“That crazy bastard!” Qin Fen growled through clenched teeth.
Another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master appeared to be heartbroken, “He’s basically drying out the lake to catch the fish!”
Although the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master didn’t say anything, he pressed his lips together with a gloomy expression.
At this point, their companions finally realised that something was off. The woman, who helped Qin Fen up earlier, was standing beside him as she asked gently, “Senior Brother Qin, is that person absorbing Spear Dao Essence?”
With reddened eyes, Qin Fen nodded.
The woman let out a sigh.
The original owner of this Universe Cave Heaven was a Master of the Spear Dao before his death, which was a well-known fact, so the Spear Dao Essence in this place was quite abundant. Therefore, be it the Open Heaven Realm Masters or the other sentient beings raised in this place, many of them were good at using spears.
Ironically, the current owner of Lin Lang Palace, Xia Lin Lang, knew little about the Spear Dao.
In the past, Qin Fen would always cultivate together with the other two Open Heaven Realm Masters who were adept at the Spear Dao. They could easily achieve greater heights in the Spear Dao due to the unique environment in this Universe Cave Heaven.
If this Universe Cave Heaven was like a pond, the ample Spear Dao Essence in this place was like the fish, and the people who were adept at the Spear Dao were like the anglers on the shore. As for how many fish they could catch, it depended on their talent and opportunities.
Qin Fen’s innate aptitude was excellent, which was why he had built a solid foundation in the Spear Dao. Xia Lin Lang once said that if Qin Fen could keep achieving greater heights, he would have a chance to receive the inheritance of this Universe Cave Heaven that the previous owner had left behind.
It was the inheritance of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was expected that everyone had their eyes on it. Qin Fen had always regarded himself to be the only choice to succeed the inheritance.
However, at this moment, someone had brought a giant net with very small holes to this pond that was full of fish.
After he was done with catching the fish, there wouldn’t be many, if any left for everyone else.
That was the reason Qin Fen was heartbroken, and it was the same case for the other two Open Heaven Realm Masters who were experts in the Spear Dao.
Inside Lin Lang Palace, Yang Kai, who was seated with his legs crossed in the middle of the Grand Array, could clearly feel the abstruse aura streaming into his body from all directions, which helped him quickly comprehend the Spear Dao. The sense of enlightenment made him feel ecstatic.
The moment he was brought to this place by Xia Lin Lang, he could feel that the Spear Dao Essence in this place was abundant. It was the reason he had improved his comprehension of the Spear Dao by two levels in just ten years.
Nevertheless, he wasn’t content with just that. His goal had always been to absorb all of the Spear Dao Essence in this place. As for whether his actions were considered drying out the lake to catch the fish, he didn’t give a damn.
Since Xia Lin Lang was trying to harm him, he certainly had to get his revenge.
Although Yang Kai already had this plan a long time ago, he was unable to carry it out. Now that he had refined half of Lin Lang Palace, he had the right to do it now.
Other than being a palace artifact, Lin Lang Palace was also the command centre of the entire Universe Cave Heaven. Streams of aura around the edge of the Grand Array were closely connected to the Universe Cave Heaven, and every move made here would have far-reaching implications.
The status of Lin Lang Palace in this Universe Cave Heaven was the same as that of Blood Monster Divine Palace in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The reason Blood Crow wanted to refine Blood Monster Divine Palace back then was to take control of the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Even though Yang Kai had only refined half of Lin Lang Palace, he could do whatever he wanted, seeing as the controller of the other half wasn’t around.
Streams of existent but faintly discernible Spear Dao Essence were being absorbed by Yang Kai, which greatly improved his mastery over the Spear Dao. Although he couldn’t comprehend the Dao by blindly drawing it in, he would be able to digest it in the future.
The transformation going on in the Universe Cave Heaven was silent. Only the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were adept at the Spear Dao could clearly feel its loss. As time passed, the originally ample Spear Dao Essence soon became sparse and disappeared.
Qin Fen appeared to be devastated. Although Yang Kai had occupied Lin Lang Palace, Xia Lin Lang could still retrieve it upon her return. Nevertheless, the loss of Dao Essence was irreversible.
In the Grand Array of Lin Lang Palace, Yang Kai, who was seated with his legs crossed, belched as though he was full.
While he was seated there, his Spear Intent surged as though he was an invincible spear himself. Certainly, he couldn’t digest all the Spear Dao Essence in a short time, but as long as he could assimilate it into his body, he believed that he could still improve his comprehension of the Spear Dao by another two levels, which would mean that it would be his second most powerful Grand Dao after the Dao of Space.
He had refined half of Lin Lang Palace and snatched all the Spear Dao Essence in this Universe Cave Heaven. Although he was forcefully brought to this place, he had gained immense benefits in the end.
After what he had done, Yang Kai knew that he couldn’t stay here any longer. Certainly, he wouldn’t wait for Xia Lin Lang to return and settle the score with him.
Lin Lang Palace couldn’t be taken away. In truth, he could forcefully bring it with him, but by doing so it would cause the Universe Cave Heaven to collapse. While those living inside this place would end up in a miserable state, Xia Lin Lang would also be determined to kill him.
As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot the next moment.
When he reappeared, he was already in front of the portal where he previously passed through to enter this place.
Xia Lin Lang’s aura also disappeared in this place when she left some time ago.
Initially, Yang Kai thought that given his master of the Dao of Space, it wouldn’t be hard for him to open the portal even though he would need to spend some effort. However, upon arriving at this place, he was shocked to realise that there were no traces of a portal here at all.
After searching around for half a day, he still couldn’t find it.
This caused Yang Kai to frown, but a thought flashed through his mind the next moment. As the half-owner of Lin Lang Palace, he could connect to the entire Universe Cave Heaven and look for the portal. It wouldn’t be easy if Xia Lin Lang was here, but since she wasn’t around, he could basically do whatever he wanted.
Soon, Yang Kai discovered something.
His eyes widened in amazement because not only was the portal hidden, but it also kept moving to new spots as time passed. It was then he realised the reason he couldn’t find the portal was that it was on the move. He had wasted half a day as he thought that the portal was still in its original spot.
Since he had found the portal, he instantly activated his Space Principles in an attempt to forcefully open it.
Half a day later, he wore a livid expression.
The portal had been sealed off by Xia Lin Lang as it was now connected to the entire Universe Cave Heaven. Unless he possessed a power that surpassed the heritage in this place, he could never force it open.
Basically, she wouldn’t allow him to leave.
It was no wonder that despite knowing that Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space, she still left the place without worries. It was apparent that she knew he couldn’t break open the portal.
Although he was a half-owner of this place, his foundation was still weak. On the other hand, Xia Lin Lang had been managing this place for a long time, so it wasn’t surprising that she had left behind some tricks.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai turned around and returned to Lin Lang Palace.
Since she wouldn’t allow him to leave, he would just stay here then. Previously, he was a captive who was powerless to go against Xia Lin Lang; however, now, he already had the capital to challenge the Seventh-Order woman. In fact, he was not afraid of her return. The reason he wanted to leave was that he didn’t want to get into a pointless fight with her.
He moved around by using Space Principles, so Qin Fen and the others, who had been waiting outside of Lin Lang Palace, were not aware he had even left.
In the days that followed, Yang Kai stayed inside Lin Lang Palace to cultivate while trying to assimilate the Spear Dao Essence into his body.
Half a month later, he suddenly opened his eyes and appeared on the roof of the palace before looking up.
Half a month wasn’t enough for him to fully absorb all the Dao Essence, but he was now only one step away from the Sixth Level in his Spear Dao.
A ray of light was approaching from the distance. Before she even arrived, she already noticed the transformation this place had gone through. Her grim gaze penetrated the void and clashed with that of Yang Kai as her murderous intent surged.
In response, Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
After the curvy figure landed outside Lin Lang Palace, Qin Fen and the others, who looked like young kids who had been bullied while the adults were not around, wailed, “Palace Master!”
Xia Lin Lang sported a calm expression and looked up at Yang Kai, who was standing on the palace roof. Beneath her calmness was a volcano of fury that was about to burst.
A guilty Qin Fen said, “Palace Master, I’m sorry for disappointing you. Yang Kai barged into Lin Lang Palace and snatched the Array Jade. He then occupied the palace and forcefully absorbed the Spear Dao Essence. I’m so sorry!”
Xia Lin Lang gently waved her hand without saying a word.
Seeing that, Qin Fen felt even more guilty.
Standing on the roof, Yang Kai extended his hand with a smile.
The next moment, Xia Lin Lang landed on a spot that was ten metres beside Yang Kai and stood alongside him. She then snorted, “It seems that I’ve underestimated you.”
“The view here is magnificent,” Yang Kai replied, but it had nothing to do with what she had said.
“Did you hide your true strength previously?” Xia Lin Lang turned to look at him. Although her figure was shorter than Yang Kai’s, her gaze was condescending. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she had the right to be haughty.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “I’ve never had a chance to show my true strength, so I don’t think it could be considered that I’ve hidden anything.”
The World Spring started settling down in his Small Universe when Xia Lin Lang captured him. Since his Small Universe had been suppressed by it, he was unable to fully use his power.
“Why did you not run away after doing so many terrible things? Are you waiting for death here?” Xia Lin Lang looked mockingly at him. She then derided him by saying, “Oh, I’ve forgotten that even though you’re adept at the Dao of Space, you couldn’t leave this place without my permission.”
Like a wise old man, Yang Kai snuck his hands into his sleeves and said sincerely, “That’s why I’ve been waiting here to have a discussion with you.”
“Go on.”
“Open the portal and let me leave. After that, we’ll have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
Xia Lin Lang examined him for a moment before saying, “I’ll just regard it as you spouting nonsense.” She extended her hand, “Pass the Array Jade to me, and I can pretend that nothing has happened. I’ll still wait for you to ascend to the Seventh Order; otherwise, I’ll kill you even though I might lose the World Spring. After your death, the Dao Essence you’ve stolen will return to this place, and even your own Dao Essence will stay. In that case, we haven’t actually suffered any loss.”
Yang Kai sighed, “When one’s strength is weak, their words carry no weight.”
Xia Lin Lang sneered, “Do you think you have the capital to haggle with me now?”
With a frown, Yang Kai gave it a thought for a moment before saying calmly, “Don’t I?”
Xia Lin Lang roared, “Brat, don’t go too far! My patience is limited. You won’t gain anything by offending me!”
Following a sigh, Yang Kai said, “It seems that we have no choice but to fight.” He then extended his hand and summoned his spear before pointing it at her, “Come on, Grandma!”
“Grandma?” Xia Lin Lang, who had the appearance of a beautiful young woman, felt humiliated as her facial features contorted.
Qin Fen and the others, who were waiting outside of Lin Lang Palace, were instantly drenched in cold sweat.
The next instant, an intense battle began.
Xia Lin Lang forcefully pushed out her palm towards Yang Kai who was just ten metres away. The World Force of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surged from her petite palm like a tsunami. There was no holding back of her power as she was seemingly infuriated by what Yang Kai called her.
An unperturbed Yang Kai parried the attack with his spear.
As their World Forces clashed, the air blast turned into a ripple and spread out.
Azure Dragon Spear became bent, as though it would break at any moment. Faced with the overwhelming power, Yang Kai made use of the force to fly backwards and open some distance.
However, Xia Lin Lang’s attacks were continuous as she landed strikes on him like a storm.
Yang Kai kept moving backwards, as though he was powerless to counterattack.
Three breaths later, he was already several hundred thousand kilometres away. He couldn’t move backwards any longer since there was a mountain behind him. Upon impact, he flew away like a sack and smashed into the mountain.
The mountain collapsed and engulfed Yang Kai in it. As the dust rose, Xia Lin Lang hovered in mid-air as she looked down in a condescending manner.
A moment later, Yang Kai shot out of the rubble. Although he appeared a little battered as blood leaked from his mouth, his aura remained stable.
He jabbed his spear into the ground and let out a breath before remarking, “The Four Universe Pillars live up to their reputation!”
If he had to directly deal with the ferocious attacks from a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before fully refining the World Spring, his Small Universe would’ve descended into chaos by now. When he fought against Zuo Quan Hui previously, he was constantly at a disadvantage and restricted in many ways mainly due to the instability in his Small Universe.
However, with the presence of the World Spring, his Small Universe remained stable regardless of how powerful Xia Lin Lang’s strikes were. It didn’t even shake a little.
