Zhao Yi looked gently at Xia Lin Lang and said, “Although Bright Flame Divine Monarch is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he’s a righteous man who has never oppressed anyone weaker than him before. I’m sure you’re aware of this as well. When I arrived at the Shattered Heaven back then, I was hunted down by the top cultivators from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven, and I had nowhere to go. It was Cheng Yang who offered me shelter; otherwise, I would’ve ceased to exist.”
“Is that why you looked for him?” Xia Lin Lang stared coldly at him.
Following a sigh, Zhao Yi said, “Other than the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, anyone in the Shattered Heaven will only invite trouble to themselves by trying to obtain the World Spring. I’m doing this for your own good.”
“I’ll have to thank you, then,” Xia Lin Lang said through clenched teeth.
Zhao Yi shook his head, “Lin Lang, I know you’ll blame me, but this matter has to be settled in such a way. You arrived at the Shattered Heaven later than I did, so you didn’t experience the carnage that happened 3,000 years ago. I saw it with my eyes. After the Profound Fish appeared at that time, more than ten Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives. Just like you’re trying to do, they had all attempted to snatch the Profound Fish. Even if one of them could get the Profound Fish, they couldn’t ensure their own safety. I don’t want you to make the same mistake. Even if you hate me and blame me, I’ll still have to do it!”
Xia Lin Lang pressed her lips together, then said impassively, “Are you done talking?”
Zhao Yi became startled for a moment, then nodded, “Yes.”
After letting out a breath, Xia Lin Lang stared at him, “I understand what you think, and I know you might really be doing it for my own good.”
Thinking that the woman had changed her mind, Zhao Yi appeared elated; however, his joy vanished the next moment.
“Regardless, I’ll not give the World Spring to anyone,” Xia Lin Lang said with determination, “Give way if you still treasure our friendship; otherwise, there is no need for it to exist anymore.”
There was a heartbroken expression on Zhao Yi’s face. He parted his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Just then, two figures dashed out of Zhao Yi’s ship and pounced on Yang Kai.
They were a man and a woman, who both had Sixth-Order strength. One of them was a handsome young man who was clad in all-white clothes while the other was an innocent-looking woman with a peach blossom branch in her hand.
Before they even arrived, their Divine Abilities landed on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai started becoming restless even before they attacked, and in an instant, his frustration from a long time of fleeing turned into endless murderous intent.
The transformation even startled himself.
Looking up, he became surprised as he had met this man and woman, who were trying to attack him, twice before.
He first came across them in the Shattered Heaven Star City. After he watched Wu Kuang leave, Yang Kai had sat on the second floor of the teahouse on his own while drinking. That was when he saw these two moving along the street.
After that, he chanced upon the man and the woman outside of the Universe Cave Heaven where the World Spring was located. Nevertheless, after the appearance of Xia Lin Lang and the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, the onlookers soon left the place. Following the incident of Yang Kai working with a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from Bright King Cave Heaven to capture Blood Crow, the man and the woman were nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai could never forget about them, especially the white-robed youth.
That was because during their encounters, he was instinctively repulsed by this man, as though there was an innate blood feud between them.
This time was worse as the white-robed youth directly made a move against him. Yang Kai’s murderous intent was instantly ignited as he appeared ferocious and ready to fight back.
He could even feel that his Dragon Vein was pulsating.
There were no signs of them attempting to make a move beforehand, so it was obviously a sneak attack.
A furious Xia Lin Lang roared, “Impudence!”
She then raised her hand and pushed out her palm towards them. Although both of them appeared to be in the Sixth Order, and their combined attack was indeed powerful, they were still significantly weaker than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Faced with the attack, both of them instantly froze.
Zhao Yi’s expression changed as he exclaimed, “No!”
He then stood in Xia Lin Lang’s way and parried the attack.
Space shook as World Forces clashed. Zhao Yi was forced to move backwards a long distance while Xia Lin Lang staggered slightly.
It wasn’t that Zhao Yi was weaker than her. If they were in a life-and-death battle, they would be equally matched. Perhaps Zhao Yi would even get the upper hand.
However, since he made a move in a hurry, and he wouldn’t dare to exert too much force as he was concerned about Xia Lin Lang, he suffered a setback as a result.
“Are you going to stop me, Zhao Yi?” Xia Lin Lang snapped.
There was a bitter expression on Zhao Yi’s face as he suppressed the tremors in his Small Universe and said, “Lin Lang, you can’t kill them because they’re with Bright Flame Divine Monarch!”
Xia Lin Lang became startled for a moment. It was then she realised why these two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters dared to be so impudent in front of her when Zhao Yi hadn’t made a move, for they were Bright Flame Divine Monarch’s people. With an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as their backer, it was expected that they had no regard for anyone in the Shattered Heaven.
“Moreover, the young man seems to have something to do with a certain great force in the Shattered Ruins.” Zhao Yi secretly spoke.
Upon hearing that, Xia Lin Lang was surprised.
The Shattered Ruins was the deepest part of the Shattered Heaven as well as a Forbidden Zone. Even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Bright Flame Divine Monarch wouldn’t dare to rashly step into it. Even though it had been over 2,000 years since Xia Lin Lang arrived at the Shattered Heaven, she had never once approached the Shattered Ruins. In fact, the idea had never even crossed her mind. That was because not only was the environment in the Shattered Ruins extremely hostile, it was said that some formidable existences also resided there.
It wouldn’t have mattered if the white-robed youth was just a subordinate of Cheng Yang, but if he really had something to do with a great force from the Shattered Ruins, they all had to be wary of him.
As they spoke, Yang Kai had gotten into an intense battle with the man and the woman. Despite the fact that they were in the same Order, and that he was battling against two people on his own, he wasn’t at a disadvantage. The Spear Intent of his Azure Dragon Spear surged as his mastery over the Spear Dao was on the level of Transcending the Mundane. His Word Force burst forth and ensured that his opponents couldn’t approach him.
Zhao Yi was dumbfounded upon seeing that.
He wasn’t familiar with the man and the woman as he was only in a temporary cooperation with them; however, he knew that even though the man was only in the Sixth-Order, he was the strongest Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master he had ever seen.
Supposedly, it would only take this man an incense stick to kill an opponent in the same Order if he wanted to.
Although the woman was inferior to the man, she was already much stronger than average Sixth-Order Masters.
Initially, Zhao Yi believed that they could easily capture Yang Kai since they had joined forces, but it turned out that both parties were equally matched.
[I can’t believe there’s such a freak in this world!] Zhao Yi fell into a dazed state.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Xia Lin Lang charging towards the battlefield. With his expression changed drastically, he attempted to stop her and persuaded her by saying, “Stop being obstinate, Lin Lang. I’ve reasoned with you, so you’d better listen to me; otherwise, I’ll have to stop you even if you’ll start hating me!”
“Scram!” Xia Lin Lang forcefully pushed out her palm.
With a bitter expression, Zhao Yi had no choice but to parry the attack.
In an instant, two battles erupted.
On one hand, Zhao Yi and Xia Lin Lang were equally matched. Although they were in an intense battle, anyone could see that Zhao Yi had been accommodating the woman’s bombardment of attacks. However, it was impossible for Xia Lin Lang to get rid of him, for both of them were in the Seventh Order. If Zhao Yi insisted on stopping her, there was no way she could move past him.
Moreover, she had put Qin Fen and the others inside her Small Universe earlier, so it was troublesome for her to fight with her opponents as her use of power had been slightly affected by the burdens she was carrying.
On the other hand, the battle between Yang Kai and the duo was far fiercer. Both parties didn’t hold back their powers as they seemed determined to hack each other to death.
While the man and the woman were shocked by this result, Yang Kai was equally astounded.
He had rarely come across any cultivators in the same Order who could exchange moves with him for a long time, except for the Old Monster Blood Crow, who had been reborn after occupying someone else’s body. If he insisted on killing a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai was confident he could achieve it in fewer than twenty breaths.
Nevertheless, this man and woman gave him a huge surprise.
While the woman was slightly weaker, the man was indeed incredible. He would still be able to match Yang Kai even if he was on his own.
The Azure Dragon Spear felt scorching hot during the intense battle. Every time Yang Kai pushed out his spear, a deafening Dragon Roar could be heard.
This had never happened to him before.
Other than the anomaly with his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai also realised that the Dragon Vein in his body was pulsating with such intensity that he was unable to suppress his murderous intent. His eyes had even turned bloodshot.
It was the same case for the man opposite him.
Just then, Yang Kai detected a very strange aura from the other man’s body. It was then he realised that, just like himself, the white-robed youth had a Divine Spirit’s bloodline.
However, unlike himself, this person had never refined a Divine Spirit Source, which meant he had to have been born with a Divine Spirit’s bloodline.
The reason they held such grudges against one another was that their bloodlines clashed.
The blossoming Pear Flowers were intertwined with peach blossoms.
As a Golden Crow was heard cawing, a Great Sun leaped into existence. The sea of flowers shattered while Yang Kai pushed out his spear.
The woman, who was charging towards Yang Kai with a peach blossom branch in her hand, instantly felt cold all over her body. She could see the Great Sun expanding rapidly and almost engulfing her.
Since she had been targeted specifically at such close range, there was no way she could dodge the attack. Following a shout, she extended her peach blossom branch.
The Great Sun instantly melted the peach blossom branch away. Seeing that the woman was about to be killed by the Azure Dragon Spear, the white-robed youth dashed forward and extended two fingers towards Yang Kai’s heart.
He reckoned that he could only save the woman by launching an attack on their opponent.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai swept his spear across the youth instead.
The spear directly struck the white-robed youth at his waist. As a violent force burst forth, the white-robed youth sprayed out a mouthful of blood mist, which covered Yang Kai.
The blood mist was extremely eerie, and even though Yang Kai had immediately pushed his World Force to protect himself, he was still contaminated by it. The blood instantly melted into his body.
A large Dragon Head abruptly appeared behind Yang Kai as it roared and shook the Nine Heavens.
The woman, who had just escaped from death’s door, appeared beside the white-robed youth and supported his weight. Appearing to be concerned, she called out, “Young Master!”
The white-robed youth shook his head and choked down the blood in his mouth. While staring fixedly at Yang Kai, he curved his lips into a smile.
Yang Kai furrowed his brows as he felt immensely hot. While he staggered, he had the urge to transform into a Half-Dragon.
Upon realising that something was off, Xia Lin Lang bolted towards him and clenched his arm before shouting, “Let’s go!”
Suppressing the murderous intent in his heart, Yang Kai looked intently at the white-robed youth. Although he wanted to kill him ruthlessly, he knew that they couldn’t stay in this place any longer, for they had made quite some noise. If there were other people nearby, they would’ve detected it by now. He then manipulated Space Principles and engulfed Xia Lin Lang with them before disappearing into the distance.
By the time the white-robed youth pushed out his fist, he realised that Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were nowhere to be found.
As Space Principles undulated, two figures shot towards the depths of the Shattered Heaven. They were none other than Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang. Although he was far away from the previous battlefield, he still couldn’t suppress his murderous intent and pulsating Dragon Vein.
After he was infiltrated by the white-robed youth’s blood mist, Yang Kai felt an immense force charging around in his body. As a result, he was unable to control the power of his Dragon Vein and he constantly had the urge to transform into a Half-Dragon.
While suppressing this urge, Yang Kai pushed his World Force in an attempt to get rid of the strange power which had infiltrated his body. However, the power seemed to have spirituality of its own as it streamed towards his shoulder. The next instant, he felt an excruciating pain on his left shoulder as though it had been seared with a piece of heated iron.
This caused Yang Kai to grunt.
Fortunately, his weltering murderous intent and pulsating Dragon Vein finally subsided following the incident.
“What happened?” Xia Lin Lang turned her head and asked. She already realised that something was wrong with Yang Kai the moment the white-robed youth appeared. Given the state he was in, he would’ve tried to hack the other party to death if she hadn’t dragged him away.
Certainly, given the power Yang Kai had showcased, the white-robed youth couldn’t defeat him despite having a helper. Nevertheless, with Zhao Yi around, he wouldn’t let Yang Kai just kill the white-robed youth.
“That guy was interesting,” Yang Kai snorted. He then pulled down his clothes and took a glance at his left shoulder, only to see a bird-shaped mark on his skin.
At first glance, the mark seemed to be alive as the bird expanded its wings. There was a tinge of derision behind its eyes.
“What’s this?” Xia Lin Lang exclaimed.
