“I’ve taught you how to cultivate and passed on my Secret Arts to you, but I’ve never taught you how to use a spear,” Yang Kai explained, “There are 3,000 Grand Daos in the world. While Xiao Bai is talented in the Dao of Space, your comprehension of the Spear Dao is unrivalled. Both the Dao of Space and Spear Dao are my Daos!”
Zhao Ya finally understood everything.
“In comparison, your aptitude is much better than Xiao Bai’s. If I hadn’t suppressed your cultivation over the years, you would’ve moved beyond the Immortal Ascension Boundary a long time ago.”
A puzzled Zhao Ya asked, “Master, I’ve never understood why you’ve been suppressing my cultivation. Can you tell me now?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “I don’t mind explaining it to you, but it will take a very long time. You’ll find out about it when the time is right.”
Zhao Ya nodded and said in a gentle voice, “What about Green Mountain Town? Did you deliberately tell Aunty Lu and Grandma that you came from that place so that I’d look for you there? After all, you brought me out of that place before.”
Yang Kai fell silent.
There had always been a hint of ruthlessness in her since Zhao Ya was a young child. This was evident in her reaction when she was forced to become Yang Kai’s Disciple, and it became even more conspicuous as she grew up. Yang Kai initially wanted to make use of this life experience trip to let her find her biological parents in the hope that the knots in her heart would be solved.
However, his goal was not achieved in the end.
“Master, you were the one who named me. I’ll always be Zhao Ya, and I have nothing to do with the Xu Family. I’ll not be resentful of them for what they’ve done to me; after all, Aunty Mei took good care of me during that period of time. We’re even now.”
Yang Kai nodded.
“However, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Please enlighten me, Master.” Zhao Ya looked seriously at him.
“Go ahead.”
“You could’ve kept hiding your identity, and it’s clearly not the right time to expose it, so why did you show your true appearance after Big Brother Ye Bai and I came back from the adventure?”
“That’s because I won’t have time to pay attention to you two in the near future,” Yang Kai explained.
Zhao Ya frowned in puzzlement.
“Above the Emperor Realm is the Open Heaven Realm. To reach that Realm, a cultivator must gather the powers of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements before splitting Heaven and Earth apart in their body to form a Small Universe. I’m an Open Heaven Realm Master, and the world you live in is my Small Universe!”
Zhao Ya was instantly astonished. The vast world they were living in was actually just her Master’s Small Universe. She still couldn’t believe it as the notion was beyond her ability to comprehend.
“My true body is now trapped in a kind of shattered space, and I’ve been trying to comprehend its secrets over the years in an attempt to escape. I’ve finally gotten some clues, so I must focus on that now. Therefore, I won’t have time to deal with the matters in my Small Universe.”
Zhao Ya nodded blankly.
“When I’m not around, you and Xiao Bai have to work hard and not be complacent. I hope that you’ll show significant improvements when I see you again in the future.”
“Yes!” Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai nodded their heads at the same time.
Yang Kai waved his hand again, whereupon two petite figures with wings behind their backs appeared as they danced in the air.
Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai were instantly amazed as they gazed at the figures that were the size of a palm.
Mu Zhu and Mu Lu flashed amicable smiles at the pair. This couldn’t be helped. While Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya didn’t know these petite beings, Mu Zhu and Mu Lu were very familiar with them. In the past, when Yu Lu was having difficulty giving birth, they were the ones who used a Secret Technique to stabilise her vitality and so they had been there to witness Zhao Ye Bai’s birth. Over the years, they had been observing the two children’s development. It was just that Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya had never seen them before.
“These two are members of the Wood Spirit Clan and are also the earliest residents of my Small Universe. Even before then they accompanied me for years. After I’m gone, you can ask them about cultivation or anything else.”
Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya nodded at the same time.
Yang Kai gazed at Mu Zhu and Mu Lu, “Please take care of them.”
The Wood Spirits replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Master.”
With a nod, Yang Kai disappeared.
In the hall, both parties glanced at one another for a moment before Zhao Ya pulled Zhao Ye Bai’s clothes and said respectfully, “Junior Zhao Ya greets two Seniors.”
Mu Zhu smiled helplessly when she heard that. It had been a long time since she was born, but it was the first time she had ever been called a Senior. On the other hand, Mu Lu felt that she had taken up a heavy responsibility as she stuck out her chest and pretended to be a senior expert.
However, when she took a glance at Mu Zhu’s towering mountains and remembered her own vast plains, she instantly became dejected.
“Are there any questions you want to ask?” Mu Zhu said with a smile.
Zhao Ye Bai immediately spurted out, “Does Master really have several Wives?”
Zhao Ya looked smilingly at him, “What’s wrong, Big Brother Ye Bai? Do you want to learn from Master?”
Zhao Ye Bai quickly scratched his head, “I’m just curious.”
…..
Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya were now in their early twenties, and the flow of time in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was twice as fast as in the outside world. In other words, Yang Kai had been trapped in the shattered space for another ten years.
To an Open Heaven Realm Master, ten or so years wasn’t long at all; hence, Yang Kai , Xia Lin Lang, and Cheng Yang, who had chased after them to this place, were all doing just fine.
The three of them were in different parts of the shattered space while searching for a way out; however, both Xia Lin Lang and Cheng Yang knew nothing about the Dao of Space, so even though they were stronger than Yang Kai, they were powerless to do anything in this situation.
On the other hand, after years of study, Yang Kai had finally gotten some clues about this space. That was the reason he decided to expose his identity to Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya at this point.
For the next six months, Space Principles never stopped undulating around Yang Kai. His expression kept changing as it alternated between frowning and elation.
Suddenly, one day, he opened his eyes as a glint flashed across their depths.
His movement shocked Xia Lin Lang and Cheng Yang as they turned and paid close attention to him.
Under their watch, Yang Kai took a step forward and disappeared. They quickly looked around, but the man was nowhere in sight. No one knew where he was headed.
A large part of the Void was shattered by an ancient Great Expert using a Space Secret Technique. Like a broken mirror, the space fragments here were like those shattered pieces. There was no order to speak of here as everything was in complete chaos.
Both Xia Lin Lang and Cheng Yang could already feel the strangeness of this space when they previously barged into it; therefore, they were not surprised that Yang Kai had gone missing as they were certain that he was randomly transferred to some distant space fragment.
However, Cheng Yang ‘s pupils contracted the next moment.
That was because a figure suddenly appeared beside Xia Lin Lang. It was none other than the previously missing Yang Kai.
A pleasantly surprised Xia Lin Lang asked, “Have you figured it out?”
If that wasn’t the case, Yang Kai couldn’t have coincidentally appeared beside her. The two of them and Cheng Yang had given it many tries before, and were always randomly transferred around the space fragments. They had no idea where they would appear next after leaving a particular space fragment.
However, the fact that Yang Kai could accurately appear beside Xia Lin Lang proved that only mastery in the Dao of Space could solve the mysteries of this shattered space.
“I haven’t figured it out entirely, but I have discovered some patterns.” Yang Kai shook his head; after all, the space fragments were originally a single whole. Although it was now shattered, there must be a faint connection between the space fragments. Only experts in the Dao of Space could clearly see such connections though.
“Do you have the confidence to get us out of here?” Xia Lin Lang asked.
Yang Kai replied, “It’s not hard to find a way out, but what comes after that will be difficult to handle.”
Xia Lin Lang suddenly recalled that there were countless Divine Abilities that just waiting for them outside of this space. Before they arrived at this place, they had experienced a lot of hardship and almost lost their lives. At that time, Bright Sun Divine Monarch was behind them to clean up the mess. If he hadn’t blocked most of the Divine Abilities, they wouldn’t have stood a chance to survive.
It could be said that Cheng Yang had actually done them a favour.
With that said, they were forced to sneak into this place as Cheng Yang was chasing them.
Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at Cheng Yang and spoke to him using a Secret Technique, “Divine Monarch, given the situation we’re in, cooperation will benefit both sides while disagreement would do no one any good. Why don’t we put down our grudges and work together?”
Cheng Yang snorted and stared at him with a pair of piercing eyes, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll harm you?”
Yang Kai replied, “The reason you’ve been hunting me down is that you’re after one of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring. However, I’ve refined the World Spring and it is now a part of my Small Universe. Even if you kill me, you might not be able to get it. The World Spring will most likely fall apart alongside my Small Universe. So even if I work with you, I don’t have to worry about my safety for the time being. Without you, Senior Sister Xia and I might not be able to get out of here, and it’s the same case for you. Without me leading the way, you’ll never be able to leave this place despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.”
Cheng Yang stared coldly at him for a long time before putting on a grin, “Since you’ve made things so clear, what else can I say? If you aren’t worried that I’ll stab you in the back after we get out of here, why would I be bothered?”
A moment later, he asked with a smile, “Do you want me to make an oath or something?”
“If oaths were useful, what would be the point of cultivating? Even if you really made an oath, I wouldn’t believe it.”
Cheng Yang arched his brow, “You’re pretty reasonable, Brat. Because of what you’ve said, I can assure you that I won’t kill you before you ascend to the Seventh-Order.”
“Many thanks for your kindness then, Divine Monarch.” Yang Kai put on a faint smile.
To the side, Xia Lin Lang appeared worried. She knew that if they brought Cheng Yang out of this place, the other party would definitely stab them in the back; however, if they didn’t make use of his power, she and Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive.
It was understandable that Yang Kai had made such a decision in the face of this predicament. Regardless, they had to get out of here first.
“I’ll go over there now, Divine Monarch,” Yang Kai said, then turned to Xia Lin Lang, “Don’t circulate your strength, no matter what.”
Xia Lin Lang nodded, “Got it.”
As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai led her to take a step forward and disappeared from the space fragment.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had gone missing for quite a long time as they still hadn’t appeared after half a day.
Bright Sun Divine Monarch even suspected that Yang Kai had gone back on his word and decided to leave him here.
While he was lost in thought though, he saw Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang suddenly appearing beside him.
“Divine Monarch!” Yang Kai gently nodded at him.
Cheng Yang replied impassively, “What do you need me to do?”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “It’s easy. I’ll use my power to lead the way for you, but I must not be disturbed in any way, so please don’t resist.”
Cheng Yang stared fixedly at him. By not resisting, he would basically be allowing Yang Kai take control of his life or death. If Yang Kai was ill-intentioned and made a move all of a sudden, Cheng Yang, despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, might not survive.
With that said, he didn’t hesitate for long time and simply nodded, “Do whatever you have to do. I’ll cooperate with you.”
Without saying a word, Yang Kai engulfed him with his power. The next moment, as Space Principles undulated, the three of them disappeared from the space fragment.
Half a year had passed in the blink of an eye as the trio moved across different space fragments. Yang Kai would stop in his tracks from time to time as he looked around with a frown. As Space Principles undulated, he seemed to silently be trying to comprehend something.
On the other hand, Xia Lin Lang and Cheng Yang didn’t have to do anything; they didn’t even need to use their strength at all. In such a strange place, they could only rely on Yang Kai to bring them out.
Although they hadn’t managed to leave this odd space after half a year, Cheng Yang wasn’t in a rush and worked with Yang Kai whenever his help was needed.
There came a moment when they abruptly appeared in a certain space fragment. Yang Kai intently looked around for a moment before taking a deep breath, “This is the last step.”
Both Cheng Yang and Xia Lin Lang appeared excited.
The two of them scanned the surroundings for a bit, then Cheng Yang asked with a frown, “Yang Boy, are you sure we’ll be able to leave this damned place after taking a step forward? Why do I feel like we’ve gotten deeper into this shattered space instead of moving out of it?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “The order of the space here is in complete chaos. Nothing you see can be believed. That’s the reason you have this feeling.”
Cheng Yang didn’t remark on that, and after giving it a thought, he nodded, “Since you’ve said so, I’ll believe you. After taking this step, I’ll clear a path for the two of you and bring you out of here.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I need you to stay behind us just like how we entered this place previously. Senior Sister Xia and I will lead the way.”
It took some time before the powers of those Divine Abilities and the artifacts were triggered. With Cheng Yang staying behind them, he would be able to resolve them. However, if Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were to stay behind, they might not be able to resist the attacks.
Cheng Yang frowned, but he didn’t object to it. After a nod, he said, “We’ll do as you say, then.”
“Many thanks, Divine Monarch.” After finishing his words, Yang Kai engulfed Xia Lin Lang and Cheng Yang with his power, then took a step forward.
The world around them spun around as space contorted. Before they even came to their senses, streams of dormant power roared to life all around them and locked onto their life auras.
Horrifying power surged as these Divine Abilities, which had been dormant for countless years, radiated a dazzling glow.
Yang Kai felt his entire figure stiffening. As his flesh squirmed, he directly summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and pushed it out. In a steadfast manner, he yelled, “Let’s go!”
Two people then turned into rays of light and charged forward.
They already had such an experience when they were fleeing previously, so they were not flustered now when dealing with this situation.
Cheng Yang followed closely behind them as countless Divine Abilities gathered together and crashed down upon them like an avalanche.
Even Bright Sun Divine Monarch sported a solemn expression when facing such a mighty torrent. Once he was swept into this stream of Divine Abilities, he would probably lose his life despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
While the three of them were fleeing, they cast their Secret Techniques at their back to resolve the stream of Divine Abilities behind them, but their attempts were futile.
Cheng Yang roared repeatedly as his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm power exploded. Every time he made a move, the entire universe seemed to tremble.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang, who were in front of him, were terrified. If such attacks had landed on them, they wouldn’t have been able to resist them.
