.
Xu Ling Gong secretly rolled his eyes, thinking that Yang Kai was taking advantage of them since they had no idea that the Territory Gate that was only a couple million kilometres away from the Star Boundary led to a Newborn Great Territory. If they knew, they wouldn’t have agreed right away.
Even though many of them saw the Territory Gate, that didn’t really bother them as they thought that it was just another Territory Gate that led to a known Great Territory.
However, this matter couldn’t be hidden forever. When these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had some free time, they would realise that something was off. Having said that, with Yang Kai making his stance clear on this day, and the great forces having indeed gotten a lot of benefits from the Star Boundary, they might not be willing to have an argument with Yang Kai over it.
Even though a new Great Territory was rich in resources, the Cave Heavens and Paradises already had ample heritages anyway; hence, they wouldn’t be willing to quibble with Yang Kai over this. If Yang Kai became irritated, they might suffer some losses.
After the discussion, they quickly left the palace, including Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan. They were invited to enter the Grand Hall as soon as they arrived at the Star Boundary, so they were not familiar with the situation here yet. Therefore, they had to personally look around.
The rest of them went looking for suitable locations to build their Dao Temples as they weren’t in a rush to select disciples. Just like what Xu Ling Gong had said, the World Tree had showcased its wonders, but it would not be until a few generations had passed that the tree would have a significant impact on the residents here. It was a rare incident that Yu Chang Dao could find a child with the Innate Dao Body to inherit his legacy so quickly.
Certainly, if they really came across someone with exceptional aptitude, they wouldn’t mind taking them on as a disciple. They could get five people every 100 years anyway. The Star Boundary, as an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, was destined to export different kinds of talented people across the entire 3,000 Worlds.
The news would soon be spread to the rest of the Outer Universe, and by then, the Cave Heavens and Paradises that didn’t take part in the discussion would send their representatives over. However, since the rules had been set, the rest of them would just have to follow them.
Compared to the Cave Heavens and Paradises that had no representatives in the Star Boundary at this point, the only advantage that the more than thirty great forces present at the scene could get was that they could select the best areas and build their Dao Temples. The rest of the benefits were the same.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” Yu Chang Dao suddenly appeared beside Xu Ling Gong. Presently, they were wandering somewhere in the Star Boundary. Xu Ling Gong found a nice place as he was surveying the area. He planned to build a Dao Temple for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven here.
They were in the Southern Territory where Azure Sun Temple was previously located. In the past, the Great Demon God brought a calamity upon the Star Boundary and the entire Southern Territory fell. Those from Azure Sun Temple had no choice but to abandon their foundation. With the Temple Master Wen Zi Shan leading the way, they retreated to High Heaven Palace.
After that, the Great Emperors joined forces and killed the Great Demon God, thus restoring peace to the Star Boundary. Following the war, Wen Zi Shan saw that the original location of his Sect had been shattered and the Earth Vein had snapped, so he decided to find a new location to rebuild Azure Sun Temple.
If it weren’t because of the World Tree’s expansion, this place would have remained desolate for many millennia to come.
However, with the nourishment from the World Tree, the Earth Vein had been reconnected, and the World Energy became ample again. A lot of trees started growing on the mountains, and the picturesque scenery had begun to return.
Xu Ling Gong replied with a smile, “You also didn’t bother to take a look, did you?”
Yu Chang Dao refuted with a frown, “He’s the son-in-law of your Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. What if anything happens to him? The two of them are High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. How is Yang Kai supposed to go against them if they join forces?”
A nonchalant Xu Ling Gong replied, “You’re the Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder of High Heaven Palace. Since you’re not concerned about his safety, why should I be?”
“Are you really not going?” Yu Chang Dao was stunned.
“If he’s unlucky, he’s fated to fall into danger this time. I can’t possibly protect him forever. If he’s lucky, he’ll be able to get out of this on his own.” Xu Ling Gong appeared confident, “Moreover, there are some things he has to deal with directly, or else it’ll never end.”
Yu Chang Dao gazed at him with a frown, wondering what the latter was up to. He then shook his head and said, “Fine. I’ll go there myself.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned into a ray of light and shot into the sky.
Xu Ling Gong remained on the same spot for a moment before he took a look in the direction Yu Chang Dao had left, but he soon retracted his gaze as he called out, “Qing Kui.”
Qing Kui, who had remained silent behind him for a long time, cupped his fist, “Honoured Master.”
“Go back to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and inform the Sect Master about this place in detail. He’ll have the final say in whatever arrangements we make.”
“Yes,” Qing Kui replied and turned to leave.
With his hands behind his back, Xu Ling Gong stood on a certain peak as he suddenly put on a smile, “Old Yu has really joined a pirate’s ship this time, and with a truly sly captain at that.”
In the Northern Territory, in a land covered in snow, Yang Kai was clad in green robes as he stood atop a white mountain peak.
Following the transformation in the Star Boundary, it was destined that all 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises would gather in this place. As a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, there were a lot of things he had to handle.
The most important task at the moment was to expand the population of the Star Boundary.
Following an intense battle against the Great Demon God, the vast majority of the population was killed in the Star Boundary. Although it had been a hundred years since the battle, recovering from such a loss was not so simple. A lot of places were void of people as the usually bustling cities were now empty. There were ruins everywhere.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were going to take on disciples from the Star Boundary, so Yang Kai could already envision that when the news was spread across the entire 3,000 Worlds, apart from the top 108 great forces, those Second Class great forces would also stream into this place like cats catching a whiff of fish, looking for chances to steal some benefits.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to stop them either as trying to do so would be pointless.
Just like what Xu Ling Gong had said, the Star Boundary would be the winner if the people from that place became scattered across the 3,000 Worlds.
In order to have more talented people in the Star Boundary though, he had to expand the population by encouraging the people to bear more children.
Still, they couldn’t fill the gap in a short time by relying on the current population of the Star Boundary. Fortunately, there were many Universe Worlds in the Newborn Great Territory. The Martial Dao in those Universe Worlds was generally low, so there wouldn’t be a problem if they relocated some of those people to the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai had already told Yue He to process this issue. When the time for the migration came, he would personally make a move.
After all, his Small Universe had materialised and could accommodate living beings. Others in the same Order were unable to do that. The migration of billions of lives was a difficult task, so only by keeping them inside his Small Universe could he do it with ease.
Xu Ling Gong and Yu Chang Dao could also help, but Yang Kai didn’t intend to let anyone who wasn’t from Void Land or High Heaven Palace enter the Newborn Great Territory. Hence, he had to put in more effort.
The cold wind became increasingly freezing as murderous intent permeated the air.
Two rays of light, which radiated horrifying World Forces, directly descended upon Yang Kai, who was standing on the peak of a snowy mountain, from the sky.
Yu Chang Dao, who was hiding nearby, let out a sigh. These two still couldn’t contain their urge to make a move. Although Yang Kai had set the grudges aside and promised them some benefits in order to make up for the loss of their Core Disciples, they still had no choice but to act.
Just when Yu Chang Dao was ready to leap forward in order to help Yang Kai ward off the attacks, the entire Star Boundary started humming as though a sleeping Dragon had lifted its head. Lightning started appearing in the world as an incredibly rich World Force came to life and instantly surrounded the young man.
His Sixth-Order aura rapidly rose in an inconceivable manner, and in the blink of an eye, he achieved a breakthrough to the Seventh-Order, but it didn’t stop there.
Soon after, Yang Kai, who was originally in the Sixth-Order, radiated the aura of a Peak Seventh-Order Master, seemingly just one step away from the Eighth-Order.
Yu Chang Dao gasped and exclaimed, “He’s borrowing the World Force from this World!”
It was then he realised why Xu Ling Gong wasn’t concerned despite knowing that Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan would secretly make a move.
That was because he was certain that Yang Kai could deal with his opponents. Yu Chang Dao found himself to be laughable as he came all the way here to protect the young man.
Usually, one was unable to borrow a lot of World Force from a Universe World; after all, there wasn’t much World Force in a Universe World to begin with. However, the Star Boundary was different.
When Yang Kai borrowed the World Strength of the Star Boundary for the first time, he couldn’t make it to the Seventh-Order without the help of all the other Great Emperors, who had already ascended to the Sixth-Order.
However, even without the help of the Great Emperors this time, he could still easily make it to the peak of the Seventh-Order.
There was only one explanation. The heritage of the Star Boundary was now significantly more ample than in the past, which allowed Yang Kai to have a great leap forward in power after he borrowed the World’s World Force.
As the World continued thrumming, Yang Kai raised his spear and thrust it out, his hair and clothes flapping in the wind. The snowflakes in a radius of a million kilometres around him seemed to have frozen mid-air.
Following a loud boom, the Divine Abilities of the two High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were instantly resolved.
Yang Kai’s aura surged as he took control of a power that was at the peak of the Seventh-Order even though he was only in the Sixth-Order. He then said after a laugh, “It would be impolite if I didn’t give you anything in return!”
He then pushed out his spear. The snowflakes exploded in mid-air and turned into invisible murderous intent as they swirled around in a radius of a million kilometres.
In the next moment, two faint grunts were heard.
Since the beginning, Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan, who secretly made a move, had not shown their faces. Yang Kai didn’t have the intention of killing them ruthlessly either as he just traded a move with them before stopping.
As the clouds weltered, two cracks suddenly appeared in the sky. They were so huge that anyone in the Star Boundary could see them clearly wherever they were.
The cracks slowly expanded and revealed a pair of gigantic eyes, as though some reclusive deity had finally descended upon this land.
As the eyes gazed down, the billions and billions of living beings in the Star Boundary couldn’t help but have the urge to fall on their knees and worship them. Even the more than thirty High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were wandering around the Star Boundary at that moment, felt pressured as they furrowed their brows, stopping in their tracks to look up at the sky.
The eyes appeared to be smiling, as though the owner was trying to say he would attack anyone who dared to make a fuss in his territory.
Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan were flabbergasted as they fled, but the pair of eyes followed them and made sure that they couldn’t escape the owner’s sight. The murderous intent was like chains that had been wrapped around their necks, causing them to suffocate.
Both of them appeared vexed.
They had never expected that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to reach the peak of the Seventh-Order by borrowing the might of this World. Furthermore, they were in the Star Boundary, so the situation was in the young man’s favour. Even if they intended to kill him ruthlessly, they might end up losing their lives instead.
The pair of eyes in the sky just looked at them in silence, as though the owner was watching two rats that had barged into his granary. The gaze was filled with mockery.
On the peak of the snow mountain, Yang Kai gently closed his eyes. At the same time, the huge eyes in the sky also slowly disappeared.
Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan dashed into a cave in a certain cliff before they sat down with their legs crossed and wiped the blood from their mouths. As the wind breezed past them, they realised that their backs were covered in cold sweat.
Still reeling from the shock, they exchanged glances.
A moment later, Zhuo Bu Qun said with a dark expression, “It seems that no one can deal with that brat unless an Eighth-Order Ancestor makes a move.”
Yu Huan grunted with displeasure, “At least he was tactful by not crossing the line.”
If Yang Kai had insisted on making things difficult for them, an intense battle would’ve taken place. Perhaps Yang Kai would’ve ended up in a terrible state, but at least one of them would also have lost his life.
However, even though Yang Kai had made use of the Star Boundary’s World Force, he had only given them a warning and then stopped. It was apparent that he just wanted to ward them off instead of falling out with the two Cave Heavens.