Without responding to her, Yang Kai directly sliced the bit of his skin off his shoulder. The bird-shaped mark was instantly removed, and as he activated his power, the mark turned into dust.
The flesh around his wound squirmed as it was the manifestation of the restorative power of his Dragon Vein and Wood Element Power. In just more than ten breaths of time, the flesh in his wound was restored.
However, the bird-shaped mark, which was supposed to have been destroyed, appeared on his shoulder again, as though it was determined to follow him forever.
Yang Kai snorted. Although he had already expected this outcome, he still felt displeased when he saw it.
There was a dark expression on Xia Lin Lang’s face as she asked, “Are you being tracked?”
Yang Kai nodded and turned to look at her, “I’m in a perilous situation, so I suggest that you part ways with me now. Their target is the World Spring, so you don’t have to stick close to me. By fleeing on your own, you’ll stand a greater chance of survival.”
Xia Lin Lang shook her head, “It’s useless even if we part ways now. Everyone in the Shattered Heaven is now aware that we’re together. Just like you, I’m also their target.” She then put on a bitter smile, “Just like you’ve said, we’re riding the same boat now.”
Although her hideout was previously invaded by Grandma Jiu and the others, the situation wasn’t so terrible; however, she had never expected that in just half a year, they had become the target of the entire the Shattered Heaven. Regardless of how expansive this place was, there was nowhere they could settle down safely.
“Now, one of the options for us is to turn around and try to break through the siege. As long as we can leave the Shattered Heaven, we’ll be safe. However, the chances are slim. If we turn around now, we’ll go through countless battles. It wouldn’t have mattered if our opponents were just in the Seventh Order, but presently, even the Eighth-Order Masters are looking for us. If we come across them, we won’t be able to fight back.”
Upon hearing that, Xia Lin Lang sighed and nodded, “One of the Four Universe Pillars is tempting enough for them to act.”
Yang Kai turned to look at her, “So, we have to go to a place that is difficult even for those in the Eighth Order to reach. I’m not familiar with the Shattered Heaven. Do you have any suggestions?”
The bird-shaped mark on his shoulder was used for tracking, so even though he had no idea about the limit of the distance it could be followed, Yang Kai had to plan for the worst.
The white-robed youth had the support of Bright Flame Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang, so it was unrealistic for them to hide somewhere as their opponents would find them sooner or later.
“If we can find a Universe Paradise or Universe Cave Heaven that hasn’t been discovered…”
Before she even finished speaking, Yang Kai raised his hand to interrupt her, “The chances are very slim. To be honest, I’ve been paying attention to the surroundings along the way this whole time, but I’ve never discovered anything.”
Xia Lin Lang pressed her lips together while appearing to be hesitant.
With a frown, Yang Kai said, “Nothing can be worse than the situation we’re in now. Perhaps we’ll be able to escape this calamity by taking a huge risk. If you have somewhere to go, tell me right away.”
“The Shattered Ruins!” Xia Lin Lang lifted her head and replied. Aware that Yang Kai knew nothing about this place, she took the initiative to offer an explanation, “The Shattered Ruins is in the deepest part of the Shattered Heaven. It’s rumoured that it was the final battlefield of the great war in ancient times. Countless High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives there; therefore, many Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques left behind by the ancient Great Experts still linger in the void. As a result, the environment is beyond horrible. Even the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters in the Shattered Heaven don’t dare to step into it, and it’s not just because of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, there are also a lot of Spirit Arrays and artifacts lurking in the dark. No one can be certain to escape unscathed if they accidentally trigger one of them. Also…”
“Go on,” Yang Kai urged.
“There are said to be many Divine Spirits who reside in the Shattered Ruins, so it has become a Forbidden Zone for Human cultivators like us.”
“Divine Spirits!” Yang Kai arched his brow, “Are there any members of the Dragon Clan?”
Xia Lin Lang shook her head, “I have no idea. Although I’ve been living in the Shattered Heaven for many years, I’ve never come across any Dragon Clan members before. Why are you looking for them?”
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t tell her that he had a Dragon Clan bloodline, so he replied in a perfunctory manner, “I’m just curious. It’s said that Dragons and Phoenixes are the leaders of all Divine Spirits. I’ve always admired them, but I haven’t had the chance to meet one before.”
Xia Lin Lang burst into laughter, “The Dragon Clan is extremely arrogant. If we really run into them, we’ll have to worry about being get killed for no reason.”
“We’ll head to the Shattered Ruins, then,” Yang Kai directly made a decision.
Although Xia Lin Lang was hesitant, she knew that they had nowhere else to go in the Shattered Heaven other than the Shattered Ruins. She thus nodded and led the way for him.
On their way, she told him what she knew about the Shattered Ruins. Although she had been living in the Shattered Heaven for thousands of years, she knew little about this Forbidden Zone. She only knew that it was a dangerous place with a myriad of Divine Spirits. If they really broke into it, they would probably lose their lives.
If it weren’t because they had no other choice, she wouldn’t even have thought about entering the Shattered Ruins.
More than ten days later, the pair finally came close to the Shattered Ruins. Xia Lin Lang was evidently nervous as her entire figure stiffened. It was as though she believed she would be killed at any moment.
Just when Yang Kai wanted to placate her, his expression suddenly changed as he stopped in his tracks.
This couldn’t be helped though, as a stream of ferocious Divine Sense had travelled across millions of kilometres and locked onto him like invisible chains.
Upon noticing it, Xia Lin Lang turned her head, and the colour instantly drained from her face, “It’s Cheng Yang!”
They could see a ray of light rapidly approaching them from the distance. The speed at which it moved was outrageously fast and the light that was initially dim, in the blink of an eye, became extremely bright.
“Run!” Yang Kai yelled as he grabbed the woman’s arm and attempted to manipulated Space Principles; however, before he could make a move, the Divine Sense that had locked onto him surged.
Yang Kai, whose figure had started to fade, instantly reappeared as his use of Instantaneous Movement was interrupted at the most critical moment. As a result, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing that, Xia Lin Lang quickly activated her power and engulfed him in it before dashing forward.
Right then, a loud voice was heard shouting, “Both of you had better stop running if you want to keep your lives; otherwise, this Monarch will make life a living Hell for you if I have to capture you!”
Xia Lin Lang directly ignored him. Even though Zhao Yi had said that Cheng Yang was a righteous man who had never oppressed those weaker than him, from their brief contact just now, that was obviously a lie. Cheng Yang’s first act was to target them, and his second was the threaten them, so how were they supposed to trust him?
A moment later, a towering figure flashed past where the pair previously stood. He was none other than one of the small number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, Bright Flame Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang.
He was able to reach this place by relying on the tracking mark left on Yang Kai’s body by the white-robed youth. At this moment, there was a mark, which was identical to the one on Yang Kai’s shoulder, on the back of Cheng Yan’s hand. It was apparently the white-robed youth’s doing.
Since the two marks were made by the same person, and they were connected by a bloodline link, they could find each other regardless of the distance. That was the reason Cheng Yang could accurately tail Yang Kai.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai didn’t want to get rid of the mark. In fact, he had tried many methods before, but all of his attempts had failed. Moreover, since they were on the run, he didn’t have any time to sit and focus on removing this mark.
The three figures charged forward at the speed of lightning.
However, the distance between both parties was clearly shortening. Since an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had made a move while Yang Kai was unable to use Instantaneous Movement, it was expected that they couldn’t get rid of him.
Half a day later, Yang Kai lifted his head and saw a large area where lights of different colours glowed. They looked like clouds of Stars hovering in the void as they spanned across billions of kilometres.
Despite the extreme distance, Yang Kai still felt horrified, as a very dangerous aura wafted from the multi-coloured lights.
“That’s the Shattered Ruins.” Xia Lin Lang fell into a dazed state as well, “Those lights are supposedly Divine Abilities left behind by the ancient Great Experts.”
As she spoke, she felt her lips drying as she gazed at Yang Kai and asked, “Are we really going in?”
She felt a great sense of danger before even approaching the Shattered Ruins, so who knew what would befall them if they really got into it?
“Do we have a choice now?” Yang Kai snorted. While looking forward, his gaze was firm and determined.
Xia Lin Lang put on a bitter smile. Cheng Yang was getting close, and unless they were willing to let Cheng Yang have the final say on their life or death, they would have to keep moving forward.
Upon realising their intention, Cheng Yang wore a dark expression as he used his power to amplify his voice, “The environment in the Shattered Ruins is extremely hostile. Even this Monarch can’t be certain he will be able to enter and exit it alive, let alone you two. If you go into the Shattered Ruins, death will be certain!”
Upon seeing that Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang didn’t stop, Cheng Yang appeared furious as he snapped, “Pointless obstinance!”
He then raised his hand and made a grabbing gesture. As his Word Force surged, a huge green illusory hand appeared in the void and covered Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang like a Heaven Shrouding Palm.
The huge hand spanned a vast area, so they were unable to flee. In an instant, they were captured by the hand. As the hand tightened its grip, they felt a restrictive power coming at them from all directions.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang instantly felt their bones dislocating. At that moment, they were unable to see or hear anything, as though they were trapped inside a dark cage.
Just then, a Golden Crow was heard cawing while a Great Sun leapt into existence. With the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands, Yang Kai pushed it out and tore the darkness apart. In the meantime, a Divine Ability from Xia Lin Lang burst forth.
Although Cheng Yang was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had made a hurried move from a long distance; therefore, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were able to break through it by joining forces.
The huge illusory hand fell apart while two battered figures shot out of it.
Cheng Yang knew that he couldn’t stop them with that attack; however, his move had successfully delayed them and allowed him to shorten the distance between them significantly.
While he continued charging forward, he balled up his fist and pushed it out.
The power of this attack broke through the barriers of space and a violent force swept out like a tsunami.
Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp as all his muscles uncontrollably tightened. He then turned around in a hurry as his Azure Dragon Spear turned into countless spear shadows.
Although Xia Lin Lang was more powerful than him by one Order, she didn’t have as much experience in life-and-death battles against vastly stronger foes as he did; therefore, her reactions were slightly sluggish. Fortunately, following an attack from her partner, she hurriedly summoned a round defensive artifact to protect them.
The attack powered by the World Force of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master shot forward and shattered all the spear shadows. Xia Lin Lang’s defensive artifact also turned dim as much of its spirituality was instantly lost.
As though a mountain had crashed into them, the two of them were sent flying away while spraying out a mouthful of blood.
“Hang on!” Yang Kai choked down the searing blood in his throat and grabbed the woman’s arm. By making use of the opponent’s force, he plunged into the Shattered Ruins.
A moment later, Bright Flame Divine Monarch appeared in front of the boundary to the Shattered Ruins. With a solemn expression, he looked up at the multi-coloured lights. Despite his hesitation, he still stepped forward to pursue them.
Although the Shattered Ruins was dangerous, the World Spring was so alluring to him that it was worth taking a risk. However, as soon as he stepped into the Shattered Ruins, he saw a violent Divine Ability coming at him. With widened eyes, he pushed out his fist. The Divine Ability that was equivalent to the full-force attack of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was shattered. Without stopping, Cheng Yang continued forward.
What surprised him was that as he moved forward, countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques came at him from all directions. Even though every attack was equivalent to a strike from a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which wouldn’t kill him, they were dense and continuous, making them annoying to deal with.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang, who were ahead of him, were horrified as well.
Before they even entered the Shattered Ruins, they already felt a very dangerous aura wafting from it, but it wasn’t until they actually entered that they got a real taste of it.
They couldn’t help wondering just how many Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had been left behind in this damned place.
Just like the Astral Wind Divine Ability that Yang Kai had come across in the past, these eerie Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had existed for countless years. Although they were not as terrifying as the Astral Wind Divine Ability, there seemed to be an infinite number of them.
Before their entry, these Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had remained dormant. Nevertheless, as they moved forward, they seemed to have been triggered by their life auras and attacked.
These Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had come to life following a long time of stillness, and every one was equivalent to an all-out attack from an average Sixth-Order Master.
They were still so powerful even though countless years had passed, so it was imaginable that they were even more destructive when they were at the peak of their powers in the past. These attacks probably had the force of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master when they were first created.
The two of them seemed to have fallen into a place full of traps, and wherever they went, they would trigger these traps.
They wouldn’t dare to stop, nor could they do so. Once they did, they would be doomed.
Fortunately, there was a short delay before these Divine Abilities sprung to life; hence, there was some time for them to keep fleeing.
