It was bad manners to take everything for oneself. Besides, the Ancestral Spirit Fruits were extremely precious and would surely be useful to Qing Luan too.
Qing Luan, however, just smiled and said, “Take them. With how far my bloodline has advanced, it is no longer something that eating an Ancestral Spirit Fruit or two can help. It is similar to one’s growth in the Open Heaven Realm. The higher one’s Order, the longer it will take to slowly accumulate one’s strength. Now that the Demon Sealing Land has been opened, the Ancestral Land will not lack for Ancestral Strength in the future. My cultivation will not be a problem thanks to that. On the other hand, your bloodline purity has a lot of room for growth. These Ancestral Spirit Fruits will be very useful to you.”
“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony. Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai happily put the Ancestral Spirit Fruits away.
They then continued onward. Yang Kai looked around carefully, hoping to find more Ancestral Spirit Fruits. Unfortunately, even for this region of the Ancestral Land that had been sealed away for countless years, Ancestral Spirit Fruits were not something that could be found everywhere. Aside from the fruit tree earlier, the pair did not find another one no matter how far they went.
As they ventured deeper into the land, both Yang Kai and Qing Luan detected an unusual phenomenon. The Ancestral Strength in this land seemed to be guided by some unknown force to converge in a certain direction.
The signs were not particularly obvious when they first entered the Demon Sealing Land, so no one had noticed immediately. Nevertheless, the signs became increasingly obvious as they ventured deeper into this land. Feeling slightly apprehensive, they began traveling in that direction.
About an hour later, both of them involuntarily narrowed their eyes slightly. As far as they could see, an enormous chain stretched out into the distance, penetrated deep into the void, and disappeared out of sight.
The chain was hundreds of thousands of kilometres long and so thick that it more closely resembled a mountain. What was even more shocking was that this chain was not an actual solid object, but rather the manifestation of pure energy. Moreover, the aura radiating from those chains was extremely familiar to both Qing Luan and Yang Kai.
After coming up to the end of the chain and quietly scanning it for a moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed, “Senior, is this chain comprised entirely of Ancestral Strength?”
Qing Luan nodded heavily with a serious expression, “Indeed!”
Yang Kai drew a sharp breath. The Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land was extremely strong. Compared with the Ancestral Land outside, it was as different as night and day, and now there was a huge chain manifested from Ancestral Strength in front of them. If they had not witnessed this sight with their own eyes, they would not have dared to believe it possible.
In ancient times, the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans had split the Ancestral Land and sealed the Demon Sealing Land. Not to mention, the Ancestral Strength had been transformed into these chains. Just what secrets were hidden in this place, and what was being restrained by this chain?
Qing Luan looked in the direction where the chain extended and her deep gaze seemed to break through space; however, even with her powerful eyesight, she could not see what was on the other end of the chain. As far as she could see, the other end of the chain was shrouded in a dense mist that blocked her vision.
“Let’s go take a look!” With no other option, she surged her power to wrap around Yang Kai before speeding off in that direction.
It took two whole hours for them to arrive in front of a behemoth. Standing in the air, the two of them stared blankly at the gargantuan figure before them in stunned surprise.
The behemoth had a humanoid figure and a distinctly bald head. Sitting upon the earth, he resembled a great deity. What’s more, there were numerous chains penetrating his chest. The chain that Qing Luan and Yang Kai saw earlier was only one of the chains, and there were actually fifteen others!
At this moment, many Divine Spirits had already arrived at this place. Like Qing Luan and Yang Kai, they had clearly ventured deep into the Demon Sealing Land, noticed one of the sixteen chains, and followed it to investigate the situation.
Many of the Divine Spirits had transformed into their true forms, their large figures ranging from 1,000 metres to over 10,000 metres tall, yet all of them still seemed as insignificant as ants in front of this behemoth! They flew around the giant like a gathering of flies and mosquitoes.
“A Giant Spirit God?” Yang Kai murmured.
The behemoth in front of him was a Giant Spirit God, but this Giant Spirit God looked very different from the Giant Spirit God, Ah Da, whom he met outside the Star Boundary in the past. Mainly, this Giant Spirit God in front of him was as black as ink.
Yang Kai did not know much about the Giant Spirit God Clan. Ah Da was not this colour, but he did not dare to say that there were no such clansmen in the Giant Spirit God Clan. It was just that… A Giant Spirit God was sealed in the middle of the Demon Sealing Land. It was truly a shock in discovery.
Yang Kai had met a Giant Spirit God in the past, so he knew just how tyrannical this Race could be. The Giant Spirit Gods were among the strongest beings in the world. Even the Divine Spirits were not their opponents. Fortunately, the Heavens were fair in all things, so there were very few Giant Spirit Gods in the 3,000 Worlds. Each Giant Spirit God was an invincible existence, but all of them were very mild-mannered and innocent, almost like little children. The Giant Spirit God Clan fed on dead Universe Worlds and never caused trouble for others. Even if other people were to provoke or attack them, such actions were akin to a mosquito biting a human to them.
In any case, the questions regarding the chains had been answered. The chains turned out to be restraining a Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai could not imagine just what had happened in the Ancestral Land back then for the Divine Spirits to actually restrain a Giant Spirit God here!
This Giant Spirit God was also clearly dead. So many years had passed after all, so even for an existence as strong as a Giant Spirit God, it would be impossible to survive under the constant erosion of the omnipresent Ancestral Strength here. Besides, Yang Kai did not sense the slightest trace of vitality from the Giant Spirit God.
A figure flew over. It was Yuan Chu of the Phoenix Clan. Standing beside Qing Luan’s side, she called out, “Big Sister!”
Qing Luan nodded and asked with a solemn expression, “What is the situation?”
Yuan Chu reported, “I only arrived an incense before you. According to my investigation, the Giant Spirit God’s vitality has been completely extinguished, but it would be better to err on the side of caution. We should carry out a more thorough investigation; after all, it would be a disaster for the Ancestral Land if he turns out to be still alive.”
“Good.” Qing Luan nodded. While speaking, she suddenly turned her head to the side. Kun Ao was walking over from that direction and came to stand beside her before speaking in a low voice, “The situation in the Demon Sealing Land is rather unexpected indeed.”
Qing Luan remained silent.
Kun Ao thus continued, “Although I don’t know what happened in the past, the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land must have fought a grand battle against this Giant Spirit God. In the end, they split the Ancestral Land into two parts. This place was sealed as the Demon Sealing Land, and the Ancestral Strength was used to restrain this Giant Spirit God.”
“Cut the nonsense,” Qing Luan snapped coldly.
Kun Ao grinned, “You have always been worried that releasing the seal would bring about undesirable consequences to the Ancestral Land, and it seems that your worries were not unfounded. Something amazing was indeed sealed within the Demon Sealing Land. But, it would seem that it’s not such a big deal after all. The Giant Spirit God’s vitality has been extinguished and he has been dead for countless years.”
“It’s still better to be careful.” Qing Luan’s brow furrowed slightly, “The Giant Spirit Gods have tenacious vitality. No matter how many years have passed, as long as they retain the slightest trace of life, they can revive themselves. We do not know why this Giant Spirit God was sealed here, but we had best act with due caution.”
“Of course. It’s better to act carefully. I am planning to enter his body to investigate the situation. Will you come with me, Qing Luan?” He suggested.
“Good.” She readily nodded in agreement.
The two did not hesitate to gather a few other Divine Spirits, including Mie Meng, Tao Tie, and Bi An. Then, eight figures rose into the sky in an impressive manner and entered the Giant Spirit God’s body via his giant nostril.
The rest of the Divine Spirits waited quietly.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood beside Yue Zhuo and observed the Giant Spirit God. All of a sudden, he narrowed his eyes and looked towards the ends of the chains.
The sixteen chains penetrated the Giant Spirit God’s body, but there seemed to be something acting as a kind of source or anchor at the end of each chain. These objects attracted the Ancestral Strength from all over the Ancestral Land and transformed it into these chains. Among these objects, there was a palace that resembled an illusory and transparent crystal, a big tree burning with a fiery light, and a pearl glimmering with a soft light…
Yang Kai’s gaze soon fixed on the palace that was as transparent as a crystal. He could sense a resonance with that palace from deep within his bloodline.
“That is probably the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace.” Yue Zhuo commented.
“Crystal Palace?” Yang Kai raised a brow curiously.
Yue Zhuo saw his confusion and explained, “There are many Divine Spirit Clans living in the Ancestral Land, and according to the records in the ancient books, each Divine Spirit Clan has their own respective Sacred Treasure. These Sacred Treasures contain the inheritance of each Clan, so they are of great help to the cultivation of the clansmen. It is just that nobody has ever seen the Sacred Treasures of their respective Clans for generations. We always assumed that the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans took the Sacred Treasures away with them when they left. I can’t believe that these Sacred Treasures have remained here. It would seem that many of the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land took part in sealing this Giant Spirit God. The Sacred Treasures were left here to guide the Ancestral Strength to suppress and seal the Giant Spirit God.”
She then pointed at the large tree burning with a fiery light, “That is probably the Phoenix Clan’s Immortal Parasol Tree. And, that is probably the Golden Crow Clan’s Fu Sang Divine Tree…”
Even though she had only heard of these Sacred Treasures and never seen them before, she named each of them carefully with seemingly great familiarity.
Yang Kai silently memorised them all. Unlocking the Demon Sealing Land could be said to be a series of unexpected occurrences. In any case, just seeing so many Sacred Treasures that only existed in legends made this trip worthwhile to the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land.
The Sacred Treasures represented the inheritance of each Clan. The existence of these Sacred Treasures meant that their respective inheritances remained unbroken. Not to mention, the abundance of the Ancestral Strength in the Demon Sealing Land. In the future, the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land would never need to worry about the continuity of their Clans again.
Three days later, Qing Luan, Kun Ao, and the others finally reappeared again.
“Big Sister, how is the situation?” Yue Zhuo stepped forward with Yang Kai in tow.
Qing Luan replied, “He is probably dead. We didn’t detect any vitality inside his body.”
“That’s good!” Yue Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief. Nobody knew what kind of grudges or hatred existed between this Giant Spirit God and the Divine Spirits, but even so, there must have been some kind of dispute between them for the Giant Spirit God to be suppressed and sealed in this place. If this Giant Spirit God were still alive, then unlocking the Demon Sealing Land would have been the wrong decision. Fortunately, over countless years of suppression and erosion by the Ancestral Strength, the Giant Spirit God’s vitality had been completely extinguished.
“Qing Luan, I’m taking the Kun Clan’s Sacred Treasure with me. I don’t care what the Phoenix Clan does.” Kun Ao suddenly turned around to look at Qing Luan.
Qing Luan frowned, “This Giant Spirit God might be dead, but the Sacred Treasures are clearly acting as the sources for its suppression. It would be inappropriate to rashly take them away.”
Kun Ao simply sneered, “That’s what you said when we wanted to unlock the Demon Sealing Land. The Sacred Treasures of each Clan is here. If you wish to stop me, you will have to see if they are willing to agree with you! If they agree with you, then the Kun Clan will have nothing to say.”
Qing Luan looked around. When she met the gazes of all the Divine Spirits from various Clans, how could she not know that their thoughts were similar to Kun Ao’s? She could not fault them for thinking that way. Not only were the Sacred Treasures extremely important to their respective Clans, but they had also been missing for a long time. Now that the Sacred Treasures had been found, there was no reason to just leave them lying around in this place.
If the Giant Spirit God still had some remaining vitality in him, the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land would never have dared to entertain such thoughts; however, it had been confirmed that the suppressed Black Giant Spirit God was as dead as he could possibly be. It would be a waste to leave the Sacred Treasures here.
After a moment of silence, she sighed, “It’s up to you, but be careful.”
It was difficult even for the powerful Phoenix Clan to go against public opinion. Seeing as they could not stop the people, they could only allow nature to take its course.
The Divine Spirits were overjoyed to hear those words. Rushing to the location where their respective Sacred Treasures were located, they quickly began researching the method to retrieve them. They had only heard of these Sacred Treasures in legends but had never seen the genuine articles before, so it was only natural that they did not know the method to retrieve their respective Sacred Treasures. Be that as it may, they were powerful Divine Spirits, so figuring out a method should not be too difficult.
The Phoenix Clan did not move. The Immortal Parasol Tree burned brightly, like the Flames of Nirvana that were only spoken of in legends. Nonetheless, as long as Qing Luan did not say anything, nobody dared to act rashly.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” Qing Luan suddenly turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had been staring at the Crystal Palace all this while, so when he heard her question, he couldn’t help asking her, “Can I?”
Qing Luan smiled lightly, “You are the only Dragon Clan member in the Ancestral Land. If you don’t go, who will?”
“Then, I’ll go have a look.” Yang Kai scratched his nose before his figure flashed and he eagerly rushed towards the Crystal Palace.
It didn’t take long before he arrived in front of the Sacred Treasure. Looking at the Crystal Palace from afar had given him the impression that it was really carved out of crystal. It was one integrated structure that was extremely beautiful, and it was even more stunning when seen from up close.
Although Yang Kai was seeing the Crystal Palace for the first time, he could be certain that the Crystal Palace was related to the Dragon Clan. That was because there was an indescribable connection between his bloodline and the Crystal Palace.
He circled around the Crystal Palace a few times, but forget entering, he couldn’t even locate an entrance. The conundrum left him scratching his head in confusion for a while. Looking around him, he saw the other Divine Spirits spewing out their Blood Essence to refine their respective Sacred Treasures; thus, he quickly imitated them.
After a whole day, he finally managed to refine a trace of the Crystal Palace. A door immediately appeared from the perfectly seamless Crystal Palace with a slight nudge of his thoughts, and he quickly slipped inside.
When he stepped into the Crystal Palace, Yang Kai felt as though his entire body was wrapped in warmth. It was an indescribable feeling of comfort. Moreover, the Ancestral Strength’s intensity inside the Crystal Palace was many times greater than the outside.
The Sacred Treasures of each Clan had the effect of attracting the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land. If not for that, the Divine Spirits in ancient times would not have placed these Sacred Treasures here to gather and transform the Ancestral Strength into chains to suppress and seal the Black Giant Spirit God.