With more than thirty High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters as witnesses on this day, no one would blame Yang Kai in the future; instead, they would praise him for being magnanimous and tactful.
In comparison, Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan, who oppressed the young man despite being more powerful, would be regarded as devious.
“We have no choice but to choke it down this time.” Zhuo Bu Qun sported a grim expression.
Even though they firmly believed that their disciples, Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao, were killed by Yang Kai, no one had seen the deed, so there was no evidence to make a case.
If it was before, if the two Cave Heavens wanted to avenge the death of their disciples, they wouldn’t need any evidence. A single doubt could prompt them to make a move, and no one would dare to say anything.
However, since the World Tree was in the Star Boundary, this place was destined to be the centre of attention for the entire 3,000 Worlds. As a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai already had a right to be on an equal footing with them and discuss terms with the Sects they represented.
If they really insisted on making things difficult for Yang Kai, the other Cave Heavens and Paradises would blame and stop them, which would only cause them to suffer losses.
Otherwise, given their identities and statuses, they wouldn’t have launched a sneak attack. They could’ve directly looked for Yang Kai and killed him.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai borrowed the World Force from the Star Boundary and instantly possessed power that was at the peak of the Seventh-Order, which made them suffer a small setback.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had no intention of killing them as he only teased them a little.
However, it seemed that they could no longer avenge the death of Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao since there was no evidence. Furthermore, if Myriad Demons Heaven and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven wanted to get some benefits from the Star Boundary, they wouldn’t bring it up again; otherwise, they would be asking for trouble.
Both parties were tacitly aware that they had to make a concession.
As they exchanged glances, they let out a long sigh. They were definitely heartbroken at the fact that their Sixth-Order disciples were dead. In the past, this kind of loss couldn’t be said to be unbearable, but it was certainly immense.
However, if they could find some talented young people to nurture in the Star Boundary, they could make up for the losses. It was just that they found it hard to get the fury off their chests.
On the peak of the snowy mountain, Yang Kai was seated with his legs crossed. As the snowflakes whirled around him, he tried his hardest to suppress his murderous intent. If possible, he would never easily let Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan off. Just like he had told Xu Ling Gong previously, he would treat them politely when they arrived, and everything would be fine if they were tactful. If not, he naturally would have to fight against them.
Yang Kai had shown his sincerity by allowing them to take part in the discussion and even shared equal benefits with them from the Star Boundary.
Nevertheless, they still secretly made a move. If Yang Kai were just an average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and the Star Boundary was just an ordinary Universe World, he couldn’t have survived the assault of two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
At that moment, he had the urge to kill them ruthlessly.
Nonetheless, if he had really done that, the Star Boundary wouldn’t have been able to bear it, and the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to the situation. When they interfered, the conflict would be halted and he would be the one blamed.
He was suddenly envious of Wu Kuang, who had no worries about such things. The man could kill anybody he wanted, anytime he wanted.
With that said, Yang Kai asked himself whether he would really be happy if he were just like Wu Kuang. Since time immemorial, the man had been like a tree without roots, a river without a source.
He didn’t think he could live like Wu Kuang, constantly hunted and alone, so there was nothing to be envious of in reality.
A moment later, he slowly shook his head and opened his eyes. As he returned all the World Force he had borrowed, his cultivation plunged from the Seventh-Order to the Sixth-Order.
He then turned to look in a particular direction and nodded with gratitude.
Yu Chang Dao, who had hidden over there, put on a smile and left. He swiftly returned to High Heaven Palace to play with the toddler named Shi Da Zhuang.
It had only been a few months since Shi Da Zhuang was born, so he naturally couldn’t cultivate; however, Yu Chang Dao would help warm his meridians with his cultivation every day. He would do it every six hours, so it was four times a day, and he had never skipped a single session.
However, instead of finding it troublesome, he enjoyed doing it. On the other hand, Shi Da Zhuang’s Mother, Liu Cai Xia, felt a little sorry.
Although it had been a short time since she started residing in High Heaven Palace, she was now clearly aware that this old man was a senior expert that was even more powerful than Senior Void.
She was just a lowly person, but her child was treasured by someone so extraordinary. That was the reason she found it hard to believe as she thought that something might have gone wrong. If the child didn’t grow up to be just like what the old man had expected, they would certainly feel guilty.
On the other hand, Yu Chang Dao was extremely pleased with Shi Da Zhuang.
The only thing he wasn’t happy with was the child’s name, for Shi Da Zhuang sounded very much like a peasant’s name. It didn’t give off a majestic or imposing air. He felt sorry for the child when the latter became powerful one day and had to tell his name to the people he met for the first time.
He suggested giving the child a different name, but Liu Cai Xia categorically rejected him, saying that the name must not be changed since it was given by the child’s Father before his death. Otherwise, the child would be considered unfilial.
Knowing how obstinate the woman was, Yu Chang Dao decided to give it up. It wouldn’t change a thing by not giving the child a new name anyway. It was just that when the child told his name to his enemies in the future, he would appear to be less intimidating. Perhaps those enemies would even take him lightly.
Liu Cai Xia was gratified with the fact that the child had taken a liking to the old man. Over the past few days, he even ignored her at most times. Whenever the old man appeared, the child would demand to be in his arms. It wasn’t until he was hungry that he would look for his Mother.
Yu Chang Dao was certainly pleased with that.
Those from High Heaven Palace had prepared a Spirit Peak for Yu Chang Dao, Liu Cai Xia, and Shi Da Zhuang to stay. Fresh food would be sent to them every day, so there was nothing they had to worry about. Moreover, it appeared that Yu Chang Dao would be staying in High Heaven Palace for a long time. Before the child ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, the old man would likely remain here in order to teach him how to cultivate.
The fate of Shi Da Zhuang had basically been transformed for the better. Many of the disciples in High Heaven Palace were even envious of him.
In the Star Boundary, many Spirit Peaks now had new construction projects. Even the ancient forests that were usually devoid of people were bustling with noise.
As time passed, the Dao Temples and branches of the Cave Heavens and Paradises slowly took shape.
When more Cave Heavens and Paradises heard about the news, they immediately sent their representatives to come to the Star Boundary.
Those from High Heaven Palace had specifically prepared a place to receive these top Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Whenever there was a visitor, they would inform him or her of the agreement that the first High Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had come to and explain to them the current situation in the Star Boundary.
Certainly, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had no regard for a Sect that ruled over a mere Universe World, so it was expected that they wouldn’t just take High Heaven Palace’s word for it.
However, after asking around, they would realise that those from High Heaven Palace had spoken the truth.
When they found their old friends and saw that about thirty great forces had already started building Dao Temples in the Star Boundary, they could no longer sit back and do nothing.
Although the Star Boundary was expansive, there would be fewer choices for them if all the good spots were occupied by others first.
They then hurriedly surveyed the Star Boundary to look for suitable locations.
Hua Qing Si was initially worried that the latecomers wouldn’t acknowledge the agreement. In that case, some conflicts might arise.
Nevertheless, it surprised her that none of the Cave Heavens and Paradises that came at a later time objected. It was only then that she believed what Yang Kai had said; the more than thirty great forces that had taken part in the discussion not only represented their own Sects, but all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. There wouldn’t be any problems with the agreement they had concluded.
There would always be people who glanced at the World Tree as well. Even though these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely powerful, they had only seen the records of the World Tree in ancient books. They were expected to be curious since they had never seen it with their own eyes before.
They were also amazed at the ample heritage of the Star Boundary.
On the other hand, it was no longer a secret that Yang Kai was able to borrow the World Force of the Star Boundary to reach the peak of the Seventh-Order since he was a Great Emperor of this place. Therefore, all the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters acknowledged that he had a right to stand on equal footing with them.
That was the case in the Star Boundary at the very least.
In just a few years, the Star Boundary, which was located in the newly named High Heaven Territory, became a household name in the entire 3,000 Worlds.
It was the first Great Territory that was named after a Sect of a Universe World.
Usually, a Great Territory was named after the most powerful great force in that place. For example, the Great Territory where Void Land was located was named Void Territory. The Great Territory where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was located was called Yin-Yang Territory. There had never been an exception.
In High Heaven Territory, there wasn’t really a decent great force, so it was expected that the Great Territory was named after High Heaven Palace, and most people were fine with it.
In just a few years, 108 Dao Temples had been built in the Star Boundary that belonged to all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every Dao Temple was overseen by a Seventh-Order Master who was responsible for dealing with external affairs.
In other words, there were more than 100 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters residing in the Star Boundary.
That was a horrifying figure. It had to be noted that every one of them was just as strong as Zuo Quan Hui.
After the initial phase of puzzlement, anxiety, and excitement, the natives in the Star Boundary had become at ease. Thanks to the campaign held by High Heaven Palace, everyone in the Star Boundary became fully aware of the situation in the 3,000 Worlds.
Many young people believed their aptitudes to be exceptional as they hoped that the elusive senior experts would have their eyes on them and take them on as disciples one day. With proper training, they would stand a chance to become successful one day.
However, it was destined to be a pipe dream for 99% of them. With that said, there were some ordinary-looking kids in all four Territories who had been selected and taken on as disciples by the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Whenever such news was spread, the town where the child was selected would celebrate, and it would also allow those who thought highly of themselves to become even more hopeful.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were not in a rush to select disciples from the Star Boundary; after all, each of them could get five disciples every 100 years, and it was still early. On the other hand, upon the completion of their Dao Temples, they immediately sent some talented young disciples over to be nurtured here.
Every Cave Heaven and Paradise controlled one or more Great Territories, in which there were countless Universe Worlds; therefore, it wasn’t hard for them to select some youths with exceptional aptitudes to send over.
The disciples they had sent had very low cultivations. Some of them had only started cultivating. The similarity between them was that they were all very talented. As these people grew up under the influence of the World Tree in the Star Boundary, the achievements they would have in the future would also be amplified when they finally comprehended their Grand Dao and condensed a Dao Seal.
Many of these people could possibly make it to the Fifth Order, or even the Sixth Order.
Every great force got a landmass of 500,000 square kilometres, which was neither big nor small, but it was sufficient for them to nurture up to 10,000 people.
As the people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises settled down, the finances of Void Land also improved dramatically.
According to the agreement between Yang Kai and all those great forces, each of them could get five disciples from the Star Boundary every 100 years. In return, they had to give five sets of Sixth-Order materials or resources of equivalent value.
None of the Cave Heavens and Paradises went back on their word as they directly paid the materials. Therefore, the Star Boundary had amassed several hundred Sixth-Order materials over the past few years.
The figure wasn’t staggering, but it was a long-term deal.
After Heavenly Sword Union was destroyed, which resulted in Zuo Quan Hui losing his life, Void Land’s Star City started operating again. Mo Mei led a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters back to Void Territory and resumed her role as Governor of the Star City. With Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills in their possession, they wouldn’t have to worry about the popularity of the Star City; therefore, they soon recovered from the losses they had suffered.
The rent of the shops in the Star City alone allowed Yang Kai to make a fortune.
When Zuo Quan Hui led Heavenly Sword Union to cordon off the Territory Gates to Void Territory, many of the merchants had a bleak view of Void Land’s future as they were not willing to offend Heavenly Sword Union and the great force behind Zuo Quan Hui, Thousand Cranes Paradise. Therefore, they decided to run away from the Star City. Yang Kai directly took back the shops where the renters had left. Now that Void Land had overcome this calamity, anyone who wanted to return to the shop they abandoned would have to pay double the rent.