Fortunately, they had brought Cheng Yang with them. Without him bringing up the rear for them, they wouldn’t be able to leave this damned place.
Initially, the Divine Abilities that had been triggered were extremely powerful, with some of them being equivalent to the attacks from Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. However, as they moved forward, the powers of the Divine Abilities gradually weakened.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had already realised this when they barged into the shattered space previously; therefore, as long as they could persevere, things would only get safer.
Half a day later, the two people at the front were covered in blood and had consumed a lot of energy. Although most of the Divine Abilities were far behind them and Cheng Yang would deal with them, some of the attacks managed to reach them and they had no choice but to make a move.
As a result, both of them were injured. There was an extremely deep cut on Xia Lin Lang’s shoulder as she almost lost her arm.
Fortunately, she wasn’t at risk of losing her life.
Yang Kai didn’t have time to check on Cheng Yang, but he was sure that the other party wasn’t in a better state; after all, Cheng Yang had to bear most of the pressure.
Bright Sun Divine Monarch lived up to his status as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, though. Despite the pressure he faced, he still followed closely behind them. He even had time to split a bit of his Divine Sense to lock onto Yang Kai.
Half a day later, the Divine Abilities that had been triggered were only equivalent to attacks from Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
It seemed they were already at the periphery.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai secretly whispered, “It’s time, Senior Sister Xia.”
Upon hearing that, Xia Lin Lang stuck close to Yang Kai without hesitation.
Yang Kai wrapped his arm around her waist and surged his Space Principles. Their figures soon flickered and disappeared from the spot.
It was a plan they had come up with previously. As they were approaching freedom, they had to get rid of Cheng Yang. If they were still with him by then, while it wasn’t certain how Xia Lin Lang would end up, Yang Kai would definitely be captured and become a prisoner.
Certainly, he wouldn’t let anyone else have control over his life.
However, Yang Kai had to bear a huge risk by using Instantaneous Movement in this place. That was because the Divine Abilities around them were so numerous and randomly placed. Yang Kai wasn’t certain where he would land after using Instantaneous Movement. He might be able to get rid of Cheng Yang, but he might also fall into a dangerous spot and be killed.
Nevertheless, he believed that life was full of uncertainties and sometimes, one just had to make a bet.
Cheng Yang was obviously acting cautiously, which was why he had locked a bit of his Divine Sense onto Yang Kai; however, he never expected that Yang Kai would be reckless enough to take such a risk in this kind of place.
By the time he came to his senses, it was already too late for him to stop them. Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had already disappeared from his sight, and his Divine Sense thread which had been targeting Yang Kai had also been cut off.
Cheng Yang wore a dark expression and snorted; however, he had no time to search for them as he was still being pursued by the stream of Divine Abilities. He could only keep running and resolving the attacks for now.
Under a grey sky, ripples spread across an open prairie as two battered figures appeared. They were none other than Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang.
Before Yang Kai could even breath a sigh of relief, he suddenly turned his head and pushed out his Azure Dragon Spear at the spot where he appeared.
The next moment, several powerful Divine Abilities relentlessly passed through the Void and arrived at this place.
Although he had managed to flee with Xia Lin Lang using Instantaneous Movement, he had also brought several Divine Abilities along with him.
While Xia Lin Lang was unaware of them, Yang Kai was not.
Following a loud boom, Yang Kai was sent flying away like a sack as he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. His spear-holding arm went limp while his five viscera and six organs shook.
Xia Lin Lang finally came to her senses as she exclaimed and pushed out her palms, which turned into innumerable shadows that finally blocked the Divine Abilities.
The dust only settled several moments later.
A battered Xia Lin Lang walked up to Yang Kai and looked down at him, “How are you?”
Presently, Yang Kai was lying on the ground with his limbs spread. He lethargically opened his eyes and acted tough by saying, “I’m… I’m fine!”
Xia Lin Lang couldn’t help but roll her eyes. While standing beside him, she looked around and frowned, “Where are we?”
Yang Kai panted and replied, “I have no idea. The last time I used Instantaneous Movement, I was unable to control the direction. Who knows where we’ve landed? However, we’ve just made a lot of noise, so we can’t stay here for long.”
After a nod, Xia Lin Lang asked, “Can you walk?”
Yang Kai snorted, “Do I look like I can walk?”
A speechless Xia Lin Lang covered him with her power and brought him to a different place.
An hour later, she found a cave in the middle of a mountain and snuck into it so that they could recuperate.
Although Cheng Yang was behind them bearing most of the pressure while they were escaping, they were still injured and exhausted.
Yang Kai wasn’t certain if Cheng Yang would pursue them, nor was he aware of any danger waiting for them in this place. He just knew that they had better restore their strength quickly.
After consuming some Spirit Pills, the pair sat down with their legs crossed.
A moment later, Yang Kai arched his brow as there was a hint of surprise on his face.
For some reason, he could feel his Dragon Vein throbbing in an excited manner. He also felt a faint sense of affability toward this place.
In fact, he was already aware that there was something unusual going on with his Dragon Vein the moment he landed on the prairie, but he didn’t have time to ponder on it. Now that he was recuperating, he could finally try to find out what was going on.
After examining it for a while, he could confirm that his Dragon Vein indeed reacted differently. He even had a feeling that if he stayed in this place for a long time, his Dragon Vein would steadily become more powerful.
Although the feeling came out of nowhere, he firmly believed it to be true.
[Does this place have something to do with the Dragon Clan?] Yang Kai wondered in excitement.
There were 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds, making up a total of 108 top great forces. Thanks to the Star Boundary’s World Tree, Yang Kai had contact with many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises, but not all of them.
That was because both the Dragon Altar of the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Nest of the Phoenix Clan were part of the 36 Cave Heavens. It was just that these two Cave Heavens were extremely hidden, so much so that most ordinary people had no idea where these Cave Heavens were even located.
Yang Kai had been trying to find the place where the Dragon Altar was located for many years. Unfortunately, his efforts had never worked out. Despite asking Bi Xi, the old man could not tell him anything. The old man only mentioned that he would be able to sense the whereabouts of the Dragon Altar once his Dragon Vein reached a certain level; therefore, Yang Kai never expected to stumble upon this surprising discovery today.
[Could this strange place be the Dragon Altar? If this place is the Dragon Altar, then isn’t it a little too shabby? But, if it isn’t the Dragon Altar, why is the Power of my Dragon Vein experiencing an abnormality?]
Xia Lin Lang once mentioned that there were rumours about countless Divine Spirits gathering in the depths of the Shattered Ruins. It was just that she had never ventured into the Shattered Ruins before, so she was unable to verify the truth behind those rumours.
Having only just arrived at this place, the information Yang Kai had to work with was simply too little. He had no idea what kind of place this was, so he could only discard his distracting thoughts and focus on recovery.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai soon confirmed another one of his conjectures. There was an exceptionally peculiar power in this world that could be drawn into his body to stimulate the enhancement of his Dragon Vein.
Too little time had elapsed, so the enhancement Yang Kai experienced was not significant. Even so, he could clearly sense the changes in his body, so he immediately activated some of the bloodline-enhancing Secret Techniques taught to him by Old Man Bi Xi.
Ever since he finished consuming the Dragon Blood Flowers that he obtained from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had remained relatively stagnant. Old Man Bi Xi had taught him some bloodline-enhancing Secret Techniques, but he rarely had the time to cultivate in peace. Coming to this place at this time was truly a wonderful opportunity.
As soon as the Secret Technique was activated, Yang Kai felt a little different. The peculiar power in the world poured into his body all at once as though summoned by something, instantly causing his flesh to wriggle and the Power of the Dragon Vein in his body to roar endlessly. The sudden urge to transform into a Dragon surged up from the depths of his heart.
It was at this point that Yang Kai finally became certain about one thing, this place was definitely related to the Dragon Clan.
At the same time, a tall figure suddenly descended from the sky at the spot where Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had emerged previously. This figure was wrapped in an exceedingly terrifying aura, comparable or even greater to Bright Sun Divine Monarch’s.
Sniffing the air lightly, he coldly snorted, “What a disgusting aura!”
Then, he reached out a hand and grabbed a handful of blood-stained dirt in the palm of his hand. Rubbing his fingers together, the tall man frowned, “The smell of the Dragon Clan!”
He looked to the side and asked, “Is it him?”
Not far away from him, a handsome white robed youth and a young woman holding a peach blossom branch stood respectfully. If Yang Kai were here, he would have immediately recognised this man and woman. They were the two people who picked a quarrel with him previously; moreover, the white robed youth had placed a peculiar Bloodline Mark on Yang Kai during their battle. Cheng Yang had subsequently used that mark to pursue Yang Kai relentlessly.
There was no indication as to how the white robed youth and the young woman holding the peach blossom branch had arrived at this place.
The white robed youth replied respectfully, “I’m quite sure it’s him. I definitely sensed him venturing deep into the Divine Ability Sea earlier. It would seem that he escaped that place and arrived here.”
The tall man smiled grimly when he heard those words, “That’s good news indeed. It has been many years since someone from the Dragon Clan appeared in this place. I never expected to encounter one today. Can you still sense his location?”
The white robed youth shook his head, “No. He might have gotten rid of my Bloodline Mark; however, I don’t know whether he died at the hands of Cheng Yang.”
Cheng Yang had chased Yang Kai all the way into the Divine Ability Sea. Now that more than ten years had passed, there was no saying what happened during this period. Needless to say, Yang Kai had gotten rid of the Bloodline Mark during this time. He could not have escaped Cheng Yang’s pursuit otherwise.
“Search for him! Even if you have to turn over every single rock in the area, find that Dragon Clan member!” The tall man shouted.
The white robed youth and the young woman beside him accepted the command and sped away.
After discarding the soil in his hand, the tall man abruptly turned to look in a certain direction. A graceful figure in purple had appeared from that direction at some point in time and was staring at him quietly.
The man grinned, “I heard that the Dragon and Phoenix Clans have always maintained a close relationship with each other since ancient times thanks to the resonance between your bloodlines. Have you discovered something, Yue Zhuo?”
The purple robed woman called Yue Zhuo stared at him and parted her ruby lips lightly, “Kun Ao, you must not lay a hand on this Dragon Clan member!”
Kun Ao sneered, “Ridiculous! There is nothing in this world that I cannot touch, much less a Dragon Clan member with such an inferior bloodline! Even if a Divine Dragon himself appeared before this King, I will show you that I can fight him.”
Yue Zhuo said indifferently, “Say that to a Divine Dragon’s face and I’ll believe you.”
Kun Ao coldly snorted, “We haven’t heard from the Dragon Clan since the day they left the Ancestral Land. Who knows whether they’ve gone extinct or not?” Looking up at her, he continued, “But, you can rest assured. I won’t kill him even if I find him. We need him to collaborate with you to break the seal that the Dragon Clan left behind back then. The Ancestral Strength is getting weaker and weaker by the day. I’m sure your Four Phoenix Pavilion would not want to see the bloodline of your descendants becoming thinner and thinner either. Isn’t that right?”
Yue Zhuo replied with a frown, “That seal is something the Dragon and Phoenix Clans created together in ancient times. Nobody knows what lies beyond the seal. Aren’t you afraid of bringing irreversible consequences down on the Ancestral Land by rashly undoing it?”
Kun Ao shook his head, “Both you and I have seen the changes in the Ancestral Land over the years. If we don’t do something, the Ancestral Land will no longer be worthy of its name one day. Rather than that, isn’t it better to take a gamble? Don’t tell me the Four Phoenix Pavilion has never thought of releasing the seal over the years!”
Yue Zhuo said nothing.
Kun Ao went on, “Leaving aside the Kun Clan, there are so many other Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. Which one of them does not wish to undo the seal? It is just that the Four Phoenix Pavilion has constantly obstructed our attempts for some reason. Be that as it may, you cannot be blamed either. The seal was created by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans together. Trying to break the seal with the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline alone is not feasible. The Dragon Clan not only disappeared so many years ago, but also remained hidden, impossible to be found. But now, a Dragon Clan member has finally arrived in the Ancestral Land. Don’t you think that this is the Heavens’ Will? The countless Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land will not remain silent if the Four Phoenix Pavilion dares to stand in the way again. If you are not careful, the people will turn against you!”
How could Yue Zhuo be unaware of such a fact? In the past, it was possible to dodge the problem by claiming that the seal could not be undone with the power of the Phoenix Clan alone; however, a Dragon Clan member had appeared out of nowhere for some inexplicable reason. If the Phoenix Clan continued to oppose this matter, even the Four Phoenix Pavilion would not be able to resist the pressure from all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, and a terrifying war was bound to break out if they tried.
“I will need to carefully discuss this matter with the rest of my Sisters,” Yue Zhuo said softly.
Kun Ao just waved his hand dismissively, “Go ahead and discuss it among yourselves. When I find him, I will bring him to the Four Phoenix Pavilion.”
Yue Zhuo nodded and turned around. Her graceful figure suddenly transformed into a giant, extremely beautiful purple bird. Then, she spread her wings and flew away.
Kun Ao watched her leave before he turned around and walked away leisurely.
…..
Inside the cave, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were focused on their recovery when all of a sudden, Yang Kai opened his eyes. His gaze was deep, piercing through the void to look off into the distance. After a moment of careful observation, he couldn’t help crying out in surprise.
In the next moment, his figure flickered and appeared outside the mountainside.
There was a tender and jade-like boy who was fighting a bloody battle with a ferocious exotic beast in Yang Kai’s field of vision. The child looked to be around seven or eight years old. His soft and tender limbs were adorable, and he had a high ponytail on his head.