It was precisely because the Sacred Treasures gathered and attracted the Ancestral Strength that the sixteen huge chains stretching for millions of kilometres could exist. The ends of the chains protruded into the Void, connecting the entire Demon Sealing Land as a single whole.
It could be said that one’s cultivation efficiency would improve greatly if they were to cultivate with the help of a Sacred Treasure. That was also the biggest reason as to why the Divine Spirits were so adamant about retrieving them.
Yang Kai did not immediately begin cultivating even though he was inside the Crystal Palace, but even so, the rich and abundant Ancestral Strength continuously poured into his body and integrated with his bloodline to enhance the Power of his Dragon Vein.
The Crystal Palace did not look particularly large from the outside, so it was not until Yang Kai entered that he learned how the Crystal Palace had the mysterious effect of containing something enormous despite its small size. The space inside was much larger than it seemed from the outside.
Yuan Chu had mentioned that the Sacred Treasures of each Clan contained the inheritance of each Divine Spirit Clan. Yang Kai navigated through the countless halls in the Crystal Palace as he searched for this inheritance.
Although he didn’t discover any inheritance, Yang Kai did discover some strange crystals. These crystals were condensed on the walls of the halls. Some were large and some were small. The largest were the size of basins, and the smallest were the size of eggs. There were many of them.
In the beginning, Yang Kai paid no attention to them, initially thinking that they were mere decorations. It was not until he walked through several of the halls that he realised something was wrong. If they were mere decorations, they would not be so unaesthetically pleasing or randomly placed. Therefore, he tentatively broke off one of the crystals. After a careful examination, he made a shocking discovery. These crystals were pure, condensed Ancestral Strength!
[An Ancestral Spirit Crystal!] Yang Kai did not know whether Ancestral Spirit Crystals actually existed, but the crystals in front of him were indeed worthy of the name ‘Ancestral Spirit Crystals’. After all, their existence was essentially identical to the chains that suppressed and sealed the Giant Spirit God outside!
For countless years, the Crystal Palace continuously attracted and transformed the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land into chains to suppress and seal the Giant Spirit God. It was just that there were no Dragon Clan members cultivating inside the Crystal Palace, so the Ancestral Strength gathered inside the Crystal Palace had nowhere to go. Hence, when the Ancestral Strength in this place became saturated to a certain degree, the energy would transform into Ancestral Spirit Crystals that were left behind.
This was the same concept as the birth of Spirit or Saint Crystals. Saint Crystals were generally born at places where World Energy was extremely abundant!
These were great treasures. The Ancestral Strength was an energy that was unique to the Ancestral Land, so it was almost impossible to find outside the Ancestral Land. Be that as it may, it was impossible for him to remain in the Ancestral Land forever without leaving. Yang Kai had been a little worried about how he would further enhance the Power of this Dragon Veins after he left the Ancestral Land.
Fortunately, there was nothing to be worried about with these Ancestral Spirit Crystals. Regardless of where he was, he could enhance his bloodline by relying on these Ancestral Spirit Crystals.
Yang Kai was absolutely overjoyed, so much so that he couldn’t be bothered to look for the Dragon Clan inheritance anymore. Harvesting the Ancestral Spirit Crystals as soon as possible was far more important.
Countless Ancestral Spirit Crystals had condensed along the walls and even the floors of every hall inside the palace. For that reason, Yang Kai was busy for some time. He collected at least 1,000 Ancestral Spirit Crystal of all sizes, the largest among them reaching the size of a big water tank!
Thinking about the Sacred Treasures belonging to the other Divine Spirits, Yang Kai grinned and laughed. It seemed that only the Dragon Clan’s Sacred Treasure was a palace. In comparison, the Sacred Treasures of the other Divine Spirits did not meet the conditions for Ancestral Spirit Crystals to form, no matter the type of Sacred Treasure. Take the Phoenix Clan’s Immortal Parasol Tree for example. There was no way the tree could condense Ancestral Spirit Crystals.
There were countless halls in the Crystal Palace, and as he swept through each and every room, it could be said that he made a fortune in silence!
At the same time, at the place where the Kun Clan was located.
Known as the Northern Deep, the Kun Clan’s Sacred Treasure was a vast ocean that had been shrunk countless times over. It was rumoured to be the place where the Kun Clan originated.
As the Clan Head of the Kun Clan, the retrieval of the Sacred Treasure would naturally fall on Kun Ao’s shoulders. It took ten days of hard work and a large quantity of Blood Essence before the sea of the Northern Deep suddenly shone brightly and became closely connected with his aura!
“Clan Head has done it!” The Masters of the Kun Clan cheered at the sight.
Similarly, Kun Ao laughed happily. He could clearly sense that he had completely refined the Northern Deep. This Sacred Treasure was connected to him in heart and mind now.
With a wave of his hand, he tried to retrieve the Northern Deep; however, he was extremely surprised to discover that it remained motionless. Kun Ao’s brow furrowed deeply as he did not know what had gone wrong. Despite trying a few more times, the results remained the same.
The smiles of the Kun Clan’s Masters involuntarily stiffened on their faces.
Over the next few days, the various Divine Spirit Clans encountered the same situation. Their respective Sacred Treasures had been completely refined, and they could sense that the Sacred Treasures were connected to them, but even so, they could not retrieve them.
Therefore, the Clan Heads of each Divine Spirit Clan gathered together to discuss the issue and finally found the source of the problem after some time.
The Phoenix Clan was gathered not far from the Immortal Parasol Tree, and under the watch of Yuan Chu and the others, Qing Luan continuously forced out her Blood Essence to refine the Immortal Parasol Tree.
Although she originally opposed the idea of retrieving each Clan’s Sacred Treasures, the other Clans had already begun taking action, so it would be meaningless for the Phoenix Clan to insist.
The Immortal Parasol Tree was very important to the Phoenix Clan, so while she had concerns in her heart, she could only refine the Sacred Treasure for now. At this point, she had almost finished.
Just as she was preparing to retrieve the Immortal Parasol Tree, she encountered something unexpected. She faced the same situation as the other Divine Spirits. The Immortal Parasol Tree could not be taken away!
“The sixteen Sacred Treasures have long become one, so they can only be removed as a set. We need to refine them all before we can take them away.” Kun Ao explained as he strolled over from a distance. That was the conclusion he reached after various discussions with the rest of the Clan Heads.
Qing Luan immediately revealed a look of understanding. When she tried to collect the Immortal Parasol Tree earlier, she had a strange feeling. It felt as though there were other forces of resistance coming from all around her and preventing her from collecting the Immortal Parasol Tree. It would now seem that this resistance did not originate from the Immortal Parasol Tree itself but rather from the rest of the Sacred Treasures.
“Where is that Dragon Clan member?” Kun Ao asked.
“Inside the Crystal Palace.” While speaking, Qing Luan glanced towards the Crystal Palace.
“The rest of the Sacred Treasures have been refined, so the only one left is Crystal Palace. He needs to hurry up.”
Qing Luan shrugged, “It’s useless for you to tell me that.”
“In that case, I’ll tell him myself.” After saying that, Kun Ao turned and headed in the direction of the Crystal Palace. He stood outside a short while later and shouted, “Young Dragon, come out now!”
Qing Luan couldn’t help feeling worried, so she followed along. When she heard those words, she scowled. Unfortunately, it was not wise to cause a dispute with Kun Ao over something so trivial.
Inside the Crystal Palace, Yang Kai stored all the Ancestral Spirit Crystals in his Small Universe. It was a pity that he did not find the Dragon Clan’s inheritance after he explored the entirety of the Crystal Palace; thus, he couldn’t help wondering whether the rumours were wrong.
Nevertheless, the Crystal Palace itself was an incredibly amazing artifact. It was the Dragon Clan’s Sacred Treasure after all. This item was several ranks higher than the Heavenly Sword Palace in terms of quality!
Yang Kai had tried to refine the Sacred Treasure, and his bloodline had received the approval of the Crystal Palace, which allowed him to open its doors. It was just that his strength wasn’t sufficient to truly refine the Sacred Treasure. When he tried to, his progress was extremely slow. Based on his estimation, it would take him several dozen to 100 years to refine the Crystal Palace completely, if he could do so at all.
This was related to his bloodline. Although it was pure, it was simply not strong enough. He was just a Juvenile Dragon, so it was only natural that he would require a long time to refine the Sacred Treasure.
Seeing as he could not refine the Sacred Treasure for the time being, Yang Kai didn’t bother agonising over the idea. It was not as if the Crystal Palace could go anywhere. It would not be too late for him to come back to refine the Sacred Treasure once he enhanced his bloodline further.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard Kun Ao’s shout. He looked up only to see Kun Ao and Qing Luan standing outside the Crystal Palace, side by side.
The Crystal Palace was extremely mysterious. Standing inside the palace, his vision of the outside was not blocked in any way. He could clearly see everything outside the palace from where he stood. On the other hand, judging by the reactions of Kun Ao and Qing Luan, they could not see him.
The Crystal Palace had the ability to prevent others from spying on what happened within. On the other hand, the people inside the Palace could see everything that was happening outside.
Since Qing Luan was here, Kun Ao would not be able to do anything; therefore, Yang Kai strolled out boldly without fear and asked with a frown, “What is it?”
Kun Ao asked, “Brat, let me ask you this, how far have you gotten with refining the Crystal Palace?”
Yang Kai thought to himself. [This guy sure cares about many things. The Crystal Palace is the Dragon Clan’s Sacred Treasure. Why is he asking about this? Is he planning to take the Crystal Palace for himself?]
He glanced at Qing Luan questioningly, so she explained, “The sixteen Sacred Treasures have been integrated into one whole after spending countless years together. As long as one of them is not taken away, the rest of the Sacred Treasures cannot be taken away either. At present, all the Clans have refined their respective Sacred Treasures. Only the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace remains.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. He replied honestly, “I can refine the Crystal Palace, but it will take a long time.”
“How long?” Kun Ao asked with raised eyebrows.
“Several decades; maybe 100 years,” Yang Kai responded.
“That long?” Kun Ao scowled, “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. You may refine it peacefully. We will wait for you!”
A span of several decades or even 100 years might not be a short time, but it was nothing to the long-lived Divine Spirits. Forget 100 years, even if it took several 1,000 years, Kun Ao could afford to wait. Waiting for some time was nothing at all if he could retrieve the Sacred Treasure.
“I don’t plan to spend so much time refining the Sacred Treasure.” Yang Kai shook his head.
Kun Ao narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai explained, “Coming to the Ancestral Land was an accident. I still have matters to take care of in the outside world. I can’t afford to spend too much time here.”
This trip had gone on for long enough. There was no need to worry about Void Land as the two Divine Spirits, Old Man Bi Xi and Zhu Jiu Yin, were watching over it. As long as none of the Cave Heavens and Paradises attacked, there was nobody in the 3,000 Worlds who could harm Void Land.
On the contrary, the World Tree and the New Great Territory in the Star Boundary required more of his attention. What’s more, his two Disciples were still in his Small Universe. Yang Kai needed to bring them back to the Star Boundary as soon as possible to aid their growth. Not to mention that he had been suppressing Zhao Ya’s cultivation for the past many years to prevent her from growing too quickly.
The Star Boundary was the best cradle to produce Open Heaven Realm Masters. Compared to growing up in his Small Universe, growing up there would give her greater future potential and would allow her to ascend higher in the Martial Dao.
However, the flow of time in his Small Universe was twice as fast as in the outside world. If he got held up in the Ancestral Land for several decades or even 100 years, Zhao Ya might already have advanced to the Emperor Realm. In that case, she would not receive much benefit from the World Tree even if she entered to the Star Boundary. That was why he originally planned to rush back to the Star Boundary once he finished everything in the Ancestral Land.
“That’s not up to you.” Kun Ao sneered, “Don’t think that you can do whatever you want in the Ancestral Land just because you have the protection of the Phoenix Clan. This matter involves the Sacred Treasures of all the Clans. Even the Phoenix Clan cannot shield you.”
Qing Luan frowned slightly, but unfortunately, what Kun Ao said was the truth. This matter was indeed related to the interests of all the Clans, so if the Phoenix Clan insisted on doing things their way, they would only cause public outrage.
“Can you speed things up?” She asked.
Yang Kai nodded, “Refining the Crystal Palace is related to my bloodline, which is too weak right now. That’s why the Seniors have finished refining their respective Sacred Treasures while I am helpless to do so. To speed things up, I would need to improve my bloodline first. If I can enhance my bloodline to the level of a Grand Dragon, I have the confidence to finish refining the Crystal Palace within half a year; however, this is not something that can be done in a short time.”
Kun Ao said, “The Ancestral Strength in this land is so rich, you can cultivate inside the Crystal Palace with peace of mind and improve your bloodline! You should know that this is something all the Juniors in the Ancestral Land yearn for but cannot get.”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes and ignored Kun Ao.
Qing Luan spoke up pensively, “There might be a way to improve your bloodline rapidly.”
Yang Kai looked at her, “Senior, do you mean…”
Qing Luan abruptly turned to face Kun Ao and asked, “The Kun Clan probably obtained many Ancestral Spirit Fruits, right?”
Kun Ao was taken aback for a moment. Then, he immediately came back to his senses and shook his head vigorously, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Qing Luan simply laughed, “The Ancestral Spirit Fruits contain large amounts of pure Ancestral Strength. If he consumes them, he will be able to improve his bloodline quickly. In the past, we used to hear about how the Ancestral Land had Ancestral Spirit Fruits but none of us have actually seen one before. When the Demon Sealing Land opened, each Clan probably obtained a certain number of Ancestral Spirit Fruits. If each Clan makes a small contribution, it will be enough to fulfil his requirements to become a Grand Dragon.”
Kun Ao was furious, “Qing Luan, even if the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans have always been connected since ancient times, your heart is too crooked! This Young Dragon may be a Divine Spirit, but are the other Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land not also Divine Spirits!? It was not easy for us to obtain the Ancestral Spirit Fruits, and which Clan does not have Juniors that need them? Why should we give them to him!?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin, “If there are enough Ancestral Spirit Fruits, I can give it a try!”
Kun Ao glared at Yang Kai with narrowed eyes, “Junior, stop trying to take advantage of the situation. This King strongly wishes to kill you!”