Yang Kai didn’t expect them to share the burden when Void Land was in crisis, but they shouldn’t hope to share the benefits when Void Land was on the rise.
On the other hand, the merchants who had stayed for various reasons had a reason to celebrate. They were naturally elated to see that Void Land had gotten out of danger. Since they had stayed when Void Land was in crisis to prop up the Star City’s waning popularity, those from Void Land would certainly repay their favour by reducing their rent or even allowing them to run their businesses rent-free.
With the resources given by the Cave Heavens and Paradises and the recovery of the Star City, the burden on Void Land’s finances had finally been eased.
Furthermore, they had several hundred Open Heaven Realm Masters who were extracting resources from the New Great Territory.
In the past few years, the New Great Territory had mostly been explored. Even though there were still some hidden corners that had yet to be investigated, it couldn’t be rushed. They still had ample time anyway.
There were innumerable resources in the New Great Territory. As long as those from Void Land could maintain their grip on the Territory Gate, all the resources extracted from the New Great Territory would be sufficient for their own needs, and there would even be some surplus.
Unfortunately, they were short on manpower now. Although several hundred Open Heaven Realm Masters sounded like a large figure, they were far from enough when they were placed in an entire Great Territory. It also wasn’t very efficient.
With that said, this couldn’t be rushed. They had to take it slow.
Yang Kai had been swamped with work for the past few years and rarely had time to cultivate. He had to keep going back and forth between the New Great Territory and High Heaven Territory.
Every time he returned from the New Great Territory, he would bring with him several tens of millions of immigrants.
In order to expand the population of the Star Boundary, the easiest way was to bring over people from the Universe Worlds in the New Great Territory. However, it wasn’t easy to make so many people leave their homelands.
Fortunately, there were several Universe Worlds in the New Great Territory where the environment was quite harsh and hostile. Some of them were even going to fall apart within a few thousand years. That was the reason Yang Kai was able to get them to migrate.
Due to the environment of those Universe Worlds, they had a small population to begin with. By moving them over, Yang Kai had somewhat alleviated the shortage of people in the Star Boundary. They naturally were not used to it at first, but they could settle down and adapt to it with time. Generations later, they would be just like the natives in the Star Boundary.
In an area of the void that was a million kilometres away from the Star Boundary, pieces of shattered continents had been bound together to form an expansive Spirit Province.
The Spirit Province was filled with greenery and clear rivers. Presently, many buildings were being constructed as the place was bustling with noise.
Yang Kai squatted on a certain Spirit Peak and looked down with displeasure.
Xu Ling Gong was standing beside him with his hands behind his back as he rambled on. Upon realising that Yang Kai never responded to him, he kicked the young man in the backside and demanded, “I’m talking to you. Make your stance clear. Why wouldn’t you reply to me?”
Yang Kai glowered at him and brushed away the dust on his backside.
An amused Xu Ling Gong snapped, “Are you mad? We’ve agreed that we’d all make a concession. Since a decision has been made, it’s pointless for you to get mad.”
A displeased Yang Kai stood straight up and roared, “All of you are trying to oppress me! I refuse to accept this!”
Xu Ling Gong chuckled and spread his palms. “So, what if you won’t accept it? A few years ago, they hadn’t recovered from their shock as they all focused on the Star Boundary. Since everything has been settled after several years, they can naturally notice things they haven’t paid attention to previously. Consider yourself lucky that you’ve managed to take control of that New Great Territory.”
“That was mine from the start!” Yang Kai was so vexed that he started flushing. “I already told them that other than the Star Boundary, everything else in High Heaven Territory belonged to High Heaven Palace. They couldn’t have a hand in anything!”
Xu Ling Gong replied, “High Heaven Territory and the New Great Territory are two different things.”
With a livid expression, Yang Kai refuted, “That’s mine, and the new Star City is also supposed to belong to me!”
Xu Ling Gong sneered as he looked down at the newly built Star City and shook his head. “Don’t blame them for being greedy. You’re fully aware of how attractive a New Great Territory is. How many good things have you found in the New Great Territory over the years? I’ve never asked you about it, but it doesn’t mean I have no idea. You’re exchanging a Star City for the right to take control of an entire New Great Territory. No matter how you look at it, you’re at an advantage. Just think about it; since it’s no longer a secret and a decision has been made, you won’t need to be secretive when exploring the New Great Territory anymore. It’s a good thing.”
Despite knowing that the old man was right, Yang Kai still felt as though he had a chunk of flesh sliced off from his body.
Previously, he had already planned on building a massive Star City outside of the Star Boundary.
The Star Boundary had become the centre of attention for the entire 3,000 Worlds. All 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises had built Dao Temples here. There were also innumerable great forces that came over to find out what was going on. The Star Boundary and the World Tree had changed everything.
This level of popularity in a single place was simply unprecedented.
With so many people gathering together, it was more effective than any advertising campaign. It would be a waste if a Star City wasn’t built to profit from the situation.
Therefore, a few years ago, Yang Kai had already planned on building a Star City outside the Star Boundary.
If the Star City in High Heaven Territory was successfully built, it would soon surpass all other known Star Cities. Even the First Class Star Cities controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises as well as Void Land’s Star City at the peak of its popularity wouldn’t be comparable to the one in High Heaven Territory.
However, when his plan was finally carried out, the Cave Heavens and Paradises jumped right in to snatch the benefits.
Certainly, those sly old foxes could see the things Yang Kai could see. Other than the World Tree in the Star Boundary, the new Star City would be a treasure trove that everybody wanted to get their hands on.
Hence, the representatives of all 108 great forces gathered together in High Heaven Palace to negotiate with Yang Kai.
In the end, he was defeated.
Previously, they had to get some benefits from Yang Kai and the Star Boundary, so they were willing to make huge concessions; however, this time was different. Some of them even brought up the New Great Territory. It seemed that if Yang Kai wouldn’t agree to building a Star City and distributing the benefits, they were ready to target the New Great Territory.
Even though Xu Ling Gong and Yu Chang Dao didn’t make things difficult for Yang Kai, they were unable to help him out since all the others shared the same sentiment.
A weak Yang Kai was certainly unable to win the argument against 108 top great forces. It was expected that he would be defeated.
Hence, this was the outcome. The new Star City would be owned by the Cave Heavens and Paradises as well as High Heaven Palace jointly, with all the benefits being shared among them.
However, with Yang Kai fiercely fighting back, he had eventually won the right to manage the Star City in High Heaven Territory, which was what he had expected.
Although it would be exhausting to manage such a big Star City, there were a lot of benefits to be gained.
With such power in possession, those from High Heaven Palace could get 5% of the Star City’s profit. Although 5% sounded like a small figure, it had to be noted that the remaining 95% was shared by all 108 great forces.
In comparison, 5% was a lot.
Xu Ling Gong had also told Yang Kai not to underestimate 5% of profit as it might even surpass what he could get from the Star City in Void Territory.
However, with the Star Boundary as the centre, Yang Kai had to build Space Arrays at the Star City and the Territory Gate of High Heaven Territory so that they could move around swiftly.
Those were the concessions both parties had to make as mentioned by Xu Ling Gong.
High Heaven Palace had gained the most benefits since they had the right to manage the Star City; nevertheless, Yang Kai had to be responsible for arranging the Space Arrays.
A sulky Yang Kai rebuked, “I don’t mind arranging the Space Arrays, but the ordinary ones cannot transfer people across such a long distance. Once it’s too far, the arrays cannot be connected. I can arrange the Arrays that could send people from the Territory Gate to the Star Boundary, but we’d have to draw on the power of the Star Boundary to make that happen. On that note, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why don’t we just build a Universe Temple in High Heaven Territory instead of asking me to arrange special Space Arrays!”
Every Great Territory had at least one Universe Temple that served as a resting place for cultivators. It could also help them save time on travelling.
However, there wasn’t a Universe Temple in High Heaven Territory since it didn’t even have a name in the Universe Chart previously.
Xu Ling Gong replied calmly, “It’s not that they don’t want to build a Universe Temple here, it’s that they can’t. The Universe Temples left behind in the Great Territories are all from ancient times. No one from the Cave Heavens and Paradises is able to build a Universe Temple now.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “There are things that the Cave Heavens and Paradises can’t do?”
Xu Ling Gong said, “Universe Temples are essentially enhanced versions of Space Arrays, so mastery in the Dao of Space to build them. No one can build a Universe Temple without such skill. You might not be aware of it, but there are some Universe Temples in several Great Territories that have become dilapidated and lost their functions. Although we’ve been trying to restore them, it’s been to no avail. Not many people in the 3,000 Worlds know how to use Space Principles, let alone have mastery of them.”
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts.
Knowing what was on the other man’s mind, Xu Ling Gong continued, “I know what you’re thinking. You want to study the mysteries of the Universe Temples, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’d be for the best if there’s such a chance.” Universe Temples certainly contained the secrets of the Grand Dao of Space. If he could study them carefully, he would gain immense benefits as well.
Xu Ling Gong replied with a smile, “Just wait. I’ve reported this matter to the Sect Master, and he’ll make the arrangements. However, you’re not from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, so I cannot be sure whether you’ll have a chance to look into the Universe Temples. The decision will have to be made by the higher-ups.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Why are you all so cautious about it? Everyone will benefit if the Universe Temples are restored.”
Following a sigh, Xu Ling Gong replied, “What you can see is not the complete picture of the 3,000 Worlds. You have no right to know many things now. When you become strong enough one day, you’ll find out. Now, I can only tell you that the mystery of Universe Temples has far-reaching implications. If we’re not careful, we might cause a disaster for the 3,000 Worlds.”
An astounded Yang Kai looked dazedly at Xu Ling Gong, but he didn’t think the latter was exaggerating.
“What do you think about creating the Space Arrays?” Xu Ling Gong urged, “Those shameless old people have asked me to persuade you. Just tell me right away whether you’ll agree to it.”
Yang Kai snorted, “In order to send people from the Territory Gate to the Star Boundary, the Space Arrays would be immense and costly. High Heaven Palace and Void Land can’t possibly afford it.”
Xu Ling Gong scoffed, “Stingy brat. Don’t worry, you’ll not pay anything for the materials.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s more like it. However, the distance between the Territory Gate and the Star Boundary is too far. Even if they could be connected by Space Arrays, it would still require the power of the Star Boundary to make it happen. The heritage of the Star Boundary would suffer a slight loss every time the arrays were used; therefore, even if the arrays are successfully built, they can’t be used for free. For every transfer, High Heaven Palace will collect a certain fee.”
Xu Ling Gong snorted, “Not only do you possess Void Star City and 5% of High Heaven Star City, but you also have the resources of the New Great Territory as a backup. I can’t believe you’re still trying to profit from the Space Arrays.”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Haven’t you heard that many grains of sand can build a tower? You can never underestimate the amount of money something will generate. Martial Uncle Xu, you’re not responsible for managing a Sect, so you have no idea how difficult it is to run one.”
After giving it a thought, Xu Ling Gong replied, “Give some free quotas to the Cave Heavens and Paradises every year. Within those quotas, they won’t be charged a fee. Anyone who exceeds the quotas will have to pay the same fee as outsiders.”
Yang Kai pondered on it for a moment and replied, “Fine.”
“Write down the materials needed to arrange the arrays and give the list to me later. I’ll ask them to share the cost.”