The exotic beast he was fighting clearly carried a trace of a Divine Spirit bloodline. It was just that the bloodline was not very pure. Nevertheless, each attack it unleashed contained power equivalent to that of a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Be that as it may, the child remained undaunted. The small figure rode upon the body of the exotic beast, one hand clutching its fur tightly and the other hand forming a fist to punch its head. He might be small, but the strength of every blow was not to be underestimated.
Even though the exotic beast fought back bravely and even activated the power of its bloodline, it could not escape the child’s attacks.
A quarter hour later, the child jumped down. He was drenched in blood, but the exotic beast collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud. Its vitality had been extinguished.
Seeming to sense something, the child turned to look in Yang Kai’s direction and shouted in a childish voice, “Who’s there!?”
When their four eyes suddenly met, Yang Kai grinned. The child was taken aback for a moment. Immediately after that, his eyes widened and he pointed a finger at Yang Kai, “Y-You… You…”
“Great General!” Yang Kai greeted the child with a smile, “It’s been so long since we last met. Your noble bearing remains the same!”
“Yang Kai!” The child leaped a whole metre into the air, a joyous smile appearing on his face. Striding forward, he rushed over to Yang Kai in a few steps and looked up at him cheerfully, “Why are you here in the Ancestral Land?”
“I just passed by here by accident. Can you believe it?” Yang Kai patted the child’s head.
Great General turned his head away and yelled angrily, “Don’t pat my head! Mother said that I won’t grow tall if people touch my head!”
Yang Kai smacked his lips, “Almost 100 years have passed. Why are you still so tiny?”
Great General clasped his hands behind his back and spoke in a condescending manner, “What do you know? Mother said that my bloodline is extremely pure. That’s why my growth period is relatively long. When I grow up, I’ll definitely be taller than you!”
“Will you get a sense of accomplishment just by being taller than me?” Yang Kai gave a big grin.
Hearing the commotion outside, Xia Lin Lang came out of the cave in a flash and was slightly stunned to see Yang Kai fooling around happily with a child. Coming over to Yang Kai’s side, Xia Lin Lang asked curiously, “Who is this child? Is he somebody you know?”
Yang Kai nodded, “He’s an old friend.”
When Yang Kai first entered the 3,000 Worlds, he had been tricked into becoming a Worker in Seven Wonders Land. The Fire Spirit Land’s Protector Venerable, Duan Hai, used to have a pet whom the Workers called ‘Ruler of the Dawn Great General’. It was from Great General’s hands that Yang Kai earned a considerable amount of Open Heaven Pills.
When Yang Kai later escaped the Seven Wonders Land, he brought Great General with him. Afterward, Great General led Yang Kai to the Divine Spirit Mie Meng. It was not until then that Yang Kai learned that the golden rooster-like Great General was actually the child of a Divine Spirit.
Mie Meng had given Yang Kai three golden tail feathers, and it was by relying on one of these tail feathers that he managed to kill the dying Golden Crow and obtained the Golden Crow’s True Fire. It could be said that Mie Meng’s three golden tail feathers had been of great help to him.
Yang Kai never imagined that he would meet the Great General again in this place.
Great General might have taken on a humanoid form, but his aura remained unchanged. That was why Yang Kai recognised him at a glance. Great General then looked behind Yang Kai and asked curiously, “Where are Old Fang, Dié You, and the others?”
Yang Kai laughed, “They joined Great Moon Province a long time ago, so they are cultivating there right now.”
Great General made a noncommittal sound in response, seeming rather disappointed. He did not know many people, and Yang Kai was one of the few friends he had. Fang Bi Qi, Dié You, and Ah Sun were also counted amongst his friends.
“You mentioned the Ancestral Land earlier. What is this ‘Ancestral Land’?” Yang Kai asked. He had been looking for an opportunity to figure out his current location, so now that he had encountered Great General, it was only natural for him to inquire about his circumstances.
Great General blinked his large eyes a bit before replying, “The Ancestral Land… is the Ancestral Land!”
It would seem that he didn’t know much either; therefore, Yang Kai did not ask any further questions. Looking around, he asked, “This place is dangerous. Why are you here alone? Where is your Mother?”
Great General pointed behind him with his thumb and smilingly said, “Mother is at home. My house is not far from here. Mother will be very happy to know that you’re here. Would you like to come with me to visit her?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I was hoping to do just that.”
“Let’s go then!” While speaking, Great General turned a somersault and dexterously landed on Yang Kai’s shoulders. Riding around Yang Kai’s neck like he was riding a horse, he pointed one of his chubby fingers in a certain direction, “That way!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes, involuntarily recalling the scene where this little boy was constantly resting on top of his nest, which caused his hair to resemble a chicken coop.
So many years had passed, but Great General seemed to have never forgotten that feeling. Now that he could no longer use Yang Kai’s head as a nest, he rode on his shoulders instead.
Yang Kai did not chase the little boy off his shoulders; instead, he allowed him to grab his hair with both hands as he sped forward in the direction Great General pointed.
Xia Lin Lang followed behind with an odd expression.
Along the way, the trio passed through various mountains and valleys. It took more than an hour before they caught sight of a Spirit Peak rising up from the ground in the distance. Even from a distance, the Spirit Peak towered into the sky, standing at least 10,000 metres high. The top of the mountain was covered in a layer of mist, creating a beautiful scenery that resembled a Heavenly paradise.
A palace came into view when they arrived at the top of the mountain, and there was a noble looking woman standing there waiting quietly. It was obvious that she had noticed the auras of Great General, Yang Kai, and Xia Lin Lang in advance.
Upon seeing the woman, Great General jumped off Yang Kai and cheerfully shouted, “Mother, look who’s here!”
He rushed toward the woman while speaking; however, the woman stretched out her hand as soon as he approached and pinched his ears with great precision, causing him to yelp in pain.
“I take my eyes off you for one moment and you go gallivanting off on your own. Didn’t I tell you that the Ancestral Land is dangerous and not to go out on your own?”
Great General’s small face flushed with pain, and his eyes flitted towards Yang Kai from time to time. He quickly begged for mercy, “Mother, I was wrong. I only went out for a walk because I was bored, and I didn’t go far.”
“Are you going to do this again in the future?” The woman twisted his ears painfully.
“I won’t! I won’t!” He nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking rice.
Only then did the woman release her grip, “Go inside. You are not allowed to leave again without my permission.”
Rubbing his ear, Great General walked towards the palace with a pout on his face. Nevertheless, he turned back and made a face at Yang Kai before he vanished inside.
Yang Kai burst into laughter at the sight. Taking several steps forward, he bowed politely, “Yang Kai greets Senior.”
This woman was none other than the Divine Spirit Mie Meng whom he rescued from a certain Grand Array many years ago. Mie Meng in human form no longer had that fierce and terrifying aura around her body. On the contrary, she seemed like a well-mannered woman.
Mie Meng looked at him with a slightly complicated look and frowned, “Why did you come to the Ancestral Land?”
Yang Kai briefly explained, “I was chased by a powerful enemy, so I had no choice but to plunge into a place where countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques lay dormant. Afterward, I just somehow found myself here.
“It’s been years since we last met. Not only are you in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but the little girl beside you is in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Who could have pushed you to the point where you were cornered so badly? Could it have been an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?” She raised her eyebrow slightly.
Xia Lin Lang couldn’t help being startled. Although she had some guesses when she first saw this woman, she couldn’t be sure at the time. Be that as it may, the other party had pointed out the depth of her cultivation at a glance, so one could only imagine the strength she possessed.
[This woman is definitely a Mature Divine Spirit! It’s rumoured that countless Divine Spirits gather in the depths of the Shattered Ruins. Could it actually be true!?]
“I wonder if you’ve heard a man named ‘Bright Sun Divine Monarch’?” Yang Kai asked.
Mie Meng frowned, “One of the three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven. I have indeed heard of him before. I believe he is related to the Kun Clan of the Ancestral Land somehow.”
“The Kun Clan…” Yang Kai murmured under his breath.
“Come in first. It looks like you have a lot of questions.” While speaking, she turned around and walked into the palace.
Yang Kai thanked her for her hospitality before walking into the Grand Hall together with Xia Lin Lang.
The Grand Hall might be large, but it was actually quite desolate. It would seem that there was nobody else living in this place aside from Mie Meng and her son. When they took their seats, Yang Kai didn’t even hope to get a cup of tea from Mie Meng and Mie Meng herself never even thought to give one.
“Go ahead and ask whatever questions you want to ask. I will tell you whatever I can,” Mie Meng gently said.
“Let me thank you in advance, Senior.” Yang Kai cupped his fist, “What this Junior would like to know most is, where is this place? Great General mentioned that this place is the Ancestral Land, but what is the Ancestral Land?”
Mie Meng pondered in silence for a moment before she replied with a question of her out, “You came here by passing through the Shattered Heaven, right?”
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang nodded together.
Mie Meng explained, “Strictly speaking, this place is still within the Shattered Heaven, it’s just that this place is the deepest part of Shattered Heaven. Outsiders call this place the Shattered Ruins!”
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang exchanged glances with each other.
“You probably entered through the Divine Ability Sea, right?” Mie Meng stretched out her hand and gave a little wave. Starlight twinkled in front of her, and a large number of fluorescent lights gathered to form a ball, “The Divine Ability Sea is the periphery of the Shattered Ruins. It is a place where countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques have lain dormant since ancient times. Anyone who intrudes into that place will trigger the power of those Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. Generally speaking, non-Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters can never enter this place, and even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might be trapped and die in that place if they are unlucky.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. It was only now that he learned that the region he and Xia Lin Lang passed through was called the Divine Ability Sea.
“And, the Ancestral Land…” she reached out her hand to point at a spot in front of her, “is known to outsiders as the Shattered Ruins! It is surrounded by the Divine Ability Sea!”
Following her movements, the bits of fluorescent light gathered in the middle of the large ball to take on the shape of a continent. She reached out her hand to point at the continent, “We are located in the Ancestral Land.”
“Who does the Ancestral Land belong to?” he asked.
“It is the Ancestral Land of all Divine Spirits, as well as the place of origin of all Divine Spirits. All Divine Spirits in the world were originally born in this place.” Mie Meng made a shocking statement.
Yang Kai was stunned, and it took a while before he remembered something, “But, from what I heard, the birth of the Divine Spirits is related to the Sun’s Burning Light and the Moon’s Serene Glimmer.”
These two were the Ancestors of all Divine Spirits. Supposedly, it was the fusion of their powers that gave rise to all sorts of Divine Spirits.
Mie Meng smiled, “It is indeed related to them. The Sun’s Burning Light and the Moon’s Serene Glimmer were originally born in the Ancestral Land. It’s just that they left a long time ago.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow tightly. There were thousands of questions swirling around in his heart, but he did not know how to voice these questions, so for a time, he fell into deep thought.
Mie Meng thus continued, “You have the Dragon Clan’s bloodline, so you must have noticed the uniqueness of the Ancestral Land.”
Yang Kai nodded quietly. He had felt that abnormality earlier. Cultivating in this place would greatly help to improve his Bloodline Power.
“That is the Ancestral Strength. No matter what type of Divine Spirit cultivates in this place, their Bloodline will be enhanced at a faster rate. That is also the reason why so many Divine Spirits have gathered in the Ancestral Land, but not many of them are willing to leave. The Divine Ability Sea might be powerful, but it is not difficult for the powerful Divine Spirits to leave if they so wished.”
Even Cheng Yang could navigate his way through the Divine Ability Sea, so what more need be said about the Divine Spirits?
Yang Kai understood, “Is that why you brought Great General back to the Ancestral Land after you escaped your prison back then?”
Mie Meng nodded, “The Ancestral Land will be beneficial for his growth. It’s only natural for me to return to this place.” While speaking, she turned to look at Xia Lin Lang, “But, while the Ancestral Strength is highly beneficial to Divine Spirits, it can be said to be a kind of slow-acting poison to those without a Divine Spirit bloodline. Your companion must not remain in the Ancestral Land for too long; otherwise, the Ancestral Strength will begin to erode her Small Universe, and the consequences will be dire.”
Xia Lin Lang was startled, “But… I don’t feel anything unusual.”
Mie Meng replied lightly, “That’s because only a short time has passed. It will be too late by the time you notice any abnormalities.”
“What are the consequences?” Yang Kai asked.
Mie Meng explained, “Strictly speaking, a Divine Spirit is also a kind of Monster. It’s just that they are the strongest species of Monsters. That is why, if enough time passed, she might begin showing some Divine Spirit characteristics once her Small Universe is corroded by the Ancestral Strength. This is a kind of Monster Transformation, but it might not be a good thing for her. Without a Divine Spirit bloodline, the Monster Qi will clash with the cultivation in her body.
Just imagining that she might suddenly grow fangs and claws like a Monster Beast caused Xia Lin Lang to involuntarily shudder.
Yang Kai looked at Mie Meng and said, “Senior, is the Dragon Clan in the Ancestral Land?”
Mie Meng slowly shook her head, “A very long time ago, the Dragon Clan indeed lived in the Ancestral Land. However, the Dragon Clan left the Ancestral Land for some reason. Most of the Phoenix Clan left with them. Therefore, there is no one from Dragon Clan in the Ancestral Land today.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help looking disappointed when he heard those words. He originally thought that this place would be related to the Dragon Clan, and it would seem that there was indeed some connection. In fact, it was not just the Dragon Clan but all Divine Spirits that were related to this place. It was just different from what he previously imagined.
“Nobody knows about your arrival here, right?” Mie Meng asked all of a sudden.