Yang Kai spread his hands wide, “Without the Ancestral Spirit Fruits, I won’t be able to become a Grand Dragon quickly. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do!”
“Do you really think I won’t dare to kill you!?” Kun Ao snarled coldly.
Yang Kai raised his head to the sky and looked down his nose at Kun Ao. He arrogantly said, “Kill me, and you will never retrieve your Sacred Treasures. Why don’t you ask if the various Divine Spirit Clans will agree with you?”
Kun Ao was absolutely livid! He never imagined that the day would come where he was bullied by a mere Young Dragon! It felt like the biggest humiliation in all the long years that he spent cultivating!
Qing Luan said, “Why don’t we ask the rest for their opinions? Arguing back and forth is not going to make a difference.”
While speaking, she cast a Secret Technique to send out various transmissions. It didn’t take long for the representatives of each Clan to gather around and for her to explain the current situation to them. The expressions of all the Divine Spirits became extremely strange when they looked at Yang Kai.
“It’s not like he can’t cultivate without the Ancestral Spirit Fruits. We might not know what the intensity of the Ancestral Strength is like in the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace, but I’m sure it’s extraordinary. It will only take a slightly longer time to cultivate in the Crystal Palace, why should we waste such precious Ancestral Spirit Fruits on him!?” One of the Divine Spirits yelled out.
“That’s right! It was not easy to obtain these Ancestral Spirit Fruits. They should be used in the right place!”
“In my opinion, this brat is trying to scam us! It has always been said that the Dragon Clan is greedy. I’ve never met one before, but this incident today has proven those sayings right!”
“Who would agree to such ridiculous demands!?”
“Just press a blade against his neck if he dares to refuse to cultivate. Let’s see if he is willing to cultivate then!”
The many Divine Spirits clamoured to express their opinions, so Qing Luan suffered a terrible headache just listening to them.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood in front of the Crystal Palace. His posture seemed to say that he would hide inside the moment the situation turned sour. Clasping his hands behind his back calmly, he waited until everybody finished speaking before he spoke up, “You are the ones who want me to refine the Crystal Palace. I don’t want to do it. Since you are forcing me to do something I’m not willing to do, then you should offer me some compensation; otherwise, you can all just sit there and wait.”
Kun Ao sneered, “Are you planning to hide in the Crystal Palace for thousands of years?”
“That’s hard to say. That will depend on who has more patience between us.”
Qing Luan said, “Enough. I didn’t call you here to argue. All of you are adults, what’s so fun about squabbling with a Junior? Yang Kai is right. If you want him to improve his bloodline, then it’s only natural that you should offer him some compensation. I was the one who suggested the Ancestral Spirit Fruits. In that case, the Phoenix Clan will make the first move!”
While speaking, she beckoned with her hand. Hong Hu stepped forward, took out thirteen Ancestral Spirit Fruits, and handed them to her.
“I’m not asking you to hand over all of your Ancestral Spirit Fruits. Half should be acceptable, right? The Phoenix Clan’s half is right here!”
Kun Ao rolled his eyes, “Qing Luan, can you get any more biased!?”
She replied with a smile, “In the matter of releasing the seal, the Phoenix Clan went along with your wishes; likewise, in the matter of retrieving the Sacred Treasures, the Phoenix Clan bent to public opinion again. The Phoenix Clan has taken the lead in this matter, so if you refuse to show respect, then don’t ever look to the Phoenix Clan for help again if another disaster strikes the Ancestral Land!”
The Divine Spirits looked at each other awkwardly after hearing those words. Qing Luan had already said so much, so it would be bad if they did not express their sincerity in return. Although they were reluctant to part with the Ancestral Spirit Fruits, they had no choice but to do so.
One by one, they took out different amounts of the Ancestral Spirit Fruits. Although there was no guarantee that they really took out half of what they had collected, there were almost 200 Ancestral Spirit Fruits in total when all the offerings were gathered together.
Qing Luan flicked her wrist and tossed a Space Ring containing the Ancestral Spirit Fruits to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai happily took the Space Ring and cupped his fist, “Please rest assured, Seniors. This Junior will immediately begin cultivating in seclusion. I will definitely live up to your expectations and become a Grand Dragon as soon as possible, so that you may all bring your Sacred Treasures home!”
Many of the Divine Spirits secretly ground their teeth when they looked at Yang Kai, but they could only maintain a smile on the surface and pretended to display the friendly demeanour of a senior expert.
Yang Kai nodded at Qing Luan and turned to head inside the Crystal Palace, but before he entered, he abruptly recalled something and turned back again, “Senior, I have something to ask of you.”
“Speak.” Qing Luan nodded.
“The process of advancing to become a Grand Dragon is not something that can be completed in a short time. I do not know how long it will take. My friend is a Human cultivator, and now that the Demon Sealing Land is open, the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land will become richer. It’s not suitable for her to remain here for long. Please arrange for somebody to escort her from this place.”
The Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land had been weak previously, so there were no issues for Xia Lin Lang to remain in the Ancestral Land for a short while; however, the situation was different now. Even Cheng Yang, who was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, began showing signs of Monster Transformation after spending less than an incense stick inside the Demon Sealing Land. How much longer could she resist?
Needless to say, Qing Luan knew who he was referring to and nodded at his words, “Don’t worry, I will arrange for somebody to send her out.”
“Many thanks, Senior. Also, please tell her to head to Void Land in the Void Territory if she is willing.”
Pear Flower Cave Heaven was gone, and Xia Lin Lang no longer had a place in the Shattered Heaven, not unless she found another Universe Paradise or Universe Cave Heaven without a Master.
Although Yang Kai asked Qing Luan to pass the message, Xia Lin Lang would probably be reluctant to head to Void Land. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she would be forced to act according to the circumstances as soon as she appeared outside the Shattered Heaven. If not for that, she would not have escaped into the depths of the Shattered Heaven with him. She could have left the Shattered Heaven with him instead.
In any case, Yang Kai could only do what he was able. Xia Lin Lang was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, not a child. As for where to go or what to do, she would have her own thoughts on the matter.
The Crystal Palace closed once more. Yang Kai entered one of the spacious halls and sat down cross-legged. Although he wanted to hurry back to the Star Boundary to let his two Disciples settle down properly, things had already come to this point, so he could only improve his bloodline for now. Otherwise, he would not have a reasonable explanation for the Divine Spirits waiting outside.
Yang Kai had obtained nine Ancestral Spirit Fruits when exploring the Demon Sealing Land with Qing Luan. Combined with the over 200 fruits that the various Divine Spirit Clans ‘gifted’ to him, he had almost 230 Ancestral Spirit Fruits in total. Even so, he did not know whether these Ancestral Spirit Fruits were enough for him to become a Grand Dragon.
He estimated that they might not be enough as, although the current Power of his Dragon Vein, was not bad, he was only a bit over 3,000 metres tall after transforming into his Half-Dragon Form. To become a Grand Dragon, he would need to grow to 10,000 metres at the very least!
Nevertheless, he was not too worried. The Ancestral Strength in the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace was extremely rich. Not to mention, he had harvested many Ancestral Spirit Crystals earlier! If the Ancestral Spirit Fruits were not enough, he could use the Ancestral Spirit Crystals to make up the difference.
Yang Kai took out an Ancestral Spirit Fruit and an Ancestral Spirit Crystal that was about the same size. Then, he placed them in front of him. He wanted to figure out the differences between them and see which one was more effective.
He picked the Ancestral Spirit Fruit first. The fruit was brightly-coloured and gave off a peculiar aroma that aroused his appetite. When he bit down on the fruit, it felt as though he had barely used any strength, but the skin of the fruit split open. The sweet and tart juice immediately flooded his mouth. Before he could react, the entire Ancestral Spirit Fruit had burst, leaving only the skin behind.
He swallowed the juice and smacked his lips, enjoying the unforgettable taste. He didn’t waste the skin of the fruit either, stuffing it all into his mouth before chewing and swallowing.
After waiting in silence for a moment, his expression became strange. There was no obvious change aside from a slight burning feeling in his abdomen; however, his expression changed drastically in the next moment.
The slightly burning feeling suddenly became scorching hot. It felt as though there was a smouldering iron in his belly. Immediately after that, a huge amount of energy erupted in his abdomen and spread throughout his body at lightning speed.
His physique squirmed, and a Golden Dragon Head that manifested behind his back released a deafening Dragon Roar. It was followed by a series of cracking sounds that came from all parts of his body as his physique swelled up without warning. A suppressed growl escaped his throat.
The power of the Ancestral Spirit Fruit had caused him to transform into his Half-Dragon Form without his consent. Bursts of suppressed roars came from his throat as his physique wriggled madly and Dragon Blood rushed through his meridians with a faint Dragon Roar. At the same time, overwhelming Dragon Pressure permeated the air!
By the time everything calmed down again, almost two days had passed.
The medicinal efficacies of the Ancestral Spirit Fruit Yang Kai consumed had been completely absorbed. He briefly examined his body and raised his eyebrows at the sight. A single Ancestral Spirit Fruit had made him grow nearly 100 metres in just two days! The result was a pleasant surprise indeed.
Seeing as he about 3,000 metres tall at present, there was a difference of roughly 7,000 metres before he could be considered a Mature Grand Dragon! This was not a small gap and it had to be said that he only managed to cultivate to a height of 3,000 metres from the time he obtained his Dragon Source until now.
Be that as it may, a single Ancestral Spirit Fruit turned out to have such profound effects, so Yang Kai quietly made some calculations. With just 70 to 100 fruits, wouldn’t he become a Grand Dragon?
However, Yang Kai knew that these calculations had taken too many things for granted. If any kind of resource or treasure was consumed repeatedly over a long period, its effects would gradually weaken. Fortunately, he had over 200 Ancestral Spirit Fruits in his possession. It might just be enough to satisfy the requirements for him to become a Grand Dragon.
Now that he had confirmed the effects of the Ancestral Spirit Fruit, Yang Kai picked up the Ancestral Spirit Crystal that was about the same size as the Ancestral Spirit Fruit.
When he was in his Human Form, the Ancestral Spirit Crystal had fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Now that he was in his Half-Dragon Form though, holding the Ancestral Spirit Crystal felt like he was holding a tiny green pea between his claws. He could barely feel the presence of the Ancestral Spirit Crystal in his hand unless he concentrated carefully.
Yang Kai focused his mind and silently activated the Power of his Dragon Vein in his body to wrap around the Ancestral Spirit Crystal in his hand. Then, he refined and absorbed the Ancestral Strength within.
Time flowed slowly, and five days later, he finally opened his eyes again. When Yang Kai spread open his palm, the Ancestral Spirit Crystal had already been refined cleanly and vanished. He then examined the condition of his body again and saw that he had grown another 50 metres or so.
After some comparisons, the differences between the Ancestral Spirit Fruit and the Ancestral Spirit Crystal became clear to see. The two objects were around the same size. However, he had spent less than two days refining an Ancestral Spirit Fruit that made him grow about 100 metres in total, whereas it had taken him five days to refine the Ancestral Spirit Crystal even though its effects only made his height increase by 50 metres!
Be it in terms of both the time required for refining or overall effect, the Ancestral Spirit Fruit was far better than the Ancestral Spirit Crystal. Still, the Ancestral Spirit Crystal was more durable in a sense.
Now that he knew the differences between the two objects, Yang Kai did not continue experimenting, picking up another Ancestral Spirit Fruit to consume and refine.
Inside the Demon Sealing Land, the various Divine Spirit Clans sat around their respective Sacred Treasures and cultivated quietly. To them, a land with such abundant Ancestral Strength like the Demon Sealing Land was a cultivation paradise that they used to dream about in the past. After unlocking the Demon Sealing Land, the Divine Spirits couldn’t help feeling as though they had gotten rich overnight. It was almost as though a person who was accustomed to living in poverty suddenly found a mountain of gold in their backyard.
Inside the Crystal Palace, Yang Kai continuously consumed the Ancestral Spirit Fruit to stimulate the Dragon Vein in his body.
Twenty days later, his Dragon Form reached a height of 4,000 metres!
After three months, he reached 5,000 metres!
After seven months, he was 6,000 metres!
After one year, he reached a height of 7,000 metres!
Inside the Crystal Palace, Yang Kai’s enormous body could no longer stand up straight, so he could only rest on his side while his Dragon Tail swung side to side without him noticing. With such a large body, he was already more than twice the size he was when he started. His Dragon Claws were sharper, his Dragon Scales were tougher, and his golden brilliance shone even brighter and more dazzlingly than before. His Dragon Pressure was so thick it almost materialized!
When he reached out to grab another Ancestral Spirit Fruit, Yang Kai discovered that all the fruits had been consumed and couldn’t help being taken aback for a moment.
At the beginning, it had taken him approximately two days to refine a single Ancestral Spirit Fruit. Following the growth of his bloodline though, the time needed for refinement reduced, but the growth he experienced thanks to an Ancestral Spirit Fruit also weakened accordingly.
It had only taken him one year to finish consuming all the Ancestral Spirit Fruits. Unfortunately, he did not achieve the expected results of becoming a Grand Dragon. On the contrary, he was only 7,000 metres tall now. It was still very far from becoming a Grand Dragon, so he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed, though this result was still within his expectations.
He was stuck in a daze for quite a long time before he recalled what he was doing. As the purity of his bloodline increased and the Power of the Dragon Vein grew stronger, continuous bursts of Dragon Roars resounded in his mind. He initially thought that he was hallucinating, but after listening carefully for a few days, he confirmed that it was not just his imagination.
The bursts of Dragon Roars resounding in his head was the mysterious Dragon Language and seemed to be the Dragon Clan’s inheritance. It came from the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source Strength and the depths of his bloodline, and it was only when his bloodline had reached a certain level of purity that it emerged from the hidden depths.
Yang Kai began studying this newfound inheritance, and his entire mind was practically immersed within it, but he always had the feeling that there was a layer of mist blocking him from getting a clear picture. Even his reactions became slower as a result.
The might of his bloodline was not enough. He was faintly aware of this fact. Only by further enhancing his bloodline could he finally tear apart the mist that was blocking his vision.