With a smile, Yang Kai fished out a jade slip and passed it to him, “Here.”
Seeing that this boy was already prepared, Xu Ling Gong rolled his eyes, and upon looking into the jade slip, he did so again.
Even though he had no idea how many materials were needed to arrange these Space Arrays, it was obvious Yang Kai was trying to get more than what was required.
Without pointing it out though, he stored the jade slip and left. He was obviously going to ask the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to share the cost.
Xu Ling Gong was pretty efficient as he passed Yang Kai a Space Ring three days later. Yang Kai directly stored the ring without looking into it, then he returned to the Star Boundary. After bringing Luan Bai Feng and some people with him, he headed straight to the first Territory Gate.
Fortunately, before the epic battle against Heavenly Sword Union, he had left behind many Space Beacons around High Heaven Territory. Therefore, they didn’t really have to fly over as they soon reached the Territory Gate by making use of those Space Beacons.
Arranging Space Arrays was like a walk in the park for Yang Kai. However, the one he was building was much larger than any array he had arranged before, and it would require a lot of materials.
Working for a full month, the gigantic array finally took shape near the Territory Gate.
Without taking a rest, he headed straight to the Star Boundary and found a suitable location before working on a corresponding Space Array.
Since this array was connected to the Star Boundary, it would draw on the Universe World’s immense World Force every time it was used. Otherwise, it couldn’t be linked to the array at the Territory Gate that was trillions of kilometres away.
Yang Kai wasn’t lying when he said to Xu Ling Gong that the heritage of the Star Boundary would be consumed every time the array was used. It was the truth.
However, only a small amount of heritage would be needed. With the continuous nourishment from the World Tree, the consumption was essentially negligible.
Ten days later, the array in the Star Boundary was completed. Yang Kai then headed to the Star City. This time, it only took him one day to finish building a new Space Array.
Hence, the arrays that connected the Territory Gate to the Star Boundary and then led to the Star City had been completed. The presence of these arrays could allow cultivators to move around easily. Otherwise, when the visitors arrived at High Heaven Territory, it would take them about half a month to go from the Territory Gate to the Star City.
During this period of time, the Star City had also been completed. The Cave Heavens and Paradises as well as High Heaven Palace had selected the best locations to open their shops, while the rest of the land was rented out.
Some astute business people had started asking about the Star City as they were apparently ready to start businesses there. However, since Yang Kai hadn’t come up with a framework to manage the Star City, he decided to ignore them for now.
Void Star City was currently managed by Mo Mei, a Sixth-Order Master, and since High Heaven Star City was much larger, the person in charge naturally couldn’t be weak.
Yang Kai intended to select one of the Great Emperors from the Star Boundary.
The Great Emperors also had the ability to borrow World Strength from the Star Boundary. Given the powerful heritage of the Star Boundary, after borrowing its World Force, they could exert the might of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. They would certainly be less powerful than Yang Kai, but that was because their heritages were weaker to begin with.
Only by doing so could they have a better control over High Heaven Star City. The reason Yang Kai decided to build the Star City near the Star Boundary was that the Great Emperor in charge of the city would be able to draw on the power of the Star Boundary.
Since he now had some free time, Yang Kai gathered all the Great Emperors together and told them about his plans, and after he finished, everyone turned to look at Duan Hong Chen at the same time.
Bustling World Great Emperor chuckled, “Well, it seems that I’ll have to take up the responsibility.”
The decision was made just like that. Bustling World Great Emperor would become the Governor of High Heaven Star City. Even though it might occupy some of his cultivation time, there shouldn’t be a problem as long as he could manage his time well.
On the day the Star City opened for business, innumerable merchants streamed into the city as they continuously knocked on the door of the Governor’s Mansion.
Meanwhile, in a Universe World in the New Great Territory, Yang Kai was seated across from Wu Kuang. It had been a few years since they last met, and Wu Kuang had become even more formidable. Perhaps it was because he had swallowed the heritages of a few Sixth-Order Masters that he was unable to fully conceal his aura now and was shrouded in Demon Qi.
There were some living creatures in this Universe World, but none of them had any sentience. It was obvious that it had been a short time since they were born, and the environment was hostile as the place was covered in a sandstorm.
However, Wu Kuang didn’t mind it at all as he decided to settle down here.
Yang Kai gazed at him and asked, “What are your future plans?”
Wu Kuang was holding a wine bottle given to him by Yang Kai as he leaned against a chair. His demeanour didn’t look like that of a senior expert. As he raised the bottle and let the wine flow into his mouth, he replied nonchalantly, “I’ll keep hiding for a few years and digest what I’ve eaten.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s for the best. More than a hundred High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters have gathered together in the Star Boundary. They’ll notice you as soon as you show up, and they’ll definitely try to kill you. Nevertheless, it’s not like you can keep hiding forever. You’ll have to go out one day.”
Wu Kuang shot him a glance, “Don’t worry. Since this King has tasted so many palatable dishes, I can never go back to having coarse food. Anyone that’s lower than the Fifth Order will be tasteless to me, not to mention the lowly living beings in those Universe Worlds.”
Yang Kai didn’t feel strange even though Wu Kuang pointed out what was on his mind.
Although the person before his eyes had lent him a hand in many ways, Yang Kai had never forgotten that the man was the Heaven-Devouring Great Emperor who had devastated many Star Fields in the past. Wherever he went, all the Stars would be destroyed and all living creatures killed.
If he suddenly had the urge to commit an outrageous act in the New Great Territory, the consequences would be dreadful. The Martial Dao of the Universe Worlds in this New Great Territory was generally low, so they were certainly unable to ward off the Heaven-Devouring Great Emperor if he was determined to kill.
Furthermore, the Heaven-Devouring Great Emperor was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
With that said, Yang Kai became at ease upon hearing Wu Kuang’s words. Given the latter’s cultivation, he wouldn’t be able to get any benefits by harming those Universe Worlds.
“Just spill it. Why have you come all the way here to look for me? I don’t think you’re here just to see how I’m doing,” Wu Kuang asked nonchalantly.
“There’s indeed something I need to ask you about.” Yang Kai nodded and looked at him frankly, “After the Dao Theory Assembly, I entered a Small Source World named the Divine Armament World in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to get some training. I tried cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in there, but I almost suffered from cultivation dissonance.”
Wu Kuang said with a grin, “You’ve really cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
Yang Kai nodded, “The effects of this Secret Art are Heaven-defying. It’s able to absorb all sorts of energy, and my cultivation increased swiftly in the initial phase. However, as my cultivation improved, the downsides of the Secret Art also started appearing. My temperament was affected and I nearly lost all rationality.”
“That’s to be expected. There are pros and cons to everything in this world. How could there be no downsides for an amazing Secret Art like the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
Yang Kai looked fervently at him, “But I don’t think you’ve suffered from any downsides as you cultivate it.”
Wu Kuang scoffed, “Who told you that? Do you think this King was born a heinous murderer who thought nothing of slaughtering people?” He seemed to be reminiscing about the past, “When I first started cultivating, I treasured life so much that I wouldn’t even dare to kill the ants on the ground!”
As astounded Yang Kai stared at him in shock. Could the infamous Heaven Devouring Great Emperor of the Star Boundary have once been a kind-hearted man in the past? Although he couldn’t believe it, he thought that it was at least possible; after all, everyone was supposedly born to be kind.
All of a sudden, Wu Kuang cackled wildly as a fierce look spread all over his face, “Of course, I’m lying you brat! This King was born wild and savage. All living creatures are no different from ants in my eyes! The reason you’re suffering from the downsides of Heaven Devouring Battle Law is that you can’t resolve the impurities you’ve absorbed. This King can do that, so I’m not bothered by it.”
“How do you resolve them?” Yang Kai asked humbly. There was no doubt that Heaven Devouring Battle Law was an evil Secret Art, but he had to acknowledge that it was astonishing. He had a taste of it while getting his training in the Small Source World, so he could declare with certainty it was the pinnacle of Secret Arts.
He might have more chances to enter other Small Source Worlds in the future, so if he had to start over like he had experienced in the Divine Armament World, he could rely on Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Despite having a Dragon Vein though, Yang Kai couldn’t guarantee that he would never suffer from cultivation dissonance when cultivating the evil art. This problem could be solved if Wu Kuang was willing to teach him a thing or two.
“You can’t resolve them.” Wu Kuang waved his hand with a smile, “Many things are predestined, just like how the Stone Spirits are born to be suitable for cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Everyone else who wants to cultivate it won’t be able to escape the downsides.”
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts.
Although Wu Kuang never pointed it out, the insinuation in his words was apparent to Yang Kai. He was trying to say that just like the Stone Spirits, he was born suited to cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. This couldn’t be achieved with hard work as it was an innate trait.
Several tens of thousands of years ago, Wu Kuang was killed while some of the Great Emperors perished in the battle in the Shattered Star Sea. However, Wu Kuang’s Remnant Soul remained as he hid inside the Shattered Star Sea and waited for a chance to revive himself. Bustling World Great Emperor was willing to cripple his own cultivation repeatedly, causing him to fall from the status of Great Emperor to below the Dao Source Realm, then enter the Shattered Star Sea in order to get rid of Wu Kuang for good.
Unfortunately, his body was occupied by Wu Kuang instead. Although Wu Kuang had only partly succeeded, he managed to escape the fate of death.
After the battle against Great Demon God Mo Sheng, Wu Kuang seized Mo Sheng’s body and finally resurrected completely.
However, he was still able to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. In other words, the body didn’t matter when it came to cultivating this evil Secret Art, nor was it the kind of support he relied on. Otherwise, he couldn’t have practised Heaven Devouring Battle Law after occupying someone’s body.
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened as he asked, “Is there something special about your Soul?”
Wu Kuang, who was about to directly drink from the wine bottle again, paused his movement and gazed at him in shock, “Brat, you’re really something to be able to realise it.”
“It’s really because of your Soul?” Yang Kai’s interest has been piqued. He didn’t expect his speculation to turn out to be true.
Wu Kuang put down the wine bottle and gave it a thought for a moment. Then, he put on a grin, “Fine. Since you’re able to realise this, I’ll show you something good. I never even let Old Ghost Duan see it before.”
Yang Kai immediately raised his hand to stop him, “If you’re going to kill me after showing me that thing, I don’t want to see it.”
It had to be noted that Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen had stayed in the same body for years. If Wu Kuang really had any secrets, Bustling World Great Emperor should have been fully aware of them. However, since he said that Duan Hong Chen was also not aware of it, he must have carefully hid this particular secret.
It was probably his best-kept secret.
Wu Kuang snickered, “I’m not able to defeat you anyway, so how am I supposed to kill you in order to keep the secret hidden? You also have something similar; otherwise, I wouldn’t have decided to show you.”
“I have something similar?” Yang Kai frowned as he had no idea what the other man was talking about.
While he was doubtful, he suddenly became horrified because Wu Kuang reached up his hands and clenched his own head before pulling it apart.
His skull cracked open and his brain was revealed!
It was an understatement to say that Yang Kai was horrified. He almost wanted to curse at him.
On the other hand, Wu Kuang lowered his head and showed him his brain in an undefended manner. There was a petite Soul Avatar, which was transformed from Wu Kuang’s Soul, sitting there; however, the Soul Avatar was presently solemnly seated on a blooming lotus.