The presence of the World Spring was like sturdy armour covering his Small Universe. Even when Yang Kai was faced with an opponent with a stronger heritage, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
Certainly, if the opponent was powerful enough to break that armour, the World Spring wouldn’t be able to ensure the stability of his Small Universe any longer. Although Xia Lin Lang was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master though, she didn’t have the power to shatter the World Spring’s protection.
It could be said that with the World Spring in possession, Yang Kai had reached greater heights in his combat strength as he now had the capital to battle against opponents that were in higher Orders than him.
“Is that the reason you’re so confident?” Xia Lin Lang looked impassively at him, “If you think there’s nothing I can do just because you have the World Spring, you’re wrong.”
Even though he had an impeccable defence, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the other party without the power to fight back.
Yang Kai wiped away the blood from his mouth and put on a grin, “Even though the World Spring is amazing, it’s just an external aid. If my confidence hinged on any mere tools, I wouldn’t have survived till this day.”
A frown appeared on Xia Lin Lang’s face as she finally saw the boy in front of her in a different light.
Yang Kai raised his spear and got ready before speaking shouting, “Pear Flower!”
In an instant, Xia Lin Lang was alarmed because the moment Yang Kai lifted his spear, the entire Universe Cave Heaven seemed to resonate with him. Looking up, she realised that Yang Kai’s figure seemed to have turned into a razor-sharp spear.
As the half-owner of this Universe Cave Heaven, Xia Lin Lang snorted while trying to suppress the world’s resonance with him.
Yang Kai smiled, “Both of us are half-owners of this place; however, it seems that this world favours me!”
There was a grim expression on Xia Lin Lang’s face as she realised that she was unable to suppress the resonance.
It wasn’t that she, as a half-owner, was inferior to Yang Kai in terms of control. In fact, they were equally matched when it came to their ability to manipulate the Universe Cave Heaven.
Therefore, she had never thought about making use of the Universe Cave Heaven’s power to deal with him, nor did Yang Kai have this plan, for it was pointless to do that. By doing so they would only deplete the heritage of this Universe Cave Heaven.
They were indeed equal when it came to their control over this world, but there was no doubt that this World favoured the outsider Yang Kai instead of Xia Lin Lang, who had been living in this place for a long time.
That was because Yang Kai had absorbed all the Spear Dao Essence in this place, so he could be considered a successor to the inheritance of its original owner.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai declared, “The title of this Universe Cave Heaven’s original owner was Pear Flower Divine Monarch, and that palace’s true name is Pear Flower Palace, not Lin Lang Palace!”
Xia Lin Lang snapped, “I can call it whatever I want. It’s none of your business!”
Yang Kai replied dispassionately, “It was none of my business in the past. However, since I’ve obtained Senior Pear Flower’s inheritance, I have a duty to make things right.”
He then pointed his spear at her and drew a deep breath. With the resonance of this world, his aura surged massively, “My name is Yang Kai, and I’m eternally grateful for your inheritance, Divine Monarch. Today, I borrow your power, so I do not disappoint your expectations!”
As he gently pushed out his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai roared once again, “Pear Flower!”
At that instant, all the pear trees in this world seemed to have blossomed.
The shadows of his spear filled the entire world and engulfed Xia Lin Lang. With the help of the World’s power, his strike was horrifyingly strong while World Force gushed form his own Small Universe like a raging tide.
As he made a move, the Grand Hall of the place named Lin Lang Palace by Xia Lin Lang, which was supposed to be Pear Flower Palace, radiated a dazzling glow as Spear Intent filled the world. Qin Fen and the other Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were experts in the Spear Dao, were dumbstruck as they looked at the sky of Pear Flower Blossoms. Their eyes were filled with amazement as it was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen.
A moment seemed to have passed, but it was also as if 10 million years had gone by. When the spear shadows dissipated, Xia Lin Lang’s figure appeared battered.
Presently, her face was slightly pale. There were some cuts on her clothes, and her hair was a mess. Her twin peaks heaved as she glowered at Yang Kai.
While she clenched her teeth, blood streamed out from the corner of her mouth.
Yang Kai put on a grin, “I can do this three more times.”
Xia Lin Lang’s face twitched. The attack with the help of Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s power was equivalent to the all-out attack of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The fact that she could parry it showed that she was truly powerful. Although she wasn’t severely wounded, she wasn’t completely fine either.
She would be badly injured if she had to deal with the same kind of attack three more times. Certainly, Yang Kai would also end up in a horrible state by then, but it wasn’t worth it for her.
At that instant, she was in a dilemma. She was reluctant to let Yang Kai go, but if she made him stay, one of them would have to die today.
“What do you say?” Yang Kai demanded, as he didn’t intend to give her time to ponder the issue, “Do you want to engage in a life-and-death battle with me? Or do you want both of us to live? The choice is yours!”
He wisely stopped mocking her as a ‘Grandma’ lest the situation be exacerbated.
Seeing that she remained silent, Yang Kai went on to say, “I definitely cannot defeat you, and I might even lose my life here; however, before that happens, half of Pear Flower Cave Heaven will be destroyed, which will be an immense loss for you. If you let me go now, we’ll be even. We might even have a chat over a cup of wine when we meet again in the future.”
A myriad of expressions came over Xia Lin Lang while Yang Kai stopped urging her as he fell silent.
A moment later, her expression turned milder. She took a deep breath and said, “You can leave, but you have to return the jade to me.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded with ecstasy, “Good. However, you’ll have to see me off.”
Xia Lin Lang shot him a glare and dashed into the sky.
After putting away his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai placed his hands behind his back and calmly followed her. He seemed to have put down his guard, though nothing could be further from the truth.
A moment later, they arrived somewhere in the sky, then Xia Lin Lang turned around to look at him.
Yang Kai said, “Since you’ve decided to let me go, you should stop being doubtful. After I leave, it’s pointless for me to keep the jade, and I’ll only offend you by doing so. Don’t worry. After you open the portal, I’ll leave the jade here and go.”
“Don’t try to pull any trick on me!” Xia Lin Lang warned.
“I’ve always been a man of my word,” Yang Kai appeared solemn.
It was only then that Xia Lin Lang performed a hand seal. A moment later, a portal appeared in the Void. Yang Kai used his Divine Sense, and upon detecting the aura of another world from the other side of the portal, he set his mind at ease.
He fished out the jade and showed it to Xia Lin Lang before flicking it towards her. At the same time, he plunged into the portal without hesitation.
Xia Lin Lang took the jade and didn’t seem to have the intention of stopping him. Nevertheless, just as Yang Kai slipped through the portal, she curved her lips into a sneer.
After Yang Kai was gone, she scoffed, “You think you’re so smart? You’ve fallen for my trick in the end!”
Yang Kai arrived at a place where the mountains were covered with trees. While the exotic beasts galloped forward on the ground, the sky was filled with birds.
A dumbfounded Yang Kai gazed at the sight before his eyes as a myriad of expressions came over him. A while later, he looked up and sighed, “I suppose what goes around comes around!”
He had fallen into that woman’s trap!
Xia Lin Lang had opened up a portal for him earlier. After passing through it, he arrived at this strange place instead of returning to the outside world.
He was certain that he was neither in Pear Flower Cave Heaven nor the Shattered Heaven.
Just then, Xia Lin Lang abruptly appeared like a ghost as she shot Yang Kai a glance. With a mocking smile, she said, “Isn’t this the young man who has almost turned my backyard upside down? What a coincidence. I never expected that we’d meet again so soon.”
Presently, her skin was glowing without any signs of the paleness it had earlier.
It was apparent that Yang Kai’s Pear Flower Divine Ability hadn’t caused any real damage to Xia Lin Lang, but she acted as if she was badly injured, which went to show how scheming she was.
“Hey Grandma, what is this? Don’t you know it’s inappropriate to see a visitor off only to force them to stay as a guest?”
Xia Lin Lang batted her lashes and just replied lightly, “It’s expected that women are erratic creatures. Didn’t your Mother ever teach you that?”
At that moment, Yang Kai was lost for words.
After a moment of silence, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, this should be the world in that picture scroll.”
A calm and collected Xia Lin Lang gazed at him, “How are you still in the mood to ask me about such frivolous things even facing your imminent death?”
It was as though Yang Kai was speaking to himself as he said, “The portal of Pear Flower Cave Heaven was that picture scroll. I already realised that the picture scroll was extraordinary when I first saw it, but now it seems that the picture scroll wasn’t just a powerful artifact, but a self-contained World of its own. You acted reluctant to let me go, but you actually used a trick on me to let me jump into a more suited cage than the last one.”
At this point, Yang Kai muttered in annoyance, “It seems that before your return, even if I was able to force open the portal of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, I would still plunge into this place and become trapped.”
Xia Lin Lang gazed at him in an innocuous manner, “So what if you’ve figured it out? There’s no pill in the world for regret. If there was one, I wouldn’t mind buying a few thousand of them and letting you have a taste.”
Yang Kai pressed his hand against his chest, “It feels terrible!”
With her lips covered, Xia Lin Lang giggled, “Oh really? I’m very pleased actually.”
A vexed Yang Kai stared at her and said, “I’ve treated you with sincerity, but you’ve gone back on your word instead. That’s not righteous at all!”
Xia Lin Lang couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “What a thick-skinned man!”
“Since you have no more worries, are you ready to make a move now?” Yang Kai gazed at her.
Dispassionately, Xia Lin Lang replied, “I’ll never be at ease as long as someone who doesn’t know his place like you is still alive. Although the World Spring is precious, I don’t have the patience to wait for you to make it to the Seventh Order. Let’s just see how lucky I am. If I’m lucky, the World Spring might survive after your death. If I’m not, I’ll just watch as the World Spring goes with you to the Yellow Springs. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you shouldn’t have any regrets since you have such an honour.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “You’re right.”
“Do you have any last words?” Xia Lin Lang gaped at him.
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Xia Lin Lang stared fixedly at him. The next moment, she appeared in front of him and pushed out her palm before cursing, “You can die now, then!”
Instantaneously, Yang Kai parried the attack with his fist.
Following a loud boom, the ground shook violently. A crack appeared beneath Yang Kai as his feet sank into the ground.
Without giving him a chance to take a breath, Xia Lin Lang pushed out her palm again at the speed of lightning. If Yang Kai hadn’t personally experienced it, he wouldn’t have believed that such a petite woman could unleash such violent attacks. The last time he came across such a situation was when he met Zhu Qing, who was from the Dragon Clan, for the first time.
Her attacks landed on Yang Kai like a torrent, and ten strikes later, half of Yang Kai’s figure was beneath the ground.
“How is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like you supposed to fight me without the help of Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s power? Regardless of how amazing the World Spring is, it can’t make up for the gap between us!” Xia Lin Lang snorted while her attacks never stopped. Previously, since Yang Kai had obtained the inheritance of Pear Flower Divine Monarch, he was able to make use of Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s power. If they got into an intense battle in Pear Flower Cave Heaven, the place would suffer an immense loss.
That was the reason Xia Lin Lang tricked him into entering the world in the picture scroll instead.
The picture scroll outside of Pear Flower Cave Heaven not only served as a portal and a layer of defence, but it was also a cage.
Now, Yang Kai was trapped inside this cage, and unless he killed Xia Lin Lang, he would never be able to get out of it.
As Xia Lin Lang spoke, she attempted to sweep her leg across the man’s head. Yang Kai raised his hand to block, but as he was faced with the violent force, he was sent flying away like a carrot that had been plucked out of the ground. While in mid-air, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
Although the World Spring was able to stabilise his Small Universe and prevent it from falling into chaos, the attacks from a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not be underestimated. After getting struck so many times, Yang Kai was naturally injured.
He managed to stabilise himself in mid-air with difficulty and wiped the blood from his mouth. As he gazed at the grim-looking Xia Lin Lang, he put on a grin and taunted, “An old bat like you is indeed quite powerful.”
An incensed Xia Lin Lang snarled, “I’ll tear your mouth off!”
The moment she finished saying the last word, Yang Kai was sent flying away again as though he had been struck by lightning. Although he was in a defensive pose, there was a huge gap between their strengths, so he was unable to disperse her raging attacks.
The ground shook and the sky paled. The mountains in the picture scroll crumbled and fell; it was as though the entire world had been turned upside down. Xia Lin Lang didn’t hold back at all, leading Yang Kai to be struck like a sandbag, powerless to counterattack.
If he hadn’t refined the World Spring, his Small Universe would’ve come apart already. If it weren’t because his Half-Dragon Form physique was so sturdy, he wouldn’t have persevered.
On the other hand, Xia Lin Lang became increasingly unsettled as time passed, for she had a feeling that Yang Kai had some kind of secret plot; after all, he hadn’t summoned his spear even up until this moment and had simply been facing her with his body.