The Ancestral Spirit Fruits had been consumed completely, so Yang Kai immediately placed many Ancestral Spirit Crystals by his side. His enormous Dragon Form curled up around the Ancestral Spirit Crystals. After that… he fell into a deep sleep.
Even in his sleep, the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Spirit Crystals continued to be guided into his Dragon Vein and continuously flooded his body. From time to time, the sound of crunching bones would reverberate throughout the Crystal Palace. It was his Half-Dragon Form expanding in size.
In his dreams, the Dragon Language resounded softly in his ears without pause. Consequently, Yang Kai’s brow would furrow tightly on occasion and relax again at other times. His expressions changed constantly.
All of a sudden, a spot of light broke through the mist and a wide world appeared in his field of vision. Yang Kai looked up to see a behemoth towering into the skies. The behemoth was bald and his entire body was completely black in colour. He looked like an endless black hole that devoured everything around him.
[A Giant Spirit God!] Yang Kai stared at the Giant Spirit God blankly, and only after a long time did he wonder to himself, [Where have I seen this guy before?]
Yang Kai felt as though his current state was a little strange. His reactions were particularly slow, almost like he was stuck in a dream that was not a dream. He did not know why he was here, much less recall where he had seen this Black Giant Spirit God before. Nevertheless, he instinctively knew that he was inside a dream. It was just that the feelings he received from his surroundings felt incredibly real.
The ink-black Giant Spirit God was running across the ground. With every step that he took, the ground shuddered violently. Meanwhile, there were numerous Divine Spirits in their true forms surrounding him and attacking him in a frenzy. Each Divine Spirit was a mature Divine Spirit who was at least equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai saw many Dragons and Phoenix Clan members with their wings spread outward. Three Legged Golden Crows that blazed like Great Suns in the sky, and Kun Pengs whose bodies covered the sky…
The Divine Abilities of the Divine Spirits blasted out, each one containing Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power. All the attacks landed on the Giant Spirit God, but be that as it may, the ink-black pigment on his skin wriggled like living creatures to form sturdy shields that defended against all the attacks.
Suddenly, the Black Giant Spirit God reached out his hand and captured a Divine Spirit that looked like a Bai Ze. Ignoring the Bai Ze’s struggles, he clenched his large hand and crushed the powerful Divine Spirit in his grip. The blood of the Divine Spirit splattered across the ground.
The ground was covered in countless dead Divine Spirits, their enormous bodies crushed and mangled beyond recognition. Their deaths were incredibly brutal. The mighty Divine Spirits were as vulnerable as three-year-old children in front of this seemingly invincible Giant Spirit God.
Capturing a Grand Dragon in both hands, the Giant Spirit God gave a sharp tug and ripped it in two. A beautiful Fire Phoenix was killed on the spot with a slap of his palm and turned into a Phoenix Egg only to be crushed under his foot.
Despite such a huge disparity in numbers, the Divine Spirits were suffering a catastrophic defeat in this battle.
This scene was extremely shocking; even so, Yang Kai simply watched quietly. It wasn’t that he was willingly being so detached, but rather that his current state did not allow the slightest fluctuation in his emotions. It was an extremely bizarre sensation. He did not know what caused this battle or how long it had lasted. All he knew was that the Divine Spirits suffered countless casualties.
At last, a mighty Dragon Roar shook the skies and a gigantic Golden Dragon Head protruded from the clouds to look down on the world. The Dragon Eyes gleamed with a golden radiance that was exceedingly sharp.
Beside this enormous Dragon stood a pure white Ice Phoenix that radiated with a bone-chilling cold. She spread her wings wide and threw her head back with a shrill cry.
The invincible Giant Spirit God seemed to sense some sort of danger and finally stopped running to look up at the sky.
Under the leadership of the Golden Divine Dragon and the White Ice Phoenix, the Divine Spirits of various Clans that suffered heavy casualties previously began fighting even more vigorously against the Black Giant Spirit God!
The Giant Spirit God showed neither joy nor sorrow. He simply went on a silent killing spree. Divine Spirits died one after another, their vitality completely erased. The blood of Divine Spirits rained down and watered the ground.
Finally, the powerful Giant Spirit God stumbled. The Golden Grand Dragon that was over 100,000 metres long swooped down from high above, shaking his head and flicking his tail. His enormous body wrapped around the Giant Spirit God firmly to restrict his movements.
Likewise, the White Ice Phoenix swiftly swooped down from above, her sharp talons clasping onto the Giant Spirit God’s physique tightly.
One after another, the Sacred Treasures that exuded monstrous power were summoned by the various Divine Spirit Clans. Their auras were closely connected to each other. The Sacred Treasures included the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace, the Phoenix Clan’s Immortal Parasol Tree, the Kun Clan’s Northern Deep, the Golden Crow Clan’s Fu Sang Divine Tree…
The sixteen Sacred Treasures formed a Grand Array, causing the world to split apart in an instant. At the same time, the Ancestral Strength condensed together and gigantic chains took shape. These chains pierced the Giant Spirit God’s body and immobilised him. Afterward, all the Divine Spirits quickly retreated while the Dragon roared and the Phoenix wailed.
When the Divine Spirits looked back, all they saw was the scene of the world shattering apart. All the Blood Essence in the Golden Grand Dragon and the White Ice Phoenix burst into flames and transformed into a powerful force of imprisonment that suppressed the Giant Spirit God on the spot.
The Black Giant Spirit God was too overpowering, so much so that even the Divine Spirits were unable to kill him.
The Golden Divine Dragon and the White Ice Phoenix were nowhere to be seen. Only a small golden radiance and a small white light flickered amidst the Void Turbulence before vanishing out of sight!
Yang Kai woke up the next moment. Three years had gone by in the blink of an eye! When he opened his eyes again, he felt as though he had experienced a very long dream and for a time, he could not break out of his reverie.
He spent a long time in a daze before he finally recalled the last part of his dream. He seemed to have witnessed the scene of the Black Giant Spirit God being suppressed and sealed. It was something the Dragon Clan’s Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Clan’s Phoenix Empress had done at the expense of burning their Blood Essence and sacrificing themselves.
Only the strongest Divine Dragons of the Dragon Clan could receive the title of Dragon Emperor! Only the strongest Masters of the Phoenix Clan had the right to be titled Phoenix Empress!
Following the deaths of the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress, their Sources were swept up by the Void Turbulence caused by the splitting of the Ancestral Land and vanished without a trace. In this way, the Sources that Yang Kai and Su Yan obtained back at Tong Xuan Realm were the inheritances of this Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress.
The reason Yang Kai saw these memories in that dream-like state was clearly related to the Dragon Emperor’s Source. The Source Strength was the inheritance left behind from the battlefield back then after all.
Qing Luan was right. Each Clan’s Sacred Treasure represented their inheritance, it was just that the inheritance was not hidden within the Sacred Treasures themselves. On the contrary, each Divine Spirit’s bloodline contained their respective inheritances, and they would naturally be revealed when their bloodline reached a certain level of purity. Cultivating with the help of their respective Clan’s Sacred Treasure simply made it easier to stimulate the inheritance in their bloodline.
If Yang Kai had not cultivated in the Crystal Palace, he would never have seen these memories.
At this point in time, the truth of what actually happened in the far past had been lost to history. Although Yang Kai had seen snippets of what happened when the Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed through his Source Inheritance, the reason behind such a ferocious battle between the Giant Spirit God and the Divine Spirits remained a mystery.
On the other hand, he now understood the origins of his Golden Divine Dragon Source and Su Yan’s Ice Phoenix Source.
Shaking his head to get rid of the distracting thoughts, Yang Kai examined his body. All the Ancestral Spirit Crystals he took out earlier were nowhere to be seen, so it was obvious that they had been refined and absorbed. As a result, his body had grown again.
He was now 9,999 metres long! He was just one step away from becoming a Grand Dragon! Unfortunately, it would seem that this final step was not so easy to overcome.
If this were three years ago, he might have been helpless in the face of this problem; however, the long dream had made him aware of quite a fair amount of the Dragon Clan’s inheritance. Among them included the Dragon Clan’s Cultivation Techniques. As for how to take the final step, he already had a plan.
Reclining on his back in the Crystal Palace, Yang Kai took out another handful of Ancestral Spirit Crystals. This time around, he did not place the Ancestral Spirit Crystal’s around him and instead stuffed them directly into his mouth. Following the crunching sounds, the rock-hard Ancestral Spirit Crystals were swallowed into his belly and an enormous energy erupted in the next moment.
Yang Kai continued to devour the Ancestral Spirit Crystal’s endlessly, and it was not until he used up nearly 80% of them that he stopped. The amount of Ancestral Strength accumulated in his body was indescribably large by now, and this energy stimulated his Dragon Vein greatly.
The mysterious Dragon Language sounded from Yang Kai’s mouth, and at the same time, he activated the power of his Dragon Source, supplemented by the Dragon Clan’s Cultivation Technique, to refine the Ancestral Strength and enhance his bloodline.
Yang Kai gradually felt a searing heat below his jaw. It felt like a scorching iron brand was pressing against him. The discomfort caused him to shake his head vigorously. The huge Half-Dragon Head knocking against the walls of the Crystal Palace, causing loud rumbles to reverberate through the air.
With the passage of time, the scorching heat below his jaw became more and more noticeable. All the Power of the Dragon Vein in his body seemed to be gathering in that spot and Yang Kai vaguely sensed that something amazing was forming beneath his jaw.
All of a sudden, the energy fluctuations reached a peak and a thunderous roar exploded in Yang Kai’s mind as his entire being suddenly became clear-headed. Beneath his jaw, a round bead of condensed Source Strength came into being.
*Kacha…*
His huge body that had been stagnant at 9,999 metres suddenly swelled slightly at this moment, and he abruptly crashed through the 10,000 metres threshold. He had given birth to a Dragon Bead and became a Grand Dragon!
Opening his mouth, Yang Kai let out a roar. At this moment, he felt as though he had shed his former body and been reborn. Both his body and mind were cleansed by a strange baptism and his entire physique wriggled. The sound of his bones dislocating and reforming once more echoed throughout the Crystal Palace. His Dragon Pressure filled the entire Crystal Palace like a solid substance. A powerful force flowed through every corner of his body, so strong that it almost felt as though this force could break the world.
By the time everything calmed down again, more than half a month had passed.
Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense and examined his body once more. It had to be said that the changes he experienced after he became a Grand Dragon were extremely drastic.
Whenever he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique in the past, although he had a Dragon Form, he still retained some Human characteristics. It could be said that he was Half-Dragon and Half-Human; however, he no longer had the slightest trace of Human characteristics at this moment. He was now a genuine Grand Dragon with a 10,000 metres long smooth body that was covered in Golden Dragon Scales. His Dragon Claws were so sharp that they left a scar in the Void with a light swipe and a swing of his Dragon Tail could conjure a violent force.
These changes were unexpected.
Qing Luan had mentioned that it didn’t matter what his background was since he obtained the Golden Divine Dragon Source; he could be said to be part of the Pureblood Dragon Clan. Looking at himself now, Yang Kai didn’t know whether he was Human or Dragon anymore.
With a shift of his thoughts, his enormous body rapidly shrank and returned to his Human Form. It was just that his current appearance was slightly different from the usual. At this moment, he was wearing a dazzling golden Artifact Armour. This Artifact Armour was formed from his Dragon Scales, so it had an incredibly strong defensive ability.
He did not have such an ability before. Be that as it may, after learning various secrets from the Dragon Clan Inheritance, the ability to transform his Dragon Scales into Dragon Armour was nothing more than a petty trick.
[But… this golden Artifact Armour is a little too flamboyant and conspicuous. I practically resemble the sun radiating such a dazzling brilliance wherever I go.] Yang Kai focused his thoughts and the brilliance of the Artifact Armour subsided considerably. Although the appearance was still incredibly luxurious, at the very least, it was not embarrassingly radiant anymore.
After examining himself again, Yang Kai finally nodded in satisfaction.
He was in no hurry to refine the Crystal Palace. Opening his mouth, he spat out a bead that emitted a faint golden light. The bead floated down to land on his palm. It was a Dragon Bead!
The most important step for a Juvenile Dragon to become a Grand Dragon was to condense a Dragon Bead in their body. Juvenile Dragons had no Dragon Beads. Only Mature Grand Dragons had them.
A Dragon Bead was similar to a Monster Beast’s Monster Core. It was the crystallisation of a Grand Dragon’s power and the manifestation of their Source.
Looking at the golden bead in his hand, Yang Kai could clearly sense the horrifying strength contained within. Even though that power belonged to him, he couldn’t help feeling a little frightened.
His current strength was a little strange. In his Human Form, he was no more than a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; however, if he transformed into a Grand Dragon, he was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength! Moreover, both powers did not clash or interfere with each other. It was most likely that he was the only person in the world ij this situation. A similar situation would not occur in the other Dragon Clan members.
Absorbing the Dragon Bead back into his body, Yang Kai exhaled a long breath.
His trip to the Ancestral Land could be said to be an unexpected surprise. While fleeing for his life previously, Yang Kai never imagined that a place like the Ancestral Land existed in the depths of the Shattered Ruins. Furthermore, he only spent several short years to advance from a Juvenile Dragon to a Grand Dragon. It could be said to be a huge harvest.
Nevertheless, he had consumed many Ancestral Spirit Fruits and Ancestral Spirit Crystals in the process. He used up all the Ancestral Spirit Fruits and 80% of all the Ancestral Spirit Crystals he found inside the Crystal Palace.
There was no other Divine Spirit who could achieve such a feat; after all, both the Ancestral Spirit Fruit and the Ancestral Spirit Crystal were extremely rare. If not because the Demon Sealing Land was unsealed for the first time in countless eons, where would he find so many Ancestral Spirit Fruits and Ancestral Spirit Crystals?
Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked outside. Everything was peaceful as the various Divine Spirit Clans were guarding their Sacred Treasures and waiting for him to come out of retreat. A few trivial years was not enough to exhaust their patience.
Now that he had become a Grand Dragon, it was time for Yang Kai to refine the Crystal Palace. The Dragon Clan’s Sacred Treasure was of great help in terms of both cultivation and awakening the inheritance within one’s Source. If the Dragon Clan members in Void Land were sent here to cultivate in the future, the Crystal Palace would become their greatest support.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and activated the Power of his Dragon Vein to connect with the Crystal Palace. He had attempted this feat in the past, but unfortunately, his bloodline had been too weak at the time. His refinement speed was far too slow, so he gave up on the attempt. Now that he was a Grand Dragon, his speed was much greater.