Bright Sun Divine Monarch, who was chasing after them, suffered in their stead. The Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques triggered by Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang actually all came right at him instead. He was basically cleaning up the mess for the two of them, and upon realizing this, Cheng Yang became increasingly incensed.
If he hadn’t barged into this place, these Divine Abilities would have targeted Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang; however, since he wasn’t willing to give up on the World Spring, he had followed them and was now being peppered with the attacks meant for the ones he was pursuing.
Although it wasn’t hard for him to deal with Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques that were equivalent to attacks from Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, he was certainly annoyed by them. As he charged forward, he wielded his fists madly and shattered all those Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques.
Tremors could be felt coming from behind and Yang Kai certainly knew that those were the noises that Cheng Yang was making. At this moment, he wasn’t in the mood to take pleasure in the other party’s misfortune though. Instead, he was growing more and more apprehensive.
He had heard from Xia Lin Lang that the Shattered Ruins was extremely dangerous, but it wasn’t until he barged into this place that he understood just what she meant.
It never crossed his mind that the inside of the Shattered Ruins would look like this.
While Cheng Yang was in a dilemma, it was the same case for Xia Lin Lang and Yang Kai. They didn’t dare to stop for an instant, for if they did, all the nearby Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques would fly at them.
Bright Flame Divine Monarch was powerful, so he could easily deal with this barrage of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, but Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang definitely couldn’t do that; after all, they were injured after they were attacked by Cheng Yang earlier.
“Do Divine Spirits really live here?” Yang Kai was doubtful. Although the Divine Spirits were formidable, with every mature Divine Spirit being as powerful as a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, they shouldn’t be able to survive in such a hostile environment.
“It’s just a rumour. I’ve never come here before,” Xia Lin Lang shook her head.
Then, Yang Kai stopped thinking about it. Regardless of whether there were any Divine Spirits in this place, the lives of Xia Lin Lang and him were truly hanging by a thread.
“Yang Kai, if I pass away, Qin Fen and the others…”
Before she could finish speaking, Yang Kai cut her off by saying, “If you die, do you think I’ll be able to survive?”
Xia Lin Lang was lost for words. After giving it a thought, she realised that if she, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was killed, there was no way Yang Kai could keep his life. Space Principles were not useful in a place like this, for if he used Instantaneous Movement, he might directly fall into some kind of mortal danger.
“Stop thinking about it. I’ve experienced countless life-and-death moments like this since I began cultivating, and I’ve nearly lost my life many times. Although the situation now is terrible, it’s not without hope. We can survive this as long as we don’t give up.”
“I hope so,” Xia Lin Lang replied in a dejected manner.
They continued moving forward, but although they had already fled before most of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques could attack them, there were still a small number they were unable to dodge.
In times like these, they could only parry the attacks, and as time passed, they consumed more and more energy.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang both sported solemn expressions.
That was because as they went deeper into the Shattered Ruins, the dormant Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques became increasingly powerful.
Half a day ago, they triggered a Divine Ability that was equivalent to the full-powered attack of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and as time passed, they encountered more and more Divine Abilities of such strength.
As they went further, the Divine Abilities became more formidable.
When the Divine Abilities struck at them from time to time, they had no choice but to resolve them. As a result, they felt immensely pressured.
After another half a day, all the Divine Abilities they came across were now basically on par with Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm attacks. Xia Lin Lang had to exert her full strength now to deal with them. Fortunately, Yang Kai wasn’t an ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so by working together, they could temporarily ensure their own safety.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt fortunate that after the Divine Abilities were triggered, they still had some time to flee; otherwise, they would’ve lost their lives from exhaustion within an hour at most.
Instead of subsiding, however, the noise behind them became louder and nearer. It was apparent that Cheng Yang was still relentlessly chasing them.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but admire the man’s determination and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s power. While he and Xia Lin Lang only had to deal with a few Divine Abilities from time to time, Cheng Yang basically ploughed through a full barrage to get to them. The Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques that had been triggered by them were all resolved by him.
However, Cheng Yang was surely in a terrible state despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
A few ants meant nothing to an elephant, but a million of them could bite an elephant to death. Similarly, Bright Sun Divine Monarch must have exerted significantly more force than the two of them in order to resolve all the Divine Abilities they triggered and left behind.
That was indeed the case. Presently, Cheng Yang was slightly pale, which was a clear sign of overconsumption. Nevertheless, he didn’t even have time to take a breath. If he had hesitated for a moment now, he would be submerged in Divine Abilities.
In fact, he had thought about backing down several times; however, he had endured so much hardship already that there was no way he could resign himself to giving up.
While being frustrated, he swore that if he could capture the brat that had obtained the World Spring, he would rip his corpse into countless pieces. This was the biggest setback and embarrassment he had suffered in his life since he started cultivating.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were battered and covered in blood.
Although they only had to deal with the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques sometimes and could work together to share the burden, there were still times when they were accidentally hurt under such prolonged pressure. Earlier, a Sword Qi Divine Ability almost cut Yang Kai in half while there was a long cut on Xia Lin Lang’s abdomen. The flesh around her wound had rolled up.
They were almost killed during that incident.
At this point, Yang Kai could feel that some of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques they had triggered were equivalent to the attacks of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Although there were only a small number of them, this was truly terrible news for them.
Given their strength and current states, they would be doomed if they were struck by any Divine Ability that was as powerful as an attack from an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The only good news was that even though the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques left behind in this place were becoming increasingly powerful, there were fewer of them in total now; otherwise, they wouldn’t stand a chance to flee.
As they moved forward, Yang Kai began seeing countless strangely-shaped ancient artifacts. Many of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques that had been triggered came from those artifacts. Although innumerable years had passed, they hadn’t lost their spirituality completely.
The Shattered Ruins weren’t just filled with danger; they were also full of treasures. Unfortunately, even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might not be able to obtain those treasures while they were here.
“Watch out!” Xia Lin Lang suddenly exclaimed.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly turned solemn. When he looked up, he saw a purple light that danced around like a snake. The light contained an aura that frightened them out of their wits.
There was no doubt that it was a Divine Ability that was equivalent to an attack from an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The purple light that was supposed to be dormant in the depths of the Shattered Ruins was triggered by their life auras and became active, its ferocious aura soon locking onto them.
The expressions of Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang changed drastically.
What they were most afraid of had finally happened. It was just like what usually happened on a battlefield; if a person was most afraid of death, he would definitely be killed. Since the aura of this Divine Ability had targeted them, they had no way to get rid of it other than through force.
If they were still at the peak of their strength, they might stand a chance to deal with such a Divine Ability; however, given their state, there was no way they could resolve it.
“Run!” Yang Kai roared and shot forward, dragging Xia Lin Lang along with him,
The purple light seemed to have come alive as it shot forward and relentlessly pursued them like a cat that caught a whiff of a fishy smell.
Although they were trying to flee from Cheng Yang earlier, they did their best to not trigger the dormant Divine Abilities around them. Now though, since they were being pursued by the purple light, the two of them were flustered and didn’t have time to spare attention to observe their surroundings. If they hesitated for even a moment, they would die.
As they charged forward, more Divine Abilities were triggered as they targeted their life auras.
Within an incense stick of time, the purple light was not the only Divine Ability that was chasing after them. Behind them were lights of different colours, and every Divine Ability was equivalent to the full force of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the very least.
Yang Kai felt a cold chill creeping up his spine while Xia Lin Lang’s face was as pale as a sheet.
The situation was exacerbated as they moved forward. There seemed to be a tail of multi-coloured light behind them, and even though the sight was magnificent, their situation was beyond perilous.
“Yang Kai, I’m afraid this is it.” While running for her life, Xia Lin Lang put on a bitter smile. At this moment, she was regretful of the decision she had made. If she had known she would be faced with such a calamity in the Shattered Ruins, she would’ve chosen to leave the Shattered Heaven with Yang Kai.
She would rather be captured by the Cave Heavens and Paradises than feel helpless while death crept closer to her.
“Shut up!” Yang Kai roared.
“Can’t I even grumble a little since we’re dying?” There was an aggrieved look on Xia Lin Lang’s face.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to respond to her. Just then, he detected something and turned to look in a particular direction.
He could feel violent fluctuations of Space Principles coming from that direction. Since he was an expert in the Dao of Space, he was sensitive to this kind of power. The fluctuations of Space Principles were as conspicuous to him as a candlelight in the darkness.
“This way!” Yang Kai said and changed his direction.
Although he had no idea what was ahead of them, he understood that these Space Principles fluctuations were unusually strong. Things couldn’t get worse anyway as they were basically trying to claw their way out from death’s door. They might stand a chance to survive if they went over, which was better than waiting for certain death here.
Another incense stick later, even more Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had been triggered by the fleeing pair, and the tail of multi-coloured light behind them had only grown more intense.
Suddenly, there came a moment when Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and looked dazedly forward. In the meantime, Xia Lin Lang covered her lips with her hands.
There were no colourful lights in the void in front of them; however, the area did look just like a broken mirror as fragments of space floated about in a disorderly manner. Among the fragments was a particularly conspicuous Void Crack that exuded the strong aura of nothingness.
The traces of this Space Technique made Yang Kai’s eyes brighten.
When he detected the dormant Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques in the Shattered Ruins earlier, Yang Kai considered the possibility of there being Space Secret Techniques hidden among them; however, he hadn’t come across any along the way, which made him feel disappointed.
It never crossed his mind that there was really a Space Secret Technique that was hidden in the deepest part of the Shattered Ruins.
Nonetheless, judging from the sight before his eyes, Yang Kai knew that this shattered space was indeed caused by an ancient Space Secret Technique, and one that had already fully exploded. The shattered Void was the best proof of this.
The emotions in Yang Kai’s heart undulated. There was someone in ancient times who had also been an expert in the Dao of Space, and that Master’s mastery of it was far greater than his own.
That was because the damage caused by the Space Secret Technique still hadn’t been repaired by the local World Principles. The Void still looked like a broken mirror.
Therefore, the danger that was ahead of them in the Void wasn’t the Space Secret Technique that was left behind, but the shattered Void caused by the Divine Ability.
If they were not careful, they would fall into a Void Crack upon entering it and never be able to find their way out.
Usually, Yang Kai wouldn’t take such a huge risk. At the very least, he would observe it from the outside and try to comprehend the secrets of the Space Secret Technique that had been left behind.
However, at this moment, they were pursued by a barrage of Divine Abilities powerful enough to vaporize them, so there wasn’t enough time for him to comprehend anything. He didn’t even have time to hesitate as he took Xia Lin Lang’s hand and plunged into the nearest space fragment.
Xia Lin Lang instinctively tried to resist as she was apparently aware of the danger ahead; however, she soon calmed down and let Yang Kai drag her away.
The next instant, they entered the nearest space fragment together.
A slight tremor could be felt coming at them and it suddenly felt as though they had moved through a Space Array. When Yang Kai came to his senses, he realised that he was in the deepest part of a space fragment. What shocked him was that Xia Lin Lang was no longer beside him.
The turn of events astounded him.
All this time, as they were fleeing, the two of them had tied their auras together to ensure they weren’t separated, and they were even holding hands just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, Xia Lin Lang had vanished from his side.
Yang Kai then hurriedly looked around and soon found her in a space fragment that was several hundred kilometres away.
It was obvious that she could see him as well, though she appeared quite helpless.
Before Yang Kai could say anything to her, they turned their heads at the same time and looked in the same direction.
In that direction, the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques of different colours had formed into a torrent that gushed towards them. Yang Kai could instantly recognise that the torrent consisted of the Divine Abilities that had locked onto their life auras and followed him to this place.
The torrent soon streamed into a familiar-looking space fragment and disappeared.
Yang Kai batted his eyes as he could recognise that the space fragment was the one that he and Xia Lin Lang had initially passed through. For some reason though, upon entering that space fragment, all the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were sent to different space fragments. It seemed that was also the reason he and Xia Lin Lang were separated.
Before he could figure out what exactly had transpired, Yang Kai saw the various Divine Abilities exploding in the space fragments around him. The multi-coloured lights appeared and disappeared in the space fragments repeatedly.
The sight of it caused Yang Kai to be drenched in a cold sweat.
He couldn’t really feel the explosive powers of those Divine Abilities since they were exploding in separate spaces; however, by judging from what he could see, Yang Kai was certain that there would have been nothing left of him and Xia Lin Lang if had they been struck by them.