However, she felt that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to carry out any secret plot in this world in the picture scroll even if he had any. In this place, she was already invincible as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Therefore, her doubt soon vanished into thin air as her attacks became even more rapid. With that said, she was amazed at the fact that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master still hadn’t lost his life following her barrage of blows.
It was no wonder that after she left, he was able to occupy Lin Lang Palace and kick Qin Fen and the others out so easily. He was indeed significantly more powerful than an average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
An incense stick later, Yang Kai appeared to be at an absolute disadvantage as he was completely powerless to fight back. In addition to many bruises on his face, his figure was covered in wounds and blood. He looked truly battered.
Having lost her patience, Xia Lin Lang stared calmly at the staggering man who was standing not far away from her. A sense of hesitation flashed through her eyes, but it soon dissipated. As she performed a hand seal, she yelled, “I’ll end it here!”
As her hand seal was formed, her World Force surged. She then pointed her finger at Yang Kai’s forehead from a distance.
Her attack would determine the life or death of this man!
Her slender finger seemed to ignore the limits of space and gently landed on Yang Kai’s forehead. As if struck by a mountain, he suddenly tipped his head back, but a grin appeared on his blood-covered face at that exact moment as he threw out his fist and bellowed, “Cow Punch!”
A violent force burst out from his figure. Following the trail of the aura he had spent so much effort chasing, Yang Kai crashed all the force he could muster into the woman’s Small Universe.
Xia Lin Lang’s expression changed drastically. In an instant, she felt the world around her spinning, and a thunderous noise rang out in her ears as her Small Universe was sent into turmoil.
Before she could come to her senses, she saw a spear magnifying before her eyes through her blurred vision, a horrifying murderous intent swirling around its tip.
The strength and resilience of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not be underestimated though. At the critical moment, Xia Lin Lang forcefully drew upon her Small Universe’s might and exerted more force with the finger that was on Yang Kai’s forehead, knocking him away.
Azure Dragon Spear jabbed almost a palm’s length into her belly before it was forcefully drawn out, its blade covered in blood.
Having just escaped from death’s door, Xia Lin Lang rapidly withdrew 1,000 kilometres.
Looking down, she realised that blood was streaming out of her belly and dying her clothes crimson. Her figure was close to being run through by the weapon just now. If she had suffered such an injury, while she wouldn’t have lost her life given her Seventh-Order cultivation, it would still be considered a critical wound.
What was more shocking for her was that there was a dark flame burning around her wound.
The black flame was so ferocious that she could only suppress it, but not put it out immediately despite being a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Golden Crow’s True Fire!” Xia Lin Lang’s pupils contracted as she instantly deduced the flame’s origin.
Golden Crow’s True Fire was a High-Rank Fire Element Power. Since Yang Kai was able to use this power, it meant that he had refined it for himself.
Xia Lin Lang slowly made it to the Seventh Order from a lower realm, so she knew full well how hard it must have been to condense a High-Rank Element Power.
It was then she realised why Yang Kai was far stronger than cultivators in the same Order. In this vast universe, those who could condense High-Rank Elements and make it to the Open Heaven Realm were all famous figures.
[Could this guy really be a disciple from Bright King Cave Heaven? But I’ve never seen him use the Immovable Bright King Body before. However, just like what’s described in the rumours, his physique is extremely robust.]
While the use of Golden Crow’s True Fire stunned Xia Lin Lang, the transformation in her Small Universe was what really concerned her. At this moment, a force was weltering in her Small Universe, which made it impossible for her to circulate her strength smoothly.
Before she could attempt to suppress it though, Yang Kai came at her with his spear.
The mark of a finger on his glabella was conspicuous and golden blood streamed out of the wound and slid down his face. An unperturbed Yang Kai put on a savage grin, which made his face look even more hideous.
“Do you think I can only go against you using Senior’s Spear Dao? I, Yang Kai, have my own Daos. I’ll let you know the consequences of angering me!”
The reason he held his fury in and never summoned his Azure Dragon Spear despite being wounded all over his face and body was that there was a huge gap between their base strengths. Even if he summoned Azure Dragon Spear, the outcome wouldn’t change. However, it was different at this moment. Following his use of Cow Punch Secret Technique, the situation had been turned around. He now had the capital to oppose her.
It had to be said that the aura of a Seventh Order was extremely difficult to trace. Since he comprehended his Cow Punch Secret Technique, Yang Kai had only used it to deal with four people.
Senior Sister Jin was the first, but that was more like a friendly spar rather than a life-and-death battle, and it ended after Yang Kai succeeded.
Tan Luo Xing was the second. As a Sixth-Order Blood Slave, he barely had any sentience left to speak of, so after the trail of his aura was caught by Yang Kai, he was instantly killed.
Blood Crow was the third, and he had indeed suffered a big setback because of Yang Kai.
However, these three were all in the Sixth Order while Xia Lin Lang was in the Seventh Order. Yang Kai hadn’t endured an incense stick’s worth of attacks for no reason. As their World Forces clashed and their auras entangled, he could finally find the chance to counterattack at the most critical moment.
Unaware of Yang Kai’s capabilities, Xia Lin Lang almost had her figure penetrated by his spear.
If she were a stronger Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai might not have had the chance to use this Secret Technique and he would’ve fallen into a state of complete powerlessness.
Yang Kai was playing with fire by enduring the bombardment of attacks for an entire incense stick of time. If he wasn’t careful, he would’ve lost his life. However, if he hadn’t done that, he couldn’t have obtained the right to fight against Xia Lin Lang, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
As he wielded his Azure Dragon Spear, Pear Flowers seemed to blossom.
Yang Kai had comprehended this Divine Ability after obtaining the inheritance of Pear Flower Divine Monarch, so it wasn’t his own technique. If he were still in Pear Flower Cave Heaven, he could make use of the World’s power and to unleash a blow that was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Master’s full powered attack; however, since he had left Pear Flower Cave Heaven, the force of this attack had become less immense, though it was still fairly powerful.
Xia Lin Lang’s figure was engulfed in countless spear shadows, but as her World Force surged, the phantoms dissipated.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai roared, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
Senior Pear Flower’s Dao didn’t belong to him; however, the Golden Crow Casts the Sun did.
As a Golden Crow was heard cawing, a Great Sun leaped into the sky and illuminated the entire world.
Xia Lin Lang’s pupils contracted again as she exclaimed, “A Divine Manifestation!?”
Yang Kai guffawed, “You have pretty acute vision. It is indeed a Divine Manifestation!” He then stuck his spear to the Great Sun and pushed it towards the woman.
Xia Lin Lang’s gaze appeared conflicted. She was jealous and envious, but at the same time, she was unresigned and furious. Normally, Divine Manifestations were exclusive to High-Rank Masters. Only when a cultivator reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm could they stand a chance to comprehend their own Divine Manifestation. However, not every High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had this opportunity.
Although it had been a long time since Xia Lin Lang ascended to the Seventh Order, she still hadn’t comprehended her own Divine Manifestation. There were many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who remained hidden in the Shattered Heaven, but only 10% of them could use Divine Manifestations.
Xia Lin Lang had never expected that one day she would come across a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who could cast a Divine Manifestation. At that instant, she felt as though she was dreaming.
If this wasn’t a dream, why would there be such a ridiculous thing in this world?
However, the Divine Manifestation indeed showcased a High-Rank Power, so she could not underestimate it.
The spear surged forward like a Dragon while the Great Sun rapidly magnified before her eyes. Since her aura was still in chaos, there was no way she could dodge the attack. Left with no other option, Xia Lin Lang unleashed a great shout as the illusory phantom of her Small Universe flashed behind her back. Ignoring the turmoil in her Small Universe, she forcefully drew out her World Force to meet the Great Sun head on.
As the moves met, the world fell silent.
As the Great Sun exploded, the world in the picture scroll became blindingly bright. Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were both sent flying in opposite directions as they sprayed out mouthfuls of blood.
While Yang Kai was soaked in blood, Xia Lin Lang’s hair was a mess, and her clothes had become tattered. The chaos in her Small Universe had also been exacerbated.
Before she could take a breather, she was suddenly engulfed in a great sense of danger, one even more intense than when Yang Kai used his Divine Manifestation just now.
Upon stabilising himself, Yang Kai pushed his power without reserve. A Great Sun leapt into the sky again, and following that, a cold Moon rose into existence.
The Sun and the Moon shone brightly together!
As Time Principles and Space Principles intertwined, the Space-Time Strength permeated the World.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!
The Great Sun and Moon circled one another in an endless cycle, rotating faster and faster. While carrying an amazing power, the two celestial bodies flew towards Xia Lin Lang, who was still dizzy from the last attack.
Space was instantly frozen while time seemed to have stopped flowing.
Xia Lin Lang had never come across such an abstruse Divine Ability. At that instant, she didn’t know what to do. Despite that, she innately understood that one great force could suppress even ten Masters. While clenching her teeth, she suppressed the weltering vitality in her heart and madly activated her World Force before meeting the rapidly rotating Sun and Moon head-on.
As the surrounding space collapsed, Xia Lin Lang shot forward and landed a palm on Yang Kai’s forehead.
Yang Kai was sent flying away while gripping his spear. As blood spurted, both of them fell to the ground with a loud thud.
While lying on the ground, Yang Kai panted heavily and widened his eyes, but his vision was all blurred. He could feel his aura weltering around his body, as though there were thousands of horses rampaging inside him and tearing his physique apart.
He had previously endured Xia Lin Lang’s attacks for an entire incense stick, and now he had cast two powerful attacks without taking the consumption of energy into consideration. After he was struck by the woman’s full-force counterattack, he almost lost his life.
At this moment, he didn’t even have the strength to move a finger.
Although he was badly injured, Xia Lin Lang wasn’t in any better shape. She had sequentially been struck by Yang Kai’s Cow Punch, then his Golden Crow Casts the Sun, then his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. Despite being a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she couldn’t possibly keep fighting after suffering so many powerful blows.
As he activated his Divine Sense, Yang Kai realised that the woman was indeed lying in a pit that was a few thousand metres away. She remained unmoving, and her aura was weak.
The fierce battle turned out to be a mutual loss.
No one would’ve believed it if they were told. Although there was only a difference of one Order, a Seventh-Order Master should easily be able to defeat ten Sixth-Order Masters, so how did Xia Lin Lang end up in such a state?
However, that was indeed what had happened. Presently, Xia Lin Lang, who was lying in the pit, appeared extremely embarrassed. Her clothes were all tattered, which revealed her underwear. If anyone saw her without knowing what had happened, they would’ve thought that she had been molested and then thrown away by Yang Kai.
On the other hand, she had never expected she could be horribly injured by a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master one day. She felt so humiliated that she was on the brink of bursting into tears.
While clenching her teeth, she managed to spit vehemently, “Just you wait. I’ll definitely rip your corpse into 10,000 pieces!”
Despite her hushed voice, she knew that Yang Kai could hear her.
As expected, Yang Kai was then heard snorting, “How do you have the nerve to utter threats now? Neither of us can move, so whoever can recover first will be the winner. Although my cultivation is lower than yours, I have full confidence in my recovery abilities!”
His confidence came from his Half-Dragon physique and his Wood Element Power condensed from the Immortal Tree. Therefore, even though she was one Order higher than him, Yang Kai believed that there was no way Xia Lin Lang could recover before he did.
While he was lucky enough to have pushed Xia Lin Lang over the edge, it was also thanks to his well-thought-out plan. If his Cow Punch Secret Technique hadn’t been effective, the subsequent sequence of events wouldn’t have happened. The turmoil in her Small Universe gave Yang Kai a chance to hit her with his two trump cards.
Otherwise, regardless of how powerful Golden Crow Casts the Sun and Sun and Moon Divine Wheel were, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could have resolved his attacks.
That was what had happened when he fought against Zuo Quan Hui.
Yang Kai had gotten into several intense battles with Zuo Quan Hui, but other than the final conflict, which he was lucky enough to have killed him in, Yang Kai was essentially always at a disadvantage. Since he had come to a draw with Xia Lin Lang, it went to show that his power had increased significantly during this period of time.
“How could you oppress a weak woman like me? Are you even a man!?” Xia Lin Lang snapped.
Yang Kai sneered, “You’re just an Old Witch! I suppose you hadn’t expected this to happen when you oppressed me just because you thought yourself stronger!”
Xia Lin Lang was enraged. Perhaps she had rarely argued with anyone, so her vocabulary was rather limited when it came to such a situation, so she just continued snapping, “Damned brat!”