Half a year later, Kun Ao who was cultivating in the Demon Sealing Land suddenly felt an abnormality. He opened his eyes only to see light flashing constantly from within the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace. The flashing lights were accompanied by cracking sounds.
The anomaly alarmed all the Divine Spirits nearby. Likewise, Qing Luan immediately looked in the direction of the Crystal Palace with a strange light in her eyes.
“That brat’s speed is quite something. Is he about to finish refining it so soon?” One of the Divine Spirits smiled. He initially thought that he would need to wait for a few more years; however, the sight before him clearly indicated that Yang Kai was about to finish refining the Crystal Palace.
“With so many Ancestral Spirit Fruits, even a waste can become a Grand Dragon!” Another Divine Spirit scathingly spat out with a twitch of his brow. The Ancestral Spirit Fruits were such precious treasures that he was still heartbroken over being forced to offer up half of his supply.
It took half a day for the anomalies of the Crystal Palace to settle down. After that, a figure flashed out from within. It was none other than Yang Kai. Feeling many pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly, he nodded at the crowd of Divine Spirits, “Fortunately, I have not failed your expectations!”
Kun Ao burst into laughter, “That’s good. Let us retrieve our Sacred Treasures now that the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace has also been refined.” Then, he worriedly reminded Yang Kai, “Brat, don’t forget to cooperate with us later!”
“En,” Yang Kai responded.
The Divine Spirits had been waiting for this day for a long time now. At this moment, they eagerly hurried over to their respective Sacred Treasures and activated their power. When the powers of these Divine Spirits fluctuated, the sixteen Sacred Treasures that had long since been integrated into one were stimulated by the various Divine Spirits.
There was a rumble that shook the entire world, and a series of cracking sounds rang out repeatedly. A short while later, the sixteen Sacred Treasures turned into sixteen rays of light that were recovered by the various Divine Spirit Clans.
Yang Kai toyed with a miniature palace in his hand that was countless times smaller than the Crystal Palace. The entire body of the palace seemed to be carved from a single exquisite piece of crystal. It was none other than the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace itself. His expression revealed his slight astonishment. He had not expected the Crystal Palace to be able to change its size freely.
After the Sacred Treasures were retrieved, the Ancestral Strength in the world lost its source of attraction. The huge chains penetrating the Giant Spirit God slowly disintegrated and changed back into the rich Ancestral Strength that permeated the world. The sight of the chains disintegrating was extremely overwhelming.
During this period, all the Divine Spirits watched the Giant Spirit God warily. Qing Luan, Kun Ao, and the others had previously investigated the situation inside the Giant Spirit God’s body and determined that he was as dead as could be, but even so, it was a matter related to a Giant Spirit God after all. Who knew whether he had some sort of mysterious ability that would allow him to be brought back to life?
Fortunately, the Giant Spirit God showed no movement even after the chains fell apart and the Sacred Treasures were retrieved. It looked like even the Giant Spirit God could not withstand the erosion of the Ancestral Strength over the countless years of suppression.
There seemed to be an unusual change taking place in the world. Nobody could put a finger to the strange feeling, but all the Divine Spirits living in the Ancestral Land could clearly feel one thing, the Ancestral Land that was split into two in ancient times was slowly merging back into one entity at this moment.
“Kun Ao, I believe that it would be better for this place to be listed as a Restricted Area. What do you think?” Qing Luan stared at the Giant Spirit God for a moment before she turned to look at Kun Ao.
Kun Ao pondered in silence for a moment and nodded in agreement, “Good.”
Naturally, the other Divine Spirits would not object to what the Phoenix Clan and the Kun Clan had agreed on. Under Qing Luan’s leadership, many Divine Spirits joined forces and worked together to set up a powerful barrier around the Giant Spirit God with their Blood Essence. The first reason was to turn this place into a Restricted Area to prevent any Divine Spirit from approaching carelessly. The other reason was to guard against any unexpected changes that might occur to the Giant Spirit God.
By the time they finished working, ten days had passed.
The various Divine Spirit Clans had benefited greatly from this trip to the Demon Sealing Land. There was no need to mention the benefits gained by those who retrieved their Sacred Treasures. Even those without Sacred Treasures could enjoy the abundant Ancestral Strength brought about by merging the two halves of the Ancestral Land. They would no longer need to worry about the continuation of their respective Clans or the impurity of their descendant’s bloodlines.
Yang Kai followed Qing Luan and the others back to Four Phoenix Pavilion, and after consulting Qing Luan, he decided to place the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace in one of the mountain valleys with beautiful scenery.
The Crystal Palace might be an extraordinary palace artifact, but it played a more important role as the Dragon Clan’s Sacred Treasure. The Dragon Clan members from the Star Boundary would be coming to the Ancestral Land to cultivate, and leaving the Crystal Palace here would significantly help their growth. If not for these considerations, he would have taken the Crystal Palace away with him.
Yang Kai sat opposite Qing Luan and the others inside the Main Hall, telling them about the dream that he saw while cultivating in the Crystal Palace back then. After much deliberation, he decided that he should inform the Phoenix Clan about this matter. Who could say? The Phoenix Clan might know something about the secrets from the ancient times.
Unfortunately, Qing Luan and the others could not think of any useful information even after listening to his story. On the contrary, they were quite shocked by certain events that he revealed to them.
“From what you’ve said, the Giant Spirit God did indeed fight a ferocious battle with the Divine Spirits in Ancestral Land back then. In the end, it was the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress of that generation who sacrificed themselves by burning their Blood Essence to mobilise the Ancestral Strength through the various Sacred Treasures to suppress and seal the Giant Spirit God.”
“That’s what I saw,” Yang Kai nodded, “The Ancestral Land was torn apart and divided in two. At the same time, the Sources of the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress were caught up in a Void Turbulence and vanished out of sight. That was until many years ago when this Junior had the opportunity to obtain the Dragon Emperor’s Source in a small and weak world.”
Qing Luan sighed in amazement, “The Dragon Emperors are the strongest Masters of the Dragon Clan, and there are often generations where no Dragon Emperor rises to power. No wonder your Source is a Divine Dragon Source. Only a Divine Dragon is qualified to be a Dragon Emperor.”
Yuan Chu asked, “If the Dragon Emperor’s Source of that generation is with you, then what about the Phoenix Empress’ Source? Have you seen it? If the two of them were caught up in a Void Turbulence, they might have appeared in the same place.
Yang Kai replied, “If I’m not mistaken, the Phoenix Empress’ Source is with my Senior Sister, Su Yan.”
“They were really together!?” Qing Luan and the others became excited.
Yue Zhuo asked, “Where is that Senior Sister of yours right now?”
“She lives in Void Land located in the Void Territory.” Yang Kai answered, “Following my return this time, I plan to send her and some of my Divine Spirit friends to the Ancestral Land. I hope you can help to take care of them when they arrive, Seniors.”
Qing Luan smiled, “You’ve already mentioned this matter before, so of course it won’t be a problem at all. Feel free to send them here.” While speaking, she turned to look at Hong Hu, “Please go with Yang Kai, Fourth Sister.”
“En.” Hong Hu nodded.
Yang Kai quickly said, “There’s no need to trouble you, Senior. I know the position of the Ancestral Land now, so I only need you to tell me how to safely pass through the Divine Ability Sea.”
Qing Luan said, “The return of the Phoenix Empress is an important event for the Phoenix Clan. We cannot be sloppy. Please let Hong Hu go with you.”
Seeing as she had already said so much, Yang Kai did not refuse her again. Besides, he would like nothing more than having a Master like Hong Hu accompanying him on his travels. The information about how he had obtained the World Spring would probably have spread across the Shattered Heaven by now, so there was no saying what kinds of troubles he might face when he returned to the Shattered Heaven again.
“When do you plan to leave?” She asked.
“I wish to say goodbye to Senior Mie Meng first.”
“As you should.” Qing Luan nodded.
The next day, Yang Kai strolled over to the place where Mie Meng lived. It was obvious that Mie Meng had detected his presence because the doors were wide open.
He did not see the Great General anywhere and Mie Meng claimed that it was because the boy was working hard to cultivate. However, according to Yang Kai’s understanding of Great General’s character, he had the feeling that the little chicken had been forced into seclusion by his Mother. In any case, he did not say anything regarding the matter.
Before he departed, Yang Kai left behind several Ancestral Spirit Crystals so that Mie Meng could pass them on to Great General. Great General was still very young, so these Ancestral Spirit Crystal would help him to reduce many years of intense cultivation and allow his bloodline to develop rapidly.
Yang Kai no longer had many Ancestral Spirit Crystals left on hand as during his advancement to become a Grand Dragon, he had used up 80% of them in one go. Therefore, he only had slightly more than 200 of them left.
He gave half of them to the Phoenix Clan; after all, he would need the Phoenix Clan’s help to take care of the Divine Spirits who came from Void Land later. Then, he left the remaining half in the Crystal Palace. If Su Yan and the others needed the Ancestral Spirit Crystals, they could help themselves to them.
When all the preparations were done, Yang Kai prepared to leave the Ancestral Land with Hong Hu.
A figure flew over from a distance and landed in front of Hong Hu. It was the white-robed youth from the Kun Clan who bowed and cupped his fist, “Kun Yu greets Senior Hong Hu.”
Hong Hu nodded, “I will have to trouble you.”
Kun Yu nodded faintly. Without even glancing at Yang Kai, he soared straight into the sky. Hong Hu shot a glance at Yang Kai, and the two of them quickly followed.
Having lived in the Ancestral Land ever since she had been born, Hong Hu had never left the Ancestral Land before. She only knew that the Ancestral Land was surrounded by the Divine Ability Sea. Unfortunately, the Divine Ability Sea was so dangerous that even a Mature Divine Spirit might succumb to its dangers and fail to pass through safely.
Out of all the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, only the Kun Clan knew of a safe passage through the Divine Ability Sea. That was something the Kun Clan discovered after relying on many Masters to explore the Divine Ability Sea. It was by relying on this knowledge that Kun Yu managed to travel through the Divine Ability Sea safely even though he only had the strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
When the Phoenix Clan came forward to make a request, the Kun Clan naturally had nothing more to say about this matter. In the end, they assigned Kun Yu to escort Hong Hu and Yang Kai through the Divine Ability Sea. Even if the Kun Clan had decided to ignore the matter, with Hong Hu’s strength, there was a great chance that she would simply force her way through the Divine Ability Sea. That was how Cheng Yang entered the Ancestral Land. Although he encountered all sorts of dangers and wound up quite battered, he was still able to pass through the Divine Ability Sea.
Following behind Kun Yu, Hong Hu and Yang Kai quickly left the Ancestral Land and plunged into the Divine Ability Sea. The various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were unleashed one after another, but their power was not too strong. Whether it was Kun Yu leading the way or Hong Hu and Yang Kai following behind, none of them had any trouble dealing with the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques
“It must have been difficult for the Kun Clan to discover this route.” Hong Hu sighed in amazement.
Kun Yu’s personality was generally on the colder side, so he had remained taciturn for the most part of the journey. Nevertheless, Hong Hu was his Senior, so seeing as she had started the conversation, he could not ignore her and responded, “In order to find this passage, the Kun Clan paid a heavy price several thousands of years ago. Two Seniors lost their lives in the Divine Ability Sea. In terms of strength, they were comparable to the Human’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
She nodded, “I’ve heard of that.”
Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, “Senior, don’t you think that the Divine Ability Sea is acting as a gigantic cage?”
Hong Hu was stunned for a moment. If he had not mentioned this matter, she would never have thought about it. Now that she heard those words though, she couldn’t help thinking that the possibility was rather high.
Yang Kai had this feeling the last time he saw the Divine Ability Sea, and after seeing the Giant Spirit God being suppressed and sealed in the Demon Sealing Land, his conjecture only became more certain.
“These Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were left behind countless years ago, and despite going through the erosion and baptism of time, they still contain such fearsome power. It’s difficult to imagine just how strong they were at their peak. It might be that even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would not come out unscathed if they ventured deep into this place.”
Hong Hu pondered in silence for a moment before she asked, “Are you saying that the Divine Ability Sea was created as a protective barrier to prevent the Giant Spirit God from escaping?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s the only possibility.”
Her eyes flashed at those words, “If it’s as you said, then the battle in ancient times should have shown traces of Human participation; after all, many of the Divine Abilities in the Divine Ability Sea do not come from Divine Spirits. Did you see any Humans in the memories?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I did not see any, but that is not strange either. The Ancestral Strength is extremely dangerous to non-Divine Spirits. If the Giant Spirit God was causing havoc in the Ancestral Land, only the Divine Spirits could fight back against him. Fortunately, the Divine Spirits won that battle even though they paid a heavy price for their victory. Regardless, the Great Experts of the Human Race must have set up the Divine Ability Sea outside the Ancestral Land just to be on the safe side.”
Too much time had passed. It was so long ago that even a long-lived Race like the Divine Spirits did not know what had happened back then. Nevertheless, Yang Kai’s conjecture was reasonable. It might be the truth of what had happened back in ancient times.
The only thing that confused Yang Kai right now was why a Giant Spirit God, being from a race which was generally innocent, mild-tempered, and would never take the initiative to provoke others, had started such a ferocious battle in the Ancestral Land.
Yang Kai had personally witnessed countless Divine Spirits dying at the hands of that Giant Spirit God during that battle. Even the Dragon and the Phoenix Clans had suffered heavy casualties. The Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress of that generation even went so far as to burn all their Blood Essence to activate a massive Grand Array using the Sacred Treasures of sixteen Clans to condensed the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land to suppress and seal the Black Giant Spirit God.
It had been a mighty battle indeed.
Following behind Kun Yu, they navigated through the Divine Ability Sea and made steady progress. All the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques unleashed along the way were easily resolved by the three of them.
A few days later, the view in front of them abruptly widened. The three of them had made their way out of the Divine Ability Sea. Kun Yu halted in his tracks, turned to Hong Hu, and cupped his fist, “Senior, we’re out of the Divine Ability Sea now. This Junior will only escort you up to this point. Simply follow the way we came earlier when you return.”