Fortunately, just a moment later, the lights of these Divine Abilities slowly subsided and disappeared.
The crisis was resolved just like that; however, they fell into an even more complicated crisis the next instant.
Xia Lin Lang apparently wanted to return to Yang Kai’s side; after all, she felt insecure since she was all alone in this shattered space. Nevertheless, as soon as she moved, she disappeared from the space fragment she was in, and when she reappeared, she was already in a totally different space fragment that was even further away.
This caused her to fall into a dazed state.
“Stop moving!” Yang Kai shouted in all directions with his Divine Sense, and fortunately, it seemed to reach her.
Xia Lin Lang nodded gently and remained unmoving in the same spot.
Yang Kai then looked around. He still hadn’t realised it while he was outside earlier, but upon entering this place, he could finally see that the space in this area was severely shattered, and a huge amount of space fragments had been formed. He could see that there were more than 10,000 space fragments in his immediate surroundings, and he was certain there were even more in the distance he could not perceive.
As he recalled the sight of the Divine Abilities exploding and what happened to Xia Lin Lang earlier, Yang Kai formed a speculation in his mind.
He then took a step forward and realised that nothing was wrong, and it was the same case for his second step. It wasn’t until he took the third step forward that he felt slightly dizzy again. It was the same feeling as when he passed through a Space Array.
The world spun around him, and the next moment, he appeared in a different space fragment.
He looked around and realised that Xia Lin Lang was nowhere to be seen. Although he had no idea where he was, he reckoned that he was still within the area affected by the ancient Space Secret Technique. That was because he could still see countless space fragments around him, just like he had encountered a moment ago.
After his first experiment, Yang Kai became bolder.
A moment later, he disappeared from the space fragment he was in and was sent to a different place. Seeing that Xia Lin Lang was still nowhere in sight, he made a move again.
After seven or eight tries, he finally saw Xia Lin Lang in a fragment that was just a dozen kilometres away.
At this moment, the woman was clearly both confused and helpless. Yang Kai’s disappearance just now made her feel uneasy; however, from her previous experience and in accordance with Yang Kai’s advice, she didn’t dare to move around randomly.
It wasn’t until she saw Yang Kai again that she let out a breath of relief and pulled herself together.
“Have you discovered anything?” Xia Lin Lang called out via Divine Sense.
“I have a speculation, but you should see it for yourself,” Upon finishing his word, Yang Kai flicked an Open Heaven Pill forward.
Xia Lin Lang looked fixedly at the Open Heaven Pill, which moved for one metre before it disappeared.
In the meantime, the Open Heaven Pill abruptly appeared in a space fragment that was several dozen kilometres away from Yang Kai.
Upon realising something, Xia Lin Lang said, “Teleportation!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Keep watching.”
This time, he flicked more than 100 Open Heaven Pills forward. Just like what had happened earlier, the pills slowly drifted ahead and soon disappeared.
However, there were no regular patterns to speak of when they reappeared. About a dozen Open Heaven Pills appeared in the space fragments around them, but the rest had gone missing.
Xia Lin Lang fell into her thoughts for a moment, then said, “Is the teleportation random?”
“I think so.” Yang Kai nodded. If it wasn’t random, the more than 100 Open Heaven Pills that he had flicked out would’ve appeared in the same place. However, the reality was that they only saw some pills in the fragments around them, and the rest of them were sent to places that were out of their sight.
A realisation finally dawned upon Xia Lin Lang. That explained why after the torrent of Divine Abilities entered this place, they flickered and exploded in the fragments around them.
Since the teleportation effect was random, the Divine Abilities were sent to different fragments while their powers were slowly exhausted until they disappeared.
Upon that realisation, Xia Lin Lang felt a chill running down her spine. It seemed that she and Yang Kai were pretty lucky. If those Divine Abilities were sent to the fragments they were in, they would’ve been killed.
“The space in this place is in chaos, and we can’t judge it using common sense. Although we might appear to be close to each other, we may actually be hundreds of thousands of kilometres apart, or even further.”
Xia Lin Lang’s expression changed slightly, then she asked with hesitation, “Can you come here? Or should I go over?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “There are probably millions of space fragments in this place. Since the space is in chaos, I can’t control the direction of the teleportation. Even if you remain perfectly still, I might not even reach you after a few hundred or even 1,000 years.”
Upon hearing that, Xia Lin Lang put on a bitter smile, “Does it mean we’re trapped here now?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It’s better than our previous situation. At the very least, we’re not in danger now.”
“You have a point.” Xia Lin Lang appeared slightly relieved.
Suddenly recalling something, Yang Kai turned to look in a particular direction, “I almost forgot that someone was still chasing after us.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall figure abruptly came into sight. The person was none other than Bright Flame Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang, who had been relentlessly pursuing them all this time.
At this moment, Cheng Yang, who was one of the few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, appeared quite battered as his clothes had become tattered. His hair was in a mess as it hung loose over his shoulders.
He was engulfed in rage, which made him look like a volcano that was about to erupt.
His encounters along the way were truly frustrating, which was why he was so infuriated. Supposedly, given his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he could easily capture a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; however, since he entered the Shattered Ruins, he had actually been forced to clean up the mess Yang Kai left behind.
Countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques had been resolved by him along the way.
Just like what happened to Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang earlier, Cheng Yang was pursued by a torrent of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques.
Moreover, the torrent behind him was far greater than the one that had followed the two of them.
Yang Kai was amazed and couldn’t help thinking that the heritage of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was indeed incredible. If he and Xia Lin Lang were faced with the same situation, they wouldn’t have escaped.
Even though Cheng Yang appeared battered, he still seemed able to deal with the situation.
Upon reaching this place, Cheng Yang soon saw Yang Kai as he roared, “I’ll shred your corpse into 10,000 pieces, you brat!”
After he finished speaking, he directly pounced towards Yang Kai, who appeared completely unfazed.
The next moment, Cheng Yang abruptly disappeared from the spot and the torrent that was close behind him directly crashed into the nearest space fragment.
Yang Kai shouted, “Defend yourself!”
At the same time, he activated his World Force and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear while keeping his guard up.
Although the teleportation among these space fragments was random, no one could guarantee that he wouldn’t be struck by one of those Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques.
The moment the Divine Abilities came into contact with the first space fragment, they abruptly disappeared.
The next instant, fireworks seemed to have been ignited as lights of different colours exploded in a brilliant displacement among the various space fragments.
Just then, a ray of light appeared out of thin air right in front of Yang Kai, who had fortunately been on guard. Without hesitation, he pushed out his spear with the Great Sun he had summoned on its tip.
Violent fluctuations were felt coming at him as he was sent flying away. When he reappeared, he was already in a different fragment. At the same time, his spear-holding arm became limp while his purlicue was covered in blood.
At that moment, he was still reeling from the impact. If it weren’t because the space in this place was in chaos, he would’ve suffered a more serious injury. The disorderly space made sure that the power of the Divine Ability couldn’t fully expand, which allowed Yang Kai to flee.
Not daring to be negligent, he grabbed the Azure Dragon Spear with his other hand and stayed vigilant.
He could see that the Divine Abilities of different colours were still rampaging about.
Fortunately, no Divine Ability was sent to him again. A cup of tea’s time later, the powers of those Divine Abilities became exhausted and disappeared.
After letting out a breath, Yang Kai put his Azure Dragon Spear away and fixed his dislocated arm. Looking around, he couldn’t see Xia Lin Lang or Cheng Yang.
He then went on to travel across the space fragments for half a day before he finally found Xia Lin Lang.
She remained in the same space fragment. It seemed that she was lucky enough to not be struck by any Divine Abilities. She also remembered Yang Kai’s advice, which was why she remained in the same spot and waited for him to find her.
Upon meeting her, Yang Kai nodded, “We’re safe for now. Let’s restore our energy first and think about how to leave this place later.”
Certainly, Xia Lin Lang wouldn’t object to it. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Bright Flame Divine Monarch wouldn’t be able to easily leave this damned place, not to mention that she was just a Seventh-Order Master.
Only Yang Kai, who was an expert in the Dao of Space, had a chance to find a way out of here. If she wanted to escape, she had to rely on him.
They then sat down with their legs crossed and gulped down some Spirit Pills.
Just a moment later, the towering figure of Cheng Yang appeared in a fragment that wasn’t far away. When he saw Yang Kai, he put on a grin; however, since he had suffered a setback earlier, and he had realised the strangeness of this place, he didn’t immediately rush over like he had done moments ago. Instead, he stared fixedly at Yang Kai with a pair of cold-looking eyes.
Noticing the other man’s presence, Yang Kai opened his eyes and sneered, “It seems that you’re eager to eat me alive, Divine Monarch.”
Cheng Yang snorted, “If you had the guts to speak to me like this outside, you would’ve been dead by now.”
Yang Kai picked his ear and replied with a smile, “I’m glad you know we’re not outside, Divine Monarch. If I had come across you outside of this place, I would’ve run as far away as possible. That was what happened before. If it weren’t because of you, I wouldn’t have been trapped in this place. Unfortunately, you’ve also fallen into this place. It won’t be easy to leave here, and I’m worried that we’ll have to stay here forever.” He shook his head as though he felt sorry for the other man.
Cheng Yang said, “Although this place is strange and constantly changing, it might not necessarily be able to trap me. After I comprehend the abstrusity of this place, I’ll make life a living Hell for you.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Please work hard then, Divine Monarch. I’ll wait for you here.”
Cheng Yang snorted and stopped bickering with him. He then sat down with his legs crossed. While restoring his energy, he gazed at Xia Lin Lang and said, “Xia Girl, even though you’re a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you’re incapable of keeping the World Spring. Zhao Yi had offered you a way out, but you turned down his kindness. All his efforts have been wasted.”
Xia Lin Lang pressed her lips together for a moment, then replied, “This Mistress is eternally grateful to Zhao Yi for lending me a hand in the past; however, I have my own considerations when it comes to the World Spring.”
Cheng Yang said, “It’s not easy to keep a low profile and remain hidden in the Shattered Heaven. Even if you manage to survive this calamity, you’ll never have any peaceful days again. I heard that your Universe Cave Heaven has been destroyed.”
Xia Lin Lang fell silent.
“If you can help this Monarch obtain the World Spring, I am willing to forget everything that has happened. Additionally, I’ll ensure your safety in the Shattered Heaven.”
Xia Lin Lang shook her head, “The World Spring is not with me. I’m afraid I’m unable to help you.”
Cheng Yang didn’t force her, but while staring fixedly at her, he still said, “That’s all I have to say. Consider my offer.” He then closed his eyes and focused on recuperating.
On the other hand, even though Yang Kai was aware that they were having a conversation, he couldn’t find out what they were talking about in this strange place.
Upon seeing that, Xia Lin Lang put on a helpless smile. She wasn’t an inexperienced young girl, so she knew that by deliberately persuading her, Cheng Yang was trying to plant a seed of doubt in Yang Kai’s mind. Since Yang Kai had no idea what they were talking about, he might grow suspicious of her.
However, it was pointless to explain anything at this point as it might lead to the opposite of the desired outcome, so she chose to remain silent.
At that moment, while staying in their respective space fragments, the trio did their best to restore their strength.
Nevertheless, just like Yang Kai had said, even though they seemed to be near each other, they might actually be separated by a distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometres as the space around here was in chaos.
They had to rely on Yang Kai’s mastery over the Dao of Space in order to leave this place. If Yang Kai could figure out the secrets of the Divine Ability that had caused this environment to form, he may be able to find some kind of order in this chaos which could allow them to escape.
A few days later, Cheng Yang was the first to recover and he soon disappeared from the space fragment he was occupying. It was apparent that he was trying to survey the area in order to look for a way to leave this place.
It actually took Cheng Yang half a month before he reappeared in one of the nearby space fragments, and there was a gloomy expression on his face.
Obviously, he hadn’t found any clues at all. Despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was unable to force his way out of here. The space in this place was in complete chaos, and regardless of what he tried, all his attacks would be randomly sent to other space fragments. Just like the Divine Abilities that had run after him some time ago, they would move around the fragments and flicker until they eventually dispersed.
While he couldn’t shatter this place with brute force, he also hadn’t found any regular patterns to the teleportation that was occurring. Regardless of how powerful he was, he could only accept the fact that he was trapped.
In the meantime, Yang Kai was recuperating while observing what was going on in his Small Universe.