Yang Kai retaliated, “Old Witch!”
“Smelly man!”
“Hag!”
…
Instead of trying to recuperate, the two of them bickered with each other while lying on the ground. Although they cursed one another, there was no doubt that Yang Kai’s calm and collected demeanour had put him in an advantageous position. In just a while, Xia Lin Lang was so exasperated that she started spraying out a mouthful of blood as her twin peaks heaved. After suffering a small loss, she stopped humiliating herself as she decided to keep her mouth shut and let Yang Kai’s words roll off her back.
Yang Kai guffawed in a smug manner, as though he had won another battle.
One hour later, he suddenly let out a long breath, “We could’ve parted ways and lived our lives in peace, but you insisted on choosing death instead.”
Upon finishing his words, he slowly got to his feet and stumbled forward with his Azure Dragon Spear in hand. Although his aura was still weak and unstable, he had restored some of his energy.
Despite sensing his movements, Xia Lin Lang remained unmoving.
Yang Kai walked down the pit and stood beside her. Looking down, he asked calmly, “Do you have any last words?”
Xia Lin Lang glared at him, as though she was trying to cut him in half with her gaze.
Yang Kai went on to say, “Alright, stop pretending. You’re a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. Although you couldn’t possibly have restored a lot of your strength in such a short time, I doubt you’d just lie there waiting for death. Since both of us can still make the last move, fate will decide which one of us will have the last laugh.”
Xia Lin Lang decided to ignore him and closed her eyes.
On the other hand, Yang Kai sported a solemn expression. He wouldn’t dare to make a rash move upon seeing her reaction. Just like he had said, both of them had restored a bit of their strength and apparently, she was saving hers to react accordingly. There was only a slim chance of success if he acted hastily now.
All of a sudden, Xia Lin Lang opened her eyes and roared, “I’ll dig your eyes out if you keep ogling me!”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “It’s not that I want to take advantage of you when you’re in such a state, it’s just that your clothes are a complete mess and you don’t want to get changed. I’m just considering which part of your body to stab my spear into.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Why don’t you change into new clothes? You’ll look more decent when you die.”
It wasn’t certain what was on Xia Lin Lang’s mind, but she really followed Yang Kai’s advice. After sitting up, she fished out new clothes from her Space Ring and directly put them on.
It was apparently a defensive artifact instead of ordinary clothes.
Yang Kai didn’t stop her.
After putting on her clothes, Xia Lin Lang lay on the ground again and placed her hands on her belly. She was as silent as a corpse.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched, “Just what do you want?”
Xia Lin Lang opened her eyes and shot him a faint glance, “I’m not going to make a move. I enjoy watching you act all anxious!”
Yang Kai snapped, “I’ll make a move then if you’re not going to!”
“You can give it a try! Let’s see which one of us dies in the end!”
“Do you think I don’t dare to?” Yang Kai was completely incensed.
“Do it then! What are you waiting for?”
While Yang Kai’s face twitched, the veins on his forehead also throbbed.
Just when he was considering whether he should push out his spear without worrying about the consequences, events took a turn. The world in the picture scroll shook while the sky paled.
Yang Kai subconsciously thought that the woman was trying to launch a sneak attack on him, so he instantly moved backwards about 100 metres. While lifting his spear defensively, he went on full alert.
On the other hand, Xia Lin Lang rapidly got to her feet and shot the man a glance before sneering, “I thought you were a bold man, but it turns out you’re just a coward!”
She then looked up at the sky with a frown.
Yang Kai also came to his senses as he realised that the turmoil wasn’t the woman’s doing. Instead, it came from the outside world.
As he recalled that they were in the world in the picture scroll, which was also a portal that led to Pear Flower Cave Heaven, Yang Kai arched his brow and asked, “Someone is attacking the portal, right?”
It was because some other group was attacking the portal from outside that the world in the picture scroll was in turmoil, and judging from the violent movements, Yang Kai believed that the attackers were fairly powerful.
With that said, Xia Lin Lang, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was in charge of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. The attackers wouldn’t have made a scene if they didn’t have confidence.
Taking pleasure in her misfortune, Yang Kai guffawed, “It seems that retribution has come for you!”
He was still disgruntled about this woman tricking him, so he was more than happy to see her suffer.
Xia Lin Lang coldly retorted, “What are you so pleased about? If they manage to shatter the portal, you’ll be the first to suffer, not me.”
Yang Kai’s laughter abruptly caught in his throat as he came to his senses, “They’re here for me?”
“What do you count for?” Xia Lin Lang sneered, “They’re after the World Spring!”
“It’s them?” Yang Kai finally figured out who the attackers were as there were only a small number of people who were aware of the World Spring’s existence. Certainly, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who attempted to hack each other to death in the now-shattered Universe Cave Heaven knew about it though.
After Xia Lin Lang captured Yang Kai, she was intercepted by an old woman.
Xia Lin Lang followed up, “They must have tailed me while I was outside some time ago. That’s why the location of this place has been exposed; otherwise, they couldn’t have found this place so soon.”
Yang Kai snapped, “Why were you so careless?”
Xia Lin Lang sneered, “Didn’t you say I deserve retribution? Why are you so anxious?”
At that instant, Yang Kai was lost for words. If this matter had nothing to do with him, he could’ve sat on the mountaintop and watched the tigers fight; however, since he was their primary target, it was expected that he was anxious. Although he wasn’t certain whether Xia Lin Lang was lying, he believed that this woman had no reason to mess with him at this point.
A myriad of expressions came over him.
While staring at him, Xia Lin Lang suddenly put on a smile, “Why don’t I open the portal and let you flee? You’re an expert in the Dao of Space anyway. If you want to flee, those people might not be able to capture you even though they’re in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai snarled, “Do you think I can flee from multiple High-Rank Masters when I’m in such a state?”
“What does that have to do with me?” Xia Lin Lang smiled elegantly.
Yang Kai was so vexed that he had the urge to kill this woman with his spear right here and now.
Just now, he was all ready to watch a good show, but it turned out that he was the one featured in the show instead. Life was truly unpredictable.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai fury all faded and he put on a smile, “Good, let’s do that. After you open the portal, I won’t flee since there’s no chance of success. There’s only one World Spring, and those people are obviously not united. Once they’re inside, they’ll certainly backstab one another. When they start fighting, I’ll seize the chance to escape. Moreover, they won’t really kill me. Just like you, they’ll probably try to make me ascend to the Seventh Order before snatching the World Spring. No matter the outcome, I won’t die.”
While staring at her with a grim expression, he went on to say, “On the other hand, your aura is weak and you’re clearly injured. I bet those people will take the chance to kill you. All of you have been hiding in the Shattered Heaven for many years, so some grudges must have formed between you. I believe that the old woman we came across some time ago wouldn’t miss the chance to deal a fatal blow to you.”
Xia Lin Lang snorted, “Do you think they’re as easy-going as I am? Do you think they’re as patient as I am? There’s only one World Spring. If none of them can get it, they’ll not let it fall into other people’s hands. You won’t have a chance to survive then. Don’t worry, no one will help bury your corpse after you die!”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Good, neither of us is young and ignorant anymore, so let’s stop trying to frighten each other.”
“Are you calling me old?” Xia Lin Lang rolled her eyes, then tucked her hair behind her ear and straightened her back, “I’m in my prime years!”
Yang Kai pursed his lips, “In any case, we’re now grasshoppers on the same rope, so our fates are tied to one another.”
After a moment of silence, Xia Lin Lang nodded, “You’ve finally said something sensible after such a long time.”
Unwilling to argue with her over this, Yang Kai said, “How many High-Rank Masters are there?”
Although he was now a half-owner of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, the world in the picture scroll had nothing to do with him. Only Xia Lin Lang was aware of what was going on in the outside world.
“There are four of them,” she replied, “You’ve met them all before.”
It was just what Yang Kai had expected. While he was outside of the Universe Cave Heaven back then, other than Xia Lin Lang, he had also come across an old woman with grey hair, a middle-aged man, a woman, and a young boy with a ponytail.
The five of them all charged into that Universe Cave Heaven and got into a fight, which was why the place fell apart.
“How powerful are they compared to you?”
“We’re equally matched. There’s not much difference between us really. In the Seventh Order, none of us are at the top nor at the bottom,” Xia Lin Lang laughed at herself a bit self-deprecatingly.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai asked, “If you open the portal now, how likely, do you think, are we to successfully flee while they’re off guard?”
Xia Lin Lang gazed at him with a weird look, “I should be asking you this question instead. Aren’t you supposed to be adept at fleeing since you’ve mastered the Dao of Space?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It would be possible if I was at full strength; however, given the state I’m in, there’s no chance of success. Moreover, since they’re aware of my capabilities, they might have made some preparations already.”
Xia Lin Lang sighed, “This portal can’t persist for long. This place was already damaged after our fight earlier. Now that they’re bombarding it with their full strength, it’ll only take them half a day to break open the portal.”
As they spoke, the turmoil in the world in the picture scroll intensified like a rising tide.
Xia Lin Lang immediately made a decision, “Come with me.”
Without hesitation, Yang Kai nodded his head.
Xia Lin Lang performed a hand seal and pointed forward. A ripple spread across the Void and revealed a portal that led back to Pear Flower Cave Heaven.
Following that, the two of them passed through the portal.
They were initially at each other’s throats and were trying to kill one another, but at this moment, they were forced to become allies, which was quite ironic.
However, Yang Kai needed to rely on her Seventh-Order strength while Xia Lin Lang had to make use of his mastery of the Dao of Space. Moreover, Yang Kai had showcased incredible power during their battle. By joining forces with him, she would stand a greater chance of survival.
Both of them were sensible people. They knew that this kind of temporary union would only bring them benefits, which was why they stopped trying to hack each other to death. Nevertheless, after they escaped this calamity, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t resume their life-and-death struggle.
Upon returning to Pear Flower Cave Heaven, they directly appeared in front of Pear Flower Palace.
When Qin Fen and the others, who had been waiting in this place, saw the two of them, they quickly flew over. Upon seeing Xia Lin Lang was battered and her clothes were soaked in blood, they were shocked and glowered at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai ignored them.
Xia Lin Lang turned to look at him, “The portal on the outside is an artifact, so after they shatter it, they still can’t enter this place. They’ll also have to break the World Barrier here. It will only take them ten days to half a month to do that.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “We’ll have ample time to restore our strength then. By the time they barge in, we’ll be able to deal with them since we’re the co-owners of this place.”
Xia Lin Lang slowly shook her head, “I won’t fight with them here.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Why?”
By fighting against their enemies in Pear Flower Cave Heaven, both of them would have an advantage; after all, they were the co-owners of this place, so they could make use of the World Force of this Universe Cave Heaven.
Xia Lin Lang explained, “More than 10 million people are living here. If we engage in a battle here, regardless of whether we win or lose, this place will be severely damaged. By then, countless people will lose their lives. Therefore, the moment they shatter the World Barrier, we’ll have to break through the siege. Whether we survive or not will be left up to the Heavens then.”
Yang Kai gazed at her with a shocked expression.
In a dispassionate tone, Xia Lin Lang asked, “What’s wrong? Do you think I’m too soft-hearted? Fine, I’m indeed such a person. If you don’t agree with my decision, you can leave now. I won’t stop you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That’s not what I meant. I was just surprised.”
He had never expected that this woman would be concerned about the life or death of the millions of residents of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. She was even willing to give up a strategic advantage in a life-and-death fight against her enemies to preserve this place.
It had to be noted that this decision was unwise. Anyone who had weighed the pros and cons of this matter wouldn’t have made such a decision.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai found this woman to be less despicable.
Xia Lin Lang frowned, “Why are you looking at me like this? Do you think I’m showing too much womanly compassion just because I’m concerned about the people living in this place?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It is said that we may know a person for a long time without understanding their true nature. Moreover, I’m not familiar with you, so I don’t know what kind of a person you really are. However, it’s clearly not a bad thing that the people here are ruled over by someone like you, who is concerned about their safety.”
Xia Lin Lang snorted.
Yang Kai went on to say, “If you trust me, I have a way to solve this problem.”
A doubtful Xia Lin Lang stared at him, “What’s your solution?”
With a smile, Yang Kai shook his head, “You’ll find out soon enough. But before that, I need the Array Jade of the Pear Flower Palace.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand.
Xia Lin Lang furrowed her brows, but she didn’t hesitate for long. She soon passed back the Array Jade she had retrieved from him some time ago.
“Thanks.” Yang Kai put on a smile, “I’ll go somewhere to restore my energy now, and you should do the same. We’ll have a tough battle soon.”