“En. Go back and thank your Clan Head on my behalf. Tell him the Phoenix Clan owes him a favour.” Hong Hu nodded. She had memorised the route along the way here and even used her power as a Divine Spirit to leave a mark along the trail, so there was no need to worry about how she was going to return.
Kun Yu lowered his head and said, “This Junior will definitely relay the message. I shall take my leave now!”
While speaking, his figure shifted and he rushed back into the Divine Ability Sea.
After Kun Yu departed, Yang Kai and Hong Hu continued their journey.
It was Hong Hu’s first time leaving the Ancestral Land, so although her cultivation was impressive, she couldn’t help being curious about the outside world. Looking around though, she saw nothing but the vast and desolate void; hence, it was inevitable for her to feel disappointed as she asked, “Is everything in the outside world like this?”
Yang Kai laughed, “The situation at the Shattered Heaven is special. You will see a different scenery once we arrive back at a prosperous Great Territory, Senior.”
She nodded, “In that case, I look forward to it.”
“Let’s go.” He took the lead while speaking.
He and Xia Lin Lang had fled deep into the Shattered Heaven back then, so it would take quite some time for him to leave. Travelling through the void was extremely boring. Fortunately, they could chat with each other along the way. Yang Kai told her about various things in the outside world. Regardless of the importance of the matter, Hong Hu listened with great relish.
Ever since leaving the Divine Ability Sea, Yang Kai vaguely noticed that he had developed a peculiar feeling. This feeling came from the depths of his bloodline. It felt as though there was something located somewhere far away that was closely connected to him.
At the beginning, he did not understand what this feeling was. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long before he abruptly realised that this feeling was the connection he felt with the Dragon Clan’s Dragon Altar!
It was once said that he would be able to sense the location of the Dragon Altar when his bloodline reached a certain level. That was the inheritance found deep within every Dragon Clan member’s bloodline.
In the past, his Dragon Form had only been 3,000 metres long. Moreover, he had been Half-Human, Half-Dragon. It made sense that he could not sense the Dragon Altar in such a state. However, this perception came into being now that he had advanced from a Juvenile Dragon to a Grand Dragon and his Dragon Form was 10,000 metres long. Even if he was separated by a great distance, that feeling would never be severed.
Yang Kai was certain that he would eventually find the Dragon Clan’s Dragon Altar one day if he followed in the direction of this feeling; thus, he suddenly felt a little excited.
Ever since coming to the 3,000 Worlds, he had been trying to locate the Dragon Altar. Unfortunately, the Dragon Altar was very hidden. Despite being one of the 36 Cave Heavens, nobody knew the location of the Dragon Altar.
At this moment, the connection coming from the depths of his bloodline was undoubtedly pointing the way for him. It was a pity that he had urgent matters to take care of right now. Seeing as it was inconvenient for him to search for the Dragon Altar immediately, Yang Kai could only delay this matter for the time being.
The Shattered Heaven was vast. Furthermore, there were no Universe Temples that they could use to transfer from place to place. Despite flying for a whole month, the two of them remained inside the Shattered Heaven.
One day, Hong Hu suddenly noticed something. She turned to look in a certain direction and frowned after a moment, “There are people fighting over there.”
Yang Kai followed her gaze and sure enough, he saw several streams of light darting around in a relentless pursuit. Hong Hu’s cultivation was higher than his, so it was only natural for her to detect the anomaly before him.
“The Shattered Heaven is unlike the other Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds. It is very chaotic and fights are very common here.” Yang Kai explained, but showed no intention to intervene.
Although Yang Kai had no intention to intervene in the fight, one of the parties in the fight seemed to have taken notice of their presence and was rushing directly in their direction.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly as this was also a common occurrence. When one party was losing a battle, they often liked to divert their opponent’s attention to another person. Or, they could be trying to ask for help. Regardless of the situation, the person who was unwittingly dragged into the mess would be the one troubled.
It was not his first time encountering an incident like this, so it was only natural that Yang Kai understood the other party’s intentions. Nevertheless, he had no intention to flee. Hong Hu was right next to him, so who in the Shattered Heaven would dare to act presumptuous in front of her?
“Huh?” All of a sudden, Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise. When the leading figure approached, he detected a familiar aura. A short while later, he finally confirmed his suspicions when he had a good look at that person’s appearance. It truly was a person that he was acquainted with.
It was Qin Fen! He was one of the few Open Heaven Realm Masters among Xia Lin Lang’s subordinates.
[Why is he here? Where is Xia Lin Lang?] Seeing as it was an acquaintance, Yang Kai could not ignore the situation anymore. He raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. After that, he charged towards Qin Fen. Hong Hu quickly followed closely behind.
On the other hand, there was no doubt that Qin Fen had also recognised Yang Kai. A complicated gaze immediately entered his eyes as he gritted his teeth and rushed over.
A short while later, they brushed past each other. Yang Kai raised his spear and stabbed forward. With the power of a spear, the world collapsed and the expressions of the two figures chasing from behind changed greatly as they quickly defended themselves.
The collision of the World Force swept across the void and Yang Kai’s figure stumbled slightly before he steadied himself once more. On the other hand, the two chasing figures were involuntarily sent flying backward at the same time.
Even though they were also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they failed to defend against the attack of somebody in the same Order as them despite combining both their strengths. If they had not personally experienced something like this, they would not have dared to believe that such a thing was possible.
They stabilised their figures with great difficulty, but before they could declare their names, a horrifying pressure descended upon them. The pressure was so strong that their figures slumped slightly and their expressions changed drastically.
“A Divine Spirit?” One of the middle-aged men stared at Hong Hu, who was standing quietly in the void, with an expression of fear and horror.
The power of this Divine Spirit was too immense. As Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, how could they fail to sense such a thing? This pressure was so strong that it was comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
[Why did we run into a Divine Spirit here!?] The two of them looked at each other with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Meanwhile, Qin Fen returned. His complexion was pale and there were traces of blood on his clothes. His aura was weak, so it was obvious that he was injured.
“Why are you here?” Yang Kai turned around and asked, “Where is Xia Lin Lang?”
Qin Fen clenched his fists tightly and responded with his head lowered, “Madame was captured.”
Yang Kai scowled, “By who?”
Xia Lin Lang was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. As long as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master did not make a move, who in the Shattered Heaven could capture her?
“Bright Sun Divine Monarch!” Qin Fen gritted his teeth, “When we were sent out of that place, Cheng Yang appeared out of nowhere before we could go very far. He was probably lying in ambush all this while. Madame was no match for him, so she could only escape. She lured Cheng Yang away so that we could have a chance to flee. Unfortunately, we’ve gotten separated after several years of running around.”
“That old thing! Scourges never die!” Yang Kai scowled deeply.
Qin Fen looked at Yang Kai, “Cheng Yang said that you should go and meet him if you want the Madame to be returned safely.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Is he so certain that I will go looking for him?”
Qin Fen became furious, “Are you going to ignore Madame’s life or death situation!? If not for you, Lin Lang Cave Heaven would never have been destroyed! With the protection of Lin Lang Cave Heaven, even Cheng Yang would not have been able to harm the Madame!”
Yang Kai glanced at Qin Fen, “Xia Lin Lang brought me back because she wanted the World Spring. Everything that happened afterwards was simply a means to protect myself. To be honest, the destruction of Lin Lang Cave Heaven was the result of Xia Lin Lang’s actions.”
Qin Fen clenched his teeth and glared furiously when he heard those words. His expression looked like he wanted to bite Yang Kai to death.
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and snorted, “But, there is no denying that we have gone through difficult times together. Cheng Yang only captured her because of the World Spring… Haaa, how troublesome.” Turning to look at the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who didn’t even dare to move a muscle, he asked, “Are they Cheng Yang’s men?”
Qin Fen replied, “That’s right.”
The middle-aged man quickly explained, “We have no malicious intentions. It’s just that Xia Lin Lang is worried about their safety, so the Divine Monarch asked us to invite him back as a guest. The others are already with the Divine Monarch.”
Qin Fen coldly snorted, “No malicious intentions, my foot! If not because this Qin has some ability, I would have died at your hands a long time ago.”
The middle-aged man said, “When have we ever directed our murderous intent at you throughout our pursuit? I’m afraid you don’t know your own situation right now. All the Masters in the Shattered Heaven have set out, but the World Spring remains nowhere to be seen. The rumours claim that Xia Lin Lang has gotten the World Spring, so if you had encountered anybody else, you would have died a miserable death a long time ago!”
Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt their argument. He then looked at the middle-aged man and said, “The World Spring is with me. It’s useless even if Bright Sun Divine Monarch captures Xia Lin Lang. But, since he is so desperate to meet me, I’ll go and pay him a visit.”
The middle-aged man exchanged a glance with his comrade. They did not dare to believe that things would be so simple so he asked incredulously, “Really?”
Yang Kai gestured, “Lead the way.”
The middle-aged man responded as though his dreams had come true, “This way!”
After saying that, he and his companion turned around to lead the way.
Yang Kai glanced at Qin Fen, “What are you going to do?”
Qin Fen quickly said, “I’m coming with you.”
Yang Kai nodded and quickly chased after those two.
Hong Hu came over in a flash, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Cheng Yang knows that you are a Dragon Clan member. Why is he trying to target you? What reckless bravery.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “The Divine Spirits have not left the Ancestral Land in a long time. It is only natural that my identity as a Dragon Clan member does not frighten him. He is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all, so he can be considered quite capable.”
Hong Hu sneered at those words, “It is not that the Divine Spirits are unable to leave the Ancestral Land, but that they don’t want to. I’m curious to see what gives him the confidence to act so brazenly in front of a Divine Spirit!”
“Looks like he is going to suffer greatly.” Yang Kai took intense pleasure in the other party’s approaching misfortune.
Several figures stopped in the void. Yang Kai looked left and right for a bit before he asked, “Is this the place?”
The middle-aged man in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm nodded, “Yes!”
“Announce our arrival.” Yang Kai gestured.
A trace of struggle crossed the middle-aged man’s face, but he called out loudly nonetheless, “Divine Monarch, Yang Kai is here! Please open the portal, Divine Monarch!”
The void remained silent, and there was no reaction.
He shouted once more, but there was no movement.
Yang Kai turned to look at the middle-aged man and narrowed his eyes slightly, turning the middle-aged man as pale as a death sentence prisoner. His voice trembled as he shouted again, “Please open the portal, Divine Monarch!”
“Are you sure this is the place?” Yang Kai asked impatiently.
The middle-aged man nodded nervously, “It’s right here.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. He did not understand the reason for the middle-aged man’s reaction.
In any case, if Bright Sun Divine Monarch was really hiding here but refused to reveal himself, then it could only mean that he was afraid of Hong Hu. He probably never imagined that the Phoenix Clan would show up. Even if he was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was bound to suffer a loss against a Master like Hong Hu.
Space Principles began fluctuating with a single thought from Yang Kai. Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, a circle of ripples spread out into the surroundings with him as the centre. Consequently, the Void became distorted everywhere the ripples passed.
Beside him, Hong Hu watched with bright eyes. She raised her hand slightly to feel the mysteries of Space Principles. It was her first time seeing such a strange power, so she couldn’t help being curious.
At the beginning, nothing much changed, but as time passed, the Space Principles that spread out like ripples on the surface of the water began to show a weak fluctuation. It was as though the swift river current had encountered a large boulder.
Yang Kai’s gaze shifted in a certain direction. At the same time, he urged the Space Principles more and more fiercely. The weak fluctuations gradually became more and more obvious as a result.
About an incense stick later, even Hong Hu and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who did not understand anything about the Dao of Space could detect the anomaly.
Under the agitation of Space Principles, it soon became clear that there was a large space at that spot in the Void which was different from its surroundings. That location was none other than the entrance connecting the Universe Cave Heaven where Bright Sun Divine Monarch lived to the outside world!
Yang Kai was just about to increase his efforts to forcibly break open the entrance when space distorted and opened to reveal a portal. Immediately after that, Cheng Yang’s figure stepped out from within and he loudly said, “I was not aware of your arrival, Lady Hong Hu. Please forgive this Cheng for my lack of hospitality!” After saying that, he turned to look at his two subordinates. His voice became cold and ruthless, “Incompetent good-for-nothings! What’s the use of having you!?”
The expressions of those two changed greatly when they heard those words, and they immediately begged for mercy. Nonetheless, Cheng Yang ignored their pleading and raised his hand. When he slammed his palm down, the power of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master flooded out and a mighty World Force filled the void.
With the power of a single palm strike, the heads of the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were crushed on the spot. Their headless corpses swayed slightly, then their Small Universes collapsed and their World Force dissipated!
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly.
Hong Hu coldly snorted, “How impressive, Divine Monarch!”
Cheng Yang had decisively killed two of his subordinates in front of her without any hesitation. It was clearly a demonstration of his strength! Although she lived in the Ancestral Land for a long time and this was her first trip to the outside world, even she knew that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not just some useless cabbage to discard at will.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had more than enough strength to stand on their own in the 3,000 Worlds. As long as the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises did not step forward, Sixth-Order Masters could be said to be the strongest!
“Lady Hong Hu, please calm your anger. Cheng Yang’s actions are not what you think. You’ve lived in the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land for a long time, so you’re not familiar with the situation in the Shattered Heaven.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed slightly as he vaguely realised something and came over to Hong Hu’s side to explain in a low voice, “To the Masters hiding in the Shattered Heaven, their hideouts are their strongest and final layer of defense. Therefore, the location of their hideouts must never be exposed to outsiders, as it will only bring endless troubles to them otherwise.”
It would have been bad enough if those two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had brought Yang Kai to this place; however, they even brought Hong Hu along with them. Unable to silence the witnesses, Cheng Yang could only vent his anger on his subordinates in a fit of rage.
If they could bring Yang Kai and Hong Hu here, then wouldn’t they bring his enemies home if they were captured by them in the Shattered Heaven, or worse, the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in the future? Where would Bright Sun Divine Monarch hide then?
Having said that, Yang Kai was the only person in the world who could easily force open the portal of a Universe Cave Heaven thanks to his proficiency in the Dao of Space. Even if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from the Cave Heavens or Paradises were to show up here, they would not have such an easy time despite knowing the location.