Puzzled, Yang Kai shook his head, “Probably not.”
“That would be for the best. To be honest, you should not have come to the Ancestral Land. It is very dangerous for you to be here.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly and asked, “Why do you say that?”
Mie Meng just shook her head and did not explain. Instead, she stood up and said, “I’ll escort you out of this place. The Divine Ability Sea is dangerous, and with your strength, it will be impossible for you to leave safely.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai bowed with gratitude.
Although the environment of the Ancestral Land was highly beneficial towards the enhancement of his Dragon Clan bloodline, Mie Meng would definitely have her own reasons for saying that this place was dangerous for him. On top of that, how could Yang Kai refuse when Mie Meng volunteered to escort them out of this place? Therefore, he immediately stood up and followed Mie Meng outside with Xia Lin Lang in tow.
However, the three of them had only just walked out of the Grand Hall when an extremely hostile aura swept over them from a great distance. The aura was so strong that both Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang involuntarily tensed up in apprehension. It felt as though there was an entire Universe World pressing down on them.
Mie Meng looked up and saw a stream of light on the horizon speeding towards them without the slightest intention to conceal its presence. After getting a clear look at the person heading toward them, she narrowed her eyes slightly and sighed, “This is the reason why I said that the Ancestral Land is very dangerous for you.”
Yang Kai frowned deeply, “Senior, who is he? His aura… I don’t like it.”
That person’s aura reminded him of the white-robed youth he encountered previously, but comparing the two, there was no doubt that the white-robed youth was considerably weaker than this person. Nevertheless, both of them gave him an instinctive sense of repulsion and disgust.
“Kun Ao of the Kun Clan!”
“Kun Clan!” Yang Kai murmured under his breath. This was not the first time he heard that name coming from her lips.
“Those who enter the sea are known as Kun, while those who leave the sea are known as Peng. Since ancient times, the Kun Clan and the Dragon Clan have been mortal enemies that hunted and killed each other. Both sides suffered great losses in their long war, and the grudge and hatred run so deep that it has been branded into each other’s bloodline. No matter how many eons go by or how many generations pass, the grudge and hatred will never be resolved. The Kun Clan is a major clan in the Ancestral Land. I was in such a hurry to send you away because I was afraid that you might be discovered by the Kun Clan. Unfortunately, it seems to be too late already.”
“Is he strong?” Yang Kai asked.
“Stronger than me at least!” Mie Meng replied bluntly.
Yang Kai gasped at those words. Mie Meng was a Mature Divine Spirit, and although he had never seen her take action before, she was probably no weaker than an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. At the very least, she would be on the same level as one. Be that as it may, she claimed that Kun Ao was stronger than her. One could only imagine how terrifying Kun Ao must be.
“He probably came because of you. I will distract him later. You should find a chance to escape. If you fall into his hands, you will never have the opportunity to leave again.” Mie Meng warned.
“Will that cause trouble for you, Senior?” Yang Kai queried hesitantly.
Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she chuckled softly, “He might be stronger than me, but I have the confidence to drag him down with me if it came to a life-or-death battle. He will not be that irrational.”
Yang Kai breathed deeply, “This Junior will never forget this kindness, Senior.”
Mie Meng waved her hand dismissively, “If not for your help back then, I would never have escaped from that prison. Just think of it as repayment for back then.”
During their conversation, Kun Ao arrived in front of the palace. Yang Kai looked up and saw that this person was extremely burly, his figure like a small mountain. Just by standing there, he gave off an incredible sense of oppression. Moreover, his sharp gaze cut through the void like a knife.
In addition, a white-robed youth and a young woman holding a peach blossom branch stood beside him. These two were the ones who fought with Yang Kai back at the Shattered Heaven; hence, their presence made Yang Kai frown.
After listening to Mie Meng’s explanation, how could he not understand that the white-robed youth was also part of the Kun Clan? It was precisely because of the deep-rooted hatred branded within the bloodlines of the Kun Clan and the Dragon Clan that gave him that unexplainable sense of rejection and disgust when he saw that youth for the first time the other day. That was the power from his bloodline; it was not something he could control.
It was just that Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang had borrowed the strength of Cheng Yang to navigate the Divine Ability Sea and arrive at the Ancestral Land. On the other hand, this young man and young woman were only on par with Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators, so how did they managed to enter this place?
“Kun Ao, why did you come here uninvited?” Mie Meng stood in front of the Grand Hall and looked up indifferently.
Kun Ao grinned, “Mie Meng, stop playing dumb. You are a Divine Spirit yourself. Not to mention that you have some connection with the Phoenix Clan. Don’t you tell me that you can’t sense this boy’s bloodline!”
Mie Meng frowned and continued, “The hatred and grudges between the Dragon Clan and the Kun Clan are matters of your ancestors’ ancestors. How many years has it been since the Dragon Clan last appeared in the Ancestral Land? Why must you abuse your strength and harass the weak? He is nothing more than a small child to you. Why can you not show mercy just this once?”
Kun Ao shook his head, “If it was just about the hatred and grudges between our ancestors, there would be no reason for this King to come in person. It has not been long since you returned to the Ancestral Land, Mie Meng, so it’s understandable that there are some secrets you don’t know about.”
“Secrets?” Mie Meng furrowed her brow slightly.
Kun Ao explained, “For countless years, the Ancestral Strength has been weakening steadily. The bloodline of all the descendants born among the major Clans has been becoming less and less pure. It has also been getting harder and harder for them to enhance their Bloodlines.
“What does that have to do with him?” Mie Meng didn’t understand. It was true that not much time had passed since she returned to the Ancestral Land. It could even be said that she was not born in the Ancestral Land. Nevertheless, she was a Divine Spirit, so she carried with her the Inheritance of her ancestors in her bloodline. She knew about the Ancestral Land, and that was why she came here after she escaped from her predicament; however, she was truly ignorant about the secrets that Kun Ao mentioned.
“In ancient times, when both the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans departed from the Ancestral Land, they left behind a seal which was tied to their bloodlines. That seal cordoned off a large portion of the Ancestral Strength. If we can undo the seal, the Ancestral Land might be restored to its former glory. This will be of great benefit to all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. But, you’ve said it yourself, the Dragon Clan has not appeared in the Ancestral Land for many years. Even in the outer world, the Dragon Clan has not appeared in a long time. Although there are remnants of the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline remaining in the Ancestral Land, they are unable to release the seal with their power alone. If not for that, why do you think the Kun Clan maintains a connection with the outer world all the time? It’s so that we can find a Dragon Clan member to break that seal! And now, the time has come!”
Mie Meng’s expression changed immediately after hearing his explanation. For a time, she was not sure whether she could believe him. She instinctively sensed that he would not deceive her, but subconsciously refused to believe him. Thus, she scowled deeply, “The reason you came here to find him… Is it to ask for his help in undoing the seal?”
Kun Ao nodded, “If you don’t believe me, you can go to the Four Phoenix Pavilion for verification. I won’t lie to you. I’ve already met Yue Zhuo before coming here. She has no objections to this matter.”
Mie Meng muttered, “I will confirm the Four Phoenix Pavilion’s attitude towards this matter myself. It’s late. You should leave, Kun Ao.”
However, he just snickered and reached out his hand, “Hand over the Dragon Clan member to me, and I’ll leave immediately.”
Mie Meng slowly shook her head, “I will bring him to the Four Phoenix Pavilion. If you want him, you can contact the Four Phoenix Pavilion!”
Kun Ao’s expression immediately turned cold, “Mie Meng, you do not want to face the wrath of the Kun Clan. There is a Dragon Clan member standing in front of me right now. I am showing you more than enough mercy by restraining my murderous intent and not acting against him directly. If you refuse to show proper respect here, the Mie Meng Clan might be annihilated today!”
She asked coldly, “Are you threatening me?”
Kun Ao scoffed, “You’ve never even heard of the secrets of the Ancestral Land Seal. Why invite trouble upon yourself for an unrelated Dragon? Besides, if the Ancestral Land Seal is released, it will be beneficial to your descendants too.”
Mie Meng turned to look at Yang Kai, “Find a chance to escape on your own.”
Yang Kai nodded heavily.
Kun Ao immediately became livid, “Mie Meng, do you really want to make an enemy of the Kun Clan!?”
Instead of answering, Mie Meng just charged at him.
“Impudence!” Kun Ao roared furiously and slammed out his palm. A destructive force that threatened to obliterate the world shot out from the palm of his hand and shrouded Mie Meng.
In response, Mie Meng raised a hand and unleashed a dazzling golden light. The two Divine Spirits instantly engaged in a fierce battle, and the terrifying fallout caused the local space to shudder.
When those two confronted each other, Yang Kai quickly manipulated the local Space Principles to wrap around Xia Lin Lang so that they could flee.
At that moment, both the white robed youth and the young girl who had been standing beside Kun Ao all this time attacked in unison, unleashing their strongest Divine Abilities.
Yang Kai raised a palm to counter their attacks while Xia Lin Lang next to him also reached out her hand to point to the front.
Following several explosions, both the white robed youth and the young girl were pushed back. They were strong; after all, they were both on par with Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators, but the combined power of Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang was not to be underestimated either.
After repelling those two, Yang Kai swiftly used Space Principles to escape together with Xia Lin Lang. When he appeared again, they were already several tens of thousands of kilometres away.
“Where do we go now?” Xia Lin Lang’s complexion was slightly pale.
“I don’t know. We can only take one step at a time!” Yang Kai answered through gritted teeth.
Without Mie Meng’s protection, it was impossible for them to leave the Ancestral Land. The Divine Ability Sea surrounding the Ancestral Land was an obstacle they could never overcome by themselves.
Unfortunately, the Ancestral Land was not safe with the Kun Clan eyeing him greedily. What’s more, there were many Divine Spirits gathered here. For the two newcomers to this land, they were completely ignorant as to where each Divine Spirit was located and which Divine Spirits were hostile. Hence, Yang Kai was also at a loss for what to do next or where to go.
After several Instantaneous Movements, the pair had escaped a considerable distance from the battlefield where Mie Meng and Kun Ao were fighting. Before Yang Kai could catch his breath though, a furious roar echoed across the sky, “A Dragon Clan member has appeared in the Ancestral Land! Why are you all just standing there doing nothing!?”
The voice was thunderous, and there was no telling where it came from, but it resounded throughout the world.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately darkened in response.
If what Kun Ao mentioned earlier was true, and the Ancestral Land Seal required the combined powers of both the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans to unlock, then his identity as a Dragon Clan member would be extremely attractive in the Ancestral Land. The Divine Spirits with the intention of releasing the seal would be very interested in him, and Kun Ao’s furious roar had undoubtedly revealed his presence to the world.
If Kun Ao had the ability to capture Yang Kai himself, he would never have made such a public announcement. He could obtain the greatest benefits for the Kun Clan after releasing the seal if he had Yang Kai in his grasp; however, with Mie Meng actively blocking his way, he could not get away from her easily. His biggest fear was that Yang Kai would escape from the Ancestral Land, so he had no choice but to do this as a last resort. Although doing so would reveal Yang Kai’s presence to everyone in the Ancestral Land, it was still better than allowing him to escape.
As soon as Kun Ao’s words rang out, the entire Ancestral Land flew into an uproar. One after another, mighty auras emerged as though waking from a deep slumber and countless terrifying Divine Senses began sweeping out across the world.
A short while later, huge exotic beasts ran across the ground while giant birds took to the skies. Some Divine Spirits even took on Human Form to fly through the skies. The overpowering Divine Senses swept across every corner of the Ancestral Land, searching for the Dragon Clan member who had appeared out of nowhere.
Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were forced into a corner almost immediately. Their situation instantly turned into one where they resembled mice running across the road with people screaming and chasing them. Yang Kai turned several dangerous situations around with the help of his Space Principles, changing their location before the Divine Spirits could discover them. Nonetheless, after every escape, it would not take long before another Divine Sense discovered them again.
Yang Kai fled desperately without rest, bringing Xia Lin Lang with him. Unfortunately, his efforts were to no avail. The Divine Senses of the Divine Spirits interweaved as they constantly communicated their discoveries with each other and tightened the encirclement. If this were to continue, it would not take long before there was no place left to escape, not even with the help of Space Principles.
Another day passed and a ripple appeared in the Void before Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang suddenly emerged out of nowhere. As soon as they appeared, they both spat out a mouthful of blood at the same time.
“Who was that Divine Spirit just now?” Xia Lin Lang’s complexion was ashen and her expression was fearful.
Yang Kai wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth and answered through gritted teeth, “If I’m not mistaken, Tao Wu!”
If not for his quick reflexes earlier, they would have been suppressed on the spot by Tao Wu.
Yang Kai would probably have survived the encounter; after all, the Divine Spirits of the Ancestral Land needed his Bloodline to undo some sort of seal. They would not actually do anything to him, so capturing him would have been the limit.
On the contrary, a Human woman, especially a beautiful one like Xia Lin Lang, would have suffered a fate worse than death. Tao Wu was one of the Ancient Ominous Beasts; what’s more, the way he looked at her just now was filled with extreme malice.
The corners of Xia Lin Lang’s brow twitched as she smiled wryly, “The people around you don’t usually live a long life, do they?”
She had originally hidden herself in the Shattered Heaven over 2,000 years ago. Although she had been living in secret and even changed her name, her life had been relatively stable. Conversely, the few years she had spent with Yang Kai had been a veritable torrent of thrilling adventures, death-defying escapes, and constant danger.