He then disappeared into the distance.
Qin Fen and the others were dumbfounded. They initially thought that their Palace Master had captured Yang Kai, but they soon realised it wasn’t the case upon hearing their conversation. Something serious seemed to have happened while the two of them were not around.
“What’s going on, Palace Master?” Qin Fen gazed doubtfully at her.
Xia Lin Lang replied, “I was tailed while I was outside some time ago, so the location of this place has been exposed. Some powerful cultivators are trying to invade now. I need to recuperate immediately. You all should enter Lin Lang Palace and prepare yourselves.”
“Yes,” Qin Fen and the others replied respectfully.
Yang Kai hadn’t suffered serious injuries in the battle against Xia Lin Lang; he was just exhausted, so it only took him a few days before he managed to restore most of his energy.
During this period of time, some tremors could be felt taking place in Pear Flower Cave Heaven. It was apparent that the High-Rank Masters had shattered the portal of the picture scroll, and they were now trying to break through the World Barrier of this place.
Once they formed a crack, they could pass through it and invade.
Since four High-Rank Masters had joined forces, it was a force to be reckoned with. Even though Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had decided to work together, they couldn’t possibly defeat these four.
Xia Lin Lang was concerned about the millions of lives in Pear Flower Cave Heaven, so she wasn’t willing to start a fight in this place. Therefore, Yang Kai had to come up with a solution to free her of this concern so that they could make use of Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s power to confront their enemies.
Apparently, Xia Lin Lang didn’t intend to keep the millions of lives inside her Small Universe even though she was able to do so.
The Small Universe of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had materialised, so it could easily accommodate millions of ordinary lives. Furthermore, by raising living beings in one’s Small Universe, one could strengthen their heritage as living beings would nourish the World and generate World Force all on their own. As time passed, it could save a cultivator much time and effort.
However, if Xia Lin Lang really did that, it would be a disaster for those living here. Once she got into a fight with powerful enemies, most of those living here would be killed as a result of the turmoil in her Small Universe.
Yang Kai initially intended to put all those living in Pear Flower Cave Heaven inside his Small Universe. Although he was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his Small Universe had the protection of the World Spring; therefore, the living beings in his Small Universe would not be harmed regardless of what happened.
Nevertheless, if he really did that, the secret that his Small Universe had materialised would be exposed.
Even though Xia Lin Lang appeared to be concerned about the living beings in this place, she might not have the same sympathy for Yang Kai. If she found out about his secret, she might develop some ill intentions.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai knew that he had to act secretly.
The reason he got the jade back from Xia Lin Lang some time ago was to make some preparations for this.
Once he was done healing, Yang Kai appeared above a certain mountain range. Looking down, he could see that the mountain range spanned several tens of thousands of kilometres, like a long, sleeping Dragon.
Following that, he fished out the jade and pinched it between the tips of his fingers. As he communicated with the jade, he manipulated the local Space Principles. The next moment, the World Force in Pear Flower Cave Heaven trembled as a region several hundred thousand kilometres wide began to shake.
Although he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was hard for him to achieve what he was doing by relying only on his own power. However, since he was a co-owner of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, it was now much easier for him.
Of course, the other half-owner of this place could detect such violent movements.
A moment later, Xia Lin Lang, who was initially meditating in Pear Flower Palace, appeared before Yang Kai with a dark expression as she bellowed, “Yang Kai, what are you doing?!”
She could sense that Yang Kai was trying to split off a big piece of territory that spanned several hundred thousand kilometres from Pear Flower Cave Heaven.
This kind of separation was immensely damaging to Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s foundation. Once Yang Kai succeeded, the heritage of Pear Flower Cave Heaven would be reduced by 20 to 30%.
That was the reason Xia Lin Lang was incensed.
On the other hand, Yang Kai wasn’t surprised by her arrival. Since they were the co-owners of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, they could easily detect the slightest changes happening in this place.
However, he wasn’t flustered at all. While continuing to split off this chunk of land, he explained, “You’re not willing to fight with the enemies in Pear Flower Cave Heaven because you’re worried that those living here will be affected, but if we can move them to a safe place, you will no longer have such a concern. Back when I was still young and weak, I obtained a special storage artifact. Just like your picture scroll, it was a Sealed World that could accommodate living beings. However, that storage artifact was damaged. Given my current capabilities though, it’s not hard for me to make a similar storage artifact.”
When he was still in the Star Boundary in the past, Yang Kai had refined a number of World Beads, which were similar to the Sealed World Bead. During the great battle between the Humans and Demons, every Army Commander had a World Bead, which was used to easily mobilise their soldiers.
Since Yang Kai already had this experience, it wouldn’t be hard for him to make something similar to the Sealed World Bead.
Once Xia Lin Lang realised his intentions, her expression turned milder, “Do you plan to move all those that live here to that new artifact?”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded, “Only by doing so can we go all out against the enemy in this place.”
A myriad of expressions came over Xia Lin Lang as she knitted her brows.
Yang Kai scoffed, “Why even hesitate? I know you’re concerned about the millions of lives in this place, and you’re planning to break through the siege when the World Barrier is shattered; however, without your protection, these innocents would still be affected since those High-Rank Masters would definitely be furious. By then, you won’t be able to ensure their safety. In that case, why don’t we move them to somewhere safe in advance?”
Xia Lin Lang soon stopped hesitating and nodded, “Do you need any help?”
Yang Kai nodded, “If you want to help, please gather all those living in this place together now so that I’ll have ample time to transfer them to another place.”
After giving it a thought, Xia Lin Lang said, “I can put them inside my Small Universe first. When your artifact is ready, I can move them over.”
“Sounds good.”
Xia Lin Lang then left. There were people living all over Pear Flower Cave Heaven, so it would take her some time to put all of them inside her Small Universe.
Space Principles continued undulating around Yang Kai. With Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s support, he spent half a day splitting the territory of several hundred thousand kilometres that he had selected.
The heritage of Pear Flower Cave Heaven instantly fell by 30%. As a result, the sky paled and the ground shook. It was as though it was the end of the world.
Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense and engulfed the split-off territory with Space Principles without caring about his consumption of energy. As his World Force undulated, he performed different hand seals and cast rays of light through his fingers.
Three days later, the territory of several hundred thousand kilometres disappeared and was replaced by a bead the size of a longan.
By infusing his Divine Sense into it, Yang Kai could see that the territory of several hundred thousand kilometres he had split from Pear Flower Cave Heaven was now inside the bead.
Just like the Sealed World Bead, the bead was an Independent World of its own.
Right then, Xia Lin Lang returned and gazed at the pale Yang Kai as she asked, “Is it done?”
Yang Kai tossed the bead at her. After taking the bead, Xia Lin Lang inspected it while looking conflicted. A long time later, she said in a quiet voice, “Thank you.”
Following that, Yang Kai sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and swallowed down many Open Heaven Pills. While smiling, he asked, “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you clearly.”
Xia Lin Lang glared at him, “Don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch!”
In response, Yang Kai chuckled. It was apparent that it wasn’t that Xia Lin Lang wanted to thank him, she was only expressing gratitude on behalf of the millions of people living under her rule.
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai had a feeling that this woman really just wanted to obtain the World Spring without killing him. Given her actions so far, it was apparent she would have waited for him to ascend to the Seventh Order and then cut off a bit of territory to move the World Spring out of his Small Universe.
For those in the Open Heaven Realm, those below their realm were no different from ants.
However, there were some Open Heaven Realm Masters in the world who couldn’t really regard people as mere insects.
Xia Lin Lang put the bead inside her Small Universe. When she moved the bead out a moment later, all those within had been moved into the artifact.
Certainly, the migration would cause these millions of people to feel uneasy, but it was better than watching them lose their lives.
All of a sudden, Xia Lin Lang tossed the bead back at Yang Kai, who took it and stared at her in confusion.
Xia Lin Lang said, “I’ve witnessed your ability to flee before. Although you’re weaker than I am overall, if only one of us survives this, it will definitely be you, not me. Keep the bead for me. You can pass it back to me if both of us survive. I’ve promised them that I’ll give them a safe place to live after all.”
Yang Kai snorted, “After the food is eaten, it’ll become something else when it comes out of the body. Will you still want it by then?”
Xia Lin Lang snapped, “Nothing good will ever come out of your foul mouth!”
Yang Kai pursed his lips.
Then, Xia Lin Lang looked up at the sky and said, “We have three days left at most. Get some rest now.”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and left.
After she was gone, Yang Kai looked down at the bead. As a thought flashed through his mind, he directly put it inside his Small Universe.
In fact, he had always had his eyes on these millions of lives. With the World Spring in his possession, he wouldn’t have to worry that those living here would be harmed while they inhabited his Small Universe. He was only in the Sixth Order, and he wasn’t even certain how long it would take him to make it to the Eighth Order, but with those living beings residing in his Small Universe, he could shorten the time of achieving his goal.
However, he had never expected that he would obtain living beings in such a way.
Xia Lin Lang believed that she was no match for Yang Kai when it came to the ability to flee, which was why she let him keep the bead.
Nevertheless, just like Yang Kai had said, once food was eaten, it could not be given away. Since Xia Lin Lang had passed those people to him, she would never be able to get them back.
No place in the world was safer than his Small Universe right now. Even if he accidentally lost his life, his Small Universe would still remain intact with the World Spring’s presence.
In just a few days, those living in Pear Flower Cave Heaven had experienced three great migrations. First, they were moved into Xia Lin Lang’s Small Universe from Pear Flower Cave Heaven, then they were moved into the bead. Following that, they were transferred to Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Although they didn’t have to exert any effort, the migrations naturally made them feel anxious.
When Yang Kai released them from the bead and settled them down in his Small Universe, those millions of people, regardless of their gender and age, all appeared pale and terrified.
Yang Kai had never raised other living beings before, but he knew that they needed houses to live in and food to eat.
There were some people who had cultivated before among these living beings, and there were even a dozen or so Emperor Realm Masters. However, none of them were in the Open Heaven Realm.
It wasn’t hard to raise some Emperor Realm Masters in his body, but Yang Kai would definitely chase the Open Heaven Realm Masters out if there were any.
As a thought flashed through his mind, he secretly spoke to those Emperor Realm Masters, who were shocked at first, but they soon became at ease.
Following that, the most powerful Emperor Realm Master among them placated the crowd and the commotion slowly subsided.
As the ground shook, the World Barrier of Pear Flower Cave Heaven was shattered.
A huge crack appeared in the sky as four figures stood in line. They looked like four ferocious Dragons that stuck their heads out of the clouds.
In the square in front of Pear Flower Palace, Yang Kai looked up and swept a glance over them.
He had come into contact with the old woman with grey hair once. Xia Lin Lang said that the woman called herself Grandma Jiu. She was a ruthless and cruel person. No one knew of her background. In the entire Shattered Heaven, she was one of the oldest who chose to go into hiding in this place. At the very least, when Xia Lin Lang came here to live a reclusive life back then, Grandma Jiu was a famous figure.
The middle-aged man was named Zong Zheng. He seemed to have something to do with a particular Sect in Green Frost Territory, but no one could prove it.
The beautiful woman was named Zhu Ling Shan, who was a licentious person with countless lovers. She was infamous throughout the entire Shattered Heaven; however, since she was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, no one would dare to underestimate her.
It wasn’t certain what kind of Evil Art that Purple Night Boy, who had a ponytail, had cultivated, but the more profound his cultivation was, the younger he looked. Although he looked as innocent and delicate as a young boy, he apparently loved eating Human livers, especially those of women. People who offended him would end up in a horrible state. He had countless ways to make his enemies watch as he ate their livers. In the end, they were in so much pain that they would beg him to kill them.
There was no law or order in the Shattered Heaven. It was all about power. This place was filled with the most ruthless people. It was as though all sorts of thugs in the 3,000 Worlds had gathered together in this place.
Xu Wang, who was from Bright King Cave Heaven, once told Yang Kai that the waters in the Shattered Heaven were muddier than he imagined. At that time, Yang Kai still didn’t understand what he meant, but now he had personally experienced it, and everything he saw was just the tip of the iceberg. What would the whole picture of the Shattered Heaven look like?
Upon barging into Pear Flower Cave Heaven, the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters instantly locked their gazes on Yang Kai. Their eyes appeared fervent, so it was obvious that they were aware that Yang Kai had refined the World Spring. The one who could capture him would stand a chance to be the owner of the World Spring.
There were rarely any precious treasures in the world that could make High-Rank Masters feel tempted, and the things that could make them risk their lives were even rarer. One of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring, was definitely one of them though.