Just after leaving Pear Flower Cave Heaven, he had examined his own Small Universe and comprehended something. There seemed to be an idea that was within his grasp, but before he could fully understand it, he was interrupted by Xia Lin Lang. After that, all his efforts were put into fleeing, so he didn’t have time to ponder on this issue. Although he was trapped now, it was also a chance for him to calm his mind and tend to other matters.
In his Small Universe, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense manifested and formed into a lifelike figure. While hovering in the sky, he looked down at the migration of people, the building of cities, the cycle of life, and the rise and fall of the Sun, Moon, and Stars.
As time passed, his gaze increasingly brightened.
There came a moment when an order spread across the entire place, “Within my Small Universe, I now command the Dao of Space and Time!”
At that instant, the millions of residents in the Small Universe seemed to have detected something as they looked up at the sky. The Emperor Realm Masters were especially sensitive to this change, but when they tried to feel what it was, they realised that they couldn’t discover anything. The world seemed to have gone through some kind of transformation, but it was also as though nothing had changed, leaving them puzzled.
Following a moment of flux, the world returned to its original state.
Hovering in the sky, Yang Kai grinned while resisting the urge to laugh out loud.
Although the millions of residents didn’t know what happened, it didn’t mean there was no change in his Small Universe. In fact, the transformation was so drastic that Yang Kai was astounded.
The passing of time in his Small Universe was now twice as fast compared to the outside world.
Xu Ling Gong once said that there were two shortcuts to cultivation in this world. Other than training in a Small Source World, Temporal Rivers were the other option. The flowing of time in a Temporal River was different from that of the outside world. A year might pass in the outside world, but 100 years, 1,000 years, or even 10,000 years might have gone by in the Temporal River.
Yang Kai had entered a Small Source World once, but had only heard about Temporal Rivers. Although he was eager to find out what a legendary Temporal River really looked like, he hadn’t had such a chance.
Presently, with the blessing of Time Principles and Space Principles, Yang Kai had replicated the effects of a Temporal River in his Small Universe.
Although it was far less powerful than a true Temporal River, the passage of time in his Small Universe was now two times faster than in the outside world.
In other words, one day in the outside world would be equivalent to two days in his Small Universe, while one year in the outside world would be two years in his Small Universe.
This kind of transformation wouldn’t affect him much, but it had a huge impact on the residents living in his Small Universe.
The accelerated flow of time wouldn’t shorten the lives of the people in the Small Universe because their perception of time had not changed. It was only different when compared to the outside world.
The purpose of raising living beings in a cultivator’s Small Universe was to help with their cultivation. It took an Open Heaven Realm Master a painfully long time to make it to the next Order, but the growth and multiplication of living beings in their Small Universe would nurture Auspicious Spirit Essence and continuously increase their heritage. Even if the Open Heaven Realm Master never cultivated, this increase wouldn’t stop.
Since the passage of time had accelerated in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, it meant that he would get even more benefits in the future.
He just decided to give it a try, so it surprised him greatly that he actually succeeded. It could be said to be a pleasant surprise. However, this could only be achieved once a cultivator reached a certain level of mastery in the Dao of Time, which was touted to be a power that was even harder to cultivate than the Dao of Space. Rarely anyone in the world could make it to the Sixth Level of Mastery in the Dao of Time like what Yang Kai had done.
Yang Kai reckoned that Yang Xiao and Yang Xue would be able to achieve this in the future; after all, they were the Legacy Disciples of Flowing Time Great Emperor.
Unfortunately, given his mastery over the Dao of Time now, he could only make the passage of time in his Small Universe two times faster than the outside world.
Perhaps when he had a better understanding of the Dao of Time in the future, he would be able to accelerate this further.
Yang Kai would gain immense benefits by doing so, and with his mastery over the Dao of Time, there seemed to not be any price to pay.
In that case, not only could he gain some benefits through the living beings in his body, but the residents could also grow faster by having their cultivation time halved compared to the outside world.
Yang Kai then went on to observe his Small Universe for ten more days. Upon making sure that the acceleration of the passage of time wouldn’t affect the residents in any negative way, he returned his focus to the outside world.
Looking up, he saw a bored Xia Lin Lang darting her gaze around. As their eyes met, they nodded at each other. Presently, Cheng Yang was seated with his legs crossed, as though he was trying to figure out the abstrusity in this place. A myriad of expressions came over him.
Yang Kai sneered at the sight. Given Bright Sun Divine Monarch’s powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he would be treated as an Honourable Ancestor in the outside world if he were from one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. However, since he knew nothing about the Dao of Space, he wouldn’t be able to comprehend anything here even if he spent thousands of years trying to do so.
However, his thinking was right.
The space in this place was in chaos, and there were no regular patterns to speak of. Since it was caused by a Secret Technique from an ancient Great Expert, they would only stand a chance to leave this place by figuring out the secret behind that Secret Technique and understanding the connection between the space fragments.
It was hard for Yang Kai to imagine the level of mastery the ancient Great Expert, who had cast this Divine Ability, had reached in the Dao of Space. Even though countless years had passed, the effects caused by this Divine Ability could still resist the self-repair of the World Principles.
After spending 20 years in the Universe Temples trying to figure out the secret behind the Grand Array there, Yang Kai managed to reach the Eighth Level of Mastery in the Dao of Space; however, he knew he couldn’t achieve what he saw before his eyes.
Perhaps only by reaching the final level, Shocking History and Amazing the Present, in his mastery over the Dao of Space, coupled with the power of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm would he stand a chance to be as powerful as the Great Expert who did this in ancient times.
Yang Kai thus sat down with his legs crossed and emptied his mind in an attempt to comprehend the secret of the Space Secret Technique left behind in this place.
In the blink of an eye, 10 years, 20 years, and then 30 years had gone by.
Yang Kai initially thought that it would only take him a few years before he could leave this place; however, in reality, 30 years had passed, but he still hadn’t fully understood the connection between the space fragments. Although he wasn’t completely clueless like before, he was still far from being able to leave this place.
As he had a better understanding of it now, he increasingly felt that the Great Expert who had cast this Space Secret Technique was truly amazing. Fortunately, even though 30 years seemed like a long time, it was just a blink of an eye for an Open Heaven Realm Master given their extremely long lifespan.
Yang Kai, Xia Lin Lang, and Cheng Yang were all calm and collected as they were not in a rush at all. This was especially true for Cheng Yang. Since he started attempting to comprehend the secret in this place, he had remained seated there with his legs crossed without moving a muscle. It was as though he was dead.
On the other hand, Xia Lin Lang knew that she could only pin her hopes on Yang Kai, so she stopped wasting time trying to escape and simply spent her time cultivating. Sometimes, she would move around the space fragments in the hope of discovering something; however, it wasn’t certain when she would return every time since she had no control over the direction she would be heading.
When she was lucky sometimes, she would reappear in Yang Kai’s sight a few days later. However, when she was unlucky, she would disappear for a few months.
With that said, while she was unable to leave this place, there wasn’t really any danger lurking in the dark.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense manifested in his Small Universe again.
In the past 30 years, he hadn’t only attempted to comprehend the secrets of this place. If that was everything he did, he would’ve exhausted himself and possibly even made errors in judgement and understanding. He believed that he should get some rest from time to time.
The best way for him to have some rest was to appear in his Small Universe through the manifestation of his Divine Sense and wander around.
While 30 years had passed in the outside world, 60 years had gone by in his Small Universe, which was equivalent to a couple generations of mortal lives.
His Small Universe had gone through some drastic changes over the past 60 years. If the Small Universe was filled with silence in the past, it was now full of vibrant vitality.
After more than 10 million people moved into his Small Universe in the past, some of the population inevitably died; after all, sudden changes in the environment could not be adapted to by all people. The population plunged from 10 million to about 8 million within the first few years.
Now that 60 years had passed though, not only was the population restored to its original figure, but there was even some increase. As for the exact figure of the increase, Yang Kai had no idea. Although he could easily find out about all the information in his Small Universe, he didn’t do so and instead tried to look at the place and witness all the changes from a local perspective.
Through his travels in his Small Universe over the past years, he gained a lot of insights.
The reproduction of the living continued to provide Auspicious Spirit Essence and increase the heritage of his Small Universe in the past 60 years even though he had not cultivated at all during this period of time.
Now, millions of lives were scattered all around his Small Universe as there were dozens of cities of different sizes. There were also countless smaller towns and villages. It could be said that his Small Universe was now full of life.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai appeared outside of a certain town while two petite figures were seated on his shoulders. They were only the size of a palm, as though they were young girls who had significantly shrunk in size. While they looked adorable, both of them were clad in green clothes, one of them sported a ponytail while the other had tied her hair into a bun.
The two petite figures were none other than Mu Zhu and Mu Lu, who were from the Wood Spirit Clan.
Since Yang Kai brought Mu Zhu and Mu Lu out of the Eastern Territory while he was in the Star Boundary in the past, they had been living in the medicine garden in the Small Sealed World. They were responsible for helping Yang Kai to take care of the spirit flowers in his medicine garden.
Wood Spirit Clan members were born with an unrivalled innate talent to grow and manage all types of plants. At the same time, they were pleased with spending time with the plants; therefore, even though they had never come into contact with the outside world over the years as they spent most of their time taking care of the medicine garden, they still felt content.
When Yang Kai ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, he merged his Small Universe with the Small Sealed World, which included the medicine garden; hence, these two petite Wood Spirit Clan members had been living in his Small Universe over the years.
While they were pleased to have the plants as their companions, they couldn’t help but feel lonely sometimes, especially when Yang Kai didn’t have much time to keep them company.
However, it all changed when many people moved into the Small Universe.
Whenever Yang Kai travelled across his Small Universe, he would always bring these little Wood Spirits with him. The little ones were passionate about it as they would always experience fun activities and enjoy scrumptious food whenever they travelled with Yang Kai.
“Many things have changed indeed.” Yang Kai looked up at the arch where the words ‘Seven Stars Town’ were carved.
On his left shoulder was the more sedate Mu Zhu who said, “You’re right. The last time we visited this place, it was still a small village. Only five or six years have passed, but this place has already turned into a town.”
As a thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, he soon realised what had happened as he replied, “A new Sect has settled down in a nearby place. That’s why many people have moved into this town.”
The Sect was named Seven Stars Sect, so it was apparent that the town was named after the Sect.
The reserved and bashful Mu Lu was seated on his right shoulder. While twiddling her thumbs, she asked pitifully, “Will we still have a chance to have the sweet rice dumplings made by Grandma?”
Mu Zhu shot her a displeased look, “All you think about is eating! Do you know that you’ve put on weight?”
An astounded Mu Lu looked down at her figure and asked in an apprehensive tone, “Really? Have I really gained weight?”
Mu Zhu glanced at her and snorted, “Haven’t you realised that your chest has grown bigger? How did you have the nerve to ask others about it?”
With a reddened face, Mu Lu refuted, “It’s always been… big.”
Mu Zhu looked down at her own chest with a furious expression.
Yang Kai guffawed and placated her by saying, “Don’t fret. Mu Zhu is just trying to scare you. You’re still fit and healthy, Mu Lu. En, Grandma is still around. It seems that she has set up a stall over there. Let’s go.”
“En en!” Mu Lu nodded repeatedly.
Upon entering the town, they realised that the place was indeed full of people. Even though it wasn’t as busy as the big cities, it was already not bad for a town of this scale.
Yang Kai was clad in clothes that were commonly seen in Seven Stars Town, so no one actually paid any attention to him.
Although the two little Wood Spirits were seated on his shoulders while Mu Lu swung her legs and joyfully looked around, the passers-by didn’t seem to notice them.
After all, Yang Kai was the Master of this World, so he could easily hide the Wood Spirits from everyone’s sight.
They then headed straight to a particular place in the town where there was a roadside stall. At that moment, an old woman with grey hair was busy attending to her customers. The stall was small as there were only two tables, each lined with four stools. Presently, the tables had been fully occupied while there were some people who squatted down on the side as they drank the soup from the bowls and munched on the roasted sweet rice dumplings.
The last time Yang Kai arrived at this place with the Wood Spirits, they stayed the night in Grandma’s house. Grandma was single with no children of her own. At that time, she served them two sweet rice dumplings.
Mu Lu was fond of the taste of the sweet rice dumplings, and she had never forgotten about it over the years.
Many years had passed, and while the village had turned into a town, Grandma had also set up a stall here.
After they waited for a moment, it was then Yang Kai’s turn.
“The soup costs one coin a bowl, and the dumplings are also one coin each. What do you want, young lad?” Grandma asked.