Being hunted by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was nothing at this point as they were now being hunted and tracked by all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. It was Xia Lin Lang’s first time experiencing life on the run like this, and every single time they escaped danger frightened her greatly.
In contrast, Yang Kai seemed rather accustomed to this situation. It was obvious that he had gone through numerous similar experiences before.
“Right now, the person with me is you. You should be careful not to jinx yourself,” he said lightly.
Her smile became increasingly bitter.
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically all of a sudden. Raising his head to look in a certain direction, he gritted his teeth, “They arrived so quickly!” While speaking, he grabbed her by the arm and shouted, “Let’s go!”
Space rippled, and the two of them vanished before they even had the time to catch their breath. When they reappeared again, Yang Kai immediately stabilised his body and looked up to see a figure with an extraordinary aura speeding towards them from the front.
That person had clearly noticed Yang Kai, and when their four eyes suddenly met, he couldn’t help being stunned and stared at Yang Kai blankly.
“Damn it! Cheng Yang!” Yang Kai swore angrily. This was truly a case of when it rained, it poured. What he feared the most during his repeated escapes was to encounter this kind of situation where he appeared right in front of an enemy due to Instantaneous Movement.
His luck had been pretty good so far as every time he performed Instantaneous Movement, he would have a chance to catch his breath for a moment. Unfortunately, his luck had run out and he actually appeared in front of Bright Sun Divine Monarch.
Cheng Yang must have escaped the Divine Ability Sea and arrived at the Ancestral Land at some point in time.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai quickly discovered that something was not right.
Cheng Yang did not look pleasantly surprised to see Yang Kai. On the contrary, he looked hesitant and unsure. Furthermore, it was obvious that he was injured. His injuries contained the aura of a Divine Spirit, indicating that his wounds did not come from navigating the Divine Ability Sea but from an encounter with a powerful Divine Spirit in the Ancestral Land.
At this moment, he was filled with grievances that could not be voiced. He was one of the three great Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven. Although he had been hiding in the depths of the Shattered Heaven and living in seclusion for many years, there was no denying that he was a famous figure. In the Shattered Heaven, he was capable of calling the wind, summoning the rain, and holding up the entire sky.
However, in his relentless pursuit of the World Spring, he had accidentally stumbled into the Ancestral Land of the Divine Spirits. He knew about this place; after all, the white-robed youth from the Kun Clan had always kept contact with him. Compared to the other Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, Cheng Yang had some knowledge of the Ancestral Land.
More importantly, he knew that all the inhabitants of the Ancestral Land were either Divine Spirits or those with Divine Spirit bloodlines. For a Human cultivator without the slightest Divine Spirit bloodline like himself, he was bound to face countless difficulties in this place!
When he ran into the Divine Spirit Bi An by chance earlier, the other party had attacked him as soon as they got into a disagreement. If not for his impressive strength, Cheng Yang would have died right then and there. Even so, his battle with the Divine Spirit had left him wounded.
For now, the only method for him to resolve his current predicament was to seek refuge with the Kun Clan. The Kun Clan had been cooperating with him all these years after all, so it could be said that there was some friendship between them. It was just that he had never stepped foot into the Ancestral Land before, so how was he supposed to know where the Kun Clan was located?
Just as he was at a loss for what to do, Cheng Yang spotted Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang tearing space and appearing in front of him. Hence, he was extremely conflicted.
Yang Kai was undoubtedly the culprit behind his current misery. If possible, Cheng Yang wanted to rip this little brat’s corpse into 10,000 pieces. Be that as it may, he did not dare to attack Yang Kai recklessly under these circumstances lest he attracted the other Divine Spirits here, which would not benefit him in any way.
During that momentary hesitation, there was a bit of a back-and-forth as he struggled to come to a decision. Suddenly, a voice sounded from afar, “Cheng Yang, capture him! The Kun Clan will guarantee your safety!”
Cheng Yang immediately recognised that the voice belonged to the white-robed youth called Kun Yu, who had been searching for something in the Shattered Heaven all this while
Back then, the white-robed youth had brought a young woman with him to seek Cheng Yang’s assistance. He claimed to have come from the Kun Clan and revealed the bloodline of the Divine Spirit Kun Clan in him. Cheng Yang had not paid much attention to this matter as in his opinion, there was no harm in providing some conveniences and protection to the other party as long as they did not interfere with his interests.
Over the years, Kun Yu had constantly wandered the Shattered Heaven in search of something. Cheng Yang never bothered to ask about the matter. Moreover, the information regarding the World Spring was given to him by Kun Yu; otherwise, he would never have emerged from the Universe Cave Heaven that he had been secluding himself in.
Nevertheless, he never expected Kun Yu to return to the Ancestral Land so soon. Of course, considering that Kun Yu originated from here in the first place, it was not that strange for him to return safely.
After hearing what Kun Yu said, Cheng Yang stopped hesitating. He intended to seek refuge with the Kun Clan in the first place, so seeing as Kun Yu wanted him to capture Yang Kai, he would do as he was asked. It would also better allow him to make contact with the Kun Clan’s Masters.
Reaching out his hand, Cheng Yang grabbed towards Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang.
The Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land did not know Yang Kai’s strengths and weaknesses, which was why Yang Kai had the chance to escape using his Space Principles.
Unlike the Divine Spirits, however, Cheng Yang had seen many of Yang Kai’s methods. He knew that this brat would vanish out of sight if he showed the slightest negligence; hence, while extending his hand, Cheng Yang also used his Divine Sense to create a Heaven Sealing, Earth Locking field to prevent Yang Kai from escaping.
Yang Kai gave a furious roar. Summoning the Azure Dragon Spear, a Great Sun leaped upward as the spear stabbed forward.
At the same time, Xia Lin Lang attacked without reserve.
Even so, the combined powers of these two were not enough to block the Divine Monarch’s attack. The enormous hand descending from the sky merely paused for a moment before coming down on them again.
The strength of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was enough to make Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang taste despair. Under the pressure of the large hand, they grunted in pain and their figures steadily sagged downward. They were practically being crushed to the ground.
At that moment, a sudden turn of events occurred. A graceful figure in an azure dress appeared beside Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang without any warning. After a quick glance at Yang Kai, the woman raised her head to look at the large palm coming down on their heads. With a light wave of her bare hand, an aura without the slightest hint of aggression spread out, and the large hand covering the sky instantly dissipated.
Cheng Yang staggered and stumbled backward, staring at the azure-robed woman in fear. He might not have used his full strength in the attack just now, but it should not have been so easily resolved. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him could not have accomplished this in such a calm and relaxed manner like this woman had done. In other words, this azure-robed woman’s strength was definitely much higher than his!
[Who is this Divine Spirit!?] Cheng Yang’s figure tensed in apprehension as his eyes stared fixedly at the azure-robed woman without blinking.
“Phoenix Clan?” Yang Kai straightened up slowly while staring at the woman who had appeared beside him and resolved his current crisis. Right now, his Dragon Vein was giving off a somewhat different and unusual feeling. It was a feeling that he experienced before when he was together with Su Yan, travelling with Liu Yan, and interacting with Jiu Feng. That was what convinced him that the azure-robed woman who appeared out of the blue had a Phoenix Clan bloodline.
“Don’t be afraid,” the azure-robed woman’s words were without feeling, but they gave him an indescribable sense of security.
Two streams of light sped over from a distance. It was Kun Yu of the Kun Clan and the young woman carrying the peach blossom branch. Upon seeing the azure-robed woman, Kun Yu was taken aback for a moment before his expression became solemn and he bowed in greeting, “Kun Clan, Kun Yu greets Senior Qing Luan.”
The azure-robed woman nodded lightly, her beautiful eyes staring into the depths of the void. In all directions, countless powerful auras were rapidly approaching this place after detecting the commotion earlier. Every single aura represented a mighty Divine Spirit.
Qing Luan then spoke, “I shall be taking him with me. In three days, you may all come to Four Phoenix Pavilion to discuss the matter of the seal!”
After saying that, she flicked her sleeve, wrapped up Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang in her power, then soared into the sky.
The powerful auras that had been approaching this direction swiftly paused in silence. A short while later, they gradually fell dormant once more.
Cheng Yang stood there with a frown on his face, his expressions changing in quick succession. All of a sudden, he whipped his head around to look at Kun Yu, “Were you using me?”
If not for the scene just now, he would not have thought too deeply about this matter; however, the Divine Spirit Qing Luan had appeared in person to rescue Yang Kai from him. Combined with the words she left behind before she left, he couldn’t help delving more deeply into this matter after that incident.
Not to mention, he also heard a furious roar resounding across the skies when he first entered the Ancestral Land earlier. That furious roar had claimed that a Dragon Clan member had appeared in the Ancestral Land. Although Cheng Yang had failed to understand the situation previously, he was starting to get some insight now.
Those Divine Spirits rushing here from all directions were clearly coming for Yang Kai; in other words, Yang Kai was the Dragon Clan member who appeared in the Ancestral Land! It was most certain that he had some sort of vital role to play in the Ancestral Land, which was why so many Divine Spirits had come to capture him.
It had to be said that Cheng Yang was the one to pursue and eventually forced Yang Kai into the Ancestral Land; however, the information he received regarding the World Spring had come from Kun Yu. Furthermore, when he first started pursuing Yang Kai, Kun Yu had not hesitated to consume his own Blood Essence to leave a Bloodline Mark so as to facilitate his pursuit of Yang Kai.
After combining all these incidents together, Cheng Yang was seriously suspecting that he had been used by Kun Yu.
“I was just borrowing your strength,” Kun Yu replied calmly, “Why are you so angry, Divine Monarch?”
“You could have explained everything to me in advance!” Cheng Yang’s expression was hideous.
“Divine Monarch, this is the Ancestral Land.”
Kun Yu’s words immediately extinguished Cheng Yang’s rage. There was no choice. If he wished to leave this place alive, he would need the help of the Kun Clan, so it was not a good idea to offend them. After falling silent for a moment, Chang Yang declared, “I wish to meet your Elders.”
“Good.” Kun Yu nodded.
Qing Luan’s speed was extremely fast, so it didn’t take long before they arrived at a place with beautiful scenery. The Spirit Peaks were covered in mist, and World Energy was abundant in the air. Furthermore, there were many gorgeous pavilions in the mountains.
Qing Luan landed lightly in front of the Main Hall, then she gently placed Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang down before saying, “This place is very safe. Rest here for the day. I will come and speak to you tomorrow.”
After saying that, she turned and departed with a flash.
Watching her departing figure, Yang Kai frowned slightly. He had so many questions in his heart; for example, why did the Dragon Clan leave the Ancestral Land? Where did they go? What did the seal have to do with their departure? The other Divine Spirits might not know anything, but Qing Luan who was closely related to the Phoenix Clan bloodline would surely know some of the secrets. According to the information that Yang Kai had gotten so far, the Dragon Clan left the Ancestral Land with most of the Phoenix Clan many, many years ago.
However, Qing Luan had already mentioned that she would come and speak to him tomorrow, so there was no need to hurry. He had been escaping with Xia Lin Lang over the past few days, and the consumption had been too great, so it was true that he needed to recuperate.
There was nobody in the Main Hall when Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang walked inside, so they each just found a private room and went inside to rest.
On another Spirit Peak, Qing Luan flew over and landed. There were three other women waiting for her there. One was dressed in purple, one was dressed in yellow, and the last was dressed in white.
The yellow-robed woman walked up and asked, “Elder Sister, how is the situation?”
Qing Luan replied, “I found him and brought him back, but Kun Ao kicked up such a huge fuss that all the Divine Spirits know about the appearance of a Dragon Clan member in the Ancestral Land. I’m afraid that the matters related to the seal cannot be delayed any longer.”
The purple-robed woman frowned, “That seal is something both the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans left behind in ancient times. Since it is such a powerful seal, it must surely be related to a matter of great importance. Unfortunately, so many years have passed, so nobody knows what is being contained inside. Rashly opening the seal may bring about unpredictable consequences.”
Qing Luan nodded, “It’s true that nobody knows what it contains, but most Divine Spirits know about the Ancestral Land Seal. Moreover, the seal has naturally loosened after so many years. There is no denying that extremely pure Ancestral Strength is leaking out from the gaps of the seal; otherwise, nobody in the Ancestral Land would have joined the movement spearheaded by the Kun Clan with the intention of releasing it.”
The other three women nodded lightly.
During their conversation, a young man hurried over and cupped his fist, “Old Ancestors, please head to the Infant Phoenix Tower immediately. There’s an emergency!”
The women’s expressions changed when they heard those words, and they sped there without any hesitation. A short while later, they stood inside the Infant Phoenix Tower and examined the Phoenix Egg in front of them with solemn expressions.
The Infant Phoenix Tower was where the babies of Four Phoenix Pavilion were housed. Any clansmen who had laid a Phoenix Egg would place their offspring here to be nurtured. It was to ensure the survival and birth of their descendants.
Unfortunately, the vitality of the Phoenix Egg in front of them was weakening at this very moment. It was like a candle in the wind, at risk of vanishing at any given moment.
Upon seeing this, Qing Luan immediately placed her finger into her mouth without hesitation. She bit through the skin of her fingertip and forced out a drop of her own Blood Essence. Her bare hand then danced nimbly, drawing countless patterns on the Phoenix egg.
An extremely intricate and mysterious array formed in an instant. When the light shone brightly, the array was completely absorbed by the Phoenix Egg. The vitality that was on the verge of being extinguished slowly showed signs of stabilizing.
Silently watching the Phoenix Egg in front of her, she gave a small sigh and asked, “How many does this make over the past 1,000 years?”