As long as they could obtain the World Spring, they would be at a huge advantage when fighting against their enemies or raising living beings inside their Small Universe. If it weren’t because of the allure of the World Spring, the four High-Rank Masters, who were not really united, wouldn’t have joined forces and arrived at this place together.
Yang Kai stomped his foot on the ground and grinned, “We have some guests. Let’s send them a gift!”
A buzzing sound was then heard ringing throughout Pear Flower Palace. Following that, the World Force of Pear Flower Cave Heaven madly streamed into the palace. At that instant, Pear Flower Palace, which was a mobile palace artifact, as well as the command centre of the entire Pear Flower Cave Heaven, seemed to have turned into a bottomless pit.
Inside Pear Flower Cave Heaven, all the plants withered instantly and the sky turned grey.
All the World Force in Pear Flower Cave Heaven had streamed into Pear Flower Palace in just three breaths, which caused the originally vibrant Universe Cave Heaven to turn into a dead place.
As Spear Intent surged, Pear Flower Palace rose into the air and shot towards the four unwelcome guests.
The four of them had just broken the World Barrier of Pear Flower Cave Heaven and seen Yang Kai, who was their target, but just when they were excited, this turn of events suddenly took place.
Although they were in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, it was still hard for them to react instantly.
The colour drained from Zhu Ling Shan’s face as she exclaimed, “Are you out of your mind, Xia Lin Lang!?”
At the same time, the expressions of Grandma Jiu, Zong Zheng, and Purple Night Boy changed drastically as their pleasant surprise turned into shock and fear.
This couldn’t be helped. Although they had envisioned what the battle would look like, the scenario before their eyes had never crossed their minds. Xia Lin Lang had truly gone all out with this attack, which had condensed all the World Force in Pear Flower Cave Heaven into a single attack.
Pear Flower Cave Heaven was a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by a cultivator who was at least in the Eighth Order. Given Xia Lin Lang’s capabilities, even though she could mobilise the World Force of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, which made it easier for her to deal with her enemies here, she couldn’t fully make use of this advantage.
That was because she knew nothing about the Spear Dao.
The previous owner of Pear Flower Cave Heaven was a Master of the Spear Dao, so he had left behind a lot of Spear Dao Essence after his death. Since she couldn’t comprehend it, Xia Lin Lang naturally couldn’t obtain his inheritance.
If Pear Flower Cave Heaven was compared to a sword, Xia Lin Lang could certainly hold it and wield it like a club to deal with her enemies, but she would be unable to unsheathe sword, which would naturally make it less effective.
However, things were different with Yang Kai’s assistance. Previously, he had fully absorbed the Dao Essence of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, and although he hadn’t fully digested it yet, he was able to unsheathe the blade, which was Pear Flower Palace.
The two of them had worked together to cast an attack that had condensed all the power from Pear Flower Cave Heaven into one spot. Although the attack was less powerful than what the previous owner could cast, it was definitely more powerful than what a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could launch.
It was the one and only attack that had been infused with all the power of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. They wouldn’t be able to launch such an attack again.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were originally split over this issue. She believed that since they were already at an advantage in this place, they didn’t have to bet everything on a single roll of the dice; after all, if the attack proved to be ineffective, their advantage would be gone for good. Therefore, she believed that they should deal with their enemies in Pear Flower Cave Heaven so that they would stand a chance to gain the upper hand and ward off their enemies.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t agree with her. The argument between them was so fierce that they almost broke out into another fight. Qin Fen and the others were horrified as they watched from the side. While they were shocked by Yang Kai’s audacity, they were also puzzled by their Palace Master’s concession.
Yang Kai’s reasoning was that, while Xia Lin Lang could deal with one enemy and Yang Kai could make use of the advantage of being the co-owner to fight against another Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with the help of Pear Flower Palace, as well as Qin Fen and the others, since they were faced with four enemies, who would deal with the remaining two?
As the battle dragged on, the heritage of Pear Flower Cave Heaven would be depleted if they couldn’t defeat their enemies, and once the depletion reached a certain critical point, their advantage would turn into a disadvantage, and they would have no choice but to flee.
Hence, he believed that they should bet everything on a single attack. Since Xia Lin Lang wasn’t willing to do this, their enemies would naturally not consider this possibility either, and they would be caught off guard. If the two of them were lucky, they could directly kill one or two of their enemies.
Once they succeeded, the rest of the enemies would hesitate to make a move again.
Back then, in Pear Flower Palace, Yang Kai said in a sincere manner, “I know you’re unwilling to let go of this place, but those millions of lives have settled down in a safe place, so there’s no more concern for you. Moreover, the location of this place has been exposed. Even if you’re able to beat back your enemies this time, more will come knocking on your door in the future. You can’t possibly keep this place safe.”
Certainly, Xia Lin Lang knew that he was right. There were two things that were most important when it came to hiding in the Shattered Heaven. First, a powerful cultivation, and second, a secure hideout.
After she arrived in the Shattered Heaven in the past, it took her 1,000 years before she was lucky enough to find Pear Flower Cave Heaven and become its owner.
Grandma Jiu, Zong Zheng, Zhu Ling Shan, and Purple Night Boy all had their own hideouts, which remained secrets that outsiders could never find out about.
The cultivators outside the Shattered Heaven could never imagine the lengths these people had to go to to keep their hideouts hidden. Once their hideouts were exposed, other than their enemies in the Shattered Heaven, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would also hunt them down.
It wasn’t unprecedented. In the past, some High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had suffered such a setback. Their hideouts were found out by those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises and in the end, teams of High-Rank Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises came over and directly shattered the World Barriers before capturing these people who had been hiding.
Xia Lin Lang believed that she was already careful enough the last time she went out, but she was still tailed by someone, which was why this place was now under siege.
Fortunately, she wasn’t an inflexible person. Since Yang Kai managed to change her mind, she directly agreed to his plan.
Pear Flower Palace radiated a dazzling glow as Spear Intent filled the entire World. The palace artifact seemed to have turned into an all-conquering spear as it pierced towards the four unsuspecting enemies.
They were targeted by the attack that had condensed all the power and aura of Pear Flower Cave Heaven.
The expressions of the four of them were transformed by horror as they intended to flee, but were unable to do so. They secretly cursed at Xia Lin Lang while Zong Zheng bellowed, “Act together if you want to live!”
He had never expected that Xia Lin Lang would act so decisively. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have listened to Grandma Jiu and come over to have a hand in this mess. This was a disaster he didn’t ask for.
As he spoke, he fully activated all his World Force and made his move.
Grandma Jiu, Zhu Ling Shan, and Purple Night Boy also knew that it wasn’t the time to hold back; therefore, after Zong Zheng spoke, they also activated their powers without hesitation.
At that instant, seven robust defensive artifacts had been summoned as they hovered in front of the group of four. Behind the artifacts, some defensive Secret Techniques were also activated. A glow flickered in front of them as though there was a thick layer of wall defending them.
There was a long tail of light behind Pear Flower Palace, which made it look like a ferocious Dragon.
It was a palace artifact that had many powerful functions, and at this moment, it had condensed all the World Force of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. Certainly, such an attack could be described as terrifying.
Looking down, they could see that Pear Flower Palace had been engulfed in an aura. Presently, Yang Kai was standing on the square in front of the palace. The Spear Dao Essence he hadn’t managed to fully digest now resonated with the palace.
Be it Pear Flower Palace or the Spear Dao Essence, they originally belonged to the original owner of Pear Flower Cave Heaven, so it wasn’t surprising that they resonated with each other.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai made a grabbing gesture as though he was holding a spear. Even if there were millions of enemies in front of him, he could destroy them with his thrust.
An exuberant Yang Kai filled his lungs before roaring, “Kill!”
As the attack struck, the seven artifacts were shredded like paper. The Secret Techniques behind the artifacts were also instantly shattered.
The four enemies were sent flying away as they all sprayed out mouthfuls of blood, their auras significantly weakened.
Pear Flower Palace directly formed a huge crack in the World Barrier and disappeared into the distance.
The heritage of Pear Flower Cave Heaven had been sucked dry, so the entire place had become dead. Even the command centre, Pear Flower Palace, had left; therefore, following the violent upheaval, the Universe Cave Heaven crumbled and exploded.
In the void, shattered Spirit Provinces of different sizes appeared from out of nowhere and shot forward in all directions.
At the same time, four battered and injured figures emerged. They appeared to still be reeling from the shock. Zong Zheng was the most severely injured among them as he was covered in terrible wounds. One could even see his squirming organs through the gashes in his flesh.
It wasn’t that Zong Zheng was weaker than the rest of them, he was just unlucky to have borne the brunt of the horrifying attack.
It was an attack that had exhausted all of Pear Flower Cave Heaven’s power, so although it wasn’t as powerful as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s strike, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t easily parry it.
The excruciating pain caused Zong Zheng’s face to contort as he covered his wounds with his power to stop the bleeding. He also fished out lots of precious pills from his Small Universe and gulped them down.
All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as a stream of dangerous World Force had locked onto him from behind.
He instantly froze on the spot, and when he looked down, he saw a child’s hand sticking out of his gut.
With widened eyes, he bellowed, “Purple Night Old Ghost!”
Behind him, Purple Night Boy stuck close to him like a shadow as he grinned, “Since you’re so badly injured, you won’t stand a chance to survive. I’ll send you on your way now, no need to thank me!”
“You dare?!” Zong Zheng roared. However, he was attacked by Purple Night while he had lowered his guard, and he was now horribly injured, so there was no way he could resist.
The next moment, Purple Night Boy surged his World Force, which rushed into the other man’s body and destroyed his vitality.
Purple Night then pulled a bloody liver from Zong Zheng’s body and started gnawing at it. His expression was as casual as someone who was having a cold drink in the hot summer.
In a nearby place, Grandma Jiu and Zhu Ling Shan watched the incident unfold with impassive expressions.
In a place like the Shattered Heaven, people could turn hostile to each other at any moment. If one of them had been badly injured instead of Zong Zheng, such a calamity would’ve befallen them as well.
Since Zong Zheng was severely wounded, there was no way he could keep fighting. That was the reason Purple Night Boy seized the chance to kill him. Even if Purple Night hadn’t done that, the other two would’ve developed some ill intentions.
A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was killed just like that.
However, unlike a Mid-Rank Master, Zong Zheng’s Small Universe didn’t instantly collapse after his death. Instead, it contracted and sucked the corpse into it before disappearing into the Void.
Since time immemorial, this was how Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens had come about after the death of High-Rank Masters. As long as the Small Universe didn’t suffer from any violent impact or irreversible damage, there was a decent chance of it remaining after the owner’s death.
There was no doubt that Zong Zheng had left behind a Universe Paradise after he passed away.
The liver of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was immensely beneficial to Purple Night Boy, so he rapidly swallowed it down. As he wiped the blood off his mouth, his initially listless aura stabilised.
He then turned to look in the direction Pear Flower Palace had disappeared and said, “Even with the help of Lin Lang Palace, Xia Lin Lang must be in a terrible state after forcefully mobilizing the power of the entire Universe Cave Heaven. There won’t be such a chance again if we let it slip through our fingers. I’m going after her. What do the two of you think?”
Grandma Jiu and Zhu Ling Shan exchanged glances before nodding lightly. A moment later, the three of them shot forward.
Certainly, the Universe Paradise left behind by Zong Zheng was precious as well. By breaking the World Barrier, one could obtain all the possessions Zong Zheng had left behind in his Small Universe. Nevertheless, regardless how many precious items he had, they paled when compared to the World Spring.
After weighing the pros and cons, they certainly wanted to obtain the World Spring instead of searching the new Universe Paradise.
With that said, they had memorised the location of this Universe Paradise, so they would come over to loot it when there was a chance in the future.
Inside Pear Flower Palace, blood streamed out of Yang Kai’s nose and mouth while Xia Lin Lang was pale-faced.
Just like Purple Night Boy had said, it was extremely taxing to forcefully activate the power of the entire Pear Flower Cave Heaven. If Xia Lin Lang had done it on her own, she would’ve lost all power to fight by now.
Fortunately, Yang Kai was there to share the burden with her, so she was less exhausted than her pursuers anticipated. Nevertheless, since she had to recuperate, Pear Flower Palace was temporarily controlled by Yang Kai.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt fortunate that he had decided to absorb all of the Spear Dao Essence in Pear Flower Cave Heaven; otherwise, it would’ve been wasted by now. After all, Pear Flower Cave Heaven had collapsed and broken apart.