“I’ll have one bowl of soup and ten dumplings,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Grandma took a glance at him, “I suppose you’re a big eater, young lad. Are you sure you can finish ten dumplings? They’re made from glutinous rice, so you’ll get really full.”
Yang Kai patted his stomach with a smile, “Don’t worry, Grandma. I’m indeed a big eater.”
Grandma nodded. While she was busy preparing the order, she asked, “Have I seen you before, young lad? You look familiar to me.”
Yang Kai went over to help her with preparing the food and said with a grin, “Have you forgotten about me, Grandma? When I arrived at this place six years ago, it was you who let me stay in your house and made two dumplings for me.”
Upon recalling the memory, Grandma replied, “Now that you’ve mentioned it, I do remember you.”
“Yes, it’s me.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “Your dumplings were delicious. I’ve always remembered the taste over the years. Since I was passing by this place, I decided to look for you.”
Grandma teased him by saying, “It seems that you didn’t have enough food that night.”
Yang Kai replied with a grin, “My appetite has grown bigger in recent years.”
Grandma shook her head and fell silent. Despite her sluggishness, she meticulously roasted the sweet rice dumplings. Catching a whiff of the fragrant smell, Mu Lu batted her eyes and drooled over the food.
“Your dumplings are not only big and affordable, but they’re also quite flavourful. You should sell them for three coins each,” Yang Kai said with a smile.
Grandma shook her head, “Everything I have is thanks to the Lord for having mercy on me. I should have passed away more than 10 years ago, so I’m already content that I’ve lived to this day. Moreover, I don’t have any children, so what’s the point of having more money? The crop yields have been excellent in recent years, and everything is going well for me. I have no other wishes. I just hope that before I pass away, I’ll let more people have a taste of the food I prepare.”
The ‘Lord’ she was talking about was Yang Kai.
The people in this place might not know that they were actually living inside the Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master, but they were aware that there was a Lord that ruled over everything in this World.
It had been decades since they moved from Pear Flower Cave Heaven to this place, and everything had been going well. Grandma, who was already old and frail, even managed to live longer than she was supposed to.
That was because the vitality in the Small Universe was so ample, which helped lengthen the lives of ordinary people.
They might not know the reason behind it, but the continuous appearance of people who could live for a longer time proved that this place was more habitable than Pear Flower Cave Heaven where they originally came from.
More than ten years ago, Grandma accidentally tripped and broke her hip. She was already old and frail, so how was she supposed to endure such an injury? She thought that she would pass away just like that, but it never crossed her mind that after half a month of recuperation in her bed, she stopped feeling any pain. Two months later, she could even get out of bed and start walking.
Now, she was already more than 100 years old.
This was unimaginable in the past; however, more than 10 people in the small Seven Stars Town alone were over 100 years old.
Given the fact that they were ordinary mortals who had never cultivated, they had really enjoyed a long life.
Soon, 10 sweet rice dumplings were ready and Yang Kai got himself a bowl of soup.
Just then, someone yelled, “The Disciple Recruitment of Seven Stars Sect has started!”
The people on the street immediately streamed in the same direction where Seven Stars Sect was located. The originally busy stall became empty in an instant.
An unperturbed Yang Kai directly took a seat by the table, then he drank the soup while eating the roasted sweet rice dumplings.
Grandma cleaned up the mess and wiped her hands before taking a seat beside him. In a caring manner, she asked, “Young lad, I suppose you’ve ventured into many places over the years, but why haven’t you found yourself a wife?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Actually, I have several wives, and they’re all wonderful women.”
“Really? That’s quite surprising.” Grandma was genuinely shocked, “Since you have several wives, why do you still wander around on your own? A woman relies on her man for her entire life. Only when a man gains a footing will his wife have a place to settle down in peace. It’s not that I want to nag you, but you should spend more time with your wives instead of venturing into the outside world on your own.”
Yang Kai lied to her by saying, “Well, I heard that Seven Stars Sect is recruiting new disciples. That’s why I came here to have a look. I’d already settled everything at home before I left.”
Grandma nodded, “I see. If you manage to become a disciple of Seven Stars Sect, you’ll have a bright future. But young lad, it seems that you’re pretty mature now. Those from Seven Stars Sect are very strict when it comes to recruiting disciples. They only accept people who are really young.”
Yang Kai replied, “It’s fine. I’ll just give it a try.”
“I’m glad you don’t pin all your hopes on it. But don’t worry, even if you can’t get into Seven Stars Sect, you can still come to my place. The business at my stall is pretty good, and I’m busy most of the time. Since I’m on my own, it’ll be wonderful if you can come over and help me out. My days are numbered anyway. When I pass away, you can take over this stall. Even though the business won’t make you very rich, you’ll always have enough food on the table. You have to provide food for your wives, don’t you? By then, you can bring them all to this place.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at her. He just randomly came up with an excuse, but now he wasn’t sure how he could keep lying. Given his vision, he naturally could see that Grandma was being completely sincere. Just like she had said, her days were numbered. She had never cultivated after all, and her vitality was starting to become exhausted. Perhaps she was aware of it.
“Grandma!” A gentle voice suddenly called out. When Yang Kai turned his head, he saw a woman, who was clad in simple clothes, standing not far away from him. The woman looked like she was in her early twenties, and her hair had been tied into a neat bun. Nevertheless, her face was a little sallow.
Despite her rather rough skin, she was actually a beauty. The simple clothes didn’t weaken her charm one bit; instead, the clothes gave her a free and refreshing look.
The woman hung her head low. She seemed to notice that Yang Kai was staring at her, so she was slightly anxious.
What attracted Yang Kai wasn’t her face though, but her belly.
The woman was apparently pregnant. Yang Kai didn’t have to scan her to know there was a faint vitality wafting from her belly.
While he stared fixedly at her bulging belly, he seemed to have sensed something at that moment.
His stare made the woman feel increasingly uneasy though.
Upon that realisation, Yang Kai hurriedly retracted his gaze and chugged down the soup in front of him.
“You’re here, little girl. Wait a moment,” Grandma apparently knew this young woman. As she got up with difficulty, she picked up a bag from the side and passed it to her.
There were about seven to eight sweet rice dumplings inside the bag.
The woman hurriedly waved her hands, “I don’t need so many sweet rice dumplings.”
Ignoring her protest, Grandma stuffed the bag into her hands and patted the back of her hands, “Just take it. Don’t be overly polite with me. Moreover, everyone has gone to Seven Stars Sect, so I can’t sell all the dumplings anyways. They’ll turn sour after one night. Since you’re pregnant, you’re supposed to have more food so that your child will grow to be healthy.”
The woman hung her head low and pressed her lips together while her eyes turned slightly red. Eventually, she simply bowed to the older woman and thanked her before leaving in a hurry.
Watching her leave, Grandma let out a sigh, “She’s such a poor girl.”
Pretending to be nonchalant, Yang Kai asked, “Are there still people who don’t have enough food on the table now?”
Grandma took a seat and replied, “Not really. You’re still young, so you might not know what had happened in the past. This continent is already much better than the previous one us older people resided in once. As long as one is able-bodied, they won’t find it hard to get enough to eat. Initially, she and her husband had a restaurant, and their business was booming; however, a few months ago, he got drunk and fell down the stairs. He passed away just like that. Since she’s pregnant, it’s hard for her to work. She has also used up her savings, which is why she can’t get enough food for herself.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You’re indeed a kind-hearted person, Grandma.”
Grandma put on a smile, “Since we live in the same town, we’re supposed to help each other out. I initially wanted her to come to my place, but you’ve seen her face. It’s not suitable for her to do business like me. Her beauty might attract some unwanted attention.”
“There are indeed some ill-intentioned people out there.” Yang Kai fully understood that.
After finishing his soup, Yang Kai put down eleven coins and said, “I’m going to Seven Stars Sect now, Grandma.”
“Go ahead. I suppose the Disciple Recruitment has started. There must be a lot of people over there. If I were only 70 or 80 years younger, I would’ve gone over to take a look.” Grandma waved her hand, then gave him some advice, “Don’t feel too dejected even if you’re not accepted. Things are really different now. As long as you’re hardworking, you won’t starve to death.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “If I’m not accepted, I’ll help you sell rice dumplings here.”
“That’s great. I can pass on all my skills to you. Of course, it’d be wonderful if you’re accepted. Your life will be more valuable than ordinary people like us if you have a right to cultivate.”
There were indeed many people who had taken part in the Disciple Recruitment of Seven Stars Sect as the area outside the entrance was crammed. Their requirements for accepting disciples were neither strict nor loose; however, they were adamant about accepting only young people.
Yang Kai decided to take part in the recruitment for fun, and as expected, he was knocked out during the registration process. This couldn’t be helped, as he was too old to be accepted. The device used to examine the age of his bones revealed that he was already 27 years old. With that said, if he had powerful cultivation, those from the Seven Stars Sect might still take him on; however, the cultivation he had showcased was only in the True Element Boundary.
Certainly, those from Seven Stars Sect wouldn’t take on a person who was relatively old and weak.
In the evening, Yang Kai returned to the town. Grandma wasn’t surprised one bit when she saw him as she consoled him by saying that he wouldn’t starve to death as long as he worked hard. He just had to help her out with selling rice dumplings and pass on her craft to future generations.
In response, Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
As the sun sunk over the horizon, Yang Kai pushed the cart, which had all the tools needed to make rice dumplings, and shuffled towards the East of the town alongside Grandma.
This was where the old village was located, but it had been merged with the town following an expansion project. However, this place appeared to be in a dilapidated state, so it looked somewhat like a slum outside Seven Stars Town.
Yang Kai then took out all the things from the cart before getting some clean water from the well to wash them up.
To the side, Grandma looked smilingly at him and said, “You’ll always have enough food since you’re a good worker.”
Since that day, a young man had started helping out with selling sweet rice dumplings at a particular stall in Seven Stars Town. In the morning, Yang Kai would push the cart to the stall to sell affordable soup and rice dumplings alongside Grandma. In the evening, she would teach him how to make these simple foods. Their business was doing well as they could earn a profit of 20 to 30 coins per day.
The pregnant woman lived in a house that wasn’t far from Grandma’s place. Sometimes, Grandma would tell him to send the unsold rice dumplings to her in the evening.
When Yang Kai knocked on her door for the first time, the woman didn’t dare to open it. Left with no choice, he put down the bag full of rice dumplings just outside and left.
After a few times, the young woman became less wary of Yang Kai, especially when she saw the man selling rice dumplings alongside Grandma; however, she still wouldn’t dare to talk to him.
Every time Yang Kai arrived at her place, she would cautiously take the bag and thank him.
He heard from Grandma that the woman was named Yu Lu.
The reason Yang Kai turned his Divine Sense into an avatar and travelled across his Small Universe was to relax and unwind. Usually, he would return to the outside world after ten days to half a month.
However, when he came across Yu Lu, he had to change his plan.
His Divine Sense Avatar was never retracted, but his true body had not been complacent either. He was still trying to comprehend the secrets of the shattered space. Nevertheless, his progress had been slow over the past 30 years, so he wasn’t even sure how long it would take him to fully comprehend the secrets of the Space Secret Technique.
He wasn’t in a hurry though as he wouldn’t run into any danger in the shattered space. The matter in his Small Universe required his attention as well.
It could be said that Yu Lu came as a pleasant surprise to him.
However, in that case, while his true body became focused on comprehending the mysteries of the shattered space, his Divine Sense Avatar in the Small Universe would fall into a dazed state, as though his soul had left his body. Every time Grandma saw him in such a state, she thought that he was struck with some kind of illness. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for such a young man who had suffered from a mental condition.
As time passed, Yu Lu’s belly grew bigger. A worried Grandma would check on her almost every day. On the other hand, Yang Kai would catch some fish from a river outside of the town so that Grandma could prepare some fish soup and send it to her.
At that, Grandma teased him by saying, “Brat, do you have your eyes on her?”
Naturally, Yang Kai denied the charge.
It wasn’t certain whether Grandma believed him or not, but she stopped asking about it eventually. If Yang Kai wasn’t married, and he didn’t mind the fact that the woman was a widow who was pregnant with a child, Grandma would be more than happy to see them getting together.
After living with Yang Kai for a few months, Grandma grew increasingly fond of him. He was a quick-witted, hardworking, and conscientious. Although a woman wouldn’t become wealthy by marrying him, she wouldn’t suffer from any hardship either.