The white-robed woman replied sadly, “This is the third. The previous two… did not make it. And, this one…”
This one might not survive either. Whether or not it could successfully hatch would depend entirely on the Heavens now.
The yellow-robed woman added, “The bloodlines of the two newly hatched are quite impure. Their future achievements will be limited.”
The Ancestral Strength was getting weaker and weaker. This place was the origin of all Divine Spirits, so the weakening Ancestral Strength naturally had a huge impact on the birth and survival of the descendants of all the Divine Spirits. The Divine Spirits of the older generation could feel these changes clearly. It was many times harder for them to improve their Bloodline Power now compared to when they were younger. Naturally, part of the reason was that the purer their bloodline, the more difficult it was for them to enhance their strength, but unfortunately, the biggest reason was that the Ancestral Strength was weakening.
It had always been difficult for the Phoenix Clan to have descendants, and if things continued at this rate, there would not be any new descendants with their bloodline born to them.
Forget the Phoenix Clan; the population of Divine Spirits with small numbers in the first place had withered and were practically on the verge of extinction.
“Elder Sister, the seal…” The yellow-robed woman looked at Qing Luan.
Qing Luan let out a heavy sigh in response.
The next day, Yang Kai was meditating when he suddenly opened his eyes and flashed out of his room. When he arrived outside the Main Hall, he looked up at the sky only to see four rays of different coloured lights flying towards him.
Having also noticed the commotion, Xia Lin Lang appeared beside him.
A short while later, four women landed in front of the two of them.
Yang Kai bowed in greeting, “Junior Yang Kai greets four Seniors.”
Likewise, Xia Lin Lang quickly gave an elegant bow. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, her powerful perception distinctly told her that all four women standing in front of her were much stronger than her. Even Bright Sun Divine Monarch was nothing compared to any one of them.
As the leader, Qing Luan nodded lightly before looking at Yang Kai and saying, “I am Qing Luan. You might already know me. These three are Yuan Chu, Yue Zhuo, and Hong Hu. The four of us can be considered the oldest generation in the Four Phoenix Pavilion.”
Yang Kai’s heart trembled slightly. He once read the Divine Spirit Record, and according to its text, there were Phoenixes of five different colours, namely Red Phoenix, Azure Luan, Yellow Yuan Chu, Purple Yue Zhuo, and White Hong Hu.
It could be said that the four women in front of him carried the purest bloodlines of the Phoenix Clan other than the Phoenix’s themselves. Moreover, the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans had always had a close relationship with each other, which was why he did not feel the slightest sense of oppression from them even though the gap in their strength was so large. On the contrary, Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein seemed to be rejoicing.
“You probably have some questions for us. Similarly, we have some questions for you.” Qing Luan looked at Yang Kai warmly, as if she were his Elder, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
Yang Kai nodded; thus, they all went into the Main Hall and took their seats.
The gazes of the four women were focused on Yang Kai. They constantly seemed to be examining him as though trying to figure out something from his body.
“Your bloodline is strange.” Qing Luan was the first to speak, “It’s extremely pure, but you don’t seem to be part of the Dragon Clan. Can you explain the situation to us?”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “I am not part of the Dragon Clan, but I’m not fully Human either.”
The purple-robed Yue Zhuo frowned, “Even if a Human obtained a Dragon Source by chance, their bloodline should not have been so pure. What Dragon Source did you receive?”
In response, Yang Kai silently stimulated the power of his Dragon Source. A deafening Dragon Roar resounded throughout the Main Hall in the next moment, and at the same time, a large Golden Dragon Head seemed to awaken from dormancy and floated just behind him. The Dragon Eyes were majestic, seeming to overlook the universe.
Qing Luan narrowed her eyes and exclaimed, “Golden Divine Dragon Source!”
Likewise, Yue Zhuo revealed a look of understanding, “No wonder. You’ve probably tried many ways to enhance your Source Strength over the years. That’s why you managed to experience such growth, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I consumed many Spirit Pills refined from the Dragon Blood Flowers.” After a hesitant pause, he asked, “Seniors, can you tell me about what happened to the Dragon Clan?”
The women exchanged glances with each other. Then, Qing Luan explained, “We have lived in the Ancestral Land ever since we were born, but even we have never met the Dragon Clan before. It’s only thanks to our bloodline inheritance that we know some things about the Dragon Clan. As for whether they are the truth, you will have to be the judge of that yourself. We are not deliberately trying to deceive you.”
“This Junior would not dare to think that.” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
She then continued, “As you know, any Divine Spirit will be strong enough to rival a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in strength once they reach adulthood. As the Head of all Divine Spirits, the Dragon Clan is no exception. Dragon Clan members who were not as strong as a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would always be considered Juvenile Dragons no matter how many years they cultivated. Only those with strength comparable to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were worthy of the title ‘Grand Dragon’!”
Yang Kai nodded. This sentiment was something that he heard from Bi Xi in the past. According to Bi Xi, one’s Dragon Form had to be at least 10,000 metres long for them to be worthy of the title ‘Grand Dragon’.
“And, above the Grand Dragons are the Divine Dragons!” Qing Luan continued, “The strength of a Grand Dragon is equivalent to the strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master or an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. On the other hand, Divine Dragons are on par with Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters! I’m sure you’re aware of the gap in strength between them.”
The gap in strength between each Order of the Open Heaven Realm was like the difference between night and day. A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master killing a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was like stealing candy from a baby. The same applied if a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master tried to kill a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The difference in strength between an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would only be even more staggering.
Meanwhile, a Divine Dragon was an existence comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“The Source you inherited once belonged to a Divine Dragon.” Qing Luan looked him straight in the eye, “In any case, you were able to refine this Source and produce a Dragon Vein. Regardless of your origins as part of the Human Race, strictly speaking, you’re already part of the Dragon Clan. It’s just that you are no more than a Juvenile Dragon based on your current strength.”
Hearing those words left him dumbfounded. Yang Kai had worked hard and cultivated for many years in order to achieve all the success he enjoyed today. Nevertheless, he could only be classified as a Juvenile in the Dragon Clan with his current achievements.
The strength of the Dragon Clan was evident.
When he realised that even Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun could only be classified as Juvenile Dragons though, he felt a little better.
Yang Kai had obtained his Dragon Source when he was still very young. In that case, what happened to the former owner of the Source for him to die in that place? It had to be said that he was a Divine Dragon comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! What about the Phoenix Clan Source that Su Yan inherited? Both of them had been together at the time. How could a Phoenix Clan member be weak if she died beside a Divine Dragon? Unfortunately, what happened back then would forever remain a mystery.
“This is the Heavens’ Will!” Qing Luan sighed.
In the beginning, she had hoped that Yang Kai’s Bloodline might not be strong enough to unlock the seal even if he was part of the Dragon Clan. If that was the case, then she would only need to explain the circumstances to the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land and this matter might have been suppressed as a result.
However, she knew that this method would not work as soon as she saw the Source Strength Yang Kai possessed.
Although with his current Dragon Vein’s power, he could only be classified as a Juvenile Dragon, his Source was extremely pure. There was a possibility that he could unlock the seal, so what excuse could Four Phoenix Pavilion use to stop the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land?
A brief moment of silence passed before Qing Luan asked, “Do you know why all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land want to capture you?”
Yang Kai replied, “I heard that they want to use my bloodline to unlock some sort of seal!”
Qing Luan nodded, “So you know… In that case, this will be easy to explain. In ancient times, the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans joined forces to leave behind a powerful seal in the Ancestral Land. Nobody knows what is contained within the seal. Perhaps, only the original generation of Divine Spirits know the truth. Unfortunately, too much time has passed and too many things have been lost over the generations, even with the inheritance of Divine Spirits like ourselves.”
“At present, nobody in the Ancestral Land knows why the Dragon and Phoenix Clans left this seal behind in ancient times. The only thing we can be certain of is that the seal contains an abundance of extremely pure Ancestral Strength. Over the years, the seal has started to loosen and the Ancestral Strength has begun leaking out from within. We’ve personally gone to investigate the seal and verified this fact,” Qing Luan continued, “According to my estimation, the seal was formed from Ancestral Strength, which is why this phenomenon is occurring.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Since it is a seal, whatever that is contained inside cannot be a good thing. Who knows what kind of consequences we might face if we recklessly break the seal?”
Qing Luan smiled bitterly, “How can the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land be unaware of this fact? But, as you know, Divine Spirits are generally arrogant due to their immense strength. Even if whatever that was sealed inside back then turned out to be something bad, chances are that it no longer exists after so many eons. Even if it still exists, there is nothing to fear with the immense strength of the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. To the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, releasing the seal might be risky, but the risks are insignificant compared to the benefits.”
There was pure Ancestral Strength leaking out of the seal. If they could release the seal, they could improve the current conditions of the Ancestral Land. It would be highly beneficial to the reproduction and survival of all Divine Spirits. If not for that, the Kun Clan would not have been adamant about breaking the seal.
Yang Kai fell silent after hearing those words. There was no way a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him could resist under these circumstances, so he raised his head and asked, “What is Four Phoenix Pavilion’s stance towards this matter?”
Qing Luan replied, “We have always disapproved of the decision to break the seal; however, based on the general trend, it doesn’t matter whether we agree or disagree anymore. I will be honest with you. No less than ten Divine Spirits have been lingering outside the Four Phoenix Pavilion since yesterday. Even if we wanted to send you away, we don’t have the ability to do so.”
Yue Zhuo added, “Besides, the seal began loosening several thousand years ago. Even if we don’t take the initiative to undo the seal ourselves, it will break on its own after several thousand more years.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai took a deep breath, “What do I need to do?”
Qing Luan said, “There’s nothing that you need to do in particular. The seal was left behind by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans using their Bloodline Power, so you only need to consume some Blood Essence to break the seal. In two days, the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land will come to the Four Phoenix Pavilion to discuss these matters. I will let you know once the results of the discussion are out. After that, I will bring you to the Demon Sealing Land. You should get a good rest over the next two days.
“Demon Sealing Land?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words, “Is that where the seal is located?”
Qing Luan nodded, “The situation in the Demon Sealing Land was passed down by word of mouth since ancient times. Although the seal has been loosening, we have not detected any Demon Qi coming from within. We have no idea why it is called the Demon Sealing Land either. Perhaps, the ominous things that were sealed inside have long turned into nothing but dust over the years.”
Even if there existed some sort of Demon Qi, the Divine Spirits of the Ancestral Land were not afraid. The strength of the Divine Spirits could not be defeated by something as trivial as Demon Qi.
Over the next two days, Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang focused on their recovery.
Two days later, Four Phoenix Pavilion opened its gates. Numerous overwhelmingly powerful auras entered one after another, each one representing a mighty Divine Spirit.
Inside the Main Hall, several dozen people slowly filled the seats. Even though the Divine Spirits arrived at different times, they each found a suitable seat for themselves in tacit agreement. Meanwhile, Qing Luan and the three other Phoenix women sat in a row of seats situated at the topmost position.
Yang Kai sat upright to the left and below them, looking down with his head lowered.
Every single Divine Spirit that entered the room would study him with great interest. Some of them would even reveal curious expressions. Most of the Divine Spirits had been born and raised in the Ancestral Land all their lives, so the Dragon Clan was a rare sight to them. They had only ever heard of the Dragon Clan but never seen one with their own eyes.
Sitting directly opposite Yang Kai was Kun Ao of the Kun Clan. His gaze would sweep over Yang Kai from time to time, and he did not bother to conceal his murderous intent.
Likewise, the Dragon Vein in Yang Kai’s body seemed eager to fight. The hatred that came from the depths of his bloodline was an inheritance passed down from ancient times. Even if hundreds of thousands of years had passed, this hatred would never disappear as long as their respective bloodlines continued to exist.
More than half of the Divine Spirits in attendance were comparable to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even if the rest were not as powerful, they were at least the equivalent of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was obvious that all of them were Mature Divine Spirits.
Mie Meng had come too. She was also part of the Ancestral Land after all. The seal in the Demon Sealing Land would affect the growth of her descendants, so she had to make an appearance. Nonetheless, she did not say a word to Yang Kai. The first reason was that the situation was inappropriate. The other reason was that he had the protection of Four Phoenix Pavilion. Many Divine Spirits might be in attendance today, but they posed no threat to him.
In just an incense stick, all the seats in the Main Hall had been filled. All the Divine Spirit Clans had sent a representative to attend the meeting today.
Qing Luan’s beautiful eyes took in the scene in front of her for a moment before she spoke, “Since everyone is here, let us begin our discussion.”
Kun Ao grinned, “What else needs to be discussed about the seal? We’ve waited for so many years, and now, a Dragon Clan member has finally appeared in the Ancestral Land. Who knows how much longer we will have to wait if we let this opportunity slip through our fingers? Why don’t we all express our attitude towards this matter and be done with it? The minority will obey the majority. What do you think, Qing Luan?”
Narrowing her eyes, she said nothing more and simply nodded lightly. Now that things had come to this, she had already mentally prepared herself for how the situation would develop. Nothing would change no matter how much she objected to the decision.
Kun Ao laughed, “Good. I’m sure you’re all aware of the situation in the Demon Sealing Land, so there’s no need to say anything more. Do we maintain the seal as it is? Or, do we take a risk to release the seal and allow the Ancestral Strength to flood this land again so that our descendants never worry about reproduction issues again. Make your choice. Nobody is forcing you. The Kun Clan supports the decision to release the seal. We have also been working hard towards this goal for many years. You’ve witnessed our efforts for yourselves. Those who are willing to progress with us, please show your support!”