Although they had fled from Pear Flower Cave Heaven, they couldn’t let their guard down. The World Spring was extremely attractive, so the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t easily give up on it. On the other hand, they couldn’t stay in the Shattered Heaven forever.
While controlling Pear Flower Palace, Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed to recuperate. He also infused his Divine Sense into his Small Universe to check on those living inside it.
Although it had only been a few days since the over 10 million people entered the Small Universe, they had become at ease following the Emperor Realm Masters placating them. They had also been divided into dozens of groups with some of them remaining in the same place, harvesting wood and stone in order to build houses. Some of them had moved across a long distance to look for suitable places to live.
These groups of people ranged from several tens of thousands to several hundreds of thousands, and each one was respectively led by an Emperor Realm Master.
This was what Yang Kai had told the Emperor Realm Masters to do; after all, development would be obstructed if more than ten million people gathered in a single place. Therefore, after putting them inside his Small Universe, Yang Kai ordered the Emperor Realm Masters to lead the people to live in different places.
Now, it seemed that the Emperor Realm Masters had done a great job.
The migration was definitely taxing. Many of them were old people and young children. There were also a lot of families. That was the reason they were moving slowly. As a thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, he swept his World Force across them and instantly sent them to suitable places to stay.
It was his own Small Universe, so it wasn’t hard for him to do this.
After the initial shock, the Emperor Realm Masters soon came to their senses. They looked up at the sky and cupped their fists to express their gratitude, then started settling the people down.
Following a moment of observation, Yang Kai was elated.
In the future, several dozen cities of different sizes that were filled with people would form in his Small Universe. When these people settled down, they would certainly bring some transformation to his Small Universe.
Furthermore, his Small Universe was far more habitable compared to others because he had refined the Immortal Tree, which was a High-Rank Wood Element. Hence, the environment in his Small Universe was vibrant and full of vitality. All forms of vegetation could grow very strong inside it. On top of that, even the frail old people radiated a healthy glow upon entering his Small Universe.
A Great Sun was hanging in the sky in his Small Universe, and at dusk, the Sun fell beyond the horizon while the Moon leaped into the sky.
This kind of phenomenon was non-existent in other Small Universes. Perhaps there was only one such Small Universe in the entire 3,000 Worlds.
As the Moonlight spilled over the world, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something and fell into his thoughts.
He seemed to have fallen into a state of abstrusity and enlightenment as all sorts of ideas clashed and formed sparkles in his mind.
It felt as though he had finally noticed a key aspect he had accidentally ignored in the past, but he was unable to fully grasp it. It was as if a thin piece of paper had been placed in front of him. He should be able to break it with a poke of his finger, but he seemed incapable of doing so.
At that moment, he felt as if there was an itch he couldn’t scratch.
“What are you doing?” Just then, someone called out to him, which made him snap back from that ethereal state.
Apart from him, Xia Lin Lang, Qin Fen, and the other Open Heaven Realm Masters were also inside Pear Flower Palace.
Upon seeing how their Palace Master and Yang Kai worked together, the others wouldn’t dare to provoke Yang Kai again. Since this guy was not even afraid of Xia Lin Lang, he certainly wouldn’t have any regard for them.
Therefore, the person who dared to interrupt him could be none other than Xia Lin Lang.
Yang Kai was full of grievances after his state of enlightenment was interrupted by Xia Lin Lang. Although he hadn’t figured out the idea that almost became clear in his mind, he was certain that it was extremely important.
While suppressing his fury, he jerked his head to the side, only to see the woman glowering at him, “Where are you bringing me to?”
She had let Yang Kai control Pear Flower Palace since she had to recuperate; however, she had never expected that this guy would drive the palace out of the Shattered Heaven, which was why she was incensed.
Yang Kai frowned, but he soon realised why the woman was infuriated, so he explained, “The existence of the World Spring has been exposed, so we can’t stay in the Shattered Heaven any longer. Moreover, Pear Flower Cave Heaven is destroyed, and you have nowhere to go. There’s no point for you to stay here. I have a place in Void Territory that is very safe. I can assure you that no one will have their eyes on you when you reach there, and you won’t have to remain hidden.”
“Pfft,” Xia Lin Lang sneered, “How are you going to assure me?”
“Action speaks louder than words. You’ll find out by then. If you trust me, come with me.”
Xia Lin Lang snapped, “It’s not about whether I trust you or not, it’s that you have no idea about the situation we’re in! If I leave the Shattered Heaven, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises will come to capture me. Can you ward them off by then?”
Yang Kai knit his brows, “How did all of you offend the people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises?”
Xia Lin Lang roared, “How should I know!? I’ve never fallen into any conflicts with the Cave Heavens and Paradises since I started cultivating; however, after I ascended to the Seventh Order, they came knocking on my door without ever telling me what they wanted. I was powerless to resist them since they were so formidable. Left with no choice, I went into hiding in the Shattered Heaven. Now, thanks to you, I’ve lost my home, and here you are trying to send me to the lion’s den! Go to Void Territory if you want, but don’t count me in!”
Upon finishing her words, Xia Lin Lang took control of Pear Flower Palace and drove it in a different direction.
It would be extremely risky if they turned around, for Grandma Jiu and the others must be racing after them. By doing so, they would fall into a fierce battle against their enemies.
After a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai got up and said, “In that case, we should part ways here.”
Since they had gotten out of the woods, he could make use of Space Principles to get rid of the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Xia Lin Lang snorted. “My hideout has been destroyed because of you, and I have nowhere to go in Shattered Heaven. Now you want to leave just like this? There’s no way I’ll allow that to happen.”
Yang Kai questioned dispassionately, “What do you want, then?”
While staring resentfully at him, Xia Lin Lang said through clenched teeth, “Aren’t you an expert in the Dao of Space? There are countless Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises that remain hidden in Shattered Heaven. You can only leave when you manage to help me find a new hideout!”
Yang Kai shook his head. “Although I’m adept in the Dao of Space, it’s still hard for me to find any hidden Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise. Those that are easy to find have all been discovered. Moreover, I’m the target of Grandma Jiu and the others. You’ll also benefit if we part ways. As long as I can leave Shattered Heaven, they wouldn’t dare to run after me. Why would you object to this win-win solution?”
With that said, he knew that Xia Lin Lang still coveted his World Spring. As long as she hadn’t snatched the World Spring from him, she would never willingly let him go. She had suffered immense losses this time. Not only was Pear Flower Cave Heaven destroyed, but she was also being pursued by her enemies. If she could obtain the World Spring, it could make up for the losses.
“I don’t care.” Xia Lin Lang was determined to make him stay. “If you insist on leaving, don’t blame me for falling out with you.”
“What an unreasonable person!” Yang Kai roared.
Xia Lin Lang put on a smile and looked provokingly at him. “So what if I’m unreasonable?”
Yang Kai had the urge to punch her in the face. After they glared at each other for a moment, he had no choice but to back down as he said, “Fine then, I’ll help you find a new hideout before leaving. If you still stop me from leaving by then, I’ll make you suffer even if both of us will be severely injured.”
Before Xia Lin Lang could reply to him, her expression changed as she turned to look in a particular direction. “They’ve come so soon!”
She could detect three rays of light that were rapidly approaching them in the Void. Although they were still far away, it was apparent to her that they were Grandma Jiu and the others. Before they even arrived, they started casting their Divine Abilities from a distance.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang exchanged glances before activating their own powers. Although they hadn’t had any discussion before, one of them tacitly took control of Pear Flower Palace and fled while the other took charge of the Grand Array to fend off the Divine Abilities.
As the light barrier flickered, Pear Flower Palace shook violently. The palace then turned into a beam of light and shot into the depths of Shattered Heaven. Meanwhile, Grandma Jiu and the others continued pursuing them.
Yang Kai snapped, “If you hadn’t changed directions, they wouldn’t have reached us so soon!”
Xia Lin Lang snorted. “It was you who decided to leave Shattered Heaven without having a discussion with me, but here you are blaming it all on me. As a man, shouldn’t you take responsibility?”
Yang Kai clenched his teeth and fell silent. Although Pear Flower Palace could move pretty fast, it was hard to get rid of Grandma Jiu and the others.
The pursuit went on for the following month as they moved across several million kilometres in Shattered Heaven.
During this period of time, a piece of news spread across the entire Shattered Heaven and caused a commotion.
One of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring, had emerged, and it was obtained by a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Presently, this person was in Xia Lin Lang’s hands as they were trying to escape the pursuit somewhere in Shattered Heaven.
The news sent a shockwave across the entire Shattered Heaven.
The Four Universe Pillars were extremely precious items in the world. Although they were not the most precious treasures, they were very important in the hearts of the Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The last time one of the Four Universe Pillars appeared was three thousand years ago. At that time, it was the Profound Fish that had appeared. In order to snatch the Profound Fish, the entire Shattered Heaven had fallen into an uproar. Countless hidden High-Rank Masters came into the spotlight to snatch the item. The entire process spanned across a hundred years, and the Profound Fish had changed ownerships several times. In the end, it was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who obtained it, and the dust slowly settled. During the one hundred years of upheaval, about ten High-Rank Masters in Shattered Heaven had lost their lives.
Therefore, when word got out that the World Spring had appeared, the old people who had experienced the calamity three thousand years ago were worried. Would history repeat itself?
With someone deliberately spreading the news, everyone in Shattered Heaven soon became aware of it. The portals of those Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises opened up as the powerful High-Rank Masters stepped out of their hideouts. Like the pythons on the mountains and the Dragons in the lakes, they plunged into Shattered Heaven and caused a disturbance.
In Pear Flower Palace, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang sported dark expressions.
They initially thought that they would be safe after getting rid of Grandma Jiu and the others. Shattered Heaven was pretty vast, so they could just find a place and go into hiding. By then, Grandma Jiu and the others wouldn’t be able to find them regardless of how powerful they were.
After dozens of years to a hundred years, Grandma Jiu and the others would run out of patience, and everything would be fine. By then, the two of them could show up again.
In fact, they had indeed gotten rid of Grandma Jiu and the others after spending half a month dealing with them. Presently, Pear Flower Palace was hidden on a shattered Spirit Province as it went with the flow and moved towards the depths of Shattered Heaven.
Nevertheless, barely ten days later, a High-Rank Master appeared out of nowhere and directly launched an attack on Pear Flower Palace.
Since the person was on his own, he naturally couldn’t get the upper hand. However, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were forced to keep fleeing.
After that, they seemed to have become the targets of detestation in Shattered Heaven as they would be attacked wherever they went. The most important thing was that many of the attackers were in the Seventh Order.
At this moment, three people were racing after Pear Flower Palace at full speed.
Xia Lin Lang was furious. Pear Flower Palace was initially charging forward, but it soon turned around and crashed into the three of them. They were tailing the palace from a distance when they saw that. As their expressions changed drastically, they turned into rays of light and fled in different directions.
The three of them were only in the Fifth Order, so they naturally wouldn’t dare to stay when faced with the ferocious-looking Pear Flower Palace. In order to increase their chance of survival, they even decided to part ways.
However, a strange force engulfed them the next instant. They froze on the same spots as though the space around them had solidified.
As Pear Flower Palace crashed into them, they instantly turned into blood mists.
Xia Lin Lang said through clenched teeth, “How did three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters have the nerve to come over and embarrass themselves? How ridiculous!”
“After they’re killed, the powerful cultivator behind them will be coming. Let’s keep running!” Yang Kai yelled.
Pear Flower Palace then turned around and left at the speed of lightning.
A moment later, a figure arrived from a distance and stopped in the spot where the three people were killed. With a livid expression, he continued dashing forward.
The three of them were his disciples. Even though Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were not powerful, it was hard to nurture them. Since they were all killed, he was expected to be furious.
However, if he could obtain the World Spring, it would be worth it even if all his disciples were killed, let alone three people.
“Grandma Jiu and the others must have spread the news since they’ve failed in their attempt to capture us. We’ve come across seven to eight High-Rank Masters along the way, and they’re all eager to destroy us. If this drags on, we’ll be doomed, “Yang Kai grimly said.
Xia Lin Lang’s chest heaved as she let out a breath. “I never expected that they’d do such a thing.”
In fact, Yang Kai had been worried that Grandma Jiu and the others might spread the news about the World Spring. However, Xia Lin Lang believe that in order to obtain the World Spring, they would hide the secret instead of exposing it to others.
What surprised her was that they had really done such a thing, which was why the two of them were in a perilous situation. They were now pursued by practically all the top cultivators in Shattered Heaven.