When Yang Kai caught sight of the lotus, he became startled for a moment. That was because the lotus looked just like his Soul-Warming Lotus. The only difference was its colour. The Soul Warming Lotus radiated a glow of seven colours while the lotus in Wu Kuang’s head was pure white, which looked like it contained absolutely no impurities.
“The Two Supreme Lotuses, Innate Supreme Treasures of the World. One of them is Soul Warming Lotus while the other is my Flawless Purifying Lotus.” The Soul Avatar that was seated on the lotus opened his eyes and looked smilingly at Yang Kai. Instead of appearing savage though, he looked like the purest person in the world.
“One of the lotuses works on the Soul while the other works on the body. The Soul Warming Lotus is able to nourish the Soul and increase the power of one’s Divine Sense. Even though the Flawless Purifying Lotus is also slightly beneficial to the Soul, its biggest effects are on the body. It can cleanse all impurities from the body. Whoever has the Flawless Purifying Lotus in their possession will obtain the Divine Flawless Body. After the battle in the Shattered Star Sea in the past, this King’s body was destroyed, and my Remnant Soul survived by hiding inside the Flawless Purifying Lotus. Without this thing, this King’s Soul would’ve been extinguished long ago. Unfortunately, the Flawless Purifying Lotus doesn’t have a great impact on the Soul like the Soul Warming Lotus. I only managed to recover after many years. The reason I was more powerful than the other Great Emperors in the past was because I had the Divine Flawless Body.”
While Wu Kuang slowly narrated his story, the emotions in Yang Kai’s heart undulated.
He finally came to the realisation why Wu Kuang never suffered from any downsides while cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and what the latter meant that he had something similar.
The Soul Warming Lotus worked on the Soul while the Flawless Purifying Lotus worked on the body. It was no wonder that Wu Kuang was able to subsequently occupy the bodies of Duan Hong Chen and Mo Sheng without any downsides. It was because he had the Flawless Purifying Lotus.
With this thing in possession, all the impurities Wu Kuang absorbed while cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could be easily dispersed, and he wouldn’t be affected in any way. It was a Supreme Treasure that perfectly complimented the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
That also explained why he was able to hide his cultivation from Seventh-Order Masters so easily. It was all thanks to the Flawless Purifying Lotus. After all, the Flawless Purifying Lotus had the biggest effects on the body. It had been many years since Wu Kuang obtained it, so it wasn’t surprising that he had developed some Secret Techniques that took advantage of the Flawless Purifying Lotus.
It was just like how Yang Kai had comprehended Blossoming Lotus and Sealed Lotus.
Otherwise, a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, even a Sixth-Order one, could never hide his cultivation from High-Rank Masters.
Wu Kuang closed his skull as the crack perfectly healed. Not even a drop of blood was shed.
A dumbfounded Yang Kai said enviously, “With the Flawless Purifying Lotus in your possession, you would never be killed.”
Wu Kuang questioned, “You have Soul Warming Lotus. Does it mean your Soul will never be destroyed?”
It was then the realisation dawned upon Yang Kai. The Soul Warming Lotus was able to protect the Soul and help it heal from any damage, just like how the Flawless Purifying Lotus could help restore Wu Kuang’s body. However, if his Soul was instantly destroyed, no treasure would be able to help.
Wu Kuang then said with a grin, “This King wouldn’t have revealed his biggest secret if it weren’t because I know you have the Soul Warming Lotus. You have to keep it a secret.”
Yang Kai pursed his lips, “That will depend on what price you’re willing to pay.”
Wu Kuang curved his lips into a smile without responding to him.
Initially, Yang Kai wanted to ask him how to hide his own cultivation. The skill was immensely useful as it could be used to fool enemies. It might even help to turn things around at critical moments. However, there wasn’t a need to ask him about it now.
The reason Wu Kuang was able to hide his cultivation was that he had the Flawless Purifying Lotus, not because of some Secret Technique.
“The Two Supreme Lotuses respectively work on the body and the Soul. If we can combine them, the results would certainly be incredible,” Wu Kuang said longingly.
Yang Kai said, “You’ll find out if you give me your Flawless Purifying Lotus.”
Wu Kuang shot him a glance, “Why don’t you give me your Soul Warming Lotus instead?”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Let’s see who will live longer then. If you pass away, I’ll have a chance.”
“I’ll wait for that chance as well.”
Yang Kai rose from the chair and said, “Inform me whenever you want to leave. If you have some free time, help explore this New Great Territory and see whether there are any good things.”
Wu Kuang leaned against the chair and closed his eyes before waving his hand impatiently, “Get lost.” As he spoke, he fished out a jade slip.
Yang Kai took it and looked into it, then left the place with a smile.
“Young Master, Gathering Yuan Union’s Lu Jing is here. He has also brought back several hundred thousand disciples from Void Land.”
Yue He approached Yang Kai as soon as he returned to High Heaven Palace.
“I saw.” Yang Kai looked up at the fleet of ships outside of High Heaven Palace, “Where’s Lu Jing?”
“He’s waiting for you in the reception hall,” Yue He replied.
“I’ll see him now.” Yang Kai left the place upon finishing his words.
The next moment, in the reception hall, Lu Jing rose from the chair and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai patted the other man’s shoulder and extended his hand, “Have a seat.”
After both of them were seated, Yang Kai spoke first, “Many thanks for your efforts, Brother Lu.”
Lu Jing quickly waved his hand, “Don’t mention it, Senior Brother.”
Before Mo Mei returned to Void Land, Yang Kai had told her to have the disciples of Void Land prepare to return to the Star Boundary. When he previously brought 600,000 disciples to Void Land from the Star Boundary, his intention was to give them a better environment to cultivate and develop in.
However, he had not expected that once the World Tree grew up, the benefits it would give back would be so immense. By residing in the Star Boundary, one could better understand the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. This in turn allowed one to condense a firmer Dao Seal, which would allow them to achieve a higher initial Order when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
Therefore, Yang Kai decided to bring several hundred thousand disciples back. The only ones who remained were those who had already condensed their Dao Seals.
When he previously moved those people from the Star Boundary to Void Land, Yang Kai made use of his Small Sealed World. However, his Small Sealed World was gone for good, and he was swamped with work; hence, he could only ask Mo Mei to come up with a solution to send the disciples back.
Several hundred thousand people were a staggering number. While Mo Mei had no idea how she should handle this matter, Lu Jing came knocking on the door and offered to transfer the people by using Gathering Yuan Union’s fleet of ships.
Mo Mei didn’t turn him down and let him take over the matter.
Gathering Yuan Union was a great force focused on commerce, with many ships scattered all over the 3,000 Worlds. Since Lu Jing was the Young Union Master, he was able to mobilise 100 such ships at once. However, it still wasn’t enough.
In the end, it was the merchants in Void Star City who decided to help out by offering some ships, thus allowing the several hundred thousand people to return to the Star Boundary safely.
Presently, about 1,000 ships of different shapes and sizes were hovering in the sky outside of High Heaven Palace. The sight was truly magnificent.
Since they had offered to help, Void Land would certainly repay the favour. They were given some benefits in both the Star Cities of High Heaven Territory and Void Territory, so it could be considered a deal that would please both parties.
As of now, only about 10,000 disciples were left in Void Land. These people had all condensed their Dao Seals, so it was pointless for them to come back to the Star Boundary.
Looking back, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t a wise move to bring those 600,000 people to Void Land in the past, for he now had to transfer almost 99% of them back to the Star Boundary.
Nevertheless, given the situation at that time, he couldn’t have imagined that the World Tree would have such amazing effects on the residents living in this place. Fortunately, it still wasn’t too late to rectify his mistake.
Furthermore, those 10,000 people managed to condense their Dao Seals because they were sent to Void Land.
In just ten to twenty years, these 10,000 people from the Star Boundary would subsequently ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. By then, Void Land’s shortage of manpower would be alleviated.
When Zuo Quan Hui previously led Heavenly Sword Union to cordon off the Territory Gates in order to slowly starve out Void Land, many of the merchants in the Star City fled, which caused the popularity of Void Star City to plunge. However, Lu Jing did exactly the opposite. Regardless of whether he had sharp vision or he was simply grateful to Yang Kai who had protected him in the Prison Star back then, he would never be treated poorly by Yang Kai since he had offered to help when Void Land was in crisis.
This time, Lu Jing was also the biggest contributor in bringing the disciples of Void Land back to the Star Boundary.
Therefore, after some small talk, Yang Kai told Yue He to bring over the map of the Star City in High Heaven Territory. Upon opening it, he said to Lu Jing, “The shops labelled in green on the map already have owners, and the rest are ownerless. You can choose ten shops from this map. Consider it a gift from me.”
Lu Jing was amazed by Yang Kai’s generosity.
It had to be noted that the Star City in High Heaven Territory was different from any other existing Star City. All the Cave Heavens and Paradises had gathered together in this place, which made it the centre of attention for the entire 3,000 Worlds. The place was destined to be a super Star City where resources from countless Great Territories would converge.
The average great force would be lucky to acquire a single shop here, let alone ten shops.
However, Yang Kai was generous enough to give him ten shops right away. The shops alone were incredibly valuable, so the profits that would follow would be unimaginable.
Before Lu Jing came to this place, his Father, the Union Master of the Gathering Yuan Union, told him that if they could get a shop in the Star City in High Heaven Territory, they would be able to take the business of Gathering Yuan Union to the next level; therefore, he asked his son to rent a shop in the Star City in High Heaven Territory regardless of what it cost.
If his Father knew that they were getting ten shops instead of one, he would probably faint from happiness.
Lu Jing was still in a dazed state as he had never expected that he would get such a tremendous reward in return for his offer to help a few years ago.
While suppressing the excitement in his heart, he said, “You’ve already helped me a lot, Senior Brother. If it weren’t because of your protection in the Prison Star, I wouldn’t have survived. It was the least I could do help deliver the disciples of Void Land back to the Star Boundary. It’s not worth such a reward.”
Yang Kai patted the other man’s shoulder with a smile, “Business is business. The ten shops won’t be given to the Gathering Yuan Union for no reason. See it as a gift to you for cooperating with High Heaven Palace. In the future, High Heaven Palace and Void Land might need your help again.”
When developing the New Great Territory, they would surely acquire a lot of resources. Some of those resources were useless to Void Land, so it would be best to exchange them for something else or simply sold.
Therefore, they would have to rely on the network the Gathering Yuan Union had.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, Lu Jing stopped turning him down. However, ten shops were a lot, and Gathering Yuan Union might not effectively use them all. After giving it a thought, he continued, “Senior Brother, I’ll accept the ten shops on Gathering Yuan Union’s behalf, on the condition you remain a shareholder. If there’s any profit at all, you’ll receive 30%. If you don’t agree to this, I won’t dare to accept the shops.”
He reckoned that he might invite trouble to himself by taking the shops directly. Presently, countless great forces were trying to secure a place in the Star City, and many people visited the Governor’s Mansion every day, which was giving Bustling World Great Emperor a severe headache. Other than the Cave Heavens and Paradises, no one else could even dream of obtaining ten shops at once.
Although Gathering Yuan Union was fairly powerful, it still wasn’t comparable to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. If they suddenly obtained ten shops in the most coveted Star City in the 3,000 Worlds, some ill-intentioned people might try to sabotage them.
Without Yang Kai as a backer, Gathering Yuan Union might not be able to bear the burden; therefore, it would be beneficial to form a cooperative relationship by offering a 30% share of the profits, trading some money for peace of mind. After all, for business people, they could only make money by having a harmonious relationship with others. If they had to deal with all sorts of strife every day, they wouldn’t have time to do business.