“I agree to releasing the seal!” Tao Wu, who was sitting beside Kun Ao, grinned widely.
“As do I!” Bi An responded immediately.
“I!”
“I!”
…..
There were a series of voices ringing out in the Grand Hall. Although some of the Divine Spirits did not express their opinions, those who agreed to break the seal had already occupied the majority.
Kun Ao nodded in satisfaction, then he turned to look at Qing Luan, “This is what the people in the Ancestral Land want. Qing Luan, there’s no need for the Four Phoenix Pavilion to stop us again, right?”
Qing Luan quietly replied, “Since you all believe that releasing the sea is the better choice, Four Phoenix Pavilion will not say anything more. Let us proceed.”
“Good!” Kun Ao laughed out loud.
“But, before that, Four Phoenix Pavilion has a condition!” Qing Luan suddenly swept glared at him.
“Speak freely.”
She then pointed at Yang Kai, “After the matter with the seal has been completed, I will escort him from this place. No one is allowed to harm him or stop him!”
She stared at Kun Ao fixedly while speaking those words. It was obvious that her words were directed at him. There were numerous Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, but the only ones with an irresolvable grudge against the Dragon Clan was the Kun Clan.
As long as Kun Ao gave his word, Yang Kai would not be in any danger; after all who else among the rest of the Divine Spirits would go out of their way to kill a Dragon Clan member for no reason? While it was true that the Dragon Clan had left the Ancestral Land a very long time ago, who could guarantee that they would not return one day? They would definitely settle all their debts upon their return.
Kun Ao nodded readily, “Rest assured. The only reason I dealt with him previously was for the seal. This Kun Ao is a man of honour and will not make trouble for a mere brat.”
“Don’t forget what you said.” Qing Luan nodded faintly.
Kun Ao then stood up, “It has been so long, and it’s rare for all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land to be so united. There’s no day like today. Why don’t we head to the Demon Sealing Land now?”
Qing Luan glanced at Yang Kai questioningly, and Yang Kai nodded, “It’s fine with me.”
Only then did she say, “Let’s set off then.”
Many Divine Spirits stood up, and a short while later, countless streams of light sliced through air as they sped off into the distance.
Yang Kai was surrounded by Qing Luan and the three others. Along the way, Qing Luan reminded him, “The foundation of the seal is built on Bloodline Power. If you want to break the seal, you will need to consume your own Blood Essence. Do your best, but don’t be too greedy for achievements or you will damage your foundation!”
“This Junior understands!” Yang Kai nodded.
The Demon Sealing Land was located at the very edge of the Ancestral Land, and the nearer they got to it, the more Yang Kai could feel the peculiar force lingering in the world getting stronger.
This power was extremely beneficial to the Divine Spirits; however, it was unique to the Ancestral Land and practically impossible to find in the outside world. Forget Yang Kai, who was a newcomer to this place; even the Divine Spirits living in this place did not know much about the Ancestral Strength. Nevertheless, this power was undeniably related to the growth and reproduction of all the Divine Spirits.
Even so, the margin of increase was not very large. The reason for this phenomenon was most likely that the seal had loosened and the Ancestral Strength was leaking out from inside the seal.
Approximately half a day later, Yang Kai saw an enormous Grand Array rising up from the ground in the distance, with several Array Nodes towering up into the clouds. Moreover, there was another Grand Array visible to the naked eye spread out on the ground.
At this moment, countless figures were gathered around the Grand Array. These figures came in all shapes and sizes, and every one of them was different from the next. Some looked like beasts while others had humanoid forms.
Yang Kai looked around in astonishment.
The white-robed Hong Hu, who was closest to him, explained, “The Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land is more abundant, so many Juniors like to cultivate here. My Sisters and I used to fight many other Divine Spirits here over territorial issues.”
Yang Kai glanced at her in surprise.
To which she smiled, “Who was not young once?”
Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling. In the Demon Sealing Land below them, two young Divine Spirits were fighting in their true forms. It was probably as she explained earlier, they were competing over a cultivation spot. There were many other young Divine Spirits in the surroundings who cheered and watched the fight, making for a lively scene.
Unfortunately, this fight was bound to be cut short at this moment. The older generation of the Divine Spirits arrived with great fanfare, causing the younger generation of Divine Spirits to look up in astonishment.
“All Juniors are to leave!” Kun Ao took the lead, waving his hand to chase off the younger generation of Divine Spirits without the slightest trace of politeness. All of a sudden, a large wing spread out and covered the entire sky. The violent gust of wind swept across the ground, and the younger generation of Divine Spirits gathered below screamed in panic. There was no saying where the wind had taken them.
Many furious gazes shot toward Kun Ao, but he simply declared resolutely, “What are you looking at? There were Kun Clan Juniors here too. This King treated them all equally. Is there a problem?”
Inside the Ancestral Land, both the Kun Clan and the Phoenix Clan were considered major Clans. Not only were they powerful, but they also had many clansmen. Ordinary Divine Spirits could not afford to provoke either of them.
Everybody had witnessed Kun Ao’s actions earlier. Although his Secret Technique had swept many of the younger generation away, his strength had been controlled perfectly and there was no intention to wound. Hence, these people only glared at him viciously for a moment before they withdrew their gazes.
Afterward, many gazes turned to focus on Qing Luan and Yang Kai instead with great expectations.
“What do I do?” Yang Kai asked.
Qing Luan replied, “You only need to stand in the middle of the Grand Sealing Array and match our actions later.”
He nodded and came to stand in the centre of the enormous Grand Array under everybody’s watchful eyes.
As soon as he took his position, Qing Luan shouted, “Begin!”
Yuan Chu, Yue Zhuo, and Hong Hu nodded in unison. The four figures flickered and flashed, each standing at the four corners of the Grand Array. In the next moment, their majestic Divine Spirit aura permeated the air and a sharp piercing cry resounded throughout the world.
Rays of azure, purple, yellow, and white lights shone out brightly, and the four women transformed back into their true bodies. Four enormous Phoenix Clan members, each more than 10,000 metres tall, spread out their wings and threw back their heads with a loud cry. A violent gust of wind raged around them, causing sand and rock to fly in the air.
Yang Kai was dazzled by the sight. Although he had seen the Phoenix Clan’s true appearance before, he had never seen any that were so huge and terrifying.
At the same time, a horrifying pressure spread out. Even though they were not deliberately targeting him, it was enough to make his body feel extremely heavy.
They cried out again, and four streams of Blood Essence spewed out from the mouths of Qing Luan and the three others to splatter upon the Grand Array. In that instant, the Grand Array hummed and the Void trembled.
Yang Kai roared involuntarily. Following the sound of the Dragon Roar, a Golden Dragon Head appeared behind him and plunged into his body. In the next moment, his body swelled; his hands transformed into Dragon Claws; Dragon Scales covered his body; two Dragon Horns thrust out of his forehead; a Dragon Tail flicked behind him; and Dragon Beard fluttered below his jaw when he shook his head fiercely. The small humanoid figure abruptly erupted into a several thousand metre tall behemoth.
The Divine Spirits watching by the sides frowned in response, however. They had assumed that Yang Kai was a pure-blooded Dragon Clan member, but the person in front of them was Half-Human and Half-Dragon. That undoubtedly indicated that his bloodline was not as pure as they had imagined.
[Can the seal be broken with such a weak bloodline?] In any case, the arrow had been released and there was no turning back now. They could only suppress the doubts in their hearts and quietly watch how things unfolded.
Inside the Grand Array, Yang Kai could feel the Power of the Dragon Vein in his body surging violently and the vitality in his chest churning fiercely. A mouthful of Blood Essence was then forced from his throat and splattered onto the Grand Array.
After the Grand Array had been stimulated by Blood Essence of Qing Luan and the others, the lights had been flashing and flickering endlessly. With the addition of Yang Kai’s Dragon Blood, the light shone even more brightly than before.
Numerous patterns inside the Grand Array lit up and linked together to become one. Furthermore, the Dragon and Phoenix Blood that was sprayed across the Grand Array wriggled about within its patterns, like some sort of living thing.
With the passage of time, the illusory phantom of a heavy set of gates appeared in the sky above the Grand Array. The magnificent gates stood in the sky between the Heavens and the Earth. There had been no trace of these gates before, and it was not until this moment that they were revealed in all their glory.
Many of the Divine Spirits looked up with excited expressions on their faces.
The Demon Sealing Land was not a Restricted Area and many among the younger generation of Divine Spirits liked to cultivate here. Most of the older generation of Divine Spirits had also investigated this place in the past, but regardless of their identities, nobody had ever discovered any traces of this gate before.
Be that as it may, this gate had appeared when the Dragon and Phoenix Blood mixed with each other. In other words, there was a high possibility that the seal could be broken. The predicament that had plagued the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land for countless years was finally showing signs of being resolved. How could they not be eager and excited?
As time passed, the gate that stood in the sky became more and more solid. It was almost as though it actually existed. However, everyone could see that the gate was not a solid entity, but the manifestation of great energy. It was the seal itself. What was contained behind the gate were the secrets that had been hidden from the Ancestral Land for countless generations.
An hour later, the light shining from the Grand Array gradually showed signs of growing dim; however, the gates showed no signs of opening in the slightest.
Kun Ao shouted, “Qing Luan, it’s not enough!”
Upon hearing those words, Qing Luan and the three others spat out another mouthful of Blood Essence while in the centre of the Grand Array, Yang Kai did the same.
The light of the Grand Array that had faded slightly was instantly revived to its full glory. The two forces intertwined and entangled inside the Grand Array, spreading towards the heavy gates like vines.
The Divine Spirits could clearly sense that the two forces were none other than the Bloodline Powers of the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan.
There seemed to be a pair of large invisible hands that pushed and shoved at the heavy gates. Accompanied by a creaking sound that reverberated throughout the world, the heavy gates slowly opened by a crack.
The eyes of Kun Ao and the other Divine Spirits immediately brightened in excitement as they stared fixedly at the gate.
Extremely pure force emerged from the gap that had opened; it was Ancestral Strength. It was just that none of the Divine Spirits had ever felt the existence of such a powerful Ancestral Strength in many, many years. Thus, they couldn’t help feeling warm and protected when the force enveloped them.
Standing in the middle of the Grand Array, Yang Kai felt these changes even more clearly. Under the stimulation of that force, he could feel the Power of his Dragon Vein boiling furiously. His bloodline was becoming purer and purer at a speed that he could detect. The most notable change was that his huge body that had originally reached its limits had grown again and the bloodline in his body burst out like the roar of the rushing river.
The heavy gate opened at a very slow speed. It took more than an hour just to open up a crack that was no more than three fingers wide.
It was obvious that even more of the Bloodline Power from the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans were needed to break the seal. Qing Luan, Yang Kai, and the others forced out their Blood Essence once more to stimulate the power of the Grand Array.
After three days, the gates were finally mostly opened, and it would not be long before the seal was broken!
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was starting to reach his limits. Releasing this seal had required the consumption of his Blood Essence, and such consumption was so great that it was damaging his vitality.
Compared to Qing Luan and the others, his bloodline was no stronger than that of a Juvenile Dragon in the first place. His bloodline might be pure enough, but he simply could not withstand the consumption. Besides, Qing Luan and the others had four people working together while he was alone. The consumption he experienced was four times that of Qing Luan and the others.
At this moment, his complexion was very pale and even his large figure seemed a little shaky and unsteady, like he could collapse at any moment.
There was no doubt that Kun Ao had also discovered this fact. He would glance at the gate from time to time before he glanced back at Yang Kai. An inexplicable light flickered in the depths of his eyes.
Qing Luan naturally noticed this and shouted, “Don’t even think about it, Kun Ao! If anything happens to him, Four Phoenix Pavilion will never break the seal!”
Kun Ao’s face twitched at those words, but he soon just chuckled, “You’re overthinking things, Qing Luan. I’m just worried about whether this brat can persevere until the end. Since you’ve said as much though, I’m sure there will be no problems on his part.”
The truth was that he had indeed thought about it. If Yang Kai could no longer withstand the pressure of releasing the seal, he could simply slaughter him on the Grand Array itself. After all, based on the current situation, it would seem that the seal could be broken as long as there was an adequate amount of Dragon Clan Blood. The life or death of the Dragon Clan member providing the Blood had nothing to do with him.
However, seeing as Qing Luan had already warned him, Kun Ao could only give up on his idea. All his efforts would be in vain if Four Phoenix Pavilion refused to cooperate again because he killed this Dragon Clan member.
Qing Luan looked at Yang Kai in concern, “Take some time to recover. There’s no hurry!”
Yang Kai nodded quietly and sat down in the middle of the Grand Array without further ado. He silently activated his Secret Technique and frantically devoured the Ancestral Strength that was pouring out of the seal. His physique wriggled while at the same time, his Bloodline steadily became purer and purer. Even his Half-Dragon Form experienced huge growth.
Over the past few days, his Half-Dragon Form had grown by at least 30 metres, and that was with him not even concentrating on cultivating. What’s more, this was the result when the seal was not broken completely. If he could release the seal completely, how much more would the Ancestral Strength benefit him?
Yang Kai could somewhat understand why the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land was so eager to break the seal now. The Ancestral Strength was simply far too beneficial to the cultivation and growth of Divine Spirits. Not many Divine Spirits could resist in the face of such a temptation. Even Qing Luan and the others were not that repulsed by the idea of releasing the seal, or they would never have been so cooperative in the first place.
Half a day later, Yang Kai stood up and spewed out another mouthful of Blood Essence on the Grand Array. The heavy gates had opened by more than half at this point, and with the help of this mouthful of Dragon Blood, the gap widened a little more again.