Cheng Yang had remained hidden and refused to come out earlier due to his fear of Hong Hu. It was not until he saw that his hideout was about to be forcibly opened that he had no choice but to reveal himself.
“Those who come from afar are guests! Lady Hong Hu, this way please!” Cheng Yang gestured forward.
Hong Hu nodded faintly and stepped inside. Yang Kai shot a look at Qin Fen and quickly followed after Hong Hu.
Upon entering the portal, Cheng Yang immediately took the lead while Yang Kai looked around and raised his brow at the sight, “Divine Monarch, is this place a Universe Cave Heaven?”
“Indeed!” Cheng Yang nodded, “This Universe Cave Heaven was left behind by an unknown Senior. When this Monarch first arrived at the Shattered Heaven, I once fought a battle here and accidentally discovered traces of this Universe Cave Heaven during that fight. However, it took me 300 years just to find the portal and another 100 to get inside.”
After saying that, he gave Yang Kai a meaningful look, “I’ve long heard about the extraordinariness of the Dao of Space, but I’ve never had the honour to witness its greatness before. Having seen it today, this Monarch is truly amazed!”
He had spent hundreds of years just to open the Universe Cave Heaven’s portal and occupy this place. Meanwhile, Yang Kai had only spent an incense to nearly forcibly open the portal.
The contrast nearly made Cheng Yang spit blood in distress. Nevertheless, he knew that there was nothing to envy. The Dao of Space was not something just anybody could cultivate.
Yang Kai smiled, “Many thanks for your high praise, Divine Monarch. I simply specialise in my own field.”
Cheng Yang raised his brow and commented, “You are too humble, Little Brother. Perhaps we can work together on a certain project.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “Cooperate on what?”
Cheng Yang continued, “The Shattered Heaven is vast and boundless, and there are many opportunities coexisting with various risks. Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises are abundant here. Unfortunately, not many of them have been discovered and explored because we do not have the knowledge or ability to do so. Most of them remain hidden in the Void; however, this Monarch knows of no less than five locations where there’s a high possibility that Universe Cave Heavens or Universe Paradises exists. It’s a pity, but I am unable to confirm my suspicions. If you cooperate with this Monarch and join forces to explore these five areas, then there is no need to worry about not finding anything good. As far as I know, the World Spring in your possession was found in one of these Universe Cave Heavens, right?”
Yang Kai was indeed tempted by those words. If what Cheng Yang said was true, it might be a good idea to work together in this matter. Be that as it may, it was not good to reveal how keen he was about the idea lest he was bullied by Cheng Yang as a result.
Even though he was tempted, Yang Kai responded calmly, “That may be so. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time. I will be truthful with you, Divine Monarch. I’ve been away from home for quite a while, and my heart yearns to return. If I had not met your subordinates along the way and learned that Xia Lin Lang was staying at your place as a guest, I would have left the Shattered Heaven by now.”
Cheng Yang chuckled, “It turns out that you are quite a family man, Little Brother Yang.”
Their conversation afterward was not worth mentioning. While the two of them were talking, Hong Hu followed along silently. She showed no intention of expressing her opinion on anything.
Not long afterward, the four of them arrived and landed on a certain Spirit Peak. Several figures immediately rushed out of the palace. It was Xia Lin Lang and her subordinates. They were startled and looked worried upon seeing Qin Fen and Yang Kai arriving together.
However, Xia Lin Lang immediately felt relieved when she recognised Hong Hu. She had been a guest at Four Phoenix Pavilion during her time in the Ancestral Land, so she knew Hong Hu’s identity. Hurriedly stepping forward, she gave an elegant bow, “Greetings, Lady Hong Hu.”
Hong Hu nodded lightly, “No need to be so polite.”
They did not know each other well, and could even be said that they were mere passing acquaintances, so there was nothing much to say between them.
Xia Lin Lang seemed a little confused by the situation at hand, so she glanced at Yang Kai inquiringly. Yang Kai smiled and said, “I met Brother Qin by chance when I came out of the Ancestral Land. After hearing that you are staying with the Divine Monarch as a guest, I decided to come and pay you a visit.”
She immediately understood the situation and nodded, “Knowing that my residence has been destroyed, the Divine Monarch kindly invited me to stay for a while. The Divine Monarch is so hospitable that I couldn’t refuse. I’m afraid I’ve caused trouble for the Divine Monarch.”
Cheng Yang smiled and waved his hand dismissively, “If you’re willing, you can stay here as long as you want.”
He seemed extremely friendly and hospitable, and if someone who did not know the truth were to witness this scene, they would probably believe that Xia Lin Lang had really been invited to stay here as a guest.
“It’s inappropriate to bother you for too long, Divine Monarch.” While speaking, she glanced at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded, “I also have important matters at hand, so I can’t stay for long.”
Cheng Yang quickly said, “You’ve come from so far away, please allow this Monarch to show you some hospitality. To be honest with you, this Monarch rarely has people coming to visit as guests. I’ve already instructed my people to prepare a banquet. It won’t be too late to leave after.”
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Hong Hu, who nodded lightly in response.
Cheng Yang was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and although he was forced to buckle to the pressure and could not do anything to them, it was still better to show him some respect.
Only then did Yang Kai nod in agreement, “Since you’ve already said so much, Divine Monarch, it would be impolite for us to refuse!”
Cheng Yang laughed heartily, “As it should be! Please come this way!”
He led the crowd to a Grand Hall located on another Spirit Peak where sure enough, a banquet had been prepared. When they all took their seats, an endless number of delicacies were served to the table. There were also beautiful young women singing and dancing below them to enhance the atmosphere.
Yang Kai and Cheng Yang were like old friends who had not seen each other in a long time, drinking and toasting with each other frequently.
Hong Hu was not interested in alcohol, singing, or dancing. On the contrary, she fell in love with the beautiful and delicious fruits placed in front of her which she ate in small bites.
Meanwhile, Xia Lin Lang and the others had complicated expressions on their faces. Just yesterday, they were prisoners. They never imagined that they would become guests of honour in the blink of an eye. Their statuses had changed so quickly that they felt extremely uncomfortable. It gave them the feeling of being in a dream.
After several rounds of drinks, Cheng Yang was flushed red due to alcohol and raised his glass and said, “Little Brother Yang, if I have to say it myself, we have a friendship born from fighting each other! This Monarch rarely admires anybody, but I truly admire you! You are the first Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to escape from this Monarch!”
Cheng Yang was absolutely ecstatic when he first heard the news that the World Spring had fallen into the hands of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. With his strength, what was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in comparison? He initially assumed that it would be easy pickings if he took action himself. Who could have known that Yang Kai would give him such a huge and unpleasant surprise instead?
The strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was certainly nothing in front of Cheng Yang, but the other party was not only proficient in the Dao of Space, but also an expert at escaping. He failed to capture Yang Kai as a result. When Cheng Yang’s chase brought him into the Divine Ability Sea, he became stuck in an impossible situation. It was a miserable experience.
If not because Yang Kai wanted to borrow his strength to leave the Divine Ability Sea, Cheng Yang was certain he would have been abandoned in that shattered space. If that had happened, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself would have been trapped inside.
It would have been impossible for him to turn his fate around again; after all, he had personally experienced the strangeness of the shattered space himself. That was why it was not a complete lie when Cheng Yang claimed that he admired Yang Kai. There was some truth and sincerity to his words.
After staying in the Ancestral Land for some time, he learned that Yang Kai was not only closely related to the Dragon Clan but he was now being personally escorted by a Master from the Phoenix Clan. At this point, there was no longer any need to yearn for the World Spring again. Cheng Yang did not have the guts to make an enemy of the Phoenix Clan in the Ancestral Land, as they were an existence even stronger than the Kun Clan.
Having gone through so much, though, it might be possible to make up for some of his losses if he could work together with Yang Kai. It was for that reason that he opened the portal of his cave mansion so enthusiastically.
After several rounds of drinks, Cheng Yang brought up the topic again, “Little Brother, I have connections and resources while you have the ability. If you and I work together, I’m sure we will profit enormously. Won’t you consider it?”
Yang Kai raised his glass and looked at Cheng Yang with a smile, “Are you talking about the matter regarding the Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens, Divine Monarch?”
“Naturally!” Cheng Yang nodded. In the Shattered Heaven, only such valuable prizes would interest an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him. There was no saying what good things he might discover inside.
Yang Kai was about to refuse when he suddenly recalled that Xia Lin Lang seemed to be homeless after the destruction of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. The destruction of Pear Flower Cave Heaven was more or less related to him. Not to mention, she was reluctant to leave the Shattered Heaven. What would happen to her once he left?
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment before he said, “You mentioned that you know five or six locations suspected to have Universe Cave Heavens or Universe Paradises, right, Divine Monarch?”
Seeing that Yang Kai was interested in this matter, Cheng Yang immediately raised his brow, “That’s not all. The possibility of these five or six locations is just higher. If I include the areas with a lower probability, then there are more than ten locations. This Monarch might be in Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but my cultivation is useless in this regard. I have no access to them, much less the ability to determine whether a portal exists in these places. However, things would be different if you are involved, Little Brother.”
The portal of his cave mansion had been found easily by Yang Kai, and if Cheng Yang had not revealed himself in time, there were signs that the portal would have forcibly opened. The fact that the portal could even persist for that long was thanks to Cheng Yang’s years of work to reinforce and conceal it. On the other hand, the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises scattered around the Shattered Heaven were completely unoccupied. These places would be even easier to open.
Yang Kai took a small sip of his wine with an expression of indecision.
Cheng Yang struck while the iron was hot, “Rest assured, Little Brother. I won’t let your efforts be in vain. Lady Hong Hu is here too. We can ask her to be our witness.”
Yang Kai looked up at Cheng Yang, “Divine Monarch, do you mean…”
“Every undiscovered Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise contains the assets and property of its former owner. If you help me determine the location and open the portals, Little Brother, this Monarch is willing to share all the proceeds with you in a 30/70 ratio!”
Yang Kai looked at Cheng Yang with a smile, “70 for me and 30 for you, Divine Monarch?”
Cheng Yang responded seriously, “You must be joking, Little Brother. Exploring the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises will require massive amounts of time and energy. They might even contain unpredictable risks. It is only natural that this Monarch will take the largest slice of the pie. Your role is only to open the door after all. You don’t need to worry about everything that comes afterward. You only need to sit back and wait for the rewards.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “30% is too little. If that’s the case, I might as well go home, bring a group of people over, and search on my own. That way, no matter how many discoveries we unearth, they will all belong to me.”
Cheng Yang chuckled, “I will not deny that you are capable, Little Brother; otherwise, I would not have asked you to cooperate with me. But, even if you are proficient in the Dao of Space, how many Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises can you find over the years without any clues? The Shattered Heaven is vast, so even if you spend hundreds or thousands of years searching, you might not find a single one. On the other hand, it will be different if you cooperate with this Monarch. I can point you to several likely locations, which will save you precious time and effort.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Your words make sense, Divine Monarch. Be that as it may, you will need to show me some sincerity if you want to cooperate with me, Divine Monarch. 30/70 is unacceptable.”
Cheng Yang showed a pained expression. After hesitating for a long while, he gulped down a glass of wine and slammed his glass on the table forcefully. He quickly said, “40/60! This Monarch will take 60 and you will take 40! Let’s just say this Monarch is your friend now, Little Brother!”
Yang Kai shook his head again and raised his palm, “50/50! We’ll split the profits evenly!”
Cheng Yang bitterly said, “Little Brother, you are trying to take the lion’s share!”
Yang Kai rapped his knuckles against the table lightly, “That’s my bottom line. If it’s not okay with you, Divine Monarch, we can remain friends, but don’t bother speaking of this matter again. I will be honest with you, Divine Monarch, I do have something urgent to attend to so I need to return home as soon as possible. Lady Hong Hu is here for that reason.”
Cheng Yang glanced at Hong Hu as though trying to determine whether Yang Kai was speaking the truth. It was just that Hong Hu was eating the spirit fruit in her hands with her head lowered, so there was no way to read her expression.
After a brief struggle, he finally spoke again, “50/50 is not impossible, but this Monarch has two conditions that both Little Brother and Lady Hong Hu will need to accept.”
Hong Hu raised her head to look at him and smiled, “The affairs between the two of you have nothing to do with me. Why did I get pulled into this?”
Cheng Yang, however, replied seriously, “This matter requires you to come forward yourself, Lady Hong Hu.”
Curious now, she asked, “Go on.”
Cheng Yang abruptly ripped open his shirt and exposed his chest.
Everybody immediately looked in that direction and Xia Lin Lang gasped in shock while Yang Kai revealed a look of understanding.
Cheng Yang’s chest area was covered in what looked like fish scales. They grew densely on his skin, spreading from his chest all the way down to his waist.
He quickly explained, “After venturing deep into the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land, this Monarch’s body began showing signs of Monster Transformation caused by the erosion of the Ancestral Strength. Although I managed to withdraw in time, I did not come out unscathed. Following years of recuperation, I managed to resolve most of the Ancestral Strength in my body; however, a small portion remains. Like maggots on rotting bones, I am unable to get rid of them. I would like to ask Lady Hong Hu to help me resolve this calamity for me.”
The Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength was an extremely bizarre force. It was a force that could even suppress and seal a being as mighty as a Giant Spirit God. Cheng Yang might be in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he suffered greatly for the past few years after being contaminated by the Ancestral Strength.
It would have been nothing if he was a Divine Spirit as the Ancestral Strength would have been highly beneficial and contain no drawbacks for him. Unfortunately, he was pure Human, so the Ancestral Strength was nothing more than poison to him.
Cheng Yang was lucky that he had not been exposed to too much of the Ancestral Strength; otherwise, he would have undergone complete Monster Transformation, losing his conscious mind as a result.
Hong Hu examined him with a frown. A long while passed before she said, “I will need to check your condition thoroughly before I can be certain whether I can help you.”
To which Cheng Yang nodded, “No problem!”
After saying that, his figure flashed as he came to stand in front of her. She raised her hand and lightly touched the scales on his chest. Bits of fluorescent light flashed at the tips of her fingers and wandered across each of those scales. A short while later, she withdrew her hand.