It had come to such a point that Yang Kai couldn’t leave Shattered Heaven, as some Heaven Covering Webs might just be waiting for him. By staying close to Xia Lin Lang, he could make use of the power of Pear Flower Palace and fend off the enemies. However, if he fell into a trap set up by any High-Rank Master, he might not be able to flee despite being an expert in the Dao of Space.
Several million kilometres away, Grandma Jiu and the others, who were still running after their targets, all wore livid expressions. They had personally experienced the turbulence going on in Shattered Heaven recently. The old farts who rarely showed up had suddenly stepped out of their homes and started moving in the same direction. Additionally, those old farts had also sent their disciples out like fishermen throwing nets into the sea.
It had been thousands of years since the last upheaval took place in Shattered Heaven.
Someone seemed to have dropped a rock into the muddy waters that made it even muddier.
While running after their targets, they exchanged glances. All of them appeared to be doubtful.
Grandma Jiu snorted. “Stop looking at me like this. I’ve always been on my own. Even if I wanted to spread the news, I didn’t have a way to do so. Therefore, it’s not me who spread the news about the World Spring. On the other hand, you two…”
Purple Night Boy scoffed, “It’s not me either. I can’t even contain the urge to kill you both, so why would I spread the news to others?” Upon finishing his words, he shot Zhu Ling Shan a grim look. “Big Sister Zhu, I heard that you’re pretty close to Ku Yan, the Dull Flame Divine Monarch.”
Ku Yan, the Dull Flame Divine Monarch that he had mentioned was one of the small number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Shattered Heaven. Although everyone could claim to be a Divine Monarch, Ku Yan deserved his title. He was also one of the acknowledged Great Experts in Shattered Heaven. Therefore, at the mention of the Dull Flame Divine Monarch, there was a sense of horror on Grandma Jiu’s wrinkled face.
Zhu Ling Shan was a licentious woman who had countless lovers. She was indeed beautiful, and her figure was curvy. Everyone in Shattered Heaven said that this woman was in an ambiguous relationship with the Dull Flame Divine Monarch. No one could prove it so far while Zhu Ling Shan and Ku Yan had never admitted to it.
To people like Zhu Ling Shan and Ku Yan, by remaining silent about it, they had actually acknowledged it to be true; therefore, in the Shattered Heaven, by leveraging on the Ku Yan Divine Monarch’s status, Zhu Ling Shan was an important figure despite not being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
“Zong Zheng!” Zhu Ling Shan suddenly snorted.
Grandma Jiu and Purple Night Boy became startled for a moment.
“I heard that Zong Zheng obtained a precious item in the past that could take a mortal blow for him in his stead. Now, it seems that the rumours were true.”
They were the only people who were aware that the World Spring had appeared. Xia Lin Lang and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm brat wouldn’t invite trouble to themselves by exposing such a secret while the three of them had never revealed it to anyone. The only possibility was that Zong Zheng hadn’t lost his life, and he was the one who had caused such a turbulence in the Shattered Heaven.
Although he had a precious item that could act as a substitute for him in case he received a critical injury, allowing him to escape from death’s door following Purple Night Boy’s sneak attack, he must still be horribly injured, and he had no more strength left to snatch the World Spring. Therefore, he decided to spread the news. Since he was unable to obtain the World Spring, he certainly wouldn’t let Purple Night Boy and the others have it either.
At that instant, Purple Night Boy’s expression turned awkward while Grandma Jiu looked gleefully at him.
It wasn’t fun to have offended a powerful cultivator in the same Order, especially when it was a blood feud. If Zong Zheng really hadn’t lost his life, Purple Night Boy would have to keep his guard up all the time from now on, for the former might retaliate against him at any moment.
Grandma Jiu was indeed on her own, so she wouldn’t get any benefits by exposing the secret. On the other hand, Zhu Ling Shan and Ku Yan were in a relationship, so if she wanted to tell him this secret, she could’ve looked for a chance and informed him about it in secret instead of spreading it to everyone in the Shattered Heaven.
Therefore, Zhu Ling Shan’s speculation could very well be true. Zong Zheng was still alive, and he was the one who had spread the news about the World Spring.
Purple Night Boy, who appeared like a young boy, felt his head aching. At that time, he was eager to chase after Xia Lin Lang and her Sixth-Order ally, so he hadn’t had time to check on the Universe Paradise that Zong Zheng had left behind. If he had done that, he could’ve found out whether Zong Zheng was really dead or not.
Nevertheless, it was no use crying over spilled milk. Since he had offended Zong Zheng, it wasn’t like he could just apologise to him when they met again. In any case, both of them were in the Seventh Order, so he was not afraid of Zong Zheng. They would just fight a pointless life-or-death battle when the time came.
While they were charging forward, Zhu Ling Shan stopped in her tracks all of a sudden.
Seeing that, Grandma Jiu and Purple Night Boy turned to look at her.
Zhu Ling Shan tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “Since the secret about the World Spring has been exposed, and everyone in the Shattered Heaven is aware of it, it’s pointless for us to work together any longer. Why don’t we part ways now? By doing so we’ll stand a greater chance to get the World Spring. Farewell!”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and dashed off.
Grandma Jiu and Purple Night Boy stared at her in silence without the intention to stop her.
A moment later, Purple Night Boy scoffed, “She must be going to look for her lover.”
Grandma Jiu replied impassively, “It’s understandable. She initially wanted to get the World Spring for herself, which was why she never told Ku Yan about it; however, since the news has been spread, Ku Yan must be aware of it by now. She knows that even if she manages to obtain the World Spring, it’ll fall into Ku Yan’s hands in the end. That’s why she parted ways with us.”
“What now, Grandma?” Purple Night Boy turned to look at her.
Grandma Jiu replied with a smile, “I’m old enough to have enjoyed all the pleasures in life, and I have no more regrets. Of course, I have to fight for a treasure like the World Spring. Even though I won’t have a chance to make it to the Eighth Order, I’ll be able to live for a while longer and enjoy the view of the Shattered Heaven if I can get it.”
Following a nod, Purple Night Boy said with a smile, “You’re pretty sanguine, Grandma. In that case, I’ll accompany you. Let’s join forces. If we can obtain the World Spring, we’ll decide who will get it after that.”
“Good!”
After they came to an agreement, they continued forward.
In the depths of the Shattered Heaven, there was an intense battle going on. The glow of those Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques expanded. As World Forces swept across the void, Pear Flower Palace staggered while the glow around it flickered.
While trying to flee, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had encountered quite a number of powerful opponents; however, with the help of Pear Flower Palace, they could even ward off a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and continue fleeing.
Nevertheless, they were unlucky this time, for three High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had been looking for them in a nearby place. While they were held up by one of them, the other two soon arrived at the scene.
That was how this great battle was ignited.
The Grand Array around Pear Flower Palace was damaged, and its defence power had plunged significantly. When they finally broke through the siege and fled, Pear Flower Palace was all tattered and on the brink of collapsing.
Xia Lin Lang felt so heartbroken that her face turned red, then white. It might also have something to do with the fact that she had consumed a lot of energy.
On the other hand, Qin Fen and the others were equally horrified and saddened. They grew up and cultivated in Pear Flower Cave Heaven, and they had rarely stepped out of that place. That was why they had never come across such a perilous situation prior to this. None of them had expected that they’d be pursued by all the top cultivators in the Shattered Heaven one day.
“Pear Flower Palace can’t persevere any longer.” Yang Kai on the other hand appeared calm and collected; after all, it wasn’t the first time he experienced such dangers. Since he started cultivating, he had encountered countless battles and there were times when he almost lost his life. Just some time ago, he was put in a tight spot following the pursuit of Xia Lin Lang and the others. Therefore, he was more experienced than anyone else when it came to dealing with situations like these.
Yang Kai continued, “Pear Flower Palace will be destroyed if it’s struck hard one more time. Since it’s a mobile palace artifact as well as an inheritance of Pear Flower Divine Monarch, you’d better store it for now.”
Presently, Xia Lin Lang was seated with her legs crossed while trying to restore her strength. Upon hearing his words, she nodded.
The reason she had been driving Pear Flower Palace to flee was that Qin Fen and the others were around. With the Pear Flower Palace, they would have a layer of defence to protect them; however, without the palace, Qin Fen and the others would be powerless to counterattack when faced with powerful enemies.
She then summoned Qin Fen and the others before whispering something to them. While appearing to be vexed, Qin Fen still clenched his teeth and nodded.
Following that, she put them as well as Pear Flower Palace inside her Small Universe.
“The people behind us will soon catch up. Don’t resist it. I’ll bring you to leave this place,” Yang Kai said and activated his power to engulf the woman.
Xia Lin Lang stiffened as she was apparently worried.
Yang Kai sneered, “Given the situation we’re in, we’ll stand a greater chance of fleeing by joining forces. Do you think I’ll make a move on you now?”
Upon hearing that, Xia Lin Lang fell silent. Although she still kept her guard up, she did her best to relax.
As Space Principles undulated, the two of them disappeared the next moment.
Yang Kai went on to use Instantaneous Movement several times, and when he finally stopped, they were already millions of kilometres away. Upon stabilising himself, he secretly cursed, for he saw an artifact that looked like a ship wandering around in the void not far away.
Needless to say, the people in the ship must have heard about the World Spring, which was why they were moving around the Shattered Heaven in an attempt to look for Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang.
It just so happened that Yang Kai used Instantaneous Movement and arrived at this exact place. It wasn’t that he was careless, but rather that they had opponents everywhere in the Shattered Heaven now. He was just unlucky this time.
Just when he was preparing to escape with Xia Lin Lang by using Instantaneous Movement again, a figure on the deck suddenly looked in their direction. While appearing to be pleasantly surprised, the person called out, “Lin Lang!”
At the same time, the person left the ship and shot forward. His expression was that of a person who had chanced upon an old friend.
Xia Lin Lang looked in that direction and frowned.
Turning his head, Yang Kai asked, “Do you know him?”
After a moment of hesitation, Xia Lin Lang nodded her head.
The person from the ship didn’t come too close, for he was aware of Xia Lin Lang’s situation. To prevent any misunderstandings from arising, he stopped at a spot that was still pretty far away from them. While appearing guilty, he said in a gentle voice, “Lin Lang, I’m sorry for being late.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai arched his brow and darted his gaze between Xia Lin Lang and that person as he fell into his thoughts.
In a dispassionate tone, Xia Lin Lang asked, “What do you want?”
The person replied, “I rushed over as soon as I heard that you were in trouble. Unfortunately, I had no idea where you were, so I had to keep looking around. It seems that I was lucky enough today to have come across you here.”
An impatient Xia Lin Lang said, “Just cut to the chase. I’m in a rush.”
The person contained his excitement and slowly said, “Lin Lang, everyone in the Shattered Heaven is now aware of the World Spring’s appearance, and many of the Seventh-Order and even Eighth-Order Masters have started making a move. There’s no way you can keep it.”
Xia Lin Lang sneered, “Are you here to snatch the World Spring as well?”
With an aggrieved expression, the person replied, “Lin Lang, I’m saddened by the way you look at me. Others might not know what I, Zhao Yi, want, but don’t you know it very well?”
Without directly answering his question, Xia Lin Lang asked, “Why did you call out to me if the World Spring is not what you’re after? Don’t tell me you want me to seek refuge in your place.”
There was a helpless smile on Zhao Yi’s face as he said, “I do want that to happen, but I know you won’t come with me.”
Those Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters had occupied Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises left behind by fallen ancient Masters. In their respective territories, they could use a power that far exceeded their own.
It was the case for both Xia Lin Lang and Zhao Yi.
Therefore, if she really followed him to his territory, she would be susceptible to his control. Although Zhao Yi appeared to be deeply in love with Xia Lin Lang, she had no idea what was really on his mind; hence, she had to be cautious.
That was the reason Zhao Yi knew that she wouldn’t follow him back to his hideout, and he wouldn’t even dare to have that wish.
“What do you want, then?” Xia Lin Lang frowned.
With a solemn expression, Zhao Yi replied, “I’ve come to an agreement with Cheng Yang. As long as you pass the World Spring to him, he’ll ensure your safety. Additionally, he’ll give you a Universe Paradise as compensation.”
“Bright Flame Divine Monarch!?” Xia Lin Lang’s expression changed upon hearing that.
Judging from her expression, Yang Kai realized that this Cheng Yang must be an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It had only been a short time since he arrived in the Shattered Heaven, so he knew little about this place; however, he had heard from Xu Wang that there were Eighth-Order Masters residing in this place, though there were only a small number of them.
A person who could make Xia Lin Lang look so apprehensive must be an Eighth-Order Master.