Understanding apparently dawned on Yang Kai as well, so he didn’t bother to decline, “Sure.”
An elated Lu Jing cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
He then wiped his mouth as though there was a palatable dish in front of him. As he looked at the map, he asked, “Senior Brother, can I choose any shops that are not labelled in green?”
Yang Kai picked up his teacup and replied with a smile, “Yes.”
Lu Jing directly pointed at the map and made a swipe, “I want half of this street, then.”
After taking a sip of the tea, Yang Kai looked down and chuckled, “You do have sharp vision. This street will certainly be popular in the future. We were planning on opening an auction house there after all.”
An ecstatic Lu Jing replied, “Since you’re going to build an auction house there, there’s no way the street won’t be filled with people.”
The reason the Star City in Void Land was able to garner so much popularity in a short time was because of its auction house.
Other auction houses might not be able to cause such a big impact, but it was made possible by Yang Kai since his auction house had Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills to sell.
Yang Kai initially wanted to treat him to a meal, but Lu Jing was eager to head to the Star City to secure his ownership of the shops, so Yang Kai reluctantly let him go. After writing something in the jade slip, he passed it to Lu Jing and told him to give it to Bustling World Great Emperor when the latter arrived at the Governor’s Mansion in the Star City.
The popularity of the Star City was rising rapidly as more merchants started opening their shops. Even though it was still in the early stage, they could see that the place would certainly develop into a super Star City one day.
On the other hand, the three Space Arrays set up by Yang Kai in High Heaven Territory could now be used by anyone. It could save them more travelling time than simply using a Universe Temple.
In the Star Boundary, Hua Qing Si had been very busy since she had to help the several hundred thousand disciples who had returned to High Heaven Palace settle down. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had also moved many young disciples from their own Great Territories into the Dao Temples in the Star Boundary.
These were the people those Cave Heavens and Paradises had high hopes for. Most of them were children that had never cultivated. There were even some newborn toddlers. Of course, many parents and caretakers were also brought to this place. No one knew whether these kids would grow up to be amazing Masters in a few hundred years, but they were all looking forward to the possibilities.
As time passed, High Heaven Territory became organised following the initial commotion.
More good news soon arrived from Void Land. The Pseudo-Great Emperors Li Wu Yi, Jiu Feng, Yang Yan, Bing Yun, and several others, including Yang Kai’s Wives Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, Shan Qing Luo, Ji Yao, and Yu Ru Meng had all ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which significantly increased the overall power of Void Land.
Apart from that, the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters had increased by 100 people. The people who had followed Yang Kai in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary like Lang Qing Shan and the others had also made it to the Open Heaven Realm. Lang Qing Shan didn’t disappoint Yang Kai as he directly ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, while the others were mostly in the Fourth-Order.
In a secret room in High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and let out a turbid breath. Following years of cultivation in seclusion, his cultivation saw a significant increase.
When he previously battled against Zuo Quan Hui, he borrowed the Star Boundary’s World Strength to temporarily become a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although he returned that power to the Star Boundary afterwards, his foundation had been strengthened during the process, which saved him years of cultivation.
Unfortunately, in the battle in the New Great Territory, Zuo Quan Hui made a surprise move before his death, which contaminated Yang Kai’s Small Universe with impurities, effectively rendering the gains he made moot.
In order to ward off Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan, Yang Kai borrowed the Star Boundary’s World Force again.
However, he couldn’t get as many benefits as when he did it the first time. The increase in the heritage of his Small Universe was only half of that of the first time.
Yang Kai reckoned that if he ever borrowed World Force for a third time, there wouldn’t be any benefits at all. Borrowing World Strength was just like consuming special cultivation Pills. The effects of the first time were the best, but repeated uses yielded progressively fewer benefits.
In the Grand Hall, Yang Kai was seated across from Hua Qing Si as he listened to her report and nodded from time to time.
Everything in High Heaven Territory was running smoothly as the Cave Heavens and Paradises had settled down in the Star Boundary. The Star City in High Heaven Territory was also on the rise.
The development in the New Great Territory was still slow, but it wasn’t a problem that could be resolved in a short time.
However, there was one thing that surprised Yang Kai.
“Many of the High-Rank Masters remained in the Star Boundary?”
Hua Qing Si nodded, “Only about 30% of them have left. The rest are still in the Star Boundary. Moreover, most of them are meditating on the World Tree. I’m not sure if there are any unexpected benefits to be gained by cultivating there.”
Yang Kai arched his brow.
Even though only a few years had passed, everything in High Heaven Territory had stabilised; therefore, it was surprising that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had remained in this place.
It had to be noted that those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were Inner Elders of their respective Sects. Not only did they have noble identities, but they were also very powerful. Furthermore, since they were responsible for handling external affairs, they should be swamped with work.
Yang Kai initially thought that most of them had left, so he was surprised to learn that not only had they stayed, but they were also cultivating on the World Tree.
[What’s going on?]
Seeing that Hua Qing Si appeared hesitant, he demanded, “Just spill it!”
With a frown, Hua Qing Si replied gently, “I’m not sure if this is my misconception, but after years of observation, this Mistress has a feeling that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters are guarding against something.”
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “Guarding against what?”
Hua Qing Si shook her head, “I have no idea. Perhaps we’ve underestimated the importance of the World Tree to those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
Yang Kai fell silent.
Hua Qing Si went on to say, “Senior Xu said that once you exited retreat, you should head to the World Tree to look for him. It seems that there’s something he needs to discuss with you.”
Yang Kai nodded and got up, “I’m going over now. After meeting Martial Uncle Xu, I’ll be leaving, and I’m not sure when I’ll return.”
Hua Qing Si hurriedly asked, “Do we need to inform Madam Yue He and the others?”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “There’s no need for that. Just tell them to take care of High Heaven Territory and Void Territory. If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be back within 100 years.”
“Yes,” Hua Qing Si replied respectfully. When she looked up again, the man was nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai no longer had to worry about anything in High Heaven Territory and Void Territory, and after a few years of cultivation in seclusion, he desperately needed to go out and take a stroll. Moreover, there were really some matters he had to handle.
The next instant, he appeared at the bottom of the World Tree. When he looked up at the gigantic tree that covered the entire sky, he was still awestruck by its magnificence.
He could clearly feel that some hidden and powerful auras were swirling around the branches. They were none other than the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who were cultivating on the tree.
Besides that, he also realised that there were some traces of an abstruse Grand Array around the World Tree. The way the Grand Array was arranged was ingenious and extremely well-hidden. If it weren’t because he was a Great Emperor who was fully aware of everything that was going on in the Star Boundary, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.
This prompted him to furrow his brows.
He initially didn’t mind it when Hua Qing Si said that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were guarding against something, but now it seemed that she was right.
However, what could possibly make so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters act so cautiously? They had even arranged a powerful Grand Array around the World Tree.
Yang Kai directly leaped onto a thick branch without anyone around and sat down with his legs crossed. As he closed his eyes, he started circulating his Secret Art.
A moment later, he opened his eyes while feeling helpless. He initially thought that there were some unexpected benefits to be gained by cultivating on the World Tree that made so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters remain here. Nevertheless, after giving it a try, he realised that it wasn’t the case.
There was no doubt that the World Tree was continuously nourishing the Star Boundary, but cultivators were unable to refine that power directly from its source. There were no additional benefits by cultivating in this place.
Then, he looked up and saw Xu Ling Gong beckoning to him with a smile from a higher branch. Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue were also standing behind him.
Yang Kai leaped into the air and landed in front of Xu Ling Gong before cupping his fist, “Martial Uncle Xu.”
“You’ve finally left seclusion.” Xu Ling Gong examined him.
Yang Kai nodded and asked curiously, “Why are all of you here?”
“It’s said that Humans are driven by greed and interests.” There was an inscrutable smile on Xu Ling Gong’s face.
Yang Kai knitted his brows, “What do you mean?”
Xu Ling Gong directly drew a circle in the air, “They’re trying to put the World Tree inside their Small Universes.”
Yang Kai instantly became infuriated. The reason the Star Boundary didn’t fall apart in the past was that he had planted a root of the real World Tree here. The prosperity that the Star Boundary now enjoyed was also thanks to the World Tree. If someone managed to put the World Tree inside his or her Small Universe, the Star Boundary would be doomed.
By then, not only would the Star Boundary lose its stability, but its very existence would also be in question.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel that he had been betrayed by these people.
With the continuous nourishment from the World Tree, more talented youths started appearing in the Star Boundary. Although Yang Kai had no other choice, he was still willing to share the benefits with the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, he had never expected that while he was cultivating in seclusion over the past few years, these people were trying to harm his interests.
That was the reason Yang Kai was incensed. He then summoned his Azure Dragon Spear directly and unleashed Dragon Pressure all around as he roared, “Don’t you all dare cross the line!”
The weather in the Star Boundary changed dramatically since the Great Emperor was furious. Even the World Tree shook. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were cultivating with their eyes closed on the branches, were shocked as they opened their eyes and gazed at Yang Kai from all directions.
It was expected that Yang Kai was worried. Even though the World Tree was gargantuan, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were still able to put it inside their Small Universes if they insisted on doing that.
Yang Kai was also able to do that in the past, not to mention those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Xu Ling Gong quickly raised his hands and placated him, “Stop being so agitated. It’s not as bad as you think!”
A furious Yang Kai refuted, “It’s still not bad enough? Would it only be considered bad when they finally snatch the tree?”
Xu Ling Gong broke into a fit of laughter, “The World Tree is now connected to the Star Boundary. As a Great Emperor of this place, you must be fully aware of that. The roots of the World Tree have penetrated the cores of the Star Boundary and Demon Realm. In order to obtain the World Tree, one has to put both the Star Boundary and Demon Realm inside their Small Universe. Do you think any one of them can do that?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai relaxed slightly.
Just like Xu Ling Gong had said, as a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai was fully aware of what was going on in this place. Beneath the ground where no one else could see, the roots of the World Tree had spread and penetrated the entire Universe World. It had indeed merged with the Star Boundary and Demon Realm.
In order to take away the World Tree, one had to put both the Star Boundary and Demon Realm inside their Small Universe, which was an extremely difficult task.
Xu Ling Gong went on to say, “Moreover, even if there’s really a person who can do that, it wouldn’t be worth it. The Star Boundary and Demon Realm have their own unique World Forces. Putting them inside their Small Universe is no different from absorbing countless impurities that don’t match their own foundation. That might destabilise their Small Universe and cause their realm to plunge.”
It was only then that Yang Kai lowered his Azure Dragon Spear, “Why did you say they’re trying to put the World Tree then, Martial Uncle Xu?”
Since there were so many downsides to it, why were they still trying to do it?
Xu Ling Gong explained, “It’s not what you think. What I mean by putting the World Tree in their Small Universes is that we’re cultivating here in an attempt to obtain the World Tree’s acknowledgement so that we can transfer a root into our Small Universes. If we can do that, it’ll be immensely beneficial.”
The Star Boundary had been transformed from a desolate place into a prosperous one thanks to the World Tree. If any High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was able to plant a root of the World Tree in their Small Universe, they would get tremendous benefits once it started growing.