He looked at her nervously.
Hong Hu lightly said, “Thanks to your powerful cultivation, you not only dispelled most of the Ancestral Strength, but also prevented the remaining Ancestral Strength from eroding too deeply into your body over the past few years; otherwise, it would have been useless even if I tried to help you.”
Cheng Yang was elated to hear those words, “Do you mean that you can help me dispel the rest of the Ancestral Strength, Lady Hong Hu?”
She nodded, “Give me three days.”
“Many thanks!” He breathed out deeply, feeling as though a large weight had lifted from his heart. Ever since leaving the Ancestral Land, the past few years had not been pleasant for him.
The Ancestral Strength was extremely peculiar and difficult to dispel. It did not affect his daily life for the most part, but it caused great inconvenience when it came to his cultivation. Every time he tried to exert his power, the Ancestral Strength would show signs of movement. This phenomenon made him extremely nervous. Now that he received Hong Hu’s guarantee, the depressed mood that shrouded over him for so many years lightened considerably.
“The way the Kun Clan handled this affair is wildly inappropriate. I will reprimand them for you when I get back,” she said.
Cheng Yang jumped in fright at her words and hurriedly waved his hands, “No, no. It’s simply caused by my lack of ability.”
Although he was exposed to so much Ancestral Strength because the Kun Clan had forced him to venture into the Demon Sealing Land, he did not dare to voice his dissatisfaction despite the grievances in his heart. He would not have enough lives to survive the ordeal if the Kun Clan came out of the Ancestral Land to cause trouble for him.
Yang Kai spoke up, “The first condition has been fulfilled. What is your second condition, Divine Monarch?”
Cheng Yang chuckled, “The second condition is indefinite and may never be fulfilled.”
“Please speak freely, Divine Monarch.” Yang Kai gestured politely.
“I became acquainted with you thanks to one of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring, so I will be truthful with you, Little Brother. I believe that there might be other Four Universe Pillars contained within the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises hidden in the Shattered Heaven. After all, the Profound Fish appeared in the world 3,000 years ago, only for the World Spring to appear now. These incidents indicate that the Four Universe Pillars might be rare, but they were not extinct in ancient times. My second condition is that… If we find any of the Four Great Universe Pillars or Twelve Minor Universe Pillars during the period of our cooperation, this Monarch will be the one to receive them. For me, most ordinary items are no longer useful. On the other hand, the Four Great Universe Pillars and the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars are extremely useful to me. Of course, if we come across such an opportunity, this Monarch will not take these items for free. You can consider it as part of my share!”
This request was not excessive. Cheng Yang was probably still obsessed over the World Spring, but Yang Kai was closely connected to the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, so he could not make any moves on him. In that case, he could only settle for the second-best option.
Yang Kai nodded readily, “Good!” After a pause, he added, “But, since you have two conditions, Divine Monarch, I also have a condition of my own. I wonder if you will be able to grant my request, Divine Monarch.”
Cheng Yang smiled and said, “Since you agreed so readily, Little Brother, this Monarch will not take advantage of your good intentions. Please speak freely if you need something, Little Brother.”
Yang Kai said, “I need one of the Universe Cave Heavens after we finish exploring them. Moreover, I want you to promise me that you will never expose the location of that Universe Cave Heaven to anyone, Divine Monarch.”
Cheng Yang was about to ask what Yang Kai wanted to do with a fully-explored Universe Cave Heaven. It was no secret that these places were valuable when they remained hidden in the Void, but they quickly became of little value once somebody discovered them.
However, he suddenly noticed Xia Lin Lang sitting by the side and immediately understood the situation. He smiled and nodded, “Of course, that’s not a problem. Even if you want two or three of them, you can go ahead and take as many of them as you want, Little Brother. This Monarch will never give this information to anybody else.”
Likewise, Xia Lin Lang caught on to the situation and nodded at Yang Kai gratefully. Yang Kai was obviously asking for the Universe Cave Heaven for her sake.
At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a little complicated. She was the one who kidnapped and brought him to Pear Flower Cave Heaven back then. It had not been many years since that incident, but now he was talking and laughing on friendly terms with Masters like Cheng Yang. Not to mention, he also had a close relationship with the Phoenix Clan of the Ancestral Land.
The negotiations were settled, and everybody was satisfied. When the banquet ended, Cheng Yang arranged accommodation for everybody and agreed to depart with Yang Kai after three days.
The reason for the delay was that Hong Hu needed three days to help him dispel the Ancestral Strength in his body. Moreover, Yang Kai had repeatedly stated that he had urgent matters to deal with and could not be delayed for too long. That was why they decided to proceed as soon as possible.
It was late at night when a knock on the door sounded. Yang Kai got up and opened the door. Xia Lin Lang was standing outside the door, so he smiled lightly when he saw her and said, “I was just about to look for you myself.”
While speaking, he stepped sideways and let her into the room.
Xia Lin Lang asked curiously, “Did you need me for something?”
“Take a seat.” Yang Kai gestured before he poured a cup of tea for her. Sitting down opposite her, he said, “Why don’t you speak first? Did you need me for something?”
“I came to thank you.” She gave a soft laugh, “I wanted to thank you for worrying about my living situation and even asking Bright Sun Divine Monarch for a Universe Cave Heaven.”
“It’s only proper; after all, I am partly responsible for the destruction of Pear Flower Cave Heaven.”
“But, the root cause lies with me. If I had not captured you back then, what happened afterward would not have taken place at all. It’s my own fault for falling into this situation. It would have been perfectly reasonable for you to ignore my circumstances; therefore, no matter what, I owe you my gratitude!”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “It’s no big deal.”
Xia Lin Lang fell silent for a moment before she looked up at him and asked, “Did you need me for something?”
“Yes. The thing is…” Yang Kai sat up straight and looked at her seriously, “I need you to do me a favour.”
“What do you need?” She was puzzled.
He explained, “You heard my negotiations with Cheng Yang during the day. If I cooperate with him, every Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise we discover will mean large amounts of treasures falling into our hands. There might even be all sorts of rare or extinct items. Greed brings out the worst in people, and although Cheng Yang is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I cannot trust him on his word alone. I need somebody I trust to help me supervise the process, lest he engage in mischief without my knowledge. It is not convenient for me to stay in the Shattered Heaven for long, so after considering everything, I came to the conclusion that I can only ask you for help.”
Xia Lin Lang exclaimed in astonishment, “You don’t trust Cheng Yang, but you trust me?”
Yang Kai smiled, “You and I have faced life and death together multiple times. I have faith in you.”
Xia Lin Lang stared at him calmly for a moment before she burst into laughter, “You’ve already said so much, so I can only do my best to help you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, I will not ask you for help without giving you anything in return. My agreement with Cheng Yang is a 50/50 share. You can take 10% out of my share. How is that?”
Xia Lin Lang simply shook her head, “If you didn’t come here in person, I would have suffered a tragic fate. It was also you who brought me out of the shattered space back then. This Xia Lin Lang might not be a righteous woman, but I will never forget how you saved my life twice now. I will help you manage your earnings and hand them over to you untouched when you return to the Shattered Heaven in the future. As for my compensation… You’ve already paid me, haven’t you?”
Needless to say, she was referring to the fully explored Universe Cave Heaven that he previously requested from Cheng Yang. To the cultivators living in the Shattered Heaven, having a safe place to stay was their greatest refuge.
“But… in what capacity do I perform this task?” Xia Lin Lang asked.
Yang Kai briefly pondered before saying, “I am Void Land’s Lord. If you don’t mind, I can appoint you as Void Land’s High-Rank Guest Elder right here and now. What do you think?”
She pursed her lips into a smile, “I don’t mind. I’m just afraid of causing trouble for you.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Yang Kai shook his head. Raising his teacup, he gestured at her, “So, have we come to an agreement?”
“Yes, we have.” Xia Lin Lang raised her glass in a toast, and they drank to their agreement
After seeing Xia Lin Lang off, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, immersed his mind in his Small Universe, and manifested his Soul Clone. He quickly figured out the situation in his Small Universe with a single thought.
Several years had passed since he left the shattered space, and during this period, he had been too busy to pay attention to what was happening inside his Small Universe, though he did try to keep an eye on his two Disciples, Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai.
Over the years, Zhao Ya had advanced to the Transcendent Realm from the Immortal Ascension Realm and was on the verge of advancing into the Saint Realm even though her cultivation was constantly being suppressed. Her aptitude was simply Heaven-defying. Furthermore, the World Energy in his Small Universe World was so rich that her cultivation continued to improve slowly even if she did not cultivate.
What’s more, the flow of time in his Small Universe was twice that of the outside world, so the several years delay that he experienced in the outside world meant that nearly eight years had passed in his Small Universe.
On the other hand, Zhao Ye Bai, whom Yang Kai initially had high hopes for and expected to inherit his legacy one day, seemed like a worthless potato in comparison.
After returning from their training experience, Zhao Ya had advanced to the Immortal Ascension Boundary and after less than a decade was on the verge of breaking through to the Saint Realm. In contrast, Zhao Ye Bai had only just advanced from the Qi Transformation Realm, to the Separation and Reunion Boundary, and was about to reach the True Element Boundary!
Although they had both advanced by nearly two Great Realms, Zhao Ya was doing so in much higher Realms. Moreover, she had accomplished that feat whilst under suppression. Meanwhile, Zhao Ye Bai had spared no effort in his cultivation. The gap between them could be seen at a glance.
Despite Zhao Ye Bai’s slow advancement in cultivation, there was one aspect that satisfied Yang Kai immensely. The young boy had an unparalleled affinity for the Dao of Space. Every time Zhao Ye Bai cultivated, Yang Kai could more or less detect signs of the Space Dao Essence in his Small Universe being stimulated.
Yang Kai had never told them about the situation outside of his Small Universe, but now that they were on the way back to the Star Boundary, it was time to give them more information about the outside world lest they fail to adapt once he brought them back.
When he summoned the both of them, the two little ones were naturally surprised to see their Honoured Master and quickly bowed in greeting.
He briefly told them about the 3,000 Worlds, followed by information on Void Land. Lastly, he told them about the situation in the Star Boundary. He also told them that the Star Boundary was the best place for them to cultivate before they reached the Open Heaven Realm.
Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai listened with great fascination, looking absolutely entranced by his tales. They never imagined that the world outside could be so vast and interesting.
After spending half a day explaining the situation in the outside world to them, he also answered some of their questions about their daily cultivation. Only then did he prepare to leave.
“Honoured Master!” Zhao Ye Bai suddenly called out to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked back.
“Will my Mother and my Grandma also go to the Star Boundary?” Zhao Ye Bai asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Both your Mother and your Grandma are ordinary mortals who have never cultivated. If they are in my Small Universe, I can ensure that they remain alive and well so long as I do not perish; however, they will not live long once they leave my Small Universe.”
Zhao Ye Bai’s expression turned a little sad. He had guessed that the reason his Mother and his Grandma remained so young and beautiful was related to his Honoured Master. His Grandma was already well over 100 years old, but her body remained healthy and her hair even turned from white to black. Be that as it may, he could not help feeling a little depressed when he heard those words being spoken out loud.
“If you have time on your hands, you should go down the mountain to spend more time with your Mother and your Grandma. If you teach them some Breathing Techniques, they can use them to enhance their health even if they have passed the best age to cultivate. In addition, your Small Universe will change from ethereal to corporeal once your cultivation reaches the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. When you reach that stage one day, you can transfer your Mother and your Grandma into your own Small Universe. Then, you can meet them whenever you want.”
Zhao Ye Bai immediately shouted excitedly, “This Disciple will work hard to cultivate! I will not let you down, Honoured Master!”
Zhao Ya swiftly kicked him, “Honoured Master has already left!”
He scratched his head and chuckled in embarrassment, “I’m sure Honoured Master can hear me. We are inside his Small Universe after all. He knows everything.”
She glanced sideways at him, “Including how there was a Junior Sister who waited for you at the foot of the mountain and handed you a letter recently?”
Zhao Ye Bai turned pale with fright, “You saw that, Xiao Ya!?”
“Hmph!” She clasped her hands behind her back and turned her back towards him.
Three days later, a portal opened wide and a large number of people rushed out from within. Cheng Yang and Yang Kai stood side by side while Hong Hu stood close behind them. Further behind came Xia Lin Lang, Qin Fen, and the others. Bringing up the rear were dozens of Cheng Yang’s subordinates.
Yang Kai glanced behind him, “You sure have a mighty army with the finest of arms under you, Divine Monarch!”
Cheng Yang was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and there were two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command. Furthermore, he had more than ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters while there were several dozen Fifth and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters below them. No one was below the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Such a line-up was something that not even the current Void Land could compare to. Of course, these people were nothing if Zhu Jiu Yin and Old Man Bi Xi were included in Void Land’s forces.
Cheng Yang alone had such an impressive army under his command, so it was reasonable to assume the other two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven had equivalent forces.
Just how many Open Heaven Realm Masters were hidden in the Shattered Heaven?
Needless to say, Yang Kai was the one to request for so many people to be mobilised at once. He could not afford to linger in the Shattered Heaven for too long, so he could only ask Cheng Yang to dispatch more people.
After hearing what Yang Kai said, Cheng Yang chuckled, “Everyone knows that the Cave Heavens and Paradises have as many Masters as there are clouds in the sky, but nobody knows that there are many capable people in the Shattered Heaven, too. It’s just that the existence of the people in the Shattered Heaven are secrets that can never be brought to light.”
Yang Kai’s heart trembled, “Do you know the reason why the Cave Heavens and Paradises make things so difficult for High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters like yourself?”
Cheng Yang burst into laughter, “Will you believe me if I say that I don’t know much either, Little Brother?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, I believe you.”
Cheng Yang nodded, “There are rumours saying that the Cave Heavens and Paradises do this to strengthen their dominance over the 3,000 Worlds. That’s why all the cultivators who advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm but do not originate from the Cave Heavens and Paradises will be invited to join them. They either become part of the Cave Heavens and Paradises or they disappear without a trace. But, this Monarch does not believe that the Cave Heavens and Paradises, which have endured for countless eons and remained so powerful and prosperous, could be so spineless and underhanded.”