Another day passed by in the same manner. Seven whole days after they began releasing the seal, the Grand Array shone brightly when Yang Kai spewed out one last mouthful of Dragon Blood. Then, the heavy gates finally opened completely.
Yang Kai immediately collapsed to the ground, his enormous Half-Dragon Form shrinking rapidly to transform back into his Human Form. Qing Luan and the others quickly released their true body transformations and rushed to his side to help him up.
“How are you feeling?” Yuan Chu asked.
Yang Kai was as pale as a sheet, but he slowly shook his head, “I just consumed too much energy. It’s not a big problem.”
Qing Luan nodded, “As long as you have not damaged your foundation.”
After saying that, she looked up at the gates.
The gates were opened, and an abundance of Ancestral Strength was pouring out of them. Be that as it may, when the time came, all the Divine Spirits simply stood there motionlessly. Nobody scrambled to be the first to enter the gates; after all, nobody knew what was waiting for them.
Kun Ao turned to look behind him. In that direction, a figure stepped forward with a hideous expression on his face. It was none other than Cheng Yang, who had stumbled into the Ancestral Land while pursuing Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang.
He had not been present when the Divine Spirits rushed here earlier and there was no telling when he had arrived at this place. When all the Divine Spirits in the surroundings turned to look at him, he felt his skin tightening in apprehension, even though he was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
“Don’t forget what you promised me, Kun Ao!” Cheng Yang shouted grimly.
Kun Ao smiled, “Of course. I will ask Kun Yu to escort you out of the Ancestral Land after this. You will not be able to leave the Ancestral Land without the escort of a Divine Spirit.”
Cheng Yang coldly snorted. He would never have agreed to Kun Ao’s demands if not for his wish to leave the Ancestral Land. It was just that he was currently living under their eaves, so he had no choice but to bow down to their wishes.
Looking up at the heavy gates, Cheng Yang drew the power of his Small Universe to wrap around his body. Then, he soared into the sky and plunged through those gates to vanish out of sight.
After seeing this exchange, how could the Divine Spirits not realise that Kun Ao had sent Cheng Yang to scout the way ahead? Bright Sun Divine Monarch was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so even if the situation inside was very dangerous, it was impossible for him not to survive and return with some useful information.
Therefore, the Divine Spirits waited silently.
Less than an incense stick later though, Cheng Yang returned from within the gates. It was just that his complexion was extremely pale and his aura was especially chaotic, almost as though he had suffered a huge blow.
Under the watch of the many Divine Spirits, Cheng Yang rushed out of the Demon Sealing Land. His complexion was incredibly pale and his aura was in disarray. There were faint traces of scales appearing on his exposed skin, and the nails on both his hands grew rapidly.
“Monster Transformation!” Qing Luan shouted from where she stood beside Yang Kai.
The Ancestral Land was the origin of all Divine Spirits, and there was an extremely peculiar force in this land that was highly beneficial to the reproduction and growth of those Divine Spirits. However, this force was a poison that could become lethal to living creatures that were not Divine Spirits.
This was something that Qing Luan mentioned to Yang Kai previously. That was why the living creatures existing in the Ancestral Land were generally Divine Spirits or those with the Divine Spirit bloodline.
It was impossible for a Pure-Human cultivator to stay in the Ancestral Land for a long time as once the Ancestral Strength invaded their bodies, there was a high possibility that they would suffer from horrible consequences. Those consequences were Monster Transformation!
Cheng Yang was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and his strength was incredibly powerful. Even so, he was already being eroded by the Ancestral Strength and showing signs of Monster Transformation after spending less than an incense stick inside the Demon Sealing Land.
It was conceivable just how abundant and intense the Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land was that even a Master like Cheng Yang could not resist. That was why many of the Divine Spirits rejoiced at the sight of his miserable state. The stronger the Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land, the better it was for them.
“What’s inside?” Kun Ao asked while looking at Cheng Yang.
Cheng Yang shook his head while resisting the Ancestral Strength that was invading his body, “It’s too vast. I couldn’t investigate much, but it shouldn’t be dangerous for Divine Spirits like you. Kun Ao, I need to leave this place. The sooner, the better!”
Before entering the Demon Sealing Land, his strength was enough that he could easily resist the erosion of the Ancestral Strength of the Ancestral Land even though it had been gnawing at him without pause. Now that he had fallen into this state, though, the symptoms of Monster Transformation would become irreversible if he did not leave as soon as possible; otherwise, he would become an existence that was neither Monster nor Human.
Kun Ao stared at Cheng Yang deeply as though trying to judge whether the latter was speaking the truth, but a short while later, he shouted, “Kun Yu!”
The white-robed youth who fought Yang Kai on several occasions previously came forward.
“Send him away!” Kun Ao waved his hand dismissively. Although he was a domineering man, he was not a dishonest person.
“Yes!” Kun Yu accepted the order and gestured to Cheng Yang politely.
Cheng Yang coldly snorted and turned around to leave. He did not wish to spend another moment in this place. Nevertheless, he cast a glance at Yang Kai with an inexplicable look in his eyes before he departed.
He had pursued Yang Kai deep into the Ancestral Land because of the World Spring. As a result, not only did he fail to obtain the World Spring, but he also brought great trouble down upon himself. It was truly very unlucky.
Now that Yang Kai was in the Ancestral Land, obtaining the World Spring had become nothing more than a dream. Just Yang Kai’s identity as a Dragon Clan member was enough to frighten Cheng Yang greatly. If he had known that Yang Kai was a Dragon Clan member beforehand, he would never have interfered in this chaos.
After Kun Yu sent Cheng Yang away, Kun Ao finally turned a hungry gaze at the heavy gates that stood wide open in front of him and grinned, “What do you all think?”
Cheng Yang had returned safely, which indicated that there were no dangers inside; therefore, the many Divine Spirits were eager to make a move. Some could barely hold themselves back at this point. It was just that the Phoenix Clan and the Kun Clan had not made any moves yet, so they could not act so indiscreet.
Qing Luan voiced her opinion, “Since the seal has already been broken, we should go inside and take a look.”
Kun Ao laughed, “In that case, this King will go on ahead and scout the way for you!”
He beckoned with his hand while speaking, leading the Masters of the Kun Clan to plunge through the gates and vanish out of sight.
How could the rest of the Divine Spirits hold back after seeing that? They all rushed forward and entered the gates one after another, and in the blink of an eye, only the Phoenix Clan remained.
Qing Luan lowered her head to look at Yang Kai and ask, “How are you?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s nothing serious.”
“What do you plan to do next? If you wish to leave, I will arrange for someone to escort you out of the Ancestral Land.”
However, Yang Kai looked up at the Seal Gates and declared, “I want to go inside and have a look.”
Qing Luan nodded, “You contributed greatly to the breaking of the seal, so there’s no issue if you wish to go inside and have a look. However, you should come with us and not act on your own.”
“This Junior understands. Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai nodded.
Only then did Qing Luan lead the Masters of the Phoenix Clan into the Seal Gates with great fanfare. A vast land spread out in front of their eyes as soon as they stepped into the Demon Sealing Land. Strictly speaking, this world was not much different from the Ancestral Land, it was just that the Ancestral Strength here was extremely rich.
All the Phoenix Clan members couldn’t help taking a deep breath. Stimulated by this power, their clear and piercing cries rose and fell one after another as colourful Phoenix Clan members of various different shapes and sizes revealed their true bodies and fluttered their wings.
Even Yang Kai couldn’t help relaxing mentally and physically. He felt like a wanderer who finally returned home after travelling the world for many years. His weakened body also recovered its vitality more rapidly, filling him with a sense of satisfaction.
“This place… is still part of the Ancestral Land.” Qing Luan murmured under her breath while looking around her surroundings.
Having lived in the Ancestral Land for countless years, it was only natural that she was familiar with the situation in her home. The land behind the Seal Gates was part of the Ancestral Land and there was essentially no difference between this place and the outside.
Yuan Chu seemed pensive, “Did the Dragon and Phoenix Clans split the Ancestral Land into two parts in ancient times? Did they then turn this place into the Demon Sealing Land?”
Yue Zhuo nodded, “That’s probably it. There’s no other way to explain this phenomenon.”
The Ancestral Land had been divided into two parts in ancient times. One part became the place where the various Divine Spirit Clans lived for many years and the other part became the sealed land known as the Demon Sealing Land. Hence, it was no wonder such pure Ancestral Strength spilled out from the Demon Sealing Land. It was because this place was part of the Ancestral Land in the first place.
Due to various unpredictable reasons, the Ancestral Strength in the outside half of the Ancestral Land was growing weaker and weaker. Even the reproduction and survival of the various Divine Spirit Clans were facing issues as a result. On the contrary, the Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land remained well-preserved. The mysterious force was rich and abundant.
Cheng Yang had entered this place for a brief period earlier, and when he returned, he claimed that the inside was extremely vast. At the time, nobody understood what he meant as this place was a sealed land after all, so how big could it be? It would now seem that it was certainly very large.
The various Divine Spirits that entered this place earlier were nowhere to be seen, making it obvious that they had ventured deeper to investigate the situation.
“If there are no dangers in this land, then there will be no need to worry about the futures of the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land again,” Hong Hu said softly.
The intensity of the Ancestral Strength was so great that it was enough to satisfy the needs of the growth and reproduction of the various Divine Spirit Clans. If the Infant Phoenix Tower was relocated here, the little ones would surely be born healthy.
“This place must be known as the Demon Sealing Land for a reason; there might be dangers that we don’t know about lurking around. We must investigate carefully.” Qing Luan maintained a vigilant attitude.
Under her command, Yuan Chu, Yue Zhuo, and Hong Hu each led a team of clansmen and set off in different directions. On the other hand, she travelled only with Yang Kai.
There were no abnormalities during their travels, but when Qing Luan turned around to see Yang Kai, she saw him hesitating to speak. Thus, she smiled and said, “If you have something to ask, go ahead and speak freely. You are part of the Dragon Clan, which has a deep connection with my Phoenix Clan. There’s no need to be so reserved.”
Yang Kai laughed awkwardly for a moment before he said, “Senior, I have many friends with Divine Spirit bloodlines. It’s just that we came from a remote land and without a proper cultivation method, they have been unable to solve the issue of promoting their bloodlines. Therefore, I wish to bring them to the Ancestral Land after things have settled here. This place will be of immense help to their growth. Will the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land reject them?”
Qing Luan shook her head and said, “All Divine Spirits have the qualifications to enter the Ancestral Land. That is because this place is the origin of all Divine Spirits. If you can come, then so can the others. Mie Meng only entered the Ancestral Land 100 years ago, and nobody criticized her for anything.”
Yang Kai quickly pointed out, “Senior Mie Meng is powerful.”
Qing Luan chuckled in response, “That’s true. Are your friends not strong?”
“According to the classification of the Divine Spirits, they are all considered as Juveniles. Most importantly, many of them are Dragon Clan members!”
Qing Luan immediately understood the issue. The Dragon Clan and the Kun Clan were bitter enemies, so if a bunch of Juvenile Dragons were to enter the Ancestral Land, the Kun Clan would not sit back and do nothing. At that time, how could those Juvenile Divine Spirit defend themselves?
Qing Luan pondered in silence for a moment before offering, “You may send them to Four Phoenix Pavilion. With the Phoenix Clan watching over them, the Kun Clan will not be able to act rashly.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai bowed and thanked her.
She waved her hand lightly, “It’s nothing. But, only by becoming strong themselves will they prevent others from causing trouble for them.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I will tell them to cultivate hard.”
While they were conversing with each other, a large tree suddenly appeared on the horizon. The tree had branches that were thick with leaves, and among the lush foliage, there were also some colourful fruits that were just vaguely out of sight.
A strange fragrance filled the air.
Both of them revealed surprised expressions, and upon approaching the tree, they stopped and studied it.
Yang Kai could not recognise these fruits, but he instinctively sensed that they would be highly beneficial to him.
Qing Luan furrowed her brow tightly at first, but a short while later, she seemed to recall something. Raising a hand, she picked one of the Spirit Fruits and examined it carefully, exclaiming in astonishment after a moment, “Ancestral Spirit Fruit! I can’t believe that there are Ancestral Spirit Fruits here!”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Is it something good?”
Qing Luan took a breath to steady herself before explaining, “This is an excellent treasure for all Divine Spirits! As you know, the Ancestral Land is filled with a mysterious force we call Ancestral Strength. This force is highly beneficial to the growth, reproduction, and cultivation of the Divine Spirits. The reason the others were so adamant about unsealing the Demon Sealing Land is that the Ancestral Strength has been weakening steadily. They wanted to find a solution to the problem.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding.
“These Ancestral Spirit Fruits contain large amounts of pure Ancestral Strength, so they can practically be said to be a condensed Ancestral Strength.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed.
Qing Luan continued, “Even the Ancestral Land that we lived in used to have Ancestral Spirit Fruits in ancient times. It’s just that the Ancestral Spirit Fruits went extinct as the Ancestral Strength gradually weakened. I can’t believe they still exist in this place. It’s my first time seeing one.” Looking up at the tree, she added, “There are eight more fruits. Let’s pick them first.”
Yang Kai quickly nodded and left in a flash. A short while later, he returned with four fruits in each hand.
Qing Luan handed the fruit in her hand over to him and declared, “Take this too.”
Yang Kai was flabbergasted. Naturally, he wanted something as amazing as the Ancestral Spirit Fruit; however, he never imagined that Qing Luan would give all of them to him, so he asked in astonishment, “Senior, why don’t we split these equally between us?”