“Unfortunately, it’s just the subtree of the World Tree, so we can’t guarantee that the root will survive such a transplant. There wouldn’t be such a problem if it was the Mother Tree.” Xu Ling Gong sighed and gazed at Yang Kai, “If you planted the root in your Small Universe instead of putting it in the Star Boundary in the past, you wouldn’t have faced any bottleneck when trying to ascend to the Ninth Order.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was startled for a moment.
“Do you regret it?” Xu Ling Gong stared at him with narrowed eyes.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’ll certainly make it to the Ninth Order sooner or later; however, if the root of the World Tree hadn’t been planted in the Star Boundary in the past, my home would have fallen apart. Despite my loss, the Star Boundary has stabilised and even started thriving. It was worth it, so why would I regret anything?”
Xu Ling Gong stared fixedly at him as though he was trying to look deep into his mind, but Yang Kai’s gaze was clear and calm.
“A decision has been made regarding the matter I had mentioned some time ago,” Xu Ling Gong suddenly changed the topic.
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “What are you talking about?”
“The Universe Temples. Have you forgotten about it?”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Have the higher-ups agreed to it?”
Xu Ling Gong replied with a smile, “You’re only going to be given a chance. As for whether you’ll get their acknowledgement, you’ll have to go through a test.”
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “You said that some of the Universe Temples have broken down. If I can figure out the secrets of the Universe Temples, I might be able to repair them. Since I have to exert myself to do that, why should I go through a test?”
Xu Ling Gong shook his head, “Do not think that it’s unfair to you. The secrets of the Universe Temples have far-reaching implications, so we must not be negligent. I can’t tell you the details, but you just have to know that I won’t harm you.”
“Of course, I trust you, Martial Uncle,” Yang Kai nodded.
“In that case, come with me,” It was then Xu Ling Gong stepped forward, followed by Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue.
After storing the Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai hurriedly followed them.
A moment later, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something, and as he turned his head to look, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
That was because the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were cultivating in hidden places just now, had all appeared in front of the World Tree. Regardless of their age, status, or gender, all these Inner Elders from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises wore solemn expressions.
When Yang Kai turned his head to look, dozens of people suddenly lowered their heads and cupped their fists. Even Zhuo Bu Qun and Yu Huan, who were clearly on bad terms with Xu Ling Gong, were doing so.
These people saluted the four of them in a way as though they would never return.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt a sense of solemnity and forlornness in the air.
It was convenient to go from High Heaven Palace to the Territory Gate that led to the neighbouring Great Territory through the Space Arrays.
There was a Grand Hall in this place where Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land were in charge of the Space Array and collected the fees from the cultivators who used their arrays.
Upon seeing Yang Kai, these Open Heaven Realm Masters quickly saluted him.
Yang Kai waved his hand and left the Grand Hall alongside Xu Ling Gong as they headed straight to the Territory Gate.
After passing through the Territory Gate, they entered a different Great Territory. It was then Xu Ling Gong fished out a flight-type artifact. The four of them stepped into the artifact, after which Qing Kui was responsible for controlling it while Xu Ling Gong led Yang Kai to a secret room and took a seat.
As he looked out the window, he fell into a dazed state. It wasn’t certain what was on his mind.
On the other hand, Yang Kai couldn’t help but recall the sight when they left the World Tree just now. He had a feeling that something was going to happen, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“It has been ten years since Qu’er was confined. When her punishment is over, brat, you must not forget to head to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to look for her,” Xu Ling Gong suddenly said.
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, I will remember.”
“You don’t have to worry about Myriad Demons Heaven and Xuan Yuan Heaven. Although you haven’t perfectly concealed the death of Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao, there’s no solid evidence either. No one saw how they passed away or whether you were the one who killed them. Although those from the two Cave Heavens have their speculations, they can only keep their mouths shut in order to protect their interests with the World Tree; after all, they’re aware that it was Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan who provoked you first, and the reason they were killed is that they were weaker than you. Dead people are not as valuable as those who are alive. Of course, if you hadn’t also killed Zuo Quan Hui, they wouldn’t have made a concession so easily. The reason they’re willing to give in is that you’re strong enough now.”
Yang Kai nodded again.
“However, you’d be seriously mistaken if you think that the two Cave Heavens are pushovers. They’re willing to hold back their fury not because they’re afraid of you or Void Land, but rather because you’ve made use of other Cave Heavens and Paradises to make them concede. You’d better not let them find any mistakes that you’ve made; otherwise, they’ll not hesitate to destroy you.”
“Senior,” Yang Kai gently called out.
“What’s wrong?” Xu Ling Gong gazed at him.
“Are you going somewhere dangerous?”
“Why do you think so?” An amused Xu Ling Gong stared at him.
Yang Kai replied frankly, “It feels like you’re telling me your last words.”
As soon as he finished his words, Xu Ling Gong landed a slap on his head, “You’re such a jinx!”
Yang Kai covered his head, “Also, why did those people at the World Tree salute us?”
A shameless Xu Ling Gong guffawed, “Now you know how important I, your Father, am. I was just going away for some time, but they were not willing to see me go like they were toddlers who still needed care and attention.”
Yang Kai pursed his lips, thinking that instead of realising how important this old man was, he could clearly see that the latter was unabashed. Nevertheless, he would never dare to say it out loud, for Xu Ling Gong would really beat him up if he did.
“What a magnificent view in the 3,000 Worlds!” Xu Ling Gong looked out the window and remarked.
Yang Kai followed his gaze but couldn’t see anything special. He wondered why the other man was so dispirited.
On the way to their destination, Xu Ling Gong told Yang Kai about some interesting encounters he had in the past. Time flew by while they were having a friendly chat as they passed through several Universe Temples.
It wasn’t until two months later that Su Ying Xue knocked on the door one day and said in a clear voice, “We’ve arrived at our destination, Honoured Master.”
Following a grunt, Xu Ling Gong got to his feet and pushed the door open.
He was followed by Yang Kai.
A moment later, they appeared in front of a Universe Temple. Unlike the ones Yang Kai had seen before, this Universe Temple was devoid of people. Although there were some shops on the streets, they were dilapidated and it was apparent that no one had visited this place for a long time.
Meanwhile, a Golden Armour Great General stopped them from going further with a halberd in hand. This majestic-looking man was entirely clad in golden armour. He was none other than an Open Heaven Realm Master from Great Battle Heaven.
Xu Ling Gong loudly declared, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Xu Ling Gong, on orders from the Sect Master has brought Void Land’s Yang Kai to this place.”
Just then, Yang Kai could clearly see that the eyes behind the golden helmet were glowing as the man looked fixedly at him, as though he was able to figure out all of his secrets.
This prompted Yang Kai to frown.
However, the Golden Armour Great General didn’t do anything else. After taking a glance at Yang Kai, he stepped aside and revealed a passageway. Xu Ling Gong led Yang Kai to move forward while Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui followed them.
Yang Kai turned his head to take a glance and narrowed his eyes.
Back then, when he heard Xu Ling Gong say that the secrets of the Universe Temples had far-reaching implications that might cause a disaster in the 3,000 Worlds if they fell into the wrong hands, he thought that the latter was exaggerating. However, he now realised that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were truly concerned about the Universe Temples.
Even an abandoned Universe Temple was guarded by a Golden Armour Great General from Great Battle Heaven, which went to show how important it was.
The Proprietress had told him before that those who wore golden armour in Great Battle Heaven were Generals at the very least, which meant that they were Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. The person he saw just now was a Sixth-Order Great General.
Furthermore, Yang Kai could detect other hidden auras, which meant that there was more than one Sixth-Order Master around.
While Yang Kai was doubtful, Xu Ling Gong spoke, “When you see the Ancestors later, there’ll be a test for you. It’s entirely up to you whether you want to take part in it. If you don’t, however, you won’t be allowed to enter the Universe Temple’s core to explore its secrets.”
Xu Ling Gong had already told him that when they departed from the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai hurriedly asked, “What kind of test is it?”
Xu Ling Gong brushed him off by saying that he would find out soon.
A moment later, they arrived at a hall. Xu Ling Gong jerked his head to the side and said, “You’ll go in yourself. I’m not going to keep you company.”
Yang Kai bowed his head and shuffled forward.
All of a sudden, Xu Ling Gong said, “Kid, do not forget to look for Qu’er when her punishment is over.”
Without turning his head, Yang Kai waved his hand, “Got it.”
When he opened the door and stepped into the hall, he realised that there was no one around. There was a complicated pattern on the ground though and Yang Kai instantly recognised that it was the Grand Array of the Universe Temple.
Usually, when a cultivator used the Universe Transference Law to travel to a Universe Temple, they would arrive at such a place.
Yang Kai had made use of Universe Temples to move around many times before, so he was familiar with this kind of scene.
Upon making sure that there was really no one around, he walked over to the centre of the Grand Array and looked down to observe it. He had always wanted to study this Grand Array, but unfortunately, he was unable to stay for much time every time he appeared on the Grand Array, which was a shame.
Since the chance was right before his eyes now, Yang Kai certainly wouldn’t want to miss it.
Outside of the Universe Temple, Xu Ling Gong shuffled forward while Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue approached him. The Golden Armour Great General was nowhere to be seen, and it wasn’t certain where he had gone.
“Honoured Master,” Su Ying Xue called out gently.
Xu Ling Gong looked smilingly at her and lovingly stroked her head, “When I picked you two up in the past, your Senior Brother was very protective of you. He thought that I was a bad person, so he tried to bite my hand.”
Qing Kui blushed in response. Back then, he was a young teenager who was always starving and had to deal with all sorts of bandits and beasts. Therefore, he became a ferocious person. One day, he came across a guy who spoke foul language and did not look like a good thing. He certainly wouldn’t agree to it when the man wanted to bring him and his Junior Sister away, for he and the young girl had stayed together for quite some time. Despite his young age, he had seen countless people plotting against one another just for the slightest benefit. At that time, he attempted to jab a sharp bone into the man’s stomach, but the bone instantly broke apart while his hands were injured.
While he was in a dazed state, the burly man picked him up with one hand. Without hesitation, he bit down on the man’s wrist and almost broke his own teeth.
The young but bony girl was only eight years old at that time. She had always been protected by the young boy, and even though she didn’t even have the strength to walk, she still grit her teeth and pounced at the man. After wrapping her arms around the man’s thigh, she also tried to bite him.
That was what happened when the Master and his Disciples met for the first time.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue still remembered it vividly as though it had just happened yesterday.
At that time, their Honoured Master was still a young and headstrong man. Without allowing them to protest, he picked up both of them at once and moved forward at the speed of lightning. The little ones started bawling while he guffawed in an unconscientious manner.
Now, their Honoured Master’s sideburns had started becoming grey. As Su Ying Xue gazed at the conspicuous grey hair, she felt heartbroken while Qing Kui looked away.
“Do you blame me?” Xu Ling Gong asked, in a gentler tone than he had ever used in his life. If anyone who was familiar with him saw his expression, they would be astonished.
His Legacy Disciples shook their heads.
A gratified Xu Ling Gong put on a smile, “I’m glad that you don’t blame me. Even if you do, there’s nothing you can do because I was the one who picked you up in the past. We’ll not come back once we set off on this journey. I’ll give you two half a year to fulfil any wishes you have.”
Qing Kui exchanged glances with Su Ying Xue, then said, “Our greatest wish is to remain by your side, Honoured Master.”
Su Ying Xue on the other hand appeared a bit hesitant.