The only thing was that Yang Kai would fall into a daze from time to time, but it wasn’t really a big deal.
Unfortunately, he had said that he had several wives, so he wasn’t suited for Yu Lu.
One night, a sudden rainstorm hit the town.
Yang Kai, who was spacing out in his room, detected something as a thought flashed through his mind. When he came to his senses, he heard someone rapidly knocking on the door.
Grandma, who was in the main room, was heard getting up.
Yang Kai hurriedly got to his feet and opened the door, only to see Yu Lu holding an umbrella. However, some parts of her clothes were damp and stuck close to her body, which outlined her curvy figure.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai asked.
A pale Yu Lu replied in a shivering voice, “Half of my house has collapsed. I wouldn’t dare to stay there.”
Yang Kai looked into the darkness and saw that the roof of Yu Lu’s house had indeed fallen in. Her house was old and dilapidated, so the reason such a disaster befell her was that rain was pouring heavily tonight.
Instantly, Yang Kai was drenched in a cold sweat. It was fortunate that she wasn’t hurt when the accident happened; otherwise, the consequences would’ve been dreadful.
It surprised him to see that the rain was torrential on this day. Earlier, his true body was at a critical moment of comprehension, and coupled with the fact that it was now the middle of the night, he hadn’t paid any attention to what was going on in his Small Universe. It wasn’t until Yu Lu knocked on the door that he was alerted.
“Come in first,” Yang Kai hurriedly stepped aside.
Grandma put on a coat and shuffled out of her room with an oil lamp in her hand, where she was astonished to see Yu Lu.
After Yang Kai informed her about the situation, she simply nodded, “It’s fortunate that you’re fine. I’ll tell Yang Boy to help repair your house when the sun comes up. Before that, you can live with me.”
“Many thanks, Grandma. Many thanks, Big Brother Yang,” Yu Lu expressed her gratitude with reddened eyes. It was apparent that she was still reeling from the shock.
Yang Kai suddenly sniffled and asked, “Are you hurt?”
Yu Lu shook her head, “No.”
“Why is there the smell of blood then?” Yang Kai frowned.
Realising something, Grandma went over and touched Yu Lu’s pants, which felt damp and sticky. She then took a glance at her own palm and saw that it was covered in blood.
“You’re about to give birth!” Grandma declared confidently.
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai widened his mouth in disbelief while Yu Lu was also dumbfounded.
Grandma was an experienced woman, however, so she soon came to her senses, “The due date is not for another ten days. I guess the little one is eager to come out after sensing the fright you just went through. Yang Boy, go to the West of the town and tell the midwife to come over. I already told her about it some time ago. Just say that it’s me who invited her to come. Remember to give her a red envelope.”
“En,” Yang Kai replied and turned around before dashing into the rain.
Yu Lu yelled from behind, “Umbrella!”
However, Yang Kai was already nowhere to be seen.
“You’d better come into the room and lie down.” Grandma supported Yu Lu’s weight as they shuffled into the room. After Yu Lu was settled down, she started appearing to be in pain. It was apparent that her belly was aching.
After placating her in a gentle voice, Grandma hurriedly left to boil some water and get the things needed to deliver a child ready.
In the West of the town, Yang Kai arrived at a house and rapidly knocked on the door. He was both anxious and flustered.
Since he started cultivating, he had encountered countless life-and-death battles, but he had always managed to pull through even if his life was hanging by a thread. However, he had never witnessed a woman give birth before.
He was adept at killing, but he was a complete novice when it came to the birth of a new life. Although he had accidentally hatched Yang Xiao out of a Dragon Egg, he knew that it was very different from childbirth.
If Grandma had not been there to give him instructions, he wouldn’t have known what to do.
Given the fact that he was the owner of this Small Universe, and that he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to help a woman deliver a child in this place. However, he reckoned that a woman and a man who were not married were not supposed to come into such close contact. Furthermore, he came to realise that Yu Lu took her modesty and virtue seriously, so she definitely wouldn’t want that to happen. Hence, after receiving the order from Grandma, he rushed over to the West of the town without hesitation.
After Yang Kai knocked on the door for a long time, he finally heard some noises coming from the house. Given his hearing ability, he was aware that the person inside the house was cursing.
When the door was opened, a middle-aged woman stuck out her head. With a pair of sleepy eyes, she frowned at Yang Kai and yawned, “What’s wrong? Why did you knock on my door in the middle of the night?”
Yang Kai took a step back and cupped his fist, “I’m sorry, Madame. Lady Yu is about to give birth, so Grandma wants you to come over.”
“Lady Yu?” For a moment, the midwife didn’t remember who the person was, but she soon recalled it, “The woman from the East of the town?”
“Exactly.” Yang Kai hurriedly nodded.
The midwife nodded, “Grandma Zhou already told me about it. Isn’t her due date still a few days away? Why is she going to give birth tonight?”
“The rain is torrential tonight, and something happened to Lady Yu’s house. Perhaps she was too frightened, which is why the baby is coming earlier than expected.”
The midwife didn’t seem to be concerned as she was experienced in delivering babies. She then waved her hand and said, “Got it. You can go back now.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?” Yang Kai was shocked.
The midwife replied with a smile, “The child won’t come out so soon as she has just started showing signs of giving birth. Even if I go over now, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll attend to her in the morning.”
Upon finishing her words, she was ready to close the door.
Yang Kai immediately took a step forward and grabbed the door before saying anxiously, “Lady Yu had already started bleeding before I left. I’m worried that you can’t wait until morning!”
The midwife examined him and curled up her lips, “Why are you so concerned about the young lady? Are you the child’s Father?”
Yang Kai wasn’t in the mood to talk about such nonsense with her. Recalling the instructions given by Grandma Zhou, he fished out a packet of money and passed it to her, “Please lend her your assistance, Madame.”
The midwife took the packet and weighed it with her hand before putting it inside her pocket. She then said impatiently, “Just listen to me. I’m experienced in delivering babies. It won’t be too late when I go over in the morning. I’ll take up the responsibility if anything happens to her. Moreover, the rain is pouring right now, so how am I supposed to head over there? I’ll fall sick before I even reach her place.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brows, “Do you mean you’ll come if there’s no rain?”
The midwife scoffed, “What’s wrong? Do you think you can stop… the rain…?”
When she said the last word, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by shock. That was because the pouring rain stopped in an abrupt manner. Besides that, the dark clouds soon dissipated and revealed a bright Moon, which cast its glow down on the world.
The midwife looked up at the sky in confusion and puzzlement.
“Madame, a life is at stake!” Yang Kai stared fixedly at her while persuading her to come with him.
Both astounded and doubtful, the midwife gazed at him. Suddenly thinking of something, she shuddered and said in a flustered manner, “Wait a moment. I’ll get ready now.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Soon after, the midwife, who had now put on some proper clothing, rushed towards the East of the town alongside Yang Kai.
When they arrived at Grandma’s house, they could hear a shriek breaking through the darkness. Upon entering the place, Yang Kai yelled, “The midwife is here, Grandma!”
Grandma said, “Come in quickly!”
Yang Kai took a glance at the midwife, who shivered under his gaze, and dashed into the room as though she was afraid of him.
He could almost feel Yu Lu’s pain when he heard her wailing.
It never crossed his mind that a woman had to go through so much agony to give birth to a child, which made him realise the fragility of life and how hard it was to bring a new life into the world.
“Yang Boy, boil some water!” Grandma Zhou ordered from the back of the house.
Yang Kai grunted in response and went to the kitchen to boil some water.
An incense stick later, Grandma repeatedly took out a basin of bloodied water from the room and poured it into the ditch. On the other hand, Yu Lu’s voice gradually weakened.
Just then, the midwife was heard saying, “There’s nothing else I can do, Grandma Zhou. For a pregnant woman, it’s no different from heading towards death’s door when she’s having difficulty giving birth and bleeding excessively, yet Lady Yu is struck with both. Even a deity can’t save her now.”
“Can’t you think of anything else to help her?” Grandma asked anxiously.
The midwife replied, “What else can I do? Lady Yu might stand a chance to survive if we can invite a great expert from Seven Stars Sect over, but now… all I can say is that I can only try my best to save the child.”
“Seven Stars Sect is too far from here. There isn’t enough time.” Grandma shook her head inside the room. Her turbid eyes appeared dejected.
“Save… save my child…” Yu Lu’s voice was intermittent.
Outside the room, Yang Kai ordered in a small voice, “Mu Zhu, Mu Lu, go in to help her and stabilise her vitality.”
Upon hearing that, the two worried Wood Spirits, who had been sitting on his shoulders, instantly flapped their wings and dashed into the room in silence.
As a thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, a large amount of vitality in the Small Universe streamed into the room.
An hour later, a baby was heard crying so loudly that it was as though everyone in the world could hear it. In the meantime, a strange phenomenon took place in the sky as the Moonlight converged and beamed into Yu Lu’s room. The entire World seemed to be shaking.
However, with the interference from Yang Kai, no one else could notice the strange phenomenon other than himself.
“She successfully gave birth to the child!” The midwife sounded pleasantly surprised while Grandma let out a breath of relief.
Right then, Mu Lu flew out of the room in silence. Her reddened eyes suggested that she was deeply moved by the incident inside the room. She nodded at Yang Kai to mean that everything was fine, then returned to the room.
The people inside the room were still very busy. A moment later, the midwife shuffled out while giving some instructions to Grandma Zhou, “Don’t let her come into contact with water and wind for a month. She’s lucky enough to have escaped from death once, but if she doesn’t take good care of herself, she might be struck with health concerns.”
Grandma replied with a smile, “Although I’ve never given birth to a child before, I’m aware of the precautions we should take. Many thanks for saving her.”
The midwife initially wanted to get more money from her, but when she saw Yang Kai standing outside the room, she shuddered and hurriedly said, “Don’t mention it. It’s my job.”
Grandma looked up at Yang Kai and ordered, “Yang Boy, prepare another red envelope for her.”
A ready Yang Kai fished out a packet of money and passed it to her with both hands, “Many thanks, Madame.”
The midwife hurriedly waved her hands, “There’s no need for that. I’ve already taken a red envelope before, so I can’t take another one now.”
Upon finishing her words, she dashed out without turning her head.
Watching her leave, Grandma praised her by saying, “She’s indeed adept at delivering children. Lady Yu was about to leave this plane, but she was able to pull her through in the end. Not only was she fine, but her child has also been safely delivered. We can’t be stingy with this. You have to send her a red envelope later. She has saved two lives after all.”
“Alright, Grandma. Don’t worry, I’ll send it to her tomorrow.” Yang Kai quickly nodded, then said in a small voice, “Grandma, is it a boy or a girl?”
“It’s a boy.” Grandma put on a smile, “In that case, Lady Yu has given birth to a descendant for the Zhao Family. I’ll take care of her. You should get some rest since you were busy for the entire night.”
“You should get some rest as well, Grandma,” Yang Kai said caringly.
The next morning, Yang Kai went over to the midwife’s place and kept persuading her to accept the red envelope. Then, he left the town to catch some fish from the river.
When he returned, he saw Grandma leaving the house with the child as she said, “Lady Yu said it’s thanks to you who endured the pouring rain and invited the midwife over that she and her child were safe. She has no idea how to thank you, so she wants you to have a look at the child.”
Yang Kai hurriedly put down the fish and wiped his hands dry before carefully taking the child.
Perhaps the child was full, so he was presently sound asleep. There was no doubt that he was adorable.
While holding him in his arms, Yang Kai could clearly feel that the Space Dao Essence of his Small Universe perfectly matched the child’s aura. It was even slowly streaming into his little body.
Yang Kai had already realised it when the little one was still in his Mother’s womb; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so concerned about Yu Lu.
Grandma Zhou thought that he had his eyes on the young woman, but he was actually interested in her child the whole time; however, it was hard for him to explain such things.
[I’ve finally found a successor!] That was the idea that suddenly sprang into Yang Kai’s mind.
He had never expected he would gain such a benefit one day by raising living beings in his Small Universe. Given the fact that the child’s aura perfectly matched the Space Dao Essence, he definitely had the right to become Yang Kai’s Legacy Disciple. If the boy was talented and hardworking, he would one day stand on par with Yang Kai when it came to mastery over the Dao of Space.
Since Yang Kai was still young, he wasn’t in a rush to look for a Legacy Disciple; therefore, he had never thought about it before.
However, since a suitable successor had appeared, he wouldn’t mind spending some time to train him.