Knowing what was on her mind, Xu Ling Gong asked, “You want to take a look at Qu’er?”
Su Ying Xue nodded, then shook her head, “Little Junior Sister is beautiful and intelligent. If I visit her, she’ll probably figure out what’s going on. I’d better not see her.”
Xu Ling Gong chuckled and said, “Yang Boy is a man of his word. If he’s not killed, he’ll look for Qu’er when the time comes. I can rest assured since he’ll protect her.”
“You’ve always been meticulous when it comes to the judgement of people, Honoured Master.” Qing Kui bowed his head.
“Since there’s no wish you want to fulfil, let’s go now.” Xu Ling Gong waved his hand.
It was going to be a long journey, one they would not be returning from. Once they departed, they would be involved in a life-and-death battle, and whether they’d survive depended entirely on the Heavens’ whims.
In a Restricted Area in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Qu Hua Shang, who was meditating, suddenly opened her eyes. She felt extremely anxious, as though there was an invisible hand that was clenching her heart, which made it hard for her to breathe.
Her alluring face instantly turned as pale as a white sheet. As she looked at the weltering clouds outside the Restricted Area, she muttered under her breath, “Honoured Master.”
Following that, she felt the urgent need to leave the Restricted Area.
However, she soon stopped in her tracks and remained on the same spot for a long time as her tears slid down her face.
Suddenly, she wiped the tears off her eyes with her sleeves and went back to cultivating in seclusion. She sat down with her legs crossed and emptied her mind.
Only by ascending to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm quickly could she request to look for her Honoured Master, Senior Brother, and Senior Sister sooner.
Inside the Universe Temple, Yang Kai, who was squatting in an indecent manner, was studying the Grand Array on the ground when all of a sudden, he froze.
When he looked up, he realised that there was a figure at the edge of the Grand Array. It seemed that the person had always been there, but Yang Kai was completely unaware of it. It wasn’t until he realised that someone was watching him that he noticed the person.
He was unable to make out the person’s face since the figure was somewhere between illusion and reality and shrouded in a faint light.
Yang Kai turned around and realised that there were two more figures on each side of him.
They seemed to have formed into a triangular formation as Yang Kai was trapped in the middle.
Not daring to make a scene, he slowly got up. The auras of these three people were even ampler than that of Xu Ling Gong, so it was apparent that they were all Eighth-Order Masters.
As he recalled what Xu Ling Gong had said, he came to the realization that these were Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
“Void Land’s Yang Kai greets Seniors,” Yang Kai saluted them respectfully.
However, the three of them only examined him in silence, the invisible pressure causing Yang Kai to frown.
A moment later, the person that Yang Kai first saw finally spoke, “I’m sure Xu Ling Gong has told you everything.”
Yang Kai replied, “Martial Uncle Xu said that I would have to go through a test, but he didn’t specify what kind of test it would be. Please enlighten me, Seniors.”
The figure remained silent as he raised his hand and pointed one finger at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t move a muscle, not because he trusted these mysterious Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but because he believed that Xu Ling Gong wouldn’t bring him here to get him killed.
Moreover, if these Eighth-Order Masters really wanted to harm him, there was nothing he could do anyways.
The person’s finger suddenly started radiating a pure-looking white light. As the light expanded, it engulfed Yang Kai in it.
Yang Kai looked down to examine himself, but he couldn’t find anything unusual. The white light seemed to be just a means to inspect him without the ability to cause any harm.
Despite not knowing what they were trying to inspect, Yang Kai could only set his mind at ease.
A while later, the white light went out as the figure nodded gently. The pressures coming from the other two figures also subsided.
A curious Yang Kai asked, “Have I passed the test?”
The figure replied with what seemed to be a faint smile, “It hasn’t even started yet.”
A speechless Yang Kai calmed himself down and said, “What do I need to do?”
The figure didn’t seem one for small talk so he simply replied frankly, “We need to examine your Small Universe. So, you have to open it for us.”
Despite trying to prepare himself for whatever this test might have been, Yang Kai was still vexed upon hearing such an unreasonable demand, so he asked grimly, “You want to inspect my Small Universe?”
“Yes.” The figure nodded.
Yang Kai was so exasperated that he started laughing while the three figures remained dispassionate.
The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master was their foundation and contained all their secrets. There was no way he would easily let anyone else look at it, much less perform a thorough inspection.
One’s Small Universe was even more confidential than their Space Ring.
Usually, it would be a humiliation when a person was asked to hand over their Space Ring to be examined, let alone their Small Universe.
Yang Kai had never expected this to be the test. What did repairing the Universe Temple have anything to do with this? Why were they so cautious?
Since Yang Kai was unable to figure it out, he instinctively wanted to reject them, “What if I don’t agree to it?”
The figure replied impassively, “No one will force you. If you don’t agree to it, you may leave now.”
Yang Kai instantly cupped his fist, “Farewell, then.”
He then turned around and shuffled out of the Main Hall.
The three figures remained standing on the edge of the Grand Array without moving a muscle.
A moment later, Yang Kai nonchalantly returned with his hands behind his back. Upon taking a seat in the middle of the Grand Array, he made a concession and said, “Let’s start.”
Although he didn’t trust these Eighth-Order Masters who never showed their faces, he had faith in Xu Ling Gong. Since the old man had made such an arrangement, he didn’t want his efforts to go to waste simply because of his pride.
Furthermore, Yang Kai didn’t have any secrets that must not be exposed anyway. The only thing special about his Small Universe was that it had materialised. What’s more, the secrets of the Dao of Space in this ancient building were deathly attractive to him.
After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to give in.
The figure put on a smile, “Don’t worry. It’ll only take a while.”
As Yang Kai proactively opened his Small Universe and felt three auras streaming into it the next instant. Despite knowing what was about to happen, he still felt disgruntled as it was like three burglars had barged into his home.
Upon entering the Small Universe, the three figures were startled for a moment as they realised that Yang Kai’s Small Universe was different from ordinary.
Only when a cultivator ascended to the Seventh Order could their Small Universe transform from ethereal to corporeal; however, Yang Kai was only in the Sixth Order and had already achieved this, something thought exclusive to the High Rank.
Moreover, the heritage in the Small Universe of this Sixth-Order Master was amazingly ample.
The three of them were Eighth-Order Masters, so throughout the entire 3,000 Worlds, rarely was anyone a match for them when it came to experience and knowledge. However, they had never seen a Sixth-Order Master whose heritage was as strong as that of Yang Kai.
They were amazed and thought that it was no wonder this person was able to kill Zuo Quan Hui. Even though he wasn’t alone at that time, he would need to have strength far above average to even stand before a Seventh-Order Master when he was only in the Sixth-Order.
After they recovered from their shock a moment later, they split up and began wandering around Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Yang Kai had a feeling that they were looking for something specific as they carefully examined every plant and piece of land in his Small Universe.
His entire Small Universe was inspected by three auras repeatedly as they never seemed to run out of patience.
They went through his Small Universe three times in total, and it was already half a month later when they finally left.
Yang Kai reckoned that they must be exhausted. While he just had to open up his Small Universe and remain seated, the three of them had to meticulously examine every area three times, which had certainly taken quite some effort on their part.
The three of them exchanged glances and nodded.
Yang Kai sealed off the portal that led to his Small Universe and asked, “Have I passed the test, then?”
The figure right in front of him replied, “Yes.”
“May I know what you were looking for, Seniors?” Yang Kai asked.
Without answering his question, the figure went on to say, “The Grand Array in a Universe Temple is divided into the Outer Array and the Inner Array. The average person can only see the Outer Array, which is used to transfer people to the Universe Temple. On the other hand, the Inner Array is a top secret that most people are never allowed to see. From now on, the Inner Array of the Universe Temple is open to you as you can try to comprehend it. If there’s anything you need, just inform the disciple of Great Battle Heaven in this place.”
Following that, a piece of jade gently flew towards him.
Yang Kai took it, and just when he wanted to ask something, he realised that all the figures had vanished. As he looked around, he felt somewhat dejected that he was left alone in the Main Hall.
The three Eighth-Order Masters were extremely elusive. Up until this moment, Yang Kai still wasn’t sure if those were their real bodies or just projections. He also hadn’t figured out how they appeared and disappeared.
After he examined the Main Hall and realised that there was nothing unusual, he reached for the door and stuck out his head.
Before he could scan his surroundings, he saw a golden light approaching him rapidly and then standing in front of him. The person was none other than the Golden Armour Great General he and Xu Ling Gong had come across earlier.
The Golden Armour Great General never said a word as he stared at him through the gap of his golden helmet.
Yang Kai batted his eyes and said, “Please ask Xu Ling Gong to come over.”
The Golden Armour Great General didn’t respond to him or move a muscle.
Yang Kai called out to him again, and upon seeing that the person remained unmoving, he walked out on his own impatiently.
A moment later, Yang Kai knitted his brows because he couldn’t find Xu Ling Gong, Qing Kui, and Su Ying Xue. It was apparent that they had left.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but criticize them for leaving without informing him. He initially wanted to ask Xu Ling Gong what the test was about, but he was unable to do that now.
The Golden Armour Great General followed him closely as his armour clanged. If it weren’t because the person’s aura could be felt coming from the golden armour, Yang Kai would’ve thought they were some kind of corpse or puppet.
Xu Ling Gong had left, and this Golden Armour Great General didn’t seem like someone he could have a heart-to-heart talk with. Since Yang Kai was eager to find out the secrets of the Universe Temple though, he directly flew to the Main Hall.
With the jade in his hand, Yang Kai infused his power into it and instantly realised it was an Array Jade that was used to control this Universe Temple, just like how there was a jade that could be used to control the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array in Void Land.
However, in order to control the Grand Array, he’d first have to refine the jade.
It took him half a month to finish the refinement, and it was then that he was able to access the Inner Array of this Universe Temple. A buzzing sound was heard permeating the Universe Temple as the pattern on the ground started flickering. The array charts of the Inner Array that were usually hidden started appearing in the Main Hall.
An elated Yang Kai became engrossed in studying it tirelessly.
When he came into contact with a Universe Temple for the first time, he realised that this thing worked in a similar way to his Space Beacons. Both things could serve as locators in the Void and allow the cultivators to move to them.
The difference was that Space Beacons worked in pairs and were bidirectional while a Universe Temple was a singular entity and unidirectional. A Universe Temple wasn’t comparable to Space Beacons in this regard.
With that said, a Universe Temple had its own advantages. After a person left behind his Imprint in a Universe Temple, they could return to it by using the Universe Transference Law as long as they were in the same Great Territory.
Additionally, a Universe Temple was vastly superior to Space Beacons when it came to the distance the user could travel across.
Certainly, the further the distance, the more pressure a cultivator would bear while they were teleporting to the Universe Temple; therefore, a cultivator would usually be careful about the limits they could bear and wouldn’t choose a Universe Temple that was too far away. Otherwise, before they even reached the Universe Temple, they would lose their life.
Moreover, it took some time to execute the Universe Transference Law, so it wasn’t as swift as using Space Beacons. Therefore, a person could be easily disrupted before they were successfully sent to the Universe Temple.
All in all, Universe Temples and Space Beacons had their own advantages and disadvantages. Yang Kai had always wanted to merge the two by eliminating their drawbacks and only retaining their benefits. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a chance to study the Universe Temple in the past. Now, he could finally fulfil his wish.
However, the most pressing issue for him now was to figure out the secrets of the Universe Temple.