The child was born the day before, so his skin was still rather wrinkled. Yang Kai had never held such a petite baby in his arms before, so despite being a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master, he was presently quite flustered. He was worried that he might harm the child if he exerted a little more force.
To his side, Grandma Zhou instructed him on the correct way to carry a child, which made Yang Kai feel quite embarrassed.
“If you’re fine with it, you should give the child a name,” Grandma Zhou suddenly said.
A surprised Yang Kai asked, “Is it alright for me to do that?”
Although he intended to take on this child to be his Disciple, they were not related in any way after all. Hence, he didn’t think he had a right to name him.
Grandma Zhou pointed at the back room and explained, “It’s Lady Yu’s idea. She doesn’t know how to name a child, nor do I. The child’s Father suddenly passed away in an accident, and he hadn’t said anything about it before his death. So, you’ll have to do it. It seems that you did go to school before. Just help her out with it.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai stopped turning her down. After giving it a thought, he said, “The child was born at the break of dawn while the Sun was rising from the East. Why don’t I name him Ye Bai? Since his surname is Zhao, he’ll be Zhao Ye Bai!”
He spoke in a loud voice so that Yu Lu could hear him in the room.
Grandma nodded her head, “The break of dawn signifies the end of hardship. It’s an auspicious name. What do you think, Lady Yu?”
Yu Lu’s weakened voice was heard saying, “It’s decided, then. Many thanks, Big Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “It’s not really a good name. I hope he won’t blame me for that when he grows up.”
Yu Lu said, “I’m sure he won’t.”
Grandma took the child from Yang Kai, “The child is still young, so he can’t stay outside of the house for too long. I’ll take him back to the room.”
“I’ll cook the fish, then.” Yang Kai then picked up his catch and walked to the kitchen.
Following several years of development, Seven Stars Town had expanded significantly. With the presence of Seven Stars Sect, the town had attracted a lot of people to move in and settle down.
A group of kids were messing around at the moment. A boy and a girl, who were about seven or eight years old, were running at the front while they were being pursued by four to five kids. The kid leading the pursuing pack was furious as he hurled sand balls at the boy in front of him, he yelled, “Stop right there, Zhao Ye Bai!”
The angry boy was several years older, so not only was he stronger, but he could also throw things at his target accurately. A sandball the size of a fist struck the back of Zhao Ye Bai, who gasped in pain and almost fell to the ground.
While never stopping in his tracks though, he held the hand of the young girl beside him and charged forward. After he made a turn, he dashed towards a stall that sold sweet rice dumplings and snuck beneath the cart.
It was apparent that it wasn’t the first time he had done this.
When the older kids arrived, Zhao Ye Bai was nowhere to be seen. After searching around, they could only leave this place since their target wasn’t around.
“Come out,” Yang Kai, who had worked for half a day, wiped the grease off his hands and landed a gentle kick on the cart.
Two petite figures crawled out from beneath the cart. A bruised Zhao Ye Bai flashed a silly smile at Yang Kai.
The young girl looked at Zhao Ye Bai with reddened eyes and touched his bruises. In a choking voice, she asked, “Does it hurt, Big Brother Ye Bai?”
Zhao Ye Bai grimaced in pain, but he still replied steadfastly, “No, not at all.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai extended his hand and forcefully pinched the young boy’s face.
“Ouch! It hurts!” Zhao Ye Bai hurriedly begged for mercy. Then, he was worried that the young girl beside him would be concerned, so he patted his chest, “Don’t worry, Xiao Ya. I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep.”
In response, Zhao Ya nodded.
Seeing the young boy pretending to be tough in front of a girl, Yang Kai pursed his lips to stop himself from laughing.
Nevertheless, both Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya believed what the former said to be true. That was because regardless of how badly Zhao Ye Bai became bruised over the years, all his wounds would disappear after he had a night’s rest.
This fact amazed Yu Lu and Grandma Zhou as they thought that the young kid might possess some kind of extraordinary physique.
“How did you offend those guys?” Yang Kai asked while giving them a sweet rice dumpling each.
Zhao Ye Bai took the smaller one and munched on it while replying in a muffled voice, “I didn’t offend them. It was Miao Fei Ping and the others who wanted to bully Xiao Ya. They were being unreasonable!”
“And then you were beaten up?” Yang Kai gazed at him with a faint smile.
Zhao Ye Bai started flushing as he said in a bashful manner, “Mother told me that I couldn’t get into a fight, so I didn’t fight back. I ran away instead.”
“What if there’s no way you can run away one day?” Yang Kai questioned.
Zhao Ye Bai became startled for a moment, then put on a silly smile, “I don’t think that will ever happen. I’m a fast runner, and no one can catch me. Moreover, the Disciple Recruitment of Seven Stars Sect will begin in a few months. I’ll give it a try then. Mother said that if I manage to become a disciple of Seven Stars Sect, I’ll be able to cultivate, and I’ll become a cultivator!” He then balled up his fist and flashed a smile at Zhao Ya, “I’ll always protect you, Little Sister Ya.”
Zhao Ya put on a sweet smile and nodded.
All of a sudden, Zhao Ye Bai looked fervently at three passers-by, “Look, they’re from Seven Stars Sect!”
There were three people, one man and two women, who were passing by. While the man was handsome, the women were alluring. All of them were clad in white clothing that suggested that they were from Seven Stars Sect. They looked like pure snow lotuses.
Admiration and yearning were written all over Zhao Ye Bai’s face, “When I become a disciple of Seven Stars Sect, I can wear such clothing as well.” He then said to Zhao Ya, “You’ll be just as beautiful as them when you grow up, Xiao Ya.”
While munching on the sweet rice dumpling, Zhao Ya gently nodded, “When I grow up, I’ll marry you, Big Brother Ye Bai.”
Hearing that, Zhao Ye Bai started coughing violently as the sweet rice dumpling got stuck in his throat. He almost suffocated as a result. He then extended his hand and sought help from Yang Kai, “Give me some soup, Uncle Yang!”
“Take it slow.” Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter. After passing the young boy a bowl of soup, he patted the latter’s back.
After the two little ones were done with the food, Yang Kai stroked the young boy’s head and said, “It’s getting late, so you should head home now. Don’t worry your Mother.”
“En.” Zhao Ye Bai rose from the chair and beckoned to Zhao Ya. The little ones then snuck into the crowd and disappeared.
A short while later, Yang Kai cleaned up the stall and wheeled his cart home.
Since two years ago, he started selling sweet rice dumplings on his own. Grandma Zhou was old after all, so she couldn’t really work too hard. That was the reason Yang Kai told her to stay home and let him handle the stall.
However, what made Grandma Zhou feel odd was that as time passed, she felt more energetic than before instead of getting weaker. She initially thought that her end would soon come, but it now seemed that she could live for another ten years with ease.
On the other hand, Grandma Zhou was very pleased with Yang Kai. The only complaint she had was that Yang Kai had never returned to his own home over the past few years. She was concerned about the wives he had in his hometown.
After all, many things could happen when a Husband was not around for such a long time.
Initially, Grandma Zhou would persuade Yang Kai to go home to have a look. If he wasn’t willing to leave his Wives there, he could bring them over. Seven Stars Town was bustling with people, and their sweet rice dumpling business was doing well. He could definitely provide for all his Wives; however, since Yang Kai wouldn’t listen to her no matter how many times she brought the issue up, she stopped persuading him.
Subconsciously, she thought that Yang Kai was just lying back then when he said that he had several Wives. Otherwise, a man couldn’t possibly leave his women in his hometown and ignore them. He didn’t seem like an irresponsible man after all.
When Yang Kai returned home, Grandma had already prepared a meal for him. She also took out a pot of fish soup and said, “Send it to Lady Yu. The kids are still growing, and it’s hard enough for her to raise them.”
“En,” Yang Kai replied and took the fish soup before sauntering towards Yu Lu’s house.
Her house was pretty close to Grandma Zhou’s place, which was the reason she looked for Grandma back then when the rain was pouring that night.
As soon as Yang Kai arrived at the front door, Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya rushed out of the house. The young boy took the soup and turned his head to shout, “Uncle Yang is here, Mother!”
A woman clad in simple clothes soon walked out of the house. She was none other than Yu Lu. From the looks of it, she was preparing a meal as there was a bit of ash on her fair face. A piece of cloth had been wrapped around her head as she said bashfully, “You’re here, Big Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Grandma prepared some fish soup and wanted me to send it to you.”
Yu Lu replied gratefully, “It’s you and Grandma Zhou who have been taking care of us over the years. I can’t say enough how grateful I am.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “We’re neighbours, so stop being overly polite with us. Good, you should continue preparing your meal. I’ll head back now.”
All of a sudden, Yu Lu lifted her head and called out, “Big Brother Yang.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai turned around and gazed at her.
Yu Lu clenched her clothes as though she was trying to summon her courage. She then asked, “Why don’t you stay here to have a meal with us?”
Yang Kai waved his hand with a smile, “Next time, perhaps. Grandma has already prepared dinner for us.”
As Yu Lu watched the man leave, she let out a sigh. In fact, her intention was simple; she just wanted to treat her Big Brother Yang, who had helped her a lot over the years, to a meal that she had prepared. However, a widow could easily draw criticism for her actions, so she wouldn’t dare to make him stay in the past. Although she had made a request this time, she still didn’t have the courage to insist on it.
“It’d be wonderful if Uncle Yang was my Father,” Zhao Ye Bai suddenly said.
Yu Lu started blushing as she landed a knock on her son’s head, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
She had been the centre of gossip among the neighbours over the years. If others heard what her son had said, she wouldn’t be able to clear her name.
Zhao Ye Bai stuck out his tongue and pulled a face at his mother.
After taking the fish soup from her son, Yu Lu said, “Uncle Yang has always been good to you both. In fact, he gave you your names. Both of you must return his favour when you grow up. Understood?”
The kids nodded at the same time.
“Wash your hands before having your meal,” Yu Lu ordered. The kids instantly dashed into the house. She took one more look in the direction Yang Kai had left before shuffling into the house.
Yu Lu had never expected that she would have two kids, a son and a daughter, one day.
Zhao Ye Bai was her biological son. Although many years had passed, she had never forgotten about the night with torrential rain when she almost lost her life. Just when she was about to give up all hope, a warm force streamed into her body and ensured that she and her son remained safe.
One month after Zhao Ye Bai was born, Yu Lu heard a baby crying outside the house. Upon opening the door, she saw that an infant had been left there.
The infant was none other than Zhao Ya.
In fact, Yu Lu had never hidden the fact that Zhao Ya was adopted. Fortunately, the young girl was kind-hearted and understanding, so she never complained about her fate. Although she had experienced a lot of hardship with her adoptive Mother, she remained sanguine.
What Yu Lu wasn’t aware of was that Zhao Ya was sent to her by Yang Kai.
In fact, the young girl’s parents were still alive, but they preferred a boy to a girl. Barely after a few days Zhao Ya was born, and her Father secretly dumped her on a mountain.
The infant was mercilessly discarded before she could even see the world clearly.
As the owner of the Small Universe, Yang Kai inadvertently saw the sight when he was travelling nearby. Naturally, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to it.
Since Yu Lu had given birth to a child not long ago, he decided to put the infant down in front of her door. It wouldn’t make a difference to raise one more kid anyway. In that case, Zhao Ye Bai could have a companion.
Since the kids were raised together from birth, they could be said to be childhood sweethearts.
Meanwhile, in a house where the candlelight was flickering, Yang Kai was having dinner with Grandma Zhou.
Grandma appeared hesitant, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
Seeing that, Yang Kai asked with a smile, “Is there anything you want to say, Grandma?”
In response, Grandma dipped her head, “Yes, but I’m not sure if I should say it.”
Yang Kai replied, “There’s nothing you can’t tell me, Grandma. Please speak your mind.”
“I’ll go ahead, then.” Grandma put down the chopsticks and stared seriously at him, “How do you find Lady Yu?”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “She’s a demure, considerate, and kind-hearted woman. It’s just that life has been unkind to her.”
“Yes, she has suffered a lot over the years.” Suddenly recalling something, Grandma let out a sigh, “It’s said that men are most afraid of taking up the wrong careers while women are most worried of marrying the wrong men. In fact, Lady Yu’s previous man was not bad, but he passed away just like that after falling down the stairs. She has been a widow for years, and there’s no man to take care of her. She has even adopted a young girl. It makes it even harder for her to put food on the table.”